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HISTORY  OF 
HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


A  NARRATIVE  OF  THE  PAST,  WITH  SPECIAL  EMPHASIS  UPON  THE  PIONEER 
PERIOD  OF  THE  COUNTY'S  HISTORY.  AND  CHRONOLOCICAL  PRESENTA- 
TION OF  ITS  SOCIAL,  COMMERCIAL.  EDUCATIONAL  RELIGIOUS,  AND 
CIVIC  DEVELOPMENT  FROM  THE  EARLY  DAYS  TO  THE  PRESENT     . 
TIME,   AND    SPECIAL   ANALYSIS   OF   ITS  MILITARY  AND  CIVIL 
PARTICIPATION  IN  THE  LATE  WORLD   WAR 


A.  F.  BUECHLER  AND  R.  J.  BARR 

I  EDITORS-IN-CHIEF 

DALE  P.  STOUGH 

ASSOCIATE  COMPILING  EDITOR 


ADVISORY  EDITORIAL  BOARD 

JUDGE  BAYARD  H.  PAINE,  C.  H.  MENCK,  R.  R.  HORTH.  J.  L.  CLEARY,  S.  N. 

WOLBACH,  Grand  Mud;  DAVID  D.  OKANE  Wood  Rivet;  WM.  THOMSSEN, 

Aid.;  GEO.  W.  WINGERT.  Oiro;  W.  E.  MARTIN,  Doniphu 

AND  NUMEROUS  CONTRIBUTORS     ■ 


LINCOLN   NEBRASKA 

WESTERN  PUBLISHING  AND  ENGRAVING  COMPANY 

1920 

,...-.  D.gitized  by  GoOgk 


THE  M:iV  YORK 
PUBLIC  tlBIMHY 

14064411 


COPYRICHT.  1920 


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DEDICATED 

1857—1920 

This  work  is  respectfully  and  appreciatively 
dedicated  jointly : 

I  To  those  thirty-five  courageous  colonists  who 
ventured  forth  from  Davenport,  Iowa,  in  1857,  in 
search  of  a  home,  and  from  all  this  boundless,  un- 
settled, and  wild  prairie  between  Columbus,  Nebraska, 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains,  chose  the  banks  of  the 
Platte  within  the  present  confines  of  this  county,  and 
by  their  steadfast  persistence  and  labor  called  in  being 

HALL  COUNTY,  NEBRASKA 

II  To  Hall  County's  heroic  sons  who  entered  the 
service  of  our  country,  in  the  recent  World  War,  and 
made  the  supreme  sacrifice  in  defense  of  their  coun- 
try's right  and  in  the  sacred  cause  of  liberty  and 
freedom 


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PREFACE 

This  volume  is  divided  into  historical  and  biographical  matter.  For  the 
former  the  editors  are  responsible,  but  for  the  latter  the  responsibility  of  the 
editors  is  limited  to  such  few  short  biographical  paragraphs  as  appear  in  the 
text  of  various  chapters  —  the  remainder  having  been  prepared  under  the  su- 
pervision of  the  publishers,  The  Western  Publishing  and  Engraving  Company 
of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  by  their  staff  of  expert  writers  along  that  line  of  matter. 

The  aim  of  the  editors  in  preparing  the  text  of  this  book  has  been  to  achieve 
both  fidelity  to  facts  and  all  possible  comprehensiveness  in  gathering  historical 
facts  as  to  each  distinct  subject  taken  up.  It  is  not  claimed,  however,  that  all 
has  been  set  down  that  should  have  been  written  for  a  work  of  this  character, 
nor  that  the  narrative  on  every  point  is  as  complete  in  every  instance  as  could 
be  desired.  With  over  two  dozen  separate  phases  of  the  life  of  the  community 
to  consider,  and  the  limitations  of  space  for  each  subject  to  be  met,  as  well  as 
the  limitations  of  time  governing  the  preparation,  it  has  been  necessary  to  ex- 
clude much  material  that  the  editors  would  gladly  have  included.  Fortunately 
much  of  the  history  of  Hall  County  was  preserved  first-hand  in  historical  edi- 
tions of  the  early  newspapers  and  in  past  historical  researches.  But  even  then, 
much  valuable  historical  matter  has  been  lost  because  it  was  not  recorded  in 
writing  while  the  original  pioneers  were  with  us  to  narrate  it  personally.  But 
much  more  has  been  preserved  because  this  work  was  undertaken  even  at  this 
late  hour,  instead  of  being  delayed  a  few  years  longer.  Whatever  faults  the 
critical  may  discover  in  the  following  pages,  this  much  can  truthfully  be  said  of 
this  history  —  it  constitutes  an  earnest  effort  to  give  both  the  subscribers  and 
the  public  a  readable  and  reliable  history  of  Hall  County,  something  that  has 
not  hitherto  been  attempted  on  a  scale  as  extensive  as  this  effort  has  produced. 

This  history  is  not  the  work  of  any  one  man,  or  exclusively  the  product  of 
the  pens  of  the  undersigned  editors,  Mr  Buechler  and  Mr.  Barr,  and  their  as- 
sociate, Mr.  Stough.  The  editors  not  only  desire  to  acknowledge  their  indebt- 
edness to  some  of  those  mentioned  hereafter,  who  have  rendered  most  valuable 
assistance  in  the  preparation  of  this  history,  but  they  take  pleasure  in  acknowl- 
edging the  authorship  of  many  parts  of  the  text  to  those  to  whom  such  credit 
deservedly  belongs. 

Particularly  do  we  wish  to  acknowledge  our  indebtedness  to  Mrs.  Clarence 
S.  Paine,  librarian  of  the  State  Historical  Society,  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and  to 
the  other  officers  of  that  society,  for  material  kindly  furnished  to  us ;  to  J.  E. 


Lyle,  county  clerk,  and  his  deputy,  R.  A.  Odum:  Richard  Buenz,  register  of 
deeds;  Walter  H.  Rauert,  clerk  of  the  district  court;  Gus  E.  Neumann,  county 
treasurer;  John  Allan;  City  Clerk  Henry  E.  Clifford;  County  Agent  J.  R.  White; 
S.  E.  Sinke,  secretary  of  the  school  board;  I.  R.  Morearty,  city  engineer;  H.  H. 
Long,  secretary  of  the  Central  Labor  Union;  Ira  T.  Paine;  Rev.  L.  A.  Arthur; 
Rev.  R.  R.  Coon;  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine;  J.  Lechinscky;  and  numerous 
contributors  of  Grand  Island;  W.  J.  Burger  and  City  Clerk  H.  E.  Clar- 
no,  of  Doniphan;  John  Thomssen,  John  McLellan,  and  J.  W.  Modesitt,  of 
Alda;  Geo.  W.  Wingert  and  G.  H.  Vant,  of  Cairo;  O.  M.  Quackenbush;  Mrs. 
James  Jackson,  Chas.  E.  Towne,  and  John  Hoye,  of  Wood  River;  Rev.  J.  M. 
Bates,  of  Red  Cloud,  Neb. ;  Chief  Justice  Andrew  M.  Morrissey,  of  the  Nebras- 
ka supreme  court,  Lincoln,  Neb. ;  W.  W.  Haskell,  of  Ord.,  Neb. ;  and  to  all  of  the 
editorial  advisory  board. 

Furthermore,  most  valuable  assistance  has  been  rendered  by  permission  to 
use  sketches  and  articles  prepared  by  those  who  contributed  to  the  Semi-Centen- 
nial  edition  of  the  Grand  Island  Independent,  June  29,  1907,  notably  the  histor- 
ical articles  prepared  at  that  time  by  Fred  Hedde,  Christian  Menck,  Wm.  Stol- 
ley,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Thomssen,  Aug.  Schernekau,  while  they  were  still  with 
us;  also  by  reference  to  historical  researches  recorded  by  Prof.  M.  A.  Lesson, 
Dr.  J.  P.  Patterson,  H  .H.  Foght,  Gen.G.  M.  Dodge,  and  the  authorities  of  the 
Federal  Government. 

A.  F.  Buechler 
R.  J.  Barr 
Dale  P.  Stough 


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CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  I  —  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  Prior  to  1858 

Purport    of    County    History  —  Discoveries  Affecting  Hall   County  —  Territorial   Rule 

—  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition  —  The  Astorian  Expedition  —  Long's  Expedition  in 
1819  — Fremont's  Description  of  Grand  Island  —  Initial  Steps  in  Formation  of  Ne- 
braska —  Territorial    Government    Prior    to   1858 

CHAPTER  II  —  Settlement  of  Hall  County 

Naming  and  Settling  the  County  —  Fred  Hedde's  Narrative  —  The  Origin  of  the  Idea 

—  The  Colony  Starts  in  1857  —  Nebraska's  Few  Inhabitants  —  The  Platte  Valley, 
Fremont,  and  Columbus  — Grand  Island  Settlement  — The  Colony  on  Half  Rations  — 
The  First  Winter  — A  Second  Colony  —  The  Failure  of  the  Davenport  Company  — 
"Pike's  Peakers"— Extensions  of  Settlement  —  Wood  River's  Settlers  — Mormon 
Way  Station  —  Indian  Scare  of  1864— The  Grasshopper  Years  — When  the  Union 
Pacific  Came  —  Grand  Island  City  —  Returning  Prosperity  —  The  Remaining  Pio- 
neers—An Early  Hall  County  Bridal  Couple,  by  Christian  Menck  —  1857-1869  —  The 
Dream  of  Future  National  Capital,  by  William  Stolley  —  Organizing  the  Colony  of 
1857 — Terms  of  Expedition  —  Personnel  of  Colony — The  Advance  Party — Decide  to 
Build  —  Second  Colony  —  Market  for  Corn — Davenport  Company  Fails  —  Some  of 
the  First  Things  — Hunting  in  1860  — Interruption  of  a  Prayer  —  Garrisons  Called 
Away  —  First  Massacre  by  Indians  —  Panicky  Feeling  Results  —  "Fort  Independ- 
ence"—  The  Settlement  Protected — Some  Pawnees  Treacherous  —  Discover  Enemy 
in  Time  —  Goettsche-Frauen  Massacre  —  Government  Makes  Survey  —  Contractors 
Take  Timber  —  Trie  Grasshopper  Scourge  —  Ask  Congress  for  Help  —  Appears 
Before    Garfield  — Calls    on    Magnate    (Jay  Gould) 

CHAPTER  HI  —  Indian  Occupation  and  Legends 

Early  Redmen  Occupants  —  The  Pawnees  — Treaties  of  Amity  —  The  Decay  of  the 
Pawnees  — The  Sioux  — The  Outbreak  of  1864  — Major  Frank  North  and  the  Paw- 
nee Scouts — Local  Indian  History  —  Two  Boys  Pinned  Together  by  Arrows  —  The 
Campbell  Raid  — Recollections  of  Fred  Stolley  — First  Recollections  —  Took  Our 
Dinner  —  The  Sioux  —  Indian  Boys'  Sports  —  Puppy  Dog  Soup  —  White  Man's 
Treatment  of  the  Redman  —  "Nezarrazarries"—  An  Indian  Love  Story  —  A  True  Red 
Friend  — Fort  0.  K.—  Fort  Independence  — Goettsche-Frauen  Massacre  — Indians 
Journeying  to  the  "Hunt"— An  Indian  Dance  — Buffalo  Hunt  — The  Endurance  of 
a  Papoose  —  Mirages  —  Indian  Horsethieves  —  Depending  on  the  Gun  for  Food  — 
The  Antelope  —  Feathered  Game  — The  Indian  Pipe 

CHAPTER  IV  —  Other  Pioneers  —  and  First  Settlers      .        .        . 

The  Tread  of  Pioneers  — Early  Travel  and  Transportation —"Have  You  an  Eye?"— 
The  Oregon  Trail  —  Its  Effect  on  Hall  County  —  The  Overland  Trail  —  The  Fort 
Kearney  and  Nebraska  City  Road  — The  Decline  of  These  Trails  — The  Stage 
Coaches  —  The  Pony  Express  System  —  Land  Highway  and  River  Navigation  — 
Then  and  Now  —  The  Mormons  —  The  Gold  Hunters  —  Arrival  of  Permanent  Set- 
tlers—The Cowboy  Regime  — The  Mitch  ell -Ketch  urn  and  Oliver  Tragedy  —  Life  on 
the  Plains  Passes  — The  Early  History  of  the  Wood  River  Valley  — Early  Settle- 
ment—The First  Postoffice  — Old  Wood  River  Station  —  Present  Wood  River 
Starts  — Wood   River    Valley    Settled  — The   'Jim  Boyd"  Ranch 

CHAPTER  V  —  Reminiscences  and  Narratives  of  Pioneers  .... 
Details  of  the  Anderson -Smith  Massacre,  bv  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Thomssen,  Sr. — 
Her  Quota  Furnished,  by  A.  Schernekau  —  Reminiscences  of  a  Hall  County  Pioneer, 
by  Norman  Reese  — Early  Life  — Arriving  at  Grand  Island— Other  Eafly  Settlers  in 
Wood  River  Valley— Our  First  Farming  —  Stage  Routes  —  Squire  Lamb's  Route  — 
During  the  Civil  War  —  Indians  Had  Visited  —  Pressed  into  Service  as  Scout  — 
Uncle  Sam's  Surveyors  —  Many  Middle  Men  —  The  Right  of  Way  —  During  the  Last 
Days  of  Indian  Occupation,  by  W.  E.  Martin,  Doniphan,  Nebraska  —  Settlement 
Here  —  An  Early  Serviceable  Well  —  Our  Early  Neighbors  —  Indian  Visitors — 
Indians'  Outfit  and  Customs  — Let  the  Women  do  the  Work  — The  Indians'  Camp  — 
Their  Evening  Meal  and  Menu  —  Preparing  Clothing  and  Meats  —  A  Broken  Axle  — 


Samuel  Clay  Bassett  — A  Few  Glimpses  of  Early  Life  in  Hall  County— William 
(Jack)  Anderson  Settlement —  Goes  into  Business—  The  Storm  of  1873  — The  Cow- 
boy Regime  —  Three  Years  at  Sidney  —  A  Freighting  Experience  —  Grand  Island  in 
Early  'Eighties  — Early  Horse  Race  —  Other  Early  Recollections  —  A  Rattlesnake' 
on  Locust  Street 

CHAPTER  VI  —  The  City  of  Grand  Island 101 

First  Buildings  — Organization  of  the  Town  —  Action  taken  by  Commissioners  — 
Town  Officials  of  1872-1919— Property  Belonging  to  City— Parks  — Amusement 
Parks  —  The  Fire  Department  —  Paving  —  Sewers  —  Lighting  Plants  —  Municipal 
Light  and  Water  Plant —  Sources  of  Taxation  and  Revenue  —  Grand  Island's  Tax 
Rate  — The  Public  Library 

CHAPTER  VII  —  Other  Towns  of  Hall  County         .        .  .        .        .        120 

Wood  River  — First  Wood  River  — Early  History  of  Village  of  Wood  River,  by 
O.  M.  Quackenbush  —  Settlement  of  Town —Officers  of  Town  — Early  Builders  of 
Wood  River  — James  Jackson  —  Henry  O.  Gifford  — O.  W.  Eaton  —  N.  T.  Brittin 
Richard  Mankin  — W.  L.  G.  Trapp  — S.  MacMurray  — Patrick  Hoye— Wm.  and  Fred 
Thorpe  —  W.  L.  Sprague  —  Ewing  Family  —  James  Ewing — O.  M.  Quackenbush  — 
First  General  Stores  —  W.  W.  Mitchell  —  S.  A.  Sheppard  —  Hardware  and  Imple- 
ment Stores  —  Drug  Stores  —  Early  Commercial  Interests,  1879  —  Five  Years  Later, 
1884  —  Another  Five  Years,  1880—  Ten  Years  Later,  1899  — Ten  Years  Later,  1909— 
Another  Ten  Years,  1919  —  Doniphan — :Town  Started  —  Early  Events  in  Community 

—  Doniphan's   Big   Fire,    1887  —  Incorporation  of  T'0™11  —  Succeeding  Town  Trustees 

—  Commercial  Changes  —  Cairo  —  First  Settlement  —  Town  Government  —  Village 
Clerks,  Treasurers,  Marshals  —  Business  Houses  —  Business  Directory,  1907  —  Business 
Directory,  1919— North  &  Robinson  Co.—  Alda  — Abbott —  Schauppsville  —  Under- 
wood—  Spencer  —  Orchard  —  Easton  —  Runnelsburg 

CHAPTER  VIII  — The  Townships  of  Hall  County 145 

The  Early  History  of  South  Side  of  Platte  River,  by  W.  J.  Burger —Arrival  — 
First  Visits  of  Indians  —  The  Buffalo  — Early  Settlement  around  Doniphan  —  Storms, 
Grasshoppers,  and  Troubles  —  Early  Community  Activities  —  To  the  Second  Genera- 
tion—Martin Township,  by  Stephen  B.  Binfield  — Early  Landholders  South  of  Platte 
River  —  Doniphan  Township  —  Washington  Township  —  South  Platte  Township  — 
Martin   Township  —  Jackson- Wood   River  Townships  —  Patrick  Moore  —  John  Maher 

—  Other  First  Settlers  —  Early  Landholders  in  Jackson  Township  —  Wood  River 
Township  —  Cameron  Township,  by  Edwin  S.  Lee  —  Early  Landholders  —  Harrison 
Township  —  Mayfield  Township,  by  R.  C.  Perkins  —  Landholders  of  Mayfield  and 
South  Loup  Townships — Prairie  Creek  Township — Mat  Rauert,  by  Eli  A.  Barnes  — 
Center  Township  — Early  Landholders  —  Alda  Township— Claud  Stoltenberg  —  Z.  H. 
Denman  —  Early  Landholders — Washington  Township  —  Early  Landholders  —  Lake 
Township,  by  Wm.  Guenther  —  Early  Landholders — Township  Government  —  First 
Division  —  Formation    of    Various    Townships  —  Present  Township  Officers 

CHAPTER  IX  —  Organization  and  Government  of  the  County      ...        166 
Establishment  of  the  County  —  Book  "A",  Commissioners  Records  —  Early  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Board  — Platte  River  Bridge  —  Building    a     Court    House  —  Proceedings 
from  1873  —  Township  Organization  —  Subsequent  County  Boards — New  Court  House 

—  County  Clerks  —  Clerks  of  District  Court  —  Sheriffs  — County  Judges— Superin- 
tendent of  Schools  — Supervisors  —  Coroners  —  County  Attorneys  —  Volume  of  Work 
in  County  Offices  wow  —  Report  of  County  Attorney's  Office  — Tax  Levy  for  1919 

—  Fiftieth    Semi-Centennial    Celebration    1907 

CHAPTER  X  —  Hall  County's  Part  in  State  and  Federal  Government  .  181 
Hall  County's  Part  in  Early  State  Government — Sixth  Legislature — Judge  Augustus 
Hall  —  First  Statehood  Election — Representation  in  State  Senate  —  Members  in 
House  of  Representatives  —  Constitutional  Conventions — Constitutional  Conventions  of 
71-75,  by  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr.— Governor  John  M.  Thayer  — Lieutenant  Governor 
O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr.  — State  Treasurer  Henry  A.  Koenig  — State  Auditors  John  Wal- 
lichs  and  Silas  R.  Barton  —  Secretaries  of  State  —  Supreme  Court  Justice  Harrison 

—  Commissioner  Glanville  —  The  State  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  —  Part  in  the 
Federal  Governnjlent  —  Postmasters  —  Grand  Island  Land  Office  —  Other  Federal 
Officers 

CHAPTER  XI  —  The  Flora,  Fauna,  and  Natural  History  of  Hall  County  .  195 
Elevations  — The  Fauna  of  Hall  County— The  Grasshoppers  —  The  Flora  of  Hall 
County,  by  J.  M.  Bates  —  Climate  of  Hall  County  — Bad  Storms  —  Easter  Storm  of 
1873,  by  Judge  Charles  B.  Letton  — Another  Decade-and-half  of  Storms— Blizzard 
of  1888,  by  Minnie  Freeman  Penney  —  Storm  of  March,  1913  —  Cyclone  of  August 
12,  1919 


CHAPTER  XII  —  The  Topography  and  Soil  of  Hall  County 

Description  of  the  Area  —  Natural  Transportation  -Advantages  —  Soils  —  Hall  Silt 
Loam  —  Hall  Very  Fine  Sandy  Loam  —  Hali  Fine   Sandy  Loam  —  Hall   Sandy  Loam 

—  Hall  Clay  Loam  — Cass  Series  of  Soils  — Grundy  Soils  — Marshall  Loans— Colby 
Series  —  Valentine  Sand  —  O'Neill  Sands  —  O'Neill  Loam  —  Lamoure  Loams  —  Gan- 
nett Soils  — Summary  of  Classes  of   Soils  — Rapid  Rise  in  Values  in  1919 

CHAPTER  XIII — Agricultural  and  Live  Stock  Industries 

When  the  County  was  Twenty-one  Years  Old  —  Growth  in  Acreage  Cultivated  — 
IntroBuction  of  Alfalfa  into  Nebraska— Surplus  Crops  Shipped  Out,  1917  — Early 
Agricultural  Organizations  —  The  Grange  Movement  —  Live  Stock  and  Dairying  — 
Organization  —  Expedition  of  1876  —  Hall  County  Agricultural  Society  —  State  Fair 
Proposition  —  Association  Reorganized  —  The  Beet  Sugar  Industry  —  Hall  County 
Farm    Bureau  —  Farmers'    Unions  —  Elevator  Enterprises 

CHAPTER  XIV  — Industrial  History  of  Hall  County         .... 

First  Industries — Steam  Power — Milling  Industry  —  Grand  Island  Canning  Fac- 
tory—  Grand  Island  Brewery  —  Beet  Sugar  Factory  —  Grand  Island  Creameries  — 
Granite  Works  —  Building  Materials  —  Grand  Island  Iron  Foundry  and  Fence  Fac- 
tory —  Broom  Factory  —  Bottling  Works  —  Furniture  Factory  —  Planing  Mills  — 
Hurst  Sash  &  Door  Co. —  Cigar  Factories-  Steam  Laundries  —  Culvert  and  Metal 
Works  —  Hide  Industry  —  Serum  Co.  —  Floral  Industry  —  Printing  and  Calendars — 
Nebraska  Telephone  Co.  — The  Stock  Yards  — Loup  Valley  Packing  Co— Grand 
Island  Horse,  Mule  and  Cattle  Market  —  Growth  of  Market  —  Firms  and  Dealers  on 
Market  —  Wholesale  Houses  —  Minton-Woodward  Co.  —  Donald  Co.  —  Dolan  Fruit 
Co.  —  Brown  Fruit  Co.  —  Nebraska  Mercantile  Co.  —  Etting  Candy  Co.  —  Moving 
Picture  Industry — Local  Picture  Theatres  —  The  Automobile  Industry  —  Growth  of 
Automobiles,  Trucks  and  Tractors  in  Importance,  by  V.  E.  Evans  — Bicycle  Industry 

—  Grand  Island  Aero  Industry 

CHAPTER  XV  —  Commercial  History  of  Grand  Island 

Commercial  Beginnings  of  Grand  Island  —  Stores  in  1873  —  Business  Leaders  of  First 
Decade  — Businessmen  of  1876  — During  the  Next  Ten  Years  (1876-1886) —During 
the  Last  Thirty-two  Years -—The  Hotels  — Restaurants  — Confectioneries — Saloons 
Barber  Shops  —  Livery,  Feed  and  Sale  Stables  —  Blacksmith  Shops  —  Agricultural 
Implements  —  Elevators  —  Flour  and  Feed  —  Lumber  and  Coal — Coal  —  Grocery 
Stores — Meat  Markets  —  Bakeries  —  Ice  Dealers  — Dry  Goods  and  Shoes  — Wol- 
bach  Stores — Shoe  Stores  —  Clothing  Business  —  Millinery  Stocks  —  Drug  Stores  — 
Book.  Stores  —  Jewelry  Stores — Furniture  and  Undertaking  —  Wall  Paper  Stocks  — 
Hardware  Stores  —  Other  Stores  —  Commercial  Organizations  —  Hall  County  Im- 
migration Society  — The  Merchants  Club  — The  Board  of  Trade  — The  Business 
Men's  Club-^The  Commercial  Club 

CHAPTER  XVI  —  Banking  and  Financial  Institutions  of  Hall  County  . 
State  Central  —  Citizens  State  Bank  — Grand  Island  Banking  Company— Charles  F. 
Bentley—  George  B.  Bell— The  First  National  Bank  (Grand  Island)— The  Bank 
of  Commerce  —  The  Security  National  Bank  —  The  Commercial  State  Bank  — State 
Bank  of  Grand  Island  —  Nebraska  State  Bank  —  People's  State  Bank  —  Bank  of  Don- 
iphan —  Commercial  Exchange  Bank  of  Doniphan  —  Alda  State  Bank  —  Farmers 
State  Bank,  Alda  — Cairo  State  Bank  — Farmers  State  Bank  (Cairo)  —  Building  and 
Loan  Associations  —  Eouitable  —  People's-  Wood  River  — Other  Financial  Institu- 
tions —  Trust    Companies  —  Grand    Island  —  Nebraska 

CHAPTER  XVII  —  The  Railroads  of  Hall  County 


Importance  of  the  Railroads  —  "How  we  Built  the  Union  Pacific,"  by  General  Gren- 
ville  M.  Dodge  — "What  the  Engines  Said,"  by. Bret  Harte— Early  Service  and  Tar- 
iffs—  Local  Management  of  Union  Pacific  —  Superintendents  —  Trainmasters —  Me- 
chanical Departments  —  Master  Mechanics — 'District  Foremen  —  Train  and  Engine- 
men  in  Service  Over  Twenty  Years  —  Station  Agents  —  St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island 
Railroad  —  Union   Pacific  Branches — The  Burlington  Railroad 

CHAPTER  XVIII  —  The  Churches  of  Hall  County        .    ■    . 

The  Catholic  Church  — Wood  River  — Grand  Island  — Other  Parishes  —  Grand,  Is- 
land Diocese  —  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  —  St.  Stephen's  Parish,  Grand  Island  — 
Historical  Letters  by  R.  C.  Jordon  and  Dr.  H.  D.  Boy  den  —  Methodist  Churches  — 
First,  Grand  Island  —  Trinity,  Grand  Island  —  Doniphan  —  Others  —  Lutheran 
Churches — Evangelical  Lutheran  Trinity — German  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Lutheran, 
Grand  Island— St.  Paul's  English,  Grand  Island  — Fifth  Street  Evangelical  —  Ev- 
angelical Lutheran  Zion's  (Worms  Church) — Free  Evangelical  Lutheran  —  Pilgrim 
Congregational,  Grand  Island  —  Baptist  Churches  — First,   Grand    Island  —  Immanuel, 

cS 


Grand  Island  —  Others  —  Presbvterian,  Grand  Island  — Wood  River  —  Congregational 
Church,  Grand  Island  — United"  Brethren  Society  —  Christian  Church  —  Other 
Churches  in  Hall  County 

CHAPTER  XIX  — The  Schools  of  Hall  County 

The  First  School,  by  Fred  Slol ley  —  County  Superintendents  —  District  Number  One 

—  District  Number  Four  (J.  M.  Hanssen) —District  Number  Two,  Grand  Island- 
Extended  Facilities  in  the  'Eighties  — School  Census  of  1872  — Gradual  Growth  — 
School  Board,  Grand  Island— District  No.  26,  Doniphan  —  District  No.  8,  Wood 
River— Schools  of  Wood  River— District  No.  12,  Alda—  District  No.  72,  Qkiro  — 
District  No.  80  — District  No.  101 —Directory  of  Present  School  Officers  of  County 

—  Grand  Island  Business  and  Normal  College  — Grand  Island  College  —  Parochial 
Schools  —  Increasing   Cost   of   Public    School   Education 

CHAPTER  XX  —  Fraternal  and  Social  Organizations  of  Hall  County 

Lodges  of  the  County  — Masonic  Lodges  —  Ashlar  Chapter  No.  33,  Grand  Island  — 
Deuel  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A.  M.—  Mt.  Lebanon  Commandery,  No.  6,  K.  T.— Ma- 
sonic Building  Association  — Cement  Lodge  No.  211,  Wood  River  — I.  O.  O.  F.— 
Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  22  — Wood  River  Lodge,  158.  by  W.  L.  Sprague— Cham- 
berlain Encampment  34  — Truth  Rebekah  (Mrs.  Luella  B.  Nelson)— Wood  River 
Rebekah  287  — Knights  of  Pythias  —  Nysian  Lodge  46— Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen  —  Grand  Lodge  —  Harmony  Lodge  37  —  Charity  Lodge  91  —  Other  A.  O. 
U.   W.  Lodges  —  Degree  of  Honor  —  Knights  of  Columbus  —  Elks  —  Eagles  —  Moose 

—  Royal  Highlanders—  M.,  B.  A. —  Maccabees  —  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  — 
Woodmen  of  the  World  —  Bands  —  Athletic  Organi nations  —  Lodges  in  the  'Sev- 
enties—Organizations in  the  'Eighties  — In  the  Last  Quarter  Century  — Wheel  Clubs 
— Liederkranz  —  Plattsdeutche  Verein  —  Country  Clubs  — Wood  River's  Lodges  —  Don- 
iphan's Lodges  — St.  Cecelia  Society  — T.  P.  A.— U.  C.  T.— Ladies  Auxiliary  B.  of 
R.  T.  — Y.  M.  C.  A.  — Y..W.  C.  A. 

CHAPTER  XXI— Orcanized  Labor  in  Hall  County 

Knights  of  Labor  in  the  Eighties  — Railroad  Organizations  —  Central  Labor  Union 
in  Hall  County  —  Official  Union  Roster  —  American  Federation  of  Labor  —  Growth 
in    Membership  —  Growth    in    Units  —  Official  Roster 


CHAPTER  XXII  — The  Press  of  Hall  County 


First    Paper,    The    Banner  —  Platte    Valley  Independent  —  The  Daily  Independent  — 
Grand   Island  Weekly  Times —  The   Democrat  —  Grand  Island  Anzeiger  and  Herald 

—  Central    Nebraska  Republican  —  The  Free  Press  — Up  to  Date  Ideas  — The  Volante 

—  Miscellaneous    Publications  —  Wood    River,  Doniphan  and  Cairo  Papers 

XXIII  —  The  Medical  and  Dental  Professions  in  Hall  County 

Doctor  —  Doctors  Here  in  the  'Seventies  —  Early  Physicians  Registered  — 
ng  the  'Nineties  —  Since  Then — Osteopathic  Doctors — Hospitals  —  St.  Francis 
>ital  —  Grand  Island  General  Hospital  —  Dentists  of  Hall  Countv  —  Dr.  Howard 
liller  — D.  A.  Finch  — Between   1885  and    1896—1896   to   Date 

XXIV — The  Bench  and  Bar  of  Hall  County      .... 

First  District  Court  in  Hall  County  —  Second  Term  of  District  Court  — Third 
i  1871  — Term  of  April,  1872  — Court  in  1873— Court  Work,  1874  — Court  in 
—  In  the  Fourth  Judicial  District  — Court  in  1877  — Court  After  1877  — From 
on  — In  the  Matter  of  the  Change  from  the  Old  Court  House  to  the  New  — Re- 
lent of  Judge  John  R.  Thompson  — Court  Officials  of  Last  Fifteen  Years—The 
vers  of  Hall  County-- At  the  Beginning  of  Hall  County  Court  Work,  1868  — 
*e  Who  Came  During  the  'Seventies  —  Arrivals  During  the  'Eighties  —  During  the 
etics  —  Arrivals  Since   1890 

XXV  —  Chronological  Survey  of  Hall  County's  Progress 

XXVI  —  Hall  County's  Participation  in  Military  Affairs  Prior 
il,  1917 

County's  Quota  in  the  Civil  War  —  Indian  Troubles  —  Fort  Kearny  —  Lyon 
No.  11,  G.  A.  R.  — G.  A.  R.  Building  Association  — Encampments  at  Grand 
d  —  Spanish -American  War  —  Co.  M  of  2nd  Nebraska  Infantry — Chas.  E.  Norris 
No.  6 — Spanish-War  Veterans  — Co.  M.,  Fifth  Nebraska  National  Guard,  to 
ican  Border,  1916— History  of  Fifth  Nebraska  Infantry  (134th  U.  S.  Infantry) 
tered   Into   Federal   Service   in   World  War 

"lie 


Google 


CHAPTER  XXVII  — Hall  County's  Participation  in  the  World  War  1917- 

1918 441 

Nebraska  in  the  War  —  Nebraska's  War  Drive  Records  —  Nebraska's  Record  on 
War  Savings  Stamps— Hall  County's  Strive  "Back  Here"— First  Meeting,  April  S, 
1917  — Red  Cross  Organized,  April,  1917  —  Enlistments  for  Service  — To  First  Train- 
ing Camp  —  Ft.  Snelling — Drives  Fast  and  Furious  —  Registration  Day,  June  S,  1917 
—  The  Early  Summer  of  1917  —  The  First  Drawing  —  Late  Summer  and  Early  Fall, 

1917  — Late  Fall  and  Early  Winter  Activities  — The  Ouestionaires  —  The  Legal 
Advisory   Board  — During  the   Early   Part  of  1918  — During  the  Spring  of  1918  — 

1918  Registrations  — The  Last  Lap— September  12,  1918.  Registration  — The  Third 
Drawing— The  Happiest  Day  Hall  County  Ever  Knew  — The  Hall  Countv,  Nebraska 
Chapter,  American  Red  Cross — Organization  —  Women's  Committee  —  Membership 
and  Financial  Campaigns—  Executive  Committee's  Work  —  New  Board  and  Officers, 
1918—  Women's  Bureau  — Financial  Report  and  Status  of  Chapter  — The  Hall  Coun- 
ty Council  of  Defense  —  Hall  County  Service  Board,  Government  Appeal  Agent  — 
Ladies  Auxiliary  Council  to  Council  of  Defense  —  \^ar  Activities  Committee  —  Other 
Liberty  Loan  Campaigns  —  The  Home  Guards  —  The  Food  A dmintst ration  —  Federal 
Fuel  Administration  —  Four  Minute  Men  —  War  Savings  Stamps  Campaign  Committee 
United  War  Work  Campaign —Other  War  Organizations  — List  of  1237  Men  Who 
Entered  Service  from  Hat!  County 

Roster  and  Record  of  Hall  County  Patriots  " 485 

CHAPTER  XXVIII  —  Personal  Mention  of  Some  of  Those  Who  Have  Been 

Prominent  in  the  Upbuilding  of  Hall  County  562 


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Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


ILLUSTRATIONS 

R.  J.  Bark Frontispiece 

William  Clark  and  Meriweather  Lewis 4 

J.  Sterling  Morton 5 

John  C.  Fremont  .                           6 

Stephen  A.  Douglas 7 

Gov.  Francis  Burt 8 

Survivors  op  Hall  County's  Original  Colony  —  in  1907          ....  16 

Log  House  Built  in  Late  Fifties  and  Part  of  First  Settlement    ...  21 

Soldier's  Monument,  Grand  Island,  Showing  Cannon  Used  in  1864        .        .  27 

Indian  Houses 36 

Pit-ali-sharu-u  (Pawnee  Chief) 37 

Red  Cloud  (Sioux  Chief) 40 

Indian  Relics 44 

Map  of  Hall  County  Showing  Rivers  and  Trails 60 

Concord  Stage-Coach 61 

Freighting  Scenes 62 

Early  Scene  in  Western  Xkbraska 67 

Wood  River  Valley 72 

A.  Schernekau _ 77 

An  Indian  Village 89 

Panoramic  View  of  Grand  Island,  1879 96 

Centennial  Envelope  Used  in  1876  for  Poxy  Express  Business      ...  98 

Grand  Island  in  1874 103 

Panoramic  View  of  Grand  Island  in  1919                     107 

Grand  Island  in  1875 108 

City  Hall,  Grand  Island 110 

Pioneer  Park,  Grand  Island 1 10 

Second  Street,  Grand  Island 112 

Central  Power  Company  Plant,  Grand  Island 113 

Municipal  Water  and  Light  Plant,  Grand  Island 114 

Public  Library 116 

View  of  Grand  Island  About  1890  Showing  Street  Railway  System  118 

James  Jackson           123 

Interior  of  James  Jackson's  Store 124 

Interior  of  Citizens  State  Bank,  Wood  River 128 

D.gitized  by  GoOgk 


xviii  ILLUSTRATIONS 

Scenes  in  Wood  River 131 

Bank  of  Doniphan,  1888 '  .        .  136 

Street  Scene  in  Cairo 141 

First  Settlers  of  Hall  County  Present  at  the  Quarter  Centennial,  1882    .  159 

Old  Hall  County  Court  House 169 

New  Hall  County  Court  House 176 

O.  A.  Abbott       .                                186 

George  H.  Thummell 187 

Silas  R.  Barton .                .        .  190 

Soldiers  and  Sailors  Home,  Grand  Island 191 

Old  Postoffice,  Grand  Island 192 

U.  S.  Postoffice,  Grand  Island 192 

Early  Factories  and  Railroad  Facilities  in  Grand  Island        ....  238 

Grand  Island  Canning  Factory 239 

Views  of  Sugar  Beet  Industries 240 

Fairmont  Creamery  Company  Plant,  Grand  Island 242 

Nebraska  Telephone  Company  Building 247 

Glover  Building,  Grand  Island                 248 

PROrosED  Addition  to  Loup  Valley  Packing  Company  Plant,  Grand  Island    .  250 

Grand  Island  Horse  Market 250 

Grand  Island  Horse  and  Mule  Co.  Plant 252 

The  Donald  Company  Building 253 

Nebraska  Mercantile  Company  Building,  Grand  Island          ....  254 

Ford  Building,  Grand  Island                 259 

Wheel  Club,  Grand  Island 261 

Boyden  Drug  Store,  Grand  Island,  in  the  'Sffs         ......  268 

Fred  Hedde's  Grand  Island  Store 269 

Grand  Island's  New  Hotel 270 

Independent  Building,  Grand  Island 279 

Third  Street,  Grand  Island,  Middle  '90's 282 

Third  Street,  Grand  Island,  1919 283 

Wolbach  Store,  Grand  Island,  1874 284 

Locust  Street,  Grand  Island,  1919 285 

Third  Street,  Grand  Island,  About  1893 286 

C.  F.  Bentley 300 

Union  Pacific  Shops 322 

Union  Pacific  Depot,  Grand  Island 324 

C.  B.  &  Q.  Depot,  Grand  Island 325 

Some  Grand  Island  Churches 330 

Catholic  Church  and  Parsonage,  Wood  River 331 

Grand  Island  Churches 336 

Grand  Island  Churches 338 


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ILLUSTRATION'S  xix 

Ev.  Lutheran  St.  Paul's  Church,  Grand  Island 341 

Wood  River  Churches 344 

Dodge  School  (Old  High  School)  Grand  Island 352 

Grand  Island  High  School 352 

Grand  Island  Schools 354 

Wood  River  School 360 

Grand  Island  Business  and  Normal  College 363 

Grand  Island  College  Buildings ■     .        .  365 

Proposed  Masonic  Home 371 

A.  O.  U.  W.  Building 371 

I.  O.  O.  F.  Building 371 

Old  Masonic  Temple 371 

Elks  Building,  Grand  Island 378 

Plattesdeutsche  Heim,  Grand  Island 384 

Liederkranz,  Grand  Island            . 384 

Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building,  Grand  Island 388 

Independent  Building,  Grand  Island 396 

Facsimile  Page,  Grand  Island  Daily  Evening  Times,  No.  2        ....  397 

Facsimile  Page,  Daily  Times,  Grand  Island,  for  October  9,  1874        .        .        .  399 

Facsimile  Page,  Daily  Times,  Grand  Island,  Showing  Business  Firms     .        .  401 

St.  Francis  Hospital,  Grand  Island 409 

Grand  Island  General  Hospital 410 

View  of  Doniphan 449 

Tank  at  Grand  Island 451 

New  High  School,  Grand  Island 483 


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LIST  OF  PORTRAITS 


Abbott,  O.  A 566 

Barnes,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eli  A 614 

Barr,  R.  J Frontispiece 

Bentley,  Charles  F 689b 

Bovden,  Dr.  Henry  B 599 

Buechler,  A.  F 818 

Burger,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  J. 845 

Cars,  George  W.,  and  family 626 

Carter,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J -  925 

Dodd,  Dr.  Edward 729 

Edwards,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  E 779 

Eccers,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jasper 840 

Ellsworth,  John 689a 

Etting,  Albert 669 

Farksworth,  Dr.  A.  H 675 

Geer,  L.  T 623 

Gideon,  Jacob  M.,  and  family 892 

Glade,  Henry 583 

Sobering,  Richard,  Sr 701 

Graham,  Alexander,  home 868 

Green,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Joseph 895 

Hagge,  William  A. .752 

Hainline,  T.  M 691a 

Hainline,  Mrs.  T.  M 691b 

Hann,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  C.  C 774 

Hanna,  James  R 605 

Harrison,  W.  H 613 

Harry,  Henry 650 

Harry,  Mrs.  Henry    .         .  "     ,         .         .         .651 

Hedde,  Fred 563 

J.  H 899 

.        .        .        .  619 

706 

MH.Y 765 

883 

id  Family .  635 

P 664 

865 

luren 861 

879 


H.,  AND  CHILDREN U  gnzM  by  Google 


LIST  OF  PORTRAITS 

693 

854 

; ' 857 

570 

905 

813 

823 

808 

>  FAMILY 886 

>rles  L, 827 

RCF. 827 

836 

786 

-    .  787 

pjry 797 

770 

711 

881 

871 

933 

r '.        .  .  875 

715 

.        .     ■ 724 

913 

681 

681 


ell 719 

639 

629 

783 

725a 

579 

591 

644 

595 

848 

ii.y .696 

am 725b 

P 747 

737 

733 


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HISTORY  OF 
iLL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF 
HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


HALL  COUNTY,  NEBRASKA,  PRIOR  TO  1858 

Purport    of    County   History — Discoveries    Affecting    Hall    County  —  Territorial 
Rule  —  Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition — The  Astorian   Expedition  —  Long's 
Expedition  in   1819  —  Fremont's  Description  of  Grand  Island  —  Ini- 
tial Steps  in  Formation  of  Nebraska  —  Territorial  Govern- 
ment Prior  to  1858 


The  work  of  the  student  of  history  has 
heretofore  been  confined  almost  wholly  to 
the  political,  religious,  and  literary  develop- 
ment of  peoples.  Their  industrial,  commerc- 
ial, local,  and  individual  work-a-day  and  so- 
cial development  has  been  subjected  to  inex- 
cusable neglect.  In  school,  at  home  in  the 
recesses  of  our  private  libraries,  in  the  club, 
and  in  the  public  library  we  spend  our  hours 
in  devouring  the  history  of  the  World;  the 
narratives  of  the  nations,  and  once  in  a-while 
we  drop  down  to  the  story  of  the  state  in 
which  we  live.  Those  of  you  who  have  read 
through  the  first  volume  of  this  set  will  have 
become  familiar  with  the  story  of  the  state 
of  Nebraska.  But  even  when  that  has  been 
mastered  there  remains  the  fact  that  the  his- 
tory of  Nebraska  is  fundamentally  built  upon 
the  individual  activities  and  cooperation  of  the 
ninety-three  counties,  each  one  of  which  is  a 
separate  and  somewhat  sovereign  community 
in  itself,  as  well  as  an  inseparable  integral 
part  of  the  state. 

Not  a  day  passes  but  that  men  and  women 

of  little   note,   do   great   deeds,   speak   great 

words,   and  suffer   noble   sorrows;   of   these 

obscure  heroes,  philosophers,  and  martyrs  the 

ver  be  known  till  that  hour 


when  the  many  that  were  great  shall  be  small 
and  the  small  great. 

The  foundation  of  the  spirit  that  we  call 
the  Nebraska  spirit  lies  in  the  struggles  and 
individual  freedom  that  have  been  evidenced 
by  the  pioneers  and  builders  of  each  of  these  > 
ninety-three  counties.  The  history  of  a  na- 
tion, when  given  a  broad  general  examination, 
seems  to  be  a  narrative  of  wars,  political 
struggles  at  the  polls  and  in  the  legislative 
halls,  with  an  occasional  venture  into  the 
original  development  of  an  important  venture, 
or  opening  of  a  new  source  of  commercial 
growth.  The  biographies  of  presidents  and 
rulers;  of  commanders  of  the  armies;  of  the 
statesmen  who  struggle  in  the  forensic  battles 
of  the  legislative  halls ;  of  explorers  who  open 
up  new  realms,  seem  to  be  the  structure 
around  which  the  history  of  the  nation  is 
written. 

Then  to  come  down  to  the  county,  the  com- 
munity in  which  one  resides,  is  not  the  same 
rule  true?  Is  not  each  home,  each  school, 
each  church,  each  lodge,  and  each  administra- 
tion of  local  county  and  city  government  a 
similar  step  in  the  development  of  that  com- 
munity ? 

D.gitizedbyLiOOgIe 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNT*-  NEBRASKA 


The  history  of  Hall  County  naturally  begins 
with  the  history  of  Nebraska,  of  which  it  is 
an  inseparable  part.  Wherever  each  individ- 
ual student  of  history  would  agree  that  the 
history  of  the  United  States  begins,  there 
likewise  the  history  of  Nebraska,  and,  indi- 
rectly, that  of  Hall  County,  begins.  It  is  un- 
necessary to  consume  the  pages  of  this  volume 
to  be  devoted  to  the  particular  history  of  Hall 
County,  with  a  detailed  though  interesting 
narrative  of  the  general  early  history  of  Ne- 
braska except  inasmuch  as  the  more  impor- 
tant facts  have  a  direct  bearing  upon  the  par- 
ticular stretch  of  territory  that  eventually  be- 
came Hall  County. 

DISCOVERERS 
When  Christopher  Columbus  dared  to  ad- 
venture where  others  feared  to  go,  and  by  a 
single  act  revealed  to  the  astonished  gaze  of 
Europe  the  existence  of  new  lands  of  won- 
derful heauty  and  promise  where  none  were 
believed  to  exist,  and,  at  a  blow,  dispelled 
forever  the  ignorance  and  fear  which  hitherto 
had  enslaved  the  mind  and  paralyzed  the  en- 
deavor of  the  most  favored  and  most  intelli- 
gent portion  of  the  globe,  he  opened  up  to 
■the  descendants  of  many  European  peoples 
the  fertile  soil  of  the  Platte  and  indirectly 
discovered  Hall  County,  just  as  much  as  any 
other  portion  of  the  United  States.  The  dis- 
coveries that  followed  during  the  next  century 
also  indirectly  applied  to  Nebraska  and  to 
Hall  County.  The  people  of  all  western 
Europe  during  the  fifteenth  century  were 
emerging  from  the  "Dark  Ages"  and  freeing 
themselves  gradually  from  the  forms  of  gov- 
ernment which  had  characterized  the  feudal 
system,  and  for  the  first  time  since  modern 
Europe  had  arisen  from  the  fragments  of  the 
Roman  Empire  its  governments  were  coming 
into  the  hands  of  able  rulers,  the  common 
people  of  each  country  were  beginning  to 
think  for  themselves  along  currents  that 
evolved  the  influences  and  motives  that  three 
hundred  years  later  drove  their  descendants 
across  the  broad  Atlantic  and  impelled  them 
half-way  across  the  undeveloped  Western 
continent   and   invited   them   to   settle   down 


along  the  broad  banks  of  the  Platte  and  build 
the  community,  the  growth  and  development 
of  which  we  are  about  to  narrate  in  the  follow- 
ing pages. 

The  history  of  Nebraska  is  generally  and 
properly  said  to  begin  with  the  voyage  of  the 
heroic  LaSalle  in  1682.  Preceding  that,  the 
story  of  the  explorations  of  Louisiana  Ter- 
ritory by  Spaniards  in  1539-44  reads  more  like 
a  mediaeval  romance  than  an  authentic  his- 
torical record,  and  the  discovery  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  by  the  valiant  cavaliers  of  that 
period  opened  up  the  way  for  subsequent 
events.  DeSoto's  little  band,  the  flower  of 
Spanish  chivalry,  had  bravely  wandered  for 
about  four  years  through  the  almost  impen- 
etrable forests  and  recesses  of  the  new  Con- 
tinent until  they  wound  up  in  the  lower  Mis- 
sissippi Valley.  In  the  spring  of  1541  the 
glorious  sight  of  the  broad  Mississippi  — 
the  mighty  Father  of  Waters  —  burst  upon 
their  wondering  vision.  DeSoto  crossed  the 
mighty  river  in  hastily  constructed  boats,  and 
pursued  his  wanderings  on  the  western  side. 
It  is  probable,  but  not  certain,  that  his  eyes 
may  have  rested  on  the  broad  prairies  of  the 
now  fertile  state  of  Nebraska.  But  it  is  cer- 
tain that  Nebraska  must  have  been  visited  by 
Spanish  explorers  long  before  the  advent  of 
the  earliest  French  and  English  explorers  to 
whom  we  can  trace  events  with  an  unbroken 
record,  for  portions  of  the  armor  and  equip- 
ment of  the  Spanish  adventurers  have  been 
discovered  in  this  state  in  years  past.  Just 
to  whom  these  relics  helonged  is  a  secret  that 
may  forever  be  locked  up  in  the  breast  of  un- 
written history. 

For  nearly  a  century  and  a  half  after  the 
ill-fated  DeSoto  slept  beneath  the  waters  of 
the  great  river  which  he  discovered,  the  Mis- 
sissippi Valley,  and  naturally  likewise  the 
Missouri  and  Platte  valleys,  remained  undis- 
turbed in  the  possession  of  Indians.  Spain 
made  no  direct  effort  to  civilize  the  region  she 
already  could  claim  by  right  of  discovery. 
France  and  England  in  the  meantime  became 
rivals  for  the  affections  and  possession  of 
these  new  fields  of  conquest.  England  was 
establishing  herself   along  the  coasts   of  the 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Atlantic,  and  France  was  obtaining  a  foot- 
hold at  Quebec  and  pushing  her  hold  up  the 
St.  Lawrence  River.  The  first  men  to  enter 
upon  a  systematic  exploration  of  the  vast 
region  of  which  Nebraska  is  a  part  were  the 
Jesuits,  or'  members  of  the  Society  of  Jesus, 
a  famous  religious  society  founded  by  Ignatius 
Loyola,  a  Spanish  knight  of  the  sixteenth 
century.  The  work  of  the  Jesuit  missionaries 
led  to  the  discovery  of  the  Ohio  River  and  the 
partial  exploration  of  two  routes  to  the  Mis- 
sissippi, before  the  eyes  of  the  territory-hunt- 
ing Europeans  rested  upon  the  northern  por- 
tion of  that  great,  river  and  its  tributary  ter- 
ritories* A  young  fur  trader,  Louis  Joliet, 
and  a  Jesuit  missionary,  Jacques  Marquette, 
set  out  on  a  perilous  undertaking  on  May  17, 
1673.  After  a  month  of  steady  pushing  for- 
ward, paddling  in  canoes  along  the  swift  cur- 
rents of  unknown  streams,  and  threading  their 
way  through  dense  forests,  on  June  17  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Wisconsin.  Then 
they  pushed  their  canoes  out  into  the  broad, 
rolling  Mississippi,  and  drifted  rapidly  down 
its  current.  They  passed  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri,  on  down  to  the  mouth  of  the  Ohio, 
and  still  further  down  until  they  came  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Arkansas.  They  brought  the 
emblazoned  trail  of  travel  a  little  closer  to  the 
unlocked  bosoms  of  the  Nebraska  prairies. 
But  as  said  before,  it  remained  for  another 
intrepid  Frenchman  to  complete  the  work 
left  unfinished  by  Marquette  and  Joliet,  and 
to  take  formal  possession  of  Louisiana  in  the 
name  of  the  King  of  France.  An  historical 
sequence  of  events  leads  the  mind  steadily 
forward  from  the  discoveries  and  accomplish- 
ments of  Sieur  de  LaSalle  till  by  well  defined 
processes  of  differentiation  and  elimination 
a  point  is  reached  where  the  commonwealth 
of  Nebraska  stands  forth  clearly  defined  in 
the  mighty  sisterhood  of  states  which  comprise 
this  North  American  republic. 

In  1682,  LaSalle  set  up  his  wooden  column 
on  which  had  been  rnscribed  the  following: 
"Louis  the  Great,  King  of  France  and  of 
Navarre,  King.    April  9th,  1682." 

Then  he  spoke  the  words  that  brought  the 
great    basin    of    the    Mississippi    under   the 


scepter  of  Louis  XIV,  and  standing  on  the 
delta  of  that  great  river,  he  called  into  ex- 
istence the  territory  of  Louisiana,  out  of 
which  came  Nebraska,  and  the  first  semblance 
of  organized,  political  government  was  ex- 
tended over  the  vast  and  unknown  regions  of 
dense  forests  to  the  north  and  west,  to  the 
apparently  limitless  prairie  watered  by  thou- 
sands of  streams  and  peopled  then  only  by 
savage  Indian  tribes,  the  abode  of  buffalo  and 
other  wild  denizens  of  the  forest  and  plain. 

The  following  list  of  viceroys  who  ruled 
over  the  vast  territory  of  the  New  France  in 
central  North  America  may  be  indirectly  said 
to  be  the  first  governmental  administrators 
of  this  part  of  the  continent  from  which  Ne- 
braska and  her  county  daughter,  Hall,  even- 
tually sprang. 

Robert.  Cavalier  He  La  Salle 1682-1688 

Marquis  de  Sanville 1689-1700 

Bienville    1701-1712 

Lamothe  Cadillar 1713-1715 

De  L'Epinay 1716-1717 

Bienville   1718-1723 

Boisbriant    1724 

Bienville    1732-1741 

Baron  de  Kelerec 1753-1762 

D'Abbadie    1763-1766 

In  1762,  France  was  compelled  by  force  of 
military  necessity  to  relinquish  to  Spain  her 
title  to  Louisiana.  During  that  time  the  terri- 
tory destined  to  form  Nebraska,  and  its  sub- 
division, Hall  County,  was  under  Spanish 
sovereignty.  That  government  combined  the 
semi-military  government  until  1803,  when  the 
territory  passed  under  the  flag  of  the  United 
States.  The  list  of  Spanish  governors  of  that 
period  were: 

Antonio  de  Ulloa 1767-1768 

Alexander   O'Reilly 1768-1769 

Louis   de  Unzago 1770-1776 

Bernardo  de  Galvez 1777-1784 

Estevar   Miro 1785-1787 

Francisco  Luis  Hortu,  Baron  of 

Carondelet    1789-1792 

Gayoso  de  Lemos 1793-1798 

Sebastian  de  Casa,  Calvo  y 

O'Farrel    1798-1799 

Jean  Manual  de  Salcedo 1800-1803 

Although  France  regained  possession  of 
Louisiana  on  October  1,  1800,  Jean  Manuel  de 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Salcedo  remained  as  governor  until  the  United 
States  took  formal  possession. 

The  account  of  the  negotiations  which  led 
of  the  peaceful  acquisition  of  Louisiana  forms 
one  of  the  interesting  chapters  of  our  national 
history,  and  both  familiar  and  available 
enough  to  render  it  unnecessary  to  detail  it  in 
full  at  this  point.  During  the  years  in  which 
Spain  had  controlled  the  central  portion  of 
our  continent,  her  policy  in  restricting  the  free 
navigation  of  the  Mississippi  River  had 
stirred    up    much    contention    between    the 


isiana  Purchase  than  the  real  development  of 
that  region  began.  It  was  indeed  a  tremendous 
accession  to  the  territory  of  the  young  re- 
public. The  very  figures  that  attempt  to  con- 
vey to  the  mind  some  idea  of  its  superficial 
area  are  themselves  impressive.  It  more  than 
doubled  the  previous  land  area  of  the  United 
States.  In  round  numbers  it  exceeded  883,- 
000  square  miles.  Out  of  it,  in  addition  to  the 
present  state  of  Louisiana,  there  have  been 
carved  Missouri,  Arkansas,  Oklahoma,  Kan- 
sas,. Nebraska,  Iowa,  North  and  South   Da- 


V^^^^>'  ^WJ^£r    O&y^U. 


United  States  and  the  Spanish  government. 
France  had  been  delayed  long  enough  in  tak- 
ing actual  possession  of  Louisiana  that  cir- 
cumstances forced  its  cession  to  the  United 
States  before  there  could  be  any  change  in 
policy.  The  Mississippi  River  formed,  at  that 
time,  the  only  outlet  for  the  products  of  the 
settlers  west  of  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 
The  change  from  Spanish  to  French  control 
did  not  augur  any  real  relief,  for  Napoleon 
fully  appreciated  the  immense  value  of 
Louisiana  and  at  once  began  the  work  of 
fortifying  the  entrance  to  the  Mississippi. 

LEWIS  AND  CLARK   EXPEDITION 

No  sooner  had  the  United  States  govern- 
ment acquired  the  vast  territory  of  the  Lou- 


kota,  two-thirds  of  Minnesota,  one-third  of 
Colorado,  and  three-fourths  of  Wyoming.  At 
the  time  of  its  accession  to  the  United  States 
its  known  population  did  not  exceed  five  thou- 
sand souls,  nearly  one-half  of  whom  were 
slaves.  In  1810  the  first  federal  census  showed 
a  population  of  twenty  thousand,  of  whom 
one-half  were  still  negro  slaves.  If  taken 
today,  a  census  of  the  same  territory  would 
hover  around  twenty  million,  all  free  men. 
But  the  sagacious  and  energetic  Jefferson 
had  matured  a  plan  for  exploring  the  Mis- 
souri River  country,  almost  before  Congress 
had  ratified  the  treaty  under  which  possession 
was  acquired.  That  least  known  portion  of 
the  territory,  then,  in  fact,  almost  an  unknown 
land    except    possibly    to    the    Indians,      fur 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


traders,  hunters,  and  some  French  priests, 
who  appear  to  have  visited  nearly  every  por- 
tion of  the  territory,  lay  awaiting  some  di- 
rected attention. 

In  May,  1804,  the  far-famed  Lewis  and 
Clark  expedition  was  started  up  the  Mis- 
souri River  charged  with  the  duty  of  explor- 
ing that  great  river  from  its  mouth  to  its 
source  and  then  on  to  the  Pacific  Ocean.  This 
party,  consisting  of  nine  young  men  from 
Kentucky,  fourteen  soldiers  of  the  United 
States  army  who  volunteered  their  services, 
two  French  watermen,  an  interpreter  and 
hunter,  and  a  black  servant  belonging  to  Cap- 
tain Clark,  with  several  other  members,  as 
watermen  and  assistants,  set  forth.  Follow- 
ing up  the  Missouri  River,  they  came  in  sight 
of  the  present  Nebraska  on  the  afternoon  of 
July  11,  1804,  and  camped  opposite  the  mouth 
of  the  Big-  Nemaha. 

This  expedition  is  of  particular  import- 
ance as  it  gives  the  first  historical  glimpse  of 
the  eastern  border  of  Nebraska.  From  the 
point  where  it  first  touched  the  present  state 
at  the  southeast  corner  to  the  point  at  the 
northeast  corner  where  the  Missouri  River 
reaches  its  borders  the  distance  is  277  miles 
as  the  bird  flies.  According  to  the  govern- 
ment survey,  the  distance  between  these  two 
points  is  441  miles;  following  the  meander- 
ings  of  the  river.  The  Lewis-Clark  expedi- 
tion recorded  556  miles  of  river  front  for 
the  state  in  1804.  The  journals  of  Lieut.  Wil- 
liam Clark  and  Capt.  Meriwether  Lewis  did 
not  chronicle  any  thing  definite  as  to  Hall 
County  or  the  Platte  Valley,  but  their  joumey 
past  Nebraska  brought  one  step  nearer  the 
arrival  of  attention  to  this  Platte  Valley.  In 
1806,  General  James  Wilkinson,  then  com- 
mander in  chief  of  the  United  States  army 
and  also  governor  of  the  territory  of  Louisi- 
ana, sent  forth  the  expedition  of  Lieut.  Zebu- 
km  M.  Pike,  which  resulted  in  the  discovery 
of  Pike's  Peak.  This  party  travelled  a  route 
that  lay  somewhat  south  of  the  Platte,  and 
in  fact  it  has  been  somewhat  the  subject  of 
controversy  as  to  whether  their  trail  crossed 
north  into  Nebraska  or  stayed  in  northern 
Kansas. 


THE    ASTOKIAN    EXPEDITION 

The  spirit  of  commerce  that  led  to  the  first 
exploration  and  civilized  occupation  of  the 
Northwest,  including  Nebraska,  operated  a 
step  further.  In  1810  John  Jacob  Astor  l  of 
New  York  organized  the  Pacific  Fur  Com- 
pany for  the  purpose  of  colonization  and 
trade  at   the  mouth  of  the  Columbia  River. 


J.  Sterling  Morton 

This  expedition  started  out  in  September, 
1810,  and  founded  Astoria  at  the  mouth  of 
the  Columbia  River  in  the  spring  of  the  fol- 
lowing year.  On  the  28th  of  June,  1812, 
Robert  Stuart  started  from  Astoria  with  five 
of  Hunt's  original  party  on  a  return  over- 
land trip.  In  southeastern  Idaho  he  was 
joined  by  four  men  whom  Hunt  had  detached 

1  In  1810  John  Jacob  Astor  organized  the  Pacific 
Fur  Corporation,  a  partnership  including  himself, 
Wilson  Price  Hunt,  Robert  Stuart  and  others  for 
the  purpose  of  colonization  and  trade  at  the  mouth 
of  the  Columbia  river.  Hunt  with  a  party  in  three 
boats  left  in  October,  1810,  a  month  following  the 
party  led  by  the  partners  who  founded  Astoria. 
Hunt's   party   reached   Astoria   in   February,    1811. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


from  the  party  on  the  10th  of  the  previous 
October.  After  a  journey  of  terrible  hard- 
ships they  established  winter  quarters  on  the 
North  Platte  River  not  far  east  of  the  piace 
where  it  issues  from  the  mountains.  At  the 
end  of  six  weeks  they  were  driven  out  by 
the  Indians  and  proceeded  three  hundred  and 
thirty  miles  down  the  Platte;  and  then,  des- 
pairing of  being  able  to  pass  safely  over  the 
desert  plain  covered  with  deep  snow  which 


John  C.  Fremont 

confronted  them,  they  went  back  over  seven- 
ty-seven miles  of  their  course  until  they 
found  a  suitable  winter  camp  in  what  is  now 
Scotts  Bluff  County,  where  they  went  into 
winter  quarters  on  the  30th  of  December, 
1812.  On  the  8th  of  March  they  tried  to 
navigate  the  stream  in  canoes  but  found  it 
impracticable,  and  proceeded  further  on  foot. 
It  is  chronicled  that  they  came  down  the  river 
to  "Great  Island,"  where  they  bought  some 
elk's  hide  boats.  It  is  possible  that  this  was 
the  first  official  mention  of  the  future  Grand 
Island.  At  least  the  party  proceeded  to  a 
point  about  forty-five  miles  from  the  mouth 
of  the  Platte,  and  there  embarked  on  April 


16  in  a  large  canoe  they  secured   from  the 
Indians. 

Jong's  expedition  in  1819 

In  1819,  Major  S.  H.  Long  travelled  with 
a  party  of  twenty  men  from  the  Missouri 
River  up  the  Platte  to  the  head  waters  of  its 
south  fork  near  Denver.  The  most  important 
feature  of  this  trip,  as  affecting  Hall  County, 
is  the  description  in  Major  Long's  journal  of 
the  hopelessness  of  the  Platte  Valley : 

In  regard  to  this  extensive  section  of  coun- 
try, I  do  not  hesitate  in  giving  the  opinion, 
that  it  is  almost  wholly  Unfit  for  cultivation, 
and  of  course  uninhabitable  by  a  people  de- 
pending upon  agriculture  for  their  subsistence. 

Major  Long,  in  his  final  estimate,  after  the 
foregoing  opinion  was  rendered,  continued: 

Although  tracts  of  fertile  land  considerably 
extensive  are  occasionally  to  be  met  with,  yet 
the  scarcity  of  wood  and  water,  almost  uni- 
formly prevalent,  will  prove  an  insurmounta- 
ble obstacle  in  the  way  of  settling  the  country. 
This  objection  rests  not  only  against  the  sec- 
tion immediately  under  consideration,  but  ap- 
plies with  equal  propriety  to  a  much  larger 
portion  of  the  country.  .  .  .  This  region, 
however,  viewed  as  a  frontier,  may  prove  of 
infinite  importance  to  the  United  States,  inas- 
much as  it  is  calculated  to  serve  as  a  barrier 
to  prevent  too  great  an  extension  of  our  pop- 
ulation westward,  and  secure  us  against  the 
machinations  or  incursions  of  an  enemy  that 
might  otherwise  be  disposed  to  annoy  us  in 
that  part  of  our  frontier. 

In  a  similar  vein  is  the  comment  of  Dr. 
James,  another  narrator  of  the  same  expedi- 
tion: 

We  have  little  apprehension  of  giving  too 
unfavorable  an  account  of  this  portion  of  the 
country.  Though  the  soil  is  in  some  places 
fertile,  the  want  of  timber,  of  navigable 
streams,  and  of  water  for  the  necessities  of 
life,  render  it  an  unfit  residence  for  any  but 
a  nomad  population.  The  traveler  who  shall 
at  any  time  have  traversed  its  desolate  sands, 
will,  we  think,  join  us  in  the  wish  that  this 
region  may  for  ever  remain  the  unmolested 
haunt  of  the  native  hunter,  the  bison,  and  the 
jackall . 

Could  Major  Long  see  the  Platte  Valley 
in  1919,  one  hundred  years  after  his  observa- 
tion, he  would,  to  say  the  least,  request  an- 
other  guess.      During   the   years    1808-1820, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Manual  Lisa,  of  Spanish  descent  but  a  citizen 
of  the  United  States,  became  the  leading  fur 
trader  and  explorer  of  the  Nebraska  region. 

CHANGES  IN  THE  TERRITORY,  NOW  NEBRASKA 
The  Nebraska  region  was  part  of  the  terri- 
tory of  Indiana  from  October  1,  1804,  until 
July  4,  1805.  On  March  3,  1805,  Congress 
changed  the  district  of  Louisiana  to  the  ter- 
ritory of  Louisiana  and  it  remained  a  portion 
of  that  territory  with  the  capital  at  St.  Louis, 
until,  in  June,  1812,  when  by  act  of  Congress, 
the  territory  of  Louisiana  became  the  terri- 
tory of  Missouri.  January  19,  1816,  the  legis- 
lature governing  this  territory  passed  a  law 
making  the  common  law  of  England  the  law 
of  the  territory.  On  March  2,  1819,  Congress 
created  the  territory  of  Arkansas  out  of  the 
Missouri  territory,  and  preparatory  to  the  ad: 
mission  of  Missouri  to  statehood,  and  on 
March  6,  1820,  an  act  was  approved  author- 
ising the  people  of  Missouri  territory  to  form 
i  constitution  and  state  government.  After 
Missouri  became  a  state  Nebraska  was  a  part 
of  an  unorganized  "Indian  country." 

June  30,  1834,  by  an  act  of  Congress  all 
that  part  of  the  United  States  west  of  the 
Mississippi  and  not  included  in  the  states  of 
Missouri  and  Louisiana  or  the  territory  of 
Arkansas  was  taken  to  be  "Indian  country" 
and  its  status  specifically  defined  as  between 
Whites  and  Indians.  In  1832,  Captain  Na- 
thaniel J.  Wyeth  led  an  expedition  over  the 
Oregon  Trail,  and  from  then  on  numerous  ex- 
peditions crossed  this  trail  which  took  them 
very  near  to  the  present  borders  of  Hall 
County. 

Fremont's  description  op  grand  island 
The  most  important  of  the  explorations  of 
the  Northwest,  under  the  auspices  of  the  gov- 
ernment, were  those  of  General  John  C.  Fre- 
mont. His  first  party  to  pass  through  Ne- 
braska by  the  Oregon  Trail  was  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1842,  an  expedition  of  twenty-seven 
men.  Fremont's  orders  were  "to  explore  and 
report  upon  the  country  between  the  frontiers 
of  Missouri  and  the  south  pass  in  the  Rocky 
Mountains  and  on  the  line  of  the  Kansas  and 


Great  Platte  rivers."  This  was  accomplished 
by  the  middle  of  August,  and  the  party  re- 
turned by  the  same  route,  reaching  the  junc- 
tion of  the  north  and  south  forks  on  the  12th 
of  September.  The  part  of  Fremont's  journal 
that  applies  to  Hall  County  is  told  in  his  own 
language,  as  follows : 

On  the  morning  of  the  15th  we  embarked 
in  our  hide  boat.    Mr.  Preuss  and  myself  with 


Stephen  A.  Douglas 

the  bar,  and  abandoned  entirely  all  further 
attempts  to  navigate  this  river.  The  names 
given  by  the  Indians  are  always  remarkably 
appropriate ;  and  certainly  none  was  ever  more 
so  than  that  which  they  have  given  to  this 
stream — "The  Nebraska,  or  Shallow  River." 
Walking  steadily  the  remainder  of  the  day, 
a  little  before  dark  we  over-took  our  people  at 
their  evening  camp,  about  twenty-one  miles 
below  the  junction.  The  next  morning  we 
crossed  the  Platte,  and  continued  our  way 
down  the  river  bottom  on  the  left  bank,  where 
we  found  an  excellent  plainly  beaten  road, 
On  the  18th,  we  reached  GRAND  IS- 
LAND, which  is  fifty-two  miles  long,  with  an 
average  breadth  of  one  mile  and  three  quart- 
ers. It  has  on  it  some  small  eminences,  and 
is  sufficiently  elevated  to  be  secure  from  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


annual  floods  of  the  river.  As  has  already 
been  remarked,  it  is  well  timbered,  with  an 
excellent  soil,  and  recommends  itself  to  notice 
as  the  best  point  for  a  military  position  on 
the  Lower  Platte. 

INITIAL  STEPS  IN  THE  FORMATION  OF  NEBRASKA 

General  Fremont,  then  Lieutenant  Fremont, 


[proposed]  territory."  The  first  real  bill  to 
organize  the  new  Nebraska  territory  was  in- 
troduced in  Congress  December  17,  1844,  by 
Stephen  A.  Douglas  of  Illinois.  This  bill 
failed  to  pass.  In  1848  Douglas  introduced 
a  second  bill,  which  also  failed.  In  1853  a  third 
bill  was  likewise  defeated.     In  1854  a  fourth 


Francis  Ui-rt,  First  Governor  of  Nebraska  Territory 


in  his  reports,  as  hereinbefore  indicated,  spoke 
of  the  "Nebraska  River,"  using  the  Otoe  In- 
dian name  for  the  Platte,  from  the  Otoe  word 
"Ne-brathka,"  meaning  "Flat  Water."  Secre- 
tary of  War  William  Wilkins,  in  his  report 
of  November  30,  1844,  says:  "The  Platte  or 
Nebraska  River  being  the  central  stream 
would  very  properly   furnish  a  name  to  the 


Nebraska  bill,  now  called  the  "Nebraska -Kan- 
sas bill,"  was  passed  after  a  prolonged  and 
bitter  struggle  and  signed  by  President  Frank- 
lin Pierce  on  May  30,  1854.  In  the  Congress 
that  had  assembled  in  1851-52,  Willard  P. 
Hall,  a  representative  from  the  state  of  Mis- 
souri, had  offered  a  bill  having  for  its  object 
the    organization    of    the  "Territory   of    the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Platte."  A  bill  offered  in  February,  1853, 
called  for  the  organization  of  the  "Territory 
of  Nebraska,"'  and  when  the  final  measure 
went  through,  it  bore  the  name  of  "Nebraska." 

TERRITORIAL  GOVERNMENT  PRIOR  TO  1858 
Francis  Burt,  of  South  Carolina,  was  the 
first  governor  of  Nebraska  territory.  He  ar- 
rived at  Bellevue,  October  7,  1854,  and  died 
there  October  18.  He  had  taken  the  oath  of 
office  on  the  16th,  before  Chief  Justice  Fergu- 
son, so  was  governor  only  two  days.  Thomas 
B.  Cuming  became  acting  governor.  On  No- 
vember 23,  a  proclamation  was  issued  ordering 
an  election  of  delegate  to  congress  and  legis- 
lators. This  first  territorial  election  held  on 
December  12,  1854,  was  too  early  for  Hall 
County,  but  not  very  many  years  too  early 
at  that.  On  December  20  Acting  Governor 
Cuming  issued  a  proclamation  fixing  the  time 
and  place  of  holding  the  first  session  of  the 
territorial  assembly.  The  struggle  between 
the  new  town  of  Omaha  and  the  old  town  of 
Bellevue  for  the  territorial  capital  was  practic- 


ally determined  in  favor  of  Omaha  by  Acting 
Governor  Cuming's  call  to  the  legislature  to 
meet  in  Omaha  on  January  16,  1855.  Gov.  M. 
W.  Izard,  successor  to  Governor  Burt,  took 
office  on  February  23,  1855.  Governor  Izard 
resigned  on  October  25,  1857,  and  the  vacancy 
was  filled  by  Secretary  Cuming.  From  Jan- 
uary 12,  1858,  to  December  5,  1858,  William 
A.  Richardson  was  governor.  He  resigned  on 
December  5,  and  the  vacancy  was  filled  by  J. 
Sterling  Morton,  secretary,  until  May  2,  1859, 
when  the  new  governor,  Samuel  W.  Black, 
arrived.  The  organization  of  Hall  County  had 
been  authorized  on  November  9,  1858,  and  on 
December  9th  Acting  Governor  Morton  per- 
formed one  of  his  first  official  acts  when  he 
wrote  the  letter  transmitting  tlje  appointments 
he  had  made  for  offices  of  the  new  county. 
From  this  point  on,  the  matters  pertaining  to 
the  territorial  and  state  government  that  have 
particular  application  to  Hall  County  will  be 
treated  mainly  in  the  chapter  on  "Hall 
County's  Part  in  the  State  and  Federal  Gov- 
ernment," and  incidentally  in  other  chapters. 


d  by  Google 


SETTLEMENT  OF  HALL  COUNTY 


Naming  and  Settling  the  County  —  Fred  Hedde's  Narrative  —  The  Origin  of  the 
Idea  —  The  Colony  Starts  in  1857 — Nebraska's  Few  Inhabitants — The  Platte 
Valley,  Fremont,  and  Columbus  —  Grand  Island  Settlement  —  The  Colony  on  Half 
Rations  —  The  First  Winter  —  A  Second  Colony — The  Failure  of  the  Davenport 
Company  —  "Pike's  Peakers" —  Extensions  of  Settlement  —  Wood  River's  First  Set- 
tlers—  Mormon  Way  Station  —  Indian  Scare  of  1864  —  The  Grasshopper  Years  — 
When  the  Union  Pacific  Came  —  Grand  Island  City  —  Returning  Prosperity  —  The 
Remaining  Pioneers — >An  Early  Hall  County  Bridal  Couple,  by  Christian  Menck  — 
1857-1869  —  The  Dream  of  Future  National  Capital,  by  William  Stolley — Organiz- 
ing the  Colony  of  1857  —  Terms  of  Expedition  —  Personnel  of  Colony  —  The  Ad- 
vance Party  —  Decide  to  Build — Second  Colony — Market  for  Corn  —  Davenport 
Company  Fails  —  Some  of  the  First  Things  —  Hunting  in  1860 — Interruption  of  a 
Prayer  —  Garrisons  Called  Away  —  First  Massacre  by  Indians  —  Panicky  Feeling 
Results  —  "Fort  Independence"  —  The  Settlement  Protected  —  Some  Pawnees 
Treacherous  —  Discover  Enemy  in  Time  —  Goettsche-Frauen  Massacre  —  Govern- 
ment Makes  Survey  —  Contractors  Take  Timber  —  The  Grasshopper  Scourge  — 
Ask  Congress  for  Help  —  Appears  before  Garfield  —  Calls  on 
Magnate  (Jay  Gould) 


Hall  County  is  the  name  given  to  one  of 
the  fairest  political  divisions  of  Nebraska. 
Though  Judge  Augustus  Hall  was  a  member 
of  the  territorial  supreme  court  and  chief 
justice  of  the  same  in  1858  and  1859  when 
the  legal  steps  were  taken  and  carried  out 
that  formed  this  county,  the  name  "Hall"  is 
attributed  in  the  early  lore  of  local  history  to 
have  been  taken  from  the  surname  of  a  man 
named  Hall,  who  was  an  early  partner  of 
William  M.  Spiker  in  business  here  and  who 
afterwards  lived  in  Colorado. 

In  1857,  when  the  spring  sun  rose  over  the 
prairie  there  was  not  a  white  man  within 
the  present  boundaries  of  Hall  County.  Dur- 
ing that  year  a  little  band  of  thirty-five  peo- 
ple arrived  and  located  in  the  great  solitude. 
A  year  later  the  legislature  gave  to  the  locality 
a  name  and  a  local  government. 

The  story  of  the  settlement  and  the  strug- 


gles of  the  first  pioneers  cannot  be  told  by 
those  of  the  succeeding  generation  with  any- 
thing approaching  the  accuracy,  detail,  or  rea- 
lism that  has  been  employed  by  several  of  that 
little  band  of  thirty-five  who,  fortunately  for 
the  succeeding  generations  of  Hall  County 
citizens  and  Nebraskans  in  general,  preserved 
that  wonderful  story  during  their  lifetime. 
Therefore,  this  chapter  on  the  settlement  of 
Hall  County  and  its  first  colony  will  be  given 
to  our  readers  in  the  words  of  three  of  the 
leading  spirits  of  that  colony,  Frederick 
Hedde,  Christian  Menck,  and  William  Stolley. 

NARRATIVE  OF  FREDERICK   HEDDE 
written  in  1897 

The  first  discussions  in  Congress  in  ante- 
bellum times  about  the  construction  of  a  trans- 
continental railroad,  which  to  all  expectations 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


11 


would  have  to  run  along  the  Platte  River 
Valley,  with  branch  roads  to  join  the  main 
road  a  distance  west  of  the  Missouri,  started 
the  idea  among  some  gentlemen  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  to  form  a  settlement  and  lay  out  a  city 
in  the  then  new  territory  of  Nebraska,  at  a 
point  in  this  valley  where  it  was  hoped  that 
junction  of  the  three  roads  would  take  place. 
A  company  was  formed  to  furnish  the 
financial  means  for  the  existence  of  the 
settlers  in  the  uninhabited  wilds  of  Nebraska, 
and  for  making  improvements  in  the  intended 
city,  and  a  party  of  thirty-five  persons  were 
engaged  for  the  formation  of  the  settlement 
under  the  main  leadership  of  the  civil  en- 
gineer, R.  C.  Barnard.  Mr.  Barnard  and 
four  others  were  native  Americans,  all  others 
Germans,  mostly  from  the  Schleswig-Hol- 
slein  territory,  who  had  been  a  few  years  in 
the  United  States.  Quite  a  number  of  the 
latter  had  been  in  the  military  service  in  Ger- 
many, some  during  war  time.  In  Davenport 
this  expedition  was  considered  as  a  fool-hardy 
undertaking,  as  the  middle  of  Nebraska  was 
entirely  without  any  inhabitants  except 
Indians,  who  were  considered  very  dangerous. 
But  our  prospective  settlers  did  not  allow 
themselves  to  be  scared  out  of  their  plans. 
Five  of  them  even  took  their  wives  along  with 
them,  and  a  young  girl  was  also  enterprising 
enough  to  accompany  her  brother  and  sister- 
in-law. 

THE   COLONY   STARTS   IN    1857 

In  the  spring  of  1857,  as  soon  as  there  was 
grass  enough  for  the  teams,  the  future  set- 
tiers  of  Grand  Island  started  from  Davenport. 
A  surveying  party  started  a  few  days  in  ad- 
vance of  the  main  party  under  the  lead  of 
Surveyor  Barnard.  This  party  consisted  of 
his  four  American  friends,  the  narrator,  Fred 
Hedde,  and  Christian  Menck,  the  latter  two 
being  the  only  participants  of  this  expedition 
who  yet  live  in  the  city  of  Grand  Island.  This 
party  traveled  with  a  four-mule  team.  The 
other  large  party  followed  in  four  wagons 
drawn  by  several  yoke  of  oxen  each,  under 
the  lead  of  William  Stolley,  who  brought  the 
same  as   far  as  Omaha.     From  here  he  re- 


turned to  Davenport,  and  Fred  Hedde  then 
led  this  party  from  Omaha  to  the  place  in  the 
interior  of  Nebraska,  which  afterwards  was 
selected  for  this  settlement,  the  surveying 
party  being  about  a  day's  travel  ahead. 

NEBRASKA'S  FEW  INHABITANTS 
Nebraska  was  at  that  time  a  very  new 
territory  with  perhaps  20,000  inhabitants, 
mostly  settled  along  the  Missouri  River. 
Omaha,  which  was  reached  June  18,  was  at 
that  time  about  three  years  old  and  had  a 
population  of  about  2,000,  although  they 
claimed  a  good  many  more.  It  had  a  lively 
rival  in  Florence,  originally  a  Mormon  set- 
tlement, a  town  of  about  1,000  inhabitants. 
Each  boasted  of  becoming  the  great  city  and 
of  annihilating  the  other.  But  when  seven 
years  later  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  was 
located  at  Omaha,  many  of  the  Florence  es- 
tablishments were  moved  to  Omaha,  and 
others  collapsed,  a  very  little  village  remaining 
there,  while  Omaha  grew  to  the  great  city  it 
is  today. 

THE  PLATTE  VALLEY,  FREMONT,  AND  COLUMBUS 
A  few  settlers  had  at  the  time  gone  into  the 
Platte  Valley,  and  had  crossed  the  Loup 
River  which  empties  into  the  Platte  about  85 
miles  west  of  Omaha.  About  every  four  or 
five  miles,  a  house  was  found,  some  with 
canvas  roofs  or  otherwise  unfinished.  But 
generally  a  great  city  was  attached  to  the 
house,  adorned  with  a  big  name,  painted  on  a 
sign  that  was  fastened  to  a  tree.  The  only 
two  young  embryos  of  future  cities  were 
Fremont  and  Columbus,  each  consisting  of 
about  a  dozen  block  houses.  All  the  other 
imaginary  cities  of  those  days  have  never 
come  into  existence. 

At  Columbus,  also  a  German  settlement, 
the  settlers  tried  to  persuade  our  pioneers  to 
stay  and  settle  with  them,  but  the  latter  all 
preferred  to  go  farther.  As  at  this  place  the 
Loup  River  could  not  be  forded  and  there  was 
here  neither  bridge  nor  ferry,  they  crossed 
the  river  about  ten  miles  above  this  point, 
where  there  was  a  sufficiently  good  ford  and 
a  Mormon  settlement. 

Dg,:,zCd  by  G00C^[C 


12 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


From  here  they  went  about  65  miles  farther 
west  until  they  struck  Wood  River,  and  about 
ten  miles  from  the  point  where  this  little 
river  emptied  into  the  old  narrow  north  chan- 
nel of  the  Platte  River,  opposite  the  large 
island  in  the  Platte  called  Grand  Island,  the 
new   settlement   was   located  July  4th,   1857, 

GRAND  ISLAND  SETTLEMENT 
The  Island  was  formed  by  a  very  narrow 
channel  branching  off  from  the  main  Platte 
about  fifty  miles  above,  and  joining  the  main 
river  again  about  ten  miles  below  the  new 
settlement.  This  little  branch  was  fringed 
with  a  narrow  strip  of  cottonwood  trees,  fur- 
nishing logs  for  buildings  and  firewood.  On 
account  of  its  timber,  at  other  places  in  the 
valley  very  scarce,  the  name  of  this  island 
was  already  well  known,  and  gave  the  settle- 
ment the  name  of  Grand  Island  settlement  and 
the  later  city  the  name  of  Grand  Island. 

Our  pioneers  then  went  to  work  putting 
up  some  log  houses  near  the  present  dwelling 
houses  of  the  Menck  and  Stuhr  farms,  a 
little  east  and  south  of  the  present  city,  so 
near  together  that  they  could  protect  each 
other  in  case  of  trouble  with  the  Indians. 
And  they  broke  as  much  land  as  the  late 
season  would  allow.  Our  surveyor  succeeded 
in  laying  out  a  town,  which  covered  the 
southern  portion  of  our  present  city  of  Grand 
Island  but  never  advanced  beyond  the  char- 
acter of  a  paper  town,  because  the  Davenport 
company  which  had  started  the  enterprise, 
and  which  was  bound  to  make  improvements 
in  the  new  town,  in  consequence  of  the  crisis 
of  1857  broke  up,  about  a  year  later,  and  con- 
sequently abandoned  their  scheme. 

THE  COLONY  ON  HALF  RATIONS 
Before  this  happened  another  danger 
threatened  the  new  settlement  with  speedy 
dissolution.  Two  loads  of  provisions  had  been 
hauled  out  by  hired  teamsters  to  the  place 
of  the  new  settlement,  accompanying  the 
pioneers,  and  they  were  sent  back  to  Omaha, 
where  a  large  amount  of  provisions  belonging 
to  the  company  was  deposited,  to  bring  out 
two  more  loads.     But  they  never  came  back. 


and  when  we  had  no  more  hope  of  their  re- 
turning, and  the  provisions  began  to  be  scarce, 
something  had  to  be  done.  Fred  Hedde,  who 
had  charge  of  the  distribution  of  the  pro- 
visions, saw  there  was  not  a  sufficient  amount 
left  to  keep  the  settlers  fully  provided;  and 
since  Mr.  Barnard,  the  main  agent,  made  no 
adequate  arrangements,  took  it  upon  himself 
to  send  some  of  the  settlers  to  Omaha  with 
their  ox  teams.  Such  a  trip,  over  300  miles 
going  and  returning,  took  at  least  from  seven- 
teen to  eighteen  days  and  there  was  not 
enough  of  provisions  left  here  if  everyone,  as 
before,  received  as  much  as  he  wanted.  Mr. 
Hedde  presented  the  situation  to  the  men. 
proposing  that  only  half  rations  be  issued  in 
the  future,  in  which  case  the  rations  would 
last  about  twenty  days.  They  all  agreed  with 
the  exception  of  Barnard  and  his  few  friends, 
who  wanted  whatever  they  liked.  But  they 
were  made  to  obey.  Thus  the  pioneers  pa- 
tiently stood  nearly  three  weeks  of  hunger 
without  being  starved;  and  when  at  the  end 
of  this  trying  time  the  men  with  their  loads 
of  good  things  arrived  there  was  great  rejoic- 
ing, because  there  was  once  more  plenty  and 
the  settlement  had  been  saved. 

THE;  FIRST  WINTER 

With  renewed  vigor  all  preparations  for 
the  coming  winter  were  then  made.  In  No- 
vember a  heavy  snow  storm  set  in  quite  sud- 
denly while  two  men,  a  stranger  who  stayed 
with  our  settlers  and  one  of  the  latter,  Henry 
Joehnck,  had  gone  out  to  Prairie  Creek  on  a 
hunt.  They  could  not  find  their  way  back  to 
the  settlement,  and  when  they  were  discovered 
by  the  men  who  had  started  for  their  rescue, 
the  strange  man  was  already  dead,  while 
Joehnck's  life  was  saved  with  difficulty. 

After  this  storm  the  weather  throughout 
the  winter  was  exceedingly  mild,  a  kind  of 
continual  Indian  summer,  and  very  favorable 
for  the  winter  work  of  the  pioneers,  who  were 
sufficiently  protected  in  their  houses.  Though 
they  lived  sixty-five  miles  from  the  last  traces 
of  civilization  and  never  saw  any  travelers 
excepting  once  in  the  late  summer  of  1857, 
when  a  party  of  Californians  returned  along 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


!he  Platte   Valley,   they  enjoyed   that  lonely 
time  in  peace  and  happiness. 

A    SECOND    COLONY 

At  the  end  of  the  next  spring,  1858,  an 
accession  came,  a  second  colony,  from  Daven- 
port, all  Germans.  They  joined  the  Grand 
Island  settlement  and  later  others  came  from 
other  parts  of  the  United  States  and  from 
Germany  directly  to  this  settlement.  The 
settlers  spread  out,  each  taking  up  his  own 
farm,  and  going  over  from  the  main  land 
of  the  valley  to  the  big  Island.  This  is  the 
reason  that  the  neighborhood  of  the  present 
city  of  Grand  Island,  for  five  miles  down  and 
six  or  seven  miles  up  Wood  River,  and  nearly 
the  whole  island  is  settled  almost  exclusively 
by  hard-working  German  farmers,  nearly  all 
of  whom  are  well-to-do,  and  some  of  whom 
are  rich,  owning  from  1,000  to  2,000  acres  of 
land  and  from  100  to  300  head  of  cattle, 
though  all  of  them,  with  great  perseverance, 
had  from  time  to  time  to  withstand  hard 
years. 
THE   FAILURE  OF   THE  DAVENPORT   COMPANY 

The  first  misfortune  came  over  the  settle- 
ment when,  in  the  winter  of  '57-58,  the  Dav- 
enport Company,  in  consequences  of  the  crisis 
of  1857,  broke  up.  Then,  of  course,  no  more 
provisions  were  furnished  and  all  hope  for 
improving  the  town  site  was  gone.  That, 
however,  did  not  discourage  our  settlers.  A 
large  number  of  the  younger  ones  found  em- 
ployment at  good  wages  at  Fort  Kearny, 
about  forty  miles  up  the  river  and  situated 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Platte.  The  others 
attended  to  their  fields  and  new  breaking. 

Late  in  the  fall  of  1858  another  misfortune 
befell  the  settlement.  Traveling  teamsters  set 
fire  to  the  prairie  while  the  grass  was  long 
and  dry,  and  the  houses  of  the  settlers  were 
not  well  protected  against  such  occurrences. 
Seven  of  the  new  houses  were  consumed,  but 
even  that  did  not  dampen  their  courage.  New 
houses  were  built  and  hopes  sustained  for  the 
better  times  which  they  saw  coming.  And 
they  came. 

"pike's  peakers" 

In  the  fall  of  1857  the  first  rumors  came 


from  the  west  about  gold  being  ■ 
at  Pike's  Peak,  the  Colorado  mounts 
southwest  of  the  present  city  of  E 
first  the  reports  were  not  credite 
spite  of  this  doubt  in  the  next  spri 
number  of  gold-seekers  started 
Platte  Valley  for  the  new  Eldoradi 
bryo  of  Denver  and  the  state  of 
and  though  many  of  them  returned  : 
disappointed  and  sad,  the  stream  c 
tion,  not  only  to  Colorado  but  also  t< 
gold  countries  of  Wyoming,  Monta 
Utah,  and  the  Pacific  coast,  yearly 
so  that  for  seven  or  eight  years  hi 
parties,  some  of  them  with  a  n 
wagons  and  teams,  passed  daily  at 
on  the  Platte  near  our  settlement.  ' 
fields  and  the  march  of  the  "Pike's 
as  they  were  called,  had  no  attracti 
pioneers,  who  did  not  suffer  with 
fever.  But  this  continuous  movin 
gold  hunters  was  of  great  advantag 
Our  settlement  was  nearly  the  last  p 
the  travelers  could  buy  anything,  a 
sequence  the  pioneers  had  a  splen 
tunity  to  dispose  of  their  hay,  < 
garden  vegetables,  and  some  pre 
high  prices.  From  $1.00  to  $1.50  f< 
of  grain  was  an  ordinary  price,  an< 
traordinary  occasions  the  price 
siderably  higher.  Some  contracts 
thousand  bushels  were  taken  by  t 
from  the  commanding  officers  of  1 
ny,  to  be  delivered  there  at  $2.04, 
the  price  the  government  had  prev: 
for  their  corn  which  had  to  be  di 
them  from  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  ' 
Island  settlers  had  no  large  fields  ; 
their  crops  were  small  crops,  paid 
large  crops  now,  and  gave  the  sett' 
cellent  start,  putting  them  in  gooc 
as  they  were  generally  saving  as  ■ 
dustrious. 

EXTENSIONS  OF  SETTLEMEf 
During  these  years  the  Grand  Isi 
ment  extended  to  the  east  and  w 
exclusively  Germans  from  the  not 
of  Germany  joining  it,  and  all  we 
spring,  summer,  and  fall  in  their  fit 


14 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


also,  until  large  stores  were  established  here, 
had  to  make  one  or  two  trips  yearly  to  Omaha 
to  buy  and  transport  hither,  with  their  teams, 
the  necessary  provisions,  and  they  had,  in 
winter,  to  go  frequently  to  Ft.  Kearny  for 
the  delivery  of  the  contracted  grain.  Since 
at  Kearny  the  broad  and  somewhat  danger- 
ous Platte  had  to  be  crossed  these  trips  were 
sometimes  very  disagreeable,  but,  going  in 
companies,  the  men  helped  and  cheered  each 
other,  and  when  the  weather  was  good  they 
really  enjoyed  it. 

wood  river's  first  settlers 
In  the  course  of  time  the  country  settled 
up  somewhat  more  rapidly.  There  were  some 
settlers  between  Columbus  on  the  Loup  and 
Grand  Island,  and  people  had  also  settled  west 
of  Grand  Island  along  Wood  River,  a  little 
stream  which  for  a  long  distance  runs  almost 
parallel  with  the  Platte.  The  first  settlers  on 
Wood  River,  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  pres- 
ent village  and  station  of  Wood  River,  were 
the  two  brothers,  Pat  and  Alex  Moore,  who 
were  soon  joined  by  their  brother-in-law, 
O'Brien.  The  Moores  were  Americanized 
Irishmen,  and  after  some  years  a  large  num- 
ber of  Irish  people  settled  around  them.  They 
were  good,  hard-working  men,  who  got  along 
well,  and  with  whom  our  Grand  Island  pio- 
neers lived  on  terms  of  friendship.  Between 
them  and  the  Grand  Island  settlement  a  num- 
ber of  Americans  took  claims.  Most  of  these, 
however,  left  again. 

MORMON  WAY  STATION 
Beyond  this  Irish  settlement,  not  far  from 
it,  there  was  also  for  some  years,  a  Mormon 
colony,  a  way  station  for  the  Mormon  emi- 
grants, who  sometimes  with  wagons  and  teams 
and  drawn  by  the  travelers  themselves, 
marched  on  their  tiresome  road  to  Salt  Lake. 
These  people  were  full  of  fanaticism,  ad- 
monishing us  to  go  with  them  if  we  wanted 
to  be  saved  from  worldly  and  eternal  des- 
truction, which  we  could  not  avoid  here.  This 
they  believed  because  their  prophet  had  said 
so.     But  no  one  followed  them. 

INDIAN    SCARE   OF    1864 

The    Sioux    Indians    formerly    had    come 


through  our  settlement  many  a  time  to  fight 
the  Pawnee  Indians,  who  lived  nearly  one 
hundred  miles  east  of  us  in  the  Platte  Valley, 
opposite  Fremont;  and  though  these  Sioux 
had  so  far  always  behaved  peaceably,  they 
had  during  the  Civil  War  become  unruly, 
stirred  up  by  the  rebels.  Roving  bands  com- 
mitted some  murders  in  the  Wood  River  coun- 
try and  south  of  the  Platte  River,  where  some 
white  people  had  settled.  But  they  never 
troubled  the  Grand  Island  settlement,  prob- 
ably thinking  it  too  strong. 

At  the  end  of  the  spring  of  1864  there  be- 
came current  a  rumor  that  the  Sioux  would 
come  down  in  force  and  clean  out  the  whole 
Platte  Valley,  and  the  people  had  their  imag- 
ination worked  up  to  such  an  extent  that 
nearly  all  Wood  River  people  in  long  pro- 
cessions marched,  with  'all  they  could  carry 
with  them,  through  our  settlement  down 
below  Columbus  and  some  did  not  stop  before 
they  reached  Council  Bluffs.  No  Indians  ap- 
peared and  when  the  fugitives  came  back  their  | 
cornfields  were  full  of  weeds  and  their  crops 
lost.  Only  a  few  remained  at  that  time  on 
Wood  River. 

The  Grand  Island  settlers  gathered  mostly 
at  the  O.  K.  Store,  centrally  situated  in  the 
settlement,  erected  there  some  fortifications, 
ready  to  defend  themselves,  and  stayed  there 
a  few  days.  But  they  soon  returned  to  their 
farms,  attending  to  their  work  and  losing  j 
nothing.  The  scare  blew  over  as  a  wind  storm 
without  doing  great  damage,  and  peace 
reigned  apparently.  But  soon  a  more  danger- 
ous enemy  appeared. 

THE  GRASSHOPPER  YEARS 

Some  time  later  swarms  of  grasshoppers 
came,  something  never  yet  seen  by  our  settlers. 
They  went  from  south  to  north,  alighted  here 
awaiting  a  favorable  wind.  When  they  left 
they  had  destroyed  a  good  portion  of  the 
crops  and  what  they  had  not  eaten  was  liable 
to  spoil.  Such  an  attack  was  worse  than  an 
Indian  attack  as  there  was  no  defense  possible 
against  it.  These  numberless  swarms,  which 
when  in  motion  high  in  the  air  looked  like  a 
kind  of  snow  storm,  wandered  north  and  east, 
up  to  Minnesota  and  beyond  the  Mississippi 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


15 


River.  They  troubled  this  country  more  or 
less  for  a  number  of  years,  but  have  during 
the  last  twenty  years  not  put  in  an  appearance. 
They  came  from  the  Rocky  Mountains  and 
probahly  emigrated  from  there  when  espec- 
ially favorable  circumstances  caused  an  over- 
production of  their  tribes.  During  these 
grasshopper  times  the  fanners  suffered  con- 
siderable losses.  But  their  often-tried  cour- 
age did  not  fail  them.  Most  of  them  could 
already   stand  a  loss. 

WHEN   THE   UNION    PACIFIC   CAME 

Since  1862,  when  the  first  larger  store  was 
erected  southeast  of  the  present  city  by  Henry 
A.  Koenig  and  Fred  Wiebe,  which  was 
followed  in  1864  by  the  opening  of  Fred 
Hedde's  store  five  miles  further  west,  on  his 
farm,  and  by  Jim  Jackson's  Wood  River  store, 
the  old  custom  of  making  trips  to  Omaha  for 
buying  provisions  ceased,  and  by  and  by  reg- 
ular trade  was  established  right  here.  All 
these  stores  were  kept  right  on  the  old  emi- 
grant road  to  catch  the  emigrant  trade,  no 
city  as  yet  existing. 

But  in  1864  the  construction  of  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  commenced  and  when  it 
reached  our  settlement  in  1866  a  small  town 
was  laid  out  by  the  railroad  company,  receiv- 
ing the  old  name  of  Grand  Island,  and  cover- 
ing a  considerable  portion  of  the  old  aban- 
doned town.  Now  the  solitude  was  gone,  and 
the  old  relations  were  more  or  less  changed. 

GRAND  ISLAND  CITY 

A  number  of  settlers  moved  into  the  new 
town,  the  stores  went  away  from  the  former 
emigrant  road.  The  farther  the  railroad  ex- 
tended the  more  the  old  travel  disappeared  on 
this  road  until  it  finally  stopped  entirely  and 
the  old  profitable  trade  with  the  gold  hunters 
was .  entirely  gone.  But  the  farms  in  the 
meantime  were  enlarged,  the  acres  were 
broadened,  and  large  crops  at  smaller  prices 
replaced  the  old  high  prices  of  small  crops. 

The  city  grew,  but  slowly  only,  until  1869 
when  the  Union  Pacific  and  the  Central  Pa- 
cific railroads  were  finished.  This  great  event 
started  a  large  emigration  into  Nebraska  from 
all  parts  of  the  United  States,  of  which  Grand 


Island  and  its  neighborhood  received  its  due 
share.  Until  then  most  all  of  the  newcomers 
had  settled  in  the  Platte  Valley,  but  from  1869 
on  they  went  north  from  Grand  Island  to  and 
beyond  Prairie  Creek  and  Loup  Fork  and 
began  to  fill  the  valleys  of  the  Loup.  Grand 
Island  was  for  a  number  of  years  the  center 
of  trade  for  this  whole  country  and  grew  fast. 
It  was  then  the  shipping  point  for  their  pro- 
duce, sending  it  to  east  and  west,  and  supplied 
them  with  all  the  goods  necessary  for  their 
settlements.  Grand  Island's  trade  reached 
out  for  more  than  a  hundred  miles. 

The  trouble  with  the  grasshoppers  which 
had  commenced  in  the  'sixties  continued  dur- 
ing the  first  years  after  1870,  but  then  dis- 
appeared fully.  And  city  and  country  had 
a  continual,  healthy  growth  until  1892,  when 
the  wild  wave  of  free  trade  struck  and  re- 
duced the  city  in  population,  depressed  busi- 
ness, and  ruined  many  firms  totally.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  misfortune  there  came,  in  1894, 
that  unfortunate  year  of  drouth. 

All  Nebraska,  with  few  exceptions  of 
favored  localities,  suffered  from  an  unusual 
drouth,  which  deprived  most  of  the  fanners 
of  our  neighborhood  of  their  crops.  Most  of 
our  farmers  were,  however,  in  such  good 
financial  condition  that  they  could  stand  it 
without  material  injury,  and  the  business  men 
of  Grand  Island  felt  the  injury  perhaps  keener 
than  the  farming  community.  However,  the 
following  years  of  bountiful  crops,  especially 
the  last  two,  made  amends  for  the  short- 
comings of  that  bad  year  of  1894. 

RETURNING   PROSPERITY 

Since  that  time  the  farmers  had  to  build 
new  additions  to  their  cribs  and  store  rooms, 
and  the  good  prices  have  made  them  so  inde- 
pendent that  large  amounts  of  mortgages  have 
been  paid  off,  though  great  quantities  of  grain 
are  still  in  the  hands  of  the  farmers.  The  city 
has  also  felt  the  effect  of  the  good  times  which 
began  after  the  fall  election  of  1896  and  have 
made  prosperity  return.  All  business  has  re- 
vived, vacant  houses  are  inhabited  again,  the 
people  have  regained  courage  and  have  taken 
in  hand  the  work  of  improving  the  business 
prospects  and  favoring  the  growth  of  the  city. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Grand  Island  is  now  again  on  the  up  grade 
and  probably  will  make  fast  progress. 

THE  REMAINING  PIONEERS 
Of  the  original  pioneers  who  came  here 
over  forty  years  ago  not  many  yet  remain  in 
our  city  and  county.  Barnard  and  his  friends 
lived  here  only  a  few  years.  The  German 
pioneers  had  better  staying  qualities,  but  now 


stout   young  oak   that   sprung   from   a   little 
acorn,  bound  to  grow  and  live  for  age6, 

Nearly  all  of  the  men  and  women  who  came 
here  in  the  beginning  were  poor  in  a  financial 
point  of  view.  But  they  were  rich  in  courage, 
energy,  perseverance,  industry,  honesty,  and 
frugality.  They  acquired  a  competence  and 
laid  the  foundation  of  a  prosperous  city  and 
county. 


Eight  Survivors  op  Original  Colony  Fifty  Years  After 


and  then  a  number  of  them  left  for  other  parts 
of  the  country  and  a  goodly  number  of  them 
have  died.  At  present  there  live,  in  the  city 
of  Grand  Island,  only  Fred  Hedde  and 
Christian  Menck,  a  retired  farmer,  and  in  the 
county  of  Hall  there  are  still  living,  on  their 
farms,  Wm.  Stolley,  Wm.  A.  Hagge,  Kai 
Ewoldt,  Marx  Stelk  (who  passed  away  be- 
tween the  writing  and  first  publication  of  this 
sketch),  Hy.  Joehnck,  Si'.,. and  two  ladies, 
Mrs.  Joehnck,  wife  of  Hy.  Joehnck,  Sr.,  and 
Mrs.  Anna  Thomssen,  wife  of  John  Thorns- 
sen,  Sr.1  In  Howard  County,  near  Dannebrog, 
lives  Joach.  Doll.    That  is  all. 

This  historical  sketch  shows  how  from  a 
small  beginning  our  present  fine  and  promis- 
ing city  of  Grand  Island  has  grown,  like  a 


AN    EARLY    HALL   COUNTY    BRIDAL 
COUPLE 

By  Christian  Menck 
When  in  the  year  of  1S57,  on  the  4th  of 
July,  we  located  here,  with  thirty  men,  six 
women  and  one  child,  we  had  seventeen  yoke 
of  oxen  (five  teams)  and  one  team  of  mules. 
The  latter  was  purchased  by  the  company 
which  provisioned  the  colony  for  the  purpose 
of  transporting  supplies  for  us  from  Omaha. 
Mr.  Barnard  was  the  engineer  and  chief  of 
the  company  and  Mr.  Hedde  the  leader  of 
the  Germans  in  the  colony. 

1  The  above  paragraph  the  reader  will  note  refers 
to  1907.  In  1919  the  only  surviving  members  of  the 
colony  are  Hy  Joehnck,  Sr.,  Wm.  A.  Hagge,  and 
Mrs.  Anna  Thomssen. 


./Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


17 


After  we  were  here  a  week  or  ten  days  we 
began  to  wonder  why  Mr.  Barnard  did  not 
send  the  team  back  to  Omaha  for  the  supplies. 
Mr.  Hedde,  therefore,  and  the  writer,  went 
to  Mr.  Barnard  to  take  up  the  matter  with 
him.  Mr.  Barnard  was  of  the  opinion  that 
the  mule  team  was  not  good  enough  and  had 
appointed  the  man  who  had  come  out  with 
him  to  bring  a  load  of  provisions  out.  When 
Mr.  Hedde  inquired  what  security  he  had 
for  the  man  —  that  he  would  return  —  Mr. 
Barnard  was  of  the  opinion  that  he  was 
a  gentleman.  Mr.  Hedde  was  not  satisfied, 
however,  with  this  and  thereupon  four  men 
were  sent  with  an  ox  team  to  get  provisions 
from  Omaha.  When  our  four  men  arrived 
at  Omaha  they  ran  across  the  man  who  had 
promised  to  bring  out  the  provisions,  walking 
on  the  streets.  He  excused  himself  by  saying 
that  his  horse  was  taken  sick. 

In  the  settlement  all  provisions  were 
brought  out  of  the  wagons,  in  the  meantime, 
in  order  to  make  inventory  of  what  there  was 
left  and  to  gauge  the  use  of  them  accordingly. 
It  was  estimated  that  at  least  fourteen  days 
would  be  required  before  our  team  could  re- 
turn. Rations  were  reduced  to  one-third  of 
one  pound  of  flour  per  day  for  each  person 
or  we  would-  have  suffered  from  hunger  the 
first  four  weeks  of  our  settlement  here.  Mr. 
Hedde,  thus,  from  the  beginning,  came  to  be 
the  adviser  of  the  settlement. 

We  thereupon  began  to  cultivate  the  land 
and  to  prepare  for  permanent  occupancy  by 
building  houses  on  the  four  adjacent  comers 
of  forty-acre  tracts  about  a  mile  southeast  of 
the  business  center  of  the  present  city  of 
Grand  Island,  the  purpose  being  to  be  close 
together,  in  the  event  the  Indians  should  be- 
come troublesome. 

When,  in  September,  our  team  was  again 
sent  to  Omaha  to  secure  provisions  for  the 
winter  and  when  the  party  going  with  it 
arrived  in  Omaha  there  were  no  provisions 
for  us,  and  the  money  which  the  company 
had  deposited  in  the  Omaha  bank  for  the  use 
of  the  colony  had  been  used  by  Mr.  Barnard, 
our  captain,  and  his  four  colleagues.  Mr. 
Hedde,  who  was  one  of  our  party,  had  in- 


tended, after  loading  the  wagon  with  pro- 
visions, to  go  to  Davenport  to  spend  the 
winter  there.  But  when  we  found  that  there 
were  no  provisions  for  us  Mr.  Hedde  hurried 
to  Davenport  for  the  purpose  of  reporting  the 
condition  of  the  settlers.  He  did  so  and  urged 
that  the  company  as  speedily  as  possible  send 
some  money  to  Omaha  or  he  would  have  to 
return  immediately  in  order  to  secure  other 
means  to  prevent  hunger  and  suffering. 
Finally  the  company  sent  a  man  with  money 
to  Omaha  with  instructions  to  buy  provisions, 
but  in  the  meantime  another  month  passed 
by.  When  finally  the  wagon  had  been  loaded 
and  when  it  reached  Columbus  the  river  was 
full  of  floating  ice,  and  the  ferry  boat  had, 
furthermore,  been  washed  down  the  river. 
The  team  was  driven  to  Genoa,  where  there 
was  also  a  ford,  but  here  the  same  trouble 
presented  itself.  In  the  meantime  the  settlers 
fortunately  sent  another  team  east,  as  far  as 
Columbus.  A  small  boat,  which  had  been 
made  here,  was  taken  along  in  order  to  get 
provisions  across  the  river — for  the  condi- 
tions of  the  river  could  be  gauged  here  —  and, 
the  other  team  returning  from  Genoa,  pro- 
visions were  finally  brought  across.  When 
the  provisions  finally  arrived  it  was  the  24th 
day  of  January,  1858,  five  months  after  the 
start  had  been  made. 

During  this  winter  there  were  many  snow 
storms  and  the  Indians  in  the  winter  began 
the  practice  of  hanging  around  the  settlement. 
They  wanted  our  provisions,  saying  that  we 
were  on  their  land  and  owed  it  to  them.  We 
had,  however,  no  serious  trouble. 

It  was  about  the  beginning  of  July  that  Mr. 
Hedde  returned  from  Davenport  and,  later, 
Mr.  Stolley,  Henry  Vieregg,  August  Schern- 
ekau,  now  of  Astoria,  Oregon,  John  Hann, 

Hoeppner,     Bohnsack,     and     somewhat 

later  John  Vieregg  and  Fred  Moeller.  Mr, 
Stolley  returned  after  two  weeks  to  Daven- 
port. In  the  early  part  of  September  Mr. 
Schernekau  and  the  writer  went  to  Omaha  to 
bring  Mrs.  Hedde  and  my  wife-to-be  to  the 
settlement.  Mr.  Hedde  was  sick  and  could 
not  undertake  the  trip.  Mrs.  Hedde  took  the 
stage  to  Grand  Island.     Mrs.  Menck  and  I 

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18 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


were  united  in  wedlock  at  Omaha  and  for  our 
wedding  trip  went  to  Grand  Island  —  per  ox 
team.  But  we  always  look  back  to  the  happy 
days,  notwithstanding  their  hardships,  with 
pleasure. 

About  the  middle  of  January,  1859,  we  had 
the  first  fire.  It  was  a  big  fire  in  those  days 
and  we  refer  to  it  still  as  a  big  fire  because  it 
destroyed  several  houses  —  all  but  one  of  the 
immediate  settlement.  Several  others,  in  the 
,  course  of  construction,  were  also  destroyed. 
My  own  household  was  almost  entirely  des- 
troyed. We  saved  only  enough  bedding  for 
one  bed.  We  had  provisions  for  the  entire 
winter  and  clothing  for  several  years.  It  all 
went.  The  fire  was  incendiary  in  origin.  The 
vagabond  who  set  the  prairie  afire  above  us 
did  it,  as  he  boasted,  because  the  "damned 
Dutch  had  no  right  to  establish  a  settlement 
here."  The  incendiary's  name  was  Tottel,  or 
Tailes.  Our  captain,  Mr.  Barnard,  went  to 
Fort  Keamy  to  see  if  he  could  not  do  some- 
thing for  those  who  had  been  burned  out  but 
the  colonel  of  the  fort  said  he  could  only 
give  fourteen  days'  rations.  And  we  had  to 
get  along  as  best  we  could  with  this  help. 

In  the  summer  of  1859,  1,500  Sioux  passed 
through  our  settlement,  but  they  were  friendly 
to  us.  As  a  matter  of  course  we  had  quite  a 
large  number  of  Indians  about  us  every 
winter,  in  those  early  years. 

In  1862  Mr.  Schernekau  enlisted  in  the  war 
of  the  rebellion,  so  that  even  this  frontier 
settlement,  doing  the  battle  of  reclamation 
of  the  wilderness,  furnished  a  member  of  the 
Nebraska  volunteers.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  first  Nebraska  regiment  and  was  wounded 
in  battle. 

In  1864,  when  the  Indian  trouble  took  place 
on  the  south  side  and  above  Fort  Kearny, 
we  built  a  fort,  in  order  to  be  more  safe.  It 
was  for  many  years  used  as  the  O.  K.  store. 
Our  American  colonists  and  neighbors,  be- 
lieving Indian  troubles  to  be  sure,  left  for 
the  east.  Later  a  militia  company  sent  us 
a  cannon  —  the  one  which  is  now  in  the  charge 
of  the  county  authorities  and  which,  for  sev- 
eral years,  stood  in  the  old  court  house  square. 
In   1866,  the  Union  Pacific  was  built  to 


Grand  Island  and  in  the  same  year  the  first 
houses  in  what  is  now  Grand  Island  city  were 
built.  We  lost  one  of  our  oldest  settlers 
through  accident  in  this  year.  His  name  was 
John  Hamann.  He  was  run  down  by  a  loco- 
motive—  in  just  what  way  the  engineer  did 
not  himself  remember,  but  it  was  in  connec- 
tion with  a  fractious  team  of  horses. 

In  the  winter  of  1866  to  1867  we  had  at 
least  twenty  snowstorms,  each  of  them  as  a 
rule  lasting  three   days. 

In  1868  I  sustained  the  loss  of  my  horses, 
through  theft.  I  never  learned  anything  of 
their  whereabouts. 

On  July  14,  1869,  our  little  house  was  struck 
by  lightning  and  brought  with  it  our  first 
great  sorrow.  I  was  compelled  to  carry  our 
little  child,  a  boy  of  six  years,  lifeless  from 
the  home  and  my  wife  was  rendered  un- 
conscious, but,  fortunately,  soon  recovered. 

For  thirty-three  years  we  remained  on  the 
original  farm  and  still  retain  "the  old  home- 
stead" though,  of  course,  it  was  not  a  home- 
stead under  what  is  commonly  known  now  as 
the  homestead  law  but  the  taking  up  by  pur- 
chase of  government  land.  For  the  past 
seventeen  years  we  have  taken  life  more  easily 
and  have  lived  in  the  city,  watching,  with  ap- 
preciation, its  gradual  development,  and  im- 
provement. 

THE  DREAM  OF  FUTURE  NATIONAL 
CAPITAL 

DETAILS  OP  ORGANIZATION EARLY 

REMINISCENSES 

By  William  Stolley 
Written  in  1907 

It  was  in  the  winter  of  1856  and  '57  when 
A.  H.  Barrows  of  the  banking  house  of  Chubb 
Bros,  and  Barrows  of  Davenport,  Iowa,  a 
branch  house  of  the  banking  house  of  Chubb 
Brothers  and  Barrows  of  Washington,  D.  C, 
called  on  me,  to  participate  in  the  location  of 
a  settlement  somewhere  in  the  central  portion 
of  Nebraska  in  the  Platte  Valley. 

Mr.   Barrows   alleged   that   influential   and 
wealthy  parties,  among  them  members  of  Con- 
zeo  by  G00gle 


HISTORY  OF  HAIX  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


19 


gress  would  back  and  support  this  enterprise, 
with  the  expectation  that  sooner  or  later  a 
railroad  must  be  built  up  the  valley  of  the 
Platte  River,  crossing  the  continent,  and  that 
eventually  the  national  capital  would  have  to 
be  moved  from  Washington  City  to  a  centrally 
located  point. 

The  object  of  these  speculators  was  to 
locate  a  town  as  near  the  central  part  of  the 
continent  as  possible,  there  to  secure  a  large 
tract  of  land,  and  attempt,  in  the  course  of 
time,  to  have  the  national  capital  located  in 
that  place. 

They  contemplated  sending  a  surveyor  and 
four  or  five  persons  to  locate  and  start  a  town 
in  the  then  unsurveyed  country,  as  the  govern- 
ment survey  did  not  extend  in  those  early  days 
west  of  Columbus  on  the  Loup  River,  and  the 
country  on  the  north  side  of  the  Platte  River 
had  but  recently  been  ceded  by  the  Pawnee 
Indians  to  the  government  of  the  United 
States,  while  the  Sioux  Indians  claimed  to  be 
the  owners  of  all  of  the  land  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Platte  River,  including  all  the  lands 
along  the  Blue  and  Republican  rivers. 

While  I  declined  to  become  a  partner  in 
the  town  company,  I  agreed  to  participate 
personally  in  making  the  settlement,  and  con- 
sidering the  dangers  the  first  settlers  would 
be  subjected  to  on  account  of  the  hostile 
Indians  I  proposed  that  in  addition  to  those 
four  or  five  persons  a  body  of  able-bodied 
young  men,  numbering  from  twenty  to  thirty, 
be  engaged  by  the  company  to  afford  suffi- 
cient strength  for  self-protection  in  case  of 
Indian  attacks. 

The  proposition  was  accepted  by  the  com- 
pany. The  town  company,  as  far  as  known, 
consisted  of  A.  H.  Barrows,  W.  H.  F.  Gurley, 
and  B.  B.  Woodward. 

By  a  territorial  law,  then  considered  con- 
stitutional by  the  people  but  which  proved  to 
be  unconstitutional  afterwards,  every  settler 
was  entitled  to  claim  and  hold  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land. 

TERMS  OP  EXPEDITION 

The  conditions  under  which  the  pioneer 
settlers  of  Grand  Island  settlement  were  en- 


gaged by  the  town  company  was,  that  parties 
were  to  claim  and  hold  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  of  land  each,  wherever  the  com- 
pany surveyor  would  direct  them,  that  the 
town  company  was  to  furnish  all  the  funds 
for  the  final  purchase  of  the  land,  and  that 
in  consideration  of  this  the  settlers  should 
deed  half  of  the  land  claimed  by  them  to  the 
town  company,  while  the  other  half  of  the 
land  claimed  by  them,  that  is,  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  each,  should  remain  the  prop- 
erty of  the  settlers,  and  besides  this  the  settlers 
were  to  get  ten  town  lots  each,  in  the  town  to 
be  located.  Parties  who  had  not  the  means 
were  to  be  provided  with  provisions  for  the 
first  twelve  months  by  the  town  company, 
but  were  to  reimburse  the  town  company  as 
soon  as  circumstances  would  permit. 

These  are  the  main  features  of  the  original 
arrangement  as  between  the  town  company 
and  the  pioneer  settlers  of  Hal!  County.  The 
following  persons  participated  in  the  enter- 
prise as  actual  settlers: 

PERSONNEL  OF   COLONY 

R.  C.  Barnard,  surveyor  from  Washington 
City,  D.  C. 

I- ore ns  Barnard,  his  brother,  Washington 
City. 

Joshua  Smith,  Davenport,  Iowa. 

David  P.  Morgan,  Davenport,  Iowa. 

William  Seymour,  Davenport,  Iowa. 

The  above  were  the  five  Americans. 

William  Stolley,  of  Holstein,  Germany, 

Fred  Hedde,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

William  A.  Hagge,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Henry  Joehnck  and  wife  of  Holstein, 
Germany. 

Christian  Menck,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Kai  Ewoldt,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Anna  Stehr,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Henry  Schoel  and  wife,  of  Holstein,  Ger- 
many. 

Fred  Doll  and  wife,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

George  Shultz,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Fred  Vatje,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Johann  Hamann,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Detlef  Sass,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Peter  Stuhr,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Hans  Wrage,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Nicholas  Thede,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Cornelius  Thede,  of  Holstein,  Germany. 

Henry  Schaaf,  of  Prussia.  .--. 

zeObyLiOOgle 


20 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Matthias  Gries,  of  Prussia. 
Fred  Landmann,  of  Mecklenberg,  Germany, 
Herman   Vasold,  of   Thuringen,  Germany. 
Theo.  Nagel,  of  Waldeck,  Germany. 
Christian  Andersen,  wife  and  child  4  years 
old,  of  Schleswig,  Germany. 

Thus  the  parties  participating  in  the  first 
settlement  of  Hall  County,  when  the  entire 
country  west  from  Columbus  on  the  Loup 
River  to  California  was  uninhabited  by  whites, 
the  garrisons  at  forts  and  the  Mormons  ex- 
cepted, consisted  of:  five  Americans,  twenty- 
five  German  men,  five  married  women,  one 
single  woman,  and  one  child  four  years  old 
—  thirty-seven  persons  in  all. 

THE  ADVANCE  PARTY 

The  surveyors'  party,  consisting  of  R.  C. 
Barnard  and  the  other  four  Americans,  Fred 
Hedde,  Christian  Henck,  with  a  company 
mule  team  left  Davenport,  Iowa,  a  few  days 
ahead  of  the  main  party.  Wm.  A.  Hagge  and 
Theo.  Nagel  were  detailed  to  proceed  by  the 
river  to  St.  Louis,  to  purchase  a  supply  of 
provisions,  firearms,  ammunition,  blacksmith 
tools,  etc.,  and  have  it  shipped  up  the  Mis- 
souri River  to  Omaha  in  time  for  the  arrival 
of  the  main  party  there. 

On  the  28th  day  of  May,  1857,  five  heavily 
loaded  wagons  drawn  by  sixteen  yokes  of 
work  oxen,  the  remainder  of  the  colonists 
named,  left  Davenport  in  my  charge.  After 
a  pleasant  trip  across  the  state  of  Iowa  our 
train  arrived  in  Omaha  on  the  18th  day  of 
June,  1857. 

From  here  the  expedition  proceeded  west- 
ward on  June  19th,  headed  by  this  surveyor, 
Barnard,  since  I  was  compelled  on  account  of 
business  to  return  to  Davenport. 

Henry  Egge,  who  kept  the  daily  account 
says,  in  the  diary :  "Our  train  passed  Fre- 
mont June  23d,  which  town  at  that  time  had 
ten  log  houses;  arrived  at  Columbus,  which 
had  eighteen  log  houses,  on  June  26th ;  crossed 
the  Loup  River  June  27th  at  Genoa  about 
twenty  miles  up  stream  from  Columbus,  and 
on  July  2nd  Wood  River  was  reached,  over 
the  wild  prairies  of  the  valley,  where  the 
pioneer  train  of  Hall  County  made  the  first 
wagon  trail." 


DECIDE  TO  BUILD 

A  meeting  of  all  settlers  was  then  called 
and  it  was  resolved  that  four  log  houses  would 
be  first  built,  each  14x23  feet  and  the  inside 
divided  by  two  partitions,  thus  making  two 
rooms  of  approximately  14x12  feet  each  and 
an  entrance  large  enough  to  answer  the  pur- 
pose of  a  door. 

At  the  same  time  the  breaking  up  of  the 
prairie  had  to  be  attended  to  without  delay, 
as  the  season  was  already  far  advanced.  Only 
about  50  acres  were  broken  the  first  season, 
all  told. 

On  July  12th  the  work  began  in  earnest; 
some  chopped  logs,  others  hauled  them  to  the 
place  of  building,  still  others  prepared  wood 
for  the  burning  of  charcoal  to  start  the  black- 
smith shop.  In  the  meantime  a  train  was  dis- 
patched to  Omaha  on  the  23rd  of  July  to  get 
a  new  supply  of  provisions.  On  Saturday, 
August  15th,  some  of  the  new  settlers  could 
already  move  into  their  new  houses,  and  on 
27th  of  August  all  four  houses  were  occupied. 

These  houses  were  built  on  the  south  half 
of  the  northwest  .quarter  of  section  14,  town 
11,  range  9,  now  part  of  the  farm  owned  by 
Chris.  Menck,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers.  In 
the  meantime  another  town  had  been  located 
about  seven  miles  west  of  ours,  which  was 
called  Mendotte,  by  David  Crocker,  Wm 
Potts,  and  Wm.  Painter,  but  this  town  was 
abandoned  soon  after  and  the  townsite  was 
occupied  by  David  Crocker  who  afterwards 
sold  his  claim  to  Fred  Zoaas  and  then  moved 
to  Santa  Clara  County,  California. 

On  Monday,  September  21,  1857,  four 
teams  were  dispatched  again  to  Omaha  after 
provisions  and  clothing,  which  were  shipped, 
the  provisions  from  St.  Louis  and  the  clothing 
from  Davenport,  Iowa.  Fred  Hedde  returned 
to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  brought  a  long  list 
of  clothing  of  which  the  settlers  were  urgently 
in  need.  The  town  company  was  not  obliged 
to  furnish  the  clothing  needed,  since  their 
contract  only  called  for  provisions.  I  took 
the  matter  in  hand  and  went  to  Mr.  Barrows, 
who  was  sick  at  his  house.  I  presented  the 
matter  in  a  forcible  way  and  told  Mr.  Barrows 
that  I  certainly  should  advise  those  in  need 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


21 


of  clothing  to  abandon  the  settlement  unless 
the  clothing  and  bedding  needed  was  fur- 
nished. Mr.  Barrows  was  a  very  kind 
hearted  man.  After  he  had  listened  to  my 
pleading  he  said:  "Stolley,  hand  me  that 
check  book."  He  gave  me  a  check  for  $500 
and  remarked:  "There  is  the  money,  the  boys 
need  the  clothing,  the  Germans  are  honest 
people."  And  our  pioneer  settlers  were  en- 
abled to  remain  in  the  settlement. 

SECOND    COLONY 

On  July  5,  1858,  more  new  settlers  arrived 


who  participated  in  the  year  1857,  because 
they  had  a  much  harder  and  more  tedious 
journey  and  they  had  none  of  the  advantages 
the  first  company  had  in  the  Town  Company 
furnishing  them  provisions  in  the  first  year. 

The  first  Pawnee  Indians  visited  our  settle- 
ment in  November,  1858,  but  on  the  27th  day 
of  August,  1859,  about  1,500  of  them  passed 
through  the  settlement  committing  some  dep- 
redations by  stealing  green  corn  and  taking 
and  digging  potato*" ,  but  they  were  otherwise 
friendly.1 

On  Januar  c,  1858,  the  house  of  Wm.  Stier 


Log  Cabin  of  One  o 


E  First  Colony  to  Settle  in  Grand  Island 


from  Davenport,  Iowa,  with  a  train  of  ten 
teams,  bringing  in  addition  about  20  persons, 
20  yoke  of  oxen,  besides  milch  cows  and  a 
number  of  young  stock ;  and  thus  matters 
began  to  look  brighter  in  our  young  settle- 
ment. 

The  pioneer  settlers  in  the  year  1857  had 
a  soft  snap  crossing  the  state  of  Iowa  com- 
pared with  those  following  them  the  next 
year.  I  had  no  trouble  keeping  our  train 
together,  and  it  was  a  harmonious  lot  when 
we  reached  Grand  Island  On  the  5th  day  of 
July,  1858. 

I  will  say  this  much  for  those  who  joined 
our  settlers  in  our  Grand  Island  settlement 
in  the  year  of  1858,  that  everyone  of  them  is 
entitled  to  as  much  credit  as  any  one  of  those 


and  Henry  Schoel  was  consumed  by  fire  and 
hardly  anything  saved.  A  meeting  of  all 
settlers  was  called  and  the  sufferers  were 
cared  for  as  best  could  be  done.  A  year  later, 
Tuesday,  January  18,  1859,  a  great  calamity 
befell  our  young  settlement.  Three  men  from 
Florence,  near  Omaha,  on  their  way  home 
from  the  newly  discovered  gold  fields  in  Colo- 
rado, recklessly  set  fire  to  the  cinder  dry 
prairie,  one  of  them  remarking,  "I  am  going 
to  burn  the  God  d — d  Dutch  settlement,"  and 
they  came  very  near  destroying  every  house 
so  far  built. 


1  Mr.  Menck  says  1500  Sioux  and  Mr.  Stolley  says 
1500  Pawnee  came  throuBh  in  summer  of  1859. 
Whether  they  spoke  of  the  same  Indians  or  there 
were  two  the  editors  have  not  ascertained. 


Dgle 


22 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


The  principal  sufferers  were  Wm.  Christian 
Menck,  Mart  Stelk,  Frederick  Aatje,  Hans 
Wrage,  Matthias  Gries,  Rudolph  Matthiesen, 
and  myself.  The  good  people  of  Omaha,  so  it 
is  said,  made  up  a  purse  for  the  sufferers,  but 
the  party  who  was  to  deliver  this  help  to  us 
kept  it  for  himself,  and  has  never  been  heard 
of  since.  Verily  these  were  trying  times  for 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  Hall  County. 

At  the  time  this  took  place  I  was  back  in 
Davenport  trying  to  wind  up  my  affairs  there 
so  as  to  move  my  family  out  to  Nebraska.  I 
lost  all  and  everything  I  had  in  the  world  but 
the  suit  of  clothes  I  had  on  my  back. 

In  1859  I  took  my  family,  consisting  of  wife, 
two  year  old  boy,  and  a  newly  born  daughter, 
out  to  Grand  Island  to  stay.  The  settlers 
planted  their  newly  broken  land  to  corn  and 
the  crops  amounted  to  over  two  thousand 
bushels. 

MARKET    FOR    CORN 

When  I  arrived  in  the  settlement  to  stay 
for  good,  I  advised  that  we  try  to  sell  and  de- 
liver our  corn  to  the  government  for  the 
troops  stationed  at  Ft.  Kearny. 

Colonel    May,    then    in    command    at    Ft. 

Kearny,  proved  to  be  a  strictly  honest  man 

and   also  a   warm   friend   to   us   settlers.     I 

i-  had   no   trouble   at  all   to   interest   him,   and 

through  his  instrumentality  I  made  a  contract 

for  the  delivery  of  2,000  bushels  of  com,  more 

or  less,  at  $2.  per  bushel,  1,200  bushels  of  it 

to  be  delivered  as  shelled  corn  at  Ft.  Kearny 

and  800  bushels  to  be  delivered  at  Braks  camp 

in  the  ear,  where  the  government  cattle  herd 

,.  was  kept.     This  co-called  "Braks  camp"  was 

I  about  twelve  miles  down  the  river,  hence  only 

~k„.,.  -30  ™i«  siietorjt  from  our  settlement, 

itself ;  thus  not  requiring 

icross  the  several  chan- 

ir. 

m  had  been  freighted 
orth  at  an  expense  of 
jshel,  and  Colonel  May 
to  overcome  before  he 
>btaining  a  permit  from 
to  contract  for  the  sett- 
alf  the  price  the  govem- 


Contract  rings  existed  even  at  that  time, 
who  enriched  themselves  by  fraudulent  con- 
tract. 

Many  of  our  settlers  found  remunerative 
employment  at  Ft.  Kearny  at  times  when 
their  presence  at  home  was  not  needed.  Be- 
sides this  trade  with  the  emigrants  to  the 
newly  discovered  gold  mines  in  Colorado,  to 
California  and  the  new  territories  of  New 
Mexico,  Montana,  and  Oregon,  became  quite 
profitable  to  the  settlers. 

For  a  number  of  years  we  settlers  had  an 
excellent  market  for  our  produce  at  home  as 
well  as  the  40-mile  distant  Ft.  Kearny.  A 
good  sized  cabbage  sold  frequently  for  fifty 
cents  and  a  fair-sized  watermelon  at  $1.00. 
Gold  and  silver  coin  was  the  only  medium  in 
trade. 

Large  trains  of  prairie  schooners  passed 
almost  every  day  up  and  down  the  Platte 
Valley,  and  frequently  lame  cattle  and  young 
calves  could  be  bought  at  extremely  low  prices 
by  the  settlers,  which  in  a  few  weeks  were 
all  right  again.  Thus  the  Grand  Island  settle- 
ment prospered  and  soon  became  one  of  the 
best  in  the  state  notwithstanding  the  very, 
severe  drawbacks  we  had  been  subjected  to. 

DAVENPORT    COMPANY    FAILS 

While  the  actual  and  bonafide  settlers  were 
doing  well  in  our  settlement,  it  was  the  very 
reverse  with  those  who  expected  to  make  a 
paying  speculation  out  of  it.  It  soon  became 
apparent  that  it  would  be  quite  awhile  yet  be- 
fore the  seat  of  the  government  of  the  United 
States  would  be  removed  to  the  original  town 
of  Grand  Island,  containing  an  area  1,440 
acres,  the  southwest  corner  of  which  is  to  be 
found  on  my  old  pioneer  farm. 

The  terrible  financial  crisis  of  1857  swept 
away  many  a  banking  house  throughout  the 
country,  and  among  them  was  the  banking 
house  of  Chubb  Bros,  and  Barrows,  of  Wash- 
ington City,  Boston,  and  Davenport.  Difficul- 
ties arose  between  the  Town  Company  and 
the  settlers,  and  the  result  was  that  the  Town 
Company  soon  gave  up  the  idea  of  carrying 
on  the  speculation  farther  after  they  .had  in- 
vested $6,000.00,  all  lost  to  them,  an,d  A.  H. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


23 


Barrows,  personally,  $500.00  paid  out  for  the 
purchase  of  clothing. 

A.  H.  Barrows,  so  I  have  been  advised, 
died  in  Philadelphia  in  a  poor  house.  W.  H. 
Gurley  died  soon  after  him  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  and  also  B.  B.  Woodward  died  in 
Davenport  many  years  ago.  R.  C.  Barnard, 
Lorens  Barnard,  Joshua  Smith,  David  P.  Mor- 
gan, and  Win.  Seymour,  left  the  settlement 
soon  and  I  cannot  say  what  has  become  of 
them.  Of  all  the  German  settlers  who  par- 
ticipated in  the  settlement  in  the  year  1857 
the  following  parties  are  still  alive :  Fred 
Hedde,  Wm.  A.  Hagge,  Henry  Joehnck  and 
wife,  Christian  Menck,  Kai  Ewoldt,  Wm. 
Stehr,  Fritz  Landmann,  Herman  Vasold,  the 
four  year  old  child,  Line  Andresen  and  my- 
self. Hence,  twelve  of  the  original  thirty 
still  reside  in  or  near  Grand  Island,  except 
Wm.  Stehr  who  lives  in  Iowa,  Herman  Vasold 
who  lives  in  Saginaw,  Michigan,1  and  Line 
Andresen,  who  is  married  and  lives  near 
Omaha,  Nebraska. 

Of  the  pioneer  settlers  now  dead  Fred  Vatje 
and  Fred  Doll  committed  suicide,  Vatje  tak- 
ing strychnine  and  Doll  shooting  himself. 
J.  Hamann  was  thrown  by  the  upsetting  of 
his  wagon  on  the  tracks  of  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad  and  the  cars  passed  over  him,  kill- 
ing him.  All  the  rest  have  died  a  natural 
death.  The  first  child  born  in  Hall  County 
was  Nellie  Stehr,  daughter  of  William  Stehr, 
on  March  3,  1858. 

In  the  spring  of  1858  a  lot  of  Mormons 
settled  on  Wood  River  and  opened  up  quite 
a  number  of  farms,  and  the  first  newspaper 
ever  published  in  this  county  was  published 
by  them.  It  was  printed  weekly  and  named 
The  Banner  and  was  edited  by  Joseph  E. 
Johnson. 

SOME  OP  THE  FIRST  THINGS 
In  the  spring  of  1863  the  Mormon  colony 
removed  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  with  it  The 
Banner,  but  this  paper  was  republished  in 
that  city  by  the  same  Mr.  Johnson  under  the 
name  of  The  Mountain  Eagle. 

Hall  County  was  organized  in  the  year  1859 
and  the  first  officers  elected  were:     Probate 


judge,  Fred  Hedde ;  county  clerk,  Theo. 
Nagel;  county  commissioners,  Hans  Wrage, 
James  Vieregg,  Henry  Egge;  justices  of  the 
peace,  William  Stolley  and  R.  C.  Barnard ; 
sheriff,  Herman  Vasold;  treasurer,  Christian 
Andresen;  assessor,  Frederick  Doll;  consta- 
bles, Christian  Menck  and  Matthias  Gries. 

But  when  a  case  was  brought  to  trial  be- 
fore William  Stolley,  justice  of  the  peace,  viz : 
Lorens  Barnard,  killing,  by  shooting,  one  of 
the  horses  of  John  Vieregg,  the  case  was  ap- 
pealed and  carried  into  the  Omaha  courts,  and 
there  it  was  decided  that  our  county  organi- 
zation was  illegal,  and  the  consequence  was 
that  we  got  along  without  law  and  courts  much 
better  and  at  less  expense  for  years.  Later  on 
the  legislature  of  the  state  legalized  the  first 
named  officers.  Great  times  we  had  in  those 
early  days. 

The  first  postoffice  was  established  in  the 
spring  of  1859  and  R.  C.  Barnard  was  ap- 
pointed the  first  postmaster  of  the  county. 

The  first  weekly  stage  was  put  on  the  road 
from  Omaha  to  Fort  Kearney  on  October  1, 
1858.  It  changed  to  a  tri-weekly  in  1860,  and 
became  a  daily  mail  in  1864. 

HUNTING  IN  1860 
In  the  month  of  October,  1860,  Christian 
Andresen,  two  others  and  myself,  ventured 
with  one  ox  team  and  one  horse  team  for 
the  first  time  to  cross  over  into  the  Loup 
River  country  on  a  hunting  expedition.  After 
marketing  our  produce  at  Ft.  Keamy  we 
recrossed  the  Platte  River  and  went  up  Wood 
River  for  a  distance  of  about  12  miles.  Here 
we  stopped  for  the  night.  We  noticed  that 
a  prairie  fire  was  raging  over  towards  the 
Loup  River,  and  after  going  into  camp,  and 
after  the  sun  had  disappeared,  I  noticed  some- 
thing passing  over  a  ridge  towards  the  Loup 
on  the  other  side  of  Wood  River.  We  con- 
cluded it  must  be  a  bunch  of  buffaloes  coming 
from  the  Loup.  Three  of  our  party  took  our 
rifles  and  crossed  Wood  River  to  meet  our 
meat  as  we  supposed.  We  found  a  well  beaten 
buffalo  path  which  only  strengthened  our  sup- 


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24 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


position  that  buffaloes  were  coming  that  way. 
So  we  took  our  position  under  a  steep  hill 
over  which  the  buffalo  path  was  leading. 
Meanwhile  it  had  become  quite  dark  and  we 
had  squatted  down  on  our  knees,  our  rifles  all 
ready  for  action,  expecting  every  moment  for 
the  buffaloes  to  appear  over  the  abrupt  hill  be- 
fore us,  and  ready  to  send  our  rifle  balls 
crashing  through  their  bodies  —  and  they 
came!  I  could  see  plainly  their  silhouettes 
appearing  as  they  came  into  sight  not  over 
thirty  yards  away  over  the  top  of  the  hill, 
but  I  saw  that  they  had  the  sharp  figures  of 
horse  ears  and  nothing  similar  to  the  heads 
and  forms  of  buffaloes,  so  I  whispered  to  my 
friends,  "For  God's  sake  don't  shoot  —  they 
are  horses  —  and  no  buffaloes."  As  soon  as 
the  approaching  game  reached  the  top  of  the 
hill  I  called  a  loud  halt,  and  said,  "Who  are 
you?"  at  the  same  time  ready  to  pull  the  trig- 
ger of  my  rifle.  Instantaneous  came  an  an- 
swer in  plain  English  "Good  friends."  That 
ended  our  buffalo  hunt  that  evening.  They 
proved  to  be  two  trappers  who  had  come  from 
Des  Moines,  Iowa,  to  hunt  and  trap  in  the 
coming  winter  up  and. down  the  Loup  River. 
They  had  not  been  careful  with  their  camp 
fire  and  while  they  were  out  setting  their 
traps  for  beaver  and  otter  the  rising  wind  set 
the  prairie  grass  on  fire,  and  nearly  every- 
thing they  had .  was  destroyed,  provisions  to 
last  them  three  months,  ammunition  and  all, 
even  their  guns  but  one.  Their  wagon  was 
burned,  and  only  the  rear  part  of  it  was  left 
on  which  they  were  riding  now  to  reach  the 
nearest  settlement.  Of  course,  we  helped 
them  all  we  could.  I  bought  all  their  lead  and 
gave  them  something  they  could  eat,  and  we 
all  went  to  sleep,  glad  that  we  had  been  spared 
to  kill  people  who  were  in  distress,  and  they 
were  glad  they  got  hot  coffee  and  everything 
needed  for  them  to  get  on  the  way  home. 

Well,  that  fire  their  carelessness  had  started 
crossed  Wood  River  and  burned  400  tons  of 
hay  in  stacks,  on  the  north  side  of  the  Platte 
River,  opposite  Ft.  Kearny,  belonging  to  the 
government.  The  next  day  we  crossed  over 
to  the  Loup  River  and  had  a  week  of  hunt- 
ing. We  killed  five  buffaloes  and  loaded  our 
teams  with  choice  meat.     I  also  got  quite  a 


number  of  grey  wolf  pelts  and  beaver  skins, 
and  what  was  more  we  captured  a  fine  Indian 
pony,  which  we  found  running  wild  in  the 
Loup  bottom.  The  pony  came  visiting  our 
horses  and  one  of  our  party  who  was  pretty 
good  at  throwing  the  lasso,  managed  to  throw 
the  noose  over  the  head  of  the  animal.  We 
valued  the  pony  at  $80  and  Chris  Andresen 
bought  the  pony,  paying  each  of  us  $20  in 
cash. 

INTERRUPTION  OF  A  PRAYER 
On  our  way  home  on  a  very  cold  and  stormy 
day,  we  reached  the  dug-out  of  Henry  Peck, 
a  Mormon,  who  was  living  with  his  wife  and 
a  lot  of  children,  all  boys,  in  a  cave  12x20 
feet,  which  was  located  about  where  the  town 
of  Wood  River  is  now.  Henry  Peck  was  the 
first  storekeeper  in  Hall  County,  and  was  very 
anxious  to  sell  us  his  goods,  which  he  had  in 
the  rear  of  his  cave.  We  asked  to  stay  all 
night  with  these  people,  and  our  request  was 
cheerfully  granted,  and  Mrs.  Peck  made  her- 
self busy  at  once  to  make  supper  for  us. 
Meanwhile  Henry  showed  us  his  grand  stock 
of  merchandise,  consisting  principally  of  cali- 
co, sheeting,  two  pairs  of  cheap  blankets,  pins, 
needles,  buttons,  and  other  trinkets. 

When  supper  was  ready  we  were  invited 
to  sit  up  to  the  table,  which  we  did.  The  cave 
or  dugout  was  about  seven  or  eight  feet  deep 
from  the  level  of  the  ground.  A  long  heavy 
cottonwood  log  had  been  placed  lengthwise 
over  the  cave,  and  willow  brush  and  slough 
grass  covered  with  a  layer  of  mother  earth 
constituted  the  roof,  which  rose  not  much 
above  the  level  of  the  prairie.  When  we  were 
about  to  help  ourselves  to  the  supper,  our 
host,  the  cave  dweller,  gave  us  to  understand 
that  he  was  to  offer  prayer  first.  So  with 
forks  and  knives  in  hand  we  obeyed  orders. 
Henry  Peck  proved  himself  then  and  there  to 
be  very  devout,  and  we  were  enduring  an  ex- 
ceedingly long  winded  "prayer."  There  seemed 
to  be  no  end  to  it,  and  at  last  I  could  hardly 
hold  my  eyes  open  owing  to  having  been  out 
all  day  in  a  cold  wind,  and  now  the  sultry, 
impure  air  in  that  dug-out,  without  any  venti- 
lation, had  its  effect  on  me. 

Vehemently   the   Mormon   elder   (for  that 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


25 


rank  our  friend  Peck  held  in  the  church)  once 
more  thanked  his  heavenly  Father  for  the 
blessings  of  the  day,  when  a  crash  of  the 
roof  above  us  startled  us  all.  Presently  dirt 
began  to  fall  right  on  our  table,  and  much 
quicker  than  I  can  describe  what  happened, 
piles  of  dirt  came  down,  and  then  four  legs 
of  an  ox  were  dangling  right  over  our  table. 
And  while  the  poor  ox  let  go  an  unearthly 
sound,  plainly  expressing  his  fright,  our  pray- 
ing Mormon  friend  lifted  his  fist  toward  that 
ox  in  distress,  and  stamping  one  foot,  said 
"God  damn  you"  where  his  meek  "Amen" 
should  have  been. 

On  the  next  day  we  arrived  home  after  a 
pleasant  outing  of  three  weeks. 

GARRISONS  CALLED  AWAY 

During  the  first  years  we  had  no  trouble 
with  the  Indians,  the  Pawnees,  the  Sioux, 
Cheyennes,  Kiowas,  or  Arapahoes,  altho  the 
Pawnees  were  continually  at  war  with  the 
last  named  tribes,  and  raids  by  either  party 
were  often  made,  when  they  would  pass  our 
settlement  with  their  booty  and  trophies,  the 
latter  in  shape  of  bloody  scalps  tied  to  long 
poles,  and  singing  as  they  passed  their  monot- 
onous song  of  victory  or  defeat  as  the  case 
might  be- 
So  little  we  feared  them,  until  trouble  be- 
gan, that  we  did  not  stop  the  work  of  hauling 
hay  in  the  month  of  September,  1869,  when  a 
running  fight  took  place  between  the  Pawnees 
and  the  Sioux  on  the  island  opposite  our  farm, 
although  we  heard  distinctly  every  shot  fired, 
and  saw  the  Pawnees  retreating  down  the 
river  pursued  by  the  Sioux.  But  this  feeling 
of  safety  did  not  last  long.  When  the  re- 
bellion broke  out  and  the  first  shot  had  been 
fired  at  Ft.  Sumter,  all  troops  stationed  on 
the  frontiers  were  ordered  east.  Nearly  all 
the  officers  then  at  Ft.  Kearny  were  southern- 
ers, and  hostile  to  the  northern  cause. 

A  Lieutenant  Tyler,  left  with  a  small  com- 
mand at  Ft.  Kearny,  immediately  after  the 
departure  of  the  greater  portion  of  the  gar- 
rison spiked  all  the  cannon  there,  twenty  in 
number,  claiming  that  he  feared  a  surprise 
from  Missouri  rebels,  and  then  resigned  his 


commission  as  officer  and  departed  to  join  the 
confederates. 

I  was  well  acquainted  with  a  number  of  the 
officers  at  Ft.  Kearny  and  had  warm  friends 
among  them,  and  they  urgently  advised  us 
before  they  left  that  we  had  to  abandon  our 
settlement  as  the  Indians  surely  would  clear 
the  territory  of  Nebraska  from  all  white  men 
as  soon  as  the  troops  were  withdrawn.  While 
heretofore  all  Indian  depredations  had  been 
committed  up  the  valley  of  the  Platte  River 
toward  the  Rocky  Mountains  we  were  now  to 
have  our  share  of  it  in  this  county. 

FIRST    MASSACRE    BY    INDIANS 

Nearer  and  nearer  to  us  serious  depreda- 
tions were  committed  by  the  savages.  It  was 
on  February  5,  1862,  that  we  were  startled  by 
the  first  massacre  of  whites  by  Indians  in  Hall 
County.  Joseph  P.  Smith  and  Andresen,  his 
son-in-law,  farmers  on  Wood  River,  living 
about  twelve  miles  west  of  Grand  Island,  went 
out  after  some  building  logs  to  the  north 
channel  of  the  Platte  River,  about  two  miles 
south  of  their  claims  (farms)  accompanied 
by  two  of  his  sons,  William,  11  years  of  age, 
and  Charles,  9,  and  his  grandchild  Alex  And- 
resen, about  14  years  of  age.  Andresen,  who 
took  a  load  of  logs  home  in  the  morning,  re- 
turned to  the  woods  where  he  had  left  his 
father-in-law  Smith  and  the  above  named 
boys  and  two  teams,  the  property  of  Smith. 
about  9  a.  m.,  and  found  all  of  them  brutally 
massacred  by  a  band  of  Sioux  Indians.  The 
old  man  Smith  had  several  arrows  in  his  body 
and  was  lying  on  the  ice  with  his  face  down, 
holding  each  of  his  boys  by  one  hand.  His 
son  William  was  still  alive  when  found.  He 
was  shot  with  an  arrow  and  one  of  his  cheeks 
was  cut  open  from  the  mouth  up  to  tin;  ear. 
He  soon  bled  to  death  after  being  carried 
home.  The  other  son,  Charles,  had  his  skull 
mashed  in  and  his  neck  broken,  probably  with 
a  war  club.  Young  Andresen  was  found  some 
distance  off  in  the  woods  with  his  skull  broken. 
The  four  horses  were  taken  away  by  the 
Indians. 

Joseph  P.  Smith  immigrated  to  Hall  County 
in    the   fall   of    1861    and   came   from   Lake 


26 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


County,  Indiana.  Besides  farming,  Mr.  Smith 
had  opened  a  small  store  on  his  farm. 

The  settlers  throughout  the  county,  upon 
being  advised  of  the  massacre,  were  in  the 
saddle  at  once  and  went  in  search  of  the  mur- 
derers, and  Jesse  Eldridge  with  seven  other 
settlers  on  Wood  River  captured  17  Sioux, 
all  armed  with  bows '  and  arrows.  These 
Indians  were  captured  about  18  miles  east  of 
Ft.  Kearny  in  the  dry  channel  of  the  Platte 
where  they  hovered  under  the  bank  of  the 
channel,  evidently  trying  to  hide  from  pur- 
suers. 

The  military  authorities  at  Ft.  Kearny  with 
Captain  Johnson  in  command  requested  that 
the  Indians  captured  by  the  settlers  be  turned 
over  to  them,  which  was  acceded  to,  and  after 
some  time  had  elapsed  the  Indians  were  re- 
leased, Captain  Johnson  remarking,  that  he 
would  rather  see  twenty  farmers  killed  than 
one  Indian,  for  fear  that  Ft.  Kearny  would 
be  attacked  by  the  Sioux.  However,  it  was 
proven  that  the  parties  captured  were  not  the 
guilty  ones  in  the  massacre  of  the  Smith 
family. 

Two  girls,  nieces  of  Mr.  Campbell,  re- 
spectively 17  and  19  years  of  age,  and  also 
two  little  twin  boys  four  years  old  were 
carried  away  captives  by  the  brutes.  At  the 
same  time  a  German  by  the  name  of  Henry 
Dose  was  killed  near  the  Campbell  place.  The 
Indians  robbed  the  house  of  all  they  wished  to, 
killed  some  stock  and  got  away  without  being 
overtaken. 

Months  afterwards  the  government  bought 
the  two  little  girls  and  two  little  boys  from 
the  Indians,  paying  them  a  ransom  of  $4,000 
in  money,  so  it  was  reported  at  that  time,  and 
in  addition  had  to  release  a  Sioux  squaw  and 
papoose  captured  by  Ed  Arnold's  company  of 
Pawnee  scouts  at  Elm  Creek  the  same  season. 

PANICKY  FEELING  RESULTS 
In  August  and  September,  1864,  all  sorts 
of  rumors  about  hostile  Indians  were  afloat. 
It  was  reported  that  they  were  coming  in  a 
great  force  to  take  Ft.  Kearny  and  devastate 
all  settlements  below.  Many  feared  that  even 
Omaha  was  not  safe.    The  very  soldiers  sta- 


tioned at  Ft.  Kearny  surely  were  not  able  to 
protect  themselves,  let  alone  settlers  and  settle- 
ments. So  it  was  that  soon  the  wildest  panic 
prevailed. 

From  far  up  the  Platte  Valley  to  Columbus 
the  settlers,  with  very  few  exceptions,  left 
their  homes,  and  even  east  of  Columbus  many 
people  were  fleeing  for  dear  life.  It  was  re- 
ported that  even  the  drygoods  clerks  in  Omaha 
handled  the  muskets,  and  were  out  on  picket, 
and  it  was  said  that  our  governor  sent  his 
family  across  the  Big  Muddy  into  Council 
Bluffs  on  account  of  the  imminent  danger  of 
an  Indian  attack  on  the  good  city  of  Omaha. 

At  Grand  Island  for  a  distance  of  twenty 
miles  the  main  traveled  road  along  the  Platte 
River  was  covered  with  fugitives  on  the  13th 
and  14th  of  August,  1864.  In  vain  I  urged 
a  number  of  them  to  stop  and  take  matters 
coolly.  Heavy  loaded  wagons  with  household 
goods  and  provisions,  bedding,  etc.,  droves  of 
cattle  and  horses,  cats  and  dogs,  people  on 
foot  and  horseback  hurried  along  in  great  con- 
fusion. The  rising  dust  clouds  everywhere 
along  the  road  gave  evidence  of  the  fearful 
panic  that  prevailed.  It  was  truly  a  most 
pitiable  sight  to  see  those  people  leaving  their 
homes,  their  ripening  corn  and  vegetable 
crops,  we  may  say  "their  all." 

But  the  settlement  of  Grand  Island  was  not 
deserted.  The  people  of  our  settlement  re- 
solved to  give  Mr.  Indian  a  warm  reception 
should  he  venture  to  attack  us. 

Two  years  previous,  in  the  year  1862,  I 
began  to  build  my  own  fort.  This  fortified 
log  house  I  built  about  150  yards  south  of 
my  farm  house.  It  was  24x24  in  size,  pro- 
vided with  25  port  holes,  had  a  well  inside; 
all  that  was  needed  to  complete  this  place  of 
comparative  safety,  was  to  put  on  a  proper 
roof. 

When  the  above  mentioned  panic  set  in  I 
had  my  pick  and  call  among  the  settlers  to 
join  me,  and  thus  I  soon  had  my  fort  well 
manned  by  those  who  were  likely  to  fill  their 
places  in  case  of  an  Indian  attack.  We  were 
35  persons  in  our  fort,  women  and  children 
included,  and  we  soon  had  the  fort  completely 
finished,  by  adding  an  underground  stable  for 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


17 


horses  88   feet  long  in  connection   with  the 
fortified  log  house. 

"PORT   INDEPENDENCE" 

This  was  the  first  nucleus  of  defense  orga- 
nized to  repel  an  Indian  attack  in  the  Grand 
Island  settlement.  A  small  United  States  flag 
had  been  purposely  made  for  us  by  a  lady 
friend,  Henrietta  Axalsen,  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  which  I  tied  to  a  pole  and  raised  it  over 
our  fort  —  which  we  called  "Fort  Inde- 
pendence." This  was  the  first  star  spangled 
banner  that  ever  floated  the  air  in  Hall  County. 
We  have  kept  the  little  old  flag  in  remem- 
brance of  the  times  gone  by,  never  to  return. 

We  had  sufficient  firearms  to  fire  72  shots 
without  reloading,  about  50  pounds  of  powder, 
and  other  suitable  ammunition  in  proper  pro- 
portion, besides  an  ample  supply  of  provision. 
A  proper  organization  was  effected  and 
cartridges  to  fit  each  and  every  gun  were  pre- 
pared in  quantity.  So  our  little  party  of  men, 
women,  and  children  were  cared  for  com- 
paratively well.  But  the  fortification  here 
described  afforded  protection  to  only  a  small 
portion  of  the  then  already  numerous  settlers; 
therefore,  it  was  resolved  to  fortify  the  O.  K. 
store  kept  by  Henry  A.  Koenig  and  Fred 
Wiebe,  about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  due  south 
of  us.  William  Thavenet  engineered  the  work 
and  later  on  was  also  employed  by  the  officers 
at  Ft  Keamy  to  engineer  similar  work  there, 
Dr.  A.  Thorspecken  was  chosen  as  captain. 
The  combined  force  at  this  place  soon  erected 
a  formidable  breastworks  of  sod  which  sur- 
rounded the  buildings.  The  breastworks  were 
provided  on  each  corner  with  a  tower  built 
from  green  cottonwood  logs,  and  these  towers 
projected  out  far  enough  to  shoot  any  party 
who  would  venture  to  crawl  under  the  cover 
of  the  breastworks  from  outside.  Sixty-eight 
men  and  about  100  women  and  children  gath- 
ered into  this  fortification  as  a  place  of  refuge 
and  comparative  safety. 


furnished,  for  which  the  freight  had  to  be 
paid  by  the  settlers.  Every  day  squads  of  men 
on  horseback  were  sent  out  in  all  directions 
to  reconnoiter  the  country,  and  at  different 
places  piles  of  straw  and  .brush  were  pre- 
pared to  serve  as  alarm  fires  in  case  of  an 
approach  of  hostile  Indians,  to  warn  those 
absent 

On  August  22,  1864,  Major  General  Curtis 
arrived    with    the    first    regular    volunteeer 


THE   SETTLEMENT    PROTECTED 
Requisitons  were  made  for  arms  from  the 
state  but  were  responded  to  very  slowly,  and 
only   17  old  muskets  with  ammunition  were     Kearny. 


Soldiers'  Monument,  Grand.  Island 
Showing  the  cannon  used  in  1864 

veteran  cavalry,  carrying  with  them  one  six- 
pounder  cannon.  The  general's  inspection  of 
both  fortifications  resulted  in  his  highly  prais- 
ing the  settlers  of  our  settlement  for  the 
efficient  measures  adopted  by  them  for  their 
self-preservation.  He  left  the  cannon  with 
us,  remarking  that  it  ought  to  be  left  with  us 
for  all  time  to  come,  as  an  acknowledgment 
of  the  pluck  exhibited  while  all  the  rest  of 
the  settlers  in  the  upper  Platte  Valley  for 
hundreds  of  miles  had  abandoned  the  country. 
General  Curtis  considering  the  Grand  Island 
settlement  safe  pushed  on  the  same  day  of 
his  arrival   to  reinforce  the   garrison   at  Ft. 


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28 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Here  I  will  remark  that  after  various  and 
repeated  trials  in  later  years  I  was  at  last 
successful  in  having  the  cannon  left  with  us, 
turned  over  to  me  by  the  proper  authorities 
in  Washington,  D.  C,  and  that  I  in  turn  have 
turned  it  over  to  the  county  authorities  of 
Hall  County,  which  fact  is  a  matter  of  record. 
And  thus  the  suggestion  of  General  Curtis 
has  been  complied  with. 

It  is  but  proper  and  due  to  Squire  Lamb, 
as  he  used  to  be  called,  that  he  be  remembered 
and  his  name  mentioned  when  the  Indian 
troubles  of  those  days  are  referred  to.  Mr. 
Lamb  was  the  frontier  stagedriver  of  the 
Platte  Valley.  He  and  his  son  Henry  and 
three  other  men  who  kept  the  overland  stage 
station  on  Wood  River  about  eight  miles  west 
of  Grand  Island  did  not  abandon  their  station 
but  kept  a  sharp  lookout  for  the  danger  signals 
to  join  the  fortified  forces  of  our  settlement 
in  case  of  need. 

SOME    gAWNEES    TKEACHEROUS 

Although  we  were  on  good  terms  with  the 
Pawnee  Indians,  they  camping  near  the  settle- 
ment and  trading  with  us,  all  of  them  could 
not  be  trusted,  as  the  incident  which  I  shall 
relate  will  bear  witness.  I  have  found  good 
and  noble  individuals  among  them  and  mean 
and  treacherous  devils.  In  this  respect  they 
tally  about  even  with  us  whites. 

In  the  month  of  October,  1866,  John 
Vieregg  and  I  had  trapped  and  hunted  for 
about  four  weeks  on  the  Loup  between  what  is 
now  called  McKines  Bluff  and  the  junction 
of  the  river  with  the  north  fork  near  St.  Paul. 

It  was  principally  beaver  we  were  after, 
and  occasionally  we  picked  up  other  game, 
mostly  antelope.  Toward  the  end  of  the  month 
we  moved  down  the  river  to  a  point  some- 
where opposite  where  Dannebrog  is  now 
located  on  Oak  Creek,  where  we  went  into 
camp  early  toward  evening.  While  fixing  the 
camp  and  preparing  our  supper  two  Indians 
joined  us  and  we  gave  them  their  supper, 
coffee  and  pancakes,  or  flapjacks,  as  we  used 
to  call  them.  These  two  Indians  told  me 
that  they  were  Scidies,  meaning  wolf,  a 
branch  tribe  of  the  Pawnees,  and  that  they 


were  out  on  a  scouting  expedition  to  locate 
hostile  Sioux  and  their  allies,  should  they 
infest  the  Loup  country.  These  Indians 
seemed  to  be  very  friendly  and  invited  us  to 
cross  the  Loup  and  told  us  that  there  were 
lots  of  deer  and  elk  (Baa)  on  Oak  Creek. 
That  this  statement  was  true  I  knew,  because 
I  had  observed  coming  down  the  river  a  large 
bunch  of  elks  numbering  about  eighty,  and  I 
was  anxious  to  get  a  nice  fat  elk  for  winter 
meat  before  we  started  for  home,  which  we 
contemplated  doing  very  soon.  But  my  part- 
ner, John  Vieregg,  did  not  favor  the  scheme, 
he  did  not  want  to  cross  the  river  and  the  ox 
team  we  had  was  his,  hence  I  was  depending 
nn  his  good  will.  Up  to  that  time  I  had  killed 
in  all  seven  antelope,  which  had  been  taken 
home  by  Charles  Petersen,  who  had  been  with 
us  until  recently.  The  Indians  told  us  that 
they  had  some  furs  they  would  trade  us,  and 
that  they  would  call  on  us  the  next  day  at 
9  o'clock,  that  is,  when  the  sun  would  have 
risen  to  a  certain  height  on  the  horizon.  I 
being  anxious  to  get  the  "elk"  went  with  the 
Indians  to  see  them  across  the  river  so  as  to 
ascertain  the  feasibility  of  crossing  with  our 
team  on  account  of  the  quicksand  and  water 
condition  of  the  river.  In  watching  the  Indians 
crossing  the  stream  diagonally  I  noticed  that 
the  water  was  hardly  knee  deep  and  their 
walking  was  steady,  hence  the  quicksand  not 
dangerous.  When  in  the  middle  of  the  river, 
one  of  them  stopped  for  a  moment,  and  cried 
out :  "kaki-heap  a  water  kaki,"  meaning  to  say 
to  me  there  was  no  deep  water  and  that  our 
crossing  the  stream  would  be  done  with 
safety.  When  I  returned  to  our  camp  I  was 
so  much  encouraged  that  I  could  see,  in  my 
imagination,  a  big  fine  elk  laying  stretched 
out  in  our  wagon  when  going  home.  The 
next  thing  in  order  was  the  setting  of  our 
traps.  While  John  Vieregg  went  on  the  river 
setting  his  traps,  I  went  down  the  river  toward 
the  junction  of  the  Loup.  It  was  nearly  pitch 
dark  when  John  and  I  got  back  into  camp, 
and  I  was  ready  to  preach  quite  a  sermon  to 
John  to  induce  him  to  cross  the  river  after 
that  "elk."  Before  I  proceed  to  relate  what 
happened,  I  must  describe  our  camp  somewhat 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


29 


We  camped  on  one  of  those  ravines  and  sand 
ridges  which  often  stretch  from  one  bed  of 
the  river  to  the  next,  and  which  are  often 
deep  enough,  if  the  winds  do  not  blow  them 
away  to  somewhere  else,  to  give  temporary 
protection. 

DISCOVER  ENEMY  IN  TIME 

In  one  of  these  ravines,  or  rather  on  the 
north  side  of  one  of  them,  our  camping  place 
was  located.  With  a  spade  I  had  dug  out  in 
the  side  of  the  abrupt  ravine  a  seat  to  sit  on. 
Thus  my  back  was  protected  with  solid 
ground.  Right  in  front  of  me  was  our  camp- 
fire —  and  a  fine  one  we  had  that  eveningl 
John  Vieregg  was  sitting  on  a  tumed-up 
bucket,  on  the  left  of  the  camp  fire.  Toward 
the  river  stood  our  wagon  and  trapping 
trophies,  and  on  the  outside  of  the  wagon 
near  our  campfire  leaned  our  rifles  and  shot- 
guns handy  for  us  to  get  and  ready  loaded 
for  immediate  use. 

It  was  a  pitch  dark  night,  no  wind  was 
stirring,  and  right  behind  our  wagon  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  ravine  and  stretching  toward 
the  Loup  River  was  slough  grass  almost  as 
long  as  a  short  grown  person.  Such  were 
the  conditons  when  John  and  I  were  sitting 
near  our  blazing  campfire,  and  I  was  at  it  in 
the  most  eloquent  way  at  my  command  to  con- 
vince John  of  the  easy  task  of  crossing  that 
infernal  river  so  as  to  get  that  "elk"  I  had  in 
my  head.  This  was  about  10  o'clock  p.  m. 
when,  while  I  paused  talking  to  John  for  a 
moment,  my  attention  was  attracted  by  a  very 
slight  noise,  which  caused  me  to  look  in  the 
direction  it  seemed  to  be;  and  I  noticed  at 
once  by  the  glare  of  our  blazing  campfire  the 
moving  and  the  bending  of  the  tall  grass  in 
two  places  close  together,  not  more  than 
twenty  yards  from  our  wagon.  Without  say- 
ing a  word  I  jumped  past  the  campfire  to  the 
wagon,  grabbed  a,  long  range  double  barrel 
shotgun  loaded  with  goose  shot  00,  and  in 
the  twinkle  of  an  eye  had  that  gun  to  my 
shoulder  aiming  to  send  the  shot  so  as  to  hit 
the  animal  that  most  certainly  crawled  in  the 
slough  grass,  when  up  jumped  our  good 
friends,  the  two  Pawnees.     One  of  them  was 


holding  a  short  shot  gun  in  his  uplifted  left 
hand  and  the  other  one  a  bow  and  a  lot  of 
arrows.  At  this  critical  moment  John  Vieregg 
interfered,  crying,  "Don't  shoot,  don't  shoot," 
and  he  came  forward  hindering  me  from  mak- 
ing those  two  devils  real  good  Indians  by  dis- 
patching them.  We  disarmed  them  and  they 
had  to  take  seats  near  the  fire,  while  John  and 
I  laid  down  under  our  wagon,  on  and  under 
buffalo  robes,  with  all  our  guns  on  hand. 
I  did  not  sleep  that  night  but  kept  my  eyes 
on  our  "friends"  till  morning  when  we  let 
them  go.  But  this  was  the  last  night  we  were 
out  trapping  that  season.  We  made  a  good 
catch  of  beaver  that  night  but  went  home  the 
next  day  —  and  thus  closed  that  year's  fall 
hunt. 

COETTSCHE-FRAUEN    MASSACRE 

This  little  episode  was  followed  by  another 
nearly  a  year  later  on  the  same  spot,  wherein 
John  Vieregg,  Hans  Klingenberg,  and  two 
young  boys,  Christian  Goettsche  and  Christian 
Frauen,  participated,  and  wherein  the  final 
outcome  developed  into  a  sad  and  bloody 
tragedy. 

Considering  the  fact  that  those  two  Indians 
had  engaged  with  us  to  meet  us  again  the 
next  day  and  instead  crawled  up  to  our  camp- 
fire  in  the  dark  of  a  dark  night  with  ready 
arms  in  hand,  I  think  we  ought  to  have  killed 
them  then  and  there,  and  I  regret  yet  that  I 
did  not  kill  them. 

It  was  in  the  beginning  of  January,  1868, 
when  the  four  parties  named,  Vieregg,  Kling- 
enberg, and  the  boys,  Goettsche,  15  years  old, 
and  Christian  Frauen,  who  had  but  recently 
arrived  from  Germany,  16  years  old,  went  out 
for  a  hunt  on  the  Loup  River.  They  were  after 
elk  and  deer,  but  found  game  scarce.  In  fact 
they  did  not  see  any  fresh  signs  of  them.  After 
a  few  days  of  fruitless  hunting  they  had  con- 
cluded to  return  home  (this  was  on  January 
6,  1868)  after  the  men,  Vieregg  and  Klingen- 
berg, had  secured  two  young  oak  trees  for 
wagon  tongues,  which  were  to  be  had  on  Oak 
Creek.  The  Loup  was  frozen  over  solidly 
and  in  places  snow  covered  the  ice.  A  heavy 
gale  was  blowing  from  the  northwest  when 


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30 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  two  men  left  their  camp  with  their  rifles 
and  an  ax,  leaving  the  two  boys,  each  with  a 
double  barrel  shotgun,  in  charge  of  team  and 
camp.  When  the  men  had  about  reached  the 
middle  of  the  river  Hans  Klingenberg  thought 
that  a  rifle  ball  struck  the  ice  near  him  and  he 
told  Vieregg  about  it.  But  as  they  had  heard 
no  gun  report  the  men  paid  no  further  at- 
tention and  went  on  their  way.  But  Klingen- 
berg presently  noticed  that,  as  it  appeared  to 
him,  another  rifle  ball  was  whizzing  by  and 
he  again  spoke  about  it,  but  since  there  was 
no  gunshot  report  heard,  the  men  went  on  and 
got  their  young  oaks,  then  returned  to  camp. 
When  they  reached  camp  a  ghastly  sight  pre- 
sented itself  to  them.  Both  boys  lay  dead 
in  a  pool  of  blood.  Christian  Frauen  had  a 
gunshot  from  the  side  through  his  head  and 
Christian  Goettsche,  a  pupil  of  our  school, 
had  a  gunshot  through  the  breast.  The  horses, 
buffalo  robes,  blankets,  and  both  shotguns 
were  missing  and  in  the  sand  about  the  camp 
were  the  moccasin  tracks  of  the  red  skins. 
Whether  they  had  been  Sioux  or  Pawnee  is 
not  known. 

GOVERNMENT  MAKES  SURVEY 
The  government  survey  of  public  lands  took 
place  in  Hall  County  in  the  months  of  July 
and  August,  1866,  and  soon  after  I  pre-empted 
the  first  160  acres  of  land  in  Hall  County, 
Jacob  Wittig  was  No.  2,  who  pre-empted  the 
next  160  acres  of  land  adjoining  mine  on  the 
southwest.  I  always  lived,  and  live  today  on 
the  identical  pioneer  claim,  as  near  as  our 
surveyor's  survey  agreed  with  the  final  gov- 
ernment survey. 

The  first  school  taught  in  Hall  County  was 
in  1862  about  one  mile  south  of  the  court 
house  on  the  pioneer  claim  of  Theo.  Nagel, 
who  was  our  first  school  teacher,  and  the 
number  of  pupils  was  six. 

Game  was  abundant  during  all  the  years 
previous  to  the  building  of  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad.  Buffalo,  elk,  and  antelope  were  to 
be  found  in  herds.  Grey  wolves,  prairie 
wolves,  red  and  grey  foxes,  wild  cats  and 
badgers  were  numerous,  while  deer,  jack- 
rabbits    (hare),  and  cottontails,  as  well   as 


turkeys,  prairie   chickens,  grouse,  and  quail 
were  scarce. 

The  deer  was  nearly  extinguished  by  the 
deep  snows  and  the  severe  winters  of  1856 
and  '57,  but  became  more  numerous  in  later 


years  again. 

The  abundance  of  game  was  a  great  con- 
venience and  help  to  the  early  settlers,  and 
regularly  every  fall,  mostly  in  the  months  of 
October  and  November,  we  went  out  on  buff- 
alo hunts  and  trapping  tours  for  beaver,  otters, 
and  minks  were  to  be  found  along  all  streams. 
Wild  geese,  ducks,  and  other  water  fowl 
swarmed  the  country  in  spring  and  autumn. 

Large  numbers  of  wolves  were  poisoned 
with  strychnine  and  trapped  with  steel  traps 
every  winter  and  the  skins  sold  at  from  75 
cents  to  $3.00  a  piece.  I  killed  75  wolves  about 
my  house  the  first  winter.  The  best  of  buffalo 
robes  could  be  bought  from  the  Indians  from 
$2.50  to  $3.  Buffalo  robes  were  our  principal 
bedding  for  years. 

With  the  gradual  decrease  of  wolves,  foxes, 
jackrabbits,  prairie  chickens,  grouse  and  quail 
increased  very  rapidly,  but  wild  turkeys  soon 
disappeared  entirely  around  about  Grand 
Island. 

The  winter  of  1863  and  1864  was  extra- 
ordinarily severe.  Snow  covered  the  ground 
from  the  middle  of  November,  1863,  to 
March,  1864.  A  great  deal  of  our  corn  crop 
was  now  covered  all  winter.  Many  cattle 
perished  and  several  parties  lost  limbs ;  one 
man  froze  to  death. 

CONTRACTORS  TAKE  TIMBER 
By  this  time  we  had  two  saw  mills  on  Wood 
River.  In  1863  the  first  windmill  was  built  in 
our  settlement,  and  several  other  windmills 
were  built  later  on,  but  when  in  1866  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad  was  built  the  timber 
land  on  the  island  in  the  Platte  River  was 
fraudulently  withheld  from  market,  a  horde 
of  irresponsible  contractors  were  turned  loose 
at  the  timber  land  in  the  Platte  Valley.  These 
men  were  not  respecters  of  law  and  order, 
but  cut  and  slashed  down  all  timber  thick 
enough  to  make  ties  for  the  railroad.  The 
squatter   claims   of   timber  land,   which   had 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


31 


been  held  for  years,  were  ruthlessly  invaded 
by  them  and  all  trees  were  cut  down. 

After  nearly  all  timber  had  been  thus  taken, 
of  course  we  had  no  more  use  for  saw  nulls. 
After  the  devastation  of  the  natural  timber 
numerous  groves  were  planted  by  the  settlers, 
and  they  are  now  dotting  the  once  bleak 
prairie  in  every  direction. 

I  planted  the  first  artificial  grove  of  6,000 
trees  in  Hall  County  in  the  spring  of  1860  on 
the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 29,  town  11,  north  of  range  9,  consisting 
of  Cottonwood,  black  locust,  ash,  and  black 
walnut. 

THE  GRASSHOPPER  SCOURGE 
Great  suffering  and  destitution  prevailed  all 
over  the  grasshopper-stricken  districts,  grass- 
hoppers visiting  us  from  1865  to  1873,  worse 
at  some  times  than  others,  and  two  aid  socie 
ties  were  organized  in  the  state  of  Nebraska, 
to  care  for  the  destitute  sufferers.  The  one, 
and  the  most  effective  aid  society  was  The 
State  Grange  Relief  Committee,  which  had 
its  office  at  Lincoln.  The  other  was  called  the 
State  Aid  Society,  and  it  had  its  headquarters 
in  Omaha.  I  was  for  the  time  being  chairman 
of  The  State  Grange  Relief  Committee,  being 
the  overseer  of  the  State  Grange  of  the  state 
of  Nebraska,  while  General  Ord,1  in  command 
of  the  military  department  of  the  Platte,  was 
the  chairman. of  the  State  Aid  Society. 

Thus  it  devolved  upon  me  to  confer  with 
General  Ord,  to  arrange  with  him  so  that  the 
aid  we  could  render  would  be  distributed 
properly  and  systematically.  Our  committee 
had  over  $20,000.00  in  bank  at  Lincoln,  and 
daily  more  coming  from  all  over  the  Union. 
Large  quantities  of  relief  goods  were  shipped 
to  us  from  the  eastern  states,  and  the  freight 
charges  we  had  to  pay  to  the  railroad  com- 
panies for  transportation  were  considerable. 
Therefore  I  requested  of  S.  H.  H.  Clark,  the 
general  manager  of  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  Co.  at 
Omaha,  to  grant  us  free  transportation  on  all 
relief  goods  sent  us  over  this  line.  Mr.  Clark 
refused,  flatfooted,  to  do  so,  but  said  he: 
"I  will  make  you  a  reduction  of  two-fifths  of 
full  rates." 


Thus  the  matter  stood  when  I  called  at  mili-. 
tary  headquarters  in  Omaha  to  see  General 
Ord,  the  chairman  of  the  State  Aid  Society. 
I  was  received  anything  but  cordially.  The 
general  told  me  to  be  brief  —  he  was  very 
much  occupied. 

Well,  I  was  brief,  and  very  few  words  were 
sufficient  to  inform  the  general  of  what  I  was 
driving  at,  but  what  I  told  him  was  enough  to 
interest  him  so  that  he  told  me  that  I  was 
his  man. 

After  we  had  talked  the  matter  over 
thoroughly,  General  Ord  said:  "I  want  you 
to  get  ready  and  go  to  Washington.  We  must 
have  an  appropriation  from  Congress,  and  you 
are  the  very  man  who  is  likely  to  get  it,  the 
way  you  present  matters  to  me."  He  in- 
sisted that  I  should  go,  and  to  be  short  about 
it.  Upon  General  Ord's  request  our  relief 
committee  agreed  that  I  should  try  my  hand 
at  it.  I  at  once  prepared  myself  as  best  I 
could  for  my  mission.  First  of  all,  I  gathered 
statistics  all  over  the  stricken  district  in  the 
state  as  to  the  amount  of  destitution  prevail- 
ing. This  was  comparatively  easy  for  me  to 
do  through  our  excellent  organization  through- 
out the  state,  having  subordinate  granges  in  all 
counties. 

ASK  CONGRESS  FOR  HELP 

When  I  had  reports  from  all  quarters  I 
carefully  compiled  them  and  when  ready  to 
start  east  from  Omaha,  I  once  more  called  on 
Mr.  Clark,  asking  him  for  a  letter  of  introduc- 
tion to  Jay  Gould,  at  the  time  the  owner  of  the 
Union  Pacific.  Mr.  Clark  only  laughed  at  me, 
when  I  told  him  that  I  was  going  to  Washing- 
ton first,  and  next  to  New  York  to  get. what 
he  refused  to  grant  us.  He  told  me,  "You  will 
not  get  anything ;  neither  in  Washington  from 
Congress,  nor  from  Mr.  Gould.  Mr.  Gould 
will  simply  tell  you  to  see  me  about  it,  and 
that  it  is  my  business  to  decide  in  the  matter 
of  transportation."  I  answered  Mr.  Clark 
to  the  effect  that  all  Mr.  Gould  could  say  was 
yes  or  no,  but  I  would  try  it  anyway. 

"That's  all  right,"  Mr.  Clark  said,  "at  all 


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32 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


events  you  will  have  a  nice  trip  east  out  of  the 
grasshopper  money,  won't  you?" 

I  got  a  very  nice  letter  from  Mr.  Clark, 
introducing  me  to  Mr.  Gould,  and  was  off  for 
Washington.  I  must  say  that  I  was  not  very 
hopeful  myself  that  I  would  accomplish  much, 
but  I  was  into  it  and  I  resolved  to  do  my  level 
best  to  come  out  all  right.  I  carried  letters  of 
introduction  to  several  senators.  Lorenzo 
Crounse  was  our  representative  and  Mr. 
Hitchcock,  the  father  of  the  editor  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  World-Herald  of  Omaha,  was 
our  senator,  and  besides  he  was  an  old  friend 
of  mine. 

APPEARS  BEFORE  GARFIELD 

I  worked  my  way  to  Washington  as  best  I 
knew  how.  I  introduced  myself  to  Carl 
Schurz,  at  that  time  senator  from  the  state 
of  Missouri,  and  I  had  the  satisfaction  in  a 
few  days  to  be  requested  to  appear  before 
Mr.  Garfield,  later  president,  who  was  at 
that  time  chairman  of  the  committee  on  ways 
and  means.  When  I  entered  Mr.  Garfield's 
committee  room  he  told  me  to  take  a  seat.  I 
sat  down.  Mr.  Garfield  looked  me  up  and 
down  for  quite  a  while  and  never  said  another 
word.  I  do  not  know  how  long  he  was  just 
looking  at  me,  but  I  do  know  that  I  got  angry 
about  it  and  that  I  resolved  to  pay  him  back 
with  his  own  coin,  and  I  commenced  also  to 
stare  at  him,  keeping  my  eyes  fixed  at  one  of 
his  eyes  without  changing  for  a  moment.  He 
could  not  stand  that  very  long  and  flinched, 
looking  for  a  moment  somewhere  else,  and 
then  he  commenced  to  talk  and  he  said :  "I 
understand,  Mr.  Stolley,  that  you  are  from 
Nebraska,  and  ask  for  an  appropriation  from 
Congress  for  the  grasshopper  sufferers  of  your 
state." 

"Yes  sir." 

"Well,  and  will  you  please  tell  me  how  much 
of  an  appropriation  you  need  for  the  destitute 
in  Nebraska?"  asked  Mr.  Garfield. 

"Yes  sir,  about  $500,000.00." 

"Just  about  a  cool  half  million  of  dollars," 
sarcastically  said  Mr.  Garfield. 

"Well,  will  you  please  tell  me  how  you  came 
to  conclusions  that  it  will  take  that  much?" 


"Certainly,  I  prepared  myself  fully  before 
I  left  home,"  handing  him  my  paper.  "Here 
is  a  tabulated  statement  of  statistics,  which  1 
gathered  through  the  medium  of  our  State 
Grange  organization,  which  will  explain  every- 
thing to  you." 

For  over  half  an  hour  Mr.  Garfield  did  not 
look  at  me  at  all  after  I  had  handed  him  my 
statistics,  but  continued  figuring.  When  at 
last  he  looked  at  me  again,  it  was  with  dif- 
ferent eyes  and  he  said:  "Mr.  Stolley,  you 
will  not  get  $500,000.00,  but  I  shall  recommend 
that  an  appropriation  of  $150,000.00  be  made 
for  the  grasshopper  sufferers,  and  I  hope  this 
will  be  done  very  soon." 

Within  eight  days  I  sent  telegrams  to 
Omaha  and  Lincoln  that  $150,000.00  had  been 
appropriated  by  Congress.  Next  I  went  to 
New  York  city  to  try  my  good  luck  with  Mr. 
Gould.  At  that  time  I -had  a  brother  living  in 
New  York  city  and  to  him  I  went  to  stay  while 
there.  My  brother  was  rather  surprised  when 
I  told  him  of  my  mission  in  Washington  and 
the  success  I  had  had,  and  when  I  told  him 
that  I  would  now  try  to  get  free  transporta- 
tion for  all  relief  goods,  from  Mr.  Gould,  he 
thought  it  was  about  time  to  give  me  some 
good  advice  and  the  following  is  about  what 
he  said:  "Well,  brother  William,  let  me  tell 
you,  when  you  speak  to  Jay  Gould,  you  must 
not  talk  as  loud  as  you  are  in  the  habit  of 
doing.  It  does  not  take  well  at  all.  You 
must  control  your  voice,  and  not  talk  too 
loud.  And  another  thing  I  want  to  tell  you, 
you  are  not  dressed  well  enough,  you  should 
wear  better  clothes  when  you  go  to  speak  to 
such  men  as  Mr.  Gould." 

"Well,"  1  said,  "brother  Frederick,  is  there 
anything  else  you  have  to  tell  me,  then  tell  it, 
right  now." 

"No,"  he  said,  "that  is  all." 

"Well  then,"  I  said,  "if  I  am  to  watch  the 
tone  of  my  voice  when  I  talk  in  matters  of 
this  kind,  then  surely  I  am  a  goner.  I  will  let 
my  heart  talk  and  not  pay  any  attention  to 
whether  I  talk  otherwise;  as  to  my  shabby 
clothes,  you  are  probably  correct,  and  you  can 
let  me  have  the  very  best  overcoat  you  have 
and  I  will  put  it  on  and  it  will  cover  the  short- 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


33 


comings  of  the  rest  of  the  garments  I  wear, 
but  I  will  tell  you  this  right  now,  that  over- 
coat I  will  keep,  because  I  will  be  in  need  of  it 
when  I  get  to  Chicago.  Another  thing,  Fred, 
1  want  you  to  be  with  me  when  I  see  Mr. 
Gould  and  when  I  talk  with  him." 

CAIAS  ON  MAGNATE  ' 
So  the  same  day  toward  evening  I  and 
brother  Fred  went  to  the  office  of  Jay  Gould 
on  5th  Avenue  and  Broadway,  in  a  basement. 
When  we  entered  Mr.  Goutd  was  walking  the 
floors  and  dictating  to  three  telegraph  op- 
erators and  he  told  us  without  asking  us  to 
take  a  seat  that  he  would  be  at  our  service  in 
a  moment.  He  left  us  standing  at  the  door. 
Presently  he  wheeled  around  in  the  middle 
of  the  room  and  said,  "What  do  you  wish  ?" 
Then  I  stepped  forward  toward  him,  trying 
to  present  my  letter  from  Mr.  Clark,  but  Mr. 
Gould  said,  never  mind  that  letter,  tell  me 
first,  what  do  you  want  of  nie.  I  said :  "Mr. 
Gould,  I  am  here  from  Nebraska.  I  have  been 
in  Washington  and  there  secured  an  appro- 
priation from  Congress  for  the  grasshopper 
sufferers  in  Nebraska.  Now  I  am  here  to 
ask  if  you  will  grant  us  free  transportation 
of  all  relief  goods  which  are  sent  to  us  over 
your  railroad.  I  do  not  expect  that  you  will 
grant  this  out  of  benevolence  or  Christianity; 
no  sir,  but  you  will  grant  it  because  it  is  your 
interest  to  do  so.  You,  Mr.  Gould,  have 
millions  of  acres  of  land  in  our  state  which 
you  want  to  sell;  you  have  sold  quite  a  lot 
of  that  land  already,  and  the  parties  to  whom 
you  sold  your  land  and  who  have  made  but 
part  payment  to  you,  are  the  very  parties  who 


are  destitute  now,  because  the  grasshoppers 
destroyed  their  crops,  and  unless  we  are  en- 
abled to  provide  for  them  and  they  can  raise 
another  crop,  they  will  be  compelled  to  leave 
the  state  of  Nebraska,  and  they  will  go  back 
east  and  herald  it  all  over  the  east  that  Ne- 
braska is  the  damnedest  country  under  the 
sun." 

When  I  had  stopped  talking,  Mr.  Gould 
said:  "You  shall  have  all  the  free  transporta- 
tion you  are  asking  for,"  and  he  picked  up  one 
of  his  cards  and  wrote  on  the  back  of  it: 
"Mr.  Sidney  Dillon,  N.  20  Nassau  St.  Mr. 
Stolley  shall  have  all  the  free  transportation 
he  is  asking  for."  Then  Mr.  Gould  handed 
me  the  card,  I  thanked  him  in  behalf  of  the 
destitute  of  Nebraska,  and  we  left  his  office. 

When  we  were  outside  in  the  street  I  said, 
"Well,  Fred,  did  I  talk  too  loud?" 

Fred  answered,  "I  won't  say  another  word, 
but  you  keep  that  overcoat."  Since  that  day 
I  always  wear  a  brown  overcoat  with  a  black 
velvet  collar.  I  next  sent  telegrams  to  Mr. 
Clark  that  free  transportation  of  all  relief 
goods  sent  to  us  had  been  granted  by  Mr. 
Gould. 

I  remained  a  week  in  New  York  City  and 
next  went  to  Chicago  where  I  had  easy  work 
in  obtaining  free  transportation  from  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern,  the  Chicago,  Burl- 
ington &  Quincy,  and  also  the  Chicago,  Rock 
Island  &  Pacific. 

Thus  ended  my  mission,  which  had  been 
successful  beyond  my  expectations.  It  was 
the  best  I  ever  was  able  to  do  in  all  my  life, 
as  far  as  benefits  for  the  destitute  are  con- 
cerned. 


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CHAPTER  III 

INDIAN  OCCUPATION  AND  LEGENDS 

Early  RedmEn  Occupants  —  The  Pawnees  —  Treaties  op  Amity  —  The  Decay  op  the 
Pawnees  —  The  Sioux  —  The  Outbreak  op  1864  —  Major  Frank  North  and  the  Paw- 
nee Scouts  —  Local  Indian  History  —  Two  Boys  Pinned  Together  by  Arrows  —  The 
Campbell  Raid  —  Recollections  by  Fred  Stolley — First  Recollections  —  Took  Our 
Dinner  —  The  Sioux  —  Indian  Boys'  Sports  —  Puppy  Doc  Soup  —  White  Man's  Treat- 
ment op  the  Redman  —  "Nezakrezarries"  —  An  Indian  Love  Story  — ■  A  True  Red 
Friend  —  Fort  O.  K.  —  Fort  Independence  —  Goettsche-Frauen  Massacre — Indians 
Journeying  to  the  "Hunt"  —  An  Indian  .Dance  —  Buffalo  Hunt  —  The  Endurance  of 
a  Papoose  —  Mirages  —  Indian  Horsethieves — Depending  on  the  Gun  for  Food  — 
The  Antelope  —  Feathered  Game  —  The  Indian  Pipe 


Our  daughter. 

When  wearied  at  the  thirsty  noon 

We  knelt  us  where  the  spring  gushed  up. 

We  take  our  Father's  blessed  boon  — 
Unlike  the  white-man's  poisoned  cup. 

WniTTOR  --The  Indian  Tale. 


EARLY  REDMEN  INHABITANTS 

Of  course,  the  first  actual  settlers  of  Hall 
County  were  the  Redmen.  Father  Jacques 
Marquette  was  the  first  of  the  white  explorers 
to  mention  Nebraska  Indians,  and  his  account 
implied  hair  breadth  escapes  and  dramatic 
scenes.  Father  Marquette's  description  of 
the  Missouri  River  country  is  interesting  to 
us,  detailed  as  approaching;  the  mouth  of  the 
great  western  tributary  of  the  Father  of 
Waters,  which  they  were  traversing:  "We 
heard  a  great  gushing  and  bubbling  of  waters, 
and  soon  beheld  some  islands  of  floating  trees 
coming  down  from  the  mouth  of  the  Peki- 
tanoni  (the  Missouri)  with  such  rapidity  that 
we  could  not  trust  ourselves  to  go  near  it 
The  waters  of  this  river  are  so  muddy  that  we 
could  not  drink  it.  It  so  discolors  the  Mis- 
sissippi as  to  make  the  navigation  of  it  dan- 
gerous.   This  river  comes  from  the  northwest 


and  on  its  banks  are  situated  a  great  number 
of  Indian  villages." 

In  a  most  interesting  chart  of  that  expedi- 
tion, now  in  the  archives  of  Montreal,  Mar- 
quette located  in  what  is  now  Kansas  and 
Nebraska  the  following  Indian  villages :  The 
Ouemessoureit  (Missouri),  the  Kenza  (Kan- 
sas), the  Ouchage  (Osage),  the  Paneassa 
(Pawnee),  and  the  Maha  (Omaha).  His 
information  was  so  surprisingly  correct  that 
French  explorers  found  these  very  tribes  in 
relatively  the  same  positions  as  indicated  in 
that  chart,  nearly  200  years  later. 

Previous  to  the  advent  of  the  white  man 
in  the  country  between  the  Missouri  River  and 
the  Rocky  Mountains  there  were  close  to  forty 
or  fifty  tribes,  with  their  division  of  territory, 
some  friendly  to  each  other  and  some  hostile. 
The  principal  tribes  making  their  homes  in 
Nebraska  were  those  referred  to  by  the  Lewis 
and  Clark  expedition  of  1804.  Lewis  and 
Clark  found  Pawnees,  Missouri.?,  and  Otoes 
in  possession  of  the  Platte,  the  Poncas  near  the 
mouth  of  the  Niobrara  and  the  Omahas  in  the 
northeastern  part  of  the  state,  around  what 
is  now  Sioux  City.  The  Pawnees  were  then 
the  dominant  tribe  of  the  westren  prairie,  the 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


35 


others  mentioned  being  treated  as  wards  and 
dependents.  It  is  with  the  Pawnees  that  the 
history  of  what  is  now  Hall  County,  so  far 
as  its  Indian  occupation  and  legend,  is  mainly 

concerned. 

THE  PAWNEES 
The  Pawnees  were  probably  the  largest  and 
most  powerful  Indian  nation  that  lived  in 
Nebraska  previous  to  the  advent  of  the  white 
man.  Lewis  and  Clark  on  visiting  the  Platte 
Valley,  found  them  living  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Platte  River,  forty-five  miles  above  its 
month. 

The  original  home  of  the  Pawnees  is  re- 
puted to  have  been  somewhere  in  the  lower 
Red  River  Valley  in  Louisiana,  where  they 
formed  the  chief  tribe  of  the  important 
Caddoan  stock.  At  an  early  date  some  of 
those  tribes  migrated  northward,  the  Arikari 
moving  by  way  of  the  Missouri  and  even  pen- 
etrating as  far  north  as  North  Dakota.  The 
Skidi  (Wolves)  somewhat  later  halted  at  the 
Platte,  and  were  there  overtaken  by  the 
Pawnees  proper. 

The  Pawnees  called  themselves  Skinik- 
sihks  or  "men  par  excellence."  The  popular 
name  for  them  and  one  in  most  vogue  is  Wold 
People. 

From  an  early  day  the.  Pawnees  were  di- 
vided in  four  branches:  First,  the  Shani,  or 
Grand  Pawnees,  with  their  villages  on  the 
south  bank  of  the  Platte,  opposite  the  present 
Grand  Island;  second,  the  Kitkehaki,  or  Re- 
publican Pawnees,  so  named  from  their  having 
lived  on  the  Republican  River  (Republican 
branch  of  the  Kansas  River)  in  northern 
Kansas,  from  whence  they  emigrated  to  join 
the  principal  hand  on  the  Platte;  the  third  was 
the  Skidi,  or  Loup  (Wolf),  Pawnees,  some- 
times called  the  Pawnee  Loups,  who  resided 
on  the  Loup  fork  of  the  Platte  River,  nearly 
a  hundred  miles  from  the  main  branch  of  the 
tribe.  The  Pitahauerat,  or  Noisy,  Pawnees 
also  at  one  time  lived  on  the  Platte.  The  fourth 
band  formerly  lived  far  south  of  Nebraska, 
but  in  their  wars  with  their  enemies  they  had 
been  so  often  defeated  that  they  had  been 
compelled  to  move  northward  to  be  at  peace. 


The  four  tribes  soon  after  the  visit  of  Lewis 
and  Clark  in  1804  formed  a  confederation 
and  became  practically  one  tribe. 

When  settled  around  the  Platte,  the 
Pawnees  lived  in  well  built  log  houses  covered 
with  turf  and  earth,  preferring  these  to  the 
movable  tepee,  which  was  only  used  when  the 
bands  were  on  an  extended  hunt.  They  de- 
pended largely  on  agriculture,  the  raising  of 
corn  and  pumpkins,  even  more  than  on  the 
buffalo  hunt,  so  they  never  outgrew  the  seden- 
tary and  agricultural  habits  peculiar  to  tribes 
from  the  south. 

Lieutenant  Zebulon  M.  Pike's  expedition, 
when  on  its  way  to  the  mountains  in  1806,  en- 
countered the  Republican  Pawnees  in  northern 
Kansas.  This  was  shortly  before  they  moved 
northward  to  join  their  brothers  in  the  Platte 
and  Loup  valleys.  Lieutenant  Pike  and 
Lieutenant  Wilkinson  held  a  grand  council 
with  the  chiefs  of  that  nation  on  the  29th  of 
September,  described  in  the  following  interest- 
ing language: 

The  council  wes  held  at  the  Pawnee  Re- 
public village  (near  the  present  site  of  Scan- 
dia,  in  Republic  County)  and  was  attended 
by  400  warriors.  When  the  parties  had  as- 
sembled for  their  council,  Lieutenant  Pike 
found  that  the  Pawnees  had  unfurled  a  Span- 
ish flag  at  the  door  of  the  chief,  one  which  had 
lately  been  presented  by  that  government, 
through  the  hands  of  Lieutenant'  Malgoras. 
To  the  request  of  Lieutenant  Pike  that  the 
flag  should  be  delivered  to  him,  and  one  of 
the  United  States  hoisted  in  its  place,  they 
at  first  made  no  response:  but,  upon  his  re- 
peating his  demand,  with  the  emphatic  dec- 
laration that  they  must  choose  between  Amer- 
icans and  Spaniards,  and  that  it  was  impossi- 
ble for  the  nation  to  have  two  fathers,  they 
decided  to  put  themselves,  for  the  time  at  least, 
under  American  protection.  An  old  man  ac- 
cordingly rose,  went  to  the  door,  took  down 
the  Spanish  flag  and  laid  it  at  the  feet  of 
Lieutenant  Pike,  and  in  its  stead  elevated  the 
Stars  and  Stripes. 

TREATIES  OF  AMITY 

Treaties   of   amity   were   entered   into   by 

government  agents  with  leading  tribes  along 

the  established  routes  of  travel.    The  Pawnees 

made  such  a  treaty  that  was  ratified  as  early 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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as  January  5,  1812.  In  1819,  the  war  depart- 
ment sent  out  the  expedition  of  Major  Long, 
to  which  reference  has  heretofore  been  made. 
This  expedition  crossed  just  below  Council 
Bluffs  on  June  10th  and  struck  out  boldly 
across  the  "Indian  country."  Major  Long 
had  his  instructions  to  see  that  the  treaties 
were  strictly  lived  up  to  by  redskin  and  white 
man  alike.  In  1815  the  Maha  (Omahas)  had 
formed  such  a  treaty,  and  in  1817  the  Otoes. 
As  he  advanced  westward,  Major  Long  made 
it  a  point  to  visit  the  Pawnee  villages,  and 
accounts  that  after  he  crossed  the  Elkhorn  he 
trailed  along  the  north  bank  of  the  Platte  till 
the  confluence  of  the  Loup  was  reached.  At 
sunset,  June  10th,  the  expedition  went  into 
camp  at  a  small  creek  about  eleven  miles  dis- 
tant from  the  village  of  the  Grand  Pawnees. 
Major  Long's  account  most  interestingly  de- 
tails that: 

On  the  following  morning,  having  arranged 
the  party  according  to  rank,  and  given  the 
necessary  instructions  for  the  preservation 
of  order,  we  proceeded  forward,  and  in  a  short 
time  came  in  sight  of  the  first  of  the  Pawnee 
villages.  The  trail  on  which  we  had  travelled 
since  leaving  the  Missouri  had  the  appearance 
of  being  more  and  more  frequented  as  we  ap- 
proached the  Pawnee  towns:  and  here,  in- 
stead of  a  single  footway,  it  consisted  of  more 
than  twenty  parallel  paths,  of  similar  size  and 
appearance:  at  a  few  miles  distant  from  the 
village,  we  met  a  party  of  eight  or  ten  squaws, 
with  hoes  and  other  implements  of  agriculture, 
on  their  way  to  the  corn  plantations.  They 
we  accompanied  by  one  young  Indian,  hut 
in  what  capacity  —  whether  as  assistant,  pro- 
lector  or  taskmaster,  we  were  not  informed. 
After  a  ride  of  about  three  hours  we  arrived 
Wore  the  village  and  dispatched  a  messenger 
'o  inform  the  chief  of  our  approach. 

Answer  was  returned  that  he  was  engaged 
with  his  chiefs  and  warriors  at  a  medicine 
fast,  and  could  not,  therefore,  come  out  and 
iieet  us.  We  were  soon  surrounded  by  a 
crowd  of  women  and  children,  who  gazed  at 
us  with  some  expressions  of  astonishment: 
tot  as  no  one  appeared  to  welcome  us  to  the 
village,  arrangements  were  made  for  sending 
on  the  horses  and  baggage  to  a  suitable  place 
for  encampment  while  Major  Long  with  sev- 
eral gentlemen  who  wished  to  accompany  him, 
entered  the  village.  The  party  after  groping 
about  for  some  time  and  traversing  a  con- 
siderable part  of  the  village,  arrived  at  the 


lodge  of  the  principal  chief.  Here  we  were 
again  informed  that  Tarrarecawaho,  with  all 
the  principal  men  of  the  village,  was  engaged 
in  a  medicine  feast.  Notwithstanding  his  ab- 
sence, some  mats  were  spread  for  us  upon 
the  ground  in  the  back  part  of  the  lodge.  Upon 
them  we  sat  down,  and,  after  waiting  some 


Ptam  a  pHviotrapk  in  Ihi  CoMn  coUtdion,  in  flu  Mmtivm  ef 
tkt  Ntbraika  Slot,  Historical  Socitty. 

Pit-a-U-shab-u  (Man  Chop) 
Head  chief  of  the  Pawnees 

time,  were  presented  with  a  large  wooden 
dish  of  hominy  or  boiled  corn.  In  this  was 
a  single  spoon  or  the  horn  of  a  buffalo,  large 
enough  to  hold  a  pint,  which,  being  used  al- 
ternately by  each  of  the  party,  soon  emptied 
the  dish  of  its  contents. 

After  this  strange  reception  and  feast  the 
expedition  visited  in  turn  the  villages  of  the 
Republican  and  Loup  (Wolf)  Pawnees,  lying 
a  few  miles  apart,  an  hour's  ride  above  the 
village  of  the   Pawnee  Grand. 

LiOOglC 


38 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Major  Long  commented  upon  the  thrift  of 
these  villages.  For  miles  up  and  down  the 
river  large  droves  of  horses  were  grazing, 
fields  of  maize  and  patches  of  tomatoes, 
pumpkins,  and  squashes  were  seen  in  many 
places  and  added  much  to  the  apparent  wealth 
of  the  community.  All  this  was  before  mis- 
fortune overtook  the  nation.  The  Long  ex- 
pedition spent  the  night  of  June  12  on  the 
banks  of  the  river  within  a  stone's  throw  of 
the  Loup  village.  So  far  as  established,  this 
was  the  first  organized  party  of  white  men  to 
slumber  on  the  banks  of  the  beautiful  Loup. 

THE  DECAY  OF  THE  PAWNEES 

A  story  of  the  decay  and  some  of  the  tra- 
ditions of  the  Pawnees  have  been  collected  by 
H.  W.  Foght  and  included  in  his  book,  The 
Trait  of  the  Loup,  in  which  he  brings  to  a  close 
the  history  of  the  Pawnees  as  follows : 

The  Pawnee  nation  formerly  numbered 
about  25,000  souls  "and  in  the  day  of  its  prime 
was  the  terror  alike  of  trapper  and  trader  and 
bands  from  other  tribes  which  by  chance  ven- 
tured too  far  into  the  hunting  grounds  of  these 
fierce  fighting  foes.  But  calamity  was  at  hand. 
In  1831,  a  terrible  smallpox  epidemic  carried 
off  several  thousand  of  their  number,  leaving 
the  nation  in  a  pitiable  condition.  Their  agent, 
John  Dougherty,  in  making  his  report  to  the 
government,  says:  "Their  misery  defies  all 
description.  I  am  fully  persuaded  that  one- 
half  of  the  whole  number  will  be  carried  off 
by  this  frightful  distemper.  They  told  me 
that  not  one  under  thirty  years  of  age  escaped, 
it  having  been  that  length  of  time  since  it 
visited  them  before.  They  were  dying  so 
fast,  and  taken  down  at  once  in  such  large 
numbers  that  they  had  ceased  to  bury  their 
dead,  whose  bodies  were  to  be  seen  in  every 
direction  —  lying  in  the  river,  lodged  on  the 
sandbanks,  in  the  weeds  around  the  villages 
and  in  their  corn  caches. 

On  the  9th  of  October,  1834,  a  treaty  was 
made  between  the  Pawnees  and  the  United 
States  government  whereby  the  former  agreed 
to  vacate  all  their  lands  south  of  the  Platte. 
All  the  plague  stricken  southern  villages  were 
abandoned  and  the  miserable  remnant  of  a 
once  proud  tribe  reassembled  on  the  Loup  and 
westward  along  the  Platte. 

But  scarcely  had  the  enfeebled  nation  had 
time  to  set  up  their  tepees  and  break  soil  in 
their  new  home,  when  the  Sioux,  made  bold 
by  their  heriditary  foes'  apparent  weakness. 


swept  down  the  North  Loup  and  the  Cedar 
and  began  a  war  of  extermination.  Villages 
and  fields  were  abandoned  to  the  revengeful 
foe  and  safety  sought  in  flight.  The  Pawnee 
found  every  man's  hand  against  him.  Even 
the  government  was  indifferent  and  did  little 
to  check  the  depredations  of  the  Sioux.  To 
make  matters  still  worse,  other  enemies  on  the 
south,  the  Cheyennes  and  the  Arapahoes,  in- 
fested the  Pawnees'  old  Kansas  hunting 
grounds,  eager  to  strike  the  final  blow.  But 
this  was  not  to  come  by  the  hand  of  red  men. 
In  1849,  gold  seekers  on  their  way  to  Cali- 
fornia brought  the  cholera  to  the  Pawnee 
camps.  Again  several  thousand  died  and  the 
handful  of  survivors,  reduced  to  beggary,  be- 
sought the  government  for  protection,  which 
was  granted.  By  the  treaty  of  September  4, 
1857,  they  ceded  all  their  original  territory  ex- 
cept a  strip  30  miles  long  by  15  wide  upon  the 
lower  Loup  River.  This  was  the  old  Nance 
County  Reservation,  whence  they  were  finally 
removed  to  their  present  abode  in  Oklahoma. 
During  the  Indian  troubles  of  1862-65  the 
Pawnees  furnished  scouts  to  the  government 
and  proved  a  valuable  aid  against  the  crafty 
Sioux.  The  latter,  however,  reaped  sweet  re- 
venge after  the  war  closed.  ■  The  Pawnees 
were  never  safe  if  they  ventured  away  from 
the  reservation.  Red  Cloud's  bands  might  at 
any  moment  sweep  down  upon  them  to  kill 
and  plunder.  As  if  the  loss  of  their  hunting 
grounds  were  not  enough  to  fill  the  cup  of 
troubles,  the  grasshoppers  in  1872  devoured 
their  com  crop.  This  meant  starvation.  Con- 
gressional appropriation  through  land  sales 
kept  them  alive  till  1874,  when,  as  stated 
above,  the  Pawnees  set  their  faces  southward, 
forever  to  leave  the  Loup  and  the  Platte. 

The  story  of  their  rapid  decay  is  read  in 
the  following  figures:  In  1835,  according  to 
the  missionaries  Dunbar  and  Allis,  they  num- 
bered 10,000.  In  1840  disease  and  war  had 
reduced  them  to  7,500.  In  1849  cholera  had 
reduced  them  to  5,000.  Later  official  reports 
give  4,686  in  1856;  3,416  in  1861;  2,376  in 
1874;  1,400  in  1876;  824  in  1889;  629  in  1901. 

Thus  passed  the  Pawnees,  the  Wolf  People 
of  the  North,  while  their  arch  enemy,  the 
Sioux,  still  roamed  the  plains. 

THE  SIOUX 
The  Sioux,  tribes  were  not  essentially  a 
part  of  the  region  out  of  which  Halt  County 
developed,  but  in  their  conflicts  with  Pawnees 
and  in  their  excusions  through  this  region 
in  later  years,  became  enough  a  part  of  the 
Indian  history  of  this  country  that  some  short 

D.c  zecbyGoogle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


39 


historical  treatment  of  this  nation  should  not 
be  omitted. 

The  Sioux  belonged  to  one  of  the  most 
widely  extended  and  important  Indian  fami- 
lies of  North  America.  In  the  very  earliest 
days  of  the  advent  of  white  men  they  appear 
to  have  held  sway  on  the  Atlantic  seaboard, 
around  the  Virginias  and  Carolinas.  They 
later  abandoned  their  sedentary  and  agricul- 
tural tendencies  and  roamed  to  the  banks  of 
the  Ohio.  From  their  own  traditions  it  is 
accounted  that  the  Sioux  parted  company  with 
the  Winnebagoes  at  some  point  on  the  Ohio, 
probably  near  the  mouth  of  the  Wabash,  and 
crossed  northwesterly  through  Illinois,  and 
took  possession  of  the  headwaters  of  the 
Mississippi.  In  the  meantime  other  tribes  of 
that  great  family  reached  the  Mississippi  until 
they  came  to  the  Missouri,  there  dividing, 
some  of  them  going  southward  to  Arkansas. 
The  portion  called  the  "Omahas"  ascended 
the  Missouri  and  made  their  home  in  eastern 
Nebraska.  The  Poncas  and  Iowas  ate  also 
usually  classed  as  belonging  to  this  Sioux 
family,  as  well  as  the  Otoes,  Peorias,  and 
-Missouri s,  first  mentioned  by  Father  Mar- 
quette in  1673.  But  the  Sioux  were  the  most 
important  of  the  Siouan  stock.  The  Sioux 
called  themselves  Dakotah,  Nakotah,  or  La- 
kotah,  according  to  their  respective  dialects, 
a  name  signifying  "allies."  But  from  the  early 
French  designation  of  "Nadaousioux"  a  short- 
ening brought  it  down  to  the  modem  "Sioux." 
This  warlike  nation  early  relinquished  seden- 
tary habits  and  became  roaming  buffalo  hunt- 
ers. For  many  years  the  Niobrara  river  in  Ne- 
braska formed  the  line  of  demarkation  be- 
tween the  Sioux  and  Pawnees.  In  1837,  the 
Sioux  sold  to  the  government  all  their  claims 
to  lands  east  of  the  Mississippi;  in  1851,  re- 
linquished the  greater  part  of  Minnesota  and 
Dakota.  In  1857,  they  expressed  dissatisfac- 
tion with  the  handling  of  their  treaty  relations 
by  the  government  by  a  massacre  of  white 
settlers  at  Spirit  Lake,  Iowa,  and  in  1862  their 
chieftain,  Little  Crow,  led  a  warfare  upon 
the  outlying  settlements  in  Minnesota,  and 
took  advantage  of  the  government's  embarass- 
ments  consequent  upon  the  Civil  War.     This 


bitter  war  lasted  until  1869,  when  they  were 
driven  out  of  Minnesota  by  General  Sibley. 
While  Little  Crow  and  his  bands  escaped  to 
Canada,  Red  Cloud  and  his  cohorts  came  to 
Nebraska  where  they  started  a  long  struggle. 
The  valley  of  the  Platte  was  then  the  thor- 
oughfare to  California.  Plainsmen  dared  not 
cross  in  small  companies  and  the  pioneers 
were  forced  to  arm  to  the  teeth.  The  trail 
from  the  Missouri  to  the  Rockies  then  became 
marked  with  bleaching  bones,  burnt  wagons, 
and  rotting  harness. 

THE  OUTBREAK  OF   1864 

The  story  of  how  the  outbreak  of  1864  af- 
fected the  little  pioneer  colonies  of  Hall 
County  is  narrated  in  minute  detail  later  in 
this  chapter  by  members  of  the  original  colo- 
nies of  Hall  County  and  their  early  neighbors. 
The  first  outbreak  of  that  war  occurred  at 
Plum  Creek  in  Dawson  County  on  the  17th 
day  of  August,  1864.  At  a  point  where  steep 
bluffs  and  wood  covered  canyons  afforded  ex- 
cellent concealment  to  the  foe,  the  Indians 
planned  their  ambuscade.  There  they  fell 
upon  an  unsuspecting  wagon  train  and  killed 
the  entire  party  of  eleven.  The  failure  of 
the  Indians  to  cut  the  telegraphic  communica- 
tion eastward  enabled  a  general  alarm  to  be 
given  in  time  to  prevent  a  general  massacre, 
long  planned.  Settlers  and  ranchmen  received 
a  timely  warning  that  enabled  them  to  reach 
points  of  refuge  and  protect  themselves  during 
the  weeks  of  panic  and  confusion  that  fol- 
lowed. For  almost  five  years  the  war  inter- 
mittently dragged  on,  numerous  pitched  battles 
between  the  government  regulars  and  the 
Sioux  ensuing.  The  last  and  decisive  fight 
took  place  at  Summit  Springs,  Sunday,  July 
11,  1869.  This  battle,  though  occurring  outside 
of  Hall  County,  brought  a  peace  and  safety 
to  the  settlers  of  Hall  County  that  entitles  us 
to  digress  long  enough  to  give  a  short  account 
of  the  struggle  between  the  Sioux,  under  the 
command  of  their  vile  chief.  Tall  Bull,  and  the 
several  companies  of  the  troops  of  General 
Carr  of  Fort  McPherson,  and  Major  Frank 
North's  band  of  300  Pawnee  scouts  and 
fighters.     William  F.  Cody,  better  known  as 

D.9   zecibyLiOOgle 


L  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 

e  few  depredations  were  committed  after  this 
time,  they  were  limited  to  the  stealing  and 
running  off  of  stock  in  the  border  settlements. 

ie  A  treaty  made  that  year  remained  in  force 
e  unbroken  until  the  invasion  of  the  Black  Hills 
i       by   miners,    which   brought   on    an   outburst 

which  Nebraska  escaped.  The  main  event  of 
,.  that  outbreak  of  1876-77  was  the  Custer  mas- 
a     sacre  in  the  Little  Big  Horn  country.    There 

was  but  little  Sioux  history  from  then  on  that 

would  affect  the  Platte  Valley. 

MAJOR  PRANK  NORTH  AND  THE  PAWNEE 
SCOUTS 
The  pioneers  of  Hall  County  in  common 
with  all  of  the  pioneers  of  central  Nebraska 
owed  a  great  debt  of  gratitude  to  the  Pawnee 
scouts  and  their  gallant  white  leader,  Major 
Frank  North.  In  1856  when  Frank  North 
came  to  Nebraska,  a  young  boy,  he  mingled 
fearlessly  with  the  Indians  along  the  Missouri 
in  the  region  of  Omaha,  and  learned  their 
mode  of  warfare,  their  language,  which  he 
came  to  speak  as  fluently  as  his  mother  tongue. 
and  won  their  confidence.  In  1861  he  took 
a  position  as  clerk  and  interpreter  at  the 
Pawnee  reservation,  and  by  1863  he  became  a 
daring  scout.  When  the  work  of  building; 
the  Union  Pacific  progressed  westward  the 
fierce  Arapahoes,  Cheyennes,  and  Sioux  were 
attacking  the  laborers,  until  it  seemed  deadly 
peril  to  venture  outside  the  camps. 

The  story  of  Major  North's  work  can  be 
most  accurately  accepted  as  it  was  rarrated  J 
by  his  niece,  Mrs.  Sarah  Clapp,  in  Nebraska 
d     Pioneer  Reminiscences :' 
f, 

g  It  was  useless  to  call  on  the  regular  troops 
rt  for  help  as  the  government  needed  them  all 
fe  to  hold  in  check  the  armies  of  Lee  and  John- 
ie  ston.  A  clipping  from  the  Washington  Sun- 
k  day  Herald  on  this  subject  states  that  "a 
».  happy  thought  occured  to  Mr.  Oakes  Ames," 
it  the  main  spirit  of  the  work  [of  building  the 
y  Union  Pacific].  He  sent  a  trusty  agent  to 
;.  hunt  up  Frank  North,  who  was  then  twenty- 
g  four  years  old.  "What  can  be  done  to  protect 
[s  our  working  parties,  Mr.  North?"  said  Mr. 
0  Ames.  "I  have  an  idea,"  Mr.  North  an- 
is     swered.     "If  the  authorities  at  Washington 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


41 


will  allow  me  to  organize  a  battalion  of 
Pawnees  and  mount  and  equip  them,  I  will 
undertake  to  picketyour  entire  line  and  keep 
off  other  Indians.  The  Pawnees  are  the  nat- 
ural enemies  of  all  the  tribes  that  are  giving 
you  so  much  trouble,  and  a  little  encourage- 
ment and  drill  will  make  them  the  best  irreg- 
ular horse  you  could  desire." 

The  plan  was  new  but  looked  feasible.  Ac- 
cordingly, Mr.  Ames  went  to  Washington, 
and,  after  some  effort, .  succeeded  in  getting 
permission  to  organize  a  battalion  of  four 
hundred  Pawnee  warriors,  who  should  be 
armed  as  were  the  U.  S.  cavalry  and  drilled 
in  such  simple  tactics  as  the  service  required, 
and  my  uncle  was  commissioned  as  a  major  of 
volunteers  and  ordered  to  command  them. 
The  newspaper  clipping  also  says :  "It  would 
be  difficult  to  estimate  the  service  of  Major 
North  in  money  value."  General  Crook  once 
said,  in  speaking  of  him,  "Millions  of  govern- 
ment property  and  hundreds  of  lives  were 
saved  by  him  on  the  line  of  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad,  and  on  the  Nebraska,  Wyoming,  and 
Montana  frontiers.     .     .     . 

During  the  many  skirmishes  and  battles 
fought  by  the  Pawnees  under  Major  North,  he 
never  lost  a  man;  moreover,  on  several  oc- 
casions he  passed  through  such  hair-breadth 
escapes  that  the  Pawnees  thought  him  in- 
vulnerable. In  one  instance,  while  pursuing 
the  retreating  enemy,  he  discovered  that  his 
command  had  fallen  back  and  he  was  sepa- 
rated from  them  by  over  a  mile.  The  enemy, 
discovering  his  plight,  turned  on  him.  He 
dismounted,  being  fully  armed,  and  by  using 
his  horse  as  a  breastwork,  he  managed  to 
reach  his  troops  again,  though  his  faithful 
horse  was  killed.  This  and  many  like  ex- 
periences caused  the  Pawnees  to  believe  that 
iheir  revered  leader  led  a  charmed  life.  He 
never  deceived  them,  and  they  loved  to  call 
him  "Little  Pawnee  Le-Sharo"  ( Pawnee 
Chief),  and  so  he  was  known  as  the  White 
Chief  of  the  Pawnees. 

LOCAL   INDIAN    HISTORY 

It  was  on  February  5,  1862,  when  the  first 
Indian  massacre  of  whites  by  Indians  in  Hall 
County  was  chronicled.  The  story  of  this 
Smith-Andresen  massacre  is  told  in  two  other 
places  in  this  and  the  preceding  chapter. 

TWO  BOYS   PINNED  TOGETHER  BY  ARROW 

One  day  in  August,   1864,  two  boys,  Na- 


thaniel and  Robert  Martin,  were  helping  their 
father  George  Martin  in  the  hayfield.  Their 
ranch  was  in  the  broad  valley  of  the  Platte  in 
Hall  County,  about  eighteen  miles  southwest 
of  Grand  Island.  This  was  during  the  great 
Indian  raid  of  1864  when  the  Sioux  were 
creating  so  much  disturbance  through  the 
Valley.  The  two  boys  were  mounted  on  one 
fleet  pony  and  were  making  good  their  escape 
toward  the  shelter  of  the  log  house  and  barns 
at  the  ranch  when  an  arrow  pinned  them  to- 
gether. A  shower  of  arrows  circled  around 
them,  and  one  of  the  arrows  struck  Nathaniel 
in  the  arm  and  buried  itself  in  Robert's  back, 
pinning  the  boys  together.  Both  fell  from  the 
horse,  but  luckily  they  were  near  the  ranch. 
They  were  about  to  be  scalped  when  an  Indian 
interfered,  saying  in  English:  "Let  the  boys 
alone."  The  Indian  with  his  drawn  knife  de- 
sisted and  the  boys  were  left  for  dead.  The 
ranchmen  defended  the  house,  drove  the  sav- 
ages to  flight,  killed  or  wounded  one,  took  the 
boys  in  and  had  the  arrow  drawn  from  their 
bodies.  Both  of  the  boys  lived  to  be  grown 
men  and  the  story  of  the  two  boys  pinned  to- 
gether became  one  of  the  most  familiar  of 
Hall  County  pioneer  days. 

THE  CAMPBELL  RAID 

The  attack  on  the  Campbell  ranch  was  made 
July  24,  1867.  Peter,  the  Scotchman,  lived 
ten  miles  south  of  Grand  Island,  on  the  south 
side  of  the  Platte.  No  men  being  at  home,  the 
house  was  captured,  a  woman  named  Mrs. 
Thurston  Warren  killed  by  a  gun  shot,  and 
her  son  by  an  arrow.  The  two  nieces  of  Camp- 
bell, aged  seventeen  and  nineteen,  were  carried 
away  with  twin  boys  four  years  old,  and  a 
German,  named  Henry  Dose,  was  killed  close 
by.  The  Indians  robbed  the  house,  killed  some 
stock,  and  escaped  unmolested.  Months  after- 
ward the  government  bought  the  two  girls  and 
the  boys  from  the  Indians  for  $4,000,  and,  as 
an  extra  compensation,  released  a  Sioux 
squaw,  captured  by  Ed  Arnold's  Pawnee 
scouts,  at  Elm  Creek,  the  same  season. 

An  account  of  this  raid  by  one  of  the  Camp- 
bell family  is  herewith  given: 


IbyGoOgI 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


THE  OLD  PIONEER  DAYS  IN  WEST- 
ERN NEBRASKA 

By  J.  R.  Campbell 
In   The   Trappers'   World,   September,   1909. 

Our  family  was  nothing  different  than  many 
that  left  their  native  land  at  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War,  to  try  their  fortunes  in  America. 

The  family  consisted  of  father,  mother,  four 
sisters,  and  three  brothers.  In  the  fall  of  1865 
their  journey  was  undertaken,  and  after  re- 
peated hardships  and  trials  they  landed  safely 
in  Nebraska,  what  to  them  was  their  desired 

caching  and  hurried  pre- 
e  to  get  established  in  a 

Rude  logs  were  cut  and 
i  one-room  house  covered 
;ed  with  mud  was  built, 
winter  was  put  in.  The 
ly,  though  frail,  stood  the 
t  succumbed  in  January, 
er,  loving  hands  was  laid 
tainted  coffin  in  her  lonely 
'alley. 

jled  on.  The  summer  of 
3s  again  to  cheer  him  on, 
:d  brighter  that  he  would 

and  he  would  become  a 

free  country.  So  in  the 
ain  journeyed  to  Nebraska 
vernment  land  office  was 
here  he  took  out  naturali- 
egistered  for  a  homestead 
with  the  needed  groceries 
s. 

ire  beside  his  family,  pre- 
le  to  farm  and  additions 
house.  Barns  were  built 
■d  and  the  crops  planted. 
ats  were  growing.    These 

days  with  those  early 
lere  were  scarcely  a  dozen 
lown  the  valley. 
s  balmy  days,  ripening  the 
the  thoughts  to  mind  of  a 
»n   July  24th  the  harvest 

miles  from  our  home,  and 
;d  to  follow  the  one  reaper. 


My  father  and  I  went  over  to  the  neighbors 
and  helped  with  the  work. 

About  three  o'clock  that  afternoon  a  horse- 
man was  seen  coming  as  though  on  the  wind. 
The  reaper  was  stilled  and  golden  sheaves  I 
were  left  unbound  and  all  hurried  to  lean  I 
the  oft-dreaded  dreadful  news  —  the  Indians  ' 
had  raided  the  valley.    Every  one  was  fearful  I 
for  his  own  family,  but  none  more  so  than  my  I 
father.     He  jumped  upon  the  first  horse  and 
pulling  me  beside  him  he  headed  for  his  home,  f 

Arriving  within  a  quarter  of  a  mile  of  home  j 
the  house  of  our  nearest  neighbor  was  in- 
spected. The  mother  of  the  family  lay  on  I 
the  threshold  of  the  door  dead,  clasping  her  I 
infant  son  in  her  arms.  A  son,  fourteen  years  I 
old,  lay  near  by,  shot  through  the  thigh. 

Reaching  our  own  home  we  found  that  it   I 
had  been  robbed  and  partly  demolished.  The  ' 
contents   of    the   house   were   destroyed  and 
scattered  about,  but,  saddest  of  all,  the  family 
was  gone.     Search  about   the  premises  and 
fields  revealed  nothing. 

The  youngest  daughter  at  home,  a  child  of 
mine  had  managed  to  get  away  from  the  In- 
dians by  hiding  in  a  grain  field  and  by  crawling 
on  her  knees  for  a  quarter  of  a  mile  to  get 
out  of  sight  and  then  running  four  miles  to 
notify  a  neighbor,  who  in  turn  brought  the 
news  to  the  field  where  we  were  all  at  work. 

A  hurried  meeting  of  the  neighborhood  was 
called  as  soon  as  possible  that  afternoon  to 
decide  upon  a  plan  of  action.  It  was  decided 
to  make  a  search  for  a  few  miles  around  and 
that  all  of  the  neighborhood  should  assemble 
at  one  point  for  protection.  Nothing  came  of 
the  search.  Nothing  was  found  to  show  what 
disposition  was  made  of  the  missing  ones,  the 
two  daughters  and  the  two  younger  sons.  The 
body  of  the  only  victim  found  was  quietly 
buried.  After  a  hurried  counsel  it  was  de- 
cided to  abandon  the  valley,  as  protection  from 
future  raids  was  slight,  there  being  only  one 
company  of  soldiers  kept  at  Fort  Keamy, 
which  was  just  barely  enough  to  protect  the 
fort,  let  alone  the  settlers. 

The  following  day  hurried  preparations 
were  made  to  leave;  property  was  abandoned 
and  crops  were  offered  for  sale  to  neighbors 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


43 


who  had  not  made  up  their  minds  to  leave,  and 
before  another  nightfall  there  was  only  left 
in  the  valley  my  father,  myself  and  my  father's 
brother  and  aged  father.  It  was  decided  to 
stay  and  face  the  dangers  alone  in  the  hope 
that  some  tidings  might  be  learned  of  the  lost 
ones. 

In  about  a  week  six  soldiers  under  the 
charge  of  Captain  Wyman  were  sent  from  the 
fort  to  help  us  in  the  search  for  the  stolen 
children.  A  search  was  made  for  twenty-five 
miles  to  the  south,  but  nothing  was  found  to 
give  any  evidence  to  relieve  the  terrible 
anxiety.  And  all  this  time  it  was  necessary  to 
keep  constant  guard,  for  it  was  reported  that 
the  savages  were  still  about  the  neighborhood. 

At  last,  about  October  20th,  news  was 
brought  from  the  sparse  settlement  at  Grand 
Island  that  the  prisoners  had  been  seen  in  the 
camp  of  an  Ogallala  band  of  Sioux,  who  were 
then  in  camp  somewhere  on  the  Solomon 
River  in  southeastern  Colorado  or  south- 
western Kansas.  It  was  also  reported  that 
the  government  was  about  to  treat  with  the 
Sioux  and  that  the  prisoners  would  probably 
be  captured. 

A  week  or  more  dragged  by  before  any  faith 
was  put  into  the  story,  and  then  my  uncle  was 
sent  to  North  Platte  to  learn  what  he  could 
about  the  band.  When  the  train  reached  Elm 
Creek  the  passengers  were  aroused  by  the 
shrill  cry  of  the  engine  whistle,  down  brakes 
being  repeated  several  times.  It  was  reported 
in  every  car  that  there  were  Indians  at  hand 
and  guns  and  revolvers  were  made  ready  for 
action.  But  the  trouble  proved  to  be  only 
another  train  on  the  track  ahead.  Antelope 
and  buffalo  were  seen  at  a  distance  from  the 
train,  but  they  were  too  far  to  be  reached  by 
the  bullets  from  rifles. 

At  North  Platte  it  was  reported  that  the 
tend  of  Indians  under  Spotted  Tail  would 
arrive  some  time  that  day.  The  peace  com- 
missioners arrived  at  3  o'clock  and  the  Indians 
two  hours  later.  The  prisoners  proved  to  be 
children  of  our  family,  who  after  two  more 
<iays  of  travel  reached  our  home.  Here  they 
told  the  story  of  their  capture  and  imprison- 
ment, of  the  hardships  they  had  undergone, 


without  food  at  times,  without  proper  clothing 
at  all  times,  and  of  abuses  and  ill  treatment. 
Our  family  remained  there  during  the 
winter,  and  in  the  spring  of  1868  moved  to 
Saunders  County,  leaving  the  homestead  and 
the  scene  of  the  raid. 

Of  the  children  captured  three  are  living 
now  (1909).  They  are  Mrs.  J.  P.  Dunlap  of 
Dwight,  Nebraska,  Peter  Campbell,  living  at 
Wahoo,  Nebraska  (in  1919  at  Lincoln),  and 
Daniel,  who  is  located  in  the  state  of  Mis- 
souri (in  1919  in  Ohio). 

These  and  many  other  incidents  of  Indian 
life  and  relations  in  Hall  County  are  told  first 
hand  in  the  narratives  of  Frederick  Hedde, 
William  Stolley,  and  in  the  narrative  of  In- 
dian reminiscences  by  Fred  Stolley,  which 
follows : 

RECOLLECTIONS 

By  Fred  Stolley 

I  will  first  give  some  recollections  of  days 
from  my  childhood,  as  far  back  as  1859,  of 
Hall  County  early  days,  when  I  came  from 
Davenport,  Iowa,  to  Grand  Island,  only  two 
years  old  at  that  time,  with  father  and  mother 
and  my  oldest  sister  Annie,  to  the  farm 
where  my  mother  is  still  living,  together  with 
two  of  my  younger  sisters,  Clara  and  Ottilie 
(the  so-called  Stolley  Grove  farm). 

FIRST  RECOLLECTIONS 
The  first  very  vivid  recollection  I  have  is  an 
Indian  story,  yet  I  remember  this  one  but 
faintly.  I  remember  that  my  mother  hurriedly 
lifted  my  sister  off  her  lap  and  I  myself  clung 
close  to  her  dress,  hiding  as  best  we  could  in 
our  old  log  house  which  still  stands  on  the 
farm  resided  on  by  my  mother.  Some  200 
or  300  Sioux  Indians  on  horseback  made  their 
appearance  at  our  place,  surrounded  our 
house,  dismounting  from  their  horses  and  in- 
vestigating —  holding  their  hands  to  both 
sides  of  their  faces,  and  looking  into  our 
windows,  with  their  large  faces,  broad  flat 
noses,  dark  brown  skins,  somewhat  greasy, 
and  large,  inquisitive  black  eyes,  looking  at 
mother  and  us  children,  also  I  think  sizing  up 
the  situation  for  a  raid  on  something  good  to 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


eat.  But  they  seemed  to  have  been  quite 
friendly  at  that  time,  because  they  molested 
nothing  and  spared  all  of  our  lives,  and  in 
10  or  15  minutes  time  everybody  was  again 
on  their  sleek  ponies  and  they  went  away  as 
quickly  and  as  suddenly  as  they  came,  to  our 
great  relief  and  satisfaction. 

The  next  exciting  Indian  incident  was  in 
the  following  fall.  My  uncle,  William  Hagge, 
father  and  I  were  in  the  hay  field,  when  an 
Indian  battle  started  on  the  south  side  of 
Wood  River,  about  at  the  point  where  the  St. 
Joseph  &  Grand  Island  railroad  crosses  over 
Wood  River.  A  hard  skirmish  ensued  and 
many  shots  were  heard  as  the  bodies  of  fight- 
ers moved  eastward  down  stream,  close  to  the 
river  bank,  and  gradually  faded  away  about 
where  Bill  Thavenet's  ice  house  now  stands. 
My  uncle  and  father  never  stopped  hauling 
hay,  but  kept  on  unconcerned  about  the  fight 
among  the  Indians. 

TOOK  OUR  DINNER 
About  a  year  later,  I  think  in  August,  at 
the  noon  hour,  my  mother  had  dinner  ready 
on  the  table.  I  was  playing  outside  in  front 
of  our  house,  and  at  the  time  I  noticed  pos- 
sibly 75  or  even  100  Indians  coming  on  fleet 
footed  black  and  white  pontes,  in  irregular 
order,  riding  quite  thinly  scattered  over  a 
large  space.  The  Indians  had  no  clothing  on, 
all  of  them  in  their  own  natural  bronzed  skins, 
faces  painted  red,  their  hair  shaved  close  to 
iheir  scalps,  except  a  strip  in  the  middle  on 
top  of  their  head  about  two  by  four  inches 
cut  to  about  2  inches  short,  standing  straight 
up.  The  hair  resembled  the  coarseness  and 
aufiarance  of  a  horse  tail  and  as  black  as  coal, 
bit  jt  the  back  end  of  this  bunch  or  patch  of 
botes  they  always  carried  a  long  braid  hang- 
•Hfifown,  which  was  invariably  scalped  if  they 
*+t  captured  by  Indian  enemies.  So  when 
Iap|ed  this  band  of  Sioux  Indians  coming 
I3c(£a  whirlwind,  I  ran  back  into  the  house 
aQMSported  to  my  father,  "Indians !  Indians ! 
quA^tf"  My  father  jumped  instantly  to  his 
feet,  reaching  simultaneously  for  his  8-inch 
navy  revolver,  which  always  hung  on  his  left 
hip  on  a   heavy  leather  belt  buckled  to  his 


body.  I  followed  on  the  heels  of  my  father, 
and  by  the  time  we  were  outside,  there  they 
came,  quick  and  plenty  of  them,  coming  close 
up  to  our  log  house,  all  armed,  a  few  with 
short  Kentucky  rifles,  muzzle  loading  single 
shots,  125  round  balls  to  the  pound,  and  some 
of  them  had  long  pointed  spears,  even  8  or  10 
feet  long,  fastened  to  their  right  foot,  but  most 
of  them  equipped  with  the  strongest  kind  of 
bows  and  arrows.  At  this  juncture  I  ran  back 
into  the  house  looking  for  mother  and  sister, 
when  I  noticed  an  Indian  reaching  through 
an  open  window  with  his  long  spear,  trying 
to  pierce  a  pudding  on  a  plate,  so  he  could  take 
it  off  our  dinner  table  and  bring  it  to  him 
within  reach  of  his  bare  hands.  When  he 
secured  it,  he  divided  with  his  comrades,  and 
with  keen  appetites  and  great  enjoyments  they 
devoured  our  dinner.  By  this  time  I  hurried 
back  to  where  father  was,  with  8  or  10  Indians 
gathered  in  a  half  circle  around  him,  and  now 
one  of  them  swung  his  spear  back  and 
forth  toward  father,  as  though  he  intended  to 
throw  the  deadly  weapon  at  us,  and  let  me 
assure  you,  with  not  a  very  pleasant  eye 
behind  it,  and  an  expression  you  could  see 
that  was  decidedly  not  friendly.  But  this  all 
came  to  a  very  sudden  standstill  when  father 
whipped  out  his  old  navy  revolver,  with 
hammer  up  and  finger  lightly  on  the  trigger, 
aiming  at  the  Indian's  treacherous  heart.  Now 
his  long  spear  sank  down  to  a  natural  position, 
and  pointing  to  father's  revolver,  he  remarked 
in  Indian  language,  "heap  a  no  good"  and  the 
substance  of  "pu,  pu,  pu  wanta"  to  convey 
idea  —  "shoots  often  and  kills  sure."  There- 
upon everything  suddenly  changed,  a  different 
spirit  crept  among  them,  and  after  a  few  mo- 
ment's silence,  and  varying  glances,  we  heard 
a  very  low  voice,  but  very  positive,  sharp 
command  given,  from  their  chief  to  gather 
themselves  up  and  go,  and  go  they  did.  When 
I  saw  them  coming  they  were  about  where 
the  brick  schoolhouse  now  stands  northeast  of 
the  old  home  place,  of  District  Number  One. 
When  they  went,  they  left  in  the  direction 
of  Sand  Krog,  or  Cay  Ewoldt's  old  farm,  and 
within  a  few  moments  they  had  well  vanished 
into  the  endless  prairie,  and  the  whole  affair 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


appeared  to  be  a  very  lucky  and  happy  matter. 
Yes,  indeed,  we  can  now  comprehend  the  un- 
speakable dangers  surrounding  us,  and  the 
likelihood  we  constantly  faced  of  being  killed 
at  any  time. 

THE  Sioux 
But  somehow  the  Sioux  Indians  did  not 
take  such  an  interest  in  this  part  of  the  coun- 
try as  our  Pawnee  friends,  because,  as  the 
Pawnees  claimed,  an  agreement  existed  be- 
tween' the  Sioux  Indians  and  the  Pawnee 
tribes  that  the  south  bank  of  the  Platte  River 
was  the  boundary  line  on  the  south  for  the 
Southern  Sioux  tribe  and  the  north  side  of 
the  Loup  River,  "Eatzkarie"  in  Indian,  should 
be  the  south  boundary  line  for  the  north  Sioux 
tribe,  and  the  land  in  between  these  two 
streams  was  to  be  the  hunting  ground  for  the 
four  Pawnee  tribes,  but  how  far  west  this 
agreement  was  established  I  never  heard  from 
any  one.  Furthermore,  our  Pawnee  friends 
claimed  the  southern  Sioux  were  very  bad  and 
hostile  "heap  a  no  good,  we  heap  a  fight  for 
buffalo,"  because  the  south  side  of  the  Platte 
all  the  way  to  the  Little  Blue  and  the  Repub- 
lican River  was  the  best  by  a  hundred  fold 
for  buffalo  hunting.  This  was  used  neverthe- 
less by  the  Pawnees  as  why  they  were  com- 
pelled to  trespass  on  Sioux  territory  to  get 
their  winter's  supply  in  buffalo  meats  and 
buffalo  robes  to  keep  their  bodies  warm.  This 
doubtless  somewhat  accounts  for  the  hos- 
tilities experienced  from  the  Sioux  towards 
the  white  people  living  on  the  south  side.  The 
south  side  had  by  far  the  largest  herds  of 
buffaloes,  so  the  first  settlers  had  to  go  there 
to  get  their  winter's  supply  of  meats.  Hence, 
the  trouble  that  usually  came  when  they  did 
so,  and  always  from  the  southern  Sioux.  The 
Pawnees  always  claimed  that  the  northern 
Sioux  were  "heap  a  good  no  fight."  And  it 
should  be  mentioned  that  along  the  Loups  only 
some  "elk"  or  "bah"  in  Indian,  and  some 
"deer"  or  "buxkys"  in  Indian,  but  there  were 
plenty  of  antelope  or  "alligators"  in  Indian, 
and  only  deer  along  the  wild  Platte  River 
bottoms.  These  were  hard  to  hunt  for  the 
Indians  because  their  guns  were  of  very  poor 


quality,  so  it  is  clear  that  the  buffalo  always 
remained  the  Indians'  main  support  for  a 
living.  Some  Pawnees  were  very  fine  marks- 
men with  the  bow  and  arrow.  I  have  seen 
one  old  Indian  coming  along  in  a  snowstorm 
passing  through  a  patch  of  weeds,  where  a 
flock  of  snowbirds  were  busily  picking,  and 
the  old  Indian  spying  the  birds,  reach  for  his 
heavy  ash  wood  bow  and  arrow  with  steel 
points  (a  regular  buffalo  hunting  outfit),  set 
down  some  20  steps  off  and  shot  six  times  at 
six  birds  and  get  a  bird  on  every  arrow.  For 
every  day  purposes  they  used  a  lighter  out- 
fit, but  for  large  game  they  had  a  bow  of 
tremendous  strength  and  durability.  I  have 
only  seen  one  white  man  who  could  shoot  one 
of  these  to  its  fullest  capacity.  That  was  David 
Schuller,  our  postmaster  in  early  days,  who 
could  shoot  fully  eighty  rods  with  one  of  those 
heavy  outfits. 

INDIAN  BOYS'  SPORTS 

The  larger  Indian  boys  had  a  national  sport, 
playing  on  a  smooth  piece  of  level  ground 
some  75  yards  long  and  20  yards  wide.  Two 
boys  always  played  together,  both  of  them 
having  a  five  foot  long  spear  and  a  little  ring 
about  four  inches  in  diameter,  wrapped  with 
buffalo  sinew,  one  of  them  throwing  this  ring 
very  swiftly,  both  of  them  being  barefooted 
and  naked,  running  at  a  high  speed  with  this 
ring  rolling  along.  The  great  trick  was  for 
both  boys  to  hit  this  ring  so  that  their  spears 
crossed  each  other  through  the  ring  at  the 
same  time.  This  play  was  practiced  for  train- 
ing their  hands  and  eyes  for  accuracy,  and  the 
exercise  it  gave  for  toughening  their  bodies 
and  developing  great  lung  capacity.  An  Indian 
could  go  on  a  dog  trot  all  day  and  never  puff 
one  bit,  and  another  stunt  they  nad  was  to 
harden  themselves  against  freezing. 

I  have  often  seen  Indian  children  of  all 
ages  sliding  on  smooth  ice  with  their  bare 
feet  for  hours  at  a  time,  never  seeming  to 
mind  it  at  all.  One  day  I  found  tracks  in 
the  snow  of  a  barefooted  Indian  going  across 
our  farm  towards  their  Indian  camps  on  Wood 
River. 

One  time  an  old  Indian  friend  visited  us. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


47 


His  name  was  "Lalulashar."  He  wanted  to 
stay  over  night  with  us,  and  bed  room  was 
scarce.  So  this  Indian  had  to  go  to  bed  with 
Peter  Mohr  and  myself  in  our  bam  upstairs 
for  that  night.  But  to  our  great  discomfort, 
the  Indian  developed  a  body-heat  that  was 
something  awful.  It  got  so  disagreeably  hot 
for  us,  with  him  resting  in  the  middle,  that 
we  had  to  quit  our  guest's  presence.  Peter 
and  I  did  not  know  but  that  this  Indian  was 
dangerously  sick,  supposing  he  had  a  very 
high  fever,  thus  accounting  for  his  extremely 
hot  skin.  But  to  our  astonishment,  the  next 
morning  this  Indian  was  hale  and  hearty,  and 
hungry  as  a  wolf,  so  there  was  nothing  to 
worry  about  concerning  him  at  all — it  was 
just  his  extremely  healthful  vigor. 

"puppy  dog  soup" 
My  father  was  a  great  lover  of  hunting 
and  trapping  and  he  also  poisoned  a  great 
many  coyotes  and  grey  wolves.  One  time  he 
had  poisoned  15  coyotes  and  wanted  to  make 
a  robe  of  their  pelts,  and  he  made  an  arrange- 
ment with  an  Indian  by  the  name  of  George, 
who  with  his  three  squaws  and  17  year  old 
daughter  had  moved  onto  our  place.  They 
pitched  their  tents  and  set  to  work  tanning 
coyote  and  two  deer  skins,  of  which  they 
made  a  fine  job.  One  of  the  three  little  pups 
belonging  to  our  pet  dog  was  found  dead  one 
morning,  and  the  17  year  old  Indian  girl  com- 
ing in  spied  it  and  wanted  it.  This  particular 
pup  being  mine,  I  gave  it  to  her,  wondering 
what  she  wanted  of  it.  Consequently  in  my 
curiosity  I  followed  her  into  their  living  tent, 
where  a  big  camp  fire  was  burning  in  the 
middle  of  the  room,  under  a  large  pot  boiling 
a  quantity  of  navy  bean  soup.  I  could  hardly 
trust  my  eyesight,  to  behold  this  pretty  Indian 
girl  holding  the  little  baby  dog  by  its  tail, 
dropping  it  hair  and  hide,  kaplunk,  into  the 
bean  soup.  This  stopped  the  boiling  of  the 
soup  for  a  time  because  the  little  pup  was 
frozen  stiff,  but  pretty  soon  the  boiling  started 
again  and  little  doggy  was  making  somersaults 
in  the  boiling  soup,  now  tail  up. and  then,  for 
a  change,  the  head  coming  bobbing  up,  and  so 
't  rolled  and  rolled  over  and  over,  until  the 


little  doggy  boiled  to  mush,  ready  for  the 
great  feast,  when  taken  out  on  a  tin  pan.  This 
delicious  dish  was  passed  around  from  one 
Indian  appetite  to  another  until  their  hunger 
was  satisfied.  At  the  same  time,  the  "killi" 
Kaneck  tobacco  pipe  was  smoked  with  great 
satisfaction.  Indian  George  was  a  very  kind- 
hearted  man,  but  notwithstanding  his  kindly 
disposition,  after  they  left  our  place  and  while 
going  West,  headed  for  Fort  Kearny,  George 
was  shot  in  the  temple  by  a  U.  S.  soldier  at 
that  place,  only  for  the  fun  of  it.  Such  is  only 
an  instance  of  the  cruel  acts  of  the  white  man 
towards  the  children  of  the  wilderness  who 
lost  their  great  hunting  grounds  with  all  of  its 
tine  game. 

WHITE  MAN'S  TREATMENT  OF  THE  RED  MAN 
We  must  not  forget  all  of  the  waste  of 
meat  and  timber  perpetrated  by  the  white  man 
in  those  days.  No  less  an  authority  than  the 
late  Buffalo  Bill  wrote  that  he  alone  had  killed 
over  2,000  buffaloes  for  a  railroad  camp  in 
Kansas.  Maybe  a  good  share  of  that  meat 
was  for  a  good  use,  but  what  about  the  rest  ? 
Everybody  was  shooting  the  Indian's  meat 
supply,  and  most  of  it  rotted  away  on  the 
prairie  for  nothing.  This  grieved  the  Indians' 
heart  beyond  expression,  and  it  created  a 
hatred  and  revengefulness  toward  the  "pale 
faces"  or  "Chickestalkers"  (in  Indian).  What 
more  did  the  white  man  do?  He  swindled, 
lied,  corrupted  where  he  had  a  chance  toward 
the  Indian,  and  some  more  villainous  of  our 
race  even  sold  the  red  man  small-pox  infected 
blankets,  causing  their  death  in  great  numbers. 
In  the  face  of  all  this  is  it  to  be  wondered 
that  many  Indians  got  mad  at  last  and  turned 
out  to  be  most  unmerciful  brutes  toward  the 
white  men?  I  cannot  blame  them  so  much, 
and  can  only  wonder  that  the  white  man  was 
allowed  to  stay  at  all,  or  that  he  was  con- 
sidered by  the  Indian  as  the  most  grewsome 
creature  they  ever  met.  But  we  hardly  ever 
get  the  Indian's  side  of  the  matter.  The 
white  man  writes  the  history  about  himself 
and  also  about  the  Indian,  and  usually  the 
Indians  suffer  the  most.  But  now  that  it  all 
belongs  to  the  past  and  the  Indian  is  mostly 

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48 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


killed  off  and  gone,  and  their  ashes  are  strewn 
over  the  hills  of  the  land,  the  wild  flowers 
are  growing  on  their  mournful  graves  and 
weeping  bitter  tears  for  the  unspeakable  in- 
justices so  frequently  done  them  at  the  hands 
of  the  white  man,  —  may  we  not  pause  and 
consider  the  other  side?  Shame  be  on  the 
white  men  who  contended  there  was  no  room 
left  for  the  Indians  to  live  in  peace  in  this 
great  country  of  ours. 

"nezarrezarries"' 
We  had  one  very  wise  and  dear  friend 
among  the  Pawnees,  whose  ■  name  was 
"Nezarrezarries."  He  was  a  Kidkahah,  by 
far  the  most  intelligent  Indian  we  ever  knew. 
Through  him  father  made  a  dictionary  of 
the  Indian  language,  so  you  see  it  was  quite 
easy  for  us  to  converse  with  Indians  in  an 
intelligent  way.  Nezarrezarries  had  two 
squaws,  was  quite  rich  in  horses  and  tents, 
and  was  the  most  popular  Indian  of  the  whole 
tribe  (which  meant  four  sub-tribes) — the 
Kidkahahs,  Cavees,  Pittihauvittys,  and  lost 
Scitties,  which  last  term  by  the  way  is  also 
the  name  for  wolf  or  coyote,  and  the  symbol 
for  the  greatest  liar  in  the  world,  the  Scittie 
Indian  was  marked  for  being  the  most  skillful 
horsethief  of  the  Pawnee  tribes  towards  their 
most  bitter  enemies,  the  Southern  Sioux.  This 
popular  Nezarrezarries  was  very  freely 
spoken  of  as  being  selected  as  the  first  big 
chief  in  command,  but  he  was  handicapped 
by  having  only  two  squaws  when  three  and 
no  less  were  required  by  custom  and  law,  and 
so  many  horses. 

AN  INDIAN  LOVE  STORY 
Now  we  come  to  a  love  story.  One  early 
morning  a  very  beautiful,  graceful,  sharp 
featured,  fine  looking  Indian  girl,  with  body 
finely  formed,  tall  and  quite  slender,  possibly 
23  or  24  years  of  age,  strayed  into  our  place 
for  a  few  moments,  and  then  got  up  and 
started  towards  the  Indian  camps  on  Wood 
River.  At  the  same  time  our  esteemed  friend 
came  along  from  camp  toward  our  place,  I 
think  for  another  visit,  or  he  might  have 
known  of  this  girl's  presence  that  early  morn- 


ing, or  it  might  have  been  agreed  upon  that 
they  should  meet  in  the  open  field,  for  at  least 
that  was  their  meeting  place.  It  was  a  very 
cold  morning,  the  wind  blew  out  of  the  north 
with  biting  cold,  but  when  the  two  met,  he 
grabbed  her  by  the  hand  and  it  started  a 
struggle,  each  pulling  this  way  and  that,  as 
if  she  wanted  to  pull  away  from  him,  and  at 
last  she  settled  down  peaceably  and  friendly 
toward  him  and  eventually  he  succeeded  in 
covering  her  and  also  himself  over  their  heads, 
with  his  buffalo  robe,  and  talked  to  her  for 
more  than  an  hour  without  moving  an  inch. 
I  watched  closely  during  all  of  this  time.  For 
I  did  not  know  whether  to  count  them  friend 
at  that  time,  but  it  finally  proved  to  be  all 
right.  They  finally  separated,  he  came  to  our 
place  and  she  went  home  to  the  camp.  What 
must  I  do  after  he  arrived  at  our  place  but 
satisfy  my  curiosity  by  asking  him  what  had 
happened  over  yonder  with  that  beautiful 
Indian  girl,  and  he  answered  quickly  and 
straight  from  the  shoulder,  "that  is  now  my 
third  squaw,  a  heap  good  squaw,"  and  that 
was  all  there  was  to  it.  He  acted  very  un- 
concerned about  it,  as  if  this  was  final  and  I 
never  found  out  more  about  it,  but  I  do  know 
that  from  then  on  this  girl  acted  as  his  squaw. 

A  TRUE  RED  FRIEND 
I  think  it  was  in  the  coming  year,  in  the 
late  fall,  that  Nezarrezarries  came  riding  along 
onto  father's  place  one  day  and  explained  to 
him  that  he  was  in  bad  need  of  a  rifle  for 
hunting  buffalo  to  get  a  buffalo  robe,  and  my 
father  without  asking  any  questions  whatso- 
ever, handed  the  Indian  his  very  fine  Spencer 
repeating  rifle  of  7  shots,  caliber  SO,  and  one 
of  our  buffalo  robes,  not  quite  the  best,  and 
also  6  or  7  No.  4  double  spring  beaver  traps. 
He  thanked  father  for  them  and  left.  I  think 
it  must  have  been  in  the  latter  part  of  Novem- 
ber, one  fine  day,  when  in  came  our  friend,  re- 
turning rifle,  traps,  and  instead  of  the  old  robe 
handing  father  a  fine  brand  new  one  in  its 
place.  He  never  advanced  to  the  leadership 
of  his  people.  Once  more  this  noble  Indian 
paid  us  a  visit  but  this  time,  sick  and  afflicted 
with  a  loathsome  disease,  "an  inheritance  of 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


49 


the  white  man."  The  Indians  had  moved  in  the 
meantime  to  Indian  Territory  and  he  came  all 
that  long  way  to  consult  father  in  regard  to  his 
deplorable  condition.  Of  course  we  could  do 
nothing  for  him  though  he  stayed  a  day  or  two 
with  us,  and  one  morning,  after  breakfast, 
with  tears  in  his  eyes  he  stretched,  for  the 
last  time,  his  hand  to  his  esteemed  pale  faced 
friends  and  bid  us  all  good-bye  and  that  is 
the  last  we  ever  saw  of  him.  Another  interest- 
ing previous  visit  of  that  Indian  friend  I  al- 
most overlooked  was  when  a  blizzard  was  rag- 
ing over  the  country.  He  was  sitting  with 
father  philosophizing  over  important  ques- 
tions, great  drops  of  sweat  were  rolling  down 
his  fine  featured  face,  his  eyes  sparkled  with 
deep  hidden  fire,  as  he  started  out  to  discuss 
the  white  man  v.  Indian  national  question. 
"The  white  man's  greed  drives  the  Indian 
mad ;  he  envies  even  the  ground  we  walk  on, 
be  would  if  he  could,  express  us  into  the  skies 
where  there  is  nothing  but  useless  space,  or 
push  us  off  into  the  ocean,  until  he  knows  he 
has  destroyed  us,  and  he  would  rejoice  much 
over  it,  and  after  he  has  fulfilled  his  wishes, 
lien  I  would  wish  the  pale  face  God  speed 
"hen  they  turn  loose  on  themselves." 

FORT  0.  K. 

In  the  early  (ffs,  I  was  still  a  very  small  boy 
when  my  father  and  Joachim  Buenz,  a  brother 
of  John  Buenz  of  Grand  Island,  hauled  the 
cotton  wood  logs  from  the  heavy  timber  grow- 
ing along  Wood  River  at  that  time  for  build- 
ing a  fortification  against  possible  attack  of 
hostile  Indians.  There  was  no  trouble  pending 
at  that  time,  but  it  came  soon  after  that  when 
the  southern  Sioux  went  on  the  warpath 
against  the  white  men  all  along  the  line,  and 
when  trouble  had  started  the  so-called  Fort 
u0.  K."  was  erected  for  the  protection  of  the 
white  men,  but  for  some  reasons  the  Indians 
never  made  any  raids  on  us.  It  might  have 
been  spy  work  on  the  part  of  the  Indians  that 
saved  our  hides,  as  they  probably  knew  better 
because  we  were  well  fortified,  at  least  they 
never  came  near  us. 

One  morning  my  father  was  out  on  an 
antelope  hunt  north  of  our  place  and  he  came 


back  in  a  hurry.  He  had  seen  a  large  band 
of  hostile  Indians  going  over  the  same  ground 
where  Grand  Island  now  stands.  He  reported 
ft  as  soon  as  possible  to  the  captain  in  com- 
mand of  the  U.  S.  soldiers  stationed  at  Fort 
O.  K.  In  short  order  the  captain  and  a  squad 
of  10  or  12  regulars  were  swinging  themselves 
into  the  saddles  of  their  fine  horses,  and  in 
company  with  father  went  in  pursuit  of  this 
band  of  Indians.  They  soon  found  their  trail 
and  followed  them  in  a  northwesterly  direction 
up  to  the'  mouth  of  Oak  Creek,  at  Dannebrog, 
but  they  caught  up  with  them,  and  lost  the 
Indians  as  they  disappeared  to  the  westward. 

FORT  INDEPENDENCE 

One  fort  was  erected  on  my  father's  place, 
named  Fort  Independence.  This  was  built  with 
the  help  of  my  Uncle  William  Hagge  and  Fred 
Moeller.  The  dimensions  were  20  x  28  feet, 
about  7&  feet  high,  with  port  holes  to  all 
sides  and  banked  up  heavily  with  tough  prairie 
sod  and  dirt,  making  it  fire-proof  against 
burning  arrows,  which  the  Indians  used  to 
great  advantage.  An  underground  horse 
stable,  with  the  capacity  of  24  horses,  was 
added,  and  the  port  holes  in  the  fort  proper 
overlooked  the  horse  stable  so  it  was  well 
covered  by  our  guns.  One  day  after  the 
Indian  trouble  had  taken  hold  all  over  the 
country,  General  Curtis  made  our  fort  a 
pleasant  visit  and  inspected  it.  After  look- 
ing it  over  thoroughly  he  advised  us  that  we 
had  done  a  fine  job  of  providing  protection 
and  need  fear  nothing,  as  we  were  safe  against 
the  attacks  of  Indians,  if  we  would  be  careful 
and  not  permit  them  to  rush  onto  us  unexpect- 
edly. That  was  a  very  common  practice  of  the 
Indians,  as  they  would  come  on  horse  back  like 
birds  on  wings  and  be  onto  you  before  you 
knew  it,  and  might  get  advantage  of  you  in 
this  way.  By  always  having  the  place  guarded, 
day  and  night,  we  would  be  safe.  He  added 
that  hp  would  give  us,  and  also  the  other 
fort,  a  cannon,  a  5-pounder,  to  defend  our- 
selves against  possible  attacks  by  the  Red- 
skins. He  left  at  once  for  Fort  O.  K.  where 
he  made  his  temporary  headquarters. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


GOETTSCH-FRAUEN  massacre 
Jumping  along  to  1867  or  1868,  in.  the  latter 
part  of  November,  a  foot  of  snow  covered  the 
bleak  prairies.  One  afternoon  my  father  sent 
me  on  horseback  to  the  very  small  town  of 
Grand  Island  to  get  his  mail.  At  that  time 
only  a  few  houses  had  been  built  in  the  village. 
Mr  Schuller,  our  postmaster,  had  moved  to 
town,  to  the  place  where  the  Schuff  (Ameri- 
can) hotel  and  restuarant  now  stands,  and 
the  O.  K.  store  had  been  moved  to  the  present 
location  of  the  Koehler  Hotel,  and  when  I 
stepped  into  the  post  office,  Mr.  Eggert 
Goettsch  called  to  me  and  said :  "Fred,  come 
here  with  me  to  the  outside  of  the  street," 
and  pointing  his  finger  northeast  toward  the 
St.  Paul  road,  where  not  a  house  stood  in  all 
that  space,  added,  "do  you  see  that  wagon  load 
of  cart-wood  coming  along?"  I  answered  "yes 
sir."  "Well"  he  said,  "on  that  load  of  wood 
lies  your  playmate  Chris  Geottsch  dead.  He 
got  killed  by  Indians  the  other  day,  out  on  the 
Loup  River,  also  Henry  Frauen  got  killed  at 
the  same  time,  they  are  both  frozen  hard  as  a 
rock.  Do  you  care  to  see  them  once  more? 
If  so  you  must  wait  here  until  they  are  here 
and  it  will  not  take  very  long."  I  answered, 
"No  sir,  I  am  scared  stiff  now.  I  don't  care 
to  see  them.  I  want  to  go  home  as  soon  as 
possible."  A  boy  of  only  10  or  1 1  years  old,  I 
was  really  afraid.  I  looked  once  more  with 
tears  in  my  eyes  toward  my  best  playmate, 
shuddering  at  the  idea  that  he  had  been  massa- 
cred by  those  awful  Indians.  I  got  onto  my 
horse  in  a  double  quick  hurry  and  hustled  home 
to  tell  my  parents  the  terrible  news.  Chris 
and  Henry  had  been  out  on  a  hunt  for  large 
game,  in  company  with  my  uncle  John  Vieregg, 
an  old  hunter  and  trapper,  and  Hans  Kling- 
enberg,  another  old  hunter.  '  They  had  been 
having  very  poor  luck  on  the  trip,  due  to  bad 
weather,  and  before  starting  home  had  made 
a  hurried  side  trip  over  the  ice  to  the  other 
side  of  the  Loup,  on  Oak  Creek,  to  cut  a  few 
wagon  reach  poles,  taking  their  rifles  with 
them.  Upon  arriving  on  the  other  side  of 
the  river,  Mr.  Klingenberg  had  noticed  ahead 
of  them  a  cloud  of  dust  and  snow  thrown 
up  in  the  air  and  mentioned  it  to  my  uncle. 


My  uncle  had  not  observed  it,  but  Mr.  Kling- 
enberg  insisted  that  somebody  had  been  shoot- 
ing there,  from  seeing  a  bullet  mark  in  the 
snow,  but  my  uncle  observed.  "Who  could 
shoot  at  us  here,  a  heavy  north  wind  blowing, 
and  we  can  hear  nothing."  When  another 
dust  cloud  and  snow  shot  up  in  the  air,  Kling- 
enberg  again  said,  "Do  you  see  it  this  time," 
and  my  uncle  answered,  "Yes,  but  who  could 
shoot  at  us,"  and  they  still  went  on  their  way 
to  get  the  poles.  Upon  returning  to  camp 
they  found  both  boys  had  been  killed,  Chris 
with  a  load  of  buckshot  in  his  breast,  evi- 
dently poured  out  from  his  own  gun,  and 
Henry  with  a  rifle  bullet  through  his  temple,  I 
appearing  also  to  have  met  death  from  his  i 
own  rifle.  Both  horses  had  been  stolen  and 
all  of  the  bed  clothes  and  guns  were  missing. 
The  Indians  had  mixed  molasses  and  coffee 
together  and  evidently  had  taken  a  big  meal 
before  starting  on  their  get-a-way.  Left  out 
there  some  30  miles  in  the  wilderness,  with 
a  foot  of  snow  on  the  ground,  nothing  re- 
mained  for  the  men  to  do  but  to  hoof  it  back  ! 
to  the  fort.  This  gruesome  murder  happened 
near  the  present  Dannebrog,  on  the  south  side 
of  the  Loup  River,  opposite  from  the  west 
point  of  the  big  island  in  the  river  east  of  the 
bridge  at  the  mouth  of  Oak  Creek. 

INDIANS   JOURNEYING  TO   THE   "HUNT" 

Every  fall  great  numbers  of  Pawnees,  in 
bands  of  thousands,  came  up  from  their  reser- 
vation, swarmed  over  the  country  everywhere 
as  they  jouneyed  through  to  the  hunting 
grounds  further  up,  west  and  south  towards 
the  Blue  and  Republican  rivers.  The  Indians 
generally  divided  into  two  great  camps  going 
out  on  their  fall  hunts,  one  part  going  up  on 
the  Loup  and  the  other  part  going  up  on  the 
Platte  bottoms.  On  their  journey  they  would 
signal  to  each  other  with  gigantic  prairie  fires. 
The  Indians  following  the  Platte  would  set 
fire  to  the  large  islands,  and  the  Indians  fol- 
lowing the  Loup  would  set  fire  to  the  endless 
prairies,  and  in  the  evening  you  could  fee  the 
red  crimson  light  thrown  on  the  clouds  on  the 
heavenly  screens,  reflecting  back  to  earth  in 
blood   red,  and  sometimes  it'  would  look  so 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


fiery  in  the  heavens  one  would  think  the 
world  would  come  to  an  end.  This  burning  off 
country  had  two  objects,  one  to  signal  the 
other  bands,  and  the  other  for  driving  the 
deer,  in  particular,  closer  together  so  as  to 
make  it  easier  to  hunt  them.  Many  deer  were 
captured  by  the  Indians  on  the  islands  in  the 
Platte  River  bottoms,  where  the  Indians 
formed  a  circle  around  the  burning  island, 
and  the  deer  were  driven  by  the  fire  toward 
them  getting  in  such  close  range  they  could 
be  brought  down  with  bows  and  arrows.  A 
favorite  method  of  preparing  deer  ribs  for  a 
meal  was  to  cut  the  ribs  in  four  by  four  inch 
squares  and  then  use  a  sharp  stick  to  hold  the 
deer  rib  over  a  live  coal  bed,  and  indeed 
that  prepared  a  royal  dish.  After  securing  a 
supply  of  buffalo  meat  and  robes  for  winter 
use,  the  Indians  would  find  camping  places 
along  the  Platte  Islands,  and  particularly  along 
Wood  River,  in  the  hardest  winter  months. 

AN  INDIAN  DANCE 

One  time  my  father  and  I  met  a  large 
band  of  Pawnees  coming  from  the  hunt,  when 
we  were  at  a  point  south  of  Bonson's  ranch, 
12  miles  up  the  Platte,  on  one  of  the  big 
islands.  We  had  already  secured  two  deer 
on  our  hunt  and  these  Indians  told  us  about  a 
"heap  a  big  fight"  they  had  encountered  with 
the  Sioux  Indians  and  showed  us  a  brand 
new  bleeding  scalp,  taken  only  a  few  days  ago. 
The  scalp  dangled  from  a  long  pole,  hanging 
by  the  braid  and  the  raw  scalp  hanging  down- 
ward. The  Indians  found  a  favorite  camp- 
ing place  in  south  of  the  Bunk  place  in  a 
thicket.  My  sisters,  Annie  and  Lioneret,  my 
brothers  Bill  and  Emil,  Minnie  Roeser  and  my- 
self were  a  group  of  children  much  given,  to 
flaking  frequent  visits  on  a  camp-fire  evening 
to  these  camps.  We  delighted  in  watching 
their  dances  and  pow  wows  in  honor  of  some 
instant  greatness,  or  a  war  dance  or  a  dance 
for  the  great  doctor,  or  in  honor  of  great 
fame.  I  shall  try  to  describe  this  latter  dance. 
The  drums  were  beating  continuously,  but  very 
nese  drums  were  made 
i,  stretched  over  with  a 


raw  buffalo  or  elk  hide.  A  tent  was  occupied 
by  the  most  noted  and  famous  personalities. 
Seated  in  a  half-circle  in  an  almost  open  tent, 
but  little  shelter  was  offered  from  the  side 
where  the  actors  were  seated,  with  a  nice 
bright  fire  burning  in  the  center  of  the  tent. 
The  common  herd  of  Indians  stood  outside  in 
bunches  in  half  circles  and  placed  the  smaller 
folks  on  the  inside,  with  grown  people 
arranged  on  the  outside,  according  to  sizes. 
This  offered  all  of  them  a  good  view  of  the 
performers.  This  dance  was  in  honor  of  the 
large  game.  The  patriarch  was  decorated 
with  elk  and  deer  skins,  another  one  with  a 
buffalo  robe  and  tail  of  a  buffalo  hanging  on 
behind,  making  as  nearly  as  possible  an  imita- 
tion of  a  buffalo.  One  was  made  up  as  a 
beaver,  another  had  muskrat  skins,  one  as  a 
scittie  (wolf)  and  one  Indian  carried  a  coyote, 
one  a  fox  pelt  on  his  arms.  It  seemed  as  if 
each  of  the  four  tribes  had  its  own  favorite 
game  and  fur  bearing  animals  to  whom  it  de- 
lighted to  give  honor  in  these  celebrations. 
Now  the  dance  commences.  The  drums  beat 
everlastingly  and  dipper  curbises  with  seeds  in 
them  were  shaken  as  hard  as  possible,  also  in 
regular  time,  all  of  the  performers  would 
sing  in  a  hum  drum  manner,  but  regular  In- 
dian songs,  which  I  cannot  give  here.  The 
dancers  were  decorated  with  their  favorite 
game  hides  and  paint  on  their  faces,  sometimes 
red  and  sometimes  black  being  used.  With 
the  hides  hanging  on  them  right  and  left,  and 
in  a  very  stooped  posture,  they  begin  tramping 
and  stamping  the  ground  up  and  down  in  a 
half  circle  in  front  of  the  fire.  One  of  their 
main  acts  is  to  take  a  snapping  bite  at  fur  on 
their  arms  every  so  often  and  this  is  kept  up 
for  an  hour  or  so.  On  the  soft  fine  afternoons 
and  evenings  of  February  the  dancing  season 
came  in  great  favour  and  lasted  till  spring  time 
set  in,  and  during  all  this  time  drum  beats 
could  be  heard.  Then  they  would  break  camp 
and  go  off  to  their  reservation,  and  spend  the 
summer  doing  a  little  gardening  and  farming, 
raising  some  navy  beans  and  some  corn. 


BUFFALO  HUNTS 
One  afternoon  we  saw  a  buffalo  grazi 


*« 


52 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


southwest  of  the  August  Becker  place,  close 
to  the  present  Midway  and  Sand  Krog  roads, 
in  the  southwest  quarter  of  that  section.  My 
father  went  after  him  with  his  heavy  muzzle 
loading  rifle.'  He  worked  up  the  slough,  came 
up  to  the  buffalo  at  150  yards  and  shot  him, 
but  he  hit  the  animal  too  high,  and  this  in- 
furiated the  buffalo.  With  tail  up,  and  horns 
in  the  ground,  pawing  the  dirt,  the  animal 
turned  around  lively  in  a  circle,  tramping  and 
tearing  the  sod  up  in  great  shape.  This  obliged 
father  to  shoot  seven  times  before  his  game 
fell  dead.  The  buffalo  was  divided  up  among 
neighbors. 

In  1865  or  1866  my  father  went  on  an  ante- 
lope hunt,  taking  me  with  him.  I  had  to  stay 
with  the  wagon  on  Prairie  Creek,  about  where 
the  old  Kinkel  place  is,  but  at  that  time  still  a 
howling  wilderness.  Along  toward  evening, 
as  I  was  expecting  father  back  at  any  moment 
and  consequently  watching  the  surrounding 
country  very  closely,  I  saw  a  large  black  liv- 
ing object  moving  very  fast  over  a  small  hill 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  away.  Then  came 
father  in  plain  view,  galloping  toward  me.  He 
asked  me  if  I  had  seen  that  buffalo  and  I  said 
I  did.  He  then  explained  that  he  had  crippled 
him  pretty  badly  and  we  would  get  him  in  the 
morning.  We  went  home  and  were  off  at  4 
o'clock  the  next  morning  on  a  genuine  buffalo 
hunt.  We  soon  found  the  tracks  and  followed 
the  animal  by  tracking  him  through  the  sand- 
hills, northwest  of  St.  Libory  into  the  Loup 
River  high  bluffs.  In  a  high  patch  of  slough 
grass  the  animal  had  laid  down,  and  his  stubby 
horns  and  some  of  his  very  long  hairy  head 
was  all  we  could  see.  Father  took  a  fine  aim 
behind  the  shoulder,  one-third  from  below  up 
and  a  sharp  crack  of  his  old  trusted  rifle 
brought  this  old  monarch  of  the  western  plains 
dead  to  the  ground.  One  remarkable  thing 
about  the  buffalo  was  his  strong  smell.  This 
was  the  last  buffalo  steak  we  secured  for  our 
home.  I  remember  one  evening  Hank  Martin 
coming  in  with  a  heavy  load  of  buffalo  meat 
from  the  west,  with  the  wind  blowing  gently, 
carrying  the  scents  of  the  bloody  meat  across 
the  country.  This  started  a  large  pack  of  grey 
wolves  to  howling.     Hank  was  coming  along 


the  military  road  on  Wood  River  about  a 
mile  off,  but  to  listen  to  music  of  this  kind  was 
qiute  grewsome  and  made  the  hair  stand 
straight  on  end. 

The  buffalo  was  both  a  ferocious  and  large 
animal.  Father  poisoned  one  that  measured 
after  he  was  skinned  9  feet  from  tip  of  nose 
to  tip  of  tail,  and  so  heavy  it  took  a  good 
strong  man  to  lift  it  onto  a  horse,  and  he  was 
almost  white,  evidently  an  old  fellow. 

THE  ENDURANCE  OF  A  PAPOOSE 
Two  squaws  visited  us  one  day,  one  of  them 
carrying  a  papoose  probably  two  months  old. 
After  eating  a  lunch  with  us,  the  squaw  picked 
up  the  pappose,  hanging  the  little  tot  over  her 
shoulders,  walked  out  into  a  storm  of  zero 
weather.  The  papoose  started  to  bawl,  some- 
thing remarkable,  but  the  mother  paid  very 
little  attention  to  the  youngster  and  when  she 
got  out  into  an  open  field,  where  the  cold  bit- 
ing'wind  was  blowing  at  a  high  gale,  the  little 
one  still  cried,  and  the  mother  got  mad  and 
talked  sassy  for  awhile.  She  unpacked  the 
baby  and  it  developed  that  it  had  not  a  stitch 
of  clothing  on.  The  mother  rearranged  the 
lynx  skin  next  to  the  craille  board  and  placed 
the  little  one  back  to  the  far  side,  then  placed  a 
double  blanket  over  the  papoose,  wrapt  a  girth 
around  it,  starting  at  the  feet,  and  covered  it 
until  only  the  little  face  showed  and  it  then 
seemed  to  be  satisfied  with  its  condition,  and 
the  mother  proceeded  on  her  journey  at  a  dog 
trot. 

MIRAGES 

A  word  about  the  wonderful  miroiches  of 
early  days  that  were  with  us  every  winter  and 
springtime,  of  which  we  see  nothing  today. 
The  reasons  for  this  phenomenon?  One  oi 
them  is.  we  have  not  any  longer  the  unbroken 
endless  smooth  prairie,  but  that  is  all  now  a 
memory  and  the  landscape  is  broken  with 
groves  and  farm  houses.  Those  miroiches  of 
early  days  appeared  only  when  the  air  was  full 
of  vapors,  charged  highly  with  moisture  at 
sunrise  in  the  morning.  With  white  frost  on 
the  ground,  you  could  see  towards  Alda  and 
Wood  River  station  and  south  of  it.  From  our 
place  great  pictures  were  thrown  on  the  heav- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


S3 


enly  screens,  magnified  to  a  wonderful  size. 
For  instance,  a  crow  would  look  as  large  as  a 
buffalo,  the  houses  up  west,  as  large  as  gigantic 
castles,  the  timber  along  Wood  River  seven 
or  eight  miles  off  hung  up  against  the  horizon 
in  monstrous  sizes  and  it  was  so  clear  to  the 
eye  that  it  was  a  pleasure  to  look  at.  One 
morning  at  sunrise  father  called  us  out  to  see 
the  Loup  River  with  its  graceful  bands,  its 
heavy  timber  along  its  banks  hanging  upside 
down  on  the  low  horizon  in  a  dark  grayish 
picture,  a  magnificent  sight  for  the  lover  of 
nature.  Then  again  at  noon  and  afternoon  in 
particular,  if  you  could  be  on  an  endless 
itretch  of  burned  prairie  you  could  see  a  mile 
or  even  two  or  three  off,  great  lakes  of  water, 
the  exact  image  of  a  great  sheet  of  water. 
Thirsty  people  have  followed  these  lakes  of 
water,  and  never  could  find  them. 

SOME  INDIAN    HOKSETHIEVES 

1  remember  one  afternoon,  George  Thav- 
aoet,  father  and  I  were  out  on  a  deer  hunt 
along  Wood  River.  I  was  with  the  wagon  in 
a  thicket,  when  along  came  20  Indians  with 
war  paint  on  them,  walking  on  foot,  dressed 
in  light  gray  blankets,  armed  with  navy  re- 
volvers, and  yelling  the  most  hideous,  infam- 
ous, horrifying  war  whoops  that  I  ever  heard. 
It  lifted  me  almost  off  of  my  feet  to  say  the 
least.  I  left  the  wagon  for  another  thicket  and 
iarge  weeds,  and  from  there  I  peeped  out  and 
watched  very  closely  this  suspicious  band  of 
Indians.  Later,  we  heard  they  belonged  to 
the  Scitties  and  were  on  a  horse-thieving  ex- 
pedition, headed  for  the  southern  Sioux  coun- 
try to  steal  horses.  Mr.  Thavanet  and  father 
killed  a  five  foot  deer  *hat  afternoon.  Some 
years  later  five  very  suspicious  Indians 
strayed  onto  our  place  one  afternoon  carrying 
halters  and  lasso  ropes  made  out  of  horse  tail 
liair,  and  large  revolvers  on  their  bodies, 
they  looked  into  our  horse  stable.  Father 
opined  that  those  fellows  were  nothing  less 
than  horsethieves.  Father  made  me  lock  our 
barn  as  a  warning  to  them  and  demanded  of 
them  in  not  very  uncertain  tones,  "you, 
pocketshee,"  meaning  "you  get"  and  the  pre- 
diction of  my  father  came  true  to  a  dot.    Sure 


enough,  three  or  four  days  later  the  report 
came  that  Nick  and  Henry  Bonson's  herd  of 
horses  on  one  of  the  Platte  islands  had  been 
visited  by  these  red  skinned  scoundrels  and 
five  of  the  best  horses  had  been  stolen.  Nick 
Bonson  himself,  took  up  the  dashing  Indian 
chase.  On  horseback,  rifle  in  hand,  he  dashed 
for  twelve  miles  up  the  Platte  River,  across 
the  country,  south  down  through  the  state  of 
Kansas  and  on  into  Indian  Territory,  and 
finally  recaptured  his  horses  from  the  bandits 
and  returned  home  safe  with  his  stolen 
property. 

DEPENDING  ON  THE  GUN  FOR  FOOD 
Father's  old  muzzle  loading  rifle,  16  balls 
to  the  pound,  sharp  pointed  bullets,  with  a 
trajectory  6  inches  for  every  50  yards  distance 
when  shot,  and  kicking  like  a  mule,  but  with 
a  very  fine  target,  was  a  great  game  getter. 
We  depended  altogether  on  this  trusted  old 
rifle  for  our  meat  supply  for  the  year  around. 
For  the  winter  it  meant  buffalo  meat  and  for 
the  summer  it  meant  antelope  meat.  It  required 
six  hind  quarters  and  three  saddles  of  buffalo 
for  the  winter  use.  For  summer  we  needed 
from  10  to  15  antelope.  The  buffalo  quarters 
hung  on  the  north  side  of  our  log  house,  and 
in  the  morning  for  breakfast  mother  would 
use  an  axe  to  cut  a  round  steak  of  frozen 
hams.  I  think  of  it  yet  today,  how  nice  and 
sweet  those  juicy  nourishing  round  steaks 
tasted  to  us,  nothing  now  like  it.  For  a  va- 
riety, we  occasionally  had  deer,  brought  in 
through  the  winter  season.  We  hunted  them 
usually  after  a  fresh  snow,  on  Wood  River 
and  in  the  wild  thickets  of  swamp  willows 
along  the  Platte  Islands.  This  meant  the 
very  hardest  kind  of  hunting,  yet  very  fas- 
cinating. This  brush  hunting  was  mostly  done 
with-  shotguns  and  buckshot.  It  meant  quick, 
hard  shots  and  very  often  only  a  glimpse  was 
caught  of  the  prey.  I  killed  my  quota,  30 
deer  and  antelope  and  24  coyotes  to  my  credit, 
the  tatter  generally  shot  with  high  power  rifles. 

THE   ANTELOPE 

The  finest  of  all  large  game  has  been  the 

antelope.    Early  in  the  spring  time  when  grass 


DRY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ck  to  us  onto  the 
es  along  Prairie 
em  could  be  seen, 
re  their  beautiful, 
nt,  large,  lustrous 
is  sticking  out  of 
nd  their  ability  to 
counted  for  their 
ind  very  hard  to 


thered  game  of 
a.  word  about  the 
then.     We  killed 

numbers.  Often 
ns  in  a  day,  and 
s,  7  jack  rabbits, 
ine  antelope  in  a 
i  of  all  feathered 
large  that  nobody 
ng  to  see  them  so 
lay.  A  word  con- 
larly  days,  I  have 
,  starting  west  of 
ce   on    horseback 

for  a  solid  two 
ie  banks  on  both 
any  water  at  all. 

miles  square  was 
geese  as  thick  as 
ntless  in  number, 
lost  certainly,  the 
Before  the  decoy 
ins  of  the  hunter 

rlue  might  be  of 
iterations  of  this 
the  snipe  family, 
rough  the  country 
th  about  May  1st. 


This  was  one  of  the  most  admired  game  birds 
in  the  world,  beautiful,  brown  plumage,  as 
large  as  a  quail.  It  was  the  finest  eating. 
Its  habit  was  to  congregate  in  very  large 
Hocks,  sometimes  five  hundred  or  a  thousand 
going  together,  swarming  over  the  farmer's 
fields,  and  their  favorite  places  to  feed  was 
on  newly  ploughed  com  land.  Great  numbers 
were  easily  taken  on  account  of  their  offering 
splendid  pot  shots  on  the  ground  or  on  wing. 
One  of  their  habits  was  to  rise  to  their  wings, 
from  2  to  4  p.  m.  and  go  so  high  into  the  blue 
skies,  so  high  you  could  barely  see  them, 
circling  round  and  round  and  at  the  same  time 
whistle  a  whirring  plaintive  call,  somewhat 
like  a  plover. 

Only  the  coyote  has  survived  in  increasing 
numbers.  Why  not  hunt  him?  But  he  is 
superior  in  wits  to  all  of  the  game,  and  the 
decoy  does  not  tempt  hint. 

THE    INDIAN    PIPE 

The  Indian  pipe  and  kille  lanick  tobacco 
was  gathered  from  our  red  dogwood  growing 
along  the  streams,  creeks  and  in  groves.  The 
part  of  that  bush  used  for  tobacco  was  the 
outer  fine  bark.  The  peelings  were  dried  in 
the  sun  and  were  there  ready  for  use.  The 
Indian  pipe  was  made  out  of  a  soft  red  stone, 
sometimes  their  tomahawk  being  arranged  for 
a  pipe.  The  head  was  hollowed  through  the 
handle  to  draw  the  smoke.  In  the  act  of 
smoking  the  Indian  inhaled  his  smoke,  deep 
down  into  his  lungs  and  held  it  there  by 
sucking  it  still  deeper  and  deeper  and  then  he 
closed  his  mouth  and  blew  it  out  through  his 
nose  in  great  clouds  with  the  greatest  of  en- 
joyment. The  dogwood  tobacco  had  a 
wonderfully  fine  aroma  that  I  always  loved  to 
smell. 


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CHAPTER  IV 
OTHER  PIONEERS  — AND  FIRST  SETTLEMENT 


The  Tread  of  Pioneers  —  Early  Travel  and  Transportation  — "Hav 

The  Oregon  Trail  —  Its  Effect  on  Hall  County  —  The  Overland  ' 

Kearny  and    Nebraska   City    Road —  The    Decline   of    These    Tr 

Coaches  —  The  Pony  Express  System  —  Land  Highway  and  River  N 

and  Now  —  The  Mormons  —  The  Gold  Hunters  —  Arrival  of)  Peru 

The  Cowboy  Regime  —  The  Mitchell-Ketchum   and  Olive  Tragei 

Plains  Passes  —  The  Early  History  of  the  Wood  River  Valley - 

ment  —  The   First   Postoffice  —  Old  Wood  River   Station  —  I 

River  Starts  —  Wood  River  Valley   Settled  —  The  "Jim  Bt 


—Hear  the  tread  of  pio 
Of  nations  yet  to  be 
The  first  low  wash  c 
Shall  rest  a  human  si 


settlers  who  were  to  coir 
in  treating  of  their  present 
Even  after  we  have  stu 
story  of  the  first  colony,  i 
to  turn  from  the  thoughts 
and  even  luxurious  home 


from  the  wilderness.  Thai 
was  soon  followed  by  otr 
they  had  been  preceded  b; 
It  should  be  not  only  the  delight,  but  the  who  P5135*1  th">«gh  this  te 
duty  of  every  age  and  every  generation,  to  trave"ers  did  not  stop  in  I 
pay  grateful  tribute  to  a  noble  and  valiant  efforts  they  made  to  6°  fa 
ancestry.  The  annals  of  mankind  have  but  Part  in  preparing  this  PI 
meagre  interest  when  stripped  of  the  per- 
sonal element  and  confined  to  a  bare  narrative 
of  events.  Each  generation  looks  upon  the 
benefits  and  conveniences  which  it  enjoys  as 
absolute  necessities,  and  absolutely  fails  to 
comprehend  how  any  people  could  possibly 
live  without  them.  We  forget  that  our  .fathers  our  splendid  groves,  orchi 
and  our  grandfathers  lived  without  automo-  comfortable  churches  and 
biles,  telephones,  electric  lights,  hot  water  inS  towns-  to  consider  fur 
carried  through  pipes  to  the  point  of  use,  and  mumties  of  pioneers  who 
heating  systems  to  distribute  the  heat  where  of  Ha"  County. 
we  wish  to  use  it.  It  was  the  first  generation  In  our  present  state 
of  those  who  settled  each  community  that  happiness,  we  must  not 
made  it  possible  for  us  to  have  these  con-  the  *»P«*  tha*  nature  wor 
veniences  where  we  now  live.  When  vivified 
by  the  record  of  the  lives  of  those  whose 
heroic  daring  lifted  them  above  the  ordinary, 
common  plane  of  living,  we  find  history  to  be- 
come a  most  pleasing  and  instructive  .subject. 


solitudes  to  the  wondering 
inhabitants  of  our  county, 
we  must  not  yield  to  any  fl 
hold  as  of  trifling  conseq 
risk  of  life  itself,  of  the 


In  a  preceding  chapter  we  have  recorded  privation,  and  actual  dan 
the  story  of  the  arrival  and  struggles  of  the  dured  in  the  exercise  of  th 
first  colony  of  pioneers  to  reclaim  Hall  County     age  that  kept  them  strugg! 

55 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


meed  to  this  great  plains  re 

L 

VEL  AND  TRANSPORTATION 
le  search  for  a  home,  in  this 
y,  that  led  those  travellers  to 
the  safety  zone  marked  on 
!  Missouri  River,  or  perhaps, 
irately,  the  Mississippi  River 
:  was  not  until  the  little  colony 
I  that  those  arriving  on  these 
'latte  came  with  the  intention 
locality  their  home.  But  for 
•e  before  then  scattering  bands 
>ugh  the  Platte  Valley  with 
•ushed  on  by  the  impetus  of 
spoliation;  with  trade  or  gold 
:nd  of  the  rainbow  they  were 

yet  but  scant  knowledge  of 
storic  routes  of  travel  through 
he  journals  of  the  Lewis  and 
i,  Pike's  expedition,  Fremont's 
nd  the  accounts  of  the  state  of 
dition  of  the  territory  then, 
he  frontier  in  the  forties  state 

no  well  defined  trails  between 
the  different  tribes  of  Indians, 
lad  its  trails  between  the  loca- 
veral  bands  of  its  own  tribe. 
■  doubt  prehistorical,  natural 
,  perhaps  miles  in  width,  even 
show  trails,  roads  or  paths  as 
the  use  of  these  words  today. 

WE   YOU   AN    EYE 

eye  for  the  trails,  the  trails, 
and  the  newT 

I  here,  what  loitered  there, 
d  in  the. dew? 

eye  for  the  beaten  track, 
and  the  young? 
ie  the  drivers  of  yesterday, 
tongs  they  sung. 

•hooner  last  went  by. 


take  the  shortest  cut 
Us  had  made; 
hill  by  the  easy  slope 
and  the  shade. 


But  it's  barbed  wire  fence,  and  section  line, 
And   kill-horse   travel  now; 
Scoot  you  down  the  canyon  bank — 
The  old  road's  under  plough. 

Have  you  an  eye  for  the  laden  wheel. 


O  little  by-path  and  big  highway, 

Alas,  your  lives  are  done. 

The   freighter's   track   a   weed-grown   ditch, 

Points  to  the  setting  sun. 

The  marks  are  faint  and  rain  wilt  fall 
The  lore  is  hard  to  learn. 
O  hear,  what  ghosts  would  follow  the  road 
If  the  old  years  might  return. 

Whatever  the  story  of  the  Indian  trails  may 
be,  as  they  are  related  in  the  first  volume, 
that  depicting  the  history  of  the  state  of  Ne- 
braska, we  know  that  a  notable  route  sprang 
up  across  the  country,  that  became  the  main 
artery  of  commerce  to  the  northwest,  pre- 
ceding the  arrival  of  the  transcontinental  rail- 
road. This  great  continental  highway  was 
known  to  the  traders,  ranchmen,  and  overland 
stage  drivers  as  the  "Military  Road,"  but  more 
commonly  and  properly  known  as 

THE   OREGON   TRAIL 

The  part  of  the  Oregon  Trail  that  concerns 
Hall  County  lay  a  fraction  over  a  mile  beyond 
the  southwest  comer  of  the  county. 

There  are  five  periods  in  the  story  of  the 
Oregon  Trail.  The  first  extends  from  the 
return  of  the  Astorians  in  1813  to  the  Wyeth 
wagons  in  1832.  The  second  period  was  that 
of  the  early  Oregon  migration  and  extends 
from  1832  to  the  discovery  of  gold  in  Cali- 
fornia in  1849.  The  third  period  was  that  of 
the  rush  for  gold  and  extends  from  1849  to 
1860.  During  this  period  the  Oregon  Trail 
became  the  greatest  traveled  highway'  in  the 
world,  wider  and  more  beaten  than  a  city 
street,  and  hundreds  of  thousands  passed  over 
it.  The  fourth  period  is  that  of  the  decline  of 
the  Oregon  Trail  and  extends  from  1860  to 
1869.  The  fifth  period,  from  1869  to  the 
present  day,  is  witnessing  its  gradual  efface- 
ment. 

The  best  brief  description  of  the  Oregon 
Trail  is  that  of  Father  De  Smet,  who  knew  it 
well  and  tells  of  its  appearance  when  first  seen 

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HISTORY  OF  HAIX  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


57 


by  him  and  his  party  of  Indians  from  the 
Upper  Missouri  in  1851 : 

Our  Indian  companions,  who  had  never 
seen  but  the  narrow  hunting  paths  by  which 
they  transport  themselves  and  their  lodges, 
were  filled  with  admiration  on  seeing  this 
noble  highway,  which  is  as  smooth  as  a  barn 
floor  swept  by  the  winds,  and  not  a  blade  of 
grass  can  shoot  up  on  it  on  account  of  the 
continual  passing.  They  fancied  that  all  had 
gone  over  that  road  and  that  immense  void 
must  exist  in  the  land  of  the  rising  sun.  They 
styled  the  route  the  "Great  Medicine  Road  of 
the  Whites." 

In  another  place  Father  De  Smet  tells  of 
the  great  government  wagon  trains  he  met  on 
the  Oregon  Trail  in  1858: 

Each  train  consisted  of  twenty-six  wagons, 
each  wagon  drawn  by  six  yoke  of  oxen.  The 
trains  made  a  line  fifty  miles  long.  Each 
wagon  is  marked  with  a  name  as  in  the  case  of 
ships,  and  these  names  served  to  furnish 
amusement  to  the  passers-by.  Such  names  as 
The  Constitution,  The  President,  The  Great 
Republic,  The  King  of  Bavaria,  Louis  Na- 
poleon, Dan  O'Connell,  Old  Kentucky,  were 
daubed  in  great  letters  on  each  side  of  the 
carriage.  On  the  plains  the  wagoner  assumes 
the  style  of  Captain,  being  placed  in  command 
o!  his  wagon  and  twelve  oxen.  The  master 
wagoner  is  admiral  of  this  little  land  fleet,  of 
26  captains  and  312  oxen.  At  a  distance  the 
white  awnings  of  the  wagons  have  the  effect 
of  a  fleet  of  vessels  with  all  canvas  spread.1 

EFFECT  ON   HALL  COUNTY 
The   fact   that  the   Oregon   Trail   did   not 
direcdy  pass  through   Hall   County  did  not 
deter  its  presence  being  a  considerable  factor 
in  the  county's  early  history. 

The  known  history  of  this  trail  begins  with 
the  establishment  of  the  fortified  trading  post 
known  as  Astoria,  on  the  Columbia  River, 
fifteen  miles  above  its  mouth,  in  1811,  by  the 
agents  of  John  Jacob  Astor,  head  of  the 
American  Fur  Company.  It  failed,  and  in 
1813  was  abandoned,  but  this  dim  trail  was 
followed  for  another  decade  by  hunters,  trap- 
pers, and  traders,  and  later  by  explorers,  sur- 
veyors. Mormons,  and  emigrants.  In  1832, 
Captain  Bonneville  passed  over  this  route 
from  Independence  to  California,  and  made 
what  is  claimed  as  the  first  wagon  trail  over 


the  great  trail.  In  1842,  John  C.  Fremont  led 
a  surveying  expedition  from  Independence, 
by  way  of  the  Grand  Island  in  the  Platte,  to 
the  South  Pass  and  the  Rocky  Mountains. 
This  expedition  was  accompanied  by  the 
famous  Kit  Carson,  as  guide.  By  1843,  it 
became  a  well  defined  route  for  trade  and 
traffic  between  St.  Louis,  the  base  point,  and 
the  Columbia  River.  In  1847,  the  Mormon 
emigration  to  Utah  had  set  in,  but  in  1849 
came  the  high  tide  of  traffic,  when  the  rush 
to  the  California  gold  fields  set  in. 

A  fairly  accurate  itenerary  of  the  trail  has 
been  made  from  notes  of  Fremont  and  other 
travellers  as  follows:  From  the  point  at 
Independence,  Missouri,  where  the  trail  starts 
northwest,  for  a  distance  of  41  miles  it  is 
identical  with  the  Santa  Fe  trail ;  to  the  Kan- 
sas River,  81  miles;  to  the  Big  Blue  River, 
242  miles ;  to  the  Little  Blue,  296  miles ;  Platte 
River,  316  miles;  lower  ford  of  South  Platte 
River,  433  miles ;  upper  ford  of  South  Platte, 
493  miles ;  Chimney  Rock,  571  miles ;  Scotts 
Bluff,  616  miles.  Adding  the  distance  from  the 
northwest  boundary  of  Nebraska  to  Fort  Van- 
couver, the  terminus,  yields  a  total  of  2,020 
miles.  The  trail  crossed  the  present  Nebraska 
southern  boundary  line  at  or  very  near  the 
point  of  the  intersection  of  the  97th  meridian, 
about  four  miles  west  of  the  southeast  comer 
of  Jefferson  County.  It  left  the  Little  Blue  at 
a  bend  beyond  this  point,  but  reached  it  again 
just  beyond  Hebron.  It  left  the  stream  finally 
at  a  point  near  Leroy,  and  reached  the  Platte 
River  about  twenty  miles  below  the  western  or 
upper  end  of  Grand  Island.  Proceeding  thence 
along  the  south  bank  of  the  Platte  River,  it 
crossed  the  south  fork  about  sixty  miles  from 
the  junction  and  touched  the  north  fork  at 
Ash  Hollow,  twenty  miles  beyond  the  south 
fork  crossing. 

Howard  Stansbury,  a  captain  of  United 
States  topographical  engineers,  in  April,  1849, 
lead  an  expedition  to  the  Great  Salt  Lake  for 
the  purpose  of  exploring  and  surveying  that 
valley.  With  the  clearness  and  precision  of 
a  trained  engineer,  his  descriptions  shed 
further  light  upon  the  great  trail.  He  seems 
1  The  History  and  Stories  of  Nebraska,   Sheldon. 


58 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


to  have  left  the  Little  Blue  at  the  usual  point, 
near  the  present  Leroy,  in  Adams  County, 
thence  cut  across  to  Thirty-two  Mile  Creek, 
seven  and  a  half  miles;  thence  to  the  Platte 
River,  twelve  miles,  and  to  Fort  Kearny, 
seventeen  miles.  He  says  he  struck  the  Platte 
in  a  broad  valley  and  that  "this  road  has  since 
(June  18,  1849)  been  abandoned  for  one  on 
the  left,  more  direct  to  Fort  Kearny." 
'  Even  if  the  Oregon  Trail  through  Nebraska 
has  been  entirely  obliterated  and  turned  into  a 
patch  of  sunflowers,  weeds  at  points  and  glor- 
ious farms  at  others,  it  is  an  historical  factor 
to  Nebraska  that  cannot  be  ignored. 

"As  a  highway  of  travel  the  Oregon  Trail 
is  the  most  remarkable  known  to  history. 
Considering  the  fact  that  it  originated  with 
the  spontaneous  use  of  travelers;  that  no 
transit  ever  located  a  foot  of  it ;  that  no  level 
established  its  grades ;  that  no  engineer  sought 
out  the  fords  or  built  any  bridges  or  surveyed 
the  mountain  passes;  that  there  was  no  grad- 
ing to  speak  of  nor  any  attempt  at  metalling 
the  road-bed;  —  and  the  general  good  quality 
of  this  two  thousand  miles  of  highway  will 
seem  most  extraordinary.  Father  De  Smet, 
who  was  born  in  Belgium,  the  home  of  good 
roads,  pronounced  the  Oregon  Trail  one  of  the 
finest  highways  in  the  world.  At  the  proper 
season  of  the  year  this  was  undoubtedly  true. 
Before  the  prairies  became  too  dry,  the  nat- 
ural turf  formed  the  best  roadway  for  horses 
to  travel  on  that  has  probably  ever  been 
known.  It  was  amply  hard  to  sustain  traffic, 
yet  soft  enough  to  be  easier  to  the  feet  than 
even  the  most  perfect  asphalt  pavement.  Over 
such  roads,  winding  ribbon-like  through  the 
verdant  prairies,  amid  the  profusion  of  spring 
flowers,  with  grass  so  plentiful  that  the 
animals  reveled  in  its  abundance,  and  game 
everywhere  greeted  the  hunter's  rifle,  and 
finally,  with  pure  water  in  the  streams,  the 
traveler  sped  his  way  with  a  feeling  of  joy  and 
exhilaration.  But  not  so  when  the  prairies  be- 
came dry  and  parched,  the  road  filled  with 
stifling  dust,  the  stream-beds  mere  dry  ravines, 
or  carrying  only  alkaline  water  which  could 
not  be  used,  the  game  all  gone  to  more  hos- 
pitable sections,  and  the  summer  sun  pouring 


down  its  heat  with  torrid  intensity.  It  was  then 
that  the  Trail  became  a  highway  of  desolation, 
strewn  with  abandoned  property,  the  skeletons 
of  horses,  mules  and  oxen,  and,  alas,  too  often, 
human  misery,  tragedy,  and  death." 

The  settlement  and  development  of  the  west 
produced  many  changes  in  the  old  trail  as 
known  to  Fremont  the  "Pathfinder"  and  other 
early   western  travellers  and  explorers.     Its 
deep  furrowed  tracks,  often  parallelled  for  a 
width  of  a  hundred  feet,  gradually  faded  away, 
until  today  only  small  patches  may  here  and 
there  be   found  along  its  route  to   trace  its 
course.     As  railroads  spread  forth  from  St. 
Joseph  to  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  from  Council 
Bluffs  across  Nebraska,  the  trail  declined  in 
use,  but  until  after  the  construction  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad,  in  1866-69,  the  Oregon 
Trail,  with  its  cutoffs  and  numerous  branches 
leading  into  and  away  from  it,  was  the  sole 
connecting  line  of  travel  across  the  continent 
from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific,  and  though 
it  may  have  missed  the  present  boundaries  of 
Hall  County  by  a  mile  or  two,  and  its  junction 
with  the  Platte  River  may  have  been  a  few 
miles  west  of  Hall  County's  western  line,  it 
afforded   to  Hall  County  another  means  of 
getting  provisions   in   and   produce   out  and 
relieved  the  settlers  of  some  dread  and  fear 
of  being  too  far  removed  from  food,  and  even 
then  Hall  County  was  on  the  main   line  of 
the  transportation  system  of  the  plains. 

THE  OVERLAND  TRAIL 
The  second  important  trail  across  Nebraska, 
now  commonly  known  as  "The  Overland 
Trail"  but  in  early  days  called  the  California 
or  Mormon  trail,  was  one  that  started  from 
the  banks  of  the  Missiuri  River  near  Bellevtie 
and  Florence,  followed  up  the  north  side  of 
the  Platte  and  North  Platte  to  Fort  Laramie, 
where  it  joined  the  older  Oregon  Trail.  This 
was  the  route  across  Nebraska  of  the  return- 
ing Astorians  in  1813  and  of  some  of  the 
early  fur  traders.  The  Mormons  made  this 
a  wagon  road  on  their  emigration  of  1847, 
when  their  great  company  which  wintered  at 
Florence  and  Bellevue  took  this  way  to  the 
valley  of  the  Great  Salt  Lake.    It  was  there- 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


fore  often  called  the  Mormon  Trail.  As  some 
of  the  immigrants  to  Oregon  and  California 
went  over  this  route  it  sometimes  was  called 
the  Oregon  Trail  or  California  Trail.  There 
was  less  travel  on  this  trail  than  on  the  one 
south  of  the  Platte,  because  there  was  more 
sand  here.  This  north  side  trail  ran  through 
the  present  counties  of  Douglas,  Sarpy, 
Dodge,  Colfax,  Platte,  Merrick,  Hall,  Buffalo, 
Dawson,  Lincoln,  Garden,  Morill,  and  Scotts 
Bluff. 

THE  FORT    KEARNY   AND   NEBRASKA    CITY   ROAD 

The  third  celebrated  trail  across  Nebraska 
was  from  the  Missouri  River  to  Denver  and 
was  called  the  Denver  Trail.  It  had  many 
branches  between  the  Missouri  River  and  Fort 
Keamy.  Its  first  course  led  from  Nebraska 
City,  across  the  present  counties  of  Otoe, 
Lancaster,  Saunders,  Butler,  Polk,  Hamilton, 
Hall  (on  south  side  of  Platte)  to  Buffalo, 
where  but  a  short  distance  west  of  the  Hall 
County  line  it  joined  the  famous  Oregon 
Trail  from  the  southeast.  A  cut-off  road, 
more  direct  than  the  first  course,  was  laid 
out  and  surveyed  by  Chas.  W.  Pierce,  Justus 
L.  Cozad,  and  Nathan  P.  Cook,  surveyors, 
in  July  and  August,  1859,  and  was  in  use 
by  1860.  This  new  Fort  Kearny  and  Ne- 
braska City  road  led  out  from  Nebraska  City, 
west,  through  the  present  counties  of  Otoe, 
Lancaster,  Seward,  York,  Hall,  and  Buffalo, 
and  joined  the  first  course  of  this  third  trail 
in  southeastern  Hall  County  and  the  Oregon 
Trail  proper  near  the  corners  of  Hall,  Buffalo, 
and  Kearney  counties. 

This  last  mentioned  trail  became  very  pop- 
ular with  thousands  of  immigrants  and 
freighters  from  1862  to  1869.  Over  this 
Denver  Trail  went  the  Pike's  Peak  immigrants 
and  the  supplies  and  machinery  for  opening 
the  mines  in  Colorado. 

THE  DECLINE  OF  THESE  TRAILS 
These  overland  trails  fell  out  of  use  very 
fast  after  the  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  in  1869.  Short  stretches  leading 
from  one  settlement  or  town  to  another  were 
used  as  roads  but  no  longer  as  part  of  great 


through  highways  of  tr 
through  Western  Nebrasl 
County,  traces  of  the  old  wi 
here  and  there. 

Thus  it  will  be  seen  that 
either  on  the  route  of  all  o: 
land  highways,  or  within 
within  the  radius  of  their  i 

THE  STAGE  co^ 
Before  we  return  to  a  cc 
early  travelers  through  this 
it  is  well  to  linger  sufficien 
Overland  stages,  which  for 
public  transportation  prior 
the  railroad.  As  a  highway 
stage  from  the  Missouri  R 
coast  the  great  trail  perfor 
esting  and  a  most  import: 
American  people.  For  th 
commonly  used  vehicle  was 
coaches,  so-called  because 
Concord,  New  Hampshire, 
dated,  usually,  nine  pass< 
often  one  or  two  sat  on  th 
driver.  Sometimes  an  exl 
on  the  outside  behind  the 
frequently  as  many  as  fifte 
in  and  on  such  a  coach. 

With  the  "Overland  Sta 
"Overland  Mail."  The 
carrying  this  mail  was  let 
H.  Woodton,  of  Independei 
service  was  monthly  on  a  re 
nals  twelve  hundred  miles 
and  Salt  Lake  City,  and  1; 
extended  to  Sacramento, 
service  led  through  Nebras 
the  Oregon  Trail.  In  1859 
was  transferred  to  Russell, '. 
who  afterwards  became  tl 
freighters  in  Nebraska  fi 
River.  It  will  be  rememlx 
route  followed  the  overland 
side  of  the  Platte  River, 
Pacific  railroad,  which  supe 
on  the  north  side  of  the  rii 
Nebraska. 
Until  1863,  the  passenger 


i  by  Google 


60 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


line  was  $75  from  Atchison  to  Denver,  $150  to 
Salt  Lake,  and  $225  to  Placerville.  When 
the  currency  of  the  country  became  inflated 
the  fare  increased  accordingly.  The  carrying 
of  passengers  and  express  packages  formed 
important  items  of  the  receipts  of  this  busi- 
ness. As  remarked  before,  at  first  the  trips 
were  made  monthly.  This  was  shortly  re- 
duced to  semi-monthly,  and  finally  —  when 
the  overland  stage  business  fell  into  the  hands 
of  Ben  Holliday,  who  in  many  respects  was 
one  of  the  most  remarkable  men  of  his  day, 
perhaps  he  could  be  called  the  Hill  or  Harri- 
man  of  the  stage-coach  —  a  stage  service  was 


evolved  in  which  the  stages  ran  daily  on  fast 
and  schedule  time  from  Atchison,  Kansas,  to 
Placerville,  California,  in  the  remarkably  short 
period  of  seventeen  days,  carrying  mail  and 
passengers  each  day. 

THE  PONY  EXPRESS  SYSTEM 
An  important  incident  to  the  old  highway 
transportation  was  the  pony  express,  a  move- 
ment which  originated  in  1860  with  William 
H.  Russell,  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas.  This 
system  was  the  forerunner  of  the  present 
great  fast  mail  system  of  the  United  States. 
It  was  a  system  of  mounted  couriers,  wholly 


Map  of  Haul  County  showing  Rivers  and  Trails 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


61 


devoted  to  the  private  transmission  of  letter- 
mail,  newspapers,  telegraph  messages,  im- 
portant government  dispatches,  bank  drafts, 
and  the  like.  In  1854,  Senator  W.  M.  Gwin, 
of  California,  rode  to  Washington  on  horse- 
back, accompanied  part  of  the  way  by  B.  F. 
Ficklin,  superintendent  of  the  firm  of  Russell, 
Majors  &  Waddell,  and  the  idea  of  the  Pony 
Express  grew  out  of  this  trip.  After  Gwin 
made  a  legislative  attempt  to  establish  such  a 
system  and  failed,  Russell  worked  it  out  on  a 
practical  basis.  The  charges  were  originally 
five  dollars  for  each  letter  of  one-half  ounce 


the  Platte  Valley.  In  1857,  one  hundred  and 
three  miles  of  road  had  been  laid  out  from 
Omaha,  westward,  including  thirty-nine 
bridges.  About  that  time  Congress  appro- 
priated $50,000  for  the  construction  of  a  road 
to  New  Fort  Kearny. 

In  1859,  the  territorial  legislature  memorial- 
ized Congress  to  grant  to  John  A.  Latta,  of 
Plattsmouth,  20,000  acres  of  land  in  the  valley 
of  the  Platte  River  on  condition  that  before 
October  1,  1861,  he  "shall  place  on  said  river 
a  good  and  substantial  steamboat  and  run  the 
same  between  the  mouth  of  said  Platte  River." 


One  Type  of  the  Famous  Concord  Stage-coach 


or  less;  hut  afterwards  this  was  reduced  to 
two  dollars  and  a  half,  this  being  in  addition 
to  the  regular  United  States  postage.  Any 
great  subsidy  the  promotors  of  this  scheme 
figured  on  failed  to  realize,  and  such  million 
dollar  subsidy  was  reserved  for  slower  mail 
contracts  with  the  Overland  Company,  and  by 
one  maneuver  after  another  the  service  lasted 
until  it  was  discontinued  when  the  telegraph 
line  was  completed  late  in  1861. 

LAND  HIGHWAY  AND  RIVER  NAVIGATION 

Before  the  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific, 
uV  council  of  the  territorial  legislatures  not 
only  chartered  the  Platte  Valley  &  Pacific 
Railway  Company  but  generally  recognized 
that  nine-tenths  of  the  travel  through  Ne- 
braska to  the  Pacific  coast  would  pass  along 


and  Fort  Kearny  and  do  all  necessary  dredg- 
ing, "knowing  that  there  is  a  sufficient  volume 
of  water  in  said  river  which  is  a  thousand 
miles  in  length." 

This  vision  of  steamboats  mooring  on  Grand 
Island  never  materialized  beyond  the  minds 
of  the  ambitious  planners. 

THEN  AND  NOW 

A  person  who  now  travels  by  rail  or  motors 
over  country  roads  from  southeastern  Ne- 
braska to  the  site  of  old  Fort  Kearny,  over 
the  general  region  traversed  by  the  Oregon 
Trail  or  its  branches,  encounters  evidence  of 
a  wonderful  change  toward  wealth  and  re- 
finement on  every  hand.  This  wonderful  pic- 
ture of  contrast  applies  with  as  equal  force  to 
Hall  County  as  to  any  other  Nebraska  county. 


3oogl 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Freighting  Scenes  from  Photographs 
The  lower  view  represents  the  freighting  train  known  as  "Bull  of  the  Woods,"  owned  by  Alexander  and 
James  Carlisle.     From  a  photograph  taken  on  Main  Street,   Nebraska  City,  looking  east  from   Sixth   street, 
and  loaned  by  Mr.  O.  C.  Morton.     This  train  consisted  of  twenty-five  wagons  with  six  mules  to  each  wagon, 
and  was  considered  one  of  the  finest  outfits  known  to  freighters. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


63 


The  same  succession  of  thriving  cities  and 
villages,  connected  by  rail,  telegraph,  and  tele- 
phone, and  possessing  happy,  intelligent,  and 
thriving  populations,  greets  him  on  every  hand. 
Then  the  road  led  across  the  naked  prairie 
from  the  Missouri  River  —  wide,  hard,  and 
bare.  It  followed  no  definite  course,  unless 
a  general  northwesterly  direction  could  be  so 
designated.  It  crossed  bridgeless  streams,  tra- 
versed localities  of  great  natural  beauty  and 
vast  prairie  meadows  where  millions  of 
buffalo,  elk,  deer,  and  antelope  were  found. 
A  few  stage  stations  and  ranches  marked  the 
course  and  sat  out  distinctly  on  the  boundless 
and  almost  uninhabited  prairie.  The  great 
thoroughfare  was  then  traveled  by  as  hete- 
rogeneous a  mass  of  people  as  could  be  found 
anywhere  in  the  world  —  merchants,  capital- 
ists, freighters,  prospectors,  hunters,  trappers, 
traders,  soldiers,  Indians,  emigrants,  Mor- 
mons, gamblers,  adventurers,  pleasure-seekers, 
tourists,  and  even  representatives  of  foreign 
nations.  Here  and  there  an  enterprising 
randier  supplied  the  freighters,  soldiers,  stage- 
drirtn,  emigrants,  and  travelers  with  food 
and"  Aink  —  especially  drink. 

Hqw  the  road  leads  along  well-defined 
roafc»  of  travel,  with  the  road  well  graded, 
and  begining  especially  with  1918,  many  parts 
of  it  hard-surfaced,  with  many  miles  each  year 
to  be  so  hard-surfaced  under  the  ambitious, 
iiiiyiilii  ii  ii  i  road-building  program  pro- 
'  I'fer  by  the  current  legislature.  Not  only 
road  of  these  times  follow  a  definite 
,  but  the  telegraph  and  telephone  poles 
side  bear  marked  legends  to  guide 
driver.  Streams  are  bridged, 
yet  with  rickety  wooden  bridges 
erly  no  bridge  stood,  but  even  more 
with  permanently  constructed  steel, 
cement  bridges.  Annually  the  last 
happy  stage  is  drawing  nearer  all 
route.  Where  there  was  only  endless 
b,  there  now  open  to  the  vista,  magnifi- 
cent farm-homes,  practically  palaces  many  of 
them,  with  commodious  barns  well-comparing 
with  the  houses;  innumerable  sheds  and 
smaller  buildings;  with  many  farms  possess- 
ing not  only  an  automobile  or  two,  but  very 


frequently  a  tractor  and  a  motor-truck  and 
even  power  engines.  Where  formerly  travel 
was  by  foot,  by  horse-back,  wagon,  or  coach 
now  the  fast  high-powered  automobiles  shoot 
past,  and  the  old  stage-wagon  for  taking  pro- 
visions to  the  railroad  which  gave  away  to 
modern  light  wagons  is  the  almost  forgotten 
fore-runner  of  the  swift  truck.  What  the  old 
national  highway  was  to  the  great  plains,  what 
the  welcome  transcontinental  Union  Pacific 
became,  even  now  the  granddaughter  of  the 
old  trail,  the  permanently  constructed  high- 
way,' bids  fair  to  become  —  and  very  soon  at 
that. 

"There  are  highways  born,  the  old 

roads  die  — 
Can  you  read  what  once  they  said, 
From  the  way-worn  ditch  and  the 

sunflower  clump, 
And  the  needs  of  folk  long  dead." 

THE    MORMONS 

In  the  first  chapter  we  have  treated  of  the 
travels  of  the  explorers  through  the  Platte 
Valley;  in  the  preceding  chapter  we  have  nar- 
rated the  Indian  occupation  and  have  treated 
generally  the  general  travel  of  all  classes 
through  this  region  on  the  Overland  Trail. 

After  the  explorers  and  Indians,  the  first 
organized  bands  of  people  to  traverse  Hall 
County,  the  Mormons  rolled  in,  recently  ex- 
pelled from  Nauvoo.  Commencing  back  in 
the  '30*s  at  Kirkland,  Ohio,  this  people  seemed 
to  be  the  special  subject  of  persecution  wher- 
ever they  stopped.  Going  down  to  Jackson 
County,  Missouri,  their  presence  had  led  to 
turmoil,  and.  from  there  they  went  back  to 
Illinois  and  tried  it  again.  But  there  they  ' 
could  not  even  hold  their  new  temple,  and 
they  were  compelled  once  more  to  leave.  They 
journeyed  to  Iowa,  and  for  a  time  had  prac- 
tically complete  possession  of  Pottawattamie 
County,  Iowa,  of  which  Council  Bluffs  be- 
came the  county  seat,  finally  ■  crossing  the 
Missouri  River  during  the  years  1845  and  '46, 
locating  about  six  miles  north  of  Omaha,  at 
what  is  now  known  as  Florence,  but  which 
they  then  termed  "Winter  Quarters."     Here 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


about  15,000  people  were  congregated.  But 
when  they  arrived  on  this  side  of  the  Mis- 
souri, the  turmoil  and  devastation  caused  by 
the  presence  of  15,000  non-producers  nat- 
urally excited  the  anger  of  the  Indians,  to 
whom  the  land  then  belonged.  They  at  once 
concluded  the  Mormons  were  cutting  too 
much  timber,  and  made  this  complaint  effec- 
tive enough  to  result  in  the  invader  moving 
on.  So  far  as  Hall  County  was  concerned, 
the  exodus  of  these  first  Mormons  was  noth- 
ing more  than  a  transitory  passage  through 
its  southern  part,  or  even  farther  south  along 
the  other  road.  Salt  Lake  had  been  picked 
out  as  their  destination  and  it  was  there  they 
kept  headed  for. 

But  in  the  spring  of  1858,  very  shortly  after 
the  first  permanent  settlers  reached  the 
county,  a  band  of  Mormons  came  in,  who 
stopped  here,  for  a  time  at  least.  They 
opened  up  a  number  of  farms  on  Wood  River, 
and  formed  a  settlement  approximately  where 
the  present  town  of  Shelton  is  located.  Al- 
though this  last-named  location  is  perhaps  a 
half-mile  west  of  the  Hall  County  line,  the 
farms  that  belonged  to  this  settlement  were 
scattered  for  several  miles  toward  Wood 
River,  and  spread  out  into  western  Hall 
County. 

The  Mormons,  during  their  presence  here, 
established  the  first  newspaper  in  this  vicinity, 
The  Huntsman's  Echo.  In  the  spring  of  1863 
the  Mormons  moved  to  Salt  Lake. 

Their  Saints,  or  bigamists,  voluptuaries,  or 
adulterers,  or  whatever  one  might  call  them, 
according  to  personal  views,  were  at  least  no 
drones.  Wherever  they  settled  in  the  wilder- 
ness, they  caused  a  garden  spot  to  spring 
forth.  Wherever  these  people  dwelt,  there 
everything  was  under  the  control  of  the 
church.  Idleness  and  dissipation  were  not 
tolerated.  They  needed  no  jail.  Although 
polygamy  was  permitted,  and,  in  fact,  no 
doubt  encouraged,  it  is  not  considered  proba- 
ble by  students  of  the  question  that  more  than 
ten  per  cent  of  all  the  men  had  plural  wives, 
and  the  strangest  feature  was  that  the  women 
were  the  strongest  defenders  of  the  system. 
Work  was  the  order  of  the  day  until  the  crops 


were  raised,  harvested,  and  gathered,  the 
tithing  was  paid  and  the  poor  provided  for, 
then  the  winter  was  devoted  to  dancing  and 
orderly  amusements,  encouraged  by  the  clergy 
and  conducted  with  utmost  decorum,  their 
balls  usually  being  opened  and  closed  with 
prayer. 

But  the  presence  of  these  families  for  the 
temporary  period  of  residence  had  no  per- 
manent effect  on  Hall  County  or  the  state  of 
Nebraska.  There  are  living  within  the  state 
those  who  entertain  the  Mormon  faith,  with- 
out the  practice  of  polygamy,  of  course,  and 
pursuing  the  orderly  course  of  their  belief, 
hardly  different   from  other  religious  faiths. 

THE  GOLD   HUNTERS 

Next  after  the  Mormons  came  the  flood  ot 
emigrants  to  California,  in  search  of  that 
most  seductive,  that  most  powerful  metal 
known  to  man,  gold.  The  fever  of  1849 
swept  over  the  nation,  and  literally  thousands 
upon  thousands  wended  their  anxious  way 
through  the  valley  of  the  Platte.  This  root- 
ing  host  also  left  no  permanent  impress  upon 
Hall  County  or  the  Platte  Valley.  But  not 
so  with  the  effect  of  the  land  upon  some  of 
them.  The  land  so  charmed  the  eye  of  many 
and  created  so  abiding  an  impression  on  tin 
mind  of  many  beholders,  that  after  going 
forth  to  the  west  and  becoming  wearied  will 
the  unequal  contest  of  the  camp,  or  downed  by 
the  overwhelming  vicissitudes  of  prospecting, 
they  abandoned  the  pick  and  spade  for  the 
surer  implements  of  husbandry.  Remembering 
the  beautiful  valleys,  they  straggled  back  and 
settled  along  the  Overland  Trail  or  new  trans- 
continental highways  to  amass  a  competence 
for  their  declining  years,  on  the  slower  but 
surer  plan. 

ARRIVAL  OF  PERMANENT  SETTLERS 
The  detailed  stories  of  the  arrival  of  the 
first  permanent  settlers  of  the  various  locali- 
ties is  told  in  this  and  other  chapters  of  this 
work.  The  first  brave  colony  to  arrive  in 
1857  near  Grand  Island  has  been  treated  here- 
tofore, and  the  story  told  in  their  own  words. 
The  passage  of  the  Mormons,  their  temporary 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


65 


settlement  at  the  west  border  of  the  county, 
has  been  recounted.  The  pioneer  settlements 
in  the  southwestern  quarter  of  the  county  will 
be  narrated  in  the  story  of  the  Wood  River 
Valley.  Throughout  the  county,  during  the 
sixties,  here  and  there  small  groups  of  pio- 
neers picked  out  their  farms  and  made  settle- 
ments which  developed  into  communities  and 
into  townships.  These  will  be  reached  as  the 
stories  of  the  various  townships  are  covered 
in  the  following  chapters.  Here  and  there  a 
little  town  started,  but  soon  expired.  The 
earliest  instance  of  such  was  a  settlement 
about  seven  miles  west  of  the  first  town, 
called  Mendotte.  Four  houses  were  erected 
there  by  David  Crocker,  William  Roberts,  M. 
Potts,  and  Billy  Painter.  The  town  was 
abandoned  soon  after,  and  the  site  was  ocupied 
by  David  Crocker,  who  later  sold  his  claim 
and  moved  to  Santa  Barbara,  California. 

THE  COWBOY  REGIME 
The  early  pages  of  Hall  County  history  are 
written  to  some  extent  in  blood,  but  not  so 
much  as  many  of  its  neighboring  counties. 
Along  with  the  tales  of  massacres  by  prowl- 
ing and  vengeful  Indians  there  were  nume- 
rous encounters  with  the  lawless  element  in- 
cident to  life  beyond  the  reach  of  the  ami  of 
the  law  and  justice  —  the  confidence  man  and 
gambler.  But  the  establishment  of  the  county 
government,  with  the  forces  "of  law,  even  if 
rudimentary  in  character  and  machinery,  so 
early  after  the  settlement  of  the  community, 
placed  an  early  and  somewhat  effective  check 
upon  wholesale  lewlessness,  when  compared 
with  other  communities.  Occasional  "old 
lime"  cowboys  with  a  determination  to  "shoot 
up"  the  town  and  lawbreakers  of  all  kinds 
newly  escaped  from  the  east  would  naturally 
drift  in  and  raise  a  variety  of  disturbances. 
The  desperado  and  the  gambler,  the  floater 
who  would  follow  the  railroad  construction, 
all  appeared,  but  they  did  not  remain  long. 
The  character  of  the  class  of  sturdy  pioneers 
who  settled  the  Platte  Valley  through  Hall 
County  was  of  too  sterling  and  practical  a 
make-up  to  long  countenance  deliberate  out- 
lawry with  all  that  it  begets.  So  all  scum  of 
civilization  passed  on. 


For  the  cowboy  proper,  with  all  of  his  dis- 
tinctive individuality  and  pronounced  traits, 
Hall  County  never  became  very  extensively 
his  abode.  In  its  swift  evolution  of  the  virgin 
prairie  of  the  Platte  and  Wood  River  valleys 
to  homestead,  such  harrowing  incidents  of 
long  border  feuds  and  bitter  warfare  between 
ranchers  and  homesteader,  Hall  County  es- 
caped with  the  minimum  amount.  The  long 
bitter  contention,  continuous  parleying,  and 
too  frequent  bloodshed  between  cowboy  occu- 
pant and  pioneer  homesteader  as  fell  to  the 
lot  of  Custer  and  other  counties  west  of  us. 
Hall  County  was  fortunate  enough  to  evade. 

In  the  late  fifties  and  early  sixties,  when  the 
early  pioneers  of  Hall  County  were  arriving, 
the  cattle  industry  in  the  Great  Plains  had 
taken  on  vast  proportions.  Great  herds  of 
cattle  from  Texas  and  the  "Pan  Handle"  were 
in  full  possession  of  "No  Man's  Land"  of 
western   Nebraska  and  western   Kansas. 

Great  tracts  to  the  west  and  northwest  of 
Hall  County  became  literally  swarmed  with 
thousands  of  "rangers."  The  cattle  kings 
seized  upon  good  herding  grounds  and  built 
home  ranches  on  every  available  watercourse, 
to  the  exclusion  of  actual  settlers  desiring  to 
make  a  small  home-place.  Once  in  their  pos- 
session, some  of  the  cattle  kings  held  to  the 
country  in  defiance  of  all  herd  laws  and  home- 
stead laws.  The  struggle  still  continues  in  a 
much  modified  and  bloodless  form  in  territory 
not  far  away  from  Hall  County,  but  after  fifty 
or  sixty  years  have  passed  it  is  within  the  com- 
mercial trade  territory  of  Hall  County's  thriv- 
ing metropolitan  city,  Grand  Island. 

But  like  the  North  Loup  country  to  the 
north  of  us,  Hall  County  had  the  good  for- 
tune to  become  established  as  a  realm  of  small 
farms  and  homes  before  the  rancher  and 
cattle  king  reached  her  prairie  in  full  force. 
The  main  brunt  of  the  bloody  struggles  of 
that  era  centered  around  Sidney,  Ogallala, 
Plum  Creek  (now  Lexington)  and  up  into 
Custer  County.  Many  of  these  characters 
visited  Grand  Island  frequently,  and  oc- 
casionally bloody  episodes  occurred  here. 
But  in  the  main,  Hall  County,  compared  to 
her  neighboring  counties  to  the  west,  can 
write  her  history   of   the  cowboy  regime   in 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


about  as  many  pages  as  Custer  County  must 
have  chapters  to  cover  the  same  phase  of  her 
existence  and  devolopment.  But  there  are  a 
few  incidents  of  those  days,  while  they  may 
have  occurred  outside  of  Hall  County's  boun- 
daries, had  their  effect  on  the  life  of  the  day 
and  maintain  their  interest  in  this  phase  of 
the  history  of  central  Nebraska. 

The  years  1877  and  1878  witnessed  a  great 
influx  of  settlers  to  Custer  County.  The  fine 
bottom  lands  along  the  water  courses  became 
settled  and  it  really  began  to  look  as  though 
the  great  herds  of  cattle  would  soon  be  en- 
tirely excluded  from  their  old  watering  places. 
This,  to  them  seeming  a  gross  injustice,  an- 
gered the  cattlemen,  especially  as  it  was  the 
general  opinion  that  only  the  bottom  lands 
were  fit  for  agriculture;  these  occupied  by 
farmers  would  render  practically  valueless  for 
grazing  the  thousands  of  acres  of  unwatered 
hill  country.  Custer  County,  they  argued, 
was  a  natural  grazing  country,  and  should  be 
maintained  as  such.  Another  and  the  im- 
mediate cause  of  many  deeds  of  violence  was 
the  prevalence  of  "cattle  rustling." 

It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  cattlemen 
allowed  their  stock  to  roam  at  will  over  the 
range.  This  meant  for  months  at  a  time  per- 
haps they  would  be  beyond  their  owners' 
reach,  who  saw  them  usually  but  once  a  year 
at  the  annual  "round  up."  The  straying 
cattle  would  thus  fall  an  easy  prey  to  un- 
scrupulous characters,  who  would  coolly  shoot  , 
them  down,  slaughter  them,  and  haul  them  by 
wagon  load  to  the  nearest  railroad  station  for 
shipment.  This  traffic  took  on  vast  propor- 
tions before  the  catlemen  could  notice  their 
losses.  It  must  be  remembered  that  this  was 
before  the  Burlington  railroad  was  built  to 
the  northwest  out  of  Grand  Island.  In  those 
days  everyone,  cattleman,  homesteader,  out- 
law, or  rustler,  to  communicate  with  the  out- 
side world  and  secure  supplies  or  ship  out 
freight,  must  needs  come  to  Grand  Island,  or 
go  over  to  the  Union  Pacific  at  Kearney  or 
Plum  Creek. 

When  finally  the  cattle  people  woke  to  a 
full  realization  of  what  was  happening  their 
rage  knew  no  limits,  and  death  by  lynching 


would  have  been  considered  almost  too  good 
for  a  culprit  caught  in  the  act  of  rustling. 
The  real  thieves  were  and  remained  unknown, 
The  cowboys,  already  prejudiced  against  the 
settlers,  naturally  enough  charged  these 
crimes  to  the  latter.  That  the  settlers  did 
occasionally  shoot  and  slaughter  a  beef  or 
two  there  can  be  little  doubt  —  nor  was  it 
more  than  fair  recompense  for  their  ruined 
crops  —  but  that  they  were  guilty  of  such 
wholesale  slaughter  and  exportation  no  one 
believes  for  a  moment.  These  crimes  must 
be  laid  at  the  door  of  cattle  thieves  from  the 
state  at  large. 

THE   MITCHELL-KETCH  UM   AND  OLIVE  TRAGEDY 

Matters  went  from  bad  to  worse  till  the 
cattlemen  in  their  desperation  resolved  to 
drive  the  settlers  to  a  man  from  the  country. 
This  initiated  a  state  of  lawlessness  very 
seldom  equalled  in  border  feuds.  Cold  blooded 
murder,  in  its  most  cruel  form,  was  repeatedly 
committed,  and  no  man's  life  or  property  was 
deemed  safe.  The  climax  of  all  this  misery 
was  the  murder  and  burning  of  Luther 
Mitchell  and  Ami  Ketchum  —  one  of  the 
most  dastardly  crimes  ever  chronicled  in  the 
history  of  any  nation.  So  gruesome  are  the 
details  of  this  heartrending  tragedy  that  we 
almost  rebel  against  repeating  them  in  this 
narrative.  But  it  is  deemed  advisable  to  do 
so  in  order  to  better  impress  our  readers  with 
the  true  significance  of  Hall  County's  escape 
from  the  worst  features  of  the  cowboy 
regime. 

"One  of  the  most  wealthy  of  the  cattle- 
owners  of  Nebraska  was  I.  P.  Olive,  who 
owned  many  thousand  head  of  stock  that 
found  pasturage  in  Custer  County.  He  had. 
from  time  to  time,  lost  a  great  many  animals, 
some  of  them  undoubtedly  stolen  by  cattle 
thieves.  For  this  reason  he  became  the  prime 
mover  in  the  attempt  to  expel  the  settlers 
from  Custer  County.  His  headquarters  were 
in  this  county,  although  he  resided  in  Plum 
Creek,  Dawson  County.  He  had  come  to  Ne- 
braska from  Texas  on  account  of  having  been 
concerned  in  the  killing  of  several  men  while 
there,  and  it  is  said  that  he  had  been  guilty  of 


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HISTORY  OP  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


67 


other  murders.  Fearing  both  legal  and  personal 
vengeance,  he  fled  to  Nebraska.  He  was 
accompanied  by  his  brother,  Robert  Olive, 
who  had,  to  prevent  all  knowledge  of  his 
whereabouts,  assumed  the  name  of  Stevens.1 
"Luther  M.  Mitchell  snd  Ami  Ketchum 
were  homesteaders,  living  on  Clear  Creek, 
where  they  had  made  a  settlement  some  time 
previous.  Mitchell  was  an  old  man,  sixty- 
three  years  of  age,  a  farmer,  who  had  re- 
moved here  from  Merrick  County.  Ketchum 
had  resided  in  the  state  for  some  years  and 
had  worked  at  his  trade,  that  of  a  blacksmith, 


fession,  seemed  to  implicate  Ami  Ketchum. 
"Stevens,  or  Bob  Olive,  was  well  known  as 
a  desperado,  and  it  was  also  known  that  he. 
and  Ketchum  were  enemies.  Yet  Sheriff  David 
Anderson,  of  Buffalo  County,  made  him 
deputy  for  the  occasion,  and  gave  him  a 
warrant  for  the  arrest  of  Ketchum.  This 
warrant  was  sworn  out  by  some  members  of 
the  Olive  gang,  and  it  has  been  a  question 
whether  this  warrant  was  gotten  out  in  good 
faith,  believing  Ketchum  to  be  a  cattle  thief, 
or  merely  as  a  pretext  to  get  him  into  the 
custody  of  the  Olives.     It  is  now  generally 


Early  Scene  in  Western  Nebraska 


in  several  towns,  but,  having  decided  to  go 
to  farming,  he  entered  a  homestead  here. 

"For  sometime  there  had  been  trouble  be- 
tween the  Olives  and  Ketchum.  In  the  at- 
tempt to  frighten  or  drive  the  settlers  from 
the  county,  they  found  Ketchum  too  courag- 
eous to  be  frightened,  and  too  quick  and  accu- 
rate in  the  use  of  firearms  to  be  driven  success- 
fully. Between  Stevens,  or  Bob  Olive,  and 
Ketchum,  there  had  been  a  great  deal  of  diffi- 
culty. Stevens,  as  he  was  then  known,  had 
on  several  occasions  threatened  to  kill  Ket- 
chum and  had  also  accused  him  of  stealing 
cattle. 

"Some  days  previous  to  the  trouble  that  re- 
sulted in  the  death  of  Stevens,  one  Manley 
Capel  had  been  arrested  on  the  charge  of  steal- 
ing cattle  in  Custer  County,  and  in  his  con- 


thought  that  Ketchum  was  innocent  of  any 
crime,  that  he  was  merely  a  peaceable  settler 
whom  Stevens  was  anxious  to  kill  on  account 
of  the  old  emnity,  and  because  he  could  not 
be  driven  from  the  country  by  threats.  It  is 
also  generally  believed  that  had  he  fallen  into 
Stevens's  hands,  he  would  have  been  killed  on 
some  pretext  or  other ;  that  there  are  reasons- 
to  believe  these  opinions  to  be  correct,  the 
following  sketch  of  the  ensuing  tragedy  will 
show. 

"Stevens  engaged  three  others  to  accom- 
pany him,  all  rough  and  desperate  men,  among 
whom  was  Barney  Armstrong,  and  proceeded 

1  There  are  numerous  accounts  of  this  tragedy, 
but  one  of  the  shorter  and  most  concise  accounts 
is  that  appearing  in  The  Trait  of  the  Loup,  by  Has- 
kell and  Foght,  and  with  permi: 
this  work  have  adopted  that  one 


of 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


to  the  home  of  Ketchum,  arriving  there  on 
Wednesday  morning,  November  27,  1878. 
Mitchell  and  Ketchum  were  getting  ready  on 
that  morning  to  go  to  a  neighbor's  to  return 
a  bull  they  had  been  keeping.  Mrs.  Mitchell 
was  preparing  to  go  with  them  to  visit  the 
family  of  this  neighbor  —  one  Mr.  Dows  — 
during  the  day.  When  they  were  nearly  ready 
to  start,  a  stranger  rode  up  and  asked  Ket- 
chum, who  was  a  blacksmith,  to  shoe  his  horse. 
Ketchum  told  him  that  he  could  not  on  that 
day,  and  asked  him  to  return  the  next  morn- 
ing, which  he  promised  to  do  and  rode  off. 
It  has  since  been  supposed  that  he  came  there 
in  the  interests  of  the  Olives,  to  see  if  the  in- 
tended victims  were  there.  Mitchell  and 
Ketchum  had  put  their  rifles  in  the  wagon, 
hoping  to  see  some  game  on  their  journey. 
Ketchum  also  took  his  pistol,  which  he  always 
carried,  from  the  fact  of  Stevens  having 
threatened  his  life. 

"While  the  men  were  taking  care  of  the 
animal,  Mrs.  Mitchell  took  her  place  on  the 
seat  to  hold  the  team.  While  Mitchell  and 
Ketchum  were  tying  the  bull  to  the  axle  of  the 
wagon  and  gathering  in  the  long  lariat  rope  by 
which  it  was  tied,  Mrs.  Mitchell  observed  a 
party  of  men  riding  toward  them,  but  it  at- 
tracted no  particular  attention,  as  they  were 
frequently  visited  by  hunters  and  land  seekers. 
As  these  men  came  up,  they  dashed  along 
four  abreast,  and  when  they  came  near,  began 
shooting.  Stevens,  or  Bob  Olive,  was  the  first 
to  fire,  and  as  he  did  so,  he  called  to  Ketchum 
to  throw  up  his  hands.  For  reply,  Ketchum 
drew  his  pistol,  and,  at  his  first  shot,  Stevens 
fell  forward  in  his  saddle,  mortally  wounded. 
Meanwhile  the  other  men  kept  up  the  shooting, 
and  Ketchum  was  wounded  in  the  arm.  The 
children  came  running  out  of  the  house,  when 
one  of  the  men  began  firing  at  them  but  with- 
out effect.  Mitchell  reached  into  the  wagon, 
secured  his  rifle  and  began  firing,  but  Stevens 
now  turned  and  rode  off,  and  he  was  soon 
followed  by  the  remaining  cowboys.  There 
were  from  twenty-five  to  thirty  shots  fired,  but 
only  with  the  effect  stated.  As  soon  as  the 
cowboys  had  ridden  away,  Mitchell  and  Ket- 
chum  packed   up  a    few   of   their  household 


goods  and  started  to  go  to  Merrick  County, 
where  Mitchell  had  formerly  lived.  They  did 
this  as  they  feared  violence  from  the  now  en- 
raged cowboys.  Arriving  in  Merrick  County, 
they  went  directly  to  the  residence  of  Dr. 
Barnes  to  attend  to  Ketchum's  wounds.  The 
next  morning,  acting  upon  the  advice  of  their 
friends,  the  men,  Mitchell  and  Ketchum,  hav- 
ing secured  a  place  of  safety  for  Mrs.  Mitchell 
and  the  children,  started  for  Custer  County, 
to  give  themselves  up  and  stand  a  trial  for  the 
killing  of  Stevens.  On  their  way,  when  they 
reached  Loup  City,  they  visited  Judge  Wall 
for  legal  advice.  Judge  Wall  advised  them  to 
go  no  farther,  as  the  cowboys  were  waiting 
for  them,  prepared  to  lynch  them.  They  re- 
mained there  two  or  three  days,  and  then  went 
to  the  house  of  John  R.  Baker,  on  Oak  Creek. 
in  Howard  County,  where  they  were  arrested 
by  Sheriff  William  Letcher,  of  Merrick 
County,  and  Sherriff  F.  W.  Crew,  of  Howard 
County,  giving  themselves  readily  into  cus- 
tody. 

"I.  P.  Olive  had  offered  a  reward  of  $700 
for  the  arrest  of  Mitchell  and  Ketchum,  and 
several  sheriffs,  among  whom  were  Crew  of 
Howard,  Gillan  of  Keith,  Anderson  of  Buffalo, 
and  Letcher  of  Merrick,  were  anxious  to  cap- 
ture them  that  they  might  secure  the  reward. 
But  after  they  were  captured  and  in  the  hands 
of  Crew  and  Letcher,  these  officers  were  un- 
willing to  incur  the  responsibility  of  taking 
them  to  Custer  County  and  turning  them  over 
to  the  blood-thirsty  cowboys;  therefore,  they 
were  finally  taken  to  the  Buffalo  County  jail 
in  Kearney,  and  placed  in  charge  of  Capt. 
David  Anderson,  the  sheriff  of  that  county, 
for  safe  keeping.  The  prisoners  were  first 
held  without  any  legal  authority,  as  I.  P.  Olive 
had  given  the  warrant  for  their  arrest,  issued 
in  Custer  County,  into  the  hands  of  Harney 
Gillan,  sheriff  of  Keith  County,  to  serve. 
The  prisoners  had  engaged  T.  Darnall,  of  St. 
Paul,  Nebraska,  and  E.  C.  Calkins,  of  Kear- 
ney, as  their  attorneys.  The  attorneys  en- 
deavored to  keep  the  prisoners  in  the  jail  in 
Kearney,  fearing  that  violence  might  be  done 
them.  The  feeling  in  Kearney  at  that  time 
was  against  Mitchell  and  Ketchum,  who  were 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


represented  as  having  killed  Stevens  while  he 
was  fulfilling  his  duty  as  an  officer  of  the  law. 
A  question  arose  among  the  sheriffs  as  to  the 
division  of  the  money  offered  as  a  reward  for 
Mitchell  and  Ketchum,  which  Olive  declined 
to  pay  until  they  were  delivered  in  Custer 
County.  A  proposition  was  finally  made  to 
Sheriff  Anderson  to  take  them  to  that  place, 
and  $50  was  offered  him  for  his  services.  This 
he  declined  to  do,  however,  unless  he  was  paid 
enough  to  enable  him  to  employ  a  sufficient 
number  of  men  to  guard  the  prisoners.  It  was 
finally  arranged  that  Gillan,  since  he  held  a 
"arrant  for  their  arrest,  should  take  the 
prisoners  to  Custer  County,  and  he  promised 
to  notify  their  attorneys,  Calkins  and  Darnall, 
so  (hat  they  could  accompany  them.  As 
Gillan  was  a  sheriff,  and  his  desperate 
character  was  not  then  known,  even  these 
attorneys  did  not  anticipate  any  serious  diffi- 
culty. They,  however,  kept  close  watch  less 
the  prisoners  be  stolen  away. 

"On  the  afternoon  of  the  10th  day  of  De- 
cember, Damall,  fearing  that  the  prisoners 
"ere  about  to  be  taken  away,  was  keeping 
close  watch  until  after  the  emigrant  train  came 
in.  This  train  was  late,  but  Darnall  remained 
at  the  depot  until  he  thought  it  was  about 
lime  for  it  to  leave,  when  he  started  away. 
In  the  meantime,  Gillan  had  taken  the  prison- 
ers from  the  jail,  and  at  just  the  last  moment 
hustled  them  on  the  cars.  Darnall,  thus  fear- 
ing trouble,  telegraphed  to  Gillan,  at  Elm 
Creek,  first  station  west  of  Kearney,  asking 
him  if  he  would  hold  the  prisoners  at  Plum 
Creek  until  the  arrival  of  the  next  train  from 
die  east.  Gillan  replied  that  he  would  do  so. 
To  still  further  secure  their  safety  he  also 
telegraphed  to  Capt.  C.  W.  McNamar,  an 
attorney  at  Plum  Creek,  asking  him  to  keep 
close  watch,  to  see  what  was  done  with  the 
prisoners  on  their  arrival  at  that  town.  Plum 
Creek  was  the  home  of  I,  P.  Olive,  and  here 
be  was  surrounded  by  many  friends  and  em- 
ployees. They,  with  wagons,  met  the  party  as 
they  got  off  the  train,  and  putting  the  prisoners 
into  a  wagon,  started  at  once  for  Custer 
County.  This  was  about  3  o'clock  in  the 
afternoon.      Captain   McNamar  being  unable 


to  prevail  on  them  to  remain,  and  believing 
that  it  was  the  intention  to  murder  the  prison- 
ers, followed  them  for  some  distance,  when 
the  party  separated,  some  going  in  one  direc- 
tion and  some  in  another.  He  followed  after 
the  prisoners,  however,  until  after  dark,  when 
he  lost  their  trail.  The  Olive  party  kept  on, 
all  coming  together  on  the  Loup  River,  about 
five  miles  from  Olive's  ranch,  where  they 
went  through  the  process  of  transferring  the 
prisoners  from  Gillan  to  Olive.  Among  those 
who  took  the  prisoners  were  Bion  Brown, 
Pedro  Dominicus,  and  Dennis  Gartrell.  Gillan 
and  Dufran  walked  up  the  road  for  a  short 
distance,  while  the  remainder  of  the  party 
started  on  for  Devil's  canyon,  Olive  riding 
ahead  and  Gartrell  driving  the  wagon.  Olive 
stopped  under  a  large  elm  tree.  Two  ropes 
were  thrown  over  a  branch  and  Gartrell  tied 
one  around  Ketchum's  neck  and  Pedro 
Dominicus  tied  the  other  around  Mitchell's 
neck.  The  ropes  were  not  prepared  with  slip 
nooses,  however,  but  were  simply  tied  that 
their  agony  might  be  prolonged.  The  prison- 
ers were  handcuffed  together.  Ketchum  was 
first  drawn  up.  Olive  caught  up  a  rifle 
and  shot  Mitchell.  Olive  and  Gartrell  then 
caught  hold  of  the  rope  and  drew  Mitchell  up. 
Fisher  and  Brown  pulled  on  Ketchum's  rope. 
A  fire  was  then  kindled  under  them.  Accounts 
differ  as  to  whether  this  was  done  purposely  or 
not.  The  party  had  been  indulging  freely  in 
whiskey  and  some  of  them  claim  that  this  fire 
was  started  accidentally.  However  this  may  be 
the  bodies  were  frightfully  burned.  The 
next  day,  when  the  bodies  were  found  about 
three  o'clock  in  the  afternoon,  Ketchum  was 
still  hanging,  with  his  legs  burned  nearly  to  a 
crumbling  condition.  Mitchell's  rope  had 
either  burned  off  or  had  broken,  and  he  was 
lying  on  the  ground,  one  arm  drawn  up  to 
Ketchum  by  the  handcuffs,  while  the  other 
was  burned  off  up  to  the  shoulder. 

"As  soon  as  the  bodies  were  found.  Captain 
McNamar  returned  to  Plum  Creek  and  re- 
jx>rted  the  fact.  L  P.  Olive  lived  there  and 
also  several  of  the  men  who  participated  in 
the  murder.  They  were  well  known  as  dan- 
gerous characters,  and  no  one  cared  to  attempt 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


to  arrest  them,  Indeed  returning  at  once  to 
Plum  Creek,  Olive  and  his  men  had  threatened 
to  kill  anyone  who  should  attempt  to  molest 
them. 

"After  a  few  days  a  conference  was  held 
at  the  office  of  E.  C.  Calkins,  at  Kearney,  to 
see  what  could  be  done.  Sheriff  James,  of 
Plum  Creek,  Dawson  County,  Sheriff  Ander- 
son, of  Buffalo,  Judge  Gaslin,  E.  C.  Calkins, 
and  others  were  present.  The  judge  expressed 
a  willingness  to  issue  a  warrant,  but  the  ques- 
tion was  who  would  serve  it.  Sheriff  James 
refused  to  do  so,  fearing  that  the  murderers 
could  not  be  captured  and  even  if  they  could, 
that  he  would  soon  be  hunted  down  by  their 
confederates,  Sheriff  Anderson  objected  to 
going  into  another  county  to  make  an  arrest 
attended  with  so  much  danger,  but  said  that  if 
the  murderers  came  into  Buffalo  County  he 
would  not  hesitate  to  attempt  their  arrest. 
Two  warrants  were  were  then  made  out  for 
the  citizens  of  Kearney  and  the  law  abiding 
portion  of  the  inhabitants  of  Plum  Creek  had 
resolved  that  the  capture  should  be  made. 
Attorney  General  C.  J.  Dilworth,  who  resided 
on  his  farm  in  Phelps  County,  near  Plum 
Creek,  had  for  some  time,  with  the  assistance 
of  others,  been  working  up  a  plan  for  the 
capture  of  the  gang.  On  Saturday,  January 
5,  1879,  he  telegraphed  to  Kearney  Junction 
that  arrangements  had  been  made  to  take  the 
murderers,  'and  that  the  citizens  of  Plum 
Creek  only  waited  assistance.  At  the  .former 
place  a  well  armed  and  determined  party  had 
been  organized  under  the  leadership  of  Law- 
rence Ketchum,  a  brother  of  one  of  the  mur- 
dered men.  This  party  had  been  anxious  to 
attempt  the  capture  of  Olive,  but  had  hitherto 
been  held  back  by  the  wiser  councils  of  Dil- 
worth, who  sought  by  the  use  of  a  little 
strategy  to  surprise  the  criminals  and  thus  save 
the  loss  of  life  that  would  neccessarily  re- 
sult from  an  open  attack. 

"On  receipt  of  the  message  above  referred 
to,  the  Kearney  party  took  the  first  train 
bound  west  and  arrived  at  Plum  Creek  after 
dark.  Here  they  were  met  by  some  of  the 
citizens,  who  took  them  to  a  place  of  conceal- 
ment, and,   upon   reconnoitering,   it   was   de- 


cided to  wait  until  the  next  morning,  when 
there  would  be  no  suspicion,  and  they  could 
be  captured  one  at  a  time.  On  Sunday  morn- 
ing Baldwin  was  seized  at  break  of  day  al 
his  hotel  while  starting  a  fire,  A  number  of 
the  party  were  captured  one  at  a  time,  as  they 
came  for  their  mail.  Fisher  and  others  were 
arrested  singly  on  the  street.  There  was  no 
bloodshed,  and  but  little  show  of  resistance 
The  prisoners  were  then  taken  into  Kearney 
on  a  special  train.  On  their  arrival,  Olive, 
Green,  and  some  of  the  others,  fearing  they 
would  be  lynched,  turned  pale  and  showed  the 
most  craven  fear.  They  were  all  confined  in 
the  Kearney  jail  at  first,  but  subsequently  were 
distributed  to  jails  in  different  parts  of  the 
state.  On  Monday  morning,  after  the  cap- 
ture of  Olive,  the  Mexican  Pedro  Dominicus, 
Barney  Gillan,  sheriff  of  Keith  County,  and 
Phil  Dufran  were  captured  and  brought  in 
to  Kearney. 

"The  time  appointed  for  the  trial  was  the 
next  spring.  The  place  selected  by  the  presid- 
ing judge,  William  Gaslin,  was  at  Hastings. 
An  indictment  was  found  against  I.  P.  Olive. 
John  Baldwin,  William  H.  Green,  Fred  Fisher. 
Barney  Gillan,  Pedro  Dominicus,  Bion  Brown. 
Phil  Dufran,  Dennis  Gartrell,  Barney  Arm- 
strong, Peter  Bielee,  and  a  man  called  Mc  It- 
duffer,  for  the  murder  of  Mitchell  and  Ket- 
chum. 

"The  trial  of  I.  P.  Olive  and  Fred  Fisher 
began  at  once  and  lasted  for  some  time.  Brown 
and  Dufran  turned  state's  evidence,  and  the 
evidence  showed  the  murder  to  have  been 
committed  in  the  manner  above  stated.  But 
Olive  and  his  relatives  were  wealthy,  and  no 
expense  was  spared  in  conducting  the  case 
in  their  behalf.  During  the  trial,  which 
attracted  the  attention  of  the  entire  stays,  hun- 
dreds of  indignant  citizens  of  various  parts  of 
the  state  went  to  Hastings,  hoping  to  see  jus- 
tice done.  Judge  Gaslin  was  scrupulously 
honorable,  and  the  murderers  had  a  fair  trial. 
It  was  known,  however,  that  money  was  spent 
freely  in  behalf  of  the  prisoners,  and  at  one 
time  it  became  so  apparent  that  the  end  of 
justice  would  be  thwarted  that  the  people 
talked  of  lynching  the  prisoners,  but  as  a  com- 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


71 


pany  of  soldiers  guarded  them  this  was  not  at- 
tempted. Although  the  evidence  was  strong 
against  the  prisoners,  showing  that  they  had 
deliberately  planned  and  executed  a  most  foul 
and  cowardly  murder,  the  jury  went  out  and 
rehired  with  a  verdict  of  guilty  of  murder  in 
the  second  degree..  Judge  Gaslin  then  sen- 
reneed  I.  P.  Olive  and  Fred  Fisher  to  im- 
prisonment for  life  in  the  state  penitentiary,  to 
which  place  they  were  taken. 

"Immediately  after  the  sentence  of  Olive 
and  Fisher,  their  friends  began  to  try  to  de- 
vise plans  to  secure  their  release,  and  the  trial 
of  their  associates  in  crime  was  postponed. 
The  following  year  these  efforts  were  success- 
ful, and  the  convicts  were  released  from  the 
penitentiary  upon  a  decision  of  the  supreme 
tourt  of  the  state  ordering  them  to  be  set 
free  on  account  of  technical  irregularities  in 
the  proceedings  of  their  trial,  Let  it  here  be 
stated  that  Custer  County  had  recently  been 
tormed  from  the  territory  that  had  before  the 
tounty  organization  been  in  two  judicial  dis- 
tricts but  now  was  understood  to  be  attached 
to  the  western  district.  The  supreme  court 
held  that  the  prisoners  must  be  tried  within 
ihe  limits  of  Custer  County,  and  at  the  same 
time  held  that  this  county  was  in  no  judicial 
district  and  hence  that  the  murderers  could 
be  tried  before  no  district  judge  in  the  state. 
This  was  the  decision  of  two  of  the  judges  of 
the  supreme  court,  but  Judge  Samuel  Maxwell, 
all  honor  to  him,  dissented  in  one  of  the  ablest 
legal  documents  ever  prepared  in  that  court. 

"The  decision  of  the  court  of  course  prac- 
tically released  the  convicts  and  put  an  end  to 
the  prosecution  of  their  associates,  nearly  all 
of  whom,  however,  had  been  allowed  to  escape 
from  the  county  jails  in  which  they  were 
confined. 

"The  closing  scene  in  this  terrible  drama  of 
Wood  was  enacted  in  Colorado  whither  I.  P. 
Olive  had  sought  refuge  with  his  son  William. 
For  four  years,  so  that  story  goes,  had  the  re- 
leased murderer  been  shadowed  by  some 
vengeful  enemy,  who  had  gone  so  far  as  to 
bring  his  son  up  to  share  this  hatred.  The 
two,  father  and  son,  never  let  the  Olives  get  a 
moment's  respite,  but  pursued  them  with  the 


bitterness  of  death.  Finally  in  1884  the  stroke 
falls.  The  son  of  the  unknown  avenger  shoots 
young  Olive  dead  in  a  billiard  room ;  the  next 
day,  at  a  cattle  round-up,  the  crime  hardened 
father  falls  before  the  unerring  shot  of  the 
avenger  in  person." 

LIPE  ON  THE  PLAINS  PASSES 
"Life  on  the  plains,"  with  the  many  mem- 
ories it  awakens  in  the  hearts  of  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  our  citizens  who  still  dwell  with  us, 
soon  began  to  dwindle.  When  the  golden  spike 
was  driven  in  1869,  which  bound  together  the 
iron  links  in  the  great  national  rail  highway, 
the  knell  of  the  wild  period  in  the  history  of 
any  western  community  was  struck  and  de- 
cline in  wilderness  began.  Many  stories  of 
the  succeeding  decade  would  still  be  thrilling 
reading,  if  we  had  the  space  to  place  them. 
But,  nevertheless,  the  whistle  of  the  first  loco- 
motive through  central  Nebraska,  in  July, 
1866,  had  already  pierced  the  deepest  signifi- 
cance of  the  words  "life  on  the  plains."  Ever 
after  that,  the  words  "I  crossed  the  plains" 
lost  the  significance  they  had  possessed  when 
spoken  by  a  bronzed  pioneer  who  had  crawled 
along  in  an  emigrant  caravan,  or  jostled  along 
on  horseback,  or  jolted  along  on  the  stage. 

THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  WOOD 
RIVER  VALLEY 

By  O.  M.  Quackenbush 

Time  works  wondrous  changes.  What  is  to- 
day one  of  the  most  beautiful,  productive,  and 
well  settled  valleys  in  this  broad  land  of  ours 
was  little  more  than  fifty  years  ago  described 
and  known  as  the  "Great  American  Desert" 
Gray-haired  men  and  women,  now  spending 
their  declining  years  in  comfort  and  content- 
ment in  the  beutiful  Wood  River  Valley,  as 
boys  and  girls  in  far  off  eastern  states  used 
to  pore  o'er  their  atlases  wherein  it  described 
the  territory  lying  between  the  Missouri  River 
and  the  Rocky  Mountains  as  a  trackless  and 
a  treeless  waste,  where  the  shaggy  buffalo  in 
countless  thousands  roamed  at  will  and  the 
dusky  redskin  pursued  the  chase  and  engaged 
in  savage  warfare.    Little  did  these  boys  and 

Cjooole 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


73 


girls  ihink  their  declining  years  would  be 
spent  in  the  same  "Great  American  Desert," 
surrounded  by  the  comforts  and  luxuries  of 
a  cultured,  prosperous,  and  happy  people. 
Time  has  actually  worked  this  wondrous 
change  though  it  runs  more  like  a  fairy  tale 
than  a  happy  reality.  Though  the  people  of 
the  United  States  knew  little  or  nothing  of 
what  is  now  Nebraska  and  the  Wood  River 
Valley  less  than  a  century  ago,  it  may  not  be 
familar  to  many  that  it  is  gathered  from  pretty 
reliable  authority  that  many  centuries  before 
the  people  of  Spain  had  a  fairly  good  descrip- 
tion of  Nebraska.  From  old  papers  collected 
from  Spanish  archives  it  is  learned  that  a 
Spanish  cavalier  by  the  name  of  Coronado 
explored  the  territory  of  Nebraska  as  early  as 
1541  and  sent  to  Spain  a  fairly  good  descrip- 
tion of  the  same.  He  writes:  "It  is  not  a 
country  of  mountains  there  being  but  hillocks 
and  plains  with  streams  of  excellent  water. 
I  judge  it  must  be  quite  fertile  and  well 
suited  to  the  cultivation  of  all  sorts  of  fruits." 
Describing  the  buffalo,  he  says :  "These  oxen 
are  of  the  bigness  and  color  of  our  bulls,  but 
their  homs  are  not  so  great.  They  have  a 
great  bunch  upon  their  fore-shoulders  and 
more  hair  on  their  fore  part  than  on  their 
hinder  part,  and  it  is  like  wool.  They  have, 
as  it  were,  a  horse  mane  on  their  back -bone ; 
and  much  hair  and  very  long  from  their  knees 
downward.  They  have  great  tufts  of  hair 
hanging  down  from  their  fore  heads,  and  it 
seemeth  that  they  have  beards  because  of  the 
great  store  of  hair  hanging  down  at  their 
chins  and  throats.  The  males  have  very  long 
tails  and  a  knob  or  flock  at  the  end,  so  that  in 
some  respects  they  resemble  the  lion  and  in 
some  others  the  camel.  They  push  with  their 
horns,  they  run,  they  overtake  and  kill  a  horse 
when  they  are  in  their  rage  and  anger.  Finally, 
it  is  a  foul  and  fierce  beast  of  countenance 
and  form  of  body." 

But  to  the  early  settlement  of  Wood  River. 
In  the  early  fifties  when  the  California  gold 
fever  was  at  its  height  the  news  had  been 
carried  back  to  the  eastern  states  by  the  gold 
hunters  that  there  were  good  streams  and 
fertile  spots  in  the  "Great  American  Desert," 


and  soon  adventurous  spirits  began  to  cross 
the  Missouri  and  settle  in  Nebraska.  The 
first  person  to  settle  in  the  vicinity  of  Wood 
River  was  "Pap"  Lamb,  who  located  about 
six  miles  east  of  the  present  site  of  Wood 
River  in  the  winter  of  1858.  In  the  spring 
of  1859  William  Eldridge  and  Patrick  and 
Richard  Moore  followed,  the  former  taking 
.claims  about  four  miles  east  of  Wood  River 
and  the  latter  three  miles  west  of  Wood 
River.  The  year  following,  in  1860,  came 
James  Jackson  and  Anthony  Moore,  who 
settled  near  Patrick  and  Richard  Moore. 
Captain  Smith,  the  Anderson  family,  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Story,  Ed  O'Brien,  James 
Cooke,  John  Maher,  Joseph  Ross,  and  Roger 
Hayes  came  shortly  after.  The  settlers  com- 
menced operations  by  building  log  houses, 
hauling  logs  with  ox  teams  from  the  Platte 
River,  and  breaking  prairie.  The  fresh  broken 
sod  was  planted  to  corn,  and  garden  patches 
were  started.  The  sod  corn  and  gardens  did 
fairly  well  and  the  settlers  were  able  to  raise 
not  only  enough  for  their  own  use  but  had 
some  to  sell  to' the  Pike's  Peak  gold  hunters, 
who  were  streaming  through  the  valley,  and 
to  the  soldiers  stationed  at  Fort  Kearney.  The 
first  year  the  Moores  sold  several  hundred 
dollars  worth  of  corn  and  melons  to  the 
soldiers.  Buffalo,  elk,  deer,  and  wild  turkey 
were  plentiful  and  everybody  was  handy  with 
the  gun,  thus,  the  settlers  were  well  supplied 
with  meat.  From  the  outset  these  hardy  pio- 
neers did  well.  Any  surplus  they  raised  found 
a  ready  sale  at  Fort  Kearney  and  to  the  travel- 
ers passing  up  and  down  the  valley.  Buffalo 
were  very  plentiful  at  this  time  and  the 
settlers  made  considerable  money  hunting 
them  for  their  meat  and  hides.  They  also 
bought  robes  of  the  Indians  and  sold  them 
again  to  good  advantage.  At  first  the  Indians 
were  friendly,  but  along  in  1862  when  most 
of  the  soldiers  had  been  called  to  the  Civil 
War  they  became  ugly  and  on  February  5, 
1862,  committed  a  horrible  massacre.  Cap- 
tain Smith,  his  son-in-law  Anderson,  with  his 
three  sons,  Alexander,  Charles,  and  William, 
were  hauling  logs  on  the  Platte  River  east  of 
the  present  town  of  Wood  River.     Anderson 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


d  home  and  on  his  return 
mid  that  the  captain  and 
been  killed  by  the  Indians, 
veral  arrows  through  his 
1  his  neck  broken  and  his 
William's  skull  was 
louth  was  cut  from  ear  to 
was  found  some  distance 
broken  and  his  body  other- 
r.  Eldridge  headed  a  party 
number  of  Indians  and 
to  the  soldiers  at  Fort 
fear  of  an  uprising  the 
tly  turned  loose.  It  was 
ed  that  the  Indians  cap- 
tie  killing.  For  two  years 
ans  caused  no  trouble,  but 
ild  reports  came  down  the 
jux  were  massacreing  the 
ports  so  frightened  the 
s  that  they  took  their  fami- 

I  rushed  down  the  Platte 
ing  until  they  reached  Fre- 
ir  scare,  and  the  next  day 
leir  homes  and  on  getting 
hing  as   they  had  left   it, 

sight.  The  next  spring 
ras  hunting  buffalo  in  the 
d  by  the  Indians  and  his 
vas  shot  in  the  back  with 
u  passing  entirely  through 

II  the  settlers  who  had  fled 
return  to  their  homes  until 
g.     Aside  from  the  Smith- 

and  the  killing  of  Story, 
itted  no  serious  depreda- 
mber  of  years  the  settlers 
m  and  on  several  occasions 

the  other  of  their  houses 
'end  themselves  against  the 
but  the  Indians  never  came 
ver  fled  from  their  homes 

of  the  Wood  River  Valley 
ete  without  mention  of  the 
;  grasshoppers  visited  the 
i  eight  times,  commencing 
;  in  1876.  In  only  two  of 
.■  great  amount  of  damage 


done.  In  1869  millions  of  them  came  and  ate 
up  all  the  corn,  hut  fortunately  the  small  grain 
was  out  of  harm's  way.  May  22,  1873,  the 
country  fairly  swarmed  with  the  hoppers  but 
they  did  little  damage.  The  worst  damage 
was  done  in  July,  1874,  when  they  came  in 
such  multitudes  that  the  sky  was  darkened 
and  the  valley  was  fairly  alive  with  creeping. 
crawling  hoppers.  Everything  that  was  green 
and  eatable  was  devoured  by  them.  For- 
tunately quite  a  little  of  the  small  grain  was 
ripe  and  this  was  untouched  by  the  hoppers 
The  last  visits  of  the  grasshoppers  were  made 
in  1875-6  and  considerable  damage  was  done 
but  they  left  some  of  the  crop  for  the  use  of 
the  settlers.  As  the  land  became  broken  up 
moisture  increased,  which  proved  fatal  to  ibe 
grasshoppers,  and  they  along  with  the  buffalo 
are  matters  of  history  to  Nebraskans. 

THE  FIRST  POST  OFFICE 
The  first  post-office  was  established  near 
Shelton  along  the  river  in  1864,  presided  over 
by  James  Cook,  the  office  being  a  little  log- 
house,  and  was  called  While  Cloud.  Along 
in  1865  James  Jackson  became  postmaster. 
The  office  was  moved  to  his  store  which  was 
located  at  what  is  now  known  as  "Old  Wood 
River,"  and  on  his  suggestion  the  name  wa- 
changed  to  Wood  River.  In  the  fall  of  1864 
Mr.  Jackson  started  the  first  store  in  old 
Wood  River,  hauling  his  stock  by  wagon  from 
Omaha. 

old  "Wood  river  station" 
In  1866  the  Union  Pacific  came  through 
the  valley  and  established  a  station  at  Wood 
River  with  Mr.  Chittenden  as  agent,  followed 
by  Mr.  Adams,  and  he  in  turn  by  W.  B 
Hollister.  Fred  Hollister  was  bom  at  the 
old  station.  Mr.  Jackson  had  the  only  store 
at  the  old  station,  with  the  exception  of  Mr. 
Baker  who  ran  a  store  for  about  a  year  and 
Pat  Neville  who  ran  a  saloon  there  for  a  year 


PRESENT    WOOD   RIVER    STARTS 

In  1874  the  present  town  of  Wood  River 
was  platted  by  the  U.  P.  railroad  and  the 
station  moved  to  the  new  town.    Mr.  Jackson 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


immediately  moved  his  store  and  residence 
io  the  new  Wood  River,  his  store  and  resi- 
dence being  the  first  in  the  town. 

WOOD  RIVER  VALLEY  SETTLED 
With  the  coming  of  the  railroad,  settlers 
began  to  pour  into  the  valley.  Among  the 
first  to  arrive  were  Freem  Dodge,-  Thomas 
Neville,  James  Williams,  Riley  Abbott,  "Bill" 
Johnson,  James  and  Richard  Keefe,  P.  Brett, 
P.  Duggan,  John  Maher,  Tom  Smout,  Pat 
Neville,  followed  by  David  Barrick,  Chas. 
Towne,  N.  T.  Brittin,  Joe  Murphy,  Frank 
Howe,  J.  Bulger,  John  O'Connor  and  quite 
a  number  of  others.  About  this  same  time 
Prairie  Creek  was  settled  up,  among  the  first 
settlers  being  Wm.  Dudds,  E.  O.  Palmer,  Let 
Houghton,  Seth  Lee,  Jim  Cannon,  the  Ewing 
brothers,  N.  P.  Dickensen,  Noel  Henderson, 
and  several  other  families.  The  valley  from 
this  time  on  settled  up  rapidly  and  farm 
houses  sprang  up  in  every  direction  until  at 
the  present  time  the  Wood  River  Valley  is 
one  of  the  best  settled  sections  of  Nebraska. 
The  log  houses  and  sod  shanties  have  given 
place  to  substantial  modern  dwellings  and  the 
ox  team  and  bull  cart  have  been  replacedby 
sleek  trotters  and  fine  carriages,  which  must 
forsooth  gradually  give  way  to  speeding  auto- 
mobiles. The  old  settler  of  today,  surrounded 
by  all  the  evidence  of  modern  civilization, 
looks  back  to  his  pioneer  days  in  the  Wood 
River  Valley  and  is  led  to  the  conviction  that, 
truly,  time  works  wondrous  changes. 

THE    JIM    BOYD    RANCH 

The  place  known  as  the  Boyd  Ranch  was 
in  section  14,  township  9,  range  14  west.  This, 
it  will  be  noted,  is  the  second  range  west  of 
Hall  County's  west  line,  placing  it  about  eight 
miles  west.  But  in  early  days  eight  miles  was 
a  short  distance,  and  as  this  place  was  one  of 


the  first  landmarks  west  of  the  Missouri 
River,  on  the  California-Mormon-Overland 
trail,  it  played  such  an  important  part  in  the 
history  of  the  west  end  of  Hall  County,  that 
some  space  may  well  be  given  to  a  short  ac- 
count of  it.  It  was  located  on  Wood  River 
at  a  point  where  that  river  approached  nearest 
to  the  Platte,  less  than  three  miles  distant.  It 
was  about  twelve  miles  north  and  east  of  Fort 
Kearny.  An  account  is  given  by  Riley  Wes- 
coatt  of  finding  the  ranch  there  in  1853  when 
he  was  taking  a  herd  of  cattle  to  California. 
James  E.  Boyd,  after  whom  the  ranch  was 
named,  was  governor  of  Nebraska  in  1891-2. 
He  came  to  Buffalo  County  in  1858.  He  had 
been  married  in  August,  1858,  to  Ann  H. 
Henry,  daughter  of  Dr.  Henry,  who  figured 
prominently  in  the  politics  of  this  region  in 
after  years.  They  broke  prairie  on  the  ranch 
very  soon  and  he  could  be  seen  plowing  in 
1860.  From  the  first  liquor  was  sold  on  the 
ranch.  Governor  Abbott  details  securing  the 
first  brewery  equipment  used  in  Hall  County, 
formerly  used  at  the  Boyd  ranch.  This  small 
brewery  when  stationed  on  the  banks  of 
Wood  River  brewed  about  ten  kegs  of  beer 
at  a  time,  which  he  sold  at  the  fort  and  at 
Dobytown  for  from  six  to  eight  dollars  a 
keg.  They  had  also  an  icehouse  there.  The 
hole  in  the  ground  where  their  cellar  was 
located  is  still  noticeable  from  the  highway. 
Until  about  1864,  the  buildings  at  the  ranch 
were  of  logs  and  dirt  roof.  Mr.  Boyd  secured 
deed  to  the  land  comprising  the  ranch  from 
the  United  States  in  1867,  and  the  land  was 
paid  for  in  script  issued  to  a  private  in  Cap- 
tain Henry's  Georgia  Militia  in  the  war.  The 
ranch  was  sold  to  a  man  by  name  of  Eddy  in 
1874.  The  Boyd  ranch  became  a  station  on 
the  stage  line  established  in  1860  by  the 
Western  Stage  Company,  as  mentioned  in 
another  chapter  by  Norman  Reese. 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  V 

INISCENCES  AND  NARRATIVES  OF  PIONEERS 

iderson-Smith  Massacre,  by  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Thomssen,  Sr.  — 
iied,  by  a.  schernekau  —  reminiscences  of  a  hall  county  plo 
Reese  —  Early  Life  —  Arriving  at  Grand  Island  —  Other  Early 
d  River  Valley  —  Our  First  Farming  —  Stage  Routes  —  Squirf, 
jring  the  Civil  War — Indians  had  Visited  —  Pressed  into  Serv- 
tcle  Sam's  Surveyors  —  Many  Middle  Men  —  The  Right  of  Way  — 
>ays  of  Indian  Occupation,  by  W.  E.  Martin,  Doniphan,  Nebraska  — 
—  An  Early  Serviceable  -Well  —  Our  Early  Neighbors  —  Indian 
'  Outfit  and  Customs  —  Let  the  Women  do  the  Work  — The  Is- 
eir  Evening  Meal  and  Menu  —  Preparing  Clothing  and  Meats- 
Samuel  Clay  Bassett  —  A  Few  Glimpses  of  Early  Life  in  Hali. 
(Jack)  Anderson  Settlement  —  Goes  into  Business  —  The  Storm 
owboy  Regime  —  Three  Years  at  Sidney  —  A  Freighting  Expe- 
nd Island  in  Early 'Eighties —  Early  Horse  Race  —  Other 
y  Recollections  —  A  Rattlesnake  on  Locust  Street 


e  anderson-smith 

ssacre 

ited   Shortly  After 

RS.   JOHN   THOMSSEN 

ssen,  who  was  the  one 
vho  came  to  the  present 
he  first  settlers,  relating 
:es  states  that  on  account 
rvation  of  the  colony,  she 
n  September,  two  months 
ir  Omaha,  and  on  March 
mcil  Bluffs  for  two  years. 
e  married  to  John  Thorn- 

of  1860  they  returned  to 

left    for    Fort    Kearny 

emained  at  Fort  Kearny 

then  returned  to  Hall 
re  ever  since.  Most  of 
me  by  ox-team,  excepting 
turn  from  Fort  Kearny 
stage,  "Pap"  Lamb  being 


John  Thomssen,  Sr.,  had  the  following  to 
say  for  an  historical  edition  of  The  Independ- 
ent in  1907 : 

"Fort  Kearney  was  at  that  time  our  marker 
for  corn  and  produce.  We  had  to  cross  the 
Platte  River  near  Fort  Kearny,  which  was 
no  small  job  with  a  loaded  wagon.  One  day 
Charles  Boehl,  Henry  Thomssen,  and  1 
started  out  for  Fort  Kearny  with  com.  We 
had  ox  teams  and  traveling  was  slow.  We  got 
as  far  as  the  site  of  the  present  Wood  River 
where  lived  two  families  by  the  name  of 
Smith  and  Andrews.  There  was  some  snow 
on  the  ground  and  Smith  and  Andrews  had 
been  hauling  wood  on  sleds  from  the  creek 
Just  as  we  drew  near  Mr.  Smith  came  up 
from  the  creek  with  his  empty  sled,  at  full 
gallop,  gesticulating  to  the  women  folks  as  he 
drew  near.  We  were  soon  at  the  scene.  When 
we  arrived  everybody  was  crying.  We  at  once 
learned  what  had  happened.  The  Indians  had 
killed  Andrews  and  his  two  sons  and  also 
the  Smith  boy.    Mr.  Smith  had  escaped.     We 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


made  a  hurried  trip  down  to  the  creek,  which 
was  only  a  little  distance  from  the  house.  The 
first  thing  that  we  saw  was  the  sled  loaded 
with  wood.  But  the  horses  were  gone.  The 
harness  was  cut  to  pieces  and  scattered  about. 
A  little  distance  from  the  sled  lay  Mr. 
Andrews,  dead.  An  arrow  had  struck  him 
from  the  side  under  the  arm  and  had  nearly 
gone  through  him.  He  was  lying  under  a 
bank  where  he  had  probably  gone  for  shelter. 
We  next  found  the  axe.  It  was  covered  with 
blood.  We  found  the  Andrews  boys  nearby. 
They  were  both  dead.  One  of  the  boys  was 
lying  with  his  face  downward,  with  a  club 
across  his  neck,  but  no  arrow  was  to  be  seen. 
Evidently  he  had  been  knocked  down  with  the 
club  and  then  murdered  with  the  axe.  The 
other  boy  was  shot  with  an  arrow  through  the 
wrist  and  then  brained  with  the  axe.  Both 
of  the  boys'  faces  and  clothes  were  covered 
with  blood.  We  hunted  for  some  time  to  find 
the  Smith  boy  but  hardly  dared  to  go  farther 
into  the  woods  for  fear  of  being  attacked  by 
the  Indians  ourselves,  The  boy  was  found  by 
other  parties  next  day.  He  had  also  been  shot 
and  clubbed  to  death.  We  hurriedly  alarmed 
what  neighbors  we  could,  got  together 
eighteen  men,  and  started  in  pursuit  of  the 
Indians.  They  had  gone  west  up  Wood 
River.  During  the  next  night  there  came 
another  snow  storm  which  obliterated  all 
tracks  and  we  returned  home." 

HER  QUOTA  FURNISHED 

hW  Original  Settlement  Provided  Volunteer 
■  That    Bondsmen   Might   Be   Freed. 

BY  A.    SCHERNEKAU 

Landing  in  New  York  on  March  24,  1857, 
1  came  direct  to  that  Mecca  of  all  Schleswig- 
Holsteiners  —  Davenport;  Iowa.  I  found  that 
my  cousin,  Fred  Hedde,  had  procured  work 
for  me  on  the  farm  of  Mr.  Rusch,  near  Dav- 
enport. He  himself  had  left  a  few  days  pre- 
viously with  a  party  of  Germans  for  the  Platte 
River  Valley  in  Nebraska.  It  was  his  desire 
for  me  to  remain  at  work  on  the  farm  to  ac- 
climate myself  before  undertaking  the  trip 
into  the  western  wilderness. 


Mr.  Hedde  returned  in  the  fall  to  Daven- 
port and  in  the  spring  of  1858  the  trip  over- 
land, to  Council  Bluffs,  was  undertaken.  We 
were  a  small  train  of  perhaps  seven  wagons  in 
all,  drawn  by  oxen.  Owing  to  an  unusually 
late  and  wet  season  we  had  to  undergo  many 
hardships  in  crossing  the  numerous  swollen 
streams,  bridges  being  either  swept  away  or 
standing  in  the  wide  bottoms,  all  approaches 
to  them  being  covered  with  water  and  only 
to  be  reached  by  wading  and  swimming,  hold- 


A.  Sch. 

ing  to  an  ox-bow  while  driving,  and  guiding 
your  team  through  the  raging  waters  to  the 
bridge. 

But,  after  long  delays  and  much  waiting 
for  the  waters  to  subside,  we  reached  Omaha. 
From  there  we  took  the  "military  road"  only 
lately  surveyed  up  the  valley  of  the  Platte. 
Here  we  found  a  few  substantially  built 
bridges,  erected  by  the  government,  over  the 
Papilion  Creek  ahd  the  Elkhorn  River.  Our 
traveling  was  better  up  the  valley.  Only  the 
insignificant  "Prairie  Creek"  caused  us  some 
trouble  in  crossing  the  same,  as  the  bottoms 
were  very  soft.  I  will  here  suggest  to  the 
indulgent  reader  of  these  notes  to  imagine  a 
lot  of  green  immigrants  from  Europe,  unac- 
quainted with  the  country,  with  its  customs, 


78 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


and  even,  to  a  large  extent,  with  its  language. 
It  was  really  not  an  easy  task  that  these  men 
and  women  had  before  them.  But,  young  and 
strong,  and  with  great  hopes  of  a  brilliant 
future,  we  struggled  on.  In  July  —  I  have 
not  the  exact  date  on  hand  —  we  finally 
reached  the  settlement. 

COTTONWOOD    AS    BASIS 

We  found  four  double  log  houses  built  and 
occupied  by  the  colonists  who  had  preceded 
us.  The  houses  had  been  built  with  a  view 
of  defense,  in  case  of  an  Indian  attack,  being 
provided  with  loop-holes  for  musketry,  the 
cattle  to  be  corralled  in  the  space  left  between 
them,  the  houses  themselves  forming  part  of 
the  inclosure. 

The  town  of  "Grand  Island"  had  been  sur- 
veyed and  also  the  "claims"  of  the  settlers. 
Each  one  of  the  latter  wishing  to  have  some 
land  close  to  the  "city  limits"  it  was  decided 
that  forty-acre  tracts  should  be  laid  out  all 
around  the  town,  touching  with  one  side  of 
the  city  limits.  These  tracts  were  then,  by 
lot,  distributed  to  the  original  colonists  who 
had  come  in  '57.  The  strip  of  timber  on  the 
islands  in  the  north  channel  of  the  Platte  were 
surveyed,  similarly  in  twenty  arce  lots,  and 
"drawn  for"  or  chosen  by  lot,  among  the  im- 
migrants, as  for  the  forty-acre  pieces.  As  no 
government  survey  had  been  made  this  survey 
started  from  a  big  dead  cottonwood  tree  on 
an  island  in  the  river,  near  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  town. 

Ditches  and  sod  walls  in  place  of  fences 
had  been  constructed  by  the  industrious  and 
hard-working  people,  but  were  afterwards 
abandoned,  partly  as  being  only  imaginary 
lines  and  partly  because  they  did  not  give 
satisfaction  as  permanent  enclosures.  The  sod 
did  not  grow  but,  with  the  sandy  soil  and  the 
burning  by  the  hot  rays  of  the  summer  sun, 
the  disintegration  was  soon  almost  complete. 

The  only  houses  in  the  town  proper,  as  laid 
out,  were  two  log  structures  with  double  roofs 
—  one  put  up  by  Mr.  Hagge  and  the  other, 
I  believe,  for  Mr.Hedde,  who  soon  afterward 
moved  to  his  claim,  on  the  west  side  of  town 
as  then  laid  out.  Land  had  been  broken  up  on 
the  different  claims  of  the  settlers  and  corn 


planted;  but  little  was  raised  this  season 
owing  to  the  fact  that  the  cattle  got  in  and 
destroyed  the  crops.  The  season  being  so  un- 
usually wet  there  was  a  rank  growth  of  grass 
all  over  the  bottom,  such  as  I  do  not  remember 
ever  having  seen  since.  In  doing  our  work 
we  were  always  more  or  less  wet,  going 
through  the  sloughs  filled  with  water,  or 
through  the  long  grass.  The  result  was  that 
most  of  us  had  attacks  of  fever  or  ague  dur- 
ing the  summer.  I  was  one  of  the  last  to  be 
taken  ill  —  we  were  mowing  slough  grass  and 
binding  the  same  into  sheaves  to  thatch  the 
house  of  Mr.  Hedde,  at  the  time. 

The  roofs  of  some  of  the  first  cabins,  made 
of  cottonwood  bark,  did  not  answer  the  pur- 
pose at  all.  Thatch  was  therefore  substituted 
as  roofing  material. 

LEARNED  WHAT  FIRES  WERE 
A  rather  pleasant  winter  from  1859  to  1860 
brought  a  disastrous  prairie  fire  —  I  think  in 
January  of  the  latter  year.  By  this  fire  most 
of  our  provisions  were  burned,  which  again 
almost  rendered  the  little  community  to  the 
famine  conditions  that  had  prevailed  in  the 
first  winter  when  provisions  from  Omaha 
failed  to  arrive  in  time.  This  year,  however, 
the  general  government  stepped  in  and  pre- 
vented extreme  suffering  by  sending  us  a 
month's  rations  for  thirty  men. 

How  little  we  knew  the  nature  of  and  there- 
fore how  little  we  at  first  feared  the  prairie 
fire  will  be  illustrated  by  the  following :  I 
was  at  the  time  living  with  Mr.  Hedde,  west 
of  the  "town"  limits.  The  day  was  bright  and 
pleasant.  We  saw,  about  noon,  the  long  lines 
of  the  flames  of  a  prairie  fire  below  the  settle- 
ment —  that  is  the  four  double  log  houses 
built  by  the  first  settlers.  It  was  suggested 
after  dinner  that  I  hitch  up  —  that  was  put- 
ting the  ox  team  to  the  farm  wagon  which  had 
to  do  duty  as  a  runabout  —  and  drive  Mrs. 
Hedde  down  to  get  a  good  view  of  the  fire. 
We  did  not  realize  the  danger  and  in  what 
short  time  it  would  be  upon  us.  .  Before  we 
had  gone  far  the  fire  had  reached  the  houses 
and  we  had  to  hasten  down  there,  to  help,  if 
possible. 

The  next  year  I  had  my  own  land  and  was 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


/<> 


building  a  small  cabin,  12  x  16  feet.  I  broke 
[and  and  planted  corn  and  regarded  myself  as 
having  reached  my  ideal  —  a  real  cabin  and 
160  acres  of  land  which  I  could  call  my  own. 
This  land  was  located  west  of  Mr.  Hedde's 
and  Mr.  Stolley's,  west  of  the  original  town  of 
Grand  Island,  and  a  part  of  it  is, now  occupied 
as  a  site  for  a  beet  sugar  'factory.  While  I 
was  living  on  this  land  the  war  broke  out. 

WERE  ABOLITIONISTS 
In  common  with  a  very  great  majority  of 
the  Germans  who  had  come  to  the  country  in 
the  previous  years.  I  was  an  ardent  abolition- 
ist and  the  desire  to  assist  in  the  carrying  out 
of  these  views  as  well  as  the  sense  of  duty 
lo  my  adopted  country,  led  me  to  enlist. 
When  the  first  regiment  of  infantry  was 
raised  in  Nebraska  my  affairs  at  the  farm 
were  in  such  shape  that  it  was  impossible  for 
me  to  join  the  same.  In  the  fall  of  the  year, 
however,  when  a  second  call  was  made  to  fill 
up  the  depleted  ranks  of  the  regiment  and 
Hall  County  came  in  with  two  men  for  her 
share,  I  concluded  that  I  would  be  one  of 
them.  In  a  meeting  one  Sunday,  at  Schuler's, 
I  came  forward  as  a  recruit  to  represent  Hall 
County  as  one  of  her  quota  and  Jack — (I 
have  forgotten  his  name)  volunteered  also  but 
for  some  reason  or  other  he  did  not  go  to 
the  front.  In  October,  1862,  I  enlisted  at  Ne- 
braska City  where  the  recruiting  officers  were 
stationed,  and  in  a  few  weeks  found  myself 
at  the  front,  joining  the  regiment  when  it  was 
on  the  Black  River,  in  Missouri. 

There  followed  three  years  of  a  soldier's 
life  with  such  experiences  and  incidents  as 
such  a  life  brought  to  thousands  during  these 
years.  I  was  wounded  while  on  the  White 
River  in  Arkansas,  came  back  to  Grand 
Island  on  sick  leave,  and  finally  joined  my 
regiment  again,  which  had  again  been  re- 
cruited up  and  reorganized  and  sent  to  fight 
the  Indians  on  the  plains.  While  at  home  on 
a  furlough  we  had  our  miniature  "Indian 
war"  at  Grand  Island.  The  "O.  K."  store, 
the  big  log  building,  was  fortified  by  building 
a  bug  sod  wall  with  bastions  on  the  four 
corners  around  the  same  large  enough  to  hold 


wagons  and  cattle  of  the  settlers  flocking  in 
from  all  sides  for  protection. 

General  Curtis  coming  up  from  Omaha 
with  an  expedition  to  protect  the  Overland 
road  left  with  us  a  six-pounder  field  piece, 
with  ammunition.  We  had  no  occasion  ever 
to  use  the  cannon,  neither  was  our  "fort"  at- 
tacked. The  settlement  proper  never  was  mo- 
lested, the  Indians  probably  being  aware  of 
our  preparations.  We  were,  however,  in  my 
opinion,  very  lucky  not  to  be  attacked  by  the 
red-skins  at  that  time,  as  our  guns  were  very 
indifferent,  consisting  of  all  kinds  of  rifles, 
some  shotguns,  a  few  government  muskets 
(condemned),  and  a  great  number  of  all 
makes  of  revolvers.  The  greatest  trouble  was 
the  lack  of  proper  ammunition  for  all  of  these 
arms.  Though  half  an  invalid  I  was  at  that 
time  able  to  ride  a  horse  and  with  several 
others  of  the  young  unmarried  men  of  the 
settlement,  had  to  patrol  the  country  north- 
west and  east  of  us.  We  never  got  a  glimpse 
of  the  hostiles  but  frequently  found  signs 
where  they  had  been. 

PLEASURE    MIDST   HARDSHIPS 

After  being  discharged  from  the  service, 
in  1865,  I  went  back  to  my  farm,  selling  my 
first- claim  west  of  town.  This  time  I  took 
up  another  piece  of  land,  east  of  the  old  site 
where,  with  the  help  of  my  neighbors,  I 
erected  a  double  log  house  under  one  roof 
made  of  slough  grass.  Lumber  and  shingles 
were  yet  almost  unknown  in  the  little  com- 
munity. A  few  boards  were  required  for 
doors,  and  door  and  window  casings  were 
whipsawed  out  of  Cottonwood  logs  and  it  was 
hard  and  particular  work. 

Old  Frederick  Vatje  is  made  to  say,  in  our 
friend  Sass's  immortal  "long  song"  (dat 
Lange  Lied) : 

"So  stuen  he  in  de  Sagkuhl 

And  sae;  de  Audern  sind  man  ful." 

Yes,  with  all  of  our  hardships  and  the  hard 
work  we  performed,  often  under  the  greatest 
of  disadvantages  —  because  being  green,  new 
emigrants,  we  could  not  be  expected  to  under- 
stand and  did  not  understand  the   life  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


work  on  the  frontier  —  we  yet  had  a  great 
deal  of  amusement  among  ourselves  especially 
among  those  of  us  who  kept  "bachelor's  hall." 
The  names  of  Sass,  Schaf,  Nagel,  Menck,  and 
others  only  need  to  be  mentioned  to  awaken  in 
the  old  settlers  the  recollection  of  many  jolly 
incidents. 

Much  hard  and  useless  work  was  per- 
formed in  the  first  years.  I  will  only  mention, 
for  instance,  the  wall  and  ditch  fences  (a 
remnant  of  one  of  these  preserved  by  trees 
planted  on  the  same  may  today  be  seen  on 
the  section  line  road  due  south  of  Grand 
Island,  just  before  one  reaches  the  first 
channel  of  the  Platte  —  Editor)  and  the 
clearing  up  of  allotted  wooded  portions  of 
the  Island.  At  least  Fred  Vatje  did  work- 
diligently  to  grub  out  underbrush,  etc.,  so  as 
to  give  the  young  growing  trees  a  better  chance 
to  thrive.  Others,  like  myself,  planted  trees  and 
wild  shrubs  on  their  land,  but  with  very  little 
success.  Not  until  Mr.  StoUey  came  and  went 
systematically  at  it  were  there  many  trees 
growing. 

TROUBLE    WITH    RAILROAD    CONTRACTORS 

With  the  advent  of  the  Overland  railroad 
(Union  Pacific)  the  settlers  had  another  war 
on  their  hands.  This  time  it  was  with  the 
gangs  of  workmen  sent  out  ahead,  before  the 
actual  construction  of  the  roadbed  began. 
Contracts  had  been  let  to  deliver  ties  and 
firewood  along  the  line  of  road.  The  timber 
growing  along  the  river,  mostly  on  the  islands 
in  the  same,  was  claimed  by  such  of  us  as 
had  land  adjacent  to  the  channel,  we  presum- 
ing that  the  survey  would  not  meander  along 
the  narrow  north  channel  of  the  river.  But 
as  no  government  survey  had  been  made  this 
was  in  doubt.  The  railroad,  interested  in  se- 
curing all  the  timber  in  the  region  with  which 
to  construct  as  much,  of  the  track  as  possible, 
instructed  its  men  to  cut  down  all  the  timber. 
That  which  was  unfit  for  ties  was  to  be  cut 
into  cordwood.  As  our  protests  were  not 
heeded  we  were  advised  by  our  counsel  in 
Omaha  to  arrest  the  men  engaged  in  cutting 
and  hauling  away  the  timber.  The  sheriff 
swore  in  a  number  of  deputies,  we  arrested 


simultaneously  a  number  of  choppers  and 
teamsters  only  to  have  them  at  once  released 
on  bonds  given  by  the  bosses,  and  the  trees 
were  cut  as  before.  The  robbing  us  of  the 
timber  that  should  have  been  protected  and 
would  for  years  have  been  good  for  a  supply 
of  firewood  was  one  of  the  causes  which 
eventually  led  nie  to  emigrate  to  a  country 
where  there  was  a  natural  supply  of  fuel, 
without  shipment. 

END   OF    LOCAL   EXPERIENCES 

Before  I  carried  this  out,  however,  I  made 
a  trip  back  to  Germany,  returning  in  June, 
1868,  to  Grand  Island.  While  in  the  Father- 
land I  was  married  and  brought  Mrs.  Scher- 
nekau  with  me.  At  that  time  the  Union  and 
Central  Pacific  were  making  great  exertions 
to  complete  the  overland  route  to  California. 
Everything  was  high  and  in  great  demand  at 
the  front,  while  the  actual  work  of  building 
was  going  on.  Camps  and  little  towns  sprang 
up  at  the  temporary  termini  of  the  roads, 
and  they  needed,  we  were  informed,  among 
other  things,  a  supply  of  milk.  Our  intention 
to  emigrate  west  was  again  stimulated  by  these 
reports  and  in  the  spring  of  70  just  after  the 
golden  spike  had  been  driven  near  Ogden,  we 
set  out  on  our  long  trip.  We  had,  together. 
a  herd  of  some  twenty  milch  cows.  Cheyenne 
was  our  objective  point.  And  here  end  my 
experiences  and  recollections  of  the  pioneer 
days  of  Grand  Island. 

REMINISCENCES  OF  A  HALL  COUNTY 
PIONEER 


I  was  born  in  1840  in  Dane  County,  Wis- 
consin. In  1858  my  father  leased  me  to  the 
Great  Venabury  Consolidated  Shows  for  two 
years,  in  my  18th  year.  I  was  with  another 
boy  of  my  own  age.  We  played  together  as 
horizontal  bar  performers  as  the  Postering 
Brothers.  Our  parents  received  $75.00  per 
month  during  our  traveling  season  of  five 
months  and  $25.00  per  month  while  n\winter 
quarters.  My  father  had  been  studying  medi- 
cine in  the  University  College  at  Madisoriand 


oriand 

1 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


81 


received  his  diploma  in   1858.     In    1860  my 
father  who  did  not  own  a  home,  decided  to 
go  into  the    far   west.     He   purchased   two 
wagons  with  heavy  canvas  coverings  and  a 
tent,  a  stove,  break  plow,  and  a  few  tools  that 
we  would  need  in  a  new  country,  with  two 
yokes  of  oxen,  one  yoke  of  cows,  household 
effects,  provisions   to  last  over  the  journey, 
and  a  supply  of  drugs  and  medicines  to  last 
for  a  period  of  two  years,  and  we  started  out, 
The  first  week  we  made  about  six  miles  of 
progress  a  day.    We  never  saw  a  mile  of  rail- 
road after  leaving  the  capital  of  Wisconsin 
until  the  Union  Pacific  went  through  Nebraska 
in  August  1866.     When  we  came  to  the  Loup 
River  near  Columbus  we   found  but  a   few 
dwellings  at  Columbus.    Incidentally  when  we 
arrived,  the  man  who  conducted  the  ferry  was 
on  a  spree,  and  wanted  $5.00  to  take  us  across, 
and  this  was  more  than  my  father  had.     He 
was,  therefore,  obliged  to  go  15  miles  up  the 
Loup  River  to  the  Genoa  crossing.    There  at 
the  Pawnee  Reservation  we  saw  the  Pawnee 
tribe,  the  first  Indians  with  which  we  came 
in  contact.     The  man  here  ferried  us  across 
tor  $2.00.  There  was  a  company  of  United 
States    soldiers    protecting    the    reservation 
against  hostile  Sioux,  Cheyennes,  and  Coman- 
ches,  which  tribes  were  on  the  war  path  against 
the  Pawnees.    When  we  reached  Eagle  Island, 
the  stage  station,  a  band  of  Pawneees  were 
on  the  other  side  of  the  Platte  River  after  a 
herd  of  antelope,  and  a  band  of  Sioux  attacked 
them  and  stole  them  from  them.    The  Pawnees 
came  upon  us  just  as  we  were  camping,  and 
impudently  surrounded  our  little  caravan  and 
relieved   us    of   all   our  provisions.     A  little 
later  two  Pike's  Peak  gold  seekers  joined  our 
company,   camped  with  us,  and  gave  us  the 
first  Buffalo  meat  we  ever  ate. 

ARRIVING   AT    GRAND   ISLAND 

We  proceeded  to  make  our  way  to  the  city 
of  Grand  Island,  for  my  father  had  an  old 
acquaintance  who  had  come  out  from  Dane 
County,  Wisconsin,  in  1858,  in  old  Squire 
Land,  who  kept  a  stage  station  35  miles  east 
of  Fort  Kearny.  We  really  came  out  on  the 
urging  of   Mr.   Lamb,  who  had  written  my 


father  that  there  would  be  a  letter  with  money 
at  the  Grand  Island  post  office.  When",  there- 
fore, we  arrived  at  Grand  Island,  we  were 
unable  to  find  the  city,  but  saw  a  lone  shack 
on  the  north  channel  of  the  Platte,  south  of 
where  Grand  Island  is  now  located.  When 
we  asked  how  far  it  was  to  Grand  Island  the 
man  said  we  were  there,  and  informed  my 
father  that  he  was  post  master.  His  post 
office  was  a  cracker  box  partitioned  off.  His 
name  was  John  Schuler.  He  declared  that 
there  was  one  letter  in  the  post  office  and  that 
was  for  my  father.  It  contained  $2.00  "Shi" 
Plasters." 

There  were  very  few  settlers  in  Wood 
River  Valley  at  that  time,  and  they  were  five 
to  eight  miles  apart.  We  selected  a  site  and 
with  the  aid  of  my  father's  neighbors,  he  was 
not  long  in  putting  up  a  log  cabin  22  feet  long 
and  18  feet  wide  with  a  thick  roof  of  Nebraska 
shingles  (sod).  Fort  Kearny,  35  miles  or  so 
west,  was  the  nearest  trading  point,  there  be- 
ing the  settlers'  store,  controlled  by  the  gov- 
ernment, and  the  only  trading  place  until  Mr. 
Koenig  and  Mr.  Wiebe  erected  a  large,  log 
store  at  Grand  Island  (O.  K.  Store).  To  the 
west,  the  early  settlers  who  came  in  1860  and 
took  up  claims  on  Wood  River,  were  Richard, 
Anthony,  and  Patrick  Moore,  and  James  Jack- 
son, Judge  Beal  and  his  family,  settled  on 
Wood  River,  a  man  by  the  name  of  Townsley, 
foster  father  of  Mrs.  William  Eldridge,  with 
his  family,  settled  on  what  is  known  as  the 
Gallup  farm.  Mrs.  Eldridge's  parents  had  died 
when  she  was  seven  years  of  age,  and  an  aunt 
took  her  to  raise  when  she  was  twelve.  This 
aunt  joined  a  colony  of  Mormons  and  left 
England  bound  for  St.  Louis,  but  died  on  the 
way  over.  The  Mormons  brought  the  waif 
with  them  on  a  steam  boat  bound  for  Florence, 
Nebraska,  just  north  of  Omaha,  where  a  church 
train  of  Brigham  Young  was  waiting  for  them. 
A  church  train  consisted  of  thirty  wagons  and 
a  Mormon  preacher  to  each  train,  holding 
services  each  evening  on  the  journey.  At 
Florence  this  orphan  child  was  noticed  by 
Mr.  Townsley,  a  government  interpreter,  who 
received  the  consent  of  the  Mormons  to  adopt 

3gk 


82 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


tion.  She  lived  there  with  the  Townsley 
family  among  the  Indians,  learning  their  lan- 
guage, customs,  and  tricks.  The  adopted 
child  moved  to  Wood  River  with  the  Townsley 
family.  There  she  met  William  Eldridge,  who 
had  settled  in  that  locality  in  1858.  A  ro- 
mance formed  and  their  marriage  was  one  of 
the  first  in  the  county. 

OTHER  EARLY  SETTLERS  IN  THE  WOOD  RIVER 
VALLEY 
After  the  Moores  came  Edmond  O'Brien 
and  John  Maher.  A  few  years  later  Mrs. 
Keefe,  with  her  family  of  three  children,  lo- 
cated on  a  claim  just  south  of  Richard  Moore. 
Ted  Oliver,  his  wife,  brothers,  and  sisters, 
and  mother,  and  a  family  by  the  name  of 
Owens,  who  were  enroute  to  the  Great  Utah 
Valley  stopped  here.  They  believed  in  the 
Mormon  religion  but  had  not  joined  the  church 
and  were  making  the  trip  independently. 
They  located  on  Wood  River,  two  miles  east 
of  Wood  River  Center,  now  known  as  Shelton, 
and  located  in  Wood  River  in  the  spring  of 
1861.  Jim  Jackson  at  this  time  kept  a  gro- 
cery store  on  his  farm  and  he  was  appointed 
.post  master  of  the  community,  which  was 
then  known  as  White  Cloud.  The  post  office 
remained  in  this  store  until  the  railroad  came 
through,  when  he  built  a  new  store  on  the 
new  town  site  and  a  post  office  established 
there  was  called  Wood  River.  A  man  by  the 
name  of  Berry  located  on  the  claim  now 
owned  by  Paddy  Francis,  who  in  1861  sold 
or  traded  his  claim  to  Mike  and  James  Crane. 

OUR  FIRST  FARMING 

The  first  year  we  were  here  my  father 
broke  sod  and  planted  corn  with  an  old  axle. 
That  year  we  didn't  raise  anything  because 
we  had  a  drought,  but  there  were  thousands  of 
buffaloes,  deer,  antelope,  and  elks  roaming  the 
plains  and  we  made  our  living  from  their 
meat.  Every  cabin  from  the  mouth  of  Wood 
River  to  Jim  Boyd's  ranch,  which  was  the  last 
house  on  the  north  side  of  the  Platte,  was 
decorated  with  buffalo  and  antelope  meat  dry- 
ing for  future  needs.  We  also  had  a  barrel 
of  corned  buffalo  meat. 

In  1861,  the  next  year,  father  went  at  the 


farming  operations  again.  He  marked  his 
ground  off  with  a  yoke  of  oxen.  Father  had 
done  some  blacksmith  work  so  he  made  a 
cultivator  out  of  two  old  spades  which  he 
got  hold  of  up  at  Fort  Kearny.  I  held  the 
plow,  my  youngest  sister  drove  the  ox,  one 
sister  whipped  him  up.  We  put  a  mule  collar 
on  the  ox,  father  had  made  a  crude  shovel 
plow  out  of  old  broken  spades,  and  by  giving 
the  shovels  just  the  right  twist  it  could  be 
used,  and  thus  we  got  along  in  such  a  way  as 
to  get  a  crop  in  and  get  it  cultivated. 

STACE   ROUTES 

We  were  located  on  the  great  western  stage 
route,  which  ran  from  Omaha  to  Old  Fort 
Kearny.  It  followed  the  old  Oregon  and 
Mormon  and  California  Trail.  The  stage 
line  running  from  Plattsmouth  to  Fort  Kear- 
ny was  called  the  Overland  Stage  Line.  There 
was  a  stage  line  from  Leavenworth,  Kansas, 
which  struck  the  Overland  Trail  at  Sober 
Swiskey  (Dobe  Town)  and  Gamblers  Roosl 
twelve  miles  east  of  Old  Fort  Kearny,  now  ! 
known  as  Prosser.  '  That  was  called  the  Snaky , 
Hill  Stage  Line. 

The  stage  line  running  from  Kansas  City, 
called  the  Santa  Fe  Stage  Line,  intercepted 
the  Overland  west  of  old  Phalon's  Bluff; 
From  Fort  Kearny  on  west  to  the  Pacific 
coast  this  was  called  the  Overland  Stage  and 
Pony  Express  route.  These  stage  lines  west, 
northwest  and  southwest,  were  controlled  and 
operated  by  Ben  Holladay. 

The  stages  were  arranged  for  the  comfort 
of  the  traveler,  with  cushion  backs  and  seats, 
and  could  carry  eight  passengers  very  com- 
fortably. A  ninth  would  have  to  sit  in  front 
with  the  driver  in  his  booth.  The  driver  occu- 
pied the  largest  part  of  that  seat  accompanied 
by  mail  sacks  under  the  seat,  his  tool  sack, 
water  pail,  buffalo  robe  and  whip.  There  was 
also  a  rear  booth  on  the  stage  for  a  trunk  with 
a  heavy  leather  curtain  to  buckle  down,  pro- 
tecting them  from  storm.  These  stage 
coaches  were  built  not  on  steel  springs,  but 
heavy  leather  springs,  so  in  going  over  an  ob- 
struction the  coach  would  not  jolt,  but  simply 
rock  back  and  forth. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


83 


SQUIRE    LAMB  S    ROUTE 

West  of  Old  Phalon's  Bluffs,  Spuire  Lamb 
drove  from  the  station  at  his  place  to  Fort 
Kearny.  He  changed  his  teams  at  Wood 
Kiver  Center  where  he  usually  put  on  four 
big  grey  mules,  which  he  drove  through  the 
Platte  River.  When  the  river  was  at  full  bank 
it  made  a  dangerous  crossing,  but  he  never 
touched  the  reins  or  used  a  whip  on  the 
animals  while  they  were  passing  through  deep 
water.  He  guided  the  mules  by  the  throwing 
of  little  stones  that  he  carried  in  the  front 
tooth,  and  when  he  did  whip  the  mules  it 
was  done  with  a  trace  chain.  When  he  desired 
rhe  animals  to  go  up  stream  he  would  throw 
stones  and  rattle  the  trace  chain  and  they 
would  get  into  the  collar  in  a  hurry.  The 
channel  next  to  the  last  channel  on  the  south, 
which  is  called  ox  channel,  was  very  danger- 
ous, and  in  high  water  it  was  very  deep  and 
tk  current  very  swift.  More  or  less  stock 
was  drowned  in  this  channel  at  different  times, 
and  passengers  on  the  stage  would  get  wet. 
The  stage  company  at  Omaha  finally  built  a 
sand  wagon  with  five  inch  tires  on  the  tread, 
and  between  seven  and  eight  feet  high,  its 
steps  going  up  from  the  behind.  This  wagon' 
Mas  sent  out  by  the  company  for  this  Platte 
River  crossing.  The  drivers  would  leave  the 
stage  on  the  north  side  and  the  passengers' 
trunks  would  be  put  aboard  the  sand  wagon. 

f  was.  sent  up  with  Squire  Lamb  on  the 
and  wagon  on  the  first  trip  through  the  river, 
ffld  (he  passengers  crossed  in  safety  without 
getting  wet.  I  sat  in  the  front  booth  with  the 
driver.  Going  into  Ox  channel  the  mules  were 
obliged  to  swim  for  about  50  feet  at  one 
stretch,  and  all  we  could  see  of  them  was 
4eir  ears,  their  entire  bodies  being  submerged. 
1  remarked  to  the  driver  that  the  mules 
*wild  drown,  and  he  replied  that  so  long  as 
•Mr  ears  were  two  feet,  six  inches  out  of 
*ater  they  would  not  drown,  and  that  they  got 
iheir  breath  through  their  ears.  I  never  knew 
Wore  that  mules  breathed  through  their  ears. 

All  stage  lines  came  into  the  stage  barns  at 
Kearney  about  the  same  time,  hardly  ever  any 
one  being  more  than  an  hour  late.  If  they 
were  late,  it  was  usually  on  account  of  snow 


drifts  or  swollen  streams.  The  stage  barns 
were  located  across  the  road  from  the  Fort 
where  they  kept  extra  horses,  mules,  stage 
coaches,  and  other  accessories,  and  when 
there  was  an  overplus  of  passengers  for  the 
west,  they  would  put  on  an  extra  stage  ,on  the 
Overland  route.  West  of  Kearney,  the  Pony 
Express  was  put  in.  They  paid  $50.00  and 
board  for  working  on  these  stages.  A  dollar 
in  those  days  looked  as  big  as  a  wagon  wheel. 
The  limit  to  weight  of  persons  driving  a  stage 
was  135  pounds,  and  when  measured  and 
weighed  at  Kearney  I  filled  the  bill.-  My  par- 
ents thought  $50.00  was  too  little  and  the 
route  too  dangerous,  but  I  kept  at  it  and  was 
considered  a  good  and  easy  rider,  and  I  never 
heard  of  a  Pony  Express  rider  being  held 
up,  although  they  carried  the  most  valuable 
parcels, 

DURING  THE  CIVIL  WAR 

While  the  Civil  War  could  not  take  many 
away  from  such  frontier  settlements  as  we 
had  out  here,  the  Indians  became  very  trouble- 
some as  early  as  1862.  They  would  make  a 
break  down  the  valley  and  run  us  in  our  cabins, 
and  take  all  our  buffalo  meat.  We  would  hard- 
ly get  our  cabins  lined  up  again  before  they 
would  make  another  raid,  which  was  very  dis- 
couraging to  the  settlers.  Some  of  them  would 
stop  and  converse  with  Mrs.  Eldridge,  as  she 
could  talk  the  Sioux  and  Cheyenne  tongues, 
and  once  or  twice  she  saved  the  settlers  from 
serious  trouble.  The  redskins  knew  that  a 
serious  conflict  was  going  on  between  the 
North  and  South  and  diverting  the  attention 
of  the  federal  government  from  them,  so  de- 
pradations  of  all  descriptions  were  permitted 
on  the  plains.  Some  of  these  were  planned  by 
white  outlaws,  but  not  all.  Important  trains 
were  attacked,  horses  and  mules  stampeded, 
and  white  villages  attacked.  As  a  rule  the 
redskins  could  be  mean  enough  without  white 
men  putting  them  up  to  anything  worse.  As 
Mrs.  Eldridge  often  remarked,  "they  would 
sign  a  treaty  with  one  hand  and  scalp  you 
with  the  other."  I  understand  the  Smith 
massacre,  Campbell  raid,  and  other  specific 
incidents  and  episodes  of  this  period,  as  well  as 
the  stampede  of   1864,  are  detailed  in  your 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


s.  In  1864,  300  warriors, 
>oose  came  up  and  surrounded 
me,  and  Bill  thought  his  time 
they  had  come  only  to  offer 
ten  ponies  out  of  500  for  his 
hed  to  take  her  to  Pine  Ridge 
it  Bill  flatly  refused.  She  had 
id  with  the  Indians,  as  the 
d  days  had  been  spent  in  an 
:on,  but  she  had  married  her 
ished  to  spend  the  remainder 
ng  her  own  people.  The  In- 
lat  if  she  did  not  go  with  them 
ioons  came  around  they  would 
hole  settlement.  The  Indians 
lifting  crimes  west  of  Kearney 
ind  trail  near  Cottonwood 
there  was  a  small  squad  of 
d. 

n  the  stampede  that  followed 
»f  1864  practically  ran  our 
ity  out  of  the  Wood  River 
about  fifteen  minutes  warn- 
families  cleared  out  and  never 
ey  got  to  Fremont  or  Colum- 
lember,  the  eighteen  families 
living  in  that  valley  were,  Sol 
•d,  Storey,  Nutter,  Sol  Rich- 
Jim  Jackson,  Richard  An- 
ick  Moore,  Edmond  O'Brien, 
Bob,  and  Ted  Oliver,  Bill 
e  Lamb,  and  Fred  Adams. 
>cated  in  south  of  the  river, 
Doniphan  region,  in  1862 ; 
Sr.  who  came  in  1857,  was 
is  now  Alda  Township.  The 
lent,  as  it  was  called  (down 
ent  Grand  Island),  had  fine 
with  good  supplies  of  poultry, 
y  had  plenty  of  corn,  cabbage, 
of  all  kinds  and  good  grain. 
II  fixed  they  were  reluctant  to 
:s  and  thought  out  some  means 
loenig  and  Wiebe  had  a  good 
es  and  dry  goods  on  the  north 
Platte,  which  the  people  in 
.lied  Wood  River,  so  they  felt 
A  large  fortification  was  built 
mises  of  Koenig  and  Wiebe. 


This  was  a  long  structure  with  walls  made  of 
sod  about  eight  feet,  high  and  three  feet  wide 
with    port    holes.    .Some    wanted   to   call  it 
Fort  Grand  Island,  others  wished  to  call  k 
Fort   Wiebe,  but  Henry  Timpke,  who  lived 
half  a   mile   from   the   O.   K.   Store,  said  it 
should  be  named  Fort  Sauer  Kraut,  and  it 
was  known  by  this  until  the  store  was  re- 
moved.   When  our  folks  had  to  leave  in  July. 
1865,  Mr.  Eldridge,  Mr.  Lamb,  and  my  father 
had  been  putting  up  hay  on  the  bottoms  near 
our  home.    They  had  put  up  three  stacks,  one 
for  each  of  the  men,  and  were  going  to  cut 
and  draw  the  rest  home,  and  they  were  going 
to  put  up  more,  when  the  critical  moment  ar- 
rived on  August  1st.    We  learned  the  red-skins 
had  cut  the  telegraph  lines  east  and  west  of 
Fort     Kearny,     the     stages     stopped,    and 
freighters  were  stopped.      Jim  Jackson  rode 
down  the  trail  and  told  us  to  load  all  our 
effects  into  our  wagons.    We  left  many  thing; 
behind.     My   sister  had   to  leave  a   Chester 
White  pig  that  was  given  to  her  in  the  spring 
and  we  left  about   half  of  our  chickens  to 
care    for   themselves.     Never  *  had   our  com 
and   vegetables   looked  more   promising,  and 
all  felt  very  reluctant  to  leave  our  homes,  but 
all  felt  that  we  had  to  do  it  to  save  our  live-- 
We  bade  goodbye  to  our  cabin  and  traveW 
on    until    we    reached    Fort    Sauer    Kraut 
There  the  Germans  were  expecting  an  attack 
at  any  moment,  but  we  kept  on,  however,  until 
our  cattle  became  too  weary  to  travel,  and  at 
12  o'clock  that  night,  put  to  camp  for  the  first 
time.     We   kept   on   then   until   we    reached 
Columbus.    The  other  settlers  would  not  slow 
up,  but  as  fast  as  their  stock  would  play  out. 
they  would  sell  it  at  any  sacrifice.    Two  ladies 
died    on    the    way    back    to    Iowa,  one    the 
daughter  of  Jesse   Shoemaker,  who   married 
Charlie  Combs.     She  died  just  before  reach- 
ing Omaha.     Another  lady  by  the  name  of 
Mrs.  Haisington,  died  east  of  Council  Bluffs. 
from  nervous  overstrain.     On  reaching  Fre- 
mont we  met  a  man  who  had  a  hundred  tons 
of  hay  cut  ready  to  be  put  in  stack,  and  we 
hired  out  for  wages,  letting  our  cattle  graze 
on  the  plains.    While  there  a  member  of  the 
town  board  appeared  with  a  telegram   from 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


85 


President  Johnson  telling  us  to  remain  there. 
In  less  than  ten  days,  he^ent  soldiers  to  es- 
cort us  back  and  to  remain -and  protect  our  old 
settlement.  At  that  time  the  Rock  Island 
railroad  had  got  as  far  west  as  Des  Moines,  so 
the  soldiers  and  supply  wagons  were  shipped 
to  Des  Moines,  and  in  six  or  seven  days  they 
arrived.  It  turned  out  that  they  had  been 
Confederate  soldiers  who  had  been  taken 
prisoners  by  the  Union  army  and  rather  than 
be  thrown  in  prison,  not  knowing  how  long 
the  war  might  last,  they  took  an  oath  that 
they  would  not  take  up  arms  against  the 
United  States,  but  would  enlist  in  the  United 
States  service  to  protect  the  frontier  settlers. 
This  caused  some  bitter  feeling  among  the 
settlers,  who  took  their  time  in  following 
these  soldiers  back  to  the  settlement,  for  we 
couldn't  begin  to  keep  up  with  them. 

INIDANS   HAD   VISITED 

When  we  got  back  to  our  cabin  home  our 
chickens  had  been  killed  and  cooked  in  the 
old  fire  place  and  the  bones  were  lying  about. 
Our  pig  we  never  saw-.  It  was  also  evident 
that  the  Indians  had  been  at  the  Eldridge 
cabin,  but  we  knew  not  why  they  had  not 
burned  the  buildings.  Most  of  the  settlers 
on  hearing  of  our  protection  returned  to 
their  claims  that  fall,  and  even  more  came  in 
bier  in  the  year  to  take  up  claims.  The 
more  who  came,  the  more  sickness  prevailed 
in  the  community  and  my  father  was  kept 
quite  busy.  His  charges  were  very  moderate. 
His  good  nature,  pleasant  words,  and  good 
judgment,  made  him  many  friends,  and  his 
motto  was,  "Live  and  let  live."  If  the  doctors 
of  today  used  the  same  good  judgment  that 
he  used,  there  would  be  fewer  operations  and 
i  great  many  less  dope  fiends.  His  practice 
pew  steadily  to  the  year  1869,  when  he 
passed  to  the  Great  Beyond.  He  left  behind 
i  good  name  and  a  good  reputation  that  added 
to  his  memory  for  a  long.  time. 

PRESSED    INTO    SERVICE   AS   A    SCOUT 

After  stampede  —  in  1865  —  though  I  was 
iily  a  lad  of  19  years  of  age,  I  was  pressed 
nto  the   United    States   service   as   a   scout. 


Jesse  Eldridge,  Bill's  brother,  and  I  were  put 
on  to  do  this  duty,  and  we  scouted  from  the 
Jim  Boyd  ranch  (Wood  River  Center,  now 
Shelton)  up  to  the  South  Loup  River.  We 
had  a  load  to  carry  with  us  on  our  horses,  for 
we  had  to  be  provided  with  a  carbine,  Colts, 
field  glass,  compass,  nose  bag,  harness,  rations, 
canteen,  tin  cup,  kettle,  and  a  whole  outfit 
that  weighed  about  sixty  pounds.  Often  we 
had  to  carry  this  on  our  back  for  fifty-five 
miles  a  day,  rain  or  shine.  My  father  took 
the  stage  to  Kearney  and  interviewed  the 
quartermaster  about  having  me  relieved  from 
this  duty,  and  was  informed  that  in  view  of 
Indian  dangers,  some  other  man  would  have 
to  be  provided.  My  father  went  to  Fremont 
and  found  a  man  who  offered  to  go  for 
$2900.00  but  my  father  didn't  have  ninety 
cents,  and  offered  him  a  yoke  of  oxen,  but 
he  would  not  take  it.  Another  fellow  an- 
swered that  he  wasn't  afraid  of  anything  that 
wore  hair,  Indians  or  otherwise,  and  he 
would  go  for  $600.00  but  father  couldn't  do 
that  either,  so  it  was  up  to  me  to  go.  They 
were  going  to  put  Elridge  on  the  west  boun- 
dary of  our  territory  and  put  me  on  the  east 
boundary,  but  he  finally  convinced  them  that 
it  was  only  right  for  the  two  boys  to  be  to- 
gether. They  told  us  if  we  saw  any  "hostiles" 
that  we  should  report.  Anyway  we  were  to 
report  to  Fort  Kearny  every  Saturday  night, 
and  there  to  receive  rations.  At  one  time  we 
ran  across  about  400  or  500  Indian  tracks 
and  immediately  rode  in  and  reported  to  the 
quartermaster.  He  would  not  believe  us,  but 
surmised  it  might  he  buffalo  or  elk  tracks. 
But  the  Indians  had  evidently  moved  on.  Three 
or  four  days  after  that  we  came  up  the  stream 
towards  the  Bluffs  on  the  South  Loup  and 
saw  a  place  where  the  front  gears  of  a  wagon 
were  buried  in  the  mud  and  weeds,  and  on 
searching  around  we  found  the  decomposed 
bodies  of  two  men  who  had  been  shot.  When 
we  came  down  to  the  fort  and  reported  this 
we  were  informed  that  we  were  not  put  on 
as  an  expedition  to  hunt  up  old  carcasses. 
It  wasn't  three  days  after  that  until  we  ran 
into  400  warriors  and  they  pretty  nearly  got 
us.     The  north  branch  of  Prairie  Creek  ran 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


through  there  and  there  was  just  one  place 
that  I  knew  we  could  possibly  make  the  cross- 
ing. The  Indians  came  up  on  us  near  Prairie 
Creek,  and  that  frightful  yell  of  a  war  whoop 
they  gave,  it  was  worse  than  the  yell  of  a  beast 
in  the  jungle;  our  hair  stood  up  on  its  end. 
We  knew  we  had  only  one  crossing  we  could 
make  on  Prairie  Creek,  and  if  we  failed  to 
make  that,  they  would  get  us.  The  water  was 
only  two  or  three  feet  wide,  but  there  was 
alkali  mud  and  if  the  horses  got  down,  good 
night  1  It  was  the  worst  place  to  cross  imagi- 
nable, but  with  that  pack  back  of  us,  we  had 
to  make  it  and  God  must  have  ruled  over  us 
or  we  never  would  have  made  it. 

When  we  came  to  that  point  we  couldn't  say 
anything,  and  I  gave  my  horse  a  whack  on  the 
hip  and  he  gave  a  lunge  and  got  over  to  the 
other  bank.  We  just  barely  got  across  and 
didn't  have  a  couple  minutes  to  spare.  We 
thought  our  time  had  come,  and  had  made  up 
our  minds  not  to  be  taken  in  captivity,  for  we 
thought  that  meant  to  be  burned  at  the  stake. 
Luck  was  with  us  and  we  got  across  all  right. 
We  had  such  a  scare.  I  never  had  such  a 
feeling  come  over  me  before  or  since.  Eldridge 
said  I  didn't  look  like  myself  and  I  assured 
him  later  I  certainly  didn't  feel  like  myself. 
We  rode  into  Jim  Jackson's  and  our  horses 
were  pretty  well  jaded  after  (hat  long  exciting 
ride.  There  was  a  corporal  stationed  two  miles 
west  of  Jim  Jackson's  and  he  happened  to  be 
at  Jackson's  postoffice  and  store  for  his  mail, 
so  we  told  him  our  story ;  he  gave  us  orders 
to  ride  straight  through  to  Fort  Kearny  and 
report  it  at  once.  We  notified  the  settlers  to 
be  on  the  lookout  for  we  didn't  know  whether 
those  Indians  might  come  on  down  or  not.  We 
told  this  corporal  we  didn't  consider  ourselves 
bound  by  his  orders,  even  if  we  went  to  guard 
house.  Jackson  had  some  mules  there  and  he 
said,  "Boys,  I  will  take  care  of  your  horses 
and  you  take  the  mules  and  ride  on  and  report 
this  matter."  Eldridge  wasn't  very  fond  of 
riding  a  mule.  I  had  noticed  mules  hitched 
before,  so  when  I  got  the  saddle  on  him,  I 
tried  to  mount  and  went  up  in  the  air.  I  saw 
five-pointed  stars  in  every  direction.  Well, 
we  went  on   to   Kearney   and   reported   the 


matter  to  the  quartermaster's  lieutenant  com- 
mander, and  he  questioned  and   cross-ques- 
tioned us.    He  wanted  to  know  where  we  first 
saw  those  Indians  and  we  told  him  a  mile  and 
half  west  of  the  big  sand  bluff  (about  where 
St.  Michael  is  now)  and  he  asked  how  many 
there  were,  and  we  told  him  about  four  hun- 
dred; he  said,  "Weren't  you  men  just  scared 
and  imagined  that  many?"    and  I  told  him  I 
didn't  think  so ;  he  said,  "that  is  a  pretty  big 
number,"  and  asked  if  we  counted  them  and 
I  told  him  we  didn't  have  time ;  and  he  insisted, 
how  did  we  know  there  were  that  many.   Then 
he  asked  if  we  would  swear  to  it  under  oath 
that  there  were  more  than  twenty-five  of  those 
Indians.    We  answered  that  if  there  had  only 
been   twenty-five,   after   we   reached   Prairie 
Creek  bottom  we  would  have  held  our  ground 
and  held  them  at  bay  as  long  as  our  ammuni- 
tion  held  out,  then   we  could  have   crossed 
Prairie  Creek.    He  said  this  would  be  looked 
into  and  if  found  to  be  false  we  must  take 
the  consequences.     So  he  detailed  a  sergeant 
and  twenty  of  the  U.  S.  cavalry,  and  the}' 
proceeded  to  the  South  Loup  River ;  we  were 
to  meet  the  sargeant  and  his  men  at  the  big 
sand  bluff  and  receive  a  report  on  what  the) 
discovered.    We  arrived  at  the  big  sand  bluff  : 
about  If  :30.    At  first  we  saw  no  signs  and  I 
began  to  fear,  and  then  the  sergeant's  horse 
hoved  in  sight  pretty  soon.     He  had  five  sol- 
diers with  him,  and  the  other  sixteen  had  gone 
back.     The  sergeant  said  the  one   thing  we 
hadn't  been  correct  on  was  the  number,  there 
were  560  on  paper,  as  they  found  it.     So  we 
returned,  going  around  by  Fred  Evans's,  that 
night,  north  of  Wood  River.     Their  horses 
were  not  used  to  this  kind  of  a  jaunt,  for  we 
covered  about  eighty  miles  that  day,  and  the 
sergeant  had  never  been  in  that  country  and 
he  didn't  think  much  of  it  as  a  country  to  be  in. 
When  we  rode  into  Fort  Kearny  and  a  report 
was  made,  the  quartermaster  agreed  there  was 
an   apology   due  us.  ,   We   were   relieved  by 
Major  Frank   North,  who  then  took  charge 
of  the  territory  with  his  Pawnee  scouts.    We 
were  relieved  from  this  work  and  discharged. 
We  had  no  regular  clothing,  we  couldn't  get 
money  on  our  vouchers.    They  had  to  be  en- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


87 


dorsed  and  taken  down  by  the  express  mes- 
senger to  the  First  National  Bank  of  Omaha, 
where  (hey  would  cash  it  and  take  a  10% 
discount,  and  the  express  messenger  charged 
5%  for  his  collection  work  and  delivering  it. 
If  it  had  had  to  go  through  another  pair  or 
Wo  of  hands  we  would  have  soon  owed  some- 
body something  on  it.  To  add  to  the  igoomy 
of  our  whole  treatment,  our  discharge  papers 
never  came.  The  records  disappeared  when 
Fort  Kearny  was  abandoned.  John  Tolbert, 
an  interpreter,  tried-  to  look  the  matter  up  for 
us,  but  he  never  could  trace  it  down  in  the 
records  of  the  department. 

I  might  add  that  Tolbert  was  an  interesting 
character,  who  lived  at  Dobetown,  two  miles 
southwest  of  Fort  Kearny,  and  kept  a  feed 
store  there.  He  gave  me  an  introduction  in 
1864  to  Buffalo  Bill,  and  the  first  thing  Buffalo 
Bill  asked  me  was  my  age,  and  when  I  told 
him,  he  said  we  might  be  twins.  I  was  twenty- 
six  days  older  than  he.  He  was  born  on  the 
28th  and  I  was  born  on  the  2nd  of  February. 
On  one  occasion  we  got  attacked  by  In- 
dians, and  they  got  the  rest  of  the  family  into 
the  house  and  the  door  closed  before  I  could 
reach  home.  I  had  to  take  refuge  the  first 
place  I  could  find,  and  backed  myself  into 
a  badger  hole,  and  squeezed  in  so  tight,  I 
could  not  go  either  way,  and  didn't  dare  to 
make  a  move,  or  a  tomahawk  might  come 
orer  my  head.  For  fifteen  minutes  I  could 
hear  Indians  to  one  side  and  that  animal 
pawing  on  the  other.  I  laid  there  until  the 
shades  of  night  came  on  and  then  I  hea'rd 
my  father's  voice  and  he  came  down  and 
pulled  me  out. 

uncle  sam's  surveyors 
In  1866  the  government  sent  out  land  sur- 
nyors  through  Nebraska  and  two  or  three  of 
them  stayed  at  our  place  for  several  days 
[Ding  over  their  figures.  They  gave  us  quite 
i  little  information  concerning  section  comers 
ijk!  half  mile  stakes  and  told  us  what,  amount 
•I  labor  would  be  necessary  to  provide  for 
team  boats  to  go  up  the  north  channel  to  the 
tatte  River.  This  channel  was  called  the 
leandering  stream  of  the  Platte  River.  Their 


figures  showed  that  the  north  channel  put  out 
ten  miles  east  of  Fort  Kearny,  which  formed 
Grand  Island.  This  channel  went  to  the  Old 
Long  Tree  Stage  section.  Their  figures 
showed  that  Grand  Island  was  sixty  miles  in 
its  length,  and  ranged  from  half  a  mile  to  two 
miles  and  half  in  width.  This  had  been 
known  as  Grand  Island  since  the  early  'fifties. 
In  1867  a  company  of  surveyors  came 
through  and  made  three  surveys,  saying  they 
were  surveying  for  the  railroad.  Their  second 
line  of  survey  was  selected  for  the  route  of 
the  railroad. 

MANY   MIDDLE    MEN 

Woodchoppers  were  set  to  work,  tie  chop- 
pers, saw  mills  put  in  action,  and  timber  cer- 
tainly flew  along  the  track.  The  contracts 
for  grading  were  let  to  some  of  the  most 
noted  political  men,  who  sub-contracted  them 
to  private  parties,  and  they  in  turn  sub-con- 
tracted them.  These  contractors  all  made 
the  money,  but  the  men  who  did  the  work 
came  out  at  the  little  end  of  the  horn,  but 
how  the  dirt  did  fly.  When  the  day  for  the 
month's  pay  rolled  around,  the  gang  bosses 
informed  the  men  that  they  would  be  obliged 
to  throw  off  $5.00  of  their  wages. .  Most  of 
the  men  had  families,  and  inquired  what  this 
was  for  and  were  informed  it  was  for  a 
reserve  fund,  which  they  were  told  was  cus- 
tomary where  they  paid  cash.  If  they  did 
not  consent  to  this,  they  were  obliged  to  wait 
ninety  days,  but  most  of  them  were  compellel 
to  get  it  on  account  of  their  dependent  fami- 
lies. Even  at  this  early  date  the  monied  men, 
speculators,  and  corporations  controlled  all 
the  business  matters,  no  matter  of  what 
nature.  The  little  farmer,  and  small  property 
holders,  and  hard  working  class  of  people 
paid  their  bills.  Dear  reader,  I  do  not  take 
those  facts  from  any  one.  I  have  been  through 
the  mill.  I  have  worked  for  corporations  and 
private  individuals,  and  in  every  case,  I  have 
been  obliged  to  pay  them  interest  on  what 
they  owed  me.  In  the  fall  of  1867  and  the 
spring  of  '68,  the  working  gang  began  to 
work  at  laying  ties  with  a  force  that  averaged 
about  seven  miles  a  day. 


[STORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


t  this  time  received 
]  they  thought  were 
had  passed  Congress, 
tract  between  the  rail- 
it.  It  stated  that  the 
the  railroad  company 
of  road  they  built 
every  alternate  sec- 
iles  each  side  of  this 
rom  the  center  of  the 
le  right  of  way.  The 
hat  all  parties  having 
s,  taken  before  these 
Id  be  allowed  to  hold 
1  company  forced  to 
if  land  in  other  locali- 
d  my  father's  claims 
it  were  in  section  13. 
McKinley  administra- 
risen  between  the  gov- 
id  company  in  regard 
ut  through  an  act  of 
was  granted  400  feet 
of  200,  which  caused 
sfaction  to  those  who 
of  the  road  as  well  as 
lsed  railroad  land,  a 
raged  for  a  long  time, 
what  money  and  cor- 
ntrol  more  than  their 
are  looking  forward 
the  right  of  way,  will 
heir  medicine  in  large 

irs  of  age,  I  have  been 
all  of  these  tortures 
early  pioneer  days,  but 
en  blessed  to  see  this 
le  bleak  prairies  and 
iffaloes,  and  emigrant 
ng  country  and  beauti- 
as   there   is  anywhere 

Is  should  be  added  to 
oncerning  Mr.  Reese's 
ed  for  many  years  on 
arents  had  located.  In 
a  small  place  down  on 


the  bank  of  Wood  River,  where  he  and  his 
wife  are  living.  His  sight  has  been  impaired 
in  recent  years,  and  for  thirteen  months  he 
was  almost  blinded,  but  treatment  under  Dr. 
Gifford's  direction  has  given  him  some  use  ot 
his  eyes.  He  was  married  at  Wood  River  to 
Catherine  Matthews,  and  they  have  raised  two 
sons  and  two  daughters.  One  son,  Edward 
Reese,  resides  at  Elgin,  Illinois,  where  he  \> 
engaged  in  the  shoe  manufacturing  business; 
the  other  son,  Joseph,  resides  seven  miles  east 
in  Alda  township;  the  daughters,  Mrs.  Delia 
Woodward,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  and  Irene 
Reese,  in  New  York  City,  caring  for  an  in- 
valid aunt.  This  couple  take  great  pride  in 
one  grandson,  seventeen  years  of  age,  Syl- 
vester Reese,  son  of  Joseph  Reese,  now  work- 
ing for  William  Dristy,  two  miles  west  ot 
their  home. 

DURING   THE   LAST  YEARS    OF  IN- 
DIAN  OCCUPATION  IN  PLATTE 
VALLEY 

bv  w.  E.  martin,  Doniphan,  Nebraska 

Our  father  came  to  this  county  in  1862. 
He  had  arrived  in  the  United  States  from 
England  in  1850,  and  lived  first  in  Htray 
County,  Illinois,  and  then  from  there  he  si- 
tled  in  Fremont  County,  Iowa,  Sidney  being 
the  county  seat.  From  there  he  came  to  Hal 
County  and  located.  In  the  meantime  he 
crossed  the  plains  a  number  of  times  and; 
would  go  up  this  valley  when  travelling  from 
the  Missouri  River  on  the  cut-off  road  front 
Nebraska  City.  That  road  came  in  south  of 
the  Platte,  entering  Hall  County  where  Clatj 
ence  Lowery  lives  now.  That  is  how  he  g« 
the  idea  of  locating  in  this  vicinity.  In  passing 
several  times,  when  going  back  and  forth  will 
a  load  or  empty  wagon  on  trips  from  Ne 
braska  City  to  Denver,  he  would  go  past  thi 
place  at  which  he  afterwards  located.  Hi 
came  out  here  and  he  told  my  brother  Na 
thaniel  and  a  smaller  boy,  "Here  is  a  gooi 
place  to  locate  in  the  future"  indicating  righ 
where  he  did  locate.  He  would  go  right  uj 
this  valley  where  there  was  a  good  stretch  a 
country.     In  August,  1S62,  he  went  up  thi 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


valley  and  stopped  right  there.  His  location 
was  in  Township  13,  in  Martin  township, 
where  Fred  Weaver  lives  now.  When  he 
reached  that  place,  he  jumped  out  of  the 
wagon,  with  a  spade  in  hand,  and  remarked, 
"I  am  going  to  dig  a  well  here." 

AN  EARLY  SERVICEABLE  WELL 
To  Robert  and  Nathaniel  the  larger  boys, 
he  spoke.  "You  boys  unhitch  the  team  here. 
I  am  going  to  dig  a  well  right  here  by  the 
side  of  the  road."  That  was  the  public  road 
io  Denver.     He  threw  the  dirt  out  with  a 


down.  There  was  considerable  travel  went  by 
on  that  road  during  those  years  in  the  decades 
of  the  'sixties  and  the  'sevenLies.  The  emi- 
grants, stage  passengers,  hunters  or  trappers 
would  stop  at  that  old  well  for  years.  Like 
an  oasis  in  a  desert,  that  well  with  its  buckets 
of  clear  water  was  welcomed  for  nearly  two 
decades.  The  water  was  secured  by  using  the 
buckets  until  we  got  our  first  pump.  Mr. 
McAllister,  a  hardware  man  at  Grand  Island, 
had  a  patent  pump  which  he  put  in.  He  came 
down  and  going  over  closer  to  the  house  put 
in  a  drive  pump. 


short  handled  spade  and  worked  until  he  got 

a  well  fifteen  feet  deep.     Then  he  took  a  salt 

barrel  out   of   the  wagon,  and   knocked   the 

heads  out  and  sank  the  barrel  down  in  the 

sand  until   he  had  it   full  of   seeping  water. 

The  Platte  River  was  lower  than  the  end  of 

his  hole  and  he  had  only  to  make  it  fifteen 

feet  deep  until  he  struck  water.   He  then  took 

the  sand  out  of  the  inside  of  the  barrel  and 

m  only  a  few  minutes  had  that  barrel  full  of 

wter  so  you  could  dip  the  water  out,  with  a 

I  backet  tied  to  a  rope.    In  years  after  that  well 

I  became  established  as  a  place  to  draw  water. 

j  Nathaniel  cut  cord  wood  to  make  a  wall  for 

the  well,  and  we  curbed  it  up,  fifteen  feet  deep. 

Got  the  inside  curbed  up  so  it  wouldn't  cave  in. 

That  old  well  was  used  nearly  twenty  years. 

We  had  the  buckets  fixed  on  a  rope,  so  one 

bucket  would  come  up  and  the  other  would  go 


our  Early  neighbors 

As  I  said,  it  was  in  1862  that  father  located 
there.  He  first  built  a  sod-house  by  the  side 
of  the  public  road.  After  we  lived  about 
ihree  years  in  the  sod  house  we  got  a  better 
place.  We  broke  prairie  in  1863.  In  1864 
we  planted  some  cottonwood  trees  on  the 
place.  I  well  remember  that  I  planted  one 
little  tree  which  was  then  about  seven  or 
eight  inches  in  height.  It  still  stands  there,  a 
remarkably  large  tree,  after  its  thirty  years 
vigil  on  the  prairie.  The  other  boys  planted 
a  couple  others,  which  are  still  there,  prob- 
ably thirty  feet  west  of  the  larger  one.  They 
may  be  about  a  third  of  the  thickness  of  this 
first  tree  I  mentioned,  but  they  were  planted 
at  the  same  time.  This  one  had  a  better 
chance  to  spread  out  and  make  a  good  growth. 

When  we  built  the  second  house  we  built 


Google 


90 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


a  log  structure,  using  cottonwoods  off  the 
island  above  us. 

During  the  early  days  my  father  was  there 
neighbors  were  rather  scarce  articles.  A  man 
by  name  of  Nabin,  who  figured  in  the  buffalo- 
hunt  story  narrated  by  Mr.  Binfield  in  his 
story  of  our  family  and  beginnings  of  Martin 
township,  lived  about  four  miles  from  father's 
location.  Bissell  was  a  ranch  keeper  on  west 
there,  near  Dobetown  in  Buffalo  County,  about 
22  miles  on.  There  was  nobody  on  west  there 
in  our  locality  and  on  that  side  of  the  river. 
There  was  no  one  living  east,  when  father 
first  came  there,  until  you  got  down  in  the 
York  vicinity.  A  Mr.  Foucks  lived  down  in 
there.  The  O.  K.  Store  and  the  German 
settlements  of  1857-1858  and  so  forth  were 
to  the  north  and  northeast  of  us. 

There  was  an  old  man  by  name  of  George 
Brown  had  a  claim  down  in  there  near  us. 
Charles  Jerome  came  about  1867  and  bought 
out  his  rights.  W.  J.  Burger  came  to  the 
Doniphan  vicinity  in  1864,  and  homesteaded. 
Of  course  the  country  gradually  settled  up 
after  that. 

INDIAN  VISITORS 

Of  course  our  experiences  and  observations 
of  Indians  were  generally  with  those  of  the 
Pawnee  tribes.  The  Indians  generally  came 
from  the  south.  The  Pawnees  moved  east- 
ward and  westward  through  this  part  of  the 
state.  Their  reservation,  when  they  got  one, 
and  their  general  camping  grounds,  were  on 
north  of  the  river  and  eastward  from  here. 
Their  reservation  was  up  in  Nance  County. 
When  they  went  after  buffalo  they  would  go 
southwestward  toward  the  Republican  River, 
where  the  good  buffalo  territory  lay.  They 
would  go  through  about  twice  a  year  on  such 
an  errand.  About  the  15th  or  20th  of  May, 
these  Pawnee  Indians  would  go  on  their 
spring  buffalo  hunt  to  secure  enough  buffalo 
meat  for  their  summer's  supply.  In  the  fall, 
about  October,  they  would  go  back  over  the 
same  ground,  going  through  here  southwest- 
ward,  to  get  buffalo  for  the  winter.  When 
they  went  back  they  would  cross  the  Platte 
River  and  go  back  to  their  reservation  quar- 
ters in  what   is  now  Nance  County.     They 


would  travel  through  in  bunches  numbering 
as  high  as  a  thousand. 

THE  INDIANS'  OUTFIT  AND  CUSTOMS 

The  main  feature  of  their  outfit  was  their 
mode  of  transporting  the  freight  they  needed, 
and  riding  facilities.  For  those  purposes  they 
used  innumerable  ponies.  The  ponies  had 
fastened  to  them  long  poles  which  hung  by 
a  belt  around  the  girth.  The  poles  were 
fastened  to  that  belt.  They  would  let  the 
other  end  of  the  poles  drag  in  the  dirt,  and 
these  poles  would  generally  be  about  18  or  20 
feet  long.  They  pulled  principally  on  the  band 
around  the  waist,  with  sometimes  a  breast 
strap  around  the  front  to  reinforce,  which 
would  hold  the  pole  up  in  better  shape.  Then 
they  would  load  their  meat  or  other  articles 
on  these  poles.  Sometimes  they  would  have 
a  supply  of  extra  ponies  for  riding  purposes. 
But  the  freighting  ponies  were  the  mainstay 
of  the  outfit. 

LET  THE  WOMEN  DO  THE  WORK 
The  Indian  let  the  women  do  all  of  the 
work.  Any  work  that  a  woman  could  do 
would  be  beneath  the  Indian  to  do.  He  simply 
carried  his  bow  and  arrow,  and  quiver,  and 
did  nothing  else.  He  was  the  piovider  of  meat 
and  foods  and  the  warrior  to  afford  protectiou 
or  glories  of  conquest  to  the  tribe.  The  squaw 
was  designed  to  do  all  of  the  manual  work, 
and  she  did  it  all.  The  Indian  would  put 
forty  or  fifty  arrows  in  a  leather  bag.  This 
bag  reminded  one  of  the  golf  stick  bag  used 
nowadays.  They  were  a  great  deal  like  the 
carrier  used  now  in  playing  golf,  for  holding 
the  golf  sticks.  They  would  place  them  so  the 
leather  kept  the  points  of  the  arrows  from 
going  through.  While  the  squaw  carried  and 
prepared  all  of  the  meats  and  hides,  and  took 
care  of  all  of  the  luggage,  in  addition  to 
carrying  the  papoose  around  if  there  was  one, 
the  Indian  would  go  out  to  shoot  birds.  As 
to  carrying  the  papoose,  while  there  on  that 
subject.  The  papoose  was  carried  on  the  back, 
strapped  to  a  board.  If  the  squaw  stopped 
to  do  any  work,  the  papoose  might  be  left 
strapped  to  the  board,  which  was  set  up  against 
the  tent.    The  squaw  would  then  go  on  about 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUN.TY  NEBRASKA 


91 


her  work.  There  the  baby  was,  strapped  to 
that  board,  and  there  he  might  be  left  for 
hours,  or  most  of  the  day.  A  most  remarka- 
ble Indian  trait,  even  in  infancy,  was  that  you 
would  never  hear  the  baby  cry.  If  you  lived 
close  enough  to  them  to  observe  and  became 
familiar  with  their  habits,  you  would  find  the 
Indian  very  harsh  toward  his  women,  his 
children,  and  even  his  dogs  and  ponies. 

The  dogs  they  used  were  generally  of  a 
terrier  class,  small,  alert,  and  faithful.  When 
ihe  dog  was  spoken  to,  he  generally  obeyed. 
But  if  the  dog  transgressed,  he  received  harsh 
treatment  at  once.  The  Indian  might  tell  the 
dog  to  go  back  and  lay  down.  If  there  was 
not  that  instant  compliance  that  the  master 
required,  he  would  take  his  tomahawk  and 
aim  at  Mr.  Dog.  The  Indian  carried  this 
tomahawk  which  had  a  blade  like  a  hatchet, 
and  a  head  for  his  pipe  on  the  other  end. 
If  the  dog  did  not  render  instant  obedience, 
he  would  soon  feel  the  tomahawk.  When  the 
Indian  hit  the  dog,  he  did  not  care  if  it  did 
kill  him.  The  Indian  wouldn't  eat  a  dead  dog 
if  he  had  any  other  meat  and  the  spur  of  ne- 
cessity was  not  urging  such  a  course.  If  they 
were  dreadfully  short  of  food  it  might  be  dif- 
ferent, but  if  not  short  enough  of  food,  the 
dog  would  be  promptly  thrown  away. 

The  same  way  With  the  children.  The  little 
papoose  was  trained  to  stand  a  great  deal,  and 
might  be  left  strapped  to  the  board  all  day.  But 
there  would  be  no  whimpering.  In  the  even- 
ing time  it  would  be  taken  off  the  board  and 
'he  mother  would  lay  the  board  to  one  side 
and  take  care  of  it,  and  then  put  it  back  on 
the  board  the  next  morning.  You  hardly  ever 
heard  one  of  the  children  cry.  There  might 
he  three  or  four  children  playing  or  working 
around  the  tent,  but  you  would  hardly  ever 
hear  one  of  them  cry.  The  Indian  was  boss 
over  all.  Whatever  he  said  would  go,  and 
go  whenever  he  said  so.  There  was  none  of 
'he  teasing  or  chafing  so  common  among  our 
children  of  this  twentieth  century  generation. 

the  Indian's  camp 

In  establishing  their  camp,  the  Indians  we 

had  through  here  generally  took  a  lot  of  those 


poles  the  ponies  had  been  pulling  all  day.  They 
stuck  these  in  the  ground  and  brought  the  ends 
together,  with  the  bottoms  scattered  enough, 
so  they  circled  around  at  the  bottom  and  came 
together  at  a  common  point  at  top.  This  made 
a  cone-shaped  frame-work  for  the  tent.  Then 
they  would  use  for  covering  sufficient  buffalo 
robes  to  form  sides  to  the  cone-shaped  tent. 
This  buffalo  robe  they  had  made  from  the 
hides  they  tanned  before  then.  These  were 
sewed  together  inasmuch  as  necessary  with 
sinews  they  had  pulled  out  of  the  flesh  of  the 
buffaloes.  They  used  these  sinews  for  thread. 
They  also  used  them  for  making  bow  strings 
and  for  whatever  threads  they  needed  for 
their  usual  purposes.  Those  sinews  were  a 
dried  fiber  out  of  the  buffalo's  back,  right 
down  the  middle  of  the  back,  and  were  three 
or  four  feet  long.  They  would  open  that  part 
of  the  flesh  and  pull  them  out.  They  would 
put  that  in  water  and  clean  the  blood  off,  and 
dry  it  in  the  sun  and  pull  out  into  threads; 
and  they  would  twist  that  into  plenty  of  good 
strong  strings.  It  made  a  good  strong  thread. 
It  was  stouter  than  our  linen  threads  and  as 
strong  and  durable  as  any  silk  thread  you 
could  get.  They  made  the  buffalo  hides  with 
this  thread,  also  used  it  for  making  blankets 
and  mocassins.  The  squaws  did  all  of  this 
work. 

THEIR    EVENING    MEAL    AND    MENU 

When  the  tent  was  properly  placed  the  even- 
ing meal  was  prepared.  The  Indian's  common 
items  for  his  menu  were  buffalo  meat,  soups, 
and  cracked  corn.  They  liked  to  take  cracked 
corn  and  make  a  corn  soup  with  it.  Some- 
times when  they  could  get  the  corn  meal  they 
would  have  a  corn-bread  very  like  our  own, 
and  even  pancakes.  They  would  take  a  hot 
flat  rock,  place  it  up  at  the  fire  and  plaster 
their  batter  on  it,  or  place  their  dough  on  it 
to  bake.  If  they  could  get  a  skillet,  the  white 
man's  invention,  so  much  the  better  and  more 
acceptable.  Sometimes  they  would  take  a  rock 
and  scoop  out  the  center,  in  which  they  would 
prepare  the  soup.  They  used  this  rock  or 
stone  kettle  very  frequently. 

When  they  came  to  eat  they  had  a  spoon 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


made  out  of  a  buffalo's  horn ;  they  cut  the 
horn-  at  such  a  place  as  to  make  the  spoon 
properly  crooked.  By  cutting  the  horn  in  two 
pieces  at  the  right  place  they  would  have  a 
spoon  very  much  like  our  largest  table  spoons, 
and  would  eat  out  of  that.  A  person  would  be 
surprised  at  the  number  of  little  things  they 
devised,  so  much  like  our  kitchen  utensils. 

PREPARING    CLOTHING    AND    MEATS 

Their  moccasins  were  made  up  as  nicely 
as  they  posibly  could  be.  The  squaws  would 
do  all  such  work;  the  Indian  would  know 
nothing  about  it.  The  squaws  would  make 
all  of  the  moccasins,  and  some  of  them  were 
splendid  articles.  The  squaws  would  also  tan 
all  of  the  beaver  hides  and  skins.  The  Indian 
only  had  to  hunt  and  be  the  warrior.  It  was 
for  him  to  go  out  and  shoot  the  buffalo,  elk, 
deer,  antelope,  and  to  bring  home  the  material 
from  which  the  squaws  made  the  clothes  and 
prepared  the  meat.  In  this  last  operation  they 
were  rather  skillful. 

They  dried  buffalo  meat  by  cutting  it  into 
slices,  cross-wise  of  the  grain.  These  very 
thin  slices  were  then  salted  and  placed  in  a 
barrel  of  brine  and  left  in  that  brine,  maybe 
two  nights.  They  used  a  wire,  or  sinew  line, 
possibly  thirty  or  forty  feet  in  length,  and 
hung  the  slices  in  the  sun  to  dry,  for  about 
twenty-four  hours,  then  had  meat  so  it  was 
ready  for  use. 

"A  BROKEN  AXLE" 

BY   SAMUEL   C.   BASSETT 

(Mr.  Bassett  is  now  President  of  the  State  His- 
torical Society,  and  a  few  years  ago  was  author  of 
a  splendid  history  of  Buffalo  County,  our  next-door 
neighbor  to  the  west.  The  following  story  is  a  sort 
of  border-line  story,  which  belongs  to  either  Buffalo 
or  Hall  county,  as  the  Olivers  became  identified  with 
the  history  of  both  counties.) 

In  1860,  Edward  Oliver,  Sr.,  his  wife  and 
seven  children,  converts  to  the  Mormon  faith, 
left  their  home  in  England  for  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah.  At  Florence,  Nebraska,  on  the  Mis- 
souri River  a  few  miles  above  the  city  of 
Omaha,  they  purchased  a  traveling  outfit  for 
emigrants,  which  consisted  of  two  yoke  of 
oxen,    a    prairie-schooner    wagon,    and    two 


cows ;  and  with  numerous  other  families  hav- 
ing the  same  destination  they  took  the  over- 
land Mormon  trail  up  the  valley  of  the  Platte 
on  the  north  side  of  the  river. 

When  near  a  point  known  as  Wood  River 
Centre  (the  first  name  of  Shelton),  174  miles 
west  of  the  Missouri  River,  the  front  axle  of 
their  wagon  gave  way,  compelling  a  halt  for 
repairs,  their  immediate  companions  in  the 
emigrant  train  continuing  the  journey,  for 
nothing  avoidable,  not  even  the  burial  of  a 
member  of  the  train,  was  allowed  to  interfere 
with  the  prescribed  schedule  of  travel.  The 
Oliver  family  camped  beside  the  trail  and 
the  broken  wagon  was  taken  to  the  ranch  of 
Joseph  E.  Johnson,  who  combined  in  his  per- 
son and  business  that  of  postmaster,  merchant, 
blacksmith,  wagonmaker,  editor,  and  publisher 
of  a  newspaper  {The  Huntsman's  Echo). 
Johnson  was  a  Mormon  with  two  wives,  a 
man  passionately  fond  of  flowers  which  he 
cultivated  to  a  considerable  extent  in  a  fenced 
enclosure.  While  buffalo  broke  down  his 
fence  and  destroyed  his  garden  and  flowers, 
he  could  not  bring  himself  to  kill  them.  He 
was  a  philosopher,  and,  it  must  be  conceded, 
a  most  useful  person  at  a  point  so  far  distant 
from  other  sources  of  supplies. 

The  wagon  shop  of  Mr.  Johnson  contained 
no  seasoned  wood  suitable  for  an  axle  and  so 
from  the  trees  along  Wood  River  was  cut  an 
ash  from  which  was  hewn  and  fitted  an  axle 
to  the  wagon  and  the  family  again  took  the 
trail,  but  ere  ten  miles  had  been  traveled  the 
green  axle  began  to  bend  under  the  load,  the 
wheels  ceased  to  track,  and  the  party  could  not 
proceed.  In  the  family  council  that  succeeded 
the  father  urged  that  they  try  to  arrange  with 
other  emigrants  to  carry  their  movables 
(double  teams)  and  thus  continue  on  their 
journey. 

The  mother  suggested  that  they  return  to  the 
vicinity  of  Wood  River  Centre  and  arrange  to 
spend  the  winter^  To  the  suggestion  of  the 
mother  all  the  children  added  their  entreaties. 
The  mother  urged  that  it  was  a  beautiful 
country,  with  an  abundance  of  wood  and 
water,  grass  for  pasture,  and  bay  in  plenty 
could  be  made  for  their  cattle,  and  she  was 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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sure  crops  could  be  raised.  The  wishes  of 
the  mother  prevailed,  the  family  returned  to 
a  point  about  a  mile  west  of  Wood  River 
Centre,  and  on  the  banks  of  the  river  con- 
structed a  log  hut  with  a  sod  roof  in  which 
they  spent  the  winter.  When  springtime 
came  the  father  journeyed  to  Utah,  where  he 
made  his  home  and  married  a  younger 
woman  who  had  accompanied  them  from  Eng- 
land, which  doubtless  was  the  determining 
[actor  in  the  mother  refusing  to  go. 

The  mother,  Sarah  Oliver,  proved  to  be 
a  woman  of  force  and  character.  With  her 
children  she  engaged  in  the  raising  of  corn 
and  vegetables,  the  surplus  being  sold  to  emi- 
grants passing  over  the  trail  and  at  Fort 
Kearny,  some  twenty  miles  distant. 

In  those  days  there  were  many  without 
means  who  traveled  the  trail  and  Sarah  Oli- 
ver never  turned  a  hungry  emigrant  from  her 
door,  and  often  divided  with  such  the  scanty 
store  needed  for  her  own  family.  When 
nimors  came  of  Indians  on  the  warpath  the 
'  children  took  turns  on  the  house  top  as  lookout 
for  the  dreaded  savages.  In  1863  two  settlers 
were  killed  by  Indians  a  few  miles  east  of 
her  home.  In  the  year  1864  occurred  the 
memorable  raid  of  the  Cheyenne  Indians  in 
which  horrible  atrocities  were  committed  and 
scores  of  settlers  were  massacred  by  these 
Indians  only  a  few  miles  to  the  south.  In 
IK65  William  Storey,  a  near  neighbor,  was 
killed  by  the  Indians. 

Sarah  Oliver  had  no  framed  diploma  from 
a  medical  college  which  would  entitle  her 
to  the  prefix  "Dr."  to  her  name,  possibly  she 
was  not  entitled  to  be  called  a  trained  nurse, 
but  she  is  entitled  to  be  long  remembered  as 
one  who  ministered  to  the  sick,  to  early  tra- 
velers hungry  and  footsore  along  the  trail,  and 
to  many  families  whose  habitations  were  miles 
distant. 

Sarah  Oliver  and  her  family  endured  all 
the  toil  and  privation  common  to  early  set- 
tiers  without  means  in  ajjaew  country,  far 
removed  from  access  to  what  are  deemed  the 
barest  necessities  of  life  in  more  settled  com- 
munities. She  endured  all  the  terrors  incident 
to  settlement    in   a   sparsely   settled   locality, 


and  in  which  the  coming  of  such  savages  was 
hourly  expected  and  dreaded.  She  saw  the 
building  and  completion  of  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad  near  her  home  in  1866;  she  saw  Ne- 
braska become  a  state  in  the  year  1867.  In 
1870  when  Buffalo  County  was,  organized  her 
youngest  son,  John,  was  appointed  sheriff,  and 
was  elected  to  that  office  at  the  first  election 
thereafter.  Her  eldest  son,  James,  was  the 
first  assessor  in  the  county,  and  her  son  Ed- 
ward was  a  member  of  the  first  board  of 
county  commissioners  and  later  was  elected 
and  served  with  credit  and  fidelity  as  county 
treasurer. 

When,  in  the  year  1871,  Sarah  Oliver  died 
her  son  Robert  inherited  the  claim  whereon 
she  first  made  a  home  for  her  family,  and 
which,  in  the  year  1915,  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful,  fertile  farm  homes  in  the  county 
and  state. 

A   DREAM   LAND  COMPLETE 

Dreaming,  I  pictured  a  wonderful  valley. 

A   Home  making  valley  few  known  could  compare; 

When    to!   from   the   bluffs   to   the   north   of   Wood 


•  my  dream  picture  —  my  valley  lies  there. 


Miles  long,  east  and  west,  stretched  this  wonderful 

valley 
Broad  fields  of  alfalfa,  of  corn,  and  of  wheat. 
'Mid  orchards  and  groves  the  homes  of  its  people; 
The  vale  of  Wood  River,  a  dream-land  complete. 

Nebraska,  our  mother,  we  love  and  adore  thee; 
Within  thy  fair  borders  our  lot  has  been  cast. 
When  done  with  life's  labors  and  trials  and  pleas- 
Contented  we'll  rest  in  thy  bosom  at  last. 

(The  foregoing  taken  from  pp.  27-29,  Nebraska 
Pioneer   Reminiscences.) 

A  FEW  GLIMPSES  OF  EARLY  LIFE  IN 
HALL  COUNTY 

One  of  the  interesting  characters  of  Grand 
Island's  early  days  is  a  man  whom  we  all 
know  as  Jack  Anderson,  but  whose  real  name 
is  William  Anderson,  who  has  been  living 
at  the  soldiers  home  for  some  years  past. 
Anderson  was  a  member  of  Company  E, 
Second  United  States  cavalry,  during  the 
Civil  War. 

Mr.  Anderson,  in  reply  to  a  query,  casual- 
ly remarked  that  the  Soldier's  Home  was  the 
only  home  he  had,  and  was  about  as  good  a 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


home  as  a  man  could  ask  for.  Having  ex- 
pressed a  feeling  of  gratitude  for  such  a  home, 
a  word  or  two  of  comment  over  his  services 
aroused  the  curiosity  of  the  reporter,  and  it 
required  only  a  few  questions  to  reveal  that 
he  was  a  man  with  a  rather  remarkable  re- 
cord of  service  not  only  during  the  war,  but 
with  reference  to  the  building  up  of  the  great 
west.  And  the  following  story  was-  finally 
worked  out  of  Anderson ; 

In  brief  he  was  born  at  Bedford,  Pennsyl- 
vania, and  enlisted  in  the  company  mentioned 
and  served  the  full  five  years  and  was  honor- 
ably discharged  two  days  after  Lee  sur- 
rendered. His  discharge  notes  he  participated 
in  thirty  battles.  At  the  expiration  of  the  war, 
things  became'  too  dull  for  Jack,  and  he 
served  three  more  years  in  the  wilds  of  Ne- 
braska and  Wyoming.  His  discharge  from 
this  service  in  amplified  by  a  note  from  A.  E. 
Bates,  first  lieutenant,  and  adjutant  of  the 
Second  Cavalry  to  the  effect  that  Anderson 
was  an  excellent  soldier,  an  honest,  upright 
and  reliable  man. 

Mr.  Anderson  states  that  after  he  was  hon- 
orably discharged  for  the  second  time,  there 
was  a  vacancy  in  the  transportation  depart- 
ment, and  says  Mr  Anderson,  "I  was  told  to 
go  to  Omaha,  where  the  headquarters  of  the 
department  of  the  Platte  now  were,  when 
Adjutant  Bates  gave  me  a  slip  informing 
whom  it  may  concern,  that  I  was  competent, 
and  I  got  the  job.  Bill  Cody  was  at  the  time 
a  scout,  and  he  and  I  worked  together  for  a 
year  and  a  half,  I  in  the  transportation  de- 
partment and  he  as  a  scout.  Later  the  posts 
were  abandoned  and  I  lost  my  job,  and  that 
is  the  end  of  my  services." 

Mr  Anderson  came  from  there  to  Grand 
Island  in  February  1870,  having  now  been  a 
resident  of  this  city  for  49  years.  He  says  the 
first  place  he  stopped  was  at  the  old  Michel- 
son  hotel,  of  which  James  Michelson,  the 
father  of  Fred  Michelson,  and  builder  of  the 
Michelson  block,  was  owner.  Mr.  Anderson 
desired  to  engage  in  the  retail  liquor  business 
and  wanted  someone  to  draw  up  his  papers.  He 
was  introduced  by  Mr.  Michelson  to  Governor 
Abbott,  as  "my  lawyer"  and  from  that  day 


to  this  the  governor  and  Anderson,  both  com- 
rades in  the  days  of  the  country's  trial,  have 
been  constant  friends. 

Mr.  Anderson  was  in  the  saloon  business 
during  the  'seventies  in  Grand  Island,  and  his 
place  of  business  was  the  center  of 
many  exciting  chapters  of  the  early  history. 
in  the  free,  easy,  and  noisy  days.  He  built  a 
large  house  between  where  Fifth  and  Sixth 
streets  and  Cleburn  and  Elm  streets'now  run. 
This  place  became  very  notorious  and  as  it 
was  so  far  "out  on  the  prairie"  in  the  early 
'seventies,  it  was  called  the  "Prairie  House." 
This  site  has  recently  been  selected  for  the 
new  High  school,  and  the  old  building  stand- 
ing there,  with  all  the  others  since  erected  on 
that  block,  will  soon  be  removed. 

GOES    INTO    BUSINESS 

Mr  Anderson  went  into  the  saloon  business 
that  year,  in  1870,  on  the  corner  of  From 
and  Pine  streets,  near  what  was  known  in  the 
early  days  as  the  Pat  Dunphy  building.  He 
was  there  about  two  years  and  then  removed 
to  the  story  and  half  frame  building  which  I 
the  Mobleys  had  erected  at  Locust  and  Third. 
the  present  site  of  the  Tucker  and  Famswonh 
drug  store,  for  the  Independent.  The  prim- 
ing office  occupied  the  upper  portion  of  ib 
building  and  Anderson's  parlor  for  liquid  «d 
sometimes  turbulent,  refreshment,  the  lomt 
portion  of  the  building.  At  that  time  then; 
was  only  a  couple  of  buildings  on  the  north 
side  of  the  town.  When  he  first  arrived,  the 
only  house  was  the  property  originally  built 
by  Mrs.  Mobley  for  the  printing  establish- 
ment. 

The  old  Union  Pacific  eating  house  was  then 
on  the  north  side  of  the  present  Front  street. 
near  Pine  street.  The  Nebraska  House,  com- 
monly known  as  the  Michelson  Hotel,  was 
located  on  the  present  southwest  corner  of 
Front  and  Pine  streets,  and  was  operated  by 
James  Michelson.  After  the  old  U.  P.  eating 
house  was  moved  away,  another  eating  house 
was  built  further  east,  down  by  the  depot 
which  stood  east  of  the  present  freight  depot 
In  the  early  'seventies  upon  Anderson's  ven- 
ture into   the  saloon  business,  he  had   foui 

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competitors,  a  bar  maintained  in  the  Michelson 
Hotel,  Kraft's  place  on  the  site  of  the  present 
Commercial  State  Bank,  Bassett's  Sample 
rooms  under  the  Clarendon  Hotel,  and  Cor- 
nelius Iyer's  billiard  hall  on  Third  street. 

A  Dane  by  the  name  of  Thomsen  ran  a 
hotel  called  the  Herman  House  on  Pine  street. 
He  was  a  jolly,  good-natured  fellow,  with  a 
fairly  good  education.  One  time  he  got  up  a 
card  and  threw  it  around  the  saloon  rather 
freely.  His  place  was  next  to  John  Fonner's 
livery  barn,  which  went  under  the  title  of 
"American  Feed,  Livery  and  Sale  Stable." 
Those  were  times  when  so  many  homesteaders 
were  going  through  and  it  was  difficult  at 
times  to  get  a  team  to  take  one  out  of  town  to 
look  at  a  piece  of  land,  and  resource  was 
generally  had  to  bronchos  that  Michelson  or 
Fanner  might  have  available.  The  card  which 
Thomsen  distributed  read  something  like 
this:  "When  you  come  to  Grand  Island  you 
got  to  go  someplace  to  stop  —  you  just  come 
to  the  Herman  house.  And  here  you  get  good 
board  and  cheap  lodgings.  When  you  see 
what  you  don't  want,  just  ask  for  them.  Then 
you  want  to  ride  in  the  country  out  —  John 
Fonner,  next  door,  he's  got  some  troubles 
whatll  take  you  out  before  you  start  away." 
Where  the  Koehler  hotel  now  stands  the  old 
0.  K.  Store  was  located.  When  Anderson 
first  came  to  town,  he  says,  there  was  a  slough 
that  ran  through  between  Pine  and  Front,  and 
on  Locust  street  it  made  a  very  low  place.  It 
is  hard  for  one  now  seeing  the  brick  buildings 
that  center  around  Locust  and  Pine  streets,  be- 
tween the  railroad  and  Third  streets,  to  realize 
that  at  one  time  there  was  a  low  place  on  this 
location.  Mr.  Anderson  opines  that  a  thousand 
wagon  loads  of  manure,  rubber  boots,  tin  cans, 
and  various  materials  were  doubtless  filled  in 
there,  and  when  they  came  to  dig  cellars,  these 
places  were  cleaned  out  and  dirt  put  in  around 
the  holes  excavated.  Where  the  Glade  Mills 
Ww  stands  there  was  an  especially  low  place. 
On  the  alley,  on  the  west  side  of  Locust,  be- 
tween Front  and  Third  streets,  a  bridge  was 
fixed  so  when  water  stood  there  both  sides  of 
:he  street  would  not  be  blocked.  The  little 
frame  building  used  by  Piatt  &  Thummel  has 


been  taken  away,  and  the  brick  building  occu- 
pied by  the  State  Bank  of  Grand  Island  placed 
there,  but  a  frame  building  hauled  in  during 
early  days  and  called  the  Bon  Ton  Free  Mason 
building  still  remains  on  Locust  street  back 
of  the  State  Bank  building. 

THE  STORM  OF   1873 

When  the  great  storm  of  1873  came,  Mr. 
Anderson  was  conducting  the  saloon  at  the 
corner  of  Pine  and  Locust.  The  entire  build- 
ing was  drifted  in,  with  snow  to  the  top  of 
it.  When  it  lessened  so  the  boys  could  get 
outdoors,  they  would  climb  up  over  the  snow 
to  the  roof  of  the  building,  get  onto  their  sleds 
and  run  over  onto  a  story  and  half  structure 
at  the  corner  where  the  present  Hedde  Block 
now  stands.  Mr.  Anderson  remarks  incident- 
ally that  at  one  time  he  was  offered  that  66 
x  132  feet  of  ground,  with  the  building  there- 
on, for  $1500,  then  owned  by  a  Mr.  Lord,  an 
old  engineer. 

Mr.  Anderson  then  lived  in  a  story  and 
half  house  on  Pine  street,  right  south  of  Se- 
cond street.  For  three  days  he  was  unable  to 
traverse  the  distance  of  less  than  three  blocks 
from  his  place  of  business  to  his  home.  They 
then  had  a  couple  of  rooms  and  a  little  small 
kitchen  in  which  there  was  a  pump  and 
a  supply  of  coal  and  kindling.  He  says:  "I 
knew  my  wife  had  enough  to  eat,  but  when 
I  went  down  to  the  house,  before  I  could  get  in, 
I  had  to  call  some  police  and  get  a  lot  of 
fellows  together  and  we  shoveled  in  to  the 
door.  She  couldn't  open  the  door.  We  shov- 
eled that  door  open.  Then  she  commenced  to 
cry  and  I  wanted  to  know  what  was  the  matter. 
She  wouldn't  stay  in  that  house  any  longer  — 
it  was  haunted.  I  said  nonsense?  She  went 
over  to  the  wall,  said  she  could  hear  it  there. 
I  went  over  and  listened  and  could  heir  an 
ooo!  ooo!  I  thought  perhaps  it  might  be 
a  man  pinned  in  there  and  perhaps  he  might 
be  dying.  So  we  got  busy  and  shoveled  it  out, 
and  would  you  ever  guess  what  we  dug  out 
there  —  we  shoveled  out  a  great  big  Texas 
steer,  about  fifteen  hands  high,  immense  horns, 
and  his  eyes  were  green.  You  had  ought  to 
have  seen  the  fellows  run.  There  was  a  butcher 


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here  by  the  name  of  Cornelius,  and  he  rounded 
tip  that  steer  and  kept  him  all  summer.  His 
hair  came  off  his  back  clear  to  his  horns.  He 
was  some  sight.  He  had  come  this  way  in  the 
storm,  kept  coming  northeast;  snow  had  just 
drifted  in  on  his  hair  and  froze  it  so  his  hair 
all  came  out  in  time.  In  the  fall  he  was  a  big 
fine  looking  fellow  and  then  they  butchered 
him." 

THE  COWBOY  REGIME 
During  the  early  'seventies  Grand  Island 
and  Kearney  were  the  principal  trading  sta- 
tions on  the  railroad,  from  which  trade  radi- 
ated to  an  immense  territory.  Cowboys  would 
come  from  the  Custer  County  and  Upper  Loup 
country  and  clear  from  the  Niobrara  region. 
Some  pretty  rough  scenes  took  place,  but 
compared  to  what  he  afterwards  witnessed 
out  around  Ogallala  and  Sidney,  Mr.  Ander- 
son considers  that  Hall  County  did  not  exper- 
ience the  bloody  initiation  into  settled  life  that 
towns  further  west  did. 

THREE  YEARS  AT  SIDNEY 
About  1875,  Mr.  Anderson  and  his  partner, 
Johnnie  Williams,  left  the  saloon  and  pool 
room  business  in  Grand  Island  and  went  to 
Sidney,  where  they  remained  for  awhile.  At 
that  time  the  Black  Hills  excitement  was  on 
in  full  blast.  They  went  into  a  saloon  business 
there.  Mr.  Anderson  was  elected  coroner,  but 
that  proved,  as  he  expressed  it,  "too  tough 
for  me."  He  adds:  "Every  few  mornings 
there  would  be  a  rap  on  the  door  and  a  call 
would  come,  'Mr.  Coroner,  get  up,  we've  got 
another  stiff  for  you.'  that  being  the  way  they 
put  it.  That  got  to  be  too  much  for  me  and  I 
quit  before  my  time  was  up.  I  wouldn't  be 
annoyed  with  so  much  killing."  Those  were 
the  days  in  Sidney  when  the  Texan  herds 
would  be  brought  up  to  the  north  country. 
The  Civil  War  was  not  so  far  removed  but 
that  the  northern  fellows  would  run  into  the 
southern  herders  and  something  would  start 
right  away.  In  those  times  such  characters 
as  Ben  and  Bill  Thompson,  Texas  gamblers, 
killers,  and  shooters  as  they  called  them,  came 
along.  Others  who  would  show  up  were 
Wyeth,  Bat  Mathiesen,  Jim  Fien,  Grasshopper 


Sam,  Eat-em-up  Jake,  Rebel 
and  others  who  could  stand  a 
"I  killed  my  man,"  "I  got  my  i 
other  one,"  as  they  called,  "I'' 
credit  now,"  "I've  got  three, 
marks  showing  the  credit  due 
markmanship  and  dexterity. 

During  this  time  Henry  CI 
built  a  toll  bridge  across  the 
the  point  known  later  as  Car 
three  to  five  miles  west  of  the 
Bridgeport.  This  bridge  open 
from  Sidney  to  Deadwood  am 
The  danger  from  Indians  w 
government  did  not  undertal 
mail,  but  permitted  Mr.  Clarl 
a  charge  of  10  cents.  An  er 
this  purpose  showing  the  cent 
1876  is  illustrated  on  another 

A  FREIGHTING  EXPEI 

One  day  a  man  came  along  ^ 
outfit,  one  of  those  with  a  lat 
and  its  trailer,  with  six  sets 
pair  of  mules  to  the  team,  eac 
two  wagons,  the  main  wagon 
Anderson  narrates :  "He  came 
business,  took  a  few  drinks 
know  if  I  would  trade  my 
freighting  outfit.  I  said,  I  ne\ 
yet  I  wouldn't  trade,  so  we  w 
cellar  and  took  a  kind  of  an 
building  I  had  built  myself. 
n't  two  hours  until  I  had  tr 
for  his  outfit,  and  then  I  we 
the  hills.    We  used  to  get  big 

"Then  one  time  the  towr 
burned  down.  Pretty  nearly 
burned  out  that  time.  The  new 
every  freighter  was  wonderinj 
load  with  to  make  a  trip  there, 
of  whiskey,  some  flour,  some  a 
bacon,  and  I  finally  said  to  n 
you  going  to  load  with?  I  tri> 
might  be  most  desired  whei 
Anyhow  I  happened  to  think  < 
I  didn't  have  enough  money 
able  to  buy  enough  window  g 
my  outfit.    I  went  to  a  man  tr. 


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99 


of  Reddington  and  told  him  what  I'd  thought 
of  and  asked  what  he  thought  about  it,  what 
sizes  of  window  glass  would  be  wanted.  He 
said,  'Just  you  telegraph  to  Solomon,'  who 
then  ran  a  wholesale  glass  business  in  Omaha ; 
he  says,  'If  he  will  furnish  the  stuff  I  will  back 
you,'  so  I  said  yes.  Solomon  said  yes.  I  left 
it  to  Solomon  and  told  him  about  what  we  were 
going  to  do.  I  left  it  to  him  as  to  the  sizes 
for  I  didn't  know  anything  about  that,  what 
sizes  we  would  be  likely  to  want.  Didn't  have 
to  wait  but  a  few  days  until  Solomon  sent  a 
couple  of  carloads  of  glass.  I  loaded  up  that 
stuff  and  went  to  the  Black  Hills,  though  the 
snow  was  flying.  Before  I  got  there  they  had 
a  hundred  houses  or  so,  temporary  houses,  put 
up,  with  places  left  for  windows,  but  had  just 
nailed  up  the  space  with  boards.  Nobody  had 
thought  of  window  glass.  I  drove  into  town 
one  morning,  and  I  had  to  go  and  get  the 
mayor  and  police  to  protect  my  wagons  while  I 
sold  out  the  glass.  I  have  forgotten  how  much 
money  we  made  out  of  that,  but  it  was  a 
goodly  sum.  Solomon  had  said  to  me,  we 
would  cut  the  profits  in  two.  Of  course  I 
didn't  rob  them  and  might  have  gotten  more 
for  it" 

As  Mr.  Anderson  put  it,  the  life  in  Sidney, 
as  it  was  then  in  Julesburg  and  Ogallala,  was 
too  rough  to  suit  him.  He  continued  the 
freighting  for  awhile,  and  then  sold  his  out- 
fit to  the  man,  Reddington,  who  had  stood  be- 
hind him  in  the  window  glass  venture.  Will- 
iams went  somewhere  for  awhile,  but  Ander- 
son returned  to  Grand  Island.  Williams  came 
along  later  and  they  again  started  a  saloon. 

GRAND  ISLAND  IN  THE  EARLY  'EIGHTIES 
Mr  McAllister  then  built  them  a  brick  build- 
ing near  where  the  McAllister  brick  block  at 
Pine  and  Third  stands.     Mr.  Anderson  nar- 
rates the  story  of  an 

EARLY  HORSE  RACE 
"A  fellow  used  to  bring  horses  here  from 
Missouri  and  sell  to  the  homesteaders.  I 
bought  a  young  three-year  old  mare  from  him. 
She  proved  to  be  a  pretty  good  'quarter-horse.' 
He  brought  up  horses  two  or  three  times  a 


year,  and  he  heard  that  I  thought  this  mare 
could  beat  most  anything;  so  he  brought  up 
a  little  old  scrub  race  horse  from  Missouri, 
intending  to  beat  me  out  of  some  money.  I 
went  over  and  looked  at  his  horse.  He  says, 
'they  tell  me  you  think  that  mare  you  got 
from  me  is  quite  a  race  horse.'  I  said,  'yes 
I  think  she  is.'  I  had  won  a  couple  of  races 
with  her.  So  he  says,  'I've  got  an  old  plug 
here,  I'll  just  bet  you  a  hundred  dollars  she 
can  beat  yours  a  quarter  mile.'  Then  I  just  bet 
him  that  $100.  We  went  over  on  Second 
street  to  run  the  race.  We  started  about  where 
Wolbach's  home  is  now,  just  go  down  to  where 
the  court  house  was,  where  Pioneer  Park  is 
now.  We  thought  that  was  the  nicest  place, 
there  was  just  a  wagon  road  there  then,  so 
we  measured  off  a  quarter  of  a  mile.  We 
started  at  Wolbach's  and  run  up  by  the  court 
house.  It  happened  that  court  was  in  session. 
The  lawyers,  the  jurors,  and  everbody  jumped 
up  and  ran  to  the  windows  to  see  what  all 
the  yelling  was  about.  Judge  Gaslin  was  here 
presiding.  The  judge  'said  to  the  sheriff, 
'Sheriff,  what's  it  all  about  ?  The  sheriff  said, 
'A  hoss  race.'  The  judge  said,  'You  go  out 
and  bring  them  in.'  He  brought  them  in.  The 
sheriff  did,  he  came  out  and  hauled  me  and 
the  other  fellow  in  as  the  two  principals  and 
brought  us  up.  The  old  judge  fined  us  $10 
apiece  for  running  on  a  public  highway.  But 
I  won  the  $100  and  it  cost  the  other  fellow 
$110. 

OTHER  EARLY  RECOLLECTIONS 

"Once  in  a  while  there  used  to  be  something 
pretty  rough  pulled  off.  A  policeman  shot  a 
fellow  one  day  where  the  American  restaurant 
now  stands. 

"Gus  Koehler  ran  a  saloon  on  the  site  where 
the  Schuff  or  American  restaurant  is  now,  until 
after  the  old  O.  K.  store  was  moved  away 
and  until  he  got  the  brick  Koehler  hotel  built 
on  the  present  corner.  Such  characters  as  the 
principals  in  the  Olive  tragedy  up  west  used  to 
wander  through  occasionally.  Doc.  Middle- 
ton,  the  famous  horse  thief  from  up  Custer 
way,  who  never  stole  just  a  horse  or  two, 
but  generally  a  carload  or  two,  used  to  come 
in.     I   remember  that  last  time   I   saw  him 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


was  when  he  had  his  wife  in  the  Sisters  Hos- 
pital." Mr.  Anderson  remarks  that  he  was 
present  when  the  Soldiers'  Home  building  was 
dedicated,  and  the  young  community  and 
county  thought  it  was  getting  to  be  some  place 
to  have  a  wonderful  building  as  that  put  up 
here.  He  adds  that  every  old  buggy  and  plug 
in  the  county  and  about  every  person  within 
range  was  here  that  day.  In  those  early  days 
the  Union  Pacific  round  house  stood  where 
the  city  water  works  is  now  located  on  Pine 
and  Fourth  streets.  In  the  early  'seventies,  Mr. 
Anderson  says,  one  morning  he  counted  four- 
teen antelope  feeding  between  present  Fifth 
street  and  the  railroad  tracks.  "You  could  get 
up  on  a  nice  still  morning,  like  this  time 
especially,  and  hear  the  prairie  chickens  in  a 
continual  roar,  and  see  roosters  strutting 
around  and  it  was  no  trouble  at  all  to  kill 
great  numbers  of  prairie  chickens.  He  says 
that  while  he  was  stationed  out  around  Fort 
Kearny  in  the  'sixties,  around  Kearny  and 
the  present  Lexington  and  over  toward  the  B. 
and  B.  Divide  you  could  ride  on  horseback  and 
see  buffalo  just  as  far  as  the  eye  could  see, 
looked  just  like  an  ocean,  continual  movements 
as  far  as  the  eye  could  see. 


A  RATTLE  SNAKE  ON  LOCUST  STREET 
Mr.  Anderson  narrates  that  one  day,  before 
the  time  the  block  that  now  contains  the  City 
Hall,  Bartenbach  Opera  House,  Wolbach 
store,  and  other  buildings  was  built  up,  the 
boys  had  a  path  zig-zagging  across  that  block, 
to  make  a  short  cut  to  get  to  the  U.  P.  eating 
house  and  depot,  which  were  then  east  of  the 
present  freight  house.  One  day  Claus  Eggets 
and  a  man  he  was  working  for  went  across 
here.  There  was  then  a  blacksmith  shop  on  the 
corner  where  the  postoffice  building  is  now. 
They  started  across  this  path,  and  while  Claus 
and  the  old  man  were  walking  across  there 
they  came  across  a  big  rattle  snake,  and  holy 
terrors !  they  had  nothing  to  kill  him  with. 
The  old  man  told  Claus  to  keep  the  snake 
out  of  a  hole  and  he  would  go  over  and  get 
something  to  kill  it  with,  which  he  did.  On 
his  return  they  killed  the  snake.  It  was  a  big 
fellow  with  sixteen  rattles. 

There  are  many  more  just  as  interesting 
reminicenses  that  Mr.  Anderson  could  nar- 
rate to  us  and  hand  down  to  posterity,  if  time 
and  space  in  this  work  permitted  of  their  in- 
corporation, but  nevertheless  Mr.  Anderson's 
career  has  been  one  of  the  moulding  factors 
in  the  early  history  of  the  community. 


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CHAPTER  VI 

THE  CITY  OF  GRAND  ISLAND 

Ftbst  Buildings  —  Organization  of  the  Town  —  Action  taken  by  Commissioners  — 
Town  Officials  1872-1919  —  Property  Belonging  to  City  —  Parks  —  Amusement 
Parks  —  The  Fire  Department  —  Paving  —  Sewers  —  Lighting    Plants  — 
Municipal  Light  and  Water  Plant  —  Sources  of  Taxation  and  Reve- 
nue—  Grand  Island's  Tax   Rate  —  The  Public  Library 


Grand  Island  takes  its  name  from  the  older 
settlement,  which  has  heretofore  been  treated 
at  such  length,  and  on  the  island  called  Grand 
Island  of  the  Platte. 

Here  in  this  city  is  the  seat  of  justice  of 
Hall  County  and  the  center  of  commercial  and 
manufacturing  growth  for  the  Platte  Valley 
in  Central  Nebraska.  Its  location  is  one  of 
the  prairie  ridges  and  affords  natural  drain- 
age; its  elevation  of  1,860  feet  above  the  sea 
level  renders  it  free  from  malarial  influences 
and  denies  it  the  rigorous  winters  of  higher 
altitudes. 

This  chapter  will  only  treat  of  the  early 
settlement  and  civic  development  of  Grand 
Island.  Its  city  government  will  be  detailed 
and  the  development  and  growth  of  its  public 
utilities  and  parks.  The  part  that  Grand 
Island  has  played  in  the  manufacturing,  in- 
dustrial, commercial,  and  financial  achieve- 
ments of  Hall  County  will  be  merged  in  the 
separate  chapters  on  those  subjects  that  are 
to  follow  this  one.  Likewise  will  the  growth 
of  her  churches  be  included  in  the  treatment 
of  their  respective  denominations,  her  schools 
treated  as  a  part  of  the  school  history  of  the 
county,  the  press,  professions  and  social  and 
fraternal  institutions  be  taken  up  in  separate 


st ruction  train  run  in.  This  train  was  drawn 
by  the  locomotive  Osceola,  in  charge  of 
George  Loomis.  The  engine  was  captured 
in  1868  by  the  Indians  six  miles  west  of  Plum 
Creek. 

The  first  building  was  erected  by  W.  Steph- 
ens on  the  intersection  now  of  Locust  and 
First  tsreets. 

During  the  fall  the  railroad  house  was 
erected,  which  was  used  until  the  completion 
of  the  later  railroad  house  in  December,  1875, 
when  part  of  the  old  building  was  purchased 
by  Fred  Hedde  and  removed  to  the  southwest 
corner  of  Third  and  Locust  streets,  and 
another  part  was  converted  into  a  dwelling 
by  P.  Touhey,  and  occupied  in  1876  by  C.  W. 
Thomas. 

The  postoffice  was  established  in  1866  with 
D.  Schuler  postmaster,  and  about  this  time 
the  store  of  M.  S.  Hall,  a  railroad  contractor, 
was  opened,  and  the  O.  K.  store  was  moved 
into  the  new  town  early  in  1867  by  Koenig 
and  Wiebe.  Henry  Koenig  also  established 
the  State  Central  Flouring  Mills  and  the  pio- 
neer lumber  yard.  William  R.  McAllister  and 
C.  W.  Thomas  also  opened  their  stores  the 
same  year. 

The  original  plat  of  Grand  Island  was  filed 


chapters  relating  to  those  respective  activities,      for  record  September  29,  1866,  and  recorded 

in  Book  B,  page  13,  by  Clerk  Fred  T.  Evans. 

first  buildings  The    document    was    folmd    by    Abstractor 

The  first  track  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad     William  Frank,  at  Omaha.    Prior  to  this  time 

was  laid  here  July  8,  1866,  and  the  first  con-     Grand  Island  had   nothing  to   show  title  to 

101 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


lleys,  beyond  twenty-one  years 
the  same,  the  county  records 
title  only  in  the  Union  Pacific 

pany. 

IIZATION  OF  THE  TOWN 
eral  meetings  were  held  to  dis- 
relative  to  town  organization, 
eting  to  consider  the  question 
November  25,  1872,  and  a  report 
from  a  committee  previously 
favor  of  presenting  a  petition 
sioners.  George  H.  Thummel, 
,  A.  Thorspecken,  and  Henry 
re  the  members.  The  persons 
irculate  the  petition  were  W.  H. 
rspecken,  and  W.  C.  Buderus. 
10,  1872,  the  petition  for  in- 
as  granted,  and  John  Wallichs, 
A.  Thorspecken,  H.  N.  Chap- 
ristian  Wasmer  named  as  the 
trustees. 

i  to  incorporate  read  and  was 
jws: 

O.  A.  Abbott  et  al  for  incorpo- 
of  Grand  Island, 
norable,  The  Board  of  County 
;  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
ioners,  taxable  inhabitants  of 
-and  Island,  respectfully  request 
e  body  to  declare  the  town  of 
a  body  politic  and  corporate  by 
nd  style  of  the  Town  of  Grand 
ley  do  also  request  that  R.  C. 
Wallichs,  A.  Thorspecken,  H. 
and  Christian  Wasmer  be  ap- 
:s  of  said  town.  And  your  pe- 
ver  pray, 
nd  Island,  Nov.  25th,  1872. 

Geo.  H.  Thummel 

A.  Frechette 

E.  A.  Richardson 
mig  C.  P.  Henderson 

Nick  Harris 
s  W.  H.  Anderson 

i  R.  S.  Van  Wie 

in  J.  Spangenberg 

ster  H.  Thomas 

J.  Michelson   . 


B.  B.  Kelley 
H.  N.  Chapman 
G.  J.  Greve 
S.  P.  Mobley 
Fred  Stratmann 
H.  Stratmann 

C.  E.  Lykke 
Jesse  Turner 
Joseph  Felt 
Christ  Gaffner 
John  Kraft 
Claus  Thiessen 
J.  G.  Feller 

C.  A.  von  Wasmer 
Chas.  Wasmer 

D.  G.  Phimister 
Wm.  W.  Cummings 
Chas.   A.   Hoffman 
John  Riss 
G.  G.  McKenzie 
Joseph  Jenneman 
F.  C.  Churchill 
A.  B.  Veeder 
James  Geary 
O.  Conklin 
W.  H.  Mitchell 
Jesse  Shoemaker 
George  Leger 
R.  C.  Jordon 

F.  Drews 
J.  J.  Gisel 
A.  Egge 
H.  Baumann 
P.  B.  McCarthy 
H.  C.  Held 

C.  E.  Jerome 
H.  P.  Handy 
A.  H.  Moses 
John  Milson 

G.  P.  Van  Dyke 

D.  W.  Duncan 
James  Hammond 
John  Lyon 

Commissioner's  Record  No.  2,  Page  60. 

ACTION  TAKEN  BY  THE  COMMISSIONERS 

Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  December   10,  1872 

The  Board  met  pursuant  to  the  roll  call  ol 

the  county  clerk.     Present   Messrs.    Hoopa 


Dennis  Rooney 
Jay  E.  White 
Jens  Olsen 
Robert  Frohberg 
L.  Engel 
H.  P.  Makely 
Peter  Peterson 
J.  C.  Cornelius 
Joseph  Kilian 
Fred  A.  Wiebe 
N.  T.  Kelley 
C.  Probstle 
John  Ellis 
George  Boehra 
John  Murry 

B.  C.  Howard 

C.  Obermiller 
Geo.  E.  Wilson 
W.  H.  Pyne 

D.  T.  Jamieson 
T.  H.  Verpooth 
Dan'l  L.  Harrison 
Fred  Nable 

I.  Gluck 
H.  Avery 
Chas.  Heusinger 
W.  M.  Spiker 
W.  H.  Wasmer 
Edw.  Hooper 
N.  P.  Nelson 
W.  H.  Piatt 
August  Dodderstein 
C.  W.  Thomas 
Chas.  Rollins 
K.  W.  Townsend 
J.  E.  Baldwin 
John  Ratcliff 
R.  B.  Sawyer 
Lemuel  Rollow 
H.  R.  Hirst 
Wm.  Bradford 
Samuel  Remy 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Cornelius,  and  Jackson.  The  minutes  of  the 
last  meeting  were  read  and  approved. 

A  petition  of  the  taxable  inhabitants  of 
Grand  Island  being  presented  to  the  board  of 
county  commissioners  and  it  appearing  that 
a  majority  of  the  taxable  inhabitants  of  said 
town  having  signed  said  petition : 

It  is  therefore  ordered  by  said  board  of 
county  commissioners  that  the  town  of  Grand 
Island  be  declared  incorporated  by  the  name 
and  style  of  "Grand  Island",  with  the  follow- 
ing limits:  The  northwest  %  and  the  north- 
west yA  of  the  southwest  ^4  of  section  fifteen 
(15)  and  the  northeast  %  and  north  ^  of 
southeast  y±  and  northeast  ^  of  southwest 
\\  of  section  sixteen  (16)  in  township  eleven 
(11)  north  of  range  (9)  west,  and  the  follow- 
ing persons  be  appointed  trustees  of  said 
town,  towit :  R.  C.  Jordon,  John  Wallichs,  A. 
Thorspecken,  H.  N.  Chapman  and  Christian 
Wasmer. 

The  board  then  adjourned  to  meet  on  the 
16th  day  of  December,  1872. 

John  Wallichs, 
County  Clerk  George  Cornelius 

(Seal  Hall  County,  Nebraska)  Edw.  Hooper." 

During  the  year  1872  John  Wallichs  served 
as  clerk  part  of  the  time,  and  W.  C.  Buderus 
par!  of  the  time. 

Beginning  with  1873,  the  officers  who  have 
been  elected  to  the  City  of  Grand  Island,  and 
those  fulling  appointtive  positions  have  been : 


1873 

ELECTED 

Mayor,    John    Wallichs;    Council,    H.    N. 

Chapman,  Louis  Engle,  H.  P.  Handy,  J.  C. 

Cornelius;  Clerk,  Jay  E.  White;  Judge,  W.  H. 

Piatt;  Treasurer,  Geo.  E.  Wilson. 

1874 

Mayor,    Edward  Hooper;     Council,    Nick 

Harris,  R.  S.  Van  Wie,  H.  P.  Handy,  J.  C. 

Cornelius ;  Clerk,  Wm.  Wasmer ;  Judge,  W. 

H.  Piatt ;  Treasurer,  James  Geary. 

1875 

Mayor,   Edward   Hooper;   Council,  Joseph 

Killian,  W.  C.  King  (no  record  of  the  other 

two);  Clerk,  John  Wallichs;  Judge,  W.   H. 

Piatt ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Hagge. 

1876 
Mayor,  James  Geary ;  Council,  Joseph 
Kfllian,  W.  R.  McAllister,  W.  C.  King, 
Patrick  Dunphy;  Clerk,  John  Wallichs; 
fudge,  John  D.  Hayes ;  Treasurer,  Wm. 
Hagge. 


1877 

Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt ;  Council,  Geo.  E-  Wil- 
son, President,  Christian  Wasmer,  Daniel 
Morgan,  Patrick  Dunphy;  Clerk,  John  Wal- 
lichs ;  Judge,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison ;  Treasurer, 
Wm.  Hagge;  Marshal,  Peter  D,  Thomssen; 
Engineer,  Chas.  Reif;  Assessor,  Wm.  Was- 
mer ;  Chief  Fire  DepL,  Patrick  Dunphy. 
1878 

Mayor,  C.  D.  M.  Washburn;  Council,  Geo. 
E.  Wilson,  G.  H.  Bush,  Christian  Wasmer, 

D.  Morgan ;  Clerk,  John  Wallichs ;  Judge, 
T.  O.  C.  Harrison ;  Treasurer,  Wm.  Hagge ; 
Marshal,  Peter  D.  Thomssen ;  Engineer,  Chas. 
Reif;  Assessor,  Wm,  Wasmer, 

1879 
Mayor,  C.  D.  M.  Washburn;  Council,  Geo. 

E.  Wilson,  Pres.  (resigned),  Chanucey 
Willse   (appointed),  Edward  Hooper,  Chris- 


Grane  Island  in  1874 

tian  Wasmer,  G.  H.  Bush ;  Clerk,  Christian 
Schlotfelt;  Judge,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison;  Treas- 
urer, C.  W.  Thomas ;  Marshal,  C.  L.  Howell ; 
Engineer,  S.  E.  Reauch  (resigned),  Chas. 
Rief  (appointed). 

1880 

Mayor,  C.  D.  M.  Washburn;  Council, 
Chauncey  Willse,  Pres.  (resigned),  John  L. 
Means  (appointed),  Patrick  Dunphy,  James 
Michelson,  Edward  Hooper;  Clerk,  Christian 
Schlotfelt;  Judge,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison;  Treas- 
urer, Geo.  Cornelius ;  Engineer,  Chas.  Rief 
(resigned),  C.  E.  Hart  (appointed). 
1881 

Mayor,  John  L.  Means;  Council,  Edw. 
Hooper,  Pres.,  James  Michelson,  Patrick 
Dunphy  (resigned),  C.  W.  Thomas  (ap- 
pointed), Chas.  Millsen;  Clerk,  Jos.  H.  Mul- 
lin  (resigned),  J.  H.  Gorman  (appointed)  ; 
Judge,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison;  Treasurer,  Charles 
F.  Bentley;  Chief  of  Police,  Geo.  Loan,  Sr.; 
Engineer,  C.  E.  Hart;  Street  Commissioner, 
Patrick  Higgins. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mayor,  Michael  Murphy;  Council,  O.  U. 
Wescott,  Chas.  Milisen,  James  Geary,  Ed- 
ward Hooper,  H.  P.  Makely,  W.  R.  Mc- 
Allister; Clerk,  David  Ackerman;  Judge, 
T.  O.  C.  Harrison ;  Treasurer,  C.  F.  Bentley ; 
Attorney,  Geo.  H.  Thummel;  Engineer,  Hugo 
Hald ;  Chief  of  Police,  Geo.  Loan,  Sr. 

1883 
Mayor,  Michael  Murphy;  Council,  Chas. 
Milisen,  O.  U.  Wescott,  E.  A.  Barnes,  James 
Cleary,  C.  L.  Howell,  W.  R.  McAllister; 
Clerk,  David  Ackerman;  Judge,  John  W. 
West;  Treasurer,  Jay  E.  White;  Attorney, 
W.  H.  Thompson ;  Engineer,  Hugo  Hald ; 
Chief  of  Police,  Geo.  Loan,  Sr. 


Mayor,  Jay  E.  White ;  Council,  F.  E.  Brog- 
den,  Chas.  Milisen,  Henry  Vieregg,  E.  A. 
Barnes,  J.  B.  Jorden,  D.  H.  Vieth;  Clerk, 
David  Ackerman ;  Judge,  John  W.  West ; 
Treasurer,  A.  C.  Lederman ;  Attorney,  W.  H. 
Piatt;  Engineer,  C.  E.  Hart;  Chief  of  Police, 
Geo.  Loan,  Sr. 

1885 
Mayor,  John  L.  Means ;  Council,  N.  T. 
Estes,  F.  E.  Brogden,  James  Heesch,  Henry 
Vieregg,  D.  H.  Vieth,  John  Fonner,  Chas. 
Milisen,  M.  Taylor;  Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford; 
Judge,  H.  B.  Wilson.;  Treasurer,  A.  C.  Leder- 
man ;  Attorney,  W.  H.  Thompson ;  Engineer, 
C.  E.  Hart ;  Marshal,  John  VanWie. 


Mayor,  John  L.  Means;  Council,  Chas. 
Milisen,  President,  M.  Taylor,  John  Fonner, 
W.  R.  McAllister,  James  Heesch,  Henry 
Vieregg,  N.  T.  Estes,  W.  F.  McLaughlin; 
Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford ;  Judge,  H.  B.  Wilson ; 
Treasurer,  A.  C.  Lederman;  Attorney,  W.  H. 
Thompson ;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan ;  En- 
gineer, E.  McNish;  Engineer  Fire  Dept., 
John  A.  Matthews;  Marshal,  John  Van  Wie. 

1887 
Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  W.  R.  Mc- 
Allister,    President,     W.     F.      McLaughlin 
J.  W.   Liveringhouse,  Chas.   Wasmer,  H.   J. 
Palmer,   Henry   Vieregg,   M.    Taylor,   J.   Y. 
Alexander ;  Clerk,  C.   W.   Brininger ;  Judge, 
Henrv   Garn :   Treasurer,   J.   W.   West ;   At- 
Horth ;  Water  Commissioner, 
in;   Street   Commissioner,   Geo. 
imaster,   D.   Morgan ;   Engineer 
,  W.  C.  Van  Pelt ;  Engineer  Fire 
.  Matthews;  Chief  of  Police,  R. 


Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  W.  R.  Mc- 
Allister, President,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  W. 
M.  Geddes,  W.  F.  Banks,  J.  W.  Livering- 
house, Chas.  Wasmer,  H.  J.  Palmer,  J.  Y 
Alexander;  Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge 
Henry  Garn;  Treasurer,  J.  W.  West;  At- 
torney, R.  R.  Horth;  Water  Commissioner, 
Geo.  Loan,  Sr. ;  Street  Commissioner,  Geo. 
Clark;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan;  Engineer 
Water  Works,  W.  C.  Van  Pelt ;  Enginner  Fire 
Dept.,  John  Matthews;  Chief  of  Police,  R.  P 
O'Neill;  City  Engineer,  Wm.  Ensign. 


Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  W.  F.  Mc- 
Laughlin, President,  James  F.  Rourke.  W. , 
M.  Geddes,  Geo.  Bartenbach.  Thos.  A.  Oaks,  \ 
Chas.  Rief,  W.  R.  McAllister,  Geo.  A. 
Reaugh;  Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge,  J. H. 
Mullin ;  Treasurer,  Jno.  W.  West ;  Attorney, 
R.  R.  Horth;  Water  Commissioner,  Geo 
Loan,  Sr. ;  Street  Commissioner,  Geo.  Clark; 
Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan;  Chief  of  Police, 
Jos.  Killian;  City  Engineer,  Wm.  Ensign 

1890 
(Made  first  class  city) 

Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  \V.  M. 
Geddes,  President,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  Jas. 
F.  Rourke,  Henry  Schlotfelt,  Chas.  R«S, 
Thos.  A.  Oaks,  Geo.  A.  Reaugh,  Geo.  Barten- 
bach; Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge,  J.  H. 
Mullin ;  Treasurer,  John  W.  West ;  Attorney, 
R.  R.  Horth;  Water  Commissioner,  Geo- 
Loan,  Sr. ;  Street  Commissioner,  Geo.  Clark; 
Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan;  Chief  of  Police, 
Geo.  P.  Dean. 

1891 

Mayor,  Henry  D.  Boyden;  Council,  W.  H 
Geddes,  President,  Geo.  Bartenbach,  W.  H 
Harrison,  Gus  Koehler,  Jas.  F.  Rourke,  Get 
H.  Andrews,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  Thos.  -3 
Oakes;  Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge,  J.  * 
Mullin;  Treasurer,  J.  W.  West;  Attorne; 
W.  H.  Thompson;  Water  Commissioner,  I 
H.  Wilhelm ;  Street  Commissioner,  Ben 
Berry;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan;  Chief  i 
Police.  Geo.  P.  Dean. 

1892 
Mayor,  Henry  D.  Boyden;  Council,  W.  I 
Geddes,  President,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  G* 
H.  Andrews,  Chas.  Milisen.  W.  H.  Harrisc 
Geo.  Bartenbach,  Gus  Koehler,  Jas. 
Rourke;  Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge,  J. 
Mullin;  Treasurer,  J.  W.  West;  Attom. 
W.  II.  Thompson ;  Water  Commissioner, 
II.    Wilhelm;    Street    Commissioner,      Be 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


105 


Berry;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan;  Chief  of 
Police,  Geo.  P.  Dean;  City  Engineer,  Wm. 
Ensign. 

1893 

Mayor,  Wm.  M.  Geddes ;  Council,  Wm.  F. 
McLaughlin,  President,  John  Alexander,  A. 
Cosh,  Geo.  Bartenbach,  Jas.  F.  Rourke,  Edw. 
Hockenberger,  Geo.  H.  Andrews,  Dr.  H.  C. 
Miller;  Clerk,  C.  W.  Brininger;  Judge,  Madir 
son  T.  Garlow ;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King ;  At- 
torney, W.  A.  Prince;  Water  Commissioner, 
C.  F.  Rollins;  Street  Commissioner  and  Chief 
of  Fire  Dept.,  E.  C.  McCashland;  Weigh- 
masler,  D.  Morgan;  Chief  of  Police,  Martin 
rowers. 

1894 

Mayor,  Wm.  M.  Geddes;  Council,  W.  F. 
McLaughlin,  President,  H.  C.  Miller,  Chas. 
Rief,  A.  D.  Owens,  John  Alexander,  Geo. 
Bartenbach,  A.  Cosh,  Jas.  F.  Rourke;  Clerk, 
C.  W.  Brininger ;  Judge,  Madison  T.  Garlow ; 
Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  W.  A. 
Prince ;  Water  Commissioner,  C.  F.  Rollins ; 
Street  Commissioner,  John  Berry;  Chief  of 
Police,  Martin  Powers;  City  Engineer,  A. 
Koenig;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan. 


Mayor,  W.  H.  Thompson;  Council,  H,  C. 
Miller,  President,  John  Alexander,  Edw.  C. 
Schourup,  Henry  Vieregg,  J.  A.  Woolsten- 
holm,  Chas.  Rief,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  A.  D. 
Owens;  Clerk,  Carl  H.  Menck;  Judge,  Madi- 
son T.  Garlow;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  At- 
torney, Fred  W.  Ashton ;  Water  and  Street 
Commissioner,  Geo.  Loan,  Sr. ;  Chief  of 
Police,  Roger  Ryan ;  Weighmaster,  D. 
Morgan:  Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  R.  T.  Hite. 

1896 
Mayor,  W.  H.  Thompson ;  Council,  John 
Alexander,  President,  H.  C.  Miller,  R.  H.  Mc- 
Allister, H.  W.  Potter,  A.  Cosh,  J.  A.  Wool- 
stenholm,  Edw.  C.  Schourup,  Henry  Vieregg; 
Clerk,  Carl  H.  Menck;  Judge,  Joseph  Fox; 
Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  Fred  W. 
Ashton;  Street  and  Water  Commissioner, 
Ceo.  Loan,  Sr ;  Weighmaster,  D.  Morgan ; 
Chief  of  Police,  Roger  Ryan;  Chief  of  Fire 
iPept.,  Wm.  Scheffel;  City  Engineer,  A.  C. 
[oenig. 

1897 
Mayor,  W.  H.  Thompson ;  Council,  H.  C. 
filler,  President,  H.  A.  Bartling,  H.  H. 
i'over,  Edw.  C.  Schourup,  J.  A.  Woolsten- 
olm,  A.  Cosh,  Henry  Potter,  R.  H.  Mc- 
Jlister;  Clerk,  Carl  H.  Menck;  Judge,  Wm. 
I.  Gillett ;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King ;  Attorney, 
toner  E.   Thompson;   Weighmasteir,   I.    H. 


Waldron ;  Water  and  Street  Commissioner, 
Geo.  Loan,  Sr. ;  Chief  of  Police,  Fred  Meier; 
Chief  of   Fire  Dept,    Fred    Lohman;  City 

Engineer,  A.  C.  Koenig. 


Mayor,  W.  H.  Thompson;  Council,  J.  A. 
Woolstenholm,  President,  A.  Cosh,  R.  Goehr- 
ing, R.  H.  McAllister,  H.  W.  Potter,  H.  H. 
Glover,  H.  A.  Bartling,  E.  C.  Schourup; 
Clerk,  Edward  Hooper ;  Judge,  O.  A.  Abbott, 
Jr. ;Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  W.  S. 
Peame;  Chief  of  Police,  Fred  Meier;,  Chief 
of  Fire  Dept.,  R.  A.  Kelso;  Weighmaster,  I. 
H.  Waldron;  City  Engineer,  A.  C.  Koenig; 
Water  Commissioner,  Lafe  Myers ;  Street 
Commissioner,  W.  F.  Martinsen. 

1899 

Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  H.  H. 
Glover,  President,  John  Alexander,  Henry 
Mayer,  E.  C.  Schourup,  H.  W.  Potter,  R. 
Goehring,  R.  H.  McAllister,  A.  Cosh;  Clerk, 
Edw.  Hooper;  Judge,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.; 
Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  Fred  W. 
Ashton;  Chief  of  Police,  Z.  B.  Partridge; 
Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  R.  A.  Kelso;  Water 
Commissioner,  M.  Murphy;  Street  Commis- 
sioner, Wm.  Martinsen ;  Weighmaster,  D. 
Morgan. 

1900 

Mayor,  W.  H.  Piatt;  Council,  H.  H. 
Glover,  President,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  R. 
Goehring,  R.  H.  McAllister,  Henry  Reese,  E. 
C.  Schourup,  John  Alexander,  Henry  Mayer; 
Clerk,  Edward  Hooper;  Judge,  O.  A.  Abbott, 
Jr.;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  Fred 
W.  Ashton ;  Chief  of  Police,  Z.  B.  Partridge ; 
Chief  of  Fire  Department,  R.  A.  Kelso; 
Water  Commissioner,  M.  Murphy;  Street' 
Commissioner,  W.  F.  Martinsen ;  Weigh- 
master, D.  Morgan;  City  Engineer,  A.  C. 
Koenig. 

1901 

Mayor,  James  Geary ;  Council,  R.  H.  Mc- 
Allister, President,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell,  H.  E. 
Clifford,  H.  H.  Glover,  Joseph  Sondermann, 
W.  F.  McLaughlin,  Henry  Reese,  R.  Goehr- 
ing; Clerk,  Edward  Hooper;  Judge,  John  L. 
Combs-;  Attorney,  Madison  T.  Garlow ;  Treas- 
urer, W.  R.  King;  Chief  of  Police,  E.  C. 
McCashland ;  Chief  of  Fire  Department, 
Thos.  M.  Dillon ;  Weighmaster,  J.  G.  Hen- 
drix ;  Water  Commissioner,  M.  Murphy ; 
Street  Commissioner,  Adolph  Martinson. 

1902 
Mayor,  James  Geary ;  Council,  Geo.  Broad- 
well,  H.  E.  Clifford,  R.  Goehring,  R.  H.  Mc- 


106 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Allister,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  Henry  Reese, 
Joseph  Sondermann,  A.  W.  Sterne;  Clerk, 
Edward  Hooper;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King; 
Attorney,  Madison  T.  Garlow ;  Judge,  Henry 
Gam ;  Water  Commissioner,  W.  W.  Walters ; 
Street  Commissioner,  Adolph  Martinson ; 
Weighmaster,  J.  G.  Hendryx ;  Chief  of  Police, 
E.  C.  McCashland ;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept,  Thos. 
M.  Dillon. 

1903 

Mayor,  James  Geary;  Council,  W.  F.  Mc- 
Laughlin, President,  H.  E.  Clifford,  R.  Goehr- 
ing,  A.  W.  Sterne,  Edward  Dearing,  R.  H. 
McAllister,  J.  A.  Kelso,  G.  A.  Leiser;  Clerk, 
Edward  Hooper;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King; 
Attorney,  Madison  T.  Garlow;  Judge,  Henry 
Gam ;  Water  Commissioner,  W.  W.  Waters ; 
Street  Commissioner,  E.  C.  McCashland ; 
City  Engineer,  C.  A.  Baldwin;  Chief  of 
Police,  Philip  Loeplin;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept., 
Thos.  M.  Dillon;  Weighmaster,  J.  G.  Hen- 
dryx. 

1904 

Mayor,  James  Geary ;  Council,  C.  P.  Birk, 
Albert  Etting,  Edward  Dearing,  Geo.  A. 
Leiser,  H.  Z.  Clifford,  A.  W.  Sterne,  J.  A. 
Kelso,  R.  H.  McAllister;  Clerk,  Edward 
Hooper;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney, 
Madison  T.  Garlow ;  Judge,  Henry  Gam ; 
Water  Commissioner,  W.  W.  Waters;  Street 
Commissioner,  E.  C.  McCashland ;  Weigh- 
master, J.  G.  Hendryx ;  Chief  of  Police,  Phil 
Koeplin;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  Thos.  M. 
Dillon. 

1905 

Mayor,  Henry  Schuff;  Council,  H.  E.  Clif- 
ford, A.  W.  Sterne,  A.  W.  Buchheit,  Geo.  A. 
Leiser,  C.  P.  Birk,  Albert  Etting,  Edward 
Dearing,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell ;  Clerk,  Edward 
Hooper;  Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney, 
W.  A.  Prince ;  Judge,  Henry  Gam ;  Water 
Commissioner,  W.  W.  Waters;  City  Engineer, 
C.  A.  Baldwin ;  Chief  of  Police,  Philip  Koep- 
lin; Chief  of  Fire  Dept..  Thos.  M.  Dillon; 
Weighmaster,  Benj.  Van  Buskirk;  City  Physi- 
cian, Dr.  M.  L.  Rich. 

On  March  6th,  1906,  a  special  election  was 
held  upon  the  proposition  of  a  new  municipal 
lighting  plant,  resulting  in  926  votes  in  favor 
of  the  bonds  and  361  against. 

City  Attorney  Prince  was  made  clerk  pro 
tem  during  the  illness  of  City  Clerk  Hooper, 
and  on  March  28,  Councilman  H.  E.  Clifford 
was  selected  as  City  Clerk  vice  Edward 
Hooper   who   had   died   shortly   before,   and 


Francis   M.    Milliken   appointed   Councilman 
to  succeed  Mr.  Clifford. 

1906 
Mayor,  Henry  Schuff;  Council,  C.  P.  Birk, 
Albert  Etting,  John  Schwynn,  Geo.  A.  Leiser, 
F.  M.  Milliken,  A.  W.  Steme,  A.  W.  Buch- 
heit, Geo.  W.  Broadwell;  Clerk,  H.  E.  Clif- 
ford; Treasurer,  W.  R.  King;  Attorney,  VV. 
A.  Prince;  Judge,  Henry  Gam.  Appointive 
officers  same  as  1905,  except  R.  O.  Watters. 
Water  Commissioner. 

1907 
Mayor,  Henry  Schuff;  Council,  Elmer  E. 
Ginger,  Herman  Hehnke,  Jr.,  A.  W.  Buch- 
heit, Geo.  W.  Broadwell,  C.  P.  Birk,  Albert 
Etting,  John  Schwynn,  Geo.  A.  Leiser ;  Clerk, 
H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer,  Fred  C.  Hanna- 
ford ;  Judge,  Bayard  H.  Paine ;  Attorney,  W. 
A.  Prince;  City  Engineer,  C.  A.  Baldwin: 
Street  Commissioner,  J.  E.  Hanna ;  Water 
Commissioner,  R.  O.  Waters;  Weighmaster, 
John  Wallichs ;  City  Physician,  Dr.  B.  R.  Mc- 
Grath;  Chief  of  Police,  Frank  Hoagland; 
Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  Frank  H.  Smith. 

1908 
Mayor,  Henry  Schuff;  Council,  Lewis  T. 
Geer,  Jas.  F.  Rourke,  Claus  Eggers,  Geo-  A. 
Leiser,  Elmer  E.  Ginger,  Herman  Hehnke, 
Jr.,  A.  W.  Buchheit,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell; 
Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer,  F.  C.  Han- 
naford ;  Judge,  Bayard  H.  Paine ;  Attorney, 
W.  A.  Prince;  Water  Commissioner,  J.  H. 
Miller ;  Street  Commissioner,  Daniel  T. 
Dunkel ;  City  Physician,  Dr.  L.  Phelan ;  Chief 
of  Fire  Dept.,  Gns  E.  Nuemann ;  Asst.  Water 
Commissioner,  Jas.  Nicholson. 

1909 

Mayor,  Henry  Schuff ;  Council,  C.  P.  Birh 
Herman  Hehnke,  Jr.,  Albert  v.  d.  Heyde,  Gen 
W.  Broadwell,  Lewis  T.  Geer,  Jas.  F.  Rourk< 
Gaud  Eggers,  Geo.  A.  Leiser;  Clerk,  H.  1 
Clifford ;  Treasurer,  R.  L-  Harrison ;  Judg< 
Bayard  H.  Paine;  Attorney,  W.  A.  Prince 
City  Engineer,  J.  C.  Lefler;  Street  Commii 
siomer,  Daniel  T.  Dunkel;  Water  Commis 
sioner,  T.  T.  Miller;  Weighmaster,  John  Wal 
lichs ;  City  Physician,  Dr.  L.  Phelan  ;  Chief 
Police,  Frank  Hoagland. 

Medical  members  Board  of  Health,  C.  .1 
Roeder,  A.  H.  Farnsworth  and  Thos.  Valliel 

1910 

Mayor,  Henry  Schuff;  Council,  James  I 
Hanna,  James  F.  Rourke,  Ed  Miner,  Otto  I 
Sothmann,  C.  P.  Birk,  Herman  Hehnke,  Jl 
Albert    v.  d.    Heyde,    Geo.    W.    Broadwel 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


107 


Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer,  R.  L.  Har- 
rison; judge,  Bayard  H.  Paine;  Attorney, 
W.  A.  Prince.     (Appointees  held  over.) 

Walker  W.  Hainline  appointed  vice  Soth- 
man,  resigned,  February,  1911. 

1911 
Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan ;  Council,  Rasmus  P. 
Rasmussen,  Emil  H.  Vieregg,  Albert  v.  d. 
Heyde,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell,  Jas.  E.  Hanna, 
Jas.  F.  Rourke,  Ed  Miner,  John  Knickrehm; 
Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford ;  Treasurer,  R.  L.  Har- 
rison; Judge,  E.  G.  Kroger;  Chief  of  Police, 
Marion  D.  Abrogast ;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept., 
Thos.  M.  Dillon ;  Water  Commissioner,  J.  H. 
Miller;  Street  Commissioner,  Dani  T. 
Dunkel ;  Attorney,  A.  C.  Mayer;  Weigh- 
master,  John  Wallichs;  City  Engineer,  H.  W. 
Kibbey;  Physician,  Dr.  L.  Phelan;  Drs.  on 
Board  of  Health,  W.  B.  Hoge,  E.  S.  Dungan, 
Thos.  Vallier. 

1912 
Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan ;  Council,  Jas.  E. 
Hanna,  August  Meyer,  Rudolph  W.  Bock, 
John  Knickrehm,  Rasmus  P.  Rasmussen, 
Emil  H.  Vieregg,  Albert  v.  d.  Heyde,  Geo. 
W.  Broadwell;  Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treas- 
urer, L.  Roy  Brininger;  Street  Commissioner, 
Jasper  Eggers ;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  Thos.  M. 
Dillon.  (Other  appointees  held  over.) 

1913 

Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan ;  Council,  Rasmus  P. 
Rasmussen,  Herman  Hehnke,  Jr.,  Albert  v.  d. 
Heyde,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell,  Jas.  E.  Hanna, 
August  Meyer,  R.  W.  Bock,  John  Knickrehm  ; 
Clerk,  H  E.  Clifford ;  Treasurer,  L.  R.  Brin- 
inger; Attorney,  A.  C.  Mayer;  Engineer,  H. 
W.  Kibbey ;  Street  Commissioner,  Jasper 
Eggers;  Water  Commissioner,  J.  H.  Miller; 
Weighmaster,  John  Wallichs;  Physician,  Dr. 
L.  Phelan ;  Chief  of  Police,  M.  D.  Albogast ; 
Chief  of  Fire  Dept.,  Thos.  M.  Dillon ;  Judge, 
E.  G.  Kroger. 

1914 

Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan;  Council,  Jas.  E. 
Hanna,  August  Meyer,  R.  W.  Bock,  A.  C. 
Menck,  Rasmus  P.  Rasmussen,  Herman 
Hehnke,  Jr.,  Albert  v.  d.  Heyde,  Geo.  W. 
Broadwell;  Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer, 
L.  R.  Brininger;  Judge  E.  G.  Kroeger.  (Ap- 
pointees remained  the  same.) 

Councilman  Rasmussen  died  in  August, 
1914,  and  Rudolph  Reher  was  appointed  to 
fill  the  vacancy. 

1915 

Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan ;  Council,  Frederick 
N.  Rask,  Herman  Hehnke,  Jr.,  Edw.  L.  Ball- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


109 


enger,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell,  Jas.  E.  Hanna, 
August  Meyer,  R.  W.  Bock,  A.  C.  Menck; 
Cleric,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer,  Max  J. 
Egge;  Attorney,  A.  C.  Mayer;  Physician,  Dr. 
L.  Phelan ;  Weighmaster,  John  Wallichs ; 
Board  of  Health,  Drs.  B.  R.  McGrath,  E.  S. 
Duugan  and  Thos.  Valuer;  Chief  of  Police, 
Jas.  Snodgrass;  Water  Commissioner,  John 
C.  McAuley;  Street  Commissioner,  William 
Pepper;  Judge,  E.  G.  Kroger. 

1916 
Mayor,  Chas.  G.  Ryan ;  Council,  Jas.  E. 
Hanna,  August  Meyer,  R.  W.  Bock,  A.  C. 
Menck,  Frederick  N.  Rask,  Herman  Hehnke, 
Jr.,  Edw.  L.  Ballenger,  Geo.  W.  Broadwell ; 
Clerk,  H.  E.  Clifford;  Treasurer,  Max  J. 
Egge;  Physician,  Dr.  L.  Phelan.  (Appointees 
same  as  1915.)  Judge,  E.  G.  Kroger. 

1917 

Mayor,  J.  L.  Geary ;  Council,  Joseph  Alex- 
ander, John  A.  Ferguson,  Walter  Peterson, 
David  C.  Sneller,  Jas.  E.  Hanna,  August 
Meyer,  R.  W.  Bock,  A.  C.  Menck;  Clerk,  H. 
E.  Clifford ;  Treasurer,  Max  J.  Egge ;  At- 
torney, A.  L.  Joseph;  Judge,  E.  G.  Kroeger; 
Water  Commissioner,  Jno.  McAuley;  Street 
Commissioner,  Wm.  Pepper;  Chief  of  Police, 
Fred  R.  Manderville ;  Weighmaster,  John 
Wallichs ;  City  Engineer,  I.  R.  Moriarity ; 
Health  Board,  E.  G.  Johnson,  R.  C.  Wood- 
ruff, A.  H.  Famsworth;  Chief  of  Fire  Dept., 
Thos.  M.  Dillon. 

Councilman  Sneller  resigned  and  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Wm.  F.  Krehmke. 

1918 
Mayor,  J.  L-  Geary ;  Council,  Jas.  E. 
Hanna,  Julius  Boeck,  A.  C.  Menck,  R.  W. 
Bock,  Wm.  F.  Krehmke,  Joe  Alexander, 
Walter  Peterson ;  John  A.  Ferguson  resigned 
in  1918  and  was  succeeded  by  Carl  V. 
Willard.    These  eight  are  still  serving  through 

John  Wallichs,  weighmaster,  resigned  and 
i  was  succeeded  by  H.  C.  Heath. 

Police  Judge  E.  G.  Kroger  was  succeeded 
I  January  9,  1919,  by  Hon.  D.  W.  Hoyt,  and  he 
resigned  in  August,  1919,  and  was  succeeded 
by  W.  J.  Wilkinson. 
Since  the  City  Hall  was  built  the  Janitors 
i  have  been :  Henry  Schumacher  and  John 
■  Paulsen. 

pBtoffY    BELONGING   TO   THE    CITY    IN    1901 

Estimated  Value 
City  Hall— South  one  half  of  lot 
8  in   block   66,   original   town, 
erected  in  1889 $  20,000.00 


Water  Works— Lots  7  and  8  in 
block  42,  original  town,  14  miles 
of  main,  73  hydrants,  con- 
structed 1885  to   1888 76,500.00 

Pest  House— West  half  of  the 
southeast  quarter  of  the  south- 
east quarter,  section  22,  town- 
ship   11,    range   9 1,600.00 

Cemetery — The  southwest  quarter 
of  the  southwest  quarter,  sec- 
tion 20,  the  north  half  of  the 
northwest  quarter  of  the  north- 
west quarter,  section  29,  and  the 
south  half  of  lot  2  section  19, 
all  in  township  11,  range  9, 
containing  60  acres,  more  or  less, 
chased    in     1897) 4,000.00 

First  Precint,  First  Ward,  Engine 
real  estate -buildings,  etc.  (pur- 
House  and  voting  place,  lot  2 
in  block  22  Nagy's  Addn.  lot 
and    building 500.00 

Second  Precint,  Second  Ward, 
Engine  House  and  voting  place, 
building    only 400.00 

Third  Precint,  Second  Ward  — 
fractional  lot  17  in  county  sub- 
division on  WestKoenig  street, 
lot    and    building 230.00 

Fourth  Precint,  Third  Ward.  City 
Hali  "sed  for  voting  place. 

Fifth  P.ecint,  Fourth  Ward.  En- 

?ine  House  and  voting  place, 
ractionat  lot  in  block  12  origin- 
al town  with  fraction  in  H.  G. 
Clark's  addition,  lot  and  build- 
ing   600.00 

PERSONAL   PROPERTY   FIRE   DEPARTMENT 

Four  hose  carriages,  2  hook  and 
ladder  trucks,  chemical  engine, 
2500  feet  of  hose  and  other 
property    connected    therewith. .     4,600.00 

Other  personal  property  of  the  city         500.00 


$108,930.00 
Main    Sewer    system    discharging 
into  Wood  River  put  in  in  1889 
at   cost   of 50,000.00 

in  1919 
The  city  now  has  all  the  property  listed 
above,  or  better  property  replacing  it,  and  a 
great  deal  more.  To  the  water  works  has  been 
added  a  city  light  plant  which  will  be  taken 
up  more  in  detail  later ;  considerable  new  fire 
equipment  has  been  added;  the  storm  sewer 


HISTORY  OF  HAIX  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


AMUSEMENT    PARKS 

Grand  Island  is  unusually  endowed  with 
amusement  parks  under  private  management. 
Perhaps  the  most  notable  of  these  is  Schim- 
mer's  Lake.  This  lake  was  constructed  by 
damming  up  a  channel  of  the  Platte  River 
and  a  skillful  course  of  preparation  of  the 
vicinity  now  covered  by  its  waters.  The  lake 
lies  to  one  side  of  a  main  road  between  Grand 
Island  and  the  south  part  of  the  county; 
it  has  a  driveway  clear  around  its  shores,  and 
a  large  island  in  the  center,  which  is  reached 
by  little  bridges.  A  great  many  cottages  have 
been  built  on  both  the  island  and  the 
shores.  Across  the  road  from  the  lake  is 
located  the  resort  called  Sand  Krog,  where 
picnic  grounds,  a  large  dancing  pavilion  with 


Pioneer  Park,  Grand  Island 

refreshment  parlor,  and  various  Conveniences 
required  by  such  a  resort  are  maintained.  Mr. 
Schimmer  and  Mrs.  Scheel  conduct  this  re- 
sort, which  all  through  its  history  has  attracted 
a  great  many  people  from  distant  points. 

There  are  numerous  other  private  parks 
which  are  well  equipped  with  pavilions  for 
dancing,  refreshment,  and  recreation.  Some 
of  these  will  recall  very  vivid  memories  in 
the  minds  of  those  who  have  spent  many  happy 
evenings  with  their  confines.  Midway  Park 
to  the  south  of  the  city ;  Harmony  Hall  to  the 
east  end  of  the  county,  just  beyond  the  eastern 
confines  of  the  city ;  and  Lion's  Grove,  south 
of  the  city,  are  among  the  most  notable  of 
these  places  which  are  still  in  operation. 

THE   FIRE  DEPARTMENT 
The  first  fifty-some  years  of  the  history  of 
Grand  Island  has  on  the  whole  been  singularly 
free  from  the  records  of  very  disastrous  con- 


HISTORY  OP  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


111 


flagrations.  Of  course  in  the  first  few  years 
of  Hall  .County's  history,  before  Grand  Island 
really  became  a  town  of  any  importance, 
prairie  fires  swept  across  the  new  community 
and  inflicted  what  was  then  very  serious 
damage.  But  at  no  time  has  the  city  ever  had 
a  conflagration  that  took  away  any  considerable 
portion  of  it.  It  has  from  a  very  early  date 
been  provided  with  volunteer  fire  departments 
that  have  extinguished  each  incipient  blaze, 
and  that  have  kept  in  touch  with  most  modem 
devices  and  methods  in  the  way  of  equipment 
and  organization.  When  the  time  came  to 
establish  a  paid  fire  department  it  was  by  no 
means  on  account  of  the  lack  of  efficiency  in 
the  men  who  have  voluntarily  taken  charge 
of  this  service  of  protection,  but  because  of 
the  rapid  growth  of  the  city  and  the  growing 
need  for  a  team  and  driver  to  be  constantly  on 
hand  in  order  that  distances  might  be  covered 
by  the  equipment  in  shorter  time.  Grand 
Island's  fire  department  has  seen  the  same 
evolution  as  that  of  other  towns  of  similar 
size.  First  was  the  loosely  formed  mutual  or- 
ganization that  would  rush  to  the  proper  barn 
when  the  whistle  blew,  grab  a  wheel-cart  and 
hotfoot  it  over  to  the  scene  of  the  fire,  rein- 
forced, if  necessary,  by  the  citizenry  bucket 
brigade.  Then  came  the  firmer  organization 
with  equipment  that  could  be  hitched  to  the 
first  team  that  could  arrive,  with  a  supply  of 
ladders  as  well  as  hose  carts.  Then  the  chemi- 
cal wagon,  pulled  by  a  team  of  horses,  with  a 
Urge  hook  and  ladder,  and  eventually  the  auto- 
truck fire  equipment  which  can  make  the  dis- 
tance in  double-quick  time. 

THE  FIRST  FIRE  COMPANY 
So  far  as  records  are  immediately  available 
the  first  fire  company  was  organized  June  8, 
1874,  with  C.  P,  Henderson,  foreman ;  N.  P. 
Kelly  and  T.  C.  McCoy,  assistants;  E.  Tom- 
linson,  secretary;  and  James  Cleary,  trea- 
surer; S.  N.  Wolbach,  James  Cleary  and  J.  B. 
Davis  together  with  the  officers  were  trustees. 
Several  months  later  in  the  same  year  the 
hook  and  ladder  company  was  organized  with 
W.  J.  Cuddy,  later  member  of  the  staff  of  the 
Portland  Oregonian,  as  foreman;  P.  Dunphy 


and  H.  Baumann,  assistants;  W.  F.  Dering, 
treasurer;  Joseph  Jenneman,  secretary.  In 
1876  there  were  twenty-five  members  of  the 
department,  with  John  Kraft  as  chief.  The 
city  at  that  time  did  not  exercise  any  control, 
but  later  assumed  such,  which,  however,  until 
more  recent  years  was  largely  nominal. 

In  March,  1884  Ch.  Neilson,  W.  Cornelius, 
Ch.  Guenther,  Th.  Zimmerman,.  H.  Henk  and 
F.  Kruse  were  elected  officers  of  the  Hook  and 
Ladder  Company.  John  Riss  was  captain,  suc- 
ceeding Milisen.  The  fire  department  was 
then  presided  over  with  Nabel  as  chief  and  C. 
L.  Howard  as  assistant.  At  the  Fireman's 
Tournament  held  here  in  1885  the  Fremonts 
took  the  prize  away  from  the  Fitzgeralds  of 
Lincoln,  winners  at  Omaha,  by  a  close  tussle. 

In  1886  the  officers  of  the  department  were, 
John  Matthews,  chief;  A.  C.  Lederman,  assis- 
tant; J.  H.  Mullin,  secretary;  and  John  P. 
Voitle,  treasurer. 

Protection  Hose  Company  No.  2  completed 
organization  in  June  1886  with  E.  C.  McCash- 
land,  president ;  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  foreman ; 
C.  Milisen,  secretary;  S.  Elliott,  treasurer; 
E.  Dawson,  George  Hunter  and  G.  H.  Geddes, 
trustees.  In  March,  1887,  H.  C.  Miller  was 
chosen  president  of  the  fire  department;  John 
A.  Matthews,  chief ;  William  McLaughlin, 
assistant ;  John  Voitle,  second  assistant ;  J.  W. 
Bartholomew,  secretary;  Charles  Haux  and 
David  Zink,  treasurer.  In  1890,  W.  R.  Mc- 
Allister was  president ;  D.  C.  Zink,  secretary ; 
J.  A.  Matthews,  chief. 

Pacific  Hose  Co.  No.  1  was  presided  over 
by  George  Furstenhofer;  Ott's  Hose  Co.  No.  ' 
3  and  Alexander  Hose  Co.  No.  4  were  organ- 
ized later. 

Following  the  first  "big  fire"  related  in  the 
chapter  on  pioneers  of  the  first  colony  as  hav- 
ing swept  the  old  settlement  in  the  late  'fifties, 
the  next  big  fire  was  that  of  Engel  &  Sieg- 
mund's  pearl  barley  mill,  destroyed  in  1876. 
The  mill  had  been  erected  only  a  year  pre- 
viously at  a  cost  of  $5,000.  With  the  excep- 
tion of  the  Union  Pacific  water  tank  structure, 
this  was  the  first  conflagration  since  the  town 
was  founded  in  1866.  An  attempt  to  burn 
West's  store  and  the  Grange  Hall  was  pre- 

L,oogle 


112 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


vented  by  James  Geary.  In  December,  1884, 
there  was  a  fire  in  the  Geary  and  Grand 
Island  Banking  Company  buildings  that  but 
for  the  thorough  work  of  the  department 
would  have  destroyed  those  blocks.  Schaupp's 
mill  was  bumed  to  the  ground  in  1886.  This 
fire,  one  of  the  largest  in  the  town's  history, 
destroyed  a  three-story  roller  patent  mills  and 
a  five  story  elevator.  Wilsey's  barn  and  five 
blooded  horses  were  destroyed  in  1887.  Rol- 
lin's  feed  mill  was  destroyed  in  1888.  The 
burning  of  the  Sass  hotel  (known  as  the 
Wyoming  house)  was  another  big  fire.  In 
more  recent  "years  the  fire  at  the  Martin  store, 
with  damages  of  $30,000,  the  destruction  of 
the  old  State  Central  and  later  Grand  Island 


Second  Street,  Grand  Island 

Brewery  and  the  total  loss  of  the  Pacific 
Hotel  were  the  most  extensive  conflagrations. 
In  1910  the  Nebraska  Mercantile  fire  was  a 
cause  of  enormous  loss. 

PAVING 

Grand  Island  has  acquired  a  goodly  number 
.  of  miles  of  paving  in  recent  years.  Probably 
more  impressive  and  enlightening  for  future 
comparison  than  a  mere  statement  of  number 
of  miles  would  be  a  brief  outline  of  the  pres- 
ent paved  districts  of  the  city,  in  1919. 

Practically  all  of  the  streets  of  the  business 
district  are  paved.  On  the  south  side.  Third 
street  is  paved  from  Kimball  west  about  a 
mile  from  Locust;  Second,  with  the  seedling 
mile  coming  in  from  the  east,  is  paved  from 
the  Burlington  tracks  subway  on  the  east, 
westward  about  a  mile  or  so  from  Locust 
street ;  First  is  paved  from  Sycamore  to  the 
west  end  of  the  residence  district;  Division, 
form  Locust  to  the  west  end  of  the  residence 


district;  and  Koenig  is  just  being  completed 
through  the  western  residence  district-  This  ' 
gives  five  streets  through  the  west  residence  | 
districts,  with  agitation  under  way  on  streets 
farther  south.  Locating  the  new  junior  high  ' 
school  on  Charles  street  will  no  doubt  hasten 
along  the  addition  qf  another  east  and  west 
paved  street.  North  and  South,  on  the  south 
side  of  town,  Pine,  Locust,  and  Wheeler  are 
paved  through  the  business  district,  and  Wal- 
nut some.  Numerous  cross  streets  in  the  west 
part  of  town  are  either  paved  or  districts  in 
process  of  formation.  On  the  north  side  of 
town  Pine  and  Walnut  have  paving  up  to 
Tenth,  and  Tenth  is  paved  across  from  Plum 
to  Eddy.  Now  paving  is  under  way  or  dis- 
tricts are  being  formed  on  Eddy  and  on 
Ninth  and  Sycamore  is  about  to  be  formed 
into  a  district.  Another  few  years  will  find 
material  additions  to  the  list  sketched  above. 

SEWEBS 

The  city's  present  storm  sewer  and  entire 
sewerage  system  has  proved  sufficiently  inade- 
quate that  the  voters  on  July  2,  1919,  voted 
$200,000  to  begin  a  program  of  construction 
of  several  main  sewers,  with  a  labyrinth  of 
laterals,  which  when  completed  will  render 
sewerage  available  to  practically  every  lot  now 
within  the  city  limits  and  to  a  number  of  pros- 
pective additions  that  may  be  added  to  the 
city  within  the  next  few  years. 

LIGHTING  PLANTS 

The  Gas  and  Electric  Light  Company  was 
organized  in  July,  1884,  with  George  H.  Thum- 
mel,  president ;  H.  A.  Koenig,  vice-president ; 
Dr.  M.  J.  Gahan,  secretary;  and  Chris  Was- 
mer,  treasurer.  In  1889,  Henry  Miller  was 
superintendent. 

The  Grand  Island  Gas  Company  was  incor- 
porated March  21,  1887,  with  A.  S.  Maxwell. 
Samuel  N.  Wolbach  and  John  L.  Means  as 
stockholders,  and  Mr.  Maxwell,  as  managing 
director. 

H.  G.  Leavitt,  of  Ames,  Nebraska,  became 
main  owner  in  this  plant. 

The  Grand  Island  Light  And  Power  Com- 
pany was  established  in  1895.  It  built  a 
plant  with  a  capacity  of  furnishing  90O  incan- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


113 


descent  lights  and  thirty  arc  lights,  and  before 
the  end  of  1897  had  to  extend  its  facilities. 

The  Grand  Island  Light  and  Fuel  Co.  was  a 
manufacturer  of  gas.  This  plant  was  estab- 
lished prior  to  1890,  and  was  built  at  the  foot 
of  East  Third  street. 

GRAND    ISLAND   ELECTRIC    COMPANY 

The  Grand  Island  Electric  Co.  was  organ- 
ized in  September,  1905,  with  B.  E.  Sunny, 
of  Chicago,  Illinois,  as  president ;  T.  H.  Fritts, 
of  Grand  Island,  as  secretary-treasurer  and 
general  manager;  and  with  directors  as  fol- 
lows: B.  E.  Sunny,  George  P.  Townsend,  A. 
Burt,  A.  D.  Fonger,  A.  L.  Munroe,  of  Chicago, 
and  T.  H.  Fritts  and  W.  H.  Thompson  of 
Grand  Island.  In  1905  the  plant  had  a  capa- 
city of  150  K.  M.  or  200  horse  power.  In  1915 
the  company  had  developed  a  plant  with  625 
KVA  capacity,  or  833  horse  power, 

CENTRAL  POWER  COMPANY 
The  Central  Power  Company  was  organized 
in  July,  1915  with  B.  E.  Sunny  president;  T. 
H.  Fritts,  vice-president  and  treasurer;  W.  H. 
Weston,  secretary;  directors  Frank  J.  Baker, 
Edward  J.  Doyle,  Louis  A.  Fergusen,  William 
A.  Fox,  John  F.  Gilchrest,  John  H.  Gulick, 
Martin  J.  Insull,  Samuel  Insull,  Chas.  A.  Mun- 
roe, L.  E.  Meyers,  F.  S.  Peabody.  Edward 
P.  Russell,  Marshall  E.  Sampsell,  Frederick 
Sargent  and  H.  L.  Stewart,  all  of  Chicago. 
During  the  year  of  1916  the  Boelus  Hydro 
plant  was  developed.  This  is  the  leading  water 
power  plant  of  Nebraska  and  has  harnessed 
the  waters  of  the  Loup  River  a  few  miles  west 
and  north  of  the  northwest  comer  of  Hall 
County  and  made  it  possible  for  the  Central 
Power  company  with  that  plant  and  their  re- 
serve plant  at  Grand  Island  -to  become  the 
distributing  center  of  light,  current,  and  power 
for  a  great  many  towns  throughout  central 
Nebraska.  The  capacity  in  steam  and  hydro 
generating  plants  is  5,133  KVA  or  6,844  horse 
power,  or  eight  times  the  capacity  when  the 
Central  Power  Company  succeeded  the  Grand 
Island  Electric  Company. 

From  a  production  of  2,178,485  kilowatt 
hoors  in  1915  the  annual  output  has  grown 
until  in  1918  it  was  7,446,320  K.  W.  H.  and 


will  approximate  8,935,000  K.  W.  H.  for  1919. 
The  company  now  has  200  miles  of  high  ten- 
sion transmission  lines  in  operation.  The  fol- 
lowing towns  are  now  served  from  this  com- 
pany's plants :  Clarks,  Central  City,  Chapman, 
Grand  Island,  Doniphan,  Alda,  Wood  River, 
Shelton,  Gibbon,  Kearney,  Odessa,  Abbott, 
Cairo,  Boelus,. Danneborg,  St.  Paul,  and  also 


Central  Power  Company  Plant 

wholesale  to  C.  G.  &  E.  Co.  for  25  towns, 
and  serving  a  population  of  over  50,000,  in- 
cluding Y.  G.  &  E.  Co. 

WATERWORKS  AND   MUNICIPAL 
LIGHT  PLANT 

Practically  forty  years  ago  Grand  Island 
voted  bonds  and  took  steps  to  secure  a  munici- 
pal water  plant.  She  was  perhaps  one  of  the 
first  cities  in  the  state  to  make  this  progressive 
move.  At  first  fire  protection  was  the  impel- 
ling motive ;  the  necessity  of  flushing  sewers 
followed,  and  later  the  system  was  tapped  for 
domestic  purposes  and  for  the  use  of  the 
Union  Pacific  shops.  Eventually  industrial 
and  manufacturing  plants  multiplied  and  uses 
have  piled  up  one  after  another,  until  the  plant 
is  an  all  essential  institution. 

About  ten  years  ago  many  citizens  became 
dissatisfied  with  the  existing  situation  relative 

zeooyCoogle 


114 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


to  secure  electric  lighting  service,  and  $35,000 
bonds  were  voted  to  extend  the  activities  and 
equipment  of  the  municipal  water  plant  to  in- 
clude a  municipal  electric  plant.  The  bonded 
indebtness,  outstanding  warrants,  taxes,  inter- 
est, and  surplus,  the  items  making  up  the 
liabilities,  for  the  electric  plant  on  May  1,  1909, 
were  $57,097.21 ;  the  assets  balancing  with  the 
same  total;  for  the  water  plant,  the  liabilities 
and  assets  shown  were  $102,348.95. 


without  much  delay.  A  few  have  to  be  prodded 
by  the  treasurer  or  by  the  police  before  they 
will  dig.  Others  may  find  their  places  of  busi- 
ness closed  if  they  don't  "come  across." 

The  business  occupation  tax  is  one  of  many. 
It  must  be  paid  by  non-resident  corporations, 
such  as  the  Western  Union,  the  express  com- 
pany, the  Standard  Oil,  etc.,  and  also  is  paid 
by  places  of  amusements,  such  as  theaters.  The 
amount  of  this  tax  varies  from  $10  to  $50  per 


Municipal  Water  and  Light  Plant 


SOURCES  OF  REVENUE  AND  TAXATION 
Something  of  the  magnitude  of  the  city's 
business  and  the  amount  of  property  now  be- 
longing to  the  city,  as  well  as  the  multiplicity 
of  burdens  resting  upon  a  city  administration 
and  the  numerous  sources  of  revenue  at  the 
city's  command  may  be  gained  from  some 
comparisons  and  statements  published  in  the 
Independent,  July  19,  1919: 

Just  at  present  time  City  Treasurer  W.  R. 
King  is  finding  money  on  all  sides.  There  are 
numerous  taxes  which  must  be  paid  by  resi- 
dents of  Grand  Island,  in  common  with  the 
residents  of  other  cities.  Most  of  those  who 
owe  taxes  are  paying  without  complaint  or 


year.  AH  of  these  taxes  are  now  pa,id  with 
the  exception  of  the  tax  due  from  one  theatre. 
Twelve  amusement  taxes  have  been  received. 
The  pool  hall  man  pays  a  tax  into  the  same 
business  occupation  fund,  but  under  a  differ- 
ent ordinance.  Bowling  alley  owners  pay  un- 
der this  second  ordinance  also.  Fourteen  of 
these  have  paid  their  taxes  and  only  one  man 
is  delinquent,  Unless  the  tax  is  paid  the  police 
will  close  up  the  place  of  business.  The  tax 
amounts  to  $10  a  table  or  per  bowling  alley. 
One  place  has  nine  tables  and  three  bowling 
alleys,  and  thus  pays  a  tax  of  $120,  which  is 
the  highest  amount  to  be  paid  by  any  one  such 
business  house. 


IbyGoOgI 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


115 


The  dog  tax  is  another  one  in  which  the 
city  treasurer  has  an  interest.  More  than  300 
such  taxes  have  been  paid,  which  is  about  the 
same  number  as  paid  last  year.  According  to 
this  there  are  only  300  and  some  dogs  in 
the  city.  Complaints  received  by  the  police  at 
times  from  people  who  say  they  are  kept 
awake  or  otherwise  annoyed  by  canines,  indi- 
cate that  these  300  dogs  travel  in  a  body  and 
visit  various  neighborhoods  which  have  no 
legal  right  to  be  in  the  community, 

Other  licenses  include  that  for  peddlers,  such 
as  that  paid  by  a  stranger  who  disposed  of 
large  quantities  of  razors  and  combs  on  a  down 
town  street  corner  the  other  day  at  a  price 
around  one  dollar. 

The  circus  license  is  another  one  which  goes 
into  the  city  treasury.  The  Yankee  Robinson 
circus  which  is  to  be  here  this  month,  has  paid 
a  tax  of  $75  to  Mr  King.  -  The  tax  is  based  on 
the  number  of  cars  used  by  the  circus.  The 
size  of  this  tax  shows  the  circus  has  more 
than  20  railroad  cars  and  less  than  30  cars. 
The  new  slate  law  fixes  a  tobacco  tax  of 
$15,  which  is  payable  to  the  city  clerk,  not 
the  city  treasurer  immediately. 

Mr.  King  heard  of  a  new  tax  on  Friday 
when  a  man  called  and  wanted  to  pay 
a  milk  tax  of  $1  a  year.  He  told  the  treasurer 
this  tax  goes  into  effect  soon.  Mr.  King  de- 
clined to  accept  the  money  much  to  the  visitor's 
disappointment,  as  the  treasurer  said  he  had 
received  no  instruction  to  collect  a  milk  tax 
and  was  not  authorized  to  receive  the  money 
or  issue  a  receipt. 

In  addition  the  city  treasurer  collects  large 
sums  in  the  way  of  special  assessments  for 
paving,  sewers  and  so  forth. 

From  Daily  Independent,  August  7,  1919: 
A  good  sized  jump  in  the  city  tax  levy  for 
the  new  fiscal  year  beginning  the  second  Mon- 
day in  August  was  decided  on  when  the  coun- 
cil last  night  passed  the  appropriation  and 
tax  levy  ordinances.  The  total  appropriation 
voted  on  is  $195,858  as  compared  with 
$151,670  the  past  year,  or  an  increase  of  $44,- 
288.  The  total  tax  levy  is  46  mills  against  34 
mills  last  year,  or  an  increase  of  12  mills. 
A  few  days  ago  an  estimate  as  to  the  total 


tax  levy  on  the  city  property  was  published. 
It  was  103  mills.  The  estimate  may  be 
changed  now  with  the  following  items :  City 
levy,  46  mills;  school  levy  45  mills ;  state  levy, 
13  mills ;  county  levy,  9  mills  (estimated)  ;  total 
levy  on  city  property,  1 13  mills. 

The  following  table  shows  the  appropria- 
tions as  provided  in  the  ordinances  of  last 
year  and  this  year,  in  comparison : 

1918  1919 
Sinking  fund  and  interest.  .$    9,570  $  20,867 

City  salaries 4,700        5,200 

Streets,  alleys 12,000  13,000 

Sewers    6,000  12,000 

Street  lighting 10,000  10,000 

Incidentals   5,000        7,000 

Parks    1,000  800 

Police    11,000  12,716 

Fire  department   13,700  15,225 

Street  intersection   19,500  29,000 

Library   3.000        2,900 

Cemetery    3,700        4,650 

Band   2,500        2.500 

Water  Works   50,000  50,000 

Totals „  .$151,670  $195,858 

So  far  as  the  water  works  appropriation  is 
concerned,  it  should  be  mentioned  that  the 
$50,000  put  down  is  meant  only  to  keep  the 
city  books  straight.  The  sum  appropriated  to 
be  raised  by  a  tax  is  only  $5,480,  the  same  as 
last  year.  The  rest  of  the  amount  comes  from 
the  receipts  of  the  city  plant. 

The  city  tax  rate  of  Grand  Island  is  the 
lowest  among  twenty  cities  and  towns  of  Ne- 
braska. The  total  tax  paid  by  a  resident  of 
this  city  for  all  purposes  is  so  low  that  only 
one  of  these  twenty  cities  has  a  lesser  rate. 
Only  two  of  the  twenty  cities  have  a  lower 
school  levy. 

These  pleasant  facts  have  been  learned  by 
County  Treasurer  Neumann  after  making  in- 
quiries in  other  counties.  Mr.  Neumann 
thought  he  would  like  to  make  a  comparison 
of  rates  so  as  to  have  facts  at  hand  to  meet 
some  of  the  chronic  kickers  who  growl  about 
their  taxes  every  time  tax  paying  time  ap- 
proaches. 

The  replies  he  received  show  that  residents 
of  this  community  may  add  one  more  item  to 
the   list   of   home-grown   articles   concerning 


116 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


which  they  may  boast  when  "out  among  'em." 
for  instance: 

"Hullo,  pardner.    Where  you  from?" 

"Grand  Island." 

"Watcha  got  there?" 

"Well,  just  to  sorta  glance  at  things,  we 
got  one  of  the  biggest  beet  sugar  factories  in 
the  country,  the  livest  Commercial  Club  a- 
going,  the  finest  Elks  temple  in  the  state,  the 
best  auditorium  for  any  city  of  its  size,  a 
people  that  has  met  every  war  quota,  one  of 
the  most  modem  collections  of  Union  Pacific 
buildings  on  the  system,  a  bunch  of  horse 
barns  that  would  make  your  eyes  stand  out, 


the  Lincoln  Highway,  the  S.  Y.  A.  road,  the 
Grainland  route,  and  another  highway  in  pro- 
ject, two  of  the  grandest  little  railroad  systems 
in  the  United  States,  the  most  active  demand 
for  houses  to  be  found  anywhere,  a  Soldiers 
and  Sailors  Home  colony,  a  Country  Club  with 
eighty  acres  of  club  land,  some  of  the  most 
sizeable  ranches  in  Nebraska,  the  best  little 
automobile  and  style  show  you  ever  saw,  the 
lowest  fire  loss  record  you  can  imagine,  ten 
miles  of  paving  and  more  started,  scores  of 
beautiful  homes,  a  neat  assortment  of  mer- 
cantile establishments  and  wholesale  houses, 
a  grand  market  center  for  farm  products,  the 
lowest  tax  rate  in  the  state,  and  — ." 

"Halt!  That's  enough.  What's  the  fare 
to  Grand  Island?    I'm  going  that  way." 

The  total  tax  levy  imposed  on  a  resident  of 
Grand  Island  is  88  mills.  Out  of  twenty  cities 
only  one  has  a  rate  as  low  or  lower  and  that 
is  Seward  with  86  5  mills.  The  levy  for  city 
purposes  is  34  mills  which  is  the  lowest  of  any 


of  the  twenty  cities.  The  school  levy  is  37 
mills  and  only  Omaha  and  Seward  have  lower 
levies  for  that  purpose.  The  state  and  county 
levy  is  17  mills  which  is  the  same  as  that  in 
Hastings,  while  four  places,  Seward,  York, 
Wymore  and  Beatrice,  have  lower  state  and 
county   levies, 

The  folowing  table  shows  the  tax  levy  com- 
parison plainly: 


TOWN       S§  2  ^  $ 

25  "S  M  ,o 

wu  co  O  t-t 

McCook    22  47  37  106 

Holdrege    18  39  35  92 

Fremont 21  40  SO  111 

Beatrice    16.6  44  51  111.6 

Wymore   16.6  51  60.5  128.1 

Kearney    17.18  50  37.6  104.78 

Lexington    22.63  51  44  117.68 

York  15  56  46.5  117.5 

Seward   16  35  35.5         86.5 

Nebraska   City.. 26.4  55  48  129.4 

Hastings   17  60  43  120 

Lincoln   17.2  48  37  102.2 

Alliance    25  50  62.5  137.5 

North  Platte   ...22.68  47  41  110.68 

Plattsmouth   ....22  55  65  140 

Gering    27.68  70  71  16868 

Scottsbluff   27.68  69  71  167.68 

Omaha    23.73  35  42  100.72 

Norfolk    22.68  49.5  63.5  135.68 

Grand  Island  ...17  37  34  88 

THE  PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

One  of  the  institutions  to  which  Grand 
Island  can  point  with  pride  is  her  City 
Library.  In  the  early  'eighties  the  library 
sprang  up,  a  rather  meagre  affair,  promoted 
by  private  interest.  In  1884  a  board  ap- 
pointed by  the  city  took  charge  and  the  service 
and  equipment  were  gradually  improved  from 
year  to  year.  The  old  library  was  located  on 
East  Third  for  many  years,  at  one  time  in  the 
Scarff  building.  It  was  then  located  in  the 
City  Hall  until  its  splendid  home  at  Second 
and  Walnut  was  completed  in  1905. 

The  presidents  of  the  Library  Board  have 
been:  From  1884  until  1898,  Charles  F. 
Bentley ;  his  successor  was  Prof.  R.  J.  Barr, 
and  after  him,  Henry  S.  Eerrar  served  for 
about  five  years ;  in  1905,  Mrs.  O.  A.  Abbott. 
Sr.,  became  president,  and  she  has  devoted 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


her  time  and  energies  very  liberally  to  that 
position  for  the  past  fourteen  years.  Mrs. 
Abbott  had  served  as  vice-president  of  the 
Board  for  several  years  before  she  took  the 
chairmanship. 

Nathan  Platte  served  as  secretary  of  the 
Board  for  a  good  many  years,  until  his  death 
in  1897;  John  F.  Matthews  then  took  that 
work  for  a  couple  years,  then  Bayard  H. 
Paine  served  for  five  years,  during  the  strenu- 
ous two  or  three  years  when  the  Board  was 
accepting  Mr.  Carnegie's  generous  offer  made 
in  1902,  securing  a  site  and  an  architect, 
letting  the  contract  and  waiting  for  the  con- 
struction of  their  building;  Prof.  J.  F.  Mat- 
thews, two  years ;  Prof.  D.  A.  Trivelpiece, 
five  years  and  Mrs.  J.  A.  Costello  for  the  last 
six  years  have  been  the  succeeding  secretaries. 

The  longest  term  of  service  on  this  Board 
has  been  that  of  Mrs.  O.  A.  Abbott,  who  has 
served  continuously  since  the  institiution  of 
the  Board  in  1884,  a  service  of  thirty-five 
years.  Other  rather  long  terms  of  service  for 
such  a  board  have  been  those  of  Chas.  F. 
Bentley,  from  1884  to  1898,  and  after  a  lapse 
of  one  year,  in  which  the  Bentley  family  did 
not  assist  on  the  Board,  Mrs.  Charles  F.  Bent- 
ley became  a  member  and  served  for  eleven 
years,  until  May  1,  1911,  when  death  robbed 
the  Board  of  this  helpful  and  sincere  member. 
Bayard  H.  Paine  served  from  1899  until  1904 
and  after  an  absence  of  one  term  returned  to 
the  Board  in  1907  and  served  another  twelve 
years,  until  1919,  making  seventeen  years  serv- 
ice on  this  Board,  during  a  part  of  which  time 
he  was    secretary. 

Nathan  Piatt  served  from  1885  until  his 
death  in  1897,  making  twelve  years,  during 
practically  all  of  which  time  he  was  secretary 
of  the  Board.  "Mrs.  T.  O  .C.  Harrison  served 
from  1884  until  1899,  fifteen  years.  Recently 
after  the  death  of  her  husband,  Judge  T.  O.  C. 
Harrison,  who  left  her  with  a  large  library 
she  did  not  sacrifice  many  volumes  to  a  sale 
that  would  net  less  than  their  worth,  but 
donated  a  goodly  number  of  them  to  the 
library.  Geo.  B.  Bell  served  from  1887  to 
1899,  a  twelve  year  period ;  Dr.  H.  D.  Boyden 
was  a  member  from  1884  until  1897,  thirteen 


years;  Mrs.  Geo.  Everett  wa 
1884  until  1888  and  again  fr 
seven  years  total  service ;  Mr 
served  from  1891  to  1900, 
others  who  served  two  or  tt 
earlier  history  of  the  Board 
tine,  1887  to  1895;  Geo.  H. 
to  1897. 

Of  the  first  board,  Mess 
Dr.  Boyden  have  been  mem 
Abbott,  Mrs.  Harrison,  and  ! 
other  members  were  H.  O.  Bi 
one  year,  and  H.  E.  Clifford  i 
W.  H.  Michael  and  J.  P.  Kei 
served  three  years,  and  Mr.  J 
one  year.  Chas.  Rief  and  i 
each  served  a  short  time  on  i 
the  late  'eighties. 

In  1897  several  new  mer 
the  Board.  Rev.  Jorden  sen 
Rev.  T.  C.  Clark  served  fron 
J.  F.  Matthews  served  for 
1906.  In  1899  three  new  m 
Judge  John  R.  Thompson,  ' 
1905,  six  years ;  Henry  S.  Fe 
the  same  period  of  six  years; 
Mullin,  who  served  also  the 
Geo.  H.  Sands  came  on  in 
one  three  year  term ;  C.  J.  Pc 
on  in  1903  and  served  one 
E.  J.  Hatch  served  from  190 
the  latter  part  of  which  time 
C.  H.  Tully  came  on  in  190- 
member  continuously  since  th 
of  fifteen  years;  Mr.  Hehnke 
I.  T.  Benjamin  served  from 
Ralph  R.  Horth  from  1906  tc 
Kelley  served  from  1906  to 
upon  May  I,  1911,  after  he  h; 
able  service  as  chairman  of  t 
mittee;  J.  W.  Rose  served 
he  resigned  on  March  23,  IS 
the  city.  Prof.  D.  A.  Trivelp 
1906  to  1911,  and  Mr.  Hann 
year,  in  190S-6,  the  first  yea 
which  Mr.  Trivelpiece  came 

This  brings  us  down  to  the 
Mrs.  Abbott,  Judge  Paine  am 
been  mentioned.    Since  1915 


Google 


118 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


had  practically  the  same  six  associates.  Mrs. 
S.  D.  Ross  came  on  in  1914  and  has  served 
since  then;  Rev.  T.  A.  Dungan  came  on  in 
1915  to  remain  until  this  time;  Dr.  George 
Sutherland  came  on  in  1913  and  stayed  until 
1918  when  Peter  Nelson  served  one  year; 
Rev.  L.  A.  Arthur  came  on  back  in  1907  and 
has  served  twelve  years.  Mrs!  F.  W.  Ashton 
came  on  to  the  Board  in  191 1  and  has  served 
for  eight  years  now,  and  Mrs.  J.  L.  Geary 
came  on  in  1910  and  has  served  nine  years. 
In  1919  under  the  new  law  the  Board  was 
reappointed  with  five  members,  and  these  are 


first  assistant  was  Miss  Alma  Etting,  and 
Mrs.  J.  A.  Costello  was  second  assistant ;  in 
recent  years  Mrs.  Costello  has  been  first  as- 
sistant and  secretary  of  the  Board. 

The  library  contains  many  thousands  of 
volumes  and  carries  several  hundred  period- 
icals, papers,  and  reference  works. 

STREET  RAILWAY  SYSTEM 
Grand  Island  has  never  reached  the  pro- 
portions where  it  could  maintain  an  electric 
street  car  system,  but  thirty  years  ago  had  a 
good  horse  and  mule-car  street  car  system  in 


View  of  Grand  Isl 


Street  Railway  System 


Mrs.  Abbott,  Rev.  Arthur,  Mrs.  Ashton,  Rev, 
Dungan  and  C.  H.  Tully. 

LIBRARIANS 

A  contract  was  made  with  C.  D.  Irvine 
about  1888  for  quarters  for  the  library  and 
he  acted  as  librarian  for  a  short  time.  For 
seven  years  Mrs.  Mary  Irvine  held  this  posi- 
tion, and  upon  her  resignation,  Miss  Edith 
Irvine  was  temporarily  librarian  until  Miss 
Clara  M.  Body  took  the  position.  She  served 
about  four  years,  and  then  went  to  England 
upon  a  leave  of  absence.  Miss  Frances  Wise- 
man took  the  work  in  her  absence.  In  1905 
Mary  H.  Ames  was  brought  from  Lincoln 
to  take  charge  of  the  library.  In  1909  she 
was  succeeded  by  Frances  Cunningham,  and 
in  1910  the  present  efficient  librarian.  Miss 
Daisy  Houck.^was  elected.     For  a  time  her 


operation.  The  incorporators  of  this  street 
railway,  in  1887,  were  O.  A.  Abbott,  I.  R. 
Alter,  Henry  A.  Koenig,  William  Hagge,  A. 
H.  Baker,  O.  B.  Thompson,  and  C.  W.  Scarfi 
This  company  built  up  a  transportation  system 
which  served  the  people  of  the  community 
for  a  decade  or  so.  Especially  during  the 
vast  assemblages  occasioned  by  the  annual 
reunions  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic 
was  this  service  of  immeasurable  value.  Its 
equipment  increased  until  the  company  at 
times  operated  twelve  or  fifteen  cars.  The 
route  first  started  at  the  Soldiers'  Home, 
turned  at  the  corner  where  O.  B.  Thompson's 
residence  was  located,  circled  over  to  Eddy 
street  and  came  south  across  the  Union  Pa- 
cific tracks  to  Third  street,  where  it  turned 
east  and  went  through  the  business  section  of 
town  to  Oak  street  and  thence  northeast  until 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


119 


it  reached  the  Burlington  passenger  station. 
Another  route  turned  south  at  Third  and 
Clebum,  the  location  of  the  car  barns  (pres- 
ent location  of  J.  A.  Woolstenholme  resi- 
dence), ran  to  Second  street,  and  on  out  west- 
ward to  the  sugar  factory,  and  eastward 
through  the  business  section.  Later  a  route 
came  in  on  Koenig  street  from  the  west. and 
north  on  Locust  street,  making  two  circles 
around  which  the  cars  were  routed.  Even- 
tually an  hourly  service  was  establisehd  on 
the  northern  route  to  the  Soldiers'  Home  and 
southern    route    toward    the    sugar    factory, 


alternated  so  that  cars  would  pass  the  points 
in  the  business  section  where  the  routes 
doubled  every  half   hour. 

During  the  depression  of  the  'nineties  the 
business  dropped  down,  and  financial  institu- 
tions which  financed  and  backed  the  street  car 
company,  and  in  which  some  of  its  officers  had 
their  large  business  interests,  went  under, 
and  these  facts  cumulated  to  accomplish  the 
gradual  disappearance  of  this  company,  and 
during  the  late  'nineties  it  stopped  operation. 
The  tracks  were  finally  sold  to  parties  who 
had  use  for  the  material  in  them. 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  VII 

OTHER  TOWNS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

/ood  River  —  Early  History  of  Village  of  Wood  River,  by  O.  M. 
iment  of  Town  —  Officers  of  Town  —  Early  Builders  of  Wood 
•j  —  Henry  O.  Gifford — O.  W.  Eaton  —  N.  T.  Brittin  —  Rich- 
j.  Trapp  —  S.  MacMurray  —  Patrick    Hoye  —  Wm.    and    Frej 
cue  —  Ewing    Family  —  James  Ewing — O.  M.  Quackenbush  — 
3  —  W.    W.    Mitchell  —  S.      A.      Sherrard  —  Hardware      and 
Drug     Stores  —  Early     Com  mercial     Interests,      1879  —  Fivk 
\nother    Five   Years,    1889  — Ten    Years    Later,    1899  — Teh 
nother  Ten  Years.  1919  —  Doniphan  —  Town  Started — Earl^ 
■  —  Doniphan's  Big    Fire,  1887  —  Incorporation  of  Town  —  Suc- 
:s  —  Commercial  Changes  —  Cairo  —  First  Settlement  —  Town 
.ge  Clerks,  Treasurers,  Marshals — Business  Houses  —  Busi- 
07  —  Buslness  Directory,  1919 — North  &  Robinson  Co. — 
—  Schauppsville  —  Underwood  —  Spencer  —  Orchard  — 
Easton  —  Runnelsburg 


ommunity 
iver  practically  began 
:nt  of  the  Union  Pa- 
rties, but  it  was  not 
to  exist  at  its  present 

icated  two  and  a  half 
t  location.  As  early 
.h  families  had  begun 

)  river 

iver  was  first  laid  out 

half  miles  west  of 
grew  very  slowly  at 
ted  there  and  James 
ig  a  store  in  that  lo- 

became  a  factor  at 
Canadian,  is  said  to 
re  building  there,  in 
)n  had  been  conduct- 
from  there,  and  while 
ilding  in  town,  when 


he  moved  it  over,  Mr.  Jackson  in  some  par- 
ticulars might  be  regarded  as  the  oldest  resi- 
dent of  the  old  Wood  River  station  com- 
munity. A  Catholic  church  was  established 
at  that  location,  which  gained  a  large  member- 
ship. The  town  grew  to  thirty  buildings  in 
1874  when  the  Union  Pacific  depot  was  moved 
to  the  present  site.  The  town  immediately 
followed  it,  and  thus  was  established  the  pres- 
ent Wood  River.  Its  early  story  will  be 
told  in  the  words  of  one  of  its  own  residents: 

EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  VILLAGE 
OF  WOOD  RIVER. 

BY  O.    M.   QUACKENBUSH 

Wood  River,  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  is 
situated  in  the  beautiful  and  extremely  fertile 
Wood  River  Valley,  on  the  main  line  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railway,  distant  about  sixteen 
miles  from  Grand  Island,  and  has  a  popula- 
tion of  about  800  (now  probably  in  excess  of 
that).     The  Wood  River  runs  to  the  north- 


;oogk 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


121 


ward  less  than  a  mile,  while  the  broad  and 
shallow  Platte  River  wends  its  way  to  the 
southward  distant  some  five  miles. 

The  townstte  was  platted  by  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  in  the  fall  of  1874.  The  sta- 
tion at  Old  Wood  River  was  moved  to  the 
new  townsite,  W.  B.  Hollister  being  the  first 
agent.  James  Jackson,  who  was  located  at 
the  old  town,  immediately  moved  his  store 
and  residence  to  Wood  River,  his  buildings 
being  the  first  in  the  town.  He  was  followed 
by  Postmaster  James  White,  who  moved  a 
little  building  on  Main  street  and  in  addition 
kept  a  small  stock  of  general  merchandise. 
He  soon  sold  out  to  A.  G.  Hollister,  who  also 
became  postmaster.  Shortly  afterwards  Pat 
Neville  brought  his  liquid  refreshment  stand 
down  from  the  old  town  of  Wood  River  and 
commenced  business  in  the  new.  He  soon 
sold  out  to  James  Kennedy,  who  continued  the 
business  for  a  number  of  years.  In  1877 
Chas.  Horn  of  Grand  Island  came  to  Wood 
River  and  started  a  shoe  shop.  Some  time  in 
1878  John  Roach  followed  and  engaged  in 
the  general  merchandise  business,  and  soon 
after  Mr.  Trapp  and  F.  Scwartz  did  likewise. 
Dr.  Carter  and  son  established  the  first  drug 
store,  W.  Hollister  the  first  hardware,  and 
Dr.  Carter  was  the  first  physician.  James 
McKinney  was  the  first  butcher,  John  O'Con- 
nor the  first  carpenter,  and  N.  W.  Lewton  the 
first  furniture  dealer.  James  Shick  was  the 
first  hotel  keeper  and  Mr.  Harman  the  first 
harness  maker.  N.  T.  Brittin  bought  out  A. 
G.  Hollister  in  1880  and  was  appointed  post- 
master. John  '  O'Connor  was  postmaster 
under  Cleveland's  first  administration,  N.  T. 
Brittin  under  Harrison's  administration, 
Patrick  Finan  under  Cleveland's  second  ad- 
ministration, and  S.  A.  Sherrard  under  Mc- 
Kinley.  [Succeeding  postmasters  have  been 
I.  C.  Spetts,  Seth  W.  Wilson,  and  David  D. 
O'Kane  who  has  served  for  the  past  five 
years. — Ed.]  The  first  school  was  taught 
by  John  Allen.  The  first  sermon  was  preached 
by  Rev.  J.  N.  Allen  at  the  school  house.  He 
was  a  Baptist.  The  first  boy  born  was  Charles 
Horn,  in  1881,  and  the  first  girl  baby  was 


Maggie  Horn.  The  first  death  was  that  of 
Hannah  Jackson,  mother  of  James  Jackson, 
who  had  been  satying  with  her  son  for  a 
short  time  before  her  death,  in  1876.  The 
first  marriage  in  the  village  was  that  of  Fred 
Riesland  and  Miss  Rosa  Jessup,  in  August, 
1876.  The  first  church  erected  was  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal,  in  May,  1880.  W.  &  F. 
Thorpe  built  their  flouring  mill  in  1881  and 
Dick  Dodd  erected  the  first  elevator,  in  1884. 
The  first  newspaper  was  published  by  R.  H. 
Miller,  in  September,  1881.  The  first  bank 
in  Wood  River  was  called  the  Wood  River 
Bank  and  was  established  in  1883  with  C.  H. 
Bell  as  cashier.  For  the  first  few  years  the 
growth  of  the  town  was  slow  but  along  about 
1881  the  business  greatly  increased  and  a 
number  of  new  business  men  and  residents 
were  added  to  the  thrifty  little  village.  In 
the  fall  of  1882  the  town  had  a  sufficient  num- 
ber of  inhabitants  to  incorporate  and  in  Oc- 
tober, 1882,  articles  of  incorporation  were 
filed  and  the  incorporated  village  commenced 
business  with  the  following  named  trustees: 
James  Jackson,  N.  T.  Brittin,  J.  B.  Furman, 
W.  L.  G.  Trapp,  and  James  Ewing. 

OFFICERS  OF  EARLY  WOOD  RIVER 
C.  H.  Bell  was  appointed  clerk,  Dr.  Gibson 
treasurer  and  Ryan  Kelley  attorney.  The 
village  was  so  peaceable  and  law  abiding  that 
for  a  number  of  years  it  did  without  a  mar- 
shal. Isaiah  Lewton  was  the  first  weigh- 
master  and  James  Williams  was  pound- 
master,  his  livery  stable  being  designated  as 
a  pound.  John  M.  Brett  was  granted  a  saloon 
license  in  November,  1882. 

The  Board  in  1883  was  as  follows:  J.  B. 
Furman,  James  Ewing,  Wml  Hollister,  Dick 
Dodd  and  Stoddard.  Stoddard  failed  to  qual- 
ify and  H.  P.  Chapman  was  appointed  in  his 
stead.  In  May,  1883,  A.  C.  White  was  ap- 
pointed street  commissioner,  and  in  July  of 
the  same  year,  H.  Janss  &  Co.  were  granted 
a  druggist  permit.  James  Kennedy  was 
granted  a  saloon  license  in  August,  1883.  On 
January  21,  1884,  C.  J.  Low  was  appointed 
marshal   and   shortly   after  he   resigned  and 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


A.  C.  White  was  appointed  in  his  stead.  Wm. 
Thorpe,  in  the  same  year,  was  appointed  clerk, 
which  job  he  still  holds. 

SUCCEEDING  CITY  OFFICERS  OF  WOOD  RIVER 
To  those  men  who  have  devoted  their  time 
and  energy  to  the  exacting  and  yet  pleasant 
service  of  the  governmental  affairs  of  the 
town  in  which  they  reside,  all  credit  is  due. 
The  trustees  who  served  the  village  since  the 
initial  two  years  of  its  corporate  existence 
have  been : 

1884  —  James  Ewing,  C.  H.  Bell,  C.  W.  Stod- 

dard, James  Little  and  Geo.  Groves. 

1885  — Ewing,     Dodd,     Bell,     Howard     and 

Wells. 

1886 — Cross,  Ewing,  Hockenberger,  How- 
ard and  Williams. 

1887 — Ewing,  Jackson,  Williams,  Howard 
and  Hoi  lister. 

1888  —  Ewing,    Jackson,   Williams,    Howard 

and  Penney. 

1889  —  Penney,  Mitchell,  Parker,  Boone  and 

Johnson. 
1890—  Mitchell,   Penney,   Taylor,   Chamber- 
lain. 

1891  —  Penney,      S.      Jones,      Chamberlain, 

Taylor,  Jackson. 

1892  —  Jackson,  Dunn,  Jones,  Eaton,  Penney. 

1893  — joe      Rounds,      Mitchell,      Marshall, 

Smout,  Sherrerd. 
1894— Marshall.  Mitchell,  Smout,  Sherrerd, 
J.  Rounds. 

1895  — Sherrerd,    Mitchell,   Burkerd,   Spelts, 

Smout. 

1896  —  Spelts,     White,     Mitchell,     Wingert, 

Mullen. 

1897  —  Spelts,  Sherrerd,  White,  M.  Diefend- 

erfer.  Rounds. 

1898  — Ed  Rounds,  M.  Diefenderfer,  S.  A. 

Sherrerd,  Spelts,  White. 

1899  — Spelts,  Jackson,  A.  C.  White,  Burk- 

erd, Rounds. 

1900  —  Jas.   Jackson,    MacMurray,    Mitchell, 

Mullen,  Kinz. 

1901  — Same  as  1900. 

1902  —  Jackson,  MacMurray,  Mitchell,  Mul- 

len and  Wilson. 

1903  —  MacMurray,   Mitchell,  Brett,   Mullen 

and  S.  W.  Wilson.  The  latter  two  re- 
signed in  July  and  August,  1903  and 
were  succeeded  by  John  Harper  and 
J.  W.  Cunningham, 

1904  —  Brett.    MacMurray,    Conrad,    Jewett 

and  Quackenbush. 

1905  — Jas.    T.    Brett,    E.    S.    Leavenworth, 


Geo.  Conrad,  Jno.  R.  Jewett,  R.  R. 
Root. 

1906  — Brett,  Leavenworth,  Jewett,  Root  and 

Jno.  Mullen. 

1907  —  Brett,  Jewett,  Root,  H.  S.  Eaton  and 

Jno.   Mullen,  who  resigned  in  June, 
succeeded  by  Dan  Lyons. 

1908  —  Brett,  Root,  Eaton,  Diefenderfer  and 

Mitchell,  latter  succeeded  in  Novem- 
ber by  Dr.  Redfield. 

1909  — Brett,   Redfield,   Diefenderfer,  Eaton 

and  W.  T.  Spelts. 

1910  — Brett,    Diefenderfer,    Spelts,    Eaton 

and  J.  A.  Rounds. 

1911  — Brett,  J.   A.   Rounds,   H.    S.   Eaton, 

Spelts,  and  I.  C.  William*. 

1912  — Brett,  Rounds,  Eaton,  Williams  and 

J.  J.  Carter. 

1913  — Jas.   T.    Brett,   J.   J.    Carter,   H.   S. 

Eaton,     J.     A.     Rounds     and     John 
Hopper. 

1914  — Brett,  Carter,  Hopper,  Eaton  and  F. 

J.  Miller. 

1915  — Brett,  Carter,  Eaton,  Miller  and  F.  E. 

Fulton. 

1916  — Jas.  T.   Brett.    J.    J.    Carter,  F.  E. 

Fulton,  H.  S.  Eaton  and  S.  A.  Sher- 
rerd. 

1917  — Jas.   T.    Brett,   J.   J.    Carter,    H.   S. 

Eaton,  A.  Fairbanks  and  S.  A.  Sher- 
rerd. 

1918  — Brett,  Carter,   Eaton,  Fairbanks  and 

Sherrerd. 

1919  _  Jas.  T.  Brett,  J.  J.  Carter,  H.  S.  Eaton, 

A.  Fairbanks  and  S.  A.  Sherrerd. 

The  other  town  offices  have  been  filled  by 
fewer  men  in  Wood  River  than  in  many  towns 
of  its  size.  Thomas  Whalen  served  for  a 
great  many  years  as  marshal  and  street  com- 
missioner. J.  W.  Cuningham,  A.  H.  Wallace, 
Mark  Ryan,  P.  H.  Bridger,  C.  A.  Penwell, 
A.  D.  Riddle,  J.  M.  Wiggins,  and  W.  T.  Dunn 
have  also  served  in  one  or  both  of  those 
capacities.  Since  1913  Mr.  Dunn  has  been 
marshal  except  for  the  time  he  was  away  in 
the  military  service  of  his  country. 

Wm.  Thorp  was  town  clerk  for  a  long 
period.  In  1903  Wm.  O'Connor  undertook 
the  work  for  a  short  time,  and  in  August, 
1904,  David  D.  O'Kane  became  town  clerk 
and  kept  the  records  of  the  community  until 
1910.  During  1910  and  1911  G.  G.  Gard  was 
clerk,  in  1912  D.  D.  O'Kane,  1913  and  1914 
A.  H.  Wingert,  1915  G.  G.  Gard,  1916  G.  G. 
Gard  and  1917  and  1918  D.  D.  O'Kane,  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


123 


the  present  cleric  in  1919  is  C.  W.  Mercer. 
W.  L.  Sprague  served  as  treasurer  for  around 
fifteen  years;  then  for  two  years,  1913  and 
1914,  H.  P.  Burmood,  and  he  was  followed 
by  E.  B.  Pearson  and  C.  W.  Mercer,  and  at 
present  A.  H.  Wingert  is  treasurer. 

On  October  9,  1907,  the  community  voted 
for  $3,800  water  works  bonds  by  a  vote  of 
158  for  to  31  against.  The  election  board 
at  that  election  were  W.  W.  Mitchell  and 
C.  W.  Mercer  clerks,  and  J.  H.  Shick,  J.  W. 
Cunningham,  and  A.  C.  White  judges.  Frank 
H.  Wheeler  was  the  contractor  to  erect  a 
building  40  x44  for  the  Wood  River  Electric 
Light  and  Water  system,  and  a  very  sub- 
stantial plant  resulted  from  this  effort.  W. 
T.  Dunn  is  the  present  electric  light  and  water 
commissioner. 

EARLY  BUILDINGS  Of  WOOD  RIVER 
Even  more  than  is  usually  the  case,  the  very 
early  history  of  Wood  River  radiated  around 
one  man,  who  placed  the  first  building  in  the 
present  community  of  Wood  River,  started  the 
first  store  in  the  present  town,  and  was  a 
pioneer  in  almost  every  phase  of  the  town's 
infant  activities.  The  history  of  Wood  River 
would  not  be  complete  without  recurring  to 
the  life  and  activities  of  James  Jackson. 

JAMES   JACKSON 

James  Jackson  was  born  at  Chatsworth 
(near  Manchester),  England,  April  21,  1837, 
being  the  day  on  which  Queen  Victoria  was 
crowned.  He  came  to  the  United  States  with 
his  parents  when  he  was  eight  years  of  age. 
They  first  settled  in  Bureau  County,  Illinois, 
and  after  three  years  residence  there  removed 
to  Alamakee  County,  Iowa,  and  later  to  Floyd 
County  in  that  state  in  1855. 

In  I860  Mr.  Jackson  moved  to  Hall  County 
and  settled  three  and  a  half  miles  west  of  the 
present  site  of  Wood  River,  where  he  took  a 
claim.  His  wordly  possessions  were  limited 
to  a  yoke  of  oxen,  a  wagon,  and  a  few  dollars 
in  money.  He  built  himself  a  log  house  and 
until  1864  confined  himself  to  farming,  putting 
up  hay,  hunting,  etc.  In  the  fall  of  1864  he 
started  a  store,  hauling  his  stock  of  goods  by 
wagon  from  Omaha.    This  store  was  located 


at  what  is  known  as  "Old  Wood  River."  He 
continued  in  the  stock  business  until  1874, 
when  he  sold  approximately  450  head  of 
cattle  and  closed  out  that  business.  When  the 
new  townsite  was  platted  in  1874  Mr.  Jackson 
immediately  moved  his  business  institution  to 
the  new  town.  His  store  and  residence  were 
brought  into  town  and  were  the  first  buildings 
of  the  infant  village.  From  the  time  of  start- 
ing his  little  store  in  1864,  Mr.  Jackson  re- 
mained continuously  in  business  up  until  the 
time  of  his  death,  on  December  22,  1910,  at 
the  age  of  73  years,  8  months,  and  1  day. 


James  Jackson 

Mr.  Jackson  was  married  in  Floyd  County, 
Iowa,  in  1858,  to  Miss  Mary.  J.  Clark,  who 
died  on  February  18,  1880.  They  had  two 
children,  Henry  J.  Jackson,  who  now  resides 
in  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  Anna  (Mrs.  Dr. 
Schuyler),  now  residing  in  Pittsburgh,  Pen- 
sylvania.  In  1882  he  was  married  to  Miss 
Susan  M.  Corfman,  who  survived  him  and  is 
still  a  resident  of  Wood  River.  They  had 
two  children,  Richard  W.  Jackson,  at  present 
living  in  Wood  River,  and  Mary  Lydia  (Mrs, 
M.  I.  Evinger),  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 

Mrs.  Evinger's  husband  is  an  engineer  of 
established  ability,  and  during  the  recent  Great 
World  War  he  enlisted  in  the  engineering 
service,  and  has  been  placed  in  charge  of  san- 
itation matters  at  Camp  Dodge,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Jackson  served  on  the  first  board  of 

*Coogle 


124 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


trustees  of  Wood  River,  and  on  eight  of  the 
succeeding  boards.  He  served  the  entire  pop- 
ulation of  Hall  County  as  a  county  commis- 
sioner. He  took  a  lively  interest  in  the  up- 
building of  the  schools  of  Wood  River  and 
devoted  time  to  the  work  of  the  school  board. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  original  board  of 
directors  and  was  president  of  the  Citizens 
State  Bank  during  the  first  three  years  of  its 
existence.  He  served  as  the  first  postmaster 
of  Old  Wood  River.  He  was  first  a  member 
of  the  Grand  Island  Masonic  lodge  and  then 
a  charter  member  of  the  Wood  River  Masonic 
lodge.  He  always  took  a  keen  interest  in  re- 
ligious activities  and  was  instrumental  in  the 
building   a   church   home    for   the   Episcopal 


Interior  Vii 


r  James  Jackson's  Store 


church,  about  1898.  The  funeral  services 
were  conducted  by  Rev.  L-  A.  Arthur  of 
Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Jackson  came  to  the  present  territory 
of  Jackson  and  Wood  River  townships  when 
altogether  less  than  a  dozen  settlers  had  picked 
out  that  particular  section  of  the  prairie  wild- 
erness for  a  home.  He  started  out  the  busi- 
ness activities  and  the  community,  and  upon 
his  suggestion  the  name  of  "Wood  River" 
was  adopted.  In  1869  he  killed  a  wild  buffalo 
upon  the  ground  where  the  town  now  stands, 
and  he  helped  each  phase  of  community  life 
start  out,  and  watched  the  community  grow 
until  he  was  called  beyond.  Mr.  Jackson  was 
a  great  reader  and  lover  of  Shakespeare,  and 
could  repeat  many  of  the  passages  of  that 
writer's  works.  He  was  known  to  all,  and 
bore  a  reputation  for  fair  and  honorable  deal- 
ings. His  entire  career  was  one  that  left  its 
stamp  upon  the  community  which  he  helped 


to  build,  and  became  an  indelible  part  of  its 
history. 

OTHER  EARLY  COMMUNITY  BUILDERS 
Henry  O.  Gifford  and  O.  W.  Eaton  were 
two  other  early  residents  of  Wood  River  who 
played  a  prominent  part  in  the  early  growth 
of  the  town.  Mr.  Gifford  was  born  in  New 
Haven,  Vermont,  October  23,  1824,  where  he 
resided  until  1873.  Mr.  Eaton  was  also  born 
in  New  Haven,  Vermont,  on  August  27,  1835. 
In  1873  Messrs.  Gifford  and  Eaton  came  to 
Kansas  and  engaged  in  the  sheep  feeding  busi- 
ness. In  the  year  1888  they  came  to  Wood 
River  and  founded  the  First  National  Bank. 
Mr.  Gifford  became  president  of  that  institu- 
tion on  January  9,  1890.  His  associate,  Mr. 
Eaton,  was  his  successor  in  that  capacity, 
having  then  already  served  the  bank  as  vice- 
president.  For  many  years  Messrs.  Gifford 
and  Eaton  were  heavy  sheep-feeders  in  the 
Wood  River  community.  Mr.  Eaton's  son, 
H.  S.  Eaton,  is  the  present  cashier  of  that 
institution.  Mr.  Eaton,  Sr.,  has  also  been 
president  of  the  Merrick  County  Bank  at 
Clarks,  Nebraska. 


N.  T.  BRITTIN 
Mr.  Brittin  began  business  in  Hall  County 
in  1880,  and  served  as  postmaster  of  Wood 
River.  He  located  on  a  homestead  one-half 
mile  south  of  Wood  River  in  1871,  where  he 
followed  farming  and  stock  raising  until  he 
began  trade  in  the  village.  He  was  bom  in 
Madison  County,  near  London,  Ohio,  October 
4,  1838.  When  he  -was  eighteen  years  old 
he  moved  with  his  parents  to  Clinton,  Illinois, 
where  he  lived  until  he  came  to  Nebraska. 
He  enlisted  in  August,  1862,  in  Co.  B,  107th 
Regiment  Illinois  Volunteer  Infantry ;  par- 
ticipated in  the  siege  of  Atlanta,  Reseca, 
Georgia,  Franklin  and  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
and  was  mustered  out  at  Washington,  T>.  C, 
May  20,  1865. 

JOHN   ROACH 

John  Roach  was  an  early  dealer  in  general 
merchandise,  who  opened  business  in  Septem- 
ber, 1879.  He  first  came  to  Nebraska  in  1868, 
worked  for  the  Union  Pacific  out  of  Omaha  at 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


various  times  until  1879.  He  was  born  in 
Ireland  in  1849  and  came  to  America  in  1865, 
settling  in  Baltimore,  Maryland,  for  a  year. 
He  was  married  in  Wood  River,  January, 
1881,  to  Mary  Dermody,  a  native  of  near 
Ottawa,  Canada. 

RICHARD   MANKIN 

Richard  Mankin  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  on  April  6,  1849,  and  came  to 
America  at  the  age  of  twelve,  locating  in 
New  York  City.  In  1872  he  came  to  Hall 
County  and  was  section  boss  for  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  until  1890,  living  in  the  sec- 
tion house  about  five  miles  east  of  Wood 
River.  In  1891-2-3  he  was  employed  by  the 
Grand  Island  Beet  Sugar  plant,  when  he  came 
to  Wood  River  and  engaged  in  the  liquor 
business.  In  1894  he  built  the  fine  two-story 
brick  hotel  building  which  still  bears  his  name. 
Aside  from  the  hotel  business  Mr.  Mankin 
was  a  heavy  real  estate  holder  in  Hall  County 
and  assisted  in  developing  the  fanning  com- 
munity as  well  as  the  town. 

WILLIAM  L.  C.  TRAPP 
was  another  early  merchant  who  helped  ma- 
terially to  build  up  the  community.  He  was 
bom  in  Germany,  May  2,  1846,  came  to  Amer- 
ica in  1865,  lived  in  Wisconsin  and  Minnesota, 
and  went  to  school  in  Illinois  at  Naperville. 
He  travelled  in  Wisconsin  for  about  four  and 
a  half  years  for  American  Bible  Society  of 
New  York  City.  For  a  time  he  lived  at  Camden, 
\"ew  Jersey,  then  in  1876  he  was  engaged  in 
the  commission  business  in  Philadelphia, 
Pennsylvania.  Then  he  opened  a  store  in 
Camden,  where  he  remained  until  he  came 
west.  He  opened  trade  in  Wood  River  in  1879. 

S.    MAC  MURRAY 

was  born  of  Scotch-Irish  parentage  in  Belfast, 
Treland,  January  25,  1850,  and  when  but  a 
babe  with  his  parents  came  to  this  country, 
locating  at  Philadelphia.  In  1892  he  came  to 
Wood  River  as  the  local  agent  for  the  Omaha 
Elevator  company.  Besides  his  activity  in 
the  grain  business,  he  devoted  several  years 
to  very  satisfactory  service  as  member  and 
chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees  of  the  town. 


PATRICK  ac 
is  one  of  the  older  resideri 
who  has  played  a  very  pro 
building  the  community. 
County  Roscommon,  Irelan 
with  a  clear  title  to  the  na 
the  age  of  twenty  he  came 
where  he  worked  for  two 
and  afterwards  in  Pennsj 
Then  he  came  to  Nebraska 
farm  four  miles  north  of 
first  house  was  a  sod  oi 
was  very  limited.  By  go< 
pushed  along  until  he  a< 
amount  of  land,  and  a  fine 
the  county  as  supervisor,  ; 
in  local  civic  affairs.  He  s 
in  the  Citizens  State  Bank, 
been  vice-president  of  tha 
son,  John  Hoye,  is  a  leadii 
Wood  River,  engaged  in  t 
paper  and  pa i tit  business. 

WILLIAM    AND   FRI 

were  not  only  early  settle 
but  also  gave  the  town  a 
start.  William  came  to  \ 
fall  of  1881  and  made  an 
erection  of  a  mill.  The 
completed  some  time  in 
1882,  the  machinery  was  in 
the  milling  of  flour  and 
menced.  In  March,  1882 
joined  him,  and  the  two  1 
conducted  the  Atlantic  Roll 
when  Fred  moved  to  Chic 
continued  the  business. 

w.  L.  SPRAl 
came  to  Hall  County  in  1 
Crawford  County,  Pennsyl 
29,  1861,  he  began  to  te; 
County  when  twenty-one 
1886  he  was  elected  princij 
Doniphan,  and  in  1888  he 
principalship  of  the  Wood 
served  in  that  capacity  u 
accepted  the  cashiership  o! 
Bank,  which  position  he  cc 


i  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


acceptably.  He  served  for  fifteen  years  as 
city  treasurer,  and  has  been  very  active  in  all 
phases  of  community  life. 

THE  SWING  FAMILY 

Among  the  families  that  emigrated  west- 
ward early  in  the  decade  of  the  70s  and 
located  in  Hall  County,  one  of  those  whose 
members  played  a  most  distinctive  part  in 
building  up  the  Wood  River  community,  was 
the  Ewing  family.  They  were  native  New 
Yorkers  and  hailed  from  Alleghany  County. 
In  1866  they  settled  in  Cedar  County,  Iowa, 
where  they  farmed  until  1871  when  they  came 
to  Nebraska  and  settled  in  Hall  County  in 
1872.  Robert  Ewing,  the  father,  died  in  1871. 
Robert  Jr.,  William,  Charles,  and  Edwin 
Ewing  became  landholders  tn  the  community. 

JAMES  ewing 
One  of  the  Ewing  family  rose  to  a  distinc- 
tion in  the  early  development  of  Hall  County 
that  entitled  him  to  credit  for  being  one  of 
the  leading  spirits  in  its  early  history.  Num- 
erous duties,  both  public  and  private,  imposed 
upon  him  became  more  than  the  physical  man 
could  endure,  and  death  called  him  in  the 
midst  of  his  public  duties  and  in  the  zenith 
of  his  career,  on  October  31,  1888.  He  was 
born  in  Alleghany  County,  New  York,  July  7, 
1850,  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm  until 
at  sixteen  years  of  age  the  family  removed 
to  Cedar  County,  Iowa.  He  was  about  twenty- 
three  years  of  age  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County  and  secured  employment  as  a  teacher 
in  the  Moore  district,  and  after  a  few  terms 
took  charge  of  the  school  at  Shelton.  His 
success"  in  this  work  and  his  deep  interest  in 
education  led  to  his  election  as  superintendent 
of  public  instruction  of  Hall  County  in  the 
fall  of  1877.  After  two  terms  in  that  office 
he  took  charge  of  the  Wood  River  Gazette, 
then  a  five-column  folio  struggling  for  ex- 
istence, and  with  his  editorial  ability,  good 
judgment,  and  sagacious  management  he  built 
that  sheet  from  a  200  to  a  700  circulation. 
At  that  time  he  also  served  for  three  years 
as  deputy  county  treasurer  which  necessitated 
his  leaving  Wood  River  early  in  the  morning 
and  returning  late  in  the  afternoon,  and  during 


that  period  his  readers  received  the  benefit 
of  midnight  productions  of  his  pen.  He  had 
a  short  respite  from  such  arduous  duties  after 
his  retirement  as  deputy  treasurer.  In  1886 
he  was  elected  to  serve  Hall  County  in  the  I 
state  legislature,  receiving  every  vote  in  Wood 
River  township  except  ten.  His  public  service 
in  that  capacity  was  so  satisfactory  that  he 
was  re-nominated  by  acclamation  by  the  Re- 
publican convention  at  Grand  Island,  but  did 
not  live  to  discharge  his  duties.  On  January 
10,  1884,  he  was  married  to  Miss  Alma  E. 
Thompson,  of  Hall  County,  and  the  result 
of  this  union  was  a  son,  Arthur  (who  died 
December  31,  1888).  Mr.  Ewing  served  the 
town  of  Wood  River  as  a  trustee,  for  the  first 
seven  years,  generally  as  chairman,  and  gave 
it  valuable  service  as  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
During  his  long  service  as  chairman  of  the 
town  board,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  town- 
ship trustee  his  advice  was  always  found  to  be 
sound  and  to  the  best  interests  of  the  town. 
Such  a  man  as  James  Ewing  could  not  as- 
sociate with  the  younger  men  of  the  com- 
munity without  inspiring  them  to  lead  better 
lives,  and  without  being  a  decided  factor  in 
moulding  the  community  life. 

John  Ewing,  another  brother,  was  also  born 
in  Alleghany  County,  New  York,  in  1857,  and 
supplemented  his  common  school  education 
with  a  course  at  Gibbon  Academy,  Buffalo 
County,  Nebraska,  and  taught  school  in  Hall 
County  at  the  age  of  19.  He  continued  in  that 
occupation  for  seven  years.  He  then  became 
a  successful  farmer.  His  wife,  Miss  Laura 
Dubbs,  was  bom  in  Columbiana  County,  Ohio, 
in  1864,  and  by  her  he  had  a  family  of  four 
children,  Gertrude,  William,  John  A,  and 
James  A.  His  wife  was  the  daughter  of 
W.  W.  Dubbs,  who  was  born  in  Ohio  and 
came  to  Hall  County  in  the  spring  of  1872, 
where  he  has  been  one  of  Wood  River  town- 
ship's most  prominent  farmers. 

The  four  brothers  first  mentioned,  Robert. 
William,  Charles,  and  Edwin,  became  most 
successful  stockmen  and  agriculturalists.  They 
lived  as  bachelors,  and  became  quite  talented 
musicians,  one  playing  the  first  violin,  another 
the  second  violin,  the  third  the  Bell  clarionet. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


127 


and  the  fourth  the  bass  viol.  Charles  Ewing 
was  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors in  Hall  County  in  1888  and  re-elected. 
The  father  and  mother,  Robert  Ewing  and 
wife,  were  born  in  Scotland  in  1819  and  1824, 
and  died  in  1871  and  1883,  respectively,  but 
all  of  their  nine  children  grew  to  maturity. 

O.  M.  QUACKENBUSH. 
A  great  part  of  the  early  story  of  Wood 
River  as  it  appears  in  this  and  other  chapters 
of  this  work  was  prepared  by  O.  M.  Quacken- 
bush. Mr.  Quackenbush  was  bom  in  La- 
Cross  Countyf  Wisconsin,  August  13,  1864.  In 
1879  he  came  with  his  parents  to  Nebraska  and 
located  on  a  farm  near  Lincoln.  From  1881 
to  1883  he  attended  the  State  University.  He 
then  engaged  in  various  employments  at 
Lincoln,  Plattsmouth,  and  Omaha  till  1884, 
when  he  located  in  Saline  County  and  taught 
school,  studied  for  the  law,  and  was  admitted 
to  practice  in  1889.  He  followed  his  pro- 
fession and  conducted  a  newspaper  in  that 
county  till  1894,  when  he  came  to  Wood  River 
and  founded  the  Wood  River  Interests.  For 
twenty-five  years  he  continued  publishing  the 
Interests  and  in  the  practice  of  law.  In  July 
1919,  he  sold  his  newspaper  to  W.  W.  Malt- 
man  and  removed  to  Grand  Island  to  give  his 
entire  time  to  the  practice  of  law. 

WOOD  RIVER 

The  community  of  Wood  River,  lying  partly 
in  Wood  River  and  partly  in  Jackson  town- 
ship commands  a  very  lage  trade  area.  The 
greater  portion  of  both  these  townships,  and 
a  larger  portion  of  Harrison  and  Cameron  on 
the  west,  are  included  in  the  natural  trade 
territory  of  Wood  River.  Therefore  the  com- 
mercial history  of  Wood  River  is  an  important 
factor  in  the  commercial  history  of  Hall 
County. 

FIRST  GENERAL  STORES 

The  establishment  of  the  first  general  stores 
has  been  somewhat  touched  upon  by  Mr. 
Quackenbush  in  his  early  history  of  the  village 
of  Wood  River,  in  a  preceding  chapter.  At 
Old  Wood  River  station,  James  Jackson  and 
A.  A.  Baker  were  the  first  merchants.    In  the 


present  Wood  River,  James  Jackson  brought 
over  the  first  store.  James  White,  A.  G.  Hol- 
lister,  John  Roach,  William  L.  G.  Trapp,  and 
F.  Scwartz  were  early  merchants.  The  Roach 
store  and  the  Trapp  store  opened  in  1879. 
N.  T.  Brittin  purchased  the  Hollister  store  in 
1880.  In  1884  this  business  was  purchased 
by  T.  J.  Dunn.  Stoddard  Brothers  were  in 
business  a  short  time  during  the  'eighties. 
Thos.  Langan  had  a  business  also  during  the 
'eighties.  F.  M.  Penney  came  to  Wood  River 
in  1886  and  engaged  in  the  general  merchan- 
dise business,  and  remained  in  that  business 
until  1893. 

During  the  early  'nineties,  James  Jackson, 
F.  M.  Penney,  T.  J.  Dunn,  Fred  Scwartz  were 
still  in  business,  and  Riley  Wescoatt  and  John 
Maughan  had  stores. 

The  E.  Brett  store  started  in  1892  and  is 
still  a  continuing  business,  under  the  manage- 
ment of  James  T.  Brett.  After  the  death  of 
E.  Brett,  in  1897,  when  Mrs.  E.  Brett  became 
owner  of  the  store,  her  son,  James  T.  Brett 
became  manager.  This  store  has  expanded 
into  a  department  store  of  considerable  pro- 
portions. This  store  occupies  a  building  which 
faces  on  three  streets. 

In  1899  the  general  merchandise  stores  in 
Wood  River  were  those  of  James  Jackson, 
E.  Brett,  T.  J.  Dunn,  W.  W.  Mitchell,  F. 
Scwartz,  with  groceries  and  other  items 
handled  by  Cushing  Brothers  and  Jos.  Rounds. 

W.  W.  MITCHELL 
W.  W.  Mitchell  engaged  in  the  general 
merchandise  business  in  Wood  River  in  1889, 
and  continued  for  twenty  years,  when  he  sold 
out  to  A.  E.  Rogers  who  continued  the  busi- 
ness for  a  short  time  when  the  stock  was 
bought  by  Frank  Fulton.  He  conducted  the 
business  for  several  years,  closing  out  the 
stock  and  going  out  of  business  in  1913.  Mr. 
Mitchell  has  been  one  of  the  leading  builders 
of  the  Wood  River  community  in  many  ways. 
He  was  born  in  Muskingum  County,  Ohio, 
May  2,  1846,  and  in  that  state  he  made  his 
home  until  1860  when  he  went  to  Michigan 
and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  until  1864. 
He  joined  the  federal  navy  and  served  on  a 


128 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


gunboat  in  the  squadron  under  Admiral 
Farragut.  In  1871  he  came  to  Hall  County 
and  took  up  a  soldier's  homestead  near  Alda. 
In  1873  he  opened  a  store  in  Alda  and  bought 
grain  and  sold  farming  machinery.  He  was 
one  of  the  pioneer  builders  of  the  town  of 
Alda.  In  1887  he  came  to  Wood  River,  bought 
the  elevator,  and  engaged  in  the  grain  busi- 
ness, and  he  also  continued  his  business  at 
Alda.  In  1889  he  engaged  in  the  general 
merchandise  business  in  Wood  River.  He 
built  a  brick  store,  with  basement,  fine  plate 
glass  front,  2,500  running  feet  of  shelving,  600 
feet  of  counters  and  ample  show  cases.  Since 
1894  he  has  been  president  of  the  Citizens 
State  Bank,  and  though  he  now  makes  his 
home  in  Omaha  he  is  much  in  Wood  River, 
with  the  same  consistent  interests  of  Wood 
River  at  heart. 

S.   A.    SHERRERD 

S.  A.  Sherrerd  came  to  Wood  River  Jan- 
uary 13,  1877,  remained  about  a  year,  then 
went  to  Wyoming  for  about  eight  years,  and 
rehired  to  Wood  River  in  1886.  He  entered 
the  employ  of  Hollister  &  Howard,  hardware 
dealers.  In  1894  he  concluded  to  engage  in 
the  jeweler's  trade,  which  he  had  learned  in 
Pennsylvania,  and  accordingly  opened  a 
jewelry  store.  He  was  appointed  postmaster 
in  1898.  About  seventeen  years  ago  he  opened 
a  general  merchandise  store. 

Mack's  Cash  Grocery,  operated  by  Elsa  V. 
McKee,  and  the  Star  Grocery,  operated  by 
J,  A.  Rounds,  have  become  leading  business 
institutions  of  the  community. 

HARDWARE  AND  IMPLEMENTS 

The  first  general  hardware  stock  in  Wood 
River  was  opened  by  William  B.  Hollister 
on  June  1,  1882.  He  then  carried  a  stock  of 
$4,000  of  hardware  and  all  kinds  of  imple- 
ments. He  started  out  with  agencies  for 
Randolph,  Hedder  &  Nichols'  Shepard 
Thresher.  Mr.  Hollister  had  been  a  long  time 
resident  of  Wood  River  then.  He  had  gone 
to  North  Platte  on  May  1,  1868,  and  taken 
charge  of  the  Union  Pacific  telegraph  office, 
and  then  came  to  Wood  River  as  station  agent 
and  remained  in  the  railroad  employ  at  Wood 


River  until  May  1,  1882.  The  firm  of  Hol- 
lister &  Howard  continued  this  hardware  bus- 
iness. 

The  A.  C.  Murphy  hardware  business  was 
established  some  time  after  the  Hollister  store 
and  continued  for  a  long  time.  About  1891 
John  Diefenderfer  established  a  hardware 
store,  which  he  ran  with  the  assistance  of  his 
sons  Martin  and  Ernest. 

Milton  C.  Wingert  &  Sons  opened  trade  in 
the  hardware  line  some  ten  years  ago. 

DRUG   STORES 

The  first  drug  store  in  the  community  was 
that  of  Dr.  Carter  and  Son.     Jerry  Bowen 


Interior  Citizens  State  Bank,  Wood  River 

came  to  Wood  River  from  his  farm  one  and 
a  half  miles  northeast  of  town  where  he  had 
resided  for  the  preceding  five  years,  and  after 
a  short  employment  in  the  lumber  yard  of 
Little  &  Foster  took  employment  in  Dr.  Gib- 
son's drug  store.  In  1886  he  engaged  in  the 
drug  business  himself,  and  in  1892  formed 
a  partnership  with  M.  I.  McCarty,  which 
partnership  continued  for  some  years.  Mr. 
McCarty  came  to  Wood  River  from  Ohib  in 
1884.  For  the  first  three  years  he  was  in  the 
employ  of  Freeman  Dodge  and  Frank  Howe, 
and  in  1887  went  to  town  as  clerk  in  the  F.  M. 
Jenney  mercantile  establishment,  and  re- 
mained there  until  1890,  when  he  became  a 
clerk  in  the  Jerry  Bowen  drug  store.  In  1892 
he  became  a  partner  of  Mr.  Bowen,  and  re- 
ceived his  diploma  as  a  registered  pharmacist 
on  June  5,  1894.  W.  P.  Connor  is  now  con- 
ducting the  Rexall  Drug  Store,  the  ultimate 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


successor  of  the  old  Bowen-McCarty  stock. 
Jerry  Bowen  served,  in  addition  to  his  career 
as  a  merchant,  as  vice-president  of  the 
Citizens  State  Bank  from  1894  to  1900.  Mr. 
Bowen  recently  died.  During  the  last  years 
of  his  life  he  had  been  conducting  a  drug  store 
in  the  new  county-seat  town  of  Arthur,  Ne- 
braska. 

About  1890,  H.  Janss  opened  the  second 
drug  store  stock  in  Wood  River.  This  was 
subsequently  owned  by  Chas.  E.  Towne,  Dr. 
Thomas,  Fred  Hollister,  and  W.  L.  McKee. 
In  January,  1898,  D.  E.  Wilcox  and  S.  .A. 
Sherrerd  associated  together  in  the  drug  busi- 
ness, under  the  firm  name  of  Wilcox  &  Sher- 
rerd. The  A.  L-  Wagoner  pharmacy  stock 
has  also  gone  out  of  business.  The  other 
leading  drug  store  in  the  community  at  pres- 
ent is  the  Hoye  Pharmacy  (Nyal  Store), 
which  has  been  successfully  conducted  by 
John  Hoye. 

Early  commercial  interests — 1879 
In  1879  Wood  River  comprised  the  follow- 
ing business  men :  Bush  &  Paine,  grain  deal- 
ers; A.  M.  Hanscom  and  E.  J.  McDermott, 
blacksmiths ;  A.  G.  Hollister,  postmaster  and 
grocer;  W.  B.  Hollister,  railroad  agent;  C.  M. 
Horn,  shoemaker;  J.  Kennedy,  saloon  and 
hotel;  and  James  Jackson,  general  merchant. 

FIVE  YEARS  LATER  —  1884 

By  November,  1884,  Wood  River  was 
popularly  credited  with  700  people.  Another 
glance  at  the  business  and  commercial  roster 
at  that  time  shows  remarkable  growth  in  five 
years.  J.  H.  Shick  was  running  the  Wood 
River  House,  the  first  hotel,  and  C.  W.  Stod- 
dard was  the  new  proprietor  of  the  Com- 
mercial House;  James  Jackson,  Stoddard 
Brothers,  Thomas  J.  Dunn  (succeeding  N. 
T.  Brittin  and  the  Hollister  stock),  Thomas 
Langan,  and  Henry  Janss  were  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  trade,  R.  H.  Dodd  in  the  grain 
trade,  and  C.  C.  Bense  in  the  lumber  business. 
Miss  Simpson  carried  on  a  millinery  business ; 
Claud  Fransenburg,  was  butcher ;  E.  C.  White, 
drayman,  James  williams,  livery  stable  owner, 
and   J.    B.    Furman,    shoe    dealer.      W.    W. 


Mitchell  owned  the  elevator  and  the  Omaha 
Elevator  Company  had  a  grain  house. 

ANOTHER  FIVE  YEARS —     1889 

In  five  years  more  Wood  River  had  grown 
still  more  in  population,  and  the  commercial 
interests  had  grown  to  a  still  longer  list. 
James  Jackson  and  F.  M.  Penney  were  among 
the  leading  merchants.  Riley  Wescoatt  en- 
joyed a  large  business.  Other  general  mer- 
chants were  Fred  Schwartz,  T.  J.  Dunn  and 
John  Maugham;  O'Neal  &  Nolan  and  J.  F. 
Langan  were  liquor  dealers;  H.  Janss  and 
Jerry  Bowen  were  then  the  druggists ;  Hollis- 
ter &  Howard  and  A.  C.  Murphy  had  the  hard- 
ware stores ;  Watts  &  Williams,  Williams  & 
White  and  James  Shick  furnished  ample  liv- 
ery stable  service;  the  Wood  River  House 
was  still  conducted  by  James  Shick,  and  the 
Commercial  Hotel  then  by  Fred  Thorpe.    O. 

B.  Desoe  and  W.  Paris  were  implement  deal- 
ers ;  Austin  Ryan  conducted  a  grocery  store ; 
Burkerd  &  Hooten  and  James  Williams  were 
meat  dealers ;  M.  J.  Parke,  coal  and  grain 
dealer;  W.  W.  Mitchell,  grain  and  elevator; 
Wood  River  Gazette,  published  by  C.  W. 
Mercer;  Maddock  &  Taylor,  harness;  Miss 
Annie  Simpson  still  had  the  millinery  shop; 
Miss  Sherry  and  Miss  McGuyre,  dress-mak- 
ing; A.  M.  Hascom,  John  Wilkinson  and  J. 
D.  Sanburn,  blacksmiths ;  J.  N.  Harrison  and 

C.  W.  Corman,  physicians;  Howell  Lumber 
Company;  A.  Harper  and  Juckett  &  Jeriks, 
barbers;  John  O'Connor,  C.  A.  Baldwin  and 
J.  R.  Jewett,  carpenters  and  builders ;  Ed 
Dribelow  and  W.  F.  Curtis,  painters ;  G-  W. 
Miller,  Brett  &  Johnson,  and  N.  J.  Costello. 
real  estate;  Charley  Horn  and  A.  C.  White, 
shoemakers ;  N.  T.  Brittin,  postmaster ;  John 
Quinn,  stock-dealer ;  Tom  Langan,  restaurant ; 
Thorpe  mills;  E.  Baldwin,  jewelry;  C.  A. 
Tracy,  furniture. 

TEN  YEARS  LATER —  1899 
A  resume  of  the  commercial  interest  ten 
years  later  shows  that  considerable  growth 
and  many  changes  had  taken  place  in  the  last 
decade  of  the  nineteenth  century  in  the  com- 
munity of  Wood  River.  The  business  men 
of  the  town  about  the  end  of  the  year  1899 


130 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


were  :J.  Bowen  &  Co.,  druggists ;  E.  Brett, 
general  merchandise,  as  said  before  this  store 
was  established  in  1892  and  Mr.  Brett  died 
in  1897,  but  James  T.  Brett  was  manager  of 
the  store;  Brett  &  Tyrell,  stock  buyers;  H. 
Brown,  drayman;  N.  T.  Brittin,  justice  of 
the  peace;  Wm.  Chidester,  carpenter;  Citi- 
zens State  Bank,  W.  L-  Sprague,  cashier; 
Geo.  S.  Clayton,  elevator;  Robt.  Clark,  car- 
penter; Wm.  Cohvell.  carpenter;'  Cushing 
Bros,  groceries,  boots  and  shoes ;  Wm.  Curtis, 
painter  and  paper  hanger;  Wm.  Cunningham, 
carpenter ;  J.  H.  Diefenderfer,  hardware  and 
implements;  Dierks  Lumber  &  Coal  Co.,  T. 
W.  Faught,  manager;  Ed.  Dreblow,  painter 
and  paper  hanger ;  T.  J.  Dunn,  general  mer- 
chandise, still  in  business ;  First  National 
Bank,  F.  M.  Penney,  cashier;  N.  Fisher, 
bakery  and  confectionery ;  Wm.  Fitchhorn 
butcher ;  Foster  &  Smith  Lumber  Co.,  W.  T. 
Spelts,  manager;  Frank  Ford,  livery;  A. 
Hanscomb,  blacksmith ;  Geo.  Honold,  carpen- 
ter ;  Chas.  Hoppel,  pumps  and  windmills ; 
John  Hoppel,  carpenter ;  James  Jackson,  gen- 
eral merchandise;  W.  B.  Kern,  physician; 
John  Langan,  saloon;  J.  H.  Ladley,  imple-, 
ments  and  carpet  weaving;  R.  Mankin,  hotel 
and  saloon ;  John  Mathews,  plasterer  and 
brick  mason ;  W.  W.  Mitchell,  general  mer- 
chandise; Geo.  W.  Miller,  real  estate,  loans 
and  insurance;  Miller  Bros.,  blacksmiths ; 
A.  C.  Murphy,  hardware;  John  Norbeck, 
tailor ;  John  O'Connor,  carpenter ;  Omaha 
Elevator  Co.,  S.  Mac  Murray,  manager ; 
John  Quinn,  coal,  live  stock;  O.  M.  Quack- 
enbush,  lawyer,  publisher  and  editor  of 
Interests;  N.  Ramsdell,  painter  and  paper 
hanger;  J.  P.  Riddle,  physician;  Riesland  & 
English,  pumps  and  windmills ;  Rounds  & 
Colwell,  undertaking;  Jos.  Rounds,  grocery 
and  meat  market;  E.  T.  Rounds,  furniture; 
Austin  Ryan,  painter*  and  paper  hanger ;  F. 
Schwartz,  general  merchandise,  still  running; 
S.  A.  Sherrerd,  jeweler;  James  Shick,  meat 
market;  T.  C.  Taylor,  bakery  and  confection- 
ery; B.  Z.  Taylor,  implements;  W.  &  F. 
Thorpe,  millers ;  John  Tyrell,  saloon ;  W.  N. 
Wade,  harness  shop;  W.  S.  Warren,  livery; 
A.  C.  White,  shoe  shop ;  White  &  Son,  livery ; 


Thomas  Whalen,  Commercial  Hotel ;  Irv. 
Williams,  dray ; .  M.  C.  Wingert,  barber ;  O.  K. 
Winn,  barber;  John  Wilkinson,  blacksmith; 
Wilcox  &  Sherrerd,  druggists;  Wood  River 
Creamery  Association. 

TEN  YEARS  LATER — 1909 
The  Wood  River  Business  Directory  of 
1909-1910,  after  another  decade  had  elapsed, 
shows  still  further  changes.  Many  familiar 
names  are  beginning  to  be  missing  and  new 
faces  appear  in  the  commercial  activities  of 
the  community : 

Agricultural  implements :  Martin  Diefend- 
erfer, A.  C.  Murphy,  B.  Z.  Taylor;  bakery: 
Harper's  Bakery  &  Resaurant,  L.  Hawks; 
banks :  Citizens  and  First  National,  W.  L. 
Sprague  and  H.  S.  Eaton,  cashiers;  barbers: 
Model  Shop,  Wm.  Stinchcomb,  O.  K.  Winn, 
John  C.  Wilkenson ;  blacksmiths :  John  C. 
Wilkinson,  Miller  Trell;  lumber:  Hampton 
Lumber  &  Coal  Co.,  S.  A.  Foster  Lumber 
Co. ;  carpenters :  J.  W.  Cunningham,  J.  W.  A. 
Hopper,  Earl  Hoppel,  John  R.  Jewett  Jr., 
John  R.  Jewett,  A.  M.  LaPoint,  Carl  L.  Mc- 
Glasson,  F.  J.  Morgon ;  jewelry :  S.  A.  Sher- 
rerd, F.  L.  F.  Leff;  confectionery:  Harpers, 
Chas.  A.  Warren ;  creameries :  Beatrice 
Creamery  Co.,  H.  M.  Jones  agt. ;  dentists: 
M.  E.  House,  C.  P.  Bulger,  F.  H.  Burton; 
dray  lines:  J.  C.  Hutchings,  D.  V.  McKee, 
Chas  Plummer,  Clinton  D.  Smith ;  dress 
makers:  Mrs.  P.  E.  Burt,  Mrs.  G.  E-  Bridger; 
druggists :  H.  Bowen,Hoye's  Pharmacy  (John 
and  D.  J.  Hoye) ;  flour  mills  —  now  Wood 
River  Mills,  Carter  Brothers,  props. ;  general 
merchandise:  Brett  Merc.  Co.  (Jas.  T.  Brett, 
manager),  James  Jackson  (then  in  business 
45  years,  and  his  death  occured  late  in  1910), 
Mitchell  Mercantile  Co.,  S.  A.  Sherrerd,  J.  E. 
Rounds;  grain  dealers  and  elevators:  Conrad 
Grain  &  Elevator  Co.,  T.  B.  Hord  Grain  Co., 
Omaha  Elevator  Co.,  groceries :  Brett, 
Mitchell,  Sherrerd,  Rounds,  and  Thomas  J. 
Dunn :  harware :  Martin  Diefenderfer,  A.  C. 
Murphy,  B.  Z.  Taylor;  harness:  John  R. 
Sesna ;  insurance :  T.  W.  Faught,  D.  D. 
O'Kane;  justice  of  peace::  A.  C.  White; 
lawyers :  O.  M.  Quackenbush ;  live  stock  deal- 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Scenes  in  Wood  River 


1  b»  Google 


U2 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ers :  O.  W.  Eaton  &  Son,  E.  S.  Leavenworth, 
Lyons  Bros. ;  livery  stables :  C.  B.  Wilson, 
W.  S.  Warren,  E.  C.  White  &  Son ;  millinery ; 
Mrs.  S.  C.  Jackson ;  music  teachers :  Clara 
E.  Smout  and  Mrs.  F.  H.  Burton ;  newspapers : 
Wood  River  Intersts,  O.  M.  Quackenbush, 
editor  and  proprietor,  Wood  River  Sunbeam, 
W.  W.  Maltman,  proprietor;  nursery  com- 
pany: Wood  River  Nursery  Co.,  W.  T. 
Spelts,  manager ;  Standard  Oil  Co. ;  painters ; 
W.  H.  Brunner  and  Edward  Deblow;  phy- 
sicians: Dr.  A.  T.  Hubbel,  F.  J.  Reisland  and 
H.  E.  Irwin ;  pumps :  G.  G.  Gard,  Agt.  U.  P. 
R.  R. ;  Wamburg  &  Isenberger,  bakery  and 
restaurant,  Thos.  Ryan,  restaurant ;  John 
Norbeck,  tailor;  D.  D.  O'Kane,  manager,  Ne- 
braska Telephone  Co.;  H.  E.  Irwin,  tinner; 
E.  D.  Johnson,  undertaker. 

ANOTHER  TEN  YEARS — 1919 
Another  decade,  down  to  date,  shows  many 
startling  changes.  A  notable  feature  about 
the  roster  of  the  present  commercial  inter- 
ests down  to  the  present  time,  shows  lines 
of  business  that  formerly  were  strongly  rep- 
resented, and  the  presence  of  new  lines,  such 
as  garages',  picture  shows,  etc.,  which  have 
developed  in  the  last  decare. 

The  business  interests  of  Wood  River,  in 
1919,  are :  Agricultural  implements,  C.  A. 
Fairbanks;  theatres,  Gem  Theatre  (formerly 
Lyric  Theatre),  for  moving  pictures,  and 
Moore's  Opera  House  (still  in  service)  ;  O.  M. 
Quackenbush,  attorney;  auto  livery  and 
garages:  E.  Diefenderfer,  J.  E.  Rounds,  T. 
E.  J.  Paukl,  Ed  Dreblow;  the  same  banks, 
Citizens  and  First  National;  barbers:  T.  E. 
Ryan  and  O.  K.  Winn ;  blacksmiths :  Geo.  C. 
Miller,  John  C.  Wilkinson,  Trell  Miller,  and 
Mell  Lynch;  confectioners:  C.  B.  Wilson; 
cream  station:  Wise  King;  dentists:  Dr.  A. 
Carlson  (Dr.  Bulger  deceased  a  short  time 
ago);  doctors:  A.  T.  Hubbell  and  H.  L 
Starkey;  drug  stores:  Hoye's  Pharmacy 
(Nyal  Store)  and  W.  P.  Connor  (Rexall 
Store)  ;  elevators :  Central  Nebraska  Elevator 
Co.,  T.  B.  Hord  Grain  Co.,  and  Hampton 
Grain  Co.  (Omaha  Elevator  Co.,  formerly); 
furniture:  E.  T.  Rounds   (having  purchased 


stock  of  Anderson  Furniture  Co.),  and  a  new 
store,  Turner  &  Co.,  about  to  open;  hardware: 
P.  H.  West  (also  handling  implements),  and 
Milton  C.  Wingert  &  Sons;  genera!  merchan- 
dise stores,:  Brett  Mercantile  Co.  (Mayor 
James  T.  Brett,  manager) ,  J.  E.  Harper 
(successor  to  E.  E.  Brittin's  store),  Mack's 
Cash  Grocery  (Elsa  V.  McKee),  J.  A.  Rounds, 
Samuel  S.  Sherrerd;  harness:  H.  N.  Wade; 
hotels :  Mankin  House,  A.  M.  Sheets ;  live 
stock  dealers:  Jos.  H.  Cunningham,  E.  S. 
Leavenworth,  Fred  J.  Miller,  Newt  Senseney 
(Peter  Holling  in  business  short  time  ago, 
now  out)  ;  livery  stables:  Scott  Warren  (suc- 
cessor to  Warren  &  Wilson),  E.  C.  White* 
Co.  (successor  to  Williams  &  White;  lumber 
yards :  S.  A.  Foster  Lumber  Co.  and  Hamp- 
ton Lumber  &  Fuel  Company;  meat  markets; 
Sheets  Market ;  millinery :  Brett  Mercantile 
Co. ;  music  teachers :  Mrs.  Geo.  Stone  and 
Mrs.  O.  H.  Lilley ;  newspapers :  The  Interests, 
O.  M.  Quackenbush,  editor;  pool  and  bil- 
liards: Tom  Miller,  Lewis  Wilson;  real 
estate:  David  D.  O'Kane  (postmaster  and 
manager  Nebraska  Telephone  Co.),  and  Seth 
W.  Wilson;  restaurants:  Jas.  Juckett;  vet- 
erinary surgeon:  Robt.  Green;  jeweler:  E.  S. 
Sherrerd;  mills:  Wood  River  Roller  Mills. 
J.  J.  Carter  proprietor. 

DONIPHAN 

The  trade  center  for  that  part  of  Hall 
County  lying  south  of  the  Platte  River  is 
Doniphan.  This  thriving  little  town  is  situ- 
ated on  the  fertile  prairie  about  twelve  miles 
south  of  Grand  Island,  and  about  the  same 
distance  south  of  Hastings,  and  on  the  lines 
of  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  railroad 
Lying  between  the  two  cities  it  nevertheless 
enjoys  a  splendid  business  and  is  a  town  of 
splendid  homes. 

The  early  history  of  the  town  radiates 
around  its  first  and  oldest  settler,  W.  J.  Bur- 
ger. Mr.  Burger  is  a  native  of  Cedar  County, 
Missouri,  and  was  raised  at  Glenwood,  Iowa. 
He  was  in  Colorado  for  about  three  years,  and 
in  1864  brought  his  young  bride,  also  from 
Glenwood,  Iowa,  to  Hall  County  and  settled 
in  what  is  now  the  Doniphan  vicinity.  Mr. 
.  zeflbyGOOgle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


133 


Bulger  carried  on  farming  until  1881  when 
he  started  a  store.  Mr.  Burger  was  post- 
master at  his  home,  during  the  'seventies,  and 
their  little  station  was  called  Orchard. 

TOWN    OF    DONIPHAN    STARTED 

After  the  St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island 
railroad  was  in  operation  it  was  inevitable 
that  a  town  should  grow  up  between  Grand 
Island  and  Hastings.  So  in  1879  Mr.  Burger, 
who  owned  the  land  where  the  town  of  Doni- 
phan was  built,  platted  a  town  site,  laid  out 
the  first  lots,  sold  a  number  of  lots  and  started 
the  town,  which  was  named  Doniphan,  in 
honor  of  Colonel  Doniphan,  who  was  attorney 
for  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  railway. 

Samuel  Biedelman  lived  a  half-mile  west  of 
the  town  and  later  moved  down  after  the  town 
was  started.  H.  C.  Denman  had  a  farm  that 
joined  the  new  townsite,  and  while  he  did  not 
live  in  the  town  he  became  a  leading  citizen  of 
the  new  community.  Charles  Dufford,  a 
farmer  in  that  vicinity,  moved  down  a  short 
time  after  the  new  town  got  started.  S.  H. 
Lakins  moved  in  after  the  town  had  been  go- 
ing for  something  like  three  years. ,  Upson 
Brothers  came  right  in,  during  the  first  few 
months,  and  started  a  store  in  August,  1879. 
W.  H.  Gideon  lived  at  the  edge  of  the  town 
and  helped  lay  out  the  new  town.  Samuel 
Gibson  came  in  rather  early  and  worked  for 
Mr.  Burger  in  the  blacksmith  job.  Dr.  Cas- 
well T.  Poe  came  the  year  after  the  establish- 
ment of  the  town.  He  had  located  in  South 
Platte  precint  and  fanned  there  for  five  years, 
and  also  practiced  medicine.  He  had  then 
gone  to  Grand  Island,  but  after  the  new  town 
started  he  relocated  in  the  southern  part  of  the 
county  and  began  practicing  from  the  new 
village.  These  who  have  just  been  named 
were  among  the  first  settlers  of  the  new  town, 
whose  early  arrival  contributed  materially  to 
establishing  the  town  that  was  to  be  in  that 
part  of  the  county,  Doniphan. 

As  remarked  before,  the  first  store  was  that 
of  Upson  Brothers,  started  in  August,  1879. 
W.  J.  Burger  operated  a  livery  stable  which 
he  sold  in  1880  to  Scudder  Brothers.  In  the 
spring  of  1880  Mr.  Burger  built. a  new  build- 


ing for  a  store  and  a  hall  was  put  in  upstairs, 
which  was  known  thereafter  as  the  Burger 
&  McCulloch  Hall.  The  growth  of  the  town 
commercially  is  detailed  in  a  section  of  a  sep- 
arate chapter  treating  of  th 
of  the  life  of  each  communit 

EARLY  EVENTS  IN  THE  C 

The  first  girl  born  on  the  r 
Jennie  M.  Stout,  on  Februs 
she  lived  only  a  short  time, 
born  in  the  new  town  was  ^ 
Albert  Doniphan  Burger,  in  '. 
marriage  in  the  town  took  p 
1881,  and  the  contracting  pai 
Brewer  and  Miss  Anna  M 
formed  at  the  hotel. 

The  religious  side  of  life 
for  by  the  residents  of  the 
and  occasional  sermons  wer 
the  very  beginning.  The  fi 
which  present  record  is  j 
preached  by  a  Rev.  Mr.  Rod 
elder  of  the  Methodist  Epis 
Burger  &  McCulloch's  Hall, 
ning,  July  18,  1881.  On  the 
day  sermons  were  preached 
McCullom,  of  the  Presbyteria 
Mr.  Sweeney  of  the  Christian 
Thurber  of  the  Methodist  E( 
societies  were  at  once  organiz< 
dist,  Presbyterian  and  Christia 
it  was  quite  a  number  of  yea 
the  denominations  completed 
building  for  its  special  needs 

The  first  school  in  the  tow 
the  fall  of  1879  by  Miss  Emm 
had  been  a  school  house  buil 
corner  cross-roads  near  town 
was  later  converted  into  a 
flouring  mill  which  Mr.  Burge 
was  practically  the  beginning 
development  of  the  young  ci 
town  was  just  seven  years  o 
was  started,  the  Bank  of  Doi 
J.  Burger  president,  John  Sclv 
S.  N.  Wolbach,  C.  F.  Bentley, 
and  Schwyn  stockholders. 
had  a  newspaper  as  early  as  A 


1  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Charles  Kelsey  came  in  and  started  The  Index. 
The  Doniplum  Leader  was  established  in  1884. 

doniphan's  big  fire 
The  town  had  secured  a  good  start  by  the 
year  1887.  On  November  26,  1887,  a  fire 
broke  out  that  swept  one  side  of  the  main 
street,  destroyed  the  town  records  then  com- 
piled, and  became  a  most  notable  event  in  the 
history  of  the  community.  Though  like  those 
fires  in  the  early  history  of  a  town  that  leave 
a  severe  loss  and  dreadful  inconvenience  for 
the  time  being,  new  and  better  buildings  spring 
up  to  replace  the  older  ones  and  the  general 
appearance  of  the  town  is  eventually  im- 
proved. This  fire  destroyed  the  only  brick 
building  the  town  then  had,  the  one  occupied 
by  the  postoffice,  William  Gideon  then  post- 
master, the  bank,  Carmichael's  grocery,  a  mil- 
linery store,  a  general  store,  and  a  butcher 
shop.  The  fire  resulted  from  the  attempt  of 
burglars  to  blow  open  the  door  of  the  bank 
safe. 

THE  INCORPORATION  OF  THE  TOWN 
The  little  village  had  assumed  enough  of 
the  pretensions  of  a  town  by  the  time  it  was 
five  years  old  so  that  on  January  9,  1884,  on 
the  petition  of  thirty-three  resident  tax-payers 
the  south  half  of  section  5  and  all  of  section 
8,  town  9,  range  9,  and  southeast  quarter  of 
section  1  and  east  half  of  section  12,  town  9, 
range  10  was  incorporated  as  the  village  of 
Doniphan.  A.  M.  Sweeney,  James  Scudder, 
J.  W.  Burg,  D.  O.  Grice  and  Samuel  Beidel- 
man  were  appointed  to  constitute  the  first 
board  of  trustees. 

SUCCEEDING  TOWN  TRUSTEES 
Due  to  the  destruction  of  the  village  records 
in  the  fire  of  November,  1887,  the  records  of 
membership  of  the  board  of  trustees  during 
the  two  years  that  intervened  between  the 
expiration  of  the  term  of  the  first  board  and 
the  board  that  took  office  in  the  spring  of 
1887  is  missing.  A  new  village  record  was 
started  on  February  6,  1888,  and  this  shows 
that  at  that  time  the  town  trustees  were: 
J.  W.  Carmichael,  John  Schwyn,  T.  M. 
Scheaff,  Jas.  H.  Scudder,  vice  J.  N.  Joice,  who 


resigned  that  month,  W.  E.  Moore.  W.  J. 
Burger  was  town  clerk  but  he  was  succeeded 
in  February  by  Markwood  Holmes  when  he 
became  a  member  of  the  board  to  succeed  Mr. 
Carmichael  who  resigned  then. 
The  succeeding  boards  were : 

1888  —  W.  E.  Moore,  John  Schwyn,  T.  M. 

Scheaff,  J.  C.  Francis,  Hess.  (Stout 
part  of  year). 

1889  — Moore,  Schwyn,  Scheaff,  H.  E.  Funk, 

Dr.  J.  M.  Fitch. 

1890  —  W.   E.   Moore,  J.  C.  Francis,  J.  H. 

Scudder,  L.  M.  Brewer,  W.  H.  Mc- 
Culloch. 

1891  _  Orville  Ellsworth,  W.  A.  Camp,  D.  L. 

Gideon,  Richard  McMullin  and  S.  S. 
Shultz. 

1892  —  W.  H.  McCulloch,  J.  E.  Nelson,  Dr. 

J,  M.  Fitch,  Frank  Scudder,  and  W. 
E.  Moore,  the  last  three  resigning  dur- 
ing the  year  and  John  Walker  and 
W.  J.  Burger  coming  on  in  place  of 
latter  two  trustees. 

1893  — D.  C.  Gideon,  W.  H.  McCulloch,  Jno. 

W.  Walker,  John  Schwyn  and  H.  T 
Ingalls,  who  resigned  in  January  1894 
and  Dr.  Fitch  returned  to  the  board. 

1894  —  H.    D.    Williams,    J.    H.    Scudder. 

Wilbur  W.  Welch,  John  Schwyn  and 
D.  C.  Gideon,  who  was  succeeded  by 
L.  M.  Brewer  during  the  year. 

1895  — A.  Blunk,  P.  Johnfon,  J.  E.  HittjL- 

M.   Brewer  and  Aug.  Richter.     The 
last   two  named   being   succeeded  by 
Ben  Orcutt  and  C.  F.  Raymer. 
and  C.  F.  Raymer. 

1896  — J    C.  Francis,  J.  E.  Hitt,  Ben  Orcutt, 

G.  C.  Mayer  and  H.  T.  Ingalls,  the 
latter  succeeded  in  July  by  C.  L. 
Gideon. 

1897  —  J.  C.  Francis,  R.  A.  Blackburn,  L-  M 

Brewer,  W.  H.  Welch  and  B.  F 
Scudder. 

1898  —  Richard     McMullin,     Jas.     Newman 

I.  T   Ward,  J.  F.  Button. 

1899  — Richard    McMullin,    C.    F.    Raymer 

Valentine  Clarno,  M.  E.  Bowlin  am 
Amos  Beagle. 

1900  — J.  F.  Button,  C.  F.  Raymer,  Valentin 

Clarno,    M.    E.    Bowlin    and    Amo 
Beagle. 
In  1901  a  period  began  during  which  the  meit 
bers  were  elected  for  a  two  year  tern 
The  members  of  the  board  of 

1901  —were  J.  E.  Hitt,  W.  H.  Marsh,  W.  r 

Gideon,  J.  F.  Button  and  Ann 
Beagle. 

1902  —  Hitt,  Marsh  and  Gideon  held  over  ar 


HISTORY  OF  HALE  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


A.  E.  Smith  and  John  Carmichael 
came  on  the  Board. 

1903  —  Hitt,  Marsh  and  Gideon  were  re- 
elected and  Smith  and  Carmichael 
held  over. 

1904 — Smith  and  Carmichael  re-elected  and 
Hitt,  Harsh  and  Gideon  held  over. 

1905  —  Smith  and  Carmichael  held  over,  but 
three  new  associates  were  elected, 
Sidney  White,  .A.  C.  Adams,  and 
Elmer  Orr. 

1906 —  White,  Adams  and  Orr  held  over  with 
J.  B.  Meseraull  and  Charles  Lakins  as 
the  new  .members,  but  the  latter  was 
succeeded  October  1st  by  G.  A.  Webb. 

1907  — J.  B.  Meseraull  held  over,  Dr.  C.  A. 

Stone  elected  for  the  one  year  term, 
and  H.  E.  Funk,  H.  T.  Ingalls 
and  R-  I..  McMullin  came  on  for  a 
full  term. 

1908  — With    Funk,    Ingalls    and    McMullin 

holding  over,  D.  B.  Skiles  and  A.  D. 
Burger  came  on  the  Board. 

1909—  Skiles  and  Burger  holding  over;  H.  T. 
Ingalls  re-elected  and  I.  T.  Ward  and 
Geo.  W.  Webb  as  new  members. 
Chas.  Humphrey  succeeded  Ingalls  in 
December. 

1910 — Skiles  and  Burger  were  re-elected; 
Ward,  Humphrey  and  Webb  con- 
tinued. 

191 1  —  Ward    and    Humphrey    held    over ; 

Burger  re-elected,  J.  B.  Meseraull  and 

F.  E.  Sullivan  came  onto  the  Board, 
but  H.  S.  Crawford  took  Meseraull's 
place. 

1912  —  Four  new  men  came  onto  the  Board, 

now  operating  under  annual  member- 
ships: W.  A.  Moses,  E.  C.  Burger,  L. 

G.  Scudder,  Elmer  Orr,  with  A.  D. 
Burger  still  a  member. 

1913  —  Moses,  E.  C.  Burger,  Scudder  and  A. 

D.  Burger  continued  in  office,  and  D. 
B.  Skiles  returned  to  the  Board. 

1914  — L.  G.  Scudder  and  D.  B.  Skiles  re- 

mained, F.  E.  Sullivan  returned  and 
I.  J.  Doan  and  C.  H.  Kindig  were  new 
men  on  the  Board. 

1915  —  Kindig  and   Sullivan   remained,  with 

W.  R.  Augustin,  H.  S.  Crawford  and 
S.  B.  Marsh  as  new  members. 

1916  —  Marsh,  Crawford  and  Augustin  held 

over,  L.  G.  Scudder  and  R  M.  Hitch 
elected  to  serve. 

1917  —  Augustin,    Scudder    and    Hitch    re- 

mained, with  Chas.  T.  Young  and 
Charles  Redman  as  the  new  members. 

1918  —  Young,    Redman    and    Augustin    re- 

mained, Scudder  and  Hitch  were  re- 
elected. 


1919  —  The  present  town  board  consists  of 
Chas.  T.  Young,  L.  G.  Scudder,  F.  M. 
Hitch,  R.  D.  Wood  and  R.  M.  Britt. 

VILLAGE  CLERKS 

An  important  office  in  the  history  and  de- 
velopment of  the  affairs  of  a  town  is  that  of 
village  or  town  clerk.  In  1888  W.  J.  Burger 
was  serving  as  town  clerk.  His  successor  for 
about  three  years  was  Markwood  Holmes. 
H.  N.  Lord  served  a  few  months,  then  O.  B. 
Hawk,  and  short  terms  of  service  were  filled 
out  in  the  next  three  or  four  years  by  O.  B. 
Hawk,  Dr.  J.  D.  Jackson,  W.  H.  Gideon,  H.  T. 
Ingalls,  B.  F.  Scudder,  J.  Schwyn,  J.  E.  Hitt, 
and  in  1895  the  clerkship  settled  down  in  the 
hands  of  John  Schwyn,  who  served  in  that 
capacity  until  August,  1899. 

I.  T.  Ward  served  a  few  months.  The  next 
spring  Schwyn  again  took  over  the  books.  In 
1901  J.  H.  Scudder  served  and  was  succeeded 
in  1902  by  S.  W.  Burch.  After  three  years  of 
that  work,  he  was  followed  for  two  years  by 

C.  A.  Dominy.  In  1907  Harry  Wilson  was 
clerk;  in  1908,  R.  McMullin,  and  after  him 

D.  B.  Skills.  I.  T.  Ward  served  in  1909,  1910, 
and  1911  and  L.  G.  Scudder  in  1912  and  1913. 
W.  S.  Pickens  took  over  the  office  in  1914  and 
continued  until  February,  1918,  when  A.  W. 
Bauman  became  clerk,  whose  successor  was 
Percy  Button.  In  October,  1918,  the  present 
clerk,  H.  E.  Clamo,  took  charge  of  the  books, 

TOWN   TREASURERS 

This  is  an  office  that  has  not  changed  hands 
so  often  as  the  other  village  offices. 

Some  of  the  town  treasurers  have  been, 
John  M.  McCulloch,  John  Schwyn  for  about 
ten  years  during  the  decade  of  the  'nineties, 
A.  D.  Burger  from  1901  until  A.  L.  Scudder 
became  custodian  of  city  funds  in  1904.  He 
was  succeeded  by  H.  E.  Funk  in  1907  and 
A.  D.  Burger  returned  to  that  responsibility 
in  1911. 

L.  G.  Scudder  served  in  1917  and  R.  D. 
Wood  is  the  last  treasurer. 

MARSHAL 

Various  custodians  of  the  peace  and  welfare 
of  the  village  have  been  A.  Bomgardner,  Shelt 
Howerton,  Jas.  Newman,  C.  N.  Moore,  W.  E. 


136 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Sweney,  Orville  Ellsworth,  C.  N.  Munroe  and 
others  back  in  the  'nineties.  Al  Bamgarten, 
J.  E.  Nelson,  Monroe,  A.  B.  Smith,  C.  C. 
Underwood  served  in  the  next  decade.  R. 
Decker,  M.  J.  Meseraull  and  Martin  Brewer 
were  later  marshals.  In  the  last  few  years 
Wes  Pickens  and  Elmer  Orr  have  combined 
that  duty  with  many  others  they  had. 

The  task  of  looking  after  the  streets  was 
entrusted  in  1889  to  I.  L.  Meseraull.  Through 
the  'nineties  among  the  various  custodians  of 
the  streets  were  Aaron  Duffield,  John  Ward, 


arrgange  for  a  waterworks  system  for  the 
town  were  C.  J.  Humphrey,  B.  E.  Scudder, 
H.  E.  Funk,  H.  G.  Rainz,  S.  Crawford,  0. 
Ellsworth,  A.  Cleal,  R.  L.  Msmullin,  and  D. 
B.  Skiles.  The  water  bonds  were  carried 
on  September  17,  1912,  and  bonds  for  $16,- 
000  for  water  purposes  and  $2,000  for  a 
light  plant  authorized  The  electric  light 
plant  built  for  the  town  by  the  Doniphan 
Light  and  Power  Co.  was  sold  in  1916 
to  the  Central  Power  Co.  and  hitched  onto 
the    Grand    Island    plant    fdr    electric    serv- 


Bank  of  Doniphan,  1 


J.  L.  Meseraull,  John  Walker,  B.  Scudder, 
Geo.  W.  Orr,  L.  Howerton,  C.  B.  Smith.  From 
1900  to  1910,  Mart  Demster,  J.  E.  Nelson, 
A.  B.  Smith,  Chas.  Munroe,  Jas.  Gideon,  Chas. 
Balmer,  V.  Clarno,  Orville  Ellsworth  and  R. 
Decker  took  on  this  task  at  various  times. 
In  1914,  Wes  Pickens  assumed  the  multiple 
burden  of  water,  street  and  light  commis- 
sioner, town  marshal  and  clerk  of  the  village 
board.  His  successor  was  Elmer  Orr,  who  is 
still   carrying  most  of  those  responsibilities. 

Doniphan  has  kept  in  pace  with  other  towns 
of  her  class  in  the  matter  of  public  improve- 
ments and  securing  modem  conveniences  of 
life  for  her  people.  She  faced  the  problems  of 
water  tanks,  hitching  posts,  a  chemical  engine 
all  before  1910/ 

The  Committee  appointed  in  May,  1911,  to 


ice.  A  raise  of  one  cent  per  kilowatt,  author- 
ized in  April,  1917,  and  continued  during  the 
war,  was  taken  off  by  the  council  recently. 

COMMERCIAL    CHANGES 

Despite  the  close  proximity  of  Hastings 
and  Grand  Island  to  the  farmers  living  on  the 
south  side  of  the  Platte  in  Hall  County, 
Doniphan  has  maintained  her  position  of 
supremacy  as  the  trading  point  for  this  South 
Platte  community.  Her  commercial  import- 
ance is  easily  evidenced  by  an  examination  of 
the  history  of  the  business  houses  that  have 
flourished  in  Doniphan. 

The  first  store,  established  in  August,  1879. 
by  Upson  Brothers  has  undergone  a  series  of 
changes  in  management.  It  was  later  sold 
to  Francis,   who  passed  it  on  to   Meseraull. 

Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


from  him  to  Moses,  and  a  few  years  ago  to 
Henry  Olthoff. 

Late  in  1880  the  Camp  and  Alexander  store 
was  sold  to  Burger  &  McCullough.  This 
opened  the  career  of  W.  J.  Burger  in  the  gen- 
eral merchandise  line  and  the  management 
of  this  store  remained  continuously  in  the 
hands  of  Mr.  Burger,  his  partner  and  his 
family  for  thirty-nine  years,  when  it  was 
recently  sold  to  D.  A.  Jones  of  Hastings.  For 
about  fifteen  years  the  business  was  conducted 
under  the  firm  name  of  Burger  &  McCullough. 
Mr.  Burger  then  purchased  the  partner's  inter- 
est in  the  store.  About  twenty-three  years 
ago,  after  his  son  had  finished  his  education 
he  came  into  a  share  of  the  management  of  the 
business,  and  later  the  son,  A.  D.  Burger, 
became  a  partner,  and  the  business  in  recent 
years  has  been  known  as  W.  J.  Burger  &  Son. 
In  thirty-nine  years  of  service  of  the  wants 
of  the  public,  this  business  has  grown  from  a 
small  country  trading  station  to  one  of  the 
largest  and  best  equipped  mercantile  estab- 
lishments in  the  county. 

Samuel  Fry  established  a  store  in  1880  that 
flourished  for  a  long  time  as  Fry  &  Beidelman, 
was  later  sold  out,  and  finally  the  stock  was 
disposed  of  and  the  establishment  went  out 
of  business. 

Another  early  store  was  that  handled  by  a 
Mr.  Joice,  and  at  another  period  by  Mr. 
Morrow,  and  of  which  A.  L-  Scudder  was 
manager  for  McNal  &  Wisner.  W.  A.  Camp 
sustained  a  fire  about  1895  or  1896.  Mr. 
Scudder  then  conducted  this  business  in  his 
own  right  for  fourteen  years,  and  Hess  &  Son 
had  it  for  a  year.  Then  Garrett  &  Moss  came 
in,  and  a  Mr.  Child  of  Oklahoma  acquired 
the  stock,  after  which  it  was  moved  away. 

A.  L.  Scudder  conducted  another  store  in 
Doniphan  for  a  time,  which  he  sold  to  O.  H. 
Strawn  and  recently  bought  it  back. 

Another  store  in  Doniphan  was  conducted 
by  L.  M.  Brown,  who  later  sold  the  building 
occupied  to  O.  H.  Strawn. 

John  Burg  opened  a  drug  store  in  Doniphan 
at  an  early  date.  W.  J.  Burger  at  one  time 
owned  this  stock.  S.  W.  Birch  conducted  the 
store  for  some  time,  and  later  Dr.  C.  A.  Stone 


had  charge  of  it,  but  in  i 
conducted  by  T.  T.  I 
owner. 

Mr.  Burger  establish 
in  early  days,  which 
Gibson.  Gregg  Bros.  ■ 
first  grain  elevator.  T 
longed  to  Mr.  Burger  ; 
later  to  Meseraull  and 
eventually  became  the 
Company,  under  mana 
Mullin.  Ben  Orcutt 
which  was  sold  to  Scu 
phan  now  has  two  far 
which  the  farmers  bu: 
being  the  successor  of 
vat  or  business.  These 
Co.  and  the  Farmers  & 

Doniphan  had  a  liver 
by  W.  J.  Burger,  who  ! 
der  Brothers.  The  liv 
ducted  by  Cash  Richm< 

R.  L.  McMullin  star 
phan  early  in  the  days 
ness.  This  is  now  com 
Auto  Co.  and  has  the 
Augustin  and  Son  hai 
Co.  and  have  a  splen< 

Doniphan  has  been  \ 
for  places  of  public  mt 
Culloch's  hall  was  buil 
mained  the  place  wl 
could  be  held.  The  O 
hall,  and  the  Masonic 
the  old  Bank  of  Don 
phan  also  has  an  open 
Boroff  is  manager. 

The  first  hotel  in  to 
by  Biedelman. 

C.  F.  Raymer,  as  ag 
Grand  Island,  conduct* 
in  1880.  During  rece: 
Stroud  Lumber  Co.  o 
charge  of  the  lumber  ) 
ducted  as  the  Doniph; 
Clarno  is  the  present  r 

John  Weaver  and  E 
for  the  local  trade  as  < 
&  Fry  had  the  market 


i  by  Google 


138 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


fire  in  1887.  They  later  reestablished  across 
the  street.  S.  S.  Shultz  afterwards  conducted 
the  market,  and  in  recent  years  O.  L.  Pearson. 
Charles  Braman  is  the  present  proprietor. 

The  newspapers,  treated  in  the  chapter  on 
"The  Press"  have  been  the  Index,  founded  in 
1881  by  Charles  Kesley,  the  Leader,  founded 
in  1889,  the  Eagle,  founded  by  I.  M.  Augus- 
tine, and  after  a  gap  during  which  the  town 
had  no  newspaper  for  a  few  years,  its  present 
journal,  the  Enterprise. 

Doniphan  has  had  telephone  facilities  since 
1904  when  the  Hamilton  County  Telephone 
Co.  was  given  right  to  set  up  poles. 

The  town  is  not  behind  others  in  the  matter 
of  an  up-to-date  moving  picture  theatre,  the 
Jewell. 

The  present  interests  in  Doniphan  are: 

The  Bank  of  Doniphan,  Commercial  Ex- 
change Bank,  Doniphan  Sand  &  Gravel  Co., 
Doniphan  Brick  Yards,  Skiles  Barber  shop, 
Frank  M.  Hitch,  blacksmith  shop,  C.  L.  Boyd, 
Fred  Fent,  Saml.  B.  Marsh  and  Orr  Bros., 
carpenters  and  builders,  Ellsworth,  Taggard, 
and  Shehin's  restaurants,  McCleery  drug 
store,  D.  O.  Jones,  general  store  (successor  to 
W.  J.  Burger  &  Son),  A.  L.  Scudder,  general 
store,  Henry  Olthoff,  general  store,  Walter 
Augustine  and  S.  H.  Crawford,  Inmplements 
and  farm  machinery,  Farmers  Grain  Co.,  Don- 
iphan Grain  Co.,  Farmers  Mill  &  Elevator  Co., 
Augustine  and  S.  H.  Crawford,  implements 
Wood,  hardware,  Joseph  Wortman,  harness 
shop,  Richmond  livery  stable,  Doniphan 
Lumber  Co.,  Braman  meat  market,  the  Enter- 
prise, J.  C.  Bierbower  editor,  Dr.  Geo.  L. 
Wagner  and  Dr.  C.  A.  Stone,  physicians, 
Doniphan  Produce  Co.,  with  H.  S.  Altensee, 
manager,  the  Jewell  Theatre,  and  telephone 
offices. 

CAIRO 

The  founding  of  the  town  of  Cairo  long 
postdates  the  early  history  of  Mayfield  and 
South  Loup  Townships.  When  the  railroad 
was  surveyed  the  town  of  Cairo  sprang  up 
in  the  spring  of  1886.  Established  on  the 
line  of  the  Grand  Island  &  Wyoming  Railroad, 
now  the  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy,  this 
beautiful  little  town  lies  eighteen  miles  north- 


west of  Grand  Island.  The  National  Lumber 
Company  hauled  in  lumber  and  established 
small  yards  in  anticipation  of  the  town,  doing 
this  late  in  1885  or  early  in  1886.  It  was 
not  long  before  the  town  had  several  business 
houses.  Geo.  Elfus  had  a  grocery  store, 
Thomas  Shurtz  a  drug  store,  and  George 
Willing  a  furniture  store.  George  W.  Win- 
gert  became  postmaster.  Mr.  Wingert  has 
been  an  active  business  spirit  in  the  commun- 
ity since  that  time. 

THE  TOWN  GOVERNMENT 
The  village  of  Cairo  was  incorporated  on 
November  18,  1892.    The  first  board  named  to 
carry  on  the  village  government  were: 

I.  M.  Cole,  C.  M.  North,  Geo.  A.  Dove, 
Geo.  W.  Wingert,  Geo.  F.  Shindel.  Later  in 
the  year,  on  account  of  resignations,  Geo. 
Brewer,  L.  Watkins  and  W.  C.  Ofield  took 
seats  on  the  board. 

The  subsequent  boards  who  have  carried 
the  responsibilities  of  the  government  and  de- 
velopment of  the  community  have  been : 

1893  — Jas.  A.  Veeder,  I.  M.  Cole,  John  A. 

Kalus,  Fred  Spencer  and  Geo. 
Brewer.  Succeeding  the  last  two  in 
December,  Dell  Thompson  and  W.  C. 
Wingert  went  onto  the  Board. 

1894  —  J.  A.  Veeder,  Lafe  Watkins,  W.  C 

Wingert,  I.  M.  Cole  and  Dell  Thomp- 
son, the  latter  succeeded  by  Grant 
Afflerbaugh. 

1895  — A.  L.  Barnaby,  Lafe  Watkins,  W.  C. 

Wingert,  I.  M.  Cole,  Wm.  Moore, 
upon  whose  removal  C.  M.  North 
came  onto  the  board. 

1896  — C.  M.  North,  S.  M.  Cole,  F.  S.  Nich- 

olson (now  mayor  of  St.  Paul,  Neb.), 
G.  W.  Wingert  and  Lafe  Watkins. 
1897— North,  Nicholson,  Wingert  and  Wat- 
kins remained  on  the  board  and  W.  C. 
Ofield  returned  to  that  service. 

1898  — Ofield,  Wingert  and  Watkins   stayed 

on,  I.  M.  Cole  returned  and  Ed 
Maxon  was  elected,  but  removed  from 
town  and  was  succeeded  by  H.  G. 
Still. 

1899  —  Early  in  this  term  I.  M.  Cole  resigned 

'and  G.  W.  Wingert  did  not  qualify, 
so  Chas.  Shindel  and  A.  H.  Shull  came 
on  and  served  with  L.  Watkins,  C.  M. 
North  and  H.  G.  Still. 

1900  —  The    personnel    remained    the     same, 

North,  Shindel,  Still,  Shull  and  Wat- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


139 


kins.  It  was  during  the  administra- 
tion of  this  board  that  the  epidemic 
of  smallpox  became  so  contagious  and 
dangerous  throughout  the  country 
that  action  was  taken  similar  to  that 
taken  generally  during  the  influenza 
epidemic  of  1918  —  no  assembly  was 
allowed  for  30  days  from  December 
20,  1900,  in  church,  hall,  or  other  pub- 
lic place.  This  order  was  revoked 
early  in  January,  1901,  when  the  sit- 
uation had  improved. 
1901—  North,  Still,  Shull  and  Watkins  re- 
mained with  W.  S.  Cole  as  the  fifth 
member. 

1902  —  The   new  board  consisted  of  A.   O. 

Powers,  A.  H.  Shull,  C.  M.  North, 
N.  C.  Nelson  and  L.  Watkins.  A 
district  court  decree  changing  bounda- 
ries of  Cairo  unseated  Mr.  Watkins 
and  his  successor  was  I.  M.  Cole. 

1903  — Shull,  Nelson,  Cole  and  Powers  held 

over,  S-  W.  Snyder  came  on ;  Cole  re- 
signed and  W.  S.  Bellows  was  ap- 
pointed, and  Powers  moved  out  of 
town  and  H.  G.  Still  came  back  to  the 
board. 

1904  — The  board  started  out  as  W.  C.  Ofield, 

S.  W.  Snyder,  C.  M.  North,  A.  H. 
Shull,  and  N.  C.  Nielson.  Snyder 
moved  out  of  town  in  June  and  C.  A. 
Tiedeman  came  on. 

1905  — J.    E.    Cox,   C.    A.   Tiedeman,   Fred 

Ericson,  C.  M.  North,  N.  C.  Nielson. 

1906  —  The  above  five  served,  until  in  Jan- 

uary, 1907,  Emery  Peters  succeeded 
C.  M.  North. 

1907  —  The  board  remained  the  same,  until 

in  October,  when  A.  H.  Shull  came 

on  in  place  of  Ericson. 
1908—  Cox,   Tiedeman,  Peters  and  Nielson 

stayed   over,   A.    B.   Congrove   came 

onto  the  board. 
[909 —  For   this   year   the   board   was.   Fred 

Erickson,  C.  A.  Tiedeman,  J.  E.  Cox, 

A.  B.  Congrove  and  Nielson. 

910  — The    board    remained    as    Erickson, 

Tiedeman,  Cox,  Congrove  and  Niel- 
son. 

911  —  Cox,     Congrove,     and     Nielson     re- 

mained, with  Tiedeman  reelected  and 
E.  Whitehead,  the  new  member. 

912  —  Cox,  Congrove  and  Nielson  were  re- 

elected,   Whitehead    and    Tiedeman 

holding  over. 
?13  —  This  year  saw  some  changes ;  Cox  and 

Whitehead   remaining,   G.   C.   Raven, 

Wm.  Schlund  and  Geo.  Wabel  becom- 
i  ing  members. 

H4  —  Membership  remained  the  same  as  in 

1913. 


1915  — G.  C.  Raven,  L.  W.  Thompson,  J.  E. 

Cox,  Wabel  and  Whitehead. 
1916 — Membership  remained  the  same  as  in 

1915. 

1917  — Cox,  Wabel  and  Whitehead  remained, 

H.  T.  Ingalls  and  F.  W.  Goodrich 
were  elected. 

1918  —  Ingalls  and  Goodrich  held  over;  Cox 

was  reelected  and  Harry  Prohl  and 
Geo.  Whitefoot  came  onto  the  board. 
In  October,  1918,  Prohl  resigned  and 
G.'H.  Vant  was  appointed;  in  March, 
1919,  Cox  resigned  and  the  place  was 
left  open  until  the  spring  election 
selected  new  members. 

1919  —  The  present  board  members  are  G.  C. 

Raven,  F.  W.  Goodrich,  S.  R.  Benton, 
G.  H.  Vant  and  R.  R.  Thompson. 

VILLAGE  CLERKS 
The  important  office  of  village  clerk  was 
first  filled  in  1892  by  John  A.  Kalus.  In  the 
succeeding  years,  the  books  were  taken  cai£ 
of  by  Wm.  Moore,  1893;  F.  W.  Spencer, 
1894-5;  Geo.  W.  Hood  for  a  few  months; 
Chas.  Shindel  from  1896  to  1899;  Geo.  C. 
Adwers  for  about  nine  months ;  A.  L.  Barneby 
from  February  1900  until  May,  1901 ;  R.  W. 
Wirt  for  a  few  months ;  A.  L.  Omer,  1901  to 
1903 ;  W.  C.  Wingert  and  J.  H.  Harrison  in 
1904;  C.  Blease,  1905;  A.  L.  Barneby,  Oc- 
tober, 1905  until  May,  1908;  C.  Hugo  Hehnke 
became  clerk  in  1908  and  held  this  position 
until  June,  1914.  The  next  clerk  was  H.  P. 
Bellows  who  served  until  the  spring  of  1919, 
when  E.  H.  Whitehad,  the  present  clerk,  took 
charge. 

VILLAGE  TREASURERS 
L.  W.  Lyon  first  assumed  the  task  of  cus- 
todian of  the  village  funds,  serving  from  1892 
until  June,  1898.  W.  C.  Wingert  assumed 
the  office  until  in  1901.  George  W.  Wingert 
then  took  up  the  responsibilities  of  village 
treasurer  which  he  held  from  1901  until  Oc- 
tober, 1905.  J.  H.  Harrison  then  served  until 
1908,  when  Geo.  W.  Wingert  again  assumed 
the  office  and  has  held  it  continuously  during 
the  past  eleven  years. 

COMMISSIONER  AND  MARSHAL 

John  Murphy  took  up  the  role  of  marshal 
in   1892  and  continued  in  that  service  until 


140 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


June  3,  1901.  During  that  time,  the  duties  of 
street  commissioner  were  performed  by  Geo. 
F.  Shundel  and  Jos.  Hancock  until  1900.  D. 
C.  Roush  and  John  Stogger  were  the  next 
commissioners.  Murphy  returned  to  the 
duties  of  marshal  in  a  short  time  and  served 
until  he  again  resigned  on  August  6,  1904. 
Geo.  Wabel  and  J.  W.  Hancock  served  as 
marshal  for  short  periods  and  Murphy  served 
again  in  1905.  In  1902  and  1903  L.  W.  Mc- 
Cormack  and  H.  D.  McWilliams  served  as 
street  commissioners.  In  1904  Murphy  was 
serving  as  both  marshal  and  street  commis- 
sioner, which  he  later  did  in  1905  and  1906. 
During  1906  C.  E.  Clark  took  over  this  joint 
burden  and  remained  until  1910.  Gust  Erick- 
son  succeeded  him,  and  in  the  latter  part  of 
1910  added  the  duties  of  water  commissioner 
to  those  he  already  had  under  way.  Henry 
Thompson  served  in  1911  as  marshal  and 
Robert  Day  as  water  commissioner.  But  in 
1912  Alfred  Boyd  had  taken  up  the  duties  of 
street  commissioner  and  marshal  and  Gust 
Erickson  was  water  commissioner.  Boyd  con- 
tinued his  service  until  1917,  when  A.  B.  Con- 
grove  succeeded  him,  and  then  E.  Blauvelt 
came  into  office,  but  Alfred  Boyd  returned  to 
the  positions  of  marshal  and  street  commis- 
sioner and  now  holds  the  same.  Erickson  was 
succeeded  as  water  commisisoner  by  Karl 
Rasmussen. 

At  an  election  held  on  May  18,  1909,  Cairo 
voted  bonds  for  the  construction  of  a  water 
plant  by  a  vote  of  82  for  to  27  against.  On  the 
basis  of  an  $8,000  issue,  a  contract  was  let  to 
the  National  company  of  South  Bend,  Indiana, 
for  $6,735.  In  1910  a  jail  was  ordered  built, 
to  be  10  x  14  feet,  with  two  cells. 

BUSINESS    HOUSES 

Cairo  has  always  been  a  good  trading  town 
and  has  at  all  times  maintained  a  goodly  num- 
ber of  prosperous   business  houses. 

The  store  established  by  Geo.  Elfers  in  1886 
came  into  the  hands  of  I.  M.  Cole  about  1891 
or  1892.  Hehnke-Lohman  afterwards  turned 
this  business  into  the  Cairo  Mercantile  Co., 
which  is  still  managed  by  C.  Hugo  Hehnke. 


The  store  established  by  Dell  Thompson 
was  at  one  time  conducted  by  a  Mr.  Bristol. 
F.  W.  Goodrich  once  burned  out  with  this 
stock.  Dell  Thompson  rebuilt  on  the  old  site 
and  handled  hardware  and  later  dry  goods  and 
groceries.  Later  Thompson  _  Brothers  con- 
ducted the  business.  The  old  established  store 
of  H.  P.  Bellows  &  Co.  is  now  being  closed 
out.  Another  stock  in  Cairo  was  formerly 
handled  as  Bellows  &  Goodrich,  but  is"  now 
the  store  of  F.  W.  Goodrich.  A  stock  handled 
by  Chas.  Wood  burned  out  about  1892. 

The  pioneer  hardware  store  of  Geo.  Willing, 
established  in  1886,  was  later  handled  re- 
spectively by  Dell  Thompson,  Will  Parker, 
W.  S.  Bellows,  and  while  in  the  hands  of 
E.  W.  McAllister  burned  out  in  January,  1908. 
McAllister  Brothers  put  in  a  stock  of  grocer- 
ies, dry  goods,  furniture,  and  hardware  which 
burned  out  in  January,  1915.  Lloyd  Mc- 
Allister rebuilt  and  restored  a  stock,  which 
later  became  the  store  of  Dove  &  Son. 

The  first  hotel  in  Cairo  was  built  by  Jim 
Irwin  on  the  bank  comer.  Later  this  was 
handled  by  Hancock's,  by  Grandma  Stoeger, 
by  Mrs.  Carlson,  but  for  the  past  ten  or 
twelve  years,  A.  R.  Boyd  has  been  "Ye  Host." 

Scudder  Brothers,  of  Doniphan,  opened  a 
livery  stable  early  in  the  history  of  the  town, 
but  the  North- Rob  in  son  barns  afterwards  ac- 
quired that  site  and  another  livery  stable  has 
since  sprung  up.  The  Isaac  Dunlap  stable 
has  recently  been  converted  into  a  garage. 
Frank  Hilderbrand  had  the  first  meat  market. 
Wingert  Brothers  conducted  a  market  for 
some  time,  and  Geo.  Weibel  and  Emil  Leucht 
were  later  market  proprietors,  and  the  present 
meat  market  owner,  Adolph  Runge,  has  built 
a  new  building  for  that  purpose. 

The  Gazette  was  an  early  newspaper  in  the 
community.  J.  H.  Harrison  established  the 
Record  about  1902  and  conducted  it  for  abouf 
six  years.  His  successors  with  the  editorial 
pen  have  been  Elliott  Harrison,  A.  C.  Ofield, 
W.  H.  Daly,  and  A.  C.  Ofield  again  returned 
to  the  editorial  desk  and  now  J.  W.  Mahaffej 
publishes  the  Record. 

Cairo  has  had  telephone  facilities  since  1912 


dbyGoOgl 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


For  the  past  three  or  four  years,  the  Gem 
theatre  has  furnished  moving  pictures  to  the 

community. 

BUSINESS  DIRECTORY  —  1907 

The  business  interests  in  Cairo  in  1907 
were:  S.  R.  Benton,  E.  J.  Peters,  agricultural 
implements ;  J.  H.  Harrison,  cashier  Cairo 
State  Bank;  O.  E.  Littler,  barber;  Fred 
Erickson,  blacksmith ;  A.  L.  Barneby,  books 
and  stationery ;  W.  H.  Harrison,  building  ma- 
terial; Wm.  D.  Billis,  Henry  J.  Cole,  Jos.  W. 
Hancock,  Frank  W.  Keeley,  J.  Shaugnessy, 
contractors  and  carpenters;  Dell  Thompson, 


manager  telephone  office ;  L.  L.  Fowler,  agent 
C.  B.  &  Q.  Railway. 

BUSINESS  DIRECTORY — 1919 
Automobiles:  E.  H.  Whitehead  (Boodry 
Motor  Car  Co.  now  out),  Schlund  and  Tully, 
Earl  Veeder;  agricultural  implements:  Karl 
A.  Rasmussen ;  banks :  Cairo  State,  Geo.  W. 
Wingert,  cashier ;  Farmers'  State,  G.  C. 
Raven,  cashier;  Dye  &  Swan  and  J.  Sorren- 
son,  barbers;  The  W.  H.  Harrison  Co.  and 
Nelson  Lumber  &  Supply  Co.,  lumber;  coal 
and  grain:  H.  T.  Ingalls  &  Son  (for  about 
six   years)    and   S.    M.    Beadle  &   Co.   until 


Street  Scene  in  Cairo 


cement  blocks ;  Hans  Runge,  cream  station ; 
John  H.  Pedley,  dray  line;  Wm.  Brand, 
The  New  Drug  Store;  Dr.  Jas.  M.  Tische, 
drugs;  Cairo  Mercantile  Co.,  Fred  W. 
Goodrich,  Wingert  Bros.,  general  merchan- 
dise; John  E.  Cox  and  Oscar  Wells  &  Co., 
gTain  dealers  and  elevators;  A.  H.  Simmons, 
groceries ;  E.  W.  McAllister  and  Cairo  Mer- 
cantile Co.,  hardware ;  Henry  Rathman, 
harness  maker ;  Cairo  Hotel,  John  Omer, 
proprietor;  Commercial  Hotel,  Mrs.  Emma 
Carlson ;  North  &  Robinson,  horse  importers 
and  dealers ;  J.  H.  Harrison,  law ;  Chas.  D. 
Bowker,  livery  stable;  W.  H.  Harrison, 
lumber;  Cairo  Opera  House,  Dell  Thompson, 
manager;  Lee  Shouse,  painter;  Drs.  M.  R. 
Piersol  and  Jas.  M.  Tiesche,  physicians; 
Philip  K.  Hile,  plasterer;  A.  L.'Bameby,  post- 
master ;  Cairo  Record,  newspaper  and  printing 
office ;  Henry  Arff,  saloon ;  A.  B.  Congrove, 


recently,  but  now  Highland  Grain  Co. ;  cream- 
ery interests :  formerly  Beatrice  Creamery 
Co.  and  Farmers  Co-operative  Co.,  but  now 
Lincoln  Pure  Butter  Co.,  F.  E.  Blauvelt, 
manager,  and  Harding  Cream  Co.,  Hans 
Runge ;  dray  lines :  A.  Boyd  and  F.  M.  Alder- 
man ;  drug  stores :  The  Cairo  Pharmacy,  op- 
erated for  the  past  ten  years  by  J.  M.  Ruth. 
Between  Thos.  Schurtz  who  established  the 
first  drug  business  in  Cairo  in  1886  and  Mr. 
Ruth  this  line  was  handled  at  various  times  by 
John  Boeck,  Chauncey  North,  Dr.  Milliken, 
Harry  Wright,  and  Dr.  Tish.  The  other  drug 
store,  the  City  Drug  Store,  formerly  con- 
ducted by  Opal  M.  Piersol,  is  now  operated 
by  M.  E.  Tennant.  The  stores  handling  dry 
goods  and  clothing  are  Cairo  Mercatnile  Co., 
Thompson  Brothers,  F.  W.  Goodrich,  and  the 
H.  P.  Bellows  Co.,  stock  being  closed  out 
during   1919.     Those   handling  groceries,   ■ 


"O 


C 


142 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


addition  to  the  stores  just  named,  are  A.  L. 
Barneby,  and  Dove  &  Son.  The  flour  mill 
industry  is  handled  at  the  Ingalls  mill.  John 
Orndoff  and  J.  R.  Herrick  are  the  recent  live 
stock  dealers;  Adolph  Runge,  meat  market; 
Mrs.  Nettie  Boyd,  millinery ;  B.  F.  Clark  and 
W.  S.  Veeder,  painters ;  printing  at  the  Record 
office;  Dr.  M.  R.  Piersol  and  Dr.  Dodd,  phy- 
sicians; Dr.  Earl  Metheny  went  into  military 
service  and  has  not  returned  to  Cairo;  Frarik 
R.  Skupa,  tailor. 

NORTH    &    ROBINSON    CO. 

The  history  of  Cairo  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  a  resume  of  the  growth  and 
operations  of  the  business  institution  that  did 
a  great  deal  toward  spreading  the  name  and 
fame  of  Cairo  broadcast  throughout  Ne- 
braska and  neighboring  states. 

The  firm  of  importers  and  breeders  was 
started  by  C.  M.  North  in  1900.  Mr.  North 
was  born  on  a  farm  in  DeVVitt  County, 
Illinois,  in  1860.  Associated  with  horses  from 
his  childhood  and  naturally  a  lover  of  live 
stock,  he  commenced  his  active  business  life 
at  the  home  farm.  He  met  with  many  dis- 
couragements in  his  career  but  always  man- 
aged to  have  something  at  the  end  of  the 
halter.  In  1889  he  moved  to  the  young  town 
of  Cairo,  Nebraska,  bringing  with  him  seven 
brood  mares  and  a  stallion.  His  work  among 
blooded  horses  was  practically  a  pioneer  ven- 
ture in  Nebraska  in  that  line.  He  was  inter- 
ested in  various  enterprises  in  Cairo,  in  which 
he  was  more  or  less  successful.  Later  he 
joined  partnership  with  W.  C.  Robinson,  also 
of  Cairo. 

Mr.  Robinson  is  a  Nebraska  product  He 
lorth  of  Grand  Island  at  St. 
ut  at  the  age  of  twelve  years 
where  he  lived  on  a  farm,  He 
decided  interest  in  horseflesh, 
was  carried  on  at  Cairo  under 
orth  &  Robinson  for  several 
y  the  demand  for  good  horses 
i  was  handling  grew  so  great 
to  Grand  Island  and  chose 
\  large  barn  was  erected  op- 
street  &  Clemens  Company's 


sales  Stables.  In  1910,  desiring  to  have  broader 
quarters,  they  united  with  H.  T.  Dean  at 
Bridgeport,  Nebraska,  and  incorporated  under 
the  firm  name  of  North-Robinson-Dean  Co., 
with  capital  of  $200,000.  After  building  up 
a  vast  ranch  near  Bridgeport  upon  which  to 
handle  their  hundreds  of  brood  mares,  Mr. 
Dean  disposed  of  his  interests  to  North  and 
Robinson.  This  firm  operated  through  the 
heavy  war  period,  but  a  couple  years  ago 
dropped  their  activities  in  this  line  of  business, 
after  a  singularly  successful  career.  The  op- 
erations of  this  firm,  originating  in  Cairo, 
served  to  advertise  their  home  town  through- 
out the  country  in  a  very  creditable  manner. 


The  prosperous  little  town  of  Alda  is 
located  eight  miles  southwest  of  Grand  Island  1 
on  the  main  line  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad. 
The  first  settler  in  the  vicinity  of  Alda  was 
W.  G.  Eldridge  who  settled  on  the  northeast 
quarter  of  section  14,  township  10,  range  11, 
in  May,  1859.  In  the  fall  of  that  year  he 
erected  the  first  dwelling  house  in  this  part 
of  the  country.  Charles  and  Arthur  Lamber- 
son  located  in  Jackson  township  in  the  fall 
of  1866,  having  settled  in  the  county  the  year 
before.  Wood  River  was  being  settled  up  in 
the  meantime,  to  the  west  of  Alda. 

W.  W.  Mitchell  came  to  Hall  County  in 
1871  and  two  years  later  he  opened  a  store 
in  Alda,  also  bought  grain  and  sold  farm 
machinery  there.  Mr.  Mitchell  continued  this 
pioneer  mercantile  venture  of  Alda  community 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1889  he  moved  to 
Wood  River  and  engaged  in  the  general  mer- 
chandise business  there.  Mr.  Mitchell  has 
been  one  of  the  active  constructive  spirits  to 
whom  considerable  credit  is  due  for  the  up- 
building of  both  Alda  and  Wood  River. 

The  original  name  of  the  community  formed 
here  was  Pawnee  and  this  name  was  carried 
for  quite  a  number  of  years,  when  it  became 
necessary  to  abandon  it,  upon  postal  difficult- 
ies, and  the  name  Alda  was  chosen. 

W.  H.  Wilson  opened  a  general  store  here 
in  February,  1881.  W.  C.  Johnson  later  op- 
erated  a   store.     James   Marsh  conducted   a 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


143 


store  in  the  'eighties.  The  Mitchell  stock  was 
passed  on  to  Dan  O'Kane,  then  to  W.  W, 
Gallup,  and  finally  closed  out.  At  present  the 
town  has  four  important  stores.  The  J.  W. 
Modesitt  store  is  operated  in  a  building  which 
Mr.  Modesitt  built  for  it  in  1911.  The  John 
McLellan  store,  recently  sold  to  J.  D.  Shriner, 
has  a  long  and  varied  history.  It  passed  from 
the  hands  of  Mr.  Steubel  to  Wilson  and 
Andrews,  and  to  Frank  Powell,  who  closed 
out.  Then  Frank  Hastings  started  the  stock 
in  and  passed  it  to  J.  W.  Modesitt,  who  not 
only  ran  the  store,  but  bought  grain,  and  in 
1886  assumed  the  duties  of  postmaster.  He 
remained  in  charge  of  this  store  for  twenty 
years  and  sold  it  to  Mr.  Knox,  about  1906, 
who  passed  it  on  to  John  McLellan.  After 
ten  years  operation  of  this  business,  Mr,  Mc- 
Lellan sold  the  business  to  Messrs.  Osborn 
and  Graham  of  Gibbon,  who  did  not  move 
to  Alda  and  can  hardly  be  counted  as  having 
operated  the  business,  but  who  sold  it  to  J.  D. 
Shriner,  the  present  owner. 

In  addition  to  those  already  named  there 
are  the  Robert  Ellis  stock  and  the  Alda 
Specialty  Store,  operated  by  P.  J.  Balmat. 
Alda  had  a  good  lumber  yard.  About  1910  a 
local  company  was  formed  to  handle  a  lumber 
business.  John  McLellan  became  president, 
P.  C.  Kelley,  vice-president,  and  Mr.  Gallup, 
secretary-treasurer.  This  yard  has  been  con- 
ducted until  very  recently  with  John  McLellan 
k  president  and  W.  W.  Gallup,  secretary- 
'reasurer.    It  was  sold  during  1919. 

In  1886  John  Fleishers  inaugurated  hotel 
service  in  Alda  with  The  Traveler's  Home. 
The  present  hotel  is  conducted  by  J.  Travis. 
Alda  has  two  banks,  the  Alda  State  Bank, 
and  the  Farmers'  State  Bank.  It  had  a  black- 
smith shop  as  early  as  1886,  Inman's.  It  now 
las  three  shops,  those  of  D.  W.  Forrest,  Alva 
Phillips,  and  Dan  George. 

The  church  activities  are  carried  on 
ihrough  the  Friends'  and  Methodist's  organ- 
izations. The  first  services  of  the  Methodist 
people  were  held  in  an  old  school  house.  There 
had  been  one  Specht,  a  Christian  minister, 
holding  meetings.  Jeremiah  Parker,  John 
Fleisher,  Gilbert  Slater,  and  J.  W.  Modesitt 


joined  forces,  bought  the  old  school  house, 
and  gave  a  note  for  $450  for  the  same.  Mr. 
Modesitt  relates  that  Zachmont  Joy  came  to 
him  and  wanted  to  convert  the  enterprise  into 
a  Unitarian  church.  Slater,  Parker,  and 
Fleisher  turned  in  their  stock.  They  said 
they  would  support  it,  so  go  ahead.  Zachmont 
Joy  had  the  note  taken  up,  and  carried  it  on 
awhile.  Herbert  Mott,  a  cowboy  preacher 
for  the  Friends,  came  in  next.  Mott  got  to 
talking  against  baptism.  Mc Reynolds  and 
Campbell  were  later  pastors.  Powers  came 
out  from  Grand  Island.  An  irritation  had 
been  aroused  by  Mott's  talks  against  baptism, 
and  the  Methodists  took  over  the  building. 

The  creamery  operations  in  the  commun- 
ity are  carried  on  by  the  Omaha  Cold  Storage 
Co.,  which  has  maintained  a  station  here  for 
some  years.  The  Trans-Mississippi  Elevator, 
with  A.  J.  Fulsinger  manager,  and  Omaha 
Elevator  Co.,  with  Geo.  Calnon,  manager  are 
now  out  of  business.  The  Fanner's  Elevator 
Co.,  formerly  managed  by  W.  W.  Gallup  and 
now  by  G.  E.  Calnon,  remain.  The  newest 
enterprise  is  that  of  the  Farmers  Cooperative 
and  Educational  Union. 

Alda's  first  garage  was  built  about  1912  by 
F.  H.  Denman.  The  town  now  has  two 
garages,  that  of  Knox  &  Gallup,  and  Barr  & 
Fitchhorn.  F.  H.  Denman  continues  to  handle 
a  ri  cultural  implements.  The  community  has 
had  telephone  facilities  since  1912,  when  the 
Nebraska  Telephone  Co.  came  in. 

J.  W.  Modesitt  was  postmaster  from  1886 
until  1906,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  John 
McLellan.  Miss  Pearl  Balmat  succeeded  him 
in  1916,  and  still  conducts  the  office. 


The  community  of  Abbott  is  a  trading 
center  on  the  Burlington  line  between  Grand 
Island  and  Cairo.  Sidings  have  been  placed 
at  Taylor's  Spur  (the  Robert  Taylor  ranch, 
more  fully  described  in  biographical  sketch  of 
Robert  Taylor  in  another  part  of  this  work), 
and  local  passengers  stop  there.  At  that  place 
Mr.  Taylor  maintains  a  small  store  and  loading 
facilities  for  his  shipments.  But  the  town  of 
Abbott  sprang  up  shortly  west  of  his  ranch. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


For  more  than  twenty  years  there  has  been  a 
well  stocked  general  merchandise  store  at 
Abbott.  The  proprietor  has  at  most  times  also 
been  postmaster,  and  agent  for  the  grain  ele- 
vator. 

About  1900  this  store  was  handled  by  Reed 
&  Vandling;  T.  J.  Vandling  conducted  the 
hotel ;  Reed  &  Vandling  were  agents  for 
Wilson  Grain  Co. ;  Nellie  Vandling,  teacher, 
and  J.  A.  Reed,  postmaster.  By  1904  Bert 
E.  Watson  was  conducting  the  store,  the  tele- 
phone office,  and  the  elevator  for  McCloud 
Grain  Co.,  and  Hera  Kroger,  the  feed  and 
livery  stable.  A  Union  Sunday  school  had 
been  conducted  in  Reed's  Hall  and  the  Royal 
Neighbors  Lodge  was  flourishing.  In  1910 
Peter  Todsen  had  the  store,  hotel,  elevator, 
livery  barn,  express  office,  and  postoffice.  His 
successor  was  Frank  Hitchler,  who  has  been 
conducting  this  group  of  businesses  for  some 
years. 

SCHAUPPSVILLE 
A  town  was  planned  some  thirty-five  or 
forty  years  ago,  to  have  been  the  first  station 
out  of  Grand  Island,  westward,  on  the  Union 
Pacific.  To  this  day  the  name  Schauppsville 
can  be  seen,  under  the  paint,  on  the  large 
barn  that  stands  on  that  site.  Its  founder, 
Schaupp,  built  a  large  mill  with  elevator  fa- 
cilities there  and  conducted  it  through  the  late 
'seventies  and  early  'eighties.  He  then  moved 
to  Grand  Island  when  the  hope  of  a  town 
there  was  abandoned,  and  built  a  five  story 
elevator  and  three  story  up-to-date  roller 
patent  mills.  When  this  plant  burned  down 
in  1886,  that  fire  was  about  the  largest  and 
most  disastrous  in  the  city's  history. 

OTHER  TOWNS  IN   HALL   COUNTV 
While  Grand   Island,  Wood   River,   Doni- 


phan, Cairo,  Alda,  and  Abbott  are  the  only 
towns,  at  present,  in  active  existence  in  Hall 
County,  there  have  been  numerous  trading 
communities  that  have  flourished  in  the  past 
history  of  the  county. 

UNDERWOOD 
Underwood  was  the  name  given  to  a  post- 
office,  established  on  section  28,  town  9,  range 
10,  January  16,  1885.  Mrs  Cleantha  A.  Un- 
derwood was  appointed  postmistress,  and  she 
established  the  office  in  the  farm-house  of  B. 
G.  Underwood,  six  and  one-half  miles  distant 
from  Hansen  depot,  on  the  St.  Joseph  & 
Grand  Island  Railroad.  But  this  did  not  thrive 
and  grow  into  an  established  community  and 
the  post  office  succumbed  to  the  advance  and 
development  of  the  free  rural  delivery  system. 

SPENCER-ORCHARD-E  ASTON 
In  July,  1878,  a  postoffice  was  established  at 
Spencer,  with  George  J.  Spencer  as  master. 
Orchard  post  office,  upon  W.  J.  Burger's  place, 
was  established  about  the  same  time,  but  it 
dwindled  away  after  Doniphan  started  Eas- 
on  was  another  post  office  that  was  discontin- 
ued as  it  failed  to  develop  into  a  community. 

RUNNELSBURG 

This  town,  established  twelve  miles  from 
Grand  Island,  came  nearer  making  a  settle- 
ment than  some  of  the  others  just  mentioned. 
In  1879  it  boasted  a  flouring-  mill,  operated  by 
E.  Bussell.  At  one  time  it  had  in  the  way  of 
business  enterprises,  Robert  Johnson's  hard- 
ware store,  V.  S.  Runel's  general  store  and 
post-office,  J.  W.  Stone's  saloon,  Mrs.  E.  M.J 
Runel's  millinery  store,  J.  G.  Phelp's  harness 
shop,  and  H.  P.  Hulett's  law  office 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  TOWNSHIPS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

The  Early  History  of  South  Side  of  Platte  River,  by  W.  J.  Burger  —  Arrival  — 
First  Visits  of    Indians  —  The    Buffalo — Early  Settlement  around  Doniphan  — 
Storms,  Grasshoppers,  and  Troubles  —  Early  Community  Activities  —  To  the  Second 
Generation  —  Martin    Township,    by    Ste  phen    B.    Binfield —  Early    Landholders 
South    of    Platte  River  — ■  Doniphan    Township  —  Washington   Township  —  South 
Platte  Township  —  Martin  Township  —  Jackson-Wood    River    Townships  —  Patrick 
Moore  —  John  Maher  —  Other  First  Settlers  —  Early  Landholders  in  Jackson  Town- 
ship—  Wood  River  Township  —  Cameron  Township,  by  Edwin  S.  Lee  —  Early  Land- 
holders—  Harrison  Township  —  Mayfield  Township,  by  R.  C.  Perkins  —  Landhold- 
ers of  Mayfield  and  South  Loup  Townships —  Prairie  Creek  Township  —  Mat  Rauert, 
by  Eli  A.  Barnes  —  Center  Township  —  Early  Landholders — Alda  Township — Claud 
Stoltenberg  —  Z.  H.  Denman  —  Early  Landholders  —  Washington    Township  — 
Early  Landholders  —  Lake  Township,  by  Wm.  Guenther  —  Early  Landhold- 
ers—  Township    Government*  —  First  Division  —  Formation  of  Various 
Townships  —  Present  Township  Officers 


By  W.  J.  BurcEr 


THE  EARLY  HISTORY  OF  THE  SOUTH     furnished  an  escort  of  soldiers  for  the  stage 

SIDE  OF  THE  PLATE  RIVER..  line  from  Fort  Kearny  on  westward.     There 

were  no  settlers  on  the  south  side  at  that  time, 

except  on  the  freight  road.    The  government 

W.  J.  Burger,  the  writer  of  this  sketch  was     kept  about  a  thousand  soldiers  at  Fort  Kear- 

married  to  Martha  A.  Creason  on  November     ny  for  the  protection  of  the  public. 

24,    1864,   at   Glenwood,   Iowa.     They   came 

west  in  December,  1864,  locating  on  a  ranch  a  stage  station 

on  the  freight  road  near  the  junction  of  the  At  this  time  the  writer  kept  a  stage  station, 
two  roads,  one  coming  up  the  Platte  River  where  they  kept  a  change  of  teams.  A  change 
from  Plattsmonth,  the  other  from  Nebraska     of  drivers  was  also  stationed  there,  as  they 


City.  At  that  time  there  were  no  settlers 
except  a  ranchman  once  in  awhile  along  the 
Platte  river,  on  the  old  freight  road.  There 
were  hundreds  of  teams  of  oxen,  mules,  and 
horses  continually  passing  on  the  roads  in 
those  days.  A  large  number  of  these  were 
hauling  provisions  to  the  mining  country  in 
the  west,  with  Denver  as  the  central  point, 
Then  came  the  overland  stage  and  mail  route, 
with  large  stage  coaches  carrying  passengers 
and  mail  from  Nebraska  City  to  Denver.  The 
Indians  were  so  bad  that  the  government 


i  the  stage  line  day  and  night. 

THE  VISITS  OF  THE  INDIANS 

The  occasion  of  the  attack  on  the  Martin 
boys,  when  two  of  them  were  pinned  together 
with  one  arrow,  somewhat  disquieted  the  sit- 
uation through  our  vicinity.  The  Pawnee  and 
Omaha  Indians  passed  through  from  their 
respective  reservations  about  three  times  each 
year,  going  to  and  from  their  hunts  for  buffalo. 
They  were  a  great  nuisance  to  the  settlers  as 
they  begged  and  stole  everything  they  could 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


get  hold  of,  and  when  they  got  a  good  oppo- 
tunity  they  would  even  kill  people,  if  they 
could  do  so  and  not  be  caught,,  although  they 
were  supposed  to,  be  friendly  tribes. 

On  the  25th  day  of  July,  1867,  the  Indians 
made  a  raid  on  the  settlers  and  killed  a  woman 
by  the  name  of  Warren,  and  carried  away 
four  children,  two  little  boys  named  Campbell 
and  two  young  women.  The  prisoners  were 
with  the  Indians  about  two  months  but  were 
eventually  recovered  by  the  white  people. 

There  were  frequent  raids  by  hostile  Indians 
from  1867  to  1870.  A  good  many  ranchmen 
abandoned  their  ranches  here  and  went  on 
further  east  for  safety. 

THE  BUFFALO 

In  the  fall  of  1867  the  buffalo  came  in  by  the 
thousands.  The  whole  country  was  so  full  of 
buffaloes  that  the  ranchmen  could  get  all  the 
fresh  meat  they  wanted,  and  there  were  a 
great  many  people  from  farther  east  came  in 
to  hunt  buffalo  and  get  a  winter  supply  of 
meat. 

On  account  of  the  hostility  of  the  Indians 
at  that  time  the  writer  of  this  sketch  took  his 
little  family  and  went  to  Cass  County,  Ne- 
braska, in  the  spring  of  1868.'  We  returned 
in  April,  1871,  and  settled  on  land  four  miles 
west  of  our  old  ranch.  A  few  settlers  came 
in  during  1871  and  more  in  1872. 

EARI.Y   SETTLEMENT   AROUND  DONIPHAN 

The  first  settlers  I  can  recall  who  settled 
in  what  is  now  known  as  Doniphan  township 
were  H.  C.  Denman,  C.  M.  Lowery,  S.  H. 
Lakins,  Charles  Dufford,  Samuel  Shultz,  A.  R. 
Thorn,  T.  B.  Robb,  Sam  Beidelman,  W.  H. 
Gideon,  Jacob  Gideon,  George  A.  Burger, 
Barton  L.  Easley,  and  John  Creason,  Sr.  In 
what  is  now  known  as  South  Platte  township, 
among  the  first  settlers  were  John  Creason, 
Sr.,  James  Creason,  George  C.  Humphrey, 
E.  M.  Burger,  John  Eastman,  Nat  Martin, 
W.  E.  Martin,  Joseph  Button,  and  John  Britt. 
The  writer  of  this  sketch  marked  out  the  first 
road  to  the  new  town  of  Hastings  in  1872, 
going  south  on  section  lines  to  corners.  We 
went  to  Hastings  with  wagon,  as  at  that  time 
there  was  no  traveled  road  to  that  point. 


STORMS,    GRASSHOPPERS    AND    TROUBLES 

In  1873,  on  the  13th  day  of  April  (Easter 
Sunday),  the  early  settlers  experienced  the 
worst  snow  storm  of  our  history.  It  lasted 
three  days.  Many  of  the  settlers  lost  their 
teams  and  their  milch  cows  and  other  stock 
in  the  storm. 

The  grasshoppers  were  another  serious 
drawback  to  the  early  settlers.  There  was  not 
much  corn  raised  anyway  during  those  early 
days,  on  account  of  the  stringency  of  money 
through  the  country.  Owing  to  the  money 
shark's  high  rate  of  interest,  many  a  settler 
had  to  abandon  his  claim  because  he  could 
not  get  sufficient  to  live  through  the  panic 
period  of  1873,  1874,  and  1875. 

EARLY  COMMUNITY  ACTIVITIES 

The  Methodist  church  was  organized  in 
1873.  A  sod  church  and  school-house  were 
built  on  W.  J.  Burger's  farm.  The  charter 
members  of  the  church  were  George  Dempster, 
E.  M.  Burger  and  wife,  John  Creason  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Dufford,  W.  J.  Burger  and  wife. 
Our  first  elder  was  T.  B.  Lemon.  We  had  a 
preacher  from  Grand  Island  who  held  service 
for  our  first  organization ;  then  we  had  Rev. 
Woolman.  Later  we  held  our  meetings  in  the 
new  school  house  on  the  corner  west  of  the 
present  site  of  Doniphan.  In '  1884  the  first 
Methodist  church  was  built  in  the  town  of 
Doniphan,  and  about  the  same  time  the  Con- 
gregationalists  built. 

The  St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island  railroad 
had  been  built  through  in  1879  and  the  town 
of  Doniphan  laid  out.  I  want  to  say  a  word 
about  the  village  of  Doniphan.  Forty  years 
have  come  and  gone  since  the  birth  of  this 
community  and  there  are  not  many  of  the  old 
settlers  left  to  tell  the  story.  I  think  I  can 
modestly  say  that  we  can  point  with  pride  to 
the  achievements  that  have  been  made  in  that 
time.  I  think  we  will  all  agree  that  Doniphan 
is  one  of  the  best  towns  in  the  county,  outside 
of  Grand  Island.  It  has  a  population  of  over 
600  people,  and  the  country  surrounding  Doni- 
phan is  as  fine  a  country  as  there  is  in  the  state, 
and  it  is  populated  and  cultivated  by  as  fine  a 
class  of  people  as  you   will   find   anywhere. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Those  of  us  who  have  lived  here  during  these 
forty  years  have  seen  the  land  surrounding 
Doniphan  that  was  worth  in  those  early  trying 
days  $3  to  $4  an  acre  develop  to  a  value  of 
$150  to  $200  an  acre. 

TO  THE  SECOND  GEMERATION 
In  fact  now  a  new  generation  is  in  the 
saddle,  in  the  place  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of 
45  or  50  years  ago.  Well  may  this  new  genera- 
tion of  people  be  proud  of  the  splendid  legacy 
that  has  been  handed  down  to  them  by  their 
iathers  and  predecessors.  Instead  of  the  sod 
house  of  a  half-century  ago,  we  now  have 
splendid  farm  mansions  and  fine,  magnifi- 
cent homes.  Instead  of  the  ox-team  of  the 
'sixties  or  'seventies,  we  have  automobiles  and 
airplanes.  Our  educational  system  is  second 
to  none,  and  in  the  late  world  conflict  our 
nation  has  proven  that  our  boys  are  ready, 
willing,  and  able  to  defend  our  free  institu- 
tions, and  that  democracy  must  and  will  prevail 
in  this  great  country  of  ours, 

MARTIN  TOWNSHIP 
The  story  of  the  settlement  of  Martin  town- 
ship can  best  be  told  by  the  incorporation  in 
this  chapter  of  an  historical  narrative  prepared 
about  twelve  years  ago  by  Stephen  B.  Binfield : 
Along  south  of  the  Platte  through  Hall 
County  there  had  existed  a  well  worn  trail  of 
traffic  and  travel.  Not  only  the  government 
nail  service  and  transportation  to  the  western 
forts  and  stations,  but  the  overland  traffic  to 
the  western  mining  camps  and  the  Mormon 
emigration  from  Illinois  and  continued  acces- 
sion of  foreign  emigrants  had  made  this  an 
established  route  of  travel.  But  notwithstand- 
ing all  this  travel  no  settlement  along  this 
south  side  appears  to  have  been  made  until 
August  2,"  1862,  when  Mr.  George  Martin, 
in  Englishman  by  birth,  and  in  England  a  pro- 
lessional  racing  jockey,  but  who  had  been 
firing  in  Illinois  and  Iowa,  crossed  the  Des 
Moines  River  with  a  party  led  by  W.  Stolley 
md  came  on  to  section  12,  town  9  range  11, 
tnd  made  there  the  first  homestead  with  his 
amily,  having  selected  his  location  some  two 
ears  previously.     Inquiring  how  it  was  that 


he  passed  over  all  the  eastern  portion  of 
state,  so  large  a  portion  of  it  being  vacant  at 
that  time,  and  came  so  far  west,  I  was  told 
that  it  was  Mrs.  Martin's  influence  and  power 
that  determined  that  matter.  So  disgusted  had 
she  become  with  saloons  and  otherwise  vicious 
influences  of  frontier  life  as  found  in  Iowa 

—  Des  Moines  was  then  a  mere  frontier  village 

—  and  having  quite  a  family  to  bring  up  she 
determined  she  would  get  far  enough  away 
from  all  such  associations,  and  at  the  same 
time,  having  a  sharp  eye  to  business,  secure . 
what  she  regarded  as  an  inexhaustable  supply 
of  free  open  land  for  a  cattle  ranch.  But 
"the  best  laid  plans  of  mice  and  men  gang' 
oft  awry. 

For  she  soon  learned  that  they  had  located 
right  in  the  track  of  the  main  travel  for  the 
west,  and  their  house  was  soon  made  the  stop- 
ping place  and  hostelry  for  the  daily  stream  of 
traffic  going  through  to  the  mines  and  terri- 
tories, and  so  crowded  at  times  that  it  could 
not  be  kept  free  from  a  large  share  of  those 
objectionable  features  which  Mrs.  Martin  had 
hoped  to  get  away  from.  She  certainly  was  no 
ordinary  woman.  A  God-fearing  woman,  with 
an  intense  force  of  character,  immense  courage 
and  very  great  business  capacity  she  must  have 
been ;  for  her  descendants,  representing  two 
families  on  the  paternal  side,  are  all  and  each 
strongly  marked  with  her  distinctive  features 
and  character.  To  illustrate  her  capacity,  it 
was  her  constant  practice  summer  and  winter 
about  every  three  or  four  weeks  to  make  the 
journey  to  Nebraska  City,  the  nearest  trading 
place,  with  two  teams  and  wagons  for  supplies 
of  all  kinds  with  only  her  youngest  son  Wil- 
liam, then  a  mere  boy,  to  drive  the  rear  wagon. 

In  other  respects  the  Martin  house  and 
family  will  remain  the  one  distinctive  histor- 
ical feature  of  the  south  and  west  portion  of 
this  county.  Mrs.  Martin's  eldest  son,  George 
Weaver,  was  I  think  the  first  preacher  to 
proclaim  the  gospel  as  he  understood  it  in 
this  part  of  the  county.  The  first  house  in 
Adams  County  was  begun  in  May,  1871,  and 
in  the  autumn  of  that  year  he  was  holding 
religious  services  and  organizing  in  a  newly 
built  house,  and  missionary  enterprise  seems  to 


c 


148 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


have  been  the  principal  pursuit  of  his  life  from 
that  day  to  this. 

On  this  side  of  the  river  they  appear  to  be 
the  only  family  that  got  involved  in  actual 
fights  with  Indians.  On  the  first  occasion,  two 
years  after  settlement,  Wm.  Martin  and  his 
two  sons,  Nat  and  Robert,  were  returning 
home  with  two  loads  of  hay.  Mr  Martin  was 
driving  ahead  when  a  party  of  Sioux  and 
Cheyennes  without  any  provocation  attacked 
them,  apparently  with  no  other  purpose  that 
securing  their  horses.  Mr.  Martin  was  shot 
with  arrows  in  the  neck  but  not  severely 
enough  to  disable  him  from  getting  home  with 
his  wagon.  The  two  boys  were  frightened  and 
left  their  hay  and  jumped  onto  a  horse  they 
were  leading  behind  and  tried  to  get  away  but 
were  both  shot,  the  arrow  just  tearing  the  side 
of  Nat  under  the  arm  but  entering  the 
back  of  his  brother  Bob.  Falling  off  the 
horses,  the  Indians  took  the  horses  and  left  the 
boys  for  dead.  Nat  was  not  so  severely 
wounded  as  his  brother  who  appears  to  have 
suffered  from  his  wound  the  remainder  of  his 
life,  dying  in  Kansas  from  spinal  meningitis 
some  years  ago. 

Mr.  Martin's  daughters  figured  in  the 
second  attack.  Visiting  one  day  at  Mr. 
Jerome's,  but  a  little  way  from  their  own  place, 
they  had  just  started  home  when  they  were  set 
upon.  But  Mr.  Jerome  was  but  a  little  way 
with  his  gun  and  in  defending  the  two  girls 
he  brought  down  one  of  the  Indians  which  put 
an  end  to  that  affair,  the  Indians  turning  to 
look  after  their  comrade  and  carry  him  away. 

The  younger  son  William  who  was  a  herd 
boy,  on  two  separate  occasions  lost  his  pony, 
which  appears  to  have  been  the  extent  of  his 
personal  sacrifices  in  that  line. 

Game  in  the  shape  of  deer  and  occasionally 
buffalo  were  abundant  in  those  days,  buffalo 
appearing  in  sufficient  numbers  to  damage  the 
pasture  and  then  disappearing  and  not  show- 
ing up  again  for  many  months  or  a  year. 

But  few  of  the  early  settlers  have  had  the 
chance  to  kill  buffalo  without  going  very  long 
journeys  after  them,  at  too  great  a  sacrifice. 
Passing  over  the  ground  between  Lincoln  and 
Adams  counties  three  times  in  the  month  of 


May,  1871,  not  a  glimpse  of  one  could  be  seen. 
They  are  shy  and  quick  to  forsake  the  neigh- 
borhood of  human  habitations. 

Before  1870  quite  a  few  people  had  taken 
claims  south  of  the  river,  many  of  whom  as 
usual  proved  to  be  more  or  less  transient. 
Some,  however  remained  as  permanent  fix- 
tures, stamping  the  impress  of  their  superior 
qualities,  activities,  and  character  upon  the 
history  of  both  their  township  and  county. 
Chief  among  such  may  be  named  W.  J.  Bur- 
ger, Oscar  Foote,  Seth  Wilson,  and  other  very 
worthy  men  too  numerous  to  mention.  Elm 
Island  offered  to  many  of  these  an  extra  choice 
lot  of  the  finest  farming  land  which  they  were 
not  slow  to  see  and  acquire,  for  on  the  few 
occasions  when  the  uplands  have  suffered  more 
or  less  from  a  dry  season  the  river  settlers 
have  never  failed  to  reap  their  reward. 

The  first  work  of  a  public  nature  under- 
taken west  of  south  Platte  township  was  the 
organization  of  school  district  No.  45  and 
the  building  of  the  school  house  by  the  custo- 
mary bonding  of  the  district.  It  is  hoped  that 
few  districts  have  found  this  proceeding  so 
heavy  a  burden  as  they  have  proved  in  this 
case.  The  school  house  was  built  in  '72.  The 
bonds  have  been  subject  to  litigation,  the  di- 
strict suffering  for  the  means  to  maintain 
school,  the  bonds  not  being  finally  cancelled 
for  upwards  of  thirty  years. 

Bridging  the  South  Platte  in  1874  must 
have  been  a  much  more  satisfactory  and  profit- 
able bit  of  public  business  and  a  credit  to  all 
concerned  in  its  promotion. 

Favorable  indeed  were  the  conditions  attend- 
ing the  first  settlements  along  this  river.  Fort 
Kearny  and  the  continuous  stream  of  emi- 
grants to  the  western  mines  and  territories 
furnished  them  a  market  for  all  the  produce 
of  any  kind  that  they  could  raise,  and  at  almost 
any  reasonable  price.  Some  others  besides 
Mr.  Martin  learned  how  to  make  hay  while 
the  sun  shone.  But  some  are  not  built  that 
way  and  are  often  ready  to  sell  out  or  strike 
for  other  fields  that  always  look  more  green 
because  they  are  further  off. 

But  as  in  nature  the  sun  does  not  always 
shine,   so   in    human   effort   misfortune   and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


149 


disappointment  will  sometimes  overwhelm  the 
best  endeavor. 

Shoemaker  Island,  a  large  island  just  east  of 
Elm  Island,  so  named  after  one  of  the  first 
settlers  in  Grand  Island,  furnishes  an  example. 
It  was  thickly  studded  with  valuable  timber, 
the  best  of  which  the  U.  P.  R.  R.  Co.  cut 
and  appropriated  for  construction  purposes 
furnishing  an  abundant  supply  of  good  timber 
for  building  and  fuel  to  the  early  homestead- 
ers, and  Mr.  Shoemaker  discovered  on  it  a 
most  excellent  cattle  range  for  summer  pas- 
ture and  took  a  claim  on  it,  for  several  years 
with  good  results  until  1873.  On  November 
14,  1871,  a  fearful  blizzard  of  snow  and  wind 
came  up  suddenly  which  lasted  three  days 
without  cessation,  but  his  cattle  had  been 
taken  off  and  safely  housed  or  the  disaster 
which  occurred  later  might  then  have  hap- 
pened. But  in  April,  1873,  the  weather  had  been 
exceptionally  warm  and  the  grass  early  and  the 
cattle  were  placed  on  the  island  when  on  the 
15th  another  blizzard  as  severe  as  that  of 
71,  but  continuing  for  only  two  days,  drove 
the  cattle  into  the  river.  Of  the  exact  number 
that  perished  I  am  not  sure.  Nothing  in  any 
way  approaching  the  character  of  these  two 
storms  has  since  occurred,  and  the  range  has 
continued  in  use  with  success  and  profit. 

History  is  made  chiefly  from  ideas  and 
events  that  tend  to  mould  and  shape  the  future, 
for  which  reason  I  ought  perhaps  to  notice 
somewhat  the  Farmers'  Grain  Company  of 
Prosser,  an  institution  capable  of  indefinite 
extension  and  pointing  the  way  of  future 
development,  promising  to  solve  some  of  the 
perplexing  problems  of  the  age.  The  chief 
promotor  of  the  organization  and  its  sucess- 
ful  manager  until  a  year  ago,  (about  1906  that 
would  be),  was  Charles  Mertz,  one  of  the 
most  capable  business  men  ever  resident  in 
Martin  township.  But  it  is  an  inter-  or  bi- 
county  institution  and  does  not  belong  to  the 
early  days.  It  is  located  in  Adams  County, 
and  Mr.  Mertz  is  no  longer  a  resident  of  this 
county. 

Since  the  early  days  here  noticed  only  in  one 
year  has  the  harvest  in  any  degree  failed  to 
follow  seedtime,  and  in  that  year  only  on  the 
dry  uplands. 


Early  in  1863  George  Martin  became  the 
owner  of  a  celebrated  Buffalo  hunting  horse 
properly  trained  and  well  used  to  that  business, 
and  was  anxiously  looking  for  an  opportunity 
to  use  the  horse  for  that  purpose.  June  had 
come  when  they  were  informed  that  there 
was  a  large  herd  of  Buffalo  some  forty  miles 
or  more  to  the  southwest.  So  on  June  10  Mr. 
Martin,  taking  his  two  boys,  H.  N.  and  Will 
G.  Martin,  and  a  stout  and  strong  man  by 
the  name  of  Nabin,  started  out  on  the  hunt 
with  two  wagons  and  teams,  leading  the 
buffalo  horse  along.  Travelling  all  day  they 
came  in  sight  of  the  herd  just  before  night  — 
hundreds — grazing  on  the  side  of  a  hill  in 
the  neighborhood  of  where  the  town  of  Min- 
den  is  now  located  on  the  line  of  the  B.  &  M. 
to  Denver,  here  they  camped  for  the  night.  In 
the  morning  they  were  all  there,  not  more  than 
eighty  rods  away.  "Now,"  said  Nabin  "take 
your  prize  horse  and  go  shoot  that  one  there," 
pointing  to  one  somewhat  apart  from  the  rest. 
So  Mr.  M.,  jumping  on  his  trained  horse 
bareback  and  taking  his  double  barrel  gun, 
also  a  pepper  box  loaded  pistol  in  his  pocket, 
went  after  the  buffalo  which  started  to  run 
from  him  a  short  distance  when  it  suddenly 
turned  about  and  showed  fight,  starting  rapidly 
toward  him.  Mr.  M.,  being  a  totally  green 
hand  at  the  business,  was  trying  to  pull  the 
horse  around  in  a  way  contrary  to  the  habits 
and  customs  of  the  horse  in  such  cases  but  the 
horse  would  not  consent  to  be  thus  managed, 
and  in  the  contest  Mr.  M.  lost  his  gun  and 
fell  to  the  ground,  the  animal  running  over 
him,  treading  on  and  badly  bruising  one  of  his 
legs.  Taking  his  pistol  from  his  pocket  he  used 
it  with  some  result.  Shooting  the  buffalo  in 
the  head  he  knocked  out  one  eye,  thus  causing 
the  animal  to  turn  around  a  number  of  times, 
giving  Martin  an  opportunity  to  get  up  and  get 
to  the  horse  which  had  not  attempted  to  go 
away.  Grasping  the  horse  around  its  neck  the 
horse  fought  off  the  buffalo,  whose  attentions 
were  concentrated  on  attacking  the  man  rather 
than  the  horse,  which  continued  to  turn  around 
following  the  movements  of  the  buffalo,  strik- 
ing at  it  and  kicking  it  in  the  head  with  its  hind 
hoofs.  This  contest  ended  by  the  horse  start- 
ing for  the  camp,  Mr.  Martin  hanging  from  its 


150 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


neck  and  the  buffalo  following,  but  only  for  a 
short  distance,  when  it  swung  around  and 
started  back  toward  the  herd.  Nabin  began 
instantly  to  jeer  and  ridicule  Martin,  calling 
him  a  d — d  fool  for  falling  off  and  not  shoot- 
ing the  animal  as  he  ought  to,  saying  that 
he  could  do  better  than  that  by  going  on  his 
own  mule.  Getting  upon  his  mule  with  his 
musket  he  rides  off  after  the  buffalo  and 
shoots,  either  missing  it  entirely  or  having  no 
effect  for  the  buffalo  swinging  around  took 
after  him  and  the  mule.  The  buffalo  proved 
faster  on  foot  than  the  mule,  and  hooked  the 
mule  behind  with  his  horns,  the  mule  braying 
at  each  poke.  Nabin's  bragadocia  was  clean 
gone,  when,  dropping  his  gun,  he  took  off  his 
hat  to  whip  and  urge  on  his  mule,  he  was  so 
scared.  But  getting  within  a  few  yards  of 
the  wagon  the  buffalo  stopped  and  began  paw- 
ing the  ground  when  the  oldest  boy  Henry  un- 
dertook to  challenge  the  buffalo  on  foot  and 
with  his  single  barrel  shot  gun  killed  the 
animal  on  the  spot. 

William  G.  Martin  says  this  was  as  dear  a 
buffalo  meal  as  they  ever  ate  but  very  sweet, 
though  they  shot  hundreds  after  that  quite 
as  good. 

EARLY  LANDHOLDERS  SOUTH  OF  THE  RIVER 

Ably  as  the  story  of  the  settlement  of  the 
territory  south  of  the  Platte  River  in  Hall 
County  has  been  told  by  Mr.  Burger  and  Mr. 
Binfield,  there  remains  the  task  of  giving 
credit  to  many  of  the  individuals  who  came 
to  this  scope  of  territory  during  the  first  thirty 
years  of  its  settlement. 

Many  of  these  men  and  women,  to  whose 
heroism  was  possible  the  splendid  develop- 
ment of  that  part  of  our  county,  have  long 
since  passed  away.  With  the  few  remaining 
pioneers  are  the  posterity  and  near  relatives 
of  their  departed  associates.  For  the  purpose 
of  preserving  some  record  of  the  various 
families  who  carried  on  this  early  develop- 
ment, a  roster  of  some  of  the  landowners  prior 
to  1890  will  be  given : 

doniphan  township  —  H.  C.  Denman, 
W.  J.  Burger,  Chas.  Dufford,  S.  H.  Lakins, 
Al   Thome,   Geo.   Burger,   S.    S.    Shultz,   S. 


Beidelman,  Tom  Robb,  John  Creason,  Sr., 
Olthoff  Brothers,  Clearnce  Lowery,  Anthony 
Goetsch,  D.  J.  Boring,  Solomon  White,  Wm. 
H.  Marsh,  G.  W.  Snearley,  Kate  A.  Cook, 
Sarah  E-  Somers,  J.  H.  Scudder,  B.  F.  Scud- 
der,  Geo.  H.  Lamonte,  Chas.  J.  Humphrey, 
M.  V.  Marsh,  Frank  Virgil,  Wm.  Harrod, 
George  Lowell,  Alfred  Elwick,  R.  L.  Caldwell, 
Wm.  Harrod,  Chas.  Harrod,  Wm.  S.  Shultz, 
E.  L.  Harrell,  D.  C.  Gideon,  C.  L.  Gideon, 
James  Leach,  J.  H.  Quigle,  Emery  Quigle, 
Dix  Ryan,  F.  J.  Ryan,  Henry  N.  Martin, 
Wm.  Rapp,  J.  C.  Gregg,  R.  T.  Varrah,  Wm. 
Neal,  A.  H.  Orcutt,  Jacon  Bernhard,  Geo.  B. 
Loucks,  A.  A.  Stone,  G.  Grantham,  R.  Bellis, 
G.  E.  Magee,  C.  M.  Richmond,  John  Galla 
cher,  Edward  Hooper,  L.  Lasher,  Wm.  Whyte, 
G.  W.  Lowell,  B.  A.  Marsh,  J.  R.  Mcintosh, 
W.  B.  Guild,  B.  M.  Orcutt,  P.  L.  Prime,  H.  J. 
Ring,  Eliza  Westfall,  G.  M.  Taggart,  J.  M. 
Fisher,  Jas.  F.  McCumber,  M.  B.  Holly,  Wm. 
L.  Sheaf,  Benj.  Page,  John  Coleman,  C.  D. 
Houck,  E.  B.  Canada,  Jas.  A.  Cochran,  D.  A. 
Beale,  G.  A.  Lowe,  M.  V.  Hossler,  H.  W. 
Hossler,  W.  H.  Welch,  A.  R.  Hemenover. 

doniphan  township,  North  end  —  Fred 
Roby,  W.  H.  Denman,  A.  C.  Denman,  H.  W. 
Beers,  Wm.  Moorefield,  T.  Heitz,  F.  Cole, 
Peter  Herlien,  .  Jacob  Winternute,  Alex. 
Graham,  H.  C.  Metcalf,  Morris  Madison,  A. 
Hebel,  H.  Bruner,  E-  D.  Stout,  C.  M.  Lowery, 
L.  A.  Harvey,  J.  V.  Hilton,  F.  Haines,  L. 
Wulf,  T.  Heitz,  Matt  Ley,  Geo.  Valerius, 
Chas.  Happold,  W.  Parks,  A*.  Deisel,  A.  Vol- 
ner,  Wm.  H.  Hendrich,  L.  R.  Ennis,  H. 
Littler,  R.  M.  Bennett,  Wm.  Graf,  Alonzo 
Koch,  H.  D.  Koch,  John  Sullivan,  A.  F. 
Bloomer,  Solan  Strawn,  G.  A.  Lyon,  Robert 
Brown,  Wm.  P.  Taggart,  M.  Brown,  E.  E. 
Whittecar,  W.  M.  Jones,  August  Woulffe. 

Washington  township.  South  of  Platte 
river— H.  Rief,  Martin  Schimmer,  G.  Ober- 
miller,  F.  Mathiesen,  J.  Rief,  H.  Lipke,  H.  C. 
Denman,  J.  W.  Denman,  John  Seier,  F.  C. 
Hanaford,  Peter  Weis,  Clans  Obermiller, 
Julius  Peters,  C.  A.  Shultz,  C.  Stoltenberg, 
Henry  Pieper,  H.  Stuhr,  J.  Neubert,  J. 
Clausen,  Claus  Clausen. 

south  platte  township  —  Robert  Brown, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


151 


I      Wm.  H.  Foote,  N.  O.  Durkee,  O.  B.  Shafer, 
John  Vaughn,  Wm.  H.  Price,  A.  Miller,  Carl 
Schumann,  A.  J.  Kindig,  W.  D.  Devereaux, 
|     W.  B.  Cox,  P.  H.  Rhodes,  G.  T.  Bates,  Claus 
i     Rowerts,  Carl  Poeth,  M.  E.  Gardes,  Harvey 
ft  Williams,  Geo.  C.  Humphrey,  A.  C.  Parrot, 
'     Joe  Parrott,  C.  Parrott,  Ann  Quigley,  E.  E. 
Demmg,  A.  Richter,  C.  T.  Phillips,  H.  N. 
Martin,  W.  E.  Martin,  Michael  Burke,  Henry 
Craig,  J.  J.   Kindig,  John   Schwynn,   T.   B. 
Coulter,    Sam    Fox,  M.    F.    Jamieson,    Jas. 
Thompson,    Michael    Donlon,    D.    Mc    Afee, 
Edw.  Lennen,  A.  L.  Harshfield,  T.  J.  Craw- 
ford,   Patrick     Mohan,    Charles    L.    Stone, 
Thomas  McArdle,  R.  Stephenson,  R.  S.  Bruce, 
Martin  Compton,  Joel  N.  Moore,  Jac  Barbee, 
Wm.  A.  Coon,  Henry  Siekman,  Lucas  Henry, 
i    Christian  Beekman,  Chas.  How,  M.  H.  Sage, 
,    John  M.  Uhden,  Wm.  O.  Tyler,  John  Walkers, 
John  R.  Britt,  J.  F.  Button,  Mary  Strange,  J. 
Ofthoff,  John  Eastman,  C.  R.  Thatcher,  G.  L. 
Brown,  John  Campbell,  W.  J.  Burger. 
martin    township  —  Geo.    Martin,    Chas. 

Jerome,  Maben,  Chas.  Montz,  John  T. 

:    -Wort,   Fred   Donner,   John   Wettstein,   Chris 
j    Petersen,  John  Whitehouse,  George  Weavers, 
Stephen  B.  Btnfield,  Stephen  Findley,  Oscar 
;   Foote,  F.  Wescott,  F.  C.  Dodge,  Geo.  Bur- 
mood,  P.  E.  Burmood,  S.  L.  Tracy,  H.  Bin- 
j  field,  F.  Buckmyer,  Jos.  English,  M.  Abbott, 
R.  A.  Binfield,  Seth  Wilson,  Geo.  Kindig,  A. 
|  H.  Stuart,  Wm.  D.  Floyd,  L.  A.  Stecher, 
i   fcenj.  Speith,  Geo.  Weavers,  Wm.  J.  Bilslend, 
1   J-  Williams,  I.  N.  Mead,  Z.  Avery,  John  C. 
MeConnell,  Peter  McMakin,  W.  B.  Ingraham, 
Win.  M.  Lowman,  B.  F.  Taylor,  H.  J.  Mad- 
sen,  Geo.  H.   Madsen,  James  Madsen,  Henry 
Bonson,  W.   E.  Lorenzen,  C.  Reintanz,  Dav. 
Schauck,  F.  M.  Putt,  Rudolph  Wenger,  John 
Eggman,  A.   L.  Richards,    Henrietta    Mintz, 
Jos.  C.  Philbrick,  J.  Bohnett,  Sam  W.  Smith, 
J.  P.  McKinney,  M..  Ellington,  Geo.  H.  Light. 

JACKSON  -  WOOD    RIVER   TOWNSHIPS 

The  story  of  the  first  settlement  of  the 
territory  now  comprised  in  Jackson  and  Wood 
River  townships  has  already  been  told  in  the 
story  of  "The  Early  History  of  the  Wood 


River  Valley."  Most  of  the  men  and  i 
who  made  possible  the  settlement  of  the  south- 
western corner  of  the  county,  as  is  true  of  all 
other  parts  for  that  matter,  have  long  since 
passed  away.  Something  further  than  the 
mention  of  their  names  should  be  accorded 
to  a  few  of  these  first  arrivals  whose  activities 
led  to  the  settlement  of  the  community.  Two 
of  the  first  settlers  of  the  present  town,  Pap 
Lamb  and  William  Eldridge,  belong  east  of 
the  present  town,  over  in  the  Alda  township 
territory.  But  the  first  arrivals  in  Wood 
River  and  Jackson  territory  were  Patrick  and 
Richard  Moore  in  1859,  and  James  Jackson 
and  Anthony  Moore  in  1860. 

PATRICK    MOORE 

came  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  the  spring  of 
1858.  He  clerked  in  a  hotel  for  a  year,  and 
in  the  spring  of  1859  came  to  Hall  County  and 
settled  in  what  is  now  Jackson  precinct,  about 
two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  the  present  Wood 
River,  on  section  23,  town  10,  range  12,  a 
homestead  of  160  acres  of  land,  and  after- 
wards acquired  other  land  in  that  vicinity. 
When  he  located  there  were  no  settlers  in 
that  vicinity,  the  nearest  being  about  ten  miles 
away.  Buffalo,  antelope  and  deer  roamed  over 
the  boundless  prairies  with  no  one  to  molest 
them  except  roving  redskins.  Mr.  Moore 
spent  his  first  decade  in  that  vicinity  under 
circumstances  that  required  every  farmer  to 
keep  armed  with  necessary  firearms  to  pro- 
tect himself  at  an  instant's  notice.  Mr.  Moore 
was  born  in  County  Cork,  Ireland,  March  21, 
1835,  and  raised  on  a  farm.  He  came  to 
America  in  1847,  lived  in  New  York  until 
1851,  then  to  Joliet,  Illinois,  where  he  taught 
school,  clerked  in  stores,  etc.,  until  he  came 
to  Nebraska. 

His  brother  Richard  came  also  in  1859,  but 
his  brother  Anthony  Moore  did  not  come  until 
January,  1860.  Anthony  located  on  section 
27-10-12  and  farmed  there  until  1872,  then 
located  over  on  section  22.  Anthony  was  born 
in  County  Cork,  also,  on  March  4,  1826.  He 
came  to  America  also  in  1847 ;  was  married  at 
Joliet,  Illinois,  in  1854  to  Miss  Mary  Collins, 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


a  native  of  the  same  county.  They  had  eight 
children,  John,  William,  Dennis,  Anthony  A., 
Peter,  Mark  H.,  James,  and  Annie. 

JOHN    MAHER 

kson  Precinct,  Hall  County,  June 
id  settled  on  section  23.  He  was 
iland,  March  2,  1822 ;  came  to 
1847;  he  was  married  in  1852  to 
ollins,  who  was  born  in  Ireland 
.  1826.  They  had  six  children, 
Patrick,  William,  Dennis  A.,  John 
es  M. 

dther  first  settlers 
st  settlers  of  this  locality  were 
ith,  the  Anderson  family,  a  man 
le  of  Story,  Ed  O'Brien,  James 
ph  Ross,  and  Roger  Hayes.  O.  D. 
!  settled  in  Hall  County  in  1865. 
son,  who  settled  in  Jackson  pre- 
hose  name  the  precinct  or  town- 
lettled  there  in  1860.  Freeman  C. 
;  in  1867.  Robert  Kerr  came  to 
r  community  in  1869.  Pat  Brett 
e  community  in  1867.  In  1871 
ig  came,  and  John  S.  Donaldson 


LANDHOLDERS    IN    JACKSON 

thers  who  came  to  Jackson  town- 
the  first  quarter  century  of  its 
ir  acquired  land  within  its  bounds 
ollowing  individuals  or  families: 
her,  Patrick  O'Brien,  Jas.  O'Keefe 
n,  John  Moore,  Martin  Lane  John 
[ohn  Gray,  J.  J.  Mosser,  Henry 
Hannan,  I.  K.  Watson,  Nickolas 
liem  O'Connor,  William  Brennan, 
i,  M.  McNamara,  Philip  J.  Mur- 
Ashton,  Robert  Gillispie,  J.  T. 
in  Brett,  Pat  McDermott,  John 
Pat  Kilkenney,  L.  Kilkenney, 
Tson,  Owen  Curry,  John  Callahan, 
■oley,  John  Meyers,  John  Fines, 
rancis,  John  Devine,  James  M. 
itrick  Duggan.  John  Mullen,  Pat 
liomas  Mulllen,  Christopher  Ber- 
Dodge,    G.     W.    Burmood,.   Geo 


Meisner,  Jasper  F.  Walker,  L.  C.  Batterson, 
S.  J.  Miller. 

EARLY  LANDHOLDERS  OF  WOOD  RIVER  TOWNSHIP 
Among  others  than  those  named  as  the  first 
arrivals  who  either  settled  at  an  early  time  in 
Wood  River  township  or  became  landholders 
during  the  first  quarter  century  of  its  develop- 
ment were: 

Patrick  Hoye,  H.  S.  Winn,  James  Cannon, 
Charles  Baugh,  E.  A.  Wedgewood,  T.  A. 
Wedgwood,  J.  H.  Trout,  E.  E.  Kile,  C.  J.  S. 
Trout,  John  D.  Scherer,  Henry  Starr,  Ed 
Quissenberry,  James  Stillens,  R.  F.  Moundjoy, 
Joshua  Greenwood,  Michael  Judy,  Frank 
Strasser,  Thomas  Campion,  Joseph  Roach. 
Norm  Reese,  Charles  Fuller,  H.  "A.  Glade. 
H.  P.  Chapman,  R.  Mankin,  Frank  Corkin, 
Fred  Whitehead,  William  Whitehead,  J.  M. 
Duncan,  Tim  Roche,  Chauncey  H.  Abbott, 
John  Carey,  M.  J.  Cunningham,  Sarah  S. 
Schoolcy,  S.  B.  Bowen,  Frank  E.  Howe,  John 
H.  Diefenderfer,  Wm.  B.  Rounds,  E.  C. 
Dodge,  J.  Cornwall,  F.  N.  Taylor,  C.  E.  Craw- 
ford, Charles  E.  Bly,  Lucinda  Bly,  J.  S.  Chap- 
man, J.  R.  Blanke,  John  Allan,  Fountain 
Hargis,  Gilbert  Slater,  H.  S.  Kelsey,  E.  Chris- 
tensen,  P.  Schroeder,  Christian  Opp,  Mas 
Opp,  John  Opp,  E.  Opp,  C.  Opp,  Julius  KrulL 
H.  P.  Christensen,  Guss  Persson,  Paol 
Hansen,  Jules  Haumont,  John  G.  Drake,  Joe 
Severyns,  William  Taylor,  Theodore  Purchert, 
Charles  T.  Taylor,  John  Sprague,  Savilla  L. 
Taylor,  J.  H.  Murphy,  M.  J,  Costello,  Benja- 
min L.  Colwell,  Charles  E.  Towne,  B.  F.  Tay 
lor,  David  Barrick,  A.  G.  Hollister,  Jesse  C 
Burkerd,  John  C.  Boone,  Theodore  Purcheri 
Hans  Weise,  Freeman  C.  Dodge,  Carl  Schultl 
Opp,  Fritz  Wiese,  J.  F.  Dibbern,  John  Bixefl 
man,  William  Weise,  Henry  F.  Luebs,  J.  Dill 
bern,  Henry  Drews,  Paul  Hansen,  W.  $ 
Lorenzen,  N.  Johnson,  H.  J.  Madsen,  ¥eU 
Holling.  Nick  Burkerd,  Owen  Mullen,  Joh 
Bulger,  Stephen  Jones. 

CAMERON  TOWNSHIP 

The  following  short  article  by  Edwin  S.  Lei 
one  of  the  very  early  settlers  of  this  towi 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ship,  will  give  a  graphic  picture  of  the  begin- 
nings of  Cameron: 

Before  the  advent  of  the  railroads  the  west 
was  settled,  first  along  the  rivers  and  later  on 
the  line  of  overland  trails,  the  pioneers  invari- 
ably remaining  as  closely  to  one  or  the  other  of 
these  means  of  communication  as  possible. 
This  was  true  of  the  settlement  along  the 
Platte  Valley,  and  altho  several  colonies  were 
established  between  Fort  Kearny  and  Grand 
island  prior  to  1871  no  one  ventured  to  locate 
permanently  in  what  is  Cameron  township 
until  that  year. 

A  man  named  William  Shelton  located  in 
Cameron  township  in  1871,  coming  from 
Missouri,  but  evidently  thought  it  too  remote 
from  the  railroad,  timber,  water,  and  neigh- 
bors to  ever  become  valuable  and  he  failed 
to  make  any  filing  or  purchase.  He,  however, 
was  not  so  considerate  of  prospective  settlers 
of  whom  he  spoke  as  "tender  feet,"  but  spent 
most  all  of  his  time  in  locating  them  upon  the 
land  in  his  vicinity,  finding  corners  and  per- 
forming the  services  of  the  modern  real  estate 
agent.  His  location  fee  was  five  dollars  in 
each  instance  and  he  doubtless  thought  while 
placing  settlers  upon  government  land  which 
is  now  worth  from  sixty  to  seventy-five  dol- 
lars per  acre  (in  1919  that  would  be  con- 
siderably advanced)  that  he  was  getting  much 
the  best  of  the  bargain  when  his  fee  of  five 
dollars  was  paid.  The  first  bona  fide  settlers 
in  this  township  were  John  B.  Stevens  and 
Samuel  Rode,  both  taking  soldiers'  home- 
steads in  1871.  In  the  spring  of  1872  Wil- 
liam Dubbs,  Seth  Lee,  Edwin  S.  Lee,  O.  E. 
Palmer.  Lester  Houghton,  John  Peebles, 
Henry  Streator,  James  Cannon  (afterwards 
sheriff  of  the  county),  a  Mr.  Carlson.  S.. 
Reider,  and  others  whose  names  are  not  pre- 
served, located  on  government  lands  in  Cam- 
eron. Of  this  number  only  the  Messrs, 
Edwin  S.  Lee  and  Samuel  Reider  are  now 
living  in  that  township  (this  was  written  in 
1907).  Many  of  the  settlers  of  '71  and  '72 
ifterwards  became  discouraged  on  account  of 
lie  failure  of  crops,  drought,  grasshoppers, 
ind  the  failure  of  the  new  settlers  to  under- 
stand the  methods  successfully  to  till  the  new 


soil,  and  they  abandoned  tht 
left  the  country,  some  movin 
many  returning  to  their  easten 

In  the  fall  of  1872  the  ne 
at  the  house  of  William  Dubbs 
school  district  number  13,  of 
which  was  nine  miles  square. 
the  school  house  and  after  it 
an  itinerant  minister  named  < 
the  first  sermon  in  Cameron 
year  later  Rev.  Mr.  Marsh,  a 
cuit  rider,  established  a  class 
ular  services  in  the  school  ho 

The  Pawnee  Indians  wande 
country  from  the  Loup  to  th> 
frequently  camping  for  consid 
Prairie  Creek.  They  were  r 
troublesome  except  that  they  \ 
gars  and  had  very  little  regarc 
of  property,  and  in  particular 
and  stealing  corn  for  their  p 
visions  for  themselves,  causec 
annoyance. 

After  the  grasshopper  perio< 
1874  or  1875,  the  settlement  o: 
very  rapid  and  such  of  the  old 
remained  and  attempted  to  d 
now  one  of  the  richest  and  n 
townships  in  the  county  lived 
wards  of  their  early  struggles 

In  the  early  day  there  w; 
game,  deer  and  antelope,  bul 
after  '  the  settlement  of  Cann 
The  coyotes,  however,  stuck 
brother  and  even  yet  a  few  sc,r 
plains  remain  to  remind  the 
early  combat  to  save  his  poul 
pigs  from  these  wolves. 

A  roster  of  some  of  the  ea 
in  Cameron  township,  prior  to 
nish  a  more  complete  list  of  th 
to  develop  this  township  after 

Seth  Lee,  Edwin  S.  Lee, 
A.  W.  Benton,  J.  C.  Leach. 
Ervin  Whitehead,  J.  E.  G 
Descoe,  Harry  C.  Chase,  A.  L 
Russell,  Thos.  Hulme.  Alex  \\ 
N.  Bryan,  O.  B.  Waddington, 
Charles  S.  Benton,  Jos.  Guy, 


oY  Google 


154 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


L-  W.  Goss,  H.  C.  Streator,  G.  E.  Crawford, 
C.  P.  Miller,  D.  C.  Worts,  Fred  Miller,  Amos 
Taylor,  Jas.  Staugh,  J.  H.  Hetherington, 
Jac.  F.  Miller,  Samuel  Waddington,  H.  A. 
Eartling,  Riley  Z.  Bates,  H.  D.  Newton,  John 
W.  Dean,  John  M.  Johnson,  William  W. 
Dubbs,  John  Gilligan,  Miles  Lyons,  P.  J. 
Grass,  J.  S.  Dyer,  Michael  Carey,  N.  W. 
Afflerbaugh,  Charles  Schultz.  John  R. 
Thompson  of  Grand  Island  was  landowner 
in  this  township. 

HARRISON     TOWNSHIP 

The  first  settlers  in  Harrison  precinct  were 
the  Tagge  and  Thode  families.  Among  the 
landowners  of  this  township  were : 

John  L.  Johnson,  John  Tagge,  Claus  Tagge, 
Frederick  Bernhardt,  John  Buenz,  Jasper 
Eggers,  Frederick  Voss,  Fred  Kruger,  J. 
Hillebrandt,  Mary  A.  Dunlap,  Fred  Schultz, 
Henry  H.  Boring,  Chas.  Mouts,  Danl.  J. 
Ryan,  Thos.  Cavency,  Mike  Cavency,  Jno.  M. 
Clark,  Marcus  Griffin,  J.  C.  Bruhn,  Christian 
Bruhn,  M.  J.  Harders,  J.  H.  Harders,  Francis 
McDermott,  F.  Longman,  Hans  Stuhr,  Pat- 
rick Dunphy,  Frederick  Luth,  Solomon 
Oswoldt,  Jacob  D.  Thode,  Henry  Friesman, 
Peter  Guelstorf,  H.  G.  Backus,  Jno.  W.  Har- 
rison, Richard  L.'  Harrison,  T.  O.  C.  Harri-r 
son,  J.  J.  O'Connor,  Henry  D.  Harfst,  C. 
Hagen,  Jesse  R.  Purnell,  Lewis  Rickard,  John 
H.  Leonard,  A.  Becker,  Jas.  A.  Wear,  Martin 
Kenny,  John  Southwick,  Timothy  Roche 
j".  H.  Wysong,  S.  F.  Thompson,  P.  N.  Wick- 
ersham,  Wm.  J.  Stone,  Chas.  Rickard,  Jas. 
M.  Guy,  Jas.  Senseney,  W.  L.  Haldeman,  M. 
Diehl,  W.  W.  Wheeler,  Jno.  S.  Hayse,  Jas 
Cornelius,  Michael  Brennan,  Patrick  Finan, 
Thos.  Mahoney,  D.  Buschman,  Maria  C. 
Taylor,  Theo.  Moll,  J.  M.  McKee,  Timothy 
Dwyer,  E.  R.  Cadman,  Jas.  Senseney,  Jas. 
M.  Guy,  N.  F.  Tomlinson. 

EARLY     HISTORICAL     REMINISCEN- 
CES OF  MAYFIELD  TOWNSHIP 

BY  R.  C.  PERKINS 

On  the  tenth  day  of  September,  1872,  a 
party  of  five  men,  including  myself,  left 
Boone  County,   Kentucky,  to  look  over  the 


Great  American  Desert  with  a  view  to  making 
homes  in  its  bosom  if  our  investigations 
proved  satisfactory.  Two  days  later  we  ar- 
rived in  Omaha,  on  the  western  limits  of 
civilization.  After  consulting  with  Colonel 
Noteweir,  who  was  then  immigration  agent 
for  the  state,  and  obtaining  from  that  excel- 
lent gentleman  much  valuable  advice,  we 
started  the  next  morning  for  the  heart  of  the 
desert.  After  brief  stops  at  Columbus, 
Osceola,  Lone  Tree,  and  Chapman,  we  finally 
reached  Grand  Island,  having  explored  much 
intervening  territory  but  found  no  place  that 
exactly  filled  the  requirements.  On  the  morn- 
ing of  September  19,  after  having  been  ad- 
vised by  the  late  E.  W.  Arnold  to  go  to  Prairie 
Creek,  we  secured  a  team  and  finally  reached 
our  destination.  As  we  entered  the  limits  of 
township  12,  range  11,  the  first  settlement  that  j 
we  discovered  was  that  of  Hans  Kruger,  on 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  34.  Proceed-  ■ 
ing  a  mile  farther  we  pulled  up  at  the  resi-  j 
dence  of  the  late  Carl  Schaub.  We  also  found 
Judge  Garn  there.  They  were  delighted  with 
the  prospect  of  our  stopping  with  them  and 
did  all  in  their  power  to  show  us  the  sur- 
rounding  neighborhood.  We  soon  decided  to 
look  no  farther  and  at  once  returned  to  Grand 
Island  and  filed  declaratory  statements  on  the 
north  half  of  section  32  and  all  of  28.  Tht 
following  day  we  started  on  our  return  to 
the  east  where  we  were  to  spend  the  winter. 
Arriving  in  Omaha  we  found  one  member 
of  the  party  whom  we  had  lost  a  day  or 
two  before.  He  had  gone  back  to  Osceola 
and  taken  up  a  very  desirable  quarter  section 
which  laid  a  short  distance  outside  the  village. 
Our  six  months  of  furlough  having  elapsed 
on  March  10,  in  the  following  year  we  started 
again  for  the  west,  this  time  intending  to 
remain.  The  number  was  slightly  increased 
over  that  which  had  gone  before,  and  con- 
sisted of  John  E.  Lewis,  L.  and  William  C. 
Calvert  and  wife,  John  Sandford  and  four 
year  old  son  Jack,  Jacob  P.  Phipps,  Thomas 
A.  Blythe,  and  myself.  Phipps  and  myself 
had  left  our  families  among  friends  and  they 
were  to  follow  as  soon  as  arrangements  could 
be  made  for  their  residence.  We  arrived 
safely  at  Grand  Island  and  procuring  a  sm 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


155 


supply  of  lumber  from  G.  H.  Bush,  and  a  few 
provisions  from  Cornelius  &  Peterson,  we  hit 
the  road  for  what  has  since  developed  into 
Mayfield  precinct.     We  found  the  place  and 
within  two  hours  after  arrival  had  built  a 
shanly  and  were  eating  supper.    Investigation 
proved  that  during  our  absence  Peter  Clausen 
had  settled  near  us,  also  that  W.  W.  Mann, 
Edward  Bussell,  E.   D.   Kent,   and  possibly 
others  had  taken  up  land  and  begun  improve- 
ments.    There   was  also   a   little   settlement 
started  below  us  by  George  Dean,  Z.  B.  Part- 
ridge, and  others.    The  summer  of  1873  was 
very  seasonable  and  we  broke   and  planted 
considerable    patches    of    sod    corn    which 
yielded    well.      During    the    summer    Alex 
Thompson  and   C.  Lozier  settled  very  near 
us.    I  think  there  were  also  a  few  families 
on  and  near  the  bluffs.    We  did  well  the  first 
year  and  the  next  season  a  number  of  people 
joined  us,  among  them  were  J.  H.  Hulett  and 
C.  L.   Alford.     Soon   after  our  arrival   we 
were  visited  by  the  school-  director  in  the  per- 
son of  H.  C.  Streator.    He  informed  us  that 
we  were  a   part  and  parcel  of  the  present 
Cameron  district.     I  think  the  unmber  is  14, 
During  the  latter  part  of  the  summer  of 
1873  we  had  built  some  sod  houses  and  in 
the  last  days  of  September  the  families  of 
PWpps  and  myself  joined  us.     We  felt  then 
that  we  were  at  home.    As  the  time  for  elec- 
tion of  county  officers  approached  we  decided 
that  we  would  exercise  our  right  of  suffrage. 
So  we  drove  to  the  site  of  old  Wood  River 
station  and   saved  the  nation.     I  do  not  re- 
member the  names  of  the  candidates. 

The  next  year  the  grasshoppers  devoured 
the  corn  crop.  At  this  we  realized  that  every- 
thing was  not  coming  our  way,  but  necessity 
is  a  stern  master  and  we  had  but  to  wait  for 
the  opening'  of  another  spring  and  begin  hop- 
ing for  better  crops.  This  was  another  year 
of  but  moderate  success  but  we  raised  enough 
train  to  subsist  on.  Notwithstanding  the 
failures  people  kept  coming  in,  and  we  soon 
had  quite  a  settlement  and  most  of  them 
provded  to  be  excellent  people.  For  a  few 
years  times  were  somewhat  better,  but  little 
progress   was    made   in   financial    conditions. 


Most  of  those  who  came  remained,  a  few  be- 
coming discouraged  and  seeking  greener 
fields. 

About  76  or  "77  efforts  were  made  to  have 
some  kind  of  religious  services  and  for  a  time 
Rev.  Trefran  exponded  the  Word  in  the  old 
sod  school  house  in  district  36.  Later  Charles 
Ridell  served  for  a  time  but  when  Mrs.  E.  C. 
Avery  bought  a  half  of  section  29  and  settled 
on  it  she  went  to  work  to  have  regular  serv- 
ices and  soon  had  a  Methodist  class  organized 
and  Rev.  Jeptha  Marsh  was,  I  think,  the  first 
pastor  who  was  regularly  appointed.  In  the 
fall  of  '79  it  was  decided  that  a  church  build- 
ing was  needed  and  in  July,  1880,  the  old 
Berwick  church  was  dedicated.  It  was  situ- 
ated on  the  southwest  corner  of  J.  L.  Hulett's 
farm  and  was  used  till  Cairo  was  built  and 
the  present  edifice  erected  there. 

The  necessity  for  school  privileges  was  soon 
recognized,  and  during  the  winter  of  '73  dis- 
trict 36  was  organized.  I  think,  however,  the 
school  in  the  Partridge  district  was  provided 
for  first.  At  any  rate  in  the  spring  and 
summer  of  '74  we  had  two  schools  in  our 
immediate  vicinity.  The  voting  places  were 
soon  made  much  more  convenient.  For  sev- 
eral years  Harrison  and  Mayfield  voted  as 
one  precinct  and  the  polls  were  held  at  Run- 
nelsburg.  There  ware  many  hard  tussels  in 
the  caucuses  and  elections  of  those  days. 
Mayfield  particularly  was  about  equally  di- 
vided between  the  Democrats  and  the  Repub- 
licans and  battles  of  national  importance  were 
often  fought  out  here. 

Among  the  early  landholders  of  Mayfield 
precinct  were: 

Geo.  McNair,  Walter  P.  Kellogg,  Philip 
Kranz,  C.  L.  Alvord,  Ebert  Corbin.  J.  C. 
Bishop,  Levi  O.  Watson,  Levi  Cox,  Chas.  A. 
Moore,  Wm.  Haynes,  H.  Tighmeyer,  L.  O. 
Watson,  F.  M.  Hillenbrandt,  Jas.  Hulett, 
Jesse  Boring,  H.  C.  Kroeger,  Robert  Taylor, 
Harry  Rosswick,  Ira  T.  Paine. 

Among  the  early  landholders  of  South 
Loup  precinct  were : 

Michael  Kyne,  W.  B.  Waite,  John  Glore, 
W.  B.  White,  Jas.  M.  Borglunn,  Geo.  Hodson, 
Wm.  H.  West,  H.  D.  Aiken,  C.  M.  William- 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


son,  John  Stoeger,  Lyman  Cole,  Wm.  Ofield, 
Chas.  J.  Webb,  Peter  Janns,  J.  T.  Mehaffie, 
Erwin,  Herrick,  Joseph  Green,  Seymour 
Veeder,  Peter  Veeder,  Louis  Meyer,  Eliz 
Stoeger,  Earnie  Putscher,  T.  E.  Longstreet, 
Enos  Brundage,  C.  G.  Powers,  G.  W.  Brun- 
dage,  R.  S.  Brundage,  F.  M.  Stanley,  August 
Wieth,  C.  A.  Goodrich,  Jas.  Paul,  Josiah  Hall, 
Thos.  Green,  A.  T.  Guthrie,  John  Dowling, 
Frank  M.  Stanley. 

PRAIRIE   CREEK  TOWNSHIP 

Mat  Rauert  has  contributed  the  following 
in  relation  to  the  early  settlement  of  Prairie 
Creek  township : 

The  first  settlers  of  Prairie  Creek  township 
were  Peter  Mohr,  who  later  moved  to  Grand 
Island,  Peter  Holling,  who  later  removed  to 
the  vicinity  of  Wood  River,  George  Spencer, 
deceased,  and  Danance  Dickinson.  They  came 
in  the  spring  of  1871  and  later  in  the  same 
year  Eli  Barnes,  Hans  Moeller,  Nichols, 
James  and  Mat  Rauert,  Nic  Depue,  Henry 
Kruse,  and  Peter  Thompson  came  to  swell 
the  settlement.  In  1872  George  Nollen, 
Robert  Kinkle,  Peter  Wingert,  and  Mr.  Lan- 
field  cast  their  lots  with  the  new  settlers. 

It  was  many  years  before  the  northern  part 
of  this  township  was  settled,  but  along  the 
banks  of  Prairie  Creek  a  thrifty  settlement 
soon  sprang  up  which  organized  school  dis- 
tricts, built  bridges,  and  connected  their  settle- 
ments with  the  railroad  at  Grand  Island  and 
Alda.  Game  was  quite  plentiful  during  the 
early  days  especially  in  the  sand  hills  north 
and  during  the  drought  and  grasshopper 
periods  the  settlers  divided  their  time  between 
hunting  deer  and  antelope  and  snaking  cedar 
post  out  of  the  canyons  along  the  Loup 
River,  for  sale  in  Grand  Island,  and  this  was 
almost  the  only  means  by  which  "cash  money" 
could  be  secured.  At  that  time  the  Indians 
coming  through  on  their  annual  hunts  from 
the  Loup  rivers  to  the  Platte  and  Republican 
south  were  frequently  visitors  of  the  early 
settlers,  but  never  hostile  and  only  by  their 
thieving  and  begging  did  they  give  much  con- 
cern to  the  early  settlers. 


FURTHER  NOTES  ON  THE  SETTLE- 
MENT OF  PRAIRIE  CREEK  TOWNSHIP 

BY    ELI    A.    BARNES 

The  first  settlers  of  Prairie  Creek  township 
were: 

Peter  Mohr,  Peter  Holling,  who  later  re- 
moved to  the  vicinity  of  Wood  River,  George 
J.  Spencer,  Dennis  Dixon.  They  came  in  the 
spring  of  1871.  Later  came  Eli  A.  Barnes, 
Samuel  M.  Schisler,  Hans  Moeller,  Nicholas, 
James  and  Mat  Rauert,  Nicholas  M.  Depue, 
Joseph  F.  Proctor,  Henry  Kruse,  Claus  H. 
Wiese,  Peter  Thompson,  I,  P.  Beagle,  Capt. 
W.  W.  Thompson,  James  Baldwin  and  A. 
Baldwin,  Isaac  L.  Messeraul,  George  Nowlan, 
Robert  Kinkle,  Peter  Wingert,  Anna  M. 
Weeks,  John  Lanphere,  Mr.  Barlow,  William 
C.  Dean,  John  Trimble,  Mr.  Burton  and 
William  E.  Preston.  Mr.  Trefren,  George 
and  Luther,  settled  on  December  20.  With 
these  settlers  closes  the  year  1872.  Then 
came  Wesley  Milhollen,  Thomas  Hosier,  John 
Lee  and  Adam  Hessel.  School  district  num- 
ber 18  composed  Prairie  Creek  township,  Oth- 
man  A.  Abbott  county  superintendent  of 
schools.  The  first  school  officers  were  Eli 
A.  Barnes,  moderator,  Joseph  F.  Proctor, 
treasurer,  and  John  Lanphere,  director.  The 
school  house  was  built  on  the  homestead  of 
Eli  A.  Barnes  by  James  Tout,  later  of  Grand 
Island.  Then  the  district  was  divided  and  the 
school  house  moved  on  northeast  corner  of 
George  Nowland's  homestead,  where  it  now 
stands. 

Other  early  settlers  in  the  Prairie  Creek 
vicinity  were  Joe  Kilian,  John  Mader,  Jim 
Baldwin,  Henry  Schisler.  The  town  o  f 
Abbott  was  formed  out  of  section  30  of  this 
township.  In  recent  years  the  Robert  Taylor 
ranch  has  grown  to  such  proportions  that  trie 
portion  of  it  which  lies  within  Prairie  Creek 
township  constitutes  over  a  third  of  the  area 
of  the  township. 

A  roster  of  some  of  the  landholders  in 
Prairie  Creek  township  prior  to  1890  will 
show  other  early  settlers  than  those  already 
named : 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Win.  H.  Sumner,  Mary  A.  Bullock,  James 
Fonner,  Thomas  Hossler,  Josiah  Brown, 
Jacob  Lessig,  William  Dudley,  George  Rauert, 
Joachim  Rauert,  Louis  Upperman,  A.  C. 
Downs,  M.  V.  Atkinson,  H.  C.  Roehling, 
Henry  Mohr,  Sr.,  Alvin  Eager,  John  E. 
Mader,  James  Lewis,  C.  B.  Lewis,  Hannah 
Kent,  Benj.  Swank,  J.  C.  H.  Read,  Giles  A. 
Smith,  D.  R.  Castiday,  Peter  Thompson,  Geo. 
-Vouland,  John  Peterson,  James  Nichelson 
C.  A.  VonWasmer,  W.  U.  Mader,  Silas  Y. 
Bryson.  Robert  Taylor  and  Kenneth  Mc- 
Donald's ranch  holdings  now  take  up  a  large 
portion  of  the  township. 

CENTER  TOWNSHIP 
With  the  settlement  of  Cay  Henry  Ewoldt, 
one  of  the  original  colony  of  1857,  within  the 
present  confines  of  Center  township,  in  1862, 
this  township  can  point  almost  as  far  back 
for  (he  beginnings  of  its  history  as  its  neigh- 
boring townships. 

Mr.  Ewoldt  increased  his  original  purchase 
until  he  acquired  a  fine  farm  of  around  500 
acres  of  magnificent  land.  Martin  Schimmer 
acquired  holdings  in  Center  township  at  an 
early  day.  Jacob  Shoemaker  came  in  about 
1866  or  1867.  Other  early  settlers  in  this 
township  were  Henry  Grabach,  John  Green- 
field, C.  P.  Rathbun,  Wm.  C.  Mullen,  William 
Fishburn,  F.  W.  Hessel  and  Adam  Hessel, 
G.  J.  Squires,  and  William  McLellan. 

A  roster  of  those  who  owned  land  in  the 
township  prior  to  1890  shows,  among  others : 
A.  B.  Perkins,  Chas.  Wasmer,  C.  A.  Von 
W'asmer,  E.  S.  Lamon,  Ira  T.  Paine,  H.  H. 
V'ocke,  E.  B.  Engleman,  Jas.  H.  Ring,  A. 
Simon,  Lara  O.  Thompson,  Fritz  Langman, 
H.  Kruse,  Jas.  McGuire.  J.  R.  Alter,  D.  M. 
Alter,  J.  L.  Johnson,  Jas.  A.  Clemen,  Edgar 
Vamey,  H.  Gosda,  John  Felske,  Martin 
Witzki,  E.  Rumsthel,  Solomon  Hopper, 
Seorge  E.  Conley,  Wm.  S.  Mittelbacher,  Alex. 
Stewart,  S.  W.  Taylor,  L.  C.  Hixon,  Jas.  A. 
Brown,  R.  H.  McAllister,  Harvey  Peterson, 
3tris  Hann,  Fred  Roby,  N.  McCombs,  F.  J. 
:ischer,  Peter  Haines,  Henry  Davidson,  M. 
V  Davidson,  John  Nielson,  P.  and  H.  Shultz, 
)avid  Liedtke,  Chas.  Stroup,  Leander  Clark, 


George  L.  Rouse,  Ernest  Grafl 
Seth  Dunbar,  E.  E.  Glenn,  Wi 
Ed  Searson,  Sarah  Houser,  i 
Emanuel  Stringfellow,  Jas.  H. 
Becker,  Henry  Shoel,  Charles  ] 
H.  Shultz,  William  H.  Housei 
singer,  B.  C.  McMaster,  Pat 
Richard  S.  Badgett,  A.  Hofm. 
Richard,  Charles  Nichols,  Ira 
W.  Pence,  S.  H.  Ferguson. 

ALDA    TOWNSHIP 

The  settlement  of  the  presen 
ship  begins  back  almost  next  t 
township. 

W.  G.  Eldridge  located  in  H 
May  20,  1859,  on  the  northea 
section  14,  town  10,  lange  11. 
was  then  decidedly  sparsely  sett! 
est  neighbors  on  the  west  wer 
away.  Buffalo,  deer,  antelope, 
Indians  roamed  over  the  vast  t 
with  wild  freedom,  undauntec 
proach  of  any  white  neighbors, 
dred  Indians  camping  near  A! 
humble  habitation  was  not  an 
currence.  He  erected  the  first  d 
fall  of  1859.  Mr.  Eldridge,  the 
Alda  community,  was  a  native 
Indiana,  bom  on  December  2. 
moved  to  Middleport,  Illinois, 
twenty-one  and  carried  on  a 
until  1856.  He  went  to  Kan 
without  any  permanent  place 
traded  ponies  and  horse  with 
whites  alike.  Returning  to  Ii 
winter  of  1858,  he  stayed  only 
to  get  started  for  Nebraska  in 
He  was  married  in  Hall  Count 
of  1860  to  Miss  S.  S.  Shinton 
England.  They  had  five  childi 
who  became  the  wife  of  War 
Jessie  N.,  Mary  I.,  Jasper  J.,  a 

Squire  Lamb  came  to  this  par 
try  in  1858.  The  Reese  family 
In  the  meantime  John  Thomsse 
thirty-five  members  of  the  coloi 
tied  near  Grand  Island  in  1857, 
in   1860  to' the  one  single  lady 


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158 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


companied  the  original  colony  to  Hall  County. 
During  the  year  1860  this  bridal  couple  set- 
teled  down  and  became  pioneers  of  the  pres- 
ent Alda  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  N.  V. 
Hansen  settled  on  a  place  adjoining  the 
Thomssen's.  Other  very  early  settlers  were 
John  Ring  and  two  sons,  John  House  and 
family,  the  Hann  family,  Henry  Gam,  and 
Charles  and  Arthur  Lamberson.  Francis 
Corkins  came  from  Illinois  to  this  part  of 
Hall  County  in  the  fall  of  1867.  He  worked 
through  that  neighborhood  until  1875,  then 
was  married  to  Miss  Harriet  E.  Smith  and 
took  a  soldier's  homestead. 

W.  H.  Norton  came  to  this  part  of  the 
county  in  1867.  He  worked  on  the  Union 
Pacific  railroad  during  the  summers  of  1867 
and  1868,  then  settled  down  on  section  14, 
town  10,  range  11.  W.  W.  Mitchell  came 
to  Alda  vicinity  in  1871  and  two  years  later 
embarked  in  business  in  Pawnee,  now  Alda. 

Other  settlers  in  this  vicinity  prior  to  the 
early  seventies  were  : 

Wm.  Thomssen,  Henry  Stelk,  1859,  Squire 
Lamb,  Henry  Lamb,  Carl  Baasch,  1866,  Cath- 
arina  Buettner,  1863,  Fritz  Wiese,  1869, 
Henry  Wiese,  1871,  Otto  Wiese.  1871,  J. 
Knuth,  1870,  J.  S.  Denman,  1871,  William 
Powell,  1869,  George  L.  Rouse,  1873,  Claus 
Stoltenberg,  in  the  county  in   1859. 

Claus  Stoltenberg  came  to  Hall  County  in 
April,  1859.  He  was  a  native  of  Holstein, 
Germany,  bom  September  2,  1832,  and  grew 
to  manhood  in  his  native  land.  He  emigrated 
to  America  in  1856,  and  after  spending  some 
time  in  New  York  and  in  Wisconsin,  he  came 
to  Nebraska  and  spent  a  year  and  a  half  in 
Omaha.  He  entered  160  acres  of  land,  but 
afterwards  acquired  more  land  around  him. 
He  was  married  here  December  6,  1862,  to 
Miss  Esther  Paustean,  a  native  of  Holstein, 
Germany.  They  had  six  thildren,  Alwine 
(wife  of  Claus  Tagge,  of  Grand  Island), 
Edward,  Ferdinand,  Cecile  (wife  of  Bem- 
hard  Wise,  of  Rock  County,  Nebraska),  Wil- 
helmine  and  Carl. 

z.   H.  DENMAN 

One  of  the  very  active  men  in  the  develop- 


ment of  the  Alda  community  was  Hon.  Z.  H. 
Denman,  Sr.  He  came  to  Hall  County  in 
August,  1871.  He  was  bom  in  Licking 
County,  Ohio,  March  26,  1834,  and  there  he 
attended  the  district  schools  during  the  winter 
months  and  assisted  his  father  on  the  farm 
in  summer  months  until  he  was  nineteen  years 
of  age,  when  he  left  to  attend  Martinsburg 
College,  from  which  institution  he  graduated. 
In  his  twenty-fourth  year  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Harriett  Robinson  of  Newark,  Ohio. 
He  then  settled  down  to  farming  in  his  native 
county,  and  while  there  held  the  office  of 
county  surveyor.  In  1864  he  moved  to  Mc- 
Lean County,  Illinois,  and  engaged  in  tilling 
the  soil  there  until  his  removal  to  Hall  Count)'. 
He  located  thirteen  miles  southwest  of  Grand 
Island  and  at  once  set  energetically  to  fann- 
ing and  raising  stock.  He  gradually  increased 
his  acreage,  until  he  became  the  owner  oi 
several  hundred  acres  and  a  large  amount  of 
stock.  He  devoted  his  time  to  the  affairs  of 
the  community  as  well  as  to  his  own  fanning 
operations.  For  many  years  he  held  the  posi- 
tion of  county  supervisor  from  Alda  precinct. 
In  1882  he  was  chosen  by  the  people  of  the 
.county  to  represent  them  in  the  state  legislat- 
ure, which  position  he  filled  with  honor  to 
himself  and  his  constituents.  He  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Hall  County  Agricultural  Society 
in  1889.  His  death  occurred  very  suddenly 
at  the  age  of  fifty-five  years. 

Mr.  Denman  was  but  one  member  of  i 
family  that  has  left  its  impress  upon  the 
history  of  Hall  County.  W.  H.  Denman, 
J.  A.  Denman,  Z.  H.  Denman,  Jr.,  James  S. 
Denman,  H.  C.  Denman,  J.  Denman,  W.  C 
Denman,  C.  W.  Denman,  were  among  his 
brothers,  sons  and  nephehvs  who  have  all 
made  a  remarkable  record  in  the  development 
of  Alda  township  and  Hall  County  generally- 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  Alda  township 
who  were  landowners  before  1890,  were: 

William  Wrage,  Henry  Knuth,  Z.  H.  Den- 
man. Sr.,  W.  H.  Denman,  J.  A.  Denman,  Z. 
H.  Denman,  Jr.,  J.  Denman,  A.  C.  Denman, 
W.  C.  Denman,  Jas.  S.  Denman,  C.  W.  Den- 
man, H.  C.  Denman,  Claus  Stoltenberg,  John 
Thomssen,  Sr.,  Henry  Lamb,  N.  V.  Hansen, 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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160 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Heinrich  Mann,  H.  Schoel,  Carl  Hann,  H.  A. 
Rose,  R.  Gilchrist,  Orlando  Myers,  B.  R. 
Marshall,  John  Brown,  C.  A.  Judy,  A.  B. 
Fraker,  Eliz.  Quissenberry,  W.  B.  Cumraings, 
P.  Marquisse,  Jos.  Kelso,  H.  A.  Gallup,  Wm. 
Powell,  Theodore  Martens,  Martin  Schimmer, 
Chas.  Krueger,  Carl  Baasch,  Carl  Schimmer, 
Henry  Wiese,  W-  Engel,  John  Seier,  Henry 
Brockman,  M.  Knuth,  John  Pehrs,  D.  Apple- 
dorn,  John  Bergfleth,  Hans  Behrens,  John 
Chas.  Kroeger,  F.  Lilienthal,  B.  Knox,  Fritz 
Wiese,  J.  Lindemann,  I.  C.  Parker,  J.  J. 
Londerman,  Louis  Lorenzen,  John  Bebernes, 
Louis  Bueltner,  Henry  Kay,  Peter  Pehrs, 
Chas.  Kroeger,  F.  Lilienthal,  B.  Knox,  Fritz 
Thesenvitz,  A.  Hapfel,  M.  Cornelius,  Geo. 
W.  Garrison,  Fritz  Schroeder,  Wm.  Kuenke, 
Isaac  Wheeler,  Chas.  Thesenvitz,  A.  De 
Witte,  John  ■  Quissenberry,  M.  K.  Lewis, 
Gehrt  Dicktnan,  K.  W.  Lewis,  Sylvester  Ren- 
frew, J.  W.  Modesitt,  Chas.  Fyller,  M.  C. 
Fuller,  Perry  Hack  A. '  B.  Hankey,  W. 
Powell,  Darius  Richardson,  John  Roach, 
Henry  Roach,  H.  A.  Rose,  Geo.  Elfus. 

WASHINGTON   PRECINCT 

The  history  of  the  first  settlement  of  Wash- 
ington township  is  covered  in  detail  in  the 
narratives  of  the  first  colony,  by  William 
Stolley,  Fred  Hedde,  and  Christian  Menck. 
The  first  colony  settled  in  Washington  town- 
ship and  the  story  of  the  first  ten  years  of 
the  history  of  Hall  County,  as  told  by  those 
venerable  pioneers,  mainly  is  the  history  of 
Washington  township. 

Out  of  this  township  grew  and  developed 
the  great  city  of  Grand  Island,  but  neverthe- 
less there  remains  many  interesting  stories  of 
development  in  Washington  township  outside 
of  Grand  Island.  The  roll  of  early  settlers 
in  the  south  part  of  the  township  has  been  in- 
cluded in  the  roster  of  those  south  of  the 
Platte  River.  A  roster  of  those  who  owned 
land  in  Washington  township  north  of  the 
river  on  or  before  1890  presents  many  names 
that  are  more  than  familiar  in  the  develop- 
ment of  the  city  of  Grand  Island  also: 

Peter  Wilson,  Adam  Windolph,  Peter 
Stuhr,  Henry  Vieregg,  W.  B.  Larrabee,  John 


Wallichs,  S.  Schaff,  D.  Sass,  S.  M.  Roush, 
D.  Roush,  Casper  Dunnerman,  Hans  Voss, 
Robert  Waugh,  N.  P.  Stahl,  Adolph  Baascb, 
H.  Steinmeier,  Henry  Joehnck,  H.  Rohweder, 
Marx  Stelk,  Henry  Eickhoff,  Fred  Evans, 
Christian  Menck,  Johannes  Windolph,  Gus- 
tave  Koehler,  W.  R.  Watkins,  John  W.  Lam- 
bert, Geo.  Loan,  Russell  Wheeler,  Gottfried 
Klinge,  John  Reimers,  Henry  Timpke,  W.  F. 
Stolley,  William  A.  Hagge,  Fred  Moelkr, 
John  Fonner,  J.  D.  Schuller,  Geo.  Thavenet, 
H,  Gulzow.  Fred  Mathiesen,  Henry  Ernst- 
meier,  Hans  Schiel,  Geo.  H.  Andrew,  Nich 
Reuting,  Carl  Scherzberg,  Charles  Gosda, 
Fred  Gosda,  Peter  Schumann,  Joachim 
Buenz,  Henry  Schimmer,  Christ.  Nieberger, 
Fred  Schleichardt,  Fritz  Niedfelt,  William 
Niedfelt,  Carl  Knefelkamp,  Peter,  Heesch 
John  Reher,  C.  Reher,  Heinrich  Beoersen, 
Hans  Vollert,  Henry  Wierhake,  Peter  Wiese, 
Jacob  Suhr,  Herman  Boersen,  Harry  Albers, 
Henry  Gulzow,  Theo.  Sievers,  John  Lassen, 
Ties  Hansen,  Claus  Rohweder,  John  Neu- 
bert,  Hans  Stuhr,  James  Michelson,  Mary 
Lambert,  Ernest  Blunk,  Henry  Giese. 

LAKE   TOWNSHIP 

William  Guenther  has  contributed  the  fol- 
lowing short  account  of  the  early  settlement  oi 
Lake  township: 

When  we  first  located  in  Lake  township,  in 
1872,  there  was  nothing  to  obstruct  the  view 
over  the  rolling  prairies.  Not  a  tree  was 
visible.  Here  and  there  was  a  settler,  but  they ! 
were  few  and  the  small  buildings  erected  by! 
them  were  very  scarce. 

On  April  13,  1873,  there  was  a  snow  storm 
which  I  shall  never  forget.  Snow  fell  con- 
tinuously for  three  days.  One  could  not  see 
three  feet  ahead.  The  settlers  had  big  losses 
through  this  storm.  This  visitation  was  soon 
followed  by  the  grasshopper  sieges  —  several 
years  in  succession.  The  pest  devoured  alii 
of  the  com,  oats,  and  wheat  that  was  planted 
and  in  course  of  maturing.  The  atmosphere! 
was  so  filled  with  them  that  the  sun  was  no 
more  visible. 

Prairie  fires  were  another  source  of  great 
danger  to  the  early  settlers  in  this   township] 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


161 


They  sometimes  came  with  such  rapidity  that 
it  was  difficult  to  get  out  of  their  way  or  start 
back  fires  and  save  what  little  property  we 
had.  I  remember  one  particular  incident  well. 
I  was  taking  a  load  of  hay  from  my  farm  to 
Grand  Island.  The  fire  came  from  the  south- 
west and  in  an  angle  with  the  St.  Paul  road. 
Chas.  Stolley  came  and  called  to  me,  asking 
me  to  take  him  along  and  out  of  danger.  We 
were  compelled  to  urge  the  horses  into  their 
utmost  speed  to  get  out  of  range  of  the  ad- 
vancing fire,  and  finally  made  it. 

A  roster  of   early   land   holders   in   Lake, 
prior  to  1890,  shows : 
j       Albert  Quetidt,  John  Quendt,  David  Mar- 
:    tin,    Wilhelm     Guenther,     Frederick     Otto, 
|    Charles  Stolle,  John  Nehls,  Peter  Mohr,  Peter 
I    Mohr  Jr.,  John  Mohr,  H.  Niemoth,  John  Nie- 
|    moth,   Fritz    Suehlsen,   Fred   Winter,   Louis 
!    Vogel,  Fred  Wiegert,  L.  Buckfinch,  C.  Buck- 
finch,  A.   C.    F.   Wendt,   Henry   C.   Ahrens, 
Hans  Stoldt,  Jac.  Lorentzen,  J.  J.  Lorentzen, 
R  Suehlsen,  Herman  C.  Mocller,  Cecil  Sei- 
bm,  John  A.  Roff,  H.  C.  Moeller,  Charles 
Mettenbrink,     Kasper    Hongsermeier,    J .   J. 
Banmgardner,  Adam  Windolph,  H.  E.  Kent, 
£  C.  Walker,  Charles  Niemoth,  Fred  Spat- 
hold,  Isak  Olson,  Alex  Thompson,  Ernest  P. 
Rogers,  C.   F.  Beyer,  Fred  Loescher,  R.  L. 
Sparks,  Carl  Diechman,  E.  J.  Ludwig,  G.  M. 
i  Watson. 

TOWNSHIP  GOVERNMENT 
Township  offices  are  not  usually  very 
ieenly  sought,  nor  sometimes  considered  such 
high  honors.  But,  nevertheless,  it  is  unques- 
tionably the  few  men  in  any  given  township 
who  will  year  after  year  discharge  the  duties 
of  township  clerk,  treasurer,  assessor,  justice 
of  the  peace,  or  road  overseer  who  constitute 
the  foundation  stone  of  an  individual  struc- 
ture for  that  township.  The  American  town- 
ship is  a  unit  small  enough  to  cement  the 
neighborhood  within  its  borders  into  a  com- 
jfflunity  with  distinctive  individuality.  This 
was  perhaps  never  more  strikingly  and  con- 
cretely illustrated  than  in  the  late  war  when 
the  plan  was  universally  resorted  to  of  divid- 
ing the  county's  quota  in  each  campaign  and 
drive  into   township  quotas.     The  townships 


then  entered  into  a  friendly,  but  nevertheless, 
sincerely  keen  rivalry  to  gain  early  place  in 
answering  their  quota  and  an  honorable  record 
in  exceeding  it. 

FIRST  DIVISION 
Prior  to  1872  the  county  was  not  divided 
into  townships,  but  into  three  precincts.  Elec- 
tion officials,  road  workers,  and  various  public 
servants  were  selected  from  these  respective 
precints.  As  a  fairly  accurate  indication  of 
the  personnel  of  the  residents  of  this  division, 
the  following  two  lists  are  incorporated  to 
show  who  were  the  registered  voters  in  April, 
1871,  of  the  first  and  second  precincts.  This, 
no  doubt,  was  not  a  complete  list  of  voters  in 
eother  precint  for  the  precinct  registrar  sat  on 
later  dates  to  recieve  further  registration. 

Precinct  1,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Registrar 
Abbott  A.,  Asterp  L-  B.(  Beall  Enos,  Bunx 
James  Boehm  P.,  Berherns  H.,  Brumstette  B., 
Becker  F.,  Bunz  John,  Chapman  H.  N.,  Camp- 
bell William.,  Cleary  James,  Dall  J.  F.,  Dietz 
Phillip,  Engel  L.,  Egge  H,  Felt  Joseph,  Forney 
John,  Felsov  H.,  Graham  John  W.,  Grammlar 
J.,  Grotzsky  C,  Hooper  E.,  Hald  Hugo,  Hagge 
William,  Hensley  J.  P.,  Hann  John,  Hunter 
J.  D.,  Hurley  William,  Hansen  C,  Hey  James, 
Jordon  R.  C,  Jenzen  John,  Johnson  W.  C, 
Johnson  Ben,  Koenig  H.  A.,  Kraft  John, 
Arnold  E.  W.,  Adams  C.  W-,  Borsen  H., 
Baumer  H.,  Bergfelt  P.,  Baldwin  J,  Baylor 
P.  H.,  Buderus  W.  C,  Hishoff  John,  Cronan 
Edw.,  Clark  Joe  H.,  Cochran  J.  W.,  Detlef- 
scheel  C,  Engel  A.,  Englike  C,  Fredericksen 
M.,  Froberg  R.,  Giesse  H.,  Groner  C.  F.,  Greve 
J.,  Hutchinson  F.,  Hollingshed,  Hanchitt  L. 
J.,  Handy  H.  P.,  Hepner  A.,  Heesch  P.,  Hare 
S.,  Hamilton  H.  G.,  Jones  John  W.,  Jenemer 
J.,  Johnson  A.  C,  Johnkee  John,  Keuscher  A. 
H.,  Kilian  Joseph,  Kelley  P.,  Klinger  G.,  Kruse 
H.,  Kelley  S.,  Lloyd  W.,  Lillienthat  C.  J., 
Larsen  Chris,  Lilienthal  H.,  Mitchell  R.,  Mil- 
sen  C,  Moll  T.,  Moeller  F.,  McAllister  W.  R„ 
Meves  Claus,  Marquette  D.,  Miller  Jacob, 
Mobley  S.  P.,  Mohr  P.  Sr,  Mohr  J.,  Meth  J. 
E.,  McArthy  P.  B.,  Norris  J.  F.,  Obermtller 
Hans,  Oldsen  John,  Peterson  Peter,  Peterson 
H.  A.,  Pamell  M.,  Rief  Henry,  Rief  S.,  Ridell 


162 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


C.  W.,  Rauert  N.,  Rollins  S.  A.,  Rief  C, 
Ridell  C,  Ruge  Hans,  Kuehl  P.,  Kauser  Fred, 
Kelly  B.  B.,  Kosborie  C.  K.,  Loan  Geo.,  Lar- 
sen  Jno.,  Lillienth  All  C.  Lorenzen  P.  Michel- 
son  Jas.  Melson  L.,  Morclter  G.,  Makely  H. 
P.,  Menck  C.  H.,  Matthewson  F.,  Moore  J. 
D.,  Marler  D.  E.,  Morrow  J., 
Meunch  E.,  Mohr  P.,  McKenzie  George, 
McKay  H.,  Murray  John,  Nelson  N.  P.,  Na- 
gey  H.  G.,  Obermiller  Claus,  Ottman  John, 
Obermiller  John,  Piatt  W.  H.,  Prahm 
E.,  Peterson  P.  C,  Riss  John,  Reif 
L.,  Renicken  C ,  Roeder  W.,  Rogers  J., 
Rueter  D„  Rief  Hans,  Ruff  John  A.,  Sass  D.. 
Spiker  Wm,  Stuhr  P.,  Schaurup  E.  A., 
Scherzberg  C,  Stark  Fritz,  Scherzberg  H.  C. 
Schuey  W,  Spafford  W.  H.,  Shoemaker  J., 
Sharpless  O.  B.,  Stelk  M..  Schuller  J.  D., 
Schaaff  H.,  Stolley  A.,  Suhr  John,  Seier  John, 
Saxe  G.  L.,  Schuey  F„  Thurwell  Geo.  H., 
Thompson  W.  L.,  Thurwolt  Geo.,  Tout  J., 
Thiessen  C,  Thomas  C.  W.,  Thorspecken  A., 
Timike  H.,  Tribsch  T.,  Thompson  P. 
D.,  Unger  C,  Voitl  P.,  Van  Vleet  H., 
Voss  J.,  Wallichs  John,  Windolph  John, 
Wilson  G.  E-,  Wiebe  F.  A.,  Wendt  A., 
Wolcott  E.,  Waugh  R.,  Pohnks  H. 

Second  precinct,  Fred  Roby  Registrar. 

Arp  Hans,  Bon  son  Nic,  Bonson  Asmus, 
Boehl  Chas.,  Boehl  John,  Boehl  Joachim,  Bock- 
man  H.,  Buchmann  Aug,  Berhens  Hans,  Brok- 
man  Claus,  Bergfelt  Peter,  Boach  Adolph, 
Doty  Wallace  W.,  Ewoldt  Cai,  Ewoldt  Hans, 
Engle  William,  Gardner  George  G.,  Garn 
Henry,  Hann  Christian,  Hann  Carl,  Han- 
sen N.  V.,  Hans  Frank,  Hause  John, 
Lorenzen  Geo,.  Lorenzen  Louis,  Loren- 
zen John,  Lamb  W.  H,.  Ludemann  John, 
Murdock  Phineas,  Moeller  Carl,  Mahn 
Carl,  Majors  John,  Moodly  George,  Ohlsen 
John  C,  Peper  Heinrich,  Pehrs  John,  Pehrs 
Peter,  Powell  Luther,  Powell  Wm.,  Pein 
Peter,  Roby  Fred,  Rooney  Pat,  Rauert  Nie, 
Stuhr  Claus  H.,  Sihvel  Henry,  Stoltenberg  C, 
Schimmer  Martin,  Shoemaker  Jesse,  Shoe- 
maker Elisha,  Thompson  John,  Thompson 
Claus,  Tiedge  Peter  H.,  Wiese  Fritz,  Wrage 
Hans,  Wainright  D.  J.,  Wiesman  John. 

After  1872  the  county  began  to  be  divided 


into  various  precincts,  and  the  different  com- 
munities began  to  take  on  individual  form 
along  the  lines  that  the  township  eventually 
emerged.  In  the  fall  of  1872  the  call  for  the 
general  election  embraced  four  precincts,  with 
the  fourth  located  around  Martinsville. 

In  the  fall  of  1874  the  election  notice  called 
for  elections  at  an  increased  number  of  pre- 
cincts. Several  names  appeared  for  these  pre- 
cincts that  afterwards  attached  to  various 
townships,  namely:  Grand  Island,  Prairie 
Creek,  Alda,  South  Loup,  Wood  River,  South 
Platte,  and  Martinsville.  Among  officers 
elected  at  that  time  for  various  precincts  were: 
Assessors,  H.  C.  Denman,  South  Platte,  A.  V. 
Potter,  Prairie  Creek,  W.  H.  Harrison,  Alda, 
Anthony  Moore,  Wood  River,  Isaac  Madltck 
(appointed)  for  Martinsville.  L-  J.  Abbott  for 
Wood  River  and  Lester  Houghton  for  South 
Platte  as  road  overseers.  Showing  the  rela- 
tive importance  of  the  various  precincts,  it 
might  be  noted  that  the  1874  elections  showed 
302  votes  cast  in  Grand  Island  precint,  140  in 
Alda,  67  in  South  Loup,  48  in  South  Platte. 
56  in  Prairie  Creek,  and  133  in  Wood  River. 

The  election  of  1876  was  held  along  the 
same  precint  divisions,  and  on  the  question 
of  township  organization  showed  a  vote  of 
628  for  and  157  against.  Assessors  who 
served  in  the  spring  of  1877  along  the  old  line 
of  organization  were:  A.  A.  Lyon,  South 
Platte,  N.  M.  Depue,  Prairie  Creek,  Anthony 
Moore,  Wood  River,  R.  C.  Perkins,  South 
Loup,  Henry  Giese,  Grand  Island,  and  A. 
Bordon,  Martinsville.  No  organization  along 
different  townships  was  effected  during  1877 
and  when  the  call  was  issued  that  fall  for  a 
general  election  it  designated  the  same  seven 
precints.  On  a  vote  on  township  organization 
at  the  election  of  November  6,  1877,  a  major- 
ity of  478  was  shown  in  favor. 

The  following  township  organization  was 
then  named : 

1st,  Washington,  comprising  all  of  township 
1 1  range  9,  and  township  10  range  9,  north  of 
river ;  practically  the  present  Washington 
township. 

2nd,  Lake,  all  of  township  12,  range  9 ;  pres- 
ent  Lake  township. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


3rd,  Prairie  Creek,  township  12,  range  10, 
present  Prairie  Creek. 

4(h  Mayfield,  12,  range  11,  (present  May- 
fleld). 

5th,  South  Loup,  12,  range  12  (present 
South  Loup). 

6th,  Lee,  11,  range  12  (present  Cameron 
township) . 

7th,  Zurich,  11,  range  11  (present  Harrison 
township) . 

8th,  Sheridan,  11,  range  10  (present  Center 
township) . 

9th,  Alda,  10,  range  10  (present  Alda  town- 
ship). 

10th,  Wood  River,  along  lines  of  present 
Wood  River  township. 

11th,  Union,   range    12,   township    10,   along 
lines  of  present  Jackson  township. 
12th,    Martinsville,    along    lines    of    present 
Martin  township. 

13th,  Grant,  along  lines  of  present  South 
Platte  township. 

14th,  South  Platte,  along  lines  of  south  end 
of  present  Doniphan  township  in  southeast 
corner  of  county. 

15th,  Douglas,  along  lines  of  present  South 
Platte  township. 

Before  the  county  board  appointed  under 
this  arrangement  could  qualify  the  supreme 
court  handed  down  an  act  declaring  the  legis- 
lative act  under  which  the  said  organization 
was  created  unconstitutional.  In  the  mean- 
time the  board  had  appointed  for  each  town- 
ship a  set  of  officers. '  This  list  might  be 
mainly  valuable  to  show  who  were  the  lead- 
ing and  active  spirits  in  local  governmental 
affairs  of  the  county  at  that  time : 

Union :  Supervisor,  Patrick  Nevills ;  clerk, 
Patrick  Moore ;  Treasurer,  Issah  Lewton ;  road 
oversear,  Edward  O'Brien;  justices  of  the 
peace,  E.  F.  Jonte,  Geo.  H.  Peck;  constables, 
J.  Ross,  J.  Dunn. 

Wood  River:  Supervisor,  N.  T.  Britton; 
clerk  Chas.  E.  Towne;  assessor,  Stephen 
Jones ;  Treasurer,  David  Barrick ;  road  over- 
seer, James  Tracy ;  justices  of  the  peace,  John 
G.  Schaupp,  J.  B;  Firman ;  constables  Wm. 
G.  Eldridge,  H.  Jones. 

Zurich:  Supervisor,  W.  H.  Harrison; 
clerk,  t  Jas.    A.   Veeder;  assessor,   Henry   W. 


High;  treasurer,  J.  H.  Leonar 
John  L.  Johnson ;  justices  of 
Richard  and  Lafayette  Martir 
Jesse  Boring  and  O.  H.  Taylo 

Mayfield :  Supervisor,  Wi 
clerk,  W.  C.  Calvert ;  assessoi 
treasurer,  J.  C.  Bishop;  road 
Alford ;  justices  of  the  peac 
Geo.  P.  Dean ;  constables,  Eu 
Wm.  E.  Preston. 

Sheridan :  Supervisor,  Ira 
Wm.  A.  Gillett;  treasurer,  G 
assessor,  Edgar  Varney;  justi 
John  Leckenby  and  Jacob  f 
stables,  James  Walsh  and  Mi 

Alda:  Supervisor,  Williai 
Henry  Lamb;  treasurer,  S< 
assessor,  Z.  H.  Denman,  Sr. 
peace,  Andrew  Hofmeister, 
constables,  Peter  Pehrs  and  I 

South  Loup:  Supervisor,  J. 
J.  T.  Mahaffie;  treasurer  '. 
assessor,  Geo.  Bellany;  justk 
T.  P.  Rundlett  and  Calvin 
stables,Edward  S.  Rundlett  ; 

Cameron :  Supervisor,  S.  1 
J.  B.  Stephens;  assessor, 
treasurer,  Lester  Houghton; 
S.  K.  Guy;  justices  of  the  pe 
rich  and  H.  C.  Streator;  const 
and  S.  H.  Rader. 

Martinsville :  Supervisor,  ; 
clerk,  Wm.  H.  Austin ;  tr 
Miller;  assessor,  O.  F.  Foote 
Austin  Wilson ;  justices  of  tb 
cott  and  D.  J.  J.  Hornbeck ; 
H.  Sweeting  and  James  Gow 

Grant:  Supervisor,  J.  M 
George  Humphrey;  treasure 
assessor,  Wm.  Olthoff ;  road  ( 
Britt;  justices  of  the  peace,  I 
John  Walker;  constobles,  J.  I 
John  Creason. 

South  Platte :  Supervisor 
clerk,  Geo.  H.  LaMonte ; 
Reese ;  assessor,  S.  L.  Louck; 
Jacob  Mushrush ;  justices  of 
Orcutt  and  S.  S.  Shultz;  cor 
Caldwell  and  Geo.  W.  Burg 

Douglas:     Supervisor,  Hei 


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164 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


clerk,  S.  Smith;  treasurer,  W.  J.  Burger; 
assessor,  Martin  Ennis ;  road  overseer,  D. 
Whittecar ;  justices  of  the  peace,  Walter  Smith 
and  Moorefield ;  constables,  Joseph  Hilton  and 
C.  Lowery. 

Washington :  Supervisor,  Wm.  Larrabee ; 
clerk,  D.  M.  Amsberry ;  treasurer,  Fred  Roby; 
assessor,  Henry  Geise;  road  overseer,  Christ- 
ian Menck 

Grand  Island  City:  Supervisors,  1st  ward, 
H.  P.  Makely,  2nd  ward,  C.  E.  Jerome,  3rd 
ward,  James  Cleary,  and  4th  ward,  C.  E. 
Lykke. 

Lake:     Supervisor,  E.   C.   Walker;  clerk, 

A.  D.  Tilley;  assessor,  Frederick  Suehlsen; 
treasurer,  Frederick  Locscher;  road  overseer, 
Peter  Mohr;  pustices  of  the  peace,  Emerson 
Rogers  and  H.  E.  Kent ;  constables,  Chas. 
Peterson  and  Dunning  Giccu. 

It  became  necessary  to  appoint  a  new  set  of 
officers  along  the  old  precinct  lines,  and  among 
these  many  named  above  were  listed. 

The  fall  election  of  1878  brought  into  office, 
among  others,  the  following: 

Justice  of  Peace:  J.  H.  Hulitt,  South  Loup, 
Lucas  Henry,  South  Platte,  J.  H.  Bliss,  Wood 
River,  Russell  L.  Bruce,  Martinsville,  Edwin 
S.  Lee,  South  Loup,  Austin  L.  Smith,  South 
Platte,  C.  S.  Ellison,  South  Platte,  John  Leck- 
enby,  Alda.  Constables :  David  Barrick, 
Wood  River,  Jos.  T.  Ross,  Wood  River,  John 

B.  Stevens,  South  Loup,  M.  H.  Gideon,  South 
Platte,  Henry  A.  Gallup,  Alda,  Edward  Rund- 
lett,  South  Loup.     Road  Supervisors:  Geo. 

C.  Humphrey  (county  assessor  in  1919), 
South  Platte.  John  Leckenby,  Alda,  Edw. 
O'Brien,  Wood  River,  S.  K.  Guy,  South  Loup. 
Assessors:  E.  M.  Burger,  South  Platte,  John 
A.  Demaree,  Martinsville,  Z.  H.  Denman, 
Alda,  Fred  Roby,  Grand  Island,  Haydn 
strong.  South  Loup,  Anthony  Moore,  Wood 
River. 

During  1879  and  1880  several  new  precincts 
were  formed,  and  the  call  for  an  election  in  the 
fall  of  1880  designated  the  following  voting 
precincts:  Grand  Island,  Piairie  Creek,  Lake, 
Alda,  Cameron,  South  Loup,  Wood  River, 
Martinsville  and  South  Platte,  By  1882  more 
townships  had  joined  the  list  and  among  the 


officers  elected  were :  Assessors,  M.  Murphy, 
A.  H.  Wilhelm,  and  F.  M.  Claflin  for  East, 
West  and  North  Grand  Island,  W.  C.  Mullen, 
Alda,  John  O'Connor,  Wood  River,  J.  Demary, 
South  Platte,  S.  Veeder,  South  Loup,  T.  VV. 
Dodd,  Cameron,  Z.  Avery,  Martinsville,  N. 
M.  DePue,  Prairie  Creek,  Frederick  Suehlsen, 
Lake,  W.  H.  Harrison,  Harrison,  C.  L.  Alford, 
Mayfield,  Patrick  Nevills,  Jackson,  and  M.  V. 
Marsh,  Doniphan,  By  1889  the  list  had  de- 
veloped until  it  included  all  of  the  present 
townships.  Inasmuch  as  all  of  the  present 
existing  township  units  of  the  county  are  thus 
more  than  thirty  years  old  it  would  be  imprac- 
ticable to  continue  the  list  of  local  officers, 
however  derstrable  such  a  roll  of  honor 
would  be. 

In  closing  this  phase  of  township  history 
it  will  not  be  amiss  to  record  a  list  of  citizens 
of  the  various  townships  who  are  carrying 
the  responsibilities  of  local  government  at  this 
time,  in  1919. 

Lake :  Clerk,  Henry  Stolle ;  treasurer,  Al- 
bert Quandt;  justice,  Chas  Mettenbrink;  road 
overseer,  Fred  Moeller. 

Prairie  Creek  Clerk,  Chas.  Rauert;  treas- 
urer, Aug.  Helmbrecht;  justice  Geo.  Geisen- 
hagen;  road  overseer,  Geo.  Schroeder. 

Mayfield:  Clerk,  Max  J.  Voss;  treasurer, 
T.  F.  Shoopman ;  road  overseers,  Ernest 
Meyer,  Peter  Shultz. 

South  Loup:  Clerk,  J.  R.  Herrick; 
treasurer,  Ray  Green ;  Justice,  F.  A  .Meith  Sr.; 
road  overseer,  M.  A.  Benton. 
Cameron :  Clerk,  W.  J.  Porter ;  treasurer,  C. 
O.  Jameyson;  justice,  E.  S.  Lee;  road  overseer 
H.  A.  Powers. 

Cameron :  Clerk,  R.  L.  Harrison ;  treasur- 
er, John  Martin;  justice,  Edw.  Sprague;  road 
overseer,  Thos.  Caveny. 

Center :  Clerk,  Jos.  Black ;  treasurer,,  W. 
W.  Rouse;  justice,  Wm.  Friesman;  road  over- 
seer C  .E.  Ross. 

Washington:  Clerk,  Aug.  Schimmer;  treas- 
urer, John  Schuller;  justice,  W.  A.  Hagge 
Jr. ;  road  overseer,  Ernest  Reher. 

Alda :  Clerk,  Henry  Duettner ;  treasurer, 
John  Thompson ;  justice,  Rudolph  Sass. 

Wood    River:       Clerk,    W.    H.    Packer; 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  165 

treasurer,   M.   L.    Wiseman;   road   overseer,     Sam  W.  Wells;  justice,  M.  L.  Moors;  road 
John  J.  Carey.  overseer,  L.  E.  Saddler. 


Jackson:    Clerk,  L.  A.  Watson;  treasurer,         South  Platte:    Clerk,  W.  M.  Gideon. 
W.  E.  Moore ;  road  overseers,  W.  J.  Riesland,         Doniphan :     Clerk,  T.  S.  Hackler ;  treas- 

Luther  Wiseman.  _  urer,  C  -M.  Carlson ;  road  overseer,  W.  D. 

Martin:     Clerk,   E.   E.   Young,   treasurer,  Perkey. 


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CHAPTER  IX 

ORGANIZATION  AND  GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  COUNTY 

Establishment  of  the  County  —  Book  "A",  Commissioners  Records  —  Early  Proceed- 
ings of  the  Board  —  Platte  River  Bridge  —  Building  a  Court  House  —  Proceedings 
from  1873  —  Township  Organization  —  Subsequent     County     Boards  —  New     Court 
House  —  County    Clerks  —  Clerks  of    District  Court  —  Sheriffs  —  County  Judges  — 
Superintendent  of  Schools  —  Supervisors  —  Coroners  —  County  Attorneys  — 
Volume  of  Work  in  County  Offices  Now  —  Report  of  County  Attorney's 
Office  —  Tax  Levy  for  1919  —  Fiftieth  Semi-Centennial  Celebration  1907 


ESTABLISHMENT  OF  THE  COUNTY 
As  established  by  the  act  of  November  4, 
1858,  Hall  County  extended  "From  the 
northeast  corner  of  township  16  north,  range 
9  west,  south  to  the  southern  bank  of  the 
Platte  River,  west  along  the  riyer  to  the  west 
line  of  range  12  west,  north  with  that  line  to 
the  northwest  corner  of  township  16,  range 
2,  and  east  with  the  line  of  the  fourth  par- 
allel to  the  place  of  beginning."  That  act 
did  not  consider  the  county  seat  or  its  loca- 
tion. The  above  description  included  that 
part  of  Hall  County  as  it  now  exists  lying 
north  of  the  southern  bank  of  the  Platte  River 
and  virtually  all  of  the  present  Howard 
County.  On  February  24,  1864,  the  boundaries 
were  re-defined,  but  the  act  was  repealed  on 
February  15  following.  On  March  1,  1871, 
a  third  act  received  approval,  which  estab- 
lished the  territory  comprised  in  townships 
9,  10,  11,  and  12  north,  in  ranges  9,  10,  11 
and  12  west,  as  a  county  under  the  title  of 
Hall.  At  this  time  the  territory  south  of  the 
river,  now  a  part  of  Hall,  was  thereby  added 
to  it,  and  the  territory  which  now  comprises 
Howard  County  was  taken  away  from  Hall. 
Parts  of  Buffalo  and  Dawson  counties  which 
before  definite  organization  had  been  thrown 
in  with  Hall  had  been  taken  away  before  then 
and  definitely  organized  into  separate  counties. 
The   following  letter,  dated  Executive  De- 


partment, Omaha  City,  Nebraska,  December 
9,    1858,   conveyed   the    information    of    the 
organization    of    the   county's   working    ma- 
chinery to 
"Hon.  Richard  Barnard, 

'Dear  Sir 

"I  have  this  day  appointed  the  following 
officers  in  and  for  the  County  of  Hall  in  this 
Territory : 

"For  County  judge,  Richard  C.  Barnard; 
Sheriff,  Herman  Vasold ;  Recorder,  Theodore 
F.  Nagel;  Justice  of  the  Peace.  William  A. 
Hagge ;  Treasurer,  Isaac  Thomas ;  County 
Commissioners,  Frederick  Hedde,  Daniel  B. 
Crocker,  Hans  Vieregg;  Constables,  George 
Shultz,  Christian  Menck. 

"Your  commissions  will  be  forwarded  to 
you  by  John  McCorcihe,  Esq.,  private  sec- 
retary, by  same  mail  herewith. 

"In  relation  to  your  taking  the  oath  of 
office,  giving  bonds,  etc.,  you  are  referred  for 
your  guide  to  the  statutes  of  55,  56  and  57 
which  I  believe  were  forwarded  to  you  some- 
time since  by  Hon.  J.  A.  Parker,  Jr.,  register 
of  the  land  office  at  this  place. 
"Very  Respectfully 
"Your  Obt.  Servt. 

"J.  Sterling  Morton, 

"Secretary  and  Acting  Governor  of 

Nebraska  Territory." 

William   Stolley,   in  his  centennial   article,! 


zcdbyGoOgl 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


167 


stated  that  upon  the  organization  of  the 
county,  in  1859,  the  first  officers  elected  were : 
Probate  judge,  Fred  Hedde;  county  clerk, 
Theo.  Nagel ;  county  commissioners,  Hans 
Wrage,  James  Vieregg,  Henry  Egge ;  justices 
of  the  peace,  William  Stolley,  R.  C.  Barnard ; 
sheriff,  Herman  Vasold;  treasurer,  Christian 
Andresen ;  assessor,  Frederick  Doll ;  con- 
stables, Christian  Menck,  Matthias  Gries. 

FIRST  RECORDS 

The  first  pages  of  Book  "A"  of  Commis- 
sioners' Records  are  occupied  by  Frederick 
Hedde's  docket. 

The  first  entry  made  appears:  "November 
8th,  1862.  Today  appeared  Johannes  Wal- 
lichs,  who  at  the  late  election,  held  October 
14th,  1862  in  Hall  Co.  was  elected  justice  of 
the  peace  and  wished  to  be  sworn  in."  On 
November  28,  1862,  Joachim  Selkin  took  the 
oath  as  constable  and  on  December  1,  1862, 
Theodore  Nagel  was  swom  in  as  commis- 
sioner. The  first  case  in  his  court  is  entitled 
Philip  Feldman  vs.  John  Windolph,  the 
former  demanding  $75  from  Windolph  for 
opening  a  letter  belonging  to  plaintiff  and  fail- 
ing to  forward  it.  In  September  Jacob  Weidig 
charged  Charles  Peterson  with  threatening 
to  kill,  but  witnesses  failing  to  prove  such 
charge  the  defendant  was  set  at  liberty.  On 
October  14,  1863,  Charles  Boehl  sued  John 
Verges  for  $48.25,  consideration  for  mowing 
and  raking  hay  as  employee  of  Verges.  The 
hearing  of  this  case  occupied  the  attention  of 
trie  court  for  three  days,  and  resulted  in  a 
judgment  for  plaintiff  in  the  sum  of  $39.20 
and  costs.  Justice  Hedde  was  a  "squire"  in 
all  respects,  for  on  November  12,  1863,  he 
recorded :  "Today  were  married  by  me : 
James  Harrison  and  Lucinda  Shoemaker,  in 
tlie  presence  of  Henry  Leach  and  Amanda 
Hurley  —  License  given  in  absence  of  probate 
judge,  by  Co.  Clerk,  F.  Evans." 
I  On  March  1,  1869,  Justice  Hedde  married 
.  Henry  Schoel  and  Mary  Becker,  and  the  next 
entry  records  a  complaint  filed  against  Charles 
Peterson  for  threatening  to  kill  John  Win- 
dolph. Charles  Peterson  signed  an  abject 
apology  which  Windolph  declared  he  was  sat- 


isfied with,  and  the  proceedings  were  dropped. 
On  March  20,  1864,  John  H.  Staats  and 
Sophia  Wilson  were  joined  in  the  bonds  of 
matrimony.  William  Wasmer  and  Fred 
Bhonsan  complained  that  their  fences  were 
destroyed  and  posts  carried  away  by  certain 
unknown  parties.  On  May  15,  1864,  the1 
justice  journeyed  to  the  house  of  Mr.  Knapp 
at  Wood  River  and  joined  in  matrimony 
Cornelius  Hurley  to  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Owens. 
In  June  a  jury  in  justice  court  gave  John 
Moser  a  $15  judgment  against  J.  Michelson. 
William  Behrens  took  his  oath  of  office  as 
justice  of  the  peace,  on  November  4,  Justice 
Hedde  performed  the  ceremony  of  marriage 
for  Johannes  A.  Wallichs  and  Gretje  Sahn, 
and  on  December  23,  1864,  signed  his  name 
for  the  last  entry  as  justice  of  the  peace.  On 
April  2,  1865,  Justice  Behrens  made  his  first 
entry,  recording  the  marriage  of  Hascall 
Skinner  and  Mary  J.  Mitchell,  and  on  May 
26,  brought  like  happiness  to  Marx  Stelk  and 
Antje  Ruger. 

The  first  record  of  the  commissioners  is 
dated  at  Grand  Island,  January  7,  1867,  when 
the  county  was  divided  into  three  precincts. 
William  Hagge  was  appointed  assessor  for 
precinct  No.  1,  John  Wallichs  for  No.  2,  and 
William  Eldridge  for  No.  3 ;  Dr.  Joseph  Reese 
was  appointed  county  attorney  at  $100  per 
annum;  a  license  fee  of  $25  for  every  dealer 
in  liquors  was  ordered  to  be  collected  and  the 
proceeds  applied  to  the  schools  funds.  On 
April  8,  1867,  licenses  were  issued  to  seven 
persons,  and  an  eighth  person,  Charles  Hyler, 
ordered  to  take  out  one.  The  original  seven 
were  Fred  Hedde,  Koenig  &  Wiebe,  J.  D: 
Schuler,  H.  Stevens,  M.  S.  Hall,  John  Seiers, 
J.  Killian. 

The  commissioners  at  that  time  were  Hans 
Wrage,  Dr.  A.  Thorspecken,  and  Chris 
Wasmer,  with  Fred  Evans  clerk  and  W.  H. 
Piatt  deputy  clerk.  In  July  the  total  valuation 
of  the  county  was  $144,793  on  which  a  county 
tax  of  six  mills  was  ordered  to  be  levied  and 
an  equal  tax  on  the  value  of  Buffalo  County, 
then  only  $21250.  It  is  of  interest  to  divert 
at  this  point  long  enough  to  show  the  develop- 
ment of   the  county   in   the  next  ten  years. 


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168 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


From  the  valuation  returned  in  1867  of 
$144,793,  it  had  grown  in  1871  to  $695,071 ; 
1872,  $949,473;  1873,  $1,276,955;  1874, 
$1,554,955;  in  1875  there  was  a  decrease 
shown,  falling  to  $1,528,155,  and  in  1876, 
still  lower,  to  $1,379,909,  a  mark,  no  doubt, 
of  the  grasshopper  devastation ;  in  1877  the 
total  again  went  up  to  $1,608,230;  in  1878  it 
was  $1,712,733.  Thereafter  it  gained  so  that 
in  1879  it  was  $1,815,280,  and  in  1880, 
$1,919,069;  in  1892  it  was  $3,109,260,  a  de- 
crease of  $200,602  from  the  assessment  of 
1891 ;  in  1893  it  was  $3,082,400,  but  in  1894 
it  dropped  to  $2,599,520,  a  decrease  of 
$482,880. 

EARLY  PROCEEDINGS  OF  THE  BOARD 
On  July  1,  1867,  the  board  ordered  the 
county  clerk  to  procure  at  the  county's  ex- 
pense one  book  for  records,  one  for  roads, 
one  county  map,  one  county  order  book,  and 
one  blank  book  for  county  orders.  Augustus 
Schernkau  was  appointed  commissioner  to 
locate  one  county  road  running  east  and  west 
through  the  county  and  one  from  Grand 
Island  station  to  Grand  Island.  Joseph  Reece 
was  dismissed  as  county  attorney.  Bills  for 
services  were  allowed  to  Wm.  H.  Mitchell, 
acting  justice  of  peace,  to  Probate  Judge 
Mitchell,  to  Hugo  Hald  as  county  surveyor, 
A.  Thorspecken  as  coroner,  and  Clerk  Evans, 
also  to  O.  A.  Abbott  and  Fred  Evans  for  serv- 
ices as  registers  of  voters  in  the  first  and 
second  precincts.  Commissioner  Wasmer  re- 
signed, and  in  January,  1868,  Commissioners 
James  Jackson  and  Hans  Wrage  met  and 
transacted  considerable  business.  Enos  Beall 
was  appointed  school  examiner,  and  Fred  A. 
Wiebe  was  elected  commissioner  vice  Was- 
mer. John  Wallichs  succeeded  Evans  as  clerk. 
On  August  4,  1868,  the  board  met  and  con- 
sidered an  offer  made  by  the  Union  Pacific 
railroad  through  S.  C.  House,  "To  take  in  ex- 
change for  that  portion  of  school  section  16, 
town  1  north,  range  9  west,  which  is  now 
occupied  and  laid  out  as  the  town  of  Grand 
Island  station,  the  nearest  railroad  land  to  the 
said  town  of  Grand  Island  station,  that  is,  so 
many  acres  as  said  company  has  laid  out  at 


the  above  town  site."  On  August  25th,  action 
for  the  purpose  of  attaching  unorganized 
counties  west  of  Hall  to  the  state  for  election 
purposes  was  postponed,  but  Buffalo  County 
was  set  off  as  Buffalo  precinct  and  Dawson 
County  as  Dawson  precinct  of  Hall  County. 

In  September  the  board  took  action  on  the 
county  seat  matter  and  called  an  election  for 
October  13,  1868,  to  vote  upon  the  county 
seat  question  and  a  two  mill  levy  for  a  count} 
jail.  Enos  Beall,  Robert  Mitchell,  and  Mr. 
Voitle  were  appointed  judges  and  O.  A.  Abbott 
and  Wm.  H.  Piatt,  clerks  for  the  first  pre- 
cinct; Cai  Ewolt,  N.  Hansen  and  C.  Stolten- 
berg  were  appointed  judges  and  Wm.  Sey- 
mour and  F.  Roby  as  clerks  for  the  second 
precinct.  A.  Moon,  S.  T.  Reese  and  A.  F. 
Beaman  were  named  judges  and  S.  E.  Cook 
and  T.  Moore  clerks  for  the  third  precinct. 
The  board  made  a  request  in  October  to  Judge 
Crounze  to  hold  a  term  of  district  court  in 
Hall  County  as  soon  as  convenient  and  the 
clerk  was  ordered  to  procure  records  for  the 
district  court.  On  October  31,  the  board 
found  that  the  county  seat  was  located  at 
Grand  Island  station,  and  the  clerk  was 
ordered  to  give  notice  of  that  fact. 

O.  A.  Abbott  was  employed  as  attorney 
with  a  salary  of  $100  per  year. 

On  November  16,  1869,  the  following 
named  officers  qualified:  Probate  judge, 
Enos  Beall ;  sheriff,  Hugo  Hald ;  county  clerk. 
John  Wallichs;  treasurer,  Henry  A.  Koenig; 
justice  of  peace,  Robert  Mitchell;  road  super- 
visor, Claus  Stoltenberg.  E.  Hooper  took  , 
Commissioner  Wiebe's  place.  In  January. 
1870,  Wm.  H.  Platte  was  appointed  justice 
of  the  peace  to  fill  vacancy.  In  that  month. 
Allen  Cousins  presented  53  wolf  scalps. 
George  Williamson  eight,  and  George  Stierle 
eight.  For  some  years  prior  to  this  time  the 
county  clerk  acknowledged  receipt  of  wolf 
scalps  but  the  names  of  the  hunters  were  not 
given. 

PLATTE  RIVER  BRIDGE 
In   1870  the  question  came  up  of  issuing 
$15,000  bonds  bearing  10%  interest  to  be  ex- 
pended in  bridging  the  Platte.    A  special  dec-   | 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COU 

lion  was  called  for  May  21,  1870,  which  re-     by 
suited  in  a  majority  of  27  votes  for  the  bonds,     anc 
H.  P.  Handy  was  commissioned  to  make  a     in  1 
survey  and  examination  of  the  Platte  River,     con 
and  on  July  5,   1870,  he  was  authorized  to     jus 
contract  for  the  building  of  a  bridge   1,900     bee 
feet  in  length  on  the  line  between  ranges  9      18? 
and  10.    The  contract  was  awarded  to  Wells,     Coi 
French  &   Co.,   of   Chicago,   who   agreed   to     On 
have  the  work  completed  on  or  before  Feb-     nel 
ruary    15,     1871,    the    considerations    being 
S10.000  worth  of  bonds  on  arrival  of  material, 
and  $5,000  on  completion  of  the   work     In 
November,   1870,  a  petition  was  received  to 
lay  out  a  new  road  from  Grand  Island  station 
lo  Prairie  Creek  and  A.  Thorspecken  was  ap- 
pointed as  commissioner  to  act  upon  the  same. 
Henry  A.  Koenig  resigned  as  county  treasurer 
in  December,  1870,  and  Fred  A.  Wiebe  was 
appointed  to  fill  the  vacancy.    A  contract  for 
the  Wood   River  bridge  was  sold  to  H.   P. 
Handy  at  the  time  for  $420  consideration,  and 
the  temporary  building  for  jail  purposes  re- 
ported complete. 

In  March,  1871,  the  newly  acquired  portion 
of  Hall  County  south  of  the  Platte  River  was 
districted,  the  territory  in  range  9  being  at- 
tached to  the  first  precinct,  in  range  10  to  the 
second,  and  in  ranges  11  and  12  to  the  third 
precinct.  The  sum  of  $200  was  appropriated 
to  combat  the  Omaha  &  Northwestern  rail- 
road in  their  proceedings  for  injunction  22 
against  the  Platte  River  bridge  bill  and  H.  P.  t^( 
Handy.  da 

BUILDING  A  COURT  HOUSE  ^j, 

On  November  23,  1871,  a  petition  was  pre-  cal 

sented   by   L.   W.   Rollins  and  two  hundred  in( 

other  inhabitants  of  Hall  County  praying  the  an 

hoard  to  call  an  election  at  an  early  date  for  pn 
the  purpose  of  building  a  court  house  at  Grand 

Island  station,  and  to  vote  upon  the  issuance  so' 

of  $25,000  bonds  at  10%.    The  commissioners  $1 

called  a  special  election  for  January  9,  1872,  w; 

but  on  January  2  the  question  came  up  in  so 

another  form,  and  an  election   was  ordered  an 

for  February  15,  to  vote  $15,000  for  building  tet 

a  court  house.    On  February  22nd,  the  board  fir 

found  that  the  court  house  bonds  had  carried  N< 


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170 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


carried  an  issue  of  $5,000  10%  bonds  to  be 
applied  to  the  completion  of  the  court  house 
by  a  majority  of  thirteen  votes.  William 
Hagge  was  appointed  treasurer  to  fill  a 
vacancy  occasioned  by  the  absconding  of  the 
former  treasurer,  Charles  Ruelberg,  for  whose 
arrest  and  return  to  the  sheriff  of  Hall  County 
a  reward  of  $500  was  offered.  On  December 
10,  1872,  a  petition  was  presented  for  the  in- 
corporation of  the  town  of  Grand  Island,  and 
the  same  was  granted. 


PROCEEDINGS  f 


:  1873 


On  April  1,  1873,  Dr.  Thorspecken  was 
reengaged  as  county  physician  at  a  salary 
of  $18  per  month.  A  special  election  was 
called  on  May  1,  1873,  to  pass  upon  the  ques- 
tion of  issuing  10  per  cent  bonds  in  the  sum 
of  $10,000  to  aid  in  the  construction  of  a  mill 
on  Wood  River,  within  two  miles  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad  bridge,  but  nothing 
seems  to  have  resulted  from  this  move,  though 
the  bonds  received  a  majority  vote. 

O.  A.  Abbott  resigned  the  office  of  county 
superintendent  and  John  D.  Hayes  was  ap- 
pointed on  the  same  day. 

On  May  26th  the  clerk  was  ordered  to 
draw  a  warrant  for  $1,000  in  favor  of  James 
M.  Woolworth  to  assist  Lincoln  County  in  a 
suit  then  pending  before  the  United  States 
supreme  court  wherein  the  Union  Pacific  rail- 
road company  was  plaintiff,  in  the  event  that 
Lincoln  County  should  win  the  said  suit.  In 
July,  1873,  the  work  of  erecting  three  bridges 
over  Wood  River  was  undertaken  and  nume- 
rous new  roads  advertised.  In  August  the 
board  endorsed  resolutions  passed  in  Co- 
lumbus in  the  matter  of  the  injunction  pro- 
ceedings by  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  against 
county  treasurers  along  their  line,  and  Hall 
County  agreed  to  pay  its  pro  rata  costs  of 
defending  the  counties  against  the  railroad 
company. 

On  December  4,  1873,  an  election  was  held 
on  the  issuance  of  $90,000  of  10  per  cent 
bonds  to  aid  in  the  building  of  the  St.  Joseph 
&  Grand  Island  railroad,  when  a  majority  of 
214  votes  was  recorded  in  favor  of  such  an 
issue. 


On  January  6,  1874,  Commissioner  Peter 
Harrison  took  Jackson's  place  on  the  board. 
During  this  session  there  were  seven  voting 
precincts  established,  namely:  Grand  Island, 
Prairie  Creek,  Alda,  South  Loup,  Wood 
River,  Martinsville,  and  South  Platte.  In 
1875  Jackson  returned  to  the  board,  vice 
Cornelius,  commissioner,  and  in  1876,  Cor- 
nelius returned  vice  Hooper.  The  question  of 
issuing  $15,000  in  8  per  cent  bonds  (to  be 
known  as  the  Hall  County  Canal  Bonds,  and 
the  proceeds  to  be  expended  on  the  construc- 
tion of  a  canal  between  the  Platte  and  Wood 
rivers)  was  submitted  to  the  voters  on  May 
20,  1876,  and  rejected  by  a  vote  of  330  contra, 
140  pro.  B.  Z.  Partridge,  James  Jackson,  and 
George  Cornelius  formed  the  board  in  Decem- 
ber, 1876.  In  May,  1877,  the  commissioners 
took  steps  to  tax  lands  on  which  title  was  not 
proved,  although  the  time  had  passed  when  title 
should  issue,  with  the  object  of  forcing  such 
escapers  from  tax  paying  to  show  their  hands. 
There  were  then  fifty-six  school  districts 
listed,  all  but  nine  being  taxed  directly.  The 
people  of  Grand  Island  precinct  authorized 
the  issue  of  $8,000  in  8  per  cent  bonds  to  be 
expended  on  building  a  bridge  over  the  Platte 
in  conjuction  with  Hamilton  County.  The 
vote  was  197  for  and  93  contra.  In  August, 
1877,  C.  D.  M.  Washburn  took  the  place  of 
George  Cornelius  on  the  board  and  in  Novem- 
ber J.  W.  West  was  elected  commissioner 
with  P.  Nevills.  In  November  the  vote  on 
"Township  Organization"  gave  a  majority  in 
favor  of  the  change  of  478,  and  on  the  24th 
of  that  month  the  county  was  divided  into 
fifteen  municipal  townships,  namely:  Wash- 
ington, Lake,  Prairie  Creek,  Mayfield,  South 
Loup,  Lee,  Zurich,  Sheridan,  Alda,  Wood 
River,  Union,  Martinsville,  Grant,  South 
Platte,  and  Douglass.  The  law  was  declared 
unconstitutional,  so  the  subject  slept  for  some 
years,  and  the  old  board  of  commissioners 
stayed  on.  In  December,  1877,  Caswell  T, 
Poe  was  appointed  county  physician,  and  in 
January,  1878,  Messrs.  Partridge,  West,  and 
Nevills  were  commissioners. 

In  May  1878  Surveyor  L.  E.  Reaugh  re- 
signed and  Charles  Rief  was  appointed.    The 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


171 


board  also  appropriated  $8,000  toward  build- 
ing a  bridge  over  the  Platte  at  the  east  line 
of  Hall  County.  This  was  completed  in 
January,  1879.  A  sum  of  $200  was  appro- 
priated to  the  agricultural  society  to  be  ex- 
pended in  improving  the  fair  grounds.  In 
May,  1879,  a  proposition  to  issue  $75,000 
bonds  to  the  Hastings  &  Grand  Island  raiload, 
received  1,108  votes  for  and  470  against.  In 
1879  there  were  sixty  school  districts  of 
which  fifty-three  paid  a  direct  tax.  In  Octo- 
ber a  proposition  to  issue  $50,000  in  6  per 
cent  bonds  to  aid  in  the  building  of  the  Omaha 
and  Republican  Valley  railroad  was  submitted 
to  the  people  of  Grand  Island  and  when 
voted  upon  on  November  8th,  received  509 
votes  for  and  122  against.  On  October  9th 
the  Grand  Island  railroad  was  reported  com- 
plete and  $75,000  bonds  transferred  to  its 
proper  officers.  Work  on  the  railroad  shops 
of  the  Union  Pacific  at  Grand  Island  was 
begun  in  September,  1880.  Charles  Rief  suc- 
ceeded John  Wallichs  as  county  clerk.  In 
October,  1880,  the  question  of  expending 
§1,000  on  a  building  for  the  poor  was  ordered 
to  be  voted  on.  Z.  B.  Partridge  and  W.  H. 
West,  old  members  of  the  Board,  continued 
their  membership  in  1881  with  Joel  P.  Good- 
rich replacing  Commissioner  Nevills.  In 
March  a  cemetery  was  established  on  the 
poor  farm. 

On  July  28,  1881,  the  county  was  subdivided 
inio  the  following  voting  precincts:  Lake, 
Prairie  Creek,  Mayfield,  South  Loup,  Camer- 
on, Harrison,  Alda,  North  Grand  Island, 
East  Grand  Island,  West  Grand  Island,  Wood 
River,  Jackson,  Martinsville,  South  Platte, 
Doniphan.  Each  precint  was  established  as 
a  road  district  and  the  numerical  order  of 
townships  one  to  fifteen  being  retained  as 
the  numbers  of  such  districts  outside  of 
Grand  Island  City.  In  October,  1881,  Com- 
missioner Partridge  tried  to  resign,  but  the 
resignation  was  not  accepted.  In  November, 
Dr.  H.  B.  Lashlee  was  employed  as  county 
physician  at  an  annual  compensation  of  $85. 
In  January,  1882,  Z.  B.  Partridge  and  J.  P. 
Goodrich  remained  commissioners  with  S.  S. 
Shultz,  new  commissioner,  vice  West.     The 


estimate  of  county  expenditures  for  1882  was 
placed  at  $43,000,  and  of  the  Grand  Island 
sinking  fund  at  $3,000.  Sixty-six  school 
districts  were  reported  existing,  the  direct  tax 
ranging  from  3  to  25  mills.  The  contract 
for  county  printing  was  awarded  to  James 
Ewing  in  September  for  $100,  Dr.  Lashlee 
resigned  as  county  physician  and  his  suc- 
cessor, Dr.  Janss,  was  appointed  at  $139.95 
per  annum. 

On  October  10,  1882,  the  following  resolu- 
tion was  adopted: 

Whereas,  It  has  come  to  our  knowledge 
through  the  agency  of  the  Hon.  J.  Sterling 
Morton,  that  the  organization  of  Hall  County 
has  never  been  recorded  in  the  records  of 
said  county ;  and 

Whereas,  Mr.  Morton,  who  as  acting- 
governor  of  the  territory  of  Nebraska  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  said  county,  has 
furnished  a  copy  of  the  record  of  said  organ- 
ization, it  is  therefore  resolved  that  the  clerk 
of  Hall  County  is  ordered  to  spread  the  pro- 
seedings  of  said  organization  upon  the  re- 
cords of  the  county. 

This  document  is  attached  to  Book  "A"  of 
Commissioners  Records  and  is  written  upon 
a  letterhead  of  the  Democratic  State  Central 
Committee,  showing  J.  Sterling  Morton,  Ne- 
braska City,  chairman,  N.  W.  Smails,  Fre- 
mont, secretary,  and  J.  N.  Wise,  Plattsmouth, 
treasurer,  and  five  members  from  each  of  the 
six  judicial  districts  as  state  committeemen. 

On  October  14,  1882  a  petition  was  pre- 
sented asking  that  all  of  the  territory  in  sec- 
tion 19,  town  10,  range  11,  be  incorporated  as 
the  town  of  Wood  River,  and  the  same  was 
granted.  James  Jackson,  W.  L.  G.  Trapp, 
N.  T.  Britton,  J.  B.  Furman,  and  James  Ewing 
were  named  as  trustees. 

In  January,  1883,  Commissioner  W.  W. 
Mitchell  took  the  place  of  Commissioner  Par- 
tridge ;  C.  T.  Poe  was  county  physician  and  on 
November  20,  1883,  the  board  approved  sev- 
eral official  bonds,  and  the  work  of  the  board 
of  county  commissioners   was  completed. 

TOWNSHIP  ORGANIZATION 

The  first  meeting  of  the  new  board  of 
supervisors  was  held  November  21,  1883,  with 


RY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


;nt,   and    Frank 

iented  by  E.  C. 
.,  Prairie  Creek ; 
ank  M.  Stanley, 
'ameron  ■  Jasper 
Elfus,  Alda; 
:r ;  Z.  Avery, 
South  Platte; 
;  John  Fonner, 
iry,  West  Grand 

Grand  Island ; 
'.  B.  Larrabee) ; 
dyn  Strong  was 
A  committee  of 
;s,  Fonner,  and 
on  of  townships 
x>rt  formed  the 
wn  12,  range  9; 
e  10;  Mayfield, 
Loup,  town  12, 
range  12;  Har- 
enter,  town  11, 
nge  lO.north  of 
»d  River,  all  of 
I,  range  11,  north 
ckson,  town  10, 

range  12,  north 
f  ranges  11  and 
i channel  of  that 
wn  9,  range  10, 
i  of  north  bank 
own  9,  range  9, 
9  and  south  of 
>,  range  9,  north 
1 1  and  9  except 
if  Grand  Island, 
lion  to  the  gov- 
:  death  sentence 
Miment  for  life 
;ition.  Dr.  Poe 
ician  and  Wood 

January,  1884, 
Itural  society ;  a 
ds  for  construc- 
atte  River  near 
i  the  voters  and 

670  contra,  so 


SECOND    BOARD 

The  second  board,  organized  on  January 
13,  1885,  with  J.  H.  Powers,  president,  can- 
sisted  of  Z.  Avery,  T.  M.Crittenden,  R.  H 
Dodd,  M.  S.  Drennan,.G.  Elfus,  L.  J.  Han- 
chert,  W.  H.  Harrison,  C.  B.  Lewis,  W.  B 
Larabee,  E.  S.  Lee,  John  Mullen.  J.  H. 
Mehaffie,  J.  H.  Powers,  J.  H.  Scudder,  C. 
Stoltenberg  J.  G.  Shaupp,  O.  U.  Wescott,  and 
C.  W.  Thomas  (who  did  not  qualify  and  Jas. 
Geary  appointed). 

During  the  lifetime  of  this  board  an  investi- 
gation was  held  on  charges  made  against  the 
sheriff  through  columns  of  Grand  Island 
Times,  which  resulted  in  a  finding  that  the 
sheriff  had  received  $646,  more  or  less,  for 
guarding  jail,  and  that  said  service  had  not 
been  truly  rendered  or  performed.  This  re- 
sulted in  the  resignation  of  Sheriff  Cannon 
and  the  appointment  of  E.  A.  Wedgewood. 

THIRD  BOARD 

On  January  12,  1886,  the  third  board  or- 
ganized with  Charles  Reif,  president.  Mem- 
bers were :  J.  Geary,  Grand  Island ;  \V.  J 
Burger,  Doniphan  ;  T.  M.  Crittenden,  Martin; 
Z.  H.  Denman,  Alda;  W.  H.  Harrison,  Har- 
rison ;  Stephen  Jones,  Wood  River ;  Frank 
Jacobs,  Grand  Island ;  E.  S.  Lee,  Cameron ;  J. 
T.  Mehaffie,  South  Loup;  John  Moore,  Jack- 
son ;  H.  C.  Moeller,  Lake ;  J.  H.  Powers,  South 
Platte;  Charles  Reif,  Grand  Island;  G.  L. 
Rouse,  Center ;  Fred  Robey,  Washington ;  C. 
W.  Scarff,  Grand  Island;  John  Shuman.  May- 
field;  S.  M.  Schisler,  Prairie  Creek;  Monroe 
Taylor,  Grand  Island. 

Thompson  Brothers  were  appointed  county 
attorneys.  In  July  the  question  of  guaranteed 
strength  of  the  steel  jail  cells  furnished  by 
Mosler,  Bahman  &  Co.  was  considered,  when 
their  representative  Dewey  charged  the  officials 
with  criminal  carelessness  in  allowing  a  piece 
of  broken  hinge  to  remain  in  a  cell,  placing 
in  the  hands  of  the  prisoners  a  much  desired 
weapon  with  which  to  break  the  doors  and 
accomplish  escape.  Powers's  motion  declaring: 
the  case  useless  and  ordering  the  removal  by 
the  manufacturers  brought  on  a  suit  in  court, 
and  in  1889  the  Mosler  people  secured  judg- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


173 


ment  for  amount  of  the  original  bill,  cost,  etc., 

aggregating  about  $4,000. 

FOURTH  BOARD,  1887 

The  fourth  board  organized  January  11, 
1887,  with  Z.  H.  Denman,  president.  Mem- 
bers were :  David  T.  Jamieson,  Gustav 
Koehler,  George  Loan,  John  T.  Connell,  Mon- 
roe Taylor,  Grand  Island ;  Marcus  R.  Abbott, 
Wood  River;  W.  J.  Burger,  Doniphan;  Thos. 
B.  Coulter,  South  Platte ;  Z.  H.  Denman,  Alda ; 
Alvin  E.  Eager,  Prairie  Creek,  Oscar  F. 
Foote,  Martin;  L.  J.  Hanchett,  Lake;  J.  H, 
I^onard,  Harrison;  John  Moore,  Jackson; 
Fred  Roby,  Washington;  Geo.  L.  Rouse, 
Center;  Seymour  Veeder,  South  Loup;  P.  S. 
Wingert,  Mayfield ;  Erwin  Whitehead, 
Cameron. 

FIFTH    BOARD,    1888 

The  fifth  board  organized  January  10,  1888, 
with  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  president.  The  members 
were:  G.  D.  Boyce,  Thos.  B.  Coulter,  A.  C. 
Denman,  A.  DeWitte,  A.  Z.  Eager,  O.  F. 
Foote,  J.  W.  Freeman,  Richard  Goehring,  L. 
H.  Hanchell,  J.  R.  Jewett.M.  D.  Nickles, 
Patrick  Nevills,  G.  L.  Rouse,  Fred  Roby,  F. 
M.  Stanley,  Charles  A.  Wiebe,  P.  S.  Wingert, 
Ervin  Whitehead,  and  W.  F.  McLaughlin. 

The  county  attorney  reported  to  this  board 
that  the  United  States  district  court  decided 
the  400  feet  roadway  controversy  for  the 
I'nion  Pacific  railroad  and  would  not  recom- 
mend an  appeal  to  the  supreme  court.  In 
April,  1888,  Julius  C.  Bishop  was  appointed 
representative  of  Mayfield  township  to  fill  a 
vacancy  (by  county  clerk,  judge  and  treasur- 
er), and  H.  C.  Moeller  was  appointed  to  rep- 
re' ent  Lake  township.  In  June  John  W. 
Harrison  was  appointed  for  Harrison  town- 

SIXTH  BOARD,  1889 

The  sixth  board  of  supervisors  organized 
January  8,  1889,  with  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  presi- 
dent. The  members  were:  Z.  Avery,  J.  C, 
Bishop,  John  Creason,  A.  DeWitte,  Charles 
Ewing,  C.  S.  Haines,  Wm.  Haldeman, 
j.  R.  Jewett,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  John  F. 
Mader,"  H.  C.  Moeller,  Chas.  Moritz,  M.  V. 


Powers,  G.  L.  Rouse,  T.  Robinson,  Theodore 
Sievers,  E.  Whitehead,  P.  S.  Wingert,  Geo.  P. 
Dean  (vice  Edward  Hooper),  J.  W.  Harrison 
appointed  in   March   for  Harrison  township. 

SEVENTH   BOARD,    1890 

Members  entitled  to  seats  on  the  board  were 
found  to  be :  G.  H.  Geddes,  Thos.  Robinson, 
Geo.  P.  Dean,  I.  R.  Alter,  Chas.  Wasmer, 
M.  V.  Powers,  Geo.  H.  Andrew,  M.  Murphy, 
Myron  Dings,  H.  C.  Moeller,  M.  H.  Culbert- 
son,  J.  C.  Bishop,  Josiah  Hall,  W.  W.  Dubbs, 
J.  W.  Harrison,  G.  L.  Rouse,  Wm.  Stolley, 
David  Barrick,  Chas.  Ewing,  O.  F.  Foote,  Wm. 
Jammers,  and  S.  S.  Shultz. 

Sheriff  Costello  was  allowed  a  deputy  at 
«700  annual  salary,  and  Hugh  McVay  was 
appointed. 

EIGHTH  BOARD,   1891 

The  members  of  the  board  taking  office  on 
January  13,  1891,  were :  H.  C.  Moeller,  W.  H. 
Culbertson,  J.  C.  Bishop,  J.  R.  Birge,  W.  W. 
Dubbs,  R.  L.  Harrison,  G.  L.  Rouse,  Wm. 
Stolley,  F.  D.  Hastings,  David  Barrick,  Chas. 
Ewing,  O.  F.  Foote,  Wm.  Lammers,  O.  B. 
Foster,  Thos.  Robinson,  Geo.  P.  Dean,  J.  F. 
Rourke,  Samuel  Huston,  F.  H.  Eisner,  Frank 
Corkins,  H.  W.  Potter,  and  Jas.  Cleary.  The 
president  of  the  board  was  Jas.  Cleary. 

In  1892  the  members  who  came  onto  the 
board  by  virtue  of  election  in  November  pro- 
ceeding were:  J.  E.  Hanna,  J.  C.  Bishop,  E. 
S.  Lee,  J.  L.  Johnson,  B.  Knox,  P.  W.  Francis, 
Wm.  Lammers,  Jas.  Cleary  and  Geo.  P.  Dean. 
Holdover  members  were:  Harrison,  Barrick, 
Foster,  Foote,  Lammers,  Bishop,  Stolley,  Cul- 
bertson, Birge. 

On  January  10,  1893,  the  board  organized 
with  E.  S.  Lee  as  chairman.  The  new  mem- 
bers were :  Wm.  Stolley,  Washington ;  O.  F. 
Foote,  Martin ;  Patrick  Hoye,  Harrison ;  Geo. 
A.  Burger,  Doniphan ;  David  Barrick,  Wood 
River;  H.  J.  Palmer  and  Geo.P.  Dean,  Grand 
Island;  W.  B.  Waite,  South  Loup;  Jacob 
Lessig,  Prairie  Creek  and  D.  M.  Alter,  Cen- 
ter. Holdover  members  were  Hanna,  Foote, 
Bishop,  Lammers,  Knox,  Lee,  Francis. 

In  November,  1893,  complaint  was  signed 


against   Ex-Treasurer  Hockenberger   for   re- 


J 


174 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


puted  shortage,  which  resulted  in  a  trial  in 
district  court  early  in  1896  when  he  was  con- 
victed and  sentenced  to  the  penitentiary. 

The  board  organized  January  9,  1894,  with 
E.  S.  Lee  as  chairman  and  the  following  mem- 
bers: Grand  Island,  W.  H.  Piatt,  E.  C.  Mc- 
Cashland; Lake,  F.  Suehlsen;  Prairie  Creek, 
Jacob  Lessig;  Mayfield,  J.  C.  Bishop;  South 
Loup,  W.  B.  Waite;  Cameron,  E.  S.  Lee; 
Harrison,  Patrick  Hoye ;  Center,  E.  B.  Engle- 
man;  Washington,  Wm.  Stolley;  Alda,  B. 
Knox ;  Wood  River,  David  Barrick ;  Jackson, 
P.  W.  Francis;  Martin,  Seth  Wilson;  South 
Platte,  Geo.  C.  Humphrey ;  Doniphan,  Geo.  A. 
Burger. 

On  January  8,  1895,  the  new  board  organ- 
ized with  Geo.  C.  Humphrey  as  chairman  and 
the  following  new  members :  Jacob  Lessig, 
W.  B.  Waite,  Henry  Rief,  David  Barrick, 
Seth  W.  Wilson,  Geo.  A.  Burger,  Richard  L. 
Harrison,  E.  C.  McCashland,  and  Patrick 
Hoye.  Holdover  members  were  Bishop, 
Engleman,  Francis,  Knox,  Suehlsen,  Lee, 
Humphrey,  and  Piatt. 

NEW  COUNTY  BOARD 

In  1896  the  county  board  was  organized  on 
the  basis  of  members  from  seven  districts, 
which  system  still  prevails  in  Hall  County  in 
1919. 

The  new  supervisors  were :  First  district, 
Z.  H.  Denman ;  Second  J.  C.  Bishop ;  Third,  P. 
W.  Francis;  Fourth,  Geo.  A.  Burger;  Fifth, 
Henry  Giese ;  Sixth,  C.  D.  Woodward ; 
Seventh,  E.  C.  McCashland.  Mr.  McCash- 
land was  elected  chairman.  On  July  6,  Henry 
Rief  was  appointed  to  take  the  place  of  Henry 
Giese. 

On  January  12,  1897,  the  new  board  organ- 
ized with  C.  D.  Woodward  as  chairman  and 
the  following  members :  District  1,  D.  M.  Alter 
2,  J.  C.  Bishop,  3,  Chas.  Ewing,  4,  Geo.  A. 
Burger,  5,  Henry  Rief,  6,  C.  D.  Woodward, 
7,  E.  C.  McCashland.  On  January  12,  1897, 
the  following  communication  was  placed  on 
file: 

"To  the  Hon.  County  Board  of  Hall  Co. 
Nebr. 

"Gentlemen :  Whereas,  times  seem  to  have 
become  worse  instead  of  better  as  many  of  us 


hoped,  during  the  past  year,  and  the  price  of 
corn  and  other  productions  of  the  farm  are 
lower  than  a  year  ago,  I  desire  to  call  the 
attention  of  the  present  county  board  to  the 
fixing  of  the  salary  for  the  current  year. 

"Instead  of.  placing  the  salary  at  $1,400  as 
last  year,  I  hereby  request  you  to  fix  the 
amount  at  the  lowest  the  statutes  will  allow 
which  in  counties  of  this  population  cannot 
be  less  than  $1,200. 

"Thanking  you  most  sincerely  for  the 
courtesies  extended  to  me  in  the  past  three 
years,  I  remain 

"Yours  Sincerely 

"Maynard  Spink, 
"Co.  Supt.  Hall  Co.  Nebr." 
The  application  of  the  same  rule  on  part  of 
office  holders  in  1918  might  have  brought  sub- 
stantial increases,  but  probably  none  of  the 
court  house  occupants  were  aware  of  Mr. 
Spink's  doctrine. 

The  board  which  was  organized  in  January, 
1898,  were  1,D.  M.  Alter,  2,  Patrick  Hoye, 
3,  Chas.  S.  Ewing,  4,  S.  W.  Wilson,  5,  Henry 
Rief,  6,  C.  D.  Woodward,  and  7,  E.  C.  Mc- 
Cashland, with  Ewing  as  chairman. 

In  March  John  Mullen  was  appointed  to  fill 
a  vacancy  from  the  third  district,  vice,  Mr. 
Ewing,  deceased.  Upon  Mr.  McCashland  re- 
tiring in  December  a  gold  headed  cane  was 
presented  to  him  by  his  fellow  members. 

On  January  10,  1899,  the  new  board  organ- 
ized with  supervisors,  district  1,  D.  M.  Alter, 
2,  P.  Hoye,  3,  John  Mullen,  4,  S.  W.  Wilson. 
5,  Henry  Rief,  6,  C.  D.  Woodward,  and  7. 
F.  P.  Cowee,  with  Alter  as  chairman.  Super- 
visor Woodward  resigned  on  June  19th  and 
Henry  Schlotfeldt  was  appointed  by  Judge 
Garlow,  Clerk  Menck  and  Treasurer  Thoms- 
sen. 

In  January,  1900,  a  new  board  took  office, 
composed  of  Supervisors  D.  M.  Alter,  F.  P. 
Cowee,  Patrick  Hoye,  John  Mullen,  Henry 
Rief,  R.  P.  McCutcheon,  and  E-  E.  Dominy, 
with  Hoye  as  chairman. 

The  board  in  1901  were  Henry  Rief,  chair- 
man, R  P.  McCutcheon,  Geo.  P.  Dean,P. 
Hoye,  John  Ewing,  J.  J.  Lorentzen  and,  E.  E. 
Dominy. 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


175 


In  June  of  this  year  a  special  election  was 
called  for  August  8,  1901,  to  vote  upon  the 
issuance  of  $100,000  of  bonds  for  the  purpose 
of  erecting,  constructing  and  completing  a 
court  house  and  jail  building  in  the  city  of 
Grand  Island.  The  canvass  of  this  election 
made  on  August  13,  showed  a  total  of  2,069 
votes  cast  with  1,051  pro  and  944  contra,  as 
reported  by  County  Clerk  Menck,  Will  R. 
King  and  S.  D.  Ross,  canvassers.  At  the  same 
time  a  vote  taken  upon  the  site  resulted  in  834 
rates  for  the  site  on  Block  84  where  the  old 
court  house  stood  and  947  for  the  site  at  First 
and  Locust  streets  where  the  new  court  house 
was  eventually  erected.  Architects  who  sought 
the  contract  for  the  new  court  house  were 
Jas.  Tyler,  Lincoln,  Jas.  Craddock,  Lincoln, 
Geo.  Berlinghof,  Beatrice,  Jas.  McDonnell, 
South  Omaha,  Mr.  Prescott,  Marshalltown, 
Iowa  and  Thomas  R.  Kimball,  of  Omaha,  who 
secured  the  work. 

The  new  board  in  1902  were  John  Ewing, 
John  Gallacher,  J.  J.  Lorentzen,  R.  P.  Mc- 
Cutcheon,  Henry  Rief,  Oscar  Roeser  and  G. 
W.  Wingert,  with  Ewing  as  chairman. 

On  January  13,  1903,  the  board  organized 
with  Mr.  Ewing  re-elected  for  chairman,  and 
members  were  Gallacher,  Wingert,  McCutch- 
wn,  Ewing,  Lorentzen ,  Roeser  and  Louis 
Schmidt  suceeding  Reif. 

By  August  1903,  the  board  was  getting  im- 
patient because  seventeen  months  after  the 
sime  fixed  in  the  contract,  the  new  county 
Gildings  were  not  completed,  and  began  to 
stir  up  Superintendent  Kimball  in  the  matter. 
In  January,  1904,  the  board  organized  with 
the  new  members  Chas.  S.  Benton,  John  Gal- 
lacher, and  E.  Moncrief  joining  the  holdover 
members,  John  Ewing,  J.  J.  Lorentzen,  Oscar 
Roeser,  and  Louis  Schmidt,  and  Roeser 
chosen  as  chairman. 

In  March  the  board  called  an  election  for 
May  3,  1904,  to  submit  the  matter  of  the 
sale  of  block  84,  the  old  court  house  site, 
which  resulted  in  632  votes  for  and  338 
against.  Under  this  administration  the  new 
court  house  was  occupied  and  many  matters 
relating  to  final  acceptance  and  settlements 
came  up   for   attention.     At  the  end  of  the 


year  County  Attorney  Horth  reported  the 
cost  to  the  county  of  the  trials  of  Wm.  T. 
Turley  for  murder,  the  first  trial  resulting  in 
a  disagreement  costing  $985.03  and  the  sec- 
ond, bringing  a  conviction  of  murder  in  sec- 
ond degree,  costing  $844.80. 

In  January,  1905,  the  board  organized  with 
Mr.  Roeser  as  chairman,  Messrs.  Z.  H.  Den- 
man,  J.  M.  Weldon,  Louts  Schmidt  and  Oscar 
Roeser  as  newly  elected  members,  Messrs. 
Benton,  Gallacher  and  Moncrief  holding  over. 
A  report  was  made  showing  the  new  court 
house  facilities  to  have  cost  $131,142.51  and 
itemized  as  follows: 

For  court  house  building $84,703.45 

Jail   building    11,418,90 

Heating  system 12,597.99 

Morton  &  Son  Co.,  hardware 1,428.45 

Marble    500.00 

Vault   doors    648.00 

Electric  wiring   2,518.50 

Jail  doors 475.00 

Architect  Kimball,  services 5,620.67 

Light  fixtures  2,250.00 

A.  H.  Andrews  Co.,  furniture 7,635.00 

Jail  fixtures  71.00 

Concrete  Stone  Co.,  for  sidewalks.     1,075.55 

for  grading   200.00 

In  August,  1905,  the  supervisors  began  to 
have  trouble  with  faulty  roof  on  the  court 
house,  a  trouble  which  all  succeeding  boards 
to  date  have  inherited. . 

On  August  9,  J.  W.  Eby  was  elected  sheriff 
to  succeed  S.  N.  Taylor,  who  had  resigned. 

The  sale  of  the  old  court  house  location 
was  again  submitted  to  the  voters  at  the 
election  of  November  7,  1905. 

On  January  9,  1906,  Supervisor  Gallacher 
retired  and  Fred  Phillips  came  onto  the  board, 
with  Messrs.  Benton  and  Moncrief  reelected 
and  Messrs.  Denman,  Weldon,  Schmidt  and 
Roeser  holding  over.  J.  E.  Moncrief  was 
elected  chairman. 

In  January,  1907,  the  board  was  composed 
of  Conrad  Lassen,  Louis  Schmidt,  Edward 
Williams  and  J.  M.  Weldon,  new  members, 
and  Messrs.  Phillips,  Benton  and  Moncrief 
holdover,  and  Chairman  Moncrief  was  re- 
elected. 

D.gitized  by  GOOgle 


COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

board  were  John  Jewett,  Arthur  Schuster, 
S.  Y.  Bryson  and  Henry  Henne.  Gustav 
Sievers  was  chosen  chairman,  and  these  five 
with  Stoeger  and  McDowell  constituted  the 
board.  Excess  fees  turned  in  by  county 
officers  for  year  1911  were:  Clerk  of  District 
Court  Langman,  $1,011.20;  County  Judge 
Mullin,  $413.50;  Register  Buenz,  $281.84 ; 
County  Treasurer  Nuemann,  $596.28 ;  Sheriff 
Dunkel,  fees  for  1911,  $874.55. 

On  January  3,  1912,  Sievers  retired  from 
the  board,  and  at  the  same  time  resolutions 
were  sent  to  Supervisor  Henne  upon  the  death 
of  his  wife. 

The  membership  remained  the  same  for 
1912  except  Sievers  was  succeeded  by  M.  L, 
Dolan.     Stoeger  was  chosen  chairman. 

The  board  in  1913  consisted  of  Arthur  A. 
Schuster,  S.  Y.  Bryson,  Fred  J.  Miller  and 
Theo.  P.  Boehm  as  newly  elected  member-, 
with  Messrs.  McDowell,  Stoeger  and  Dolan 
as  hold-overs.  Supervisor  Dolan  was  elected 
as  chairman.  In  1914  Messrs .  McDowell. 
Stoeger  and  Dolan  were  seated  for  another 
term  and  the  board  remained  the  same  in 
membership,  with  Mr.  Bryson  for  chairman 

On  January  12,  1915,  the  board  organized 
with  S.  Y.  Bryson,  Wm.  Stoeger,  Fred  J 
Miller,  M.  L.  Dolan,  W.  H.  McDowell,  L.  T. 
Geer  and  John  Sass  as  members,  and  Miller 
as  chairman.  Chairman  Miller  was  reelected 
in  1916  and  the  membership  of  the  board  re- 
mained the  same. 

On  January  9,  1917,  Wm.  Stoeger  and 
W.  H.  McDowell  were  seated  for  new  terms 
and  H.  J.  Voss  succeeded  Mr.  Dolan.  Miller. 
Bryson,  Geer  and  Sass  remained  on  the  board 
and  Sass  was  selected  chairman.  There  was 
no  change  in  the  membership  in  1918  but 
Bryson  became  chairman. 

During  the  year  1918  considerable  improve- 
ment was  made  in  the  road  building  ma- 
chinery of  the  county  and  at  the  beginning  of 
1919  the  county  has  two  new  sets  of  power 
road  building  machinery.  The  "influenza' 
epidemic  late  in  1918  called  upon  the  board 
to  exercise  powers  as  a  board  of  health  for 
the  county;  and  at  the  November  election 
the  board   submitted   the   proposal     for    the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


177 


county  to  buy  the  property  of  the  Central 
Nebraska  Agricultural  Society  and  conduct 
a  county  fair  under  the  state  county  fair  law. 
This  received  a  very  close  favorable  majority, 
and  after  some  negotiations  back  and  forth, 
early  in  1919  the  board  submitted  the  matter 
(o  a  special  election  called  for  March  18, 
1919,  at  which  time  the  proposal  was  over- 
whelmingly defeated.  The  only  change  in  the 
board  in  January,  1919,  ,was  that  Conrad 
Lassen  returned  after  several  years  absence, 
Mr.  Bryson  re  tiring,  Messrs.  Conrad  Lassen, 
Fred  J.  Miller,  L.  T.  Geer  and  John  Sass 
being  the  members  returned  and  Wm.  Stoeger, 
W.  H.  McDowell  and  H.  J.  Voss  the  hold- 
over members.  Early  in  1918  the  county  board 
acted  upon  a  petition  of  the  Hall  County  Farm 
Bureau  and  employed  a  county  agricultural 
agent,  J.  R.  White,  but  in  1919  the  board 
demurred  to  the  granting  of  an  appropriation 
to  continue  the  work  for  another  year  after 
May  1,  1919,  and  left  the  matter  unsettled, 
and  this  controversy  i  sstill  pending  in  the 
courts  in  October,  1919. 

COUNTY    CLERKS 

The  first  clerk  bore  the  title  of  recorder 
and  was  Theo.  F.  Nagel,  appointed  in  1858. 
He  was  elected  in  1859.  The  next  clerk 
shown  on  records  was  Fred  Evans  who  was 
holding  the  office  in  1867.  His  successor  was 
John  Wallichs,  who  was  serving  as  county 
derk,  recorder  and  also  as  clerk  of  district 
court  in  1868  when  the  first  district  court 
proceedings  were  held,  and  he  served  until 
his  successor  Charles  Rief  was  elected  in 
1879.  In  1881  Frank  Sears  was  elected 
county  clerk  and  clerk  of  the  district  court, 
and  two  years  later  the  office  of  clerk  of 
the  district  court  became  a  separate  office  and 
Sears  served  only  as  county  clerk  and  re- 
corder. In  1885  David  Ackerman  became 
clerk,  and  he  served  five  terms.  In  1895  he 
was  succeeded  by  his  deputy,  Z.  B.  Part- 
ridge, who  held  the  office  for  two  terms. 
C.  H.  Menck  served  four  years  and  was 
succeeded  by  J.  L-  Schaupp  who  was  elected 
in  1901.  Geo.  H.  Poehl  took  office  as  county 
clerk  in  January,  1906,  and  served  two  terms 


with  A.  H.  Held  as  his  first  deputy  and  Art 
Williamson  as  deputy  in  his  later  term.  Poehl 
was  elected  to  a  third  term,  but  on  May  4, 

1910,  he  resigned  and  was  succeeded  by  Rich- 
ard   Buenz,    who   held   office   until   January, 

1911,  when  he  took  over  the  newly  created 
office  of  register  of  deeds,  which  he  still 
holds  in  1919. 

Gus  E.  Neumann  was  elected  clerk  in 
November,  1910,  and  held  office  for  three 
terms,  with  J.  E.  Lyle  as  his  deputy.  In 
January,  1917,  J.  E.  Lyle  became  clerk  and 
he  was  reelected  in  November,  1918,  for  the 
first  four  year  term  from  1919  to  1923,  under 
the  new  law.  His  deputy  has  been  R.  A. 
Odum,  who  has  been  reappointed  for  the  new 
term. 

CLERK    OF   DISTRICT    COURT 

When  the  separation  of  this  office  from 
that  of  county  clerk  was  made,  John  Allan 
became  clerk  of  the  district  court  and  held 
the  office  sixteen  years,  when  in  1899  his 
deputy  and  brother,  Henry  Allan,  was  elected 
clerk,  and  held  the  office  for  eight  years. 
R.  L.  Garrett  was  deputy  clerk  during  the 
last  years  of  Mr.  Allan's  administration.  Fred 
C.  Langman  was  elected  in  1907  and  served 
nine  years,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  his 
last  deputy  clerk,  Walter  H.  Rauert,  who  is 
the  present  clerk  of  the  district  court.  Herman 
Buckow  was  deputy  under  Clerk  Rauert 
the  first  term,  and  Miss  Bessie  Barbee  is  the 
present  deputy. 

COUNTY  TREASURERS 

1858,  Isaac  Thomas;  1859,  Christ  Andree- 
son;  1869,  Henry  A.  Koenig;  1871,  Chas. 
Ruelberg,  who  absconded  and  Wm.  A.  Hagge 
was  appointed;  Wm.  A.  Hagge  then  elected 
for  five  terms;  1881,  Geo.  Cornelius;  1883, 
Ed  Hooper;  1887,  E.  C.  Hockenberger ;  1894, 
Wm.  Cornelius  was  treasurer,  with  Arthur 
C.  Mayer,  deputy;  1895-6,  H.  J.  Palmer  as 
treasurer,  with  Mr  Mayer  still  deputy ;  1896- 
1900.  Wm.  Thomson,  and  in  1900  his  brother 
lohn  Thomssen  was  elected.  In  1902,  Frank 
E  S'usser  became  treasurer,  and  was  suc- 
™v1"d  in  1906  bv  his  deputy.  Will  R.  King. 
*••  1908  Theo.  P.  Boehm  became  treasurer; 

Liooglc 


I  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


G.  Partridge 
;ent  treasurer, 
3.  Meves  as 
n  was  elected 
919-1923. 


■st  sheriff,  in 
n  1869;  1871, 

Deuel;  1878, 

Den  man  was 

non,  was  suc- 

l.  Wedgwood, 

7. 

■riff  in    1889, 

bailiff  of  the 
short  time  as 
ello  was  suc- 
leo.  P.  Dean 
rid  7.  S.  N. 
until  his  res- 

his  last  term 
J.  M.  Dunkel 

until  his  un- 
Dunkel  had 

Wm.  Cords, 

two  deputies, 
Sievers  was 
id  elected  in 
er  his  service 
■oard  he  tired 
ror  reelection, 
primaries  and 
lerged  victor- 
took  office  in 


rVm.    Ensign  ; 

A.  Baldwin, 
g,    who    was 

1915,  H.  W. 
and  in  1918 
surveyor. 

inted  in  1858, 
to  have  been 
county  judge 
hdrew  as  se- 
W.   H.   Piatt 


appointed.  Enos  Beall  qualified  in  1869. 
W.  H.  Piatt  won  the  election  of  1873.  Judge 
Geo.  H.  Caldwell  after  years  of  service  was 
succeeded  by  H.  E.  Clifford,  who  was  judge 
six  years,  and  was  succeeded  by  Madison  T. 
Garlow  who  held  until  1900.  Judge  J.  H. 
Mullin  then  took  office  and  has  completed 
nine  two-year  terms  and  in  January  1919 
began  his  nineteenth  year  of  service. 

SUPERINTENDENTS  OF  SCHOOLS 
Those  holding  this  office  are  listed  in  the 
chapter  on  schools,  but  the  list  is  short  and 
may  be  also  given  here.  Hedde,  Wallichs, 
Abbott,  resigned  in  1873  on  April  1st,  and 
John  D.  Hayes  was  appointed.  1875,  H. 
Nunn;  D,  H.  Vantine,  1886;  H.  A.  Edwards. 
1886-1890;  E.  E.  Thompson,  1890-1894; 
Maynard  Spirk,  1894-1900;  Daniel  H.  Fish- 
burn,  1900-1906;  Margeret  E.  Brown,  1906- 
1910;  Dorothea  Kolls,  1910-1918;  Elizabeth 
Cunningham  appointed  in  1918  and  elecled 
for  the  term  from  1919-1923. 

CORONERS 

Early  coroners  were  Dr.  B.  B.  Kelley. 
David  Ackerman,  1881,  H:  J.  Ring,  1885. 
Z.  B.  Partridge,  1887,  J.  D.  Jackson,  1889. 
Dr.  Geo.  Roeder  in  1893  and  again  in  1900: 
A.  J.  Sanders  in  1895 ;  M.  J.  Gahan  in  18%. 
J.  B.  Hawk  in  1898,  J.  Lue  Sutherland  in 
1904  for  a  long  term  of  service.  Thos. 
O'Gorman  served  until  his  death  in  October. 
1913,  and  the  term  was  served  out  by  H.  P. 
Bellows ;  the  last  two  coroners  were  G.  J. 
Baumann  and  John  R.  Geddes,  and  in  1917 
the  county  attorney  became  coroner  ex  officio 

ATTORNEYS 
Numerous  attorneys  served  as  county  at- 
torney for  the  county  board  prior  to  1886, 
mention  of  most  being  made  in  the  historical 
survey  of  the  county  board's  proceedings. 
W.  H.  Thompson  served  in  1887  and  188S. 
Walter  R.  Bacon  was  his  successor.  Chas. 
G.  Ryan  assumed  office  in  1891  and  served 
for  two  terms;  W.  A.  Prince,  1895-1897. 
Fred  W.  Ashton,  1897;  W.  S.  Peame,  1899: 
R.  R.  North,  1901-1905;  Arthur  C.  Mayer, 
1905-1909;  John  L.  Cleary,  1909-1913;  Ben- 
jamin J.  Cunningham,  1913-1917;  Wm.  Suhr. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


179 


elected  in  1917  and  reelected  for  term  from 
1919-1923, 

The  volume  of  business  attained  by  the 
various  county  offices  can  be  readily  grasped 
by  an  examination  of  the  amount  of  work 
falling  upon  the  county  attorney's  office  and 
the  volume  of  taxes  to  be  collected  by  the 
county  treasurer's  office. 

More  criminal  cases  are  handled  by  the 
prosecuting  attorney  of  Hall  County,  William 
Suhr,  than  through  the  prosecutor's  office  in 
any  other  county  of  the  state  except  Douglas 
where  Omaha  is  situated,  and  Lancaster 
where  Lincoln  is.  More  money  is  collected 
in  fines  by  the  Hall  County  prosecutor  than 
by  the  county  attorney  of  any  other  county 
in  Nebraska  outside  Lancaster  and  Douglas 
counties. 

These  facts  are  gleaned  from  Mr.  Suhr's 
report  for  the  first  two  years  he  has  been  in 
office. 

Mr.  Suhr's  report  is  compared  with  reports 
obtained  from  the  offices  of  the  county  at- 
torneys in  all  other  counties  that  equal  or 
approach  Hall  County  in  population. 

The  report  declares  that  the  salary  of  the 
office  in  this  county  is  lower  than  in  any 
county  where  the  business  is  anywhere  near 
the  dimensions  of  that  locality, 

The  report  of  Mr.  Suhr  gives  the  popula- 
tion of  Hall  County  as  24,000.  The  salary 
of  the  office  in  Hall  County  is  $1,400.  A  com- 
parison of  the  business  done  in  this  county, 
with  that  in  a  number  of  other  counties  is 
given  below. 

During  the  two  years  Suhr  has  been  in 
office  he  has  prosecuted  forty-five  felonies  in 
district  court,  obtaining  thirty-two  convictions. 
One  case  was  dismissed,  the  defendant  being 
committed  to  a  state  hospital  for  the  insane. 
Eight  cases  are  pending,  two  defendants  have 
been  paroled,  two  cases  have  been  dismissed 
because  the  defendants  were  in  the  military 
service  or  entered  military  service  and  one 
defendant  was  discharged  before  trial  after 
having  served  110  days.  The  fines  collected 
totalled  $1,050.  Misdemeanors  prosecuted  in 
district  court  numbered  seventeen  and  eight 
convictions  were  obtained.  Eight  cases  are 
pending.    One  defendant  was  paroled.    Fines 


collected  totalled  $700.  Fourteen  cases  of 
a  miscellaneous  nature  were  handled  in  dis- 
trict court.  In  police  court  175  misdemeanors 
were  handled  resulting  in  145  convictions. 
Fines  and  costs  collected  amounted  to  $7,900. 
Twenty  jail  sentences  were  issued.  Two  ap- 
peals are  pending.  Three  defendants  were 
acquitted.  Thirty-five  search  warrants  were 
issued.  In  county  court  40  misdemeanors 
were  taken  up  with  27  convictions  resulting. 
Twelve  cases  were  dismissed  and  settled. 
One  defendant  was  acquitted.  Fines  collected 
amounted  to  $925.  Three  jail  sentences  were 
meted  out.  Twenty-two  juvenile  cases  were 
prosecuted.  Two  habeas  corpus  matters  came 
up.  Miscellaneous  items  include  46  prelimi- 
naries in  police  and  county  court. 

The  total  fines  collected  under  Suhr  were 
$10,575  exclusive  of  court  costs. 

In  Dodge  County  of  which  Fremont  is  the 
county  seat,  with  a  population  of  28,000  or 
4,000  more  than  Hall  County,  the  salary  paid 
is  the  same  as  here,  $1,400.  Yet  the  number 
of  felonies  collected  on  felony  charges 
amounted  to  $451.  Misdemeanors  handled 
were  232.  The  total  fines,  costs  and  penalties 
collected  was  $4,620  or  less  than  half  the  fines 
alone  collected  in  Hall  County. 

In  Custer  County,  with  a  population  of 
30,000  or  6,000  more  than  this  county,  only 
18  felonies  were  taken  up.  One  fine  was 
collected,  that  being  for  $100.  Fifty-four 
misdemeanors  were  prosecuted  and  22  de- 
fendants fined.  On  the  face  of  these  facts 
the  business  done  in  Custer  County  was  by 
far  less  lhan  in  Hall  County  yet  the  salary  is 
greater,  being  $1,800. 

Adams  County,  with  a  population  of  25,000 
had  only  11  felonies  and  eight  misdemeanors 
in  district  court. 

In  Dawson  County  only  $775  in  fines  were 
collected  in  two  years, 

THE  FIFTIETH  ANNIVERSARY 
It  is  impossible  to  chronicle  in  a  narrative 
of  the  space  that  can  be  accorded  to  a  de- 
tailed history  of  the  entire  county,  an  account 
of  the  numerous  celebrations  held  year  by 
year  in  the  various  communities.  But  when 
Hall  County  celebrated  the  fiftieth  annivers- 


180 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ary  of  the  first  settlement  made  within  her 
borders  by  a  white  colony,  on  July  4,  1907, 
it  was  an  occasion  worthy  of  some  permanent 
perpetuation.  That  the  people  of  the  county 
could  celebrate  the  birthday  of  their  com- 
munity on  the  same  day  of  the  year  the 
entire  nation  celebrates  the  birthday  of  this 
leading  democracy  of  the  world  is  indeed  a 
fortunate  coincidence. 

The  celebration  opened  at  9  o'clock  with 
bands  playing;  at  10  the  parade  formed.  In 
the  afternoon  speaking  and  music  was  carried 
out.  Hon.  Geo.  L.  Miller,  of  Omaha,  a  Ne- 
braska pioneer  in  journalistic,  political,  and 
legislative  activities  of  the  state  was  the 
speaker  of  the  day,  with  District  Judge  J.  N. 
Paul,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  of  St.  Paul, 
Howard  County,  Hon.  Charles  Wooster  of 
Merrick  County,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Wm.  Stolley, 
E.  S.  Lee  and  W.  J.  Burger  of  Hall  County 
aj  speakers  with  music  interspersed.  In  the 
evening  fireworks,  music,  and  a  general  neigh- 
borly mingling  closed  the  day. 

The  officers  and  committees  who  handled 
the  work  of  putting  across  this  celebration 
should  be  named:  Mayor  Henry  Schuff  of 
Grand  Island  was  chairman ;  Leo  Geary,  act- 
ing secretary  in  the  temporary  absence  of 
Bayard  H.  Paine,  C.  H.  Menck,  treasurer, 
Max  Egge,  marshal  of  the  day. 

committees: 

On  Parade :  Max  J.  Egge.  Dr.  Reder,  Emil 
Wolbach,  Geo.  Broadwell,  Chas.  Wescott,  Ed 
Glover,  Dr.  Bernard.  R.  R.  Horth,  Thos. 
Bradstreet,  O.  R.  Bieman,  C.  E.  Norris,  F. 
W.  Ashton  and  M.  L.  Dolan. 

Decorations:  R.  W.  Bock,  David  Kauffman, 
Robert  Gerke,  C.  A.  Weinberg,  C.  H.  Menck. 

Advertising:  A.  F.  Buechler,  Chas.  E.  Fra- 
Hck,  O.  M.  Quackenbush,  R.  I.  Evans,  I.  M. 
Augustine. 

History:  C.  G.  Ryan,  A.  F.  Buechler,  Jas. 
Jackson,  W.  J.  Burger,  B.  H.  Paine. 

Speakers  and  Music :  Chas.  G.  Ryan,  C.  F. 
Bentley,  W.  H.  Thompson,  W.  H.  Harrison, 
S.  N.  Wolbach. 

Reception:  A.  M.  Hargis,  chairman,  to  se- 
lect town  committee. 

Grounds  and   Stands:     O.   Roeser,  H.  H. 


Glover,  A.  C.  Menck,  C.  H.  Tully,  Ed  Wil- 
liams. 

Fireworks :  Frank  Windolph,  John  Sink, 
Geo.  Guenther,  Don  Boehm,  'Frank   Geary. 

The  scope  and  importance  of  the  parade 
can  be  evidenced  by  a  recitation  of  the  line- 
up planned. 

FIRST  DIVISION 

Platoon  of  police. 

Herald — Theo.   Boehm,   trumpeter. 

Max  J.  Egge,  marshal  of  day. 

Assistant  marshals,  Chas.  Wescott,  H.  J. 
Palmer,  M.  L.  Dolan. 

Harrison's   Band. 

Ox  Team  and  Emigrant  Wagon,  Indian 
boys  on  Shetland  ponies,  led  by  "Big  Chief" 
O.  R.  Nieman. 

Band  of  cowboys,  led  by  J.  C.  Clemens. 

Soldier  Windolph's  scouts. 

Fort  Independent  Artillery. 

The  Original  Old  Settlers  in  Automobiles. 

Columbian  float. 

SECOND  DIVISION 

Marshals  — Ed     Glover,     Emil     Wolbach, 
Charles  Norris  and  Eli  Barnes. 
Drum  Corps  —  G.A.R.  —  W.R.C. 
Mayor  and  Council  m  Carriages. 
Chief  of  fire  department,  Frank  Smith. 
Pacific  Hose  Company. 
Alexander  Hose  Company. 
Otts  Hose  Company. 
Owen  Hose  Company. 
Hook  and  Ladder  Company. 
Union  Pacific  Railway  Fire  Department. 

THIRD    DIVISION 

Marshals  —  Ed  Ewel,  Lee  Ruff  and  O.  H. 
Tracy. 

Band. 

A.O.U.W.  and  M.W.A.  Drill  teams. 

Krueger  Verein  and  all  other  lodges  and 
societies. 

County  officers  in  carriages. 

Township  floats. 

FOURTH  DIVISION 

Marshals  — F.  W.  Ashton,  Ed  Wolbach 
and  R.  V.  Pistorious. 

Band. 

Trade  displays  of  25  floats. 

Four  divisions  of  general  line. 


CHAPTER  X 

HALL  COUNTY'S  PART  IN  STATE  AND  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT 

Hall    County's    Part    in    Early    State    Government  —  Sixth    Legislature  —  Judge 
Augustus  Hall  —  First  Statehood  Election  —  Representation    in    State    Senate  — 
Members  in  State  House  of  Representatives  —  Constitutional  Conventions  —  Consti- 
tutional Conventions  of  71-75,  by  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr. —  Governor  John  M.  Thayer  — 
Lieutenant  Governor  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr.  —  State  Treasurer  Henry  A.  Koenig  —  State 
Auditors  John  Wallichs  and  Silas  R.  Barton  —  Secretaries  of    State  —  Supreme 
Court  Justice  Harrison  —  Commissioner  Glanville  —  The  State  Soldiers'  and 
Sailors'  Home  —  Part  in  the  Federal  Government  —  Postmasters  —  Grand 
Island  Land  Office  —  Other  Federal  Officers 


Hall  County  has  played  no  small  part  in 
the  matter  of  furnishing  men  and  support 
for  the  government  of  the  commonwealth 
of  Nebraska,  and  able  servants  for  the  func- 
tions assigned  by  the  federal  government  to 
this  part  of  the  state. 

In  the  territorial  government  Hall  County 
played  no  very  important  part.  During 
Governor  Burt's  administration,  HaH  County 
was  not  yet  settled  by  white  pioneers.  It  was 
|  during  the  administration  of  the  territory's 
j  second  governor  that  the  original  colony  of 
!  1837  arrived  at  Grand  Island.  The  third 
governor,  William  A.  Richardson,  resigned 
December  5,  1858,  and  but  a  few  days  later 
Secretary  J.  Sterling  Morton,  acting  as  gov- 
ernor, signed  the  papers  giving  legal  form 
to  the  organization  of  Hall  County.  Hall 
County  had  no  representation,  of  course,  in 
the  first  five  territorial  legislatures,  convened 
in  the  years  1855,  1857,  and  extra  session 
(fifth  session)  in  1858. 

j  The  fourth  territorial  auditor  of  Nebraska 
iwas  Robert  C.  Jordon,  whose  term  of  office 
began  August  2,  1858,  and  that  of  his  suc- 
cessor, William  E.  Harvey,  began  October  8, 
1861.  Hall  County  lays  no  claim  to  having 
furnished  Nebraska  her  fourth  territorial 
auditor.  In  fact  it  was  not  until  July,  1870, 
181 


that  the  arrival  of  Robert  C.  Jordon  brought 
him  into  the  history  of  Hall  County  as  a  part 
of  its  development.  But  Hall  County  can  lay 
some  claim  to  the  man  who  was  the  Master 
of  the  first  Masonic  lodge  in  Hall  County, 
first  Senior  Warden  of  the  Episcopal  church, 
manager  of  the  famous  O.  K.  store  for  some 
years  and  in  every  activity  a  factor  such  that 
his  name  is  sprinkled  through  the  various 
chapters  of  this  history. 

Hall  County  had  not  been  organized  very 
long  before  it  began  to  take  some  part  in  the 
political  affairs  of  the  state.  The  first  ter- 
ritorial Democratic  ticket  put  forth  to  the 
voters  of  Nebraska  was  nominated  by  a  con- 
vention held  at  Plattsmouth  August  18,  1859. 
Hall  and  Monroe  counties  were  represented 
in  this  convention  by  Dr.  Charles  A.  Henry, 

The  chief  interest  in  the  convention  cen- 
tered in  the  nomination  of  a  candidate  for 
delegate  for  Congress.  Dr.  George  L.  Miller 
of  Douglas,  of  fame  in  Nebraska  as  a  builder 
of  the  Omaha  World-Herald,  and  chief  orator 
of  the  day  upon  the  occasion  when  Hall 
County  celebrated  her  fiftieth  anniversary  in 
1907,  started  out  on  the  first  formal  ballot 
with  22  ballots.  But  he  lost  this  lead  on  the 
fifth  ballot  and  on  the  tenth  ballot  General 
Experience  Estabrook  won.     Dr.  Henry  was 


182 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


placed  on  the  territorial  central  committee 
formed  by  this  convention  to  represent  Mon- 
roe and  Hall  counties.  This  convention  re- 
nominated Robert  C.  Jordon  for  state  auditor. 

The  first  Republican  territorial  convention 
met  in  the  school  house  at  Bellvue  on  August 
24,  1859.  This  convention  on  its  tenth  ballot 
nominated  Samuel  G.  Daily  for  delegate  to 
Congress.  But  one  of  its  candidates  is  also 
interesting  to  Hall  County,  in  the  retrospec- 
tive. John  M.  Thayer,  afterwards  elected 
governor  of  the  state  as  a  resident  of  Hall 
County,  started  out  in  second  place,  on  the 
fourth  ballot  was  within  one  vote  of  Daily 
and  wouud  up  in  second  place. 

The  territorial  board  of  canvassers  of  the 
election  consisted  of  Governor  Black,  Chief 
Justice  Hall  and  U.  S.  Attorney  Leavitt  L. 
Brown.  Before  this  election  was  settled  a 
controversy  arose  in  which  Hall  County  be- 
came a  very  important  factor.  Estabrook 
appeared  to  have  the  first  advantage  of  the 
court.  Daily  later  demanded  a  certificate  of 
election  on  the  ground  that  the  292  votes  of 
Buffalo  County,  all  returned  for  Estabrook, 
were  invalid  because  that  county  had  never 
been  organized.  The  committee  in  Congress 
which  acted  upon  the  controversy  eventually 
found  that  Buffalo  County  had  not  been  or- 
ganized and  that  the  election  was  therefore 
invalid;  that  238  of  the  292  votes  returned 
were  cast,  if  at  all,  at  Kearney  City,  situated 
on  the  south  side  of  the  Platte  River,  which 
stream  was  the  southern  boundary  of  the 
county  as  defined  by  the  act  of  the  legislature 
authorizing  its  organization,  and  that  "the 
proof  is  that  there  are  not  over  eight  houses 
and  not  exceeding  fifteen  residents  at  Keam- 
ney  City."  Votes  from  various  other  counties 
also  figured  in  the  matter  and  finally  Daily 
won  the  seat  in  Congress  as  the  fifth  repre- 
sentative  from  the  territory  of  Nebraska. 

The  writer  of  that  part  of  the  state  history 
in  which  this  Daily-Estabrook  contest  is  dis- 
cussed has  remarked :  "The  committee  on 
elections  were  no  doubt  technically  right  in 
finding  that  the  attempt  of  Governor  Black 
to  organize  Buffalo  County  by  appointing  the 
county  officers  himself  was  invalid,  but  since 


it  appears  by  their  finding  that  there  had  been 
an  informal  election  of  the  officers,  it  may  be 
inferred  that  the  wish  of  the  committee  stood 
in  close  relationship  to  their  thought.  A  legally 
formal  election  on  the  Nebraska  frontier 
in  the  50*s  was  about  as  rare  and  impracticable 
as  a  social  function  with  Parisian  manners  in 
the  same  region.  The  act  (approved  Novem- 
ber 4,  1858)  creating  Hall  County  specifically 
authorized  the  governor  to  appoint  the  first 
county  officers,  and  Black,  without  authority, 
seems  to  have  imitated  the  like  action  of  Act- 
ing Governor  Morton  a  few  months  before." 
The  Omaha  Nebraskam,  quoted  in  Nebraska 
City  News,  January  1,  1859,  discussed  the 
organization  of  Hall  County: 

The  legislature  at  the  last  session  passed 
an  act  to  organize  the  county  of  Hall,  and 
Hon.  J.  Sterling  Morton,  acting  governor,  has 
judiciously  appointed  and  commissioned  the 
following  officers  for  said  county :  Probate 
judge,  Richard  C.  Barnard;  sheriff,  Hermann 
Vasold ;  recorder,  Theodore  F.  Nagel ;  treas- 
urer, Joshua  Smith;  justices  of  the  peace, 
William  A.  Hagge,  Isaac  Thomas ;  constables, 
Christian  Menck ;  county  commissioners, 
Frederick  Hedde,  Daniel  B.  Crocker,  Hans 
Vieregg.  The  name  of  "Hall"  was  given  to 
this  county  as  a  compliment  to  Chief  Justice 
Hall. 

It  might  be  interesting  to  divert  from  the 
general  theme  of  this  chapter  to  continue 
the  quotations  from  the  above  named  journal 
and  see  what  the  press  in  the  east  end  of  the 
state  had  to  say  about  Grand  Island  and  Hall 
County  early  in  1859: 

Grand  Island  is  the  county  seat  of  Hall 
County  and  is  situated  forty  miles  west  of 
Columbus.*  It  is  the  extreme  western  set- 
tlement of  Nebraska  and  is  surrounded  by  a 
thrifty,  intelligent  farming  population.  Teh 
country  about  it  is  upland  bottom,  very  fertile, 
and  timbered  and  watered.  Grand  Island 
itself  is  seventy-five  miles  in  length,  and; 
averages  four  miles  in  width,  being  heavily 
timbered  with  oak,  hickory,  cottonwood,  and 
red  cedar. 

IN  THE  SIXTH   LEGISLATURE 

In  the  sixth  territorial  legislature,  which 


i  As  the  distance  from  Columbus  to  Grand  Island 
is  62  miles  this  is  once  the  press  ran  a  reverse  lever 
on  exaggeration  so  often  attributed  to  it. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


183 


convened  December  5,  1859,  Monroe  and  Hall 
counties  were  represented  by  Richard  C. 
Barnard  of  Hall  County.  Mr.  Barnard  was 
surveyor  for  and  one  of  the  leading  members 
of  the  original  colony  that  settled  in  Hall 
County  in  1857.  He  was  the  first  probate 
judge  appointed  for  the  county,  succeeded  in 
1859  by  Frederick  Hedde.  He  was  county 
surveyor  after  he  served  in  this  session  of  the 
legislature  and  first  postmaster  commissioned 
for  the  new  postoffice  at  Grand  Island,  when 
it  was  established  in  1859.  Mr.  Barnard's 
seat  was  unsuccessfully  contested  by  Leander 
Gerrard,  of  Columbus,  who  afterwards  be- 
came well  known  in  the  state  through  his  long 
incumbency  as  president  of  the  Columbus 
State  Bank.  Mr.  Gerrard  was  a  lawyer  and 
at  one  time  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Whitte- 
more,  Gerrard  &  Post,  at  Columbus.  He  had 
assisted  in  organizing  the  Republican  party 
in  Nebraska  and  been  its  candidate  for  the 
legislature  in  1859  in  this  new  district.  To 
show  the  development  of  the  state  as  it  was 
extending  past  Hall  County,  it  might  be  re- 
marked that  this  first  legislature  in  which 
Hall  County  had  a  representative  authorized 
the  organization  of  Dawson,  Kearney, 
Morton,  Nuckolls,  Shorter  (which  embraced 
all  that  territory  now  in  Phelps,  Harlan, 
Gosper,  Frontier,  Red  Willow  and  part  of 
Lincoln  south  of  Platte  river,  and  afterwards 
named  Lincoln  county),  West  and  Wilson 
counties.  Morton,  West,  and  Wilson  counties 
wver  materialized  into  "going  < 


JUDGE  AUGUSTUS  HALL 
Without  attempting  to  settle,  in  this  work, 
which  is  the  correct  theory,  whether  Hall 
County  was  named  in  honor  of  Augustus 
Hall,  chief  justice  of  the  territory  at  the 
time  of  the  organization  of  the  county,  or  in 
honor  of  a  local  citizen,  a  partner  in  business 
of  W.  M.  Spiker,  one  of  the  early  sheriffs 
of  the  county,  it  would  not  be  inappropriate 
to  give  our  readers  a  short  sketch  of  the 
career  of  Judge  Hall. 

Augustus  Hall  was  a  native  of  Batavia, 
New  York,  bom  in  1814.  His  father,  Samuel 
Hall,  was  a  whig  in  politics,  a  Presbyterian 


in  religion,  and  in  comfortable  financial  cir- 
cumstances. Augustus  Hall  graduated  from 
the  academy  at  Middleburg,  New  York,  in 
the  early  30*s,  studied  law  with  Phineas  L. 
Tracy  at  Batavia  for  two  years  and  com- 
pleted his  studies  at  Mt.  Pleasant,  Ohio,  where 
he  was  admitted  and  began  the  practice  of 
his  profession  and  was  subsequently  county 
attorney.  From  Ohio  he  went  to  Van  Buren 
County,  Iowa,  where  he  practiced  until  1854 
when  he  served  two  terms  in  Congress.  In 
January,  1858,  he  was  appointed  by  President 
Buchanan  chief  justice  of  the  territory  of 
Nebraska,  and  removed  immediately  to  Belle 
vue,  where  he  resided  and  performed  the 
duties  of  his  office  until  his  death  in  1861. 
His  only  son,  Richard  Smith  Hall,  became  a 
very  distinguished  member  of  the  Nebraska 
bar,  and  at  one  time  the  law  partner  of  U.  S. 
Senator  John  M.  Thurston.  Augustus  Hall 
was  a  charter  member  of  the  first  lodge  of 
Free  Masons  instituted  in  Nebraska,  known 
as  Nebraska  Lodge  No.  1  at  Bellevue,  later 
removed  (1888)  to  Omaha. 

Whichever  surmisal  may  be  the  fact,  the 
honor  of  Hall  County's  name  is  great  enough 
for  both  Halls. 

first  statehood  election 
In  the  election  on  the  question  of  statehood 
held  on  March  5,  1860,  2,372  votes  were  cast 
against  and  2,094  for  state  government.  In 
this  election  Hall  County  cast  12  votes  for 
and  13  against  the  proposition.  As  delegates 
to  the  constitutional  convention,  which  there- 
fore never  materialized,  Platte,  Monroe,  and 
Hall  counties  chose  John  Reck  and  Charles 
H.  Whaley,  Republicans.  It  may  be  remarked 
at  this  point  that  Monroe  County,  which  had 
theretofore  been  Hall  County's  partner  in 
various  representations,  was  merged  with 
Platte  County  by  legislative  act  of  January 
12,  1860.  The  representative  from  Monroe 
and  Hall  counties  for  the  seventh  legislative 
session  was  Frederick  Hedde,  of  Hall  County. 
In  the  eighth  legislature,  which  convened  in 
December,  1861,  and  extended  but  ten  days 
into  the  next  year,  Enos  Beall  represented 
Hall,  and  its  mate,  Monroe,  counties.    During 


'  3 


C 


184 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


this  session  the  counties  of  Buffalo,  Hall, 
Kearney,  and  Lincoln  were  constituted  a  new 
representative  district.  In  the  succeeding 
(ninth)  legislature,  Frederick  Hedde,  of 
Hall  County,  became  the  first  representative 
from  that  new  district.  This  legislature  met 
from  January  7  to  February  15,  1864.  An 
act  was  passed  by  Congress  on  April  19,  1864, 
in  response  to  a  memorial  of  the  territorial 
Nebraska  legislature,  authorizing  the  gover- 
nor to  call  an  election  for  members  of  a  con- 
stitutional convention  on  June  6  This  con- 
vention met  in  Omaha,  the  territorial  capital, 
on  July  4th.  Hall,  Platte,  and  adjoining 
counties  were  represented  by  Isaac  Albertson. 
Mr.  Albertson  is  credited  with  having  started 
and  named  the  town  of  Buchanan,  afterwards 
absorbed,  "name  and  all,"  by  Schuyler. 
Douglas  County  preferred  the  territorial 
status  to  risking  capital  removal  that  state- 
hood might  entail,  and  as  all  of  the  South 
Platte  counties  except  Richardson  joined  in 
the  proposition  lost.  In  the  election  of  1864 
for  delegates  to  Congress,  Hall  County  cast 
59  votes  for  Phineas  W.  Hitchcock,  Union 
Republican  candidate  (father  of  Senator  G. 
M.  Hitchcock,  now  representing  Nebraska  in 
the  United  States  Senate),  and  17  votes  for 
Dr.  Geo.  L.  Miller,  Democratic  candidate. 

By  the  time  the  tenth  territoral  legislature 
convened  in  January,  1865,  Hall  County  had 
attained  representation  in  the  council  of  the 
upper  house  of  the  territorial  assembly.  Her 
first  representative,  with  the  other  counties 
of  the  fifth  district,  Platte,  Monroe,  Buffalo, 
Kearney,  and  Lincoln,  was  Isaac  Albertson, 
who  also  continued  in  the  eleventh  legislature 
to  represent  this  district.  In  the  tenth  legis- 
lature, Halt,  Platte,  Buffalo,  and  Merrick 
counties  were  represented  in  the  lower  house 
by  Frederick  Evans.  In  the  eleventh  terri- 
torial legislature,  which  convened  January  4, 
1866,  and  in  the  twelfth  (last)  legislature, 
which  convened  January  10,  1867,  John  Wal- 
lichs  of  Hall  represented  Hall,  Buffalo, 
Platte,  and  Merrick  counties.  The  represen- 
tative of  the  fifth  district,  including  Hall,  in 
the  upper  house  or  council  of  the  last  legis- 
lature was  F.  K.  Freeman. 

In   the   election   held   in    1865   upon   state 


auditor  and  treasurer,  Hall  was  one  of  five 
counties  that  did  not  cast  a  single  Democratic 
vote — these    counties    being    Cuming,   Hall, 
Merrick,  Pawnee,  and  Seward.  Hall  County's 
vote  for  each  Republican  candidate  was  67. 
The   Eleventh   legislature,   of   which  John 
Wallichs  was  a  member,  met  the  important 
question  of  statehood  again.     A  constitution 
was  prepared  which  afterwards  proved  very 
unsatisfactory  and  somewhat  of  a  burden.  But 
the  work  of  this  legislature  at  least  paved 
the  way  for  ultimate  statehood.  ■  The  political 
conventions  of   1866  were  rather  important, 
owing  to  the  heated  condition  of   campaign 
matters  then.    Charles  H.  Whaley  represented 
the  float  district  of  Platte,  Hall,  Buffalo,  and 
Merrick  counties  at  the  Republican  or  Union 
territorial  convention.    The  counties  of  Plalte, 
Buffalo,  Hall,  Monroe,  Merrick,  and  Kearney 
and  Lincoln  counties  were  represented  at  the 
Democratic     territorial    convention     at    Ne1 
bras k a   City   by   our   neighbor   from   Buffalo 
County,  J.  E.  Boyd,  afterwards  elected  gov- 
ernor of  the  state.    At  the  election  held  June 
2,  1866,  Hall  County's  vote  was  cast  as  fol- 
lows :    For  constitution  2,   against,   29 ;    for 
Butler,   for  governor   (successful   candidate) 
10,  Morton,  27.     Though  Hall  County  stood 
for  Morton  for  governor  in  June,  at  the  fall 
election  when  he  ran  against  Marquette  for 
delegate  in  Congress,  she  cast  46   votes  for 
Marquette   and   none   for   Morton,    but   con- 
sistently   gave    Taffe    for    Congressman    the 
same  46  against  his  opponent  Paddock. 

REPRESENTATION  IN  THE  SENATE 
During  the  early  sessions  of  the  state  leg- 
islature, Hall  County  was  part  of  a  senatorial 
district  comprising  Platte,  Merrick,  Hall, 
Buffalo,  Kearney,  and  Lincoln  counties.  Not 
until  the  sixth  session  did  Hall  County  gain 
a  state  senator.  From  then  on  she  held  hei 
own  to  the  extent  of  furnishing  the  success- 
ful candidate  ten  times  in  sixteen  terms,  b« 
in  the  last  six  terms  has  only  had  the  sonata: 
twice. 

The  roster  of  men  who  have  representee 
Hall  County  in  the  state  senate  are: 
1867  —  F.  K.  Freeman,  Kearney  County. 
1869  — Guy  C.  Barnum,  Buffalo  County. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


185 


1871  — Leander  Gerrard,  Columbus. 

1873  — Guy  C.  Barton,  North  Platte. 

1875  — Guy  C.  Barton,  North  Platte. 

1877— George  H.  Thummel,  Grand  Island. 

1879  —  E.  W.  Arnold,  Grand  Island. 

1881  — W.  R.  Morse,  Clarks  (Merrick  Co.) 

1883  — T.  O.  C.  Harrison,  Grand  Island. 

1885  — J.  N.  Paul,  St.  Paul  (Howard  Co.) 

1887— Samuel   N.   Wolbach,   Grand   Island. 

1889— Samuel   N.   Wolbach,   Grand   Island. 

1891 -T.  B.  Coulter,  Underwood  (Hall  Co.) 

1893 -T.  F.  McCarty,  St.  Paul. 

1895  — George   H.   Caldwell,   Grand    Island. 

1897  — Dr.  O.  Grothan,  St.  Paul. 

1899— Rasmus  R.  Hannibal,  St.  Paul. 

1901— J.   A.    Woolstenholm,   Grand   Island. 

1903  — W.  H.  Harrison,  Grand  Island. 

1905  — A.  E.  Cady,  St.  Paul. 

1907—  Fred  W.  Ashton,  Grand  Island. 

1909— J.  H.  Buhrman,  St.  Iibory  (Howard 
Co.) 

1911  — J.  H,  Buhrman,  St.  Libory  (Howard 
Co.) 

1913  — Raymond    H.    West,    Wood    River 
(Hall  Co.) 

1915  — J.  H.  Buhrman,  St.  Libory  (Howard 
Co.) 

1917— J.  H.  Buhrman,  St.  Libory  (Howard 
Co.) 

1919  — Thos.    E.    Bradstreet,   Grand   Island. 
During  the  very  first  sessions  Hall  County 

lad  to  share  her  representation  in  the  lower 

bouse  of  the  legislature  with  other  counties, 
and  during  the  first  nine  sessions  had  only  one 
representative.  Since  1883  she  has  had  two 
members  in  each  session  and  been  entitled  to 
elect  both  of  them  from  her  own  borders. 
Those  who  have  served  as  representatives  for 
Hall  County  in  the  lower  house  of  the  state 
legislature  have  been : 

1867  — J.  Wallichs  of  Columbus  (Platte  Co.) 
1869-70  — Wells  Brewer,  Hall  County. 
1871  — Enos  Beall,  Hall  County. 
1873  —  E.  Parker,  Lone  Tree. 
1875  — Lorin  Clark,  Albion. 
1877  — George  A.  Hall,  Grand  Island. 
1879  —  G.  H.  Bush,  Grand  Island. 
1881-2  — F.  A.  Sears,  Grand  Island. 
1883  —  1.   M.  Cole,  Doniphan    (Hall  Co.) 
Z.  H.  Denman,  Sr.,  Alda. 


1885  —  Geo.  Cornelius,  Grand  Island. 

S.  N.  Wolbach,  Grand  Island. 
1887— James  Ewing,  Wood  River. 

Chas.  Rief,  Grand  Island. 
1889— H.  C.  Denman,  Doniphan. 

Edward  Hooper,  Grand  Island. 
1891  —  Ed  J.  Hall,  Grand  Island. 

Henry  Schotfeldt,  Grand  Island. 
1893  — J.  L.  Johnson,  Abbott. 

Henry  Schotfeldt,  Grand  Island. 
1895  —  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  Alda. 

W.  H.  Harrison,  Grand  Island. 
1897  —  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  Alda. 

C.  E.  Wiebe,  Grand  Island. 
1899— Geo.  L.  Rouse,  Alda. 

W.  A.  Prince,  Grand  Island. 
1901—  Wm.  Thomssen,  Grand  Island. 

G.  C.  Humphrey,  Doniphan. 
1903  —  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  Alda. 

H.  S.  Ferrar,  Grand  Island. 
1905  —  Geo.  L.  Rouse,  Alda. 

H.  S.  Ferrar,  Grand  Island. 
1907  —  A.  L.  Scudder,  Doniphan. 

E.  O.  White,  Cairo. 
1909  — John  W.   Sink,  Grand  Island. 

Frank  S.  West,  Wood  River. 
1911  —John  W.  Sink,  Grand  Island. 

W.  A.  Prince,  Grand  Island. 
1913  — P.  C.  Kelley,  Grand  Island. 
(Speaker  of  House.) 

M.  H.  O'Malley,  Alda. 
1915  — A.  L.  Scudder,  Doniphan. 

John  E.  Cox,  Cairo. 
1917  — A.  L.  Scudder,  Doniphan. 

Leo  B.  Stuhr,  Grand  Island. 
1919— H.  J.  McLaughlin,  Doniphan. 

John  McLellan,  Grand  Island. 

In  various  sessions  W.  H.   Harrison  was 

president  of  the  senate,  Geo.  L.  Rouse  was 

speaker  of  the  house,  and  H.  A.  Edwards  was 

clerk  of  the  senate. 

CONSTITUTIONAL  CONVENTIONS 
In  the  constitutional  convention  of  1871 
Hall  County  was  ably  represented  by  O.  A. 
Abbott,  Sr.,  and  Geo.  H.  Thummel.  With 
perhaps  one  exception,  Mr.  Abbott  and  Mr. 
Thummel  are  the  only  survivors  of  the  mem- 
bership of  that  convention.  Mr.  Abbott  is 
the  only  surviving  member  of  the  group  of 


186  HISTORY  OF  HALL  ■ 

eight  who  served  in  both  the  constitutional 
conventions  of  1871  and  1875.  On  the  vote 
of  the  constitution  submitted  by  the  conven- 
tion of  1871,  Hall  County  voted  90  for  and 
91  contra.  As  an  enlightening  discussion  of 
the  conditions  that  surrounded  the  making  of 
constitutions  in  those  days,  the  following 
article  written  in  1907  by  Goveronr  Abbott 
is  not  out  of  place  at  this  point: 

CONSTITUTIONAL    CONVENTIONS 

OF  71  -75 

ELEMENTS   THAT    LED   TO   THE   DEFEAT   OF 
FIRST  CONVENTION 

By  Hon.  O.  A.  Abbott 

Without  pretending  to  exact  historical 
knowledge  it  is  at  least  Iprobable  that  no 
other  state  ever  voted  on  two  different  con- 
stitutions within  so  short  a  period  as  five 
years,  but  affairs  in  the  state  under  the  con- 
stitution of  1867  had  grown  intolerable.  The 
Union  Pacific  was  building,  but  no  other  rail 
had  been  laid.  When  the  first  constitution 
was  adopted  the  population  of  the  state  was 
almost  wholly  confined  to  the  river  counties. 
In  71  the  Burlington  had  been  completed  to 
Kearney.  The  old  Midland  Pacific  had  also 
reached  Lincoln  and  the  Omaha  Southwestern 
was  extended  to  the  Platte  River.  Settlers 
were  pouring  into  the  state.  The  sod  house 
was  the  prevailing  type  of  residential  archi- 
tecture. The  judges  of  the  district  court  — 
three  only  —  also  sat  together  as  judges  of 
the  supreme  court  and  received  only  $1,000 
each  per  annum  for  their  services,  and  other 
state  officers,  from  the  governor  down,  the 
same. 

Out  of  this  condition  of  things  grew  the 
pass  system.  The  railroad  was  as  anxious 
for  good  government  as  any  citizen;  and, 
like  all  citizens  of  new  communities,  was  will- 
ing to  help  where  it  could,  and  it  gave  all 
public  officers  passes.  Had  the  practice 
stopped  there,  it  is  doubtful  if  it  would  have 
provoked  the  storm  of  protests  that  later 
swept  the  state  and  made  a  pass  so  obnox- 
ious that  the  legislature  undertook  to  prevent 


1  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  ( 

the  debts  of  the  corporations.  This  alone 
might  not  have  been  sufficient  to  compass  its 
defeat  but  it  furnished  the  sinews  of  war 
to  defeat  it  on  the  open  ground  of  church 
and  taxation.  The  Methodist  conference  sent 
a  committee  before  the  convention  to  advocate 
the  taxation  of  all  church  property  in  excess 
of  $5,000.  The  corporation  used  this  clause 
as  a  pretext  and  at  least  one  of  the  members 
of  the  committee  that  urged  the  adoption  of 
the  taxation  clause  worked  vigorously  to  de- 
feat the  constitution.  Large  posters  were  put 
up  opposing  the  adoption,  one  of  which  bore 
the  heading :  "To  your  tents,  O  Israel !  The 
enemy  is  upon  you." 

In  the  second  convention  of  75  the  same 
spirit  of  rigid  economy  prevailed.  The  ne- 
cessity which  an  increase  of  business  forced 
onto  the  officers  led  to  some  remarkable  de- 
cisions from  the  courts  —  among  them  that 
,  a  stenographer  was  not  a  clerk  —  and  called 
for  the  general  comment  from  the  bar  that 
•"necessity  knows  no  law."  Church  taxation 
was  excluded  by  the  constitutional  limitations 
on  corporations,  while  leaving  out  the  clause 
that  called  down  defeat  upon  the  constitution 
of  1871,  was  perhaps  the  most  conservative 
of  the  right  of  state  control  of  any  in  the 
whole  union,  and  has  resulted  in  sending 
many  of  the  larger  corporations  to  New 
Jersey  for  corporate  charters.  It  may  be 
this  constitution  would  have  been  defeated' 
lwt  for  the  separate  article  fixing  the  seat 
of  government  at  Lincoln  until  removed  by 
a  vote  of  the  people.  The  southeast  portion 
of  the  state  cast  their  votes  solidly  for-  the 
whole  instrument  in  order  to  save  that  special 
provision. 

Among  the  hardest  struggles  was  the  pro- 
vision safe-guarding  the  school  funds  of  the 
state.  The  wisdom  of  that  struggle  is  now 
apparent  and  in  a  few  years  Nebraska  will 
be  able  to  educate  its  children  out  of  the 
income  from  the  lands  donated  to  it  for  such 
purpose   from  the  general  government. 

It  was  clearly  unwise  to  take  from  future 
legislatures  the  power  to  adjust  the  salaries 
of  public  officers.  It  was  the  spirit  of  econ- 
omy that  prompted  that.     All  that  was  nec- 


d  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


by  special  acts  crowded  the  pages  of  the 
session  laws  and  these  wholesome  provisions 
will  doubtless  be  retained  in  any  new  con- 
stitution that  may  be  submitted  to  the  people ; 
and  that  a  new  one  will  have  to  be  provided 
in  the  near  future  becomes  every  day  more 
apparent. 

STATE  OFFICERS 

Hall  County  has  been  unusually  fortunate 

in  the  matter   of   having  numerous   citizens 

from  her  fold  chosen  for  state  offices  in  the 

commonwealth  of  Nebraska. 

GOVERNOR  JOHN  M.  THAYER 
A  great  many  counties  in  the  state  have 
never  had  the  honor  of  furnishing  the  state 
a  governor.  John  Milton  Thayer  served  both 
as  United  States  senator  and  governor,  and 
had  also  led  the  First  Nebraska  Regiment  into 
the  service  of  its  country  in  the  War  of  the 
Rebellion.  Governor  Thayer  was  born  irt 
Bellingham,  Massachusetts,  January  24,  1820, 
the  son  of  Captain  Elias  and  Ruth  (Staples) 
Thayer.  He  was  raised  on  the  farm,  taught 
school  when  a  young  man,  attended  Brown 
University,  graduating  in  1841.  He  studied 
law  under  Isaac  Davis  at  Worcester,  Mas- 
sachusetts. In  1854  he  moved  to  Omaha 
where  he  Was  admitted  to  the  bar,  but  did 
not  practice.  He  engaged  in  farming.  The 
first  territorial  legislature  commissioned  him 
brigadier  general  in  command  of  forces  raised 
to  conduct  a  defense  against  the  Indians,  who 
were  then  very  troublesome.  The  next  legis- 
lature made  him  major-general  of  the  two 
divisions  formed  for  this  service.  For  six 
years  he  carried  on  this  service  of  protecting 
the  pioneer  residents  of  the  state.  Twice  he 
had  to  conduct  campaigns  against  the  Paw- 
nees, the  last  time  on  the  Elkhorn  in  1859, 
when  he  rounded  the  Indians  up  and  settled 
the  questions  of  further  Pawnee  scares.  At 
the  beginning  of  the  Civil  War  General 
Thayer  applied  to  the  secretary  of  war  and 
asked  for  a  regiment  to  be  assigned  to  Ne- 
braska. Upon  the  granting  of  that  request, 
he  raised  a  regiment  of  1,000  men  in  a  new 
territory  which  had  only  shown  a  population 


of  28,841  in  1860.  Commissioned  as  Colonel 
of  the  1st  Nebraska  Regiment,  he  immediately 
reported  to  General  Fremont,  in  St.  Louis. 
He  was  made  brigadier-general  for  services 
in  the  battles  of  Donaldson  and  Shiloh,  and 
later  was  made  major-general  by  brevet.  He 
had  various  other  commands  through  the  war, 
and  at  the  close  of  the  war  returned  to  Ne- 
braska. He  was  a  member  of  the  first  con- 
stitutional convention.  He  was  one  of  the 
first  United  States  senators  from  Nebraska, 
chosen  in  1867  and  serving  for  four  years. 
In  1875,  General  Grant,  then  President,  with 
whom  General  Thayer  had  formed  a  very 
cordial  friendship,  appointed  him  governor  of 
the  territory  of  Wyoming,  which  position  he 
occupied  for  three  years  and  nine  months. 
While  he  was  residing  in  Hall  County,  in 
1886,  General  Thayer  was  elected  governor 
of  Nebraska.  He  served  two  full  terms. 
After  the  election  of  1890  the  discovery  was 
made  that  James  E.  Boyd,  who  had  been 
elected  governor  on  the  Democratic  ticket, 
was  of  foreign  birth  and  had  come  with  his 
father  to  Nebraska  as  a  minor,  and  it  was 
contended  that  as  neither  his  father  nor  he 
had  taken  out  naturalization  papers,  he  was 
not  eligible  to  occupy  the  office.  Governor 
Thayer,  acting  upon  legal  advice,  declined  to 
turn  the  office  over  to  Boyd,  and  claimed  to 
be  governor  de  facto  and  de  jure  until  a 
'  successor  was  elected  and  duly  qualified.  On 
trial  upon  a  writ  of  ouster  the  supreme  court 
of  the  state  upheld  Governor  Thayer's  con- 
tention. Upon  appeal  of  the  case  to  the 
federal  supreme  court  that  body  reversed  the 
state  court's  decision,  and  in  accordance  there- 
with Governor  Thayer  turned  over  the  office 
to  Governor  Boyd.  This  controversy  was 
of  peculiar  interest  to  Hall  County  inasmuch 
as  Governor  Thayer  had  been  elected  from 
this  county,  and  Governor  Boyd  had  been  a 
resident  of  Buffalo  County,  just  across  the 
west  line  from  Hall,  and  the  "Jim  Boyd'* 
ranch  is  almost  as  much  a  part  of  the  early- 
history  of  Hall  as  of  Buffalo  County. 

General  Thayer  in  1843  had  married  Mary 
Torrey  Allen,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Allen. 
They  had   six   children.     Mrs.   Thayer  died 

>sle 


,oogl' 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


in  September,  1892,  at  which  time  General 
Thayer  retired  to  private  life  and  devoted 
himself  to  literary  pursuits.  In  1879  he  was 
elected  department  commander  of  the  G.  A.  R. 
of  Nebraska.    He  died  March  19,  1906. 

LIEUTENANT  GOVERNOR  O.  A.  ABBOTT,  SR. 

Hall  County  possesses  the  distinction  of 
having  furnished  to  the  state  its  first  lieu- 
tenant-governor, O.  A.  Abbott.  Mr.  Abbott 
had  already  served  in  both  the  constitutional 
conventions  of  1871  and  1875  and  was  fairly 
well  grounded  in  the  fundamental  law  of 
the  state.  He  was  one  of  the  small  body 
of  men  who  took  the  final  burden  of  framing 
the  1875  constitution  in  the  form  it  emerged 
from  the  convention.  As  Governor  Garber 
was  absent  from  the  state  quite  a  good  deal, 
Lieutenant-Governor  Abbott  was  acting  gov- 
ernor of  the  state  during  his  term  even  more 
than  the  lieutenant-governor  usually  is  called 
upon  to  act.  In  that  way  the  title  of  Gov- 
ernor fastened  upon  him,  and  now  forty 
years  after  his  term  of  service  he  is  always 
spoken  of  as  "Governor  Abbott."  Arriving 
here  in  1867,  Governor  Abbott  was  the  only 
resident  member  of  the  Hall  County  bar  when 
the  first  district  court  was  held  for  Hall 
County  in  1868,  and  after  fifty-two  years  of 
practice  of  law  in  this  county  he  is  still  hale, 
hearty,  and  active  in  his  practice.  A  more 
extensive  biography  of  Governor  Abbott  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

STATE  TREASURER  HENRY  A.  KOENIG 
Hall  County  furnished  the  state  her  third 
state  treasurer  (1871-1875.).  Henry  Arnold 
Koenig  was  bom  in  Gutersloh,  Westphalen, 
Prussia,  May  3,  1836.  His  father's  people 
were  mercantile  and  manufacturing  people 
and  his  mother's  family  (the  Zimwinkels) 
were  identified  with  the  pork  packing  interests 
of  Westphalen.  He  grew  to  manhood  in  his 
native  land,  graduated  from  the  educational 
institution  at  sixteen  years  of  age,  spent  four 
years  as  clerk  in  Arnsberg,  then  three  years 
as  bookkeeper  in  an  uncle's  pork-packing  es- 
tablishment, and  one  year  in  the  regular  army. 
In  1859  he  joined  an  elder  brother,  who  had 


been  living  at  Omaha,  Nebraska,  but  who 
was  home  on  a  visit.  He  came  to  Omaha  and 
was  clerking  there  when  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany B,  First  Nebraska  Volunteer  Infantry. 
He  was  on  duty  until  the  fall  of  Fort  Donel- 
son,  when  he  was  discharged  for  disability 
and  returned  to  Omaha.  In  1863  he  became 
associated  with  Fred  A.  Wiebe  in  the  general 
mercantile  business  in  Denver,  Colorado.  He 
sold  out  there  and  returned  to  Omaha,  but 
almost  immediately  came  to  Grand  Island  and 
opened  up  a  mercantile  establishment,  the 
well-known  "O.  K.  Store."  During  the  con- 
struction of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  he  was 
general  contractor  in  railroad  ties,  furnished 
supplies,  kept  a  state  station  and  telegraph 
office  for  the  Western  Union  Telegraph  com- 
pany. Mr.  Koenig  and  his  partner  built  the 
first  saw-mill  in  Grand  Island,  and  in  1867 
attached  a  grist  mill.  They  opened  up  a 
lumber  yard,  which  can  trace  its  succession 
down  to  the  present  day.  They  started  a  gen- 
eral banking  business  early  in  their  business 
ventures,  but  in  1871  it  had  grown  extensive 
enough  so  that  they  opened  the  State  Central 
bank,  later  known  as  the  Citizens'  State  bank, 
of  which  Mr.  Koenig  became  president.  In 
1887  the  United  States  Investment  Company 
was  founded,  and  when  the  street  railway  was 
started,  Mr.  Koenig  became  its  president.  Mr. 
Koenig  was  an  active  spirit  in  promoting  the 
first  steps  of  the  beet  sugar  industry  in  Hall 
County.  He  served  the  county  as  county 
treasurer  several  terms. 

STATE    AUDITORS  —  JOHN    WALLICHS, 
SILAS   R.    BARTON 

Hall  County  has  somewhat  specialized  along 
the  line  of  state  auditors  and  has  furnished 
the  state  with  two. 

John  Wallichs  served  as  state  auditor  from 
November  12,  1880,  until  January  8,  1885. 
Mr.  Wallichs  had  served  Hall  County  in  the 
last  territorial  legislatures,  and  was  the  first 
clerk  of  the  district  court  of  Hall  County, 
when  that  office  came  into  existence,  by  virtue 
of  being  county  clerk  at  that  time. 

Silas' R.  Barton  served  four  years  as  state 


190 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


been  Grand  Recorder  of  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  for 
a  number  of  years  prior  to  his  election  to  the 
state  office.  Mr.  Barton  was  later  elected  to 
Congress  in  1913.  He  served  efficiently  one 
term,  and  was  the  nominee  of  his  party  at  the 
election  in  1916,  but  was  suddenly  stricken 
and  died  on  election  day. 

SECRETARIES   OF   STATE 

Hall  County  has  never  furnished  the  state 

with  a  secretary  of  state.     But  nevertheless 

we  have  a  peculiar  interest  in  two  of  the  men 

who  have  been  elected  to  this  office. 


Sims  R.  Barton 

Hon.  Addison  Wait,  who  was  elected  from 
Syracuse  in  1911  and  served  two  terms  in  that 
office,  is  now  a  resident  of  Hall  County.  He 
was  appointed  in  1918  to  the  position  of 
adjutant  at  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  at 
Burkett,  and  is  now  in  active  charge  of  the 
home  as  commandant  of  the  institution  in 
which  he  took  a  special  interest  during  his 
four  years  membership  on  various  state 
boards. 

Hon.  Darius  M.  Amsberry,  the  present 
secretary  of  state,  was  elected  in  1918  from 
Custer  County,  where  he  has  resided  for  a 
great  many  years.  But  forty  years  ago  Mr. 
Amsberry  was  residing  in  Washington  town- 
ship, and  about  that  time  was  teaching  in  the 
second  school  house  in  District  Number  One 


of  Hall  County.  Mr.  Amsberry  therefore 
feels  a  keen  interest  in  Hall  County  and  Hall 
County  feels  it  has  some  claim  on  him. 

SUPREME  COURT  JUSTICE 
One  member  of  the  Hall  County  bar  after 
serving  as  county  judge  for  HaH  County  and 
district  judge  for  the  judicial  district  to  which 
this  county  was  then  attached,  was  elevated 
to  the  position  of  justice  of  the  supreme  court, 
and  served  also  as  chief  justice  of  the  supreme 
court.  Judge  T.  O.  C.  Harrison  was  the  jurist 
who  thus  carried  the  honor  of  Hall  into  the 
highest  court  of  the  state,  and  rendered  a  very 
creditable  record  for  both  himself  and  the 
county  of  which  he  was  a  part  for  so  many 
years. 

Another  member  of  the  Hall  County  bar, 
Hon.  Richard  C.  Glanville,  was  a  member  oi 
the  supreme  court  commission  in  1902-3. 

THE   STATE  SOLDIERS'   AND   SAILORS'    HOME 

In  1884  the  bill  providing  for  the  establish- 
ment of  a  soldiers  home  was  passed.  The  first 
meeting  to  secure  the  location  of  the  home 
for  Grand  Island  was  held  in  September. 
1884,  George  Cornelius  presiding,  with  S.  P. 
Mobley  as  secretary.  J.  O.  West  and  Rn. 
P.  C.  Johnson,  with  Col.  Leib  and  Rev.  \VE- 
liams  as  alternates,  were  a  local  committee 
appointed  to  wait  upon  the  commissioners  at 
Dayton,  Ohio,  and  Gen.  John  M.  Thayer  was 
invited  to  accompany  them.  They  were 
authoriezd  to  offer  320  acres  for  a  site.  In 
April,  1887,  the  home  was  located  three  mite 
north  of  Grand  Island  on  lands  purchased  by 
the  citizens.  The  sum  of  $22,000  of  the 
$25,600  paid  for  the  land  involved  was  con- 
tributed within  thirty-six  hours  by  citizens. 
The  state  appropriated  $30,000.  Charles  Kief 
was  one  of  the  representatives  and  the  other 
was  Samuel  N.  Wolbach,  state  senator  from 
this  district,  and  both  were  untiring  workers 
to  secure  this  state  institution  for  Grand 
Island.  The  corner-stone  was  placed  October 
20,  1887,  by  Governor  Thayer,  and  a  gala  day 
was  enjoyed  by  the  community  and  the  entire 
country  for  miles  around.  The  building  was 
dedicated  June  26,   1888.     The  first  visiting 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


191 


and  examining  board  of  the  Soldiers'  Home 
was  appointed  in  April,  1887:  Samuel  B. 
Jones,  Omaha;  Ezra  S.  Howard,  Edgar; 
W.  S.  Webster,  Central  City;  Mrs.  B.  P. 
Cook,  Lincoln,  and  Mrs.  L.  A.  Bates,  Aurora. 
John  Hammond  of  Columbus  became  the  first 
commandant. 

An  interesting  coincidence  has  developed 
in  ths  history  of  this  institution.  Samuel  B. 
Jones,  who  came  to  the   Home  in    1919  as 


tenance  or  assistance.  The  canvass  showed 
there  were  twenty-one  in  such  circumstances, 
and  this  led  to  a  campaign  for  the  installa- 
tion of  such  an  institution  in  this  state. 

General  Thayer,  as  department  commander 
of  the  G.  A.  R.,  became  interested  and  lent 
very  material  assistance  in  carrying  this  enter- 
prise to  a  successful  close.  Coincidentally, 
General  Thayer  was  governor  at  the  time  the 
Home   was  completed   and   dedicated. 


Soldiers  and  Sailors  Home,  Grand.  Island 


the  commandant,  during  the  early  'eighties 
was  assistant  general  passenger  agent  of  the 
Union  Pacific  railroad.  He  was  in  the 
east  and  visited  an  old  soldiers'  home  in 
Massachusetts  and  was  impressed  with  the 
splendid  idea  behind  the  institution  and  the 
useful  purpose  it  accomplished.  Upon  his 
return  he  consulted  with  the  authorities  in 
diarge  of  the  work  of  the  G.  A.  R.  in  the 
state  and  a  series  of  circular  letters  were 
addressed  to  the  county  clerks  throughout  the 
state  and  inquiry  made  as  to  how  many  vet- 
:rans  of  the  late  Civil  War  might  be  de- 
pendent upon  the  various  counties  for  main- 


But  the  present  commandant,  S.  B.  Jones, 
remarks  now  that  he  had  no  thought  what- 
ever, thirty-five  years  ago  when  he  was  work- 
ing on  this  proposition,  that  he  should  ever 
become  the  executive  and  managing  officer 
of  the  institution  he  was  then  promoting. 

The  commandants  of  the  Home,  through  its 
thirty-five  years  have  been :  John  Hammond, 
W.  C.  Henry,  John  W.  Wilson,  General  Cole, 
D.  W.  Hoyt,  Miles  Zentmeyer,  D.  C.  Sco- 
ville,  W.  S.  Askwith,  Eli  A.  Barnes,  Ferdi- 
nand Zimmerer,  J.  F.  Walsh,  Samuel  B.  Jones, 
and  Ex-Secretary  of  State  Addison  E.  Wait. 

The  adjutants  have  been:  W.  H.  Wesley, 

Ug  T^byCiOOgle 


/ 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COl'XTY   NEBRASKA 


Ou>  Postofpice,  Grand  Island 


U.  S.  Postoffice,  Grand  Island 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


193 


M.  K.  Walker,  Dan  Athen,  John  H.  Powers, 
J.  W.  Bowen,  G.  G.  Vreeland,  Joe  McGraw, 
C.  C.  Ellis,  Craig,  Lane,  Maxwell,  and  from 
July,  1918,  until  recently  Ex-Secretary  of 
Slate  Addison  Wait.  Rev.  Wait  at  present  is 
adjutant. 

There  have  been  19  physicians:  Doctors 
Duncan,  Swegart,  W.  T.  Putt,  Lawson, 
Gordon,  Griffith,  Claude  P.  Fordyce,  Graff, 
Waggoner,  Phelan,  Gamber,  Warner,  Leahy, 
Hinchman,  F.  E.  Taft,  A.  J.  Chapman,  Hayes, 
Steele,  and  the  present  physician  and  surgeon 
is  W.  T.  Dever. 

The  principal  building  of  the  institution  is 
160  feet  long  and  90  feet  wide,  and  with  the 
stone  basement  is  four  stories  high.  A  high 
stairway  of  stone,  10  feet  wide,  leads  to  the 
main  entrance.  Broad  hallways  run  through 
the  center  from  one  end  to  the  other  on 
each  floor.  The  lower  or  basement  story  con- 
tains a  storeroom,  a  large  dining  hall,  a  smok- 
ing room,  an  extensive  kitchen  supplied  with 
modem  steam  cooking  utensils,  a  pantry,  cold 
storage  room,  bath  and  baggage  rooms.  On 
the  second  floor  are  the  headquarters,  com- 
mandant's private  consultation  room,  large 
library,  two  elegant  parlors,  large  dining  hall, 
and  a  smaller  one  for  the  officers.  The  third 
and  fourth  stories  are  used  for  sleeping 
rooms,  a  veteran's  wit  having  christened  the 
fourth  floor  the  hurricane  deck.  An  addi- 
tion has  been  built  to  the  main  building.  The 
sleeping  rooms  are  furnished  with  iron  cots, 
mattresses,  and  sufficient  covering.  The  build- 
ing is  heated  by  steam  and  lighted  by  elec- 
tricity. The  hospital  of  the  Home,  located 
a  little  north-west  of  the  main  building,  is 
a  much  newer  and  fairly  substantial  building. 
Several  smaller  building  are  used  for  sleep- 
ing quarters.  A  number  of  cottages  have 
been  built  around  the  grounds  and  are  as- 
signed to  the  married  couples  mainly.  The 
power  house  and  laundry,  stables,  and  num- 
erous other  buildings  are  scattered  about  the 
ground. 

Farming  operations  are  carried  on  upon  the 
640-acre  tract  which  are  of  no  small  pro- 
portions. Very  good  crops  are  raised  and 
the  produce  forms  a  valuable  addition  to  the 


larder  and  assets  of  the  Home.  The  Home 
has  been  an  asset  to  Grand  Island,  in  no 
manner  insignificant  from  a  financial  view- 
point. A  considerable  portion  of  the  gov- 
ernment and  state  appropriations  for  the  in- 
stitution and  of  the  pension  money  received 
by  the  inmates  is  spent  in  Grand  Island. 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  somewhat 
too  much  inclination  to  make  the  Home  the 
football  of  politics.  Since  the  establishment 
of  the  Milford  Soldiers'  Home  certain  very 
active  members  of  the  state  G.  A.  R.  have 
lobbied  and  worked  during  legislative  sessions 
to  build  up  that  Home,  and  various  boards 
and  officials  have  all  too  much  neglected  the 
Grand  Island  Home.  The  fact  that  men  and 
women  of  the  age  of  those  residing  at  this 
Home  must  climb  to  the  third  and  fourth 
stories  without  aid  of  elevator  transportation 
is  one  of  the  things  that  go  to  bear  out  the 
statement  just  made. 

IN  FEDERAL  GOVERNMENT 
Grand  Island  has  always  been,  since  her 
first  start,  the  seat  of  considerable  govern- 
mental activities  upon  the  part  of  the  federal 
government  for  this  part  of  the  state.  A 
postoffice  was  established  at  the  old  Grand 
Island  location  in  1859  with  Richard  C.  Barn- 
ard in  charge.  This  was  the  first  postoffice  in 
the  county,  or  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

In  1866  the  Grand  Island  postoffice  was 
located  at  the  new  town,  with  D.  Schuller  in 
charge  as  postmaster.  W.  R.  McAllister  was 
appointed  in  1868  at  $1  per  month.  When 
he  resigned  the  office  in  1878  it  was  paying 
him  $1,400  per  annum.  C.  P.  R.  Williams 
succeeded  Mr.  McAllister,  July  1,  1879, 
followed  by  C.  L.  Howell,  April  1,  1883, 
and  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  by  Lafayette 
Myers.  Mr.  Myers  brought  the  office  to  a 
high  state  of  efficiency.  On  October  1,  1887, 
the  free  delivery  system  was  installed.  By 
1889  four  carriers  were  employed,  making 
three  deliveries  a  day.  '  In  January,  1890,  M. 
Murphy  became  postmaster.  Upon  the  ex- 
piration of  Mr.  Murphy's  service,  J.  A. 
Costello  served  a  term;  and  his  successor 
was  W.  H.  Harrison.     Dr.  H.  C.  Miller  be- 


194 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


came  postmaster  in  1902  and  served  for  nine 
years,  having  one  year  of  service  in  the  new 
postoffice  building.  A.  F.  Buechler  served 
from  1911  to  1915,  and  since  then  D.  A.  Geil 
has  been  postmaster,  and  in  1919  was  re- 
appointed for  another  four  year  term.  For 
some  years  past  now  A.  J.  Baumann  has 
served  as  assistant  postmaster. 

THE   LAND   OFFICE 
The   land  office  at  Grand   Island  was  es- 
tablished by  an  executive  order  dated  April 
20,  1869,  under  an  act  of  Congress  approved 
July    27,    1868.      The    office    was    formally 
opened  about   December  of  that  year,   1869. 
The  office  was,  under  an  executive  order  dated 
September    II,    1893,    closed    December   31, 
1893,  and  consolidated  with  the  Lincoln,  Ne- 
braska,  land   office,   January    1,    1894.     The 
records  of  the  General  Land  Office  at  Wash- 
ington, under  the  department  of  the  interior, 
show   that   the    following   registers   and    re- 
ceivers carried  on  the  work  of  this  land  office: 
Date  of  Appointment 
Edward  W.  Arnold,  register,  April  28,  1869. 
Jacob  C.  Denise,  receiver,  April  28,  1869. 
Jesse    Turner,     receiver,    April    5,     1872. 
(Died  December  18,  1872.) 
Joseph    Fox,    receiver,    March    26,    1873. 
Edward  W.  Arnold,  register,  February  12, 
1874. 

William  Anyan,  temporary  receiver,  April 
23,  1877. 

William    Anyan,    receiver    November    10, 
1877. 

William  Anyan,  reappointed  receiver,  July 
11,  1882. 

Melville  B.  Hoxie,  temporary  register,  July 
1,  1878. 
Melville  B.  Hoxie,  register,  January  6,  1879. 
C.  Hostetter,  register,  March  7,  1882. 
John     G.     Higgins,     temporary     register, 
August  15,  1885. 

John  G.  Higgins,  register,  March  27,  1886. 
Alexander    H.    Baker,    receiver,    July   20, 
1886. 

Franklin   Sweet,  register,  March   19,  1890. 
Darwin  C.   Hall,  reveiver,  June   17,'  1890. 
J.  W.  Ferguson,  temporary  register,  June 
28,  1893. 


J.  W.  Ferguson,  register,  September  11, 
1893. 

The  records  of  the  general  land  office  show 
that  Frederick  Schultz  made  the  first  home- 
stead entry  December  6,  1869,  for  the  S^ 
Ney4  Sec.  8  T.  19,  N.,  R.  6,  E.  for  80  acres. 
Henry  C.  Shaw  made  the  first  cash  entry 
December  6,  1869,  for  the  E%  Sey4  Sec. 
22,  T.  16  N.  R  3  W.,  and  paid  for  it  wilh 
warrant  location  No.  107182,  160  acres,  act 
of  1855.    This  was  patented  April  15,  1874. 

OTHER  FEDERAL  OFFICERS 
Grand  Island  is  the  location  for  a  number 
of  other  federal  local  officers.  There  has 
been  a  referee  in  bankruptcy  in  charge  of 
that  work  for  fourteen  counties,  a  district 
comprising  Hall,  Howard,  Greeley,  Valley, 
Wheeler,  Garfield,  Loup,  Blaine,  Grant, 
Thomas,  Hooker,  Sherman,  Custer  and 
Buffalo  counties  for  some  years.  Bayard 
H.  Paine,  now  district  judge,  was  referee 
in  bankruptcy  for  nine  years.  His  prede- 
cessor, Arthur  C.  Mayer,  then  took  up  the 
duties  of  that  office  again  and  is  the  presetil 
referee. 

Grand  Island  has  had  a  branch  office  of 
the  clerk  of  United  States  Court  for  Ne- 
braska for  a  number  of  years.  George  H. 
Thummel  of  Grand  Island  was  clerk  of  the 
United  States  District  Court  at  Omaha  for 
a  number  of  years  and  also  was  United  States 
marshal.  The  present  deputy  to  Hon.  R.  C. 
Hoyt,  the  present  clerk  of  the  court  for  Ne- 
braska is  George  Cowton.  His  only  prede- 
cessor in  this  office  at  Grand  Island  was 
Henry  Allen,  later  clerk  of  district  court  for 
Hall  County. 

Mayor  J.  L.  Cleary  is  the  present  United 
States  Commissioner. 

A.  B.  Harriott  is  a  deputy  collector  of 
internal  revenue,  under  the  collector  at 
Omaha.  T.  P.  Matthews  and  Geo.  C. 
Humphrey  of  Grand  Island  have  held  this 
office  in  the  past. 

Silas  R.  Barton  served  as  Congressman 
from  the  Fifth  Nebraska  District  —  the  only 
Hall  County  man  elected  to  that  office 
although  several  Hall  County  men  have  been 
candidates  at  various  times. 


CHAPTER  XI 

THE  FLORA,  FAUNA,  AND,  NATURAL  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

Elevations  —  The  Fauna  of  Hall  County  — The  Grasshoppers  —  The  Flora  of  Hall 

County,  by  J.  M.  Bates  —  Climate  of  Hall  County  —  Bad  Storms  —  Easter  Storm 

of  1873,  by  Judge  Chables  B.  Letton  —  Another  Decade-and-half  of  Storms  — 

Buzzard  of  1888,  by  Minnie  Freeman  Penney  — Storm  of  March,  1913  — 

Cyclone  of  August  12,  1919 


Hall  County -is  about  a  third  of  a  mile 
above  sea  level.  To  be  more  exact,  the  meas- 
ured elevations  above  sea  level,  as  given  in 
Goodspeed's  History  of  Hall  County,  1890, 
for  this  part  of  Nebraska  are:  Grand  Island, 
1,860  feet;  Kearney,  2,146;  North  Platte, 
2796;  Columbus,  1,442;  Central  City,  1,697; 
St.  Paul,  1,796;  Scotia  Junction,  1,905;  Ord, 
2,047;  Hastings,  1,934;  Clay  Center,  1,687; 
Fairfield,  1,782;  Wood  River,  1,963;  Alda, 
1,913;  Shelton,  2,060;  Paddock,  1,760;  Chap- 
man, 1,763;  Doniphan,  1,948;  Hansen,  1,949; 
Glenville,  1,842 ;  Alma  Junction,  1,794 ; 
Edgar,  1728;  Sutton,  1,680;  Spring  Ranch, 
1/17;  Holstein,  2,011. 

A  more  complete  treatment  of  the  topog- 
raphy of  the  county  will  be  found  in  the 
abstract  of  the  government  soil  survey  which 
has  been  incorporated  in  the  next  chapter. 

It  is  very  common  to  include  in  the  history 
of  a  subdivision  of  a  state,  or  the  history  of 


life  contributed  by  the  pioneers.  The  first 
settlers  mention  many  phases  of  the  animal 
life  which  they  encountered;  in  the  narratives 
of  Fred  Stolley,  Norman  Reese,  and  William 
E.  Martin,  and  others,  found  in  the  earlier 
chapters  of  this  work,  mention  is  made  of 
the  various  animals,  their  habits,  and  the 
methods  of  the  humans  in  hunting  them  to 
secure  meat  for  their  sustenance  in  those 
trying  days. 

It  might  be  said  in  one  general  summariz- 
ing statement,  that  when  the  pioneers  took 
possession  of  Hall  County  and  for  a  decade 
or  more  thereafter  nearly  every  form  of  wild 
life  common  to  this  latitude  whether  of  earth, 
air,  or  water,  inhabited  Hall  County. 

In  vast  herds,  aggregating  countless  num- 
bers, .roamed  the  shaggy  buffalo,  while  the 
shy  and  lordly  elk  in  great  bands  fed  upon 
the  natural  meadows.  Many  species  of  Amer- 
ican  deer   were   here,   and   the   baribou,   the 


a  state,  a  very  detailed  account  of  the  geo-     moose,  and  mountain  sheep  no  doubt  claimed 


logical  formation  of  the  territory  of  that  sub- 
divison.  For  this  has  been  substituted  what 
the  compilers  consider  the  more  practical 
phases  of  the  very  detailed  soil  survey,  of 
which  the  farmers  and  soil  students  of  the 
county  might  make  some  practical  usage. 

THE  FAUNA  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

The  animal  life  of  this  part  of  Nebraska 

has  been  somewhat  pertinently  touched  upon 

many  times  throughout  the  sketches  of  early 


this  great  region  at  times.  The  wild  fox  was 
present,  and  the  shrill  coyote  even  yet  roams 
not  far  from  the  Hall  County  border  at  times. 
Gray  wolf,  lynx,  and  panther  were  no  doubt 
here  formerly. 

The  rodents  of  the  forest  all  lived  here: 
the  mole,  the  wood  mouse,  the  badger,  the 
ground  gopher  or  ground  squirrel,  the  pocket 
gopher,  the  unwelcome  skunk  or  pole-cat ; 
and  no  one  ever  attempted  a  census  of  the 
prairie  dogs   in   Hall   County.     Strictly   fur- 


>sie 


196 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


bearing  animals,  such  as  the  mink,  the  musk- 
rat,  the  raccoon,  and  for  that  purpose, 
the  skunk,  were  sought.  Frogs,  toads,  and 
other  batricians  could  find  plenty  of  channels 
of  the  Platte  for  thriving  colonies,  and  va- 
rieties of  snakes  galore  had  plenty  of  prairies 
at  their  command,  the  prairie  rattler,  the 
common  bull  snake,  the  water  moccasin,  the 
puffing  adder,  and  other  forms  of  reptilian 
life  abounded  about  the  woods,  the  barren 
prairies,  and  the  streams. 

There  was  no  shortage  of  bird  life  in  the 
early  days.  Wild  turkey,  goose,  brant,  crane, 
duck,  and  turkey  buzzard  were  all  available, 
innumerable  hawks,  owls,  and  crows,  and  all 
of  the  scores  of  kinds  of  smaller  birds,  among 
which  might  most  commonly  be  found  the 
swallows,  wrens,  robins,  yellow  hammers, 
chickadees,  pewees,  blue  jays,  meadow  larks, 
thrush,  bluebirds,  blackbirds,  snowbirds,  and 
let  us  not  forget  the  sparrows.  For  game 
birds,  the  ducks,  geese,  and  turkeys  have  been 
mentioned,  not  to  overlook  the  quail,  grouse, 
and  prairie  chickens  by  the  thousands. 

The  channels  of  the  Platte  and  other 
streams  afforded  no  small  variety  of  fishing. 
Insect  life  has  always  abounded  all  too  num- 
erously in  all  portions  of  Nebraska.  Flies, 
gnats,  mosquitoes,  wasps,  hornets,  vari-cot- 
ored  butterflies,  bees,  moths,  grasshoppers, 
cycads,  beetles,  miriapods,  crickets,  locusts, 
caterpillars,  ants,  and  every  other  creeping 
and  crawling  thing  native  to  this  region  has 
left  its  claim  for  residence  in  Hall  County, 
even  the  more  undesirable  destructive  species, 
the  chinch  bug,  army  worm,  cut- worms, 
Hessian  fly,  potato-bugs  and  —  well,  we  will 
repeat  it,  for  one  insect  has  earned  a  place 
in  Hall  County  history,  as  undesirable  as  its 
record  may  be  —  that  is,  the  Rocky  Mountain 
locust,  or  grasshopper. 

GRASSHOPPERS 

"The  Lord  only  knows  which  harmed  the 
poor  settlers  the  more,  the  prowling  red-skins 
who  were  wont  to  sally  forth  from  the  hills 
and  uplands,  or  the  green  imps  of  satan,  the 
grasshoppers,  which  pounced  upon  us  in  be- 


wildering hordes  —  both  literally  took  the 
bread  out  of  our  mouths." — An  Old  Pio- 
neer. 

The  early  history  of  Hall  County  shows 
destrutcive  devastation  from  grasshoppers 
very  early.  A  paragraph  from  Goodspeed's 
History  of  Hall  County  details  some  of  the 
early  visitations: 

In  August,  1862,  the  first  swarms  of  grass- 
hoppers were  noticed  here.  On  July  15, 1864, 
they  destroyed  all  the  buckwheat  in  the  count)' 
to  the  exclusion  of  other  crops,  reappearing 
on  August  1,  1864.  Again,  in  July,  1866, 
though  numerous,  they  did  not  do  much 
injury.  In  1868  they  once  more  appeared,  and 
in  1869  destroyed  nearly  all  the  cornfields. 
On  May  22,  1873,  they  came  with  a  southwest 
wind,  but  did  not  effect  much  damage.  On 
July  20,  21,  and  22  and  on  August  5  and  6. 
1874,  they  came  in  swarms,  which  sometimes 
shut  off  the  sunlight,  and  ate  nearly  all  the 
crops.  A  state  aid  society  was  at  once  organ- 
ized, and  also  a  state  grange  relief  society. 
Subsistence  and  clothing  were  sent  to  the 
sufferers.  Congress  appropriated  $150,000, 
and  the  state  $50,000,  for  relief  purposes.  On 
June  24  and  August  8  and  10,  1875,  the 
hoppers  did  considerable  damage,  but  some 
parties  drove  them  from  their  fields  by  keep- 
ing up  fires  around  their  fields  and  using  pul- 
verized sulphur.  It  was  discovered  that  this 
year  a  worm  took  possession  of  the  hopper 
killing  them. 

It  is  thought  that  the  first  actual  visitation 
of  these  pests  in  Nebraska  was  in  1857,  for 
they  are  then  described  in  the  Brownville 
Advertiser,  as  "mowing  the  prairies."  Sis 
invasions  into  Hall  County  are  mentioned 
above,  before  the  memorable  disaster  of  1874 
Up  until  past  the  middle  of  July,  1874,  crops 
of  every"  description  had  never  held  better 
promise.  Then  came  the  devastating  south- 
west hot  wind,  blasting  the  corn  crop,  and 
then  the  terrific  grasshopper  invasion,  which 
did  not  hit  Hall  County  or  central  Nebraska 
alone,  but  spread  over  Nebraska,  Minnesota. 
Iowa,  Illinois,  Missouri,  Kansas,  Arkansas, 
Nevada,  Colorado,  Texas,  and  what  there  was 
then  in  the  territories  of  Wyoming,  Dakotas, 
and  Idaho. 

A  rather  more  scientific  description  of  thi: 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


pest,  is  to  be  found  in  Prof.  Foght's  The  Trail     Hall  County,  every  word,  as  true  as  the  Loup 
of  the  Loup  i  Valley  to  the  immediate  north : 


The  particular  species  formerly  such  a  pest 
in  our  part  of  the  country  is  the  Rocky 
Mountain  locust  (Melaneplus  spretus),  lying 
between  latitude  43  degrees  and  53  degrees 
north.  Its  permanent  habitat,  according  to 
the  United  States  Entomological  Commission 
of  1877,  covered  an  area  of  about  300,000 
square  miles.  The  most  favorite  breeding 
places  in  this  area  were  the  river  bottoms  and 
the  uplands  or  the  grassy  regions  among  the 
mountains.  Whenever  the  weather  conditions 
were  favorable  they  hatched  here  in  astonish- 
ingly large  numbers.  And  the  favorite  con- 
ditions were  exceptional  dryness  and  warmth. 
In  the  early  days  two  such  dry  seasons  were 
sure  to  bring  on  a  locust  migration.  During 
the  last  twenty  years,  however,  the  character 
of  these  early  breeding  grounds  has  been 
greatly  changed.  Settlement  and  agriculture 
have  so  restricted  the  permanent  haunts  in 
Montana,  Idaho,  and  Colorado,  that  the 
danger  from  future  incursions  is  very  slight. 
Indeed  the  locust  has  practically  been  driven 
beyond  the  borders  of  the  United  States,  and 
now  breeds  freely  only  in  portions  of  British 
Columbia. 

After  the  insects  hatch  out  in  the  spring 
it  takes  about  seven  weeks  before  they  reach 
a  mature  state.  They  go  through  five  moult- 
ings  and  after  the  last,  acquire  wings.  Their 
appetite  becomes  voracious,  and  as  they  are 
most  numerous  in  hot  and  dry  seasons  when 
vegetation  is  scant,  it  takes  but  a  short  time 
for  this  to  become  exhausted  It  is  now  that 
they  manifest  their  peculiar  instincts.  With 
a  common  impulse  they  take  to  wing,  swarm- 
ing in  a  southeasterly  direction.  They  usually 
rise  between  8  and  10  o'clock  in  the  morning 
and  continue  their  flight  till  the  middle  of  the 
afternoon,  when  they  come  down  to  feed. 
A  fall  in  temperature  or  a  head  wind  sud- 
denly precipitates  them  to  the  ground  in 
great  numbers.  They  move  not  so  much  in 
sheets  as  in  great  columns  from  one  to  five 
thousand  feet  thick,  resembling  great  fleecy 
clouds  propelled  onward  by  some  strong  but 
hidden  agency.  Moving,  as  we  have  stated, 
in  a  southeasterly  direction,  those  that  leave 
their  breeding  grounds  in  southern  Montana 
and  Canada  do  not  appear  till  August  or 
September. 

One  more  excerpt  might  be  borrowed  from 
Prof.  Foght's  work,  because  his  description  of 
that  terrible  week  and  the  succeeding  efforts 
to  prevent  a  recurrence  of  blasted  hopes  fits 


The  month  of  July  (1874)  was  about  half 
spent  when  the  locusts  reached  the  North 
Loup  Valley  (Hall  County  about  the  24th). 
Corn  was  "laid  by"  and  in  tassel;  the  small 
grain  was  heading  and  full  of  promise.  Then 
dawned  the  fatal  day.  By  noon  a  strange 
haziness  overspread  the  clear,  blue  sky,  and 
the  bright  sunlight  took  on  a  sickly,  yellowish 
tint.  Had  anyone  taken  the  trouble  to  look 
at  the  sun  through  the  proper  medium  he 
would  have  discovered  the  cause  of  this  grad- 
ual transformation  in  the  day.  Myriads  of 
insects  were  flitting  by  the  disk  of  the  sun. 
But  people  were  not  looking  for  trouble  and 
so  allowed  the  phenomenon  to  go  unnoticed. 
In  a  short  time,  however,  everyone  had  cause 
to  become  wide  enough  awake.  The  clouds 
of  locusts  suddenly  began  to  settle  over  the 
earth.  With  a  strange  whistling  sound  of 
wings  and  myriad  bodies  they  came  on,  pelting 
the  appalled  earth ;  hustling  and  tumbling  they 
came,  clinging  to  whatever  they  happened  to 
strike,  devouring  every  planted  thing  from 
Indian  corn  to  garden  truck. 

At  first  some  of  the  settlers  made  vain 
attempts  to  scare  the  pests  from  their  fields, 
but  this  was  usually  rewarded  by  having  the 
clothes  literally  eaten  from  off  their  limbs. 
As  time  advanced  the  number  of  insects  grew. 
In  places  branches  of  trees  are  said  to  have 
been  bent  almost  to  the  ground  under  their 
living  burden.  The  corn  fields  were  speedily 
stripped  of  their  leaves,  and  soon  all  but  the 
toughest  portions  of  the  stalk  were  devoured. 
We  hear  of  thrifty  housewives  attempting 
to  save  flowerbeds  by  spreading  over  them 
bedquitts  and  carpets  for  protection,  who  to 
their  chagrin  found  the  locusts  as  eager  to 
devour  the  spreads  as  they  were  the  flowers. 

Ah,  those  were  sad  days  in  the  settlement ! 
Gone  were  the  hopes  and  day  dreams  of 
many  a  sturdy  pathfinder!  The  last  dollar 
had  with  many  been  spent  in  the  hope  of 
speedy  returns  from  good  crops.  What  would 
now  be  the  future?  How  to  span  over  the 
coming  winter  and  eke  out  an  existence  tilt 
another  crop  could  be  gotten  became  serious 
questions.  Had  it  not  been  for  the  abundance 
of  game  in  the  adjacent  hills  and  the  logging 
industries,  many  would  perforce  have  left 
their  farms  and  returned  to  older  settlements. 

We  have  handled  the  grasshopper  entomo- 
logical ly,  scientifically,  historically,  etc.,  so  we 
may  close  by  letting  the  poet  have  a  chance 
at  him. 

Liooglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


THE  GRASSHOPPERS 
Edwin  Ford  Piper 

Down  by  the  orchard  plot  a  man  and  boy, 
The  boy's  hat  just  above  the  whitened  floor 
Of  oats  half  hiding  the  young  trees  and  swaying 
Under  a  strong  breeze  in  the  biasing  noon. 
The  man  looks  upward,  blinks  with  dazzled  eyes, 
The  shading  face  with  hand  peers  painfully; 
Little  winged  creatures  drive  athwart  the  sun. 
High  up,  in  ceaseless,  countless  flight   to  the  north. 
His  mood  runs  hot  envisioning  the  past, 
ft  was  three  years  ago  this  very  day. 

Three  years  ago  that  clinging,  hopping  horde 
Made  the  earth  crawl.     With  slobbery  mvuths. 
All  leafage,  woody  twig,  and  grain,  and  grass, 
They  utterly  consumed,  leaving  the  land 
Abominable.     The  wind-borne  plague  rained  down 
On  the  full-leaved  tree  where  laughter  rippled  light 
To  answer  odorous  whispers  of  the  flowers, 
Soon,  naked  to  the  blistering  sun,  it  stared 
At  the  bones  of  its  piteous  comrades.     Afterwards, 
A  jest  to  strangers— charity---cattle  hungering— 
Women  and   children   starving!     But  the  power  of 

creatures! 
The  daughters  of  the  locust,  numberless,  numberless! 
Jaws  bite,  throats  suck,  the  beauty  of  lovely  Aelds 
Is  in  their  guts,  the  world  is  but  a  mummy! 

Man  and  boy  turn  from  the  oats  and  the  vigorous 

orchard; 
But  as  they  go  the  lad  is  looking,  looking 
To  see,  high  up,  like  gnats,  the  winged  millions 
Moving  across  the  sun.    May  God  rebuke  them. 

Now  the  impending  march  of  civilization 
had  driven  onward  the  wild  animals  of  the 
prairie  and  the  forest ;  the  beaver,  otter,  and 
their  comrades  of  the  streams  have  disap- 
peared; even  the  fishing  has  deteriorated  until 
to  the  pioneer  it  would  be  considered  neg- 
ligible ;  only  an  occasional  coyote  reminds  one 
of  the  band  of  wild  animals,  and  the  domestic 
animals  have  taken  their  places.  But  the 
guesses  of  Major  Long  and  others  who  sur- 
mised that  this  part  of  the  Great  American 
Desert  would  never  be  anything  but  the  home 
of  the  red-skin  and  the  shrieking  coyote  and 
his  brethren  would  find  a  most  pleasant  sur- 
prise in  the  fields,  gardens,  and  orchards  now 
thriving  in  Hall  County. 


THE  FLORA  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

By  J.  M.  Bates,  Red  Cloud,  Nebraska 

The  flora  of  any  region  is  modified  greatly 
by  latitude,  altitude,  moisture,  sunshine, 
shade,  and  the  varying  character  of  soils, 
clayey,  sandy,  gravelly,  and  rocky.    The  state 


of  Nebraska,  having  an  altitude  of  less  than 
1,000  feet  at  the  Missouri  River  and  stretch-  . 
ing  westward  to  the  foothills  of  the  Rockies 
over  5,500  feet  altitude  presents  an  opportun- 
ity for  an  extremely,  varied  flora.  Our  wooded 
steppes,  moist  river  bottoms,  innumerable 
creeks,  ponds,  and  lakes  with  accompanying 
marshes,  affords  a  shelter  for  almost  every 
kind  of  plant  that  can  flourish  in  one  altitude. 
The  catalog  of  1889  contained  the  names  of 
990  plants  above  the  lungi,  lichens,  and 
mosses.  Numerous  additions  have  been  made 
since  then  to  the  number  of  several  hundred. 
For  example,  the  sedges '  of  the  state  were 
then  enumerated  as  36.  In  my  paper  on  "The 
Sedges  of  Nebraska,"  published  six  years  ago 
by  the  State  University,  I  gave  the  localities 
of  106  species  and  good  varieties.  The 
studies  in  other  lines  of  plant  life  have  re- 
sulted in  similar  additions.  I  have  no  doubt 
that  the  species  at  present  known  will  pass 
twelve  hundred. 

I  have  collected  in  Hall  County,  at  Wood 
River,  many  times,  especially  four  miles  south 
of  Grand  Island  and  east  along  the  railroad 
and  in  adjacent  meadows,  south  to  A.  D. 
Searls'  farm,  also  around  Schimmer's  Lake 
many  times.  I  have  also  collectel  around 
Doniphan  on  the  south,  and  up  toward  St. 
Libory  on  the  north.  Thus  I  have  obtained  a 
fair  conception  of  what  Hall  County  has  to 
offer  to  the  botanist. 

I  find  the  flora  quite  limited  by  the  lack 
of  bluffs  and  other  elevations,  the  whole  land- 
scape being  classed  as  level  prairie  and 
Platte  River  bottoms,  broken  by  Wood  River, 
which  is  very  well  named.  It  furnishes  shelter, 
especially  at  Schimmer's  Lake,  and  some 
charmingly  rare  species  are  there  located  that 
could  not  be  found  without  the  damp  woods 
which  there  prevail. 

I  have  gone  carefully  over  the  Nebraska 
list  with  this  preparation  of  study  and  ob- 
servation to  guide  me  and  shall  claim  about 
five  hundred  and  sixty-five  species  of  plants 
for  Hall  County. 

1  Sedge,  defined  in  Standard  Dictionary  as  "In  » 
loose  poplar  sense,  any  coarse,  rush-like  or  flag- 
like  herb  arrowing  in  wet  places  —  any  part  of  sedge 
family   (Cypcracax)." 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


199 


It  is  quite  useless  to  enumerate  these  by 
either  their  Latin  or  their  English  names  in 
a  volume  of  this  character.  The  English 
names  are  so  variable  according  to  locality 
that  they  would  not  be  recognized  by  many. 
It  takes  more  time  and  leisure  than  any  one 
individual  among  Nebraska  people  has  yet 
had  in  the  struggle  for  existence  to  fasten 
a  name  to  these  new  western  plants  that  shall 
gain  the  final  approval  and  "stick  to"  the  one 
kind  or  species. 

We  shall  then  speak  of  a  few  matters  of 
general  interest  and  importance.  Nebraska 
is  a  grass  state;  that  is,  a  grain  growing 
state,  for  all  of  our  cereals  except  buckwheat 
are  grasses.  The  state  is  covered  from  one 
end  to  the  other  in  its  wild  condition  with 
about  155  species  of  nourishing  grasses,  and 
as  I  said  above,  106  species  of  grass-like 
plants  called  sedges,  and  every  species  pas- 
lured  and  cut  for  hay  without  any  discrimina- 
tion. The  growing  and  fattening  qualities  of 
these  fodder  plants  are  notorious  in  the 
stock  centers  of  the  nation.  Hall  County 
has  her  full  share  of  these  nutritious  plants. 
I  estimate  the  grasses  as  ninety  species  and 
the  sedges  as  thirty-five.  Many  of  them 
have  been  studied  by  chemical  analysis  es- 
pecially in  the  agricultural  school  of  South 
Dakota,  and  have  been  shown  to  possess  the 
supreme  qualities  of  nutrition  that  character- 
ize the  timothy,  red-top,  orchard  grass,  brome, 
and  other  highly  prized  grasses  of  the  eastern 
states  and  Europe.  We  might  enumerate  three 
species  of  grama,  buffalo  grass,  wheat  grass 
several  species,  rye  grass  several  species,  but 
those  who  are  getting  their  living  from  the 
soil  and  the  intelligent  land  agent,  banker, 
grain  buyer,  and  many  others  are  quite  well 
aware  of  these  facts  without  any  further  use 
of  ink  and  paper. 

The  trees  of  Hall  County  are  but  few  in 
variety.  Cottonwood,  box-elder,  prairie  ash, 
white  elm,  peach  leaved  willow  are  the  only 
ones  that  attain  much  size.  The  diamond 
willow,  sand-bar  willow,  wild  plum,  and  wild 
cherry,  commonly  called  choke  cherry,  but 
not  the  "choke"  of  the  east,  sometimes  attain 
tree-like  proportions,  and  together  with  dog- 


wood (cornus  asperiolia)  make  most  of  the 
"brush."  The  red  cedar  is  native  over  most 
of  the  states,  but  I  doubt  if  it  can  be  found 
wild  in  Hall  County  today,  if  it  ever  was. 
It  grows  mostly  on  higher  ground,  such  as 
bluffy  river  banks  or  in  dry  ravines  and 
canyons.  No  other  conifer  is  to  be  expected. 
The  red  (slippery)  elm  is  not  unlikely  to  be 
found,  and  possibly  the  burr  oak,  but  I  have 
not  seen  it. 

HARE    PLANTS 

I  wish  to  call  attention  to  quite  a  few  rare 
plants.  Botriechiwm  Virgmtanum,  grape  fern, 
at  Schimmer's  Lake,  in  the  moist  woods  on 
the  Wood  River,  is  known  in  very  few  local- 
ities. Stnilax  kispida,  greenbriar,  seems  to 
have  its  western  limit  at  Red  Cloud  and 
Schimmer's  Lake.  Allium  Cavandulare,  the 
lavender-flowered  wild  onion,  is  a  beautiful 
new  species  worthy  of  cultivation.  It  grows 
south  and  southeast  of  Grand  Island,  and  at 
Havelock,  Lincoln,  and  Weeping  Water.  I 
wrote  it  up  as  a  new  species  a  few  years 
ago,  finding  it  first  at  Grand  Island. 

Spieranthes  Romansoffiana  (strictum,  of 
some  authors),  laides'  tresses,  is  the  only 
orchid  likely  to  be  found.  The  next  most 
likely  is  sypripedium  candidum,  which  grows 
at  Callaway,  Scotia,  and  I  think  at  St.  Paul. 
I  found  very  fine  specimens  east  of  Grand 
Island,  at  the  foot  of  the  railroad  embank- 
ment. Desmodium  panieulatum,  the  round 
leafed  beggars'  lice,  a  stick-tight,  grows  at 
Schimmer's  Lake,  with  the  smilax  and  grape 
fern.  Lippia  lattceolata,  on  the  north  bank 
of  the  lake  gave  me  the  first  collection  of 
this  rare  plant.  I  have  since  found  it  at  St. 
Paul  and  at  two  or  three  other  stations.  It 
belongs  to  the  verbena  family,  and  is  a  near 
relative  of  the  lemon  verbena,  raised  as  a 
house  plant.  These  rare  plants  are  quite 
distinctive  enough  for  one  level  prairie  county 
in  Central  Nebraska. 

CLIMATE 

Hall  County  has  a  climate  transitional  be- 
tween that  of  the  north-central  Mississippi 
Valley  and  the  semi-arid  climate  of  the  high 
plains.     The  rainfall   is   moderate,   and   fre- 


200 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


quently  low.     The  humidity  is  relatively  low 

and  the  rate  of  evaporation  relatively  high. 

vide  range  between  summer  and 

;ratures. 

i    annual    precipitation    is    29.45 

greater  part  of  the  rainfall  oc- 
:he  months  from  May  to  August, 
•nerally  in  the  form  of  hard 
wers.  The  annual  precipitation 
illy  distributed  is  sufficient  for 
rming,  without  irrigation  or  rigid 

dry-farming  methods.  In  some 
er,  crops  have  been  almost  com- 

on  account  of  droughts,  and  they 

injury  on  certain  soils  nearly 
There  is  rarely  an  excess  of 
e  precipitation  in  the  wettest  year 
1905)  amounted  to  45  85  inches, 
98  inches  fell  during  the  months 
e,  and  July. 

summer  temperature  is  73.6°  F. 
m  recorded  temperature  is  110°, 
■,  but  July  and  August  are  usually 
nonths.  The  mean  winter  tem- 
26.1°   F.     The  temperature   fre- 

below  zero,  and  a  minimum  of 
een  recorded  in  February.  The 
asionally  swept  by  cold  northwest 
nter. 

ge  date  of  the  last  killing  frost 
g  is  April  26,  and  that  of  the 
all  October  7,  giving  an  average 
ion  of  164  days,  which  is  ample 
uring  of  corn  and  all  the  other 
only  grown.  Killing  frost  has 
:d  as  late  in  the  spring  as  May 
irly  in  the  fall  as  September  12. 
a  high  percentage  of  clear  and 
ys.  The  rate  of  evaporation  is 
tie  higher  than  that  of  most  of  the 
issippi  Valley  region,  being  prob- 

above  40  inches.  No  record  of 
s  exists,  but  it  is  probably  a  little 
at  of  Omaha,  150  miles  to  the 
out  25  inches. 

data  from  the  records  of  the 
reau  station  at  Grand  Island  are 

following  table: 


Month 

Tempera 

ure 

Precipitati 

s 

> 
I 

> 

E 

£ 

§"-> 

SH 

1 

•i  i 

v  - 

3  ' 

i. 

h  a 

si 

3" 

a 

1 

a 
9 

it 

K 

December   . . . 

28.7 

80 

—17 

0.87 

T. 

0.00 

January     

24.7 

72 

—29 

.51 

.55 

1.64 

February  

25.0 

78 

—34 

.84 

20 

1.5: 

Winter  ... 

26.1 

80 

—34 

222 

.75 

3.19 

36.6 

91 

—12 

1.30 

.23 

73 

m£v   

Spring  . . . 

51.1 

98 

13 

2.77 

1.12 

4.01 

60.0 

102 

22 

4.38 

1.32 

9.53 

492 

102 

—12 

8.45 

2.67 

itr 

71.1 

113 

36 

4.78 

2.94 

897 

July   

75.6 

108 

48 

4.10 

.55 

fi.tf 

Auwist    

74.1 

108 

40 

3.94 

272 

36fi 

73.6 

108 

36 

12.82 

621 

19.11 

September    . . 

65.3 

110 

25 

2.72 

1.27 

5.67 

October 

527 

98 

8 

2.46 

.65 

Ul 

November  . . . 

38.4 

88 

—  4 

.78 

1.05 

2.40 

Fall 

52.1 

110 

—  4 

5.96 

2.97 

9$ 

Year  ..    .. 

50.4 

110 

—34 

29.4S 

12.60 

45.R: 

BAD  STORMS 

During  the  sixty-two  years  that  have  inter- 
vened since  the  arrival  of  the  first  colony  of 
pioneers  in  Halt  County  there  have  been  many 
bad  storms  and  severe  weather  disturbance!, 
but  only  a  few  stand  out  distinctly,  noted  for 
their  severe  effects  and  the  loss  of  life  and 
property  entailed  thereby. 

On  November  6,  1857,  Lorenz  Barnard  and 
Henry  Joehnk,  of  Grand  Island,  and  William 
Roberts  and  Billy  Painter,  of  Mendotte,  went 
over  to  Prairie  Creek  antelope  and  deer  hunt- 
ing. When  near  the  pond,  due  north  of 
Grand  Island,  Lorenz  Barnard  and  Roberts 
went  up  the  creek,  while  the  others  hunted 
down  the  stream.  In  shooting  ducks  they 
crossed  the  creek  several  times,  and  when 
it  began  to  rain  that  evening  all  started  for 
the  settlement.  Soon  not  a  vestige  of  dry 
clothes  remained  on  them,  the  wind  changed 
to  the  north,  and  a  heavy  storm  set  in;  n 
grew  colder  and  colder.  Barnard  and  Roberts 
found  their  way  home  but  Joehnk  and  Painter 
became  lost  in  the  storm,  and  after  dark 
stacked  their  guns  for  the  purpose  of  building 
up  a  shelter  with  the  high  slough  grass.    The 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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wind  swept  away  each  bunch  of  grass,  and 
10  keep  from  freezing  they  had  to  walk  around 
and  around  all  night.  Painter,  becoming 
hungry,  ate  half  a  duck  uncooked,  but  Joehnk 
would  not  touch  the  unsavory  meal.  At  day- 
light the  snow  proved  to  be  eighteen  inches 
in  depth  and  still  falling  heavily.  So  they 
set  out  for  the  settlement  where  some  men 
had  set  forth  in  search  of  them,  but  were 
driven  back  by  the  storm.  Early  that  morning 
joehnk  arrived,  but  so  worn  was  he  that  he 
could  only  signify  by  signs  where  Painter 
was.  The  men  went  forth  in  search,  found 
the  hunter,  brought  him  in,  but  the  hardships 
of  the  night  proved  too  much,  and  November 
7,  1857,  occurred  the  first  death  in  Hall 
County  among  the  white  settlers. 

Mr.  Hedde  narrates  that  after  this  storm 
the  weather  was  exceedingly  mild  for  the  rest 
of  that  first  winter  season. 

Easter  storm  of  1873 

Spring  opened  early  in  the  year  of  1873. 
The  farmers  had  plowed  and  harrowed  the 
ground  and  even  sowed  their  oats  and  spring 
wheat  in  February  and  March.  By  the  first 
part  of  April  the  grass  was  nicely  green  and 
by  the  middle  of  April  the  small-grain  fields 
were  bright  green  with  new  crops.  The  set 
tiers  were  almost  careless  about  such  a 
spring;  the  prairies  were,  of  course,  bare  of 
hedges,  fences,  or  trees  to  break  the  winds 
and  catch  drifting  snow.  The  whole  scene 
was  one  of  total  unpreparedness  for  a  severe 
snow  storm  at  that  time  of  the  year.  Easter 
Sunday  came  on  the  thirteenth  day  of  April, 
following  many  days  of  delightful  mildness. 
On  the  afternoon  of  that  Easter  a  rain  started 
up,  with  a  heavy  thunderstorm  by  4  o'clock. 
This  changed  to  a  terrific  snow-storm,  which 
raged  for  three  days  without  abating. 

In  writing  in  Nebraska  Pioneer  Reminis- 
cences of  this  storm.  Judge  Charles  B.  Letton 
of  the  Nebraska  supreme  court,  who  was  then 
living  near  Fairbury,  in  Jefferson  County, 
described  it  in  part: 

The  fury  of  the  tempest  was  indescribable. 
The  air  appeared  to  be  a  mass  of  moving 
snow,  and  the  wind  howled  like  a  pack  of 
furies.    I  managed  to  get  to  the  granary  for 


some  oats,  but  on  looking  into  the  ravine  no 
stable  was  to  be  seen,  only  an  immense  snow 
drift  which  almost  filled  it.  At  the  point 
where  the  door  to  the  stable  should  have  been 
there  appeared  a  hole  in  the  drift  where  the 
snow  was  eddying.  On  crawling  into  this  I 
found  that  during  the  night  the  snow  had 
drifted  in  around  the  horses  and  cattle,  which 
were  tied  to  the  manger.  The  animals  had 
tramped  it  under  their  feet  to  such  an  extent 
that  it  had  raised  them  so  that  in  places  their 
backs  lifted  the  flimsy  roof,  and  the  wind 
carrying  much  of  the  covering  away,  had 
filled  the  stable  with  snow  until  some  of  them 
were  almost  and  others  wholly  buried,  except 
where  the  remains  of  the  roof  protected  them. 

Throughout  Hall  County  in  the  groves  the 
snow  drifted  to  from  fifteen  to  twenty  feet 
in  height,  orchards  and  groves  were  damaged, 
many  trees  destroyed,  and  farmers  lost  nearly 
all  of  their  stock,  some  losing  from  ten  to 
fifteen  head,  another  seventy-five,  and  a  third 
100  head  of  cattle.  Deer  were  found  lying 
dead  after  the  storm,  and  dead  birds  were  seen 
everywhere. 

The  following  description  and  conclusions 
by  Judge  Letton  though  written  concerning 
our  neighboring  county  of  Jefferson  fitted  the 
conditions  of  Hall  County  as  closely  as  if 
written  by  a  Hall  County  survivor  of  the 
storm: 

Many  settlers  took  their  cattle  and  horses 
into  their  houses  or  dugouts  in  order  to  save 
them.  Every  ravine  and  hollow  that  ran  in 
an  easterly  or  westerly  direction  was  filled ' 
with  snow  from  rim  to  rim.  In  other  locali- 
ties cattle  were  driven  many  miles  by  this 
storm.  Houses,  or  rather  shacks,  were  un- 
roofed and  people  in  them  frozen  to  death. 
Travelers  caught  in  the  blizzard,  who  at- 
tempted to  take  refuge  in  ravines,  perished 
and  their  stiffened  bodies  were  found  when 
the  drifts  melted  weeks  afterward.  Stories 
were  told  of  people  who  had  undertaken  to 
go  from  their  houses  to  their  outbuildings 
and  who,  being  blinded  by  the  snow,  became 
lost  and  either  perished  or  nearly  lost  their 
lives,  and  of  others  where  the  settler  in  order 
to  reach  his  well  or  his  outbuildings  in  safety 
fastened  a  rope  to  the  door  and  went  into 
the  storm  holding  to  the  rope  in  order  to 
insure  his  safe  return.  Deer,  antelope,  and 
other  wild  animals  perished  in  the  more 
sparsely  settled  districts.  The  storm  lasted 
for  three  days,  not  always  of  the  same  in- 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


tensity,  and  freezing  weather  followed  for  a 
day  or  two  thereafter.  In  a  few  days  the 
sun  shone,  the  snow  melted,  and  spring  re- 
appeared; the  melting  drifts,  that  lay  for 
weeks  in  some  places,  being  the  only  reminder 
of  the  severity  of   the  storm. 

To  old  settlers  in  Nebraska  and  northern 
Kansas  this  has  ever  since  been  known  as 
"The  Easter  Storm."  In  the  forty-six  years 
that  I  have  lived  in  Nebraska  there  has  only 
been  one  other  winter  storm  that  measurably 
approached  it  in  intensity.  This  was  the 
blizzard  of  1888  when  several  people  lost  their 
lives.  At  that  time  however,  people  were 
living  in  comfort,  trees,  hedges,  groves,  stub- 
ble, and  cornfields  held  the  snow  so  that  the 
drifts  were  insignificant  in  comparison.  The 
cold  was  more  severe  but  the  duration  of  the 
storm  was  less  and  no  such  widespread  suffer- 
ing took  place. 

ANOTHER  DECADE  AND  A  HALF  OF  STORMS 

The  winter  of  1875-76  was  mild  and  free 
from  snow,  and  plowing  was  done  in  Decem- 
ber and  January. 

In  May,  1878,  three  houses  near  Wood 
River  were  damaged  by  lightning.  Rupert 
Schwaiger  and  Elias  E.  Boodry  were  killed 
by  lightning  while  enroute  to  town. 

On  July  8,  1878,  a  hail  storm  originated  in 
Sherman  County  and  came  over  into  Hall 
County,  causing  such  loss  that  forty-two  Hall 
County  farmers  who  were  insured  reported 
$20,000  loss,  while  the  uninsured  lost  around 
$30,000.  The  frame  of  the  Lutheran  church, 
.just  raised  in  the  southeast  part  of  Grand 
Island,  and  the  old  building  on  Front  street 
(P.  Dunphy's)  were  levelled;  several  small 
buildings  were  blown  down  and  the  gardens 
generally  wrecked.  Though  the  hail-stones 
were  not  large,  owing  to  their  velocity  their 
destructive  power  was  terrible,  and  the  quan- 
tity of  water  which  fell  in  a  few  minutes 
was  beyond  the  experiences  of  every  one ; 
and  the  torrent  which  swept  the  main  street 
of  the  town  was  two  feet  in  depth. 

A  hail  storm  in  July,  1884,  destroyed  num- 
erous buildings  and  severely  damaged  crops 
through  Hall  County.  The  eastern  wall  of 
the  Union  Pacific  car  shop  was  blown  in, 
destroying  property  valued  at  $10,000;  a  new 
building  near  the  Burlington  depot  was  moved 
three  feet,  and  from  a  point  north  of  Grand 


Island  to  southeast  of  Doniphan,  and  even 
beyond  that  village,  growing  crops,  trees,  and 
small  buildings  were  pounded  into  the  ground, 
broken,  or  removed. 

A  storm  in  June,  1885,  destroyed  $1,500 
worth  of  window  panes  —  the  window  glass 
in  the  court-house,  Koenig's  block,  and 
Schaupp's  mills  being  almost  all  broken.  The 
new  agricultural  hall  was  twisted  so  as  to 
require  rebuilding,  the  front  of  Hake's 
harness  shop  was  blown  in,  and  a  strip  about 
two  miles  in  width,  from  the  northwest  to  the 
southwest  corner  of  the  county,  devastated. 

There  was  a  severe  blizzard  in  January  7, 
1886,  but  the  worst  storm  between  1873  and 
the  big  storm  of  1888  was  in  November,  1886. 
Men  returning  to  their  homes  against  that 
wind  became  dazed  and  almost  breathless. 
David  Alexander  became  lost  and  was  nearly- 
frozen  before  he  found  shelter.  Judge  Wilson 
also  lost  his  way;  a  herd  of  cattle  drifted  be- 
fore the  storm,  the  telegraph  wires  were  torn 
from  the  poles,  and  several  unfinished  build- 
ings were  damaged  by  the  terrific  icy  wind. 

THE    BLIZZARD   OF    1888 

No  other  winter  storm  in  the  history  of 
the  plains,  it  may  be  safely  said,  was  ever  more 
destructive  than  this  one.  The  states  of  Ne- 
braska and  South  Dakota  were  visited  by  the 
blizzard  in  all  its  ferocity,  but  for  that  matter 
the  storm  may  be  said  to  have  been  general 
throughout  the  whole  country,  and  its  chilling 
blast  was  felt  from  the  Rockies  to  New  Eng- 
land. Yet  the  wind  swept  plains  of  Dakota 
and  Nebraska  undoubtedly  fared  worse  than 
sections  east.  Loss  to  human  life  and  prop- 
erty on  the  plains,  in  places,  was  simply  appall- 
ing, and  the  surviving  residents  of  those  sec- 
tions cannot  speak  of  it  even  now  without  an 
involuntary  shudder. 

The  storm  burst  with  great  suddeness  and 
fury,  and  many  there  were  who  did  not  live  to  I 
tell  the  story  of  their  suffering.    Stories  with- 
out number  could  be  told  of  narrow  escapes 
throughout  the  plains. 

The  morning  of  January  2  dawned  damp 
and  gloomy.  A  mist  had  been  falling  during' 
the  night,  and  the  wind,  which  blew   gently 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


203 


from  the  south,  was  just  cold  enough  to  turn 
the  moisture  covering  all  nature,  into  a  light 
hoarfrost.  Before  noon  the  frost  had  dis- 
appeared and  every  indication  pointed  to  an 
early  clearing  of  the  sky.  Around  the  hour 
of  noon  a  terrific  storm  blast  came  bearing 
down  upon  the  open  prairies  and  dotted  val- 
leys. In  a  moment,  heavy  leaden  clouds  were 
blotted  out.  A  bewildering,  blinding  sheet  of 
dustlike  snow  was  whirled  through  the  air, 
and  before  evening  the  thermometer  had  sunk 
to  25  degrees  below  zero.  The  wayfarer, 
caught  far  from  home,  soon  found  his  path- 
way obstructed  by  the  drifts  of  snow  and 
every  familiar  guidemark  obliterated.  His 
bearings  once  gone  would  mean  certain  death 
unless  he  should  chance  in  his  blind  gropings 
to  stumble  upon  some  human  habitation  or 
friendly  stack  of  hay  or  straw  in  his  path.  As 
the  early  part  of  the  day  had  been  so  mild, 
many  people  had  ventured  from  home.  Scores 
of  farmers  were  caught  in  the  towns,  where 
they  had  to  remain  for  several  days,  chafing 
under  the  restraint,  but  absolutely  snow  bound. 
Others  less  fortunate,  caught  on  the  road,  in 
the  valleys  or  out  in  the  hills,  soon  found 
themselves  in  a  terrible  predicament. 

Everybody  suffered  immense  hardships  or 
inconvenience  in  this  terrible  storm,  but  none 
suffered  more  keenly  than  did  the  occupants 
of  the  prairie  schoolhouses.  Innumerable 
stories  stand  out  in  Nebraska  history  from  this 
event,  but  none  more  lasting  nor  worthy  of 
our  digression  to  mention  here  than  those  of 
three  Nebraska  country  school  teachers — Loie 
Royce  of  Plainfield,  Etta  Shattuck  of  Holt 
county,  and  Minnie  Freeman  of  Mira  Valley, 
who  were  the  subjects  of-  much  newspaper 
writing. 

Minnie  Freeman  Penney,  in  Nebraska  Pio- 
neer Remhtiscenes  has  told  these  three  stories 
in  such  compact  form  that  we  can  well  afford 
to  record  them  here,  in  her  words : 

Miss  Royce  had  nine  pupils.  Six  went 
home  for  luncheon  and  remained  on  account 
of  the  storm.  The  three  remaining  pupils 
with  the  teacher  stayed  in  the  schoolhouse 
until  three  o'clock.  Their  fuel  gave  out,  and 
as  her  boarding  house  was  but  fifteen  rods 


away,  the  teacher  decided  to  take  the  children 
home  with  her. 

In  the  fury  of  the  storm  they  wandered 
and  were  lost.  Darkness  came,  and  with  it 
death.  One  little  boy  sank  into  eternal  silence. 
The  brave  little  teacher  stretched  herself  out 
on  the  cold  ground  and  cuddled  the  two  re- 
maining ones  closer.  Then  the  other  little  boy 
died  and  at  daylight  the  spirit  of  the  little  girl, 
aged  seven,  fluttered  away,  leaving  the  young 
teacher  frozen  and  numb  with  agony.  Loie 
Royce  "hath  done  what  she  could;  angels  can 
do  no  better."  Miss  Royce  lost  both  feet  by 
amputation. 

Etta  Shattuck,  after  sending  her  children 
home  (all  living  near)  tried  to  go  to  her  home, 
Losing  her  way,  she  took  refuge  in  a  haystack, 
where  she  remained,  helpless  and  hungry  Fri- 
day, Saturday,  and  Sunday,  suffering  intensely 
and  not  able  to  move.  She  lived  but  a  short 
time  after  her  terrible  experience. 

Those  who  knew  Minnie  Freeman  say  she 
was  not  seeking  any  newspaper  notoriety,  yet 
it  is  not  amiss  to  quote  from  the  Lincoln  Daily 
Star  of  June  17,  1905,  which  remarked  "That 
as  Iowa  has  her  Kate  Shelley  so  Nebraska  has 
her  Minnie  Freeman,"  we  may  add  Minnie 
Freeman  Penney's  own  account  of  this  storm 
without  it  seeming  to  be  any  inclination  on  her 
part  to  claim  undue  glory : 

Minnie  Freeman  was  teaching  in  Mira 
Valley,  Valley  County.  She  had  in  charge 
seventeen  pupils.  Finding  it  impossible  to  re- 
main in  the  schoolhouse,  she  took  the  children 
with  her  to  her  boarding  place  almost  a  mile 
from  the  schoolhouse. 

Words  are  useless  in  the  effort  to  portray 
that  journey  to  the  safe  shelter  of  the  farm- 
house, with  the  touching  obedience  to  every 
word  of  direction  —  rather  felt  than  heard, 
in  that  fierce  winding  sheet  of  ice  and  snow. 
How  it  cut  and  almost  blinded  them !  It  was 
terrible  on  their  eyes,  They  beat  their  way 
onward,  groping  blindly  in  the  darkness,  with 
the  visions  of  life  and  death  ever  before  the 
young  teacher  responsible  for  the  destiny  of 
seventeen  souls. 

All  reached  the  farmhouse  and  were  given 
a  nice  warm  supper  prepared  by  the  hostess 
and  the  teacher,  and  comfortable  beds  pro- 
vided. 

Minnie  Freeman  was  unconscious  of  any- 
thing heroic  or  unusual.  Doing  it  in  the  simple 
line  of  duty  to  those  placed  in  her  care,  she 
still  maintains  that  it  was  the  trust  placed  in 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  Great  Spirit  who  guides  and  cares  for  His 
own  which  led  the  little  band 

Through  the  desert  and  illimitable  air. 

Lone  wandering,  but  not  lost. 

LATER   STORMS 

The  winter  of  1909-10  was  unique  in  that 
sieet  visited  Nebraska  in  the  later  part  of 
November,  covered  the  roadways  and  walks, 
and  in  many  places  remained  on  the  ground 
until  early  spring.  A  similar  condition  had 
existed  in  the  winter  of  1903-1904. 

In  March,  1913,  one  of  the  worst  storms  in 
many  years  occurred.  The  snow  piled  up  so 
that  many  engines  were  stalled  in  the  Grami 
Island  yards,  though  the  situation  was  worse 
at  North  Platte  and  Sidney  than  here.  A 
bad  wreck  occured  during  this  storm  a  few 
miles  west  of  Sidney,  on  the  Union  Pacific. 
All  the  railroads  were  tied  up  for  several 
days,  and  for  almost  three  days,  no  mail  or 
freight  was  received. 

In  February,  1919,  a  bad  storm  blocked 
the  Burlington  railroad  at  the  cut  near  Phillips, 
a  short  distance  southeast  of  Hall  County  line. 
This  line  was  out  of  commission  for  about 
four  days,  though  the  Union  Pacific  was  kept 
open  at  all  times. 

CYCLONE  AUGUST    12,    1919 

A  cyclone  that  demolished  farm  buildings, 
killed  stock  and  cut  a  pathway  through  big 
groves,  telephone  lines  and  fences,  swept 
north  of  the  city  about  7  o'clock  Tuesday 
evening,  August  12,  1919.  Though  a  number 
of  people  were  in  the  path  of  the  tornado 
no  report  was  received  of  anyone  being  hurt. 

The  cyclone  developed  during  a  heavy  wind, 
rain  and  hail  storm  that  lasted  about  half  an 
hour.  The  cyclone  cloud  was  visible  from 
Grand  Island  and  was  seen  by  many  people. 
First  reports  reaching  here  were  of  much 
damage.  Grand  Island  apparently  was  on 
the  outskirts  of  the  storm.  A  strong  wind 
raised  much  dust  here,  but  no  rain  fell.  St. 
Libory  on  the  north  also  was  at  the  edge  of 
the  storm,  which  traveled  between  the  two 
towns. 

Rain  and  hail  accompanied  the  cyclone,  but 
the  path  of  destruction  was  small.     The  dis- 


tance between  the  point  where  the  cyclone 
first  hit  the  earth  and  the  point  where  it  lifted 
evidently  was  about  four  miles.  The  width  of 
the  path  of  the  cyclone  was  from  200  to  300 
feet  most  of  the  way. 

The  tornado  traveled  from  northwest  to- 
ward the  southeast.  It  first  touched  the  ground 
in  the  pasture  on  the  Henry  Brabander  farm 
a  half  mile  west  of  the  Martin  Grotz  place, 
which  is  twelve  miles  northwest  of  the  city, 
according  to  Mrs.  Grotz.  It  swept  through 
the  William  Franssen  farm,  the  Charles  Rob- 
ert place  and  the  Henry  Mohr  place,  doing 
much  damage  at  each  place,  but  wrecking  its 
greatest  fury  on  the  Mohr  place.  About  a 
half  mile  east  of  the  group  ot  buildings  on  the 
Mohr  place  the  cyclone  lifted,  doing  practical- 
ly no  damage  to  a  large  grove  of  trees  planted 
there,  but  passing  above  them. 

August  Hamann,  who  lives  several  miles 
north  of  the  city  on  the  road  that  runs  on  the 
east  side  of  the  Soldiers'  home,  saw  the  cy- 
clone from  a  distance.  He  gave  a  vivid  de- 
scription of  its  appearance.  He  said  the  funnel 
shaped  cloud  seemed  to  form  northwest  of  his 
place,  and  he  presumed  it  began  somewhere 
in  the  vicinity  of  Cairo.  It  moved  southeast 
and  when  it  reached  the  vicinity  of  the  St. 
Paul  road  it  was  sucked  up.-  His  estimate 
proved  wholly  correct  so  far  as  the  finish  of 
the  cyclone,  as  it  left  the  ground  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  west  of  the  St.  Paul  road.  The  path 
of  the  cyclone  was  approximately  along  the 
county  line,  Mohr's  place  being  near  the  line. 

Mr.  Hamann  was  in  the  field  during  the 
storm  and  was  watching  it.  "First  I  noticed 
a  large  amount  of  dust  being  raised,"  he  said. 
Then  I  stopped  wdrk  to  watch  it.  It  was  the 
closest  I  ever  saw  such  a  cloud.  The  bottom 
of  the  funnel-shaped  cloud  seemed  to  rest 
in  a  cloud  of  dust  on  the  ground.  I  judged  the 
thickness  of  the  funnel  at  the  ground  to  be 
about  300  feet,  Clouds  and  dust  whirling 
around  in  a  circle  gave  the  funnel-shaped  ap- 
pearance. The  funnel  widened  gradually 
from  the  ground  up,  the  difference  in  width 
not  being  great.  At  first  the  top  of  the  funnel 
seemed  only  about  200  feet  from  the  ground. 
It  gradually  lengthened  until  it  extended   to 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  storm  clouds.  From  the  mass  of  storm 
clouds  above,  another  cloud  which  also  had  a 
funnel  shape,  hung  down  a  ways  and  seemed 
10  remain  just  above  the  other  funnel,  and 
finally  it  seemed  as  if  the  cyclone  was  sucked 
up  into  this  cloud. 

People  in  the  city  who  had  good  vantage 
points  from  which  to  watch  the  cyclone  cloud 
say  they  noticed  clouds  of  dust  near  the 
ground. 

Just  after  the  cyclone  formed  it  struck  the 
William  Franssen  place.  The  big  windmill  was 
torn  down.  The  large  barn  was  moved  from 
its  foundation  and  the  chicken  house  and  sum- 
mer kitchen  were  upset,  according  to  the  farm- 
en  who  visited  the  Franssen  home. 

East  of  the  Franssen  place  the  cyclone  hit 
the  farm  property  of  Charles  Roberts.  Three 
head  of  cattle  were  reported  killed  in  the  pas- 
ture and  several  head  crippled.  As  many  trees 
were  blown  down  in  that  vicinity  it  is  pre- 
sumed the  flying  limbs  caused  the  fatality 
imong  the  cattle. 

A  thick  grove  of  trees  that  stood  just  west 
if  the  house  about  fifty  feet  was  entirely 
ktwti.  Trees  two  feet  thick  were  broken  off 
Jid  uprooted.  The  whole  formed  a  mass  of 
angled  trunks,  limbs  and  leaves  that  lay  with 
he  ends  touching  the  house.  The  summer 
itchen,  just  outside  of  the  house  to  the  west, 
ut  built  separate  from  the  main  building,  was 
wved  four  feet  from  its  foundation  and 
listed  around.  The  house  itself  appeared 
ot  to  have  been  moved. 
The  barn,  54  x  48  feet,  about  100  feet  east 
f  the  house,  was  entirely  gone.    Just  before 


the  storm  ten  cows  and  three  call 
put  in  the  barn  and  preparations 
made  to  milk.  A  steer,  which  had 
ing  from  a  kick,  also  was  in  the  1 
the  family  emerged  from  the 
found  all  the  cattle  standing  on 
inside  the  barn  foundation  just 
were  before  the  storm.  The  bar 
however.  Part  of  the  barn  was 
pasture  forty  rods  away.  The  m 
been  moved  twenty-five  feet  north 
dation  and  lay  on  the  ground,  a 
of  ruins. 

Almost  outside  the  front  door  i 
a  pet  dog  lay  dead,  killed  by  a 
flying  derbis.  A  corn  crib  and  n 
south  of  the  house  was  blown  a' 
it  being  found  in  a  meadow  160 
The  roof  was  lying  near  the  foun 
granary  east  of  the  house  a  short 
moved  a  rod  and  a  half  from  its 
Before  the  storm  the  granary  fac 
and  after  the  storm  it  faced  the 
chicken  coop  was  not  touched. 

The  cattle  shed  and  the  hog  pe: 
down  and  lost  somewhere.  Johi 
he  had  not  found  any  trace  of  th 
that  was  in  the  yard  had  a  leg 
was  estimated  that  scores  of  cr. 
killed  under  the  trees.  The  windmi 

John  Mohr  stated  that  two  ac 
standing  not  more  than  ten  feet 
destroyed,  being  stripped  of  folia; 
and  in  many  cases  being  uproote 
off  near  the  ground.  These  tre 
west  of  the  house. 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  XII 

THE  TOPOGRAPHY  AND  SOIL  SURVEY  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

Description  of  the  Area  —  Natural  Transportation  Advantages  —  Soils  —  Hall  Silt 
Loam  —  Hall  Very  Fine  Sandy  Loam  —  Hall  Fine  Sandy  Loam  —  Hall  Sandy- 
Loam  —  Hai.l  Clay  Loam  —  Cass  Series  of  Soils  — Grundy  Soils—  Marshall 
Loams  —  Colby       Series  —  Valentine    Sand  —  O'Neill    Sands  —  O'Neill 
Loam  — Lamoure  Loams  — Gannett  Soils— Summary  of  Classes  of 
Soils — Rapid  Rise   in  Values  in  1919 


description  of  the  area  l  drained  depressions  representing  the  sites  of 

Hall  County  is  situated  in  the  south-central  old  channels.     To  the  north  of  the  first  bot- 

part  of  Nebraska.    Grand  Island,  the  county  toms  is  a  very  extensive  nearly  level  alluvia: 

seat,  is  154  miles  west  of  Omaha.    The  county  terrace,  lying  15  to  40  feet  above  the  flood 

is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Howard  County,  plains.     The  city  of  Grand  Island  is  situated 


on  the  east  by  Hamilton  and  Merrick  counties, 
on  the  south  by  Adams  County,  and  on  the 
west  by  Buffalo  County.  It  is  nearly  square, 
being  approximately  24  miles  long  from  north 
to  south  and  23  miles  wide  east  and  west. 
Its  total  area  is  528  square  miles,  or  337,920 
acres. 

Hall  County  lies  near  the  eastern  margin  of 
the  Great  Plains.  In  general  the  surface  is 
smooth,   and   there   is   no  conspicuous   topo- 


near  the  southern  border  of  this  terrace,  which 
for  convenience  in  reference  may  be  called: 
the  Grand  Island  terrace.  The  dividing  lia 
between  the  first  bottoms  and  this  terrace  is  t 
low  bluff  extending  southwesterly  from  Grand  I 
Island  and  lying  1  to  2  miles  south  of  tiie . 
Union  Pacific  Railroad.  The  terrace  reaehesj 
a  width  of  6  to  13  miles,  and  is  the  largest! 
topographic  division  in  the  county.  Its  snt-J 
face  has  scarcely  been  modified.     In  a  fet 


graphic  relief.     The  Platte  River  crosses  the  places  the  wind  has  heaped  up  low  hummocfa| 

county  in  a   northeasterly   direction,   flowing  0f  sandi  DUt  there  f^s  feen  ]jtt]e  stream  oJ 

through  a  shallow  valley  12  to  15  miles  wide.  sion      There  arc  a  few  smaU  eastward-floi 

About  6  square  miles  of  territory  in  the  ex-  ing  streams  on  the  terracCi  but  they  {o!]fl 

treme  northwestern  corner  is  included  in  the  sluggishi  windmg  courses  and  oceapy  nM< 

South  Loup  River  Valley.  The  upland  consists  ,y    deep>    ^^    ^^    without  lrib 

of  two  small  triangular  areas,  one  in  the  north-  ^.^    There  are  a,so  a  fw  wmdj      ^ 

western  part  of  the  county  and  one  in  the     ....  -  ... 

*^  „,  J ,  like  depressions,  which  seem  to  represent 

southeastern  part.    These  upland  areas  repre-  r 

sent  remnants  of  an  originally  continuous  east- 
ward-sloping plain. 

The  Platte  River  flows  near  the  southern 
side  of  its  valley,  in  a  number  of  widely 
separated  channels  which  inclose  a  groat  num- 
ber of  low-lying,  elongated  islands.  The  bot- 
tom land  in  general  lies  only  5  to  10  feet 
above  the  water,  and  there  are  many  poorly 


abandoned  channels  of  present  streams. 
The  upland  areas  lie  50  to  150  feet  abc 

1  Much  of  the  text  matter  and  the  bulk  of 
statistics  set  forth  in  this  chapter  were  prepared 
J.  O.  Veatch,  of  the  U.  S.  department  of  agricnlt 
and  V.  H.  Seabury,  of  the  Nebraska  soil  sor 
(based  upon  inspection  made  by  Thomas  O.  Ri 
and  first  published  in  advance  sheets  of  Field  0p< 
tions  of  U.  S.  department  of  agriculture,  Bureat 
Soils,  and  offered  for  information  of  Hall  Cm 
people  generally. 

le 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


207 


the  Platte  Valley  floor.  The  surface  in  general 
ranges  from  slightly  rolling  to  nearly  level  and 
flat,  but  in  places  near  drainage  ways  there  are 
narrow  zones  of  broken  and  eroded  land. 
About  30  square  miles  of  upland  in  the  north- 
em  part  of  the  county  is  rolling  and  uneven, 
owing  to  the  heaping  up  of  loose  sand  into 
irregular,  low,  rounded  hills  and  dunes  by  the 
wind.  This  area  forms  a  narrow  divide  be- 
tween the  Loup  and  Platte  valleys  and  is 
known  as  the  "sand  hills."  A  similar  but  much 
less  extensive  line  of  low  hills  occurs  along 
the  margin  of  the  southern  upland  area  facing 
the  Platte  Valley. 

The  elevation  of  the  first  bottoms  and  ter- 
races of  the  Platte  River  ranges  from  1,800 
to  2,000  feet  above  sea  level.  There  is  a 
fradual  slope  eastward  of  about  9  feet  per 
mile.  The  elevation  of  the  Loup  River  Val- 
ley in  the  northwestern  corner  of  the  county 
is  about  1,900  feet  above  sea  level.  The  up- 
land in  the  northwestern  part  ranges  from 
about  1,940  to  2,100  feet.  The  elevation  of 
the  southern  upland  area  ranges  from  about 
2,060  feet  above  sea  level  on  the  west  to  about 
1,900  feet  along  the  eastern  boundary  of  the 
county. 

The  Platte  River  drains  the  entire  county 
except  a  small  area  in  the  northwestern  part 
which  is  drained  by  the.  South  Loup  River. 
The  Platte  is  heavily  loaded  with  sediment, 
and  is  engaged  in  aggradation  and  in  lateral 
cutting  rather  than  in  deepening  its  channel. 
All  the  longer  streams  have  low  gradients. 
Most  of  the  streams  are  intermittent.  Even 
the  Platte  River  frequently  becomes  dry  for 
short  periods  during  the  summer.  There  are 
many  nearly  level  areas  which  have  no  well- 
defined  drainage  ways  and  in  which  there  has 
been  little  modification  of  the  original  con- 
structional plains  surface.  The  rainfall,  how- 
ever, is  comparatively  light,  and  many  of  the 
soil  types  have  porous  subsoils  and  are  well 
underdrained,  so  that  areas  with  only  a  very 
moderate  slope  may  be  naturally  drained  suf- 
ficiently for  farming.  The  only  areas  that 
are  markedly  deficient  in  drainage  are  small 
depressions  in  the  upland  and  the  lower  lying 
bottoms  along  the  Platte  River,  aggregating 


not  more  than  6  per  cent  of  the  total  area  of 
the  county. 

The  first  settlement  in  this  territory  was 
made  about  1857,  by  a  colony  of  Germans,  and 
the  county  was  organized  in  1858.  Its  popu- 
lation in  1880  was  8,572,  and  in  1910,  20,361. 
Approximately  86  per  cent  of  the  population 
consists  of  native  white  persons  and  13.6  per 
cent  of  foreign-born  white  persons,  principally 
Germans.  All  the  population  outside  Grand 
Island,  or  49.3  per  cent  of  the  total,  is  classed 
as  rural,  and  averages  19  persons  to  the  square 
mile.  All  parts  of  the  county  are  settled,  but 
the  density  of  settlement  is  slightly  greater  in 
the  central-valley  part  along  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad. 

Grand  Island,  with  a  population  in  1910  of 
10,326,  is  the  principal  city  and  county  seat. 
It  has  a  number  of  manufacturing  industries, 
and  is  one  of  the  largest  horse  and  mule  mar- 
kets in  the  west.  Doniphan,  with  a  population 
of  399,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county; 
Wood  River,  with  a  population  of  796,  in  the 
southwestern  part;  and  Cairo,  with  a  popu- 
lation of  364,  in  the  northwestern  part,  are 
important  local  trading  points  and  grain 
markets. 

NATURAL    TRANSPORTATION    ADVANTAGS 

Lines  of  the  Union  Pacific  and  Chicago, 
Burlington  &  Quincy  railroads  and  the  St. 
Joseph  &  Grand  Island  railway  traverse  the 
county  and  afford  excellent  transportation 
facilities.  No  farm  is  more  than  ten  miles 
from  a  railway  station.  The  public  highways 
are  all  earth  roads,  but  they  are  generally 
maintained  in  good  condition  by  frequent  grad- 
ing and  dragging.  Roads  have  been  laid  out 
on  practically  every  section  line  except  in  a 
few  square  miles  of  rough  sand-hill  uplands 
and  also  in  some  parts  of  the  Platte  River 
bottoms,  which  are  difficult  of  access  on  ac- 
count of  the  numerous  channels.  Rural  mail 
delivery  routes  reach  all  parts  of  the  county, 
and  practically  all  the  farmers  have  telephone 
connection  with  Grand  Island  and  other  near- 
by towns. 

Hall  County  lies  on  the  national  transconti- 
nental route,  the  Lincoln  Highway.    This  route 

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208 


HISTORY-  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


from  New  York  to  San  Francisco 
passes  through  the  country  almost  parallel 
with  the  transcontinental  railroad,  the  Union 
Pacific.  A  mile  of  road  east  of  Grand  Island 
was  prepared  a  few  years  ago  with  hard  ce- 
ment surface.  Plans  are  laid  in  1919  to  pre- 
pare at  least  another  mile  of  macadamized  or 
hard  surfaced  road.  The  program  for  5,000 
miles  of  state-aid  permant  highways  for  Ne- 
braska, enacted  by  the  1919  legislature,  gives 
Hall  County  a  net-work  of  state  highways  to 
every  comer.  From  east  to  west  runs  the 
Lincoln  Highway.  From  the  southeast  corner 
of  the  county  to  Grand  Island  the  Seward- 
York-Aurora  Highway,  which  is  included  in 
the  route  of  the  proposed  Pershing  Memorial 
National  Highway  from  New  York  to  San 
Francisco,  via  Indianapolis,  La  Clede,  and  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri,  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and 
to  Grand  Island,  the  proposed  junction  of  the 
Lincoln  and  Pershing  transcontinental  high- 
ways ;  from  Grand  Island,  through  Cairo  and 
on  past  the  northwest  comer  of  the  county, 
the  Potash  Highway,  leading  to  the  Black 
Hills ;  from  Grand  Island  north  to  St.  Libory 
and  on  to  St.  Paul  and  Loup  City,  the  north 
route  starts  to  the  Loup  Valley,  and  the  Hall 
County  part  of  this  state  road  may  soon  be- 
come part  of  the  Grainland  Highway  from 
Sioux  City  to  Kansas ;  as  also  may  the  state- 
road  leading  from  Grand  Island  through  Doni- 
phan to  Hastings  and  south.  Thus  does  Hall 
County  naturally  become  the  hub  of  the  cen- 
tral part  of  the  state,  on  its  two  great  means 
of  transportation,  railroads  and  permanent 
highways.  Recently  the  federal  government 
has  assigned  forty  large  motor  trucks  for  road 
and  highway  work  in  this  vicinity  and  loca- 
tions have  been  selected  near  Grand  Island 
for  gravel  and  sand  pits  to  furnish  material 
for  road  construction. 


Hall  County  is  situated  in  the  east -central 
part  of  the  Great  Plains  region.  The  soils  have 
been  influenced  by  a  climate  intermediate  be- 
tween that  of  the  north-central  Mississippi 
Valley  and  that  of  the  semi-arid  High  Plains. 
However,  they  partake  more  of  the  nature  of 


soils  of  humid  than  of  semi-arid  regions.  The 
greater  part  of  the  soils  has  been  derived  from 
old  and  recent  alluvium  laid  down  in  the  valley 
of  the  Platte  River.  The  soils  of  the  upland, 
which  constitute  a  little  less  than  one-  third 
of  the  county,  are  derived  mainly  from  the  un- 
derlying formations,  which  consist  of  silt, 
sand,  and  sandy  clay.  These  are  mainly  of 
Pleistocene  age,  but  some  of  the  material  is 
possibly  late  Tertiary. 

The  principal  deposit  on  the  upland  is  a 
pale-yellow  or  grayish,  loosely  consolidated 
material  consisting  mainly  of  silt  and  very 
fine  sand.  In  structure  and  chemical  char- 
acteristics it  is  similar  to  the  loess  along  the 
Missouri  and  Mississippi  rivers.  It  is  part  of 
an  extensive  formation,  probably  Pleistocene 
in  age,  which  underlies  a  large  part  of  central 
and  eastern  Nebraska  and  is  known  geologic- 
ally as  "Plains  Loess."  The  silt  formation  in 
this  county  is  overlain  by  a  thin  deposit  of 
yellow  fine  and  very  fine  sand.  This  super- 
ficial sand  deposit  is  not  uniformly  distrib- 
uted over  the  whole  upland  and  in  places 
it  has  been  largely  removed  by  erosion,  but  it 
has  had  an  important  influence  on  the  char- 
acter of  the  soils.  The  sand  generally  is  not 
more  than  10  feet  in  thickness,  but  in  places 
it  has  been  heaped  by  wind  action  into  hills 
25  to  30  feet  high. 

In  the  following  pages  of  this  report  the 
various  soils  mapped  in  Hall  County  are  des- 
cribed in  detail  and  discussed  in  their  rela- 
tion to  agriculture. 

HALL  SILT  LOAM  AND  FRIABLE  SOIL 

(69,253  acres,  20.2%) 
The  soil  of  the  Hall  silt  loam  is  uniformly 
a  very  dark  brown,  friable  silt  loam,  high  in 
organic  matter,  to  a  depth  of  8  to  12  inches, 
underlain  by  a  somewhat  lighter  brown,  more 
compact  silt  loam  which  continues  to  depths 
ranging  from  15  to  24  inches.  The  surface 
soil  contains  only  a  very  small  percentage  of 
particles  coarser  than  very  fine  sand.  There 
is  generally  a  fairly  abrupt  change  to  the 
subsoil,  which  consists  of  6  to  8  inches  of 
dark-yellow  clay,  tough  and  plastic  when  wet 
and  very   hard  and   impenetrable  when   dry, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


209 


underlain  by  less  plastic  silty  clay  to  a  depth 
of  36  to  40  inches.  The  lower  subsoil  usually 
contains  sufficient  lime  to  effervesce  freely 
wilh  acid.  The  lime  content  apparently  is 
not  high  in  the  surface  material,  although 
there  is  no  evidence  of  a  deficiency.  The  sub- 
stratum is  a  pale-yellow  or  grayish,  friable 
silt  loam  and  very  fine  sandy  loam,  extending 
to  depths  of  10  to  20  feet. 

The  Hall  list  loam  occurs  principally  in 
one  large  area  west  and  north  of  Alda  and 
Wood  River,  in  "the  central-western  part  of 
the  county.  This  area  includes  practically 
all  of  Harrison  township;  and  with  the  fria- 
ble subsoil  phase,  all  but  a  part  of  the  north- . 
west  quarter  of  Cameron  township,  and  ex- 
tends into  southeast  four  sections  of  South 
Loup,  two  south  tiers  of  sections  in  May- 
field  and  a  few  sections  in  west  end  of  Center 
township. 

There  are  two  very  small,  isolated  areas, 
one  in  Lake  Township  north  of  Grand  Is- 
land and  one  a  short  distance  northeast  of 
Doniphan.  The  typical  soil  covers  16.7  per 
cent  of  the  county.  The  principal  area,  on 
the  Grand  Island  terrace,  lies  20  to  40  feet 
above  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Platte,  and 
about  1,900  feet  above  sea  level.  There  is 
an  imperceptible  eastward  slope.  The  surface 
varies  from  flat  to  fairly  undulating.  The 
area  is  traversed  by  a  few  winding,  sluggish 
creeks,  with  deep  channels,  and  there  are  a 
few  narrow,  winding  ditchlike  depressions, 
which  represent  remnants  of  old  stream  chan- 
nels. The  soil  is  nowhere  subject  to  stream 
erosion.  Except  in  a  few  shallow  depressions 
the  natural  drainage  is  adequate  for  fanning 
in  normal  years. 

Because  of  its  large  extent  and  high  average 
productiveness  the  Hall  silt  loam  is  the  most 
important  soil  in  the  county.  About  90  per 
cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation.  Some  of  the 
more  poorly  drained  areas  are  used  for  pas- 
ture. Corn,  wheat,  alfalfa,  and  oats  are  the 
principal  crops  grown.  Barley,  millet,  sorg- 
hum, and  kafir  are  grown  in  occasional  small 
fields.  On  account  of  the  very  small  acreage 
of  pasture  on  the  average  farm,  little  live 
stock  is  kept.     A  small  number  of   farmers 


are  engaged  in  stock  feeding,  using  the  sur- 
plus grain  and  hay  produced  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. A  very  small  percentage  of  the  farm- 
ers keep  dairy  herds,  and  sell  both  milk  and 
cream.  The  average  yield  of  corn  is  about 
28  bushels  per  acre,  of  wheat  23  bushels,  of 
oats  about  40  bushels,  and  of  alfalfa,  as  a  total 
of  several  cuttings,  between  3^  and  4  tons. 
Alfalfa  probably  gives  better  results  than  on 
any  other  soil  in  the  county. 

Under  favorable  moisture  conditions  this 
soil  is  easily  worked  and  maintained  in  good 
tilth.  It  is  somewhat  heavier  than  most  of 
the  terrace  soils,  and  if  worked  when  wet  it 
tends  to  compact  and  clod,  so  that  rolling  is 
often  necessary  to  work  up  a  good  seed  bed 
for  wheat.  Four-horse  teams  are  commonly 
used  with  gang  plows  turning  two  furrows  to 
a  depth  of  6  or  7  inches.  Owing  to  the  level 
character  of  the  surface,  tractors  can  be 
easily  used  in  fall  plowing. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Hall  silt  loam  had 
a  selling  price  of  $100  to  $125  an  acre  up  until 
1919. 

Hall  silt  loam,  friable-subsoil  phase. — The 
Hall  silt  loam,  friable-subsoil  phase,  differs 
from  the  typical  Hall  silt  loam  mainly  in 
the  higher  texture  and  more  friable  structure 
of  the  subsoil. 

The  principal  area  of  Hall  silt  loam,  friable- 
subsoil  phase,  is  a  strip  one-fourth  to  1  mile 
wide  skirting  the  southern  and  eastern  bound- 
ary of  the  large  area  of  typical  Hall  silt  loam 
lying  north  of  Wood  River.  A  second  area 
of  considerable  size  occurs  at  the  town  of 
Wood  River,  and  a  small  area  is  encountered 
south  of  the  Platte  River,  in  South  Platte 
township. 

This  phase  does  not  differ  materially  from 
the  typical  Hall  silt  loam  in  topography  and 
drainage,  and  there  is  apparently  very  little 
difference  in  agricultural  value.  Alfalfa  may 
not  give  quite  as  good  results,  but  corn  with- 
stands drought  as  well  as  on  the  typical  soil, 
or  better,  and  gives  equally  good  yields. 

HALL  VERY   FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

(28,928  acres,  8.6%) 
The  surface  soil  of  the  Hall  very  fine  sandy 
LiOOg  fc 


210 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


loam  is  a  very  dark  brown,  uniformly  fine 
material  consisting  predominantly  of  very  fine 
sand  and  silt,  with  but  a  small  percentage  of 
clay  and  scarcely  any  material  coarser  than 
fine  sand.  It  becomes  slightly  lighter  in  color 
at  a  depth  of  12  to  15  inches,  and  at  18  to  20 
inches  grades  into  a  moderately  compact,  light- 
brownish  or  yellowish  fine  sandy  clay.  The 
substratum,  beginning  at  depths  of  36  to  40 
inches,  is  generally  lighter  in  texture  than 
the  subsoil,  consisting  of  very  fine  sandy  loam 
or  sand.  The  surface  soil  has  a  high  content 
of  organic  matter  and  appears  black  when 
wet.  In  the  flatter,  poorly  drained  areas  the 
lower  subsoil  is  frequently  a  grayish  or 
yellowish-drab,  compact,  puttylike  clay,  con- 
taining sufficient  lime  to  effervesce  with  acid. 
In  some  places  the  division  line  between  the 
Hall  very  fine  sandy  loam  and  silt  loam  is 
rather  arbitrary,  and  it  is  probable  that  con- 
siderable silt  loam  is  included  with  the  very 
fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Hall  very  fine  sandy  loam  is  confined 
to  the  Grand  Island  terrace.  It  occupies  a 
large  area  in  Lake  Township  directly  north 
of  Grand  Island,  and  a  belt  ranging  from  one- 
fourth  mile  to  3  miles  wide  extends  south- 
westward  from  Alda  past  the  town  of  Wood 
River  to  the  county  line.  These  areas  are 
irregular  in  outline  and  contain  numerous 
inclusions  of  other  types.  Smaller  develop- 
ments are  mapped  near  Cairo  and  Abbott. 

This  is  a  productive  soil,  and  because  of 
its  comparatively  large  extent  it  is  one  of  the 
more  important  farming  types  of  fhe  county. 
Eighty-five  per  cent  or  more  of  its  area  js 
under  cultivation.  Wheat,  corn,  alfalfa,  and 
oats  are  the  principal  crops,  named  in  order 
of  acreage.  The  average  yield  of  wheat  is 
probably  20  bushels  per  acre,  of  corn  30 
bushels,  and  of  oats  40  bushels.  Alfalfa  yields 
Zy%  tons  per  acre  per  season.  The  areas  of 
lighter  subsoil  apparently  differ  in  agricultural 
value  from  the  typical  soil.   . 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Hall  very  fine  sandy 
loam  is  loose  and  loamy,  and  in  years  of 
normal  rainfall  it  is  easily  maintained  in  good 
tilth.  The  soil  is  slightly  more  coherent  than 
the  associated  fine  sandy  loam  and  sand  types, 
and  it  forms  a  somewhat  better  seed  bed  for 


wheat   and  oats,  but  it  can   not   be  worked 
quite  as  soon  after  heavy  rains. 

Land  of  the  Hall  very  fine  sandy  loam 
has  had  a  selling  price  of  about  $100  to  $125 
an  acre,  depending  upon  the  location  and 
improvements.  . 

HALL  FINE  SANDY  LOAM 

(21,952  acres,  6.5%) 
The  surface  material  of  the  Hall  fine  sandy 
loam  is  a  very  dark  brown,  loose  fine  sandy 
loam.  In  general  it  becomes  somewhat  lighter 
in  color  at  10  or  12  inches,  but  it  continues 
as  a  brown  fine  sandy  loam,  containing  con- 
siderable organic  matter,  to  a  depth  of  18 
or  20  inches,  where  it  grades  into  a  yellowish 
friable  fine  sandy  clay.  This  in  turn  passes  ' 
into  a  yellowish  or  grayish,  friable  clay  and 
sticky  sandy  loam  or  sand  at  3  or  4  feet. 
The  soil  is  uniformly  fine  in  texture,  contain- 
ing high  percentages  of  very  fine  sand  and 
silt  and  only  a  very  small  percentage  of  part- 
icles coarser  than  fine  sand.  Much  of  the 
soil  included  with  this  type  is  a  fine  loam 
in  texture.  This  latter  soil  does  not  differ 
from  the  fine  sandy  loam  in  color  or  topog- 
raphy, and  it  is  not  possible  to  make  an  ac- 
curate separation.  Part  of  the  type  as 
mapped  along  the  southern  margin  of  the 
sand  hills  from  Cairo  eastward  varies  from 
typical  in  having  a  lower  subsoil  of  yellow 
silt  or  very  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  Hall  fine  sandy  loam  occurs  principally 
to  the  north  and  northwest  of  Grand  Island, 
in  Mayfield,  Prairie  Creek,  and  Lake  town- 
ships, and  in  a  belt  one-fourth  to  one-half 
mile  wide,  extending  southwestward  along  the 
southern  border  of  the  Grand  Island  terrace 
from  a  point  near  Alda  to  the  county  line. 
The  areas  are  very  irregular  in  outline,  and 
in  no  place  cover  an  entire  square  mile.  The 
surface  is  nearly  level  or  only  slightly  undu- 
lating, but  the  type  on  the  whole  is  slightly 
higher  lying  and  better  drained  than  the 
closely  associated  Hall  very  fine  sandy  loam. 
In  places  it  occupies  hills  or  dirges  lying  5 
to  15  feet  above  the  surrounding  level,  and 
only  a  very  small  total  area  is  flat  and  poorly 
drained. 

Practically  all   the  type  ts   in   farms,  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


it  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  more  valuable 
soils  of  the  county.  Corn,  wheat,  alfalfa, 
and  oats  are  the  principal  crops,  named  in  the 
order  of  acreage.  The  greater  part  of  the 
grain  and  hay  produced  is  sold  from  the 
farms.  Crop  yields  show  wide  variety  from 
year  to  year.  The  average  yield  of  corn  is 
about  30  bushels  per  acre,  of  wheat  20 
bushels,  of  oats  35  bushels,  and  of  alfalfa, 
per  season,  3  to  3J4  tons.  The  soil  has  a 
loose,  loamy  structure  and  is  easily  worked 
and  maintained  in  good  tilth. 

The  greater  part  of  the  type  has  had  a 
selling  price  of  $100  to  $125  an  acre,  depend- 
ing upon  the  location  and  improvements. 

HALL  SANDY  LOAM 
(6,656  acres,  2%) 

The  typical  Hall  sandy  loam  consists  of  a 
dark  grayish  brown  or  black,  friable  sandy 
loam  which  becomes  lighter  in  color  at  a 
depth  of  10  to  12  inches  and  at  18  to  24  inches 
grades  into  a  light-brownish  or  yellowish, 
heavier  subsoil.  This  varies  in  different  places 
from  a  compact  sandy  loam  to  a  sitty  clay. 
The  type  is  not  very  uniform.  As  mapped 
it  includes  some  areas  of  brown  loamy  sand 
which  does  not  differ  materially  from  the 
O'Neill  sand  'except  in  its  heavier  subsoil. 
In  some  of  the  more  poorly  drained  depres- 
sions the  lower  subsoil  is  a  drab,  plastic,  cal- 
careous clay.  The  soil  everywhere  contains 
4  relatively  large  proportion  of  fine  and  very 
fine  sand,  and  it  is  not  in  all  places  closely 
differentiated  from  the  Hall  fine  sandy  loam. 

The  greater  part  of  the  Hall  sandy  loam 
occurs  in  Center  township,  directly  west  of 
Grand  Island.  It  is  developed  mainly  in  the 
natter  and  more  poorly  drained  areas  as- 
sociated with  the  O'Neill  sand,  and  much  of 
the  type  receives  run-off  and  seepage  water 
from  hills  occupied  by  the  latter  soil.  It  is 
less  extensive  than  the  Hall  very  fine  sandy 
loam  and  fine  sandy  loam,  and  of  lower  ave- 
rage productiveness.  About  90  per  cent  of 
it  is  under  cultivation  —  corn,  wheat,  and  oats 
being  the  principal  crops.  Com  is  sometimes 
"drowned  out"  in  the  more  poorly  drained 
depressions. 


HALL   CLAY    LOAM 
(4,928  acres,  1.5%) 

The  Hall  clay  loam  consists  of  8  to  10 
inches  of  very  dark  gray  or  black,  slightly 
plastic  and  sticky  clay  loam,  grading  into 
dark-drab  or  yellowish-drab,  stiff  fine  sandy 
clay.  The  surface  for  2  to  4  inches  commonly 
consists  of  a  dark-grayish  or  black,  loose, 
fine  sandy  loam  or  very  sandy  loam.  This 
rests  upon  a  subsurface  layer  of  plastic  clay. 
Grayish,  sticky  sand,  underlain  by  coarse  sand, 
usually  saturated  with  water,  is  encountered 
at  depth  of  3  to  4  feet. 

The  Hall  clay  loam  occurs  in  a  number  of 
small,  widely  separated  developments.  The 
largest  areas  are  found  in  Lake  township, 
directly  north  of  Grand  Island,  and  in  May- 
field  and  Harrison  townships,  a  short  distance 
southwest  of  Abbott.  Numerous  oval  or 
circular  patches,  many  of  them  too  small  to 
be  shown  separately  on  the  soil  map,  are 
distributed  throughout  the  larger  area  of  Hall 
fine  sandy  loam,  very  fine  sandy  loam,  and 
silt  loam.  The  clay  loam  occupies  shallow, 
poorly  drained  depressions  on  the  Grand 
Island  terrace. 

The  greater  part  of  the  type  in  the  larger 
areas  is  too  wet  for  successful  farming,  and 
is  valued  as  pasture  land  and  for  wild  hay. 
Most  of  the  smaller  areas  are  farmed  in  con- 
nection with  more  arable  land.  The  soil  is 
sticky  and  difficult  to  work  when  wet,  and 
tends  to  bake  and  clod  when  very  dry.  In 
favorable  years  good  yields  of  the  staple  crops 
are  obtained.  Where  the  type  can  be  drained 
it  can  be  made  as  productive  as  the  naturally 
better  drained  soils.  Thorough  drainage  and 
the  use  of  barnyard  manure  are  probably  the 
best  methods  of  treatment  for  the  alkali  spots. 

The  class  of  soil  aggregating  the  next  great- 
est acreage  is  the  Cass  series. 

The  Cass  series  is  characterized  by  dark- 
brown  or  black  surface  soils  and  a  lighter 
colored  subsoil,  commonly  pale  yellow  or 
grayish.  A  distinguishing  characteristic  is  the 
lighter  texture  in  the  subsoil  than  in  the  sur- 
face layer.  In  Hall  County  the  surface  ma- 
terial in  most  places  is  sufficiently  calcareous 

8 


212 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


to  effervesce  with  acid.  The  Cass  is  the  most 
extensive  series  in  the  bottom  lands  of  the 
Platte   River. 

The  Lamoure  series  is  similar  to  the  Cass 
in  color,  but  differs  in  that  the  subsoil  is  as 
heavy  as  the  surface  soil,  or  heavier.  The 
material  is  often  calcareous  throughout  the 
3-foot  section  and  always  effervesces  in  lower 
subsoil.  Drainage  is  sufficiently  thorough 
for  successful  farming, 

CASS    SANDY    LOAM 

(5,056  acres,  1.5%) 

To  a  depth  of  6  to  10  inches  the  Cass  sandy 
loam  consists  of  a  very  dark  brown,  loose, 
friable  sandy  loam,  fairly  well  supplied  with 
organic  matter.  The  soil  becomes  lighter  in 
color  and  coarser  in  texture  with  depth,  and 
changes  at  15  to  20  inches  into  a  grayish  or 
pale-yellowish  coarse  sand.  The  surface  ma- 
terial generally  contains  enough  calcium  carb- 
onate to  cause  effervescence  with  acid.  The 
subsoil  in  general  is  loose  and  porous,  but  in 
a  few  places  a  dark-colored,  coherent  sandy 
loam  extends  to  a  depth  of  20  to  30  inches, 
the  soil  closely  resembling  Lamoure  sandy 
loam  in  structure  and  other  characteristics. 

The  Cass  sandy  loam  occupies  low  north- 
east-southwest ridges  in  the  higher  parts  of 
the  first  bottoms  of  the  Platte  River.  The 
largest  areas  occur  in  Washington  and  Alda 
townships. 

This  soil  is  well  drained,  and  practically 
all  of  it  is  under  cultivation.  Corn  is  the 
principal  crop,  followed  by  wheat,  oats,  and 
alfalfa. 

CASS  FINE  SAND 
(16,128  acres,  4.8%) 
The  Cass  fine  sand  consists  predominately 
of  6  to  8  inches  of  loamy  fine  sand  which 
gradually  becomes  lighter  in  color  and  coarser 
in  texture  with  depth,  and  grades  into  a  lower 
subsoil  of  yellowish  or  grayish,  incoherent 
medium  sand.  The  top  soil  is  dark  brown  or 
black,  depending  upon  the  local  drainage  con- 
ditions. Generally  there  is  only  a  very  small 
percentage  of  organic  matter  below  a  depth 
of  3  or  4  inches. 


A  very  small  area  has  been  formed  along 
the  channels  of  the  South  Loup  River,  in  the 
extreme  northwestern  part  of  the  county.  The 
organic  content  and  the  soil  color  vary  with 
the  age  of  the  deposit.  The  surface  is  un- 
even and  hummocky,  being  characterized  by 
depressions  inclosed  by  ridges  5  to  10  feet 
high  or  by  low,  wind-formed  knolls.  Drain- 
age is  generally  good.  The  uneven  surface 
favors  ready  run-off,  and  the  open,  porous 
subsoil  and  substratum  permit  free  under- 
drainage. 

This  type  is  less  extensive  than  the  Cass 
fine  sandy  loam,  and  is  of  much  less  agricul- 
tural importance.  The  greater  part  of  it  is 
used  for  pasture.  Most  of  the  land  was 
cleared  at  an  early  date  and  now  supports  a 
fair  growth  of  native  grasses,  together  with 
such  introduced  forage  plants  as  redtop,  blue- 
grass,  and  sweet  clover.  Most  of  the  small 
islands  in  the  stream  channels  are  covered 
with  cottonwood,  elm,  ash,  willow,  and  a 
brushy  growth  of  locust  and  buffalo  berry. 
Only  a  very  small  percentage  of  the  Cass 
fine  sand  is  under  cultivation.  Corn,  the  prin- 
cipal crop,  gives  fair  yields  on  the  darker 
colored  and  deeper  areas  of  fine  sand,  since 
this  soil  withstands  drought  as  well  as  the 
heavier  types.  The  areas  of  medium  sand, 
however,  have  not  proved  durable.  Occasion- 
ally fair  stands  of  alfalfa  are  obtained  on  the 
typical  fine  sand  areas.  The  soil  seems  to  be 
unsuited  to  the  production  of  wheat  and  oats. 
It  is  easily  plowed  and  tilled  under  all  moist- 
ure conditions.  On  account  of  its  loose,  in- 
coherent structure  it  drifts  to  some  extent 
during  high  winds. 

Land  of  the  Cass  fine  sand  has  been  selling 
at  $50  to  $60  an  acre. 

CASS    FINE  SANDY   LOAM 

(23,808  acres,  7.0%) 
The  Cass  fine  sandy  loam  typically  con- 
sists of  a  very  dark  gray  or  black  fine  sandy 
loam  which  changes  to  gray  at  6  to  10  inches 
and  gradually  becomes  lighter  in  texture  with 
depth,  passing  at  12  to  20  inches  into  gray 
or  gray  and  yellowish  mottled,  loamy  fine 
sand,  loose  in  structure.     The  tower  subsoil 


zcdbyGoOgl 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


213 


consists  of  a  gray,  porous  medium  sand  which 
changes  at  3  lo  4  feet  to  coarse  sand  and 
fine  gravel.  The  topsoil  is  generally  well 
supplied  with  organic  matter,  and  it  contains 
sufficient  calcium  carbonate  to  effervesce 
slightly  with  acid.  The  principal  variations 
in  texture  are  toward  a  silt  loam  and  a  very 
fine  sandy  loam.  In  places  there  is  only  a 
very  thin  layer  of  soil  high  in  organic  matter, 
underlain  by  yellowish -gray,  incoherent  fine 
sand,  the  type  here  closely  resembling  the 
more  loamy  areas  of  the  Cass  fine  sand.  In 
some  of  the  lower  situations  the  black  fine 
sandy  loam  is  underlain  at  a  depth  of  12  to 
15  inches  by  gray,  medium  and  coarse  sand. 

A  silty  variation  of  this  type  is  encountered 
in  three  areas,  aggregating  about  750  acres, 
in  Alda  and  Washington  townships,  and  in 
a  small  area  in  the  extreme  northwest  part  of 
the  county  in  the  South  Loup  River  bottoms. 
This  soil  is  of  small  extent,  but  all  of  it  is 
under  cultivation.  It  consists  of  a  dark-brown- 
ish, mellow  silt  loam,  6  to  8  inches  thick,  grad- 
ing into  dark -grayish,  compact  very  fine 
sandy  loam  which  is  underlain  by  grayish, 
loamy  fine  sand  at  20  to  30  inches.  There 
is  usually  a  substratum  of  coarse  sand  at 
ibout  40  inches.  The  surface  soil  is  well 
supplied  with  organic  matter  and  appears 
)lack  when  wet.  The  soil  is  moderately  cal- 
areous  to  a  depth  of  20  to  30  inches. 

The  typical  Cass  fine  sandy  loam  is  largely 
aniined  to  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Platte 
River,  where  it  occurs  in  strips  100  yards  to 
me-half  mile  in  width  parallel  to  present  and 
ild  channels  of  the  river.  A  very  small  area 
"ccurs  in  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of 
he  county,  in  the  South  Loup  River  Valley. 

The  Cass  fine  sandy  loam  is  the  most  ex- 
ensive  bottom-land  soil  in  the  county.  About 
0  per  cent  of  it  is  under  cultivation,  this 
Toportion  representing  the  better  drained 
rea.  Corn  is  the  principal  crop,  followed  by 
meat  and  oats.  There  is  a  small  acreage 
f  alfalfa.  The  uncultivated  land  is  valued 
s  pasture  and  for  wild-hay  production, 
'■attle  and  hogs  are  fed  on  most  farms,  and 
re  corn  and  hay  crops  are  largely  consumed 
n  the    farm.      Sweet    corn    makes   a    rank 


growth,  and  on  a  few  farms  this  crop  is 
grown  in  small  fields  for  seed.  Corn  yields 
vary  greatly,  depending  upon  the  season.  The 
average  yield  for  a  period  of  years  is  probably 
about  25  bushels  per  acre.  Small  grain  does 
not  give  as  good  results  as  on  the  heavier 
soils  of  the  bottom  lands  and  upland.  The 
yields  of  wild  hay  average  about  V/2  tons 
per  acre.  The  surface  soil  of  this  type  has 
a  loose,  loamy  structure,  and  is  easily  plowed 
and  tilled.  Level  cultivation  is  generally 
practiced  in  growing  corn. 

Farms  composed  largely  of  the  Cass  fine 
sandy  soam,  with  average  improvements,  have 
had  a  selling  price  of  about  $75  an  acre. 

CASS    CLAY    1,0AM 

(10,944  acres,  3.2%) 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Cass  clay  loam  is 
a  dark-drab  or  black,  slightly  plastic  clay  loam, 
underlain  at  shallow  depths  by  coarse  sand 
and  fine  gravel.  Over  most  of  the  type  the 
surface  soil  consists  of  2  or  3  inches  of  black 
fine  sandy  loam  or  silty  loam,  underlain  by 
dark-drab,  stiff  clay  to  a  depth  of  6  to  15 
inches.  There  is  generally  a  sharp  change 
to  the  porous,  coarse  subsoil,  only  1  or  2 
inches  of  sticky  fine  sandy  loam  or  medium 
sand  intervening  in  places.  The  surface  soil 
of  the  Cass  clay  loam  is  generally  well  supplied 
with  organic  matter  and  in  a  few  places  there 
is  a  superficial  layer  of  3  to  4  inches  of  sticky 
loam. 

This  type  occurs  widely  distributed  in  the 
first  bottoms  of  the  Platte  River,  where  it 
occupies  narrow,  elongated  depressions  rep- 
resenting old  river  channels  which  have  been 
partly  filled  with  silt.  The  subsoil  material  is 
identical  with  that  on  the  floors  of  the  present 
channels.  The  type  is  poorly  drained  and  is 
more  subject  to  overflow  than  other  types  of 
the  bottoms.  In  wet  periods  the  ground  water 
frequently  rises  to  the  base  of  the  clay,  or 
within  12  or  15  inches  of  the  surface.  The 
type  lies  only  4  or  5  feet  above  the  stream 
channels. 

On  account  of  its  poor  drainage  very  little 
of  this  type  has  been  placed  under  cultivation 
and  it  is  valued  chiefly  as  hay  and  pasture 


214 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


land.  In  most  places  it  supports  a  heavier 
growth  of  grasses  than  the  lighter  texture 
types.  In  the  few  fields  under  cultivation  fair 
yields  of  corn  and  oats  are  obtained  in  dry 
years.  The  soil  is  somewhat  sticky  when  wet 
and  tends  to  become  hard  and  cloddy. 

Artificial  drainage  is  necessary  to  improve 
this  soil  and  make  it  suitable  for  profitable 
farming,  but  throughout  most  of  the  type  this 
is  impracticable  on  account  of  its  slight  eleva- 
tion above  the  stream  channels. 

MARSHALL  LOAM 
(3,712  acres,  1.1%) 

Marshall  loam  is  a  very  dark  brown,  mellow 
loam.  It  becomes  lighter  colored  and  higher 
in  clay  content  at  about  15  inches,  and  grades 
at  18  to  20  inches  into  a  dark  yellowish  brown, 
friable,  fine-grained  clay,  which  changes  to 
a  yellow,  friable  silty  clay  at  about  30  to  36 
inches.  The  type  as  mapped  varies  in  texture, 
much  of  it  being  a  fine  loam  or  a  fine  sandy 
loam,  and  it  everywhere  contains  a  relatively 
targe  proportion  of  very  fine  sand  and  silt. 
It  is  intermediate  in  color  and  structure  be- 
tween the  associated  Colby  and  Grundy  soils. 

The  Marshall  loam  occurs  in  Doniphan  and 
South  Platte  townships,  in  five  areas  varying 
from  300  to  1,500  acres  in  extent.  Its  surface 
is  slightly  undulating,  not  quite  as  level  as 
that  of  the  Grundy'silt  loam  but  not  quite  as 
uneven  as  that  of  the  Colby  soils.  The  drain- 
age is  good. 

All  the  type  is  under  cultivation  to  the 
staple  crops  of  wheat,  corn,  oats,  and  alfalfa, 
Its  productiveness  is  about  the  same  as  that 
of  the  Marshall  and  Grundy  silt  loams.  It  is 
somewhat  easier  to  work  than  those  types, 
and  probably  withstands  severe  droughts  a 
little  better  than  the  Grundy  soil. 

MARSHALL  SILT  LOAM 
(4,672  acres,  1.4%) 
The  surface  soil  of  the  Marshall  silt  loam 
is  typically  a  very  dark  brown,  mellow  silt 
loam,  12  to  15  inches  deep.  The  subsurface 
material  is  a  lighter  brown,  friable  silt  loam, 
which  grades  into  yellowish-brown,  friable 
silty  clay  loam  at  20  to  24  inches. 


The  Marshall  silt  loam  occurs  in  several 
small  areas  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the 
county  and  in  two  small  areas  in  the  extreme 
southeastern  part.  Its  surface  varies  from 
nearly  level  to  undulating  or  gently  sloping. 
In  the  northwestern  part  of  the  county  the 
type  occupies  drainage  divides,  the  steeper 
slopes  comprising  areas  of  Colby  silt  loam. 
The  two  small  areas  in  the  southeastern  part 
of  the  county  occur  on  comparatively  gentle 
slopes  along  small  drainage  ways.  The  land 
is  sufficiently  sloping  to  be  well  drained  with- 
out being  subject  to  destructive  erosion. 

This  soil  is  productive,  and  practically  all 
of  it  is  under  cultivation.  Wheat,  corn,  and 
alfalfa  are  the  principal  crops.  Oats  are 
grown  to  some  extent. 

GRUNDY  SILT  LOAM 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Grundy  silt  loam 
consists  of  a  very  dark  brown,  mellow  silt 
loam,  10  to  12  inches  deep,  grading  into  a 
lighter  brown,  slightly  more  compact  silt  loam 
This  changes  rather  abruptly,  usually  at  a 
depth  of  18  to  24  inches,  to  a  yellowish-brown, 
tough,  impervious  clay,  which  resembles  a 
clay  hardpan.  This  clay  is  stiff  and  plastic  j 
when  wet  and  becomes  extremely  hard  and 
crumbly  when  dry.  The  subsoil  varies  in 
color  from  yellowish  brown  to  yellowish  drab, 
but  is  usually  lighter  in  the  lower  part.  A 
substratam  of  yellowish  or  pale-yellowish, 
friable  silt  is  encountered  at  depths  of  3"i 
to  5  feet.  The  lower  subsoil  and  the  sub- 
stratum are  calcarous,  but  the  surface  ma- 
terial nowhere  contains  sufficient  lime  to 
effervesce  with  acid. 

This  soil  is  confined  principally  to  one  large 
uniform  area  in  Doniphan  and  South  Plane 
townships,  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the 
county.  It  occupies  a  nearly  level  or  slightly 
undulating  plain,  little  modified  by  stream 
erosion. 

Practically  all  the  type  is  under  cultivation, 
and  it  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  more  valuable 
general- farming  soils  of  the  county.  Wheat, 
corn,  alfalfa,  and  oats  are  the  principal  crops, 
named  in  order  of  acreage.  Kafir,  sorghum, 
and  millet  are  grown  in  small  fields.    Orchard 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


fruits  probably  bear  somewhat  better  than 
on  the  terrace  and  first-bottom  soils.  Only 
a  few  farmers  feed  stock  extensively  and  most 
of  the  grain  and  hay  produced  is  sold. 

colby  Fine  sandy  loam 
(9728  acres,  2.9%) 
The  surface  soil  of  the  Colby  fine  sandy 
loam  consists  of  a  light-brown  or  yellowish 
loose  fine  sandy  loam,  grading  at  6  to  12 
inches  into  a  yollow,  heavy  fine  sandy  loam 
or  fine  sandy  clay  loam.  The  subsoil,  begin- 
ning at  15  to  20  inches,  is  a  light-yellow, 
friable,  mealy,  fine  or  very  fine  sandy  loam. 
In  general  the  soil  is  very  similar  to  the  Colby 
silt  loam  in  composition  and  origin,  but  it 
has  a  slightly  looser  surface  soil  and  a  more 
porous,   friable   subsoil. 

An  area  of  Colby  fine  sandy  loam  about  6 
square  miles  in  extent  is  mapped  in  Martin 
and  South  Platte  townships,  with  a  few 
smaller  bodies  in  close  association  with  the 
Colby  silt  loam.  The  type  also  occurs  in  a 
narrow  east-west  strip  along  the  southern 
border  of  the  sandhills,  in  South  Loup  and 
Mayfield  townships,  extending  from  the 
Buffalo  County  line  to  a  point  about  5  miles 
east  of  Cairo.  The  surface  in  general  is  un- 
even or  slightly  undulating.  Low,  rounded 
hummocks  or  knolls  and  intervening  shallow 
depressions  give  rise  to  a  choppy  surface 
resembling  that  formed  by  wind  in  areas  of 
loose  sand.  The  type  is  well  drained,  but  is 
not  subject  to  serious  erosion. 

Practically  all  this  soil  is  under  cultivation. 
Com,  wheat,  oats,  and  alfalfa  are  the  prin- 
cipal crops.  The  methods  of  farming  and 
the  disposition  of  the  crops  are  much  the 
same  as  on  the  Colby  silt  loam.  Cora  gives 
practically  the  same  yields  as  on  the  silt  loam, 
namely,  about  25  bushels  per  acre,  but  the 
fine  sandy  loam  does  not  seem  to  be  as  well 
'adapted  to  wheat  and  alfalfa. 

The  type  in  most  places  is  easily  maintained 
in  good  tilth,  where  manure  or  rotted  straw 
is  applied,  and  it  can  be  worked  under  a  wider 
range  of  moisture  conditions  than  the  silt 
loam.  The  hummocky  character  of  the  sur- 
face does  not  seriously  interfere  with  plowing 


and  harvesting,  but  it  detracts  to  some  ex- 
tent from  the  agricultural  value  of  the  land. 

COLBY    SILT   LOAM 
(21,120  acres,  6.2%) 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Colby  silt  loam  is 
a  dark  brownish  gray,  mellow  silt  loam,  rang- 
ing from  6  to  10  inches  in  depth.  It  usually 
contains  a  relatively  high  percentage  of  very 
fine  sand  and  is  ordinarily  loose  in  structure, 
but  becomes  moderately  compact  if  worked 
when  wet.  The  surface  soil  is  underlain  by  a 
yellow  silty  clay  loam  layer,  4  or  5  inches 
in  thickness.  The  subsoil,  beginning  at  12 
to  18  inches,  is  a  pale-yellow,  friable  silt  loam 
or  very  fine  sandy  loam,  usually  calcareous  at 
about  3  feet.  The  surface  soil  is  variable  in 
thickness  and  color,  being  very  thin  and  light 
gray  or  yellowish  on  the  more  eroded  slopes, 
and  dark  in  color  and  fairly  well  supplied 
with  organic  matter  in  the  more  nearly  level 
areas.  The  type  differs  from  the  Grundy  and 
Marshall  silt  loams  mainly  in  its  lighter  color 
and  more  friable  subsoil. 

The  Colby  silt  loam  is  somewhat  more 
widely  distributed  in  the  southeastern  upland 
area  than  in  the  northwestern  upland.  In 
the  northwestern  part  of  the  county  it  largely 
occupies  gentle  or  moderate  slopes,  but  to 
some  extent  occurs  on  very  steep  slopes  along 
drainage  ways,  where  the  land  is  too  steep 
for  successful  farming  and  has  been  gullied 
in  places.  In  the  southern  part  of  the  county 
the  areas  along  the  border  of  the  upland  fac- 
ing the  Platte  River  bottoms  are  characterized 
by  moderate  to  steep  slopes,  and  are  rather 
deeply  eroded  in  places.  Back  from  the 
margin  of  the  upland  the  larger  areas  have 
a  slightly  uneven  surface,  with  low,  rounded 
hillocks  or  knolls  and  intervening  level  de- 
pressions. The  steep  slopes  and  uneven  sur- 
face make  plowing  and  harvesting  of  crops 
more  difficult  and  detract  to  some  extent  from 
the  agricultural  value  of  the  land. 

All  the  type,  except  the  steeper  slopes  in 
the  more  eroded  areas,  is  under  cultivation. 

The  soil  withstands  drought  fairly  well,  and 

in  some  respects  is  more  desirable  than  the 

more   level    types   of    the   bottom   land    and 

(  i(1(W 


« 


216 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


terrace.  Wheat  is  the  principal  crop,  followed 
by  corn,  alfalfa,  and  oats.  Many  farmers 
grow  wheat  continuously  on  the  same  fields 
for  periods  of  4  to  9  years.  Small  patches 
of  kafir,  sorghum,  and  millet  are  occasionally 
grown.  Orchard  fruits  seem  to  bear  a  little 
better  than  on  the  bottom-land  and  terrace 
solis.  The  yields  of  all  crops  very  widely  with 
the  season,  the  state  of  improvement  of  the 
soil,  and  the  care  used  in  cultivation.  The 
average  yield  of  wheat  is  probably  about  18 
bushels  per  acre,  of  corn  25  bushels,  of  oats 
35  bushels,  and  of  alfalfa  about  3  tons. 

COLBY  SANDY  LOAM 
(7,360  acres,  2.2%) 

The  surface  soil  of  the  Colby  sandy  loam 
consists  of  a  brown,  loose  sandy  loam,  10  to 
15  inches  deep.  It  is  dark  in  color  and  mode- 
rately high  in  organic  matter  to  a  depth  of 
6  to  8  inches,  below  which  it  is  light  brown 
or  yellowish  brown.  The  subsoil  is  a  yellow, 
friable  sandy  loam.  The  surface  material  is 
generally  finer  in  texture  than  the  subsoil. 
It  varies  from  a  loamy  sand  to  a  dark-colored 
soil  closely  approaching  a  loam  or  fine  sandy 
loam.  In  places  there  has  been  a  slight  con- 
centration of  clay  in  the  upper  subsoil,  form- 
ing a  layer,  6  or  8  inches  in  thinkness,  of 
friable  sandy  clay  or  clay  loam.  Layers  of 
incoherent,  medium,  and  coarse  sand  are  oc- 
casionally encountered  in  the  subsoil. 

The  Colby  sandy  loam  occurs  in  the  higher 
uplands  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county. 
It  is  encountered  mainly  in  one  large  area 
extending  from  the  Hamilton  County  line  to 
a  point  about  4  miles  southwest  of  Doniphan. 
Two  very  small  strips  representing  an  eroded 
phase  occur  on  the  slopes  of  the  bluffs  facing 
the  Platte  Valley  in  South  Platte  township. 
In  general  the  surface  of  the  type  is  nearly 
level,  but  in  places  it  is  made  slightly  undulat- 
ing by  hummocks  or  knolls  a  few  feet  high. 
Drainage  is  everywhere  thorough,  but  there 
are  no  slopes  steep  enough  to  be  seriously 
eroded,  except  in  the  two  small  areas  on  the 
bluff  slopes  in  South  Platte  township. 

This  soil  is  productive,  and  practically  all 
of  it  is  under  cultivation.    Wheat,  corn,  oats, 


and  alfalfa  are  the  principal  crops.  The  soil 
is  looser  and  more  easily  worked  and  main- 
tained in  good  tilth  than  the  upland  silt  loams. 
It  is  probably  not  quite  as  well  suited  to 
wheat  as  are  the  silt  loams,  but  it  withstands 
drought  moderately  well  and  produces  on  the 
average  about  the  same  yields  of  corn.  It 
has  practically  the  same  agricultural  value 
as  the  Colby  fine  sandy  loam. 

VALENTINE    SAND 

(28,800  acres,  8.5%) 

The  Valentine  sand  consists  of  a  light- 
brownish  or  yellowish,  loose  sand  which 
shows  very  little  difference  in  texture  or 
color  to  a  depth  of  3  feet.  To  a  depth  of 
about  7  inches  the  soil  is  light  brown  in  color 
and  contains  a  small  amount  of  organic 
matter.  The  type  consists  almost  entirely  of 
about  equal  parts  of  medium  and  fine  sand, 
with  no  coarser  particles  and  barely  sufficient 
silt  and  clay  to  render  the  mass  slightly  coher- 
ent when  wet.  The  sand  deposits  from  which 
the  soil  is  derived  have  a  thickness  of  5  to 
25  feet.  The  Valentine  sand  is  locally  known 
as  "sand  hills." 

This  type  occupies  a  total  area  of  45  square 
miles.  It  occurs  principally  in  the  northern 
part  of  the  county,  directly  north  of  Cairo  and 
Abbott,  in  South  Loup,  Mayfield,  and  Prairie 
Creek  townships.  An  area  of  about  4  square 
miles  is  mapped  south  of  the  Platte  River  in 
Martin  township.  The  billowy,  undulating 
surface  has  been  formed  by  the  shifting  and 
heaping  up  of  sand  by  the  wind,  and  is  char- 
acterized by  high,  rounded  hills  or  ridges. 
The  type  represents  quiescent  dunes,  with  a 
maze  of  lower  wind-formed  knolls.  There  are 
no  well-defined  drainage  lines,  most  of  the 
rainfall  being  absorbed  by  the  porous,  deep 
sand.  The  hills  range  from  75  to  150  feet 
above  the  first  bottoms  of  the  Platte  and  Loup 
rivers. 

This  land  is  used  mainly  for  pasture.  Prob- 
ably not  more  than  ten  per  cent  of  it  is  under 
cultivation.  It  supports  an  excellent  growth 
of  native  grasses  and  has  a  carrying  capacity 
of  30  to  40  cattle  to  the  quarter  section.  The 
pasture  season  ordinarily  extends  from  April 

Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


217 


to  October.  The  land  is  used  as  summer  pas- 
ture for  stock  which  is  fed  on  farms  during 
the  winter.  Some  of  the  more  favorable  situ- 
ated land  is  fanned.  Corn  and  wheat  are  fair- 
ly successful  with  careful  cultivation  and 
yearly  change  of  crops.  Alfalfa  seems  to  do 
well,  but  considerable  difficulty  is  encountered 
in  getting  a  good  stand.  The  soil  seems  to 
withstand  drought  as  well  as  the  heavier  types, 
but  it  is  less  durable  and  productive.  The 
surface  soil  in  many  places  is  drifted  by  the 
wind.  Coarse  manure  and  straw  spread  over 
the  land  have  generally  been  found  beneficial 
in  preventing  excessive  drifting.  Corn  usually 
is  deeply  listed. 

Land  of  this  type  most  suitable  for  farming 
has  had  a  selling  price  of  $35  to  $40  an  acre. 
Pasture  land  has  been  selling  for  about  $20  an 
acre. 

o'neill  sand 
(7,803  acres,  2.3%) 
The  O'Neill  sand  consists  of  a  light  brown, 
loose,  loamy  medium  sand  which  shows  little 
change  in  texture  to  a  depth  of  3  feet.  The 
soil  to  a  depth  of  10  to  12  inches  is  somewhat 
darker  than  below,  as  a  result  of  the  incorpor- 
ation of  organic  matter,  and  the  subsurface 
sand  is  brownish  yellow  or  grayish.  In  a  few 
places  on  the  terrace  south  of  the  Platte  River 
the  type  in  some  narrow  strips  contains  coarse 
sand  and  fine  gravel  in  the  subsoil. 

The  principal  areas  of  O'Neill  sand  are 
mapped  on  the  terrace  directly  west  and  south- 
west of  Grand  Island,  Important  develop- 
ments occur  a  few  miles  southwest  of  Wood 
River,  and  on  the  terrace  south  of  the  Platte. 
The  total  area  of  the  type  is  122  square  miles, 
Its  surface  is  undulating,  characterized  by 
knolls  or  hummocks  5  to  15  feet  high.  These 
appear  to  be  in  part  accumulations  by  wind 
action.  Drainage  is  good,  most  of  the  rain- 
fall being  rapidly  absorbed  by  the  porous 
sand. 

The  greater  part  of  this  type  is  in  farms. 
The  yields  of  corn,  ordinarily  18  to  20  bushels 
per  acre,  probably  average  less  than  on  the 
heavier  terrace  soils,  and  the  type  does  not 
seem  to  be  quite  so  well  suited  to  wheat  and 


oats.  Alfalfa  makes  a  strong  growth,  but  the 
stand  is  rarely  as  thick  as  on  the  Hall  silt  loam 
and  very  fine  sandy  loam  and  similar  types. 
This  soil  is  not  as  durable  and  productive  as 
the  heavier  soils  of  the  terrace,  but  it  is  easily 
plowed  and  tilled,  has  adequate  drainage  even 
in  wet  years,  and  withstands  drought  quite 
as  well  as  the  heavier  types.  It  is,  however, 
subject  to  shifting  by  the  wind,  and  injury  to 
young  plants  frequently  results.  Coarse  ma- 
nure and  straw  are  applied,  where  available, 
to  check  the  tendency  to  drift,  and  corn 
usually  deeply  listed.  ■ 

The  selling  value  of  this  land  is  considerably 
lower  than  that  of  the  associated  soils,  such 
as  the  fine  sandy  loam,  very  fine  sandy  loam, 
and  Hall  silt  loam. 

O'NEILL  FINE  SAND 
(4,352  acres,  1.3%) 

The  O'Neill  fine  sand  differs  from  the 
O'Neill  sand  mainly  in  its  finer  texture.  The 
surface  soil  has  a  fair  content  of  organic 
matter  to  a  depth  of  6  to  10  inches,  and  is 
loamy  in  structure.  In  many  places  the  sub- 
soil sand  seems  to  be  slightly  coarser  than 
the  surface  material. 

This  type  occurs  in  a  large  number  of  small, 
irregular  areas,  mainly  north  and  northwest  of 
Grand  Island,  and  in  the  Loup  River  Valley 
in  the  northwest  corner  of  the  county.  It  has 
a  total  area  of  6.8  square  miles.  Practically 
all  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  Fair  yields 
of  corn,  wheat,  and  alfalfa  are  obtained.  The 
type  on  the  whole  is  probably  a  little  more 
productive  than  the  O'Neill  sand. 

o'neill  loam 
(9,856  acres,  2.9%) 
The  O'Neill  loam  consists  of  a  dark-brown- 
ish, fine-textured  loam,  12  to  15  inches  deep 
grading  into  a  light-brown  sandy  loam  which 
changes  to  a  yellowish  or  grayish,  loose  coarse 
sand,  containing  some  fine  gravel,  at  any  depth 
from  20  to  36  inches.  The  substratam  to  a 
depth  of  10  to  20  feet  consists  of  grayish  or 
yellowish  sand  and  gravel.  In  some  places 
the  surface  soil  closely  approaches  the  Hall 
sandy  loam  in  texture. 


218 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


The  O'Neill  loam  is  confined  mainly  to  the 
border  of  the  Grand  Island  terrace.  It  ex- 
tends in  disconnected  areas  across  the  county. 
The  principal  area  is  in  the  vicinity  of  Grand 
Island.  The  surface  of  this  soil  varies  from 
nearly  level  to  slightly  uneven  and  hummocky, 
There  is  sufficient  slope  for  adequate  surface 
drainage  and  the  porous,  sandy  subsiol  and 
substratum  rapidly  absorb  "  moisture.  The 
greater  part  of  the  type,  with  the  exception 
of  the  area  occupied  by  the  city  of  Grand 
Island,  is  under  cultivation  to  the  staple  crops 
of  corn,  wheat,  oats,  and  alfalfa.  Its  average 
productiveness  is  somewhat  lower  than  that 
of  the  types  having  heavier  and  more  retentive 
subsoils.  Corn  frequently  "fires"  and  gives 
greatly  decreased  yields  in  dry  years.  Sweet 
corn  is  grown  in  small  fields,  and  some  truck- 
ing ts  carried  on  near  Grand  Island.  Millet, 
sorghum,  and  kafir  are  grown  in  small  patches 
for  forage.  Yields  of  corn  vary  form  10  to 
30  bushels  per  acre,  depending  upon  the  rain- 
fall Wheat  yields  15  to  18  bushels  per  acre 
and  oats  20  to  30  bushels.  The  surface  soil 
is  loose  and  mellow,  and  can  be  worked  under 
a  wide  range  of  moisture  conditions. 

The  selling  price  of  farm  land  of  this  type 
is  generally  lower  than  that  of  the  associated 
heavier  soils  to  the  north,  such  as  the  Hall 
fine  sandy  loam,  very  fine  sandy  loam,  and 
silt  loam. 

LAMOURE  FINE   SANDY  LOAM 

(10,368  acres,  3.1%) 
The  Lamoure  fine  sandy  loam  consists  of 
a  very  fine  dark  brown  or  black,  loose  fine 
sandy  loam,  with*  the  average  thickness  of 
about  12  inches,  overlying  a  subsoil  or  dark 
grayish,  moderately  compact  fine  sandy  clay 
which  becomes  somewhat  coarser  and  more 
friable  with  depth,  changing  at  3  or  4  feet  to 
a  loose,  porous,  medium  and  coarse  sand.  The 
essential  difference  between  this  type  and  the 
Cass  fine  sandy  loam  is  the  heavier  character 
of  the  subsoil  to  a  depth  of  3  or  4  feet  The 
surface  soil  generally  has  a  fairly  high  content 
of  organic  matter  and  both  soil  and  subsoil 
effervesce  with  acid,  indicating  a  rather  high 
content   of   lime.     The   depth   to  which   the 


dark-colored  fine  sandy  loam  extends  ranges 
from  10  to  20  inches.  There  are  also  minor 
variations  in  texture,  some  of  the  included 
soil  consisting  of  very  fine  sandy  loam  and 
fine  loam. 

The  Lamoure  fine  sandy  loam  occurs  in  nar- 
row strips  conforming  in  direction  to  the 
general  northeast  course  of  the  present  and 
old  channels  of  the  Platte  River.  It  is  rather 
widely  distributed  throughout  the  whole  ex- 
tent of  the  first  bottoms.  It  has  a  nearly  level 
surface,  but  on  the  whole  lies  at  a  slightly 
higher  elevation  than  the  associated  Cass  fine 
sandy  loam  and  clay  loam,  and  has  somewhat 
better  drainage.  The  ground-water  level  in 
years  of  normal  rainfall  is  about  5  feet  below 
the  surface. 

The  Lamoure  fine  sandy  loam  is  considered 
one  of  the  more  valuable  bottom-land  soils  for 
general  farming.  About  90  per  cent  of  it  is 
under  Cultivation.  Corn,  wheat,  oats,  and 
alfalfa  are  the  principal  crops,  with  corn  far 
in  the  lead.  Most  of  the  corn  and  hay  pro- 
duced is  used  to  feed  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep. 
This  type,  like  the  other  bottom  land  soils, 
seems  to  be  less  well  adapted  to  wheat  than 
the  terrace  and  upland  soils,  and  the  grain  is 
8  to  10  days  later  in  maturing.  Where  a 
fairly  good  stand  of  alfalfa  is  obtained  the 
seasonal  yield  is  about  3  tons  per  acre. 

The  soil  is  easily  plowed  and  maintained 
in  good  tilth.  It  is  usually  plowed  to  a  depth 
of  6  to  8  inches.  Checking  and  level  cultiva- 
tion are  practiced  to  a  much  greater  extent 
than  listing  in  the  growing  of  corn.  Over  the 
greater  part  of  the  type  land  has  values  of  an 
average  of  about  $100  an  acre. 

LAMOURE  SILT  LOAM 

(5,312  acres,  1.6%) 
The  surface  soil  of  the  Lamoure  silt  loam 
is  typically  a  very  dark  brown  or  slaty-black, 
mellow  silt  loam,  8  to  12  inches  deep.  The 
upper  subsoil  is  a  moderately  compact,  brown- 
ish silty  clay  loam  or  clay,  and  is  underlain 
at  29  to  30  inches  by  a  yellowish  or  grayish, 
more  friable,  very  fine  sandy  loam.  Porous;, 
medium  or  coarse  sand  is  encountered 
depths  of  3^2  to  5  feet.    The  soil  is  high  in 


-•■'*■»" 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


organic  matter  and  appears  black  when  wet. 
The  type  is  generally  calcareous  to  a  depth 
of  3  feet. 

The  Lamoure  silt  loam  is  confined  to  the  first 
bottoms  of  the  Platte  River,  where  it  occurs 
north  of  the  Middle  Channel  in  Alda,  Wood 
River,  and  Jackson  townships.  Like  the  other 
soils  of  the  first  bottoms,  it  occurs  in  compara- 
tively narrow  strips.  The  land  is  nearly  level, 
but  water  rarely  stands  on  the  surface  for  any 
considerable  time,  and  most  of  the  areas  are 
sufficiently  well  drained  for  successful  farm- 
ing. 

Practically  all  the  type  is  under  cultivation. 
It  is  regarded  as  one  of  the  more  durable 
and  productive  soils  for  general  farming.  The 
average  yield  of  corn  for  a  period  of  8  or  10 
years  is  about  30  bushels  per  acre,  of  wheat 
20  bushels,  and  of  alfalfa,  for  all  cuttings, 
about  3  or  3V£  tons.  The  soil  under  ordinary 
moisture  conditions  is  loose  and  mellow,  and 
easily  plowed  and  cultivated.  It  is  slightly 
sticky  when  wet  and  tends  to  clod,  but  the 
clods  subsequently  break  down  readily.  The 
land  has  been  valued  at  about  $100  an  acre. 

LAMOURE  CLAY  LOAM 
(4,544  acres,  1.3%) 

The  Lamoure  clay  loam  consists  of  a  black, 
ilightly  plastic,  heavy  clay  loam,  grading  at 
)  to  10  inches  into  a  dark-drab  or  slaty-black, 
leavy,  compact  clay  which  becomes  lighter 
stored  with  depth  and  changes  to  sticky 
andy  clay  or  sandy  loam  at  about  3  feet.  A 
^stratum  of  coarse,  porous  sand  is  encount- 
«d  at  depths  ranging  from  3  to  4V£feet. 

The  Lamoure  clay  loam  occupes  low-lying, 
svel  situations  and  narrow  depressions  in  the  . 
rst  bottoms  along  the  Platte  River.  It  occurs 
i  several  small,  widely  separated  areas,  prin- 
ipally  in  Washington  township  east  and  south 
f  Grand  Island. 

Much  of  the  land  is  poorly  drained,  and 
k  growth  of  crops  is  frequently  retarded  by 
xcessive  moisture.  The  soil,  however,  is 
arable  and  productive,  and  the  greater  part 
f  the  type  is  under  cultivation.  Com  is  most 
uccessful,  yielding  25  to  30  bushels  per  acre 
xcept   in    wet    years.      On   account    of    its 


slightly  plastic  and  sticky  nature,  the  soil  when 
wet  is  difficult  to  plow,  and  tends  to  clod. 

GANNETT  LOAMY  SAND 
(4,992  acres,  1.5%) 

The  surface  soil  of  Gannett  loamy  sand  is 
a  dark-gray  or  black  sand,  having  a  small 
content  of  silt  and  containing  sufficient  organic 
matter  to  produce  a  loamy  structure.  At 
depths  ranging  from  6  to  12  inches  there  is 
a  subsurface  layer  of  light-gray  or  pale  yel- 
lowish, loose  sand.  This  is  underlain  by  a 
darker  colored,  generally  bluish-gray,  more 
compact  sand,  which  shows  splotches  of 
brownish  iorn  oxide.  The  lower  subsoil  is 
in  places  slightly  calcerous.  It  becomes 
moderately  hard  when  dry,  although  it  con- 
tains evry  little  silt  or  clay.  Over  much  of 
the  type  as  mapped  the  soil  is  a  loamy  fine 
sand.  This  is  included  with  the  predominant 
loamy  sand  type  owing  to  the  fact  that  the 
finer  textural  distinctions  are  of  little  impor- 
tance in  mapping  of  soil  of  this  character, 

The  Gannett  loamy  sand  occurs  in  several 
small  irregular  areas  in  the  northern  part  of 
the  county,  in  Lake,  Prairie  Creek,  and  South 
Loup  townships.  It  has  a  total  extent  of  7.8 
square  miles.  The  type  has  been  formed  in 
cirrcular,  valleylike  depressions,  inclosed  by 
or  adjacent  to  hills  of  Valentine  sand.  The 
surface  is  nearly  flat  or  slightly  uneven.  The 
type  receives  the  seepage  from  the  sand  hills 
and  is  for  the  most  part  without  adequate 
natural  drainage. 

This  soil  supports  a  heavy  growth  of  coarse 
native  grasses  and  is  valued  cheifly  for  the 
production  of  wild  hay  and  pasturage.  A 
small  proportion  of  it  has  been  placed  under 
cultivation  to  the  staple  crops.  Yields  are 
comparatively  low  even  in  favorable  years. 
Alfalfa  is  not  successful  on  account  of  the 
poor  drainage  and  the  shallow  depth  to  ground 
water.  The  land  has  about  the  same  selling 
price  as  areas  of  the  associated  Valentine  sand. 

GANNETT  SANDV  I.OAM 
The  Gannett  sandy  loam  cansists  of  a  dark- 
grayish,  loamy  medium  sand,  6  to  10  inches 
deep,  underlain  by  a  pale  yellow,  less  coherent 


220 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


medium  sand  which  extends  to  a  depth  of 
15  to  20  inches  and  gives  way  to  a  lower 
subsoil  of  dark-drab,  stiff,  plastic,  rather  im- 
pervious clay.  This  in  several  places  was  ob- 
served to  be  calcareous.  There  is  a  rather 
abrupt  change  in  texture  from  the  sand  of  the 
surface  soil  to  the  clay  of  the  subsoil.  The 
substratum  at  depths  of  3  to  5  feet  is  a  friable 
yellow  silt.  In  the  wetter  situations  the  sur- 
face soil  contains  a  higher  percentage  of  or- 
ganic matter  and  is  black  in  color.  As  mapped, 
the  type  includes  developments  of  loamy 
sand  and  fine  sand  soils. 

The  Gannett  sandy  loam  occurs  in  nearly 
level,  poorly-drained  areas  and  small  depres- 
sions in  the  uplands  in  the  northern  uart  of 
the  county,  principally  in  Prairie  Creek  town- 
ship. Drainage  for  the  most  part  is  poor. 
In  topography  and  relation  to  the  hills  of 
Valentine  sand  the  type  is  similar  to  the 
Ganneett  loamy  sand.  It  differs  chiefly  in  hav- 
ing a  clay  subsoil  at  depths  of  3  feet  or  less. 

This  type  is  of  minor  agricultural  impor- 
tance Its  chief  disadvantage  is  poor  drainage. 
It  supports  a  heavy  growth  of  native  grasses, 
and  affords  good  pasturage  and  fair  yields  of 
hay.  Probably  a  little  more  than  one-half  of 
the  type  is  farmed,  corn,  oats,  and  wheat  be- 
ing the  principal  crops.  Occasionally  good 
yields  are  obtained,  but  the  average  produc- 
tiveness is  much  lower  than  that  of  terrace 
soils  to  the  south  and  east,  such  as  the  fine 
sandy  loam  and  very  fine  sandy  loam  of  the 
Hall  series. 

SUMMARY 

Hall  County  is  situated  in  the  south-central 
part  of  Nebraska.  It  lies  on  the  eastern  slope 
of  the  Great  Plains  region.  The  surface  is 
nearly  level  or  slightly  uneven  and  greatly  un- 
dulating, without  any  marked  relief.  The 
elevation  of  the  county  ranges  from  about 
1,820  feet  to  2,100  feet  above  sea  level.  The 
county  covers  an  area  of  528  square  miles, 
or  337,920  acres. 

The  mean  annual  rainfall  is  29.45  inches. 
The  precipitation  is  highest  from  May  to 
August.  Summer  droughts  are  frequent,  and 
crops  are  occasionally  injured.  There  is  a 
normal  growing  season  of  163  days. 


Agriculture  in  Hall  County  consists  mainly 
of  grain  growing  with  the  raising  and  feeding 
of  live  stock  as  an  important  coordinate  indus- 
try. Wheat  occupies  the  greatest  acreage  and 
is  the  principal  income  crop.  Corn  occupies  ao 
acreage  only  slightly  smaller  than  that  of 
wheat,  and  is  the  principal  subsistence  crop. 
Alfalfa  and  oats  rank  next  in  acreage.  Cattle, 
hogs,  and  sheep  are  fed  for  market. 

In  1910,  about  95  per  cent  of  the  area  of 
the  county  was  in  farms,  and  87.3  per  cera 
of  the  farm  land  was  improved.  There  were 
1,627  farms  in  the  county,  with  an  average 
size  of  196.5  acreas,  Over  56  per  cent  of  the 
farms  were  operated  by  owners.  The  average 
value  of  all  property  per  farm  in  that  year 
was  $17,682.  The  average  selling  value  oi 
farm  land  has  been  about  $100  an  acre  until 
recently. 

Uplands  comprise  31.6  per  cent  of  the  total 
area  of  Hall  County.  The  upland  soils  are 
derived  principally  from  a  Pleistocene  forma- 
tion consisting  of  yellow  silt,  known  as  Plains 
Loess.  First-bottom,  alluvial  soils  bordering 
the  Platte  River  cover  22.5  per  cent  of  the 
total  area  of  the  county,  and  terrace  or  second- 
bottom  soils  practically  all  the  remainder. 
There  is  a  small  aggregate  area  of  terrace  and 
first-bottom  land  along  the  South  Loup  River, 
in  the  extreme  northwestern  part  of  the  count*. 
Silt  loam  soils  predominate  throughout  the 
county. 

The  predominating  upland  soils,  derived 
from  the  yellow  silt  and  sand  of  the  "loess." 
are  classed  in  the  Grundy,  Marshall,  and 
Colby  series.  A  considerable  area  of  soil  is: 
derived  from  the  wind-blown  deposits,  and  is 
classed  in  the  Valentine  series.  The  Scott 
series  is  mapped  in  poorly  drained  depression! 
in  the  Grundy  and  Marshall  soils,  and  the 
Gannett  series  in  similar  situations  in  the 
Valentine  soils. 

The  Grundy,  Marshall,  and  Colby  soils  art 
highly  productive  and  well  adapted  to  general 
farming,  and  practically  their  entire  area  a 
under  cultivation  to  the  staple  crops.  The; 
Scott  soil  is  of  little  of  no  agricultural  impor-j 
tance.  The  Valentine  soil  supports  a  good; 
growth  of  native  grasses,  and  is  used  mairdyj 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


for  grazing.  The  Gannett  soils  are  naturally 
poorly  drained.  They  are  used  mainly  as 
pasture  land  and  for  wild-hay  production,  but 
part  of  the  area  is  cultivated. 

The  terrace  soils  are  classed  in  the  Judson, 
O'Neill,  and  Hall  series.  These  soils  on  the 
whole  are  very  desirable  general-farming 
types,  and  they  are  largely  under  cultivation. 
They  have  in  general  a  mellow,  loamy  struc- 
ture, are  well  drained  without  being  subject 
(o  erosion,  and  have  a  smooth  surface  well 
suited  to  the  use  of  labor-saving  machinery. 
Some  of  the  areas  of  looser  soil  are  subject 
lo  drifting  in  places,  and  in  some  of  the  lower 
lying  situations  the  drainage  at  times  is  defi- 
cient. 

The  first-bottom  soils  are  classed  in  the 
Cass  and  Lamoure  series.  The  Cass  fine 
sand  is  somewhat  droughty  and  is  not  an  im- 
portant agricultural  soil  but  the  Cass  sandy 
loam  is  largely  under  cultivation.  About  60 
per  cent  of  the  Cass  fine  sandy  loam  is  culti- 
vated, the  remainder  being  poorly  drained. 
The  Cass  clay  loam  is  in  general  poorly 
drained  and  it  is  used  mainly  for  pasture.  The 
Lamoure  soils  are  desirable  and  productive 
types,  largely  under  cultivation. 

RAPID   RISE  IN   VALUES  IN    1919 

It  will  be  noted  that  price  valuations 
throughout  the  present  chapter  have  been 
kept  in  the  past  tense.  This  is  due  to  the  rapid 
rise  in  land  values  which  occured  within  a 
few  months  in  1919.  Land  values  in  Iowa 
have  risen  until  farms  there  are  selling  in  the 
summer  of  1919  up  to  $500  an  acre ;  in  eastern 
Nebraska,  sales  from  $200  to  $400  are  becom- 
ing quite  frequent,  and  the  following  tabula- 
tion is  given  here  to  show  the  effect  this  rise 
has  had  in  Hall  County  land  values.  Land 
heretofore  valued  around  $100  an  acre  is  sell- 
ing in  August,  1919,  at  $175  to  $200  an  acre. 
Land  formerly  classed  from  $50  to  $65  an 
acre  is  selling  for  $100  an  acre,  and  so  the 
proportion  holds  all  the  way  along  the  line 
except  the  cheaper  lands  under  $50,  have  not 
sustained  a  proportionately  high  rise. 

A  number  of  farm  sales  in  which  well 
known  farmers  of  Hall  County  have  disposed 


of  their  holdings  have  takei 
The  prices  paid  for  the  farm 
than  $200,000. 

John  Rushen  has  sold  his 
after  living  there  more  than 
farm  has  an  acreage  of  12( 
at  $200  an  acre  or  a  total  of 
bought  by  Elmer  H.  Vanhc 
Nebraska,  who  will  get  poss 
1920.  He  will  make  his  hoi 
it  is  reported  from  Cairo. 

Mr  Rushen  has  moved  t< 
purchased  the  George  Brunc 
Grandma  Stoeger  property,  t! 
joining.  The  price  paid  for  tl 
$3,000  in  all. 

The  J.  E.  Cox  farm  near 
sold  to  W.  A.  Crabtree  wht 
March  1.  It  has  160  acres  a 
$175  an  acre  or  $28,000.  Thi 
now  by  Link  Omar.  Mr  C 
posed  of  his  holdings  at  Caii 
Lincoln.  It  is  understood 
farming  interests  in  the  wes 
state. 

Mr.  Crabtree  has  sold  his 
of  Grand  Island.  It  compris 
tion  which  is  known  as  a  "si 
contains  618  acres.  He  rece: 
for  it  or  $37,000.  It  was  t 
McMillan  who  has  been  eng; 
cantile  business  in  the  west 
state  but  who,  it  is  said,  has 
this  business  from  his  home 
Mr.  McMillan  is  to  get  this 
It  has  been  owned  by  Crabtr 

Dr.  E.  A.  Watson  of  Gram 
chased  two  farms.  One  is  the 
five  miles  from  Wood  River 
the  Westphal  place  ten  mile; 
Island.  He  is  to  get  possessii 
March  1.  Both  are  160  acr 
price  paid  by  the  doctor  is  un 
been  around  $160  an  acre, 
$51,000. 

Herman  Tagge  who  has  b( 
Abbott  for  28  years  has  sold 
C.  B.  Freeman,  real  estate 
Island. 


C 


:STORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

ere  and  Mr.  Freeman  one  mile  north  of  his  present  farm  from  Mrs. 

:h  1.    Mr.  Tagge  has  Lachenmaker  for  $140  an  arce  or  $11,200. 

ed  stock  of  high  rat-  He  is  to  get  possession  March  1    The  present 

lis  and  Jerseys,  and  owner  lives  on  the  place.    Mr.  Tagge  plans  to 

in  the  fall.    He  plans  leave   in   several   months   for  a  visit  to  the 

rseys.    The  total  sum  coast  where  he  will  spend  perhaps  five  months, 

is  $62,000.  He  will  be  accompanied  by  his  family  and  by 

plan   to   retire   from  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rudolph  Boldt.    On  his  return 

is  purchased  80  acres  he  will  settle  on  the  80. 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 

/ 


CHAPTER  XIII 

AGRICULTURAL  AND  LIVE  STO< 

When  the  County  was  Twenty-one  Years  Old  —  G 

Introduction  of  Alfalfa  into  Nebraska  —  Surplus  ( 

agricultural  organizations  —  the  grange  moveme 

Organization  —  Expedition  of  1876  —  Hall  County 

Fair  Proposition  —  Association  Reorganized — ' 

Hall  County  Farm  Bureau  —  Farm  ers'  Unioi 


The  early  fanning  in  Hall  County  con- 
sisted mainly  of  the  growing  of  com  and 
wheat.  Cattle  raising  was  carried  on,  but 
ranching  was  not  as  important  as  in  more 
western  areas  of  the  state.  The  reminiscences 
and  narratives  of  the  earliest  settlers  re- 
counted in  foregoing  chapters  offer  scattered 
but  unauthentic  details  of  the  earliest  farming 
enterprises  in  the  county.  From  the  first, 
com  has  always  been  a  more  staple  crop  than 
wheat  here,  but  wheat  has  been  grown  mainly 
as  a  cash  crop  and  has  fluctuated  widely  in 
acreage,  varying  with  market  conditions. 


Union  Pi 
acres  wet 
of  Union 
Howard  i 
acre,  and 
balance  a 
10%  disc( 

GBO' 

The  ce; 
in  wheat 
there  was 
3,988  acr 
85,354  aci 
20,346  ac 
1909   con 


WHEN    TWENTY-ONE    YEARS   OLD 
Dating  from  the  farming  operations  of  the 
first  colony  of  settlers  in  1857,  a  review  of     wheat  s,te 
conditions  as  reported  in  1877-78,  twenty  or     area  of  '. 
twenty-one   years  after  agriculture  began  in     grown  on 
Hall  County  on  a  systematic,  tangible  basis, 
will   show   what   has   been   accomplished   by 
the  poineers   of   the   county.     Reports   then 
showed  34,759  acres  in  cultivation  (of  a  total 
area  of  337,920  acres).    The  1877  production     lishment 
was  226,088  bushels  of  wheat ;  407,209  bushels     Island 
of  corn,  2,114  horses,  256  mules,  7,980  cattle, 
461  sheep,  5,460  swine.    Wild  land  was  priced 
at  $4  to  $10  an  acre  and  improved  from  $7 
to  $26  an  acre. 

The  federal  land  grants  to  railroads  in 
Nebraska  aggregated  over  4,000,000  acres,  of 
which  2,049,000  acres  were  contiguous  to  the 

223 


greatly  ir 
15  years, 
crops.     T 

an   impor 


will  be  tr 

The  pr 

grain  and 

oats,  and 
of  the  fa 
small  nur 

stock  on  a 


i  by  Google 


224 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Wheat  is  the  principal  income  crop.  Its 
total  area  in  1909  was  about  15,000  acres  less 
than  that  of  com,  but  there  has  been  such 
i  the  wheat  area  during  the  last 
i  account  of  the  prevailing  high 
)d  yields,  that  it  is  now  probably 
•xtensively  than  any  other  crop. 
wn  on  practically  all  the  differ- 
It  is  a  little  more  certain  in 
m,  since  it  matures  sufficiently 
d  the  severe  droughts  and  hot 
may  occur  later  in  the  summer, 
verage  productiveness  the  yield 
ibout  20  bushels  per  acre.  Hard 
is  grown  almost  exclusively, 
jeing  the  principal  variety, 
i  of  1910  reports  77,981  acres 
iproductionof  1,783,784  bushels, 
/ield  on  the  soils  best  adapted  to 
30  bushels  per  acre,  but  yields 
are  subject  to  wide  variations 
year,  largely  on  account  of  late 
ghts  and  hot  winds.  Strains  of 
'  Dent  and  Silver  Mine  are  the 
eties  grown.  Thorough  cultiva- 
ted, but  little  attention  is  given 
ion.  Most  of  the  corn  is  fed  to 
»s,  but  a  large  number  of  farm- 
tenants,  sell  the  greater  part  of 

i  oats  in  1910  was  24,162  acres, 
luction  537,452  bushels.  Oats, 
vn  on  practically  all  farms  and 
es,  are  not  generally  regarded  as 
e.  They  are  grown  principally 
fit  conveniently  in  rotations,  fol- 
vhen  it  is  desired  to  change  the 
.  The  crop  is  seldom  grown  for 
ie  year  on  the  same  field.  The 
jrincipally  to  work  stock,  but  is 

extent  in  feeding  sheep. 
ne  of  the  staple  crops,  occupying 
n  1909.    The  acreage  has  stead- 
since  that  year,  principally  at  the 
orn  and  oats.     It  is  grown  on 

the  soils  except  those  that  are 
wet  and  poorly  drained.  Yields 
!  to  4  tons  per  acre  per  season. 
■  a  year  are  ordinarily  obtained 


on  the  soils  best  adapted  to  the  crop.  Alfalfa 
is  grown  mainly  for  winter  feed  and  forage, 
but  it  is  used  extensively  as  a  soiling  crop 
and  for  hog  pasture.  On  soils  which  give 
the  heavier  yields  it  is  ordinarily  a  profitable 
income  crop. 

Chas.  Hofman  states  that  he  was  one  of 
the  first,  if  not  the  first,  man  in  Hall  county 
to  advocate  the  raising  and  use  of  alfalfa 
He  knew  something,  of  its  qualities  and  re- 
turns from  prior  experience  before  he  came  to 
this  country.  In  those  days  it  was  called, 
"lucerne"  or  "Swiss  Clover,"  but  is  the  same 
product.  At  Ernest  Blunk's  mill  in  1884  a 
warm  discussion  pro  and  con  was  held  as  to 
the  advisability  of  trying  such  a  crop ;  but  the  l 
first  crop  was  planted  in  1885,  in  the  Midway 
Grove,  as  it  is  known  now,  and  harvested  a 
short  time  later.  From  then  on  its  progress  ! 
has  been  steady,  until  now  the  farmer  here  no 
longer  puts  all  his  eggs  in  one  basket,  and 
does  not  rely  alone  on  either  com  or  wheat, 
but  distributes  his  chance  for  a  good  crop 
season  and  his  risk  from  lack  of  rain  or  hail 
or  hot  winds  between  wheat,  com,  and  small 
grain,  and  alfalfa. 

INTRODUCTION  Of  ALFALFA  INTO  NEBRASKA 
Dr.  C.  E.  Bessey,  in  writing  concerning  this 
plant,  in  1890,  remarked:  "It  is  said  the 
Greeks  and  Romans  grew  it,  and  that  to  these 
countries  it  was  brought  from  Persia,  and 
possibly  from  regions  still  farther  east.  Its 
cultivation  certainly  dates  back  two  thousand 
or  twenty- five  hundred  years." 

It  is  claimed  that  S.  P.  Parker,  of  Curtis, 
Frontier  County,  grew  alfalfa  in  1876;  in 
1878,  it  was  tried  in  Harlan  County  by  J.  C 
Mitchell,  J.  P.  Nead  of  Riverton  grew  it  in 
1882;  a  field  was  tried  at  Guide  Rock,  Ne- 
braska, in  1877.  Martin  Slattery  of  Shelton, 
Buffalo  County,  tried  it  in  1887,  and  H.  D. 
Watson  on  his  ranch  found  20  acres  growing 
there  when  he  took  charge  in  1889,  so  while 
not  the  first,  Hall  County  was  among  the 
pioneer  counties  in  introducing  alfalfa  into 
Nebraska. 

There  is  still  a  comparatively  large  acreage 
of  wild-hay  land,  mainly  on  the  bottom  land 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


but  also  in  the  more  poorly  drained  depres- 
sions in  the  uplands  and  terraces.  The  yield 
of  wild  hay  is  commonly  about  1^  tons  per 
acre.  The  census  of  1910  reports  wild  hay  cut 
from  25,374  acres. 

The  yield  of  wild  hay  keeps  a  lead  in  Hall 
County  over  alfalfa,  no  doubt  because  of  the 
large  acreage  adapted  to  it,  owing  to  the  man- 
ner in  which  the  Platte  river  with  its  various 
channels  cuts  through  this  county. 

Minor  crops  of  the  county  include  sorghum, 
kaffir,  millet,  barley,  sweet  clover,  and  Irish 
potatoes.  Most  farmers  grow  vegetables  in 
a  small  way,  mainly  for  home  use.  Water- 
melons, cantaloupes,  and  other  truck  crops  are 
grown  to  a  small  extent  near  Grand  Island  for 
a  local  canning  factory.  There  are  small  or- 
chards, principally  of  apples,  on  most  farms, 
but  tree  fruits  are  not  an  important  source 
of  income  and  the  trees  are  seldom  given 
much  care. 

As  a  more  recent  indication  of  the  relative 
proportion  of  the  various  products  of  Hall 
County,  mainly  agriculture  and  some  manu- 
factured and  industrial,  the  table  given  by 
the  Sixteenth  Annual  Report  of  the  Nebraska 
Department  of  Labor  for  1917-1918  showing 
surplus  products  shipped  out  of  Hall  County, 
is  hereto  appended.  The  fact  that  the  number 
of  agricultural  products  outnumbers  the  com- 
mercial and  industrial  products,  such  as  ce- 
ment blocks,  sand,  and  gravel,  brick,  and  stone 
illustrates  the  remarkable  proportion  of  the 
county's  resources,  the  agricultural  interests 
bear  a  responsibility  for  success  or  failure: 


Products 
Cattle     

Head 

Hogs     

37,372 

Products 

Bushels 

Oats 

133,681 

1765 

248,480 

62,500 

Products 
Alfalfa     

Tons 
650 

Cement  Blocks 

Hay     

Ice     

Sand  and  gravel      

Stone     

Straw 

Sugar  beets     

Products 
Brick     

Products 

Cream     

Milk      

Sorghum  and  syrup     

Vinegar      

Products 
Canned   goods     

Products 

Alfalfa  seed     

Butter     

Cane   Seed     

Clover  seed     

Dressed  meat    

Dressed  poultry     

Fertilizer      • .  — 

Flour      : 

Furs     

Garden  seeds     

Hides  and  pelts    

Live  poultry     

Mill  feed      

Sugar    

Tallow      

Vegetables     

Wool     

Products 
Peaches     

Products 
Eg&s      

EARLY  AGRICULTURAL  ORC* 
Prior  to  1870  there  was  pra< 
done  toward  organization  of  t 
interests  of  Hall  County,  for  e 
too  busy  providing  for  the  < 
his  family  to  let  his  thoughts 
from  home,  and  any  thoughts  c 
his  neighbors  in  any  society, 
mutual  attacks  of  Indians  up 
or  of  timber  scalpers  upon 
were  too  intangible  to  gather  f 
The  Hall  County  Immigrat 
formed  March  22,  1871,  with 
nig,  president ;  S.  P.  Mobley,  si 
Piatt,  H.  P.  Handy,  John  Wa 


Google 


226 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Weibe,  Peter  Peterson,  W.  M.  Spiker,  H. 
Wrage  and  E.  W.  Arnold  members. 

Later  during  the  month  N.  J.  Paul  stopped 
in  Hall  County  enroute  to  the  Middle  Loup 
Valley  with  thirty-one  colonists.  In  the  pro- 
ceeding December,  Nicholas  Paul,  one  of  the 
well  known  Paul  brothers  — the  surveyors  and 
colonists  — with  a  Mr.  Moeller,  vice  consul 
from  Denmark  to  Milwaukee,  had  camped 
around  the  South  Loup,  and  upon  their  re- 
port a  locating  committee,  N.  J.  Paul,  Major 
Frank  North,  A.  J.  Hoge,  Ira  Mullen,  Joseph 
Tiffany,  Luther  H.  North,  J.  E.  North,  Enos 
Johnson,  S.  W.  Smith,  Gus  Cox,  and  Charles 
Morse  ascended  the  Loup  from  the  Pawnee 
reservation  in  Nance  County  and  explored  the 
section  of  country  now  in  Howard  County. 
This  led  to  the  founding  of  the  settlement  of 
"Athens,"  later  changed  to  St.  Paul,  in  honor 
of  its  founders,  since  there  was  already  an- 
other "Athens"  in  the  state.  This  event,  while 
only  an  incident  in  Hall  County  history,  marks 
the  beginning  of  the  spread  of  Hall  County's 
trade  territory,  an  accomplishment  that  has 
been  a  determining  factor  in  giving  Hall 
County  the  third  city  in  the  state. 

This  immigration  board  backed  the  Orchard 
and  Vineyard  issued  at  the  county  seat  and 
used  the  Independent  as  an  advertising  me- 
dium for  the  county. 

THE  GRANGE  MOVEMENT 

Hall  County  was  well  represented  in  the 
growth  and  accomplishments  of  that  first  or- 
ganized achievement  of  Nebraska  agricultur- 
alists. The  Patrons  of  Husbandry,  commonly 
called  "The  Grange." 

Grand  Island  Grange  No.  6  was  organized 
in  April,  1872,  with  S.  P.  Mobley,  master, 
and  Robert  Mitchell,  secretary. 

The  State  Grange  was  organized  August  2, 
1872  with  W.  B.  Porter,  master,  and  Willim 
McCaig,  secretary. 

Central  Star  Grange  No.  518  was  estab- 
lished in  April,  1874,  with  S.  P.  Mobley, 
master,  and  N.  A.  Lord,  secretary.  In  1875 
it  was  in  fact  consolidated  with  Grange  No.  6. 

The  Co-Operative  Association  of  Patrons 
of  Husbandry  was  organized  in  April,  1874, 


with  D.  C.  Smith,  president,  S.  P.  Mobley, 
secretary  and  agent.  In  1876  there  were  nine 
granges  in  Hall  County,  comprising  500  mem- 
bers. Peter  Harrison  was  president  of  the 
association,  E.  S.  Searson,  secretary  and 
William  Stolley,  agent. 

OTHER  GRANGES  IN  THE  COUNTY 

Wood  River  Grange  was  organized  March 
31,  1873,  with  Rufus  Mitchell,  J.  F.  Walker. 
C.  E.  Towne,  James  White,  J.  Osbon,  Isaac 
King,  B.  F.  Odell,  F.  P.  Welch,  Mrs.  Ella 
Warner,  Miss  A.  Odell,  Mrs.  E.  Mitchell,  and 
Mrs.  L.  Osbon,  members. 

Alda  Grange  was  formed  July  18,  1873, 
with  F.  B.  Stoddard,  E.  W.  Brown,  John 
Leckenby,  William  Powell,  L.  Powell,  Mrs. 
Stoddard,  Mrs.  Sweet,  Mrs.  L.  Brown,  and 
Mrs.  L.  Powell,  officials. 

Platte  Valley  Grange  was  organized  in 
April,  1873,  at  the  house  of  Charles  Dufford, 
south  of  the  river,  with  M.  Stump,  Henry 
Denman,  W.  J.  Burger,  D.  O.  Grice,  A.  J. 
Price,  A.  R.  Thorn,  S.  S.  Shultz,  D.  Beidel- 
man,  Charles  Dufford,  Mrs.  Thorn,  Mrs,  Robb 
and  Miss  Creason,  officials. 

Advance  Grange  was  organized  in  school 
district  No.  23,  west  of  Alda,  February  7, 
1873,  with  the  following  members :  P.  Harri- 
son, D.  C.  Smith,  Sarah  Smith,  A.  V.  Smith, 
Mrs.  R,  E.  Smith,  W.  H.  Norton,  M.  E.  Nor- 
ton, C.  E.  Harrison,  "Kate  Harrison,  J.  S. 
Donaldson,  Delia  Donaldson,  H.  M.  Jones, 
Mrs.  B.  M.  Jones,  J.  H.  Andrews,  J.  L.  Gray, 
Stephen  Jones,  Maggie  Jones,  G.  F.  Dodge, 
Annie  Trout,  J.  M.  Cummings,  J.  A  Connor, 
J.  M.  Howe,  Clara  Trout,  Charles  Streeter, 
Alice  Streeter,  M.  B.  Heitman,  T.  E.  Harri- 
son, T.  H.  Trout,  Amelia  Trout  and  Mary 
Jones. 

Highland  Grange  was  organized  at  Union 
Chapel,  March  7,  1874,  with  the  following 
members :  Wesley,  Lucinda,  George,  and 
Phoebe  Dempster,  John  and  James  Creason, 
James  A.  and  Lizzie  Williams,  S.  Lineback, 
Miles  Martha  and  Laura  Humphrey,  Naomi 
French,  Mary  J.  Linsacum,  Mrs.  S.  B.  Poe, 
C.  J.  Rhodes  and  S.  Brooks. 

Elm  Island  Grange  was  organized  at  Union 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


School,  March  6,  1874,  with  the  following 
members:  W.  H.  Austin,  E.  J.  Morse,  S. 
Uhrig,  William  E.  Tyler,  R.  G.  Hackett,  G.  H. 
and  Orilla  E.  Wilcox,  O.  D.  and  Malinda 
Foote,  Ira  and  Mary  A.  Wilson,  S.  W.  and 
Hattie  Wilson,  George  H.  and  Mary  E.  Wil- 
cox, J.  A.  and  Mary  A.  Mattick,  William 
Lehrich,  E.  N.  and  Mary  A.  Adams,  Ira  Wil- 
son, Walter  and  Sarah  Miller,  James  H.  and 
H.  M.  Sweeting. 

Prairie  Creek  Grange  was  organized  about 
this  same  time. 

North  Loup  Grange  was  organized  March 
12, 1874.  Its  members  Were :  S.  A.,  G.  A.  and 
Ella  and  Mrs.  G.  A.  Pease,  S.  and  A.  H. 
Holman,  J.  P.  and  E.  A.  Gordon,  W.  W. 
George,  Mrs.  H.  and  Mrs.  G.  Kendall,  P. 
Hirst,  B.  F.  Manuel,  C.  M.  and  Elizabeth 
Robinson,  Walter  and  Mrs.  W.  A.  Hill,  J. 
Fleming,  John  and  Mrs.  K.  Marigold,  C.  O. 
and  Mrs.  .Woodruff  and  Lawrence  Mitchell. 

True  Blue  Grange  was  organized  at  Prairie 
Creek  school  house,  March  16,  1874,  with  the 
following  members :  Lester  and  A.  A.  Hough- 
ton, W.  W.  Dubbs,  S.  D.  and  A.  Deyoe,  A.  S. 
Donaldson,  O.  A.  Hoyt,  F.  M.  and  Sarah 
Adams,  N.  P.  and  Harriet  Dickenson,  George 
Smith,  James  E.  Peebles,  James  Ewing,  I.  W. 
White,  M.  Burkerd,  Ed.  S.  Towne,  J.  H. 
N'ewton,  J.  W.  Hanold,  Cyrus  Miner,  and  G. 
E.  Crawford. 

True  Blue  Grange  of  South  Loup  Precinct 
was  organized  a  year  or  so  later,  April  1875, 
with  J.  E.  Peebles,  master. 

Mount  Moriah  Grange  south  of  Platte,  was 
organized  in  July  1874,  with  Martin  Ennis, 
master  and  William  Whitecar,  secretary, 
There   were   twenty-two   members   enrolled.. 

The  County  Council,  P.  of  H.,  was  organ- 
ized in  April  1874,  with  A.  V.  Potter,  master, 
S.  P.  Mobley,  secretary ;  William  Stolley, 
treasurer;  Mrs.  Mobley,  lady  assistant  stew- 
ard, Mrs.  Leavitt,  Flora  and  Mrs.  Gilbert, 
pomona. 

The  State  Grange  met  here  in  convention 
in  December,  1887. 

LIVE  STOCK  AND  DAIRYING 
The  feeding  of  live  stock  is  an  important 


industry,  commonly  carried  on  in 
with  grain  farming.  Most  farr 
small  number  of  hogs  and  cattle  a 
a  few  fanners  in  each  neighborho 
stock  on  an  extensive  scale,  pu: 
surplus  grain  and  hay  of  other  fai 
ants  as  a  rule  keep  less  live  stoc 
owners.  Corn  and  alfalfa  are  1 
stock  feeds.  Most  of  the  beef  a 
raised  in  the  county,  but  the  mc 
feeders  generally  buy  a  consider 
all  of  their  stock.  Most  of  th 
shipped  into  the  county  from  wes' 
According  to  the  census,  the  tota 
cattle  in  the  county  in  1910  wa 
hogs  35,091,  of  sheep  14,133,  ai 
11,085. 

The  raising  of  horses,  princi] 
draft  type,  is  an  industry  of  some 
Most  of  the  farm  owners  raise  tht 
stock  and  generally  have  a  few 
sale. 

Dairying  is  carried  on  to  some 
most  farms  it  is  incidental  to  gr 
Most  farmers  keep  a  few  cows  to 
and  butter  for  home  use,  and  a  I 
sell  small  quantities  of  milk  or  ci 
dairies  and  creameries.  There  a 
only  a  few  large  dairy  herds  in 

The  staple  farm  crops  are  gro\ 
different  soil  types,  and  on  abc 
proportional  acreage.  Most  of 
however,  recognized  that  the  silt 
Grand  Island  terrace  and  the  • 
campact  and  calcareous  subsoi 
adapted  to  alfalfa.  The  bottom-! 
preferred  for  corn,  although  the  a 
are  but  slightly  above  those  obt 
more  productive  upland  soils.  T 
of  the  terraces  and  upland  are  , 
lieved  to  give  best  results  with  wh 

Farm  methods  are  nearly  unif< 
out  the  county,  as  there  is  little 
climatic  conditions,  topography, 
ing  facilities.  Plowing  for  wht 
soon  as  possible  after  the  remov 
crop,  generally  about  the  middl 
early  in  August.     Most  of  the 


ooglc 


228 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


only  harrowing,  and  the  wheat  is  drilled  in  in 
September  or  October.  Many  farmers  seed 
wheat  between  the  cornrows  before  the  corn 
is  harvested,  using  a  one-horse  drill.  Both 
binders  and  headers  are  used  in  cutting  the 
grain.  The  greater  part  of  the  crop  is  thrashed 
from  the  shock,  and  most  of  the  grain  is  sold 
directly  from  the  thrashing  machine.  The 
straw  is  not  valued  highly,  and  many  farmers 
burn  it. 

Corn  is  generally  given  level  cultivation,  but 
on  some  of  the  more  poorly  drained  land  the 
ridge  method  is  preferred.  Listing  is  common 
on  the  sandy  soils.  On  the  heavier  soils  the 
plowing  is  usually  done  in  the  fall.  Most 
farmers  snap  the  corn  and  later  pasture  the 
stalk  land.  Only  a  very  small  percentage  of 
the  corn  crop  is  used  for  silage.  Oats  are  com- 
monly sown  broadcast  in  April  or  early  May, 
on  disked  land  previously  occupied  by  corn. 
Less  frequently  the  grain  is  drilled  in.  Alfal- 
fa hay  is  generally  stacked  in  the  field.  The 
hay  sold  is  generally  disposed  of  locally  with- 
out baling. 

Commercial  fertilizers  have  never  been  used 
in  growing  the  staple  crops.  Most  farmers 
use  the  manure  produced  on  the  farm,  and 
rotted  wheat  and  oat  straw  is  often  applied 
to  the  fields. 

Practically  all  the  farms  are  equipped  with 
modem,  labor-saving  machinery.  Tractors  are 
beginning  to  be  used  extensively  in  fall  plow- 
ing for  wheat.  The  work  stock  consists 
mainly  of  horses,  6  to  8  head  being  kept  on 
the  average  farm.  The  farmhouses  are  for 
the  most  part  well  built,  and  the  barns  are 
large  and  substantial.  The  value  of  all  farm 
property  in  the  county  in  1910  is  reported  as 
$28,768,614,  averaging  $17,682  per  farm. 

Wheat,  com,  and  oats  are  commonly  grown 
in  succssion,  but  no  definite  or  uniform  system 
of  rotation  is  adhered  to.  Land  is  usually 
kept  in  wheat  for  2  to  5  years.  In  some  cases 
this  crop  is  grown  for  8  or  9  years  in  succes- 
sion by  both  the  renters  and  owners.  Wheat 
land  is  generally  changed  to  corn,  and  this 
crop  may  also  be  grown  several  years  on  the 
same  field.    Oats,  which  follow  corn,  are  not 


often  grown  for  more  than  one  year.  Alfalfa 
may  be  seeded  after  wheat  or  oats.  The 
land  is  left  to  this  crop  as  long  as  the  yields 
are  profitable,  generally  5  to  7  years,  and  then 
put  in  wheat  and  com. 

Most  of  the  farm  labor  is  performed  by  the 
operator  and  his  family,  except  during  har- 
vest. Laborers  hired  by  the  year  receive  $25 
to  $30  a  month,  with  board.  During  wheat 
harvest  $3  to  $3.50  a  day  is  paid  for  temporary 
help.  In  1919  wages  have  gone  beyond  $40 
and  $50  per  month  and  in  harvest  to  $5  and 
$6  per  day. 

The  average  size  of  farms,  according  to  the 
census  of  1910,  is  196.5  acres.  There  are  very 
few  farms  as  small  as  40  acres  and  only  a 
comparatively  small  number  larger  than  320 
acres.  The  prevailing  size  of  the  grain  farms 
is  160  acres.  There  are  several  individual 
holdings  of  more  than  1,000  acres,  but  usually 
in  these  cases  much  of  the  land  is  valuable 
only  for  pasture  or  for  wild-hay  production. 

The  census  of  1910  reports  94.6  per  cent  of 
the  area  of  the  county  in  farms,  and  87.3 
per  cent  of  the  farm  land  as  improved.  The 
total  number  of  farms  is  reported  as  1,627. 
About  42  per  cent  of  the  farms  are  operated 
by  tenants.  Under  the  most  common  system 
of  share  rental  the  landowner  receives  two- 
fifths  of  the  crops,  the  tenant  furnishing  the 
stock,  labor,  and  implements.  Very  few  farms 
are  rented  for  cash. 

The  selling  price  of  land  has  varied  hereto- 
fore from  $20  or  $40  an  acre  for  land  suitable 
only  for  pasture  or  for  wild-hay  production  to 
$150  an  acre  of  the  most  productive  land.  The 
average  price  of  farm  land  has  until  recently 
been  about  $100  an  acre. 

COLONIZATION 

The  settlement  of  the  county  and  the  com- 
munity of  Grand  Island  began  with  the  colony 
of  1857,  which  has  been  described  in  minute 
detail  in  the  narratives  of  Frederick  Heddc. 
Christian  Menck,  and  William  Stolley. 

But  within  fifteen  years  after  this  small 
colony  had  laid  the  foundations  of  the  county, 
and  braved  the  perils  and  hardships  until  Hall 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


27.9 


County  became  an  established  fact,  Grand 
Island  became  such  a  colonizer  as  to  reach  out 
to  further  realms. 

So  early  as  1872-73  citizens  of  the  village 
conceived  the  idea  of  settling  in  the  Middle 
Loup  Valley  and  acted  at  once  on  this  con- 
ception. The  great  storm  of  April,  1873, 
caused  some  suffering  and  much  inconveni- 
ence, and  it  is  related  that  sixty  men  were 
crowded  into  a  little  store  building  of  Frank 
Ingram  for  three  days.  At  that  time  there 
were  only  four  women  in  the  Loup  Valley  — 
Mrs.  Al.  Brown,  Misses  Clara  and  Alice  Ben- 
schoter  and  Lizzie  Hayes,  all  of  Grand  Island. 

EXPEDITION  OF  1876 
In  February,  1876,  expedition  parties  for 
the  Black  Hills  were  organized  at  Grand  Is- 
land, Wood  River,  and  other  places.  The 
Wood  River  party  comprised  Patrick  Nevills, 
J.  Nolan,  C.  J.  S.  Trout,  P.  Dugan,  J.  Dunn, 
A.  A.  Baker,  J.  O'Connor,  George  Williamson, 
John  Lyons,  Miles  Lyons,  Mark  Lyons,  J, 
Haverly  and  P.  Brady.  Major  Foote,  of  the 
Grand  Island  party,  returned  in  March  and 
reported  a  route  between  Grand  Island  and 
the  hills  open  and  guideboards  erected.  His 
report  published  in  the  Grand  Island  papers 
on  March  10,  1876,  indicated  that  his  expedi- 
tion had  been  successful  in  laying  out  and 
establishing  an  excellent  route  to  Custer  City 
which  it  would  be  possible  to  traverse  in 
twelve  to  fifteen  days  from  Grand  Island, 
with  light  toads,  and  the  trip  could  be  made 
without  much  difficulty  under  some  circum- 
stances in  eight  to  ten  days.  He  indicated  the 
presence  of  plenty  of  good  water,  and  suffi- 
cient wood  along  the  route. 

He  reported  that  no  Indians  were  seen  along 
the  route  on  the  entire  trip,  but  that  the  route 
was  well  guarded  with  military  posts.  There 
were  then  in  Custer  City  468  houses  complete 
or  in  process  of  erection.  Corn  was  selling 
then  for  9c  a  pound,  flour  at  $10  to  $12  a  sack, 
bacon  at  30c  a  pound. 

THE  HALL  COUNTY  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETY 
This  organization  was  formed  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1874  at  a  call  of  Peter  Harrison,  and 


with  Mr.  Harrison  as  president  when  the 
organization  was  completed.  Hon.  William 
Piatt  was  the  author  of  the  constitution  and 
by-laws.  The  first  two  fairs  were  held  in 
the  court-room.  The  proposition  to  hold  a 
fair  in  1875  was  scarcely  noticed,  as  the 
grasshoppers  destroyed  the  crops,  and  thus  left 
nothing  to  exhibit  in  the  agricultural  depart- 
ment. 

In  1876  a  committee  of  three  was  appointed, 
Seth  P.  Mobley,  W.  B.  Larrabee  and  Eli  A. 
Barnes,  to  locate  fair  grounds.  The  north- 
west quarter  of  Section  16  at  $16  per  acre 
was  purchased  from  Daniel  Morgan,  admin- 
istrator of  the  Chapman  estate.  Ten  acres  of 
this  tract  were  fenced  in  and  otherwise  im- 
proved, and  in  the  fall  a  successful  fair  re- 
warded the  energy  of  the  officers  of  the  society. 

Prior  to  the  fall  of  1889  Hall  County  sent 
seven  exhibits  to  the  State  Fair,  the  first  two 
exhibits  being  taken  from  the  county  fair 
by  Peter  Harrison  and  Seth  P.  Mobley.  For 
the  three  succeeding  years  the  county  took 
first  prize  at  Omaha,  and  won  the  champion 
medal,  thereafter  held  by  the  Hall  County 
society. 

The  only  exhibit  made  at  the  State  Fair 
in  the  five  years  ending  September,  1889,  was 
that  at  Lincoln  in  1887,  when  the  first  prem- 
ium fell  once  more  to  Hall  County.  In  1884 
Hall  County  had  a  leading  exhibit  at  the 
State  Fair.  Then  John  S.  Donaldson  took 
a  first  prize  for  corn  on  the  stalk ;  E.  A. 
Park,  for  wheat  in  the  straw;  Jacob  Shoe- 
maker, for  rye ;  Z.  H.  Denman,  for  an  eight- 
year  honey  locust,  seven  inches  through,  nine 
feet  from  base ;  William  Powell,  of  Alda,  for 
a  cottonwood,  planted  twenty-one  years  be- 
fore, measuring  twenty-one  inches  nine  feet 
from  base,  and  William  Stolley  presented 
fruit  trees  and  the  latter  thirty-one  varieties 
of  grapes. 

In  1889  the  society  sold  forty  acres  of 
their  purchase  of  1887  to  Marsh  &  Lannigan, 
for  $22,750.34,  and  then  purchased  160  acres 
adjoining  the  city,  on  the  west,  from  Patrick 
Touhy,  paying  him  $16,000  therefor. 

The  office  of  president  was  held  by  Peter 
Harrison,  1874-78;  Fred  Roby,  1879-80;  Eli 


C 


230 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


A.  Barnes,  1881-85;  Martin  Ennis,  1886; 
H.  J.  Palmer,  1887,  and  G.  H.  Denman, 
1888-9;  at  the  latter's  death,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  D.  F.  Jamieson. 

The  secretaries  of  the  society  were  Seth 
P.  Mobley,  EH  A.  Barnes,  Frank  Sears,  D.  H. 
Vantine,  H.  A.   Edwards,  and  Ed   Searson. 

The  treasurers  were  William  Stolley,  James 
Baldwin,  George  Cornelius,  Ed  Searson,  Ed. 
Hooper,  Z.  H.  Denman,  and  S.  J.  Bateman. 

THE  STATE  FAIR  PROPOSITION 
Early  in  September,  1889,  the  fact  that  the 
State  Board  of  Agriculture  had  advertised,  at 
large,  for  the  selection  of  a  location  for  the 
State  Fair  during  the  ensuing  five  years 
brought  forth  the  appointment  by  Mayor 
Piatt,  of  Grand  Island,  of  a  committee  of 
fifty-four  to  take  measures  to  secure  to  Grand 
Island  such  fair.  A  deputation  from  the  com- 
mittee attended  the  meeting  of  the  state  board 
at  Lincoln,  January  21,  1890.  At  that  time, 
Omaha,  Lincoln,  Grand  Island,  Kearney, 
Columbus,  Long  Pine,  and  Hastings  bid  for 
the  fair  for  the  ensuing  five  years.  Grand 
Island  offered  to  construct  the  art  and  me- 
morial halls  of  stone  and  brick,  while  Co- 
lumbus offered  to  provide  buildings  which 
would  accommodate  50,000  persons.  On  the 
first  ballot  Lincoln  lead,  and  on  the  second 
received  a  majority  of  the  votes.  Both  Hast- 
ings and  Grand  Island  made  a  strong  and 
nervy  fight,  but  the  prestige  and  diplomacy 
of  the  capital  won  the  prize. 

William  H.  Harrison  continued  as  president 
of  the  Agricultural  Association  during  the 
early  'nineties,  and  Eli  A.  Barnes  was  sec- 
retary for  several  years. 

ASSOCIATION    REORGANIZED 

After  a  lapse  of  a  number  of  years,  the 
Association  was  rejunevated  in  1914,  with 
L.  G.  Lawson  as  president,  and  A.  M.  Con- 
ners,  secretary.  A  very  successful  fair  was 
held  in  1914  and  again  in  1915  and  each  suc- 
ceeding year.  In  1918  an  effort  was  made  to 
have  the  county  purchase  the  grounds  at  a 
reasonable  price  named  by  the  Association. 
It  carried  by  such  a  close  margin  at  the  No- 


vember election,  that  a  compromise  was 
reached  with  the  county  board  by  the  ad- 
herents of  the  proposition,  and  at  a  special 
election  in  March,  1919,  the  proposition  was 
emphatically  voted  down.  Thereupon  the 
association  decided  to  hold  a  fair  in  1919, 
along  the  usual  procedure. 

THE  BEET  SUGAR  INDUSTRY 
With  Grand  Inland  possessing  the  first  beet- 
sugar  factory  constructed  and  operated  in  the 
United  States,  the  origin  and  development 
of  the  sugar  beet  industry  has  become  of  un- 
usual local  interest  in  Hall  County's  history. 
This  story  is  set  out  in  an  interesting  way  in 
a  volume  of  biographical  and  historical  me- 
moirs of  Nebraska,  published  in  1890,1  in 
which  Hall  County  early  history  is  treated, 
and  wherein  Prof.  Lassen  treated  the  sugar 
beet  industry  as  follows: 

Margraff  demonstrated  140  years  ago  that 
there  was  sugar  in  the  beets ;  and  the  total 
product  of  France  and  Germany  in  the  last 
helf  century  alone  demonstrated  its  value.  The 
reflecting  reader  who  sees  nothing  in  Napol- 
eon save  that  of  the  great  military  leader, 
has  failed  to  note  the  early,  substantial  en- 
couragement that  he  gave  the  beet  sugar  in- 
dustry in  France,  which  in  turn  gave  it  greater 
impetus  and  success  in  Germany,  albeit  there 
were  three  factories  in  Germany  as  early  as 
1805,  but  the  warlike  situation  was  not  favora- 
ble for  such  an  enterprise.  Very  soon,  how- 
ever. Napoleon  issued  bis  famous  decrees 
shutting  out  all  English  goods  and  material, 
which,  if  the  effect  was  to  raise  the  price  of 
sugar,  ruined  the  French  wine  trade  and  com- 
pelled the  French  to  look  for  ways  and  means 
to  dispose  profitably  of  their  .grape  crops  and 
obtain  a  supply  of  sugar.  In  1810  he  gave 
two  experimenters  $28,000  for  discovering 
grape  sugar;  the  amount  to  be  expended  in 
the  erection  of  factories.  Soon  after  this 
Napoleon  gave  $40,000  to  twelve  grape  sugar 
factories  by  way  of  bounty  or  special  en- 
couragement. In  1811  he  decreed  that  79,000 
acres  should  be  planted  to  beets,  and  he  es- 
tablished six  experimental  stations  to  give  in- 
struction in  the  beet  sugar  industry,  ordering 
that  all  farmers  who  desired  attend  lectures 
given  there  might  do  so  free  of  charge,  and 
the  sum  of  $200,000  was  set  apart  to  pay 
the  expense.     In    1812  he  established    four 

1    .GooUspeed's  History  (Hall  County). 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


231 


special  beet-root  sugar  schools,  directing  that 
100  students  be  attached  thereto.  In  addition 
and  by  way  of  special  enrouragement,  he 
ordered  to  be  granted  500  licenses  for  beet 
sugar  production,  to  run  to  proprietors  of 
factories  and  to  manufacturers  of  sugar  from 
beets;  and  those  who  made  a  ton  of  raw 
sugar  were  to  be  exempt  from  tax  on  their 
product  for  four  years.  In  1812  he  directed 
the  erection  of  four  imperial  beet  sugar  fac- 
tories to  produce  2,100  tons.  During  this 
time  Germany  was  not  idle.  The  king  of 
Prussia  gave  Archard,  a  pupil  of  Margraff, 
a  good  sum  of  money  to  establish  a  school 
or  factory  for  instruction  in  beet  sugar  pro- 
duction, and  from  this  school  Russia  drew 
her  practical  knowledge  of  the  work,  and  the 
Czar  gave  $39,000  and  exempted  all  land  of 
those  who  built  beet  sugar  factories  from 
tax.  At  least  one  great  discoverer  and  ex- 
perimenter in  this  field,  in  Germany  and 
France,  was  offered  $100,000  if  he  would  de- 
clare that  his  supposed  discovery  was  a  fail- 
ure, but  it  did  not  attract  him.  The  Napol- 
eonic wars  destroyed  this  great  industry  in 
Russia,  Germany,  and  finally  in  France  — 
after  Napoleon  had  appropriated  millions  of 
dollars  to  give  it  a  substantial  footing.  It 
did  not  rise  again  in  France  until  1825-26, 
nor  in  Germany  until  1835.  From  that  time 
forward  both  France  and  Germany,  as  well 
as  Russia,  Austria  and  Belgium,  have  put 
forth  great  efforts  to  extend  the  production 
of  beet  sugar,  both  by  bounties  and  by  draw- 
backs on  exported  sugar  from  beets,  as  well 
as  a  tariff  on  imported  sugar.  The  stimulants 
offered  resulted  in  such  a  measure  of  suc- 
cess in  France,  that  in  1839,  a  special  tax  of 
15  francs  on  every  220  pounds  of  raw  sugar 
was  imposed.  This  operated  harshly,  and  the 
product  fell  off  over  one-half.  New  laws 
more  liberal  were  passed  from  time  to  time, 
a  tax  going  hand  in  hand  generally  with 
bounties  and  drawbacks,  until,  in  1878,  France 
collected  as  tax,  on  sugar  made  in  that  coun- 
try, upward  of  $22,000,000.  This,  in  brief, 
is  only  a  part  of  the  early  history  of  beet 
sugar  production  in  France;  and  Germany 
as  a  matter  of  economic  policy,  followed  in 
swift  pursuit.  Such  was  the  d&velopment  of 
the  industry  that  in  1883-84  there  were 
2.000,000  acres  devoted  to  the  production  of 
the  sugar  beet  in  France,  Germany,  Austria- 
Hungary,  Russia,  Poland,  Belgium,  and  Hol- 
land ;  and  the  aggregate  beet  sugar  product, 
leaving  out  Russia  and  Holland,  was  1,485.000 
tons  with  1,242  factories.  At  that  time  Ger- 
many had  outstripped  her  great  rival,  France, 
bee  use  of  her  liberality  and  superior  knowl- 


edge of  the  subject.  So  great  was  the  quan- 
tity of  beet  sugar  produced  in  1883,  that 
there  was  a  temporary  glut  of  it  in  the  Eng- 
lish market,  inducing  some  farmers  to  ask 
a  change  in  the  laws,  while  others  resorted 
to  less  acreage  to  reduce  the  surplus ;  mean- 
time our  people  are  paying  from  6  to  9  cents 
for  their  sugar,  entailing  an  expense  to  our 
population  annually  of  over  $75,000,000,  the 
great  part  of  the  raw  material  of  which  goes 
abroad  for  refineries  from  Cuba ;  240,000,000 
of  pounds  imported  by  us  in  1887  coming 
from  England,  Germany,  France,  Austria, 
Belgium  and  the  Netherlands.  Consul-Gen- 
eral  Walker  says  on  the  point,  "It  is  to  be 
noted  tliat  the  sugar  production  of  Germany 
has  been  stimulated  by  heavy  protective  duties 
and  by  bounties  on  export  sugar,  and  the 
French  tariff  act  of  1884  was  a  step  toward 
adopting  the  policy  of  which  her  great  rival, 
France,  had  found  so  effective. 

To  show  the  effect  of  these  laws,  it  seems 
only  necessary  to  say  that  while  the  acreage 
in  beets  in  Germany,  in  1870,  was  282,500, 
in  1883  it  was  352,100,  and  tons  of  sugar  pro- 
duced in  1879  were  2,850,000,  while  in  1883 
it  was  4,205,000  tons. 

Even  in  the  'seventies  numerous  citizens 
of  Hall  County  who  knew  first  hand  of  the 
development  and  growth  of  the  beet  sugar 
industry  as  outlined  in  the  foregoing  historical 
review  of  that  industry,  agitated  the  establish- 
ment of  such  a  factory  in  this  country.  In 
February,  1873,  there  was  published  in  the 
Independent  a  description  of  the  beet  sugar 
industry  in  Europe,  and  some  reference  to 
the  growth  of  beets  in  Nebraska  was  made, 
but  not  until  1887  was  there  any  practical  ac- 
tion taken  in  the  matter. 

In  1887  the  citizens  of  Hall  County  who 
were  contending  the  practicability  and  feasi- 
bility of  instituting  the  beet  sugar  industry  in 
Nebraska,  then  went  about  it  in  a  thorough 
and  satisfactory  manner  to  test  out  their 
theory.  They  had  the  soil  of  various  sections 
of  this  and  adjoining  counties  analyzed,  and 
the  analysis  demonstrated  its  adaptability  to 
the  culture  of  sugar  beets ;  but  they  did  not 
stop  there,  but  imported  seed  from  France  and 
Germany,  and  many  planted  beets  in  various 
sections  of  the  county  in  the  season  of  1888, 
and  had  these  beets  carefully  analyzed  at 
Lincoln,  at  Washington,  and  at  other  points. 


C 


232 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


which  tests  were  very  satisfactory.  Think- 
ing that  the  season  of  1888  might  have  been 
an  exceptionally  favorable  season,  seed  was 
again  imported  and  planted  upon  a  still  more 
extensive  scale  in  1889,  and  an  expert  chemist, 
familiar  with  the  culture  and  manufacture 
as  well  as  with  analysis  of  the  sugar  beet, 
was  brought  here  from  Germany,  to  oversee 
the  planting,  culture,  and  growth  of  the  beet, 
as  well  as  to  examine  the  character  of  the 
soil  and  attend  to  the  analysis  of  the  beets, 
etc.  These  tests  showed  still  more  satis- 
factory results,  the  percentage  of  saccharine 
matter  reaching  eighteen  per  cent. 

LOCATING  THE   FACTORY 

The  subject  of  location  of  a  beet-sugar 
factory  at  Grand  Island  was  considered  prac- 
tically in  November,  1889,  when  the  leading 
citizens  decided  to  raise  $100,000,  and  did 
raise  about  $60,000  before  the  question  was 
formally  submitted  to  the  people.  The  sub- 
scriptions were  voluntary,  and  ranged  from 
$100  to  $1,000  each,  and  in  the  aggregate 
amounted  to  $100,000,  while  the  capital  stock 
of  the  beet  sugar  company  was  fixed  at 
$1,000,000. 

Difficult  as  was  the  task  of  enlisting  gentle- 
men with  the  necessary  capital  to  take  hold 
of  the  enterprise  and  build  the  factory  and 
promote  the  raising  of  enough  beets  to  main- 
tain the  factory's  operations,  the  energy  and 
stick-to-itiveness  of  the  Grand  Island  boosters 
won  out.  On  Friday,  December  6,  1889,  the 
contracts  were  signed,  sealed,  and  delivered 
which  located  in  this  city  the  mammoth  sugar- 
beet  factory,  starting  out  with  a  capital  of 
$1,000,000,  and  5,000  acres  of  land  to  be 
devoted  exclusively  to  the  culture  of  sugar 
beets.  On  Saturday,  December  7,  1889,  the 
site  for  the  buildings  was  selected,  and  on 
Monday,  December  9,  ground  was  broken  and 
work  commenced.  The  dimensions  of  the 
principal  factory  building  are ;  length  292  feet, 
width  eighty-five  feet;  height,  four  stories, 
fifty  feet.  The  structure  is  built  of  stone, 
iron,  and  brick,  in  such  a  substantial  manner 
that  it  can  stand  indefinitely.  Apart  from  that 
building  are  the  boiler  house,  engine  house. 


and  a  lime  house,  beet  sheds,  and  an  entire 
system  of  smaller  buildings. 

The. site  selected  for  these  buildings  com- 
prised fifty  acres,  and  was  taken  off  the  east, 
ends  of  two  tracts  of  land,  one  belonging 
then  to  the  United  States  Investment  Com- 
pany, and  one  to  Messrs.  Thummel  &  Piatt, 
situated  along  the  west  side  of  the  St.  Joseph 
&  Grand  Island  railroad,  and  extending  north 
to  the  old  Union  Pacific  stock  yards,  thus 
touching  both  the  Union  Pacific  and  St. 
Joseph  and  Grand  Island  tracks.  Various  res- 
idence additions  have  built  out  to  the  line  of 
the  factory  premises  and  thus  the  factory, 
while  almost  two  miles  from  the  post-office, 
is  right  at  the  edge  of  the  city. 

During  the  week  of  January  20,  1890,  the 
street  car  line  was  extended  to  the '  factory 
grounds,  but  that  has  long  since  been  aband- 
oned. But  now  paving  and  good  roads  reach 
out  to  the  factory  and  it  is  an  accessible  part 
of  the  city. 


HALL  COUNTY  FARM  BUREAU 

In  1918  there  was  a  great  revival  of  interest  '. 
in  organized  farm  work.  One  of  the  first 
manifestations  of  the  spirit  of  organized  co- 
operative effort  on  the  part  of  the  farmers  , 
was  the  formation  of  the  Hall  County  Farm  1 
Bureau  on  May  3,  1918.  This  organization 
was  composed  of  several  hundred  farmers 
who  signed  a  call  and  a  pledge  to  work  to- 
gether in  an  organized  manner.  The  officers 
chosen  were :  Leo.  B.  Stuhr,  president ;  Henry 
Rouse,  secretary;  W.  L.  Yates,  of  Martin 
township,  treasurer ;  other  members  of  the  ex- 
ecutive committee,  Miles  Rainforth,  South 
Platte;  D.  O.  Dodge,  Harrison;  Clarence  H. 
Wiese,  Alda,  and  J.  J.  Lorentzen,  Lake.  These 
with  the  following  named  constituted  the  gen- 
eral board  of  directors:  Wm.  Foster,  Doni- 
phan township ;  Clarence  Cox,  Martin ;  A.  E. 
Hauke,  Jackson ;  Everett  Meith,  Cameron ; 
Verne  Rouse,  Wood  River;  Earl  Mechan, 
Center;  Hans  H.  Gulzow,  Washington;  Ivan 
K.  Veeder,  South  Loup ;  E.  M.  Alford,  May- 
field  ;  Wm.  Fagan,  Prairie  Creek. 

After  this  organization  was   perfected    a 
county  agent  was  selected.    The  first  county 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


agent  for  Hail  County  was  James  R.  White. 
Mr.  White  was  reared  in  Michigan  and  grad- 
uated from  the  agricultural  college  in  that 
state,  and  after  experience  in  Arizona  and 
Iowa  came  to  Hall  County.  The  county 
agent's  office  has  proved  to  be  a  clearing  house 
for  a  great  many  miscellaneous  matters,  a 
great  deal  on  the  same  plan  as  the  office  of 
a  live  secretary  of  the  Commercial  Club  does 
for  the  commercial  and  industrial  interests  of 
the  town.  Employment  of  transient  and 
floating  labor  during  the  harvest  season  has 
been  handled  through  this  bureau,  and  if  fees 
at  the  regular  rates  of  employment  bureaus 
had  been  paid  by  either  the  laborers  or  em- 
ployers that  sum  alone  would  almost  have 
equalled  the  expense  of  the  office.  The  matter 
of  securing  serum  for  hog  cholera  prevention 
purposes  at  a  margin  above  its  actual  cost 
price  simply  wide  enough  to  pay  for  handling 
it  has  been  an  item  of  saving  a  great  deal  of 
money  to  farms;  farm  crop  surveys;  reciept 
and  dissemination  from  the  State  Extension 
department  and  federal  Department  of  Agri- 
culture and  passing  it  to  the  farmers  upon 
special  and  definite  inquiries,  in  other  words 
acting  as  a  clearing  house  between  the  in- 
dividual farmers  and  those  agencies  of  the 
state  and  federal  government  has  been  a  big 
factor  in  the  work  of  this  office. 

This  office  has  secured  the  services  of  dem- 
onstrators from  the  state  department  along 
agricultural,  horticultural,  and  poultry  lines 
at  a  consistent  frequency.  These  are  only  a 
few  of  the  many  lines  of  work  handled  in 
this  office. 

At  the  1919  session  of  the  legislature  a 
new  law  relating  to  maintenance  of  county 
farm  bureaus  and  appropriations  to  that  end 
by  county  boards  was  passed,  and  for  purpose 
of  complying  with  all  conditions  of  that  law, 
a  second  Hall  County  Farm  Bureau  was 
organized  and  succeeded  the  first.  The  news- 
paper account  of  the  organization  of  the  sec- 
ond bureau  in  August,  1919,  reads : 

Men  interested  in  retaining  County  Agent 
J.  R.  White  in  Hall  County  and  maintaining 
>*  farm  bureau  organization  to  carry  on  county 
Jgent  work,  met  in  the  office  of  Mr.  White 


f. 


in  the  court  house  Saturday  afternoon. 
Charles  Taylor  presided  as  temporary  chair- 
man and  E.  E.  Hauke  as  temporary  secretary. 
All  were  men  who  had  petitioned  the  county 
supervisors  to  make  an  appropriation  to  earn- 
on!  county  agent  activities. 

The  Hall  County  Farm  Bureau  was  organ- 
ized, succeeding  the  old  bureau  which  went 
by  the  same  name.  The  membership  was 
listed  as  501,  the  total  number  of  petitioners. 
Officers  elected  were  Hans  Gulzow,  president ; 
D.  O.  Dodge,  vice-president;  William  Yates, 
treasurer;  Henry  Rouse,  secretary.  Other 
directors  chosen  are  J.  J.  Lorentzen,  E.  T.  N. 
Alford  and  Charles  Taylor.  A  constitution 
and  by-laws  was  adopted. 

The  petitions  addressed  to  the  county  super- 
visors were  filed  Monday  with  the  clerk. 
These  petitions  have  been  circulated  since 
July  19  and  all  organization  work  has  been 
completed  since  the  new  state  law  went  into 
effect. 

W.  H.  Brokaw  of  Lincoln,  director  of  ex- 
tension work,  was  present  and  examined  the 
records  of  the  new  bureau.  He  then  gave  the 
bureau  a  certificate  of  recognition  as  the 
official  farm  bureau  of  this  county. 

A  meeting  of  the  executive  board  was  held 
after  the  organization  session  and  J.  R.  White 
was  employed  as  county  agent.  A  budget  was 
made  out  to  be  filed  with  the  petitions  Mon- 
day. The  total  sum  asked  is  $1,478.06  for 
the  period  from  July  28  to  January  IS,  1920. 
The  new  law  says  the  amount  appropriated 
shall  not  exceed  a  one  mill  levy  and  shall  not 
be  more  in  money  than  $5,000.  The  amount 
asked  here  is  about  one-third  of  a  mill.  The 
District  Court  (Judge  B.  H.  Paine)  in  Sep- 
tember, 1919,  upheld  the  constitutionality  of 
this  law  and  by  order  of  mandamus  directed 
the  County  Board  to  comply  therewith  but 
they  see  fit  to  carry  the  matter  to  the  Supreme 
Court  for  review. 

farmers'  unions 
Within  the  past  few  years  a  very  strong 
line  of  organization  of  the  farmers  of  the 
state  has  been  the  work  accomplished  by  the 
Farmers'  Educational  and  Cooperative  State 
Union  of  Nebraska,  generally  spoken  of  as 
"The  Farmers'  Union."  This  oranization  has 
grown  to  a  membership  of  a  great  many  thou- 
sands throughout  the  state  and  a  great  many 
cooperative  stores,  elevators,  and  lumber  and 
coal  yards  are  being  operated  by  the  local 
unions. 


C 


234 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


The  officers  of  the  state  union  are  C.  H. 
Gustafson,  president;  J.  M.  Burdick,  Norfolk, 
vice-president;  L.  M.  Koch,  secretary-treas- 
urer; directors:  John  Havekost,  Hooper;  H. 
D.  Lute,  Humboldt ;  Ben  L.  Peters,  Albion ; 
H.  G.  Keeney,  Cowles;  A.  K.  Frost,  Plain- 
view  ;  A.  L.  Ulstrom,  Memphis. 

Prior  to  the  summer  of  1919,  eight  locals 
had  been  organized  in  Hall  County,  with  the 
following  officers  and  membership: 

Local 

No.      Name                    Secretary  Address 

887  Harmony  Aug.  Schimmer  Grand  Island 

920  Lake  Fred  Moeller  Grand  Island 

1020  Sand  Krog  J.  M.  Hanssen  Grand  Island 

1040  Fairview  Will  H.  Foster  Doniphan 

1041  Prairie  Creek  G.  C.  Geisenhagen  Grand  Island 
1071  Center  D.  L.  Engleman  Grand  Island 
1092  Island  Wm.  BueTtner  Grand  Island 
1320  Abbott  A.  Jepson  Abbott 

No.  of 

Members  No.  of 

Date  of  When  Members 

Organization         Organized    Now 

887    April      8,  1916  16  58 

920    April     27,  1916  IS  39 

1020     Dec.       IS,  1916  19  52 

1040  Jan.       31,  1917  18 

1041  Feb.  6,  1917  15  19 
1071  Mar.  8,  1917  15  14 
1092  Apr.  4,  1917  15  29 
1320    Jan.         7,  1919             17            27 

ELEVATOR  ENTERPRISES 

The  following  newspaper  account  of  the 
meeting  for  organizing  a  cooperative  elevator, 
and  perhaps  coal  and  lumber  yard,  at  Grand 
Island  describes  the  manner  and  zeal  with 
which  this  enterprise  is  approached  by  the 
farmers. 

The  account  of  a  meeting  held  May  9,  1919, 
follows : 

Organization  of  one  of  the  largest  farmers' 
cooperative  elevator  associations  in  Nebraska 
was  completed  Friday  night  when  100  farm- 
ers met  in  the  court  house,  ratified  the  con- 
stitution and  by-laws  of  the  organization  and 
paid  in  about  $17,000  to  the  treasurer.  The 
new  association  is  known  as  the  Farmers' 
Educational  &  Cooperative  Union  of  Ne- 
braska. 

Some  idea  of  the  strength  of  this  associa- 
tion may  be  gained  from  the  knowledge  that  it 
comprises  seven  farmers'  union  locals  lying 
around  this  city.  These  locals  are  the  Lake 
local,  Prairie  Creek  local,  Sand  Krog  local, 
Pleasant  Ridge  local,  Center  local,  Harmony 
local  and  the  Island  local. 


John  Schimmer  has  been  chosen  president 
of  the  cooperative  union  and  Robert  Niemoth 
is  secretary.  W.  A.  Hagge  was  elected  one 
of  the  directors  and  also  was  made  treasurer. 
Directors  were  named  by  choosing  one  man 
from  each  local  union  as  follows :  Lake, 
August  Stoldt;  Prairie  Creek,  Emil  Wegner; 
Sand  Krog,  John  Schimmer;  Pleasant  Ridge, 
Robert  Niemoth ;  Center,  J.  M.  Black ;  Harm- 
ony, August  Schimmer;  Island  no  director. 
The  Island  local  did  not  wish  to  put  a  director 
on  the  board. 

The  committee  which  has  been  working  on 
the  cooperative  union  for  two  years  co- 
operated with  County  Agent  White  in  getting 
Mr.  Filley  here  from  the  state  farm  to  assist 
in  organizing. 

The  object  of  the  new  association  is  to  buy, 
sell,  store,  ship  and  handle  grain,  grain  pro- 
ducts and  farm  necessities.  The  capital  stock 
is  $60,000  with  $20,000  paid  in.  Each  share 
has  a  par  value  of  $100.  Only  persons  be- 
longing to  one  of  the  seven  farmers'  unions 
can  join  the  association  and  no  one  may  hold 
more  than  five  shares  of  stock. 

The  first  meeting  was  held  Tuesday  night 
with  120  present,  at  the  court  house. 

The  board  of  directors  is  now  arranging 
for  a  proper  site  on  which  to  build  a  ware- 
house and  elevator,  and  is  seeking  a  manager 
for  the  elevator. 

Mr.  Filley  stated  that  this  association  is  the 
second  largest  he  has  helped  organize  in  the 
state. 

Each  local  will  still  exist  in  its  own  locality. 
Two  years  ago  the  locals  interested  in  this 
association  appointed  a  committee  to  get  ac- 
tion on  reorganization,  but  the  war  prevented 
completion  of  their  plans. 

This  is  the  second  cooperative  elevator  as- 
sociation formed  in  Hall  County  this  season. 
Wood  River  organized  one  about  three  weeks 
ago.  Doniphan  has  three  cooperative  ele- 
vators, the  newest  one  being  formed  last  year.  I 

"This  association  may  help  prices  for   the  I 
farmers'  products  and  for  his  purchases    at  j 
the  place  where  they  belong,"  remarked  one 
of  the  men  interested  in  the  organization. 

It  is  understood  the  association  hopes  in 
the  future  to  do  much  cooperative  buying  and 
selling  along  general  lines.  It  is  expected  the 
strength  of  the  association  will  give  it  a  chance 
to  make  big  wholesale  purchases  of  coal, 
lumber,  groceries,  farm  implements,  and 
other  necessities. 

Another  cooperative  association  is  in  pros- 
pect at  Abbott.  The  local  union  there  haa 
applied  to  the  county  agent  to  get  state  help 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


22,5 


in  forming  an  association  on  Tuesday  night, 
!        If  any  other  towns  in  the  county  wish  co- 
\     operation  with  the  county  agent  in  the  same 
;     work,  it  will  be  furnished,  Mr.  White  stated, 
j        The  stockholders  who   signed  the  articles 
|     of  incorporation  of  The  Farmers  Educational 
I     and  Cooperative  Union  of  Grand  Island  were 
j     John  Schimmer,  J.  M.  Black,  Robert  Niemoth, 
August     Stoldt,     August     Schimmer,     Emil 
Wagner,   J.  .  M.    Hanssen,    Otto    Guenther, 
|     Arthur   Roby,    Hans    H.    Gulzow,    Fred    J. 
Hagge,  Henry    Frauen,    Walter    Scherzberg, 
|     Fred  Moeller,  C.  R.  Culbertson,  Henry  C.  J. 
|     Stolle,  A.  J.  Niemoth,  Albert  Gosda,  Ernest 
j     Ostermeier,    Emil    Hanti,    D.    L.    Engleman, 
!     Henry  Knuth,  B.  C.  Newtson,  Fred  A.  Buch- 
;     finck,  Henry   Buettner,   H.   W.   Bockbrader, 
|     Gustav  Roby,  William  Heesch,  Henry  Krohn, 
!    Fred  H.  Gosda,  J.  W.  Rathban,  Ernest  Mat- 
1    (hiesen,  Richard  Gosda,   Nicholas   Kaufman, 
H.  C.  Busboom,  C.  Hongsemeier,  E.  F.  Nie- 
moth, Chris  Niemoth,  Wm.  F.  Langenneder, 
,    August  Langenneder,  Fred  Stoltenberg,  Wil- 
liam  Blaise,    Fred    Schoel,    Henry    Ewaldt, 
;    Remhard  Kunze,  Wm.  Vogel,  Wm.  N!  Gul- 
i   row,  Elmer  Gosda,  P.  Sanders,  August  Rener, 
i   John  Falldorf,  Wm.  Niedfeldt,  Wm.  J.  Rief, 
!   Dick  Niedfelt,  John  Schuller,  Wm.  H.  Bu- 
i   tner,  John    Baasch,   Charles   Muller,   G.   C. 
Heine,   T.    W.    Heine,   Jacob    Shipman,    Ed 
Stubr,  Julius  Mathiesen  and  Wm.  Wrage.    A 
site  has  been   secured  for  elevator  on  West 
Front  street. 


WOOD  RIVER  CO-OPERATIVE  GRAIN  CO. 

A  movement  was  perfected  at  Wood  River 
in  the  organization  of  the  Wood  River  Co- 
operative Grain  Co.  for  purpose  of  handling 
and  shipping  grain,  farm  produce,  coal,  live 
stock,  and  farm  supplies.  The  incorporators 
who  signed  the  articles  on  May  8,  1919  were 
William  A.  Bouton,  Thos.  P.  Hoye,  Jas.  G. 
Kunz,  Henry  W.  Wiese,  Wm.  B.  Parks,  Wm. 
A.  Francis,  M.  J.  McDermott. 

Farmers  union  co-operative  exchange 
This  organization  was  incorporated  May  22, 
1919,  with  the  following  members  signing  the 
articles :  Herman  Tagge,  R.  T.  Boldt,  W.  A. 
Crabtree,  J.  O.  Hutton,  John  Fagan,  August 
Wilhelmie,  Henry  Frenzen,  A.  Jepson,  Philip 
J.  Rose,  Jas.  Donigan,  Chas.  H.  Boldt,  J.  L. 
Johnson,  Henry  Dulitz,  Geo.  Rauert,  Henry 
Arp,  Henry  Rohweder,  Arthur  H.  Boldt,  John 
Spiehs,  Henry  Pauly,  August  Rauert,  John 
C.  Rauert,  August  Schweiger,  Hans  Rath- 
mann,  Ernest  Myers,  Jacob  Brandt,  Carl 
Hitchler,  Fred  Schuett,  Theodore  Moll,  H.  W. 
Poore,  J.  P.  Smith,  E.  J.  Liedtke,  Wm.  Fries- 
man,  Walter  F.  Johnson. 

CAIRO 

Farmers  Mercantile  co.  at  Cairo  was  organ- 
ized for  a  general  mercantile  and  shipping 
business.  The  incorporators  on  June  13,  1919, 
were  Max  J.  Voss,  Glenn  C.  Roberts,  John  M. 
Veeder,  M.  A.  Benton  and  Frank  J.  Veeder. 


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CHAPTER  XIV 

INDUSTRIAL  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

First  Industries  —  Steam  Power  —  Milling  Industry  —  Grand  Island  Canning  Fac- 
tory—  Grand  Island  Brewery — Beet  Sugar  Factory  —  Grand  Island  Creameries  — 
Granite  Works — Building  Materials  —  Grand  Island  Iron  Foundry  and  Fence  Fac- 
tory—  Broom   Factory  —  Bottling  Works  —  Furniture  Factory  —  Planing  Mills  — 
Hurst  Sash  &  Door  Co.  —  Cigar  Factories  —  Steam  Laundries  —  Culvert  and  Metal 
Works  — Hide  Industry — Serum  Co. — Floral  Industry  —  Printing  and  Calendars 
—  Nebraska  Telephone  Co.  —  The  Stock   Yards  —  Loup  Valley  Packing  Co.  —  Grand 
Island  Horse,  Mule  and  Cattle  Market  —  Growth  of  Market  —  Firms  and  Dealers 
on  Market  —  Wholesale  Houses  —  Mi  nton- Woodward  Co.  —  Donald  Co.  —  Dolan 
Fruit  Co.  —  Brown  Fruit  Co.  —  Nebraska  Mercatile  Co.  —  Etting  Candy  Co. 
—  Moving  Picture  Industry  —  Local  Picture  Theatres  —  The  Automobile 
Industry  —  Growth  of  Automobiles,  Trucks  and  Tractors  in  Import- 
ance by  V.  E.  Evans— r Bicycle     Industry  —  Grand 
Island  Aero  Industry 


Industrially,  of  course,  the  greatest  wealth 
and  growth  of  Hall  County  has  depended 
upon  the  pursuit  of  agricultural  activities. 
The  development  of  agriculture  and  the  live 
stock  industries  has  been  treated  in  a  separate 
chapter.  The  development  of  the  sugar-beet 
industry  has  in  part  been  treated  in  that 
chapter,  but  the  history  of  the  factory  will 
be  included  in  this  chapter. 

A  second  great  factor  in  the  industrial  and 
commercial  importance  of  Grand  Island  and 
Hall  County  has  been  the  transportation  facil- 
ities it  possesses.  Being  a  division  point  on 
the  great   Union   Pacific   railroad   has   been 


plants  and  enterprises,  other  than  those 
strictly  engaged  in  purely  wholesale  and  retail 
activities,  for  it  is  hard  to  draw  any  distinct 
line  between  commercial  and  industrial  enter- 
prises. On  the  other  hand,  the  wholesale 
interests  have  been  partially  included  in  this 
chapter,  because  the  wide  field  outside  of 
Hall  County  they  are  now  covering  makes 
them  industrially  important  to  the  county. 

first  industries 
While  the  "old  town"  or  first  settlement 
existed,  down  on  the  river,  and  before   the 
railroad  came  through,  the  community  had  not 


perhaps  the  next  greatest  revenue  producing     reached  the  stage  of  industrial  expansion.  Yet, 


:  of  income  to  the  people  of  Grand  Is- 
land and  Hall  County,  after  the  grain-  grow- 
ing and  live  animal  industries  have  been  con- 
sidered. This  activity  and  industry  has  been 
judged  to  be  of  sufficient  importance,  in  its 
relation  to  Hall  County,  to  be  considered  in  a 
separate  chapter. 

Throughout  the  chapter  on  the  commercial 
history  appears  mention  of  smaller  industrial 


as  has  been  remarked  before,  the  old  first 
blacksmith  shop  of  James  Michels'  1  did  suf- 
ficient carriage  and  wagon  work  xo  make  it 
industrially  important,  likewise,  the  shop  of 
Ed  Hooper  established  in  1861.  The  first 
sawmills  built  down  there  were  producing 
institutions,  in  a  way. 

But  aside  from  stores  and  shops,  practically 
the  first  strictly  industrial  enterprise  in-  Hall 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


237 


County  was  the  State  Central  flouring  mills 
established  by  Henry  A.  Koenig  in  1867. 
Adam  Blunk  erected  his  Platte  Valley  grist 
mill  ten  years  later,  in  1877. 

The  next  industrial  enterprise  established 
was  probably  the  Hurley  &  Jones  brick  yards 
in  1870  near  Prairie  Creek  —  five  miles  north 
of  the  city.  Here  were  made  and  sold  what 
would  probably  now  be  called  a  poor  quality 
oi  brick,  at  $15  per  thousand.  Evidently 
this  enterprise  did  not  flourish  for  very  long, 
and  probably  was  not  in  existence  at  the  time 
the  first  courthouse  was  built,  as  the  brick 
for  that  building  was  hauled  in  from  Omaha. 
The  earliest  excursion  into  the  brewery  bus- 
iness was  made  by  Dodge  &  Abbott,  on  the 
south  side  about  where  the  old  Abbott  res- 
idence was  afterwards  built.  The  plant  was 
one  that  had  been  originally  placed  in  use 
on  the  "Jim  Boyd"  ranch  (James  E.  Boyd, 
afterwards  governor  of  the  state),  up  near 
Shelton,  and  the  machinery  and  appliances 
were  purchased  and  moved  down  here,  housed 
and  placed  in  operation.  This  plant  was  after- 
wards torn  down  and  was  in  no  way  connected 
with  the  brewery  next  to  be  considered. 

In  1873,  the  State  Central  Brewery  was  in 
operation,  first  established  by  George  Boehm. 
Strathnan  Brothers'  wagon  shop  came  in 
about  this  point. 

The  fourth  important  enterprise  to  start 
tn  here  was  a  foundry  established  during 
1878  in  connection  with  the  blacksmith  and 
wagon  shop  of  Hooper  &  Ferguson,  and  pur- 
chased in  1881  by  Ed  Hooper. 

The  next  real  important  industrial  develop- 
ment was  the  location  of  the  Union  Pacific 
machine  shops  —  erection  of  which  started  in 
1880,  and  by  1881  they  were  partially  in  op- 
eration. These  will  be  discussed  in  greater 
detail  in  the  chapter  on  railroads. 

The  year  1884  saw  the  establishment  of  a 
creamery,  and  the  organization  of  a  gas  and 
electric  company, 

STEAM  POWER 

Steam  power  received  an   early   usage   in 

Hall  County.     By  1885  the  manufactories  and 

enterprises  in  Grand  Island  employing  steam- 


power  were:  Schaupp's  Planet  Roller  mills, 
Glade's  mill,  Peterson's  mill,  Gardner's  feed- 
mill,  Merrill's  feed  mill,  Union  Pacific  rail- 
mill,  Union  Pacific  shops,  Union  Pacific  car 
shops,  sash  factory.  Hooper's  foundry,  and 
the  State  Central  Brewery.  In  Wasmer's  and 
Wiseman's  elevators  steam  power  was  also 
used  as  well  as  in  the  electric  light  works, 
bottling  works,  Independent  office,  Weeks's  job 
office,  and  city  laundry.  Blunk's  flour  and 
feed-meal  mills,  south  of  the  city,  were 
operated  by  water  power. 

In  the  line  of  manufacturing  industries, 
Grand  Island  has  been  credited  with  the  fol- 
lowing named  industries  in   1887: 

Cost  of  No.  of  Men 

Industries  Plants  Employed 
Union       Pacific       car 

shops    $350,000  500 

Union  Pacific  steel  rail 

mill    ., 80,000  36 

Canning  factory  .....  30,000  as  high  as  250 
Two     roller     flouring 

mills  60,000  40 

Creamery    25,000  16 

Brewery    50,000  22 

Blank     book     making, 

printing,  ect 60,000  21 

Furniture  factory 5,000  11 

Steam  dye  works 2,000  6 

Bottling  works 10,000  10 

Soap      factory      and 

rendering    2,500  5 

Two  brickyards   30,000  100 

In  addition  to  the  above,  the  community 
then  had  numerous  smaller  industries  in  the 
line  of  broom  factories,  planing-mills,  gas  and 
electric  plant,  cigar  factories,  street  railway 
system,  nursery  and  green  house,  stock  yards, 
patent  medicine  factory,  and  marble  works. 

MILLING  INDUSTRY 
The  pioneer  milling  industries  west  of  Fort 
Calhoun  (except  the  occasional  water-mill) 
was  the  State  Central  Flouring  Mill,  estab- 
lished in  1867,  by  Henry  A.  Koenig.  In 
1883  this  property  became  the  property  of 
Henry  Glade,  and  has  been  continuously  op- 


238 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


erated  by  the  Glade  family,  and  by  Glade  & 
Etting,  and  as  the  Grand  Island  Roller  Mills 
and  the  Glade  Mills.  The  business  is  now 
conducted  by  The  Henry  Glade  Milling  Co., 
the  corporate  name  used  since  1912.  The 
present  officers  are  F.  M.  Glade,  president; 
Lee  E.  Etting,  vice-president;  A.  A.  Glade, 
treasurer,  and  F.  A.  Glade,  secretary. 
Twenty  years  ago  the  plant  had  a  capacity 


Peterson  &  Co.  ran  a  mill  at  Greenwich  and 
Front,  and  some  milling  was  done  as  the 
Grand  Island  Milling  &  Elevator  Co.  In  1891 
John  Berry  conducted  the  City  Feed  Mill. 
Later  the  mills  of  A.  Krombach,  August  ■ 
Meiss,  Stancliff  mill  (the  old  Rollins  mill) 
figured  and  H.  A.  Guy,  had  a  corn  meal  mill 
in  the  old  gas  plant  on  Fourth  street.  But 
the  Glade   Mills   h?;   at  all   times   been   the 


Early  Factories  and  Railboad  Facilities  of  Grand  Island 


of  two  hundred  barrels  a  day  and  was  turn- 
ing out  four  brands  of  flour,  also  rye  and 
graham  flour,  corn  meal,  etc.  Six  men  were 
then  constantly  employed.  In  1883  the  ca- 
pacity was  100  barrels  per  day,  amounting  to 
around  $100,000  per  year.  Now  the  capacity 
is  about  450  barrels  per  day,  amounting  to 
over  $9,000,000  annually.  The  bulk  of  the 
wheat  harvested  around  Grand  Island  is  taken 
by  this  mill  and  something  like  120,000  barrels 
of  flour  are  shipped  out  of  Grand  Island 
each  year  to  markets,  many  of  which  are  a 
long  distance  away.  This  company  also  main- 
tains offices  in  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 

There  have  been  numerous  other  mills  in 
Grand  Island.  Mention  has  already  been 
made  of  Blunk's  mill  on  Wood  River,  Mer- 
rill's feed  mill  and  Gardner's  feed  mill.    C.  A. 


establishment  with  a   far  reaching  industrial 
effect  so  far  as  Grand  Island  is  concerned. 

THE  CRANn  ISLAND  CANNING  FACTORY 
Not  far  from  the  Union  Pacific  railroad 
shops,  a  little  more  to  the  north,  is  the  canning 
factory,  with  the  main  building  and  numerous 
adjacent  portions  of  the  plant  surrounding  it. 
The  main  part  of  this  three-story  building, 
brick  and  stone  in  construction,  is  50  x  100, 
with  a  wing  40  x  90  feet.  There  are  also 
husking  sheds  180  x  30  feet  wide.  The 
factory  has  a  capacity  of  150,000  cases  of 
corn  and  50,000  cases  of  peas  per  season 
and  can  use  the  products  of  about  4,000  acres 
of  corn  and  1 ,000  acres  of  peas  yearly. 
Through  the  many  years  of  its  operation, 
this   industry   has  given  a  great   impulse   to 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


239 


garden  farming,  for  which  the  soil  of  the 
surrounding  country  is  especially  adapted. 

The  Grand  Island  Canning  Company  filed 
articles  of  incorporation  on  March  14,  1887. 
The  subscribers  were  O.  B.  Thompson,  C.  W. 
Scarff,  William  A.  Hagge,  C.  A.  VonWasmer, 
T.  J.  Hurford,  Charles  Wasmer  and  J.  D. 
Moore. 

This  company  operated  very  successfully 
for  a  number  of  years.  At  times,  during  the 
height  of  the  season,  it  could  employ  as  many 
as  400  hands,  including  the  large  force  of 
buskers  required  in  the  corn  season,  and  to 
this  annual   force  of  workers  about  $20,000 


Grand  Island  Canning  Factory 

was  paid  in  wages  and  about  $30,000  more 
revenue  accrued  to  the  farmers  for  the  corn 
raised.  This  company  had  rented  the  building 
at  a  figure  that  could  be  met  in  successful 
and  normal  years.  But  during  the  early 
'nineties  when,  agriculturally  speaking,  things 
went  to  smash  this  item  was  too  high  to  be 
met  under  those  conditions.  So  in  the  de- 
pression that  followed  the  hard  and  dry  years 
this  industry  went  under  and  stopped.  A 
capital  of  $38,000  was  ■  originally  invested  in 
the  buildings  and  machinery  and  at  every 
season  more  machinery  had  been  added,  so 
that  when  the  factory  closed,  about  1893,  it 
was  worth  $50,000.  Of  course  the  conditions 
that  prevailed  for  a  number  of  years  did  not 
discourage  the  reopening  of  this  enterprise. 
It  was  re-opened  in  1903  by  James  F. 
Rourke,  who  has  restored  it  to  its  full  glory 


of  former  years,  and  it  is  now  running  under 
his  management,  on  practically  the  same  basis 
as  in  its  best  days  under  the  former  regime. 
During  the  1919  season  a  substantial  amount 
of  acreage  has  been  contracted,  and  the  new 
Craft-Edgerton  farm,  operated  near  the  city 
under  the  new  Kelly  well  irrigating  system 
and  with  all  mechanical  appliances  available,' 
has  a  large  acreage  about  ready  for  the  1919 
canning  season. 

THE  GRAND  ISLAND  BREWERY 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  first  brewery 
enterprise  in  the  county,  by  Dodge  &  Abbott, 
and  of  the  very  early  establishment  by  1873, 
of  the  State  Central  Brewery,  by  George 
Boehm.  After  Mr.  Boehm's  death  this  insti- 
tition  was  handled  by  Andrew  Ott.  Ott's 
Brewery  was  operated  during  the  late  'eighties 
and  in  the  early  'nineties  at  1013  West  Charles 
street.  Later  in  the  'nineties  the  plant  was 
operated  by  Lange  Brothers.  On  November 
1,.  1897,  it  was  acquired  by  the  Grand  Island 
Brewing  Company,  an  incorporated  company 
consisting  of  Martin  Schimmer,  John  Schim- 
mer,  Fred  Lohmann  and  Herman  Hehnke, 
Sr.,  directors.  Martin  Schimmer  was  presi- 
dent, and  John  Schimmer,  secretary.  This 
property  was  later  destroyed  by  fire.  After 
a  few  years  a  new  enterprise  was  organized 
that  erected  a  fine  six-story  brick  building  at 
1111  west  North  Front  street,  which  at  the 
time  of  its  completion  was  the  skyscraper  and 
one  of  the  show  places  of  the  city.  Since 
the  arrival  of  prohibition  this  enterprise  has 
been  changed  to  the  title  of  Grand  Island 
Manufacturing  Company,  and  is  operating  on 
successful  basis  in  the  manufacture  and  sale 
of  a  beverage  called  "near  beer,"  and  is  meet- 
ing with  a  sale  that  indicates  the  customers 
like  it  regardless  of  the  "far"  or  "near" 
distance. 

the  beet  sugar  factory 

In  the  agricultural  chapter  of  this  work 
an  account  has  been  given  of  the  growth  and 
development  of  the  beet  sugar  industry.  In 
1887  the  citizens  of  this  locality  had  tests 
made  of  the  soil,  imported  seed  from  France 
and  Germany,  and  in  the  season  of  1888  many 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Gathering  Sucab  Beets.    2.    Exterior  of  Factory.    4.    Interior  View  of  Factory. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


241 


beets  were  planted  in  this  locality.  Thinking 
that  1888  might  have  been  an  exceptionally 
fortunate  season  seed  was  again  imported  and 
planted  on  a  still  more  extensive  scale  in  1889, 
The  subject  of  the  location  of  a  beet-sugar 
factory  came  before  the  citizens  of  Grand 
Island  in  November,  1889,  and  they  decided 
to  raise  $100,000.  They  did  raise  $60,000 
by  voluntary  subscriptions  ranging  from  $100 
to  $1,000  each  to  promote  the  enterprise.  In 
the  meantime  negotiations  were  carried  on  to 
interest  men  with  the  proper  amount  of  cap- 
ital to  build  and  operate  a  factory  here.  Finally 
the  gentlemen  in  Grand  Island  in  charge  of 
the  matter  won  out  over  the  various  difficulties 
in  their  way,  and  on  December  7,  1889,  the 
site  for  a  sugar  factory  was  selected,  and  on 
Monday,  December  9,  ground  was  broken  and 
work  commenced. 

The  dimensions  of  the  principal  factory 
building  are  as  follows:  Length,  292  feet, 
width,  85  feet,  height,  four  stories,  fifty  feet. 
The  structure  is  built  of  stone,  iron,  and 
brick  and  in  such  a  substantial  manner  it  will 
stand  for  a  good  many  years.  In  addition 
there  are  the  boiler  house  and  engine  house, 
lime  house,  beet  sheds,  and  a  system  of  smaller 
builings  built  around  the  principal  buildings. 

The  site  chosen  was  one  at  the  extreme 
western  end  of  the  city,  and  two  tracts  of 
land  acquired,  one  belonging  to  the  United 
States  Improvement  Company  and  the  other 
to  Messrs.  Thummel  &  Piatt,  situated  along 
the  side  of  the  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island 
Railroad  and  extending  north  to  the  Union 
Pacific  stock  yards,  thus  touching  both  the 
Union  Pacific  and  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island 
tracks,  and  the  sugar  factory  belt  line  to  re- 
ceive Burlington  shipments.  The  northeast 
corner  of  the  site  comes  practically  to  the  new 
fair  grounds,  and  the  east  line  touches  Glad- 
stone Place  and  the  south  line  of  the  Packer 
&  Barr,  Shoemaker  and  Wasmer  additions, 
so  that  many  homes  heve  been  built  in  that 
section  to  he  in  close  proximity  to  the  factory. 

The  street  car  line  was  built  out  to  the 
factory  in  January,  1890.  Since  the  demise 
of  that  system  of  transportation  adequate 
motor   transportation   has   been   provided   in 


recent  years  to  get  workers  conveyed  back 
and  forth. 

The  machinery  and  appliances  for  the 
factory  and  sugar  refinery  were  ordered  and 
shipped  from  Germany,  France,  and  Australia, 
and  it  was  due  to  the  knowledge,  persistence, 
and  energy  of  the  little  group  oi  citizens  in 
Hall  County  who  knew  from  experience  and 
observation  in  Europe  what  this  industry 
could  be,  that  Grand  Island  secured  the  first 
beet-sugar  factory  installed  and  placed  in  op- 
eration in  the  United  States.  In  the  years 
that  have  intervened  other  factories  have  been 
established  in  Nebraska  that  have  gone  out 
of  existence,  and  in  very  recent  years  a  group 
of  wonderfully  large  institutions  has  been 
placed  in  the  western  end  of  the  state  by  the 
Great  Western  Sugar  Co.,  but  the  old  "pio- 
neer" factory  is  still  very  successfully  operat- 
ing at  Grand  Island. 

Henry  T.  Oxnard  was  president  of  the 
Oxnard  Company,  which  took  charge  of  the 
operation  of  this  institution  at  Grand  Island. 
J.  G.  Oxnard  was  vice-president,  C.  Kennedy 
Hamilton  was  secretary,  E.  C.  Howe  was 
manager,  in  1893.  The  old  Oxnard  syndicate's 
management  was  succeeded  by  the  American 
Beet  Sugar  Company,  which  is  now  operating 
the  factory.  A.  J.  Denman  has  been  super- 
intendent of  the  plant  for  the  past  few  years. 

GRAND   ISLAND'S   CREAMERIES 

In  1884  a  number  of  Hall  County's  enter- 
prising citizens  formed  an  association  for  the 
purpose  of  establishing  a  creamery.  They 
formed  a  stock  company,  organizing  in  March, 
1884,  with  J.  W.  Liveringhouse,  president, 
J.  P.  Kemohan,  vice-president,  J.  E.  Jewett, 
secretary,  and  J.  H.  Wethers,  treasurer.  They 
engaged  Mr.  Jewett,  and  later  Mr.  Livering- 
house as  manager.  Liveringhouse  conducted 
the  institution  both  as  lessee  and  manager  for 
a  time. 

In  1890  Messrs.  Roeser  &  Co.,  who  from 
the  beginning  had  been  members  of  the  com- 
pany, leased  the  plant  and  operated  it  for 
a  long  time  for  the  company  —  The  Grand 
Island  Creamery  Co.  In  the  meantime  they 
bought  up  practically  all  of  the  shares,  and 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


became,  in  reality,  the  owners.  In  the  early 
part  of  1897  Robert  Freitag  sold  his  interest 
to  his  partner,  Oscar  Roeser,  who  became  the 
sole  proprietor  of  the  creamery. 

The  creamery  business  thrived  during  the 
administration  of  Messrs.  Roeser  and  Freitag, 
except  for  an  unavoidable  and  inevitable  inter- 
ception in  the  drought  years  of  1894-95,  when 
the  results  were  naturally  rather  poor.  In 
1891  the  creamery  made  129,104  pounds  of 
butter;  in   1892,  159,200;  in   1893,  174,355; 


world,  employs  several  hundred  people  and  is 
of  vast  importance  to  Grand  Island. 

GRANITE  WORKS 
PAINE-FISHBURN    GRANITE    CO. 

As  early  as  1887  H.  J.  Mayer  was  conduct- 
ing a  granite  and  marble  works.  Ira  T.  Paine 
purchased  Mayer's  plant  in  1888.  This  es- 
tablishment was  first  near  the  present  loca- 
tion, and  later  for  many  years  was  on  Second 
street,  near  the  City  Hall.     In  1905  the  con- 


Fairmont  Creamery  Company  Plant,  Gkand  Island 


1894,  164,484;  1895,  134,195;  1896,  248,128; 
1897,  266,000. 

In  1904  this  creamery  was  still  owned  by 
Mr.  Roeser  and  managed  by  W.  N.  Culbertson, 
and  was  doing  a  business  of  about  38,000 
pounds  a  month.  It  then  had  twelve  cream 
routes  and  was  employing  a  large  force 
throughout  the  year. 

In  1901  the  St.  Paul  Creamery  Company 
established  a  plant  in  Grand  Island,  on  east 
Fourth  street,  at  the  city  electric  light  works. 
They  began  the  manufacture  or  fine  separator 
butter.  George  McBride  succeeded  to  this 
plant,  about  1905,  and  sold  it  about  1907  to 
the  Fairmont  Creamery  Co.  The  immense 
plant  of  the  Fairmont  Creamery  Company 
was  completed  in  1909.  This  company,  the 
second  largest  of  its  line  of  business  in  the 


cern  was  incorporated  as  the  Paine  Marble 
&  Granite  Works,  by  Ira  T.  Paine,  Charles 
Beal  and  Bayard  H.  Paine,  and  in  1910  was 
reincorporated  as  the  Paine-Fishburn  Granite 
Co.  The  officers  of  the  company  are  at  the 
present,  and  through  most  of  its  business 
career  have  been,  as  follows:  Ira  T.  Paine, 
president;  D.  H.  Fishburn,  vice-president ; 
Bayard  H.  Paine,  secretary,  and  A.  A.  Tooher, 
treasurer.  The  company  built  the  present  fine 
two-story  brick  structure  on  Walunt  street, 
between  Third  and  Front,  in  1909.  It  is 
now  operaed  as  the  Paine-Fishburn  Granite 
Co.  This  company  sells  its  goods  all  through 
western  Nebraska,  and  into  Wyoming  and 
the  other  neighboring  states  to  the  west,  and 
keeps  a  half  dozen  representatives  on  the 
xoad,  employing  an  average  of  twenty  people. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


243 


The  Paine-Fishburn  plant  is  the  largest  in 
its  line  in  the  state  outside  of  Omaha,  being 
fully  equipped  with  pneumatic  and  electric 
machines  and  traveling  cranes. 

For  a  time  another  granite  and  marble 
works  was  conducted  as  the  .Grand  Island 
Marble  Works,  with  W.  D.  Glenn,  president, 
E.  E.  Glenn,  vice-president,  and  Rose  E. 
Hanson,  secretary,  but  this  plant  went  out  of 
business  within  the  last  two  years. 

SCHEFFEL    4    SON     MONUMENT    WORKS 

Grand  Island  has  another  plant  engaged 
in  this  same  industry.  William  Scheffel,  for 
many  years  a  leading  stone  cutter  and  stone 
mason  of  Grand  Island,  who  had  installed 
many  street  crossings,  curbings  and  sidewalks 
and  produced  excellent  jobs  in  finished  and 
dressed  stone  building  work,  branched  out 
into  the  monumental  works.  On  October  17, 
1917,  articles  of  incorporation  were  filed  for 
The  Scheffel  &  Son  Monument  Works,  in 
which  enterprise  Mr.  Scheffel  is  assisted  by 
his  son,  Carl.  A  new  building  has  been 
erected  on  Cleburn  and  Front  streets,  and  they 
are  handling  a  stock  of  monuments,  marble 
and  stone  for  various  purposes. 

BUILDING   MATERIALS 

In  1870  the  Hurley  &  Jones  brick  yards, 
already  spoken  of,  inaugurated  the  very  early 
entrance  of  Hall  County  into  the  industry  of 
furnishing  building  materials.  In  the  late 
'eighties,  Fred  Lehman  had  brick  yards  in 
South  Grand  Island ;  Henderson  Brothers  had 
another,  and  Kerr  &  King  operated  in  west 
Grand  Island.  J.  F.  Zedicker  had  a  yard 
in  1889.  The  Grand  Island  Brick  Company 
started  about  1890,  and  Schmidt  &  Kirschke 
were  operating  then  in  north  Grand  Island, 
a  mile  north  of  the  city.  Louis  Schmidt  later 
became  sole  manager  of  this  concern. 

The  Doniphan  brick  yards,  under  the  man- 
agement of  H.  B.  Kunk,  acquired  a  wide- 
spread operation.  This  yard  was  operated 
by  C.  Klose  &  Co.,  who  also  had  yards  at 
Aurora  and  Lincoln. 

Walker's  Gravel  and  Sand  Works,  operated 
in  recent  years,  shows  another  phase  of  Hall 


County's  resources  along  the  building  ma- 
terial line.  The  new  highway  construction 
law  giving  the  state  and  counties  power  to 
construct  gravel  pits,  stone  quarries,  brick 
yards,  and  other  establishments  necessary  to 
manufacture  road  building  materials  at  rea- 
sonable and  usable  costs  may  result  in  a  re- 
vival of  this  industry  in  Hall  County  in  the 
near  future. 

The  Traill  Sand  and  Gravel  Co.  was 
incorporated  February  20,  1919,  by  James 
W.  Traill,  David  J.  Traill  and  Richard  M. 
Kuester,  and  is  operating  sand  and  gravel 
pits,  and  producing  raw  building  materials  of 
various  kinds  for  the  building  material  market. 

THE    GRAND    ISLAND    IRON    FOUNDRY    AND 
WOVEN    WIRE    FENCE    FACTORY 

During  the  'nineties  a  fine  brick  building 
was  erected  at  Front  and  Elm  streets,  on  the 
north  side  of  the  track,  for  an  iron  foundry 
and  the  business  started  out  under  favorable 
auspices.  Like  many  other  enterprises,  it 
succumbed  under  the  pressure  of  the  des- 
tructive business  period  of  the  middle 
'nineties. 

But  in  May,  1897,  C.  H.  Tully  opened  the 
factory  again,  adding  to  the  original  business 
that  of  manufacturing  woven  wire  fences.  For 
some  years  Grand  Island  has  possessed  a 
bridge  builder,  John  L.  Means,  and  for  some 
time  Mr.  Tully  had  been  associated  with  him, 
the  firm  name  being  Means  &  Tully.  Mr. 
Tully  rapidly  built  up  a  good  foundry  business 
and  a  line  of  repair  work.  His  woven  wire 
fence  business  steadily  improved  so  that  he 
has  had  to  enlarge  the  plant  frequently,  and 
at  certain  times  of  the  year  he  employs  a 
force  both  night  and  day.  He  manufactures 
about  ninety  cars  of  wire  per  year.  Sales 
and  production  of  this  concern  have  increased 
over  200% .  The  plant  now  uses  eight  fence 
looms,  automatic.  Grand  Island  fence  is 
produced  in  several  types,  a  special  corral 
fence,  with  two  barbed  wires  woven  into  the 
center  of  the  fence  as  well  as  barbed  wires 
at  top  and  bottom,  a  48-inch  fence  barbed  at 
top  and  bottom,  a  39-inch  open  hearth  steel 
for  garden,  lawn,  or  orchard  fence,  a  32-inch. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


fence  to  enclose  sheep,  hogs,  etc.,  a  26-inch 
fence  supplemented  by  barbed  borders,  and 
a  20-inch  fence  for  hogs,  with  barbed  wire 
additions.  All  Grand  Island  fence  has  a 
special  double  wrap  at  each  knot.  This  plant 
is  also  jobbers  for  a  line  of  gates  and  orna- 
mental fences.  The  business  is  now  conducted 
by  C.  H.  Tully  Fence  Co.,  with  C.  H.  Tully 
as  proprietor  and  advisor  and  C.  F.  Tully, 
general  manager.  A  large  mail  order  business 
is  done,  so  that  not  very  many  men  are  kept 
on  the  road,  but  at  least  eight  people  are  em- 
ployed at  all  times. 

THE  BROOM  FACTORY 
About  1888  J.  Kelso  began  an  unassuming 
little  factory  for  manufacturing  brooms.  It 
commenced  on  a  very  small  scale  and  in- 
creased its  output  until  it  sold  goods  to  a 
territory  reaching  into  Montana.  The  corn  for 
its  brooms  had  been  for  the  greater  part 
shipped  in  from  more  southern  climes,  where 
the  weather  is  more  favorable  to  the  growth 
of  fine  broom  corn.  At  times  the  product 
of  about  forty  acres  of  corn  raised  in  this 
county  has  been  used  by  this  factory.  In 
1907  the  Kelso  Broom  Company  was  organ- 
ized out  of  the  old  Kelso  broom  factory. 
Larger  buildings  were  obtained  and  between 
twenty-five  and  thirty  men  are  employed. 
Geo.  W.  Kelso  had  been  last  proprietor  before 
the  reorganization.  Then  R.  R.  Horth  became 
president  and  Geo.  W.  Kelso,  secretary-treas- 
urer and  manager.  The  business  was  then 
located  at  523  W.  Front.  This  business  dis- 
continued about  1912. 

BOTTLING  WORKS 

During  the  'eighties  Henry  Vieregg  con- 
ducted his  bottling  works  at  216  W.  First. 
This  business  was  later  conducted  by  Henry 
Vieregg  &  Son,  but  it  was  sold  a  few  years 
ago  to  Saas  &  Haack,  and  is  now  conducted 
as  the  Third  City  Bottling  works.  A.  Ott 
conducted  a  bottling  works  in  the  late  'eighties 
at  1911  West  Louise.  The  American  Bottling 
Works  at  618  East  Fifth  has  been  running 
for  about  seven  or  eight  years  now.  Through 
these   two  plants   Grand   Island   is   a  liberal 


producer  and  shipper  of  the  products  of  this 
line,  and  the  quality  of  the  Grand  Island 
factories  is  accounted  above  the  average  by 
the  trade. 

FURNITURE  FACTORY 
It  has  been  noted  before  that  Grand  Island 
had  a  furniture  factory  as  early  as  1887. 
This  institution  was  at  214-216  North  Pine 
and  was  conducted  by  Thomas  Lee.  In  late 
years  Wm.  Elfers  has  conducted  a  cabinet 
and  furniture  shop  at  East  Third. 

PLANING    MILLS 

Geo.  E.  Winn  had  a  planing  mill  here  as 
early  as  1887.  There  have  been  numerous 
planing  mills  and  wood  shops.  L.  T.  Geer 
has  had  a  long  career  here  as  a  contractor, 
and  with  J.  D.  Harrison  began  that  line  of 
work  as  early  as  1893.  The  Geer-Harrison 
Co.  erected  a  buliding  in  which  they  carried 
on  a  planing  mill  about  1900,  and  enlarged 
it  in  1906.  The  W.  H.  Harrison  Co.  also 
has  a  planing  mill  in  connection  with  their 
lumber  business. 

HURST    SASH    ft    DOOR    CO. 

In  recent  years  another  business  along  the 
line  of  finishing  business  materials  and  fur- 
nishing the  finished  goods  for  the  contractor 
and  builder  has  been  started  here.  The  Hurst 
Sash  &  Door  Co.  was  established  under  the 
sole  ownership  of  E.  W.  Hurst  in  December, 
1915,  and  continued  as  such  until  January, 
1919,  at  which  time  owing  to  the  rapidly  in- 
creasing business  and  the  desire  to  expand,  it 
was  organized  into  a  stock  company,  with  the 
following  officers :  E.  W.  Hurst,  president  and 
general  manager,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr.,  vice-pres- 
ident, M.  E.  Hurst,  secretary  and  treasurer. 
This  plant  does  a  general  jobbing  millwork 
business  for  all  classes  of  building  and  carries 
the  usual  accessories  or  side  lines  handled 
by  the  retail  lumber  dealer.  It  furthermore 
carries  in  stock  one  of  the  most  complete 
assortments,  both  in  variety  and  quality,  of 
windows,  doors,  and  hardwood  interior  finish 
handled  in  the  west,  and  by  means  of  several 
traveling  men  is  covering  not  only  Nebraska, 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


245 


but  Colorado,  Wyoming,  and  eastern  Mon- 
tana. 

The  Herman  Nelson  Lumber  and  Supply 
Co.  conduct  both  a  general  lumber  business 
and  a  plant  for  furnishing  finished  millwork 
for  the  builder.  Kruse  Brothers,  contractors 
and  builders,  have  been  equipped  for  furnish- 
ing the  public  with  millwork. 

The  Sothman  Company  is  well  equipped 
to  undertake  building  jobs  and  furnish  var- 
ious products  for  the  work.  Albert  Stehr 
has  reached  that  stage  in  the  contracting  bus- 
iness where  he  can  also  handle  the  entire  job. 

CIGAR    FACTORIES 

By  1887  Grand  Island  has  three  cigar  fac- 
tories in  operation,  that  of  N.  H.  Cohen  which 
was  conducted  for  many  years,  the  Chas. 
Lohmand  factory  which  was  discontinued 
about  1897,  and  the  Henry  Schlotfeld  factory 
which  ran  until  after  1900.  Other  factories 
which  ran  for  a  few  years  were :  Abrahamson 
Bros.,  J.  H.  Delicompson  and  Grand  Island 
Cigar  Co.  at  108  West  Third,  August  Nitsch, 
Brand  &  Denebrink,  Wiereck  Cigar  Co.,  J.  J. 
Windnagel,  Western  Cigar  Co.,  Nitchke  and 
Klintworth,  C.  C.  Lightner,  R.  G.  Desch,  110 
E.  Third,  Peter  Gimple,  Conrad  Maurer, 
Cornelius  Co.,  108  N.  Locust.  Richard  Buenz 
conducted  a  factory  about  twelve  years  ago 
at  114  N.  Locust.  Chas.  Steinmeier  conducted 
a  factory  at  222  N.  Pine,  and  Nielsen  &-Niess 
were  at  311^2  S.  Wheeler  a  few  years  ago. 

One  of  the  most  famous  factories  of  Grand 
Island  was  the  Puritan  which  became  known 
by  that  name  in  1902.  Fred  H,  Michelson 
was  running  a  business  about  1900  and  the 
name  Puritan  became  quite  well-known  by 
the  time  this  factory  had  been  built  up  to  a 
point  where  it  often  employed  as  many  as 
fifty  or  sixty  girls.  It  occupied  the  locations 
where  the  Brunswick  Billiard  hall  and  Davies 
Cafeteria  are  now  running.  Hal  Rowl  after- 
wards conducted  the  Puritan  for  five  years 
as  a  pool  hall  when  it  had  moved  to  Locust 
street,  where  Max  Greenberger's  clothing  and 
tailor  shop  is  now  situated,  and  in  recent  years 
it  has  gone  over  to  Pine  street,  but  it  has 
been  out  of  the  list  of  cigar  factories  for  some 


years.  Hann  &  Boehl  started  their  factory 
at  the  214  West  Second  location  ten  or  eleven 
years  ago.  That  factory  is  now  conducted 
by  the  Hann  Cigar  Co.,  while  for  the  last 
few  years  Arthur  C.  Boehl  has  been  around 
the  corner  at  108  S.  Wheeler  and  117  S. 
Wheeler  with  his  factory  and  store.  Henry 
J.  Voss  has  been  running  a  cigar  factory 
since,  about  1893,  over  twenty-six  years  now. 
He  first  was  located  at  306  West  Third,  but 
the  H.  J.  Voss  &  Son  cigar  factory  has  been 
at  214J4  West  Third  for  the  last  seven  or 
eight  years.  A.  Brandt  started  the  Brandt 
Cigar  Co.  at  109J4  S.  Pine.  F.  C.  Brandt 
had  been  at  113  East  Front  a  few  years  be- 
fore. The  Brandt  Cigar  Co.  is  now  owned 
by  Emil  F.  Rickert,  at  215  East  Third,  where 
it  manufactures  eight  or  ten  well-known 
brands  of  cigars,  including  the  Lincoln  High- 
way. 

A  very  well-known  establishment  of  this 
class  has  been  the  John  W.  Sink  Cigar  Co. 
which  has  operated  at  105j^  East  Third  and 
recently  at  107  East  Third.  The  man  who 
established  this  business,  John  W.  Sink, 
served  in  the  legislature  for  two  terms  and 
became  a  political  worker  of  state-wide  rep- 
utation. In  1918  he  sold  the  business,  but 
it  still  operates,  and  its  traveling  selesmen 
sell  its  goods  clear  to  the  western  border  of 
the  state  and  beyond.  The  Phelps  Cigar  Co. 
operated  for  about  five  years  at  1 13  S.  Locust 
street,  but  recently  the  Dan  C.  Brown  Cigar 
Co.  acquired  that  business.  The  Harkert 
Cigar  Co.  was  at  113  N.  Locust  until  recently. 
No  attempt  has  been  made  to  give  a  detailed 
history  of  the  pool  and  billiard  halls  of  the 
city,  though  occasionally  some  of  them  have 
been  mentioned.  The  Saratoga,  running 
recently  at  116  West  Third,  formerly  was  at 
120  N.   Pine. 

STEAM    LAUNDER  IKS 

Grand  Island  has  had  numerous  laundries 
which  did  not  stay  in  business  very  long,  such 
as  Omaha,  and  Troy,  about  1887,  and  the 
Martha  Washington,  about  that  time.  Thomas 
M.  Hainline  was  handling  laundry  work  at 
620  East  Fifth  by  1889,  and  at  the  end  of 

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246 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  'nineties  the  T.  M.  Ha  inline  &  Son 
Twentieth  Century  Laundry  was  operating 
on  West  Front  street.  The  Hainline  laundry 
in  recent  years  has  been  at  107  East  Front 
street.  Sam  Lee  conducted  the  well  known 
Chinese  laundry  at  1 18  North  Pine  for  some- 
thing like  twenty  years  through  the  'nineties 
and  up  beyond  1910.  The  Model  Laundry 
ran  for  awhile  at  412  West  Third.  Sam  Lee 
had  Chinese  competition  at  times,  notably 
Kee  Lung,  at  116  N.  Pine,  about  1889  and 
1890,  and  Hong  Sing  on  East  Third  about 
1910.  The  main  competitor  to  the  Hainline 
laundry  and  Sam  Lee  has  been  the  Steam 
Laundry.  The  Steam  Laundry  was  estab- 
lished in  1889.  The  firm  of  J.  C.  Alexander 
and  J-  W.  Marsh  then  occupied  an  old  build- 
ing at  512  East  Third,  and  having  found  the 
field  sufficiently  good  for  a  lanudry  built  a 
building  of  their  own.  After  the  retirement 
of  Alexander  &  Marsh,  Jno.  Cunningham  and 
later  a  Mr.  Hall  were  owners,  and  P.  A. 
Dennon  operated  it  for  about  four  years.  The 
laundry  was  at  118  East  Second,  but  is  now 
at  222  East  Third.  Leo.  Loeb  had  it  later. 
Dennon  and  Degan  incorporated  the  business. 
Ralph  Sabin  and  E.  E.  Vollmer  had  been 
running  the  Grand  Island  Model  Laundry 
until  a  corporation  was  effected  about  1915, 
under  the  name  of  Grand  Island  Model  Laun- 
dry and  the  Stean  Laundry  was  absorbed  in 
name.  The  Model  Laundry  is  now  operated 
under  the  supervision  of  T.  M.  Sharp. 

GRAND  ISLAND  CULVERT  &  METAL  WORKS  — 
KELLY  WELL  CO. 
Among  the  industries  of  the  Third  City  of 
Nebraska,  there  are  two  that  are  worthy  of 
special  mention.  The  Grand  Island  Culvert  & 
Metal  Works  is  located  on  North  Oak  street, 
adjoining  the  Union  Pacific  tracks.  This 
plant  is  the  exclusive  manufactory  of  the 
"Genuine  Open  Hearth  Irori"  culverts  in  nor- 
thern Nebraska.  They  make  a  specialty  of 
screw  joint  well  casing,  heavy  riveted  pipe 
for  irrigation  well,  and  are  equipped  to  turn 
out  anything  in  the  metal  tank  line  from  the 
smallest  house  tank  and  garbage  can  to  the 
largest  storage  and  supply  tank.     They  are 


designers  and  manufacturers  of  the  only  cor- 
rugated grain  bin  in  this  section  of  the 
country.  This  concern  is  also  jobbers  for 
furnaces  and  kindred  accessories.  The  man- 
ager of  this  plant  is  Charles  McElroy. 

A  few  years  ago  a  process  for  building  a 
concrete  well  that  not  only  will  not  wear  out 
but  that  can  be  used  in  installing  power  and 
irrigation  systems  was  patented  and  perfected 
by  a  Grand  Island  man,  Wm.  Kelly-  The 
Kelly  Well  Co.,  the  corporation  formed  to 
manufacture  and  market  this  concrete  well 
screen,  is  a  concern  that  threatens  to  acquire 
a  national  fame  for  its  product  and  should  this 
concern  reach  the  success  it  bids  fair  to  at- 
tract it  will  add  to  the  reputation  and  name 
of  Grand  Island  as  plows  did  to  Moline  and 
threshing  engines  did  to  Racine;  Wisconsin. 

THE  HIDE  INDUSTRY 

The  D.  H.  McDonald  Co.  of  Chicago  opened 
a  branch  hide  house  in  this  city  about  1896, 
with  J.  A.  Mitchell  as  manager.  Mr.  Mitchell 
has  been  connected  with  the  hide  and  fur 
business  of  Grand  Island  for  a  great  many 
years.  In  recent  years  he  has  been  manager 
of  the  Chicago  Hide  and  Fur  Co.,  of  which  M. 
M.  Blake  has  been  president  and  Ralph  R. 
Horth  secretary  as  named  in  new  amendment 
to  their  articles  of  incorporation  filed  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1917.  Jas.  S.  Smith  &  Co.  of  Chicago 
established  a  branch  house  here  about  1904, 
which  was  conducted  for  a  number  of  years. 
The  Grand  Island  Hide  &  Fur  Co.  came  into 
this  field  on  September  7,  1918,  with  Win  F. 
Krehmke,  Wm.  Spangenberg,  Frank  I.  Olsen, 
Harry  C.  Lyons  and  Mat  Jarvis  as  incorpor- 
ators. 

FLORAL  INDUSTRY 
J.  H.  Roman  was  running  the  Grand  Island 
Green  House  in  1887  and  Wm.  Dudley  was 
the  nurseryman.  This  was  followed  by  W. 
H.  Jones.  For  twenty  years  Grand  Island  has 
had  two  very  excellent  green  houses,  that  of 
Edward  Williams  and  that  of  John  Ellsworth 
Company,  at  1300  West  Third.  These  two 
firms  ship  cut  floral  designs  all  over  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  state. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


247 


MITCHELL  SERUM  CO. 

A  new  industry  incorporated  for  the  pur- 
pose of  manufacturing  and  selling  serums  for 
(he  treatment  of  hogs  and  other  animals,  the 
buying  and  .selling  of  stock  hogs,  and  slaugh- 
tering of  hogs  and  the  sale  of  hog  products  is 
the  Mitchell  Serum  Co.  Articles  were  filed  in 
April,  1919,  by  James  A.  Mitchell,  Claude 
Pollard,  R.  R.  Horth  and  Chas.  Hanson. 

PRINTING   AND   CALENDERS 

A  few  years  ago  the  Augustine  Company 
was  a  job  printing  office.  This  concern  de- 
cided to  branch  out  into  the  field  of  producing 
calenders.  It  gradually  expanded  in  this  field 
until  a  few  years  ago  it  was  able  to  move  out 
of  its  old  quarters  at  117  East  Third  into  its 
splendid  ornamental  two-story  brick  building 
at  120  East  Second.  The  firm  has  now 
reached. the  stage  where  it  can  keep  several 
traveling  men  out  on  the  road  successfully 
competing  with  Thos.  D.  Murphy  Co.  over 
in  their  own  nest,  in  southwestern  Iowa,  where 
they  can  go  up  against  Brown  &  Bigelow  in 
Minnesota,  and  they  placed  orders  by  mail  all 
over  the  country.  In  the  handling  not  only 
of  calendars,  but  of  any  class  of  specially 
elaborate  printing  jobs  they  compete  with  any 
plant  in  the  state.  It  might  be  remarked  that 
while  the  Augustine  is  the  only  plant  in  town 
reaching  out  over  the  country  for  business, 
yet  Grand  Island  has  four  other  plants  which 
can  and  do  receive  jobs  from  all  over  this  part 
of  the  state  and  turn  out  pretty  classy  work. 
The  Independent  plant  in  former  years  catered 
to  book  binding  work,  but  in  recent  years 
Grand  Island  has  not  offered  a  book  bindery. 
But  with  the  elaborate  presses  now  owned 
by  the  Independent  job  printing  department, 
they  do  not  hesitate  at  any  class  of  printing 
on  the  market.  The  Prompt  Printery  under 
the  excellent  management  of  Thos.  V.  Mc- 
Gowan  has  added  to  their  printing  line  an 
up-to-date  line  of  rubber  stamps  which  they 
manufacture  daily.  This  plant  is  being  merged 
into  The  Thos.  V.  McGowan  Co.,  which  is  a 
new  corporation  entering  the  wholesale  office 
supply  field  as  well  as  printing  field.  Fred 
Hold  confines  his  work  as  formerly  to  com- 


mercial printing,  of  which  he  turns  out  large 
quantities. 

NEBRASKA   TELEPHONE   CO. 

This  company  had  a  plant  in  Grand  Island 
for  a  good  many  years  before  the  consolida- 
tion with  the  Grand  Island  Telephone  Co.  gave 
it  the  local  exchange  exclusively. 

But  very  few  people  may  realize  the  im- 
portance of  this  industry  to  Grand  Island  at 


Nebraska  Telephone  Company  Building 

the  present  time.  The  Nebraska  Telephone 
Co.  has  its  territory  throughout  Nebraska  di- 
vided into  districts.  Grand  Island  is  the  head- 
quarters point  for  the  Grand  Island  district, 
the  largest  in  the  state  in  area.  This  district 
comprises  Merrick  County  and  the  eastern  line 
of  its  territory  runs  along  Hamilton,  Merrick, 
Greeley,  and  Garfield  counties,  along  the  north 
borders  of  Blaine,  Thomas,  Hooker,  and  Grant 
counties,  taking  in  Sheridan,  Dawes,  and 
Sioux  counties,  in  the  northwest  corner  of  the 
state.  Running  south  along  the  Wyoming  state 
line  is  its  western  boundary.    It  covers  all  the 


248 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


state  south  of  the  Platte  River  west  of  Adams 
County.  This  comprises  a  territory  something 
like  half  of  the  state  in  area.  This  is  the  vast 
territory  to  be  managed  out  of  Grand  Island. 
In  this  Grand  Island  district  owned  by  the 
Nebraska  Co.,  are  49  exchanges  and  98  asso- 
ciated with  the  Nebraska  Company  and  for 
which  the  business  is  conducted  through  this 
Grand  Island  office.  Stations  owned  by  the 
Nebraska  Company,  operated  in  this  territory, 
number  22,091  and  something  between  30,000 
and  32,000  owned  by  connecting  companies 


Island  who  would  reside  elsewhere  were  this 
district  office  for  this  territory  not  located  at 
Grand  Island. 

GRAND  ISLAND  TELEPHONE  CO. 

This  company  was  incorporated  in  1903 
under  the  name  of  the  Home  Telephone  Co. 
The  first  officers  were  Chas.  G.  Ryan,  presi- 
dent, H.  J.  Palmer,  vice-president,  Fred  W. 
Ashton,  secretary,  and  Geo.  B.  Bell,  treasurer. 

In  March,  1904,  the  capital  stock  was  in- 
creased to  $75,000,  of  which  $50,000  was  pre- 


Glover  Building,  Grand  Island 
District  offices  Nebraska  Telephone  Co.,  third  floor 


and  operated  out  of  this  office.  Grand  Island 
is  the  toll  center  for  this  vast  territory  and 
the  majority  of  messages  sent  from  and  to 
towns  in  the  west  half  of  the  state  pass 
through  or  are  relayed  through  the  Grand 
Island  station.  Around  one  hundred  people  are 
employed  in  the  office  maintained  here.  The 
district  commercial  manager  is  E.  K.  Halde- 
man,  district  plant  chief,  R.  R.  Hartford,  dis- 
trict traffic  chief,  C.  Y.  Barnes.  Here  also  are 
located  the  district  accountant,  district  in- 
spector, district  foreman,  district  plant  office, 
material  yards,  and  various  other  offices  neces- 
sary to  the  district  work.  The  Grand  Island 
local  exchange  employs  from  forty-eight  to 
sixty  operators.  It  is  safe  to  say  that  over 
100  additional  families  are  stationed  at  Grand 


ferred  stock,  and  in  February,  1910,  it  was 
increased  to  $100,000, 

The  name  was  also  changed  from  the  Home 
Telephone  Co.  to  the  Grand  Island  Telephone 
Company.  The  plant  was  installed  by  J.  F. 
Butterfield  of  Chicago. 

This  company  was  not  organized  from 
money-making  motives  alone  but  to  better  the 
service  and  extend  its  scope  to  a  greater  num- 
ber of  patrons,  the  motto  being  "No  party 
lines." 

After  successfully  managing  the  business  for 
five  years  H.  J.  Palmer  sold  his  interests  to 
Frank  H.  Woods  of  Lincoln,  and  W.  E-  Bell 
and  associates  of  the  York  Telephone  Com- 
pany. Bayard  H.  Paine  bought  out  the  in- 
terests of  a  large  number  of  local  stockholders. 


HISTORY  OF  HAUL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


This  move  strengthened  the  position  of  the 
company  owing  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Woods 
was  president  of  the  National  Independent 
Telephone  Association.  After  running  for 
several  years  under  this  management  the  en- 
tire plant  was  sold  to  the  Nebraska  Telephone 
Co. 

The  officers  of  this  company,  prior  to  its 
sale  at  a  figure  that  enabled  every  stock- 
holder to  take  out  every  dollar  invested  with 
interest  to  the  date  of  his  returns  upon  the 
sale,  were  Bayard  H.  Paine  president,  Frank 
H  Woods,  vice-president,  C.  J.  Palmer,  sec- 
retary and  manager,  and  W.  E.  Bell,  treasurer. 

REVIEW    OP    MISCELLANEOUS   INDUSTRIES 

There  have  been  numerous  industries  which 
have  been  established  and  which  flourished  in 
Grand  Island  and  added  to  the  lustre  of  Hall 
County  that  have  not  been  mentioned  and 
should  not  be  overlooked.  The  light  plants 
and  street  railways  system  have  been  treated 
in  the  chapter  on  the  city  of  Grand  Island 
(its  utilities).  About  1888  Grand  Island  had 
a  little  factory  in  connection  with  the  Lehman 
brick  yard ;  about  1890  J.  O.  Heffelfinger  con- 
ducted a  soap  factory  at  821  North  Plum; 
McAllister  &  James  conducted  a  cornice  works 
about  1890  at  118  West  Third;  John  T.  Gra- 
ham's foundry  manufactured  various  kinds  of 
castings ;  a  cigar  box  factory  was  conducted 
here  about  1914  by  E.  H.  Vieregg;  a  patent 
medicine  factory  was  in  operation  at  Fourth 
and  Pine  streets  about  1888 ;  and  the  Oriental 
Remedy  Co.  was  running  about  1904. 

No  doubt  numerous  small  industrial  enter- 
prises have  been  established  in  the  city  which 
have  been  overlooked,  but  an  effort  has  been 
made  to  give  recognition  to  all  of  the  lines  of 
industrial  initiative  which  has  sprung  forth 
in  the  years  past  in  the  community. 

PRESENT  MISCELLANEOUS  INDUSTRIES 
.  Among  other  industries  in  operation  in  the 
city  at  this  time  are :  L.  M.  Carlson  mattress 
and  auto  top  factory,  East  Second  street; 
Great  Western  Chemical  Co.,  Front  and  Elm 
streets,  which  manufactures  an  animal  remedy 
very  generally   sold  over   the   country ;   the 


Grand  Island  Hide  and  F 
Wheeler ;  Grand  Island  In 
dealers  and  shippers  of  in 
products ;  Grand  Island  L 
111  South  Wheeler,  jobb 
for  the  well-known  Cusht 
engine ;  Grand  Island  Rad 
Louise;  Grand  Island  Roc 
Orloff  Junk  Iron  &  Metal 
Gas  Heating  Co. 

THE  STOCK 
The  old  Grand  Island 
ing  prior  to  1890,  were  i 
part  of  the  city,  under 
Union  Pacific.  Alter  and 
gers  in  1887.  For  the  k 
Union  Stock  Yards  have 
East  Grand  Island.  In  1 
was  secretary  and  manag 
present  time  the  yards  an 
ment  of  the  following  off 
ward,  president,  F.  G.  Cot 
ger,  J.  L.  Johnson,  secret 
plant  is  well  equiped  ft 
amount  of  business  and  c 
accompany  the  stock.  Tl 
ness  may  be  gathered  fro 
led  in  1918,  this  being 
cars  of  cattle,  3,000  cars 
of  hogs,  and  300  cars  of  1 

LOUP  VALLEY  PACK 
Another  industry,  the  s 
bring  considerable  added 
Island  as  an  industrial  cer 
Valley  Packing  Company 
first  organized  by  a  grot 
well  men,  but  many  Hall 
farmers  from  all  arouni 
have  purchased  stock  inte 
and  it  is  opening  up  witl 
customers  as  a  favorable 
tele.  M.  B.  Goodenow  is  ] 
pany,  W.  D.  Hart,  vice-] 
Lean,  secretary,  and  C.  I 
The  capitalization  has  ah 
from  $100,000  to  $200,000 
general  supervising  engin 


i  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Proposed  Addition  to  Loup  Valley  Packing  Co.  Plant,  Grand  Island 


the  Brecht  Co.  of  St.  Louis  for  past  five  years 
and  for  sixteen  years  prior  thereto  general 
superintendent  with  largest  packers  in  Chicago 
and  Indiana,  is  to  be  general  manager,  with 
a  manager  of  twenty-five  years  experience  in 
every  department  of  the  business  from  the 
killing  end  to  the  finished  product.  A  contract 
for  the  plant  to  cost  over  $200,000  has  been 
awarded  to  the  Brecht  Co.  and  the  building  of 
the  same  is  progressing  at  this  time,  1919. 
With  the  growing  proportions  of  the  system 
of  hauling  stock  to  market  in  trucks  for  a  dis- 
tance as  far  as  a  hundred  miles  or  more,  it 
will  be  nothing  startling  to  see  a  vast  amount 
of  cattle  brought  to  Grand  Island  in  trucks 
every  week,  in  the  very  near  future.  This 
saves  at  least  two  haulings  and  a  shrinkage, 


and  a  farmer  can  get  a  line  on  the  market  the 
same  day  he  loads,  and  sells.  Four  years  ago 
there  were  four  unloading  chutes  at  South 
Omaha  to  unload  hogs  from  trucks,  now  there 
are  more  than  eighty  for  unloading  stock 
brought  in  by  motor  transport. 

THE   GRAND  ISLAND 
HORSE,   MULE  AND   CATTLE    MARKET 

The  industry  that  has  probably  done  more 
than  any  other  one  industry  ever  represented 
in  Grand  Island  to  spread  the  name  of  this 
city  over  the  entire  world  and  given  it  fame 
lias  been  the  horse  and  mule  market.  At  var- 
ious times  this  market  has  reached  the  high 
point  in  sales  that  it  could  bring  to  the  city  the 
reputation  of  having  the  second  largest  horse 


Grand  Island  Horse  Market 


1  b»  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


251 


and  mule  market  in  the  world.  This  industry 
has  for  the  last  fifteen  years  brought  a  steady 
stream  of  visitors  to  this  city  to  transact  busi- 
ness from  hundreds  of  miles  to  the  north  and 
west,  and  has  made  this  city  a  sort  of  western 
gateway  to  the  eastern  markets  for  the  wide 
cattle  and  sheep  country  in  northwestern  Ne- 
braska, Wyoming,  and  Montana. 

Grand  Island's  horse  market  has  grown 
from  a  very  small  beginning  in  1903,  when 
4,000  were  sold  through  the  rings,  until  it  has 
reached  its  proud  position  of  second  greatest 
market  in  the  world.  Situated  on  two  of  the 
great  continental  lines  of  railway,  and  in  fact 
at  their  junction,  such  shipping  facilities  have 
made  possible  quick  shipments  in  and  out  of 
Grand  Island.  The  sales  bams  are  situated 
near  the  heart  of  the  city,  covering  some  six 
acres  of-  ground,  with  loading  chutes  and  the 
very  handiest  trackage  on  both  the  Union 
Pacific  and  Burlington  railroads. 

BRADSTREET  &  CLEMENS  CO. 

Thomas  E.  Bradstreet  started  in  the  com- 
mission business  in  Grand  Island  in  1903.  His 
auction  sales  were  the  first  of  a  wholesale  na- 
ture held  in  Grand  Island,  and  numerous  cau- 
tious friends  warned  him  that  such  a  busi- 
ness venture  could  not  succeed  and  that  he 
would  be  flirting  with  bankruptcy.  But  he 
kept  on  for  about  three  years,  when  Jesse 
Clemens  became  associated  with  him.  A 
couple  of  years  later  the  Bradstreet  &  Clem- 
ens Co.  was  incorporated  by  Thos.  E.  Brad- 
street, Jesse  Clemens,  and  P.  L-  Fuller.     In 

1914  A.  H.  Langman,  W.  R.  King,  and  P.  L. 
Fuller  were  associated  with  this  concern.     In 

1915  Thos.  E.  Bradstreet  acquired  the  total 
interest  of  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens  Co., 
which  he  now  owns  with  his  two  sons,  Archie 
L.  and  Deo  Bradstreet. 

Some  idea  of  the  growth  of  the  Grand  Is- 
land market  may  be  given  by  the  figures  show- 
ing the  number  of  head  sold  each  year : 

1903,  head  sold about    4.000 

1904,  "  "  7,184 

1905,  "  "  8,112 

1906,  -  -  7,984 

1907,  -  -  8,604 


1908,  "  "  11,608 

1909,  "  "  11,602 

1910,  "  "  12,413 

1911,  "  "  14,135 

1912,  "  "  15,890 

1913,  "  "  23,922 

1914,  '*  "  26,053 

1915,  "  "  :  37,804 

1916,  "  "  60,274 

1917,  ."  "  51,064 

1918,  "  "  38,156 

In  1917  some  of  the  firms  at  this  market 
commenced  to  handle  cattle,  and  520  were  sold 
that  year.  On  February  2,  1918,  the  Blain 
Horse  &  Mule  Co.  changed  its  corporate  name 
to  Blain  Horse,  Mule  &  Cattle  Co.  The  Grand 
Island  Horse  &  Mule  Co.  did  not  change  its 
corporate  title,  but  on  December  29,  1917,  filed 
amendments  to  its  articles  increasing  its  cap- 
ital stock  from  $25,000  to  $100,000  and  has 
participated  in  the  changing  conditions  and 
purposes  of  this  market.  In  1918,  the  number 
of  cattle  was  9,175,  and  in  1919  cattle  auctions 
are  being  held  regularly  as  well  as  horse  auc- 
tion sales.  The  total  of  the  two  lines  brings 
the  1918  total  up  to  47,331  head  of  stock  alto- 
gether, and  makes  as  good  a  record  as  any 
year  except  1916  and  1917  when  the  greatly 
increased  demands  of  the  foreign  governments 
were  so  pressing  that  the  French  and  British 
governments  erected  temporary  yards  at  Grand 
Island  to  handle  the  horses  purchased  on  this 
market  and  shipped  from  here.  With  the  re- 
adjustment of  conditions  in  the  horse  market 
and  increase  of  the  cattle  sales  here  the  Grand 
Island  market  will  undoubtedly  continue  its 
records  for  steady  Substantial  growth. 

FIRMS  AND  DKALERS  ON  THE  CRAND  ISLAND    . 
MARKET 

The  history  of  this  market  would  not  be 
complete  without  a  record  of  the  firms  and 
dealers  who  have  handled  the  ever  increasing 
business  shown  by  the  record  printed  above. 

The  Bradstreet-Clemens  Co.  built  the  Cen- 
tral Horse  and  Mule  barns  around  which  the 
horse  market  radiated  and  spread.  In  1910, 
they  had  two  barns,  one  70  x  280  ft.  and  one 
68  x  280  ft.,  one  accommodating  twenty-five 
carloads  and  the  other  fifty  carloads  of  horses, 


252 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


with  outside  pens  opposite  the  barns  to  accom- 
modate another  fifty  carloads.  Two  more 
barns  were  built  shortly  thereafter,  and  by 
1919  they  had  five  barns  on  the  market.  For 
a  number  of  years  the  Bradstreet-  Clemens  Co. 
and  the  North-Robinson  Co.  were  the  princi- 
pal dealers  on  the  market.  A  rather  detailed 
history  of  the  North- Robin  son  Co.  has  been 
included  in  the  chapter  on  the  history  of 
Cairo,  where  that  company  started  in  business. 

GRAND  ISLAND  HORSE  AND  MULE  CO. 
On  November  4,  1912,  articles  of  incorpora- 
tion were  filed  for  the  Grand  Island  Horse  and 
Mule  Co.  by  John  Torpey,  Wm.  S.  Fletcher, 
and  Arthur  H.  Langman,  with  a  capital  stock 


Grand  Island  Horse  and  Mule  Co.  Plant 
Second  largest  in  the  world 

of  $25,000.  Their  first  sale  was  a  hummer 
and  from  then  on  they  went  right  ahead.  This 
company  is  still  operating  at  the  market,  with 
A.  H.  Langman  as  president,  A.  C.  Scott  as 
vice-president,  and  John  Torpey  as  secretary- 
treasurer. 

I.  C.  GALLUP  HORSE  AND  MULE  CO. 

Notice  of  formation  of  a  special  partnership 
to  be  called  the  I.  C.  Gallup  Horse  &  Mule 
Co.  was  filed  on  March  18,  1912,  with  the 
county  clerk.  This  partnership  consisted  of  I. 
C.  Gallup,  Wm.  Leddy,  Hughes  &  Robins, 
Arthur  Langman,  Wm.  Fletcher,  and  pro- 
visions were  made  to  take  over  the  I.  C. 
Gallup  stock  and  interest  in  salesbarns  at  the 
Union  Stock  Yards  in  Grand  Island  at  inven- 
tory price. 

THE  HORSE  MARKET  IN   1914 

During   1914  a  little  paper  was  published, 


called  Grand  Island  Horse  and  Mule  Market. 
Vol.  1,  No.  1,  appeared  on  February  19,  1914, 
and  considerable  of  the  information  given  in 
this  chapter  up  to  this  point  has  been  taken 
from  this  little  paper.  From  this  little  paper 
the  following  directory  can  be  offered  of  firms 
and  individuals  dealing  upon  the  Grand  Island 
market  at  that  time :  Bradstreet  &  Clemens 
Co.  (Thos.  E.  Bradstreet,  president,  P.  L. 
Fuller,  vice-president,  W.  R.  King,  secretary- 
treasurer),  auction  sales  every  Monday  until 
May  first,  after  May  first  every  other  Mon- 
day; Grand  Island  Horse  and  Mule  Co.  (H. 
H.  Hoops,  president,  A.  C.  Scott,  vice-presi- 
dent, John  Torpey,  secretary-treasurer),  auc- 
tion sales  every  Tuesday,  giving  John  Torpey 
also  as  general  manager,  and  W.  I  Blain  as 
auctioneer  for  this  company ;  North  &  Robin- 
son Co.,  importers  and  breeders  of  Percheron, 
Belgian,  and  Shire  stallions  and  mares,  an- 
nual auction  sale  at  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens 
Co.  sales  pavillion  March  19  and  20,  1914, 
the  date  upon  which  the  Nebraska  Horse 
Breeders  Association  met  at  Grand  Island ;  J. 
T.  Hale  barns  one  block  west  of  the  Brad- 
street &  Clemens  Co.  bams ;  M.  T.  Bernard, 
three  blocks  west  of  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens 
Co.  barn ;  Alexander  McMillan,  barn  at  804  E. 
Seventh  street ;  Wm.  McMillan,  barns  at  804 
east  Fourth  street ;  John  Torpey,  with  Grand 
Island  Horse  &  Mule  Co.  and  operating  in- 
dividually; Arthur  H.  Langman,  with  Brad- 
street &  Clemens  Co.  and  operating  individu- 
ally; J.  V.  Murphy,  buying  on  orders;  Ed. 
Borders,  individual  dealer.  At  that  time  it 
was  stated  that  mules  were  shipped  from  here 
to  eight  states  at  one  recent  sale. 

BLAIN    HORSE  AND   MULE  CO. 

Articles  of  incorporation  were  filed  for  this 
concern  upon  November  3,  1915,  by  William 
I.  Blain,  Thos.  E.  Bradstreet  and  Will  R. 
King,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.  In 
November,  1918,  the  name  of  the  company 
was  changed  in  notice  filed  by  N.  H.  Troel- 
strup,  president  and  W.  W.  Wimberly,  secre- 
tary to  Blain  Horse,  Mule  &  Cattle  Co.  This 
company  is  still  successfully  operating  upon 
the  Grand  Island  horse  market. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


253 


THE  HORSE  MARKET  IN    1919 

As  has  been  heretofore  remarked,  the  horse 
market  is  beginning  to  revive  from  a  slump 
that  followed  when  the  remarkably  heavy 
"war-sale"  period  of  1916  and  1917  had 
passed.  This  loss  of  business  through  the 
depression  that  followed  is  being  off-set  by 
the  establishment  of  a  growing  cattle  auction 
market  that  will  continue  to  run  along  with 
the  horse  and  mule  market.  At  the  present 
time  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens  Co.,  Blain 
Horse,  Mule  &  Cattle  co.,  Grand  Island  Horse 
&  Mule  Co.,  Dr.  Bernard,  and  Ed  Borders  are 
the  principal  dealers  on  the  market.  The 
Borders  bam  burned  down  in  1918  and  is  be- 
ing rapidly  rebuilt. 

WHOLESALE  HOUSES 
Grand  Island  is  attaining  an  enviable  posi- 
tion as  a  wholesale  and  jobbing  center  among 
the  cities  of  the  state.  As  early  as  1887  the 
city  had  several  wholesale  houses :  Beckoven  & 
Co.  operated  a  wholesale  fruit  business,  as  did 
Hill  &  Hunter ;  Heath  &  Wallichs  were  whole- 
salers of  paper  and  J.  W.  Liveringhouse  for 
creamery  supplies.  Mention  has  been  made  in 
numerous  places  in  this  chapter  and  the  com- 
mercial chapter  of  the  "wholesaling"  activities 
of  various  enterprises  in  the  city.  The  Piatt 
Manufacturing  Co.  operated  about  1890  as 
manufacturers  and  wholesalers  for  candies, 
N".  D.  Piatt  was  president,  J.  Z.  Piatt,  secre- 
tary-treasurer, and  Hugh  Piatt  business  mana- 
ger of  this  company. 

MINTON- WOODWARD  CO. 

Early  in  the  'nineties  a  wholesale  grocery 
was  started  in  Grand  Island  by  the  Minton- 
Woodward  Co.,  in  the  Connell  block.  C.  C. 
Mmton  was  president,  O.  D.  Wright,  vice- 
president,  and  C.  D.  Woodward,  secretary. 
M.  L.  Birney  was  associated  with  them.  About 
1899  the  Donald-Porter  bought  out  the  estab- 
lished successful  business  of  the  Minton- 
Woodward  Co.  J.  Donald,  for  twenty  years 
a  traveling  representative  of  a  Chicago  house, 
his  brother  L-  H.  Donald,  Geo.  W.  Porter,  J. 
W.  Rose  were  officers  of  that  Company.  The 
Minton-Woodward    Company    and    its    suc- 


cessor The  Donald  Co.  have  built  up  a  whole- 
sale grocery  business  that  very  successfully 
competes  with  the  Omaha,  Lincoln,  Sioux 
City,  and  Chicago  jobbing  houses  throughout 
Nebraska,  and  beyond  her  wetsern  border. 
The    Uery-Tolbert    Co ,    a    new    wholesale 


The  Donald  Company  Builhing 

grocery  house,  a  corporation  composed  largely 
of  former  Donald  Co.  employees,  is  opening 
up  in  the  Goehring  building  on  west  Third 
now  being  vacated  by  the  Central  Storage  Co. 
to  make  way  for  this  newest  member  of  Grand 
Island's  wholesale  family. 

DOLAN  FRUIT  CO. 

Following  closely  upon  the  heels  of  the  Min- 
ton-Woodward Co.  the  Dolan  Fruit  Company 
went  into  the  wholesale  field.  M.  L.  Dolan 
was  president  and  C.  C.  Carr,  secretary.  Frank 
J.  Coates  later  became  secretary  of  this  com- 
pany. 

NEBRASKA   MERCANTILE  CO. 

This  company  was  organized  in  1892  at  St. 
Paul,  Nebraska  by  M.  Anderson,  A.  E.  Cady, 
Jens  Wilhelmsen,  and  Geo.  E.  Lane,  and  oper- 
ated as  jobbing  grocers  under  the  caption  of 
M.  Anderson  &  Company  for  three  years.  In 
January,  1895,  Mr  Anderson  retired  from  the 
firm,  and  the  remaing  members  incorporated 
the  Nebraska  Mercantile  Company  of  St.  Paul. 
At  this  time  A.  E.  Cady  was  elected  president. 
Some  time  after  this  a  branch  was  opened  at 
Grand  Island  and  operated  as  such  until  April 
14,  1905,  when  a  seperate  corporation  was 
formed  known  as  the  Nebraska  Mercantile 
company  of  Grand  Island. 


,  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 

;  tired  as  president,  and  C.  C.  Hansen  succeeded 

■  him.  On  May  25,  1917,  the  house  at  St.  Paul 
»  was  consolidated  with  the  Grand  Island  cor- 
s  poration.     A  number  of  Grand   Island  men 

-  own  stock  in  the  company  now. 

r  BROWN  FRUIT  COMPANY 

'  This  wholesale  fruit  concern  was  organized 

t  on  April  14,  1914,  with  H.  H.  Glover  as  presi- 
dent, E.  L.  Brown,  vice-president  and  manag- 

i  er,  F.  C.  Hanaford,  secretary  and  treasurer. 

*  It  began  busines  in  the  400  block  in  a  one-story 

1  cement  building  40  x  100  ft.    Its  business  in- 

■  creased  until  it  was  necessary  in  August,  1917, 

-  to  move  to  Front  and  Pine,  where  it  had  built 
a  new  brick  building,  two  stories  and  basement, 
50  x  140,  equipped  with  modern  banana  and 
refrigerator  rooms  and  every  modern  conven- 
ience. The  business  has  shown  a  steady 
increase  in  volume  since  the  date  of  opening. 
and  now  the  company  keeps  not  less  than 
twelve  men  on  the  road,  selling  throughout  the 
western  half  of  the  state,  through  central  Ne- 
braska and  into  northwest  Kansas,  and  fort}' 
people  are  employed  with  the  company.    The 

}  present  officers  are  E.  L.  Brown,  president 
and  manager,  Chas.  P.  Wasmer,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  J.  D.  Webster,  secretary  and  treas- 

'     urer. 

1  ETTING  CANDY  CO. 

f  This  concern  conducted  a  very  successful 

t  candy  factory  and  wholesale  candy  and  fruit 
business  for  a  number  of  years.    In  its  early 

r  career,  about  1908,  Julius  Boeck  was  presi- 

i  dent,    Wm.    A.    Prince,    secretary,    Michael 

e  Klinge,  treasurer,  Samuel  N.  Taylor,  manager. 

-  Lee  Etting  later  became  secretary ;  in  1914  Lee 
,  Etting  was  president  and  secretary  and  Julius 
e  Boeck,  manager.    This  factory  ran  until  1918. 

when  it  closed  for  a  time,  and  was  purchased 

-  by  The  Donald  Co.,  who  did  not  thereafter 
s     operate  it  as  a  candy  factory. 

i         Not    long   after   that   time   The    Raymore 

f  Candy  Co.  came  to  Grand  Island  and  opened 

f  a  jobbing  candy  house  at  Fourth  and  Walnut. 

.  in    1919.      Albert    W.    Raymore,    Murry  C. 

■~  Alexander  and  Chas.  H.  Justice  are  the  in- 

-  corporators  of  the  Raymore  Candy  Co. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


255 


MOVING    PICTURE    INDUSTRY 

Only  a  few  years  ago,  moving  pictures  were 
in  the  one-reel  experimental  stage.  But  now 
when  this  industry  has  grown  to  a  point  where 
it  is  the  fifth  greatest  industry  in  the  United 
States,  Grand  Island  has  kept  pace  with  her 
record,  and  is  becoming  the  distributing  point 
for  this  part  of  the  state  in  this  line.  Most 
of  the  great  producing  companies  in  the  busi- 
ness maintain  a  film  exchange  in  either  Omaha 
or  Kansas  City,  from  which  the  films  are 
shipped  to  the  theatres  in  this  part  of  the 
state.  But  the  following  article,  published 
in  The  Independent  in  May,  1919,  shows  the 
progress  Grand  Island  has  made  in  this  rap- 
idly growing  industry,  and  within  the  near 
future  Grand  Island  may  possess  film  ex- 
changes from  which  the  pictures  can  be  dis- 
tributed throughout  Central  Nebraska : 

From  being  merely  a  large  and  lively  divi- 
sion point  on  the  Union  Pacific  and  a  stop- 
over for  cross-country  motorists  or  show 
troupes,  Grand  Island  has  gradually  been 
growing  into  a  metropolis  for  a  huge  section 
of  central  Nebraska  during  the  past  Few  years. 

This  has  been  shown,  for  example,  in  the 
automobile  and  accessory  business  in  which 
lines  local  dealers  are  the  distributors  for  a 
great  stretch  of  territory.  In  some  instances 
the  dealers  here  are  distributors  for  several 
states.  In  groceries  Grand  Island  supplies  an 
nnmense  area  and  this  is  true  as  well  in  fruit. 
Horses  sold  on  the  local  market  go  to  the 
southern  states  from  which  buyers  travel  here 
weekly.  In  paper  goods  the  local  houses  sup- 
ply communities  many  dozens  of  miles  distant. 

Most  recently  among  such  industries  has 
been  organized  a  packing  company  which 
promises  to  give  the  city  a  substantial  boost. 
:  While  on  the  topic  of  Grand  Island's  prom- 
|inent  position  in  Nebraska  it  might  seem 
trivial  and  irrelevant  to  mention  that  the  film, 
"Bolshevism  on  Trial,"  was  screened  at  a 
private  sitting  in  the  Lyda  theatre  Thursday. 
The  spectators  included  a  group  of  local  bus- 
iness men  and  also  exhibitors  from  a  number 
of  towns  in  nearby  counties. 

But  this  private  screening  is  not  just  an 
incident.  It  is  both  a  development  and  a  proof 
of  the  city's  increasing  importance.  *  It  wasn't 
the  first  film  to  be  privately  screened  here, 
although  perhaps  it  was  the  first  which  others 
than  exhibitors  and  their  friends  witnessed. 
The  "outsiders"  were  invited  to  appear  merely 


because  the  film  pretends  to  show  what  Bol- 
shevism would  mean  to  this  country. 

During  the  past  two  or  three  months  films 
have  been  screened  privately  here  by  the  ex- 
changes in  order  that  exhibitors  from  this  and 
towns  in  a  radius  of  50  miles  or  so  might 
decide  if  they  wanted  these  pictures,  and  for 
how  long  a  run  they  wanted  to  sign  up.  These 
private  exhibitons  have  been  held  at  different 
theatres.  This  system  of  selling  pictures  is, 
because  of  Grand  Island's  standing  in  the 
state,  gradually  supplanting  the  former 
method  of  salesmanship  through  illustrated 
advertisement  or  through  the  oratory  of 
traveling  agents. 

LOCAL   PICTURE   INDUSTRY 

About  eleven  years  ago,  the  Jewel  theatre, 
with  a  seating  capacity  of  about  300,  opened 
at  106  East  Third.  The  Lyric,  the  first  picture 
theatre,  was  running  at  1 16  S.  Locust,  with  a 
seating  capacity  of  250,  L.  A.  Loeb,  manager. 

The  Michelson  theatre  was  built  about 
.eleven  years  ago,  at  116-118  North  Pine,  with 
Fred  H.  Michelson  as  proprietor,  and  John  O. 
Becker  as  manager. 

In  1910  G.  C.  Dewey  owned  the  Jewel 
theatre  and  Cloud  Smith  was  managing  the 
Michelson  theatre.  The  Lyric  was  still  run- 
ning at  116  S.  Locust. 

In  1911  and  1912  the  Lyric,  Jewel  and 
Michelson  were  still  operating ;  the  Lyda  had 
been  opened  on  West  Third  by  S.  A.  Hayman, 
and  the  Empress  theatre  had  been  opened  on 
North  Locust. 

Soon  thereafter  the  Jewel  left  the  stage,  and 
in  1914-15  the  Empress,  Lyric,  Lyda  and 
Michelson  were  continuing  and  the  Majestic, 
a  new  theatre  built  on  west  Second  across 
the  street  from  the  postoffice,  appeared.  J.  A. 
Woostenholm,  in  1918,  remodeled  and  en- 
larged this  playhouse  until  it  is  one  of  the 
most  beautiful  huoses  in  the  state.  The  mov- 
ing picture,  vaudeville  and  stock  company 
theatres  for  the  past  four  years  have  been, 
the  Empress,  managed  by  W.  D.  Fisher,  the 
Michelson,  managed  by  F.  M.  Mitchell,  the 
Majestic  and  the  Lyda  continuing  under  their 
same  managements. 

THE   AUTOMOBILE   INDUSTRY 
An   industry   that  bids   fair  to  becc 


SSbgle 


256 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


paramount  importance  not  only  throughout 
the  country,  but  especially  to  Grand  Island 
and  Hall  County  is  the  automobile  industry, 
with  its  kindred  branches,  trucks,  tractors, 
motorcycles,  tires,  batteries,  and  various  ac- 
cessory lines. 

When  it  is  reflected  that  Nebraska  has  now 
over  250,000  automobiles  in  use,  with  scores 
being  added  to  the  list  practically  every  day, 
and  that  the  state  possesses  the  greatest  per 
capita  ownership  of  cars  of  any  state  in  the 
Union,  one  for  less  than  every  seven  persons, 
this,  the  second  or  third  greatest  industry  in 
the  country,  ranking  up  next  to  agriculture 
and  vying  with  the  transportation  (railroad, 
steamships  and  electric  lines),  its  importance 
becomes  emphasized. 

With  the  growth  of  this  industry,  the  im- 
portance of  Grand  Island  as  the  hub  of  a  large 
area  of  Nebraska  also  becomes  emphasized. 

During  March,  1919,  a  few  enterprising 
auto  dealers  in  Grand  Island  conceived  the 
idea  of  arranging  an  auto  show,  and  the  same 
was  arranged  and  prepared  upon  very  short 
notice.  Just  prior  to  this  first  show,  which 
will  no  doubt  become  an  annual  affair  increas- 
ing yearly  in  size  and  importance,  the  Inde- 
pendent prepared  an  article  upon  the  history 
of  the  automobile  business  which  so  fully 
covered  that  subject  that  it  is  worthy  of  being 
incorporated  in  this  work  to  cover  that  phase 
of  the  industrial  history  of  Hall  County: 

Only  a  few  weeks  ago  The  Independent's 
news  columns  related  that  the  Grand  Island 
dealers  in  automobiles,  in  tractors  and  all  other 
motor-driven  machinery  or  vehicles  had  met 
and  decided  to  put  on  an  automobile  show  at 
the  auditorium.  In  an  incredibly  short  time 
these  dealers  have  arranged  for  a  complete 
and  splendid  exhibit.  It  will  begin  on  Wed- 
nesday and  continue  throughout  the  week. 

The  story  of  the  development  and  growth 
of  the  automobile  business  in  Grand  Island 
is  really  a  most  interesting  one.  The  first 
dealer  The  Independent  recalls  was  also  a 
manufacturer.  This  dealer  was  Mr.  Albert 
Lykke,  a  mechanic  who  is  still  a  resident  of 
the  city.  His  was  not  the  first  car,  if  we  recall 
correctly.  Dr.  Kirby,  more  recently  of  Kear- 
ney, had  the  first  horseless  carriage  or 
"benzine  buggy"  as  it  was  also  called,  and 
many  there  were  who  ridiculed  the  idea  of  a 


doctor  depending  on  a  contraption  like  that, 
steered  by  a  sort  of  handle,  to  get  to  bis 
patients.  God  pity  the  poor  sufferers  in  many 
cases !  Why,  a  machine  like  that  couldn't 
run  through  mud  when  the  roads  were  wet, 
or  sand  if  they  were  dry  1  And  what  would 
he  do  if  the  gasoline  would  run  out  or  catch 
firel  Incidentally  this  car,  a  two-seated  affair, 
much  of  the  size  and  appearance  of  the 
present  Ford  runabout,  but,  if  the  recollection 
is  correct,  without  a  top,  was  later  destroyed 
by  fire,  but  not  until  it  had  been  in  use  several 
years.  Mr.  Lykke  made  his  own  machine, 
gasolene  engine  and  all.  It  was  a  decidedly 
creditable  and  ingenious  piece  of  work. 

Mr.  Lykke  was,  and,  indeed,  is  yet  to  be, 
complimented  for  it.  But  the  muffler  cut  out 
was  not  then  perfected  and  the  vehicle  nat- 
urally did  some  quite  audible  "chug-chug- 
gin."  In  those  days  ever  more  than  today  — 
and  it  is  bad  enough  even  now  —  there  was 
a  disposition  to  regard  a  newspaper  as  com- 
mon property  especially  for  voicing  complaints 
-and  grievances  by  individuals  against  other 
individuals,  using  the  newspaper  editor  or 
reporter  as  a  shield  or  screen.  Moreover  the 
average  equine,  a  long  line  of  ancestry  having 
been  accustomed  to  seeing  carriages  move  only 
when  drawn  by  their  kind,  showed  a  fervid 
determination  to  dash  through  the  first  handy 
plate  glass  window  upon  seeing  a  buggy  move 
along  without  power.  It  was  something  mys- 
tifying to  Old  Dobbins  and  terrifying  to  young 
Dobbins.  It  was  super-equine!  It  was  un- 
canny" !  And  to  the  horse-perception  the 
entire  apparition,  upon  coming  nearer,  and 
upon  evidencing  explosion  after  explosion,  it 
was  —  it  was  —  well,  it  was  good  night  for 
his  horseshipl  He  didn't  —  and  Mrs.  Horse 
was  not  a  whit  more  composed  —  care  where 
he  was  going  if  only  he  was  on  the  way. 
Owners  and  drivers  of  horses,  as  a  matter  of 
course,  protested.  Many  complaints  were  thus 
made  to  the  newspapers.  It  was  a  news- 
paper's duty,  the  complainants  alleged,  to 
propergander  against  such  devilish  inventions. 
Regulations  councilmanic  were  proposed,  and 
some  found  their  way  into  enactment.  But 
gradually  an  additional  car,  and  another,  and 
another,  appeared.  With  them  came  the 
muffler,  the  pneumatic  tire,  and  —  well,  take 
a  long  jump  and  you'll  be  at  the  opening  of 
the  show  next  Wednesday. 

But  before  getting  away  from  the  first  days 
of  the  automobile  in  Grand  Island  the  narrator 
recalls  an  incident  that  will  be  interesting  in 
view  of  the  practice  of  the  medical  profession 
today.  When  Dr.  Kirby  initiated  the  revolu- 
tion   already    chronicled,    the    lamented    Dr. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Henry  D.  Boyden  had  just  developed  a  large 
and  lucrative  practice.  At  his  home  place, 
the  present  Chas.  G.  Ryan  residence,  he  always 
kept  two  fine,  fast  coach  horses.  Dr.  Boyden 
was  a  man  of  much  energy  and  concentration 
of  purpose.  He  lost  no  time  in  answering 
calls.  His  purchases  of  locomotive  power  — 
equines  —  were  always  with  that  point  in 
view.  He  spared  no  investment  in  horse  flesh. 
Big,  strong,  long-limbed  fellows  were  his 
choice.  The  reporter  interviewed  Dr.  Boyden 
off  the  subject  of  the  preferable  mode  of 
covering  territory  —  the  buzz  wagon  or  the 
well  bred  horse.  For  a  long  time  Dr.  Boyden, 
perhaps  partly  because  of  an  acquired  love 
of  a  good  equine  outfit,  adhered  faithfully 
to  the  latter.  Today  —  but  today  no  physician 
is  without  one  or  more  of  the  horseless 
carriages. 

Perhaps  as  many  as  several  hundred  cars 
were  sold  in  Grand  Island  by  "local  agents" 
without  "stock  cars"  or  a  regular  place  now 
called  a  garage.  Among  such  agents  were 
Lee  Huff,  connected  with  the  telephone  com- 
pany, now  state  agent  for  the  Buicks  at 
Omaha.  One  of  the  first  firms  going  ex- 
tensively into  the  business  was  W.  H.  Harri- 
son &  Sons.  This  was  not  earlier  than  1910. 
It  was  a  side  business,  the  firm  retaining  as 
the  main  business  that  of  lumber  and  coal. 
The  Harrison  Battery  Station  is  the  successor, 
established  in  1915.  It  is  the  Willard  service 
station,  and  distributor  for  nine  counties.  It 
also  distributes  car  loads  from  the  factory  to 
points  in  Wyoming  and  Colorado.     . 

£.  H.  Brandes,  with  E.  A.  Brandes  as  man- 
ager, established  the  first  large  special  build- 
ing and  garage  in  1913.  He  came  to  this  city 
from  Hastings,  although  originally  from  Min- 
neapolis, and  after  looking  over  the  city  and 
its  railroad  facilities,  decided  that  it  was  a 
good  point  for  an  automobile  distribution  bus- 
iness. He  believed  people  would  quickly 
learn  to  buy  their  cars  at  home  from  an 
established  house  rather  than  from  individual 
agents  or  directly  at  Omaha.  A  large  build- 
ing was  erected  for  him  at  Second  and  Pine 
streets.  The  business  rapidly  grew  until  now 
he  is  occupying  three  separate  buildings, 
covering  combined  floor  space  of  19,460  feet 
and  has  thirty  employees.  Out  of.  the  sales 
department  over  600  Willys-Knight  and  Over- 
land cars  were  sold  during  1918,  250  of  which 
were  driven  out  of  Grand  Island  to  the  var- 
ious dealers  over  the  territory.  The  firm 
also  handles  the  Franklin  and  Packard  cars 
and  the  Commerce  trucks.  It  has  complete 
repair  shop  and  a  battery  repair  shop.  All 
kinds  of  accessories  are  handled  as  also  the 


Indian,  Excelsior,  and  Henderson  motorcycles 
and  a  complete  line  of  bicycles. 

The  Cummings  Motor  Car  company  was 
established  in  1912.  It  has  15,000  feet  of 
ground  floor.  It  is  agent  for  the  Raulang 
electric  and  the  Chandler  Six  car. 

The  Glass-Evans  Auto  company  organized 
with  V.  E.  Evans  as  president,  J.  B.  Glass 
as  secretary-treasurer,  Bert  E.  Watson  as 
superintendent,  and  E.  C.  Burger  as  vice-pres- 
ident in  1911.  They  are  agents  for  the  Ford 
car  and  the  Fordson  tractor.  They  also  con- 
duct a  wholesale  accessory  business.  A  year 
ago  they  completed  a  fine  building  and  occupy 
28,000  square  feet  of  floor  space.  The  build- 
ing has  a  capacity  of  200  cars  and  was  erected 
at  a  cost  of  $75,000. 

The  Grand  Island  Rubber  Works,  with 
H.  M.  Watson  proprietor,  began  business  in 
1910  repairing  tires.  Since  then  it  has  taken 
on  the  agency  for  the  Exide  storage  battery 
and  auto  accessories.  It  is  the  Diamond  Tire 
service  station. 

William  Goettsche,  agent  for  the  Harley- 
Davidson  motorcycle  and  bicycles,  together 
with  accessories  for  the  same,  established  him- 
self in  business  in  1913  and  is  rapidly  expand- 
ing his  line.  Mr.  Goettsche  will  display  a 
picture  showing  the  first  American  soldier 
who  crossed  the  border  into  Germany  after 
the  armistice  was  signed.  This  soldier  went 
across  on  a  Harley-Davidson  motorcycle.  Mr. 
Goettsche  has  been  the  agent  for  this  motor 
for  Merrick,  Adams  and  Howard  counties  as 
well  as  for  Hall. 

The  Everhart  Rubber  Works,  with  V.  R. 
Everhart  proprietor,  established  a  service 
station  in  1915  for  the  Goodyear  and  Miller 
tires.    It  also  carries  a  line  of  accessories. 

F.  F.  Kanert  also  has  a  large  garage  in  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  building,  beginning  business  in 
1914.  He  bought  out  the  Harrison  &  Reid 
agency  and  handles  the  Auburn,  Grant,  and 
Maxwell  cars  besides  doing  a  general  repair 
business.  Long  prior  to  1914  Mr.  Kanert  was 
recognized  as  one  of  the  best  auto  mechanics 
in  the  country  and  drove  the  first  Maxwell 
ever  brought  to  the  city. 

The  first  Oldsmobile  truck  to  come  to 
Grand  Island  will  be  in  the  show  and  the 
Messrs.  Dunn  and  Butler,  of  the  local  firm, 
expect  to  ship  them  to  Grand  Island  in  corload 
lots  soon.  The  Oldsmobile  Motor  company, 
with  J.  M.  Dunn  as  manager,  began  business 
in  1917.  It  is  agent  for  the  Oldsmobile  and 
Federal  trucks.  Mr.  Dunn  came  to  this  city 
from  Lincoln. 

Teeter  &  Homan  came  to  this  city  from 
Holbrook  in  1916  and  established  an  agency 


258 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


for  the  Dodge  cars  and  Republic  trucks.  They 
cover  ten  counties.  This  firm  recently  pur- 
chased the  Boyden  residence  property  at  Sec- 
ond and  Sycamore  for  $15,000  and  expect  to 
erect  a  garage  and  sales  building  in  1920  equal 
if  not  superior  to  gny  in  this  part  of  the  state. 

H.  P.  Hansen  established  an  agency  for 
the  Reo  cars  and  trucks  in  1914.  Mr.  Hansen 
was  formerly  in  the  retail  business  but  finds 
the  automobile  decidedly  more  fascinating. 

The  Gibbs  Automobile  company  is  one  of 
the  largest  concerns  of  the  city,  comprising 
George  Gibbs  and  Ed  Guthman.  It  began 
business  in  1916.  It  is  the  agent  for  the 
Studebaker  car  and  covers  sixteen  counties. 
Mr.  Guthman  came  to  this  city  from  Salt 
Lake  City.  Mr.  Gibbs  is  an  old  Grand  Island 
man,  and  has  been  very  successful  in  the  new 
business. 

The  Richey-Freeman  Auto  company  has 
just  begun  business  with  W.  O.  Ritchey, 
recently  of  York,  and  C.  B.  Freeman,  George 
Fleming,  and  L.  W.  Van  Horn,  of  western 
Nebraska,  interested.  They  are  the  agents  for 
the  Buick  and  the  Dort  cars.  Arrangements 
are  being  made  for  the  erection  of  one  of 
the  finest  garage  buildings  in  the  city  next 
year,  at  Third  and  Kimball  avenues  on  the 
old  Pierce  livery  barn  location. 

The  Grand  Island  Motor  company,  consist- 
ing of  William  Cords  and  John  Sass,  began 
business  in  1918  and  handle  the  Chevrolet  cars 
and  Allis-Chalmers  tractors. 

The  Nielson  Auto  company,  with  Niels  E. 
Nielson  proprietor,  began  business  in  1916 
and  handles  the  Nash  and  Allen  cars  and 
trucks.  It  also  does  a  general  garage  and 
repair  business. 

The  Grand  Island  Tire  &  Rubber  company, 
with  Roy  E.  Geise  proprietor,  began  business 
in  1918,  Mr.  Geise  coming  to  this  city  from 
Council  Bluffs.  He  handles  all  kinds  of  auto 
accessories  and  U.  S.  and  Fisk  tires. 

The  Gates  Half  Sole  service  station,  with 
C.  A.  Lee  proprietor,  began  business  in  1919, 
coming  to  this  city  from  Omaha.  Mr.  Lee 
is  confident  that  the  automobile  and  accessory 
business  of  the  Third  City  will  grow  with 
more  rapid  strides  than  any  other  industry. 

Recently  Fred  Gilbert  has  taken  the  district 
agency  for  a  large  number  of  counties  for  the 
Maxwell  line  and  established  a  distributing 
house  at  415  West  Third.  F.  F.  Kaner  is 
removing  to  California.  Farm  Power  Co.  is 
handling  Fordson  tractors  next  door  west  of 
Glass-Evans  Co.  Worth  Alexander  has  a 
garage  at  222  Fourth  street.    The  Roy  Brown 


garage  at  524  E.  Fourth  street  is  another 
north  side  garage.  (Other  north  side  garages 
are  the  Highline  garage  at  417  West  Fourth 
and  Zlomke  garage  on  North  Pine  street.) 
The  importance  of  the  taxi  business  to  a 
city  the  size  of  Grand  Island  which  is 
without  a  street  car  system  may  be  realized 
by  the  fact  that  at  times  as  high  as  sixty-two 
taxi  licenses  have  been  in  effect  in  the  city. 
The  Koehler  Taxi  Line  (C.  B.  Havens  Trans- 
fer Co.),  Grand  Island  Taxi  company,  Mc- 
intosh Taxi  Lines,  are  companies  that  operate 
several  cars  apiece,  and  there  are  two  or  three 
dozen  individuals  operating  one  or  more  cars 
for  this  purpose.  Nielsen  &  Petersen  have 
had  constructed  a  large  moving  truck  that  can 
carry  up  to  two  or  three  tons  of  household 
goods  or  other  loads,  if  they  desire  to  load  it 
so  heavily.  Central  Storage  Co.,  Jim  Hughes, 
Roy  Brown,  have  good  sized  moving  and 
transfer  trucks  now.  Moving  across  country 
is  becoming  more  common  as  the  roads  im- 
prove. In  1918  several  parties  moved  their 
household  goods  between  Grand  Island  and 
Lincoln  by  truck  and  van.  This  method  saves 
from  two  to  three  handlings  of  the  goods  and 
eliminates  a  great  deal  of  packing.  The  Man- 
hattan, and  B.  &  I.  Oil  companies  have  had 
branch  distributing  stations  here  for  some 
time.  The  Standard  Oil  company  built  a 
splendid  filling  station  at  the  southeast  corner 
of  Second  and  Pine.  The  Manhattan  Oil 
company  is  just  completing  a  splendid,  orna- 
mental station  at  the  corner  of  Second  and 
Wheeler.  The  Sinclair  Oil  company  is  search- 
ing for  a  suitable  location,  and  a  station  is 
soon  to  be  built  on  the  familiar  triangle  be- 
tween Locust,  Wheeler,  and  Division,  where 
the  Linderman  residence  stands  by  the  B.  &  L 
Oil  company.  The  importance  of  these  estab- 
lishments is  effectually  emphasized  by  their 
acquisition  and  ability  to  profitably  use  some 
of  the  most  valuable  business  corner  locations 
in  the  city. 

Other  automobile  businesses  in  this  city, 
handled  in  the  past  and  not  heretofore  men- 
tioned, have  been,  W.  E.  Rownd,  221  East 
Third,  automobile  accessories,  repairs  and 
livery,  as  early  as  1902;  C.  J.  Donner  &  Son, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


259 


114  S.  Pine  street;  Hart  Gun  Co.,  103  East 
Third,  as  early  as  1908  and  1909;  Branaman 
Bros,  operated  under  that  name  at  the  pres- 
ent Brandes  location  in  1911  and  1912;  Upper- 
man  &  Leiser  and  Henry  Stratman  were  then 
handling  automobiles  as  well  as  agricultural 
implements.  There  were  three  garages  in  the 
city  in  1911,  the  Cummings,  Harrison  &  Reid, 
and  Rownd.  E.  R.  Farmer  operated  in  1914 
at  116  W.  Fourth,  but  has  sold  this  garage 
since  then.  The  Independent  Garage  Co.,  224 
East  Fourth,  Jarvis  Auto  Co.,  120  East  Sec- 
ond, and  Western  Auto  Exchange,  114  South 
Pine,  were  also  operating  in  1914.  In  1919 
there  were  the  Dahlstrom  garage,  now  the 
Gibbs  Auto  Co.  garage,  Graham  Auto  Co., 
109  East  Second,  which  handled  the  Buick 
for  this  territory.  Upon  Mr.  Graham's  death 
in  1918  the  Buick  agency  was  taken  over  by 
Ritchey-Freeman  Co.  and  the  Brandes  garage 
was  the  successful  bidder  for  this  location,  in 
which  they  placed  their  repair  shop  and  ac- 
cessory salesroom.  C.  H.  Sems  was  at  121 
North  Cedar,  Walters  &  Marsh  at  112  South 
Pine,  the  Tire  Hospital  at  1 15  North  Second, 
and  Third  City  Auto  Co.,  at  118  South 
Wheeler. 

In  addition  to  the  wonderful  growth  and 
multiplicity  of  makes  of  automobiles  from 
which  the  purchaser  of  this  day  has  to  choose, 
there  are  already  something  like  two  hundred 
makes  of  trucks  and  a  similar  number  of 
tractors  on  the  market,  with  more  being 
offered  each  month.  A  short  discussion  of 
the  general  growth  of  the  automobile  and 
kindred  industries,  written  by  V.  E.  Evans, 
of  the  Glass-Evans  company,  in  April,  1919, 
is  herewith  offered : 

Ten  years  ago  the  automobile  business  was 
in  its  infancy  and  a  few  of  us  that  were  so 
engaged  were  classed  with  the  village  black- 
smith, absolutely  no  credit,  and  for  places  of 
business  we  generally  had  to  occupy  some  old 
abandoned  shack,  generally  the  worst  appear- 
ing building  in  the  town,  and  when  you  called 
upon  one  of  these  places  of  business  you 
expected  to  see  as  its  manager  a  greasy  man 
with  his  overalls  and  jumpers  sufficiently 
saturated  that  they  would  almost  stand  alone. 
Now  we  think  this  a  fair  interpretation  of  the 
pioneer  garage  man.     The  contrast  of  them 


today  is  so  great  that  it  would  almost  seem 
like  an  impossibility  for  so  great  a  transforma- 
tion to  take  place,  in  face  of  the  fact  that  the 
business  was  so  inadequately  equipped  in  the 
beginning,  and  today  we  stand  foremost  in  the 
cities  and  villages  throughout  our  country  as 
a  representative  business. 

The  possibilities  of  the  business  and  its 
permanency  was  conceived  by  a  progressive 
class  of  business  men  who  took  upon  their 
shoulders  to  establish  the  business  that  was 
heretofore  considered  very  treacherous  to  the 
country's  finances.  The  bankers  who  have 
always  been  admitted  to  be  the  country's  fore- 
most financial  advisors,  were  against  and  dis- 
couraged their  customers  in  buying  auto- 
mobiles, mainly  refusing  to  loan  money  for 


Ford  Rut 


,  Grand  Islam 


their  purchase.  Conscientious  no  doubt,  in 
their  convictions,  but  very  mistaken  in  their 
ideas,  which  has  been  proved  by  the  thousands 
of  cars  that  have  been  delivered,  and  yet  the 
financial  conditions  are  better  today  than  they 
have  ever  been  in  our  history. 

Throughout  the  state  of  Nebraska  the  car 
dealers  have  the  best  buildings,  and  most  up- 
to-date  places  of  business  of  any  state  in  the 
union,  and  my  experience  has  been  that  as 
a  rule  they  have  better  systems  and  service 
installed  than  the  average  merchant  of  today. 

When  a  country  becomes  so  commercially 
industrious  as  ours  it  is  a  continuous  race 
against  time,  and  every  time-saving  device  that 
can  be  installed  finds  a  ready  market  and  I 
can  cheerfully  say  that  the  automobile  saves 
more  time  than  any  other  invention  today. 

The  automobiles  of  today  carry  more  people 
to  and  from  their  industries  and  work  in  the 
cities  than  the  street  cars.  In  the  city  of 
Chicago  today,  it  would  be  impossible  for  the 
street  cars  and  elevated  lines  to  carry  the 
traffic  were  it  not  for  the  automobiles.  This 
would  necessitate  the  building  of  a  subway 
which  would  cost  millions,  and  in  New  York 
where   they   have   the   subway,   surface   and 


260 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


elevated  lines,  the  automobile  carries  more 
passengers  than  either. 

Taking  the  rural  districts  into  consideration. 
Throughout  the  summer  months,  when  the 
farmer's  time  means  money  to  him,  think  of 
the  inconveniences  of  not  being  equipped  with 
an  automobile  when  it  is  necessary  for  him 
to  make  as  high  as  eight  or  ten  trips  a  week 
to  the  city  to  purchase  repairs  and  materials 
to  successfully  carry  on  his  business.  If  he 
had  to  resort  to  a  slow  team  of  horses,  it 
would  require  a  half  day  to  make  the  same 
trip  which  now  requires  only  one  hour  with 
an  auto,  and  especially  during  the  acute  short- 
age of  farm  labor  which  we  experienced  last 
summer.  There  ought  not  be  any  question  in 
your  mind  as  to  the  importance  of  the  auto- 
mobile and  its  duties. 

Our  great  country  has  in  its  bounds 
5,000,000  automobiles  today,  owned  and  op- 
erated by  our  most  progressive  business  men 
with  a  carrying  capacity  of  one-fourth  of  our 
entire  population.  In  other  words,  we  have 
sufficient  auto  conveyance  to  transport  25,- 
000,000  passengers  over  one  hundred  miles 
in  any  one  day,  and  under  the  very  hoods  of 
these  cars  is  a  representative  power  of  ap- 
proximately 150,000,000  horse  power,  which 
is  three  times  greater  than  all  the  other  motive 
powers  combined.  This  enormous  growth  has 
taken  place  in  the  last  ten  years  and  ought  to 
be  convincing  evidence  of  the  automobile 
industry  and  its  permanency. 

Motor  trucks  less  than  two  years  ago  made 
their  first  appearance  in  our  community. 
Today  they  are  shown  by  all  of  the  leading 
firms  of  our  city,  as  well  as  others  through- 
out the  state  and  many  of  them  enjoyed  the 
sales  of  40  or  50  trucks  during  the  season ; 
they  also  have  proved  themselves  beyond  a 
possible  doubt,  as  essential  as  the  automobile. 
Every  farmer,  as  well  as  merchant,  can  no 
doubt  realize  a  great  saving  in  their  use  when 
he  has  an  occasion  to  haul  a  load. 

Within  a  radius  of  50  miles  of  Omaha  there 
is  more  live  stock  delivered  to  Omaha  stock 
market  with  motor  trucks  than  by  railroad. 
With  our  national  system  of  highways  com- 
pleted, which  is  the  crying  need  of  our  land, 
the  tonnage  transportation  of  trucks  will  ex- 
ceed that  of  railways. 

General  Coleman  Dupont,  in  a  recent  ad- 
dress to  the  farmers  on  the  high  cost  of  living 
and  its  relations  to  the  distribution  of  farm 
products  on  good  roads,  made  the  statement 
that  can  hardly  be  disputed,  when  he  said 
that  more  than  5,000,000,000  tons  of  freight 
pass  over  the  highways  of  this  country  with 


an  average  haul  of  little  under  10  miles  on 
macadamized  roads  at  not  to  exceed  8  cents 
per  ton. 

In  the  year  1917  there  was  manufactured 
and  delivered  approximately  190,000  trucks, 
as  compared  with  250,000  during  1917  and 
with  an  estimated  production  of  290,000  dur- 
ing 1919,  is  a  very  satisfactory  growth  enjoyed 
by  the  truck  manufacturers.  The  above 
figures  alone  ought  to  eliminate  any  question 
in  your  mind  as  to  your  transportation 
problem. 

The  evolution  of  farm  power  from  ox  teams 
of  the  early  settlers  to  the  tractor  of  the 
modern  farmer  has  taken  place  also  within 
the  last  few  years,  and  since  the  introduction 
of  the  first  tractor  there  has  been  such  a 
growing  demand  that  the  industry  itself  has 
been  unable  to  cope  with  the  situation.  The 
final  manifestation  of  this  is  the  powerful, 
economical  and  efficient  power-farming  ma- 
chinery, therefore,  again  we  have  demon- 
strated the  further  need  of  motive  power. 

The  farmer  that  can  fill  up  his  tractor  with 
a  few  gallons  of  kerosene  and  proceed  with 
the  proper  seeding  of  two  or  three  hundred 
acres  of  land,  and  in  this  manner  increase  his 
acreage  4  or  5  hundred  per  cent  over  horse- 
power, ought  not  to  be  blamed  for  investing 
his  money  in  a  farm  tractor,  and  throughout 
the  very  intense  heat  of  the  summer  season, 
when  it  is  most  necessary  to  harvest  crops  in 
order  to  save  them,  is  able  to  do  the  same 
amount  of  work  that  he  could  do  in  cooler 
parts  of  the  year  but  would  be  impossible  for 
him  to  perform  with  horse-power. 

I  have  endeavored  in  the  above  three 
articles  in  treating  on  automobiles,  trucks  and 
farm  tractors,  to  prove  to  you  that  the  auto- 
mobile business  is  permanent,  and  our  lines 
answer  the  needs  of  as  many  wants  and  es- 
sentials as  any  mercantile  business  in  exist- 
ence, but  which  was  heretofore  scoffed  at  and 
was  considered  a  luxury  and  detrimental  to 
the  public  welfare. 

BICYCLE  INDUSTRY 
The  importance  of  Grand  Island,  with  its 
network  of  railroads  centering  here,  as  a  dis- 
tributing point  for  the  state  has  again  been 
recognized.  This  time  the  city  has  been 
chosen  as  the  central  distributing  point  for 
the  entire  state,  outside  of  Omaha  and 
Douglas  counties,  for  distributing  bicycles 
and  motorcycles.  As  a  result  the  first  car- 
load  shipments   of  bicycles   and  motorcycles 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


261 


ever   received   in   any    Nebraska   city   except 
Omaha,  will  be  sent  here  soon. 

E.  A.  Brandes  has  signed  a  contract  with 
the  Miama  Bicycle  Co.  of  Middletown,  Ohio, 
for  the  1920  season  that  gives  the  Grand 
Island  office  the  entire  state  outside  of 
Douglas  county,  or  92  counties  in  all.  The 
first  shipment  is  to  be  received  September  1st 
and  is  to  be  a  carload  or  350  bicycles.  This 
is  double  the  territory  had  by  the  Brandes 
people  the  past  year.  This  is  the  first  time  a 
carload  of  bicycles  ever  was  shipped  here.  It 
will  be  the  first  time  a  carload  ever  was 
shipped  to  any  city  in  the  state  outside  of 
Omaha. 

J.  B.  Shelton,  local  manager  for  Brandes, 
states  the  company  also  will  have  the  same 
territory  for  distribution  of  Indian  and  Ex- 
celsior motorcycles.  The  past  year  the  local 
office  handled  the  territory  west  of  Lincoln. 
The  motorcycles  are  to  be  received  here  in 
carload  lots,  the  first  carloads  of  motorcycles 
to  come  to  any  city  except  Omaha. 

The  growing  importance  of  the  bicycle  is 
shown  by  the  fact  that  500  pairs  of  bicycle 
tires,  or  1,000  tires,  were  sold  here  by  Brandes 
last  year  and  3,000  this  year.  During  1920 
fully  5,000  bicycle  tires  will  be  handled  here. 
The  sales  of  bicycles  are  increasing,  Mr. 
Shelton  stating  the  sales  last  year  were  double 
those  of  the  previous  year,  and  this  year  were 
twice  the  number  sold  last  year.  A  few  years 
ago  bicycle  sales  were  scarce  comparatively 
but  the  war  started  an  increase  in  the  use  of 
the  bicycle  as  a  matter  of  economy  in  trans- 
portation. Many  men  in  this  city  who  own 
cars  bought  bicycles  to  use  in  place  of  their 
cars  for  going  back  and  forth  between  office 
and  home.  The  use  of  the  "wheel"  by  the 
women  came  back  into  style  last  year  as  well. 
Five  times  as  many  women's  bicycles  were 
sold  this  past  year  as  had  been  sold  in  the 
previous  five  years  altogether,  Shelton  says. 
William  Goettsche  who  conducts  Goet- 
tsche's  motorcycle  and  bicycle  shop,  also  states 
that  business  in  that  line  is  growing  with  great 
rapidity.  He  has  the  distribution  of  Harley- 
Davidson  bicycles  and  motorcycles  for  a  num- 
ber of  counties  and  at  this  time  has  shipments 
due  which  will  be  larger  than  any  shipments 
in  the  past.     He  also  does  a  big  accessory 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ibuting 


for  all  sur- 


to  be  expected  that  this  city 
a  large  distributing  point,"  he 
Jo  city  in  the  state  is  better 
far  as  railroad  lines  are  con- 
d  goods  to  other  places  in  the 

on  of  increasing  business  and  to 
the  present  large  volume,  he 
e  rooms  formerly  occupied  by 
grocery,  as  a  repair  shop.  All 
vork  will  be  handled  there  and 
ill  be  devoted  to  use  as  a  display 
he  repair  shop  has  occupied  the 
is  shop. 

as  sold  more  bicycles  this  year 
>re  in  one  year.  Not  only  has 
large  but  the  factory  office  has 
hat  his  sales  have  been  larger 
ther  city  of  similar  size  in  the 
and  larger  than  in  any  city  in 
ites  from  the  point  of  sales  per 

ISLAND   AERO   COMPANY 

importation  industry  which  has 
expedited  a  generation  or  so 
ecessary  advances  made  during 
•  just  closed,  is  the  aeroplane 
rough  the  initative  of  Lieut, 
mpson,  who  served  during  the 
ator  in  France  and  an  aviation 
:a)y.  Grand  Island  has  furnished 
!ane  company  to  be  incorporated 
:  Nebraska.  The  Grand  Island 
iy  was  incorporated  in  June, 
XX)  with  E.  L.  Brown  president, 
vice-president,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr., 
2.  Burger,  secretary,  and  Lloyd 
general  manager.     Lieutenant 


.Thompson  and  his  fellow  aviators  direct  and 
make  the,  flights.  This  company  immediately 
ordered  a  Curtiss  aeroplane  which  arrived 
July  7th,  and  since  then  exhibition,  passenger, 
and  business  flights  are  being  made  regularly. 
Scheduled  flights  have  successfully  been  made 
over  the  various  towns  in  central  Nebraska. 
This  company  secured  the  agency  for  a  ter- 
ritory comprising  almost  half  of  the  state,  and 
before  it  had  been  in  operation  a  month  Man- 
ager Thompson  organized  the  Ord  Aero  Club, 
which  has  already  ordered  a  Curtiss  machine, 
and  since  then  about  ten  machines  have  been 
sold.  The  effect  of  this  concern  is  likely  to  be 
,very  important  for  Grand  Island  in  the  future. 
as  it  will  tend  to  secure  for  the  city  the  same 
advantage  as  a  supply,  storage,  and  general 
utility  station  on  the  various  transcontinental 
aerial  routes  already  being  planned  that  the 
city  has  secured  in  matter  of  railroads  and 
highways  for  motor  transportation.  Lieu- 
tenant Thompson  is  the  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs 
W.  H.  Thompson.  He  was  born,  raised,  and 
educated  in  Grand  Island,  attended  schools  in 
this  country  and  in  Italy,  graduated  from 
the  Creighton  College  of  Law,  was  admitted 
and  entered  the  practice  of  law  with  his  father 
when  the  great  war  was  well  under  way. 
Without  waiting  for  the  United  States  to 
enter,  he  secured  admission  to  an  aerial  in- 
struction camp  in  England  and  was  in  the 
aviation  service  when  the  American  dough- 
boys and  aviators  arrived  in  France.  Upon 
his  return  he  re-entered  the  practice  and  also 
took  this  step  that  furnished  to  Grand  Island 
a  good  "head-start"  in  aviation  industry,  that 
will  undoubtedly  develop  rapidly  in  the  next 
few  years.  While  Lieutenant  Thompson  was 
in  the  service,  his  wife,  Aimee  Schwynn 
.Thompson,  studied  shorthand  and  assisted  in 
the  law  office  of  Thompson  and  Thompson. 


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CHAPTER   XV 

COMMERCIAL  HISTORY  OF  GRAND  ISLAND 

Commercial  Beginnings  of  Grand  Island  —  Stores  in  1873  —  Business  Leaders  of  First 
Decade — Businessmen  of  1876  —  During  the  Next  Ten  Years  (1876-1886) — During 
the  Last  Thirty-two  Years  —  The  Hotels  —  Restaurants  —  Confectioneries —  Sa- 
loons—  BarberShops — Livery,  Feed  and    Sale  Stables  —  Blacksmith  Shops  —  Agri- 
cultural Implements  —  Elevators  —  Flour   and  Feed  —  Lumber  and  Coal — Coal  — 
Grocery  Stores  —  Meat  Markets  —  Bakeries — Ice  Dealers  —  Dry  Goods  and  Shoes  — 
Wolbach  Stores  —  Shoe  Stores  —  Clothing  Business  —  Millinery  Stocks  —  Drug 
Stores  —  Book  Stores — Jewelry  Stores — Furniture  and  Undertaking — Wall 
Paper  Stocks  —  Hardware  Stores  —  Other  Stores  —  Commercial  Organi- 
zations—  Hall  County  Immigration  Society  —  The  Merchants  Club 
—The  Board  of  Trade  — The  Business  Men's  Club— The 
Commercial  Club 


commercial  beginnings  of  grand  island 
As  hereinbefore  noted,  the  town  of  Grand 
Island,  as  it  now  stands,  moved  over  to  its 
present  location  from  the  first  settlement  to 
the  site  located  by  the  Union  Pacific  railroad 
Company  in  the  spring  of  1866.  The  first 
track  of  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  was  laid 
by  that  company  on  the  8th  day  of  July,  of 
the  same  year,  and  the  first  house  built  in 
the  present  confines  of  Grand  Island  was  a 
section  house,  built  by  the  same  company. 
On  the  same  day  (July  8,  1866)  the  first  con- 
struction train  was  run  into  the  city. 

Theretofore  there  had  grown  up  during  the 
nine  years  intervening  since  the  arrival  of  the 
first  colony,  on  July  4,  1857,  what  might 
rather  loosely  be  termed  the  "old  town." 
There  was  really  no  platted  town,  but  a  com- 
munity of  people  with  close  neighborly  inter- 
ests and  a  constant  exchange  of  business 
dealings. 

The  commercial  interests  of  the  community 
had  been  served  by  the  old  "O.  K.  Store"  of 
Henry  A.  Koenig  and  Fred  Wiebe,  which  had 
been  running  since  1862,  on  one  farm.    Some- 


thing like  five  miles  farther  west  Fred  Hedde 
had  built  up  a  business  and  catered  to  his 
neighbor's  needs,  and  on  farther  west  was 
Jim  Jackson's  Wood  River  store.  But  with 
the  location  of  Grand  Island  station  on  the 
railroad  the  stores  had  to  leave  the  old  emi- 
grant roads,  and  Koenig  and  Wiebe  promptly 
came  up  to  Grand  Island  station,  as  did  Fred 
Hedde.  Likewise,  Jim  Jackson  moved  into 
the  first  site  of  Wood  River,  that  sprang  up 
with  the  arrival  of  the  road,  and  he  later  had 
to  move  again  to  the  present  site  to  keep  up 
with  his  community. 

Grand  Island  did  not  promptly  settle  down 
on  the  streets  which  are  now  the  principal 
business  streets.  But  like  the  great  majority 
of  towns,  missed  its  guess  about  one  block  off 
in  each  direction.  The  first  community  . 
huddled  around  Front  street,  east  and  west, 
and  principally  around  Pine  street,  north  and 
south.  In  his  centennial  sketch,  prepared  in 
1876,  Dr.  J.  P.  Patterson  states: 

The  first  dwelling  in  the  town  was  erected 
by  W.  Stephens  at  Locust  and  Front  streets. 
During  the  autumn  the  Railroad  House  was 


264 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


built  and  the  eating  house  established  for 
the  accomodation  of  passengers.  The  first 
building  being  of  insufficient  size,  an  addition 
was  put  to  it,  and  the  whole  was  used  as 
an  eating  house  until  the  completion  and  oc- 
cupation of  the  later  commodious  and  hand- 
some structure,  which  took  place  in  December, 
1875.  Part  of  the  old  building  was  purchased 
by  Fred  Hedde,  and  removed  to  the  south- 
west conrer  of  Locust  and  Third  streets, 
where,  after  having  some  very  essential  re- 
pairs, it  was  occupied  by  Mr.  Hedde  as  a 
store  and  dwelling.  The  balance  was  con- 
verted into  a  neat  dwelling  by  P.  Touhey,  and 
later  occupied  by  C.  W.  Thomas  as  a  res- 
idence. The  post  office  was  established  in 
November,  1866,  and  D.  Schuller  was  ap- 
pointed postmaster,  and  about  the  same  time 
several  stores  were  opened,  among  the  first 
of  which  were  those  of  M.  S.  Hall,  a  railroad 
contractor,  Koenig  &  Wiebe,  who  had  re- 
moved their  old  O.  K.  store  into  the  town 
proper,  in  1867.  Wm.  R.  McAllister  and 
C.  W.  Thomas  commenced  business  in  the 
same  year. 

An  examination  of  the  advertising  columns 
of  the  newspapers  in  the  fall  of  1873  showing 
the  business  houses  of  that  time  will  recall 
many  familiar  names  to  the  old  settlers  of  the 
county,  and  those  of  the  present  generation 
who  grew  from  childhood  in  the  community. 

The  general  stores  were:  O.  K.  Store,  a 
store  that  had  been  brought  over  from  the  old 
town  and  that  was  located  on  the  site  of  the 
present  Koehler  hotel.  It  was  then  managed 
by  Robert  C.  Jordon,  and  the  stock  eventually 
closed  out.  C.  Wasmer  &  Bro.  store  was  lo- 
cated on  West  Third,  where  the  Woolworth 
Five  and  Ten  Cent  store  is  now  located.  This 
was  afterwards  closed  out.  C.  W.  Thomas's 
stock,  known  as  The  Excelsior  store,  was  lo- 
cated across  the  street  and  in  the  next  block 
west  from  the  Wasmer  store.  Third  street 
had  not  been  opened  until  1871  when  James 
Michelson  and  W.  R.  McAllister  built  build- 
ings on  the  northwest  and  southwest  corners 
of  Pine  and  Third  streets.  The  store  of 
Jacobs  &  Michelson  was  opened  in  1871  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Michelson  block,  and  that 
of  W.  R.  McAllister  on  the  southeast  comer 
of  Third  and  Pine,  a  lot  or  two  in  from  the 
street  intersection.     James  Geary,  dealer  in 


stoves,  tinware  and  house  furnishing  goods, 
was  located  in  North  Locust  street,  between 
Third  and  Front  streets,  and  T.  J.  Hurford, 
who  offered  another  stock  of  hardware  to  the 
trade  was  at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Wheeler, 
where  the  present  O.  C.  Thompson  Co.  is  lo- 
lated.    Other  business  houses  and  industries 
represented  in  the  advertising  columns  of  the 
papers  in  1873  were:     F.  Drews,  fashionable 
barber;  A.   F.   Wilgocki,   surveyor  and    real 
estate  agent,   for  the  two  seemed  to  go  to- 
gether in  those  days,  they  closed  the  deal  when 
they  located  the  party  on  the  land ;  State  Cen- 
tral bank  of  Nebraska,  with  F.  A.  Weibe  as 
president   and    Dorr    Heffleman    as    cashier; 
Newsdepot  at  City  Drug  store,  with  N.  P. 
Kelley,  dealer;  State  Central  Brewery,  Geo. 
Boehm,  proprietor,  on  Locust  street;  Capital 
Billiard  hall  at  the  corner  of  Locust  and  Third 
streets ;  Fritz  Suehlsen,  "icecream,  lunch  at  all 
hours  and   general  confectionery"   on   Front 
street;  Cornelius  Ivers'  billiard   hall,  Third 
street ;  A.  H.  Wilhelm  of  Alda,  Nebraska,  ad- 
vertising "for  best  prices  and  quickest  returns 
on  buying  grain ;"  Geo.  T.  Hoagland  and  Son, 
lumber ;    Tout    &    Morton,    carpenters     and 
builders;  M.  J.  McKelligan  &  Co.,  "wines, 
liquors,  etc." ;  Fred  Nabel's  city  bakery ;  D.  G. 
Phimister,  contractor  and  builder;  L.  Engel, 
merchant  tailor;  Jenneman  &  Dunphy,   boot 
and    shoe    manufactury.    on    Locust    street ; 
Probstle  &  Barks,  harness,  saddles,  etc.,   on 
Locust  street ;  Koenig  &  Wiebe  Steam  Flour- 
ing Mill,  and  "dealers  in  Grain,  Flour,  Ground 
Feed  and  Coal" ;  C.  E.  Lykke,  blacksmithing 
on  Third  street ;  W.  A.  Piatt  auctioneer ;  J.  G. 
Feller,     Hames     maker ;     Bassett's     Sample 
Rooms,    under    the    Clarendon    hotel ;    John 
Grimes,  bootmaker,  on  corner  of  Third  and 
Pine  streets ;  American  Feed,  Livery  and  Sale 
Stable ;    John    Fonner;    wells    hair    dressing 
and    shaving    saloon,    joining    the    Nebraska 
house.     The   only   resident   survivors   of    the 
foregoing  list  are  Fred  Nabel,  C.  E.  Lykke, 
and  Jas.  Geary. 

The  following  notice  published  on  October 
10,  1873,  will  sound  like  one  still  seen  occas- 
ionally in  the  papers  of  the  present  day : 

Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


26:^ 


TO    THE    PUBLIC 

III  consequence  of  the  present  unsettled 
condition  of  business,  and  the  stringency  in 
monetary  matters  throughout  the  country,  the 
undersigned  business  firms  of  Grand  Island 
resolved  that  on  and  after  the  15th  day  of 
the  present  month  (October,  1873)  they  will 
sell  goods  for  CASH  ONLY. 

They  do  this  with  the  firm  conviction  that 
such  a  course  will  prove  ultimately  beneficial 
to  buyer  and  seller,  and  will  enable  them 
ultimately  to  furnish  their  patrons  with  mer- 
chandise at  proportionately  lower  rates  than 
heretofore. 

W.  R.  McAllister. 

Makenzie  &  Greve. 

Cornelius  &  Petersen. 

John  Grimes. 

J.  E.  Meth. 

Richardson  &  Ellis. 

C.  Wasmer  &  Bro. 

A.  B.  Veeder  &  Co. 
W.  A.  Piatt  &  Co. 

B.  B.  Kelley. 
Hall  &  Thomas. 
James  Geary. 
Jacobs  &  Michelson. 
Fred  Nabel. 
Probstel  &  Barks. 
E.  R.  Wiseman. 
Louis  En  gel. 

C.  W.  Thomas. 
H.  N.  Chapman. 

R.  C.  Jordon,  Agent  O.  K.  Store. 
Geo.  T.  Hoagland  &  Son. 
T.  J.  Hurford. 
Ira  Lewis. 
William  Wasmer. 
Jenncman  &  Dunphy. 

The  first  firm  to  register  in  the  Record  of 
Firms  and  Corporations  doing  business  in  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  as  kept  in  the  office  of  the 
county  clerk,  was  Bowers,  Thormahlen  &  Co. 
(John  J.  Bowers,  John  Thormahlen  and  Lizzie 
C.  Handy),  dealers  in  grain,  vegetables  and 
groceries.  On  September  20,  1875,  the  second 
registration  was  that  of  C.  Wasmer  &  Bro., 
retail  dealers  in  general  merchandise,  grain  and 
produce,  (Christian  and  Charles  Wasmer). 
Another  entry  filed  on  September  29,  1875, 
was  that  of  Peter  Thums  and  Cornelius  Pett- 
inger,  as  Thums  &  Pettinger,  for  wholesale 
and  retail  dealing  in  liquors  and  cigars  and 
manufacturing  of  vinegar,  and  a  similiar  regis- 


tration for  liquors  and  cigars  was  made  by 
Henry  Baumann  and  Hugo  Oelrich. 

Two  additions  to  the  business  interests  of 
the  town  in  1874  had  been  the  store  started 
by  John  W.  and  W.  H.  West,  as  West  & 
Brother,  a  partnership  registration  for  which 
was  made  on  October  2,  1875.  The  year  1874 
also  marks  the  establishment  of  the  Wolbach 
store  which  has  been  conducted  in  Grand 
Island  now  for  forty-five  years.  The  regis- 
tration of  an  association,  doing  business  under 
the  firm  name  of  Wolbach  Brothers  for 
general  mercantile  business,  was  filed  by 
Samuel  N.  Wolbach  and  Jacob  S.  Wolbach  on 
March  8,  1881. 

Indicative  that  business  interests  were  ad- 
vancing in  other  parts  of  the  county  was  the 
filing  on  October  6,  1875,  by  County  Clerk 
Wallichs,  of  a  notice  that  the  following  per- 
sons had  associated  themselves  together  as  the 
Cooperative  Association  of  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry of  Hall  County :  D.  C.  Smith,  Alda ; 
Edwin  Searson,  secretary,  Grand  Island ; 
Martin  Ennis  and  W.  J.  Burger,  Orchard 
City;  Geo.  L.  Warner,  Wood  River;  J.  H. 
Andrews,  Alda ;  Charles  E.  Towne,  Wood 
River;  John  Irwin  and  Wm.  Stolley,  Wood 
River. 

BUSINESS  LEADERS  OF  THE  FIRST  DECADE 
A  short  review  of  the  men  who  started  and 
developed  the  first  business  in  Grand  Island 
during  the  first  ten  years  of  the  history  of  the 
town  develops  a  list  of  remarkable  pioneer 
business  men. 

Henry  A.  Koenig,  who  had  located  in  the 
county  in  1862,  became  the  founder  of  many 
of  the  city's  business  and  industrial  enter- 
prises. He  had  started  the  O.  K.  store  in 
1862,  and  with  Fred  Wiebe  brought  it  over 
when  the  town  finally  located  on  the  railroad 
line.  His  father,  Fred  A.  Wiebe,  is  credited 
with  having  started  the  first  lumber  yard. 
Mr.  Koenig  started  the  mill,  and  in  1871  had 
started  the  State  Central  Bank  of  Nebraska, 
the  only  banking  institution  of  the  town  dur- 
ing its  first  decade. 

Fred  Hedde  conducted  a  store  early  in  the 


d  by  Google 


266 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


history  of  the  county.  In  1873  he  was  con- 
ducting a  general  store,  and  in  1874  he  added 
a  lumber  yard,  but  in  1880  switched  his  atten- 
tion solely  to  agricultural  implements,  until 
he  changed  his  activity  to  the  editorship  of 
the  Independent. 

W.  R.  McAllister  opened  his  first  store  in 
a  very  small  room  on  Front  street  in  1867. 
During  practically  all  of  the  first  ten  years  of 
the  town's  history  he  was  its  postmaster.  In 
1858  he  had  located  two  miles  west  of  Fort 
Kearny,  where  he  was  freighting  for  a  time, 
and  then  had  worked  on  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  for  a  time.  In  1871,  as  heretofore 
noted,  Mr.  McAllister  erected  a  building  near 
Third  and  Pine  streets,  a  site  which  now  is 
occupied  by  the  substantial  brick  block  which 
bears  his  name.  He  afterwards  served  as 
mayor  of  the  city  and  took  part  in  many  ac- 
tivities during  his  long  business  career. 

James  Michelson  came  in  1860.  He  was 
passing  through  the  old  settlement  and  they 
persuaded  him  to  stop  off  and  settle  among 
them.  He  was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  at 
that  time  the  scattered  community  with  a  store 
on  one  farm  and  some  other  enterprise  on 
another  desired  the  services  of  a  blacksmith. 
When  the  new  settler  had  selected  a  site  the 
neighbors  gathered  in  and  donated  their  ser- 
vices, and  in  about  three  days  built  him  a 
house.  At  that  time  a  great  many  overland 
trains  were  going  through,  and  it  was  neces- 
sary for  these  trains  and  groups  of  emigrants 
to  stop  off  for  several  days  and  have  their 
oxen  shod.  At  times  the  little  country  shop 
had  four  or  five  blacksmiths  working.  A 
charge  of  $16  was  made  for  shoeing  a  yoke 
of  oxen.  Numerous  members  of  the  early 
blacksmithing  fraternity  of  the  county  origin- 
ally came  to  this  vicinity  to  accept  employ- 
ment in  the  river  shops.  Mr.  Michelson  kept 
a  ranch  with  open  house  for  travelers,  as 
well  as  the  wagon  shop.  In  1866  he  moved  into 
the  new  town  and  elaborated  on  the  idea  of 
furnishing  accommodations  for  the  transient 
guests  of  the  community  by  building  the  Ne- 
brska  House,  at  Pine  and  Front  streets,  the 
first  hotel  in  the  town  (excepting,  of  course, 
the  railroad  eating  house).     In  1871  he  built 


a  building  on  the  site  of  the  present  commo- 
dious brick  Michelson  block,  and  by  1872  was 
a  member  of  the  mercantile  fraternity.  The 
store  of  Jacobs  &  Michelson  was  later  sold  to 
Joseph  Kilian,  who  conducted  it  for  a  number 
of  years  and  closed  out  the  stock. 

C.  W.  Thomas  established  his  grocery  and 
boot  and  shoe  house  in  January,  1,  1868,  but 
sold  that  stock  to  W.  R.  McAllister  on  Sep-, 
tember  1,  1869.  On  October  19,  of  that  year, 
Mr.  Thomas  purchased  the  Koenig  &  Wiebe 
grocery  stock  and  erected  a  store  building  in 
1871.  He  then  purchased  a  stock  of  dry  goods 
from  R.  C.  Jordon,  agent,  and  some  from 
Peterson  &  Ruelberg,  but  sold  this  department 
to  H.  H.  Glover  in  1879.  In  1879  he  joined 
with  Gregg  Bros,  and  Fred  A.  Sears  in  the 
erection  of  a  grain  elevator,  but  in  1880  sold 
his  interest  in  that  to  Mr.  Sears.  Mr.  Thomas 
is  now  residing  in  Detroit,  Michigan,  engaged 
in  brass  and  metal  manufacturing. 

James  Cleary  established  his  hardware  house 
in  1870.  He  came  from  Ireland  in  1859,  and 
later,  settled  in  Hall  County.  He  continued 
his  hardware  business  for  about  twenty  years, 
later  conducted  a  grocery  business,  served  the 
town  as  mayor,  and  in  1919,  practically  fifty 
years  after  his  entrance  into  the  commercial 
lists  in  Grand  Island,  is  still  actively  engaged 
in  business,  having  a  real  estate  office  in  the 
new  office  building  he  erected  a  few  years  ago 
on  West  Third  street. 

W.  H.  Piatt  came  early  in  1866,  opened  a 
drug  store  and  law  office,  and  continued  the 
store  until  1870,  when  he  was  admitted  to  the 
bar  and  switched  his  attention  to  the  practice 
of  law.  He  is  reputed  to  have  assisted  in 
building  the  first  business  house  on  the  town 
site  in  July,  1866.  This  drug  store  was  on 
Third  street,  where  the  Rexall  store  (Pease 
Drug  Co.)  is  now  located.  Fred  A.  Sears 
and  Fred  Ackerman  conducted  a  drug  store  in 
this  location  after  Mr.  Piatt  left  that  line  of 
business.  For  most  of  the  time  since  then 
chat  location  has  accommodated  a  drug  store. 

John  G.  Raine  opened  a  jewelry  store  in 

1876.    He  was  located  next  to  the  Piatt  drug 

store.     Mr.  Raine  continued  in  this  business 

for  approximately  twenty  years.    H.  C.  Held 

LiOOglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


established  a  jewelry  store  in  September,  1872, 
on  a  site  that  is  now  part  of  the  Wolbach 
store  block.  He  also  remained  in  the  jewelry 
business  for  approximately  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  H.  O.  Brown  was  another  watch- 
maker and  jeweler  of  the  'seventies. 

Edward  Hooper  opened  a  blacksmith  shop 
on  the  banks  of  the  Platte  in  1861,  and  moved 
to  the  new  town  in  1866,  and  engaged  in  sell- 
ing implements  until  1879,  when  he  aided  in 
establishing  a  foundry  that  was  a  high-water 
mark  in  the  early  industrial  and  mechanical 
history  of  the  community. 

H.  Thomas  came  to  Hall  County  in  1871 
and  a  few  years  later  established  the  meat 
market  of  Thomas  &  Hall.  Later  he  opened 
a  grocery  store  at  Alda  and  in  1880  joined 
his  brother  in  the  produce  trade. 

In  order  that  some  of  the  other  business 
interests  may  not  be  overlooked  in  this  resume, 
the  list  of  business  men  of  Grand  Island,  given 
by  Dr.  Patterson  in  1876  in  his  centennial 
sketch  is  here  given : 

E.  W.  Arnold,  register  of  U.  S.  land  office ; 
Joseph  Fox,  receiver,  U.  S.  land  office;  W.  R. 
McAllister,  groceries  and  post  office ;  Wasmer 
Brothers,  grain  dealers  and  general  merchants ; 
West  Brothers,  dry  goods  and  groceries ;  Jos. 
Kilian,  dry  goods  and  groceries ;  Fred  Hedde, 
groceries,  lumber  and  agriclutural  implements ; 
Daniel  Morgan,  groceries  and  provisions  (lo- 
cated on  Third  street  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Shuster  cafe);  John  G.  Raine,  H.  C.  Held 
and  H.  O.  Brown,  jewelers;  L.  M.  Bryan, 
books  and  stationery',  and  news  depot ;  Wol- 
bach Brothers,  dry  goods,  clothing,  etc. ;  E.  R, 
Wiseman,  dry  goods,  lumber  and  grain ;  C.  W. 
Thomas,  dry  goods,  clothing,  etc. ;  H.  S. 
Elkins,  groceries  and  provisions ;  R.  C.  Jordon, 
blacksmith  and  agricultural  implements ; 
Thams  &  Pettinger,  P.  Dunphy,  liquor  deal- 
ers; Louis  Engel,  R.  Frohberg,  merchant 
tailois;  L.  M.  Beebe,  C.  E.  Jerome,  Hugo 
Hald,  D.  Sass,  E.  B.  Chandler,  were  conduct- 
ing the  hotels  of  the  town;  Fred  Nabel  and 
Henry  Mayer,  bakeries  and  confectioneries; 
C.  E.  Lykke,  blacksmith  shop;  J.  E.  Meth, 
furniture ;  John  Fonner,  John  Windolph  and 
C.  E.  Jerome,  livery  stables ;  P.  Voitle,  con- 


fectionery and  grocery;  D.  L.  Harrison, 
photographer;  James  Cleary,  T.  J.  Hurford, 
hardware,  stoves,  etc. ;  Charles  Probstle  and 
Frank  P.  Barks,  Harness  shop;  Sears  & 
Ackerman,  and  C.  F." Goodman,  drug  stores; 
James  Hall,  Schwaiger  &  Co.,  John  Eggers, 
butcher  shops;  Mr.  and  Mrs.  S.  P.  Mobley. 
C.  P.  R.  Williams,  newspaper  publishers  and 
job  printers;  William  Abbott,  books  and  sta- 
tionery; Mrs.  L.  H.  Van  Antwerp,  millinery 
store;  Wilford  Goodchild,  Theo.  Bernstein, 
barber  shops ;  Rannells  &  King,  dealers  in  real 
estate ;  Wm.  Connow,  gunsmith ;  Wm.  Spiker, 
auctioneer ;  F.  M.  Bacon,  proprietor,  Crescent 
House;  C.  D.  M.  Washburn,  Charles  Howell, 
Peter  D.  Thomsen,  express  and  dray  lines;  A. 
W.  Cornelius,  groceries ;  S.  D.  Rannells,  agri- 
cultural implements;  Ira  Lewis,  coal  dealer  . 
and  Gay  &  Baldwin,  John  Kraft,  M.  M.  Foote, 
Oehlrich  Bros.,  John  Riss,  Fred  Greve,  and 
J.  E.  Reed,  billiard  hall. 

Of  the  foregoing  only  the  Wolbach  store  is 
still  continuing  but  those  who  have  retired 
from  the  lines  of  business  named  and  are 
living  here  are  Fred  Nabel,  C.  E.  Lykke, 
James  Cleary,  Wasmer  Bros.  J.  W.  West, 
Henry  Mayer,  John  Windolph. 

DURING  THE  NEXT  TEN  YEARS 
In  the  period  that  elapsed  between  1876  and 
1886,  a  great  many  business  changes  took 
place.  By  1886  some  of  the  most  prominent 
stores  of  the  first  ten  year  period  had  either 
been  closed  out,  merged  into  other  business, 
moved  away,  or  lost  their  identity  and  became 
historical  memories.  The  O.  K.  store,  the 
Wasmer  store,  the  West  store,  the  Kilian  store, 
the  Hedde  stock,  the  Thomas  store,  and  the 
Wiseman  store  were  among  that  list.  The 
Wolbach  store  remained  in  existence  as  it  has 
ever  since  then.  The  Held  and  Raine  jewelry 
stores  kept  on,  and  a  number  of  the  other 
business  houses  will  appear  later  in  the  recital 
of  the  various  lines  of  business. 

But  during  that  decade  there  were  many 
new  arrivals  among  the  business  houses  of 
the  city.  Adam  Blunk  erected  the  Platte 
Valley  grist  mill    in  1877. 

Henry  D.  Boyden  established  a  drug  and 


268 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


paint  store  in  1881,  in  the  Michelson  build- 
ing, where  the  Brunswick  billiard  hall  is  now 
located.  He  came  to  Nebraska  in  1879  and. 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Sears  and  Acker- 
man  drug  store.  He  conducted  this  store  ot 
that  location  until  he  built  a  structure  in 
which  to  house  his  store  on  the  northeast 
corner  of  Third  and  Pine  streets.  He  after- 
wards built  the  brick  Boyden  block  on  that 
same  site,  and  conducted  the  drug  store  until 
he  went  away  to  study  medicine.  He  later 
conducted  the  drug  store  again  for  a  short 
period  after  he  had  been  admitted  to  practice. 
H.  L.  Burkett  established  a  furniture  store 
in  1878,  which  he  sold  in  1882  to  A.  W.  Wil- 
helm,  and  he  then  established  a  stock  ranch 
in  Howard  County. 

F.  D.  Collins  established  a  clothing  house 
in  September,  1881.  Henry  Eisner  came  to 
Grand  Island  in  December,  1881,  and  opened 
the  grocery,  tobacco  and  crockery  store  of 
Conely  &  Eisner. 

H.  H.  Glover  opened  a  dry  goods  house  in 
1879.  He  later  was  in  business  with  Wiebe, 
as  Glover  &  Wiebe,  and  at  another  time  as 
Glover  &  Pike.  Mr.  Glover  has  remained  in 
business  at  various  periods  ever  since.  The 
Glqver  block  still  remains  in  his  active  charge, 
though  he  has  in  recent  years  sold  his  various 
stocks  of  merchandise. 

Christopher  Ispen  started  the  drug  store 
in  March,  1882,  with  which  he  was  connected 
for  practically  twenty  years,  in  the  location 
where  the  Kaufman  store  is  now  located. 

Charles  Ivers  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1871 , 
and  opened  a  grocery  store  in  June,  1881,  and 
completed  his  store    building  in  May,  1882. 

G.  T.  Jordon  opened  a  hardware  store  in 
March,  1880,  in  partnership  with  Justice,  and 
conducted  this  store  on  Third  street  near  the 
new  First  National  Bank  building.  The  Led- 
erman  hardware  store  first  opened  in  May, 

1879,  and  A.  C.  Lederman  and  his  brothers 
were  in  business  for  about  thirty  years. 

James  Martin  opened  a  meat  market  here  in 

1880,  coming  from  Crete  where  he  had  settled 
in  1877.  M.  Murphy  settled  here  in  1877  and 
opened  a  photograph  gallery  on  east  Third 
street  between   Pine   and   Sycamore,   on   the 


south  side  of  the  street.  James  B.  Murray 
&  Co.  established  their  grocery  house  in 
March,  1882.  James  C.  Pederson  opened  a 
grocery  store  August  1,  1879.  Mathews  Reif- 
ers  added  the  State  Central  brick  yard  to  the 
industries  of  the  town  in  May,  1878.  George 
F.  Ryan  moved  from  Merrick  County  -to 
Grand  Island  in  1877.  In  1881-1882  he  was 
a  member  of  the  produce  firm  of  Thomas 
&Co.    ■ 

A.  A.  Sawyer  started  a  grocery  house  De- 
cember 1,  1878.  Fred  A.  Sears  owned  the 
grain  elevator  on  the  Union   Pacific  tracks. 


Boyden  Drug  Store 
Corner  Third  and  Picic,  Grand  Island,  i 


the  ■! 


at  Grand  Island  in  the  'eighties,  but  the  L.  A. 
Von  Wasmer  Co.  built  another  elevator  on  the 
B.  &  M.  tracks  after  that  railroad  arrived. 
O.  U.  Wescoatt  opened  a  livery  stable  in  De- 
cember, 1878. 

It  is  practically  impossible,  or  at  least  im- 
practical, in  the  space  alloted  to  this  phase  of 
life  of  the  community,  to  attempt  a  complete 
list  of  all  the  business  houses  that  have  been 
established  and  conducted  in  the  city,  but  after 
the  completion  of  this  second  decade  a  brief 
resume  of  those  establishments  that  have  been 
conducted  for  any  considerable  length  of  time 
in  a  number  of  the  different  lines  of  business 
will  be  given  under  that  system  of  classifica- 
tion. 

DURING  THE  LAST  THIRTY-TWO  YEARS 

Grand  Island  has  always  been  a  clearing 
house  and  transfer  for  the  vast  amount 
traffic,  trade  and  travel  through  the  state  ol 
Nebraska.    A  person  residing  in  the  commun 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ity  may  lose  sight  of  the  importance  of  the 
hotels,  restaurants,  livery  stables,  garages, 
barber  shops,  and  those  business  institutions 
of  the  town  that  devote  probably  the  major 
portion  of  their  efforts  to  the  service  and  com- 
fort of  people  who  may  be  simply  stopping  off 
for  a  few  hours  or  days  on  their  way  through 
the  town  and  across  the  state,  or  who  may 
be  temporarily  making  their  homes  in  the 
town,    just  as  Grand  Island  in  early  days  was 


come  into  Grand  Island  every  day,  transfer 
from  one  railroad  to  another,  stay  over  night, 
or  take  a  meal  here,  and  perhaps  do  some 
trading  here.  This  has  always  been  propor- 
tionately true  in  the  past.  So  in  summariz- 
ing the  commercial  interests  of  the  city,  in 
the  past  and  at  present,  we  will  first  treat  that 
class  of  institutions  which  cater  to  both  travel- 
ling, visiting,  and  outside  interests  as  well  as 
to  local  and  home  interests. 


Fred  HenoE's  Grand  Island  Store 
Being  first  Hotel  in  Half  county 


the  stopping  station  for  emigrants,  traders, 
and  homeseekers,  and  the  trading  point  for 
ranchers,  cowboys,  and  homesteaders,  alike, 
for  a  great  many  miles,  it  is  now  after  sixty 
years  of  settlement,  the  clearing  house  for 
trade  and  transfer  point  for  a  good  share  of 
the  traffic  over  the  west  and  northwest  por- 
tions of  the  state.  It  is  no  small  item  of  im- 
portance that  something  like  three  hundred 
travelling  salesmen  and  district  representatives 
of  the  business  houses  and  industrial  institu- 
tions of  the  country  headquarter  and  travel 
out  of  Grand  Island.  A  great  many  more 
will  move  to  this  city  when  the  present  re- 
stricted building  situation  relaxes  and  homes 
can  be  built  for  them.     Hundreds  of  people 


THE    HOTELS 

The  hotels  of  the  town  were  very  modest  in 
1866.  Near  the  first  depot  was  a  boarding 
house  for  the  railroad  men.  The  Nebraska 
House  was  built  by  James  Michelson  that 
same  year,  and  provided  a  place  for  the  gen- 
eral public.  The  railroad  eating  house  built" 
that  fall,  with  some  additions,  continued  in  use 
until  1875,  when  it  was  moved  away  in  two 
sections  by  Fred  Hedde  and  P.  Touhey,  and 
the  Union  Pacific  Hotel  erected.  This  hotel 
was  the  first  very  large  structure  built  in  Hall 
County.  In  1869  or  1870  the  Tremont  was 
opened.  Another  famous  early  hotel  was  the 
Wyoming  House,  built  by  DetlefF  Sass  and 
destroyed  by  fire  during  the  eighties.    A  little 


270 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


later,  the  Traveler's  Home,  with  Hugo  Hatd  as 
proprietor,  was  established.  The  Herman 
House  has  been  mentioned  in  another  chapter. 
By  1885,  the  hotels  of  Grand  Island  were: 
The  Pacific,  40  rooms ;  the  Jordon,  35  rooms 
(located  on  Pine  street,  between  Third  and 
Front,  where  the  Altoona  now  stands) ;  the 
Commercial,  30  rooms;  the  Estes,  at  Kimball 
and  Front,  30  rooms  (opened  in  1880)  ;  the 
National,  between  Oak  and  Kimball,  22  rooms ; 
the  Clarendon,  on  Pine  street  between  Third 


Grand  Island's  New  Ten-storv  Hotel  Under  Con- 
struction —  Federal  Building  to  Right 

and  Front,  20  rooms ;  the  Colorado,  15  rooms : 
the  Omaha,  14  rooms;  the  City,  on  Third 
between  Pine  and  Sycamore,  12  rooms ;  and 
Powers'  on  Front  between  Pine  and  Locust. 
The  New  England  was  re-opened  in  Novem- 
ber by  Jordon.  The  old  Grand  Union  Hotel 
was  refitted  in  February,  1885,  and  opened 
by  Mr.  Baker,  under  the  name  of  the  Com- 
mercial Hotel.  The  Wisconsin  Hotel  was 
opened  on  Front  between  Kimball  and  Oak 
about  that  time.  By  1887,  some  other  hotels 
in  operation  in  addition  to  those  named  above 
were;  The  Jamteson  Hotel,  opened  about 
1886,  at  Front  and  Sycamore.  This  hotel  is 
still  in  operation,  though  for  the  last  five  or 
six  years,  it  has  been  called  the  Savoy.    The 


Scarff  house  was  operating  in  1887.    In  1887 
the  Palmer  House  was  built,   through  the 
energies  of   C.   W.   Scarff.     This   four-story 
building  at  Second  and  Sycamore,  in  its  day 
a   most   magnificent   structure  costing   about 
$80,000,  was  as  important  a  step  ahead  in  the 
career  of  the  community  as  the  new  ten-story 
North  American  Hotel  is  to  this  generation, 
and  after  its  thirty-two  years  of  continuous 
operation,  until  the  completion  of  the  North 
American  or  some  other  modern  structure  of 
that  class,  remains  the  second  best  hotel  build- 
ing in  the  city.     In  recent  years  this  hostelry 
has   been   under  the   management  of    Henry 
Schuff  and  son  —  with  Lester  Schuff  giving 
it  his  personal  attention.     Some  of  the  small 
hotels  in  the  town  in  1887  were  the  farmers 
Home,  on   Spruce   Street,  Girard  House  on 
Sycamore ;  Grand  Island  House,  at  Front  and 
Oak ;  Millard  Hotel  between  Pine  and  Locust, 
on  Front ;  and  during  the  next  couple  of  years 
the  Cottage  House  was  opened  at  408  North 
Plum,  in  the  vicinity  of  the  Burlington  depot 
and   Grand   Island   Sanitarium   at    121    East 
Front.     As  the  Union  Pacific  depot  in  those 
days  was  farther  east  than  its  present  loca- 
tion,  it   will   be   noticed   that  the   hotel    and 
restaurant  trade  was  centered  around  Front, 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Sycamore,  Kimball  and 
Oak,  and   Pine  was  virtually  westward   for 
such  trade.    The  hotel  erected  by  Mr.  Dunphy 
was  known  as  the  Dunphy  Hotel.    This  struc- 
ture  was   on    Pine   street,   near   the   present 
Altoona.     In   1891   and   1892  Richard    Bros, 
were  running  the  Jamieson,  and  C.   E.   and 
E.  A.  Brown,  the  Palmer;  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  Co.  owned  the  Pacific  Hotel ;  M.  R. 
Meek,  the  City  Hotel;  Dunphy  had  the  Dun- 
phy Hotel;  G.  I.  Estes  conducted  the  Estes 
Hotel ;  Mrs.  K.  A.  Shephard,  the  Commercial 
House;  the  Nickel  State  Hotel  was   at    122 
North  Pine ;  N.  P.  Nelson,  the  Grand  Island 
Hotel  at  319  East  Front;  the  Hall  House  was 
at  412  N.  Plum ;  T.  Hillebrand  received  guests 
at  109  E.  Front;  and  J.  Windnagel  at  317  E- 
Front.     Another  Nebraska  House  sprang  up 
in  the  early  'nineties,  at  408  N.  Plum,  under 
the  management  of  J.  A.  Richardson,  and  the 
Park  Hotel  at  107  W.  Front,  owned  by  N.  H. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


271 


Hurford.  A  well-known  and  successful 
hostess  of  those  days  was  Mrs.  Thralls,  who 
first  came  here  from  Michigan  in  1880,  and 
conducted  the  Thralls  restaurant  for  some 
years.  She  went  to  Tacoma  for  a  period  and 
on  her  return  managed  various  houses  in  the 
city,  notably  the  City  Hotel,  situated  about 
where  Lechsinky's  photograph  studio  is  now 
located,  the  Thralls  restaurant,  and  in  1896 
was  managing  the  Jamieson,  and  at  one  time 
for  a  short  period,  the  Occidental  (now  St. 
James).  H.  N.  Lord  succeeded  the  Browns 
in  the  management  of  the  Palmer.  The  Hall 
House  became  the  White  House,  about  1896. 
By  1900  the  hotels  in  operation  were  the 
jamieson,  Palmer,  and  the  new  Koehler  which 
had  been  erected  in  1892,  the  Crawford,  at 
Fourth  and  Kimball,  the  Occidental  Hotel, 
at  109  West  Fourth,  the  White  House,  and 
the  Union  and  Vienna  restaurants.. 

The  Koehler,  erected  by  Gus.  Koehler  at 
an  expense  of  about  $100,000  was  the  first 
hotel  structure  in  the  city  to  eclipse  the  Palmer 
House,  and  still  remains  the  finest  hotel  in 
town,  pending  a  new  modern  structure  such 
as  the  North  American.  Built  almost  thirty 
years  ago,  it  is  still  an  imposing  structure  and 
built  on  such  solid  and  substantial  proportions 
that  it  can  still  outlast  this  generation  of 
people  and  many  more.  The  building  has 
approximately  100  guest  rooms,  large  lobby 
and  reading  rooms,  several  sample  rooms,  with 
dining  room  and'  cafe  quarters  adjoining  it 
on  the  south.  The  Koehler  in  1897  was  under 
the  management  of  H.  H.  Hake  and  has 
passed  through  several  changes  of  manage- 
ment F.  J.  Coates  was  proprietor  and  man- 
ager for  some  years. 

In  recent  years  the  property  has  belonged 
to  the  Koehler  Hotel  Co.  of  which  Charles 
G.  Ryan  and  George  B.  Bell  are  the  principal 
stockholders.  R.  L.  Word  and  Mr.  Berend 
were  recent  lessees  or  managers,  and  U.  P. 
Koenig  is  the  present  lessee  and  manager. 
Between  1900  and  1910  not  so  very  many 
new  hosrelries  were  started  in  Grand  Island, 
notably  the  Makely  House,  a  revival  of  the 
Jordon  or  Dunphy  location,  which  afterwards 
became  the  Altoona  about  1910,  and  is  still 


operated  as  the  Altoona,  and  the  Central  at 
Fourth  and  Kimball.  The  Gold  Cure  Sani- 
tarium at  Front  and  Kimball  thrived  as  an 
institution  with  a  great  mission  for  some 
years,  but  has  now  closed  out  as  a  sanitarium 
and  is  occupied  by  a  boarding  and  rooming 
house.  About  1910  the  Boquette  was  built 
at  317  East  Third  street.  This  is  a  very 
narrow  structure  but  five  stories  high,  and 
is  now  in  operation  as  the  Hammond  Hotel. 
The  Brewster,  at  703  West  Third,  is  a  large 
brick  structure,  built  with  the  idea  of  making 
a  family  hotel  in  the  residence  district,  but 
is  now  unoccupied.     The  B.  &  M.  Hotel  at 


Old  Wyoming  House 

514  Plum  street  flourished  for  a  number  of 
years,  but  is  now  out  of  existence  and  when 
the  new  Burlington  depot  was  built,  a  few 
rods  west  of  the  old  depot,  it  was  necessary 
to  move  several  buildings.  The  present  hotels 
of  the  city  are  the  Koehler ;  the  Palmer,  which 
has  been  owned  in  recent  years  by  Henry 
Schuff  and  Son,  and  of  which  Lester  Schuff 
is  now  manager;  the  St.  James  (old  Occi- 
dental), W.  S.  Hayman,  proprietor  until 
recently  J.  A.  Smith  took  over  its  management ; 
the  Altoona,  the  Savoy  (old  Jamieson)  ;  the 
American,  formerly  the  Vienna,  Schuff  &  Son, 
proprietors;  the  Hammond;  Cottage  Home, 
411  E.  Fourth;  the  Bachelors,  east  of  the 
Bartenbach  (Opera  House)  block,  which  has 
been  very  successfully  conducted  for  a  number 
of  years ;  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  dormitory,  fur- 
nishing accommodations  for  about  eighty-eight 
people. 

The  magnificent  ten-story  North  American 

Google 


272 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Hotel  was  started  and  the  exterior  of  the 
structure  erected  by  the  end  of  1917,  and  has 
stopped  progress  for  over  a  year,  on  account 
of  the  company  building  it  getting  into 
financial  difficulties  through  manipulations 
back  and  forth  between  the  hotel  holding  com- 
pany and  the  stock-selling  and  promoting 
company,  both  of  which  had  practically  the 
same  officers.  But  steps  are  now  being  taken 
to  hasten  the  completion  of  this  structure  in 
the  very  near  future,  as  it  is  in  great  demand. 

RESTAURANTS 

Restaurants  and  lunch  counters  come  and 
go  too  fast  to  permit  of  a  detailed  listing  of 
all  of  these  establishments  which  Grand  Is- 
land has  maintained.  The  restaurant  location 
with  the  longest  practically  continued  line  of 
existence  has  been  the  Opera  House  location. 
J.  P.  Hensley  conducted  this  late  in  the 
'nineties.  By  1900  Boeck  and  Fossgfeen  were 
in  charge,  and  a  few  years  later  the  firm  was 
changed  to  Klinge  and  Fossgreen,  and  so  re- 
mained until  Fred  L.  Regan  took  charge. 
Mrs.  Thrall's  restaurant  on  Frbnt  street  and 
her  later  place  of  business  on  Third  street 
were  famous  in  their  day.  Mrs.  J.  Jenneman 
was  another  hostess  of  the  early  'nineties  on 
North  Pine.  Other  restaurant  keepers  of  the 
'nineties  were  Mrs.  J.  D.  Purdy  on  Wheeler 
avenue,  John  F.  Hall  on  North  Plum,  M.  R. 
Meek  on  Sixth  street,  O.  H.  Tracy  on  Front 
street,  the  Union  restaurant,  and  the  Vienna 
cafe,  conducted  by  Schuff  and  Callahan.  The 
Vienna  restaurant  and  hotel  has  been  enlarged 
and  now  occupies  a  fine  two-story  brick  build- 
ing on  N.  Locust  street.  Prior  to  its  removal 
to  its  present  location  in  1910  this  restaurant 
ran  from  1894  to  1910  continuously  —  24 
hours  a  day  without  a  key  being  used  to  turn 
the  lock  to  the  place  day  or  night.  In  1918  the 
name  of  the  hotel  and  restaurant  was  changed 
to  the  American.  Between  1900  and  1910 
the  main  restaurants  were:  the  Vienna,  the 
Union,  the  City,  conducted  by  W.  F.  Maddox, 
Boeck  &  Fossgreen,  Opera  House  Cafe, 
Modern  Lunch  Room  at  202  West  Third, 
Bon  Ton,  F.  H.  Bonnell,  222  West  Third, 
College  Restaurant,  at  307  West  Third,  Robert 


Geddes,  at  113  West  Third,  which  took  the 
name  of  Candy  Box,  about  1904,  Mrs.  M.  C. 
Kerr,  112  West  Third,  the  St.  James,  Mrs. 
M.  Hanrahan,  102  W.  Front,  Windnagd, 
Hill  and  Cornfield  eating  places.  The  Palace 
Cafe,  opened  by  S.  Shindo  about  twelve  years 
ago,  has  grown  until  it  feeds  as  many  people 
as  any  other  eating  place  in  the  city.  Shuster 
&  Jungbluth  opened  a  cafe  and  confectionery 
in  the  Masonic  Building  about  ten  years  ago, 
which  has  in  recent  years  been  conducted  at 
111  West  Third  by  Arthur  A.  Schuster.  For 
a  number  of  years  Brown's  Cafe,  previously 
operated  as  a  home  cooking  restaurant,  was 
a  factor  in  the  restaurant  business,  but  this 
place  closed  out  in  1918.  The  present  eating 
houses  of  the  city  are  Koehler  Cafe,  conducted 
by  Karl  Kalex,  the  American,  formerly  the 
Vienna,  conducted  by  Henry  Schuff  and  Son, 
the  Palace,  conducted  by  S.  Shindo,  the  Island, 
another  Japanese  cafe,  the  Mandarin,  a 
Chinese  cafe,  the  Grand  Cafe,  Opera  House 
confectionery,  F.  L.  Regan,  Schuster's  cafe, 
the  Davies  Cafeteria,  in  Michelson  block,  new 
Miller  Cafeteria,  Paris  Cafe,  Union  Pacific 
Depot  Dining  Room,  Aksaraba,  Farmers'  & 
Merchants,  Royal  Chocolate  Shop,  and  a  num- 
ber of  lunch  rooms  around  the  Burlington 
depot. 

CONFECTIONERIES 
Late  in  the  'nineties,  Dill  &  Huston  con- 
ducted a  confectionery  and  eating  place  ai 
109  West  Third;  W.  H.  Cjuulen  opened  up 
about  that  time,  about  where  the  Lechinsky 
studio  is  now  located,  and  later  moved  a 
couple  doors  east,  and  is  still  operating  a 
confectionery  and  fruit  store.  Other  con- 
fectioneries operated  in  recent  years  for  am 
length  of  time  have  been:  The  Opera  House 
Confectionery,  operated  by  Walt  Appledorn, 
from  1889  for  about  eight  years,  after  J.  P. 
Hensley  closed  out  in  the  room  south  of  it- 
Henry  Bartenbach  was  in  charge  of  this  busi- 
ness for  a  couple  years,  until  Boeck  and  Foss- 
green took  it  over,  and  since  then  Klinge  &. 
Fossgreen  and  Fred  L.  Regan  have  operated 
it.  The  Grand  Island  Candy  Kitchen  opened 
about  1907,  and  is  still  in  operation,  now 
owned  by  Gust  Valonis.    Wm.  Ivers  has  been 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


273 


conducting  a  confectionery  and  bakery  for  a 
number  of  years,  and  is  now  located  "at  104 
East  Third.  W.  C.  Campbell  first  opened  at 
105  S.  Locust,  but  for  about  ten  years  was 
at  101  East  Third,  a  location  now  occupied 
by  the  Becker  Music  Cb.  Schuster  &  Jung- 
bluth  opened  in  the  Masonic  building,  but 
A.  A.  Schuster  now  conducts  this  place  at 
111  West  Third.  J.  C.  Gerspacher's  place  at 
215  West  Third,  Gurley  place  at  115  N. 
Locust,  later  occupied  by  Ed  McAllister,  Lucy 
Alstot  place  on  West  Third,  and  Burley  and 
Rogers'  confectioneries  have  been  closed  out. 
The  Royal  Chocolate  Shop  (Campbell  & 
Dority)  opened  about  five  years  ago  and  is 
still  in  flourishing  operation.  Wm.  Stein- 
meyer  has  operated  at  324  West  Fourth  for  a 
number  of  years  past.  There  are  a  number 
of  fruit  stores,  cigar  stores,  and  soft  drink 
parlors  that  operate  partially  as  confection- 
eries. 

SALOONS 

With  the  arrival  of  state  and  national  pro- 
hibition, the  saloon  and  liquor  dispensaries 
are  all  a  matter  of  memory  and  history,  ex- 
cept that  numerous  locations  long  used  for 
that  purpose  have  held  over  as  dispensaries 
of  soft  drinks,  with  the  old  familiar  bar, 
foot  rail  and  equipment  to  remind  the  patrons 
of  days  gone  by,  when  the  cup  was  full  and 
some  imbibed  even  too  copiously  and  too  long. 
Regardless  of  the  unfavorable  opinion  that 
many  of  our  readers  may  hold  of  the  saloons, 
and  the  possibly  changed  ideas  of  some  of  the 
former  patrons  as  they  now  view  them  in 
the  perspective,  these  institutions  were  a 
factor  in  entertaining  many  guests,  as  well 
as  residents,  of  the  community.  In  the  days 
when  they  flourished  public  sentiment  looked 
at  them  differently  than  now. 

A  man  by  name  of  Schuler  opened  one  of 
the  first  saloons  in  the  new  community,  called 
the  Headquarters  Saloon ;  about  1870  there 
were  five  saloons  and  bars  in  the  town; 
Anderson's  place,  on  the  present  site  of  the 
Tucker  &  Farnsworth  drug  store,  at  Third 
and  Locust ;  a  bar  maintained  in  the  Michel- 
son  Hotel  (Nebraska  House)  ;  Kraft's  place, 
on  the  site  of  the  present  Commercial  State 


Bank ;  Bassett's  sample  room,  under  the  Clar- 
endon Hotel;  and  Cornelius  Iver's  Billiard 
hall  on  Third  street.  P.  Dunphy  soon  there- 
after advertised  a  wholesale  and  retail  liquor 
business.  Gustave  Koehler  at  an  early  day 
opened  on  the  present  American  (Vienna) 
hotel  and  restaurant  location,  later  moving 
to  a  site  which  is  now  part  of  the  Koehler 
hotel  site,  on  west  Front  street,  and  finally  in 
the  Koehler  hotel  building.  After  his  death, 
this  location  was  retained  and  a  saloon 
operated  by  the  various  proprietors  and 
Koehler  Hotel  Co.  Another  memorable  loca- 
tion, maintained  for  something  like  thirty 
years,  was  the  Foley  location.  Jas.  Foley 
opened  some  time  in  the  'eighties  and  remained 
at  212  West  Third  until  about  1913.  Without 
attempting  to  name  all  of  these  institutions, 
a  few  of  the  more  memorable  establishments 
were:  118  South  Locust,  conducted  at  various 
periods  by  John  C.  Cornelius,  Albert  Heyde, 
Sanders  &  Schlichtling,  Wm.  Schlichtlmg,  W. 
E.  Parker,  manager,  and  Axt  &  Paulsen ; 
105  N.  Locust,  by  Fred  Roth  and  Frank 
Kunze;  113  S.  Wheeler,  by  Claus  Eggers, 
Eggers  &  Schumacher,  and  later  by  Henry 
Schumacher  at  115  S.  Wheeler;  John  Hann 
at  507  S.  Locust,  Hann's  Park,  as  usually 
called,  and  later  by  Henry  Hann;  123  S. 
Locust,  at  south  end  of  Opera  House  block, 
by  Jas.  Hengen,  in  the  'nineties  by  Stout  & 
Hengen  and  Jas.  Stout,  Henry  Sievers,  and 
for  a  time  by  Gustav  Sievers,  when  Henry 
Sievers  moved  across  the  street  to  124  S. 
Locust,  which  location  was  last  occupied  by 
Cornelius  &  Roby  and  John  C.  Cornelius ; 
Julius  Guendel's  location  at  118  East  Third, 
which  H.  A.  Bue tiger  had  the  last  years 
of  its  career.  The  Kuehlson  location  at  118 
East  Front  was  maintained  under  one  manage- 
ment for  something  like  thirty  years.  Chris 
Ronnefeldt  maintained  a  saloon  at  107  East 
Third,  in  late  years  called  the  "Onyx,"  but 
during  the  last  biennium  of  the  business  he 
had  the  "Schlitz"  saloon  at  123  E.  Third,  in 
the  old  Scarff  building.  The  Ark  was  at 
122  East  Third,  the  Turf  Exchange  at  309 
West  Third,  and  J.  J.  Klinge's  locations  at 
114  N.  Locust  and  214  West  Third,  Theo. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Schaumann's  location  at  224  West  Third,  310 
West  Third  with  Henry  Sanders  and  F. 
Duhrsen,  207  West  Third,  by  Fred  Roth  and 
Henry  Sanders,  308  West  Third,  by  Charles 
Nielsen,  about  1889,  215  West  Third,  with 
Carl  Moeller,  Straus  &  Grotz,  Grotx  &  Schers- 
berg  —  these  were  some  of  the  notable  es- 
tablishments of  this  line.  The  308  West  Third 
location  was  tarried  on  after  Nielson,  by 
Heyde,  and  at  last  by  Nich  Weinrich.  The 
Schlitz  location,  124  E.  Third,  was  carried 
on  about  1889  by  Murphy  &  Lanigan.  The 
Palmer  House  Bar  was  another  memorable 
institution,  as  the  saloon  at  Front  and  Pine, 
and  one  at  112  N.  Pine,  and  the  Mint  at  118 
East  Third.  There  are  no  doubt  numerous 
establishments  omitted  from  this  list,  but  most 
of  those  that  ran  for  any  length  of  time  have 
been  included. 

Soft  drink  establishments  have  remained 
in  the  locations  at  124  S.  Locust,  204  West 
Third  (Bernstein  &  White  location),  Geo. 
Baumann,  proprietor;  and  next  door  west; 
•  at  the  Sorenson  location  on  North  Locust,  on 
the  alley  on  west  side  of  street;  at  Koehler 
hotel  location,  now  fruit  and  confectionery 
store ;  in  the  Roth  building  on  Wheeler  street ; 
Nick  Weinrich  location,  308  W.  Third;  at 
the  Mint  location,  116  E.  Third;  Schlitz  loca- 
tion, 123  E.  Third;  and  several  locations  on 
Front  street.  On  the  other  hand,  after  the 
saloons  closed,  some  of  the  most  desirable 
locations  were  turned  over  to  other  lines  of 
business  and,  notably  the  locations  now  oc- 
cupied by  Pizer's  Smart  shop  and  Schu- 
macher's Meat  shop,  given  beautiful  new 
fronts.  Kauman  location  at  107  E.  Third  is 
now  occupied  by  a  tractor  and  road  machinery 
concern,  as  also  the  Buenger  location;  the 
Golden  Gate  location  at  124  E.  Third  was 
first  occupied  by  Brown's  cafe  and  now  by  a 
fruit  store ;  the  Opera  House  location  is  now 
used  by  Willman's  clothing  store,  and  the 
Vienna  building  corner  by  a  new  clothing 
store  recently  started  there.  Though  twenty- 
eight  saloons  stopped  two  years  ago,  Grand 
Island's  growth  has  taken  up  practically  every 
vacant  store-room  left  in  the  city. 


BARBER  SHOPS 

This  is  another  line  of  business  that  changes 
hands  too  often  to  allow  mention  of  every 
shop.  But  yet  a  short  resume  will  show  some 
startling  proprietorships  in  Grand  Island,  as 
to  the  length  of  time-certain  shops  have  been 
under  one  management.  A  business  that  keeps 
up  with  the  growth  of  the  community  and  is 
essential  enough  to  stay  on  top  of  the  rising 
tide  of  prices  is  a  permanent  factor  in  the 
community  life.  A  shop  such  as  Theo.  Bern- 
stein's, operated  at  312  West  Third,,  before 
1890  and  there  under  the  same  management 
until  1914,  and  later  known  as  Martin's  shop, 
has  been  operated  from  the  time  of  five  and 
ten  cent  shaves,  through  the  fifteen  cent  per- 
iod, and  if  it  was  still  continuing  under  that 
management  would  be  operating  on  the 
twenty-five  cent  basis  recently  established. 
Another  location  long  maintained  is  116  N. 
Locust,  by  Sowles  &  Nelson,  Nelson  &  Franz, 
W.  W.  Nelson,  and  A.  N.  Foxhaven.  The 
Palmer  House  barber  shop  was  maintained 
for  many  years,  at  times  by  Phillips  &  Sowles, 
C.  W.  Nelson,  Wm.  F.  Krause,  R.  V.  Wiley. 
O.  H.  Tracy  ran  a  shop  on  Locust  street  in 
the  'nineties;  the  Palace  shop  at  121  East 
Third  preceded  the  'nineties ;  N.  I.  Augustine 
established  a  shop  in  the  115  East  Third  loca- 
tion about  1900  and  conducted  it  there  until 
about  1913  or  1914,  when  E.  S.  Fairbanks 
ran  it  for  several  years  and  recently  sold  it. 
Seward  W.  Jdhnson,  colored,  ran  a  shop  for 
ten  or  twelve  years  at  108  N.  Pine  and  later 
on  Walnut  street.  The  Puritan  shop  at  110 
N.  Pine  is  a  wel!rknown  one.  Paul  H.  Hay- 
man's  earlier  shop  at  220  S.  Pine  was  later 
superceded  by  his  shop  at  120  North  Pine 
which  has  been  going  for  a  number  of  years. 
C.  W.  Marsh  opened  a  shop  about  1912  at 
114  West  Third.  There  has  been  a  shop  for 
some  time  in  the  basement  of  the  Hedde 
building.  Frank  Donner  had  the  115  North 
Locust  location  for  some  years,  succeeding 
the  Hainline  shop  some  ten  or  twelve  years 
ago.  W.  H.  Smith  succeeded  to  the  110  N. 
Pine  location  about  ten  years  ago.  The  pres- 
ent shops  are  those  in  the  Hedde  building. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


275 


under  Sterne's  clothing  store ;  under  the  State 
Bank  of  Grand  Island  at  Third  and  Locust ; 
the  Koehler  hotel  shop;  one  in  the  Ryan 
building;  the  117  E.  Third  location;  204  West 
Third;  114  N.  Pine;  Grace's  pool  hall; 
Hangas'  poo!  hall,  212  E.  Third;  Wheeler 
street  shop;  110  N.  Pine;  106  E.  Fourth,  and 
possibly  several  others. 

LIVERY,  FEED  AND  SALE  STABLES 
In  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  history  of 
Grand  Island,  the  livery,  feed  and  sale  bam 
was  a  distinctively  serviceable  institution  to 
the  tourist,  the  traveller,  the  farmer  who  came 
to  town  to  trade,  and  residents  in  general. 
But  the  sale  business  is  now  handled  at  the 
Horse  Barns,  the  feed  is  sold,  from  feed 
stores,  and  the  livery  business  has  all  but 
given  way  to  the  automobile  industry. 

Since  the  days  of  the  Michelson  barn,  sit- 
uated on  the  alley  between  Third  and  Front 
on  the  west  side  of  Pine,  and  its  mate,  the 
Former  barn  across  the  street,  numerous  barns 
have  come  and  gone  in  Grand  Island.  Proba- 
bly the  barn  location  that  held  forth  in  that 
line  the  longest  was  that  of  Frank  Corkins 
at  306  East  Third.  This  barn  was  running 
in  the  late  'eighties  and  was  still  there  in 
1910.  The  American  Feed,  Livery  and  Sale 
Stable  of  John  Fonner  continued  until  about 
1890.  John  Windolph's  barn  was  conducted 
in  the  'seventies,  and  the  C.  E.  Jerome  livery 
barn  was  running  as  early  as  1876  and  as 
late  of  1892.  About  1891  it  moved  from -313 
East  Fourth  to  307  East  Front.  Other  barns 
running  in  the  late  'eighties  were:  Geo.  P. 
Hansen,  113  N.  Elm;  Banks  Brothers,  213 
E.  Front;  J.  C.  Pederson  &  Co.,  202  East 
Fourth ;  C.  D.  M.  Washburn,  205  East  Front ; 
Adam  Windolph,  113  West  Front;  and  early 
in  the  'nineties,  O.  U.  Wescott's  barn  took  the 
202  East  Front  location.  C.  D.  M.  Washburn 
conducted  a  dray  line  for  years,  and  his  last 
location  was  a  barn  on  the  present  site  of 
the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  building  at  First  and  Locust. 
The  Corkins  business  was  conducted  undef 
various  names,  F.  Corkins  &  Co.,  Corkins  & 
Countney,  and  Frank  Corkins.  J.  G.  Knowles' 
barn  at  124  North  Sycamore  was  running  in 


the  later  'nineties.  By  1900  the  list  of  barns 
had  settled  down  to  about  the  following:  Jas. 
Detlefson  at  313  W.  Second,  near  the  present 
public  library  site,  a  site  that  has  recently 
been  cleared  off  entirely  and  a  new  store  build- 
ing constructed  thereon ;  E.  G.  Howell  barn 
at  110  South  Elm;  J,  Windnagel's  barn  on 
West  Third;  Corkins  &  Co.;  J.  E.  Hanna's 
barn  at  Wheeler  and  First,  a  location  since 
replaced  with  the  Nielsen  Garage;  W.  H. 
Bordner's  barn,  successor  to  the  J.  C.  Peder- 
son barn;  Grand  Island  Feed  Barn  at  424 
West  Third ;  Wescott  barn  and  Robert  Halde- 
man's  barn  at  Front  and  Sycamore. 

Ed  Miner  started  a  barn  at  308  East  Third 
something  like  twelve  years  ago,  and  today 
his  is  one  of  the  two  livery  businesses  left  in 
Grand  Island.  In  fact  a  great  many  towns  and 
cities,  some  of  them  considerably  larger  than 
Grand  Island,  are  now  without  a  single  livery 
business  left.  The  prevalence  of  the  auto 
livery  when  roads  are  passable  has  made  the 
livery  business  less  paying,  and  when  roads 
are  such  that  automobiles  cannot  get  through 
a  livery  business  cannot  be  operated  with  any 
great  degree  of  profit.  Barns  operating  after 
1907,  not  heretofore  mentioned,  have  been, 
one  near  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens'  site; 
Zink  &  Fletcher's  on  East  Front;  Palace 
stables,  112  S.  Kimball  avenue;  W.  C.  Rhodes, 
112  K.  Oak,  and  same  barn  later  by  J.  H. 
Davis;  the  Bordner  barn  at  22  East  Third, 
continued  by  Kaumans  &  Maroney,  Frank 
Gross,  and  Stewart  &  Black ;  Niels  T.  Wheeler 
at  the  222  South  Wheeler,  up  to  a  short  time 
ago  when  he  went  over  to  the  automobile 
business. 

BLACKSMITH  SHOPS 

While  the  blacksmith  shop  originally  de- 
pended upon  horses,  wagons,  and  kindred 
farm  equipment  for  business,  it  has  not  dis- 
appeared as  fast  as  the  livery  bam.  The 
blacksmith  shop  and  the  carriage  shop  have 
been  able  to  switch  over  to  repair  work  arid 
various  mechanical  services  in  relation  to  auto- 
mobiles, trucks,  and  tractors,  so  that  numerous 
shops  are  still  operating,  though  undoubtedly 
not  relying  entirely  on  blacksmith  work  for 
their   maintenance.     Ed   Hooper's   old  shop. 


276 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


maintained  during  the  'sixties  and  up  until 
about  1890,  was  first  located  on  the  west  side 
of  Locust  street  about  the  present  site  of 
the  Equitable  Building  &  Loan  building;  and 
in  1887  was  listed  at  201  South  Locust,  the 
present  North  American  Hotel  site.  C.  E. 
Lykke's  shop  on  west  Third  was  operating 
in  1876  and  remained  in  operation  until  about 
1904  or  1905.  Chas.  Hofman  worked  in  shops 
here  as  early  as  1883,  but  started  a  shop  in 
1887,  on  South  Spruce  street.  Gottlieb  Heid- 
kamp  came  here  in  1886  and  A.  Krall  came 
in  1886  or  1887.  Hofman's  Spruce  street 
location  was  taken  by  Krall  &  Heidkamp 
about  1896,  and  a  little  later  Hofman  started 
on  Wheeler  street,  where  he  remained  until 
his  recent  retirement  from  the  business.  Krall 
&  Heidkamp  moved  over  to  216  S.  Locust  a 
few  years  ago  and  are  still  operating  a  black- 
smith and  machine  shop  there,  right  in  the 
heart  of  the  business  part  of  the  city.  Other 
shops  running  by  1890  were  H.  Stratman's 
shop  on  Spruce  between  Second  and  Third 
which  ran  until  a  few  years  ago;  Charles 
Murray's  shop  on  Sycamore,  between  Third 
and  Front;  the  Peter  Nelson  shop  at  117 
South  Spruce,  and  E.  Sorenson  shop  at  201 
North  Pine,  the  present  location  of  the  Brown 
Fruit  Co.  The  two  latter  shops  ran  until 
about  1896  or  1897.  The  Spethman  shop 
was  located  on  Locust,  between  Third  and 
Front  in  the  'nineties,  and  later  M.  C.  Speth- 
man's  shop  on  North  Sycamore  and  finally 
at  214  East  Third,  a  location  still  operated 
as  the  Spethman  blacksmith  shop  and  a  car- 
riage shop  with  it.  Another  shop  still  operat- 
ing is  the  location  at  412  West  Third,  the 
successor  of  C.  E.  Lykke's  business,  operated 
after  Lykke's  retirement  by  Johnson  &  Trent 
and  now  by  Johnson  &  James.  The  old  D. 
Spethman  shop  on  111  N.  Sycamore  was  also 
operated  by  W.  W.  Farmer,  Harry  H.  Bulck 
and  H.  W.  Smith.  The  Chris  Dalgas  shop 
lias  been  operated  since  about  1907  at  124 
East  Fourth.  Other  shops  have  been  operated 
by  M.  L.  Boquette  at  214  N.  Elm  about  1900; 
A.  T,  Chrisman  on  Wheeler  avenue  about  the 
same  time ;   C.  E.   Huihn,  near  Bradstreet's 


barns  a   few  years  ago,   and  Hamilton's   on 
East  Front  about  1890. 

Charles  Hofman  relates  that  he  was  the 
last  man  to  shoe  any  oxen  in  this  county, 
also  the  last  man  to  shoe  an  Indian  pony  in 
Grand  Island.  Both  of  these  incidents  were 
in  1885,  and  mark  the  time  of  the  passing 
of  two  important  landmarks  of  pioneer  life. 
Many  ponies  and  oxen  were  brought  down 
from  Loup  Valley  or  stopped  off  on  the  way 
through  in  the  early  days. 

AGRICULTURAL  IMPLEMENTS 
This  is  another  business  that  has  withstood 
the  inroads  of  the  automobile  industry,  be- 
cause such  an  establishment  can  add  power 
farm  machinery  to  its  stock,  take  on  tractors 
and  trucks  and  sell  them  along  with  wagons 
and  plows.  No  matter  which  line  of  imple- 
ments a  dealer  may  be  handling,  his  manu- 
facturer can  supply  him  tractors,  trucks  and 
engines  as  well  as  the  hand  and  riding  imple- 
ments and  wagons  and  buggies.  The  history 
of  the  dealers  along  thjs  line  up  until  1886 
has  already  been  traced.  The  year  1887  found 
the  Henry  Stratman  stock  on  South  Spruce 
running,  and  this  business  continued  until 
recently  when  upon  the  death  of  the  younger 
Stratman  it  was  closed  out,  and  a  tire  concern 
has  taken  over  the  last  location  at  120  S. 
Wheeler.  In  1889  and  1890  implements  were 
being  handled  by  Stratman,  Hann  &  Boehl, 
L.  M.  Bryan,  Allison  &  Medberry,  Peter 
Heintz,  T.  J.  Hurford,  Liniger  &  Metcalf 
store,  C.  E.  Lykke  and  J.  J.  and  J.  B.  Rogers. 
Stocks  of  agricultural  implements  were 
later  handled  by  Grand  Island  Transfer, 
Storage  &  Commercial  Co.  at  Front  and 
Kimball;  H.  J.  Palmer,  at  the  rear  of  Wol- 
bach's  on  Pine  street;  Herman  Bros,  at  217 
South  Locust  (the  site  of  the  present  Com- 
mings  garage) ;  Piano  Mfg.  Co.,  Grand  Island 
Banking  building ;  Guy  Self  Feeder  Co.,  Jones 
Bros,  at  224  East  Third ;  Matthiesen  &  Eggers 
and  D.  Matthiesen.  The  Lintnger  location  at 
217  South  Locust  was  continued  until  about 
1911  or  1912,  most  of  the  time  as  the  Grand 
Island  Implement  Co.    J.  J.  and  B.  J.  Rogers 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


277 


operated  for  some  time  at  Second  and  Locust, 
until  about  1910  or  1911.  With  the  Stratman 
stock  retired,  the  three  existing  stocks  of 
agricultural  implements  and  kindred  lines  are 
of  somewhat  recent  origin.  J.  H.  Squires 
opened  about  1893  or  1894  and  a  couple  years 
later  Upperman  &  Leiser  took  over  his  loca- 
tion and  stock  at  114  South  Pine.  This  is 
the  oldest  of  the  present  establishments  in 
this  line,  and  during  1919  has  been  reorgan- 
ized as  G.  A.  Leiser  &  Co.  D.  Gilbert  &  Son 
started  about  twelve  years  ago,  and.  recently 
D.  Gilbert  has  taken  over  the  argicultural 
implements  at  415  W.  Third,  and  his  son 
has  taken  over  the  district  agency  for  Maxwell 
automobiles  at  the  same  location.  The  recent 
addition  to  this  line  of.  business  is  the  big 
plant  of  W.  T.  Detweiler  Co.  at  Fifth  and 
Pine  streets.  Mr.  Detweiler  came  to  Grand 
Island  sometime  ago,  but  has  been  running 
stores  in  a  number  of  towns  in  this  part  of 
the  state.  Harry  N.  Oldson  is  local  manager 
and  this  concern  has  constructed  a  large  frame 
building  for  its  stock. 

ELEVATORS 
Unlike  some  industries  and  commercial 
interests,  the  elevators  at  Grand  Island  handle 
more  of  a  local  territory,  because  they  have 
competition  at  every  town  in  the  county.  The 
old  Sears  elevator  has  already  been  spoken  of ; 
also  the  L.  A.  VanWasmer  elevator  built  on 
the  B.  &  M.  tracks.  About  1890  the  town 
had  three  or  four  elevators,  the  Grand  Island 
Grain  Co.  at  Walnut  and  Front;  the  Grand 
Island  Milling  &  Elevator  Co.  plant  On  Green 
street  and  U.  P.  tracks ;  and  Von  Wasmer 
elevator  on  Burlington  tracks.  C.  A.  Peterson 
&  Co.  afterwards  operated  at  Greenwich  and 
U.  P.  tracks.  S.  N.  Wolbach  owned  the 
elevator  along  the  Union  Pacific  tracks  dur- 
ing the  last  half  of  the  'nineties.  The  Louis 
A.  Von  Wasmer  elevator  was  taken  about 
1896  by  the  Wilson  Grain  Co.  with  Oscar 
Wells  as  manager,  and  later  by  the  McCloud 
Grain  Co.  and  eventually  by  Oscar  Wells  & 
Co.  Mr.  Wells  was  manager  of  this  institu- 
tion for  a  great  many  years,  retiring  early 
in  1918,  when  he  sold  the  plant  to  the  High- 


land Grain  Co.  who  is  now  operating  it.  About 
ten  years  ago  the  T.  B.  Hord  Grain  Co.  took 
over  the  Walrtut  street  elevator.  The  Farmer's 
Co-Operative  and  Educational  Union  is  now 
constructing  an  elevator  on  the  Union  Pacific 
track  west  of  the  Hord  elevator. 

FtOOB  AND  PEED 

This  line  of  retail  business  has  been  largely 
handled  by  separate  stores.  Blunk  Bros,  sold 
flour  and  feed  in  the  late  'eighties.  Glade  & 
Etting  and  Glade  Milling  Co.  handled  it  to 
some  extent  in  earlier  days.  A.  D.  Sears 
has  been  engaged  in  this  business  for  over 
twenty-five  years,  on  South  Spruce  street. 
B.  F.  Merrill,  302  East  Third,  Peterson  &  Co., 
and  C.  F.  Rollins  were  dealing  prior  to  1890. 
In  1891  various  dealers  in  this  line  were 
Grand  Island  Coal  &  Fuel  Co.,  at  Elm  and 
Front;  Adam  Krombeck,  Wheeler  avenue; 
Marcus  Sherman,  201  East  Fourth;  Grand 
Island  Roller  Mills  and  C.  A.  Peterson  &  Co. 
mills,  and  the  elevators.  Later  dealers  were 
W.  H.  Houser,  A.  R.  Craig,  Roberts  &  Son, 
L.  K.  Richard,  Emmett  Bros.,  E.  Diehl,  J. 
Olson  &  Son,  S.  P.  Peterson,  W.  E.  Palmer, 
and  J.  W.  West  who  has  been  operating  a  store 
at  324  West  Third  for  practically  twenty 
years  now. 

LUMBER  AND  COAL 

The  lumber  yards  in  the  late  'eighties  were 
Bogue  &  Sherwood,  214  N.  Pine;  Grand 
Island  Lumber  Co.  (successor  of  Hedde  yard) 
which  changed  its  name  about  that  time  to 
George  A.  Hoagland;  Hall  County  Lumber 
Co.  at  Front  and  Sycamore,  which  yard  was 
succeeded  about  1896  by  the  Chicago  Lumber 
Co. ;  North  Platte  Lumber  Co.  on  Front  street 
between  Pine  and  Locust,  and  Chicago 
Lumber  Co.  then  operating  near  Cedar  and 
Front  streets.  The  Hoagland  yard  has  con- 
tinued in  operation  under  that  name  until  a 
few  weeks  ago  local  men  organized  and  took 
complete  control  of  the  yard,  under  the  new 
corporate  name  of  Goehring-Sothman  Com- 
pany. 

The  Chicago  Lumber  Co.  is  still  in  opera- 
tion here.  The  W.  H.  Harrison  yard  started 
about  1896,  on  Elm  street,  and  the  business 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


the  W.  H.  Harrison  Co. 
son  as  president  and  Fred 
;tary-treasurer.  This  com- 
laning  mill,  an  important 
is  their  lumber  and  coal 
E.  Woodruff  coal  yard  at 
ilso  handling  lumber,  was 

or  1900,  and  was  taken 
!  the  Tidball  Lumber  Co. 
i  later  by  the  J.  M.  Yost 
lave  since  moved  and  are 
ar  Front  and  Sycamore 
man  Nelson  Lumber  & 
;n  operating  at  216  North 
ist  seven  or  eight  years, 
ly  purchased  and  absorbed 
:he  coal  business,  W.  S. 
it  202   N.   Walnut.     The 

began  ,in    1893   as   con- 

Geer  and  J.  D.  Harrison 
'ated  along  that  line  until 
iiing  mill   was  built,   and 

was  expanded  along  other 
ny   handles   coal,   planing 

contracting  business,  with 
of  $100,000  of  new  work 
:nt  R.  L.  Geer  is  president 
R.  M.  Geer  secretary  and 
i  as  many  as  thirty  people 
the  year  around. 

COAL 

landled  practically  all  of 
arious  lumber  yards,  but 
e  separate  coal  businesses 
ity.     The  grain  stores  and 

handled  coal  to  some  ex- 
has  handled  coal  for  a 
i  do  the  T.  B.  Hord  Grain 
iVest.  Adolph  Egge  was 
siness  in  the  late  'eighties 
about  1900.  Kerr  &  King 
I  yards  at  611  East  Fourth, 

by  E.  R.  Kerr,  and  then 
itil  taken  over  by  Tidball 
1.  Yost  Lumber  Co.  Other 
Sweetwater  Coal  Mfg.  Co. 

North  Elm  street ;  Wm. 
and  Grain  Co.,  Grand  Is- 


land Coal  &  Fuel  Co. ;  D.  H.  McCoy,  McCoy 
&  Marsh,  J.  H.  Jones,  and  E.  R.  Farmer. 

GROCERY    STORES 

There  have  been  so  many  grocery  stocks 
handled  in  Grand  Island  in  the  past  thirty 
years  that  no  pretense  can  be  made  her;  et 
listing  every  one  of  them,  but  those  which 
have  been  conducted  for  any  length  of  time 
will  be  mentioned. 

Veit  &  Roeser  established  a  grocery  business 
in  the  'eighties,  and  operated  together  for  a 
few  years.  Oscar  Roeser  then  remained  in 
the  location  at  115  West  Third  street,  and 
for  over  thirty  years  this  store  has  been  con- 
ducted under  the  names  of  Oscar  Roeser, 
Roeser  &  Co,  and  The  Bee  Hive  Grocery. 
Mr.  Roeser's  two  sons,  Emil  and  Oscar  Jr., 
are  now  associated  with  him.  The  store  also 
handles  a  very  extensive  line  of  chinaware 
and  crockery. 

Louis  Veit  at  the  time  of  the  dissolution 
of  firm  of  Veit  &  Roeser  removed  to  120 
East  Third,  where  he  conducted  a  grocery 
store  until  his  death  in  1908,  after  which  time 
his  widow,  and  since  then  his  son,  Oscar 
Veit,  have  managed  the  Louis  Veit  Co.  A 
short  time  ago  this  company  moved  to  217 
West  Third  street,  where  they  are  now 
operating. 

M.  L.  Dolan  was  operating  a  store  at  208 
West  Third  street  before  1887,  and  about 
1896  this  was  taken  over  by  L.  Neumeyer, 
who  conducted  it  at  that  location  until  about 
seven  years  ago,  when  he  moved  to  his  present 
location,  311  West  Third  street. 

Williams  &  Kerr  were  operating  a  grocery 
store  at  302  West  Third  street  prior  to  1888. 
Later  H.  B.  Kerr  operated  this  stock  for  a 
time.  By  1896  H.  H.  Glover  was  conducting 
a  grocery  stock  at  this  location.  For  the 
past  three  or  four  years,  Mattke  &  Gorman 
have  operated  a  store  in  the  rear  of  the  Grand 
Island  National  Bank,  on  Wheeler  street,  with 
a  Third  street  entrance  through  the  Lorentzen 
dry  goods  store.  While  this  location  does  not 
have  the  continuity  of  the  others  mentioned. 
it  has  been  a  grocery  store  location  almost  all 
of  the  time  for  the  past  thirty  years. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


279 


There  has  been  a  grocery  store  conducted 
at  117  S-  Locust  street,  in  the  Opera  House 
block,  practically  all  of  the  time  for  the  last 
thirty-two  years.  Eisner  &  Hess  were  at  this 
location  in  1887.  They  were  succeeded  by 
J.  W.  Cook,  Daniel  M.  Wilt,  and  C.  F.  Haack, 
who  later  operated  at  220  West  Third.  John 
McKenzie  was  in  this  location  for  several 
years,  until  Bock  Brothers  took  over  the  loca- 
tion. About  1912  Alvinus  J.  Bock  started 
in  at  213  West  Second  and  Rudolph  W.  Bock 


conducted  by  George  Reese  and  Mrs.  Emma 
Reese;  J.  H.  Yund  stock  at  217  West  Third, 
in  operation  prior  to  1890  continued  until 
after  1897;  C.  L.  Haux  stock  at  101  East 
Third  and  succeeded  by  H.  L.  Pritchard,  and 
afterwards  in  the  Independent  building  con- 
tinued until  after  1897.  Stocks  operated  in 
1887  which  did  not  last  very  long  thereafter 
were  those  of  H.  Bohn,  on  Fourth  between 
Sycamore  and  Kimball;  H.  S.  Elkins,  later 
operated  by   J.   L.   Dinkle,  at  213   S.   Pine; 


Third  Street,  Grand  Island, 

retained  the  Opera  House  block  location.  He 
is  now  operating  The  Pure  Food  Grocery  at 
the  same  old  stand.  In  addition  to  these  five 
established  and  long-continued  locations  there 
are  a  number  of  other  locations  showing 
rather  long-continued  proprietorships. 

Other  grocery  businesses  in  operation  prior 
to  1890  that  continued  for  some  years  after- 
wards were :  Hayden  Brothers  store  on  East 
Third;  F.  F.  Fedder,  at  214  West  Second, 
which  continued  until  after  1904;  Hennings 
Brothers,  at  212  West  Fourth,  which  was 
taken  over  by  Henry  Reese  and  afterwards, 
about  1907  or  1908,  the  stock  was  moved  over 
to  224  North  Walnut,  where  it  has  since  been 
continued  by  the  Reese  family,  in  recent  years 


Independent  Building 

J.  W.  West,  and  later  by  Hill  &  Reider  in 
Masonic  block;  Frank  Judson  at  218  West 
Third ;  J.  W.  Liveringhouse,  124  East  Third ; 
Hathaway  store  at  402  West  Third;  John 
Riss  at  420  West  Fourth;  S.  W.  Smith  at 
112  West  Third;  E.  A.  Stevens,  Sixth  and 
Walnut;  H.  Thomas  at  215  East  Third. 
Among  the  grocery  stores  established  during 
the  'nineties,  which  were  later  discontinued, 
were:  Grand  Island  Grocery  at  305  West 
Third,  afterwards  called  the  Cash  Grocery 
House  (this  being  the  Geary  location), 
carried  on  until  after  1904;  The  Meyer  &  Co. 
store  at  Third  and  Spruce;  John  Herman 
store  at  406  West  Third ;  J.  T.  Connell,  102 
East   Sixth;  John  W.  Cook,  404  N.   Plum, 

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280 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


a  location  ten  years  later  used  for  a  grocery 
stock  by  T.  C.  Keefe. 

Among  the  grocery  stores  which  were 
started  since  1900  and  afterwards  discon- 
tinued, merged,  or  otherwise  disappeared, 
were:  J.  C.  Gerspacher  store  at  219  West 
Third;  W.  C.  Campbell  at  103  East  Third 
which  was  conducted  for  something  like 
twelve  years ;  L.  M.  Gaver  at  1 12  East  Third, 
but  Mr.  Gaver's  store  at  223  North  Wheeler 
was  sold  recently  and  is  still  in  operation ; 
B.  &  M.  store  at  Fifth  and  Plum,  later  ope- 
rated by  Herman  King,  though  there  is  still 
a  small  store  at  that  corner;  Scott  store  at 
414  N.  Plum;  Rasmussen  store  at  524  E. 
Fourth ;  Hub  Grocery,  Sixth  and  Pine  streets ; 
J.  H.  Wilson  Co.,  422  N.  Fourth;  Golden 
Rule  on  West  Ninth;  R.  A.  Odum,  813  N. 
Oak;  and  numerous  stores  in  recent  years 
that  may  have  been  overlooked. 

Among  the  businesses  now  operating  that 
have  been  continued  for  some  time,  are  the 
following:  Bee  Hive,  Bock's,  Neumeyers, 
Mattke  &  Gorman's,  and  L.  Veit  Co.  have 
already  been  named.  About  1907  Ferdinand 
Seebohlm  opened  at  Second  and  Wheeler  a 
stock  which  William  Veit  for  the  past  ten 
or  eleven  years  has  operated  as  the  Second 
Street  Cash  Grocery,  but  in  1919  it  is  being 
closed  out,  as  Mr.  Veit  is  entering  the  real 
estate  and  insurance  business  with  Theo.  P. 
Boehm.  Corl  Brothers  on  Third  street  opened 
in  recent  years  a  cash  basket  grocery;  A.  J. 
Burkey  started  the  store  at  320  W.  Koenig, 
which  location  Fred  Nable  had  used  for  his 
bakery  for  a  number  of  years ;  for  the  past 
five  years  Mrs.  Minnie  Graham  has  operated 
this  Koenig  street  grocery ;  another  enterpris- 
ing grocery  in  that  neighborhood  is  that  of 
Lafe  Campbell,  at  422  South  Locust ;  and 
another  neighborhood  grocery  further  west  is 
the  Uneeda  Grocery,  519  S.  Greenwich.  The 
Sanitary  grocery  at  323  W.  Third,  operated 
by  Howard  Garrett  has  been  running  for 
about  three  or  four  years ;  the  Star  grocery 
at  401  West  Third,  formerly  operated  by 
H.  N.  Oldson,  and  now  by  Geo.  Nelson,  and 
before  that  this  location  was  occupied  by  Alden 
Bros,  was  operated  by  S.  H.  Ferguson  in  the 


'nineties.  The  Kelso  grocery  now  at  413  N. 
Walnut  was  formerly  operated  by  J.  A.  Kelso, 
up  until  his  death,  at  324  West  Sixth.  John 
Knickrehm  has  been  in  the  grocery  business 
at  102  West  Fourth  for  practically  twenty 
years,  opening  about  1900.  The  F.  N.  Rask 
store  has  operated  at  220  East  Fourth  for 
practically  ten  years.  The  B.  W.  Monk 
store  at  523  East  Fourth  is,  more  recent 
but  a  store  was  operated  for  over  twenty 
years  at  524  East  Fourth  by  Wm.  Becker, 
S.  E.  Connor,  Dennon  &  Son,  and  later 
by  R.  L.  Davis.  H.  P.  Hansen  has  been 
in  business  at  220  East  Fourth  and  at 
202  East  Fourth  for  twelve  or  fourteen 
years.  Something  like  twenty -three  years 
,ago  Jens  Olsen  was  conducting  a  store 
at  205  East  Fourth,  which  is  now  operated 
at  201-205  East  Fourth  by  Frank  I.  Olsen. 
The  U.  P.  Cash  grocery  on  East  Third 
was  recently  established.  T.  F.  Costello's 
store  at  102  East  Sixth  in  recent  years 
has  become  the  Ideal  Grocery  store;  Frank 
K.  Buell  is  operating  at  619  North  Eddy, 
and  was  formerly  listed  at  723  West  Eighth, 
he  L.  P.  Christensen  store  is  at  114  East 
Fourth.  W.  T.  Zook  runs  the  College  Addition 
store  near  the  Old  Soldiers'  Home ;  there  has 
in  recent  years  been  a  store  operated  .by  Geo. 
Weiderspohn  at  505  East  Koenig;  Wilke's 
Cash  grocery  is  located  at  912  N.  Kimball', 
in  recent  years  stores  have  been  operated  at 
602  West  Fourth  and  924  West  Eighth.  T.  M. 
Sharp  until  recently  operated  a  store  at  817 
South  Locust.  Another  neighborhood  resi- 
dential district  store  has  been  at  1402  W. 
Third ;  Jordon  residential  grocery,  504  E. 
Sixth.  Other  stores  now  operating  through 
the  various  portions  of  the  city  are,  Alexander 
Bros,  at  207  West  Eleventh;  Baker's  grocery. 
412  N.  Washington;  Boldt's  grocery,  520  N. 
Walnut ;  R.  A.  Carson  grocery,  1302  W. 
Fourth ;  the  Corner  grocery  at  1 103  W. 
Eighth ;  the  store  at  524  West  Eighth,  form- 
erly conducted  by  Edward  Jones,  by  Isaac 
Highland,  and  recently  by  W.  D.  Highland, 
and  known  as  the  North  Side  Basket  Store ; 
Peter  R.  Jensen,  groceries,  822  W.  Fifth; 
Kallos    &    Kallos,    105    N.    Locust;    Thos. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


281 


Maloney  Grocery  at  610  N.  Locust;  A.  Mc- 
Dowell confectionery  at  402  W.  Fourth  with 
some   groceries;    Model     Grocery,    604    E. 

I     Fourth;  Gordon   L.   Neligh,   505   E.   Sixth; 

|  Otto  Pfatsch  meat  market  and  grocery,  316 
N.  Sycamore;  Chas.  Rose  &  Son's  Grocery 
at  712  N.  Cleburn;  Alex  Scheibel  grocery, 
515  N.  Beal;  and  Hitchcock-Hill  Co.  on  South 
Walnut,  wholesalers- to-consumer,  and  a  Con- 
sumers and  Producers  Mercantile  Association 
is  expecting  to  establish  a  cooperative  store. 
This  leaves  a  few  recent  stores,  which 
the  owners  have  sold  or  discontinued,  not 
mentioned;  among  these  being,  Awe  &  Hen- 
drickson  at  815  N.  Oak;  B.  H.  Tivis  at  824 
W.  Eighth  and  G.  A.  Thomas  at  602  W. 
Fourth;  C.  G.  Wetzel  at  215  E.  Fourth ;  Chas. 
Wicker,  607  W.  Fourth;  G.  W.  Brady,  1302 
W.  Fourth;  Chas.  H.  Stall,  E.  Fifth;  Leslie 
C.  Poore,  N.  Wheeler;  W.  H.  Mader,  207 
W.  Eleventh.  This  list  enumerating  thirty- 
four  groceries  outside  of  the  downtown  busi- 
ness district,  in  addition  to  eleven  downtown 
stores  will  indicate  somewhat  the  extent  of 
the  growth  of  Grand  Island  and  how  the  town 
has  spread  out. 

MEAT   MARKETS 

Many  of  the  groceries  have  handled  meats, 
but,  nevertheless,  there  have  been  numerous 
separate  markets  throughout  the  past  thirty 
years. 

There  has  been  a  market  in  the  Opera 
House  block  on  South  Locust  street  a  good 
share  of  the  time  for  the  past  thirty  years. 
Alter  &  Glover  were  operating  there  in  1887  ; 
H.  Linderman  followed  at  113  South  Locust; 
P.  F.  Fischer  was  in  the  Opera  House  block 
during  the  late  'nineties ;  in  1907,  Lee  &  Cord- 
ing operated  there,  and  F.  W.  Fuller  followed 
about  1907.  Henry  Maass  had  a  market  in 
that  block  about  1910  at  113  S.  Locust;  dur- 
ing the  war  the  Equine  Packing  Company 
established  a  market  for  their  products  in 
the  Masoinc  building,  which  closed  out,  and 
recently  Shultz  &  Fillmore  have  opened  the 
Locust  street  market  there,  selling  it  to 
Bockhahn  Bros. 

James  Fonner  had  a  market  at   112  East 


Third  in  1887,  which  lasted  about  four  or 
five  years  longer;  other  markets  running  at 
that  time  which  disappeared  within  a  few 
years  were:  C.  L.  Howell,  119  W.  Third; 
J.  W.  Miller,  213  W.  Fourth;  J.  G.  Rocka- 
fellow,  116  N.  Locust;  Fred  Stehr,  213  W. 
Second,  which  market  was  afterwards  con- 
ducted by  Mitchell  &  Blake  and  Otto  L. 
Guenther;  Henry  Stehr  was  m  at  215  East 
Fourth ;  he  was   followed  by  Shrist   Meyer. 

For  the  Fonner  market  at  1 12  East 
Third,  some  claim  of  continuity  could  be  laid, 
as  Kuestner  &  SchwaigeF  took  this  location 
over  about  1896  and  continued  there  until 
they  moved  to  213  West  Third,  later  this 
business  was  taken  over  by  Kuestner  &  Ehlers, 
and  now  R.  M.  Kuestner  runs  it  at  215  West 
Third  as  the  Central  Market.  Richard  Guen- 
del  operated  at  220  West  Fourth,  and  W.  D. 
Hanchett  succeeded  him  in  that  location,  and 
Guendel  opened  at  Fourth  and  Pine.  There 
has  been  a  market  at  Pine  and  Fourth  prac- 
tically continuously.  It  was  operated  about 
1910  as  the  North  Pine  market,  and  later  by 
Otto  Prautsch,  and  for  the  past  five  or  six 
years  by  Wm.  F.  Fremhke,  the  present  pro- 
prietor. Short  time  occupancies  were  those 
of  C.  H.  Watts  at  213  W.  Second,  Pridemore 
and  Long  at  406  N.  Plum,  Geo.  Cornelius 
at  116  N.  Locust,  Hill  &  Rockafellow,  111  W. 
Third,  all  dating  about  1890.  Meier  &  Schim- 
mer,  at  223  W.  Third,  Wm.  Meier,  and  Meier 
&  Weise  at  113  W.  Third,  was  a  business  that 
continued  for  some  time ;  John  Meier  operated 
at  the  223  W.  Third  stand  and  later  at  307 
W.  Third,  and  Bonson's  market  succeeded 
him.  Jas.  Hall  at  Pine  and  Sixth  in  the 
early  'nineties;  C.  G.  Hansen  at  the  same 
location,  Jos.  Drury,  and  Chas.  Stall,  East 
Fifth,  were  other  short  time  occupancies. 
Numerous  markets  not  mentioned  here  have 
been  conducted  in  connection  with  grocery 
stocks. 

The  markets  now  operating  in  the  city  are 
Kueser's  Central  market ;  Shultz  Bros ,  suc- 
cessor of  the  market  at  222  West  Second, 
operated  heretofore  by  Krehmke  &  Fillmore ; 
Krehmke  &  Gaver,  Kremke  &  Cords,  and 
William    Meier ;    Shultz    &    Fillmore's    new 


282 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Locust  street  market ;  H.  Schumacher  & 
Son's  market  at  113  S.  Wheeler,  established 
about  three  years  ako ;  the  Wm.  F.  Krehmke 
market  at  Fourth  and  Pine ;  the  Star  market 
at  402  West  Third;  the  Sanitary  market  at 
319  W.  Third,  successor  to  the  business  es- 
tablished by  Kloppenberg  &  Kraft  some  three 
or  four  years  ago ;  Peoples  Meat  Market,  204 
E.  Fourth,  Bofkhahn  Bros.,  N.  Locust  street, 
and  numerous  markets  connected  with  grocery 
stores  throughout  the  city. 


ments.  Paul  O.  Weinhold  was  in  the  bakery 
business  through  the  'nineties,  at  218  West 
Second,  423  W.  Second,  415  and  423  W. 
Third,  and  finally  in  recent  years  at  1217  West 
Division,  until  he  closed  out  in  1918.  William 
I  vers  has  been  in  the  bakery  business  for  some 
years,  recently  at  his  present  location,  104  East 
Third.  Other  bakeries  that  ran  for  a  short 
period  were  A.  G.  Lastey,  914  W.  Third; 
Titus  Wholesale  Baking  Co.  at  the  218  W. 
Second   location;    M.   V.    Powers,    111    East 


Third  Stref.t,  Or,- 


BAKERIES 
The  list  of  bakeries  somewhat  conflicts  with 
the  confectionery  roster.  The  pioneer  baker 
of  the  last  thirty  years  was  Fred  Nabel,  who 
was  running  a  bakery  back  in  the  'seventies, 
and  continued  until  about  twelve  years  ago. 
His  location  in  the  'eighties  was  on  the  present 
site  of  the  Woolworth  ten  cent  store,  but  in 
the  late  years  of  his  business  career  was  at 
320  W.  Koenrg  street.  Henry  Thiessen  con- 
tinued that  business  a  short  time,  and  then  a 
grocery  store  went  in  there  and  the  store 
building-house  combined  is  still  used  for  a 
grocery.  The  A.  Beer  bakery  at  309  W.  Third 
was  continued  into  the  'nineties  as  the  Palace 
Bakery  and  later  by  John  W.  West.  J.  P. 
Voitle  operated  in  the  'nineties  at  223  East 
Front.  For  years  the  Union  restaurant  and 
Vienna   restaurant  conducted  bakery  depart- 


Front  in  1887;  Wm.  Robinson  at  509  E. 
Fourth,  form  1893  to  about  1896  or  7 ;  Elite 
Bakery,  111  West  Third;  Model  Bakery,  414 
West  Third;  G.  I.  Bakery.  213  East  Fourth 
and  Cottage  Bakery,  217  East  Fourth.  The 
bakeries  now  operating  in  the  city  are:  The 
Monogram  Bakery,  conducted  by  Robert 
Teviotdale,  one  of  the  largest  bakeries  in  the 
state;  Ernst's  Bakery  at  419  West  Third: 
Regan's  Bakery  in  Opera  house  block ;  Ivers' 
Bakery  at  104  East  Third;  Star  Bakery  at 
321  West  Third;  Sanitary  Bakery  at  West 
Third ;  Larkin's  Bakery,  which  recently  gave 
up  its  room  for  Geddes  Furniture  Go's  expan- 
sion; Christ  Kost  Bakery  on  East  Third. 

ICE  DEALERS 

In  1887  there  were  three  ice  dealers   in  th( 

city:  Gustave  Koeh'er,  with  office  at  123  East 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


283 


Front.  Mr.  Koehler  furnished  ice  for  the  next 
twenty  years,  and  during  the  following  two  or 
three  years  John  Koehler  handled  ice.  The 
other  dealefs  in  1887  were  Lafayette  Meyers, 
120  N.  Walnut  and  Andrew  Ott,  1113  West 
Charles.  They  each  discontinued  a  few  years 
later  and  Koehler  had  the  field  alone  until 
about  1900  when  the  Grand  Island  Electric 
Light,  Ice  and  Cold  Storage  Co.  opened  an  ice 
business  at  Pine  and  Fourth,  making  artificial 
ice.  About  1907  Martin  Schimmer  furnished 
ice  from  his  lake.  About  1910  the  Fairmont 
Creamery  Co.  offered  artificial  ice.  Cornelius 
Rauert  served  from  Wasmer  lake  for  a  short 
time  in  the  'nineties ;  C.  Elwood  Kent  was  in 
the  business  for  a  short  time  from  1910,  and  so 
was  J.  H.  Jones,  serving  from  Ott's  Pond  at 
that  same  time':  Gus  Thavanet  started  about 
1912  and  the  Wood  River  Ice  Co.  until  the 
winter  of  1918-  1919  left  so  little  natural  ice 
(o  cut  that  in  the  spring  of  1919  he  decided  to 
turn  his  equipment  to  the  sand  hauling  busi- 
ness and  while  working  on  it  sustained  an 
injury  that  resulted  in  his  death.  C.  J.  Palmer, 
with  an  artificial  ice  plant,  is  the  only  retail 
dealer  in  the  summer  of  1919.  The  Loup 
Valley  Packing  Co.  offers  ice  in  ton  lots  or 
more,  and  a  new  organization  has  been  formed 
to  cut  natural  ice  this  coming  winter. 

DRY  GOODS  AND  SHOES 

In  1887,  of  course,  Wolbachs  had  been  run- 
ning all  through  the  'eighties.  L.  A.  Pease  & 
Co.  at  220  W.  Third ;  E.  A.  Stevens  at  Sixth 
and  Walnut;  C.  A.  Wiebe,  201  W.  Third 
(Sterne's  present  locatien),  who  had  been  run- 
ning for  several  years  then ;  Boston  Store, 
119  S.  Locust  and  J.  D.  Cowie,  110  W.  Third, 
constituted  the  other  stores.  The  Cowie  store 
was  continued  by  Ed  W.  Thomas  and  E. 
Walker  &  Sons  until  about  ten  years  later. 
Hayden  Brothers  store  changed  its  location  a 
couple  of  times,  finally  being  at  212 -West 
Third,  about  where  the  new  First  National 
Bank  building  is,  and  remained  in  business 
here  for  about  twenty  years  longer,  though  in 
the  meantime  they  commenced  a  very  suc- 
cessful department  store  business  in  Omaha,  to 


which  they  eventually  exclusively  devoted  their 
attention. 

P.  D.  Martin  &  Co.  opened  the  One  Price 
Cash  Store,  at  123  West  Third  (Alexander's 
presnet  location)  and  later  moved  to  East 
Third  street  and  finally  to  the  present  location 
of  the  P.  Martin  &  Bro.  store  at  208-212  West 
Third.  H.  H.  Glover  Co.  opened  with  dry 
goods  and  shoes  at  Third  and  Locust  about 
1896,  but  shortly  after  that  were  at  302  W. 
Third,  and  this  store  was  continued  by  Mr. 
Glover  until  about  1914  when  H.  J.  Lorentzen 


Third,  East  of  Locust  Street,  Grand  Island.  1919 

took  it  over,  and  he  is  still  located  at  that 
place.  A.  C.  Menck  started  at  104  West 
Fourth,  around  1904,  but  that  location  was 
afterwards  taken  by  Geo.  Loan,  then  by  Perley 
A.  Dennon,  and  lastly  by  Geo.  Allerheiligen. 
In  the  meantime  Mr.  Menck  re-opened  at  122 
West  Fourth,  where  he  still  remains  in  busi- 
ness. J.  S.  Johnson  was  in  business  a  short 
time  at.  220  West  Third.  The  Grand  Dry 
Goods  Co.  (A.  W.  Taylor)  opened  at  307 
West  Third,  later  ran  as  A.  W.  Taylor  Co.  at 
221  West  Third,  and  this  stock  was  taken  over 
about  five  years  ago  by  the  O.  C.  Thompson 
Co.  who  are  conducting  it  at  the  latter  location. 
The  Golden  Rule,  or  J.  C.  Penney  Co.  store 
was  installed  in  Grand  Island  some  four  or 
five  years  ago  and  is  operating  at  309  west 
Third.  L.  M.  Drew  operated  a  small  general 
store  across  from  the  post-office  in  1900.  The 
more  recent  additions  to  the  dry  goods  busi- 
ness are  two  exclusive  ladies'  furnishings  and 
ready-to-wear  shops  installed  within  the  last 
three  years,  A.  E.  Nagelstock  and  (J.  B.) 
Pizer's    Smart    Shop,   both    on    West   Third 


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284 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


street.  The  Woolworth  5  and  10  cent  Store, 
218-220  West  Third,  handles  many  features 
of  a  dry  goods  line,  and  David  Kaufman's 
5  to  25  cent  store  at  214-216  West  Third, 
handles  some  dry  goods. 

THE  WOLBACH  STORE 

The  site  for  this  store,  at  the  southwest 
corner  of  Third  and  Pine  streets,  was  selected 


and  Michael  S.  Wolbach  moved,  to  Beatrice, 
Nebraska,  and  S.  N.  and  J.  S.  Wolbach  con- 
tinued the  business.  In  1880  they  erected  the 
first  brick  store  building  in  Grand  Island  or 
Hall  County,  and  despite  the  fears  of  many 
of  their  friends  that  this  was  entirely  too  ad- 
venturous an  undertaking  for  this  new  com- 
munity, their  faith  has  been  justified  many 
times  over.     In  1884,  Jacob  S.  Wolbach  sold 


Wolbach  Stoke,  Grand  I  slaw 


1874 


in  December,  1873.  A  frame  building  was 
started  which  was  completed  in  March,  1874, 
Michael  Wolbach  came  to  Grand  Island  at 
about  the  former  time.  In  1874  Jacob  S.  Wol- 
bach, who  had  been  in  the  retail  dry  goods 
business  in  New  York  city,  and  Jacob  S.  Wol- 
bach opened  the  business  here.  Samuel  N. 
Wolbach  did  not  come  until  the  fall  of  1874. 
The  frame  building  was  soon  outgrown  and 
other  frame  buildings  were  added  in  the  latter 
'seventies.  In  1880  the  first  firm  was  dissolved, 


his  interest  to  S.  N.  Wolbach,  who  continued 
the  business  until  1901  when  his  sons,  E.  J. 
and  Emil  Wolbach,  assisted  in  the  business, 
and  later  on  were  admitted  to  membership  in  I 
the  firm  of  S.  N.  Wolbach  &  Sons.  Further  ad- 
ditions  to  the  store  were  made  in  1884  and 
1890,  and  later  with  the  purchase  of  the 
Alexander  building  and  the  installation  of 
thoroughly  modern  store  front  to  the  entire 
frontage  of  110  feet  by  132  feet,  occupying  I 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


285 


three  floors   ot   the   building   on    these   five 
business  lots. 

SHOE  STORES 

Shoes  had  been  handled  by  most  of  the  dry 
foods  and  many  of  the  clothing  stores.  But 
there  have  been  a  few  exclusive  shoe  stores 
in  the  city.  Knapp  Bros.,  106  W.  Third  and 
R.  L.  Null  at  that  location  were  in  business 
around  1890.  The  long-continued  exclusive 
shoe  stock  in  the  city  has  been  that  of  De- 


Locust,  North  of  Third  Sneer,  Grand  Island,  1919 

cauter  &  Beegle  which  has  been  running  since 
about  1893,  for  a  full  quarter  of  a  century 
now.  It  has  been  located  at  112  West  Third, 
the  present  location  of  the  First  National 
Bank  next  door  east,  present  location  of 
■Vagelstock's ;  and  at  119  West  Third,  its 
present  location.  The  Cincinnati  Shoe  Store 
at  206  West  Third  was  in  operation  about 
1900;  C.  B.  Kugler  handled  shoes  about  1908, 
and  the  Shoe  Market,  the  second  exclusive 
shoe  store,  at  113  West  Third,  started  in  about 
four  years  ago.  This  business  is  now  managed 
locally  by  E.  A.  Nicholson.  The  Pulver  and 
other  repair  shops  have  handled  shoes  at  vari- 
ous times. 

At  the  present  time  some  of  the  repair  shops 
in  the  city  are:  Charles  D.  Pulver,  109  N.  Wal- 
nut ;  Geo.  J.  Schreefer,  Frohberg  building,  E. 
Third;  G.  I.  Elec.  Shop,  102  E.  Fourth;  at 
107  S.  Locust;  111  S.  Walnut  and  Mickelson 
block  on  Pine  street. 

CLOTHING  BUSINESS 

Stores    that    handled  clothing    during    the 

'eighties  were:    Dexter  &  Shonstrom,  111  W. 

Third,  run  by  G.  A.  Dexter  in  1887 ;  Marcus 

&  Co.,  119  E.  Third;  C.  A.  Wiebe;  Wolbachs; 


The  Rival,  206  West  Third.  The  Dexter  store 
discontinued  about  1888.  The  Marcus  store 
was  carried  on  for  ten  years  or  so  longer,  as 
Marcus  &  Lebovitz,  M.  Marcus  &  Co.,  and  W. 
Lebovitz  respectively.  Max  Kalman  later 
opened  up  in  this  location  twelve  or  fourteen 
years  ago  and  is  still  running  there.  Wool- 
stenholm  &  Sterne  opened  a  little  over  thirty 
years  ago  at  103  E.  Third  (McAllister  block, 
about  where  Gaston  Music  Co.  is  now  located) 
and  continued  there  a  few  years,  moving  about 
1893  to  the  Independent  building,  at  the  south- 
west corner  of  Third  and  Locust  where  the 
store  still  continues  in  operation,  now  under 
the  management  of  A.  W.  Sterne.  Geo.  W. 
Price  &  Co.  opened  at  103  E.  Third  after 
Woolstenholm  &  Sterne  moved ;  and  the  next 
store  to  go  in  there  was  that  of  Sam  Hexter, 
who  left  Wolbach's  store  about  1900  and 
started  his  own  store. 

Gus  M.  Friend  had  been  running  at  Third 
and  Locust,  the  Alexander  location  now. 
About  1904  Sam  Hexter  moved  to  this  location 
and  continued  in  business  there  until  about 
1911  or  1912,  when  he  sold  the  stock  out  to 
Wolbach's,  and  the  building  belonging  to  Mr. 
Thummel  was  also  acquired  by  Wolbach's.    In 


Locust,  South  of  Third  Street,  Grand  Island,  1919 

the  meantime  Alexander  &  Willman  had 
opened  at  109  West  Third,  which  is  now  the 
west  room  of  Wolbach's  store.  A  short  time 
later  a  trade  or  deal  was  made  whereby  Wol- 
bach's acquired  the  Alexander  &  Willman 
room  for  the  further  expansion  of  their  store 
and  John  Alexander  acquired  the  building  at 
123  West  Third,  and  moved  a  stock  to  that 
location,  where  he  is  now  running.  C.  H.  Will- 
man  then  went  to  123  South  Locust  street.    P. 


286 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Martin  &  Bro.  have  handled  clothing  for  some 
years.  Aug.  C.  Menck  had  handled  clothing 
in  connection  with  his  dry  goods  business. 
Some  clothing  stores  that  have  not  continued 
for  any  great  length  of  time  were:  E.  H. 
Gurley,  115  N.  Locust,  about  1891 ;  J.  G.  Mc- 
Intire,  201  West  Third,  who  was  succeeded  by 
Glover  &  Pike,  and  later  by  H.  H.  Glover  & 
Co.  The  Glover  stock  was  sold  to  H.  J.  Lor- 
entzen  who  is  still  conducting  the  store.  Other 
short  time  stores  were  Wiley  Bros,  at  108  W. 


ago  at  206  West  Third;  and  two  new 
stores  which  have  opened  in  the  summer  of 
1919,  Sherman  Bros,  from  Sioux  City,  105 
East  Third;  and  Bloom  Clothing  store,  from 
Hastings,  at  Front  and  Locust,  in  the  Schuff 
building. 

MILLINERY   STOCKS 

There  have  been  numerous  millinery  stores 

maintained  in  Grand  Island,  and  quite  a  lot 

of  home  milliners  have  conducted  this  line  of 

business.     In   1889  there  were  three   stores, 


Thibd  Stkeet  about  I 


Third,  about  1890 ;  Pierpont  Bros.  &  Co.,  Ryan 
building,  about  1904;  P.  H.  Cornfield,  Globe 
Clothing  Co.,  113  West  Third  about  1904;  and 
Shambergs  Co.  on  East  Third ;  Wiseman's 
store  in  Ryan  building  closed  out  in  1918. 
The  present  clothing  stores  in  Grand  Island 
are :  A.  W.  Sterne,  John  Alexander,  C.  H. 
Willman,  Gitchell- Douglas  Co.  at  Third  and 
Wheeler,  who  have  been  running  for  nine  or 
ten  years,  but  are  now  closing  out,  and  a  new 
company,  Eggers-Baumann  Co.,  have  leased 
the  room ;  Wolbach's  and  Martin's  clothing 
departments ;  Glasgow  Tailors,  at  1 14  West 
Third  for  about  five  years  now,  L.  N.  Dorsey, 
manager ;  H.  J.  Lorentzen ;  A.  C.  Menck,  a 
clothing  department ;  F.  N.  Rask  store  at  220 
East  Fourth,  clothing  section ;  J.  A.  Pickus,  at 
214  W.  Third,  started  out  about  five  years 


Miss  Effie  L.  Adams,  307  West  Third,  Misses 
McCann,  219  West  Third  and  Miss  E.  B. 
Thornton,  105  N.  Locust.  By  1893  Miss 
Hattie  B.  Augustine  was  conducting  the 
Adams  location  and  Mrs.  Josephine  Dolan 
was  at  211  West  Third,  which  location  Miss 
Dora  Kolbeck  afterwards  conducted.  Mrs. 
C.  F.  Gibbs  214  W.  Third  and  Mrs.  Anna 
Truesdale,  219  W.  Third  were  the  other  two 
milliners  in  1893  and  1894.  Mrs.  J.  J.  Rogers' 
stock  was  at  212  W.  Third,  and  about  1900 
the  Rogers  stock  was  at  119  E.  Third.  Miss 
Mabel  Rearing  was  at  414  E.  First  and  other 
milliners  then  were  Miss  Jessie  Parson  1015 
W.  Fourth,  Miss  Mary  Geer,  and  the  store 
of  Miss  B.  Kaas  &  Co.  307  W.  Third  which 
had  been  running  for  about  four  years  or  so; 
and  the  McKeon  Sisters  had  a  store  at  213 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


287 


W.  Third  about  1900.  Miss  Otterman  was 
at  122  W.  Third  about  1907  and  Kelso  & 
Waters  stock  was  at  108  W.  Third  about  1908. 
At  that  time  the  Donner  &  Smith  store  had 
opened  at  122  W,  Third  and  this  store  ran 
for  about  eight  years,  at  that  location,  with 
Emma  L.  Donner  in  charge  at  the  last.  Miss 
Donner  now  resides  in  the  Windolph  block  on 
First  street.  Mrs.  C.  F.  Rogers  and  Mrs.  A. 
B.  Worthall  were  the  other  milliners  in  1908. 
Craighead  &  Thomas  store  opened  in  Glover's 
store  by  1910  and  other  milliners  then  were 
Bemice  Burke,  Dell  Kelso,  Ethel  M.  Ellis. 
Warner  &  Co.  later  handled  millinery  at  101 
East  Third.  The  Style  Shop  at  322  West 
Third  is  now  the  only  exclusive  millinery 
stock  in  town,  although  Wolbach's,  Martin's, 
Thompson's,  Pizer's,  Nagelstock's,  Kauf- 
man's, and  Penney's  all  handle  millinery,  and 
some  other  stores  have  a  small  stock, 

DRUG  STORES 
In  1887  there  were  eight  drug  stores  running 
in  Grand  Island ;  H.  B.  Boyden  store  at  Pine 
and  Third ;  Albert  Geyler,  Opera  House  block ; 
F.  S.  Hazard,  213  West  Third;  P.  Janss  at 
122  East  Third ;  Tucker  &  Brown,  Third  and 
Locust;  H.  M.  Wilman,  307  West  Third; 
Henderson  and  Bro.  102  W.  Fourth ;  Chris 
Ipsen,  218  west  Third.  In  1919,  there  are 
seven  drug  stores  in  the  city,  and  four  or  five 
o(  them  are  at  locations  used  for  that  purpose 
in  1887,  and  two  more  are  next  door  to  other 
locations  used  in  1887  and  the  seventh  is  at 
Ihe  location  of  the  old  Piatt  Drug  store  of  the 
'seventies. 

Thejanss  store,  the  Wilman  store,  and  the 
Henderson  store  disappeared  soon  after  1887. 
E.  R.  Farmer  handled  drugs  about  1910  at  1 14 
W.  Fourth  and  G.  I.  Drug  Co.  at  116  W 
Fourth  about  1912.  The  other  stores  have 
had  a  fairly  continuous  history  down  to  the 
present  date. 

The  establishment  of  Dr.  Boyden's  store  has 
already  been  remarked.  He  continued  until 
about  1895  or  1896  when  he  turned  the  store 
to  J.  A.  Wilcox  and  went  away  to  study 
medicine.  After  his  return  he  ran  the  store 
again  for  a  short  time  with  a  new  stock,  and 


about  1904  Herman  and  Oscar  Baumann  took 
the  store  and  it  remained  Baumann  &  Bau- 
mann, until,  about  1914  when  Oscar  Baumann 
took  the  store  on  West  Third  in  the  Cleary 
building.  Herman  Baumann  recently  sold  the 
old  Boyden  store  at  Third  and  Pine  to  Mc- 
Cracken  Drug  Co. 

Albert  Geyler  was  running  at  104  West 
Third  about  1900.  After  that  there  had  been 
a  break  of  a  number  of  years,  during  which 
there  was  no  drug  store  in  the  Opera  House 
block,  Theo.  Jessen  put  in  a  new  stock  at  119 
S.  Locust,  where  he  is  still  operating.  The 
Hazard  or  Bijou  pharmacy  continued  at  213 
W.  Third  for  some  years.  W.  B.  Dingman 
ran  it  four  or  five  years,  and  about  1912,  W. 
E.  Clayton  took  this  location  over  and  Clay- 
ton's Pharmacy  is  running  there  now.  A.  W. 
Buchheit  opened  at  124  W.  Third  and  later 
went  next  door  to  117  West  Third;  in  1912, 
Ed  McComas  took  this  store  over  and  later 
the  store  was  known  as  the  Purity  Pharmacy 
and  now  as  the  Rexall  store,  conducted  by 
Pease  Drug  Co.  The  Tucker  &  Brown  store 
became  H.  P.  Tucker  &  Co.  and  for  the  last 
nineteen  or  twenty  years  has  been  Tucker  & 
Farnsworth.  The  Chris  Ipsen  stock  continued 
until  it  became  Ipsen  &  Harrison,  and  was 
later  moved  to  305  West  Third  and  there 
taken  over  by  T.  E.  West,  who  left,  and  a 
new  stock  was  placed  in  that  location  by 
Oscar  Baumann  who  sold  in  1918  to  Francis 
J.  Dunn  of  North  Platte,  and  now  Dunn's 
Pharmacy  has  that  location.  A  noticeable 
feature  about  Grand  Island  drug  stores  is  the 
absence  of  soda  fountains,  that  feature  being 
mainly  left  to  the  confectioneries  and  res- 
taurants. Jewelry  is  also  virtually  omitted 
from  their  stocks  and  left  to  the  jewelry  stores. 

BOOK   STORES 

There  have  been  numerous  special  book 
stores  in  the  city.  J.  H.  Mullin  opened  during 
the  'eighties  on  Locust  street,  where  the  Em- 
press theatre  is  now  located,  and  later  removed 
to  204  West  Third,  where  he  was  located  in 
1887  and  he  ran  for  about  ten  years  longer. 
Charles  Spethman  was  running  in  the  Michel- 
son  block  in  1887.    L.  M.  Bryan  had  conducted 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


a  store  in  this  block  during  the  earlier  'eighties 
and  Spethman  worked  for  him  then.  J.  P. 
Windolph  was  at  303  W.  Second  and  McCad- 
don  store  at  118  W.  Third.  Other  stores  that 
have  since  discontinued  were  Geo.  Barten- 
back's  book  stock  at  115  S.  Locust;  the  Big 
Four  in  Opera  House  block,  also  in  the  early 
'nineties;  Gem  Book  store  at  112  W.  Third; 
Piatt's  Book  store  at  121  West  Third;  J.  H. 
McManus  in  Opera  House  block.  Clyde  John- 
son on  Fourth  and  Walnut  succeeded  by  J.  S. 
Curtis  who  ran  up  until  three  years  or  so  ago, 
and  G.  N.  Smith  at  the  old  U.  P.  depot.  C. 
W.  Windolph  started  at  112  N.  Locust  about 
1907;  this  location  afterwards  was  called  the 
Diamond  News  Stand  and  now  goes  by  the 
name  of  the  P.  Ralph  Nuemeyer  stand,  though 
Mr.  Nuemeyer  sold  it  a  few  weeks  ago.  The 
Matthews  Book  store  commenced  at  104  W. 
Third,  about  1904,  and  was  afterwards  the 
Grand  Island  Book  &  Music  Co.,  and  Alleman 
&  Starr,  but  is  now  out  of  business.  The  stores 
handling  books,  news,  and  stationery  lines  now 
are  Tucker  Brothers,  who  first  opened  at  111 
S.  Locust  and  are  now  at  118  S.  Locust;  the 
Neumeyer  stand ;  Koehler  hotel  fruit  and  book 
stand ;  Chas.  Spethman,  though  his  line  is  now 
largely  office  supplies;  Barkalow  Brothers 
stand  at  new  Union  Pacific  depot;  Pease  Drug 
Co.,  and  Wolbach's  and  Martin's  departments. 

JEWELRY  STORES 

In  1887  four  jewelry  stores  were  running 
in  Grand  Island;  H.  C.  Held  and  John  G. 
Raine,  whose  long  careers  have  already  been 
noted  earlier  in  this  chapter;  Fred  H.  Michel- 
son,  who  worked  in  earlier  days  for  both  Held 
and  Raine,  opened  at  102  West  Third  in  1885 ; 
later  in  that  same  year  or  early  the  next  year, 
Aug.  Meyer  opened  at  204  W.  Third ;  McEl- 
vain  Bros,  ran  at  113  and  121  W. Third,  dur- 
ing the  'nineties;  Schneider  store  at  113  N. 
Locust;  W.  B.  Battling  at  218  W.  Third; 
A.  P.  Kremchuck  store  at  217  W.  Third; 
W.  E.  Smith  store  at  318  W.  Third  discon- 
tinued. 

Aug.  Meyer  moved  to  113  West  Third  early 
in  the  'nineties  and  later  to  the  present  location 
of  Aug.  Meyer  &  Son's  jewelry  store  at  121 


West  Third,  now  also  "The  Hallmark  Store." 
Max  J.  Egge  took  the  Michelson  location  ewer 
about  1907,  and  he  sold  it  to  Carey  &  Neitfeld, 
who  had  been  working  for  him,  about  1916, 
and  they  are  running  the  store  "under  the  clock 
tower."  Windolph  &  Cords  opened  at  120 
west  Third  about  twelve  years  ago,  but  recent- 
ly this  store  is  operated  by  Chas.  J.  Cords, 
"The  Busy  Jeweler."  B.  E.  Jolls  opened  on 
the  northwest  corner  of  Third  and  Wheeler 
in  the  Roth  building  and  is  running  there  at 
this  time.  J.  A.  Pickus  handles  some  jewelry, 
and  a  new  store  in  the  Michelson  block  on 
Pine  street  has  recently  been  opened  by 
Michelson  &  Dennon,  one  of  the  proprietors 
being  the  son  of  Fred  H.  Michelson.  Some  of 
the  clothing  stores  on  East  Third  handle  some 
jewelry,  as  do  the  ten  cent  stores  and  depart- 
ment stores. 

FURNITURE    AND    UNDERTAKING 

In  1887  the  furniture  stores  were  those  of 
Bohne  &  Ryan,  who  operated  at  116  West 
Third,  where  the  Saratoga  billiard  hall  is 
now;  Sonderman  &  Co.  took  this  location 
later  and  then  went  to  122  East  Third  where 
they  remained  for  years,  until  they  went  to 
211  West  Second,  and  since  a  re-organization 
to  the  Buchheit-O'Laughlin  Co.  have  moved 
to  318  West  Third  street,  the  present  loca- 
tion. After  practically  a  quarter  of. a  century 
of  connection  with  the  furniture  and  under- 
taking business  the  firm  is  practically  retired, 
but  Ludwig  Sondermann  is  actively  associated 
with  Buchheit-O'Laughlin  Co.  The  other 
stores  in  1887  were  L.  C.  Brown,  whose  stock 
was  closed  out  about  ten  years  later;  Heaih 
&  Wallichs,  114  E.  Third,  succeeded  by  John 
Wallichs ;  and  W.  R.  Stevens,  323  West  Third. 
Mr.  Stevens  continued  in  the  undertaking 
business  until  about  1900.  Furniture  stores 
which  came  and  went  were  J.  W.  Robinson, 
309  West  Third,  John  A.  Gary,  117  N.  Pine. 
H.  A.  Fritz,  106  West  Third,  Gross  &  Son, 
118and  215  East  Fourth,  Sampson  &  Hendrix 
210  East  Third,  J.  A.  Costello  at  212  We* 
Third,  A.  Atkins,  418  W.  Fourth,  R.  L.  Davis 
Miller-O'Gorman  Co.  operated  at  315  Wesi 
Third,  and  later  Fralick-Geddes  Co.  took  thii 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


zm 


location,  about  1912,  Geddes  &  Co.  succeeding 
to  the  business,  and  they  are  now  operating  at 
that  location  and  at  present  making  extensive 
expansion. 

The  present  furniture  stocks  in  the  city  are 
those  of  Geddes  &  Co.  and  Bucheit-O'Laugh- 
iin  Co.  both  with  undertaking  departments; 
W.  E.  Rounds  at  215  North  Walnut;  Art  & 
Furniture  store  at  403  W.  Third ;  Theo.  Wal- 
lich's  second-hand  store  at  210  E.  Third;  M. 
Jarvis  &  Co.  store  at  218  E.  Third,  new  and 
second-hand  furniture;  Fred  Meier,  mainly 
second-hand  furniture  at  310  West  Third  and 
one  or  two  other  second-hand  stores  in  town. 
Practically  all  of  the  straight  furniture  stores 
have  had  undertaking  departments,  and  in 
addition  H.  L.  Burkett  ran  an  undertaking 
establishment  prior  to  1890,  and  J.  C.  Troyer 
&  Son  opened  about  1889  and  continued  for 
about  fifteen  years.  At  the  present,  Geddes, 
Buchheit-OTaughlin  and  Baumann-Evans  Co., 
successors  to  Baumann-O'Malley,  on  East 
Third  handle  this  line  of  work. 

WALL  PAPER  STOCKS 

The  pioneer '  wall  paper,  paint  and  glass 
stock  in  the  city,  for  continuity  of  existence, 
is  that  of  George  Bartenbach,  in  the  Opera 
House  block,  in  years  conducted  by  Henry  J. 
Bartenbach.  J.  H.  Mullin,  Chas.  Spethman, 
Fred  Meman,  R.  S.  Rice,  O.  R.  Perry,  Lester 
Rice,  C.  Norris,  D.  Baillie,  and  Walker  & 
Beetham  have  handled  this  line.  At  the  pres- 
ent time,  Bartenbach  store,  Chas  F.  Auhl 
at  Third  and  Walnut  and  Tucker  &  Fams^ 
worth  carry  this  line  of  stock. 

HARDWARE  STORES 

There  were  nine  hardware  stocks  in  the 
city  in  1887 :  Cleary  &  Lange  at  305  W.  Third ; 
R.  H.  McAllister,  111  N.  Locust;  A.  C.  Leder- 
man,  110  W.  Third;  G.  D.  Hetzel,  211  W. 
Third;  T.  J.  Hurford,  221  W.  Third;  Heath 
&  Wallichs,  and  L.  C.  Brown  were  handling 
hardware  as  well  as  furniture,  John  Fonner 
at  116  E.  Third.  Numerous  stores  of  short 
existence  have  been  Dingman  &  Mosher,  suc- 
cessor to  the  Fonner  location ;  Mc  Combs  Bros, 
at  117  E.  Third;  S.  B.  Fleek,  at  109  N.  Locust; 


C.  M.  Williamson  &  Son,  220  E  Fourth,  all 
around  1890.  W.  R.  Dean  at  114  N.  Kimball, 
Roeser  Bros,  handled  hardware  at  109  S.  Lo- 
cust about  1900  and  Rudolph  Pistorius 
started  at  117  S.  Wheeler,  about  1910. 

James  Cleary  went  out  of  the  hardware 
business  late  in  the  'eighties ;  the  long  service 
of  A.  C.  Lederman  and  T.  J.  Hurford  has 
already  been  noted.  R.  H.  McAllister  store 
moved  around  the  corner  to  118  West  Third 
and  at  that  point  the  store  is  now  conducted  by 
R.  H.  McAllister's  Sons.  This  business  has 
continued  now  for  more  than  thirty-two  years. 
Haux  Hardware  Co.  opened  at  117  S.  Wheel- 
er, and  later  moved  to  their  present  location 
in  the  south  end  of  the  Independent  building 
on  Locust  street.  Their  former  location  was 
taken  by  Rudolph  Pistorius.  Huper  &  Lange, 
following  Cleary  &  Lange,  was  succeeded  by 
Huper  &  Hehnke,  and  about  1897  this  stock 
became  Hehnke  &  Co.  and  remained  at  the 
303  West  Third  location  until  about  1912 
when  it  was  moved  to  212  W.  Second,  the 
present  location  of  Hehnke- Lohmann  Co. 
Frank  Kunze  opened  in  the  303  West  Third 
location  and  still  conducts  the  store  there.  The 
Ed  W.  Johnson  store  at  211  W.  Third  and 
Fred  Rettanmayer  stock  in  connection  with 
Fourth  street  tin  shop  are  discontinued.  J.  E. 
Hanna  &  Son  have  handled  hardware  at  112 
West  Fourth  for  the  last  nine  or  ten  years. 
In  the  harness  business,  the  Reese  shop. has 
remained  longest,  but  C.  P.  Birk  was  in  this 
business  for  some  years,  as  was  John  Riss 
and  Grand  Island  Saddlery. 

OTHER  STORES 

The  foregoing  are  by  no  means  all  of  the 
stores  and  commercial  establishments  or  inter- 
ests that  have  operated  in  Grand  Island,  but 
it  is  not  possible  to  take  space  to  continue  a 
recital  in  such  detail  of  the  remaining  lines 
of  business. 

abstracts:  John  Allan  has  been  in  the 
abstract  business  for  more  than  thirty  years. 
Wm.  Frank,  O.  B.  Thompson,  W.  A.  Heim- 
berger,  D.  C.'Zink,  Ed  A.  Hathaway,  David 
Ackerman  and  Hall  County  Abstract  Co.  have 
been  competitors  to  the  Allan  business,  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


recently  the  Commercial  Abstract  Co.,  incorpo- 
rated by  W.  J.  Wilkinson,  attorney!  and 
Herman  Buckow,  has  begun  business. 

architects  :  H.  J.  Fuehrmann  and  Ritten- 
house  and  Brage  were  early  architects, 
recently  S.  D.  Kelley,  Chas.  Good,  Ralph 
Whitehead  and  W.  E.  Donner.  Oscar  R. 
Kirschke  and  F.  R.  Crocker  have  operated 
an  office  for  some  years,  and  C.  J.  Bowell 
came   in   during   1918. 

auctioneers:  Henry  Harry,  J.  H.  Gor- 
man. 

billiard  halls:  The  Brunswick,  108  W. 
Third;  Saratoga,  116  W.  Third;  William 
Grace,  114  E.  Third;  Dan  Brown,  S.  Locust; 
Central  Cigar  Co.,  W.  Third;  Christ  Kost 
place,  212  E.  Third;  113  N.  Locust,  until 
recently ;  Hal  C.  Roll,  The  Puritan,  N.  Pine. 

bill  posting  :    Henry  J.  Bartenbach. 

costuming;  Margaret  Nieman  Costuming 
Co.,  1521  W.  Charles,  does  a  business  that 
reaches  far  beyond  Hall  County. 

dye  works  and  cleaning:  Hainline's ; 
G.  I.  Dye  Works ;  Dudey's  Place. 

insurance  :  John  Allan  &  Son,  fire ;  C.  W. 
Brininger  Co.,  fire,  etc.;  Thoe  Boehm  &  Co., 
fire,  etc.;  Eli  A.  Barnes;  Buck  &  Brown  Co.; 
Dill  &  Huston;  H.  E.  Clifford;  Jas.  Cleary; 
H.  A.  Edwards;  Flower  &  Porterfield;  Geo. 
Hetzel ;  Steward  &  Quackenbush,  successors 
to  Harrison  &  Steward;  S.  E.  Sinke. 

District  agencies  here  for:  New  York  Life, 
H.  P.  Zeig;  Mutual  Life,  Equitable,  Geo. 
Cowton;  Metropolitan  Life,  E.  E.  Bird;  Pru- 
dential Life,  Peoria  Life,  J.  L.  Humphrey; 
Franklin  Life,  Fidelity-Reserve,  W.  H.  Mc- 
Hugh,  Minnesota  Mutual,  C.  E.  Fralick. 

manicuring  and  beauty  parlors:  Mrs. 
Cosh,  and  The  Colonial,  Hedde  building. 

music  houses:  J.  Leschinsky  Studio,  109 
E.  Third,  which  has  been  conducted  for  years ; 
Locke  Studio,  Windolph  building,  and  North 
Pine  street  Studio. 

plumbing:  Grand  Island  Plumbing  Co., 
221  W.  Second;  Kelley  &  Co.,  113  S.  Pine; 
Cantrell  Plumbing  Co.,  116  S.  Wheeler. 

poultry  houses:  Robert  Watson,  114  E. 
Second;  T.  F.  Younkin,  N.  Walnut  by  U.  P. 
tracks. 


printing  ofices:  Augustine  Printing  Co., 
120  E.  Second;  Independent  Printing  Co., 
213  S.  Locust;  Herald  Printing  Co.  109  S. 
Walnut ;  Fred  Hald,  108W  N.  Pine ;  The  Thos. 
V.   McGowan  Co.,  Glover  building. 

real  estate  :  Dill  &  Huston ;  Flower  & 
Porterfield;  Buck  &  Brown  Co.;  Bradley- 
Miner  Co.;  C.  B.  Freeman;  Geo.  D.  Hetzel; 
Boehm- Veit  Co. ;  John  Allan  &  Son ;  Com- 
mercial Abstract  Co.;  C.  W.  Brininger  Co.; 
Geo.  W.  Carr,  421  W.  Ninth;  Jas.  Cleary; 
Steward-Quackenbush  office;  T.  P.  Mathews; 
S.  D.  Ross ;  Frank  Slusser ;  Gibbon  Land  Co., 
Cloud  Smith,  manager. 

sewing  machines:  Mrs.  P.  J.  Bullis,  112 
S.  Walnut ;  Singer  Sewing  Machine  Co.,  322 
W.  Third. 

sign  shop:  Losey's  Shop,  over  Decauter 
&  Beegle's  store. 

sporting  goods:  Wm.  Goettsche,  111  S. 
Wheeler;  Geo.  Guenther,  115  S.  Wheeler. 

storage  houses:  Grand  Island  Storage 
&  Forwarding  Co.,  305  W.  Fourth;  Central 
Storage  Co.,  West  Front  street. 

merchant  tailors:  L.  P.  Christensen, 
118  E.  Fourth ;  Max  Greenberger  Co.,  N.  Lo- 
cust; Glasgow  Tailors,  114  W.  Third;  Hedde 
building  shop. 

veterinary  surgeons:  Drs.  A.  A.  and  J. 
S.  Anderson,  518  W.  Third;  M.  T.  Bernard. 

AUTOMOBILES 

The  automobile  garages,  sales  agencies  and 
shops  will  be  treated  in  the  industrial  chapter. 
This  business  has  a  scope  far  more  than  local, 
in  a  manner  that  livery  business  and  agricul- 
tural implement  business  could  not  reach. 
Grand  Island  has  become  an  industrial  sales, 
distributing,  and  supply  center  in  the  auto- 
mobile industry  of  no  mean  proportion. 

FIRST    COMMERCIAL    ORGANIZATIONS 

The  first  commercial  organization,  formed 
for  the  purpose  of  extending  the  commercial, 
industrial  and  business  activities  and  sphere 
of  Grand  Island,  was  the  Hall  County  Immi- 
gration Board,  already  spoken  of  in  connec- 
tion with  the  agricultural  activities  of  the 
county.    That  body  was  formed  on  March  22, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


391 


1871,  with  Henry  A.  Koenig,  president ;  S.  P. 
Mobley,  secretary.  Aided  and  supported  by 
the  national  government  it  sought  immigra- 
tion particularly  from  Germany. 

During  the  'seventies  this  immigration  so- 
ciety and  the  local  granges  carried  out  many 
of  the  objects  of  the  board  of  trade  and  did 
much  to  point  out  the  resources  of  the  county 
and  the  opportunities  of  the  town.  The  news- 
papers of  that  decade  were  wide  awake  to  the 
opportunities  for  advancing  the  claims  of 
their  community. 

THE  MERCHANTS  CLUBS 
The  Merchants  Club  was  organized  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1876,  with  Fred  Hedde  as  president; 
R.  C.  Jordon,  vice-president;  H.  A.  Koenig, 
treasurer,  and  T.  J.  Hurford,  secretary.  Some 
form  of  a  mercantile  association  has  existed  in 
Grand  Island  practically  ever  since  that  time. 

THE  BOARD  OF  TRADE 

In  January,  1885,  the  mercantile  and  com- 
mercial activities  were  embraced  in  an  organi- 
zation which  took  the  name  of  the  Board  of 
Trade.  It  elected  as  its  officers,  C.  W. 
Thomas,  president ;  Fred  Hedde,  J.  P.Kerno- 
han  and  J.  W.  West,  vice  presidents;  Chris 
Schlotfeldt,  correspondent;  Frank  Sears,  re- 
corder; James  Geary,  treasurer;  H.  A.  Koe- 
nig, C.  F.  Bentley,  John  G.  Schaupp,  and  S. 
N.  Wolbach  chosen  directors.  Edward  Hoo- 
per was  appointed  to  the  vacancy  in  the  vice- 
presidency  caused  by  the  death  of  E.  R.  Wise- 
man. 

For  the  year  1887-1888,  the  officers  of  the 
Board  of  Trade  were  J.  W.  West,  president ; 
H.  A.  Koenig,  Charles  Wasmer,  Edward 
Hooper  and  J.  D.  Moore,  vice-presidents ;  C. 
W.  Scarff,  secretary;  Charles  A.  Wiebe, 
treasurer;  M.  Murphy,  S.  N.  Wolbach,  J.  A. 
Pease,  and  C.  P.  R.  Williams,  directors. 

During  the  administration  of  President 
West,  Secretary  Scarff  and  their  co-officers 
just  named,  there  was  issued  a  nicely  bound 
and  splendidly  illustrated  fi  fty-f our  page 
booklet  entitled  "Grand  Island  Illustrated." 
This  little  volume  was  published  by  D.  C. 
Dunbar  &  Co.,  Omah?,  Nebraska,  and  the  en- 


gravings and  cuts  were  furnished  by  Gibson, 
Miller  &  Richardson,  lithographers,  Omaha. 
The  book  was  as  its  title  page  indicated,  "a 
comprehensive  sketch  of  the  city's  growth, 
attractions  and  resources."  The  right-hand 
pages  carried  also  photographs  of  O.  A. 
Abbott,  W.  H.  Piatt,  A.  H.  Baker,  O.  B. 
Thompson,  C.  W.  Scarff,  Dr.  C.  T.  Poe, 
Charles  Wasmer,  Dr.  J.  C.  Denise. 

The  two  concluding  paragraphs  of  this 
work  read: 

There  is  no  section  of  all  the  splendid  state 
of  Nebraska  which  equals  in  agricultural  ex- 
cellence that  portion  known  as  the  Platte  val- 
ley, lying  contiguous  to  the  cheif  river  of  the 
state  and  traversing  it  from  the  western  to 
the  eastern  boundary  line.  And  in  the  very 
heart  of  the  rich  valley  is  situated  Hall 
County,  of  which  Grand  Island  is  the  county 
seat  and  the  chief  city  in  the  valley  —  the  base 
of  supplies  for  as  fine  a  section  of  rapidly 
developing  country  as  there  is  on  the  face  of 
the  globe. 

NOTHING  BUT  THE  TRUTH  PUT  FORTH 
This  publication  has  not  been  issued  for 
boom  purposes.  It  has  not  been  issued  to  sell 
anybody's  fictitiously-valued  real  estate.  Its 
purpose  is  much  better  than  advertising  litera- 
ture. It  is  designed  to  bring  to  the  attention 
of  people  seeking  a  place  for  location  or  in- 
vestment the  merits  of  Grand  Island,  nothing 
more.  Its  citizens  are  conservative  and  would 
not  give  countenance  to  any  publication  which 
indulged  misrepresentation.  Come  and  see 
for  yourself,  if  Grand  Island  has  not  all  that 
is  claimed  for  it  herein. 

THE  BUSINESS  MEN'S  CLUB 

During  the  'nineties  more  than  a  hundred 
of  the  business  men  established  the  Business 
Men's  Club.  Before  it  had  hardly  been  es- 
tablished long  enough  to  do  much  practical 
work,  other  than  conduct  interesting  debates 
on  important  questions  and  appoint  commit- 
tees to  investigate  certain  matters  and  make 
preparations  for  practical  results,  it  came 
face  to  face  with  the  problem  of  deciding 
whether  Hall  County  would  make  an  exhibit  , 
at  the  Trans-Mississippi  Exposition. 

In  1897  the  managing  board  of  the  club's 
directors  consisted  of  Dr.  H.  C.  Miller,  presi- 
dent, Wm.  R.  McAllister,  vice-president,  C. 


'  3 


C 


■*)>. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


W.  Brininger,  corresponding  secretary,  office 
in  the  Grand  Island  Banking  Co.'s  building, 
A.  F.  Buechler,  recording  secretary,  and 
James  Cleary,  treasurer.  The  club  had  a 
large  room  in  the  Independent  building  for 
its  meetings. 

THE   COMMERCIAL   CLUB 

The  Commercial  Club  was  organized  in 
Grand  Island  in  1904,  for  the  purpose,  as 
stated  in)  its  constitution,  of  favoring  "all 
commercial,  industrial,  agricultural  and  so- 
cial interests  of  Grand  Island  and  Hall 
County  and  to  do  all  in  its  power  to  increase 
the  growth  and  promote  the  general  welfare 
of  our  community."  Its  members,  then  about 
fifty  in  number,  elected  Charles  G.  Ryan, 
president,  R.  Goehring,  vice-president,  S.  N. 
Wolbach,  treasurer,  A.  F.  Buechler,  secretary, 
and  H.  H.  Glover,  Henry  Schuff  and  James  A. 
Rourke,  members  of  the  executive  committee, 
and  the  officers  as  members  ex-officio.  These 
officers  were  twice  re-elected  and  served  three 
terms. 

The  club  maintained  four  standing  commit- 
tees of  three  to  five  members  each,  on  Retail 
Affairs,  on  Wholesale  Affairs,  on  Good  Roads, 
and  on  Municipal  Affairs. 

During  the  year  1906-7  the  club  arranged 
a  trade  excursion  to  Ord,  and  was  instru- 
mental in  bringing  to  Grand  Island  the  state 
convention  of  cement  users,  and  aided  in 
bringing  the  state  fireman's  convention,  and 
secured  the  state  convention  of  the  Nebraska 
League  of  Commercial  Clubs. 

The  work  of  the  club  was  continued  for  the 
next  few  years  with  the  same  officers. 

About  this  time  President  Ryan  was  elected 
mayor  and  resigned  the  position  and  L.  M. 
Talmage  was  president  for  a  time.  A.  F. 
Buechler  was  appointed  postmaster  shortly 
thereafter  and  could  not  continue  the  work 
of  the  secretary,  also  resigning.  In  1912-13 
the  officers  were:  M.  L.  Dolan,  president; 
.  F.  W.  Ashton,  vice-president ;  S.  N.  Wolbach, 
treasurer;  A.  D.  Boehm,  secretary. 

During  this  year,  1912,  the  need  of  larger 
undertakings  and  more  detailed  attention  to 
traffic  matters  led  to  the  adoption  of  a  larger 


budget  and  the  employment  of  a  paid  secre- 
tary. A.  M.  Conners, 'who  had  been  traffic 
manager  for  the  Masey  Milling  Co.,  of 
Omaha,  was  elected  and  was  supported  by 
an  enlarged  executive  committee  consisting  of  i 
M.  L.  Dolan,  chairman;  Henry  Schuff,  C.  C. 
Hansen,  L.  M.  Talmadge,  A.  F.  Buechler, 
Richard  Goehring,  J.  D.  Whitmore,  E.  Wil- 
liams, A.  C.  Menck,  C.  H.  Tully,  S.  Hexter, 
C.  E.  Fralick,  T.  H.  Fritts,  J.  Donald. 

At  this  time  there  was  an  active  Retail 
Merchants  Association  running,  of  which  Sam 
Hexter  was  president;  A.  L.  Beegle,  vice- 
president  ;  John  Alexander,  secretary ;  Oscar 
Veit,  treasurer;  executive  committee,  A.  W. 
Buchheit,  A.  L.  Beegle,  H.  H.  Glover,  August 
Meyer,  Oscar  Roeser,  Robert  McAllister. 

In  1914  R.  Goehring  was  president;  J.  D. 
Whitmore,  vice-president ;  Emil  Wolbach, 
treasurer;  A.  M.  Conners,  secretary.  The 
executive  committee  then  was  R.  Goehring, 
J.  D.  Whitmore,  Emil  Wolbach,  A.  F.  Buech- 
ler, Fred  W.  Ashton,  L.  M.  Talmage,  J. 
Donald,  C.  H.  Tully,  Elmer  Williams,  C.  C. 
Hansen,  C.  E.  Fuhrer,  Oscar  Veit,  J.  L. 
Cleary,  M.  L.  Dolan,  A.  J.  Denman,  C.  W- 
Brininger,  E.  W.  Augustine. 

The  report  of  the  officers  at  annual  meeting 
of  January  9,  1915,  showed  the  county  fair 
had  been  put  on  its  feet.  The  committee  which 
had  handled  that  proposition  for  the  club 
were  A.  E.  Buechler,  D.  H.  Vantine,  L.  C. 
Lawson,  J.  D.  Whitmore  and  President  R. 
Goehring  and  Secretary  A.  M.  Conners. 
State  conventions  secured  for  Grand  Island 
in  1914,  were  the  Odd  Fellows,  G.  A.  R.. 
poultry  show,  Pure  Breed  Horse  Dealer's 
Association,  State  Commercial  Clubs,  Lincoln 
Highway  Association,  Bikers'  convention, 
Moving  Picture  men,  retail  liquor  dealers, 
state  druggists  and  variety  merchants  meet, 
and  sheriffs  of  the  state. 

In  1915  the  officers  were  C.  W.  Brininger, 
president,  J.  L.  Cleary,  vice-president  and 
chairman  of  executive  committee,  A.  M.  Con- 
ners, treasurer,  Emil  Wolbach. 

In  1916  J.  L.  Cleary  was  president  and 
A.  M.  Conners  secretary.  After  Mr.  Conners 
left,  Wallace  L.  Mason  served'  as  secretary. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


?m 


David  Kaufman  became  president  in  1917,  and 
Attorney  A.  L.  Joseph  succeeded  Mr.  Mason 
as  secretary  and  served  for  about  two  years. 
In  1919  A.  E.  Nagelstock  wes  elected  pres- 
ident and  August  Meyer  vice-president.  Sec- 
retary Joseph  resigned  and  after  the  new 
budget  was  subscribed  the  club  again  decided 
to  employ  a  full-time,  trained  secretary  and 
secured  G.  S.  Otis,  who  had  been  secretary 
at  Miles  City,  Montana,  and  Sheridan,  Wyom- 
ing, and  came  to  the  club  well  recommended. 
For  sometime  the  retail  merchants'  association 
worked  with  the  same  secretary,  A.  L.  Joseph. 
John  R.  Geddes  as  president  was  succeeded 
by  August  Meyer.  The  executive  committee 
of  the  Commercial  Club  in  1919  are  E.  W. 
Augustine,  Thos.  E.  Bradstreet,  J.  L.  Geary, 
L.  Donald,  E.  Williams,  Ed  L.  Brown,  August 
Meyer,  John  R.  Geddes,  E.  W.  Hurst,  A.  E. 
Nagelstock,  D.  Kaufman,  C.  W.  Brininger, 
Emil  Wolbach,  R.  Goehring,  A.  C.  Menck, 
F.  W.  Ashton,  W.  E.  Clayton.  The  present 
membership  of  the  club  is  shown  in  the  follow- 
ing report  made  to  the  club  by  the  1919  mem- 
bership committee: 

At  the  meeting  of  the  executive  committee 
of  the  Commercial  Club  last  night,  the  special 
drive  committee  reported  the  result  of  the 
work,  including  alphabetized  list  of  the  pres- 
ent members.  The  report  was  received  and 
President  Naglestock  complimented  the  com- 
mittee on  its  success,  and  the  very  agreeable 
manner  in  which  Grand  Island's  citizenship 
responded.  On  motion  of  Mr.  Brininger  and 
seconded  by  Mr.  August  Meyer,  the  report 
was  adopted,  and  a  vote  of  thanks  tendered 
to  the  committee  for  its  services.  The  report 
is  as  follows: 

Grand  Island,  Neb. 

April  14,  1919. 
To  the  President  and  Members  of  the  Ex- 
ecutive Committee  of  the  Commercial  Club, 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 

Gentlemen:  The  special  "publicity  com- 
mittee" appointed  by  you  to  devise  plans  and 
to  conduct  a  drive  for  a  budget  of  $10,000, 
at  least  fifty  per  cent  of  which,  by  your  decree, 
is  to  be  expended  for  some  specific  good  roads 
purpose,  begs  leave  to  report  as  follows : 


The  total  amount  secured  in  a  drive,  for 
which  we  adopted  the  slogan,  "Ten  Thousand 
Dollars  in  Ten  Days,"  is  $10,752.50.  We 
did  not  begin  actual  drive  until  the  morning 
after  the  Commercial  Club  dinner  at  the 
Liederkranz  on  Thursday  evening,  March 
27th,  counting  Friday  as  the  first  day.  The 
$10,000  mark  was  passed  on  the  Saturday 
noon  of  the  week  following,  or  at  the  ex- 
piration of  eight  and  a  half  days.  In  addi- 
tion to  the  list  at  that  time  published,  the 
sum  of  $400  was  later  added.  The  drive, 
thus,  also  added  over  one  hundred  new  mem- 
bers to  the  roster  of  the  club.  The  members 
are  as  foflews: 

American  Beet  Sugar  Co. 
Anderson,  Dr.  A.  A. 
Allan  &  Son,  John. 
Augustine  Co. 
Art  Furniture  Co. 
Alexander  Bros. 
Alexander  &  Son,  John. 
Arthur,  Rev.  Louis. 
Acme  Shining  Parlor. 
Brandes  Garage. 
Buell,  Frank. 
Brunswick  Cigar  Co. 
Boeck,  Julius. 
Boyd's  Cleanery. 
Bock,  R.  W. 
Buck  &  Brown. 
Bowen  Pharmacy. 
Barr,  R.  J.,  Supt. 
Brown  Fruit  Co. 
Bowell,  C.  J.,  'Architect. 
Boyden,  Dr.  Henry  B. 
Brown,  Dan  C. 
Brininger,  C.  W. 
Baker,  B.  H. 
Bartenbach  &  Son. 
Baumann,  H.  A.,  Druggist. 
Baumann,  George  T. 
Baumann  &  Evans. 
Boehm,  Theo. 
Bradstreet,  Thos. 
Broadwell.G.W. 
Bixemann  &  Duffy. 
Bordner  &  Son,  W.  S. 
Becker  Music  Co. 
Brown,  L.  CM.  , 

Borders,  Ed. 
Buchheit-O'Lauglin  Co. 
Blain  Horse  &  Mule  Co. 
Butler,  Dr. 
Belknap,  A.  T. 


-,y  Google 


)RY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

Glass-Evans  Auto  Co. 

G.  I.  Horse  &  Mule  Co. 

G.  I.  Loan  &  Trust  Co. 

G.  I.  National  Bank. 

Geer  Co.,  The 

G.  I.  Hide  &  Fur  Co. 

G.  I.  Storage  &  Forwarding  Co. 

G.  I.  Gas  Co. 

Gitchell-Douglas  Co. 

G.  I.  Plumbing  Co. 

G.  I.  Culvert  &  Metal  Works. 

G.  I.  Dye  Works. 

Greenberger  Co.,  Max. 

Good,  Chas.  H. 

G.  I.  College. 

Highland  Grain  Co.  • 

Houser,  C.  W. 

Hatfield,  Dr.  H.  R. 

Humphrey,  J.  L. 

Haux  Hardware  Co. 

Hoagland  Lumber  Yard. 

Herald  Pub.  Co. 

Hald,  Fred. 

Hanna,  J.  R.,  Judge. 

Hansen,  H.  P. 

Hehnke-Lohmann  Co. 

Harrison  Co.,  W.  H. 

Hoe  ft,  Dr.  J.  F. 

Hurst  Sash  &  Door  Co. 

Hanna  &  Son,  J.  E. 

Higgins  &  Carson.  Drs. 

Harrison,  Ray  L. 

Hord  Grain  Co..  T.  B. 

Heflin,  Dr.  W.  J. 

Havens  Transfer  Co. 

Horth,  R.  R. 

Hainline.  Walker. 

Harrison,  T.  O.  C. 

Hopkins,  J.  E. 

Harry,  Henry. 

Independent  Pub.  Co. 

Isdell,  Robt.  G. 

Joseph,  A.  L- 

Jessen  Pharmacy. 

Johnson  Seed  Co. 

Jolls  Jewelry  Store. 

Kaufmann's  10c  Store. 

Koehler  Hotel. 
ice.  K.  &  W.  Sales  Co. 

Kelly  &  Co.,  Win. 

Kelso,  J.  A.,  Store. 

Kirschke,  Oscar. 

King,  W.  R. 

Krall  &  Heidkamp. 
o.  Kuhr.  Dr.  H.  C. 

Krehmke  Meat  Shop. 
Co.  Kunze,  Frank. 

Kalix,  Karl,  Koehler  Hotel. 

Kruse,  Aug. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Knkkrehm  &  Sons,  John. 

Krehmke,  Chris  W. 

Koch,  H. 

Kuester  &  Son,  R.  M. 

Kelley,  P.  C. 

Kallas,  James. 

Kloppenberg  &  Kraft. 

Leiser,  Geo.  A.  &  Co. 

Loscy  Sign  Shop. 

Lyda  Theater. 

Lorentzen,  H.  J. 

Leschinsky,  J. 

Loucks,  W.  H. 

Loup  Valley  Packing  Co. 

Locke,  Henry. 

Miller  Cafeteria. 

Manhattan  Oil  Co. 

Meyer  &  Son,  Aug. 

Metropolitan  Life  Ins.  Co. 

Matthews,  Thos. 

Monogram  Bakery. 

McCutchan,  John. 

Menck,  A.  C. 

McAllister  Co.,  R.  H. 

McAuley,  John. 

McGrath,  Dr. 

Mullin,  Judge  J.  H. 

Moore,  Dr.  Dentist. 

Miner  Livery. 

Morearty,  City  Engineer. 

Maloney  Grocery. 

Martin  &  Bros.,  P.,  Dry  Goods. 

Meyers,  Dr.  J.  H.,  Dentist. 

Monk's  Store. 

Mandarin  Cafe. 
Mayer,  Artur  C. 
Miner  &  Bradley. 
Mattke  &  Gorman. 
McLaughlin,  T.  O. 
Manderille,  F.  R. 
Naglestock,  A.  E. 
Neumayer  L. 
Neumann,  Gus. 
Nielsen  &  Petersen. 
Nebraska  State  Bank. 
Nebraska  Mercantile  Co. 
Nelson  Lumber  Co. 
Nielsen,  Niels  E. 
Neligh,  Gordon  L. 
Oldsmobile  Motor  ^p. 
01  sen,  Frank. 
Orleff,  L. 
Palmer,  C.  J. 

Paine-Fishburn  Granite  Co. 
Paine,  Judge  Bayard  H. 
Pizer  Smart  Chop. 
Penney  &  Co.,  J.  C. 
Parks,  Dr.  L.  R. 
Prompt  Printery. 


Pulver,  C.  D. 

Pfluckhahn,  F. 

Pease  Drug  Co. 

Palace  Cafe. 

Prince  &  Prince. 

Quillin,  W.  H. 

Ray  more  Candy  Co. 

Roeser,  Oscar. 

Ritchey-Freeman  Auto  Co. 

Regan,  F.  L. 

Ray,  W.  W. 

Reese,  Julius. 

Reimers,  Oscar. 

Rourke,  James  F. 

Row,  A.  O. 

Raynor,  Dr.  John  V. 

Ray,  R.  B. 

Royal  Chocolate  Shop. 

Roll,  H.  C. 

Ross,  S.  D. 

Rickert.  Emil. 

Rief   F.  L. 

Ryan,  C.  G. 

Smith,  Alvin  A. 

Schweiger  Soft  Drink  Parlor. 

Schuff  &  Sons  Co. 

Slusser,  Frank. 

Stough,  Dale  P. 

Spethman,  Charles. 

Scott  Barber  Shop. 

State  Bank  of  G.  I. 

Sonderup,  S.  M. 

Scheffe!  &  Sons  Monument  Co. 

Standard  Oil  Co. 

Sanitary  Grocery  Co. 

Schumacher  &  Son. 

Star  Meat  Market. 

Star  Grocery. 

Sterne,  A.  W. 

Singer  Sewing  Machine  Co. 

Sears,  A.  D. 

Sprague,  Roy. 

Schultz,  Albert  J. 

Savoy  Hotel. 

Suhr,  Wm. 

Sneller,  Dr. 

Schacht,  Conrad. 

Sorensen,  Pete. 

Schuster,  Arthur. 

Sink  Cigar  Co.,  John  W. 

Tully  Fence  Co.,  C.  H. 

Treat,  Lawrence. 

Thompson  Co.,  O.  C. 

Teeter  &  Homan. 

Third  City  Bottling  Co. 

Thompson  &  Thompson. 

Tucker  Bros. 

Tucker  &  Famsworth. 

Uneeda  Grocery. 


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COUNTY    NEBRASKA 

Wabd,  Geo. 
Woolworth  Co.,  F.  W. 
Woolstenholm,  J.  A. 
Wooley,  J.  H. 
Williams,  Florist. 
Yosl  Lumber  Co.,  J.  H. 
York,  Ray  E. 
Younkin,  E.  F. 
Zieg,  H.  P. 

Since  Mr.  Otis  took  charge  a  credit  bureau 
and  a  rate  and  traffic  bureau  have  been  es- 
tablished and  the  activities  of  the  club  organ- 
ized and  extended.  The  club  now  occupies 
five  rooms  in  the  Connor  building  as  its 
quarters  and  holds  frequent  banquets  at  the 
Auditorium  (Liederkran2  Hall). 


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CHAPTER  XVI 

BANKING  AND  FINANCIAL  INSTITUTIONS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

State  Central  —  Citizens  State  Bank  —  Grand  Island  Banking  Company  —  Charles 
F.  Bentley —  George  B.  Bell  —  The  First  National  Bank  (Grand  Island) — The 
Bank  of  Commerce  —  The  Security  National  Bank  —  The  Commercial  State  Bank  — 
State  Bank  of  Grand  Island — Nebraska  State  Bank  —  People's  State  Bank  —  Bank 
of  Doniphan — Commercial  Exchange  Bankof  Doniphan  —  Alda  State  Bank  —  Far-* 
mers  State  Bank,  Alda  —  Cairo  State  Bank  —  Farmers  State  Bank  (Cairo)  —  Build- 
ing and  Loan  Associations  —  Equitable  —  People's  —  Wood  River  —  Other  Fi- 
nancial Institutions  —  Trust  Companies  —  Grand  Island  —  Nebraska 


.state  central  —  citizens  state  bank 
The  pioneer  financial  institution  of  Hall 
County  was  the  old  State  Central  Bank,  organ- 
ized by  Henry  A.  Koenig  in  1871.  H.  A. 
Koenig  was  president  and  Dorr  Heffleman, 
cashier,  and  the  capital  stock  was  placed  at 
$45,000.  In  1873  the  State  Central  Bank  of 
Nebraska  advertised  in  the  Dotty  Evening 
Times,  "Capital  $45,000.  Authorized  Capital, 
$200,000.  Pays  interest  on  time  deposits. 
Special  attention  given  to  Collections.  Pays 
taxes  for  non-residents.  Sole  agents  in  this 
region  for  all  the  principal  steamer  lines. 
Deals  in  foreign  and  domestic  exchange." 
F.  A.  Wiebe  was  president  and  Dorr  HefHe- 
man,  cashier.  Henry  A.  Koenig,  the  founder 
and  first  president  of  this  bank,  was  then 
serving  as  state  treasurer  of  Nebraska.  In 
1876  when  banks  through  Nebraska  were  few 
and  far  between  Dr.  J.  P.  Patterson,  in  his 
centennial  sketch  of  Grand  Island,  commented 
on  Grand  Island  having  a  bank  in  this  manner : 
"Let  people  say  what  they  will,  banks  are  a 
great  convenience  to  the  public,  and  thi 


through  the  'seventies.  In  1865  there  were 
only  seven  banks  doing  business  in  Nebraska. 
At  the  time  of  the  great  panic  in  1873  there 
were  only  twenty-five  banks  in  Nebraska,  eight 
national  and  seventeen  private  banks.  The 
other  seven  national  banks  in  the  state  then 
were:  First  National  of  Brownville;  Otoe 
County  National  at  Nebraska  City ;  First 
National  (Kountze  Bros.)  and-  Omaha  Na- 
tional (J.  H.  Millard,  president)  at  Omaha; 
First  National  (Tootle  &  Hanna),  Platts- 
mouth;  First  National  (Cobb  &  Sudduth, 
1868)  and  State  National,  1872,  (Jas.  Sweet 
&  Brock,  1868)  Lincoln.  State  and  private 
banks  were  in  existence  at  Beatrice,  Blair, 
Columbus,  Crete,  Fremont,  Madison,  Norfolk, 
Pawnee  City,  Tecumseh,  West  Point,  Neligh. 
So-it  will  be  seen  that  the  State  Central  Bank 
of  Nebraska  at  Grand  Island  was  a  pioneer 
among  the  banks  of  the  state.  Mr.  Koenig 
continued  as  the  head  of  the  State  Central 
Bank  and  its  successor,  the  Citizens  National 
Bank,  during  practically  its  entire  career, 
except   for  the  time  he  was  state  treasurer, 


no  exception,  and  perhaps  if  every  individual     when  he  had  l°  relinquish  that  office  for  that 


would  figure  as  closely  as  bankers,  they  would 
not  need  their  aid  so  often." 

This  bank  weathered  the  perils  of  the  string- 
ent financial  times  following  the  panic  of  1873 
and  various  visitations   of   the  grasshoppers 


period. 

In  1887  the  Citizens  National  was  operat- 
ing on  a  $60,000  capital,  and  its  officers  were 
Henry  A.  Koenig,  president,  William  Hagge, 
vice-president,  D.  H.  Veiths,  cashier,  George 


298 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


A.  Mohrenstecher  assistant  cashier.  This 
bank  was  located  in  the  Koenig  building,  at 
the  corner  of  Third  and  Locust,  where  the 
State  Bank  of  Grand  Island  is  now  located. 
In  1892  the  cashier  was  Geo.  A.  Mohren- 
stecher, and  the  directors  were  John  L.  Means, 
Henry  A.  Koenig,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Gust  Koehler, 
William  A.  Hagge,  A.  H.  Baker  and  Geo. 
M.  Mohrenstecher.  The  directorate  remained 
the  same  through  1893  and  into  1894.  The 
statement  of  this,  bank  issued  October  3,  1893, 
a  short  time  before  the  bank  went  under 
through  its  failure  to  withstand  the  pressure 
of  the  panic  of  that  time,  showed : 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  discounts. $274,419.91 

Real  estate,  furniture  and  fixtures.     11,847.19 
Due  from  various  sources,  money 
on  hand,  etc 25,691.04 

Total  resources  $349,078.30 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  stock   $  60,00000 

Surplus  fund 34,200.00 

Deposits   346,530.09 

Total  liabilities   $349,07^.^0 

After  the  failure,  when  Comptroller  Eckles 
assessed  the  stockholders  $1,000  upon  each 
share,  those  held  responsible  under  that  as- 
sessment, and  the  number  of  shares  of  stock 
they  then  held  were:  Henry  A.  Koenig,  23; 
Wm.  A.  Hagge,  12;  G.  A.  Mohrenstecher, 
4'/z ;  O.  A.  Mohrenstecher,  1 ;  Mary  Mohren- 
stecher, 2;  A.  H.  Baker,  3'/2 ;  John  L.  Means, 
5 ;  Henry  Mayer,  1 ;  Gust  Koehler,  1 ;"  T. 
Morseman,  1 ;  B.  Lombard,  3 ;  A.  W.  Ocka- 
bock,  2.  Hall  County  in  settlement  of  its 
deposit,  secured  the  property  at  First  and 
Locust  upon  which  the  present  court  house  is 
situated  and  which  had  been  the  Koenig  home. 
Thus  even  with  its  unfortunate  ending,  this 
institution  served  to  carry  the  community 
through  the  early  years  of  the  troublesome 
'seventies  without  any  other  bank  in  the  county 
to  assist  or  compete  with  it. 


THE  GRAND  ISLAND   BANKING   COMPANY 

The  State  Centra)  Bank  remained  without 
competition  until  1879,  when  the  Grand  Island 
Banking  Company  was  organized,  and  in- 
corporated in  1880  with  S.  A.  Peterson,  G.  A. 
Packer,  C.  P.  Packer,  J.  P.  Kernohan,  J.  G. 
Glazier  and  J.  E.  Hopper  stockholders.  C.  P. 
Packer  was  succeeded  as  president  of  the 
company  by  S.  A.  Peterson,  and  J.  P.  Kerno- 
han, the  first  cashier,  by  George  B.  Bell.  In 
1890  there  were  twenty-seven  stockholders 
and  the  capital  was  then  $110,000.  It  began 
business  with  a  capital  of  $40,000.  In  1887 
S.  A.  Peterson  was  still  president,  O.  A.  Ab- 
bott was  vice-president,  Geo.  B.  Bell,  cashier, 
and  W.  B.  Carey,  assistant  cashier.  The 
directors  during  the  early  'nineties  were  S.  A. 
Peterson,  Geo.  B.  Bell,  J.  W.  Thompson,  Chas. 
G.  Ryan  and  Blake  C.  Howard.  W.  A.  Heim- 
berger  was  assistant  cashier  in  1894.  In  1397 
the  officers  were,  S.  A.  Peterson,  president, 
J.  W.  Thompson,  vice-president,  G.  B.  Bell, 
cashier,  and  W.  A.  Heimberger,  assistant 
cashier,  and  the  directors  were  S.  A.  Peter- 
son, J.  W.  Thompson,  B.  C.  Howard,  Chas. 
G.  Ryan,  Geo.  T.  Berry,  and  G.  B.  Bell. 
Albert  Etttng  became  a  director  between  then 
and  1902.  In  1904,  the  head  officers  of  the 
bank  were  still  S.  A.  Peterson,  president, 
J.  W.  Thompson,  vice-president,  and  G.  B. 
Bell,  cashier.  I.  R.  Alter  had  become  assistant 
cashier  prior  to  1907.  About  ten  years  ago 
the  first  very  radical  change  in  the  manage- 
ment of  this  bank-  occurred.  The  name  was 
changed  to  The  Grand  Island  National  Bank, 
and  C.  C.  Hansen,  who  had  been  a  successful 
banker  in  Howard  County  and  through 
Central  Nebraska  purchased  stock  in  the  instl 
tution,  and  was  elected  president.  Mr.  Bell 
also  left  the  bank  and  T.  J.  Hansen  was  made 
cashier.  J.  W.  Thompson  remained  for  a  few 
years  longer  as  vice-president ;  E.  M.  Brass 
also  became  a  vice-president,  F.  J.  Cleary  a 
short  time  later  became  assistant  cashier. 
Charles  G.  Ryan  remained  as  attorney,  and 
Fred  W.  Ashton,  M.  L.  Dolan,  A.  M.  Hargis. 
local  men,  went  onto  the  directorate.  A.  J. 
Guendel  later  became  an  assistant  cashier  also. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


299 


In  1916  the  officers  remained  the  same  as 
they  had  been  in  1914,  C.  C.  Hansen,  president, 
E.  M.  Brass,  and  J.  W.  Thompson,  vice- 
presidents,  T.  J.  Hansen,  cashier,  A.  J. 
Guendel,  assistant  cashier,  except  that  L.  R. 
Brininger  had  succeeded  Frank  J.  Geary  as 
cashier.  W.  H.  Luers  secured  stock  in 
(he  bank  and  became  assistant  cashier  after 
A.  J.  Guendel  left  this"  institution. 

Another  sweeping  set  of  changes  occured 
in  the  history  of  this  institution,  late  in  1917, 
when  through  the  sale  of  stock  from  the 
Hansen  interests  to  Messrs.  Thomas,  Griess 
and  Luers,  a  general  shifting  was  made  in 
the  officers.  C.  C.  Hansen  became  chairman 
of  the  board,  Theo.  Griess,  president,  George 
H.  Thomas,  vice-president,  T.  J.  Hansen,  vice- 
president,  W.  H.  Luers,  cashier.  These  gentle- 
men are  the  present  officers  of  the  bank,  with 
Harry  C.  Hee,  Chas.  F.  Bryer  and  J.  W. 
Thompson,  Jr.,  as  assistant  cashiers,  and  F.  W, 
Ashton,  Richard  Goehring  and  Otto  L.  Mattke 
as  directors.  Mr.  Mattke  was  elected  at  the 
beginning  of  1919,  succeeding  E.  M.  Brass. 
Messrs.  Thomas  and  GriesS  came  to  Grand 
Island  from  Harvard,  Nebraska. 

This  bank  for  many  years  occupied  the 
building  at  the  southwest  corner  of  Third 
and  Wheeler,  now  the  Strasser  block.  Five 
years  ago  it  moved  into  the  present  quarters 
in  the  remodeled  Glover  building,  302  W. 
Third. 

This  bank  was  one  of  the  two  out  of  the 
five  of  the  city  that,  under  the  Bell  manage- 
ment, weathered  the  financial  storm  of  the 
'nineties.  Indicative  of  the  ebb  and  flow  of 
that  financial  tide,  a  few  quotations  from  the 
statements  of  a  ten  year  period,  from  1892 
to  1902,  show  the  career  of  this  bank  in  those 
troublesome   times: 

Loans  and  Total 

Year            discounts  Deposits  resources 

Sept.  15,  1893...$18S,501.83  $123,527.62  $229,107  48 

April  28,  1894...  194,788.50  105.490.50  241,370.49 

April  27,  1895...  176,203.00  106,119.09  237,675.00 

March  30,  1896..  165,192.68  91,545.68  227,672.72 

June  30,  1896...  224,307.74 

Dec.   31,    1896...  141,974.54  69,6/7.35  201,766.95 

May  26,  1897....  146,391.65  69,269.68  200,695.84 

Sept.  8,  1897....  135,617.04  98,185.18  231,307.50 


July    14,    1898...  130,796.55  265,144.80 

Dec.   2,    1899....  146,356.61  280,398.76 

July  17,  1901...  162,229.85  278,717.41 

Nov.  25,  1902 208,905.08  337,403.90 

In  vivid  contrast  to  the  conditions  of  the 
'nineties,  stand  the  statements  of  this  bank 
for  the  last  five  years : 

Deposits    Total  resources 

September  12,  1914 $  740,588  $1,058,085 

September  2,  1915 935,862  1,255.944 

November  17,  1916 1,000,264  1,530,550 

September  11,  1917 1,420,586  1,776,405 

November  1,   1918 1,247,813  1.758.5S4 

May  12,  1919 1,369,510  1,911,470 

A  very  important  transaction  in  the  history 
of  the  institution  took  place  in  July,  1919, 
whereby  the  controlling  interest  of  the  Grand 
Island  National  Bank  held  by  George  T. 
Thomas  and  Theodore  Griess  was  sold  to  the 
following  gentlemen :  C.  J.  Miles  of  Hastings, 
Nebraska,  W.  H.  Luers,  J.  W.  Thompson,  Jr., 
F.  W.  Ashton,  Otto  Mattke,  Richard  Goehr- 
ing, Sr.,  Juergen  Knuth,  Gustav  Sievers, 
Albert  Quandt,  T.  A.  Brandes,  Richard 
Neurnberger,  E.  L.  Brown,  Rudolph  Siebert, 
Fred  Willman,  C.  F.  Dryer,  Percy  N.  Gorman, 
H.  C.  Hee,  Wm.  Scheffel,  Emil  Wegner,  Gus 
E.  Neuman.  At  that  time  the  Independent 
stated :  * 

The  many  interests  in  common  which 
Messrs.  Thomas  and  Griess  are  identified  with 
in  Harvard,  Nebraska,  made  it  practically 
impossible  for  them  to  devote  all  of  their 
time  in  Grand  Island,  and  appreciating  the 
importance  that  as  such  officers  of  the  bank 
it  was  incumbent  upon  them  to  have  their 
homes  in  Grand  Island,  and  finding  that  this 
could  not  very  well  be  arranged,  they  con- 
cluded to  accept  the  offer  that  was  made 
to  them  by  Mr.  Miles  and  his  associates  to 
purchase  from  them  the  control.  Under  this 
arrangement,  Mr.  Miles  will  move  to  this 
city  very  shortly,  and  commencing  on  Septem- 
ber 1st  will  assume  the  presidency  of  the 
bank,  and  will  from  that  time  be  actively  en- 
gaged at  the  bank  in  that  capacity. 

The  career  of  Mr.  Miles  is  one  continued 
series  of  successes.  Coming  from  Hastings  in 
1895  as  general  sales  manager  of  the  Cambria 
Coal  Company,  he  became  the  owner  of  a 
line,  of  grain  elevators  in  1898,  and  still  con- 
tinues to  hold  his  interests  in  that  business. 
He  became  mayor  of  Hastings  in  1902  and 
held  that  official  position  until   1913,  during 


300 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


which  time  he  was  active  in  all  that  pertained 
to  the  advancement  of  Hastings  and  its  inter- 
ests. He  has  been  a  director  in  the  First 
National  Bank  of  Hastings  since  1895,  was 
supreme  councillor  of  the  United  Commercial 
Travelers  from  1905  to  1906,  and  has  passed 
through  all  the  chairs  of  that  order,  state  and 
national.  He  is  president  of  the  Grand  River 
Coal  Company,  president  of  the  Missouri 
Electric,  Gas  &  Water  Company,  president  of 
the  Eustis  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company, 
and  also  president  of  the  Grand  Island  Gas 
Company.  He  is  a  thorough  and  conservative 
business  man  and  banker.  Mr.  Miles  has 
been  instrumental  to  a  great  extent  in  the 
progressive  upbuilding  of  Hastings,  and  is  a 
man  thoroughly  active  and  aggressive  for  the 
furtherance  of  each  and  every  enterprize  that 
he  leams  is  coming  to  his  locality  or  that  is 
already  there.    ■ 

Associated  with  Mr.  Miles  in  the  active 
management  of  the  bank  will  be  Mr.  W.  H. 
Luers  and  Mr.  Jay  Thompson,  son  of  J.  W. 
Thompson,  formerly  vice-president  of  the 
bank,  both  of  whom  are  well  and  favorably 
known  that  a  further  introduction  would  be 
unnecessary. 

CHARLES  F.  BENTLEY 

The  next  entrance  into  the  banking  circles  of 
Hall  County  was  that  made  by  the  establish- 
ment of  a  private  bank  by  Charles  F.  Bentley. 
In  1880  Mr.  Bentley*  then  of  Freeport,  Illinois, 
came  to  Omaha,  Nebraska  and  there  Senator 
Joseph  H.  Millard,  of  the  Omaha  National 
Bank,  recommended  to  him  that  Grand  Island 
would  be  a  fine  opening  for  a  bank,  so  he  came 
here  and  opened  a  private  bank.  Before  we 
take  up  the  history  of  the  First  National,  one 
of  the  two  banks  that  survived  the  financial 
storms  of  the  'nineties  and  which  he  served  for 
twenty-six  years  as  cashier  and  director,  it  is 
fitting  to  pause  to  sketch  the  life  career  of  this 
man.  Not  only  in  banking  circles  but  through- 
out a  great  many  other  activities  related  in  this 
volume  his  record  of  service  is  touched  upon. 

Charles  Frederick  Bentley,  was  born  in  Lon- 
don, England,  July  4,  1843.  His  grandfather, 
Peter  Bentley,  was  of  an  old  Yorkshire  family. 
During  the  greater  part  of  his  life  he  was  an 
excise  officer  of  the  crown,  and  when  age  pre- 
vented further  attention  to  the  duties  of  his 
office  he  was  retired  on  a  pension.  He  died  at 
the  age  of  seventy-seven,  having  been  for  very 


many  years  a  worthy  member  and  an  ardent 
supporter  of  the  Methodist  church.  One  of  his 
sons  was  Peter  Johnson  Bentley,  who,  when  a 
youth,  left  Yorkshire  for  London  to  enter  the 
employ  of  an  uncle.  Accompanied  part  of  the 
way  by  his  father,  he  left  home  on  foot  and 
walked  to  York,  completing  his  journey  from 
(hat  place  to  London  by  stage  coach.  Some 
years  later  he  became  a  member  of  the  whole- 
sale dry-goods  firm  of  Robert  Bentley  &  Co.  in 


C.  F.  Bentuy 

Cheapside,  London.  This  firm  for  many  years 
held  a  prominent  place  among  the  wholesale 
dry  goods  firms  of  that  city.  In  1851,  owing  to 
failing  health,  he  emigrated  to  America,  going 
first  to  Lafayette  county,  Wisconsin,  where 
two  of  his  brothers  lived.  A  little  later  in  the 
same  year  he  moved  to  Freeport,  Illinois, 
where  he  purchased  a  home,  invested  the 
means  he  had  brought  with  him,  and  lived 
quietly  and  free  from  business  cares  during  the 
remainder  of  his  life.  The  home  that  he 
bought  in  1851  he  occupied  with  his  family  un- 
til his  death  in  1898.  In  1901  his  children 
sold  the  old  homestead  to  the  city  of  Freeport 
to  be  used  as  a  site  for  the  public  library  build- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


,301 


ing,  toward  which  Andrew  Carnegie  donated 
535,000.  His  wife,  Ann  Sarah  Harvey,  to 
whom  he  was  married  when  she  was  twenty- 
five  years  of  age,  was  the  daughter  of  the  cap- 
tain of  an  English  merchantman  and  had  been 
left  fatherless  in  her  youth.  She  became  the 
mother  of  four  children,  and  died  in  Freeport 
in  1856.  Her  oldest  child  was  Charles  F. 
Bentley. 

When  a  boy  he  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Freeport,  and  then  for  several  years  was  a 
country  school  teacher,  working  on  a  farm 
occasionally,  when  not  employed  in  teaching. 
In  March,  1863,  he  entered  the  employ  of  De- 
Forest  &  Co.,  bankers,  at  Freeport,  and  a  year 
later  their  bank  was  made  the  First  National 
Bank  of  that  city.  Starting  in  as  a  young  man 
of  all  work,  he  was  advanced  step  by  step  until 
he  became  assistant  cashier,  a  position  that  he 
retained  until  1880.  He  then  came  to  Omaha, 
and  upon  the  recommendation  received  there, 
direct  to  Grand  Island,  where  he  established 
a  private  bank.  In  1882,  in  company  with 
several  substantial  citizens  he  organized  the 
First  National  Bank  of  this  city. 

Mr.  Bentley  at  once  became  cashier  of  that 
institution,  as  well  as  a  director,  and  these 
positions  he  held  for  the  next  twenty-five  and  a 
fraction  years,  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
on  July  15,  1908.  He  also  took  part  in  the 
establishment  of  other  banks  in  Hall  County, 
and  his  name  will  appear  many  times  yet  in 
connection  with  them.  He  was  one  of  the 
organizers  of  the  Doniphan  Bank  in  1886,  and 
later  became  president  of  that  institution.  He 
was  the  first  president  of  the  Cairo  State  Bank, 
organized  in  1902. 

In  1864,  when  the  call  had  been  made  for 
100  day  men,  Mr.  Bentley  enlisted  in  the  142d 
Illinois  Volunteers  in  which  regiment  he  served 
as  a  commissary  sergeant.  He  always  gave 
his  support  to  the  republican  party,  but  served 
as  a  private  in  political  ranks  and  never  sought 
office. 

He  took  an  early  and  continued  interest  in 
building  and  loan  associations.  He  served  as 
an  officer  in  both  the  old  People's  Association 
and  for  thirteen  years  the  Grand  Island 
(Equitable)   Association.     He  wrote  the  first 


building  and  loan  law  in  the  state  of  Nebraska, 
and  directed  his  activity  chiefly  to  efforts  to 
secure  such  legislation  and  to  promote  such 
forms  of  organization  as  seemed  calculated  to 
insure  safe  and  conservative  management  of 
the  associations  and  fair  and  equitable  rela- 
tions between  them  and  their  members.  For 
several  years  he  was  president  of  the  Nebraska 
League  of  local  loan  and  building  associations, 
later  vice-president  for  this  state,  and  in  1907, 
president  of  the  National  League  for  the 
United  States.  He  is  one  of  the  men  to  whose 
activity  and  energy  the  fact  is  due  that  Ne- 
braska has  building  and  loan  laws  superior  to 
many  of  the  states  about  her. 

He  was  married,  November  26, 1868,  to  Miss 
Angeline  Alice,  daughter  of  Peter  Dreisbach 
and  Lavina  (KIopp)  Fisher,  a  native  of  Rock 
Grove,  Stephenson  County,  Illinois.  To  them 
three  children  were  born:  Arthur  Fisher 
Bentley,  formerly  an  editorial  writer  on  the 
Record-Herald  of  Chicago,  author  of  numer- 
ous valuable  economic  and  governmental 
studies,  during  the  war  state  director  of  Ameri- 
can Red  Cross  for  Indiana,  and  now  returned 
to  his  private  pursuits  as  an  orchardist  at 
Paoli,  Indiana ;  Doctor  Frederick  James  Bent- 
ley, a  leading  oculist  at  Seattle,  Washington ; 
and  Grace  Bentley  Paine,  wife  of  district 
Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine  of  Grand  Island. 

GEORGE  B.    BELL 

was  born  at  Colrain,  Ma ssachue setts,  on  April 
10,  1861.  His  father,  Joseph  Shepardson  Bell, 
graduated  as  a  civil  engineer,  but  followed 
farming  and  married  Sarah  Packer. 

George  Boardman  Bell  was  educated  in  the 
Colrain  district  school,  at  Power  Institute, 
Bernardston,  Massachusetts,  and  left  before 
graduation  to  take  a  position  with  the  Grand 
Island  Banking  Company  (now  Grand  Island 
National  Bank)  on  December  IS,  1880. 

Mr.  Bell  became  the  second  cashier  of  the 
Grand  Island  National  Bank  and  served  until 
October  1,  1910,  when  he  left  this  institution 
after  twenty-nine  years  of  service,  during  six 
of  which,  1895-1901,  Mr.  Bell  and  Mr.  Bent- 
ley, as  cashiers  of  the  two  banks  of  Grand  Is- 
land, bore  the  brunt  of  the  responsibility  of 


302 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  banking  work  of  the  community.  In  the 
ten  years  that  he  has  been  living  in  Chicago, 
since  he  severed  his  connection  with  the  Grand 
Island  National  Bank,  Mr.  Bell  has  made  a 
steady  climb  in  the  financial  world.  He  was 
director,  secretary-treasurer  and  manager  of 
H.  O.  Stone  &  Co.,  real  estate  brokers  of 
Chicago,  1913  to  March  17,  1919.  Since  he 
sold  out  his  interest  in  that  concern  he  has  de- 
voted most  of  his  attention  to  his  duties  as 
president  and  director  of  the  Delta  &  Pine 
Land  Co.  of  Mississippi.  This  concern  owns 
the  largest  cotton  plantation  in  the  world,  con- 
taining 52,000  acres  of  the  richest  delta  land 
in  Mississippi.  Mr.  Bell  is  a  heavy  stockholder 
in  the  Koehler  Hotel  Co.  of  Grand  Island.  He 
also  owns  several  Chicago  apartment  and  store 
buildings,  and  has  other  corporate  interests  in 
Chicago  and  elsewhere.  He  has  been  a  Re- 
publican in  his  political  views  and  an  active 
worker  in  Masonic  circles  and  the  Elks  order. 
He  was  married  on  August  6,  1885,  to  Emma 
Howard,  daughter  of  Blake  C.  Howard.  To 
this  union  were  born,  Clarence  Howard  Bell, 
who  died  when  a  year  and  half  old ;  Margaret, 
who  married  Charles  S.  Hart,  living  in  New 
York  City ;  George  Boardman  Bell.  Jr.,  married 
jane  Fowler,  living  in  St.  Louis ;  and  Dorothy 
at  school  at  the  National  Park  Seminary,  For- 
est Glen,  Maryland,  near  Washington,  D.  C. 

the  first  national  bank 
The  establishment  of  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Grand  Island  has  already  been 
touched  upon.  Articles  of  association  were  ex- 
ecuted July  14,  and  United  States  Charter 
(2779)  issued  August  22,  1882,  making  it  the 
oldest  National  Bank  in  Grand  Island.  The 
original  stockholders  of  this  institution  were: 
Martin  Horn,  Alex  Stewart,  Geo.  H.  Andrew, 
Charles  Milisen,  J.  H.  Murphy,  W.  J.  Burger 
of  Doniphan,  James  Hall,  A.  D.  Sears,  Henry 
Mayer,  H.  J.  Palmer,  John  L.  Means,  C.  W. 
Thomas,  Fred  Hedde,  Dr.  A.  L.  Stevenson, 
Thompson  Brothers  (W.  H.  and  J.  R.),  H. 
C.  Held,  Samuel  N.  Wolbach,  Patrick  Dunphy, 
C.  F.  Bentley,  Angeline  Bentley,  Hattie  B. 
Cummings,  P.  J.  Bentley,  Ella  M.  Paine,  Maria 
F.  Fisher,  and  John  W.  Lambert.    The  stock 


then  subscribed  was  500  shares,  or  $50,000. 
This  line-up  of  stockholders  continued  until 
January  2,  1885,  when  an  increase  in  the  capi- 
tal was  made  to  $100,000,  more  stock  was  allot- 
ted to  the  old  stockholders  and  three  more 
added,  John  Reimers,  Arthur  Mayer,  and  May 
Lamb. 

After  thirty-seven  years  of  existence  for  the 
institution  the  stockholders  in  1919  are:  Sam- 
uel N.  Wolbach,  Ralph  R.  Horth,  John  Reim- 
ers, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bayard  H.  Paine,  I.  R. 
Alter,  H.  J.  Palmer,  Paul  Frauen,  Arthur 
C.  Mayer,  John  Donald,  Chas.  G.  Ryan,  Chas. 
W.  Brininger,  L.  T.  Geer,  J.  A.  Mitchell,  S. 
Y.  Bryson,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  Wietier, 
Ira  T.  Paine,  May  D.  Lamb,  A.  D.  Sears 
Augusta  Veit,  Anna  J.  Mileson,  Dr.  F.  J. 
Bentley,  Arthur  F.  Bentley,  Emil  Wolbach,  E. 
J.  Wolbach,  Terry  Reimers,  Theo.  Reimers, 
and  Oscar  Reimers. 

Samuel  N.  Wolbach  was  elected  the  first 
president  of  the  bank  and  has  remained  at 
the  head  of  the  institution  throughout  the 
entire  thirty-seven  years. 

This  bank  has  weathered  all  the  storms  in 
these  thirty-seven  years,  but  the  most  trying 
time  in  its  history  was  in  1895  and  1896,  when 
three  of  the  banks  of  the  city  went  under. 
and  the  two  remaining  struck  the  lowest  point 
in  their  history.  The  First  National  showed 
in  its  report  of  March  9,  1897,  deposits  of  only 
$191,063,  while  the  Grand  Island  Banking 
Co.,  the  other  survivor,  on  Dec.  31  1896, 
showed  deposits  of  $69,677.35.  This  was  the 
ebb  of  Grand  Island's  financial  institutions, 
and  since  that  date  both  of  the  surviving 
banks,  and  all  of  their  new  competitors  have 
shown  steady,  substantial  gains,  year  by  year. 

C.  F.  Bentley  remained  as  cashier  until  his 
death,  July  15,  1908.  Through  the  'eighties, 
there  had  been  seven  directors  who  served  for 
a  number  of  years:  S.  N.  Wolbach,  C.  F. 
Bentley,  C.  W.  Thomas,  H.  J.  Palmer,  John 
Reimers,  Patrick  Dunphy  and  W.  J.  Burger, 
the  latter  residing  at  Doniphan.  Later  the 
board  was  reduced  to  five,  and  Messrs.  Wol- 
bach, Bentley,  Thomas,  Palmer,  and  Reimers 
served  together  for  many  years.  C.  W. 
Thomas  disposed  of  his  stock  late  in    1908. 


s 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


303 


and  L.  M.  Talmage,  who  had  purchased  part 
of  the  stock  of  the  Bentley  estate,  was  elected 
a  director,  and  became  the  second  cashier  of 
the  bank.  He  remained  as  cashier  until  he 
disposed  of  his  stock  interest  on  December 
1,  1914,  after  which  time  I.  R.  Alter,  Jr.  was 
elected  cashier,  and  he  is  still  serving  in  that 
capacity.  After  the  death  of  his  father,  Ar- 
thur F.  Bentley  served  for  a  short  time  as 
director,  after  which  Bayard  H.  Paine  was 
elected  a  director  and  has  served  on  the 
board  since  then.  In  the  following  January 
(1909)  the  board  was  restored  to  seven  mem- 
bers, and  Ralph  R.  Horth  and  Paul  Frauen 
were  elected.  Since  the  elevation  of  Mr.  Alter 
to  the  castiiership  and  his  election  as  a  direct- 
or, the  board  has  been  composed  of  Messrs. 
Wolbach,  Reimers,  Palmer,  Paine,  Alter, 
Horth,  and  Frauen. 

Through  part  of  the  time  the  bank  has  not 
carried  the  title  of  assistant  cashier,  but  F.  C. 
Hanaford  and  S.  E.  Sinke  served  this  bank 
faithfully  in  practically  this  capacity  during 
a  period  of  service  lasting  between  twenty- 
nine  and  thirty  years  each.  S.  D.  Ross  was 
elected  assistant  cashier  on  June  30,  1902, 
and  resigned  October  26,  1908.  Then  Messrs. 
Hanaford  and  Sinke  each  held  the  title  of 
assistant  cashier  for  a  number  of  years,  and 
then  I.  R.  Alter,  Jr.  became  assistant  cashier. 
After  Mr.  Alter  became  cashier,  Frank  J. 
Cleary  came  to  the  First  National  as  assist- 
ant cashier,  and  after  he  left  the  bank  in  1918, 
P.  C.  Birk  was  elevated  to  this  office.  Before 
Mr.  Bentley's  death  the  bank  built  and  occu- 
pied a  very  ornamental  and  splendidly  ar- 
ranged one-story,  stone  front  building  at  112 
West  Third  street. 

Mention  has  already  been  made  of  the  low 
ebb  this  bank  reached  in  1896  when  it  weath- 
ered the  financial  storms  of  those  trying  times. 
A  little  further  indulgence  in  figures  for  the 
ten  year  period  from  1892  to  1903  will  show 
how  this  bank  fared  in  those  times  of  storm 
and  returning  sunshine. 

Loans  and 
Year  Deposits       Resources     Discounts 

Sept.  30,  1892...  $141,568.08    $585,399.23 
July  12.  1893....  355,791.93      527,025.86    $376,839.21 
July  18,  1894...  345,761.55      506,041.38 

May  7,  1895 250,449.15      410,817.63 

July  21,  1895....  208,496.17      352,556.17      248,244.45 


The  rapid  decline  in  such  a  short  space  is 
worthy  of  notice.  It  will  also  be  noted  that 
loans  and  discounts  at  that  particular  period 
were  larger  than  deposits. 

Loans  and 

Year  Deposits        Resources      Discounts 

July  14,  1896.... $224,969.22    $370,595.71    $196,081.06 

Evidently  there  had  been  a  restrict 
loans  and  discounts.  The  next  two  stal 
given  are  the  lowest  this  bank  reached 
period. 

L< 

Year  Deposits       Resources     D 

Oct.  6,  1896 $198,360.05    $343,989.27    $2 

March  9,  1897...  191,063.35      338,306.83      1 
May  14,  1897....  227,276.86      375,398.34 

From  this  time  on  the  First  Nationa 
to  forge  ahead  with  a  steady  gait.  The 
ings  statements  of  deposits  for  a  fi\ 
period  will  indicate  the  return  of  th 
munity  to  a  normal  basis,  and  gradual 
progressive  standard  once  more : 

I 

December  15,  1897 $33; 

December  1,  1898 38C 

December  2,    1899 424 

December   13,   1900 45? 

December   10,   1901 50< 

April  30,  1902 58! 

On  July  16,  1902  the  deposits  had  : 
$787,601.34  and  resources  were  $1,019 
the  million  dollar  milestone  passed.    A 
at  the  deposits  and  total  resource  item; 
by  the  statements  of  this  institution 
last  five  years  will  show  by  way  of  contrast  rne 
present    commercial   and    financial    status   of 
Grand  Island  as  compared  to  the  close  times 
of  twenty  to  twenty-five  years  ago. 

Date  Deposits  Total  Resources 

Sept.  12,  1914 $1,161,109.    $1,470,823. 

Sept.  2,  1915 1,370,722.      1,699,856. 

Nov.  17,  1916 1,691,347.      2,046,285. 

Sept.  II,  1917 2,343,213.       2,713,493. 

Nov.    1,    1918 2,178,723.      2,546,315. 

May   12,  1919 2,481,929.       2,856,257. 

THE  BANK  OF  COMMERCE 

The  bank  of  Doniphan  was  established  May 
3,  1886,  but  it  will  be  taken  up  after  the  Grand 
Island  banks  have  been  treated  together,  as 
the  first  outside  bank  in  Hall  County. 


304 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


The  next  banking  institution  in  Grand  Is- 
land,  was  the  Bank  of  Commerce,  incorpor- 
ated April  1,  1887,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$50,000.  T.  P.  Lanigan  was  elected  president, 
J.  D.  Moore,  vice-president,  J.  M.  Marsh, 
cashier.  Directors  other  than  the  officers  just 
named  who  took  an  interest  in  this  bank  were 
F.  B.  Johnson,  cashier  of  the  Bank  of  Com- 
merce of  Omaha,  who  perhaps  had  a  hand  in 
passing  on  that  name  to  this  new  institution, 
and  E.  L-  Dodder,  Sr.  Mr.  Lanigan,  the  first 
president  of  the  bank,  later  moved  to  Greeley, 
Nebraska,  where  he  has  been  a  leading  at- 
torney for  almost  thirty  years.  J.  D.  Moore, 
who  had  formerly  been  agent  for  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  company  at  Grand  Island, 
was  chosen  president  to  succeed  Mr.  Lanigan, 
and  he  in  turn  was  succeeded  as  president 
by  E.  L.  Dodder,  Sr.  Oscar  J.  Smith  became 
vice-president  and  J.  D.  Moore  took  the 
cashiership,  when  Mr.  Dodder  became  presi- 
dent, and  E.  L.  Dodder,  Jr.  served  as  assis- 
tant cashier.  Judge  F.  B.  Tiffany  was  one  of 
the  directors  of  the  bank  for  a  time.  The 
board  of  directors  in  1893-1894  were  E.  L. 
Dodder,  Sr.,  J.  D.  Moore,  D.  K.  Hull,  H.  W. 
Merriam,  O.  J.  Smith,  W.  A.  Prince,  and  D. 
C.  Zink.  The  Scarff  building,  at  224  East 
Third,  was  the  banking  home  of  this  institu- 
tion during  most  of  its  career.  At  one  time, 
about  1890,  there  were  fifty-two  stockholders 
in  this  bank  comprising  many  of  the  city's 
best  citizens.  Its  capitalization  reached  as 
high  a  mark  as  $150,000. 

The  closing  years  of  its  financial  career  are 
detailed  by  the  following  figures  from  its  last 
few  statements. 

Date  Deposits  Total  Resources 

Mar.  6,  1893 $157,361.  $259,390.47 

Dec.  19,  1893 144,359.  267,924.68 

Aug.  31,  1894 219,136.  325,746.16 

Dec.  29,  1894 164,998.  271,062.91 

Aug.  1,  1895 122,721.  213,831.31 

Dec.  31,  1895 99,225.  225,432.60 

Loans  and  discounts  were  then,  $154,129. 

When  the  report  of  Receiver  Wm.  Anyan 
was  made  as  to  the  affairs  of  the  Bank  of 
Commerce,  after  its  failure,  it  showed  the  total 
liabilities  to  be  $158,057.61,  and  $177,527.45  of 


the  $257,454.26  estimated  assets  as  worthless, 
making  a  shortage  of  $78,130.80. 

THE    SECURITY    NATIONAL    BANK 

This  bank  was  formed  during  1889  as  the 
Security  State  bank,  and  its  first  officers  were: 
H.  A.  Pike,  of  Boston,  Massachuesttts,  presi- 
dent, F.  W.  Barber,  vice-president  and  locally 
in  charge  of  the  president's  duties,  0.  B. 
Thompson,  cashier.  They,  with  T.  R.  White, 
Jr.,  of  New  York,  W.  R.  Bacon,  Dr.  P.  Janss, 
and  J.  P.  Zediker,  were  directors.  Between 
that  time  and  1891  a  complete  change  was 
made  in  the  ownership  and  management  of 
this  bank,  and  before  1892  its  name  changed 
to  Security  National  Bank.  The  latter  set  oi 
officers  and  directors  were:  H.  J.  Palmer, 
president,  E.  C.  Hockenberger,  vice-president 
A.  S.  Vest,  son  of  Senator  Vest  of  Missouri, 
cashier,  and  W.  S.  Dickason,  assistant  cashier. 
The  directors  were  H.  J.  Palmer,  A.  S.  Vest. 
E.  C.  Hockenberger,  George  Bartenbach  and 
A.  C.  Murphy. 

During  the  winter  of  1889-1890  this  bank- 
ing company  completed  the  five-story,  stone 
front  building  on  South  Locust  street,  in  re- 
cent years  occupied  by  the  Grand  Island  Busi- 
ness &  Normal  College  and  other  business  in- 
stitutions, at  a  cost  of  approximately  $50,000. 
This  building  in  later  years  was, purchased  by 
A.  M.  Hargis  at  about  30%  of  its  original  cost. 

Some  of  the  last  statements  of  this  bant 
showed  its  deposits  and  total  resources  as: 

Deposits        Resources 

Sept.  30,  1892 $88,253.        $253,901. 

July   12,   1893 92,044.  271,546. 

May  4,   1894 79,857.  242,957. 

Ost.  2,  1894 63,042.  22732. 

In  February,  1890,  J.  M.  Marsh  returned 
from  a  trip  to  Chicago,  Omaha  and  Kansas 
City,  where  he  had  been  making  arrangements 
for  selling  bank  stock  for  a  proposed  "Ameri- 
can National  Bank"  which  was  to  have  been 
erected  at  Third  and  Locust,  upon  the  location 
occupied  by  the  Tucker  &  Brown  drug  store- 
but  this  institution  did  not  materialize. 

THE  COMMERCIAL  STATE  BANK 
It  will  be  noted  that  for  about  six  years. 
.   zee  by  GOOgle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


305 


between  1895  and  1910,  Grand  Island  had 
only  two  banking  institutions,  the  First 
National  and  Grand  Island  Banking  Co.'s 
banks. 

The  Commercial  State  Bank  of  Grand  Is- 
land was  incorporated  July  2,  1901,  and  began 
business  July  15,  1901,  with  a  capital  stock  of 
$30,000.  The  original  incorporators  were  Ben- 
jamin F.  Clayton,  Harry  B.  Stewart,  and  Ells- 
worth D.  Hamilton,  who  were,  respectively, 
president,  vice-president,  and  cashier,  and  also 
directors.  On  May  8,  1906,  the  capital  of  the 
bank  was  increased  to  $100,000,  $80,000  paid 
up,  and  on  April  10,  1911,  the  capital  was  paid 
up  to  the  full  $100,000. 

On  January  8,  1909,  the  interests  of  Clay- 
ton, Stewart  and  Hamilton  were  sold  to  Elmer 
Williams,  M.  Dowling,  and  H.  P.  Dowling, 
Elmer  Williams  coming  from  Fremont,  Ne- 
braska, and  Harry  P.  Dowling,*  from  O'Neill, 
Nebraska.  On  April  3,  1911,  the  Dowling  in- 
terests were  acquired  by  local  people  and  the 
Dowlings  purchased  a  majority  of  the  stock  of 
the  Shelby  County  State  Bank,  of  Harlan, 
Iowa.  On  September  1,  1917,  the  capital  of 
the  bank  was  increased  to  $150,000. 

The  different  presidents  of  the  Commercial 
State  Bank  since  its  organization  were  Ben- 
jamin F.  Clayton  and  Elmer  Williams.  The 
different  cashiers  of  the  bank  were  Ellsworth 
D.  Hamilton  and  Carl  H.  Menck.  The  first 
published  statement  of  the  bank  was  made  on 
July  17,  1901,  two  days  after  opening  for  busi- 
ness as  follows:  Capital,  $30,000,  deposits, 
$3,250.93,  total  resources,  $33,252.22.  On  Sep- 
tember 30,  1901,  its  statements  showed  de- 
posits, $10,891.95,  resources,  $41,314.67,  and 
on  March  15,  1902  its  deposits  were  $85,723 
and  its  resources  had  reached  $1 17,046. 

The  published  statement  of  July  31,  1919, 
showed : 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $  955,243.15 

Overdrafts  , , ,       1,329.15 

Bonds,  securities,  judgments, 
claims,  etc.,  including  all 
government  bonds    114,09426 

Banking  house,  furniture 
and  fixtures   32,584.35 

Due  from  National  and 
State  banks  $  49,023.31 

Checks  and  items  of  ex- 
change       24,820.46 


Currency    21,730.00 

Gold  coin   4,347.50 

Silver,  nickels  and  cents. . . .      8,285.63        108,206.90 

Total    $1,211,457.81 

Capital  stock  paid  in $   150,000.00 

Surplus  fund 30,000.00 

Undivided   profits    2,829.81 

Dividends  unpaid    175.00 

Individual    deposits    subject 

to  check  $419,910.49 

Time  certificates  of  deposit  586.761.38 

Certified  checks  136164 

Cashier's  checks  outstandng      8>I6.30 
Due  to  National  and  State 

banks    1,546.70      1,018,326.51 

Depositor's    guaranty     fund  10,126.49 

Total   $1,211,457.81 

THE  HOME  SAVINGS  BANK 

On  December  11,  1909,  the  Home  Savings 
Bank  of  Grand  Island  was  organized  with  a 
capital  of  $15,000,  with  Elmer  Williams  as 
president,  H.  P.  Dowling,  treasurer,  and  C.  H. 
Menck,  secretary.  The  success  of  the  Savings 
Bank  was  very  marked  and  it  continued  in  a 
prosperous  condition.  The  business  of  the 
Savings  Bank  was  conducted  in  the  rooms  of 
the  Commercial  State  Bank  and  its  growth 
was  phenomenal  and  very  successful ;  yet  in 
order  to  facilitate  the  handling  of  the  business 
and  to  lessen  the  cost  of  operation  the  assets 
of  the  Home  Savings  Bank  were  purchased 
by  the  Commercial  State  Savings  Bank  on 
September  I,  1917,  and  the  business  of  the 
Home  Savings  Bank  is  being  conducted  as  a 
savings  department  of  the  Commercial  State 
Bank. 

The  present  marble  front  building  of  the 
Commercial  State  Bank  was  erected  and  occu- 
pied by  the  Bank  on  December  18,  1910.  The 
stock  of  the  bank  is  nearly  all  owned  by  Grand 
Island  and  Hall  County  interests ;  the  number 
of  stockholders  is  forty-four  and  its  stock- 
holders represent  farmers,  business  men,  pro- 
fessional men,  and  capitalists. 

STATE  BANK  OF   GRAND  ISLAND 

For  thirteen  years  after  the  organization  of 
the  Commercial  State  Bank,  Grand  Island  had 
three  banks,  but  in  1914  a  sufficient  number 
of  local  men,  with  outside  capitalists  named 
hereafter,  thought  there  was  room  for  a  fourth 
bank  in  this  city,  and  the  State  Bank  of  Grand 


306 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Island  was  organized.  The  original  incor- 
porators were  Wm.  H.  Thompson,  Theo.  P. 
Boehm,  D.  W.  Geiselman  and  Frank  W.  Sloan 
of  Geneva,  Nebraska,  L.  J.  Dunn  of  the  City 
National  Bank  at  Lincoln,  A.  C.  Denman, 
Kenneth  McDonald,  S.  M.  Sonderup,  V.  E. 
Evans,  Pat  Fagan,  and  M.  M.  Klinge.  The 
original  board  of  directors  chosen  were,  W. 
H.  Thompson,  president,  Theo.  Boehm,  vice- 
president,  and  D.  W.  Geiselman,  cashier,  with 
L.  T.  Geer,  S.  M.  Sonderup,  V.  E.  Evans  and 
Dana  C.  Geiselman,  the  latter  then  county  at- 
torney at  Geneva,  Nebraska. 

In  January,  1918,  L.  J-  Dunn,  Frank  J. 
Cleary  and  J.  L.  Geary  bought  out  the  Geisel- 
man interests  in  the  bank  and  those  three  be- 
came directors,  with  V.  E.  Evans,  S.  M. 
Sonderup,  W.  H.  Thompson  and  M.  M. 
Klinge.  The  board  in  1919  remains  the  same 
except  that  Aug.  Buchfinch  succeeded  M.  M, 
Klinge.  L.  J.  Dunn,  vice-president  of  the 
City  National  Bank  of  Lincoln  and  director 
in  the  First  National  Bank  at  Hastings,  be- 
came the  second  president  of  the  State  Bank 
of  Grand  Island,  V.  E.  Evans,  president  of 
Glass  &  Evans  Co.  of  this  city  became  vice- 
president,  Frank  J.  Cleary  became  the  second 
cashier,  with  A.  A.  Roeser  as  assistant  cashier. 
The  paid  in  capital  stock  of  the  bank  is 
$50,000.  The  value  of  the  banking  house, 
furniture  and  fixtures  has  increased  from 
$3,204.91  in  1915  to  $7,500  in  November, 
1918.  An  examination  of  the  principal  items 
of  three  statements  of  the  bank  will  show  its 
growth : 

Loans  and  Total 

Date  Discounts        Deposits       Resources 

Feb.  9,  1915 $22,622.68    $20,064.18    $75,36077 

Nov.  18,  1918...  332,010.89  500,227.49  560,890.00 
May  3,  1919 555,465.00      626,408.00 

This  bank  is  located  on  the  northwest  corner 
of  Third  and  Locust  streets. 

NEBRASKA    STATE    BANK 

In  1917  a  fifth  bank  was  organized  for 
Grand  Island  when  the  Nebraska  State  Bank 
was  incorporated  by  A.  E.  Cady,  Sr.,  A.  J. 
Guendel,  Judge  J.  R.  Hanna,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr., 
and  Benj.  Cunningham.  The  officers  were 
A.   E.   Cady,  Sr.,  president,  A.   J.  Guendel, 


vice-president  and  cashier,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr., 
vice-president,  O.  A.  Vieregg,  assistant 
cashier,  Judge  J.  R.  Hanna,  director,  and 
Benj.  J.  Cunningham,  attorney  and  director. 
Mr.  Cady,  Sr.,  served  as  president  until  his 
death,  after  which  Judge  J.R.  Hanna  was 
elected  president.  The  main  facts  shown  in 
the  first  statement  of  this  bank,  issued  May 
7,  1917,  were: 

Loans    $66,866.67 

Cash    59,537.03 

Capital    50,000.00 

Deposits    . . .  !* 95,31023 

This  contrasted  with  the  statement  of  May 
3,  1919,  two  years-later  shows  the  remarkable 
growth  of  this  bank.  The  deposits  on  May 
3,  1919,  two  years  later,  were  $687,  853,  and 
on  July  31,  $762,768. 

The  following  figures  show  the  rate  of  the 
growth  of  this  bank: 

Total  resources,  May  7,  1917,  $153,471.81; 
Nov.  20,  1917,  $317,669.20;  Feb.  25,  1918, 
$409,708.85;  Aug.  1,  1918,  $534,074.61 ;  Nov. 
1,  1918,  $575,669.94;  Jan.  28,  1919,  $659,722- 
20;  May  3,  1919,  $781,102.00;  July  31,  1919. 
$883,879.50. 

PEOPLES  STATE  BANK 
If  the  plans  for  the  organization  of  the 
proposed  American  State  Bank  in  1890  had 
materialized,  Grand  Island  would  have  had 
six  banks  years  ago.  But  as  it  was,  this 
goal  was  never  reached  until  June,  1919.  The 
opening  of  a  bank  on  the  north  side  had  been 
discussed  for  two  or  three  years,  a  number 
of  men  prominent  in  north  side  affairs  being 
urgently  in  favor  of  it.  The  war  interfered 
with  any  such  plans  until  recently.  At  the 
second  meeting  held  for  the  discussion  of 
this  proposition,  forty-three  men  were  present, 
some  of  them  having  business  houses  on  the 
north  side  and  some  doing  business  on  the 
south  side  but  living  on  the  north  side,  and 
others  being  farmers  living  around  the  north- 
em  fringe  of  the  city.  As  a  starter  the 
capital  was  fixed  at  $65,000  and  A.  J.  Bau- 
mann,  assistant  postmaster  and  Attorney  A:  J. 
Joseph  took  an  active  part  in  getting  the  stock 
subscribed.    The  location  selected  was  a  room 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


307 


in  the  Central  Power  Co.  building  at  Fourth 
and  Pine  streets,  which  has  been  remodeled 
to  make  a  very  attractive  and  convenient 
banking  room.  The  stock  has  been  divided 
among  a  considerable  number  of  stockholders, 
and  the  manner  in  which  the  bank  has  made 
its  initial  start  gives  satisfactory  evidence  to 
the  hope  that  Grand  Island  has  outgrown 
north-and-south  division  feeling  or  business 
rivalries  of  more  than  a  friendly  nature.  The 
board  of  directors  chosen  are  John  Knick- 
rehm, J.  D.  Harrison,  John  Knickrehm,  Jr.., 
John  E.  Mader,  August  C.  Menck,  Albert 
}.  Niemoth,  and  Franklin  Tully,  selected  from 
the  following  list  of  incorporators:  J.  H. 
Harrison,  J.  D.  Harrison,  A.  C.  Menck,  Homer 
Bowen,  John  Knickrehm,  Sr.,  John  Knick- 
rehm, Jr.,  Win.  F.  Krehmke,  Louis  E.  Upper- 
man,  Franklin  Tully,  A.  L.  Joseph,  J.  E. 
Mader  and  Albert  J.  Niemoth.  The  first 
officers  chosen  were  John  Knickrehm,  Sr., 
president,  J.  D.  Harrison,  vice-president,  J.  H. 
Harrison,  cashier,  Leo  G.'Shehein,  assistant 
cashier,  and  A.  L.  Joseph,  attorney.  J.  H. 
Harrison  had  recently  resigned  as  cashier  of 
the  State  Bank  of  Ravenna,  and  accepted  the 
cashiership  of  this  new  bank  and  helped  it 
start  out,  but  in  June,  1919,  after  a  few  weeks 
service,  resigned  to  form  a  connection  as 
cashier  with  a  third  bank  being  established  at 
Ravenna,  and  Assistant  Cashier  Shehein  was 
promoted  to  the  cashiership,  and  Carl  Knick- 
rehm selected  as  assistant  cashier,  and  a  short 
lime  thereafter  Judge  E.  G.  Kroger  was 
elected  Vice-President  and  became  active  in  the 
bank  management.  On  August  27,  1919,  the 
bank  carried  loans  and  discounts  of  $120,- 
755.17;  deposits,  $99,527.63;  total  resources, 
$159,677.48,  on  a  capital  of  $50,000. 

THE     BANK    OF    DONIPHAN 

The  Bank  of  Doniphan  was  established 
May  3,  1886,  with  W.  J.  Burger  president  and 
John  Schwynn  cashier.  S.  N.  Wolbach,  C.  F. 
Bentley,  W.  J.  Burger  and  John  Schwynn 
were  the  stockholders.  Mr.  Burger  continued 
as  president  until  he  sold  his  stock,  where- 
upon C.  F.  Bentley  became  president  of  the 
institution  and  served  until  his  death  in  1908. 

/ 


Thereupon  S.  N.  Wolbach  became  pres- 
ident for  a  period.  During  all  of  this  time 
John  Schwynn  had  been  cashier  of  the  bank. 
For  a  time  before  his  death  John  Schwynn 
was  cashier  of  the  bank,  S.  N.  Wolbach  vice- 
president,  in  which  office  he  had  been  serving 
since  the  establishment  of  the  institution  ex- 
cept for  a  period  he  was  president.  After 
Mr.  Schwynn's  death,  Mr.  Wolbach  again  be- 
came president,  and  is  still  serving  in  that 
capacity.  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine  who  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Wolbach  as  vice-president- of  the 
bank,  is  now  in  that  office. 

H.  E.  Funk  upon  the  disposal  of  Mr.  Burg- 
er's stock  purchased  an  interest  in  the  bank, 
was  elected  a  director  and  assistant  cashier, 
and  later  on  succeeded  Mr.  Schwynn  as  cash- 
ier. Mr.  Funk  a  few  years  ago  disposed 
of  his  stock  whereupon  C.  M.  Carlson  of 
Dannebrog,  Nebraska,  was  elected  cashier  and 
George  E.  Funk,  assistant  cashier.  During 
1918,  George  E.  Funk  was  called  into  service, 
and  resigned  as  assistant  cashier,  and  Miss 
Alma  Gideon  is  now  acting  in  that  capacity. 
The  present  directors  of  the  bank  are  S.  N. 
Wolbach,  president,  Bayard  H.  Paine,  vice- 
president,  C.  M.  Carlson,  cashier,  and  Emil 
Wolbach.  Among  the  other  stockholders  are 
Wm.  E.  Martin  and  Karl  Hoppold. 

Several  years  ago  this  bank  outgrew  its 
quarters  in  the  brick  building  erected  in  1888, 
and  moved  into  a  fine,  commodious  banking 
home  built  for  its  use. 

The,  growth  of  the  bank  is  evidenced  by  a 
comparison  of  its  deposits,  resources,  etc. : 
1902        1909        1919 
Capital    stock. . .  .$  12,500  $  12,500  $  20,000 

Deposits 102,739    188,097    233,629 

Total    resources..   121,761     209,180    264,858 

COMMERCIAL    EXCHANGE    BANK,   OF   DONIPHAN 

Doniphan  remained  with  one  bank  for 
twenty-five  years,  when  in  November,  1911, 
the  Commercial"  Exchange  Bank  started  in 
busniess.  This  bank  opened  with  H.  A.  Red- 
man, president,  L.  J.  Berg,  vice-president,  and 
C.  M.  Redman,  cashier.  J.  J.  Mohlman  suc- 
ceeded Mr.  Berg  as  vice-president,  and  in 
1917  he  sold  his  stock  to  Merle  Eggert,  who 


308 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


became  vice-president.  The  president  and 
cashier  have  remained  the  same  throughout 
the  career  of  this  institution.  The  first  direc- 
tors were  H.  A.  Redman,  L.  J.  Berg,  J.  J, 
Mohlman,  C.  M.  Redman  and  Mrs.  Berta 
Siebert.  Albert  Redman  became  a  director 
in  1919.  This  bank  occupies  a  very  substantial 
and  convenient  banking  home  which  it  erected 
for  that  purpose. 

Its  growth  is  reflected  by  a  comparison  of 
two  statements  as  to  the  principal  items. 

Sept.  4,  Jan.  28, 

Statements  of—  1912  1919 

Loan  and  discounts.  .$44,532.72    $190,258.05 
Banking    house,     fix- 
tures, furniture. ... .     5,000.00  5,000.00 
Capital  stock  paid...   15,000.00        15,000.00 

Deposits    47,463.42      235,809.84 

Total  resources 65,856.86      258,596.63 

CITIZENS  STATE  BANK,   WOOD  RIVER 

The  Citizens  State  Bank  of  Wood  River, 
Nebraska,  was  incorporated  August  20,  1891, 
by  W.  L.  May,  George  R.  Voss,  James  Jack- 
son, W.  W.  Mitchell,  T.  J.  Smout,  Jerry 
Bowen,  G.  W.  Miller,  W.  L.  Sprague,  S.  E. 
Smith  and  M.  J.  Costello,  with  an  authorized 
capital  stock  of  $25,000  and  a  paid  up  capital 
of  $14,500. 

The  first  board  of  directors  were  W.  L. 
May,  George  R.  Voss,  James  Jackson,  W.  W. 
Mitchell,  T.  J.  Smout,  Jerry  Bowen  and  W.  L. 
Sprague. 

This  board  elected  James  Jackson,  presi- 
dent, W.  L.  May,  vice-president,  and  appointed 
S.  E.  Smith,  cashier. 

Additional  directors  elected  to  fill  vacancies 
since  are  B.  Z.  Taylor,  Robert  Ewing,  S.  C. 
Tackson,  W.  B.  Kern,  H.  I.  Mc'Carty,  Fred 
J.  Miller,  F.  M.  Hollister  and  Patrick  Hoye. 

In  1915  the  board  of  directors  was  reduced 
from  seven  to  five  and  W.  W.  Mitchell,  Patrick 
Hoye,  Fred  J.  Miller,  F.  M.  Hollister,  and 
W.  L.  Sprague  were  elected  and  also  consti- 
tute the  present  board. 

In  1894  W.  W.  Mitchell  succeeded  James 
Jackson  as  president  and  still  holds  that  po- 
sition. 

Jerry  Bowen  was  elected  vice-president  in 


1894  and  was  succeeded  by  James  Jackson  in 
1900. 

M.  I.  Mc'Carty  was  elected  vice-president 
in  1911  in  place  of  James  Jackson,  deceased. 

In  1911  Patrick  Hoye  was  elected  vice- 
president  vice  M.  I.  McCarty,  and  is  the  pres- 
ent holder  of  this  office. 

R.  R.  Root  was  appointed  cashier  in  Novem- 
ber, 1891,  and  was  succeeded  on  March  1, 
1894,  by  W.  L.  Sprague  who  is  the  present 
incumbent. 

W.  W.  Mitchell,  president,  Patrick  Hoye. 
vice-president,  W.  L.  Sprague,  cashier,  and 
E.  B.  Persson  and  E.  H.  Benson,  assistant 
cashiers,  comprise  the  executive  officers. 

First  Annual  Statement,  January,  1893 : 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $34,94522 

Due  from  Banks 1706.38 

Cash  in  Bank 2,208.05 

Overdrafts   413.62 

Expenses  paid  . . ., 2,423.79 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 1,928.21 

Banking  House  4,379.44 

$48,004.71 
LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock $23,000.00 

Undivided  Profits 3,509.40 

Deposits    19,495.31 

Bills  Payable    2,000.00 

$48,004.71 
Statement  of  January,  1919: 

RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $330,438.46 

Due  from  Banks 77,056.46 

Cash  in  Bank 15,753.13 

Liberty  Bonds 14,530.00 

Banking  House 2,500.00 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 2,500.00 

$442,778.14 
LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock $  25,000.00 

Surplus  and  Profits 22,579.58 

Deposits    391,603.98 

Guaranty  Fund 3,117.58 

Dividends  unpaid   477.00 

.i^GoogH^" 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


309 


in  April,  1892,  interested  persons  bought 
a  controlling  interest  in  the  stock  from  W.  L. 
May  and  George  R.  Voss  and  sought  to  close 
the  bank.  The  minority  stockholders  check- 
mated this  move  by  subscribing  for  more  stock, 
increasing  the  paid  up  capital  stock  to  $23,000, 
of  which  they  held  $15,500  against  $5,500 
under  adverse  control. 

In  1894,  the  capital  stock  was  reduced  to 
$21,000;  in  1897  to  $18,000  and  in  1899  to 
$10,000. 

In  1909  the  stock  was  increased  to  $15,000 
through  a  stock  dividend  and  in  1910  to 
$25,000. 

The  building  now  occupied  as  a  banking 
house  was  built  in  1892. 
THE  FIRST  NATIONAL  BANK  OF  WOOD  RIVER 
Incorporated   October    12,    1888.     Charter 
Xo.  3939. 

First  board  of  directors:  Patrick  Moore, 
Henry  O.  Gifford,  James  Ewing,  F.  M.  Pen- 
ney, Walter  Chamberlain,  Henry  Chamberlain, 
Hans  Wiese,  W  .W.  Mitchell,  H.  P.  Chapman. 
First  officers:  Henry  Chamberlain,  presi- 
dent, Patrick  Moore,  vice-president,  Walter 
Chamberlain,  cashier. 

Presidents  (in  order  of  service):  Henry 
Chamberlain,  H.  O.  Gifford,  O.  W.  Eaton. 
F  E.  Slusser. 

Cashiers  (in  order  of  service):  Walter 
Chamberlain,  Henry  Chamberlain,  E.  S.  Leav- 
enworth, F.  M.  Penney,  H.  S.  Eaton. 

Vice-presidents  (in  order  of  service) : 
Patrick  Moore,  Peter  Holling,  O.  W.  Eaton, 
F.  E.  Slusser,  Hans  Wiese. 

Present  board  of  directors:  Hans  Wiese, 
H.  S.  Eaton,  K.  E.  Slusser,  E.  S.  Leavenworth, 
J-  E.  Ayers,  W.  H.  Packer,  S.  W.  Wilson. 

Present  officers:  F.  E.  Slusser,  president, 
Hans  Wiese,  vice-president,  H.  S.  Eaton,  cash- 
ier. H.  P.  Burmood,  assistant  cashier,  J.  E. 
Ayers,  assistant  cashier. 

In  addition  to  the  members  of  the  first  board 
of  directors  and  the  present  board,  the  fol- 
lowing have  served  on  the  board  of  directors 
at  different  periods :  D.  Barrick,  Peter  Holling, 
Win.  Dubbs,  James  Gifford,  H.  D.  Trout. 

The  original  number  of  stockholders  was 
sixteen.    The  present  number  is  fourteen.  Of 


the  original  stockholders  but  one  name  appears 
on  the  present  list,  that  of  Mr.  Wiese,  although 
the  Eaton  and  Gifford  stock  is  represented 
by  their  heirs  as  present  holders.  Since  the 
bank  was  organized,  more  than  thirty  years 
ago,  Mr.  Wiese  has  served  most  efficiently 
and  conscientiously  as  one  of  its  directors, 
a  rather  remarkable  record  of  faithful  service 
which  has  been  of  inestimable  value  to  the 
bank  and  which  is  held  in  highest  appreciation 
by  the  officers  and  stockholders  of  the  institu- 
tion. 

Mr.  Slusser  entered  the  service  of  the  bank 
as  bookkeeper  in  November,  1889,  since  which  . 
time  his  connection,  as  employee,  stockholder 
or  officer  has  been  continuous. 

First  published  statement,  February  9,  1889 : 
RESOURCES 

Omaha  National  Bank $10,620.00 

Chemical  National  Bank 1,91575 

Loans 50,665.01 

Expenses   and  Taxes 1,204.10 

Overdrafts  292.07 

U.  S.  Bonds 12,500.00 

Premium  Bonds 3,421.88 

Cash    4,499.07 

Redemption  Fund 562.00 

Real  Estate  3,750.00 

Furniture  and  Fixtures 2,000.00 

Total  .$91,429.88 

LIABILITIES 

Capital  paid  in $48,250.00 

Circulation   11,240.00 

Undivided  Profits  2,663.84 

Deposits,  check 24,487.45 

Deposits,  certificate 4,788.59 

Total   .$91,429.88 

Published  statement  of  March  4,  1919: 
RESOURCES 

Loans  and  Discounts $353,308.05 

Overdrafts   1,057.35 

U.  S.  Certificates  of  Indebtedness    20,000.00 

Bonds    40,000.00 

Federal  Reserve  Sock 1,800.00 

Real  Estate 19,000.00 

Cash   and   Due   from   Banks   and 

U.  S.  Treasurer 93,188.47 

Total  $528,353. 


C 


310 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


LIABILITIES 

Capital  Stock $  40,000.00 

Surplus  20,000.00 

Undivided  Profits,  net 18,915.50 

Circulation   40,000.00 

Deposits    409,438.37 

Total  $528,353.87 

CAIRO  BANKS 

Cairo  has  two  successful  and  enterprising 
banks.  The  older  of  these  is  the  Cairo  State 
Bank.  This  bank  was  organized  August  26, 
1902,  with  a  capital  of  $5,000  with  the  follow- 
ing as  officers  and  directors:  C.  F.  Bentley, 
president,  J.  H.  Harrison,  cashier,  S.  N.  Wol- 
bach,  S.  D.  Ross,  directors. 

The  bank  opened  for  business  September 
22,  1902,  with  the  above  named  officers  and 
directors. 

On  December  30,  1905,  the  capital  was 
increased  from  $5,000  to  $10,000. 

On  October  10,  1907,  J.  H.  Harrison,  cash- 
ier, tendered  his  resignation,  he  selling  fifteen 
shares  of  his  stock  to  Geo.  W.  Wingert  and 
fifteen  shares  to  Elliott  Harrison.  Geo.  W. 
Wingert  was  elected  cashier  to  fill  vacancy, 
and  Elliott  Harrison  was  elected  assistant 
cashier. 

On  November  6,  1908,  S.  N.  Wolbach  was 
elected  president  to  fill  the  vacancy  caused 
by  the  death  of  C.  F.  Bentley,  S.  D.  Ross  re- 
signed as  member  of  the  board  of  directors, 
having  sold  his  shares  to  Bayard  H.  Paine. 
Elliott  Harrison  and  Bayard  H.  Paine  were 
elected  directors. 

On  May  7,  1909,  by  authority  from  the  state 
banking  board,  the  capital  was  increased  to 
$25,000,  with  $15,000  paid  up.  J.  E.  Cox  hav- 
ing acquired  stock  was  elected  director. 

On  January  12,  1910,  J.  E.  Cox  was  elected 
vice-president  and  Wm.  Stoeger  having  ac- 
quired stock  was  elected  director,  the  stock 
of  the  late  Charles  F.  Bentley  was  transferred 
under  the  estate  to  Grace  B.  Paine,  Ira  T. 
Paine  and  Fred  J.  Bentley. 

On  September  19,  1910,  at  a  special  meeting 
a  contract  was  let  for  the  erection  of  a  new 


bank  building.  This  building  was'  completed 
and  moved  into  in  May,  1911. 

On  January  11,  1911,  the  capital  stock  was 
increased  to  $16,000,  the  additional  shares 
being  sold  to  Dell  Thompson  who  was  then 
elected  a  director. 

In  April,  1915,  a  vacancy  occurred  in  the 
office  of  assistant  cashier  and  director  caused 
by  the  death  of  Elliott  Harrison. 

At  the  annual  meeting  of  stockholders, 
January  20,  1919,  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  S.  N.  Wolbach,  president,  J.  E.  Cox, 
vice-president,  Geo.  W.  Wingert,  cashier,  G. 
H.  Vant,  assistant  cashier,  M.  F.  Thompson, 
assistant  cashier.  Directors  re-elected,  S.  N- 
Wolbach,  J.  E.  Cox,  Geo.  W.  Wingert,  Bayard 
H.  Paine,  Wm.  Stoeger,  Dell  Thompson  and 
G.  H.  Vant  having  acquired  stock  was  also 
elected  director. 

As  criterion  of  the  growth  of  the  Cairo 
State  Bank,  a  comparison  of  the  statements 
of  this  bank,  made  on  November  25,  1902, 
and  January  28,  1919,  shows  that  the  capital 
stock  paid  in  has  increased  from  $5,000  to 
$16,000 ;  furniture  and  fixtures  (banking  house 
in  latter),  from  $595  to  $5,300;  loans  and 
discounts  from  $7,271.22  to  $167,587.65; 
deposits  from  $14,715.47  to  $257,298.36,  and 
total  resources  from  $20,025.33  to  $279,536.41. 
This  bank  occupies  a  very  substantial  and  well 
arranged  banking  home. 

farmers  state  bank  of  cairo 
The  second  bank  for  Cairo  was  organized 
in  1910,  starting  business  as  the  Farmers  State 
Bank  of  Cairo,  on  September  24,  with  C.  C. 
Hansen,  president,  W.  C.  Robinson,  vice-  pres- 
ident and  G.  C.  Raven,  cashier.  There  has 
been  very  little  change  in  the  personnel  of 
the  directors  or  officers  during  its  existence. 
The  president  and  cashier  are  the  same  as 
when  first  organized.  Mr.  Robinson,  now  de- 
ceased, was  succeeded  by  Fred  Voss  as  vice- 
president.  The  present  board  of  directors  is 
composed  of  C.  C.  Hansen,  T.  J.  Hansen. 
Fred  W.  Ashton,  Philip  Stoeger,  W.'  L 
Heupel,  Fred  Voss  and  G.  C.  Raven.  While 
the  control  of  the  stock  has  rested  with  Mr. 

Google 


HISTORY  OP  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Hansen  at  Grand  Island,  the  bank  has  been 
managed  by  Cairo  folks,  Cairo  having  always 
had  five  of  the  seven  members  of  the  board 
until  this  last  meeting.  While  T.  H.  Soren- 
son,  assistant  cashier  was  absent  with  the 
armed  forces  abroad  and  pushing  Germans 
back  into  Germany  his  place  was  filled  by 
Mrs.  Raven,  until  he  returned. 

The  first  depositor  of  the  bank  was,  as  we 
knew  him  then,  "little"  Johnny  Pedley,  now 
a  member  of  the  marine  corps  and  from  his 
last  picture  seen  here  no  longer  little  Johnny 
but  John.  The  bank  has  made  a  substantial 
growth  and  been  successful  from  a  dividend- 
paying  standpoint  and  from  its  record  of 
service  to  the  community.  Its  growth  can  be 
judged  from  a  comparison  of  its  standing  in 
1910  and  1919,  during  which  time  its  loans 
and  discounts  grew  from  none  to  $153,175; 
deposits  increased  from  none  to  $195,206 ;  and 
total  resources  grew  from  none  to  $230,911.75. 

ALDA  STATE  BANK 

The  Alda  State  Bank  was  organized  August 
30,  1909,  by  its  present  officers  and  directors: 
Dr.  P.  C.  Kelley,  president,  Bayard  H.  Paine, 
vice-president,  John  Thomssen,  cashier,  Fred 
Thomssen,  assistant  cashier,  who  constitute 
the  board  of  directors,  with  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr., 
as  the  fifth  member. 

The  bank  has  a  neat  little  banking  home 
situated  at  the  intersection  of  the  two  main 
streets  of  Alda,  and  has  progressed  along 
steadily  with  a  fairly  uneventful  career,  ex- 
cept for  its  steady  growth.  It  has  $12,000 
capital,  and  carries  its  banking  house,  fixtures, 
etc.,  at  $3,333.00.  Between  November  16, 
1909,  and  November  1,  1918,  its  loans  and 
discounts  have  grown  from  $5,171.15  to 
$134,856.92;  its  deposits  from  $7,231.76  to 
$161,914.49;  and  its  statement  of  total  re- 
sources had  increased  from  $17,288.04  to 
$187,187.92.  The  rate  of  progress  of  this  bank 
can  be  somewhat  gauged  by  its  deposits  in 
November  of  each  year: 

1909,  $7,231.76;  1910,  $22,123.07;  1911, 
$44,750.56;  1912,  $59,520.03;  1913,  $47,903.- 
70;  1914,  $77,571.20;  1915,  $84,008.20;  1916, 


$127,836.72;  1917,  $153,787.07;  1918,  $161,- 
914.49;  July  31,  1919,  $214,469.41. 

FARMERS  STATE  BANK 
Alda's  second  bank  was  organized  Decem- 
ber 24,  1917,  and  opened  January  25,  1918, 
with  C.  A.  Ellis,  president,  J.  S.  Denman, 
Frank  Denman,  Benj.  J.  Cunningham,  at- 
torney, W.  L.  Kelley,  cashier,  and  Geo.  Daw- 
son, vice-president,  as  the  officers  and  direc- 
tors. This  bank  sustained  a  fire  September 
6,  1918,  which  necessitated  its  removing  to 
temporary  and  cramped  quarters  in  the  corner 
of  a  garage,  until  the  completion  of  its  own 
splendidly  appointed  building.  On  July  31, 
1919,  this  bank  was  carrying  $15,000  capital; 
$43755  in  loans  and  discounts;  $47,367.99 
deposits ;  and  total  resources  of  $65,448.80. 

BUIUHNG    AND    LOAN    ASSOCIATION 

Steps  were  taken  rather  early  in  the  history 
of  the  community  to  provide  means  for  the 
buliding  of  homes  in  the  city,  upon  the  liberal 
plan  provided  for  by  the  building  and  loan 
laws  of  Nebraska.  The  first  meeting  of  the 
Grand  Island  Building  and  Loan  Association 
was  held  at  the  office  of  Jay  S.  White,  August 
29,  1891.  At  this  meeting  a  committee  was 
appointed  to  draft  a  constitution  for  the  asso-  . 
ciation,  which  was  adopted.  The  fi'at  regular 
meeting  was  held  January  9,  1882,  when  the 
following  officers  and  board  of  directors  were 
elected:  J.  D.  Moore,  president;  B.  C.  How- 
ard, vice-president ;  J.  E.  White,  secretary ;  M. 
Murphy,  treasurer;  M.  J.  Gahan,  L.  M.  Bryan, 

C.  L.  Howell,  D.  Ackerman,  William  Anyan, 
H.  L.  McMeans  and  Frank  Guenther,  direct- 
ors. The  original  members  were  L.  M.  Bryan, 
S.  W.  Smith,  M.  J.  Gahan,  B.  C.  Howard, 
Frank  Sears,  Clara  A.  Sears,  A.  A.  Sawyer,  A. 

D.  Sears,  C.  L.  Howell,  M.  Murphy,  A.  H. 
Wilhelm,  A.  Humphrey,  C.  B.  Handy,  D. 
Ackerman,  John  Riss,  C.  E.  Schanlan,  P.  D. 
Thompson,  Francis  Lang,  Frank  Guenther, 
Jay  E.  White,  H.  L.  McMeans,  J.  D.  Moore, 
William  Anyan,  B.  Berry.  O.  A.  Abbott,  H.  O. 
Brown,  H.  D.  Boyden,  E.  W.  McAllister,  John 
Henderson,  Emiline  Henderson,  Peter  Janss. 


312 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


G.  H.  Thummel,  F.  C.  Collins,  E.  F.  Kerr,  G. 
H.  Caldwell,  C.  E.  Lykke,  J.  H.  Wilsey,  Mon- 
roe Taylor,  Jacob  Giese,  E-  A.  Richardson,  S. 

B.  Reynard,  H.  L.  Burket,  F.  M.  Bacon  and 

C.  P.  R.  Williams. 

The  profits  reported  in  the  first  annual  state- 
ment, January  6,  1883,  amounted  to  $7,123.25  j 
in  the  second,  $7,538.50;  in  the  third,  $7,- 
620.20;  in  the  fourth,  $7,043.80;  in  the  fifth, 
$8,090.05;  in  the  sixth,  $11,044.30,  and  in  the 
eighth,  published  January  1,  1890,  $13,602.15. 
The  total  receipts  of  1889  amounted  to  $33,- 
723.20,  B,  C.  Howard  was  president  in  1886, 
and  W.  E.  Robinson,  secretary.     In  1888  S. 

D.  Ross  was  secretary.  In  1889  Frank  Sears 
succeeded  M.  Murphy  as  treasurer,  and  on 
January  13,  1890,  Henry  A.  Koenig  succeeded. 
Mr.  Sears.  The  directorate  in  1890  were  D. 
Ackerman,  C.  W.  Brininger,  W.  B.  Carey, 
C.  B.  Handy,  G.  H.  Geddes,  James  Cleary  and 
A.  C.  Lederman. 

THE  EQUITABLE  BUILDING  AND  LOAN 
ASSOCIATION 

In  1890  the  officers  of  the  "Grand  Island" 
Association  feeling  that  their  experience  of 
the  first  eight  years  had  taught  them  a  better 
plan  than  the  one  then  in  use,  changed  the 
name  of  the  association  to  "The  Equitable" 
and  adopted  a  new  plan  whereby  shares  were 
issued  semi-annually  in  series  but  the  money 
went  into  one  common  fund  for  loaning  pur- 
poses and  the  net  profits  were  distributed 
semi-annually  to  the  various  series.  On 
January  1,  1912,  another  new  plan  in  accord- 
ance with  the  most  modern  methods  of  opera- 
tion for  large  associations  was  worked  into  the 
methods  of  the  Equitable.  In  1893  the  officers 
of  the  association  were:  Blake  C.  Howard, 
president,  James  Cleary.  vice-president,  Henry 
A.  Koenig,  treasurer,  C.  W.  Brininger,  secre- 
tary. Mr.  Brininger  succeeded  S.  D.  Ross  as 
secretary  in  1890,  and  has  been  secretary 
of  the  Equitable  during  the  entire  twenty-nine 
years  of  its  existence  under  that  name.  The 
directors  in  1892  and  1893  were  A.  C.  Leder- 
man, D.  Ackerman,  C.  B.  Handy,  G.  H. 
Geddes,  H.  L.  McMeans,  H.  C.  Miller  and  Jas. 


F.  Rourke.  In  1894  the  directorate  was  Leder- 
man, Ackerman,  McMeans,  Miller  and  Henry 
Mayer,  S.  E.  Sinke,  R.  J.  Barr,  and  L.  T.  Geer. 
In  1895  D.  Ackerman  succeeded  Jas.  Cleary 
as  vice-president,  and  Chas.  G.  Ryan  took  his 
place  on  the  board  of  directors.  C.  F.  Bentley 
became  treasurer  of  the  Association  in  1894 
and  remained  in  that  capacity  until  his  death, 
July  15,  1908.  In  1896,  the  board  of  directors 
was  listed  as  follows :  A.  C.  Lederman,  H.  C. 
Miller,  H.  L.  McMeans,  Chas  G.  Ryan,  L.  T. 
Geer,  B.  C.  Howard,  D.  Ackerman,  S.  E. 
Sinke,  C.  F.  Bentley,  Robert  J.  Barr  and  C.  W. 
Brininger.  In  1897,  A.  C.  Lederman  suc- 
ceeded D.  Ackerman  as  vice-president  and 
Richard  Goehring  took  his  place  upon  the 
board.  On  March  14,  1900,  Blake  C.  Howard 
died.  Mr.  Howard  had  served,  with  the  ex- 
ception of  one  term  continuously  since  1883  as 
president  of  the  Association,  under  both  it:; 
titles.  He  saw  the  company  grow  from  a  small 
incorporation  with  four  hundred  shares  in 
1883  to  the  third  largest  in  the  state  at  the  | 
time  of  his  death.  Louis  Veit  succeeded  Mr. 
Howard  as  president.  R.  R.  Horth  came  onto 
the  board  at  this  time.  R.  C.  Glanville  was 
title-examiner  during  this  period. 

The  next  changes  were  in  1903,  when 
Charles  G.  Ryan  became  vice-president.  The 
board  at  this  time  was,  Louis  Veit.  president.  , 
C.  G.  Ryan,  vice-president,  C.  W.  Brininger. 
secretary,  C.  F.  Bentley,  treasurer,  S.  E.  Sinke. 
H.  C.  Miller,  R.  R.  Horth,  Richard  Goehring. 
L.  T.  Geer,  C.  B.  Norris,  R.  J.  Barr,  and  J- 
H.  Woolley,  title  examiner. 

In  the  report  of  the  Equitable  made  in,  1907 
the  secretary  pointed  out  the  accomplishments 
of  the  association  during  its  first  twenty-five 
years,  from  1882  to  1907: 

Total  receipts:  Grand  Island,  $502373.88.1 
Equitable  1,755,233.76,  $2,258,107.64. 

Total  operating  expenses :  Grand  Island, 
$9,304.35,  Equitable  32,834.92,  $42,13927- 

Total  net  profits :  Grand  Island,  $167,789.30. 
Equitable  230,360.61,  $398,239.37. 

Total  amount  paid  borrowers :  Grand  Island, 
$468,901.10,  Equitable  1,007,764.25,  $1,476,- 
665.35. 


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313 


Total  amount  withdrawals.  Equitable,  $374,- 
694.58;  total  amount  paid  on  matured  shares. 
Equitable,  $309,002.96. 

Total  number  shares  issued :  Grand  Island, 
2530,  Equitable,  18,663,  21,593. 

Total  number  shares  withdrawn,  Grand  Is- 
land, 313,  Equitable  10,590,  10,903. 

Total  number  shares  matured,  Grand  Island, 
2,618,  Equitable,  2,782,  5,399. 

Total  number  of  loans,  Grand  Island,  719, 
Equitable,  1,424,  2,143. 

The  officers  of  the  association  remained  the 
same  until  in  1908  came  two  very  sad  breaks. 
Charles  F.  Bentley  died  July  15,  1908.  In 
addition  to  the  interest  he  had  displayed  in  the 
local  association  as  treasurer  and  director,  Mr. 
Bentley  had  served  in  1907  as  president  of  the 
National  Association  of  Building  and  Loan 
Companies  and  he  had  been  one  of  the  very 
earliest  of  Nebraska  financiers  to  see  the  neces- 
sity of  protecting  the  small  borrower  and  in- 
vestor from  the  greed  and  unsafe  methods  of 
many  so-called  national  concerns  that  had 
sprang  up  around  the  country.  He  had 
framed  many  of  the  building  and  loan  laws  of 
the  state,  and  the  Nebraska  State  League  of 
Building  and  Loan  Associations  has  commem- 
orated this  service  by  the  beautiful  memorial 
tablet  and  rest  bench  they  have  placed  in  the 
lobby  of  the  elegant  new  building  which  the 
Equitable  Association  added  a  few  years  ago 
to  the  show  places  of  Grand  Island.  In  the 
same  year  death  also  claimed  Louis  Veit,  who 
had  served  as  president  of  the  organization 
since  the  death  of  President  Howard  in  1900. 
During  that  same  year,  however,  the  local 
secretary,  Mr.  Brininger,  had  been  honored 
*ilh  the  presidency  of  the  Nebraska  State 
Uague  of  Building  and  Loan  Associations. 
In  1909  Charles  C.  Ryan  was  elected  president, 
Richard  Goehring,  vice-president,  S.  N.  Wol- 
bach,  treasurer,  and  August  Kruse  came  onto, 
the  board  of  directors.  In  1914  the  death  of 
Dr.  H.  C.  Miller,  after  twenty-two  years  of 
service  upon  the  board,  left  a  vacancy  which 
was  filled  by  the  election  of  Guy  L.  Harrison. 
In  1918  Aug.  J.  Baumann  succeeded  C.  B. 
N'orris,  whose  death  occured  on  June  25,  1917, 


after  fifteen  years  of  service  on  the  Board. 
The  present  officers,  in  the  37th  year  of  the 
Association's  history  are:  Charles  G.  Ryan, 
president,  Richard  Goehring,  vice-president, 
S.  N.  Wolbach,  treasurer,  C.  W.  Brininger, 
secretary,  John  A.  Fergusen,  assistant  secre- 
tary and  the  term  of  service  of  the  older 
directors,  except  Guy  L.  Harrison  and  Aug. 
Baumann,  the  recent  members,  are  Brininger, 
thirty  years,  Geer,  twenty-six  years,  R.  J.  Barr, 
twenty-five  years,  S.  E.  Sinke,  twenty-five 
years,  C.  G.  Ryan,  twenty-four  years,  R. 
Goehring,  twenty- two  years,  R.  R.  Horth, 
nineteen  years,  S.  N.  Wolbach,  eleven  years, 
and  Aug.  Kruse,  ten  years.  For  a  board  which 
meets  each  week  with  but  nominal  pay  this  is 
an  unusual  record  of  service  for  even  a  mutual 
business  organization.  The  association  has 
grown  from  a  showing  of  assets  in  1882,  $15,- 
485.20;  1892,  $89743.92;  1897,  $155,871.31; 
1902,  $255,626.46;  1907,  $406,446.84;  1912, 
$762,217.42;  1919,  $1,016,481.09. 

THE  PEOPLE'S  BUIUHNG  AND  LOAN  ASSOCIATION 

Grand  Island  had  a  second  very  active 
Building  and  Loan  Association  for  a  number 
of  years.  The  People's  Building  and  Loan  As- 
ciation  was  organized  in  June,  1885,  with  W. 
R.  McAllister,  J.  G.  Raine,  J.  H.  Mullin,  J. 
H.  Withers,  W.  H.  Thompson,  E.  W.  McAl- 
lister, W.  T.  Chapin,  J.  C.  Pederson  and  Geo. 
E.  Winn,  as  directors.  In  1887  John  G.  Raine 
was  president,  C.  F.  Bentley,  treasurer  and  J. 
R.  Thompson,  secretary.  The  institution  was 
running  at  119  West  Third.  In  1892  the 
officers  were  J.  H.  Mullin,  president,  Dr.  H. 
C.  Miller,  vice-president,  John  R.  Thompson, 
secretary,  and  C.  F.  Bentley,  treasurer.  It  con- 
tinued in  operation  until  the  middle  'nineties. 

.   THE  UNITED  STATES  INVESTMENT  COMPANY    . 

This  concern  was  incorporated  April  18, 
1887,  with  H.  A.  Koenig,  A.  H.  Baker,  C.  A. 
VonWasmer,  O.  B.  Thompson,  William 
Hagge,  O.  A.  Abbott,  and  Gustave  Koehler, 
stockholders.  The  stock  was  placed  at  $250,- 
000.  This  concern  dealt  mostly  in  real  estate 
and  public  utilities  and  wound  up  its  affairs 
during  the  business  depression  of  1894  and 
1895. 


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314  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 

American  investment  company  O.  A.  Abbott  was  president,  Wm.  A.  Hagge 

This  was  a  very  ambitious  corporation.  The  treasurer,  and  O.  B.  Johnson  secretary. 
American     Investment    Company    of     New         The  Home  Building  and  Savings  Assacia- 

Hampshire.       Its     home     offices     were     at  tion  located  here  in  1893  with  John  W.  West, 

Emmettsburg,  Iowa,  and  it  had  district  offices  president,  B.  S.  Moore,  vice-president,  E.  C. 

at  Manchester,  England,  150  Nassau  street,  Hockenberger,  treasurer  and  L.  M.  Bryan, 

New  York  city,  Huron,  South  Dakota,  Kansas  secretary. 

City,    Missouri,    Walla    Walla,    Washington         Morrill  Land  Co.,  H.  H.  Dorsey,  president 

Territory,  and  Grand  Island,  Nebraska.     In  and   Geo.   H.    Thummel,   secretary-treasurer. 

1887  E.  S.  Ormsby  was  president,  W.  L.  Tel-  Oxnard  Land  Co.,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison,  presi- 

ford,  secretary  and  W.  P.  Coolbaugh  local  dent,  G.  H.  Thummel,  secretary-treasurer,  and 

manager.     In  1890  R.  C.  Glanville  was  the  Platte  Valley  Land  Co.,  H.  G.  Leavitt,  presi- 

local  manager  for  this  company.  dent,  and  O.  A.  Abbott,  vice-president  were 

wood  river  building  and  loan  association  concerns  whose  titles  are  almost  self-explana- 

The  Wood  River  Building  and  Loan  Asso-  <°Ty  °f  th«'r  purposes  and  aims, 
ciation,  temporarily  organized  in  June,  1889,  Tn=  Union  Investment  Company,  The  Na- 
wes  permanently  organized  January  1,  1890,  tional  Building.  Loan  and  Protective  Union, 
with  F.  M.  Penny,  president,  W.  W.  Mitchell,  Anglo-American  Loan  and  Trust  Co.  (D.  C. 
vice-president,  W.  L.  Sprague,  secretary,  and  zink  *&ni  in  1890),  all  did  a  large  business 
Edward  Baldwin,  treasurer.  The  directors  here  in  the  late  'eighties.  About  1890  H.  E. 
were  F.  M.  Penny,  W.  W.  Mitchell,  R.  Wes-  Clifford,  Dill  &  Huston,  Thummel  &  Piatt. 
coatt,  George  H.  Howard,  John  R.  Jewett,  Dil«s  &  Reaugh,  Charles  Rief,  Thompson 
Henry  Kuntz,  William  Thorp,  J.  Smoot  and  Brothers,  T.  A.  Hathaway,  Frank  &  Williams, 
A.  L.  Johnson.  M.  J.  Costello  was  early  W.  S.  Hayman,  L.  J.  Traynor,  W.  A.  Whit- 
attorney  for  the  association.  ney,  C.  H.  Bailey,  and  others  were  then  en- 

The   last   statement   to   the   state   banking  gaged  in  the  money-loaning  business  or  agen- 

board  shows  a  capital  stock  of  $62,106.88,  and  cies- 
loans  amounting  to  $66700.00. 

The  present  officers  are  S.  M.  Nelson,  presi-  CRAND  ISLAND  LOAN  *  TRUST  company 

.dent,    J.    E.    Hoye,    vice-president,    W.    L.         In  the  Past  quarter-century  a  very  potent 

Sprague,  secretary,  M,  C.  Wingert,  treasurer,  factor  in  th«  financial  world  has  developed  in 

and  directors,  S.  M.  Nelson,  J.  E.  Hoye,  L.  P.  the  m°dern  trust  company.     In  Nebraska  the 

Mullen,  D.  V.  Mc'Kee,  W.  S.  Warren,  C.  T.  wonderful  growth  of  the  Peters  Trust  Co.  and 

towne,  J.  E.  Ayer  and  J.  W.  Cunningham.  Lincoln  Safe  Deposit  &  Trust  Co.  of  Lincoln 

This  association  has  always  met  the  building  have  pointed  the  way  to  what  can  be  accora- 

demands  of  its  community  and  has  paid  regu-  P,ished  by  such  an  institution  in  this  state.   So 

lar  dividends  to  its  stockholders.  on  Nevember  IS,  1917,  the  officers  and  some 

stock-holders  of   the  Grand  Island   National 

other  Early  financial  institutions  Bank,    and    some    business    associates    who 

There  were  numerous  financial  institutions,  agreed  with  their  plans,  organized  the  Grand 

other  than  those  heretofore  mentioned,  which  Island  Loan  &  Trust  Co.    The  first  officers  of 

were  flourishing  locally  or  represented  by  en-  this  concern  were  C.   C.   Hansen,   president, 

ergetic  and  enterprising  agents  here.    Most  of  George  H.  Thomas,  vice-president,  T.  J.  Han- 

these  disappeared  or  moved  away  during  the  sen,  secretary,  W.  H.  Luers,  treasurer,  C.  E- 

stringent  period  of  the  middle  Jnineties.    Some  Grundy,  assistant  secretary,  and  Wm.  Suhr. 

of  these  institutions  or  concerns  were:  attorney.     Recently  C.  J.   Miles  has  become 

The  Grand  Island  Savings  &  Loan  Co.,  with  president  and  C.  E.  Grundy  secretary, 
offices  in  the  Citizens  Bank  Building,  of  which         This  company  is  exercising  the   functions 


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315 


and  powers  of  a  trust  company  as  executor, 
co-executor,  guardian,  trustee  in  estate  and 
other  property  matters.  It  specializes  in  mak- 
ing and  selling  farm  loans,  and  has  recently 
extended  its  department  for  brokerage  of 
mortgage  bonds,  to  the  marketing  of  certain 
reliable  issues  of  stocks.  One  of  the  first  of 
such  stocks  this  firm  has  undertaken  to  offer 
to  the)  locaj  and  central  Nebraska  market 
is  an  issue  of  the  Fairmont  Creamery  Co.,  the 
second  largest  creamery  concern  in  the  world. 
This  concern  will  undoubtedly  grow  and  open 
a  field  which  it  will  develop  along  with  future 
concerns  that  feel  the  field  here  is  large  and 
important  enough  to  develop  further. 

NEBRASKA  LOAN  &  TRUST  CO. 
A  new   financial    institution   organized    in 
July,  1919,  is  the  Nebraska  Loan  &  Trust  com- 


pany formed  with  the  following  incorporators : 
James  R.  Hanna,  Addison  £.  Cady,  A.  J. 
Guendel.  B.  J.  Cunningham,  and  E.  R.  Guen- 
del.  The  principal  place  of  business  is  Grand 
Island.  The  company  will  do  a  general  loan 
and  trust  business.  The  capitalization  is 
$100,000,  with  $50,000  paid  up.  The  term  of 
incorporation  is  fifty  years.  The  president  is 
J.  R.  Hanna,  while  A.  E.  Cady  is  vice  presi- 
dent and  secretary,  A.  J.  Guendel  is  treasurer, 
and  B.  J.  Cunningham  is  attorney.  The 
directors  are  Hanna,  Cady,  E.  R.  Guendel,  A. 
J.  Guendel,  R.  D.  Kingsbury,  Herman  W.  A. 
Hehnke  and  B.  J.  Cunningham.  The  offices 
are  in  the  Nebraska  State  bank  and  business 
already  has  begun.  Mr.  Cady  states  the  rea- 
son for  organization  is  the  heavy  demand  for 
real  estate  loans  and  other  business  which  was 
tn  excess  of  the  ability  to  handle. 


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CHAPTER  XVII 

THE  RAILROADS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

Importance  of  the  Railroads  —  "How  We  Built  the  Union  Pacific,"by  General  Grek- 
ville  M.  Dodge  —  "What  the  Engines  Said,"  by  Bret  Harte  —  Early  Service  and  Tab- 
iffs  —  Local   Management  of  Union   Pacific  —  Superintendents  —  Trainmasters  — 
Mechanical  Departments  —  Master  Mechanics — District  Foremen  —  Train  and  En- 
ginemen  in  Service  Over  Twenty  Years  —  Station  Agents  —  St.  Joseph  and 
Grand    Island    Railroad  —  Union  Pacific  Branches  7—  The  Bur- 
lington Railroad 


That  the  history  of  the  railroads  of  a  county 
is  not  only  an  important  part  of  any  county's 
history  can  readily  be  established  by  a  casual 
glance  at  the  map  of  any  state.  Along  the 
lines  of  the  established  railroad  systems  will 
be  found  innumerable  towns,  between  the  lines 
on  the  maps  that  mark  railroads  will  be  found 
fewer  towns.  A  comparison  of  the  size  of 
those  having  railroad  facilities  and  those  with- 
out such  advantage  will  drive  the  fact  home 
even  more  quickly.  Another  observation  at 
the  map.  picking  out  those  points  which  indi- 
cate a  junction  between  a  main  line  and  a 
branch  line,  or  even  between  two  branch  lines 
will  emphasize  that  much  advantage  to  any 
town.  Add  to  this  a  division  point  on  a 
through  main-line  system.  Give  a  town  two 
railroads  and  even  a  greater  position  of  pres- 
tige falls  to  its  lot.  Give  it  a  third  railroad 
and  you  have  already  a  town  with  the  oppor- 
tunity of  becoming  one  of  the  important  cen- 
ters of  its  state.  All  of  these  advantages  have 
fallen  to  the  lot  of  the  capital  and  seat  of  jus- 
tice of  Hall  County.  The  first  railroad  to 
reach  Grand  Island  and  traverse  the  entire 
width  of  Hall  County  was  the  Union  Pacific, 
which  came  about  nine  years  after  the  original 
colony  of  1857  selected  Hall  County  as  their 
home.  Selecting  Grand  Island  as  its  division 
point  in  central  Nebraska,  and  later  establish- 
ing to  the  north  a  branch  or  rather  a  series 


of  branches  radiating  from  Grand  Island  to 
Ord  and  Loup  City  and  connecting  with 
branches  built  by  the  Burlington,  this  railroad 
has  meant  more  to  Hall  County  than  it  is  pos- 
sible to  set  forth  in  this  chapter.  The  story 
of  the  building  of  this  pioneer  railway  of  the 
West  is  not  only  an  incident  in  the  history  of 
Hall  County  but  one  of  the  most  charming 
though  turbulent  chapters  of  American  in- 
dustrial history.  It  will  be  more  than  appro- 
priate to  connect  this  story  with  Hall  County 
by  giving  it  in  the  language  of  a  man  whom 
Hall  County  has  honored  by  bestowing  his 
name  upon  the  first  important  schoolhouse  of 
her  main  town,  the  Dodge  School  of  Grand  | 
Island. 

Major-General  Grenville  M.  Dodge,  chief 
engineer  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  from 
1866  to  1870,  the  period  of  its  most  active  con- 
struction, has  narrated  the  story  of  "How  we 
built  the  Union  Pacific  Railway"  in  such  form 
that  it  consumes  forty  printed  pages,  so  that  the 
portion  of  it  quoted  hereafter  will  form  but  a 
small  part  of  his  narrative: 

In  1836  the  first  public  meeting  to  consider 
the  project  of  a  Pacific  railway  was  called  by 
John  Plumbe,  a  civil  engineer  of  Dubuque. 
Iowa.  Interest  in  a  Pacific  railway  increased 
from  this  time.  The  explorations  of  Fremonl 
in  1842  and  1846  brought  the  attention  of  Con- 
gress, and  A.  C.  Whitney  was  zealous  and 
efficient  in  the  cause  from  1840  to  1850.    The 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


317 


first  practical  measure  was  Senator  Salmon  P. 
Chase's  bill,  making  an  appropriation  for  the 
explorations  of  different  routes  for  a  Pacific 
railway  in  1853.  Numerous  bills  were  intro- 
duced in  Congress  between  1852  and  1860, 
granting  subsidies  and  lands,  and  some  of 
them  appropriating  as  large  a  sum  as  $96,000,- 
000  for  the  construction  of  the  road.  One  of 
these  bills  passed  one  of  the  houses  of  Con- 
gress. The  results  of  the  explorations  or- 
dered by  Congress  were  printed  in  eleven  large 
volumes,  covering  the  country  between  the 
parallels  of  latitude  thirty-second  on  the  south 
and  forty-ninth  on  ,the  north,  and  demonstrat- 
ing the  feasibility  of  building  a  Pacific  rail- 
way, but  at  a  cost  on  any  one  of  the  lines  much 
larger  than  the  Union  Pacific  and  Central  Pa- 
cific were  built  for.  It  is  a  singular  fact  that 
in  all  of  these  explorations  the  most  feasible 
line  in  an  engineering  and  commercial  point  of 
view,  the  line  with  the  least  obstacles  to  over- 
come, of  lowest  grades  and  least  curvature, 
was  never  explored  and  reported  on.  Private 
enterprises  explored  and  developed  that  line 
along  the  forty-second  parallel  of  latitude. 

This  route  was_made  by  the  buffalo,  next 
used  by  the  Indians,  then  by  the  fur  traders, 
next  by  the  Mormons,  and  then  by  the  over- 
land immigration  to  California  and  Oregon. 
It  was  known  as  the  Great  Platte  Valley 
Route.  On  this  trail,  or  close  to  it,  was  built 
the  Union  and  Central  Pacific  railroads  to 
California,  and  the  Oregon  Short  Line  branch 
of  the  Union  Pacific  to  Oregon. 

In  1852  Henry  Farnum  and  Thomas  C. 
Durant  were  building  the  Mississippi  and 
Missouri  Railroad,  a  line  westward  across  the 
state  of  Iowa  as  an  extension  of  the  Chicago 
and  Rock  Island,  then  terminating  at  Rock 
Island,  Illinois.  They  desired  to  end  that  line 
at  the  Missouri  River  where  the  Pacific  Rail- 
road, following  the  continent  forty -second 
parallel  of  latitude  would  commence.  Under 
the  direction  of  Peter  A.  Dey,  who  had  been 
a  division  engineer  of  the  Rock  Island  and 
was  chief  engineer  of  the  M.  &  M.  in  Iowa,  I 
made  the  first  survey  across  the  state  of  Iowa, 
and  the  first  reconnoissances  and  surveys  on 
ihe  Union  Pacific  for  the  purpose  of  determin- 
ing where  the  one  would  end  and  the  other 
commence,  on  the  Missouri  River.  I  crossed 
the  Missouri  River  in  the  fall  of  1853  and 
made  our  explorations  west  of  the  Platte 
Valley  and  up  it  far  enough  to  determine  that 
it  would  be  the  route  of  the  Pacific  road. 

General  Dodge  speaks  of  the  Platte  Valley 
"then  tbflighief  thoroughfare  for  all  the  Mor- 
msai"  at    Prcia,  and  Oregon  overland  immi- 


gration."   Detailing  an  interesting  incident  of 
the  last  above  referred  trip,  he  states : 

My  party  crossed  the  Missouri  in  the  fall  of 
1853  on  flatboats.  The  Omaha  Indians  occu- 
pied the  country  where  we  landed,  and  after 
obtaining  a  line  rising  from  the  bluffs  west  of 
where  the  city  of  Omaha  now  stands,  I  gave 
directions  to  the  party  to  continue  the  survey 
while  I  went  on  ahead  to  examine  the  country 
to  the  Platte  Valley  some  25  miles  farther 
west.  I  reached  the  Platte  Valley  about  noon 
the  next  day,  and  being  tired,  I  lariated  my 
horse  and  laid  down  with  my  saddle  as  a  pil- 
low and  with  my  rifle  under  it,  and  went 
sound  asleep.  I  was  awakened  by  the  neighing 
of  the  horse,  and  when  I  looked  up  I  saw  an 
Indian  leading  the  horse  toward  the  Elkhorn 
River,  pulling  with  all  his  might  and  the  horse 
holding  back,  evidently  frightened. 

I  was  greatly  frightened  myself,  hardly 
knowing  what  to  do,  but  I  suppose  from  in- 
stinct I  grabbed  my  rifle  and  started  after  the 
Indian,  hollering  at  the  top  of  my  voice.  The 
Indian  saw  me  coming,  let  the  horse  go,  and 
made  his  way  across  the  Elkhorn  river.  This  ■ 
Indian  afterwards  was  an  enlisted  man  in  the 
battalion  of  Pawnees  that  served  under  me 
in  the  Indian  campaigns  of  1865,  and  he  told 
Major  North,  the  commander  of  that  battal- 
ion, that  he  let  loose  of  the  horse  because  I 
hollered  so  loud  that  it  frightened  him.  On 
obtaining  my  horse,  I  saddled  up  and  made 
my  way  back  to  the  party  that  was  camped 
on  the  Big  Papillion  on  the  emigrant  road  lead- 
ing from  Florence  to  the  Elkhorn.  The  camp 
was  full  of  Omaha  Indians  and  they  had  every 
man  in  the  camp  cooking  for  them.  I  saw 
that  we  would  soon  lose  all  our  provisions, 
and  as  the  party  was  armed,  I  called  them  to- 
gether and  told  them  to  get  their  arms.  I 
only  knew  one  Indian  word,  "Puckechee" 
which  meant  get  out.  That  I  told  them,  and 
while  the  Indians  were  surly  they  saw  we 
were  determined  and  they  left  us.  I  don't 
believe  there  was  anyone  in  the  party  that 
had  ever  seen  an  Indian  before  or  had  any 
experience  with  them.  We  were  all  tender- 
feet,  It  taught  me  a  lesson,  never  to  allow  an 
Indian  in  my  camp  or  around  it  without  per- 
mission, and  this  was  my  instructions  to  all 
our  engineering  parties.  Those  who  obeyed 
it  generally  got  through  without  losing  their 
stock  or  lives.  Those  who  were  careless  and 
disobeyed  generally  lost  their  stock  and  some 
of  their  men.  As  soon  as  we  had  determined 
the  line  from  the  Missouri  River  to  the  Platte 
we  returned  to  -  Iowa  City,  which  was  the 
headquarters  of  the  M.  &  M.  Railway. 


318 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


General  Dodge's  relation  of  the  events  oc- 
curing  in  the  next  few  years  had  an  impor- 
tance upon  the  future  of  Hall  County  that  it  is 
almost  impossible  to  estimate,  even  as  one 
looks  back  upon  it  from  the  viewpoint  of  fifty 
to  fifty-five  years  later.  For  had  he  failed  to 
locate  the  Union  Pacific  railroad  where  it 
eventually  did  run,  much  of  the  history  of 
Hall  County  would  have  been  essentially 
different  and  the  bulk  of  Hall  County's  history 
probably  would  have  been  much  less. 

The  times  were  such  that  the  work  on  the 
M.  &  M.  Railway  was  suspended  for  some 
years.  Meanwhile  I  located  at  Council  Bluffs, 
continuing  the  explorations  under  the  direc- 
tions of  Messrs.  Farnum  and  Durant  and  ob- 
taining from  voyagers,  immigrants,  and  others 
all  the  information  I  could  in  regard  to  the 
country  farther  west.  There  was  keen  compe- 
tition at  that  time  for  the  control  of  the  vast 
immigration  crossing  the  plains,  and  Kansas 
City,  Fort  Leavenworth  (then  the  government 
post),  St.  Joseph  and  Council  Bluffs  were 
points  of  concentration  on  the  Missouri.  The 
trails  from  all  points  converged  in  the  Platte 
Valley  at  or  near  old  Fort  Kearny,  follow- 
ing its  waters  to  the  South  Pass.  A  portion 
of  the  Kansas  City  immigration  followed  the 
valley  of  the  Arkansas  west,  and  thence 
through  New  Mexico.  The  great  bulk  of  the 
immigration  was  finally  concentrated  at  Coun- 
cil Bluffs  as  the  best  crossing  of  the  Missouri 
River.  From  my  explorations  and  the  infor- 
mation I  had  obtained  with  the  aid  of  the 
Mormons  and  others,  I  mapped  and  made  an 
itinerary  of  a  line  from  Council  Bluffs  through 
to  Utah,  California  and  Oregon,  giving  the 
camping  places  for  each  night,  and  showing 
where  wood,  water  and  fords  of  the  streams 
could  be  found.  Distributed  broadcast  by  the 
local  interests  of  this  route  the  map  and  itin- 
erary had  no  small  influence  in  turning  the 
mass  of  overland  immigration  to  Council 
Bluffs,  where  it  crossed  the  Missouri  and  took 
the  great  Platte  Valley  route.  This  route  was 
up  that  valley  to  its  forks,  and  then  up  either 
the  north  or  south  fork  to  Salt  Lake  and  Cali- 
fornia by  way  of  the  Humboldt,  and  to  Ore- 
gon by  the  way  of  the  Snake  and  Columbia 
rivers.  This  is  today  the  route  of  the  Union 
Pacific  and  Central  Pacific  to  California  and 
the  Union  Pacific  to  Oregon. 

After  collecting  all  the  information  we  could 
as  to  the  best  route  for  a  railroad  to  the  Pa- 
cific, I  reported  to  Messrs.  Farnum  and  Du- 


rant, who  paid  out  of  their  private  funds  for     j 
all  of  my  work. 

In  1854,  when  Nebraska  was  organized,  we 
moved  to  its  frontier,  continuing  the  explor- 
ations under  the  patronage  of  Messrs.  Far- 
num and  Durant,  and  obtaining  all  valuable 
information,  which  was  used  to  concentrate 
the  influence  of  the  different  railways  east 
and  west  of  Chicago  to  the  support  of  the 
forty-second  parellel  line. 

General  Dodge  narrates  a  visit  to  New  York 
in  1857  or  1858  when  he  was  called  to  the 
office  of  the  Rock  Island  Railroad  to  explain 
and  present  to  the  directors  of  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  Railroad,  the  report  he  made. 
Before  the  secretary  had  it  read  through,  he 
narrates  that  every  one  left  the  room  except 
himself,  Messrs.  Durant  and  Farnum  who 
still  had  faith  that  it  was  feasible  and  a  stimu- 
lation of  interest  in  the  Pacific  railroad  along 
that  line  would  enable  them  to  raise  funds 
and  finish  their  line  across  the  State  of  Iowa. 
General  Dodge  continues: 

In  1861  we  discontinued  the  railroad  work 
because  of  the  civil  war.  The  passage  of  the 
bill  of  1862,  which  made  the  building  of  a 
transcontinental  railroad  possible,  was  due 
primarily  to  the  persistent  efforts  of  Hon. 
Samuel  R.  Curtis,  a  representative  in  Congress 
from  Iowa,  who  reported  the  bill  before  enter- 
ing the  Union  service  in  1861.  It  was  then 
taken  up  by  Hon.  James  Harlan,  of  Iowa, 
who  succeeded  in  obtaining  its  passage  in 
March,  1862. 

In  commenting  upon  how  this  road  obtained 
its  name.  General  Dodge  narrates  that  various 
lines  proposed  had  received  the  names  of  the 
"North  Route,"  "Buffalo  Trail,"  "South 
Route,"  but  that  in  1858  a  bill  was  fostered 
that  gave  out  the  name  "Union  Pacific."  One 
of  the  arguments  advanced  for  the  bill  thai 
eventually  passed  was  that  the  route  proposed 
would  tend  to  hold  the  people  of  the  Pacific 
coast  in  the  Union.     He  adds : 

Lincoln  advocated  its  passage  and  building, 
not  only  as  a  military  necessity,  but  as  a  means 
of  holding  the  Pacific  Coast  to  the  Union. 
This  bill  became  a  law  in  1862,  and  there  is 
no  doubt  but  what  the  sentiment  that  the- 
building  of  the  railroad  would  hold  the  Union 
together  gave  it  the  name  of  the  Un;"^Pacifk. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


319 


As  to  the  organization  of  the  road,  and  its 
commencement : 

In  1862  the  Union   Pacific  Railway  was 
organized  at   Chicago,   and   soon   after   Mr. 
Peter  A.  Dey  continued  the  explorations,  and 
in  1863  he  placed  parties  over  the  Black  Hills 
and  in  Salt  Lake  and  over  the  Wasatch  in 
Utah.   In  1863  I  was  on  duty  at  Corinth  when 
I  was  called  to  Washington  by  Mr.  Lincoln, 
I   who  had  met  me  in  1859  at  Council  Bluffs  and 
I  had  questioned  me  very  systematically  as  to 
|   the  knowledge  I  had  of  the  western  country 
and  the  explorations  I  had  made  there.     Re- 
membering this  he  called  me  to  Washington 
to  consult  with  me  as  to  where  the  eastern 
terminus  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railway  should 
be.    I  explained  to  him  what  my  surveys  had 
determined,  and  he  fixed  the  initial  point  of 
the  Union  Pacific,   (at  Council  Bluffs).     At 
tm's  interview  with  Mr.  Lincoln  he  was  very 
anxious  to  have  the  road  constructed.    It  was 
my  opinion    then  that   it   could  not  be  con- 
structed unless  it  was  built  by  the  Government, 
and  so  I  informed  Mr.  Lincoln.    He  said  that 
the  United  States  had  at  that  time  all  it  could 
handle,  but  it  was  ready  to  make  any  conces- 
sion and  obtain  any  legislation  that  private 
parties  who  would  undertake  the  work  would 
require. 

I  then  went  to  New  York  City  and  met  Mr. 
Durant  and  others  connected  with  the  Union 
Pacific  and  informed  them  of  what  Mr.  Lin- 
coln had  said.  It  gave  them  new  hope  and 
they  immediately  formulated  the  amendments 
to  the  law  of  1862,  which  was  passed  in  1864 
and  enabled  them  to  push  the  work. 

The  ground  was  broken  in  Omaha  in  De- 
cember of  1863,  and  in  1864  about  $500,000 
was  spent  in  surveying  and  construction,  and 
in  1865,  40  miles  was  completed  to  Fremont. 
^Jr.  Dey,  who  had  charge  of  the  work  as 
chief  engineer,  resigned,  and  stated  in  his 
letter  that  he  was  giving  up  the  best  position 
in  his  profession  this  country  had  ever  offered 
to  any  man. 

In  May,  1866,  I  resigned  from  the  army, 
came  to  Omaha  and  took  charge  of  the  work 
is  chief  engineer,  and  covered  the  line  with 
;ngineering  parties  from  Omaha  to  California, 
md  pushed  our  location  up  the  Platte  Valley. 
In  1866  we  built  260  miles. 

This  takes  the  Union  Pacific  on  beyond 
4all  County. 

The  construction  of  the  road  continued  until 
he  meeting  and  joining  of  the  two  "ends  of 
rack"   at    Promontory  Point,  Utah,  on  the 


10th  day  of  May,  1869.  Governor  Leland 
Stanford,  of  California,  president  of  the  Cen- 
tral Pacific,  arrived  with  his  party  from  the 
west.  Vice-President  Durant  and  Directors 
Duff  and  Dillon,  of  the  Union  Pacific,  with 
other  prominent  men  and  a- delegation  of 
Mormon  saints  from  Salt  Lake  City  came  in 
on  a  train  from  the  east. 

The  ties  were  laid,  about  one  hundred  feet 
space  left  open  for  rails,  and  while  the  coolies 
from  the  west  laid  the  rails  from  one  end, 
the  paddies  from  the  east  laid  them  at  the 
other,  until  they  met  and  joined.  The  "last 
spike"  remained  to  be  driven.  Telegraphic 
wires  were  so  connected  that  each  blow  of 
the  descending  sledge  would  flash  the  report 
to  cities  from  the  Atlantic  to  the  Pacific. 
Spikes  of  gold,  silver,  and  iron  were  presented 
by  the  officials  of  Arizona,  Nevada,  and  Cali- 
fornia, and  when  the 'last  spike  of  gold  was 
driven  with  the  sledges  of  silver  by  President  , 
Stanford  and  Vice-President  Durant,  the  word 
"DONE"  flashed  over  the  wires.  The  Central 
Pacific  train  backed  up,  and  the  Union  Pacific 
locomotive,  with  its  train,  passed  slowly  over 
the  point  of  junction  and  back  again.  What 
this  meant  to  Nebraska,  to  the  nation,  to  Hall 
County,  is  told  by  Berte  Harte : 

WHAT  THE  ENGINES  SAID 

What  was  it  the  Engines  said, 
Pilots  touching  —  head  to  head. 
Facing  on  the  single  track. 
Half  the  world  behind  each  back? 
This  is  what  the  Engines  said, 
Unreported  and  unread. 

With  a  prefatory  screech, 
In  a  florid  western  speech, 
Said  the  Engine  from  the  West, 
"I  am  from  Sierra's  crest, 
And,  if-altitude's  a  test, 
Why,  I  reckon,  it's  confessed, 
That  I've  done  my  level  best." 

Said  the  Engine  from  the  East, 
"They  that  work  most  talk  the  least, 
S'pose  you  whistle  down  your  brakes ; 
What  you've  done  is  no  great  shakes, 
Pretty  fair  —  but  let  our  meeting 
Be  a  different  kind  of  greeting. 
Let  these  folks  with  champagne  stuffing. 
Not  their  Engines,  do  the  puffing. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


321 


Among  the  earliest  local  officials  of  the 
Union  Pacific  R.  R.  after  its  formal  inaugu- 
ration were :  Webster  Snyder,  general  super- 
intendent, soon  followed  by  Samuel  B.  Reed, 
and  later  by  C.  G.  Hammond ;  H.  M.  Hoxie, 
assistant  superintendent ;  J.  H.  Congdon,  gen- 
eral manager;  S.  H.  H.  Clark,  general  freight 
agent:  Thomas  L-  Kimball,  general  passenger 
and  ticket  agent;  T.  E.  Sickles,  chief  engi- 
neer; and  William  Huff,  master  mechanic. 
The  latter  was  succeeded  by  Robert  McCon- 
nell,  April  1,  1867. 

LOCAL  MANAGEMENT  OF  UNION  PACIFIC 
Since  the  first  train  came  into  Grand  Island 
on  July  8,  1866,  and  service  was  established 
on  a  regular  basis,  the  number  of  employees 
living  and  working  here  has  steadily  increased, 
until  the  "railroad"  population  of  Grand  Is- 
land, and  the  proportionate  number  of  busi- 
ness people  required  to  supply  its  needs,  would 
make  a  good  sized  little  town  if  entirely  seg- 
regated from  Grand  Island's  other  elements 
of  population. 

It  has  been  thought  that  a  review  of  those 
in  charge  of  the  various  phases  of  the  rail- 
road's management  of  affairs  at  Grand  Is- 
land and  on  this  part  of  the  Omaha  division 
of  the  Nebraska  district  would  bring  to  the 
mind  of  those  who  have  lived  here  for  many 
years  many  familiar  names.  The  liberal 
sprinkling  of  some  of  these  names  through 
the  various  chapters  in  this  work  treating  up- 
on the  churches,  lodges,  schools,  city  govern- 
ment, and  commercial  progress  of  the  com- 
mnnity  will  indicate  that  many  of  these 
"Union  Pacific"  officials  and  employes  have 
been  broadminded,  public  spirited  men,  who 
when  their  duties  to  the  railroad  and  their 
families  were  discharged,  still  acknowledged 
some  duty  to  their  community. 

SUPERINTENDENTS 

The  system  of  dividing  the  responsibilities 
of  the  administration  of  affairs  in  the  operat- 
ing department  of  the  railroad  generally  falls 
in  two  classes :  The  Burlington  (C.  B.  &  Q.) 
uses  the  "District  and  Division"'  system.  By 
that  is  meant,  at  the  head  of  the  operating 


department  of  the  railroad  stands  a  vice- 
president  in  charge  of  operation  and  the  gen- 
eral manager,  whose  control  extends,  of 
course,  over  more  than  the  operating  depart- 
ment. In  each  district,  generally  comprising 
about  the  amount  of  railroad  that  system  has 
in  a  particular  state,  is  the  general  superin- 
tendent. The  territory  in  his  district  is  di- 
vided into  two  to  five  divisions,  over  which 
a  division  superintendent  exercises  authority. 
The  Union  Pacific  used  the  "Division  and 
District"  system,  whereby  the  next  authority 
under  the  general  manager,  who  exercises 
authority  over  the  entire  system,  stands  the 
superintendent  of  the  "division."  He  has  un- 
der him  at  various  points  "trainmasters"  who 
exercise  control  over  a  given  divisional  ter- 
ritory. 

The  trainmaster,  on  most  railroads,  exer- 
cises authority  over  only  the  operation  and 
government  of  train  crews;  upon  the  Union 
Pacific  he  exercises  that  duty,  but  is  practically 
an  assistant  superintendent  when  the  occasion 
demands.  Each  superintendent  of  the  dis- 
trict has  under  him  at  each  division  point  a 
master  mechanic  in  charge  of  engine  crews 
and  shops,  a  district  foreman  in  direct  charge 
of  shops  and  mechanical  departments. 

The  headquarters  of  the  superintendent  of 
the  Nebraska  Division  are  at  Omaha.  Those 
men  who  have  served  in  the  capacity  of  super- 
intendent of  the  Nebraska  division,  and  there- 
by had  control  of  railroad  operations  in  and 
out  of  Grand  Island,  have  been  E.  Dickinson, 
W.  A.  Duell,  R.  W.  Baxter,  J.  M.  Barr,  R. 
Blickensderfer,  P.  J.  Nichols,  R.  W.  Baxter, 
Charles  Ware,  W.  R.  Cahill,  W.  M.  Jeffers, 
G.  O.  Brophy,  J.  P.  Carey. 

Mr.  Ware  afterwards  served  as  general 
manager  of  the  system;  Mr.  Jeffers  is  the 
present  general  manager,  and  under  the  rail- 
road administration  of  the  federal  govern- 
ment is  federal  director  for  the  Union  Pacific 
system  over  the  control  and  operation  of  the 
road.  Mr.  Brophy  is  now  superintendent  at 
Kansas  City,  Missouri.  Mr.  Carey,  the  pres- 
ent superintendent,  visits  Grand  Island  fre- 
quently, and  through  the  kindness  of  his  office, 
the  roster  of  the  various  officials,  employees 


322 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


and  ex- employees,  appearing  in  this  part  of 
this  chapter  was  mainly  compiled  and  fur- 
nished. 

The  trainmasters  who  have  had  charge  at 
Grand  Island  have  been  W.  H,  Ferris,  C.  C. 
Cornell,  Austin  Taylor,  F.  D.  Schermerhorn, 
J.  H.  Stephens,  G.  F.  Harless,  N.  A.  Wil- 
liams, J.  V.  Anderson,  and  C.  A.  Weir  the 
present  trainmaster. 

MECHANICAL  DEPARTMENT 

The  Union  Pacific  built  the  largest  and  best 
shops,  outside  of  the  main  shops  at  Omaha, 
which  operates  on  its  line.  The  shops  and 
yards  used  here  cover  probably  between  fifty 
and  a  hundred  acres. 


Manning,  M.  K.  Barnum,  George  Thompson, 
J.  A.  Turtle  G.  H.  Likert,  W.  T.  Beery,  Wm. 
Irvine. 

The  district  foremen  m  direct  and  local 
charge  at  Grand  Island,  have  been :  B.  C. 
Howard,  M.  H.  Wilkins,  W.  E.  White,  H.  ]. 
Osborne,  F.  L.  Regan,  R.  M.  Cole,  F.  W. 
Shultz,  R.  McCabe,  P.  J.  Norton,  the  present 
district  foreman. 

Blake  C.  Howard  was  very  active  in  many 
affairs  of  the  community.  M.  H.  Wilkins 
and  F.  L.  Regan  have  both  retired  from  ac- 
tive railroad  service  and  identified  themselves 
with  the  business  interests  of  the  town. 

The  car   foremen   in  charge  at  Grand  Is- 


Union  Pacific  Shops 

The  main  shop  buildings,  three  in  number, 
are  magnificient  structures  of  stone,  built  in 
1880  and  1881  at  a  cost  of  something  like 
$350,000.  The  construction  of  locomotives  is 
carried  on  in  the  shops  at  Omaha,  but  every 
sort  of  repair  and  replacement  work  needed 
is  done  at  the  Grand  Island  shops.  Many 
years  ago  the  company  built  a  round  house 
here  that  could  accommodate  about  forty-five 
engines.  In  recent  years  a  much  larger 
round  house  has  been  constructed.  Besides 
the  shops,  numerous  other  buildings  are  re- 
quired for  mechanical  purposes ;  a  big  store- 
house for  storage  and  distribution  of  all  sup- 
plies for  offices,  cars  and  engines ;  oil  houses ; 
car  shops,  housed  in  separate  building  from 
the  engine  repair  shops.  The  whole  mechan- 
ical department  embraces  a  very  substantial 
group  of  buildings  at  the  east  end  of  the  city. 

The  master  mechanics  in  charge  of  the  Ne- 
braska division  since  the  completion  of  Grand 
Island  shops  have  been  J.   P.  Hovey,  J.  H. 


Union  Pac»ic  Shops 

land  have  been:  J.  Reneff,  H.  R.  Makely,  and 
D.  E-  Ryder. 

The  blacksmith  foremen  have  been :  John 
H.   Houck  and'  Wm.  Newlands. 

The  boilermaker  foremen  have  been :  Gavin 
H.  Geddes,  now  in  business,  connected  with 
Geddes  &  Co. ;  John  Davenport,  J.  W.  Thom- 
as, William  Finder,  and  William  Kleisher. 

TRAIN    AND  ENGINEMEN 

People  who  have  never  been  connected 
with  railroad  work  perhaps  do  not  stop  to 
think  of  the  responsibility  resting  upon  those 
men  who  work,  either  at  day  or  at  night, 
hour  after  hour,  handling  the  engine  that  pulls 
the  train  they  are  riding  upon,  in  whose  hands 
the  lives  of  all  the  passengers  upon  the  train 
depend  in  a'  great  measure,  or  recognize  the 
fact  that  the  conductor  who  goes  up  and  down 
the  aisle  of  their  car  has  more  to  do  than  to 
simply   punch   tickets.     To   those   men   who 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


323 


have  performed  these  classes  of  service  for 
(he  people  of  Grand  Island,  and  for  the  pas- 
sengers who  come  in  or  leave  this  town  con- 
stantly, it  has  been  felt  to  be  giving  them  their 
just  dues  to  make  mention  of  those  who  have 
served  in  such  capacity  for  a  period  of  twenty 
years.  Space  forbids  attempting  anything  like 
a  complete  roster  of  the  men  who  have  served 
in  these  various  capacities  with  the  Union 
Pacific  and  resided  at  Grand  Island,  but  lists 
are  given  herewith,  first,  conductors,  who  have 
had  twenty  years  or  more  service,  and  are 
still  in  the  service  in  1919 :  A.  Bailey,  Wil- 
liam Leahy,  B.  A.  Johnson,  I.  Mallory,  E.  E. 
Forsythe,  M.  J.  Roche,  W.  R.  Harding,  E.  A. 
Hamilton,  J.  H.  Smith,  W.  R.  Sleeper,  N.  J. 
Buzza,  R.  L.  Massey,  J.  H.  Breedlove,  R.  G. 
C.  Jenkins,  Fred  Peterson  J.  E.  Murphy,  H. 
W.  Jones,  P.  E.  Fent,  Wm.  Burke,  C.  E. 
Shaffer,  Thos.  Cahill,  P.  E.  Dunbar,  W.  F. 
Fox,  A.  Taylor,  J.  B.  Forester,  T.  J.  Horan, 
G.  W.  Goodrich,  S.  A.  Clapper,  G.  D.  Sage, 
Wot.  Wagner,  F.  W.  Mappes,  Sr.,  Geo.  Can- 
dish,  R.  G.  McCaslin,  J.  F.  Linnaberry,  G.  J. 
Hull,  L.  C.  Hansen,  J.  B.  Murray,  G.  J.  Hall, 
J.  W.  Amick,  M.  C.  Mitchell,  W.  E.  Cissna, 
J.  T.  Mulick,  H.  Compton,  C.  E.  Mcintosh, 
R  B.  Crocker,  J.  H.  Davis,  E.  T.  Mulick,  J.  W. 
Amick,  Grant  Hadlock,  W.  H.  Brooks,  C.  F. 
Hull,  Robert  Dolen,  J.  Loretz,  E.  Inman,  E.  D. 
Warren,  J.  A.  Quinn,  M.  J.  Shoemaker,  G.  J. 
Hall,  B.  F.  Masters,  I.  C.  VanHousen. 

Conductors  who  served  on  the  road  twenty 
years  or  more  and  have  left  the  service  on 
account  of  being  pensioned,  deceased,  re- 
signed, etc. :  W.  W.  Keen,  R.  T.  Powers,  H. 
Hopkins,  W.  H.  Madden,  T.  H.  Campbell,  J. 
B.  Kirsch,  C.  B.  Spiece,  H.  E.  Musselman, 
John  Ford,  T.  A.  Taylor,  F.  L.  Pblasterer, 
H.  H.  Blackburn,  J.  E.  Costello,  N.  F.  Akey- 
son,  W.  S.  Wilcox,  C.  J.  Hetzler,  M.  C.  Wal- 
lace, G.  O.  Brophy,  J.  W.  Buswell,  H.  P. 
Graham,  A.  J.  Smith,  R.  P.  Lumpkins,  G.  C. 
Miller,  Thos.  Ryan,  J.  P.  Kiger,  Wm.  R. 
Robertson,  F.  F.  Foster,  John  Ratcliff. 

It  has  already  been  indicated  that  Mr.  Bro- 
phy is  now  superintendent  of  the  Kansas  divi- 
sion at  Kansas  City,  and  J.  W.  Buswell  is  still 


in  service,  as  gateman,  at  Union  Station, 
Omaha. 

Engineers  now  in  service  and  who  have  had 
twenty  years  or  more  of  service :  Geo.  Losh- 
baugh,  Thos.  Newman,  H.  A.  Riley,  Wm.  H. 
Bay,  Al  Branson,  Elmer  E.  Fair,  J.  D.  Taylor, 
A.  A.  Campbell,  John  Glynn,  J.  A.  Campbell, 
Geo.  McQuade,  Ira  N.  Wright,  W.  P.  Shep- 
ard,  E.  P.  Rogers,  E.  S.  Pardo,  J.  H.  Lannin, 
Frank  Smith,  E.  P.  Baker,  M.  L.  Kiley,  J.  W. 
Coolidge,  Cris  S.  Durr,  C.  M.  Andrews,  Wen- 
cil  Franta,  G.  H.  Miller,  John  Farley,  C.  B. 
Hodgson,  Frank  Truman,  J.  I.  Smith,  J.  H. 
Fonda,  A  O'Bryan,  Claude  V.  Callier,  Joseph 
Sorenson,  John  Minogue,  Adam  Johnson  J. 
Morris,  F.  O.  Falk,  George  Rollins,  A.  R. 
Meiklejohn,  J.  M.  Bryant,  F.  G.  Hollenbeck, 
Chas.  M.  Highsmith,  Johannes  Nilsson,  Chas. 
W.  Milesen,  Frank  Prawl,  Thos.  Griffin, 
James  May,  Barclay  Jones,  Chas,  G,  Forster, 
A.  P.  Wideman,  M.  H.  Gentleman,  Michael  J. 
Norris,  James  Kelley,  Corwin  F.  Jones,  W.  S. 
Beach,  J.  E.  Thomas,  S.  P.  Cassell,  Geo.  A. 
Austin,  M.  H.  Douglas,  W.  S.  Dolson,  C.  W. 
Haskins,  W.  W.  White,  T.  Burney,  S. 
Schweiger,  Frank  Bentzer,  R.  M.  Dean,  F.  H. 
Barnell,  Geo.  E.  Stearns,  H.  Clay  Hulper, 
Claude  R.  Fitch,  P.  A.  Norton,  M.  Hayes, 
J.  F.  Roddy,  J.  D.  Cox,  T.  G.  Thompson,  H. 
N.  Getty,  L.  J.  Dean. 

Engineers  who  served  the  road  twenty  years 
or  more,  and  left  the  service  account  being 
pensioned,  deceased,  resigned,  etc.:  Wm. 
Hollenbeck,  Wm.  Clawson,  J.  P.  O'Brien,  L. 
W.  Rollins,  W.  E.  Johnson,  Con  Kirk,  E.  R. 
Mathts,  Jas.  McQuade,  Matt  Parr,  Z.  T. 
Sprigg,  M.  H.  Burnham,  John  P.  Dolan,  C.  J. 
Fulmer,  N.  Weeks,  S.  Ayer,  John  Dolan,  John 
Unpherson,  M.  L.  VanArsdale,  G.  G.  Boskins, 
H.  C.  Blinckensderfer,  C.  E-  Ell,  R.  Gentle- 
man, C.  S.  Hambright,  Joseph  Hay,  S. 
Hindman,  L.  O.  Farrington,  S  Hartman,  G. 
E.  Lewis,  W.  C.  Reynolds,  A.  M.  Scharman, 
Wm.  Whitlock,  J.  Weinberger,  P.  Cunning- 
ham, P.  Getzcham,  H.  G.  Andrews,  A.  L. 
Johnson  S.  W.  Johnson,  Theo.  Livingston, 
G.  W.  Meyer,  Con  Morris,  C.  F.  Rollins,  C. 
E.    Speed,    Wm.    Anyan,    John    Byers,    M. 


6 


C 


Union  Pacific  Depot,  Grand  Island 

Unitized  by  GoOgk 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


325 


Decker,  Joseph  Fulmer,  W.  A.  Van  Noy,  A. 
F.  Wilkins,  F.  Weinbaugh,  Wm.  Dolan,  John 
Bonner,  H.  W.  Bird,  F.  J  Doran,  F.  Goodsell, 

C.  S.  Hambright,  G.  W.  Meyer,  D.  H.  Hines, 
W.  S.  Fikes,  F.  Frederickson,  O.  S.  Hostetter, 

D.  O'Brien,  J.  J.  Sullivan,  Gearge  Vroman,  F. 
D.  Winn,  P.  Nelson. 

STATION   AGENTS 
One  of  the  most  unusual  features  of  rail- 
road history   in    Hall   County   has   been   the 
remarkably  long  terms  of  service  of  the  few 
station  agents  who  have  been  in  charge  of 


last  year  or  so,  all  freight  business  of  the 
three  railroads  here  has  been  consolidated  in 
one  office  and  Mr.  Loucks  has  become  agent 
for  the  railroad  administration  in  that  capa- 
city. D.  J.  Traill  has  been  ticket  and  passenger 
depot  agent  for  the  Union  Pacific. 

W.  B.  Thompson  was  agent  for  the  Bur- 
lington road  the  first  four  or  five  years  of  its 
operation  through  Grand  Island,  and  his  suc- 
cessor, Thomas  Connor,  served  in  that  capac- 
ity for  practically  twenty  years,  and  during  the 
last  year  or  so  of  the  federal  administration 
of  the  railroads   has  confined   his   duties  to 


New  C.  B.  &  Q.  Depot 


railroad  affairs  at  Grand  Island.  John  D. 
Moore,  agent  in  the  late  'eighties  for  the 
Union  Pacific  afterwards  figured  in  the  bank- 
ing, financial  and  business  circles  of  the  city 
materially.  His  successor,  H.  L.  McMeans, 
served  for  practically  ten  years.  The  two 
sons  of  Mr.  McMeans  have  been  very  suc- 
cessful in  business  matters,  A.  L.  McMeans, 
the  only  graduate  of  Graou  Island  high 
school  to  amass  a  fortune  of  several  millions 
of  dollars,  is  one  of  the  three  or  four  stock- 
holders of  the  Dodge  Brothers  Motors  Com- 
pany, the  only  one  outside  of  the  Dodge 
family  circle.  Emmor  McMeans  is  connected 
with  Twin  Valley  Motor  Co.  of  Johnstown, 
Pennsylvania.  W.  H.  Loucks  has  served  as 
agent  for  the  past  twenty  years.  During  the 
federal  administration  of  railroads  within  the 


those  of  ticket  and  depot  agent  for  the  Bur- 
lington. 

Grand  Island  not  having  had  to  undergo 
the  very  frequent  changes  of  station  agent 
which  most  towns  experience,  has  had  the 
benefit  of  unusually  close  and  congenial  rela- 
tions with  her  local  railroad  managements. 

The  splendid  new  passenger  station  of  the 
Union  Pacific  was  opened  at  Grand  Island, 
in  May,  1918.  This  depot  is  the  last  word  in 
every  respect,  along  depot  conveniences. 

ST.  JOSEPH  AND  GRAND  ISLAND  RAILROAD 

The  St.  Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad 
Company  was  incorporated  October  25,  1873, 
with  F.  A.  Wiebe,  E.  W.  Arnold,  W.  A. 
Piatt,  R.  C.  Jordon,  H.  N.  Chapman,  James 
Michelson,   W.   R.   McAllister,   and   William 


326 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Hagge,  members.  On  December  4,  1873,  the 
question  of  issuing  bonds  to  aid  this  company 
was  carried  by  a  majority  of  212  in  Grand 
Island.  Work  was  begun  by  Contractor  An- 
drew Sheridan,  May  9,  1874.  On  May  2,  1874, 
ground  was  broken,  the  ceremony  being  wit- 
nessed by  a  large  concourse  of  people.  H. 
N.  Chapman  was  marshal  with  W.  A.  Deuel 
and  W.  H.  Piatt,  assistant  marshals.  A 
grand  ball  was  given  at  Liederkranz  Hall.  H. 
P.  Handy  was  credited  with  being  the  prime 
mover  in  obtaining  this  road.  After  it  was 
built  through  to  St.  Joseph,  this  road  served 
a  great  purpose  to  Grand  Island  in  giving  it 
another  outlet  and  in  furnishing  a  second  line 
of  road  for  a  decade  until  the  arrival  of  the 
Burlington  road. 

In  recent  years  the  management  of  the  St. 
Joseph  and  Grand  Island  has  been  practically 
the  same  as  the  Union  Pacific. 

UNION    PACIFIC   BRANCHES 

The  great  factor  in  giving  Grand  Island  di- 
rect connection  and  natural  advantages  in 
gaining  the  trade  of  the  Loup  Valley  to  the 
north  has  been  the  network  of  Union  Pacific 
branches  radiating  out  of  Grand  Island  and  St. 
Paul  twenty-two  miles  north.  The  branch 
from  Grand  Island  to  St.  Paul,  22.23  miles, 
was  completed  and,  placed  in  operation  in 
1880;  two  years  later  the  line  was  extended 
from  St.  Paul  to  North  Loup,  26.63  miles,  and 
also  in  1882  the  Scotia  to  Scotia  Junction 
spur,  1  37  miles  was  added.  In  1886  the  line 
was  extended  to  Ord,  11.91  miles  north  of 
North  Loup,  where  the  terminus  stilf  remains 
in  1919.  But  the  Burlington  branch  through 
Ord  to  Burwell  opens  a  territory  further  north 
which  can  conveniently  reach  Grand  Island. 
The  branch  from  St.  Paul  to  Loup  City  was 
built  in  1885  and  1886;  and  from  Boelus 
Nantasket  in  .1887  and  on  to  Pleasaton  in 
1890. 

THE  BURLINGTON 

The  Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Rail- 
road Company  was  chartered  by  a  special  act 
of  the  Illinois  legislature,  dated  February  12, 
1849,  under  the  name  of  the  Aurora  Branch 
Railroad  Company.     The  incorporators  were 


citizens  of  Aurora,  Illinois,  and  vicinity.  This 
company  built  from  Aurora  to  a  connection 
with  the  Galena  &  Chicago  Union  Railroad 
(now  Chicago  &  Northwestern)  at  Turner 
Junction,  about  twelve  miles.  The  track  was 
laid  with  wooden  rails  faced  with  strap  iron 
and  was  opened  for  business  September  2. 
1850.  In  1852  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
Chicago  &  Aurora  Railroad  Company.  About 
this  time  capital  from  Michigan  was  interested 
in  furthering  and  saving  the  enterprise.  Feb- 
ruary 14,  1855,  the  name  of  the  Chicago  8; 
Aurora  Railroad  Company  was  changed  to 
Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy  Railroad  Com- 
pany. The  road  was  extended  through  Illinois 
in  the  next  few  years.  The  bridge  over  thf 
Mississippi  at  Burlington,  Iowa,  was  opened 
for  traffic  on  August  13,  1863.  On  January 
1,  1873,  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  took  possession  of  the 
Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Railroad  and 
branches,  which  on  that  date  operated  the  fol- 
lowing mileage :  Burlington,  Iowa,  to  the  east 
bank  of  the  Missouri  River,  opposite  Platts- 
mouth,  Nebraska,  opened  January  1,  1870, 
280  miles,  and  numerous  branches  in  Iowa 
The  Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Company 
was  incorporated  in  Iowa,  January  15,  1852, 
at  first  by  citizens  of  Burlington  and  vicinity. 
The  Burlington  &  Missouri  River  Railroad 
Company  in  Nebraska,  which  is  the  line  that 
interests  Grand  Island  and. Hall  County,  was 
incorporated  May  12,  1860,  and  the  construc- 
tion of  the  line  from  Plattsmouth  to  Kearney 
was  begun  in  July  of  that  year;  it  was  com- 
pleted to  Kearney  Junction,  Nebraska,  Sep- 
tember 18,  1872.  This  company  was  consoli- 
dated with  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  R.  R.  Co.  on  July 
26,  1880,  with  836  miles  of  railroad  at  that 
time.  Some  of  its  various  lines  concerning, 
this  part  of  Nebraska  were  opened,  York  to 
Aurora,  Nevember  3,  1879,  22  miles ;  Aurorij 
to  Central  City,  April  4,  1880,  20  miles. 

In  1884  extension  was  carried  on  the  Bur-| 
lington  lines  which  opened  the  Aurora  ' 
Grand  Island  sector  of  the  line,  18  miles,  in(4 
Grand  Island  on  June  8.  This  meant  coibj 
siderable  to  Grand  Island  because  it  gave  i{ 
a  third  railroad,     Since  the   St.  Joseph  an* 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


327 


Grand  Island  has  become  a  subsidiary  lo  the 
Union  Pacific,  the  presence  of  the  Burling- 
ton system  serves  to  give  Grand  Island  the 
service  of  a  second  continental  system.  In 
I  1886  among  other  branches  and  extensions 
completed  was  the  extension  of  the  line  from 
Grand  Island  to  Anselmo,  Nebraska,  opened 
September  13,  101  miles,  and  Aurora  to  Hast- 
ings, opened  September  13,  28  miles. 

In  1887  the  lines  were  extended  from 
Anselmo  to  Whitman,  Nebraska,  opened  May 
30,  99  miles.  This  gave  Grand  Island  a  rail 
outlet  to  two  hundred  miles  northwestward, 
and  paved  the  way  for  the  development  of 
that  territory  as  Grand  Island  trade  territory. 
That  same  year  the  Central  City  to  Greeley 
branch,  44  miles,  and  Greeley  to  Burwell,  41 
miles,  were  opened. 

In  1888  the  west  line  extended  to  Alliance, 
Nebraska,  69  miles  farther,  and  the  Ericson- 
Greeley  branch,  19  miles,  was  opened.  In  1889 
the  west  line  went  from  Alliance  to  Cambria, 
Wyoming  and  by  1894  reached  Billings,  Mon- 
tana, where  it  made  a  connection  to  the  coast 
with  the  Northen  Pacific  and  Great  Northern 
lines. 

While  the  Burlington  has  never  been  such  a 
factor  in  the  life  of  this  community  as  the 
Union  Pacific,  its  presence  in  giving  a  through 
line  from  Seattle-Billings,  to  Lincoln,  Kansas 
City,  St.  Louis  and  Chicago,  has  been  a  won- 
derful competitive  factor  and  has  assisted  ma- 
terially in  the  upbuilding  of  Grand  Island  as 
a  commercial  and  industrial  center.  Notwith- 
standing the  Burlington  being  the  main  road 
at  Hastings  the  receipts  of  its  Grand  Island 
station  have  in  recent  years  regularly  equalled 
or  rivalled  the  Hastings  station. 

The  Burlington  has  in  recent  years  built  a 
splendid  brick  depot,  and  converted  its  old 
passenger  station  into  a  freight  house.       Ex- 


cept for  the  station  force,  not  very  many 
Burlington  employes  are  resident  at  Grand 
Island. 

The  new  Burlington  passenger  bridge  be- 
tween Phillips  and  Grand  Island,  finished  in 
1918,  is  a  wonderful  improvement  to  this  line. 
Its  presence  in  Hall  County  gives  it  added 
local  interest.  Construction  forces  worked  on 
this  bridge  for  about  eighteen  months,  beginn- 
ing in  March,  1917,  and  finishing  the  work  in 
October,  1918,  after  which  it  took  the  con- 
tractors another  three  months  to  complete  the 
approaches,  and  the  bridge  was  opened  for 
service  in  January,  1919. 

The  new  bridge  is  1,000  feet  long,  120  feet 
shorter  than  the  old  one,  which  can  still  be 
seen  much  lower  and  on  the  left  hand  side 
of  the  train.  The  new  bridge  is  practically 
fire  proof,  the  piers  being  made  of  45-feet 
long  Bignell  piling  sunk  tinder  the  river  on 
which  concrete  caps  rest.  Three  sixty-feet 
long  steel  girders  are  placed  at  each  end,  mak- 
ing a  total  opening  under  the  steel  girders  of 
360  feet.  The  remainder  of  the  bridge  is 
made  of  twenty-feet  long  concrete  slabs  rest- 
ing on  the  piers.  The  new  bridge  is  twelve 
feet  above  the  old  one  and  eliminates  both 
grades  and  curves  at  this  place.  It  is  also  be- 
lieved to  be  an  ice  proof  structure.  By  its  use 
all  "doubling"  of  freight  trains  will  be  avoided 
at  what  was  once  known  as  the  Phillips  hill, 
but  which  is  now  an  easy  grade. 

An  additional  feature  of  interest  in  this 
bridge  is  that  it  is  the  first  large  job  in  which 
the  new  Bignell  piling  was  successfully  dem- 
onstrated. This  process  was  patented  by  Ed. 
Bignell,  iwho  has  -been  the  gonial  division 
superintendent  in  charge  of  the  line  prac- 
tically all  of  the  time  since  it  opened.  His 
sucessor  is  F.  R.  Mullen,  formerly  train  dis- 
patcher in  Lincoln. 


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CHAPTER  XVIII 


THE  CHURCHES  OF  HALL  COUNTY 


c  Church  —  Wood  River  —  Grand  Island  —  Other  Parishes  —  Grand 
e  —  Protestant  Episcopal  Church  —  St.  Stephen's  Parish,  Grand  Island 

Letters  by  R.  C.  Jordon  and  Dr.  H.  D.  Boyden  —  Methodist  Churches  — 

Island  —  Trinity,  Grand  Island  —  Doniphan  —  Others  —  Lutheran 

Evangelical  Lutheran  Trinity  —  German  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Luth- 

Island  —  St.  Paul's  English,  Grand  Island  —  Fifth  Street  Evangeli- 
Ilical  Lutheran  Zion's  (Worms  Church)  —  Free  Evangelical  Luth- 
grim  Congregational,  Grand  Island  —  Baptist  Churches  —  First,  Grand 

Immanuel,  Grand  Island  —  Others  —  Presbyterian,    Grand    Island 
River  —  Congregational  Church,   Grand   Island  —  United  Breth- 
Society  —  Christian  Church  —  Other  Churches  in  Hall  County 


l  has  been  creditably  endowed 
institutions.  Grand  Island  has 
.ted  by  every  prominent  and 
^nomination.  Throughout  the 
nd  the  county  in  general  suffic- 
have  been  organized  and  have 
enable  the  population  of  the 
ry  on  their  religious  worship 
le  convenience. 

it  to  treat  each  denomination  by 
;ure  fairer  and  more  compre- 
nent  than  to  divide  this  im- 
of  human  and  spiritual  work 
al  divisions. 

E  catholic  church 

history  of  Hall  County  prac- 
with  the  establishment  of  pub- 

1861  by  Catholics,  near  Wood 
■kit     Moore    and    his    brother 

located  two  miles  west  of  the 
if  Wood  River,  were  the  first 
irs  in  the  county.  They  came 
Ity  from  Iowa  City  in  1859. 
Siolic  priest  to  visit  the  county 
Furman,  a  Frenchman,  who 
all  of  1861.     He  held  his  first 


mass  here  in  a  log  house,  the  residence  of 
Anthony  Moore,  about  three  miles  west  of  the 
present  Wood  River.  The  regular  station 
for  the  priest  at  that  time  was  Columbus, 
Platte  County,  Nebraska. 

Services  were  held  about  once  in  three 
months  by  priests  located  at  that  point  un- 
til 1877.  The  priests  to  follow  Father  Fur- 
man,  until  1877,  were  Fathers  Smith,  Kelly, 
Ertach,  and  Ryan. 

Shortly  after  the  Moores,  the  Windolpb 
families,  also  Catholics,  located  in  the  Grand 
Island  community,  and  these  like  the  Cath- 
olics at  Wood  River  were  given  an  occasional 
opportunity  to  attend  their  religious  duties 
by  visiting  priests  from  Omaha  or  Columbus. 

But  the  Grand  Island  community  grew 
faster,  and  the  first  organization  effected  was 
that  at  Grand  Island  in  1864,  with  mass  said 
by  Father  Ryan  of  Columbus  once  a  month. 
In  1868  the  members  of  this  parish  raised 
money  to  erect  a  building  for  their  worship. 

But  before  the  dedication  of  this  structure 
it  was  entirely  demolished  by  a  windstorm. 
and  pot  until  1877  was  this  congregation 
able  to  put  up  another  church.  In  1876  the 
congregation    numbered    thirty    persons    and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


329 


Father  Ryan  was  still  its  pastor.  On  Decem- 
ber 23,  1876,  a  meeting  was  held  to  consider 
the  question  of  building  a  new  Catholic  church 
in  Grand  Island.  Joseph  Jeneman  presided, 
with  James  Geary,  secretary,  and  P.  Dunphy, 
treasurer.  Those  three  parishoners  with 
Messrs.  Kraft,  Windolph,  McCarty  and  Dober- 
stein,  were  appointed  a  building  committe.  The 
cornerstone  of  this  building,  a  frame  structure 
with  a  good  brick  foundation,  on  the  site  of 
the  public  library,  was  laid  on  May  7,  1877, 
and  on  July  7,  of  that  year  the  building  was 
completed  and  dedicated  by  Vicar-General  R. 
Shaffel,  representing  the  Bishop.  F.  S. 
O'Callaghan  preached  the  sermon.  The  cere- 
monies were  participated  in  by  Revs.  Wolf,_ 
Davos  of  Spalding,  Daxacher  of  Omaha, 
Walsh  of  Lexington,  Lynch  of  Wood  River, 
Mueller  of  St.  Libory,  Stuer  of  Cognice,  and 
Horek  of  Kearney. 

In  1876,  the  work  of  building  a  Catholic 
church  in  Howard  County  near  the  line  of 
Hall  County,  on  the  St.  Paul  road,  was  be- 
gun. 

GRAND  ISLAND  PARISH 

The  first  resident  priest  for  the  new  St. 
Mary's  parish  was  Father  Erlach,  who  came 
in  1877.  In  1879  a  parochial  residence  was 
built.  Rev."  Richard  Phelan,  on  July  4,  1880, 
took  charge  of  St.  Mary's  Parish  at  Grand 
Island.  He  found  at  that  time  fifty-two 
families  belonging  to  the  congregation,  while 
at  St.  Mary's  near  Wood  River  were  seventy- 
two  families.  Father  Phelan  served  until  his 
death  from  a  stroke  of  paralysis,  on  March 
10,  1884.  Father  P.  Lynch  then  took  charge 
of  the  work  here,  which  had  been  handled 
in  the  interim  by  Father  Smith  of  O'Connor. 
Father  Lynch  remained  with  the  Grand  Island 
parish  until  October  6,  1886,  when  he  was 
transfered  to  the  Wood  River  congregation, 
which  had  until  then  been  a  mission  attached 
to  Grand  Island. 

It  was  then  understood  that  the  church  was 
too  small  for  the  congregation  and  Rev. 
Father  W.  Wolf  was  sent  by  Bishop  O'Con- 
nor with  orders  to  make  arrangements  for 
building  a  new  church. 

Bishop  O'Connor  laid  the  corner  stone  of 


this  church,  a  brick  building  with  a  stone 
foundation  and  a  basement,  on  August  15, 
1888,  and  it  was  dedicated  on  July  7,  1889. 
For  practically  thirty  years  Father  Wolf  led 
this  parish,  and  its  history  is  wrapped  up  with 
his  service,  until  in  1914  he  retired  from  his 
active  pastorate,  and  Father  A.  W.  Heimes 
took  charge  of  St.  Mary's  parish. 

FATHER  W.  WOLF 
The  community  was  never  more  deeply 
touched  than  upon  July  5,  1918,  when  Father 
Wolf  passed  away.  The  tribute  to  Father 
Wolf,  with  the  record  of  his  service  to  his 
people  and  this  county,  published  in  the  Grand 
Island  Independent,  July  5,  1918,  most  appro- 
priately touches  upon  his  life  and  service: 

"God's  finger  touched  him  and  he  slept" 
In  few  cases  is  the  touching  sentence  more 
applicable  than  it  was  at  an  early  hour  this 
morning,  when  the  Very  Rev.  Father  W. 
Wolf  passed  away.  There  was  called  to  his 
reward  a  beloved  man  who  had  given  his 
life  in  the  services  of  others.  There  was  taken 
from  his  circle  of  friends  and  co-laborers  one 
who  had  been  particularly  unselfish,  kindly, 
and  ministering  in  both  a  spiritual  and  ma- 
terial way  throughout  a  life  time.  Many  a 
one,  even  outside  the  circle  of  his  own  church, 
will  experience  keen  regret  when  hearing  of 
the  passing  away  of  this  well  known  divine. 
Connected  with  St.  Mary's  Church  of  this 
city  since  October,  1886,  over  thirty  years  ago, 
his  was  a  record  of  duty  well  and  faithfully 
done.     May  he  rest  in  peace. 

Very  Rev.  W.  Wolf  was  born  in  West- 
phalia, Germany,  February  22,  1854.  He  re- 
ceived his  education  in  the  college  of  Pader- 
born,  which  institution  he  attended  for  nine 
years.  In  1876  he  emigrated  to  the  United 
States  and  landed  in  New  York  on  November 
1  of  that  year.  He  at  once  entered  St.  Fran- 
cis' Theological  Seminary  of  Milwaukee, 
where  he  completed  his  full  course  of  theo- 
logical studies  and  was  ordained  on  June  27, 
1880,  for  the  vicariate  of  Nebraska.  He  was 
appointed  assistant  to  Father  Smith  of  O'Con- 
nor, Greeley  County,  Nebraska,  for  a  year; 
and  then  spent  five  years  as  pastor  of  the 
Missions  of  Crete  and  Friend,  now  in  the 
diocese  of  Lincoln.  On  October  9,  1886, 
he  entered  upon  his  duties  as  pastor  of  St. 
Mary's,  Grand  Island,  where  he  discharged  his 
ministerial  labors  since  that  time  with  dis- 
tinguished ability.    He  was  appointed  dean  of 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


St.  Mary's  Catholic  Church  and  School  First  Methodist 

St.  Stephen's  Protestant  Episcopal  Interior  St.  Stephen's  Protestant  Episcopal 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Grand  Island  deanery  on  March  1,  1887;  it 
■   being  the  largest  deanery  in  respect  to  terri- 
tory in  the  world. 

When  Father  Wolf  was  appointed  to  St. 
Mary's  parish  he  found  there  a  small  wooden 
church  much  too  small  for  the  congregation. 
He  at  once  began  arrangements  to  build  a  new 
church.  Success  crowned  his  efforts  and  on 
August  15,  1888,  Right  Rev.  Bishop  O'Con- 
nor laid  the  cornerstone  of  the  present  struc- 
ture. On  July  7,  1889,  the  completed  new 
building  was  dedicated  by  Vicar  General 
Shaffel,  the  Bishop's  representative. 

Father  Wolf  saw  that  his  next  greatest 
need  was  a  parochial   school.     In   1893  the 


day  morning  at  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church, 
when  requiem  high  mass  will  be  celebrated. 

The  present  pastor  of  this  church  is  Father 
A.  W.  Heimes,  who  came  to  Grand  Island 
from  the  pastorate  at  St.  Libory.  The  work 
of  this  parish  has  increased  to  such  propor- 
tions that  Father  Heimes  has  been  given  an 
assistant  a  number  of  times.  His  firct 
assistant  was  Father  Giblin. 

WOOD    RIVER    PARISH 

The   earliest   Catholic   services   in   the   log 


Catholic  Church  and  Parsonage,  Wood  River 


property  on  which  St.  Mary's  school  now 
stands  was  purchased  and  the  new  school  was 
opened  to  the  pupils  of  the  parish  in  Septem- 
ber of  that  year.  After  having  secured  a 
beautiful  church  and  a  good  parochial  school, 
Father  Wolf  finally  built  the  present  parochial 
residence  in  1907.  T,hus  the  people  of  St. 
Mary's  parish  have  as  fine  a  piece  of  church 
property  as  can  be  found  in  Nebraska,  all 
due  to  the  untiring  zeal  of  Father  Wolf. 

Owing  to  failing  health,  Father  Wolf  re- 
signed as  pastor  of  St.  Mary's  church  and  be- 
came chaplain  of  St.  Francis'  hospital.  He 
has  made  the  hospital  his  home  ever  since, 
ceasing  all  active  duties  in  June,  1917.  How- 
ever, he  has  been  a  welcome  caller  on  the  sick 
during  this  year,  making  his  way  about  the 
hospital  in  his  invalid  chair. 

Father  Wolf's  demise  occurred  at  1 :30  o'- 
clock this  morning  at  the  St.  Francis  hos- 
pital.    The  funeral  will  take  place  on  Tues- 


house  of  Anthony  Moore  have  already  been 
noted.  The  travelling  missionaries.  Fathers 
Smith,  Furman,  Kelley  and  Erlach,  have  been 
mentioned.  The  first  Catholic  church  was 
built  in  1868,  of  logs,  near  the  present  site  of 
the  Catholic  cemetery.  Father  Ryan,  followed 
by  Father  Phelan,  and  he  in  turn  by  Father 
Hayes,  were  pastors  in  charge.  The  old  log 
church  remained  for  many  years  in  evidence 
in  the  farm  yard  of  Squire  Nelson.  Father 
Smith  conducted  services  in  the  old  church 
some  five  or  six  months,  until  in  June,  1885, 
Father  P.  Lynch,  then  of  Grand  Island,  took 
charge  of  the  church,  and  on  November  10, 
1886,  established  his  residence  in  Wood  River 
and  for  thirty-three  years  has  continued  his 
pastorate  at  Wood  River.     Immediately  after 


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332 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


his  removal  to  Wood  River  to  reside  he  com- 
menced the  erection  and  pushed  to  comple- 
tion the  present  beautiful  Catholic  church  of 
Wood  River,  which  was  dedicated  as  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church  by  Bishop  O'Connor 
in  November,  1886.  The  church  property  con- 
sists of  a  block  of  land,  and  the  entire  tract 
has  been  set  out  to  beautiful  trees  and  shrubs. 
It  is  needless  to  say  that  Father  Lynch  takes 
great  pride  in  the  trees,  set  out  and  nurtured 
by  his  own  hands  and  care.  The  church  prop- 
erty, free  from  emcumberance,  is  valued  at 
more  than  $10,000.  The  first  trustees  of  St. 
Mary's  church  were  Patrick  Moore,  Michael 
McNamara,  John  O'Connor,  Patrick  Neville 
and   Patrick   Brett. 

OTHER  CATHOLIC  PARISHES 
While  it  is  located  in  Howard  County,  the 
parish  at  St.  Libory  has  formed  the  place  of 
worship  and  center  of  religious  activities  for 
a  large  portion  of  the  Catholic  population  of 
northwestern  Hall  County. 

The  churches  at  Doniphan  and  Kearney  be- 
longed to  St.  Mary's  parish  for  a  good  many 
years. 

GRAND    ISLAND    DIOCESE 

In  1887  the  name  of  Grand  Island  was  se- 
lected to  give  to  the  most  western  deanery  of 
the  diocese  comprising  the  counties  of  Hall, 
Buffalo,  Lincoln,  Keith,  Cheyenne,  Sherman, 
Howard,  Valley,  and  Custer,  and  in  1897  St. 
Mary's  church  was  with  five  other  churches  in 
the  Omaha  diocese  raised  by  Bishop  Scannell 
to  the  distinction  of  permanent  pastorship. 

On  April  17,  1917,  the  see  for  Western  Ne- 
braska was  changed  from  Kearney  to  Grand 
Island,  but  the  actual  transfer  was  made  in 
July,  1917,  when  Bishop  James  A.  Duffy  came 
to  Grand  Island.  Since  his  installation  here 
he  has  carried  on  the  management  and  direc- 
tion of'this  important  diocese  from  Grand  Is- 
land. 

With  the  headquarters  of  the  diocese 
governing  so  much  territory  located  here, 
Grand  Island  becomes  an  important  center  in 
Catholic  affairs  in  Nebraska.  When  Father 
Wolf's  funeral  was  held  a  great  many  priests 
from   different   parts   of   Nebraska   came   to 


Grand  Island  to  show  their  respect  to  their 
departed  brother-worker.  A  roster  of  these 
visiting  priests  shows  many  names  familiar 
as  being  leading  priests  of  this  diocese,  and  are 
given  herewith : 

M.  M.  Merkel,  Assumption,  A.  F.  Albel, 
Seneca,  F.  F.  Suesser,  Ord,  Thomas  Cullen, 
York,  L.  L.  Manderville,  Hastings,  M.  A. 
Feeney,  Greeley,  Michael  A.  Shine,  Platts- 
mouth,  James  F.  Gilroy,  Heartwell,  Jaul 
Weise,  Choynice,  T.  P.  Moloney,  Lexington. 
W.  J.  Borer,  Omaha,  P.  Grobbel,  St.  Charles, 
Jos.  Wolf,  St.  Benedict,  Iowa;  B.  H.  Teves, 
Petersburg,  V.  End,  Fordyce,  Chas.  Kauf- 
mann,  St.  Libory,  B.  Sinne,  Omaha,  W. 
Kearns,  Wayne,  P.  J.  Colleran,  David  City, 
J.  F.  Hayes,  O'Connor,  Joseph  Bosheck, 
Crofton,  L.  A.  Dunphy,  Sutton,  Jos.  Kolaska, 
Elyria,  John  A.  Hayes,  York,  John  J.  Sulli- 
van, Krernont ,  John  S.  Palubicki,  Fullerton,  W. 
O'Connor,  Central  City,  J.  J.  Crowley,  Albion, 
Paul  S.  Moser,  Crawford,  Joseph  Augustyn, 
Elba,  Thos.  F.  Minogue,  Anselmo,  C.  Strat- 
mann,  St.  Helena,  A.  Birnbach,  Bow  Valley. 
Very  Rev,  Mecourek,  Ravenna,  W.  Win- 
dolph,  Creighton,  H.  Loecker,  Atkinson, 
Bernard  Sproll,  Seward,  T.  D.  Sullivan,  Elm 
Creek,  T.  Walsh,  Battle  Creek,  B.  H.  Lorde- 
mann,  Randolph,  H.  Muenstermann,  Kearney. 
Adolph  M.  Mosler,  Crete,  Chas.  Becker. 
Lawrence,  Very  Rev.  Jas.  Ahrene,  Omaha, 
M.  F.  Cassidy,  O'Neill,  Ferd.  Schuttgen,  Hart- 
ington,  F.  J.  Keller,  Chappell,  Anton  Link, 
Sidney,  I.  Jarka,  Loup  City,  P.  E.  Lynch, 
Wood  River,  P.  Moynihan,  Eddyville,  Peter 
McLaughlin,  Sargent,  F.  J.  Serbeeger,  Grand 
Island,  Ferd.  S.  Mock,  Bellwood,  E.  Boll,  Ex- 
eter, Gerard  Boll,  David  City,  B.  F.  Galvin. 
Spalding.  P.  J.  Healy,  Grafton,  J.  Gleeson. 
Grand  Island. 

EPISCOPAL    CHURCH 

The  work  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
church  in  Hall  County  has  been  carried  on 
for  the  last  forty-eight  years  by  the  parish 
of  St.  Stephen's  church. 

This  parish  was  organized  in  1871,  and  the 
first  church  building  was  dedicated  on  Sep- 
tember 3,  1871,  by  Bishop  Clarkson. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


333 


R.  C.  Jordon  was  the  senior  warden;  Geo, 
T.  Jamieson  was  junior  warden;  C.  W. 
Thomas,  George  E.  Wilson  and  Frank  In- 
gram, vestrymen.  By  July,  1876,  the  member- 
ship had  grown  to  sixty-five,  from  ten  in 
1871.  In  1888  the  project  of  erecting  a  new 
church  was  favorably  considered.  Work  was 
entered  upon  and  the  building  was  com- 
pleted in  July,  1889.  The  material  is  red 
colored  sandstone  with  gray  Kansas  stone  in 
foundation.  The  rectorage  is  located  north  of 
the  church,  at  Second  and  Cedar  streets. 

The  rectors  who  suqeeded  Father  John 
Lyon  were  Rev.  A.  J.  Graham,  in  charge  as 
deacon,  Rev.  John  Greenwood,  Revs.  Ful- 
forth,  Schwab,  Henry,  Wells,  Warren,  J.  Nel- 
son Jones,  and  Franklin  Adams.  A.  G.  Pink- 
ham  served  from  the  summer  of  1892  until  the 
summer  of  1897;  Austin  F.  Morgan  came  in 
October,  1897,  and  remained  until  April,  1899. 
His  successor  was  Rev.  A.  A.  Gilman,  from 
the  summer  of  1899  for  a  short  time.  Rev. 
Gilman  has  since  served  as  president  of  Boone 
University,  WuChang,  China,  and  Rev.  L. 
A.  Arthur,  present  pastor,  arrived  about 
Easter,  1900.  Rev.  Arthur  had  served  as 
rector  of  St.  Joseph's  parish  in  Detroit  and 
had  come  to  Nebraska  to  assist  Bishop  Graves 
and  was  sent  to  Grand  Island. 

The  early  history  of  St.  Stephens,  as  well 
as  some  other  early  incidents  in  the  history 
of  the  community,  were  recounted  in  two 
interesting  letters  furnished  to  Rev.  A.  G. 
Pinkham,  upon  the  occasion  of  fthe  silver 
anniversary  of  the  parish,  in  September,  1896 : 

Grand  Island,  Sept.  1st,  1896. 
Rev.  A.  G.  Pinkham, 

Rector,  St.  Stephens, 
Grand   Island,  Neb. 
Rev.  and  Dear  Sir: 

Complying  with  your  re- 
quest for  some  reminiscences  of  St.  Stephens 
Episcopal  Church,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska, 
for  the  Silver  anniversary  to  be  celebrated 
Sunday,  September  6th,  1896.  The  recollec- 
tions that  we  have  are  during  the  last  seven- 
teen years  and  familiar  to  many  of  the  pres- 
ent active  members  of  the  parish. 

The  spring  of  1879  we  came  West  and 
located  at  Grand  Island,  a  city  then  claiming 
1,600  to    1,800  population.     We   were   very 


much  pleased  to  find  within  its  borders  such 
a  well  organized  parish  with  such  able  and 
efficient  men  at  its  head  as  R.  C.  Jordon,  C. 
W.  Thomas,  T.  J.  Hurford  and  others.  ■  Rev. 
A.  J.  Graham  was  in  charge  as  Deacon,  he  was 
a  general  favorite,  a  good  organizer  and  much 
loved  by  the  people.  He  took  great  pride  in 
the  appearance  of  the  church  yard  and  fre- 
quently painted  and  varnished  the  church 
seats  to  keep  them  bright  and  clean.  He  re- 
tained his  place  in  the  hearts  of  the  people 
so  that  in  1892  when  the  church  was  con- 
secrated he  was  the  one  chosen  to  preach  the 
consecration  sermon.  Rev.  Graham  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Rev.  John  Greenwood  a  model 
clergyman  in  every  respect. 

The  suceeding  rectors  were  Revs.  Fulforth, 
Schwab,  Henry,  Wells,  Warren,  Jones  and 
Adams.  Each  were  men  of  ability  and  left 
an  impress  of  their  individuality  upon  the 
parish. 

Time  had  begun  to  show  its  effect  upon  the 
wooden  structure  so  that  the  chilling  blasts 
of  winter  found  ready  access  through  many 
cracks  and  crevices,  and  what  was  once  the 
pride  of  a  young  parish  on  the  western  prairies 
was  now  becoming  very  uncomfortable  to  wor- 
ship in. 

It  was  then  decided  to  either  repair  the  old 
church  building  or  build  a  new  one.  For 
many  years  the  writer  was  honored  by  the 
position  of  vestryman  and  a  part  of  the  time  as 
its  secertary,  so  that  his  experience  has  been 
largely  with  its  finances  and  during  one  of  the 
most  critical  periods  in  the  history  of  the 
parish. 

When  Rev.  Jones  was  in  charge  as  rector, 
one  bright  morning  we  found  the  church  ele- 
vated on  jack  screws  and  soon  moved  to  the 
side  of  the  lot  where  the  new  rectory  now 
stands.  A  new  brick  foundation  was  put  un- 
der it  and  as  usual  the  Ladies  Guild  paid  the 
expense.  The  old  church  continued  to  be  oc- 
cupied until  the  new  one  was  completed  when 
it  was  torn  down,  the  lumber  sold  to  a  resi- 
dent and  he  transformed  it  into  a  dwelling  in 
the  south-eastern  part  of  the  city  where  it  now 
stands.  The  first  service  in  the  new  church 
building  was  held  by  Rt.  Rev.  Geo.  Worth- 
inpton. 

When  Rev.  Franklin  Adams  took  charge 
(the  spring  of  1890)  there  was  an  indebted- 
ness on  the  parish  of  $9,378.86.  That  year  we 
had  to  raise  $2,139.65  to  pay  current  expense 
and  interest  on  borrowed  money.  Rev.  Adams 
accomplished  good  work  in  spite  of  the  adverse 
circumstances.  The  people  all  loved  him  and 
it  was  with  regret  that  they  were  compelled 
to  accept  his  resignation  Sept.   1891   on  ac- 


334 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


count  of  his  ill  health.  December  1st,  1891 
found  the  parish  in  debt  to  the  amount  of 
$9,985.91.  On  account  of  a  deficit  in  the  pay- 
ment of  interest  past  due  The  Central  Loan 
&  Trust  Co.  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa,  commenced 
foreclosure  proceedings.  The  members  of  the 
vestry  at  this  critical  time  were:  Richard  J. 
Sharp,  Senior  Warden ;  Henry  S.  Ferrar, 
Junior  Warden;  Geo.  H.  Thummel,  H.  H. 
Glover,  W.  B.  Dingman,  Wm.  M.  Geddes,  H. 
C.  Miller,  John  Allan  and  Henry  D.  Boyden. 

The  vestry  were  ably  assisted  by  Rt.  Rev. 
Anson  R.  Graves,  Bishop  of  the  Platte;  C. 
W.  Thomas  of  Detroit,  Michigan ;  The 
Ladies  Guild ;  St.  Agnes  Guild,  and  each  in- 
dividual member  of  the  parish.  A  mighty 
effort  was  made  and  the  entire  debt  was  paid 
in  full  Tuesday  evening  May  24th,  1892.  St. 
Stephens  Episcopal  Church  was  consecrated 
by  Rt.  Rev.  Anson  R.  Graves,  our  Bishop.  It 
was  a  glorious  day  in  the  history  of  St. 
Stephens  —  one  ever  to  be  remembered.  Four 
years  ago  Rev.  A.  G.  Pinkham  was  called  and 
took  charge  as  rector.  This  last  four  years 
marks  one  of  the  most  prosperous  periods  in 
the  history  of  the  church  in  all  its  departments, 

The  influence  of  the  church  has  been  ex- 
tended and  many  new  communicants  received 
into  the  church  confirmation.  The  vested 
choir  of  thirty-five  voices  has  added  greatly 
to  the  church  services.  In  the  way  of  church 
improvements,  the  basement  has  been  finished, 
improvements  made  in  the  church,  a  new  rec- 
tory built  and  the  grounds  beautified. 

While  we  rejoice  at  what  has  been  accom- 
plished may  we  hope  the  good  work  may  con- 
tinue and  may  we  live  to  celebrate  the  half 
century. 

Yours  very  truly, 

Henry  D.  Boyden 

Omaha  Nebr.,  August  24,  1896 
Rev.   A.   G.    Pinkham, 

Rev.  and  Dear  Sir: 

I  am  glad  of  the  opportunity  of  com- 
plying with  your  request  to  furnish  such  items 
as  I  may  remember  them  in  regard  to  the 
early  history  of  St.  Stephens  Church. 

On  the  sixth  day  of  July  1876  I  arrived  in 
Grand  Island,  accompanied  by  my  wife  and 
two  daughters.  The  town  at  that  date  con- 
tained less  than  400  people,  arid  the  few 
persons  living  here  at  the  present  day  will 
Well  remember  how  Sunday  was  observed.  The 
stores  and  business  places  were  open  and  in 
full  blast,  and  religious  services  were  held 
irregularly  in  a  small  Roman  Catholic  Church 
situated  on  the  south  side  of  the  street  and 


on  the  block  southeast  of  the  present  resi- 
dence of  Hon.  Geo.  H.  Thummel.  This  church 
was  destroyed  the  next  day  after  I  arrived 
by  a  wind  storm,  rather  cyclonic  in  its  appear- 
ance. The  Baptists  built  a  church  in  the  Au- 
tumn of  1870.  These  were  the  only  church 
buildings  in  the  town  at  that  time.  There 
was  a  small  log  school  house  used  occasionally 
by  the  Methodist  people  situated  on  the  block 
south  of  Bartenbach's  opera  house.  Tradition 
states  that  in  this  school  house  was  held  the 
only  Episcopal  church  service  ever  held  in  town 
prior  to  our  arrival  and  that  the  Reverend 
Samuel  Goodale  of  Columbus  held  the  service. 
The  year  was,  I  should  think,  1869. 

As  we  had  been  somewhat  actively  en- 
gaged in  church  work  in  our  former  home, 
Sunday  and  the  surroundings  as  we  found 
ihem  proved  to  be  a  somewhat  lonesome  day. 
After  enduring  it  for  four  or  five  Sundays 
my  wife  could  endure  it  no  longer  and  de- 
termined to  open  a  Sunday  school  in  our 
house.  During  the  week  word  was  passed 
around  that  the  next  Sunday  a  Sunday  school 
would  be  opened  in  our  house,  and  it  re- 
sulted in  bringing  together  about  thirty  chil- 
dren. This  was  the  beginning  of  a  Sunday 
school  that  continued  without  interruption  to 
the  present  day. 

During  the  winter  and  spring  of  1871  the 
building  of  a  church  was  decided  upon,  much 
encouragment  having  been  given  by  the  citi- 
zens to  the  enterprise  in  the  way  of  liberal 
subscriptions.  In  organizing  the  church  it  was 
the  intention  to  name  it  Calvary  Church,  but 
Bishop  Clarkson  of  dearest  memory,  who  was 
at  the  time  Bishop  of  the  Diocese  made  known 
the  fact  that  a  lady  at  Providence,  Rhode  Is- 
land, and  a  member  of  St.  Stephen's  parish 
of  that  place  had  placed  in  his  hands  $500  to 
be  given  to  the  building  of  a  new  church,  but 
with  the  stipulation  that  the  church  must  be 
called  St.  Stephen's  after  the  church  in  Provi- 
dence. The  change  was  made  and  that  is  the 
way  it  came  by  its  name  of  St.  Stephen's 
church,  Grand  Island.  The  name  of  the  donor 
was  Miss  Shaw,  and  she  died  about  twenty 
years  ago. 

The  church  was  built  during  the  summer  of 
1871  and  was  ready  for  service  by  the  first  of 
September  of  that  year. 

Sunday  morning,  September  3,  1871,  finally 
dawned  and  proved  to  be  a  bright  and  beauti- 
ful day  for  the  opening  of  the  new  church.  A 
new  organ  had  been  purchased  at  a  cost  of 
$700.00,  the  same  one  in  use  today,  and  a  choir 
of  singers  of  experience  formed,  which  rend- 
ered the  music  of  the  church,  Jackson's  Te 


d  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


335 


Deum  being  one  of  the  pieces.  The  sermon 
was  by  the  Bishop  and  the  services  were  to 
the  congregation,  a  truly  red  letter  day. 

In  the  evening  the  rite  of  confirmation  was 
administered  for  the  first  time  in  Grand  Is- 
land, the  candidates  being  Claude  W.  Thomas, 
Carrie  C.  Jordon,  now  Mrs.  Sears,  and  Frank 
Ingram. 

The  Sunday  following  the  opening  Bishop 
Morris  from  Oregon,  who  was  on  his  way  to 
the  general  convention,  at  the  request  of 
Bishop  Clarkson  spent  the  day  with  us,  which 
were  all  the  services  held  in  the  church  until 
the  coming  of  Rev  John  Lyon  in  December. 

The  church  bell  was  donated  by  the  All 
Saints  Church  of  Portsmouth,  Ohio,  in  1873, 
that  being  the  home  of  Mrs.  Jordon.  The 
trees  around  the  church  were  first  set  out  by 
Mr.  Piatt,  father  of  Judge  Piatt,  Hon  O.  A. 
Abbott  and  Alexander  F.  Jamieson.  To  the 
late  Col.  Eddy,  of  Omaha,  who  was  at  the 
time  at  the  head  of  the  town  site  department  of 
the  Union  Pacific,  are  we  indebted  for  the  lots 
on  which  the  church  is  located.  Application 
was  made  to  him  for  two  lots  for  the  purpose 
of  building  an  Episcopal  Church  upon,  and  the 
request  was  cheerfully  granted.  The  plans  of 
the  church  were  furnished  by  a  Mr.  Holmes, 
of  Omaha,  an  Architect  of  ability,  and  with- 
out cost,  as  he  and  the  writer  had  been  active 
co-workers  in  St.  Barnabas  Church  of  Omaha. 
For  the  first  two  years  the  music  for  church 
service  was  furnished  largely  by  my  own 
family,  my  daughter  Maria,  now  Mrs.  Shel- 
ton.  being  the  first  organist. 

The  first  baptismal  ceremony  held  in  the 
parish  was  that  of  some  children  of  Wm. 
Powell ;  also  the  first  celebration  of  the  holy 
communion  was  held  in  Masonic  hall  at  that 
time,  situated  on  Front  street,  and  before  the 
church  was  built. 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  held  in  the 
church  was  that  of  the  late  Ernest  Blunk  and 
wife,  the  latter  I  am  informed  is  now  a 
teacher  in  your  public  schools. 

The  first  burial  service  performed  in  the 
church  was  over  the  body  of  a  Presbyterian 
clergyman,  whose  name  I  have  forgotten,  but 
no  doubt  a  reference  to  the  files  of  the  news- 
paper of  that  time  will  give  you  the  name.  He 
was  sent  to  Grand  Island  bv  the  authorities 
of  that  church  to  establish  a  Mission,  but  was 
taken  sick  and  died  within  two  weeks  after  he 
arrived  and  was  buried  from  our  church  as 
the  Presbyterians  had  no  congregation  at  that 
time. 

After  the  arrival  of  Rev.  Mr.  Lyon,  and  for 
a  long  time  after,  we  had  the  only  regular 
church  service  in  the  town  and  nearly  every 


person  attended,  and  among  the  early  sup- 
porters of  the  Church  who  were  not  communi- 
cants I  recall  Hon.  O.  A.  Abbott,  Hon.  George 
H.  Thummel,  H.  P.  Makely,  Jay  E,  White, 
and  others. 

The  licensed  Lay  Readers  were  —  during 
the  period  in  which  I  was  an  active  worker  in 
the  parish :  Robert  C.  Jordon,  David  T.  Jame- 
son and  Thomas  J.  Hurford. 

I  wish  to  mention  one  name  only,  as  de- 
serving special  praise  —  and  if  the  person 
knew  it  I  know  he  would  forbid  it  —  claim- 
ing that  he  was  only  doing  his  duty,  that  name 
is,  Claude  W.  Thomas.  All  will  bear  witness 
to  his  noble  and  generous  nature.  There  were 
times  when  the  parish  got  into  what  busi- 
ness men  call  a  tight  place.  On  such  oc- 
casions it  was  only  necessary  to  call  on  Mr. 
Thomas  and  the  aid  was  forth-coming.  May 
God  bless  and  prosper  him  is  the  earnest 
prayer  of  the  writer,  and  I  have  no  doubt  is 
the  prayer  of  all  the  parish. 

I  cannot  close  this  letter  without  a  word  of 
praise  for  the  good  Sisters  of  the  Guild.  There 
has  been  from  the  beginning  of  the  parish  a 
band  of  noble  women,  willing  workers,  pre- 
sistent  in  accomplishing  what  they  undertook. 
To  them  in  a  large  measure  is  due  the  success 
of  St.  Stephen's  parish.  May  God  bless  every 
one  of  them  who  remain  in  the  church  mili- 
tant. Theirs  has  been  a  work  of  unselfish  de- 
votion to  duty  for  the  good  of  others.  May 
you  have  a  happy  celebration  of  the  25th  An- 
niversary is  the  wish  of 

Robert  C.  Jordon. 

METHODIST  CHURCHES 
FIRST    CHURCH    AT    GRAND    ISLAND 

Of  the  numerous  churches  in  the  county, 
established  by  the  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  the  oldest  is  the  First  church 
at  Grand  Island.  The  following  very  concise 
and  comprehensive  history  of  this  church  has 
been  prepared  by  Ira  T.  Paine,  Sr.,  who  has 
resided  in  Grand  Island  since  January,  1873 : 

During  the  year  1866  Rev.  Thomas  B. 
Lemon  acting  as  a  missionary  or  frontier 
preacher  travelled  along  the  old  government 
or  emigrant  road  which  ran  from  Omaha  to 
Denver.  It  was  about  two  miles  south  of 
Grand  Island  just  along  the  north  channel  of 
the  Platte  River.  It  crossed  Wood  River 
about  two  miles  south  and  one  mile  east 
of  Alda.  There  lived  Judge  Beal  and  his 
family.  Rev.  Lemon  held  meetings  at  Judge 
Beal's  and  preached  to  the  settlers  and  tourists 


GRAND  ISLAND  CHURCHES 
PrEsbvtehian 
Congregational 


JSBbgk 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


337 


that  happened  to  be  there  and  in  the  year 
1866  organized  the  First  Methodist  church 
and  called  it  the  Wood  River  Methodist 
church.  This  was  the  first  church  organized 
in  what  is  now  Hall  County,  except  a  Catholic 
church  at  Wood  River.  In  the  fall  of  1866 
a  railroad  was  built -to  Grand  Island.  Judge 
Beat  moved  to  Grand  Island  in  1867,  being 
county  judge,  and  the  church  was  reorganized 
here  and  called  the  Grand  Island  Methodist 
church.  The  two  full  lots,  one  on  which  the 
City  Hall  is  located  and  the  lot  west  of  it 
were  given  to  the  church  by  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  company.  The  City  later  bought  the 
comer  lot,  44  x  66  feet,  and  thereupon  the 
City  Hall  has  been  built,  the  lot  west  being 
sold  to  pay  debts  of  the  church.  The  trustees 
were  Wm.  H.  Piatt,  Win.  Mitchell,  Dr.  J. 
Thorspecken,  D.  S.  Wainwright,  Jacob  Rice, 
and  A.  L.  Lathrop. 

The  first  regular  minister  was  Rev.  Smith, 
appointed  in  1868.  He  remained  here  two 
years,  and  was  followed  by  Rev.  David 
Marquette,  in  1870,  who  remained  two  years. 
His  wife  taught  in  our  public  schools  during 
their  residence  here.  The  fall  conference  of 
1872  appointed  Rev.  J.  S.  Donaldson.  He 
lived  on  a  homestead  twenty  miles  north  of 
Grand  Island,  in  Loup  Valley.  He  came  here 
about  every  other  Sunday  and  held  services, 
and  was  reappointed  in  1872.  During  the 
summer  of  1874  we  built  the  first  M.  E. 
church  that  was  built  in  Hall  County,  and  I 
am  very  sure  there  was  no  Methodist  church 
west  of  here  until  we  reached  the  foot  hills 
of  the  Rocky  Mountains.  This  church  was 
on  the  lot  just  north  of  our  City  Hall.  It 
was  dedicated  in  September,  1874,  by  Bishop 
Bowman  and  Rev.  A.  G.  White  of  Omaha, 
district  superintendent. 

In  the  fall  of  1874  Rev.  Crowell  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  charge.  He  lived  in  Kearney, 
came  here  every  other  Sunday  for  about  nine 
months  and  then  went  west,  and  Rev.  Peter 
Harrison,  father  of  our  late  townsman,  Judge 
T.  O.  C.  Harrison,  and  who  was  then  living 
on  a  homestead  northwest  of  Alda,  tame 
in  on  horseback  and  preached  to  us  every 
other  Sunday  for  the  balance  of  the  year. 
At  the  fall  conference  of  1875  Rev.  Hancock 
was  appointed  and  remained  two  years.  The 
conference  of  1877  sent  Rev.  Burlison  and 
his  wife  here  from  Toledo,  Ohio,  this  being 
his  first  regular  appointment.  The  reverend 
and  his  wife  worked  for  the  interest  of  our 
church  for  about  eight  months,  when  they 
joined  the  Presbyterian  church.  Rev.  Har- 
man,  a  local  preacher,  who  had  lately  come 
and    was    working  as  a  harness  maker  for 


Frank  Barks,  founder  of  Barks'  Addition,  and 
who  later  moved  to  Wood  River  and  then  to 
Shelton,  filled  the  pulpit  for  the  balance  of 
the  year  and  was  regularly  appointed  at  the 
conference  of  1878  and  served  another  year. 
The  conference  of  1879  appointed  Rev.  Geo. 
C.  Senser,  and  he  was  reappointed  in  1880 
and  1881,  serving  here  for  three  years.  In 
1882  Rev.  Z.  S.  Rhone  was  appointed  and 
stayed  two  years.  In  1884  Rev.  P.  C.  John- 
son came  from  North  Platte,  and  was  here 
one  year.  In  1885  Rev.  Wilson  came  for  one 
year  and  was  followed  in  1886  by  Rev.  Crane, 
who  was  reappointed  in  1887.  In  1888  Rev. 
C.  W.  Savage  was  appointed  and  remained 
here  one  year.  Rev.  Savage's  long  service 
in  a  rather  independent  pastoral  work  in 
Omaha  in  recent  years  has  made  his  name 
familiar  throughout  Nebraska,  and  particu- 
larly as  "the  marrying  parson."  In  1889  Rev. 
W.  H.  H.  Pillsbury  came  here  from  Iowa  and 
was  reappointed  in  1890  and  again  in  1891, 
serving  here  for  three  years.  In  1892  Rev. 
N.  A.  Martin  was  appointed  and  served  this 
church  most  faithfully  for  five  years.  In 
1897  Rev.  T.  C.  Webster  came  and  stayed 
here  two  years.  In  1899  Rev.  Barton  was 
appointed,  and  reappointed  in  1900  and  re- 
mained here  about  seven  months  of  that  year's 
work  when  he  was  changed  with  Rev.  Carr 
of  Vermont.  Rev.  W.  W.  Carr  was  reap- 
pointed in  1901,  1902,  1903,  1904,  and  during 
the  summer  of  1905  he  exchanged  with  Rev. 
Gregory  of  Idaho.  Rev.  Gregory  was  ap- 
pointed in  1906  and  again  in  1907,  and  during 
the  summer  of  1908  he  exchanged  with  Rev. 
Vamer,  who  remained  about  four  months 
until  conference,  then  he  went  to  Colorado. 
The  conference  of  1908  appointed  to  this 
church  Rev.  S.  D.  Bartle,  a  very  active  worker 
in  the  church  and  in  the  community,  who  was 
reappointed  in  1909,  1910  and  1911. 

The  1912  conference  appointed  J.  R.  Gettys, 
who  remained  here  one  year.  His  successor, 
appointed  by  the  1913  conference,  was  E.  N. 
Tompkins.  Mr.  Gettys  has  since  been  promi- 
nent in  church  work  in  University  Place,  Mr. 
Tompkins  is  serving  the  people  of  Trinity 
church  in  Lincoln ;  the  next  minister  sent  by 
the  conference  in  1915,  after  Mr.  Tompkins' 
two  years  of  service,  was  R.  H.  Thompson, 
who  remained  two  years.  He  is  now  at 
Geneva,  Nebraska.  E.  E.  Hosman  was  ap- 
pointed in  1917,  and  a  year  later  went  to 
Ord,  and  in  1918,  Rev.  V.  R.  Beebe  came  here 
from  Tecumseh  and  in  1919  the  present  pastor 
J.  H.  Stett  was  appointed  upon  his  return  from 
overseas  Y.  M.  C.  A.  service. 

The  district  superintendents  have  been  A.  G. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


339 


White,  Rev.  Thomas  B.  Lemon,  Rev.  P.  C. 
Johnson,  Rev.  J.  W.  Shank,  Rev.  R.  S.  Moore, 
Rev.  D.  K.  Tindall,  Rev.  H.  H.  Millard,  Rev. 
G.  H.  Main,  Rev.  J.  M.  Bothwell,  and  now 
Rev.  John  Grant  Shick. 

It  has  been  my  good  pleasure  to  know  all 
of  these  ministers.  Though  Revs.  Smith  and 
Marquette  were  here  before  I  came  to  Grand 
Island,  forty-six  years  ago,  each  of  them  was 
here  at  later  times  and  assisted  in  church  work. 

TRINITY  METHODIST  CHURCH 
GRAND  ISLAND 
A  second  Methodist  church  was  organized 
in  Grand  Island  in  1887.  The  church  building 
erected  at  Sixth  and  Sycamore  stands  today 
as  a  substantial  memorial  of  the  earnestness 
of  the  original  organizers  of  this  second 
parish.  The  organization  was  formed  on 
August  7,  1887,  with  132  members  and  19 
probationers,  and  with  Rev.  H.  L-  Powers 
chosen  as  first  pastor.  C.  H.  Bailey  was  presi- 
dent of  the  Epworth  League,  Lenora  Birney, 
secretary,  J.  W.  B.  Brown  and  A.  A.  Linn, 
committeemen  and  active  workers  in  that 
society.  Succeeding  pastors  of  this  church 
have  been,  Rev.  H.  L.  Powers,  Geo.  H.  Mac- 
Adam,  Dr.  J.  W.  Carnes,  D.  Sanderson, 
Alfred  Hodgetts,  Amos  Allan  Luce,  T.  J. 
Wright,  Rev.  Wilbur  McKee,  W.  H.  Wright, 
G.  W.  Abbott,  J6hn  Grant  Shick,  and  John 
Ray  Martin. 

METHODIST    CHURCH,    WOOD    RIVER 

The  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Wood 
River  was  organized  in  January,  1872,  with 
the  following  members:  N.  T.  Brittin,  R. 
Mitchell,  B.  Light,  Isaac  King  and  A.  B.  Ross, 
with  their  wives.  Up  to  1890  services  were 
held  in  the  school  house,  which  partook  largely 
of  union  services,  all  denominations  attend- 
ing and  contributing  to  the  support  of  the 
meetings.  Among  the  first  pastors  were  Revs. 
Fairchild,  Marsh,  Clarkson,  Hancock,  Burlen- 
son  and  Summers.  In  May,  1880,  during  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  Summers,  the  present  M.  E. 
church  was  erected  and  the  following  trustees 
were  elected :  J.  M.  Harman,  David  Barrick, 
N.  T.  Brittin,  James  Ewing  and  James  Jack- 
son. These  five  gentlemen  acted  as  the  build- 
ing committee  that  labored  toward  the  erec- 


tion of  the  new  church  building.  The  first 
Sunday  school  superintendent  in  the  new 
church  was  J.  M.  Harman.  The  pastors 
following  Rev.  Summers  in  their  order  were 
Revs.  Marsh,  Dressier,  Dudleigh,  Davis, 
Worts,  Leedam,  Harper,  Worts,  LaVake, 
Donnelly,  McReynolds,  Campbell,  W.  R. 
Peters  and  R.  H.  Gammon.  In  1900  the 
Board  of  Trustees  were  Truman  Taylor,  Chas. 
Trout,  F.  E.  Slusser,  Wm.  Thorp  and  Geo. 
W.  Miller.  The  Sunday  school  superintendent 
then  was  Truman  Taylor  and  the  Epworth 
League  president,  Miss  Lillian  Rounds.  Fol- 
lowing the  three  year  pastorate  of  Rev. 
Gammon,  came  Revs.  Dressier,  Wingert, 
Paxton,  Smith,  V.  C.  Wright  who  served  this 
church  for  four  years,  H.  W.  Wagner;  the 
present  pastor,  since  1917,  has  been  Rev.  A.  G. 
Forman.  The  present  officers  of  the  church 
are :  Trustees,  j.  C.  Burcherd,  F.  E.  Michael, 
F.  J.  Riesland,  Sylvester  Strausbaugh;  Sun- 
day school  superintendent,  F.  E.  Michael; 
stewards,  A.  Hampton,  Mary  Wyson  (who- 
is  recording  steward),  Mrs.  T.  C.  Taylor, . 
Mary  Simpson,  Mrs.  Anna  Sprague,  Sarah 
Burden,  Ina  Pierce  and  Etta  Smith. 

ALDA  CHURCH 

The  story  of  how  Alda  came  to  have  its 
first  regular  church  is  told  in  the  chapter  de- 
tailing the  story  of  the  town. 

DONIPHAN     METHODIST    CHURCH 

The  recent  history  of  the  Methodist  church 
at  Doniphan  shows  that  Rev.  Wm.  Kilburn 
set  sail  from  England  the  19th  of  March, 
1910.  He  was  pastor  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  at  Doniphan  in  April,  1910, 
and  was  here  until  September,  1915.  Dur- 
ing this  time  the  present  new  church  was 
built,  at  a  cost  of  $12,000.  It  was  dedicated 
July  4,  1915,  free  of  debt,  by  Rev.  W.  D. 
Parr  of  Kokomo,  Indiana. 

The  trustees  at  that  time  and  at  the  present 
are:  W.  E.  Martin,  president;  Chas.  J.  Beers, 
secretary;  J.  E.  Hitt,  Chas.  T.  Young,  W.  H. 
Marsh,  Sr.,  W.  H.  Marsh,  Jr.,  W.  G.  Smith, 
Chas.  Kesel,  W.  D.  Beers,  Geo.  E.  Funk, 
treasurer. 

Jg,-,zcdbyG00^[c 


340 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Since  1915  Rev.  Hagerman  has  served  two 
years.  Rev.  J.  H.  Bounds  one  year,  Rev. 
Frank  T.  Hoon  at  the  present  time  is  the 
pastor.  The  membership  is  135,  with  a  good 
Sunday  school,  Mrs.  Emma  Snearley  super- 
intendent. 

LUTHERAN    CHURCHES 

Grand  Island  has  been  the  center  of  activity 
for  various  branches  of  the  Lutheran  denomi- 
nation, and,  therefore,  has  had  several  Luth- 
eran churches  established  in  its  midst. 

EVANGELICAL    LUTHERAN    TRINITY 
CONGREGATION 

By  Rev.  H.  Wilkins,  Pastor 
The  history  of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran 
Trinity  church,  of  Grand  Island,  Nebraska, 
dates  back  as  far  as  the  early  'seventies  of 
the  last  century.  A  number  of  Lutheran 
families  had  settled  in  Hall,  Howard  and  Mer- 
rick counties.  They  were  first  taken  care  of 
by  itinerant  missionaries  of  the  Missouri 
synod.  Services  were  held  here  and  there  in 
the  homes  of  the  people.  In  January,  1878, 
the  Trinity  congregation  was  organized,  and 
in  the  same  year  a  church  was  erected  in 
Grand  Island,  then  a  mere  village.  The  be- 
ginning of  the  congregation  was  very  small. 
Its  members  were  few  and  poor,  and  the  ob- 
stacles to  overcome  were  many  and  great. 
But  the  Word  of  God  proved  again  that  it 
is  a  power  unto  salvation.  Under  the  faithful 
care  of  its  pastors  the  small  band  gradually 
grew.  One  member  after  the  other  was  added 
to  it.  In  the  year  1893  the  old  church  was 
found  to  be  unable  to  hold  the  large  number 
of  worshippers.  The  congregation  resolved 
to  erect  a  new  and  substantial  building,  the 
present  church,  standing  at  the  corner  of  Vine 
and  Second  streets.  In  the  fall  of  1896  it 
was  dedicated  to  the  service  of  the  Triune 
God.  It  has  a  seating  capacity  of  about  five 
hundred,  contains  a  beautiful  pipe  organ,  the 
first  ever  installed  in  the  city  of  Grand  Island, 
and  three  bells  in  its  tower. 

From  the  very  beginning  the  members  of 
Trinity  church  felt  it  their  duty  to  not  only 
care  for  their  own  souls,  but  as  well  for  the 


spiritual  welfare  of  their  children.  They 
realized  that  a  Sunday  school,  or  in  other 
words,  that  one  hour  a  week  of  religious  in- 
struction, would  not  suffice.  In  order  to  give 
their  children  a  thorough  religious  education 
they  erected  a  parochial  school,  and  were  ever 
ready  to  bring  great  sacrifices  to  maintain  it 
The  school  became  a  strong  factor  in  the 
development  of  the  congregation. 

The  property  of  the  congregation  at  the 
present  time  has  an  approximate  value  of 
over  $15,000,  and  is  absolutely  free  from  aH 
incumbrance. 

In  the  course  of  years  (until  1918)  1320 
children  received  the  Sacrament  of  Holy 
Baptism ;  433  were  confirmed ;  224  couples 
were  joined  in  holy  wedlock,  and  187  were 
laid  to  rest,  to  await  the  call  of  their  Lord 
and  Redeemer  at  the  last  great  day  of  resur- 
rection. 

The  congregation  in  1918  has  72  voting 
members,  285  communicants  and  468  souls. 

The  following  ministers  have  served  this 
congregation  in  the  course  of  years:  A. 
Laeuthaeuser,  H.  Jahn,  A.  Baumhoefener, 
F.  Ratherd,  P.  Matuschka,  and  H.  Wilkens, 
the  present  pastor  since  1903. 

In  the  school  have  served  the  professors: 
Weiszbrodt,  F.  Von  der  Lage,  F.  Deyke,  and 
since  1909,  Otto  Berker. 

The  voting  members  are:  the  families  of 
J.  Shinkel,  H.  Ernstmeyer,  R.  Siebert,  J. 
Willers,  Fr.  Ernstmeyer,  L.  Stallman,  E.  Kra!, 
W.  Scheffel,  Fr.  Kutschat,  C.  Dill.  G. 
Schroeder,  J.  Dahike,  C.  Dahms,  Fr.  Meyer. 
H.  Witzke,  H.  Pauly,  E.  Lamm,  Th.  Buenger. 
H.  Schoeneberg,  W.  Krause,  O.  Wetzel,  W. 
Sosenkoetter,  H.  Schroeder,  O.  Schmidt,  H. 
Werner,  C.  Koehn,  G.  Roesch,  T.  Schwynn. 
P.  Hermann,  W.  Vortman,  H.  Lagenheder. 
A.  Quandt,  C.  Rosenkoetter,  C.  Meyer,  H- 
Meyer,  G.  Mildenstein,  H.  Trampe,  C.  Wettel. 
Fr.  Bartels,  W.  Hilmer,  J.  Seims,  C.  Kruse. 
W.  Werner,  W.  Pollock.  W.  Leppin,  L. 
Zuehlke,  Fr.  Mettinbrink,  R.  Reher,  A. 
Schuessler,  C.  Scherer,  H.  Kebhn,  W.  Lang- 
enheder,  H.  Sommer,  E.  Schinkel,  H.  Nobb- 
man,  F.  Scherer,  H.  Krusenmark,  E.  Schues- 
sler, H. .  Rosenkoetter,  C.   Bartelt,  H.   Ruff, 

Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


H.  Moeller,  E.  Liedtke,  J.  Langenheder,  W. 
Schmidt,  C.  Schoeffel,  G.  Kaier,  H.  Win- 
dolph,  W.  Kuers,  E.  Nitschke,  Rev.  H. 
Wilkens,  Prof.  P.  Becker. 

J.  Schinkel  is  the  last  charter  member  with 
the  congregation,  the  others  have  either  moved 
away,  or  as  we  fervently  hope  and  believe, 
have  come  to  their  reward  as  faithful  servants 
of  their  Lord. 

The  other  members  are  the  following  and 
families:  K.  Meyer,  H.  Floerke,  E.  Kroeeger, 
L.  Scheil,  E.  Meyer,  A.  Scheibel,  H.  Scheibel, 
G.  Duenermann,  H.  VonOhlen,  B.  Fischer, 
Fr.  Nowack,  Mrs.  F.  Schlottfeldt,  Mrs.  R. 
Rickert,  Mrs.  F.  Thomas,  Mrs.  F.  Gole,  Mrs. 
J.  Windolph,  Fr.  Schoeneberg,  C.  Seims,  H, 
Sotinbeck,  W.  Meissner,  F.  Heider,  A. 
Krieger,  R.  Lucas,  W.  Riege,  A.  Schoreder, 
Mrs.  Bredemeyer,  Mrs.  Stobbe,  Mrs.  J. 
Peters,  Mrs.  G.  Wenrer,  Mrs.  L.  Bowers,  Mrs. 
C.  Cantreel,  Mrs.  L.  Otto,  Mrs.  Travis,  Mrs. 
G.  Madeke,  Mrs.  W.  MHz,  Mrs.  J.  Geisinger, 
Mrs.  H.  Guelzow,  Mrs.  J.  Rauert,  Mrs.  J. 
Nietnoth,  Mrs.  D.  Liedtke,  Mrs.  E.  Masten, 
Mrs.  Einfeldt,  Mrs.  H.  Koch,  Mrs  C.  Ericksen, 
Mrs.  W.  Crutin,  Mrs.  Pauly,  Mrs.  R.  Vetter, 
C.  Tuenge  and  W.  Ernst. 


,  taught  in  the  English 


1918,  religion  alsc 
language. 

st.  Paul's  English 
evangelical  lutheran  church 
This  church  was  completed  and  dedicated 
on  March  14,  1886.      The  building  committee 
of  that  church  formed  in  August,  1886,  com- 
prised  George  H.   Thummel,   W.   A.   Heim- 


FIFTH    STREET  GERMAN   EVANGELICAL 

CHURCH 

This  church   was   nourishing   some   thirty 

years  ago,  and  in  1890  its  pastor  was  Rev.  O. 

Radiniski  but  for  the  last  decade  its  leader 

has  been  Rev.  C.  W.  Boelter. 

THE  EVANGELICAL    LUTHERAN    ZION's    CHURCH 

This  church  is  located  at  Worms,  in  Merrick 
County,  but  has  a  large  membership  from 
eastern  Hall  County.  It  was  organized  in 
1874.  The  Rev.  Leuthaeuser  was  the  first 
pastor  of  this  congregation,  and  his  successors 
have  been,  H.  Jahn,  F.  Duever  J.  D.  Shroeder, 
and  Rev.  W.  Ludwig,  the  last  pastor.  In 
1918  the  congregation  numbered  souls,  450, 
communicants,  200,  voting  members,  61.  A 
parochial  school  is  maintained,  with  P.  E. 
Frese  as  teacher.  All  instruction  in  all 
branches,  except  religion,  are  given  in  the 
language  of  our  country.       Since  September, 


Ev.  Lutheran  St.  Paul's  Church,  Grand  Island 

berger,  C.  E.  Lykke,  George  Hunter,  Benja- 
min O.  Anderson  and  J.  N.  Lenker.  The 
corner  stone  was  .placed  October  3,  1885. 
This  neat  church  home,  at  Second  and  Cedar 
streets,  is  still  serving  as  the  house  of  worship 
for  this  congregation. 

Rev.  A.  B.  Schrader  served  this  congrega- 
tion for  several  years.  Pastors  who  succeeded 
him  have  been :  Revs.  D.  Z.  Foulk,  L.  J. 
Motschman,  S.  J.  Learner,  Wilton  T.  Hakse, 
and  the  present  efficient  pastor  of  this  church. 
Rev.  L.  L.  Lipe,  who  has  been  with  this  con- 
gregation for  the  past  eleven  or  twelve  years. 
During  August,  1919,  Rev  Lipe  tendered  his 
resignation  which  the  church  board  regretfully 

C,oo>;le 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


accepted.    He  felt  he  was  entitled  to  the  rest 
he  had  desired  for  some  time. 

EVANGELICAL  LUTHERAN 

The  German  St.  Paul's  Lutheran  congre- 
gation was  started  on  August  5,  1883,  under 
the  leadership  of  "Rev.  H.  Siekmann  of  Hast- 
ings, Nebraska,  and  with  the  assistance  of 
Rev.  J.  N.  Lenker,  then  pastor  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church.  The  seventeen  charter 
members  were:  C.  H.  Duennermann,  Carl 
Duennermann,  Wm.  Hoelling,  Wm.  Depper- 
mann,  Wm.  Klapmeier,  Frederick  Buchholz, 
Carl  Rosenkoetter,  Gottlieb  Duennermann, 
Heinrich  Steinmeier,  Frederick  Cramer,  Hein- 
rich  Ostermeier,  Carl  Schmale,  .Wm.  Duen- 
nerman,  Carl  Knefelkamp,  Wm.  Floerke, 
Frederick  Rahe,  Frederick  Busse.  The  first 
services  were  held, in  Hann's  Park  and  in  the 
court  house,  and  after  a  short  time  the  con- 
gregation bought  the  church  (home  of  the 
United  Brethern  people.  The  lot  upon  which 
this  building  stood  was  purchased  later  by 
the  B.  &  M.  Railroad,  and  the  building  re- 
moved to  the  corner  of  Seventh  and  Locust 
streets,  where  the  congregation  had  acquired 
two  lots. 

The  first  church  board  consisted  of  C.  H. 
Duennermann,  Fred  Buchholz,  C.  Rosenketter, 
Fred  Cramer,  Heinrich  Steinmeier. 

The  first  building  was  that  mentioned  here- 
tofore, 24x40  feet  in  size.  The  new  church 
was  built  in  1908,  and  the  new  parsonage  in 
1912. 

In  May,  1884,  Rev.  William  Rosentengel 
was  called  to  Grand  Island  as  the  first  pastor 
of  this  church,  from  the  Lutheran  church  of 
Nebraska  City.  He  remained  from  July,  1884, 
until  November,  1887.  Rev.  Rosentengel 
afterwards  became  president  of  the  German 
Lutheran  Wartburg  Synod,  with  headquarters 
at  Carthage,  Illinois. 

The  next  pastor  was  Rev.  F.  Gafert  of  Loup 
City,  Nebraska,  from  March,  1898,  until  Octo- 
ber, 1898.  He  organized  two  branch  congre- 
gations, one  near  Phillips,  Hamilton  County, 
St.  Paul's  and  one  about  nine  miles  northeast 
of  Grand  Island  in  Merrick  County,  St.  John's. 

Though    this    congregation    originally    be- 


longed to  the  English  Nebraska  Synod,  since 
1897  it  has  been  under  the  German  Nebraska 
Synod,  another  branch  of  the  General  Synod 
of  the  Evangelical  Lutheran  church. 

When  Rev.  Gafert  resigned  in  1898  his 
place  was  taken  in  November,  1898,  by  Rev. 
H.  Schumann  of  Ridgeley,  Nebraska,  who 
took  charge  and  served  until  April,  1906. 

He  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  G.  H.  Michel- 
mann  in  September,  1906,  who  has  served 
his  people  for  over  twelve  years  in  an  effici- 
ent and  faithful  manner.  Under  his  pastorate 
a  Sunday  School  was  organized  that  has  now 
enrolled  seventy-five  members.  The  Young 
People's  Society  (Luther  League)  has  thirty- 
five  members,  the  Ladies'  Aid,  thirty  members. 

The  communicant  membership  of  the  church 
at  the  opening  of  the  year  1919  stands  230. 
During  the  thirty-five  years  of  existence  1,400 
children  were  baptized  and  446  young  people 
renewed  their  vows  by  confirmation,  334  mar- 
riages were  celebrated.  There  were  333 
burials.  The  money  given  for  benevolence 
amounts  to  $6,800.  This  sum  does  not  in- 
clude what  the  individuals  have  given  for 
Red  Cross  work,  etc.,  during  the  last  four 
years. 

The  church  councilmen  for  1919  are  G.  H. 
hMichelmann,  pastor,  Albert  Niemoth,  Casper 
Hongsemeier.  Wm.  Loescher,  secretary,  Hy. 
Finke,  R.  Nuembuger,  treasurer. 

The  Frei  Evangelical  Lutheran  Pilgrim  Con- 
gregational church  of  Grand  Island  was  organ- 
ized October  14,  1906,  with  a  membership  of 
twenty-six.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  P.  J. 
Theil,  from  Hastings,  in  1907.  Rev.  C.  W. 
Wuerschmidt  accepted  the  call,  served  two 
weeks,  became  ill  and  died  a  few  days  after 
and  was  buried  here.  In  August  the  same 
year  Rev.  Woth  accepted  the  call  and  served 
the  church  until  1909.  Rev.  F.  Cafert  started 
to  serve  in  November,  1909,  and  served  until 
May  14,  1914,  since  which  time  the  Rev. 
Braun  has  served  the  church. 

The  first  board  was:  Nick  Schnell,  Hy. 
Stroh,  Con.  Ross,  David  Sitzmann,  George 
Walker. 

The  building  was  erected  on  the  3rd  of 
April,  1907.     The  land  on  which  the  church 


■yGOOgll 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


was  erected  is  66  by  135  feet.  The  house  of 
worship  is  46  feet  in  length,  37  feet  in  width 
and  50  feet  in  height,  will  seat  250  persons, 
is  built  of  wood. 

At  its  organization  the  membership  was 
twenty-six,  now  114;  average  Sunday  school 
attendance  was  20,  now  85 ;  the  young  people's 
societies  were  18,  now  30,  and  the  ladies  aid 
were  10,  now  35. 

The  present  pastor  is  John  Braun,  the 
officers  are  John  Pheif,  Henry  Dietrich. 
Henry  Feierstein,  Peter  Bohl,  Jacob  Lieb- 
sack,  John  Kammerzell,  David  Kuehn,  Henry 
Rupp. 

BAPTIST    CHURCHES 

The  First  Baptist  church  of  Grand  Island 
was  organized  in  1870  by  Rev.  J.  N.  Webb, 
state  missionary  for  Nebraska,  under  the 
American  Baptist  Home  Missionary  Society, 
with  five  members.  The  fold  was  increased 
to  forty  in  1876.  The  first  pastor  was  Rev. 
J.  J-  J.  Place.  The  church  was  reorganized 
by  the  second  pastor,  Rev.  A.  D.  Trumbull, 
in  1875. 

The  congregation  for  many  years  used  the 
church  building  (now  on  East  Eighth  street, 
and  which  is  now  used  by  the  Seventh  Day 
Adventists),  but  on  October  12,  1888,  the 
handsome  and  commodious  structure  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  Seventh  and  Sycamore 
was  dedicated.  This  edifice  was  built  in  the 
form  of  a  Greek  cross,  showing  four  gables, 
a  tower  of  103  feet  in  height  and  a  minaret 
'1  feet.  The  main  audience  room,  an  amphi- 
theatre 54  x  43  feet  may  be  connected  with 
the  Sunday  school  rooms.  The  building  is 
54x72  feet  and  claims  a  seating  capacity  of 
750.  The  building  was  erected  during  the 
pastorate  of  Rev.  L.  W.  Terry  and  cost  $12,- 
000.  To  Dr.  Jorden,  of  whose  work  more 
is  said  in  this  section,  is  due  the  credit  of 
lifting  a  large  portion  of  the  indebtedness 
against  the  building  during  the  pastorate  of 
Rev.  C.  J.  Pope.  In  1907  an  eight  room  par- 
sonage was  purchased  at  a  cost  of  $3,000. 
This  was  done  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev. 
0.  B.  Sarber,  whose  efficiency  also  secured 
the  building  of  West  End  chapel.  '  Rev.  W. 


I.  Fowle  was  pastor  from  1911  to  1915,  do- 
ing excellent  work.  Rev.  E.  H.  Jackson,  the 
present  pastor,  came  on  January  1,  1916.  Rev. 
E.  F.  Jorden  served  the  church  longer  than  any 
other  minister,  his  term  extending  from  1892 
to  1902.  This  was  a  time  of  solid  growth  and 
prosperity. 

This  church  has  been  favored  with  pastors 
of  high  character  and  able  preachers.  Being 
located  in  the  city  which  is  the  seat  of  the 
college  of  the  denomination,  this  church  holds 
a  position  among  the  Baptist  churches  of  the 
state  of  special  importance  and  responsibility. 

IMMANUEL  BAPTIST 
In  1888  a  second  Baptist  congregation  was 
formed  in  Grand  Island,  and  the  Immanuel 
Baptist  church  effected  its  organizations.  Dur- 
ing its  brief  history  this  church  accomplished 
considerable  good  and  had  a  live  strong  mem- 
bership. It  built  a  splendid  structure  on  the 
south  side,  but  after  a  few  years  struggle 
was  forced  to  sell  its  fine  church  home  to  the 
Christian  church,  which  absorbed  part  of  the 
membership,  and  the  Immanuel  society  was 
disbanded  in  1895.  During  that  time  its  work 
was  carried  on  under  the  direction  of  Revs. 
J.  H.  Storms,  F.  E.  Britten  and  J.  D.  Pulh's. 

CAIRO 

The  work  of  this  denomination  has  been 
carried  on  for  years  by  the  church  at  Cairo. 

First  Presbyterian,  grand  island 
In  April,  1869,  the  Presbytery  of  the  Mis- 
souri River,  in  session  at  Sioux  City,  Iowa, 
appointed  one  of  its  godly  and  self-sacrific- 
ing missionaries,  Rev.  Sheldon  Jackson,  as 
superintendent  of  missions  for  Western  Iowa, 
Nebraska,  Montana,  Dakota,  Wyoming  and 
Utah.  Soon  thereafter  J.  N.  Hutchinson,  a 
licentiate  of  the  church,  began  preaching  in 
Grand  Island  once  a  month.  On  August  12, 
1869,  Dr.  Jackson  visited  the  young  community 
and  organized  the  First  Presbyterian  church  of 
Grand  Island,  with  five  charter  members. 
Robert  Mitchell  and  Samuel  Hindman  were 
elected  ruling  elders.  For  several  years  the 
congregation  worshiped  in  a  school-house,  its 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Wood  River  Churches 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


345 


growth  being  slow.  In  February,  1875,  Mr. 
Grilles  gave  a  revival  and  added  five  members 
to  the  society,  Robert  Mitchell,  R.  G.  Rice  and 
S.  D.  Rannels  were  elected  ruling  elders.  Rev. 
George  Hutchinson  came  in  August,  1875,  and 
remained  as  stated  supply  pastor  for  nine 
months.  In  1877  a  new  pastor  came.  Rev.  J. 
H.  Reynard,  a  brother  of  Mrs.  J.  H.  Woolley. 
From  then  on  the  church  became  really  ag- 
gressive. During  the  second  year  of  Rev.  Rey- 
nard's pastorate  a  building  temporarily  used 
for  school  purposes  was  purchased,  and  after 
being  remodeled  was  formally  dedicated. 

In  1881  the  manse  was  erected,  and  the 
same  year  became  marked  in  the  history  of 
ihe  church  for  the  large  number  of  accessions. 
Rev.  Reynard  is  since  deceased.  His  sister 
Mrs.  J.  H.  Woolley,  has  been  an  active  worker 
in  the  various  channels  of  church  work  for 
many  years. 

Rev.  George  Williams  became  pastor  in 
1883.  Rev.  Samuel  Wycoff  served  the  church 
as  stated  supply  during  the  year  1889  and  until 
sometime  in  1890. 

The  longest  pastorate  this  church  has  en- 
joyed was  that  of  Rev.  Thomas  C.  Clark,  who 
ome  to  this  congregation  in  June,  1890,  and 
p*'e  faithful  service  and  inspirational  lead- 
ership for  sixteen  years,  until  May  1,  1906. 
While  he  was  pastor  the  present  beautiful 
and  modern  church  building  was  erected  at 
West  Second  and  Wheeler  avenue.  This  church 
"as  dedicated  in  1904.  The  succeeding  pas- 
tors have  been  Rev.  John  G.  Graham  1906, 
tor  about  five  years.  Rev.  A.  F.  Ernst,  for 
about  four  years,  Rev.  Wm.  I.  Alexander, 
and  the  present  pastor,  Rev.  A.  A.  Smith. 

PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH    AT    WOOD   RIVER 

The  First  Presbyterian  organization  at 
Wood  River  was  effected  sometime  about  1870. 
John  and  James  White  and  a  Mr.  Warner 
were  among  the  moving  spirits.  Revs.  Robbins 
and  Reynard  expounded  the  gospel  at  that 
time.  For  several  years  meetings  were  held 
■n  the  school  house.  After  a  time  interest 
waned  and  the  organization  disbanded.  It  was 
not  until  1882  that  the  Presbyterians  effected 
permanent  organization.    Those  taking  an  ac- 


tive part  were  John  Bence,  C.  E.  Towne,  T. 
C.  Taylor,  B.  L.  Colwell  and  wife,  James 
Allen  and  sister  Jessie  and  W.  A.  Colwell. 
Rev.  Fulsom  was  in  charge  at  this  time.  In 
the  spring  of  1885  in  the  pastorate  of  J.  G. 
Tate  the  new  church  was  erected,  and  the  fol- 
lowing trustees  elected:  John  Bence,  Chas. 
Towne  and  T.  C.  Taylor.  After  Rev.  Tate, 
the  following  pastors  in  their  order  filled  the 
pulpit:  Revs.  Hullhurst,  Wolf,  Hatch, 
Shields,  Dunlap,  Belville,  Brittin  and  J.  C.  Ir- 
win. The  board  of  trustees  in  1900  were 
Chas.  Towne,  E.  Kunz,  Will  Colwell,  Geo. 
Sprague,  N.  T.  Brittin,  J.  H.  Diefenderfer, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Murphy,  Mrs.  S.  A.  Sherrerd  and 
Mrs.  O.  W.  Eaton.  The  church  built  a  manse 
costing  about  $2,000.  Mr.  Irwin  served  this 
congregation  for  a  long  period,  and  following 
his  pastorate  were  Revs.  Lorimer,  Clair,  and 
C.  E.  Kirscher,  the  present  pastor, 

CONGREGATIONAL 

The  First  Congregational  church  of  Grand 
Island  is  located  in  its  fine  edifice  at  the  cor- 
ner of  Sixth  street  and  Kimball  avenue. 

This  church  grew  out  of  a  Congregational 
Sunday  school  which  was  organized  in  a  store 
building  on  Fourth  street  April  3,  1887. 

It  soon  had  a  membership  of  sixty,  under 
the  leadership  of  Supt.  B.  F.  Merrill.  The 
First  Congregational  church  was  organized 
on  the  16th  day  of  June,  1887,  with  H.  E. 
Clifford  clerk  and  treasurer,  B.  F.  Merrill  and 
Frederick  Randall  deacons,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Har- 
vey, B.  J?J  Merrill  and  Frederick  Randall 
trustees.  Rev.  D.  W.  Comstock  was  called  on 
September  11,  1887,  to  be  the  first  pastor  of 
this  young  flock.  Lots  were  purchased  on 
the  corner  where  the  present  church  build- 
ing stands,  and  the  corner  stone  of  the  pres- 
ent building  was  laid  October  18.  In  one 
hundred  and  thirty  days  after  the  work  was 
begun  the  building  was  dedicated,  on  January 
24,   1888. 

Withstanding  the  usualy  experience  of  a 
church  in  a  western  town,  and  especially  a 
town  which  is  considerable  of  a  railroad  cen- 
ter, with  the  people  coming  and  going  con- 
stantly, it  has  steadily  and  ceaselessly  carried 


>TORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

ny  an  earnest  chris-  Grand   Island  and  organized  a   class  there, 

ned  for  efficient  ser-  one  at  Alda,  and  one  near  Cairo.    Among  the 
early   members   at   Grand   Island   were  Mr. 

s  church  has  grown  Wesley,  his  wife  and  son,  A.  B.  Vider  and 

go  the  cangregation  wife. 

t  of  $2,000.  The  organization   was  completed  in  1876, 

f   the   church.    Rev.  and  a  house  of  worship  dedicated  that  year,  on 

has  been  its  leader  July  2nd,  by  Bishop  Glossbrenner  and  Rev. 

ng  which  period  the  Joseph  Wesley,  its  pastor.       The  society  at 

■  was  erected.  Cairo  erected  their  church  house  in  1886.   The 

,  with  date  of  their  pastors  who  served  the  Grand  Island  society 

is  follows:    Rev.  D.  were  Joseph   Wesley,   Rev.   Trefren,  W.  S. 

iv.  W.  L.  Demorest  Spooner,  Joseph  Wesley,  Charles  Ridd,  J.  J. 

;  (1890)  Rev.  J.  H.  Lohr,  C.  C.  Kellogg,  J.  T.  Squires,  J.  M.VYit- 

T.  W.  Cole  (1895),  ters,  D.  W.   Smith,  Rev.  Jones,  Rev:  Dean, 

,    Rev.    Edward   V.  Jacob  Bresmer. 

iraham  A.  Cressman  This  denomination  has  also  carried  its  work 

arsh  (1903).  Rev.  J.  on  through  a  church  at  Cairo. 
Rev.  Seth  H.  Buell 

Dungan  (1914).  christian  church 

church :'    L.  F.  Fra-  A  splendid  congregation  has  carried  on  the 

Treasurer ;  Deacons :  services  of  this  denomination  since  the  forma- 

Humphrey,   F.   E.  tion  of  the  First  Christian  church  of  Grand 

.  Walker ;  Trustees ;  Island,  in  the  middle  'nineties.     In  1895  this    | 

m,  F.  S.  White,  Al  congregation  took  over  the   splendid  church 

d,  J.  E.  Buck.  edifice  and  part  of   the  membership  of  the 
Immanuel  Baptist  church.    Rev.  Z.  O.  Doward 

trch,  doniphan  served  about  1O00  for  a  nambftr  0f  years,  and 

zed  January  2,  1884,  his  successor  was  Rev.  J.  R.  Mclntire,  who 

if  Rev.  J.  C.  Hughes,  stayed  until  about  1912.    Rev.  B.  W.  Salmon 

Mr.  Hughes,  Lizzie  and  W.  T.  Groom  then  served  until  the  pres- 

■ey,  Maggie  J.  Hum-  ent  pastor  came  to  this  church.  Rev.  M.  L 

'.    The  early  pastors  Rose. 

i,   1884,  Rev.  E.  C.  This    denomination    has    had    a    splendid 

;v.  R.  M.  Traverse,  country  church  in  Cameron  township  that  has 

Hustis,    1899-1902;  carried  on  its  work  for  many  years. 
1904;  Rev.  R.Jones, 

[artin,  1906-.  other  churches  in  hall  countv 

ng  of  this  congrega-  The  reader  will  no  doubt  notice  that  con- 

nuary,  1912,  during  siderably  more  space  has  been  devoted  to  the 

artin.     The  building  history  of  certain  churches  than  others  in  this 

in  this  task  were  E.  county.     In  such  instances  some  one  in  the 

Jbert  Cleal,  and  W.  past  or  during  the  present  year,  has  taken  the 

le,  permanent  struc-  task  of  preparing  these  facts  and  preserving 

,g  capacity  for  three  the  records  of  the  particular  church  in  which 

with  all  modern  con-  that  person  has  labored.    Other  churches  are 

heir  labor.  only  given  such  a  record  as  the  compiler  has 

Society  dated  back  to  been  able  to  prepare  from  a  current  research. 

jseph  Wesley  visited  It   will   be   necessary   to  confine   still   other 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


347 


churches,  past  or  present,  to  a  recitation  of 
their  existence  in  the  community.  But  it  may 
be  stated  in  fairness  to  all,  that  an  opportunity 
was  given  to  someone  connected  with  every 
church  organization  in  the  county,  which  could 
be  located  by  the  compiler,  to  furnish  the 
same  facts  in  relation  to  each  church.  A 
period  of  several  months  has  been  allowed, 
and  in  such  instances  as  a  response  was  not 
received,  such  facts  as  could  be  ascertained 
in  the  time  remaining  at  hand  have  been  set 
forth  in  this  chapter. 

SEVENTH  DAY  ADVENTISTS 
This  denomination  had  a  good  working 
organization  in  1893,  with  G.  W.  Broughton 
as  leader.  Elder  F.  M.  Corbaly  afterwards 
served  this  congregation.  They  have  a  church 
at  413  East  Eighth,  with  services  at  occa- 
sional periods. 

THEOSOPHICAL  SOCIETY 
The  Nirvana  Branch  of  the  Theosophical 
Society  was  a  nourishing  organization  during 
the  'nineties.  Charles  Rief  was  the  first  presi- 
dent, with  Nathan  Piatt,  as  secretary.  Later 
officers  were  Dr.  M.  J.  Gahan  president,  Al- 
fred Pigon,  vice-president,  Sam  Conrad,  secre- 
tary, Henry  Schlotfeld,  treasurer,  Mrs.  W. 
Haldeman,  corresponding  secretary. 

SALVATION  ARMY 
The  work  of  this  organization  has  been  in- 
termittently carried  on  in  this  community  for 
many  years.  By  the  close' of  1888  this  organ- 
ization had  headquarters  in  the  old  Baptist 
building.    Though  no  resident  captain  and  his 


co-workers  are  stationed  here,  their  familiar 
services  are  not  strange  to  the  people  of  this 
county,  and  never  fail  to  meet  a  hearty  re- 
sponse. 

CHRISTIAN   SCIENCE 

The  work  of  this  society  has  been  carried 
on  in  Grand  Island  for  almost  thirty  years. 
Geo.  W.  Bentley  was  an  early  leader  and 
practitioner,  at  403  East  Fifth. 

Mrs.  A.  Cosh  served  for  a  good  many  years 
as  a  reader.  Headquarters  were  maintained 
for  a  long  period  at  113j^  South  Pine,  but 
the  present  place  of  worship  of  this  congrega- 
tion is  in  the  1000  block  in  West  Third  street. 

Other  churches,  of  which  no  detailed  facts 
have  been  secured,  but  which  should  be  men- 
tioned and  their  work  preserved  for  the  re- 
membrance of  future  generations  in  Hall 
County,  are :  The  North  Sweden  First  Scan- 
danavian  Evangelical  Lutheran  church  of 
Howard  County,  seven  miles  northwest  of 
Grand  Island,  which  has  been  the  church  home 
of  some  Hall  County  people ;  the  Salem  Ger- 
man Lutheran  church;  the  Nazarene  church, 
of  which  Rev.  Beckman  was  the  pastor  for 
some  years ;  Rev.  Schumann's  Lutheran 
church,  north  of  Grand  Island;  and  the  Ber- 
wick church. 

Alda  has  had  three  churches  that  have  car- 
ried on  the  religious  work  of  that  community, 
the  Methodist,  United  Brethern,  and  Friends. 
In  Cairo,  the  Methodists,  United  Brethern, 
and  Baptists  have  been  the  denomination  to 
carry  on  the  church  work  of  the  community. 
Wood  River's  churches  have  been  treated  at 
length  already,  and  Doniphan's  to  some  ex- 
tent. 


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CHAPTER  XIX 

THE  SCHOOLS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

The  First  School,  by  Fred  Stolley —  County  Superintendents  —  District  Number 
One  —  District  Number  Four  (J.  M.  Hanssen)  —  District  Number  Two,  Grand  Island- 
Extended  Facilities  in  the  'Eighties — School  Census  op  1872  —  Gradual  Growth- 
School  Board,  Grand  Island — District  No.  26,  Doniphan  —  District  No.  8,  Wood 
River — Schools  of  Wood  River  —  District  No.   12,  Alda  —  District  No.  72, 
Cairo  —  District  No.  80 —  District  No.  101  —  Directory  of  Present  School 
Officers  of  County  —  Grand  Island  Business  and  Normal  College  — 
Grand  Island  College  —  Parochial  Schools — Increasing  Cost  of 
Public  School  Education 


The  pioneers  lost  but  little  time  in  getting  first  scholars  who  attended  Mr.  Nagel's  school 

educational    facilities    for   their 'children,    in  ( for  this  was  a  private  school,  with  Mr.  Nagel 

fact  as  soon  as  the  children  first  brought  to  |s    *™*er)  .*?"'    Henry    Hen"e'    WU1Hara 

ri  „  „            ...          ....                      ,  btelk,  rred  Lilienthal  and  myself,  and  later 

Hall  County  by  the  original  colony  were  of  Char]ey  Hann  and  John  Hann*  we;e  added  t0 

sufficient  age  to  receive  some  public  instruc-  0ur  list.     The  school  house  was  Mr.  Nagel's 

tions,  a  means  was  provided.    From  log  house  dwelling  of  logs,  with  an  earthem  roof.    I 

quarters  to  splendid  brick  buildings  has  been  remember  one  day  that  father  and  Mr.  Menck 

a  long  road  of  fifty  or  fifty-five  years,  but  Z'sit?dtU°aT-  ^n°°J'  whei\  ft  ^  *£**  very 

.            .  ,    '  .        .          .  ,     ,         ,,  hard  the  night  before  and  a  drop  of  rain  was 

a  story  m  consistent  keeping  with  the  other  stin  drippin|  here  and  there  from  the  earthem 

phases  of  the  county's  progress.  roof,  with  some  dirt  and  hay  coming  down, 

In  some  districts  of  Hall  County  the  official  and  soon  there  came  tumbling  down  seven  or 

records  reach  back  to  1871  or  1872.    Beyond  eight  young  mice  onto  our  studying  table.  The 

that,  it  is  necessary  to  resort  to  statements  *w°  S^J^S™1  BJed1in  astonishment, 

,'.,...,          ,.            ,                 ,  what  is  thatr      Mr.  Nagel  answered,    Oh, 

furnished  by  the  earliest  settlers,  even  though  that  is  nothmg  uncommon5  with  us>»  ^d  he 


some  minor  disagreements  might  arise  on  such 
facts. 

As  early  as  1864  a  private  school  was  held 
in  the  neighborhood  adjacent  to  Grand  Island 
where  the  pioneers  first  settled.  This  terri- 
tory was  afterward  organized  into  district 
number  one  (which  is  treated  separately  at 
some  length)  and  also  originally  included  a 
large  part  of  what  became  district  number  two 
A  first  hand  account  of  the  earliest  school  has 
been  furnished  to  us  by  Frederick  Stolley, 
one  of  the  pupils : 

The  first  school  in  Hall  County  was  located 
on  the  Theodore  Nagel  farm,  south  of  Grand 
Island,  where  George  Baker  now  lives.    The     ever  got,  except  for  some  great  ear  pulling 

348 


reached  out  with  his  coat  sleeve  and  brushed 
the  family  of  young  mice  from  the  dining 
table,  improvised  for  school  work,  onto  the 
floor,  and  orders,  "Fred,  you  take  a  broom 
and  sweep  that  bunch  of  dirty  creatures  out- 
doors." 

At  other  times  the  boys  attending  his  school 
had  to  help  Mr.  Nagel  keep  his  com  field 
clean  of  weeds,  which  we  were  to  pull  up 
root  and  all.  Our  teacher  never  indulged  in 
this  kind  of  labor,  but  would  wander  over  to 
the  O.  K.  Store  and  buy  a  large  sack  full  of 
sweet  crackers  for  us.  After  we  had  devoured 
them  he  would  order  us  back  to  school  where 
we  studied  multiplication  tables,  and  the  "A.- 
B.  C.'s."     I  think  that  is  about  as  far 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


349 


stunts,  and  some  terrific  stick  blows  over  our 
backs  once  in  a  while.  Christian  Goettsch  and 
Lillie  Scheel  were  also  students  at  that  school. 
Three  years  later  the  public  school  was  put 
in  its  place,  and  gave  our  young  people  an 
opportunity  to  make  acquaintance  with  the 
English  language.  The  first  (private)  school 
handled  by  Mr.  Nagel  was  a  German  school 
exclusively,  because  he  was  unable  to  even 
speak  the  English  language,  let  alone  teach  it. 
But,  otherwise,  he  was  a  very  learned  man  and 
deserves  due  credit  for  his  efforts  in  establish- 
ing school  work  in  this  vicinity.  This  school 
was  the  only  possible  chance  for  us  in  those 
frontier  days.  The  children  derived  a  direct 
advantage  through  this  school. 

COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENTS 
John  Wallichs  and  Fred  Hedde  bore  the 
burden  of  superintending  the  first  schools  of 
the  county,  during  the  first  five  years  of  the 
county's  existence.  There  was  not  much  of  a 
tax  roll  to  work  with  prior  to  1872,  and  of 
course  only  a  few  school  districts,  so  the  posi- 
tion was  hardly  a  "full  time  job"  at  that.  O. 
A.  Abbott,  Sr.,  was  the  next  superintendent, 
and  he  resigned  on  April  I,  1873.  His  suc- 
cessor, John  D.  Hayes,  served  about  three 
years.  Another  lawyer,  Henry  Dunn,  became 
superintendent  in  1876,  and  James  Ewing  in 
1878.  D.  H.  Vantine  was  superintendent  from 
1882  to  1886.  The  next  two  superintendents 
were  lawyers  also,  H.  A.  Edwards  in  1886  and 
E.  E.  Thompson  in  1890.  Maynard  Spink  be- 
came superintendent  in  1894,  served  for  six 
years,  and  afterwards  moved  to  Beatrice.  D. 
H.  Fishburn  served  from  1900  to  1906.  He 
is  now  interested  in  Paine-Fishburn  Granite 
Works.  Miss  Margaret  Brown,  the  first 
woman  teacher  to  be  advanced  to  the  leader- 
ship of  the  county  schools,  served  around  three 
years,  and  resigned  to  become  state  secretary 
of  The  Nebraska  Sunday  School  Association. 
Her  successor  was  Miss  Dorothea  Kolls,  who 
gave  her  entire  life  to  educational  work  in  the 
county,  first  as  a  teacher,  then  as  principal  of 
the  Wasmer  school,  and  later  as  county  super- 
intendent, in  which  office  she  served  efficiently 
for  nine  years  until  her  death  early  in  1918. 
The  majority  of  times  that  she  ran  for  elec- 
tion she  was  the  official  nominee  of  all  political 
parties,  thereby  showing  the  unqualified  en- 


dorsement she  received  from  the  people  as  a 
whole. 

March  1,  1918,  Miss  Elizabeth  Cunningham, 
who  was  then  principal  of  the  Jefferson  ward 
school  in  Grand  Island,  was  appointed  county 
superintendent,  elected  for  a  four  year  term 
beginning  January  9,  1919,  and  following  her 
recent  marriage  to  Arthur  C.  Mayer  she  re- 
signed and  in  November,  1919,  Prof.  W.  A. 
Julian  of  Wood  River  was  elected  to  fill  the 
vacancy. 

DISTRICT  NO.  ONE 
The  boundaries  of  this  district,  commonly 
known  as  the  "Stolley  District,"  as  given  in  the 
official  school  records  in  1873,  were: 

Commencing  at  the  Northwest  corner  of 
Section  One  Township  11  North  of  Range  9 
West,  thence  west  two  and  one  half  miles 
thence  west  one  half  mile,  thence  south  three- 
quarters  of  a  mtle,  thence  west  one  half  mile, 
thence  south  one-fourth  of  a  mile,  thence  west 
one  and  a  quarter  mile,  thence  south  to  Wood 
River,  thence  northeast  along  the  north  line 
of  Wood  River  to  the  county  line,  thence 
north  to  the  line  of  beginning. 

This  boundary  discription,  of  course,  was 
placed  in  the  records  after  the  formation  of 
District  Two  and  at  a  time  when  the  county 
had  twenty-seven  districts,  so  does  not  include 
the  original  boundaries  of  District  One. 

The  reports  for  the  years  lct71  and  1872 
made  to  the  county  superintendent  by  C.  L. 
Meves,  director,  discloses  some  facts  concern- 
ing the  status  of  the  district  at  that  early  date. 
The  attendance  in  1871  was  seventeen,  with 
forty-one  children  in  the  district  between  the 
ages  of  five  and  twenty-one,  and  215  days  of 
.school  taught  by  qualified  teachers.  For  1872 
the  report  showed  twenty-one  attending  be- 
tween ages  of  five  and  twenty-one  out  of  forty- 
one  children  and  one  child  under  five  admitted, 
and  308  days  of  school  taught  by  Charles  Rief, 
the  teacher  for  both  of  these  terms. 

The  financial  problem  presented  then  is  dis- 
played in  the  figures  showing  assessment,  $550 
for  teacher,  school  house  valued  at  $345.22 
and  $20  allowed  for  other  purposes,  given  for 
1871.  The  actual  expenditures  showed,  teacher, 
$530,  fuel  $15,  building  school  house,  $326.22, 
other  purposes,  $10. 

L,oog  Ic 


350 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


The  families  then  living  in  the  district  who 
had  children  of  school  age,  in  1871  were: 
Heinrich  Schaaf  (Ida,  Willy,  Emma,  Minna, 
Heinrich),  Joachim  Doll,  Sr.  (Minna,  Sophia, 
Ferdinand,  Emma),  Widow  Hamann  (Hans, 
Catharine,  Miene,  Heinrich,  Alweine  Paur- 
tian),  John  Graham  (John,  George,  Vrathy), 
Hans  Ruge  (Hans,  Christian,  Antzie),  Ed- 
ward Math  (Luiriane,  Sophie),  Hardwig 
Voss  (Catharina,  Caroliene),  Christian  Menck 
(Gustav,  Emilie),  Mary  Stetch  (Wilhelm), 
Heinrich  Joehncke  (Willy,  Frederick,  Hein- 
.rich,  Carl,  the  latter  reported  in  1872),  Adam 
Windolph  (Eliere,  Catharina,  Tommy  reported 
in  1872),  William  Hagge  (Caroline  Scheel, 
Andrear  Catharine),  J.  Timpke,  (Claus  Eg- 
gers),  Wm.  Stolley  (Fred,  Anny,  Minna, 
Willy,  and  in  1872,  Emil),  Jacob  Gremmiter 
(Conrad).  In  1872  C.  A.  Meves  reported  Dan. 
Grahams  and  Ruge  were  not  reported  in  1872 
and  a  family  named  King  with  son  Willy,  age 
seven,  came  in,  the  total  being  forty-one  for 
each  year. 

DISTRICT  NO.  FOUR 

Before  taking  up  a  detailed  history  of  Dis- 
trict Number  Two  (Grand  Island)  which 
necessarily  will  be  of  some  length,  we  will 
digress  and  treat  of  District  Number  Four, 
slightly  out  of  its  numerical  order. 

John  M.  Hanssen  has  furnished  the  follow- 
ing very  interesting  story,  which  not  only  sheds 
light  on  the  establishment  of  this  particular 
district,  but  added  to  Mr.  Stolley's  story  of 
the  first  school,  gives  a  more  comprehensive 
idea  of  the  difficulties  under  which  Hall 
County's  school  system  started  out : 

The  first  record  made  public  concerning  dis- 
trict No.  4,  of  those  days,  was  the  definition 
of  its  boundaries  by  Fred  Hedde,  then  acting 
as  county  superintendent  on  December  5,  186/! 
In  short,  district  No.  4  comprised  in  addition 
to  present  district  four  all  of  the  present  dis- 
trict 28  and  district  23. 

The  first  meeting  of  qualified  voters  of  the 
new  school  district  was  held  on  November  16, 
1867,  and  the  first  board  elected  were  H. 
Wrage,  moderator,  John  Wallichs,  director, 
and  John  Lassen,  treasurer.  The  first  funds 
for  the  erection  of  a  school  house  were  col- 
lected from  the  residents  in  that  vicinity,  late 


in  1867,  by  donations  and  at  the  beginning  of 
1868  they  had  $148  which  thirty  men  had 
contributed.  A  meeting  was  held  at  the  home 
of  John  Seier  on  January  16,  1869,  and  it  was 
there  decided  to  lease  a  site  and  build  a  frame 
school  house,  20  x  17  feet  and  the  site  then 
leased  is  the  same  site  where  the  present  school 
house  of  district  four  now  stands  (1919). 
Further  action  was  taken  at  this  meeting  to 
levy  on  all  taxable  property  at  one-half  of  one 
per  cent  and  also  $1.  on  each  40  acres  to  de- 
fray expenses.  John  Lassen,  John  Seier  and 
Claus  Stoltenberg  were  chosen  as  the  building 
committee. 

The  first  meeting  held  in  the  new  school 
house  was  on  October  1,  1868,  and  it  was  then 
decided  to  fix  the  school  term  at  eight  months ; 
a  tax  of  one  and  one-half  per  cent  was  levied 
on  all  taxable  property,  plus  the  $1.  on  each 
40  acres  then  taken  up  for  paying  the  debt  on 
the  school  house  and  hiring  a  teacher. 

From  the  early  records  of  this  district  it  is 
not  plain  who  was  the  first  teacher  nor  just 
when  school  really  opened,  but  since  the 
records  of  the  treasurer  of  No.  4  show  that 
Louis  Lorenzen  drew  Order  No.  1  on  May  1, 
1869,  for  $135,  it  must  be  surmised  that  he  was 
the  first  teacher,  for  the  school  house  was  not 
finished  until  October  1,  1868  and  the  funds 
were  not  raised  until  later,  and  if  he  had  i 
predeo  ssor,  there  is  no  record  of  any  pay  be- 
ing made  to  such  predecessor. 

At  a  meeting  held  June  1,  1871,  it  was  de- 
cided to  build  a  log  school  house  in  the  east- 
ern end  of  the  district,  on  the  site  where  the 
school  house  of  district  No.  28  now  stands 
( 1919) .  The  logs  and  labor  were  furnished  by 
the  residents  of  that  vicinity  and  a  committee 
consisting  of  John  Lassen.  Theodore  Schen- 
berg  and  Fritz  Mathews,  Sr.  selected  as  build- 
ing committee.  It  was  further  resolved  to 
have  a  term  of  twelve  months  of  school  in  the 
two  schools  of  the  district,nine  months  in  the 
western  or  first  schoolhouse,  and  three  month! 
in  the  eastern  or  second  school  house;  that 
both  schools  be  conducted  and  financed  by 
District  Four.  Henry  Rief  was  the  first  teacher 
who  acted  for  both  schools,  at  a  salary  of  ft' 
a  month.  At  a  special  meeting  of  June  12, 
1873,  it  was  resolved  to  buy  the  school  site  of 
the  western  school,  one  acre  each  of  John  Set" 
and  Hans  Wrake,  for  $15  an  acre,  this  being 
the  same  location  occupied  now  (July.  1919) 

In  perusing  the  records  of  District  No.  4 
through  its  fifty-two  years  of  existence  o« 
cannot  fail  to  be  impressed  with  the  follow- 
ing distinctive  facts : 

1st.     The  remarkable  good  salaries  paid  al 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


351 


all  times,  considering  the  adversities  met  by 
ihe  farmers  of  that  vicinity  in  early  times 
There  is  no  record  of  less  than  $40  a  month 
being  paid,  the  rule  being  $50  and  upwards. 

2nd.  That  it  was  emphasized  at  every 
meeting,  as  late  as  1917  when  the  switch  was 
made  to  the  American  language  exclusively, 
that  two  languages  should  be  taught,  with  pref- 
erence given  to  the  American  language  at  all 
limes. 

3rd.  At  the  majority  of  meetings  a  prefer- 
ence for  male  teachers  was  brought  forth,  and 
this  has  been  the  prevailing  rule  in  this  dis- 
trict. 

4th.  An  uncommonly  long  school  term,  has 
been  maintained,  always  eight  months  at  least. 

5th.  Good  library  facilities  have  been  pro- 
vided, with  special  attention  also  to  the  heat- 
ing system. 

DISTRICT  NO.  TWO   (GRAND  ISLAND) 

A  school  was  conducted  in  the  new  Grand 
Island  community  by  private  subscription  for 
some  time  prior  to  the  formal  organization  in 
1868.  At  that  time  the  district  was  formally 
organized,  the  first  board  chosen  was  com- 
posed of  Fred  Wiebe,  Henry  A.  Koenig  and 
W.  H.  PUtt. 

The  first  public  school  was  held  in  a  one- 
story  frame  building  on  Second  street  opposite 
the  City  Hall  block.  Gov.  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr., 
bears  the  honor  of  having  taught  the  first  pub- 
lic school  in  that  building.  The  children  of 
Wiebes,  Koenigs,  Michelsons,  and  the  Thor- 
speckens  were  the  patrons  of  this  early  school. 
The  parents  and  residents  in  general  turned 
out  and  built  this  little  16  x  20  school  house. 
Governor  Abbott  tells  of  having  worked  with 
a  hatchet  and  saw  to  prepare  the  quarters  in 
which  he  was  to  teach. 

A  new  one-story  frame  building  was  built 
on  block  81,  the  Dodge  school  site,  and 
formally  opened  on  September  19,  1870,  by  a 
dedication  that  took  the  form  of  a  dance  with 
a  supper,  at  the  Railroad  hotel.  George  Mc- 
Kenzie  became  principal  of  this  school  at  a 
salary  of  $784  a  year.  The  building  cost  $2,- 
895,  and  the  district  incurred  a  total  indebted- 
ness of  $3,000.  To  cover  this  debt  Governor 
Abbott  prepared  written  school  bonds,  which 
were  sold  to  Seth  Lee  of  Cameron  township. 

In  1874  it  became  necessary  to  provide  for 


the  increasing  demand  for  school  privileges 
and  an  addition  was  built  to  this  building.  In 
1878  this  addition  was  moved  to  Block  20, 
where  the  Howard  building  now  stands,  and 
in  the  summer  of  1884  it  was  moved  to  Lot 
10,  blk.  7,  Evans  addition,  and  named  the 
Evans  school.  In  1912-1913  the  addition  to 
the  Lincoln  being  completed,  it  was  abandoned 
and  later  moved  to  the  Piatt  grounds  as  an 
annex.  The  main  part  of  the  old  building  on 
the  Dodge  site  was  sold  to  the  Presbyterian 
people  and  by  them  moved  to  Front  street 
where  their  church  now  stands.  It  was  occu- 
pied by  that  society  for  many  years  and  finally 
sold  to  Fred  Sears  and  by  him  moved  to 
Front  street,  between  Walnut  and  Spruce, 
where  it  is  used  for  business  purposes. 

It  appears  that  the  law  then  in  force  did 
not  give  to  a  school  district  of  the  class  of 
Grand  Island  authority  to  vote  bonds.  There- 
fore, the  erection  of  a  first  brick  building  was 
considerably  delayed,  until  the  necessary 
authority  could  be  secured  from  the  state  legis- 
lature. Accordingly  the  passage  of  an  act  of 
the  legislature  was  secured,  empowering  the 
district  to  vote  $15,000  in  20  year  10^,  bonds. 
The  proposition  to  issue  bonds  for  building  a 
school  house  received  141  votes.  O.  A.  Ab- 
bott, C.  E.  Lykke  and  John  Wallichs  were 
elected  trustees  in  April,  1878,  and  William 
Anyan,  T.  J.  Hurford  and  B.  C.  Howard 
were  appointed  to  act  with  the  trustees  as  a 
school  building  committee.  Thereafter  these 
bonds  were  sold  at  90  cents  on  the  dollar, 
refunding  at  6%.  Immediately  after  the  sale 
of  the  bonds  the  district  contracted  for  the 
erection  of  a  two-story  and  basement  brick, 
eight  room  building  on  Block  81,  which  was 
completed  in  1879.  This  building  cost  the 
district  $20,000  and  at  that  time  appeared  to  be 
large  enough  to  provide  for  the  needs  of  the 
district  for  many  years  to  come.  The  new 
school-building  and  the  old  courthouse,  built 
in  1872,  were  then  the  only  brick  buildings  in 
town.  They  were  referred  to  as  evidences  that 
the  people  were  here  to  stay  and  of  the  sub- 
stantial faith  they  had  in  the  future  of  the 
country. 

The  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Company  hav- 


Top  —  Dodge  School  (Old  High  School),  Grand  Islam) 
Bottom  —  Grand  Island  High  School 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


353 


ing  donated  this  Block  81  to  the  district,  this 
building  was  given  the  name  of  "Dodge."  In 
the  chapter  on  railroads  a  more  detailed  ex- 
planation is  given  of  the  important  part  that 
General  Grenville  M.  Dodge  played  in  saving 
this  route  and  permanently  establishing  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad,  and  it  was  only  fitting 
(o  honor  in  this  way  the  man  who  as  much  as 
any  one  individual  cacried  a  big  burden  in  the 
development  of  this  western  country. 

EXTENDED  FACILITIES  NECESSARY 
As  early  as  1880  the  capacity  of  this  building 
was  overtaxed  and  rooms  in  the  basement  and 
outside  roomes  were  fitted  up  and  occupied 
temporarily  for  school  purposes.  During  the 
years  1883  and  1884  a  four  room  addition  was 
built  to  the  Dodge  building,  costing  $7,600,  and 
a  new  eight-room,  two-story  and  basement 
building  known  as  the  Howard  school  was  built 
on  Block  20,  on  Fifth  street,  between  Syca- 
more and  Kimball,  costing  $20,000.  It  was 
likewise  appropriate  that  the  name  of  this  sec- 
ond substantial  school  building  should  be  se- 
lected in  honor  of  a  man,  Blake  C.  Howard, 
who  devoted  his  spare  energies  and  time  from 
his  railroad  duties  as  master  mechanic  of  the 
Union  Pacific  shops  and  mechanical  depart- 
ments, to  the  upbuilding  of  Grand  Island's 
school  districts. 

In  1886  the  Wasmer  school  was  built,  on 
West  Division  between  Monroe  and  Jackson 
streets,  at  a  cost  of  $5,125.  This  school  was 
a  one-story  and  basement  brick,  two-room 
building,  and  was  named  after  the  man  who 
laid  out  the  addition  in  which  it  was  located. 
The  Piatt  building  was  given  that  name  in 
honor  of  Nathan  Piatt,  member  of  the  board 
at  that  time,  and  for  some  years  its  secretary. 
The  main  part  of  the  Piatt  building,  located 
on  a  site  owned  by  the  district  at  the  corner 
of  Cieburn  and  Seventh  streets,  was  built  in 
1888.  Six  years  later  a  two-room  addition  was 
added,  making  a  four-room  'and  basement 
building.  In  1890  additions  were  built  to  the 
Dodge  and  Howard  buildings,  costing  respec- 
tively $11,900  and  $9,874. 

The  Handy  school  was  located  on  the  Piatt 
site  and   moved   to   its  present   location   on 


North  Madison  between  Fifth  and  Sixth 
streets.  The  Lincoln  school  is  a  four-room  and 
basement  building  on  the  corner  of  Eighth  and 
Beal  streets.  The  Jefferson  is  now  the  largest 
ward  school  in  the  city,  an  eight-room  and 
basement  building  on  West  Jefferson  and  West 
Seventh  street,  and  is  soon  to  be  enlarged  by  a 
new  addition.  The  Evans  school,  as  hereto- 
fore stated,  was  that  part  of  the  Dodge  build- 
ing which  was  moved  to  the  Howard  site  and 
later  in  1884  to  Lot  10,  Block  7,  Evans 
Addition. 

In  1919  an  issue  of  $350,000  of  school 
bonds  was  authorized  at  a  special  election. 
This  is  to  be  the  foundation  of  an  extensive 
program  for  bringing  Grand  Island's  school 
facilities  up  to  an  adequate  basis.  The 
program  includes  the  building  of  a  two-room 
school  in  West  Lawn,  now  under  construction 
at  the  corner  commonly  known  as  "Five 
Points."  An  addition  to  the  Jefferson  school 
is  to-  follow ;  and  new  buildings  are  to  be 
erected,  at  Charles  and  Cieburn  for  a  South 
Side  junior  high  school  between  Fifth  and 
Sixth,  and  between  Elm  and  Cieburn  streets 
of  a  new  high  school  building,  and  the  con- 
version of  the  present  high  school  building 
into  a  North  Side  junior  high  school  building. 

To  the  greater  majority  who  have  attended 
the  Grand  Island  schools,  and  especially  those 
who  graduated  and  became  alumni,  the  thought 
of  "high  school"  will  bring  memories  of  the 
old  "Dodge"  building,  which  housed  the  high 
school  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

The  Dodge  building  eventually  became  so 
crowded  that  even  after  primary  grades  had 
been  crowded  into  unsanitary  and  unfit  base- 
ment rooms,  it  became  necessary  to  erect  a 
special  high  school  building.  For  several  years 
the  board  had  such  a  building  in  contemplation, 
but  felt  that  the  bonded  indebtedness  should 
be  reduced  before  beginning  so  large  an  under- 
taking. Consequently  it  was  not  until  March, 
1904,  that  the  initiatory  step  was  taken  towards 
the  erection  of  a  high  school  building.  It 
was  decided  by  the  board,  after  an  examina- 
tion of  other  high  schools  of  the  state,  to  ask 
the  taxpayers  for  an  issue  of  $60,000  high 
school  bonds.     In  November,  1905,  the  ques- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


GRAND  ISLAND  SCHOOLS 

Howard 
Wasmer 

Lincoln 

Platt 
Jefferson 

Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


355 


tion  of  the  isuance  of  $60,000,  10-20  4J4  per 
cent  bonds  was  submitted  and  authorized  by 
the  voters.  The  bonds  were  issued  and  sold 
fora  premium  of  $314  and  accured  interest  de- 
liverable in  installments  of  $10,000  at  the  op- 
tion of  the  district.  F.  A.  Henninger  pre- 
pared the  plans  for  the  building,  and  J.  H. 
Wagenkneckt  of  Wathena,  Kansas,  secured 
the  contract  for  $47,127.  The  firm  of  Wirth 
&  Winterbottom  of  Falls  City,  Nebraska,  se- 
cured the  contract  for  a  plumbing  and  heat- 
ing plant,  at  $9,500.  The  excavating  was  be- 
gun on  October  9,  1906,  the  building  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  January  20,  1908.  Fare- 
well exercises  to  the  old  high  school  rooms  of 
the  Dodge  building  were  held  in  the  old  rooms 
in  the  afternoon  of  Friday  January  17. 

The  building  has  a  frontage  on  North  Wal- 
nut street  of  140  feet  and  a  depth  of  85.  It 
has  two  stones  and  a  basement  with  an  eleva- 
tion of  ten  feet  above  the  grade  line.  It  is 
steam  heated  and  electric  lighted,  and  well 
ventilated.  There  are  fourteen  well  lighted, 
commodious  recitation  rooms,  chemical  and 
physical  laboratories  and  lecture  rooms,  an 
auditorium  witb  a  seating  capacity  of  240,  a 
gymnasium  40  x  60  feet  and  offices  and  emerg- 
encies rooms  in  the  building. 

The  school  census,  sworn  to  on  March  17, 
1872,  by  Fred  A.  Wiebe,  showed  the  follow- 
ing families  with  children  of  school  age  then 
residing  in  District  Two:  H.  P.  Handy  (Wil- 
lie, Nellie,  Lillie,  Handy  and  Barbara  Wolf), 
John  S..  Vorley  (Emery,  Lonesa,  Hellsn, 
Louisa  and  John) ,  Samuel  Schreckengast 
(William,  John),  Henry  Stratman  (Dietrich, 
Mary,  William,  Annie),  John  G.Stark  (Wil- 
liam, Lena),  C.  Cornelius  (Gustav,  Annie), 
Claus  Obermoeller  (Mary  Obermueller,  Anna 
Eggert),  Joseph  Jeneman  (Lizzie),  Wm. 
Spafford  (Adalbert,  O.  D.  Day,  Lylle  Clark), 
John  Hann  (John,  Henry,  Lina),  Wm.  Goell- 
ner  (William,  Paul,  Lena,  Christina  Smith), 
Henry  Koebig  (Richard,  Lena  Stoitenberg, 
Charlotte  Wasmer),  Hans  Obermueller  (Win- 
nie), R.  S.  Buchanan  (Harry,  Eldridge,  Ed- 
gar), John  Peterson  (Auris,  John),  Phillip 
Voitl  (Joseph,  John),  C.  F.  Rollins  (George) 
Nelinda     Higgins      (Lizzie),     Joseph     Hay 


(Grazie,  Lena),  W.  H.  Piatt  (Maggie),  F.  A. 
Weibe  (Charles),  Edward  Hooper  (Annie, 
Millie,  Allie),  A.  Thorspecken  (Julia,  Au- 
gustus, Hattie),  John  Wallichs  (Augusta, 
Frederick),  B.  B.  Kelley  (Rena),  Th.  Warren 
(William) ,  Joseph) ,  Thomas  Warren 
(Nancy),  James  Michelson  (Lena,  Anna, 
Minnie,  Fred),  Ch.  Heusinger  (Lenora, 
Sylvena,  Clara),  Austin  A.  Richardson 
(Hattie,  Nettie,  Annie) ,  Chas.  Jerome 
(Frank),  L.  W.  Rollins  (George,  Bessie, 
Mary  Lane),  J.  Baldwin  (A.  Foote), 
Jacob  Keep  (Mary,  Hattie),  R.  W.  Town- 
send  (Mary),  Jos.  Kilian  (Mary),  Martin 
Hurley  (Charles),  Louis  Engel  (August),  W. 
H.  Pyne  (Fanny),  (Mary  Kelly,  Lizzie  Kelley. 
Jennie  Woltz,  Mary  Menge),  R.  C.  Jordon 
(Marie,  Carrie,  Racheal  Shadwick,  Arnold), 
Edmond  Cronon  (Mary,  Sarah,  Helerghan), 
Sylvester  Hair  (Raney.Nancy,  Willie),  Joseph 
Wortley  (Emma,  John  E.,  William  George, 
Joseph,  Maryetta,  Albert),  J.  W.  Norris 
(James  and  Rueben  Jenkins,  Jos.  Norris),  Geo. 
G.  Hoff  (Annie) ,  B.  C.  Howard  (Geo.,Loretta, 
Emma,  Clarence,  Maggie),  Samuel  Heyman 
(Reed),  Fred  Spangenberg  (Dora,  Linda, 
Lenora),  Gottfried  Klinge  (Joseph,  Lizzie), 
C.  R.  Krantz  (Robert),  H.  C.  Churchill  (F. 
W.  Churchill). 

In  1872  the  expenditures  showed  for  male 
teachers,  $1,052.50  and  female  teachers,  $280; 
for  fuel,  $105.77;  for  building  school  houses 
$1,458.39 ;  and  repairing  school  houses  $100.19, 
and  for  all  other  purposes  $107.40. 

Text  books  used  at  that  time  in  the  Grand 
Island  schools  included  Wooster  spelling 
books,  Hilliard  readers,  Spencerian  writing 
books,  French's  arithmetics,  Bryant- St  ration 
bookkeeping,  Robinson  and  Davies'  algebras, 
Gundt  geographies,  Harvey's  grammars,  and 
Quackenbos'  histories.  John  D.  Hayes  and 
Geo.  G.  McKenzie  were  two  of  the  teachers 
for  that  year. 

The  schools  in  1876  were  presided  over  by 

B.  F.  Bellows  of  Painsville,  Ohio,  assisted  by 
Miss  Meth.  Students  enrolled  in  the  high 
school  then  were  H.  P.  Clark,  H.  C.  Howard, 

C.  G.  Hurford,  S.  C.  Huston  and  F.  W. 
Cramer,  and  the  female  students,  J.  L.  Bacon, 


356 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


J.  Heffleman,  A.  E.  Hooper,  E.  E.  Howard, 
A.  M.  Hurford,  M.  C.  Hurford,  H.  Shoe- 
maker, H.  K.  Van  Pelt,  E.  L.  Watson,  and  A. 
Wiseman.  The  teachers  employed  in  August, 
1877,  were  Henry  Gam,  Nellie  Butterfieid, 
Belle  Ferguson  and  Mrs.  Camille  Ballou  Laine. 

The  enumeration  of  school  membership  in 
Grand  Island  in  1879  was  525 ;  in  1880, 667 ;  in 
1881,  835,  in  1882,  939,  in  1882-1883,  974  and 
in  1883-1884,  1,046.  In  1884-1885  there  were 
1,160  children  enrolled,  and  this  enrollment 
has  continued  until  it  has  grown  to  such  pro- 
portions that  in  1914-1915  there  were  2,587 
enrolled,  in  1915-1916,  2,667,  in  1916-1917, 
2,819,  and  in  1917-1918,  3,039. 

When  Mr.  Barr  came  to  the  schools  in  the 
fall  of  1882,  there  was  no  outlined  course 
of  study,  with  a  definite  aim,  for  the  schools. 
There  was  no  high  school  as  such,  only  an 
aggregation  of  pupils  pursuing  different 
branches  of  study,  much  as  was  done  in  the 
country  schools,  and  one  of  the  first  tasks 
of  the  new  superintendent  was  to  write  a 
course  of  study  for  the  schools  and  organize 
the  high  school.  The  high  school  course 
has  since  been  developed  into  six  different 
lines  of  work  or  courses  including  a  strong 
commercial  course  and  work  in  domestic  arts 
and  science  and  manual  training. 

In  June,  1883  the  first  commencement  of 
the  Grand  Island  high  school  was  held  and 
the  class  of  graduates  were  Miss  May  D. 
Lamb,  Effie  M.  Taylor,  P.  S.  Heffleman. 
Mary  C.  Hurford  and  Mrs.  George  Bell, 
formerly  Emma  Howard.  In  1884  a  class  of 
five  were  graduated ;  in  1885  and  in  1886  there 
were  seven  graduates. 

In  June  of  1888  the  class  comprised  Kate 
A.  Hurley,  Clara  L.  Pierce,  Mary  E.  Brennan, 
Hattie  M.  Clendenin,  Carrie  L.  Fraser,  Nellie 
M.  White,  Nellie  M.  Serviss,  Ada  C.  Laine, 
Jennie  Oppenheimer,  and  John  F.  Mathews, 
the  last  named  graduate  having  now  served  as 
principal  of  the  Grand  Island  High  Schools 
for  twenty- two  years. 

In  1878  the  school  trustees  for  Grand  Island 
district  were  R.  C.  Jordon,  H.  A.  Koenig, 
John  Wallichs,  O.  A.  Abbott  and  W.  H.  Piatt. 


Their  successors  in  this  office  were  as  follows: 

Elected  April,  1878,  R.  C.  Jordon,  mode- 
rator, W.  H.  Piatt,  director,  H.  A.  Koenig, 
treasurer. 

April,  1879,  trustees  were  R.  C.  Jordon. 
O.  A.  Abbott,  H.  A.  Koenig,  C.  E.  Lykke, 
T.  J.  Hurford,  W.  H.  Piatt,  elected,  0.  A. 
Abbott,  moderator,  director,  W.  H.  Piatt, 
treasurer,  H.  A.  Koenig. 

On  June  17,  1897,  the  board  hired  Prof. 
Olmstead  to  teach  at  $1,000  a  year;  Miss 
Sears,  Miss  Butterfieid,  Miss  Ferguson  were 
employed  as  teachers.  In  July  the  board  em- 
ployed Mrs.  Harrison,  Miss  Watts,  Miss  Mc- 
Nish  and  Miss  Kate  McCarthy  for  the  ensu- 
ing year,  and  in  September  added  Miss  Peter- 
son to  the  force. 

April,  1880,  the  board  organized  with  O.  A 
Abbott  as  moderator,  W.  H.  Piatt,  director, 
and  H.  A.  Koenig,  treasurer.  Teachers  elected 
in  1880  were:  John  Janss,  Sylvia  McNish. 
Mellie  Butterfieid,  Clara  Petersen,  Vina 
Watts,  Kate  McCarthy,  Emma  Sears,  Prof 
Olmstead  as  principal.  In  October,  1880, 
another  teacher  was  found  necessary  and  Mrs 
Kelly  was  selected  at  $25  per  month.  The 
board  at  the  beginning  of  1881  consisted  of 
Abbott,  Hurford,  Jordon  and  Koenig.  Miss 
McNish  resigned  in  December,  1880,  and  Miss 
Butterfieid  resigned  in  March,  1881.  Mrs. 
Boehne  was  hired. 

In  1881  the  board  organized  under  a  new 
school  law  and  the  following  members  were 
elected  at  the  city  election:  C.  P.  Handy. 
T.  J.  Hurford,  Blake  C.  Howard.  J.  P.  Ker- 
nohan,  O.  A.  Abbott,  and  S.  N.  Wolbach,  with 
Howard  as  chairman  and  Kemohan  as  sec- 
retary. Teachers  elected  in  1881  were  John 
Janss,  Belle  Ferguson,  C.  A.  Peterson,  Vina 
Watts,  Emma  Sears,  Kate  McCarthy,  Mrs. 
M.  D.  Boehne,  Anna  Milgate,  Mrs.  Alice 
Kelly.  Later  in  the  term  Alice  Tomlinson. 
Tda  E.  Mack,  Jennie  Alvord,  Katie  Kirk- 
patrick,  L.  E.  Hamilton,  G.  E.  Barber,  Mrs. 
M.  J.  Sprague  were  added  to  the  teaching 
force. 

In  1882  Howard  was  president  and  Ker- 
nohan,  secretary  of  the  board. 


-cog1 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


On  August  14,  1882,  the  following  entry 
appears  on  the  minutes  of  the  Grand  Island 
school  board: 

"Special  meeting  adjourned  from  Aug.  7, 
1882  (at  which  time  the  resignation  of  Prin- 
cipal Grove  E.  Barber  had  been  received). 

"Voted,    that    we    now    ballot    for    Prin. 
Schools  for  the  coming  year.     First  Ballot. 
Robt.  J.  Barr    4  votes 
Sapp    2  votes 
"Robert  J.  Barr  was  declared  elected  and 
secretary    authorized    to    communicate    with 
him." 

And  Mr.  Barr  has  been  serving  Grand 
Island's  public  schools  ever  since,  for  thirty- 
seven  years.  Where  is  a  community  that  can 
match  that  record? 

The  board  in  1883  were  W.  H.  Piatt,  C.  P. 
Handy,  B.  C.  Howard,  Fetherstenaugh,  H. 
C.  Held,  C.  F.  Bentley,  and  organized  with 
Piatt  as  president  and  Bentley  as  secretary. 

In  1884  the  new  board  was  Thomas,  Held, 
Bentley,  Piatt,  Bush  and  Murphy,  organized 
with  Howard,  president,  and  M.  Murphy  as 
secretary. 

In  1885  Messrs.  Held,  Bush,  Piatt  and 
Murphy  held  over  and  two  new  members 
elected  were  Ball  and  Martin. 

In  1886  the  board  members  were  Howard, 
Ball,  Piatt,  Murphy,  Sanders  and  Handy. 

At  a  board  meeting  on  April  4,  1887,  the 
following  resolution  was  adopted : 

"Resolved,  That  we  now  name  our  school 
buildings  and  give  them  names  by  which  they 
will  be  known  hereafter,  dropping  those  names 
of  a  sectional  character. 

"Resolved,  That  the  school  buildings  at  the 
east  and  west  ends  of  the  city  be,  as  already, 
known  by  their  names,  respectively,  of  the 
'Evans'  and  'Wasmer*  schools,  as  that  will 
only  be  an  evidence  of  our  appreciation  of 
the  generosity  of  the  donors. 

"Resolved,  That  we  call  the  high  school 
building  on  the  south  side  the  Dodge  School, 
the  name  commemorating  the  president  of  the 
board,  who  donated  the  land  upon  which  it  is 
located.  [Referring  .  to  Gen.  Grenville  M. 
Dodge  of  Union  Pacific  railroad.]  And  that 
the   north    side   building   be    known    as   the 


Howard  School  in  honor  ( 
long  a  member  and  preside: 

In  June,  1887,  a  commit 
kranz  Society  was  appointt 
obtain  signatures  for  a  pet- 
board,  asking  for  the  teach 
all  of  the  city  schools.  L.  ' 
Ad.  Egge,  Frederick  H« 
nelius  and  Henry  Vieregg 
mittee. 

The  board  in  1887  con 
Howard,  Ball,  Piatt,  Har 
Murphy,  all  holdovers  or  n 
N.  Piatt  as  president  and 
tary.  Teachers  elected  v 
superintendent,  Mrs.  M.  E. 
Anna  L.  Nichols,  Mrs.  C.  ' 
M.  Edwards,  Ida  Hefflemar 
ning,  Lucy  Sanders,  May  I 
Thorn,  Mrs.  R.  C.  Glanvi 
ford,  Anna  West,  Amelia  F. 
Mohrenstecher,  J.  H.  Tho 
viss,  Florence  Horton,  Evs 
Van  Kuren,  Mrs.  Emma 
teachers  for  that  term  wei 
H.  Van  Tine,  Anna  L.  Nu< 
beiss. 

In  1888  Geo.  Mohrenstec 
Ball  on  the  board,  and  he 
tary. 

The  board  in  1889  consist 
Geddes,  Chas.  Rief,  E.  Sor 
ger,  and  Mohrenstecher. 

The  board  of  1890  cbnsisti 
Hockenberger,  Sorenson,  5 
Piatt. 

In  1890  teachers  elected 
Barr,  E.  E.  Cole,  H.  H 
Eisenbeiss,  Hallie  M.  Squii 
Keuren,  Mrs.  C.  F.  Caldu 
May  D.  Lamb,  E.  M.  Moh 
Francis,  Ida  Heffleman,  Mr: 
lin,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Edwards, 
ville,  Mayme  B.  Crownove 
Lillian  Cole,  Kate  M.  Thi 
tine,  Nellie  Murphy,  Mary 
Mathews  (still  principal  t 
1919),  Delia  B.  Edwards, 
Carrie  Fraser,  Rose  Wickwi 


Google 


OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


idith  Whit-  Geddes  was  elected  president  and  Dr.  D.  A. 

Anna  Rief.  Finch  secretary. 

ind  Island's  A.  H.  Waterhouse  was  reelected  principal 

9-1890  was  of  the  high  school  and  Bayard  H.  Paine  (now 

'om  July   1,  district  judge)  and  John  F.  Matthews  (now 

wn  to  $89,-  principal  of   the  high  school)    reelected  and 
E.  A.  McGlasson  elected  principal  of  Howard 

i    forty-one  school. 

ighty-six  on  The  board  in  1897  organized  with  L.  Veil 
as   president,   G.    H.    Geddes,   vice-president, 

lilisen  came  R-  L.  Harrison,  secretary,  and  members,  D.  A. 
Finch,  W.  R.  McAII'ster,  H.  S.  Ferrar,  B.  C. 

of   G.    H.  Howard  and  L.  F.  Farnsworth, 

filler,  Chas.  Before  the  close  of  the  school  year  1897-8 

tt  and  Geo.  Assistant  Principal  Bayard  H.  Paine  became 

enberger  as  court    reporter    for   District  Judge   Jno.   R. 

las.    Milisen  Thompson  and  left  the  school  work, 

place   was  The  board  as  reorganized  on  July  5,  1898, 
comprised  Louis  Veit,  president,  R.  L.  Har- 

July,    1893,  rison,    secretary,    and    members    were    Mc- 

ident,  B.  C.  Allister,  G.  H.  Geddes,  H.  S.  Ferrar,  L.  F. 

xrkenberger,  Farnsworth,  D.  A.  Finch,  B.  C.  Howard  and  a 

>bott,  H.  C.  new  member,  Henry  Rosswick.     High  school 

H.  Geddes,  teachers  elected  in   1898  were  John  F.  Mat- 
thews,  principal,   Miss   Edith   Abbott,   Grace 

94,  were  G.  Bentley,  and   Mrs.   C.  Petersen,   Mrs.   S.  A. 

:e-president,  Clarke  for  music,  M.  M.  Bumham  for  draw- 

bbott,  D.  A.  ing  and  EHa  Blunk  for  German  in  the  grades, 

irrison,   and  In  July,  1899,  Miss  Edith  Abbott  resigned 

ed  as  secre-  as  assistant  principal  of  high  school  and  Miss 
Grace  Abbott  became  her  successor  as  teacher 

$95,  with  L.  of  history.     H.  O.  Sutton,  now  of  the  Kear- 

s  vice-presi  -  ney  Normal  staff,  became  assistant  principal 

and  Messrs.  of   high   school.     The   board    for    1899-1900 

vorth,  G.  H.  were    Messrs.    Veit,    Harrison,    Finch,    Mc- 

.  Frank.  Allister,  Farnsworth,  Howard,  Ferrar,  Ross- 

Thouse  was  wick,  and  Geddes,  being  the  same  members  as 

}1.     He  was  served  the  year  before. 

ie  then   re-  In  July,  1900,  the  board  reorganized.     M. 

,incoln,  Ne-  H.  Wilkins  was  elected  to  fill  a  vacancy,  vice 

he  later  re-  B.   C.   Howard,   deceased.     H.   A.   Edwards 

of   Omaha  came  on  as  new  member  for  three  years,  and 

irs  he  was  G.  H.  Geddes  and  R.  L.  Harrison  were  re- 

at  Fremont,  elected.    L.  Veit,  president,  and  R-  L.  Harri- 

ccupies.  son,  secretary,  were  reelected  and  L.  F.  Farns- 

board  were  worth  chosen  as  vice-president. 

and   G.    H.  During   the   ensuing  year   the   board   was 

re  Howard,  composed    of    Messrs.    Veit,    Wilkins,    Mc- 

t  and  Finch.  Allister,  H.  S.  Farpsr,  L.  F.  Farnsworth,  G- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


359 


H.  Geddes,  H.  Rosswick.  and  R.  L.  Harrison.- 
Mr.  Harrison  died  in  February,  1901,  and  A. 
Cosh  was  appointed  in  his  place. 

In  1901  Lewis  S.  Moore  was  elected  for  a 
term  of  three  years  and  Bayard  H.  Paine  for 
a  term  of  two  years,  and  Messrs.  Veit  and 
Cosh  reelected. 

From  that  time  on  the  new  members  and  old 
members  reelected  to  serve  on  the  board,  each 

1902  —  C.  B.  Norris,  new  member,  vice 
L.  F.  Farnsworth,  otherwise  the  board  re- 
mained Ihe  same. 

1903  — B.  H.  Paine,  H.  A.  Edwards  and 
Henry  Rosswick  were  reelected. 

1904  —  A.  Cosh,  L.  S.  Moore  and  Louis 
Veit  were  reelected  for  a  term  of  three  years. 

I90S—  H.  S.  Farrar  and  W.  R.  McAllister 
were  reelected  and  Mr.  John  Dohrn  came  onto 
the  board. 

1906 — Messrs.  H.  A.  Edwards,  and  Henry 
Rosswick  were  reelected  and  Chas.  B.  Norris 
came  back  to  the  board. 

1907  —  Louis  Veit  was  reelected  and  Chas. 
Fralick  and  Dr.  B.  R.  McGrath  succeeded  Dr. 
Moore  and  Mr.  Cosh. 

1908  —  John  Dohrn  was  reelected  and  Wm. 
T.  Alden  and  John  R.  Geddes  succeeded 
Messrs.  Ferrar  and  MeAllister. 

1909  — H.  A.  Edwards  and  Chas.  B.  Norris 
were  reelected  for  three  year  terms  and  A.  J. 
Bamnann  came  onto  the  board  for  a  full  term 
and  Wm.  Scheffel  was  elected  for  a  two  year 
term  vice  Alden,  and  Henry  Vieregg  for  a 
one  year  term,  to  succeed  Louis  Veit,  who  died 
after  serving  as  a  member  of  the  board  for 
seventeen  years. 

1910  —  Vieregg  and  Dr.  McGrath  were  re- 
elected for  three  years  and  A.  B.  Harriott 
succeeded  Mr.  Fralick. 

1911  — Scheffel  and  Dohrn  were  reelected 
and  Simon  E.  Sinke  succeeded  Geddes. 

1912  —  A.  J.  Bamnann  was  reelected  and 
Jos.  R.  Fulton  and  Jens  Rasmussen  succeeded 
Norris  and  Edwards. 

1913  — Dr.  B.  R.  McGrath  was  reelected, 
with  Mrs.  Grace  Bentley  Paine  and  Mrs. 
Jennie  S.  Shuman  as  the  new  members.  These 


two  women  served  the  full  term  of  three  years 
and  were  not  candidates  for  reelection  and 
were  the  only  women  who  have  served  as 
members  up  to  the  date  of  the  publication  of 
this  history.  During  this  period  domestic 
science  and  manual  training  were  added  to 
the  course  of  study. 

1914 — Simon  E.  Sinke  was  reelected  and 
O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  and  J.  E.  Lyle  came  onto 
the  board. 

1915  —  A.  J.  Baumann  and  Jens  Rasmussen 
were  reelected  and  Julius  Boeck"  succeeded  Mr. 
Fulton. 

1916 — Three  new  members  were  elected, 
Theo.  P.  Boehm,  Carl  H.  Menck  and  Fred- 
erick H.  Colwell. 

1917  — O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  J.  E.  Lyle  and 
Simon  E.  Sinke  were  reelected. 

1918  — E.  H.  Baker,  W.  A.  Druliner  and 
Herman  Nelson  were  elected.  Mr.  Drulinger 
resigned  to  become  janitor  of  high  school  and 
P.  Ralph  Neumeyer  was  appointed  to  fill  the 
vacancy.  Menck,  Neumeyer  and  Dr.  Choltette 
were  elected  in  1919. 

DISTRICT  26   (DONIPHAN) 

In  1875  District  26  reported  twenty-two 
children  of  school  age  residing  therein,  sixteen 
in  attendance,  and  160  days  of  school  for  that 
year.  William  H.  Sampson  received  $75  for 
teaching  the  term,  and  $9  was  reported  for 
fuel  and  other  purposes.  McGuffey's  and 
Sanders  spellers,  McGuffey's  and  Hilliard 
readers,  Spencerian  writing  books,  Ray's  arith- 
metic and  -Carnell's  geographies  were  used 
to  instruct  the  pioneer  youth  of  the  Doniphan 
community. 

The  report  was  made  by  Director  Eli  M. 
Burger,  and  showed  the  following  families 
then  residing  in  the  district,  and  their  children 
of  school  age : 

Eli  M.  Burger  (Wm.  E.  Minnie  M.  John 
E.),  Wm.  J.  Burger  (Flora),  Samuel  Kill- 
patrick  (Franklin,  Wm.  T.,  Rhoda  L.  E.,  M. 
A.  E.),  H.  C.  Denman  (Jeanie),  Wm.  Barber 
(Cora,  Ennis),  C.  T.  Poe  (Sarah  B.  Furger- 
son,  Frederick,  Margeret  Foe),  J.  T.  Steams 
(Alonza,    Minie,    Stephen,   Tabitha,    Hattie), 

oogle 


COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

was  continued  until  some  years  later  it  was 
organized  into  District  No.  5.  It  was  not 
until  1872  that  the  settlement  was  advanced 
sufficiently  around  the  present  site  of  Wood 
River  to  organize  a  school.  In  that  year  Dis- 
trict Nfa.  8  was  organized  with  Hi  Jones, 
David  Barrick  and  Joseph  Dunphy  as  a  board 
of  trustees  and  Miss  Rebekah  Hileman  (later 
Mrs  Hi  Jones)  was  installed  a  teacher  in  a 
little  school  house  just  outside  the  present 
corporate  limits  of  Wood  River,  and  eleven 
pupils  were  enrolled.  Following  Miss  Hile- 
man, John  Allan,  so  well  known  to  Hall 
County  people  for  his  long  faithful  service 
as  clerk  of  the  district  court  and  abstractor 
in  years  since  then,  "taught  the  young  idea 
how  to  shoot."  In  1882  Charles  Thompson 
was  elected  principal  and  Mrs.  Anna  Buden- 
burg  assistant,  with  two  additional  teachers. 
It  was  in  this'  year  that  the  large  frame 
school  building  was  commenced,  it  having 
at  that  time  four  rooms.  Prof.  Thompson 
was  succeeded  by  Prof.  F.  L.  Morris  who 
had  charge  of  the  schools  from  the  fall  of 
1883  to  the  fall  of  1885,  when  Prof.  Thomp- 
son was  again  elected  principal  and  served 
in  that  capacity  until  1888  when  he  was  suc- 
seeded  by  Prof.  W.  L.  Sprague,  who  con- 
tinued at  the  head  of  the  school  until  1894 
when  he  accepted  a  position  as  cashier  of  the 
Citizens'  State  Bank.  Following  Prof.  Sprague 
came  Prof.  A.  H.  Seymour,  and  in   1895  he 

-  was  succeeded  by  Prof.  J.   H.  Ellison,  who 
taught   for  one  year,  and  his  successor  was 

•  Prof.   J.   A.   Beard   who   stayed   four  years. 

■  Prof.   Baker,    1902-1907;    Stephenson,    1907- 
l  1909;    Hull,    1909-1912;    Vance,    1912-1913: 

■  Colbert,  1913-1914,  and  in  1914,  Prof.  Julian. 

■  who  is  still  in  charge  of  Wood  River's  schools 

■  came. 

"         In   recent  years   Wood  River  has   erected 
1     a  splendid  school  building,  modem  in  even- 
respect. 

DISTRICT   NO.    12    (ALDA) 

The  report  for  the  year  1872,  made  by  Thos. 
i     Mitchell,  director,  showed  nine  boys  and  six- 

-  teen  girls  of  school  age,  with  eleven  boys  and 
1     twelve  girls  actually  attending  school  in  thai 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


361 


district.  One  hundred  and  twenty  days  of 
school  were  taught  by  John  Harrison  and  Mrs. 
Jenny  Sweet,  each  teaching  one-half  term. 
The  school  house  cost  $1,790  to  build,  repairs 
$4  and  rent  $15  were  shown  also  for  that 
year.  Fuel  was  $24.90,  and  $210  was  paid 
to  the  teachers. 

The  families  then  residing  in  the  district, 
with  children  of  school  age  were:  Wallace 
Spirk  (Cora,  Mary,  Florence),  W.  Farr 
(Earnest),  C.  L.  Goodrich  (Eva  Goodrich), 
Mrs,  McCarty  (Catherine),  D.  Barnholster 
(George,  Mary,  Elizabeth),  Jenny  Sweet 
(Minie),  Mr.  Straub  (James,  William,  George, 
Lydie,  Amelia,  Mary  and  Gorden),  A.  J. 
Lockeby  (Hiram),  John  Watsen  (Claten, 
Martha),  J.  H.  Andrews  (William),  William 
Mitchell  (Merry),  E.  Brown,  guardian  (Ad- 
die  Delap),  and  Thomas  Mitchell  (H.  F.,  John 
and  Caudis). 

Text  books  used  were  Worcester's  spell- 
ing, Hillard's  readers,  John  H.  French's  arith- 
metic, Gyatt's  geographies,  Harvey's  grammar 
and  Goodrich's  histories. 

district  no.  72  (Cairo) 
A  petition  was  presented  on  August  30, 
1886,  signed  by  the  proper  number  of  quali- 
fied resident  tax-payers  asking  that  certain 
sections  be  detached  from  School  District  58 
and  joined  with  certain  sections  in  District  64, 
and  a  new  district  formed.  The  petition  was 
sworn  to  and  presented  by  O.  L.  Brainard. 
After  being  favorably  acted  upon,  this  new  dis- 
trict became  No.  72.  A  partial  report  was 
made  for  the  school  year  beginning  in  the  fall 
of  1886  by  District  72  and  part  of  the  work  re- 
ported by  District  58,  by  G.  W.  Tingley, 
director,  filed  on  the  8th  of  April,  1887,  a 
new  school  census,  which  showed  the  follow- 
ing families  then  residing  in  that  new  district, 
who  had  children  of  school  age :  G.  W.  Ting- 
ley  (Belle,  Edwin,  Walter  G.),  Wm  Thomp- 
son (Maybell),  Geo  Elfers  (Birtha),  Mr. 
Chase  (Edward,  John,  Arthur,  Chase),  (Al- 
bert Wingert),  Wm.  Ofield  (Frank,  William, 
Mary,  Lottie,  Reta,  Lucy,  Emma,  Ida),  D.  T. 
Cline  (Bessie,  Lucien  Cline,  Carrie  Hammer), 
Sherman    Dunlap    (Nellie    Gillette),    Joseph 


Hancock  (Pearly,  Minnie,  Thomas),  W.  H. 
Jump  (Myrtle  and  Ethel),  and  M.  Mann 
(George). 

During  the  tern  ending  in  1887,  the  teacher 
was  Lura  Maxon,  and  the  report  showed 
eleven  boys  and  sixteen  girls  between  five  and 
twenty-one  years  and  two  below  five  in  at- 
tendance. Sixty  days  of  school  were  held  for 
the  term,  and  the  teacher  received  $30  per 
month. 

DISTRICT  no.  80 

Upon  October  12,  1901,  Fred  Stolley  filled 
a  petition  with  the  county  superintendent,  ask- 
ing that  all  land  situated  between  the  south 
channel  and  the  north  bank  of  the  the  middle 
channel  of  the  Platte  River,  now  in  District 
Number  28  be  set  out  and  formed  in  a  district 
known  as  District  No.  80.  That  "if  said  peti- 
tion should  be  granted  that  it  be  done  upon  the 
condition  that  if  at  any  time  there  is  no  need 
for  a  school  in  said  newly  formed  district, 
the  land  shall  fall  back  to  district  twenty- 
eight." 

This  new  district  was  the  last  regularly 
formed  district  in  Hall  County,  and  at  the 
opening  of  the  year  1919  was  .running  under 
the  direction  of  its  original  board,  Fred  Stol- 
ley, Grand  Island,  Mrs.  A.  Schimmer,  Grand 
Island,  and  Julius  Peters,  Grand  Island. 

DISTRICT  NO.  101 

Halt  County's  youngest  school  district  is 
her  share  of  a  new  consolidated  district 
formed  in  the  extreme  southeastern  corner, 
out  of  territory  in  Clay,  Adams,  Hamilton 
and  Hall  Counties. 

The  Hall  County  students  attending  this 
consolidated  school  for  school  year  were: 
Imogene,  Genevieve  and  Lucile,  children  of 
Wm.  Hazle,  Trumbull,  Nebraska,  Lucile, 
daughter  of  W.  E.  Christopher,  Raymond  and 
Elgin,  children  of  Homer  Loucks,  Marjorie 
and  Delbert,  children  of  Truman  Barrows, 
Thomas  and  Marie,  children  of  L.  Stevenson, 
Harold,  son  of  John  Hazle,  and  Elwood,  son 
of  F.  E.  Castle. 

The  number  of  children  of  school  age  in 
Hall  County  has  been  increasing  steadily  dur- 
ing the  past  decade.    The  same  condition  ap- 


362 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


plies  to  school  children  in  the  city  of  Grand 
Island.  But  the  school  population  in  the  rural 
districts,  or  outside  Grand  Island,  has  been 
growing  less  during  the  past  ten  years. 

This  astonishing  fact  was  shown  when  the 
school  census  taken  in  each  rural  school  dis- 
trict was  compiled  in  the  office  of  county 
superintendent  in  1919.  A  comparison  of 
the  census  facts  of  this  year  with  1918  dis- 
covers that  there  were  147  children  fewer  in 
the  rural  districts  this  year  than  in  1918.  In 
fact  there  are  fewer  school  children  now  than 
ten  years  ago  in  the  rural  districts. 

Reasons  for  this  state  of  affairs  are  diffi- 
cult to  find.  Some  explanations  have  been 
offered,  but  naturally  they  are  only  guesses. 
One  is  that  many  farmers  have  been  moving 
to  Grand  Island  in  order  to  take  advantage 
of  better  school  facilities  permitted  there.  An- 
other suggestion  is  that  the  birth  rate  has  been 
lower,  large  families  not  being  so  customary 
as  in  former  years. 

The  total  number  of  children  of  school  age 
—  that  is,  between  five  and  twenty-one  —  in 
the  county  outside  of  Grand  Island,  as  shown 
by  the  1919  census  is  3,058.  In  1918 
there  were  3,205  children  of  school  age  in 
the  rural  districts.  Ten  years  ago,  or  in  1909, 
there  were  3,188  children  in  the  same  school 
districts. 

The  following  table  shows  changes  in 
school  population.  The  first  column  shows  the 
year,  the  second  column  shows  the  total  school 
population,  the  third  column  shows  the  city 
school  population,  and  the  last  column  the 
school  children  in  the  rural  districts. 

Year                               County  City  Rural 

1919 3,058 

1918 6,725  3,520  3,205 

1917 6,421  3,375  2,986 

1916 6,297  3,311  2,986 

1915 6,347  3,250  3,097 

1914 6,194  3,149  3,045 

1913 6,156  3,040  3,116 

1912  : 6,094  2,870  3,224 

1911 5,783  2,676  3,107 

1910  5,707  2,553  3,154 

1909 5,840  2,652  3,188 


A  comparison  also  was  made  by  The  In- 
dependent of  the  changes  in  school  population 
in  other  towns  in  the  county  than  Grand  Is- 
land. The  result  showed  Wood  River  had 
more  school  children  than  ten  years  ago.  Alda 
had  fewer  school  children  this  year  than  in 
1909.  The  same  is  true  with  Doniphan.  Cairo 
has  more  this  year  than  in  1909,  though  fewer 
than  in  any  of  the  five  years  previous  to 
1919.  During  the  entire  eleven  years,  1909 
to  1919  inclusive,  the  banner  year  according 
to  school  population  was  1912  for  Wood 
River,  1909  for  Alda,  1916  for  Doniphan, 
and  1916  for  Cairo. 

The  following  table  shows  the  changes  in 
school  population  in  these  towns  since  1909: 

Wood  Doni 

Year                 River  Alda  phan  Cairo 

1919 325  93  165  1S2 

1918 301  93  174  177 

1917 304  93  174  194 

1916 322  89  195  207 

1915 332  82  182  195 

1914 315  78  168  161 

1913 311  93  159  140 

1912 334    '  100  157  154 

1911 318  81  161  139 

1910 308  97  165  135 

1909 319  101  174  123 

GRAND  ISLAND  BUSINESS  AND  NORMAL  COLLEGE 

Another  excellent  educational'  institution 
which  though  a  private  institution  has  been  an 
iportant  factor  in  the  educational  activities 
of  Hall  County,  is  the  Grand  Island  Business 
and  Normal  College.  This  institution  was 
started  in  188S  by  Prof.  Hargis,  Prof  Rucker 
and  Prof  Evans.  The  beginning  was  very 
small  with  an  insignificant  number  of  pupils, 
and  some  of  the  citizens  came  to  the  assist- 
ance by  buying  certificates  of  scholarship, 
though  they  had  no  immediate  use  for  them. 
During  the  slow  progress  of  the  first  years 
of  the  school.  Profs.  Evans  and  Rucker  re- 
tired, and  Prof  Hargis  and  his  wife,  the  sister 
of  Prof.  Evans  and  then  the  teacher  of  short- 
hand in  the  school,  took  sole  charge.  The 
number  of  scholars  grew  rapidly,  the  faculty 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Grand  Island  Business  and  Normal  College 


d  by  Google 


364 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


enlarged  and  more  rooms  added  to  the  quar- 
ters of  the  school.  By  1897  the  institution 
used  the  whole  upper  floor  of  a  building  at 
Third  and  Spruce.  A  business  course,  a  nor- 
mal course,  and  a  shorthand  course  have  been 
the  main  courses  offered  by  the  school.  The 
school  has  in  recent  years  been  quartered  in 
the  five-story  building  at  South  Locust  street, 
between  Second  and  Third  streets.  Prof. 
Hargis  is  now  residing  in  Los  Angeles,  and 
Prof.  A.  L.  Dunn,  who  has  acquired  in  inter- 
est in  the  school,  is  the  resident  manager  of 
the  institution.  This  school  has  grown  to 
such  proportons  that  it  has  a  very  numerous 
faculty  and  at  times  in  the  year  has  an  enroll- 
ment exceeding  300  students.  Its  importance 
as  a  contributing  factor  to  the  commercial 
institutions  of  the  town  through  the  large 
number  of  students  it  brings  from  several 
states,  for  their  board,  room-rent  and  cloth- 
ing expenses  are  no  small  factor  in  the  com- 
mercial business  of  the  city,  and  its  contribu- 
tion to  the  postal  receipts  of  the  town,  en- 
title it  to  be  considered  with  the  commercial  as 
well  as  the  educational  institutions  of  the  city 
and  county. 

GRAND  ISLAND   COLLEGE 

By  Rev.  R.  R.  Coon 

As  early  as  1867  the  Baptists  of  Nebraska, 
in  the  first  meeting  of  the  state  convention, 
passed  resolutions  favoring  a  school  of  higher 
learning.  But  more  than  a  score  of  years 
passed  before  a  college  was  started  in  Grand 
Island.  This  city  donated  for  these  purposes 
property  including  two  brick  buildings  and 
twelve  to  fifteen  acres  of  land,  valued  at  about 
$60,000.  The  school  opened  in  October,  1892, 
as  an  academy  with  Prof.  A.  M.  Wilson  act- 
ing as  president.  The  enrollment  of  pupils 
was  fifty  during  that  year.  The  year  closed 
in  doubt  and  discouragement. 

In  1893  Dr.  George  Sutherland,  then  of 
Ottawa  University,  Kansas,  was  elected  presi- 
dent and  at  once  took  charge  of  the  work.  As 
president,  almost  founder,  he  has  rendered  a 
service  beyond  estimate  during  eighteen  years 
presidency.     The  academy  was  changed  to  a 


College,  indebtedness  was  met,  a  faculty  was 
secured,  and  the  College  opened  with  forty 
students,  with  a  score  or  more  entering  dur- 
ing the  year.  This  was  an  encouraging  and 
heroic  beginning.  But  1894  brought  another 
year  of  trial,  the  year  of  the  great  drouth 
By  patience  and  persistence  the  president  with 
the  assistance  of  the  Baptist  pastor,  Dr.  E.  F. 
Jorden,  brought  the  institution  through  the 
financial  crisis  and  gave  it  permanency ;  Dr. 
Jorden's  efficient  work  was  entirely  gratui- 
tous. The  first  class  to  graduate  was  in  1895 
and  consisted  of  but  one  person,  Mrs.  Grace 
Bentley  Paine. 

The  administration  was  fortunate,  about  this 
time,  in  securing  Dr.  A.  S.  Merrifield  as 
financial  secretary,  who  during  eleven  years  of 
service,  raised  over  $100,000  for  the  school, 
securing  large  donations  from  eastern  capital- 
ists. The  city  of  Grand  Island  has  been  most 
willing  with  generous  donations,  and  its  finan- 
cial help  has  gone  far  in  making  the  work 
successful. 

The  college  at  present  has  five  buildings: 
the  administration  building,  a  three-story  brick 
building  with  twenty-seven  rooms ;  Hibbs  Hall, 
the  girls  dormitory,  with  rooms  for  100  girls, 
the  gift  of  John  A.  Hibbs  of  Omaha;  Grand 
Island  Hall,  boys'  dormitory;  these  buildings 
have  hot  and  cold  water,  electric  lights,  and 
modern  conveniences ;  the  power  house ;  and 
the  gymnasium,  built  largely  by  the  enterprise 
of  the  students  and  Alumni. 

The  college  has  an  excellent  library  of  10.- 
000  volumes,  now  located  in  the  rooms  of  the 
administration  building,  but  greatly  in  need 
of  a  separate  building.  The  faculty  has  usually 
numbered  from  twelve  to  fourteen  during  the 
past  twenty  years.  More  than  twenty-five  hun- 
dred students  have  enrolled  in  its  history.  In 
the  hall  of  the  main  building  is  hanging  a 
service  flag  showing  seventy-nine  stars,  four 
of  which  are  in  gold;  a  mute  but  eloquent 
witness  to  the  par)  that  the  students  have  had 
in  the  world  war. 

In  scholarship  the  institution  has  taken  a 
high  rank.  The  first  year  the  Rhodes  scholar- 
ships were  offered  this  was  the  only  college  or 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


dings  Grand  Island  College 


1  b»  Google 


366 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


university  in  the  state  that  successfully  passed 
all  its  candidates  for  the  examination.  Many 
of  its  students  have  won  master's  and  doctor's 
degrees  in  the  University  of  Chicago.  Its  ora- 
tors have  five  times. taken  first  place  in  state 
oratorical  contests.  The  Alumni  and  former 
students,  found  in  almost  all  professions  and 
occupations,  are  the  greatest  argument  to  prove 
the  value  of  the  institution.  Scattered  in  all 
parts  of  the  state  and  in  many  other  states 
they  forcibly  testify  to  the  contribution  the 
college  has  made  to  public  welfare. 

After  a  year,  in  which  the  college  closed  for 
the  purposes  of  reorganizing  its  affairs  gener- 
ally, the  plans  have  been  laid  for  reopening  in 
1919  on  a  larger  scale  than  ever.  The  pros- 
pects for  the  future  can  best  be  outlined  by 
presenting  here  a  review  of  the  situation,  pub- 
lished recently  in  the  Independent : 

Mr.  York,  the  state  secretary,  reported  that 
$165,000  has  already  been  raised  in  the  finan- 
cial campaign  which  is  just  closing  and  that 
the  total  will  probably  §o  to  $175,000.  In 
view  of  the  success  of  this  effort  the  trustees 
voted  to  proceed  at  once  with  the  selection 
of  a  standard  faculty  and  with  other  plans 
which  had  been  worked  out  for  the  standard- 
izing of  the  school.  Dean  Arthur  T.  Bel- 
knap of  Franklin  college  has  been  chosen 
president  of  the  institution. 

President  Belknap  was  born  in  Framing- 
ham,  Mass.,  February  8,  1872.  He  grad- 
uated from  the  Framingham  High  School 
and  in  1893  from  Brown  University,  Provi- 
dence, Rhode  Island,  with  the  degree  of  A.  D. 
Three  years  later  he  received  his  Master  De- 
gree from  the  same  institution.  He  is  also 
a  graduate  of  Newton  Theological  Institution, 
Newton  Centre,  Mass.,  and  holds  the  degree 
of  S.  T.  B.  and  he  has  been  a  graduate  stu- 
dent of  history  in  Harvard  University. 

Mr.  Belknap  is  a  minister  of  the  Baptist 
denomination,  having  been  ordained  at  San- 
ford,  Maine,  February  26,  1897,  and  served 
on  the  active  pastorate  for  a  period  of  nine 
years.  First  at  Stanford,  Maine,  then  at  An- 
dover,  Massachusetts,  and  last  at  the  Jeffer- 
son Street  Baptist  Church,  Providence  Rhode 
Island.  This  experience  gave  him  an  intimate 
knowledge  of  denominational  organization 
and  work  and  makes  it  possible  for  him  to 
articulate  readily  the  work  of  the  college  with 
the  denominational  needs. 

In  1907  he  was  called  to  the  professorship 


of  English  and  expression  in  Franklin  Col- 
lege at  Franklin,  Indiana.  He  has  served 
continuously  in  this  position  until  the  present 
time. 

His  popularity  with  the  students  was  such 
that  when  the  daily  papers  announced  that  be 
was  considering  the  presidency  of  Grand  Is- 
land College  a  petition  was  presented  to  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Franklin  College  re- 
questing that  they  do  every  thing  in  their 
power  to  retain  the  services  of  Dean  Bel- 
knap at  Franklin. 

When  he  took  the  train  at  Franklin  for 
Grand  Island  students  and  faculty  escorted 
him  in  a  body  to  the  station  thus  expressing 
their  deep  affection  for  him. 

His  standing  with  the  business  (men  of 
Franklin  was  equally  high. 

After  the  selection  of  the  president  the 
Board  considered  applications  for  various 
other  positions  on  the  college  faculty.  Un- 
der the  new  plan  the  academy  will  consist 
of  the  eleventh  and  twelfth  grades  of  high 
school  work  and  will  be  operated  separately 
from  the  College  proper  with  a  separate  corps 
of  instructors. 

The  college  faculty  will  consist  of  nine  mem- 
bers in  addition  to  the  President. 

The  Conservatory  will  be  as  thoroughly  re- 
organized as  the  College  has  been.  Commod- 
ious headquarters  will  be  provided  for  the 
Conservatory  at  the  college  building.  The 
present  quarters  in  the  Glover  building  will 
be  retained  as  an  annex  for  the  convenience 
of  the  local  constituency.  The  new  conserva- 
tory faculty  will  consist  of  four  department- 
al heads  viz.,  voice,  piano,  violin,  and  expres- 
sion, and  several  assistants. 

After  very  lengthy  and  careful  considera- 
tion of  all  the  factors  involved  the  Board  of 
trustees  came  unanimously  to  the  conclusion 
that  it  is  financially  impracticable  and  educa- 
tionally unwise  to  operate  a  commercial  De- 
partment of  business  college  and  better  deter- 
mined that  it  shall  not  hereafter  be  a  part  of 
the  college  work  or  function. 

On  the  other  hand  the  work  of  the  normal 
department  will  be  greatly  strengthened. 
Courses  similar  to  and  of  equal  rank  with  the 
State  Normal  schools  will  be  thoroughly  given 
under  the  best  teachers. 


PAROCHIAL  SCHOOLS 

In  addition  to  the  splendid  public   school 

system  maintained  by  Hall  County  and  the 

colleges  already  detailed,  there  has  been  main- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


367 


tained  a  remarkable  system  of  parochial 
schools  in  Hall  County. 

The  Catholic  parochial  school  of  St.  Mary's 
is  intended  for  the  education  of  the  children 
of  the  Catholic  families,  is  conducted  by  the 
Sisters  of  Charity  and  gives  instructions  in 
all  of  the  common  branches,  in  the  United 
States  history  and  required  subjects  to  pre- 
pare the  children  for  entrance  into  the  high 
school,  or  for  college  if  they  pursue  its  entire 
course  of  study. 

The  high  standing  of  this  school  was  at- 


tested by  the  fact  that  all  its  teachers  hold 
certificates  complying  with   the  new   law   re- 
quiring a  teacher  in  paroch 
equal   qualifications   with   i 
school,  and  they  all  did  so  fc 
passed  last  spring. 

The   parochial    schools 
parish  of  the   Evangelical 
church,  and  the  one  condu 
gelicat  Lutheran   St.  Paul 
treated  in  the  church  chapt< 


d  by  Google 


chapter  xx 
:ernal  and  social  organizations  of  hall  county 

5  County  —  Masonic  Lodges —  Ashlar    Lodge    No.    33,    Grand    Island—  , 
er  No.  11,  R.  A.  M.  —  Mr.  Lebanon  Commandery,  No.  6,  K.  T.  — Masonic 
ociation —  Cement  Lodge  No.  211,  Wood  River  —  I.  O.  O.  F. — Grand  Is-  , 
>Jo.  22 —  Wood  River  Lodge,  158,  by  W.  L.   Sprague  —  Chamberlain  En- 

—  Truth  Rebekah  (Mrs.  Luella  B.  Nelson)  t— Wood  River  Rebekah  287 
>F  Pythias  —  Nysian  Lodge  46  —  Ancient   Order  of   United  Workmen—   ' 

—  Harmony  Lodge  37  —  Charity  Lodge  91  —  Other  A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodges  — 
nor  —  Knichts  op  Columbus  — Elks  —  Eagles  —  Moose  —  Royal  Highland 
V —  Maccabees —  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  —  Woodmen  of  the  World  ; 
.thletic  Organizations  —  Lodges  in  the  'Seventies  —  Organizations  is 
ties  —  In   the  Last  Quarter  Century — Wheel  Clubs  —  Liederkranz 
etche  Vereen  —  Country  Clubs  —  Wood  River's  Lodges — Doniphan's 

—  St.  Cecelia  Society  — T.  P.  A.  — U.  C.  T.  — Ladies  Auxiliary  B.  ! 

of  R.  T.  — Y.  M.  C.  A.  — Y.  W.  C.  A. 


dvantages  of  Hall  County  have 
juld  be  desired  by  any  commun- 
loteworthy  fraternal  .organiza- 
represented  in  this  county,  and 
Unary  social  organizations  have 
;.  A  review  of  these  gives  a 
«ew  of  the  development  of  the 
d  the  changing  habits  and  tastes 
:rom  decade  to  decade, 
ampliation  of  these  organiza- 
r  to  year  has  brought  to  this  list 
it  ions,  clubs  and  lodges  which 
shed  a  few  years,  and  disap- 
mblic  view.  Of  many  of  these 
ased  activity  no  lengthy  details 
ected,  but  it  has  been  felt  that 
iot  be  entirely  forgotten.  An 
lity  has  been  given  to  all  of  the 
izations  to  furnish  facts  relat- 
story,  and  it  will  be  noted  that 
hem  have  responded,  at  least  in- 
resent  officers  could  do  so.  In 
:es  past  records  seem  to  have 
Displaced,  and  in  a  few  other 


instances  no  response  has  been  received.  ; 
though  about  seven  months  of  opportunity  has  ; 
been  extended  to  furnish  such  information.  \ 
This  explanation  is  made  so  that  the  reader 
will  understand  there  has  been  no  intention  to  ! 
favor  any  one  order  or  organization  with  more 
attention  than  any  other.  An  organization 
which  has  been  conducted  for  thirty  or  forty  j 
years  steadily  and  whose  records  are  such  that  I 
full  detailed  roster  of  the  members  who  have 
carried  its  burdens  and  responsibilities  are ', 
available,  naturally  and  deservedly  receives  a 
liberal  space  for  its  historical  presentation. 

masonic  lodges 

The  first  manifestation  of  lodge  activity  in 
Hall  County  was  the  formation  of  a  Masonic 
lodge.  The  low  number  assigned  to  the  Grand  j 
Island  lodge  of  this  order  also  shows  that  its 
formation  was  rather  early  in  the  lodge  history ' 
of  the  state  of  Nebraska. 

Ashlar  Lodge  No.  33,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  the  j 
first  lodge  of  this- order  in  Hall  County,  was! 
organized  October  5,  1870,  and  at  the  session 

8 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


369 


of  the  Grand  Lodge  at  Lincoln  in  1871  appli- 
cation was  made  in  proper  form  for  a  charter 
and  the  same  was  granted.  Its  report  then 
showed  thirty-four  Master  Masons,  nineteen 
initiated,  seventeen  passed,  and  seventeen 
raised.  The  charter  members  were  O.  A.  Ab- 
bott, Sr.,  Jos.  B.  Adams,  Chas.  E.  Ames,  P. 
H.  Baylor,  Daniel  C.  Bond,  John  ].  Bowers, 
Horace  M.  Chapman,  Phillip  Dietz,  Ludwig 
Engle,  L.  J.  Hanchett,  J.  P.  Handy,  C.  P. 
Henderson,  Jos.  Hensley,  Chas.  L.  Howell, 
F.  H.  Huff,  Jno.  T.  Hutchinson,  Robert  C. 
Jordon,  B.  B.  Kelly,  W.  T.  Kelley,  Warren 
Lloyd,  Patrick  Touhey,  Henry  Makeley,  James 
Michelson,  John  D.  Moore,  Elias  Meunch, 
C.  Obermiller,  C.  E.  Robinson,  L.  W.  Rollins, 
0.  B.  Sharpless,  Samuel  W.  Smith,  C.  W. 
Thomas,  Geo.  H.  Thummel,  Jas.  Tout,  C.  D. 
M.  Washburn,  and  Geo.  E.  Wilson.  The 
first  officers  were  R.  C.  Jordon,  W.  M.,  O.  A. 
Abbott,  S.,  G.  E.  Wilson,  S.  W.,  S.  J.  Saxe 
S.  D.,  G.  H.  Thummel,  J.  W.,  Elias  Munch, 
J.  D.,  P.  H.  Baylor,  treasurer,  and  W.  Loyd, 
tyler. 
At  the    time   the   charter  was   granted   in 

1871  the  officers  were  Geo.  H.  Thummel,  W. 
M.,  Geo.  E.  Wilson,  S.  W.,  and  P.  H.  Bay- 
lor, J.  W.  The  number  of-members  increased 
from  seventeen  at  the  start  until  sixty-one  in 
1876. 

The  responsible  office  of  Worshipful  Master 
has  been  filled  by  the  following:  R.  C.  Jordon 
and   G.    H.    Thummel    in    1870   and    1871; 

1872  Geo.  H.  Thummel;  1873  Geo.  E. 
Wilson;  1874,  O.  A.  Abbott;  1875-1876 
Wm.  A.  Deuel;  1877,  Wm.  H.  Piatt;  1878, 
0.  A.  Abbott;  1879-1880,  Robt.  C.  Jordon; 
1881,  David  Ackerman,  Jr.;  1882,  Charles  L. 
Howell;  1883,  Blake  C.  Howard;  1884-1885- 
1886,  Chas  F.  Rollins;  1887,  John  D.  Moore; 
1888-1889,  Chris  Schlotfeld;  1890,  Chas.  F. 
Rollins;  1891,  Geo.  P.  Dean;  1892,  Sam  Hex- 
ter;  1893;  C.  P.  R.  Williams;  1894,  Louis 
Schmidt;  1895,  D.  Spethman;  1896,  W.  A. 
Prince;  1897,  R.  R.  Watson;  1898,  J.  E. 
Wright;  1899,  Sam  Hexter;  1900-1901,  R.  R. 
Watson;  1902,  A.  Cosh;  1903,  C.  P.  Birk; 
1904,  D.  E.  Ryder ;  1905,  Thomas  Robinson ; 


1906,  Geo.  H.  Miller;  1907,  Wm.  T.  Alden; 
1908,  Emil  H.  Vieregg;  1909  Oscar  R. 
Kirschke;  1910,  Henry  Allan;  1911,  Jas.  H. 
Miller;  1913,  C.  A.  Huss ;  1914,  Chris.  Michel, 
son;  1915,  Jesse  D.  Whitmore;  1916,  Chas. 
E.  Fuhrer;  1917,  Emil  Wolbach;  1918,  Frank 
Alden  and  1919,  B.  E.  Bowersox. 

The  secretaries  of  the  Lodge  have  been, 
O.  A.  Abbott,  three  years;  C.  W.  Thomas, 
one  year;  H.  P.  Makeley,  one  year;  W,  H, 
Piatt,  one  year;  C.  L.  Howell,  three  years; 
Jay  E.  White,  one  year;  C.  L.  Howell,  one 
year;  D.  H.  Vieths,  three  years;  Nathan 
Piatt,  one  year;  E.  A.  Barnes,  two  years; 
Oscar  Wells,  one  year;  J.  B.  Ferguson,  one 
year;  C.  W.  Brininger,  three  years;  R.  J. 
Barr,  one  year ;  Oscar  Wells,  1894-1901 ;  John 
G.  Menck,  1901-2;  Oscar  Wells,  1902-06; 
and  Robert  R.  Watson  from  1906  until  the 
present  time. 

George  H.  Thummel  served  the  Grand 
Lodge  of  Nebraska  as  Grand  Master,  1878-79. 

DEUEL  CHAPTER  NO.  11,  R.  A.  M. 

A  chapter  of  Royal  Arch  Masons  was 
formed  and  chartered  on  November  14,  1873. 
The  first  meeting  place  of  this  organization 
was  in  the  second  story  of  the  frame  building 
at  114  N.  Locust  street.  Before  the  organiza- 
tion was  chartered  its  officers  were  E.  B. 
Wood,  High  Priest;  B.  C.  Howard,  scribe. 
The  charter  members  of  the  Chapter  were: 
O.  A.  Abbott,  E.  M.  Bloomer,  W.  A.  Deuel, 
O.  R.  Goodale,  B.  C.  Howard,  S.  Holman, 
R.  C.  Jordon,  B.  B.  Kelley,  H.  P.  Makeley, 
J.  D.  Moore,  C.  Obermiller,  C.  W.  Thomas, 
G.  H.  Thummel,  J.  Tout,  G.  E.  Wilson  and 
W.  Woodhurst.  The  original  officers  of  the 
chartered  chapter  were:  R.  C.  Jordon,  H.  P., 
W.  A.  Deuel,  K.,  G.  E.  Wilson,  scribe,  B.  C. 
Howard,  secretary. 

The  members  who  have  served  as  High 
Priest  have  been  R.  C.  Jordon,  G.  H.  Thum- 
mel, W.  A.  Deuel,  C.  W.  Thomas,  J.  D.  Moore, 
H.  P.  Makeley,  B.  C.  Howard,  E.  A.  Barnes, 
W.  F.  McLaughlin,  C.  F.  Rollins,  H.  B. 
Boyden,  B.  Berry,  A.  C.  Lederman,  Sumner 
Davis,  H.  H.  Glover,  W.  B.  Hoge,  G.  Downs, 

Google 


370 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


J.  E.  Wright,  Z.  B.  Partridge,  G.  H.  Barber, 
H.  Schuff,  F.  J.  Coates,  C.  McElroy,  J.  D. 
Whitmore,  M.  H.  Wilkins,  C.  Michelson, 
J.  A.  Wingert,  T.  J.  Ellsberry,  C.  E.  Cole. 

The  secretaries  have  been :  B.  C.  Howard, 
C.  W.  Thomas,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr„  G.  H. 
Thummel,  H.  D.  Boyden,  G.  D.  Hetzel,  N. 
Piatt,  A.  C.  Lederman,  M.  Taylor,  C.  F.  Rol- 
lins, and  R.  J.  Barr. 

John  D.  Moore  served  as  Grand  High 
Priest  for  the  state  in  1875-76.  The  Chapter 
has  grown  from  a  membership  of  twenty- 
seven  in  1876  to  169  in  1919. 

MT.  LEBANON  COMMANDERY  NO.  6, 
KNIGHTS  TEMPLAR 
The  dispensation  was  granted  February  13, 
1873,  and  the  Commandery  was  chartered 
November  14,  1873.  Its  first  meetings  were 
held  in  the  second  story  of  the  old  frame  build 
ing  at  1 14  N.  Locust  street.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  R.  C.  Jordon,  Geo.  H.  Thummel, 
W.  A.  Deuelj  H.  Armson,  B.  C.  Howard, 
B.  B.  Kelley,  J.  N.  Rippey,  C.  W.  Thomas, 
Geo.  E.  Wilson,  Wm.  Woodhurst. 

The  original  sets  of  officers  of  the  Com- 
mandery were: 

Under  Dispensation:  R.  C.  Jordon,  E.  C, 
G.  H.  Thummel,  Genlo.,  D.  T.  Jameson,  Capt. 
Genl.,  E.  K.  Long,  Prelate;  W.  A.  Deuel, 
Treas.,  E.  R.  Mathis,  Recorder,  L.  M.  Ander* 
son,  S.  W.,  H.  Avery,  J.  W.,  G.  Stevenson, 
Stn.  Br.,  E.  B.  Wood,  Swd.  Br.,  C.  H.  Pearce, 
Wdr.,  D.  L.  Leach,  Sent. 

.Under  Charter:  Geo.  H.  Thummel,  E.  C, 
G.  E.  Wilson,  Genlo.,  W.  A.  Deuel,  Capt. 
Genl.,  R.  C.  Jordan,  Prelate,  B.  B.  Kelley, 
Treas.,  B.  C.  Howard,  Recorder,  H.  Armson, 
S.  W.,  C.  W.  Thomas,  J.  W.,  J.  N.  Rippey, 
Stnd.  Br.,  D.  T.  Jameson,  Swd.  Br.,  C.  H. 
Pearce,  Wdr.,  G.  Stevenson,  Sent. 

List  of  members  who  have  served  as  com- 
mander under  Dispensation — R.  C.  Jordon. 

Commanders  under  charter:  G.  H.  Thum- 
mel, B.  C.  Howard,  E.  A.  Barnes,  W.  M. 
Geddes,  J.  E.  Wright,  J.  C.  Alexander,  Thos. 
Robinson,  L.  B.  Stuhr,  F.  E.  Bullard,  A.  B. 
Veeder,  G.  D.   Hetzel,  R.  J.  Barr,  G.  H. 


Barber,  A.  L.  Beegle,  J.  D.  Whitmore,  Gordon 
Payne,  W.  A.  Deuel,  J.  D.  Moore,  W.  F. 
McLaughlin,  H.  D.  Boyden,  A.  G.  Pinkham, 
M.  H.  Wilkins,  H.  Schuff,  L-  M.  Talmage, 
C,  W.  Thomas,  C.  F.  Rollins,  G.  P.  Dean, 
W.  B.  Hoge,  C.  B.  Norris,  G.  H.  Miller, 
C.  Michelsen. 

List  of  members  who  have  served  as 
Recorder:  Under  Dispensation — E.  R.  Mathis, 
Under  Charter— B.  C.  Howard,  A.  C.  Leder- 
man, W.  A.  Heimberger,  G.  D.  Hetzel,  W.  H. 
Piatt,  N.  Piatt,  G.  D.  Hetzel,  G.  H.  Thummel, 
R.  J.  Barr,  W.  F.  McLaughlin,  N.  Piatt,  E.  A. 
Barnes. 

The  present  officers  are  Gordon  Payne, 
E.  C,  C.  J.  Doran,  Genlo.,  C.  H.  Menck,  C.  G., 
R.  J.  Barr,  Prel.,  G.  D.  Hetzel,  Recorder, 
R.  J.  Barr,  Treas.,  E.  C.  Hull,  S.  W„  C.  Mc- 
Elroy, J.  W.,  A.  H.  Fritz,  Wdr.,  A.  T.  Conkl- 
ing.  Sent. 

MASONIC    BUILDING   ASSOCIATION 

The  Masonic  bodies  soon  outgrew  the  old 
frame  building  at  North  Locust,  and  a  Ma- 
sonic Building  Association  was  incorportated 
in  February,  1880,  with  its  first  meeting  at 
G.  H.  Thummel's  office.  All  stockholders 
were  members,  but- those,  officers  and  members 
who  signed  the  articles  of  incorporation  were, 
G.  H".  Thummel,  president,  S.  N.  Wolbach, 
secretary,  D.  H.  Vieths,  treasurer. 

The  members  who  served  as  president  of 
this  Association  were:  G.  H.  Thummel,  H.  D. 
Boyden,  G.  D.  Hetzel,  L.  M.  Talmage,  C.  B. 
Norris,  C.  H.  Menck  and  H.  Schuff.  Its  sec- 
retaries have  been,  S.  N.  Wolbach,  C.  F.  Rol- 
lins, H.  H.  Glover  and  R.  J.  Barr.  Its  pres- 
ent officers  are :  H.  Schuff,  president,  Sam 
Hexter,  vice-president,  C.  W.  Brininger,  treas- 
urer, R.  J.  Barr,  secretary.  The  membership 
is  composed  of  the  three  local  Masonic  bodies 
each  of  which  has  three  representatives  in  the 
directory.  When  the  present  Masonic  hall 
was  built  the  stock  through  which  the  finances 
were  raised  was  subscribed  by  different  mem- 
bers of  the  bodies  and  others,  and  this  stock 
was  finally  bought  up  by  the  different  bodies. 
No  actual  steps  have  been  taken,  but  elaborate 

Google 


Proposed  Masonic  Home  I.  O.  O.  F.  Building 

A.  O.  U.  W.  Building  Oled  Masonic  Temi 


■ebo<j 


372 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


plans  are  being  laid  for  a  splendid  modern 
home  to  be  built  upon  the  present  site  just  as 
soon  as  building  conditions  become  settled 
enough  to  warrant  such  a  move. 

CEMENT   LODGE    NO.    211,    WOOD   RIVEK 

A  Masonic  lodge  was  formed  at  Wood  River 
on  September  21,  1891,  dispensation  granted 
on  November  27,  and  the  lodge  chartered  on 
December  21,  1891,  as  Cement  Lodge  No.  211. 

The  masters  of  this  lodge  have  been : 

Rosecreans  R.  Root,  U.  D.  1891,  1892-1893, 
1904-06,  1911-12;  Geo.  B.  McGleason,  1893- 
94,  1906-1911;  Marcus  R.  Abbott,  1894-1896; 
William  B.  Kern,  1896-1898;  Sam'l  Mac- 
Murray,  1898-99;  Joseph  P.  Riddle,  1899- 
1900;  Frank  E.  Slusser,  1900-1902;  Sam'l  A. 
Sherrerd,  1902-1903;  E.  S.  Leavenworth, 
1903-1904;  A.  S.  Wiseman,  1912-1914,  1915- 
1916;  R.  R.  Ellis,  1914-1915;  Arthur  E. 
Hauke,  1916-1919. 

The  secretaries  have  been  Mr.  Jones,  one 
year;  C.  E.  Towne,  twelve  years;  W.  W. 
Mitchell,  T.  W.  Faught,  C.  E.  Towne,  and 
Ed  McKee.  The  present  Worshipful  Master 
is  Arthur  E.  Hauke,  secretary,  Chas.  E. 
Towne,  S.  W.,  M.  Luther  Wiseman. 

i.  6.  o.  F. " 
The   inauguration   of    Odd   Fellowship   in 
Hall  County  followed  very  closely  upon  the 
heels  of  the  Masonic  organization. 

GRAND  ISLAND  LODGE  NO.  22,  I.  0.  O.  F. 
dates  back  to  its  institution  on  December  17, 
1870.  Chas.  F.  Rollins  was  then  Noble  Grand; 
L.  Engle,  V.  G.,  Jos.  Killian,  A.  S.,  Robert 
Froberg,  H.  M.  Burcker  and  Peter  Peterson, 
trustees. 

Those  members  who  have  worked  through 
the  various  chairs  of  the  order,  filled  the  post 
of  Noble  Grand,  and  won  the  honorable  title 
of  Past  Grand  have  been: 

Chas.  Rollins,  Robert  Froberg,  Jas.  Tout, 
Jos.  Killian,  Peter  Peterson,  Lewis  Engle, 
W.  R.  McAllister,  Wm.  Spiker,  J.  P.  Hensley, 
C.  E.  Lykke,  John  R.  Dolan,  Fred  A.  Wiebe, 
J.  F.  Jacobs,  Michael  Cody,  John  Wallichs, 


Henry  A.  Koenig,  James  F.  Norris,  Geo. 
McKenzie,  James  McAllister,  Charles  F. 
Whitney,  D.  C.  Bond,  Jacob  Hunt,  W.  F, 
Murphy,  John  R.  Britt,  Geo.  A.  Boehm,  N.  H. 
Hurford,  C.  P.  R.  Williams,  R.  H.  McAllister, 
Henry  Vieregg,  Geo.  Moeller,  Chas.  Rief, 
Jas.  Kennedy,  C.  B.  Handy,  Christ  Schlotfeldt, 
Ferdinand  Wolf,  Hiram  West,  E.  M.  Mc- 
Allister, Edwin  Kent,  John  Allan,  S.  J.  Bate- 
man,  Henry  Reuting,  John  H.  Waters,  Peter 
Sveningson,  Jens  Rasmussen,  Chris  Michel- 
son,  John  Alexander,  James  Bailey,  C.  L 
Hawks,  Geo.  Loan,  Jr.,  J.  N.  Moeller,  A.  C 
Murphy,  John  Nicholson,  C.  H.  Murphy, 
H.  E.  Clifford,  A.  W.  Buchheit,  Frank  I, 
Adams,  O.  J.  Winn,  Ed  Gregory,  W.  G. 
Hurschburg,  Chr.  Kiess,  Dr.  L.  S.  Moore, 
A.  L.  Beagle,  Simon  LaChapele,  W.  F.  Parker. 
Geo.  W.  Stansel,  G.  F.  Randolph,  Andrew 
Burg,  J.  F.  Williams,  John  A.  Carey,  N.  M. 
Depue,  Henry  Reese,  Otto  Spangenberg. 
Rasmus  Larsen,  J.  E.  Graber,  Chas.  Anderson, 
W.  W.  Watters,  A,  Tharp,  John  R.  Thomp- 
son, E-  C.  McCashland,  E.  R.  Goff,  Alva 
Moore,  Robert  McAllister,  O.  M.  Williamson, 
Aug.  Bartz,  H.  M.  Ballinger,  P.  K.  Keegan. 
M.  H.  Deffenbaugh,  W.  R.  Walters,  Frank 
Johns,  who  also  served  as  Grand  Master  for 
the  State  of  Nebraska,  Lewis  M.  Nogensen, 
Fred  C.  Langman,  George  C.  Humphrey,  Lafe 
Campbell,  Arthur  L-  Joseph,  H.  W.  Kibbey, 
Fred  L.  Parker,  John  H.  Biery,  Wm.  A. 
Bailey,  and  Laverne  Moore,  present  Noble 
Grand. 

The  present  officers  are:  Laverne  Moore, 
N.  G.,  J.  J.  Gline,  V.  G.,  Wm.  Schwartz,  sec- 
retary, L.  S.  Moore,  treasurer,  Andrew  Burg, 
Isaac  Lachapelle,  Alva  Moore  trustees. 

WOOD  RIVER  LODGE  NO.  158,  I.  O.  O.  F. 

(Information  furnished  by  W.  L.  Spraguel 

This  lodge  was  chartered  at  Wood  River 

upon  February  1,  1888,  with  its  first  meeting 

place  over  Jackson's  store.  " 

The  charter  members  were:  J.  B.  Leedoffl- 
A.  L.  Maddock,  F.  M.  Ballinger,  Lewis  Brock- 
lehurst,  E.  Baldwin,  J.  J.  Workman,  O.  B. 
Deso,  J.  H.  Wysong,  Ben  Compton. 


3oogl 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


373 


The  original  set  of  officers  were:  Noble 
Grand,  J.  B.  Leadom;  Vice  Grand,  A.  L. 
Maddock;  Secretary,  Lewis  Brockhurst. 

The  members  who  have  lerved  as  Noble 
Grand  are:  J.  B.  Leedom,  A.  L.  Maddock, 
Ben  Compton,  F.  M.  Ballinger,  S.  N.  Taylor, 
Geo.  W.  Miller,  J.  W.  Honnold,  John  Whittler, 
Ben  Spieth,  C.  W.  Mercer,  S.  M.  Nelson, 
A.  E.  Hauke,  C.  D.  Smith,  S.  H.  Littleton, 
W.  S.  Warren,  F.  E.  Slusser,  S.  W.  Wilson, 
T.  T.  Rounds,  J.  C.  Burkerd,  M.  L.  Wiseman, 
N.  J.  Parker,  C.  M.  Warren,  M.  C.  Wingert, 
W.  T.  Spelts,  A.  C.  White,  E.  Kunz,  S.  Mc- 
Murry,  W.  S.  Jones,  C.  C.  Johns,  E-  W.  Rowe, 
W.  J.  Reisland,  F.  J.  Reisland,  Wm.  Miller, 
R.  J.  Clark,  G.  R.  Wiseman,  C.  E.  Taylor, 
C.  A.  Penwell,  W.  L.  Sprague,  M.  J.  Mc- 
Carty,  J.  M.  Weldon,  W.  W.  Mitchell,  Harry 
Miller,  W.  A.  Breakenridge,  W.  Brunner,  and 
others. 

The  members  who  have  served  as  secretary 
are:  S.  N.  Taylor,  W.  L.  Sprague,  Geo.  M. 
Leonard,  Geo.  W.  Miller,  S.  M.  Nelson. 

The  present  officers  are:  Noble  Grand, 
C  L.  Nelson;  Vice  Grand,  R.  C.  Phillips; 
Secretary,  S.  M.  Nelson;  Treasurer,  W.  S. 
Jones. 

This  lodge  has  grown  until  it  has  reached 
a  membership  of  103  members. 

CHAMBERLAIN  ENCAMPMENT  NO.  34 

The  Encampment  work  was  carried  on  in 
this  county  very  early. 

The  charter  was  issued  January  20,  1 
to  the  following  members :  G.  L.  Maddock, 
C.  C.  Harper,  J.  C.  Boone,  C.  A.  Baldwin, 
Samuel  Matthews,  M.  J.  Garrett,  S.  N.  Taylor, 
J.  M.  Weldon,  Wm.  Stone,  R.  Wescott,  John 
C.  Boone,  M.  J.  McCarty,  C.  A.  Tracy,  J.  W. 
Ballenger,  F.  M.  Ballenger,  John  Sweat, 
Henry  Chamberlin,  H.  P.  Chapman,  W.  W. 
Mitchell,  W.  L.  Sprague,  David  Barrick,  C.  F. 
Garrett,  Geo.  W.  Miller.  This  Encampment 
was  afterwards  transferred  from  Wood  River 
control  to  Grand  Island.  In  1886  the  officers 
serving  were:  Henry  Reuting,  C.  P.,  C.  Rief, 
S.  W„  John  Murray,  J.  W.,  R.  H.  McAllister, 
H.  P.,  C.  L.  Haux,  scribe,  H.  D.  Boyden, 


treasurer,  W.  R.  McAllister,  N.  H.  Hurford 
and  C.  W.  Best,  trustees. 

The  Grand  Lodge  of  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  met 
at  Grand  Island  in  October,  1889.  Of  the 
159  lodges  in  the  state,  or  7,030  members, 
134  lodges  were  represented. 

THE  HISTORY  OF  REBEKAH  ODDFELLOWSHIP  IN 
GRAND  ISLAND 
BY  LUELLA  B.  NELSON 
The  Rebekah  records  of  the  state  show  that 
Woodbine  Rebekah  Lodge  No.  47  was  insti- 
tuted at  Grand  Island,  August  26,  1889,  with 
fourteen  charter  members,  by  Sadie  Wright, 
secretary  of  Nebraska  Rebekah  convention. 
On  October  16,  1889,  the  sixth  annual  con- 
vention of  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah  was 
entertained  by  Grand-  Island,  and  Woodbine 
No.  47  had  the  following  members  present: 
W.  R.  McAllister,  Emma  McAllister,  J.  M. 
Appledorn,  Dora  Appledorn,  J.  B.  Royce,  Mrs. 
Lucy  Royce,  Miss  Mina  Royce,  John  Allan, 
Mrs.  John  Allan,  Henry  Allan,  Mrs.  Henry 
Allan,  Fannie  Allan,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Alex- 
ander, S.  J.  Bateman,  John  Nicholson,  R.  H. 
McAllister,  Mrs.  Mary  McAllister,  and  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henry  Reuting.  Sister  Rebecca 
Livesy  of  Ruth  No.  1,  of  Omaha,  was  presi- 
dent, and  Sadie  Wright,  secretary  of  the  con- 
vention. George  M.  Beals,  of  Norfolk,  was 
Grand  Master,  and  D.  A.  Cline,  secretary  of 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  I.  O.  O.  F.  This  session 
was  memorable  from  the  fact  that  so  far  as 
Rebekah  circles  were  affected,  the  first  step 
was  taken  at  that  time  toward  the  establish- 
ment of  our  Nebraska  I.  O.  O.  F.  Home,  by 
a  resolution  directed  toward  the  appointment 
of  a  committee  of  three  to  act  upon  that  prop- 
osition. This  committee  reported  for  favora- 
ble action  toward  that  worthy  object.  The  last 
account  we  have  of  Woodbine  No.  47  showed 
that  on  October  20,  1891,  this  lodge  had  a 
membership  of  thirteen  brothers  and  thirteen 
sisters,  but  paid  no  per  capita  tax,  and  sent 
no  delegate  to  the  convention. 

TRUTH  REBEKAH  LODGE  NO.  132 

(Grand  Island) 

After  an  apparent  relapse  of  Rebekah  ac- 


oekah  ac- 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


tivities  in  the  community  for  a  number  of 
years,  a  committee  from  Grand  Island  lodge  . 
No.  22,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  extended  an  invitation 
through  the  press  to  all  who  were  interested 
in  the  organization  of  a  Rebekah  lodge  to 
meet  at  the  home  of  Henry  Reese  on  May  16, 
1899.  At  that  meeting  G.  W.  Hirchberg  was 
chosen  chairman,  Grace  Tidball,  secretary,  and 
Luella  B.  Nelson,  treasurer,  to  arrange  for  the 
organization  of  the  lodge.  On  June  14,  1899, 
at  the  G.  A.  R.  hall,  the  lodge  was  instituted 
by  Grand  Master  J.  E.  Arnold  of  Schuyler 
(now  deceased),  assisted  by  the  Rebekah 
degree  staff  of  Central  City. 

The  charter  list  contained  the  names  of 
twenty-nine  brothers  and  twenty-four  sisters. 
For  the  name  of  the  lodge  many  suggestions 
were  offered,  but  as  a  lodge  cannot  be  named 
after  any  living  person,  nor  any  two  Rebekah 
lodges  alike,  it  was  not  easy  to  decide.  Finally 
the  suggestion  of  Sister  Nelson  that  the  name 
"Truth"  be  chosen  was  adopted. 

The  oroginal  set  of  officers  were:  Mary 
Adams,  Noble  Grand,  Rose  Weinhold,  vice- 
grand,  Grace  Tidball,  recording  secretary, 
Luella  B.  Nelson,  financial  secretary.  Myrtle 
Adams,  treasurer,  Julia  Bowen,  warden,  May 
Buchheit,  conductor,  Evelyn  Lyman,  inside 
guardian,  Otto  Spangenburg,  outside  guardian, 
O.  J.  Winn,  R.  S.  to  N.  G.,  Ellen  Anderson, 
R.  S.  to  V.  G.,  Mrs.  G.  W.  Hirshburg,  L.  L.  to 
V.  G.,  trustees,  Louise  Spangenberg,  J.  La- 
chappelle,  J.  Schnickher. 

The  Noble  Grands  of  the  lodge  have  been : 
Rosa  Weinhold,  Louise  Spangenberg,  Luella 
B.  Nelson,  Myrtle  Adams,  Mary  McAllister, 
Susan  Morledge,  Anna  Cornelius,  Lizzie 
Sayers,  Rose  Deitz,  Elma  Kent,  Phinia  Sharp, 
Elsie  Walters,  Ella  Mahan,  Rosa  Kalman, 
Emilia  Luenningson,  Ella  Webster,  Laura 
Malone,  Zella  Kleebe,  Bertha  Quillan,  Julia 
Bowen,  Jennie  Everhart,  Luella  Moore,  Maud 
Olsen,  Leota  Calkins,  Carrie  Glines,  Lucy 
Switzer,  Inez  Edwards,  Mary  Bailey,  Amy 
Fishburn,  Lillie  Upperman  and  Edna  Switzer. 

This  lodge  organized  degree  teams  at  vari- 
ous times,  but  not  until  1901  under  the  cap- 
taincy of  Louise  Spangenberg  was  a  really  suc- 


cessful team  financed  and  organized.  This 
lodge  had  the  honor  of  organizing  Rebekah 
lodges  at  Doniphan,  Cairo  and  St.  Paul  and 
assisting  in  the  organization  of  Wood  River. 
Grand  Island  entertained  the  district  meeting 
April  12,  1901 ;  in  1903  Luella  B.  Nelson  was 
selected  as  district  president  and  held  a  suc- 
cessful meeting  at  Kearney,  where  Grand  Is- 
land lodge  won  the  banner  for  industry.  In 
1904  Grand  Island  was  changed  to  another 
district  and  Sister  Nelson  commissioned  lo 
reorganize  a  district  which  became.  No.  38 
and  included  Grand  Island  No.  132,  Cairo  134, 
Doniphan  151,  St.  Paul  215,  Wood  River  287. 
Gibbon  89,  Shelton  306,  Hansen  120,  Hastings 
52  and  212.  Grand  Island  entertained  the 
assembly  October  20,  1914,  just  twenty-five 
years  after  the  first  assembly,  or  convention, 
had  met  in  Grand  Island.  Rebekah  Lodge  No 
1  presented  the  assembly  with  an  embossed 
and  framed  copy  of  the  resolution  adopted  in 
Grand  Island  in  1889  in  regard  to  the  erec- 
tion of  an  I.  O.  O.F.  home.  The  executive 
committe  of  the  Rebekahs  at  this  session  were 
Luella  B.  Nelson,  Anna  Cornelius  and  Elsie 
Walters,  and  Frank  John,  Grand  Master,  all 
members  of  132.  As  to  state  officers,  Sister 
Luella  B.  Nelson  of  132  has  served  three 
terms  in  appointed  offices ;  this  lodge  has  al- 
ways been  active  in  raising  funds  for  the 
Home,  and  at  times  has  furnished  a  room  and 
assisted  in  that  task  at  other  times.  Leana 
Cartwright  is  the  present  Noble  Grand ;  Min- 
nie Hoagland,  V.  G.,  Luella  B.  Nelson,  re- 
cording secretary,  LiHie  Upperman,  financial 
secretary,  Lucy  Switzer,  treasurer,  Ernest 
Hoagland,  W.  E.  Bailey  and  P.  Nelson, 
trustees. 

The  lodge  has  maintained  a  Rebekah  circle 
since  1905,  meeting  at  the  home  of  members 
The  present  officers  of  that  branch  of  the 
work  are  president,  Minnie  Hoagland,  secre- 
tary, Ella  Mahan.  A  past  officers  association 
is  also  maintained.  During  the  war  the  lodge 
maintained  a  service  flag  and  kept  its  members 
in  service  in  good  standing.  Ella  Mahan  was 
chosen  to  represent  the  lodge  at  the  centen- 
nial celebration  at  Omaha,  on  April  26,  1919. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


375 


The  decoration  for  chivalry  was  conferred 
on  several  members  of  this  lodge  for  meri- 
torious I.  O.  O.  F.  work  at  annual  sessions 
of  the  Grand  Lodge  as  follows :  Anna  C. 
Cornelias,  October  20,  1909  at  Lincoln ;  Phina 
Lozier,  October  19,  1910,  at  Lincoln ;  Elsie 
Walters  and  Luella  B.  Nelson.October  21, 
1914,  at  Grand  Island. 

WOOD  RIVER  REBEKAH    LODGE   NO.   287 

This  lodge  was  organized  and  chartered 
January  19,  1919.  Its  present  meeting  place 
is  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  hall.  The  charter  members 
were:  Honor  M.  Miller,  George  W.  Miller, 
Nellie  Littleton,  S.  H.  Littleton,  S.  M.  Nelson, 
Amanda  J.  Nelson,  Sarah  J.  Schooley,  Erma 
G.  Hubbell,  Jennie  E.  Tingley,  H.  L.  Tingley, 
Lavina  C.  Clark,  Etta  C.  Warren,  Effa  War- 
ren, Clara  E.  Smout,  Josephine  Smout,  Dorcas 
S.  Starkey,  Etta  Smith,  Angeltne  A.  White, 
.Mary  B.  Likes,  A.  C.  White,  C.  D.  Smith, 
R.  J.  Clark. 

The  original  set  of  officers  were:  Noble 
Grand,  Dorcas  S.  Starkey,  Vice  Grand,  Erma 
G.  Hubbel!,  Secretary,  Jennie  E.  Tingley, 
Treasurer,  George  W.  Miller. 

List  of  members  who  have  served  as  Noble 
Grand:  Dorcas  Starky,  Erma  Hubbel,  Amanda 
Nelson,  Mary  B.  Likes,  Eva  Garrison,  Ethel 
Landis  Augusta  Wiseman,  Bertha  Janssen, 
Lillian  Hileman,  Etta  Warren  Bahr,  Nellie 
Schaffer,  Effa  Warren,  Myrtle  Anderson,  Fern 
Schooley. 

List  of  members  who  have  served  as  re- 
cording secretary:  Jennie  E.  Tingley,  Erma 
C.  Hubbell,  Maud  Phillips,  Bertha  Janssen, 
Lillian  Hileman,  Myrtle  Anderson,  Fem 
Sthooley,  Emma  Ballinger. 

The  present  officers  are:  Noble  Grand, 
Nettie  Rounds,  Vive  Grand,  Emma  Ballinger, 
Secretary,  Myrtle  Anderson,  Treasurer, 
Amanda  Nelson. 

At  present  the  lodge  has  105  members. 

NYHAN  LODGE  NO.  46,  KNIGHTS  OF  PYTHIAS 

Grand  Island 
The  Knights  of  Pythias  organized  in  Grand 
Island  November  17,  1885,  with  H.  B.  Will- 


son,  C.  C,  V.  Taylor,  V.  C,  Dr.  E.  String- 
fellow,  prelate,  W.  N.  Peterson,  secretary,  A. 

C.  Lederman,  treasurer,  E.  W.  Justice,  M. 
F.,  James  Ferguson,  M.  A.,  Elmer  Gaylord,  O. 
G„  and  H.  C.  Miller,  I.  G. 

A  division  of  the  Uniformed  Rank  of  K. 
of  P.  was  chartered  in  December,  1899,  and 
the  following  officers  named ;  A.  C.  Lederman, 
captain  and  herald,  H.  C.  Miller,  lieutenant,  J. 

D.  Cowle,  treasurer,  W.  S.  Dickerson,  record- 
er, A.  W.  Steme,  guard  and  D.  E.  Ryder, 
sentinel. 

The  members  of  Nysian  lodge  who  served  as 
Chancellor  Commander  have  been :  H.  B.  Will- 
son,  R.  R.  Horth,  1886,  Wm.  H.  Hooper, 
1887,  Emanuel  Stringfellow,  1888,  A.  C. 
Lederman,  1889-1890,  D.  A.  Finch,  1891,  W. 
H.  Hooper,  1892,  Fred  Bacon,  1893,  J.  C. 
Peterson,  1894,  J.  L.  Sutherland,  1895,  P.  L- 
Moore,  ,1896,  ^Alfred  Pigon,  1897,  N.  M. 
Thompson,  1898,  O.  H.  Tracy,  1899,  H. 
Buenz,  1900,  Chas  Wescott,  1901,  J.  A.  Cos- 
telio,  1902,  C.  M.  Wiese,  1903,  W.  B.  Hoge, 
1904,  D.  A.  Finch,  1908.  After  a  long  recess, 
a  reorganization  took  place  and  in  1917  Ray  L. 
Harrison  became  chancellor  commander.  His 
successors  have  been,  E.  A.  Graf,  1918  and 
D.  E.  Jolls,  1919. 

The  member  who  have  served  as  Keeper  of 
Records  and  Seal  have  been :  W.  N.  Peterson, 
1885-1886,  T.  W.Benton,  1887,  John  H.  Wil- 
sey,  1888,  C.  T.  Watson,  1889,  R.  A.  Powell, 
1891,  A.  B.  Harriott,  1892,  R.  A.  Powell, 
1893,  A.B.  Harriott,  1894-1895,  C.  H.  Menck, 
1896,  C.  D.  Searson,  1897,  Chas.  E.  Fralick, 
1891-1899,  O.  H.  Tracy,  1900,  Dan  Fishburn, 
1901-1902,1903-1904,  R.  L.  Harrison,  Jr.,  1905, 
A.  B.  Harriott,  1908.  On  the  last  reorganized 
period,  the  Keepers  of  Records  and  Seal  have 
been:  R.  D.  Showalter,  1917,  Ray  L.  Har- 
rison, 1918-1919. 

Grand  Island  entertained  the  Nebraska 
Grand  Lodge  in  October,  1895. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Lodge  are:  C.  C, 
D.  E.  Jolls,  vice  chancellor,  H.  P.  Zeig,  pre- 
late, C.  E.  Cantrell,  master  at  arms,  R.  D. 
Showalter,  master  of  exchequer,  C.  H.  Menck, 
keeper  of  R.  and  S.,  Ray  L.  Harrison,  inner 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


guard,  V.  R.  Everhart,  O.  G.,  F.  M.  Mitchell, 
trustees.  J.  H.  Biery,  T.  W.  O'Laughlin  and 
Dr.  H.  C.  Wingert. 

ANCIENT    ORDER    OF    UNITED    WORKMEN 

Grand  Island  has  had  many  lodges,  but 
none  within  its  borders  ever  accomplished 
more  in  the  way  of  spreading  the  reputation 
and  heralding  the  name  of  the  community  so 
widespread  throughout  the  state  and  beyond 
its  borders  as  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  The  Nebraska  jurisdiction  of  this 
venerable  order  was  organized  in  this  city  in 
June,  1886.  Not  only  is  Grand  Island  the 
birthplace  of  the  Grand  Lodge  of  this  order, 
but  its  permanent  home  as  well.  In  1901  the 
organization  purchased  the  splendid  brick 
block  at  Second  street  and  Wheeler  avenue 
and  established  its  headquarters  in  this  city. 

Close  to  a  million  dollars  a  year  is  gath- 
ered in  by  this  Grand  Lodge  headquarters 
from  the  several  hundred  lodges  through  the 
state,  and  handled  here,  to  be  distributed 
back  to  the  beneficiaries.  Many  hundreds  of 
citizens  of  Grand  Island  and  Hall  County 
have  belonged  to  this  order  throughout  the 
last  thirty-four  years. 

The  grand  Lodge  A.  O.  U.  W.  of  the  state 
of  Nebraska  was  organized  June  8,  1886  at 
Grand  Island.  It  was  chartered  under  the 
Supreme  Lodge  A.  O.  U.  W.  but  became  an 
independent  jurisdiction  in  1909. 

The  original  set  of  officers  was:  Past 
Grand  Master,  S.  R.  Patton  of  Fremont,  Ne- 
braska; Grand  Master  Workman,  J.  G.  Tate, 
Shelton,  Nebraska;  Grand  Overseer,  H.  W. 
Cole,  McCook,  Nebraska;  Grand  Treasurer, 
W.  R.  McAllister,  Grand  Island ;  Grand  Fore- 
man, F.  E.  White,  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska; 
Grand  Recorder,  H.  M.  Waring,  Lincoln  Ne- 
braska; Trustees,  J.  L.  Miller,  Red  Cloud, 
Nebraska;  J.  S.  Johnson,  Superior,  Nebraska, 
J.  W.  Carr,  Omaha  Nebraska. 

List  of  officers  who  have  served  as  Grand 
Master  Workman :  J.  G.  Tate,  M.  E.  Shultz, 
O.  J.  Van  Dyke,  Jacob  Jaskalek,  A.  M.  Wall- 
ing. Frank  Anderson,  John  Stevens. 

List  of  officers  who  have  served  as  Grand 


Recorder:  H.  M.  Waring,  W.  R.  McAllister, 
L.  A.  Payne,  Geo.  H.  Barber,  S.  R.  Barton, 
F.  C.  Whittlesey,  H.  B.  Rousey. 

Present  officers :  Grand  Master  Workman, 
John  Stevens ;  Grand  Recorder,  H.  B.  Rousey ; 
Grand  Treasurer,  Leo  P.  Mullen,  Joseph 
Oberfelder;  Trustees,  Nicholas  Rees,  Root 
M.  Gillan. 

It  now  has  7,586  members. 

This  order  since  its  organization  has  paid 
in  Nebraska  alone,  7,000  death  claims  amount- 
ing to  $13,129,259.35  to  January  1,  1919.  In 
addition  to  the  above,  the  organization  has 
paid  out  approximately  another  million  dol- 
lars as  relief  and  seventy  year  settlements. 

GRAND  ISLAND  A.  O.  U.  W.  LODGES 

Harmony  Lodge  No.  37  (German)  was  an  I 
early  lodge  in  Nebraska,  as  its  low  number 
indicates.  It  was  organized  in  1886  with  the 
following  charter  members :  Hy.  Gam,  Fritz 
Kruse,  Robert  F.  Freitag,  Hermann  Hehnke, 
Geo.  Bartenbach,  Anton  Bischeldt,  Chas  H. 
Boehl,  Hy.  Cook,  Fred  Lohmann,  Carl  Grunz, 
Juergen  J.  Rickert,  G.  F.  Brage,  Joseph  Zouv 
Herman  Juergens,  Albert  Geyler,  John  C 
Hann,  John  H.  Paulsen,  Herman  Krueger, 
Carl  Elstermeier,  Conrad  Huper.  The  re- 
corders have  been  Chas.  Boehl,  Richard  Goeh. 
ring,  Chas.  Hofman. 

The  present  officers  are  John  F.  Meves, 
master  workman,  Wm.  Veit,  financier,  and 
Richard    Goehring,    recorder   and    treasurer. 

In  the  last  couple  years  this  lodge  has  lost 
about  180  members  through  the  period  of 
disturbance  brought  by  the  rise  in  rates  occas- 
sioned  by  the  readjustment  of  the  lodge's  scale 
to  meet  the  requirements  of  the  state  insur- 
ance board. 

Charity  Lodge  No.  91  was  organized  a  short 
time  after  Harmony  Lodge.  Among  its  vari- 
ous master  workmen  up  until  1897  were  H. 
J.  Ring,  M.  J.  Durkin,  J.  W.  Freeman,  J.  H. 
Hallowell,  M.  Powers,  E.  O.  Green,  R.  S. 
Ryan,  H.  J.  Voss,  James  Geary  and  Seth  P. 
Mobley.  This  lodge  in  recent  years  has  been 
consolidated  with  Harmony  Lodge. 

Grand  Island  Legion  No.  9,  Select  Knights 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


3/7 


A.  0.  U.  W.  was  made  up  from  the  member- 
ship of  the  various  lodges.  Its  officers  at  the 
close  of  1889  were  G.  P.  Dean,  J.  W.  Liver- 
inghouse,  G.  Roys,  O.  H.  Tracy,  J.  F.  Holi- 
well,  J.  Waters,  H.  Wheeler,  S.  Kent  and 
Robert  Geddes.  This  organization  has  long 
since  passed  out  of  existence  here. 

The  A.  O.  U.  W.  Building  Association  was 
organized  in  June,  1889.  Its  first  officers 
were  J.  D.  West,  president,  John  Wallichs, 
vice-president,    D.   C.    Zink,    treasurer,   Geo. 

B.  Bell,  Secretary,  A.  H.  Baker,  G.  H.  Cald- 
well, D.  C.  Zink,  G.  P.  Dean,  Geo.  Barten- 
bach,  H.  D.  Hennings,  as  officers  and  directors. 

OTHER  A.   O.   U.   W.    LODGES 

Being  a  Hall  County  institution,  this  order 
perhaps  better  than  any  other  fraternal  order 
in  the  county  has  established  and  held  lodges  in 
the  various  towns  of  the  county. 

The  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodge  was  organized  at 
Doniphan  May,  1887,  and  chartered  as  Lodge 
No.  76.  Its  first  meeting  place  was  over 
Burger  &  McCulloch's  store.  Its  charter 
members  were:  J.  W.  Carmichael,  J.  H. 
Scudder,  W.  J.  Burger,  Dr.  J.  M.  Fitch,  B.  F. 
Scudder,  Wm.  Camp,  G.  A.  Burger,  J.  W. 
Kern  and  T.  B.  Robb.  J.  H.  Scudder  was  the 
first  master  workman  and  J.  W.  Carmichael, 
recorder.  This  lodge  disbanded  and  surrend- 
ered its  charter  in  May  or  June,  1918.  When 
this  Doniphan  lodge  organized  it  was  under 
the  Missouri  jurisdiction,  but  later  became  a 
part  of  the  Nebraska  jurisdiction. 

A.  O.  U.  W.  lodges  have  been  maintained 
for  many  years  at  Cairo  and  Alda. 

FIDELITY   DEGREE   OF    HONOR 
NO.   56.  GRAND  ISLAND 

(Information  furnished  by  Mrs.  Alice  Taylor) 
This  lodge  was  chartered  April  5,  1893,  and 
met  in  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  hall.  It  has  enjoyed 
a  steady  growth  to  a  present  membership  of 
170. 

The  charter  members  and  first  officers  were : 
S.  F.  Kent,  Annie  Powers,  M.  V.  Powers, 
Ed.  Searson,  Jennie  Searson,  P.  C.  of  H., 
John  W.  Pence,  Mary  Pence,  A.  Cosh,  M. 


Cosh,  Geo.  H.  Andrews,  Eliza  Andrews,  E. 
A.  Dean,  Geo.  P.  Dean,  I.. J.  Metcalf,  Susan 
Metcalf,  Alex  Barr.  Eliza  J.  Barr,  S.  H. 
Ferguson,  S.  M.  Ferguson,  A.  D.  Owens, 
Annie  S.  B.  Owens,  L.  of  H.,  S.  P.  Petersen 
C.  L.  Petersen,  J.  F.  Hollowell,  Cynthia  Hollo- 
well,  C.  of  H.,  Maria  J.  Raphael,  Record. 

Those  members  who  have  held  the  honorable 
^ost  of  C.  of  Honor:  Minnie  Searson,  Annie 
Owens,  Etta  Hirschburg,  Mary  McAllister, 
Lizzie  Guhl,  Polly  Sproul,  Emma  Brewster, 
Housine  Birk,  Melissa  McDermott,  Rose 
Roush,  Alice  Taylor,  Mollie  Turner,  Marry 
Dunlap,  Mary  Helling,  Cora  Hanchett,  Mary 
Feeney,  Minnie  Lahann. 

The  recorders  of  the  lodge  have  been: 
Marie  Raphael,  Ed.  Searson,  S.  F.  Kent,  Mrs. 
M.  V.  Powers,  Annie  Owens,  Emma  Brew- 
sten,  Luella  Nichols,  Lizzie  Sayre,  Myrtle 
Adams,  Alice  Taylor. 

The  present  officers  are :  Past  C.  of  Honor, 
Mary  Feeney,  C.  of  H.  Minnie  Lahann,  L  of  H 
Rose  Roush,  C.  of  Cerm,  Elizabeth  Salyer, 
Fine,  Cora  Hanchett,  Treasurer,  Millie  Rou- 
sey,  Recorder,  Alice  Taylor,  Ushers,  Myrtle 
Salyer  and  Margaret  Salyer,  I.  W.,  Elizabeth 
Stegeman,  O.  W.,  Lucy  Haney,  1st  to  C.  of  H., 
Alice  Hunt,  2  st  to  C.  of  H.,  Polly  Sproul, 
1  st  M.  of  H.,  Edna  Miller,  1  st  M.  of  H., 
Mae  Emmons,  Musician,  Grace  Corl,  Trustees, 
Ella  Broawell,  H.  B.  Rousey,  Hausine  Birk, 
Drill  Team  Captain,  Hausine  Birk. 

KNIGHTS  OF  COLUMBUS 
The  Knights  of  Columbus  lodge  in  Grand 
Island  was  organized  in  recent  years  —  but 
its  predecessor,  appealing  to  a  similar  mem- 
bership, Concordia  Branch  512,  C.  K.  of  A. 
(Catholic  Knights  of  America)  flourished  in 
the  late  'eighties.  During  1889  the  officers  of 
that  order  were  James  Geary,  president,  W. 
R.  Stevens,V.  P.,  J.  J.  Klinge,  R.  S.,  T.  P. 
Lanigan,  F.  S-,  Adam  Windolph,  treasurer, 
John  Riss,  S.  at  A.,  George  Eberl,  sentinel, 
Rev.  W.  Wolf,  spiritual  director.  While  there 
is  no  connection  between  the  orders,  the 
earlier  one  is  mentioned  to  show  the  fraternal 
activity  of  the  Catholic  men  of  the  community. 


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378 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


St.  Mary's  Council  No.  1159,  Knights  of 
Columbus,  was  organized  November  11,  1906, 
with  sixty-two  charter  members.  It  original 
officers  were:  John  F.  Matthews,  G.  K.,  F.  J. 
Geary,  recording  secretary,  David  Byrne, 
financial  secretary,  Aug.  J.  Baumann,  Warden, 
Fr.  W.  Wolf,  chaplain,  J.  H.  Mullin,  chan- 
cellor. 

Those  members  who  have  served  as  pre- 
siding officers  have  been  John  F.  Mathews,  J 
H.  O'Hare,  J.  H.  Mullin,  Pat  Fagan,  F.  J 
Geary,  Geo.  J.  Baumann  and  Dr.  L.  Phelan 
The  secretaries  of  the  lodge  have  been:  David 
Byme,  W.  H.  Laughlin  and  Geo.  J.  Bauman 
The  state  meeting  was  entertained  in  May 
1918.  The  present  officers  are :  Dr.  L-  Phelan, 
G.  K.,  W.  F.  Roney,  deputy  G.  K.,  E.  G. 
Biglin,  chancellor,  Rev.  Aug.  Heimes,  chaplain. 
E.  P.  Ryan,  recording  secretary,  and  Geo.  J. 
Baumann,  financial   secretary. 


M.  Smith.  The  present  secretary  is  Chas  E 
Davis. 

In  June,  1918,  the  Grand  Lodge  entertained 
the  state  meetings  of  the  Nebraska  lodges 
This  lodge  has  furnished  one  state  president 
who  has  achieved  a  widespread  reputation  for 
work  in  Elkdom,  Fred  L.  Harrison,  1915-1916. 
The  lodge  has  had  two  district  deputies  to 
the  grand  exalted  ruler,  Ralph  R.  Horth  and 
Fred  L.  Harrison. 

A  Building  Association  was  incorporated  in 
1916,  which  handled  the  financial  affairs  and 
other  responsibilities  for  the  building  of  the 


Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  604,  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  was  chartered 
on  July  12,  1900,  meeting  at  G.  A.  R.  hall, 
with  the  charter  granted  upon  the  application 
of  Brothers  R.  R.  Horth,  A.  W.  Buchheit, 
Chas.  W.  Brininger,  R.  J.  Barr,  Henry  J. 
Bartenbach,  John  Alexander,  A.  H.  Roeser, 
W.  S.  Pearne,  J.  H.  J.  Cunningham,  Gus  M. 
Friend,  Thomas  Connor,  C.  A.  Carr,  O.  A. 
Abbott,  Jr.,  Sumner  Davis,  M.  G.  Colpetzer, 
H.  C.  Graham,  W.  B.  Hoge.  Charles  P.  Was- 
mer,  B.  R.  Gregg,  A.  M.  Hargis,  J.  L.  Mc- 
Donough,  J.  T.  Harley,  and  Geo.  Roeder,  H. 
H.  Glover  and  F.  J.  Coates,  as  trustees. 

Those  members  who  have  served  as  ex- 
alted rulers  have  been:  Ralph  R.  Horth,  A. 
W.  Buchheit,  Chas.  W.  Brininger,  Geo.  B. 
Bell,  Carl  V.  Willard,  W.  H.  Harrison,  S.  D. 
Ross,  E.  L.  Brown,  W.  H.  Thompson,  J.  L. 
Geary,  John  Woelz,  Guy  L.  Harrison,  C.  H. 
Menck,  Walker  Hainline,  Frank  J.  Geary, 
Fred  L-  Harrison,  Robert  A.  Meyer,  A.  J, 
Guendel,  Wm.  Nietfeldt  and  the  present  ex- 
alted ruler  is  Ray  L.  Harrison. 

The  secretaries  have  been,  R.  J.  Barr,  W. 
E.  Schourup,  I.  R.  Alter,  Leo  G.  Allen,  G. 


magnificent  temple  at  First  and  Locust.  This 
is  considered  practically  the  finest  lodge  build- 
ing in  the  state,  with  no  rival  except  the  new 
Masonic  Temple  in  Omaha.  It  is  one  of  the 
finest  arranged  lodge  buildings  in  the  country. 
This  splendid  home  was  dedicated  on  January 
1,  1918.  C.  H.  Menck  has  been  president, 
and  Geo.  Cowton  and  Fred  L-  Harrison,  secre- 
taries of  this  association. 

The  present  officers  are:  Exalted  ruler, 
Ray  L.  Harrison,  leading  knight,  H.  P.  Zeig, 
lecturing  knight,  Thos.  V.  McGowan,  loyal 
knight,  Wm.  H.  Meacham,  esquire,  Walter 
H.  Rauert,  tiler,  L.  T.  Cox,  chaplain,  Wm. 
Suhr,  treasurer,  Oscar  H.  Mayer,  secretary, 
C.  E.  Davis,  trustees,  Walker  Hainline,  Fred 
L.  Harrison  and  Robert  Meyer.  This  lodge 
now  has  a  membership  well  in  excess  of  500. 

A  large  body  of  Elks  attended  the  state  con- 
vention in  1919  at  York,  and  they  sent  Fred 
L.  Harrison  on  to  Atlantic  City,  N.  J.,  with  a 
big  Nebraska  delegation  which  accomplished 
its  purpose  of  securing  the  election  of  Frank 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


379 


L.  Rain,  of  Fairbury,  Nebraska,  as  grand 
exalted  ruler  of  the  Elks  of  the  United  States. 
This  is  probably  the  only  order  in  which  an 
absolute  requirement  of  membership  is 
American  citizenship.  Its  patriotic  and  charit- 
able purposes  stand  in  brilliant  position  in 
recent  years,  its  social  activities  are  not  less- 
ened, and  one  of  its  notable  features  is  the 
respect  shown  to  the  memory  of  absent 
brothers. 

During  the  war  the  lodge  carried  as  high 
as  eighty-five  service  stars  on  its  flag  at  one 
time,  and  only  one  of  these  became  a  gold 
star —  Walter  B.  Eckles.  Between  20% 
and  25%  of  the  membership  was  in  service 
at  one  time. 

FRATERNAL  ORDER  OF  EAGLES 

Aerie  No.  378,  Grand  Island 

(Information   furnished  by  Richard   Buenz) 

This  aerie  was  organized  May  14,  1903,  and 
chartered  on  July  1,  1903,  with  its  first  meet- 
ing place  in  G.  A.  R.  hall. 

The  charter  members  were :  O.  A.  Abbott, 
Jr.,  Harry  Bernstein,  Richard  Buenz,  John 
C.  Cornelius,  Christ  Christoffenson,  M.  J. 
Egge,  A.  H.  Farnsworth,  Albert  Heyde,  Fred 
Hald,  J.  J.  Klinge,  H.  H.  Meves,  S.  S.  Niel- 
sen, Gus  Paulsen,  George  Pearson,  P.  B. 
Peters,  Julius  Reese,  Chris  Ronnfeldt,  Joseph 
Sondermann,  Gustav  Sievers,  Ed  Slender,  H. 
J-  Voss,  Emil  Wolbach.  The  members  who 
have  served  as  president  of  the  Aerie  have 
been:  J.  J.  Klinge,  H.  A.  Sievers,  George 
Pearson,  John  Koehler,  Carl  Hehnke,  Gus  E, 
Neumann,  Geo.  T.  Baumann,  Christ  Nielson, 
Harry  J.  Voss  and  John  Alexander. 

Te  secretaries  have  been  Max  J.  Egge,  Carl 
Hehnke  and  Richard  Buenz.  This  aerie  enter- 
tained the  state  convention  in  1912.  The  pres. 
ent  officers  are  Walter  Petersen,  President, 
Richard  Buenz,  scretary,  Gus  E.  Neumann," 
treasurer,  A.  J.  Denman,  J.  J.  Klinge  and 
H.  J.  Voss,  trustees.  This  lodge  owns  its  own 
home,  with  splendid  grounds,  on  South  Lo- 
cust street.  This  home  which  was  purchased 
for  $12,000  is  entirely  paid  for,  and  not  only 
is  the  lodge  without  encumbrance  or  outstand- 


ing indebtedness,  but  has  total  assets  of  over 
$20,000,  a  rather  unusual  record  for  a  fra- 
ternal local  organization. 

LOYAL  ORDER  OF   MOOSE 

Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  356. 

(Information  furnished  by 

Jas.  Nicholson,  Jr.) 

This  lodge  was  organized  on  October  4, 
1910,  and  chartered  on  October  21,  1910,  and 
first  met  in  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  hall.  Its  charter 
members  were  A.  B.  Harriott,  Thos  V.  Bird, 
Ernest  G.  Kroger,  Samuel  D.  Bartle,  Chas. 
McElroy,  T.  J.  Hansen,  Will  G.  Partridge, 
Harry  M.  Bowers,  Gus  P.  Gaver,  Aug,  Meyer, 
R.  L.  Word,  N.  I.  Augustine,  M.  H.  Deffen- 
baugh,  Geo.  C.  Cervye,  Wm.  M.  Pierce, 
Chauncey  M.  North,  Walter  Neilson,  O.  M. 
Williamson,  L.  K.  Rickard,  Ira  L.  Fillmore, 
Chas.  J.  Giese,  Lewin  N.  Gaver,  Harley  M. 
Watson,  D.  H.  Fent,  Ralph  J.  Reid,  Robt.  F. 
Phiefer,  W.  J.  Helfln,  H.  G.  Silvernail,  E.  H. 
Silveraail,  John  Ellsworth,  Jesse  Clemens, 
George  Cowton,  Edw.  C.  Burkhalter,  Wm. 
Grace,  Chas.  C.  Havens,  Jacob  T.  Kaumans, 
C.  W.  D.  Alkire,  Bert  M.  Roberts,  J.  J.  Fey, 
J.  D.  Whitmore,  A.  Owens,  Rich.  L.  Harrison, 
Frank  Donner,  E.  H.  Baker,  Geo.  W.  Geise, 
Ray  L.  Harrison,  Jos.  B.  Lange,  Chas.  R. 
Wescott,  Terry  F.  Pace,  and  probably  some 
others  who  are  omitted. 

This  lodge  has  maintained  very  comfortable 
club  rooms  on  East  Third,  at  Third  and 
Wheeler,  and  more  recently  over  Tucker  Bros, 
book  store  on  South  Locust.  The  lodge  has 
contributed  its  share  toward  the  support  of 
the  Home  at  Mooseheart,  maintained  by  this 
order  for  the  vocational  education  of  children. 

Original  officers :  A.  B.  Harriott,  past  dic- 
tator, J.  V.  Bird,  dictator,  E.  G.  Kroeger,  vice- 
dictator,  S.  D.  Bartle,  prelate,  C.  T.  McElroy, 
secretary,  F.  J.  Hanson,  treasurer,  Wm.  Part- 
ridge, sergenat  at  arms,  H.  M.  Bowers,  I.  G., 
Geo.  Gaver,  O.  G.,  Aug.  Meyer,  R.  L.  Wood, 
N.  J.  Augershire,  trustees. 

Members  who  have  served  as  dictator  are'. 
A.  B.  Harriott,  H.  Ballenger,  C.  W.  Coates,  ' 
G.  B.  Labbe. 

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380 


HISTORY  OP  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Members  who  have  served  as  secretary  are : 
A.  B.  Harriott,  Chas.  McElroy,  A.  Stransky, 
G.  B.  I, abbe,  Jas.  Nicholson,  Jr. 

The  present  officers  are :  G.  B.  Labbe,  past 
dictator,  T.  V.  McGowan,  dictator,  Fred  T. 
Scott,  vice-dictator,  Walter  Spracklin,  prelate, 
Jas.  Nichalsarp,  secretary,  A.  J.  Guendel,  treas- 
urer, John  R.  Geddes,  F.  H.  Bulger,  M.  E. 
Miller,  trustees. 

The  present  members  number  145. 

THE  ROYAL  HIGHLANDERS,  DUNNOTTAR  CASTLE 

NO.   27 

Grand  Island 

(Information  furnished  by 

Jas.  Nicholson,  Jr.) 

This  lodge  was  organized  February  5,  1897. 
Its  first  meeting  place  was  G.  A.  R.  hall. 

Charter  members  were  John  Alexander, 
William  MacLennon,  Robert  Brown,  J.  Lue 
Sutherland,  A.  B.  Harriott,  Andrew  Cosh, 
D.  W.  Thompson,  C.  H.  Menck,  John  Allan, 
W.  A.  Heimberger,  J.  A.  Woolstenholm,  A.  C. 
Koenig,  D.  A.  Finch,  Jos.  Sonderman,  Henry 
Allan,  John  Nicholson,  John  Gallacher,  Wm. 
Spangenberg,  Chas.  T.  Fralick,  Ed  L.  Bal- 
lenger,  M.  T.  Garlow,  W.  C.  Campbell,  P.  L. 
Moore,  R.  W.  Bock,  A.  R.  Craig,  H.  B.  Peters, 
Geo.  J.  Bauman,  R.  J.  Barr,  C.  W.  Brininger, 
A.  C.  Lederman. 

Original  officers  were  N.  W.  Thompson, 
111.  P.,  A.  Cosh,  C.  C,  J.  Lue  Sutherland, 
W.  E.,  C.  H.  Menck,  secretary,  A.  C.  Leder- 
man, treasurer,  P.  H.  Campbell,  W-,  A.  B. 
Harriott,  S.,  W.  A.  Heimberger,  M.  J.  Garlow, 
and  J.  Alexander,  P.  C. 

The  list  of  members  who  have  served  as 
illustrious  protector  is  N.  W.  Thompson,  A. 
Cosh,  Wm.  Spangenberg,  E.  L.  Ballenger,  Jas. 
Nicholson,  Jr.,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Ballenger,  C.  H. 
Menck. 

List  of  secretarial  officers:  C.  H.  Menck, 
C.  E.  Fralich,  Mrs.  E.  L.  Ballenger,  Jas.  Nich- 
olson, Jr. 

Present  officers:  E.  L.  Ballenger,  I.  P., 
P.  L.  Christensen,  C.  C,  Mrs.  McFerrin,  W. 
E..  Jas.  Nicholson,  Jr.,  Secretary,  Mrs.  Coffey, 
W.  M.,  Finerly,  sentry,  C.  H.  Menck,  A.  B. 
Harriott,  and  Wm.  Spangenberg,  trustees. 


The  present  membership  numbers  139  mem- 
bers. 

MODERN    BROTHERHOOD   OF    AMERICA 

Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  218  of  this  fra- 
ternity was  organized  in  1898,  at  G.  A.  R. 
hall.  E.  B.  Engleman  was  the  first  president, 
and  one  of  its  members,  S.  S.  Hayman,  has 
served  as  state  manager.  The  home  of  this 
order  is  at  Mason  City,  Iowa,  and  in  the  past 
twenty  years  the  M.  B.  A.  has  enjoyed  a 
splendid  growth  throughout  Nebraska.  The 
present  officers  of  this  lodge  are  C.  Bromley, 
president,  Mrs.  Haney,  vice-president,  Mrs. 
Bromwell,  chaplain,  Minnie  Roush,  secretary 
and  treasurer,  Ella  Tharp,  conductor,  and  Ben- 
son, watchman, 

MACCABEES 

Two  Hives  of  L.  O.  T.  M.  have  flourished  in 
Grand  Island  in  the  past.  Island  Treasure 
Hive,  and  Ann  E.  Westall  Hive  No.  3,  were 
the  former  organizations.  These  have  been 
consolidated  for  the  last  eight  years,  and  now- 
Grand  Island  Review  No.  3  is  their  successor. 
The  Ann  E.  Westall  hive  was  organized  in 
October,  1893.  The  presiding  officers  have 
been  Eda  Neumann,  Wilhelmine  Bochhahn. 
Margaret  Paulesen,  Edna  Miller,  Minnie  Cun- 
ningham, Anna  Hansen;  the  secretaries,  Cora 
Harris  and  Katie  Colwell.  This  organization 
now  has  about  175  members. 

WOODMEN   OF  THE   WORLD 

An  early  Woodmen  of  the  World  lodge  was 
organized  in  Grand  Island,  Grand  Island  Camp 
No.  284.  The  interest  in  this  work  died  down 
and  it  was  necessary  to  re-charter  the  lodge' 
on  July  8,  1909.  The  officers  at  that  time  were 
Wallace  B.  Parker,  C.  C,  Albert  W.  Stehr. 
A.  L-,  Louis  L.  Moore,  banker,  Wm.  Chandler. 
clerk,  Pearl  D.  Willis,  escort,  Henry  J.  Sea- 
man, Jess  E.  Weineiger,  John  M.  Gahringer. 
Geo.  W.  Geise,  Edw.  D.  Shirley  and  E«ra  J. 
Wickwire  occupied  the  other  offices.  Council 
Commanders  since  then  have  been :  L.  O.  Barr. 
two  years,  Geo.  Labbe,  Fred  Rose,  Guy  M. 
Britt  and  the  present  incumbent,  Council  Com- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


381 


mander  Wertz.  Clerks  have  been  Ray  Carson, 
Holmes,  and  J.  E.  Lyle  for  the  past  four  or 
five  years. 

MODERN  WOODMEN  OF  AMERICA 

Grand  Island  Camp  No.  408,  M.  W.  A.,  was 
established  late  in  the  'eighties.  In  1890  D.  A. 
Finch  was  V.  C,  A.  B.  Harriott,  W.  A.,  J.  A, 
Brent,  E.  B.,  and  D.  C.  Zink,  clerk. 

Unable  to  secure  a  compilation  of  the  past 
commanders  and  clerks  of  this  lodge,  a  partial 
list  of  the  same  shows,  Geo.  H.  Caldwell,  D.  A. 
Finch,  Z.  B.  Partridge,  Henry  Allan. 

Clerks  have  been  E.  E.  Cole,  D.  C.  Zink, 
T.  A.  Hathaway,  A.  B.  Harriott. 

A  second  camp  thrived  for  some  time  in 
Grand  Island,  known  as  Beet  Sugar  Camp  No 
533,  of  which  H.  E.  Clifford  was  V.  C,  ant! 
I.  G.  Cawley,  clerk. 

LODGES  IN  THE  SEVENTIES 
There  are  many  other  lodges,  in  addition 
to  those  of  which  a  somewhat  detailed  history 
has  been  recited,  which  should  be  remembered, 
even  though  very  detailed  facts  cannot  be 
given  at  this  point. 

In  1876  when  the  community  of  Grand  Is- 
land was  ten  years  old  the  following  lodges 
were  thriving  within  its  borders :  Ashlar  Lodge 
No.  33,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.;  Deuel  Chap.  No.  11, 
R.  A.  Masons ;  Odd  Fellows ;  Patrons  of  Hus- 
bandry, which  are  treated  in  the  chapter  on 
Agriculture;  Sons  of  Temperance,  an  organ- 
ization started  on  October  2,  1873,  with  fifteen 
members,  and  the  following  officers:  Horatio 
Thomas,  W.  P.,  Alice  Odell,  W.  A.,  J.  J.  Cash, 
B.  S.,  B.  F.  Odell,  A.  R.  S.,  Byron  Beal,  F.  S., 
Jas.  H.  Jenkins,  C,  Flora  Thomas,  A.  C, 
Ella  Warner,  I.  S.,  John  Shoemaker,  O.  S., 
Liederkranz  Society,  organized  by  John  Wal- 
lichs,  in  1870,  and  given  the  name  meaning 
"Song  Society."  The  U.  P.  Railroad  Com- 
pany gave  this  society  two  lots  upon  which 
a  frame  home  was  erected  in  1871.  Kilwin- 
ning Lodge  No.  1,  A.  &  A.  S.  R.  (Scottish 
Rite)  organized  in  1871,  with  G.  W.  Thummel 
as  T.  P.  G.  M.,  and  B.  B.  Kelley,  grand  secre- 
tary, and  which  flourished  until  the  'nineties. 
Lyon  Post  No.  11,  G.  A.  R.,  department  of  Ne- 


braska, organized  August  29,  1877,  is  treated 
more  fully  in  another  section  of  this  work. 
The  Temple  of  Honor  was  organized  May  4, 
1878,  by  A.  H.  Bowen,  with  Jas.  H.  Burlison, 
Robert  S.  Buchanan,  George  I 
T.  Hamilton,  I.  L.  Meseraul, 
Harry  Buchanan,  W.  P.  Foi 
Owens,  D.  M.  Buchanan  and  / 
officers.      The     Eintacht     (C 
formed  September  26,  1875, 
C.  Zeus,  director.    The  Plattf 
still  an  existing  organization, 
very  early  date.     The  Old  T 
organized  in  October,  1874,  a 
January    15,    1878,  but  it  tr- 
active work  before  1881. 

BAND  ORGANIZATI' 

The  Union  Cornet  band  coir 
tion  in  June,  1874,  with  S.  S.  '. 
S.  P.  Mobley,  Joseph  Fox  and 
trustees,  and  N.  P.  Kelley,  i 
organization  resulted  from  a 
predecessor,  the  old  Granc 
to  play  on  July  4.  D.  G. 
its  early  director  in  1874.  It  li 
and  then  went  the  way  of  mai 

The  Cornet  band  organized 
with  J.  W.  West,  president, 
treasurer,  Jay  E.  White,  seen 
ered  effective  services  for  mar 

The  Germania  band  came 
'eighties,  and  the  MaCadden  C 
organized  in  1887. 

No  attempt  has  been  made 
vening  bands  during  the  last  tr 
at  the  present  time  Grand  Islan 
band  led  by  Guy  L.  Harrison, 
several  efficient  orchestras  ft 
for  various  social  occasio 
Schlictings,  Brase's,  Ole's  Syr 

ATHLETIC  ORGANIZA- 

In  July,  1870,  The  Platte 
Dirty  Stockings  teams  belong 
baseball  clubs  in  Grand  Islam 
during  the  many  years  since  thi 
has  had  organized  teams.  Twi 
league  team.     About  1910  Gi 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


-fated  Nebaska  State  League, 
rs  amateur  teams  have  played 
mes  in  a  loosely  formed  City 


RONS  IN  THE    EIGHTIES 

and  societies  which  started 
ng  the  decade  of  the  'eighties 
ind  Camp  No.  408,  M.  W.  A., 

of  Honor,  Fidelity  Lodge  935, 

Beecher  was  dictator  in  1887 
.  Partridge  for  ten  years  or  so, 
Wear,  Jno.  Nicholson,  J.  R 
L-  Haux,  secretaries. 

Lodge  No.  14,  I.  O.  G.  T., 
March  5,  1889,  with  the  fol- 
rs :  Margaret  Ryne,  D.  M. 
.  Conrad,  E.  C.  McCashland, 
Hart,  W.  Smith,  A.  Sage,  Mrs 
nd  Josie  E.  Throles.    The  old 

60  had  vanished  years  before 
nories  of  old  Temperance  hall. 
sland  Social  Club  was  organ - 
887,  with  J.  D.  Moore,  presi- 
ichael  and  A.  B.  Perkins,  vice* 

H.  Geddes,  recorder,  E.  W. 
ending  secretary,  and  W.  B, 
-.  This  organization  continued 
if  years,  meeting  every  second 
days  at  Hann's  Park.  In  1896 
>  president. 

sland  Dramatic  Company  was 
10,  1889,  with  E.  O.  Green, 
.  Wm.  Murr,  vice-president, 
ler,  secretary,  J.  H.  Gorman, 
Ralph  Piatt,  agent  and  master 

Directors  Mullin,  Cowie  and 
ilected.  This  organization  had 
nateur  and  some  professional 

number  of  years  gave  the  com- 
rst-class  theatrical  and  musical 


LAST   QUARTER-CENTURY 
■en  a  long  procession  of  lodges 
nizations  coming  and  going  in 
-century.  Many  of  these  should 
;d. 
various    orders    which    have 


grown  to  some  substantial  proportions,  some 
of  which  have  abandoned  their  tasks  and 
others  are  still  in  existence,  are:  The  Tribe 
of  Ben  Hur,  Lamont  Court  No.  120;  Brother- 
hood of  American  Yeomen,  No.  2062,  which  is 
still  carrying  on  its  work  in  Grand  Island; 
Royal  Arcanum;  Patriotic  Protective  Order 
of  Stags  of  the  World,  No.  138,  which  form- 
erly met  at  G.  A.  R.  hall ;  Order  of  Redmen; 
Home  Forum;  National  Union. 

The  Western  Bees,  organized  here  with  _ 
Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  1,  with  R.  O.  Waters, 
president,  secretary,  Geo.  Waters,  and  treas- 
urer, B.  H.  Paine.  The  Supreme  Lodge  of 
the  Western  Bees,  was  established  at  109  W. 
Third,  with  C.  H.  Boehl,  supreme  chancellor, 
J.  P.  Leschinsky,  Thomas  O'Gorman,  and 
J.  A.  Gilbert  of  Waco  as  trustees.  This  order 
did  not  enjoy  a  successful  career;  the  A.  0. 
U.  W.,  likewise  started  here,  encountered 
troubles  and  after  a  few  years  it  merged  with 
another  fraternal  order.  The  Western  Bees 
of  American  Nobles,  Grand  Island  Lodge  439, 
was  another  manifestation  of  the  same  idea, 
but  it  also  merged  with  the  American  Order 
of  Protection.  The  American  Order  of  Pro- 
tection located  Union  Pacific  Harbor  No.  17 
in  Grand  Island,  and  was  carrying  on  its  work 
in  1904  with  R.  I.  Evans,  secretary,  R.  T.  Hite, 
commander.  It  eventually  merged  into  the 
Fraternal  Aid  Union,  which  is  an  existing 
institution. 

The  Knights  and  Ladies  of  Security  is  an 
organization  that  has  enjoyed  a  successful 
growth  in  Nebraska.  Its  Ak-Sar-Ben  Council 
No.  940  organized  in  Grand  Island  and  carried 
on  a  successful  career  for  some  years. 

Sons  and  Daughters  of  Protection,  Sugar 
City  Lodge  No.  5,  flourishing  here  in  1904, 
has  now  been  abandoned. 

WHEEL  CLUBS 
In  sharp  contrast  to  the  automobile  associa- 
tions, golf  and  country  clubs  and  aeroplane 
companies  being  organized  in  1919  stands  the 
wheel  clubs  of  twenty  years  ago,  when  the 
bicycle  was  the  up-to-date  and  somewhat  aris- 
tocratic method  of  transportation  for  pleasure, 
and  later  almost  a  business  necessity. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


383 


The  Grand  Island  Wheel  Club  in  1891  had 
as  officers:  W.  R.  King,  president,  R.  A. 
Powell,  vice-president,  C.  H.  Menck,  secretary, 
Arthur  C.  Mayer  and  Otto  KilHan,  road  cap- 
tains, with  35  wheels ;  in  1893,  W.  R.  King  was 
still  president,  R.  A.  Powell,  captain,  with  Max 
Egge  and  Harry  Andrews,  lieutenants,  and 
A.  C.  Mayer,  secretary.  In  1896  and  1897  the 
Oriental  Cycle  Club  has  D.  A.  Finch  as  pres- 
ident, H.  B.  Peters,  secretary,  and  W.  R.  King, 
treasurer;  and  the  Puckwana  Cycle  Club  had 
Harry  Culbertson,  secretary,  John  Geddes, 
president,  and  W.  R.  King,  treasurer. 

THE  PLATTSDEUTCH  VEREIN 
This  organization  was  founded  on  the  30th 
day  of  April,  1884.  in  Grand  Island.  The 
first  members  were  Dr.  Christiansen,  president, 
A.  Blunk,  vice-president,  Claus  Tagge,  N. 
Kroeger,  Claus.  Eggers,  Geo.  Cornelius,  treas- 
urer, Wm.  Cornelius,  Chr.  Cornelius,  Chas. 
Ivers,  Chas.  Nielsen,  G.  W.  Hein,  secretary, 
C.  D.  Meyers,  James  Heesch,  Chas.  Guenther 
and  John  Kuehlsen.  Today  this  society  has 
ffrown  to  a  membership  of  547.  It  had 
seventy-nine  boys  in  the  service  of  our  coun- 
try during  the  World  War.  The  present 
officers  are :  Herman  Hehnke,  president,  Wm. 
Stratman,  vice-president,  Theo.  Jessen,  sec- 
retary, James  Heesch,  treasurer,  Paul  Lorenz, 
honorary  director,  directors,  Peter  Mohr, 
Peter  Heeschl,  Jasper  Eggers,  and  Peter 
Schacht. 

This  society's  first  meeting  place  was  the 
Uederkranz  hall,  then  Hann's  Park,  then  A. 
0.  U.  W.  building,  and  in  recent  years  in  the 
Plattsdeutsche  Heim,  which  they  purchased 
in  June,  1910.  They  now  have  one  of  the 
prettiest  places  in  the  state  of  Nebraska.  Their 
aim  is  to  promote  social  relations,  help  one 
another  in  sickness  and  assist  the  family  after 
the  death  of  its  supporter. 

COUNTRY   CLUBS 
For  many   years   Grand   Island   has   been 
without  any  regular  country  club.    Men  inter- 
ested in  the  formation  of  a  country  club  failed 
to  get  their  plans  crystallized  before  the  war 


came  on.    The  proposition  was  revived  during 

1918,  but  the  presence  of  so  many  needed  war 
activities  held  it  back,  but  after  the  armistice 
was  signed  it  rapidly  materialized  into  the 
formation  of  a  country  club.  A  holding  con- 
cern known  as  the  Grand  Island  Country  Club 
was  formed  to  buy  ground  south  of  the  city, 
and  this  organization  selected  eighty  acres 
off  the  Hagge  property,  on  the  banks  of  the 
Wood  River,  and  had  a  golf  course  laid  out 
there.  The  committee  of  heavy  stockholders 
designated  to  incorporate  this  enterprise,  were 
J.  A.  Donald,  to  whom  a  great  deal  of  credit 
is  due  for  its  successful  promotion,  Henry 
Schuff,  Joseph  D.  Martin,  J.  E.  Dill  and  J.  L, 
Cleary. 

During  the  summer  of  1919  it  was  decided 
to  change  the  name  of  the  social  organization 
to  "The  Riverside  Golf  Club."  Trustees 
elected  were,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  J.  E.  Dill, 
J.  E.  Hanna,  C.  G.  Ryan,  Lawrence  Donald, 
Ed  Wolbach,  Jack  Donald,  J.  L.  Cleary  and 
I.  R.  Alter. 

An  architect  has  been,  employed  to  draft 
plans  for  a  club  house  to  cost  $10,000  to 
$12,000.  Construction  is  to  start  during  the 
summer  of  1919.  The  initial  stock  subscrip- 
tion to  the  club  was  necessarily  heavy  as  it  in- 
volved each  stockholder's  proportionate  share 
of  the  cost  of  buying  ground  and  building 
such  a  club  house  as  they  will  desire. 

The  requisites  and  cost  of  membership  in 
the  social  club  have  not  yet  been  publicly  an- 
nounced. 

Another  group  of  men,  also  inclined  toward 
golf  and  cooperative  recreation  but  feeling 
they  did  not  want  to  invest  so  heavily,  in  June, 

1919,  organized  the  Woodlawn  Golf  Associa- 
tion. This  organization  is  not,  at  this  time, 
at  least,  essaying  to  purchase  grounds  or  build 
a  club-house,  but  has  been  content  to  charge 
only  such  a  moderate  stock-subscription  price 
or  entrance  fee  as  necessary  to  rent  a  tract 
of  ground  and  lay  out  a  golf  course  adjoining 
the  Riverside  grounds  on  Wood  River,  three 
miles  south  of  Grand  Island.  The  incorpo- 
rators of  the  Woodlawn  Golf  Association  were 
Joseph  Power,  Irvin  R.  Morearty,  Henry  P. 

C 


GoogI 


Lieoerkranz,  Grand  Isi 


j  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


385 


Zeig,  Clark  W.  Johnson,  Ray  L.  Harrison, 
^Wilmer  D.  McGrath,  Lewis  T.  Cox,  Thos.  V. 

tltcGowan,  and  Wm.  Suhr. 
WOOD  river's  lodges 
-  The  history  of  Cement  Lodge  No.  211, 
■  A.  F.  &  A.  M„  and  Wood  River  Odd  Fellows 
-lodge  has  already  been  detailed  in  this  chapter. 
.  Vulcan  Lodge  No.  34,  A.  O.  U.  W.,  was 
'yjganized  April  3,  1884.  It  had  grown  to  a 
'flfcmbership  of  191  in  1900.  Its  early  masters 
Wftn  J.  W.  Honnold,  Stephen  Jones,  H.  M. 
fcnes,  C.  A.  Baldwin,  J.  C.  Boone,  David 
Wrick,  S.  N.  Taylor  and  George  Miller. 
^tht  charter  members  were  C.  D.  Gibson,  W. 
?.  Wells,  James  Williams,  John  Ewing,  F.  W. 
Cooley,  C.  W.  Stoddard,  N.  T.  Brittin,  H.  P. 
Chapman,  J.  W.  Honnold,  R.  H.  Dodd,  J.  B. 
Furman,  H.  D.  Hollister,  David  Barrick,  J.  R. 
Jewett,  C.  J.  Lowe,  C.  E.  Taylor  and  Stephen 
Jones. 

Wood  River  Lodge  No.  704,  M.  W.  A., 
was  organized  September  17,  1888.  G.  L. 
Maddock,  the  first  counsel  presided  for  some 
years.  The  charter  members  were!  G.  D. 
Maddock,  Geo.  Plummer,  Wm.  Thorp,  J.  A. 
Shortess,  Wilbur  Mercer,  Thos.  Whalen, 
Oliver  Mead,  J.  N.  Harrison,  John  C.  Boone 
and  H.  M.  Jones. 

B.  B.  White  Camp  29,  Sons  of  Veterans, 
was  organized  June  2,  1885,  and  a  charter 
granted  on  the  same  date  to  H.  C.  White,  cap- 
tain, J.  W.  Hart,  sergeant,  R.  J.  Clark, 
corporal,  A.  B.  Templeton,  high  private,  Wm. 
Searl,  lieut.,  Wm.  Kunz,  color  bearer. 

Women's  Relief  Corps  No.  61  was  organized 
April  19,  1889.  The  charter  members  were 
N.J.  Wescoatt,  Jennie  Trout,  H.  J.  Tracy, 
Augusta  Stephens,  Mary  Kunz,  Mary  Plum- 
mer, L.  Ramsdell,  A.  White,  E.  Taylor,  F. 
Mathews  and  Emma  Bly.  The  first  president 
was  Mrs.  Kate  Ross  and  her  successor,  Mrs. 
N,  J.  Wescoatt. 

Bradley  Post  No.  134,  G.  A.  R.,  was  organ- 
ized March  17,  1873.  Stephen  Jones  served 
as  commander  for  two  terms,  followed  by 
J.  H.  Bliss  for  a  like  period,  John  B.  Stephens 
the  fifth  term,  R.  Wescoatt  the  next  two  terms, 


and  T.  Kunz,  one  term.  A.  C.  White  was 
the  next  commander. 

The  G.  A.  R.  and  the  A,  O.  U.  W.  dedicated 
a  hall  in  April,  1886.  The  Masons  have  a  nice 
hall  there  now. 

In  addition  to  those  named  the  ladies  have 
maintained  an  Eastern  Star,  Rebekahs,  Degree 
of  Honor,  and  Royal  Neighbors  lodges. 

DONIPHAN'S  LODGES 

Doniphan  has  maintained  an  I.  O.  O.  F. 
lodge,  A.  J.  Smith  Post  No.  65,  organized  dur- 
ing the  'eighties;  Heli  Conclave  No.  1,  Hepta- 
sophs,  organized  in  October,  1887,  and  being 
the  only  lodge  of  that  order  maintained  in 
the  state  in  1890;  A.  O.  U.  W.  lodges,  the 
history  of  which  has  already  been  detailed ; 
a  Modern  Woodman  lodge  organized  in  June, 
1889,  and  the  W.  O.  W.  lodge.  This  W.  O.  W. 
lodge  was  organized  in  October,  1902. 

Its  first  officers  were:  M.  J.  Snyder,  consul 
commander,  M.  J.  Meseraull,  advisory  lieut., 
S.  L.  Pletcher,  clerk,  T.  A.  Derby,  banker. 

The  present  officers  are :  E.  E.  Marsh, 
consul  commander,  Geo.  Devereau,  advisory 
lieutenant,  A.  M.  Bomgardner,  clerk,  Joseph 
Heitz,  banker. 

CAIRO   AND   ALDA 

Alda  maintains  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  M.  W.  A. 
lodges.  Cairo  has  the  A.  O.  U.  W-,  M.  W.  A.. 
and  I.  O.  O.  F.  There  has  been  a  successful 
M.  W.  A.  lodge  in  Cameron  township.  This 
lodge  was  chartered  February  1,  1896,  the 
charter  members  being :  A.  W.  Benton,  Jessie 
Boering,  Orin  Bryan,  John  Ellis,  M.  Graham, 
John  Hopper,  Walter  Smith,  August  Wieth, 
Charles  Morton,  Ed  Orndorf. 

The  present  officers  are :  C.  J.  Carter,  consul, 
W.  J.  Porter,  clerk,  Wm.  Cartensen,  banker. 

■  THE  ST.  CECILIA  SOCIETY 
(Information  prepared  by  Mrs.  C.  G.  Ryan) 
The  St.  Cecilia  Society  was  organized  in 
June,  1885,  and  except  for  a  period  of  a  few 
years  of  inactivity  has  been  one  of  the  fore- 
most organizations  of  Grand  Island.  The  first 
meeting  place  was  the  residence  of  Mrs.  Maria 

e 


:oog\ 


386 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Fisher  and  the  charter  members  were:  Mes- 
dames  R.  J.  Barr,  W.  E.  Robinson,  Hiffiker, 
Fisher,  Renard,  Misses  Emma  and  Margaret 
Howard  .and  Ida  Heffleman.  To  this  original 
list  were  added  the  names  of  Mrs.  W.  H. 
Geddes,  Mrs.  H.  H.  Glover,  Miss  Lucy  Hay- 
wood, Mesdames  S.  D.  Ross,  J.  H.  Storms, 
O.  B.  Thompson,  D.  H.  Vantine,  Chas.  Wiebe, 
J.  H.  Wooley,  Misses  Murphy,  Ada  and  May 
Castiday,  May  Hurford,  and  others. 

From  its  early  beginnings  to  the  present 
time  the  membership,  which  has  grown  to  an 
active  list  of  thirty  and  an  unlimited  associate 
membership,  has  included  the  women  most 
interested  in  promoting  the  musical  culture 
of  the  community.  The  presidents  since  1901 
have  been:  Mrs.  H.  H.  Glover,  Mrs.  L.  A. 
Arthur,  Mrs.  C.  G.  Ryan,  Mrs.  R.  J.  Barr, 
Mrs.  S.  D.  Ross,  Miss  Jane  L.  Pinder,  Mrs. 
Victor  Anderson,  Miss  Harriett  L.  Norris, 
Mrs.  Edward  Ewel,  Mrs.  W.  A.  Prince,  Mrs. 
H.  R.  Hatfield,  Mrs.  E.  S.  Dungan,  Mrs. 
R.  R.  Riese,  Mrs.  Thos.  Connor.  For  the 
period  of  the  past  two  years— 1917-18  to  1918- 
19 — the  club  has  been  inactive,  owing  to  the 
fact  that  the  members  have  been  busy  in  war 
work,  until  its  recent  affiliation  with  the 
Woman's  Club. 

The  St.  Cecilia  Society  is  a  member  of  the 
National  Federation  of  Musical  Clubs  and  has 
followed  out  many  interesting  courses  of 
study.  The  principal  work  for  the  past  few 
years  has  been  the  bringing  of  distinguished 
musical  artists  to  Grand  Island  and  the  man- 
agement of  a  yearly  festival  of  music  which 
quite  matches  those  of  cities  much  larger. 
At  these  festivals  and  at  other  concerts  given 
during  the  year  the  following  artists  and 
organizations  have  been  brought  to  Grand 
Island :  Minneapolis  Symphony  Orchestra, 
Emil  Oberhoffer,  conductor,  New  York  Sym- 
phony Orchestra,  Walter  Damrosch,  conduc- 
tor, Josef  Hofmann,  Efrem  Zimbalist,  Arthur 
Middleton,  James  Goddard,  Pavley-Oukrain- 
sky  Ballet,  Oscar  Seagle  and  others. 

The  financial  affairs  of  the  club  have  always 
been  successfully  handled.  The  society  owns 
$1,000  worth  of  Liberty  Bonds  and  has  $500 
loaned  out  at  interest  and  a  small  treasury 


fund.    AH  of  this  money  has  been  made  at  the 
annual  festivals. 

The  St.  Cecilia  Society  has  always  stood 
for  the  highest  musical  ideals  and  has  steadily 
advanced  in  the  character  and  standards  of 
all  of  its  undertakings,  so  that  the  purpose  for 
which  it  was  organized  has  never  been  lost 
sight  of. 

THE  T.   P.  A.,   POST   E 

Organized  April  4,  1903.  Its  first  meeting 
place  was  the  Palmer  hotel. 

The  charter  members  were  J.  Donald,  J.  F. 
Rourke,  P.  B.  Traeblood,  H.  A.  Goudrn,  A 
Lowry,  B.  V.  Mathers,  J.  B.  Waldo,  J.  M. 
Bower,  Geo.  Miller,  Geo.  Spraggins,  C.  V. 
Millard,  Geo.  Porter,  C.  J.  Cunningham,  M. 
L-  Dolary,  H.  L.  Bering,  E.  Ewal,  B.  S. 
Thomas,  E.  H.  Tulley,  B.  L.  Curry,  R.  P. 
Ranen,  T.  H.  Michelson. 

The  original  officers  were:  J.  F.  Rourke, 
president,  G.  W.  Spraggins,  vice-president, 
E.  Ewal,  secretary-treasurer. 

Members  who  have  served  as  president  are: 
J.  F.  Rourke,  J.  W.  Smith,  W.  R.  Gilchrist, 
Glenn  Bell,  Clyde  Kelso,  M.  C.  Alexander, 
R.  B.  Plummer. 

Members  who  have  served  as  secretary  are: 
E.  Ewal,  L.  Lynn,  W.  R.  Gilchrist,  A.  M. 
Conner,  R.  B.  Plummer. 

The  Grand  or  head  lodge  of  this  society 
met  in  Grand  Island  in  1911  and  1917. 

The  present  officers  are  M.  C.  Alexander, 
president,  R.  B.  Plummer,  secretary-treasurer. 

There  are  162  members. 

ISLAND  CITY  NO.  255 
(Information  by  Thirza  M.  Doyle) 
Island  City  No.  255,  Ladies'  Auxiliary  to  the 
Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Trainmen  was  organ- 
ized at  Grand  Island  by  Mrs.  Janette  Turner, 
a  past  president,  she  being  the  first  vice-grand 
president  of  the  Grand  Lodge  which  was 
organized  at  Fort  Gratiot,  Michigan.  Mrs. 
Myra  A.  Ballinger  was  the  first  president  of 
Island  City  Lodge.  Chartered  December  8, 
1902.  Charter  members  were :  Crete  B.  Black- 
burn, Emma  R.  Brooks,  Effie  M.  Ballenger. 
Jennie  M.  Carey,  Daisy  B.  Fent,  Amelia 
Murphy,  Lucy  B.   Pflasterer,  Grace  Wilson. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


387 


Clara  E.  Hadlock,  Mae  Hansen,  Myra  A. 
Ballenger,  Jennie  Lyman,  Sylvia  G.  Fent, 
Mildred  McAllister,  Louise  Wilson,  Hannah 
B.  Van  Houser. 

John  McAllister  was  the  first  counsel  to 
Island  City  lodge. 

Original  officers  were :  Past  President,  Mae 
Hansen;  President,  Myra  A.  Ballenger;  Vice- 
President,  Daisy  Fent ;  Secretary,  Jennie 
Carey ;  Treasurer,  Clara  Hadlock ;  Con- 
ductress, Grace  Fent;  Warden,  Hannah  Van 
Hausen;  Chaplain,  Crete  Blackburn;  Inner 
Guard,  Lucy  Pilaster,  Outer  Guard,  Emma 
Brooks. 

Present  officers  are:  Past  President,  Edna 
Miller;  President,  Rena  Spangenberg;  vice- 
President,  Cora  Streator;  Secretary,  Thirza 
M.  Doyle;  Treasurer,  Luella  Nelson;  Chap- 
lain, Ada  Cover;  Conductress,  Ethel  Kelly; 
Warden,  Ora  Laurin ;  Outer  Guard,  Eva  Ras- 
mussen;  Inner  Guard,  Mable  Moeder; 
Musician,  Margaret  Le  Masters;  Counselor, 
Mr.  William  E.  Doyle.  The  present  treasurer 
and  secretary  have  succeeded  themselves  in 
office  the  most  number  of  years  of  any  of  the 
officers.  This  being  our  convention  year  the 
following  sisters  represented  our  lodge  at 
convention,  which  met  May  14,  1919,  at 
Columbus,  Ohio:  Rena  Spangenberg  as  dele- 
gate and  Thirza  M.  Doyle  as  alternate. 

Our  lodge  has  been  visited  by  Grand  Officers 
several  times.  For  the  last  several  years  the 
auxiliary  ladies  have  entertained  the  railroad 
men  and  their  families  at  annual  entertain- 
ments for  the  purpose  of  becoming  better  ac- 
quainted with  each  other.  In  May,  1919,  at 
the  convention  it  was  decided  by  the  delegates 
and  grand  officers,  to  have  a  ways  and  means 
committee,  to  raise  funds  to  establish  a  home 
for  the  aged  and  disabled  sisters.  At  this 
time  all  auxiliary  lodges  are  interested  and 
working  fori  that  fund,  not  forgetting  the 
railroad  men's  home  at  Highland  Park, 
Illinois. 

We  now  have  sixty-two  members. 

THE  YOUNG   MEN'S  CHRISTIAN   ASSOCIATION 

A  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  was 
organized  in  Grand  Island  on  February  28, 


1885,  with  C.  W.  Scarff,  president,  J.  W. 
Bartholomew,  secretary. 

In  1891  G.  W.  Weeter  was  president,  L.  S. 
Moore,  recording  secretary,  J.  B.  Carruthers, 
general  secretary. 

In  1893  G.  W.  Weeter  was  president  of  the 
city  division,  and  J.  P.  Kernohan  president 
of  the  railroad  division,  J.  T.  Miller,  record- 
ing secretary,  and  J.  S.  Miller,  general  secre- 
tary. The  association's  headquarters  were  on 
Sycamore  street  between  Front  and  Third. 
The  directors  then  were:  Geo.  W.  Weeter, 
W.  H.  Jones,  A.  M.  Wilson,  Thos.  Robinson, 
Ira  T.  Paine,  D.  C.  Hall  and  W.  A.  Heim- 
berger.  In  1896  Mr.  Heimberger  was  pres- 
ident, A.  M.  Hargis,  treasurer,  and  M.  O. 
Lewis,  general  secretary.  In  1900  L-  E.  Smith 
was  general  secretary.  The  headquarters  were 
removed  to  105  East  Front  street. 

In  1904  M.  A.  Wolfe  was  general  secretary. 
Chas.  H.  Tully  served  as  president  of  the 
association  for  seventeen  years. 

In  1908  the  officers  were :  President,  C.  H. 
Tully,  vice-president,  Frank  Perdue,  recording 
secretary,  D.  H.  Fishbum,  treasurer,  Allan 
Craig,  general  secretary,  W.  L.  Stockinger. 
The  same  officers  were  in  charge  of  its  aflairs 
in  1910. 

In  1912  J.  W.  Rose  was  president  and 
Bayard  H.  Paine,  secretary.  The  directors  then 
serving  were:  A.  F.  Buechler,  C.  H.  Tully, 
L.  M.  Talmage,  J.  V.  Anderson,  E.  Williams, 
J.  W.  Rose,  E.  W.  Augustine,  B.  H.  Paine, 
A.  M.  Hargis,  T.  J.  Hansen,  A.  U.  Hannan, 
D.  E.  Ryder,  O.  C.  Bundy,  E-  F.  Starr,  E.  R. 
Farmer.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A.  Building  Associa- 
tion was  incorporated  with  the  same  fifteen 
directors. 

The  officers  for  that  year  were  J.  W.  Rose, 
president,  A.  F.  Buechler,  vice-president, 
Elmer  Williams,  treasurer,  and  Bayard  H. 
Paine,  secretary.  H.  L.  Rowe  was  general 
secretary.  It  was  during  this  administration 
that  the  determination  was  reached  to  build 
a  new  home  for  the  City  and  Railroad  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  Association  of  Grand  Island. 

October  21,  1912,  a  building  committee  of 
107  members  was  formed  to  assist  in  the 
building  campaign   . 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


paign  began  in  November,  1912, 
)  was  subscribed  in  three  days', 
vhereas  ten  days  had  been  alloted 

:  stockholders  of  the  new  Y.  M. 
I  ding  Association  the  following 
ere  chosen  on  December  2,  1912: 
:rs,  L.  M.  Talmage,  J.  D.  Whit- 
Donald,  J.  V.  Anderson,  S.  D. 
k  E.  Slusser,  C.  H.  Tully,  Chas. 
.  J.  Hansen,  A.  M.  Hargis,  Elmer 
',.  W.  Augustine,  J.  W.  Rose  and 
Paine.  The  erection  of  a  four 
ng,  across  the  street  north  from 
ouse,  at  First  and  Locust  streets 
:nced  shortly  thereafter. 

AILROAD    YOUNG    MEN'S    CHRISTIAN 

ASSOCIATION 
g  was  held  April  7,  1913,  to  per- 

articles  of  incorporation  of  "The 
Railroad  Young  Men's  Christian 
"    For  the  first  board  of  directors 

organization,  the  following  were 
hold  until  the  annual  meeting  in 

Augustine,  L.  M.  Talmage,  J.  W. 
Farmer,  Bayard  H.  Paine ;  to  hold 
A.  M.  Hargis,  E.  F.  Starr,  Elmer 
i.  E.  Ryder,  T.  J.  Hansen ;  to  hold 
1  meeting  in   1913,  J.  V.  Ander- 

Hannan,  A.  F.  Buechler,  C.  H. 
3.  C.  Bundy.  The  officers  elected 
.  Rose,  president,  E.  R.  Farmer, 
nt,  Bayard  H.  Paine,  secretary, 
lams,  treasurer.  H.  L.  Rowe  was 
eral  secretary.  In  March,  1914, 
iler  and  E.  F.  Starr  resigned,  and 
was  compellel  to  resign  as  both 
id  director  owing  to  his  removal 
:y  and  A.  M.  Hargis  also  removed 
y.    F.  E.  Slusser  was  elected  pres- 

Coats,  Dr.  Geo.  Sutherland,  J.  T. 

E.  Clayton  were  chosen  to  succeed 
,  Hargis  and  Buechler  as  directors. 
'14,  Bayard  H.  Paine  became  pres- 
e  City  and  Railroad  Association, 
mer  continued  as  vice-president, 
er  became  secretary,  E.  Williams 
s  treasurer,  and  the  same  board 


continued  to  serve.  The  officers  and  directors 
of  the  Building  Association  during  1914  were 
E.  Williams,  president,  J.  Donald,  vice-pres- 
ident, B.  H.  Paine,  secretary,  and  L.  M. 
Talmage,  treasurer,  with  directors  as  Hargis, 
T.  J.  Hansen,  Tully,  Whitmore,  Riemers. 
Ross,  Slusser,  Rose,  Ryan,  Augustine,  and 
Anderson. 

The  dedication  of  the  new  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
building  was  celebrated  with  a  banquet. 

In  1915  a  very  active  membership  campaign 
was  carried  on.  The  executive  membership 
committee  was  Geo.  W.  Wigington,  chairman, 
J.  R.  Fulton,  Theo.  Boehm,  Raymond  Thurs- 
ton, Wm.  Suhr.    The  membership  committee 


Y.  M.  C.  A.,  Grand  Island 

was  F.  J.  Coates,  T.  H.  McHaley,  W.  E.  Clay- 
ton, H.  J.  Palmer,  Glenn  Jones,  Max  Egge. 
C.  T.  Clayton,  S.  M.  Clayton,  T.  J.  Ellsberry. 
A.  K.  Mader,  T.  J.  Cunningham,  D.  A. 
Trivelpiece,  Thos.  McGowan,  E.  S.  Fair- 
banks, E.  F.  Younkin,  E.  G.  Johnson.  Ernest 
Meyer,  J.  Frank  Scott,  Clarence  Engleman 
and  Estel  Jones.  I 

The  same  officers  continued,  with  H.  L. 
Rowe,  general  secretary,  J.  A.  Noble,  physi-  i 
cal  director  and  E.  C.  Anderson  boy's  sec- 
retary. Secretary  Rowe  left  Grand  Island 
in  April,  1916,  and  his  successor  was  J.  T. 
Maxwell,  who  came  to  the  Grand  Island 
Association  from  Omaha,  and  is  in  1919  at 
Detroit,  Michigan.  The  directors  in  1916 
were  Wm.  Suhr,  Chas.  H.  Tully,  J.  E.  Dill. 
Glenn  Jones,  B.  H.  Paine,  T.  J.  Hansen,  E. 
Williams,  E.  W.  Augustine,  F.  E.  Slusser. 
W.  E.  Clayton,  Dr.  Geo.  Sutherland.  Director 
elected  in  October,  1916,  were  W.  E.  Clayton. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


J.  B.  Lesher,  F.  E.  Slusser,  C.  H.  Tully,  Guy 
Smith  and  J.  B.  Ellseffer.  When  Mr.  Maxwell 
resigned  in  September,  1916,  his  successor 
was  C.  O.  Michael.  Roland  W.  Seibert 
worked  as  boy's  secretary  until  July,  1917, 
having  been  then  called  to  war  work,  when 
Mr.  Fred  Olsen  was  appointed.  W.  E. 
Daniels  was  soon  thereafter  chosen  athletic 
director.  Judge  Paine  insisted  upon  retiring 
from  the  presidency  in  October,  1917,  after 
having  served  during  the  strenuous  years  of 
building  and  equipping  the  association's  new 
home,  and  Glenn  Jones  was  elected  president. 
E.  W.  Augustine  was  elected  vice-president, 
J.  B.  Elseffer,  secretary,  and  T.  J.  Hansen 
treasurer.  Directors  serving  thereafter  were 
Messrs.  Jones,  Slusser,  Tully,  A.  L.  Dunn, 
Suhr,  Michael,  Augustine,  Bayard  H.  Paine, 
Hansen,  Dill,  J.  R.  Hanna,  Elseffer,  J.  B. 
Lesher,  and  in  1918  Augustine,  Bury,  Slusser, 
Jones,  Elseffer,  Hansen  and  Tully  were  elected 
directors. 

The  directors  serving  in  1919  are  Glenn 
Jones,  J.  B.  Lesher,  E.  W.  Augustine,  C.  H. 
Tully,  Judge  J.  R.  Hanna,  F.  E.  Slusser,  J.  T. 
Dill,  Judge  B.  H.  Paine,  J.  B.  Elseffer,  W.  E. 
Clayton.  O'Laughlin,  Geo.  Candish,  T.  V. 
McGowan,  D.  J.  Traill.  Mr.  C.  O.  Michael 
resigned  in  the  summer  of  1919  and  left  for 
Davenport,  Iowa,  to  enter  Palmer  Chiropractic 
College,  and  after  a  short  time  the  board 
secured  E.  F.  Bear,  who  came  to  this  associa- 
tion from  Dubuque,  Iowa.  Mr.  Bear  has 
served  as  a  secretary  in  Y.  M.  C.  A.  war 
service.  W.  J.  Rother,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
was  chosen  physical  director,  and  Mr.  Schoupp 
hoys'  secretary. 

YOUNG  WOMEN'S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

The  Hal!  County  Young  Women's  Associa- 
tion organized  January,  1913,  but  there  had 
previously  been  a  Ladies  auxiliary  to 
V.  \V.  C.  A.  Its  first  meeting  place  in 
I.  O.  O.  F.  Hall,  but  thereafter  its  head- 
quarters were  moved  to  the  Windolph  build- 
ing. It  was  chartered  on  April  2,  1919,  with 
the  following  charter  members  of  its  board 
of  directors:  Mrs.  W.  A.  Prince,  Mrs.  Fanny 
Dahlstrom,  Mrs.  Agnes  Sorenson,  Mrs  John 


Schwynn,  Mrs.  B.  H.  Paine,  Mrs.  C.  B.  Hel- 
ling, Mre  W.  R.  McAllister,  Miss  Emma  Mili- 
sen,  Mrs  Hettie  Boyden,  Mrs.  R.  H.  McAllis- 
ter, Mrs.  Louise  Hedde,  Mrs.  C 
son,  Mrs.  H.  C.  Miller,  Miss  D 
Miss   Elula   Gilbert,   Mrs.   Sars 
Mrs.  H.  D.  Starkey,  Wood  Ri- 
Eaton,   Alda,   Dr.   Nelle   Deffei 
Emma  E.  Sheeley,  ex-officio.  Th 
were,   Mrs.   W.   A.    Prince,   pr 
C.    B.    Helling,    vice-president, 
Kelley,  secretary,  Mrs.  John  Sc 
urer,   and   Miss   Emma   E.    Sh 
secretary. 

During  the  six  years  this  org 
been  growing  and  carrying  on 
burdens,  Mrs.  Prince  has  faithfu 
the  duties  of  president,  and 
remained  at  the  post  of  general  j 
her  resignation  in  the  summer  of 
up  similar  work  at  Huron,  S 
Her  successor  has  not  been  se 
time  this  review  is  written. 

The  association  has  carried  its 
since  its  organization.  It  was  th 
association  of  the  Y.  W.  C.  A. 
ized  in  Nebraska.  The  members! 
to  approximately  600  in  1919. 
tral  location,  at  Second  and  Pi 
has  been  the  haven  of  rest  and 
working  girls  of  the  city  at  th 
hour,  and  a  welcome  home  come 
hours  in  the  day  it  has  its  doors  < 
mas  cheer  work  has  been  carried 
and  between  fifty-five  and  eight) 
have  been  provided  with  food, 
and  toys  for  the  children.  Thus 
spirit  has  been  made  felt  when 
have  been  many  heart  aches.  T: 
a  rest  room  maintained  each 
county  fair.  In  1916  when  Co. 
tioned  for  three  weeks  at  the  city 
boys  devoutly  desired  some  "ht 
the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  responded  witl 
a  day  for  five  weeks.  Genei 
Sheeley  served  on  the  executive 
the  Red  Cross  County  Chapter. 
the  president  of  the  associatioi 
many  months  that  her  only  san,b,  (jQC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ons  was  in  the  service,  and 
but  found  time  to  serve  as 
f  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  with  the 
ign.  Miss  Sheeley  repre- 
2.  A.  on  the  county  execu- 
that  campaign. 
Is' Club  pledged  $1,500  war 
d  assisted  in  the  victory 
hiring  the  war  period  three 
k  were  maintained  for  Red 

srs  are:  Mrs.  W.  A.  Prince, 
.  H.  Sharp,  vice-president, 
lum,  first  '  vice-president, 
hur,  second  vice-president, 
'ully,  secretary,  Mrs.  Hettie 
and  the  present  Board  of 
i  Emma  Milisen,  Mrs.  Het- 
C.  B.  Helling,  Mrs.  W.  A. 
[.  Sharp,  Mrs.  R.  S.  Odum, 
ir,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Arthur,  Mrs. 
>lm,  Mrs.  Franklin  Tully, 
:n,  Mrs.  Rufus  Geer,  Mrs. 
:.  Ernest  Frank,  Mrs.  R.  B. 
[asten,  Mrs.  Oscar  Holmes, 
loehm,  Miss  Jane  Pinder 
-hlin. 

EACHERS'  FEDERATED  CLUB 
ggest  and  best  organized 
i  Grand  Island  is  the  one 
others'  Teachers'  Federated 
nd." 

14  the  teachers  and  mothers 
:hool  district  organized  the 
ty.  It  started  with  a  great 
a  and  has  continued  strong 

d  observing  the  benefits  the 
the  Jefferson  community, 

)  the  principals  of  the  ward 
call   the  mothers  of   their 

and  organize  similar  clubs, 
clubs  had  been  thus  formed 

vas  called  of  the  members 

>s  at  which  Mrs.  Bayard  H. 

:mber  of  the  school  board) 

ry   chairman.     The   neces- 


sity of  federating  the  clubs  that  they  might 
work  in  closer  harmony  was  thoroughly  dis- 
cussed at  this  first  meeting  and  later  was  per- 
fected, Mrs.  Paine  becoming  first  president 
by  unanimous  vote. 

The  work  of  the  federation  was  two  fold. 
It  outlined  the  year's  programs  for  the  dis- 
trict clubs  and  lent  its  strength  to  securing 
the  reforms  which  the  individual  clubs  pro- 
posed. The  federated  club  worked  on  secur- 
ing a  proper  isolation  hospital.  In  this  they 
were  sucessful,  getting  it  located  in  a  good 
district  and  in  a  good  building. 

They  worked  very  hard  on  securing  school 
nurse  and  medical  inspection  for  our  schools. 
They  brought  Dr.  Johann  of  Lincoln,  school 
inspector  there,  to  describe  the  system  as 
worked  out  in  Lincoln.  They  have  secured 
the  promises  of  all  surgeons,  dentists,  and 
physicians  of  the  city  for  free  clinics  as  soon' 
as  the  school  nurse  is  secured. 

Under  the  leadership  of  Mrs.  R.  B.  Ray 
they  registered  for  Uncle  Sam  one  thousand 
nine  babies  and  in  connection  with  this  held 
two  welfare  weeks,  with  free  lectures,  exhibit 
and  physical  examinations.  In  one  clinic  a 
,baby  of  fourteeen  months  was  discovered  to  be 
totally  blind  and  the  mother  did  not  know  it 
Another  baby  over  a  year  old  had  never  sal 
alone  and  weighed  less  than  twelve  pounds. 
Both  of  these  children  were  given  free  atten- 
tion by  Drs.  Carson  and  Higgins  and  Dr. 
Reilley  and  Dr.  Woodruff.  Another  case  of  a 
girl  of  school  age  whose  eyes  were  defective 
were  cared  for  by  Dr.  Wingert. 

These  are  a  few  of  the  startling  cases  where 
the  parents  were  in  impoverished  circum- 
stances. A  great  many  minor  defects  were 
discovered  where  the  parents  were  able  and 
glad  to  get  them  corrected. 

The  federation  work  since  it  has  been  taken 
into  the  state  federation  of  women's  clubs 
(two  years  ago)  has  taken  part  in  the  move- 
ments in  which  the  women  of  the  state  are 
working.  But  as  a  local  organization  they 
do  a  great  deal  of  charity  work  for  mothers 
and  children. 

The  individual  clubs  work  toward  meeting 


3oQgle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ihc  needs  of  their  own  districts,  the  play 
ground  equipment,  sanitary  conditions  of  the 
schools,  etc. 

Each  child  has  worked  in  the  Red  Cross 
war  work.  At  the  Jefferson  club  the  knitting 
department  under  Mrs.  Colwell  and  Mrs.  D. 
A.  Geil  made  498  sweaters,  122  pair  socks,  6 
helmets,  11  pair  half  hands,  40  pair  wristlets. 
They  were  Mrs.  Clark's  best  bunch  of  knitters. 
The  sewing  department  under  Mrs.  Chamber- 
lain also  turned  in  a  great  deal  of  work. 

The  Dodge  and  Wasmer  clubs  under  Mrs. 
Buck  and  Mrs.  Wright  combined  their  efforts, 
working  together  in  both  sewing  and  knitting. 
They  took  the  scraps  from  the  cutting  room, 
sewed  carpet  rags  and  sold  rugs. 

The  Piatt  school,  with  Mrs.  W.  W.  Ray 
as  knitting  instructor,  turned  in  a  creditable 
amount  of  work. 

The  Jefferson  has  always  held  the  lead 
among  the  clubs  but  the  Howard  this  year  with 
Mrs.  Engleman  as  president  ran  them  a  close 
second. 

The  Jefferson  during  the  time  Mrs.  Mc- 
Grath  was  president  instituted  the  "penny 
lunch"  where  the  under-nourished  could  get  a 
glass  of  milk  or  a  cup  of  cocoa  and  a  sand- 
wich for  a  penny,  or  if  the  penny  were  lack- 
ing a  kind  teacher  slipped  a  ticket  for  the 
lunch  to  the  needy  child.  They  and  the  Lin- 
coln mothers  have  served  for  the  needy  and 
they  have  also  furnished  Christmas  baskets 
to  those  who  would  appreciate  them  most. 

Some  of  the  clubs  have  helped  in  buying 
victrolas  and  records  for  the  schools  and  at 
decorating  school  floats  at  fair  time.  Each 
school  has  bought  an  emergency  kit  for  its 
own  school  and.  each  has  yearly  entertained 
ihe  "21   Club"  boys. 

The  greatest  benefit  to  the  club  members 
themselves  has  been  in  getting  together  on 
things  of  common  interest  and  the  develop- 
ment of  a  community  spirit.  The  federation 
officers  for  the  present  year  are:    Mrs.  D.  E. 


Chamberlain,  president,  Mrs.  J.  E.  Buck,  vice- 
pesident,  Mrs.  B.  R.  McGrath,  second  vice- 
president,  Mrs.  Fred  Miller,  secretary-treas- 
urer. 

the  woman's  club 

There  has  at  various  times  in  the  past  been 
a  Woman's  club  flourishing  in  Grand  Island, 
devoted  to  the  civic  purposes  best  suited  to 
a  woman's  organization.  But  recently  a  re- 
vival of  interest  in  this  civic  obligation  of 
the  women  has  brought  about  a  new  organiza- 
tion, which  while  not  exactly  an  auxiliary  of 
the  commercial  club,  is  intended  to  carry  on 
similar  objects  which  the  women  can  best 
undertake  for  the  community. 

The  new  Woman's  club  of  Grand  Island 
was  organized  in  the  summer  of  1919.  Two 
preliminary  meetings  were  held  by  a  few  inter- 
ested women  and  then  on  the  18th  of  June  at 
the  city  library  a  mass  meeting  was  held  with 
nearly  fifty  present.  A  constitution  was 
adopted  which  was  signed  by  those  present. 
The  officers  elected  for  the  first  year  were: 
Mrs.  C.  G.  Ryan,  president,  Mrs.  W.  A. 
Prince,  first  vice-president,  Mrs.  A.  J.  Bau- 
mann,  second  vice-president,  Mrs.  Ward 
Hurst,  secretary,  Miss  Ruth  Boyden,  corre- 
sponding secretary,  Mrs.  R.  D.  Kingsbury, 
treasurer. 

The  object  of  this  club  can  best  be  given'  in 
the  words  used  in  its  constitution:  "to  pro- 
mote fellowship  among  the  women  of  this 
community,  to  unite  their  influence  and  enter- 
prise for  the  betterment  of  educational,  social 
and  moral  conditions." 

A  most  interesting  plan  for  the  first  year's 
work  has  been  mapped  out  and  there  will  be 
several  departments  to  begin  with  and  others 
will  no  doubt  be  added  before  the  year  is 
very  far  along.  The  St.  Cecilia  Society,  a 
prominent  musical  organization  of  Grand  Is- 
land, has  become  the  music  department  of  the 
new  Woman's  Club. 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  XXI 

JIZED    LABOR  IN  HALL  COUNTY 

ighties  —  Railroad  Organizations  —  Central  Labor  I'n- 
'Fficial  Union  Roster  —  American  Federation  of  La- 
or  —  Growth  in  Membership 


io  very  custo-  the  tailoring  trade  for  a  livelihood.  The  seem 
form  a  separ-  ritual  of  the  order  as  written  by  Stephens  pro- 
.  But  when  it  claimed  that  "open  and  public  association  hav- 
!  ISfo  of  20%  ing  failed  after  a  struggle  of  centuries  to  pro- 
Island,  whose  tect  or  advance  the  interest  of  labor,  we  have 
ilf  of  that  of  lawfully  constituted  this  assembly,"  and  "in 
-entral  Labor  using  this  power  of  organized  effort  and  co- 
that  labor  is  operation  we  but  imitate  the  example  of  capital 
irate  historical  heretofore  set  in  numberless  instances." 
'ities  as  many  The  great  activity  of  the  Knights  of  Labor 
vor  which  are  as  a  national  organization  began  about  IS30. 
:omprehensive  and  it  grew  until  in  1886  it  numbered  5.S92 
assemblies  of  a  total  membership  of  702,92-t 
In  the  Hall  County  assembly  among  the  lead- 
ers were  masters  Alton  Avery-  Wm.  F.  Laugh. 
Hall  and  secretaries  M.  C.  Beecher. 
how,  in  the  T.  A.  Oakes,  arid  J.  Lorentzen, 
age-earner,  as  But  in  a  few  years  the  Knights  of  Labor 
adually,  even  declined  and  the  American  Federation  of  La- 
bor increased  and  gradually  supplanted  the 
former  movement.  The  Industrial  Workers 
of  the  World  has  thrived  among  certain  more 
transient  and  irresponsible  elements  of  labor, 
and  at  times  threatened  to  assume  the  propor- 
tions of  a  rival  to  the  American  Federation  of 
Labor,  but  the  latter  has  persistently  pro- 
claimed a  separate  path  and  avowed  no  con- 
nection with  the  now  somewhat  discredited 
"I.  W.  W."  movement.  The  aroused  sympa- 
thetic interest  of  the  public  in  the  labor  ques- 
tion has  in  recent  years  produced  some  re- 
sults along  lines  for  which  organized  labor 
is  contending  and  striving:  workmen's  com- 
pensation laws,  factory  inspection  laws,  hours 
fixing  maximum  daily  or  weekly  hours  of 
392 


:he  authors  of 
ed  "A  history 
tion  that  "the 


m  the  farmer, 
*,  and  coming 
rogress  i 
nd  not  direct- 
it  e  rest." 
o  accomplish 
;cts  began  to 
an  a  hundred 

mized 

ong  this   line 

le  Knights  of 

secret  order 
Uriah  Smith 
educated    for 

had    learned 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


393 


work,  provisions  for  one  day's  rest  in  seven, 
prohibition  of  night  work,  child  labor  laws, 
minimum  wage  laws  for  women,  and  estab- 
lishment of  a  separate  department  in  the  na- 
tional cabinet  for  labor,  and  in  our  own  state 
a  separate  department  in  the  new  administra- 
tive system  of  state  government  for  labor 
are  manifestations  of  results  accomplished  in 
an  orderly  way  by  this  movement. 

Though  the  path  of  labor  is  frequently  dis- 
turbed by  strikes,  with  which  many  of  the 
public  violently  disagree  in  principle  and  re- 
sist the  disturbance  and  inconvenience,  to  that 
third  party  which  is  often  ignored  in  a  violent 
controversy  between  workers  and  employers, 
the  public,  yet  this  phase  of  our  community 
life  is  rapidly  growing  in  strength. 

A  manifestation  of  its  importance  locally 
may  be  gathered  by  the  recent  action  of  organ- 
ized labor  in  Hall  County  in  putting  forth  a 
candidate  for  the  delegateship  to  the  consti- 
tutional convention  from  this  county  —  a 
member  of  the  coppersmiths  of  boilermaker's 
union,  George  Grady. 

There  have  been  a  few  organizations  com- 
posed of  men  of  a  certain  trade  or  calling  for 
a  good  many  years  throughout  the  country 
and  a  good  many  of  these  have  been  recog- 
nized in  Hall  County  and  locals  have  flourished 
here. 

RAILROAD  ORGANIZATIONS 

Practically  since  the  beginning  of  Grand 
Island's  history  an  important  industry  in  the 
city  has  been  the  railroad. 

The  John  D.  Moore  lodge  No.  134,  Brother- 
hood of  Railroad  Trainmen,  was  organized  in 
September,  1885.  Details  as  to  who  have  been 
the  presiding  officers  of  this  lodge  cannot  be 
given,  as  the  present  secretary  refused  this 
information  to  the  compiler.  But  it  may  be 
said  this  local  organization  has  had  a  long 
and  useful  career.  The  national  head  of  this 
order,  W.  G.  Lee,  is  one  of  the  big  men  of 
organized  labor  of  this  day,  and  a  man  who 
recently  in  the  discussion  and  agitation  over 
the  high  cost  of  living  and  profiteering 
throughout  the  country  delivered  one  of  the 


clearest  and  most  pertinent  statements  of  any 
national  figure  in  the  country  today. 

Early  in  the  'nineties  several  railroad  organ- 
izations were  formed  here.  The  Switchman's 
Mutual  Association,  Grand  Island  Lodge  No. 
151  was  one  of  these.  W.  R.  Brown  was 
master  in  1890-1891  and  F.  B.  Manley  after 
him.  Thos.  Hanly,  M.  J.  Cleary  and  R-  C. 
Dunham  were  secretaries  about  that  time.  An- 
other local  organization  was  the  Railway  Em- 
ployees Club,  Monroe  Taylor,  of  the  freight 
office,  president,  and  H.  Warner,  railroad 
clerk,  secretary. 

The  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Engineers 
and  Brotherhood  of  Locomotive  Firemen  do 
not  have  local  lodges  at  Grand  Island,  but  the 
enginemen  running  in  and  out  of  here  mostly 
belong  to  the  locals  at  Omaha  or  North  Platte. 
.  The  Order  of  Railway  Conductors,  Grand 
Island  Division  No.  514,  was  organized 
March  22,  1908,  with  the  following  charter 
members :  J.  W.  Amick,  T.  F.  Costello,  Wm. 
Burke,  H.  W.  Jones,  J.  B.  Kirsh,  T.  T.  Pace, 
Gid  J.  Hall,  I.  V.  Woods,  Geo.  J.  Hull,  W.  H. 
Brooks,  G.  B.  Brady,  Grant  Hadlock,  H.  G. 
Quiggle,  F.  W.  Mappes,  Jr.,  Leo  A,  Westover, 
J.  H.  Scholder,  Roy  E.  Woodworm,  Geo.  H. 
Kanouff,  Chas.  F.  Hull  and  Edward  D. 
Wright.  Geo.  C.  Wilson  is  secretary  of  this 
lodge. 

The  roster  of  present  labor  unions  and 
lodges  in  the  city  will  disclose  other  organiza- 
tions now  existing,  which  are  composed  of 
railroad  employees. 

IN  THE  PAST 

There  have  been  numerous  organizations 
formed  from  callings  outside  of  railroad  work 
in   the  past  years. 

A  union  or  lodge  of  Blacksmiths,  Horse- 
shoe rs  and  Wheelwrights  Association  of 
America  thrived  in  Grand  Island  for  a  good 
many  years.  D.  Spethman  served  as  secre- 
tary. 

The  Cigarmakers'  International  Union  of 
America  was  well  organized  here  ten  to  fif- 
teen years  ago,  with  C.  H.  Steinmeier,  secre- 
tary.   The  officers  in  1919  are  Chris.  Neilsen 

C 


.GoogI 


394 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


and  Lawrence  Hann,  and  there  are  still  six- 
teen members,  though  the  local  organization 
was  formerly  stronger  than  that. 

CENTRAL   LABOR   UNION 

A  recent  step  toward  giving  organized  la- 
bor considerably  more  strength  in  Grand  Is- 
land has  been  the  growth  of  the  Grand  Island 
Central  Labor  Union.  This  organization  has 
now  some  twenty-six  or  twenty-eight  active 
unions  federated  together,  with  a  membership 
in  excess  of  two  thousand. 

Under  the  secretaryship  of  Harry  H.  Long 
this  Central  Labor  Union  made  material  prog- 
ress and  enlarged  its  quarters  from  a  small 
labor  temple  on  South  Locust  to  large  spacious 
quarters  in  the  Glover  building.  Mr.  Long 
has  now  left  this  position  and  taken  up  work 
for  The  American  Federation  of  Labor.  Geo. 
Grady  and  Gus  Hein  are  the  secretaries  in 
charge  of  the  work  of  the  Central  Labor 
Union  at  this  time. 

Some  of  the  very  active  local  unions  now 
flourishing  in  Grand  Island  are: 

United  Brotherhood  of  Maintenance  of  Way 
Employees  and  Railway  Shop  Laborers ; 
organized  in  1918,  with  a  membership  of  238 
at  this  time;  W.  A.  Davidson,  E.  I.  Madison 
and  R.  F.  Walker  are  the  officers. 

Stationary  Firemen  and  Oilers,  organized 
October  1,  1918,  membership  79,  Wm,  Stolten- 
berg,  H.  Brown  and  Bert  Rowland  officers. 

Brotherhood  of  Railroad  Clerks  organized, 
October,  1918,  73  members,  Vernon  Arbogast 
and  W.  L.Bumett  Officers. 

International  Association  of  Machinists, 
Grand  Island  Lodge,  No.  565,  organized  July 
9,  1918,  Jos.  O.  Donnell  and  C.  B.  Neimann 
are  officers. 

Brotherhood  of  Railway  Carmen,  organ- 
ized August  3,  1911,  has  147  members  now, 
and  officers  are  Chris  Birk,  Otto  Gruse,  A. 
M.  Bensen,  Chris  Michelson,  and  R.  Shadd. 

Bricklayers  and  Masons  International  Union 
of  America,  No.  8  was  chartered  July  11,  1911. 
Its  first  officers  were  Geo.  Weber,  W.  S. 
Dewey,  H.  P.  Lassen,  Pete  Larson  was  later 
president  and  Roy  Calkins  and  W.  S.  Dewey 


secretaries,  and  the  present  officers  are  H.  V. 
Lassen,  Chris  Erickson  and  Fritz  Alpers.  The 
local  now  has  21  members. 

Brotherhood  of  Carpenters  and  Joiners  of 
America,  Local  1386,  organized  Jan  12,  1903 
with  47  members,  and  G.  H.  Meves,  S.  H. 
McAdams  and  Walter  Whitacker  are  officers. 

An  official  roster  of  some  twenty  of  the  pres- 
ent active  organizations  of  the  Central  Labor 
Union,  including  some  of  those  named  above. 
follows:  Barbers,  No.  662,  A.  J.  Maduna, 
Sec'y,  Boilermakers,  No.  475,  Chas.  Day. 
Sec'y,  Bricklayers,  No.  8  Chris  Eriksen,  Sec'y, 
Sheet  Metal  Workers,  No.  556,  L.  Detlefsen. 
Sec'y,  Plasterers,  No.  611,  C.  O.  Davis,  Sec'y, 
Carpenters,  No.  1386,  S.  H.  McAdams,  Sec'y. 
Machinists,  No.  1061,  C.  B.  Niemann,  Sec'y. 
Painters,  No.  434,  F.  C.  Stevens,  Sec'y, 
B.  R.  C.  of  A.,  No.  979,  Otto  Cruse,  Sec'y. 
I.  B.  M.  of  W.  E.,  No.  492,  R.  E.  Walker, 
Sec'y,  Wood  River,  Nebraska;  State  Fire- 
men, No.  371,  Howard  Brown,  Sec'y,  Bro.  of 
R.  R.  C,  No.  4,  W.  L.  Burnett,  Sec'y,  U.  B- 
M.  of  W.  E.  R.  S.  L.,  No.  492,  W.  L.  Camp- 
bell, G.  I.,  Movie  Operators,  No.  495,  W.  P 
Bemis,  Sec'y,  Cigarmakers,  No.  196,  Chris 
Neilsen,  Sec'y,  Plumbers,  Mr  Bensen,  Sec'y, 
Mail  Clerks,  J.  L.  Humphrey,  Sec'y,  Mail 
Carriers,  George  Meyers,  Sec'y,  Blacksmiths. 
Dick  Spethman,  Sec'y,  Retail  Clerks,  No.  328. 
Ella  Heidkamp,  Sec'y. 

AMERICAN  FEDERATION  OF  LABOR 
The  Grand  Island  Central  Labor  Union 
which  has  just  been  discussed  is  an  integral 
part  of  the  national  body,  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor.  Probably  in  no  manner 
can  the  fact  be  so  forcibly  be  brought  out  that 
organized  labor  has  grown  by  leaps  and 
bounds  in  the  past  thirty  years  beyond  the  con- 
ception of  the  average  individual,  than  to  take 
the  space  to  detail  a  few  points  of  the  growth 
of  the  American  Federation  of  Labor. 

From  a  membership  of  approximately  50,- 
000  in  1881  to  2,  371,  434  in  1917,  the  figures 
for  1918  and  1919  would  be  materially  in 
excess  of  that  were  they  immediately  avail- 
able to  the  compilers  of  these  pages. 


jOOglc 


CHAPTER  XXII 

THE  PRESS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 

First  Paper,  The  Banner  —  Platte  Valley  Independent  —  The  Daily  Independent  — 
Grand  Island  Weekly  Times  —  The  Democrat  —  Grand  Island  Anzeiger  and  Her- 
ald —  Central  Nebraska  Republican  —  The  Free  Press  —  Up  to  Date  Ideas  — 
The  Volante  —  Miscellaneous  Publi  cations  —  Wood  River,  Doniphan  and 
Cairo  Papers 


"The  pen  is  mightier  than  the  sword  —  we're 
told. 
But  what  is  either  to  a  sharpened  Faber? 
Paste-pot  and  scissors  have  a  mighty  hold 
And  save  a  sight  of  heavy  mental  labor  — 
But  if  you  want  a  power  —  sturdy,  bold  — 
Archimedes'  hand-spike,  or  Damocles'  sabre  — 
Give  us  a  Washington,  a  Taylor  or  a  Hoe 
And  spondulicks  enough  to  make  the  critter 

To  the  Mormons  is  accorded  the  honor  of 
establishing  the  first  newspaper  in  Hall  County. 
The  beginning  of  the  press  followed  much 
closer  upon  the  first  settlement  than  the  be- 
ginnings of  even  the  organized  churches  and. 
schools.  In  the  spring  of  1858  the  Mormons 
had  a  number  of  farms  operating  on  Wood 
River  and  in  that  little  community  the  first 
newspaper  in  Hall  or  adjoining  counties  was 
established  by  them.  It  was  named  the 
Banner,  was  owned  by  one  Peck  and  edited 
by  Joe  E.  Johnson.  It  was  published  under 
I  several  different  names,  during  its  Nebraska 
residence,  among  them  being  the  Huntsman's 
Echo.  In  the  spring  of  1863  it  was  moved 
away  with  the  Mormons  and  when  taken  to 
Salt  Lake,  was  rechristened  The  Mountain 
Bugle.  The  Banner  was  the  evangelist  of 
this  Mormon  tribe,  sending  out  their  teachings 
and  doctrines,  so  it  was  of  little  use  to  the 
colonies  of  German  Christians,  or  even  the 
Catholic  community  coming  into  that  section 
of  the  country.  For  the  larger  fraction  of  a 
decade  these  German  colonists  were  compelled 


to  get  their  news   from  papers  published  at 
Chicago,  or  the  faraway  Fatherland. 

In  1869  an  enterprise  was  established  at 
North  Platte  which  eventually  became  the 
first  permanent  paper  of  Hall  County,  The 
Independent.  This  paper  was  established  as 
the  Platte  Valley  Independent,  and  issued  on 
January  I,  1869  by  Mrs.  M.  T.  G.  Eberhart 
and  Seth  P.  Mobley.  In  their  salutations  they 
claimed  for  the  new  journal  just  what  its 
name  indicated. 

As  it  was  the  only  paper  of  the  whole  west- 
ern and  north  and  south  central  sections  of 
the  state,  west  of  Fremont,  its  pages  were 
filled  with  advertisement  and  the  news  columns 
quite  replete.  On  June  11,  of  that  year,  a 
bitter  attack  on  J.  P.  Marston  was  made. 

This  brought  forth  an  action  for  libel,  and 
threatened  a  sale  of  the  Independent  to  Barton 
&  Park  on  June  25,  but  the  withdrawal  of  suit 
and  the  dismissal  of  Marston  as  foreman  of 
the  Union  Pacific  shops  averted  that  course. 
Mr.  Mobley  remained  at  North  Platte  as  editor 
for  some  time,  and  issued  the  paper  as  the 
Advertiser.  In  the  meantime  headquarters 
were  removed  to  Grand  Island,  with  Mrs. 
Eberhart  as  resident  editor.  On  July  2,  1870, 
Mrs.  Eberhart  as  editress  issued  the  first  num- 
ber of  the  Platte  Valley  Independent  at  Grand 
Island.  She  was  a  virile  writer  and  became 
generally  known  over  the  state.  The  tone  of 
the  new  paper  was  decidedly  Republican  when 
political  affairs  were  under  discussion,  and  the 


COUNTY    NEBRASKA 

The  Daily  Fair  Bttlletin  was  issued  from 
the  Independent  office  September  18,  1878. 

After  the  Mobleys  had  conducted  the  Inde- 
pendent during  the  dozen  years  preceding,  in 
1883  they  made  a  sale  to  J.  A.  McMurphy 
of  Piattsmouth,  who  had  a  week  or  so  later 
sold  to  Fred  Hedde.  J.  W.  Liveringhouse 
was  another  proprietor  who  owned  the  paper 
during  the  time  the  Mobleys  sold  it,  and  Fred 
Hedde  eventually  took  charge. 

Early  in  1883  a  company  of  liberal  men, 
who  were  dissatisfied  with  the  political  con- 
trol of  the  railroad  monopoly  and  who  desired 
a  medium  by  which  they  might  express  more 
independent  views,  formed  an  enterprise  that 
undertook  the  publication  of  what  they  termed 
The  Anti-Monopolist  These  gentlemen  were 
William  Anyan,  Fred  Hedde,  W.  H. 
Thompson,  and  J,  R.  Thompson,  afterwards 
district  judge,  Ed  Hooper,  Geo.  Cornelius 
This  company  did  not  exist  very  long  and 
Fred  Hedde  in  the  course  of  1883  acquired 
the  whole  establishment.  When  he  purchased 
the  Independent,  and  on  July  18,  1884,  became 
editor  and  owner,  he  united  these  two  weeklies. 
retaining  the  name  of  The  Independent  and 
adopting  the  tendency  of  the  anti-monopolist, 
a  tendency  peculiarly  his  own. 

In  the  beginning  of  the  year  1884  he  estab- 
lished The  Grand  Island  Daily  Independ- 
ent, the  first  issue  of  which  appeared  in  Jan- 
uary, 1884,  and  which  has  lived  through  ail 
these  years  of  struggle,  varying  adversity  and 
prosperity,  until  it  greets  the  year  1919,  thirty-  , 
five  years  later  with  daily  telegraphic  service 
for  over  7,000  subscribers  and  purchasers. 

The  first  editor  of  the  Anti-Monopolist  had 
been  P.  Ingalls,  and  he  was  followed  by  Mr, 
Liveringhouse,  heretofore  mentioned  as  also 
editor  of  the  Independent  for  a  short  time 
Mr.  Hedde  continued  in  charge  of  the  Inde- 
pendent as  the  responsible  editor  continuously 
from  July,  1884  with  the  exception  of  fifteen 
months  from  December  1,  1895,  to  the  last 
of  Februai-y,  1897,  during  which  time  the  , 
paper  was  leased  to  Messrs.  W.  M.  Geddes. 
former  mayor  of  the  city  and  A.  F.  Buechler. 
until  March  I,  1897. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Early  in  1900  Mr  Hedde  indicated  to  his 
associate  that  he  desired  to  sell  the  plant, 
clear  up  the  small  indebtedness  on  his  business 
building,  and  be  ready  to  meet  the  grim  reaper 
whose  coming  the  sturdy  old  pioneer  —  a 
pioneer  both  with  reference  to  the  physical 
community  and  with  reference  to  the  daily 
newspaper  field  —  in  fact  welcomed,  welcomed 
with  the  stoicism  of  a  clear  conscience  and 
the  realization  that  he  had  already  run  a  course 
of  four  score  years  and  had  done  the  best  he 
could.  Because  of  lack  of  means  on  the  part 
of  his  associate  Mr.  Hedde's  expressed  wish 
that  the  latter  should  take  over  possession  of 
the  paper  could  not  be  fully  met ;  but  the 
latter  set  about  to  organize  a  company  of  ac- 
tive young  newspaper  workers  who,  with  him 
had  been  engaged  in  the  newspaper  and  print- 
ing field  in  Grand  Island,  and  of  four  of  these, 
two,  namely  Mr.  Fulton,  secretary-treasurer 
of  the  company  and  its  business  manager,  and 
Mr.  Baldwin,  vice-president  and  in  charge  of 
all  mechanical  equipment,  still  cooperate  and, 
together  with  the  newer  acquisitions,  have 
played  a  material  part  in  the  subsequent  suc- 
cess of  the  company.  At  the  time  of  the 
organization,  however,  it  was  necessary  to  se- 
cure the  investment  of  other  capital.  This 
was  undertaken  with  Some  concern  at  the  time, 
even  though  the  amount  needed  was,  compared 
with  values  of  today,  small,  for  no  newspaper 
venture,  thus  or  similarly  organized  in  the 
past,  had  ever  paid  back  any  of  the  principal, 
to  say  nothing  of  interest  on  the  investment. 
Mr.  Buechler  was  confident,  however,  his  con- 
fidence being  based  on  his  experience  in  the 
establishment  and  his  plans  for  future  de- 
velopments, that  he  could  safely  guarantee 
an  earning  of  ten  per-cent  and  when  C.  F. 
Bentley,  then  cashier  of  the  First  National 
bank,  showed  his  confidence  by  a  subscription 
of  $500  to  the  stock,  and  W.  H.  Harrison, 
postmaster  at  the  time,  did  likewise,  no  great 
difficulty  was  encountered.  Among  others  who 
assisted  in  the  organization  were  A.  W.  Bucti- 
heit,  John  Alexander,  and  Henry  Rief.  The 
promises  as  to  earnings  were  kept  and  no 
stock  was  ever  sold  at  less  than  $107.50.  Every 
stockholder  has  since  been  repaid  that  sum  or 


a  larger  one  for  his  investment,  or  has  been 
offered  the  same.  Shortly  after  the  new  firm 
had  attained  possession  and  was  in  going  form 
Mr.  Fralick  had  an  opportunity  to  take  up 
the  advertising  work  for  S.  N.  Wolbach,  for 
which  he  had  a  special  aptitude,  and  he  dis- 
posed of  his  stock. 

Sickness  compelled  Gus  E.  Neumann  to  re- 
tire from  active  work,  though  the  latter  always 
retained  his  financial  interest.  A.  D.  Boehm 
later  purchased  part  of  the  interest  disposed  of 
by  Mr.  Fralick.  For  nineteen  years  this  co- 
operative enterprise  has  been  conducted  with- 
out change  in  its  leading  officers,  namely  A.  F. 
Buechler,  president,  F.  G.  Baldwin,  vice-presi- 
dent, and  J.  R.  Fulton,  secretary.  During 
this  period  it  has  completely  changed  its  equip- 
ment with  the  exception  of  a  few  old  desks 
kept  rather  as  momentos  than  for  use,  has 
purchased  a  site,  erected  and  equipped  a  new 
building  and  grown  in  circulation  from  a  total 
of  1,100  daily  and  semi-weekly  combined  to 
over  7,000.  In  the  same  period  the  population 
of  the  city  has  about  doubled.  Its  present 
stockholders  are  A.  F.  Buechler,  J.  R.  Fulton, 
F.  G.  Baldwin,  Adolph  Bochm,  Gus  E.  Neu- 
mann, R.  R.  Horth  and  Henry  Rief.  The 
paper  is  a  member  of  the  Associated  Press. 
has  the  full  day  leased  wire  service  of  tht 
Chicago-San  Francisco  Circuit  and  is  generally 
accredited  by  the  press  circles  as  covering  its 
field  with  a  generous  and  enterprising  service. 

In  the  meantime,  Mr.  Mobley  had  remained 
with  the  Independent  as  business  manager  of 
the  paper  until  about  1891,  when  he  was  ap- 
pointed World's  Fair  commissioner.  At  that 
time  A.  F.  Buechler,  who  had  a  few  months 
previously  been  associated  as  solicitor  and  re- 
porter for  the  Daily  Times,  came  to  the  Inde- 
pendent as  bookkeeper  and  reporter.  When 
Mr.  Mobley  left  for  Chicago  late  in  1892  Mr. 
Buechler  advanced  in  the  business  manage- 
ment and  took  charge  of  the  local  news.  In 
1895  Geddes  &  Buechler  leased  the  paper  and 
continued  its  publication  until  1897,  when  Mr. 
Hedde  desired  to  "get  back  into  the  harness." 
retaining  Mr.  Buechler  as  a  silent  partner. 
Mr.  Hedde's  declining  years  began  to  tell  more 
emphatically  upon  his  health,  however,  and  he 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


was  frequently  compelled,  for  weeks  at  a  time, 
to  lay  down  the  pen  which  he  had  so  ably, 
independently  and  fearlessly  wielded  for  so 
many  years. 

THE  GRAND  ISLAND  WEEKLY  TIMES 

The  Grand  Island  Weekly  Times  was  estab- 
lished July  16,  1873,  by  Charles  P.  R.  Williams 
as  a  Republican  journal.  During  the  fall  of 
1873,  this  publication  was  issued  as  the  Daily 
Evening  Times.  Vol.  1.,  No.  1,  was  issued  on 
October  4,  1873,  and  the  daily  issue  was  con- 
tinued during  the  heat  of  the  fall  campaign. 
During  this  campaign  many  sharp  exchanges 
occurred  between  the  two  papers.  In  its  first 
number  the  Daily  Times  quoted  from  the 
Independent  of  September  28,  1872,  as  fol- 
lows: 

When  a  man  receives  a  nomination  by  fair 
means,  then  we  consider,  that,  unless  he  is  a 
very  bad  man,  it  is  our  duty  to  support  the 
regular  nominee,  but  when  it  is  known  that 
the  nomination  of  a  man  has  been  brought 
about  by  unfair  means,  then  we  consider  it  not 
only  our  right,  but  our  duty  to  refuse  to  sup- 
port the  nomination,  thus  setting  forth  an  in- 
ducement for  the  use  of  anything  but  honor- 
able means  in  the  future.  It  has  got  to  be 
a  prevailing  feeling  that  if  a  candidate  re- 
ceives the  nomination  by  means  fair  or  foul, 
his  party  must  support  him.  According  to 
our  ideas  of  right,  this  course  is  entirely 
wrong,  and  all  parties  should  be  taught  that 
unless  their  nomination  is  brought  about  in  a 
proper  way,  it  amounts  to  nothing. 

In  answer  to  this  The  Times  remarked  edi- 
torially : 

That's  our  doctrine  exactly,  Mr.  Independ- 
ent. The  nominations  at  the  so-called  Re- 
publican Convention,  September  20th,  were 
brought  about  by  unfair  means,  and  conse- 
quently we  refused  to  support  the  nominees, 
and  "Do  so  even  at  the  risk  of  being  called 
a  'bolter,'  or  even  an  'ass'  by  the  gentle- 
manly editor  of  the  Independent,  who  does 
not  want  to  know  the  facts  in  the  case." 

A  little  farther  down  the  column,  the  same 
journal  remarked: 

We  actually  managed  to  find  one  Independ- 
ent in  1872,  in  which  there  was  nothing 
abusive  concerning  Mr.  O.  A.  Abbott,  and 
that  was  the  week  when  both  its  editors  were 
both  absent  at  the  State  Fair.    Strange! 


In  January,  1882,  the  Semi-Weekly  Times 
was  issued,  and  a  few  months  later  the  office 
became  the  property  of  W.  H.  Michael,  and 
after  his  term  of  ownership,  Mr.  Livering- 
house  acquired  an  interest  in  the  Times. 
Messrs.  Ryner  and  Rice  then  became  owners, 
and  in  a  short  time  Mr.  Ryner  became  sole 
proprietor.  He  in  time  sold  to  C.  W.  Stidger, 
who  sold  in  September,  1888,  to  Bion  Cole, 
formerly  of  the  Des  Moines  Mail  and  Times, 
and  W.  H.  Scarff,  of  the  Newspaper  Union 
of  Des  Moines. 

THE    DEMOCRAT 

Next  following  the  Independent  and  Times, 
of  those  papers  which  survived  for  any  length 
of  time  came  the  old  Grand  Island  Democrat. 
This  journal  was  founded  in  1875  as  the 
Hall  County  Democrat  by  George  W.  Tref- 
fem,  from  whom  the  office  passed  to  Lee  and 
thence  to  W.  H.  Weeks,  under  whom  that 
publication  ceased.  Later  on  The  Democrat, 
appeared  again  under  the  editorship  of  Ed  J. 
Hall.  In  1898,  the  paper  that  bore  that  title 
was  being  published  by  the  Democrat  Publish- 
ing Company,  revived  in  1896,  and  edited  by 
J.  F.  Ritchhart,  an  editor  who  had  formerly 
been  in  South  Omaha.  At  that  time  the  Demo- 
crat was  the  representative  of  Jeffersonian  and 
Jacksonian  principles,  but  also  acting  as  the 
organ  for  the  democratic -populist  fusion 
forces. 

Hall  and  Jacques  edited  and  published  the 
paper  for  some  time,  when  Mr.  Jacques  re- 
moved to  the  south.  They  were  succeeded  by 
J.  F.  Ritchhart,  of  South  Omaha.  Monroe 
Taylor  then  succeeded  for  a  time  in  the  edit- 
ing of  the  journal  and  was  followed  by  the 
Messrs.  Adams  &  Risley.  After  the  death  of 
Mr.  Adams,  Mr.  Risley  sold  the  paper  to 
Robert  Evans,  and  the  latter  finally  sold  the 
publishing  part  of  the  business  to  I.  M.  Aug- 
ustine, then  publisher  of  The  Free  Press,  the 
Democrat  thus  becoming  merged  and  event- 
ually entirely  submerged. 

THE  GRAND  ISLAND  ANZEIGER  AND  HERALD 

Der   Herold,  a   German    newspaper,   was  ■ 
founded  October  29,   1890,  by  Henry  Gam  I 

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402 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


and  Charles  Boehl.  Henry  Gam  had  been  a 
settler  at  Grand  Island  in  1866  and  taught 
school  in  the  village  until  1879.  In  1883  Mr. 
Boehl  sold  his  interest  to  Garn. 

The  Herald  (American)  was  established 
August  2,  188S,  and  issued  from  Henry  Gam's 
office,  then  publisher  of  Der  Herold. 

In  May,  1888,  Ed  J.  Hall  took  charge  of 
The  'Grand  Island  Herald  (American)  for 
Henry  Garn,  who  had  charge  of  the  two 
Heralds.  In  January,  1889,  Mr.  Gam  sold 
the  Grand  Island  Herald  to  Mr.  Hall,  and  in 
July,  1889,  he  sold  the  German  Herold  to  Mr. 
G.  M.  Hein.  The  office  of  the  American 
Herald  was  then  moved  to  the  Bartenbach 
Opera  house  and  its  publication  continued 
there. 

Its  circulation  in  1890  was  about  800.  Mr. 
Hall,  its  editor,  had  then  been  in  Nebraska 
newspaper  field  for  about  eighteen  years, 
fifteen  of  which  he  had  spent  with  the 
Saunders  County  Times. 

Mr.  Hein  continued  the  German  Herold 
with  a  circulation  of  about  1,200. 

Weltblat,  a  German  weekly  newspaper,  was 
controlled  by  Mr.  Hein.  It  was  established 
by  him  January  1,  1889,  and  was  one  of  the 
few  Plattdeutsch  (commonly  known  as  Low- 
German)  magazines  published  in  the  world 
then,  and  had  a  circulation  of  about  1,100 
copies. 

During  the  time  that  Mr.  Hein  had  the 
German  Herold,  he  merged  it  with  the  An- 
seiger,  a  journal  which  he  had  established  a 
number  of  years  previous,  and  thus  formed 
the  Anseiger-Herold. 

Later,  the  combined  Anseiger-Herold  came 
under  the  control  of  J.  P.  Windolph. 

During  the  year  1918,  upon  the  demand  of 
the  County  Council  of  Defense,  though  no 
charge  of  disloyalty  was  made  against  it,  this 
journal  changed  its  name  to  Herald,  and  be- 
came an  English  publication. 


""AL  NEBRASKA  REPUBLICAN 
lobley  terminated  his  services 
nt  of  the  Nebraska  building  at 
ir,  he  returned  to  Hall  County 
to  Wood  River  and  bought  a 


weekly  paper,  the  Wood  River  Gazette,  but 
sold  it  again  after  a  short  time.  He  then 
returned  to  Grand  Island  and  started  a  paper 
that  attempted  to  be  a  second  republican  paper 
in  Grand  Island,  known  as  the  Central  Ne- 
braska Republican.  For  about  three  years  paper 
continued  as  a  weekly  paper  only,  and  then 
was  extended  as  a  daily  paper  under  the  same 
name.  This  continued  to  exist  until  it  was 
purchased,  about  1898,  by  N.  Fodrea  and  son, 
who,  approximately  a  year  later,  sold  it  to 
I.  M.  Augustine,  then  publisher  of  the  Grand 
Island  Free  Press  (weekly)  who  continued 
the  publication  until  1902,  when  its  subscrip- 
tion list  was  sold  to  the  old,  but  newly  reorgan- 
ized competitor,  The  Independent. 

The  Grand  Island  Free  Press  was  a  profits  i 
ble  venture  as  long  as  it  remained  purely  a  1 
weekly,  with  progressive  democratic  or  pop- 
ulist leanings.  But  the  venture  into  the  daily 
field,  as  the  successor  of  the  Central  Nebraska 
Republican,  about  ten  years  previously,  had 
not  been  profitable,  disinterested  newspaper 
men  generally  ascribing  it  to  the  fact  that 
the  field  had  once  been  occupied  by  one  daily 
newspaper  and  was  too  small  for  two.  After 
disposing  of  the  daily  business  Mr.  Augustine, 
by  this  time  joined  in  business  by  his  elder 
son,  E.  W.,  continued  the  weekly  publication 
and,  in  the  course  of  a  few  years,  purchased 
the  plant  of  the  Anseiger-Herold,  continuing 
both  publications. 

In  1913  a  number  of  Grand  Island  citizens, 
including  W.  H.  Thompson,  F.  W.  Ashton, 
B.  H.  Paine,  and  other  leading  democratic 
spirits,  placed  financial  support  behind  the 
effort  of  D.  A.  Geil,  then  of  St.  Paul,  to  es- 
tablish a  democratic  daily.  The  Free  Press 
and  Anseiger-Herold  combined  plant,  incor- 
porated at  the  time  for  $10,000,  was  purchased. 
Additional  capital  was  added  to  establish  a 
daily  and  new  machinery  was  obtained  and 
an  elaborate  news  service  for  a  morning  daily- 
was  secured.  Even  the  established  journal, 
in  a  greeting  to  its  competitor,  expressed  the 
belief  that  it  might  find  the  field  sufficiently 
resourceful  for  a  second  daily  newspaper  ven- 
ture. But  despite  the  fact  that  there  was 
nothing  in  the  nature  of  any  newspaper  "war," 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  effort  was  unsuccessful  from  the  financial 
standpoint,  and  the  paper  had  a  short  lease 
of  life.  Men  interested  in  the  former  German 
weekly,  the  Anzeiger-Herald,  formed  a  sepa- 
rate organization,  purchased  that  part  of  the 
business  before  the  venture  was  abandoned, 
and,  by  means  of  a  stock  company  established 
it  in  a  business  place  of  its  own.  It  was 
prospering  and  had  begun  to  pay  dividends 
when  the  war  and  its  vicissitudes  for  all  papers 
in  that  language  came  on,  and  at  a  meeting 
of  the  stockholders  it  was  decided  to  change 
the  paper  to  the  English.  Thus  was  born  the 
Grand  Island  Herald  which  is  doing  a  suc- 
cessful weekly  publishing  business. 

THE  FREE  PRESS 
The  Free  Press  was  established  about  1893, 
when  Augustine  Brothers  moved  the  Doniphan 
Eagle  plant  to  this  city  and  changed  the  name. 
1.  M.  Augustine  later  purchased  the  interest 
of  his  brother  George  and  published  an  inde- 
pendent weekly  with  democratic  leanings. 

UP-TO-DATE    IDEAS 

Under  that  title  The  Up-to-Date  Publishing 
Company  issued  a  journal  under  the  editorship 
of  Penn  P.  Fodrea.  This  was  a  journal  de- 
voted to  the  interests  of  advertisers  and  con- 
tained many  good  things  for  business  men  who 
spent  money  in  advertising  whether  on  a  large 
or  small  scale.  Mr.  Fodrea  after  leaving 
Grand  Island  located  in  Omaha,  and  became 
one  of  the  leading  advertising  men  there. 

THE  VOLANTE 
This  publication  is  a  monthly  that  has  been 
issued  by  the  students  of  the  Grand  Island 
Baptist  College.  It  is  a  sixteen  page  paper, 
the  usual  periodical  size,  very  ably  edited  in 
every  department  and  printed  on  fine  quality 
of  book  paper. 

MISCELLANEOUS  PUBLICATIONS 
Numerous    other    publications    have    been 
started  at  Grand  Island  and  flourished  for  a 
period  of  time  and  then  passed  out  of  ex- 
istence. 
The  Nebraska  Courier  was  published  along 


about  1897-98  by  Henry  Gam,  as  »  fVrmn. 
paper.  It  was  an  eight  page, 
weekly  advocating  republican  princ 
it  was  published  by  Brandt  and 
succeeded  by  the  latter  individual: 
merged  with  and  discontinued  b; 
pendent  in  1900. 

The  Orchard  and  Vineyard  wa 
1871  from  the  Independent  office 
Easley,  a  nurseryman;  was  interest 
Mob1e,y  in  the  promotion  of  that 
journal.  It  continued  publicatior 
one  year. 

The  Mirror  was  a  temperance  j 
called  The  Rechabite,  founded  at  G 
in  August,  1874,  by  J.  I.  Wylie  and 
Huston.  In  October  of  that  year 
Van  Pelt  took  the  place  of  Miss  Hi 
Mr.  Wylie  who  was  a  painter  by  tr 
long  continued  in  the  newspaper  wi 
was  cowhided  by  Mrs.  Mobley  for 
assault  upon  her  as  a  newspaper  w< 
chastisement  was  inflicted  upon  V 
Grange  hall. 

The  Grand  Island  Workman 
August  10,  1899,  by  F.  G.  Lockwo. 
uary,  1890,  the  editor  proclaimed  h 
thus: 

The  Workman  believes  our  ta 
our  land  system,  our  financial  syst 
ballot  system  to  be  wrong,  some 
some  in  whole.  The  Workman  w 
commercial  freedom,  the  single  t 
values,  the  Australian  ballot  s 
honest  money.  The  Workman  b 
the  late  confederation  of  the  Farnn 
and  Knights  of  Labor  to  be  a  gr 
the  cause  of  human  happiness,  an 
tain,  to  the  best  of  our  ability,  tr. 
action,  which  will  be  for  good  | 

WOOD   RIVER 

The  Wood  River  Interests  ha; 
lished  by   O.    M.   Cjuackenbush 
Continuously  and  successfully  und 
agement    of    Mr.    Cjuackenbush 
recently. 

The  Wood  River  Gazette  was 
tember  9,  1881,  by  R.  H.  Miller  v 
office  to  James  Ewing,  March  2,  li 

The  Wood  River  Sunb< 


Google 


OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 

by  Mr.  Malt-  The  Doniphan  Enterprise,  under  the  owner- 

ibout  the  year     ship  of  J.  W.  Beirbomer,  is  at  present  pub- 
919   sold   his     lished  as  a  live  local  weekly  and  is  apparently 
altman,  who,     enjoying  a  good  patronage. 
i  is  publishing 

CAIRO 

The  Cairo  Record  was  established  by  J.  H. 
Harrison. 
stablished   by  auia 

de  ot  low.  j^   jew  years  ag0  an  efjort  was  m^  to 

(Wished  April     estabHsh  a  gojjj]  weekly  but  support  was  lack- 
in  1879  came      jng  and  thfi  effort  was  very  short.Hved. 
ise  there  until 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  XXIII 

THE  MEDICAL  AND  DENTAL  PROFESSIONS  IN  HALL  COUNTY 

The  Doctor  —  Doctors  Here  in  the 'Seventies  —  Early  Physicians  Registered — Dur- 
ing the 'Nineties —  Since  Then  —  Osteopathic  Doctors — Hospitals — St.  Francis 
Hospital  —  Grand  Island  General  Hospital  —  Dentists  of  Hall  County  — 
Dr.  Howard  C.  Miller  —  D.  A.  Finch  —  Between  1885  and 
1896  —  1896  to  Date 


A  quarter  century  ago  the  doctor,  with  his 
little  grip-sack  of  bottles  and  boxes  of  pills, 
capsules,  and  bitter  liquids,  his  little  old  buggy 
and  faithful  Dobbin  now  replaced  by  the 
automobile,  no  one  considered  whether  he 
needed  to  know  a  great  deal  —  he  was  just  the 


author  of  the  centennial  historical  sketch  of 
Grand  Island  in  1876,  M.  J.  Gahan,  and  F.  C. , 
Churchill,  homeopathic  physician.  Dr.  Gahan 
graduated  from  the  Galveston  Medical  college, 
entered  the  army  as  surgeon  until  about  1871, 
reentered  as  a  hospital  steward  in  the  regular 
army  until  1875,  after  which  he  came  to  Grand 
Call  the  doctor,  first  thing  done  when  you  Island  and  began  practice  with  a  good  fund 
are  sick.  He  gets  you  well  and  perhaps  his  of  experience  at  hand.  He  was  the  first 
bill  is  the  last  one  paid.  But  never  more  known  surgeon  in  central  Nebraska  to  practice 
forcefully  was  the  necessity  of  the  medical  ovariotomy  successfully.  He  became  surgeon 
profession  as  an  absolutely  essential  spoke  in  for  the  G.  A.  R.  and  chairman  of  the  State 
the  wheel  of  community  life  evidenced  than  Medical  Society,  assistant  surgeon  for  the  Un_ 
during  the  terrible  influenza  epidemic  of  1918-  ion  Pacific  and  surgeon  for  the  St.  Joe  and 
1919.  With  a  number  of  Hall  County's  Grand  Island  railroad.  During  the  'seventies 
doctors  away  in  army  service,  the  remainder  the  offices  of  coroner,  county  physician  and  city 
worked  until  sheer  exhaustion  endangered  physician  were  bantered  back  and  forth  among 
their  own  health  and  constitutions,  but  they  these  half  dozen  pioneer  doctors,  and  some- 
never  failed  the  constant  calls  that  came  to     times  the  doctors   indulged   in  that  side-line 


them. 

From  an  apprenticeship,  assisting  as  a 
"buggy  chauffeur"  and  office  assistant  to  an 
older  doctor,  the  requirements  of  this  pro- 
fession have  steadily  advanced  until  five  to 
seven  years  study  in  properly  conducted  insti- 
tutions are  required,  and  many  doctors  add  a 
short  interneship  in  a  good  hospital  to  that 
course. 

DOCTORS  HERE  IN  'SEVENTIES 

The  doctors  in  Hall  County  during  the 
'seventies  were,  B.  B.  Kelley,  A.  Thorspecken, 
Henry  Bruhns,  J.  R.  Laine,  J.  P.  Patterson, 


hobby  many  physicians  like  to  take  a  turn  in, 
a  good  political  scrap,  and  the  files  of  the 
papers  in  the  'seventies  indicate  that  the 
coroner  was  about  as  hotly  contested  as  any 
office  on  the  ticket. 

Dr.  Horace  B.  Lashlee  had  located  in 
Palmyra,  Nebraska,  in  1877  and  practiced 
there  for  four  years  and  then  came  to  Grand 
Island.  Dr.  Hogan  J.  Ring  was  an  eclectic 
physician  who  located  in  Hastings  in  1879, 
and  removed  to  Grand  Island  in  1881.  Dr. 
A.  L.  Stevenson  located  in  Grand  Island  in 
the  spring  of  1877. 
1C  .  .  -zocbvGoOQ  c 

)5 


-IISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ANS  REGISTERED 
lysicians  dates  back  to 
he  physicians  who  reg- 
'  of  that  record  in  the 
erk  had  been  practicing 
that  time,  and  should 
t  list  of  the  'seventies, 
ition  on  the  early  phy- 
ne,  date  of  graduation, 
ater  when  shown  in  the 
le  county  where  they 
actice"  indicating  train- 
ct  ice  and  admitted  upon 
a      medical      college 

L:  William  A.  Carter, 
River;  Caswell  T.  Poe, 

Doniphan  and  Grand 
located  in  Hall  County 
hysician  for  some  years, 
;  found  in  many  parts 

his  unusual  activity  in 
he  community  in  which 
,  Keokuk,  1878,  Grand 
<a    State    Medical    and 

304  West  Third  con- 
bout  1890  evidenced  the 
ihysician  of  ability  that 
lal  practice  and  ambition 
ssional  efforts  toward 
ttion  that  would  reflect 
imunity,  but  it  started 
d  times  hit  the  country, 
eared  from  the  business 
i,  Keokuk,  1875,  Grand 
y  been  noted;  John  T. 
,  Grand  Island ;  Henry 

1874;  A.  J.  Sanders, 
id  Island ;  Dr.  Sanders 
ice  for  many  years  here, 
inducting  a  medical  and 
B.  Fitch,  practice,  1863; 
n,  lived  in  Martinsville 
rs;  M.  J.  Gahan,  Dublin, 
ilready  noted ;  Henry  J. 
ire,  1875,  Wood  River; 
ly,  1869,  Grand  Island; 
,  Missouri,  1867,  Wood 
ashlee,  St.  Louis,   1876, 


already  noted ;  Nicholas  Child,  practice,  1836, 
Grand  Island ;  Geo.  W.  Whipple,  Kansas  City. 
1836,  lived  at  Exeter,  Nebraska ;  M.  H.  Street, 
was  here  in  1881,  registered  in  1883 ;  Sarah  E. 
Whipple,  practice,  1877,  Exeter,  Nebraska; 
G.  M.  Dixon,  New  York,  1871;  Benj.  M. 
Shockey,   practice,    1886,   Juniata,   Nebraska. 

From  this  point  on,  if  not  otherwise  noted, 
the  physicians  who  located  at  Grand  Island, 
so  far  as  the  records  show,  were:  1882,  Dr. 
Hogan  J.  Ring,  practicing  here  before  then; 
C.  G.  Hurford,  Keokuk,  1882;  William  T. 
Royce,  Columbus,  Ohio,  1882,  located  at 
Doniphan ;  Welcome  Smith ;  John  H.  Galligan, 
located  at  Wood  River,  Alfred  F.  Naulteus, 
James  McLean,  Mary  J.  Breckenridge,  1883; 
A.  S.  Fishblatt,  Omaha;  Francis  M.  Osborn, 
Hansen,  Nebraska;  Emanuel  Stringfellow, 
J.  C.  Brubaker,  located  at  Alda;  Ira  N. 
Barker ;  E.  Christiansen,  located  next  to 
Koenig's  Bank  in  Grand  Island ;  1884,  Martin 
L-  Carter,  practiced  for  years  at  Wood  River; 
John  Janss;  Henry  J.  Smith;  James  N.  Harri- 
son, located  for  years  at  Wood  River ;  Thomas 
J.  Eaton. 

1885:  Wm.  Tanner;  Frank  J.  Wright,  at 
Doniphan ;  G.  J.  Puhek ;  John  S.  Curtis  from 
Republican  City,  Nebraska ;  Francis  M. 
Smyley. 

1886:  Rosa  Day,  graduate  of  School  of 
Midwifery ;  Edward  D.  Barrett ;  P.  J.  Scallon. 
located  at  Wood  River;  Milo  Leonard  Kin- 
sington,  located  at  Lincoln;  J.  E.  Anderson; 
S.  E.  Delhorne,  J.  A.  Coffman,  the  first  Uni- 
versity of  Nebraska  medical  graduate  to  locate 
in  Hall  County,  and  Anna  D.  Jackson,  at 
Wood  River. 

1887:  H.  S.  Aley,  who  with  Dr.  Free  es- 
tablished the  Grand  Island  sanitarium  at  121 
East  Front  a  few  years  later;  W.  B.  Kem. 
who  located  at  Cairo,  where  he  practiced  a 
number  of  years  and  afterwards  achieved  an 
enviable  reputation  through  the  state;  Edwin 
L.  Smith;  Arthur  D.  Smith;  Joseph  Weyer- 
horst,  J.  G.  Cave,  of  the  Cave  Smith  Dental 
offices  in  Grand  Island ;  S.  D.  Smith,  C.  D. 
Severe,  located  at  Cairo ;  Louis  Turner,  Albert 
Eisenbeiss,  located  at  Doniphan ;  George  B. 
M.  Free,  later  of  firm  of  Aley  &  Free;  M.  A. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


407 


Otterbourg,  and  Dr.  J.  Lue  Sutherland,  who 
has  been  in  the  practice  in  Grand  Island  since 
then,  and  after  thirty-two  years  of  service 
stands  as'  the  Dean  of  the  Medical  Profession 
of  Hall  County.  In  recent  years,  Dr.  Suther- 
land has  specialized  on  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat  afflictions  and  is  an  especial  expert  on 
insanity  and  nervous  matters. 

1888:  Frederick  J.  Bricker;  G.  M.  Freeman, 
Almond  B.  Sage;  Chas.  H.  Waldschmidt;  A. 
W.  Fleming,  located  at  Wood  River;  Louis 
H.  Engl  ik  in. 

1889:  William  McGregor;  W.  J.  Bonesteel, 
probably  first  Creighton  University  medical 
graduate  to  register  in  the  county ;  Jennie  Ellen 
Tarbox,  and  Bell  English. 

1890:  A.  J.  Sanders  filed  registration  but 
had  practiced  before  then  under  a  prior  reg- 
istration ;  John  D.  Jackson,  Albert  Puringer ; 
Minnie  Schretter,  obstetrical  only;  Frederick 
W.  Fochtman;  Dr.  J.  B.  Hawk,  who  came 
here  before  then;  Jas.  S.  Thomas,  located  at 
Wood  River;  G.  W.  Gorman,  located  at  Wood 
River;  J.  Janes;  Wm.  H.  Caulk,  at  Cairo; 
Dr.  Joseph  P.  Riddle;  Frederick  E.  Dal- 
rymple,  at  Doniphan;  L.  W.  Hammer,  at 
Cairo. 

1891:  B.  F.  Trueblood,  and  Wilmer  B. 
Hoge,  who  became  a  very  prominent  physician 
at  Grand   Island. 

DURING   THE   NINETIES 

In  1891  a  new  physician's  record  was  started 
in  Hall  County.  During  the  remainder  of  that 
year  three  physicians  registered  in  Hall  County 
who  became  very  prominent  in  the  profes- 
sion here,  Dr.  C.  M.  Robinson  at  Cairo,  Dr. 
George  Weeter,  and  Dr.  Sumner  Davis  at 
Grand  Island. 

The  year  1892  brought  two  more,  Dr.  P.  L. 
Moore,  who  left  Grand  Island  some  years 
ago  but  returned  here  in  1918  in  the  interests 
of  a  manufacturing  concern  he  is  now  con- 
nected with,  at  Denver;  and  Dr.  George 
Roeder. 

1893:  Dr.  Thos.  H.  Line,  of  Doniphan; 
John  W.  Tiffany ;  DeForest  E.  Tiffany ; 
Howell  B.  Givin,  from  Omaha ;  L.  F.  Saxen- 
berger,  from  Gage  County,  who  practiced  here 


as  early  as  1890,  and  Luther  Michael,  at  Wood 
River. 

1894:  F.  L.  King,  from  Lancaster  Co., 
Carson  W.  Pittman;  Chas.  E.  Brown,  from 
Hamilton  Co.;  G.  A.  Weirick,  from  Webster 
Co.;  Henry  D.  Boyden,  iwho  practiced  at 
Grand  Island  for  a  great  many  years,  until 
his  death,  registered  in  July,  1895.  Chas. 
Lucas  also  registered  that  year.  J.  P.  Dullard, 
practicing  at  Wood  River  registered  March 
9,  1896,  and  1897  brought  four  new  names  on 
the  roster,  Dr.  M.  L-  Rich,  who  is  still  practic- 
ing in  Grand  Island,  Dr.  J.  M.  Hardy  of  Cairo, 
and  W.  M.  Follett,  from  Saunders  Co.  and 
Geo.  D.  Sitzer,  from  Gage  Co. 

1898:  the  new  arrivals  on  the  roster  were, 
F.  V.  Johnson,  from  Wahoo ;  E.  J.  Porter, 
who  practiced  here  for  some  years;  I.  S. 
Stevens,  from  Merrick  Co. 

1899:  Dr.  Wm.  Milliken  of  Cairo;  W.  D. 
Rea  and  Aimer  L-  Sabin,  evidently  transcient 
doctors  never  located  here ;  likewise  F.  L. 
Murphy  and  Anna  M.  L.  Potts. 

The  year  1900  brought  four  doctors  to  the 
list,  of  whom  three  are  still  practicing  in  this 
county,  Etta  C.  Hewitt,  not  here,  but  Dr. 
Clement  A.  Stone  &  successfully  engaged  in 
the  practice  at  Doniphan  and  Grand  Island, 
and  Dr.  P.  C.  Kelley  practiced  for  some  years 
at  Alda,  then  moved  to  Grand  Island  where  he 
is  now  located,  and  Dr.  A.  H.  Farnsworth  has 
become  one  of  the  leading  physicians  and 
surgeons  of  the  county. 

The  year  1901  brought  Dr.  Marcus  P. 
Piersol  to  Cairo  where  he  practiced  for  over 
fifteen  years.  In  1902  came  Chas.  B.  Dyde 
to  Wood  River,  C.  J.  Horton  to  Grand  Isand, 
and  Oscar  J.  Vallicolt  to  Wood  River. 

In  1903  Ora  M.  Caldwell  registered  from 
Omaha  but  never  opened  an  office  here,  Dr. 
Willis  J.  Redfield  located  at  Wood  River  and 
in  later  years  moved  to  Grand  Island,  but 
has  recently  been  in  the  military  service,  and 
Dr.  Charles  V.  Crooks  located  at  Wood  River. 

1904  Dr.  E.  O.  Weber  of  Wahoo,  who  has 
also  attained  some  political  fame,  registered 
in  this  county,  but  never  located  an  office 
here ;  Wellington  A.  Thomas,  of  Alda ; 
Andrew  J.  Baker,  who  practiced  for  a  number 


408 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


of  years  at  Grand  Island,  and  Benjamin  R. 
McGrath,  still  practicing  here,  having  recently 
returned  from  military  service;  A.  Galloway 
from  Merrick  Co.,  and  Joseph  Flickinger. 

In  1905  those  who  registered  were:  John 
W.  Earel,  from  Fumas  Co.;  Benj.  A.  Root, 
of  Shelton,  Buffalo  Co.;  Henry  Janss,  Johan- 
nesWeiss,  A.  A.  Potterf  of  Douglas  Co.,  and 
Dr.  Edward  W.  Rowe  who  practiced  at  Wood 
River  and  Grand  Island,  and  in  recent  years 
at  Lincoln,  and  has  been  in  military  service 
in  past  couple  years. 

The  year  1906  brought  two  new  names,  Dr. 
Frank  Grabel  of  Wood  River,  and  Chas.  D. 
Eby,  and  1907,  three,  j.  M.  Tische,  of  Cairo, 
Chas.  C.  Stivers,  and  Ben  W.  Kinsey. 

The  year  1908  brought  in  a  goodly  list,  a 
number  of  whom  have  been  "stayers."  Dr. 
Edward  S.  Dungan  was  at  Grand  Island  for 
about  ten  years ;  Martin  H.  Deffenbaugh, 
recently  in  military  service;  Nellie  G.  Carr 
Deffenbaugh,  afterwards  superintendent  of  the 
new  Tuberculosis  State  Hospital  at  Kearney; 
Joseph  Soper,  from  Shelton,  Nebraska ;  Clyde 
A.  Roeder,  who  has  been  very  successful  and 
in  recent  years  has  removed  to  Omaha ; 
Leopold  Phelan,  who  is  still  practicing  here, 
and  for  a  number  of  years  past  has  been  city 
physician  of  Grand  Island ;  Joseph  B.  Grinnell, 
of  Wood  River ;  John  G.  Gehringer,  Frank  E. 
Gordon  and  D.  L.  Trowbridge. 

Registered  in  1909,  J.  R.  McKirahan,  from 
Minden ;  Stacy  B.  Hall,  William  T.  Putt,  who 
came  over  from  Hastings  as  surgeon  at  the 
Soldiers'  Home  and  has  since  remained  in 
practice  in  Grand  Island;  Edna  Smith  Pells, 
who  has  been  successful  in  the  practice  here ; 
Frank  E.  Stoaks ;  Wm.  B.  Kern,  re-registered ; 
Harvey  L.  Starkey ;  Wm.  T.  Engleman,  who 
has  remained  in  practice  here ;  Joseph  E. 
Higgins,  who  specializes  in  ear,  eye,  nose 
and  throat  work,  with  Dr.  Carson  ;  Eugene  M. 
Stansberry ;  William  F.  Dugan ;  William  J. 
Heflin,  who  is  still  one  of  the  successful 
practitioners  in  Hall  County,  located  at  Grand 
Island,  and  two  others,  Edward  C.  Hayman 
and  Godfrey  C.  Fritschel  registered  in  1910. 
Frank  H.  Bent,  at  Wood  River  was  the  list 
for  1911. 


Registered  in  1912  were  Zellmond  E. 
Mathey,  from  Washington  County,  Frank  H. 
Wray,  and  two  others  who  are  very  successful 
members  of  the  profession  at  the  present  time, 
Dr.  David  H.  Carson,  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat 
specialist,  of  the  firm  of  Higgins  &  Carson, 
Dr.  Earle  E.  Farnsworth,  and  also  Sollis  C. 
Pitts,  at  Alda.  During  1910  Dr.  C.  A.  Flippin 
came  here  from  Stromsburg  and  has  practiced 
since  then.  Dr.  H.  C.  Pederson  and  Dr.  Edith 
Saunders  Spence  were  practicing  here  in  1912. 

The  year  1913  brought  Henry  B.  Boyden, 
nephew  of  Dr.  H.  D.  Boyden,  who  has  suc- 
ceeded to  his  uncle's  offices,  and  recently  re- 
turned from  a  military  service,  Frederick  H. 
Kuegle,  from  Madison  Co.,  Johanna  E. 
Laogon,  C.  B.  Edmunds,  Edgar  S.  B.  Gres- 
man,  Julius  Lingenfelder,  D.  G.  Griffiths  at 
Burkett;  Claude  P.  Fordyce  at  Burkett; 
Gilbert  D.  Loffler,  Frederick  W.  Buck;  John 
G,  Stadden  and  Eli  A.  Watson,  who  is  still 
located  in  the  practice  here. 

Registrations  in  1914  showed  Wm.  F.  Race 
of  Buffalo  County;  W.  C.  Buel;  Earle  G. 
Johnson,  still  a  successful  practitioner  at 
Grand  Island ;  Geo.  L.  Wagner. 

In  1915  the  arrivals  were  Charles  H.  Barnes, 
from  Saline  County;  Earl  Matheny  of  Lan- 
caster County ;  in  1916,  Dare  Woodruff,  Albert 
J.  Griot,  J.  M.  S.  Chesshir,  and  three  of  Hall 
County's  present  medical  roster,  Rolland  C 
Woodruff,  who  is  now  practicing  with  Dr. 
McGrath ;  John  G.  Woodin,  who  is  now  prac- 
ticing in  Grand  Island,  and  John  H.  Regan, 
who  closed  his  office  at  Grand  Island,  when 
he  left  for  military  service,  and  made  an 
enviable  record  with  Mayo  Brothers'  Hospital 
at  Rochester,  Minnesota,  and  may  returr  to 
Grand  Island  for  practice. 

In  1917  the  registrations  were  Joseph  V. 
Huichmann,  John  V.  Reilley,  who  is  suc- 
cessfully practicing  here,  and  Henry  J.  Holke. 

The  year  1918  brought  Almo  J.  Chapman. 
Willis  J.  Raynor,  who  is  practicing  here,  and 
also  H.  O.  Conoway  who  came  to  Grand 
Island  then,  and  Edward  Dodd,  at  Cairo. 

In  1919  Dr.  W.  H.  Hombach  came  to  Grand 
Island  from  Council  Bluffs,  and  Dr.  Frank 
D.   Ryder   came   to   Grand    Island,   and   Dr. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Wilmer  D.  McGrath  who  is  associated  ■ 
his  uncle,  Dr.  B.  R.  McGrath. 

OSTEOPATHIC    DOCTORS 

The  growth  and  development  of  osteopathy 
has  brought  a  number  of  practitioners  of 
that  line  of  treatment  to  Hall  County.  The 
first  one  was  Carrie  B.  Miller,  in  1906. 
Florence  Taylor  Rusk  registered  in  1914; 
Ernest  H.  Brown,  the  same  year;  Victor  V. 
Renicha,  1915;  Josephine  C.  Armstrong,  1912; 
Dr.  Rusk  is  still  practicing  here,  with  Orren 
S.  Eckerman,  James  F.  Blanchard  and  Thos. 
H.  Vallier.  Several  chiropractic  practitioners 
have  located  here ;  Leroy  Parks,  the  first  to 
come  in  1915,  is  still  practicing  here;  W.  P. 
H.  Parks  registered  the  same  month,  October 
1915;  Lyle  D.  Smith  came  in  October,  1915; 
Anna  H.  M.  Aye,  in  1917;  Herman  C.  Kuhr 
who  came  in  1917  is  still  located  here. 

There  are  a  good  many  doctors  listed  in  the 
foregoing  pages  who  merely  registered  in  Hall 
County  for  the  purpose  of  temporary  or 
transcient  purposes,  or  to  comply  with  certain 
provisions  of  the  medical  laws,  and  who  never 
opened  an  office  in  any  Hall  County  town, 
!iut  the  registration  list  has  been  taken  as  it 
appears  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk. 

HOSPITALS 
Mention  has  heretofore  been  made  of  sev- 
eral institutions  which  started  in  Grand  Island 
about  1890,  among  these  being  the  Nebraska 
State  Medical  and  Surgical  Institute,  con- 
ducted by  Dr.  P.  Janss;  Grand  Island  Sani- 
tarium, by  Alee  &  Free;  and  Medical  and 
Surgical  Institute  of  Dr.  A.  J.  Sanders. 

ST.  FRANCIS  HOSPITAL 
The  St.  Francis  Hospital  of  the  Sisters  of 
Mercy  is  situated  in  the  western  part  of  the 
city,  between  Division  and  Koenig  streets, 
thirteen  blocks  west  of  the  court  house  grounds 
at  Locust  street.  The  Sisters  of  St.  Francis 
purchased  two  acres  from  Charles  Wasmer 
in  May,  1885,  and  located  their  hospital,  the 
work  of  building  being  at  once  entered  upon, 
and  on  August  22,  Messrs.  Hedde  and  Cleary 
reported  $422  received  for  the  hospital  fund 


which  was  paid  over  to  Sister  Mary  Magda- 
l 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


6,  English  8,  French  2,  German  42,  Greek  13, 
Hungarian  1,  Irish  50,  Italian  7,  Japanese  15, 
Mexican  3,  Negroes  7,  Norwegian  2,  Polish  4, 
Syrian  1,  Swedish  2. 

A  classification  according  to  religion  is  as 
follows:  Baptist,  11,  Catholic,  115,  Christian, 

7,  Congregational,  4,  Episcopalean,  4,  Evan- 
gelical, 2,  Greek  Catholic,  10,  Lutheran,  30, 
Methodist,  19,  no  religion,  138,  Presbyterian, 


Grand  Island  General  Hospital 

19.  There  were  205  medical  and  145  surgical 
cases. 

The  number  of  patients  handled  in  this 
hospital  in  1918  was  1,572;  of  these  1,230 
were  surgical  cases  and  342  medical  cases. 
This  explains  the  necessity  for  the  improve- 
menst  and  extensions  being  planned  for  this 
institution. 

Plans  liave  been  made  to  increase  materially 
the  capacity  of  the  St.  Francis  hospital.  This 
is  to  be  accomplished  by  adding  two  floors 
to  the  old  hospital  building  between  the  new 
hospital  and  the  chapel. 

The  remarkable  growth  and  development 
of  this  institution  is  explained  by  men  more  or 
less  familiar  with  hospital  service  generally 
as  resulting  from  both  the  superior  service 
given  and  the  increasing  ratio  of  operations 


in  the  elimination  of  human  ailment  It  is 
stated  that  even  Omaha's  hospital  service  does 
not  excel  that  given  by  the  St.  Francis  insti- 
tution. 

In  August,  1919,  Sister  Bianca,  Mother 
Superior,  left  for  another  field  and  the  Mother 
Superior  at  St.  Elizabeth's,  Lincoln,  was  sent 
to  succeed  her. 

GRAND    ISLAND    GENERAL    HOSPITAL 

The  Grand  Island  General  Hospital,'  an  ex- 
cellent addition  to  the  city  and  a  splendidly 
arranged  and  equipped  institution,  was 
founded  and  built  largely  as  a  result  of  the 
tireless  energy  and  enterprise  of  Dr.  P.  C. 
Kelley,  then  of  Alda.  Dr.  Kelley  felt  that 
Grand  Island  needed  a  second  hospital  and  he 
didn't  stop  until  it  was  an  accomplished  fact. 
He  served  as  the  first  president  of  the  institu- 
tion. Upon  a  reorganization  and  shifting  of  the 
stock,  D.  M.  Douthett  of  Lincoln,  became 
president.  Dr.  Kelley,  the  first  president, 
served  as  speaker  of  the  Nebraska  house  of 
representatives  in  1913.  Mr.  Douthett,  the 
present  president  of  this  institution  while 
living  at  Overton,  Dawson  County,  served  his 
district  as  state  senator.  Frank  E.  Slusser 
is  secretary  of  the  company  which  owns  the 
building,  and  the  institution  is  now  leased  to 
Miss  Bertha  Bryant,  who  is  superintendent 
of  the  hospital.  The  directors  of  the  company 
are  Messrs.  Douthett,  Slusser,  C.  H.  Tulry. 
,  S.  D.  Ross,  and  Mrs.  Dr.  Starkey  of  Wood 
River.  In  1918  this  institution  handled  740 
cases,  of  which  332  were  surgical  cases. 

DENTISTS  OF  HALL  COUNTY 
A  quarter-century  ago  dentistry  was  not 
looked  upon  with  the  high  regard  it  has  at- 
tained today.  It  was  considered  a  matter  o( 
painful  necessity  that  each  person  should  lose 
about  so  many  teeth,  at  stated  intervals  of 
life.  The  idea  that  extraction  of  teeth  could 
be  performed,  practically  painlessly,  and  that 
fillings  of  various  ingredients  could  be  so  skill- 
fully placed  in  teeth  as  to  both  save  the  tooth 
itself  and  be  practically  beyond  detection  had 
never  occurred  to  most  people.  The  further 
advanced   theory   that   a   study   of    medicine 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


411 


and  anatomy  by  a  dentist  might  enable  him 
to  diagnose  many  of  the  disorders  of  the 
system  and  suggest  a  course  of  dieting,  con- 
j  duct,  or  care  which  would  correct  many  of 
|  these  ills  and  preserve  the  teeth,  and  prevent 
more  serious  complications  of  the  digestive 
system  and  other  functions  of  the  human 
system  was  even  further  away  from  the  gen- 
eral human  mind.  But  all  of  these  things  have 
transpired.  The  rise  of  dentistry  has  been 
steadily  becoming  a  fact,  until  today  it  is  a 
necessary  profession  to  every  community  of 
any  size. 

For  a  period  of  years,  one  early  leader  in 
the  profession  of  dentistry  stood  preeminently 
at  its  representative  in  Hall  County, 

DR.    HOWARD  C.    MILLER, 

who  was  born  in  Lewis  County,  New  York, 
January  15,  1859,  a  son  of  Isaac  S.  and  Sarah 
A.  (Stone)  Miller.  He  attended  school  at 
Rome,  New  York,  and  in  1879  began  the 
study  of  dentistry  at  Camden,  New  York,  in 
the  office  of  Dr.  A.  T.  Van,  and  continued 
to  pursue  this  study  in  the  office  of  Dr.  G.  W. 
Wertz,  of  Omaha,  coming  to  Grand  Island  in 
October,  1881.  Until  his  death  in  1914  he 
continued  the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Hall 
County,  and  was  then  dean  of  the  profession 
in  this  county.  As  early  as  1888  he  was  recog. 
!  niied  by  the  dentists  of  the  state  as  one  of  the 
leaders  of  the  profession  in  Nebraska  and  was 
elected  president  of  the  Nebraska  State  Dental 
Society,  of  which  he  was  one  of  the  "fatherly" 
proraotors.  He  served  his  national  society  of 
dentists,  and  was  recognized  nationally  in 
clinical  work  and  in  the  theories  and  practices 
of  his  profession  and  upon  his  death  the 
dental  journals  of  the  country  expressed  a 
sincere  regret  for  the  profession's  loss.  He 
took  a  very  active  part  in  the  establishment 
of  lodges  and  societies  in  the  community,  and 
during  the  latter  part  of  his  life  served  as 
postmaster  of  Grand  Island. 

D.   A.    FINCH 

Succeeding  Dr.  Miller,  Dr.  D.  A.  Finch  be- 
came the  dean  of  the  dental  profession  in 
Hall  County.     He  had  studied   dentistry   in 


the  office  of  Doten  &  Martin,  of  Camden,  N. 
Y.,  and  upon  his  preparation  for  practice  he 
followed  Dr.  Miller  to  Grand  Island  and  be- 
gan practice  in  Hall  County  in  1885,  and  after 
thirty-four  years  of  service  to  the  people  of 
this  county  still  maintains  a  practice  of  such 
proportions  it  puzzles  him  to  secure  suf- 
ficient leisure  for  the  pleasures  of  life.  It 
will  be  noted  in  this  chapter  that  many  of  the 
dentists  who  are  now  practicing  in  Grand  Is- 
land have  at  one  time  or  another  been  asso- 
ciated with  either  Dr.  Miller  of  Dr.  Finch. 
A  more  complete  biographical  sketch  of  Dr. 
Finch  appears  in  a  later  chapter  in  this  work. 

BETWEEN    1885  AND  1896 

In  1887  Drs.  Finch,  Miller  and  F.  O.  Welker 
and  the  offices  of  Cave  Smith  &  Co.  were  the 
dental  offices  of  Grand  Island.  By  1894  Dr. 
L.  S.  Moore  had  located  here.  Dr.  Moore 
is  still  practicing  in  the  Michelson  block,  and 
with  his  son  Dr.  J.  Ross  Moore  who  is  now 
associated  with  him  they  have  fitted  up  one 
of  the  most  modern  and  splendidly  equipped 
offices  in  the  state. 

1896  TO  DATE 

The  Dental  Register  of  Hall  County  opened 
January  27,  1896.  The  first  name  shown  is 
that  of  Merton  E.  House,  from  Dawson 
County  registered  August  26,  1897;  the  next 
is  Wm.  H.  Romine,  from  Colfax  County,  July 
21,  1897.  The  Romine  Dental  Co.  had  offices 
at  119H  W.  Third  At  that  time  the  Board 
of  Dental  Secretaries  of  the  state  were  Drs. 
Geo.  S.  Nason,  president,  Howard  C,  Miller 
of  Grand  Island,  vice-president  and  treasurer 
and  Orion  T.  Lambertson,  secretary. 

The  next  dentists  to  register  were  Charles 
Sitzer,  December  13,  1897;  R.  H.  McCrosson, 
from  Box  Butte  County,  May  4,  1898 ;  Clar- 
ence E.  Brown,  Grand  Island,  July  25,  1899; 
and  A.  T.  Withers,  Douglas  County,  August 
3,  1899. 

June  18.  1900,  Oscar  H.  Mayer  registered 
as  a  dentist.  Dr.  Mayer  is  one  of  the  practic- 
ing dentists  in  Grand  Island  in  1919.  Other 
registrations  during  that  decade  were:  1902, 
Ancel  M.  Bradley,  from  York,  J.  M.  McEvoy ; 


412 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


1903,  L.  G.  Holmes,  Vincent  M.  Robinson  to 
practice  at  Wood  River;  1904,  Butler  M. 
Honeywell,  1905,  Sidney  A.  Seal,  who  still 
conducts  offices  at  Grand  Island,  Claude  W. 
Percival,  whe  remained  at  Wood  River  a 
short  time  and  later  moved  away,  W.  H.  Pat- 
terson, who  moved  from  Grand  Island  to 
California,  where  he  resides  on  a  fruit  farm, 
Wm  Lee  Withers,  who  later  practised  in 
Douglas  County,  never  opened  an  office  in 
Grand  Island,  but  only  operated  here  occasion- 
ally. 

In  1907  the  dentists  here  were  Miller  & 
Mayer,  L.  S.  Moore,  D.  A.  Finch,  W.  H. 
Patterson  and  S.  A.  Seal. 

In    1910   Miller,   Mayer,   Moore   and   Seal 
conducted  offices  alone  and  Finch  &  Hatfield  . 
were  the  firm. 

Two  of  the  leading  dentists  of  Broken  Bow 
at  the  present  time,  Drs.  W.  V.  Beck  and  T. 
W.  Bass,  both  worked  under  Dr.  Finch  at 
Grand  Island  before  entering  practice  at 
Broken  Bow.  Dr.  Farnsworth  was  another 
dentist  associated  with  Dr.  Finch  prior  to  this 
time,   1910. 

Resuming  the  list  of  registrations  with  1907 
we  find:     1907,  Frederick  H.  Burton,  Wood 


River,  who  died  in  1918,  Geo.  E.  Lyons,  Grand 
island;  1908,  John  H.  Meyers,  who  is  still 
practicing  at  Grand  Island,  Oscar  A.  Vier- 
egg;  1910,  Emit  A.  Graf,  who  left  in  1918  to 
enter  army  service,  and  is  now  in  Omaha. 
Charles  L.  Heyne,  who  never  entered  actual 
practice  here;  1911,  Lawrence  A.  Cates,  who 
left  here  to  go  to  Holdrege,  Nebraska,  and 
is  now  in  northwestern  Nebraska;  Finch  & 
Chollette  were  practising  together  in  1914. 
but  now  Dr.  F.  J.  Chollette  is  alone  in  ihe 
practise  as  is  Dr.  Finch;  1914,  John  Ross 
Moore,  who  entered  the  service  in  1918,  but 
upon  his  return  re-entered  practice  with  hi« 
father,  L-  S.  Moore;  Louis  N.  Wente,  who 
was  only  here  about  one  year,  Geo.  Glaie. 
from  Lancaster  County,  only  here  a  short 
time;  Alva  L.  Rousey,  who  is  now  at' Walt 
Hill,  Nebraska;  1915,  Chas  C.  Fall,  never  in 
actual  practice  here,  now  in  Lincoln,  P.  C 
Holson;  1916,  Samuel  R.  Butler,  still  practic- 
ing here.  1917,  Geo.  Lester  Weir,  only  reg- 
istered. 1918,  Dr.  M.  W.  Jenkins  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  opened  in  the  Hedde  build- 
ing, and  in  1919,  Dr.  E.  C.  Emigh  opened  in 
the  McAllister  building,  and  also  Dr.  Lech- 
insky. 


Dr.  H.  I).  Bovdi 


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CHAPTER  XXIV 

THE  BENCH  AND  BAR  OF  HALL  CO 

The  First  District  Court  in  Hall  County  —  Second  Term  01 

Term  1871  — Term  of  April,  1872  — Court  in  1873  — Court  W« 

—  In  the  Fourth  Judicial  District  —  Court  in  1877  —  Court 

on  — In  the  Matter  of  the  Change  From  the  Old  Court  I 

TiREMENT  of  Judge  John  R.  Thompson  —  Court  Officials  oi 

The  Lawyers  of  Hall  County  —  At  the  Beginning  of 

Work,  1868  —  Those  Who  Came  During  the  'Seventies 

the  'Eighties  —  During  the  'Nineties  —  Arriva: 


It  is  reputed  that  the  first  court  business  moned.     The  first 

done  for  Hall  County  was  transacted  at  Co-  (was  the  admission 

lumbus   in    1868.     At  that  time,   Lieutenant  Ohio  bar  to  practi 

Governor  O.  A.  Abbott  was  the  only  resident  sion  being  made  u 

practicing  attorney  of  Hall  County.  torney  Gray.    Mr. 

The   first   record  of   the  district  court  of  County,  and  never 

Hall  County  is  opened  under  date  of  Novem-  land.    Henry  Scho 

ber  30,  1868,  at  Page  1  of  Volume  1  of  the  Dis-  Tempke,  all  granc 

irict  Court  Journal.  Judge  Lorenzo  Crounse,  citizenship.    Joachi 

who  called  this  court  for  the  date  given  on  ler,  Henry  Joehnl 

application  of  the  commissioners,  was  not  pres-  Nicholas  O,  Hanse 

ent,  so  the   clerk,  John  Wallichs,  adjourned  George    Lounzen 

court  until  December  1st,  when  the  continued  were  also  admitted 

absence  of  the  judge  occasioned  another  ad-  ters   disposed   of 

joumment.    On  December  2,  the  puzzled  clerk,  were,  a  continuanc 

inpatient   jurors   and   lawyers  and  provoked  Lain  vs.  Joseph  £ 

litigants   were  greeted  with  the  presence  of  Daniel    Freeman 

his  honor,  who  opened  the  morning  sessions,  Richard   Smith ;  tl 

with  John   Wallichs,  clerk,  E.  F.  Gray,  dis-  to   dismiss   the  ca 

trict  attorney  (who  resided  at  Fremont),  and  against  Wesley  Fo 

Henry  Rose,  sheriff.    The  grand  jurors  sum-  by  a  jury   (of  wh 

moned  for  that  term  of  court  were  Peter  Boch,  man)  against  C.  A 

George  Canfield,  H.  Giese,  Edward  Hooper  rad  Grein,  and  th 

(foreman),    J.   Riss,   H.   Bockman,   Edward  Koenig   &    Wiebe 

Keuscher,  Hans  Knuth,  Elijah  Lane,  Henry  December  3,  the  g 

Schoel,  A.  P.  Beaman,  J.  Crean,  P.  Moore,  J.  dictment  for  forge 
T.  Reese,  Edward  Gumar  and  S.  Lamb,  the         The  charge  of  j 

last  two  being  excused  by  the  court  and  Pat-  jury,  of  which  Ro 

rick  Dunphy  and  Henry  Tempke  were  sum-  with  the  result  of 


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414 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Michael  Crean,  Carl  Becker,  Teith  Becker, 
Detief  Sass,  Gottfried  Merker,  James  Crean 
and  Henry  Lilianthal  were  admitted  to  citizen- 
ship on  that  day  and  the  trial  of  John  Jennings 
for  forgery,  and  Elijah  A.  and  John  E.  Meyers 
for  larceny,  were  begun.  Defendant  Jennings 
was  found  guilty  on  the  4th,  by  a  jury  of  which 
Robert  Mitchell  was  foreman.  C.  P.  Hall  who 
had  been  assigned  to  his  defense  was  unable 
to  save  him  from  a  two-years'  term  in  the 
penitentiary.  The  Meyers'  were  acquited  by 
a  jury  of  whom  S.  Canfield  was  foreman. 
Patrick  and  Richard  Moore  of  the  Wood 
River  settlement  and  Henry  A.  Koenig  were 
admitted  to  citizenship.  Mr.  Koenig,  as  treas- 
urere  of  Hall  County,  receipted  for  $40,  be- 
ing the  amount  of  commencement  fee  for 
suits  brought  to  this  term.  The  November, 
1868,  term  of  district  court  was  adjourned 
sine  die  on  December  5,  1868.  This  term  was 
presided  over  by  Judge  Lorenzo  Crounse.  At 
that  time  there  were  three  judges  of  the  Ne- 
braska Supreme  Court.  The  work  of  the  dis- 
trict courts  of  the  state  was  divided  into  three 
districts  and  one  of  the  members  of  the  su- 
preme court  took  charge  of  the  particular 
district  in  which  a  county  was  embraced  and 
handled  the  trial  work  for  that  district.  This 
system  continued  many  years.  The  first  term 
of  Hall  County's  district  court  was  presided 
over  by  a  judge  who  for  six  years  was  a 
supreme  judge  and  chief  justice  of  that  court, 
Judge  Crounse,  who  afterwards  served  the 
state  as  governor. 

HOLDING  THE  FIRST  COURT 
When  Judge  Crounse  came  to  Grand  Island 
to  hold  the  first  session  of  court,  he  had  sent 
word  ahead  to  Sheriff  Henry  Rose  to  secure 
the  largest  hall,  available  in  town.  Sheriff 
Rose  used  often  to  relate  that  he  made  search 
about  town  among  the  very  few  available 
places,  and  the  only  one  he  could  secure  was 
the  dining  room  of  the  Michelson  (Nebraska 
house)  hotel.  Court  was  set  for  nine  o'clock, 
and  the  sheriff  secured  the  room  upon  the 
understanding  that  court  could  run  along  un- 
interruptedly until  eleven  o'clock,  then 
court  must  "vamoose"  and  let  the  corps  of 


dining  room  girls  prepare  tables  for  dinner. 
Accordingly  court  convened,  and  ran  along 
until  the  neighborhood  of  eleven  o'clock,  and 
the  judge  being  unaware  of  the  true  situa- 
tion, court  went  right  along,  until  a  clatter  of 
dishes  and  silverware  became  too  strong, 
whereupon  the  judge  demanded  that  those  of 
fendors  be  removed.  Upon  being  advised  by 
the  sheriff  of  the  superior  claim  of  the  dining 
room  girls,  he  remarked  that  was  a  great  way 
to  treat  a  court  and  a  great  place  to  hold 
court, —  but  nevertheless  court  adjourned  for 
dinner. 

SECOND  TERM  OF  DISTRICT  COURT 
^There  is  no  record  of  court  being  held  in 
1869.  The  May,  1870,  term  was  opened  w 
May  24,  1870,  with  Judge  Crounse  presiding. 
John  Wallichs,  clerk,  E.  F.  Gray,  district 
attorney,  and  H.  Hald,  sheriff  present.  The 
grand  jury  comprised  John  Meagher,  William 
Hollingshead,  C.  C.  Jerome,  J.  Kraft,  F.  A. 
Wiebe,  C.  D.  Mevis,  John  Riss,  William 
Spiker,  C.  W.  Thomas,  Adam  Windolph,  John 
Haup,  Perry  Hack,  N.  V.  Hansen,  Fritz  Roby 
William  Eldridge  and  David  Miller.  Civil 
suits  of  McLean  &  Russell  vs.  Charles  Davis 
and  Koenig  &  Wiebe  vs.  John  Seier  were  re- 
ported settled.  A  judgment  for  $464.40  in 
favor  of  Fred  Hedde  and  against  Freeman 
C.  Dodge  is  recorded. 

Albert  Swartzland,  an  attorney  of  Omaha, 
moved  the  admission  of  William  H.  Piatt  to 
the  bar,  which  motion  prevailed.  With  the 
entrance  of  Mr.  Piatt  to  the  Hall  County  j 
bar,  a  second  figure  was  brought  in  to  join 
with  Mr.  Abbott,  both  of  whose  names  re- 
peatedly appear  in  every  form  of  creditable 
activity  throughout  the  pages  of  this  story  of 
Hall  County's  growth  and  progress.  A  jury 
was  called  to  pass  upon,  and  granted  the,  ap- 
plication of  Fritz  Stark  to  build)  a  mill-dam 
across  Wood  River.  The  first  divorce  case 
was  begun  and  ended  at  this  session.  Anna 
Magereth  Elsabea  Pap  had  her  maiden  name 
of  Tiedge  restored,  and  her  marriage  relations 
with  Johann  D.  Pap  were  dissolved  upon 
proof  that  he  had  been  absent  for  over  two 
years.     Martin  Schimmer  and  Hugo  Hald  be- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


415 


came  citizens.     The   commencement   fees   at 
this  term  amounted  to  $35. 

THIRD  TERM,  1871 

The  third  term  was  begun  May  3,  1871,  al- 
though called  for  the  first  Monday  in  April, 
an  adjournment  that  had  been  occasioned  by 
the  inability  of  the  judge  to  be  present.  The 
court  officers  were  the  same  as  in  1870.  Among 
grand  jurors,  not  heretofore  listed,  were  Peter 
Peterson,  James  Tout,  R.  C.  Jordon,  E.  O'- 
Brein,  William  Johnson,  Daniel  Wainright, 
Daniel  Baker,  J.  G.  Nagy,  Patrick  Nevills, 
L  Melson,  Henry  Egge,  William  Powell,  J. 
W.  Jones,  George  Cornelius,  W.  Rollins, 
George  Williamson,  Harry  Norton,  H.  N. 
Chapman,  H.  Makely,  George  Loan,  James 
Baldwin  and  Joseph  Jenneman. 

Gtorge  H.  Thummel  and  Attorney  Sparks 
of  Central  City  were  admitted  to  the  bar,  and 
0.  A.  Abbott  reported  that  he  had  examined 
J.  A.  Piatt  and  found  him  qualified  for  ad- 
mission to  the  bar,  and  moved  his  admission. 
A  judgment  for  $971.20  and  costs  ware  as- 
sessed by  the  jury  against  Joseph  Smith,  and  in 
favor  of  McLean  &  Russell.  Patrick  Nevills, 
H.  Obermiller,  H.  Garn,  P.  Peterson,  C.  D. 
Mevis,  Alev  A.  Baker,  Christian  Hann,  Carl 
Hann,  Claus  Hansen,  Theodore  Noll,  Martin 
Horn,  J.  Boehl,  John  Hays,  John  Foulks, 
jonothan  Francis,  John  Quaine,  John  Davis, 
John  Bishoff,  Louis  Engel,  August  Engle, 
Fritz  Kruse,  H.  Bauman  were  admitted  to 
citizenship  at  this  session.  The  court  ap- 
pointed O.  A.  Abbott,  Geo.  H.  Thummel  and 
Chas.  H.  Brown  as  a  committee  to  examine 
all  applicants  for  admission  to  the  bar.  Mr. 
Brown  was  an  Omaha  lawyer  who  practiced 
extensively  in  Hall  County  courts  at  that 
early  date. 

Upon  motion  of  Attorney  W.  H.  Piatt,  W. 
C.  Buderos  was  admitted  to  practice.  Mr. 
Buderos  practiced  at  Grand  Island  for  a  few 
years,  and  figured  in  many  activities  before 
he  left  the  county. 

Thomas  O'Neil  pleaded  "guilty"  to  an  in- 
dictment for  manslaughter  and  Judge  Crounse 
sentenced  him  to  ten  hours  a  day  hard  labor 
in  the  state  penitentiary  until  April  1,  1881, 
A  jury,  with  W.  H.  Lamb  as  foreman,  re- 


turned a  verdict  against  Hugo  Hald  and  other 
defendants  and  in  favor  of  Fritz  Stark  for 
$47.86.  A  case  that  Wm.  Stolley  brought 
against  S.  S.  Canfield  was  continued.  Treas- 
urer F.  A.  Wiebe  receipted  for  $45  commence- 
ment fees  for  this  term. 

In  January,  1872,  D.  E.  Marler,  jailer,  was 
locked  in  the  cell  by  a  prisoner  named  G.  E. 
Mason,  who  escaped.  Mason  had  escaped  once 
before,  but  returned  to  his  warm  cell  owing 
to  the  severity  of  the  weather. 

TERM  OF  APRIL,  1872 
The  term  was  fixed  for  April  8th,  was  post- 
poned by  the  judge's  late  arrival  until  the  9th. 
Judge  Crounse  presided,  with  Clerk  Wallichs 
and  District  Attorney  Gray  present  and  Wil- 
liam Spiker  as  sheriff.  Serving  on  that  grand 
jury  were  Michael  McNamara,  Henry  Temke, 
James  Baldwin,  W.  H.  Denman,  L.  W.  Rollins, 
James  Michelson,  W.  H.  Mitchell,  J.  D.  Schul- 
ler,  E.  B.  Veeder,  Samuel  Huston,  William 
Deuel,  Joe  Wesley,  E.  W.  Brown,  John  Win- 
dolph,  Charles  Hoffman  and  John  Calahan. 
Henry  Giese  and  Jesse  Shoemaker  were  ap- 
pointed bailiffs  for  the  term  of  court.  John 
D.  Hayes,  an  attorney  who  also  served  Hall 
County  as  county  superintendent  of  schools 
and  probate  judge,  moved  the  admission  of  J. 
H.  Darnell,  of  the  Iowa  bar.  Christian  Menck, 
John  Pehrs  and  Paul  Petterson  were  admitted 
to  citizenship.  Charles  Ross,  George  Ander- 
son and  George  E.  Mason  were  made  defend- 
ants under  separate  indictments  for  larceny. 
George  Williamson  and  John  Buenz  were  ad- 
mitted to  citizenship  on  April  10th.  Heinrich 
Scheel,  Theodore  Scherzberg,  Thomas  Nevills, 
Charles  Scherzberg,  Christian  Wasmer  were 
admitted  on  Aprill  11  and  18.  The  second 
divorce  decree  granted  in  the  county  released 
Elizabeth  Bishoff  from  marital  bonds  with 
John  Bishoff.  George  H.  Thummel  was  ap- 
pointed assistant  district  attorney  to  prosecute 
the  case  of  People  vs.  Peter  T.  Manning, 
which  was  tried  to  a  jury  with  Enos  Beall  as 
foreman,  and  a  verdict  of  not  guilty  returned. 

COURT  IN  1873 

The  1873  term  was  called  for  April  14th, 
but  after  three  adjournments  due  to  the  in- 


416 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


ability  of  Judge  Crounse  to  come  to  Hall 
County,  the  term  was  adjourned  sine  die  by 
John  Wallichs,  clerk. 

Thereupon  the  commissioners  on  April  23, 
1873,  made  an  application  for  a  term  of  dis- 
trict court,  Judge  Samuel  Maxwell  answered 
on  May  12  and  set  June  30th  as  the  first  day 
of  the  June  term.  Judge  Maxwell,  who  was 
the  second  judge  to  come  to  Hall  County, 
served  for  twenty-one  years  as  supreme  and 
district  judge  in  Nebraska.  His  was  the  long- 
est term  of  service  of  any  supreme  judge  who 
has  served  Nebraska. 

With  Judge  Maxwell,  were  present  a  new 
district  attorney,  M.  B.  Hoxie,  Clerk  Wallichs, 
and  Sheriff  Spiker.  Henry  P.  Handy  was 
foreman  of  the  jury.  He  was  also  defendent 
in  the  first  case  taken  up,  wherein  a  judgment 
was  rendered  against  him  and  in  favor  of 
Wellington  Odell  for  $1,658.95.  At  this  term, 
a  mortgage  foreclosure  showed  up,  wherein 
Fred  Hedde  was  plaintiff  and  H.  Hald  and 
Christine  Hald  were  defendants.  The  bar 
commission  reported  in  favor  of  the  admission 
of  T.  O.  C.  Harrison  and  Henry  Nunn  as 
attorneys.  Mr.  Nunn  practiced  at  Grand  Is- 
land for  a  time  and  removed  to  St.  Paul, 
Howard  County,  but  Judge  Harrison  was  a 
familiar  figure  to  all  students  of  affairs  in 
Hall  County,  and  served  in  many  public  offices 
including  chief  justice  of  supreme  court  of 
the  state,  and  up  to  his  death  in  1919  was  an 
active  attorney  at  the  Hall  County  bar.  At 
this  term  new  citizens  added  to  the  roster  of 
Hall  County  were  Adolph  P.  D.  Egge,  Henry 
Pieper,  Henry  Gulzow,  J.  M.  Oltman,  H. 
Kruse,  Hans  Ruge,  Sievert  Rief,  Clause  Stolt- 
enberg,  Peter  Bergfeeth,  A.  C.  F.  Wendt,  F. 
Wilde,  C.  Engelke,  Peter  Jehrs,  Jacob  Suhr, 
H.  Beersen,  F.  Hues,  William  Engel,  Peter 
Meesch,  James  Buenz,  Paul  Frauen,  Clause 
Frauen,  Peter  Wiesse,  Charles  Rief,  Lawrence 
Kilkenny,  Patrick  Kilkenny,  Martin  Nolan  and 
John  Graham,  and  later  Henry  Wiese,  George 
Thavanet,  Hans  Behrens,  George  Lorenzen 
and  Louis  Lorenzen. 

On  October  27,  1873,  for  the  first  time  a 
fall  term  of  court  was  opened,  with  the  same 
court  officials  as  at  the  June  term.     August 


Thorspecken  and  James  Stough  were  ap- 
pointed bailiffs  for  the  term.  David  W.  Beach 
was  found  guilty  by  a  jury  and  sentenced  to 
one  year  in  the  penitentiary.  The  case  thai 
attracted  the  main  attention.  State  vs.  Chas. 
Ruelberg,  et  al,  was  continued  over  the  terra, 
after  a  jury  had  been  empanelled  on  October 
28th  by  plaintiff  withdrawing  a  juror.  In- 
dictments were  returned  against  Anna  Cross 
and  W.  H.  Anderson,  questionable  house 
keepers,  and  John  Doe,  known  as  "Sandy." 
and  Spence,  common  gamblers  were  indicted. 
Court  adjourned  sine  die  on  October  28th, 
and  then  Hall  County,  plaintiff,  by  O.  A. 
Abbott,  its  attorney,  filed  a  dismissal  of  the 
embezzlement  charge  against  Charles  Ruel- 
berg. 

1874  COURT   WORK 

The  April  term  opened  with  Judge  Maxwell 
presiding,  and  District  Attorney  Hoxie,  Clerk 
Wallichs  and  Wm.  A.  Deuel  as  sheriff.  The 
cases  taken  up  were  becoming  too  numerous 
by  this  time  to  allow  any  very  individual  treat- 
ment or  mention  except  of  the  most  unusual 
cases,  for  lack  of  space  in  this  work.  W.  P. 
Nicholsen,  Nathan  P.  Kelley  and  William 
Goellner  were  appointed  bailiffs.  Applications 
for  citizenship  being  granted  admitted  William 
Johnson,  Nicholas  Bonsen,  Ehrick*  Prahm. 
Peter  Mohr,  John  Laidemann,  Henry  C 
Ahrens,  Peter  Meinert,  Charles  M.  Hom, 
Daniel  Baker,  Hans  P.  Ericksen,  John  Hauss. 
Robert  Froberg  and!  George  Boehm.  The 
first  probate  petition  heard  was  that  of  George 
W.  Hulst,  administrator  of  Jesse  Turner 
estate,  for  leave  to  sell  real  estate  handled  in 
vacation  after  the  April  term. 

In  October  of  that  year  a  term  was  held 
with  the  same  court  officers.  John  J.  Schaupp 
was  granted  leave  to  build  a  mill-dam  across 
Wood  River,  Cornelius  P.  Henderson  was 
divorced  from  Harriett  L.  Henderson,  the  first 
divorce  granted  in  the  county  which  named 
the  man  as  plaintiff.  Upon  motion  of  \V.  H. 
Piatt,  Warren  Thummel  of  the  Iowa  bar  was 
admitted  to  practice.  Amelia  Wire  was  granted 
a  divorce.  Henry  Schimmer,  Henry  Kesbari, 
D.  M.  Reuter,  Claus  Panstian,  George  Gran- 
tahm,  Jurgen  Heesch,  George  Leger,  Herman   j 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


417 


OeJrich,  Charles  Christiansen  and  George 
Greve  were  admitted  to  citizenship.'  Treasurer 
Hagge  received  $60  for  commencement  fees, 
and  the  term  was  adjourned  sine  die  on  Oc- 
tober 27,  1874. 

COURT  IN    1875 

Judge  Maxwell  opened  the  April  term  on 
the  13th.  W.  J.  Burger  was  foreman  of  the 
grand  jury.  Emilie  K.  Balling  was  given  a 
divorce  from  Frank  Balling.  The  grand  jury 
in  Buffalo  County  in  March  had  returned  an 
indictment  for  murder  in  the  second  degree 
against  Emma  Grabach,  and  this  cause  was 
tried  to  a  jury  comprised  of  William  Stolley, 
Peter  Petersen,  John  Ruff,  James  Varney, 
John  C.  Atkinson,  P.  S.  Wingert,  James  Hall, 
Jens  Olsen,  John  Duhlsen,  George  Cornelius, 
Henry  Baumann,  and  N.  M.  Depue.  The  jury, 
with  Wm.  Stolley  as-  foreman,  returned  a 
verdict  finding  her  guilty  of  manslaughter,  but 
recommending  the  defendant  to  the  mercy  of 
the  court.  George  J.  Spencer  was  admitted 
to  the  bar,  and  Frederick  Muntzert,  Niels  Han- 
sen, John  Bolders,  William  McCracken,  Niels 
Anderson,  L.  Rasmussen,  Claus  Eggers  and 
Ferdinand  Loehle  were  admitted  to  citizen- 
ship, and  the  court  adjourned  until  May  8, 
1875. 

On  May  8,  1875,  at  a  session  of  court 
Charles  R.  Smith  of  the  state  of  Virginia 
was  admitted  to  practice  upon  motion  of 
John  D.  Hayes.  M.  R.  Abbott,  James  Hotden 
and  John  Holden  were  admitted  to  citizenship. 
Emma  Grabach  was  sentenced  to  the  peniten- 
tiary for  one  year  from  April  15,  1875.  On 
July  27,  1875,  Judge  Maxwell  heard  the  case 
of  Oconto  Company  vs.  Wm.  H.  Piatt.  An 
October  term  got  started  on  October  28th.  E. 
V.  Clark  was  foreman  of  the  grand  jury.  A 
lengthy  civil  docket  was  presented  the  court 
at  this  term.  Upon  motion  of  Wm.  A.  Piatt, 
C.  D.  Culver  of  the  Illinois  bar  was  admitted 
to  practice.  John  Genz,  John  Hendricks,  John 
Johnson  and  Daniel  Ertel  were  admitted  to 
citizenship. 

IN  THE  FOURTH  JUDICIAL  DISTRICT 
In  1876  a  new  system  came  into  operation 


in  Nebraska,  and  the  judges  of  the  supreme 
court  no  longer  were  compelled  to  travel  over 
the  state  and  try  the  cases  in  district  court. 
Judge  Geo.  W.  Post  of  York,  on  January  12, 
1876,  fixed  the  time  of  holding  regular  terms 
of  court  in  the  counties  then  forming  the 
fourth  judicial  district — Hall,  Merrick,  Platte, 
Colfax,  Dodge,  Saunders,  Howard,  Seward, 
York,  Butler,  Polk  and  Hamilton.  The  fourth 
Tuesday  in  February  and  the  first  Tuesday 
in  September  were  fixed  for  Hall  County. 

Court  was  opened  on  February  23rd,  with 
the  same  court  officers  as  were  present  the 
year  proceeding.  Martin  Ott,  Hans  Rief, 
Frederick  Schleichardt,  John  Mahony,  Thomas 
Mahony,  Hans  Wiese,  Henry  Weise,  C.  Clau- 
sen, Kasper  Hein,  Johann  Hinrich  Rief, 
Werner  Foellmer,  Fritz  Tomsen,  Claus 
Grotzke,  Carl  F.  Petersen,  Peter  Laubach, 
Ludwig  Schultz,  and  Fritz  Wiese  were  ad- 
mitted to  citizenship,  The  grand  jury  re- 
turned a  bill  of  indictment  against  Leander 
Wolfe  and  Paul  Heitz  for  grand  larceny,  and 
upon  trial  the  jury  found  them  guilty  and  they 
were  sentenced  to  one  year  in  the  penitentiary. 
Christopher  T.  Hall  was  admitted  to  practice 
upon  presentation  of  proper  certificate  from 
the  territory  of  Wyoming.  The  fall  term  be- 
gan on  September  5th.  Henry  Streeve,  Nich- 
olas Mildenstein,  Peter  D.  Thomsen,  Peter 
Schumann,  J.  E.  Meth,  F.  A.  Schieck  and 
Othman  A.  Abbott  were  admitted  to  citizen- 
ship. Arthur  E.  Pinkney,  Loring  Gaffey  and 
and  a  large  number  of  civil  cases  were  dis- 
posed of. 

court  in  1877 

In  February,  1877,  Judge  Post  of  Colum- 
bus presided,  but  brought  a  new  district 
attorney  with  him,  Hon.  M.  B.  Reese  of 
Saunders  County.  Judge  Reese  in  after  years 
served  twice  on  the  supreme  bench  and  was 
twice  chief  justice  of  that  court.  Clerk  Wal- 
lichs  and  Sheriff  Deuel  were  still  on  the  job. 
New  citizens  admitted  to  that  privilege  were 
Martin  Brett,  Gustav  Schaurup,  Hans  A. 
Klingenberg,  John  C.  Stark,  M.  Hokinson, 
H.  Buensen,  Bryan  Harcy,  W.  Guenther,  Pat- 
rick Higgins,  John  Lammert,  Heinrich  Graack, 
Christian  T.   Lykke,  C.   Schaurup,  Nicholas 


418 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Rauert,  Claus  Klindt,  Christian  Nieberber, 
Hugo  Oelrich,  Hans  J.  Moehler,  A.  Blunk  and 
Arnold  Oelrich.  Howard  T.  Marshall  was 
tried  for  forgery  and  found  guilty  by  the  jury. 
At  the  adjourned  April  term,  Ems  Marquardt, 
Carl  Daberkow,  Peter  Thomsen,  'Michael 
Kroger,  Joachim  F.  Dibbern,  Bertha  Wiese, 
A.  M.  Stevenson  were  admitted  to  practice 
Charles  Stolle,  Peter  Mohr,  Juergen  Giese, 
John  Lemberg  and  Carsten  Lemberg  were  ad- 
mitted to  citizenship ;  in  the  September  term 
the  same  service  was  rendered  to  John  Allen, 
in  years  afterwards  clerk  of  the  district  court, 
Michael  Kroger,  August  Dobberstein,  John 
L.  Johnson,  John  Anderson,  Detrick  M. 
Sweeden,  Caroline  Petlerson,  Pereke  E.  Pet- 
lerson,  Jocob  Geise,  Christian  Ipsen  and  Henry 
Reese.  George  H.  Caldwell,  a  West  Virginia 
lawyer,  was  admitted  at  this  time. 

COURT  AFTER  1877 

In  1877  when  the  February  term  convened, 
a  new.  sheriff  appeared  upon  the  scene,  Joseph 
Killian.  Alex.  Campbell  was  admitted  to  the 
bar.  George  Thompson  was  indicted  of  burg- 
lary and  found  guilty  by  the  jury,  and  sen- 
tenced to  one  year  in  the  penitentiary.  At 
the  September  term,  1878,  Edward  Wilson 
pleaded  guilty  to  the  indictment  for  burglary 
and  was  sentenced  to  two  years  in  the  "peni- 
tentiary. 

At  the  term  in  February,  1879,  upon  motion 
of  T.  O.  C.  Harrison  the  court  admitted  to 
the  bar,  from  Iowa,  John  R.  Thompson,  who 
was  afterwards  judge  of  the  Hall  County  dis- 
trict court  for  twelve  years.  George  H. 
Thummel  and  Dr.  M.  J.  Gahan  were  appointed 
commissioners  of  insanity.  Charles  Davis  was 
sentenced  to  one  year  in  the  penitentiary  for 
burglary.  Richard  Goehring  was  admitted  to 
citizenship  on  May  16.  It  would  take  more 
space  than  this  chapter  can  be  allowed  in  this 
work  to  continue  a  full  list  of  the  admission 
of  applicants  to  citizenship  that  were  passed 
upon  favorably  by  each  term  of  the  court  in 
the  thirty  years  that  have  elapsed  since  this 
point  in  our  narrative  of  the  history  of  the 
bench  and  bar  of  Hall  County.  As  all  of  the 
matters   heretofore  recorded   in   this  chapter 


transpired  during  the  time  that  Volume  1  of 
the  Court  Journal  was  being  made  up,  it  will  be 
seen  that  it  is  furthermore  impossible  to  carry 
with  such  detail  an  account  of  proceedings 
had  in  the  twenty  volumes  of  the  Court 
Journal  that  have  been  formulated  since  1879. 

When  court  met  on  March  2,  1880,  Judge 
Post  had  a  new  set  of  court  officers  in  part. 
District  Attorney  Reese  and  Sheriff  Killian 
were  still  on  deck,  but  Hall  County's  second 
clerk  of  the  district  court  was  on  duty,  Charles 
Rief,  and  B.  C.  Wakeley  was  shown  to  be 
present  as  court  reporter.  Mr.  Wakeley  was 
later  succeeded  by  E.  M.  Battis.  M.  B.  Hoxie, 
P.  S.  Battie  and  M.  B.  Reese,  a  committee 
serving  to  examine  candidates  for  admission 
to  the  bar,  reported  favorably  on  the  peti- 
tions of  George  B.  Darr,  D.  H.  Burroughs 
and  George  W.  Trefren.  The  trial  of  Frank 
Larence  occupied  much  of  the  attention  of 
this  term.  Messrs.  Reese,  Thummel  and  Piatt 
represented  the  State  and  Messrs.  Abbott. 
Caldwell  and  W.  H.  Bell  the  defendant.  The 
jury,  of  which  James  Ewing  was  foreman, 
brought  in  a  verdict  of  "not  guilty."  In 
October  1880,  Austin  H.  Moulton  was  ad- 
mitted, and  in  September,  1881,  Herschel  A. 
Edwards  was  admitted  to  the  bar.  Mr. 
Edwards  is  still  actively  practicing  in  Hall 
County. 

The  trial  of  George  Hart,  a  policeman,  for 
murder  of  Michael  Kress  commenced  in 
September,  1881,  but  was  continued  to  the 
next  term.  March  1,  1882,  a  jury,  of  whom 
N.  Child  was  foreman,  found  the  prisoner 
guilty,  and  Judge  Post  sentenced  him  to  be 
hanged  June  15,  1882.  Messrs.  M.  B.  Reese, 
Thummel  and  Piatt  represented  the  state,  and 
Messrs.  Abbott,  Michael  and  Caldwell  the  de- 
fendant. This  case  was  carried  to  the  supreme 
court,  but  without  success,  when  executive 
.clemency  was  asked.  But  before  the  scaffold 
which  had  been  erected  at  the  rear  of  the 
court  house  could  claim  its  victim,  the  death 
sentence  was  commuted  and  a  penalty  of  im- 
prisonment for  life  was  imposed. 

In  February,  1882,  Henry  C.  Denman  as 
sheriff  and  Frank  Sears  as  clerk  succeeded 
Messrs.  Killian  and  Rief.    Henry  E.  Clifford. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


419 


now  city  clerk  of  Grand  Island,  was  admitted 
to  practice  on  February  9,  1883.  The  April 
term  of  that  year  opened  up  on  April  10, 
1883,  with  a  new  judge,  T.  L.  Norval  of 
Seward,  who  also  afterwards  served  a  long 
time  upon  the  supreme  bench  of  this  state. 
Thomas  Darnall  was  present  as  district  at- 
torney, and  E.  M.  Battis  as  court  reporter. 
.The  new  district  attorney  presented  several 
"whiskey  indictments"  to  the  grand  jury  and 
that  body  found  the  parties  defendant  had  sold 
and  delivered  "a  certain  spirituous  liquor,  com- 
monly called  whiskey."  At  the  September 
term  inj  1883  Thomas  Darnall,  district  at- 
torney, brought  a  charge  of  second  degree 
murder  against  Stephen  Binfield,  Henry  Bon- 
sen  and  Nicholas  Bonsen  and  J.  F.  Whittier 
for  the  shooting  of  one  Tillman.  Thummel 
&  Piatt  and  T.  O.  C.  Harrison  appeared  as 
attorneys  for  these  defendants,  and  Thompson 
Bros,  assisted  Damall  in  the  prosecution.  The 
jury,  with  Wm.  Stolley  as  foreman,  returned 
a  verdict  on  September  8th,  finding  the  three 
defendants,  "not  guilty,"  except  Binfield  who 
was  found  guilty  of  manslaughter,  whereupon 
he  was  sentenced  by  the  court  to  ten  years 
in  the  penitentiary. 

In  1884  the  terms  of  court  for  the  sixth 
judicial  district  fixed  the  terms  for  Hall 
County  upon  February  12  and  September  23. 
Judge  Norval  and  District  Attorney  Darnall 
remained  on  their  respective  duties,  but  John 
Allan  was  clerk,  H.  M.  Waring,  reporter,  and 
James  Cannon,  sheriff.  Winfield  S.  Hayman 
was  admitted  as  a  member  of  the  bar. 

On  October  2,  1884,  the  court  overruled 
plaintiff's  motion  to  dismiss  in  the  case  of 
Sir  Isaac  Newton  vs.  Peter  Birkenbeuel. 

At  the  September  term  of  1885  the  officers 
remained  the  same  as  in  1884  except  Frank 
Tipton  was  court  reporter.  Ralph  R.  Horth 
presented  his  application  for  admission  to  the 
practice  and  the  same  was  acted  upon  fav- 
orably. Wm.  H.  Thompson  appeared  in  cases 
with  his  brother  John  R.  Thompson,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Thompson  Brothers.  A  jury 
awarded  William  and  John  Stoeger  damages 
of  $70  against  James  Fowler.  In  1886  E.  A. 
Wedgewood  was  sheriff.     George  A.  Ruther- 


ford was  admitted  to  practice  on .  September 
14,  1886,  upon  motion  of  O.  A.  Abbott. 

The  term  of  March,  1887,  found  no  district 
attorney  present,  the  prosecutions  being  con- 
ducted then  and  ever  since  by  the  county's 
own  county  attorney  or  prosecuting  attorney. 
W.  H.  Thompson  presented  many  charges  to 
the  court  at  this  term  in  his  capacity  as  prose- 
cuting attorney.  On  April  2,  1887,  the  vale- 
dictory proceedings  were  held.  Judge  Norvaf 
called  upon  the  sheriff  to  adjourn  court,  but 
before  that  officer  could  comply  with  the 
order,  Geo.  H.  Thummel  arose  and  in  the 
presence  of  the  bar,  officers  of  the  court,  and 
spectators  presented  Judge  Norval  with  a 
handsome  gold-headed  cane  and  silver  ink- 
stand from  the  members  of  the  Hall  County 
bar  and  court  officers.  Soon  thereafter  Judge 
T.  O.  C.  Harrison,  the  first  Hall  County  lawyer 
to  assume  the  bench  in  this  judicial  district, 
took  charge  of  the  Hall  County  docket.  The 
other  judge  in  the  new  ninth  district,  which 
from  that  time,  with  its  successor,  the  eleventh, 
until  the  present  has  had  two  judges,  was 
Hon.  F.  B.  Tiffany  of  Albion,  Boone  County. 

At  the  October  term  of  1887  Judge  Tiffany 
presided,  with  E.  B.  Henderson  reporter,  the 
other  officers  remaining  the  same.  An  inter- 
esting case  was  tried  wherein  Charles  W. 
Stidger  was  prosecuted  for  an  alleged  libellous 
publication  which  the  Daily  Times  had  made 
against  Fred  Hedde,  editor  of  the  Independent. 
Upon  October  12th,  the  jury,  with  Geo.  Loan 
as  foreman,  found  Chas.  Stidger  not  guilty, 
and  the  trial  of  John  S.  Stidger  upon  the 
same  charge  was  continued  over  the  term. 
Judge  Harrison  held  the  term  in  November, 
1887,  with  Charles  W.  Pearsall,  as  reporter. 
County  Attorney  W.  H.  Thompson  filed  an 
information  at  this  term  charging  David 
Moffit  with  stealing  from  the  Union  Pacific 
Railway  Co.  certain  articles  of  merchandise, 
among  which  were  listed  two  cheese  of  the 
value  of  $7.95,  two  pails  of  candy  at  the  value 
of  $2.40  each,  two  boxes  of  cigars  at  the 
value  of  $2.00,  and  six  pairs  of  felt  boots  of 
the  value  of  $6.00.  Mr.  Thompson  was  not 
setting  1919  prices  on  the  goods  then.  On 
December  13,  this  information  was  quashed. 


420 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


but  a  new   information  was  later  filed.     In 

1888  Chas.  G.  Ryan  filed  credentials  sufficient 
to  warrant  his  admission  to  practice.  The 
Daily  Independent  of  January  8,  1888,  con- 
tained the  following  item:  "A  new  firm  of 
Horth  &  Ryan  have  commenced  business  this 
week  in  their  office  over  the  Grand  Island 
Banking  Co.  Mr.  Horth  is  well-known  to  our 
citizens  as  our  efficient  city  attorney  and  from 
having  been  associated  with  O.  A.  Abbott  for 
the  last  three  years.  Mr.  C.  G.  Ryan  is  from 
Verdin,  Illinois,  and  from  a  short  acquaintance 
with  him  we  consider  him  an  intelligent  and 
straightforward  young  man.  The  new  firm 
will  be  one  of  our  rising  young  law  firms  and 
has  the  strength  of  honesty  and  ability." 

On  May  12.  1888,  David  Moffitt  pleaded 
guilty  to  the  charge  of  larceny  and  was  sent- 
enced to  one  year  in   the  penitentiary.     In 

1889  Judges  Harrison  and  Tiffany  held  court 
with  the  same  court  officers,  except  that  W.  R. 
Bacon  had  assumed  the  office  of  county  at- 
torney. In  May,  1889,  William  Rutherford 
was  convicted  and  sentenced  to  penitentiary 
(for  twelve  years  for  arson.  An  important 
civil  case  tried  by  Judges.Harrison  and  Tiffany 
jointly  was  that  of  Gustave  Koehler  vs.  Free- 
man C.  Dodge  and  Edmund  B.  Abbott,  part- 
ners, involving  a  judgment  of  $10,502.     In 

1890  Judge  Harrison  received  a  plea  of  guilty 
by  John  Tulles  for  highway  robbery  and  gave 
him  a  three  year  sentence  to  the  penitentiary, 
and  A.  T.  Gaffney  took  the  same  course  and 
received  a  one  year  sentence.  In  1890  the 
same  court  officials  appeared  except  that  the 
sheriff  then  serving  was  J.  A.  Costello,  and 
the  same  court  officers  served  through  that 
year.  In  January,  1891,  court  was  presided 
over  by  Judge  Harrison,  with  Reporter  Pear- 
sail,  Sheriff  Costello  and  Clerk  Allan,  and 
Chas.  G.  Ryan  as  county  attorney.  At  the 
first  sitting  of  court  in  his  term  the  new 
county  attorney  filed  an  incest  charge  against 
one  H.  Bedford.  Orders  were  made  in  the 
probate  matter  of  the  estate  of  Zenas  H.  Den- 
man,  deceased.  On  May  19,  1891,  a  motion 
to  dismiss  was  sustained  in  the  case  of  Trixie 
Adams  vs.  McGinty  Troubles  Co.,  which  had 
been  tried  before  Justice  of  the  Peace  Wel- 
come Smith. 


On  May  27,  1891,  a  jury,  of  which  Geo.  A. 
Burger  was  foreman  found  George  Bedford 
guilty  of  corrupting  a  witness,  and  the  de- 
fendant was  fined  $50  and  sentenced  to  seven 
days  in  the  county  jail,  but  defendant  served 
notice  he  intended  to  appeal  to  the  supreme 
court. 

On  the  16th  of  November,  the  day  appointed 
by  Judges  Harrison  and  E.  M.  Coffin  of  Ord, 
Nebraska,  thory  a  judge  of  the  nineteenth 
judicial  district,  the  fall  term  convened.  Sev- 
eral informations  for  grand  larceny  were 
brought  forth. 

On  March  15,  1892,  the  trial  of  Cuyler 
Shults  for  murder  began  before  Judge  Har- 
rison. County  Attorney  Ryan  was  assisted  by 
W.  H.  Piatt  and  W.  H.  Thompson  and  W.  A. 
Prince  appeared  for  the  defendant.  The  jurors 
finally  accepted  were  Joseph  J.  Klinge,  John 
O'Connor,  Fred  Soil,  G.  M.  Graham,  George 
Pearson,  W.  H.  Sylvester,  B.  S.  Wise,  H.  P. 
F.  Duehrsen,  T.  C.  Rondrez,  Sylvester  Pollock, 
John  Wilson  and  T.  A.  Taylor.  On  March 
19th  the  jury  returned  a  verdict  finding  de- 
fendant guilty. 

In  1893  Judge  John  R.  Thompson  became 
the  associate  of  Judge  Harrison,  and  Hender- 
son was  serving  as  his  court  reporter.  In 
1894,  Geo.  P.  Dean  became  sheriff  of  Hall 
County.  That  same  year  Hon.  A.  A.  Kendall 
of  St.  Paul  succeeded  Judge  Harrison  as  one 
of  the  judges  of  the  eleventh  judicial  district. 
In  1895  Willard  A.  Prince  succeeded  Count)' 
Attorney  Ryan.  The  court  officers  remained 
the  same  until  January,  1897,  when  Fred  W. 
Ashton  began  his  services  as  county  attorney, 
and  in  March  of  that  year  Terkild  Hermansen 
is  shown  as  court  reporter  for  Judge  Kendal). 

The  year  1898  brought  some  changes  in 
Hall  County  district  court  officials.  S.  N. 
Taylor  succeeded  Sheriff  Dean.  John  W. 
Brewster  reported  for  Judge  Thompson,  vice 
Mr.  Henderson.  John  Allan  still  remained  as 
clerk  of  the  court.  Mr.  Brewster  is  at  the 
present  time  a  general  reporter,  residing  at 
Lincoln,  Nebraska.  When  the  August,  1898, 
term  opened  up,  Bayard  H.  Paine  appeared  as 
Judge  Thompson's  court  reporter  and  served 
in  that  capacity  for  six  years.  Twelve  years 
after  his  term  of  service  as  reporter  ended. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


421 


Mr.  Paine  was  elected  district  judge  of  the 
eleventh  judicial  district  and  now  presides  as 
judge  in  the  same  court  where  he  was  reporter 
a  few  years  ago.  In  1899  W.  S.  Pearne  be- 
came county  attorney.  In  1900  Judge  Ken- 
dall was  succeeded  on  the  district  bench  by 
Hon.  Charles  A.  Munn  of  Ord,  who  died  after 
serving  a  short  time.  That  same  year  the 
district  clerk,  John  Allan,  after  sixteen  years 
of  service  in  that  capacity  was  succeeded  by 
his  brother,  Henry  Allan.  At  the  December, 
1900,  term  Judge  Harrison  appeared  as  acting 
county  attorney,  and  a  month  later  Ralph  R. 
Horth  became  county  attorney.  In  1902, 
Judge  Munn's  successor  upon  the  bench  took 
office.  Judge  Jas.  N.  Paul,  a  member  of  the 
Howard  County  bar  opened  his  first  court  in 
Hall  County,  the  February  term  of  1902,  and 
served  as  judge  of  the  eleventh  district  until 
1917,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  Judge  Bayard 
H.  Paine. 

On  January  4,  1904,  district  court  convened 
with  both  Judges  John  R.  Thompson  and 
James  N.  Paul  present,  with  Ralph  R.  Horth 
county  attorney,  Bayard  H.  Paine  and  E.  H. 
Kendall  court  reporters,  S.  N.  Taylor  sheriff 
and  Henry  Allan  clerk.  A  committee  of  the 
bar  consisting  of  O.  A.  Abbott,  T.  O.  C.  Har- 
rison and  Chas.  G.  Ryan  made  a  report  to  the 
court,  which  read  in  part  as  follows : 

In  the  matter  of  the  change  from  the  old  Court 

House  to  the  New. 

Your  committee  finds  that  the  Old  Court 
House  was  first  occupied  as  a  Court  House 
at  the  June  term  of  1873,;  the  Honorable 
Samuel  Maxwell,  Judge,  since  deceased,  pre- 
siding, Honorable  John  Wallichs,  Clerk. 

Prior  to  this  time  Lorenzo  Crounse  was 
Judge  of  the  District  and  Court  had  been 
held  in  private  rooms  rented  for  the  purpose. 
His  successors  were  George  W.  Post,  T.  L, 
Nerval,  F.  B.  Tiffany,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison, 
E.  M.  Coffin,  John  R.  Thompson,  A.  A. 
Kendall,  Charles  A.  Munn  and  James  N.  Paul, 
there  having  been  two  Judges  in  this  district 
as  now  constituted  since  1887. 

Hall  County  was  then  a  part  of  the  Third 
Judicial  District,  there  being  but  three  Districts 
in  the  state,  those  three  Judges  sitting  together 
as  Judges  of  the  Supreme  Court  at  the  State 
Capital,  and  the  Supreme  Court  as  then  con- 
stiuted  consisting  of  Lake,  Gantt  and  Maxwell. 


The  Old  Court  House  was  fully  up  to  the 
standard  in  those  days.  .  But  two  other  brick 
Court  Houses  were  then  in  existence  in  the 
State,  at  Omaha  and  Nebraska  City,  and  we 
submit,  the  County  is  now,  as  it  was  then, 
well  up  to  the  front  in  the  character  of  its 
Court  House. 

The  second  volume  of  the  Nebraska  reports 
had  not  then  been  issued,  the  sixty  third 
volume  is  now  on  our  shelves;  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  had  been  completed  across 
the  State,  the  B.  &  M.  in  Nebraska  from 
Plattsmouth  to  Lincoln  and  the  Midland  Pa- 
cific from  Nebraska  City  to  Lincoln  constituted 
the  railway  development  of  the  State.  Look- 
ing backwards  to  those  times  one  is  not  sur- 
prised to  know  that  the  men  who  predicted 
that  a  million  of  people  would  someday  find 

-  home  with  the  State;  was  looked  upon  as 
visionaries. 

The  Old  Court  House  has  lived  to  see  a 
branch  line  from  the  Union  Pacific  built  across 
the  County's  Northern  boundary  to  Ord,  the 
B.  &  M.  extended  from  Lincoln  across  the 
County  to  a  connection  with  the  Northern 
Pacific  and  the  Coast  and  the  St.  Joseph  and 
Grand  Island  from  St.  Joseph  to  this  city ; 
in  fact  has  witnessed  the  growth  of  this  State 
from  a  sparsely  settled  frontier  State  to  an 
enviable  station  among  her  sister  States  and 
the  home  of  about  one  and  a  half  millions  of 
people ;  has  seen  the  City  grow  from  an  un- 
organized hamlet  on  the  plains  to  the  Third 
city  in  the  State  with  nearly  10,000  people; 
has  seen  the  City  exchange  its  old  frame  school 
buildings  for  four  substantial  brick  structures ; 
has  seen  its  wooden  shops  and  stores  ex- 
changed for  substantial  stone  and  brick  build- 
ings ;  has  seen  the  City  exchange  its  old  lights 
for  the  new,  the  kerosene  lights  and  candles 
for  gas  and  electric  light;  has  seen  political 
and  economic  changes  pass  over  the  land  and 
while  we  accept  the  change  with  pleasure, 
abandon  the  old  way  for  the  new,  the  old 
lights  for  the  new  and  recognize  that  old 
precedents  have  been  laid  aside,  we  deem  it 
eminently  fit  and  proper  that  on  this  day  we 

*pause  for  the  moment  to  take  note  of  the  pass- 
ing time  and  to  place  on  perpetual  record  the 
fact  that  we  have  done  so. 

We  trust  that  when  in  the  influx  of  time, 
our  successors  shall  exchange  this  building 
for  a  newer  and  better  one,  they,  like  us,  may 
recall  the  past  with  pleasure  and  look  forward, 
as  we  do,  to  the  future  with  renewed  hope 
and  confidence. 

This  report  was  accepted  by  Judges  Thomp- 
son and  Paul  and  ordered  spread  upon  the 
records. 

LiOOglC 


422 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


At  the  same  time  Attorneys  Fred  W. 
Ashton,  M.  T.  Garlow  and  W.  A.  Prince 
presented  a  resolution  upon  the  matter  of  the 
retirement  of  Judge  John  R.  Thompson,  one 
of  the  district  judges  of  the  eleventh  judicial 
district,  in  which  it  was  resolved : 

Be  it  resolved,  That  upon  the  retirement  of 
Judge  Thompson  from  the  bench  the  bar  loses 
a   fearless,  upright  and  conscientious   judge. 

Be  it  further  resolved,  That  the  members  of 
this  bar  hereby  express  their  best  wishes  to  the 
judge  upon  his  retirement  from  the  bench 
and  extend  to  him  a  welcome  hand  as  he  again 
enters  the  profession. 

Resolutions  were  also  adopted  at  the  same 
time  respecting  the  honest,  efficient  and  faith- 
ful performance  of  their  contract  in  the  erec- 
tion and  completion  of  the  Hall  county  court 
house  by  Messrs.  Falldorf  and  Kirschke ;  and 
upon  the  death  of  George  J.  Spencer,  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Hall  County  Bar. 

At  the  September  term,  1904,  Judge  James 
R.  Hanna,  of  Greeley,  who  succeeded  Judge 
Thompson,  opened  court  at  Grand  Island. 
After  fifteen  years  of  continuous  service  in 
this  district,  Judge  Hanna  is  still  serving  as 
one  of  the  judges  presiding  over  the  courts 
,of  Hall  and  ten  other  counties.  When  Judge 
Hanna  came  upon  the  bench  he  appointed  as 
court  reporter  Othman  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  who  is 
still  serving  in  that  capacity.  In  1907  Judge 
Paul  appointed  as  his  court  reporter,  H.  J. 
Paul,  who  remained  as  court  reporter  until 
his  father's  retirement  from  the  bench  in  1917, 
and  who  has  served  with  Judge  Bayard  H. 
Paine  in  1917  until  he  was  elevated  to  the 
position  of  colonel  of  the  Fifth  Nebraska  N.  G. 
Regiment  and  went  to  Camp  Deming,  New 
Mexico,  upon  his  country's  call  in  the  Great 
War.  While  Colonel  Paul  was  still  abroad 
in  France  with  his  regiment  and  before  he 
could  be  discharged  from  the  army,  he  was 
tendered  and  accepted  from  Governor  S.  R. 
McKelvie,  in  1919,  the  position  of  adjutant 
general  of  Nebraska,  and  upon  his  return  from 
foreign  service  upon  his  shoulders  will  fall 
the  task  of  rebuilding  in  Nebraska  the  Na- 
tional Guard,  or  state  constabulary,  or  what- 
ever form  of  home  defense  legislative  bodies 
shall  determine  upon,  and  of   recording  the 


part  of  Nebraska  in  the  recent  Great  War. 
Following  Col.  Paul's  departure,  Judge  Paine 
had  two  reporters  of  terms  of  short  service, 
Miss  Jeanette  M.  Ragan  of  Grand  Island,  who 
resigned  to  enter  the  State  University,  and 
F.  D.  Williams  of  Lincoln,  who  resigned  as 
secretary  to  Supreme  Judge  W.  B.  Rose  to 
come  to  Grand  Island,  and  later  returned  to 
Lincoln  for  an  attractive  opening  in  the  prac- 
tice, and  in  December,  1917,  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Dale  P.  Stough,  then  secretary  to 
Chief  Justice  Andrew  M.  Morrissey  o£  the 
supreme  court,  who  is  still  the  reporter  at  this 
time. 

District  Clerk  Henry  Allan  serving  in  1904 
was  succeeded  in  1908  by  Fred  C.  Langman, 
who  served  for  nine  years,  and  in  1917  was 
succeeded  by  his  deputy  clerk,  Walter  H. 
Rauert.  Clerk  Rauert  during  his  first  years 
of  service  appointed  as  his  deputy  Herman 
Buckow,  who  resigned  late  in  1918.  and  for 
his  second  term,  commencing  in  1919,  ap- 
pointed Miss  Bessie  Barbee,  who  had  been 
serving  in  the  office  of  Sheriff  Sievers  for 
four  years.  In  1900  a  salutary  change  was 
made  in  the  preparation  of  court  journal  and 
other  records  in  the  office  of  the  clerk  of  the 
district  court.  The  old  permanently  fastened 
books  in  which  the  records  were  written  with 
pen  and  ink  were  replaced  by  loose  leaf  sheets 
and  binders  upon  which  the  records  could  be 
typewritten. 

County  Attorney  Horth  was  succeeded  in 
1905  by  Arthur  C.  Mayer,  who  served  for 
two  terms.  In  1909  John  L.  Cleary  took  the 
office  and  held  it  for  your  years,  and  was 
followed  by  Benjamin  J.  Cunningham  in  1913. 
In  1917  William  Suhr  became  countv  attorney 
,  The  office  of  sheriff,  held  in  1904  by  S.  X. 
Taylor,  was  taken  over  later  in  the  term  by 
J.  W.  Eby.  In  1906  J.  M.  Dunkel  entered 
office  as  sheriff  and  served  most  efficiently  in 
that  capacity  until  his  death. 

On  January  11,  1912,  with  Judge  James 
iTJ.  Paul  presiding,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  acting 
as  court  reporter,  J.  L.  Cleary,  county-  attorney. 
Thomas  O'Gorman,  coroner,  and  Fred  C. 
Langman,  clerk,  the  following  proceedings 
were  spread  upon  the  records : 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


4^3 


It  having  come  to  the  knowledge  of  the 
Court  that  James  M.  Dunkel,  sheriff  of  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  and  one  of  the  officers  of 
this  Court,  lost  his  life  by  being  hit  by  a  rail- 
road train  near  Chapman,  Nebraska,  on  the 
evening  of  the  10th  inst,  it  is  therefore  ordered 
that  this  Court  adjoum,  out  of  memory  of  said 
James  M.  Dunkel,  to  Thursday,  January  18, 
1912,  at  10  o'clock  A.  M. 

It  is  further  considered  that  the  following 
Committee  on  Resolutions  be,  and  are  hereby 
appointed  to-wit : 

O.  A.  Abbott  Sr.,  W.  M.  Thompson,  T.  O. 
C.  Harrison,  Chas.  G.  Ryan,  John  L.  Cleary, 
Ralph  R.  Horth,  Fred  W.  Ashton,  Ernest  G. 
Kroeger,  James  H.  Wooley,  Bayard  H.  Paine, 
Arthur  L.  Joseph,  Arthur  C.  Mayer,  Benj.  J. 
Cunningham,  John  R.  Thompson  and  Arthur 
G.  Abbott. 

During  the  following  week,  Gustav  Seivers 
was  appointed  sheriff,  and  later  was  twice 
elected  to  that  office.  In  January,  1919,  the 
present  sheriff,  John  E.  McCutchan,  took  over 
the  office. 

THE    LAWYERS   OF    HALL    COUNTY 

No  county  in  the  state  of  Nebraska  could 
have  had  a  higher  class  bar  in  ability  and 
general  personality  than  Hall  County  has  main- 
tained in  the  fifty-one  years  since  the  first 
term  of  district  court  was  held  here  in  1868. 

The  bar  as  a  branch  of  the  American  system 
of  jurisprudence  was  given  standing  by  the 
first  general  assembly  of  the  territory  of  Ne- 
braska in  an  act  approved  March  9,  1855, 
entitled  "An  act  regulating  the  admission  of 
attorneys."  It  is  brief  enough  to  include  here : 
The  first  section  provides  that  "any  person 
twenty-one  years  of  age  who  can  produce 
satisfactory  evidence  of  a  good  moral  char- 
acter and  pass  an  examination  before  either 
the  judges  of  the  district  court  or  before  the 
justices  of  the  supreme  court  of  this  territory, 
shall  be  licensed  to  practice  as  an  attorney 
at  law  and  solicitor  in  chancery  in  all  the 
courts  in  this  territory."  And,  as  a  sort  of 
afterthought,  the  second  section  of  the  act 
provides  that  "every  citizen  of  this  territory 
may  attend  to  his  own  cases  in  all  said  courts." 

The  third  session  of  the  legislative  assembly, 
January  15,  1857,  at  Omaha,  adopted  a  code 
of   civil   procedure   formulating   the   law   on 


this  subject  very  much  as  it  remains  today. 
.Requirements  have  since  been  added  providing 
for  examination  before  a  state  board,  only, 
and  doing  away  with  the  somewhat  informal 
examination  held  in  the  district  courts  in  early 
days  and  providing  for  admission  without 
examination  to  graduates  of  Nebraska  State 
University  and  Creighton  College  of  Law. 
In  recent  years  the  colleges  have  been  increas- 
ing the  educational  requirements  for  admis- 
sion to  their  courses  of  study,  and  thus  tighten- 
ing up  further  on  the  pathway  of  admission  to 
the  bar. 

The  mention  of  examination  before  and 
admission  by  the  district  courts  will  explain 
the  presence  in  this  list  of  Hall  County  lawyers 
of  numerous  members  of  the  bar  who  came 
to  Grand  Island  to  be  admitted,  but  never 
opened  a  law  office  in  this  county.  Upon 
reflection  the  reader  will  remember  that  in 
the  late  'sixties  and  early  'seventies  there  were 
not  terms  of  district  court  being  held  in  very 
many  counties  within  a  hundred  or  two  hun- 
dred miles  of  Grand  Island. 

AT  THE  BEGINNING  OF   HALL  COUNTY 
COURT  WORK 

When  the  first  session  of  district  court  to 
transact  business  for  Hall  County  was  held 
in  1868  at  Columbus,  Nebraska,  or  for  that 
matter  a  few  months  later  when  resident  ses- 
sions of  court  were  first  held  at  Grand  Island, 
the  resident  bar  of  Hall  County  consisted  of 
one  member.  It  is  a  most  unusual  fact  that 
this  one  member,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr.,  should 
still  be  practicing  very  actively  at  this  bar, 
fifty-one  years  later.  Other  attorneys  noted 
in  the  court  records  as  having  been  present 
at  these  early  sessions  in  1868  were  Chas. 
H.  Brown,  from  Omaha,  never  a  member  of 
the  Hall  County  bar,  E.  F.  Gray  of  Fremont, 
who  was  then  district  attorney,  there  being  no 
county  attorney  to  represent  the)  state  for 
some  years  later.  John  L.  Martin,  of  Ohio, 
was  admitted  to  practice  in  November,  1868. 
He  lived  in  Merrick  County  and  never  lived 
or  opened  an  office  in  Grand  Island.  Albert 
Swartzland,  an  atorney  from  Omaha,  also  ap- 
pears to  be  mentioned. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


mber  of  the  Hall  County  bar 
afterwards  attained  a  long 
worthy  service,  was  William 
was  born  in  Rochester,  N.  Y., 
15,  the  son  of  William  A.  and 
:e)  Piatt,  who  came  to  Grand 
.  The  father  died  in  1875. 
tt  had  served  in  the  civil  war, 
',  1892,  while  on  a  visit  to  his 
;hton,  Mich.,  was  married  to 
.  Bidwell.     He  had  moved  to 

the  fall  of  1866  and  conducted 
th  which  he  remained  identified 
it  in  the  meatime  he  prepared 
ered  upon  the  practice  o"f  law, 
on  May  24,  1870.  He  served 
e  from  1872  to  1876,  and  in 

law  partnership  with  George 

He  served  the  community  in 
s,  as  mayor  of  the  city,  and 
s  as  a  member  of  the  school 
it  years  he  has  resided  at  Santa 
iia.  His  long-time  partner, 
mmel,  was  the  next  lawyer  to 
ission  being  on  May  3,   1871. 

served  the  community  in  so 
s  that  his  name  appears  in  a 
:es  throughout  this  work.  After 
deral  government  first  as  U.  S. 
n  as  clerk,  of  the  United  States 
r  Nebraska  until  that  office  was 
ayed  in  Omaha,  and  in  recent 
his  home  there,  but  still  retains 
sts  in  Grand  Island. 

:ame  during  the  seventies 
lission  in  1871  was  that  of  Mr. 
Illinois  bar  who  came  out  to 
iut  came  over  here  to  be  ad- 

'os  came  to  Grand  Island  and 
iber  of  years.  He  was  a  very 
nwyer  who  left  behind  a  trail 
■r  his  old-time  associates. 
well  had  completed  his  studies 
at  Parkersburg,  W.  Va.,  after 
s  service  in  the  war  with  the 
ational  Guards,  and  removed 
and  was  admitted  to  the  bar 


here,  in  1877.  He  soon  formed  a  law  partner- 
ship with  Hon.  O.  A.  Abbott,  which  contin- 
ued until  the  fall  of  1881,  when  Mr.  Caldwell 
was  elected  county  judge.  He  left  Grand  Is- 
land in  later  years  and  returned  to  his  former 
home  state,  West  Viginia,  where  he  spent 
the  remainder  of  his  life. 

George  W.  Trefren  was  admitted  here  but 
stayed  only  a  short  time.  By  way  of  review, 
up  to  this  point :  In  1871  the  resident  attorneys 
were  O.  A.  Abbott,  W.  H.  Piatt  and  G.  H. 
Thummel;  by  1873,  to  the  three  just  named, 
should  be  added  W.  C.  Buderos,  W.  H.  Mitch- 
ell, John  D.  Hayes,  who  had  been  admitted  to 
the  bar  before  he  came  here,  who  was  elected 
county  superintendent  during  the  early 'seven- 
ties, and  also  served  as  probate  judge,  later 
leaving  here  and  going  to  Clay  County,  and 
Henry  Nunn,  who  came  here  about  that  time, 
from  Illinois,  and  later  practiced  at  St.  Paul, 
Nebraska. 

J.  H.  Darnell  from  the  Iowa  bar  was  ad- 
mitted to  practice  here  upon  motion  of  John  D. 
Hayes;  C.  D.  Culver  was  admitted  in  Octo- 
ber, 1875,  and  is  shown  on  the  records  as 
being  from  Illinois.  Neither  he  nor  Chris- 
topher T.  Hall,  of  Wyoming,  shown  as  ad- 
mitted on  January  12,  1876,  practiced  here. 
Loring  Gaffey  came  here,  studied  law  in  the 
office  of  Thummel  and  Piatt  and  was  admitted 
in  September,  1876.  He  later  moved  to  the 
Black  Hills  and  was  elected  judge  in  his  new 
home.  He  married  i  sister  of  Mrs.  Geo. 
Thummel.  Arthur  Pinkney  was  shown  ad- 
mitted in  1876,  and  at  the  same  time.  Sept* 
ber,  1876,  A.  M.  Stevenson  was  admitted.  H< 
studied  under  O.  A.  Abbott,  later  moved  to 
Denver  and  there  has  had  a  very  succesful 
career. 

George  H.  Caldwell's  admission  here,  which 
occurred  in  February,  1877,  has  already  been 
noted. 

Thus  in)  1876  the  flawyers  practising  in 
Grand  Island  were:  O.  A.  Abbott,  W.  H. 
Piatt,  G.  H.  Thummel,  Henry  Nunn,  John  D. 
Hayes,  W.  C.  Buderos,  Loring  Gaffey  and 
A.  M.  Stevenson. 

In  February,  1879,  John  R.  Thompson  »a* 
admitted  to  practice  in  Nebraska.  Mr.  Thomp- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


425 


son  had  been  schooled  at  Upper  Iowa  Univer- 
sity at  Fayette,  Iowa,  and  at  the  law  depart- 
ment of  Iowa  State  University.  After  his 
graduation  he  opened  a  law  office  with  his 
brother  W.  H.  Thompson,  at  Arlington  (then 
Brush  Creek)  Iowa,  and  moved  to  Grand 
Island,  and  the  well-known  office  of  Thomp- 
son Brothers  continued  until  1892,  when  John 
R.  Thompson  went  on  the  district  bench  and 
remained  there  for  twelve  years  of  very  effi- 
cient service  to  the  people  of  the  eleventh 
judicial  district.  W.  H.  Thompson  has  been 
one  of  the  best  known  members  of  the  Hall 
County  bar  throughout  the  state.  He  served 
one  term  as  county  attorney,  was  candidate 
for  Congress  in  the  "big  third"  then  compris- 
ing about  half  the  state,  in  1890,  delegate  to 
the  national  convention  which  nominated 
Grover  Cleveland  in  1892,  and  likewise  a  dele- 
gate to  the  convention  which  nominated  Bryan 
in  1896,  1900,  and  Parker  in  1904.  He  has 
been  the  candidate  of  the  democratic  party 
for  United  States  senator  and  governor.  His 
interest  in  the  democratic  party  has  never 
waned  because  he  has  borne  its  standards  in 
most  all  of  its  hopeless  campaigns.  His  ability 
and  record  as  a  jury  trial  lawyer  has  been  as 
well-known  and  more  successful  than  his  po- 
litical endeavors.  In  recent  years  he  was  as- 
sociated in  the  practice  with  his  son,  Lloyd  G. 
Thompson,  and  the  firm  is  now  Thompson  & 
Thompson. 

Geo.  H.  Barr  was  admitted  March,  1889.  He 
had  studied  under  Governor  Abbott  but  did 
not  practice  here  to  amount  to  anything.  He 
went  into  the  banking  business  in  Dawson 
County  and  more  recently  to  Omaha.  D.  H. 
Burrough  was  admitted  in  September,  1881, 
never  lived  here,  but  belonged  in  Sherman 
County. 

James  H.  Woolley,  who  comes  next  to 
Governor  Abbott  in  length  of  practice  at 
Grand  Island,  came  here  in  September,  1878, 
and  opened  a  law  office.  He  was  appointed 
deputy  district  attorney  in  July,  1881.  He 
lived  in  his  native  state  of  Illinois  until  he 
was  seventeen,  then  near  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y. 
and  attended  an  academy  near  there ;  he  then 
came  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  where  he  attended 


the  State  University  for  a  time,  and  for  two 
years  he  studied  law  in  the  office  of  Gen.  John 
R.  Webster,  meantime  he  had  taught  school 
for  four  years  and  studied  law  at  the  same 
time.  With  this  splendid  preparation  he  was 
admitted  to  the  bar  June  3,  1878,  and  chose 
Grand  Island  as  his  permanent  location.  After 
forty-one  years  of  service  to  his  clientele,  Mr. 
Woolley  is  still  very  actively  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession.  In  recent  years  he 
has  moved  his  office  to  the  Equitable  Building 
and  Loan  Association  for  which  institution 
he  is  attorney. 

ARRIVALS 'DURING    THE    EIGHTIES 

Herschel  A.  Edwards  was  admitted  here  in 
September,  1881,  and  is  still  engaged  in  the 
practice,  with  offices  in  the  McAllister  build- 
ing, for  which  he  is  business  manager. 

Henry  E.  Clifford  was  admitted  January  9, 
1883,  and  has  had  a  long  active  career  since 
that  time.  In  the  past  few  years  he  has  effi- 
ciently served  the  city  of  Grand  Island  as  its 
city  clerk  and  handled  his  own  business  affairs 
in  addition. 

Richard  C.  Ganville  came  in  April,  1883. 
He  praticed  here  for  a  number  of  years,  was 
appointed  to  serve  on  the  supreme  court  com- 
mission, and  later  removed  to  Dawson  County, 
and  then  to  Oregon,  and  now  is  located  at 
Hood  River,  Oregon. 

W.  R.  Bacon  came  about  this  time ;  he  had 
studied  law  in  the  office  of  Thummel  &  Piatt 
before  his  admission ;  he  practiced  a  short  time, 
holding  the  office  of  county  attorney  for  a 
term,  and  later  went  to  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia, and  is  now  located  at  San  Francisco. 

The  arrival  of  Ralph  R.  Horth  and  Charles 
G.  Ryan  and  their  subsequent  formation  of  a 
partnership  has  been  noted  in  another  place 
in  this  chapter.  A  detailed  sketch  of  Mr. 
Horth  appears  elsewhere  in  this  work.  Mr. 
Ryan  has  served  the  city  as  Mayor  and  both 
of  these  men  have  become  leaders  of  the  Hall 
County  bar,  and  among  the  best  known  lawyers 
in  central  Nebraska.  In  recent  years  they 
have  associated  together,  and  have  offices  in 
the  fine  brick  block  built  on  North  Locust 
street  by  Mr.  Ryan. 

Ug-,zcabyL.OOg[C 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


layman  was  admitted  to  the 
1884,  never  maintained  an 
1  practice,  but  has  been  very 
iness  affairs  of  the  community 
ty-five  years.  Seth  P.  Mobley 
the  bar,  but  his  main  efforts 
I  were  directed  toward  the 
Hall  County  press  rather  than 
f  law. 

j  lawyers  practicing  here  in 
limber  not  already  mentioned 
V  Abbott,  W.  R.  Bacon.  J.  H. 
iad  left  before  1890,  J.  W. 
ho  left  here  and  went  to  East 
Busselle,  who  had  left  before 
Caldwell,  Henry  E.  Clifford, 
R.  C.  Glanville,  T.  O.  C.  Har- 
:ome  in  during  the  eighties  — 
sketch  of  Judge  Harrison  ap- 
k  elsewhere  —  W.  S.  Hayman, 
.  W.  McNeel,  whe  became  a 
n  figure  during  his  location 
:urned  to  Iowa,  S.  P.  Mobley, 
>  was  admitted,  but  confined 
■s  to  business  interests  rather 
Thompson  Bros.,  Thummel  & 
litney,  now  deceased,  but  who 
many  years  ago,  H.  B.  Will- 
from  here  to  the  state  of 
1  J.  H,  Wooley. 
st  three  years  of  the  decade 
other  lawyers  to  locate  here 
i  T.  Garlow,  who  was  later 
Hall  County,  who  came  about 
-ears  he  dropped  his  law  prac- 
ent  to  Mead,  Kansas,  where 
iterests   in   the   silica   mining 

ince  first  opened  in  the  Michel- 
this  time.  In  his  thirty  years 
;  he  has  become  one  of  the 
I  lawyers  in  central  Nebraska 
jp  a  practice  which  extends 
irrounding  counties.  In  recent 
iarold  A.  Prince  has  become 
lim,  and  the  firm  name  is  now 

ther  lawyers  who  were  admit- 
early  years,  but  the  dates  can- 


Virgil  K.  Stone  practiced  here  awhile  and 
went  to  Lander,  Wyoming.  Henry  Garn  was 
a  well  known  figure  at  this  bar  for  a  time, 
but  now  is  deceased.  J.  F.  Walker  and  Frank 
J.  Byrd  are  lawyers  who  were  located  at 
Shelton,  but  figured  on  Hall  County  court 
records  to  some  extent.  J.  E.  Moncrief  prac- 
ticed here  for  a  time,  and  became  chairman  of 
Hall  County  Board  of  Commissioners.  T.  P. 
Lanigan,  in  recent  years  a  prominent  attorney 
at  Greeley,  was  in  the  banking  business  here 
about  1890. 

Other  names  appearing  on  the  court  records 
here  are  M.  Randall,  who  practiced  at  Grand 
Island  and  Ord,  and  later  went  south,  Attorney 
Marston  of  Kearney,  T.  J.  Doyle,  a  prominent 
attorney  of  Greeley,  and  now  in  Lincoln. 

George  J.  Spencer  came  in  at  a  rather  early 
time.  He  had  been  admitted  first  at  Bing- 
hamton,  N.  Y.,  then  came  to  Illinois  and  on 
out  here,  practiced  awhile  and  moved  away, 

ARRIVALS  SINCE  1890 

Shortly  after  1890  and  before  1895  the  fol- 
lowing members  were  added  to  Hall  County 
bar:  C.  W.  Wieckong,  E.  J.  Hatch,  who  later 
went  to  Omaha,  in  1892  was  a  member  of  the 
firm  of  Hatch  &  Shangle,  Higgins  &  Garlow 
Bros,  was  a  firm  in  1892,  though  C.  J.  Garlow 
always  practiced  at  Columbus  and  never  lived 
at  Grand  Island,  R.  J.  Millard,  who  later  lo- 
cated at  Hartington,  Nebraska,  where  he  is 
now  practicing,  Ralph  Piatt,  who  followed  his 
father's  footsteps  into  the  law  profession,  L.  E. 
Moyer,  another  Randall,  given  as  Frank,  but 
the  older  lawyers  here  think  this  was  J.  H. 
Randall,  J.  W.  Edgerton,  who  removed  to 
Idaho  and  became  a  judge,  Herbert  Harrison, 
who  was  admitted  to  practice,  but  has  devoted 
his  energies  very  successfully  in  recent  years 
to  the  banking  business,  being  cashier  of  StaK 
Bank  of  Ravenna  for  a  good  many  years, 
recently  cashier  of  the  new  People's  State 
Bank  in  this  city,  but  resigned  to  beconK 
cashier  of  the  new  Security  State  Bank  al 
Ravenna. 

Fred  W.  Ashton  was  admitted  here  in  1895. 
Mr.  Ashton  has  built  up  a  very  pleasant  la» 
practice  and  devoted  his  attention  to  matters 
in  the  general  interest  of  the  community  very 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


427 


much.  He  was  at  one  time  candidate  for 
Congress,  and  during  the  recent  War  left  his 
praciice  to  serve  as  a  judge  advocate  general 
in  provost  marshal's  office  at  Washington,  and 
near  the  close  of  the  war  was  assigned  to  the 
Clemency  Board,  and  later  assigned  the  task 
of  assisting  in  the  preparation  of  the  revised 
articles  of  war,  so  strongly  advocated  by 
General  Ansell.  This  was  a  very  creditable 
honor  for  the  Hall  County  bar  to  have  attached 
to  one  of  its  members. 

E.  E.  Thompson,  since  deceased,  was  admit- 
ted about  1895.  He  practiced  here  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  W.  S.  Pearne,  a  former  court 
reporter,  was  admitted  about  1897,  for  a  time 
was  associated  with  Mr.  Thummel  (Thummel 
&  Pearne),  and  later  went  to  Minneapolis. 

O.  M.  Quackenbush  was  admitted  about 
1897  and  located  at  Wood  River.  For  almost 
twenty  years  he  edited  and  published  the 
Wood  River  Interests,  and  took  care  of  some 
law  practice.  Following  the  recent  death  of 
Judge  Harrison,  Mr.  Quackenbush  moved  to 
Grand  Island  and  took  over  his  office  and 
library  and  started  to  practice  at  Grand  Island. 

Arthur  C.  Mayer  was  admitted  about  1897, 
after  recieving  a  degree  of  Master  of  Laws 
from  Yale  University.  For  a  few  years  he 
was  member  of  firm  of  Ashton  &  Mayer.  In 
recent  years  he  served  as  county  attorney,  and 
has  officed  since  he  left  that  position  in  the 
First  National  bank  building.  Mr.  Mayer  is 
serving  for  the  second  period  as  referee  in 
bankruptcy. 

0.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  was  admitted  to  practice 
in  1897.  Mr.  Abbott  had  heretofore  served 
as  a  clerk  in  the  U.  S.  Land  office  here ;  he 
afterwards  served  as  police  judge,  and  for 
fifteen  years  last  past  has  been  court  reporter 
with  Judge  J.  R.  Hanna,  but  for  a  time  prac- 
ticed with  his  father,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr. 

A  few  years  later  a  second  son  of  Governor 
Abbott  was  admitted  to  practice  here,  Arthur 
G.  Abbott.  He  practiced  for  a  number  of  years 
with  his  father,  then  went  to  Chicago  for  a 
period,  but  in  1918  returned  to  take  up  prac- 
tice in  Grand  Island,  and  offices  with  his  father 
now. 

John  Leo  Cleary  is  not  the  son  of  a  lawyer 
but  he  is  another  of  the  second  generation  of 


Grand  Island  families  to  enter  into  the  law 
practice  and  make  a  successful  record  in  that 
honorable  profession.  He  is  now  serving  as 
mayor,  and  has  been  identified  with  some  im- 
portant litigation.  Mr.  Cleary  offices  in  the 
same  suite  of  rooms  with  Mr.  Ashton  and 
during  Mr.  Ashton's  absence  on  war  service, 
Mr.  Cleary  took  care  of  his  practice. 

Findley  Howard,  son  of  Ex-Lieut.-Gov. 
Edgar  Howard  of  Columbus,  came  to  Grand 
Island  in  1909,  and  for  a  time  was  associated 
with  M.  T.  Garlow.  He  went  to  government 
service  in  Panama  Zone  and  in  recent  years 
has  successfully  ventured  into  practice  in  New 
Mexico. 

Bayard  H.  Paine  opened  a  law  office  upon 
the  close  of  his  service  as  district  court  re- 
porter for  Judge  John  R.  Thompson.  He 
served  as  police  judge  for  four  years,  and  for 
ten  years  as  referee  in  bankruptcy  in  this  dis- 
trict, but  for  the  last  three  years  has  been 
judge  of  district  court  in  the  11th  judicial 
district. 

Benjamin  J.  Cunningham  graduated  at 
Creighton  Law  College  in  1910,  returned  to 
his  home  at  Wood  River  where  he  practiced 
for  a  year,  and  in  191 1  opened  offices  in  the 
Ryan  building,  and  from  that  date  to  this 
has  forged  ahead  steadily  in  his  profession. 
He  served  two  years  as  county  attorney. 

Ernest  G.  Kroeger  and  Arthur  L.  Joseph, 
upon  their  graduation  from  Nebraska  Univer- 
sity, located  in  Grand  Island  about  ten  years 
ago.  Mr.  Kroger  served  for  eight  years  as 
police  judge,  and  Mr.  Joseph  is  the  present 
city  attorney  of  Grand  Island. 

In  1910  T.  B.  Bird  came  to  Grand  Island 
but  did  not  remain  long.  Samuel  P.  Brigham 
was  listed  here  about  that  time,  for  a  short 
period.  Dale  P.  Stough  came  to  Grand  Island, 
in  1911,  upon  his  graduation  from  Creighton 
College  of  Law,  but  after  a  few  weeks  located 
at  Ravenna,  Nebraska,  and  later  went  to 
Broken  Bow  where  he  was  associated  with 
Judge  J.  R.  Dean,  now  of  the  supreme  court  of 
Nebraska.  In  1917  Mr.  Stough  returned  to 
Grand  Island  and  became  court  reporter  with 
District  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine,  which  work 
he  is  still  performing. 

During  1915  and  1916  there  were  several 


428 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


accessions  to  the  Hall  County  bar.  C.  J.  South- 
ard came  here  from  Omaha,  and  remained  for 
several  years,  but  in  1918  returned  to  Omaha. 
Mr.  Southard's  former  residence  in  Howard 
County  assisted  him  in  building  up  a  good 
practice  while  he  was  here.  William  Suhr 
and  Vemon  Bascom  came  here  upon  their 
admission  to  the  bar  of  this  state.  Mr.  Bascom 
only  stayed  a  short  time,  as  did  Homer  L. 
Kyle,  another  graduate  of  that  time.  Mr.  Bas- 
com has  gone  to  the  Pacific  coast,  and  Mr. 
Kyle  to  Lincoln.  Mr.  Suhr  remained  and  is 
now  serving  as  county  attorney  and  building 
up  a  good  practice. 

John  S.  Stidger  practiced  here  a  few  years 
and  went  to  Denver  in  1917.  Clifford  N.  Hale 
was  here  a  short  time,  but  went  south  in  1918. 
F.  D.  Williams,  who  was  court  reporter  a  short 
time  with  Judge  Paine,  is  a  member  of  the  bar, 
and  now  associated  with  F.  M.  Hall  in  Lincoln. 
The  latest  accession  to  this  bar  is  W.  J.  Wilkin- 
son, from  Marengo,  Iowa,  who  opened  here 
upon  his  return  from  military  service. 


Hall  County  has  furnished  one  of  the 
twenty-four  Nebraska  lawyers  who  have  been 
members  of  the  state  supreme  court,  Judge 
T.  O.  C.  Harrison,  and  one  of  the  supreme 
court  commissioners,  R.  C.  Glanville.  Halt 
County  court  circles  have  had  considerable 
interest  in  numerous  other  members  of  the 
court  and  commission. 

Of  the  present  court,  Judge  Dean,  from 
Broken  Bow,  has  been  associated  in  many 
important  cases  with  several  of  Grand  Island's 
leading  lawyers,  and  was  a  classmate  in  Ann 
Arbor  law  school  (Michigan)  in  the  'eighties 
with  Mr.  Horth  and  Mr.  Ryan.  Judge  Hamer, 
who  died  in  1918,  was  for  many  years  district 
judge  and  a  leading  trial  lawyer  at  Kearney 
and  appeared  in  many  forensic  battles  in 
Grand  Island.  Judge  Aldrich,  former  gover- 
nor, is  a  distant  relative  of  Mr.  Prince  of  this 
city.  Judge  Letton's  son,  W.  A.  Letton,  now 
lives  in  Grand  Island  and  is  employed  with 
the  First  National  bank  of  this  city ;  and  Judge 
Crounse  held  the  first  court  in  Hall  County. 


A  Countrv  School  House,  Jackson  Township 


d  by  Google 


CHAPTER  XXV 


CHRONOLOGICAL  SURVEY  OF  HALL  COUNTY'S  PROC 


1857— May  28  — Party  of  five  loaded 
teams  left  Davenport.  July  4  —  Party  of  set- 
tlers located  south  of  present  town  of  Grand 
Island ;  first  settlement  of  white  people  in  Hall 
County.  July  27  —  Houses  occupied.  Men- 
dotte  located,  four  houses  built  there.  Sep- 
tember 21 — Four  teams  started  for  Omaha 
for  supplies.  November  7  —  First  death  in 
Hall  County  —  Mr.  Painter  perished  in  a 
storm. 

1858  —  January  25  —  Supplies  arrived. 
Mormons  settled  in  Wood  River  country.  W. 
G.  Eldridge  came  to  Alda  region.  March  3  — 
First  child  born  in  county,  Nellie  Steier, 
daughter  of  Wm,  Stier.  1500  Pawnees  passed 
through  county.  November  4  —  Act  estab- 
lishing Hall  County  passed.  December  9  — 
County  organized. 

1859 — First  officers  take  office.  January 
10 — Prairie  fire,  settlement  lost  8  houses. 
Moores  settle  near  present  Wood  River.  Post 
office  established  for  Grand  Island.  Contract 
to  sell  2,000  bushels  of  corn  at  Fort  Kearny 
at  $2,  bushel 

1860 — First  artificial  grove  in  county  set 
out  on  Wm.  Stolley  place.  Population  of 
county  given  at  116.  Sept. —  Pawnees  and 
Sioux  have  battle  on  the  Grand  Island.  Stage 
line  established,  Omaha-Ft.  Kearny  —  first 
through  transportation  line  for  Hall  County. 

1861  —  Catholics  start  .church  services  near 
Wood  River  —  first  church  in  county. 

1862 —  February  5,  first  massacre  of  whites 
in  county  —  Smith-Anderson  near  Wood 
River.  August  —  O.  K.  Store  built  by  Koe- 
nig  &  Wiebe  —  beginning  of  commercial  his- 
tory of  county.  August  —  First  swarm  of 
grasshoppers  visits  county  since  settlement. 
Geo.  Martin  settles  south  of  Platte  river.  First 


fruit  trees  set  out  —  produc 
1867,  peaches,  1871  and  apple 

1863  —  Mormons  moved 
Platte  river  dry,  for  50  or 
and  above  Grand  Island.  Se 
Wood  River  —  first  windmill 
29  —  Frost  killed  com.  N 
came  and  covered  ground  u 
very  severe  winter. 

1864  — James  Jackson 
opened  stock  of  goods  near 
post  office  then  called  Whit 
Wood  River  then  only  conn 
River  Center  (now  Shelton), 
ence  built  on  Stolley  farm;  ( 
fied  and  Indian  attacks  avei 
land  settlement.  General  I 
Wood  River  valley  and  abovt 
Martin  boys  south  of  Plat 
by  Indians.  August  22  —  < 
First  Cavalry,  arrived.  Jub 
pers  attacked  buckwheat  crc 
escaped  then,  but  pests  rea; 

1865  —  Settlers  along  Wc 
who  fled  eastward,  mostly  n 

1866  —  July  8  —  First  trail 
Island  on  new  Union  Pacifi 
—  Grasshoppers  re-visit  cour 
Government  survey  of  land  • 
vember  —  Postoffice  establisl 
land  —  new  location  on  raih 
appointed  postmaster. 

1867  — M.  S.  Hall,  railroa 
in  store,  Grand  Island.  O.  I* 
to  new  townsite.  Koenig  ! 
tral  Flouring  mill  (now  Glad 
ber  yard,  of  which  Goehrin 
is  successor.  July  24 —  Ind: 
bell  family,  west  end  count 


C 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


River  laid  out  —  site  about 
If  west  of  present  town.  Jack- 
ire  in  to  this  site.  November 
:t  court  held  in  Hall  County 
:  presiding. 

Pacific  railroad  finished  — 
acific.  James  Jackson  killed 
;nt  site  of  Wood  River.  June 
ged  crops.  Grasshoppers  de- 
s.  December  6  —  U.  S.  Land 
jrand  Island. 

1  —  Bonds  voted  by  county 
je  over  Platte  river  —  issue 

—  H.  P.  Handy  authorized 
■ridge  1900  ft.  across  Platte, 
en  Ranges  9  and  10.  Platte 
•nt  founded  —  predecessor  of 
lily  Independent.  First  Ma- 
anized  —  first  lodge  in  the 
f  used  by  Catholics  in  Grand 

Central  Bank  founded  by 
j,  president,  Dorr  Heffleman, 
ank  in  the  county.  March 
y  Immigration  Board  formed 
ral    organization    in   county. 

in  Cameron  township.  May 
oss  Platte  River  completed. 

church  built,  Grand  Island. 
g  becomes  state  treasurer  — 
:  in  Grand  Island.  December 
rand  Island  incorporated. 
5,  bonds  voted  for  building 
t  house,  erection  started  soon 
tlements  in  Mayfield  and 
unships.  Apr. —  Grange  six 
Mobley,  master. 
13  (Easter)  worst  storm  in 

Nebraska.  June  28  —  Court 
1.  February  3  —  Name  of 
inter"  changed  to  Shelton  — 
s  clear  title  to  name  Wood 
the  stream,  running  over  into 

W.  W.  Mitchell  starts  store 
wn  starts  in  there  —  name 
3  Alda.  October  25 —  St. 
Island  Railroad  incorporated, 
onds  for  St.  J.  &  G.  I.  R.  R. 


1874  —  Townsite  laid  out,  present  site  of 
Wood  River.  James  Jackson  moves  store  over 
to  new  location  —  builds  house  there  also. 
A.  T.  McAllister,  postmaster  of  new  postoffice 
established.  May  2  —  Work  began  on  St 
Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad.  June  27 —  ■ 
First  teachers  institute  organized  in  county. 
Hall  County  Agricultural  society  organized.  M. 
E.  Church  erected.  Grand  Island. 

1875  —  Grasshoppers  destroyed  crops,  noth- 
ing left  to  exhibit  at  a  county  fair.  County 
.represented  in  Constitutional  convention  by 
O.  A.  Abbott.  One  brick  dwelling  in  Grand 
Island,  then  home  of  R.  C.  Jordon  at  Second 
and  Locust. 

1876  —  February  —  Expedition  organized 
Grand  Island  and  Wood  River  to  colonize  in 
Black  Hills.  Maj.  Foote  returned  in  March. 
Fall  —  Fair  ground  located  on  a  ten  acre  tract 

;0.   A.   Abbott  of   Hall   County   elected  first 
lieut.-gov.  of  state. 

1877  —  County  divided  into  townships  in 
November  —  this  later  failed  because  law 
found  unconstitutional  —  but  the  division  then 
made  formed  basis  of  ultimate  township  divi- 
sion of  the  county. 

1878— May  — 3  houses  near  Wood  River 
damaged  by  lightning.  Rupert  Schweiger- 
Ellis  Broody  killed  by  lightning  on  way  to 
town.  July  8 —  Hail  storm  originating  in  Sher- 
win  County  —  frame  of  Lutheran  church  and 
old  Dunphy  building  in  Grand  Island  leveled, 
insurance  loss  about  $20,000,  uninsured,  about 
$30,000.  South  side  school  "Dodge  building" 
built.  Town  established  at  "Spencer"  in  (his 
county  and  one  at  "Runelsburg." 

1879— St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island  R.  R 
completed  in  Hall  County.  Survey  made  and 
town  started  at  Doniphan. 

1880  —  Population  of  county  given  at  8,572 ; 
Grand  Island  2,963.  .  Doniphan  at  85.  Grand 
Island  Banking  Co.  incorporated  —  Banking 
house  of  C.  F.  Bentley  established,  among 
three  banks  in  Grand  Island.  Bentley  banking 
house  predecessor  of  First  National  Bank. 
Union  Pacific  machine  shops  built  at  Grand 
Island.  Branch  of  Union  Pacific,  Grand  Is- 
land, St.  Paul  in  operation.  John  Wallichs  of 
Hall  County  became  State  Auditor. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


431 


1881  —  Township  organization  included, 
Lake,  Prairie  Creek,  Mayfield,  South  Loup, 
Cameron,  Harrison,  Alda,  Wood  River,  Jack- 
son, Martinsville,  South  Platte,  Doniphan, 
East,  West,  and  North  Grand  Island. 

1882  —  January  —  Grand  Island  Building  & 
Loan  Assn.  organized  (predecessor  of  present 
Equitable  Bldg.  &  Loan  Assn.)  Fall  — Prof. 
R.  J.  Barr  became  Supt.  of  Grand  Island 
City  Schools,  still  serving  37  years  later.  Bart- 
enbach  Opera  House  erected.  Union  Pacific 
branch  extended  St.  Paul  to  North  Loup. 
September  —  First  National  Bank  chartered 
—  oldest  national  bank  in  county.  October 
14 —  Town  of  Wood  River  incorporated. 

1883  —  June  — First  annual  Commencement 
of  Grand  Island  High  School. 

1884—  Big  hail  storm,  east  wall  of  U.  P. 
car  shops  blown  in.  June  9  —  Town  of  Doni- 
phan incorporated.  September — 'First  meet- 
ing held  to  secure  Soldiers  Home  here.  Bur- 
lington Railroad  came  into  Grand  Island. 

1885  —  First  alfalfa  planted  in  Hall  County, 
near  present  Midway.  May — State  Medical 
Ass'n  met  in  Grand  Island,  Dr.  M.  J.  Gahan 
presiding.  Charles  Hofman  shoed  what  was 
probably  last  team  of  oxen  and  last  Indian 
pony  shoed  in  Hall  County.  January  —  Village 
of  Underwood  established.  June  —  $1,500 
damage  to  window  panes  in  storm  —  mainly  to 
windows  in  Schaupp's  mill  and  new  agricul- 
tural hall,  county  fair  grounds.  August  —  St. 
Francis  Hospital  started. 

1886—  June  3  —  Schaupp's  three  story  mill 
and  five  story  elevator  bumed  down.  Town 
of  Cairo  started  in.  Burlington  that  far  then. 
September  — ■  Union  Pacific  passenger  train 
wrecked  at  Grand  Island.  November — Most 
severe  blizzard  since  storm  of  1873.  General 
John  M.  Thayer  of  Hall  County  elected  gov- 
ernor. A.  O.  U.  W.  Grand  Lodge  (Ne- 
braska) organized  Grand  Island. 

1887  — ■  January  15  —  Election  for  street 
railway  franchise.  428  for  it  out  of  497  votes 
cast.  June  29  — St.  Francis  Hospital  dedi- 
cated. Sugar  beet  growing  commenced  in  this 
county.  October  20 — Cornerstone  laid  for 
Soldiers  Home,  Gov.  Thayer  present.  Novem- 
ber 26 —  Fire  destroyed  number  of  buildings 
at  Doniphan. 


1888  —  June  26  —  Soldiers  Home  dedicated. 
October  12 — Baptist  church  dedicated. 

1889— Erection  started  on  City  Hall  and 
A.  O.  U.  W  Bldg.  Bartenbach  theatre  re- 
fitted and  refurnished.  July  7  —  St.  Mary's 
Catholic  church  dedicated.  St.  Stephens  Epis- 
copal church  completed.  Security  State  Bank 
started.    Fifth  bank  in  Grand  Island. 

1890  —  January  —  State  Farmers'  Alliance 
meeting  here ;  800  delegates  present  from  all 
parts  of  state.  New  Security  Bank  building 
(present  Business  College  building)  and  new 
City  Hall  of  Grand  Island,  completed.  Popu- 
lation of  county  given  at  16,513;  Grand  Is- 
land, 7,536;  Doniphan,  437  and  Wood  River, 
481.  Sugar  Beet  factory  completed.  First 
sugar  beet  factory  in  United  States  —  the  one 
located  at  Grand  Island. 

1891  —  Last  good  crop  season  for  some 
years.  Story  best  told  in  following  figures 
showing  annual  rainfall  for  several  years : 
1891,  31.71  inches;  1892,  19.47;  1893,  12.47: 
1894,  13.16;  1895,  21.81;  1896,  28.08;  1897, 
25,45;  1898,  20.69,  against  an  average  rain- 
fall for  this  part  of  Nebraska  of  approximately 
28  inches. 

1892  —  Koehler  Hotel  erected.  November 
18  —  Village  of  Cairo  incorporated. 

1893  —  Panic  of  1893  upset  business  gener- 
ally. Despite  panic,  fund  raised  to  secure 
Grand  Island  College.  December  —  Citizens 
State  Bank  (successor  of  old  State  Central 
Bank)  closed  its  doors. 

1894  —  Hot,  winds  —  no  crops.  Burling- 
ton railroad  reached  Billings,  giving  another 
connection  to  Pacific  coast.  Judge  T.  O.  C. 
Harrison  of  Hall  County  became  member  of 
Nebraska  Supreme  Court. 

1895  —  Business  and  agricultural  depression 
increased.    Bank  of  Commerce  closed. 

!  1896  —  Evangelical  Lutheran  Church,  Sec- 
ond and  Vine,  Grand  Island,  built  and  dedi- 
cated.   Security  State  Bank  quit. 

1897  —  Low  point  reached  in  March.  With 
three  banks  closed,  Grand  Island  National 
reached  low  point  of  $69,000  and  First  Nation- 
al, $191,000  deposits.  After  that,  steady  in- 
crease showed  returning  prosperity. 

1898-99  —  Spanish  American  War,  Grand 
Island  and   Hall   county   sent   forth   Co.   M. 


432 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


2nd  Nebraska  Vol.  Infantry.     Street  railway 
had  stopped  and  tracks  sold,  and  taken  up. 

1900  —  Population  of  county  shown  as  17,- 
206;  Grand  Island,  7,554;  Cairo,  224;  Doni- 
phan 473 ;  Wood  River,  589. 

1901  —  Commercial  State  Bank  organized, 
Grand  Island,  three  banks  again.  School  dis- 
trict No.  80  organized;  last  district  in  county 
except  district  101  recently  organized  from 
consolidated  territory  of  four  counties. 

1902  —  Contract  for  new  Court  house  let 
to  Falldorf  &  Kirshcke  fo  $94,872  including 
new  jail  building.  March  —  Fire  destroyed 
Barber's  frame  restaurant  building  formerly 
used  by  Herman  Restaurant,  originally  built 
by  David  Schuller  and  in  which  first  post 
office  was  located. 

1903  —  Horse  market  started  at  Grand  Is- 
land.    4,000  head  sold  that  year. 

1904 — New  Presbyterian  church  at  Grand 
Island  dedicated.  New  Hall  County  Court 
house  completed  and  occupied. 

1905  —  New  City  (Carnegie)  Library  built 
at  Grand  Island. 

1906  —  New  High  School  building  started 
—  Grand  Island. 

1907  — July  4th  — Fiftieth  anniversary  of 
settlement  of  Hall  County  celebrated.  Eight 
of  thirty-five  original  colony  still  residing  in 
county  then.  October  7  —  Wood  River  voted 
bonds  to  start  waterworks  plant. 

1908  — July  15  — Charles  F.  Bentley  died. 

1909  —  Fairmont  Creamery  plant  completed. 
May  15  —  Ex.  Gov.  Crounse,  first  Dist.  Judge 
for  Hall  County,  died.  August  —  Nebraska 
Telephone  Co.  make  Grand  Island  headquart- 
ers for  district  comprising  large  share  of 
western  half  of  state. 

1910  —  Automobile  business  getting  good 
start.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  start  movement  for  new 
home.  June  —  Fire  destroys  home  of  Ne- 
braska Mercantile  Co.  Post  office  at  Second 
and  Locust  completed.  Population  of  county 
shown  as  20,361 ;  Grand  Island,  10,326 ;  Doni- 
phan, 399 ;  Wood  River,  796 ;  Cairo,  364. 

1911  — Wm.  Stolley  died.  May  — Paul 
Trueblood,  Grand  Island,  elected  head  of  Com- 
mercial Travellers  of  state.  June —  State  Sun- 
day School  Association  met  here.  September 
5  —  Aviator  Dixon  here  —  Emil  Wolbach 
took  a  ride  with  him. 


1912  —  Liederkranz  building  fine  new  home. 
January  10— Sheriff  J.  M.  Dunkel  of  Hall 
County  killed.  March  4  — Dr.  H.  D.  Boyden 
died. 

1913  — January  —  State  Poultry  Associa- 
tion met  here.  April  —  W.  O.  W.  of  state 
met  here.  May  —  Claus  Stoltenberg  died,  was 
first  settler  on  Grand  Island,  between  Wood 
River  and  Platte  river.  August  —  Old  Cork- 
ins  livery  barn  burned,  Tony  Fleisher,  Grand 
Island  fireman  lost  life  in  fire.  October- 
Coroner  Thos.  O'Gorman  died  from  fall  from 
automobile. 

1914  —  New  buildings  in  Grand  Island- 
s' story  brewery  building;  5  story  Y.  M.  C.  A 
building  and  Glover  building,  3  stories  (later 
remodeled). 

1915  —  January  25  —  First  transcontinental 
conversation  over  long-distance  telephone. 
Seedling  mile  of  paved  highway  constructed 
east  of  Grand  Island  on  Lincoln  Highway. 
February  —  Fire  at  Cairo  destroys  McAllister 
Bros,  store.  Fall  —  State  conventions  of  W. 
C.  T.  U.  and  Blacksmiths  &  Wheelwrights. 

1916  —  Grand  Island  horse  market  has 
heavy  year's  business,  approximately  60,000 
head  sold  here.  February  —  Farmers  Union 
state  convention  here,  400  delegates.  —  Feb- 
ruary —  Burlington  purchases  ground  for  side 
trackage  near  Fairmont  Creamery  and  other 
industrial  houses. 

1917  —  Catholic  diocese  located  here  —  see 
moved  from  Kearney.  April  —  U.  S.  enters 
the  great  World  War,  and  practically  all. 
activities  in  community  divert  their  attention 
to  war  work.  Nebraska  Mercantile  five  story 
wholesale  building  completed. 

1918  - — Elks  dedicate  new  home,  one  of 
finest  lodge  buildings  in  the  central  west. 
New  Union  Pacific  passenger  station  opened. 
Elks  and  Knights  of  Columbus  entertain  state 
conventions.  Hall  County  Farm  Bureau 
established.  September  to  April  1919  — 
Terrible  influenza  epidemic  spreads  through 
country — toll  of  life  in  Hall  county  approxi- 
mately 70.  Nevember  11th  —  Armistice  Day 
Happiest  day  Hall  County  ever  saw. 

1919  —  First  Annual  Automobile  show  held 
Grand  Island  Aeroplane  Co.  first  incorporated 
in  Nebraska. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 


HALL  COUNTY'S  PARTICIPATION  IN  MILITARY  AFFAIRS   PRIO! 
1917 


Hall  County's  Quota  in  Civil,  War  —  Indian  Troubles  —  Fort  Kearn 
No.  11,  G.  A.  R. —  G.  A.  R.  Building  Association  —  Encampments  at  G 
Spanish-American  War  —  Co,  M  op  2nd  Nebraska  Inpantry —  Chas.  ] 
No.  6  —  Spanish -War  Veterans — Co.  M.,  Fifth  Nebraska  National  Gua 
,  1916  —  History  op  Fifth  Nebraska  Infantry  (134th  U.  S. 
Mustered  Into  Federal  Service  in  World  War 


As  has  been  explained  by  Augustus  Scher-  the  men  who  stayed  in  Hall  C 
nekau  in  an  article  appearing  in  an  earlier  Civil  War  period  had  plenty  o 
chapter,  when  the  Civil  War  came  on  in  1861  ment,  fighting  and  anxiety  to 
Hall  County  was  only  a  small  frontier  settle-  mentally  and  physically.  Th 
ment,  four  years  in  existence,  and  hardly  pioneer  settlers  as  told  in  the 
able  to  protect  itself.  It  was  therefore  out  demonstrates  that  those  who 
of  the  question  for  such  a  settlement  to  muster  that  time  were  really  servir 
a  company  of  men  and  send  forth  any  large  and  were  quite  realistically 
number.  Mr.  Schernekau  was  the  one  mem- 
ber of  the  settlement  here  to  leave  and  go  into 
military  service  at  that  time.  He  enlisted 
October  18,  1863,  and  served  in  Co.  G  of 
the  First  Nebraska  Infantry,  from  October  19, 
1863,  until  the  expiration  of  his  service,  Octo- 
ber 22,  1865.  The  records  of  the  adjutant 
general's  office  show  one  other  man  enlisted 
as  from  Hall  County,  Benjamin  F.  Hurley  attempted  in  Hall  County,  ai 
nineteen  years  of  age,  who  gave  his  address  of  the  settlers  during  the  Inc 
as  Wood  River-  He  served  first  in  Co.  K.,  1864,  have  been  outlined.  Var 
2nd  Nebr.  regiment  from  January  5,  1863,  of  the  pioneers  detail  the  In< 
until  December  1,  1863;  reenlisted  in  Co.  H,  cidents  of  Hall  County  peopl 
First  Nebr.,  on  December  29,  1863,  mustered 
into  service  on  January  7,  1864,  and  is 
credited  on  the  records  with  having  deserted 
or  left  ranks  summarily  at  Oilman's  Ranch, 
Nebraska,  September  5,  1865.  It  is  not 
certain  though  that  his  army  enrollment  settlement  of  Hall  County. 
changes  the  claim  that  Mr.  Schernekau  was  a  few  miles  west  o.f  the  Hal 
the  only  bona  fide  Hall  County  settler  sent  what  is  now  our  neighboring 
forth  to  serve  at  the  front.  falo.     But  inasmuch  as  for 

But  there  is  no  room  for  dispute  but  what     present  Buffalo  County  was 
433 


here  when  the  Indians  decidec 
government  had  all  it  could  t 
east  and  down  south  and  sta: 
white  settlers  out  of  the  wes 

INDIAN   TR0UBL1 

The  establishment  of  the 

Store  and  the  other  fortifit 


tary  life  of   Hall  County  ir 
centered  around  Fort  Kearnj 

PORT  KEARNY 

This  notable  landmark  an: 


oY  Google 


434 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


County,  and  made  Buffalo  precinct,  and  since  ■ 
the  protection  of  the  early  residents  of  Hall 
County  and  their  safety  depended  largely  upon 
the  efficiency  of  Fort  Kearny,  it  plays  such 
an  important  part  in  Hall  County's  history, 
that  a  brief  sketch  of  its  career  is  not  out  of 
place  in  this  work. 

To  those  who  may  desire  to  become  familiar 
with  the  very  interesting  story  of  the  establish- 
ment and  development  of  this  fort,  it  may  be 
noted  that  volume  No.  16  of  the  published 
collections  of  the  Nebraska  State  Historical 
Society,  for  the  year  19X1,  there  appears  a 
very  complete  history  of  Fort  Kearny,  com- 
piled from  public  documents,  and  written  by 
Albert  Watkins,  now  historian  for  that  so- 
ciety. 

The  establishment  of  Fort  Kearny  is  gen- 
erally credited  with  having  taken  place  in  May, 
1848,  and  garrisoned  with  United  States  troops 
until  its  abandonment  in  the  year  1871. 

LYON  POST  NO.  11,  G.  A.  H. 

While  Hall  County  did  not  produce  many 
veterans  of  the  Civil  War,  from  the  very  be- 
ginning of  the  infux  of  settlers  after  the 
war  she  began  to  have  a  large  list  of  resident 
veterans.  A  great  percentage  of  the  men 
whose  names  appear  in  connection  with  every 
activity  in  the  first  fifty  years  of  the  county's 
history,  were  proud  of  their  war  records.  As 
early  as  August  29,  1877,  there  were  enough 
active  veterans  here  to  establish  a  post,  and  on 
that  date,  Lyon  Post  No.  11,  Grand  Army  of 
the  Republic,  was  founded. 

The  charter  members  were:  S.  P.  Mobley, 
7  la.  Inf;  W.  M.  Ogle;  S.  W.  Smith,  73  N. 
Y.  Inf. ;  G.  H.  Bush ;  W.  P.  Foutz,  5  la.  Calv. ; 
S.  D.  Runnels;  O.  J.  Riley;  T.  C.  McCoy; 
Garrett  Segar,  17th  Mich.;  N.  H.  Hurford, 
62d  O.  Inf.;  W.  H.  Harrison;  C.  B.  Lewis. 
85  N.  Y.  Inf.  and  5  N.  Y.  Cav.;  Jas.  Lewis, 
and  O.  A.  Abbott,  Sr.,  Co.  L,  9th  Ills.  Cavalry. 
Gov.  Abbott  is  still  surviving. 

The  list  of  adjutants  have  been:  O.  A. 
Abbo'tt,  1877,  1878;  Geo.F.  Ryan,  1879,  1880; 
C.  B.  Lewis,  1881 ;  O.  A.  Abbott,  1881 ;  C.  L. 
Howell,  1883,;  N.  H.  Hurford,  1884;  J.  W. 


Uveringhouse,  1885;  W.  D.  Pemberton,  1886; 
Geo.  F.  Ryan,  1887,  1888;  J.  W.  Freeman, 
1889;  Geo.  F.  Ryan,  1890;  Ed  Searson. 

From  1895  to  the  present  time,  1919,  Geo.  F. 
Ryan  has  served  as  adjutant.  Very  few  posts 
in  the  country  could  probably  show  such  a 
continuous  record  of  service  from  one  presid- 
ing officer.  Practically  thirty  years  out  of  the 
forty-two  years  of  its  existence  has  Mr.  Ryan 
been  the  adjutant  of  Lyon  Post.  Mr.  Ryan 
was  a  second  lieutenant  in  the  war,  a  member 
of  Co.  C,  60th  inft.  N.  Y. 

This  post  has  furnished  the  G.  A.  R.  of  the 
state  of  Nebraska  with  three  department  com- 
manders. General  John  M.  Thayer,  who  had 
commanded  the  First  Nebraska  Regiment,  in . 
the  war,  was  elected  department  commander 
for  1886-1887.  Eli  A.  Barnes  (Co.  G,  9th  Cav 
Iowa)  served  1908-1909  and  George  C.  Hum- 
phrey (Co.  B,  75  Inf.  Ohio  Co.  L,  133  Inf. 
Ohio)  served  in  1915-1916.  Mr.  Barnes  is 
justice  of  the  peace  and  the  government  weath- 
er observer  at  Grand  Island  at  this  time,  and 
Mr.  Humphrey  is  county  assessor. 

Lyon  Post  now  has  forty-three  members, 
and  the  present  officers  are :  Henry  K.  Bevier, 
(Co.  D,  72  Inf.  N.  Y.)  post  commander; 
A.  W.  Ryan,  (Co.  M,  18th  Cav.  N.  Y.)  Sr. 
V.  Comdr.  George  W.  Carr,  (Co.  D,  7th  Cav. 
Ind.)  J.  V.  Comdr,  Eli  A.  Bames,  Quarter- 
master, Geo.  F.  Ryan,  Adjutant,  J.  C.  Troyer, 
(112  111.  Inf.)  Chaplain,  C.  A.  Flippin,  (14th 
U.  S.  Colored),  Surgeon,  Ed.  Joslin,  1st  U.  S. 
Sharpshooters),  Officer  of  the  Guard,  A.  T. 
Conkling,  Officer  of  the  Day,  W.  M.  Reed, 
Quartermaster  Sergt.,  Geo.  C.  Humphrey, 
Post  Patriotic  Instructor. 

D.  W.  Hoyt  (Co.  Kf  119  111.  Inf.)  served 
as  commandant  at  the  Soldier's  Home  at 
Burkett  a  few  years  ago,  and  recently  served 
as  police  judge  of  the  city  of  Grand  Island. 

There  are  now  340  or  350  veterans  of  the 
Civil  War  residing  in  Hall  County,  accord- 
ing to  the  report  made  in  1919  by  the  county 
assessor  to  the  secretary  of  state.  About 
seventy-five  of  these  are  residents  of  Hall 
County,  exclusive  of  those  who  are  living  at 
the  Soldier's  Home  at  Burkett. 


GoogI 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


435 


G.  A.  R.  BUIUHNG  ASSOCIATION 

The  G.  A.  R.  Building  Association  was  in- 
corporated April  1,  1886,  by  O.  A.  Abbott,  O. 
C.  Hall,  C.  L.  Howell,  D.  Ackerman,  James 
0.  West,  John  M.  Thayer,  George  F.  Ryan, 
J.  W.  Liveringhouse,  Seth  P.  Mobley,  I.  R. 
Alter  and  Charles  Milisen,  all  members  of 
Lyon  Post  No.  11,  G.  A.  R. 

April  10,  1886,  the  following  stockholders 
were  elected  as  a  board  of  directors,  and 
officers:  O.  A.  Abbott,  president,  J.  O.  West, 
vice-president,  J.  W.  Liveringhouse,  secretary, 
George  F.  Ryan,  treasurer,  and  Charles 
Milisen  and  N.  H.  Hurford. 

The  corner  stone  of  the  building  was  laid 
June  26,  1886,  and  the  G.  A.  R.  Hall  dedicated, 
December  29,  1886.  This  splendid  hall,  lo- 
cated on  East  Third  street,  just  a  few  doors 
east  of  the  Palmer  Hotel  building,  has  not 
only  provided  a  comfortable  home  for  Lyon 
Post  but  has  been  the  attractive  meeting  place 
for  many  other  lodges  and  clubs,  and  thirty- 
three  years  after  its  dedication  is  in  use  almost 
every  night  of  the  week  by  some  lodge. 

The  present  officers  of  the  Building  Asso- 
ciation (1919)  are  Geo.  F.  Ryan,  president, 
Geo.  C.  Humphrey,  vice-president,  Elia  A. 
Barnes,  treasurer,  and  Mrs.  J.  C.  Troyer,  sec- 
retary. 

Lyon  Post  Cemetery  Association  was  formed 
December  13,  1884,  and  duly  incorporated. 
Five  acres  of  land  were  purchased  for  this 
association,  and  lots  therein  sold  to  members 
of  Lyon  Post. 

The  Women's  Relief  Corps  has  remained 
active  through  many  years  of  existence. 

ENCAMPMENTS 
During  the  'nineties,  Grand  Island  was  the 
popular  spot  among  the  old  soldiers  for  their 
annual  reunions  and  for  years  this  was  the 
event  of  the  year  for  the  soldiers,  their  families 
and  friends,  and  an  attendance  was  gathered 
from  all  parts  of  the  state. 

SPANISH  AMERICAN  WAR 

When  the  Spanish-American  War  came  in 
1898,  Grand  Island  and  Hall  County  had  a 


company  which  answered  the  call  and  went 
forward.  Co.  M,  Second  Nebraska  Volunteer 
Infantry,  was  organized  at  Grand  Island.  It 
was  mustered  into  United  States  service  at 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  May  12,  1898.  The  officers 
were:  Captain,  George  Roeder;  1st  Lieut., 
Orville  R.  Perry;  2nd  Lieut.,  Chauncey  V. 
,Nusz ;  sargeants,  Jackson  C.  Hitchman,  1st, 
Craig  L.  Spencer  (Q.  M.),  Oscar  H.  Mayer, 
Leo  Geary,  J.  Alfred  Guion,  Henry  A.  Fritz; 
musicians  were :  Theodore  P.  Boehm  and 
Albert  V.  Vieregg ;  corporals  were  Charles  T. 
McElroy,  George  Hirst,  Earl  D.  Murphy,  Ar- 
thur S.  Pearse,  Burton  W.  Christie,  Edwin  T. 
Chapin,  Fred  Hirst,  Frand  E.  Wiggins, 
Hans  D.  Scheel,  Richard  L.  Harrison,  Jr.,  and 
Harry  J.  Peck ;  artificer,  Arthur  Cornell ; 
Wagoner,  Frank  H.  Alfreds;  privates:  George 
C.  Adwers,  John  Anderson,  John  A.  August,' 
Roy  L.  Austin,  Earl  E.  Babcock,  Fred  E. 
Barber,  Orial  A.  Barber,  Laveme  Bates,  Died- 
rich  O.  Beckman,  Albert  E.  Bishop,  Edward  L. 
Bogert,  Robt.  A.  Brashear,  Peral  Brown, 
Frank  S.  Burr,  Wellington  Butler,  Robt.  G. 
Slader,  Milt  Casseday,  Clay  Chaney,  George 
Christensen,  Arthur  C.  Cleave  land,  Lewis  E. 
Cottle,  Herbert  Grossman,  John  W.  Davis,  Jr., 
Frank  Eads,  Ernest  Ericksen,  Percival  C.  Fall, 
Hugh  Fay,  Clude  H.  Fergusen,  Odis  D. 
Flick,  George  W.  Forbes,  William  H.  Gilraan, 
Archie  C.  Goodrich,  Frank  M.  Good- 
win, Roy  R.  Hamilton,  Hans  Hansen, 
James  V.  Hawkins,  Sherman  F.  Hinrichs, 
Marion  O.  James,  James  Kilian,  Oscar 
R.  Kirschke,  Henry  Klimhauf,  Herman 
Kroger,  James  M.  Lambert,  William 
H.  Lane,  Henry  W.  Linlodge,  Edward  Mc- 
Combs,  Elton  F.  McDonald,  Charles  Mader, 
Joseph  H.  Marshall,  Everett  Means,  Fred 
E.  Moore,  Frank  Munson,  Eli  Nelson,  Robt. 
T.  Neptune,  Charles  E.  Morris  (died  at  Grand 
Island),  John  A.  Noble,  Robert  Nunnelly, 
Vincent  H.  O'Shea,  Wesley  R.  Payne,  James 
Pospesil,  Neils  Rasmus  sen,  Rasmus  Rasmus- 
sen,  Fred  J.  Schlotfeldt,  William  Schwart, 
Harry  Serviss,  Julius  Sholkofski,  Charles 
Shultz,  Frank  W.  Smith,  Wm.  A.  Sparhawk, 
Richard    Sprague    (died    at    Chickamauga), 

Dotized  by  G00gle 


436 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Duncan  C  Steele,  Thos.  A.  Taylor,  Jr.,  Harry 
G.  Tharp,  Fred  Town,  John  Venters,  Daniel 
S.  Whitney,  John  A.  Wichman,  Geo.  R.  Wil- 
burn,  Carl  E.  Wilson,  Frank  J.  Windolph, 
Fred  Wolf,  Griffin  E.  Yeatman. 

SPANISH  WAR  VETERANS  POST 
During  the  early  part  of  1919,  a  post  of 
Spanish-War  Veterans  was  organized,  with 
about  twenty-four  members,  and  the  post 
named  after  one  of  the  Hall  County  boys, 
now  deceased,  Charles  E.  Norris. 

Names  of  officers  of  Charles  E.  Norris 
Camp  No.  6 :  Cleary  J.  L.,  Commander,  Co. 
M  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Conner 
A.  T.,  Senior  Vice  Commander,  Co.  C,  1st  Cav, 
111.,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Biery  J.  H., 
Junior  Vice  Commander,  Co.  G,  2d  Inf.,  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska ;  Bowen  Frank,  Officer  of 
the  Day,  Co.  H,  1st  Inf.  Wyo.,  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska ;  Schwartz  Win.,  Officer  of  the 
Co.  B,  3d  Inf.,  Grand  Island  Nebraska;  Mc- 
Elroy  Charles,  Trustee,  Co.  M,  2d  Inf.,  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska;  Beckman  Diedrich,  Adju- 
tant, Co.  M.  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island  Nebraska; 
Axelson  G.  A.,  Quartermaster,  Co.  K.  4th  Inf., 
Mo.,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Anderson  John, 
Chaplain,  Co.  M,  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska; Raynor  Dr.  Willis  J.,  Surgeon,  Colo., 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska ;  Nelson  Chris.,  Sarg- 
eant  Major.Co.  F,  3d  Inf.,  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braka;  Wyss  Gottfried,  Quartermaster  Sarg- 
eant,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Fent  O.  V., 
Color  Sargeant,  Co.  K,  1st  Inf,  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska;  Petersen  James  N.,  Color  Sargeant 
Danneborg,  Nebraska;  Ellsworth  Allen,  Chief 
Musician,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 

Additional  names  of  members  of  Charles 
E.  Norris  Camp  No.  6 :  Boehm  Theo.  P.,  Co., 
M,  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska;  Ericksen 
Ernest,  Co.  M,  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska; Gjelesteen  B.  E.,  Co.  H,  37th  Inf. 
Dak.,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska ;  Long  E.  J., 
Co.  M,  2d  Inf.,  Alda,  Nebraska;  Mayer  Oscar 
H.,  Co.  M,  2d  Inf.,  Grand  Island  Nebraska; 
Miller  Thomas,  Co.  H,  1st  Inf.,  Grand  Island 
Nebraska;  Murphy  Charles  F.,  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska ;  Miller  Gerhard  W.,  Gibbon,  Ne. 
braska. 


HISTORY  OP  CO.  M,  5TH  NEBR.  INFANTRY 

By  Col.  H.  J.  Paui 

(Col.  H.  J.  Paul  is  a  native  of  St.  Paul, 
Howard  County,  Nebraska,  but  after  reaching 
manhood,  for  fifteen  years  he  served  as  dis- 
trict court  reporter  for  eleventh  judicial  dis- 
trict, of  which  Hall  County  was  a  part.  He 
served  as  a  court  officer  of  Hall  County,  with 
his  father,  District  Judge  J.  N.  Paul,  and  for 
a  short  period  before  he  went  into  service  in 
the  World  War  with  District  Judge  Bayard 
H.  Paine.  During  all  those  years  he  took  a 
very  active  interest  in  Nebraska  National 
Guard  affairs  and  at  the  time  the  Fifth  Ne- 
braska National  Guard  regiment  was  called 
into  service  on  the  Mexican  border  in  1916,  he 
was  colonel  of  the  regiment.  After  serving 
as  colonel  of  that  regiment  and  the  134th 
U.  S.  Infantry  (its  successor)  throughout 
the  war  he  became  adjutant  general  of  state 
of  Nebraska,  which  position  he  is  now  filling 
with  credit.) 

The  Fifth  Nebraska  Infantry  was  called  into 
service  by  the  president  June  18, 1916,  and  was 
brought  to  the  mobilization  camp  at  Lincoln, 
Nebraska,  where  the  men  were  more  fully 
equipped  with  cotton  blankets  and  shoes  that 
were  anything  but  regulation  and  departed  for 
+he  Mexican  border  where  they  arrived  July 
14,  1916,  and  went  into  camp  at  Llano  Grand 
which  is  about  three  miles  out  from  Mercedes 
and  is  a  wild  part  of  Texas  on  the  Rio  Grande 
river.  Our  camp  was  pitched  in  the  jungles 
amongst  the  mesquite,  briar  bush  and  cactus, 
all  of  which  had  to  be  cleared  away  before 
the  tents  could  be  pitched.  The  greater  part 
of  the  first  ten  days  or  two  weeks  was  devoted 
to  clearing  ground  for  drill  purposes  after 
which  an  intensive  course  of  training  was  fol- 
lowed until  the  men  were  in  splendid  condi- 
tion. Our  stay  on  the  border  was  uneventful 
and  the  "watchful  waiting"  policy  became  very 
irksome.  In  November  what  was  probably 
the  largest  maneuver  ever  held  in  the*United 
States  and  participated  in  by  the  most  troops 
ever  assembled  for  such  purpose,  was  partici- 
pated in  by  all  troops  in  the  Brownsville  dis- 
trict and  lasted  for  a  period  of  twelve  days. 
After  this  maneuver  was  over,  we  settled  down 
to  the  daily  grind  of  drills  and  parades  until 
the  fifth  day  of  February  when  we  returned  to 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


437 


Nebraska.  Arrived  at  Fort  Crook  on  the 
morning  of  February  8th  and  were  mustered 
out  of  Federal  service  February  21,  1917,  not- 
withstanding the  fact  that  it  was  well  known 
at  that  time  that  the  troops  would  immediately 
have  been  called  back  into  Federal  service  and 
the  organizations  were  broken  up  and  the  men 
scattered  all  over  the  country. 

July  15,  1917,  the  5th  Nebraska  Infantry 
was  once  more  called  into  Federal  service  and 
each  company  required  to  recruit  and  drill  at 
its  home  station  until  the  14th  day  of  Septem- 
ber when  they  departed  for  Camp  Cody,  New 
Mexico,  where  their  designation  was  changed 
to  that  of  the  134th  United  States  Infantry. 
French  and  British  instructors  taught  us  the 
latest  methods  of  warfare  as  conducted  in  the 
World  War  and  another  period  of  intensive 
training  was  entered  into  with  zest  and  zeal 
by  all  concerned.  By  March  1st  the  34th 
Division,  to  which  the  134th  Infantry  belonged, 
was  well  trained,  seasoned  and  disciplined  and 
were  well  fitted  and  prepared  to  go  immediate- 
ly to  the  front,  lines  and  participate  in  the 
World  War,  had  it  not  been  for  the  lack  of  a 
division  commander  and  a  competent  and  effi- 
cient staff  which  positions  were  filled  by  gen- 
eral staff  of  the  regular  army. 

In  June  the  division  was  demoralized  by 
the  general  staff  taking  away  approximately 
all  the  enlisted  men  below  the  grade  of  corp- 
oral whose  places  were  later  filled  by  draft 
men  from  Oklahoma,  Texas,  New  Mexico, 
Arizona  and  Colorado.  These  men  were  then 
put  througgh  the  same  course  of  intensive 
training  until  the  latter  part  of  August  when 
the  division  was  ordered  to  Camp  Dix  and 
started  to  leave  when  struck  by  the  influenza 
epidemic  which  raged  over  the  country  with 
such  disastrous  results  at  that  time  and  the 
division  was  held  in  quarantine  until  the  10th 
day  of  October  when  same  was  lifted  and  the 
division  once  more  prepared  to  go  to  France. 
The  convoy  leaving  New  York  on  the  13th 
day  of  October  arrived  in  Liverpool,  England, 
on  the  24th  day  of  October  and  was  im- 
mediately entrained  for  a  rest  camp  at  Camp 
Codford  where  we  remained  three  days  and 
then  entrained  for  Southhampton  where  we 


took  boats  to  France  landing  at  Cherbourg 
and  LaHavre  and  were  then  taken  to  southern 
France,  in  the  Bordeaux  region,  where  we 
remained  for  a  period  of  ten  days.  We  were 
then  sent  to  LeMans,  France,  being  on  the 
train  the  day  the  armistice  was  signed,  and  was 
there  met  by  an  officer  representing  Head- 
quarters with  orders  for  the  men  to  be  taken 
by  one  officer  for  each  company  in  one  direc- 
tion and  the  officers  went  in  another  and  this 
is  the  last  we  saw  of  our  men  in  France.  All 
were  used  as  replacements  and  were  scattered 
all  over.  I  was  sent  to  the  77th  Division,  be- 
ing a  National  Guard  Division  from  New 
York,  and  was  placed  in  command  of  the  306th 
Infantry  where  I  remained  until  I  was  relieved 
from  my  duty  at  my  request  to  return  to  the 
United  States  and  assume  the  duties  of  the 
Adjutant  General's  Office  of  Nebraska. 

The  fate  of  this  division  was  like  that  of 
many  other  National  Guard  divisions  and  when 
one  stops  to  think  of  the  thousands  and  thou- 
sands of  well  trained,  seasoned  and  disci- 
plined men  belonging  to  the  national  guard 
divisions  who  were  held  in  the  United  States 
the  same  as  was  the  34th  division  while  nation- 
al army  divisions  whose  men  were  unseasoned, 
untrained  and  undisciplined  were  taken  across 
within  a  very  few  weeks  of  the  time  they 
entered  the  service  and  were  thrust  almost 
immediately  into  the  front  line  trenches  while 
the  men  did  not  know  how  to  load  their  guns 
or  fire  them,  who  did  not  know  how  to  put 
on  a  gas  mask  or  adjust  it,  not  giving  them 
anywhere  near  an  equal  chance,  it  certainly 
looks  as  if  there  was  gross  mismanagement 
on  the  part  of  our  General  Staff  which  is 
almost  if  not  criminal  in  its  nature.  How- 
ever investigations  are  being  made  at  the  pres- 
ent time  and  later  changes  will  undoubtedly 
be  made  in  our  military  system  and  policy 
which,  when  perfected,  will  make  impossible  in 
any  future  war  the  rank  injustices  and  in- 
dignities that  were  heaped  upon  the  heads  of 
the  National  Guardsmen  during  the  World 
War. 

In  order  to  give  something  of  the  work  done 
by  the  National  Guard  in  the  World  War,  I 
will  state  that  eleven  national  guard  divisions 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


participated  as  against  seven  of  the  regular 
army  and  twelve  of  the  national  array  and  the 
following,  taken  from  the  national  guards- 
man under  date  of  February  8,  1919,  is  given 
as  the  total  of  killed,  died,  missing  and  pris- 
oners in  the  respective  organizations : 

REGULAR  ARMY 

Killed  Died  Missing      Prisoners 

8,281  3,668  4,934  17,688 

NATIONAL  GUARD 

11,555  4,566  5,445  23,023 

NATIONAL  ARMY 

7,926  3,207  3,890  15,800 

thus  showing  that  the  National  Guard  made 
greater  sacrifices  than  either  the  regular  army 
or  national  army  owing  to  the  fact  that  with 
very  few  exceptions  neither  officers  or  men 
had  had  previous  experience. 

ROSTER  OF   COMPANY  "m"   5TH   NEBRASKA   IN- 
FANTRY   AT   TIME   OF    MUSTER-IN    TO   FEDERAL 
SERVICE  FOR  SERVICE  ON  THE   MEXICAN 
BORDER  IN   1916 

Capt.  Robt.  N.  McAllister,  1st  Lieut.  Leo 
G.  Allen,  2d  Lieut.  Ernest  J.  Meyer,  1st  Sgt. 
Charles  Fent,  Q.  M.  Sgt.  Robert  H.  Wood, 
Sgt,  John  H.  Brown,  Corp.  William  Haight, 
Corp.  Clair  C.  James,  Corp.  Walter  O.  Koss, 
Corp.  Cliff  E.  Morgan,  Corp.  Frederick  O. 
Ritterbush,  Corp.  Harold  F.  Wright,  Artificer, 
Claud  T.  Meseraull,  Cook,  William  West, 
Musician,  Clarence  A.  Smith. 

Privates,  Aaron,  Arthur  A.,  Anderson  Chas. 
H.,  At  well,  Claude,  Bendowsky,  Edward  C, 
Bertrand,  Ferdinand,  Blair,  Roy  A.,  Bremser, 
Benjamin  H.,  Cabeen,  Herbert  S.,  Cain,  For- 
rest W.,  Clark,  John,  Cole,  Walter  H.,  Cox, 
Ozies  Clifford,  Datus,  James  F.,  Devoss, 
William  D.,  Dillon,  Pete  L.,  Draper,  Frank, 
Edwards,  Todd  M.,  Elben,  Charles,  Elliot, 
John  R.,  Gilbert,  Floyd  L.,  Haney,  Gus  W., 
Harrod,  Jay  H.,  Holley,  John,  Holsinger,  Rus- 
sel  A.,  lams,  John,  Johnson,  Charles  B.,  John- 
son, James  W.,  Kidwiler,  Leo  F.,  Kleman, 
Archie  E.,  Klintworth,  Gus,  Knighton,  Ray- 
mond O.,  Lambros,  John,  Lueth,  Ernest  J., 
Marquis,  Perry  D.,  Millner,  William  D., 
Murphy,  John  F.,  Nabb,  Charles  B.,  Nibbe, 


Arthur  J.,  Norgren,  Joseph  A.,  Parker,  Jack 
B.,  Paro,  Allan  J,,  Pells,  William  R.f  Pfau, 
Hugo,  Rose,  John  B.,  Sagesser,  Edward  H., 
Smith,  Emmett  H.,  Thompson,  Otis  B., 
Thornes,  George,  Tucker,  William  M.,  Uehel, 
William  O.,  Weitzel,  John  J.,  Yates,  Homer 
M. 

ROSTER  OF   COMPANY   "m",   5TH    NEBRASKA  IN- 
FANTRY ON  AUGUST  31,  1917 

Capt.  Leo.  G.  Allan,  1st  Lieut.  William  R. 
Gilchrist,  2nd  Lieut.  Fred  H.  Schuff,  1st  Sgt. 
Gus  Klintworth,  Supply  Sgt.  Ferdinand  Bert- 
rand, Mess  Sgt.  Roscoe  Conkling,  Sgt.  Chas. 
Fent,  Sgt.  Claude  T.  Meseraull,  Sgt.  Russel 
A.  Holsinger,  Sgt.  Jay  H.  Harrod,  Sgt.  Wil- 
liam R.  Pells,  Sgt.  Raymond  A.  Knighton, 
Sgt.  Ernest  L.  Harrig. 

Corporals,  Holley,  John,  Cox,  Ozies  Clifford, 
Gilbert,  Floyd  L.,  Evans,  Ivan  D.,  Morgan. 
Cliff  E.,  Sagesser,  Edward  H.,  Pritchard,  Joe 
C,  Peterson,  John  C,  Petersen,  Sam  P., 

Cooks,  Scarborough,  Ira  M.,  Andersen, 
Martin. 

Mechanics,  Anderson,  Charles  H.,  Kirk- 
baum,  Clude  R. 

Privates  1st  CI.,  Betz,  Adolph,  Cornell, 
Edwin  L-,  Dillon,  Pete  L.,  Dixon,  Fred  E.. 
Jensen,  Fred  C,  La  White",  James  L.,  Lueth, 
Emest,  Jr.,  Mattingly,  Clarence,  Mattingly, 
John  S-,  Mattingly,  Thomas  H.,  Mulontx,  Al- 
via  G.,  Murphy,  John  F,  Paro,  Allan  J., 
Pearman,  Robert  E.,  Shafer,  Harry  R.,  Smith, 
Clarence  A.,  Willis,  Dwight  L. 

Privates,  Bendowsky,  Frank,  Bennett,  Ralph 
C,  Blair  Ralph  V.,  Bohan,  Thomas  E-,  Brem- 
ser, Benjamin  H.,  Buddecke,  Conrad  L, 
Davis,  Alfred  J.,  Davis,  Lee  H.,  Davis,  Ora. 
DeVoss,  William  D.,  Dixon,  Charles  D.  Doyle, 
John  F.,  England,  Granville  B.,  Forbes,  Roy 
A.,  Gaydon,  Edmund  T.,  Gestring,  John  F., 
Good  Victor  R.,  Griffin,  Lee,  R.,  Hancock, 
Harold  L-,  Harshbarger,  Ira,  Harris,  George 
W.,  Hart,  Donald  B-,  Heckman,  Guy  H.,  Jen- 
sen, Harry  E.,  Jensen,  Oscar  G.  M.,  Jones. 
Harry  J.,  Kirkpatrick,  Robert,  Kuehner,  Gott- 
lob  C,  Lehinger,  John  E.,  Lofholm,  Lelon. 
Love,  Frand,  Millner,  William  D.,  May,  Aaron 
D.,  Maynard,  Evert  M.,  McKinney,  Harold  A.. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


439 


Parker,  Jack  B.,  Pfau,  Hugo,  Plath,  Fred, 
Polzel,  Charles  A.,  Polzel,  Howard  L.,  Powell, 
William  M.,  Pulec,  Otto  T.,  Richards,  Cecil, 
Riggs,  Clifford  W.,  Sawicki,  Aloyisus  J., 
Smith,  Henry,  Taylor,  Clarence,  Ward  Beacher 
H.,  Wilkinson,  William  L-,  Ziemba,  Stanley. 

Privates  Recruits,  Beason,  Omar  A.,  Bryan, 
Jesse  R.,  Fulton,  Harry  M.,  Hiett,  James  R., 
Hofbauer,  Frank,  Katschke,  Harry  C,  Lacque- 
mont,  Abel,  Scarborough,  Fred,  Sharpe, 
Emery  P. 

Losses  Discharged,  Corp.  Gus  W.  Haney, 
Cook,  Herman  Schneider,  Pvt.  1st  CI.,  Roy 
A.  Blair,    Pvt.    1st    CI.,   Arthur   H.    Eyler. 

Privates  Chris tofferson,  George  Fessman, 
Harry  M.,  Painter,  Sewell,  Rowe,  Ervin, 
Weitzel,  John  J.,  Williams,  Clarence  D. 

the  89th  division 

A  great  number  of  Hall  County  boys  served 
in  the  355th  Infantry  and  were  a  part  of  the 
famous  89th  Division.  While  an  account  of 
(he  participation  of  this  division  in  the  war  is 
slightly  out  of  order  in  this  chapter  it  will  be 
placed  here.  The  record  of  this  division  has 
been  best  narrated  by  Major  General  Frank  L. 
Winn. 

The  letter  was  sent  in  response  to  the  greet- 
ings that  were  delivered  to  Major  General 
Winn  for  the  division  on  his  arrival  in  New 
York  by  the  Union  Pacific  Bureau  correspond- 
ent. 

Headquarters  89th  Division 
Camp  Upton,  New  York, 
June  4,  1919. 
Gentlemen : 

I  beg  to  acknowledge  receipt  of  the  greet- 
ings and  congratulations  to  officers  and  men  in 
the  89th  Division  received  through  you  on 
arrival  at  New  York  from  the  Mayors  of 
Omaha;  Kansas  City,  Kansas;  Kansas  City, 
Missouri ;  Topeka,  Kansas ;  Lincoln,  Nebraska ; 
North  Platte,  Nebraska ;  Lawrence,  Kansas ; 
Cheyene,  Wyoming;  Denver,  Colorado ;  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska ;  Leavenworth,  Kansas ; 
Colorado  Springs,  Colorado.  The  same  mes- 
sage was  given  to  me  by  your  representative 
at  the  boat  on  the  arrival  of  the  S.  S.  Rotter- 
dam, May  1,  1919.  The  message  is  deeply 
appreciated.  At  his  suggestion  I  gave  an 
interview  substantially  as  follows: 

The  89th  Division  arrived  in  Europe  at  an 


opportune  moment,  and  has  had  remarkably 
good  fortune  at  all  times.  France  and  England 
in  June,  1918,  looked  to  the  U.  S.  soldiers  to 
end  the  war.  There  had  been  an  early  period 
of  long  waiting  when  some  feared  that  the 
direct  help  from  the  U.  S.  might  come  too 
late,  but  in  June  the  American  soldier  had 
given  such  a  splendid  account  of  himself  at 
Cantigny  that  the  Allies,  and  the  Boche  as 
well,  must  have  realized  it  was  only  a  question 
of  time  when  their  numbers  would  turn  the 
tide  in  favor  of  our  cause.  The  Division  took 
a  part  second  to  none  in  the  Great  Offensive 
of  St.  Mihiel  and  the  Argonne-Meuse,  led 
the  crossing  of  the  Meuse  at  Stenay  and 
Pouilly  on  the  day  of  the  Armistice,  and  went 
to  Germany  as  a  part  of  the  army  of  occupa- 
tion, where  it  remained  until  May  6th,  re- 
turning directly  home  when  Germany  was 
given  the  final  peace  terms. 

After  four  weeks  of  final  preparation  in  the 
Reynel  training  area,  near  the  American  G.  H. 
Q.,  the  Division  went  into  the  front  lirie 
Northwest  of  Toul  and  took  over  a  consider- 
able frontage,  where,  by  vigorous  patrolling, 
it  at  once  established  its  reputation  of  being 
an  aggressive  fighting  unit,  which  almost 
nightly  brought  in  prisoners.  The  Division 
received  the  highest  praise  from  the  French 
Corps  Commander  and  was  soon  stamped  by 
the  Huns  in  an  official  report  as  a  first  rate 
combat  unit.  The  sector  occupied  became  the 
seat  of  active  preparations  for  the  first  offen- 
sive of  the  American  Army. 

On  September  12th,  the  Division  went  over 
the  top  alongside  the  1st,  2nd  and  42nd  Divi- 
sions, and  held  its  own  with  the  best  of  them 
in  that  great  operation.  The  Division  had  a 
wider  front  to  begin  with  than  any  division, 
and  the  very  strongly  defended  position  of  the 
Bois  de  Mort  Mare  was  in  its  immediate  front, 
but  it  penetrated  as  far  as  any  division,  tak- 
ing among  others  the  towns  of  Boullionville, 
Xammes  and  Beney,  and  sharing  with  the 
2nd  Division  the  occupation  of  the  important 
city  of  Thiaucourt.  Thereafter  the  Division 
consolidated  its  own  front  and  took  over  the 
front  occupied  by  the  42nd  and  2nd  Divisions, 
remaining  in  this  position  until  October  8th, 
when  it  was  moved  to  the  Argonne-Meuse 
front. 

On  October  19th  and  20th  the  Division 
again  went  into  the  front  line,  clearing  the 
enemy  out  of  the  Bantheville  forest,  consoli- 
dating its  position  and  making  preparations 
for  the  next  great  offensive.  On  November 
1st  it  went  over  the  top,  again  in  the  company 
of  the  best  American  divisions,  gaining  all  its 
objectives  on  the  first  day.    The  Division  took 


440 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  important  Barricourt  Heights,  of  which 
operation  it  is  said  Marshal  Foch  on  hearing 
of  it,  declared  "the  war  is  over."  The  Divi- 
sion continued  in  the  front  line,  advancing 
day  by  day  until  the  Armistice  of  November 
11th,  on  which  day  it  successfully  accom- 
plished the  very  difficult  operation  of  cross- 
ing the  Meuse  river  in  the  face  of  determined 
enemy  opposition.  The  names  of  Barricourt 
Heights,  Remonville,  Tailly,  Nouart,  Barri- 
court, Bois  des  Dames,  Beauclair,  Beaufort, 
Pouilly,  Auterville  and  Stenay  are  glorious 
names,  marking  the  achievements  of  the  Divi- 
sion in  the  final  and  decisive  offensive  of  the 
World's  War. 

The  Division  was  commanded  by  Major 
General  W.  M.  Wright  from  September  8th 
to  November  11th,  and  by  Major  General 
Frank  L-  Winn,  who  has  been  with  it  since  its 
organization,  during  the  rest  of  the  time  it 
was  in  Europe. 

The  Division  was  one  of  those  selected,  on 
account  of  its  record,  to  go  into  Germany, 
where  it  remained  as  a  part  of  the  Army  of 
Occupation  until  its  return  home.  The  Divi- 
sion was  in  active  operations  against  the 
enemy  for  90  days.  During  that  time  it 
captured  5,061  prisoners ;  127  large  guns ;  455 
machine  guns;  and  advanced  a  total  of  48 
kilometers  ( 18  during  St.  Mihiel  offensive  and 
30  during  the  Argonne-Meuse  offensive) . 
Thousands  of  rifles,  signal  equipment,  large 
amounts  of  railroad  material,  including  en- 
gines and  trains,  quartermaster  subsistence 
and  sanitary  stores  in  enormous  amounts  were 
captured.  The  grand  total  of  casualties  of 
all  kinds  amounted  to  7,002.  Of  these,  the 
severly  wounded  numbered  2,002 ;  the  killed 
1,185.  One  officer  and  four  men  were  cap- 
tured by  the  enemy.  There  have  been  awarded 
to  members  of  the  Division  decorations  as 
follows : 

Congressional  Medal  of  Honor 8 

Distinguished  Service  Cross 119 

Distinguished  Service  Medal 2 

Croix  de  Guerre 55 

In  addition  the  Division  Commander  re- 
ceived the  decorations  of   the   Distinguished 


Service  Medal  and  of  Commander  of  Legion 
of  Honor. 

On  April  23rd  the  Division  was  inspected 
and  reviewed  at  Treves,  Germany  by  General 
Pershing,  Commander-in-chief,  in  the  pres- 
ence of  the  Secretary  of  War  and  the  House 
Military  Committee.  The  remarkable  spirit 
and  splendid  efficiency  of  the  Division  were 
reflected  in  its  appearance  on  that  occasion 
with  which  every  detail  of  the  review  was 
carried  out.  The  Commander-in-chief  highly 
complimented  the  command,  saying  among 
other  things :  "It  will  be  a  proud  thing-  for 
you  to  return  (home)  and  say  in  future  years 
that  you  belonged  to  this  splendid  division 
whose  record,  for  the  time  it  was  in  the  line. 
is  unexcelled  in  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces." 

Credit  for  the  brilliant  record  of  the  89th 
Division  belongs  to  the  officers  and  men.  The 
men  were  taken  in  the  first  instance  from  the 
Middle- West :  Kansas,  Nebraska,  Missouri, 
Colorado,  South  Dakota,  Arizona  and  New 
Mexico.  Subsequently  replacements  came  from 
many  other  states,  but  the  Division  remained 
to  the  last  the  Middle-West  Division.  The 
men  were  the  finest  type  of  American  man- 
hood. In  character  and  in  intelligence  they 
were  equal  to  the  best.  They  early  established 
a  reputation  for  a  high  state  of  discipline,  fine 
morale  and  the  determination  to  do  their  best. 
They  have  made  a  remarkably  fine  record  in 
respect  of  courts-martial,  disease,  manly  con- 
duct and  clean  living.  There  never  was  over 
3%  of  illiteracy  in  the  Division,  compared  with 
an  average  of  10%,  I  believe  in  the  draft,  and 
of  the  3%  all  who  have  been  with  the 
Division  throughout  its  service  will  be  re- 
turned to  civil  life  able  to  read,  write  and 
calculate  in  arithmetic.  It  is  truly  believed 
that  all  return  benefited  in  every  way  by  their 
experience.  Officers  and  men  have  done 
superbly  their  part  in  winning  the  great  war 
and  deserve  the  thanks  of  the  country.  The 
Middle-West  may  justly  be  proud  of  the  men 
of  the  89th  Division. 

Frank  L.  Winn. 
Major  General,  U.  S.  A. 


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CHAPTER  XXVII 

HALL  COUNTY'S  PARTICIPATION  IN  THE  WORLD  WAR  191! 

Nebraska  in  the  War  —  Nebraska's  War  Drive  Records — ■Nebraska's  Recc 
Savings  Stamps  —  Hall  County's  Service  "Back  Here" — First  Meeting,  A 
—  Red  Cross  Organized,  April,  1917  —  Enlistments  for  Service  —  To  Firs 
Camp  —  Ft.  Snelling  —  Drives  Fast  and  Furious  —  Registration  Day,  Jun: 
-The  Early  Summer  op  1917  —  The  First  Drawing  —  Late  Summer  and  I 

1917  —  Late  Fall  and  Early  Winter  Activities — The  Questionaires — Th 
visory  Board — During  the  Early  Part  of  1918 — During  the  Spring  of 
Registrations  —  The  Last  Lap — September  12,  1918,  Registration  —  The  1 
ing  —  The  Happiest  Day  Hall  County  Ever  Knew  —  The  Hall  County 
Chapter,  American  Red  Cross  —  Organization  —  Women's  Committee  — 
and  Financial  Campaigns  —  Executive  Committee's-  Work  —  New  Board  ai 

1918  —  Women's  Bureau  —  Financial  Report  and  Status  of  Chapter  —  The 
ty  Council  of  Defense  —  Hall  County  Selective  Service  Board,  Governm: 
Agent  —  Ladies  Auxiliary  Council  to  Council  of  Defense  —  War  Activit 

tee  —  Other  Liberty  Loan  Campaigns  — The  Home  Guards — The  Food 

tration  —  Federal  Fuel  Administration  —  Four  Minute  Men  —  War 

Stamps  Campaign  Committee  —  United  War  Work  Campaign — Othei 

Organizations  —  List  op  1237  Men  Who  Entered  Service  From  H 

County 

Nebraska  in  the  war  the  army;  4,944,  or  9.96%,  enl 

Nebraska,  as  a  state,  made  a  brilliant  rec-  navy,  and  447,  or  .90%  in  the  n 

ord  throughout  the  Great  War,  and  in  this  The  percent  of  increment  in  the  ti 

record  Hall  County  played  a  consistent  and  'or  Nebraska  was  60.08%  against 

most  creditable  part.    Prompt  in  all  activities,  for  the  entire  Nation  of  66.10%, 

Grand  Island  was  the  first  city  in  Nebraska  centage  of  enlistments  for  all  ot 

to  go  over  the  top  in  the  Victory  Bond  Cam-  of  army,  naval  and  marine  sen 

paign  and  Hall  County  did  not  require  the  braska  was  39.92  compared  with 

full  alloted  time  to  place  every  bond  of  the  entire  nation, 
quota  in  the  hands  of  its  people.  Not   only   in   numbers   furnisl 

Nebraska  claims  to  have  had  more  soldiers  braska  hold  above  the  national 

and  sailors  in  the  service  of  the  country,  in  '«  practically  every  other  featun 

proportion  to  population,  than  any  other  state,  the  men  for  military  service.    In 

Out  of  the  total  increment  of  armed  forces  of  man  of  inductions  into  the  sele 

4,034,743   for  the  entire  United  States,  Ne-  Nebraska  accomplished  this  wo: 

braska  produced  an  increment  of  49,614.    Of  of  $4.90  per  man,  against  the  n 

these  29,807,  or  60.08%,  represented  indue-  age   of   $7.90  per   man.     In   th 

tions  under  the  registrations  into  the  national  physical  rejections,  Nebraska  ra 

army;  14,416,  or  29.06%,  were  enlistments  in  6%  against  the  national  average  < 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


nine  states  showing  a  lower  average. 

Nebraska  claims  the  record  of  having  sub- 
scribed more  money  per  capita  for  Liberty 
Bonds  and  War  Savings  Stamps,  and  given 
more  money  to  the  Red  Cross,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and 
K.  of  C.  than  any  other  state.  The  follow- 
ing '  table  shows  thej  results  of  Nebraska's 
War  drives. 

Over 
Sub- 
Quto  Subscribed  scribed 
First  liberty  Loan.  ..$  18,000,000  $18,206,750  1% 
Second  Liberty  Loan..  29,640,000  33,317,200  8% 
Third  Liberty  Loan...  31,942,800  50,684,850  58% 
Fourth  Liberty  Loan..  68,350,000  71,000,000  4% 
War  Savings  Stamps..  25,940,120  32,000,000  23% 
United  War   Work....       2,000,000      2,600,000    30% 

Y.  M.  C.  A „...         250,000        560,302  124% 

First  Red  Cross  Fund  700,000  1,020,812  45% 
Second  Red  Cross  Fund  800,000  2,300,000  188% 
Knights    of    Columbus  40,000        225,000  462% 

Armenian    Relief 250,000         265,000      6% 

Smileage   Book  Cam...  10.000  16,470    65% 

Y.  W.  C.  A no  quota  58,505 

Miscellaneous     165,000        240,000    45% 


Total $178,087,920  $212,494.00    19% 

Red  Cross  members  in  1917  were  501,939; 
War  Savings  Societies,  quota  4",300,  formed 
10,000. 

Nebraska  was  almost  100%  on  Food  Ad- 
ministration pledges,  with  238,071  cards 
signed.    The  national  average  was  only  50%, 

Nebraska  was  second  in  number  of  four- 
minute  men  speakers. 

Nebraska  was  the  first  state  in  the  Union  to 
go  over  the  top  on  the  War  Savings  campaign. 
The  War  Savings  Stamp  scheme  had  been 
figured  out  and  placed  in  charge  of  one  of 
the  leading,  financiers  of  the  nation,  Frank  A. 
Vanderlip,  of  the  National  City  bank  of  New 
York  city.  But  it  remained  for  a  little  county 
out  in  Nebraska  to  hit  upon  the  most  feasible 
plan  of  selling  the  small  thrift  stamps  and  war 
savings  certificates.  A  group  of  men  in  Se- 
ward County,  Nebraska,  meeting  around  the 
holiday  season  in  1917,  shortly  after  the  ap- 
pointment of  county  chairmen  and  local  com- 
mittees to  devise  ways  and  means  to  meet  the 
quota  in  Seward  County,  accepted  the  sugges- 
tion of  W.  H.  Brokaw,  now  director  of  the 
extension  bureau  service  in  the  state  of  Ne- 
braska under  the  agricultural  department  and 
State  University.  They  drew  a  plan  from  this 
idea  to  conduct  a  preliminary   campaign  of 


education  and  follow  it  with  a  set  date,  upon 
which  there  would  be  called  meetings  simul- 
taneously, for  the  same  day  and  hour,  in  every 
school  district  of  the  county,  and  each  district 
would  endeavor  to  subscribe  its  quota  then  and 
there.  This  plan  worked  so  successfully  in 
Seward  County  in  January  1918,  that  Seward 
County's  early  response  to  her  quota  attracted 
the  attention  of  Ward  M.  Burgess  (of  M.  E. 
Smith  &  Co.,  Omaha)  who  had  been  made 
state  director.  Upon  inquiry  and  presenta- 
tion of  this  plan  to  Mr.  Burgess,  he  decided  to 
give  it  a  try-out  in  the  state  of  Nebraska.  A 
state- wide  campaign  of  education  was  con- 
ducted for  six  weeks,  and  on  March  22,  1918, 
practically  every  county  in  the  state  except  Se- 
ward held  these  meetings  and  subscribed  its 
quota,  and  the  state  of  Nsbraska  was  the  first 
state  to  go  over  the  top  on  the  War  Savings 
Stamps.  The  success  of  the  Nebraska  plan  so 
attracted  the  attention  of  those  in  charge  of 
the  national  campaign,  that  Mr.  Burgess  was 
called  east  to  assume  charge  of  its  application 
to  the  nation  and  a  second  date  set  for  the 
stamps  campaign  in  every  state  in  the  Union 
except  Nebraska.  In  this  campaign,  as  in  the 
others  Hall  County  followed  the  policy  of  hav- 
ing a  large  percentage  of  her  quota  subscribed 
ahead  of  the  date  and  went  over  easily  on 
March  22. 

HALL  COUNTY'S  SERVICE  "BACK  HERE" 
Hall  County  received  the  news  that  the 
United  States  had  declared  a  state  of  war  upon 
the  German  Empire  just  the  same  as  her  sister 
counties.  The  great  mass  of  her  citizens  im 
mediately '  dropped  all  prior  opinions  or  re- 
.luctance  and  rallied  to  the!  one  idea,  our 
country  first.  The  president's  message  to  Con- 
gress was  published  in  full  in  the  Grand  Island 
Independent  on  April  3,  1917.  Upon  the  fol- 
lowing night  patriotic  citizens  inserted  the  fol- 
lowing call.  This  appeared  in  an  insert  with 
the  headline,  "Let  all  who  are  for  America 
first  join  in  this  demonstration,"  with  a  cut  of 
a  flag  appearing  neneath  these  words,  and  the 
following  call :  "All  patriotic  American  citi- 
zens who  desire  to  show  their  patriotism  and 
love  for  this  country  are  requested  to  meet  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


443 


front  of  the  postoffice  at  7:15  P.  M.  sharp 
Thursday,  Aunt  S,  1917.  Tom  Bradstreet, 
Marshal." 

Instead  of  a  small  street  meeting,  this  event 
turned  out  to  be  an  assembly  that  filled  to 
capacity  the  large  evangelical  tabernacle.  In- 
vocation was  asked  by  Rev.  L.  A.  Arthur, 
music)  was  furnished  and  stirring  patriotic 
addresses  were  made  by  Mayor  Chas.  G.  Ryan, 
Frederick  Weitzer,  Evangelist  J.  Q.  A.  Henry, 
and  R.  R.  Horth  and  patriotic  resolutions 
adopted  pledging  Hall  County's  people  and  re- 
sources to  the  service  of  America. 

RED  CROSS  ORGANIZED 
The  following  week  the  organization  of  the 
Red  Cross  work  followed.  The  details  of  these 
activities  will  be  set  forth  in  the  separate  por- 
tion of  this  chapter  devoted  to  the  Hall  County 
Red  Cross. 

ENLISTMENT  FOR  SERVICE 
While  Hall  County  already  had  Company 
M  in  the  Fifth  Nebraska  National  Guard,  the 
boys  whom  she  had  been  proud  to  send  to  the 
Mexican  border  and  who  held  themselves  in 
readiness  to  be  mustered  back  into  service,  as 
they  soon  were,  the  volunteer  enlistments  into 
the  regular  army,  navy,  marine  corps,  and  all 
branches  of  service  began  immediately  upon 
the  declaration  of  war.  On  April  18,  four 
boys  joined  the  Company  M  and  four  joined 
the  regular  army  service.  From  that  date  on 
The  Daily  Independent  carried  a  roster  of  en- 
listments in  all  branches  of  the  service.  From 
the  time  the  Grand  Island  recruiting  station 
opened  until  June  15,  306  men  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  24  of  them  being  residents  of 
the  city  of  Grand  Island. 

In  a  period  of  ten  days  in  June  the  enlist- 
ments in  this  district  were  Omaha  138,  Des 
Moines  101,  Lincoln  51,  Grand  Island  35, 
Sioux  City  32,  Fort  Dodge  25,  Marshalltown, 
la.,  21,  Norfolk  9,  Hastings  2,  and  Beatrice  2. 
With  a  population  of  one-fifteenth  that  of 
Omaha  and  a  much  more  sparsely  settled 
country  to  draw  from.  Grand  Island  station 
enrolled  one-fourth  of  Omaha's  total. 
On  June  13,  Colonel  H.  J.  Paul,  commander 


of  the  Fifth  Nebraska,  inspected  Company 
M.  It  is  a  matter  of  indisputable  record 
that  the  Fifth  Nebraska  regiment  maintained 
an  enviable  record  on  the  Mexican  Border  for 
good  discipline,  and  it  was  .inspected  to  go 
back  into  service  under  the  same  regimental 
command,  with  Lieut,  Leo  G.  Allen  selected 
captain,  and  Ernest  Meyer  and  Fred  Schuff 
as  lieutenants. 

FIRST  TRAINING  CAMP 

On  April  27,  1917,  Hon.  Fred  W.  Ashton 
was  appointed  chairman  of  the  Military  Camps 
Training  Association  for  this  district,  to  re- 
ceive applications  for  admission  to  the  First 
Officers  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Snelling,  to 
begin  on  May  8th.  Hall  County  had  eleven 
of  the  first  277  selected  from  Nebraska.  These 
men  accepted  for  this  first  camp  were :  Clin- 
ton John,  Lloyd  Judkins,  Carl  Lesher,  Harold 
Prince,  Dorsey  Williams,  — Lindberg,  (stu- 
dent here  from  Stromsburg),  E.  E.  Engleman, 
W.  R.  Gilchrist,  E.  Gabrielson,  L.  W.  John- 
son, N.  G.  Wilson. 

Six  men  from  Hall  County  won  commis- 
sions at  the  termination  of  this  camp  in  Au- 
gust :  Capt.  L.  W.  Johnson,  Frank  B.  Patter- 
son, first  lieutenants ;  Clinton  John,  Harold  A. 
Prince,  and  E.  E.  Engleman  and  Dorsey 
Williams  as  second  lieutenants. 

DRIVES  FAST  AND  FURIOUS 
Early  in  May,  Capt.  J.  L.  Howland  was 
appointed  special  chairman  of  a  whilwind  cam- 
paign to  increase  the  Red  Cross  membership. 
On  May  11th,  the  city  was  visited  by  the 
Union  Pacific  preparedness  special.  Prof.  J. 
H.  Frandsen  and  Lieut. -Gov.  Edgar  Howard 
delivered  war  talks  to  the  assembled  throng. 
This  special  made  153  stops  before  coming 
to  Grand  Island.  The  First  Liberty  Loan 
drive  went  by  quietly,  the  quota  being  sub- 
scribed by  the  banks  and  a  few  business  con- 
cerns in  Grand  Island. 

The  County  Council  of  Defense  was  organ- 
ized. The  Red  Cross  extended  its  activities 
,to  include  a  nursing  class.  The  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
fund,  with  its  quota  of  $4,000  for  Hall  County 
out   of   $60,000    for   the   state,   was   pushed 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


across,  and  the  Red  Cross   drive   for  2,000 
members  moved  along  steadily  during  May. 

REGISTRATION  DAY,  JUNE  5,  1917 

In  common  with  every  other  county  in  the 
state  or  community  in  the  country,  June  5, 
1917,  will  stand  out  as  a  red-letter  day  in  the 
history  of  Hall  County.  Since  the  founda- 
tion of  the  Republic,  the  American  people 
had  inherited  a  deep-seated  prejudice  against 
anything  akin  to  universal  compulsory  mili- 
tary service.  To  ask  almost  ten  millions  of 
men,  between  the  ages  of  21  and  31,  reared 
and  educated  to  the  idea  of  absolute  freedom 
from  any  form  of  military  service  except  such 
as  they  might  voluntarily  assume,  seemed  to 
many  almost  a  dangerous  risk  for  the  federal 
government  to  ask.  But  it  proved  decisively 
that  this  tradition  was  more  than  offset  by  a 
popular  will  to  win  the  war  and  so  imbued 
were  the  American  people  with  the  determina- 
tion to  perpetuate  their  democratic  ideals,  and 
so  deeply  impressed  were  they  with  the  know- 
ledge that  it' was  not  only  necessary  to  raise 
an  army,  but  to  do  it  quickly,  that  the  whole 
nation  registered  9,586,508  men  on  that  notable 
June.  5. 

On  June  5,  a  special  demonstration  was  held 
at  Grand  Island  in  honor  of  the  men  who  were 
registering  for  military  service,  if  called.  Hon. 
W.  H.  Thompson  presided  as  chairman,  and 
addresses  were  made  by  Mayor  J.  L.  Geary, 
Gov.  O.  A.  Abbott  and  Hon.  W.  A.  Prince. 

At  Wood  River  a  splendid  program  of  songs 
and  recitations  was  carried  out  by  the  young 
people,  Marie  Sindt,  Lois  Wiseman,  Thelma 
O'Kane,  Kathrine  Bruner,  being  among  those 
participating,  and  an  address  was  delivered  by 
Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine. 

At  Doniphan  a  program  was  carried  out, 
with  a  boy  scout's  drill,  and  likewise  at  Cairo, 
homage  was  paid  to  those  answering  the  call 
to  register. 

On  that  date  Hall  County  registered  2,210 
of  her  sons,  the  distribution  by  precincts,  being 
as  follows :  Grand  Island :  First  precint,  289 ; 
Second,  175;  Third,  174;  Fourth,  324;  Fifth, 
209 ;  Sixth,  172 ;  Alda,  42 ;  Cameron,  70 ;  Doni- 
phan, 106;  Center,  51;  Harrison,  71;  Jackson, 


63;  Martin,  32;  Mayneld  Township,  64; 
Prairie  Creek,  35;  South  Platte,  43;  South 
Loup,  71;  Washington  1,  53;  Washington  2, 
18;  Wood  River,  106. 

THE  EARLY  SUMMER  OF  1917 
The  month  of  June  witnessed  a  steady  climb 
upward  in  the  Red  Cross  membership  drive, 
it  having  passed  2,000  by  June  8,  and  a  3,000 
goal  having  been  substituted.  The  Liberty 
Bond  sale  was  passed  and  the  Y.  M.  C.  A 
quota  progressed.  Flag  Day  was  observed 
with  unusual  solemnity  and  the  Fourth  of 
July  took  on  an  added  impressiveness.  Early 
in  July  a  ripple  occurred  when  a  leading  citi- 
zen spied  a  meeting  at  night  and  reported  that 
an  aggregation  of  disloyalists  were  plotting 
here  in  Hall  County.  Investigation  proved 
that  the  meeting  so  suspicioned  was  a  regular 
and  proper  meeting  of  a  farmer's  organiza- 
tion and  the  incident  passed  off  with  a  written, 
signed  statement  of  apology  by  the  citizen  who 
made  the  mistake.  This  was  perhaps  the  first 
public  manifestation  of  a  spirit  of  suspicion 
and  innuendo  charges  that  prevailed  rather 
generally  throughout  the  country,  and  whik 
this  rather  severe  attitude  of  precaution  re- 
sulted in  many  injustices,  yet  it  also  brought 
about  some  good  results.  Throughout  the  na- 
tion there  existed  a  cautious  watchfulness  for 
evidences  of  bad  faith  or  reluctance  to  re- 
spond to  proper  calls  for  service  that  to  a  great 
extent  aided  the  various  governmental  and 
civilian  bodies  having  the  various  lines  of  war 
work. 

On  July  21,  Sargent  Joseph  Leo  of  Com- 
pany M,  whose  home  was  at  Merna,  died  of 
a  hemorrhage  and  several  other  members  of 
the  company  being  sick  at  the  same  time,  re- 
sulted in  a  temporary  scare  concerning  the 
welfare  of  the  boys,  but,  the  scare  being  based 
on  merely  idle  rumor,  it  soon  passed  over. 

THE  FIRST  DRAWING 
After  2,217  of  Hall  County's  sons  registered 
on  June  5,  the  next  step  in  the  selection  of 
those  who  should  be  called  into  actual  nri'i- 
tarl  service  was  undertaken  by  assigning  to 
each  registrant  a  number,  proceeding  serially 

D.9  re, b  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


445 


from  one  upwards,  the  series  being  separate 
and  independent  for  each  local  board  area  in 
the  country.  Thus  each  registrant  in  Hall 
County  could  be  identified  by  citing  his  Hall 
County  Local  Board  name  and  his  Hall 
County  serial  number.  The  local  board,  by 
which  name  the  Selective  Service  Board  for 
the  county  has  been  commonly  designated, 
proceeded  to  number  the  cards  with  red  ink 
numbers,  consequently,  without  regard  to 
alphabetical  arrangement.  Five  lists  were  then 
prepared,  one  retained  for  the  records  of  the 
local  board,  one  copy  posted  in  a  conspicuous 
place  in  the  court  house,  one  copy  given  out 
for  publication  by  the  press,  and  the  two  re> 
maining  copies  furnished  to  the  state  author- 
ities and  the  office  of  the  provost  marshal 
general  at  Washington. 

In  order  then  to  designate  with  the  utmost 
impartiality  the  sequence  in  which  the  regis- 
trants qualified  for  military  service  should 
be  called  as  needed,  a  single  national  drawing 
was  held  on  July  20,  1917,  for  those  who  had 
registered  on  June  5. 

While  it  was  held  in  Washington,  D.  C, 
this  national  drawing  was  a  notable  event  in 
the  history  of  the  lives  of  so  many  Hall 
County  citizens,  that  it  becomes  an  incident  in 
the  history  of  Hall  County. 

Room  No.  226,  the  public  hearing  room  of 
the  United  States  Senate  Office  Building,  was 
the  scene  of  the  first  drawing,  ten  thousand  five 
hundred  numbers  were  drawn,  the  first  capsule 
heing  taken  from  the  glass  bowl  at  9 :30  a.  m., 
Friday,  July  20,  and  the  last  at  2:16  a.  m., 
Saturday,  July  21,  1917;  elapsed  time,  16 
hours,  46  minutes,  and  during  which  time  the 
numbers  were  telegraphed  and  bulletined  all 
over  the  country. 

The  first  few  numbers  drawn  were : 

1.  Newton  D.  Baker,  The  Secretary  of 
War,  258. 

2.  Geo.  E.  Chamberlain,  Senator  from 
Oregon,  chairman,  Committee  on  Military  Af- 
fairs, 2,522. 

3.  S.  Hubert  Dent,  Jr.,  Representative 
from  Alabama,  Chairman  House  Committe  on 
Military  affairs,  9,613. 


4.  Francis  E.  Warren,  Senator  from  Wyo- 
ming, 4,532. 

5.  Julius  Kahn,  Representative  from  Cali- 
fornia, 10,218. 

6.  Tasker  H.  Bliss,  Major  General,  Chief 
of  Staff,  U.  S.  Army,  458. 

7.  Enoch  H.  Crowder,  Provost  Marshal 
General,  U.  S.  Army,  3,403. 

8.  Henry  P.  McCain,  Adjutant  General, 
U.  S.  Army,  10,015. 

The  first  two  numbers  that  affected  Hall 
County  men  were,  No.  258  draw  by  Secre- 
tary Baker,  held  by  Roy  Soderstrom,  and  No. 
458  drawn  by  General  Bliss,  assigned  to  Julius 
Gutschow.  The  eight  men  next  following, 
drawn  from  the  Hall  County  roster  were : 
No.  1,436,  Lewis  Rasmussen ;  854,  Blaine 
Bird;  1,859,  Ernest  Cecil'  Harbert;  1,878, 
Ernest  Abram  Galbraith,  1,095,  Floyd  Rich 
Sopher;  2,022,  Albert  Roy  Wallick;  1,455, 
Norman  A.  Samway  and  783,  Myrhon 
Kraider. 

LATE  SUMMER  AND  EARLY  FALL  OF  1917 
During  August,  1917,  the  Woman's  Com- 
mittee to  the  County  Council  of  Defense  was 
organized  and  got  under  way  with  its  work. 
On  August  30,  a  farewell  reception  was  held 
to  161  drafted  men  who  were  leaving  for 
cantonments.  Labor  Day  was  celebrated 
with  more  than  usual  force,  and  Company  M 
participated  in  the  parade  of  the  day.  On 
September  13,  a  big  meeting  was  held  for  the 
purpose  of  promoting  recuiting  for  a  second 
national  guard  company  for  Grand  Island,  to 
be  a  part  of  the  proposed  Seventh  Nebraska 
Regiment.  On  September  19,  a  demonstra- 
tion was  made  for  sixty-three  men  who  left 
and  the  Ord  boys  were  welcomed  as  they 
reached  this  county. 

On  September  25,  the  supply  company  for 
the  new  Seventh  Regiment  were  mustered  in, 
with  Captain  Irwin  commanding  and  Emil 
Wolbach  as  lieutenant. 

In  October  the  Second  Liberty  Loan  drive 
came  on  and  was  pushed  through  in  a  short 
time.  The  food  pledge  campaign  followed  on 
the  heels  of  the  second  loan.     Hall  County 


zcdbyGoOgl 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


came  out  second  in  the  state  in  the  number 
of  food  pledges,  Dodge  County  leading,  Hall 
County  securing  8,384  and  Lancaster  6^)6. 
Mrs.  Chas  G.  Ryan,  the  chairman  of  this  cam- 
paign conducted  the  work  in  a  manner  that  so 
won  the  attention  of  the  state  food  adminis-  ■ 
tration,  that  when  the  county  chairmen  were 
appointed  for  the  food  administration,  Mrs. 
Ryan  was  the  first,  and  for  a  long  time  the 
only  woman  chairman  appointed  in  the  state. 
LATE  FALL  AND  EARLY  WINTER  WAR  ACTIVITIES 

During  November,  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  cam- 
paign came  on  and  was  pushed  to  a  success- 
ful close.  This  was  at  once  followed  by  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  drive  that  resulted  in 
raising  over  $4,600  in  Grand  Island  and  Wood 
River  raised  $1,300.  During  December,  the 
tobacco  kit  subscription  was  carried  on.  Later 
in  December  the  Red  Cross  seal  contest  came 
on  and  the  various  schools  competed  for  the 
honor  of  selling  the  most. 

December  10  was  the  date  for  the  regis- 
trants of  June  5f  1917,  to  begin  turning  in 
their  questionaires.  On  December  11,  Con- 
gressman Dan  Stephens  of  Fremont,  who  had 
recently  returned  from  a  trip  through  the  war 
zone  m  France  gave  a  large  Grand  Island 
audience  a  first-hand  account  of  conditions 
"over  there."  On  December  13  the  food 
administration's  committee  perfected  a  work- 
ing organization,  and  during  the  last  part  of 
the  month  the  second  general  Red  Cross  drive 
got  under  way. 

At  the  same  time  the  annual  Red  Cross 
seal  drive  took  place  and  the  result  may  fairly 
be  accepted  as  a  barometer  of  the  additional 
interest  in  all  Red  Cross  affairs,  generated  be- 
cause of  the  war.  About  December  7  the 
state  organization  appointed  A.  F.  Buechler 
as  county  chairman  for  the  Christmas  sea! 
drive,  from  the  proceeds  of  which  special  at- 
tention was  to  be  given  to  soldiers  and  po- 
tential soldiers  affected  with  tuberculosis. 
Whereas  the  total  sale  of  the  previous  year 
had  been  slightly  less  than  $100,  the  war-year 
drive  after  a  two  weeks'  campaign  scored  a 
total  of  approximately  $550. 

This  review  marks  the  main  points  of  the 
war  service  activities  at  home  during  the  re- 


mainder of    1917  after  our  country  entered 
the  war. 

THE  QUESTIONAIRES 

Following  the  drawing  on  July  20,  the 
local  selective  board  had  proceeded  during  the 
summer  and  fall  months  to  call  in  groups  of 
registrants  as  their  numbers  were  reached, 
give  them  a  physical  examination,  and  receive 
and  determine  upon  their  claims  for  exemp- 
tion upon  the  various  grounds  designated. 
That  method  of  calling  all  men  as  their  num- 
bers were  reached  and  discharging  or  accept- 
ing rested  upon  the  general  assumption  that 
a  specific  number  of  men  were  known  to  be 
needed  for  military  service  at  a  given  time, 
and,  therefore,  enough  registrants  should  be 
called  by  the  county  board  in  the  sequence  of 
Jheir  order  numbers  and  selected  according  to 
the  laws  and  reglations,  until  a  number  of 
qualified  men  has  been  obtained  equal  to  the 
board's  current  quota,  and  the  remainder  dis- 
charged or  exempted. 

That  plan  was  necessarily  adopted  for  the 
early  stage  of  the  war,  and  proved  effective 
for  the  purpose,  whether  in  all  instances  ab- 
solutely fair  to  all  concerned  or  not.  But 
experience  was  showing  that  it  was  wasteful, 
and  would  grow  more  ineffective  as  the  quotas 
grew  larger  and  speed  became  more  necessary 
in  meeting  the  quotas.  So  late  in  the  year  of 
1917  a  new  method  was  worked  out  by  the 
authorities  of  the  war  department.  This  be- 
came effective  on  December  15,  1917,  at  which 
time  the  first  call  for  687,000  men  had  been 
more  than  filled  by  local  boards  and  a  lull  in 
the  work  presented  the  opportunity  for  chang- 
ing the  plan. 

The  essential  change  was  this:  that  the 
physical  examination  followed,  instead  of  pre- 
ceding, the  determination  of  the  claim  for  dis- 
charge or  exemption.  Second,  the  registrant 
was  required  to  fill  out  a  document  that  will 
always  occupy  a  historical  place  in  American 
life  hereafter,  the  questionaire. 

The  questionaire  was  a  document  of  some 
twenty  pages  which  included  lists  of  questions 
that  all  registrants  must  fill  out;  others  that 
needed  only  be  answered  to  constitute  the 
proof  for  filling  a  claim  for  discharge  or  ex- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


447 


eruption;  and  the  whole  document  covered 
every  angle  of  the  classification  system,  for 
which  it  was  the  basis  of  information  and 
proof.  This  work  occupied  over  three  weeks 
and  called  for  the  assistance  of  not  only  the 
regular  legal  advisory  board,  appointed  by  the 
governor  for  Hall  County,  but  a  large  num- 
ber of  associate  members  of  the  legal  advisory 
board. 

THE    LEGAL   ADVISORY    BOARD 

The  legal  advisory  board  appointed  by 
Governor  Neville  for  Hall  County  was  com- 
posed of  J.  L.  Geary,  Benjamin  J.  Cunning- 
ham and  Judge  Joseph  H.  Mullin.  Assisting 
this  board  during  the  questionaire  season  were 
associate  members  F.  W.  Ashton,  C.  J.  South- 
ard, G.  N.  Hale,  A.  C.  Mayer,  Wm.  Suhr, 
Chas.  G.  Ryan,  W.  H.  Thompson,  Judge  J. 
R.  Hanna,  W.  A.  Prince,  T.  O.  C.  Harrison, 
R.  R.  Horth,  H.  A.  Edwards,  H.  E.  Clifford, 
E.  G.  Kroger,  J.  H.  Wooley,  O.  A.  Abbott. 
Jr.,  A.  L.  Joseph,  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine,  and 
Dale  P.  Stough,  members  of  the  Hall  County 
bar,  and  to  carry  on  the  work  in  the  other 
towns  of  the  county  when  the  questionaires 
were  taken  there,  W.  L.  Sprague,  H.  S.  Eaton, 
D.  D.  O'Kane,  O.  M.  Quackenbush,  Wood 
River;  John  Thomssen,  W.  L.  Kelly,  Alda ;  C. 
M.  Carlson,  C.  M.  Redman,  Doniphan ;  G.  C. 
Raven,  G.  W.  Wingert,  Cairo. 

These  same  members  and  associate  members 
Kted  throughout  the  balance  of  the  war,  with 
i  few  exceptions.  At  the  time  Mr.  Cunning- 
ham was  called  for  service  in  the  fall  of 
1917,  he  resigned  and  Wm.  Suhr  was  made 
i  member  of  the  legal  advisory  board,  just 
lefore  the  signing  of  the  armistice, 

DURING  THE  EARLY  PART  OF  1918 
The  questionaire  work  and  its  resulting 
ttavy  burden  of  classification  reached  over 
Mo  1918  and  took. up  part  of  January.  On 
bnuary  3,  the  railroad  administration  of  the 
government  Which  was  now  operating  the 
Jnion  Pacific,  the  St.  Joe  &  G.  I.,  and  the 
Jurlington  issued  an  order  combining  all  of 
ke  switching  work  at  Grand  Island,  under 
he  charge  of  the  Union  Pacific  division.  The 


inspection   of   government   purchased   horses 
i  was  resumed  at  that  time. 

On  January  18,  Sergeant  Joe  Martin  one  of 
Hall  County's  own  boys,  came  up  from  Camp 
Funston,  delegated  to  raise  a  fund  of  $2,000 
for  a  gymnasium  at  the  camp.  He  was  as- 
signed Grand  Island,  Hastings  and  Kearney, 
and  presented  the  matter  to  a  public  meeting 
of  Grand  Island  citizens,  with  the  view  of  rais- 
ing $1,000  of  this  fund  in  Hall  County.  This 
meeting  organized  for  that  campaign,  of  which 
president  Chester  Pederson  of  the  Grand  Is- 
land Home  Guards  took  charge,  and  also  or- 
ganized the  War  Activities  committee,  of 
which  more  will  be  said  in  a  separate  part 
of   the  chapter  assigned  to  that  work. 

During  the  month  previous,  in  December, 
1917,  S.  N.  Wolbach  had  been  appointed 
chairman  of  the  War  Savings  Stamp  Cam- 
paign for  Hall  County.  In  January  he 
appointed  his  various  assistants  and  began  the 
educational  feature  and  preliminary  drive  of 
the  campaign. 

During  January,  1918,  the  food  administra- 
tor began  the  daily  publication  of  a  weekly 
schedule  of  fair  prices  on  approximately  thirty 
staple  articles  of  food,  affected  by  govern-  ■ 
ment  regulations.  In  February  an  investiga- 
tion was  made  by  the  food  administration  of 
violation  of  the  flour  allowance  regulations 
and  action  taken.  On  February  12  an  investi- 
gation was  made  by  the  Council  of  Defense  of 
rather  severe  and  serious  rumors  which  a  cer- 
tain party  was  circulating  against  the  fuel 
and  food  administrators,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Chas. 
G.  Ryan,  and  which  proved  to  be  absolutely 
without  foundation. 

It  is  not  within  the  province  of  this  histor- 
ical presentation  of  the  war  activities  of  Hall 
County  |to  go  into  detail  as  to  the  many 
groundless  and  false  rumors  that  sprang  up: 
on  the  one  hand  about  almost  every  person 
who  was  active  in  war  activities  and  concern- 
ing many  of  whom  it  was  thought  they  might 
be  more  active  in  various  war  projects  and, 
on  the  other  hand,  about  almost  every  person 
whose  name  indicated  that  he  was  of  German 
birth  or  ancestry,  regardless  of  the  fealty  to 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  country's  cause  shown  by  the  object  of 
such  calumies,  further  than  to  say  it  took  up 
a  great  deal  of  time  and  energy  of  the  council 
of  defense  and  other  civilian  organizations 
to  investigate  these  and  ascertain  the  merit 
in  them.  In  some  instances,  the  very  investi- 
gation acted  as  an  incentive  to  other  results 
that  did  materially  aid  the  various  campaigns. 
In  other  instances  such  investigations  acted 
as  a  check  against  division  and  discord  re- 
sulting from  false  accusation. 

The  War  Savings  campaign  progressed 
throughout  February  and  until  March  22, 
when  the  quota  was  subscribed.  On  February 
28  the  citizens  of  Hall  County  received  another 
oportunity  to  listen  to  first-hand  accounts  of 
conditions  across  the  water,  when  President 
Ray  Lyman  Wilbur  of  Leland  Stanford  Uni- 
versity, Senator  Everett  Colby  of  New  Jersey 
and  Mrs.  Max  Meyer  of  Iowa  visited  Grand 
Island,  representing  Herbert  C.  Hoover  and 
the  food  administration. 

DURING  THE  SPRING  OF  1918 

It  was  during  the  Third  Liberty  Bond 
drive,  in  March,  that  the  dark,  dismal  days 
came  over  the  whole  world  as  the  Germans 
were. advancing  toward  Paris  at  a  startling 
speed.  This  German  drive  began  on  March 
21,  and  continued  for  weeks  until  the  tide 
turned  in  May,  at  Chauteau  Thierry.  Dur- 
ing the  first  week  of  April  a  very  successful 
fair  was  held  on  behalf  of  the  Red  Cross, 
at  the  new  Glass-Evans  building.  On  April 
12  Hall  County  received  a  genuine  treat  on 
the  occasion  of  a  visit  from  the  355th  Regi- 
mental Band  of  Camp  Funston,  oi  which 
Reed  L.  Harrison,  a  Hall  County  boy,  was 
assistant  band  leader. 

Early  in  April,  1918,  publication  was  made 
of  the  fact  that  out  of  2,208  men  who  regis- 
tered on  June  5,  1917,  only  seventy-nine  had 
been  delinquent  in  returning  their  question- 
aires,  or  appearing  for  examination  upon 
call.  In  a  few  days  this  number  was  reduced 
to  sixty-eight,  a  rather  small  percentage,  con- 
sidering the  number  of  transients  and  tem- 
porary residents  who  would  register  in  a  city 


of  the  industrial  and  commercial  proportions 
of  Grand  Island. 

On  April  19,  1918,  the  community  of  Grand 
Island  was  saddened  by  the  burial  of  Private 
Benjamin  Deuel,  of  the  127th  Field  Artillery, 
Camp  Deming,  New  Mexico. 

On  April  27  the  county  council  of  defense 
held  a  very  strenuous  session  at  which  an 
investigation  was  made  of  chacges  against  a 
certain  citizen.  The  result  was  that  this  party 
was  induced  to  purchase  $500  in  Liberty 
Bonds  and  market  300  bushels  of  wheat  he 
had  been  withholding  in  defiance  of  the  re- 
quest of  the  government  through  the  food  ad- 
ministration. Another  hearing  was  set  for  the 
following  Saturday.  Mention  is  made  of  one 
or  two  of  these  instances  merely  to  direct 
attention  to  one  of  the  disagreeable  features 
of  the  war  activities  that  some  civilian  organi- 
zation had  to  undertake,  not  only  in  Hal 
County,  but  in  all  communities  throughout 
country,  as  a  matter  of  precaution,  and  in . 
County  the  burden  of  this  task  fell  upon  the 
county  council  of  defense.  That  this  work  could 
be  handled  so  quietly  and  expeditiously,  s 
a  general  way,  it  was  handled,  speaks  well  far 
the  general  patriotic  response  that  the  citiza«'- 
of  the  county  as  a  whole  tendered  during  the 
war  period. 
,  On  May  3  twenty-seven  men  departed  for 
camp,  with  Oscar  F.  Roeser  in  charge.  Many 
groups  and  detachments  left  for  camps  and 
cantonments  during  the  nineteen  months  of 
active  participation  in  the  war,  but  it  probably 
fell  to  the  lot  of  this  first  group  of  men  who 
left  each  county  in  the  early  part  of  May  to 
be  switched  into  camp,  and  hardly  given  time 
to  become  accustomed  to  camp  or  cantonment 
life,  before  they  were  moved  to  embarkation 
ports,  hurried  to  France  and  used  to  fill  in 
depleted  or  short  regiments  and  hurried  into 
action,  alt  within  a  period  of  time  varying 
from  a  month  to  six  weeks  of  the  time  they 
left  home.  Instances  may  be  found  of  many 
men  enlisted  and  got  into  action  as  quickly, 
but  the  contingents  that  went  early  in  May. 
from  Nebraska,  became  a  part  of  the  89th 
Division.     That   division   eventually  attained 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


449 


a  record  for  participation  in  battles,  in  num- 
ber and  ferocity,  eclipsed  by  not  more  than  a 
half  a  dozen  divisions  of  the  American  army 
in  France. 

During  May  the  home  guards  were  meet- 
ing with  good  success  on  their  presentation 
fund  and  managed  to  meet  the  trains  that 
took  away  boys  who  were  leaving  and  present 
them  with  some  useful  token  of  the  departure. 

May  13  the  high  school  of  Grand  Island 
dedicated  a  service  flag  with  112  stars,  and 
listened  to  addresses  by  Mayor  Geary,  Hon. 


part  offset  for  Hall  County  by  liberal  increases 
in  the  pay  of  railroad  employees,  who  form 
a  noticeable  percentage  of  the  population  of 
Grand  Island. 

THE  LAST  LAP 
On  September  28  the  Fourth  Liberty  Loan 
drive  was  opened.  On  October  7  the  Fourth 
Liberty  Loan  Special  visited  Grand  Island  and 
a  vast  concourse  of  people  listened  to  ad- 
dresses by  Ex-Senator  Norris  Brown,  and 
direct  appeals  by  an  American  sergeant  who 


C.  G.  Ryan  and  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine.  On 
June  2d,  as  a  result  of  prior  steps  volun- 
tarily taken,  the  Liederkranz  Society  of  Grand 
Island  met,  changed  its  constitution,  dropped 
the  German  as  its  official  language  and  adopted 
the  American  tongue  for  all  phases  of  its 
activities. 

On  June  2,  the  second  action  was  taken 
that  reminded  the  people  of  Central  Nebraska 
that  the  railroads  were  under  government 
operation.  Four  trains  each  way,  daily,  were 
taken  off  on  the  Union  Pacific  main  line  and 
the  motor  service  on  the  Ord  branch  discon- 
tinued. Increases  of  50%  and  an  8%  war 
tax  upon  passenger  fares;  increase  amount- 
ing to  83%  upon  handling  baggage,  and  a 
flat  increase  of  25%  upon  all  freight  rates 
went  into  effect  about  this  time,  and  were  in 


had  sustained  the  loss  of  a  limb  in  the  St. 
Mihiel  sector,  and  a  British  lieutenant  who 
had  been  through  campaigns  for  four  years. 

THE  FOURTH  REGISTRATION 
The  fourth  registration  was  held  on  Sep- 
tember 12,  1918.  At  that  time  2,760  citizens 
of  Hall  County  between  the  ages  of  18  and  21, 
and  31  and  45  stepped  up  and  filled  out  their 
registration  cards. 

Divided  as  to  precincts  the  registration  was 
as  follows :  Lake,  61 ;  Prairie  Creek,  34 ; 
Mayfield,  85 ;  South  Loup,  45 ;  Cameron,  64 ; 
Harrison,  72;  Center,  68;  Washington  No.  1, 
90;  Washington  No.  2,  17;  Alda,  83;  Wood 
River,  156;  Jackson,  100;  Martin,  51;  South 
Platte,  63;  Doniphan,  128;  Grand  Island  No. 
1,  340;  No.  2,  177;  No.  3,  211;  No.  4,  361 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


No.  5,  226  and  No.  6,  216.  In  addition  112 
traveling  men,  railroad  men  and  others  regis- 
tered with  County  Clerk  Lyle.  Two  thousand 
three  hundred  eighty-one  of  the  2,760  were 
native  born  residents  of  the  United  States,  or 
more  than  86  per-cent,  a  fact  which  somewhat 
disputes  the  tendency  of  some  to  label  Hall 
County  a  foreign-populated  county.  There 
were  in  addition  108  registrants  who  had  been 
naturalized,  56  because  their  father  was 
naturalized  before  they  became  of  age ;  106 
were  aliens  who  had  taken,  out  their  first 
papers  and  109  were  aliens  who  had  made  no 
declaration.  This  made  a  showing  that  more 
than  92  per  cent  of  the  registrants  were  citi- 
zens, and  less  than  four  per-cent,  non-declar- 
ant aliens.  Divided  as  to  color  and  race, 
2,724  registrants  were  white,  27  negroes, 
eight  were  orientals,  and  one  an  Italian  citi- 


VARIOUS  REGISTRATIONS 

On  June  5,  1918,  occurred  the  second  regis- 
tration for  military  service.  On  this  first 
anniversary  of  ,the  original  registration  all 
young  men  who  had  reached  the  age  of  21 
since  June  5,  1917,  registered.  The  second 
drawing  was  held  on  June  27.  The  number 
of  registrants  in  Hall  County  on  June  5,  1918. 
was  154,  while  a  later  registration  on  August 
24  of  those  whe  became  twenty-one  during  the 
intervening  six  or -seven  weeks,  brought  forth 
24  registrants. 

On  June  17  a  general  registration  of  women 
for  war  purposes  was  held.  On  June  15  under 
the  auspices  of  the  council  of  defense  and 
county  agricultural  agent  all  men  were  asked 
to  register  and  fill  out  a  short  questionaire, 
so  a  list  might  be  available  of  all  potential 
farm-labor  if  assistance  was  needed  for  emerg- 
ency work.  This  registration  brought  a  very 
complete  response,  but  it  was  necessary  to  call 
upon  the  business  and  professional  men  of 
Grand  Island  and  other  towns  in  the  county 
to  respond. 

Grand  Island  College  was  saddened  by  its 
first  gold  star,  upon  the  death  of  Lieut.  Gros- 
venor  P.  Cather,  who  had  been  commissioned 


at  the  Officers  Training  Camp  at  Fort  Snelling, 


and  gone  to  Europe  shortly  thereafter.  On 
July  22,  69  men  left  in  one  contingent  for 
Camp  Dodge,  under  direction  of  Walter  H. 
Sinke,  with  Geo.  E.  Funk  of  Doniphan,  Donald 
Hanna,  and  Frank  Scoville,  as  assistants. 

On  August  18  another  echo  of  the  railroad; 
being  upon  the  war  basis  came  with  an  order 
to  consolidate  the  handling  of  all  freight  in 
and  out  of  Grand  Island  through  the  Union 
Pacific  offices  and  depots.  The  Red  Cross 
canteen  service,  which  had  been  organized 
earlier  in  the  summer,  was  now  working  full 
force,  and  the  Red  Cross  work-rooms  were 
going  at  full  steam. 

THE  THIRD  DRAWING 
While  the  armistice  arrived  at  a  timely  mo- 
ment  that  rendered  it  unnecessary  to  call  upon 
the  men  of  31  to  45,  and  in  Hall  County  saved 
those  of  18  to  21  from  call,  the  drawing  that 
determined  the  order  of  these  2,760  registrants 
ranked  next  in  interest  to  the  first  drawing  in 
July,  1917.  This  third  drawing  was  held  in 
the  caucus  room  of  the  senate  office  building- 
There  were  17,000  numbers  drawn,  the  first 
capsule  being  taken  from  the  same  glass  bowl 
that  had  been  used  in  the  first  drawing  at 
noon,  Monday,  September  30,  and  the  last  at 
8  a.  m.,  Tuesday,  October  1,  1918,  elapsed 
time,  twenty  hours.  The  first  fifteen  capsules 
were  drawn  by  the  government  officials,  and 
the  numbered  drawn  when  low  enough  to 
affect  Hall  County  were  held  by  the  following 
Hall  County  Registrants: 

1.  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  No.  322. 
Paul  Roy  Ofield;  (1). 

2.  Vice  President  Thomas  R.  Marshall, 
No.  7277. 

3.  President  pro-tempore  of  Senate,  Sena- 
tor William  Saulsbury,  of  Delaware,  No.  6708. 

4.  Speaker  Champ  Clark,  House  of 
Representatives,  No.  1027,  by  Thomas  Joseph 
Bulger.  (2) 

5.  Secretary  of  Navy,  Josephus  Daniels, 
No.  16,169. 

6.  Acting  Secretary  of  War,  Benjamin 
Crowell,  8,366. 

7.  Senator  Geo.  E.  Chamberlain  of  Ore- 
gon, 5,366. 

Ug-zoabyUOOgle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


8.  Senator  Senator  Francis  E.  Warren  of 
Wyoming,   1,697,  Rimer  Hargins.  (3) 

9.  Representative  Dent  of  Alabama,  7,123. 

10.  Representative  Julius  Kahn,  California, 
2,781,  Thos.  Kolb.  (4) 

11.  General  Peyton  C.  March,  Chief  of 
Staff,  U.  S.  Army,  9,283. 

12.  Admiral    Wm.    S.    Benson,    chief    of 
operations,   U.   S.   Navy,  6,147. 

,    13.     Lieut.  Gen.  Samuel  B.  M.  Young  of 
U.  S.  Army,  retired,  10,086. 

14.  Provost   Marshal   General   Enoch    H. 
Crowder,  438,  Emil  A.  Graf. 

15.  Col.  Chas.  B.  Warren,  Judge  Advocate 
Army,  904,  Harry  A.  Hirman. 

THE   HAPPIEST  DAY   HALL  COUNTY  EVER   KNEW 

During  October,  preparations  were  made 
to  send  an  unusually  heavy  contingent  of  men, 
but  the  Spanish  influenza  epidemic  which  was 
then  raging  in  the  various  cantonments  and 
spreading  rapidly  to  the  civilian  population, 
necessitated  another  postponement  of  the  call. 
On  November  4  the  United  War  Work  fund 
drive  was  inaugurated  and  Chairman  Thomas 
E.  Bradstreet  and  Vice-Chairman  Slusser 
were  making  good  daily  progress.  On  Novem- 
ber 7  came  a  false  report  that  the  armistice 
had  been  signed.  With  repeated  announce- 
ments from  The  Independent  that  no  official 
confirmation  had  been  secured  from  the  gov- 
ernment circles  by  the  Associated  Press,  a 
celebration  was  withheld.  Although  one  other 
false  alarm  leaked  out,  and  it  became  known 
that  other  cities  were  celebrating,  no  pande- 
monium started  in  Grand  Island,  such  as  many 
neighboring  towns  indulged  in  on  that  day. 
But  at  2:30  on  the  morning  of  November  11, 
1918,  the  official  word  was  received  that  the 
armistice  had  been  signed,  and  Hall  County 
gut  up  out  of  bed  en  masse  and  started  in  on 
the  wildest,  happiest  day  known  in  its  sixty- 
one  years  of  settlement,  and  there  was  ample 
occasion  for  the  joy  that  raged  unrestrained 
all  that  day  and  the  following  night.  It  was 
not  a  celebration  with  a  program  of  speeches, 
out  the  whistles  were  tied  down  and  blew  for 
hours  in  Grand  Island,  everything  stopped  and 


everbody  showed  up  in  town  and  there  was 
one  continuous  parade  all  day  in  each  town 
of  the  county. 

THE   HALL   COUNTY   CHAPTER  OF  THE 
AMERICAN  RED  CROSS 

One  of  the  brightest  chapters  in  the  history 
of  every  American  county  during  the  period 
of  the  Great  World  War  will  be  the  noble 
response  made  to  every  call  of  the  American 
Red  Cross.  And  nowhere  will  this  be  more 
true  than  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 


Tank  at  Grand  Island 

The  first  meeting  held  with  a  purpose  of 
forming  a  local  chapter  of  the  Red  Cross  was 
on  April  10,  1917,  in  the  Guild  room  of  the 
St.  Stephen's  Episcopal  church,  in  Grand  Is- 
land. Temporary  officers  chosen  there  were 
president,  Mrs.  L.  A.  Arthur ;  first  vice-presi- 
dent, Mrs.  W.  R.  Stearns ;  second  vice-presi- 
dent, Mrs.  C.  G.  Ryan;  third  vice-president, 
Mrs.  C.  H.  Tully;  fourth  vice-president,  Mrs, 
Aug.  Meyer;  secretary,  Mrs.  Arthur  Glade;, 
treasurer,  Mrs.  W.  R.  King.  Steps  were  taken1 
to  ask  for  a  charter  for  a  local  chapter.  T^fi 
meeting  was  held  about  four  days  aftei 
official  declaration  of  war  had  been  mrfcle,  so 
the  work  started  about  as  early  as  it  would 
have  been  possible. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


*ry  was  made  within  the  next 
t  an  organization  of  the  men 
essary   in   the    formation   of   a 

so  on  April  14  a  meeting  was 
loehler  Hotel  in  Grand  Island!, 
he  following  gentlemen :  Fred 
•ayard  H.  Paine,  L.  H.  Donald, 
orth,    Elmer    Williams,    J.    R. 

Tully,  J.  L.  Cieary,  C.  C.  Han- 
rininger,  W.  H.  Thompson,  E. 
I  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr.  A  temporary 
vas  effected  by  the  election  of 
is  as  chairman  and  C.  W.  Brin- 
ary.  This  meeting  was  addressed 
.   Bentley,   of   Chicago,   a   field 

the  American  Red  Cross.  It 
>propriate  that  the  man  who 
\  the  purposes  and  methods  of 
ss  organization  at  these  early 
lid  be  a  man,  who  had  been 
id  Island  and  educated  in  Grand 
:  schools.  Mr.  Bentley  is  a  son 
harles  F.  Bentley  of  this  city, 
ar  Mr.  Bentley  dropped  private 
:voted  his  time  to  the  work  of 
s  as  chairman  for  the  state  of 
was  a  close  assistant  to  J.  R. 
rman  of  the  Great  Lakes  dis- 

1RAND   ISLAND  CHAPTER 

equest  was  -made  for  a  charter 
Df  this  meeting.  The  officers 
e  new  chapter,  were:  Charles 
lirman,  Mrs.  Louis  A  Arthur, 
.   C.   C.   Hansen,   treasurer,   C. 

secretary, 
ing  were  elected  as  an  execu- 
e,  of  nine  members:  Chas  G. 
Brininger,  Fred  W.  Ashton, 
:h,  C.  H.  Tully,  L.  H.  Donald, 
er,  Richerd  Goehring,  Sr.,  and 
f- 

a  committee  consisting  of  F.  W, 
I.  Thompson  and  C.  W.  Brin- 
xiinted  to  select  a  representative 
:tors  throughout  the  county. 

OF  COUNTY  ROARD  OF  DIRECTORS 
eeting  was  held  at  the  Court 
nd  Island  on  April  16,  1917,  at 


which  time  addresses  were  made  by  Hon 
Chas.  G.  Ryan,  Hon.  F.  W.  Ashton,  Mayor 
J.  L.  Cieary  and  District  Judge  Bayard  H.  ' 
Paine,  explaining  the  aims  of  the  Red  Cross. 
The  board  of  directors  chosen  for  the 
county  were :  A.  D.  Burger,  Doniphan,  D.  D. 
O'Kane,  Wood  River,  John  Thomssen,  Alda, 
C.  Hugo  Hehnke,  Cairo,  Robert  Taylor,  Ab- 
bot, Mrs.  W.  H.  Laughlin,  Mrs.  Hettide  D. 
Boehm,  Bayard  H.  Paine,  Ralph  R.  Horth, 
Wilmer  Williams,  Dr.  Geo.  Roeder,  J.  L. 
Cieary,  J.  R.  Geddes,  C.  C.  Hansen,  W.  H. 
Thompson,  E.  L.  Brown,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr., 
Thos  E.  Bradstreet,  Henry  Schuff,  J.  L  How- 
land,  J.  D.  Whitmore,  J.  E.  Hanna,  Fred 
W.Shultz. 

women's  executive  committee 
On  the  same  day  a  second  meeting  was 
held  by  the  women  to  form  an  executive  com- 
mittee of  women  to  carry  on  their  phases  of 
this  Red  Cross  and  other  war  work.  Those 
selected  from  the  various  organizations  of 
the  city  to  assume  this  task  were:  Trinity 
M.  E.  church,  Mrs  C.  B.  Helling;  Lieder- 
kranz  Society,  Mrs  H.  Stratman ;  Y.  W.  C.  A., 
(its  General  Secretary)  Miss  Emma  Sheeley; 
Howard  School  Mother's  Club,  Mrs  B.  F. 
Davis;  Christian  church,  Mrs  E.  E.  Mack; 
St.  Mary's  (Catholic)  Alter  Guild,  Mrs.  We 
Laughlin ;  Cangregational  church,  Mrs.  AI. 
Rasmussen;  Missionary  Society,  First  Metho- 
dist, Dr.  Edith  S.  Spence;  Aid  Society  oE 
First  Methodist,  Mrs.  D.  H.  Carson;  Park 
Association,  Mrs.  A.  F.  Buechler;  Lutheran 
Aid  Society,  Mrs  Guy  Harrison ;  Book  Club. 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Brown;  St.  Cecelia's  Society 
(Musical),  Miss  Edith  Boyden;  Civic  League, 
Mrs.  L.  Donald;  Ladies  Guild  (St.  Stephen's 
Episcopal),  Mrs.  F.  W.  Ashton;  U.  C.  C 
Mrs.  A.  L.  Snider;  Eastern  Star,  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Edwards;  Presbyterian  Society,  Mrs.  August 
Meyer. 

It  is  not  out  of  place  to  divert  at  this  point 
long  enough  to  emphasize  that  for  the  next 
nineteen  months  these  various  organizations 
devoted  practically  their  entire  efforts  to  Red 
Cross  and  various  other  war  work  activities. 
Lodges  merely  kept  their  formal  organizations 
EX,   zeo  by  G00gle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


working,  many  of  the  societies  cancelled  their 
meetings  altogether,  and  guilds  and  societies 
transferred  their  meetings  at  the  hours  they 
had  usually  held  them  to  the  Red  Cross  work 
rooms  and  worked  there,  and  abandoned  their 
discussions  of  church,  musical,  other  civic  or 
general  work  they  had  been  carrying  on,  and 
subordinated  these  matters  inasfar  as  practical 
and  possible  to  the  tasks  assigned  to  the  Red 
Cross  chapter.  Social  features  were  prac- 
tically abandoned  in  these  societies,  and  gen- 
erally through  the  community  were  greatly 
curtailed. 

GETTING   STARTED   ON    THE    WORK 

The  men's  committee,  the  regular  directors 
of  the  Red  Cross,  met  on  May  2,  May  11  and 
22,  June  1,  June  11,  June  12,  and  June  29. 
The  women's  executive  committee  met  on 
April  16,  May  2,  May  5,  May  31,  June  11,  so 
it  will  be  seen  that  the  local  organization  at 
once  went  to  work.  Steps  were  taken  in 
May  toward  organizing  a  first  aid  committee, 
and  a  committee  on  instructions  to  the  women 
was  assigned  by  the  directors  to  consult  with 
the  ladies'  organization,  with  full  power  to 
act.  The  matter  of  purchasing  supplies  was 
left  to  the  ladies'  committee  with  the  request 
that  they  co-operate  with  L.  H.  Donald,  a 
wholesale  drygoods  merchant  of  Grand  Is- 
land, who  undertook  the  responsibility  of  pur- 
1  chasing  agent  for  the  chapter. 

The  matter  of  organizing  for  a  membership 
campaign  was  next  taken  up,  and  J.  L.  How- 
land  selected  as  chairman  of  the  membership, 
campaign  committee  with  full  power  to  divide 
the  county  into  districts  and  appoint  sub- 
committees. Action  was  taken  to  lend  the 
ladies'  committee  financial  assistance  in  se- 
curing the  services  of  a  lady  sent  by  the 
Denver  organization  or  office  to  assist  them 
in  forming  their  working  organization. 

Later  in  May,  steps  were  taken  toward  the 
organization  of  a  council  of  defense  for  Hall 
County.  Messrs.  Ryan,  Ashton,  Geary,  Kauf- 
man and  Howland  were  appointed  as  the  com- 
mittee which  formed  the  organization  of  the 
Hall  County  council  of  defense. 

On  June  1,  1917,  Edgar  A.  Burton  of  Den- 


ver was  present  and  explai: 
and  requirements  in  raising 
of  $100,000,000. 

MEMBERSHIP  AND  FINANCI 

The  campaign  week  was  fi? 
al  chapter  at  June  18  to  25, 
tive  committee  of  seven  mem 
to  handle  this  membership  ■ 
county:  Ralph  R.  Horth,  , 
J.  L.  Howland,  C.  H.  Tully 
Richard  Goehring  and  Bish 
The  publicity  committee  chc 
Buechler,  Grand  Island  Ind 
Quackenbush,  Wood  River 
Mehaffie,  Cairo  Record,  W.  ] 
Wasmer,  Grand  Island  Here 

The  campaing  was  carriec 
derful  success.  Mr.  Ashtor 
man,  Mr.  Howland  vice-chai 
as  secretary,  and  Mr.  Whitim 
outside  of  Grand  Island, 
teams  were  selected  and  eig 
zens  volunteered  their  time 
The  finanical  results  of  the  t 
follows : 

Grand  Island  City 

Wood  River  Twp 

Jackson  Twp. 

Doniphan  Twp 

Mayfield  Twp 

South  Loup  Twp 

Harrison  Twp 

Center  Twp 

Prairie  Creek  Twp 

South  Platte  Twp 

Cameron  Twp 

Washington  No.  1 

Lake  Twp 

Alda  Twp 

Washington  No.  2 

Martin  Twp 

Total    

In  discharging  the  cleric; 
in  such   a  campaign,    Mrs. 


by  Google 


454 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


volunteered  to  assist  the  committee,  and  Mr. 
J.  F.  Matthews,  principal  of  high  school  acted 
as  cashier,  enabling  compliance  with  the  re- 
quirements of  daily  reports  and  deposit  of 
receipts  in  the  name  of  the  American  Red 
Cross  each  day. 

RECORD  OF  HALL  COUNTY  MEN  IN 
MILITARY  SERVICE 
In  June,  1917,  a  committee  of  four,  with 
O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr..  as  chairman  was  desig- 
nated to  keep  record  of  the  names  of  all  boys 
enlisted,  and  later  inducted,  into  any  branch 
of  the  war  service  from  this  county.  It 
might  be  remarked  that  the  work  of  this  com- 
mittee, later  voluntarily  taken  over  by  the 
■Daily  Independent,  when  the  work  began  to 
involve  more  detail  than  was  expected,  and 
because  of  its  better  facilities  for  handling  it, 
resulted  in  such  a  thorough  task  that  Hall 
County  has  a  roster  of  over  1,200  men  who 
went  into  service. 

FURTHER  STEPS  TAKEN 

Steps  were  taken  by  the  chapter  to  have 
$5,000  of  the  thirty-one  thousand  dollars 
raised  in  the  recent  campaign  appropriated  to 
the  Grand  Island  chapter.  Work  was  being 
instituted  each  week  that  required  funds;  the 
materials  and  supplies,  including  surgical 
dressings,  yarn,  hospital  garments  and  other 
supplies  for  the  ladies'  auxiliary  in  its  work 
in  the  rooms  on  the  second  floor  of  the  U.  S. 
Post  Office  building,  where  scores  assembled 
each  day  and  worked  for  hours.  Civilian  re- 
lief came  for  families  of  soldiers  in  service 
and  canteen  purposes  came  on  a  little  later. 

Several  additions  should  be  made  to  the  list 
of  the  Women's  Executive  Committee.  Mrs. 
W.  R.  King,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Stevens,  Mrs  C.  G. 
Ryan  and  Mrs.  C.  H.  Tully,  officers  of  first 
meeting.  Miss  Chairrie  Paine  of  W.  C.  T.  U., 
Mrs.  J.  C.  Froyer,  Women's  Relief  Corps, 
and  Mrs.  L.  S.  Moore,  of  Baptist  Church, 
should  be  included. 

PROGRESS  OF  WORK  OF  CHAPTER 

On  October  22,   1917,  the  first  change  in 

the  official  roster  of   the  working  organiza- 


tion of  the  chapter  was  made,  when  the  resig- 
nation of  L.  H.  Donald  as  purchasing  agent 
was  accepted.  The  resignation  of  Mrs.  L.  A. 
Arthur,  as  vice-chairman  was  later  made  nec- 
essary by  the  condition  of  her  mother's  health. 
Mrs.  Arthur  and  Mr.  Brininger  were  selected 
as  delegates  to  represent  the  chapter  at  a  con- 
ference of  Nebraska  chapters  at  Omaha  on 
October  31st. 

The  report  of  the  secretary  on  October  10 
showed  receipts  from  membership  of  7  life 
members,  2  sustaining  members,  9  contribut- 
ing members,  216  subscribing  and  2,523  annual 
members,  or  a  total  of  2/57  memberships, 
amounting  to  $3,195  and  donations  of  $1,- 
490.47,  or  a  balance  of  $4,685.47.  Expendi- 
tures were:  amount  turned  over  to  National 
American  Red  Cross  to  cover  memberships, 
$1,800.50,  merchandise  for  women's  work 
room,  $1,289.01,  instruction  expense  for 
women's  committee,  $32.35;  red  cross  pins. 
$23.60,  miscellaneous  items,  $9.00,  leaving  a 
balance  then  on-hand  $1,531.01. 

HALL  COUNTY  CHAPTER 
In  compliance  with  a  communication  from 
State  Director  Frank  W.  Judson,  the  name 
was  changed  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  Chap- 
ter. Thereafter  the  local  organizations  in  the 
other  towns  were  auxiliaries  to  the  count)' 
chapter.  Another  digression  might  be  par- 
doned to  mention  the  fact  that  the  state  direc- 
tor, Mr.  Judson,  now  a  very  prominent,  suc- 
cessful man  in  Nebraska  business  circles  and 
in  1918  elected  a  member  of  the  board  of 
regents  of  Nebraska  State  University  by  the 
people  of  this  state,  during  the  late  'eighties 
conducted  a  grocery  store  in  Grand  Island, 
and  has  always  held  a  sincere  personal  interest 
in  our  city  through  the  quarter-century  or  so 
that  has  passed  since  he  left  here. 

In  January,  ,1918,  the  'following  civilian 
relief  committee  was  appointed :  L.  T.  Greer, 
chairman,  a  member  of  the  county  board  of 
supervisors ;  other  county  supervisors,  Win. 
Stoeger,  Cairo,  Fred  J.  Miller  Wood  River, 
and  W.  H.  McDowell,  Doniphan,  and  Mrs. 
J.  E.  Hanna,  Miss  Emma  Sheeley  and  Mrs. 
E.  C.  Burger.     Further  steps  were  taken  to- 


^ooglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


455 


■ward  the  organization  of  auxiliaries  in  the 
■various  towns  of  the  county.  Auxiliaries  were 
formed  at  Cairo  (Liberty  Auxiliary)  No.  1, 
Mrs.  Susie  Robinson,  chairman,  Mrs.  Ella 
Alford,  treasurer,  Mrs.  Mabel  Baird,  secre- 
tary, Mesdames  Dove,  E.  Brown,  C.  Hugo 
Hehnke,  J.  E.  Cox,  C.  Congrave,  Wm. 
Schlund,  Susie  Spousler,  W.  B.  Waite,'  organ- 
ized June  29,  1918.  No.  2,  Doniphan  auxil- 
iary, organized  June  13,  with  Mrs.  J.  P. 
Button,  chairman,  Kate  Timmons,  secretary 
and  treasurer,  Mesdames  P.  L.  Wolfe,  Daisy 
Frank,  G.  W.  Wagner,  Annabelle  Wilte,  H. 
J.  McLaughlin,  Belle  Quiglle,  Kate  Clamo, 
A.  A.  Beagle,  A.  D.  Burger  and  H.  E.  John- 
ston. No.  3,  Lutheran  Trinity  society.  Grand 
Island,  Anna  Gloe,  chairman,  Ella  Bosen- 
koelter,  treasurer,  Matilda  Scheffel,  secretary. 

BASE  HOSPITAL  WORK 

Late  in  1917,  the  chapter  took  steps  to  appro- 
priate $500  toward  the  expense  of  the  organ- 
ization and  equipment  of  a  base  hospital,  and 
the  secretary  was  authorized  to  forward  a 
check  for  that  amount  to  C.  A.  Hull,  1200 
First  National  Bank  building,  Omaha.  Later 
a  similar  amount  was  appropriated  to  this  same 
purpose  by  the  Hall  County  chapter. 

EXTENSION  OF  CHAPTER  WORK 
Beyond  the  formation  of  the  three  regularly 
oraginzed  auxiliaries  noted  above,  the  work 
was  carried  on  through  local  organizations  or 
groups  of  workers,  who  assisted  the  county 
chapter  very  materially,  at  Wood  River,  where 
Mrs.  Carrie  Abbott,  and  Mrs.  H.  W.  Slawson, 
were  leading  workers ;  Alda,  where  Miss  Pearl 
Balmat  and  Miss  Agnes  McLellan  were  among 
the  leading  workers,  and  the  Cameron  workers, 
under  leadership  of  Mrs.  C.  O.  Jameyson. 
Miss  Kate  Fanning  later  served  as  secretary- 
treasurer  of  Doniphan  auxiliary. 

EXECUTIVE  COMMITTEE'S  WORK 
The  executive  committee  of  the  Hall  County 
Chapter  held  one  or  two  meetings  each  month 
during  the  entire  year,  1918.  In  February 
the  resignation  of  Mrs.  Arthur  as  vice-chair- 
man was  accepted.     In  March,  the  heads  of 


the  departments  and  instructors  of  classes  in 
the  women's  work  rooms,  to  whom  the  selec- 
tion of  her  successor  had  been  delegated,  re- 
ported that  they  had  selected  Mrs.  J.  H.  Mer- 
nam,  but  Mrs.  Merriam  could  not  accept  the 
position  permanently.  The  work  was  then 
placed  in  the  charge  of  Mrs.  D.  H.  Carson, 
with  Mrs.  J.  L.  Edwards  assisting  in  the  cleri- 
cal duties  of  the  office,  until  May  10,  when 
Mrs.  Carson  was  elected  vice-chairman,  and 
Mrs.  Edwards  continued  as  her  assistant  in 
the  office  clerical  duties.  In  March  J.  L.  How- 
land  resigned  on  account  of  removal  from  the 
city.  A  vote  of  thanks  was  tendered  by  the 
executive  committee  to  Mr.  Howland  for  his 
efficient  service  as  chairman  of  the  member- 
ship committee-  In  April,  R.  R.  Horth,  chair- 
man of  the  war  activities  committee  was  re- 
quested to  take  charge  of  the  management  of 
the  war  fund  campaign  for  $100,000,000  to  be 
put  on  from  May  20  to  May  27,  1919. 

THE  MAY  DRIVE 

The  war  activities  committee  took  charge  of 
this  membership  drive  and  put  it  over  success- 
fully. Its  success  is  indicated  in  the  increase 
shown  in  the  report  of  membership  made  by 
Secretary  Brininger,  for  the  fiscal  year  ending 
June  30,  1919,  when  he  reported ;  two  sustain- 
ing members  ($10  each),  10  contributing  mem- 
bers at  $5,  90  magazine  members  at  $2,  and 
7,398  annual  members  at  $1,  or  a  total  of 
7,506  members,  and  membership  receipts  of 
$7,660.  Other  items  of  receipts,  donations, 
$764,60,  miscellaneous,  $18,650.31,  sale  of 
merchandise,  $503.55  and  sale  of  Liberty 
bonds,  $1,500,  with  balance  on  hand  from 
July  1,  1917,  report  of  $1,531.01  brought  the 
balance  carried  in  the  treasurer's  account  to 
$30,622.47;  with  disbursements  of  $25,429.60 
and  a  balance  of  $5,192.  87 ;  It  is  only  just  to 
the  local  officers  to  mention  that  the  letter 
written  in  acknowledging  receipt  of  this  local 
report  said  "Your  report  is  the  first  one  to 
reach  my  office  and  it  appears  so  complete  and 
clear  that  I  expect  to  use  it  as  a  model." 

DURING  THE  SUMMER  AND  FALL  OF  1918 
The  more  important  matters  brought  before 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


committee  in  the  summer  of 
An  appropriation  of  $300  ex- 
home  guards  for  their  fund  in 
smembrances  for  Hall  County 
if  to  enter  the  service ;  the  organ- 
teen  service  of  which  more  will 
on  in  this  chapter;  and  in  the 
of  new  by-laws  suggested  by  the 
Cross  association,  and  arrange- 
i  an  election  October  23.  The 
)ointed  to  act  as  an  election  board 
!3,  1918,  were  Messrs.  Jas.  F. 
J.  R.  Martin  and  Rev.  T.  A. 
,e  committee  appointed  to  take 
s  Christmas  packages  for  1918 
:  Jas.  F.  Rourke,  chairman, 
Brininger,  vice-chairman,  D.  A. 
ister),  Mrs.  Guy  L.  Harrison, 
Scott,  Mrs.  F.  A.  Giade,  Mrs. 
t,  Mrs.  Wm.  Neitmeldt,  Mrs. 
c,  Mrs.  John  Geddes  and  Mrs. 

JEW  BOARD  AND  OFFICERS 

election  of  1918,  the  following 
rtors  for  the  ensuing  year:  S.  N. 
W.  Brininger,  Mrs.  D.  H.  Car- 
Horth,  Robert  Taylor,  Abbott; 
1  H.  Paine,  Mrs.  H.  M.  Bishop, 
Thomssen,  Alda;  J.  L.  Geary, 
nan,    Charles   G.    Ryan,   C.    H. 

Brown,  John  R.  Geddes,  Elmer 
5.  Louis  Veit,  Mrs.  Carrie  Abbott, 
;  Mrs.  C.  O.  Jameyson,  Mrs.  C. 
ce,  Cairo;  and  D.  D.  O'Kane, 
The  officers  elected  for  the 
were:     Charles  G.  Ryan,  chair- 

H.  Carson,  vice-chairman,  C.  W. 
rretary,  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine, 
th  David  Kaufman,  S.  N.  Wol- 
H.  Tully  as  the  three  additional 
the  executive  committee. 

ME  SERVICE  COMMITTEE 
nnel   of   the  home  service  com- 
d  in  November,  1918.  and  which 
still  serving  is:  Mrs.  J.  E.  Hanna, 
rs.  E.  C.  Burger,  secretary,  Mrs. 


E.  S.  Fairbanks,  asst.  secretary,  Mrs.  Susie 
Robinson,  Cairo;  Mrs.  Carrie  Abbott,  Wood 
River;  Mrs.  H.  W.  Slawson,  Wood  River; 
Mrs.  J.  P.  Button,  Doniphan;  Mrs.  C.  0. 
Jameyson,  Miss  Pearl  Balmat,  Alda. 

women's  bureau 

The  history  of  the  Hall  County  chapter  of 
the  American  Red  Cross  would  not  be  com- 
plete without  a  similarly  detailed  history  of 
the  work  accomplished  by  the  faithful  women 
who  handled  the  numerous  branches  of  woik 
entrusted  to  the  women's  burean. 

The  general  chairmanship  of  this  work 
rested  upon  the  vice-chairman  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  chapter,  who  as  has  been 
shown  was  first  Mrs.  Arthur,  then  Mrs.  Car- 
son. 

The  work  in  the  women's  bureau  was 
originally  divided  in  March,  1918,  when  that 
department  was  generally  reorganized  into 
three  divisions.  In  addition  to  these  three 
divisions,  co-operating  with  the  vice-chairman 
was  an  executive  committee  of  three  members 
to  handle  the  general  matters  of  policy  and 
administration  of  the  women's  work,  which 
committee  were:  Mrs.  J.  H.  Woolley,  chair- 
man, Mrs.  C.  H.  Tully  and  Mrs.  A.  F.  Buech- 
ler,  secretaries. 

The  committee  on  surgical  dressings,  in 
May,  1918  consolidated  the  two  lines  of  work 
in  that  department  theretofore  handled  separ- 
ately, which  had  been  gauze  dressings,  in 
charge  of  Mrs.  Carson,  and  muslin  dressings, 
in  charge  of  Mrs.  Ed.  L.  Brown.  The  chairman 
of  the  surgical  dressings  department  through 
the  remainder  of  the  work  was  Mrs.  D.  H- 
Carson,  with  Mrs.  Geer  as  her  assistant  The 
cutting  department  of  that  division  was  in 
charge  of  Mrs.  John  Ferguson,  with  Mrs- 
Linn,  as  assistant. 

The  chairman  of  general  supplies  and  com- 
forts was  carried  mainly  by  Mrs.  Carson, 
but  this  work  branched  into  different  activities 
for  which  separate  responsibilities  were  placet!. 
One  of  several  of  the  departments  of  work 
which  consumed  a  vast  amount  of  time  given 
by  many  women,  yet  did     not  show  so  pub- 


;:zca  by  G00g[c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


457 


iicly  as  some  other  phases  of  the  work,  was 
the  knitting  department  handled  by  Mrs.  Fred 
Clark. 

The  third  original  division  of  the  work  fell 
iq  the  chairman  of  garments  and  hospital 
linen.  This  work  at  various  times  was  under 
the  supervision  of  Mrs.  J.  D.  Whitmore,  Mrs. 
E.  L.  Brown,  Mrs.  Arthur  Glade,  Mrs.  Willis 
J.  Redfield,  Mrs.  Scott,  Mrs,  Sharp  and  its 
last  administration  was  that  of  Mrs.  Earl 
Tuttle. 

The  progress  of  the  work  brought  on  many 
new  problems  which  were  met  by  divisions 
organized  as  the  need  for  them  arose,  and  not 
included  in  the  charted  schedule  given  forth 
by  the  state  and  national  associations  or  depart- 
ments. 

The  cutting  room  of  the  hospital  and  gar- 
ments division  was  at  various  times  under 
supervision  of  Mrs.  Hanaford,  Mrs.  Ed 
Brown,  Mrs.  Plummer  and  Mrs.  Gilmore. 

The  general  inspection  of  work  done  in  the 
work  rooms  was  first  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Meyer 
and  later  supervised  by  Mrs.  Augusta  Veit; 
the  packing  .was  supervised  by  Mrs.  Guy 
Harrison. 

The  division  for  furnishing  comfort  kits 
was  in  charge  of  Mrs.  Barton  most  of  the 
time.  The  campaigns  for  collecting  clothing 
for  the  Belgians,  was  in  the  spring  in  charge 
of  Mrs.  A.  C.  Scott,  and  in  the  fall  of  1918, 
in  charge  of  Mrs.  E.  A.  Brandes.  Mrs. 
Brandes  was  also  supervisor  of  the  salvage 
department,  which  was  conducted  for  a  num- 
ber of  weeks  prior  to  the  signing  of  the  armis- 
tice. 

The  first  division  was  first  in  charge  of 
Mrs.  E.  L.  Thelan. 

The  home  service  work  was  in  charge  of 
Mrs.  J.  E.  Hanna,  Mrs.  E.  C.  Burger  and 
Mrs.  E.  S.  Fairbanks. 

The  canteen  work  was  first  placed  in  charge 
of  Henry  Schuff.  Later  the  old  passenger 
depot  of  the  Union  Pacific  was  secured  and 
equipped  in  splendid  shape  for  this  depart- 
ment, and  Mrs.  August  Meyer  later  became 
the  superintendent  of  this  work,  taking  the 
post  of  Commandant  over  ten  companies. 
Later  one  of  these  consolidated  with  other 


companies,  and  its  captain,  Mrs.  A.  W.  Sternef 
became  First  Assistant  Commandant;  Mrs. 
M.  E.  Hurst  served  as  Second  Assistant  Com- 
mandant ;  the  captains  who  took  charge  of  the 
remaining  nine  companies  were :  Mrs.  E.  Bar- 
ton, Mrs.  H.  Carey,  Mrs.  E.  Frank,  Miss  E. 
Geer,  Mrs.  W.  R.  King,  Miss  Jane  L.  Pinder, 
Mrs.  W.  R.  Richards,  Mrs.  A.  C.  Scott,  Miss 
Irma  Woolstenholm. 

The  Junior  Red  Cross  work  was  a  division 
of  some  importance.  This  started  during  the 
short  time  Mrs.  Merriam  assisted  as  vice- 
chairman,  who  in  co-operation  with  about 
twelve  instructors  in  the  city  schools  and  Mrs. 
Wright,  president  of  the  mothers'  club  got 
this  work  started.  The  chairman  for  the  dif- 
ferent schools  were,  Howard,  Miss  Norris; 
Dodge,  Miss  Gilbert;  Piatt,  Miss  Lederman; 
Lincoln,  Miss  Engleman;  Wasmer,  Miss 
Richardson;  Jefferson,  Miss  Wicker.  Mrs*, 
Fairbanks  later  took  charge  of  this  branch; 
succeeded  by  Prof.  R.  J.  Barr,  who  in  turn  was 
succeeded  by  county  superintendent  of  schools, 
Elizabeth  Cunningham. 

While  all  other  branches  of  the  work  were 
running  full  blast,  the  influenza  brought  on  a 
flood  of  problems.  Mrs.  Dr.  Carson,  the  vice- 
chairman,  took  on  a  little  more  responsibility 
and  superintended  this  work.  The  problem  of 
securing  nursing  assistance  for  so  many  people 
became  a  serious  one,  here,  as  every  other 
place.  When  it  became  necessary  to  establish 
a  temporary  influenza  hospital,  this  depart- 
ment joined  hands  with  the  city  council,  who 
bore  the  expense,  and  assisted  in  securing 
equipment.  While  the  Red  Cross  did  not 
take  direct  charge  of  this  hospital,  it  may  be 
appropriate  to  digress  and  state  that  for  a 
number  of  weeks,  The  Sisters  of  St.  Francis 
Hospital  devoted  their  time  and  energy  to  this 
work,  and  when  they  had  to  give  it  up,  the 
city  secured  Mrs.  Dale  P.  Stough,  a  trained 
nurse  who  responded  to  the  call,  to  take  charge 
until  it  was  closed.  In  the  meantime,  the  hos- 
pital could  care  for  only  those  patients  with- 
out homes  in  the  city,  and  the  strict  quarantine 
regulations  demanded  some  assistance  be  rend- 
ered in  getting  supplies  and  food  to  the  quar- 
antined homes  of  the  city,     This  led  to  the 


458 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


quick  organization  of  two  more  divisions  of 
this  department ;  the  "soup  kitchen"  in  charge 
of  Mrs.  Jas.  E.  Brown,  and  in  which  the 
canteen  division  assisted  materially,  and  the 
"motor  corps"  under  charge  of  Mrs.  Emest 
Frank.  This  division  had  about  forty  drivers 
enrolled  and  kept  as  many  as  ten  cars  working 
on  many  days.  For  about  thirty  or  forty  days, 
this  volunteer  service  carried  supplies  and 
food  to  the  homes  of  Grand  Island.  After 
the  crises  passed,  Miss  Dora  Kolbeck  under- 
took the  task  of  placing  nursing  assistance  and 
somewhat  relieved  the  influenza  bureau  of  that 
burden. 

No  doubt  some  divisions  of  the  work  have 
even  now  been  omitted  or  overlooked.  Mrs. 
Redfield  assisted  in  the  drive  in  June,  1918  to 
secure  girls  to  enlist  for  nurse  training;  the 
Y.  W.  C.  A.  devoted  a  large  portion  of  its 
time  during  the  war  period  to  first-aid  classes 
meeting  at  its  room  a  couple  times  a  week. 
Booths  were  maintained  at  county  fairs  of 
1917  and  1918,  a  fair  was  held  at  the  new 
Glass-Evans  building,  and  the  canteen  service 
ladies  have  served  the  public  on  various  occa- 
sions, when  some  organized  service  was  re- 
quired for  a  public  function  on  short  notice. 

during  1919 

Now  after  the  war  is  over,  the  work  of  Hall 
County  chapter  is  still  continuing.  Various 
good  uses  are  being  constantly  found  for  the 
splendid  organization  built  up  during  the  try- 
ing war  days.  The  Home  Service  section 
finds  plenty  of  tasks  at  its  command;  the 
Canteen  service  has  for  months  been  meet- 
ing trains  with  returning  soldiers  aboard,  and 
serving  them  just  as  faithfully  as  when  they 
were  leaving  home  going  toward  the  camps. 
At  the  recent  homecoming  picnic,  the  Canteen 
served  every  soldier  with  drinks,  ice  cream, 
sandwiches  and  other  delicacies  free  of  all 
charge,  and  the  expense  was  defrayed  by  the 
committee  and  the  other  public,  who  gladly 
paid  reasonable  prices  asked  to  bear  the 
soldier's  share.  The  work  rooms  at  the  Post 
Office  building  have  not  been  entirely  dis- 
mantled. 

The  last  report  of  secretary  Brirringer,  as 


published  in  The  Independent  of  August  8, 
1919,  shows  the  present  status  of  the  chapter. 
This  report  also  shows  the  results  of  the  last 
drive  for  membership  conducted  December 
18,  to  December  26,  1918.  David  Kaufman 
was  chairman  of  that  drive,  and  was  splendidly 
assisted  by  the  various  local  chairmen. 

Secretary  Briainger  of  the  Hall  Count)' 
chapter,  American  Red  Cross  recently  sub- 
mitted his  report  covering  the  past  year  and 
the  excellent  showing  made  therein  will  cer- 
tainly be  interesting  to  the  public  generally- 
Naturally  it  covers  in  the  financial  way  the 
last  annual  Red  Cross  membership  drive, 
showing  13,128  members  in  Hall  County,  about 
fifty  per  cent  of  the  entire  population.  It  is 
a  record,  it  is  believed  surpassed  by  few  if  any 
counties.  Of  these  9,025  are  adult  members 
and  4.041  junior.  The  receipts  from  mem- 
bership amounted  to  $10,222.25. 

There  were  donations  from  various  sources 
and  movements  amounting  to  $1,764.57,  these 
being  exclusive,  of  course,  of  the  United 
War  Work  drive  (Red  Cross  portion)  and  the 
largest  single  item  of  which  was  the  contribu- 
tion from  a  Cairo  firm  as  a  penalty.  This  was 
$300. 

The  sale  of  merchandise  brought  in  $1,- 
000.80,  this  being  of  Red  Cross  goods,  among 
other  articles  being  sewing  machines,  some 
canteen  uniforms,  etc.  Miscellaneous  sources 
of  receipts  brought  in  $10,050.08.  The  larg- 
est single  item  of  this  was  the  local  chapter's 
percentage  of  the  United  War  Work  drive, 
$5,617.97.  The  sale  of  buttons  last  fall,  netted 
the  big  sum  of  $1,956.62,  returned  by  Mrs. 
Hurst  chairman  of  the  committee  and  being 
the  result  of  a  drive  by  a  large  number  of 
local  women  workers.  The  salvage  depart- 
ment, despite  the  fact  that  it  was  seriously 
interfered  with  on  account  of  the  flu,  brought 
in  a  neat  sunt  of  $979.47.  .  Mrs.  ,E.  A. 
Brandes  and  Mrs.  Thomas  Connor,  in  charge 
of  this  work  were  most  unfortunate  in  being 
compelled  to  close  down  shortly  after  having 
become  fairly  started,  owing  to  the  contagion, 
and  the  danger  of  continuing  the  work  of 
clothing  exchanges,  renovations,  etc.  In  addi- 
tion to  this  sum  this  department  was  drawn 

Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


459 


upon   for  Belgian   relief  quotas  and  aided 
materially  in  other  respects. 

The  total  receipts  for  the  year  were  $23,- 
044.70.  At  the  beginning  of  the  year  there 
was  a  total  on  hand  of  $6,192.87. 

THE  EXPENDITURES 

The  report  shows  all  expenditures  set  forth 
in  detail.  These  amounted  to  $14,744.  60,  for 
the  different  activities  of  the  chapter.  The 
largest  single  disbursement  was  of  $4,654,  to 
the  Central  Division,  the  share  of  the  member- 
ships going  into  the  national  work.  The  next 
largest  item  was  the  canteen  service  —  $3,- 
42957.  It  may  be  remembered  that  the  ad- 
vocates of  the  canteen  service  had  to  overcome 
some  quite  firm,  though  no  doubt  conscienti- 
ous, opposition,  it  being  urged  that  the  ex- 
pense, at  this  station,  where  there  was  an  un- 
usuual  number  of  trains  and  train  stops,  would 
make  it  almost  impossible.  A  most  excellent 
service  has  been  maintained  —  a  service  ex- 
celled by  none  in  the  state,  and  yet  the  expense, 
compared  to  the  good  done,  is  thus  seen  to  be 
insignificant.  Another  large  item,  $2,586.40, 
was  for  goods  for  the  work  rooms  to  be 
worked  into  garments,  etc. 

For  home  relief,  also  a  most  important  de- 
partment of  the  Red  Cross  work  the  chapter, 
through  its  committee,  Mrs.  Hanna  and  Mrs, 
Burger  distributed  aid  to  the  extent  of  $1,- 
181.66.  Other  items  of  disbursement  are 
given  in  the  more  detailed  statement  following. 

SMALL  OPERATING  COST 
A  most  noteworthy  feature,  it  is  believed, 
of  this  part  of  the  report  is  the  showing  it 
makes  on  "operating  cost."  The  business  man 
calls  it  the  cost  of  doing  business  and  over- 
head charges.  Herein  is  embodied  the  dis- 
bursement of  $14744,  with  all  of  the  work 
of  the  canteen  service,  investigation  by  the 
home  relief  committee,  the  time  and  attention 
of  the  board  of  directors  and  the  work  of 
Secretary  Brininger,  all  for  the  total  of 
$371.90.  The  largest  item  of  this  was  for  post- 
age, stationery  and  printing,  $178.55  and  the 
second  for  telegraph  and  telephone,  $72.33. 
Not  a  dollar  was  expended  for  any  of  the 


officers  and  committees.  The  service  of  the 
secretary,  now  extended  for  over  two  years, 
has 'certainly  been  most  valuable  to  the  chapter, 
and  a  contribution  to  the  county's  war  work 
especially  worthy  of  commendation  and  appre- 
ciation. 

The  report,  in  more  detail  than  is  here  given 
though  presented  to  the  executive  committee 
with  even  greater  minuteness  is  as  follows : 

REPORT  IN  DETAIL 

One  life  membership  at  $50. 

One  sustaining  membership  at  $10, 

One  contributing  membership  at  $5. 

59  magazine  memberships  at  $2  (2  for  2 
years),  $122.00. 

9,025  annual  memberships  at  $1,  $9,025.00. 

4,041  junior  memberships  at  25c  $1,01025. 

Total  membership,  13,128;  total  in  cash, 
$10,222.25. 

7  auuual  membes  additional  for  magazine  at 
$1,  $7.00. 

Donations  from  various  sources  $1/64.57. 

Sale  of  merchandise,  $1,000.80. 

Miscellaneous,  $10,050.08. 

Total  receipts,  $23,044.70. 

Balance  on  hand  at  last  report,  $6,192.87. 

Grand  Total  $29237.57. 

Postage,  stationery  and  printing $178.55 

Telephone  and  telegraph 72.33 

Express  and  freight 49.47 

War  fund  express  19.15 

Miscellaneous   52.40 

Total  Chapter  Expenses $371.90 

Purchase  of  sewing  machines $     349.15 

Purchase  of  merchandise  for  work 

rooms    2,586.40 

Purchase    of    merchandise.    Home 

Guards    170.00 

Purchase  of  Canteen  hats  and  suits  263.20 
Home  Service  and  Soldiers  relief. .     1,181.66 

Canteen  Service 3,429.37 

Nursing  service    (influenza) 309.10 

Treas.  War  Fund  a  c  2  U.  P.  checks  214.10 
Frank  W.  Judson,  acct.  Nebraska 

Hospital 250.00 

Central  Division  A.  R.  C.  for  mem- 
berships and  magazines 4,654.00 


TORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


for  Junior 

118.00 

50  percent 

s 535.35 

.  2  Auxil- 
683.67 

$14,744.60 

es $15,116.50 

June   30, 

$14,121.07 

)  Liberty  Bond), 

fNCIL  OF  DEFENSE 
devoted  considerable 
k  and  were  required 
disregard  of  public 
n  each  county,  were 
:fense.  A  brief  re- 
;  thrown  upon  this 
lonstrate  that  they 
ouse  for  all  govetn- 
it  came  up  and  for 
r  organized  destina- 

■n  May  17,  1917,  and 
i.  J.  D.  Whitmore 
nd  F.  J.  Cleary  the 
ommittee  named  by 
out  the  formation  of 
council  were  C.  G. 
L.  Cleary,  D.  Kaur- 
1.  On  May  26  the 
was  formed;  J.  D. 
ointed  by  the  gover- 
tary,  R.  Kingsbury, 
lliams,  treasurer,  R. 
No.  1 ;  J.  L.  How- 
i ;  Gus  E.  Neumann, 
;d  Hagge,  Washing- 
on ;  E.  W.  Niemoth, 
irie  Creek;  Russell 
[.  S.  Eaton,  Wood 
ield;  G.  C.  Raven, 
lylor,  Cameron;  Jas. 
Thomssen,  Alda;  A. 
ill  Geddes,  Martin; 
Platte ;  Don  Burger, 


Doniphan.  Of  those  named,  R.  A.  Odum 
.later  became  secretary  when  J.  D.  Whitmore 
left  the  city,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.  of  Grand  Is- 
land No.  2  became  chairman,  R.  D.  Kings- 
bury served  as  vice-chairman  throughout  the 
work,  J.  L  Howland  removed  from  the  city, 
Wm.  Fagan  later  resigned,  John  Knickrehm 
was  appointed  from  Grand  Island  No.  5  and 
F.  A.  Glade,  Emil  Wolback,  Grand  Island  No. 
4  and  Henry  Schuff  from  Grand  Island 
served.  Thos.  Hostler  succeeded  Wm.  Fagan 
from  Prairie  Creek  Township. 

Various  subjects  which  came  before  this 
board  for  their  action  or  assistance  were, 
assisting  in  the  June  5,  1917  registration ;  mak- 
ing June  14,  flag  day,  an  enlistment  day: 
assisting  Chairman  Williams  of  First  Liberty 
bond  drive  in  perfecting  his  plans ;  assisting 
in  methods  to  care  for  the  demand  for  labor- 
ers for  farm  work;  co-operating  toward  se- 
curing further  enlistments  for  Co.  M,  5th 
Nebr.  Regiment;  Secretary  Mason  of  Com- 
mercial Club  appointed  head  of  labor  bureau 
under  auspices  of  the  council;  study  of  needs 
for  seed  wheat  and  its  equitable  distribution ; 
and  later  in  the  progress  of  the  war,  hearings 
were  held  by  the  Council  whenever  complaints 
were  made  or  rumors  were  circulated  with  any 
persistency  relating  to  any  utterances,  or  con- 
duct of  any  citizen  which  was  suspected  to  be 
in  hindrance  or  detriment  to  the  conduct  of 
any  agency  or  phase  of  war  work.  Consider- 
able assistance  was  lent  to  the  liberty  bond 
and  other  campaigns  by  the  information  com- 
piled by  the  council  and  investigations  made 
by  this  body.  Anyone  investigating  the  mat- 
ter would  be  astonished  at  the  number  of  com- 
munications received  by  the  officers  of  this 
organization  from  innumerable  boards,  com- 
missions and  departments  of  the  government 
upon  an  enormous  variety  of  subjects,  requir- 
ing investigations  and  statistical  reports  to  be 
made. 

HALL    COUNTY    SELECTIVE    SERVICE    BOARD    ANT> 
COUNTY  APPEAL  AGENT 
The   registration   system  has  already  been 
explained.    When  the  enormous  task  of  class- 
ifying and  selecting  the  required  number  of 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


461 


men  came  upon  the  authorities,  a  very  elab- 
orate system  was  worked  out.  In  each  state, 
a  Provost-Marshal  was  appointed.  In  Ne- 
braska, Capt.  Walter  L.  Anderson  served  in 
this  capacity.  District  boards  in  Nebraska 
being  two  in  number,  took  general  charge  of 
appeals  from  classifications  of  local  boards. 
For  the  northern  district  of  Nebraska,  Hall 
County  furnished  one  of  the  members,  Fred 
W.  Ashton  of  Grand  Island.  The  local  selec- 
tive service  board  for  Hall  County  were 
Sheriff  Gustav  Sievers,  County  Clerk  J.  E. 
Lyle  and  Dr.  J.  G.  Woodin.  The  scope  and 
volume  of  the  work  performed  by  this  board, 
with  the  excellence  of  Hall  County's  record 
in  these  respects  can  be  ascertained  in  the 
simplest  manner  by  an  examination  of  the 
principal  statistical  data  on  local  boards'  work, 
issued  by  the  office  of  the  Provost-Marshal  of 
the  United  States,  Gen  Enoch  Crowder. 

The  registration  from  Hall  County  for  June 
5,  1917,  was  2,217,  June  and  August,  1918, 
178,  September '12,  1918,  2,811,  total  5,206. 

For  each  registrant  it  was  necessary  for 
the  board  to  receive  the  registration  cards 
prepared  at  the  precinct  registration  booth, 
copy  them,  index  and  file  the  new  card.  Then 
later  questionaires  were  mailed  out  to  all 
registrants  of  the  first  three  registrations,  and 
those  under  36  in  the  September  12,  regis- 
tration, making  approximately  4,000  for  Hall 
County.  Cover  sheets  for  future  indexing, 
filing  and  enclosure  of  the  returned  question- 
aire  were  provided  and  prepared  at  the 
time  of  mailing  out  the  questionaire  and 
an  entry  made  in  the  classification  book  for 
each  man ;  then  upon  the  return  of  the  ques- 
tionaire, the  date  of  its  return  was  entered. 
This  vast  amount  of  clerical  work  fell  mainly 
upon  Miss  Bessie  Barbee,  clerk  for  the  local 
board.  If  the  questionaire  showed  a  claim 
for  exemption  upon  agricultural,  industrial  or 
other  vocational  grounds,  or  certain  other 
grounds,  it  was  immediately  mailed  to  the 
state  district  board  which  passed  upon  it,  either 
granting  or  overruling  the  claim;  if  for  de- 
pendency grounds,  the  claim  for  exemption 
had  to  be  decided  and  passed  upon  by  the 
members   of   the   local   board.     The   county 


appeal  agent  received  instructions  to  appeal 
all  dependency  exemptions  allowed,  such  as 
fell  within  certain  classes  as,  for  instance, 
where  the  claimant  had  married  after  June  5, 
1917,  and  certain  other  conditions  designated, 
or  where  the  circumstance  known  to  local 
officers  threw  a  doubt  upon  the  sincerity  or 
efficacy  of  the  claim.  When  the  decisions  as  to 
classification  was  arrived  at,  whether  by  local 
or  state  board,  that  fact  had  to  be  entered  upon 
the  records  and  a  card  mailed  to  the  registrant 
showing  the  classification  given  to  him.  In 
addition  innumerable  reports,  daily,  monthly, 
or  weekly  were  called  for  by  the  provost- 
marshal's  offices  and  state  board  offices. 

The  number  of  inductions  shown  for  Hall 
County  was  561  and  the  splendid  record  made 
in  the  physical  examinations  conducted  by 
the  local  examiner,  when  they  ran  the  guant- 
let  of  examinations  at  camp  is  shown  by  the 
following  figures :  accepted  in  general  ser- 
vice, 498,  remediables,  7,  placed  in  limited 
service,  71,  and  disqualified,  35.  The  defer- 
ments granted,  a  line  of  data  which  shows  the 
proportion  of  classification  work  which  fell 
upon  the  local  board  and  the  proportion  which 
was  handled  by  the  state  boards,  shows  as: 
dependency,  975,  agricultural,  172,  industrial, 
40. 

O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  served  as  government 
appeal  agent  for  Hall  County. 

women's  auxiliary  council  to 
council  of  defense 
In  August,  1917,  a  women's  committee  was 
formed  to  assist  the  county  council  of  de- 
fense in  an  auxiliary  manner.  A  great  many 
tasks  were  assigned  to  this  body  and  credit- 
ably performed.  Mrs.  Chas.  G.  Ryan  served 
as  chairman.  The  members  were :  Grand  Is- 
land, Mesdames  G.  E.  Neumann,  E.  F.  Youn- 
kin,  J.  Shuman,  O.  D.  Wright,  J.  C.#  Troyer, 
F.  L.  Evans,  J.  L.  Cleary,  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr., 
the  Misses  Ada  Garmire,  Daisy  Houck ; 
Doniphan,  Mrs.  A.  D.  Burger,  Mrs.  D.  B. 
Skiles  and  Mrs.  J.  W.  Mahaffey ;  Cairo,  Mrs. 
A.  H.  Shattuck,  and  Mrs.  Dell  Thompson; 
South  Loup  township,  Mrs.  Robert  Thompson 
and  Mrs.  C.  Hugo  Hehnke;  Mayfield  town- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Robinson  and  Mrs  G.  C. 
er,  Mrs.  W.  R.  Abbott ; 
s,  E.  Taylor;  Alda,  Miss 
;r,  Mrs  Henry  House  and 
iarrison,  Mrs.  C.  Halde- 

ITIES   COMMITTEE 

Loan  was  handled  under 
Jlmer  Williams,  of  Grand 
itrict  chairman  for  a  dis- 
unities on  the  Nebraska 
littee  throughout  the  war 
>an  in  Hall  County  as  in 
■actically  underwritten  by 

them  distributed  among 
lere  were  only  something 
ibscribers  in  the  county  to 
]uota  of  the  county  was 

ty  Loan  was  handled  un- 

of  Frank  E.  Slusser  as 
ta  for  the  county  on  this 

The  banks  assisted  very 
immiftee  formed  by  the 

Travelers  conducted  a 
he  Grand  Island  Clearing 
subscribed  $100,000;  the 
>k  another  $142,000,  and 
s  raised  in  Grand  Island. 
ibout  $70,000;  Doniphan 
,000,  and  Alda  $10,000, 
200  was  sold,  placing  the 
its  quota.  This  and  the 
ught  forth  willing  work- 
ading  to  the  organization 

committee. 
}1ic  citizens  was  held  at 
:ider  the  formation  of  a 
s  committee.  This  step 
y,  1918,  and  soon  there- 
committee  resulted  from 
man,  Ralph  R.  Horth, 
lechler,  Executive  Com- 
rth  and  Buechler;  O.  A. 
i  County  Council  of  De- 
an, president  of  Commer- 
ind;  and  Chester  Peder- 
Home  Guards.       Repre- 

:    B.  E.  Bowersox,  J.  L. 


Cleary,  F.  E.  Glade,  Chas  T.  McElroy,  P. 
Ralph  Neumeyer  and  Wm.  F.  Krehmke. 
Lake  township,  J.  J.  Lorentzen;  Prairie 
Creek,  Wm  Fagan;  Mayfield,  G.  C.  Raven; 
South  Loup,  J.  E.  Cox;  Cameron,  Chas.  E. 
Taylor;  Wood  River,  W.  L.  Sprague;  Doni- 
phan, Don  Burger;  South  Platte,  R.  Mc- 
Laughlin ;  Harrison  township,  Russell  Hald- 
erman;  Center,  Jas.  McClellan;  Jackson,  M. 
P.  Hannan ;  Washington,  J.  M.  Hanssen,  H. 
O.  Woodward;  Alda,  W.  W.  Gallup;  Martin, 
E.  E.  Binfield. 

OTHER  LIBERTY  LOAN  CAMPAIGNS 
The  above  committee  handled  the  Third, 
Fourth  and  Fifth  Liberty  loan,  the  Red  Cross 
Membership  and  other  campaigns.  In  a  few 
instances  the  precinct  chairman  could  not  act 
and  secured  a  substitute  who  handled  a  par- 
ticular loan  campaign  for  him.  The  Third 
Liberty  loan  quota  was  $580,500.  Grand  Is- 
land went  over  the  top  on  April  13,  with  its 
quota  of  $268,000;  and  a  few  hours  later 
Cameron  came  under  the  wire,  the  first  out- 
side precinct  to  meet  its  quota.  There  was  a 
good  over-subscription  when  the  campaign 
closed.  In  the  Fourth  Loan  campaign.  South 
Loup  and  Mayfield  were  consolidated  as  one 
district,  owing  to  the  location  of  Cairo  mak- 
ing it  difficult  to  proportion  individual  and 
township  quotas.  The  campaign  opened  Sep- 
tember 28,  with  a  first  shot  of  $102,000  on 
first  day.  It  closed  October  26  with  $1,302,- 
212  subscribed.  As  the  county's  quota  was 
$1,196,250  this  made  a  very  creditable  over- 
subscription. 

The  Fifth  Liberty  loan  was  handled  by  the 
same  committee  with  a  few  changes  in  per- 
sonnel made  necessary  under  existing  condi- 
tions. Chairman  Horth  could  not  act,  and 
S.  D.  Ross,  of  Grand  Island  successfully  un- 
dertook the  responsibilities  of  chairman.  The 
story  of  the  success  of  this  loan  can  best  be 
told  by  the  following  summary  of  responses: 
Quota        Response 

Grand  Island $386,000      $455,350 

Prairie  Creek    20,000  20300 

South  Platte    21.500  16.400 

Cameron     20,000  20,250 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


46.1 


Doniphan    50,000  51,600 

Harrison  32,500  11750 

Jackson    34,000  35,550 

Center 23,500  29,500 

Alda   30,000  243» 

Wood  River    61,000  61,950 

Mayfield-S.  Loup   50,000  51,650 

Washington    50,000  55,650 

Martin    16,000  16,450 

Lake   25,000  26,400 


$810,350  $878,100 
In  view  of  the  fact  that  the  majority  of 
counties  in  the  state  did  not  meet  their  quota 
in  the  Fifth  or  Victory  Liberty  loan,  Hall 
County's  showing  in  meeting  every  quota  as- 
signed to  it  during  the  war  period  was  par- 
ticulary  creditable,  and  a  record  very  few 
counties  in  the  state  can  show. 

THE   BOME  GUARDS 

During  1918,  a  Home  Guards  company 
was  organized  at  Grand  Island  which  did  very 
efficient  and  valuable  service  during  the  re- 
maining months  of  the  War.  This  company 
was  officered  by  men  who  had  served  in  the 
Spanish-American  war,  and  many  of  the  mem- 
bers had  also  had  national  guard  experience, 
so  they  knew  the  intricacies  of  military  drill 
to  start  with.  Details  of  officers  and  members 
of  the  guard,  principally  Captain  Long  and 
Lieut.  McElroy,  gave  drills,  almost  nightly, 
to  squads  of  men  not  members,  who  were 
about  to  leave  for  camps,  and  this  was  kept  up 
for  many  weeks.  The  result  was  that  a 
good  percentage  of  the  men  who  took  this  pre- 
liminary drill  under  the  home  guards  within  a 
very  short  time  after  their  arrival  at  camp 
became  corporals  and  a  number  of  them  soon 
rose  to  the  rank  of  sergeant.  Such  men  about 
to  leave  the  city  or  county  to  enter  service 
were  at  times  allowed  to  drill  with  the  com- 
pany and  thus  became  broken  into  the  com- 
pany formations  and  became  used  to  drilling 
with  a  body  of  men.  The  home  guards  also 
served  as  escort  for  funerals  of  men  who  died 
in  service ;  they  guarded  the  city  on  the  night 
oi  the  armistice  celebration  and  responded  to 
many  calls  at  public  functions. 


The  officers  of  the  company  were:  E.  J. 
Long,  captain,  Chas.  T.  McElroy,  first  lieu- 
tenant, O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  second  lieutenant 
(and  secretary  of  the  company). 

The  active  membership  was :  O.  A. 
Abbott,  Jr.,  (2nd  Lieut),  A.  A.  Anderson,  E. 
W.  Augustine,  Charles  Banks,  H.  J.  Barten- 
bach,  Q.  W.  Bartenbach,  R.  W.  Bock,  Thos. 
E.  Bradstreet,  Herman,  F.  Buckow,  Harry  A. 
Carey,  David  H.  Carson,  (Corporal),  L.  J. 
Cleary,  George  Cowton,  F.  J.  Geary,  L.  T. 
Cox,  Charles  T.  Coates,  (Sargeant),  W.  E. 
Clayton,  C.  E.  Cantrell,  F.  W.  Clark,  B.  J. 
Cunningham,  J.  E.  Dill,  L.  H.  McDonald, 
(Supply  Sargeant),  J.  A.  Donald,  (honorary 
member),  A.  L.  Dunn,  (corporal),  E.  E. 
Davison*,  A.  H.  Famsworth,  (honorary  mem- 
bee),  T.  H.  Fritts,  Rufus  M.  Geer,  F.  A. 
Glade,  (corporal),  A.  W.  Glade,  L.  T.  Geer, 
(honorary  member),  Mark  Glenn*,  C.  P. 
Giouo,  A.  J.  Guendel,  Judge  J.  R.  Hanna,  Fred 
L.  Harrison,  (member  and  in  band),  Guy 
Harrison,  (member  in  band) ,  Reed  Har- 
rison*, H.  R.  Hatfield,  Fred  Herxler,  A.  H. 
Huesner,  R.  R.  Horth,  E.  W.  Hurst,  S.  C. 
Huston,  J.  T.  Howland,  (honorary-removed 
from  city  during  work  of  company),  R.  G. 
Hainline,  Chas.  Hansen,  Percy  James,  Glenn 
Jones,  (honorary  member),  Ed  Jones,  David 
Kaufman,  Wm.  T.  Kelly,  Fred  L.  King,  E.  G. 
Kroger,  Wm.  T.  Krause,  R.  D.  Kingsbury, 
A.  H.  Lanjahr,  Alfred  Lederman*,  H.  W. 
Locke,  W.  H.  Luers,  Emil  Liedtke,  Chas.  J. 
McAllister  (musician)*,  John  C.  McCauley, 
J.  A.  Mitchell,  Charles  T.  -McElroy, 
(1st  Lieut.),  E.  J.  Long,  (Captain),  Thos.  V. 
McGowan,  G.  D.  Mawhinney,  Ed  Mettin- 
brink*,  A.  F.  Miller*,  A.  E.  Nagelstock, 
Herman  Nelson,  P.  Ralph  Nuemeyer,  T.  W. 
O'Laughlin,  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine,  Gordon 
Payne,  C.  P.  Pederson,  (moved  away,  then 
carried  as  honorary) ,  Ira  E.  Paine,  Roe 
Powell,  Walter  Powell,  Walter  H.  Rauert, 
Dr.  John  V.  Reilley,  L.  W.  Roberts,  Chas.  G. 
Ryan,  Dr.  John  H.  Regan*,  H.  Richards, 
Fred  L.  Re'if,  T.  M.  Sharp,  F.  E.  Slusser, 
C.  J.  Southard,  (moved  out  of  city),  H.  M. 
Steidley,  (corporal),  William  Suhr,  Victor 
Smith,  Rishard  E.  Scheil,  O.  C.  Thompson, 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


H.  Tully,  A.  W.  Turtan,  W. 
(honorary  member),  Oscar' 
feit*  E.  J.  Wolbach,  C.  V. 
D.  Whitmore,  (honorary  mem- 
liams,  (1st  sergeant),  P.  D. 
Warren  and  Clive  Williams*, 
'and  Island  band  joined  forces 
ay,  appeared  at  drills  and  fur- 
or the  company's  work,  and 
:d  on  the  roster  as  members  of 
return  for  their  very  essential 
the  same  time  the  band  mem- 
valuable  drilling  and  instruc- 
lpany  work.    The  members  of 

carried  as  members  of  the 
:  John  Albrecht*,  Orville 
\rbett,  (called  for  service), 
ias  Bossert,  L.  Burger,  Eritz 
Irase*,  E.  A.  Graf*,  Fred  L- 

Harrison,  (Leader  of  the 
'rison,  T.  Hayman,  D.  Linder- 
;elson,  F.  W.  McCutchan,  E, 
.  L.  Neligh,  O.  Otteson,  F. 
sten,  Wm.  'Ruetlinger,  John 
ese,  A.  A.  Roeser,  Emil  Sand- 
hultz,  Claude  Smith,  Herman 
rl  Vick. 
>se  members  who  left  to  enter 

of  our  country. 

X)D    ADMINISTRATION 

entral  committee  was  organ- 
unty  for  the  purpose  of  con- 
1  pledge  campaign  which  oc- 
le  week  of  October  28,  1917, 
the  first  United  States  food 
ctivity  in  the  community.  The 
committee  were  so  effectual 
y  led  the  state  in  the  number 
rred.  Gordon  W.  Wattles, 
.dministrator  for  Nebraska, 
jood  work  of  this  committee 
chairman  with  the  appoint- 
food  administrator.  At  the 
ointments  were  made,  Mrs. 
ly  woman  appointed  a  county 
original  committee,  with  some 
jcessary  substitutions,  con  tin- 
ity   food  committee. 


The  work  of  the  committee  was  divided  in- 
to departments,  additions  being  made  as  new 
problems  arose.  These  divisions  were :  price 
fixing,  township,  educational,  publicity,  speak- 
ers, home  economics,  hotels  and  public  eating 
places,  grain  threshing,  gardens  and  products, 
district  and  block  leaders  of  women. 

The  fair  price  committee  published  its  first 
fair  price  list  on  December  17,  1917,  giving 
prices  on  five  staples.  In  the  succeeding  twelve 
months  this  division  held  forty-seven  meet- 
ings ;  the  list  grew  to  include  eighteen  com- 
modities and  was  published  without  inter- 
mission until  the  week  of  January  5,  1919. 

The  educational,  publicity  and  speakers 
divisions  promoted  and  assisted  in  eighty-six 
patriotic  meetings  in  the  county  besides  a  large 
number  of  less  formal  gatherings  in  schools. 
theatres  and  societies  where  speakers  carried 
on  the  educational  crusade  of  the  food  admini- 
stration. 

The  teachers  of  the  schools  assisted  mater- 
ially in  the  work  of  the  educational  division. 
An  organization  of  women  known  as  district 
and  block  leaders  gave  -invaluable  help  in 
distribution  of  literature,  and  as  many  as 
85%  of  the  homes  in  one  precint,  pledged  to 
"Use  no  Wheat  until  the  next  Harvest." 
Hotels  and  restaurants  heroically  adopted  the 
wheatless  program.  During  the  sugar  ration- 
ing period  the  county  at  no  time  used  its  full 
quota.  The  merchants  showed  uncomplain- 
ing and  faithful  compliance  with  every  re- 
quest for  weekly  reports  and  occasional  in- 
i  formation. 

Seven  rejections  cases  were  handled,  and 
seventeen  formal  hearings  held  of  which 
twelve  complaints  were  sustained  and  penal- 
ties assessed. 

The  members  of  the  organization  which 
carried  on  this  work  were:  Mrs.  Charles  G. 
(Evelyn  A.)  Ryan,  County  Food  Administra- 
tor; Mr.  J.  Donald,  Wholsale  Grocer,  Vice- 
Chairman;  Mr.  F.  A.  Glade,  Miller,  Secre- 
tary ;  Mr.  Oscar  Veit,  Retail  Merchants',  Mr. 
William  Krehmke,  Meat  Dealers',  Robert 
Teviotdale,  Bakers'  Advisory  Representa- 
tives; Mr.  O.  A.  Abbott,  Jr.,  Assisting  as 
Chairman  County  Council    of  Defense;  Mr. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


465 


David  Kaufman,  Assisting  as  President  Com- 
mercial Club;  Mrs.  R.  B.  Ray,  Assisting  as 
Representative  Women's  Club;  Mrs.  A.  D. 
Burger,  Doniphan,  Deputy  Administrator, 
Precint  Chairman ;  Mrs.  Hugo  Hehnke,  Cairo, 
Mr.  A.  D.  Sherrerd  and  later  J.  T.  Brett, 
Wood  River,  Miss  Pearl  Balmat,  Alda,  Mr. 
Chas.  E.  Taylor,  Wood  River  (Cameron 
Township) ,  Mr.  Frank  Hitchler,  Abbott, 
Deputy  Administrators,  Precinct  Chairmen; 
other  deputy  administrators  and  precinct  chair- 
men, Mr.  C.  J.  Cox,  Prosser;  Mrs.  A.  H, 
Bishop,  Grand  Island  RFD  2;  Mrs.  Henry 
Rouse,  Alda  J  Mrs.  A.  J.  Bauman,  Chair- 
man Educational  Department ;  Miss  Elizabeth 
Cunningham,  her  vice  chairman ;  Mrs.  O.  A. 
Abbott,  Jr.,  (deceased),  Chairman  Home 
Economics,  Mrs.  A.  Benningboven,  acting  as 
her  successor;  Mr.  A.  F.  Buechler,  publicity; 
Mr.  Wm  Suhr,  Speakers  Department;  Mr. 
R.  D.  Kingsbury,  Threshing  Division.  Mr.  H. 
Schuff,  Hotels  and  Public  Eating  Houses. 

FEDERAL  FUEL  ADMINISTRATION 

This  activity  was  called  into  operation  in 
time  to  regulate  prices  and  distribute  the  coal 
supply  equitably  and  hold  the  matter  of  price 
and  supply  within  reasonable  bounds  for  the 
population  at  home  and  keep  war  industries 
and  foreign  countries  relieved  during  the  win- 
ter of  1917-18  and  winter  of  1918-19.  Chas. 
G.  Ryan  was  chairman  for  Hall  County,  and 
his  assistants  in  this  work  were  Oscar  R. 
Kirschke,  cky  chairman  for  Grand  Island, 
Ray  D.  Kingsbury,  W.  L.  Sprague,  chairman 
for  Wod  River,  H.  L.  Mcintosh  at  Alda,  J. 
E.  Cox  at  Cairo,  and  Mr.  Gideon  at  Doniphan. 
The  federal  fuel  administration  fixed  the 
prices,  or  rather  marginal  profits  permitted, 
on  the  sale  of  coal,  but  to  the  local  county 
administration  fell  the  tasks  of  fixing  and 
regulating  the  prices  charged  for  delivery, 
and  to  determine  in  what  quantities  coal 
should  be  delivered,  and  to  place  orders  with 
the  federal  administration  when  a  shortage  of 
coal  threatened.  In  two  instances  coal  in  tran- 
sit was  seized  and  diverted. 

FOUR   MINUTE    MEN 


tive  service  throughout  the  country,  was  the 
four-minute  men.  This  plan  of  having  four- 
minute  talks  made  in  the  theatres,  churches, 
and  wherever  regular  public  gatherings  were 
held,  not  only  aroused  enthusiasm  in  the  vari- 
ous campaigns,  but  was  used  for  the  spreading 
of  information  generally  by  the  government. 
During  each  Liberty  loan,  Y.  M.  C.  A.  drive, 
Red  Cross  membership  campaign,  U.  W.  W. 
drive,  and  on  special  days  such  as  Flag  Day, 
nurse  enrollment  drive,  bastile  day,  July  4,  and 
all  such  special  days,  after  this  organization 
was  formed,  speakers  presented  the  particular- 
ly pertinent  war-gospel  to  the  people.  In  order 
to  make  an  effective  four-minute  talk,  the 
speaker  had  to  outline  in  his  mind  the  begin- 
ning of  his  speech,  leave  it  out  and  deliver 
the  closing  part  with  the  "punch,"  so  this 
plan  developed  a  particularly  forceful  style  of 
public  speaking,  which  is  not  being  entirely 
discarded  since  the  abandonment  of  the  four- 
minute  program  for  governmental  activities. 
Considerable  credit  is  due  to  Managers 
Woostenholm  of  the  Majestic,  Hayman  of  the 
Lyda,  Fisher  of  the  Empress  and  Mitchell  of 
the  Michelson,  for  the  use  of  their  theatres  so 
many  times  during  those  last  months  of  the 
war.  F.  M.  Mitchell  of  the  Michelson  was 
the  only  theatre  man  who  was  a  four-minute 
speaker  also.  The  first  chairman  of  the  four- 
minute  men  organization  of  Hall  County  was 
Frank  E.  Slusser,  and  he  was  succeeded  in 
1918  by  J.  H.  Woolley.  Those  who  carried 
on  the  work  of  the  four-minute  men  organiza- 
tion of  Hall  County  were :  Bishop  J.  A. 
Duffy,  Mayor  J.  L.  Cleary,  Miss  Jane  L. 
Pinder,  Mrs.  R.  B.  Ray,  Judge  Bayard  H. 
Paine,  Hon.  Chas  G.  Ryan,  Hon.  W.  H. 
Thompson,  Hon.  W.  A.  Prince,  F.  M.  Mitch- 
ell, William  Suhr,  Dale  P.  Stough,  Rev.  M. 
L.  Rose,  Rev.  V.  R.  Beebe,  Rev.  L.  A. 
Arthur.  At  the  close  of  this  work,  both  cer- 
tificates of  efficiency  and  a  copper  button, 
said  to  have  been  made  from  copper  taken 
from  first  German  submarine  brought  to  this 
country  and  dismantled,  were  awarded. 

WAR   SAVINGS   CAMPAIGN   COMMITTEE 


The  work  of  the  War  Savings  Campaign 
An  organization  which  did  a  very  distinc-     Committees  has  already  been  outlined  earlier 


STORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


e  personnel  of  those 
this  county  should  be 
ach  was  county  chair- 
■  was  city  chairman, 
I  charge  of  the  forma- 
clubs  throughout  the 
vas  chosen  in  Decem- 
tly  afterwards  chose 
County's  quota  was 
tie  figures  showed  that 
i  for  $333,800  worth 
tside  districts  in  the 
111  or  $115,611  more 


ie  outside  districts,  as 

r  responses. 

were: 

Quota 

Response 

. .  .$10,000 

$17,070 

...     9,600 

16,103 

...  15,000 

183)5 

...  13,000 

23,535 

...   13,600 

15,218 

...   12,000 

17,946 

...  13,000 

25,565 

...  20,500 

26,399 

...  13,500 

16,908 

...  24,600 

30,822 

...  10,000 

23,912 

. . .     8,000 

15,070 

....  19,000 

35,401 

....  33,000 

47,660 

IRK  CAMPAIGN 

1  of  October,  a  local 
d  to  take  care  of  the 
n  war  societies  joint 
War  Work  Campaign. 
was  headed  by  Judge 
ork,  with  a  state  com- 
jresentatives  for  each 
District  committees 
the  district  in  which 
ted  three  Hall  County 
various  organizations, 
bility  in  this  campaign 
ur  county.  Mrs.  W. 
:rict  representative  for 
r  J.  L.  Geary  for  the 


National '  Catholic  War  Council,  and  David 
Kaufman  for  the  Jewish  Welfare  Association. 
The  local  council  in  charge  of  the  campaign 
in  Hall  County  were,  chairman,  Thomas  £. 
Bradstreet,  representing  the  Y.  M.  C.  A. 
with  Frank  E.  Slusser,  as  his  assistant  chair- 
man during  the  drive ;  Miss  Sheeley,  secre- 
tary of  local  Y.  W.  C.  A.  represented  that 
organization ;  Mr.  Roney  represented  the 
National  Catholic  War  Council  (Knights  of 
Columbus),  A.  E.  Nagelstock  represented 
Jewish  Welfare  Board  and  was  secretary  of 
local  executive  committee,  Lawrence  Donald 
represented  War  Camp  Community  Service, 
the  Salvation  Army  was  represented  by  a 
captain  of  its  order  from  Hastings  who  was 
working  in  Central  Nebraska  then,  and  the 
American  Library  Association,  by  Mrs.  J.  L. 
Cleary,  a  member  of  local  library  board.  The 
quota  was  fixed  at  $51,000,  or  50%  more  than 
each  citizen  had  donated  to  the  last  preced- 
ing Red  Cross  drive.  On  the  evening  of  No- 
vember 10  the  subscriptions  amounted  to 
$6,630,  but  the  enthusiasm  of  Armistice  Day 
boosted  them  to  $10,632.  60 ;  and  like  all  other 
drives  Hall  County  went  over  the  top,  though 
the  ending  of  hostilities  rather  slackened 
the  speed  of  the  drive. 

OTHER    WAR   ORGANIZATIONS 

There  were  so  many  organizations  formed 
to  handle  tasks  which  came  up  in  connection 
with  war  work  that  there  is  a  danger  of 
omitting  some  of  them.  A  drive  was  insti- 
tuted to  secure  Hall  County's  quota  of  girls 
to  enter  nursing  training  and  the  Red  Cross 
assisted  in  this  work  by  placing  Mrs.  W.  J. 
Redfield  in  charge.  Five  Hall  County  girls 
signed  in  response  to  this  call;  Miss  Theresa 
Curry  and  Ethel  Allen  of  Wood  River,  Bertha 
Tow,  Irene  Hunding  and  Miss  Boiling  of 
Grand  Island. 

The  task  of  handling  the  enrollment  of  the 
boys  from  16  to  18  for  selective  service  in 
farm  labor  for  the  summer  of  1919  was  organ- 
ized and  ready  for  the  enrollment  on  Novem- 
ber 14.  C.  O.  Michael  was  chairman,  County 
Agent  J.  R.  White,  assistant  chairman,  and 


IbyGoOgI 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


467 


different  men  were  selected,  but  though  the 
registration  was  held  the  need  for  this  branch 
of  work  did  not  materialize. 

"welcome  home,"  jut,Y  24,  1919 

The  homecoming  celebration  at  Schimmer's 
lake  drew  an  attendance  Thursday  afternoon 
and  evening  estimated  all  the  way  from  5,000 
to  20,000.  Officers  of  the  committee  placed  the 
size  of  the  crowd  from  6,000  to  8,000,  the 
latter  being  one-third  of  the  county's  entire 
population.  The  general  interest  shown  was 
a  surprise  even  to  the  most  sanquine.  Early 
in  the  afternoon  some  of  the  committeemen 
on  the  ground  said  they  thought  there  would 
be  at  least  5,000  people  on  hand. 

The  barbecue  put  out  12,000  sandwiches 
according  to  figures  obtained  by  Secretary 
Otis  of  the  Commercial  Club.  He  said  there 
was  no  doubt  that  3,000  or  4,000  people  did 
not  patronize  the  booth  where  the  barbecued 
meat  was  distributed.  More  thon  700  loaves 
of  bread,  four  steers,  50  pounds  of  salt,  and 
a  great  quantity  of  pickles  and  mustard  were 
used  in  making  the  sandwiches  which  were 
given  out. 

Sheriff  McCutchan  had  a  group  of  deputies 
to  staighten  out  traffic.  They  were  kept  busy 
watching  the  crisscrossing  of  cars  in  front  of 
the  entrance  to  Sand  Krog  and  the  lake. 
South  of  the  lake  where  machines  were  main- 
ly parked,  hundreds  of  cars  filled  the  road- 
sides and  fields  for  a  distance  of  a  half  mile 
from  Sand  Krog.  Late  in  the  evening  when 
people  were  returning  home  the  headlights  of 
the  automobiles  illuminated  the  roadway  for 
the  entire  distance  from  the  lake  to  the  city 
for  a  long  period.  Machines  Were  not  more 
than  200  feet  apart  and  most  of  the  way  the 
procession  was  almost  solid. 

TlMf  special  train  put  on  by  the  Union 
Pacific  made  hourly  trips  between  noon  and 
midnight,  the  last  train  coming  in  at  12:30 
a.  m.  By  actual  count  1,897  people  bought 
round  trip  tickets  and  there  were  some  who 
paid  fare  only  one  way.  The  last  train  car- 
ried five  coaches  and  each  coach  was  packed, 
all  seats  and  all  standing  room  being  taken. 

The  fireworks  in  the  evening  proved  a  most 


entertaining  feature.  People  were  requested 
to  gather  around  the  lake  in  order  that  a 
better  view  of  the  fireworks  could  be  obtained. 
The  crowd  was  so  large  that  this  request  was 
difficult  to  meet  Set  pieces  of  Pershing,  the 
national  flag  and  the  Red  Cross  were  all 
good,  that  of  the  flag  being  particularly  fine. 
Shrapnel  fireworks  supplied  plenty  of  noise. 
Other  fireworks  made  up  the  program. 

Music  was  furnished  by  the  Wood  River 
band  in  the  afternoon,  by  the  Grand  Island 
band  in  the  evening  and  by  Liederkranz  Male 
quartet  during  the  formal  program.  A  bur- 
lesque wrestling  match  on  the  band  platform 
by  two  Omaha  men  entertained  the  crowd  in 
the  late  afternoon. 

Those  present  included  people  from  the 
western  part  of  the  state,  from  Kearney  and 
from  Hastings. 

The  amount  of  money  taken  in  at  the 
booths  and  received  from  the  concessions  by 
the  committee  was  estimated  at  $2,100. 

In  the  afternoon  a  program  of  speaking 
was  field  in  the  pavilion  at  Sand  Krog.  Mayor 
J.  L.  Cleary  presided  as  chairman.  Colonel 
McCrea  of  Omaha  was  one  of  the  speakers. 
He  is  a  physician  who  organized  an  ambu- 
lance at  Council  Bluffs  and  later  perfected  the 
organization  while  in  Europe.  His  subject 
dealt  with  preparedness,  on  which  he  repeat- 
edly touched. 

Mr.  Risden  of  Lincoln,  member  of  the  Ro- 
tary club,  who  served  in  camp  as  an  enter- 
tainer for  the  soldiers  and  delighted  many 
with  story  and  declamation;  gave  a  pleasing 
talk.  Compositions  of  his  own  were  among 
those  he  delivered.  His  daughter,  Miss  Ris- 
den, accompanied  him  to  the  city  and  helped 
in  one  of  the  booths. 

A  patriotic  address  was  given  by  Judge 
^B.  H.  Paine.  The  Liederkranz  Male  quartet, 
composed  of  Harold  Menck,  Harry  Paulsen, 
George  Heyde  and  Gus  Roeser,  was  on  the 
prorgam,  and]  their  singing  was  much  en- 
joyed and  was  given  most  hearty  applause 

Sheriff  McCutchan's  force  of  deputies  at 
the  grounds  included  E.  J.  Wickwire,  C.  J. 
Palmer,  Emil  Schroeder,  Gus  Fonner  and  Mr. 
Thomssen. 


■yGOOgl 


c 


468 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Alda,  Neb.,  April  23.—  (Special  Dispatch). 
— A  community  reception  was  held  last  even- 
ing at  the  Methodist  church  in  honor  of  the 
returned  soldier;  boys  of  this  community,  of 
which  there  were  ten,  five  of  whom  had  been 
overseas.  The  overseas  honor  guests  were: 
George  Filsinger,  John  Quisenberry,  Jr., 
Robert  Swift,  of  Watertown,  Nebraska, 
Julius  Gutschow  and  Edward  Ewoidt.  Ow- 
ing to  a  paralytic  stroke  which  occurred  Mon- 
day night,  Ned  King,  also  an  overseas  soldier, 
was  unable  to  be  present.  The  boys  who  had 
done  their  bit  in  the  camps  in  this  country 
were:  Lloyd  Minor,  Ronald  Brown,  Edward 
Swift,  Frank  Dahlstrom,  and  Mr.  Ewoidt,  Jay 
Lawrence. 

John  Thomssen  acted  in  the  capacity  of 
chairman  of  the  meeting.  Following  a  short 
prayer  by  Rev.  Warren  the  audience  sang 
"Keep  the  Home  Fires  Burning,"  after  which 
the  address  of  welcome  was  given  by  Mr.  Ira 
Gibson.  Short  talks  were  also  given  by  H.  S. 
Mcintosh,  Henry  Rouse,  E.  J.  Long,  and  Ex- 
Representative  M.  H.  O'Malley. 

George  Filsinger  gave  a  very  touching  re- 
sponse with  references  to  the1  hearty  welcome 
they  had  received  and  how  much  it  meant  to, 
the  boys  to  be  again  among  their  friends,  but 
asked  that  the  honors  be  not  given  to  the  boys 
who  had  returned  but  rather  that  all  honor 
be  given  to  the  ones  who  would  never  come 
back  and  were  sleeping  in  foreign  fields. 
Robert  Swift,  of  Watertown,  gave  a  most 
interesting  talk  along  the  lines  of  going  over 
the  top  and  how -one  feels  when  he  is  going  ' 
over,  having  no  fear  what-ever.  Mr.  Swift 
was  wounded  by  a  German  shell  in  the  battle 
of  St.  Mihiel  and  was  in  the  hospital  for  six 
months. 

Following  the  talks  an  interesting  program 
of  piano  selections  and  vocal  solos  were  given 
which  were  greatly  enjoyed. 

At  the  close  of  the  program  all  went  to  the 
church  basement  where  refreshments  were 
served.  Carnations  were  presented  to  each 
soldier  boy  present.  Between  250  and  300 
persons  were  present,  and  it  is  believed  that 
even  a  larger  number  would  have  attended  but 
for  the  threatening  storm.    The  affair  was  de- 


clared by  all  to  have  been  a  most  enjoyable 
one  and  will  long  be  remembered. 

LIST  OF  HALL  COUNTY'S  SONS  IN  THE  WAR 

Shortly  after  the  beginning  of  the  active 
hostilities  between  the  governments  of  the 
United  States  and  Germany,  O.  A  Abbott,  Jr., 
was  appointed  by  the  executive  committee  of 
the  Red  Cross  to  record  the  names  of  all 
Hall  County's  sons  who  had  been  called  into 
their  country's  service,  in  what  ever  branch 
of  the  nation's  military  forces,  and  whether 
by  voluntary  enlistment  or  under  the  selective 
service  act.  For  some  time  Mr.  Abbott  was 
able  to  compile  and  keep  the  record.  His 
duties  as  chairman  of  the  Council  of  Defense, 
as  court  reporter  and  as  secretary  of  the 
Home  Guards,  however,  made  it  necessary  for 
him  to  abandon  the  work.  And  for  some 
weeks  the  work  of  compilation  had  been 
dropped.  When  The  Independent  ascertained 
this  fact,  it  volunteered  to  pick  up  the  task 
where  it  had  been  abondoned,  as  well  as  the 
paper  was  able  to  do  so,  and  it  kept  up  the 
work  until  the  last  contingent  had  been  sent  to 
the  camps,  in  the  meantime  also  keeping  as 
close  check  on  enlistments  as  possible. 

Particular  efforts  were  made  to  secure  the 
then  post  office  addresses,  the  branch  of  ser- 
vice, the  forces  to  which  attached,  of  every 
member,  but  the  responses  to  these  requests 
were  only  partial  and  it  is  impractical  to  give 
the  regiment,  company,  etc.,  to  which  these 
men  were  assigned.  And  it  is  now  compelled 
as  part  of  its  own  welcoming  home  of  all  of 
Hall  County's  defenders  of  the  flag  to  pub- 
lish the  list  as  hereto  added. 

(It  would  not  be  a  complete  summary  if, 
in  closing,  The  Independent  failed  to  give 
attest  to  the  splendid  and  uniform  manner  in 
which  the  sons  of  Hall  County  answered  to 
their  country's  call.  The  paper  would  be  re- 
miss if  it  did  not  pay  a  tribute,  likewise,  to 
the  fathers  and  mothers  and  to  the  public  of 
Hall  County  generally,  for  the  uniform  loyal- 
ty evidenced  during  the  past  few  years  — 
by  the  sons  who,  if  need  be,  offered  the  su- 
preme sacrifice;  by  the  fathers  and  mothers 
who  unhesitatingly  and  patriotically  bade  their 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


sons  farewell,  and  godspeed  to  them  and  to 
our  own,  our  native  land ;  and  to  all  —  in- 
cluding those  who  were  not,  by  force  of  cir- 
cumstances, called  upon  to  make  such  sacri- 
fices —  for  the  splendid  support  given  in  the 
second  line  of  defense  —  in  meeting,  promptly 
and  fully,  every  quota.  Indeed  Hall  County 
is  known  far  and  wide,  over  the  state,  as  hav- 
ing been  foremost  in  these  duties,  and  in  the 
united  spirit  in  which  they  were  met.  It  is 
with  a  sense  of  deepest  gratitude  to  the  men 
ihus  called  and  serving ;  as  a  meed  of  the  high 
respect  and  honor  due  them ;  and  with  a  feel- 
ing of  pride  in  our  home  county  that  The 
Independent  submits,  today,  this  roster  of  its 
fighting  sons.  — Editor).     May  24,  1919 

—A— 
Augustine,  Howard  M. 
Applegit,  Gilbert  J. 
Anthoney,  Cannon  W. 
Anthony,  Alfred  E. 
Allan,  Leo 
Allan,  Rex 
Atwill,  Claude  C. 
Ayers,  Byrle 
Albrecht,  John  W. 
Ackerman,  Charles 
Anderson,  Martin 
Alderman,  Floyd  M. 
Ashton,  Fred  W. 
Axselband,  Harry 
Afflerbaugh.  N.  W. 
Afflerbaugh,  Earl 
Ashton,  Walter  F. 
Ainsworth,  Will  T. 
Allen,  C.  E. 
Adams,  Warren 
Augustine,  Irving 
Anderson,  Clarence 
Anderson,  Roy  Malcom 
Ashton,  Oliver 
Adams,  Jesse 
Annitis,  Joseph 
*Ayers  Earl 


-B- 


Britt,  Theodore  R, 
Baylor,  Paul 


Bergholz,  Frank 
Boissean,  Ben  F. 
Bradstreet,  Deo 
Burch,  Walter  C. 
Beberniss,  Walter 
Bremer,  Howard 
Beerup,  Clyde  W. 
Bradshaw,  Victor  A. 
Buchfink,  Ernest  L.  S. 
Brazelton,  Roscoe 
Bernstein,  Fritz 
Bradley,  Wayne  E. 
Butt,  Henry  Charles 
Brunner,  William  L.  ■ 
Brooks,  Paul  B. 
Burford,  Ralph 
Button,  George 
Brown,  Alvin 
Bomgardner,  Cluad 
Biery,  J.  H. 
Bartlett,  Stanley  W. 
Brown,  Allen 
Brown,  Roy 
Buford,  Ralph 
Bertrand,  Ferdinand 
Betz,  Adolph 
Blair,  Roy  A. 
Boyer,  L.  W. 
Bailey,  Hairy  J. 
Bacon,  John 
Bridge,  Ernest 
Brown  Ronald  R. 
Blunk,  Adolph 
Blunk,  Walter 
Buechler,  Theodore 
Buechler,  Walter 
Black,  John 
Beeble,  Albert 
Bergholz,  Richard 
Brininger,  L.  Roy 
Baker,  Sidney  Paul 
Bailey  Pete 
Brown  Frank  E. 
Bowen,  Ralph 
Brown,  Lloyd 
Boyden,  Dr.  H.  B. 
Baker,  Dr.  H.  J. 
Barlow,  Vern 
*Bendowsky,  Frank 


i  by  Google 


1TORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

Beegle,  Austin 
Beegle,  Harry 
Bain,  Othoe 
Bossert,  Charles 
Baitenbach,  George  W. 
Brase,  Edward  J. 
Barnes,  Charles 
Broyles,  Wayne  W. 
Benesh,  William  Leslie, 
Black,  Ray  James 
Boettcher,  Lewis  A. 
Baumann,  Roy  Jennings 
Ballard  Clarence 
Black,  Louis 
Buettner,  Gustav  A. 
Bryson,  James  M. 
Button,  Percy  Roy 
*Bensen,  Allan 

— C— 
Gates,  Harold  Kenneth 
Cantrell,  Russell 
Carl,  John  B. 
Christ,  Harry  A. 
Craig,  Frank 
Curtis,  Roy  H. 
Char  let  on,  Arthur 
Campbell,  John 
Campbell,  Harry 
Catterson,  Emmett  B. 
Campbell  William  P. 
Connor,  Charles  V. 
Campbell,  Clyde  C. 
Claussen,  Henry 
Carter,  Walter  A. 
Cornelius,  Max  J. 
Clamp  itt,  Jack 
Cornelius,  George  R. 
Coleman,  Ralph 
Cisco,  Lester  S. 
Cunningham  Snsyl  W. 
Cramer,  Fay  E. 
Cornell,  Edwin  L. 
•Cady,  Fayette 
Care,  John  B, 
Cline,  George  H. 
Cox,  Ozies  Clifford 
Clark,  Otto  H. 
Croy,  Leo 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Cosh,  Andrew 
Costello,  Emmett 
Cave,  George  A. 
Coates,  George  F. 
Christensen,  Raymond 
Case,  Ralph  A. 
Cole,  Clarence  W. 
Contos,  John 
Cunningham,  Oren 
Carson,  Burdette 
Calbellero,  Rex 
Campbell,  Clarence 
Corbett,  Oliver  J. 
Clark,  Claude  C. 
Cunningham,  William 
Clark,  Paul  D. 
Coates  Mercer, 
Cox,  Peter 
Costello,  Harry 
Clark,  Robert 
*Cates,  Edwin  L. 
Clark,  Earl 
Christie,  Joseph  F. 
Culbertsoo,  Guizia  H. 
Colond,  Louis  J. 
Cole,  Wilham 
Coates,  Charles  T. 
Costello,  Niel 
Caib,  Forrest  W. 
Costello,  T.  E. 
Carson,  Guy 
Caloud,  Louis  J. 
•Connor,  Leo  T.  . 
Costello,  Phillip  N. 
Colwell,  Louis 
Cates,  Iawrence 


Donald,  Lawrence  Gray 
Donald,  Bruce 
Donald,  Robert 
Duffy,  Edward  T. 
Duffy  Lawrence 
Donovan,  Claude  P. 
Diskin,  John 
Dahlstrom,  Frank  R. 
Daugherry,  Lesley 
Drumhiller,  Fred  A. 
Davis,  George  A. 


Darling,  Orville  C. 
Diechman,  Carl  A.,  Jr. 
Dixon,  Ralph 
Davis,  Carl  E. 
Dennon,  .Sumner  Pearly 
Dryer,  Earl 
Dempsey,  Bernard 
Davis,  Roy  O. 
Dutton,  Sidney 
Deffenbaugh,  Capt.  M.  H. 
Dannell,  Henry 
Davis,  Reed 
Davidson,  Earl  Elmer 
Decius,  Charles  A. 
Draper,  Delmar  O. 
Dunn,  Thomas  R. 
Davies,  Wesley 
Dies,  Theodore 
Drake,  Earl 
Deffenbaugh,  John  J. 
Dunn,  William  T. 
Dietrich,  Jack 
Deffenbaugh,  George 
Deffenbaugh,  Wayne 
Deffenbaugh,  Dr.  Ethan 
Dixon,  George 
Daily,  C. 
Dryer,  Emil 
Daniel,  John 
♦Deuel,  Benjamin 

— E— 
Etting,  Norval 
Englehart,  Edward  G. 
Ewoldt,  Albert 
Engleman,  Edwin  E. 
Eggers,  Otto 
Etting  Lee  E, 
Engleman,  Herbert 
Eddingfield,  Robert 
Ewoldt,  Eddie 
Enck,  Howard 
Enck,  Russell 
Edgmond,  Nelson 
Elliott,  Lee  V. 
England,  Granvill  B. 
Eggers,  Henry 
Eaton,  George 
Eaton,  Max 


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OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRA 

Francis,  Leroy 
Forbes,  Ray  A. 
Frederick,  Owei 
Francis,  Vincent 
Francis,  Roger 
Flanders  Williai 
Fonner,  James 
Fountain,  Steph 
Faust,  Herbert 
Flood,  M.  J. 


Garlow,  Lawrer 
Greenwood,  Lyl 
Gosda,  Richard 
Graves,  William 
Green,  Charles 
Graham,  Alexan 
Garrett,  Guy 
Grisham,  Rosco' 
Graf,  Eddie  Wil 
Garrison,  Geralc 
Geil,  Warren  B 
Gilbert,  Robert  '. 
Gossett,  Frank  I 
Goehring,  Clemt 
Garneceli,  Arnol 
Gutschow,  Juliu 
Geddes,  Harold 
Goehring  Carl 
Groff,  John 
Gold,  Isaac 
Gabriel,  Clarenci 
Gilpatrick,  Cecil 
Goecke,  Hermar 
Gararis,  Constai 
Garfield,  James 
Gontz,  Emery  F 
Gam,  Walter  C. 
Grasborg,  Bert 
Gilmore,  Earl  D 
Garver,  Harry  ( 
Garver,  Patt/ 
Glines,  Frank 
Green,  Leon  O. 
Gilchrist,  Capt.  ' 
Gaydon,  Edmun 
Good,  Victor  R. 
Griffin,  Lee,  R. 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Grundy,  Charles  E. 
Grady,  Charles 
Geddes,  Glen  H. 
Gosda,  Adolph 
Gray,  James  W. 
Greufe,  Herman 
Goff,  Dick 
Gossett,  Charles  H. 
Gross,  Roy  E. 
Gross  art,  James 
Gabriel,  Clarence  V. 
Gorman,  Lawrence  G. 
Godberson,  John  L. 
Glines,  Everett  O. 
Green,  Dr.  R.  L. 
Good  Leo  B. 
Gladson,  Clyde 
Gouf,  Eli  T. 
Grim,  Claude  E. 
Graf,  Lieut.  E.  A. 
Gossart,  Pete 
Grimm,  Clark, 
Grant,  Guy  Reid 
Grant  William  H., 
Gilbert,  Earl  David 
Gregg,  Lester  Morgan 
Graham,  Robert  French 
Grideon,  Paul  Marth 

— H— 
Humphrey,  Maynard 
Hines,  Harvey  K. 
Hurley,  Charles  D. 
Hamann,  Fred 
Harders,  Emil 
Highland,  George  W. 
Huck,  Fred  L. 
Herman,  August 
Hendryx,  Claude 
Harbert,  Ernest  C. 
Hurst,  Noble  G. 
Hosek,  Joseph  F. 
Hammond,  Ray  F. 
Harrison,  Reed  L. 

*Harris,  Richard  L. 

Kitch,  Arthur 

Hayes,  Lemuel 

Howard,  Calvin 

Hansen,  Carl 


Hoskins,  Roy 
Horn,  Otto  James 
Harms,  William  J. 
Harvey,  John  H. 
Hoffman,  Claude  Lestei 
Harle,  William  D. 
*Huyck,  Floyd  Gregg 
Huyck,  Orland  T. 
Henry,  Oschar  A. 
Hutton,  William  R. 
Husman,  William 
Heusinger,  Lewis 
Heyde,  George 
Heyde,  Louis 
Hintz,  Harry 
Hall,  Alfred  H. 
Hansen,  Samuel 
Howard,  Andrew  E. 
Hutton,  George  W. 
Holsinger,  Russell  A. 
Holley,  John 
Harris,  George  W. 
Hauke,  La  Vem 
Hubbard  Emmett  L. 
Huck,  Thomas  L- 
Hanson,  Louis 
Hall,  Burt  B. 
Hyde,  Robert  L. 
Hintz,  John  L. 
Hoover,  Albert  M. 
Heeley,  Charles  R. 
Hageman,  Ernest 
Hann,  Lawrence  C. 
Hall,  William  B. 
Hultgreen,  Arthur 
Hansen,  Paul 
Haack,  William 
Harris,  Leland  H. 
Heinlein,  Roy  George 
Huss,  Claude 
Hansen,  Charles  N. 
Howard,  Albert 
Hoshaw,  Walter 
Hall,  William  2. 
Hofher,  Ben 
Hageman,  Louis  A. 
Hanna,  Donald  C. 
Hess,  Harold  J. 
Holmes,  Ralph  J. 


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ORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

Jensen,  Iver  C. 
Judeman,  Herman  F. 
Johnson,  Olaf 
Johnson,  J.  Lloyd 
Johnson,  Thomas  Archie 
John,  John  R. 
Johnson,  Daniel 
Johnson,  Iver  C. 
Johnson,  Walter  F. 
Johnson,  Glen  B. 
Jarvis,  Hal 
Jordon,  Leslie  Austin 
Jensen,  Harry  E. 
Jensen,  Oscar 
Jones,  Harry 
Judklns,  Walter 
Jones,  Albert  V. 
Joseph,  Charles  A. 
Jensen,  Jens  C. 
Jones,  George 
Judkins,  Roy 
Jungelaus,  William 
Jungbluth,  Edward 
Johnson,  Glen 
Jankovitz,  Mat  J. 
Janousek,  Louis  J. 
John,  Frank 
Jewett,  Ralph 
Johnson,  Christ 
Jones,  Glen  L. 
Johnson,  Lars 
Johnson,  Eugene 
Johnson,   Lieut.  E.  G. 
John,  Lee  Kaley 
Johnson,  Joseph  F. 
Johnson,  Roswell 
Johnson,  Harley 
Jackson,  Jesse 
Jackson,  Charles  H. 
Jackson,  Ray 
Jones,  James 
Jefferies,  Wilbur 
Jefferies,  Edward 
Jenson,  Leo  D. 
Jenson,  Ernest  M. 

— K— 

Kufer,  Henry  G. 
KIarr,Ot,„H.     dbyGoc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Knoch,  Glen 
Kallos,  Gust 
Knee,  Roger 
Knit,  Edward 
Krai),  Herman 
Kalha,  Henry 
Kirschke,  Leo 
Kreider,  Myrhon 
Kaumans,  Frank  Joseph 
Kaiser,  Gustav  L. 
Koehler,  Bernhardt 
Kittel,  Andrew 
Kuester,  Rudolph 
Kidwiler,  Leo  F. 
Katzberg,  Fred 
•Krus'e,  Fred 
Kirkman,  Leo  Frank 
Kirkman,  Howard 
Krusemark,  Harry  F. 
Kelly,  Arthur  Edward 
Kickbush,  Emil 
Koehler,  John  F. 
King,  Ora  Ned 
Kelso,  Alfred 
Kelso  Milford 
Kelso,  Earl 
Krebs,  Roy 
Kaufman,  Leo  Joseph 
Klintworth,  Henry 
Klintworth,  Gus 
Knighten,  Raymond  A. 
Kuehner,  Gottlieb  C. 
Kuypers,  Ralph 
Krieger,  John 
Kelley,  Andrew 
Koss,  Walter  O. 
Kehm,  Jacob 
Kauman,  Watthew  T. 
Krehmke,  J.  C. 
Kelley,  John  A. 
Krueger,  William  F. 
Katschke,  Henry  C. 
Krull,  John  A. 
Kenney,  William  A. 
Keith,  Robert  E. 
Killion,  Harvey 
*Kindig,  Lester  Harrison 
Kirsch,  Paul 
Kanes,  Forrest 


Kring,  Orland.  R. 
Keemler,  Conrad 
Keeper,  Henry 


Lyman,  Willis 
Lowe,  Thomas  C. 
Lundry,  Lawrence  H. 
Lockenvitz,  Paul 
Ludington,  Arthur,  Irwin 
Lockett,  Carl 
Lorence,  Louis   Price 
Langston,  Boyd  Weld 
Lykke,  Roy 
*Leschinsky,  Armond 
Lyle,  Albert  E. 
Lane,  Commodore 
Lueth,  Ernest,  Jr. 
Lehinge,  John  E. 
Love,  Frank 
Lesher,  Carl  R.      . 
La  White,  James  L. 
Larrison,  Seward  V. 
Lane,  Edward  E. 
Lysinger,  Laurence  A. 
Leslie,  Charles  E. 
Labbe,  George  B. 
Lee,  Albert  P. 
Lindburg,  Lloyd 
Linton,  Harry 
Langenheder,  William  F. 
Luebs,  Henry  E. 
Leonard,  Eugene  M. 
Lilly,  Eugene  H. 
Lechner,  William  M.  J. 
Laymon,  Charles  H. 
Lewis,  Albert  A. 
Lederman,  Alfred  C. 
Lowrey,   Clarence  A. 
Losey,  Cecil 
Lewton,  Frank  E. 
Likes,  Ralph 
Lyons,  Milo  W. 
Lorenzen,  Bryan 
Lane,  Frank 
Likes,  Orville 
Linden,  Floyd 
Longstreth,  James  H. 
Lysinger,  Richard 


oY  Google 


)F  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 

McShane,  Leo 
Moody,  Robert 
Meidell,  D.  E. 
Meseraull,  Claude  T. 
Morgan  Cliff  E. 
Mattingly,  Clarence  F. 
Mattingly,  John  S. 
Mattingly,  Thomas  H. 
Murphy,  John  F. 
Maynard,  Evert  M. 
Meyer,  Ernest  L. 
Mahoney,  John 
Mclntire,  William  C. 
Moore,  Ray 
Morearty,  Lewis  S. 
Mansalis,  Gus 
Menck,  Art 
Mellberg,  Thomas  A. 
McDermott,  Ered 
Mathiesen,  Ed 
Mathiesen,  Detlef 
Meyers,  Leo 
Moore,  Dr.  J.  Ross 
Marquis,  Perry  D. 
McNutt,  Charles  L. 
McNally,  Joseph  Chester 
Martin,  Morris  G. 
McCormick,  Chauncey 
Muir,  Robert  W. 
Mettenbrink,  Edward 
Meininger,  Ernest 
Miller,  Asa  A. 
Mattsen  Paul 
Marth,  William,  Jr. 
Mahan,  John  A. 
Mathiesen,  William 
Martin,  Clarence  E. 
McCormick,  Ray  A. 
Mack,  Harry  S. 
Mentzer,  Lorenz  G. 
Matheny,  Raymond 
MsShane,  James 
McShane,  William 
Mawhiney,  Robert  J. 
McMullen,  Alex 
Mankin,  Edward 
Mader,  Arnold  L. 
McNally,  John  F. 
Moslander,  William  J. 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mullen,  Will 
McGuire,  Allen 
Mickish,  Arthur 
Moeller,  John  C. 
Miller,  Stanley  C. 
Marth,  Fritz 
Moore,  Elmer  R. 
McGuire,  George  A. 
Moody,  Frank 
McClure,  Harvey 
Mattingly,  George 
Metheny,  Dr. 
Morgan,  Frank 
McClure,  Harry 
Micheltnan,  Oswald 
McAulley,  Joe 
Meth,  Walter  Edward 
Mace,  Floyd 
McCoy,  Joe  E. 
McCurkin,  James  T. 
Mclntire,  Frank  S. 
Melmer,  John  Joseph 
Mullen,  George  W. 
McAllister,  Charles  R. 
Muzzy,  Ray  E. 
Michelson,  Harold 
Matheney,  Earl 
Mitchell,   Lenney 
Morrow,  John  C. 
Madison,  Henry 
Mohan,  John  Albert 
Marry,  Clinton  S. 
Muhl,  Harry 
Mills,  Avery  Perry 
Millner,  William  D. 
Manning,  James 
Matkins,  Arthur 
McDonald,  William   H. 
McCann,  Ray,  Norris 
McCaslin,  James  L. 
Mellar,  John  C. 
McGlumphy,  Chas.  R. 


-N- 


Nicholson,  George 
Naylor,  Earl 
Nichaus,  Stanley 
Nelson,  Oscar 
Null,  Charles 


Noble,  J.  H. 
Norris,  Walter 
Nelson,  Clyde 
Nietfield,  Otto 
Neth,  Walter  E. 
Nielson,  Harry  J. 
Nagel,  Fred 
Nairhos,  Gus 
Nolan,  Joe 
Nolan,  Art 
Nolan,  Paul 
Neumann,  Ernest 
Nicholson,  Edwin  A. 
Nielsen,  Clyde 
Neville,  Eddie 
Nihans,  Harry  E. 
Newhouse,  William 
Niess,  Theodore  S. 
Nichols,  Wilbur  R. 


Oddo,  Tony 
Osborn,  Harry 
O'Field,  Albert 
Orndorf,  Bryan  J. 
Oxford,  William 
Osborn,  Charles  Porter 
Oswald,  Edward  C. 
O'Field,  Alfred 
Ohl,  Watts  W. 
Olson,  Elmer  D. 
O'Kane,  Thomas  F. 
Oxford,  Samuel 
O'Hara,  Donald 
Os  sow  ski,  Henry  J. 
Osbom,  Fred 
Osborn,  Ray  V. 
Ondrak,  John 
Owens,  Roscoe  C. 

— P— 
Petersen,  Andrew  L. 
Persson,  Edward  B. 
*Palmer,  George  S. 
Penwell,  Harrison 
Paulsen,  Albert  C. 
Peters,  Arthur  C. 
Peters,  Carl 
Peters,  Rudolph  Henry 


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RY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 

Quillin,  Walter 
Quinn,  E.  H. 
Quackenbush,  Bert  D. 


Rasmussen,  Louis 
Rice,  William  Edward 
Reynolds,  James  S. 
Roney,  Don  W. 
Rumsey,  George 
Roche,  Joseph  Francis 
Reed,  Byron 
Rooker,  Noel 
Ruff,  Joe 
Roper,  Joseph 
Rasmussen,  Peter 
Runge,  Charles 
Runge,  August 
Roarick,  Howard  R. 
Roney,  Joseph 
Roney,  John  P. 
Rauch,  Henry- 
Richards,  Doan  H. 
Raymore,  Albert  W. 
Ryder,  Frank 
Russell,  Samuel 
Rosenkotter,  Henry  H. 
Rogers,  Kenneth 
Ross,  Kenneth 
Rogers,  Francis 
Roeser,  Oscar,  Jr. 
Reimers,  Robert 
Redfield,  Dr.  Willis  P. 
Regan,  Dr.  John  H. 
Richards,  Cecil  R. 
Rief,  Herbert  B. 
Rasmussen,  George  R. 
Ruse,  William 
Riley,  Russell 
Ries,  Nicholas  F. 
Roush,  Floyd 
Roush,  Charles 
Reed,  Floyd  K. 
Reed,  Wendall 
Reed,  William  M. 
Rydberg,  Verne  E. 
Ryan,  Raymond 
Ryan,  James  S. 
Richmond,  Earl 

D.g.tizedbyL.OOgle 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Roach,  John  G. 
Riley,  Edward 
Ross,  Lee  A. 
Ross,  Brady 
Robinson,  John 
Rolland,  Robert  W. 
Ray,  George  W. 
Rankin,  Archibald  R. 
Ruple,  Paul  M. 
Roy,  William  L. 
Rasmussen,  George  E. 
Ray,  Robert  B. 
Richeson,  Jack 
Runge,  Fred 
Runge,  Pete 
Roberts,  Jack 
Rhoades,  Clyde 
Roush,  Henry 
Reed,  Willis 
Rourke,  Garrett 
Reese,  William 
Rief,  C.  H. 
Ross,  Alton  Wilson 
Ryan,  Clark  L. 
Rathburn,  George 
Rauert,  Richard  L. 
Rogers,  Doc. 
Rousey,  Dr.  A.  L. 
Ramsey,  Charles 
Robbins,  Harry  F. 
Root,  Daniel  L. 

— S— 
Sothman,  Paul  H. 
Stelk,  Walter 
Scott,  Joel  T. 
Scott,  Edward  E. 
Strasburg,  Leonard 
Switzer,  Dillman 
Sopher,  Lee 
Smith,  William  H. 
Spapatos,  Pete 
Spethman,  Francisco  L. 
Sillery,  Leonard  S. 
Schnell,  Nick 
Searson,  Harry 
Sander,  John  H. 
Switzer,  Clarence 
Scott,  Frank 


Smith,  Talmage 
Smith,  Guy 
Shultz,  Walter 
Sorensen,  Thorwald  M. 
•Sutherland,  John 
Soland,  Wesley 
Smoot,  Edward  E. 
Schlichting,  Herman  J. 
Stelk,  Emil 
Sullivan,  George 
Simon,  George  Peter  ■ 
Springsteen,  Clarence  A. 
Smith,  Edward  C. 
Scoville,  Max 
Scheer,  William  Kurt 
Schluer,  Carl  G. 
Samway,  Norman 
Sutton,  Oren 
Spry,  Horton  H. 
Shehein,  Leo  G. 
Sanders,  G.  B. 
Stevens,  Paul 
Scott,  Ralph  A. 
Schuff,  Fred  H. 
Sagasser,  Edward  H. 
Smith,  Clarence  A. 
Shafer,  Harry  R. 
Sawicki,  Aloyisus  J, 
Schuhz,  Robert 
Stauss,  George  J. 
Schaumann,  Walter  E. 
Street,  Clarence  P. 
Smith,  George  B. 
Schmidt,  Edmond  F. 
Sellars,  Paul 
Schultz,  Willie 
Staab,  Martin 
Saunders,  John 
Scheel,  William 
Stuart,  Virgil 
Smith,  Walter  W. 
Sink,  John,  Jr. 
Sutter,  Theodore 
Smeaton,  Howard 
Shepardson,  Vernon 
Sherrer,  Cecil 
Scott,  George  J. 
Seymour,  John  C. 
Snearly,  John  A. 


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ISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

Schmaljohn,  Nelson, 
Steel,  Chauncey 
Swinairstri,  Paul 
Shamel,  Edwin 
Sheehan,  William  J. 

_T- 
Thesenvitz,  Fred 
Todsen,  John 
Thompson,  J.  W.,  Jr. 
Therodorpulos,  Demo 
Treat,  Lawrence  Her 
Tagge,  Edward  Henr 
Terrell,  Harry  G. 
Thompson,  Millard 
Thompson,  Lloyd  G. 
Thompson,  Leonard 
Thompson,  Nathan 
Tally,  Chauncey 
Tuhey,  John 
Tagge,  Otto  M. 
Turner,  Raymond  S. 

g  Turner,  Roy 

Turner,  Walter  J. 

f.  Taylor,  Glen  R. 

*Taylor,  Bruce 
Teviotdale,  William 
Towne,  Cuyler  Chas. 
Thompson,  Lorimer 
Thomas,  Clayton 
Tibbs,  Ray 
Tephy,  John  F. 
Turner  John  W. 
Todson,  Fred 
Tagge,  Albert  H. 
Thompson,  Alexandei 
Tharp,  Floyd 
R.  Tillman,  John 

Tilley,  Lawrence 
Thode,  Harry 
Touleuse,  George  P. 
Toneman,  Charles  A 
Thode,  Henry  R. 
♦Tannehfll,  William 


—V 
Veeder,  Paul 
Vaught,  Lon 
Voss,  Barney 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Vath,  Vera 
Vogel,  Ernest  L. 
Verley,  Ralph  V. 
Vailladesen,  Soren 
Von  Ohlen,  Richard 
Viereg g,  Henry  F. 
Veit,  Emest 
Vath,  Ralph 
Vath,  Adam 
Vath,  Edgar 
Vath,  Louis 
Vath,  Roy 
Vick,  Carl 

Wiese,  Bernhardt 
Wiese,  Carl 
Williams,  Dorsey 
Wescott,  George  A. 
Wilson,  James  M. 
Williams,  John  Willey 
Williams,  Henry  Orla 
Wolfe,  Harrison  O. 
White,  Frank 
Weeks,  Frank 
Wilson,  Harry  G. 
Wetzel,  Arthur 
Williams,  James  H. 
Wrage,  Max  J. 
Willman,  Henry 
Woodworth,  George  A. 
Wilson,  Ernest 
Wilson,  George 
Williams,  Louis 
Wade,  Walter 
Wade,  George 
Wilkinson,  Bryan 
Welsh,  George 
Whittaker,  George 
Wion,  Harold  E. 
Wiley,  Benjamin 
Weiland,  Frank  N. 
Waite,  Joseph  J. 
Whittacker,  John  A. 
Walker,  David  L. 
Watson,  Harold 
Walker,  William 
Wilder,  Ray 
Williams,  Steve 


Wilkerson,  John  E. 
Ward,  Beacher  H. 
Wilkinson,  William  L. 
Windolph,  Walter 
Wilks,  Ralph  L. 
Watts,  Howard 
Webb,  Stanley  F. 
Winans,  Boyd  T. 
Williams,  Thomas  S. 
Wilson,  F red 
Wilcox,  Leo 
Welsh,  Robert 
Watson,  Roy 
Wheeler,  Harry 
Wiley,  Douglas  E. 
Wilson,  Bert  E. 
Waffle,  Clarence 
Walbrecht,  John 
Wehr,  Henry  W. 
Waffle,  Charles 
Wagner,  Phillip  G. 
Westphal,  Harry 
Walker,  Lawrence  G. 
Wheeler,  Lloyd  L- 
Williams,  Dr.  Ben 
Wescoatt,  Merle 
Williams,  Gilbert 
Williams,  Arloff  L. 
Wilson,  Arthur  L. 
Windolph,  Otto 
Wilkens,  John  W. 
Woodward,  Lee 
Walker,  Jesse 
Woodward,  Alonzo  I,. 
Wolf,  Forest  E. 
Wilkinson,  John  L. 
Walker,  Fred 
Wade,  John  W. 
Williams,  Herbert  C. 
Wolbach,  Emil 
Williams,  Maurice 
Waddington,  Jay 
Wingert,  William  L. 
Whitnah,  Charles  S. 
Winin,  Frank  N. 
Wooley,  Durin 
Wier,  Albert  C. 
Wade,  Jesse 
Whitehouse,  Joseph  W. 


i  by  Google 


LL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 

Yost,  John 

— Z- 
Zeig,  William  C. 
Zeig,  Jacob  C. 
Zlomke,  Arthur 
Zeimer,  Vernon  G. 
Zeig,  H.  P. 
Zigler,  Clyde 
Total  1,237  names. 


d  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


d  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


WILLIAM  B.  FLANDERS,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Oct.  14,  1894;  enlisted  in  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
15,  1918;  Lincoln  Uni.  and  Rariton,  N.  J.;  ordinance, 
6th  Supply  Co.;  discharged  at  Funston,  Mar.  13, 
1919;  now  with  U.  P.  R.  R.  Co..  Grand  Island; 
son  of  William   B.  and   Laura    (Lewis)    Flanders. 

ROSCOE  W.  GRISHAM,  corporal,  b.  Crane,  Mo., 
Aug.  5,  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  29,  1918; 
Fnnston,  Mills,  infantry,  Div.  89,  Reg.  35S,  Co.  K; 
participated  in  St  Mihiel,  Enverzin  sector,  Meuse- 
Argonne;  wounded  Nov.  4,  1918,  three  slight  shrap- 
nel wounds;  discharged  at  Funston,  June  2,  1918; 
construction  foreman  with  telephone  company,  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Robert  E.  (dead)  and  Ermine 
R.  (Barton)    (Grisham)    Holmes,  Houston,  Texas. 

1S4 

WALTER  HOSHAW,  private,  b.  Sherman  Co., 
Jan.  20,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  25, 
1918;  Dodge  and  Forrest,  engineers,  Reg,.  20,  Co.,  5; 
discharged  at  Forrest,  Ga.,  Dec.  18,  1918;  teamster 
at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Samuel  and  Martha  Hoshaw. 

EARL  R.  CLARK,  1st  class  private,  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.;  enlisted  in  Idaho,  April  28.  1918;  Fun- 
ston; machine  gun  co.,  355  Inf.,  89  Div.;  in  St. 
Mihiel  and  Argonne-Meuse ;  discharged  at  Russel, 
Wyo.,  June  8;  now  farming  at  Wood  River.  Neb.; 
son  of  Paul  and  Alice  (Forrest)  Clark,  Wood 
River. 

251 

VIRGIL  M.  LANE,  sergt,  b.  Rawlins,  Wyo., 
Sept.  10,  1890;  enlisted  at  Salmon,  Idaho,  Oct  3, 
1917;  Lewis  and  Merritt,  infantry,  Co.  M  361st  inf., 
91st  Div.;  saw  service  at  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse,  Argonne, 
twice  and  Lys  Schedt;  wounded,  third  finger  left 
hand;  discharged  May  3.  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Thos.  and  Hattie  Lane,  Grand  Island; 
promoted 
19,  1919,  i 

ARNOLD  T.  SCHROEDER,  sergt.,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Nov.  1,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  July  22, 
1918;  Dodge  and  Alexander,  Va. ;  quartermaster 
eorps,Co.  B,  342d  Service  Bn. ;  discharged  at  Dodge 
July  16,  1919;  now  farming  near  Grand  Island; 
son  of  August  and  Anna  (Pohlman)  Schroeder, 
Grand  Island. 

447 
VERN  K.  BARLOW,  sergt,,  b.  Beathamy,  Mo.. 
Dec.  9,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  30,  1918; 
Humphreys,  Va. ;  engineers,  Co.  H;  discharged  at 
Funston  April  12,  1919;  now  railway  clerk;  son  of 
Howard  and  Daisy  E.  (Ricketts)  Barlow,  Monu- 
ment, Kan. 

429 

CLARENCE  F.  WAFFLE,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Belt.,  Mont..  May  6,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
July  7,  1918;  Ft.  Logan.  Hill,  Johnston  and  Mills; 
quartermaster  corps.  327  Supply  Co. ;  still  in  service  - 
son  of  Clark  I.  and  Una  M.  (Cleveland)  Waffle, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 

CARL  L.  SCHEFFEL,  inspector,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Nov.  15,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar.  27, 
1918;  engineering  dept. ;  his  work  consisted  in  draft- 
ing and  map  making,  also  inspecting  the  drafting  and 
map  making,  also  inspecting  the  laying  of  the  water 
mams;  this  work  was  done  at  the  government  ex- 
plosion plant  No.  C  at  Nitro,  West  Va.;  discharged 
at  Nuro,  West  Va.,  Dec.  28,  1918;  civil  engineer,  son 
of  William  and  Mary  (Schroeder)  Scheffel,  617  W. 
4th  St.,  Grand  Island. 


4SB 

HENRY  WILLMANS,  JR.,  b.  Russia,  Feb.  23, 
1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3,  1917;  Fun- 
ston; infantry,  Co.  F  Reg.  355,  Div.  89;  St.  Mihiel, 
Argonne  Forrest;  discharged  at  Funston,  June  2; 
now  carpenter;  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Straw) 
Willmans,  Grand  Island,  -Neb. 


CLARENCE  A.  SMITH,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Sept.  18,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June 
22,  1916;  Cody,  infantry,  Co.  M  5th  Neb.  Inf.Reg.  N. 
G.  ;  Cody,  Camp  Donipham,  Okla.,  trained  at  La- 
Marques,  DcLong  and  Genicart  No.  1 ;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  la..  Jan.  21,  1919;  farmer  at  Burkett, 
Neb;  soft  of  Clarence  B.  (dead)  Alfaretta  B.  (Hol- 
lington)    (Smith)   Krile,  Burkett,  Nebraska. 


>  Pittsburg,  Pa., 
vas  sent  to  England  to 
is  assigned  to  U.  S.  S. 
i  June  36,  1918;  was  o 


ROY  E.  EVANS,  2nd  class  seaman,  b.  Menola, 
la.,  Sept.  2,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  May  6, 
1918;  Great  Lakes,  navy;  wa  ~      ' 

to  Halifax,  with  a  detail,  v 
help  man  the  destroyers,  w[ 

Shaw,  a  torpedo  destroyer  oi.  , 

patrol  duty  until  the  sinking  of  the  Shaw  on  Oct. 
15,  1918,  when  it  was  cut  in  two  by  a  British  trans- 
port; most  of  the  crew  was  saved;  he  was  picked  up 
and  landed  at  Queenstown,  Ireland ;  was  in  the 
hospital,  for  he  was  burned  in  fighting  the  fire  on  the 
Shaw;  son  of  Charles  D.  and  Cora  M.  (Irish)  Evans, 
Wood  River,  Neb. 


GEORGE  A.  PASS,  mechanic,  b.  Sterling,  Kan, 
Sept.  12,  1887;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  April  1,  1917; 
Funston,  field  artillery,  battery  D,  29  F.  A.  attached 
to  10th  Div.;  discharged  Feb.  1,  1919;  now  at  Grand 
Island,  Neh.;  son  of  Matt  and  Catherine  Fass,  2003 
W.  John  St.,  Grand  Island. 

4  74 

JOHN  W.  WILLIAMS,  prvt.,  b.  Burt  Co.,  Neb, 
Feb,  17,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr.  30,  1918; 
Funston;  machine  gun,  Co.  D  341st  Machine  Gun 
Bn.;  Argonne.  St.  Mihiel;  gassed  Oct.  28,  1918, 
in  Hospital  two  months ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan. 
25,  1919;  now  a  teamster  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
W.  W.  and  Fannie  (Harrow)  Williams,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 

4  S3 

OWEN  FREDERICK,  1st  class  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  May  14.  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
June  14,  1918;  Lincoln  Mechanical  School;  motor 
transport  corps,  Co.  78;  discharged  at  "Funston,  Mar, 
19,  1919  now  an  auto  mechanic  at  Wood  River,  Neb. ; 
son  of  George  and  Katherine  (Keough)  Frederick, 
Wood  River,  Neb.  - 


F.DWARD  B.  JUNGBLUTH.  private,  b.  Olds, 
Alberta,  Canada,  Mar.  31,  1900;  joined  at  Grand  Is- 
land, July  2,  1918;  Humphreys,  Eng,  Pontoon  Park, 
Eng.:  discharged  Mar.  21.  1919;  211  S.  Oak  St, 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Louis  and  Bessie  McManus, 
Des  Moines,  la. 


ADOLPH  G.  GOSDA,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
July  7,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge;  infantry  35Sth,  Reg.  163.  Depot  Brigade; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  Ia„  Dec.  9,  1918;  now  a  farmer 
near  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Carl  and  Augustine 
(Schuetz)  Gosda,  Grand  Island. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


PETER  SEIR,  sergt.,  1st  class,  b.  Long  Pine,  Neb., 
Mar-  4,  1894;  enlisted  at  Elka,  Nev.,  May  4,  1917; 
Kelly  Field,  Lea  Side,  Toronto,  Canada  and  Hicks- 
field;  air  service,  27th  aero  squadron;  trained  at 
English  school  of  special  flying  Ft.  Rowner,  near 
Gosport,  England;  discharged  at  Presido,  Cal.,  June 
30,  1919;  now  machinist  helper  U.  P.  shops;  son 
of  August  and  Anna   (Wise)   Seir,  Duff,  Neb. 


SSI 

ALTON  W.  ROSE,  second  seaman,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Jan.  11,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
10,  1918;  Great  Lakes  and  Paul  Jones,  navy  car- 
penter, Co.  C  Reg.  13;  still  in  service;  son  of  Albert 
M.  and  Caroline  (Gregg)  Rose,  Grand  Island. 


LEE  SOPHER,  private,  b.  Phillips,  Neb.,  Aug. 
27,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  31,  1918; 
A.  A.  Humphreys;  engineers,  Co.  D.  6th  Eng.,  Div. 
3rd;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Aug.  24,  1919;  now  brake- 
man  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Arthur  M.  and  Orma 
M.    (Crandall)    Sopher,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FRED  BRABANDER,  1st  class  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb..  July  22;  enlisted  at  Hillsboro,  N. 
Dak.,  Aug.  26  1918;  Lewis  and  Washington;  artil- 
lery, Bat.  A,  Reg.  38,  13  Div. ;  discharged  at  Lewis, 
Feb.  4,  1919;  now  a  carpenter  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ; 
son  of  Garet  J.  and  Louise  (Manky)  Brabander, 
Grand  Island. 


JOHN  TODSEN,  private,  b.  Dannebrog,  Neb., 
Mar.  21.  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  19, 
1917;  Funston  and  Cody,  N.  M.  ;  art..  Battery  D 
Reg.  127,  Div.  34;  Chateau  Thierry,  Soissons,  Ar- 
gonne;  discharged  at  Dodge,  May  17,  1919;  now 
farm  laborer  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Peter  and 
Emma    (Doll)    Todsen,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


CALVIN;  A.  HOWARD,  private,  b.  Arkansas 
City,  Kan.,  Apr.  22,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  5.  1917;  Logan,  Douglas,  artillery,  Div  1st, 
Reg.  6th,  Battery  C ;  son  of  Charles  W.  and  Susie 
P.  (Lane)  Howard,  220  N.  Broadwell  ave,  Grand 
Island,  Neb., 


WILLIAM  T.  DUNN,  1st  class  private,  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.,  May  8,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  14,  1918;  Logan,  Utah  and  Presido,  Cal., 
Utah  Agri.  Training  Detch,  51st  Co.  Coast  Art.; 
discharged  Jan.  23,  1919;  now  an  electrician;  son 
of  Thomas  J.  and  Lisette  F.  (Keating)  Dunn, 
Wood  River,  Neb. 


EDWIN    E.    ENGLEMAN,    captai. 


b.    Grand 


Neb.,  Nov.  1915;  served  o_     _ .._ ... 

L,  5th  Reg.,  N.  N.  S. ;  attended  officers  training 
school  at  Knelling,  promoted  to  second  lieut. ;  to  capt 
Dodge;  promoted  to  1st  lieut.,  and  in  July  to  captain 
in  depot  brigade;  discharged  Mar.  5,  1919,  at  Dodge, 
la. ;  now  a  farmer  at  Haswell,  Colo ;  son  of  Ephri- 
ham  arid  Sally  T.  (Stadden)  Engleman,  Grand 
Island,   Neb. 


ROV  J.  HOSKINS,  private,  b.  Missouri,  Mar. 
10,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Camp  Funston, 
Machine  Gun  Bat.  Co.  D;  Argonne  Wood,  Mari- 
chabe,  Oct.  3d  to  Nov.  11th;  discharged  April  2, 
1919;  bricklayer  at  Doniphan;  son  of  Frank  Hoskins, 
Neb. 


Doniphar 


560 


CLARENCE  LOWRY,  private,  b.  Gering,  Neb., 
Dec.  9,  1894;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Feb.  2,  1918; 
Great  Lakes,  radio  t-Eastleigh,  England,  Naval  Avia- 
tion; discharged  Feb.  13,  1919;  now  farming;  son 
of  Allen  Lowry,  Cairo.  Neb. 


CARL  WILLIAM  HEE.  b.  Carbon,  Wyo.,  Oct. 
19,  1898;  enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo.,  Oct  30,  1918; 
Mare  Island,  Vallejo,  Cal.;  discharged  at  Mare 
Island,  Vallejo,  Cal.,  Mar.  22;  teller  at  First  Nat 
Bank,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Carl  W.  Rosa  Hee, 
Grand  Island. 

EDWARD  E.  LANE,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Neb.,  Feb.  16, 
1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  29,  1918;  Fun- 
ston, Co  B  341  M.  G.  B.,  89th  Div.;  St.  Mihiel 
and  Argonne;  wounded  Oct.  20,  by  shrapnel;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  1919;  son  of  Martin 
and  Mary  (Ryan)   Lane. 


NILE  S.  WELLER,  private,  b.  Hamilton  Co.,  July 
30.  1896;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb.,  April  16,  1917; 
Cody;  infantry  Co.  G,  Reg.  5th  Neb.,  Div.  34th; 
sliehtly  wounded;  discharged  at  Dodge,  May  28, 
1919;  now  a  shopman,  U.  P.  at  Grand  Island,  son  of 
Frederick  and  Florence  (Simonds)  Weller,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 

1S1 

WALTER  W.  PARTRIDGE,  cook,  b.  Marysville, 
Mo.,  Mar.  4,  1891;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb.,  Sept. 
19,  1917;  Funston,  machine  gun,  Co.  341,  M.  G.  Bn.; 
St.  Mihiel,  Argonne-Meuse,  St.  Mihiel,  Army  of 
Occupation ;  discharged  at  Funston,  Kan.,  June  2, 
1919;  machinist  foreman,  pump  factory,  Hastings, 
Neb. 

174 

EDWARDS  TAGGE,  prvt.,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Nov.  24, 
1893 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  4,  191/  ;  Funston, 
infantry,  Co.  H,  Div.  35;  Chateau  Thierry,  Argonne 
Wood  battles;  discharged  May  1919;  now  at  Grand 
Island,  (Route  1)  ;  son  of  Peter  Tagge,  Grand  Island. 


EMIL  HERMAN  KICKBUSCH,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Oct.  11,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct. 
4,  1917;  Funston,  infantry,  Co.  F  Reg.  355,  Div. 
«?;  transferred  Nov.  1,  1917  to  Quartermaster  Co. 
E;  discharged  at  Funston,  Feb.  6,  1919;  gas  fitter, 
sheet  metal  worker;  son  of  Herman  and  Augusta 
Kickbusch,  Grand  Island.  Neb. 


HOWARD  BREMEN,  prvt.,  b.  North  Platte  Neb., 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  30,  1918;  Funston, 
Kans. ;  infantry,  Co.  K  Reg.  3S5,  Div.  89;  Sector 
Toul  in  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne;  discharged  at  Fun- 
ston, June  2;  now  mechanic  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
son  of  Fred  and  Minnie  (Liei 
North  Platte,  Neb. 


)     Bremen, 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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Digitized  b»  GoOgk 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


JOHN  F.  MURPHY,  b.  Ravenna.  Neb.,  July  7, 
1894 ;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  June  28, 1916 ;  Llano  Grande, 
Cody  and  Dix;  infantry,  Co.  M,  Reg.  S,  Div.  8;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Feb.  13,  1919;  P.  F.  E.  In- 
spector; son  of  John  and  Agnes  (Goodwin)  Murphy, 
Grand   Island,   Neb. 


FRANK  A.  MERSNER,  private,  b.  Shelton,  Oct. 
27,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  3,  1917;  Ft. 
Miley,  Cai.,  coast  art.,  20  Co.,  C.  O.  C;  still  in  ser- 
vice in  Phillipines;  son  of  J.  C.  Bariff,  route  2, 
Doniphan,  Neb. 


EDDIE  W.  GRAF,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Mar.  6, 
1886-  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  4.  1917;  Fun- 
ston, infantry,  35th  Div.  Co.  A,  137  Inf.;  was  in 
battles  of  Argonne  and  Verdun;  in  Hospital  at 
Ft.  Riley,  wounded  by  shrapnel ;  son  of  Louis  Graf, 
Doniphan,   Neb. 

41S 

GEORGE  A.  JONES,  private,  b.  Webber,  Kan., 
Aug.  21.  1894;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  Dec.  12,  1917; 
Ft  Logan,  Kelly  Field,  Richfield  and  Mitchell  Field, 
air  service,  838  aviation  squad ;  discharged  at  Mitchell 
Field,  Feb.  21,  1919;  now  a  mechanic  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  B.  and  Elizabeth  A.  (Dav- 
enport) Jones,  Grand  Island. 

419 

WILLIAM  CHARLES  BOONE,  b.  Sept  4,  1900; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Junction,  Colo.,  Oct.  23,  1917 ;  Ft 
Logan,  Vancouver,  Greene  and  Merritt,  engineers, 
Co.  A  4th  Eng.,  4th  Div.;  Vasle  River,  St  Milncl, 
Argonne;  still  in  service;  son  of  John  and  Winnifrcd 
(Sprague)  Boone,  Arcadia,  Neb. 


PAUL  C.  SCHARNOW,  b.  Germany,  Dec.  24, 
1888;  enlisted  at  Alliance,  July  1,  1918;  Logan,  Hum- 
phreys and  Forrest,  engineers,  Co.  F.  Reg.  2Uth; 
discharged  at  Forrest,  Dec.  18,  1918. 


CLYDE  M.  WILLIAMSON,  seaman,  b.  St.  Paul, 
Neb.,  Aug.  30,  1901;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Feb.  24,  1919;  Decatur,  511.,  Lawrence];  navy,  Co- 
5  Reg  8;  seaman,  guard  company.,  M.  stat.  Great 
Lake,  111.;  son  of  Oscar  O.  and  Leona  A.  (Anthony) 
Williamson,  511   N.  Cedar,  Grand  Island. 


ROBERT  EARL  BOONE,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb. 
Aug  2,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  21,  1918 
Dodge,  recuiting  office,  Co.  35,  9th  Bn.,  163  D.  B. ; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Dec.,  1918;  now  an  elec- 
trician ;  son  of  John  and  Winnifred  (Sprague) 
Boone,  Arcadia,  Neb. 


PAUL  J.  CARTER,  seaman,  b.  Adams  Co.  Neb., 
Jan.  14,  1897;  enlisted  at  Billings  Mont.,  June  14, 
1917;  San  Francisco,  navy;  still  in  service;  son  of 
Mrs.   Carter,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


CLARENCE  CAMPBELL  COOK.  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge,  la.,  Jacksonville,  Fla.,  Merritt,  infantry,  Co. 
29,  8th  Bn,  163  depot  brigade;  son  of  Lyman  M. 
and  Lottie   (Hahn)   Campbell,  both  dead. 


WILLIAM  M.  REED,  sergeant,  b.  McDonald 
county,  111.,  Mar.  7,  1896;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  Colo., 
Mar.  11,  1914;  Bliss,  machine  gun  company,  Co.  K, 
20th  inf.;  trans,  to  43rd  inf.  at  Douglas,  promoted 
to  sergt. ;  discharged  at  Camp  Logan,  Tex.,  Feb.  24, 
1919;  farmer,  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of  George  W. 
and  Maria  (Stocking)  Reed,  Puercell,  Colo. 


HUGO  C.  PETERS,  1st  sergt,  b.  Grand  Island. 
May  31,  1887;  enlisted  at  Chicago;  Logan  and 
Huston;  engineer,  Co.  D  Reg.  108,  Div  33;  Argonne, 
Chateau  Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  was  cited  for  excep- 
tional bravery;  discharged  at  Grant,  June,  1919;  now 
an  architect  at  Chicago,  III. ;  son  of  Peter  B.  and 
Anna  (Holtrof)    Peters,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


DANIEL  D.  JOHNSON,  private,  b.  Webber,  Kan., 
June  7,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  9,  1917; 
Ft.  Logan,  Colo.,  Vancouver,  and  Merritt;  engineers, 
Co.  C  Reg.  318,  6th  Div.  ;  Muese,  Argonne,  Cob- 
lenz;  one  month  in  hospital  with  rheumatism;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  June  21,  1919;  now  a  me- 
chanic and  upholsterer  for  auto ;  son  of  Daniel  S. 
and  Alberta  D.    (Slieeley)    Johnson,  Grand  Island. 


JOHN  R.  JOHNSON,  private,  b.  Guide  Rock, 
Neb.,  Jan.  1,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec. 
9,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Vancouver  and  Merritt;  engi- 
neers Co.  C,  318th,  6th  Div.;  Sector  Geoandmer, 
Muese,  Argonne,  at  Coblenz ;  still  in  service  at 
Nevers,  France;  son  of  Daniel  S.  and  Atbertta  D. 
(Sheeley)   Johnson,  Grand  Island.  Neb. 


50IA 

WILLIAM  V.  CARROLL,  b.  McCook,  Neb.,  Oct. 
8,  1894;  enlisted  at  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,  July  17,  1917; 
Mare  Island  and  Pensacola;  naval  air  service,  Naval 
Training  Camp;  Toul,  Italy,  France,  Belgium;  dis- 
charged at  Great  Lakes,  April  1,  1919;  now  a 
machinist  at  Denver,  Colo.;  son  of  Richard  and 
Jennie   (Oats)    (Carroll)    Boyle,  Grand   Island,  Neb. 


FRANK  R.  DAHLSTROM,  second  lieut,  b. 
Stromsberg,  Neb.,  Sept.  11,  1891:  enlisted  at  Omaha, 
Neb. ;  Cambridge,  Mass,  school  of  military  aero- 
nautics, air  service,  aeronautics  school ;  discharged  at 
Brooksfield,  Texas,  Jan.  21,  1919;  now  ranching  near 
Alda,  Neb.;  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Fanny  (Spong) 
Dahlstrom,  Alda. 


SAMUEL  J.  CARROLL,  private,  b.  McCook,  Neb., 
Nov.  6,  1899;  enlisted  at  North  Platte,  Feb.,  1918; 
Ft.  Logan,  Kelly  Field  and  Wilbur  Wright ;  air  ser- 
vice, 3d  provisional  Squadron;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
June  1.  1919;  now  a  machinist  at  North  Platte,  Neb.; 
son  of  Mrs.  Jennie  (Oats)  Boyle,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


GEO.  B.  LABBE,  sergeant;  joined  at  Ft.  Riley, 
Kan.,  June  24,  1918 ;  medical  dept,  personnel  head- 
quarters gas  det.  M.  O.  T.  C,  Ft.  Riley;  discharged 
at  Ft.  Riley,  Feb.  S,  1919;  now  with  Donald  Co., 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  St.,  and  Cecilia 
Labbe,  Onaga,  Kan.  Appointed  corp.  Sept.  4,  1918, 
sgt.  Oct.  4,  1918. 


1918;  Funston,  infantry,  Supply  Co.  69th;  discharged 
at  Funston,  Jan.  19,  1919;  now  a  teamster  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  W.  W.  and  Fannie  (Harrow)  Wil- 
liams, Grand  Island,  Neb. 


RAY  OSBORN,  private,  b.  Tobias,  Neb.,  Sept. 
12,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb,  July  29, 
1918;  Forrest,  engineers,  122d  Engineers;  still  at 
La  Mons,  France ;  son  of  Volney  and  Katie 
(Knapple)  Osborn,  911  E  5th,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HOWARD  SMEATON,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  July  22,  1892;  enlisted  at  Oshkosh,  Neb., 
June  27,  1918;  Riley;  medical  corps,  stil!  in  service; 
son  of  David  Smeaton,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


ARLEY  E.  ALLEN,  cook,  b.  Cleveland  Co,  Okla., 
Feb.  10,  1894;  enlisted  at  Central  City,  Neb,  Apr.  29, 
1918;  Funston  and  Merritt;  engineers,  cooks  and 
bakers  school  at  Merritt ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la, 
April  15,  1919;  now  a  cook  at  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
son  of  Samuel  L.  and  Dora  (Reynolds)  Allen, 
Grand  Island. 


la,  infantry,  36-  163d  Depot  Brigade ;  trans.  Camp 
Dev.  Co.  A;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.  Mar.  13, 
1919;  now  a  railroad  collector  at  Grand  Island;  son 
of  W.  L.  and  Martha  M.  Miller,  Livingston,  Mont. 


WILL  J.  HAVEY,  private,  b.  Green  River,  Wyo., 
Dec.  13,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  18, 
1918;   Manhattan,   Kan.,   radio   school,   S.   A.   T.   C, 


Ellen  (Devtne)  Havey,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


OTTO  H.  E.  KLARR,  private,  b.  Copenhagen, 
Denmark,  Aug.  5,  1885;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
June  18,  1918;  Ft.  Logan  and  Snelling;  medical 
corps,  U.  S.  General  Hospital  No.  29  at  Snelling; 
discharged  at  Ft.  Snelling,  Minn,  April  18,  1919; 
now  city  fireman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb,  son  of  F, 
W.    H.   and   Emilie   Klarr,   Copenhagen   Denmark. 


NATHAN  J.  THOMPSON,  corp,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  June  20,  1895 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nov. 
28,  1917;  Riley,  Funston,  Joseph  E.  Johnston  and 
Hill;  Aisne-Marne,  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la,  July  12,  1919;  now  a  farmer 
at  Wood  River,  Neb. 


BENJAMIN  R.  McGRATH  b.   Davies  Co,  III, 

May  17.  1873 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug  .27,  1917, 
Riley,  Officers  Training  Camp;  medical;  discharged 
at  Dix,  Feb.  3,  1919;  now  a  surgeon  at  Grand  Island; 
son  or  Robert  and  Esther  (Weir)  McGrath,  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska. 


LEWIS  W.  MORGAN,  private,  b.  Ansley,  Neb, 
Sept.  21,  1886;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3, 
1917;  Funston;  Co.  I  355th  Inf.,  89th  Div.;  trans. 
to  Co.  F  Q.  M.  C,  Property  Division;  discharged 
at  Funston,  Mar.  8,  1919;  now  a  tractor "  salesman ; 
son  of  William  H.  and  Florence  A.  (Bence)  Morgan, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


GEORGE  HOBSON  LARKIN.b.  Escondido.  Cal, 
May  11,  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Oct.  30,  1917; 
Great  Lakes;  navy,  submarine  service;  discharged 
at  submarine  base,  New  London,  Conn,  Dec.  18, 
1918;  now  at  North  Platte,  Neb.;  son  of  May  (Ban- 
croft) Larkin,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  J.  LECHER,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Neb,  May  16,  1893;  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  infantry,  Co. 
36,  Depot  Brigade;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Dec. 
9,  1918;  vulcanizer  and  tire  repairer  at  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.;  son  of  Frank  and  Margaret  (Klingle) 
Lecher,  West  Grand  Island. 


HARRY  JOHN  BOONE,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb, 
Aug  6,  1893;  enlisted  at  Casper,  Wyo.,  July  1,  1918; 
McArthur;  machine  gun,  26th  Infantry,  Div. 
1st ;  Argonne,  Meuse,  in  line  near  Vavincourt ; 
still  in  service  with  army  of  occupation;  son  of 
John  and  Winnifred  (Sprague)  Boone,  Arcadia,  Neb. 


OTTO  TOGGE,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  March 
9.  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3,  1917;  Fun-" 
ston  and  Stewart;  infantry,  Co.  F,  355th,  Div.  89th; 
Chateau  Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne  Forest ; 
wounded  Oct.  4,  1919;  discharged  at  Dodge,  April 
11,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son 
of  John  M.  and  Emma  (Ruff)  Togge,  Grand  Island. 


HENRY  FURS,  b.  Sutton,  Neb,  April  6,  1895; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge  and 
Leavenworth ;  signal  corps,  1st  Co.  Replacement,  Ft. 
Leavenworth;  discharged  at  Dodge,  March  7,  1919; 
now1  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Henry  and 
Catherine  (Burnhead)  Furs,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HARRY  J.  JONES,  private,  b.  Lincoln  Co.,  Neb, 
Nov.  4,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island;  Cody,  N.  M.; 
infantry,  Co.  L,  Reg,  59th,  4th  Div.;  Chateau 
Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne  Forest ;  wounded  Oct. 
4;  discharged  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Jan.  24,  1919: 
now  a  farm  hand  at  Buda,  Neb.;  son  of  Nathaniel 
S.  and  Lizzie  (Carson)  Jones,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


71 

CHAS.  A.  POZEL.  b.  Lincoln,  Neb.,  Sept,  23, 
1894;  enlisted  in  Grand  Island,  Apr.  18,  191?;  in- 
fantry, Co.  M  5th:  Neb.;  at  Thierry  in  front  lines 
Aug.  2.  1918;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Iowa;  510  E. 
10th  St.,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Mrs.  Leopold  Pozel, 
Grand  Island. 


HARRY  P.  SCHAUMANN,  private,  b.  Merrick 
Co.,  Oct.  3,  1893;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Oct.  15,  1918; 
Uni.  of  Neb.,  motorcycle  corps,  mech.  dept, 
S.  A.  T.  C;  discharged  Dec.  10,  1918;  printer, 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Theodore  and  Amelia  Schau- 


CLAUDE  E.  BUMGARDNER,  Corp.,  b.  Wayne 
Co.  la.,  Dec.  21,  1882;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
April  24,  1918;  Casey,  Wash.,  48th  coast  art.  Bat. 
C;  discharged  Apr.  8,  1919;  now  living  at  Doniphan, 
Neb.,  painter ;  son  of  Albert  Bumgardner,  Doniphan. 


ERNEST  L.  VOGEL,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Neb., 
Jan.  2,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June  24,  1918; 
Funston,  Dodge,  New  York,  Co.  D  339  M.  G.  Bn., 
88th  Div.;  in  battle  near  Metz;  now  at  Brencourt, 
France ;  was  in  hospital  two  weeks  with  flu ;  son 
of  Mrs.  Henry  Blume,  Route  No.  3,  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 


ERCEL  M.  BLAUVELT,  enlisted  Mai 
field  artillery,  Battery  E  127th  34  Div.;  so: 
E.  and  Mary  A.  Blauvelt. 


BRYAN  J.  ORNDOFF,  b.  Cameron  two.,  Nov. 
6,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  18,  1917; 
Logan,  sent  to  Vancouver,  British  Columbia,  to  4th 
engrs.,  served  as  bugler,  drill  master,  quartermaster 
sergeant;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Dec.  28,  1918; 
farmer  in  Hall  Co.;  son  of  James  and  Mary  C. 
(Carr)  Orndoff;  while  in  service  he  was  married  to 
Miss  Vashti  Leverich  of  Linn  County,  Oregon. 

te 
LEO  J.  McSHANE,  oierk,  b.  Long  Pine,  Neb, 
April  28,  1897;  enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo.,  May  28, 
1918;  infantry,  headquarters  recruit  depot  at  Ft. 
Logan,  Colo. ;  discharged  at  Ft.  Logan,  Colo.,  Jan. 
6,  1919;  now  assist-mgr.  for  J.  C.  Penney  Co.;  son 
of  James  and  Margaret  E.  (McCrossin)  McShane, 
Grand  Island.  Was  kept  here  for  the  entire  period 
of  his  service,  much  against  his  will,  doing  clerical 


HENRY  KONSBRUCK,  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan; 
Humphries,  Va.,  Forest,  Ga.,  Engineers  pontoon 
train,  167  Eng.;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Apr.  7,  1919; 
farmer ;  son  of  Nicholas  and  Caroline  Konsbruck, 
Grand  Island. 


ROY  F.  FAW,  private,  b.  Woodford  Co.,  III., 
Oct.  27,  1886;  enlisted  at  North  Platte,  Neb.,  Sept. 
3,  1918;  Riley,  med.  corps,  casual;  discharged  Dec. 
27,  1918;  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Marvin 
and  Belle  Faw,  Washburn,  111. 


BEULAH  B.  MARSH,  nurse,  b.  Grand  Island, 
June  17,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  5,  1918; 
Base  Hospital  at  Camp  Pike,  reserve  nurse  and  Army 
Norse  Corps;  discharged  at  Pike,  Ark.,  Jan.  4,  1919; 
now  nurse  at  Grand  Island;  daughter  of  Augustus 
and  Margaret  (Oswald)  Marsh,  Grand  Island. 


ARCHIE  MOORE,  private,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb., 
May  19,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct  4, 
1917;  infantry,  335  Inf.  Co.  B,  137,  35  div.;  was  at 
St.  Mihiel,  Argonne ;  infantry,  wounded  28  Sept., 
1918  in  knee  and  face:  discharged  May  9,  1918; 
now  in.  Grand  Island;  son  of  J.  C.  and  Jeminia 
Moore,  Grand  Island. 


HERBERT  J.  ENGLEMAN,  prvt.,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.,  Aug.  30,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  27,  1918;  Humphreys,  engineers,  Co.  A,  72 
Engineers;  sailed  on  George  Washington,  Brest, 
France,  located  at  Camp  Morton,  France,  St.  Na- 
zaire;  son  of  Ephram  B.  and  Sally  (Stadden)  Engle- 
man,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LEWIS  H.  BROWN,  stable  sergeant,  b.  McCarthy, 
Ohio,  Dec.  23,  1884;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
June  22,  1916 ;  Lyno  Grandee,  Tex.,  Deming  N.  M., 
infantry,  supply  company,  134  Inf.;  discharged  Feb. 
12,  at  Funston,  Kan. ;  now  fireman  at  Soldiers' 
Home,  Hall  County;  son  of  Sanford  B.  and  Eliza- 
beth (Taylor)  Brown,  Burkett,  Hall  county,  Neb. 


HARVARD  W.  POWELL,  1st  class  mechanic,  b. 
Gibbon,  Neb.,  Jan.  24,  1890;  enlisted  at  Douglas, 
Wyo.,  June  8,  1918;  Mechanical  Bn.  of  Motor  Trans- 
port Service,  Co.  M ;  discharged  at  Camp  Logan, 
Utah,  Dec.  21,  1918;  son  of  Frank  W.  and  Sarah  J. 
(Hanaford)    Powell,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 


CARL  RICHMOND,  private,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb, 
Feb.  23,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22, 
1918;  Dodge  and  Joseph,  M.  T.  C,  Co.  C;  dis- 
charged April  4,  1919;  clerk  at  Doniphan-  son  of 
Cash  Richmond,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


ERNEST  J.  MEYER,  1st  lieut.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Oct.  5.  1891 ;  commissioned  at  Grand  Island,  July 
31,  1914;  Cody;  as  aid  to  General  Harries,  then  over 
seas  as  Billeting  Officer;  still  in  service;  son  of 
August  and  Elizabeth  B.  (Egg)  Meyer,  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb. 


WILLIAM  L.  McNAMARA,  corp.,  b.  Hall  Co., 
Aug.  14.  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  7,  1918; 
Ft.  Logan,  Kelly,  Aviation,  353  aero  'observation ; 
now  over  seas,  Bordeaux,  France ;  son  of  John  L. 
and  Jennie  McNamara,  Doniphan,  Neb.  First  Hall 
Co.  boy  to  land  in  France. 

Liooglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


CALVIN  M.  SAUTTER,  corpora!,  b.  Greeley, 
.  Neb.,  Mar.  29,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
5,  1918;  Grant,  Hancock,  Cody;  machine  gun  Co., 
97th.Div.;  discharged  at  Cody,  Dec.  6,  1918;  boiler- 
maker  at  414  N.  Oak  St.,  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Martin  A.  and  Sophia  (Nagte)    Sautter. 


EDGAR  C.  HULL,  ship  fitter,  second  class,  b. 
Hall  Co.,  Mar.  30,  1893;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb., 
May  27,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  Phil.  Navy  Yard;on  U. 
S.  S.  Promethiis;  discharged  Feb.  7,  1919;  120  E. 
3d,  nrop.  battery  service  station;  son  of  Geo.  J. 
and  Mary  A.  Hull,  111  S.  42d  Omaha,  Neb. 


enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Aug.  27,  1918; 
chine  gun  battalion,  10th  Div.,  Co.  C,  30th  M.  G.  B.; 
discharged  Jan.  16,  1919;  carpenter  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Elsie  Marth,  Grand  Island. 


MAT  J.  JANKOVITS.  private,  b.  Herndon,  Kan., 
June  10,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge  and  Lee;  medical  corps,  18th  Veterinary 
Hospital;  discharged  at  Dodge,  July  19,  1919;  now 
butcher  and  fireman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
Andrew  and  Anna  Jankovits. 


ERNEST  W.  WILSON,  corporal,  b.  Shelton, 
Neb.,  Nov.  18,  1894;enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr. 
27,  1917;  Ft  Logan,  El  Paso,  infantry,  Co.  E,  16th 
Inf.,  1st  Div.;  was  in  all  engagaments  participated 
in  by  16th  inf.  res.,  second  battle  of  the  Marne; 
discharged  April  24,  1919;  steam  and  gas  engineer 
at  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of  Sylvamous  K.  and 
Laura  B.  (Wiggins)  Wilson,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


GUST  KALLOS,  private,  b.  Magoula,  Greece, 
1894;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  June  16,  1917;  Ft. 
Logan,  Honolulu,  Arizona,  then  to  Texas,  Troop  A 
4th  Cavalry;  still  in  service;  son  of  Christ  and 
Katerene    (George)    Kallos. 


ELMER  D.  OLSON,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
June  ZL  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Nov.  21, 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Colorado.,  Kelly  Field,  Texas., 
Selfridge  Field,  Mich.,  Long  Island  aviation  aero 
field,  828  areo  squadron;  discharged  at  Funston, 
Kan.,  Dec  20,  1918;  auto  mechanic,  Central  City; 


Uct.  19,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
1918;  PL  Leavenworth  and  Univesity  of  Kan:,— 
City;  signal  corps,  421  Telegraph  Battalion;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  Feb.  12,  1919;  now  a  mechanic 
at  Shelton,  Neb.;  son  of  Mrs.  Alma  Morrison,  Shel- 
ton, Neb. 

JOHN  M.  LONG,  private,  b.  Fairbury,  Neb.,  Dec. 
27,  1889;  enlisted  at  Aurora,  Neb.,  July,  1917; 
infantry,  Co.  H  5th  Neb.;  discharged  on  account 
of  disability;  son  of  Frank  and  Alice  (Waring) 
Long,  Geneva,  Neb. 


EARL  L.  DRAKE,  ensign,  b.  Shelton,  Neb.,  July 
8,  1891;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Aug.  28,  1917;  Goat 
Island,  hospital  corps;  son  of  Leroy  and  June 
(Parks)  Drake,  Ponca  City,  Okla. 


ALBERT  C.  OFIELD,  sergt.,  b.  Cairo,  Neb,  Dec 
16,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Lsland,  May  16,  1917; 
Logan,  Riley,  Huston,  Anniston,  machine  gun  Ar- 
tillery, Co.  F,  transferred  to  field  artillery;  dis- 
charged at  Anniston,  Nov.  19,  1918;  printer  at 
Huston,  Tex.;  son  of  W.  C.  and  Lola  (Worrell) 
Ofield,  Ft.  Morgan,  Colo. 


SflO 

OREN  F.  SUTTON,  seaman,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Feb.  24,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr. 
10,  1919;  Guard  company,  Farragut,  111.,  navy  guard; 
still  in  service;  son  of  Willis  E.  Sutton  and  Clara 
(McPheters)  Sutton,  Alda,  Neb. 


LORIMER  L.  THOMPSON,  1st  class  sergt,  b. 

Wood  River,  Sept.  9.  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Nov.  28,  1917;  Ft.  Logan  and  Kelly  Field;  aviation, 
230  Aero  Suppply  Squadron;  trans,  to  656  Aero 
Squadron;  discharged  at  Mills,  N.  Y-,  May  26,  1919; 
now  a  farmer  at  Wood  River,  Neb. ;  son  of  William 
F.  and  Letita  (Brittin)  Thompson,  Wood  River, 
Neb. 


b,  Oct.  13,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Aug. 

.  1918;  Polk  and  Greene;  heavy  tanks,  Co.  C  306th 

Battalion;  was  a  driver  for  heavy  tanks;  discharged 

at    Dodge,    Dec.    31,    18;    son    of    Mr.    and    Mrs. 

Patrick  Leonard. 


EDWARDS  T.  PRY,  private,  b.  Pleasanton,  Neb., 
Sept.  3,  1887  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  1,  1918; 
Funston,  infantry,  Co.  B,  355  Inf.,  89th  Div.;  St. 
Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne ;  discharged  at  Funston,  June 
3,  1919;  now  farming  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son  of  David 
and  Martha  Alice  (Surggart)  Pry. 


FRED  W.  KATZBERG,  private,  b.  Adam  Co. 
Neb.,  Sept.  6,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
April  29,  1918;  Funston  and  Mills;  infantry,  Co.  K, 
355,  89th  Div.;  in  battle  of  St.  Mihiel;  wounded 
by  sharpnel  Sept.  23,  1918;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la, 
April  15,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son 
of  William  M.  and  Marie  M.  (Grafelman)  Katz- 
berg,  Hastings,  Neb. 


CLANANCE  S.  MARKHAM,  i 

Va,  Mar.  17,  1894;  enlisted  at  0.-..u . 

"     1917;    Funston,   infantry,  89th  JJiv.Ca    F.; 


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496  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


JAMES  SPINAS,  private,  b.  Hamilton  county, 
Neb.,  Apr.  9,  1900;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  July  23, 
1918;  Ft  Logan,  Humphrey,  Va.,  engineers,  Co.  A, 
2nd  reg.;  discharged  at  Camp  Humphrey,  Va.,  Jan. 
2,  1919;  cook  in  soldiers'  home,  Grand  Island;  son 
of  Thomas  and  Anna  (DeHart)  Spinas,  Burkett, 
Neb. 


ALFRED  L.  KELSO,  corp.;  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Aug.  11,  1894;  enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo., 
June  26,  1917;  Mare  Island,  Marines,  108th  Co., 
Reg.;  now  at  Quantico,  Va.,  Feb  8,  1919;  son  of 
Joseph  and'  Mary  ( Miller)  Kelso,  Grand  Island. 
Transferred  to  127th  Co.,  7th  reg.  trained  Quan- 
tico, Virginia. 


GEORGE  VOCKE,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  1891; 
enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  July  25,  1918;  Ft.  Omaha; 
balloon  Co.  61 ;  discharged  Jan.  1919. 

240 

GLEN  T.  KNOCH,  sergeant,  b.  Sulphur  Springs, 
Ark.,  Mar.  26,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Feb. 
27,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Colo.,  Uma,  Arizona,  infantry, 
Co.  D,  44th  inf.,  to  Co.  D,  76th  inf.;  trans,  to  Lewis, 
Wash.,  Vancouver,  Wash.,  is  still  in  service  at  Catno 
Lewis,  Wash;  son  of  John  M.  and  Florence  M. 
(Schnorn)  Knoch,  1620  W.  Front  St.,  Grand  Island. 

203 

HERBERT  B.  RIEF,  private,  b.  Hall  Co..  Neb., 
Sept.  7,  1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June  24,  1918; 
Riley  and  Dodge,  medical  corps;  now  in  demobiliza- 
tion. Camp  Dodge;  son  of  Henry  Rief,  Grand  Island. 
Neb. 


OTTO  ZULICKE,  private,  b.  Fackesfield,  Cat, 
May  31,  1891 ;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  May  26,  1918; 
Dodge,  la.,  infantry,  Co.  50,  88th  div.;  discharged 
April  7,  1919;  Brunswick  pool  hall,  Grand  Island. 


HAROLD  L.  REISEN,  electrician,  b.  Sabetha, 
Kan.,  Oct.  8,  1901;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Feb. 
21,  1919;  Great  Lakes  111.;  navy,  Co.  27,  Reg.  17; 
now  an  electrician ;  son  of  David  L.  and  Rose 
E.    (Smith)  Reisen,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ISCAR  A.  HENRY.  1st  class  private,  b.  Hansen, 
Oct.  23,  1886;  enlisted  at  Doniphan,  Mar.  5,  1918; 
Funston  and  Alleiltown,  Penn.,  base  hospital,  Co. 
C,  114;  sailed  July  18,  1918,  trained  at  Brest,  was 
two  months  in  hospital  in  France;  discharged  at 
Merritt,  N.  J.,  May  23,  1919;  has  brickyard  at  Don- 
iphan, Neb. ;  son  of  Abraham  Lincoln  and  Maggie 
(Jam^s)    Henry,  Doniphan. 


JAMES  T.  BROWN,  JR.,  private,  b.  Kane,  111, 
Nov.  2,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 
1918;  Ft.  Riley  and  Meade;  medical  corps,  241  am- 
bulance. 11  Sanitary  Train,  11th  Div.;  discharged  at 
Meade,  Jan.  25,  1919;  now  farming  and  stock  rais-' 
ing.  Grand  Island;  son  of  James  T,  Sr.  and  Nellie 
A.    (Bartlett)   Brown,  Page,  N.  Dak. 

ST8 

THOMAS  F.  O'KANE,  1st  It,  b.  Alda,  Neb.,  Jan. 
18,  1891;  enlisted  at  Amarilla,  Tex,  May,  1917; 
Amarilla,  infantry,  Co.  A,  7th  Texas  N.  G.;  sent  to 
Bowie,  made  a  sergt.  and  on  Jan.  1st  was  sent  to 
officers'  school,  commissioned  and  sent  to  camp 
Stewart,  assigned  to  Co.  F,  143,  arrived  in  France 
Aug,  1918;  son  of  Daniel  and  Anna  (Mitchell) 
O'Kane,  Wood  River,  Neb.;  his  reg.  was  sent  to  the 
front  and  was  in  action  in  which  the  143d  inf.  took 
part,  was  cited  for  bravery. 


EARL  SHERRERD.  musician,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb,  Oct.  2,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
26;  Funston,.  Kan,  depot  brigade,  13th  Co.  4th 
Bat,  164th;  discharged  Dec.  9,  1918;  son  of  Samuel 
A.  and  Cora  S.  (Shick)   Sherrerd. 


BERT  SMOOT,  corp,  b.  Indiana,  Sept.  5,  1895; 
joined  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Sept.  5,  1918;  Grant, 
medical  corps;  now  living  at  Doniphan;  son  of  R. 
A.   Smoot,  Doniphan. 


Riley  and  Dodge,  med.  dept,  275  field  hospital,  19th 
Div.;  discharged  Jan.  23,  1919;  carpenter  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Augusta  Hintz,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FRED  T  WILSON,  private,  b.  Augusta,  III,  Aug. 
26,  1887;  enlisted  at  Laramie,  Wyo.,  Sept.  1918; 
Lewis,  American  Lake,  Wash,  Fremont,  Cal,  Mills, 
N.  Y,  Lee,  Va,  ammunition  train,  Co.  C;  dis- 
charged Mar.  6,  1919;  raw  railroad  engineer  at 
North  Platte,  Neb. ;  son  of  Sylvanina  K.  and  Laura 
B.    (Wiggins)    Wilson,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


OSWALD  C.  MICHELMANN,  1st  class  private, 
b.  Peppertown,  Ind.,  Sept.  7.  1900;  enlisted  at  Ann 
Arbor,  Mich,  Oct.  1,  1918;  infantry,  16  Uni.  of 
Mich.  S.  A.  T.  C. ;  discharged  at  Ann  Arbor,  Mich, 
Dec.  14,  1918;  son  of  Rev.  Gustav  H.  and  Elizabeth 
C  (Kleme)  Michelmann,  120  W.  7th,  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 


LEROY  C.  WAFFLE,  corp,  b.  Omaha,  Neb, 
March  19,  1896;  enlisted  at  Columbus,  Neb,  Oct.  5, 
1917;  Funston;  artillery,  Co.  G  314  Ammunition 
Train,  89th;  Meuse-Argonne,  Coblenz,  Luxemburg; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la,  June  4,  1919;  now  farming 
at  Columbus.  Neb.;  son  of  Clark  I.  and  Lena  M. 
(Cleveland)   Waffle,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


MERLE  WESCOATT,  1st  class  mechanic,  b. 
Oct.  18,  1896;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb,  July  2,  1918; 
Charleston,  naval  air  service;  discharged  at  Pensa- 
cola,  Fla,  April  12,   1919;  son  of  Frank  and  Ada 

Wescoatt. 


498  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


CARMON  W.  ANTHONY,  private,  b.  Broken 
Bow,  Neb.,  Mar.  28,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  19.1917;  Funston,  Kan.  and  Cody  N.  M.;  engi- 
neers, Co.  F,  31st;  14  Div.;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
July  18,  1919;  now  farming  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  Jhon  C.  and  Amanda  (Gipson)  Anthony, 
Grand  Island. 

S85 

WALLIE  H.  GLEASON,  mess  sergt..,  b.  Audu- 
bon, la.,  April  6,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Dec  8,  1917;  Logan,  Leavenworth,  Vancouver  and 
Mills,  engineers,  Co.  B.  31st  Engineers,  R.  R. ; 
worked  on  engines  for  a  while  as  fireman,  tost  his 
hearing,  was  put  in  as  mess  sergt  at  St.  Nazaire; 
discharged  Feb.  19,  1919  at  Dodge,  la.;  fanner  at 
Wood  River,  Neb. ;  son  of  Otis  and  Grace  (Gleason) 
Budd,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


JOHN  J.  EPKES,  b.  Glenvil,  Neb.,  Jan.  16,  1898; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  30,  1918;  Humphreys 
and  Logan;  engineers,  19th  Ret.  Co.  Ft.  Logan;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Kan.,  Feb.  17,  1919;  now  a 
clerk  U.  P.  freight  office;  son  of  Katie  Epkes, 
Glenvil,   Nebraska. 

533 

BERT  E.  PEARSON,  corp..  b.  Grand  Island, 
Jan.  6,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  14,  1917; 
Logan,  Colo.  and-McDowell,  Cal.;  cavalry.  Troop  1, 
4th  Cavalry;  still  in  service;  plumber;  son  of 
George  and  Hilma  L.  (Ehn)  Pearson,  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska. 

220 

JOHN  HOLLEY,  private,  b.  Jefferson  City,  Mo., 
Mar.  14.  1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  June  24, 
1916;  Lano  Grande,  Deming,  Merritt,  Hoboken, 
machine  gun,  Co.  B,  120nd  mach.  Gun  battalion, 
Toul,  Chateau  Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Verdun,  gassed 
■  "      tails "' 


,  injured  by  shells  t 
.    .  R.  R.  fireman;  son  __  J 

R.  R.  No.  3,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

1T5 

LEROY  FRANCIS,  corp.,  b.  Elko,  Nev,  Nov.  7, 
1887;  drafted,  Ely  Nev,,  Sept  5,  1917;  camp  Lewis, 
field  artillery,  Battery  B,  348th  F.  A.  discharged 
March  3,  1919;  steam  shovel  crane  man  at  Wood 
River,  Neb.;  son  of  Patrick  W.  and  Mary  (Mc- 
Namarra)  Francis,  Wood  River,  Neb. 

219 

JOHN  F.  McNALLY,  private,  b.  Chicago,  III,, 
Sept.  27,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  1918; 
Merritt,  N.  J.,  blacksmith,  trans,  to  467  engineers, 
later  pontoon  train;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar. 
21,  1919;  laborer  at  Burkett,  Neb.;  son  of  Henry 
(deceased)  and  Mary  (Sand)  Fleisher,  Burkett, 
Neb. 

FRANK  MURIE,  corporal,  b.  Columbus,  Neb., 
Mar.  27,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  24, 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  infantry,  Co.  I,  27th  Div.;  son  of 

Reva   Murie,   Cairo,   Neb. 


LEO  G.  SHEHEIN,  seaman,  b.  1894;  enlisted  in 
Hall  Co.,  Jan.,  1918;  Omaha,  Goat  Island,  S.  France; 

transferred   to    Cambridge.    Mass. ;    discharged   Jan. 
1919. 


540 

EMIL  J.  KONICEK,  private,  b.  Clarkeson.Neb., 
Feb.  27,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  14,  1918; 
S.  A.  T.  C.  at  Lincoln;  Co.  C,  Sec.  A;  discharged 
Dec.  14,  1918;  son  of  Emil  and  Mary  (Trjan) 
Konicek,  Clarkeson,  Neb. 


ALFRED  PRY,  private  1st  class,  b.  Poole  Siding, 
Neb.,  Apr.  24,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept 
19,  1919;  Funston,  114th  ordnance  depot  Co.;  dis- 
charged May  17  1919;  farmer  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son 
of  David  and  Martha  (Sigart)  Pry. 


FRED  RUNGE,  seaman,  b.  Cairo,  Neb.,  1895; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Feb.  16,  1917;  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal.,  navy;  still  in  service  on  U.  S.  S.  Im- 
perator;   son  of  Hans  J.  Runge,  Cairo,  Neb. 


FRANK  BROWN,  private,  b.  Silver  Creek,  Neb., 
Feb.  17,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 
1918;  Ft  Riley  and  Mead,  Md.,  medical  corps, 
244th  Ambulance  Co.,  Sanitary  train,  11th  Div.; 
as  ambulance  driver;  discharged  Jan.  18,  1919  at 
Camp  Mead,  Md. ;  now  a  laborer  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Oscar  and  Isabel  (Hudnall)  Brown,  Grand 
Island. 


WILLIAM  HARRISON  BRUNDAGE,  b.  Caw, 
Neb*.;  enlisted  at  Funston,  Aug.  26;  Funston;  in- 
fantry, 3d,  2d  Bn.,  164th  Depot  Brigade;  discharged 
at  Funston,  Dec.  10;  now  farmer  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son 
of  Elizabeth  Brundage,  Cairo,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  W.  GREEN,  private,  b.  Blue  Hill, 
Neb.,  Dec  15,  1884;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr. 
17,    1918;    Ft.    Logan    and    Washington    Barricks, 

engineers,  unattached  division;  just  got  across;  dis- 
charged Jan.  22,  1918;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  Frank  and  Catherine  Green,  Blue  Hill,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  RANDLES  GILCHRIST,  captain,  b. 
Marshalltown,  la.,  Oct.  2.  1882;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  May  17;  Ft.  Snelling,  Cody  and  Dix;  1st 
Officer  Training  Camp  Ft.  Snelling,  Co.  M.  Neb. 
N.  G.  1st  lieut. ;  assistant  commanding  officer  of 
the  Central  Prisoner  of  War  Enclosure  No".  1,  A. 
E.  F.,  France;  still  in  service;  son  of  John  and 
Ida  Gilchrist,  Marshalltown,  la. 


WALTER  N.  SCHAUMANN,  private,  b.  Hall 
county,  Neb.,  Nov.  22,  1892;  enlisted  in  Hal!  county, 
June  24,  1918;  Riley  and  Dodge,  ambulance  corps 
19th;  discharged  Jan.  23,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb. ;  son  of  Theodore  and  Amelia  Schumann, 
Grand  Island. 

le 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HfSTORY  OF  BALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


PERCY  L.  BUTTON,  private,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb., 
Feb.  4,  1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Sept.,  1918; 
Kelly  Field,  Tex.,  aviation,  spuadron  B;  discharged 
at  Funston,  June  27,  1918;  banker  at  Doniphan  ;  son 
of  J,  P.  and  Anna  (Clendenin)  Button,  Doniphan, 
Neb. 


FRANCIS  W.  COE,  b.  Orleans,  Neb.,  Oct  17, 
1884;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  9,  1918;  Taylor; 
field  artillery,  Battery  F  318,  80th  Div.;  discharged 
at  Lee,  Va.,  June  4,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Orleans, 
Neb.;  son  of  Arthur,  and  Almina  Coe,  Oleans,  Neb. 


WALTER  F.  JOHNSON,  private,  b.  Sept.  22, 
1886;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  1917;  Funston, 
Cody,  Ft.  Sill,  field  artillery,  127  field  artillery, 
134  Div,  8th  army  corps;  discharged  Jan.,  1919;  now 
living  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Jane  H.  John- 
son, Grand  Island. 


V,  corporal,  b.  Grand  Island, 
I  at  Grand  Island,   Sept.   19, 


AUGUST  HERMAN, 
Jan.  30,   1896;  enlisted   ...    . 

1917;    Funston,    Kan.,   machine   gun    company, 

D.  B.,  Div.  89;  Chateau  Thierry,  Marne,  St.  Mihiel, 
Verdun,  Argonne,  Soissons;  gassed,  Octtober  15, 
1918;  three  months  in  hospital;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
la.  Mar.  28.  1919;  laborer;  son  of  Fred  Herman, 
916  West  7th  St,  Grand  Island. 


GEORGE  E.  FUNK,  b.  Hall  Co,  Sept.  30,  1893 ; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  trade 
test  Div.;  discharged  Dec.  3,  1918;  Doniuhan,  Neb, 


HENRY  J.   MAUGHAN,  corp,  b.  Wood  River 
Neb.,  Oct.,   1890;   enlisted  at  Grand  Island,   Oct. 
4,  1917;  Funston,  Pike  and  Dix,  infantry,  later  artil- 
lery; discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  18,  1919;  son 
of  John  and  Kattie  (Britt)    Maughan. 


GUY  B.  CARSON,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Feb. 
12,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge,  signal  corps,  signal  detch,  Reg..  355th  Inf. 
84th  Div.;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  April  15,  1919; 
telephone  lineman  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Mathew 
A  and  Carrie  M.  (Rosser)   Carson,  Grand  Island. 


ROBERT  L.  CLARK,  corporal,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb,  April  9,  1899;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  Colo., 
Johr  6,  1918;  quartermaster  corps;  Logan,  Jackson- 
ville, Merritt;  still  in  service  at  Tours,  France;  son 
Robert  J.  and  Lavina  C.  (Miller)  Clark. 


LEO  G.  ALLAN,  capt,  b.  Hall  Co,  Nov.  17,  1887; 
enlisted  in  Hall  Co,  infantry,  still  overseas  as  staff 
officer,  near  Le  Mons,  h ranee;  son  of  John  and 
Fannie  t.  Allan,  212  E.  2d  st,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FRANK  E.  GLIVES,  sergt,  b.  Clarmont,  Mo., 
July  27,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  30, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan  and  Jacksonville;  motor  transport 
corps,  headquarters  Co,  motor  supply  train  No. 
411 ;  trained  at  Giauge  Nerive,  Barcleans ;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  la,  July  5,  4919 ;  now  a  clek  at  Grand 
Island ;  son  of  A.  E.  and  Carrie  (Clayborn)  Glives, 
Grand  Island,   Neb, 


LEE  ELWYN  KENT,  private,  b.  Ashton,  Neb, 
Dec.  8,  1894;  enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo,  July  1,  1917; 
Ft.  Logan,  Greene,  Mills,  heavy  artillery,  41  Sun- 
set, Reg.  148,  Battery  C;was  ready  to  embark  for 
overseas,  when  he  contracted  mastoid  and  was  oper- 
ated on  three  times ;  was  honorably  discharged ;  died 
Oct.  16,  1918  from  influenza.  He  was  the  son  of 
Jesse  E.  and  Belle  (Snyder)  Kent,  114  E.  13th  st.. 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LAWRENCE  A.  TILLEY.  b.  Hall  Co.,  Dec.  17, 
1899;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co,  Oct.  19,  1917;  Officers 
Training  school,  Lincoln;  farmer,  Grand  Island, 
Route  3;  son  of  Geo.  Ttlley,  Grand  Island. 


PERRY  A.  POWELL,  pvt.,  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
Mar.  26,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  IS, 
1918;  Sherman,  Ohio;  machine  gun  corps,  Co.  A 
325th,  84th  Div.;  sailed  Sept.  2,  1918;  discharged 
July  24,  1919;  now  a  motorcycle  mechanic;  son  of 
Frank  N.  and  Sarah  J.  (Hanaford)  Powell,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


FREDERICK  C.  MADER,  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
Feb.  3,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June,  1918; 
still  in  service  as  carpenter;  son  of  John  and  Emma 
Mader,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JOHN  TITRIS,  private,  b.  Peergo,  Greece,  Nov. 
13,  1890;  enlisted  at  Kearney,  Neb,  June  4,  1918; 
Dodge,  Mills,  infantry,  Co.  B  351  Inf.  88th  Div.; 
discharged  at  Funston,  June  8,  1919;  now  at  Grand 
Island;   son  of  Bill  Titris,   Peergo,  Greece. 


ANDREW  L.  PETERSON,  b.  Sweden,  Feb.  3, 
1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  March  19,  1918; 
Devens,  Mass,  engineers,  Co.  A,  Reg.  33;  trained 
at  Brest,  Never,  Clarmont,  Fall;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  Iowa,  June  22,  1919;  carpenter  in  Grand 
Island;  son  of  John  and  Anna  Peterson. 


EDWARD  P.  DUFFY,  cook  sergt,  b.  Hall  Co, 
Dec.  9,  1894;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  19,  1917; 
Funston,  Depot  Brigade.  18th  Co.  5th  Bn.  164 
depot  brigade;  discharged  Dec.  14,  1918;  meat 
dealer  at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Thos.  Duffy,  Grand 
Island. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


HAROLD  SCIONS,  corp.,  b.  Fremont,  Neb., 
Jan.  5,  1901 ;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  S.  A.  T.  C,  Co.  C;  is  now  a  student  at  Cairo, 
Neb.;  son  of  Mrs.  A.  B.  Congrove,  Cairo,  Neb. 

I  ROBERT  A.  MOODY,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.  Neb., 

Nov.  11,  1895;   enlisted  in   Hall  Co.,  May  29,   18; 

I  Logan,  Humphrey's  and  Merritt,  Northern  Russia 
Expd.  Forces,  17th  Co.  14th  Grand  Div.,  Camp 
Dodge;   Northern  Russia  Expd.   Forces,  A.  P.  O. 

.        701  A.  E.   F.;    son  of  N.   H.  and   Agnes  Moody, 

I         Grand  Island,  Neb. 

23* 

RALPH  L.  WILKS,  private,  b.  Greeley,  Col., 
Dec  1894;  poined  at.  Grand  Island,  June  28,  1918; 
Funston,  infantry ;  was  at  Funston  only  a  short  time, 
sent  to  Newport  News  and  put  with  a  replacement 
unit,  sent  to  France;  still  in  service  at  headquarters 
corps;  son  of  Lue  J.  and  Agnes  (Binredup)  Wilks, 
703  W.  Sth  St.,  Grand  Island. 


FLOYD  A.  LINN,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
24,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  18,  1918; 
Cottner  University  in  student  army  training  corps; 
discharged  at  Cottner  Uuiversity,  Dec,  1918;  now 
billing  clerk,  Washington,  D.  C. ;  son  of  Alonzo 
A.  and  Clara  T.  (Rickerman)   Linn,  Grand  Island. 

JOHN  WALTER  TURNER,  1st  class  pharma- 
cists mate,  b.  Stevenson  Mich.,  Aug.  1892;  enlisted 
at  Omaha,  Neb,  June  29,  1917;  Naval  Training 
Station.  San  Francisco  and  Quantico;  navy,  Marine 
Expeditionary  Forces;  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne-Meuse ; 
wounded  by  high  explosive;  discharged  at  U.  S. 
Marine  Barracks  at  Quantico,  May  12,  1919;  now  a 
pharmacist;  son  of  John  G.  and  C.  Mary  (Olson) 
I       Turner,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

231 

BOYD  T.  WINANS,  sergt.  b.  Fairmont,  Neb., 
Apr.  3,  1894;  Joined  at  Grand  Island,  June  28,  1918; 
Funston,  Indianapolis,  Ind.,  medical  corps,  trans,  to 
base  hospital  A  at  Indianapolis,  Ind.;  discharged 
Indianapolis,  Dec.  17th  1918;  Railroad  fireman  and 
brakeman ;  son  of  Frank  and  Julia  Winans,  703  W. 
5th  St,  Grand  Island. 

22T 

WILLIAMS  F.PURVIS,  sergeant,  b.  Thermopolis, 
Wyo.,  June  30,  1897 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nov. 
3,  1916;  Columbus,  Elvia,  Veinouze,  Mexico, 
infantry,  Co.  E,  Reg.  16  Div.  1st;  wounded  July  19, 
1918,  six  months  in  hospital;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
la.,  Feb.  27,  1919;  cream  sampler  at  Grand  Island; 
I  son  of  Robert  and  Viola  (Winchester)  Purvis, 
Grand  Island. 

396 

,  RAY  M.  WILDER,  b.  Shelbyville,  Ind.,  July  27, 
1893;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  Dec.  4,  1917;  Greene 
and  Vancouver  Barracks,  engineers,  Co.  C.  Reg.  4, 
ftv.  4;  Chateau-Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Velse  River, 
Meuse-Argonne,  Toulon  sector ;  three  weeks  in  hos- 
pital; discharged  at  Russell,  Wyo.,  Aug.  19,  1919; 
now  a  pressman  at  Denver,  Colo.;  son  of  Rhoda  A. 
and  Ed  M.  Wilder,  Denver,  Colo. 

183 

CLINTON  E.  JOHN,  2d  lieut.,  b.  Lincoln,  Neb., 
June  12,  1896;  enlisted  In  Hall  Co.,  May  11,  1917; 
Snelling  and  Dodge,  one  year  as  trainer,  infantry, 
352  InC  Co.  M,  88th  Div.;  son  of  Frank  and  Bertha 
John,  303  W.  9th,  Grand  Island  Neb. 


RAYMOND  PHILLIPS,  private,  b.  Arena,  Neb., 
July  6,  1898;  enlisted  at  Seattle,  Wash.,  April  4, 
1917;  Warden,  Casey,  Flagler  and  Eustis;  artillery, 
6th  U.  C.  A.;  discharged  at  Lewis,  Wash.,  Mar. 
29,  1919;  now  working  on  railroad  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Andrew  and  Mary  (Rogers)  Phillips,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


LAWRENCE  A.  McKIBBEN,  cook,  b.  Hamilton 
county,  Neb.,  Apr.  7,  1896;  joined  at  Grand  Island, 
May  2,  1918;  Fremont,  Cal.,  Lee,  Va„  Mills,  N.  Y., 
infantry;  candy  maker,  522  W.  6th  St.,  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Elmer  T.  and  Mary  A.  (Marks)  McKibben. 


JAMES  R.  FRAME,  corporal,  b.  St.  Paul,  Neb, 
Nov.  19,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  1,  1918; 
Mbres  Island  and  Quantico,  Va.,  marine  corps, 
Supply  Co.,  Reg.  11;  trained  at  Chatteroux,  Monte 
Chaume,  Fr. ;  discharged  at  Quantico,  Va.,  Aug.  2, 
1919;  now  a  clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
Eli  M.  and  Submit  (Anderson)  Frame,  Grand  Island. 


1918;  Ft.  Logan  and  Wash.  Barracks,  engineers,  56th 
searchlights,  was  eight  months  overseas ;  was  slightly 
gassed;  discharged  Mar.  22,  1919  now  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Wm.  Neely,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


RALPH  W.  HENDERSON,  private,  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.,  Oct  19,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  2,  1918;  Logan  and  Eustic,  Va.,  coast  artillery, 
Battery  F,  47th;  trained  at  Angoulene,  France;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  19,  1919;  now  a  farmer 
at  Wood  River,  Neb. ;  son  of  Newton  and  Emma  A. 
(Aberts)    Henderson,   Wood   River,    Neb. 


WILLIAM  C.  JOHNSTON,  sergt.,  b.  Goodland, 
Kan.,  Jan.  1,  1888;  joined  at  Kearney,  Neb.,  Oct  27, 
1917;  Funston,  Kan.,  infantry,  L,  depot  brigade;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Kan.,  Mar.  18,  1919;  waiter 
and  cook,  Kearney,  Neb. ;  son  of  Louis  and  Hannah 
J.  (Fears)  Johnston,  121  W.  Peterson,  Grand  Island. 


CARL  A.  DEICHMAN,  first  class  pvt,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Mar.  2,  1892;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  Mar. 
5,  1918;  Riley,  Crane,  Allentown,  Pa.,  medical  corps, 
base  hospital  114;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  June 
8,  1919;  farmer,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Carl  and 
Mariel  Deichman,  route  No.  3,  Grand  Island;  re- 
turned to  U.  S.  June  26,  1919,  on  Panaman. 


LEO  G.  WASHBURN,  cook,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  Dec.  20,  1890;  joined  at  Kearney,  Neb.,  July 
21,  1918;  Dodge,  la.,  infantry,  Co.  35,  163  depot 
brigade;  after  two  weeks  in  camp  was  put  in  kitchen 
and  started  cooking;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Dec 
9,  1918;  carpenter,  1114  W.  6th',  Grand  Island;  son 
of  Albert  E.  and  Laura  M.  (Davis)  Washburn. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


JOHN  N.  LAMBRAS,  private,  b.  Kalamata, 
Greece,  Oct.  IS,  1885;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island;  June 
24,  1916;  Cody,  Uni.  Washington,  D.  C,  infantry, 
Co.  M.  5th  Neb. ;  participated  in  Verdun,  discharged 
at  Dodge,  la.,  June  9,  1919;  now  R.  R.  section 
foreman  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Nick  and  Sarao- 
rona  Lambras,  Greece. 


FRANCIS  N.  WIELAND,  rnech.  aviator,  b.  St. 
Paul,  Neb.,  June  24,  1886;  enlisted  in  Hall  county, 
Jnne  28,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  mech.  aviator,  Co.  C, 
Naval  Training  St.;  discharged  Dec.  25*  1918; 
922  N.  Eddy,  Grand  Island  ;  son  of  Jacob  and  Anna 
Wieland,  Grand  Island. 

6:; 


FLOYD    M.  OLDERMAN,  seaman,  b.  Marshall, 
Kan.,  April  22,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island  Ji 

3,  1918;  navy;   farmer;  Cairo,  Neb.- c 

M.  Olderman,   Cairo,   Neb. 


13I4IIU,     J 

i  of  Fra 


HARDY  W.  SCOTT,  private,  b.  Aurora,  Neb., 
Feb.  18,  1897;  enlisted  at  Aurora,  Apr.  12,  1917; 
Cody,  N.  M„  Merritt,  N.  J.,  infantry,  Co.  H  5th 
Neb.  N.  G.  and  later  134  Reg.;  was  at  Chateau 
Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Soissons,  Argonne.  Champaign ; 
wounded  on  arm ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Feb.  13, 
1919;  1316  W.  Div.,  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
Thaddeus  M.  and  Daisy  E.  (Childre)  Scott,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


CLAUDE  W.  HENDRY,  private,  b.  Missouri. 
Dec.  31,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept  19, 
1917;  Funston,  Cody,  Sail,  artillery,  127  Field  Ar- 
tillerry;  discarged  Jan.  22,  1919;  farmer;  son  of 
James  and  Maragrette  Hendry,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


EMIL  SCHEEL,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Aug.  6, 
1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co,  Sept.  2,  1918;  Grant,  Han- 
cock and  Cody;  discharged  Dec.  9,  1918;  now  a 
farmer  on  route  4,  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Hans 
Scheel,  Route  4,  Grand  Island. 


JOSEPH  F.  HOSEK.  sergt,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nebraska 
June  I,  1917;  Pike;  45.  12th  Training  Battalion, 
162  Depot    Brigade;   discharged  at   Pike,   Dec.   22, 


CLEMENTS  GOF.HRING,  private,  b.  Ravenna, 
Neb.,  Dec.  4,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  19, 
1917;  Funston,  machine  gun,  341st  Co.  A;  battles 
at  Argonne  and  St.  Mihiel;  gassed;  discharged  Jan. 
22,  1919;  farmer;  son  of  Herman  Goehring,  route 
5,  Grand   Island,    Neb. 


JOHN  C.  SEYMOUR,  1st  class  boatswain,  b. 
Cairo,  Neb.,  Jan.  22,  1895 ;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Dec. 
15,  19;  Goat  Island,  navy,  on  U.  S.  S.  Minneapolis; 
son  of  A.  J.  and  Lottie  B.  (Ofield)  Seymour,  909 
N.  Oak  st.  Grand  Island. 


ARTHUR  C.  PETERS,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb,  May  30,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
23,  1917 ;  Funston  and  Cody ;  infantry,  Co.  C  136th, 
35th  Div.  ;  discharged  at  Funston ;  now  a  book- 
keeper at  Omaha,  Neb. ;  son  of  Peter  B.  and  Anna 
(Holrrof)   Peters,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WAYNE  M.  HIDDLESON,  private,  b.  Eustis. 
Neb..  Jan.  29,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
15,  1917;  Ft.  Snelling,  Minn.;  field  artillery,  2d 
Battery,  13th  Provisional  Reg. ;  discharged  at 
Ft.  Snelling,  Minn.,  June  27  1917;  now  salesman, 
with  Standard  Oil  Co.;  son  of  Milton  P.  and  Cora 
E.  (Miller)   Hiddleson,  Cairo,  Neb. 


MONT  C.  NOBLE,  1st  lieut,  b.  Nashua,  la.,  Mar. 
9,  1894;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Snelling,  Aug.  27,  1917; 
Ft  Snelling,  Minn,  Ft.  Monroe,  Va,  Coast  artil- 
lery, 44th  Reg,  Battery  B;saw  service  in  Cham- 
paigne  offensive,  St.  Mihiel,  was  on  this  sector 
until  the  armistice  was  signed,  slightly  gassed  Aug. 
1st;  discharged  at  Ft.  Totten,  N.  Y,  Fell.  15,  1919; 
son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Cagley)    Noble,  Nashua, 


FRED  HARDEKOFF,  b.  Harvard,  Neb.;  enlisted 
it  Grand  Island,  Aug.  27,  1918;  Funston  and  Wayne; 
lit  service,  6th  squadron;  discharged  Jan.  23,  1919; 
low  truck  driver  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Fred  W. 
md    Katherine    (Runge)    Hardekoff,   Grand    Island. 


RAY  MOORE,  private,  b.  West  Plaines,  Mo.,  Dec, 
28,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918; 
Ft.  Riley,  medical  corps,  medical  detach,;  now  at 
Camp  Hospital  No.  33;  son  of  J.  C.  and  Jemima 
Moore,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ALBERT  A.  LECHNER,  prvt,  b.  Hall  Co,  Neb, 
Nov.  21,  1892;  enlisted  in  Sioux  Co.,  Mar.  5,  1918; 
Riley,  Dix,  Evacuation  Hosp.  No.  10.  A.  E.  F. ;  now 
at  Froidis,  France;  son  of  Catherine  and  Conrad 
Lechner,  404  W.  6th,  Grand  Island. 


RAYMOND  CHRISTENSEN,  private,  b.  Hamp- 
ton, Neb.,  Aug.  21,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Oct.  22,  1918;  air  service,  Garden  City,  L.  I.  48th 
lero  squadron,Mitchell  Field ;  son  of  L-  P.  Christen- 
sen,  118  E.  4th  st.  Grand  Island. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


HARRY  A.  DREHER,  sergt.,  1st  class,  b.  Atlantic, 
IIL,  Dec.  28,  1888;  enlisted  at  Rockford,  III.,  Nov. 
22,  1917;  quartermaster  dept.,  Sub  Depot ; discharged 
at  Grant,  Mar.  26,  1919;  now  an  undertaker  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Kathe- 
rbe  M.  (Becker)  Dreher,  Atlantic,  Illinois. 


CHARLES  L.  GRADY,  aerial  gunner,  b.  North 
Platte,  Neb.,  Oct  11,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June 
30,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  navy,  15th  Reg.  Co.  N, 
Platoon  1;  discharged  Dec.  19,  1918;  now  living  at 
2510  Hickory,  Omaha,  Neb.;  son  of  Geo.  W.  and 
Ellen  Grady,  115  W.  11th,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ARTHUR  I.  LUDINGTON,  corp.,  b.  Omaha,  Oct. 
2,  1887;  enlisted  April  29,  18;  infantry,  Co.  G,  353, 
89th  Div. ;  St.  Mihicl;  son  of  Francis  M.  and 
Isabel]  Ludington. 


GEO.  G.  MARSH,  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Aug. 
22,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  May  31,  1918; 
Ft  Logan,  Hunmphreys,  engineers,  div.  35,  reg. 
110,  Co.  A;  in  battles  of  Verdun;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la.,  May  2,  1919;  student;  son  of  Mrs.  W. 
Marsh  of  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HORTON  H.  SPRY,  b.  Kearney,  Neb..  Sept. 
22,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  22,  1917; 
Ft.  Douglas,  Funston,  Ben  Harrison,  infantry  Div. 
10,  Reg.  20,  Co.  H.;  discharged  at  Ft  Ben  Harrison, 
May  22,  1919;  farmer  at  Georgetown,  Neb,;  son  of 
Milton  and  Charlotte  (Morrison)  Spry,  River  Falls, 
Wisconsin. 


JOSEPH  F.  ROCHE,  private,  b.  Green  River, 
Wyo.,  May  17,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr. 
29,  1918;  Funston,  infantry,  Co.  K  355th;  in  battles 
of    St.    Mihiel    and    Afgonne-Meuse ;    discarged    at 

Funston,  June  2,  1919;  farmer. 


FLOYD  K.  REED,  private,  b.  Abbott,  Neb.,  Nov. 
11,  1899;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  October  3,  1918; 
Lincoln  Uni. ;  S.  A.  T.  C.  ;  discharged  at  Lincoln, 
Dec.  1918;  son  of  J.  Allison  and  Mary  A.  (Kreamer) 
Reed,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


RUSSELL  R.  CANTRELL,  b.  Pleasant  Hill,  Mo., 
Mar.  9.  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Apr. 
H),  1917;  Fort  Sam  Huston,  Texas,  Selfridge,  Mich., 
aviation  of  signal  corps,  9th  Aero  Squadron ;  went 
to  front  lines  Aug.,  1918;  at  present,  June,  1919,  in 
Third  Army  at  Trier,  Germany;  son  of  Albert  P. 
and  Susie  Cantrill,  Springfield,  Mo. 


WAYNE  S.  DEFFENBOUGH,  b.  Cairo  Neb 
Nov.  17,  1896;  enlisted!  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  April 
J8,  1918;  Jefferson  Barracks  and  Hancock;  medical 
Corps  and  machine  gun;  discharged  Nov.  27,  1918; 
now  insurance  adjuster,  Omaha.  Neb. ;  son  of  Syl- 
vester and  Virginia  (Young)  Deffenbough,  Cairo, 
Nebraska. 


GEORGE  P.  SIMON,  1st  class  private,  b.  Hall 
Co,  July  3,  1893 ;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  April  1, 
1918;  Funston  and  Riley,  cook  in  base  hospital  sec- 
toon  D  and  E;  discharged  Mar.  19,  1919;  now  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Christ  and  Julia  Simon, 


(Knapple)  Osbor'n,  911  E.  5th  st.,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WALTER  RAY  WADE,  b.  Hastings,  Neb.,  Mar. 
23,  1896;  enlisted  .at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  16,  1917; 
Ft.  Logan,  Kelly  Field,  Ft.  Omaha,  Ft.  Monroe,  Lee, 
Va.,  aviation;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  12,  1919; 
now  an  electrician  at  Norfolk,  Neb.;  son  of  Geo.  H. 
and  Flora  B.  Wade,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


...   _..._,   _„  ..ass  private,  b.  Kearney, 

Neb.,  Dec.  24.  1898;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Riley  June  21, 
1918;  Riley,  Taylor  and  Henry  Knox;  quartermaster 
™  Bak    q^.   discharged1  at  Knox,   Feb.   21, 

post  office  employe   at  Grand  Island; 


919!' 


Grand  Island! 


WILLIAM  REESE,  musician,  b.  Grand  Island, 
NfVOct  18,  1889;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  June 
jf,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  medical  corps,  ambulance  Co. 
tf,  (ben  to  19th  sanitary  train;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
la*  JB«  23,  1919;  clerk  in  Grand  Island  postoffice; 
*p.™  Cans  and  Margaret   (Cruse)   Reese,  Grand 


CARL  K.  PETERS,  sergt.,  b.  Grand  Island.  Oct. 
20,  1884;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  Dee.  8,  1917;  Joseph 
E.  Johnston ;  infantry;  34th  Receiving  Co. ;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  July  16;  now  a  farmer  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Peter  B.  and  Anna  (Holtorf) 
Peters,  Grand   Island,  Neb. 


WALTER  O.  KOSS,  1st  lieut.,  motor  trans,  corps,  3"3 

h.  Omaha    ;  enlisted  at   Ft.   Snelling,  Minn.,   May  ERNEST    I.    BRIDGE,  private,   b.   Cairo,   Neb., 

7?    „'•« P0^  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  infantry,  April  22,   1897;   enlisted   at   Grand   Island,   May   27, 

Y>.   13;   Soissons   and   Chateau   Thierry,   battles   of  1918;   A.   A.    Humphreys,   then   Orangeade,    France, 

Amse,  Maine;  discharged  at  Dodge;  now  a  machin-  engineers,  Co.  E,  Reg.  5th;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.. 

W  at  Grand   Island;    son   of   Otto   F.    and   Mary  Aug.  5,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son  of 

(Homieister)    Koss,  Grand  Island  Frank  A.  and  Eliza  (Dyer)  Bridge,  Cairo,  Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


JOHN  H.  CAMPBELL,  private,  b.  Brookfield, 
Mo.,  July  3,  1897;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Mar.,  1918; 
Logan,  Wash.,  D.  C.  and  Merritt,  depot  engineers, 
casual  Co.;  still  in  service  as  guard,  752  A.  P.  O., 
Marseilles,  France. 


CLARENCE  M.  BARNARD,  sergt.,  b.  Falls  Ctf. 
Neb.,  Jan.  3,  1901;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  April,  191$ 
Jefferson  Barracks,  quartermaster  corps,  Co .  16 . 
discharged  at  Meiga,  Washington,  D.  C.,  Dec.  23, 
1918;  no*  an  electrician  at  Washington,  D.  C;  son 
of  Francis  M.  and  Eva  (Parrich)  Barnard,  Wood 
River,  Neb. 


AUGUST  RUNGE,  private,  b.  Cairo,  Neb.,  July 
11,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island;  Ft.  Logan  and 
Travis,  Tex.,  infantry,  Co.  B.  43d  Inf;  still  in  ser- 
vice with  Co.  B  43d  Inf.,  Camp  at  Travis,  Tex.; 
son  of  Hans  J.  Runge,  Cairo,  Neb. 


ALBERT  CHARLEY  WEHR,  private,  b.  Doni- 
phan, Neb.,  Sept.  1,  1899;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Sept. 
5.  1918;  Lincoln  S.  A.  T.  C.j  Co.  D.  Section  A; 
discharged  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  Dec.  14,  1918;  now  a 
student ;  son  of  Joe  and  Centemnial  Wehr,  Doniphan, 
Nebraska. 


HOWARD  REARICK,  wagoner,  b.  West  New- 
ton, Pa.,  June  20,  1893 :  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June 
14,  1918;  Lincoln  and  Sherman,  ammunition  train, 
Co.  C  84  Div.;  discharged  Feb.  13,  1919;  mechanic 
at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  George  and  Elizabeth 
Re  a.  rick,   Grand  Island. 


ARTHUR  HULLGREEN,  seaman,  b. 'Lincoln  Co., 
Neb,,  Aug.  IS,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Dec,  12, 
1917;  Decatur,  Dewey  and  Ross,  navy;  still  in  ser- 
vice on  U.  S.  S.  New  York;  son  of  Hannah  Han- 
sen, Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WM.  HINZ,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Nov.  21,  1896; 
enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Oct.  IS,  1918;  Lincoln  Uni. 
S.  A.  T.  C,  wagoner,  Co.  F  Section  B,  Neb.  Hall 
Barracks;  discharged,  Dec.  10,  1918;  now  at  Grand 
Island,   Neb.;   son  of  Mary  Hinz,  Grand  Island. 


DOAN  H.  RICHARDS,  private,  b.  Brownvtlle, 
Neb.,  Aug.  18.  1896 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
2,  1918;  Ft.  Logan  and  Windfield  Scott;  medical 
corps,  Medical  Dept.  Artillery  Park  C,  A.  C.  No.  52; 
St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne,  Champagne;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  la.,  May  16,  1919;  now  a  drug  clerk  at 
Grand  Island.  Neb. ;  son  of  Frank  M.  and  Olive  E. 
(Thorp)   Richards,  Grand  Island. 


WILLIAM  BRUNER,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb..  May  25,  1897;  enlisted  at  Wood  River,  Mar. 
4 ;  Ft.  Riley.  Spartansburg,  S.  C,  hospital  F.  H.  37 
6th;  was  in  the  last  battles,  six  weeks  service  be- 
fore amistice;  with  army  of  occupation  at  Recey- 
sur-oure;  son  of  Win.  H.  and  Anna  M.  (Stone) 
Bruner,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


345 

DIONISIOS  STATHOULIS,  b.  Greece,  March 
3,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918; 
Funston ;  infantry,  38th  depot  brigade ;  discharged 
Feb.  15,  1919;  now  a  barber  in  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
son  of  Dimerrious  and  Stekonla  Stathoulis. 


348 

GEORGE  RAY  TIBBS,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  Nov.  9,  1897 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
12,  1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Presido,  Cal„  coast  art.,  42d 
Co.;  discharged  Dec.  24,  1918  at  Funston;  son  of 
Elmer  E.  and  Clara  E.  (Baird)  Tibbs,  Wood  River. 
Neb. 


WM.  A.  MONROE,  private,  b.  Richland  Co.,  N. 


CLARENCE  JONES,  1st  class  private,  b.  Dawes 
Co.,  Neb.,  Sept.  13,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
April  16,  1917;  El  Paso  and  Syracuse,  Goncourt, 
France;  Infantry,  Co.  G,  23d,  Div.  2d;  gassed  Sept. 
18 ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Aug.  14,  1919 ;  now  a  broom 
maker  at  S.  Omaha;  son  of  William  E.  and  Sarah 
E.    (Collins)    Jones. 


CHARLES  I.  MCALLISTER,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  July  23,  1883;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  18,  1918;  infantry;  discharged  at  Pike,  Ark.. 
Dec.  8,  1919;  now  a  hardware  merchant  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  K.  (Fraser) 
McAllister. 


RAY  R.  BAKER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  April 
4,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  23,  1918; 
Riley  Kansas,  medical  corps,  Casual  Co.,  base  hos- 
pital 23 ;  trained  at  Vittcl,  Meuse,  Commercy ;  still 
in  service  at  Commercy,  France.  Base  Hospital  91 ; 
son  of  Edward  H.  and  Zilda  (Senical)  Baker. 


WILLIAM  H.  HOMBACH.  1st  Lt.,  M.  C,  b. 
Carroll,  la.,  May  26,  1889;  enlisted  at  Ramsen,  la., 
July  22,  1918;  attached  to  laboratory  dept.  at  Base 

Hospital,  medical  corps;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la,, 
Mar.  2,  1919;  now  a  physician  and  surgeon  at  Grand 
Island.   Neb.;   son  of   William  and  Anna   T.   (Sein- 

inger)   Horn  bath. 


ADOLPH  BETZ,  1st  sergt.,  b.  Campbell,  Neb., 
Feb.  18,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  9, 
1917;  Cody,  Hancock  and  Greene;  infantry,  Co.  M 
134th  Inf.,  34th  Div.;  discharged  at  Funston,  July 
14,  1919;  now  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Jacob  and  Charlotte  Betz. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  H1ALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


S81 

NOBLE  G.  HURST,  sergt;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island  Oct.  4,  1917;  Funston  and  Newport  News, 
Co.  I,  35lh  Inf.,  89th  Div.;  Charnpagne-Marne 
offensive.  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne,  Chateau- 
Thierry;  now  at  Doniphan,  Neb.;  son  of  Nettie 
Hurst,   Doniphan,   Neb. 


GEORGE  H.  CLINE,  wagoner,  b.  Roachdale,  Ind., 
Sept  24,  1898;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  June  28,  1917; 
Logan,  Angel  Isl.,  Sconeld  Barracks,  Ft,  Sill,  heavy 
artillery,  Co.  A,  9th  Feld  Artillery ;  discharged  March 
31,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John 
and  Margaret  Cline. 


J.  CHESTER  McNALLY.  corp.,  b.  Wisconsin, 
Nov.  22,;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  29,  1916; 
Mexican  border  service,  Corp.  Co.  K,  5th  Neb.  Inf. ; 
still  with  Co.  C.  109  Supply  train  at  St.  Zazerie, 
France;  A.  P.  O.,  701  Motor  Overhauling  Park, 
B-5  No.  1;  son  of  John  and  Mary  (Sando)  Mc- 
Nally,,  Burkett,  Neb. 

354 

VERNE  G.  RYDBERG,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Nebraska,  Feb.  6,  1896;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan, 
Dec.  14,  1917;  Kelly  Field  and  Gersner  Field,  avia- 
tion section,  signal  corps;  discharged  Dec.  12,  1918; 
now  a  student  in  Lincoln  Uni. ;  son  of  Gottfrid 
and  Mary  C.  (Anderson)  Rydberg. 


HARRY  McCLURE,  private,  b.  Meiny  county. 
Neb.,  Aug.  18,  1888;  enlisted  al  Cheyenne,  Wyo., 
Jane  25,  1917;  Lewis,  medical  dept. ;  discharged 
April  3,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  La  Grange,  Wyo.; 
son  of  Wm.  McClure,  Cairo,  Neb. 


ROSCOE  G.  BRAZELTON,  private,  b.  Mirabile, 
Mo.,  Nov.  26,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
20,  1917;  Funston  and  Cody,  field  artillery,  Battery 
F,  199th  Reg.;  on  the  front  for  three  months  at 
Argonne;  discharged  March  17,  1918;  now  a  saddler 
at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Cora  T.  Brazelton. 


FREDERICK  PLATH,  private,  b.  Columbus, 
Neb.,  July  1,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  April  17, 
1917;  Mexico,  Deming,  Merritt,  then  to  France,  Co. 
H.  58th  Inf.  A.  E.  F. ;  gassed  and  rheumatism,  in 
hospital;  now  at  Camp  Wadsworth,  S.  G;  son  of 
Henry  Plath,  Grand  Island. 


FRANK  B.  HOSKINS,  private,  b.  Missouri,  Aug. 
9,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.,  1918;  Fun- 
ston, infantry,  Co.  C;  still  in  service;  son  of  Frank 
Hosktns,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


THOMAS  J.  McCLURKIN,  private,  b.  Snelton, 
Neb.,  Feb.  14,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct. 
IS,  1918;  Lincoln  State  Uni.,  S.  A.  T.  C.  Co.  F, 
Sec  B;  discharged  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  Dec.  10,  1918; 
son  of  Samuel  and  Elizabeth  McClurkin,  Sr.,  Shelton, 
Neb. 


GUY  HARTWELL  SMITH,  2d  lieut.,  b.  Pavis, 
Mo,  Oct.  10,  1886;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nov. 
II,  1917;  Great  Lakes,  navy  radio,  went  to  Paris 
m  Commercial  telegraph ;  son  of  Hunter  and  Me- 
lissia  Smith,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


EDWARD  L.  LACEY,  farrier,  b.  Hall  county, 
Aug.  10,  1888;  enlisted  at  Kearney,  Neb.,  May  28, 
1917;  Cody,  and  Bordeaux,  France,  infantry,  Co. 
L,  4th  Neb.;  did  guard  duty  at  Ashland,  Neb;,  at 
Cody,  trans,  to  Battery  E,  127  F.  A.,  to  109  Trench 
mortar  bat.,  to  Bat.  E,  126  reg.  F.  A.,  ^4th  div.,  sent 
to  Ft  Sill,  Okla. ;  discharged  at  Dodge  la.,  Jan.  18, 
1919;  now  a  fanner  at  Sheldon,  Neb.;  son  of  N. 
Patrick  and  Nancy  A.  (Hershey)  Lacey. 


JULIUS  D.  SPINAS,  private,  b.  Marquette,  Neb., 
Mar.  14,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  23; 
Ft.  Logan  and  Camp  Humphreys,  Co.  A,  2d  reg. 
engineers;  discharged  Jan.  2,  1919,  at  Humphreys; 
son  of  Thomas  and  Annie  (De  Hart)  Spinas, 
Berkett,  Neb. 


JESS  BROWN.  1st  class  private,  b.  Cairo,  Neb., 
April  19,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  25, 
1918;  Funston  and  Holabird,  Md. ;  motor  supply 
train,  Co.  B,  10th  Div.;  discharged  at  Funston,  Feb. 
8th  1919;  now  a  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Jossiah  and  Elizabeth  (Mann)  Brown,  North  Loup, 
Nebraska. 


CLAYTON  W.  THOMAS,  1st  class  seaman,  b. 
Gibbon,  Neb.,  Aug.  4,  1894;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Feb. 
22.  1918;  Goat  Island,  Naval  Base  at  Olongopo, 
P.  L;  still  in  service;  son  of  Alfred  E.  and  Isabella 
(Lewis)  Thomas. 


H&NRY  BLAKESLEE  BOYDEN,  1st  lieut.,  M. 
C,b.  Ravenna,  Neb  Jan.  12,  1889;  enlisted  April 
12,  1918;  Beuregard,  La.,  medical  corps,  Surgeon  of 
29m  Inf.,  Div.  17 ;  discharged  at  Beauregard,  La., 
Jan.  4,  1919;  now  physician  and  surgeon  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Fred  P.  and  Mary  S.  (Smith)  Boy- 
den,  Chicago,  111. 


GERALD  GARRISON,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb., 
April  18,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  4, 
1917;  Funston,  infantry,  355th  Inf.  89th  Div.;  Somme 

front,  in  trenches  constantly  in  shell  zone,  St.  Mihiel 
drive,  Argonne,  went  over  the  top  Sept.  26,  1918, 
Somme,  Metz;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  May  7, 
1919;  son  of  Charles  and  Eva  M.  (Donaldson) 
Garrison. 


CLYDE  HAWKS,  enlisted  Lee,  W.  Va..  July  22. 
1918;  4th  Prov.  Co.,  veterinary  corps;  discharged 
Feb.,  1919;  now  at  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of 
Alonzo  and  Emma  (Dumas)  Hawks,  Wood  River. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


WILLIAM  L.  WILKINSON,  private,  b.  St.  Joe, 
Mo.,  Mar.  20,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
7,  1917;  Cody;  engineers,  Co.  M  5th  En$.;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  July  29,  1919;  now  machinist  at 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Edward  E.  and  Anna  Wilkin- 
son, Grand  Island,   Neb. 

JOHN  B.  ROSE,  private,  b.  Filmore  county,  Neb., 
Jan  28,;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  16,  1916; 
Landegranda,  Texas,  Cody,  motor  convoy,  Co.  C. 
109  supply  train,  134th  Div. ;  son  of  John  and  Jose- 
phine (Sterling)  Rose,  was  in  signal  corps  previously 
on  Mexican   border. 


PAUL   D.    CLARK,   2d  class   seaman,  b.   Wood 

River,  Neb.,  May  1,  1893;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb., 
Nov.  24,  1917 ;  Great  Lakes  and  Philadelphia,  navy ; 
still  in  service  at  New  York  Harbor ;  son  of  Robert 
J.  and  Lavinia  C.   (Miller)   Clark. 


GEORGE  E.  WILSON,  corp.,  b.  Wheatland,  Wyo., 
May  2,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  27.  1917; 
Ft  Logan  and  El  Paso,  infantry,  Co.  E,  16th  Inf., 
1st  Div. ;  all  engagements  participated  in  by  16th 
Reg-  Inf.,  helped  in  capture  of  Cantigney,  May  28, 
1918,  2nd  battle  of  Marne;  still  with  army  of  oc- 
cupation in  Germany;  was  wounded  in  2nd  battle  of 
Marne  July  3,  1918,  in  hospital  five  months;  farmer; 
son  of  Sylvanious  K.  and  Laura  B,  (Wiggins) 
Wilson,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


ARTHUR    L.    WILSON,    private,    b.    Blandson- 

vtlle,  III.,  Sept.  22,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  infantry,  Co.  35,  163  Depot 
Brigade :  discharged  Dec.  9,  1918 ;  now  a  barber  at 
Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of  Sylvanius  K.  and  Laura 
B.    (Wiggins)    Wilson,   Wood   River. 

EVERETT  O.  OLIVES  1st  el.  radio,  b.  Clarmont, 
Mo.,  Oct.  22,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
18,  1918;  Goat  Island  and  Norfolk,  Va, ;  navy, 
Battleship,  New  Mexico;  still  in  service;  student; 
son  of  A.  E.  and  Carrie  (Clayton)  Glives,  Grand 
Island,    Neb. 

267 

HARRY  S.  TESTER,  corporal,  b.  Chapman,  Neb., 
Mar.  6,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22, 
1918;  Dodge.  la.,  cooks  and  baker  dept..  Q.  M.  C. 
Bakers  Co.  420;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Dec.  IS, 
1918;  son  of  Maurice  and  Rebecca  (Ivers)  Tester, 
Masonic    Home,    Plattsmouth,   Neb. 

CHARLES  E.  GRAY,  private,  b.  Litchfield,  Neb., 
Jtrly  5,  1887;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  June  23,  1916; 
infantry,  4th  Reg.,  Co.  D,  Neb.;  discharged  at  Ft. 
Crook,  Neb.,  Aug  14,  1917;  died  of  flu  Nov.  12, 
1918;  son  of  Frank  and  Susina  (Ammerman)  Gray, 
209  N.  Sycamore,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LEONARD  LACEY,  1st  class  private,  b.  Hall  Co., 
May  28,  1892;  enlisted  at  Portland,  Oregon,  April  19, 
1917;  Vancouver,  Wash.,  Ft.  McDowell,  infantry,  Co. 
D  32d  Inf.;  discharged  at  Lewis,  Wash.,  Mar  14, 
1919;  son  of  N.  Patrick  and  Nancy  A.  (Hershey) 
Lacey,  Shelton  Neb. 


GEO.  W.  EATON,  sailor,  b.  Grafton,  Neb.,  Feb. 
22,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  6,  1917; 
navy  2d  Battle  Squadron  Asiatic  Div.;  1st  submarine 
battle  Aug.  8,  1917,  off  Malta,  on  U.  S.  S.  Chauncey 
when  it  was  sunk  Nov.  24,  1917;  spent  283  days  in 
hospital ;  wounded  three  times ;  discharged  May 
24,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Free- 
man R.  and  Lucy  Eaton,  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  opened 
recruiting  office  in  Grand  Island,  sending  54  Grand 
Island  boys  to  San  Francisco,  China,  Phillipines  and 
Spain. 


FRED  L.  HUCK  1st  class  private,  b.  Lincoln 
Co.,  Neb,  Jan.  27.  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  19,  1917;  inf.,  18th  Co.  164  Depot  Brigade; 
Lys;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.  May  6,  1919;  son  of 
Lewis  and  Angelinia   (Jenneman)    Huck. 


,  Reg.  3S5th  Inf.,  Div.  89th;  took  part 
in  all  battles  from  July  I,  1918,  till  Nov.  11,  1918, 
then  sent  to  army  of  occupation ;  discharged  at 
Funston,  June  21,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Kearney, 
Neb.;  sou  of  Geo.  L.  and  Roda  M.  Oxford,  Alda, 
Neb. 

378 

REX  D.  STARK,  b.  Kearney,  Neb,  Dec.  14,  1895; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  21,  1918;  Dodge,  la- 
and  Sherman,  Ohio;  infantry,  Co.  I,  Reg.  336,  9th 
Div.;  Argonne,  Meuse  drive,  over  top;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la,  Apr.  21,  1919;  now  telephone  repairman 
at  St.  Paul,  Neb. ;  son  of  W.  G.  and  N.  R.  (Wheeler)  . 
Stark,   Kearney,  Neb. 


FRANK  LANE,  sergt,  b.  Hall  Co,  April  20,  1892; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  20,  1917;  Funston. 
Cody  and  Ft.  Sill,  infantry;  discharged  at  Dodge. 
Ia„  Jan.  22,  1919;  son  of  Martin  and  Mary  Lane, 
Shelton,  Neb. 


THOS.  L.  HUCK,  corporal,  b.  Lincoln  county. 
Neb,  June  6,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June 
24,  1918;  Funston,  infantry,  Headquarters  Co,  Reg. 
69th  Inf.,  10th  Div.;  discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  29, 
1919;  son  of  Lewis  and  Angelina  (Jenneman)  Huck, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FREDRICK  R,  DERMOTT,  chief  electrician,  b. 
Norfolk,  Neb,  Feb.  17,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  Apr.  11,  1917;  Great  Lakes,  navy  electrician, 
Norfolk,  Va.,  sent  directly  on  battelship  Neb.  as 
ordinary  seaman,  in  six  mouths  rated  3rd  class 
electrician;  was  the  youngest  electrician  in  U.  S. 
service;  son  of  James  T.  and  Marie  (Corr)  Mc- 
Dermott,  416  East  7th   St.,   Grand   Island,   Neb. 


GEORGE  A.  McGUIRE,  b.  Jackson  twp.  Hall 
County.  Neb,  April  24,  1896;  enlisted  July.  1918; 
sent  to  Kansas  City  to  a  school  of  mechanics ;  sailed 
for  France,  Nov.  11,  1918;  reached  Brest  the  day 
the  armistice  was  signed;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la, 
Jan.  15,  1919;  now  an  auto.  mech.  at  Gothenburg, 
Neb.;  son  of  Patrick  W.  and  Kate  (O'Neill)  Mc- 
Guire. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


BERNHARDT  SCHEEL,  private,  b.  Hall  Co., 
Nov.  30,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  2,  1918; 
Grant,  Hancock,  Johnson  and  Dodge;  discharged 
Feb.  29,  1919;  farmer,  route  4,  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  Hans  Scheel,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ALEXANDER  GRAHAM,  private,  b.  Doniphan, 
Neb..  Jan.  7,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
3,  4917;  Ft.  Winfield  Scott,  Cal.;  coast  artillery, 
Co.  2;  now  in  Philippine  Islands  doing  guard  duty. 


LLOYD  F.  WHEELER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island., 
Dec.  10,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar.  12, 
1918;  Douglas,  Ari*.  and  Ft.  Sill,  Okla.,  artillery, 
Battery  E.  Reg.  11,  6th  Div.;  sailed  July  28,  1918, 
went  into  front  lines  Nov.  6,  Sector  Metz,  returned 
June  10,  on  Mt.  Vernon;  clerk  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Fred  L.  and  Eva  M.  (Morrow) 
Wheeler. 


DEMOSTHENOS  THERDORO POLOS,  prvt,  b. 
Xelokastrou.  Greece  July  20,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  April  29,  1918;  Funston  and  Mills,  infantry, 
Co.  K,  Reg.  355th,  Div.  89th;  went  to  front  lines 
Aug  21,  Sector  Mihiel,  battles  Argonne  and  St. 
Mihiel;  wounded  in  left  leg;  discharged  at  Fun- 
ston, June  2;  restuarant,  Grand  Cafe,  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Elias  G.  and  Loto  Therdoropolos,  Greece. 


HOWARD  U.  ENOCH,  2d  class  cook,  h.  Man- 
heim,  Penn.,  Aug.  17,  1893 ;  enlisted  at  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  Aug  17,  1917;  New  Port,  R.  I.,  sailor  on 
Murevery,  a  transport ;  had  encounters  with  sub- 
marines going  to  and  from  France;  son  of  C.  W. 
Enoch,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ERNEST  J.  SPECK,  chauffer,  b.  Grand  Island, 
April  18,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  3,  1917; 
KeHy  Field;  aviation,  4th  Air  Park,  1st  Pursuit 
Group ;  Marne,  Meuse,  Argonne,  St.  Mihiel ;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  July  14,  1919 ;  now  a  machinist 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Lawrence  and  {Cathe- 
rine Speck,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


SYLVESTER  T.  SCOTT,  JR..  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Aug.  28,  1899;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  Oct. 
3,;  S.  A.  T.  C.  ;  discharged  at  Lincoln,  Dec.  7,  1919; 
now  postal  clerk;  son  of  Sylvester  T.  and  Sabrina  C. 
(Mead)   Scott,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


THOMAS  S.  WILLIAMS,  prvt.  b.  Burt  Co.,  Neb., 
April  5,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  25. 
1918;  Funston;  infantry,  Depot  Brigade;  discharged 
at  Funston,  July  3,  1919;  now  brakeman  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  W.  W.  and  Fanny  (Harrow)  Wil- 
liams, Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ERNEST  IUETH,  prvt.,  b.  Gondence,  Germany; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  23.  1916;  Cody;  Inf. 
then  Field  Art,  then  M.  P.,  Co.  M,  134,  Div.  34; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  June  30,  1919;  now  a  florist 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Ernest  and  Martha 
Iueth,  Grand  Island. 


Jchool,  Co.  F,  S.  A.  T.  C,  Uni.  of  Neb.,  Co.  F; 
discharged  Dec  10,  1918;  now  an  electrician  in 
Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Herbert  H.  and  Lizzie 
Grant,  Grand  Island. 


HENRY  F.  VIEREGG,  b.  Grand  Island,  Nov.  30, 
1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  15,  1918;  Riley, 
Kan.  and  Meade,  Md.,  medical  dept.,  Casual  detach. 
M.  O.  T.  C,  Sanitary  Detch.  32  Mach.  Gun  Bat- 
talion; discharged  at  Dodge,  Ia„  Feb.  6,  1919;  now 
an  electrician  at  Scottsbluff,  Neb. ;  son  of  Henry 
and   Caroline  Vieregg,   Grand   Island,  Neb. 


FRED  HAMANN,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Feb.  1, 
1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sepl.  19,  1918;  Funston, 
Mexico  and  Upton,  127  field  art.,  34th  Div.,  Battery 
F;  discharged  Jan.  26,  1919;  farmer  near  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb. 


GEO.  E.  RASMUSSEN,  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
May  19,  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Sept.  8, 
1918;  Ft.  Omaha;  air  service  branch  of  signal  corps; 
*5th  Balloon  Co.,  also  on  detached  service  with 
Neb.;  discharged  April  11,  1919;  now  yard  clerk, 
U.  P.;  son  of  Chris  and  Katie  (Nielson)  Rasmussen, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 

U9 

WILLIAM  STERLING  ROSECRANS,  second 
quartermaster,  b.  Montrose,  Mo.,  April  17,  1898;  en- 
listed at  Grand  Island,  May  16,  1917;  Great  Lakes; 
navy,  Ship  Philadelphia ;  discharged  at  Denver,  Colo,, 
Aug.  8,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Julesburg,  Colo.;  son 
of  William  and  Mrs.  Roescrans,  Julesburg,  Colo. 


JAMES  J.  McSHANE,  private,  b.  Atkinson,  Neb., 
Sept.  19,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  July  12, 
1918;  McArthur  and  Merritt,  N.  J.,  infantry,  Co. 
B,  23d  Infantry,  Co.  C,  2d  Div. ;  went  into  the  front 
lines  with  5th  Div.,  went  over  the  top  three  times 
was  gassed  slightly;  still  with  army  of  occupation; 
son  of  James  and  Margaret  E.  (McCrossin)  Mc- 
Shane,  Grand  Island. 


PHILLIPS  GEORGE  GUMB,  b.  Chicago,  III., 
May  17,  1888;  enlisted  at  Utah  Agri.  College,  Aug. 
14,  1918;  Logan,  Utah,  Presido  and  Ft.  MacArthur; 
artillery;  trans.  5!st  Co.  Coast  Artillery,  Ft.  Win- 
field  Scott,  Presido,  Battery  G  2d  Army  Artillery. 
Ft.  McArthur;  discharged  at  Ft.  McArthur,  Cal.; 
now  a  car  repairman,  U.  P.  R.  R.  Co.,  Grand  Is- 
Land,  Neb.;  son  of  JohrJ  and  Elizabeth  Gumb, 
Fremont,    Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  BALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


WILLIS  E.  LYMAN,  prvt,  b.  Perry,  Okla.,  May 
11,  1890;  enlisted  at  Lusk,  Wyo.,  May  19,  1918; 
Benjamin  Harrison  and  Merritt;  first  in  band,  now 
in  transportation  dept.,  79th  Co. ;  now  in  service  at 
La  Falle  Grande,  France,  railroad  office;  son  of 
C.  P.  Lyman,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ELZA  E.  MUNROE,  wagoner,  b,  Doniphan,  Sept. 
22,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  18,  1918; 
Ft.  Stevens,  C.  A.  C.  48th  Art.;  discharged  April 
8,  1919;  meat  cutter  at  Doniphan,  Neb.  ;  son  of 
Hattie  E.   Munroe,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


ARTHUR  HITCH,  private,  b.  Ohio,  Oct.  18, 
1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar.  17,  1917; 
Logan  and  Winfield  Scott,  59  Reg.  Bat.  F.  31st 
Brigade ;  still  in  service  at  Ft.  Winfield  Scott,  Cal. ; 
son  of  Frank  Hitch,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


ALBERT  JONES,  private,  b.  Wahoo,  Neb.,  June 
14,  1887;  enlisted  at  Funston,  June  25,  1917;  Fun- 
ston,  motor  supply*  train,  10th  Div. ;  discharged 
Feb.  12,  1919;  Doniphan  garage;  son  of  W.  H. 
Jones,  Mem  a,  Neb. 


FRANK  HAWK,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb.;  enlisted 
July  18,  1918;  C.  A.  C,  6th  supply  company.;  sailed 
Oct.  12,  landed  at  Brest,  France,  Oct.  24,  trans,  to 
Laborne    three   weeks   before    signing   of    armistice. 


303 
ANTHONY  H.  MESERAULL,  seaman,  b.  Doni- 
phan, Neb.,  April  12,  1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha, 
June  26,  1918;  San  Francisco,  U.  S.  Train.  Station, 
navy;  now  a  lumberman  at  Doniphan,  Neb.;  son  of 
Isach    Meseraull,    Doniphan. 


ROY  J.  BLACK,  private,  b,  Oakland,  Neb.,  Feb. 
15,  1895;  enlisted- at  Grand  Island,  June  I.  1918; 
Leavenworth,  signal  corp,  15  Service  Co. ;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  June  27;  farmer;  son  of  James  M.  and 
Selma  (Mogul)  Black,  R.  F.  D.  No.  5  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska. 

816 

JOHN  A.  KELLY,  1st  class  private,  b.  Omaha, 
Oct.  27,  1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  July  6,  1918; 
Logan  and  Joseph  E.  Johnston,  quartermaster  corps, 
service  Co.  No.  2;  discharged  Jan.  19,  1919;  son 
of  John  and  Julia  T.   (Connor)   Kelly. 


BENJAMIN  F,  SPARKS,  private,  b.  Illinois, 
Jan  5,  1896;  enlisted  in  Grand  Island,  Aug.  5,  1918; 
S.  A.  T.  C.  in  K.  C  at  Camp  Jackson,  cook;  dis- 
charged Feb.  12,  1918;  farmer  near  Doniphan,  Neb.; 
son  of  Edward   L.   Spark,  Doniphan,   Neb. 


JOSEPH  CARSON,  sergt.,  b.  Strang,  Neb.,  May 
21,  1888;  enlisted  at  Minden,  Neb..  May  1,  1918; 
Fremont  and  Cody,  military  police.  Co.  A  127th  Div.; 
was  in  France  one  year  on  military  police  dutv; 
discharged  Jan.  4,  1919;  now  a  cook  at  Grand  Island: 
son  of  C.  N.  and  Delia  (Edine)  Carson,  Grand 
Island. 


MAX  J.  WRAGE,  aviator,  b.  Grand  Island,  en- 
listed at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  19,  1917;  Funston  and 
Pike,  Battery  E  6th  Field  Artillery;  in  France  June  2 
to  5th  of  Nov.,  1918,  was  in  hospital;  discharged 
April  22,  1919;  farmer  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Wm.   and   Annie   Wrage  Grand   Island. 


WM.  McLELLEN,  JR.,  private,  1st  class,  b.  Hall 
Co.,  Dec.  27,  1894;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Riley.  Kan.,  Mar. 
4,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  Crane  and  Penn.,  Medical  Co., 
Mobile  Hospital  No.  1 ;  in  battles  at  Chateau  Thierry, 
Marne,  St.'  Mihiel  and  Meuse  Argonne;  discharged 
May  5,  1919;  now  a  farmer  on  Route  1,  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.;  son  of  Wm.,  Sr.  and  Alice  McLellen, 
Grand  Island. 


BERHARDT  WIESE,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  May 
30,  1890:  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Oct.  3,  1917;  Fun- 
ston and  Mills,  infantry,  Supply  Co.,  355th  Inf. ; 
took  part  at  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne  offensive, 
Wesserting  sector,  Gerardemir  sector,  Sommedia 
sector;  discharged, May  6,  1919,  at  Dodge,  la.,  farm- 
er;  son   of   Fritz   and   Katheriue    (Dibbern)    Wiese. 


HARRISON  O.  WOLFE,  mess  sergt.,  b.  Doni- 
phan, Sept.  20,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
19,  1917;  Funston,  infantry,  18  Co.  164  D.  B.;  dis- 
charged Dec.  5,  1918;  now  at  Doniphan;  son  of 
Phinnis   L,   and    Esther    Wolfe,   Doniphan,    Neb. 


308 
GEORGE  A.  DAVIS,  1st  class  mechanic,  b. 
Crand  Island,  Aug.  9,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Mar.  16,  1917;  Kelly  Field.  San  Diego,  air  service, 
Squadron  repaired  aero  planes;  discharged  at  San 
Diego,  Cal.,  Mar.  31,  1919:  now  partner  in  auto 
garage  business,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah ;  son  of  John 
W.    and    Catherine    (Deriks)    Davis, 


JOSEPH  P.  BAIRD,  assistant  band  master,  b. 
North  Platte,  Neb.,  Mav  11,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  June  27,  1918 ;  Kearney,  Cal. ;  infantry,  Head- 
quarters. 159th,  40th  Div. ;  at  Somme ;  discharged  at 
Presidio,  CaL,  April  29,  1919;  now  a  musician  at 
Grand  Island,  son  of  John  F.  and  Sarah  E.  (White) 
Baird,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 


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MARION  KREIDER,  private,  b.  Hall  Co..  1885; 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug  2,  1917;  Funston, 
motor  corps;  still  with  army  of  occupation,  with 
headquarters  troop  3d  Army  Corp,  A.  P.  O.  754; 
son  of  G.  M.  and  May  Kreider,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ETHAN  C.  DEFFENBAUGH,  b.  Cairo,  Neb- 
June  23,  1894;  enlisted  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  Nov. 
20,  1917;  Kansas  City  Dental  College;  medical  corps, 
Co.  B,  S.  A.  T.  C,  K.  C.  D.  C. ;  discharged  Dec. 
24,  1918;  now  a  dentist  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.;  son 
of  Sylvester  and"  Virginia  (Young)  Deffenbaugh. 
Cairo,  Nebraska. 

24 

BYRAN  B.  WILKERSON,  b.  Beaver  City,  Neb., 
Feb  21,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  13, 
1917;  Kelly  Field,  Texas,  Wilbur  Wright,  Air  Ser- 
vice, Ohio,  508  Areo  Squadron ;  discharged  Wilbur 
Wright  Field,  Feb.  1,  1919;  farmer.  Grand  Island, 
Neb,;  son  of  Elmer  G.  and  Mary  Turner)  Wilker- 
son,  Rifle,  Colo.;  transfered  to  507  aero  Squadron. 
28 

LEMON  H.  BLAIR,  prvt.,  b.  Ray,  Colo.,  Apr.  30, 
18;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  April  3,  1917;  Ft. 
Logan,  Ft.  Bliss,  Texas,  Ft.  Douglas,  Utah,  infan- 
try, div.  10.  20.  inf.  Co.  C;  discharged  at  Ft.  Riley, 
Kan.,  March  12,  1919;  son  of  Frank  M  and  Lulu 
(Wade)  Blair,  612  N.  Eddy  St.,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 
Transferred  to  medical  corp  base  hospital,  Ft.  Riley, 

RALPH  A.  WOOD,  private,  b.  Republic,  Kan.. 
Nov.  26,  1893;  enlisted  at  Lead,  S.  Dak.,  July  13, 
1917;  Green,  Merritt,  Mead,  infantry,  4th  S.  Dak. 
Inf.  Co.  H ;  was  trained  at  French  camps  Grander- 
court  Area,  Montingy,  did  signaling  for  the  avia- 
tion; discharged  at  Dodge,  Iowa.,  May  23,  1919;  son 
of  Charles  A.  and  Mary  E.  (Spargur)  Wood,  514 
W.  5th  st..  Grand  Island. 

522 

EARL  LEROY  DRYER,  b.  Ravenna,  Neb.,  June 
24,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  12,  1917; 
Dewey,  Main  Camp,  Aerial  Gunners  school ;  app. 
waman,  navy,  Co.  9th  Camp  Farragut;  son.  of  Fred 
and  Harriett  M.  Dryer,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


MARIETTA  G.  STEWART.  1st  class 
b.  Green  City,  Mo.,  June  15,  1898;  enlisted"  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C,  Dec  28,  1917;  auditing  dept.  of  Bur. 
of  supplies  and  accounts;  recommended  for  chief 
yoewoman,  highest  rank  for  women;  still  in  service. 
3 

WARREN  B.  GEIL,  North  Platte,  Neb.,  set  1st 
Class;  b.  Jan.  11,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  19,  1917;  Funston  and  Mills,  signal  corps, 
89th,  Co.  C.  Reg.  314;  saw  service  on  front  lines 
sector  Lincey,  Battles  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse,  Argonne; 
discharged  at  Funston,  June  16,  1919:  Telephone 
man,  210  W.  9th,  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Jacob  and 
Leah  (Beery)  Geil,  Almena,  Kan.  Finished  train- 
ing at  Knotty  Ash,  Eng.,  mother  deceased. 

CHARLES  A.  BENSON,  private,  b.  Wood  River 
Neb-  Nov.  5,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
Serjt  5,  1918;  Grant,  111.,  45th  Co.  and  161st  depot 
brigade;  sent  to  Camp  Hancock,  Ga.,  and  assigned 
to  15th  Training  Co.,  M.  G.  T.  C,  was  taken  sick 
there  and  died  of  pneumonia  at  the  base  hospital  at 
Augusta,  Ga.,  Oct.  7,  1918;  son  of  Hilmer  and 
Hildur  M.  (Peterson)  Benson. 

.  HOWARD  M.  AUGUSTINE,  2d  lieut,  b.  Brun- 
m,  Neb,  Jan.  14,  1892;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Neb., 
Sept.  5,  1917;  Funston,  infantry,  89  Div.,  355  Reg., 
CO.  F;  sector  Lucey,  St.  Mihiel,  and  Envezin  sector; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  June  26,  1919;  printer  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Irving  M.  Augustine, 
1616  W.  2d  St.,  Grand  Island. 


EDGAR  B.  HOPPEL,  1st  class  sergt..  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.,  April  15,  1891 ;  enlisted  at  San  Fran- 
cisco, Nov.  9,  1917 ;  San  Antonio,  signal  corps,  199th 
aero  squadron;  discharged  Jan.,  1919;  inspector 
weighing  and  inspection,  Dept  of  Trans.  Con. 
Freight  Bureau;  son  of  John  W.  A.  and  Alice  E. 
( Hendershot)    Hoppel. 


LAWRENCE  B.  DUFFY,  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Jan.  19,  1897;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  May  18; 
Logan,  Riley,  Oglethorp,  veterinarian,  med.  dept., 
1st  vet.;  discharged  Dec.  14,  1918;  now  living  at 
Alliance,  Neb.,  state  inspector  of  cattle ;  son  of 
Thomas  Duffy,  Grand  Island. 


LEWIS  S.  MORIARITY,  b.  Sendea,  Kan.,  Nov. 
2,  1881;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  25,  1918; 
Funston,  medical  corps;  son  of  John  B.  and  Ruth 
A.  Moriarity. 


JOHN  W.  ALLRECHT,  Mus.  3d  class,  b.  Hol- 
brook,  Neb,  April  16,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Dec  14,  1917 ;Ft.  Logan,  Colo.,  24th  Ret.  Co.  Band; 
discharged  at  Ft.  Logan,  Feb.  6,  1919;  traveling 
salesman  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  John  Willliam 
Allrecht. 


OSCAR  E.  NELSON,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  July  18,  1895 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island  Dec  3, 
1917;  Vancouver,  Wash.,  engineers,  318  Reg.,  Div. 
6th,  Co.  C;  saw  service  in  sector  Alsace-Lorrain. 
Argonne  Forest;  still  in  France,  June  18,  1919; 
shell  shocked  in  October;  son  of  Sylvester  M.  and 
Amanda  J.  (Hargis)  Nelson,  Wood  River,  Neb. 
Finished  training  at  Chatreaux,  France. 


PAUL  G.  GARVER,  b.  Hastings,  Neb.,  Nov.  14, 
1895;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  June  1,  1917;  Ft.  Crook, 
Neb.,  June  to  Aug.,  Cody,  Texas,  Aug.  to  July  3, 
1918,  Ft  Sill,  Okla.,  July  8  to  Sept.  Camp  Upton, 
infantry,  Co.  D  4th  Nebr  ,  latei*  127the  N.  G.  field 
artillery;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Jan.  22,  1919; 
salesman;  son  of  Mrs.  Mertie  M.  Garver;  trans. 
Battery  C.  to  headquarters  co.  Finished  training 
at  French  camp,  Clermont  Ferrand. 


ALLAN  J.  PARO,  1st  class  cook,  b.  Central  City, 
Neb.,  Sept.  24,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
June  21,  1916;  Llano  Grande,  Cody,  Dix,  infantry, 
134th  Inf;  still  overseas;  son  of  Joseph  and  Eva 
E.  (Brown)  Paro,  806  E.  9th  St.,  Grand  Island. 
1916  to  1917  on  Mexican  border. 


LESTER  L.  FRY,  corporal,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb., 
July  27,  1895;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb.;Dallas, 
Texas,  Love  Field,  aviation ;  discharged  March  26, 
1919 ;now  living  at  Doniphan,  Neb,;  son  of  Matty 
E.  Fry,  Doniphan,  Nebraska. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


LEO  T.  CONNOR,  private  b.  July  21,  1893;  en- 
listed at  Wood  River,  Sept.  18,  1918;  Manhattan, 
Kan.,  radio  section;  son  of  Thomas  and  Elizabeth 
(Zunnean)  Connor. 


102 

HARRY  THODE,  private, 
1897;  enlisted  at  Grand   Island, 
Camp,    S-    A.    T.    C,    See.    B,    Co, 
Dec.    12,   1918;   now'  at   Grand   Island   i 
of  Jacob  Thode,  Grand  Island.Neb. 


JEFF  WILEY-,  sergeant,  b.  Atchison,  Kan.,  Aug. 
19,  1895;  enlisted  at  St.  Helena,  Montana,  May  14, 
1917;  Helena,  Harrison,  Montana,  Mills,  Merritt, 
Sunset  Div.  41st,  163  U.  S.  Inf.,  was  with  the  fight- 
ing 23  in  all  their  battles,  gassed  and  wounded 
July  18,  19IS;  Co.  E  22d  Reg.,  A.  P.  O.  909,  Beaume, 
France;  son  of  Eugene  and  Jessie  Wiley,  808  E. 
5th  Grand   Island,   Neb. 


ARTHUR  A.  HUNT,  1st  class  private,  b.  Omaha, 
Neb.,  April  24,  1891;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  July  20, 
1917;  Cody,  Dix,  medical  corps,  6th  Neb.  Inf.  N. 
G.;  in  France  he  was  at  L«  Brede,  Le  Mons,  Chau- 
mont,  Droitanmont  Hatrize,  Briey  and  Marsellis; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  June  9,  1919;  grocer  at 
Grand  Island ;  son  of  Alfred  G.  and  Sophia 
(Zajicek)    Hunt,  Grand  Island. 


JOHN  M.  KELLY,  seaman,  b.  Denver,  Colo,  Sept. 
13,  1892;  enlisted  at  Great  Lakes,  Aug.  26,  1917; 
navy,  still  in  service  on  Imperator;  son  of  Albert 
Kelly,  622  W.  3d  st.  Grand  Island. 


432 

EDMUND  PFAUTSCH,  corp.,  b.  Hall  Co,  Neb., 
Feb.  9,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island  May  2,  1918; 
Fremont,  Cal,  medical  corps,  Co.  A  8th  Ammuni- 
tion Train;  transferred  from  train  to  medical  bn. 
on  Aug.  22,  1918;  discharged  at  Fremont,  Cal,  Apr. 
9,  1919;  now  a  butcher  and  groceryman ;  son  of 
Otto  and  Louise  (Meisner)   PEautsch,  Grand  Island. 


CLYDE  C.  CAMPBELL,  b.  Aurora,  Neb,  Apr. 
4,  188;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Oct,  4,  1917; 
Funston,  Kan. ;  son  of  Lyman  M.  and  Lottie  C. 
(Hohn)    Campbell,  821    W.  8th   st.  Grand   Island. 


FRANCIS  B.  ROGERS,  1st  cl.  pvt,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb,  May  10,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  2,  1918;  Fremont,  Cal,  Mills,  L.  Isl,  Lee,  Va, 
artillery,  Co.  A,  Reg.  Amm  Train,  Div.  8;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  12,  1919;  now  an  insurance  agent 
at  Norfolk,  Neb. ;  son  of  Bryon  Jay  and  Bertha  M. 
(Butler)    Rogers,   Norfolk,   Neb. 


RICHARD  ARTHUR  BOONE,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb,  Feb.  4,  1902;  enlisted  at  Grand  Junction,  Oct. 
24,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Vancouver,  Greene  and  Merritt; 
engineers,  Co.  A  4th  Reg.  Div.  4th;  St.  Mihiel, 
Argonne,  Comercy ;  still  in  service ;  son  of  John 
and  Winnifred  (Sprague)  Boone,  Arcadia,  Neb. 


FRANK  A.  ZLOMKE,  bugler,  b.  Duff,  Neb,  Oct. 
6,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  June  7,  1917;  Ft. 
Douglas,  Pike,  Nicholas,  Logan  and  McArthur;  in- 
fantry, Co.  B,  43d  Reg,  15th  Div.;  discharged  at 
Funston,  Feb.  5,  1919;  now  a  machinist  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Theodore  F.  and  Bertha  (Baumeister) 
Zlomke,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WESLEY  A.  DAVIES,  private,  b.  Silver  Creek, 
Neb,  Oct.  14,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
3,  1918 ;  Ft.  Riley,  Kan,  quartermaster  corps,  Co. 
311;  at  Bordeaux,  France,  in  supply  dept,  Q.  M.  C. ; 
son  of  Abraham  and  Anna  (Peterson)  Davies,  409 
W.   Division,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


GEORGE  W.  RAY,  2d  lieut,  b.  Bladen,  Neb,  Nov. 
5,  1889;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb,  June  29;  Logan, 
McDowell,  Schofield,  Hawaii,  battery  A  1st  F.  A, 
Ft  Sill,  Leon  Springs,  Zachary  Taylor ;  discharged 
at  Zachary  Taylor,  Dec.  3,  1918;  lumber  salesman, 
303  W.  7th  st.  Grand  Island;  son  of  Archibald  M. 
and   Rachaed    (McCormich)    Ray. 


LAWRENCE  HENRY,  sergt,  b.  Beatrice,  Neb, 
Jan.  20,  1896;  enlisted  at  Cheyenne,  Wyo.,June  24, 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Douglas,  Pike,  Logan,  Tex,  in- 
fantry, Co.  C,  43  Inf.,  then  to  79  Inf.,  Co.  C;  guarded 
docks  in  New  Orleans;  discharged  at  Funston,  Feb. 
3,  1919;  now  a  boilermaker  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Minnie  Henry,  Grand  Island,  Neb 


EARL  A.  MADDOX,  gunners  mate,  b.  Aurora, 
Neb,  Sept.  11,  1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.  April  27, 
1918;  Logan,  Ross,  Paul  Jones,  navy,  Co.  A  11th 
Reg.  gunners  mate;  discharged  March,  1919;  farmer 
living  at  Cheyenne  Wells,  Colo.;  son  of  Wilford 
Maddox,  415  E.  2d,  Grand  Island. 


LLOYD  W.  MINOR,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
July  22,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Feb.  14, 
1918;  Souther  Field,  Americus,  Ga,  Kelly  Field, 
air  service,  236  aero  squadron ;  discharged  at  Souther 
Field,  Ga,  Jan.  17,  1919;  son  of  David  L.  and 
Carrie   C.    (Anderson)    Minor,   Grand    Island. 


CHARLES  T.  COATER,  prvt.,  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  Aug.  30,  1918;  Dodge;  while  at  headquarters 
acted  at  stenographer. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ROBERT  SCHULTZ.  1st  class  private,  b.  Mer- 
rick Co.,  Neb.,  Mar.  5,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  June  24,  1918;  Funston,  infantry,  Div.  10,  Reg. 
69  Co.  M;  discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  27,  1919;  elec- 
trician at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Herman  and  Johanna 
(Litchie)  Schultz,  1504  W.  Front,  Grand  Island. 
Nebraska. 


CARL  HANSEN,  private,  b.  Copenhagen,  Den- 
mark, Nov.  21,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct. 
1,  1917;  Madison,  Mills,  quartermasters  dent.,  utili- 
ties detachment;  discharged  at  Mills,  N.  ¥.,  June, 
6,  1919;  chauffer,  204  N.  Brodwell,  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Jens  and  Marie  (Christen  sen)  Hansen, 
Copenhagen,  Denmark. 


IBS 

FRED  HOLMES,  sergeant,  b.  Wymore,  Neb., 
May  23,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  April  16;  Cody, 
Dix,  infantry,  Co.  K,  39th  Inf.  A.  E.  F.  4th  Div.  ; 
still  in  service;  son  of  Margerat  Holmes,  Wymore, 
Neb. 


JULIUS  WINTER,  corp.,  b.  Roseland,  Neb, 
April  4,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  5,  1917; 
Fl  Logan,  Douglas,  Funston  and  Nitri ;  infantry, 
Co.  C,  20th,  10th  Div.;  discharged  at  Nitri.  W.  Va., 
Feb.  25,  1919;  now  a  mechanic  at  Doniphan,  Neb.; 
son  of  Mary  Winter,  Roseland,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  A.  SULLIVAN,  corporal,  b.  Lindsay, 
Neb..  June  21,  1894 ;  enlisted  at  North  Platte,  Nov., 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Vancouver  Barracks,  and  Camp 
Green,  N.  C,  engineers,  Co.  F,  4th  eng. ;  in  battles 
near  Chateau-Thierry,  in  Marne  drive;  was  hurt  in 
left  hand;  still  in  service  at  Le  Mans  (Sarthe) 
France;  son  of  Mrs.  W.  P.  East,  Sheridan,  Wyo. 


ARTHUR  M.  JONES,  private,  b.  Cameron,  Mo.. 
Dec.  25,  1886;  enlisted  at  Mtnden,  Neb.;  Dodge; 
infantry,  Co.  D  Reg.  320,  Div.  80;  Argone-Meuse ; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  June  10,  1919;  now  a  farmer 
at  Ansley,  Neb. ;  son  of  Nathaniel  S.  and  Lizzie 
M.   (Carson)  Jones,  Ansley. 


JOHN  F.  HEINIES,  private,  b.  St.  Paul,  Minn, 
Jin.  6,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  27. 
1918;  Fort  Riley;  medical  corps;  discharged  at 
Funston.  March  19,  1919;  salesman  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Frank  and  Margaret  Heinies,  Sioux  City,  la. 


EDWARD  E.  KRALLS,  bugler,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Nov.  5,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  13, 
1917;  Kelly  Field ;  aviation ;  discharged  Dec.  24,  1918; 
now  m  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Ed  and  Caroline 
(Dahms)   Kralls,  Grand  Island. 


TROY  M.  HUFFMAN,  seaman,  b.  Frontier 
county,  Neb.,  June  12,  1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co, 
June  1;  Bremerton,  Wash,  Mare  Island,  in  artificer 
school;  discharged  Jan.  10,  1919;  railroad  man,  818 
N.  Popular,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Laura  Shirley, 
Grand  Island. 


JOHN  A.  CONTOS,  1st  class  private,  b.  Agios 
Pelros,  Greece;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 
1918;  medical  corps,  field  hospital  275,  Div.  19; 
ttans.  from  Camp  Dodge  to  Ft.  Riley;  discharged 
Jan.  23,  1919;  mechanic,  plating  works,  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Alehios  and  Stamatina  (Terzakis) 
Contos. 

70 

HENRY)  R.  YUND,  b,  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
Nov.  28,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April 
29.  1918;  Funston,  infanlry,  Co.  H,  355  Regt,  89th 
Div.,  France,  wounded  by  shell  in  left  leg  and  by 
gas  infection  which  caused  his  death,  Oct.  24,  1918 
at  Arour  Forest  France;  wounded  at  Romagne, 
France;  son  of  James  H.  and  Addie  B.  (Ridlon) 
Yund,  Grand  Island.  He  only  lived  three  days  after 
receiving  his  wound. 

544 

JOHN  H.  REGAN,  1st  lieut,  b.  Bloomington, 
D«.  23,  1893;  com.  1st  lieut.  at  Grand  Island,  ^^arch 
19,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  Mayo  Bros,  and  Pike;  medical 
corps;  still  in  service;  son  of  Frederick  L.  and  Emma 
(Collins)  Regan,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 


WM.  L.  BROWN,  sergt,  b.  Ponca,  Neb.,  June  1, 
1897;  enlisted  at  Wenatchee,  Wash,  April  29,  1917; 
Lewis,  Green  and  Mills,  cavalry,  headquarters  troop 
41st  Div.  and  1st  army  corps;  in  battles  at  Marne, 
Chateau  Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne ;  dis- 
charged May  21,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
son  of  James  E.  and  Jennie  M.  Brown,  .Grand  Is- 
land. 


MICHAEL  R.  STRAUSS,  private,  b.  Central  City, 
Neb.,  Oct.  29,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
23,  1918;  Dodge,  signal  corps,  telegraph  battallion, 
Co.  E  418;  now  in  La  Fleche,  France;  son  of  Mrs. 
Julius  Stauss,  1002  W.  John  St.,  Grand  Island. 


PURLY  SUMMER  DENNON,  b.  Grand  Island, 
April  16,  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Jan.  28,  1918; 
Great  Laltes,  navy,  discharged  Feb.  19,  1919;  jeweler 
at  Grand  Island;  son  of  P.  A.  and  Nellie  (Buzza) 
Dennon,  Grand  Island. 


WILLIAM  R.  HUTTON,  private,  b.  Julesburg, 
Colo.,  April  25,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
22.  1918 ;  Uni  of  Lincoln ;  infantry,  machine  gun 
363,  91st  Div.;  Argonne,  Flanders  front;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  April  22,  1919;  now  a  fireman  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Arthur  C.  and  Emma  C.  (Ken- 
worthy)  Hutton,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


STANLEY  G.  NIEHAUSS,  private,  b.  Platts- 
mouth,  Feb.  21,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nov. 
1917:  Ft.  Logan,  Funston,  Dix,  Recreation  Hospital 
No.  12;  now  overseas  in  army  of  occupation;  son 
of  John  and  Nellie  (Gleason)  Niethauss,  511  W. 
14th  st,  Grand  Island.  Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


150 

ALBERT  C.  PAULSEN,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Sept.  12,  1892;  enlisted  in  Hall 
Co.,  April  29,  1918;  Funtson,  Mills  to  England 
(Romsey)  to  La  Havre  and  Alianville,  infantry 
89th  Div.  Co.  K,  355th  Reg.;  was  at  St.  Mihitl, 
Meusc  Argonne;  discharged  June  2,  1919;  now  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  H.  and  Margaret 
Paulsen,  Grand  Island. 

827 
CARL  W.  VICK,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  April 
17,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.,  19;  Cottner 
Uni.  at  Bethmany,  Neb.,  Co.  A ;  discharged  at  Beth- 
many,  Dec.  31,  1918;  now  a  bank  clerk  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  John  C.  and  Susie  (Lutner)  Vkk, 
Grand  Island. 


FLOYD  A.  YOUNKIN,  b.  Floris.  la.,  April  17, 
1896;  enlisted  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  Oct.  27,  1917; 
Jefferson  Bar.  and  Ft.  Howard ;  coast  artilley,  15 
remit;  discharged  at  Ft.  Howard.  Md.,  May  1,  1919; 
now  an  auto  repair  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son 
of  William  S.  and  Mary  (Peden)  Younkin,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 

493 

ARTHUR  LUEBBE,  b.  St.  Libory,  Neb.,  Nov-.  4, 
1893;  enlisted  at  St.  Paul,  Sept.  21,  1917;  Funston 
and  Merritt;  infantry,  Co.  E,  Reg.  355,  89th  Div.; 
Chateau  Theirry;  discharged  at  Dodge,  July  16; 
now  a  fanner  near  Grand  Island;  Son  of  Claus 
and  Margeritte   (Hammann)   Luebbe,  Grand   Island. 


BAYARD  C.  FUNK,  private,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb., 
Aug.  5,  1896;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb.,  April  30, 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  artillery,  Co.  A  2  corps;  still  in 
service,  Co.  A  2  Corps  Art.  Park.  A.  E.  F.  ;  son 
of  Carrie  Funk,  Doniphan,  Nebraska. 


OLIVE  D.  AUGUSTINE,  nurse  A  and  C,  b.  Brun- 
ing,  Neb.,  Dec  7,  1887  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  1,  1918;  Ft.  Sill;  army  nurse  corps;  still  in 
service  at  Ft.  Sill ;  daughter  of  Irving  M.  and  Alice 
T.  (Fitzsimmons)   Augustine,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


AUGUST  HAVERKAMP,  Corp.,  b.  Greenleaf, 
Kan.,  Nov.  9,  1894;  enlisted  at  Greenleaf,  Kan.,  May 
II,  1917;  Harrison  and  Custer;  medical  department, 
instructor  Co.  C,  Reg.  M.  O.  T.  C;  discharged 
at  Custer,  Mich.,  Feb.  18,  1919;  now  a  carpenter 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Bernard  and  Eliza- 
beth (Dahn)   Haverkamp,  Grand  Island. 


CARL  E.  EVANS,  sergeant,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb., 
Nov.  5,  1887;  enlisted  at  Des  Moines,  la.,  April  2, 
1917;  infantry,  Co.  M  2d  Inf.;  sailed  for  the  Ha- 
waiian Islands,  ajrived  there  enroute  to  Philippine 
Islands,  after  short  stay  here  was  ordered  to  Ha- 
waiian Island  for  duty;  discharged  on  account  of 
disability,  Feb..  1918;  section  foreman,  B.  M.  R.  R. 
at  Tamore,  Neb. ;  son  of  Charles  D.  and  Cora 
(Irish)   Evans,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


ROBERT    KOEHLER,    wagoner,    b.    Hall    Co.; 
enlisted  at  Wahoo,  Neb.,  Co.  C  8th  Am.  train,  8th 

Div;  discharged  Feb.  12,   1919;  now  living  at  Grand 
Island.  Neb. 


JOHN  H.  FREEMAN,  sergt.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Feb.  5.  1892;  enlisted  at  Atlantic,  Ga„  Nov.  5,  1914; 
Atlanta,  Cincinnati,  and  Ft.  Totten;  coast  artillery, 
Co.  135 ;  son  of  John  and  Maggie  Freeman." 


WALLACE  P.  STREET,  private,  b.  Lincoln,  Neb., 
Mar.  20,  1900;  Ft.  Logan,  Lewis,  med.  corp,  13th 
amunition  train,  med  detch. ;  discharged  Mar.  5, 
1919,  Camp  Dodge. 


JOHN  H.  BLACK,  JR.,  corp.,  b.  Arlington,  Neb.. 
Dec.  26,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  22, 
1918;  Jefferson  Barracks,  Humphreys  and  State  War 
and  Navy,  Wash.,  D.  C. ;  engineers,  Co.  F,  Div. 
5th;  discharged  at  Ft.  Russell,  Wyo..  July  19,  1919; 
now  a  mechanic  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  John  H. 
and  Anna  (Toft)  Black. 


to  Panama  Canal  Zone,  and  was  on  patroi 
duty  until  in  April,  1919;  discharged  April  13,  1919; 
telegraph  operator  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  William 
J.  and  Emma  (Lawton)  Balllnger,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


WALTER  A.  CARTER,  private,  b.  Hebron,  Neb., 
Feb.  1%  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar.  4, 
1918;  Ft.  Riley,  medical  corps,  sanitary  detch.; 
attached  to  June  replacement  and  sent  to  France; 
son  of  John  J.  and  Carrie  B.  (Eyers)  Carter. 


LEE  W.  OWEN,  b.  Greenville,  Tenn.,  Nov,  30, 
1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  May  29,  1917;  Great  Lakes, 
Harvard,  navy;  son  of  Jim  J.  and  Lucile  (Corell) 
Owen,   Grand   Island. 


ALBERT  FREITAG,  2d  lieut..  b.  Grand  Island 
Jan.  25,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grant,  III.,  Nov.  25,  1917; 
Grant  officer  training  school  of  Wis.,  Camp  Lee, 
Va^  and  Camp  Humphrey,  Va. ;  engineer  corps,  Co. 
g.  Reg,  541st;  son  of  Robert  and  Hanna  (Spethman) 
Freitag,  Los  Angeles,  Cal. 


OSCAR  H.  FREDERKING,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Sept.  7,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar. 
5,  1918;  Riley,  Upton,  medical  corps,  Medical  Detch. 
69th  Hosp.  train;  son  of  Henry  L.  and  Louise  C. 
(Langenheder)  Frederking,  311  W.  Ilth  St.,  Grand 
Island.  ■    ( 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


EARL  C.  KELSO,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Mar. 
23,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  July  5,  1918;  Great 
Lakes  Detention,  Berry  aviation,  discharged  Jan.  28, 
1919;  grocery  clerk.  413  N.  Walnut,  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Ora  Kelso,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

37 

CECIL  LOSEY,  first  class  private,  b.  Hebron, 
Neb.,  Apr.  5,  1898;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  Aug.  3, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Sam  Huston,  Stanley,  Dodge,  304th 
cav.  then  to  43d  field  artillery,  troop  C,  in  cav.  Div., 
Battery  I;  discharged  Feb.  19,  1919;  now  with  Horse 
and  Mule  Co.,  122  E.  First  St.,  Grand  Island ;  son  of 
Ira  and   Rhoda   Losey ;    was   in   hospital   46   days, 


MILFORD  N.  KELSO,  p 
enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo.,  J 
land  and  Quantico,  Va. ;  marine  corps,  Co.  F;  dis- 
charged at  Quantico,  Va,  Jan.  21,  1919;  now  in 
life  insurance  business  at  Beatrice,  Neb. ;  son  of 
Joseph  and  Mary  (Miller)  Kelso,  Grand  Island,  Neb, 


ELMER  L  W.  SCOTT,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
July  4,  189S;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  15,  1918; 
Lincoln  Uni,  radio;  discharged  at  Lincoln,  Aug.  18, 
1918;  engaged  in  sugar  refining  at  Ft.  Collins,  Colo.; 
son  of  Sylvester  T.  and  Sabnna  C.  (Mead)  Scott, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FRED  L.  BETTS,  first  class  private,  b.  Greenville, 
Pa.,  July  20,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
May  16,  1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Colo,  Humphrey,  Va, 
engineer  corps,  Railroad  engineers,  89th  Div,  314th 
reg,  Co.  A ;  went  over  the  top  with  his  company 
n;  son  of  Mrs.  Lois 


125 

LUDW1G  A.  SONDERMANN,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Oct.  4,  1895 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug  27,  1917 ; 
Funston,  Leavenworth,  Cour  Cherverney,  France 
signal  corps,  421  Telegraph  Bn,  div  42;  discharged 
af  Funston,  Feb.  7,  1919;  undertaker  at  Grand 
Island ;  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jos.  Sondermann, 
Grand   Island. 


GUS  KLINTWORTH,  private,  b.  Grand  Island. 
Aug  22,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  21,  1916; 
Cody;  infantry,  Co.  M  Reg.  5th,  Neb.  N.  G.;  sailed 
for  France  Feb.,  1919;  son  of  Jurgeon  and  Augusta 
(Roth)    Klintworth. 


GLENN  EDWARDS,  b.  West  Plains,  Mo.;  en- 
listed at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge;  M.  P. 
Co.  B.  Reg.  Twilight,  19th  Div.;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  Jan.  28,  1919;  now  fireman  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  James  L-  and  Laura  Alice  Edwards, 
West  Plains,  Mo. 


FRED  RUFF,  private,  h.  Hall  county,  Neb., 
May  12,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  County,  March.  18; 
Funston,  Arcadia,  Ft.  Riley,  balloon  school  "A," 
med.  dept. ;  son  of  John  Ruff,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JOHN  B.  YOST,  private,  b.  Greely  Co.,  Dec  8, 

1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  June  16,  1917; 
Douglas,  Pike,  Logan,  infantry,  Co.  K,  43d  to  79<h, 
15  div.;  discharged  Feb,  3,  1919;  Scotia,  Neb.;  son 
of  Charles  and  Adrelia  (Greenfield)  Yost. 


irse,  b.  Wood 
Denver,  Colo., 
Savin  ay, 
still   in 


MARY  A.  ROCHE.  Red  Cross 
River,  Neb.,  Feb.  12,  1890;  enlisted 
Denver  unit,  base  hosp,  medical ;  sent 
France,  and  attached  to  base  hospital   __,    .. 
service ;     daughter    of    Timothy    and    Johanna 
(Carey)  Roche,  Wood  River,  Neb. 

178 

ANDREW  E.   HOWARD,  private,  b.    Arkansas 

City,  Kan,  May  20,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
April  22,  1917;  Logan,  Winfield  Scott,  and  Baker, 
coast  artillery;  mattress  maker  at  Grand  Island,  son 
of  Charles  W.  and  Susie  P.  (Lane)  Howard. 

188 

RAY  M.  BARBEE,  private,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb, 
May  22,  1898;  enlisted  at  Alliance,  Neb,  Aug.  14, 
1918;  Logan,  Humphreys  and  Benjamin  Harrison, 
engineers,  147th,  Co.  D;  transferred  from  Co.  C 
of  the  5th  Reg.  engineers  to  the  above  organization 
the  latter  part  of  Oct.;  discharged  at  Ben.  Harrison, 
Dec  10,  1918;  telephone  man  and  railroad  brake- 
man;  son  of  Frank  M  and  Martha  B.  (Carson) 
Barbee,  1605  W.  4th  st.,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

478 

FRED  BECK,  quartermaster,  b.  Ainsley,  Neb, 
Jan,  1880;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Cody  and  Ft.  Baird;  infantry  35,  Co.  163,  Depot 
Brigade;  discharged  at  Funston,  Feb.  28,  1919; 
now  a  farmer  near  Grand  Island;  son  of  Fred  and 
Maggie  Beck,  Grand  Island. 


LEO  McGRATH,  prvt,  b.  Loup  City,  Neb,  Apr.  1, 
1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug  20,  1917;  Van- 
couver and  Green,  N\  C.  ;  engineers,  Co.  D  4th 
Reg,  4th  Div.;  wounded  by  shrapnel  in  head  and 
lost  eye;  discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  3,  1919;  now 
an  electrician  at  Chappel,  Neb. ;  son  of  Louis  and 
Anna  (Carey)   McGrath,  Denver,  Colo. 


GEORGE  RASMUSSEN,  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Dec.  23,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 1918; 
med.  detch.  of  machine  gun  Bat,  315  Machine,  Div. 
80th ;  Argonne,  Meuse ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  April 
19,  1919;  now  a  contractor  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  Jeno  and  Margrithe  (Erickson)  Rasmussen, 
Grand   Island. 


■  JOEL  F  SCOTT,  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island,  Jan.  12, 
1890;  enlisted  at  Gering,  Neb.,  May  27,  1918; 
Dodge,  Coetauedanc  Renne.  DeSouge  Bordeaux ;  field 
art,  headquarters  338th,  88th  Div.;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  Jan.  16,  1919;  now  bookkeeper  at  Gering, 
Neb.;  son  of  Sylvester  T.  and  Sabrina  C.  (Mead) 
Scott    Grand  Island,  Nebraska.       *  / 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


RALPH  VERLEY,  b.  Bunnell,  Neb..  Jan.  22, 
1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  25,  1918;  Fun- 
ston  and  Dodge;  infantry,  Co.  G,  349,  88th  Div.; 
Sector  Alsace-Lorraine ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  June 
11,  1919;  now  a  driver  at  Taberville,  Mo.;  son  of 
Wm.  D.  and   Laura  Verley,  Taberville. 

535 
JOSEPH  C.  RONEY,  sergt.,  b.  Independence, 
la.,  May  22,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 
1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Douglas.  Pike,  Nichols,  La.,  Logan, 
Texas  and  Travis ;  Co.  K,  43d,  T5th  Div. ;  as  drill 
sergt.;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la..  May  29,  1919;  now 
a  mechanic  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Will  and 
Anna  (Sweeney)  Roney. 

sos 
WILLIAM  T.  TREON,  1st  class  chauffer,  b. 
Rockville,  Neb.;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  7, 
1918;  Waco,  Ft.  Sill,  Taylor  and  Knox;  truck  driver 
in  balloon  corps,  310  Balloon;  discharged  at  Knox, 
May  21,  1919;  now  a  student  at  Ravenna,  Neb.; 
son  of  Albert  and  Annie  (Lehman)  Treon.  Ravenna. 


RAYMOND  L.  BUSEY,  1st  class  pvt;  enlisted 
at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918;  Funston,  Kan.,  Co. 
E,  301  Water  Tank  Train;  A.  E.  F.,  Meuse-Argonne 
offensive,  1st  Army  troops;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la., 
July  28,  1919;  now  a  machine  helper  at  Beatrice, 
Neb.;  son  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Busey,  Beatrice,  Neb. 


GEORGE  ARTHUR  SULLIVAN,  sergt.,  b. 
Scribner,  Neb.,  Jan.  28,  1896;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Riley, 
Mar.  5,  1918;  medical,  Riley,  Wadsworth,  S.  Car., 
37th  Field  Hospital,  Div.  6th;  at  Letterman  Gen. 
Hospital,  San  Francisco;  still  in  service;  son  of 
Mrs.  W.  P.  East,  Sheridan,  Wyo. 


542" 

PAUL  J.  KIRSH,  1st  class  seaman,  b.  Grand 
Island,  July  22,  1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Aug.  27, 
1918;  Detch.  from  Great  Lakes  to  Lincoln  in  elec- 
trical; navy,  Co.  I;  discharged  Dec.  25,  1918;  son 
of  Jack  B.  and  Anna  (Brennan)  Kirsh. 


REUEL  C.  FINLEY,  prvt.,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb., 
April  6,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22, 
1918 ;  Dodge  and  Edgewood,  Md. ;  chemical  war 
fare!  Co.  X;employed  in  making  mustard  gas;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Dec.  26,  1918;  now  a  teacher; 
son  of  Robert  C.  and  Sarah  A,  (Squires)  Finley, 
Chante,  Kansas. 


MERLE  SIMPSON;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Oct.  1, 
1918;  Creighton  S.  A.  T.  C;  son  of  Thomas  C.  and 
Mary  (Kirtanan)  Simpson, 


WALTER  E.  NETH,  private,  b.  Merrick  Co.. 
Mar.  30,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24, 
1918 ;  Funston  and  Dodge ;  signal  patroon  head' 
quarters  Company,  349th  Reg.  88th  Div.  ;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  June  10,  1919;  now  at  St.  Libory,  Neb.; 
son  of  William  G.  and  Anna  M.  (Bergdwell)  Neth, 
St.  Libory. 


GEORGE  J.  STAUSS,  Corp.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  July  14,  1893;  joined  service  at  Grand  Island; 
Funston,  infantry,  Div.  10,  Reg.  69th,  Co.  K;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Feb,  25,  1919;  son  of  Mrs. 
Julius  Stauss,  1002  W.  John  st.,  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 


GEORGE  W.  BARTENBACH,  JR.,  1st  class 
private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Aug.  11,  1898;  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  Manhattan,  Kan.,  mechanical  dept ; 
living  at  Manhattan,  Kan. ;  son  of  Henry  J.  and 
Elfrieda  (Wasmer)  Bartenbach,  Grand  Island. 


PERRY  MARQUIS,  sergt.,  b.  Kewanee,  III.  Apr. 
21,  1895;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June  1,  1918;  Wash. 
Barracks,  D.  C.  to  France,  engineers,  Co.  E  7th  En- 
gineers, 5th -Div.,  in  battles  of  Verdun  and  Argonne  ; 
passed;  discharged  Jan.  27,  1919;  now  a  switchman 
in  Grand  Island;  son  of  J.  A.  and  Frances  C, 
Marquis,  Grand  Island,  Neb., 


CHARLES  W.  BRUNER,  private,  b.  Dewitt  Co., 
Ills.,  Jan.  1,  1888;  enlisted  at  Fremont,  Neb.,  May 
1918;  Edgewood,  Md.,  manufacturing  gas;  injured 
several  times  with  gas;  now  in  cement  works,  Fre- 
mont, Neb.;  soti  of  W.  H.  and  Anna  (Stone) 
Bruner,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


GEORGE  GROSSART.  private,  b.  Wolbach,  Neb,, 
June  9,.  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  26, 
1918;  Humphreys;  eng.,  reg.  5,  Co.  F;  discharged 
at  Dodge  la.,  Feb.  3,  1919;  auto  mechanic  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  John  and  Celia  (Bane)  Grossart, 
Cairo,  Neb, 


LLOYD  G.  THOMPSON,  2nd  Lt.,  A.  SS.  R.  C, 
b.  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Apr.  16,  1891;  enlisted  at 
Paris,  France,  Oct.  22,  1917 ;  school  at  Tours,  France, 
commissioned  2nd  Lt.  air  service,  Mar.,  1918;  went 
to  France  with  Am.  Field  service;  discharged  at 
Garden  City,  L.  Isl.,  Jan.  16,  1919;  now  a  lawyer 
and  manager  of  Grand  Island  Aero  Co. ;  son  of 
William  H  and  Nettie  I.  (Hutchinson)  Thompson, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JOHN  L.  LESSIG,  private,  b.  Grand  Island;  en- 
listed Mar.  4,  1918;  Ft.  Riley;  medical  corps,  Ambu- 
lance corps;  hospital  unit  No.  20,  France;  discharged 
May  12,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Mrs. 
Adam  Hissel  (Lizzie  Roth),  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


62 
ARTHUR  O.  CARLTON,  sergt.,  b.  Merrick  Co., 
Neb.,  Mar.  24,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec. 
13,  1917;  Kelly  Field,  Lake  Charles,  La.  aero  ser- 
vice, 508  aereal  squadron ;  discharged  at  Serener 
Field,  La..  Dec.  13,  1918;  1223  W.  12th  St.,  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  L.  and  Jennie  (Oades) 
Provoi,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


453 

BRYAN  LORENZEN,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb.  en- 
listed at  Salt  Lake  City,  Sept.  24,  1917;  Aero  Beina 
and  St.  Hellena,  Va. ;  navy,  trans,  tug  boat  Wandato, 
naval  station,  Cuba;  discharged  at  Key  West  Station, 
Jnne  23,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Wood  River,  Neb., 
son  of  Otto  E.  and  Clara  (Burwood)   Lorenzen. 


JOHN  MERIDETH  GROFF,  chief  carpenter,  b. 
Grand  Island,  March  23,  1885;  enlisted  at  Mare 
Island,  May  1913;  lumber  under  Civil  service  on 
Ship  Raliegh ;  navy ;  had  his  ankle  broken,  perma- 
nent lameness;  son  of  Henry  B.  and  Jennie  M. 
Groff,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LEONARD  SWITZER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Oct.  15,  1898;  enlisted  in  Kearney,  Neb.,  Oct.  19, 
1918  discharged  at  Kearney,  Neb.,  Dec.  10,  1918; 
stenographer;  son  of  George  and  Lucy  T.  (Kroft) 
Switzer,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


Dodge,  Co.  35,  163  depot  brigade,  9th  battalion ;  dis- 
charged. July  29,  1918;  carpenter,  409  W.  8th  St., 
Grand  Island ;  son  of  Augusta  Hintz. 

MAURICE  SKEELS  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Dec.  5,  1887 ;  enlisted  at  Sterling  Colo.,  Aug.  13, 
1918;  Lincoln  University;  ordnance  corps,  6th  supply 
Arsenal  at  Rariton;  discharged  at  Ft.  Logan,  Colo., 
Mar.  1,  1919;  now  an  auto  mechanic  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb. ;  son  of  Herman  and  Eliza  Anna  (Crooks) 
Skeels. 

161 

LESTER  KINDIG,  private,  b.  Hall  county,  Sept, 
4,  1889;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  July  3,  1917;  Penn. 
Naval  Tr.  and  Galveston,  Tex.,  marines,  5th  reg. 
2nd  Div.;  killed  in  action,  Nov.  2,  1918;  wife  (Mary 
Kindig),  Doniphan,  Neb.  He  was  sent  then  to 
Quantico,  Va.,  and  sailed  Aug.  7,  1918,  a  member 


May  21,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge,  infantry,  Co.  35,  9th  Bn.;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la.  Dec.  9,  1918;  now  a  mechanic  in  U.  P. 
R.  R.  shops.  Grand  Island;  son  of  J.  Reter  and 
Manda  (Bade)  Windolph,  R.  F.  D.  No.  4,  Grand 
Island,   Neb. 


EDWARD  H.  SAGESSER,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Apr.  24,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
June  24,  1916;  Cody,  Dix,  infantry,  5th  Neb.,  Co.  M; 
discharged  at  Funston,  Feb.  15,  1919;  boilermaker  at 
Grand  Island ;  son  of  Albert  and  Margaret  (Reese) 
Sagesser,  Grand  Island. 


HENRY  KLINTWORTH,  private,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.,  Jan.  18,  1892..  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Sept. 
1917;  Funston  and  Merritt,  aviation,  4th  Bn.  Co. 
18,  1st  air  service  mechanic  section.;  auto  mechanic 
at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Jurgen  and  Augusta  (Both) 
Kl  in  t  worth,  Grand  Island. 


213 

LEE  R.  GRIFFIN,  cook,  b.  Merrick  Co.,  Neb.. 
Jan.  4,  1896;  enlisted  May  6,  1917;  Cody,  Dix,  Co. 
M,  N.  G.  of  Neb.;  discharged  at  Funston,  Kan., 
Feb.  12,  1919;  painter  at  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of 
David  A.  and  Sedelia  (Davis)  Griffin,  Wood  River, 
Neb.;  sailed  from  Brest,  Jan.  22,  1919. 
24a 

CLARENCE  SWITZER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  26,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Apr.  25, 
1917;  Logan,  Colo.,  Winficld  Scott,  Biiss,  Merritt, 
coast  artillery,  158th  Co.,  to  battery  A,  18th  F.  A. ; 
was  in  second  battle  of  Maine,  Argonne  Forrest, 
Dun-Sur-Muese,  Bradeville,  after  armistice  was  sent 
to  Polch,  near  Coblenz,  Germany;  still  in  service; 
son  of  George  H.  and  Lucy  E.  (Kroft)  Switzer, 
318  W.  13th  St.,  Grand  Island. 


PAUL  E.  VEEDER,  corporal,  b.  St  Joet  MissL, 
June  23,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  7,  1917; 
Kelly  Field,  aviation  and  tank  service,  344  Bat,  1st 
1  Argonne,  Meuse  and  Chatcau- 


WALTER  WINDOLPH,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Nov.  13,  1894;  enlisted  at  Funston,  June  24,  1918; 
Funston  and  Ft.  Leavenworth,  infantry  37th  Div.; 
signal  corps  at  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kan. ;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la.,  July  29,  1919;  now  a  bottler  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  J.  P.  and  Amanda  Windolph,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


HENRY  WILLIAMS  WEHR,  segt.,  b.  Doniphan, 
Neb.,  Mar.  5,  1896;  enlisted  at  Lexington,  Neb., 
Oct.  4,  1917;  Funston  and  Pike;  infantry  1st  Co., 
87th  Div.;  to  Infantry  Corps  Officers  Training 
School;  discharged  at  Pike,  Ark.,  Dec.  2,  1918;  now 
chemist  at  Lexington,  Neb. ;  son  of  Joe  and  Cen- 
tennial Wehr,  Doniphan,  Neb. 
88 

CARL  GOEHRING.  captain  Med  Corp,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Mar.  17,  1890;  enlisted  at  Pittsburg,  1916; 
Ft.  Benjamin  Harrison,  Ind.,  medical  corps,  4th 
Bat.,  22  Eng.,  Martin  Court,  Mannonville,  France ; 
wn  of  Richard  and  Pauline  (Wagner)  Goehring, 
I»3  W.  Div.,  Grand  Island. 


EMIT  WACKERLA,  seaman,  b.  Missouri,  Dec.  10. 
1897;  enlisted  at  Kansas  City,  May  30.  1918;  Great 
Lakes  and  Hampton,  Kansas;  navy,  2d  Div.;  dis- 
charged at  Great  Lakes,  July  II,  1919;  now  a 
laborer  at  Doniphan,  Neb.;  son  of  Ed  and  Lucy 
Wackerla,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


GUSTAV  A.  BUETTNER.  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
Aug.  30,  1897;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Nov.  1,  1918; 
Marine  Barracks,  Parris  Island,  S.  C;  U.  S.  marine 
corps,  461  Co..  Battalion  E;  still  in  service;  son  of 
Catherine  Buettner,  Pine  Bluffs,  Wyo. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


PHILLIPS  G.  WAGNER,  corporal,  b.  Madison, 
Neb.,  Sept.  7,  1886;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Aug. 
1,  1917;  Logan,  Douglas,   Pike,  New  Orleans,   Fun- 


d  Rose  Wagner,  Grand  Island. 

FRED  P.  HUNT,  private,  b.  Omaha,  Neb,,  Jan. 

8,  1888;  enlisted  at  Columbus,  Neb.,  Sept.  3,  1918; 
Hancock,  Ga.,  ordinance  corps,  19th  recruit  Ft. 
Logan,  Colo.;  discharged  at  Hancock,  Ga.,  Jan. 
19.  1919;  now  railway  mail  clerk,  Omaha;  son  of 
Alfred  G.  and  Sophie  (Zajicek)  Hunt,  Grand  Island, 
Neb.  Transferred  to  Co.  E  3d  Provisional  regt, 
Camp  Hancock,  to  2d  Casual  company,  1st  Regt, 
Camp  Hancock,   Ga. 

486 
WILLIAM  C.  NEWHOUSE.  sergt.,  b.  Nance  Co., 
Neb.,  May  18,  1887;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  June,  1917; 
air  service,  463  Aero  Squadron ;  now  with  army  of 
occupation  at  Coblenz,  Germany;  son  of  William  T. 
and  Alice  E.  (Delay)  Newhouse. 
51 

JOHN  T.  DISKIN,  sergt.  1st  class,  b.  St.  Paul, 
Kan.,  Dec.   5,    1892;    enlisted   in    Hall   county,    Sept. 

9,  1917;  Logan,  Madison  Brks..  Dodge,  6.  M.  C. 
headquarters  let. :  discharged  Mar.  14,  1919 ;  now 
bank  teller  at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  John  J.  and 
Ellen   Diskin,    Thermopolis,    Wyo. 

MATHEW  T.  KAUMAN,  1st  seaman,  b.  Jan. 
11,  1900,  Grand  Island;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
July  19,  1918,  San  Francisco,  Cal.,  and  Great  Lakes, 
navy;  discharged  at  Moffat,  III.  Feb.  21,  1919; 
student;  son  of  Jacob  T.  and  Elizabeth  (Vogle) 
Kauman,  809  W.  Charles,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

OTTO  M.  HUNTER,  private,  b.  Omaha,  Neb., 
Mar.  14,  1894;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  June  27,  1918; 
Funston  and  Edgewood ;  chemical  war  fare  ser- 
vice, Co.  A  2d  Bn. ;  discharged  at  Funston,  Dec. 
28,  1919;  now  carpenter  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  George  and  Amy  (Jay)  Shears,  Grand  Island. 

STANLEY  C.  PLETCHER,  seaman,  b.  Doniphan, 
Neb,  Aug.  28,  1901 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June 
7. 1919;  navy.  42d  Co.  9th;  still  in  service;  machinist 
apprentice:  son  of  Henry  L.  and  Daisy  (Keith) 
Fletcher,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

S3 

HENRY  H.  ROSENKOTTER,  corp.,  b.  Hall 
ronnty,  Feb.  1887;  enlisted  in  Hall  county.,  Oct.  4. 
1517;  Funston,  Newport  News,  then  to  France.  Co.  F 
*  U.  S.  Inf.  A.  E.  F. ;  wounded  by  shrapnel ;  now 
«  Saffeg,  Germany;  son  of  Carl  Roscnkotter, 
Route  4,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 

58  7 
MARTIN  H.  DEFFENBAUGH.  Major  M.  R.  C, 
commissioned,  July  10,  1917;  Ft.  Riley;  Field  Hos- 
pital No.  18,  supply  officer,  field  hospital  No.  37; 
Cantmanding  officer  field  hospital  No.  41,  Ft  Riley, 
saoftary  tram  at  Wadsworth,  S.  Car.;  took  course 
«r  surgery  at  Langres,  France,  at  Hospital  No.  1 
JiM*  south  of  Verdun  operating  during  St.  Mihiel 
and  Meuse-Argonne  offensive,  at  Sedan  where  he 
remained  till  they  completed  the  building  of  Verdun - 
Sedan  railway;  discharged  at  Dix,  and  re-appointed 


GEORGE  W.  HARRIS,  wagoner  b.  Silver  Creek, 
Neb.,  Nov.  17,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
21,  1917;  Cody  and  Dix,  infantry,  Co.  M,  5th  Neb. 
N.  G.,  34th  Div. ;  military  police  corps  at  Requal, 
France;  discharged  at  Dodge,  July  13,  1919;  now 
farming  near  Grand  Island;  son  of  Janarl  G.  and 
Minnie   M.    (Maynard)    Harris,   Grand   Island. 

431 

LEO  T.  BRAND,  private,  b.  Sheffield,  III.,  June 
26,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918; 
Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kansas;  signal  corps,  Co,  E  419 
Field  Signal  Bn.  35  Brigade,  90  Div.;  on  Oct,  14, 
in  sector  near  St.  Mihiel,  in  battles  of  St.  Mihiel 
and  Argonne;  wounded  by  shrapnel  Nov.  Sth,  also 
machine  gun;  discharged  at  Grant, '111.  May  8,  1919; 
now  an  electrician  at  Grand  Island, Neb;;son  of 
Frank  E.  and  Lena  M.  (VanCoutren)  Brand,  Ke- 
wanee,  III. 


RAY  F.  HAMMOND,  private,  b.  Alda,  Neb., 
Sept.  13,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3; 
Funston  and  Mills;  infantry,  Co,  F,  Reg.  355th,  Div. 
89th;  front  lines  July  3,  Sector  Alsace- Lorraine, 
battles  Meuse- Argonne,  Sept,  26  to  Oct.  1,  Meuse- 
Argonne  offensive,  Sept.  12-16,  1918;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la.,  May  10,  1919;  now  horseman  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Walter  and  Lizzie  (Rum- 
barger)    Hammond,  Grand  Island. 


EDMUND  T.  GAYDON,  private,  b.  Stratford  on 
Avon,  England,  June  16,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  July  12.  1917;  Cody;  infantry,  Co.  M,  Neb. 
N.  G.;  discharged  at  Cody,  July  29,  1918;  now  a 
landscape  gardener  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of 
William  and  Sarah  M.  (Macey)  Gaydon,  Stratford 
on  Avon,  England. 

8 
HARRY  E.  NIEHANS,  private,  b.  PJattsmouth, 
Neb.,  June  17,  1898;  joined  service  at  Cottner,  Neb., 
Oct.  22,  1918;  Lincoln,  S.  A.  T.  C,  Co.  F.;  dis- 
charged Dec.  10,  1918;  son  of  John  and  Nellie 
(Gleason)  Niehans,  511  W.  14th  St.,  Grand  Island. 


CLARK    L.    RYAN,    master    sig.    electrician,    b. 
Adams,    county,    Neb.,    July    23,    1893;    enlisted    at 

Omaha,  Neb.,  May  1,  1917;  Alfredvail,  Little  Silver, 
N.  J„  Signal  Corps  408  Telegraph,  Co.  D;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  May  26,  1919;  now  repair 
man  on  Neb.  tel.  lines ;  son  of  Leslie  G.  and  Sarah 
(Bauman)   Ryan,  Hastings,   Nebraska. 

264 

EDWIN    S.    CATES,   b.   Juniata,   Neb.,    Dec.   3, 

3898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Nov.  16,  19.16;  Ft.  Worden, 
Waschington,  and  France,  coast  artillery  corps,  Co. 
6th  Div.;  trans,  to  Co.  B,  6th  art.,  sailed  Aug.  18, 
trained  at  Bordeaux,  started  home  Feb.  5,  died  two 
days  later  on  U.  S.  S.  Mercury  of  cerebral  spinal 
fever;  son  of  Charles  I.  and  Carrie  E.  Cates,  Wood 
River,  Neb. 

425 

EDWARD  E.  SCOTT,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
May  13,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3.  1917; 
Funston;  railway  engineers,  Co.  D.  Reg.  16;  Ar- 
gonne, Meuse-Argonne;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la., 
May  6,  1919;  now  city  mail  carrier;  son  of  S-l- 
T.  and  Sabrina  C.  (Mead)  Scott,  Grand  Is- 

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land,  Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALt  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


276 

ARNOLD  L.  MADER,  corporal,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Oct.  14,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
15,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  Kan.,  and  Devens,  Mass.,  med- 
ical corps,  field  hospital,  Co.  246,  12th  Div.,  sanitary 
Irain;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Jan.  31,  1919;  now 
railroad  storekeeper  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of 
William  H.  and  Mary  G.  (Peterson)  Mader,  Grand 
Island. 

530 

WILLIAM  McKINLEY  QUISENBERRY,  corp., 
b.  Wood  River,  Neb.,  Dec.  10,  1894;  enlisted  at 
Ft  Douglass,  Sept.  22,  1913;  Philippine  Islands; 
field  artillelry,  5th ;  served  in  Philippine  Islands,  was 
with  Pershing  in  Mexico ;  died  in  hospital  from 
complications  at  Lamons,  Feb.  28,  1919;  son  of  John 
and  Mildred  (Churchill)  Quisenberry,  Wood  River, 
Nebraska. 

ISO 

LAWRENCE  G.  WALKER,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Mar.  21,  1897;  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  May  25,  1918;  Logan  and  Johnston, 
qnartemaster  corps,  service  No.  3;  was  transferred 
lo  Supply  Co.  31/  in  July  25,  then  to  graves  regis- 
tration service,  this  work  consisted  of  marking  and 
locating  graves;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  25, 
1919;  clerk  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Edward  C.  and 
Mary  J.  (Lamon)   Walker,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ERNEST  V.  NEUMANN,  b.  Grand  Island,  Feb. 
26,  1899;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Aug.  13,  1918; 
U.  S.  naval  training  station,  San  Francisco;  dis- 
charged at  Great  Lakes,  Feb.  14,  1919;  son  of  Gus 
E.  Neumann. 

sea 

EDWARD  B.  PERSSON,  1st  class  pvt,  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.,  Oct.  25,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Apr.  29,  1918;  Funston.  infantry,  Co.  K,.355th  inf.; 
went  to  front  lines  Aug.  6,  was  in  battles  of  St. 
Mihiel  and  Argonne  Forrest ;  was  trained  in  camp  in 
southern  France;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  21, 
1919;  assistant  cashier  of  Citizens  State  Bank,  Wood 
River,  Neb. 

507 

FRANK  H.  BRAZE,  private.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Dec.  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge;  band  headquarters,  Co.  163;  discharged  at 
Dodge^  Dec.  13,  1919;  musician  at  Grand  Island; 
wo  of  Dick  and  Anna  (Seaman)  Braze,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 

243 

HENRY  MATTISON,  private,  b.  Arapahoe 
county,  Colorado,  June  19,  1890;  joined  at  Grand 
Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  la.,  co.  35,  163  depot 
brigade;  discharged  July  30,  1918;  farming,  She] ton, 
Neb.;  son  of  Martin  and  Elizabeth  (Albers)  Matti- 


FABLM.  RUPLE.pr; _    _.... 

«,  BK;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  26, 
™*fc»;  judge  advocate  sec..  Camp  Head  Quarter 
QU  discharged  at  .Funston,  Feb,  6,  1919;  now  clerk 
*M  Itenographer  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of 
WjMin  D.  and  Emma  B.  (Mell)  Ruple,  Colorado 
9hft  Colo. 

453 

_AKKA  I.  SHEIBLEY,  nurse,  b.  Fairmont,  Neb., 
P*.  2S,  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  25, 
«•;  Dodge  and  New  York  City ;  army  nurse  corps. 
Neb.  Base  Hospital  unit;  Allerey,  France;  discharged 
«  Prince  Albert  Hotel,  April  18,  1919;  now  nurse 
at  Grand  Island;  daughter  of  Mrs  David  (Berner) 
Sheuiley,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


ERNEST  L.  S.  BUCHFINCH,  1st  class  private, 
b.  Hall  Co-,  July  7,  1894;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Oct. 
4,  1917;  Funston  and  Newport  News,  4th  Infantry 
3rd  div,.  was  in  several  battles  in  front  fine  trenches 
over  four  months,  was  in  Argonne  sector ;  discharged 
Oct.  24,  1918;  in  service  in  hospital  Ft.  Sheridan; 
son  of  Joe  Buchfinch,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WM.  B.  COLE,  private,  b.  Hall  county,  Neb.,  Aug. 
29,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  Aug.  14,  1918; 
Logan,  Utah,  Presido,  Winfield  Scott,  53  Co.;  dis- 
charged Dec.  24,  1918;  mechanic  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Phiness  and  Jennie  F.  Cole,  R.  R.  No.  1, 
Doniphan,  Neb. 


RAYMOND  D.  FULMER,  private,  b.  Cleveland, 
Ohio,  May  18,  1894;  enlisted  at  Ord,  Neb.,  Sept. 
22,  1917;  Camp  Funston;  infantry,  Co.  E,  355  Inf.; 
saw  service  in  France  with  army  of  occupation  in 
Germany,   attached   to  Co.   F,  4th   Infantry,  Third 


CHARLES  BOSSERT,  private,  b.  New  York 
City,  June  26,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct. 
22,  1918;  Stundents  Army  Training  Corps,  Co.  A, 
Cottner  University,  Lincoln,  Neb.;  discharged  at 
Cottner  Uni.,  Dec  7,  1918 ;  now  accountant  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Karl  and  Mary  (Schelling) 
Bossert,  Grand  Island, 


CLARENCE  E.  HOPKINS,  b.  North  Platte, 
Neb.,  Feb.  14,  1898;  joined  at  Grand  Island;  Logan 
Colo.,  Washington  Barricks,  engineer  corps,  C.  A. 
73  search  light  division ;  trained  also  at  Humphreys, 
Va.;  discharged  Jan.  11,  1918,  at  Dodge,  la.;  farmer, 
Burkett,  Neb.;  son  of  J.  H.  Keithbye,  Burkett,  Neb. 


OSCAR  TALMAGE  SMITH,  sergt,  b.  New 
Helena,  Neb.,  Oct.  17,  1894 ;  enlisted  in  Hall  county, 
June  30,  1917;  Logan,  Riley,  and  Dix,  charge  of 
evacuation  hospital  No.  12,  in  active  duty  at  St. 
Mihiel ;  in  service  yet  as  hospital  sergeant,  Treves, 
Germany;  son  of  Oscar  A.  and  Betty  E.  (Band) 
Smith,  Grand  Island. 

223 

HARRY  F.  KRUSENMARK,  b.  Wahoo,  Neb., 
enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3,  1917;  Funston, 
Stewart,  Va.,  infantry,  Co.  F,  Reg.  355  infantry, 
89th  Div.;  Chateau -Thierry,  in  second  battle  of 
Marne,  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne-Meuse ;  wounded 
Sept.  30,  1918,  in  hospital  five  months;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la.,  Mar.  22,  1919;  bookkeeper  at  1003  W. 
4th  st.,  Grand  Island;  son  of  John  Krusenmark  and 
Helen    (deceased),   Pender,   Neb. 


GEORGE  S.  DEFFENBAUGH.  corp.,  b.  Cairo, 
Neb.,  Jan  19,  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Sept.  8, 
1918;  Ft.  Omaha;  air  service  battalion  of  signal 
corps,  Balloon  Co.;  discharged  April  11,  1919;  now 
sec.  storekeeper  at  U.  P.  material  yards;  son  of  Syl- 
vester and  Virginia    (Young)    Deffenbaugh,   Cairo, 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


GEORGE  H.  OLDSON,  1st  class  sergeant,  b. 
Arkansas  City,  Kan.,  July  13,  1890 ;  enlisted  at  Kan- 
sas City,  Mo.,  Sept  18,  1917 ;  Funston,  Pike,  Merritt, 
chief  clerk  to  capt.  of  bakers  and  cooks  schools, 
89th  Div.  Inf.,  still  in  service,  Camp  Merritt,  N.  J. ; 
ton  of   Horace  and   Abee  Oldson,  Wichita   Kan. 


S47 

JAMES  ALBERT  MICHELSON,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, March  17,  1889;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Dec. 
14,  1917;  Joseph  E  Johnston  and  Cody;  Motor  trans- 
port Corps;  discharged  at  Cody,  March  12,  1919; 
now  a  jeweler  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  F.  H. 
and  Alice  (Albright)  Mkhelson,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FRED  G.  NAGLE,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb.. 
Dec.  25,  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Sept.  S, 
1917;  Funston,  5  months,  then  to  France,  11th 
engineers,  Co.  E ;  with  British  first  army  at  Arras, 
Tront,  Chateau-Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  and.  Argonne 
Woods;  discharged  May  13,  1919;  stationary  engi- 
neer. Grand  Island;  son  of  Wm.  and  Sarah  Nagle, 
Grand   Island.   Neb. 

254 

EDWARD  ENGLEHART,  b.  Ashland,  III.,  June 
21,  1886;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  19,  1917; 
Funston  and  Cody,  field  artillery,  Battery  E,  127; 
was  in  Chateau-Thierry  drive,  was  gassed  Aug.  14, 
in  hospital  two  months,  sent  to  a  casual  camp,  took 
typhoid  fever;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la..  Apr.  5, 
1919;  now  at  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of  George  and 
Blen   (Scheffer)   Englehart, -Montrose.   Mo. 


RAYMOND  R.  MORRISON,  private,  b.  Harlan 
county  Neb.,  April  26.  1892;  enlisted  at  Winnemucca, 
Nev..  Mar.  1918;  San  Antonio,  Kelly  Field,  Elling- 
ton Field.  Roosevelt  Field.  L.  I.,  aviation;  discharged 
at  Kearney,  Ca!.,  Jan.  1919 ;  auto  mechanic  at  Winne- 
mucca. Nev.;  son  of  Will  (deceased)  and  Mary  A. 
(Hall)  Morrison    "" 


ESTEL  O.  JONES,  b.  Hutchison.  Kan.,  Oct. 
18,  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Jan.  27,  1918; 
Dick,  princeton  and  Kelly  Field ;  aviation ;  dis- 
charged at  Dick,  Dallas.  Texas,  Dec.  28,  1918;  now 
a  salesman  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Ed.  A.  and 
Georgie  L.   (Collins)  Jones,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

572 

HERBERT  GRIFFIN  PALMER,  private,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Neb..  May  4,  1897;  enlisted  at  Salt 
Lake  City,  June  26,  1918;  Mare  Island  and  Quantico; 
marine  corps.  Headquarters  Co.  1 1,  5th  Brigade ; 
discharged  at  Quantico,  June  25,  1919;  now  a  student 
at  Grand  Island.Neb. ;  son  of  Hiram  Jefferson  and 
Eva  Griffin,  Grand   Island. 


GEORGE  W.  BURNS,  corporal,  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  May  1,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  and  Ft.  Mc- 
Arthur,  Cal.,  coast  artillery;  sector  Raroport,  Hill 
Seventy,  3rd  Anti  air-craft;  discharged  at  Dodge  t  J  a. 
Jan.  1919;  now  a  store  manager ;  ; 
William  Burns,  Clairmont,  Wyo. 


WILLIAM  SAMUEL  EDMUND,  b.  Trenton, 
Neb.;  enlisted  at  Bethany,  Oct.  26,  1918;  Cottner  Uni- 
S.  A.  T.  C,  infantry,  Co.  I,  Reg.  I,  Div.  I;  dis- 
charged at  Bethany,  Neb.,  Dec.  7,  1918;  now  a  book- 
keeper at  Grand  Island  Nat.  Bank ;  son  of  L.  J.  and 
A.  L.  Edmund,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LAVERNE  HAUKE,  b.  Wood  River.  Neb.,  Jan. 
9,  1896;  enlisted  for  four  years,  Dec.  3,  1917;  Great 
Lakes,  navy,  on  transport  Matsonia;  still  in  service; 
»n  of  Arthur  and  Sadie  (Burrick)  Hauke. 


n  of  Mr.  and  Mrs 


EMERY  FLOYD  GONTZ,  corp.,  b.  Dentonville, 
Kan.,  July  14,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.. 
Nov.  14,  1917;  Ft.  Cogan.  Colo,  Ft.  Leavenworth, 
Kan.,  Co.  C.  6,  F.  S.  Branch,  trans,  to  Co.  2S5; 
put  in  adjuant  general's  office  then  into  gen.  head- 
quarters, remained  until  Apr.  18,  1919,  ihen  made 
corp;  son  of  Yetta  Bella  Gontz;  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
still  overseas  and  in  hospital,  abscess  in  left  ear, 
deaf  permanently. 


WHLIAM  R.  WINGERT.  private,  b.  Wood 
River,  Neb.,  Oct.  15,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  18.  1918;  Manhattan,  Kan.,  mech.  training 
school,  Co.  2;  discharged  Dec.  1.  1918;  hdwe.  mer- 
chant; son  of  Milton  C.  and  Roberta  (Calhoun) 
Wingert. 


HERMAN  E  KRALL,  b.  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
Oct,  26,  1894;  joined  at  Grand  Island.  April,  1918; 
Great  Lakes  Tr.  St.,  Philadelphia  navy  yard,  Ply- 
tnonth,  England,  navy  band ;  Naval  Transport  bldg., 
Newport  News,  Va. ;  son  of  Caroline  Daims  and 
Edmund  Krall,  311  W.  Div.  St.,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


.  WILMER  D.  McGRATH,  1st  Lt.  M.  C:  b.  Elsie, 
NA;  Dec.  4.  1889;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  111.,  June  5, 
w;  Ft  McPherson,  Ga.,  medical  reserve  corps, 
g»*  hospital  No.  13  to  Base  Hospital  No.  15,  to 
Encuation  Hospital  No.  7,  evacuation  Hospital  No. 
6.  Base  Hospital  No.  13;  discharged  at  Dix,  N.  J., 
J".  28,  1919;  now  a  physician  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
*on  of  Chas.  and  Ida  McGrath,  Wauneta,  Neb. 


ALBERT  LELAND  HALL,  private,  b.  Longford, 
Kan..  Jan.  24,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  May 
25,  1918;  Logan,  Prcsido,  San  Francisco,  coast 
artillery,  89  Div.,  Re<r.  67.  Bat.  A;  saw  service  in 
France  for  six  months  but  was  not  on  the  fir- 
ing line;  discharged  at  Funston,  March  20.  1919; 
farmer ;  son  of  Efee  Hall,  mother  dead,  Fair- 
bury,  Neb. 


MILES  W.  LYONS,  private,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb., 
Apr.  25,  1878;  enlisted  at  Chicago.  III.,  Apr.  3,  1918; 
Ft.  Hamilton  and  Ft.  Wadsworth,  heavy  artillery, 
Battery  E,  Reg.  70th ;  discharged  at  Grant,  III.,  Mar. 
10,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Wood  River,  Neb.; 
son   of   Miles   and    Bridget    (Riley)    Lyons,    Wood 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


421 

EUGENE  D.  JOHNSON  private,  b.  Fremont, 
Neb.  Nov.  5,  1898;  enlisted  at  Lincoln  Uni.,  infantry, 
S.  A.  T.  C. ;  discharged  at  Lincoln  ,  Dec  13,  1918; 
MB  of  Torn  W.  and  Daisy  L.  (Hanson)  Johnson, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HENRY  THOMAS  SMITH,  private,  b.  Shelton, 
Neb.,  Oct.  6,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aw.  IS, 
1918;  Rahe's  Army  School,  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Signal 
corps;  421  tel  Bn.  Co.  E;  discharged  Feb.  14,  1919; 
bow  machinist  at  Shelton,  Neb. 


445 

FLYOD  R.  SOPHER,  private,  b.  Unidilla,  Neb., 
June  5,  1889;  enlisted  at  Funston,  Sept.  19,  1917; 
Fraston,  Cody  and  Sill;  heavy  field  art.,  Head- 
Mailer  Co.,  Reg.  127,  Div.  34, ;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
Jin.  22,  1919;  now  a  shipping,  clerk ;  son  of  Arthur 
M.  and  Irma  M.  (Crandall)  Sopher,  Grand  Island. 


HUGO  WIESNER.  b.  Grand  Island,  Jan.  25,  1896; 
«ufisted  at  Ovid,  Colo.,  May  26,  1918;  Cody,  Doni- 
fhui  and  Upton ;  field  art.,  Battery  C,  125th  Field 
Art.;  sailed  Sept.  27,  1918  on  Saxon,  trained  at 
Qarmont  and  Bordeaux,  returned  Jan.  8.  1919  on 
Xetberland;  discharged  at  Owen  Bowre,  Tex.,  Jan. 
27,  1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Chappel.  Neb.;  son  of 
lichard  and  Alwiene  (Tiechmeiar)  Wiesner,  Grand 
Maud,  Neb. 


FRANK  P.  BUTTON,  cadet,  b.  Doniphan,  Aug, 
H  1894;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Jan.  24,  1918;  Berkeley, 
mther  Field,  Sacremento,  Cal.,  cadet  detch. ;  dis- 
4nrged  at  March  Field,  Jan.  3,  1919  son  of  J.  P.  and 
Asm  (Clendenin)  Button,  Doniphan,  Neb. 


J™ 


[OHN  SCHOENSTEIN,  b.  Philadelphia,  Perm.; 

i  at  Lincoln,  Neb.,  July  5,  1916;  Cody;  signal 

Co.  B  Battalion  109,  Div.  34;  discharged  at 

_.;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Albert 

Cherry  School  stein.  Grand  Island. 


»THOMAS  C.  WILLIAMS,  1st  cl.  eng.,  b.  Boone 
jfatty,  Neb.,  Aug.  14,  1891;  enlisted  at  Columbus, 
ae3,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  Newport  News,  Va.,  and 
Jfcres  Island,  navy,  U.  S.  S.  Otsego;  still  in  the 
"■Jrice;  son  of  Thomas  C.  Sr,  and  Emma  (Johnson) 
watiams,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


i    -WILLIAM  FAGAN,  seaman,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Feb.  4, 

5??.'  enusted  at  Grand  Island,  Great  Lakes,  navy, 

W  Finistere,  on  a  transport.     Has  been  at  naval 

[  JWUbuu  station  for  one  year,  back  in   New  York, 

'  *wl  aviation;  son  of  Wm.  Fagan,  Grand  Island. 


ORVILLE  I.  SHREVE,  1st  sergt,  b.  Kearney, 
Neb.,  April  27,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Dec.  S,  1917;  Ft.  Logan  and  Kelly  Field;  aviation, 
264  Aero  Squadron ;  broke  his  leg  in  a  fall ;  dis- 
charged Sept.  1918;  now  an  auto  mechanic  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Aaron  and  Sarah  (Coffct)  Shreve, 
Kearney,   Nebraska. 

105 

ALBERT  E.'LYLE,  mess  sergt.,  b.  Cairo,  Neb., 
Dec.  29,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  26, 
1918;  Logan,  Humphreys,  Va.,  Travis,  Texas.,  En. 
gineers,  Co.  D.  218th  Reg.,  18  div.;  discharged  at 
Funston,  Feb.  5,  1919;  410  E.  7th  St.,  Grand  Island, 
motor  mechanic;  son  of  James  E.  and  Effie  A. 
(Seobtll)  Lyle,  Grand  Island 


STEVE  A.  MALONY,  b.  North  Bend,  Neb., 
Mar.  23,  1890;  enlisted  at  Jefferson  Barracks,  May 
30,  1918;  Jefferson  Bar.  and  Humphrey,  engineers, 
Co.  F  Reg.  5th ;  in  battles  of  Muese-Argonne ;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  June  7,  1919;  now  a  mechanic 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  P.  J.  and  Mary  Jane 
(O'Neil)  Malony,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


EARL   EDWARD   CARLSON,  b.   Cairo,   Neb.; 

enlisted  at  Young  Sask,  Mar.  28,  1916 ;  cavalry,  Co. 
A,  Reg.  Lord  Strathconas ;  Ypres,  Somme,  Vimy 
Ridge;  wounded  Aug.  8,  1918  and  Feb.  17,  1917; 
discharged  at  Winnepeg  Camp,  May  30,  1919;  now 
a  farmer  at  Aurora,  Neb. ;  son  of  W.  M.  and  Emma 
(Bayne)   Carlson,  Aurora,  Neb. 


ARTHUR  R.  BUEHNER,  wagoner,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  Oct.  7,  1892;  enlisted  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  Oct.,  1917;  Thomas,  Bliss  and  McArthur; 
field  art.supply  co.  Reg.  21,  5th  Div. ;  still  in  ser- 
vice with  army  of  occupation  at  Luxenburg;  son 
of  Frank  P.  and  Eliza  E.  (Swam)  Buehner,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


HERMAN  J.  SCHLICHTING,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Jan.  19,  1986;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
March  4,  1918;  Riley,  Lee,  Va.,  Newport  News; 
med.  corp,  evac.  hosp.  15,  saw  service  in  Verdun 
sector,  in  battles  of  Verdun,  Argonne  and  Meuse; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  June  25,  1919;  now  sheet 
metal  worker  at  523  E.  10th  st.,  Grand  Island;  son 
of  William   and   Minnie  Schlichting. 


ARTHUR  C.  MENCK,  2nd  class  electrician,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Sept.  29,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall 
county.  May  8,  1917 ;  Great  Lakes,  navy,  Ship 
Louisiana,  electrical  div.;  on  convoy  several  trips, 
now  returning  soldiers  to  U.  S. ;  still  in  service  on 
seas  on  U.  S.  S.  Corola,  Brest,  France ;  son  of  August 
and  Linnie  Menck,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


.FRANK  JOHN.  Y.  M.  C.  A.  secy,  b.  Seward  Co, 
«8-27, 1871 ;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Aug.  28,  1918;  Co- 
Mpt-  in  France;  A.  E.  F.,  Y.  M.  C.  A.,  12  Rue  d' 
Agriessean,  Paris,  France;  son  of  Mary  A.  John, 
=>ioux  City,  Iowa. 


WARREN  P.  FOREMAN,  corp.,  Reg.  158,  Inf. 
Co.  M  40th  Div. ;  was  one  of  guard  of  honor  to 
President  on  his  first  visit  to  Paris;  son  of  Rev. 
A.  G.  and  Carrie  C.  (Harvey)  Foreman,  Wood 
River,  Neb. 


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HISTORY  OK  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


170 
DONALD  CHAFFIN  HANNA,  corporal,  b. 
Greeley.  Neb.,  Nov.  8,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  infantry,  35  9  B.,  163  D.  B.; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  Ta.,  Mar.  11.  1919;  bank  clerk; 
son  of  lames  R.  and  Lora  C.  Hanna,  Grand  Island. 


MELVIN  O.  GED10N,  private,  b.  Hall  Co..  Neb., 
Feb.  26,  1897;  enlisted  at  Berwell.  Neb..  July  23, 
1917;  Cody,  infantry,  134th  Inf.  Co.  I;  still  overseas 
as  a  mechanic;    son   of   Louise  Gedion,  Doniphan. 


CHANCEY  E   STEELE,   private,  b.   Marysville, 


,  Jan.  25,  1896;  enlisted 
22,  1917;  Cody,  Dix.  N.  J., 
C;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Jur 
911  E.  7th.  Grand  Island,  soi 
Grand  Island. 


Grand  Island,  Aug. 
infantry.  5th  reg,  Co. 
;  17,  1919:  railroader, 
of  Mrs.  J.  R.  Hare; 


DONALD  BROWN,  aviation  mach.,  b.  Alda, 
Neb.,  Jan.  17,  1897;  enlisted  at  Oman*.  Neb..  July 
11,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  navv,  Co.  A.  Ree.  15;  dis- 
charged at  Great  Lakes,  III..  Jan.  11,  1919;  now  a 
mechanic  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  and 
Marion    (Alexander)    Brown,    Alda,    Neb. 


JOHN  B.  CARL.  corp..  h.  Brush.  Colo.,  Jan.  23, 
1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June.  191?;  Logan,  Doug- 
las. Dodge,  Devcns.  infantry,  74th  Inf.,  13th  Div. ; 
discharged  Jan.  31.  1919;  mail  clerk  at  Grand  Island: 
son  of  John  and  Margaret  L.  Carl,  1516  E.  Louise, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


R.  J.  ALLAN,  sailor,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Jan.  2,  1899; 
enlisted  in  Hall  Co..  April  1918;  Irion.  III..  Peeks- 
kDle.'Brooklyn,  navy,  rec.  ship;  Ship  "Peerless"; 
on  ship  "Peerless,"  qnar.  dept. ;  son  of  John  and 
Hannis  L.  Allen.  212  E.  2d,  Grand  Island. 


DOUGLAS  E.  WILEY,  b,  Atchison.  Kan  ,  Sept. 
24,  1897:  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  4.  1917; 
Great  Lakes,  navy,  on  Ship  Mongolia;  son  of  Eugene 
Wiley.  808  E.  5th  st.,  Grand  Island. 


FRANCIS  L.  SPETHMANN,  b.  North  Loup, 
Neb,  June  5.  1886:  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb, 
Sept  20,  1917:  Funston,  Cody,  Dick.  N.  Y.,  en- 
gineers. 34th  div..  Co.  E,  109  eng.;  now  at  St. 
Amond  A.  E.  F..  A.  P.  O.  798;  son  of  Dietrich  and 
Margarate  C.  (Einst)  Spethmann,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


109 

CLIFFORD  C.  FAY,  private,  b.  Wells,  Minn, 
March  31,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  18, 
1917;  Logan,  Vancouver,  Green,  N.  C. ;  engineers, 
Co.  C  4th  Reg.  4th  Div.;  participated  in  battles  on 
Verdun  front  from  July  till  Nov.  II,  1919;  in  army 
of  occupation  stationed  at  Mayschoss,  Germany; 
barber;  son  of  James  H,  and  Georgena  A.  (Rusha) 
Fay,  Grand  Island. 


GILBERT  G.  APPLEGIT,  private,  b.  Fullerton, 
Neb.;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Oct.  4,  1917,  infantry, 
89  div.,  355  Co.;  was  at  St.  Mihiel,  Chateau  Thierry, 
Tone;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Mar  21,  1919;  mechan- 
ic, 449  W.  8th,  Fremont,  Neb.;  son  of  John  and 
Carrie   (Vogt)    Applegit,    Fullerton,   Neb. 


PETE  RUNGE,  private,  b.  Cairo,  Neb,  July  18, 
1894;  enlisted  in  California;  Lewis,  infantry,  91  Div.; 
with  army  of  occupation;  son  of  Hans  J.  Runge, 
Cairo,  Neb. 


ROY  WATSON,  3d  class  seaman,  b.  Wood  River 
Neb,  Mar.  16,  1896;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Dec.  3,  1917; 
Great  Lakes,  navy.  Remained  four  months  at  Great 
Lakes  tfien  sent  to  Philadelphia  and  assigned  to 
LI.  S.  Transport  Corolla ;  naval  military  police  at 
Brest;  son  of  Isaac  K.  and  Almeda  L.  (Gardner) 
Watson. 


JAMES  S.  RYAN,  b.  Dec.  21,  1891;  enlisted 
at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  depot  brigade, 
Co.  35;  discharged  at  Dodge.  Ia„  Dec.  11,  1918; 
barber;  son  of  William  V.  and  {Catherine  Ryan, 
Wood  River,  Neb 


WM.  F,  MOODY,  sergeant,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Neb, 
Feb.  2,  1890 ;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June.  1918 ;  Riley, 
Dodge,  medical  dept.  Base  Hospital  88;  in  service 
at  Langras,  France;  son  of  Wm.  H.  and  Agnes 
Moody,  111  W.  9th  st,  Grand  Island. 


HOWARD  L.  POLZEL.  b.  Dickens,  Neb,  Mar, 
1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  16,  1917;  Cody, 
Sill,  Okla,  artillery,  Battery  D  127th  H.  F.  A. 
Brig.,  59th ;  transferred  from  Co.  M  134th  Inf. 
to  137  H.  F.  A.  Oct.  26,  1917;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
la.,  Jan.  22,  laborer,  son  of  Mrs.  Leopold  Poize!, 
512  E.  10th  st,,  Grand  Island  Neb. 


I  HAROLD  A.  PRICE,  1st  lieut..  b.  Grand  Island. 
April  <*■  '891;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Snelling.  Minn,  Mav 
If,  1917;  Ft.  Snelling  (first  camp),  infantry,  168th 
m,  42d  Div.  A.  E.  F.;  Lorraine  sector,  Feh.  21.  to 
Jwie  20,  1918,  Champagne  main  defense  July  1.  1918, 
Aisot  offensive  July  26.  St.  Mihiel  offensive,  Muese- 
Arponne:  discharged  June  1.  1919:  now  an  attorney 
at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  W.  A.  Prince,  Grand  Is- 
.  land,  Neb. 


123 

CARL  E.  DAVIS,  private,  b.  Broken  Bow.  Neb, 
April  14,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  10, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Washington,  D.  C,  Annapolis, 
Md.,  engineers,  5th  recruits  Co.  at  Logan,  was  in 
battles  of  Chateau  Thierry,  St.  Mihiel,  Verdun  and 
Argonne;  Gassed  July  1,  1918,  wounded  Nov.  1st: 
discharged  at  Dodge,  April  30.  1919;  now  in -Grand 
Island;  son  of  William  and  Grace  C.  (Crable) 
Davis,    Nebraska   City,   Neb. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


;  enlisted  at  Broken  Bow,  Sept.  4,  1918; 
Riley,  evacuation  ambulance  corps,  10th  Div. ;  trans. 

to  Ft  Des  Moines  hospital  No.  26;  discharged  Mar. 
26,  1919,  at  Dodge,  la.;  son  of  Milton  C,  and 
Roberta  (Calhoun)  Wingert. 

948 
JOSEPH  ROPER,  1st  class  private,  b.  Jamison. 
Mo.,  Dec  31,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Apr. 
21,  1917;  Ft.  Miley,  Sin  Francisco,  coast  Artillery 
corps,  Battery  C,  67th  Reg.,  35th  Brigade;  sailed 
from  Hoboken,  K.  J.,  Aug.  26,  1918,  for  Brest;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la..  Mar.  1919;  farmer,  at 
Soldiers'  Home,  Grand  Island. 


ROY  C.  LYKKE,  radio  man  in  navy,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  July  15,  1894;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb., 
July  5,  1917 ;  Great  Lakes,  Aug.  16,  went  to  Harvard 
Dec.  17,  Radio  Service,  navy,  on  Battleship  New 
York;  son  of  C,  E.  and  Magdalea  (Johonsen) 
Lykke,  Grand  Island,  mother  deceased. 


ROY  E.  STRASBURG,  quartermaster,  b.  Lafay- 
ette Co.,  Mo.,  Nov.  26,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  27,  1918;  Seattle,  Wash.;  navy;  discharged  at 
Seattle,  Wash.,  May  15,  1919;  now  an  auto  mechanic 
at  Seattle,  Wash.;  son  of  George  T.  and  Grace 
(Grover)   Strasburg,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LEO  A.  ENGLEHART,  b.  Montrose,  Mo.,  Tan. 
2,  1896;  enlisted,  Dec.  8,  1917;  Van  Couver  Bar.; 
engineers,  Co.  C,  318,  6th  Div.;  Argonne;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  June  22,  1919;  son  of  George  and  Helen 
(Shaffer)  Englehart,  Montrose,  Mo. 


WILLIAM  R.  PELLS,  sergt,  b.  Cuba,  Kan., 
July  25,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  23, 
1916;  Cody  and  Merritt,  infantry,  Co.  M,  Reg.  5th 
Neb.  N.  G.;  trans.  Oct.  1,  1917,to  the  5th  Nebr. 
was  changed  to  134th  Inf.  of  34th  Div.;  son  of 
Phillip  M.  and  Clarisa  (Nokes)  Pells,  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 

84 

GLENN  E.  BULLIS,'corp.,  b.  Grand  Island.  May 
IS,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge,  infantry,  Convales  center  Co.  C;  discharged 
Feb.  18,  1919;  son  of  J.  J.  and  Sophie  (Evans) 
Bnins,  Grand  Island. 


GLEN  A.  REED,  cadet  aviator,  b.  Ragan,  Neb., 
May  3,  1896  ;enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb,  Jan.  23,  1918 
Omaha,  Berkeley,  Dick  and  Taylor  Fields;  air  ser- 
vice aeronautics,  58th  squadron ;  discharged  at  Tay- 
lor Field,  Ala.,  Dec.  19,  1919;  now  a  student  at 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Willis  and  Margaret  S.  (Hern- 
doo)  Reed,  Grand  Island. 


ARMAND  LESCHINSKY,  private,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Mar.  16,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
21  1918;  Dodge,  la.;  field  artillery,  Bat.  F,  338, 
Drr.«8th;  son  of  Julius  P.  F.  and  Minnie  (Doll) 
Leschinsky.  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

525. 

WALTER  C.  MENMUIR,  bugler,  b.  Crawford, 
Nefc,  Nov.  28,  1887 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May 
2,1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Fremont,  Mills  and  Lee;  field 
artillery  ammunition  train,  Co.  D  Motor  Bn.,  8th 
Division;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  12,  1919; 
WW  cigar  maker;  son  of  John  and  Eliza  (Knott) 
Meamnir,  Kearney,  Neb. 


BERNARD  C.  DEMPSEY,  2nd  It.,  b.  Crete,  Neb., 
Aftg.  17,  1898;  enlisted  at  Washington  (Wenotcher) 
Apr.  29,  1917;  Lewis,  Green  and  Mills,  cavalry,  41st 
Wif,  1st  Corps;  was  in  battles  of  Marne,  Chateau- 

.  THerrvj  St  Mihiel  and  Argonne;  still  in  service  at 

j  Marseilles,  France,  doing  guard  duty ;  Gindercourt,. 

f  France,  Combat  officers  replacement,  A.  E.   F. ;   son 

f  of  C  C.  Dempsey,  Grand  Island.  Neb. 


CARL  LOCKETT,  private,  b.  Jefferson  City,  Mo., 
Nov.  10,  1889;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  May  2,  1918; 
Fremont,  Cal.,  artillery,  Div.  8th,  Co.  D.  ammuni- 
tion train  attached  to  the  81st  and  82d  F.  A.;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  1,  1919;  son  of  Wilson 
C.  and  Lena(Statts)    (Lockett)  Dixon. 


GEORGE  SEARLE  PALMER,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  17;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  29,  1918; 
Fnston  |and  Mills,  infantry,  Co.  K,  355,  89th  Div.; 
St.  Mihiel;  was  instantly  killed  in  drive  Sept.  12; 
son  of  Hiram  Jefferson  and  Antonette  (Griffin) 
Palmer,  Grand  Island,  Nebraska. 


JOHN  G.  BACON,  private,  b.  Powell,  Neb.,  Sep. 
9,  1896;  enlsted  at  Grand  Island,  May  25,  1918; 
Logan,  W infield  Scott,  Cal.,  Monroe,  Va.,  coast 
artillery,  9th  coast  defense;  transferred  on  Oct.  22, 
1918  to  coast  artillery  school  detcht.,  was  in  traning 
five  months;  discharged  Mar.  22,  19,  Dodge;  with 
U.  P.  R.  R.,  Grand  Island;  son  of  William  C.  and 
Mattie  E.    (Downey)    Bacon,  Grand  Island. 


JOHN  P.  RONEY,  1st  class  private,  b.  Indepen- 
dence, la.,  Sept.  9,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Oct.  23,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Vancouver,  Green  and 
Merritt;  engineers,  Co.  E,  4th,  5th  Div.;  Sector 
Marne  in  Aisne-Marne,  Vesle,  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse- 
Argonne,  Army  of  Occupation ;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
Aug.  4,  1919;  now  an  electrician  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Will  F.  and  Anna  (Sweeney)  Roney, 
Grand  Island. 


RAY  R.  MENCK,  radio  operator,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Aug.  18,  1894  ;■  enlisted  In  Hall  Co.,  June  IS, 
1917;  Great  Lakes  gov't  school  at  Minn..  Harvard 
University,  radio  service  on  freighter  Paysandu; 
on  sea.  radio  operator,  ship  Paysandu  care  P.  M. 
New  York ;  son  of  August  C.  and  Linnie  Menck, 
311  N.  Locust,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JIM  M.  BRYSON.  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  July 
5,  1900;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Nov.  4,  1918;  Cotton 
Uni.,  Lincoln,  S.  A.  T.  C.  Co  A;  discharged  Dec- 
ember 7,  1918;  now  living  at  Grand  Island,  farmer; 
son  of  S.  Y.  and  Julia  (Zuver)  Bryson.    ,Q^O 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


WILLIAM  CHARLES  McINTIRE  private,  b. 
Brady  Island,  Neb.,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
June  24,  1918;  Funs  ton  and  Benjamin  Harrison; 
engineers,  Co.  P  21st  Eng. ;  discharged  at  Benj. 
Harrison,  Nov.  29,  1918;  now  brakeman  at  Grand 
'  Island,  Neb. 


BYRLE  A.  AYRES,-  corporal,  b.  Cedar  Rapids, 

Neb.,  Aug.  10,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Hay  7,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Bliss,  Douglass,  Pike,  Jack- 
sonville, Camp  Logan,  Bowie,  infantry,  43d  reg., 
Co.  G;  kept  on  this  side  doing  guard  duty,  still  at 
Camp  Bowie,  Texas;  son  of  Rose  Tribble  (Ayres) 
Tredway,    1616   W.    Front   St.,   Grand   Island. 


HEROLD  W.  MICHELSON,  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  April  2,  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Sept.  1918; 
Kelly  Field;  air  service.  Co.  H,  8th  Squadron;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Feb.  4,  1919;  now  machinist 
it  Grand  Island;  son  of  Chris  and  Carrie  (Johnson) 
Mfchelson,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


Fhnston,  Ft.  Riley,  infantry,  Div.  89th,  Reg.  355,  Co. 
F;  discharged. at  Funston,  Nov.  30,  1917;  salesman; 
son  of  Marion  and  Sarah  (Cochran)  Irwin,  Newport, 
Oregon. 

VICTOR  R.  GOOD,  private,  b.  Nagpur,  India, 
April  17,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  15, 
1917;  Cody  and  Merritt;  infantry,  Co.  M  5th  Neb. 
N.  0.:  wounded  October  4,  1918;  still  in  service; 
son  of  Charles  H.  and  Malvina  (Winne)  Good, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LAWRENCE  C.  HANN,  b.  Grand  Island,  Feb.  15, 
1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918;  Riley 
and  Travis,  provisional  field  hospital  company,  com- 
pany 272,  18th  sanitary  train  of  18th  Div. ;  discharged 
at  Funston,  Jan.  26,  1919;  shipping  clerk  at  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Charles  A.  and  Louise  M.  (Seir) 
Harm,  Grand  Island. 


LEB]  A.  WOODWARD,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Greelv,  Neb.,  Jan.  7,  1898;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co., 
Aug  '2,  1918 ;  Logan,  Russell,  Flexico,  Wachuka, 
Cody,  H.  A.  Jones,  cavalry,  1st  U.  S.  Cavalry,  head- 
quarters troop,  15  Div.;  discharged  Mar.  3,  1919;  now 
with  Telephone  Co.,  Grand  Island  Neb.;  son  of 
Mrs.  C.  M.  Woodward,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


VIRGIL  S.  FISHEL,  private,  b.  Brown  Co.,  Nov. 
27,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  21,  1918; 
Dodge  and  Johnston,  Ga. ;  quartermaster  corps,  depot 
Brigade;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Mar.  24,  1919;  now 
mail  clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Jacob  W. 
and  Rachael  E.  (Fleener)  Pishel,  Grand  Island. 


Logan,  Bliss,  Elpaso,  Texas,  infantry,  Co.  16  Inf., 
1st  Div.;  Lorraine  sector,  was  in  battles  Lorraine, 
Toul,  Picardy,  and  Soissons ;  wounded  by  shrapnel, 
July  18,  1918;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  3.  1919; 
auto  mechanic;  son  of  John  M.  and  Ida  I.  (Reed) 
Garrett,  Kearney,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  P.  McSHANE,  private,  b.  Long  Pine, 
Neb.,  June  4,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
25,  1918;  Logan,  Humphreys,  engineers,  Reg.  127, 
Co.  A;  son  of  James  and  Margaret  E.  (McCrossin) 
McShane,  304  W.  11th  St.,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


LEONARD  GLENN  JONES,  b.  Lake  Island, 
Minn.,  Oct.  3,  1894;  enlisted  at  Minneapolis  Minn., 
July  25,  1918;  Wadworth,  S.  C.,  Hill,  Va„  infantry, 
56  Pioneer  inf.,  Co.  I ;  August  9,  1918,  transferred 
to  Co.  C,  4th  anti-aircraft  machine  gun  battallion; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  January  25,  1919;  clerk,  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Leonard  B.  and  Mattie  K.  Jones, 
Grand    Island 


FRED  ZLOMKE,  bugler,  b.  Long  Pine,  Neb., 
May  2,  1893;  enlisted  at  Neligh,  Sept.  22.  1917; 
Cody;  infantry,  Co.  C,  Reg.  134,  Div.  34;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  July  12,  1919;  employed  in  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Theodore  F  and  Bertha  (Baumeister)  Zlomke, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


THEOPHILIS  H.  EWING,  b.  Cameron  township, 
Feb.  6,  1891 ;  enlisted  for  four  years  at  Omaha,  Jan. 
2,  1918;  Goat  Island,  Cal.,  navy;  son  of  John  A. 
and  Laura  B.   (Dublis)   Ewing,  sec.  4,  Jackson  twp. 


EARL  E.  DAVISON,  sergeant,  b.  Hall  ca.  Neb,, 
May  22,  1897;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  5, 
B18;  Grant,  III.,  Hancock,  Ga.,  Dodge,  la.,  machine 
m  battalion,  Div.  19th,  Reg.  56,  Co.  B.;  discharged 
•*  Dodge,  la.,  Feb.  1,  1919;  son  of  Henry  and 
wfcel  M.(McCabe)   Davison. 


CHARLES  L.  HUFFMAN,  ship  fitter,  b.  McCook, 
Neb.,  May  19,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co..  May  30, 
1918;  Puget  Sound,  Mare  Island,  navy;  discharged 
Jan.  10,  1919;  switchman,  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Laura  E.  Shirley,  Grand  Island. 


RALPH  B.  JEWETT,  1st  Lt.,  b.  Wood  River, 
KA,  June  6th,  1886;  enlisted  at  Green  River,  Wyo., 
B17;  Ft.  D.  A.  Russell,  Wyo.,  medical  detach.,  148 
fald  art.  of  66,  F.  A.  brigade,  sent  to  Camp  Green 
on  Baltic;  was  in  the  fight  from  July  till  the  signing 
of  the  armistice ;  with  Army  of  Occupation  near  city 
«  Coblent,  Germany. 


WENDELL  A.  REED,  1st  class  seaman,  b.  Abbott, 
Neb.,  May  5,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island  for  four 
years,  April,  1917;  Great  Lakes,  navy,  on  S.  S. 
South  Carolina;  was  two  weeks  in  submarine  zone; 
still  in  service  transporting  troops;  son  of  J.  Alli- 
son and  Mary  A.  (Kreamer)  Reed 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


R.  HENRY  PETERS,  b.  Grand  Island,  Sept.  20, 
1888;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  June  17;  Ft.  Sheridan  and 
Ft  Logan;  intelligence  dept.,  33d;  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse- 
Argonne;  now  with  army  of  occupation  in  Luxem- 
burg, Germany;  architect;  son  of  Peter  B.  and 
Anna  (Holtorf)    Peters. 


389 
ADDIE  M.  SHEETS,  Jr.,  private,  b.  David  City, 
Neb.,  May  17,  1897;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Sept. 
13,  1918;  Funston,  infantry,  7th  Co.,  1st  Bn.,  164th 
Inf.;  discharged  Dec.  8,  1918,  at  Funston;  now  a 
pharmacist;  son  of  Addie  and  Kate  (Sailor)  Sheets. 


LAWRENCE  E.  TREAT,  sergeant,  b.  Lodge 
Pole,  Neb.,  Oct.  18,  1890;  joined  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb,  May  2,  1918;  Camp  Fremont,  Cal.,  Ammuni- 
tion train,  Co.  C,  8th  am.  train,  8th  dis. ;  discharged 
Mar.  28,  1919;  life  ins.,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Truda 
B.  Grafius   (mother),  Shelton,  Neb. 


ALBERT  M.  HOWARD,  private,  b.  Arkansas 
City,  Kansas,  March  30,  1896;  Dodge;  infantry.  Co. 
35  Depot  Brigade;  discharged  March  28,  1919;  now 
truckman  at  Grand  Island,  son  of  Charles  W.  and 
Susie  (Lane)  Howard,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


MERCER  M.  COATES,  2nd  cl  seaman,  b.  Omaha, 
Neb,  Jan.  21,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug. 
6,  1918;  U.  S.  N.  T.  S.  San  Francisco,  navy,  seaman 

Bard,  1st  Co.,  Main  Barracks;  discharged  at  Goat 
and,  San  Francisco,  Cal. ;  now  a  salesman  at 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Frank  J.  and  Mary  (Mattis) 
Coates,  Grand  Island. 


283 

RALPH  J.  HOLMES,  private,  b.  Wymore,  Neb., 
Oct.  4,  1893;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge,  infantry,  Co,  2d  Bat.,  163  depot  brigade; 
dicharged  Dec.  II,  1918;  now  in  Grand  Island;  son 
of  Margaret  E.  Holmes,  Wymore,  Neb. 


WILMER  H.  BIRK,  A.  1  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
May  9.  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Ieland,  July  IS,  1918; 
Ft.  Logan,  Lewis  and  Ft.  Omaha;  medical  corps, 
Base  Hospital  unit  91 ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  April 
6,  1919;  now  a  clerk,  American  R.  Express;  son  of 
Christian  P.  and  Hansine  (Peterson)   Birk. 


ZENAS  H.  BEERS,  wagoner,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Neb., 
Mar.  9,.  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July,  1918; 
Ft.  Schuyler,  Eustis,  Virginia,  and  Dodge ;  coast 
artillery,  Co.  16,  30;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Dec.  24, 
1918:  now  a  farmer  at  Doniphan,  Neb. ;  son  of 
Wallace  D.  and  Nellie  (Denman)  Beers,  Doniphan. 


WILLIAM  J.  MULLEN,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb- 
June  3,  1893;  enlisted  at  Laramie,  Wyo.,  May  25, 
1918;  Lewis,  American  Lake.  Wash.,  Co.  C,  361  inf., 
1st  Div.;  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne  Woods,  went  over 
top  twice;  wounded  three  times  by  shrapnel;  dis- 
charged Ft.   Russell,  Wyo. 

338 

CHARLES  SCOTT  WHITNAL,  U.  S.  N.  R.  F., 
b.  near  Utica,  Neb.,  Mar.  3,  1899;  enlisted  at  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  Oct.  3,  1918;  S.  N.  T.  C.  at  Lincoln,  navy, 
U.  S.  N.  R.:  released  Dec  20,  1918;  student,  State 
Union,  Lincoln  ;  son  of  Charles  and  May  Evealeen 
(Richmond)  Whitnal,  R.  R.  No.  3,  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 

JOHN  F.  KOCHLER,  reg.  supply  sergeant,  b, 
Cheney,  Neb.,  Jan.  26,  1887;  joined  Hall  County, 
Oct.  3,  1917 ;  Funston,  inf.  reg.  supply  service,  Supply 
Co.  355,  Inf.  89th  div.;  was  in  four  battles,  Lucey 
Sector  Mihiel  Euvezin,  M euse- Argonne ;  discharged 
June  2.  1919;  now  at  904  So.  A  st..  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb. ;    son  of  Anna  Luebben,  Grand   Island. 


32 

FRED  KRUSE,  private,  b.  Hall  County,  Feb.  26, 
1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  20,  1917;  Camp 
Funston,  341  Machine  Gun  Bn.,  Co.  B;  at  Marne, 
reported  missing  on  July  15,  1918,  and  reported 
killed  July  25;  son  of  Henry  and  Cynthia  (Walz) 
Kruse. 


lyiai.     1/ ,     107J,     cuuaLcu     w 

turned  home  Feb.  5,  1919. 


CLAUDE  MOORE,  1st  class  seaman,  b.  Golds- 
berry,  Mo.,  Aug.  4,  1901 ;  enlisted  at  Lexington.  Neb., 
Apr.  14,  1917;  Great  Lakes,  Boston,  Mass.,  navy; 
was  assigned  to  U.  S.  S.  Sigourney,  a  destroyer,  and 
in  the  overseas  fleet  and  through  tie  submarine  zone 
during  the  war;  is  still  in  service;  son  of  Joseph  H. 
and  Anna  M.  (Spake)  (Moore)  Gaisser,  1216  W. 
6th  St.,  Grand  Island. 


305 

WALTER  A.  SMITH,  sergeant,  b.  New  Helena, 
Neb.,  Dec.  30,  1892;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Nov.  25, 
1917;  Logan  and  Kelly  Field,  Mincola  Field,  air 
service,  (auto  submarine  service),  316  aero  squad- 
ron; discharged  Dec.  20,  1918;  physical  director  at 
West  Lawn,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Betty  E.  Smith, 
West  Lawn,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


DR.  L.  STARKEY.  captain,  b.  Richie  Co.  W. 
Va.,  March  16,  1865;  commissioned  captain,  July  9, 
1918;  Ft.  Riley,  attached  to  Base  Hospital,  Ft. 
Sam  Huston.  Texas;  discharged  Dec.  16.  1918;  now  a 
physician  and  surgeon  at  Wood  River,  Neb. 


HAL  JARVIS,  seaman,  b.  North  Loup,  Neb., 
Jan.  22.  1890;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  May  8,  1917; 
Great  Lakes  on  ship  New  Hampshire,  navy;  dis- 
charged Dec.  23,  1918;  furniture  dealer  in  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Mat  and  Elvina  Jarvis,  Grand  Island. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ADDISON  BLASS,  b.  Wood  River,  Neb.,  Sept. 
13,  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Jan.  7,  1918;  Great 
Lakes  and  Hampton  Roads,  navy,  served  on  battle- 
ship Massachusetts;  discharged  at  Philadelphia 
Naval  Yards,  Dec.  19,  1918;  son  of  Eva  (Ingraham) 
Blass,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


EMIL  WOLBACH,  2nd  lieut.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  24  1882;  enlisted  at  Newport  News,  Va.,  Aug. 
29,  1918;  Q.  M.  C;  had  charge  of  Clothing  Bn. 
General  Supply  Depot,  Port  of  Embarkation;  dis- 
charged at  Newport  News,  Va.,  Dee.  4,  1918;  now 
merchant;  son  of  S.  N.  and  Rose  Wolbach,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 


EDWARD  THOMAS  KELLY,  JR.,  private,  b. 
Wymore,  Neb.,  May  27,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  Mar.  7,  1918,  Kelly  Field-San  Antonio,  Texas, 
aviation,  squads  165  and  172,  ten  months  duty  in 
France  and  England ;  discharged  April  17,  1919 ; 
res.  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Edw.  T.  and  Rose 
M.  Kelly,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


CLAUDE  C.  CLARK,  jrivate,  b.  Redding,  la.,  Dec. 
8,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22.  1918; 
Lewis;  heavy  artillery,  Battery  F  39th  H.  F.  Art., 
13  Div.;  discharged  at  Lewis,  Jan.  21,  1919;  now  a 
farmer  at  Wilder,  Idaho;  son  of  Joe  and  Lillie 
Clark,  Scottsbluff,  Neb. 


ROBERT  L.  GREEN,  lieut.  b.  York,  Neb.,  Jan. 
28,  1892;  enlisted  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  June  10,  17; 
Oglethorpe,  Ga,;  attached  to  purchasing  board,  buy- 
ing horses  and  mules  for  the  government  in  Georgia, 
Alabama,  South  Carolina  and  Tennessee;  discharged 
Feb.  28,  1919;  veterinarian  at  Wood  River,  Neb.; 
son  of  Louis  P.  and  Anna  W.  (McGraw)  Green, 
York,  Neb. 


HARRY  OSBORN,  private,  b.  Tobias.  Neb. 
Jan.  20,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  4,  1917; 
Ftmston,  cook  in  infantry,  355th  Inf. ;  still  in  ser- 
vice; son  of  Volney  and  Katie  (Knapple)  Osborn, 
Grand   Island,  Neb. 


681 

LOUIS  CALOUD,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Jan. 
10,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  9,  1918; 
Ft.  Omaha,  Neb.;  clerk,  Neb.  Detch.  P.  M.  G. 
O.  Dept;  discharged  at  Ft.  Crook,  Omaha,  Jan. 
15,  1919;  now  clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


CHAS.  D.  HURLEY,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
July  6,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  7.  1917; 
Funston  and  Cody,  heavy  artillery,  Battery  F,  Reg. 
127,  Div  344;  was  found  physically  disqualified; 
discharged  at  Cody,  June  18,  1918;  now  gas  laborer 
at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  James  W.  and  Linnie  M. 
(True)  Hurley,  Grand  Island. 


559 

LEE  E.  STIERS,  private,  b.  Alta  Vista,  Kan., 
Sept.  1,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  6,  1918; 
Ft.  Omaha,  aeronautics,  47th  Balloon  Co.;  dis- 
charged at  Ft.  Omaha,  Feb.  8,  1919;  now  a  sales- 
man at  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


FAY  E.  CRAMER,  sergeant,  b.  Beatrice,  Neb., 
Dec.  25,  1895;  enlisted  at  Denver,  Colo..  Aug.,  1917; 
Logan,  Riley,  Dix,  med  corps,  26th  Engineers:  still 
at  Nuef  Chateau,  France;  son  of  W.  H.  and  Lucy 
Cramer,  310  W.  Sth,  Grand  Island,  Neb.  Was  pro- 
moted to  sergeant  about  May,  1918,  was  on  fur- 
lough to  Rome  wihle  there. 


MERTIE  I.  JOHNSON,  nurse,  R.  N.  b.  Abbott, 
Neb.,  Feb.  23,  1890;  enlisted  at  Council  Bluffs,  Dec. 
22,  1917 ;  equipped  at  Ellis  Island ;  army  nurse  corps 
reserve;  Hospital  Unit  K,  Mobile  Hospital  No.  I; 
discharged  April  26,  1919;  now  home  nursing,  assist- 
ant to  superintendent  of  Grand  Island  hospital;  son 
of  John  L.  and  Jane  H.  (Haldorson)  Johnson, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JOE  C.  KREHMKE.  corporal,  b.  Hall  county, 
Dec.  16,  1889;  enlisted  in  Hall  county,  July  21.  1918, 
Dodge,  motor  transport  corps,  19th  Div.,  Co.  F 
discharged  Feb.  13,  1919;  now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. 
son   of   Augusta   Krehmke,   Grand    Isalnd. 


MAYNARD  I.  HUMPHREY,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb., 
Feb.  18,  1895;  enlisted  Sept.  6,  1917;  Funston  and 
Dix,  N.  J.,  Inf.,  89  reg.,  355th  Co.  F;  Oct.  3,  1918  to 
Toul  Sector,  took  part  in  battles  of  Meuse  and 
Argonne;  discharged.  Dodge,  la.,  June  9,  1919;  now 
resides  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  George  H.  and 
Nancy    (Monroe)   Humphrey, 


FRED  J.  TODSEN,  private,  b.  Dannebrog,  Neb., 
April  17.  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Aug.  15, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan  and  Humphreys,  Va.;  enginerrs, 
19th  Recruit  at  Logan;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan. 
11,  1919;  now  an  auto  mechanic  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb. ;  son  of  Peter  and  Emma  Todsen,  Grand  Island. 


JOSEPH  BRABANDER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  April  27,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June 
22,  1918;  Dodge,  la.  ;  Co.  G  87th  Inf.,  Div.  19;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  Jan.  26,  1919;  now  a  carpenter 
at  Grand  Island, Neb.;  son  of  Caret  and  Louise 
(Manky)    Brabander,  Grand   Island. 


S3  6  A 

OREN  E.  CUNNINGHAM,  private,  b.  Elmo, 
Mo.,  Aug.  22,1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Neb., 
May  25,  1918;  Jefferson  Barracks  and  Camp  Hum- 
phreys; engineers  Co.  E,  3d;  was  placed  in  railroad 
transportation  corps,  at  St.  Nazaire  and  Nantes;  dis- 
charged at  Mills,  July  16,  1919;  now  expressman  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  William  and  Balsa  Leah 
(Peery)Cunningham,  Grand  Island. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


8,  1917;  Ft  Leavenworth,  Kan, 
Co.  B  7th  Engineers,  saw  service  in  St  Mihiel  sector 
and  Argonne,  Mouse ;  now  overseas  with  army  of 
occupation,  A.  E.  F.  Luxemburg;  son  of  A.  C.  Hut- 
ton,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


ROBERT  B.  RAY,  pri 


1918;  field  artillery  replt.  unassigned,  Zachary  Taylor, 
Ky.,  13th  observation  Bat.,  47th  Training;  discharged 
at  Zachary  Taylor,  Ky.,  Dec.  3,  1918;  son  qf  Archi- 
bald M.  and  Rachael  (McCormick)  Ray,  Grand 
Island,  Neb. 

364 

WILLIS.  F.  REED,  corporal,  h.  Scammonville, 
Kan.,  Dec  31,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct. 
22,  1917;  Leavenworth,  engineers,  7th  U.  S.  Eng., 
Co.  A,  Sth  Div.;  at  Vosges  Mts.,  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne 
Forest;  still  in  service  doing  infantry  work;  son  of 
J.  A.  Reed,  Cairo,  Neb. 

n 

HERMAN  A.  OLSON,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Mar.  18,  1890;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb..  Sept.  1,  1918; 
Austin,  Texas,  St.  Paul.  Minn.,  Ft  Wayne,  Mich., 
aviation  squadron ;  discharged  at  St.  Paul,  Minn., 
Dec.  21,  1918;  son  of  Oliver  B.  and  Augusta  F. 
(Wahlstrand)    Olson,   322    W.    11th    St.,   Grand    Is- 

377 
GEORGE  C.  YOST,  pvt.,  b.  Warsaw,  Neb.,  Mar. 

25,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  I,  1917;  Ft. 
Logan,  Ft.  Riley,  and  Grant,  medical  corps,  am- 
bulance Co.  40,  then  to  ambulance  Co.  18;  Field 
Hospital  21,  medical  detach,  of  36th  Eng;,  went  to 
France,  Combat  officers  replacement.  A.  E.  F.;  son 
in  service  as  driver  at  Gieaeres,  France;  son  of 
Charles  and  Aderlia  (Yost)  Greenfield,  Scotia,  Neb. 

HAROLD  E.  WION  private,  b.  Tony  county, 
Mo.,  Sept.  20,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
Feb.  24,  1918,  Aviation,  Ft.  Logan,  Colo,  Kellv 
Field,  Newport  News,  Leavenworth,  Kan^  503d 
Aero  Squadron ;  mechanic  in  motor  cycle  section ; 
son  of  Warren  O.  and  Myrtle  (Davy)  Wion,  1623 
W.  12th  St..  Grand  Island.  Neb.  Still  in  the  ser- 
vice, June  26,  1919,  at  Ft.  Leavenworth,  Kan. 

438 

HENRY  W.  DANNELL,  corp.,  b.  Germany,  Mar. 
20,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  14,  1918; 
Hancock.  Ga. ;  ordinance,  R.  R.  Art.  Ord.  Detch.; 
base  section  No.  1,  St.  Nazaire;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  June  2,  1919;  now  a  machinist  at  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb. 

WILLIAM  F.  HAACK,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  8,  1895;  joined  at  Grand  Island,  Neb,  May 
28,  1918;  Dodge,  la.,  Merrill,  N.  Y,  field  artillerv, 
88  Div.  Reg.  338,  Battery  A ;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
la.,  May  10;  living  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  John 
H.  and  Matildia  (Koester)  Haack,  622  N.  Elm  st, 
Grand  Island.    Transferred  to  Co.  F  35th  Engineers. 

224 

CHARLES  C.  TOWN,  1st  Lt,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb..  Dec.  26,  1892;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Neb,  Aug. 

26,  1917;  Snelling,  Munroe;  E14  Howetz  art;  was 
in  France  at  Lorraine  sector;  discharged  Feb.  15, 
1919  at  Ft  Tooten,  N.  Y.;  now  at  San  Francisco; 
son  of  Chas.  E.  and  Weltha  H,  (Niles)  Town, 
Wood  River,  Neb. 


CECIL  SHERER,  engine  man  1st  class,  b.  Aurora, 
Neb.,  Oct  25,  1882;  re-enlisted  at  Omaha,  Dec.  26 
1917 ;  navy,  four  years  previous  service  in  navy 
1903  to  1907,  sent  to  Philadelphia  navy  yards  assigned 
to  U.  S.  S.  Henderson,  Trans.,sailed  for  France, 
landed  at  LaPollice,  France,  cargo  consisted  of 
R.  R.  supplies;  son  of  Jacob  and  Rhoda  (Evans) 
Was  injured  on  second  trip  and  returned 
League  Island  Hospital. 


THOMAS  A.  JOHNSON,  set,  of  ordinance,  b: 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  July  16,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  June  14,  18;  Univ.  at  Lincoln,  Neb, 
Camp  Hancock,  Ga,  ordinance,  6h  Casual  Co.,  reg. 
2  provisional ;  discharged,  Hancock,  Ga.,  Jan.  22, 
1919;  machinist,  406  W.  Koenig  st.  Grand  Island; 
son  of  William  and  Katherine  (Benson)  Johnson,' 
Grand  Island  Nebraska. 


JOSIAH  LEE  ROSE,  fireman  3d  class;  b.  Grand 
Island,  April  10,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  6,  1918;  Great  Lakes  Tr.  St  navy,  Reg.  17, 
Co.  16;  son  of  Charles  and  Mary  I,  (Snyder)  Rose, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  John  Sr.,  and  Cecilia 
Camp  Ross,  Great  Lakes,  then  to  Co.  38,  9th  Bn,  12th 
Reg.,  Camp  Decatur,  then  Jan.  8,  1919  to  operating 
base,   Norfolk,  Va. 


MORRISON  B.  PIERCE,  1st  cl.  baker,  b.  Custer 
county.  Neb.,  Nov.  22,  1890;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb, 
May  7,  1917;  navy,  commissary  dept,  Co.  G,  Reg. 
2,  G.  L.  Naval  Sta. ;  discharged  at  Great  Lakes 
Naval  Tra-  Sta.,  Aug.  23,  1919;  now  a  cement 
worker  at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  James  M.  and 
Minnie  B.   Pierce,  Grand  Island. 


CLYDE  W.  NIELSON,  sergeant,  b.  Hall  county, 
July  25,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb,  Oct. 
5,  1917;  Ft.  Logan.  Madison  Barracks  quarter- 
master dept.;  discharged  May  20,  1919;  now  clerk- 
ing at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son  of  N.  C.  Neilson,  Cairo. 

toe 
JOSEPH  THEODORE  LECHNER,  sergeant,  b. 
Grand  Island,  Feb.  2,  1888;  enlisted  at  Omaha, 
June  17,  1917;  Tavlor,  Louisville,  Ky.,  Sherman, 
Medical  Corps,  Chillicothe,  335  Ambulance  Co.,  Sani- 
tary Train  84th  Div.  Performed  ambulatory  ser- 
vice for  26th  div.  in  rest  area  near  Clamout ;  at- 
tached to  5th  army  corps  for  similar  work ;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la..  May  1,  1919;  2008  N.  20th 
Omaha,  Neb.;  son  of  Frank  P.  and  Margretta  C. 
(Klingel)   Lechner,  223  N.  Hart  ave.,  Grand  Island. 


WALTER  R.  FREITAG.  Corp.,  b.  Grand  Island. 
Neb.,  Jan.  18,  1892;  joined  at  Kansas  City,  J'me  23, 
1916;  Dompham,  artillery,  129  Field  Reg.,  3S  Div., 
Bat  B.  Saw  service  at  Vosges,  St.  Mihiel,  Ar- 
gonne, Verdun,  Conflans;  discharged  Mav  6,  1919. 
Grand  Island;  son  of  Robert  and  Hanna  (Spethman) 
Freilag,  Los  Angeles. 


MILLARD  TOMPSON,  1st  sergeant,  b.  Hall  Co., 
Neb.,  Dec  5,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Oct. 
6,  1917;  Ft,  Logan,  Madison  Base  and  Mills,  quarter- 
master's department ;  discharged  April,  1919 ;  now  at 
Cairo,  Neb. ;  son  of  John  Tompson,  Cairo,  Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL,  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


DEO  BRADSTREET,  corporal,  b.  Sioux  City,  la., 
July  6,  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  3,  1917 ; 
Funstoti,  Kan.,  infantry,  Co,  I,  Reg,  3SS,  Div.  89th ; 
went  to  front  lines  July,  sector,  St.  Mihiel,  with 
A.  E.  F.  on  the  St  Mihiel  offensive;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  la..  May  20,  1918;  now  with  sales  dept.  of 
horse  com.,  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Thomas  E. 
and  Luella  (Bidinger)  Bradstreet,  Grand  Island. 


J.  WARREN  ADAMS,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
June  9,  1900;  enlisted  at  Lincoln.  Neb.,  Oct.  26, 
1918;  Co.  A,  Bethany,  Neb.;  discharged  at  Bethany, 
Neb.,  Dec  7,  1918;  son  of  James  W.  and  Mary  M. 
(Douglas)  Adams,  214  W.  7th,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


DANIEL  H.  STAHNECKER,  seaman  2d  class, 
b.  Gtltner,  Neb.,  Oct.  28,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Is- 
land, May  5,  1918;  Great  Lakes,  Philadelphia  and 
Simms;  navy;  injured  from  a  fall  Aug.  2,  1918; 
discharged  at  Brooklyn  N.  J.  Hospital,  Jan.  4,  1919; 
now  a  farmer  near  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Wil- 
liam and  Pheobe  (Houck)  Stahnecker,  Grand  Island. 


WM.  E.  FRANK,  second  lieut..  b.  Grand  Island, 
May  29,  1890;  enlisted  at  Des  Moines,  la.,  May  15, 
1918;  Taylor,  Ft  Bliss,  Tex.,  field  artillery,  head- 

?uarters  Co.,  82d  field  artillery,  discharged  Jan.  10, 
919;  215  W.  8th,  Grand  Island,  agriculture;  son 
of  Wm.  and  Mattie  Frank,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


WILLIAM  J.  RAY.  b.  Grandbury.  Tex.,  Oct.  2, 
1896;  enlisted  at  College  Station,  Tex.,  May  IS, 
1918;  Jackson,  S.  Car.,  field  artillery,  1st  training 
battery,  officers'  training.  Camp  Grant;  discharged 
at  Ft.  Russell,  Wyo.,  July  8,  1919;  now  with  Swift 
&  Co.,  Stock  Exch.,  Kansas  City,  Mo. ;  son  of  Will 
G.  and  Cora  (Lee)  Ray,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


CHARLES  V.  CONNOR,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Oct.  19. 
1894;  enlisted  Oct.  3,  1917;  Funston,  infantry,  Co. 
9,  355  Inf.,  89th  Div.;  son  of  Thomas  H.  and 
Elizabeth    (Quinian)   Connor. 


JOHN  C.  HUEBNER,  2d  class  seaman,  b.  Hall 
Co.,  June  30,  1891 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
Dec.  1,  1917;  Great  Lakes,  navy;  discharged  for 
disability;  farmer;  son  of  Christ  and  Barbara  (Bixe- 
mann)   Huebner. 


THOMAS  E.  NEVILLE,  1st  class  chauf.,  b. 
Wood  River,  Neb.,  Oct.  4.  1893;  enlisted  at  Salt 
Lake,  Utah;  Douglas,  McArthur,  Waco;  aviation 
signal  corps;  discharged  at  Ft.  Sill,  Mar.  26,  1919; 
auto  mechanic;  son  of  Thomas  and  Mary  (Francis) 
Neville, 


WESLEY  A.  SOLAND,  private,  b.  Doniphan, 
Sept.  15,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Dec.  11, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Kelly  Field  McArthur  and  Mills; 
aviation,  837  Aero  Squadron ;  discharged  at  Funston, 
Dec.  24,  1918;  son  of  John  and  Hattie  (Beel) 
Soland,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


JOHN  H.  SUTHERLAND,  b.  Maxcreek,  Mo.; 
enlisted  at  Wichita,  Kan.,  Nov.  12,  1917;  Doniphan; 
artillery,  Co.  E,  Reg.  110,  Div.  35;  Sector  Vosges 
in  Argonne,  Verdun,  St.  Mihiel;  discharged  at  Fun- 
ston, May  5,  1919;  now  delivery  clerk  at  U.  P.,  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Bailey  and  Fannie  (Carmen)  Suther- 
land, Enid,  Oklahoma. 


KATHERINE  P.  ROCHE,  Red  Cross  nurse,  b. 
Wood  River,  Neb.,  Mar.  17,  1883;  enlisted,  Denver 
Unit.  Aug.  17,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  nurse,  duty  in  B.  H.; 
at  Ft.  Riley,  nurse  headquarters  at  New  York  until 
July  12,  sailed  on  Olympia,  arrived  South  Hampton, 
Engl.,  July  19,  went  direct  to  American  hos.  at 
London,  base  hos.  29,  until  Feb.  12,  1919,  when  unit 
sailed  for  home;  discharged  at  Wood  River,  Neb., 
Mar.  27,  1919;  daughter  of  Timothv  and  Johanna  C. 
(Carey)   Roche,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


CLARENCE  P.  STREET,  orderly,  b.  Lincoln, 
Neb.,  July  28,  189S;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June  25, 
1918;  Riley  and  Merritt,  med.  corps;  still  in  Base 
Hospital  No.  S3  A.  P.  0.,  Tangre,  France ;son  of 
Clyde  and  Nova  Street,  318  E.  1st  st.,  Grand  Island. 


EDWARD  T.  MANKIN,  G.  M.  3  C.  A.,  b.  Grand  LOUIE  BLACK,  mechanic,  b.  Burt  Co.,  Neb..  Oct. 

Island,  Dec  27,  1899;  enlisted  at  Kansas  City,  Mo.,  12,   1893;  enlisted  at  Grand   Island,  May  28.  1918; 

July  19,  1918;  Boone  and  Dewey,  aviation,  Co.  W,  Dodge,  machine  gun,  Co.  A  338th  Mach.  Gun  Bn.; 

ISth  Reg.;  discharged  Apr.  3,  1919;  now  a  machinist  gassed  slightly;  discharged  at  Dodge,  June  15,  1919; 

at  Grand  Island,   Neb. ;    son  of  Dorethea  Mankin,  now  farming  near  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Henry  and 

Grand  Island,  Neb.  Caroline  (Rhue)  Black,  Grand  Island. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ALBERT  A.  BEAGLE,  A  I  private,  b.  Grand 
Island,  April  13,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  1,  1918;  Fremont,  Mills,  Lee,  field  artillery,  Co. 
C  Ami.  81st,  discharged  at  Dodge,  Feb.  12,  1819; 
salesman;   son   of  Albert   and   Nettie  Beagle,  Grand 

ED.  J.  BRASE,  band  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island,  May 
30,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  28,  1918; 
Dodge;  field  artillery,  headquarter  338,  div.  88th; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan.  12,  1919;  musician;  son 
of  Dick  and  Anna  (Seaman)  Brase,  603  W.  Louise 
St.,  Grand  Island. 

WALTER  BECKER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Aug.  12,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  15, 
1918;  Funston;  infantry,  10  div.  6  inf.  Co.  A;  dis- 
charged Jan.  10,  1919;  Alexander  store;  son  of  Win. 
H.  and  Minnie   ( Stottenberg)   Becker,  Grand  Island. 

BERT  WILSON,  private,  b.  Hall  Co.,  Aug.  30, 
1890),  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  15,  1918; 
Lincoln;  machine  gun  CO.,  Company  A  35th  div.; 
discharged  May,  19,  1919;  farmer  at  Doniphan;  son 
of  Kate   Wilson,  Doniphan. 


GUY  L.  BENSON,  held  in  officers 
M.  construction,  b.  Columbus,  Neb,  June  19,  1886; 
enlisted  in  New  York;  officers  reserve,  Q.  M.  con- 
struction; in  service  in  reserve;  421  W.  11th,  Grand 
Island ;  son  of  George  and  Lulu  Benson,  White 
Swan,  Washington. 

HARRY  E.  BOWMAN,  private,  b.  Corven,  Ohio, 
April  13,  1892;  enlisted  at  Hastings,  Neb.,  July  15, 
1917;  Cody;  2d  inf.  34th  reg.  34th  div.;  discharged 
May  26,  1918;  Grand  Island;  son  of  John  H.  Bow- 
man, Inland,  Neb. 

ANDY  BAKALAR,  private,  b.  Streator,  111, 
Oct.  15,  1890;  enlisted  at  Colorado  Springs,  Colo, 
June,  1916;  Logan.  Dodge  and  Riley;  82d  cavalry, 
«2d  div.;  discharged  Sept.  23,  1918;  son  of  John 
Bakalar,  Streator,  111. 

LEROY  C.  WAFFLE,  corp,  b.  Omaha,  Neb., 
March  19,  1896;  enlisted  at  Columbus,  Neb,  Oct.  6. 
1917;  Funston,  Kansas;  artillery,  Co.  G  314th  am- 
munition train;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la,  June  4, 
1919;  son  of  Clark  and  Lena  (Cleveland)  Waffle, 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 

CARL  G.  BEUDER,  sergt,  b.  Madison,  Neb, 
May  3,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec.  12, 
1917 ;  Ft.  Riley,  medical  dept,  Base  Hospital  Detch. ; 
discharged  at  Ft.  Riley,  May  16,  1919;  now  a  clothier 
at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Fred  Bender,  Madison,  Neb. 

L.  W.  BOYER,  1st  class  electrician,  b.  Rice 
County  Kansas,  Aug.  24,  1887;  enlisted  at  Omaha, 
May  30,  1918;  Mare  Island  and  Goat  Island;  navy, 
radio  station;  discharged  at  Mare  Island.  Dec.  19, 
1918;  now  with  associated  press;  son  of  William 
and  Ella  (Fisher)  Boyer. 

HOWARD  AUKERMAN,  corp,  b.  Lincoln,  Neb, 
June  19,  1891;  enlisted  April  2,  1918;  Funston, 
machine  gun  co,  355th  reg,  89th  div. :  in  St.  Mihiel 
to  Argonne  battles;  discharged  at  Funston,  June 
2,1919;  now  a  flour  packer;  son  of  John  W.  and 
Elva    (Tambling)   Aukenuan,  Calipatria,  Cat. 


CLARENCE  E.  ANDERS*""" 
Neb,  April  14,  1893;  enlisted 
28,  1918;  field  artillery,  light 
88th  div.;Officers  training  sch 
Ky. ;  discharged  at  Stanley, 
son  of  Charles  and  Ellen 
Grand  Island. 

DANIEL  GATES,  b.  Ha 
1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Islan 

Funston  and  Upton;   infantrj 
neer ;    discharged  at   Dodge, 

chauffer  at  Grand  Island;  soi 
nece  (Briley)  Gates,  Hastings 

LEON  O.  GREEN,  sgt,  b 
1,  1895 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Isl; 
Field,  Morrison,  Va. ;  air  se 
on  Flanders  front;  discharge 
1919;  railway  clerk  at  Grand 
H.  and  Mardelena,   (Cotton) 

JAMES  GROSSART,  pri 
ville,  Scotland,  July  9,  1881 ;  e 
Jul--  20.  1918;  Logan  and  Ro 
Co,,  53d  reg.  C.  A.  C. ;  dis 
March  29,  1919;  now  a  pai 
son  of  John  and  Celia  (Bain] 

LAWRENCE  GROSSAr 
Wolbach,  Neb.,  Sept.  14,  18S 
Neb.,  Jan.  28,  1918;  McAr 
re.  64,  div.  7 ;  on  front  lines 
June  26;  now  a  carpenter  s 
John  and  Mary  (Boehm)  Grc 

J.  C.  JENSEN,  b.  Demr 
Hjoring;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Riley  and  Merritt;  medical  o 
12;  discharged  at  Dodge,  J 
baker  at  Grand  Island,  Nel 
Elsie  M.  (Jorgensen)  Jen? 
Hjoring. 

JAMES  S.  JOHNSTON,  t 
1898;  enlisted  May  9,  1917; 
5th  Neb.,  134th,  34th  Div. ; 
May  21,  1919;  now  farming  a 
Ben  and  Rose  Johnston,  Ph 

W.  L.  BRUNNER,  lstcl. 
Neb,  May  25,  1896;  enlisted 
4,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  medical 
6th  Div. ;  in  Argonne  Forest 
Field,  Long  Island,  June  27, 
Wood  River,  Neb. ;  son  c 
(Satone)   Brunner,  Wood  R 

THEADORE  JESSON,pri 
Island,  Oct.  9,  1894;  enlisted 
4,  1917;  Funston;  infantry, 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la,  ) 
druggist  at  Grand  Island; 
Petra  Jesson,  Grand   Island 

OLAF  JOHNSON,  buglet 
1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Isl; 
Logan  and  Dougals;  infantr 
discharged  Oct.    14,   1918; 


jorg  (Miller)  Johnson,  Norv 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


BERNARD  E.  FARRIS,  b.  Greely  Co.,  March 
28,  1895;  enlisted  at  Greely,  Neb.,  May  27,  19(8: 
Dodge  and  Upton;  infantry,  Co.  A,  350  leg.,  88th 
Div. ;  in  front  lines;  discharged  at  Dodgi,  June  6, 
1919;  now  a  machinist  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Tena 
B.  Farris,  Grand  Island. 

WILLIAM  E.  FRANCIS,  private,  b.  Wood 
River,  Nebraska;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  Neb- 
July  21,  1919;  Dodge;  infantry,  163  Inf.  and  87th 
Inf.;  son  of  M.  S.  and  Sarah  Francis,  Wood  River. 

ROGER  V.  FRANCIS,  private,  b.  Wood  River, 
Neb.,  Aug.  15,  1890;  enlisted  at  Potter,  Nebraska; 
Funston;  medical  corps;  now  a  druggist  at  Potter, 
Neb.;  son  of  Patrick  and  Mary  (McNamarra) 
Francis,  Wood  River,  Neb. 

WILLIAM  A.  FISHER,  corp.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Mar  9,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 

19,  1917;  Funston,  Cody,  Sill  and  Upton;  artillery. 
Headquarter  Co.,  127th  Reg.  Heavy  K.  A.;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Jan.  26,  1919;  now  a  fanner  at 
Grand  Island;  son  of  August  and  Mary  (Everhart) 
Fisher,  Grand   Island. 

DELBERT  FITZSMYNONS,  prvt.,  b.  Doniphan, 
Neb.,  May  22,  1898 ;  enlisted  at  Alliance,  Neb.,  Sept. 

20,  1917;  Logan,  Kearney  and  Humphreys;  engi- 
neers, 216  Eng,  2d  att.  10  Div.;  wounded  twice  by 
shell;  discharged  Jan.  2,  1919;  son  of  Frank  and 
Isabelle  (Carson)   Fitzsmynons,  Portland,  Oregon. 

RAYMOND  FARABEE,  private,  b.  Doniphan, 
Neb.,  May  4,  1897;  enlisted  at  Cheyenne,  Wyo., 
May  28,  1918;  coast  artillery,  Ft.  Logan,  Presido 
and  Ft.  Baker;  11th  Co.;  discharged  at  Ft.  Scott, 
Dec.  16,  1919;  now  farming  at  Doniphan,  Neb.; 
son  of  Mrs.  Rose  (Cavaugh)  Farabee,  Brimington, 
Illinois. 

HARRY  EHMCKE,  mac.  2d  class,  b.  Fremont, 
Neb.,  Feb.  19,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Dec. 
22,  1917;  submarine  service  U.  a  S.  R17.C1  and 
C3;  discharged  at  Panama,  Feb.  12,  1919;  now  a 
machinist  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Fred  and  Emma 
Ehmcke. 

RALPH  DIXON,  private,  -st  class,  b.  Jefferson 
City,  Mo.,  March  7,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  7,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Ft.  Bliss  and  Syracuse; 
artillery,  Battery  B,  4th  F.  A.,  Div.  2;  since  sailing 
no  word  has  ever  been  heard  of  him;  son  of  Thomas 
P.  and  Lena   (Statt.s)    Dixon,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

JAMES  C.  DAVIS,  private  1st  class,  b.  Hamburg, 
la.,  Nov.  20,  1886;  enlisted  at  Osceloa,  Neb.,  July 
2S,  1918;  Dodge  and  Ft.  Leavenworth;  signal  corps, 
422d  telegraph  Bn. ;  discharged  at  Funston,  Kan., 
Feb.  12,  1919;  now  a  chauffer  at  Grand  Island;  son 
of  James  H.  and  Caroline  (Woodard)  Davis. 

LESLIE  DAUGHERTY,  b.  Scotia,  Neb.,  May 
5,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,'  Neb.,  Oct.  27, 
1917;  Funston  and  Upton;  infantry,  Co.  C  365,  89th 
and  92d ;  Argonne  Forest ;  discharged  at  Dodge, 
Mar  18,  1919;  now  a  chauffer  at  Grand  Island;  son 
of  John  and  Alice  (Bridewell)  Daugherty,  Hastings, 
Nebraska. 


CONRAD  T.  DILLON,  seaman,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.,  Aug.  3,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island 
for  four  years.  Dee.  1918 ;  Great  Lakes  and  Charles- 
ton; navy;  son  of  Thomas  M.  Dillon,  Grand  Island. 

JOSEPH  McKINLEY  DERMAN.  ph.  m.  1st  el., 
b.  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Dec.  17,  1892;  enlisted  at 
Kansas  City,  Mo.,  April  16,  1917 ;  St.  Louis  and 
Great  Lakes;  seaman;  discharged  at  Great  Lakes. 
Feb.  12 ;  now  a  pharmacist  at  Omaha,  Neb. ;  son  of 
J.  A.  and  Belle  Derman,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

CLAUDE  P.  DONOVAN,  b.  Lincoln.  Neb..  Jan. 
26, 1902;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  31.  1919;  A. 
A.  Humphreys,  Va.;  eng,  corps,  volunteered  with 
Co.  A  1st  Gas  regiment,  chemical  warfare;  gassed 
Oct.  8,  1918;  discharged  at  Dodge,  la,  Feb.  2,  1919; 
now  a  post  office  clerk;  son  of  Mrs.  Maude  A. 
Donovan,  Grand  Island,  Neb, 

RALPH  A.  CASE,  private,  b.  Fullerton,  Neb.. 
June  8,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  June 
24,  1918;  Funston  and  Dodge;  infantry,  Headquar- 
ters Co.,  349th.  88th;  sector  Haute;  discharged  at 
Mills,  N.  Y.,  June  3,  1919;  enlisted  on  same  date  as 
discharged  for  3  vears  service  in  Canal  Zone ;  son  of 
Silas  N.  and  Josephine   (McGrath)    Case. 

LESTER  S.  CISCO,  private,  b.  Clay  Co.,  Neb- 
Jan.  2,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  June 

14,  1918 ;  Uni.  of  Lincoln  and  Zachary  Taylor ;  me- 
chanical, Co.  C.  discharged  at  Taylor  K.,  Oct.  10, 
1918;  now  an  electrical  operator  at  Boelus,  Neb.; 
son  of  Leon  and  Margaret  L.  (White)  Cisco,  Hast- 
ings, Nebr. 

HAROLD    K,    CATES,   b.    Juniata,    Neb..    Aug. 

15,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Mar.  16, 
1917;  Logan,  San  Antonio,  Bowie  and  Buffalo; 
quartermaster,  motor  truck  Co.  64;  now  a  chauffer 
at  Wood  River,  Neb.;  son  of  Charles  and  Carrie 
Cates,  Wood  River,  Neb. 

LEO  A.  CORBETT,  1st  class  private,  b.  Neola 
Don  van,  June  1,  1890;  enlisted  at  Avoca,  Iowa, 
June  25,  1918 ;  Pike,  Ark. ;  signal  corps,  90th  Train- 
ers Battalion;  discharged  at  Pike,  Ark.,  Nov.;  now 
a  telephone  foreman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son 
of  Michael  and  Margarate  (Kennedy)  Corbett, 
Neola,  Iowa. 

WARREN  W.  CONNELL,  1st  lieut.,  b.  Clare- 
mont,  Minn.,  April  16,  1893;  enlisted  at  Faribault, 
Minn.,  June  18,  1917;  Cody,  N.  M.;  infantry.  Head- 
quarters Co.,  2d  Minn.;  discharged  at  Grant.  111., 
March  4,  1919;  son  of  Williams  and  Mary  (Dennis) 
Connell,  Ctar 


EMMETT  COSTELLO,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  Nov.  30,  1896;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan,  Nov.  9, 
1917;  Presido,  Mills,  and  St.  Emillion;  heavy  art- 
Bat.  Supply  Co.,  Reg.  62,  33d  Brigade;  discharged  at 
Ft.  Logan,  Mar.  4,  1919;  son  of  Thomas  and  Francis 
(Harman)  Costello,  Omaha,  Neb. 

THEODORE  EARL  BEUCHLER,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.,  enlisted  at  West  Point,  N.  Y,  June 
14,  1914;  Ft.  SilL  Taylor  and  Lewis;  field  artillery. 


Buechler,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


HISTORY  OF  HULL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


JOHN  S.  BENTZ,  b.  Mennow,  S.  Dak,  March 

20,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  3,  1917; 
Vail,  N.  Y.;  signal  Corps,  Co.  D,  408th  File  Bn.; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  May  20,  1919;  now  a  lineman; 
son  of  Jacob  and  Christina  (Stroh)  Bentz,  Fairfax, 
South  Dakota. 

FRITZ  BERNSTEIN,  b.  Grand  Island,  Nov.  2, 
1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Sept.  19,  1917; 
Funston  and  Mills;  signal  corps,  Co.  C,  Reg.  314, 
Div.  89;  in  battles  of  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne; 
discharged  at  Funston,  June  10,  1919;  now  an  elec- 
trician ;  son  of  Theodore  and  Wiecke  (Voss)  Bern- 
stein, Richmond,    Illinois. 

JAMES  E.  BILLINGS,  b.  Fancy  Co,  Mo,  Jan. 

21,  1895;  enlisted  at  Dodge,  May  28,  1918;  Mills; 
artillery,  Co.  Headquarters,  Reg.  338,  Div.  88;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  Jan.  16.  1919;  now  a  farmer  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb;  son  of  Ora  J.  Billings,  Fuller- 
ton,  Neb. 

LEWIS  CARROLL  BROWN,  sergt,  b.  Ponca, 
Neb.,  Dec.  23,  1899;  enlisted  at  Superior,  Wis., 
July  13,  1918;  Jefferson  Barracks,  Williams  and  Mc- 
Kinley;  discharged  April  2.  1919;  now  in  real  estate 
and  insurance;  son  of  Jess  K.  and  Jennis  M.  Brown, 
Gran!  Island,  Neb. 


LOUIS  J.  MENES,  private,  b.  Admes,  Greece, 
June  7,  1887;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Nov.  3,  1917;  Fun- 
ostn  and  Mills;  artillery  ammunition,  Co.  7,  89th;  in 
battles  of  Meuse-Argonne  and  Chateau  Thierry; 
discharged  June  4,  1919;  now  a  cook  at  Grand  Is- 
land; son  of  Mrs.  Aceamo  Henes,  Grand  Island. 

LELAND  H.  HARRIS,  seaman,  b.  Sykeston,  Mo, 
Nov  11,  1903;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  1,  1918; 
Great  Lakes,  njavy,  Battleship  Perm ;  discharged 
Jan.  25,  1919;  son  of  George  W.  and  Thelda  Harris. 

HARRY  H.  HENTZ,  private,  b.  Hall  Co,  Neb, 
Dec.  11,  1892;  enlisted  at  Chicago,  HI,  May  16, 
1917;  Stationed  at  Municipal  Pier,  Chicago,  engi- 
neers. 13th  Eng.  Co.  E;  Mihiel.  Meuse-Argonne; 
gassed;  discharged  May   17,   1919;  now  in  Chicago, 

LOUIS  HANSEN,  private,  b.  Denmark,  Dec.  15, 
1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918;  Fun- 
ston, infantry,  Co.  L,  10th  Div.;  discharged  Jan. 
28,  1919;  now  at  Alda,  Neb.;  son  of  Jens  and 
Gertlde  (Peterson)  Hansen,  Denmark. 

CHARLES  W.  HARDING,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb, 
Aug.  1894;  enlisted  at  Doniphan,  Sept.  4,  1918;  Ft. 
Riley  and  Leavenworth;  medical  department;  dis- 
charged May  7,  1919 ;  son  of  Geo.  Harding.  Doniphan. 

L.  G.-  (BUCK)  MENTZER.  quartermaster  2d 
class  ava,  b.  Omaha,  Neb,  Feb.  24,  1897;  enlisted 
in  Hall  Co.,  Jan.  29,  1918;  Great  Lakes;  naval  ava.; 
15th  Reg.  Ava.;  discharged  Mar.  1919;  son  of  Harry 
and  Margaet  Mentzer,  Omaha,  Neb. 

ALLEN  McGUIRE  b.  Wood  River,  April  24, 
1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  IS,  1918;  Crane 
and  Merritt;  medical  corps,  Section  17,  89th  Div.; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  la,  Jan.  17,  1919;  now  an  auto 
mechanic;  son  of  Patrick  and  Katherine  (O'Neill) 
McGuire,  Wood  River,  Neb. 


FRANK  MORGAN,  b.  Buffalo.  New  York,  en- 
listed at  Norfolk,  Va,  July  10,  1918;  Norfolk,  air, 
22d.  Reg.  25th ;  discharged  at  Lee  Hall,  Va,  March 
28,  1919;  now  a  cook  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son  of  Karl 
and  Mary  Morgan. 

MADISON  MAYNARD,  private,  b.  St  Francis 
Co,  Mo,  Oct.  15,  1881;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
May  11,  1918;  Humphreys;  engineers,  47th;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  June  16,  1919;  now  a  carpenter  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  T.  and  Ollie 
(Sylvester)  Maynard. 

EVERETT  H.  E.  McDOUGAL,  b.  Aurora,  Neb, 
April  11  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb,  March  17, 
1918;  Bliss;  coast  artillery;  discharged  March  2, 
1919;  son  of  J.  D.  and  Margaret  C.  McDougal, 
Aurora,  Neb. 

WILLIAM  McKENZIE  b.  Scotland,  April  27, 
1892;  enlisted  at  Funston,  Oct.  5,  1917;  Funston; 
wagoner,  Supply  Co.  355th,  89th  Div.;  in  battles 
of  Lucy,  St.  Mihiel,  Argonne  Meuse;  discharged  at 
Funston,  June  2,  1919;  son  of  Frank  and  Anna 
(Brown)   McKenzie,  Scotland. 

PAUL  MARTIN,  b.  Broken  Bow,  Neb,  Nov,  27, 
1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  5,  1915;  Dodge; 
heavy  artillery,  Co.  84,  Reg  134,  Div.  3;  in  battle 
of  Chateau  Thierry ;  wounded  three  times ;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  May  9;  now  a  farmer  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  W.  D.  and  Mable  (Belle)  Martin, 
Broken  Bow,  Neb. 

ROBERT  W.  MUIR.  cook  instructor,  b.  Omaha, 
Neb,  Dec.  10,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
21,  1918;  Dodge;  infantry,  Co.  36,  9th  Bn,  163d 
Depot  Brigade;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Dec.  9,  1918; 
son  of  John  W.  and  Maggie  (Meldrum)   Muir. 

ARTHUR  I.  LUDDINGTON,  corp.,  b.  Omaha, 
Neb,  Oct.  2,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island.  April  29, 
1918;  Funston  and  St.  Blin;  infantry,  Co.  G.  Reg. 
353,  Div.  89;  discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  1,  1919; 
now  a  carpenter  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Francis 
M.  and  Isabel!  (Johnson)  Luddington,  Grand  Island. 

AXEL  C.  LARSON,  corp,  b.  Mondanrin,  la, 
July  22,  1890;  enlisted  at  North  Platte.  Neb,  Sept. 
19.  1917;  Funston;  infantry,  Co.  B  355th  Reg.  89th 
Div. ;  in  battles  of  Meuse-Argonne,  St.  Mihiel,  Lucey 
and  Euvizin  sectors;  discharged  at  Funston,  June 
3,  1919;  now  a  railroad  accountant  at  Grand  Island; 
son  of  Pete  and  Anna  C.  (EHason)  Larson,  Appelba, 
Sweden. 

AMOSS  I.  LEHINGER,  private,  b.  Boulder.  Colo, 
July  27.  1894;  enlisted  at  Lincoln.  Neb,  Sept.  6, 
1918;  Grant  and  McArthur;  infantry,  Co.  M  3d  Bn. 
Replacement  Sec.;  discharged  at  Funston,  Dec.  18, 
1918;  now  a  laborer  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
John  J.  and  Hester  (Rutherford)  Lehinger. 

JOHN  KRIEGER,  prvt,  b.  Denver,  Colo,  Oct.  24, 

1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  25.  1918;  Fun- 
ston, Kan.;  infantry,  Co.  H  Reg.  41,  Div.  10;  dis- 
charged at  Funston,  Jan.  27,  1919;  son  of  Adam 
and  Elizabeth  (Schnell)  Krieger,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


558 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ROY  R.  KREBS,  b.  Scotia,  Neb.,  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  May  3,  1917;  Ft.  McArthur,  Monroe 
and  Barrancas ;  with  4th  Co.,  C.  D.  of  Los  Angeles ; 
discharged  at  Funston,  Kan.,  Feb.  22,  1919;  now  a 
clerk  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  C.  D.  Krebs,  Grand 
Island. 

ROBERT  L.  KIRKPATRICK,  b.  Phillips,  Neb., 
Dec.  2,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May,  191?; 
Cody;  infantry,  Co.  L  125th  Reg.,  Div.  32;  battles  of 
Argonne,  Soxsson  and  Chateau  Thierry;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  May  28;  now  a  farmer  at  Phillips,  Neb.; 
son  of  S.  E.  and  Myrtle  (Clawson)  Kirkpatrick, 
Phillips. 

HENRY  G.  KIEFER,  sergt  1st  class,  b.  Mil- 
waukee, Wis.,  Sept.  7,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Is- 
land, June  14,  1918;  Uni.  at  Lincoln,  Ft.  Leaven- 
worth, Camp  Ben  Franklin  and  Meade ;  signal  corps, 
Co.  A  and  C,  22d  Field  Signal  Battalion;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  January  18,  1919;  son  of  Edward  and 
Christina   (Glade)   Kiefer,  Lincoln,  Neb. 

LEO  F.  KIDWILER,  b.  Iowa  Falls,  la.,  Feb. 
9, 1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.  June  24,  1916; 
Riley.  Wadsworth  and  Dodge;  infantry,  F.  H.  Co. 
37,  6th  Div,  discharged  at  Dodge,  Feb.  20,  1919; 
son  of  Adam  and  Mary  Kidwiler,  Iowa,  Falls,  la. 

GUS  L.  KAISER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Nov. 
12,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island;  Funston;  avia- 
tion; still  in  service;  son  of  Carl  Kaiser,  St.  Libory. 

ALFRED  B.  KAISER,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  1892;  enlisted  in  Merrick  Co.;  Funston;  in- 
fantry, son  of  Carl  Kaiser,  St  Libory. 

RAYMOND  KNIGHTON,  sergt,  b.  Harrisburg, 
Pa„  Sept  14,  1896;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  June  24, 
1916;  Llano  Grande  and  Cody;  infantry,  Co.  M, 
134th  Infantry,  34th  Div.;  discharged  April  20,  1919; 
now  a  baker  at  Grand  Island. 

BERNHARDT  KOCHLER.  private,  b.  Grand 
Island;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  1917;  Funston, 
Cody  and  Dix ;  engineers,  Co.  F,  109th  Eng.  Reg., 
34th  Div. ;  still  in  service ;  son  of  Oscar  and  Emma 
Kochler,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

GEORGE  WILLIAM  KECK,  mechanic,  b.  Fre- 
mont, Neb.,  July  4,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Feb.  2,  1918;  Logan,  Fremont,  Mills  and  Lee; 
ammunition  train,  Co.  E,  Pathfinder,  Div.  8;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  la.,  Feb,  22,  1919;  now  at  Grand 

CARL  A.  HAPPOLD,  1st  class  private,  b.  Hall 
Co.,  March  24,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand' Island,  July 
22,  1918;  Dodge,  Depot  Brigade,  Co  35.  Depot  Bri- 
gade; discharged  at  Dodge,  Feb.  6,  1919;  now  in 
city  engineer's  office,  Grand  Island;  son  of  Karl  W. 
and  Lena  (Gmelich)  Happold,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

WILLIAM  HETRICK,  private,  h.  Westphalia, 
Kan.,  June  23,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
May  28,  1918;  Lewis;  infantry,  Co.  C  Reg.  363, 
Div.  91;  St  Mihiel,  second  Meuse-Argonne  Forest; 
wounded  in  right  arm ;  discharged  at  Ft.  Russell, 
Wyo.,  May  31,  1919;  son  of  Paul  B.  and  Margaret 
C  Hetrick,  Mosby,  Montana. 


FRED  L.  KRAMMER,  1st  class  private,  b.  Mayd- 
ville,  Ky„  Feb.  1897;  enlisted  at  Kansas  City,  Mo, 

June  1918;  Paris  Island  and  Merritt;  marine  gunner, 
58th  Marines,  A.  E.  F.;  was  wounded  in  battle  at 
Chateau  Thierry. 

ALBERT  KOCHLER,  second  cook,  b.  Hall  Co.; 
enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Jan.  1918;  Base  Hospital; 
still  in  service  in  France;  son  of  Oscar  and  Emma 
Kochler,   S.   Grand   Island,   Neb. 

JOHN  HARTMAN,  1st  class  private,  b.  Chap- 
man, Neb.,  Jan.  6,  1883;  enlisted  at  Arthur,  Neb, 
May  27,    1917;    Cody;    infantry,   Co.   H  6th  Neb, 


(Hudduall)   Hartman,  Chapman,  Neb. 

GEORGE  A.  HEYDE,  storekeeper,  b.  Grand  Is- 
land, Neb.,  Sept.  8,  1892;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb, 
June  4.  1918;  Great  Lakes,  navy,  supply  dept,  Reg, 
Ilth;  discharged  June  22,  1919;  now  in  lumber  busi- 
ness at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Albert  V.  B. 
and  Emily  (Lucas)  Heyde,  Grand  Island. 

HARY  C.  GARVER,  private,  b.  Hastings,  Neb, 
May  18,  1900;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  2, 
1918;  Ft.  Logan,  Humphreys  and  Merritt;  engineers, 
Co.  L  Reg.  2d;  Argonne;  gassed  Oct  27;  discharged 
at  Funston,  Jan.  8,  1919;  now  a  truck  driver  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Miles  D.  and  Mertit 
M.  (Gillete)  Carver,  Grand  Island. 

GLENN  H.  GEDLER,  second  sergt.,  b.  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  June  25,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Is- 
land, July  15,  1918;  Ft.  Riley.  Merritt,  Liverpool  and 
Camp  Alexander;  quartermaster,  36,  9th  Bn.  136th 
Depot  Brigade;  now  a  salesman  at  Grand  Island. 

HAROLD  A.  GEDDES,  sergt,  b.  Grand  Island, 
July  14,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  20, 
1918;  Jefferson,  Humphreys  and  Dodge;  engineers, 
Co.  F  Reg.  5th  Eng. ;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan.  8. 
1919;  now  a  salesman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  son  of 
G.  H.  and  Clara  (Newmayer)  Geddes,  Aurora,  111. 

G.  LAWRENCE  GORMAN,  sergt.  1st  class,  b. 
Grand  Island,  July  IS,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Is- 
land, July  15,  1918;  Ft.  Riley,  Merritt,  Liverpool  and 
Winchester;  med.  dept.,  Base  Hospital  No.  99; 
served  St.  Aignan,  Rieveria  Hospital  Center,  south- 
ern France;  discharged  at  Dodge,  June  26,  1919;  now 
a  merchant  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  James  H. 
and  Etta  B.  (Noble)   Gorman,  Grand  Island.  Neb. 

ISAAC  GOLD,  private,  b.  Warsaw.  Poland,  Feb. 
19,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  June  24, 
1918;  Funston:  infantry,  Co.  D,  Reg.  69,  Div.  10: 
discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  27,  1919;  now  a  farmer 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  son  of  Michael  and  Sarah 
Gold,  Poland. 

JOHN  N.  MOSSON,  private,  b.  Glasgow,  Scot- 
land, Jan.  1,  1895;  enlisted  at  Lawrence,  Mass, 
June  15,  1915;  McGinness  and  Earmingham,  Mass; 
infantry,  Co.  F.  Reg.  9,  Mass.  N.  G. ;  sector  Chemen, 
Des  Dames,  in  Toul,  Chateau  Thierry,  St  Mihiel, 
Verdun  and  Argonne  Forest ;  gassed ;  discharged 
at  Devens,  Mass,  March  27,  1919;  now  a  collector 
at  Grand  Island;  son  of  Joseph  and  Catherine  (Mc- 
Ginnley)    Mosson,   Glasgow,   Scotland. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


EDWIN  A.  NICHOLSON,  sergt,  b,  Aurora, 
III.,  Jan.  11,  1887;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
22,  1918;  Dodge,  Infantry,  Depot  Brigade  163;  dis- 
charged Feb.  22,  1919;  son  of  John  and  Christian 
(Johnson)    Nicholson,   Aurora,   III. 

WM.  NAGLE,  corp.,  b.  Ord,  Neb.,  Feb.  27,  1888; 
enlisted  at  Omhha,  Neb.,  May  1918;  engineers,  Co. 
B  32d  Engineers ;  still  in  service  as  locomotive 
engineer   at  Bordeaux,    France;    son  of  Win.    and 

Sarah   Nagle,   S.   Grand   Island. 

THOMAS  S.  McMILLEN  private,  b.  McLean  Co., 
III.,  Oct.  1,  1893 ;  enlisted  at  Bloomington,  111.,  Sept. 
5,  1918;  Grant  and  McArthur;  infantry,  2d  Co.  161st 
Depot  Brigade;  discharged  at  Grant  III.,  Jan.  20, 
1919;  now  a  farmer  at  Craig,  Colo.;  son  of  Samuel 
W.  and  Mary  E.  (Oakes)  McMillen,  Grand  Island. 

THOMAS  BERNARD  MURRAY,  b.  Elkhorn, 
Neb.,  Feb.  17,  1888;  enlisted  at  Ft.  Logan.  Dec. 
12,  1917;  Greene,  S.  C;  artillery,  Battery  B,  16th 
F.  A.  Div.  4;  saw  service  in  Chateau  Thierry,  Vesle 
River,  St.  Mihiel,  Meuse-Argonne;  wounded  Sept. 
27,  1918;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Dec.  31,  1918;  son 
of  T.  E.  and  Anna  J.  Murray,  Papillion,  Neb. 

RAYMOND  W.  MATHENY,  1st  class  private,  b. 
Sioux  Falls,  S.  Dak.,  Nov.  8,  1899;  enlisted  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb.,  Aug.  8,  1918;  Ft  Logan,  engi- 
neers, Co.  9;  discharged  at  Ft  Logan,  April  S,  1919; 
now  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Tillie  Matheny, 
Grand  Island. 


EVERETT  H.  MOHENG.  private,  b.  Edgar,  Neb., 
Aug.  1,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  1,  1918; 
Uni.  of  Lincoln,  Valperaiso,  Lafayette,  Indiana,  Pur- 
due Uni.,  Ft  Sheridan,  111.;  motor  transport  corps; 
discharged  at  War  Headquarters,  Chicago,  Jan.  24, 
1919;  now  a  mechanic  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son 
of  William  and  Alice  (Thrush)   Moheng. 

JOSEPH  J,  MASHEK,  1st  class  private,  b.  Abie, 
Neb.,  Mar.  9,  1883;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island  Aug. 
13,  1918;  Humphrey;  engineers  corps,  Co.  19;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  Jan.  8  1918;  now  an  auto  sales- 
man at  Grand  Island.  Neb. ;  son  of  Michael  and 
Rose  (Jorah)  Mashek,  Abie,  Neb. 

CLARENCE  MATTINGLY,  private,  b.  Perry  Co., 
Mo.,  Feb.   18,   1886;  enlisted  in  Hall   Co.,  July  12, 


THOMAS  H.  MATTINGLY,  prvt..  b.  Perry  Co., 
Jan.  27.  1882;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  July  23,  1917; 
Cody;  infantry,  Co.  L,  59th  Infantry,  4th  Div.;  still 
in  service  at  Bsenn,  Germany,  guard  duty;  son  of 
Mrs.  Mary  Mattmgly,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

FRITZ  MARTH,  1st  class  private,  b.  Hall  Co., 
Jan.  10,  1895  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Aug  26,  1918; 
Funston ;  machine  gun,  Co.  C,  30th  Machine  Gun 
Bat.,  10th  Div.;  discharged  Jan.  26,  1919;  son  of 
Wm.  and  Anna  Garth,  Alda,  Neb. 


CLARENCE  O.  MURPHY,  -st  class  < 
Gretna,  Neb.,  Aug  9,  1892;  enlisted 
March  1,  1918 ;  Jefferson  Barracks 
Ga.;  coast  artillery,  quarter  maste 
C.  A.  C.  QM.  Detch. ;  discharged 
son  of  Dr.  W.  M.  and  Fannie,  Mur[ 

FRANK  S.  RYDER,  captain  m 
1889;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb.,  Ji 
Riley,  Kan.;  medical,  351st  Ambu 
Sanitary  Train,  88th  Div. ;  at  St. 
Haute  Alsace;  discharged  at  Dodj 
now  a  physician  and  surgeon  at  G: 
of  Dell  E  Ryder,  Grand  Island. 

NEIL  T.  RAKESTRAW,  pri- 
Neb.,  July  9,  1892;  enlisted  at  Gr: 
29,  1917;  Funston;  signal  corps,  C 
89th  Div.;  Chateau  Thierry,  St. 
Forest;  gassed;  discharged  May  ', 
telephone  mechanic  at  Friend,  Neh 
M.  and  Jessie  M.  (Matson)  Rake 
Nebraska. 

RICHARD  L.  RAOUT,  corp.,  I 

25,  1893;  enlisted  at  Grand  Islant 
Dodge;  Adjt  Gen.  Dept. ;  discharg 
now  a  farmer  at  Grand  Island ;  son 
Grand  Island,  Neb. 

HERMAN  C.  H.  RIEF,  corp., 
Neb.,  June  3,  1893;  enlisted  at  U 
28,  1918;  Forrest,  Ga.;  engineers,  ( 
discharged  at  Dodge,  July  17,  191* 
at  Grand  Island ;  son  of  Jurgen 
(Buckow)  Rief,  Grand  Island. 

WILLIAM  E.  RICE,  corp..  b. 
Jan.  7,  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand 
1917;  Jacksonville,  motor  transpor 
439,  1st  Div.;  at  Catigney,  Aisne,  ft 
Meuse-Argonne ;  discharged  at  Dod 
now  a  salesman  at  Grand  Island; 
and  Mary  E.  (McCarthy)  Rice,  Th< 

ALVIN  E.  PALMER,  sergt, 
Sept.  12,  1895;  enlisted  at  Osborn. 
Funston  and  Dodge;  infantry,  Cc 
88th  Div. ;  sector  Alsace.  Argonne-ft 
at  Funston,  June  8,  1919;  now  I 
field.  Neb. ;  son  of  Lanton  and  Rafe 
Fairfield,   Neb. 

JOHN  PETERSON,  private,  b.  I 
27,  1893;  enlisted  at  Cheyenne,  ] 
Grant  and  Upton ;  transportation 
discharged  at  Ft.  Russell.  June  18; 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
(Larsen)    Peterson,  Grand  Island. 

BERT   D.    QUACKENBUSH,  i 
River,    Neb.,    July    15,    1899;    enli 
Sept.    1918;    S.    A.   T.   C;    discha 
Dec.    13,    1918;    son    of  Oris   M. 
(Horkman)    Quackenbush. 

RICHARD  H.  VON  OHLEN. 
rick  Co.,  Neb..  Feb.  18,  1891;  e: 
Island.  July  22,  1918;  Dodge,  infai 
A,  163  D.  B.;  discharged  Sept. 
Harry  and  Clara  (Grosch)  Von  OhI 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


.  Co.,  Neb.,  April  28, 
1918;  now  a  car  repairer  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
in  battles  of  St.  Mihi el  drive  and  Meuse-Argonne ; 
wounded  Nov.  4;  discharged  at  Dodge,  May  19,  1919; 
now  a  merchant  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Oscar 
and  Minnie  (Stolley)  Roeser,  Grand  Island. 


GUY  RANSDELL,  seaman,  1st  class,  b.  Friend, 
Neb..  July  2,  1900;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  May  4,  1918; 
Great  Lakes,  Hampton  and  St.  Helena ;  receiving 
ship;  navy,  Co.  24,  1st  Reg.;  discharged  at  Norfolk, 
April  IS,  1919;  now  a  clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.; 
son  of  James  and  Nannie  (Cosby)  Ransdell,  Graf- 
ton, Nebraska. 


S.  and  Ave  Nielson,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

CLYDE  A.  SHEETS,  private,  b.  Oakdale,  Neb., 
July  4,  1895:  enlisted  at  North  Platte,  Aug.  26,  1919; 
Funston  and  Benjamin  Harrison;  engineers,  Co.  M 
147th;  discharged  at  Benjamin  Harrison,  Dec  15, 
1918;  now  a  car  repair  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Addie  M.  and  Katie  E.  (Sailor)   Sheets. 

SIDNEY  H.  SHOOKMAN,  Corp.,  b.  Richland 
Co.,  Wis.,  April  17,  1892;  enlisted  in  Jewell  Co., 
Kan.,  Oct.  3,  1917;  Funston;  motor  transport  corps, 
347th  Motor  Transport  Co.;  discharged  May  12, 
1919;  son  of  Ellsworth  and  Reno  (Taplin)  Shook- 
man,  Grand  Island. 

C.  SMITH,  private,  b.  Edward,  Neb.;  enlisted 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  April  24,  1918;  Dodge  and 
Funston;  infantry,  Co.  E,  349th  Reg.,  88th  Div.; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan.  28;  now  asst  shipping  clerk, 
Grand  Island.  Neb. ;  son  of  James  Albert  and  Francis 
(Brewer)    Smith. 

EDWARD  L.  SWAIN,  private  b.  Grand  Island, 
Sept  30,  1886;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  15, 
1918;  Funston  and  Benjamin  Harrison;  engineers, 
Co.  K,  Reg.  147;  discharged  at  Benjamin  Harrison, 
Dec.  13,  1918;  now  a  switchman  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Francis  E.  (McLeod)  Swain,  Grand 
Island. 

JOSEPH  POWER,  private,  b.  New  Castle,  Oct. 
18,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Oct.  24,  1918; 
Taylor;  F.  A.  O.  O.  F.  S.;  discharged  Nov.  29, 
1918;  now  a  traveling  salesman  at  Grand  Island.  Neb. 

CIRK  POTTS,  private,  b.  Lincoln,  Neb. ;  enlisted 
Oct.  11,  1891;  Denting  and  Sill;  infantry  and  artil- 
lery, Co.  M,  4th  Neb;  Bat.  7,  127th  F.  A.,  59th 
Brigade;  in  France  as  instructor  at  telephone  school; 
discharged  Jan.  22,  1919;  son  of  Wilbur  H.  and 
Lillian  Potts. 

LINN  POTTS,  sergt.,  b.  Harvard,  Neb.,  June, 
1896 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island ;  Funston ;  infantry, 
355th  Infantry ;  now  with  army  of  occupation ;  son 
ol  Wilbur  H.  and  Lillian  Potts. 

JOSEPH  N.  PIZER,  private,  b.  Arcadia.  Neb.; 
enlisted  at  Ann  Arbor.  Michigan.  Oct.  1,  1918;  Ann 
Arbor ;  infantry.  13th  Co. ;  discharged  Dec.  13, 
1918 ;  son  of  J.  B.  Pizer. 

HARRY  STOUT,  private,  b.  Doniphan,  Neb..  June 
29.  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Mar.  4,  1918; 
Riley  and  Crane:  medical  corps,  Casual  No.  40;  dis- 
charged at  Dodge,  Feb.  25.  1919;  now  an  auto 
mechanic  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Alex  and 
Rose    (Alexander)    Stout,   Burwell,   Neb. 


pendence,  Kansas,  June  28,  1918;  Dodge  and  Fun- 
ston; machine  gun,  Co.  C,  339th  Bn.,  88th  Div.; 
Alsace,  Argonne  Forest ;  discharged  at  Funston, 
June  16,  1919 ;  now  creamery  manager  at  Independ- 
ence, Kan.;  son  of  George  and  Lucy  E.  (Kroft) 
Switzer,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

FRANK  LESLIE  SCOVILL,  b.  Aurora,  Neb, 
Feb.  28,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July  22,  1918; 
Dodge ;  infantry,  Co.  35,  Reg.  Dep.  Bri. ;  discharged 
at  Chicago,  Jan.  15;  now  a  bank  teller  at  Grand 
Island,  Neb.,  son  of  Dank)  A.  and  Elizabeth  (Leslie) 
Scovill,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

BURL  STOUT,  Is  class  sergt.,  b.  Walnut  Shade, 
Mo.,  July  21,  1892;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Neb., 
June  24,  1918;  Funston  Mills  and  Humphreys;  engi- 
neers, Co.  F  210th,  10th  Div. ;  was  drill  instructor  at 
Humphreys;  discharged  at  Funston,  March  20,  1919; 
now  a  car  repairer  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of 
Charles  W.  and  Eva  L.  (Stockstill)  Stout,  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska. 

MAT.  L.  SCOVILLE,  bat.  personnel  sergt, 
b.  Aurora,  Neb.,  Oct.  17,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand 
Island,  April  29.  1918;  Funston.  Crook,  Nitro  and 
West;  infantry,  8th  Co.,  164th  Depot  Brigade,  Div. 
89;  discharged  at  Sherman,  Jan.  11.  1919;  now  a 
bank  clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Daniel 
A.  and  Elisabeth    (Leslie)    Scoville,  Grand  Island. 

HARLAND  J.  SUTTER,  corp.,  b.  Canada  Co., 
Ontario,  March  3,  1889;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island. 
March  28,  1918;  Funston;  signal  corps,  Co.  C  314th 
Signal  Battalion  89th  Div.;  saw  service  in  battles 
of  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne ;  discharged  at  Russell. 
June  12,  1919;  now  an  electrician  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Jacob  F.  and  Mary  J.  (Moore)  Sutter, 
Viking,  Allierta,  Canada. 

JOHN  P.  SINK,  private,  b.  Hastings,  Neb.,  Jan. 
21,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  13,  1918; 
Humphreys;  engineer  corps,  Co.  F  Reg.  5,  Div.  6; 
discharged  at  Dodge,  April  18,  1919;  now  a  vulcanize: 
at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  W.  and  Jennett 
(Spitter)  Sink,  Grand  Island. 

JOHN  C.  SCHOENSTEIN,  private  b.  Philadel- 
phia, Pa.,  Dec.  24,  1899;  enlisted  at  Fremont,  July 
5,  1916;  Dix  and  Cody;  signal  sorps,  Co.  B  Neb 
Signal  Bn.,  34th  Div.;  discharged  at  Dodge,  May 
26,  1919;  now  a  lineman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son 
of  Albert   Schoenstein,  Grand  Island. 


HOWARD  S.  STARR,  musician  1st  class,  b.  St 

Paul,  Minn.,  July  20,  1898;  enlisted  at  Omaha,  Neb., 
May  15,  1918:  Great  Lakes,  111;  navy;  discharged  at 
Great  Lakes,  Feb.  10,  1919;  now  a  student  in  Grand 
Island;  son  of  Robert  P.  and  Blanch  S.  (Stanburg) 
Starr,   Ravenna,    Neb. 


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HISTORY  OF  H1ALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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LOUIS  A.  SHACHT,  private,  b.  Hamilton,  Co., 
Jtme  8,  1898;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  24, 
1919;  Ft.  Logan;  motor  cycle  corps;  son  of  Peter 
and  Emma  (Schultz)   Schacht,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

RALPH  A.  SCOTT,  seaman,  b.  Red  Cloud,  Neb., 
May  17,  1897;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  1, 
1918;  Great  Lakes;  navy;  discharged  Jan.  18,  1919; 
son  of  George  and  Belle  (Mcintosh)  Scott,  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska. 

GEORGE  J-  SCOTT,  seaman,  b.  Red  Cloud,  Nov. 
22.  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Nov.  15,  1917; 
Charleston;  navy,  on  Battleship  New  Jersey;  son  of 
George  and   Belle   (Mcintosh)    Scott,  Grand   Island. 

WM.  H.  SMITH,  1st  sergt.,  b.  North  Loup,  Neb., 
June  30,  1888;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  17, 
1917;  Funston  and  Pike;  officer  training  camp;  Hdq. 
Co.  20th  Inf.  Div  1st;  discharged  Nov.  29,  1918; 
now  a  barber  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Henry 
H.  and  Nellie  (Archer)    Smith,  North  Loup,  Neb. 

BEECHER  HENRY  WARD,  private,  b.  Sherman 
Co.,  May  25,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
11,  1917;  Cody;  infantry,  Co.  M  5th  Neb,  34th 
Div. ;  saw  service  at  Verdun  in  battle  Meuse-Ar- 
gonne;  discharged  at  Dodge,  May  26,  1919;  now  a 
laborer,  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John  Win 
Ward,  Ravenna,  Neb. 

ARTHUR  J.  WETZEL,  private,  b.  Boelus,  Neb., 

March  11.  1894;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  May  28, 
1918;  Dodge;  artillery,  Battery  D,  Reg.  338,  Div. 
88;  discharged  at  Dodge,  July  23,  1919;  now  a 
clerk  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Mrs.  Ann 
(Schmidt)    Wetzel,  Grand   Island. 

lELOFF  WILLIAMS,  private,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  March  14,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  July 
22,  1919;  Dodge,  infantry  band,  Co.  35;  discharged 
st  Dodge.  March  26,  1919;  now  a  student  and  musi- 
cian at  Grand  Island,  Neb.,  son  of  Mrs.  Helen 
(Bogley)    Williams,  Grand  Island. 

WILLIAM  M.  TUCKER,  private,  b.  Saragorda, 
111.,  Aug.  29,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept. 
18,  1918;  Manhattan;  electrical  dept.;  discharged 
Dec  17,  1918;  now  a  moving  picture  operator  at 
Grand  Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  George  and  Susan  H. 
(Emtnert)  Tucker,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

CECIL  S.  THORPE,  private  1st  class,  b.  Waco, 
Neb..  March  27,  1894;  enlisted  at  York,  Neb.,  Aug. 
7,  1917;  Cody;  heavy  artillery,  Co.  M,  Reg.  4th, 
Neb.  Inf.,  Div.  34;  saw  service  in  sector  Chateau 
Thierry;  Ainse  Marne,  Chateau  Thierry,  Oiseburg, 
Soissons  and  Argonne-Meuse ;  discharged  at  Dodge. 
May  19,  1919 ;  now  a  telephone  clerk  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb.;  son  of  Orien  L.  and  Minnie  (Phelps)  Thorpe, 
Waco,  Neb. 

RAYMOND  S.  TURNER,  corn.,  b.  Covington, 
Ga„  April  16,  1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  April  8, 
1917;  Kelly  Field;  aviation,  35th  Areo  Squadron; 
saw  service  in  Chateau  Theirry,  Argonne  Forest  and 
second  Marne;  wounded  June  14,  1918;  discharged 
at  Dodge,  Feb.  10,  1919;  now  a  mechanic  at  Cairo, 
Neb.;  son  of  William  W.  and  Anna  (Alisover) 
Turner,    Portales,   New    Mexico. 

MILLARD  F.  THOMPSON,  sergt.,  b.  Cairo,  Neb., 
5,  1917; 'Madison  Barracks  and  Mills;  quarter- 
masters, Finance  Dept.;  discharged  at  Dodge;  now 
asst  cashier  of  bank  at  Cairo,  Neb.;  son  of  Dell 
and  Hattie  F.  Thompson,  Cairo,  Neb. 


JIM  THERS.  b.  Greece,  July  20,  1888;  enlisted 
at  Funston,  April  29,  1911;  Funston;  infantry,  Co. 
K  Reg.  355,  Div  89;  was  in  battles  Lucy,  St.  Mihiel 
and  Argonne;  discharged  at  Funston,  Jan.  2,  1919; 
now  farming  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  Elis 
and  Twott  (Burwemilis)  Thers,  Xelokastron,  Korin- 
this,  Greece. 

JAMES  W.  THOMPSON,  JR.,  b.  Grand  Island, 
Neb.,  March  10,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island, 
Sept.  6,  1917 ;  Funston ;  infantry,  Co.  F  355th,  89th 
Div.;  saw  service  in  battles  of  St.  Mihiel;  discharged 
at  Merritt,  March  16,  1919;  now  a  banker  at  Grand 
Island,  IVeb.;  son  of  James  Thompson,  Chicago,  III. 

CARL  WIESE,  private,  b.  Grand  Island,  Feb.  9, 
1895;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept  22,  1919;  Fun- 
ston, Cody  and  Sill;  artillery,  Battery  E,  127th  Field 
Art.,  Div.  34;  discharged  at  Dodge,  Jan.  22,  1919; 
now  a 'farmer  at  Grand  Island,  Neb.;  son  of  John 
F.  Wiese, 

GEORGE  A.  WOODWORTH,  private  1st  class,  b. 
Grand  Island,  March  1,  1899;  enlisted  at  Grand  Is- 
land, March  1,  1917;  Leavenworth  and  Logan;  sig- 
nal corps,  Co.  A  5th  Field  Bn.  Div.  3;  was  in  battles 
of  St.  Mihiel  and  Argonne;  shell  shocked  Oct  29, 
1918;  discharged  at  base  hospital  No.  26,  May  13, 
1919;  now  a  telegraph  operator  at  Grand  Island, 
Neb. 

DARWIN  D.  WOOLLEY,  private,  b.  Haskins, 
Neb.,  March  16,  1899;  enlisted  at  Lincoln,  Oct.  18, 
1918;  S.  A.  T.  C.  at  Lincoln;  infantry;  discharged 
Dec  15,  1918;  now  with  Neb.  telephone  Co.  Grand 
Island,  Neb. ;  son  of  Lorenzo  and  Lena  (Collins) 
Woolley,  Bollis,  Neb. 

BRYAN  J.  WASHBURN,  private  1st  class,  b. 
St.  Paul,  Neb.,  Sept.  23,  1897;  enlisted  at  Kansas 
City,  Mo.,  Feb.  8,  1918;  Paris  Island,  S.  C;  Marines 
2d  Div.;  was  assigned  to  Pennsylvania;  discharged 


(Adkisson)   Washburn,   Syra 


,   Kansas. 


LOUIS!  G.  XEROTERES,  cook,  b.  Kastamia, 
Greece,  Aug.  2,  1890;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June 

11,  1917;  Ft.  Logan,  Ft.  Douglas  and  Camp  Logan; 
infantry,  Co.  B.  43d  Reg.,  15th  Div.;  discharged  at 
Dodge,  May  31,  1919;  son  of  George  and  Georgia 
Xeroteres,  Kastamia,  Greece. 

JAMES  XIARHOS,  private,  b.  Messenia,  Greece, 
April  4,  1892 ;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  Sept.  19, 1917 ; 
Funston;  machine  gun  and  infantry,  Co.  B,  341st  M. 
G.  Bn.  89th  Div.;  discharged  at  Dodge,  March  4, 
1919;  railroad  foreman  at  Grand  Island,  Neb. 

JACOB  C.  ZEIG,  1st  class  cook,  b.  Russia,  May 

12,  1891;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island,  June  24,  1918; 
Funston;  Co.  M  Reg,  69,  Div.  10;  discharged  Feb. 
5  1919;  now  a  brick  layer  at  Grand  Island;  son  of 
Fredrick  and  Anna  Zieg,  York,  Neb. 

OREN  E.  CUNNINGHAM,  private,  b.  Nodaway 
Co.,  Mo.,  Aug.  21,  1896;  enlisted  at  Grand  Island. 
May  15,  1918;  Humphreys,  Va. ;  engineers,  Co.  E 
Reg.  3;  still  in  service;  son  of  William  R.  and  Balsa 
L.    (Peery)   Cunningham,  Grand  Island,   Neb. 

CLAUD  HENDRYX,  private,  b.  Washington  Co., 
Neb.,  Dec.  31,  1887;  enlisted  in  Hall  Co.,  Sept.  19 
1917 ;  Funston,  Cody,  Ft.  Sill  and  Upton ;  head  quar- 
ters Co.  127th  Field  Artillery,;  discharged  Jan.  1919; 
now  a  farmer  at  Grand  Island;  son  of  James  and 
Margaret  Hendryx,  Grand  Island,  Neb. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 


Personal  Mention  of  Some  of  Those  Who  Have  Been  Prominent  in  the  Upbuhjhxg 

op  Hall  County 

FRED  HEDDE,  whose  name  at  one  time  liberal  sustainer  of  the  Lutheran  church,  but 

represented  some  of  Grand  Island's  most  im-  in  his  religious  life  as  in  other  ways,  he  was 

portant  interests,  passed  out  of  life  in  honor-  always  liberal-minded.    His  life  was  extended 

able  old  age,  leaving  behind  him  many  mater-  beyond  that  of  many  of  his  contemporaries,  his 

ial     evidences     of    business     enterprise    and  death  occuring  in  1908. 

efficiency  and  a  record  of  vigorous  and  up-         In   1884  Mr.  Hedde  married  Miss  Louise 

right  manhood  and  useful  citizenship.  Spethman,  who  was  born  in  Germany  and  was 

Fred  Hedde  was  born  in  one  of  the  provin-  brought  to  America  by  her  parents  when  a 
ces  of  Germany,  September  11,  1818.  He  had  child  of  five  years.  They  were  John  and  Mel- 
better  educational  opportunities  than  had  vina  (Spethman)  Spethman,  who  settled  first 
many  in  his  class  in  life  and  was  permitted  in  Iowa  but  came  later  to  Nebraska  and  both 
to  develop  his  talents  along  the  lines  of  his  died  in  this  state.  Mrs.  Hedde  is  a  member  of 
ambition,  so  that,  when  he  came  to  the  United  the  English  Lutheran  church.  She  is  a  woman 
States,  at  the  age  of  thirty-six,  he  was  already  of  many  accomplishments  and  since  the  death 
an  experienced  practitioner  in  the  law.  He  of  Mr.  Hedde  has  developed  surprising  busi- 
was  one  of  the  intelligent,  thinking  men  who  ness  capacity.  Disposing  of  her  newspaper 
left  Germany  in  1854,  seeking  a  wider  free-  interests  in  the  stock  company,  she  took  charge 
dom  in  America.  After  reaching  the  United  of  the  property  and  through  her  practical 
States  he  settled  in  the  city  of  Davenport,  management  and  excellent  judgment,  has 
Iowa,  but  in  1857  he  decided  on  an  agri-  added  greatly  to  its  value  and  extension.  En- 
Cultural  life  and  located  on  a  farm  in  Hall  tirely  on  her  own  initiative,  she  has  built  a  large 
County,  near  Wood  River.  The  quiet  routine  annex  to  the  building  formerly  mentioned  and 
however  of  farm  life  very  soon  grew  too  has  fitted  it  up  in  first  class  modem  style, 
monotonous  for  a  man  of  such  brilliant  mind,  making  this,  corner  a  creditable  index  of  the 
and  in  a  very  short  time  he  gave  up  rural  city's  business  prosperity.  She  is  interested 
activities  and  came  to  Grand  Island.  As  he  in  many  charities  and  especially  in  those  at 
was  possessed  of  capital,  and  was  far-sighted  the  present  time  connected  with-  war  work, 
in  a  business  way,  he  invested  in  property,  her  interest  in  the  same  has  justly  been  stim- 
buying  the  corner  lot  on  Third  and  Locust  ulated  because  seven  of  her  nephews  are  sen- 
streets,  for  which  he  paid  $2,000.  On  this  ing  in  the  United  States  army .  The  names  of 
land  he  afterwards  put  up  a  substantial  three-  these  young  heroes  are:  Albert  and  Walter 
story  building,  which  is  occupied  by  promi-  Fretag,  the  former  bearing  the  rank  of  lieu- 
nent  business  firms  on  the  ground  floor,  while  tenant,Frank  Spethman,  Arthur  Roeser,  Henry 
the    upper    stories    are   utdized    as    business  Vieregg,    and     Fred    and    William    Houck, 


Another  military  man  in  the  family  is  Mrs. 
Hedde's  brother.  Leopold  Spethman,  who  was 
a  soldier  in  1861  in  the  Union  army  in  the 
Civil  War. 


offices.  Before  leaving  Germany,  Mr.  Hedde 
had  been  a  contributor  to  the  newspapers ; 
this  love  for  journalism  remained  with  him 
and  when  the  opportunity  came  for  the  pur- 
chase of  the  Grand  Island  Independent,  he 
rescued  it  from  bankruptcy.  Subsequently  he 
founded  the  Daily  Independent  and  conducted 
this  newspaper  with  ability  for  many  years, 
finally  selling  it  in  1891  to  a  stock  company. 
He  was  a  Republican  of  sturdy  type  but  never 

accepted  political   honors   of  any  kind      He  , 

was  a  generous,  charitable  man,  a  member  and     That  this  was  realized  in  the  early  days  as  well 

562 


ROBERT  J.  BARR.  — "The  boy  is  the 
father  of  the  man,"  is  a  quotation  with  which 
every  one  is  familiar,  and  impresses  one  with 
the  importance  of  giving  the  boys  every  ad- 
vantage in  the  matter  of  precept  and  education. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


as  at  the  present  time,  may  be  gleaned  from 
the  stories  told  by  the  early  settlers,  who,  in 
relating  their  experiences  in  the  early  settle- 
ment of  the  county,  tell  us  that  the  first 
thing  they  did  after  the  home  was  provided 
was  to  arrange  for  a  place  for  the  children  to 
attend  school.  In  view  of  the  fact  that  large 
sums  are  expended  to  provide  buildings  and 
equipment,  how  necessary  it  is  that  care  be 
taken  to  provide  competent  instructors  in  our 
institutions  of  learning.  To  have  served  a 
community  like  Grand  Island  for  thirty-seven 
'  years  as  head  of  its  public  school  system,  is 
at  once  conclusive  evidence  of  ability  and  a 
duty  welt  performed.  The  subject  of  this 
record  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Grand 
Island  public  schools  continuously  since  1882, 
and  we  doubt  if  such  a  case  is  known  of  else- 
where. 

Robert  J.  Earr  is  a  native  of  Michigan,  and 
was  born  at  Grand  Rapids,  October  29,  1849. 
His  parents  were  Jackson  B.  and  La  Ma  nth  a 
(Brink)  Barr,  and  were  farming  people  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  Michigan.  Their 
son  received  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
-of  central  Michigan,  and  taught  his  first  school 
in  1868,  when  only  nineteen  years  of  age. 
He  graduated  from  the  State  Normal  College 
in  1873,  and  from  that  time  to  the  present  day 
has  devoted  himself  entirely  to  educational 
work.  After  having  charge  of  various  schools 
in  his  native  state,  he  came  to  Grand  Island 
in  1882,  and  has  been  continuously  at  the  head 
of  the  city's  public  school  system  since  that 
time.  Under  his  management  the  schools  have 
taken  front  rank  among  the  schools  of  the 
state,  and  their  reputation  has  added  largely 
to  the  attendance  from  outside  districts. 

September  4,  1878,  Mr.  Barr  was  married 
to  Miss  Eva  A.  Bellows,  and  they  have  one 
son,  Dr.  Albert  S.  who  enlisted  in  September, 
1917,  and,  after  service  in  the  hospitals  of 
Camp  Greenleaf,  Fort  Oglethorpe,  Georgia, 
and  Camp  Greene,  Charlotte,  North  Carolina, 
was  over  seas  in  the  hospitals  in  France,  where 
he  served  a  year. 

Mr.  Barr  is  a  republican  in  politics  and  a 
Mason,  belonging  to  Ashlar  Lodge  No.  33 
A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Deuel  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A. 
M.,  Mt.  Lebanon  Commandery  No.  6  and 
Tangier  Temple,  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 

He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Epis- 
copal church. 


HON.  OTHMAN  A.  ABBOTT. —  A 
member  of  one  of  the  oldest  American  families, 
an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  an  ex- 
member  of  the  Nebraska   Senate,  first  lieu- 


tenant-governor of  this  state,  a 
member  of  the  legal  profession,  ] 
A.  Abbott  occupies  a  di  sting 
among  his  fellow-men  and  is  jus 
one  of  the  foremost  of  Grand 
tinguished  citizens.  He  was  bo: 
19,  1842,  at  Hatley,  County  Stans 
Canada,  a  son  of  Abiel  B.  and  Sa 
Abbott,  and  is  directly  descene 
cestors  who  came  from  Englam 
as  early  as  1643.  In  that  yeai 
at  Andover,  Massachusetts,  wi 
Abbott  homestead  is  one  of  the 
marks  of  the  country,  and  after  t 
quarters  centuries,  still  remains 
of  the  same  family.  This  famil 
buted  many  brilliant  and  distir 
and  women  to  the  professions, 
of  whom  is  Othman  A.  Abbott, 
land. 

From  the  home  in  Canada,  wti< 
had  temporarily  resided*,  the  pan 
Abbott  removed  to  DeKalb  Co 
and  there  the  youth  divided  his 
work  on  the  home  farm  and  atte 
local  schools,  including  the  high  : 
videre.  He  was  still  residing  ths 
break  of  the  Civil  War,  and  in 
in  Company  I,  Ninth  Illinois  Ci 
ning  a  military  career  which  lastt 
three  months  and  twenty-  nine 
was  crowded  with  feats  of  coui 
conduct  and  absolute  fidelity  t 
early  military  experiences  inclu< 
tion  in  the  battles  of  General  Cui 
in  Missouri  and  Arkansas,  and 
his  regiment  was  assigned  to  thi 
the  Memphis  &  Charlestown  Rai 
wounded  in  the  right  arm  at  P 
sissippi,  and  was  subsequently 
Thomas  at  Nashville,  at  which 
ceived  his  second  wound,  a  gun 
the  left  side.  His  gallantry  ai 
earned  recognition  even  before  1 
ruary  23,  1865  he  was  promote 
of  second  lieutenant,  his  advaro 
rank  of  first  lieutenant  coming 
lowing.  His  record  throughout  tl 
of  his  service  was  one  filled  w: 
daring  deeds. 

While  in  the  army  he  found  ■ 
duties  to  commence  the  study 
after  receiving  his  honorable  di 
his  return  to  Belvidere  he  ente 
of  Ira  M.  Moore,  where  he  sp 
years  in  preparation.  He  was 
to  the  bar  in  1867,  and  not  lo 
came  to  Nebraska  selecting  Gn 
his  home,  a  community  in  whicl 


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567 


tined  to  establish  a  name  and  reputation  far 
beyond  that  of  many  contemporaries.  His 
legal  acumen  and  ability  soon  brought  him  to 
the  forefront  among  the  younger  lawyers  of 
his  day,  and  as  he  took  an  interest  and  active 
part  in  republican  politics,  in  1871  he  was 
elected  as  a  member  of  the  Constitutional  Cop- 
vention.  The  following  year  he  was  chosen 
to  complete  an  unexpired  term  in  the  State 
Senate,  and  in  1875  he  was  again  elected  a 
member  of  the  Constitutional  Convention. 
By  this  time  he  had  become  a  figure  of 
state-wide  reputation,  and  in  1876  was 
elected  as  the  first  lieutenant-governor  of  Ne- 
braska, in  which  office  he  discharged  his 
duties  with  dignity  and  distinguished  ability. 
He  has  also  served  as  county  attorney  of  Hall 
County,  and  numerous  other  honors  have  come 
lo  him  in  recognition  of  his  great  abilities  and 
splendid  personal  qualities.  For  a  number  of 
years  past  he  has  devoted  himself  exclusively 
to  the  practicing  of  law,  and  is  ranked  among 
the  most  capable  members  of  his  profession 
in  his  part  of  the  state. 

Judge  Abbott  married,  February  9,  1873, 
Miss  Elizabeth  M.  Griffin,  of  Sycamore,  Illi- 
nois, a  woman  in  every  way  qualified  to  be 
the  helpmate  of  so  capable  a  man.  She  is  a 
graduate  of  Rockford  (Illinois)  College,  and 
a  woman  of  marked  intellectuality  and  liter- 
ary ability,  who  has  been  president  of  the 
Grand  Island  Library  Board  since  its  organi- 
zation. Four  children  have  been  born  to 
Judge  and  Mrs.  Abbott:  Othman  A.  Jr.,  a 
court  reporter ;  Edith,  a  writer  and  educator  of 
Chicago,  and  one  of  the  heads  of  the  School 
of  Civics  and  Philanthropy  under  the  Sage 
and  Carnegie  foundations,  holding  chairs  in 
civics  and  philanthropy  at  the  University  of 
Chicago,  one  of  whose  several  books,  "Women 
in  Industry,"  has  been  favorably  received  by 
press  and  public ;  Grace,  recently  an  advisor 
for  the  War  Labor  Policy  Board,  at  Wash- 
ington, D.  C.  She  is  a  graduate  of  the  College 
at  Grand  Island  and  of  the  State  University, 
and  for  many  years  was  superintendent  of 
the  League  for  the  Protection  of  Immigrants 
established  and  maintained  by  wealthy  Chicago 
people.  Later  she  was  appointed  as  assistant 
of  Miss  Lathrop  to  enforce  the  child  labor 
law,  afterward  held  unconstitutional  by  the 
Supreme  Court  of  the  United  States,  and  is 
now  under  employment  of  War  Labor  Board 
in  connection  with  her  labor  in  children's  bur- 
eau. Miss  Abbott  was  sent  to  Europe  by  the 
government  with  Miss  Lathrop  and  is  still  in 
Europe  but  expects  to  return  soon ;  and  Arthur 
G.,  a  graduate  of  the  University  of  Chicago, 
class  of  1906,  who  after  several  years  of  law 


practice  at  Chicago  is  now  a  prominent  mem- 
ber of  the  Grand  Island  bar. 

Mrs.  Abbott  is  a  member  of  the  Unitarian 
church.  The  Judge  is  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason 
and  belongs  to  the  Loyal  Legion  and  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  He  is  a  firm 
supporter  of  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party. 


HON.  GEORGE  C.  HUMPHREY.— 
The  name  of  Humphrey  or  Humphreys,  is  a 
very  old  and  honorable  English  name,  derived 
from  the  first  name  Humphrey.  This  is  one  of 
the  several  names  of  Germanic  origin  begin- 
ning with  the  syllable,  hun  or  hum,  supposed 
by  some  to  be  derived  from  the  old  race'  of 
Huns.  The  fact  seems  to  be  however,  that  it 
was  taken  from  the  old  word  "Hun"  meaning 
stake,  which  was  used  as  a  weapon  or  sup- 
port. The  compound  Hunifred,  which  was 
the  earliest  form  of  Humphrey,  means  sup- 
port of  peace. 

Although  at  the  present  time  there  seems 
to  be  a  somewhat  differentiation  between  the 
name  Humphrey  and  Humphreys,  the  dis- 
tinction was  not  drawn  in  this  country  until 
a  recent  date,  and  many  times  different  sons 
of  the  same  father  would  use  the  two  forms. 

The  most  extensive  branch  of  the  family  in 
the  new  world  look  to  one  Michael  Humphrey 
for  the  origin  of  the  name  on  these  shores. 
He  came  here  some  time  about  1643 :  not  for 
religious  motive's  —  for  he  styled  himself  a 
"Member  of  the  Church  of  England"  —  but 
for  motives  of  self  betterment.  His  home  in 
England  was  Lyme,  Dorsetshire,  where  his 
father  Samuel,  and  his  mother  Susannah,  long 
hoped  and  prayed  for  their  son's  return. 

Michael  settled  in  Massaco,  now  known  as 
Simsbury,  Mass.,  and  married  Susannah 
Grant.  Her  father  was  a  man  of  property  in 
Simsbury,  of  whom  General  U.  S.  Grant 
was  the  seventh;  in  descent.  Michael  and 
Susannah's  seven  children  all  married,  the 
five  daughters  uniting  with  the  families  of 
Lewis,  Burnham,  Shipman,  Graham,  and  Bull. 
Their  sons,  Sergeant  John,  who  was  born  in 
1650,  and  Lieutenant  Samuel,  who  was  born 
in  1656,  married  Marry  Mills,  and  Hannah 
Griffin  respectively.  Lieutenant  Samuel  was 
the  great  grandfather  of  Benjamin  Humphrey, 
who  was  the  father  of  William  Humphrey, 
who  was  the  father  of  Benjamin  Humphrey, 
born  in  Steuben  County,  New  York,  in  the 
year  1805,  and  the  father  of  George  C.  Hnm- 
phrey,  subject  of  this  sketch,  who  was  bom 
at  Coolville,  Athens  County,  Ohio,  January 
28,   1846.     His  mother's   maiden   name  was 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Anna  'Oakley.  Of  this  family  there  were 
thirteen  children,  nine  sons  and  four  daughters 
namely,  William  Bennett,  Miles  Oakley,  Su- 
sannah, Mary  Jane,  Abraham,  Elihu  Lewis, 
John  Pratt,  Mathew  Dodder,  Francis  Marion, 
Benjamin,  George  Currier,  Charlotte  Ann,  and 
Caroline  Alice.  The  ancient  arms  of  the 
Humphrey  family  in  England  are  blazoned : 
sable,  three  ostrich  feathers  argent :  the  crest 
is  a  demi-griffin,  wings  holding  between  claws, 
ducal  crown. 

Benjamin  Humphrey,  George's  father,  died 
January  4.  1850,  and  his  mother  passed  from 
life  October  12,  1859.  George  at  the  age  of 
five  years,  was  bound  out  to  Josephus  Tucker 
—  second  cousin  of  J.  Randolph  Tucker  of 
Revolutionary  fame  at  whose  home  he  re- 
mained until  thirteen  years  of  age,  then  re- 
sided with  James  Elliott  one  year,  then  with 
Jacob  Smith  one  and  a  half  years;  leaving  on 
November  14,  1861,  he  enlisted  at  Camp  Wool, 
Athens,  Ohio,  as  a  private  in  Company  B  75th 
Ohio  Volunteer  Infantry  for  three  years,  being 
at  the  time  fifteen  years,  nine  months  and  six- 
teen days  of  age.  He  was  discharged  Jan- 
uary 1,  1864,  at  Folly  Island,  Couth  Caro- 
lina. Reenlisted  on  the  same  date  for  the 
duration  of  the  war,  receiving  his  final  dis- 
charge May  19,  1865,  at  the  cessation  of  hostil- 
ities, having  served  three  years  six  months  and 
five  days. 

George  Humphrey  was  promoted  to  the 
rank  of  corporal  November  20,  1862  —  on 
July  2,  1863,  he  was  captured  at  Gettysburg, 
Pennsylvania,  being  hekl  a  prisoner  thirty 
days,  eleven  days  of  that  time  on  Belle  Island 
near  Richmond,  Virginia.  Upon  his  release 
he  was  again  advanced,  being  appointed 
sergeant  August  31,  1864. 

During  his  life  in  the  army  he  was  engaged 
in  the  battles  of  Monterey,  Shaws  Ridge, 
McDowell,  Franklin,  Strasburgh,  Cross  Keys, 
Cedar  Mountain,  Freeman's  Ford,  White  Sul- 
phur Springs,  Waterloo  Bridge,  Second  Bull 
Run,  Aldie,  and  Chancellorsville,  Virginia, 
Gettysburg,  Pennsylvania,  Camp  Baldwin, 
Gainsville,  Florida,  and  Johns  Island,  S.  C,  but 
was  never  wounded.  In  February,  1866,  he 
left  Ohio  for  Junction  City,  Kansas,  where 
he  remained  until  June  of  that  year,  going 
thence  to  Newton,  Iowa,  remaining  there  un- 
til February,  1874,  when  he  removed  to  Ne- 
braska. He  married  Miss  Margaret  Jane  Par- 
rott  at  her  home  near  Coolville,  Ohio,  Novem- 
ber 5,  1868.  To  reach  his  bride  he  drove  alone 
with  a  mule  team  and  spring  wagon  from 
Iowa  to  Ohio  in  twenty-two  days,  was 
married  and  started  back  on  November 
8,   having    his    wife    and    her    sister    Caro- 


line along  on  the  return  journey,  arriving 
at  his  home  in  Iowa,  December  5,  having 
spent  twenty-six  days  on  the  way  —  camp- 
ing out  every  night!     Some  honeymoon? 

Of  this  union  there  were  bom  five  sons  and 
four  daughters,  Charles  J.,  George  H.,  Flor- 
ence Gertrude,  Paul  V.,  Mary  O.,  J.  Leslie. 
Anna  Maude,  Claude  T.  and  Iva  Blanche.  All 
the  children  are  living  except  Anna  Maude 
who  died  in  1886.  Mr.  Humphrey  filed  on  a 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acre  homestead,  N.  E. 
%  section  22-9-10  South  Platte  Township. 
Hall  County,  March  4,  1874,  later  he  pur- 
chased from  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany S.  E.  Yi  section  15,  adjoining  the  old 
homestead  and  still  owns  the  same  property 
Mrs.  Humphrey  died  February  15,  1899.  As 
his  farm  was  rented  he  moved  to  Grand  Island 
in  October,  1901.  He  remarried  in  Omaha 
January  18,  1902,  Mrs.  Charlotte  D.  Flowers, 
who  died  March  13,  1916.  There  were  no 
children  by  the  second  wife. 

Mr.  Humphrey  has  held  the  following  office* 
in  Hall  County:  member  county  board  of 
supervisors,  1894-1895,  representative  27th 
Session  of  Nebraska  Legislature,  1901,  dep- 
uty collector  internal  revenue,  District  of 
Nebraska,  1902  to  1915  inclusive,  a  period  oi 
service  lasting  thirteen  years  and  seven 
months. 

He(  was  elected  county  assessor  of  Hall 
County  in  the  fall  of  1916,  for  a  term  of  four 
years.  He  is  not  an  educated  man,  not  hav- 
ing had  the  advantage  of  a  high  school  or 
college  course;  having  had  only  a  common 
school  education  such  as  was  provided  in 
schools  in  those  early  days,  perhaps  but  three 
months  in  the  winter,  and  a  part  of  three 
months  in  the  summer.  He  attended  one 
term  the  winter  of  1865-1866,  after  the  war 
closed.  Observation  and  experience  in  and 
of  the  world  is  a  very  good  teacher,  so  it  is 
often  found,  and  Mr.  Humphrey  availed  him- 
self of  every  advantage  for  self  improve- 
ment. 

In  politics,  a  staunch  Republican,  he  was 
just  old  enough  to  cast  his  first  vote  for 
Abraham  Lincoln  in  1864.  In  religion,  a 
Protestant,  he  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
First  Congregational  church  of  Doniphan 
Nebraska,  but  is  now  a  member  of  the  First 
Congregational  church  in  Grand  Island. 

Fraternally,  he  is  a  member  in  good  stand- 
ing of  Grand  Island  Lodge  No.  22, 1.  O.  O.  F.. 
Doniphan  Lodge  No.  '86,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.. 
Doniphan  Deuel  Chapter  No.  11,  R.  A.  M. 
Mount  Lebanon  No.  6,  K.  T.,  Grand  Island 
A.  O.  U.  W.  Lodge  No.  1,  M.  W.  of  A.  Lodg* 
No.  408,  Lyon  Post  No.   11,  Department  of 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


569 


Nebraska   G.   A.   R.   and   Department  Com- 
mander 1915-1916. 

He  was  instrumental  in  securing  an  appro- 
priation from  the  City  of  Grand  Island 
for  the  beautiful  Soldiers  and  Sailors 
monument  which  was  erected  on  the  Court 
House  grounds  in  1913.  A  generous  man,  he 
is  always  ready  to  contribute  to  funds  for 
any  good  purpose  in  the  city  or  elsewhere. 
At  the  present  time  he  resides  at  103  East 
Eighth  street,  with  his  two  daughters  Gert- 
rude and  Blanche. 


ERNEST  WEBSTER  AUGUSTINE.— 
Among  the  younger  generation  of  Grand  Is- 
land business  men  who  have  not  only  taken  a 
prominent  part  in  commercial  affairs  but  have 
also  contributed  of  their  abilities,  enthusiasm 
and  energies  to  the  forwarding  of  civic  matters 
and  general  movements  for  the  public  wel- 
fare, one  of  the  more  prominent  is  E.  W. 
Augustine,  general  manager  of  the  Augustine 
Company,  manufacturers  of  art  calendars  and 
advertising  specialties.  He  is  a  native  son 
of  Nebraska,  born  at  Bruning,  September 
13, 1886,  his  father  being  Irving  Milton  Augus- 
tine, a  review  of  whose  career  will  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  work. 

Mr.  Augustine's  education  was  secured  in 
the  public  schools  of  Grand  Island  and  Grand 
Island  College.  He  was  brought  up  in  the 
atmosphere  of  a  printing  office,  for  in  1896 
his  father  had  started  what  was  known  as 
the  Grand  Island  Free  Press,  a  newspaper 
which  he  published  for  several  years,  but  of 
which  he  disposed  after  realizing  the  oppor- 
tunities offered  by  the  art  calendar  and  ad- 
vertising specialties  field.  With  the  organiza- 
tion of  the  Augustine  Company,  the  son  be- 
came actively  interested  in  its  affairs,  and  it 
was  greatly  due  to  his  active  and  energetic 
work  that  the  firm  was  able  to  prosper  and 
flourish  from  the  start.  In  1908,  when  the 
business  was  valued  at  approximately  $3,000, 
he  bought  a  half  interest  and  assumed  the 
duties  of  general  manager,  and  under  his  re- 
gime in  this  position  the  concern  has  grown 
and  developed  until  today,  after  ten  years, 
it  is  conservatively  valued  at  $150,000.  The 
Augustine  Company  at  this  time  occupies  and 
operates  a  large,  modern,  fully-equipped  plant, 
and  its  products  are  distributed  over  fifteen 
states  of  the  Union.  Mr.  Augustine  is  a 
man  of  marked  ability  in  his  field;  he  is 
possessed  of  unique  and  progressive  ideas 
and  imbued  with  the  spirit  of  business  aggres- 
siveness—  a  man  coming  under  the  heading 
of  being  a  "live  wire."    His  business  interests 


are  large  and  important,  as  aside  from  the 
work  of  the  Augustine  Company  he  is  identi- 
fied with  other  commercial  affairs  being  a 
director  of  the  Commercial  State  Bank  of 
Grand  Island,  but  notwithstanding  his  varied 
commercial  activities  he  has  always  been  able 
to  find  time  to  devote  to  the  interests  and 
welfare  of  his  adopted  community,  and  at 
present  is  vice-president  of  the  local  Young 
Men's  Christian  Association  and  is  active  in 
the  Commercial  Club.  For  twelve  years  he 
has  been  treasurer  of  the  English  Lutheran 
church,  in  the  work  of  which  he  has  always 
taken  a  helpful  part,  and  of  which  Mrs.  Augus- 
tine is  also  a  member.  She  belongs  to  the 
Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  while  her  husband 
is  affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protec- 
tive Order  of  Elks.  He  supports  the  Demo- 
cratic party  at  elections. 

Mr.  Augustine  married  June  17,  1910,  Miss 
Parmelia  M.  Spethman,  who  was  born  at 
North  Loup,  Nebraska ;  the  daughter  of  Diet- 
ric  Spethman,  a  wagon-maker  by  trade,  who 
came  to  Grand  Island  a  number  of  years 
ago  and  is  now  engaged  in  the  automobile 
business.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustine  are  the 
parents  of  two  children :  Mercedes  Alice,  who 
was  born  in  1912:  and  Webster  Pershing, 
born  in  1918. 


GUS  E.  NEUMANN,  now  serving  his 
second  term  as  county  treasurer  of  Hall 
County,  has  been  prominent  in  public  life  here 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  has  been  a  resi- 
■dent  of  the  United  States  for  thirty-two  years, 
and  of  the  state  of  Nebraska  for  the  same 
length  of  time.  The  high  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held  both  personally  and  officially  by  his 
neighbors  and  fellow  citizens  testifies  to  his 
stability  of  character  and  true  ideals  of  good 
citizenship.  Treasurer  Neumann  was  born  in 
Germany,  in  July,  1876.  He  is  a  son  of  Ernest 
and  Johanna  (Grabs)  Nuemann. 

Ernest  Neumann  was  born  in  Bohemia,  then 
a  province  belonging  to  the  Austrian  mon- 
archy, and,  although  he  married  a  woman 
of  German  birth,  maintained  his  home  in  Bo- 
hemia during  the  larger  part  of  his  life  be- 
fore emigrating  with  his  family  to  the  United 
States  in  1887.  He  had  served  in  the  Bo- 
hemian army  but  had  never  learned  a  trade 
that  he  could  make  available  in  the  busy 
country  to  which  he  had  come  in  middle  life, 
and  therefore  during  the  eight  years  that  he 
longer  survived,  he  engaged  in  various  in- 
dustries as  a  general  laborer.  His  death  oc- 
surred  in  1895  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska, 
to  which  place  he  had  come  in  the  fall  of 


570  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


571 


1887.  His  widow  survives  and  lives  with  her 
daughter  in  Niagara  Falls,  New  York.  There 
were  three  children  in  the  family :  William, 
who  lives  in  Germany ;  Mrs.  Christ  Baier,  a 
resident  of  Niagara  Falls ;  and  Gus  E. 

A  boy  of  eleven  years  when  the  family  came 
to  Grand  Island,  Gus  E.  Neumann  attended 
school  here  for  a  short  time  before  starting  to 
work  in  a  printing  office  where  he  learned 
the  trade  and  continued  work  as  a  printer 
from  1888  until  1908.  In  the  meantime 
Mr.  Neumann  became  acquainted  with  many 
men  of  affairs  in  the  county  and  had  also  be- 
come intelligently  interested  in  politics,  many 
questions  concerning  the  permanent  develop- 
ment of  Hall  County  being  political  issues. 

His  first  adventure  in  business  for  himself 
was  in  1898,  when  he  purchased  the  Ne- 
braska Courier,  a  republican  paper,  from  the 
late  Henry  Gam. 

In  1890  he  sold  the  paper  and  joined  a 
number  of  other  young  men  who  had,  from 
time  to  time,  been  fellow-employes,  in  the 
organization  of  a  stock  company  for  the  pur- 
chase of  The  Independent.  He  actively  par- 
ticipated in  the  publication  of  the  paper  un- 
til his  health  forbade,  early  in  1909.  In  July 
of  that  year  he  was  compelled  to  undergo  a 
serious  operation  and  upon  the  advice  of  his 
physician  has  never  resumed  his  former  work. 

Mr.  Neumann  has  for  twenty  years  been 
actively  engaged  in  the  work  of  the  city's 
volunteer  fire  department  and  has  done  much 
gratuitous  service  to  the  city  in  this  capacity. 
For  five  years  he  was  the  secretary  of  the 
department  and  for  two  years  its  chief ;  and 
since  the  organization  of  a  partially  paid  de- 
partment has  been  assistant  chief,  being  in 
charge  of  the  volunteers,  whenever  the  latter 
are  called  for  assistance. 

In  1911  he  was  elected  county  clerk  and 
was  continued  in  that  office  until  January, 
1917,  when  he  assumed  the  duties  of  county 
treasurer,  to  which  office  he  had  been  elected 
on  the  Republican  ticket  in  the  previous  cam- 
paign. With  such  reliable,  industrious  and 
efficient  public  officials  as  Mr.  Neumann, 
Hall  County  is  bound  to  make  rapid  strides 
forward. 

In  1897,  Mr.  Neumann  married  Miss  Edith 
Wutzler,  a  native  of  Grand  Island,  Nebraska ; 
the  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Wutzler, 
for  many  years  an  employee  in  the  Union 
Pacific  car  shops.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neumann 
have  two  children,  a  daughter  and  son.  The 
former,  Irma,  is  the  wife  of  William  Reece, 
a  soldier  in  the  United  States  army  in  1918 ; 
and  Ernest  F.,  who,  at  time  of  writing,  is 
in  the  United  States  navy  on  a  ship  in  the  har- 


bor of  SanFrancisco.  Mr.  Neumann  and  his 
family  belong  to  the  English  Lutheran  church. 
He  is  identified  with  the  leading  fraternal 
organizations  of  the  country,  these  including 
the  Masonic,  in  which  he  has  reached  the 
Royal  Arch  degree,  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Elks 
and  the  Eagles,  and  he  has  been  president  of 
the   last   named   fraternity  at   Grand   Island. 


JULIUS  GUENDEL.— A  former  citizen 
of  Grand  Island  well  known  and  one  who  en- 
joyed the  good  will  of  all,  was  the  late  Julius 
Guendel.  He  was  born  in  Hohenstein,  Erns- 
thal,  Saxony,  Germany,  August  5,  1865,  and 
died  in  Grand  Island  in  1909. 

Julius  Guendel  left  his  native  land  when 
he  was  sixteen  years  old  to  accompany  his 
brother  Richard  to  the  United  States.  Soon 
after  reaching  America  they  came  to  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska.  Julius  was  without  capital 
and  thus  had  to  work  his  way  to  a  competency 
from  the  bottom  of  the  ladder.  He  was  in- 
dustrious and  honest  and  after  working  for 
a  time  as  a  farm  hand  went  to  the  Pacific 
Coast  where  for  two  years  he  was  engaged 
on  the  construction  of  the  Oregon  Short  Line 
Railroad  and  then  came  back  to  Grand  Island 
to  enter  the  employ  of  Chris  Rathman.  Still 
later  he  was  in  the  retail  liquor  business.  He 
was  kind  and  generous  and  there  are  many 
who  recall  him  with  grateful  emotion. 

Mr.  Guendel  married  March  11,  1888,  Miss 
Anna  Bauer,  who  was  bom  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many. She  is  a  daughter  of  William  and  Wil- 
helmina  (Rahm)  Bauer.  Her  father  died  in 
Germany  but  her  mother  subsequently  came 
to  Grand  Island:  Mrs.  Guendel  reached  Ne 
braska  just  one  year  before  her  husband.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Guendel  had  four  children,  the  sur- 
vivors being:  A.  J.,  Emil  R.,  who  was  in 
the  jewelry  business  for  a  number  of  years 
in  Alliance,  Nebraska,  but  is  now  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank ;  Florence, 
who  resides  with  her  mother  in  the  old  home. 
Mr.  Guendel  was  a  member  of  the  Lieder- 
kranz  Society,  the  Eagles,  the  Plattsdeutch 
Verein,  the  sons  of  Herman  and  the  United 
Travelers  Union. 


ARTHUR  J.  GUENDEL.  —  No  com- 
munity can  afford  unsafe  banks,  therefore  a 
well  sustained  banking  institution  argues  for 
its  stability  to  the  average  man  who  is  not 
willing  to  entrust  his  capital  to  individuals  of 
haphazard  reputation  or  without  proper  safe- 
guards.    Among  the  fist  of  banking  institu- 


572 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


tions  that  accommodate  the  citizens  of  Hall 
County  not  one  stands  higher  as  safe,  sound 
and  reliable  than  the  Nebraska  State  Bank, 
of  Grand  Island.  There  are  many  older  bank- 
ing institutions  but  none  that  heve  been  more 
prosperous  or  have  a  sounder  financial  foun- 
dation. 

Arthur  J.  Guendel,  cashier  of  the  Nebraska 
State  Bank  of  Grand  Island,  was  born  in  this 
city,  July  13,  1880.  He  is  a  son  of  Julius  and 
Anna  Guendel,  old  settlers  of  the  county. 
Being  a  native  son  he  was  reared  in  Grand 
Island  and  educated  in  the  schools  of  his  home 
city  and  at  a  very  early  age  decided  upon  his 
future  career.  When  only  sixteen  he  entered 
a  bank  as  a  clerk  and  continued  in  a  clerical 
capacity  until  the  opportunity  came '  for  in- 
vestment and  a  larger  measure  of  responsi- 
bility. In  April,  1917  he  assisted  in  the  organ- 
ization of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  and  be- 
came its  first  cashier,  A.  E.  Cady,  Jr.,  being 
vice-president.  This  institution  has  a  capital 
of  $75,000  with  deposits  of  $680,000,  the  bank 
officers  and  entire  board  of  directors  repre- 
senting a  large  aggregate  of  capital.  The 
business  is  conducted  along  safe,  conservative 
lines  and  has  had_  a  steadying  influence  dur- 
ing the  past  year  when  values  of  all  kinds 
have  been  disturbed  on  account  of  the  World 
War. 

Mr.  Guendel  married  in  1914,  Miss  Julia 
Nay,  who  was  born  and  educated  in  Grand 
Island  and  is  a  daughter  of  Coleman  Nay, 
a  native  of  Ireland  who  in  his  youth  came 
to  Grand  Island.  He  became  a  man  of  im- 
portance here  and  for  many  years  was  active 
in  political  circles.  Mrs.  Guendel  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman.  Catholic  church.  Mr. 
Guendel  devotes  himself  closely  to  business 
relating  to  his  own  particular  field,  but  never- 
theless finds  time  to  perform  every  duty  de- 
manded by  good  citizenship. 


HERMAN  HEHNKE,  one  of  Grand  Is- 
land's successful  business  men,  has  been  a  resi- 
dent of  this  city  since  he  was  fourteen  years 
old,  and  for  twenty-six  years  has  been  in  the 
hardware  business.  He  is  vice-president  and 
general  manager  of  the  widely  known  firm  of 
capitalists  operating  as  the  Hehnke-Lohmann 
Company,  of  Grand  Island. 

Herman  Hehnke  was  born  in  Germany,  June 
21,  1868.  His  parents  were  Herman  and 
Mary  (Schreder)  Hehnke,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Germany.  They  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  settling  in  Grand  Island  and 
here  the  father  worked  at  first  as  a  carpenter 
and    later   was   a   contractor  and    still   later 


went  into  the  hardware  business  in  which  he 
was  interested  up  to  the  time  of  his  death. 
There  are  many  substantial  buildings  in  Grand 
Island  that  stand  as  testimonials  of  his 
mechanical  skill  or  of  the  honest  carrying  out 
of  his  building  contracts.  Among  these  are 
the  Episcopal  church,  the  Grand  Island  Busi- 
ness College  and  the  University  block.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics.  Six  of  his  seven 
sons  survive,  Gustave,  the  fifth,  having  died; 
the  others  are  as  follows :  Herman,  Otto,  an 
architect,  resides  in  Scotts  Bluff,  Nebraska; 
Hugo,  who  is  a  resident  of  Cairo,  Nebraska, 
where  he  is  manager  of  the  Cairo  Mercantile 
Company,  a  branch  of  the  Hehnke-Lohmann 
Company  of  Grand  Island ;  Carl,  connected  in 
business  with  his  brother  Herman;  John,  a 
carpenter  at  Grand  Island ;  and  William,  who 
has  charge  of  the  furnace  department  of  the 
above  named  business. 

Herman  Hehnke  was  a  school  boy  when  he 
came  with  his  parents  to  Grand  Island  and 
continued  his  studies,  first  in  Grand  Island 
College  and  afterward  in  a  college  at  Lincoln. 
He  has  been  in  the  hardware  business  ever 
since  completing  his  education,  devoting  his 
entire  time  to  his  present  concern  which  is 
one  of  the  largest  in  Nebraska,  handling 
general  hardware  of  every  kind,  furnaces, 
paints  and  varnish.  He  owns  the  business 
quarters,  a  substantial  three-story  building 
with  dimensions  of  thirty-three  by  one  hun- 
dred feet,  the  entire  building  being  utilized  by 
The  Hehnke-Lohmann  Company.  The  busi- 
ness career  of  this  firm  has  been  honorable  in 
character  and  its  policy  is  accepted  by  upright 
business  men  over  a  wide  territory  and  it  is 
mentioned  as  one  of  the  old  and  representa- 
tive mercantile  firms  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Hehnke  married,  in  1882.  Miss  Emma 
Aye,  who  died  in  1911,  being  the  mother  of 
five  daughters,  namely:  Freda,  Ella,  Lillian, 
Estella  and  Helen,  all  of  whom  survive  ex- 
cept Ella.  In  1915  Mr.  Hehnke  married 
Mrs.  Anna  Neubert  and  one  daughter. 
Marielles,  has  been  born  to  them.  Mr.  Hehnke 
is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliations  and 
is  an  active  citizen,  serving  honestly  and  effici- 
ently at  times  on  the  board  of  aldermen,  his 
business  advice  making  him  a  very  valuable 
member  of  the  city  council.  He  is  a  director 
of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  at  Grand  Island. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  a  Mason. 


PETER  R.  JENSEN,  a  substantial  busi- 
ness man  of  Grand  Island,  owning  and  con- 
ducting a  large  grocery  store  on  the  north  side 
of  the  city,  has  had  experience  in  several  in- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


573 


dustrial  lines  apart  from  this  business  since  he 
came  to  America  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  Mr. 
Jensen  is  well  known  in  Hall  County,  to  which 
he  came  in  1886. 

He  was  born  in  Denmark,  August  3,  1867, 
the  son  of  Jens  Andersen  and  Marie  Jensen, 
the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Slagelse 
and  the  latter  in  Horsens,  Denmark.  Both 
died  in  that  country.  The  father  was  a 
machinist.  Both  parents  were  members  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  They  had  twelve  chil- 
dren but  none  came  to  the  United  States  ex- 
cept Peter  R.,  who  is  the  youngest  of  the  five 
living  members  of  the  family.  He  attended 
school  until  he  was  fourteen  years  of  age 
and  then  went  on  a  sea-going  ship,  being  for 
two  and  a  half  years  on  the  water.  He  re- 
lumed home,  only  to  leave  again  as  soon  as 
he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  After  reach- 
ing the  United  States  Mr.  Jensen  worked  his 
way  to  Kansas  City  but  shortly  afterward 
went  to  Colorado  to  work  in  a  mine  there  for 
very  satisfactory  wages.  In  1886  he  came 
to  Grand  Island  being  employed  for  two  years 
at  the  boilermaker's  trade.  He  then  accepted  a 
position  with  the  Grand  Island  Street  Car 
Company  and  had  the  distinction  of  operat- 
ing the  first  car  on  the  line,  and  remained 
with  the  company  for  eight  years.  Upon 
severing  his  connection  with  the  street  car 
company  he  became  connected  with  the  re- 
tail liquor  business  and  after  serving  for  seven 
years  behind  the  bar,  bought  a  saloon  which 
he  conducted  for  eleven  years.  When  Ne- 
braska laws  were  changed  and  the  state  be- 
came dry,  Mr.  Jensen  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  and  has  built  up  a  fine  trade. 

Mr.  Jensen  married  in  June,  1896,  Miss 
Anna  E.  Hansen,  who  was  bom  in  Denmark. 
They  have  four  children:  Lloyd,  who  is  a 
clerk  in  the  office  of  the  Union  Pacific.  Rail- 
road at  Grand  Island ;  Louis,  who  is  a  ranch- 
man in  Burbank,  Washington;  Marie  who 
assists  her  father  in  the  grocery  store;  and 
Anders  who  is  a  schoolboy.  Mr.  Jensen  and 
his  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church. 
In  his  political  views  he  is  a  Democrat. 

THOMAS  E.  BRADSTREET,  president  of 
the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens  Company,  Grand  Is- 
land, has  long  been  identified  with  many  sub- 
stantial business  interests  in  Nebraska.  He  is 
equally  prominent  in  public  affairs  and  is  at 
present  serving  as  a  member  of  the  upper 
house  of  the  Nebraska  legislature, 

Thomas  E.  Bradstreet  was  born  at  Inde- 
pendence, in  Buchanan  County,  Iowa,  Febru- 
ary 14,  1865,  the  tenth  in  a  family  of  twelve 


children  and  the  only  member  living  in  Ne- 
braska. His  parents  were  William  and  Mary 
(Redman)  Bradstreet,  both  of  whom  were 
bom  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  were  mar- 
ried there.  In  1858  they  removed  to  Iowa 
and  homsteaded,  where  they  passed  the  rest  of 
their  busy,  useful,  unpretentious  lives.  The 
father  directed  his  affairs  with  honesty  and 
good  judgment  and  was  considered  a  sucess- 
ful  farmer  and  cattle  feeder  in  Buchanan 
County,  In  his  political  views  he  was  a  Demo- 
crat, and  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith,  he 
reared  his  children  in  that  religious  body. 

Although  brought  up  a  fanner  boy  Thomas 
E.  Bradstreet  had  educational  advantages  and 
after  his  primary  school  course  was  com- 
pleted he  sought  other  opportunities  alternat- 
ing his  studies  with  work  on  the  farm ;  later  he 
attended  a  business  college  at  Dubuque,  Iowa, 
and  at  Waterloo.  After  working  on  a  farm 
during  two  summers  for  $15  a  month,  Mr. 
Bradstreet  went  to  Cedar  County  where  he 
taught  one  term  in  the  Elkhorn  district,  and 
subsequently  taught  one  term  in  O'Brien 
County.  Early  in  1886  Mr.  Bradstreet  rented 
a  farm  in  that  county,  following  his  marriage, 
and  continued  on  that  farm  for  three  years 
before  removing  to  Sioux  City,  Iowa.  After 
one  year  with  D.  H.  Talbott  on  a  ranch,  he 
engaged  in  the  dairy  business  in  Sioux  City, 
an  enterprise  carried  on  for  the  next  twelve 
years  with  much  success,  but  his  next  business 
venture  proved  that  other  business  qualities 
than  those  he  posse sed  were  needed  in  the 
cattle  feeding  industry',  for  within  four  years 
Mr.  Bradstreet  had  practically  buried  a  capital 
of  $20,000.  The  balance  quickly  swung  how- 
ever, when  he  went  into  a  line  of  business  with 
which  he  was  familiar  and  for  which  he  was 
well  equipped,  since  1903  no  resident  of  Hall 
County  having  prospered  more  substantially  in 
the  horse  business.  He  has  greatly  enlarged 
the  original  scope  of  his  enterprise  and  is  now 
at  the  head  of  the  Bradstreet  &  Clemens  Com- 
pany which  own  much  valuable  property  at 
Grand  Island.  He  owns  all  the  barns  used 
by  lease  from  him,  of  the  Grand  Island  Horse 
&  Mule  Company,  and  the  Blain  Horse,  Mule 
&  Cattle  Company,  which  cover  a  large  area. 
He  is  concerned  along  other  business  lines  and 
was  the  originator  and  is  president  of  the 
Equine  Packing  Company,  now  known  as  the 
Grand  "Island  Packing  Company. 

Mr.  Bradstreet  married,  in  1886,  Miss  Luella 
M.  Biddinger,  who  was  born  at  Independence, 
Iowa,  and  is  a  daughter  of  James  Biddinger, 
a  substantial  farmer  there.  Mrs.  Bradstreet 
is  a  highly  educated  woman.  During  the  time 
she    and    Mr.     Bradstreet    resided    on    the 


574 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


farm  in  O'Brien  County,  she  also  taught 
school.  Mrs.  Bradstreet  passed  away  Feb- 
ruary 5,  1919  at  Lincoln,  being  buried  in 
Grand  Island  February  7th.  She  was  a 
member  of  the  O.  E.  S.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Bradstreet  had  three  children;  two  sons  sur- 
vive ;  Archie  L.,  associated  with  his  father  in 
business;  and  Deo,  who  has  been  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France  since 
June,  1918,  taking  a  gallant  part  in  the  great 
army  of  successes  in  September,  a  non-commis- 
sioned officer,  being  coporal  of  his  company. 

Although  Mr.  Bradstreet  is  a  Republican  in 
his  political  sentiments,  his  personal  popularity 
carried  him  into  office  in  a  Democratic  strong- 
hold, in  the  fall  of  1918.  He  could  not  be  un- 
mindful of  the  great  honor  tendered  him  but 
apparently  made  little  personal  effort  at  cam- 
paigning, having  left  his  home  but  three  times 
for  that  purpose.  His  fellow  citizens  feel 
that  their  interests  are  safeguarded  by  a  man 
of  Senator  Bradstreet's  character. 

He  served  in  the  state  legislature  in  1919, 
taking  a  very  active  part  in  demanding  in- 
creased facilities  for  the  Soldiers  Home  at 
Grand  Island.  He  instigated  a  probe  of  exist- 
ing conditions  that  resulted  in  several  sweep- 
ing changes  in  the  personnel  and  administra- 
tive policies  of  the  State  Board  of  Control  of 
Public  Institutions  of  the  state  of  Nebraska. 
Senator  Bradstreet  also  rendered  invaluable 
service  on  the  Roads  and  Highway  Committee 
and  numerous  other  committees.  He  advanced 
the  idea  that  while  the  new  $5,000,000  state 
capital  is  being  built  the  old  building  should  be 
retained  intact  and  the  new  building  located 
on  the  north  end  of  the  present  grounds  and 
two  blocks  adjacent,  to  be  acquired  for  that 
purpose.  His  contention  that  this  would  save 
the  state  approximately  $1,000,000  in  rental 
and  other  expenses,  may  yet  prove  sound. 

He  is  a  thirty-second  degree  Mason  and  a 
Shriner  and  also  belongs  to  the  Modem 
Woodmen,  the  Elks  and  the  Odd  Fellows. 


JULIUS  BOECK,  who  has  had  long  exper- 
ience in  the  confectionery  business  and  is  a 
practical  candy  manufacturer,  is  one  of  Grand 
Island's  substantial  citizens.  He  has  main- 
tained his  home  in  this  city  since  1883  and  in 
1912  erected  his  handsome  residence  at  No. 
509  West  First  street.  Mr.  Boeck  is  a  member 
of  the  city  council  and  has  served  three  years 
on  the  Grand  Island  school  board. 

Julius  Boeck  was  born  in  Schleswig,  Ger- 
many, July  23,  1865.  His  parents  were  Pro- 
fessor Heinrich  Albert  and  Henrietta  (Her- 
man)   Boeck,  both  of  whom  were  born  and 


died  in  Germany.  Of  their  nine  children,  six 
are  living,  three  of  whom  reside  in  the  United 
States.  Julius  Boeck  has  a  brother,  John,  who 
is  a  physician  of  Boise  City,  Idaho;  and  a 
sister,  Dora,  who  lives  at  Phoenix,  Arizona, 
the  widow  of  Albert  Geyler.  By  the  time  he 
was  fifteen  years  old  because  of  his  father's 
attention  to  his  education,  Julius  Boeck  was 
well  advanced  in  his  studies  and  also  was  a 
youth  of  business  enterprise.  At  that  time 
he  came  atone  to  the  United  States  and  soon 
found  employment  in  an  Iowa  drug  store. 
From  there  he  went  to  Boulder,  Colorado, 
where  he  remained  in  the  drug  business  with 
his  brother  for  five  years.  In  1883  he  came  lo 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  and  for  two  years 
was  a  clerk  for  the  firm  of  Viet  &  Roeser 
then  worked  for  Mr.  Roeser  alone  for  two 
years  before  he  went  into  the  grocery 
business  for  himself  finally  establishing  his 
own  confectionery  business.  Mr.  Boeck  then 
went  on  the  road  and  represented  the  Dolan 
Fruit  Company  for  two  years.  Following  this 
he  became  travelling  salesman  for  the  Omaha 
Candy  Company  and  continued  in  that  re- 
lation for  the  next  fifteen  years.  During  this 
time  Mr.  Boeck  prudently  husbanded  his  re- 
sources and  in  1907  began  the  manufacture 
of  candy,  operating  as  the  Elting  Candy  Com- 
pany. He  met  with  success  in  this  enterprise 
but  his  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  June, 
1918,  since  which  time  business  has  not  been 
resumed,  largely  on  account  of  the  shortage 
of  sugar.  At  present  he  is  a  member  of  the 
travelling  staff  of  the  Mueller-Keller  Candy 
Company,  of  Saint  Joseph,  Missouri. 

Mr.  Boeck  married,  in  1886,  Miss  Dora 
Iveis,  who  was  bom  at  Springfield,  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Cornelius  Iveis,  who  has  con- 
ducted a  hotel  and  grocery  in  Grand  Island 
for  four  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boeck  have  had 
four  children,  namely;  Emma  Henrietta,  a 
bookkeeper  and  cashier  in  her  father's  candy 
factory;  Pearl  Alfreda,  a  teacher  in  the  public 
schools;  Edith  Rebecca,  a  cashier  in  a  sugar 
factory ;  and  Helen,  who  died  at  the  age  of 
two  years.  Mr.  Boeck  and  his  family  belong 
to  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is  an  active  fac- 
tor in  the  local  Republican  politics,  and  on 
many  occasions  has  served  in  public  office 
with  great  efficiency.  He  belongs  to  a  number 
of  fraternial  organizations,  among  these  being 
the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Elks,  the  American 
Order  of  United  Workmen,  the  Maccabees 
and  the  United  Commercial  Travelers. 


WILLIAM  SPANGENBERGER,  a  solid, 
prosperous  business  man  of  Grand  Island,  has 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


575 


spent  his  entire  life  here.  From  humble  be- 
ginnings, through  his  own  efforts  he  has  be- 
come financially  independent,  in  the  mean- 
while honestly  earning  the  general  esteem  in 
which  he  is  held.  He  is  president  and  general 
manager  of  the  Grand  Island  Storage  Com- 
pany, which  has  been  in  operation  here  since 
1903. 

William  Spangenberger  was  born  in  Grand 
Island,  August  22,  1869.  His  parents  were 
Fred  and  Louise  (Budde)  Spangenberger, 
natives  of  Germany  who  came  to  Grand  Is- 
land in  1865  living  here  the  remainder  of  their 
days.  For  two  years  after  reaching  Hall 
County,  the  father  engaged  in  freighting,  then 
entered  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road and  during  the  rest  of  his  life  worked  in 
the  roundhouse.  He  had  eight  children;  the 
following  six  surviving:  Pauline,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Hengen,  of  Lafayette,  Indiana; 
Louise,  living  in  Grand  Island ;  William,  a 
well  known  business  man  of  this  city ;  Fred, 
a  railroad  man;  Carrie,  the  wife  of  George 
Carman,  of  Omaha ;  and  Otto,  bookkeeper  for, 
and  interested  in  the  Grand  Island  Storage 
Company.  Mr.  Spangenberger  is  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Royal  Highlanders.  He 
married  Anna  Norbeck,  a  native  of  Sweden; 
they  have  an  adopted  child,  Inis.  The  eldest 
of  the  family,  Dora,  who  died  at  Grand  Island 
in  1916,  was  the  wife  of  Nick  Hengen. 

William  Spangenberger  attended  school  in 
Grand  Island  but  his  people  were  poor  and  he 
had  to  go  to  work  in  early  boyhood,  his  first 
job  being  herding  cattle.  Afterward  he  was  em- 
ployed on  a  farm  for  a  time  and  then  entered 
the  Union  Pacific  Company's  employ  in  the 
freight  house  in  Grand  Island,  where  he  re- 
mained for  twenty  years.  Even  after  he  had 
invested  his  savings  in  a  business  of  his  own, 
he  remained  seven  more  years  with  the  rail- 
road company.  In  1903,  with  his  brother  Otto, 
Mr.  Spangenberger  started  the  Grand  Island 
Storage  Co.,  which  later  was  incorporated  at 
$20,000.  He  has  been  president  and  general 
manager  of  the  concern  ever  since.  This  busi- 
ness has  been  developed  into  a  large  enter- 
prise, a  forwarding  and  dray  line  business  be- 
ing carried  on  in  connection  with  the  work  at 
the  storage  plant. 

Mr.  Spangenberger  married,  in  1893,  Miss 
Anna  Reinecke,  who  was  born  in  Grand  Island, 
a  daughter  of  Charles  and  Susan  (Williams) 
Reinecke.  Mr.  Reinecke  was  a  railroad  man 
who  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1866.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Spangenberger  have  one  daughter,  Ruth, 
the  wife  of  Conrad  Ross,  who  is  a  brickmason 
by  trade.    They  now  live  in  Omaha  and  have 


two  children :  Mabel  and  Bettie.  Mr.  Spang- 
enberger is  a  Republican  in  politics.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Royal  Highlanders  and  was  a 
charter  member  of  the  local  organization.  In 
addition  to  his  business  interests  above  stated, 
he  is  a  stockholder  in  another  of  Grand  Is- 
land's substantial  concerns  which  has  been 
built  up  —  the  Grand  Island  Hide  &  Fur  Com- 
pany. 


MAX  J.  EGGE,  optician,  is  one  of  Grand 
Island's  best  known  business  men.  He  is  a 
representative  of  a  sturdy  race  of  pioneers  who 
settled  in  Hall  County  a  half  century  ago. 
Max  J.  Egge  was  born  near  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska,  May  4,  1871.  His  parents,  both 
of  whom  have  long  since  passed  out  of  life, 
were  Adolph  and  Ottilie  Egge.  They  were 
married  in  the  city  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and 
came  to  Hall  County  in  1868,  taking  up  a 
homestead  east  of  Grand  Island. 

Max  J.  Egge  was  one  year  old  when  his 
parents  came  to  this  section  of  Nebraska.  For 
a  number  of  years  after  locating  here  his  fath- 
er worked  as  foreman  of  what  was  known  as 
the  State  Central  Mill,  for  Henry  Koenig. 
Through  industry,  sobriety  and  frugality  he 
accumulated  enough  capital  to  enable  him  to 
embark  in  business  for  himself.  Subsequently 
be  became  a  substantial  coal  merchant  and  a 
business  man  of  importance  in  Grand  Island. 
He  took  an  interest  in  public  affairs  and  politic- 
ally was  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 
The  Lutheran  church  received  his  support. 
Of  his  four  children  the  survivors  are :  Max 
J.,  Cart,  a  resident  of  Minneapolis,  is  super- 
intendent of  the  railway  mail  service  and  for 
a  number  of  years  was  a  post  office  inspector ; 
and  Marie,  the  widow  of  R.  V.  Pistorius, 
lives  in  Grand  Island. 

After  completing  the  high  school  course  in 
Grand  Island  Max  J.  Egge  found  himself  at 
liberty  to  choose  the  vocation  he  preferred 
above  others  and  during  the  next  few  years 
learned  the  intricacies  of  the  jewelry  business, 
including  the  grinding  and  fitting  of  lenses. 
From  1893  to  1896  he  was  in  the  jewelry  busi- 
ness at  Cortland,  Nebraska,  and  then  came  to 
Grand  Island  to  establish  a  business  house 
along  the  same  lines.  In  recent  years  he  sold 
his  store  and  now  devotes  all  his  time  to 
optical  work,  in  which  profession  he  enjoys 
the  confidence  of  the  community.  Mr.  Egge 
is  somewhat  prominent  in  Republican  politics. 
He  served  four  years  as  chairman  of  the  Re- 
publican central  committee  and  at  present  is 
serving  in  the  office  of  city  treasurer.  He  is 
identified  with   the  Masonic    fraternity,  is  a 


576 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Knight  Templar  and  Shriner,  and  belongs  to 
Lodge  No.  604  Elks  in  Grand  Island.  In  1899 
he  married  Miss  Ada  Casad,  of  Cortland,  Ne- 
braska. She  is  a  member  of  the  Christian  and 
he  of  the  Lutheran  church. 


THOMAS  OLIVER  CROMWELL  HAR- 
RISON, one  of  Hall  County's  distinguished 
citizens,  formerly  serving  with  great  judicial 
honor  on  the  bench  and  as  a  member  of  the 
Nebraska  State  Senate,  is  an  eminent  member 
of  his  profession  in  Grand  Island  and  the  dean 
of  the  bar  of  the  county.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  a  notable  figure  in  the  court  room 
and  perhaps  only  less  so  in  public  affairs  per- 
taining to  community,  county  and  state. 

Judge  Harrison  was  born  in  New  Burling- 
ton, Clinton  County,  Ohio,  May  22,  1849.  His 
parents  were  Peter  and  Salvania  (Lovekinl 
Harrison,  the  former  of  whom  was  a  native 
of  England  while  the  latter  was  born  near 
Frederick,  Maryland.  Their  marriage  took 
place  at  Springfield,  Ohio.  They  became  the 
parents  of  eight  children.  But  two  of  these 
survive.  Judge  Harrison  and  his  brother 
Charles  Harrison,  a  farmer  residing  in  Greene 
County,  Ohio.  Peter  Harrison  was  a  manu- 
facturer of  furniture  and  for  many  years  he 
conducted  his  furniture  store  at  New  Burling- 
ton, in  the  meanwhile  also  attending  to  his 
duties  as  a  minister,  first  in  the  Wesleyan  and 
later  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He 
was  a  man  of  strong  convictions  and  un- 
doubtedly some  of  his  admirable  qualities  de- 
scended to  his  children ;  he  early  became  a 
strong  anti-slavery  man,  an  Abolitionist.  Up- 
on the  formation  of  the  Republican  party  he 
found  himself  in  sympathy  with  that  organiza- 
tion. In  1872  he  came  to  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska, and  for  some  years  served  as  one  of 
the  board  of  county  commissioners  and 
also  served  one  term  in  the  state  legislature. 
His  wife  had  died  in  Ohio  prior  to  his  coming 
to  the  West.  His  death  occured  in  Grand  Is- 
land. 

The  boyhood  of  Judge  Harrison  was  spent  in 
southern  Ohio  where  he  attended  the  common 
schools  and  later  took  a  course  in  the  Normal 
school  at  Lebanon.  Before  leaving  Ohio  he 
had  read  law  under  the  preceptorship  of  his 
uncle,  R.  A.  Harrison,  at  London.  He  was 
admitted  to  the  Nebraska  bar  after  reaching 
Hall  County  in  1873.  For  a  short  time  he 
taught  school  and  then  entered  into  practice 
and  for  forty-five  years  has  been  identified 
with  the  courts  of  this  state.  He  early  became 
interested  in  public  affairs  so  that  political 
offices  were  soon  tendered  him,  his  first  ac- 


ceptance being  the  position  of  deputy  count)- 
treasurer,  in  which  capacity  he  served  one 
term.  In  the  meanwhile  he  made  rapid  head- 
way at  the  bar  being  elected  judge  of  the 
county  court  and  served  continuously  in  that 
office  for  eight  years ;  subsequently,  for  the 
same  period  he  served  as  police  judge,  and  still 
later,  for  eight  years  was  judge  of  the  district 
court,  having  jurisdiction  over  eleven  coun- 
ties. Judicial  experience  is  one  of  the  most 
valuable  qualifications  of  a  judge  and  his  fel- 
low citizens  appreciated  this  fact  and  proved 
their  appreciation  by  electing  him  judge  of  the 
supreme  court  of  the  state,  in  which  exalted 
office  Judge  Harrision  served  with  intellectual 
vigor  and  sound  judgment  for  six  years.  Judge 
Harrison  was  elected  state  senator,  represent- 
ing Hall  and  Hamilton  counties,  and  during 
his  term  in  the  General  Assembly,  he  reflected 
still  further  credit  upon  himself  and  his  con- 
stituents. Since  retiring  from  public  life, 
Judge  Harrison  has  continued  his  law  prac- 
tice in  Grand  Island  also  serving  as  attorney 
for  the  city  school  board. 

Judge  Harrison  married,  in  1880,  Miss  Mary 
C.  Laine,  who  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 
York.  She  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  The  Judge  is  prominent  in  Masonic 
circles  being  a  Knight  Templar  and  also  a 
Shriner.  Although  he  is  the  only  representa- 
tive of  his  family  in  Hall  County,  at  one  time 
three  of  his  brothers  lived  here,  W.  H.. 
Richard  L.  and  Charles.  Harrison  township 
in  Hall  County  was  named  in  honor  of  his 
family. 


ERNEST  G.  KROGER,  of  Grand  Island. 
is  an  able  member  of  the  bar,  one  of  the 
younger  leaders  of  the  city  democracy,  and 
a  citizen  who  has  already  impressed  the  force 
and  straightforwardness  of  his  character  up- 
on the  legislation  of  his  adopted  community. 
During  the  past  nine  years  he  has  been  a 
practitioner  in  this  city,  and  during  the  greater 
part  of  that  time  has  acted  in  the  capacity  of 
police  judge,  an  office  in  which  he  has  given 
evidence  of  the  possession  of  marked  judicial 
and  executive  ability. 

Judge  Kroger  was  born  at  North  Bend.  Ne- 
braska, February  15,  1888,  a  son  of  John 
and  Mary  (Docekal)  Kroger,  the  former  a 
native  of  Germany  and  the  latter  of  Austria- 
Hungary.  Both  his  father  and  mother  came 
to  the  United  States  as  children  of  fourteen 
years  with  their  respective  parents,  the  fami- 
lies settling  in  Nebraska.  For  a  number  of 
years  during  his  early  life  John  Kroger  was 
engaged  in  railroading,  but  eventually  turned 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


577 


his  attention  to  farming  in  Hamilton  County, 
where  he  became  the  possessor  of  160  acres 
of  land  and  developed  a  well-cultivated  and 
highly-improved  farm.  There  his  death  oc- 
curred after  a  successful  and  honorable  career, 
his  widow  still  making  her  home  on  the  prop- 
erty which  she  had  helped  her  husband  to  de- 
velop. They  were  the  parents  of  five  chil- 
dren: Ida,  the  wife  of  George  Wurtz,  a 
Hamilton  County  farmer;  William,  engaged 
in  farming  in  Polk  County,  Nebraska ;  Ernest 
G.,  Adolph,  farming  in  Hamilton  County; 
and  Lillian,  who  is  single  and  makes  her  home 
with  her  mother  on  the  homestead.  The  fam- 
ily belongs  to  the  "Lutheran  church.  In  his 
political  views,  John  Kroger  was  a  democrat. 

Ernest  G.  Kroger  received  his  early  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  York  County, 
Nebraska,  following  which  he  attended  Con- 
cordia College,  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  for  two 
years.  Deciding  upon  the  law  as  the  medium 
through  which  to  work  out  his  life's  success, 
he  became  a  student  at  the  State  University, 
Lincoln,  Nebraska.  He  was  an  earnest,  in- 
dustrious student  being  duly  graduated  from 
that  institution  with  his  degree  after  three 
years  of  study,  and  in  1909  was  admitted  to 
ihe  bar.  At  that  time  he  came  to  Grand  Is- 
land to  enter  upon  the  practice  of  his  pro- 
fession. In  April,  1911,  he  was  elected  police 
judge,  an  office  which  he  has  since  filled  with 
rare  ability,  dignity  and  justice.  He  has  been 
engaged  in  active  practice,  interspersed  with 
his  activities  in  Democratic  politics  and  civic 
movements.  Care  and  precision  mark;  the 
preparation  of  all  his  cases  of  whatever  na- 
ture, his  thoroughness  of  preparation  insur- 
ing a  convincing  and  clear  presentation  of 
whatever  subject  comes  before  him  for  ad- 
justment. Judge  Kroger  is  a  member  of 
several  clubs  and  fraternal  organizations,  and 
with  his  family  attends  the  Lutheran  church. 

On  September  29,  1909,  Judge  Kroger  mar- 
ried at  Polk,  Nebraska,  Miss  Kathryn  Nier- 
raann,  who  was  bom  in  Polk  County.  To 
this  union  there  have  been  born  three  chil- 
dren: Roscoe,  in  1910;  Orville,  in'  1912; 
and  Eleanor,  in  1917. 


RUSSELL  L.  GEER.  — One  of  the  busi- 
ness concerns  in  Grand  Island  that  commands 
attention  because  of  its  long  continuance,  sub- 
stantial character  and  commercial  integrity  is 
the  Geer  Company,  of  which  Russell  L.  Geer 
is  president.  He  was  born  in  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska,  October  25,  1887,  the  son  of  L.  T. 
Geer,  an  extended  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  in  this  work. 


Russell  L.  Geer  obtained  his  education  in 
the  pulic  schools  of  Grand  Island  and  was 
graduated  from  the  high  school  in  1906  In- 
stead of  taking  advantage  of  open  opportunity 
whereby  he  might  have  won  collegiate  laurels, 
he  illustrated  his  democratic  principles  by  ac- 
cepting work  in  his  father's  office  in  order  to 
learn  the  company  business  through  practical 
experience.  After  two  years  there  Mr.  Geer 
went  to  Kansas  City  where  for  four  years  he 
was  employed  as  estimator  for  the  American 
Sash  &  Door  Company,  returning  then  to 
Grand  Island,  where  he  became  associated 
officially  with  the  Geer  Comany,  accepting  the 
presidency  of  the  organization.  The  stock  of 
this  company  is  owned  by  Mr.  Geer,  his  father 
and  his  brother.  The  business  of  this  com- 
pany is  one  of  large  volume  and  wide  trade 
connection. 

Mr.  Geer  married,  in  1912,  Miss  Ruth  Hin- 
sen,  who  was  born  in  Walnut,  Crawford 
County,  Kansas,  where  she  was  educated  and 
carefully  reared.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Christian  church,  in  Kansas  City.  Mr.  Geer 
was  reared  in  the  Congregational  church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  sturdy  Republican  but  no  seek- 
er for  public  honors  for  himself,  the  quiet, 
steady  pursuit  of  business  bringing  him  the 
satisfaction  and  remuneration  that  afford  con- 
tentment, without  the  cares  attached  to  polit- 
ical preferment.  He  and  his  wife  take  part  in 
the  city's  pleasant  social  life  and  are  members 
of  the  Grand  Island  Country  Club. 


JOHN  ALLAN.  — A  resident  of  Hall 
County  for  forty-five  years,  John  Allan  has 
the  distinction  of  being  head  of  the  firm 
that  has  the  only  abstract  business  in  the 
county.  During  his  long  residence  here  he 
has  seen  much  public  service,  and  through 
this,  as  well  as  through  his  various  business 
interests,  has  been  a  helpful  factor  in  build- 
ing up  and  developing  this  thriving  part  of 
the  state. 

Mr.  Allan  was  bom  May  30,  1850,  in  Scot- 
land. He  is  a  son  of  John  and  Margaret 
(Watson)  Allan,  who  passed  their  entire  lives 
in  the  land  of  their  birth,  where  they  were 
engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  They  were 
highly  respected  people  of  their  community 
and  devout  members  of  the  Scotch  Prsbyter- 
ian  church  and  through  their  example  and 
teachings  reared  a  family  which  survives  to 
reflect  credit  upon  their  rearing.  Of  the  thir- 
teen children,  eleven  are  living,  but  only  four 
are  residents  of  the  United  States:  John, 
James,  who  is  a  resident  of  Wood  River,  Ne- 
braska;   Mrs.   Jessie    Wilson,    of    Doniphan, 


'  3 


C 


578 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


this  state ;  and  Henry,  formerly  a  resident  of 
Hall  County  and  for  eight  years  clerk  of  the 
district  court,  but  now  a  resident  of  Seattle, 
Washington. 

John  Allan  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  land.  He  was 
reared  to  an  agricultural  life,  but  the  oppor- 
tunites  for  advancement  did  not  seem  to  be 
promising  enough  in  the  place  of  his  birth 
and  he  decided  to  try  his  fortunes  in  the 
land  across  the  waters.  He  was  le&s  than 
nineteen  years  of  age  when  he  arrived  in  this 
country,  February  4,  1869,  and  was  only 
twenty-three  years  old  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County.  For  eight  years  following  his  arrival 
he  was  engaged  in  teaching  school  at  Wood 
River,  but  at  the  end  of  that  period  secured 
employment  in  the  court  house  at  Grand  Is- 
land. Two  years  later  he  was  elected  to  the 
office  of  district  clerk,  which  he  filled  with 
such  ability  that  he  was  retained  in  office  by 
consecutive  elections  until  he  had  established 
an  incumbency  of  sixteen  years.  In  the  mean- 
time, in  1884,  he  had  founded  a  small  abstract 
business,  which  he  built  up  gradually  until  it 
assumed  large  proportions,  and  at  the  expira- 
tion of  his  final  term  of  office  he  began  to  give 
the  business  his  undivided  attention.  The 
firm  of  John  Allan  &  Son  is  now  one  of  the 
large  and  important  business  concerns  of  the 
county  seat  and  the  only  abstract  business  in 
Hall  County.  While  abstracts  are  given  the 
greater  part  of  Mr.  Allan's  attention,  he  also 
handles  real  estate,  insurance  and  loans,  and 
is  known  as  an  astute  and  careful  man  of 
business,  an  excellent  judge  of  land  values, 
and  a  man  of  the  highest  probity  and  integ- 
rity. A  Republican  in  his  political  views,  in 
addition  to  the  service  mentioned  above,  he 
has  contributed  to  his  community  his  labors  in 
the  offices  of  deputy  county  clerk  and  deputy 
clerk  of  the  district  court.  His  fraternal  affili- 
ation is  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  of  which  order  he  is  past  grand  mas- 
ter. With  the  members  of  his  family,  he  be- 
longs to  the  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Allan  was  married  June  18,  1885,  at 
Grand  Island,  to  Miss  Fannie  L.  Garrett,  who 
was  bom  in  Iowa,  and  of  their  children,  three 
are  living;  Leo  G.,  who  was  his  father's  part- 
ner in  business,  a  former  member  of  the  Ne- 
braska National  Guards,  who  is  now  captain 
of  Company  M,  134th  Infantry,  A.  E.  F., 
France;  Elsie  M.,  who  is  assisting  in  her 
father's  office  during  the  absence  of  her  broth- 
ers ;  and  Rex  J.,  who  in  April  1918,  enlisted  in 
the  United  States  Navy,  and  is  now  stationed 
at  Brooklyn,  New  York.  Prior  to  enlistment 
he    was    attending   the   Colorado    School    of 


Mines  at  Golden,  Colorado,  and  when  dis- 
charged intends  to  complete  his  education  in 
that  institution. 


CHARLES  HENRY  TULLY,  identified 
with  the  interests  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
for  over  forty  years,  is  a  representative  citi- 
zen of  Grand  Island  and  has  had  much  to  do 
with  the  development  of  its  commercial 
affairs.  He  has  been  one  of  the  public- 
spirited  men  who  have  given  encouragement  to 
civic  progress  along  every  line.  Beginning  at 
the  foot  of  the  ladder  and  climbing  by  the  aid 
of  character  and  industry,  Mr.  Tully  has  done 
much  for  himself  as  well  as  for  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Tully  was  born  at  Rome,  Oneida 
County,  New  York,  June  21,  1853.  His  par- 
ents, William  Henry  and  Annette.  (Bates) 
Tully,  were  also  natives  of  New  York.  In 
1859  they  removed  to  the  northern  part  of 
Indiana  where  for  many  years  afterward  his 
father  engaged  in  the  practice  of  medicine  at 
Warsaw.  He  died  March  13,  1919,  aged  nine- 
ty-five years,  eight  months  and  one  day.  He 
was  one  of  the  most  venerable  residents  of 
Arkansas  City,  Kansas,  having  resided  there 
with  his  daughter.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Tully 
died  in  1913,  at  the  age  eighty-six  years.  The 
parents  had  six  children  born  to  them  as  fol- 
lows :  F.  M.,  a  retired  resident  of  Long  Beach, 
California;  A.  A.,  in  business  at  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska ;  C.  H.,  F.  F.  a  shoe  merchant  in  Grand 
Island;  W.  D.,  a  fruit  farmer  in  the  state  of 
Washington ;  and  Clara  C,  the  wife  of  W.  W. 
Spencer,  a  dealer  in  real  estate  at  Arkansas 
City,  Kansas. 

Before  the  family  removed  to  Indiana  Mr. 
Tully  had  attended  school,  but  the  greater 
part  of  his  education  was  secured  at  Warsaw. 
After  he  put  his  books  aside,  the  young  man 
determined  at  first  to  enter  one  of  the  profes- 
sions, but  a  few  months  of  study  of  dentistry 
convinced  him  that  a  different  vocation  would 
be  more  congenial.  Therefore,  in  1875,  with 
three  others,  Mr.  Tully  crossed  the  country 
with  a  team  and  covered  wagon  to  Columbus, 
in  Platte  County,  Nebraska.  Shortly  after- 
ward he  preempted  land  in  Greeley  County. 
Nebraska,  on  which  he  remained  until  187$. 
when  he  came  to  Grand  Island.  Here  he 
went  to  work  for  John  L.  Means,  with  whom 
he  later  went  into  partnership,  under  the  name 
of  Means  &  Tully  Contractors  &  Bridge 
Builders.  During  the  many  years  that  this 
association  lasted,  the  firm  built  many  bridges 
in  Nebraska  and  Colorado.  It  was  during 
this  time,  in  May,  1897,  that  he  began,  in  a 
small   way,   to  manufacture  wire   fence  and 


HISTORY  OF  HiALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


580 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


after  his  enterprise  was  well  under  way  he 
sold  his  bridge  interests  to  devote  all  of  his 
time  and  efforts  to  his  personal  concerns. 

At  the  present  time  Mr.  Tutly  is  the  sole 
proprietor  of  the  enterprise  and  devotes  his 
time  to  manufacturing  wire  fencing  and  a 
wholesale  business  in  nails,  bank  wire  and 
steel  gates.  The  greater  part  of  his  trade  is  in 
Nebraska  and  yet  he  has  a  growing  list  in 
Idaho  and  Wyoming.  Mr.  Tully  has  invested 
largely  in  Grand  Island  property.  Of  this  one 
half  block  is  on  East  Seventh  street.  In  1881 
he  built  his  handsome  residence  and  also  a 
most  attractive  one  for  his  son. 

Mr.  Tully  in  February,  1888,  married  Miss 
Jennie  M.  Brown,  who  was  born  in  Illinois. 
Her  father  was  an  officer  in  the  Civil  War 
who  had  settled  near  Central  City  in  1872. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tully  have  two  children : 
Charles  Franklin  who  is  general  manager  of 
the  father's  business;  and  Inez,  the  wife  of 
Paul  R.  Robinson.  Mr.  Robinson  is  cashier  of 
a  bank  at  Kramer,  Nebraska.  For  many  years 
Mr.  Tully  has  been  active  in  the  work  of  the 
Congregational  church.  From  the  time' of  its 
organization  he  has  been  identified  with  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand  Island 
Home  Guards,  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason, 
an  Elk  and  a  Knight  of  Pythias.  Of  the 
last  named  order  he  is  past  chancellor.  In 
politics  he  is  a  staunch  Republican.  Mr.  Tully 
has  been  a  member  of  the  library  board  for 
thirteen  years  and  is  one  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  Red  Cross  and  commercial 
club. 


JOHN  TORPEY.—  Few  names  are  better 
or  more  favorably  known  in  the  horse  and 
cattle  industry  throughout  Nebraska  and  ad- 
jacent states  than  that  of  John  Torpey.  He 
has  devoted  his  entire  business  life  to  this  line, 
beginning  in  boyhood,  a  love  and  knowledge  of 
horses  that  early  brought  him  into  the  first 
rank  as  a  jockey,  determined  the  choice  of 
career  in  which  he  has  met  with  great  suc- 
cess. 

John  Torpey  was  born  in  Delaware  County, 
Pennsylvania,  near  Philadelphia,  February  22, 
1870,  the  third  in  a  family  of  five  sons  born  to 
William  and  Ellen  (Lee)  Torpey.  His  par- 
ents were  natives  of  Ireland  but  were  brought 
to  the  United  States  in  childhood.  His  mother 
is  deceased  but  his  father,  for  many  years  a 
farmer  in  Delaware  County,  Pennsylvania, 
now  lives  retired  at  Radnor,  having  reached 
his  eighty-fifth  year.  He  has  always  been  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church.     Aside    from   John,   bis   other   sons 


were :  William,  in  the  milk  business  at 
Radnor ;  James,  who  died  in  1905 ;  Thomas, 
a  contractor  and  builder  of  East  St.  Louis, 
Illinois ;  and  Robert,  who  is  interested  in 
rubber  manufacturing  at  Norristown,  Penn- 
sylvania. 

After  completing  the  public  school  course 
at  Radnor,  John  Torpey  started  into  the  horse 
and  cattle  business,  in  the  meanwhile  becom- 
ing an  expert  horseman"  and  through  his  skill 
in  horsemanship  he  attracted  wide  attention 
and  became  well  known  afterward  in  the  rac- 
ing field  as  a  favorite  jockey.  .From  those 
early  days  to  the  present  Mr.  Torpey  has  con- 
tinued in  the  horse  business.  His  first  partner 
was  Thomas  H.  Haley;  they  remained  to- 
gether tor  three  years.  After  that  partnership 
was  dissolved,  Mr.  Torpey  took  charge  of  a 
sales  barn  for  Ivan  C.  Walker,  at  Norristown, 
and  two  years  later  was  sent  as  a  purchasing 
agent  to  East  St.  Louis,  Illinois,  eighteen 
months  later  going  to  St.  Paul,  Minnesota, 
where  for  three  years  he  bought  cattle  for 
Mr.  Walker ;  during  the  six  years  he  remained 
in  his  employ,  he  visited  all  the  important  stock 
markets  in  the  West.  Mr.  Torpey  then  came 
to  Nebraska  and  entered  into  a  partnership 
at  Columbus  with  A.  C.  Scott.  They  opened 
a  sales  and  feed  barn  and  he  remained  in 
Columbus  for  three  years  before  coming  to 
Grand  Island.  Here  he  opened  a  first  class 
feed  bam  which  he  operated  until  November, 
1912,  when  he  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Grand  Island  Horse  &  Mule  Company, 
the  four  parties  interested  being:  A.  C  Scott, 
A.  H.  Langmann,  W.  S.  Fletcher  (of  Loup 
City),  and  John  Torpey.  The  coraany  does 
a  general  horse  and  mule  commission  business 
and  Mr.  Torpey  has  been  manager  ever  since 
the  enterprise  was  started. 

Mr.  Torpey  married,  December  16,  1916, 
Miss  Lillian  Hinz,  who  was  born  in  Grand  Is- 
land. They  are  members  of  the  Roman  Cath- 
olic church.  Mr.  Torpey  has  never  been  very 
active  in  politics,  business  affairs  possessing 
more  interest  for  him,  but  he  never  neglects 
his  citizenship  privileges  and,  like  his  father, 
casts  his  vote  with  the  Democratic  party. 


NELSON  BRIGGS  DOLSEN,  manager 
of  the  J.  H.  Yost  Lumber  Company,  has  been 
a  resident  of  Grand  Island  for  less  than  a  de- 
cade, nevertheless,  he  is  well  and  favorably 
known  here  through  his  business  enterprise 
and  all-around  good  citizenship.  During  his 
entire  business  career  he  has  been  associated 
with  lumber  interests,  as  was  his  father  suc- 
cessfully before  him.    Mr.  Dolsen  was  born  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


581 


Canada,  in  1864.  His  parents  were  John  L. 
and  Anna  E.  (Pratt)  Dolsen,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Canada  and  the  latter  in 
Vermont.  In  1866  the  Dolsen  family  came  to 
the  United  States  and  settled  at  Bay  City, 
Michigan,  where  the  parents  united  with  the 
Presbyterian  church.  They  had  nine  children, 
four  of  these  survive. 

Nelson  Briggs  Dolsen  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Bay  City  and 
after  completing  the  high  school  course  went 
into  the  lumber  business  with  his  father.  He 
remained  in  Michigan  until  1887,  then  spent 
about  a  year  in  Oregon  and  for  eighteen 
months  was  an  inspector  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  In  1888  he  located  at  Silver  Creek, 
in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska,  where  he  re- 
mained enjgaged  in  a  lumber  business  for 
twelve  years,  being  manager  for  the  Chicago 
Lumber  Company.  For  the  next  seven  years 
Mr.  Dolsen  was  interested  in  Norfolk,  Madi- 
son County,  transferring  his  lumber  interests 
then  to  Hastings,  in  Adams  County,  where  he 
remained  for  two  years.  In  1911  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  to  take  charge  of  the  J.  H. 
Yost  Lumber  Company's  yard  and  has  re- 
mained a  resident  of  Grand  Island  ever  since. 
He  has  taken  a  responsible  citizen's  interest 
in  local  matters  but  is  not  a  politician.  The 
business  of  the  company,  of  which  he  is  a 
stockholder  as  welt  as  manager,  claims  the 
greater  part  of  his  time.  He  votes  the  Repub- 
lican ticket. 

Mr.  Dolsen  married  in  1891,  Miss  Josephine 
Milliman,  who  was  born  in  Illinois  the  daugh- 
ter of  M.  W.  Milliman,  an  early  settler  and 
stockman  at  Silver  Creek.  They  have  two 
children :  Frederick  M.  and  Bessie  Pratt,  the 
former  of  whom  is  a  graduate  of  the  Grand 
Island  High  School,  in  which  the  latter  is  yet  a 
student.  Mr.  Dolsen  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  Royal 
Arch  Mason  and  is  past  high  priest  of  his 
lodge. 


HENRY  GLADE.  —  Representing  the  mil- 
ling interests  of  Hall  County,  one  of  the  most 
prominent  concerns  is  that  operating  under 
the  name  of  Henry  Glade  Milling  Company. 
For  more  than  thirty-five  years  this  name  has 
stood  for  high  quality  of  product,  purity  of 
material  and  honorable  business  policy,  and 
while  the  founder  of  the  business  has  long 
since  passed  to  his  final  rest,  the  name  and 
policy  of  the  business  are  being  preserved  by 
his  capable  and  energetic  sons.  At  the  same 
time  they  are  perpetuating  the  reputation  es- 
tablished by  their  honored  father. 


Henry  Glade,  the  founder  of  the  business, 
was  one  of  the  men  who  richly  deserved  the 
title  of  self-made.  He  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  November  20,  1844,  the  youngest  of 
a  family  of  twelve  children,  and  when  four  or 
five  years  of  age  was  brought  by  his  parents 
to  the  United  States.  The  trip  was  made  in 
a  sailing  vessel  and  after  thirteen  weeks  on 
the  ocean  they  landed  at  New  Orleans  and 
from  there  went  to  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
Shortly  after  their  arrival  here  the  father  died 
and  not  long  after  this  the  mother  was  called 
to  the  home  beyond,  so  that  the  youth  was  left 
practically  among  strangers  and  was  thrown 
upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age.  For 
many  years  he  was  compelled  to  stage  a  con- 
tinued struggle  agaist  discouraging  conditions. 
His  education  was  of  the  most  ordinary  kind 
and  as  a  boy  he  made  his  way  to  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  where  he  learned  the  milling  business 
and  was  only  a  boy  of  fourteen  when  placed 
in  charge  of  a  mill.  He  built  the  mill  at  Swiss 
Valley,  Iowa  and  continued  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness in  Iowa  until  1878,  when  on  the  22nd  of 
December  of  that  year  he  came  to  Nebraska 
and  engaged  in  the  same  line  at  Columbus. 
In  1882  with  George  Etting  and  William  Mc- 
Quade  he  built  a  mill  at  David  City,  Nebraska. 
In  1883  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  pur- 
chased the  Koenig  and  Wiebe  mill.  Mr.  Glade 
at  that  time  had  little  save  his  experience  and 
a  small  capital  which  he  had  accumulated. 
He  entered  vigorously  and  confidently  into  the 
milling  field  in  this  growing  locality,  and 
through  the  sheer  force  of  his  own  ability, 
energy  and  perseverance  built  up  a  substantial 
business.  The  old  mill  was  torn  down  and  a 
new  one  was  erected  of  modern  character  and 
put  in  operation  January  1,  1884,  and  from 
that  time  until  his  death,  December  18,  1910, 
Henry  Glade  was  the  directing  head  of  this 
important  enterprise.  He  was  one  of  the  com- 
munity's most  highly  esteemed  citizens.  His 
reputation  in  business  circles  was  of  the  best. 
In  politics  he  was  independent,  though  he  never 
cared  for  public  life,  his  business  interests  and 
his  family  connections  completely  satisfying 
him.  He  was  a  devout  member  of  the  Luth- 
eran church. 

Mr.  Glade  married  April  26,  1866,  at  Belle- 
vue,  Iowa,  Miss  Catherine'  Etting,  a  sister 
of  Albert  Etting.  They  became  the  parents  of 
six  children.  Mrs.  Glade  passed  away  Febru- 
ary 28,  1886  and  seven  years  later  Mr.  Glade 
married  Louisa  A.  Brown. 

Of  the  six  children  five  are  living :  August 
A;  Christina  W.,  the  widow  of  Ed  Kiefer, 
a  resident  of  Lincoln ;  Fred  M. ;  Filbert  A. ; 
and  Arthur  W. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


In  the  death  of  Henry  Glade  Grand  Island 
lost  one  of  her  worthiest  citizens  who  for 
thirty-three  years  had  been  a  resident  here 
and  during  the  whole  course  of  a  busy  life 
was  a  man  of  stable  character.  In  editorial 
comment  on  his  death  the  Grand  Island  Inde- 
pendent had  this  to  say  of  Mr.  Glade: 
"Probably  no  man  so  active  in  business  for 
over  thirty  years  in  Grand  Island,  is  known 
less  in  public  life.  Mr.  Glade  belonged  to  no 
fraternal  orders  or  societies  of  any  kind  and 
when  he  was  not  at  work  he  was  at  home. 
He  was  a  hard  working  man  all  his  life  and 
probably  nothing  contributed  more  to  his  suc- 
cess." 

August  A.  Glade  was  bom  near  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  December  20,  1868,  He  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools,  and  was  but  fifteen  years 
of  age  at  the  time  he  joined  the  concern  of 
which  his  father  was  the  head,  and  of  which 
August  A.  is  now  treasurer  and  bookkeeper. 
He  is  one  of  the  highly  esteemed  business 
men  of  Grand  Island,  is  an  active  factor 
in  civic  affairs,  and  in  politics  is  an  inde- 
pendent Democrat.  He  married  Miss  Nellie 
Andrews,  who  was  born  in  Kansas  and  prior 
to  her  marriage  resided  during  the  greater 
part  of  her  life  at  Abilene.  They  are  the  par- 
ents of  two  children:  George  C.  and  Cathe- 
rine. Mrs.  Glade  is  a  member  of  the  Christian 
Science  church. 

Fred  M,  Glade  was  born  near  Dubuque, 
Iowa,  January  25  1876,  and  received  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Island. 
He  entered  his  father's  mill  at  an  early  age, 
but  his  business  career  was  frequently  inter- 
rupted by  his  activities  in  baseball.  Like  his 
brothers,  he  had  been  an  athlete  from  boy- 
hood, and  he  soon  developed  such  prowess  that 
he  entered  the  national  pastime  as  a  profes- 
sional. In  1898  he  joined  the  Fort  Worth, 
Texas,  club,  and  in  1900  was  purchased  by 
the  Des  Moines  club  of  the  Western  League. 
While  there  his  work  attracted  the  attention 
of  one  of  the  scouts  of  the  Chicago  Cubs 
team,  which  bought  him  from  Des  Moines  in 
1902,  but  a  place  on  that  famous  National 
League  team  was  not  found  for  him  and  he 
finished  the  year  with  Saint  Joseph,  of  the 
Western  League.  He  continued  with  Saint 
Joe  during  1903,  but  in  1904  returned  to 
"fast  company,"  being  purchased  by  the  Saint 
Louis  club  in  the  American  League.  It  was 
while  with  this  club  that  he  had  his  best  seas- 
ons, remaining  on  the  roster  of  that  team  dur- 
ing 1904,  1905,  1906  and  1907,  in  which  years 
he  became  a  great  favorite  among  the  fans  of 
the  Mound  City.  In  1908  he  was  sold  to  the 
New  York   team  of   the  American   League, 


and  that  was  his  last  appearance  in  the  span- 
gles. At  the  end  of  the  season  he  retired 
from  the  diamond  to  enter  the  milling  busi- 
ness with  his  brothers.  His  business  record 
has  been  an  excellent  one,  and  it  has  been 
largely  through  his  aggressive  and  energetic 
work  that  the  enterprise  has  prospered  so 
greatly.  Mr.  Glade  maintains  an  independ- 
ent stand  in  politics,  preferring  to  use  his  own 
choice  in  picking  candidates.  He  married  Miss 
Dixie  Husband,  who  was  bom  near  Fulton, 
Missouri.  They  are  the  parents  of  two  chil- 
dren: Frederick,  bom  in  1909;  and  Henry 
Dixon,  born  in  1911.  Mrs.  Glade  is  a  Chris- 
tian Scientist  and  is  first  reader  in  the  church 
in  Grand  Island. 

Filbert  A.  Glade  was  bom  near  Columbus, 
Nebraska,  June  22",  1880,  and  his  entire  life 
from  the  time  he  left  school  has  been  passed 
in  connection  with  the  milling  business.  He 
is  now  a  partner  in  the  Henry  Glade  Milling 
Company.  He  married  Mary  Lightner,  of 
Abilene,  Kansas,  and  has  one  son:  Henry 
Arthur.  Mr.  Glade  is  a  capable  man  of  busi- 
ness and  a  factor  in  various  civic  movements 
promulgated  for  the  benefit  of  the  general 
community. 

Arthur  W.  Glade,  head  miller  in  the 
Hendy  Glade  Mills,  was  bora  in  Grand  Island, 
May  4,  1885,  and,  like  his  brothers,  has  had 
his  entire  business  experience  with  the  family 
company.  Also  like  them  he  is  a  public-spirited 
citizen,  and  is  popular  with  a  wide  circle  of 
acquaintances,  which  is  another  family  charac- 
teristic. He  married  Miss  Nellie  Dobson,  of 
Abilene,  Kansas.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Elizabeth,  who  was  born  in  1908. 

The  Henry  Glade  Milling  Company's  mill 
has  a  capacity  of  four  hundred  and  fifty 
barrets  per  day,  and  the  product  is  shipped 
through  the  states  of  Wisconsin,  Illinois, 
Pennslyvania,  Iowa  and  Michigan.  During 
the  final  year  of  the  war,  the  mills  furnished 
much  flour  for  the  United  States  Government. 
The  brothers  devote  all  their  time  to  the  busi- 
ness, which  under  their  management,  has  be- 
come one  of  the  essential  manufacturing  ad- 
juncts of  Grand  Island. 


CARL  H,  MENCK  —  The  family  of  Carl 
H,  Menck  came  to  Hall  County  sixty-two  years 
ago.  This  section  of  the  state  has  been  repre- 
sented by  him  during  this  time.  During  this 
period  he  has  aided  in  developing  the  land,  in 
building  the  school  houses  and  in  supporting 
the  church.  Mr.  Menck  was  born  on  a  farm 
in  Hall  County,  December  2,  1868.  His  par- 
ents,    Christian    and     Ernestine     (Harding) 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


585 


Menck  were  born  in  Germany.  Of  his  father's 
family  Emilie,  August  C.  and  Carl  H.  are 
living.  His  father  was  born  May  31,  1831  and 
died  November  8,  1909.  His  mother  was  born 
May  25,  1828  and  died  October  23,  1911. 
Christian  H.  Menck  came  to  Hall  County  in 
1857  and  took  up  a  claim.  He  was  the  first 
of  a  German  colony.  Carl's  father  and  mother 
were  maried  in  1858  and  lived  to  celebrate 
their  golden,  wedding  September  21,  1908. 
They  removed  from  the  farm  to  Grand  Island 
in  1890.  The  members  of  the  family  still  own 
the  farm.  The  father  and  mother  were  both 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Christian 
Menck  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the  Lieder- 
kranz  society.  He  filled  several  township 
offices  and.voted  with  the  Democratic  party. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  public  schools  and  in  a  business 
college.  His  first  business  position  was  that 
of  bookkeeper  for  the  Grand  Island  Lumber 
Company.  He  was  in  this  position  from  July, 
1888  to  1894  when  he  was  elected  city  clerk. 
He  held  this  office  three  years  and  in  1897  he 
was  elected  county  clerk.  He  served  in  that 
important  office  two  terms.  When  he  left  the 
clerk's  office  he  turned  his  attention  to  bank- 
ing, being  assistant  cashier  of  the  Commercial 
State  Bank.  He  served  in  this  capacity  until 
1908  when  he  was  elected  cashier.  This  office 
he  still  holds.  This  is  one  of  the  many  sound 
banking  institutions  of  the  state  having  a 
capital  of  $150,000,  surplus  $35,000  and  aver- 
age deposits  of  $100,000.  As  cashier  of  the 
bank  Mr.  Menck  has  the  confidence  of  the 
public. 

In  1892  Mr.  Menck  married  Miss  Amelia 
Boehm  who  was  a  sister  of  Theodore  Boehm 
of  this  county.  Mrs.  Menck  died  June  19, 
1903  leaving  two  children :  Harold  C.  and 
Lydia  C.  Menck.  The  son  entered  military 
service,  May  28,  1918  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany D,  three  hundred  and  thirty-eighth 
machine  gun  batallion,  eighty-eighth  division 
which  landed  in  England  August  29,  1918,  and 
in  France,  September  1,  1918.  The  batallion 
was  under  artillery  fire  in  the  front  line 
trenches. 

The  daughter.  Miss  Lydia  C.  Menck,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  high  school  and  the  Grand 
Island  Conservatory  of  Music  and  is  a  teacher 
of  vocal  music.  Both  son  and  daughter  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church  as  were  also 
their  mother.  Mr.  Menck  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  is  public  spirited  and  is  interested  in 
all  the  progressive  movements  in  Grand  Island 
and  Hall  County.  He  is  serving  his  third 
term  as  a  member  of  the  school  board.  He 
is  greatly  interested  in  athletic  sports  and  has 


been  connected  for  a  long  time  with  the 
Plattsdeutch  and  Liederkranz  societies  and 
is  a  member  of  some  of  the  leading  fraternal 
orders.  He  has  taken  the  council  degree  in 
Masonry,  is  a  Shriner,  is  treasurer  of  the 
Royal  Arch  body  and  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic building  association.  He  is,  also,  past 
exalted  ruler  of  the  Elks  and  is  chairman  of 
the  building  association  of  that  organization. 
He  has  represented  the  Knights  of  Pythias  in 
the  Grand  Lodge  of  that  order.  He  is  a  typical 
American  business  man,  being  capable  and  re- 
sourceful. He  is  wise  enough  to  combine  rec- 
reation with  stern  duties. 


ARTHUR  H.  LANGMAN,  who  has  many 
important  business  interests  in  Nebraska  and 
other  sections,  reflects  credit  on  Grand  Island, 
for  this  is  his  place  of  birth,  schooling  and 
residence.  The  business  success  that  has  made 
his  name  so  widely  known,  has  been  secured 
by  persistently  following  an  industrious  path 
in  a  common  sense  way,  making  use  of  the 
practical  talents  that  nature  bestowed,,  and 
with  good  judgment  never  assuming  responsi- 
bilities too  heavy  to  carry. 

Arthur  H.  Langman  was  born  at  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  March  20,  1882,  a  son  of 
Fred  and  Margaret  (Rief)  Langman.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Langman  were  born  in  Ger- 
many, but  emigrated  to  the  United,  States 
where  the  mother  died  in  1883.  The  father 
homesteaded  in-  Hall  County  when  he  first 
came  to  Nebraska,  continuing  to  live  on  his 
land  until  1908,  when  he  retired  to  Grand 
Island.  He  has  been  a  resident  of  the  United 
States  since  1869  and  many  years  ago  was 
admitted  to  full  citizenship.  He  votes  with 
the  Republican  party,  and  he  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  His  two  sons  live  in 
Nebraska,  Fred  and  Arthur  H.,  the  former 
of  whom  was  clerk  of  the  county  court  in 
Hall  County,  for  ten  years.  He  now  conducts 
a  garage  at  Potter,  Nebraska.  The  one 
daughter,  Lena,  is  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Converse, 
who  is  a  traveling  salesman  and  lives  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

Arthur  H.  Langman  worked  on  his  father's 
farm  in  boyhood  and  attended  school.  He 
then  drove  a  grocery  wagon  for  Frank  Olsen 
for  a  time,  in  the  meanwhile  applying  him- 
self to  the  study  of  bookkeeping,  after  master- 
ing this,  he  took  charge  of  the  books  and  ac- 
counts of  Thomas  E.  Bradstreet.  Being  alert 
as  to  private  business  opportunities  he  soon 
proved  excellent  business  judgment  in  the  buy- 
ing and  shipping  of  horses  to  the  Grand  Island 
market.    For  some  years  he  was  a  member  of 


586 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


the  Bradstreet  firm  but  later  sold  his  interest 
to  assist  in  the  organization  of  the  Grand  Is- 
land Horse  &  Mule  Company,  of  which  he 
is  vice-president.  Mr.  Langman  is  also  presi- 
dent of  the  Walker-Langman  Land  &  Live 
Stock  Company,  of  Elbert  County,  Colorado. 
having  a  valuable  ranch  there  and  addition- 
ally owns  an  extensive  farm  in  Kimball 
County,  Nebraska.  He  has  property  at  other 
points  and  his  garage  at  Potter,  Nebraska, 
with  dimensions  of  one  hudred  and  fifty  by 
seventy-five  feet,  is  one  of  the  finest  in  west- 
ern Nebraska. 

Mr.  Langman  was  married  in  1910,  to  Miss 
Daisy  Heffelfinger,  who  was  born  at  Grand 
Island,  a  daughter  of  Jerome  O.  Heffelfinger, 
who  is  interested  in  the  Chicago  Hide  &  Fur 
Company  at  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Langman  have  one  son  Arthur  Jerome.  They 
are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church,  and 
fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Elks. 


HIRAM  J.  PALMER,  who  is  one  of  the 
best  known  residents  of  Grand  Island,  for 
forty  years  has  been  active  in  the  substantial 
development  and  political  life  of  Hall  County. 
Although  now  living  somewhat  retired,  for 
many  years  there  were  few  important  county 
matters  agitated,  in  which  he  -did  not  prove 
his  right  to  be  considered  an  intelligent, 
earnest  and  honest  citizen,  and  the  universal 
esteem  in  which  he  is  now  held  is  a  just  tribute 
to  his  worth.  Mr.  Palmer  is  one  of  the  repre- 
sentative men  of  Hall  County. 

Hiram  J.  Palmer  is  of  English  ancestry, 
his  grandparents  having  come  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  He  was 
born  in  the  Keystone  state,  August  21,  1849, 
one  of  a  family  of  seven  children  born  to 
Freeman  and  Mary  (Raught)  Palmer.  Both 
parents  were  born  in  Pennsylvania  and  died 
there.  Of  the  five  surviving  children,  Hiram 
J,  is  the  only  one  living  in  Hall  County.  Free- 
man Palmer  was  a  farmer  all  his  life.  In 
early  political  life  a  Whig,  upon  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Republican  party  he  united  with 
that  organization.  Both  he  and  wife  belonged 
to  the   Baptist  church. 

In  the  country  schools  near  his  father's 
farm,  Hiram  J.  Palmer  obtained  his  education 
and  remained  on  the  home  place  until  he  was 
twenty-five  years  old,  engaged  in  the  usual 
farm  industries  and  learning  to  be  a  compe- 
tent judge  of  stock.  In  1875  he  came  to 
Dodge  County,  Nebraska,  and  resided  for 
nearly  four  years  at  Fremont,  doing  well  in 
the  business  of  buying  and  selling  stock.  In 
1879  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  during  the 


following  twelve  years  he  was  in  the  horse  and 
mule  business,  his  operations  being  heavy  in 
the  shipping  of  mules  and  horses  to  Hall 
County  where  they  were  needed  by  settlers 
from  Missouri,  Illinois  and  Iowa.  Mr.  Palm- 
er retired  then  from  the  stock  business  and 
embarked  in  the  brokerage  business  with 
Walter  Bacon.  He  had  come  to  Nebraska  on 
borrowed  capital  but  had  prospered  greatly 
and  was  able  about  this  time  to  go  back  to 
Pennsylvania  and  buy  his  father's  farm.  Later 
he  disposed  of  that  property  but  still  has 
valuable  farm  land,  owning  600  acres  in  Custer 
County,  Nebraska. 

April  16,  1877,  Mr.  Palmer  was  married  to 
Miss  Eva  A.  Griffin,  who  was  born  in  Iowa. 
Mrs.  Palmer's  parents  were  Dr.  ,S.  W.  and 
Matilda  (Maxfield)  Griffin,  natives  of  Penn- 
sylvania who  became  residents  of  Marshall 
County,  Iowa,  before  the  advent  of  railroads 
into  that  county.  The  doctor  taught  school 
and  became  the  first  county  superintendent  of 
schools  of  that  county.  He  enlisted  there 
for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  acting  as  assis- 
tant surgeon  in  the  army,  having  taken  up 
the  practice  of  medicine.  After  the  war  they 
returned  to  Pennsylvania  where  they  both  died. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  have  had  eight  children, 
namely:  Harry  E.,  who  operates  a  whole- 
sale and  retail  feed  store  at  Ogden,  Utah; 
Mabel,  who  lives  with  her  parents;  Jay,  who 
is  in  the  ice  business  at  Grand  Island;  Grace, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years ;  Hazel, 
who  is  with  her  parents  awaiting  the  return 
of  her  gallant  soldier  husband  from  France, 
Captain  William  R.  Gilchrist,  who  entered  the 
United  States'  service  with  that  rank  in  April. 
1918;  Helen,  who  is  the  wife  of  Walter 
Schourup,  who  is  with  a  heating  plant  firm 
in  Grand  Island ;  George  S-,  whose  memory 
will  ever  be  tenderly  preserved  by  his  grate- 
ful country,  was  a  soldier  in  the  American 
Expeditionary  Force  and  was  killed  Septem- 
ber 15,  1918;  and  Herbert,  who  has  been  with 
his  army  comrades  in  France  since  August, 
1918.  Mrs.  Palmer  and  the  children  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  a 
zealous  Republican,  Mr.  Palmer  has  served 
on  the  county  executive  committee  and  for 
four  years  was  county  treasurer  of  Hall 
County.  In  Grand  Island  affairs  he  has  taken 
deep  interest  and  as  a  member  of  the  city 
council  secured  many  reforms  in  the  city  gov- 
ernment. He  served  one  term  as  president  of 
the  Hall  County  Agricultural  Society  and 
many  years  on  the  board  and  for  seven  years 
at  the  State  Agricultural  Fair  he  was  one  of 
the  judges.  He  has  been  a  director  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Grand   Island  since 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


587 


the  organization  of  that  institution.  In  Ma- 
sonry he  is  a  Knight  Templar  and  is  also  a 
Shriner  and  additionally  belongs  to  the  order 
of  Elks. 


HENRY  REESE,  the  mention  of  whose 
name  in  Grand  Island  brings  forth  testimon- 
ials of  high  esteem,  has  spent  a  large  part  of 
his  long  and  useful  life  here.  Even  a  partial 
record  of  his  struggles  and  business  successes 
makes  interesting  reading.  He  came  practic- 
ally without  capital  and  through  his  own  in- 
dustry and  provident  saving,  gradually  accu- 
mulated means  until  now  he  may  be  classed 
with  the  substantial  men  of  this  city.  He 
takes  pride  in  the  fact  that  his  work  was  al- 
ways well  done  and  that  at  no  time  in  his  life 
have  men  doubted  his  honesty. 

Henry  Reese  was  born  near  the  city  of 
Kiel,  Holstein,  Germany,  December  7,  1846, 
a  son  of  John  and  Dora  Reese,  who  were  born 
in  the  same  German  province.  His  mother 
died  in  1855  but  the  father  lived  to  be  eighty- 
six  years  old,  passing  away  in  1905.  Of  the 
three  children  two  survive  and  both  are  resi- 
dents of  Grand  Island,  Henry  and  Christian, 
the  latter  being  a  tailor  by  trade.  Henry 
Reese  had  the  usual  school  advantages  of  his 
class  in  his  native  land  up  to  the  age  of  fif- 
teen years.  He  came  to  the  United  States 
and  landed  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  where  many 
Germans  had  already  settled,  May  16,  1870. 
He  found  work  on  a  farm  near  that  city.  He 
had  heard  reports  of  this  western  country  and 
his  birthday  the  following  year  found  him  in 
Hall  County,  where  he  again  engaged  in  farm 
work  until  March,  1872.  Then  for  several 
months  he  worked  in  a  railroad  boarding 
house  and  from  there,  in  October,  1872,  ac- 
cepted employment  for  his  board  and  lodg- 
ing until  March  15,  1873.  In  the  meanwhile 
Mr.  Reese  had  become  accustomed  to  the  ways 
and  language  of  the  people  among  whom  he 
sought  to  make  his  home,  and  they,  in  turn 
began  to  appreciate  his  willing  industry  and 
his  faithful  attendance  on  every  duty  to  which 
he  was  assigned.  In  1873  he  began  work  for 
R.  C.  Jordan,  first  in  the  warehouse  and  later 
behind  the  counter  of  the  O.  K.  store,  with 
whom  he  continued  for  a  year  without  any 
definite  agreement  as  to  wages.  Fortunately 
Mr.  Jordan  proved  to  be  as  honest  as  himself 
and  Mr.  Reese  was  abundantly  satisfied  when 
he  received  the  sum  of  $400  for  his  labor,  ex- 
clusive of  his  board  and  lodging.  After  this 
settlement  he  continued  with  Mr.  Jordan  for 
three  years  and  six  weeks  on  the  same  salary 
basis.    Having  thereby  saved  some  money,  in 


May,  1876,  Mr.  Reese  embarked  in  business 
for  himself,  in  the  produce  line  and  handled 
eggs,  butter  and  poultry  and  prospered  to 
such  an  extent  that  by  1877  he  was  able  to 
put  up  a  small  house  on  Fourth  street,  which 
he  utilized  as  a  dwelling  in  the  rear  and  as 
business  quarters  in  the  front,  Before  mov- 
ing into  a  larger  place  he  had  already  begun 
the  handling  of  groceries,  in  which  line  he  con- 
tinued .for  a  number  of  years.  Finally  he 
erected  a  substantial  two-story  brick  business 
house  on  Walnut  street.  With  some  changes 
he  continued  to  be  identified  with  the  grocery 
trade  until  1907,  when  he  retired.  In  addi- 
tion to  his  Walnut  street  property  he  owns 
another  valuable  two-story  brick  building  on 
Second  street. 

On  July  30r  1876,  Mr.  Reese  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Anna  Tramm,  who  was  born 
in  Holstein,  Germany,  and  died  at  Grand  Is- 
land, February  4,  1911.  The  religious  faith 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Reese  was  manifested  by 
their  connection  with  the  Lutheran  church. 
They  had  four  children,  namely:  Bernhardt, 
bom  May  1,  1877,  and  died  Nevember  24, 
1884;  George,  bom  July  23,  1878  and  died 
January  28,  1911 ;  Harry,  now  living  in  Flor- 
ida, born  February  14,  1880,  and  Bertha,  born 
August  31,  1882,  the  wife  of  Gus  Krueger 
of  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Reese  has  been  very  active  in  the  order 
of  Odd  Fellows.  He  was  over  fifty  years  of 
age  when  he  was  initiated  in  Grand  Island 
Lodge  No  22,  in  which  he  has  passed  all  the 
chairs  and  has  been  a  representative  to  the 
grand  lodge  in  Omaha,  Lincoln  and  Nebraska 
City.  His  first  office  in  the  lodge  was  that  of 
trustee  and  afterward  was  installing  officer 
and  installed  lodges  in  different  communities 
in  Hall  County.  In  politics  he  has  been  a 
Republican  and  on  that  party  ticket  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  city  council.  After 
serving  one  term  he  declined  further  political 
honors. 


HENRY  VIEREGG,  one  of  Grand  Is- 
land's most  respected  citizens,  has  been  retired 
from  active  business  pursuits  for  some  years, 
but  formerly  he  was  engaged  in  several  enter- 
prises that  helped  to  develop  the  city's  com- 
mercial supremacy.  He  was  born  in  the  vil- 
lage of  Gardersdorf,  Holstein,  Germany,  De- 
cember 22,  1840,  one  of  a  family  of  five  chil- 
dren born  to  Hans  and  Elsie  (Kruse)  Vieregg. 

When  sixteen  years  old  Henry  Vieregg  left 
his  native  land  and  came  to  the  United  States 
with  his  two  brothers,  John  and  James  Vier- 
egg.    He  made  his  way  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 


588 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


where  he  spent  two  years  and  then  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  worked  here  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  old,  at  that  time  entering 
a  tract  of  land  in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska, 
on  which  he  settled  as  the  first  pioneer  of  that 
county.  His  brothers  followed  and  all  be- 
came more  or  less  well  known,  James  Vieregg 
subsequently  being  elected  the  first  treasurer 
of  Merrick  County.  In  1876  Henry  Vieregg 
returned  to  Grand  Island  and  was  engaged 
in  the  ice  business  here  for  some  time  and 
then  went  into  the  bottling  business,  handling 
mineral  waters  and  non-alcoholic  beverages. 
In  1915  he  retired  from  business,  but  still  is 
influential  in  local  public  affairs,  for  many 
years  having  been  a  member  of  the  city  council 
and  of  the  board  of  education,  for  some  years 
being  president  of  the  latter.  Several  years 
ago  he  was  the  candidate  of  the. Democratic 
party  for  representative  in  the  state  legislature. 
Mr.  Vieregg  was  united  in  marriage  in 
Grand  Island,  to  Miss  Caroline  Spethman, 
who  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Melvina  Spethman,  and 
children  were  born  to  them:  Melvina,  the 
wife  of  Frank  Roeser,  of  Phoenix,  Arizona, 
who  formerly  was  assistant  postmaster  at 
Grand  Island ;  Louise,  the  wife  of  Henry  Lor- 
entzen  who  is  a  merchant  in  Grand  Island; 
William,  who  is  in  the  bottling  business  at 
Ravenna,  Nebraska,  assisted  in  establishing 
the  first  beet  sugar  factory  in  Hall  County ; 
Othelia,  who  resides  with  her  parents ;  Albert, 
who  is  deceased ;  Emil,  who  is  superintedent  of 
the  Grand  Island  Gas  Company;  Henrietta, 
who  is  a  saleslady  in  a  Grand  Island  depart- 
ment store ;  Oscar,  who  is  assistant  cashier  of 
the  Nebraska  State  Bank;  Elsie,  who  resides 
at  home;  Henry,  who  is  connected  with  the 
medical  unit  stationed  at  Camp  Mead,  in 
preparation  for  military  service,  and  two  chil- 
dren who  died  in  infancy.  In  the  largest  and 
fullest  sense  Mr.  Vieregg  may  be  called  a  rep- 
resentative citizen  of  Hall  County,  for  this  is  a 
section  where  business  integrity  and  personal 
honesty  have  always  been  held  essential.  He 
has  never  identified  himself  with  any  fraternal 
organizations  other  than  the  Liederkranz  and 
the  Plattsdeutchen  societies. 


EMIL  H.  VIEREGG,  one  of  the  competent 
and  busy  business  men  of  Grand  Island,  is  ,a 
native  of  this  city,  born  January  4,  1881,  the 
sixth  of  twelve  children.  His  parents  are 
Henry  and  Caroline  (Spethman)  Vieregg, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, but  for  many  years  have  been  valued 
residents  of  Grand  Island. 


Henry  Vieregg  came  to  the  United  States 
when  sixteen  years  of  age  and  his  first  two 
years  were  spent  at  Davenport,  Iowa.  He 
spent  a  short  time  in  Grand  Island  but  then 
bought  a  piece  of  land  in  Merrick  County  and 
moved  on  it  as  the  first  pioneer  of  the  county, 
locating  there  just  before  his  two  brothers, 
John  and  James,  the  latter  of  whom  subse- 
quently became  the  first  county  treasurer.  In 
1876  he  returned  to  Grand  Island  and  from 
then  until  1915,  when  he  retired,  was  active 
and  prospered  in  various  industries.  He  mar- 
ried Caroline  Spethman  and  twelve  children 
were  born  to  them. 

Emil  Henry  Vieregg  attended  the  Grand 
Island  public  schools  and  then,  because  of  cer- 
tain tastes  and  talents,  took  a  course  in  chem- 
istry in  a  Michigan  college.  Afterward  he 
went  to  work  as  assistant  chemist  in  a  sugar 
factory  and  later  became  chief  chemist  and 
continued  in  the  factory  for  six  years.  He 
then  became  interested  in  a  box  factory  and 
after  selling  his  interest  there,  came  to  the 
Grand  Island  Gas  company  as  superintendent, 
a  position  he  has  ably  filled  for  the  past  four 
years.  He  attends  closely  to  business  but  not 
to  the  exclusion  of  interest  in  public  matters 
for  he  is  a  good  citizen  and  has  served  on  the 
city  council  for  two  years. 

Mr.  Vieregg  married  in  1906  Miss  Vernita 
Barber,  who  was  born  at  Edgar,  Nebraska,  a 
daughter  of  George  H.  Barber,  who  was  re- 
corder of  the  A.  O.  U.  W-,  for  fourteen  years 
and  now  is  connected  with  the  county  treas- 
urer's office  at  Lincoln.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Vieregg 
have  two  sons,  Arthur  and  George.  Mrs. 
Vieregg  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Vieregg  is  a  Mason 
and  in  1906  was  master  of  his  lodge.  He  be- 
longs also'  to  the  U.  C.  T.  and  the  Lieder- 
kranz. In  politics  he  has  always  been  loyal 
to  the  Democratic  party. 


FRED  ROTH.  — There  are  many  reasons 
that  might  be  mentioned  explaining  the  busi- 
ness success  of  men  in  every  community, 
but  the  greatest  of  these  undoubtedly  is  in- 
dustry. Many  young  men  start  out  in  life  as 
did  Fred  Roth,  one  of  Grand  Island's  substan- 
tial retired  residents,  with  no  capital  except 
what  may  be  secured  through  their  own  efforts. 
If  industry  marks  and  accompanies  them,  the)' 
may,  like  Mr.  Roth,  find  their  later  years 
surrounded  by  welcome  comfort,  with  finan- 
cial independence  assured.  Mr.  Roth  owns 
one  of  the  large  business  buildings  here  which 
he  erected  in  1914,  which  has  proved  a  very 
profitable  investment  of  capital. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Fred  Roth  was  born  in  Rhine  province, 
GermanyBJanuary  18,  1857.  His  parents  were 
Frederick  and  Julia  (Helm)  Roth,  both  of 
whom  passed  their  lives  in  Germany.  They 
had  ten  children,  Fred  being  the  fifth  in  order 
of  birth.  Six  of  them  are  still  living.  The 
father  was  a  baker  by  trade.  *  Both  parents 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Fred 
Roth  attended  the  Birkenfeld  high  school  in 
1871  and  worked  for  his  father  until  1881, 
learning  the  bakery  methods  which  for  many 
years  have  made  German  bakery  goods  palat- 
able and  wholesome.  He  then  came  to  the 
United  States  and  during  the  first  year  worked 
in  a  bakery  at  Cleveland,  Ohio.  Following  this 
he  was  employed  in  a  bakery  and  restaurant  at 
Columbus,  Nebraska,  and  afterward  worked 
as  a  baker  in  Aberdeen,  Mississippi,  Omaha, 
Sioux  City,  Iowa,  and  Omaha  again.  From 
that  city  he  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1886. 
By  this  time,  through  his  industry,  he  had 
accumulated  enough  capital  to  go  into  business 
for  himself.  He  entered  into  partnership  with 
his  brother-in-law,  R.  M.  McDowell,  in  the 
retail  and  wholesale  Jiquor  business.  Mr. 
Roth  continued  in  this  line  until  1902  when  he 
sold  out  and  embarked  in  the  real  estate  busi- 
ness in  conjunction  with  general  insurance. 
Through  his  natural  industry,  close  attention 
to  business  problems  and  excellent  judgment, 
Mr.  Roth  steadily  progressed.  In  1894  he 
bought  the  corner  of  Third  street  and  Wheeler 
avenue  and  thereon  erected  in  1914  a  modern 
two-story  brick  building,  with  dimensions  of 
twenty-two  by  one  hundred  and  twenty-six 
feet,  the  first  floor  being  adapted  to  business 
purposes,  and  the  second  story  divided  into 
well  finished  offices  particularly  suited  to  the 
wants  of  professional  men.  Mr.  Roth  has 
no  trouble  in  finding  satisfactory  tenants. 

For  some  years  he  has  been  practically 
retired  from  business. 

Mr.  Roth  married  in  1890  Miss  Anna 
Weckbach,  who  was  born  at  Plattsmouth,  Ne- 
braska, and  during  the  many  years  she  resided 
in  Grand  Island  made  friends  of  all  who 
knew  her.  Her  death  occurred  January  12, 
1913.  She  was  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church.  Three  daughters  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Roth,  namely:  Lydia,  the  wife  of 
John  Heimes,  who  belongs  to  the  medical  unit 
at  Fort  Riley ;  Clara,  employed  in  a  local  store, 
resides  with  her  father;  and  Dorothea,  who 
is  teaching  in  Phillips,  Nebraska.  In  politics 
Mr.  Roth  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the 
Fraternal  Aid  Union,  the  Sons  of  Herman  and 
other  social  organizations.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  his  daughters 
of  the  Catholic  church. 


JOHN  G.  WOODIN,  M.  D.,  who  has  been 
engaged  in  medical  practice  in  Grand  Island 
since  1916,  came  here  from  a  field  of  unusual 
experience,  having  been  a  medical  missionary 
in  India  for  five  years.  Dr.  Woodin  was  born 
in  Allen  county,  Kansas,  July  27,  1883.  His 
parents  were  James  L.  and  Emma  (Robinson) 
Woodin,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Illinois 
and  were  married  there.  Of  their  five  children 
Dr.  Woodin  is  the  youngest,  the  others  being : 
May,  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Devlin,  of  Effingham, 
Kansas;  Lucy,  who  lives  at  Bentwood,  Cali- 
fornia ;  Abbie,  who  lives  at  Miles  City,  Mon- 
tana; Clara,  the  wife  of  E.  W.  Metcalf,  of 
Denver,  Colorado.  The  parents  were  mem- 
bers of  the  Baptist  church.  The  father  served 
in  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  the  Eleventh 
Illinois  Volunteer  cavalry  until  he  suffered  the 
loss  of  an  eye.  In  1867  he  moved  with  his 
family  to  Kansas  and  acquired  a  homestead 
in  Allen  County  on  which  he  and  his  wife 
subsequently  died.  They  were  people  of  solid 
worth. 

John  G.  Woodin  attended  the  grade  schools 
in  Allen  County  and  the  high  school  at  Iola, 
afterwards  entering  the  University  of  Kansas, 
from  which  institution  he  was  graduated  with 
his  A.  B.  degree  in  1905.  He  then  became  a 
student  in  the  medical  school  of  the  university, 
receiving  his  degree  in  medicine  in  1908.  For 
two  years  afterwards  he  practiced  his  profes- 
sion at  Iola  and  then  became  a  missionary 
in  medical  work  in  far  off  India,  where  a 
wealth  of  experience  awaited  him.  In  1916 
he  located  in  Grand  Island,  succeeding  to  the 
practice  of  Dr.  Weeter,  and  since  coming  to 
this  city  has  been  surgeon  for  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad.  He  is  examiner  for  the 
New  York  Life,  the  Mutual  Benefit  and  other 
insurance  companies.  During  the  progress  of 
the  World  War,  Dr.  Woodin  was  hearty  in 
giving  assistance  to  the  draft  board  and  in 
numerous  other  patriotic  ways. 

Dr.  Woodin  united  in  marriage  in  1909  with 
Miss  Bessie  Livers,  who  was  born  in  Illinois. 
They  are  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  In 
politics  Dr.  Woodin  is  a  Republican. 


FRANK  T.  NIEMOTH,  who  belongs  to  an 
old  and  very  substantial  family  of  Hall 
County,  but  is  now  a  resident  of  Merrick 
County,  was  born  in  Winnebago  County,  Wis- 
consin, and  was  eight  years  old  when  he  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  Nebraska.  They 
were  John  and  Wilhelmina  (Lindstedt)  Nie- 
moth,  the  former  of  whom  lives  retired  at 
Grand  Island.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Niemoth 
died  in  that  city  on  June  25,  1912. 


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590 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Both  parents  of  Frank  T.  Niemoth  were 
born  in  Germany.  The  father  came  to  the 
United  States  when  fourteen  years  old,  and 
for  seven  years  afterward  worked  among 
Norwegians  and  learned  their  language.  Fol- 
lowing his  first  purchase  of  160  acres  of  land 
after  coming  to  Hall  County,  John  Niemoth 
continued  to  acquire  land  until  he  owned 
two  entire  sections.  In  1907  he  retired  to 
Grand  Island,  in  which  city  he  is  respected 
and  esteemed. 

Frank  T.  Niemoth  obtained  his  education 
in  Hall  County's  excellent  public  schools,  re- 
maining with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty- 
three  years  old,  when  he  bought  160  acres  of 
land,  to  which  he  subsequently  made  additions 
until  he  now  owns  540  acres,  all  well  im- 
proved. He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
raises  first  class  stock,  making  a  feature  of 
White  Face  cattle.  In  politics  he  is  identified 
with  the  Republican  party.  He  is  serving  in 
his  second  term  as  justice  of  the  peace  in 
Merrick  County. 

On  April  12,  1890,  Mr.  Niemoth  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Alida  Ahrens.  Her 
father  is  deceased  but  her  mother,  Mrs.  Mad- 
alene  Ahrens,  is  a  resident  of  Grand  Island, 
where  she  is  a  valued  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church  and  has  a  wide  circle  of  friends.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niemoth  seven  children  have 
been  born :  Walter,  who  married  Erma 
Weighert;  George,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma; 
Dora,  who  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Buckow,  of 
Hall  County ;  and  Amalia,  Paul,  Oscar  and 
Victor,  all  of  whom  reside  at  home.  Judge 
Niemoth  and  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers 
Union  and  the  Nonpartisan  League. 


LOUIS  VEIT,  for  many  years  an  honest, 
upright  business  man  of  Grand  Island,  will 
long  be  remembered  for  his  many  admirable 
qualities  as  a  man,  one  of  these  being  kindness 
and  generosity  to  those  in  need.  Mr.  Veit 
was  born  in  Saxony,  Germany,  August  21, 
1846,  and  died  at  his  home  in  Grand  Island  on 
December  27,  1908.  His  parents  were  Elias 
and  Annistinia  Veit,  both  of  whom  died  in 
Germany. 

Louis  Veit  attended  the  common  school  of 
his  neighborhood  in  Germany  but  had  very 
few  other  advantages  as  his  people  were  poor. 
He  had  some  experience  on  farms  and  it  was 
the  hope  of  securing  land  that  induced  him  to 
come  to  the  United  States,  which  he  reached 
in  1875.  After  spending  two  months  in  De- 
troit, Michigan,  where  he  sought  work  in 
order  to  add  to  his  slender  capital  of  $500  he 


made  his  way  to  Buffalo  County,  Nebraska, 
and  in  the  same  year  entered  a  homestead 
claim.  He  lived  there  for  six  months  and  then 
turned  it  over  to  another  person.  Mr.  Veit 
came  then  to  Grand  Island  and  for  three  years 
worked  as  a  clerk  for  Christ  Wasmer,  then 
engaged  in  business  with  Oscar  Roeser.  They 
continued  together  as  Veit  &  Roeser,  for  many 
years  afterward.  Subsequently  Mr.  Veit  em- 
barked in  the  grocery  business  on  East  Third 
street.  Grand  Island,  and  was  so  engaged  up 
to  the  time  of  his  death.  He  was  a  quiet,  un- 
ostentatious, hard-working  man,  devoted  to  his 
family  and  to  the  city  he  had  chosen  for  his 
home.  For  sixteen  years  he  was  president  ol 
the  school  board  and  held  other  offices. 

Mr.  Veit  married  in  1877  Miss  Augusta 
Ahlers,  who  was  bom  in  Hanover,  Germany. 
Her  parents  were  William  and  Margaret 
(Dierks)  Ahlers,  who  came  from  Germany  to 
Hall  County,  in  1875  and  continued  on  a  farm 
until  they  retired.  They  passed  away  in  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Veit  had  children  as 
follows :  William,  in  the  grocery  business  on 
Second  street,  Grand  Island ;  Helen,  the  wife 
of  Carl  Lembeck,  who  conducts  a  dry  goods 
business  at  Lexington,  Nebraska;  Oscar,  who 
succeeded  his  father  in  the  grocery  on  Third 
street,  Grand  Island;  Dorothea,  the  wife  of 
Carl  Hehnke,  Grand  Island ;  Louis,  connected 
with  a  business  firm  in  Indianapolis;  Ernest, 
a  grocer  in  Grand  Island;  and  Augusta,  the 
wife  of  William  Sell,  of  Sioux  Falls,  South 
Dakota.  The  family  belongs  to  the  English 
Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Veit  was  a  Republican 
in  politics. 


EARL  S.  TUTTLE,  whose  business  enter- 
prise has  made  him  important  in  Grand  Is- 
land, is  proprietor  of  the  Home  Dairy,  which 
he  has  owned  and  conducted  for  nearly  ten 
years.  Mr.  Tuttle  was  born  in  Logan  County, 
Illlinois,  in  1881,  where  one  of  his  grandfath- 
ers had  settled  in  pioneer  days  after  leaving 
Ohio.  Another  grandfather,  Harvey  Tuttle. 
on  two  different  occasions,  drove  cattle  over 
the  long  trail  from  Omaha  to  San  Francisco. 

The  parents  of  Earl  E.  Tuttle  were  T.  D. 
and  Emma  (Turner)  Tuttle,  natives  of  Logan 
County,  Illinois.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Tuttle 
is  deceased.  He  is  the  third  of  their  family 
of  five  children,  the  others  being:  Delia,  the 
wife  of  Bert  Watt,  living  in  Illinois;  Bessie, 
the  wife  of  L.  J.  Gilbert,  also  of  Illinois; 
Harry,  in  the  furniture  and  undertaking  busi- 
ness at  Benson,  Nebraska;  and  one  who  is 
deceased.  For  a  number  of  years  the  father 
of  this  family  operated  a  lumber  yard  in  Cali- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


fornia  but  now  lives  retired  in  Illinois.  He 
is  a  Republican  in  politics,  and  he  belongs  to 
the  order  of  Modern  Woodmen. 

Earl  S.  Tuttle  had  the  good  fortune  to 
grow  to  manhood  in  a  community  where  ex- 
cellent schools  prevailed  and  he  completed  a 
course  in  the  high  school  and  then  learned  rail- 
way construction  work  and  for  some  years  was 
employed  by  different  contracting  firms  in 
such  work.  In  February,  1909  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  at  first  worked  in  a  dairy  and 
in  1911  bought  the  Home  Dairy  and  since  then 
has  engaged  in  a  general  dairy  business  and 
with  marked  sucess. 

In  1901  Mr.  Tuttle  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Frances  L-  Pumpelly,  who  was 
born  in  McLean  County,  Illinois.  They  at- 
tend the  Baptist  church.  In  politics  Mr. 
Tuttle  is  a  Democrat,  and  fraternally  he  be- 
longs to  the  Elks,  the  Woodmen  of  the  World 
and  the  U.  T.  C. 


JOSEPH  BUCHFINCK,  whose  excellent 
farm  is  situated  on  section  12,  Lake  township, 
Hall  County,  is  a  careful,  industrious  man 
who  thoroughly  understands  farming.  He  was 
born  near  Odessa,  Russia,  August  19,  1868; 
his  parents  were  Leopold  and  Christina  (Mey- 
er) Buchfinck. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Buchfinck  came  to  the 
United  States  and  immediately  to  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  in  1872.  The  father  homesteaded 
three  miles  north  of  Grand  Island  where  the 
family  lived  until  1880,  when  the  family  re- 
turned to  Russia  but  only  for  a  visit.  When 
the  father  came  back  to  Hall  County,  he 
bought  160  acres  in  Lake  township,  and  it  is 
this  land  that  his  son  Joseph  is  so  success- 
fully operating  today.  The  mother  died  on 
September  11,  1902  and  the  father's  death  fol- 
lowed on  March  30,  1911.  They  had  twelve 
children,  all  of  them  live  in  the  United  States, 
two,  Joseph  and  August,  in  Hall  County,  and 
Christ,  in  Howard  County,  Nebraska. 

On  January  26,  1891,  Mr.  Buchfinck  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lena  Wagner,  a 
daughter  of  Solomon  and  Theresa  (Wagner) 
Wagner,  who  were  early  settlers  in  Merrick 
County.  Four  children  have  been  born  to  the 
above  marriage:  Ernest,  Theodore,  Helena 
and  Armin.  Mr.  Buchfinck  and  his  family  be- 
long to  the  Lutheran  church.  He  belongs  to 
the  Farmer's  Union  and  the  Nonpartisan 
League. 


HENRY  W.  POTTER,  one  of  Giand  Is- 
land's older  business  men  and  one  of  her  most 


respected  citizens,  came  here  almost  forty 
years  ago  and  established  himself  in  the  clean- 
ing and  dyeing  business,  which  he  has  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time,  occupying  the  same 
quarters.  He  has  greatly  expanded  his  orig- 
inal plant  and  now  operates  under  the  name  of 
the  Grand   Island   Dye  Works. 

Henry  W.  Potter  was  born  in  Cassel,  Ger- 
many, February  18,  1855.  His  parents,  George 
and  Anna  (Dumire)  Potter  were  natives  of 
Germany  and  passed  their  entire  lives  there. 
The  father,  an  industrious  man,  worked  as  a 
shoemaker.  Of  their  seven  children  three 
came  to  the  United  States,  Henry  W.  being 
the  only  survivor.  Mr.  Potter's  father  died  ■ 
and  his  mother  married  again  and  in  1853  his 
step-father  and  his  brothers  came  to  Balti- 
more, Maryland,  from  which  city  they  later 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army  and  served  through 
the  Civil  War. 

Mr.  Potter  attended  school  and  when  twelve 
years  old  was  set  aside  to  learn  the  dyeing 
business,  in  which  he  was  thoroughly  in- 
structed. With  this  excellent  trade  as  a  means 
of  self  support,  he  was  able  to  make  a  living 
in  Germany  but  wished  to  do  more  than  that 
and  in  search  of  wider  opportunities,  came  to 
the  United  States  and  in  1886  started  into 
business  in  Grand  Island,  where  he  had  lo- 
cated five  years  previously.  Mr.  Potter  is  the 
oldest  man  in  the  dye  business  at  Grand  Is- 
land and  undoubtedly  is  the  most  expert,  and 
is  one  of  the  oldest  in  the  state. 

In  politics  Mr.  Potter  is  a  Republican.  He 
has  always  shown  such  a  deep  interest  in 
Grand  Island  and  has  displayed  such  sound 
judgment  in  relation  to  both  business  and 
public  affairs,  that  he  has  frequently  been 
elected  to  office  and  during  his  four  years  as  a 
member  of  the  city  council  and  his  one  year 
as  a  member  of  the  county  board,  he  assisted 
in  the  passage  of  many  public-spirited  mea- 
sures that  have  added  to  the  general  welfare. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and 
belongs  to  the  Sons  of  Herman  and  the  old 
Plattsd eutc hen  society. 


J.  LUE  SUTHERLAND,  M.  D.,  acknow- 
ledged to  be  one  of  Hall  County's  ablest  and 
most  faithful  physicians,  has  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  here  for  thirty- 
two  years,  being  the  oldest  resident  physician 
of  Hall  County.  Dr.  Sutherland  was  bom 
at  Shelbyville,  Indiana,  September  23,  1854. 
His  parents  were  John  Wesley  and  Elizabeth 
(Mcllrath)  Sutherland. 

John  Wesley  Sutherland  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania,   November    17,    1824,    and   died  at 

C.ooqIc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


593 


Knoxville,  Iowa,  April  26,  1914.  His  father, 
John  Sutherland,  was  born  in  Scotland  and 
died  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1848  John  Wesley 
Sutherland  removed  to  Shelby  County,  In- 
diana, where  he  was  a  fanner  until  1855.  In 
that  year  he  purchased  a  farm  in  Marion 
County,  Iowa.  He  married  Elizabeth  McII- 
rath,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  March 
27,  1826  and  died  at  Knoxville,  Iowa  April  16, 
1916.  They  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  were  estimable  in  every 
relation  of  life.  Of  their  ten  children  six 
are  living  and  two  of  them  are  residents  of 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  —  Dr.  Sutherland  and 
an  older  brother,  John  W.  who  is  a  retired 
fanner. 

J.  Lue  Sutherland  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Marion  County,  Iowa,  and  the 
Central  University  of  Iowa,  being  a  student 
at  Pella  from  1872  to  1877,  graduating  in 
1877.  During  the  next  two  years  while  teach- 
ing school,  he  did  preliminary  reading  in 
preparation  for  Rush  Medical  College,  Chi- 
cago. From  this  institution  he  received  his 
doctor's  degree  in  1882.  Since  then  through 
post-garduate  courses,  personal  study  and 
scientific  investigation,  Dr.  Sutherland  has 
kept  well  abreast  of  the  great  wave  of  modern 
medical  development.  He  is  a  specialist  in 
diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and  throat,  and 
was  graduated,  after  special  work  in  1892  in 
the  Chicago  Post  Graduate  College,  in  1900 
from  the  Chicago  Eye,  Ear,  Nose  and  Throat 
College,  and  as  recently  as  1909  returned  to 
Chicago  for  further  course  in  his  specialty. 
Dr.  Sutherland  began  practice  at  Newell, 
Iowa,  and  then  came  to  Nebraska  and  before 
settling  permanently  at  Grand  Island  in  1887, 
practiced  for  short  periods  at  Wayne  and  at 
Wisner.  He  has  served  Hall  County  six  years 
in  the  office  of  coroner  and  is  county  physician 
for  the  insane. 

In  June,  1882,  Dr.  Sutherland  married  Mrs. 
Emily  (Fessenden)  Kleeberger,  who  was  the 
widow  of  Herman  Kleeberger,  by  which  mar- 
riage she  had  four  children,  two  of  whom  are 
yet  living.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Sutherland  had  no 
children  of  their  own  but  they  adopted  and 
raised  a  child,  who  is  now  Mrs.  Zoe  Elizabeth 
Smith,  the  wife  of  George  E.  Smith,  of 
Bloomsburg,  Pennsylvania,  who  is  serving  in 
France  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces.  Mrs.Sutherland  died  March  26,  1903. 
She  was  a  woman  of  beautiful  character  and 
was  a  devoted  member  of  the  Congregational 
church.  Dr.  Sutherland  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views.  He  is  identified  with  the  fra- 
ternal order  of  Knights  of  Pythias,  of  which 
he   is    past   chancellor   and    member   of    the 


grand  lodge.  Dr.  Sutherland  has  always  been 
a  good  citizen,  professionally  and  otherwise, 
and  during  the  many  years  he  has  lived  in 
Grand  Island  he  has  rightly  used  his  influence 
to  guide  public  tendencies  for  the  general  wel- 
fare. 


LLOYD  G.  THOMPSON,  who  is  engaged 
in  the  practice  of  law  at  Grand  Island,  his 
native  city,  is  the  son  of  William  H.  and  Net- 
tie I.  (Hutchinson)  Thompson,  a  record  of 
whom  is  found  on  other  pages  of  this  volume. 

In  the  schools  of  Grand  Island  Mr.  Thomp- 
son acquired  his  education,  spending  two  years 
in  high  school  after  which  he  attended  Su- 
wanee  Military  Academy  of  Tennessee,  where 
he  took  preparatory  work  prior  to  entering 
the  University  of  Colorado,  remaining  in  col- 
lege but  one  year.  Following  this  he  devoted 
one  year  to  the  study  of  music  in  France  and 
Italy,  but  upon  his  return  to  the  United  States 
entered  the  Creighton  law  school  and  after 
graduation  from  this  institution  located  for 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Miami,  Flor- 
ida, remaining  there  a  year.  Returning  to 
Grand  Island,  he  formed  a  partnership  with 
his  father,  being  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law 
when  the  World  War  began.  Responding  to 
the  call  for  men  in  October,  1917,  Mr.  Thomp- 
son entered  the  American  Field  service,  soon 
seeing  active  service  in  France.  From  this 
branch  he  was  transferred  to  the  aviation  sec- 
tion of  the  United  States  Army  as  a  private, 
later  becoming  a  cadet  and  then  received  a 
commission  as  second  lieutenant.  '  For  seven 
months  he  was  instructor  of  aviation  in 
France  before  being  sent  to  Foggio,  Italy,  as 
instructor  in  the  use  of  the  Caproni  bombing 
machine.  After  serving  in  this  capacity  he 
went  to  the  Italian  front  for  active  fighting 
where  he  remained  until  the  armistice  was 
signed.  Upon  receiving  his  discharge  the 
young  aviator  returned  home,  having  rendered 
efficient  service  to  his  country  and  earned 
a  creditable  record  for  a  young  man  of  twenty- 
six. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Ruth  Schwin,  a  native  of  Hall  County. 
He  has  again  taken  up  the  practice  of  law  in 
partnership  with  his  father  where  new  laurels 
await  him. 


E.  ARTHUR  WATSON,  M.  D.,  a  special- 
ist in  surgery  diagnosis,  has  been  engaged 
in  medical  practice  in  Grand  Island  since  1914, 
coming  here  from  other  points  in  the  state  in 
search   of    a   wider   professional   field.      Dr. 

Goosle 


594 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Watson  was  born  in  Pierce  County,  Nebraska, 
August  1,  1883,  the  son  of  G.  P.  and  Anna 
(McCarragher)  Watson,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Michigan  and  the  latter  in  county 
Armagh,  Ireland. 

The  father  of  Dr.  Watson  was  eight  years 
old  when  he  accompanied  his  father  to  Sarpy 
County,  Nebraska,  where  the  latter  took  up 
land  near  Bellevue.  At  a  later  date  G.  P. 
Watson  homesteaded  in  Pierce  County,  his 
land  at  that  time  being  fifty  miles  distant 
from  a  railroad.  In  the  course  of  years  he 
made  the  stock  business  profitable  and  now 
lives  in  comfortable  retirement  at  Plainview. 
He  has  been  a  leading  factor  in  politics  in 
Pierce  County  and  served  in  the  state  legis- 
lature in  1897  and  1899,  elected  on  the  Demo- 
cratic ticket.  He  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows 
and  both  he  and  wife  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Of  his  three  sons.  Dr. 
Watson  is  the  youngest,  the  others  being: 
Charles,  a  farmer  and  stockman  in  Pierce 
County;  and  Ansel  C,  in  the  stock  business 
and  lives  at  Plainview. 

E.  Arthur  Watson  completed  his  high  school 
course  at  Plainview,  Nebraska,  and  spent  some 
time  in  the  Normal  college  at  the  same  place, 
after  which  he  was  associated  with  his  father 
in  the  stock  business  for  two  years,  in  the 
meanwhile  making  plans  for  a  medical  career. 
These  plans  happily  came  to  fruition  and  re- 
sulted in  his  graduation  from  Creighton  Medi- 
cal College,  Omaha,  in  1908,  where  he  had, 
for  a  year,  been  first  assistant  to  the  cele- 
brated Dr.  C.  C.  Allison.  Subsequently  for 
,  two  years  Dr.  Watson  was  in  active  practice 
at  Brunswick,  Nebraska,  and  for  two  more  at 
Kearney,  coming  from  the  latter  place  to 
Grand  Island  in  August,  1914.  He  is  con- 
nected with  Saint  Francis  Hospital,  where  all 
his  operations  are  performed,  many  of  them 
in  their  completeness  being  marvels  of  science. 
Dr.  Watson  had  the  advantage  of  taking  grad- 
uate work  under  the  instruction  of  the  late 
Dr.  Murphy,  of  Chicago,  whose  eminence  in 
surgery  is  universally  acknowledged. 

Dr.  Watson  married  in  1908,  Miss  May  E. 
Mullin  who  was  born  at  Parnell,  Iowa,  but 
was  reared  and  educated  in  Omaha,  Nebraska. 
They  have  had  three  sons :  Gilbert  Joseph, 
who  died  when  aged  four  years  eight  months ; 
Donald,  a  sturdy  little  schoolboy  of  eight  years ; 
and  James  Wendell,  five  years  old.  Dr.  and 
Mrs.  Watson  are  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  He  has  been  very  active 
in  the  Knights  of  Columbus  organization  and 
organized  a  council  at  Kearney  and  served 
as  its  first  grand  knight.  He  belongs  to  the 
Elks,  but  has  never  found  time  to  be  active 


in  politics,  which,  however,  is  no  criterion  of 
good  citizenship.  Dr.  Watson  has  found  in 
Grand  Island,  an  appreciation  of  his  scienti- 
fic knowledge,  as  well  as  a  congenial  social 
atmosphere  for  himself  and  family. 


JAMES  A.  MITCHELL,  a  substantial  busi- 
ness man  and  worthy  citizen  of  Grand  Island, 
came  to  Nebraska  with  his  people  in  boyhood. 
Almost  forty  years  have  passed  since  he  first 
set  foot  in  Grand  Island,  of  which  city  he 
has  been  a  permanent  resident  since  1893. 
Mr.  Mitchell  is  president  of  the  Chicago  Hide 
&  Fur  Company,  incorporated. 

James  A.  Mitchell  was  born  near  Ionia, 
Michigan,  March  4,  1871,  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Mary  (Howett)  Mitchell,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Scotland.  Robert  Mitchell  was  a 
farmer  in  Michigan  when  he  enlisted  for  ser- 
vice in  the  Civil  War,  becoming  a  member  of 
the  Third  Michigan  cavalry,  and  during  his 
three  years  of  dangerous  service  participated 
in  many  battles.  He  survived  and  returned  to 
his  Michigan  farm  to  remain  there  until  1882 
when  he  came  to  Nebraska  acquiring  a  farm 
in  Buffalo  County.  He  now  lives  retired  at 
Elm  Creek.  He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  and  is  a  Democrat  in  poli- 
tics. His  wife  died  in  Colorado  in  1903.  They 
had  three  children,  namely :  James  A.,  who  is 
a  resident  of  Grand  Island ;  William,  who  con- 
ducts a  garage  at  Elm  Creek;  and  Robert, 
who  is  in  the  harness  business  at  Minneapolis. 

James  A.  Mitchell  atttended  school  in  early 
boyhood  in  Michigan  and  completed  his  edu- 
cation in  a  military  college  at  Kearney,  Ne- 
braska, from  which  he  was  graduated.  His 
first  business  experience  was  clerking  in  a 
store  at  Elm  Creek,  later  at  Kearney.  Fol- 
lowing this  he  went  to  Chicago  and  worked 
for  a  firm  dealing  in  hides  which  was  his 
introduction  to  the  hide  and  fur  business.  In 
1893  he  established  a  hide  and  fur  business 
at  Grand  Island  for  D.  H.  McDonald,  of 
Chicago,  and  so  ably  conducted  it  that  the 
entire  business  was  turned  over  to  him  when 
Mr.  McDonald  died.  It  has,  since  then,  been 
incorporated,  with  a  capital  of  $65,000,  as 
the  Chicago  Hide  &  Fur  Company.  The  firm 
owns  a  large  farm  west  of  Grand  Island  where 
from  2,000  to  3,000  hogs  are  fed  annually. 
Mr.  Mitchell  buys  hides  and  furs  all  over 
the  west. 

In  1893  Mr.  Mitchell  was  married  to  Miss 
Nettie  Blake,  a  native  of  Iowa ;  they  have 
had  four  children :  Delman,  who  is  associated 
with  his  father  in  business ;  Gladys,  who  died 
at  the  age  of  eleven  years;  and  James  Blake 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  595 


Dr.  E.  Arthur  Wa' 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


596 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


and  Jean,  all  of  whom  have  been  given  educa- 
tional advantages.  Mr.  Mitchell  and  his  fam- 
ily belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
He  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  belongs 
also  to  the  Mystic  Shrine.  In  addition  to  his 
Chicago  and  Grand  Island  interests,  Mr. 
Mitchell  is  president  of  the  Omaha  Hide  & 
Fur  Company,  of  Omaha,  Nebraska,  and 
probably  few  men  in  the  country  are  as  well 
informed  along  this  line  and  not  many  devote 
themselves  so  closely  to  its  development.  Mr. 
Mitchell  is  an  earnest  and  thoughtful  citizen 
and  has  always  been  identified  politically  with 
the  Republican  party,  but  no  arguments  of  his 
neighbors  and  friends  have  served  to  convince 
-.  him  that  his  duty  lies  in  accepting  any  kind  of 
public  office. 


ROLLAND  CECIL  WOODRUFF,  M.  D., 
one  of  Grand  Island's  younger  medical  prac- 
titioners, enjoys  a  large  measure  of  public 
confidence  because  of  proved  ability.  In  his 
special  line  of  work,  he  exemplifies  the  won- 
derful progress  that  medical  science  has  made 
within  a  comparatively  short  time.  He  is  an 
enthusiast  in  his  profession.  Dr.  Woodruff 
makes  a  specialty  of  X-ray  work.  He  was 
born  at  Gibbon,  in  Buffalo  County,  Nebraska, 
August  13,  1888. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  Woodruff,  Charles  E. 
and  Mary  (Smith)  Woodruff,  came  to  Ne- 
braska in  1884.  The  father  was  born  in  Wis- 
consin, in  1852,  and  died  at  Walla  Walla, 
Washington,  in  1918.  The  mother,  who  was 
born  in  New  York,  still  resides  in  Washington. 
Besides  Dr.  Woodruff,  who  was  the  first  born, 
they  had  four  children:  Ralph,  with  (the 
American  Expeditionary  Forces  in  England, 
when  the  World  War  was  halted ;  Rhea,  the 
wife  of  Clough  Hudson,  a  newspaper  man  of 
Spokane,  Washington ;  and  Ruth  and  Eugene, 
both  of  whom  live  in  Walla  Walla,  Washing- 
ton. When  the  parents  of  this  family  came 
to  Nebraska,  the  father  started  a  lumber  pard 
in  Gibson.  In  1899  he  removed  to  Grand 
Island  and  started  the  Yost  Lumber  yard, 
with  which  he  remained  until  1909  when  he 
went  to  Walla  Walla,  Washington,  where  he 
was  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  until  his 
death.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  but 
was  never  an  office  seeker.  For  many  years 
he  belonged  to  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

Rolland  Cecil  Woodruff  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Grand  Island,  and  the  Baptist  Col- 
lege before  entering  the  Chicago  University. 
In  1913  he  was  graduated  from  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  and  for  two  years  after- 
ward served  as  an  interne  in  the  Cook  County 


Hospital.  In  1915  he  established  himself  in 
practice  in  Grand  Island,  where  he  is  surgeon 
for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 

Dr.  Woodruff  married,  in  1912,  Miss 
Pauline  Sutherland,  a  daughter  of  John  Suth- 
erland, who  is  a  prominent  attorney  of  Pierce, 
South  Dakota.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Woodruff  have 
three  children:  Mary  Katherine,  Ralph  and 
Bradley. 

A  close  and  earnest  student  of  science,  Dr. 
Woodruff  in  his  busy  life  has  found  little 
time  for  politics  although  he  never  seeks  to 
evade  a  citizen's  responsibility.  He  votes  with 
the  Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Hall  County  Medical  society  and  the  American 
Medical  association,  also  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  some  social  organizations.  Both 
he  and  Mrs.  Woodruff  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church. 


HENRY  CHARLES  WENGERT,  M.  D. 
—  There  are  few  cities  of  its  size  that  can 
boast  of  a  more  eminent  body  of  medical  men 
than  can  Grand  Island.  Almost  every  school 
is  represented  here  and  among  them  are 
trained  specialists  who  have  devoted  years  of 
their  lives  to  scientific  investigation  and  in 
their  practice  have  accomplished  wonders  of 
cure  and  regeneration.  One  of  the  best  known 
specialists  in  the  difficult  and  very  generally 
prevalent  diseases  of  the  eye,  ear,  nose  and 
throat,  is  Dr.  Henry  C.  Wengert,  who  has 
had  many  years  of  professional  experience. 

Henry  Charles  Wengert  was  born  August 
2,  1875.  His  parents  were  Philip  and  Eliza- 
beth (Stenzel)  Wengert,  natives  of  Alsace- 
Lorraine,  from  which  they  came  to  the  United 
States  and  settled  at  Miltonsburg,  Ohio.  The 
father  was  a  merchant  and  died  there.  The 
mother  yet  survives.  Of  their  five  surviving 
children,  Dr.  Wengert  is  the  only  one  living 
in  Nebraska.  He  had  excellent  educational 
opportunities  and  creditably  completed  the 
public  school  course  at  Woodsfield,  Ohio, 
then  entered  Starling  Medical  College,  from 
which  well  known  institution  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1900.  His  first  field  of  practice  was 
Mapleton,  Iowa,  where  he  rmained  for  five 
years  and  then  removed  to  Overton,  Nebraska, 
where  he  continued  in  practice  for  eight  years. 
In  the  meanwhile  he  had  continued  his  studies 
and  had  become  so  much  interested  in  the 
diseases  of  the  respitatory  organs  that  he  went 
to  Chicago  and  remained  nine  months.  Dur- 
ing this  time  he  took  a  course  in  the  eye,  ear. 
nose  and  throat  schools  in  that  city.  He  had 
while  there  the  advantage  of  practice  and  in- 
vestigation in  the  clinics  and  hospitals.     In 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


597 


1916  Dr.  Wengert  came  to  Grand  Island  and 
since  then  has  devoted  himself  entirely  to  his 
specialty. 

In  1900  Dr.  Wengert  married  Miss  Nancy 
J.  Johnson,  who  was  born  at  Thurman,  Fre- 
mont County,'  Iowa.  They  are  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  Mrs.  Wengert  is 
active  in  many  charitable  ways.  Dr.  Wengert 
is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  has  served  on 
both  the  staff  of  Governor  Moorehead  and  of 
Governor  Neville.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Mason, 
a  Knight  of  Pythias,  and  belongs,  also,  to  the 
Modern  Woodmen. 


ELMER  E.  BROWN,  whose  practice  in 
veterinary  science  covers  a  period  of  thirty 
years,  has  been  a  resident  of  Grand  Island 
since  1900  and  is  well  known  over  the  county 
to  different  parts  of  which  he  is  frequently 
called  to  exercise  his  professional  skill.  Dr. 
Brown  was  born  in  Pottawattamie  County, 
Iowa,  December  IS,  1863,  and  is  a  son  of 
Robert  and  Loanza  (Muriett)  Brown.  They 
were  born  in  Guernsey  County,  Ohio,  and 
were  married  in  that  state.  In  1856  they 
came  to  Iowa  and  took  up  government  land 
and  continued  to  live  on  it  during  the  rest  of 
Dr.  Brown's  life,  he  passing  away  at  the  age 
of  eighty  years,  a  man  respected  and  esteemed 
by  all  who  knew  him.  He  believed  in  the 
principles  of  the  Republican  party  and  at  times 
served  in -public  office,  once  being  a  county 
commissioner.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
Of  their  family  of  twelve  children  there  are 
eight  survivors,  but  only  two  live  in  Nebraska, 
Elmer  E.  and  a  sister,  Alice.  She  is  the 
widow  of  M.  M.  Parish,  who  died  at  Omaha 
two  years  since.  He  was  a  veterinarian,  and 
at  one  time  was  publisher  of  the  South  Omaha 
Times. 

Dr.  Brown  comes  of  a  long  line  of  farming 
people.  His  grandfathers  on  both  sides  spent 
their  lives  in  agricultural  pursuits,  Moses 
Brown,  who  was  bom  in  Ireland,  dying  on  his 
farm  in  Iowa,  and  Louis  Murless,  who  was 
born  and  died  on  his  old  homestead  in  Ohio. 
After  his  schooldays  were  over,  Elmer  E. 
Brown  remained  on  the  home  farm  in  Iowa 
until  in  March,  1881,  when  he  came  to  Ne- 
braska and  settled  in  Merrick  County,  where, 
for  two  years  he  rented  a  farm  with  his 
brother,  Robert  L.  Brown.  From  there  he 
went  to  Greeley  County,  Nebraska,  home- 
steaded  there  and  lived  on  his  place  two  years, 
then  sold  and  located  at  Wolbach.  He  had 
studied  veterinary  science  very  thoroughly  and 
practiced  this  profession  for  six  years  at  Wol- 


bach, from  which  place  in  1900  he  came  to 
Grand  Island,  and  since  then  his  time  has 
been  entirely  taken  up  by  the  demands  of  his 
profession. 

Dr.  Brown  married  Miss  Mary  E.  Hill  on 
February  1,  1887,  who  was  born  at  Janesville, 
Wisconsin,  a  daughter  of  Henry  A.  and 
Paulina  (Campbell)  Hill.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Brown  was  bom  in  Rock  County,  Wisconsin, 
and  died  at  St.  Paul,  Nebraska.  The  mother 
was  bom  in  the  state  of  New  York  and  re- 
sides in  St.  Paul.  Mrs.  Brown's  grandpar- 
ents were  Caleb  B.  and  Permelia  Hill,  the 
former  was  a  sea  captain.  The  grandmother, 
born  in  Massachusetts,  lived  to  venerable  age, 
having  passed  ninety-eight  years  of  life  at 
time  of  death.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have 
had  two  children :  Robert  Allen,  whose  death 
occurred  June  11,  1908,  when  but  twenty 
years  of  age;  and  Hazel  Maine,  the  wife  of 
William  Linderkamp,  who  is  a  sheet  metal 
trade  worker  at  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Linderkamp  have  a  daughter,  Theda  Wilma. 
Dr.  Brown  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Congregational  church.  While  not  unduly 
active  in  politics,  he  keeps  abreast  of  the  times 
and  in  the  various  changes  and  developments 
finds  no  reason  to  change  his  faith  in  the 
Republican  party. 


WILLIAM  E.  CLAYTON.  —  Few  profes- 
sional men  have  more  diversified  demands 
made  upon  them  than  the  druggists.  To  satis- 
fy a  clamoring  public,  a  modem  drug  store 
owner  is  expected  to  offer  for  sale  the  choic- 
est and  most  dependable  articles  of  a  dozen 
or  more  kinds  of  merchandise  in  addition 
to  a  complete  and  expensive  line  of  the  purest 
of  drags,  for  which  he  must  assume  full  re- 
sponsibility. It  has  often  been  remarked  that 
no  other  business  is  made  so  free  with  as  the 
drug  store  in  case  of  accident  or  sudden  ill- 
ness, for  which  usage,  it  might  be  added,  re- 
muneration is  seldom  offered.  The  druggist 
himself,  furthermore,  must  pass  through  a 
protracted  and  expensive  course  of  study.  The 
life  is  not  one  of  ease  but  it  is  a  worth-while 
effort,  and  as  a  class,  no  professional  men  en- 
joy more}  universal  confidence  nor  general 
reputation  for  unblemished  integrity.  Grand 
Island  has  great  reason  to  feel  proud  of  her 
representative  men  in  this  profession.  Atten- 
tion is  directed  to  William  E.  Clayton,  who  has 
been  in  business  here  since  1910. 

William  E.  Clayton  was  born  at  Stockton, 
Cedar  County,  Missouri,  June  5,  1886,  the 
eldest  of  three  children  bora  to  his  parents, 
George  O.  and  Mary  E.  (Lean)  Clayton.    The 


598 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


father  was  born  in  Coles  County,  Illinois,  De- 
cember, 22,  1865,  and  the  mother  in  Cedar 
County,  Missouri,  December  31,  1867.  George 
O.  Clayton  was  brought  to  Cedar  County  in 
1866  and  grew  up  there  and  was  married  in 
that  county.  His  three  children  are :  William 
E.,  Walter  O.  and  Effie  E.  Walter  O.  has 
spent  one  year  in  the  military  training  camp 
at  Fort  Worth,  Texas.  George  O.  Clayton 
and  family  removed  to  Oklahoma  where  he  is 
engaged  in  farming  and  merchandising. 

After  attending  school  near  his  father's 
farm,  William  E.  Clayton  attended  the  high 
school  at  Black  well,  Oklahoma,  and  then 
entered  the  Fremont  School  of  Pharmacy  at 
Fremont,  Nebraska,  where  he  completed  his 
course.  From  the  age  of  seventeen  he  has 
been  a  student  of  pharmacy  and  in  different 
places  has  had  experience,  but  the  first  store 
he  owned  was  when  he  purchased  the  drug 
business  of  W.  B.  Dingman  at  Grand  Island, 
the  transaction  taking  place  January  29,  1910. 

On  August  18,  1914,  Mr.  Clayton  married 
Grace  Zinn,  who  was  born  at  Fairfield,  Ohio. 
They  have  one  child,  Billy,  who  was  born  June 
15,  1916.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clayton  are  members 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  his 
political  views  he  is  frankly  Democratic  but 
has  no  political  ambitions.1  Since  early  man- 
hood he  has  been  interested  in  Masonry  and  is 
one  of  the  younger  32nd  Degree  Masons  and 
Shriners  at  Grand  Island.  He  also  belongs  to 
the  Elks. 


HENRY  B.  BOYDEN,  M.  D.  — In  the 
light  of  modem  discoveries  in  medicine  and 
surgery,  it  is  no  longer  the  privilege  of  the 
old  practitioners  to  command  exclusively  the 
confidence  of  the  sick.  Experience,  in  many 
cases,  has  been  forced  to  make  way  for  the 
skill  brought  about  by  training  under  favorable 
conditions  in  newly  developed  paths  of  medi- 
cal science  and  in  the  amazing  ones  in  the 
field  of  surgery.  Grand  Island  is  fortunate 
in  having  within  its  borders  a  number  of 
capable  medical  practitioners,  one  of  the 
youngest  and  most  able  being  Dr.  Henry  B. 
Boyden. 

Dr  Boyden  was  born  at  Ravenna,  in  Buffalo 
County,  Nebraska,  January  12,  1889.  His 
parents  are  Fred  D.  and  Mary  (Smith)  Boy- 
den, the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Chicago, 
Illinois,  and  the  latter  in  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
The  maternal  grandfather  of  Dr.  Boyden, 
was  the  real  founder  of  Ravenna,  which  stands 
on  the  land  he  homesteaded  when  he  located 
as  a  pioneer  in  Buffalo  County.    He  set  out 


many  of  the  beautiful  trees  which  adorn  the 
streets  of  Ravenna.  For  many  years  during 
his  lifetime,  he  conducted  a  land  bureau  for 
the  government,  and  the  mother  of  Dr.  Boy- 
den still  carries  it  on.  The  father  of  Dr. 
Boyden  came  to  Grand  Island  in  the  'eighties 
to  go  into  the  drug  store  with  his  brother, 
and  two  years  later  bought  a  store  at  Ra- 
venna. Some  years  later  he  went  into  the 
drug  business  in  Chicago,  where  he  is  now 
in  the  business.  Dr.  Boyden  has  a  younger 
sister  Helen,  who  is  the  wife  of  Rev.  Mclrvin, 
a  minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
at  Edgar,  Nebraska. 

In  1904  Dr.  Boyden  was  graduated  from  the 
Ravenna  high  school,  after  which  he  spent 
two  years  in  Doane  College,  at  Crete,  and 
three  years  in  the  University  of  Nebraska,  se- 
curing his  B.Sc.  degree  from  the  latter  insti- 
tution in  1909.  He  then  entered  Rush  Medical 
College,  Chicago,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1911.  He  came  to  Grand  Island  in 
1912.  Prior  to  this,  however,  Dr.  Boyden  had 
served  for  eighteen  months  in  the  Cook 
County  hospital,  and  for  three  months  as  an 
interne.  Dr.  Boyden  is  a  surgery  specialist 
and  has  been  well  prepared  for  this  branch  of 
medical  science,  at  different  times  taking 
graduate  courses  with  the  noted  surgeons  of 
Rochester,  Minnesota,  New  York,  Boston, 
Philadelphia,  Cleveland  and  Chicago.  He 
was  already  engrossed  in  practice  when  public 
events  interrupted  his  career.  He  entered 
the  army  of  the  United  States  on'  April  12, 
1918,  spent  three  and  a  half  months  at  Fort 
Riley  in  training,  and  six  months  at  Camp 
Beauregard,  and  was  honorably  discharged 
in  January,  1919.  He  immediately  returned 
home  and  has  resumed  his  former  activities. 

Dr.  Boyden  married,  September  20,  1916, 
Miss  Eva  Marie  Brix,  who  was  bom  at  Lex- 
ington, Nebraska.  Her  father,  Charles  Brix, 
was  connected  with  the  milling  business  in 
Lexington.  Later  he  returned  with  his  wife 
to  their  old  old  homestead  in  Denmark,  where 
Mrs.  Brix  subsequently  died.  Mr.  Brix  is 
now  engaged  in  business  in  Omaha,  Nebraska. 
Farmerly  Mrs.  Boyden  was  a  trained  nurse  b 
the  Clarkson  hospital,  Omaha.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Boyden  have  one  child,  Annabel  Lee  Boyden. 
They  are  members  of  the  Episcopal  church.  In 
politics  the  doctor  is  a  zealous  Republican. 
He  has  long  been  identified  with  Masonic 
bodies.  He  still  maintains  his  interest  and 
membership  in  his  college  Greek  letter  medi- 
cal fraternity. 

Dr.  Boyden  occupies  the  offices  of  the  late 
Henry  D.  Boyden,  who  was  his  uncle. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Dr.  Henry  B.  Boyden 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


RICHARD  BUENZ.— The  residents  of 
Hall  County,  when  they  have  occasion  to  trans- 
act business  in  the  county  seat,  find  in  Richard 
Buenz,  register  of  deeds,  an  accommodating 
and  competent  public  official.  A  native  of 
Grand  Island,  born  here  December  29,  1874, 
his  interests  have]  always  been  centered  in 
Hall  County.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Mary   (Dreesen)   Buenz. 

Richard  Buenz  completed  the  public  school 
course  and  later  spent  two  months  in  a  busi- 
ness college,  that  being  the  sum  of  his  edu- 
cational advantages.  After  learning  the  trade 
of  a  cigarmaker,  industrial  life  claimed  him 
for  more  than  fifteen  years,  during  which 
period  he  not  only  reached  a  high  degree  of 
skill  in  his  trade  but,  through  sterling  charac- 
teristics and  good  citizenship,  won  universal 
confidence  and  esteem.  He  early  became  in- 
terested in  politics  and  has  always  been  a 
loyal  worker  in  the  ranks  of  the  Democratic 
party.  In  1910  Mr.  Buenz  was  appointed 
county  clerk  and  served  eight  months  in  that 
office,  retiring  from  the  same  to  assume  the 
duties  of  register  of  deeds,  to  which  office  he 
was  elected  in  January,  1911.  Since  then  Mr. 
Buenz  has  devoted  his  entire  time  to  his  official 
duties  and  enjoys  the  reputation  of  being  one 
of  the  most  faithful  as  well  as  efficient  office- 
holders in  the  county. 

In  March,  1903,  Mr.  Buenz  was  united  in 
marriage  with  Miss  Amanda  Paulsen,  who 
was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  the 
daughter  of  John  Paulsen,  janitor  of  the  city 
hall  at  Grand  Island.  Mrs.  Buenz  is  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Grand  Island  High  school  and  is 
a  member  of  the  English  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Buenz  have  two  children,  a  son 
and  a  daughter,  both  in  school.  The  former, 
Harold,  a  youth  of  fourteen  years,  is  doing 
well  in  his  classes,  as  is  his  sister,  Helen,  who 
is  ten  years  old. 

Mr.  Buenz  is  by  nature  genial  and  com- 
panionable and  thus  has  identified  himself 
with  a  number  of  fraternal  and  social  organ- 
izations. These  include  several  well  known 
German  organizations  more  or  less  musical  in 
character,  and  the  Ancient  Order  of  United 
Workmen,  the  Elks  and  the  Eagles,  and  for 
six  years  he  served  as  secretary  of  the  last 
named  order.  Mr.  Buenz  is  generous  and 
benevolent  and  always  may  be  depended  upon 
to  do  his  part  in  support  of  local  charities. 


ROY  H.  DAVISON.  —  One  of  Hall 
County's  native  sons  who  has  found  it  conveni- 
ent to  remain  here  and  is  making  good  use  of 
his  opportunities  is  the  subject  of  this  record, 


who  is  succesfully  carrying  on  farming  pur- 
suits in  Center  township. 

Roy  H.  Davison  was  born  on  his  father's 
farm  in  this  township,  April  3,  1891,  the  son 
of  Henry  Davison,  a  retired  farmer  now  liv- 
ing in  Grand  Island,  a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  on  another  page  of  this  history. 

The  boy  was  reared  on  the  farm,  educated 
in  the  public  schools  and  when  he  became  a 
man  wisely  chose  the  occupation  with  which 
he  was  familiar  and  is  now  operating  two 
hundred  forty  acres  belonging  to  his  father 

October  10,  1910,  he  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Ella  Jane  White,  a  native  of  Iowa, 
and  a  daughter  of  Porter  and  Mattie  White, 
who  now  reside  at  Alda,  Nebraska.  The  home 
of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison  has  been  blessed  with 
two  children ;    Ralph  L.  and  Paul  I. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison  are  active  members 
of  the  Methodist  church  and  are  highly  es- 
teemed young  people  of  their  community. 


JAMES  E.  LYLE,  county  clerk  of  Hall 
County,  Nsbraska,  most  acceptably  fills  this 
important  public  office.  The  county  clerk's 
duties  are  often  arduous  and  very  frequently 
the  business  of  his  office  brings  him  close  to  his 
fellow  citizens  as  an  individual,  and  thus  not 
only  is  his  ability  an  important  factor,  but 
personality  also.  In  the  county  clerk's  office 
in  Grand  Island  is  found  order  and  efficiency, 
together  with  the  courtesy  that  facilitates  bus- 
iness and  leaves  agreeable  memories. 

James  E.  Lyle  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
Illinois,  January  10,  1S70.  His  parents  were 
James  and  Mary  M.  (Haggerty)  Lyle,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ireland  and  the 
latter  in  Kentucky.  After  their  marriage  they 
settled  in  Adams  County,  Illinois,  where  they 
resided  until  1873  when  they  removed  to  Mis- 
souri, and  both  died  in  that  state.  Of  their 
family  of  ten  children  the  following  survive: 
John,  a  rural  mail  carrier  since  leaving  his 
farm,  lives  in  York  County,  Nebraska;  May, 
the  wife  of  J.  W.  Miller,  lives  in  Missouri; 
James  E. ;  and  Arthur,  a  resident  of  Arizona. 
The  father  of  the  above  family  was  a  Repub- 
lican in  politics  and  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  The  mother  belonged  to  the 
Christian  church. 

Three  years  old  when  his  father  sold  his 
Illinois  farm  and  bought  another  in  Missouri, 
Mr.  Lyle  has  no  memories  of  his  native  state. 
He  attended  the  district  schools  near  his  home 
in  Missouri  and  remained  on  the  farm  until 
about  eighteen  years  old.  The  death  of  his 
father  four  years  prior  to  this,  placed  heavy  re-, 
sponsibilities  on  his  shoulders.    After  leaving 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


601 


home  he  learned  to  be  a  telegraph  operator 
and  this  led  to  his  coming  to  Nebraska,  in 
1892,  as  an  operator  and  agent  on  the  Burling- 
ton railroad,  being  so  occupied  until  1910,  hav- 
ing come  to  Grand  Island  in  1903.  In  1911 
Mr.  Lyle  came  into  the  office  of  the  county 
clerk  of  Hall  County  as  deputy  where  he  con- 
tinued in  that  capacity  until  1916,  when  he 
was  elected  county  clerk.  He  has  had  con- 
siderable experience  in  the  political  field  and  is 
an  ardent  Republican! 

Mr.  Lyle  married  September  1,  1897,  Miss 
Effie  A.  Scovill,  who  was  born  in  Hamilton 
County,  Nebraska.  Her  father,  the  late  Sena- 
tor D.  A.  Scovill  was  a  prominent  and  in- 
fluential man  in  Hamilton  County  for  many 
years.  He  served  as  sheriff  of  Hamilton 
County  and  later  as  a  member  of  the  Ne- 
braska House  of  Representatives  and  still  later 
as  a  member  of  the  upper  house  of  the  General 
Assembly.  Senator  Scovill  died  in  Hamilton 
County.  His  widow  survives  and  makes  her 
home  with  her  daughter  Mrs.  Lyle. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyle  have  four  children :  Al- 
bert, at  the  time  of  writing  a  soldier  in  the 
United  States  army,  is  in  the  training  camp  at 
Camp  Humphreys,  Virginia ;  and  Luella,  Helen 
and  Mildred,  all  of  whom  are  in  school.  Mr. 
Lyle  and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Con- 
gregational church.  He  is  identified  fratern- 
ally with  the  Odd  Fellows,  in  which  organiza- 
tion he  has  passed  three  chairs,  and  with  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World,  in  which  he  is  clerk 
of  the  local  camp.  Always  an  active  and  public 
spirited  citizen,  since  the  inauguration  of  mili- 
tary and  charitable  agencies  in  relation  to  the 
World  War,  Mr.  Lyle  has  been  an  indefatig- 
able worker  and  has  cheerfully  and  unselfishly 
given  his  energies  to  the  work  along  govern- 
ment appointed  lines  and  is  secretary  of  the 
local  war  board.  His  patriotic  example  has 
had  much  to  do  with  the  great  success  in 
Hall  County  of  the  various  war  projects  and 
activities. 

Mr.  Lyle  is  a  member  of  board  of  education 
now  serving  his  second  term. 


GUSTAVE  SIEVERS'S  record  as  sheriff 
of  Hall  County  for  three  successive  terms,  is 
highly  creditable  both  to  himself  and  to  the 
county.  He  commands  universal  respect  from 
the  law  abiding  element  for  official  efficiency, 
but  in  addition  because  of  his  personal  integ- 
rity and  patriotic  citizenship.  Since  the  age 
of  eleven  years  he  has  belonged  to  the  United 
States.  He  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany, 
July  29,  1858.  His  parents  were  Henry  and 
Wilhelmina    (Starken)    Sievers. 


Henry  Sievers  was  born  and  rearjd  in 
Germany  and  there  learned  the  carpenter 
trade  and  became  a  thoroughly  skilled  work- 
man. In.  1869  he  emigrated  with  his  family 
to  the  United  States  and  in  the  following  year 
removed  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  where  he 
worked  at  his  trade  until  1871,  when  he  took 
up  a  homestead  in  Howard  County.  He  was 
one  of  the  earliest  settlers  there  and  the 
family  went  through  many  unavoidable  pio- 
neer hardships  that  form  a  part  of  early 
settlement  in  any  section.  They  lived  on  the 
Howard  County  homestead  for  many  years 
and  then  came  to  Grand  Island  and  here  both 
parents  o'f  Sheriff  Sievers  died.  They  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
After  becoming  a  citizen  Henry  Sievers  for  a 
number  of  years  voted  with  the  Republican 
party,  but  in  later  life  he  was  a  Democrat. 
Of  his  six  children  the  following  survive: 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  Fred  Rohling,  a  retired 
business  man  of  Grand  Island ;  Caroline,  the 
wife  of  Henry  Paustian,  who  is  a  farmer  near 
Denver,  Colorado ;  and  Henry,  who  lives  re- 
tired at  Long  Beach,  California. 

Gustave  Sievers  was  not  satisfied  with  his 
educational  acquirements  secured  in  boyhood, 
and  after  his  father  had  settled  in  Nebraska 
and  work  on  a  farm  became  his  portion,  he 
took  over  the  matter  of  educating  himself, 
diligently  applying  himself  as  he  found  oppor- 
tunity, to  books  of  a  practical  nature,  with  the 
result  that  he  is  a  man  of  wide  information 
on  varied  subjects.  Although  much  of  his 
life  has  been  devoted  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
he  has  been  deeply  interested  in  politics  since 
he  was  twenty-one  years  old  and  experience 
has  brought  him  judgment  in  this  field.  His 
sympathies  have  always  been  with  the  aims 
of  the  Democratic  party  and  in  all  his  polit- 
ical life  he  has  been  intensely  loyal  to  this 
organization.  In  January,  1912,  he  was  ap- 
pointed sheriff  of  Hall  County  and  approval 
was  shown  of  his  administration  of  the  office 
by  his  thrice  being  elected  to  it.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  various  patriotic  bodies  and  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  local  draft  board.  Sheriff  Sievers 
maintains  his  home  in  Grand  Island  but  he 
owns  a  valuable  farm  in  Hall  County. 

Sheriff  Sievers  married  January  25,  1883, 
Miss  Annie  Wichman,  who  was  born  at 
Madison,  Wisconsin.  Her  father  the  late 
Joseph  Wichman,  was  born  in  Germany  and 
in  early  life  came  to  the  United  states  settling 
in  Wisconsin  in  1850.  In  1873  he  moved  with 
his  family  to  Howard  County,  Nebraska,  and 
there  took  up  a  homestead  that  continued  to 
be  the  home  of  himself  and  wife  until  she 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  ninety  years.     He 


602 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


survived  her,  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
ninety-seven  years.  Sheriff  and  Mrs.  Sievers 
have  three  children,  namely:  Alma,  who  re- 
sides with  her  parents,  the  widow  of  Martin 
Erickson,  but  now  the  wife  of  John  Irvine  of 
Howard  County;  Clara,  the  wife  of  John 
Frauen,  of  Merrick  County,  Nebraska ;  and 
Joe,  who  has  served  as  deputy  under  his 
father,  lives  in  Grand  Island.  Although  home 
affairs  and  political  duties  have  pretty  well 
absorbed  Mr.  Sievers's  time  and  attention  for 
some  years,  the  claims  of  fraternal  life  have 
interested  him  to  some  degree.  He  was  one 
of  the  charter  members  in  the  organization  of 
the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles  in  Grand  Is- 
land and  belongs  also  to  the  Elks. 


FREDERICK  MATHIESEN,  who  is  in  the 
employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  in  the 
car  repairing  department,  is  a  native  of  Hall 
County.  The  Mathi'esen  family  came  to  this 
section  of  Nebraska  at  a  very  early  day,  and  its 
representatives  from  then  until  the  present, 
have  been  people  of  industry,  thrift  and  ster- 
ling character. 

Frederick  Mathiesen  was  bom  in  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  November  14,  1896,  a  son 
of  Frederick  and  Sophia  (Luth)  Mathiesen. 
The  father  was  born  on  the  homestead  in  Hall 
County  which  his  father  secured,  July  13,  1867, 
spent  his  life  on  the  place  as  a  farmer,  passing 
away  August  17,  1906.  On  September  15, 
1894  he  married  Sophia  Luth,  who  was  bom 
in  Iowa.  Her  parents  were  Frederick  and 
Minnie  (Ronfelt)  Luth,  natives  of  Germany, 
who  came  to  the  United  states  in  1868.  The 
seven  surviving  members  of  the  eight  children 
of  the  Ronfelt  family,  all  live  within  or  near 
Hall  County,  Nebraska.  The  parents  of  Mr. 
Mathiesen  had  five  children,  four  of  whom 
are  living,  namely:  Frederick,  Harry.  Arnold 
and  Otto.  Two  years  after  Mr.  Mathiesen's 
death,  his  widow  was  married  to  Edward 
Stuhr,  of  Grand  Island,  and  they  have  two 
children,  namely :  Viola,  who  was  born  July 
4,  1910;  and  Eddie,  who  was  born  November 
21,  1912. 

Frederick  Mathiesen  lived  on  the  old  family 
homestead,  until  the  age  of  twenty,  when  he 
found  employment  on  farms  in  the  neighbor- 
hood. He  was  busy  as  a  farmer  from  the  close 
of  his  schooldays  until  1918  when  he  went  to 
work  in  his  present  position.  Like  his  father 
in  many  ways,  he  has  the  same  political  opin- 
ions and  gives  support  to  the  Democratic  party. 
As  a  young  man  of  fine  character,  he  has 
many  friends  in  Washington  township.  He 
married  Miss  Blanche  Mclntyre,  of  Omaha. 


WILLIAM  SUHR,  an  active  citizen  of 
Grand  Island,  as  county  attorney,  has  an  offi- 
cial record  behind  him  that  emphasizes  the 
fact  that  he  is  a  very  able  and  conscienti- 
ous member  of  the  bar  of  Hall  County.  Mr. 
Suhr  is  yet  a  young  man  and  his  professional 
advance  has  been  rapid,  considering  the 
competition  he  has  faced  at  Grand  Island, 
where  the  bar  has  many  recognized  legal  lights. 

William  Suhr  was  born  in  Crawford  County, 
Iowa,  January  31, 1886. 

He  attended  the  public  schools  in  Crawford 
County,  Iowa,  and  in  1901  was  graduated  from 
Westside  high  school.  Already  he  had  made 
choice  of  a  profession,  but  as  circumstances 
did  not  at  that  time  open  the  way  for  contin- 
ued study  of  the  law,  the  young  man  accepted 
employment  in  a  hardware  and  furniture  s-.ore. 
He  afterward  traveled  for  two  and  half  yean 
for  the  Simmons  Hardware  Company.  Sub- 
sequently he  studied  law  in  the  Nebraska  Uni- 
versity and  also  pursued  special  courses  in  the 
University  of  Michigan.  He  was  admitted  to 
the  bar  in  1914  and  entered  into  practice  at 
Grand  Island,  which  city  has  continued  to  be 
his  home  ever  since.  Intelligently  interested 
from  early  manhood  in  public  questions,  Mr. 
Suhr  identified  himself  with  the  Democratic 
party  and  as  a  candidate  of  this  organization, 
was  elected  county  attorney  in  the  fall  of  1916. 
He  has  applied  himself  very  closely  to  his  pro- 
fessional duties  and  has  won  the  approbation 
and  entire  confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens. 
He  has  numerous  social  and  fraternal  connec- 
tions. He  is  a  member  in  Lodge  No.  33,  A. 
F.  &  A.  M.  and  Lodge  No.  604,  P.  P.  O.  E, 
both  in  Grand  Island. 


FRED  A.  BUCHFINCK,  who  is  a  pro- 
gressive and  enterprising  young  farmer  of  Hall 
County,  has  lived  on  the  old  homestead  in  Lake 
township  all  his  life.  He  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  May  25,  1898,  a  son  of 
August  and  Anna  (Niemoth)  Buchfinck,  who 
now  live  retired  at  Grand  Island. 

August  Buchfinck,  father  of  Fred  A.,  wa> 
born  in  Russia  and  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  In  1873 
he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  found  work  with 
a  farmer  and  the  $83  he  earned  the  first  year 
was  his  start  in  business.  During  the  second 
year  he  was  paid  $12  a  month  and  thereby  he 
was  able  to  buy  a  team  of  mules,  using  these 
within  another  year  he  had  a  paying  job  work- 
ing for  the  railroads.  He  helped  build  the 
Burlington  road  from  Hastings  west  to  Utah 
and  also  was  employed  on  the  Oregon  Short 
Line.     He  then  took  a  homestead  in  Grant 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


603 


County  of  which  he  is  still  owner,  together 

with  his  homestead  and  sixteen  sections,  hav- 
ing in  Hall  County  320  acres,  in  Merrick 
County  480  acres,  and  320  in  Howard  County. 
His  industry  during  his  active  years  was  un- 
ceasing:, and  his  business  judgment  remarkable. 
He  is  one  of  the  directors  of  the  Grand  Island 
State  Bank  and  has  other  interests.  He  mar- 
ried Anna  Niemoth,  who  was  born  at  Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin,  and  of  their  ten  children,  the  fol- 
lowing survive:  Clara,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Albert  Beyersdorf,  of  Lake  township;  Freda, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Paul  Beyersdorf,  of  Leat, 
Nebraska ;  John  L.,  who  lives  in  Grant  County, 
married  Grace  Wright;  Fred  A.,  who  farms 
in  Lake  township;  and  Amelia,  Arthur  and 
Myrtle,  all  of  whom  reside  at  home. 

Fred  A.  Buchfinck  had  superior  educational 
advantages.  After  completing  the  public 
school  course  in  Hall  County,  he  entered  Mid- 
land College,  at  Atchison,  Kansas,  and  later 
spent  a  year  in  a  military  academy  at  Kearney, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  devoting  his 
energies  to  agricultural  pursuits  in  Lake  town- 
ship. 

On  February  16,  1918,  Mr.  Buchfinck  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Rose  L.  Torney, 
who  is  a  daughter  of  John  and  Katie  ( Stadler) 
Torney,  of  Kearney  County.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  belongs  to 
the  Farmer's  Union.  Mr.  Buchfinck  is  very 
well  thought  of,  and  he  and  wife  have  a  pleas- 
ant social  circle. 


JOHN  F.  MATTHEWS,  principal  of  the 
Grand  Island  High  school  is  a  well  known 
educator  of  Hall  County  and  an  upright  citi- 
zen in  every  relation  of  life.  With  some  indi- 
viduals, school  teaching  is  looked  upon  as  a 
kind  of  helping  hand  to  be  engaged  in  for  a 
more  or  less  limited  period  while  awaiting 
opportunities  along  other  lines,  but  fortunate 
it  is  for  the  youth  of  the  country  that  there 
are  men  in  the  profession  whose  every  energy 
is  engaged  and  whose  greatest  ambition  is  to 
competently  point  the  way  to  solid  educational 
attainment.  An  educator  of  this  type  guides 
the  destinies  of  the  high  school  in  Grand 
Island. 

John  F.  Matthews  was  born  at  Kennard, 
in  Washington  County,  Nebraska,  November 
27,  1870.  His  parents  were  John  A.  and 
Agnes  (Connolly)  Matthews,  the  former  of 
whom,  now  a  resident  of  Grand  Island,  was 
born  in  Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  the  latter, 
now  deceased,  was  a  native  of  Ireland.  They 
were  the  parents  of  four  children:  Thomas 
P.,  in  the  real  estate  business  at  Grand  Island ; 


John  F. ;  Catherine  and  Agnes,  the  former 
a  bookkeeper  and  the  latter  a  stenographer. 
In  1869  the  father  of  Professor  Matthews 
located  at  Kennard,  Nebraska,  and  for  many 
years  afterward  was  a  railroad  man.  He  is 
an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  having 
enlisted  in  1861  in  Company  E,  Seventy- 
seventh  New  York,  in  the  unit  known  as  the 
Excelsior  brigade.  He  was  wounded  during 
the  advance  on  Petersburg  and  subsequently 
was  captured  by  the  enemy  and  for  six  months 
was  incarcerated  in  Libby  prison. 

It  is  possible  that  Mr.  Matthews  can  not 
remember  a  time  when  he  was  not  interested  in 
school  work,  for  he  became  a  student  early  and 
in  1888  was  graduated  from  the  Grand  Island 
High  school.  His  choice  of  a  profession  was- 
quickly  made  and  from  that  time  to  the  pres- 
ent, Grand  Island  has  benefited  through  his- 
earnest!  efforts  as  a  school  teacher.  Since 
1897  he  has  been  principal  of  the  high  school, 
which,  as  an  educational  institution,  reflects 
great  credit  on  the  city,  its  many  graduates 
finding  themselves  well  prepared  for  the  vari- 
ous careers  to  which  their  tastes  and  talents 
direct  them,  all  of  which,  in  modern  days,  de- 
mand a  sound  educational  foundation. 

In  no  sense  of  the  word  is  Mr.  Matthews 
a  politician,  but  he  is  a  wide  awake,  progres- 
sive citi2en  and  as  such  takes  an  interest  in 
civic  affairs,  casting  his  vote  with  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
the  Modern  Woodmen  and  with  the  Knights 
of  Columbus,  in  the  latter  order  he  has  served 
both  as  grand  knight  and  district  deputy.  In 
many  representative  educational  bodies  his 
intelligent  co-operation  has  been  invited,  par- 
ticularly in  county  institute  work.  He  has 
been  one  of  the  instructors  at  Kearney,  and 
for  the  past  six  years  he  has  been  treasurer  of 
the  Nebraska  State  Teachers'  Association.  The 
family  as  a  whole  belong  to  the  Roman  Catho- 
lic church. 


BENJAMIN  J.  CUNNINGHAM,  a  lead- 
ing representative  of  the  legal  profession  in 
Grand  Island,  has  been  located  in  the  county 
seat  for  almost  a  decade  and  is  thoroughly 
identified  with  public  interests.  He  has  built 
up  a  fine  practice  that  has  secured  him  honor- 
able consideration  from  bench  and  bar  as  well 
as  the  cofidence  of  the  community  in  his  in- 
tegrity as  well  as  his  ability. 

Mr.  Cunningham  was  born  in  Wood  River,. 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  November  22,  1888. 
His  parents  are  Michael  J.  and  Catherine 
(Meade)  Cunningham,  retired  residents  of 
Wood  River.    The  father  was  born  in  Nova 


604 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Scotia,  August  23,  1849,  and  the  mother  in 
Ireland,  February  2,  1850.  Their  marriage  took 
place  in  Lowell,  Massachusetts.  In  1878  they 
came  to  Hall  County,  and  the  father  bought 
a  farm  near  Wood  River  and  that  continued 
to  be  the  family  home  until  1913,  when  re- 
moval was  made  to  the  village.  The  family 
consists  of  five  children,  namely :  Joseph  H., 
a  farmer  and  stockman  near  Wood  River; 
John  C,  in  the  stock  commission  business  at 
Omaha ;  Mary,  who  resides  with  her  parents ; 
Edward  L-,  in  the  commission  busines  at 
Omaha ;  and  B.  J. 

B.  J.  Cunningham  had  public  school  ad- 
vantages and  was  graduated  from  the  Wood 
River  High  school  in  1906.  His  training  in 
the  law  was  secured  in  the  Creighton  Law 
School,  Omaha,  from  which  he  was  graduated 
in  1910.  He  entered  into  practice  in  Grand 
Island,  where  he  shortly  afterward  found  pro- 
fessional encouragement  and  as  time  went  on 
became  well  and  favorably  known  not  only  in 
the  law  but  likewise  in  the  political  field.  In 
1912  he  was  elected  county  attorney  on  the 
Democratic  ticket  and  was  re-elected  in  1914, 
and  on  three  occasions  he  has  been  elected 
chairman  of  the  Democratic  executive  com- 
mittee of  Hall  County.  His  parents  have  al- 
ways been  faithful  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  and  he  belongs  also  to  this  re- 
ligious body.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  B.  P.  O.  E.  and 
the  F.  O.  E- 


FRANK  E.  SLUSSER  was  born  in  Jasper 
County,  Iowa,  July  11,  1868.  His  parents 
were  Rev.  F.  M.  and  Nancy  (Yocum)  Slusser. 
His  father,  who  was  a  Methodist  minister,  was 
an  early  settler  in  Jasper  County,  being  a  native 
of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania,  who  came  west 
at  an  early  day  to  locate  west  of  the  Mississippi 
River.     Both  parents  died  in  Iowa. 

F.  E.  Slusser  obtained  his  early  school  train- 
ing in  Jasper  County  and  spent  his  boyhood 
on  a  farm.  In  1887  he  came  to  Nebraska  and 
two  years  later  secured  a  position  as  clerk  in 
the  First  National  Bank  at  Wood  River,  in 
that  same  institution  he  worked  his  way  stead- 
ily upward,  serving  as  assistant  cashier,  vice- 
president  and  then  president.  The  First 
National  is  one  of  the  soundest  institutions  in 
the  county,  with  a  capital  of  $40,000,  and  sur- 
plus $40,000,  and  average  deposits  of  $350,- 
000.  Additionally,  Mr.  Slusser  has  banking 
interests  at  other  points,  being  a  member  of  the 
board  of  directors  of  the  State  Bank  at  Clarks, 
in  Merrick  County,  and  also  of  the  Citizens 
State  Bank  at  Archer,  in  the  same  county. 


In  politics  Mr.  Slusser  is  a  sound  Repub- 
lican. In  the  fall  of  1902  he  was  elected 
county  treasurer  and  was  re-elected  in  1904. 
He  owns  considerable  property,  mainly  farm 
lands,  and  at  present  devotes  his  time  largely 
to  handling  real  estate. 

Mr.  Slusser  married  in  1914  Miss  Gussie 
Towne,  who  was  born  at  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, and  they  have  one  daughter,  Elizabeth 
Ann.  Mrs.  Slusser  belongs  to  numerous  so- 
cial bodies  and  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Slusser  was  reared  in  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  has  always  contin- 
ued in  this  connection.  He  is  a  member  of 
Masonic  bodies,  Blue  lodge,  Royal  Arch  and 
Knights  Templar  and  is  a  Shriner,  and  while 
residing  in  Wood  River  was  master  of  the 
Blue  lodge.  He  belongs  also  to  the  Elks  and 
Odd  Fellows  and  takes  an  interest  in  business 
and  political  organizations  of  the  city  and 
county. 


HON.  JAMES  R.  HANNA,  was  elected 
judge  of  the  District  Court  of  the  1 1th  Judicial 
district  of  Nebraska  in  1904.  During  eighteen 
years  previous  to  that  he  had  been  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  law  at  Greeley.  In  a  judicial 
capacity  for  fifteen  years  it  has  been  his  busi- 
ness to  discern  the  actions  and  purposes  of 
men,  and  it  is  generally  recognized  by  prac- 
titioners and  litigants  that  the  Judge  is  well 
informed  on  procedure  and  inspires  confi- 
dence in  the  prompt  and  impartial  administra- 
tion of  justice.  He  is  also  widely  known  in 
financial  cirlces.  He  is  president  of  the 
Greeley  State  Bank,  of  the  Brayton  State 
Bank,  and  of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  of 
Grand  Island. 

Judge  Hanna  was  born  at  Vinton,  Iowa, 
February  21,  1861,  a  son  of  Alex  and  Rose 
(Watson)  Hanna,  natives  of  Wooster,  Ohio, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased.  The  parents  re- 
moved to  Iowa  in  1857,  took  up  land  in  that 
state,  and  there  passed  the  remainder  of  their 
lives  in  agricultural  pursuits.  The  father  was 
a  Republican.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hanna  be- 
longed to  the  Presbyterian  church,  in  the  faith 
of  which  they  reared  their  six  children,  of 
whom  five  are  living:  Belle,  a  teacher  in  the 
Presbyterian  College  at  Abingdon,  Virginia; 
J.  W.,  a  retired  farmer  of  Vinton,  Iowa,  and 
president  of  the  Farmers  Savings  Bank  of 
Garrison,  that  state;  W.  H.,  vice-president  of 
the  Peoples  Savings  Bank  of  Vinton;  Judge 
James  R. ;  and  Dr.  H.  H.,  a  physician  and 
surgeon  of  Waterloo,  Iowa. 

James  R.  Hanna  received  his  early  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  of  his  native  com- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


James  R.  Hanna 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


606 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


munity,  following  which  he  attended  Cornell 
(Iowa)  College,  graduating  in  1884.  For 
several  years  he  was  a  student  of  law  at  Vin- 
ton, being  admitted  to  practice  in  Des  Moines, 
in  1886.  Beginning  his  professional  career 
in  Vinton,  in  1887  he  removed  to  Greeley,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  entered  upon  a  successful 
career  in  the  law.  Like  all  young  lawyers,  and 
especially  those  who  have  no  large  financial 
backing,  he  was  forced  to  go  through  a  pro- 
bationary period,  but  his,  because  of  his  fine 
abilities,  was  shorter  than  many  others,  and  so 
rapidly  did  he  come  to  the  forefront  that  when 
he  was  only  twenty-six  years  old  he1  was 
elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legislature 
from  Greeley  County.  During  the  next  eight- 
een years  he  continued  in  practice,  gaining 
prestige,,  prominence  and  reputation  in  his 
profession.  In  1904  he  was  elected  judge  of 
the  District  Court  of  the  1 1th  Judicial  district 
of  Nebraska,  a  position  which  he  has  contin- 
ued to  hold.  His  record  on  the  bench  is  one 
of  the  best.  With  all  his  years  of  experience 
with  the  delinquent  element  of  human  society, 
while  it  has  sharpened  his  insight  into  the 
faults  and  guile  of  mankind,  Judge  Hanna  has 
preserved  and  constantly  manifests  a  kindli- 
ness and  sympathy  in  his  dealings  with  liti- 
gants that  make  him  one  of  the  most  esteemed 
judges  in  the  state.  His  unfailing  common 
sense  saves  him  from  the  pedantry  of  law,  and 
having  been  a  close  and  thorough  student 
under  the  impetus  of  his  own  determination, 
he  has  become  fully  and  practically  equipped 
to  meet  any  emergency  within  the  scope  of  his 
judicial  duties. 

Judge  Hanna  married  in  1888  Lora  Chafnn, 
who  was  born  at  Richmond,  Indiana,  daughter 
of  J.  W.  Chafnn,  a  native  of  Ohio,  a  soldier 
during  the  Civil  War,  and  later  a  newspaper, 
man.  To  this  union  there  were  born  two  chil- 
dren :  Helen,  who  attended  Doane  College  at 
Crete,  Nebraska,  and  State  University  at  Lin- 
coln, who  resides  at  home  with  her  parents, 
and  Donald  C. ,  who  graduated  from  the 
Kearney  Military  Academy,  and  took  two 
years  of  work  in  Grand  Island  College,  and 
who  before  the  signing  of  the  peace  armistice 
was  at  the  officers'  training  school  in  Camp 
Dodge,  entering  in  July,  1918.  The  family  be- 
longs to  the  Presbyterian  church. 

Judge  Hanna  is  a  member  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias  and  has  served  as  chancellor  com- 
mander in  that  body.  He  has  always  been  a 
Republican.  His  standing  in  financial  circles 
is  one  that  compares  favorably  with  his  judic- 
ial record,  and  in  addition  to  being  president 
of  the  institutions  enumerated  at  the  opening 
of  this  review,  is  a  director  in  the  State  Bank 


of  Omaha.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the 
Board  of  Trustees  of  Grand  Island  College, 
and  of  the  Board  of  Directors  for  the  local 
Y.  M.  C.  A. 


ARTHUR  L.  JOSEPH.  — In  the  compar- 
atively short  but  uniformly  progressive 
carreer  of  Arthur  L.  Joseph,  of  Grand  Island, 
several  personal  traits  are  quite  noticeable. 
Among  these  may  be  mentioned  versatility  of 
talents  combined  with  thoroughness  of  prep- 
aration and  depth  of  legal  knowledge.  A 
practitioner  of  this  community  since  1909,  he 
has  steadily  advanced  in  his  calling  and  in 
public  prominence.  At  the  present  time  he  is 
capably  discharging  the  duties  connected  with 
the  office  of  city  attorney. 

Arthur  L.  Joseph  was  born  at  Polk,  Ne- 
braska, September  26,  1885.  He  is  a  son  of 
Fred  J.  and  Minnie  (Schoeder)  Joseph,  both 
natives  of  Germany.  His  parents,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  as  children,  were  married 
in  Iowa,  and  in  1879  came  to  Nebraska.  His 
father  purchased  land  in  Polk  County,  where 
for  a  number  of  years  he  was  engaged  in  suc- 
cessful agricultural  operations.  The  parents 
are  now  retired  from  active  labors  and  make 
their  home  in  Grand  Island,  where  they  are 
highly  respected  residents  and  devout  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Joseph  is  a  sup- 
porter of  the  Democratic  party.  Of  the  five 
children  of  this  worthy  couple,  four  are  liv- 
ing :  H.  J.(  who  is  engaged  in  farming  on  the 
homestead  in  Polk  County;  Arthur  JL:  Meta 
M.,  the  wife  of  Henry  Fraderking,  a  farmer 
of  Merrick  County,  Nebraska;  and  Sophia, 
who  makes  her  home  with  her  parents. 

After  attending  the  public  schools  of  Polk 
County,  Arthur  L.  Joseph  was  sent  to  Con- 
cordia College,  at  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin.  This 
was  followed  by  a  law  course  of  three  years  in 
the  University  of  Nebraska.  He  successfully 
passed  his  examination  before  the  local  board 
andt  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1909,  at 
which  time  he  commenced  practice  in  Grand 
Island,  which  has  since  been  his  place  of  resi- 
dence and  the  scene  of  his  advancement  to  a 
position  of  prominence  among  the  younger 
lawyers  of  Hall  County.  In  his  capacity  of 
city  attorney  of  Grand  Island  he  has  evinced 
a  broad  knowledge  of  law  and  equity,  a  con- 
■  scientious  regard  for  the  rights  of  all  classes 
of  litigants  and  fine  executive  capacity  in  the 
dispatch  of  business.  Like  other  live  and 
progressive  men,  he  has  some  business  con- 
nections, but  his  chief  interests  lie  in  his  office 
and  his  practice  and  no  other  •matters  are 
allowed  to  distract  his  attention  from  them. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


607 


He  has  also  been  actively  interested  in  politics 
and  is  accounted  one  of  the  younger  leaders  of 
the  Democratic  party  in  his  adopted  city.  Fra- 
ternally he  is  affiliated  with  the  Masons  and 
the  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  in 
the  latter  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Lodge. 

Mr.  Joseph  married  September  26,  1912, 
in  Grand  Island,  Miss  Matilda  G.  Shilling,  of 
Scotia,  Nebraska.  Mrs.  Joseph  is  well  known 
in  social  circles  of  Grand  Island,  and  is  an 
active  member  of  Trinity  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church. 


SAMUEL  C.  HUSTON,  has  been  engaged 
in  the  real  estate,  loan  and  general  insurance 
business  in  Grand  Island  for  over  thirty  years. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall  County  since 
boyhood  and  has  had  much  to  do  with  the 
substantial  development  of  this  section  of  Ne- 
braska, being  identified  with  many  leading  in- 
terests in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Huston  was 
born  in  Lake  County,  Ohio,  October  11,  1861. 
He  is  one  of  a  family  of  five  and  the  only  sur- 
viving child  of  his  parents,  Cyrus  and  Rhoda 
(Taylor)  Huston.  Both  were  natives  of  Ohio, 
where  their  parents  had  been  pioneer  settlers. 
The  paternal  grandfather  of  Mr.  Huston  was 
Samuel  Huston,  a  native  of  England,  and  the 
maternal  grandfather  was  Samuel  Taylor,  who 
was  born  in  Ireland. 

Mr.  Huston  was  eleven  years  old  when  he 
accompanied  his  mother,  after  the  death  of 
his  father  in  Ohio,  to  Nebraska.  This  was 
in  1872  and  in  1874  she  settled  in  the  com- 
fortable house  in  Grand  Island  that  Mr.Hus- 
ton  still  occupies  as  his  residence.  His 
father  had  been  a  farmer  and  a  man  of  some 
importance  in  Lake  County,  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  a  supporter  and  member 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  a 
Democrat  in  politics.  Before  coming  to  Grand 
Island  Mr.  Huston  had  attended  school  at 
Leroy,  Ohio,  and  after  completing  the  public 
school  course  in  Grand  Island,  he  spent  two 
years  in  an  Episcopal  college  at  Nebraska  City, 
Nebraska.  His  earlier  working  years  were 
spent  on  a  farm  but  he  had  the  commercial  in- 
stinct that  led  him  into  trading  in  grain  and 
afterward,  for  five  years  was  a  clerk  in  a  store. 
About  that  time  he  became  associated  with  his 
present  partner,  J.  E.  Dill  and  together  they 
conducted  a  store  for  three  and  a  half  years. 
In  1887  the  firm  of  Dill  &  Huston  was  formed 
to  deal  in  real  estate,  loans  and  insurance. 
The  business  of  this  firm  has  steadily  grown 
and  is  now  the  leading  one  of  the  kind  in  Hall 
County.    Both  members  of  the  firm  are  known 


to  be  sound,  reliable  business  men  who  count 
as  an  asset  their  just  reputation  for  business 
integrity. 

In  1887  Mr.  Huston  married  Miss  Anna 
A.  West,  who  was  born  in  Maryland.  She  is 
the  daughter  of  John  W.  West,  who  came  to 
Grand  Island  in  1874  and  is  still  active  in  the 
grain  business  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Huston 
have  four  children,  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  as  follows :  Samuel  E.,  an  engineer, 
who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  United  States 
government  at  Portland,  Oregon ;  Forrest  L-, 
engaged  in  farming  three  miles  southwest  of 
Grand  Island ;  Ella,  the  wife  of  Theodore 
Rerobolt,  of  Pendleton,  Oregon,  an  employe 
of  J.  C.  Penny,  who  conducts  a  chain  of  stores ; 
and  Paul,  a  student  in  the  Grand  Island  High 
school.  Mr.  Huston  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
his  political  views  he  is  a  Republican. 


GEORGE  D.  HETZEL.  —  By  reason  of  his 
long  connection  with  the  real  estate  business 
and  because  of  the  extent  and  importance  of 
the  transactions  with  which  he  has  been  iden- 
tified, George  D.  Hetzel  is  justly  accounted 
one  of  the  leading  realty  men  of  Hall  County. 
Nearly  forty  years  have  passed  since  he  came 
to  Grand  Island,  and  during  this  long  period 
he  has  held  a  prominent  and  respected  place  in 
business  circles,  while  he  has  been  no  less 
esteemed  as  a  citizen,  and  as  a  man  who  has 
won  his  own  way  to  success  from  modest  be- 
ginnings. 

Mr.  Hetzel  was  born  at  Wheeling,  West 
Virginia,  October  7,  1844,  a  son  of  Charles 
F.  and  Regina  (Bayha)  Hetzel,  the  former  a 
native  of  Baden,  and  the  latter  of  Wurttem- 
burg,  Germany.  The  parents  were  married  in 
New  York  City  and  for  a  short  time  resided 
in  Wheeling,  where  the  father  was  a  success- 
ful business  man  and  from  there  made  his 
way  with  his  family  to  the  vicinity  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  upon 
which  he  resided  until  his  death.  Both  he  and 
his  wife  passed  away  on  their  old  farm.  They 
were  respected  members  of  their  community. 
Mrs.  Hetzel  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  In  politics  the  father  was  a  Demo- 
crat. Of  their  eleven  children,  seven  still  sur- 
vive, George  D.  being  the  only  resident  of 
Nebraska. 

George  D.  Hetzel  was  educated  in  the  dis- 
trict schools  and  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  his 
career  in  business  was  started  there  as  clerk 
in  a  dry  goods  store,  about  the  close  of  the 
Civil  War.  He  was  only  twenty-five  years  of 
age  when  he  began  to  notice  the  field  opening 


608 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


for  success  in  the  real  estate  business,  and  be- 
gan operations  in  realty  in  Davenport.  In 
August,  1879,  he  came  to  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  established  himself  in  the 
hardware  business,  but  in  the  meantime  con- 
tinued to  deal  in  real  estate.  After  sixteen 
years  he  disposed  of  his  hardware  interests 
in  order  to  give  his  entire  time  and  attention 
to  real  estate  and  insurance  matters.  He  has 
long  been  handling  Canadian  lands  as  a  spec- 
ialty, and  is  the  owner  of  much  valuable  prop- 
erty in  Canada-  His  business  standing  is  of 
the  best,  and  this,  like  his  fortune,  has  been 
built  up  through  absolute  integrity  and 
straightforward  dealing. 

Mr.  Hetzel  married  February  6,  1873,  Miss 
Louise  Keating,  who  was  born  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio.  They  are  the  parents  of  three  children : 
Lulu,  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Baird,  connected  with 
the  Larowe  Construction  Company,  builders 
of  sugar  refineries  and  pulp  driers,  and  has 
two  children,  —  William  Britton  and  George 
H. ;  Frank  A.,  formerly  with  the  Cudahy 
Packing  Company,  but  now  connected  with  the 
firm  of  Ferd-Haak  Company,  large  manu- 
facturers of  cigars,  as  a  partner,  married 
Theckla  Haak;  and  George  D.,  Jr.,  farming 
and  sheep  raising  on  a  large  scale  in  Manitoba, 
Canada,  married  Florence  Harrison  of  Grand 
Island.  Mrs.  Baird  is  a  graduate  of  the  Grand 
Island  High  School  and  of  Oberlin  College, 
and  Frank  A.  and  George  D.  Hetzel  Jr.,  are 
graduates  of  the  Grand  Island  High  School 
and  of  the  Nebrska  State  University. 

Mrs.  Hetzel  and  her  three  children  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Hetzel  is 
a  Democrat  in  his  political  views.  His  fra- 
ternal affiliation  includes  life  membership  in 
the  Blue  Lodge,  Chapter  and  Knights  Tem- 
plar of  the  Masonic  order.  He  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Nobles  of  the  Mystic  Shrine. 


REV.  JAMES  A.  DUFFY,  bishop  of  the 
Grand  Island  Diocese  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  ably  and  effectively  fills  a  position  of 
great  responsibility.  Bishop  Duffy  has  reached 
this  high  office  through  thorough  preparation, 
wide  experience  and  natural  qualifications. 
Aside  from  his  executive  achievements,  his 
ministrations  have  not  only  benefitted,  di- 
rected and  comforted  the  large  congregations 
in  his  charge,  but  have  always  been  a  recog- 
nized influence  for  law,  order  and  humanity 
over  the  entire  diocese  outside  the  church. 

James  A.  Duffy  was  born  in  the  United 
States,  in  the  beautiful  city  of  St.  Paul,  Min- 
nesota, September  13,  1873.  His  parents  were 
James  and  Nora  (Shiely)  Duffy.    The  father 


was  a  native  of  Ireland  and  the  mother  was 
born  in  New  York,  and  both  died  at  St.  Paul. 
Of  their  family  of  eight  children  there  are 
five  survivors.  The  father  was  a  stonemason 
by  trade  and  became  a  contractor  in  stone 
construction. 

First  in  the  parochial  schools  and  later  at  St. 
Thomas  Seminary  in  St.  Paul,  which  is  now 
the  College  of  St.  Thomas,  the  future  bishop 
pursued  his  studies  along  the  lines  laid  out 
for  Catholic  clergy.  After  his  graduation  in 
1899  and  ordination  to  the  Priesthood,  Rever- 
end Mr.  Duffy  was  appointed  assistant  at  the 
Immaculate  Conception  church  in  Minneapolis, 
and  continued  as  such  for  three  years,  then  for 
two  years  had  charge  of  a  church  in  Le  Sueur, 
Minnesota.  During  the  next  eight  and  a  half 
years  he  was  assistant  under  his  friend  Bishop 
Keane,  in  the  Cathedral  in  Cheyenne,  Wyom- 
ing. In  1913  he  was  appointed  the  first 
bishop  of  the  diocese  of  Kearney,  with  resi- 
dence in  Keamey,  from  which  city  he  came 
to  Grand  Island  in  1916,  when  the  diocesan 
see  was  changed  on  account  of  a  difference  in 
railroad  facilities. 

Bishop  Duffy  has  forty-two  parishes  under 
his  charge,  his  diocese  extending  over  thirty- 
four  counties.  He  has  always  been  greatly  in- 
terested in  the  work  of  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus and  feels  proud  of  their  wonderful  human- 
itarian achievements  during  the  World  War. 


THEODORE  P.  BOEHM,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  was  born  in 
Grand  Island,  March  17,  1875.  While  united 
public  effort  is  doubtless  the  greatest  force  in 
the  development  of  a  community,  a  most  essen- 
tial factor  is  the  solid,  well  informed,  depend- 
able business  man  who  labors  not  only  in  his 
own  interest  but  with  the  wider  vision  of  a 
good,  reliable  citizen.  Grand  Island  has  such 
men  and  some  of  these  are  native  sons.  A 
representative  example  is  found  in  Theodore 
P.  Boehm,  who  for  a  number  of  years  was  an 
efficient  and  trustworthy  public  official  of  the 
county. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Boehm,  George  and 
Catherine  Boehm.  were  natives  of  Germany 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  childhood. 
They  were  married  in  the  city  of  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  six 
children ;  one  died  in  infancy ;  Mrs.  Buechler. 
of  Grand  Island ;  Mrs.  C.  H.  Menck,  deceased; 
Theodore  P. ;  Fred  J.,  cashier  of  a  bank  at 
Columbus,  Nebraska ;  and  Adolph  T.  The 
father  learned  the  brewing  business  and  after 
leaving  St.  Louis  went  to  Omaha,  where  he 
was  foreman  and  manager  for  Fred  Krug's 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


609 


brewery.  The  father  came  to  Grand  Island  in 
1870  and  operated  his  own  brewery  here  dur- 
ing the  remainder  of  his  life.  He  died  here  at 
the  early  age  of  thirty-six  years.  He  was  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  belonged  to  the  Luth- 
eran church.  His  widow,  the  mother  of  Theo- 
dore P.  Boehm,  subsequently  was  married  to 
Andrew  Ott  and  three  children  were  born  to 
that  union,  two  of  whom  survive:  Otto  O., 
head  salesman  at  the  Wolbach  &  Sons  Cloth- 
ing department ;  and  Walter,  who  is  employed 
in  the  Union  Pacific  shops  at  Grand  Island. 

Theodore  P.  Boehm  had  excellent  educa- 
tional training,  attending  the  public  schools, 
Grand  Island  College  and  Lincoln  Normal 
University.  His  first  business  experience  was 
as  a  clerk  in  a  grocery  store  in  Grand  Island. 
He  was  ambitious  and  this  led  to  his  taking  a 
civil  service  examination  which  enabled  him  to 
take  a  position  in  the  Grand  Island  post  office, 
and  for  the  next  four  years  he  was  a  clerk  in 
the  general  delivery  division.  At  that  time  he 
was  appointed  a  clerk  in  the  office  of  the 
county  clerk  of  Hall  County.  He  served  in 
this  capacity  for  four  years,  during  this  time 
winning  the  confidence  of  his  associates  and 
officials  generally  and  making  many  warm  per- 
sonal friends.  He  was  then  elected  county 
treasurer  and  served  two  terms,  having  been 
elected  the  second  time  without  opposition. 
Public  approval  was  still  further  evidenced  by 
his  election  later  to  the  office  of  county  com- 
missioner where  he  served  two  years  on  that 
board.  In  the  meanwhile,  when  he  retired 
from  the  office  of  county  treasurer,  he  em- 
barked in  the  real  estate  and  insurance  busi- 
ness. In  these  lines  he  has  become  one  of 
the  leading  men  of  the  county.  During  the 
past  year  he  has  done  also  a  large  land  busi- 
ness in  northeastern  Colorado.  He  still  takes 
a  hearty  interest  in  politics,  believing  this  to  be 
the  duty  of  citizenship.  He  was  manager  for 
Hon.  Silas  R.  Barton,  Republican,  in  his  cam- 
paign for  Congress.  Mr.  Boehm  has  done  his 
part  in  forwarding  war  work  and  is  well 
qualified  to  do  so  as  he  was  a  soldier  himself 
in  the  Spanish-American  war.  At  present  he 
is  serving  as  a  member  of  the  Grand  Island 
school  board. 

Mr.  Boehm  married,  June  20,  1901,  Miss 
Evelyn  Scott,  who  was  born  at  Hardy,  Ne- 
braska, a  daughter  of  Edward  Scott,  an  old 
settler  and  farmer  of  Nuckols  County.  They 
have  three  children:  Kenneth  S.,  Kieth  S.  and 
Theodore  P.  The  famly  belongs  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church  and  Mr.  Boehm  is  a 
member  of  the  Modern  Woodmen,  of  the  Elks 
and  of  other  local  organizations. 


REV.  AUGUST  W.  HEIMES,  pastor  of 
St.  Mary's  Cathedral  in  Grand  Island,  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  city  for  only  four  years 
but  in  that  time  he  has  made  a  deep  impres- 
sion on  his  church  and  on  the  community 
which  ought  not  to  be  overlooked.  Father 
Heimes  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Germany, 
September  3,  1877.  His  parents  were  Frank 
and  Theresa  (Deutenberg)  Heimes.  They 
came  with  their  children  from  Germany  to  the 
United  States  in  1880,  settled  in  the  city  of  St. 
Paul,  Minnesota,  where  the  father  was  en- 
gaged in  the  grocery  business  until  his  death. 
He  was  an  educated  man  and  for  twenty-four 
years  had  taught  school  in  his  native  land. 
Of  his  seven  children  four  are  living. 

Father  Heimes  was  the  youngest  of  his 
parents'  family  being  but  three  years  old  when 
he  was  brought  to  America.  He  early  evinced 
a  desire  for  religious  life  and  with  this  in 
view  his  educational  training  began  in  boy- 
hood to  prepare  him  for  the  priesthood.  His 
preparation  for  the  office  was  completed  in 
Josephinum  Seminary,  Columbus,  Ohio,  fol- 
lowing which  he  was  ordained  June  10,  1904. 
His  first  assignment  was  as  assistant  priest  in 
ihe  Catholic  church  at  O'Neill,  in  Holt  County, 
Nebraska.  Six  months  later  he  took  charge 
of  the  church  at  Ewing,  Nebraska.  Father 
Heimes  made  a  fine  record  there  and  re- 
mained two  and  one  half  years,  going  then  to 
the  church  at  Saint  Libory,  Nebraska.  From 
there  he  was  called  to  St.  Mary's  cathedral, 
Grand  Island.  Father  Heimes  has  always 
shown  religious  zeal  together  with  a  large 
measure  of  executive  ability.  His  labors  in 
Grand  Island  are  warmly  appreciated.  In  ad- 
dition to  looking  after  the  affairs  of  his  large 
parish,  Father  Heimes  directs  the  church 
school  and  each  one  of  the  one  hundred  and 
sixty-five  students  strives  for  his  approval, 
realizing  that  he  has  a  worthy  example  in  the 
faithful  priest.  He  takes  deep  interest  in  the 
activities  of  the  Knights  of  Columbus. 


CHARLES  B.  FREEMAN,  whose  widely 
extended  operations  in  real  estate  have  made 
him  a  somewhat  conspicuous  figure  in  this 
field,  has  been  a  resident  of  Grand  Island  since 
1911  and  of  the  state  of  Nebraska  since  he 
was  seven  years  old.  He  has  not  always  been 
in  his  present  line  of  business  although  he  has 
made  it  remarkably  successful,  farming,  hand- 
ling grain  and  dealing  in  agricultural  imple- 
ments having  engaged  his  attention  for  many 


years. 


Mr.  Freeman  was  born  in  Potter  County, 

_  ;   zoa  by  GoOglc 


610 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Pennsylvania,  September  29,  1865.  His  Eng- 
lish ancestors  came  to  America  more  than  200 
years  ago  and  the  name  is  yet  well  repre- 
sented through  New  England  and  its  border 
states.  His  great-great-grandfather  served  in 
the  Revolutionary  war  and  three  of  his  uncles 
served  in  the  Union  army  in  the  Civil  War. 
His  parents  were  J.  W.  and  Eliza  (Rodgers) 
Freeman,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  the  state 
of  New  York  and  from  there  removed  to 
Potter  County,  Pennsylvania,  where  the  father 
carried  on  farming  for  many  years.  In  1872 
he  came  with  his  family  to  Nebraska  settling 
in  Howard  County  and  was  a  farmer  there  un- 
til his  life  closed.  He  was  a  man  of  sturdy 
character,  honest  in  his  convictions  and  up- 
right in  his  life.  He  was  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  and  both  he  and  Mr.  Freeman's 
mother  were  members  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  They  had  three  children :  Henry  B., 
who  resides  on  his  fruit  farm  near  Los  An- 
geles, California;  Sarah,  deceased,  was  the 
wife  of  T.  N.  Bennett;  and  Charles  B. 

He  attended  the  country  schools  in  Howard 
County  and  later  the  city  schools  in  St. 
Paul,  Nebraska.  Thus  Mr.  Freeman  had  good 
educational  opportunities.  He  assisted  his 
father  on  the  home  farm  and  remembers  when 
he  would  haul  a  load  of  wheat  from  Howard 
County  to  Grand  Island,  unload  and  accept  a 
place  to  sleep  in  the  livery  bam  where  his 
horses  were  stabled  and  return  next  day.  This 
was  quite  an  undertaking  and  a  responsible 
business  transaction  for  a  boy  to  carry  through 
satisfactory.  For  about  twenty  years  Mr. 
Freeman  followed  farming,  always  being 
interested  in  grain,  and  afterward  went  into 
the  agricultural  implement  business  in  Howard 
County.  When  he  came  to  Grand  Island  in 
1911  he  embarked  in  the  real  estate  business 
and  now  has  a  branch  office  at  Brule.  He 
operates  mainly  with  personal  capital  and  does 
business  on  a  large  scale.  During  the  past  two 
years  he  has  made  a  specialty  of  dealing  in 
western  lands,  but  is  also  profitably  interested 
in  farming  in  western  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Freeman  married,  in  1891,  Miss  Eva 
Matheney,  who  was  born  in  western  Pennsyl- 
vania. Her  father  came  to  Howard  County, 
Nebraska,  in  the  'eighties.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Free- 
man have  three  children:  Harry  B.,  who  re- 
sides in  Adams  County,  Nebraska;  Myrtle  B., 
the  wife  of  L.  A.  Miller,  who  is  a  farmer  near 
Bruner,  Nebraska ;  and  Cora  May,  who  resides 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  Freeman  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
While  he  is  an  earnest  Republican  in  his  polit- 
ical views,  first  of  all  Mr.Freeman  is  a  good 
citizen,  and  every  movement  looking  toward 


the  preservation  of  law  and  order  in  his  city, 
county,  state,  finds  in  him  a  hearty  supporter. 


ADDISON  E-  CADY,  banker  and  a  repre- 
sentative business  man  of  Grand  Island,  bean 
an  old  and  honored  name  in  Nebraska,  one 
that  has  been  identified  with  important  and 
far-reaching  business  enterprises  for  many 
years  and  with  political  affairs  for  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  century. 

Addison  E.  Cady  was  born  in  Nebraska,  a 
son  of  Addison  E.  and  Nellie  E.  (Hessler) 
Cady,  natives  of  Wisconsin.  The  father  was 
born  at  Watertown,  December  7,  1853,  and 
died  at  St.  Paul,  Nebraska,  October  14,  1918. 
In  1880  he  came  to  Colfax  County,  Nebraska 
and  for  the  next  five  years  conducted  a  news- 
paper at  Schuyler.  In  1885  he  removed  to  St 
Paul,  Nebraska,  where  he  organized  the  First 
National  Bank  of  St.  Paul,  becoming  the  first 
president  of  the  institution.  He  was  an  able 
man,  well  informed  in  the  banking  field.  Both 
Elba  and  Dannebrog,  Nebraska,  are  indebted 
to  him  for  the  institutions  that  supplied  much 
needed  financial  assistance  in  the  early  struggle 
for  development.  As  long  as  he  deemed  it 
advisable  he  retained  his  interest  in  these  in- 
stitutions but  had  sold  them  before  he  died. 
He  was  a  man  of  wide  vision  and  versatile  tal- 
ents, a  power  in  politics  in  the  state  for  many 
years  and  was  put  forward  by  the  Republican 
party  as  its  candidate  for  Congress  and  even 
for  governor  after  long  and  statesmanlike  ser- 
vice in  both  houses  of  the  Nebraska  state 
legislature.  While  a  resident  of  St.  Paul  he 
organized  a  wholesale  grocery  company  and 
later  organized  a  branch  at  Grand  Island,  the 
entire  concern  being  operated  as  the  Nebraska 
Mercantile  Company  of  which  he  was  the  first 
president.  Later  he  assisted  in  the  founding 
of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  at  Grand  Island 
and  was  serving  as  first  president  of  the  in- 
stitution at  the  time  of  his  death.  His  two 
children  survive:  Adnelle,  who  is  the  wife  of 
George  Pyne,  a  merchant  at  St.  Paul,  Ne- 
braska, and  Addison  E.,  who  is  vice  president 
of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  at  Grand  Island. 

Addison  E.  Cady  received  his  early  educa- 
tional training  in  the  public  schools  and  then 
entered  the  Shattuck  Military  Academy,  at 
Faribault,  Minnesota,  from  which  institution 
he  was  graduated  in  1901,  when  he  returned  to 
St.  Paul  and  entered  high  school,  from  which 
he  was  graduated  in  1903.  He  then  inter- 
ested himself  in  the  wholesale  grocery  busi- 
ness at  St.  Paul  and  continued  until  1910,  when 
he  came  to  Grand  Island  in  the  same  business 
and  remained  with  the  Nebraska  Mercantile 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


611 


Company  until  1915.  In  1916  he  became  vice- 
president  of  the  Nebraska  State  Bank  and 
since  that  time  has  devoted  himself  closely 
to  its  interests.  July  15,  1919,  the  Nebraska 
Loan  and  Trust  Company  was  organized  with 
J.  R.  Hanna,  president,  A.  E.  Cady,  vice- 
president  and  secretary,  A.  J.  Guendel,  vice- 
president,  E.  R.  Guendel,  treasurer,  and  B.  T. 
Cunningham,  attorney,  with  a  capital  of  $50,- 
000.  Mr.  A.  E.  Cady  has  the  active  manage- 
ment of  this  new  concern. 

In  1908  Mr.  Cady  was  married  to  Miss 
Lucile  Kotick,  who  was  born  at  St.  Paul,  Ne- 
braska, a  daughter  of  Joseph  Kotick,  a  general 
merchant  and  a  pioneer  of  Howard  County. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cady  have  one  son,  Addison  E. 
(Ill),  a  bright  school  boy  of  seven  years.  Mr. 
Cady  was  more  or  less  active  in  the  Republican 
party  but  has  never  accepted  any  political 
honors  beyond  service  on  the  state  central 
committee.  He  belongs  to  lodge  No.  80, 
B.  P.  O.  E. 


CLAUS  THEO.  JESSEN,  proprietor  of 
the  leading  drug  store  in  Grand  Island,  is  one 
of  the  city's  representative  business  men. 
More  than  that,  he  is  probably  the  best  lin- 
guist in  the  state  for  he  has  a  thorough  knowl- 
edge of  eight  languages  and  converses  in  each 
with  great  facility.  His  educational  training 
along  other  lines  has  been  effective  and  the 
choice  he  made  of  pharmacy  as  a  profession 
was  because  of  a  natural  leaning  toward  the 
field  of  chemistry. 

Mr.  Jessen  was  born  in  Denmark,  April  25, 
1860.  His  parents  were  Claus  T.  and  Anna . 
(Petersen)  Jensen.  The  former  was  born  in 
Schleswig  and  was  educated  in  the  university 
of  Copenhagen  and  until  1863  remained  in 
that  city  as  a  teacher  in  the  royal  household. 
In  the  war  of  1863-4  he  served  as  an  officer 
in  the  Danish  army  and  then  went  to  Kiel, 
Germany,  and  took  a  course  in  theology,  enter- 
ing the  ministry  of  the'  Lutheran  church,  in 
which  communion  he  continued  until  his  death. 
Of  his  six  children  five  survive,  but  Claus  T. 
Jessen  is  the  only  member  in  the  United ' 
States. 

On  account  of  his  father  being  so  erudite 
a  man,  Mr.  Jessen  had  encouragement  and 
stimulation  in  his  effort  to  equal  his  father's 
scholarship.  He  proved  an  apt  pupil  along 
many  lines  and  became  especially  proficient 
in  languages  and  dialects  and  has  found  this 
knowledge  of  great  advantage  to  him.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  School  of  Languages 
at  Hardersleben  in  1881,  and  from  the  uni- 
versity of  Magdeburg,  Saxony,  Germany,  in 


1882.  The  military  law  then  came  into  play 
and  he  served  in  the  German  army  for  one 
year.  In  1884  he  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  was  at  that  time  practically  without  capital 
and  even  worked  as  a  day  laborer  after  reach- 
ing Grand  Island,  but  he  had  heard  very  often 
in  his  distant  native  land  that  America  was 
the  land  of  opportunity  and  he  has  lived  to 
prove  it.  In  the  course  of  time  he  became 
a  clerk  in  a  drug  store  in  Grand  Island  and 
the  learning  of  the  business  was  not  much 
of  a  task  to  one  whose  faculties  had  been  so 
well  trained,  and  in  1908  Mr.  Jessen  bought 
the  store  and  has  conducted  it  ever  since. 
His  business  success  is  well  deserved  for  it 
has  been  built  up  by  his  own  efforts.  Although  < 
interested  in  all  that  concerns  Grand  Island, 
Mr.  Jessen  is  not  connected  with  any  other 
business  enterprise  than  his  own. 

Mr.  Jessen  married,  in  1889,  Petra 
Schorrup,  who  was  born  at  Sheffield,  Illinois. 
They  have  had  the  following  children : 
Phosia,  the  wife  of  John  Gaber,  a  traveling 
salesman  for  Armour  &  Co.,  living  in  Sheri- 
dan, Wyoming;  Norma,  the  wife  of  William 
Hehnke,  of  the  Hehnke-Lohmann  Company 
of  Grand  Island ;  Charles  T.,  who,  during  the 
World  War  served  in  a  medical  unit  in  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France,  in- 
herits his  father's  talent  in  the  acquisition  of 
languages,  being  conversant  with  four;  Vera, 
Emily,  William  and  Tetra,  all  of  whom  are 
at  home.  One  other  child  died  in  infancy. 
Mrs.  Jessen  died  January  5,  1916.  She  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Jessen  is  a<  Democrat  in  politics  and 
fraternally  is  identified  with  the  Danish 
Brotherhood, 


FREDRICH  R.  MANDEVILLE  was  born 
in  Laporte  County,  Indiana,  October  21,  1864. 
His  parents  were  Dr.  Daniel  B.  and  Elmira 
(Talmage)  Mandeville,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York.  A  short  time 
after  their  marriage  they  removed  to  Laporte, 
Indiana,  where  Dr.  Mandeville,  for  twenty 
years  was  in  the  practice  of  medicine.  In 
1879  Dr.  Mandeville  removed  to  Seward  and 
retired  from  professional  life.  He  was  an 
ardent  Republican  in  politics  and  was  a  brave 
soldier  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
War.  The  patriotic  character  of  the  family 
is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  his  father  and 
three  brothers,  Jacob,  Jerry  and  Rineer  served 
in  the  army. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Mandeville  had  three  children 
of  whom  Fredrich  R.  and  Carrie  are  living. 
Carrie  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Pickrell  who  is  a 

iL.oo>;re 


612 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


section  foreman  at  Seward  for  the  C.  B.  &  Q. 
Railway.  The  subject  of  this  sketch  was 
raised  on  a  farm  in  Laporte  County,  Indiana, 
and  obtained  his  education  in  the  district 
schools.  After  coming  to  Nebraska  he  con- 
tinued to  work  on  the  farm  until  1886.  He 
determined  to  see  more  of  his  native  land. 
He  went  to  California  and  afterward  re- 
crossed  the  continent  to  NewYork.  He  seems 
not  to  have  been  satisfied  in  the  far  east  nor 
with  the  far  west.  He  returned  to  Nebraska 
and  went  into  the  saloon  business  in  Grand 
Island.  He  was  in  this  business  seventeen 
years  in  Seward,  four  years  in  Red  Cloud 
and  three  years  in  Grand  Island.  He  was 
appointed  chief  of  police  of  Grand  Island  in 
May,  1917.  As  chief  of  police  he  stands  for 
law  and  order  and  for  the  enforcement  of 
law  at  all  times  and  under  all  circumstances. 
In  1900  Mr.  Mandeville  married  Miss 
Emma  Hill  of  Seward.  Mrs.  Mandeville's 
father,  Mr.  James  Hill,  is  a  pioneer  and 
farmer,  a  liveryman  and  hotel  manager,  a  man 
of  wide  acquaintance  and  substantial  business 
connections.  They  have  two  sons,  Harry  and 
Fredrich.  Mrs.  Mandeville  is  a  member  of 
the  Congregational  church  and  is  much  inter- 
ested in  local  charities.  From  early  manhood 
Mr.  Mandeville  has  been  identified  with  the 
Republican  party  and  has  been  a  loyal  de- 
fender of  its  principles  and  candidates.  He  is 
a  member  of  lodge  No.  604  B.  P.  O.  E.  at 
Grand  Island. 


WILLIAM  F.  TILLEY  is  successfully  en- 
gaged in  farming  and  conducting  a  nursery 
in  Lake  township.  He  was  bom  in  Otsego 
County,  New  York,  June  28,  1873,  being  but 
'  an  infant  when  brought  to  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  by  his  parents,  Adin  D.  and  Maria 
A.  (Perkins)  Tilley,  a  record  of  whom  ap- 
pears elsewhere  in  this  volume.  His  boyhood 
days  were  spent  on  the  farm  and  his  early 
education  was  acquired  in  the  public  schools, 
this  being  supplenmented  by  a  two  years' 
course  in  Grand  Island  College.  In  early  man- 
hood he  took  up  farming  and  for  five  years 
was  in  partnership  with  his  brother  George  A. 
Later  he  associated  himself  with  his  father  in 
the  nursery  business,  having  continued  in  this 
to  the  present  day,  conducting  a  nursery  enter- 
prise on  a  part  of  the  old  homestead.  He  is 
also  part  owner  of  a  quarter  section  of  land 
in  Lake  Township  which  he  devotes  to  farm- 
ing purposes. 

In  Hall  County,  March  1,  1900,  was  solem- 
nized the  marriage  of  William  F.  Tilley  and 
Miss  Floy  Wilcox,  a  native  of  Kansas.     Her 


parents  were  Milton  and  Harriett  (Foote) 
Wilcox  who  came  to  Hall  County  many  years 
ago,  their  home  being  established  at  Grand 
Island,  where  the  father  became  a  salesman 
for  the  Rock  Springs  Coal  Co.  He  was  a 
man  of  fine  education  and  while  living  in 
Kansas  served  as  superintendent  of  schools 
at  Beloit,  Kansas.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Tilley 
is  still  living,  a  resident  of  Grand  Island. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tilley  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children,  namely:  Ralph, 
Vera,  Mildred  and  George,  all  of  whom  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church  and  Mr.  Tilley  is  a  Republican  in  pol- 
itics. Though  not  an  aspirant  for  public 
honors  he  has  the  best  interests  of  the  com- 
munity at  heart  and  capably  filled  the  position 
of  township  clerk  for  two  terms. 

The  name  has  been  an  honored  one  in  tbs 
county  since  pioneer  days  and  the  family  are 
held  in  the  highest  esteem  wherever  known. 


GUY  L.  HARRISON.  — One  of  the  most 
important  interests  of  the  city  of  Grand  Island 
is  the  business  conducted  under  the  name  of 
the  W.  H.  Harrison  Company.  This  business, 
founded  by  the  late  Hon.  William  H.  Harri- 
son, has  since  his  death  been  conducted  by 
his  sons  Guy  L.  and  Fred  L.  Harrison,  the 
former  of  whom  is  president  and  general 
manager.  Like  his  late  father,  Guy  L.  Harri- 
son is  a  man  of  marked  business  talent,  of 
prominence  in  public  life,  and  of  great  popu- 
larity in  his  community.  Through  his  own 
abilities  he  has  won  a  substantial  place  for 
himself  in  commercial  and  industrial  circles, 
and,  while  he  came  into  a  business  already 
established,  he  doubtless  would  have  made 
a  success  had  he  been  called  upon  to  build 
up  a  business  of  his  own. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  bom  in  Table  Rock,  Ne- 
braska, June  19, 1882,  a  son  of  William  Henry 
Harrison,  a  review  of  whose  career  will  be 
found  elsewhere  in  this  work.  His  educa- 
tion was  secured  in  the  public  schools  of  Grand 
Island,  and  after  his  graduation  in  1901,  he  en- 
tered his  father's  employ,  continuing  in  close 
association  with  his  father,  in  whose  latter 
years  he  assumed  many  of  the  burdens  of 
management.  At  the  time  of  the  elder  man's 
death  he  became  the  leading  official  in  the  con- 
cern, which  was  incorporated  for  $25,000,  in 
1914.  A  general  lumber  business  is  done 
throughout  the  county,  the  concern  also  deals 
in  coal,  and  in  addition  owns  a  well-equipped 
plaing  mill,  where  all  manner  of  woodwork 
is  done.    Mr.  Harison  is  president  and  general 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


613 


manager  of  the  company,  while  Fred  L.  Har- 
rison is  secretary  and  treasurer  and  manages 
the  coal  department.  Mr.  Harrison  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Elks  Lodge  No.  604,  of  which  he  is 
past  exalted  ruler,  and  belongs  to  Ashlar 
Lodge  No.  33,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  He  supports 
the  Republican  party  in  elections. 

On  September  3,  1909,  Mr.  Harrison  mar- 
ried at  Grand  Island  Miss  Anna  M.  Hershey, 
daughter  of  James  B.  Hershey,  who  came  to 
Hall  County  a  number  of  years  ago  and  passed 
the  rest  of  his  active  years  in  farming.  Mrs. 
Harrison  is  a  member  of  the  English  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Harrison  is  the  leader  of  the 
Third  City  Municipal  Band,  of  which  organi- 
zation his  father  was  the  founder. 


HON  WILLIAM  HENRY  HARRISON. 
—  In  the  measure  that  a  man  proves  the  broad- 
ness and  sincerity  of  his  character,  and  his 
sense  of  the  heavy  responsibility  devolving  up- 
on him,  both  relative  to  his  private  interests 
and  those  of  the  public,  does  he  deserve  and 
achieve  lasting  success.  Preparedness  and  ef- 
ficiency for  whatever  life  brings,  are  valuable 
assets  in  the  formulation  of  character  and  the 
accumulation  of  the  evidences  of  material 
prosperity.  Without  a  sane,  sound  outlook  on 
life,  no  man  can  hope  to  produce  upon  others 
that  impression  so  desirable  in  order  firmly 
to  establish  permanent  prosperity,  a  fact  that 
some  individuals  never  learn.  Others  recog- 
nize it  from  the  first,  and  their  careers  are  full 
of  big  accomplishments,  and  public-spirited 
actions,  that  lend  themselves  to  produce  the 
light  in  which  the  community  regards  such 
citizens.  Such  a  man  was  the  late  Hon.  Will- 
iam Henry  Harrison,  whose  many  achieve- 
ments in  both  business  and  public  life  estab- 
lished his  name  for  all  time  as  one  of  the 
most  distinguished,  as  he  was  one  of  the 
most  beloved,  residents  of  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  born  in  Morris,  Grundy 
County,  Illinois,  May  19,  1860,  and  was  one 
of  eleven  children  born  to  his  parents,  the 
others  being:  Joel  D.,  of  Grand  Island;  Frank 
A.,  of  Lincoln ;  Charles  E.,  of  Mason  City ; 
Thomas  J.,  of  Julesburg,  Colorado;  J.  H.,  of 
Ravenna ;  Elliott,  of  Cairo ;  Mrs.  Martha 
Smith,  of  Mason  City;  Mrs.  Edith  Heywood, 
of  Cairo ;  Mrs.  Carrie  Trover,  of  Friend ;  and 
Miss  Eugenia,  of  Cairo.  He  was  six  years 
of  age  when  his  parents  removed  to  Nebraska, 
the  family  home  being  on  a  farm  in  Pawnee 
County,  where  the  lad  attended  the  district 
schools.  This  training  was  later  supplemented 
by  a  course  in  a  business  college  at  Saint 
Joseph,  Missouri.    His  first  work  was  on  the 


home  farm,  but  at  the  age  of  sixteen  years  he 
entered  commercial  affairs  by  securing  a  posi- 
tion as  clerk  in  a  drug  store  in  Table  Rock. 
One  year  later  he  entered  the  industry  in 
which  he  was  to  make  such  a  great  success 
when  he  began  work  in  a  lumber  yard  in 
Table  Rock,  and  a  short  time  thereafter  was 
promoted  to  the  position  of  manager.  He 
established  a  home  and  family  of  his  own 
September  14,  1881,  when  he  married  in 
Table  Rock  Miss  Emma  E.  Jones,  daughter 
of  David  and  Margaret  (Williams)  Jones, 
who  were  born  and  married  in  Wales.  He 
resided  for  a  time  in  Pennsylvania  upon 
first  coming  to  the  United  States,  and  in  1860 
removed  to  Nebraska,  from  Wisconsin,  locat- 
ing at  Table  Rock.  Mr.  Harrison's  father- 
in-law,  who  was  originally  a  shoemaker,  in 
later  years  turned  his  attention  to  farming. 

In  1884  Mr.  Harrison  removed  with  his 
family  to  Grand  Island,  where  he  was  placed 
in  charge  of  the  S.  R.  Howell  Lumber  Com- 
pany headquarters,  a  capacity  in  which  he 
supervised  the  operation  and  management  of 
forty-five  retail  lumber  yards  throughout  the 
state.  A  few  years  later,  when  the  Howell 
Company  withdrew  from  Nebraska  territory, 
Mr.  Harrison  purchased  three  of  the  yards, 
including  the  one  in  Grand  Island,  and  was 
actively  engaged  in  the  lumber  business  until 
within  a  short  period  before  his  death.  In 
the  organization  of  the  lumber  dealers  of  Ne- 
braska, Mr.  Harrison's  executive  ability  placed 
him  at  the  front.  Whether  a  question  of 
policy  or  a  plan  of  entertainment  was  being 
considered,  his  opinion  almost  always  met  with 
the  unanimous  approval  of  his  associates.  Lum- 
ber men  who  were  in  close  touch  with  him, 
personally,  and  in  his  official  capacity  as  presi- 
dent of  the  Nebraska  Lumber  Dealer's  Asso- 
ciation, paid  the  highest  tribute  to  his  ability, 
judgment  and  personal  magnetism,  which 
made  him  a  favorite  wherever  known. 

Mr.  Harrison  always  took  an  active  and 
prominent  part  in  public  life  and  politics.  In 
1881  and  1882  he  was  a  member  of  the  city 
council  of  Grand  Island,  in  which  body  he 
made  his  influence  distinctly  felt.  In  1895 
he  was  elected  a  member  of  the  State  Legisla- 
ture from  his  district,  and  was  the  Republican, 
floor  leader.  In  1903  he  was  elected  to  the 
State  Senate,  representing  Hall  and  Howard 
counties,  and  was  elected  president  of  the 
Senate,  being  head  of  that  body  in  reality  as 
well  as  by  virtue  of  his  position,  nominally. 
He  was  an  excellent  organizer,  played  a  great 
part  in  giving  to  the  people  of  the  state  an 
improved  revenue  law  and  later  was  one  of 
the  progressive   leaders  of   Nebraska.     It  is 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


615 


said  that  if  all  of  the  bills  for  whose  passage 
he  was  responsible  had  borne  his  name,  the 
public  could  see,  as  those  whose  business  it  was 
to  watch  the  inside  workings  of  the  legisla- 
ture saw,  that  W.  H.  Harrison  was  the  master 
mind  in  both  sessions.  The  clearness  with 
which  he  analyzed  political  conditions  made 
him  an  invaluable  advisor  for  public  officials, 
campaign  committees  and  newspaper  writers. 
He  knew  what  the  people  were  thinking  about, 
and  it  was  his  political  philosophy  that  it  was 
wise  to  give  them  as  near  what  they  wanted  as 
it  was  safe  to  do.  In  1898  Mr.  Harrison  was 
appointed  postmaster  of  Grand  Island,  and 
served  in  that  office  until  1902.  During  the 
time  he  was  postmaster  he  took  his  political 
life  in  his  hands  and  went  to  the  state  capital 
to  assist  in  preventing  the  Legislature  from 
carrying  out  a  corrupt  bargain  in  the  nam- 
ing of  senators.  He  lost  the  postmastership 
as  a  result  of  this  courageous  fight,  but  suc- 
ceeded in  bringing  in  a  new  era  in  the  politics 
of  the  state  and  made  the  sacrifice  with  the 
greatest  willingness  and  good  nature. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  fraternally  affiliated  with 
the  Masons,  Odd  Fellows,  Elks,  and  M.  W.  A., 
in  all  of  which  he  was  prominent  and  popular 
and  held  a  number  of  important  offices.  He 
took  an  active  interest  in  music,  was  the  foun- 
der of  the  Grand  Island  Band,  and  he  and  his 
sons,  all  performers,  formed  a  complete  orches- 
tra. He  was  likewise  a  most  enthusiastic  ad- 
mirer of  the  game  of  baseball,  participated 
largely  in  the  management  of  the  Grand  Island 
team  during  the  season  of  1912,  and  every 
player  who  came  in  contact  with  him  became 
his  friend.  He  had  a  discriminating  literary 
taste  and  was  a  lover  of  good  books.  His 
large  library  was  a  favorite  gathering  place 
for  young  people,  with  whom  he  maintained 
the  wannest  friendship,  and  his  advice  and 
help  were  accepted  gratefully  by  this  circle  of 
young  friends  as  well  as  by  his  large  number 
of  intimate  friends,  throughout  the  state.  For 
some  time  prior  to  his  death,  Mr.  Harrison 
had  not  been  in  the  best  of  health,  but  his  re- 
covery seemed  certain  because  of  his  rugged 
constitution.  Having  gone  to  Omaha  for  a 
medical  examination,  he  was  seized  November 
15,  1913,  with  a  stroke  of  apoplexy,  and  his 
death  occurred  the  following  day.  In  comment- 
ing upon  his  death  one  of  the  daily  papers 
said:  "His  best  epitaph  is  the  love  which 
they  who  knew  him  feel  for  him.  This  love 
is  written  more  deeply  and  more  permanently 
than  if  'twere  cut  in  stone." 

The  five  children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Harrison 
are  as  follows :  Guy,  in  charge  of  the  W.  H. 
Harrison  Company;  Fred,  who  is  connected 


with  that  concern ;  Ray  who  has  the  Willard 
Battery  Station  in  Grand  Island;  Florence, 
the  wife  of  George  D,  Hetzel,  now  living  in 
Canada;  and  Reed,  who  entered  the  United 
States  service  October  4,  1917,  and  is  assis- 
tant director  of  the  355th  Infantry  Band, 
Headquarters  Company,  France. 


ELI  A.  BARNES,  one  of  Grand  Island's 
best  known  and  most  highly  respected  citizens, 
has  spent  almost  a  half  century  in  Hall 
County  and  has  been  identified  with  much 
of  its  substantial  development,  being  greatly 
interested  in  agricultural  progress  as  well  as 
in  business  affairs  in  this  city.  Mr.  Barnes 
is  an  honored  survivor  of  the  Civil  War,  in 
which  his  gallantry  won  official  recognition 
and  ever  since  the  organization  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  he  has  been  a  member 
and  has  been  ■  commander  and  senior  vice 
commander  of  the  organization  of  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Barnes  was  born  in  Chemung  County, 
New  York,  September  14,  1837,  of  old  Empire 
state  and  Holland  ancestry  and  of  Revolu- 
tionary stock.  His  parents  were  Jesse  and 
Rachel  (Swartwood)  Barnes,  and  his  paternal 
grandfather,  Abraham  Bames,  who  was  born 
and  died  in  New1  York.  Jesse  Barnes  was 
born  in  Sullivan  county,  New  York  and  died 
in  Chemung  County  in  1857.  His  vocation 
was  farming  but  he  became  prominent  in  local 
politics  and  distinguished  himself  as  a  first 
lieutenant  of  artillery  in  the  war  of  1812. 
In  Chemung  County  he  served  in  the  office 
of  town  clerk  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  superintendent  of  the  county  almshouse. 
He  married  Rachel  Swartwood,  who  was  born 
in  Chemung  County,  New  York.  She  was  the 
daughter  of  Peter  Swartwout,  to  give  the 
name  its  orthography  in  Dutch,  who  came 
very  early  from  Holland  to  the  colonies  serv- 
ing as  a  quartermaster-general  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Barnes  re- 
mained in  New  York  after  she  became  a 
widow  until  1862,  when  she  removed  to  Illinois 
and  from  there  to  Cedar  Falls,  Iowa.  She  was 
a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Of  her  large  family  of  thirteen  chil- 
dren many  grew  to  vigorous  maturity  but  at 
the  time  of  writing  Eli  A.  Bames  has  but  one 
surviving  brother,  George  W-,  who  has  been 
in  the  agricultural  implement  business  at 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  since  before  the  Civil  War; 
and  one  sister,  Mary  E.,  who  has  been  twice 
married  and  is  now  a  widow,  first  to  Theodore 
L.  French,  and  second  to  Hiram  F.  Lane. 

Eli  A.  Barnes  obtained  Ms  education  in  the 
district    schools    and    Ithaca    Academy,    now 


616 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Cornell  University.  He  then  engaged  in  farm- 
ing until  August  25,  1863,  when  he  enlisted 
tor  service  in  the  Civil  War  and  was  orderly 
sergeant  of  Company  G,  Ninth  Iowa  Cavalry, 
and  rose  to  higher  rank  before  the  close  of 
the  war.  He  removed  to  Illinois,  in  which 
state  his  mother  was  living,  and  there  married 
February  22,  1865,  Miss  Nancy  E.  Crego, 
who  was  born  in  New  York  state.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Barnes  have  been  blessed  in  many  ways 
and  both  enjoyed  entertaining  their  friends 
on  the  fiftieth  anniversary  of  their  wedding, 
February  22,  1915.  Mrs.  Barnes  is  a  member 
of  the  Episcopal  church  and  is  interested  in 
the  many  charitable  movements  of  the  times. 
Mr.  Barnes  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
March  8,  1872,  securing  a  homestead  and  re- 
sided on  the  same  foi"  thirteen  years  and 
then  came  to  Grand  Island  to  embark  in  a 
bond,  insurance  and  pension  business,  which 
he  continues  with  the  exception  of  the  bond 
feature,  which  he  gave  up  in  1909.  He  is  a 
notary  public.  He  has  been  a  prominent 
official  of  the  State  Board  of  Agriculture  and 
served  as  its  president  from  1895  to  1896  and 
has  been  a  member  of  the  board  for  twenty- 
two  years.  In  Grand  Army  affairs  he  has 
been  commander  of  Lyons  post,  of  which  he 
is  the  present  quartermaster,  and  has,  as  noted 
above,  been  senior  vice  commander  and  com- 
mander in  the  state.  For  years  he  has  been 
conspicuous  in  Masonry  in  Nebraska.  He  is 
a  member  of  Ashlar  lodge  No.  33,  A.  F.  &  A. 
M.;  Deuel  Chapter  R.  A.  M.;  and  Mt.  Le- 
banon Commandery  No.  6,  Knights  Templar, 
and  is  past  high  priest  and  past  eminent  com- 
mander. He  has  taken  fourteen  degrees  in  the 
Scottish  Rite,  is  a  life  member  of  all  the  bodies 
and  is  the  oldest  Shriner  in  Hall  County. 


FRED  L.  HARRISON.  —  Among  the  ener- 
getic and  progressive  young  business  men  of 
Grand  Island,  who  has  proved  his  ability, 
judgment  and  thorough  knowledge  of  affairs 
is  Fred  L.  Harrison,  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  W.  H.  Harrison  Lumber  Company. 
Mr.  Harrison  has  passed  his  entire  business 
career  in  connection  with  this  enterprise  and 
has  built  up  a  large  and  influential  acquain- 
tance in  coal  and  lumber  circles  of  the  state, 
in  addition  to  which  he  is  widely  and  promi- 
nently known  as  a  frternalist. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  born  at  Table  Rock,  Ne- 
braska. October -9,  1884.  He  is  a  son  of  the 
late  William  H.  Harrison,  a  review  of  whose 
life  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
He  received  his  education  in  the  graded  and 


high  schools  of  Grand  Island,  whence  he  was 
brought  as  an  infant  by  his  parents.  When 
he  was  able  to  start  on  his  business  career 
he  joined  his  father  and  brother  Guy  L.  in  the 
W.  H.  Harrison  Company,  which  had  been 
founded  in  1901.  When  his  father's  health 
failed,  he  and  his  brother  assumed  many  of 
the  responsibilities  of  management,  which  they 
took  over  in  full  when  the  founder  died  in 
1913.  The  business  was  incorporated  in  1914 
for  $25,000,  and  at  that  time  Guy  L.  Harrison 
became  president  and  manager,  and  Fred  L- 
Harrison  secretary  and  treasurer  and  manager 
of  the  coal  department.  He  has  since  con- 
tinued in  these  offices.  The  company  does  a 
general  lumber  business  throughout  the  county 
of  Hall  and  the  territory  surrounding  Grand 
Island,  deals  extensively  in  coal,  and  owns  an 
up-to-date  planing  mill,  where  all  kinds  of 
wood  work  is  done.  The  concern  is  also  own- 
er of  a  large  plant  at  Cairo,  this  state.  Like 
his  father  and  brothers,  Mr.  Harrison  is  a 
musician.  He  is  one  of  the  most  prominent  Elks 
in  the  state,  being  past  exalted  ruler,  past 
state  president  and  past  district  deputy  of  the 
Elks  for  Nebraska.  In  politics  he  is  a  staunch 
Republican. 

Mr.  Harrison  married  September  16,  1912, 
at  Kaukauna,  Wisconsin,  Miss  Josephine  M. 
Kline,  of  Kaukauna,  Wisconsin,  a  daughter 
of  Jacob  J.  Kline,  who  was  formerly  a  manu- 
facturer of  paper  at  Kaukauna,  but  is  now  re- 
tired. They  are  the  parents  of  one  son: 
William  H.,  Jr. 


RAY  L,  HARRISON.  —  Many  of  the  suc- 
cessful business  men  of  Hall  County,  and  this 
applies  practically  to  those  of  the  younger 
generation,  have  found  their  opportunity  for 
success  in  the  automobile  business  and  in  its 
various  allied  interests.  The  phenomenal 
growth  of  this  industry  has  called  forth  the 
services  of  young,  alert,  enterprising  men,  cap- 
able of  a  quick  grasp  of  innovations  and  new 
ideas.  For  the  labors  of  this  class  there  have 
been  presented  desirable  rewards.  Among  the 
men  of  Grand  Island  who  have  profited  by 
their  ability  to  recognize  opportunities  and 
their  ability  to  foresee  developments,  is  Ray 
L-  Harrison,  manager  of  the  Willard  Bat- 
tery Station,  and  distributor  of  the  Willard 
batteries  for  seven  counties. 

Mr.  Harrison  was  born  in  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska,  December  12,  1886,  a  son  of  the 
late  Hon.  William  H.  Harrison,  a  review  of 
whose  career  will  be  found  on  another  page 
of  this  work.  His  early  education  was  gained 
in  the  graded  and  high  schools  of  Grand  Is- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


617 


land,  from  the  latter  of  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1905,  and  following  this  he  took  a 
course  at  the  State  University,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  civil  engineering  in  1909.  Re- 
turing  to  Grand  Island,  for  six  months  he  was 
employed  in  an  architect's  office,  but  this  did 
not  prove  congenial,  and  he  turned  his  atten- 
tion to  the  garage  business,  conducting  an 
establishment  of  this  nature  for  five  years. 
During  this  time  he  had  seen  the  possibilities 
in  the  battery  business,  and  eventually  estab- 
lished himself  as  proprietor  in  a  small  room 
eight  by  twelve  feet.  In  order  to  embark  in 
business,  he  was  compelled  to  borrow  $275. 
He  was  soon  clear  of  indebtedness  and  began 
to  enlarge  his  establishment,  building  an  addi- 
tion of  sixty-five  feet,  which  included  his  bat- 
tery station  and  his  repair  shop.  In  1917,  so 
large  had  his  business  grown,  he  purchased  a 
lot  forty-four  by  sixty-six  feet,  on  which  he 
erected  a  modern  building,  fashioned  accord- 
ing to  his  needs.  Since  that  time  the  business 
has  continued  to  grow  and  it  will  soon  be 
necessary  for  him  to  secure  larger  quarters. 
Mr.  Harrison  conducts  this  business,  which 
has  been  built  up  entirely  by  himself,  as  a 
Willard  Storage  Battery  Station,  in  addition 
to  which  he  is  distributor  for  seven  counties 
in  Nebraska  of  this  high  class  article.  His 
business  is  accounted  one  of  the  most  prosper- 
ous in  Grand  Island.  Much  of  its  success  is 
due  to  the  fact  that  Mr.  Harrison  is  always 
improving  himself  and  his  knowledge,  his  most 
recent  graduate  work  being  of  a  practical  na- 
ture—a course  in  the  Willard  Storage  Bat- 
tery factory. 

Mr.  Harrison  married  March  2,  1917,  Miss 
Elizabeth  Pepper,  a  daughter  of  William  Pep- 
per, an  old-time  resident  of  Hall  County,  who 
for  many  years  was  engaged  in  agricultural 
pursuits.  He  is  now  city  street  commissioner 
of  Grand  Island.  They  have  one  son,  Ray  L., 
Jr.  Mrs.  Harrison  is  a  member  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church.  He  is  exalted  ruler  of  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks  and 
past  chancellor  commander  of  the  Knights  of 
Pythias.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  he 
has  found  little  time  for  political  matters  or 
public  affairs,  his  entire  attention  having  been 
engrossed  by  his  business. 


■  HENRY  SCHUFF.  — As  Grand  Island 
has  become,  year  by  year,  a  more  and  more  im- 
portant commercial  and  railroad  center,  its 
business  has  naturally  increased  and  its  tran- 
sient population  has  become  of  a  magnitude 
which  has  been  a  constantly  growing  tax  upon 
the  capacity  of  its  hotels.     This  tax  has  in 


large  measure  been  relieved,  if  not  entirely 
eliminated,  by  the  improvements  and  enlarge- 
ment of  the  Palmer  House,  the  proprietor  of 
which  has  shown  his  confidence  in  the  city's 
development.  To  the  traveling  public  which 
has  had  occasion  to  visit  Grand  Island,  any 
introduction  to  the  name  of  Henry  Schuff 
would  be  entirely  superfluous.  As  proprietor 
of  the  Palmer  House  he  has  proved  himself 
a  genial  boniface,  in  business  circles  he  is 
known  as  a  man  of  good  ability  and  of  the 
strictest  integrity.  In  public  positions  of  promi- 
nence he  has  shown  himself  a  citizen  who  en- 
tertains high  ideals  of  public  service  and  who 
has  discharged  the  duties  of  citizenship  accord- 
ingly. • 

Mr.  Schuff  was  born  in  Burlington,  Iowa, 
August  7,  1861.  He  is  a  son  of  Anton  and 
"Barbara  (Scholtz)  Schuff,  natives  of  Germany- 
They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1853,  set- 
tling in  Burlington,  where  Mr.  Schuff  followed 
the  trade  of  cabinet  maker,  and  there  the 
parents  passed  the  rest  of  their  lives,  dying 
in  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran  church.  They 
were  the  parents  of  six  children,  of  whom  all 
were  school  teachers  at  one  time  in  their  lives, 
and  five  are  living.  Henry  was  the  only  one 
to  come  to  Hall  County.  Ellen  was  for  years 
a  lecturer  in  the  Lutheran  church,  and  for 
eighteen  years  has  been  a  missionary  of  that 
denomination  in  India ;  Mrs.  Pauline  Calla- 
han is  the  wife  of  a  Nevada  lawyer;  Mrs. 
Caroline  Hardy  is  a  widow  and  resides  m 
California;  Mrs.  Bertha  Sidel  is  the  wife  of 
a  retired  farmer  of  Fort  Scott,  Kansas;  and 
Anna  is  deceased. 

Henry  Schuff  received  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  Burlington,  Iowa,  and  after 
his  graduation  from  the  high  school  entered 
the  woodworking  department  of  the  Chicago, 
Burlington  and  Qunincy  Railroad.  In  1882 
he  came  to  Nebraska  and  entered  the  train 
service  of  the  Union  Pacific,  and  during  the 
six  years  that  he  was  thus  employed  accumu- 
lated a  small  capital  which,  in  1888,  he  in- 
vested in  the  cafe  business  at  North  Platte. 
In  1894  he  disposed  of  his  interests  there 
and  came  to  Grand  Island.  In  1907  he  pur- 
chased the  Palmer  House,  which  he  has  since 
conducted  with  much  success.  He  built  his 
present  cafe  in  1910.  His  house  has  become 
very  popular  among  those  of  the  traveling 
public  who  appreciate  real  comfort,  and  ex- 
cellent cuisine  and  attentive  service,  and  who 
know  that  their  every  requirement  will  be 
attended  to  gladly  and  intelligently.  Mr. 
Schuff  is  a  Republican  in  politics.  In  1905 
he  was  elected  mayor  of  Grand  Island,  in 
which  capacity  he  served  until  1911.     During 


618 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


his  terms  the  greater  part  of  the  city's  im- 
provement was  inaugurated.  The  street  pav- 
ing was  started  during  his  administration, 
under  which  also  there  was  started  the  electric 
light  plant.  Many  other  improvements  are 
directly  traceable  to  his  work  and  influence. 
Mr.  Schuff  is  a  member  of  the  Benevolent 
and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and  is  promi- 
nent in  Masonry,  having  reached  the  Scot- 
tish Rite,  and  being  a  Knight  Templar,  in 
addition  to  which  he  belongs  to  the  Shrine, 
He  has  been  particularly  active  in  York  Rite 
Masonry,  and  has  passed  through  all  the  chairs 
in  the  Chapter  and  Knights  Templar. 

Mr.  Schuff"  married  July  15,  1884,  Miss 
Hannah  Barbara  Weil,  who  was  bom  at 
Franklin,  Iowa.  To  this  union  there  have 
been  born  three  children:  Lester  F.,  who  is 
his  father's  manager  in  conducting  the  Palmer 
House ;  Fred  H.,  who  attended  the  preparatory 
school  in  Mercerville,  Pennsylvania,  and  en- 
tered the  United  States  service  at  Camp  Cody, 
New  Mexico,  in  April,  1917.  He  was  ordered 
before  the  board  thirty  days  later,  and  secured 
his  second  lieutenantcy,  was  soon  made  first 
lieutenant  and  so  commissioned  in  September, 

1917,  joining  the  134th  Infantry.  His  division 
arrived   at   Liverpool,   England,   October  24, 

1918.  It  is  now  in  Germany  with  Army  of 
Occupation.  Henry  F.,  the  other  son,  is  a 
student  in  the  Grand  Island  high  school. 


GLENN  JONES,  vice-president  and  general 
manager  of  the  Nebraska  Mercantile  Com- 
pany in  Grand  Island,  is  a  thoroughly  experi- 
enced man  in  this  line  of  business.  He  has 
been  identified  with  the  enterprise  for  thirty- 
six  years.  From  schoolboy  days  he  has  been 
connected  with  grocery  interests  and  few  men 
have  a  wider  knowledge  or  more  just  concep- 
tion of  the  many  factors  belonging  to  this  im- 
portant field  of  trade. 

Mr.  Jones  was  born  in  Galesburg,  Illinois. 
His  parents  were  Aaron  L.  and  Rebecca 
(Glenn)  Jones,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Ohio.  His  father  was  a  soldier  in  an 
Ohio  regiment  in  the  Civil  War  and  after  his 
honorable  discharge,  removed  to  Illinois, 
where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  1871.  He 
came  with  his  family  to  Nebraska  in  1882. 
He  homesteaded  in  York  County  and  remained 
on  the  farm  until  his  death  which  occurred  in 
July,  1916.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Jones  died 
in  York  in  December,  1893.  They  were  estim- 
able people  in  every  relation  of  life  and  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Of  their  five  children  the  following 
are  living :     L.  B.,  office  manager  of  the  Ne- 


braska Mercantile  Company  in  Grand  Island; 
Glenn ;  and  Myrtle,  the  wife  of  L.  D.  Scott,  of 
Casper,  Wyoming,  a  sheep  raiser,  owner  of 
Hound  Hurst  Ranch,  fifty-six  miles  north  of 
Casper. 

Glenn  Jones  attended  the  common  schools 
and  began  his  business  career  as  a  clerk  in  a 
grocery  store  in  1882,  applying  himself  so 
faithfully  to  detail  work  that  he  gained  rapid 
promotion  and  some  years  later  became  mana- 
ger of  a  large  grocery  department  in  one  of  the 
business  houses  of  Lincoln.  In  1899,  in  asso- 
ciation with  G.  M.  Southmayd,  he  embarked 
in  the  grocery  business  in  Omaha,  Nebraska, 
under  the  firm  nam  of  the  Jones-Southmayd 
Company,  which  enterprise  prospered  and  was 
incorporated.  About  nine  years  later,  these 
partners  sold  their  interests  in  the  jobbing 
grocery  company  and  Mr.  Jones  became  man- 
ager of  one  of  the  largest  Sioux  City  jobbing 
grocery  houses,  where  he  continued  until  Feb- 
ruary 1911.  He  then  acquired  Mr.  Waldo's 
holdings  in  the  Nebraska  Mercantile  Company 
in  Grand  Island  and  became  vice-president  and 
general  manager.  His  sound  knowledge  of 
business  conditions  and  business  participation 
for  so  many  years  make  him  not  only  a  safe 
guide  in  his  own  particular  line,  but  a  depend- 
able counsellor  in  other  fields. 

Mr.  Jones  married  in  February,  1895,  Miss 
Mary  Houston,  who  was  born  in  Iowa  and  is  a 
grand-niece  of  Gen.  Sam  Houston,  a  noted 
statesman  of  another  generation.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Jones  have  onej  daughter,  Genevieve, 
who  is  a  graduate  of  the  National  Kindergar- 
ten College,  Chicago,  Illinois,  and  a  kinder- 
garten teacher  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Jones 
and  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian  church, 
of  which  Mr.  Jones  is  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees ;  he  is  also  president  of  die 
local  Young  Men's  Christian  Association  and 
a  member  of  the  board  of  directors  of  the 
state  association.  In  his  political  views  he  is 
a  Republican  and  fraternally  is  identified 
with  the  Elks. 


THOMAS  P.  MATTHEWS.  — That  the 
important  business  enterprises  of  Grand  Island 
are  in  the  hands  of  competent  men  is  very 
generally  conceded,  and  perhaps  it  is  no  secret 
that  along  some  lines  and  in  some  cases,  un- 
usual ability  is  shown.  Without  depreciating 
any  other  prominent  business  man  here,  atten- 
tion may  be  called  to  Thomas  P.  Matthews, 
now  a  large  dealer  in  city  real  estate,  whose 
mercantile  success  through  many  years  has 
given  proof  of  the  business  acumen  he  pos- 
sesses.   More  than  that  he  is  a  self-made  man, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


620 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


from  boyhood  having  that  pride  of  personal 
independence  that  made  him  self  reliant. 

Thomas  P.  Matthews  was,  born  at  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  August  1,  1868,  a  son  of  John  A. 
Matthews,  a  biography  of  whom  is  found  in 
this  work.  His  educational  advantages  were 
those  afforded  by  the  common  schools  until  he 
was  thirteen  years  of  age  when  he  became  a 
wage-earner.  His  first  employer  was  S.  N. 
Wolbach.  He  soon  learned  business  details 
and  applied  himself  closely  and  faithfully  to 
the  interests  of  those  for  whom  he  worked, 
thereby  gaining  their  confidence  and  good  will. 
These  are  assets  not  to  be  overlooked  when  a 
young  man  of  twenty-one  embarks  in  business 
for  himself.  Mr.  Matthews  at  that  age  be- 
came a  general  merchant  and  in  the  interval  of 
twenty-one  years  from  then  until  he  retired 
from  that  line  in  1910,  he  had  owned  and  con- 
ducted sixty-eight  stores.  At  the  time  he  sold 
his  interests  he  had  a  store  in  Falls  City,  one 
in  Harvard,  one  in  Giltner,  Nebraska,  and  for 
five  years  he  was  in  the  book  and  stationery 
business  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Mathews  then 
turned  his  attention  to  dealing  in  real  estate, 
first  in  association  with  others,  but  since  1913 
he  has  been  alone.  He  has  been  exceedingly- 
successful,  giving  attention  mainly  to  local 
lands  and  business  property. 

Mr.  Matthews  married  in  1896,  at  Oska- 
loosa,  Iowa,  Miss  Eva  Mason,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Isaac  Mason,  an  early  settler  there 
and  later  a  coal  dealer.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mat- 
thews have  three  daughters,  Mary,  Eva  and 
Rose,  all  of  whom  are  attending  school.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
Mrs.  Matthews  died  December  2,  1918.  In 
the  political  field  Mr.  Matthews  has  been  more 
or  less  active  as  circumstances  seemed  to  war- 
rant, for  a  number  of  years,  zealously  support- 
ing the  candidates  of  the  Democratic  party. 
He  has  not  often  accepted  political  honors  for 
himself  although  for  one  year  he  served  as 
deputy  revenue  collector  of  the  Fifth  District. 
He  is  a  man  of  generous  habit  and  of  broad 
sympathy  and  these  qualities  were  recently 
illustrated  when,  during  the  influenza  epidemic, 
he  turned  over  his  property,  the  Brewster 
Hotel,  at  Grand  Island,  for  the  city  to  use 
free  as  a  hospital  for  the  unfortunate  victims 
of  what  has  proven  in  private  homes  in  many 
cases  an  almost  uncontrollable  malady.  Mr. 
Matthews  does  not  pose  as  a  philanthropist 
but  his  fellow  citizens  honor  him  for  this  hu- 
manitarian action. 


RUFUS  M.  GEER,  secretary  of  the  Geer 
Company,  dealers  in  lumber  and  operators  of 


a  planing  mill  in  Grand  Island,  has  been  identi- 
fied with  this  business  ever  since  his  school 
days  ended.  He  is  thoroughly  informed  in  the 
lumber  and  affiliated  industries.  Mr.  Geer 
was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  February 
13,  1884.  His  parents  are  Lewis  T.  and  Anna 
(Merton)  Geer,  mentioned  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

Rufus  M.  Geer  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Grand  Island  and  ever 
since  has  been  associated  with  his  father  in 
the  lumber  business.  He  married,  February 
22,  1908,  Miss  Marian  Anyan,  a  daughter  of 
William  and  Mary  Anyan,  well  known  resi- 
dents of  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geer 
have  three  children,  Nathaniel,  Thaddeus,  and 
Donald,  aged  respectively,  six,  four  and  two 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geer  are  members  of 
the  Congregational  church  and  take  a  sympa- 
thetic interest  in  its  activities.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican  but  is  liberal-minded  as  a 
citizen  when  public  movements  for  the  bene- 
fit of  the  entire  country  call  for  loyal  effort. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  identified  with 
Masonry  and  is  a  member  of  Askelon  Lodge 
No.  133  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  Grand  Island. 


FRED  H.  JASPER,  whose  attention  for 
some  years  has  been  devoted  to  manufactur- 
ing, came  to  Nebraska  in  early  manhood  and 
has  been  so  well  satisfied  with  this  state  that 
the  most  of  his  business  ventures  have  been 
within  its  borders.  His  handsome  residence 
in  Grand  Island  is  one  of  the  most  com- 
fortable and  attractive  in  the  city.  Mr.  Jasper 
has  thus  proved  his  belief  that  for  both  busi- 
ness and  home  Nebraska  is  thoroughly  satis- 
factory. 

Fred  H.  Jasper  was  born  in  Germanv,  Oc- 
tober 11,  1879.  "He  is  the  son  of  Fre'd  and 
Louise  (Biene)  Jasper,  natives  of  Germany 
where  their  parents  died.  They  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1885  and  settled  at  Avoca. 
a  barber  by  trade,  is  also  in  the  insurance 
of  burning  brick.  They  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  There  were  five  children 
in  the  family ;  Fred  H. ;  Margaret,  the  wife 
of  John  Reimer,  of  Walnut,  Iowa,  a  painter 
and  decorator  by  trade  and  at  present  the 
operator  of  a  motion  picture  theatre ;  Henry, 
a  barber  by  trade,  is  also  in  the  insurance 
business  in  Minden,  Iowa;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Roy  Powers,  a  printer  by  trade,  lives  at  Oak- 
land, Iowa ;  and  Otto,  who  is  a  traveling  sales- 
man, lives  in  Grand  Island, 

Mr.  Jasper  received  his  educational  training 
in  the  schools  of  Avoca,  Iowa;  and  after 
leaving  the  high  school  he  worked  at  the  bar- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


r,2i 


ber's  trade,  then  was  a  clerk  in  a  local  store 
for  some  time.  He  was  ambitious  for  a  wider 
field  of  business,  however,  and  found  an  open- 
ing with  the  Kregg-EIliott  wholesale  shoe 
house  of  Omaha,  serving  four  years  as  a 
traveling  salesman  for  that  concern.  He  then 
became  salesman  for  the  next  three  years  for 
the  John  Gund  Brewing  Company.  Follow- 
ing this  Mr.  Jasper  accepted  an  offer  from  the 
P.  J.  Bowlin  Company,  wholesale  liquors,  of 
St.  Paul,  Minnesota,  two  years  later  going  with 
the  Krugg  Brewing  Company  and  continuing 
until  Nebraska  became  dry  territory.  In  1913 
he  came  to  Grand  Island  for  this  company  as 
manager  and  agent.  Since  then  he  has  been 
engaged  in  the  manufacturing  of  beverages  for 
the  wholesale  trade,  sales  being  made  through- 
out the  country. 

Mr.  Jasper  married,  in  June,  1907,  Miss 
Emma  Shilling  of  Avoca,  Iowa.  They  have 
two  children,  Pauline  and  Frederick,  aged  re- 
spectively, ten  and  three  years.  Mr.  Jasper 
has  never  entertained  any  political  aspirations, 
business  engaging  his  time  and  attention,  but 
he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party  and 
is  always  ready  to  co-operate  in  general  public- 
spirited  movements.  He  is  a  member  of  a 
number  of  fraternal  and  social  organizations, 
these  including  the  B.  P.  O.  E.,  the  F.  O.  E. 
and  the  L.  O.  M. 


ALBERT  J.  DENMAN,  who  occupies  the 
very  responsible  position  of  manager  for  the 
American  Beet  Sugar  Company,  at  Grand  Is- 
land, is  a  representative  of  one  of  the  old  pio- 
neer families  of  Hall  County.  The  Denman 
name  was  established  in  this  county  as  early 
as  1869,  when  his  gradfather,  William  Harri- 
son Denman,  a  native  of  Ohio,  secured  a  home- 
stead claim,  on  which  he  lived  until  the  time  of 
his  death,  and  this  old  homestead  is  still  in 
the  family. 

Albert  J.  Denman  was  born  January  11, 
1881.  on  a  farm  in  Hall  County,  five  miles 
south  of  Grand  Island,  and  is  a  son  of  John  W. 
and  Ida  M.  (Huhn)  Denman,  whose  record 
appears  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Albert  J.  Denman  remained  in  school  until 
he  was  graduated  from  the  Grand  Island  Busi- 
ness College  at  the  age  of  twenty  years.  His 
first  business  position  was  with  the  Granger 
Fruit  Company  through  one  season,  when  he 
went  to  Norfolk,  Nebraska,  where  he  was  em- 
ployed in  a  beet  sugar  factory  one  year  and 
was  then  transferred  to  the  Grand  Island  fac- 
tory of  the  American  Beet  Sugar  Company  at 
Grand  Island,  first  as  timekeeper,  then  as  book- 
keeper and  on  January   1,   1913,  he  became 


manager  of  the  plant  and  since  then  has  de- 
voted the  greater  part  of  his  time  and  attention 
to  affairs  pretaimng  thereto.  He  has  a  large 
force  under  his  supervision  in  the  various 
lines,  while  outside  business  has,  in  the  past 
few  years,  more  than  doubled  in  volume. 

On  April  4,  1904,  Mr.  Denman  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Augusta  Giese,  a  daughter 
of  Henry  Giese,  a  pioneer  of  this  state,  now 
deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denman  have  two 
daughters :  Gertrude  M.  and  Florence,  both 
of  whom  are  attending  school.  Mr.  Denman 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  fraternal  circles  he  is 
active  in  the  order  of  Elks  and  also  in  the 
Eagles,  being  trustee  of  the  latter  lodge  at 
Grand  Island,  and  an  esteemed  lecturing  and 
esteemed  loyal  knight  in  the  former  organiza- 
tion, In  politics  he  is  identified  with  the  Re- 
publican party. 


A.  C.  MENCK.  — One  of  the  well  known 
business  men  of  Grand  Island  is  A.  C.  Menck, 
general  merchant,  who  has  been  identified  with 
this  city  all  his  life.  His  every  effort,  under 
all  circumstances,  has  been  to  add  to  the  pres- 
tige of  Grand  Island.  This  he  has  done  by 
encouraging  progress  along  business,  social 
and  educational  Tines. 

Mr.  Menck  was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, April  19,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of  Chris- 
tian Menck,  a  sketch  of  whom  appears  In  this 
work.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the  schools 
of  Hall  County  and  began  his  business  career 
in  the  capacity  of  clerk  in  a  Grand  Island  dry 
goods  store.  He  had  thorough  and  practical 
training  and  in  1902  embarked  in  the  mercan- 
tile business  here  on  his  own  account.  Mr. 
Menck  has  demonstrated  his  business  ability 
in  the  upbuilding  of  an  extensive  trade.  His 
customers  come  from  different  parts  of  the 
county.  Experience  has  proved  that  here  their 
wants  in  carefully  selected  dry  goods,  notions, 
boots  and  shoes,  may  be  supplied  very  satis- 
factorily. Mr.  Menck  has  made  merchandis- 
ing his  life  work  and  his  judgment  may  be 
depended  upon  as  to  quality  of  his  goods,  while 
his  business  integrity  is  above  question.  He  is 
the  owner  of  his  commodious  store  and  has 
other  property. 

Mr.  Menck  married  in  1890  Miss  Linnie 
Elliott,  a.  daughter  of  Martin  Elliott,  a  sub- 
stantial farmer  of  York  County,  Nebraska. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Menck  have  three  sons,  namely: 
Roy,  in  business  with  his  father;  Ray  in  the 
radio  department  on  a  transport,  in  European 
waters;  and  Arthur,  an  electrician  now  de- 
tailed on  the  U.  S.  battleship  Lousiana.    In 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


politics  Mr.  Menck  has  always  been  identified 
with  the  Democratic  party.  At  present  he  is 
a  member  of  the  city  council  of  Grand  Island, 
in  which  body  his  excellent  business  judgment 
and  public  spirit  make  him  exceedingly  valu- 
able. He  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the 
Liederkranz,  a  German  society. 


LEWIS  T.  GEER.— Those  who  lead  in 
business  circles  in  Grand  Island  are  not  as  a 
rule  men  who  have  gained  their  positions  of 
independent  fortune  and  public  confidence  in 
any  other  way  than  by  steady,  persevering  in- 
dustry and  in  recognition  of  citizenship  re- 
sponsibility. An  example  easily  cited  is  Lewis 
T.  Geer,  founder  of  the  Geer  Company,  wide- 
ly known  in  the  lumber  industry,  who  came  to 
Grand  Island  in  1880,  with  his  fortune  yet 
to  make.  The  important  enterprise  that  he 
has  built  up  testifies  to  the  stuidy  qualities  he 
possesses.  Mr.  Geer  is  an  all  round  useful 
citizen,  able  in  business  and  active  and  earnest 
in  public  affairs. 

Lewis  T.  Geer  was  bom  in  Washington 
County,  New  York,  February  12,  1856.  His 
parents  were  'Nathaniel  and  Eliza  (Clark) 
Geer,  of  Connecticut,  his  father  a  grandson 
of  Welcome  Geer,  also  bom  in  Connecticut, 
who  in  1826  was  a  captain  of  artillery  in  the 
state  militia.  The  Geer  family  came  very 
early  to  the  New  England  colonies  and  owned 
lands  from  the  crown.  The  parents  of  Mr. 
Geer  moved  from  New  York  to  Ottawa,  Illi- 
.  nois,  where  Nathaniel  Geer  was  engaged  in 
farming  pursuits.  Of  his  ten  children  there 
are  six  yet  living.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics.  He  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  Geer  received  his  educational  training 
in  the  Illinois  schools  and  then  went  to  Prairie 
City,  Iowa,  where  he  learned  the  carpenter 
trade  under  his  uncle,  David  Geer,  and  he  con- 
tinued to  work  as  a  carpenter  in  Iowa  from 
1873  until  1876,  when  he  returned  to  Illinois. 
In  the  meanwhile,  however,  he  had  accom- 
panied his  uncle  to  Boulder,  Colorado,  passing 
through  Grand  Island,  and  after  returning  to 
work  at  his  trade  in  Illinois  he  pleasantly  re- 
called the  people  and  surroundings  of  the  Ne- 
braska village  and  this  resulted  in  his  decid- 
ing to  come  to  Grand  Island  and  establish  his 
permanent  home.  He  reached  here  March 
3,  1880  and  began  at  the  bottom  of  the  indus- 
trial ladder  that  he  has  so  successfully  climbed. 
He  continued  work  at  his  trade  during  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  then,  in  March,  1894,  estab- 
lished a  contracting  business  which  he  oper- 
ated until  1908  under  the  firm  name  of  Geer 


&  Harrison.  In  that  year  the  business  was 
incorporated  as  the  Geer-Harrison  Company. 
On  August  17,  1913,  the  firm  suffered  an 
almost  complete  loss  by  fire.  In  the  spring 
of  1914  business  was  resumed,  under  incorpor- 
ation as  the  Geer  Company,  Lewis  T.  Geer 
being  president.  The  business  has  grown  to 
wide  proportions.  The  company  handles  lum- 
ber, owns  and  operates  a  planing  mill  and  sells 
coal,  lime  and  builders'  hardware  and  other 
commodities  of  the  trade. 

Lewis  T.  Geer  married  November  23,  1881, 
Miss  Anna  Merton,  who  was  bom  at  Merton's 
Landing,  Wisconsin.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Andrew  Merton,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1847  settling  in  Wisconsin,  taking 
up  land  and  giving  his  name  to  Merton's  Land- 
ing. At  the  time  of  his  death  at  Oshkosh, 
Wisconsin,  he  was  register  of  deeds  of  Winne- 
bago County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Geer  have  had 
four  children,  three  surviving :  Effie  E-,  Rufus 
M.  and  Russell  L.  Mrs.  Geer  and  the  chil- 
dren are  members  of  the  Congregational 
church.  In  politics  Mr.  Geer  is  a  sturdy  Re- 
publican. At  present  he  is  serving  as  super- 
visor on  the  county  board  and  in  Grand  Is- 
land he  has  served  on  the  school  board  and 
also  in  the  city  council  from  the  First  Ward. 
He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

For  twenty-five  years  he  has  been  an  active 
worker  in  the  building  and  loan  association. 
Mr.  Geer  has  a  document  showing  a  trans- 
fer of  a  piece  of  land  in  Connecticut  to  one 
of  his  ancestors,  Nathaniel  Geer,  dated  Janu- 
ary 2,  1776.  Miss  Effie  is  a  member  of  the 
Colonial  Dames  and  the  D.  A.  R.  A  man 
named  Howland,  a  passenger  on  the  May- 
flower is  among  the  ancestors  of  the  Geer 
family. 


EDWARD  L.  BALLENGER,  who  is  one 
of  the  best  known  men  in  the  Union  Pacific 
yards  at  Grand  Island,  was  bom  near  Mattoon. 
Coles  County,  Illinois,  July  7,  1862.  His  par- 
ents were  James  and  Mary  (Thompson)  Bal- 
lenger.  His  father  was  a  native  of  Illinois  and 
the  mother  was  born  in  Indiana. 

In  1871  the  parents  of  Mr.  Ballenger  came  to 
Seward  County,  Nebraska,  where  the  father 
took  a  homestead,  living  on  the  claim  ten 
years.  They  now  live  at  College  Place,  near 
Walla  Walla,  Washington.  They  were  the 
parents  of  five  children,  namely:  Edward  L. : 
Lillie,  who  is  the  wife  of  R.  C.  Dunham,  of 
Portland,  Oregon ;  Charles,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-two ;  Flora,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Austin  Salesberry,  of  Portland,  Oregon ;  and 
Harry,  a  railroad  man  of  Grand  Island. 


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Edward  L.  Ballenger  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Nebraska  and  was  reared  on  a  farm 
until  the  age  of  eighteen.  In  1889  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  as 
a  switchman  and  for  thirty  years  has  continued 
to  fill  this  responsible  position.  Mr.  Ballenger 
is  accounted  one  of  the  substantial  men  of 
Grand  Island,  and  capably  served  two  years  as 
a  member  of  the  city  council. 

Mr.  Ballenger  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Myra  Wilkinson,  who  was  born  at 
Athens,  Pennsylvania,  and  is  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Clara  (Toles)  Wilkinson.  "  The 
father  was  a  native  of  Poughkeepsie,  N.  Y., 
and  the  mother  was  born  in  Green  County,  that 
state. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ballenger  have  a  son,  Earl, 
who  is  also  in  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad.  He  married  Miss  Sina  Hansen  and 
they  have  a  son,  David  Earl,  a  bright  little 
lad  of  seven  summers. 

In  politics  Mr.  Ballenger  is  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mjason  and  belongs  to  the 
Royal  Highlanders  and  the  Order  of  Railway 
Trainmen.  Mrs.  Ballenger  is  a  member  of 
and  an  active  worker  in  the  Episcopal  church. 


HARVEY  B,  ROUSEY.  — However  ad- 
mirable the  objects  of  fraternal  organizations, 
in  the  sense  of  the  voluntary  association  of 
men  promoting  their  common  interest,  busi- 
ness or  pleasure,  and  however  ample  their 
finances,  those  that  make  a  most  promising 
beginning  could  not  long  exist  without  able 
business  management.  This  is  a  practical  age 
and  the  most  worthy  benevolences  have  to  be 
as  carefully  adjusted  as  have  the  accounts  of 
the  honest  banker.  Therefore,  a  position  that 
involves  responsibility  as  does  that  of  grand 
recorder  of  such  a  nation-wide  fraternal  order 
as  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  is  no  sinecure  although 
one  of  great  distinction.  This  office  in  Ne- 
braska is  filled  by  Harvey  B.  Rousey,  one  of 
Grand  Island's  most  highly  respected  citizens. 

Harvey  B.  Rousey  was  bom  in  Morgan 
County,  Illinois,  March  9,  1863.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Jane  (Gunn)  Rousey,  both 
born  in  Morgan  County,  to  which  section  their 
parents  had  come  in  1832.  On  the  maternal 
side.  Rev.  Alexander  S.  Gunn  was  a  minister 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith  being  the 
father  of  one  preacher  and  the  grandfather  of 
three.  William  Rousey  removed  to  Clay 
County,  Nebraska,  in  1879  and  purchased  land 
near  Edgar  for  $10  per  acre.  It  is  now  held 
at  $200  per  acre.  For  many  years  he  was 
engaged  in  farming  but  at  the  time  of  his 
death  was  conducting  an  agricultural  imple- 


ment business  at  Edgar.  He  was  a  man  of 
sturdy  character  and  fine  principles,  serving  as 
a  county  commissioner  of  Clay  County  for  a 
number  of  years;  liberally  supporting  educa- 
tional and  religious  institutions,  particularly 
being  interested  in  the  work  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  He  had  six  children  as 
follows :  Harvey  B. ;  Eli  M.,  a  farmer  near 
Hamlet,  Nebraska;  Benjamin  F.,  connected 
with  a  hardware  store  at  Kearney;  James,  a 
minister  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
in  Omaha ;  W.  E.,  in  the  hardware  business  at 
Alliance,  Nebraska,  and  is  mayor  of  that  city; 
and  Bertha,  the  wife  of  Harry  Caldwell,  who 
resides  on  the  old  Rousey  homestead. 

Harvey  B.  Rousey  completed  his  high 
school  course  in  Edgar,  Nebraska,  and  later  a 
business  course  in  a  commercial  college  in  St. 
Joseph,  Missouri.  For  eighteen  years  Mr. 
Rousey  engaged  then,  more  or  less  continu- 
ously, in  educational  work  and  for  six  years 
was  in  the  newspaper  business  at  Edgar.  In 
1891  he  became  interested  in  and  united  with 
the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  and  in  January,  1909  he 
came  into  the  office  of  the  order  in  Grand  Is- 
land serving  six  years  as  bookkeeper.  For 
two  years  he  was  deputy  grand  recorder.  Dur- 
ing the  two  following  years  he  was  bookkeeper 
for  the  Augustine  Printing  Company,  and  on 
July  1,  1917  accepted  his  present  office. 

In  1885  Mr.  Rousey  married  Miss  Millie  F. 
Shipley,  a  native  of  Illinois.  They  have  four 
children;  A.  L.,  a  dental  surgeon  at  Walthill, 
in  Thurston  County,  Nebraska;  and  Ruth 
Iva  and  Ivan,  all  at  home,  the  last  being  twins. 
Mr.  Rousey  and  his  family  belong  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  for  some 
years  he  has  been  superintendent  of  the  Sun- 
day school.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a 
Democrat. 


JOHN  HARDERS,  who  belongs  to  an  old 
and  highly  respected  family  of  Hall  County, 
extended  mention  of  which  will  be  found  in 
this  work,  was  bom  in  Hall  County,  October 
25,  1888.  He  obtained  a  good  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  upon  finishing  his  edu- 
cation engaged  in  farming,  a  pursuit  he  has 
followed  all  his  life. 

On  November  30,  1915,  Mr.  Harders  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Lora  Thomsen; 
they  have  one  daughter,  Viola  Marguerite. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Harders  were  Peter  and 
Minnie  (Bushman)  Thomsen,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. For  twenty  years  before  retiring 
to  Abbott,  Nebraska,  they  lived  on  their  farm 
near  that  town,  where  subsequently  both  died, 
the  father  at  the  age  of  fifty  and  the  mother 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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at  the  age  of  forty-seven  years.     They  were 
well  known  and  highly  respected  people. 

Since  coming  to  his  farm  of  120  acres,  situ- 
ated on  section  17,  Harrison  township,  Mr. 
Harders  has  devoted  himself  closely  to  his 
business  and  has  spared  neither  time  nor 
money  in  making  improvements.  He  engages 
in  general  farming  and  stock  raising,  being 
quite  particular  to  have  the  best  grade  of  stock. 
His  energy  and  enterprise  are  meeting  with 
very  satisfactory  results.  Both  he  and  wife 
belong  to  the  Lutheran  church.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican  and  as  a  wide  awake,  intelli- 
gent citizen,  keeps  well  posted  on  national 
matters  as  well  as  on  movements  that  promise 
to  be  beneficial  to  Hall  County. 


GEORGE  W.  CARR,  one  of  Grand  Island's 
substantial  citizens,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Nebraska  since  1878.  He  brought  from  his 
Indiana  home  not  only  a  well  merited  reputa- 
tion for  business  integrity,  but  undeniable 
proof  of  loyal,  honorable  service  in  the  Civil 
War.  For  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century 
he  lived  on  his  homestead  in  Buffalo  County. 
In  1907  he  came  to  Grand  Island  where  he 
had  made  investments,  and  since  1909  has 
been  operating  here  rather  extensively  in  real 
estate. 

George  W.  Carr  was  born  at  Sardinia,  De- 
catur County,  Indiana,  March  20,  1846.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Jane  (Standford) 
Carr,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  New 
Jersey.  He  was  a  son  of  David  Carr,  who 
served  in  the  Revolutionary  war.  William 
Carr  owned  a  farm  in  Decatur  County  and 
also  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade.  He  was  a 
member  of  the  Baptist  church.  When  the 
Republican  party  was  organized  he  united 
with  that  political  body.  He  was  twice  mar- 
ried, his  second  wife  being  Jane  Standford, 
who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  They  both 
died  in  Indiana.  To  this  marriage  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born :  Eliza,  the  widow  of 
Abraham  Reves,  lives  near  Hayden,  Indiana ; 
George  W. ;  Margaret  Ann,  who  is  the  widow 
of  Lorenzo  Darniger,  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War,  lives  near  Hayden;  Hester,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Eastman,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  and  both  died  at  Aurora,  Nebraska ;  and 
Julia  Frances,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven 
years. 

George  W.  Carr  was  reared  on  his  father's 
farm  and  had  but  few  educational  privileges 
in  boyhood.  In  fact  he  is  mainly  self  edu- 
cated, having  studied  while  in  the  army.  He 
first  attempted  to  enter  the  service  in  the 
Eighty-second   Indiana    regiment   in   August, 


1862,  but  was  refused  on  account  of  his  youth, 
but  on  August  28,  1863,  one  year  later,  he 
was  accepted  as  a  member  of  the  Seventh 
Indiana  cavalry  and  during  his  subsequent 
service  of  two  years  and  six  months,  he  par- 
ticipated in  seventeen  engagements,  included 
in  which  number  were  the  following:  Iva 
Hills,  Grand  Gulf,  Hollow  Springs, Mississippi, 
Kansas,  Osage,  and  Little  Blue  in  Missouri, 
Arkansas,  White  Springs  and  Memphis, 
Tennessee.  The  regiment  during  this  time 
brought  to  a  close  the  career  of  several  noted 
desperadoes.  After  the  war  Mr.  Carr  re- 
turned to  Indiana  and  there  he  farmed.  He 
was  a  member  of  a  threshing  crew,  worked  as 
a  carpenter  and  for  six  years  was  a  coal  miner. 
About  this  time  he- decided  to  come  to  Ne- 
braska and  on  October  28,  1878,  reached 
Buffalo  County.  He  homesteaded  there  for 
many  years  living  a  busy  and  contented  life 
on  his  fine  farm  which  he  developed  into  a 
valuable  property.  He  sold  this  place  advan- 
tageously in  1907  and  located  in  Grand  Island. 
He  is  a  Democrat  in  political  faith  and  while 
living  in  Buffalo  County  served  in  local  offices 
and  for  a  long  time  was  a  justice  of  the  peace. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic. 

Mr.  Carr  married  February  3,  1867,  in  Jen- 
nings County,  Indiana,  Miss  Hannah  Jane 
Everhart,  who  was  born  in  Scott  County, 
Indiana.  She  is  a  daughter  of  John  Barr  and 
Huldah  (Graves)  Everhart.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Carr  was  bom  in  Carroll  County,  Ohio, 
and  the  mother  irv  Genessee  County,  New 
York.  They  located  in  Indiana  in  the  thirties. 
Mr.  Everhart  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and 
built  one  of  the  church  edifices  in  Scott 
County.  During  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  assis- 
tant quartermaster  of  the  4th  Indiana  Cavalry 
and  captured  by  the  enemy  at  the  battle  of 
Lookout  Mountain,  and  died  shortly  after  ex- 
changed, having  been  in  Libby  prison  nearly 
three  months  where  he  nearly  starved  to  death. 
Of  the  nine  children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Carr  the  following  survive :  Ida,  the  wife  of 
William  Everhart  of  Grand  Island;  Cora,  the 
wife  of  Hon.  L.  L.  Hile,  a  member  of  the 
state  legislature  from  Buffalo  County  in  1896- 
1897;  E.  Arthur,  a  prominent  physician  at 
Lincoln,  was  a  member  of  the  state  board  of 
health  for  years  and  is  grand  commander  of 
the  Odd  Fellows  in  Nebraska ;  Nellie  Gertrude, 
a  graduate  of  Hahnemann  Medical  College, 
Chicago,  is  engaged  in  practice  at  Fairmount, 
Nebraska,  is  the  wife  of  Dr.  M.  H.  Deffen- 
baugh,  who  is  with  the  American  Expedition- 
ary Force  in  France  as  surgeon ;  Jesse  Myron, 
a  graduate  of  Bennett  College,  Chicago,  is  a 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Siminent  physician  and  surgeon  at  Stockton, 
lifornia;  and  E.  Fred,  who  is  also  a  grad- 
uate of  Bennett  College,  is  engaged  in  practice 
at  Stapleton,  Nebraska.  Mr.  Carr  and  his 
family  belong  to  the  Baptist  church. 


JOSEPH  J.  KLINGE,  who  is  interested  in 
one  of  the  exceedingly  important  business  en- 
terprises of  Grand  Island,  being  vice  president 
and  manager  of  the  Central  Storage  Company, 
is  well  known  both  in  Hall  and  Howard 
counties,  having  spent  almost  his  entire  life 
in  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Klinge  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  De- 
cember 30,  1866,  a  son  of  Gottfried  and 
Theresa  (Jennemann)  Klinge.  His  parents 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Germany, 
emigrating  to  the  United  States  in  1866.  In 
August  of  that  year  they  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  their  eldest  child  was  bom  in  De- 
cember following.  Of  their  seven  children 
only  three  are  living,  namely :  Joseph  J. ; 
■Gene,  the  wife  of  George  Tocky,  a  railroad 
man  at  Grand  Island;  and  H.  J.,  who  was  in 
a  soldier's  training  camp  in  the  United  States, 
during  military  preparation  in  1918.  He  left 
soon  after  the  signing  of  the  armistice  for 
France.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade  but  after  coming  to  the 
United  States  was  a  railroad  man  working  at 
this  occupation  until  he  was  seventy  years 
old,  when  he  was  pensioned.  His  death  oc- 
curred November  1,  1915.  All  his  life  he  had 
been  a  faithful  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  as  is  his  widow.  In  his  earlier  years 
of  American  citizenship,  he  was  a  Democrat 
but  later  became  a  Republican.  The  beloved 
mother  of  Mr.  Klinge  still  lives  in  Grand  Is- 
land. She  is  now  seventy-nine  years  old  but  in 
good  health.  She  is  an  estimable  woman,  kind 
and  generous.  In  addition  to  rearing  her 
own  family,  she  cared  for  two  nephews,  Fred 
and  Thomas  Hook,  the  former  of  whom  is 
with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in 
France,  and  the  latter  in  an  American  training 
camp. 

Joseph  J.  KHnge  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Grand  Island,  to  which  place  his  parents 
came  when  he  was  two  years  old.  At  first  in 
his  business  career,  he  worked  on  a  farm  and 
then  went  to  St.  Libory,  Nebraska,  being  en- 
gaged there  in  a  hardware  and  saloon  business 
for  nine  and  a  half  years,  also  taking  an  active 
part  in  Republican  politics  of  that  town.  He 
served  as  county  commissioner  of  Howard 
County  for  two  years.  He  has  also  been 
school  treasurer  and  a  member  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors.     In  1901  he  came  back 


to  Grand  Island  and  engaged  here  in  the 
saloon  business  until  1915.  In  1917  the  Cen- 
tral Storage  Company  was  organizzed  at 
Grand  Island;  Mr.  Klinge  bought  a  large 
block  of  the  stock  being  elected  vice  president 
and  manager  of  the  concern.  It  is  an  impor- 
tant enterprise  operating  with  a  capital  of 
$20,000. 

Mr.  Klinge  married  first  Lena  Eberhart, 
who  died  seven  months  later.  His  second  mar- 
riage was  on  May  1,  1894,  to  Mary  Roepker. 
who  was  born  in  Illinois.  They  have  two 
children:  Marie,  who  lives  with  her  parents; 
and  Joseph  J.,  who  is  a  machinist  having  lived 
in  Omaha  for  a  time  but  has  now  returned  to 
Grand  Island,  being  engaged  at  his  trade,  and 
will  make  this  his  permanent  home.  He  mar- 
ried Anna  Krouse  and  they  have  one  child, 
Dorothy.  Mr.  Klinge  is  a  member  of  the 
Catholic  church  and  gives  liberally  in  suppon 
of  its  various  benevolent  causes.  He  belongs 
to  a  number  of  social  and  fraternal  organiza- 
tions. These  include  the  F.  O.  E.,  the  I.  0. 
M.,  the  Sons  of  Herman,  the  German  Lieder- 
kranz  and  the  Plattsdeutch-Verein. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  THOMPSON  is  one 
of  the  most  widely  known  and  highly  re- 
spected citizens  of  Nebraska,  having  been  a 
resident  of  Grand  Island  for  more  that  thirty- 
eight  years. 

A  native  of  Ohio,  Mr.  Thompson  was  bom 
at  Perrysville,  Carroll  County,  December  14, 
1853.  His  parents  were  Eli  and  Eliza  (Kirby) 
Thompson,  both  natives  of  Ohio,  where  they 
were  married  and  where  they  made  their  home 
until  1864  when  they  became  residents  of  Fay- 
ette County,  Iowa."  Here  the  mother  passed 
away  January  2,  1881,  and  eight  years  later 
the  father  came  to  Nebraska  and  secured  a 
homestead  in  Custer  County  where  he  made  his 
home  until  his  death  which  occurred  Februarv 
3,  1903.  The  grandfathers  of  W.  H.  Thomp- 
son were  of  Scotch  descent  the  representatives 
of  very  early  families  in  the  city  of  Baltimore, 
Maryland.  The  paternal  grandmother  of 
our  subject  was  of  Holland  Dutch  descent, 
while  the  maternal  grandmother  was  of  Irish 
extraction. 

Mr.  Thompson  acquired  his  early  education 
in  the  public  and  select  schools  of  Fayette 
County,  Iowa.  This  was  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  Upper  Iowa  University  at  Fayette, 
Iowa.  In  the  fall  of  1875  he  and  his  brother 
John  R.  enrolled  in  the  law  department  of  the 
State  University  at  Iowa  City.  At  the  end  of 
two  terms  their  savings,  earned  by  working  on 
farms,  railroading  and  teaching  school  were 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


W.  H.  Thompson 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


nearly  exhausted.  It  was  decided  that  in  order 
to  earn  money  to  pay  their  way  through  school 
one  of  them  should  open  a  law  office  and  ac- 
cordingly this  was  done.  W.  H.  took  charge 
of  the  law  business  of  Thompson  Brothers, 
lawyers,  at  Brush  Creek,  now  Arlington, 
Iowa,  while  John  R.  continued  at  school  and 
graduated.  He  then  took  charge  of  the  office 
and  W.  H.  took  up  his  studies  where  he  had 
left  olf  the  yea*r  before,  graduating  in  the 
spring  of  1877.  In  the  fall  of  1876  he  had 
been  admitted  to'  the  bar  by  Judge  Granger, 
who  later  became  a  member  of  the  Supreme 
Court  of  that  state.  In  1878  the  brothers  de- 
cided that  one  of  them  should  attend  to  their 
practice  while  the  other  should  look  up  a  more 
desirable  location.  In  February,  1879  an  office 
was  opened  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  which 
was  conducted  by  John  R.  until  June  1881, 
when  he  was  joined  by  his  brother;  this 
partnership  continued  until  January  1892  when 
John  R.  became  judge  of  the  District  Court. 
It  will  be  seen  that  for  forty-three  years  W. 
H.  Thompson  has  been  continuously  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  and  during  the 
thirty-eight  years  of  his  practice  at  the  bar  of 
Hall  County  he  has  transacted  a  very  large 
volume  of  legal  business.  His  practice  has 
extended  to  all  courts  of  the  state  and  to  the 
Federal  Courts,  and  on  account  of  his  ability 
as  a  lawyer  and  his  standing  with  the  bar  he 
has  commanded  the  respect  of  the  courts  and 
the  members  of  his  profession.  The  assiduous 
and  unrelaxing  attention  which  he  gives  to 
his  clients  and  the  thoroughness  with  which 
he  prepares  his  cases  have  been  strong  ele- 
ments in  his  success  and  he  is  known  as  one 
of  the  best  trial  lawyers  of  the  state. 

M'r.  Thompson  has  always  been  a  Demo- 
crat. In  1886  he  was  elected  county  attorney 
for  Hall  County  and  served  one  term,  refus- 
ing to  be  a  candidate  for  re-election.  In  1890 
he  was  nominated  for  Congress  in  the  "Big 
Third"  district  which  then  comprised  all  of 
the  state  north  of  the  Platte  River  except 
Douglas  and  Sarpy  Counties.  He  has  been 
a  delegate  to  nearly  every  state  convention 
since  he  has  resided  in  Nebraska.  He  was 
delegate-at-large  to  the  Democratic  National 
Convention  in  1892,  and  was  chairman  of  the 
Nebraska  delegation,  and  was  an  ardent  sup- 
porter of  Grover  Cleveland,  the  nominee  of 
the  convention  for  president.  He  was  delegate- 
at-large  to  the  Democratic  National  Conven- 
tion in  1896  at  Chicago,  and  was  a  warm  sup- 
porter of  William  Jennings  Bryan,  and  was 
chosen  National  Committeeman.  He  was  also 
delegate-at-large  to  the  National  convention  at 
Kansas  City  in  1900  and  again  at  St  Louis  in 


1904.  He  was  defeated  for  delegate  to  the 
Denver  Convention  in  1908  which  nominated 
Bryan,  but  took  an  active  part  in  the  conven- 
tion through  courtesy  of  the  Nebraska  dele- 
gation. He  was  delegate-at-large  to  the  con- 
vention at  St.  Louis  in  1916  which  nominated 
Woodrow  Wilson  for  the  second  term  and 
was  a  member  of  the  notification  committee. 
He  has  been  an  enthusiastic  worker  in  his  party 
and  played  an  important  part  in  its  manage- 
ment. In  1900  he  was  candidate  for  United 
States  Senator  to  succeed  Senator  Thurston. 
In  1902  he  was  a  candidate  for  governor 
against  Mickey  but  was  defeated  by  a  small 
majority.  From  1895  to  1899  he  served  as 
mayor  of  Grand  Island  and  has  always  been 
an  advocate  of  those  things  which  he  thought 
were  for  the  best  interests  of  his  home  city 
and  state. 

At  West  Union,  Iowa,  September  7,  1879, 
was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  William  H. 
Thompson  and  Miss  Nettie  I.  Hutchinson,  a 
native  of  Michigan  but  reared  in  Iowa,  and 
who  for  a  time  attended  the  school  taught  by 
her  future  husband.  Her  parents  were  John 
and  Martha  Hutchinson,  her  father  being  an 
attorney  in  good  standing  and  county  recorder 
while  his  daughter  was  his  deputy  at  the  time 
of  her  marriage. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  had  four  chil- 
dren: Edith  L.,  became  the  wife  of  Wallace 
E.  Porter  and  died  August  31,  1904;  Mattie 
died  in  infancy;  Grover  married  Lena  Neit- 
feldt,  and  is  operating  a  ranch  in  Wyoming; 
Lloyd  G.,  married  Aimee  Ruth  Schwyn,  and 
is  a  lawyer  of  Grand  Island. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church  and  Mr.  Thompson  is  a  member  of 
several  fraternal  organizations,  including  the 
Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  B.  P.  O.  of 
Elks  and  others. 

M|r.  Thompson  has  recently  been  appointed 
by  Governor  McKelvie  a  member  of  the  build- 
ing committee  for  the  erection  of  the  new 
state  capitol.  In  this  as  in  all  other  positions 
in  which  Mr.  Thompson  has  been  placed  he 
can  be  depended  upon  to  do  credit  to  himself 
and  to  the  people  whose  interests  he  serves. 


RUDOLPH  W.  BOCK,  whose  grocery  in- 
terests in  Grand  Island  are  important  and 
whose  high  standing  as  a  citizen  is  universally 
recognized,  is  serving  in  his  fourth  consecu- 
tive term  as  a  member  of  the  city  council.  Mr. 
Bock  was  bom  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  Ger- 
many, April  13,  1870.  His  parents  were  H.  H. 
and  Magdetena  Margerita  (Bock)  Bock. 

In  1879  H.  H.  Bock  with  his  son  Adolph, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


631 


came  to  the  United  States  and  to  Nebraska  and 
located  in  Grand  Island.  He  was  a  man  of 
education  and  sought  employment  in  the 
schools  and  for  many  years  taught  what  was 
known  as  the  Stolley  school  in  District  No.  1, 
Hall  County.  Later  in  life  he  went  farther 
west  and  became  the  owner  of  a  fine  fruit  farm 
in  Oregon.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  had  four  sons,  one  of  whom  died 
in  Germany.  Adolph  accompanied  him  to 
America  and  was  a  clerk  for  a  number  of  years 
in  the  old  O.  K.  store  in  Grand  Island  and 
died  here.  In  1880  the  mother  of  Rudolph  W. 
Bock  brought  him  and  his  older  brother,  Al- 
vinus, to  America  to  join  the  father  at  Grand 
Island.  Alvinus  was  a  clerk  for  the  old  firm 
of  Veit  &  Roeser  and  for  five  years  was  in  the 
grocery  business  with  his  brother  Rudolph  W. 
He  is  now  head  clerk  for  Frank  Olson,  in 
Grand  Island. 

Rudolph  W.  Bock  had  been  in  school  for 
four  years  before  coming  to  the  United 
States,  after  reaching  Nebraska  he  continued 
his  studies  in  Hall  County.  His  first  employer 
was  Oscar  Roeser  who  gave  the  boy  work 
and  he  continued  as  a  clerk  in  Mr.  Roeser*s 
grocery  store  for  ten  years,  leaving  this  posi- 
tion to  become  a  traveling  salesman  for  the 
McCord-Brady  Company  but  after  four  years 
went  back  to  Mr.  Roeser  as  his  manager. 
Later  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business  in 
Grand  Island  in  partnership  with  his  brother 
Alvinus,  under  the  style  of  Bock  Brothers. 
On  April  13,  1910,  he  purchased  his  brother's 
interest;  since  which  time  he  has  been  the 
owner. 

Mr.  Bock  married,  in  1890,  Miss  Sadie 
Merchant,  who  was  born  in  Wisconsin,  a 
daughter  of  William  W.  Merchant,  a  native 
of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania.  Her  father 
had  moved  to  Wisconsin  after  serving  three 
years  in  the  Civil  War.  He  took  up  a  home- 
stead and  died  there,  but  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Bock  died  in  Kansas.  They  were  members  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  Mrs.  Bock  was  edu- 
cated in  Ithaca  and  Ironton,  Sauk  County, 
Wisconsin.  She  taught  school  for  one  year 
in  her  native  state  and  one  year  in  Nebraska. 
She  is  a  woman  of  culture  and  refinement. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bock  have  no  children  of  their 
own  but  they  reared  little  Mary  from  the  age 
of  two  years  to  beautiful  womanhood  and 
she  is  now  the  wife  of  Allen  Nevius,  who  is 
associate  editor  of  the  New  York  Evening 
Post. 

Mr.  Bock  has  long  been  an  important  fac- 
tor in  Republican  politics  in  Grand  Island  and 
in  his  fourth  campaign  as  alderman  was 
elected  without  any  opposition,  a  pretty  fair 


demonstration  of  the  general  esteem  in  which 
he  is  held  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  has 
served  on  the  police  board  and  at  present  is 
on  the  board  of  health  and  has  given  gener- 
ously of  his  time  and  means  in  the  recent  epi- 
demic of  influenza,  that  has  been  pervalent 
at  Grand  Island  as  in  many  other  cities.  He 
is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and  both  he  and  Mrs. 
Bock  belong  to  the  Eastern  Star.  He  is 
identified  also  with  the  Elks,  the  United  Com- 
mercial Travelers  Association,  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.,  the  Eagles,  the  Plattsdeutch-Verein,  the 
Liederkranz  and  the  Royal  Highlanders;  in 
the  U.  C.  T.  being  a  member  of  the  Supreme 
Council. 


JAMES  ELMER  DILL,  one  of  the  essen- 
tially vital  and  representative  business  men  of 
the  city  of  Grand  Island,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Hall  County  since  the  days  of  his  early 
youth  and  has  found  here  ample  opportunity 
to  achieve  distinctive  success.  Bringing  to  bear 
exceptional  initiative  and;  executive  ability, 
he  has  won  and  maintained  precedence  as  one 
of  the  leading  exponents  of  the  real  estate  and 
insurance  business  in  this  favored  section  of 
the  state.  As  one  of  the  loyal,  progressive 
and  valued  citizens  of  Grand  Island  he  is  fully 
entitled  to  recognition  in   this  history. 

Mr.  Dill  was  bom  near  Wilmington,  Dela- 
ware, on  the  3d  of  November,  1863,  and  in 
that  same  fine  old  commonwealth  were  born 
his  parents,  Robert  N.  and  Annie  (Griffith) 
Dill,  the  latter  of  whom  passed  her  entire  life 
in  Delaware  and  the  former  of  whom  was  a 
resident  of  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  both  having  held  member- 
ship in  the  Methodist  church.  Robert  N.  Dill 
was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  proclivities. 
Of  the  four  children  who  survive  the  honored 
parents  the  eldest  is  Sallie  E.,  the  wife  of 
Chas.  H.  Ford,  a  representative  farmer  near 
Greeley,  Colorado;  James  Elmer,  the  subject 
of  this  review,  was  the  next  in  order  of  birth ; 
Robert  J.  is  a  prosperous  contractor  in  Grand 
Island;  and  J.  Frank  was  a  successful  candy 
manufacturer  in  Greeley,  Colorado.  In  his 
native  state  Robert  N.  Dill  became  a  success- 
ful contractor  and  there  he  continued  his  resi- 
dence until  1879,  when  he  came  to  Grand  Is- 
land, Nebraska,  and  turned  his  attention  to 
agricultural  pursuits.  He  became  one  of  the 
strong  and  honored  citizens  of  Hall  County, 
living  to  be  nearly  seventy-three  years  of  age 
at  the  time  of  his  death. 

James  E.  Dill  is  indebted  to  the  schools 
of  Delaware  for  his  early  educational  disci- 
pline being  a  youth  of  sixteen  years  when  he 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


came  with  his  father  to  Grand  Island.  Here 
he  soon  found  employment  as  a  clerk  in  a 
grocey  store,  and  he  continued  his  activities  in 
a  clerical  capacity  for  a  period  of  six  years, 
within  which  he  had  gained  valuable  experi- 
ence and  fortified  himself  for  independent 
business  enterprise.  He  was  for  four  years 
associated  with  Samuel  C.  Huston  in  the  eon- 
ducting  of  a  confectionery  business  in  Grand 
Island.  At  the  expiration  of  this  period  the 
two  ambitious  young  men  established  them- 
selves in  the  real-estate  business,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Dill  &  Huston,  which  is  still 
retained,  —  their  effective  business  alliance 
having  continued  during  a  period  of  fully 
forty  years,  within  which  they  have  advanced 
to  a  position  of  prominence  and  influence  in 
the  handling  of  farm  and  city  property  and 
have  built  up  a  large  and  prosperous  enter- 
prise. This  is  now  one  of  the  oldest  real- 
estate  firms  in  the  city  of  Grand  Island  and 
its  reputation  for  effective  service  and  honor- 
able dealings  constitute  a  valuable  asset,  the 
while  the  firm  stands  as  an  authority  in  real- 
estate  values  in  this  section  of  the  state 
throughout  which  its  transactions  have  been 
wide  and  diversified.  As  a  consistent  adjunct 
of  their  real-estate  enterprise  they  have  de- 
veloped a  representative  business  as  under- 
writers of  fire  insurance,  with  a  large  and 
appreciative  clientage.  Special  attention  is 
also  given  to  the  extending  of  financial  loans 
upon  approved  real-estate  security,  and  in  each 
of  the  three  departments  of  its  business  the 
firm  stands  as  one  of  the  foremost  in  Hall 
County. 

While  he  is  essentially  and  emphatically  a 
business  man,  Mr.  Dill  has  always  shown  deep 
and  loyal  interest  in  all  things  touching  the 
civic  and  material  welfare  of  Hall  County  and 
the  city  of  Grand  Island.  Although  he  has 
had  no  ambition  for  the  honors  of  public  office, 
he  accords  staunch  allegiance  to  the  Repub- 
lican party  and  is  w.ell  fortified  in  his  convic- 
tions concerning  governmental  policies.  He  is 
affiliated  with  the  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks  and  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and 
is  a  member  of  the  Nebraska  Home  Guards 
and  he  and  his  wife  hold  membership  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

In  the  year  1888  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Mr.  Dill  to  Miss  Jessie  G.  Gardner, 
who  was  born  in  the  state  of  Ohio.  They 
have  two  children:  Lucys  A.,  the  wife  of 
Charles  D.  Hustead,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska; 
and  Helen,  who  is  a  member  of  the  class  of 
1919  in  the  Nebraska  State  University,  at 
Lincoln. 


FRANK  IVER  OLSEN,  whose  numerous 
business  interests  make  his  name  well  known 
in  Grand  Island  and  elsewhere,  is  a  leading 
grocery  merchant  of  this  city,  having  been 
trained  in  the  business  by  his  late  father.  He 
was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  Sep- 
tember 21,  1876,  a  son  of  Jens  and  Kristin-; 
(Iverson)  Olsen. 

Jens  Olsen,  who  was  an  honorable  business 
man  of  Grand  Island  for  over  a  half  century, 
who  died  here  June  20,  1912,  was  bom  in 
Wurstenburg,  Denmark.  Emigrating  from 
that  country  he  came  to  Nebraska  and  settled 
jn  Grand  Island  in  1866.  He  had  learned 
carriage  and  cabinetmaking  in  his  own  land 
but  after  coming  to  Nebarska  worked  here  as 
a  carpenter  and  contractor.  He  was  a  man 
of  sound  business  judgment  and  much  enter- 
prise. In  1893  he  established  a  grocery  store 
in  Grand  Island  and  in  1897  admitted  his  son 
Frank  to  a  half  interest  partnership.  Some 
years  after  coming  to  Grand  Island  he  married 
Kristine  Iverson,  a  native  of  Schleswig,  Den- 
mark, who  came  to  this  country  in  1868.  She 
proved  an  admirable  helpmate  and  without 
doubt  much  of  his  early  prosperity  was  caused 
by  her  help,  careful  industry  and  frugality. 
It  is  remembered  how  grateful  early  travelers, 
both  by  wagon  and  train  through  Grand 
Island,  were  over  the  opportunity  to  buy  such 
wholesome  articles  of  her  own  preparation 
as  coffee  and  cookies,  when  no  public  accom- 
modations for  food  had  yet  been  conveniently 
established.  Mrs.  Olsen  still  resides  in  Grand 
Island  and  is  very  highly  esteemed.  She  was 
reared  a  Lutheran  but  is  now,  a  devoted  ad- 
herent of  the  Seventh  Day  Adventist  church. 
Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Olsen:  Frank  Iver  and  Anna.  The  latter 
is  the  wife  of  John  Jacobson,  a  wealthy  far- 
mer and  hog-raiser  near  Marquette,  Nebraska. 

Frank  Iver  Olsen  continued  in  school  until 
he  completed  the  high  school  course  and  then 
associated  with  his  father  in  the  grocery  bus- 
iness ;  he  progressed  rapidly,  having  had  en- 
tire charge  of  his  present  large  store  since 
1899  and  in  the  main  has  always  been  a 
successful  business  man.  He  has  the  natural 
trading  instinct  and  as  his  operations  have 
been  carried  on  along  many  lines,  there  have 
been  some  reverses,  but  as  a  rule,  his  plans 
have  turned  out  advantageously  and  his  under- 
takings have  not  been  disappointing.  At  the 
present  time  Mr.  Olsen  owns  tracts  of  land 
in  nineteen  states,  and  in  Grand  Island.  Aside 
from  his  grocery  business  he  is  interested 
in  hardware  and  is  one  of  the  owners  of  the 
Grand  Island  Tin  Company. 


GoogI 


c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL,  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


633 


Mr.  Olson  married,  in  1902,  Miss  Maude 
E.  Denman,  who  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Alda,  Nebraska,  a  daughter  of  A.  C.  Denman, 
a  wealthy  farmer  of  that  section.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Olsen  have  three  sons:  Frank  E.,  a 
youth  of  sixteen;  Alfred  A.,  yet  in  school; 
and  Donald  E.  Mrs.  Olsen  and  the  children 
attend  the  Congregational  church.  Mr.  Olsen 
is  a  Republican  in  his  views  on  public  ques- 
tions, and  fraternally  is  identified  with  the 
Odd  Fellows  and  the  Danish  Brotherhood. 
He  stands  among  his  fellow  citizens  as  an 
able,  upright  business  man  representative  of 
the  best  interests  here. 


JAMES  E.  HANNA,  the  well  known  hard- 
ware merchant  on  Fourth  street,  Grand 
Island,  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in 
1888,  and  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  for 
twenty-three  years.  He  is  not  only  an  enter- 
prising and  successful  business  man,  but  is 
also  a  leader  in  civic  matters.  For  the  past 
ten  years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the 
city  council. 

Mr.  Hanna  was  bom  in  La  Salle  county, 
Illinois,  September  1,  1855,  the  eldest  of  five 
children  born  to  Alexander  and  Amanda 
(Graves)  Hanna,  both  of  whom  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  They  were  married  there 
and  early  in  the  fifties  removed  to  Illinois, 
where  the  father  of  Mr.  Hanna  engaged  for 
some  years  in  farming,  before  he  removed 
to  Kansas,  where  he  lived  till  his  death.  He 
was' a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  having  served 
two  years  in  that  struggle.  In  politics  a  Dem- 
ocrat, on  that  party  ticket  he  was  elected  to 
the  important  office  of  county  supervisor  while 
living  in  Illinois.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Hanna 
passed  her  last  years  in  Grand  Island.  One 
son,  Joseph,  died  in  this  city,  January  12, 
1919.  The  two  surviving  daughters  are : 
Cora,  in  the  millinery  business  at  Chicago, 
and  Maggie,  the  wife  of  J.  T.  Long,  who  is 
in  the  real  estate  business  at  Creston,  Iowa. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Presby- 
terian church. 

James  E.  Hanna  attended  the  county  schools 
and  worked  on  his  father's  farm  in  Illinois. 
In  1888  he  came  to  Nebraska  and  bought  a 
farm  in  Hall  County  on  which  he  resided  until 
1896,  when  he  came  to  Grand  Island.  For 
some  years  he  continued  manager  for  the 
Woodruff  Coal  &  Lumber  Company.  After- 
ward he  established  his  present  hardware 
store  in  association  with  his  son  Ralph. 

Mr.  Hanna  married  in  1877  Miss  Etta  Day, 
who  died  shortly  after  coming  to  Nebraska. 
Three  sons  were  born  to  them,namely :  Arthur, 


who  operates  the  home  farm  north  of  Grand 
Island ;  Ralph,  in  business  with  his  father;  and 
Frank,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years.  Mr.  Hanna  married  a  second  time,  in 
1900,  Miss  Reta  Holmes,  who  was  born  in 
Illinois.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Hanna  is 
an  independent  thinker  and  voter.  He  belongs 
to  the  order  of  Maccabees,  being  an  important 
man  in  this  city. 

HANS  P.  HANSEN,  proprietor  of  one  of 
the  leading  grocery  houses  of  Grand  Island, 
has  been  established  here  for  over  fifteen 
years,  building  up,  in  the  meanwhile,  a  solid 
reputation  for  business  integrity.  While 
largely  devoting  himself  to  grocery  interests, 
Mr.  Hansen  has  had  sufficient  enterprise  to 
find  an  additional  profitable  business  in 
another  direction. 

He  was  born  in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska, 
June  27,  1874,  the  elder  of  two  children  born 
to  Niels  and  Carrie  (Petersen)  Hansen.  His 
one  brother,  Linnie  M.,  is  deceased.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Hansen  came  to  the  United 
States  from  Denmark,  in  the  late  sixties,  came 
west,  and  on  reaching  Nebraska  located  in 
Merrick  County  on  a  homestead.  The  father 
died  on  his  Merrick  County  farm,  which  the 
mother  still  occupies.  .  He  was  a  quiet,  in- 
dustrious man  with  no  political  ambitions  but 
he  declared  his  views  in  voting  with  the  Re- 
publican party.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  as  is  also  his  widow. 

The  country  schools  in  Merrick  County 
provided  Mr.  Hansen  with  a  satisfactory  gen- 
eral education  and  he  later  supplemented  this 
by  taking  a  course  in  a  business  college  at 
Grand  Island.  For  a  number  of  years  the 
operation  of  the  home  farm  engaged  his  at- 
tention although  he  also  worked  at  butter- 
making  for  some  time.  In  1903  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  embarked  in  the  grocery 
business  and  now  has  a  very  extensive  trade. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  business  men  here  who 
saw  the  possible  advantage  in  selling  auto- 
mobiles as  a  side  line  and  for  about  five  years 
has  made  the  handling  of  the  Reo  cars  a  fea- 
ture of  his  business,  being  exceedingly  suc- 
cessful. 

Mr.  Hansen  married  May  8,  1899,  Miss 
Etta  McClenithan,  who  was  born  in  Vermont 
but  married  in  Grand  Island.  They  have  two 
children:  Opal,  who  assists  in  her  father's 
store;  and  Juanita.  Mr.  Hansen  is  identified 
with  a  number  of  fraternal  organizations  of 
well  known  stability,  among  these  being  the 
Danish  Brotherhood  of  America,  the  Royal 


634 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Neighbors,  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  the 
Odd  Fellows.  In  all  public  matters  pertaining 
to  the  best  interests  of  Grand  Island  he  is  ever 
ready  to  give  help  and  earnest  cooperation, 
but  he  has  always  preferred  to  remain  inde- 
pendent of  political  party  ties. 


JULIUS  P,  F.  LESCHINSKY.  —  While 
Grand  Island  has  gladly  and  sensibly  ace  pted 
and  forwarded  the  development  of  its  nany 
practical  business  houses,  it  has  not  been  un- 
mindful of  other  things.  '  It  recognizes  the 
influence  borne  by  true  art  in  the  cultural  edu- 
cation of  the  people.  Thus  so  talented  and 
widely  experienced  a  photograhic  artist  as 
Julius  P.  F.  Leschinsky  feels  perfectly  at  home 
here,  and  since  locating  permanently  in  this 
city,  through  his  fine  work  has  given  a  great 
impetus  to  art  in  his  own  as  well  as  other  lines. 

Mr.  Leschinsky  was  born  in  Deutsch  Eylau, 
West  Prussia,  December  21,  1860.  His  parents 
were  Frederick  and  Augusta  (Dombrowsky) 
Leschinsky,  who  were  born  and  died  in  West 
Prussia.  The  father  was  an  architect  and 
builder.  To  his  first  marriage  but  one  son  was 
born,  Julius  P.  F.  To  a  second  marriage  eight 
children  were  born,  one  of  whom,  Max,  is  a 
merchant  in  Loup  City,  Nebraska. 

In  1880  Mr.  Leschinsky  came  to  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska.  He,  had  attended  the  high 
school  at  Loebau,  Germany,  and  had  already 
had  some  business  experience  as  a  clerk  and 
bookkeeper.  He  was  variously  engaged  dur- 
ing the  first  year  after  coming  here,  then  se- 
cured a  school  to  teach  being  engaged  thus 
for  three  years  in  Merrick  County.  During 
vacations  he  occupied  himself  as  a  bookkeeper 
and  in  studying  photography,  toward  which 
his  artistic  talent  inclined  him.  In  1884  he 
opened  his  first  studio.  Not  as  yet  well  enough 
known,  he  did  not  have  sufficient  capital  to 
carry  on  a  business  for  himself,  therefore 
.  seven  months  later  he  closed  the  studio,  and 
for  some  months  worked  in  other  studios  in 
Nebraska  and  also  in  Kansas.  He  then  pur- 
chased a  portable  studio,  carrying  on  business 
in  Washington  and  Greenleaf,  Kansas,  and 
later  at  Harvard,  Nebraska,  operating  suc- 
cessfully for  two  years.  He  then  brought  his 
portable  studio  to  Grand  Island,  occupied  it 
for  four  years  but  when  opportunity  came  he 
moved  into  the  studio  formerly  occupied  by 
Mr.  Murphy.  In  the  meanwhile  the  fame  of 
his  artistic  work  spread  abroad  and  in  1894 
he  was  able  to  build  the  front  portion  of  his 
present  fine  studio  and  since  then  has  been 
compelled  because  of  patronage,  to  enlarge 
the  original  studio  to  fully  five  times  its  early 


capacity.  In  1915  he  opened  an  art  shop  in 
Grand  Island,  where  lovers  of  art  may  gratify 
their  taste  for  the  beautiful.  He  has  been 
one  of  the  prime  movers  in  photographic 
organizations  in  Nebraska.  For  years  he  has 
been  signally  honored  by  many  representative 
bodies.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of  the 
Nebraska  Photographers  Association  and 
three  times  was  its  president.  For  a  quarter 
of  a  century  it  was  conducted  as  a  Nebraska 
body  exclusively,  but  has  been  amalgamated 
with  similar  organizations  in  Missouri  and 
Kansas.  On  numerous  occasions  he  has  re- 
ceived gold  and  silver  medals  for  his  perfec- 
tion in  photography.  He  is  also  a  member  of 
the  National  Photographic  Association  of 
America  and  on  one  occasion  was  elected  a 
delegate  to  the  same.  Mr.  Leschinsky  married, 
September  30,  1888,  Miss  Minnie  Doll,  who 
was  born  in  New  York,  a  daughter  of  Carl 
Doll,  who  was  born  in  Schleswig-Holstein. 
He  came  to-  Grand  Island  in  the  seventies,  to 
engage  in  work  as  a  cabinetmaker.  Mr.  Doll 
had  served  three  years  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Union  Army  during  the  Civil  War.  Two  sons 
were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Leschinsky:  Os- 
wald Frederick  Carl,  born  in  Grand  Island, 
July  21,  1889,  now  in  business  with  his  father; 
and  Armand  Julius  Paul,  born  in  Grand  Is- 
land, March  16,  1893.  His  brave  young  life 
went  out  in  France,  October  19,  1918.  He 
studied  in  the  Grand  Island  schools  and  also 
took  a  course  in  the  Baptist  College.  Entering 
the  National  army  at  Camp  Dodge,  Iowa, 
May  28,  1918,  he  was  sent  with  the  American 
Expeditionary  Force  to  France,  where  after 
exhibition  of  soldierly  qualities  which  brought 
a  beautiful  tribute  from  his  commanding 
officer,  Capt.  H.  M.  Baldridge,  Battery  f, 
338th  Field  Artillery,  he  succumbed  to  pneu- 
monia. He  was  greatly  beloved  in  Grand  Is- 
land. Mr.  Leschinsky  is  a  member  of  the 
Odd  Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen,  the 
Maccabees,  the  Fraternal  Aid  Union  and  the 
Liederkranz  and  has  been  president  of  the 
last  named  organization. 


OSCAR  ROESER,  the  head  of  a  widely 
known  mercantile  house  known  as  the  Bee 
Hive  store,  which  he  erected  from  small 
beginnings,  has  been  a  resident  of  Grand 
Island  for  over  forty  years. 

He  was  born  in  the  township  of  Tittaba- 
wassee,  Saginaw  County,  Michigan,  January 
4,  1852.  His  parents  were  William  and 
Theresa  (Vasold)  Roeser,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Germany.  They  came  to  the  United 
.States  in   1849  and   1850  respectively,  being 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA  635 


Julius  Leschinskv  and  Fam 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


636 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


married  in  Michigan.  They  purchased  gov- 
ernment land  in  Saginaw  County  in  1850  for 
$1.25  per  acre.  It  was  timber  and  had  to  be 
cleared  to  be  used  for  farming.  He  cultivated 
a  part  of  his  land,  and  after  the  railroad  was 
built,  in  1864,  Mr.  Wm.  Roeser  laid  out  and 
platted  his  entire  farm,  establishing  thereon 
what  is  now  the  flourishing  little  town  of 
Freeland.  In  1852  he  started  in  the  mer- 
cantile business,  beginning  on  a  very  small 
scale  in  one  of  his  living  rooms.  Being  sit- 
uated on  the  banks  of  the  Tittabawassee 
River,  about  fifty  per  cent  of  his  customers 
were  Chippewa  Indians,  who  usually  travelled 
in  canoes  on  the  river.  After  the  coming  of 
the  railroad  he  built  a  new  store  and  enlarged 
his  business,  supplying  many  neighboring 
lumber  camps.  Of  the  family  of  ten  children 
seven  sons  and  one  daughter  survive,  the 
two  in  Hall  County  being  Oscar  and  Albert, 
the  latter  a  salesman  for  agricultural  imple- 
ments in  Grand  Island. 

Oscar  Roeser  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  in  the 
store  and  with  the  farm.  In  1876  he  taught 
school  for  one  term,  thereby  earning  the 
money  to  enable  him  to  buy  a  railroad  ticket 
to  Grand  Island.  (In  those  days  western  rail- 
road fare  wasfive  and  six  cents  per  mile.)  He 
arrived  there  May  15,  1877  and  soon  secured 
employment  as  manager  of  the  lumber  yard 
belonging  to  his  uncle,  Fred  Hedde.  He  con- 
tinued there  for  four  and  a  hal  f  years.  In  the 
fall  of  1881  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  busi- 
ness in  a  small  way  in  partnership  with  Louis 
Veit,  under  the  firm  name  of  Veit  and  Roeser. 
This  business  was  continued  until  1886 
when  the-  partnership  was  dissolved.  Mr. 
Roeser  then  started  the  Bee  Hive  store,  where 
he  has  built  up  a  large  retail  grocery  and 
chinaware  business,  in  which  he  is  now  as- 
sisted by  his  two  sons.  Since  1886  he  has 
occupied  the  same  quarters  at  No.  115  West 
Third  Street,  one  of  the  city's  business  land- 
marks. 

Mr.  Roeser  married,  in  1884,  Miss  Minnie 
Stolley,  who  is  a  daughter  of  the  late  William 
Stolley,  a  pioneer  settler  of  Hall  County. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  children  born  in  the 
county.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Roeser  died  in 
1912,  but  the  mother  is  still  living.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Roeser  have  three  children ;  two  sons 
and  one  daughter:  Emil  F.,  manager  of  his 
father's  store,  married  Frieda  Detlefsen  and 
they  have  two  sons,  Herbert  and  Erwin; 
Oscar  F.,  who  went  to  France  with  the  Amer- 
ican Expeditionary  Forces,  April  28,  1918,  as 
a  member  of  the  89th  Division,  Three  Hun- 
dred and  Fifty-fifth  Infantry,  was  wounded 


in  the  hand  in  November,  1918,  during  the 
battles  of  the  Argonne  Forest ;  and  Elsa  O., 
who  resides  at  home. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  Roeser  is  a  Re- 
publican. In  1900  he  was  elected  county 
supervisor  and  served  continuously  for  five 
and  a  half  years,  having  been  chairman  of  the 
building  committee  during  the  construction  of 
the  fine  Hall  County  courthouse,  and  chair- 
man of  the  board  when  the  building  was  first 
occupied.  He  belongs  to  several  organizations 
of  a  social  nature  at  Grand  Island  and  has 
been  a  director  in  the  Liederkranz  for  many 
years ;  also  a  director  of  the  Commercial  Club 
and  president  a  number  of  times  of  the  Retail 
Merchants'  Association. 


WILLIAM  I.  BLAIN.—  The  development 
of  some  lines  of  business  in  Nebraska  has 
been  the  natural  result  of  climate,  demand 
and  opportunity,  and  this  applies  particularly 
to  the  horse,  mule  and  cattle  industry,  which 
represents  heavy  capital  investment  and  the 
enlistment  of  shrewd,  astute  business  men  to 
conduct  affairs.  This  has  become  a  source  of 
great  wealth  to  Hall  County,  and  probably 
no  section  in  the  state  can  show  more  sub- 
stantial results.  One  of  the  men  largely  inter- 
ested and  of  wide  experience,  is  William  I. 
Blain,  organizer  and  general  manager  of  the 
Blaine  Horse,  Mule  &  Cattle  Company  of 
Grand  Island. 

William  I.  Blain  was  born  in  Pella,  Marion 
County,  Iowa,  June  1,  1874,  the  fifth  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children,  nine  of  whom  are 
living.  His  parents  were  William  C.  and 
Susan  Elizabeth  (Hays)  Blain,  natives  of 
West  Virginia.  They  were  brought  to  Iowa 
in  childhood,  grew  up  and  married  there,  com- 
ing to  Custer  County,  Nebraska,  in  1887. 
Both  died  in  this  state.  They  belonged  to 
that  great  body  of  good  people  who  lived  quiet, 
simple,  useful  lives,  worthy  of  emulation  in 
their  sincerity  and  unselfishness. 

After  completing  his  public  school  course 
at  Mason  City,  Nebraska,  William  I.  Blain 
assisted  on  his  father's  farm,  an  occupation 
he  followed  until  1897,  when  he  went  into  the 
horse  business  at  Staplehurst,  Nebraska, 
later  at  Schuyler  and  still  later  was  active  in 
the  business  in  Denver.  In  1911  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  became  identified  with  the 
Grand  Island  Horse  &  Mule  Market  where 
he  has  been  auctioneer  since  its  start.  In 
October,  1915,  Mr.  Blain  founded  the  Blain 
Horse  &  Mule  Company,  which  has  also 
handled  cattle  since  1917  and  now  operates 
as  the  Blain  Horse,  Mule  &  Cattle  Company, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


637 


with  a  capital  of  $15,000.  N.  L.  Troelstrup 
is  president  of  the  company,  W.  W.  Wimberly 
is  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  Mr.  Blain  is 
general  manager.  A  general  commission  bus- 
iness is  done  and  the  future  looks  favorable 
for  a  still  greater  volume  than  ever  before. 

Mr.  Blain  married  March  24,  1894,  Miss 
Jennie  M.  Crouse,  who  was  bom  in  Seward 
County,  Nebraska,  and  is  a  daughter  of  D.  W. 
Crouse,  who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers 
in  that  section,  locating  permanently  in  Seward 
County  long  before  any  railroads  had  been 
constructed.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blain  have  had 
five  children:  Otto  I.,  Frank  K.,  Velma, 
Harry  and  Ethel,  the  latter  dying  in  infancy. 
Mrs.  Blain  is  a  member  of  the  First  Methodist 
Episcopal  church  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Blain 
gives  his  political  support  to  the  Republican 
party  but  in  matters  of  general  importance 
in  seasons  of  national  stress,  he  holds  a  liberal 
mind  and  works  for  the  general  good.  For 
many  years  he  has  belonged  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity. 


HENRY  J.  VOSS,  cigar  manufacturer  at 
Grand  Island,  may  be  named  as  a  substantial 
business  man  and  representative  and  dependa- 
ble citizen.  He  is  well  known  in  Hall  County 
and  has  served  two  years  as  a  member  of  the 
board  of  county  supervisors,  on  which  he  has 
shown  excellent  business  judgment  and  com- 
mendable public  spirit. 

Mr.  Voss  was  bom  in  Holstein,  Germany, 
June  24,  1862.  His  parents  were  John  and 
(Catherine  (Hermenson)  Voss,  natives  of 
Germany,  from  which  country  they  came  to 
the  United  States,  settling  in  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska,  in  1881.  John  voss  was  a  general 
laborer  at  first  but  through  industry  acquired 
capital  which  he  invested  in  land  and  from 
then  until  his  death  he  was  engaged  in  farm- 
ing. Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  They  had  three 
children,  two  daughters  and  one  son:  Mar- 
garet, the  wife  of  John  Paulsen,  of  Grand 
Island;  H.  J.;  and  Lena,  the  wife  of  Fred 
Soil,  who  is  in  the  clothing  business  at  Baker, 
Oregon. 

After  his  school  period  was  over,  Mr.  Voss 
engaged  in  farming  until  1885,  when  he  came 
to  Grand  Island  and  began  the  manufacture 
of  cigars,  to  which  he  has  since  devoted  his 
attention.  From  time  to  time  he  has  expanded 
the  scope  of  his  business  until  now  it  is  one 
of  large  proportions,  his  factory  turning  out 
from  300,000  to  500,000  cigars  a  year.  On 
account  of  the  excellence  of  his  product  he 
finds  a  ready  market  and  there  is  a  particularly 


heavy   demand    for   his   leading  brands,   the 
Examiner,  the  A  O  D,  and  the  1900. 

Mr.  Voss  married,  in  1887,  Miss  Emma 
Wulf,  who  was  bom  at  Keil,  Germany,  and 
was  brought  to  the  United  States  by  her  par- 
ents when  two  years  old.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Voss 
have  had  the  following  children:  Lena,  who 
married  Brewer  Beck,  of  Grand  Island;  they 
have  one  child,  Evelyn ;  Fred,  a  railroad  man ; 
Clara,  who  died  at  the  age  of  seven  years; 
Harry,  who  is  married  and  has  one  daughter, 
Ruth ;  Ella,  a  bookkeeper;  Anna,  who  married 
Charles  Westphal,  a  railroad  man,  has  one 
child,  Lorine;  Gustave,  a  mechanic  with  an 
automobile  concern ;  Lola,  employed  in  a  lead- 
ing Grand  Island  store;  and  Mable,  Leona, 
Raymond,  Margaret  and  Dorothy,  all  of  whom 
are  at  home.  Mr.  Voss  and  family  attend  the 
English  Lutheran  church  in  Grand  Island. 
The  children  .are  much  interested  in  the  work 
of  the  Sunday  school.  In  politics  Mr.  Voss 
is  a  Democrat  and  somewhat  active  in  his 
party  and,  as  mentioned  above,  is  one  of  the 
county  supervisors.  Fraternally  he  belongs 
to  the  order  of  Eagles,  the  T.  P.  A.,  the  Sons 
of  Herman,  the  Liederkranz  and  the  Platts- 
deutchen,  and  was  for  many  years  president 
of  the  last  named  organization. 


MAX  JACOB  VOSS,  whose  activities  in 
dairy  farming  have  brought  him  success  and 
standing  as  a  substantial  citizen  of  his  com- 
munity in  Hall  County  during  recent  years, 
is  the  owner  of  a  property  in  Mayfield  town- 
ship that  has  been  a  family  possession  since 
1872.  It  was  in  that  year  that  his  father, 
Fred  Voss,  a  sketch  of  whose  career  appears 
on  another  page  of  this  work,  came  to  the 
United  States  from  Germany,  took  up  his 
residence  in  Hall  County,  where  the  greater 
part  of  his  subsequent  career  has  been  passed. 
He  still  resides  in  the  county  and  is  in  the 
enjoyment  of  a  comfortable  competence, 
gained  through  a  long  career  of  industry. 

Max  Jacob  Voss  was  born  at  St.  Libory, 
Howard  County,  Nebraska,  April  5,  1883,  a 
son:  of  Fred  and  Wibke  (Krone)  Voss.  He 
received  his  education  in  the  public  schools 
and  in  his  youth  and  young  manhood  assisted 
his  father  in  the  cultivation  of  lands  in 
Howard  and  Hall  Counties,  so  that  his  train- 
ing was  entirely  along  agricultural  lines.  When 
it  came  time  for  him  to  adopt  a  vocation  of  his 
own  and  to  enter  upon  his  independent  career, 
he  selected  farming  and  dairying  as  his  oc- 
cupations, and  now  is  farming  200  acres  of 
good  land  in  Mayfield  township,  which  belongs 
to  his  father,  a  part  of  which  is  the  orgininal 


638 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


homestead  secured  by  his  father  in -1872.  Of 
recent  years  Mr.  Voss  has  given  more  and 
more  of  his  attention  to  dairy  work,  and  now 
has  a  fine  herd  of  thirty-five  head  of  cattle, 
but  while  he  has  built  up  an  extensive  and 
profitable  business  in  this  connection,  he  is 
also  engaged  to  some  extent  in  general  farm- 
ing. His  improvements  are  modern  in  char- 
acter and  in  his  work  he  expresses  a  tendency 
toward  progressiveness.  His  standing  as  a 
business  man  is  an  excellent  one  and  the 
quality  of'his  citizenship  has  never  been  ques- 
tioned. Mr.  Voss  is  independent  in  his  views 
upon  political  matters,  and  his  religious  faith 
is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  has  never 
felt  the  need  of  fraternal  connections  to  round 
out  his  enjoyment  of  life. 

Mr.  Voss  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Lillian  Young,  a  native  of  Fairfield  County, 
Ohio,  daughter  of  S.  Young,  who  is  engaged 
in  general  farming  in  that  county.  They  have 
no  children  of  their  own,  but  are  rearing  an 
adopted  son,  Joe. 


JUDGE  JOHN  RICHARD  THOMPSON 
Was  one  of  the  prominent  citizens  of  Grand 
Island  where  for  more  than  thirty-six  years 
he  was  a  leading  lawyer  and  served  as  judge 
of  this  district   for  three  consecutive  terms. 

Mr.  Thompson  was  born  at  Perryville, 
Ohio,  August  6,  1850.  a  son  of  Eli  and  Eliza 
(Kirby)  Thompson,  both  natives  of  Carrol! 
County,  Ohio,  where  they  were  married  and 
where  they  made  their  home  until  1864  when 
they  became  residents  of  Fayette  County, 
Iowa.  Here  the  mother  passed  away  January 
2,  1881,  and  eight  years  later  the  father  came 
to  Nebraska  and  secured  a  homestead  in 
Custer  County  where  he  spent  the  remainder 
of  his  days,  passing  away  February  3,   1903. 

John  R.  Thompson  attended  the  district 
school  from  three  to  six  months  each  year 
until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age.  He  then 
attended  Upper  Iowa  University  at  Fayette, 
Iowa,  but  never  completed  a  full  course  as 
he  was  dependent  upon  his  own  resources  to 
defray  his  expenses,  which  he  did  by  working 
upon  a  farm  and  teaching  school.  In  1875  he 
entered  the  law  department  of  the  University 
of  Iowa  at  Iowa  City,  graduating  in  1877, 
under  the  instruction  of  W.  G.  Hammond,  a 
most  able  teacher,  then  chancellor  of  the  Uni- 
versity, and  founder  of  the  law  department. 
He  then  joined  his  brother,  W.  H.  Thompson, 
and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law  in  their 
home  town.  Brush  Creek,  now  Arlington, 
Iowa,  where  Thompson  Brothers  had  opened 
an  office  the  year  before  to  earn  the  money 


needed  to  defray  expenses  to  complete  their 
law  studies.  In  February,  1879,  John  R. 
opened  an  office  in  Grand  Island,  Nebraska, 
while  the  brother  remained  in  Iowa.  In  June, 
1881,  W.  H.  came  to  Grand  Island  and  the 
partnership  continued  until  1892,  when  John 
R.  Thompson  was  elevated  to  the  bench  of 
the  district  court  of  the  eleventh  judicial  dis- 
trict, consisting  of  eleven  counties,  where  he 
served  three  successive  terms  of  four  years 
each.  His  decisions  were  always  fair  and 
impartial  and  he  was  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  members  of  the  bar  and  by  all  with  whom 
he  came  in  contact.  After  this  he  continued 
the  practice  of  his  profession  until  his  death, 
September  29,  1915. 

October  24,  1880,  Mr.  Thompson  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Lizzie  A.  Pryse,  of  Iowa 
City.  She  passed  away  December  8,  1888. 
Judge  Thompson  was  again  married  July  25, 
1900,  to  Sarah  A.  Jones,  of  Iowa  City,  and  her 
death  occurred  in  Grand  Island  eleven  years 
ago.  Of  the  first  marriage  were  bom  five 
children :  Callie  E.,  wife  of  Dr.  A.  H.  Fams- 
worth;  Grace,  the  wife  of  Julius  Jones,  of 
Grand  Island;  Catherine,  the  wife  of  William 
Pyne,  mayor  and  editor  of  a  newspaper  at 
Wendell,  Idaho ;  John  P.,  a  ranchman  of  Holt 
County,  Nebraska;  and  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  Musser,  of  New  York. 

Judge  Thompson  was  a  member  of  and  lib- 
eral contributor  to  the  First  Methodist  church 
of  Grand  Island,  and  a  member  of  several 
fraternal  organizations.  He  served  the  city 
and  county  as  attorney  and  stood  for  all  those 
things  that  helped  to  make  for  the  betterment 
of  the  community.  The  city  is  indebted  to 
Judge  Thompson  for  the  beautiful  public  park 
known  as  "Pioneer  Park"  as  it  was  largely 
through  his  persistent  agitation  that  this  tract 
was  set  aside  as  a  park  instead  of  being  platted 
and  sold  for  residence  properties. 


JOHN  H.  PAULSEN.  — It  may  not  be 
such  a  difficult  matter  to  get  ahead  in  the 
world  when  one  has  a  host  of  friends  and  a 
full  pocket  book,  but  to  gain  position  and  pub- 
lic confidence  without  such  help,  and  in  a 
strange  country  and  after  early  manhood  has 
passed,  indicates  the  possession  of  sterling  per- 
sonal qualities.  The  people  of  Grand  Island 
know  this  well  in  the  case  of  John  H.  Paul-' 
sen,  who  came  here  thirty  seven  years  ago 
and  for  twenty  of  these  years  has  continu- 
ously filled  the  office  of  keeper  of  the  city  jail. 

John  H.  Paulsen  was  born  in  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  Germany,  December  11,  1850,  the 
only  child  of  Henry  and  Mary  Paulsen,  whose 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Judge  J.  R.  Thompson  (deceased) 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


640 


HISTORY  OF  .HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


entire  lives  were  passed  in  Germany.  They 
were  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  John  H. 
attended  school,  then  learned  the  cigarmaker's 
trade,  an  occupation  he  followed  for  small 
wages  until  he  was  thirty-two  years  old,  when 
he  decided  to  come  to  the  United  States  where 
industrial  opportunities  were  greater.  He 
reached  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  January  6, 
1882  and  at  once  found  employment  at  his 
trade.  He  worked  as  a  cigarmaker  until  1887. 
As  he  took  advantage  of  every  opportuity  that 
presented  itself  for  the  exercise  of  industry, 
material  success  was  inevitable.  About  1895 
Mr.  Paulsen  was  appointed  city  jailor  and  has 
continued  in  office  notwithstanding  many 
changes  in  the  city  administration. 

Mr.  Paulsen  married  March  24,  1878,  Miss 
Margaret  Voss,  who  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Katherine 
(Hermenson)  Voss.  Her  parents  came  to 
Grand  Island  in  1881.  Mrs.  Paulsen  has  one 
brother,  H.  J.  Voss,  of  Grand  Island ;  and  a 
sister,  Mrs.  Lena  Soil,  of  Baker  City,  Oregon, 
The  following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Paulsen :  Gus,  sexton  of  the  Grand 
Island  cemetery;  Anna,  the  wife  of- Henry 
Sievers,  now  retired  and  living  in  California ; 
Amanda,  the  wife  of  Richard  Buentz,  recorder 
of  deeds  in  Hall  County;  Alvina,  the  wife  of 
Heny  Paustian,  of  Denver,  Colorado;  Harry, 
a  salesman  with  the  Nebraska  Mercantile 
Company ;  Albert  C,  a  soldier  in  France  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Force,  enlisting 
April  30,  1918;  Mata,  employed  in  the  county 
recorder's  office;  and  Aima,  who  resides  at 
home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Paulsen  are  interested 
in  Christian  Science  and  attend  the  church  of 
that  belief  in  Grand  Island.  In  politics  Mr. 
Paulsen  maintains  party  independence,  and 
fraternally  he  is  identified  with  the  Low  Ger- 
man Society. 


JOHN  McLELLAN,  one  of  Hall  County's 
most  influential  citizens,  is  a  member  of  the 
Nebraska  state  legislature,  and  is  prominently 
identified  with  lumber  interests  in  this  state. 
He  is  a  native  of  Scotland,  but  since  the  age 
of  five  years  has  lived  in  the  United  States, 
coming  first  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1884. 

Mr.  McLellan  was  born  September  11, 
1864,  a  son  of  James  and  Helen  (Kelly)  Mc- 
Lellan, natives  of  Scotland,  who  came  to  the 
United  States  to  setle  on  an  Illinois  farm  in 
1869.  The  mother  of  Mr.  McLellan  died  there, 
at  the  age  of  seventy-five  years.  The  father 
died  while  visiting  a  brother  in  Oklahoma, 
being  then  eighty-three  years  of  age.  Of  their 
nine  children  the  following  are  living:    Agnes, 


the  wife  of  Wilford  Fulk,  a  farmer  in  Illinois; 
William,  a  retired  farmer  residing  in  Grand 
Island ;  Peter,  a  farmer  in  Illinois ;  John ;  and 
James,  who  lives  in  Illinois.  The  father  was 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church,  was  a 
Republican  in  politics,  and  for  sixty  years  was 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 

John  McLellan  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Illinois.  In  1884  he  came  to  Hall  County. 
Nebraska,  but  two  years  afterward  accepted 
work  on  a  ranch  in  Montana.  A  year  later 
he  returned  to  this  state  to  enter  a  business 
college  in  Omaha,  from  which  he  was  gradu- 
ated in  1888,  when  he  returned  to  Montana  to 
accept  a  place  as  bookkeeper,  retaining  this 
position  for  about  four  years.  He  remained 
in  Montana  until  1903,  engaged  in  mining  and 
merchandising,  then  came  back  to  Hall  County 
and  during  the  following  four  years  engaged 
in  farming  and  cattle  feeding.  In  1908  he 
removed  to  Alda  to  embark  in  the  mercantile 
business,  and  in  1910  he  organized  the  Alda 
Lumber  Company,  of  which  he  is  president. 
In  1912  he  organized  the  Abbott  Lumber  and 
Grain  Company  and  was  president  of  that  con- 
cern until  it  went  out  of  business.  He  still 
continues  active  in  the  lumber  industry  and 
also  maintains  his  interest  in  his  farm  proper- 
ties. 

Mr.  McLellan  married  December  18,  1892, 
Miss  Mary  Belle  Juhnke,  who  was  born  at 
Knoxville,  Tennessee,  a  daughter  of  August 
L.  and  Lamera  Ellen  (McCloud)  Juhnke,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  born  in  Tennessee  and 
died  in  Hall  County  in  July  1918.  The  father 
of  Mrs.  McLellan  was  born  in  Germany.  He 
married  in  Tennessee  and  with  his  wife  came 
to  Hall  County  in  1872,  having  served  in  the 
Civil  War  as  did  also  his  father.  Carl  Juhnke, 
who  took  up  a  claim  in  Hall  County.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  McLellan  came  to  Grand  Is- 
land in  1878  and  the  father  still  lives  here. 
He  was  one  of  the  first  conductors  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad. 

Four  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
M)rs.  McLellan :  Agnes,  born  near  Helena, 
Montana,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Alda  schools 
and  is  bookkeeper  in  the  First  National  Bank : 
Myrtle,  bom  at  Gibbonsville,  Idaho,  married 
Russell  Haldeman  and  they  live  on  a  farm  in 
Hall  County;  John,  who  attended  the  Baptist 
College  for  two  years,  enlisted  for  Red  Cross 
work  in  France  but  the  armistice  was  de- 
clared before  he  was  called  into  service :  he 
was  born  in  Butte,  Montana ;  and  Paul  Ed- 
ward, who  was  bom  at  Alda,  Nebraska,  is  in 
school.  Mr.  McLellan  and  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Republican  and  in  November,  1918,  he 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


was  elected  a  member  of  the  state  legislature, 
his  majority  being  far  beyond  the  votes  cast 
for  the  other  candidates.  He  is  a  Knight 
Templar  Mason  and  belongs  to  the  A.  O.  U. 
W.,  in  which  order  he  has  been  interested  for 
twenty-two  years  and  at  present  is  treasurer  of 
the  local  organization.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Supreme  body  in  Wyoming,  Idaho,  and 
Montana.  Mr.  McLellan  and  family  removed 
to  Grand  Island  in  July,  1918. 


DAVID  KAUFMANN,  a  widely  known, 
highly  respected  and  prosperous  business  man 
of  Hall  County,  carries  on  several  mercantile 
enterprises  here,  of  which  he  is  the  founder. 
Mr.  Kaufmann 's  success  as  a  merchant  is  the 
result  of  industry  coupled  with  good, judg- 
ment. He  started  into  business  with  but  small 
capital,  but  has  always  been  a  careful  buyer 
and  able  financier.  He  has  made  courtesy  and 
the  pleasure  of  customers  important  features 
of  his  business  system.  Hence  it  has  followed 
that  within  the  last  thirteen  years  he  has  been 
forced  to  enlarge  his  quarters  and  increase  his 
stock  to  accommodate  a  constantly  increasing 
trade  in  Grand  Island,  and  has  also  established 
a  store  in  Kearney. 

David  Kaufmann  was  born  in  Germany, 
October  8,  1875.  He  attended  the  Gymnasium 
(high  school)  in  his  native  land  until  he  was 
graduated  at  the  age  of  fifteen  years.  He  was 
employed  immediately  after  graduation  as  a 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  store  in  Elberfield.  From 
1891  to  the  present  he  has  been  actively  en- 
gaged in  buying  and  selling  goods  except  for 
one  year  when  he  served  in  the  German  army 
in  1903.  When  the  opportunity  presented  it- 
self he  came  to  America.  During  the  eight 
months  he  remained  in  New  York  he  did  such 
work  as  he  could  without  being  familiar  with 
the  English  language,  then  came  from  New 
York  City  to  Grand  Island  in  March  1904. 
During  the  folowing  two  years  he  was  em- 
ployed by  S.  N.  Wolbach,  as  a  window  trim- 
mer. In  1906  he  started  into  business  himself 
establishing  his  five  and  ten  cent  store,  and 
has  continued  in  this  line  of  merchandising 
ever  since.  For  reasons  above'  stated  Mr. 
Kaufmann  has  made  a  success  of  his  under- 
taking and  he  stands  well  not  only  with  the 
purchasing  public  but  also  with  his  trade  com- 
petitors because  of  his  honorable  methods. 

Mr.  Kaufmann  is  unmarried.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Hebrew  congregation.  In  politics 
he  is  identified  with  the  Republican  party. 
Fraternally  he  is  an  Elk  and  belongs  to  the 
Commercial  Club,  of  which  he  served  as  presi- 
dent.   He  has  co-operated  most  efficiently  and 


earnestly  with  his  fellow  citizens  in  Red  Cross 
work. 


WALKER  HAINLINE.  — One  of  the 
flourishing  business  establishments  at  Grand 
Island  is  the  Hainline  Laundry,  which  has 
been  developed  from  a  very  small  begin- 
ning into  one  of  the  indispensible  enterprises 
of  the  city.  It  represents  the  result  of  cour- 
age, unusual  industry  and  perseverance,  and 
from  its  start  has  remained  the  property  of 
one  family. 

Walter  Hainline,  proprietor  of  the  Hainline 
Laundry,  was  born  in  Pettis  County,  Missouri, 
January  14,  1878.  His  parents  were  Thomas 
M;  and  Mary  (Bivins)  Hainline,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Kentucky.  The  mother, 
who  lives  at  Grand  Island,  was  born  August  3, 
1854.  The  father,  who  died  November  23, 
1918,  was  aged  sixty-nine  years  four  months 
and  twenty-one  days.  Thomas  Mf  Hainline 
resided  in  Missouri  after  marriage  being  en- 
gaged in  teaming  and  hauling  wood  and  coal. 
Not  satisfied,  however,  with  conditions  there, 
in  March,  1888,  he  came  with  his  family  to 
Grand  Island,  where  he  found  employment  in 
a  laundry  but  his  wages  were  not  sufficiently 
ample  to  supply  the  needs  of  a  growing  family. 
He  was  fortunate  in  that  he  had  a  sensible, 
cheerful,  willing  wife  and  she  also  went  to 
work  in  the  laundry,  leaving  the  domestic 
affairs  in  the  care  of  the  children.  In  1889 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hainline  decided  to  start  a 
laundry  of  their  own.  They  had  tittle  capital 
but  they  had  strength  and  industry,  and  it  is 
doubtful  if  the  fine  work  now  turned  out 
by  the  present  laundry's  modern  patented 
machines,  can  surpass  the  careful  hand  work 
that  first  went  out  from  the  little  Hainline 
laundry.  It  was  in  those  days  that  Walker 
Hainline  delivered  and  collected  laundry  on 
foot.  In  1893  the  Hainlines  moved  to  North 
Platte  lo  start  a  small  laundry  there  and  dur- 
ing the  seven  years  they  remained  there  were 
able  to  accumulate  a  small  capital.  In  1901 
they  came  back  to  Grand  Island  opening  a 
laundry  in  the  building  which  is  now  the  St. 
James  hotel.  Prosperity  now  smiled  upon 
their  efforts  and  in  January,  1905,  they  erected 
their  present  fine  modern  laundry  and 
thoioughly  equipped  it.  Thomas  M.  Hainline 
retired  from  the  business  in  1914  and  now 
Walter  Hainline  devotes  his  main  attention  to 
it,  having  a  department  equipped  for  dry  clean- 
ing, as  one  of  the  features  of  the  new  building. 
Walker  Hainline  had  fewer  educational  oppor- 
tunities in  boyhood  than  many  of  his  compan- 
ions, but  he  has  never  regretted  the  discipline 


'  3 


C 


642 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


that  taught  him  industrious  and  frugal  habits 
when  young.  .He  gave  his  parents  valuable 
assistance  and  his  entire  business  career  has 
been  identified  with  laundry  interests.  Of  the 
family  of  nine  children,  four  died  in  infancy, 
the  others  being:  William,  a  barber  at  Grand 
Island  for  twenty  years,  died  in  1903  and  is 
survived  by  a  daughter,  Hazel ;  Clara  Belle, 
the  wife  of  Patrick  Cornfield,  died  in  July, 
1917,  leaving  two  children,  Florence  and 
Reuben,  live  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota;  Jose- 
phine, the  wife  of  Wood  White,  an  engineer 
on  the  Union  Pacific  for  almost  forty  years, 
has  one  son,  Major  A.  White,  who  is  a  stu- 
dent of  medicine  in  Stanford  University; 
Walker;  Margaret,  who  was  married  first  to 
William  Grandlove,  had  two  children  by  that 
marriage,  Mary  and  Covert.  Her  second 
marriage  was  to  C.  C.  Hainline,  who  is  man- 
ager of  the  shoe  department  of  the  Miller  & 
Paine  store.    They  have  one  son,  Jack. 

Mr.  Hainline  married,  June  10,  1908,  Miss 
Anna  Naylin,  who  was  born  at  Auburn,  Illi- 
nois, a  daughter  of  Peter  and  Katherine 
(Carey)  Naylin,  natives  of  Ireland.  He  was  a 
railroad  man  but  they  lived  for  three  years  on 
a  farm  near  Wood  River,  Nebraska.  Mr. 
Naylin  is  deceased  but  Mrs.  Naylin  lives  at 
Grand  Island.  Mrs.  Hainline  is  a  member  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Hainline  is 
prominent  in  the  order  of  Elks,  of  which  he  is 
a  trustee  at  Grand  Island  and  is  past  exalted 
ruler  of  Lodge  No.  604.  He  was  reared  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party  as  did  his  father. 


ADOLPH  W.  STERNE.  — Almost  every 
line  of  business  is  creditably  carried  on  in 
Grand  Island.  Larger  cities  might  be  proud 
of  so  complete  an  establishment  as  the  cloth- 
ing house  of  Adolph  W.  Sterne,  because  it  is 
a  leader  in  its  line  in  Hall  County.  Mr. 
Sterne  is  an  experienced  man  in  the  clothing 
industry  having  been  engaged  in  this  line  in 
this  city  for  the  past  thirty-one  years. 

Adolph  W.  Sterne  was  born  in  Germany, 
the  son  of  Albert  and  Henrietta  (Strousler) 
Sterne,  both  of  whom  passed  their  lives  in 
the  Fatherland.  The  father  was  in  the  grain 
business.  They  had  eight  children,  four  of 
whom  came  to  the  United  States  and  four 
others  are  yet  in  Germany.  Those  in  America 
are:  Benjamin,  a  retired  resident  of  Chicago; 
Mrs.  Pollock,  a  widow,  has  a  home  in  Chicago 
and  one  at  Long  Beach,  California ;  Mrs.  Sim- 
mons, a  resident  of  Chicago ;  and  Adolph  W., 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1879. 

Adolph  W.  Sterne  resided  with  his  brother 


at  Clinton,  Missouri,  from  1879  until  1887, 
when  he  paid  his  first  visit  to  Grand  Island. 
In  the  following  year  he  settled  here  perma- 
nently, becoming  associated  with  the  well, 
known  merchant,  J.  A.  Woolstenholm,  with 
whom  he  remained  until  January,  1918,  when 
he  bought  the  business.  Since  then  he  has 
enlarged  and  expanded  it  until  he  now  has  the 
best  assorted  and  largest  stock  of  clothing  and 
furnishings  in  Hall  County. 

Mr.  Steme  married,  in  1891,  Miss  Nettie 
Woolstenholm.  They  have  two  children: 
Alice  L.,  the  wife  of  R.  H.  Thurston,  the 
owner  of  a  ranch  in  Box  Butte  County,  near 
Hemingford,  Nebraska,  and  Mable  Henrietta. 
a  member  of  the  faculty  of  the  Nebraska 
State  University.  Miss  Sterne  is  known  over 
the  state  for  her  ability  as  an  organizer.  Do- 
mestic science  and  home  demonstration  are  her 
particular  lines  of  work  in  which  she  has  been 
successful.  Mr.  Sterne  is  active  in  Republi- 
can politics,  having  been  a  delegate  to  the  Re- 
publican National  Convention  in  1908.  In 
local  affairs  he  is  earnest  and  public  spirited 
having  served  as  a  member  of  the  city  coun- 
cil from  1902  to  1908  assisting  in  much  useful 
civic  legislation.  He  is  a  life  member  of  the 
Grand  Island  Masonic  lodge. 


PURLY  ALLISON  DENNON.  proprietor 
of  the  Grand  Island  Model  Laundry  in  Grand 
Island,  belongs  to  one  of  the  pioneer  families 
of  Hall  County.  For  many  years  Mr.  Dennon 
was  connected  with  the  Union  Pacific  Rail- 
road and  became  widely  and  favorably  known 
in  several  capacities. 

He  was  born  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  Jan- 
uary 12,  1861,  the  son  of  George  W.  and 
Jane  (Motts)  Dennon.  They  bere  bom. 
reared  and  married  in  Ohio  and  from  there 
removed  to  Illinois  and  then  to  Nebraska, 
homesteading  in  Hall  County  in  1878.  The 
father  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War. 
pasing  away  in  Grand  Island  in  1915.  Mr. 
Dennon's  mother  survived  until  1918.  They 
had  eight  children,  those  living  being  the  fol- 
lowing: P.  A.;  j.  W.,  a  farmer  in  Cherry 
County,  Nebraska ;  T.  S.,  who  operates  a  dairy 
in  Grand  Island,  and  C.  C,  with  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  in  Grand  Island.  In  poli- 
tics the  father  was  a  Republican.  During  the 
Civil  War  he  served  in  the  Union  Army  and 
as  a  veteran  belonged  to  the  Grand  Army 
post  in  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Dennon  obtained  a  district  school  ed- 
ucation following  which  he  learned  the  har- 
nessmaking  trade  but  afterward  became  a  rail- 
road man,  a  vocation  he  followed  twenty-four 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


643 


years  with  the  Union  Pacific  system  as  car 
inspector  and  seventeen  years  as  foreman.  In 
1905  he  embarked  in  the  laundry  business  in 
Grand  Island,  organizing  the  Grand  Island 
Model  Laundry  Company,  of  which  he  is 
president.  The  business  is  operated  with  a 
capital  of  $30,000.  The  company  has  com- 
modious quarters  at  Nos.  220-222  East  Third 
street,  where  all  modern  laundry  equipments 
have  been  installed. 

Although  his  laundry  business  engaged 
much  of  his  time  Mr.  Dennon  turned  his  me- 
chanical ability  to  use  as  well.  He  learned 
th'e  watch  maker's  trade  and  jewelry  business, 
engaging  in  business  in  this  occupation  for  six 
years,  but  when  the  United  States  entered  the 
World  War  he  responded  to  his  country's  call 
for  men,  enlisting  in  the  navy  January  28, 
1918  as  machinist  mate  first  class,  serving 
until  discharged  February  18,  1919. 

Mr.  Dennon  married  August  27,  1882,  Miss 
Nellie  Buzza,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Stephen  Buzza.  Mrs.  Dennon's 
father  came  to  Hall  County  in  the  early 
eighties  to  become  a  farmer.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dennon  have  had  three  children,  two  of  whom 
survive,  namely:  Nellie  Myrtle,  the  wife  of 
W.  L.  Stockinger,  a  machinist  with  the  Union 
Pacific,  and  they  have  two  children,  and  Purly 
Sumner.  Mr.  Dennon  was  reared  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  Republican  and  fraternally  he 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Island  lodge  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows. 


AUGUST  MEYER,  recognized  as  one  of 
Grand  Island's  leading  merchants,  is  the  pro- 
prietor of  a  fine  jewelry  store.  Mr.  Meyer 
has  built  up  his  large  establishment  from 
humble  beginnings  and  has  succeeded  because 
of  his  expert  knowledge  gained  through 
thorough  training,  and  has  the  confidence  of 
the  community  because  of  honorable  and  up- 
right business  methods. 

August  Meyer  was  born  in  Switzerland, 
June  13,  1858,  his  parents  being  John  and 
Verena  (Gut)  Meyer,  who  spent  their  entire 
lives  in  Switzerland.  They  had  fourteen  chil- 
dren but  only  three  sons  came  to  the  United 
States:  Robert,  deceased;  Gotlieb,  with  his 
brother  in  the  jewelry  store  in  Grand  Island, 
and  August.  The  father  was  a  watchmaker  by 
trade,  a  vocation  followed  by  four  of  his  sons. 
He  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the  State  church 
of  Switzerland. 

August  Meyer  gained  his  schooling  in  his 
native  land,  following  which  he  learned  his 
trade  before  coming  to  the  United  States  in 


1881.  His  brother  was  in  the  jewelry  and 
watch  business  at  Plattsburg,  New  York, 
where  August  was  employed  four  years  before 
coming  to  Grand  Island.  He  was  practically 
without*  capital  and  hiay  be  said  to  have 
worked  his  way  up  to  his  present  affluence 
from  a  bench,  his  industry  receiving  a  just  re- 
ward as  time  passed  on.  Mr.  Meyer  still  gives 
his  main  attention  to  his  store  although  public 
affairs,  to  some  extent  claim  a  part  of  his  time, 
his  fellows  citizens  having  elected  him  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  council,  where  he  served  six 
years.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a  staunch 
Republican. 

In  1881  Mr.  Meyer  married  Miss  Elizabeth 
Egg,  also  a  native  of  Switzerland,  and  they 
have  three  sons :  Robert,  with  his  father  in  the 
store;  August  H.,  who  studied  electrical  engi- 
neering in  the  state  university  at  Lincoln,  is 
general  manager  of  the  Bryan-Marsh  Electric 
Company,  Chicago,  and  Ernest  J.,  who  is  first 
lieutenant  of  his  company  which  has  been  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France 
since  January,  1918.  As  a  member  of  the  Na- 
tional Guards  he  also  saw  service  on  the  Mexi- 
can border.  Mr.  Meyer  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  chunch. 

EDWIN  W.  HURST,  proprietor  of  the 
Hurst  Sash  &  Door  Company,  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  business  interests  of  Grand  Island 
since  1903.  Through  well  developed  methods 
and  strict  recognition  of  commercial  integrity, 
he  has  achieved  a  large  degree  of  business 
success. 

Edwin  Wardell  Hurst  was  born  at  Cadillac, 
Wexford  County,  Michigan,  in  August,  1880. 
His  parents  were  T.  B.  and  Jennie  (Lyman) 
Hurst,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  They  were 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  removing  from  that 
state  to  Michigan  in  1875  where  the  father  was 
engaged  in  the  lumber  industry.  They  had  six 
children  of  whom  the  following  survive ;  Flor- 
ence, the  widow  of  L.  C.  Reber,  lives  in  Cali- 
fornia, Elizabeth,  the  widow  of  H.  L.  Harri- 
son, a  resident  of  Portland,  Oregon,  and  E. 
W,.  who  belongs  to  Grand  Island.  The  par- 
ents of  this  family  were  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church.    The  father  was  a  Republican. 

Mr.  Hurst's  educational  opportunities  in- 
cluded high  school  advantages  at  Madison, 
Wisconsin,  and  one  year  in  the  university  of 
that  state.  Following  the  close  of  his  school 
days,  Mr.  Hurst  engaged  in  the  manufacture 
of  sash  and  doors,  for  a  time  in  Chicago  and 
later  in  Kansas  City.  For  eight  years  he  was 
a  commercial  traveler  over  Nebraska,  but  in 
1903  he  settled  permanently  in  Grand  Island. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


645 


la  1915  he  established  his  manufacturing  plant 
here  and  devotes  the  greater  part  of  his  time 
to  the  management  of  affairs  connected  with 
it.  The  Hurst  Sash  &  Door  Company  does 
an  exclusive  jobbing  business,  the  products  be- 
ing distributed  throughout  Nebraska,  Wyom- 
ing, Colorado  and  Montana. 

In  1906  Mr.  Hurst  married  Miss  Minedith 
Calvin  of  Chicago.  They  have  no  children. 
Mr.  Hurst  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views,  and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  Lodge 
No.  604,  Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of 
Elks. 


FRED  VOSS.  —  An  illustration  of  the  re- 
wards obtainable  through  a  life  of  integrity 
and  persistent  endeavor  is  found  in  the  career 
of  Fred  Voss,  now  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  Mayfield  township.  When  he  first 
came  to  the  United  States,  forty-seven  years 
ago,  Mr.  Voss  had  practically  nothing  with 
which  to  begin  life  in  a  new  country.  Through 
the  exercise  of  his  native  industry  and  the 
application  of  good  management  to  his  work, 
he  has  made  a  success  of  life  and  is  now  owner 
of  a  valuable  farm  of  280  acres,  situated  in 
section  23. 

Fred  Voss  was  born  May  1,  1846,  in  Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  and  made  his  home  in  his  na- 
tive land  until  reaching  the  age  of  twenty-six 
years.  He  had  the  advantages  of  a  public 
school  education.  The  family  finances  were 
very  modest  and,  there  seeming  to  be  little 
chance  for  him  to  acquire  independence  in 
the  land  of  his  birth,  he  decided  to  try  his  for- 
tunes in  the  United  States.  Arriving  in  Hall 
County  in  1872,  he  found  himself  under  neces- 
sity of  seeking  whatever  honorable  employ- 
ment he  could  find,  being  engaged  at  various 
occupations,  principally  farming,  for  others, 
until  he  had  acquired  sufficient  funds  to  pur- 
chase a  small  property.  This  furnished  the 
nucleus  for  his  present  splendid  farm  of  280 
acres,  which  is  located  in  section  23,  Mayfield 
township.  It  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion, its  productiveness  having  been  developed 
through  scientific  treatment  of  the  soil,  while 
the  use  of  power  farm  machinery  and  modern 
methods  have  contributed  to  Mr.  Voss's  suc- 
cess. Today  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial general  farmers  of  his  community  and 
a  man  of  intelligence  and  enlightened  views 
on  a  number  of  subjects.  In  his  political  views, 
he  takes  an  independent  stand.  Fraternal 
connections  have  held  out  no  attractions  for 
him.  With  his  family,  he  belongs  to  the  Luth- 
eran church. 

The  first  wife  of  Mr.  Voss,  with  whom  he 


was  united  in  Germany,  died  in  1877,  and  left 
one  child:  Lena,  who  is  now  the  wife  of 
Otto  Dickman.  In  1880  Mr.  Voss  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Wibke  Krone.  Four  chil- 
dren were  born  to  this  union :  John,  who  is 
deceased ;  Max,  is  married  and  a  farmer  of 
Mayfield  township;  Chris,  in  the  United  States 
mail  service,  at  Omaha;  and  Harry  Herman, 
who  is  engaged  in  general- farming  in  associa- 
tion with  his  father. 


RAYMOND  D.  KINGSBURY.  — There 
are  few  lines  of  business  more  essential  to  the 
comfort  and  health  of  a  community  than  that 
carried  on  under  the  name  of  plumbing,  and 

Grand  Island  is   fortunate  in  this  direction. 

Few  cities  of  its  size  have  better  plumbing 
or  heating  service  than  is  supplied  by  the 
Grand  Island  Plumbing  Company,  of  which 
Raymond  D.  Kingsbury  is  president.  He  was 
born  in  Fillmore  County,  Nebraska,  November 
24,  1876.  His  father,  Castello  Kingsbury,  was 
a  native  of  Illinois,  living  there  until  after  the 
close  of  the  Civil  War,  when  he  removed  with 
his  family  to  Nebraska  to  settle  in  Fillmore 
County*  He  now  lives  retired  in  Portland, 
Oregon.  He  served  three  years  in  the  Union 
army  as  a  member  of  the- Sixty- fourth  Illinois 
volunteer  infantry,  being  wounded  at  the  battle 
of  Shiloh,  this  injury  making  hospital  treat- 
ment necessary.  He  belongs  to  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic,  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
American  Order  of  United  Workmen.  He 
married  in  Illinois,  Mary  Matt  who  was  born 
in  that  state  and  died  in  Nebraska  in  1910. 
She  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  They  had  four  children,  three  of 
whom  are  living,  namely ;  Raymond  D.,  presi- 
dent of  the  Grand  Island  Plumbing  Company ; 
Mildred,  the  wife  of  Coy  Burnett,  an  attorney 
in  practice  at  Portland,  Oregon,  and  Maud, 
who  resides  in  Portland  where  she  is  a  profes- 
sional nurse. 

R.  D.  Kingsbury  completed  his  educational 
training  in  the  state  university  at  Lincoln,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1901,  after  which 
he  was  connected  for  several  years  with  the 
Burlington  Railroad  in  the  capacity  of  civil 
engineer.  In  1904  he  came  to  Grand  Island 
with  the  intention  of  embarking  in  business 
and  shortly  afterward  bought  his  uncle's 
plumbing  establishment.  The  business  was  in- 
corporated with  a  capital  of  $11,000,  under 
the  name  of  the  Grand  Island  Plumbing  Com- 
pany," with  Mr.  Kingsbury  as  president,  and 
D.  O.  Beckmann  secretary  and  treasurer. 
Since  incorporation  the  scope  of  the  business 


646 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


has  been  yet  further  extended,  so  that  today 
the  concern  is  one  of  Grand  Island's  important 
enterprises.  Although  Mr.  Kingsbury  owns 
a  ranch  situated  in  Wyoming,  he  devotes  the 
most  of  his  personal  attention  to  his  Grand 
Island  interests. 

Mr.  Kingsbury  married,  in  1904,  Miss  Ruby 
D'Ment,  who  was  born  in  Iowa.  They  have 
two  children :  Carol  and  Carita,  both  of  whom 
are  attending  school.  In  political  sentiment 
Mr.  Kingsbury  has  always  been  a  Republican. 
He  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  belongs 
to  the  Mystic  Shrine.  Mr.  Kingsbury  is  a 
liberal  contributor  to  benevolent  objects  and 
with  his  family  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church. 


Geer  and  Harrison  where  he  remained  one  and 
a  half  years,  then  worked  one  year  for  Krase 
Brothers,  following  this  employment  he  began 
a  contracting  business  of  his  own.  In  1913  he 
organized  the  Nelson  Lumber  &  Supply  Com- 
pany, which  deals  in  lumber,  coal  and  planing 
mill  products.  Their  trade  territory  covers  the 
state  of  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Nelson  married  in  Denmark  Miss  Eliza 
Anderson,  also  a  native  of  that  country.  They 
have  three  children,  Lars,  Sarah,  and  Norman. 
Mr.  Nelson  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Luth- 
eran church.  He  votes  with  the  Democratic 
party  and  is  a  member  of  the  school  board. 
Fraternally  his  associations  are  with  the  Dan- 
ish Brotherhood  and  the  M.  B.  A. 


HERMAN  NELSON,  the  head  of  the  Nel- 
son Lumber  &  Supply  Company  of  Grand  Is- 
land, is  recognized  as  one  of  Grand  Island's 
most  enterprising  business  men.  He  came  here 
practically  without  capital  and  has  built  up  a 
fine  business  entirely  through  his  own  industry, 
and  the  success  which  has  attended  his  efforts 
is  well  merited. 

Herman  Nelson  was  born  in  Denmark, 
January  23,  1880,  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  six 
children  bom  to  his  parents,  Lars  and  Cas- 
para  Nelson.  His  father  died  on  a  little  farm 
in  Denmark,  on  which  his  mother  yet  lives. 
They  had  the  following  children:  Jens  P., 
who  has  resided  in  Nebraska  for  thirty-three 
years,  lives  on  a  farm  north  of  York ;  Lars 
and  Marie,  twins,  the  former  of  whom  was 
accidentally  drowned  fourteen  years  ago,  and 
the  latter  who  is  the  wife  of  T.  Norgard  of 
Denmark ;  Edward,  who  resides  with  his 
mother  in  the  old  country ;  Herman,  who  came 
to  Grand  Island  in  1906 ;  and  Casper,  who  is 
engaged  in  the  grocery  business,  also  remains 
in  Denmark.  The  father  of  this  family  was 
a  man  of  importance  in  his  district,  having 
held  the  political  office  of  inspector  of  one 
and  one-quarter  miles  of  coast  along  the  North 
Sea,  for  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

As  a  boy  Herman  Nelson  assisted  in  work- 
ing the  home  farm  and  also  was  an  aid  to  his 
father  in  watching  and  guarding  the  coast. 
He  had  common  school  advantages  and  then 
attended  the  high  scho!  from  1897  until  1898, 
at  the  same  time  working  as  a  carpenter's  ap- 
prentice, thereby  learning  a  trade  that  he  has 
found  exceedingly  useful.  In  1902  Mr.  Nelson 
came  to  the  United  States,  soon  finding  work 
on  the  Great  Northern  Railroad,  being  em- 
ployed prior  to  coming  to  Grand  Island,  in 
bridge  building  at  Clancy,  Montana.  After 
reaching  this  city  in  1906  he  went  to  work  for 


JOHN  H.  TRENT,  vice  president  of  the 
Nelson  Lumber  &  Supply  Company  of  Grand 
Island,  has  been  a  resident  of  Nebraska  since 
he  was  eighteen  years  old,  his  parents  being 
among  the  pioneers  of  1882  in  Hall  County. 
The  Trent  name  has  been  an  honorable  and 
respected  one  in  this  section  ever  since,  al- 
though its  founders  here  have  passed  away. 

John  H.  Trent  was  bom  in  Menard  County, 
Illinois,  February  24,  1864.  His  parents  were 
Williamson  and  Lydia  A.  (Jones)  Trent,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Menard  County,  where 
the  father  was  a  substantial  farmer  for  many 
years.  Mr.  Trent  and  his  father  were  both 
born  in  the  town  of  Old  Salem,  the  home  of 
Abraham  Lincoln,  the  father  was  a  personal 
friend  and  associate  of  Mr.  Lincoln  in  early 
days.  The  west  called  Williamson  Trent,  how. 
ever,  and  in  1882  he  came  to  Hall  Count)', 
Nebraska,  and  here  the  rest  of  his  life  was 
spent.  In  addition  to  farming  he  worked  at 
bricklaying.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics. 
Both  he  and  wife  belonged  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  A  family  of  six  children 
were  born  to  Williamson  and  Lydia  Trent. 
Of  this  family  four  are  living:  Alice,  the  wife 
of  O.  H.  Ereyly,  a  retired  farmer  living  at 
Hershey,  Nebraska;  John  H.,  a  representative 
business  man  of  Grand  Island;  Clarence,  who 
carries  on  a  confectionery  business  at  Hershey. 
Nebraska ;  and  Ned,  who  conducts  the  New 
York  Shining  Parlor  at  Wichita  Falls.  Texas. 

John  H.  Trent  attended  the  public  schools  in 
Illinois  and  after  coming  to  Nebraska  spent 
one  year  in  the  high  school  at  Doniphan.  His 
earlier  years  were  passed  on  a  farm.  After 
this  he  learned  the  blacksmith  trade  following 
which  he  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1895.  He 
continued  to  work  at  this  occupation  until  1913* 
a  period  of  twenty  years.  In  that  year  he  be- 
came interested  in  the  organization  of  the  Nel- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


(A7 


son  Lumber  and  Supply  Company,  becoming 
vice  president  of  the  concern,  which  has  proved 
a  very  successful  business  enterprise.  It  has 
grown  to  large  proportions  under  able  manage- 
ment, having  formerly  had  lumber  interests 
at  Phillips  and  at  present  owns  a  concern  at 
Cairo.  Mr.  Trent  began  life  on  his  own  ac- 
count with  but  little  capital,  but  has  made 
steady  progress  and  now  owns,  in  addition 
to  the  interests  above  indicated,  five  quarter- 
sections  of  land  in  western  Nebraska,  valuable 
tracts  in  Colorado,  and  lands  in  Hall  County. 
Mr.  Trent  married,  in  1887,  Miss  Laura 
Fairbank,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 
They  have  no  children.  Politically  he  has  al- 
ways been  affiliated  with  the  Democratic  party, 


WILLIAM  JOHNSON,  well  known  and 
highly  respected  in  Hall  County,  has  lived 
within  its  confines  since  1887.  He  is  an  expert 
blacksmith  having  worked  continuously  at  his 
trade  in  Grand  Island.  By  his  industry  he  has 
not  only  set  a  commendable  example,  but  also 
he  has  accumulated  a  comfortable  fortune. 

William  Johnson  was  bom  in  Denmark,  Jan- 
uary 23,  1860.  His  parents  were  Hans  and 
Kittie  Johnson,  who  passed  their  lives  in  Den- 
mark. They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Of  their  five  children,  William  was 
the  only  one  to  come  to  the  United  States. 
He  attended  school  in  his  native  land  but  as  his 
father  earned  only  the  wages  of  a  general 
laborer  he  had  few  advantages  and  from  early 
boyhood  cherished  the  hope  of  sometime  com- 
ingto  America.  His  opportunity  came  in  1881. 
When  he  reached  the  United  States,  he  settled 
at  Lansing,  Michigan,  where  he  found  work 
in  a  blacksmith  shop.  Following  this  occu- 
pation he  enlisted  in  the  United  States  army 
following  the  vocation  of  a  soldier  for  the  next 
five  years  during  the  Indian  troubles  in  Mon- 
tana, California  and  old  Mexico. 

When  released  from  the  army,  in  1887,  Mr. 
Johnson  came  to  Grand  Island,  to  work  as 
a  blacksmith  for  C.  E.  Lykke,  with  whom  he 
remained  for  eighteen  years  and  then  became 
associated  with  John  H.  Trent.  Later  he  pur- 
chased a  half  interest  in  the  business  that  he 
had  assisted  to  establish. 

Mr.  Johnson  married  in  1886,  Miss  Katie 
Benson,  who  was  born  in  Tennessee  and  died 
at  Grand  Island,  June  5,  1915.  Five  children 
were  born  to  them  as  follows :  Robert,  em- 
ployed in  a  printing  office  at  Kansas  City; 
Lloyd,  with  the  American  army  in  France, 
having  served  as  a  blacksmith  in  an  engineer 
corps  for  the  past  eighteen  months;  Archer, 
a  machinist ;  Marie,  the  wife  of  James  Byard, 


an  aviator  connected  with  the  Great  Lakes 
training  station,  and  Hazel,  who  resides  with 
her  father.  Mr.  Johnson  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  There 
are  many  reasons  why  Mr.  Johnson  should 
take  a  deep  interest  in  public  affairs,  and  dur- 
ing the  years  of  strife  now  happily  ended,  he 
was  active  in  helpful  ways  wherever  he  found 
opportunity.     In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 


LUDWIG  ALBERT  ZUEHLKE,  the  effi- 
cient and  enterprising  manager  of  the  Hord 
Grain  and  Coal  Company  of  Grand  Island, 
has  had  a  considerable  amount  of  experience  in 
other  business  lines,  where  he  demonstrated  his 
capacity  to  handle  large  interests.  He  was 
born  in  Germany,  September  26,  1874. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Zuehlke  were  Ludwig 
and  Augusta  (Henkle)  Zuehlke,  natives  of 
Gemany  who  emigrated  to  the  United  States, 
reaching  Hall  County,  May  10,  1883.  The 
father  bought  land  from  the  railroad  com- 
pany on  which  the  family  resided  for  a  number 
of  years  before  the  father  retired  from  active 
life  and  moved  to  Grand  Island.  Here  both 
father  and  mother  died.  Of  their  twelve  chil- 
dren eleven  are  living,  two  of  whom  are  in 
Sputh  Dakota,  the  other  nine  being  distributed 
in  Hall,  Merrick  and  Holt  counties,  Nebraska. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church. 

Ludwig  Albert  Zuehlke  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm  and  attended  school  in  a  little 
white  building  situated  seven  miles  north  of 
Grand  Island.  For  eight  years  after  finish- 
ing his  education  he  followed  farming  in 
Howard  County,  then  homesteaded  in  the 
Rosebud  reservation,  in  Boyd  County,  being 
one  of  the  first  white  settlers  to  venture  into 
that  section  at  a  time  when  Indians  were  to 
be  seen  every  day.  Three  years  later  after 
selling  his  homestead  he  came  to  Grand  Is- 
land, locating  here  in  1906,  after  which  for 
some  years  he  was  engaged  in  a  grocery  busi- 
ness. He  then  took  charge  of  the  Hord  Grain 
&  Coal  Company,  of  which  he  has  since  been 
manager. 

Mr.  Zuehlke  married,  October  1,  1892,  Miss 
Johanna  Barth,  who  was  born  in  Merrick 
County,  Nebraska.  Her  parents  came  to  Ne- 
braska in  1881.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Zuehlke  have 
four  children :  Martha,  Minnie,  Harry  and 
Arthur,  all  of  whom  live  at  home.  The  entire 
family  belongs  to  the  Trinity  Lutheran  church. 
situated  on  East  Second  street,  Grand  Island. 
Mr.  Zuehlke  is  considered  a  valuable  citizen, 
one  who  is  strong  in  his  support  of  law  and 
order  and   liberal   in  benevolent   movements. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


He  has  never  been  ambitious]  for  political 
honors  but  is  loyal  in  his  support  of  his  Re- 
publican friends. 

HENRY  HARRY,  well  and  familiarly 
known  as  Colonel  Harry,  is  a  virile  and  pro- 
gressive young  man  who  has  proved  himself 
strong  and  resourceful  in  facing  the  responsi- 
bilities and  problems  that  he  has  encountered 
in  the  developing  of  a  well-established  reputa- 
tion as  one  of  the  reliable  and  popular  business 
men  of  Hall  County.  He  has  been  in  the 
most  significant  sense  the  artificer  of  his  own 
success.  His  advancement  has  been  won 
through  earnest  and  well  ordered  endeavors, 
the  while  he  has  at  all  times  commanded  in- 
violable place  in  popular  confidence  and  good 
will.  Colonel  Harry  is  one  of  the  versatile, 
successful  and  popular  exponents  of  the  voca- 
tion of  auctioneer,  and  in  this  field  his  able 
services  are  much  in  demand  throughout  this 
section  of  the  state.  His  residence  and  busi- 
ness headquarters  are  maintained  in  Grand 
Island. 

Henry  Harry  was  born  in  the  fine  old  pro- 
vince of  Westphalia,  Germany;  the  date  of 
his  nativity  was  August  18,  1880.  He  is  a 
son  of  Henry  and  Caroline  (Kurling)  Harry, 
who  were  bom  and  reared  in  that  same  prov- 
ince but  emigrated  to  the  United  States  in 
1884.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Harry  occurred  within 
that  year.  She  was  born  in*  1856.  Henry 
Harry,  Sr.,  who  now  resides  near  Chapman, 
Merrick  County,  has  been  actively  engaged 
in  farm  enterprises  since  1900.  He  is  one 
of  the  substantial  and  valued  citizens  of  that 
locality.  His  political  allegiance  is  given  to 
the  Democratic  party  and  his  religious  faith 
is  that  of  the  Lutheran  church,  of  which  his 
wife  likewise  was  a  devout  communicant.  Of 
their  two  children  Henry,  Jr.,  of  this  review, 
is  the  elder,  and  the  younger,  Fred,  in  engaged 
in  farming,  at  Chapman. 

Henry  Harry,  Jr.,  was  about  four  years  old 
when  his  parents  came  from  Germany  to 
America  and  established  their  home  in  Howard 
County,  Nebraska.  The  father  later  removed 
to  Merrick  County,  where  he  now  resides.  In 
the  public  school  of  St.  Libory,  Howard 
County,  Henry  Harry,  Jr.,  acquired  his  early 
educational  discipline,  being  reared  Ito  the 
sturdy  service  involved  in  farm  life.  Thus  it 
naturally  came  about  that  his  initial  activities 
of  independent  order  were  those  of  a  farm 
worker,  in  which  connection  he  found  em- 
ployment by  the  month,  after  having  run  away 
from  home  for  the  purpose  of  thus  proving 
his     self-reliance     and     independent     spirit. 


Finally  he  was  enabled  to  engage  in  a  farm 
enterprise  for  himself.  Energy  and  good 
judgment  brought  him  success  during  the 
period  of  years  that  he  was  farming  an  entire 
section  of  land,  in  Hamilton  County. 

Reverting  to  the  circumstances  of  the  child- 
hood of  Colonel  Harry,  it  is  to  be  noted  that 
his  parents  were  in  such  limited  financial  con- 
dition that  when  they  set  forth  for  the  United 
States  they  had  not  sufficient  money  to  justify 
them  in  bringing  their  two  little  sons,  who  were 
cared  for  by  a  friend  of  the  family  until  the 
father  could  make  provision  for  their  coming 
two  or  three  years  later.  When  about 
eighteen  years  of  age  Colonel  Harry  found 
employment  on  the  farm  of  a  German  in 
Hamilton  County.  His  employer  was  more 
given  to  indulgence  in  ardent  spirits  than  to 
fair  and  reasonable  treatment  of  his  employes, 
and  thus  it  came  about  that  after  working  three 
days,  at  a  wage  of  fifty  cents  a  day,  young 
Harry  was  discharged.  With  his  little  sum  of 
three  dollars,  earned  by  hard  work,  he  set 
forth  to  find  another  job.  At  Aurora  he 
rented  a  room  for  twenty-five  cents  and  paid 
an  equal  amount  for  his  breakfast.  To  con- 
serve his  little  sum  of  money,  he  went  without 
dinner  and  supper  that  day.  He  went  in  turn 
to  every  farmer  who  hitched  his  team  in  the 
village  and  asked  for  work.  Finally  one  man 
informed  the  youth  that  he  had  a  brother  who 
needed  a  man,  and  though  Harry  was  only  a 
boy  he  found  employment  with  this  brother, 
with  whom  he  remained  as  long  as  the  latter 
required  a  man  for  such  farm  service.  For 
a  year  thereafter  he  was  employed  by  a  farmer 
named  Schuster,  and  from  his  wages  for  that 
year  he  spent  only  seven  and  one-half  dollars 
—  the  greater  part  for  shoes  and  overalls  and 
the  remainder  in  the  remarkable  profligacy 
implied  in  his  paying  fifty  cents  for  admittance 
to  the  Ringling  Brothers  circus,  with  five  cents 
for  the  redoubtable  circus  lemonade  and  five 
cents  for  sausage,  —  which  constituted  his 
dinner  on  that  momentous  occasion.  With  his 
savings  Mr.  Harry  purchased  a  corn  sheller, 
but  in  its  operation  he  met  with  negative  finan- 
cial success.  Finally  he  went  to  Giltner, 
Hamilton  County,  where  he  engaged  in  the 
livery  business,  besides  opening  a  dance  hall  in 
his  livery  barn.  Through  this  dual  enterprise 
he  made  several  hundred  dollars,  and  with  this 
capital  he  rented  640  acres  of  land.  In  his 
vigorous  activities  as  an  agriculturist  and 
stock-grower  on  this  land  he  was  succesful, 
and  while  he  was  thus  engaged  he  conducted 
his  first  sale  in  tho  capacity  of  auctioneer.  So 
successful  was  he  in  this  sale  that  there  came 
insistent  demand  for  his  services  as  an  auction- 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


653 


eer,  and  eventually  he  found  it  expedient  to 
adopt  auctioneering  as  his  vocation.  He  has 
become  one  of  the  best  known  and  most  suc- 
cessful auctioneers  in  this  part  of  the  state  and 
his  genial  personality,  coupled  with  his  fair 
and  honorable  methods,  have  not  only  gained 
to  him  a  wide  circle  of  friends  but  have  in- 
ured also  to  his  splendid  success  in  his  chosen 
field  of  service.  Of  the  scope  and  importance 
of  his  "professional"  business  an  idea  is  con- 
veyed when  it  is  stated  that  in  the  winter  of 
1917-1918  Colonel  Harry  conducted  two  hun- 
dred and  thirty-eight  auction  sales,  from  which 
he  recieved  in  individual  fees  as  high  as  two 
hundred  and  thirty  dollars.  His  reputation 
as  an  auctioneer  has  far  transcended  mere 
local  limitations,  which  is  shown  by  the  fact 
that  he  has  been  called  upon  to  conduct  sales 
not  only  in  diverse  sections  of  Nebraska,  but 
also  in  Wyoming,  Montana,  Colorado,  and  at 
~St  Joseph,  Missouri.  Within  the  period  of 
independent  career  Colonel  Harry  has  owned  a 
number  of  good  farm  properties  in  Nebraska. 
In  Hall  County  he  now  owns  a  well  improved 
and  valuable  landed  estate  of  three  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  for  which  he  paid  $14,000. 
He  began  life  without  money  or  influential 
friends,  but  by  his  own  energy,  initiative  and 
well  ordered  endeavors  he  has  achieved  large 
and  worthy  success,  together  with  unqualified 
popular  esteem. 

That  a  man  who  has  thus  marked  the  passing 
years  with  sucessful  personal  activities  should 
also  have  full  appreciation  of  civic  duties  and 
responsibilities,  is  a  foregone  conclusion.  Thus 
Colonel  Harry  is  always  ready  to  lend  his  co- 
operation in  the  futherance  of  measures  pro- 
jected for  the  general  good  of  the  community, 
and  he  has  also  been  especially  loyal  and  liberal 
in  the  support  of  the  various  patriotic  war 
agencies  that  have  marked  the  nation's  par- 
ticipation in  the  great  world  war.  He  has 
had  no  desire  for  political  activity  or  public 
office,  but  gives  staunch  allegiance  to  the 
Democratic  party.  In  a  fraternal  way  he  is 
affiliated  with  the  Independent  Order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America 
and  the  Travelers'  Protective  Association. 
He  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  As  an  auctioneer  Colonel  Harry  is 
retained  continuously  as  salesman  for  the 
Grand  Island  Horse  &  Mule  Company,  at  an 
annual  salary  of  $5,000.  From  his  general  ser- 
vices as  an  auctioneer  he  also  recieves  substan- 
tial returns.  The  Colonel  is  a  worker,  a  thinker 
and  a  successful  business  man,  and  his  many 
friends  fully  realize  that  he  is  accounting  well 
for  himself  and  to  the  world  in  all  of  the  re- 
lations of  life. 


The  17th  of  October,  1906,  recorded  the 
marriage  of  Colonel  Harry  to  Miss  Bertha 
Stratmann,  who  was  born  and  reared  at  Grand 
Island,  her  father,  Frederick  Stratmann,  hav- 
ing been  for  a  number  of  years  engaged  in 
farm  enterprise  in  Hall  County  and  having 
thereafter  established  himself  in  the  agricul- 
tural-implement business  in  Grand  Island. 
Colonel  and  Mrs.  Harry  have  two  winsome 
daughters,  Dorothy  and  Virginia,  both  of 
whom  are  now  attending  the  public  schools  of 
Grand  Island,    " 


WILLIAM  F.  KREHMKE,  a  representa- 
tive citizen  of  Hall  County,  and  a  substantial 
business  man  of  Grand  Island,  has  been  in  the 
meat  business  here  for  almost  twenty  years. 
He  is  held  in  high  regard  in  business,  and  en- 
joys equal  confidence  in  political  circles. 

William  F.  Krehmke  was  born  at  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  September  28,  1881.  His 
parents  were  William  and  Caroline  (Krehm- 
ke) Krehmke,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  from  Holstein, 
Germany,  in  1869,  being  pioneer  settlers  at 
Grand  Island,  where  the  father  engaged  in  a 
manufacturing  business.  He  became  a  citizen 
and  identfied  himself  with  the  Republican 
party.  There  were  five  children  in  the 
Krehmke  family  all  of  whom  were  sent  to 
school  and  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Of  these  William  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth,  the  others  were:  Christ,  a 
railroad  man  at  Grand  Island ;  Freda,  the  wife 
of  Herny  Horstman,  a  painter  at  Grand  Is- 
land ;  August,  living  in  Sparta,  Nevada,  has  a 
large  transfer  business;  and  Minnie,  the  wife 
of  John  Rathman,  a  farmer  in  Kimball  County, 
Nebraska. 

William  F.  Krehmke  attended  the  Grand 
Island  public  schools  and  afterward  worked 
on  a  farm  in  Hall  County  for  seven  years,  and 
for  two  years  rode  range  in  Kansas.  He  then 
returned  to  Grand  Island  to  embark  in  his 
present  business,  his  first  shop  being  located  on 
Second  Street.  In  1906  he  sold  that  shop  and 
in  1912  he  moved  to  the  commodious  quarters 
he  now  occupies  on  North  Pine  street  where 
he  carries  a  heavy  stock;  making  a  specialty 
of  fine  meats. 

Mr.  Krehmke  married,  October  4,  1911,  in 
Grand  Island,  Miss  Emma  Conow,  who  was 
born  in  this  city.  They  have  two  children;  a 
six  year  old  daughter,  Evelyn,  and  a  son,  Will. 
iam  Lyle,  who  is  about  one  year  old.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Krehmke  are  members  of  the 
English  Lutheran  church.  He  is  identified 
with  both  Masonic  and  Odd  Fellow  fraternities 

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654 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


having  held  the  office  of  vice-grand  in  the 
latter.  He  has  long  been  very  active  in  Re- 
publican political  circles ;  serving  for  some 
years  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  first 
by  appointment  and  later  by  election.  Per- 
sonally he  is  very  popular,  a  fact  Hall  County 
demonstrated  when  he  was  the  Republican 
candidate  for  the  state  senate,  in  1916,  by  giv- 
ing him  a  remarkable  vote.  The  district  is 
normally  Democratic  but  he  carried  his  county 
by  over  one  thousand  votes,  being  defeated 
by  only  three  hundred  votes.  He  is  of  genial 
temperament,  is  social  in  his  instincts,  and  is 
one  of  the  hearty  supporters  of  the  old  German 
athletic  societies  of  the  city. 


WILLIAM  McLELLAN,  who  has  spent 
many  busy  years  in  Hall  County,  now  lives  re- 
tired in  Grand  Island,  where  he  is  highly  es- 
teemed. He  owns  a  large  amount  of  property 
in  the  county.  It  is  his  privilege  to  direct  the 
development  and  improvement  of  1,560  acres 
of  fine  land.  Mr.  McLellan  is  a  member  of 
the  board  of  directors  of  the  Commercial  State 
Bank. 

William  McLellan  was  born  in  Ayrshire, 
Scotland,  January  4,  1860,  a  son  of  James  and 
Helen  (Kelly)  McLellan,  who  were  born, 
reared  and  married  in  Scotland.  In  1866 
James  McLellan  came  to  the  United  States 
locating  in  Illinois  but  early  in  the  following 
year  returned  to  Scotland  to  live  there  until 
1869,  when  he  came  back  to  Illinois  where  he 
was  occupied  as  a  farmer  and  miner.  In  1870 
he  was  joined  by  his  wife  and  six  children.  The 
mother  died  in  Logan  County,  Illinois,  while 
the  father  passed  away  in  Krebs,  Oklahoma. 
Ttiey  had  nine  children  of  whom  the  following 
survive:  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Wilfred  Fulk,  a 
retired  farmer  living  in  Lincoln,  Illinois ;  Wil- 
liam, who  lives  retired  in  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska ;  Peter,  living  on  a  farm  in  Illinois ; 
John,  a  resident  of  Hall  County;  and  James, 
a  farmer  in  Illinois.  The  parents  of  the  family 
were  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 

William  McLellan  attended  school  in  Scot- 
land and  later  in  Logan  County,  Illinois. 
Prior  to  coming  to  Nebraska  he  worked  by 
the  month  on  a  farm  but  after  reaching  Hall 
County  in  September,  1883,  entered  the  employ 
of  William  Gilchrist,  being  employed  on  his 
farm  through  that  fall  and  the  following  win- 
ter, when  he  rented  a  tract  of  land  from  Mr. 
Gilchrist  which  he  operated  for  five  years, 
when  he  bought  an  eighty  acre  farm  of  his  own 
After  that,  Mr.  McLellan  devoted  himself  in- 
dustriously to  farming  and  stock  raising,  and 
as  his  methods  met  with  success  he  gradually 


acquired  additional  land  until  in  the  course  of 
years  he  has  become  a  large  landed  proprietor. 
This  has  not  come  abont  without  persistent 
industry  and  the  exercise  of  business  acumen 
of  a  high  order.  Others  might  not  do  so  weil 
in  the  space  of  thirty-six  years,  but  Mr.  Mc- 
Lellan has  proved  that  it  can  be  done,  having 
honestly  advanced  from  the  status  of  a  poor 
farm  laborer,  to  that  of  an  affluent  citizen 
whose  name  is  an  asset  to  any  financial  institu- 
tion with  which  he  may  be  associated. 

Mr.  McLellan  married  in  February,  1885, 
Miss  Alice  Juhnke,  a  native  of  Tennessee,  a 
daughter  of  Carl  Juhnke,  who  was  born  in 
Germany.  He  settled  in  Hall  County  in  1873 
and  died  here.  Eight  children  have  been  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  McLellan,  of  whom  the  fol- 
lowing are  living:  James,  resides  on  a  farm 
two  miles  west  of  Grand  Island ;  Rebecca,  the 
wife  of  Henry  Thomas,  a  farmer  west  of 
Grand  Island ;  Albert,  who  resides  en  the  home 
farm,  married  Mary  Kelly ;  Ada,  the  wife  of 
Walter  Layman,  a  farmer  near  Alliance,  Ne- 
braska; William,  with  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Force  in  France ;  and  Jennette,  a  stu- 
dent in  the  Grand  Island  high  school.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Lellan died  March  9,  1904.  In  politics  Mr. 
McLellan  is  a  Republican.  He  belonges  to  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  and 
has  taken  the  advanced  degrees  in  Masonry 
and  is  a  Shriner. 


THOMAS  H.  FRITTS.  —  Long  before  the 
world  had  any  conception  of  the  mighty  uses 
to  which  electricity  might  sometime  be  applied, 
there  were  scientific  investigators  who  gave 
close  study  to  everything  pertaining  to  this 
force  as  then  known,  and  thereby  made  the 
discoveries  that  have  been  so  revolutionary  in 
almost  every  line  of  activity.  It  was  about 
a  quarter  of  a  century  ago  that  Thomas  H. 
Fntts,  well  known  in  Grand  Island,  became 
interested  in  the  electrical  business,  which  in- 
terest has  continued  to  the  present  day.  He 
is  vice-president  of  the  Central  Power  Com- 
pany of  Grand  Island.  Thomas  H.  Fritts  was 
born  in  Lyons,  Burt  County,  Nebraska,  No- 
vember 3,  1872,  a  son  of  Gideon  and  Martha 
A.  (Cockrell)  Fritts.  They  were  bom  and 
married  in  Ohio,  moving  from  there  to  Burt 
County,  Nebraska,  in  the  early  sixties.  The 
father  acquired  land  on  which  he  lived  until 
his  death  in  1912,  which  occurred  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  The  mother  still  lives  on 
the  old  home  place.  Of  their  seven  children 
the  following  survive:  William  J.,  who  lives 
on  the  old  homestead  in  Burt  County ;  Mary, 
the  wife  of  F.  O.  Eckleen,  a  retired  citizen  of 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


655 


Lyons;  Sylvia,  the  wife  of  E.  B.  Senter  of 
Omaha ;  Thomas  IT.,  who  has  lived  in  Grand 
Island  for  the  past  thirteen  years ;  and  Areelia, 
who  lives  with  her  mother  in  Burt  County 
Gideon  Fritts  was  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
Presbyterian  church  in  Burt  County  and  the 
first  organized  meeting  was  hehi  in  his  house. 
He  gave  liberally  for  church  purposes  and  was 
one  of  the  largest  donors  to  the  church,  which 
yet  stands  on  East  Main  street,  Lyons.  In 
his  political  convictions  he  was  a  Democrat. 
Before  coming  to  Nebraska  as  a  permanent 
resident,  he  had  been  a  soldier  in  the  Civil 
War  and  as  long  as  he  lived  was  a  rigid  sup- 
porter of  temperance,  law  and  order. 

Mr.  Fritts  had  common  school  advantages 
and  then  went  to  work  as  an  apprentice  in  the 
electrical  business  in  South  Omaha  continuing 
in  that  line  for  several  years,  afterward  be- 
coming manager  of  the  South  Omaha  Electric 
Light  and  Power  Company.  Following  this 
an  interval  of  two  years  passed  when  he  was 
otherwise  engaged  but  he"  returned  to  the  elec- 
trical business  and  for  five  years  had  charge 
of  a  plant  at  Wayne,  Nebraska.  In  June, 
1906,  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  became 
manager  and  vice-president  of  the  Central 
Power  Company,  in  which  he  is  financially 
interested.  His  time  is  largely  taken  up  with 
the  duties  of  this  position  as  he  has  charge  of 
all  the  company  property  in  seventeen  towns 
in  Nebraska,  which  are  supplied  electrical 
power  by  this  concern. 

Mr.  Fritts  married  in  March,  1891,  Miss 
Josephine  Higley,  who  was  born  at  Decatur, 
Nebraska,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  D.  Higley,  who 
settled  in  the  early  eighties,  in  Burt  County. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fritts  have  two  children:  Vic- 
tor, connected  with  the  Western  Electric  Com- 
pany, Chicago,  and  Bernadine,  the  wife  of 
Robert  F.  Pfeiffer,  who  is  manager  of  the 
Central  Power  Company's  plant  at  Kearney, 
Nebraska.  Mr.  Fritts  is  an  earnest  and  public- 
spirited  citizen  but  is  not  unduly  active  in  poli- 
tics. He  is  an  independent  voter.  He  is 
identified  with  Lodge  No.  604  Elks  in  Grand 
Island. 


JOHN  KNICKREHM,  a  substantial  and 
respected  citizen  of  Grand  Island,  came  here 
with  his  family  about  thirty-two  years  ago. 
Through  industry  he  rapidly  advanced  his  for- 
tunes, and  for  the  last  twenty-one  years  he 
has  been  at  the  head  of  a  business  of  his  own. 

John  Knickrehm  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  one  of  a  family  of  six  children  born 
to  his  parents,  John  and  Anna  Knickrehm,  who 
passed  their  lives  in  the  old  country.     The 


boy  was  reared  on  a  farm  but  desiring  greater 
opportunities  came  to  the  United  States,  the 
only  member  of  his  family  to  emigrate  from 
the  native  land,  soon  after  reaching  America 
located  at  Grand  Island,  in  1887.  At  first  he 
accepted  any  work  that  he  could  secure  to  ob- 
tain money,  shoveling  many  a  load  of  coal. 
Later  he  worked  in  a  lumber  yard  and  then 
found  employment  in  a  grocery  store,  in  which 
he  was  engaged  continuously  until  1898.  In 
that  year  he  embarked  in  the  grocery  business 
for  himself,  starting  in  the  building  he  has 
occupied  to  the  present  time,  on  the  north  side 
of  the  city,  where  he  has  built  up  a  substan- 
tial patronage. 

Mr.  Knickrehm  married,  in  Germany,  in 
1884,  Miss  Christiana  Dohrn.  They  have  two 
sons,  John  and  Carl,  both  of  whom  are  with 
their  father  in  the  store.  Mr.  Knickrehm  and 
family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church..  He 
has  always  taken  a  good  citizen's  interest  in 
the  welfare  of  Grand  Island  and  twice  has 
served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  dur- 
ing both  terms  earnestly  supporting  useful 
civic  measures.  He  is  independent  in  his 
political  views. 

CHARLES  T.  McELROY,  a  representa- 
tive business  man  of  Grand  Island,  and  a 
prominent,  useful  and  loyal, citizen,  was  born 
at  Middlesex,  Vermont,  April  30,  1873,  but 
became  a  resident  of  Nebraska  when  only 
two  years  of  age,  being  the  only  child  of 
Frederick  A.  and  Jenette  (Thornton)  Mc- 
Elroy,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  They 
were  natives  of  Vermont  and  from  there  re- 
moved to  Omaha,  in  1875,  and  from  there 
to  Richland,  living  in  the  latter  place  during 
the  grasshopper  visitatiton.  In  1876  the 
family  came  to  Grand  Island.  While  living 
in  Richland,  the  father  of  Mr.  McElroy  was 
a  railroad  section  foreman.  After  coming 
to  this  city  he  was  made  a  car  inspector,  being 
in  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific  Company 
for  thirty-two  years.  The  patemal  grand- 
father of  Mr,  McElroy  was  William  McElroy, 
whose  ancestors  came  from  Scotland.  The 
maternal  grandfather,  Charles  Thornton,  who 
was  bom  at  Moretown,  Washington  County, 
Vermont,  was  a  direct  descendant  of  Matthew 
Thornton,  one  of  the  signers  of  the  immortal 
Declaration   of    Independence. 

To  the  excellent  public  schools  of  Grand 
Island,  Charles  T.  McElroy  is  indebted  for  his 
sound  educational  training.  After  his  school 
days  were  over  he  accepted  a  position  as 
clerk  in  a  dry  goods  house  and  thus  became 
self  supporting.     Later  he  became  associated 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


with  the  Yellow  Front  shoe  store,  where  he 
served  as  a  clerk  for  twenty-one  years,  then 
acquired  an  interest  in  the  business.  This 
interest  he  sold  in  1911  to  enter  a  different 
line,  becoming  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Win- 
gert  &  McEIroy,  in  the  culvert  and  sheet 
metal  business.  When  this  concern  was 
organized  as  a  stock  company,  in  1914,  the 
present  name  of  the  Grand  Island  Culvert  & 
Metal  Works  was  adopted.  This  has  become 
one  of  Grand  Island's  important  business 
enterprises,  being  amply  financed  and  ably 
managed. 

Mr.  McEIroy  married,  in  July,  1901,  Miss 
Bertha  T.  Guiou,  a  daughter  of  William 
Alfred  Guiou,  who  came  to  Grand  Island  in 
1891  and  engaged  in  the  lumber  business. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McEIroy  have  four  children : 
Tom,  Frances,  Robert  and  Elizabeth,  all  of 
whom  live  at  home.  The  family  belongs  to 
the  Episcopal  church  and  both  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
McEIroy  have  been  very  active,  particularly 
in  all  that  pertains  to  the  church  music,  Mr. 
MfcElroy  being  a  member  of  the  first  vested 
choir. 

Mr.  McEIroy  is  a  member  of  the  Spanish- 
American  War,  and  has  heartily  and  con- 
scientiously entered  into  the  various  patriotic 
movements  that  the  World  War  brought  to 
the  watchful  attention  of  loyal  Americans. 
He  has  military  rank  as  a  first  lieutenant  in 
the  Home  Guards',  has  served  on  the  Liberty 
Loan  committees,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
State  Council  of  Defense.  His  political  views 
make  him  a  zealous  Republican  and  for  a 
number  of  years  he  has  been  actively  inter- 
ested in  local  political  questions  and  has  been 
committeeman  of  his  ward.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  fraternal  order  of  Elks,  while  in  Ma- 
sonry he  has  been  advanced  to  high  position, 
being  a  Knight  Templar -and  a  Shriner,  past 
high  priest  and  past  eminent  commander. 


HENRY  W.  LOCKE,  one  of  the  younger 
business  men  of  Grand  Island,  devotes  himself 
closely  to  his  rapidly  growing  photographic 
business,  which  he  has  maintained  since  1915. 
He  has  shown  himself  enterprising,  industrious 
and  reliable,  and  has  many  personal  as  well 
as  business  friends  'in  this  city. 

Henry  W.  Locke  was  born  in  Prussia, 
August  1,  1890,  a  son  of  William  and  Anna 
(Pfautsch)  Locke,  natives  of  Prussia,  the 
latter  of  whom  died  in  1902.  Mr.  Locke  has  a 
younger  brother.  Otto  Locke,  who  served  in 
the  German  army  during  the  World  War.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Locke  carries  on  an  extensive 
plumbing  business  in  Prussia,  giving  employ- 


ment to  twenty-five  men.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church. 

After  his  period  of  school  attendance  was 
over  in  the  elementary  and  high  schools,  Henry 
W.  Locke  entered  the  college  from  which  he 
subsequently  was  graduated,  after  which  he 
served  four  years  in  the  navy  and  was  then  in 
the  merchant  marine  service.  This  led  to 
his  attending  a  school  of  navigation  and  the 
securing  of  his  license  as  an  officer  in  the  mer- 
chant marine.  In  1911  he  came  to  the  United 
States  landing  at  New  York,  in  which  city  he 
remained  for  a  time  before  coming  to  Ne- 
braska. In  1915  he  opened  his  photographic 
studio  in  Grand  Island,  and  the  artistic  excel- 
lence of  his  work  has  made  a  favorable  impres- 
sion, bringing  merited  prosperity. 

In  1915  Mr.  Locke  married  Miss  Marie  Loh- 
mann,  who  was  born  at  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, a  daughter  of  Fred  Lohmann,  who  is 
associated  with  Herman  Hehnke  in  the  hard- 
ware business  in  this  city.  Mr,  and  Mrs. 
Locke  have  two  children :  Frederick  and  Her- 
bert. The  family  attends  the  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Locke  is  a  Knight  Templar,  a  member  of 
the  Elks,  a  Thirty-second  degree  Mason,  and 
a  Shriner.  He  gives  his  political  support  to 
the  Democratic  party. 

MATTHEUS  RAUERT.— An  unusually 
interesting  story  might  be  made,  if  details 
were  known,  of  the  life  of  Mattheus  Rauert. 
who  is  one  of  the  wealthy  retired  citizens  of 
Grand  Island,  for  it  would  tell  of  the  steps 
by  which  a  poor  boy,  early  left  fatherless  in 
a  strange  land,  made  his  way  from  the  hum- 
blest circumstances  to  real  affluence.  Mr. 
Rauert  is  known  and  respected  all  over  Hall 
County,  where  he  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of  his  life. 

Mattheus  Rauert,  like  his  parents,  was  born 
in  Holstein,  then  a  part  of  Denmark,  Novem- 
ber 2,  1853.  Their  names  were  Jack  and 
Anna  (Madiensen)  Rauert,  and  four  others 
of  their  children  are  living:  Nicholas,  who 
lives  at  Grand  Island;  James,  who  also  live.' 
retired  at  Grand  Island ;  Jack,  a  citizen  of 
Idaho;  and  George,  who  resides  in  Praire 
Creek  township,  Hall  County.  In  Denmark 
the  father  followed  the  business  of  fitting 
straw  roofs  on  houses,  but  when  he  came  to 
the  United  States  with  his  family,  in  1866.  and 
immediately  to  Hall  County,  it  was  with  the 
intention  of  becoming  a  farmer.  He  was 
taken  ill,  however,  and  died  that  year,  leaving 
his  family  without  any  resources  except  what 
mother  and  children  could  provide  for  them- 
selves.    It  was  a  hard  situation  to  face,  but 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


657 


ihe  mother  was  a  woman  of  resourcefulness 
and  great  strength  of  character,  and  she  had 
trained  her  children  to  be  thrifty  as  well  as 
industrious. 

Mattheus  Rauert  had  limited  educational 
advantages  in  his  native  land  and  later  some 
schooling  in  Hall  County  but  settlers  were 
few  in  the  early  years  and  opportunities  for 
and  kind  of  social  life  were  meager.  The 
boy  played  with  Indian  children  and  grew 
to  understand  their  language  and  ways. 
Mattheus  was  engaged  in  the  retail  meat  bus- 
iness at  Grand  Island  for  four  years  but 
realized  the  opportunities  offered  by  agri- 
cultural pursuits  and  bought  a  farm.  He  has 
always  been  a  good  business  man  and  from  the 
first  was  successful  in  his  agricultural  opera- 
tions, which  was  ably  demonstrated  by  the 
fact  that  before  he  retired  he  had  become  the 
owner  of  720  acres  of  finely  improved  land, 
together  with  his  handsome  residence  in  Grand 
Island,  in  which  he  now  lives. 

December  3,  1878,  Mattheus  Rauert  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Elsie  Sieck,  who 
was  born  in  Germany,  October  6,  1853,  whose 
parents  were  natives'  of  Germany.  To  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rauert  four  children  have  been 
born :  Charles,  who,  with  his  brothers, 
August  and  Richard  L.,  carry  on  fanning  on 
the  old  home  place,  and  Minnie,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Fred  Moller.  Mr.  Rauert  has  wit- 
nessed the  great  changes  that  have  come  in 
farm  life,  machinery  taking  the  place  of  the 
horse  and  ox  teams  of  the  early  days. 


CHARLES  J.  PALMER,  who  is  an  enter- 
prising and  prosperous  business  man  of  Grand 
Island,  and  an  active  and  reputable  citizen, 
was  born  in  this  city,  July  10,  1882.  He  is 
the  son  of  Hiram  J.  Palmer,  a  sketch  of 
whom  will  be  found  in  this  work. 

Charles  J.  Palmer  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Grand  Island  and  later  had  further 
educational  advantages  in  the  Baptist  College. 
He  has  always  been  industrious,  starting  into 
business  in  boyhood  and  pursuing  different 
lines  as  opportunity  offered  in  his  home  sur- 
roundings. He  then  went .  to  Oklahoma, 
where  he  remained  for  a  number  of  years. 
During  that  period  he  was  interested  in  rais- 
ing thoroughbred  Poland  China  hogs.  In 
1905  he  returned  to  Grand  Island  to  become 
manager  of  an  independent  telephone  com- 
pany. He  established  the  Palmer  Delivery 
Company  and  since  February,  1916,  he  has 
done  a  heavy  ice  business,  probably  having 
the  largest  trade  in  this  necessary  commodity 
in  Grand  Island. 


Mr.  Palmer  married,  July  15,  1904,  Miss 
Olga  F.  Stolley,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Wil- 
liam Stolley,  a  very  early  settler  in  Hall 
County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Palmer  have  three 
children:  Lillian,  Grace,  and  Richard  Hiram, 
both  daughters  being  in  school.  Mr.  Palmer 
has  always  subscribed  to  the  principles  of  the 
Republican  party.  He  is  a  member  of  sev- 
eral fraternal  organizations,  belonging  to  the 
Benevolent  and  Protective  Order  of  Elks,  No. 
604,  Grand  Island,  and  the  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose. 


CHARLES  I.  MCALLISTER,  active  in 
business  circles  at  Grand  Island,  belongs  to 
an  old  and  prominent  pioneer  family.  He  was 
born  in  Grand  Island,  July  23,  1882,  a  son  of 
Robert  Henry  and  Mary  (Prasier)  McAl- 
lister, and  a  grandson  of  William  McAllister, 
who  was  one  of  the  earliest  settlers  in  Merrick 
County.  It  is  a  part  of  local  history  that 
William  McAllister  was  instrumental  in  es- 
tablishing old  Fort  Sour  Kraut,  which  was  a 
haven  to  which  the  pioneers  hurried  when 
there  was  danger  from  the  Indians.  Late  in 
life  he  removed  to  Grand  Island  and  died 
there. 

Robert  Henry  McAllister,  father  of  Charles 
I.,  was  born  in  Iowa,  being  a  young  child 
when  his  parents  brought  him  to  Nebraska. 
He  was  reared  on  his  father's  pioneer  farm 
in  Merrick  County,  from  which  he  came  to 
Hall  County  and  isettjed  in  Grand  Isliand 
where  he  engaged  in  building  and  contracting, 
erecting  many  of  the  first  structures  in  this 
city.  Later  he  was  in  the  well  digging  and 
pump  business.  In  1883  he  established  the 
hardware  business  which  has  been  carried  on 
by  the  family  up  to  the  present  time.  He 
was  not  only  an  enterprising  business  man 
but  was  also  active  in  civic  affairs,  and  was 
a  member  of  the  city  council  for  nine  years. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican ;  in  religion 
an  Episcopalian,  and  fraternally  he  belonged 
to  the  Masons,  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  His  death  occurred  in  Grand 
Island  in  July,  1917.  He  married  in  this 
city  Mary  Frasier,  who  was  bom  in  Indiana. 
They  had  four  children :  Robert,  in  the  hard- 
ware business  in  Grand  Island;  Charles  I., 
in  the  hardware  business  here;  Wray,  the 
wife  of  J.  F.  Egan,  a  traveling  salesman  for 
Swift  &  Company,  and  Mable,  the  wife  of 
Walter  Knicely,  who  is  in  the  real  estate 
business   at   Hastings,   Nebraska. 

Charles  I.  McAllister  obtained  his  educa- 
tional training  in  the  Grand  Island  schools. 
Afterward  he  entered  his   father's  hardware 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


store,  being  trained  there  along  commercial 
lines,  continuing  until  he  enlisted  for  service 
in  the  World  War,  to  receive  his  military 
training  at  Camp  Pike,  Arkansas.  He  was 
honorably  discharged  December  14,  1918. 
With  his  mother  and  brother  Robert,  he  owns 
the  hardware  business  established  by  his 
father.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
fraternally  belongs  to  the  local  lodge  of  Elks. 


ROBERT  N.  MCALLISTER,  part  pro- 
prietor of  the  leading  hardware  store  at  Grand 
Island,  and  president  of  the  Hardware  As- 
sociation of  the  State  of  Nebraska,  is  one 
of  Grand  Island's  active  and  influential  bus- 
iness men.  He  has  been  identified  with  this 
line  of  endeavor  since  early  boyhood  and  his 
election  to  the  office  of  head  of  the  representa- 
tive body  in  the  state,  indicates  the  esteem 
in  which  he  is  held  by  his  associates. 

Robert  N.  McAllister  was  born  in  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  July  9,  1881,  a  son  of 
Robert  H.  and  Mary  (Frasier)  McAllister. 
His  father  was  born  in  Iowa  and  his  mother 
in  Indiana.  Robert  H.  McAllister  was 
brought  to  Nebraska  in  childhood  by  his 
father,  William  McAllister,  who  was  among 
the  first  pioneers  in  Merrick  County,  secur- 
ing a  homestead  there  when  many  Indians 
yet  remained  in  that  section.  Robert  H.  Mc- 
Allister became  a  man  of  prominence  and 
capital  in  Grand  Island,  where  he  resided  for 
many  years,  passing  away  in  July,  1917.  Of 
his  four  children,  Robert  N.  was  the  first 
born. 

Mr.  McAllister  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  began  to  assist  his  father 
in  the  hardware  store  in  boyhood,  his  father 
encouraging  him  in  thrifty  habits  by  paying 
a  slight  wage.  Robert  invested  his  savings 
in  a  building  and  loan  association.  In  1904 
he  became  his  father's  partner  and  since  the 
latter's  death,  the  business  has  become  the 
joint  property  of  Robert  N.  and  Charles  I. 
McAllister  and  their  mother.  It  is  one  of 
the  largest  hardware  houses  in  Hall  County. 

On  May  17,  1916,  Mr.  McAllister  married 
Miss  Rhoda  D.  Campbell,  who  was  born  in 
Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  McAllister  belongs  to 
the  noble  sisterhood  of  trained  nurses  and 
recently,  during  the  influenza  epidemic,  ren- 
dered invaluable  professional  service  in  Grand 
Island.  As  a  captain  of  Company  M,  Fifth 
Nebraska  National  Guards,  Mr.  McAllister 
served  on  the  Mexican  border  from  July  14, 
1916,  to  February,  1917.  He  is  a  Royal  Arch 
Mason,  an  Odd  Fellow  and  has  represented 
his  lodge  at  the  Grand  Lodge,  and  an  Elk. 


He  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and  has  always 
taken  an  active  interest  in  home  affairs,  at  one 
time  accepting  the  position  of  chief  of  the 
fire  department.  He  has  represented  the  hard- 
ware state  body  in  conventions  in  four  states, 
Arkansas,   Florida,   Iowa  and   Colorado. 


HARRY  A.  CAREY,  a  progressive  and 
substantial  business  man  of  Grand  Island  and 
an  expert  in  watch  and  jewelry  repairing, 
came  to  this  city  in  1903  and  since  that  time 
has  been  identified  with  this  trade,  having 
become  the  senior  partner  in  the  well  known 
firm  of  Carey  &  Nietfield.  They  have  a  large, 
well  stocked  jewelry  store,  an  efficient  repair 
department  and  their  judgment  is  relied  on 
when  jewelry  values  are  under  consideration. 

Harry  A.  Carey  was  bom  at  Walnut,  Pot- 
tawattamie County,  Iowa,  in  1882.  His  par- 
ents are  W.  A.  and  Rose  (Woods)  Carey,  who 
reside  at  Walnut,  his  father  being  a  retired 
farmer.  Of  their  three  children,  Harry  A. 
is  the  oldest,  the  others  being:  Pearl,  the 
wife  of  Victor  Kreitz,  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa: 
and  Gladys,  the  wife  of  Otto  Hennings,  a 
fanner  in   Pottawattamie  County,  Iowa. 

Mr.  Carey  had  public  school  advantages, 
being  graduated  from  the  Walnut  High  School 
in  1899.  He  was  permitted  to  choose  his  own 
vocation  and  as  he  had  a  natural  leaning 
toward  mechanics,  he  decided  to  learn  watch- 
making and  for  that  purpose  entered  a  watch 
factory  at  Peoria,  Illinois.  From  there  he 
came  to  Grand  Island  in  1903  and  for  the 
nine  succeeding  years  worked  for  the  well 
known  jeweler,  Max  Egge.  In  1912  Mr. 
Carey  formed  a  business  partnership  with 
W.  D.  Nietfield,  an  association  which  has  been 
continued  along  expanding  lines  ever  since. 
under  the  firm  style  of  Carey  &  Nietfield. 

Mr.  Carey  married  in  1903,  Miss  Edith 
Broughton,  who  was  born  at  Walnut.  Iowa. 
They  have  two  daughters,  Martha  Janette 
and  Mary  Jane.  In  politics  Mr.  Carey  is  a 
Republican  and  is  always  prepared  to  defend 
his  convictions  but  has  never  been  active  in 
public  matters.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity  and  also  is  a  member  of  the  Elks. 


JOHN  SASS.  who  worthily  bears  an  old 
Hal!  County  name,  has  spent  almost  his  entire 
life  here,  although  he  was  born  in  Wyoming. 
May  10,  1871.  He  was  the  second  child  in  a 
family  of  nine,  his  parents  being  Detlef  and 
Eliza  ( Kuhl )  Sass,  natives  of  Germany. 
The  mother  of  Mr.  Sass  still  survives,  re- 
siding  today   on    the   old    family   homestead 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


659 


in  Hall  County.  The  father,  a  sturdy  pio- 
neer, came  to  Nebraska  in  early  manhood, 
being  one  of  the  first  nine  men  to  settle  in 
Hall  County.  He  was  married  here  and  then 
removed  to  Wyoming,  where  the  following 
five  years  were  spent.  On  his  return  to  Hall 
County  he  took  up  a  homestead  two  miles 
southwest  of  Grand  Island.  He  remained  on 
that  place  for  a  number  of  years,  devoting 
himself  to  its  improvement.  His  death  oc- 
curred in  Oregon.  During  life  he  voted  with 
Ihe  Democratic  party,  and  with  his  wife  be- 
longed to  the  Lutheran  church. 

John .  Sass  attended  the  Grand  Island 
schools,  and  having  an  inclination  toward  com. 
mercial  life,  attended  a  business  college  for 
two  terms.  For  a  number  of  years,  however, 
he  devoted  himself  to  agricultural  pursuits, 
living  on  the  farm.  In  the  meanwhile  he  was 
wide  awake  to  business  opportunity  and  later 
accepted  the  management  of  the  Third  City 
Bottling  Works  which  he  has  conducted  with 
marked  success  to  the  present  time.  He  has 
also  had  much  to  do  with  the  rapid  growth 
of  the  automobile  industry  in  Hall  County, 
and  for  some  time  has  been  very  successful 
in  handling,  as  agent,  the  Chevrolet  cars.  This 
encouraging  prosperity  has  led  to  a  recent 
business  undertaking  by  which  he  has  become 
district  agent  for  twenty  counties  for  the 
incomparable  A  His- Chalmers  Tractor,  with  the 
expectation  of  vigorously  carrying  on  his 
activities  in  the  near  future. 

Mr.  Sass  married  in  June,  1916,  Miss 
Minnie  Schirkofsky,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, a  daughter  of  William  Schirkofsky, 
who  now  lives  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Sass  have  no  children.  He  is  prominent 
in  the  councils  of  the  Democratic  party  in 
Hall  County  and  in  1915  was  elected  super- 
visor and  was  re-elected  in  1917,  an  office  he 
still  efficiently  fills.  He  belongs  to  the  Sons 
of  Herman,  to  the  Liederkranz  and  the  Low 
Dutch  Society. 


KRANK  O.  KUNZE.  —  In  Frank  Kunze, 
proprietor  of  a  fine  harware  business  in  Grand 
Island,  is  found  a  self-made  man,  one  who  has 
built  up  his  fortunes  through  his  own  un- 
assited  efforts,  which,  as  many  men  will  tes- 
tify, is  not  an  easy  thing  to  accomplish.  It 
requires  courage,  industry  and  often  the 
closest  economy  to  get  even  an  appreciable 
start  in  life,  and  those  who  do  succeed  should 
be  given  much  credit  when  compared  with 
those  who  have  advanced  under  easier  cir- 
cumstances. Mr.  Kunze  has  always  been  a 
busy  man  and  has  been  connected  with  several 


lines  but  since  1914  has  devoted  himself  ex- 
clusively to  the  hardware  trade. 

Frank  Kunze  was  born  in  Saxony,  Ger- 
many, May  29th,  1874.  His  parents  were 
Julius  and  Caroline  (Esche)  Kunze,  also 
natives  of  Germany,  who  spent  their  lives  in 
their  native  land.  They  reared  seven  children 
of  whom  Frank  and  Reinhardt  were  the  only 
ones  to  come  to  the  United  States.  The  latter 
is  a  substantial  farmer  in  Hall  County.  The 
brothers  were  ambitious,  attended  school  and 
worked  on  their  father's  farm  in  Germany. 
In  1894  Frank  Kunze  came  alone  to  the 
United  States  immediately  locating  in  Grand 
Island.  For  the  first  two  years  following 
he  worked  at  such  odd  jobs  as  he  could  find 
and  afterward  was  employed  for  three  years 
on  a  farm.  Subsequently  he  was  engaged  by 
Fred  Roth  as  a  barkeeper  remaining  with  him 
four  years  before  he  embarked  in  the  saloon 
business  for  himself,  remaining  in  the  retail 
liquor  business  in  this  city  for  the  next  nine 
years.  In  1911  Mr.  Kunze  purchased  the 
hardware  store  of  Rudolph  Pistorius  and  im- 
mediately began  to  add  to  his  stock,  open 
up  new  lines  of  trade,  a  policy  he  has  con- 
tinued and  now  has  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  in  five  years  he  has  increased  the 
volume  of  his  business  fully  200  per  cent. 

Mr.  Kunze  married,  in  1904,  Miss  Louisa 
Engel,  who  was  born  in  South  Dakota,  a 
daughter  of  August  Engel,  who  came  to  Hall 
County  in  the  early  days,  driving  an  ox  team. 
He  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  in  Grand 
Island  for  some  years  and  then  went  to  South 
Dakota  prospecting  for  gold  and  while  there 
Mrs.  Kunze  was  born.  Later  he  returned  to 
Grand  Island  and  now  lives  with  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Kunze,  who  have  two  children :  Clayton, 
who  is  eight  years  old,  and  Hazel,  aged  six 
years. 

Mr.  Kunze  is  a  sound  Requblican  but  has 
never  been  willing  to  accept  a  public  office 
other  than  in  a  fratenral  organization,  serv- 
ing eight  years  as  secretary  of  the  Sons  of 
Herman,  and  at  different  times  has  held  the 
office  of  president  of  the  Liederkranz  Society. 
He  is  a  member  and  liberal  supporter  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 


LOUIS  E.  UPPERMAN,  an  enterprising 
business  man  and  dependable  citizen  of  Grand 
Island,  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall  County 
for  many  years,  ably  assisting  in  the  develop- 
ment of  prominent  enterprises  here,  one  of 
these  being  the  implement  business  in  which 
he  was  associated  with  George  A.  Leiser. 

Louis   E.   Upperman   was   bom   in    Miami 


660 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


County,  Ohio,  August  26,  1856,  the  son  of 
Conrad  and  Caroline  (Baumgarden)  Upper- 
man,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Germany. 
The  mother  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
by  her  parents  in  childhood,  while  the  father 
came  later  in  young  manhood.  After  reaching 
America  he  conducted  hotels  at  Piqua  and 
St.  Mary's,  Ohio.  Mr.  Uppcrman's  mother 
died  when  he  was  eighteen  months  old,  in 
consequence  he  was  reared  by  his  maternal 
grandfather,  Frederick  Baumgarden.  His 
one  sister,  Emma,  is  the  wife  of  John  Mader, 
a  farmer  in  Hall  County.  The  parents  were 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Mr.  Upperman  attended  the  district  schools 
when  he  was  a  boy  but  had  no  unusual  ed- 
ucational advantages.  He  grew  up  on  his 
grandfather's  farm  bul]  was  ambitious  and 
started  out  for  himself  working  by  the  month 
on  farms  until  1880,  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  purchasing  school  land.  During  the 
seven  years  he  lived  on  this  farm  he  endured 
the  usual  hardships  of  that  early  day  and 
perhaps  it  was  the  realization  of  the  necessity 
of  good  water  for  stock  that  turned  his  at- 
tention to  the  well  and  pump  business.  At 
the  end  of  seven  years  in  the  country  Mr. 
Upperman  removed  to  Grand  Island,  engaged 
in  the  pump  business  which  prospered  and 
gradually  began  the  handling  of  farm  imple- 
ments, subsequently  entering  into  partnership 
with  George  A.  Leiser.  The  firm  name  was 
Upperman  &  Leiser;  the  business  had  ex- 
panded until  they  had  one  of  the  largest  houses 
in  their  line  in  the  country.  They  erected  a 
commodious  and  convenient  building,  with 
dimensions  of  sixty-six  by  one  hundred  and 
ten  feet,  two  stories  high  with  full  basement 
using  the  entire  structure.  Having  acquired  a 
comfortable  competency  by  industry  and  a 
successful  business  career,  Mr.  Upperman 
retired  from  active  participation  in  business  in 
1919. 

In  1881  occured  the  marriage  of  Louis 
Upperman  to  Miss  Amy  Haynes,  who  was 
bom  in  Ohio.  They  have  one  daughter,  LilHe, 
who  resides  with  her  parents.  Mr.  Upperman 
and  family  belong  to  the  Congregational 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  and 
fraternally  is  an  Odd  Fellow. 


J.  B.  PIZER,  one  of  the  leading  merchants 
of  Grand  Island,  has,  through  resistless  energy 
and  remarkably  good  management,  within  a 
space  of  eight  years  built  up  one  of  the 
largest  mercantile  concerns  in  Hall  County. 
Before  coming  to  this  section  he  had  been 
identified  with  the  same  business  interests  in 


other  sections,  having  been  a  reputable  and 
successful  merchant  for  fifteen  years  in  Hast- 
ings. 

J.  B.  Piz'er  was  bom  in  Russian  Poland,  in 
1866.  His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Rachel 
(Winlekman)  Pizer,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  the  same  province  as  their  son  and  there 
the  mother  died.  In  those  days  the  father  was 
a  man  of  means,  having  a  large  farm,  keeping 
a  store  and  lending  money.  Of  the  twelve 
children  in  the  family  six  came  to  the  United 
States,  of  whom  four  survive :  Julius,  who 
may  be  the  wealthiest  man  in  Lincoln  Count)-, 
a  merchant,  banker,  ranch  owner  and  stock- 
man, living  at  North  Platte;  Simon,  a  mer- 
chant at  Sargent,  Nebraska ;  Peter,  a  business 
man  of  Detroit,  Michigan;  and  J.  B.,  who 
resides  in  Grand  Island.  Sol  and  Philip  Pizer, 
older)  brothers,  came  to  the  United  States 
prior  to  1898,  the  former  having  served  in  the 
Russian  army  throughout  the  Russot-Japan 
war.  He  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
but  three  years  later  returned  to  Russia.  At 
the  outbreak  of  the  World  War  he  again 
entered  the  Russian  army  and  the  last  time 
his  American  relatives  heard  from  him,  he 
wasj  held  a  prisoner  of  war  in  Germany. 
They  have  little  hope  that  he  is  still  living 
after  life  in  a  German  prison  camp.  When 
Philip  Pizer  came  to  the  United  States  he 
soon  located  in  Waxcohe,  Texas,  where  he 
engaged  in  merchandising  until  his  death. 

J.  B.  Pizer  was  but  eighteen  years  of  age 
when  he  left  Poland  alone  to  carve  a  career 
for  himself  in  the  United  States.  He  knew 
nothing  of  the  English  language  but  had  been 
carefully  instructed  in  the  Hebrew  schools 
as  his  people  belonged  to  the  old  order  of  the 
Jewish  synagogue.  With  the  quick  intel- 
ligence that  marks  his  race,  Mr.  Pizer  rapidly 
assimilated  knowledge,  learning  to  accom- 
modate himself  to  American  customs.  He 
settled  first  at  North  Platte,  Nebraska,  where 
he  engaged  in  merchandising,  going  from 
there  to  Arcadia,  where  he  conducted  a  store 
for  three  years,  moving  then  to  Sargent,  where 
he  was  in  the  same  business  for  the  next  three 
years.  Mr.  Pizer  then  embarked  in  the  mer- 
cantile business  in  Hastings,  purchasing  the 
Davis  store  already  established.  He  made  a 
specialty  of  dealing  in  clothing,  conducting  a 
large  and  satisfactory  business  during  the  next 
fifteen  years.  Later  he  added  ladies'  wear 
to  his  other  lines.  This  store  is  now  con- 
ducted by  Mr.  Pizer's  son.  After  looking 
over  the  business  field  for  a  short  time  at 
Portland,  Oregon,  Mr.  Pizer  came  back  to 
Nebraska,  buying  in  1910  the  M.  Aven  &  Co. 
"Ready-to-Wear"  store,  since  which  time  he 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


661 


has  enlarged  his  quarters  and  expanded  his 
stock  until  he  now  carries  an  extensive  line 
of  desirable  goods  conforming  in  every  way 
to  modern  accepted  styles. 

Mr.  Pizer  married,  in  1890,  Miss  Fannie 
Stock,  of  Detroit,  Michigan,  who  died  in  1895, 
leaving  two  children :  Philip,  who  has  charge 
of  the  Hastings  store,  and  Mildred,  who  lives 
at  home.  Mr.  Pizer  married  a  second  time, 
in  1898,  Miss  Hattie  Strieker,  of  Denver, 
Colorado.  One  son,  Joseph,  was  bom  to  this 
union,  who  is  associated  with  his  father  in 
business,  having  just  returned  from  a  military 
school  at  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan.  Mr.  Pizer 
and  his  family  reside  in  their  handsome  res- 
idence on  Walnut  street,  Grand,  Island.  They 
belong  to  the  Jewish  congregation.  In  politics 
he  is  a  Requblican,  and  fraternally  is  identified 
with  the  Elks,  and  the  Modem  Woodmen. 


GEORGE  J.  BAUMANN,  one  of  the 
oldest  residents  of  Grand  Island,  was  bom 
and  reared  in  this  city,  having  been  concerned 
in  business  enterprises  here  for  many  years, 
He  has,  also,  served  most  acceptably  in  public 
office.  Few  men  are  better  known  in  this 
section  and  none  have  a  higher  reputation  for 
trustworthiness.  Mr.  Baumann  is  proprietor 
of  the  leading  undertaking  establishment  at 
Grand  Island. 

George  J.  Baumann  was  born  in  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  March  24,  1873,  a  son  of 
Henry  and  Martha  (Preiss)  Baumann,  who 
came  from  Germany  to  Grand  Island  in  1866, 
being  married  here  and  reared  a  family  of 
nine  children:  August,  assistant  post  master 
of  Grand  Island  for  a  number  of  years; 
George  J.,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island;  Oscar 
and  Herman,  twins,  both  of  whom  are  in  the 
drug  business,  the  former  at  Lincoln  and  the 
latter  in  Grand  Island;  Nora,  residing  with 
her  mother  in  California,  is  engaged  in  the 
millinery  business;  Anna,  assistant  auditor 
for  a  creamery  company,  lives  in  California; 
Henrietta,  associated  with  her  sister  in  bus- 
iness, also  lives  in  California ;  and  two  children 
who  died.  The  father  of  this  family  was  a 
tailor  in  Grand  Island  who  died  here  when 
his  children  were  yet  young.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church. 

The  early  death  of  his  father  placed  heavy 
responsibilities  on  George  J.  Baumann  in  boy- 
hood, and  in  order  to  meet  these  he  worked 
industriously  at  various  occupations,  among 
them  selling  newspapers.  Later  he  entered 
a  photographic  studio  to  learn  the  business, 
in  which  he  continued  for  twenty-five  years; 
subsequently  he  conducted  a  store   for  two 


and  a  half  years  before  accepting  a  position 
as  commercial  traveler  for  two  years.  Upon 
leaving  the  road  he  invested  in  an  installment 
furniture  house,  buying  the  outstanding  con- 
tracts, a  business  he  conducted  with  marked 
success  for  three  years.  In  1913,  in  partner- 
ship with  F.  M.  O'Malley,  he  engaged  in  the 
undertaking  .business,  subsequently  purchas- 
ing Mr.  O'Malley's  interest,  and  in  September, 
1917,  formed  his  present  partnership  with 
F.  G.  Evans.  They  conduct  an  excellent 
undertaking  business.  Mr.  Baumann  is  a 
registered  embalmer,  having  attended  the  Des 
Moines  School  of   Undertaking. 

In  November,  1904,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Mr.  Baumann  and  Miss  Jaunita  Metcalf, 
who  was  born  at  Laramie,  Wyoming.  Her 
father,  A.  J.  Metcalf,  is  now  a  resident  of 
Grand  Island  but  formerly  was  engaged  in 
the  cattle  industry  in  Wyoming.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Baumann  have  four  children;  Alfonso, 
John,  Mary  Juanita  and  Henry  Bruce.  The 
two  older  children  are  attending  school.  Mr. 
Baumann  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Catholic  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
He  has  always  felt  the  responsibility  of  citi- 
zenship, responding  cheerfully  to  public  de- 
mands upon  his  time,  having  served  in  local 
offices  and  has  been  both  coroner  and  deputy 
coroner  of  Hall  County.  He  belongs  to  the 
Yeomen,  the  Royal  Highlanders,  the  Elks  and 
the  Knights  of  Columbus,  being  financial  sec- 
retary of  the  last  named  organization. 


ALFRED  ANDERSON,  veterinarian,  has 
been  engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
at  Grand  Island  for  a  decade  having  built  up 
a  substantial  reputation  in  this  branch  of  med- 
ical science.  His  patronage  comes  from  all 
over  Hall  County  and  on  many  occasions  he 
has  been  of  the  greatest  service  to  stock  and 
cattle  raisers. 

Alfred  Anderson  was  bom  June  17,  1874, 
in  Seward  County,  Nebraska,  a  son  of  George 
W.  and  Anna  R.  (Kesselring)  Anderson. 
They  were  natives  of  Pennslvania,  bom, 
reared  and  married  there,  but  desiring  a  wider 
field  in  a  new  country  came  to  Nebraska, 
reaching  Seward  County  in  1874,  where  the 
father  took  up  a  homestead,  living  on  original 
grant  until  his  death,  having  been  for  many 
years  in  very  comfortable  circumstances.  He 
was  a  Republican  in  his  political  views  and 
served  in  such  public  offices  as  road  overseer, 
belonged  to  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  was 
a  faithful  member  of  the  United  Brethren 
church.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Anderson  now 
lives  in  Seward.     They  had  fifteen  children. 


662 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


seven  sons  and  eight  daughters.  Dr.  Anderson 
being  the  tenth  child. 

Dr.  Anderson  attended  the  public  school 
named  after  his  father,  situated  in  the  country 
two  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Seward.  He 
spent  his  earlier  years  on  the  farm  and  then 
took  charge  of  the  Seward  Cereal  mill,  operat- 
ing the  same  for  seven  years.  In  1907  he 
entered  the  Kansas  City  Veterinary  College 
as  a  student,  being  graduated  from  that  insti- 
tution in  1909,  immediately  coming  to  Grand 
Island  to  establish  himself  in  his  chosen  pro- 
fession. 

In  1900  Dr.  Anderson  was  married  to  Miss 
Mary  Sanders,  who  was  born  at  Bee,  Ne- 
braska. In  politics  Dr.  Anderson  is  a  Re- 
publican, and  fraternally  he  belongs  to  the 
Elks  and  the  Modern  Woodmen. 


EDWARD  FRANCIS  YOUNKIN.  — The 
wholesale  produce  business  is  an  essential  part 
of  a  modern  commercial  life.  To  conduct  it 
profitably,  aside  from  the  heavy  initial  invest- 
ment, a  dealer  must  possess  a  large  amount  of 
business  wisdom,  including  a  knowledge  of 
the  fluctuating  markets  of  the  world,  An  ex- 
tensives  enterprise  of  this  kind  is  carried  on 
in  Grand  Island  by  Edward  F.  Younkin,  who 
is  a  heavy  buyer  of  general  produce  which  he 
ships  both  east  and  west.  Like  many  another 
successful  business  man  of  today,  Mr. 
Younkin  has  been  the  unassisted  builder  of 
his  own  fortune. 

Edward  F.  Younkin  was  born  in  Davis 
County,  Iowa,  December  20,  1868.  His 
parents  were  Moses  and  Fannie  (Turner) 
Younkin,  natives  of  the  Keystone  state,  who 
in  their  youth  came  to  Iowa  where  they  met 
and  were  married.  They  had  twelve  children ; 
three  of  the  six  survivors  live  in  Grand 
Island;  Edward  F.,  William  S.  and  Albert  T. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  The  father  belonged  to 
the  Masonic  fraternity  and  was  a  Republican 
in  politics.     He  died  on  his   farm  in  Iowa. 

The  country  schools  of  Davis  County, 
Iowa,,  provided  Mr.  Younkin  with  a  fair 
working-  education,  and  he  remained  on  the 
home  farm  until  he  was  twenty-one  years  of 
age,  when  he  went  to  Kansas  and  there  be- 
came interested  as  buyer  and  shipper  of  poul- 
try, working  in  this  industry  for  different 
firms  for  five  or  six  years.  Realizing  the 
profits  to  be  made  in  this  line,  about  1901 
Mr.  Younkin  embarked  in  the  business  for 
himself  but  prior  to  1903  was  a  transcient 
buyer  of  car  load  lots  throughout  Nebraska 
and  Kansas.    When  Mr.  Younkin  came  here 


in  1903,  he  determined  to  make  this  city  his 
headquarters  because  of  the  excellent  shipping 
facilities  afforded.  In  1904  he  embarked  in 
a  general  produce  business  as  a  wholesale 
operator.  Since  then  he  has  built  up  an  im- 
mense concern,  regularly  shipping  car  load 
lots  to  New  York  City  and  to  San  Francisco. 
As  his  interests  expanded  Mr.  Younkin 
needed  assistance  and  now  has  his  two  broth- 
ers associated  with  him  in  the  wholesale  house. 
They  both  live  in  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Younkin  married  in  1903,  Miss 
Gertrude  Crawford  of  Grand  Island,  a  daugh- 
ter of  G.  S.  Crawford,  one  of  the  older  res- 
idents of  this  city,  who  conducted  a  meat 
business  here  for  a  number  of  years.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Younkin  have  two  children:  Edyth 
and  Thoel,  both  of  whom  attend  the  public 
schools.  Mr.  Younkin  is  a  Republican  in 
politics  but  has  always  found  his  business 
too  engrossing  to  permit  acceptance  of  any 
public  responsibility  beyond  that  carried  by 
every  loyal  and  public  spirited  citizen.  He 
belongs  to  the  order  of  Elks  and  to  the  Lieder- 
kranz,  in  Grand  Island. 


ALBERT  McLELLAN.— While  in  point 
of  years  Albert  McLellan  has  experienced 
only  a  short  career  in  comparison  with  many 
others  whose  biographies  appear  in  this  work. 
his  life  thus  far  has  been  a  successful  one  and 
the  quality  of  his  accomplishments  would  seem 
to  indicate  that  he  is  in  a  fair  way  to  become 
one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  his  com- 
munity. At  this  time  he  is  engaged  in  general 
farming  on  a  tract  of  320  acres  of  valuable 
land  in  Center  township,  and  in  addition  has 
met  with  well-merited  success  as  a  breeder  of 
thoroughbred  Holstein  cattle. 

Mr.  McLellan  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
Hall  County  who  have  made  good  in  their 
home  community,  having  been  born  on  the 
farm  of  his  father,  William  McLellan,  March 
29,  1890.  A  review  of  the  life  of  the  elder 
man  appears  on  another  page  of  this  work. 
There  were  six  children  in  the  family :  James, 
who  is  a  Hall  County  fanner;  William,  Jr.. 
who  has  Just  returned  from  service  in  the 
army  in  France,  and  who  is  also  engaged  in 
farming  in  Hall  County ;  Albert ;  Rebecca, 
Mrs.  Thomas  of  Hall  County;  Ada,  Mrs. 
Layman,  of  Amherst,  and  Jeanette,  who  re- 
sides with  her  parents. 

The  public  schools  of  Hall  County  fur- 
nished Albert  McLellan  with  his  educational 
training,  while  that  for  his  life  work  came 
under  the  guidance  of  his  father  and  through 
experience  in  performing  the  duties   of  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


663 


home  farm.  When  he  took  over  the  manage- 
ment of  his  present  320-acre  property,  it  was 
with  knowledge  that  thoroughly  fitted  him  for 
the  important  and  difficult  task  that  lay  before 
him,  and  he  has  since  been  able  to  compete 
with  other  agriculturists  in  a  manner  that 
makes  a  favorable  comparison  justified.  His 
farm  is  highly  productive  as  to  the  general 
fanning  division  of  his  activities,  and  has  good 
improvements  and  substantial  buildings.  As 
a  breeder  of  thoroughbred  Holstein  cattle  he 
keeps  an  exceptionally  good  grade  of  stock, 
and  also  raises  sheep.  Mr.  McLellan  is  a 
Republican  voter  and  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic order. 

On  December  31,  1913,  Mr.  McLelland  was 
united  in  marriage  with  May  Kelley,  daughter 
of  Louis  and  Fanny  Kelley,  natives  of  West 
Virginia  and  early  settlers  and  farming  people 
of  Hall  County. 


HARRY  C.  LYONS,  identified  with  the 
Grand  Island  Hide  &  Fur  Comany  of  Grand 
Island,  of  which  he  is  general  manager,  has 
been  a  resident  of  this  city  for  over  a  decade 
and  has  been  active  in  its  business  affairs. 
Mr.  Lyons  is  an  experienced  man  in  the  hide 
and  fur  trade,  an  industry  in  which  he  has 
been  interested  since  the  close  of  his  school 
days. 

Harry  C.  Lyons  was  born  in  Johnson 
County,  Kansas,  October  16,  1881,  the  son 
of  John  J.  and  Jennie  (Shrieves)  Lyons,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Illinois.  They  came  to 
Kansas  when  young,  being  married  in  the 
Sunflower  State.  They  had  the  following 
children:  Leslie  J.,  an  attorney  in  Kansas 
Crty,  Missouri ;  Albert  H.,  a  general  merchant 
of  Brewster,  Oklahoma;  Mamie,  the  wife  of 
Jacob  Beautlespacher,  a  tailor  of  Muskogee, 
Oklahoma;  Jessie,  the  wife  of  Porter  Spald- 
ing, county  assessor  of  Muskogee  County; 
Chester,  in  the  transfer  business  at  Oakland, 
California;  Harry  C,  who  resides  at  Grand 
Island;  and  Ruth,  the  wife  of  James  Forgen- 
son,  vice-president  of  the  Railroad  Trainmen's 
Union  in  California.  The  parents  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  The 
father,  who  is  now  a  resident  of  Oklahoma 
in  the  Indian  service  for  the  government,  was 
formerly  a  farmer  and  newspaper  man,  serv- 
ing for  two  terms  as  county  clerk  of  Johnson 
County,  Kansas,  being  elected  on  the  Re- 
publican ticket. 

Mr.  Lyons  attended  the  public  schools  in 
Johnson  County  and  in  boyhood  made  himself 
useful  as  a  clerk  and  delivery  boy,  but  secured 
his  first  settled  position  when  he  entered  a 


hide  house  at  Topeka,  Kansas,  January  6, 
1901,  where  he  remained  one  year  before 
going  to  Saint  Joseph,  Missouri,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  hide  business  for  five  years. 
On  September  30th,  1908,  he  came  to  Grand 
Island  to  assume  the  management  of  the 
James  C.  Smith  Hide  Company,  becoming  a 
member  of  the  firm.  In  September,  1918,  he 
purchased  the  controlling  interest  in  the  com- 
pany which  is  now  incorporated  and  operated 
under  the  style  of  the  Grand  Island  Hide 
&  Fur  Company. 

Mr.  Lyons  married  January  1,  1906,  Miss 
Myra  Barthold,  of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri. 
They  have  three  children:  Bernice  Jennie, 
Manette  Calista,  and  Virginia  Ruth.  They 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  ■ 
church.  Mr.  Lyons  is  a  Mason  and  a  Re- 
publican. 


OTTO  LEO  MATTKE.  —The  mercantile 
interests,  particularly  in  the  grocery  line,  are 
well  taken  care  of  in  Grand  Island.  One  of 
the  thoroughly  experienced  men  in  this  trade 
is  Otto  L.  Mattke,  who  has  devoted  many 
years  to  grocery  interests.  Mr.  Mattke  is 
senior  member  of  the  firm  of  Mattke  &  Gor- 
man, general  grocers. 

Otto  Leo  Mattke  was  born  in  Germany, 
August  5,  1875.  His  parents  were  Herman 
and  Lena  Mattke,  who  came  to  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  in  1883.  The  father  was  a  brick- 
mason  by  trade  and  assisted  in  the  construc- 
tion of  many  of  the  valuable  buildings  here, 
while  in  dull  times  he  worked  as  a  section 
hand  on  the  railroad.  He  was  honest  and 
industrious  and  acquired  a  competency.  His 
death  occured  in  Grand  Island  in  1915,  at 
the  age  of  sixty-eight  years.  He  had  five 
children :  George,  a  machinist  with  the  Union 
Pacific  in  Grand  Island;  Herman,  round- 
house foreman  for  the  Union  Pacific  in  Grand 
Island ;  Otto,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Stiller,  a  machinist  of 
this  city,  and  one  child  who  died  in  infancy. 

Otto  L.  Mattke  left  school  when  but  twelve 
years  of  age  to  earn  a  living;  for  three  years 
being  employed  on  farms  near  Archer,  Ne- 
braska. He  then  helped  his  father  for  two 
years  in  the  tetter's  work  on  the  railroad, 
following  which  he  went  to  Cleveland,  Ohio, 
where  he  worked  in  a  machine  shop  during 
the  administration  of  President  McKinley. 
His  parents  were  in  Grand  Island,  however, 
and  Mr.  Mattke  returned  to  Nebraska,  being 
employed  for  five  years  as  a  clerk  in  the 
grocery  store  of  Henry  Reese.  Subsequently 
he  worked  for  C.  F.  Heck  for  the  same  length 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


IJ 


II 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


665 


of  time  but  severed  this  connection  to  become 
associated  with  H.  N.  Glover  and  subsequently 
bought  Mr.  Glover's  interest  and  has  continued 
at  the  same  place  of  business  with  a  partner, 
the  present  name  being  Mattke  &  Gorman. 
They  carry  a  large  and  well  assorted  stock  of 
staple  and  fancy  groceries  while  their  prices 
are  always  satisfactory  to  their  many  cus- 
tomers. 

Mr.  Mattke  married  Miss  Stacia  Weinrich, 
who  was  born  in  Germany.  Her  people  came 
to  this  country  at  an  early  day.  Her  father 
was  a  carpenter.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mattke  have 
had  four  children:  Margaret,  employed  in 
the  Grand  Island  National  Bank,  is  a  very 
capable  business  woman ;  Harry,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  six  months;  Arthur,  who  is  four- 
teen years  old,  attends  school,  and  Edward, 
who  is  in  his  sixth  year.  Mr.  Mattke  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Catholic  church. 
Like  his  father  before  him,  Mr.  Mattke  votes 
the  Republican  ticket.  He  belongs  to  several 
well  known  fraternal  organizations  and  these 
include  the  Maccabees,  the  Liederkranz  and 
the  Plattsdeutchen ;  he  is  also  a  member  of 
the  Commercial  Club  and  Retail  Merchants' 
Association. 


RUBEN  P.  McCUTCHEON  — Civil  al- 
truism and  national  patriotism  were  effective- 
ly exemplified  in  the  career  of  the  gallant 
soldier  of  the  Civil  War  whose  name  heads 
this  sketch.  Ruben  P.  McCutcheon  was  bom 
in  the  state  of  Indiana  in  1838.  He  grew  up 
inured  to  the  hardships  incident  to  a  new 
country  such  as  Indiana  was  at  that  day.  A 
young  man  of  twenty-three  years  at  the  out- 
break of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion,  Mr.  Mc- 
Cutcheon, with  other  youths  of  his  acquaint- 
ance responded  to  Abraham  Lincoln's  call  for 
volunteers  to  preserve  the  integrity  of  the 
Union.  Following  is  the  personal  account  of 
the  young  soldier's  life  and  experiences  in  the 
army: 

"As  an  explanation  of  the  annexed  photo- 
graph, will  go  back  to  Evansville,  Indiana, 
August  10,  1861,  when  George  Kirkpatrick 
and  myself  with  many  others,  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany A,  42d  Indiana  Infantry,  for  three 
years,  or  during  the  war  We  were  with  the 
Regiment  in  all  its  battles,  skirmishes,  etc. 
Our  command  belonged  to  the  Army  of  the 
Cumberland.  On  the  19th  day  of  September, 
1863,  we  met  the  enemy  under  General  Bragg 
at  Chickamauga.  At  that  time  we  were  in 
the  14th  Corps,  with  General  George  H. 
Thomas,  Commander.  We  supported  our  bat- 


tery all  day  Saturday.  Seven  horses  were 
killed  within  fifty  yards  of  us,  and  how  many 
men,  I  can  not  say,  but  they  were  lying  around 
in  all  shapes.  We  rested  all  night  on  our  arms, 
and  at  daylight  marched  to  the  extreme  right, 
where  we  met  Longstreet's  men.  We  sent  out 
skirmishers  across  the  Lafayette  road.  They 
were  soon  driven  in.  The  fight  was  on  in 
earnest.  After  firing  into  the  enemy  many 
shots,  our  army  fell  back.  I  saw  them  coming 
about  two  hundred  yards  away,  and  I  thought 
I  would  give  them  one  more  shot.  Just  at 
that  moment  a  musket  ball  hit  me  in  the  left 
hip,  crashed  through  the  bone,  and  there  it 
stopped,  and  it  is  there  to  this  day.  I  fell 
down  and  George  Kirkpatrick  ran  to  me  to  get 
me  out  of  that  terrible  hail  of  bullets.  He 
got  down  to  cut  the  cartridge  box  off  of  me, 
when  a  bullet  passed  through  both  his  arms, 
and  cut  the  front  of  his  shirt  off. 

"I  then  told  hint  to  run  and  save  his  life,  that 
he  would  be  killed  if  he  remained,  and  that  I 
was  done  for  anyway.  He  left  me  and  served 
to  the  end  of  the  war,  and  was  wounded  five 
times.  In  fifteen  minutes  the  enemy  were 
passing  over  me.  They  were  very  kind  to  me, 
the  officers  giving  me  water  from  their  can- 
teens. In  the  afternoon  the  enemy  lifted  me 
into  their  ambulance  and  took  me  to  their  field 
hospital,  where  there  were  six  hundred  and 
thirty  wounded.  They  very  tenderly  laid  me  on 
the  ground,  I  was  the  only  Yankee  there,  and 
I  was  a  show  for  the  country  people.  They 
came  for  miles  to  see  a  live  Yankee.  I  lay 
there  about  two  months,  then  was  put  on  the 
cars  and  taken  to  Atlanta,  Georgia,  and  put 
into  a  military  prison  with  four  or  five  hun- 
dred wounded  Federals,  and  remained  there 
three  months,  all  the  time  on  my  back. 

"I  was  exchanged  February  20,  1864,  at 
Rossville,  Georgia.  There  were  thirty  of  us  all 
badly  crippled.  We  were  hungry  and  nearly 
naked.  When  we  saw  the  United  States  flag 
for  the  first  time  in  five  of  six  months,  there 
was  a  shout  went  up  of  joy  that  we  had  at 
last  got  to  God's  country  again.  Some  of  them 
prayed,  some  swore  and  others  cried.  We  were 
now  safe.  I  was  sent  home  on  crutches  and 
have  been  a  cripple  ever  since.  Fifty  years 
after  the  battle  I  got  a  letter  from  the  comrade 
(I  thought  he  was  dead  all  this  time)  telling 
me  to  meet  him  at  Chickamauga  on  September 
20th.  We  met,  went  to  the  battle  field,  found 
the  place  where  we  were  both  wounded  fifty 
years  ago.  We  placed  ourselves  on  the  ground 
in  the  same  position  and  place  we  were  in  on 
that  terrible  morning  of  September  20,  1863. 

"The  foregoing  is  an  account  of  our  experi- 


666 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ence  in  battle  and  duties  of  a  private  soldier, 
but  the  half  can  never  be  told.  We  simply  did 
our  duty  as  American  citizens." 

The  picture  of  Mr.  McCutcheon  and  com- 
rade, shown  here,  was  taken  on  the  battlefield 
fifty  years  to  a  day  after  he  was  wounded 
there. 

While  still  residing  in  his  native  state  Mr. 
McCutcheon  married  Amanda  Inglehart  and 
to  this  union  eight  children  were  born,  seven 
now  living:  Clara,  the  wife  of  John  Kramer, 
lives  in  Oakland,  California ;  Belle,  the  wife  of 
C.  W.  William,  resides  in  Hamilton  County; 
John  E.  and  George,  both  live  in  Grand  Island, 
the  former  now  holding  office  as  sheriff  of 
Hall  County ;  Walter  W.,  a  farmer  near  Nel- 
son, Nebraska ;  Oliver  E-,  an  implement 
dealer  in  Deer  Park,  Washington,  and  Frank 
W.,  a  clerk  in  a  clothing  store  in  Grand  Island. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McCutcheon  were  ambitious 
for  their  children  and  determined  to  seek 
wider  fields  and  broader  opportunities  in  the 
west.  They  heard  of  the  great  fertility  of  Ne- 
braska, emigrating  to  this  state  in  1874.  Here 
the  young  members  of  the  family  recieved  the 
advantages  afforded  by  the  public  schools  dur- 
ing their  youth  while  they  lived  at  home  on 
the  homestead  taken  up  by  the  father  soon 
after  his  arrival  in  Hamilton  County.  Mr. 
McCutcheon  was  a  man  of  high  ideals,  in- 
domitable energy  and  having  given  loyal  ser- 
vice as  a  soldier  of  the  Union  was  soon  en- 
rolled as  one  of  the  pioneer  exponents  of 
farm  enterprise  in  this  section.  He  was  a  man 
of  good  judgment,  keen  foresight  and  a  lead- 
ing member  of  the  Republican  party  in  his 
county  for  many  years  which  is  demonstrated 
by  his  service  on  the  board  of  county  super- 
visors. After  gaining  a  comfortable  com- 
petency he  retired  from  active  participation  in 
farm  work  enjoying  his  sunset  years,  how- 
ever, on  the  old  homestead  where  he  passed 
from  life  in  1917,  honored  and  respected  by 
his  associates  and  friends.  Mr.  McCutcheon's 
wife  still  resides  in  Hamilton  County. 


C.  H.  GOTTLIEB  HEIDKAMP,  one  of 
the  highly  respected  and  substantial  residents 
of  Grand  Island,  has  been  a  resident  of  this 
city  since  1883.  Through  his  industrious 
efforts,  good  judgment,  frugality  and  common 
sense,  he  has  become  the  owner  of  valuable 
real  estate. 

C.  H.  Gottlieb  Heidkamp  was  born  in  West-  ' 
phalia,  Germany,  January  15,  1865.    His  par- 
ents   were    William    and    Louise     (Franke) 
Heidkamp,   natives   of   Germany,   where   the 
mother  died   in    1912.     In  earlier  years   the 


father  lived  on  his  little  farm  and  may  yet 
reside  there  with  five  of  his  seven  children. 
C.  H.  G.  and  William,  who  is  dead,  were  am- 
bitious boys,  desired  a  broader  future  than  was 
offered  in  the  old  country  and  emigrated  to 
the  United  States  to  seek  their  fortunes. 

Mr.  Heidkamp  attended  school  in  his  native 
land  before  coming  to  the  United  States.  He 
reached  Grand  Island  July  27,  1883,  and  at 
first  worked  on  farms  in  Hall  County  by  the 
month.  He  had  already  worked  at  the  black- 
smith trade  in  Germany  and  in  1884  worked 
at  the  same  for  a  short  time  in  Minnesota  but 
returned  to  farm  work  awhile ;  later  resuming 
black  smithing.  In  1892  he  started  his  shop 
in  Grand  Island,  in  partnership  with  Edward 
Krall,  an  association  which  has  continued  to 
the  present  time.  They  carried  on  blacksmith 
ing  and  wagon  repair  work,  having  a  reputa- 
tion for  prompt  service  and  excellent  work- 
manship. Considering  the  fact  that  Mr.  Heid- 
kamp started  with  nothing,  it  reflects  credit 
on  him  that  in  competition  with  others  he 
should  have  done  so  well.  He  owns  con- 
siderable property,  a  part  of  which  is  a  new 
modern  apartment  house. 

Mr.  Heidkamp  married,  November  15,  1889, 
Miss  Lena  Senkbeil,  a  native  of  Prussia,  who 
died  in  Grand  Island  ..October  1st,  1901.  They 
hay  four  children :  George  F.,  who  worked  at 
the  carpenter  trade  in  Omaha  for  five  years 
prior  to  entering  the  army  training  camp  in 
Michigan ;  Alma,  who  lives  at  home ;  Htla,  who 
is  employed  in  a  Grand  Island  store,  and 
Martha,  a  student  in  the  high  school.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr. 
Heidkamp  casts  his  vote  with  the  Republican 
party. 


HARLEY  M.  WATSON,  an  enterprising 
young  business  man  of  Grand  Island,  has 
entered  the  modern  field  of  industry  which  in- 
cludes everthing  pertaining  to  automobiles, 
making  a  specialty  of  tires  and  batteries.  He 
was  born  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  July  31, 
1888,  the  son  of  Levi  O.  and  Elzora  (Rickard) 
Watson.  Mr.  Watson's  father  was  born  in 
New  York  while  his  mother  was  a  native  of 
Illinois,  where  they  were  married.  Coming  to 
Nebraska  in  1872,  they  passed  the  remainder 
of  their  days  in  this  state.  Mr.  Watson  died 
in  1904  and  Mrs.  Watson  on  March  4,  1918. 
Of  their  six  children  the  following  are  living: 
Fred  and  Harley,  twins,  the  former  of  whom 
lives  on  a  farm  and  the  latter  in  Grand  Island; 
Hugh,  a  resident  of  Seattle,  Washington ;  and 
Bertha,  who  is  the  wife  of  Floyd  Sprague,  a 
farmer     in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska.    Levi 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


667 


Watson  and  his  wife  were  members  of  the 
Baptist  church.  When  he  first  settled  in  Illi- 
nois Mr.  Watson  engaged  in  teaming  in 
Chicago,  but  upon  coming  west  to  Hall  County 
he  took  up  a  claim,  remaining  on  his  farm  of 
eighty  acres  until  his  death.  He  was  a  Repub- 
lican in  his  politictal  views,  and  he  belonged 
to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  order  of  United 
Workmen. 

Harley  M.  Watson  attended  the  country 
schools  of  Hall  County  while  working  on  his 
father's  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age.  Coming  to  Grand  Island  while  still  a 
youth  he  began  to  work  for  the  Union  Pacific 
Railway  Company  as  coach  cleaner,  an  occupa- 
tion he  followed  three  years.  Following  this 
he  accepted  a  position  with  T.  B.  Jeffery 
Automobile  Company  being  employed  by  that 
concern  a  year.  Upon  his  return  to  Grand 
Island  he  started  a  business  of  his  own,  be- 
ginning in  a  small  way  in  a  barn,  where  he  set 
up  a  plank  for  a  work  bench.  Starting  as 
a  machinist  and  automoble  repairer  he  has  by 
thorough,  honest  business  transactions  and 
business  judgment  built  up  a  fine  business  and 
now  handles  batteries  and  tires  in]  a  well 
equipped  and  convenient  place  at  114  East 
Second  street,  and  in  addition  has  another 
automibile  tire  and  battery  store  at  York,  Ne- 
braska. 

In  1915  Mr.  Watson  married  Miss  Annie 
Katzberg,  who  was  born  at  Prosser,  Nebraska. 
They  have  one  son,  James  Watson.  Mrs. 
Watson  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
He  has  never  been  very  active  in  politics  but  is 
a  wide  awake  citizen  and  a  Republican  voter. 


JOHN  E.  McCUTCHEON,  sheriff  of  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  not  only  commands  the 
confidence  of  his  fellow  citizens  as  is  indi- 
cated by  his  election  to  this  important  public 
office,  but  he  also  enjoys  their  esteem.  They 
have  seen  him  pass  from  industrious  boy- 
hood to  useful  manhood  and  during  all  these 
years  he  has  been  dependable  in  every  rela- 
tion of  life. 

John  E.  McCutcheon  was  born  in  Vander- 
hurg  County,  Indiana,  -May  3,  1867.  His 
parents  were  Ruben  P.  and  Amanda  (Igle- 
hart)  McCutcheon,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Indiana.  They  came  to  Nebraska  in  1874, 
spending  some  time  in  Hamilton  County,  but 
in  1875  took  up  a  homestead  in  Hall  County, 
where  the  father  of  Sheriff  McCutcheon  died 
in  1917,  at  the  age  of  seventy-nine  years.  He 
was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  of  good  judg- 
ment and  public  spirit.  During  his  life  he  was 
a  leading  Republican  in  the  county,  serving 


a  number  of  years  on  the  county  board  of 
supervisors.  He  was  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  having  served  three  years  in  the  Forty- 
second  Indiana  volunteer  infantry  and  was 
wounded  in  the  battle  of  Chickamauga.  The 
mother  of  Sheriff  McCutcheon  resides  in 
Hamilton  County.  They  had  eight  children 
seven  of  whom  survive:  Clara,  the  wife  of 
John  Kramer,  lives  at  Oakland,  California; 
Belle,  the  wife  of  C.  W.  Willman,  resides  in 
Hamilton  County ;  John  E.  and  George,  both 
of  whom  live  in  Grand  Island ;  Walter  W., 
a  farmer  near  Nelson,  Nebraska ;  Oliver  E.,  a 
hardware  and  implement  dealer  in  Deer  Park, 
Washington,  and  Frank  W.,  a  clerk  in  a  cloth- 
ing store  in  Grand  Island. 

As  soon  as  his  school  days  were  over,  Mr. 
McCutcheon  went  to  work  for  Robert  Taylor, 
on  the  largest  ranch  in  Hall  County,  remaining 
there  for  twenty-two  years,  having  entire 
charge  of  the  livestock.  Ranching  has  been 
his  chief  occupation  all  through  life.  He  has 
been  an  active  factor  in  Republican  politics; 
was  elected  sheriff  of  Hall  County  on  Novem- 
ber 5,  1918,  on  the  Republican  ticket. 

Sheriff  McCutcheon  married  in  1890  Miss 
Nevada  Sprinkle,  who  was  born  in  Effingham 
County,  Illinois,  a  member  of  one  of  the  old 
pioneer  families  of  that  section.  They  have 
five  children :  Irma,  who  resides  with  her 
parents;  Neva,  employed  in  the  offices  of  the 
Western  Union  Telegraph  Company;  Edna, 
the  wife  of  Ray  W.  Sutton,  lives  at  home 
while  her  husband  is  serving  with  the  Ameri- 
can Expeditionary  Force  in  France ;  Elva,  who 
is  employed  in  a  local  business  house,  and 
Margaret,  who  is  pursuing  her  studies  in  the 
Grand  Island  High  school.  Sheriff  Mc- 
Cutcheon was  reared  in  the  faith  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  of  which  the  entire 
family  are  members. 


LUTHER  F.  FARNSWORTH,  who  may 
claim  the  distinction  of  being  the  pioneer,  in 
point  of  time  engaged  in  the  drug  business  in 
Nebraska,  is  a  member  of  the  oldest  drug  firm 
in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Farnsworth  learned  his 
business  in  the  old,  thorough,  practical  New 
England  way,  and  had  many  years  of  experi- 
ence in  drugs  back  of  him  when  he  came  to 
Grand  Island.  From  the  first  he  has  been  one 
of  the  city's  most  esteemed  citizens. 

Mr.  Farnsworth  was  born  at  Norfolk,  in 
St.  Lawrence  County,  New  York,  March  27, 
1852.  His  parents  were  Edwin  and  Mary 
(Stone)  Farnsworth,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  New  York  and  the  latter  at  Middle- 
bury,  Vermont,  where  they  were  married.    Of 


•    HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


their  six  children,  Luther  F.  was  the  third 
born.  The  other  survivors  are :  Allen,  a  resi- 
dent of  Chicago,  Illinois ;  Albert  H.,  a  retired 
farmer,  resides  at  Kent,  in  the  state  of  Wash- 
ington, and  George  Edwin,  in  the  service  of 
the  government,  lives  at  Farley,  Massachusetts. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Farnsworth  was  engaged  in 
agricultural  pursuits  all  his  active  life.  For  a 
time  he  and  his  wife  lived  in  Grand  Island 
but  later  they  went  to  Washington,  both  pass- 
ing away  in  that  state.  They  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Luther  F.  Farnsworth  attended  school  in 
Vermont  until  he  was  graduated  from  the 
Middlebury  high  school,  after  which  he  taught 
school  for  two  years.  He  was  only  thirteen 
years  old  when  he  had  his  first  clerical  experi- 
ence, but  it  was  some  years  later  that  he 
entered  a  drug  store  as  a  clerk  with  the  deter- 
mination of  Teaming  the  business.  He  re- 
mained with  the  one  firm  for  the  next  eighteen 
years,  leaving  it  then  to  come  west  and  soon 
after  reaching  Grand  Island  bought  the  drug 
store  with  which  he  has  since  been  connected, 
being  in  partnership  with  H.  P.  Tucker  for 
twenty-seven  years.  The  firm  of  Tucker  and 
Farnsworth  is  a  synonym  for  honesty  in  busi- 
ness and  reliability  in  drugs. 

In  1874  Mr.  Farsworth  married  Miss  Delia 
Pearson,  who  was  born  at  Lewis,  New  York. 
They  have  three  sons :  Albert  H.,  a  physician 
in  Grand  Island;  T.  L-,  a  dental  surgeon  in 
practice  in  Broken  Bow,  and  Earl  E.,  a  prac- 
ticing physician  and  surgeon  at  Grand  Island. 

Luther  F.  Farnsworth  has  always  given  en- 
couragement to  civic  enterprises  regulated  by 
law  and  order,  and  has  been  particularly  con- 
cerned in  educational  advancement.  For  six 
years  he  has  served  as  a  member  of  the  school 
board.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his  political 
opinions.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a 
Mason  and  from  his  youth  has  belonged  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


for  many  years  with  Henry  Glade  in  which 
concern  his  widow  still  retains  an  interest  He 
further  showed  business  enterprise  by  erect- 
ing a  candy  factory  which  proved  a  profitable 
investment  hi  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Etting  con- 
ducted the  business  successfully  until  his  death 
and  Mrs.  Etting  retained  her  interest  in  the 
property  until  the  plant  was  destroyed  by  fire. 
Mr.  Etting  married  in  August,  1881,  Miss 
Rose  Felderman,  who  was  born  in  Dubuque 
County,  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Rebecca 
(Glade)  Felderman,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Germany.  Mr.  Felderman  was  a  successful 
farmer  in  Iowa,  where  he  lived  until  his  death 
in  1909,  the  death  of  his  widow  occurred 
September  14,  1912.  They  had  seven  children 
and  of  the  five  survivors  two  reside  in  Ne- 
braska, Mrs.  Etting  and  a  sister,  Mrs.  Eliza- 
beth Kraker,  whose  home  is  in  Clatonia,  Gage 
County,  Nebraska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Etting  be- 
came the  parents  of  six  children :  Amanda,  the 
wife  of  Clayton  Flower,  who  is  in  the  insur- 
ance business  in  Grand  Island ;  Alma,  the  wife 
of  Lester  Schuff,  who  conducts  the  Palmer 
House  in  Grand  Island ;  Lee  E.,  who  entered 
the  National  army  for  service  in  the  World 
War,  June  15,  1918;  Norval  E.,  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France,  in 
the  supply  division,  left  the  United  States, 
January  10,  1918;  Florence,  who  resides  at 
home,  and  Irma,  who  is  a  student  in  Kemper 
Hall,  Kenosha,  Wisconsin.  Mrs.  Etting  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church  as  was  Mr. 
Etting.  Mr.  Etting  found  his  chief  recrea- 
tion in  hunting.  He  was  a  good  shot  with  a 
gun  and  for  years  maintained  a  camp  on  an 
island  which  he  owned  in  the  Platte  River, 
spending  several  weeks  there  every  spring  for 
many  years.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  was  prominent  in  civic  affairs,  serving 
two  years  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  in 
which  body  he  always  labored  for  the  best 
interests  of  Grand  Island. 


ALBERT  ETTING,  for  many  years  a 
progressive  and  useful  citizen  of  Grand 
Island,  came  to  Nebraska  in  1887,  and  from 
then  until  his  death  on  March  29,  1908,  dem- 
onstrated his  ability  as  a  business  man, 
winning  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  all 
who  knew  him. 

Albert  Etting  was  born  in  Jackson  County, 
Iowa,  October  9,  1857.  His  father  was  a 
fanner  and  after  his  short  school  period  was 
over,  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Jackson  County  where  he  remained  until 
1887,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 
Here  he  was  associated  in  the  milling  business 


EARL  E.  FARNSWORTH,  M.  D.,  a  rep- 
resentative physician  and  surgeon  of  Grand 
Island,  is  held  in  high  regard  in  his  profes- 
sional capacity  and  in  universal  esteem  person- 
ally. He  belongs  to  that  rapidly  increasing 
body  of  close -thinking  medical  men  who  are 
strong  advocates  of  physical  training  and  regu- 
lated athletics  for  the  preservation  of  health. 
Dr.  Farnsworth  may  be  said  to  have  exempli- 
fied in  his  own  person  the  value  of  his  theory. 
He  has  been  in  active  practice  in  this  city  for 
a  decade. 

Dr.  Farnsworth  was  born  at  Middlebury, 
Vermont,  May  24,  1881,  a  son  of  Luther  F. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


671 


and  Delia  (Pearson)  Farnsworth,  whose 
biography  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

Earl  E.  Farnsworth  had  educational  train- 
ing in  a  private  school  before  his  parents  re- 
moved to  Grand  Island,  where  he  was  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  in  1899,  when  he 
entered  the  Nebraska  State  University  in 
Lincoln  where  he  continued  a  student  until 

1902.  The  following  year  he  attended  Cornell 
University,  receiving  the  degree  of  A.  B.  in 

1903.  He  then  went  to  Denver  where  he  was 
interested  for  a  time  in  newspaper  work.  Al- 
ways fond  of  out-door  life  he  enjoyed  "rough- 
ing it"  in  the  mountains  for  about  twelve 
months,  in  the  meanwhile  working  in  a  supply 
store  in  a  high  altitude  region.  Upon  his  re- 
turn to  more  civilized  life  he  was  associated 
with  the  International  Mercantile  Company, 
an  auditing  company;  in  the  interest  of  this 
concern  he  was  located  in  New  York  City  for 
eight  months.  Returning  then  to  Nebraska  he 
studied  pharmacy  at  Creighton  College, 
Omaha,  Highland  Park,  and  Des  Moines, 
Iowa,  where  upon  completing  his  course  in 
pharmacy  he  was  graduated  with  first  honors 
in  a  class  of  seventy-nine  in  an  examination 
before  the  state  pharmacy  board  of  Nebraska. 
Later  he  took  up  the  study  of  medicine  at  Har- 
vard College,  from  which  institution  he  re- 
ceived his  medical  degree  in  1912,  having  for 
four  years  passed  all  his  vacation  time  in 
hospital  work.  During  his  last  collegiate  year 
he  lived  at  the  Massachusetts  General  Hos- 
pital. On  his  return  to  Grand  Island  the  doctor 
became  associated  with  his  brother  Dr.  Albert 
H.  Farnsworth,  a  partnership  which  still  con- 
tinues. They  control  a  very  heavy  practice, 
Dr.  Earl  Farnsworth  specializing  In  diagnosis 
and  diseases  of  women  and  children. 

Dr.  Farnsworth  married  in  1912  Miss  Jessie 
Kistle,  who  was  born  at  Le  Mars,  Plymouth 
County,  Iowa.  They  have  one  son,  William 
Kistle,  who  was  born  July  6,  1914.  Mrs. 
Farnsworth  excels  as  a  musician  and  from 
1909  until  1911  attended  the  New  England 
Conservatory  of  Music  at  Boston.  They  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  his 
views  Dr.  Farnsworth  is  a  Democrat.  He  is 
a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  belongs  to  the 
Shrine,  and  is  also  identified  with  Lodge 
604,  Elks,  in  Grand  Island.  He  yet  maintains 
his  valued  membership  in  his  old  Greek  letter 
fraternities  of  Nebraska  and  Cornell  Univer- 
sities, the  Phi  Delta  Theta  and  Phi  Rho  Sigma, 
in  1911  being  a  delegate  to  the  National  Fra- 
ternal convention  held  at  Omaha.  While  Dr. 
Farnsworth  has  always  been,  as  mentioned 
above,  a  lover  of   athletics,   and   wholesome 


sports,  it  was  on  the  tennis  courts  that  he 
made  a  national  reputation.  For  several  years 
he  held  the  state  championship  in  Nebraska, 
and  has  been  champion  in  nine  different  states 
and  owns  many  trophies  testifying  to  his  skill. 


LEO  PHELAN,  M.  D.  —  Perhaps  the  care- 
fully protected  citizens  of  Grand  Island  some- 
times ask  each  other,  if  not  well  informed,  to 
what  benign  influence  during  the  past  ten 
years  have  they  been  indebted  for  improved 
sanitation,  rigid  methods  of  inspection,  thor- 
ough isolation  of  contagious  cases  and  use  of 
preventive  and  protective  measures  in  times  of 
epidemic,  without  remembering  that  they  have, 
in  Dr.  Leo  Phelan,  an  able,  experienced,  scien- 
tific physician  as  city  health  officer.  Dr.  Phelan 
has  been  publicly,  privately  and  profession- 
ally, a  useful  citizen  since  he  came  here. 

Dr.  Phelan  was  born  at  Ottawa,  Canada, 
October  7,  1863,  the  twelfth  child  in  a  family 
of  thirteen  children  born  to  John  and  Margaret 
(McCarthy)  Phelan.  The  mother  of  Dr. 
Phelan  was  born  at  Richmond,  Canada,  in 
1823,  and  died  in  1899.  The  father  was  bom 
in  Queens  County,  Ireland,  in  1814,  and  died 
in  Canada  in  1879.  Besides  Dr.  Phelan,  three 
of  their  surviving  children  live  in  Nebraska : 
Mary,  the  wife  of  John  Goodall,  a  retired 
farmer  of  Omaha;  Edward,  a  wealthy  con- 
tractor and  real  estate  dealer  in  Omaha,  and 
Alice,  the  wife  of  Michael  Shirley,  a  con- 
tractor and  real  estate  dealer  in  Omaha.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 

Leo  Phelan  attended  the  public  schools  and 
Ottawa  University,  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1886  as  honor  man  of  the  class  in 
philosophy.  Subsequently  he  entered  Queens 
University  at  Kingston,  Ontario,  and  again 
was  honor  man  of  his  class  in  anatomy.  From 
this  institution  he  received  his  medical  degree 
in  1890.  For  a  few  months  after  graduation 
he  was  associated  with  his  brother,  Dr.  Daniel 
Phelan,  at  Kingston,  then  became  a  member 
of  the  faculty  of  the  Sioux  City  Medical  Col- 
lege, Sioux  City,  Iowa,  where  he  lectured  for 
seven  years,  conducting  a  private  practice  at 
the  same  time.  He  then  went  to  Ackley, 
Iowa,  which  meant  a  country  practice.  During 
the  six  years  he  remained  there  he  frequently 
visited  Chicago  for  graduate  work  in  the  Chi- 
cago Post  Graduate  School.  A  new  field  of 
usefulness  opening  up  led  him  to  Ann  Arbor, 
Michigan,  for  graduate  work  in  preparation  to 
assume  charge  of  a  hospital  which  interested 
parties  proposed  to  build  for  him.  Re- 
verses came  to  them  before  this  project  was 


672 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


carried  out,  and  Dr.  Phelan  remained  in  Ann 
Arbor  for  two  and  a  half  years.  On  Janu- 
ary 8,  1907,  he  came  to  Grand  Island  where  he 
has  a  lucrative  practice,  standing  high  in  his 
profession,  as  specialist  of  surgery. 

Dr.  Phelan  was  united  in  marriage  in  1898 
to  Miss  Theresa  Kidd,  who  was  born  at  Tor- 
onto, Canada.  Mrs.  Phelan  is  a  daughter  of 
the  late  Joseph  Kidd,  who  was  in  the  salt  and 
lumber  business.  He  removed  to  Sioux  City, 
Iowa,  in  1898  and  died  there.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Phelan  have  four  sons :  Gerald,  a  member  of 
a  medical  corps  in  the  United  States  navy; 
Redmond,  employed  in  Grand  Island ;  Edward 
J.,  who  is  in  school,  and  John  F.,  a  school- 
boy. Dr.  Phelan  and  his  family  are  members 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  has  long 
been  active  in  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  in 
which  he  is  a  grand  knight.  Politically  he 
is  a  Democrat.  In  addition  to  being  the  watch- 
ful health  officer  of  the  city,  for  a  number  of 
years  he  has  been  school  physician.  As  far  as 
he  deems  wise  Dr.  Phelan  advocates  all 
moderate  forms  of  out-door  sports.  During 
his  university  days  he  was  a  leader  in  both 
base  ball  and  foot  ball  and  often  carried  off 
the  honors.  He  is  an  active  member  of  both 
state  and  county  medical  societies. 


VIRDEN  E-  EVANS.  — The  automobile 
business  has  received  its  full  share  of  recog- 
nition from  the  progressive  people  of  Hall 
County,  an  astonishing  number  of  the  latest 
models  being  owned  and  enjoyed.  Perhaps  the 
favorite  make  for  all  purposes  is  the  Ford 
automobile,  which  has  been  ably  exploited  here 
for  several  years  by  Virden  E.  Evans,  who  is 
president  and  general  manager  of  the  Glass- 
Evans  Auto  Company  of  Grand  Island. 

Virden  E.  Evans  was  born  near  Red  Oak, 
Iowa,  April  21,  1883,  and  is  the  only  child  of 
his  parents,  John  W.  and  Maggie  (McMullen) 
Evans,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ohio 
and  the  latter  in  Illinois.  They  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church.  The  family  re- 
sided in  Iowa,  where  the  father  was  a  farmer 
for  a  number  of  years.  In  1914  they  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  since  then  Mr.  Evans  has 
been  employed  in  the  plant  of  the  Glass-Evans 
Auto  Company.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  fraternally  is  identified  with  the  Modern 
Woodmen. 

After  attending  the  grade  schools  in 
Howard  County,  Nebraska,  Virden  E.  Evans 
spent  four  years  in  the  Normal  college  at  St. 
Paul,  Nebraska,  and  then  accepted  the  re= 
sponsible  position  of  cashier  of  a  bank  at 
Cushitlg,  Nebraska.    In  large  measure  he  had 


his  own  way  to  make  in  the  world  and  his 
success  has  come  about  because  of  his  high 
character  and  sense  of  responsibility.  Young 
as  he  was,  he  satisfactorily  filled  the  office  of 
bank  cashier  for  five  years.  Possibly  his  pur- 
chase of  a  comfortable  Ford  car  in  1908  served 
to  turn  his  attention  to  the  great  possibilities 
for  an  enterprising  young  man  in  the  auto- 
mobile industry  and  he  began  his  venture  in 
1909,  continuing  as  cashier  of  the  bank,  how- 
ever, for  one  year  longer.  He  was  then  in- 
duced to  accept  the  favorable  proposition  of 
the  Ford  people  to  take  charge  of  an  agency 
in  Grand  Island.  Since  that  time  he  has  been 
one  of  its  prosperous  business  men.  The 
Glass-Evans  Auto  Company  was  organized  in 
1915  being  incorporated,  for  $100,000,  Mr. 
Evans  as  indicated  above,  is  president  and 
general  manager.  In  April,  1918,  the  com- 
pany erected  what  is  undoubtedly  the  finest 
garage  in  this  part  of  the  state  —  a  three-story 
building  with  every  modern  equipment  and 
appliance  known  in  the  industry.  The  company 
has  prospered  from  the  first  and  at  present  is 
doing  business  estimated  at  $500,000  annually. 
Mr.  Evans  married  in  1905  Miss  Lida  Paul- 
sen, who  was  born  at  Dannebrog,  Howard 
County,  Nebraska.  They  have  two  sons : 
Gordon  and  Clayton,  both  of  whom  are  attend- 
ing school.  The  family  belongs  to  the  Presby- 
terian church.  Mr.  Evans  is  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  a  loyal  party  man  but  cherishes 
no  political  ambitions.  A  progressive,  enter- 
prising, reliable  business  man,  he  has  found 
a  hearty  welcome  in  Grand  Island  and  has 
proved  his  worth. 


JOHN  B.  GLASS,  secretary  and  treasurer 
of  the  Glass-Evans  Auto  Company,  is  identi- 
fied with  one  of  the  most  prosperous  of  Grand 
Island's  modern  business  enterprises.  He  is 
a  native  of  Nebraska,  bom  in  Howard  County. 
August  14,  1883,  the  son  of  John  and  Lizzie 
(Lutz)  Glass,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania. 

The  name  of  Glass  is  an  honored  one  in 
Howard  County,  where  John  Glass  settled  and 
homesteaded  after  his  honorable  discharge 
from  the  Union  Army,  where  he  served 
through  the  Civil  War.  During  the  greater 
part  of  his  life  he  engaged  in  agricultural  pur- 
suits but  in  1888  he  took  charge  of  a  hotel 
at  Cushing,  Nebraska,  which  he  conducted  un- 
til his  death  in  1890.  His  wife  died  in  the 
same  year.  They  had  eight  children,  John  B. 
being  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth.  He  has 
three  surviving  brothers  and  one  sister:  Louis, 
who  conducts  a  hardware  business  at  Wol- 


1 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


673 


bach,  Nebraska ;  Joseph,  who  follows  the  car- 
penter trade  at  Grand  Island;  W.  J.,  who  is 
in  the  automoblie  business  at  Grand  Island, 
and  Catherine,  the  wife  of  A.  J.  Shrack,  who 
is  in  an  electrical  business  at  Aberdeen,  Idaho. 
The  parents  of  this  family  were  faithful  mem. 
bers  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

John  B.  Glass  obtained  his  educational  train- 
ing in  the  public  schools  of  Howard  County. 
He  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm  for 
a  time  and  afterward  was  employed  for  three 
years  in  the  Bank  of  Cushing,  Nebraska,  from 
there  coming  to  Grand  Island  in  1911.  In 
the  same  year  he  became  interested  in  a 
general  automobile^  business  here  in  partner- 
ship with  V.  E.  Evans,  under  the  firm  name 
of  the  Glass-Evans  Auto  Company,  which  has 
developed  into  a  large  enterprise  with  a  prom- 
ising future. 

In  1914  Mr.  Glass  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Carrie  Anderson,  who  was  born  in 
Howard  County,  Nebraska,  a  daughter  of 
Mads  Anderson,  who  homesteaded  there.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Glass  have  two  sons,  Edsel  and 
Donald,  aged  respectively  four  and  two  years. 
Mrs.  Glass  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Glass  was  reared  in  the  Catholic 
faith.  He  has  never  been  very  active  in  poli- 
tics but  votes  with  the  Republican  party  on 
every  public  question. 


EDWIN  C.  BURGER,  one  of  Grand  Is- 
land's progressive  young  business  men,  belongs 
to  one  of  the  oldest  pioneer  families  of  Hall 
County,  his  family  having  founded  the  thriv- 
ing town  of  Doniphan  where  Edwin  was  born, 
April  26,  1885.  His  father,  George  A.  Burger, 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  in  August,  1850, 
and  died  at  Doniphan,  Nebraska,  in  1914. 
The  mother  of  Mr.  Burger,  Mrs.  Rosa  A. 
(Peabody)  Burger,  was  a  native  of  the  state 
of  New  York;  she  was  married  at  Doniphan 
and  still  lives  there.  Of  their  three  children 
two  survive ;  Edwin  C.  and  Mable,  the  latter 
being  the  wife  of  A.  C.  Pentico,  a  ranchman 
near  New  Castle,  Wyoming.  The  late  George 
A.  Burger  was  well  and  favorably  known  in 
Hall  County,  having  been  a  resident  for 
fifty  years,  coming  here  in  1864,  at  which  time 
he  operated  a  pack  train.  He  secured  a  valu- 
able homestead  near  the  town  of  Doniphan,  to 
which  place  he  removed  in  1872.  He  was  a 
Democrat  in  politics  and  served  on  the  county 
board  of  supervisors  for  nine  years. 

After  his  graduation  from  the  Doniphan 
High  school  in  1902,  Edwin  C.  Burger  spent 
one  year  as  a  clerk  in  the  store  of  his  uncle, 
Win  J.  Burger.     He  next  took  a  commercial 


course  at  Creighton  College,  and  a  course  in 
pharmacy  at  Creighton  College,  where  he  was 
graduated  in  1904.  He  had  other  business 
experiences  before  coming  to  Grand  Island, 
having  been  employed  one  year  by  the  Ne- 
braska Clothing  Company  in  Omaha,  and  had 
live  stock  and  automobile  interests  for  a  time 
at  Doniphan.  In  1914  he  located  in  Grand 
Island  as  sales  manager  for  the  Class-Evans 
Auto  Company.  This  company  was  incor- 
porated1 in  1915,  at  which  time  he  became  sales 
manager  and  vice-president.  At  the  present 
it  is  one  of  the  growing  concerns  of  Grand 
Island  and  Mr.  Burger  devotes  all  his  time 
to  its  affairs. 

On  August  1,  1907,  Mr.  Burger  married 
Miss  Mamie  Phillips,  who  was  born  in  Ne- 
braska, a  daughter  of  Fred  and  Cornelia 
(Adams)  Phillips,  the  latter  of  whom 
died  in  1909.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Burger  was 
one  of  the  earliest  druggists  at  Hastings,  Ne- 
braska, but  in  1887  he  retired  from  active  busU 
ness,  locating  on  a  farm  situated  west  of  Doni- 
phan. He  now  resides  with  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Burger.  They  have  two  children :  Helen  and 
Bernice.  Mr.  Berger  belongs  to  the  Elks,  the 
U.  T.  C.  and  the  T.  P.  A. 


ELIZABETH  M.  CUNNINGHAM,  the 
able  superintendent  of  schools  of  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  is  particularly  well  known  at  Grand 
Island  where  for  some  years  her  earnest  work 
as  an  educator  has  been  acceptable.  -  Miss 
Cunningham  is  a  native  of  Nebraska,  born 
near  the  capital  city,  the  youngest  daughter  of 
William  Cullen  and  Anna  Hulda  (McQueen) 
Cunningham. 

The  parents  of  Miss  Cunningham  were  born 
in  Pennsylvania  and  were  reared  and  married 
there.  After  removal  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska, 
the  father  engaged  in  business  as  a  commission 
merchant.  In  1907  he  came  to  Grand  Island 
and  his  death  occurred  here  in  1909.  He  was 
a  man  of  sterling  character,  honorable  in  busi- 
ness relations  and  just  and  conscientious  in 
social  and  family  life.  He  was  a  Republican 
in  his  political  views,  was  long  identified  with 
the  Masonic  fraternity,  and  was  a  presiding 
elder  in  the  Scotch  Presbyterian  church.  The 
mother  of  Miss  Cunningham  lives  at  Grand 
Island.  They  had  six  children,  as  follows: 
Mary  Radcliffe,  the  wife  of  Judge  Howard 
Kennedy,  of  Omaha;  Thomas  J.,  a  commercial 
traveler  for  Granger  Bros.,  of  Grand  Island; 
Francis  Jane,  the  wife  of  J.  L.  Geary;  Nancy 
Rohrer,  the  wife  of  R.  E.  Davis;  Elizabeth 
McQueen,  who  is  county  superintendent ;  and 


t  child  is  deceased. 


<V 


674 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Wei)  trained  in  the  public  schools  and  a 
graduate  of  the  high  school.  Miss  Cunning- 
ham pursued  her  studies  along  more  advanced 
lines  in  the  state  university  at  Lincoln.  In 
memory  of  those  pleasant  days  she  still  main- 
tains her  interest  and  membership  in  the  Greek 
letter  sorority,  the  Kappa  Kappa  Gamma.  In 
1907  she  came  to  Grand  Island  as  a  teacher 
in  the  public  schools  and  has  engaged  continu- 
ously since  then  in  this  educational  field,  for 
four  years  being  principal  of  the  Jefferson 
school.  In  March,  1918,  she  was  appointed 
superintendent  and  in  November,  1918,  was 
elected  county  superintendent  of  schools  for 
four  years. 


ALBERT  H.  FARNSWORTH,  M.  D., 
whose  name  for  seventeen  years  has  repre- 
sented professional  skill,  business  integrity 
and  civic  usefulness  in  Grand  Island,  was 
born  at  Middlebury,  Vermont,  May  14,  1875. 
He  belongs  to  a  well  known  family  in  Hall 
County,  being  a  son  of  Luther  F.  Farnsworth, 
of  whom  specific  mention  is  made  on  other 
.    pages  of  this  volume. 

In  his  native  city  Albert  H.  Farnsworth 
took  a  thorough  course  in  the  public  schools. 
After  the  family  came  to  Nebraska  he  entered 
the  state  university  in  Lincoln  where  he  pur- 
sued his  studies  through  his  sophomore  year. 
A  period  spent  as  a  clerk  and  student  in  his 
father's  drug  store  was  exceedingly  helpful 
as  preparatory  to  entering  Hahnemann  College, 
Chicago,  from  which  he  was  graduated  in 
1900;  the  same  year  he  entered  the  Cook 
County  Hospital  as  an  interne  remaining  there 
until  1902,  on  February  9th  of  that  year  com- 
ing to  Grand  Island  to  establish  an  office. 
Dr.  Farnsworth  is  a  general  practitioner  of 
medicine  and  surgery.  He  has  taken  work  at 
the  Mayo  clinic  in  Rochester,  Minnesota,  and 
in  cl'nics  at  Boston,  Massachusetts,  and  Chi- 
cago, Illinois,  to  perfect  himself  in  all  the  new 
technique  and  latest  discoveries  of  medical 
science.  Although  still  mantaining  his 
quarters  in  his  original  office,  his  equipments, 
however,  are  entirely  modern.  In  addition  to 
a  heavy  city  practice,  he  has  patients  in  all 
adjoining  towns. 

In  August,  1903,  Dr.  Farnsworth  was  united 
in  marriage  with  Miss  Callie  E.  Thompson, 
who  was  born  at  Grand  Island,  a  daughter  of 
judge  J.  R.  and  Elizabeth  (Pryse)  Thompson 
a  record  of  whom  will  be  found  elsewhere  in 
this  volume. 

Dr.  and  Mrs.  Farnsworth  have  three  chil- 
dren, a  daughter  and  two  sons:  Elizabeth, 
Frederick  Thompson  and  Albert  Henry,  the 


youngest  being  an  infant  of  fourteen  months. 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Farnsworth  are  members  of  the 
First  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  be- 
longs to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Elks  and 
professionaly  is  identified  with  the  County, 
State  and  American  Medical  societies,  and  has 
served  one  term  as  vice  president  and  one  term 
as  president  of  the  Hall  County  Medical  So- 
ciety. For  the  last  five  years  he  has  been  sur- 
geon for  the  Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy 
Railroad  at  this  point.  In  politics  the  doctor 
is  a  sound  Republican,  but  he  has  never  ac- 
cepted any  public  office  except  that  of  health 
officer. 


DANIEL  C.  BROWN,  a  popular  man  en- 
gaged in  the  cigar  and  tobacco  business  in 
Grand  Island  and  owner  of  a  billiard  hall, 
who  enjoys  the  best  of  the  city's  patronage, 
has  resided  here  for  sixteen  years.  He  came  to 
Grand  Island  from  a  wider  field,  in  which  he 
had  been  a  busy  worker  for  many  years.  Like 
many  another  youth,  he  began  early  to  be  self 
supporting,  and  his  steady  habits,  industry  and 
fidelity  to  interests  intrusted  to  him,  led  him  lo 
very  important  and  responsible  positions. 

Daniel  Brown  was  born  in  the  city  of  Phila- 
delphia, January  18,  1859,  the  son  of  David  F. 
and  Hannah  E.  (Anderson)  Brown,  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  Of  their  four  children, 
Daniel  C.  alone  survives.  During  the  Civil 
War  the  father  of  Mr.  Brown  was  commis- 
sioned to  buy  horses  for  the  United  States 
government,  at  Baltimore.  In  January,  1869, 
he  removed  to  Galesburg,  Illinois  and  during 
the  five  years  spent  there,  he  worked  in  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad 
shops.  In  1874  he  removed  to  Omaha,  where 
he  engaged  in  sign  painting  and  in  lettering 
the  Union  Pacific  coaches  in  the  Union  Pacific 
yards,  having  considerable  talent  in  his  sign 
work.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They  died  at 
Omaha. 

Daniel  C.  Brown  attended  school  in  Gales- 
burg, and  two  years  afterward  had  further 
advantages  in  Omaha.  His  first  independent 
and  responsible  office  was  that  of  deputy  post- 
master at  Missouri  Valley,  Iowa,  where  he  re- 
mained five  years.  On  August  16,  1879  he 
became  connected  with  the  Pacific  Express 
Company,  and  on  January  12,  1883,  he  began 
service  as  a  United  States  Mail  carrier  in 
Omaha.  He  continued  to  hold  this  position 
under  the  government  for  ten  years.  Mr. 
Brown  earned  the  first  special  delivery  letter 
ever  transmitted  through  the  mails  in  Omaha, 
and  as  interesting  in  the  light  of  present  mail 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  675 


Dr.  A.  H.  Fahnswosth 


Jgi:izcd  By  VjOOQIC 


676 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


facility  extension,  he  shows  that  first  envelope 
on  occasions.  He  was  made  the  first  president 
of  the  Letter  Carrier's  Association  at  Omaha. 
Mr.  Brown  returned  then  to  the  express  ser- 
vice, in  which  he  spent  eighteen  years  and  four 
months  as  messenger  on  express  trains.  He 
retired  from  the  railroad  and  on  July  9,  1903, 
he  came  to  Grand  Island,  not  with  any  idea 
of  retiring,  but  of  engaging  in  a  quiet  busi- 
ness that  would  not  isolate  him  from  friendly 
companionship,  for  he  had  led  too  active  and 
busy  a  life  to  feel  that  he  could  be  contented 
in  idleness.  At  first  he  was  associated  with  a 
partner  in  the  management  of  a  billiard  room 
but  established  his  own  billiard,  cigar  and  to- 
bacco business  on  January  14,  1910. . 

Mr.  Brown  was  united  in  marriage  in  1902, 
with  Miss  Lucy  Irvin,  who  was  born  at  Sidney, 
Iowa.  They  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  his  political  views  he  is  a 
zealous  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  order  of 
Elks,  and  for  many  years  has  been  active  in 
Masonic  Blue  Lodges.  Mr.  Brown  has  been 
more  of  a  traveler  than  many  of  his  fellow 
citizens,  having  visited  thirty-eight  of  the 
states  of  the  Union. 


HENRY  J.  LORENTZEN,  who  has  been 
connected  with  business  interests  of  Grand  Is- 
land for  many  years,  was  born  in  the  city  of 
New  York,  September  30,  1869,  the  son  of 
Jacob  J.  and  Elizabeth  (Mundt)  Lorentzen. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Lorentzen  were  born  in 
Hoi  stein,  Germany,  but  emigrated  to  the 
United  States  when  young  and  were  married 
in  New  York,  where  Jacob  J.  Lorentzen 
worked  first. as  a  carpenter  and  later  engaged 
in  contracting.  Subsequently  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  and  bought  a  tract  of  school 
land  which  was  situated  six  miles  north  of 
Grand  Island.  His  death  occurred  in  1898  but 
his  widow  survives  and  still  lives  on  the  old 
homestead.  They  had  five  children,  Henry  J. 
being  the  second  bom.  The  other  survivors 
are:  Jacob  J.,  who  operates  the  old  home- 
stead farm ;  Christina,  a  widow  who  lives  whh 
her  mother,  and  Amanda,  who  resides  at  Los 
Angeles,  California. 

Henry  J.  Lorentzen  attended  school  in  Hall 
County  and  remained  at  home  assisting  on 
the  home  farm  until  he  was  sixteen  years  of 
age,  when  he  became  a  clerk  for  the  firm  of 
Withers  &  Cole,  of  Grand  Island,  two  years 
later  becoming  a  clerk  for  a  shoe  firm,  where 
he  continued  for  three  and  a  half  years.  He 
then  entered  the  employ  of  H.  H.  Glover,  with 
whom  he  was  associated  sixteen  years.  At 
the  end  of  this  period  he  bought  the  shoe  de- 


partment and   has   engaged   in   a   mercantile 
business  of  his  own  ever  since. 

In  1894  Mr.  Lorentzen  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Louise  Vieregg  ,who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  a  prominent  family  of  Grand  Island. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Alma.  In  politics  he 
is  an  independent  voter.  He  belongs  to  the 
Sons  of  Herman  and  the  Leiderkranz. 


ARNY  E.  NAGELSTOCK,  one  of  the 
dependable  business  men  and  successful  mer- 
cants  of  Grand  Island,  has  been  identified  with 
the  mercantile  trade  ever  since  his  school  days 
ended.  This  training  proved  invaluable  to 
him  when  he  started  out  for  himself,  and  his 
later  success  has  still  further  been  brought 
about  by  his  courteous  manner  and  reliability 
of  his  goods. 

Mr.  Nagelstock  was  born  at  Black  Creek. 
Wisconsin,  April  17,  1880,  one  of  a  family  of 
four  children  born  to  his  parents,  Charles  and 
Sophia  (Fisher)  Nagelstock,  who  were  natives 
of  Austria  but  emigrated  to  the  United  States 
when  young,  the  mother  being  brought  by  her 
parents.  They  now  live  in  comfortable  retire- 
ment in  Fremont,  Nebraska.  The  father  is  a 
Democrat  in  politics,  and  both  are  members  of 
the  Jewish  congregation.  Aside  from  Amy 
E.,  they  have  two  other  living  children :  Edwin. 
a  dealer  at  Fremont,  in  ready-to-wear  cloth- 
ing, and  Gertrude,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Heller, 
who  is  in  the  meat  business  at  Oconto.  The 
youngest  of  the  family,  Sidney,  was  killed 
in  an  automoble  accident,  at  Fremont,  Ne- 
braska, in  August,  1914.  The  father  was  a 
dry  goods  merchant  in  Wisconsin  and  also 
at  Ironwood,  Michigan,  before  he  retired  from 
business. 

Amy  E.  Nagelstock  was  given  excellent 
educational  opportunities  and  in  1898  was 
graduated  from  the  Bessemer  (Michigan) 
high  school.  He  then  served  as  a  clerk  for 
his  father  until  he  engaged  in  business  for  him- 
self in  Fremont,  in  August,  1910.  Al- 
though still  owning  his  business  in  Fremont 
Mr.  Nagelstock  desired  a  wider  scope  for  his 
energies  and  in  January,  1913  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  to  open  a  first  class  store  in 
ready  to  wear  garments,  which  because  of 
their  reasonable  price,  fine  quality  and  good 
style,  has  developed  into  a  most  satisfactory 
business. 

Mr.  Nagelstock  is  unmarried.  He  is  a  Scot- 
tish Rite  Mason  and  belongs  to  the  Shrine. 
He  is  identified  with  the  Elks  and  Knights 
of  Pythias.  In  politics  he  supports  the  Demo- 
cratic policies.  He  has  shown  a  public- 
spirited  interest  in  local  affairs  and  has  been 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  677 

elected  president  of  the  Commercial  Club,  of  holds  an  enviable  position  as  a  physician.  In 
which  organization  in  Fremont  he  was  former-  matters  of  citizenship  he  measures  up  to  the 
ly  treasurer.  full  standard. 


DAVID  H.  CARSON,  M.  D„  a  dis- 
tinguished physician  of  Grand  Island, 
specializes  in  the  treatment  of  the  eye,  ear, 
nose  and  throat,  has  won  an  enviable  reputa- 
tion with  the  public  as  with  his  profes- 
sional colleagues.  For  the  past  ten  years  he 
has  successfully  practiced  his  profession  in  this 
dry. 

Dr.  Carson  was  born  at  High  Forest,  Min- 
nesota, December  21,  1876,  a  son  of  J.  A.  and 
Nettie  (Hart)  Carson,  the  former  a  native  of 
Vermont  and  the  latter  of  Minnesota.  They 
are  residents  of  Wolsey,  South  Dakota,  where 
they  settled  in  1883,  and  until  he  retired  the 
lather  was  engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits. 
Dr.  Carson  spent  his  boyhood  days  in  Min- 
nesota and  South  Dakota,  acquiring  his  early 
education  in  the  public  schools  of  Wolsey, 
South  Dakota.  He  then  entered  the  State 
University  of  South  Dakota,  at  Vermillion, 
where  he  pursued  a  scientific  course  receiving 
the  B.  S.  degree  in  •  1900.  Deciding  upon  a 
medical  career  he  marticulated  at  the  John 
A.  Creighton  Medical  College  at  Omaha,  Ne- 
braska, graduating  with  the  degree  of  M.  D. 
in  1905.  For  one  year  he  served  as  interne 
in  Saint  Joseph's  Hospital,  Omaha,  and  from 
there  located  for  the  practice  of  medicine  at 
Dietz.  Wyoming,  where  he  remained  two  and 
a  half  years.  Subsequently  he  opened  an  office 
at  Council  Bluffs,  engaging  in  practice  for 
two  and  a  half  years  but  on  the  10th  of 
April,  1912,  came  to  Grand  Island,  where  he 
has  continued  to  the  present  time,  having 
formed  a  partnership  with  Dr.  J.  E.  Higgins, 
under  the  firm  name  of  Higgins  and  Carson. 
Both  physicians  are  specialists  in  eye,  ear,  nose 
and  throat  diseases  and  are  most  successful 
in  the  diagnosis  and  treatment  of  that  nature. 
Dr.  Carson  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Gertrude  Smith,  a  native  of  Nebraska,  a 
daughter  of  George  M.  and  Mary  (Reynolds) 
Smith  who  are  now  residents  of  Hershey, 
Nebraska. 

Dr.  Carson  and  his  wife  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  church.  In  politics  the  doctor  is  a 
Republican  and  at  the  present  time  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  city  board  of  health.  His  pro- 
fessional associations  are  with  the  State  and 
County  Medical  Associations  and  he  has  served 
as  president  of  the  latter.  For  two  years  he 
was  secretary  of  the  Council  Bluffs  Medical 
Society.  He  is  a  member  of  the  medical  staff 
of  St.  Francis  Hospital  of  Grand  Island  and 


ARTHUR  A.  SCHUSTER,  whose  well 
kept  cafe  and  confectionery  store  attracts 
heavy  aptronage  at  all  times  because  of  the  su- 
perior quality  of  the  goods  offered,  came  to 
Grand  Island  eighteen  years  ago  and  through 
industry  and  enterprise  has  built  up  a  large  and 
profitable  business.  Coming  to  Nebraska  with 
the  pioneers  of  1885  he  has  never  seen  any 
good  reason  since  to  seek  a  home  elsewhere 
and  today  is  one  of  Hall  County's  solid  and 
representative  men. 

Arthur  A.  Schuster  was  born  in  Middleton, 
Dane  County,  Wisconsin,  March  31,  1865,  the 
son  of  Henry  and  Ida  (Rahl)  Schuster,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Germany.  The  mother 
of  Mr.  Schuster  resides  in  her  comfortable 
home  at  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin,  having 
reached  her  seventy-eighth  year.  The  father 
died  on  the  old  home  place  in  Dane  County 
in  1909  at  the  age  of  seventy-six  years.  Of 
their  five  surviving  children,  Arthur  A.  is  the 
second  in  order  of  birth.  The  others  are: 
Augusta,  the  widow  of  Charles  Niebuhr,  of 
Madison,  Wisconsin ;  Laura,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Milbrock  of  Madison,  Wisconsin: 
E-  E.,  a  dental  practitioner  in  Milwaukee, 
and  Henry,  who  is  in  the  employ  of  the  gov- 
ernment as  a  meat  inspector.  In  1859  the 
parents  of  Mr.  Schuster  came  to  Wisconsin 
and  the  father  bought  a  farm  in  Dane  County. 
He  was  a  man  of  education  and  at  first  taught 
school  but  later  devoted  much  of  his  time 
to  the  nursery  business,  with  which  he  was 
well  acquainted.  He  produced  such  fine  fruit 
that  he  frequently  carried  off  prizes,  hiving 
been  awarded  the  first  prize  on  grapes  at  the 
St.  Louis  exposition.  He  helped  to  install 
the  first  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows  in  Middleton 
and  was  secretary  of  the  same  lodge  for  fifty 
years.  He  served  in  many  political  offices, 
was  a  sound  Democrat  and  prominent  in  all 
movements  that  concerned  the  welfare  of  Dane 
County. 

Arthur  A.  Schuster  attended  the  public 
schools  and  was  graduated  from  the  high 
school  in  Middleton.  Following  this  he 
worked  on  the  home  farm  for  four  years, 
then  tried  railroading  for  two  years  and  in 
1885  reached  Schuyler,  Colfax  County,  Ne- 
braska. The  next  year  he  spent  on  a  farm 
but  left  to  accept  the  offer  of  a  clerkship  in 
a  cafe  and  bakery  with  opportunity  to  learn 
the  confectionery  business.  He  remained  with 
C.   H.   Chase   for  twelve   years.     Later   was 


678 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


manager  of  the  grocery  store  of  Henry  Fulton 
for  three  years  and  still  later,  for  two  years 
was  with  the  Wells  Grocery  Company.  In 
1901  Mr.  Schuster  came  to  Grand  Island  to 
establish  his  own  confectionery  store,  which 
he  has  expanded  as  business  has  demanded, 
having  continued  in  the  same  line  to  the 
present  time. 

In  1903  Mr.  Schuster  married  Miss  Matilda 
Jungbluth,  who  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Schuyler,  Nebraska.  They  have  one  daughter, 
Mildred,  the  wife  of  Elmer  Scott,  who  has  a 
satisfactory  position  in  a  sugar  factory  at 
Fort  Collins,  Colorado.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Schuster  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat 
and  has  served  on  the  board  of  supervisors 
of  Hall  County  for  four  years.  For  thirty- 
one  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Odd 
Fellows.  He  also  belongs  to  the  Elks,  the 
order  of  Ben  Hur,  the  A.  O.  U.  W.  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias. 


JOHN  ELLSWORTH,  proprietor  of  an 
extensive  greenhouse  in  Grand  Island,  does 
business  all  over  Nebraska  in  cut  flowers  and 
flower  and  vegetable  plants,  and  is  one  of 
the  most  experienced  men  in  the  business  in 
the  state.  Aside  from  its  financial  aspect  Mr. 
Ellsworth  is  devoted  to  his  vocation,  finding 
in  it  the  pleasure  and  compensation  that  ac- 
companies congenial  work. 

John  Ellsworth  was  born  in  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  November  22,  1866,  the  eldest  of  five 
children  born  to  his  parents,  Allen  and  Bar- 
bara Ellen  Ellsworth, >the  latter  of  whom  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  and  now  resides  in  Law- 
ton,  Oklahoma.  Allen  Ellsworth  was  born  in 
Vermont,  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1899  and 
died  here  in  1908,  at  the  age  of  sixty-seven 
years.  He  was  married  at  Downs.  Illinois, 
and  from  that  state  enlisted  for  service  at  the 
beginning  of  the  Civil  War  and  during  its 
long  duration  suffered  both  wounds  and  im- 
prisonment. He  was  wounded  at  the  second' 
battle  of  Bull  Run  and  at  the  siege  of  Vicks- 
burg  was  captured  by  the  enemy  and  was  in- 
carcerated in  the  Confederate  prisons  of  Belle 
Isle  and  Libbey.  He  survived  these  distress- 
ing military  experiences  and  upon  returning 
home  went  into  the  nursery  business,  which 
he  conducted  on  a  still  larger  scale  after  mov- 
ing to  Hutchinson,  Kansas,  in  1873.  In  1899 
he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  here  started  a 
greenhouse  in  partnership  with  his  son  John. 
It  was  greatly  enlarged  in  1900  and  in  this  he 
continued  to  be  interested  until  the  end  of  his 
life.     He  was  a   Republican   in  politics  and 


belonged  to  the  Masonic  fraternity.  Aside 
from  John,  the  other  children  of  the  family 
are:  Emma,  the  wife  of  B.  M.  Parmenter, 
an  attorney  living  at  Lawton,  Oklahoma; 
Elmer,  who  conducts  a  shoe  business  at 
Hutchinson,  Kansas;  Allen,  an  employe  of 
the  Union  Pacific  Railway,  and  Julia,  who  is 
the  wife  of  Guy  C.  Robertson,  cashier  of  the 
First  National  Bank  of  Lawton. 

John  Ellsworth  started  out  in  life  on  an 
excellent  educational  foundation,  having  high 
school  advantages  and  a  course  in  a  business 
college.  After  that  he  became  associated  with 
his  father  in  the  greenhouse  business,  at  first 
working  at  home  during  the  summers  and  as 
a  clerk  in  a  store  in  the  winters.  In  April, 
1900,  the  business  was  greatly  enlarged  tn 
Grand  Island  and  Mr.  Ellsworth  has  devoted 
his  entire  attention  to  it  ever  since.  He  has 
60,000  square  feet  of  glass  in  his  greenhouses, 
which  are  fitted  in  a  thoroughly  modern  way 
for  the  satisfactory  production  of  flowers  and 
handling  of  cut  flowers,  and  for  the  growing 
of  vegetable  plants.  He  sells  as  many  as  500,- 
000  cabbage  plants  alone  annually.  He  is 
prepared  to  take  care  of  every  branch  of  the 
florist's  business. 

In  1887  Mr.  Ellsworth  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Dovie  Breazeale,  who  was 
born  at  Centerville,  Iowa,  and  died  in  Grand 
Island  in  1900.  She  left  one  daughter. 
Katheline,  the  wife  of  W.  C.  Crosley,  of  Sew 
Castle ,  Wyoming.  Mr.  Ellsworth's  second 
marriage  took  place  in  November,  1908,  lo 
Miss  Freda  Senner,  who  was  born  at  Sabetha.  . 
Kansas,  a  daughter  of  Louis  and  Maria 
(Scuby)  Senner.  Her  father  was  bom  in 
Germany  and  died  on  his  farm  in  Kansas. 
Her  mother  lives  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellsworth 
in  Grand  Island,  she  having  been  born  in 
Cincinnati,  Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ellsworth 
have  three  children :  Pauline,  Jack  and  Leo. 
all  of  whom  attend  school.  In  politics  Mr. 
Ellsworth  is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity,  and  to  several  beneficiary 
societies. 


WILLIAM  T.  ENGLEMAN,  M.  D„  who 
occupies  a  place  high  in  the  confidence  and  es- 
teem of  his  fellow  citizens,  both  lay  and  pro- 
fessional, has  been  established  in  the  practice  I 
of  medicine  and  surgery  at  Grand  Island  for 
over  a  decade.  Dr.  Engleman  was  bom  at  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  December  25,  1879,  the  eldest 
of  a  family  of  twelve  children  born  to  his 
parents,  Ephraim  B.  and  Sallie  (Stadden) 
Engleman. 

The    early    Englemans    in    America   came 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


679 


from  Holland  and  settled  in  colonial  days  in 
New  England.  There  the  grandfather  of  Dr. 
Engleman,  Tobias  Engleman,  was  born  De- 
cember 17,  1817,  and  died  in  Michigan,  Sep- 
tember 13,  1883.  Ephraim  Engleman,  father 
of  Dr.  Engleman,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
November  15,  1847.  and  is  a  highly  esteemed 
resident  of  Grand  Island^  having  lived  retired 
for  some  years  in  his  comfortable  residence 
at  No.  1403  West  Second  Street.  He  was 
married  on  February  27,  1879,  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, to  Sallie  Stadden,  who  was  born  in  that 
state  September  21,  1854,  and  died  at  Grand 
Island,  October  7,  1913.  Her  father,  William 
Stadden,  was  born  September  12,  1820,  and 
died  November  18,  1895.  Dr.  Engleman  has 
the  following  brothers  and  sisters:  Mable 
Stadden,  who  is  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools 
of  Grand  Island ;  Emma  Jane,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Stephen  McGavran,  a  fruit  farmer  in  Cal- 
ifornia ;  Ella  Mary,  who  lives  with  her  sister 
Mable;  David  Leroy,  who  operates  the  old 
homestead  farm  situated  five  miles  northwest 
of  Grand  Island;  John  Ireland,  assistant  sci- 
ence teacher  in  the  State  Normal  school  at 
Kearney;  Sarah  Lillian,  who  lives  with  her 
brother  on  the  old  homestead ;  Edwin  Earl,  a 
captain  in  the  National  army,  has  been  sta- 
tioned at  Camp  Dodge,  Des  Moines;  Oliver 
Milton,  a  rancher  living  on  his  claim  near 
Crook,  Colorado;  Grace  Irene,  a  teacher  at 
Grand  Island ;  Clarence  Alvin,  who  lives  at 
Abbott,  Colorado,  and  Herbert  James,  who, 
as  a  member  of  the  American  Expeditionary 
Force,  arrived  in  France,  October  13,  1918. 
He  entered  his  country's  service  in  June,  1918, 
soon  after  his  garduation  from  the  high  school, 
having  been  president  of  his  class. 

The  parents  of  Dr.  Engleman  came  to  Ne- 
braska in  April,  1884.  The  father  first  bought 
160  acres  in  Hall  County  and  subsequently 
added  land  and  continued  to  live  there  until 
1907  when  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  has 
filled  the  office  of  deputy  city  assessor  for  the 
past  three  years.  Foremrly  he  was  assessor 
of  his  township  for  a  number  of  years  and 
for  twenty  years  was  a  school  director  in 
District  No.  30.  For  fifteen  years  he  served 
as  secretary  of  the  M.  B.  A.  local  lodge.  He 
is  a  leading  member  of  the  First  Methodist 
church. 

After  completing  his  high  school  course, 
William  T.  Engleman  spent  some  time  in  the 
hardware  business,  in  Hastings,  Nebraska,  Des 
Moines,  Iowa,  and  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and 
then  took  a  course  in  the  Baptist  College  at 
Grand  Island.  On  September  3,  1902,  he 
entered  upon  educational  work  and  taught 
school  for  two  years  in  Hall  County,  follow- 


ing which  he  entered  Creighton  Medical  Col- 
lege, from  which  he  was  graduated  May  1, 
1909.  He  immediately  entered  into  practice 
in  Grand  Isalnd,  making  a  specialty  of  internal 
medicine  and  obstetrics.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  leading  medical  organizations  of  the 
country,  including  the  American  Medical  As- 
sociation, and  for  four  years  served  as  sec- 
retary of  the  Hall  County  Medical  Society. 
On  June  30,  1909,  Dr.  Engleman  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Minerva  Travis,  who  was  born 
while  her  parents  yet  lived  in  their  primitive 
sod  house  on  their  homestead  in  Hamilton 
County,  Nebraska.  Her  parents  were  Frank 
and  Emily  (Buzza)  Travis.  Dr.  and  Mrs. 
Engleman  have  three  children :  Earl  and 
Elmer,  twin  sons  who  were  bom  July  28, 
1910;  and  Evaleen,  who  was  born  February 
12,  1915.  The  doctor  and  his  wife  are  mem- 
bers of  Trinity  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  active  in  its  various  benevolent  move- 
ments. In  politics,  like  his  father,  Dr.  Engle- 
man is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.,  of  which  he  is  Grand  Medical 
Examiner  and  is  local  examiner  also  for  the 
order  of  Ben  Hur  and  the  Mutual  Life  In- 
Company  of  New  York. 


WILLIAM  D.  NIETFELD,  one  of  the 
enterprising  young  business  men  of  Grand 
Island,  is  one  of  the  proprietors  of  the  lead- 
ing jewelry  store  in  the  city,  which  is  situated 
at  No.  102  West  Third  street.  A  heavy  and 
carefully  selected  stock,  which  includes  prec- 
ious stones,  is  carried,  repairing  is  done,  and 
orders  for  special  pieces  of  elaborate  or  of 
simple  design  are  carefully  and  satisfactorily 
attended  to. 

William  D.  Nietfeld  was  born  at  St.  Paul, 
Nebraska,  August  5,  1891,  the  second  in  a 
family  of  five  children  born  to  his  parents, 
Henry  and  Louise  (Kruger)  Nietfeld,  who 
were  natives  of  Germany.  When  they  came 
from  the  old  country  in  1883  they  settled  at 
St.  Paul,  Nebraska,  where  for  thirty  years  the 
father  was  in  the  retail  liquor  business.  In 
1906  he  removed  to  Grand  Island  to  engage 
in  the  wholesale  trade  here  until  Nebraska 
passed  the  no  license  law,  when  he  turned  his 
attention  to  real  estate.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat  and  fraternally  is  a  member  of  the 
Elks  and  the  Eagles.  He  is  a  member  and 
has  always  been  a  liberal  supporter  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  Besides  William  D.,  his 
children  are:  Laura,  the  wife  of  W,  A. 
Godfrey,  a  soldier  in  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Force  now  in  Europe ;  Otto,  a  second 
lieutenant  in  the  training  camp  at  Kearney, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


California,  plans  to  adopt  a  military  life; 
Elsie  resides  at  home,  and  Lillian  is  a  student 
in  the  high  school. 

After  completing  the  high  school  course  in 
1909,  Mr.  Nietfeld  entered  the  jewelry  store 
of  Max  Egge,  as  clerk  and  apprentice  in 
Grand  Island.  In  1910  he  completed  a  course 
in  the  Bradley  Horological  school,  Peoria, 
Illinois,  after  which  he  went  to  Elgin,  Illinois, 
where  he  took  a  practical  watchmaking  course. 
Upon  his  return  to  Grand  Island,  in  partner- 
ship with  Harry  A.  Carey,  he  bought  the  old 
established  jewelry  store  of  Max  Egge.  The 
business  prospects  of  the  firm  are  very  bright. 
Mr.  Nietfeld  is  at  present  exalted  ruler  of 
the  local  order  of  Elks  and  belongs  also  to 
the  Eagles,  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  and  the 
Masonic  order. 

On  January  31,  1917,  Mr.  Nietfeld  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Thelma  Lam- 
son,  who  was  born  at  Lincoln,  Illinois.  They 
have  a  daughter,  Harriet  Orcutt,  bom  Jan- 
uary 27th,  1919.  They  are  members  of  the 
Episcopal  church. 


HERMAN  L.  STRATMAN,  who  con- 
ducted a  wagon -making  shop  and  dealt  in 
agricultural  implements  at  South  Wheeler 
Avenue,  Grand  Island,  was  one  of  the  city's 
well  known,  reliable  business  men.  Stead- 
fast and  practical,  Mr.  Stratman  was  a  type  of 
the  useful  everyday  citizen  and  in  the  quiet 
pursuit  of  his  business  set  an  example  of 
industry  that  many  of  the  younger  generation 
might  profitably  follow. 

Herman  Leopold  Stratman  was  born  at 
Grand  Island,  October  18,  1878.  His  parents 
were  Henry  and  Charlotte  (Spethman)  Strat- 
man, the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ger- 
many in  1850.  The  latter  was  born  at  Winter- 
set,  Iowa,  and  they  were  married  in  Grand 
Island  and  she  still  lives  here.  There  is 
but  one  surviving  member  of  their  family  of 
six  children ;  Malvina,  who  lives  with  her 
mother.  Henry  Stratman  came  to  Grand 
Island  in  1871,  a  first  class  mechanic  and  a 
welcome  addition  to  the  town's  industrial 
class.  Like  many  other  young  men  before 
and  since,  he  was  entirely  dependent  on  his 
mechanical  skill  for  maintenance.  He  set  right 
to  work  and  opened  a  wagon  and  blacksmith 
shop.  He  could  do  and  do  well  just  the  kind 
of  work  most  needed  in  the  growing  town  at 
that  time  and  he  prospered  and  in  the  course 
of  years  went  also  into  the  implement  business. 
He  bacame  a  man  of  ample  means  and  entirely 
through  his  own  efforts.  In  later  life  he  gave 
his  political  support  to  the  independent  wing 


of  the  Democratic  party.  He"  had  been  con- 
firmed in  the  Lutheran  church  and  always  re- 
membered his  obligations.  In  his  death,  in 
1912,  Grand  Island  lost  an  honest  and  useful 
citizen. 

Herman  L.  Stratman  obtained  his  education 
in  the  Grand  Island  public  schools,  after  which 
he  learned  the  wagon-making  trade  under  his 
father  and  in  the  course  of  time  succeeded 
his  father  in  business.  He  never  entertained 
any  political  ambitions  but  always  was  loyal 
to  the  Democratic  party.  He  held  the  best 
interests  of  Grand  Island  of  much  importance 
and  was  ever  found  ready  to  join  with  others 
in  furthering  local  movements  that  would  in 
his  opinion,  be  beneficial.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  order  of  Elks  and  also  of  the  Eagles  and 
was  an  ex-vice  president  of  the  latter  organ- 
ization. He  died  March  10th,  1919,  having 
passed  an  honorable  upright  life,  well  deserv- 
ing the  confidence  and  trust  of  his  business 
associates. 


CHARLES  C.  PERRY.— In  its  display  of 
fine  musical  taste,  in  combination  with  other 
cultural  elements,  Grand  Island  takes  a  lead- 
ing place  among  the  large  centers  of  Nebraska. 
For  years  this  has  been  the  home  of  unexcelled  . 
musicians,  as  the  oldest  music  house  in  HaK,£ 
County  is  located  at  Grand  Island.    The  tr^jtffjj 
in  musical   instruments  is   large  and   varie^]- 
Grand  Island  handling  the  most  of  this  hmih 
iness  west  of  Lincoln  and  Omaha.     A  v<try 
necessary  adjunct  of  music  establishments  is 
the  piano  tuner.    It  requires  exceptional  mus- 
ical gifts,  native  ability  and  technical  train- 
ing that  enables  a  man  to  discover  and  remedy 
n    an    instrument   the;   inharmonious   chords 
that  need  to  be  attuned.     Probably  the   best 
qualified    piano    tuner    in    Grand    Island    is 
Charles   C.   Perry,  who   has   been    identified 
with  the  Becker  Music  Company  since  1904. 

Charles  C.  Perry  was  born  in  McDonough 
County,  Illinois,  November  4,  1877,  the  eldest 
of  three  children  born  to  his  parents,  F.  M, 
and  Sue  Perry.  Their  other  children  are: 
N-ellie,  a  trained  nurse,  and  Cora,  a  draughts- 
man in  a  mechanical  engineer's  office.  The 
parents  are  residents  of  Peoria,  Illinois,  in 
which  state  they  were  born.  The  father  is 
in  the  insurance  business.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics.  Both  parents  are  members  of  the 
Universalist  church. 

In  boyhood  Mr.  Perry  attended  the  public 
schools  and  in  1898  was  graduated  from  the 
Avon  High  school.  His  natural  inclination 
even  then  was  toward  music  and  while  work- 
ing as  a  clerk  in  a  clothing  store  for  a  year, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


H.  H.  Sthatman 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


682 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


he  took  lessons  in  piano  tuning  from  a  pri- 
vate teacher.  Later  he  had  the  best  of  train- 
ing in  the  Boston  Conservatory  of  Music.  In 
1904  Mr.  Perry  came  to  Grand  Island  and  has 
followed  his  profession  here  ever  since,  his 
headquarters  being  with  the  Becker  Music 
Company.  He  has  never  been  particularly 
active  in  politics  but  has  always  cast  a  Re- 
publican vote.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a 
Mason  and  belongs,  also,  to  the  .Elks. 


HENRY  OLLIVER  CONAWAY,  M.  D., 
perhaps  the  Nestor  of  the  medical  profession 
in  Grand  Island,  has  been  engaged  in  medical 
practice  for  more  than  forty  years.  During 
a  part  of  this  time  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  faculty  of  Drake  University.  In  this  long 
period  of  professional  usefulness,  he  has  seen 
much  progress  in  medical  science,  although  its 
basic  principles  must  remain  the  same.  It 
has  always  been  his  fervent  desire  to  benefit 
humanity  to  the  extent  of  his  ability  through 
knowledge  and  skill. 

Dr.  Conaway  was  born  in  Harrison  County, 
Ohio,  January  27,  1848.  He  is  a  member  of 
an  old  Ohio  family  that  had  its  roots  in  Ire- 
land. His  grandfather  was  Michael  Conaway, 
who  was  a  soldier  in  the  War  of  1812.  The 
parents  of  Dr.  Conaway  were  Aaron  and 
Dorcas  (Busby)  Conaway,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  Ohio.  The  former  was  born  in  Harri- 
son County  in  1807  and  died  March  II,  1896. 
They  were  the  parents  of  fourteen  children, 
Dr.  Conaway  of  Grand  Island  being  the 
eleventh  in  order  of  birth.  He  and  his  brother, 
Dr.  J.  B.  Conaway,  a  retired  physician,  are 
the  only  members  of  the  family  residing  in 
Nebraska.  Aaron  Conaway  was  a  lawyer  in 
early  life  but  later  acquired  land  and  led  an 
agricultural  life.  He  was  prominent  politic- 
ally in  Harrison  County,  Ohio,  and  for  forty- 
five  years  served  in  the  office  of  justice  of 
the  peace  without  ever  having  one  of  his  deci- 
sions reversed  by  a  higher  court.  Four  of  his 
sons  served  in  the  Civil  War:  John  B.,  Moses, 
Michael  and  Henry  Olliver.  Moses  was  a 
member  of  the  One  Hundred  Twenty-sixth 
Ohio  volunteer  infantry,  being  killed  at 
Fisher's  Hill,  Virginia,  September  22,  1863. 
Rev.  Charles  Conaway  a  cousin  of  Aaron 
Conaway,  was  one  of  the  earliest  circuit-riders 
sent  out  to  preach  by  a  Methodist  conference 
in  the  state  of  Ohio.  Alpheus  B.  Conaway  is  a 
physician  at  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  was  at  one 
time  a  candidate  for  governor  of  his  state,  also 
serving  in  the  state  senate  from  Mahaska 
County  two  terms. 

Henry  O.  Conaway  spent  his  boyhood  years 


in  school  at  Oakdale,  Ohio,  but  obtained  his 
medical  education  in  the  Cincinnati  Eclectic 
College,  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  from  which  institu- 
tion he  was  graduated  in  1875.  After  a  prac- 
tice of  eighteen  months  at  Alexandria,  Ohio, 
he  went  to  Deep  River,  Iowa,  and  five  years 
later  removed  to  Des  Moines,  which  practically 
was  his  home  and  field  of  work  for  twenty 
years.  During  eight  years  of  this  period  Dr. 
Conaway  was  professor  of  anatomy  in  Drake 
University.  Afterward  he  came  to  Nebraska 
and  in  1909  he  bought  a  drug  store  at  Rey- 
nolds, which  he  conducted  for  a  time;  then 
sold  it  and  removed  to  Phillips  in  Hamilton 
County.  Five  years  later  he  came  from  there 
to  Grand  Island.  Dr.  Conaway  carries  on  a 
general  practice  but  makes  something  of  a 
specialty  of  diseases  of  the  eye  and  nose. 

On  May  16,  1873,  Dr.  Conaway  married 
Miss  Fannie  Hoover,  who  was  born  at  Park- 
ersburg,  Virginia,  and  died  in  1908.  Three  of 
their  four  children  survive:  Clement  Aaron. 
a  commercial  traveler,  lives  at  Des  Moines. 
Iowa;  Josie,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Rogers, 
manager  of  a  tea  store  in  Des  Moines,  and 
George,  a  mechanical  engineer,  is  employed  on 
United  States  government  work  in  California. 
Mrs.  Conaway  was  a  graduate  of  the  medical 
department  of  Drake  University.  On  May  16. 
1910,  Dr.  Conaway  was  married  a  second  time 
to  Miss  Nellie  Willoughby,  who  was  born  in 
Iroquois  County,  Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Win- 
field  S.  and  Catherine  (Crow)  Willoughby. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Conaway  was  a  soldier  in 
the  Civil  War.  The  doctor  and  Mrs.  Conaway 
have  one  son,  Clifton  Laclede,  who  was  bom 
May  27,  1911.  Mrs.  Conaway  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  in  which  faith 
the  doctor  was  reared.  He  is  a  Scottish  Rite 
Mason  and  belongs  to  the  Consistory  at  Des 
Moines.  He  is  also  a  Shriner.  In  his  political 
sentiments  he  is  in  accord  with  the  Republican 
party.  He  belongs  to  the  Iowa  State  Medical 
Association,  of  which  he  once  was  president, 
and  to  the  National  Medical  Association. 


JAMES  B.  LESHER.  — Few  men  an; 
better  known  in  Hall  County  than  James  B 
Lesher,  who  conducts  a  real  estate  business  at 
Grand  Island.  He  was  one  of  the  pioneers  who 
reached  Nebraska  in  the  spring  of  1887  ami 
since  that  time  has  been  connected  with  the 
development  of  this  section  of  the  state.  He 
owns  large  bodies  of  land  here  and  in  other 
parts  of  the  country,  having  been  a  very  wise 
investor. 

James  B.  Lesher  comes  of  old  Pennsylvania 
stock.       He    was    born    in    Northumberland 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


683 


County,  Pennsylvania,  March  9,  1853,  the  son 
of  Daniel  and  Sarah  J.  (Van  Kirk)  Lesher; 
his  grandfathers  werei  George  Lesheif  and 
Joseph  Van  Kirk,  all  of  whom  were  born  and 
spent  there  lives  in  Pennsylvania.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Lesher  was  bom  in  Northumberland 
County  in  1832,  married  and  died  there  August 
1,  1897.  Of  his  thirteen  children  James  B 
was  the  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  six  of  the 
family  survive.  The  father  was  a  Jacksonian 
Democrat,  as  honest  in  his  political  opinions 
as  he  was  steadfast  in  the  Baptist  faith. 

During  boyhood  James  B.  Lesher  attended 
the  country  schools.  He  grew  up  on  his 
father's  farm  and  followed  a  farmer's  life  in 
Northumberland  County  until  he  decided  to 
venture  his  fortunes  in  the  west  and  came  to 
Nebraska.  He  was  not  without  capital  but 
did  not  immediately  invest  in  land,  his  good 
judgment  cautioning  him  to  await  develop- 
ments for  a  time.  He  reached  Hall  County, 
March  1.  1887,  and  for  two  years  afterward 
engaged  in  farming  on  rented  land  before  he 
began  purchasing  for  himself.  Mr.  Lesher 
now  owns  about  500  acres  in  Hall  County  and 
while  accumulating  it  was  for  years  a  heavy 
feeder  and  shipper  of  cattle  and  hogs.  He 
retired  from  his  farm  activities  in  1906  and 
since  then  has  devoted  himself  to  handling 
real  estate.  Additionally  he  has  a  valuable 
property  of  2,000  acres  of  timber  land  in 
Washington  and  is  numbered  among  the  capi- 
talists of  Hall  County. 

In  1879  James  B.  Lesher  married  Miss 
Hattie  Irene  Reed,  who  was  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania, the  daughter  of  Famsworth  and 
Rosanna  (Milter)  Reed,  the  former  of  whom 
was  a  farmer.  They  both  died  in  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lesher  have  three  children: 
Gertrude,  a  trained  nurse,  resides  at  home; 
Rosa,  the  wife  of  Elias  F.  Star,  a  teacher  in  the 
University  at  Lincoln;  and  Carl  A.,  at  home 
after  completing  almost  two  years  of  military 
service.  He  was  one  of  the  first  in  Hall 
County  to  volunteer  for  over  sea  service  as 
an  aviator,  and  during  a  part  of  the  time  he 
was  stationed  in  Paris,  France. 

Mr.  Lesher  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
opinions  but  is  inclined  to  be  independent  to 
some  extent.  He  has  frequently  served  in 
townsnip  offices.  For  some  years  he  has  been 
a  trustee  of  the  Baptist  College  at  Grand  Is- 
land, and  has  been  chairman  of  the  executive 
board.  His  only  fraternal  connection  is  with 
lodge  No.  604  Benevolent  and  Protective 
Order  of  Elks.  He  is  a  director  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  in  Grand  Island,  a  stockholder 
and  at  one  time  a  director  of  the  Commercial 
State  Bank  in  this  city. 


HARRY  H.  LONG,  who  is  prominent  in 
lahor  circles  and  officially  connected  with  many 
important  industrial  .organizations,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Grand  Island  for  twelve  years. 
He  was  born  April  19,  1876,  in  Madison 
County,  Iowa.  His  parents  were  John  H.  and 
Elizabeth  (Freestone)  Long,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1814  and  died  at 
Lincoln,  Nebraska,  in  1913.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  for  many  years  was 
a  justice  of  the  peace.  During  his  active 
years  he  was  a  farmer  in  Iowa  but  had  been 
retired  for  a  long  period  prior  to  1906,  when 
he  moved  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  The  mother 
of  Harry  H.Long  was  born  in  Indiana  in  1846, 
was  married  at  Perry,  Iowa,  and  died  in  Ne- 
baska  in  1908.  Of  the  family  of  five  children, 
the  following  are  living:  Harry  H,,  who 
resides  at  Grand  Island :  David  A.,  who  is  a 
farmer  near  St.  Joseph,  Missouri  and  Mrs. 
Rose  Meyers,  a  widow,  who  lives  at  Council 
Bluffs,  Iowa.  The  parents  were  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Harry  H.  Long  attended  the  high  school  at 
Aurora,  Nebraska,  and  the  Peru  Normal 
school.  He  learned  the  trade  of  decorator, 
following  this  vocation  at  Colorado  Springs, 
for  seven  years.  Subsequently  for  eleven 
months  he  was  employed  at  Kansas  City  in  a 
government  shipping  office,  following  which  he 
came  to  Grand  Island.  Here  Mr.  Long  re- 
sumed work  at  his  trade,  which  is  a  trying 
one  on  the  eyes,  and  on  account  of  a  devlop- 
ing  weakness,  he  was  forced  to  abandon  it  in 
1917.  Since  then  he  has  devoted  all  of  his 
time  to  the  interests  of  labor  organizations, 
which  very  generally  concede  his  unusual  busi- 
ness ability.  He  is  affiliated  with  the  American 
Federation  of  Labor  and  is  an  organizer  for 
the  same ;  is  the  secretary  of  the  Central  Labor 
Union,  and  is  business  agent  for  all  labor 
unions  in  Hall  County.  He  belongs  also  to 
the  L.  O.  O.  M. 

In  1902  Mr.  Long  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Margaret  Wickless,  who  was  bom  in 
Iowa.  They  had  one  daughter,  Marie,  who  died 
when  aged  eight  years.  Mrs.  Long  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr. 
Long  maintains  his  office  in  the  Glover  build- 
ing at  the  corner  of  Third  and  Wheeler  streets. 


LUTHER  MARTIN  CARLSON,  pro- 
prietor of  the  Carlson  Mattress  Works,  in 
Grand  Island,  has  demonstrated  in  building  up 
this  fine  business,  the  value  of  industry  and 
carefully  directed  effort.  Mr.  Carlson  began 
life  for  himself  with  but  little  assistance,  but 
the  extent  of  his  present  enterprise,  built  up 


684 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


within  the  space  of  seven  years,  indicates  that 
that  fact  was  no  handicap. 

Luther  Martin  Carlson  was  born  in  Knox 
County,  Illinois,  in  1871,  the  eldest  of  four 
children  born  to  Charles  A.  and  Hannah  (An- 
derson) Carlson.  Both  were  born  in  Sweden, 
emigrating  from  the  old  country,  they  came 
when  young  to  Illinois  and  were  married 
there.  In  1886  they  removed  to  Kansas  where 
Charles  A.  Carlson  homesteaded,  taking  up  a 
tree  claim  which  he  owned  until  the  time  of  his 
death  which  occur ed  in  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in 
1898,  the  same  year  in  which  his  wife  passed 
away.  In  early  years  he  was  a  Republican  but 
later  became  identified  with  the  Farmer's  Al- 
liance party.  Both  he  and  wife  belonged  to  the 
Lutheran  church.  Their  surviving  children 
aee:  Luther  M.,  who  lives  at  Grand  Island; 
Alice,  the  wife  of  Theodore  Jansen,  of  Salina, 
Kansas,  and  Walter  at  the  head  of  the  me- 
chanical engineering  school  of  the  State  Agri- 
cultural College  in  Manhattan,  Kansas. 

Luther  M.  Carlson  obtained  only  a  district 
school  education,  following  which  he  worked  on 
a  farm  and  taught  school  until  1903  when  he 
became  connected  with  a  mattress  manufactur- 
ing firm,  first  as  an  office  man  and  later  as  rep- 
resentative on  the  road.  In  1912  he  came  to 
Grand  Island  and  established  himself  in  the 
mattress  manufacturing  business  and  now  has 
an  extensive  plant  at  No.  1024  West  North 
Front  street.  He  manufactures  and  remakes 
all  grades  of  mattresses,  makes  pillows, 
feather  beds,  renovates  feathers,  makes  auto- 
mobile tops  and  does  automobile  top  repairing. 
While  his  trade  territory  is  mainly  in  Nebraska, 
he  also  ships  to  Colorado  and  the  Dakotas.  His 
reputation  for  promptness  in  the  matter  of  con- 
tracts, and  the  excellence  of  his  products  is 
wide  spread. 

In  1910  Mr.  Carlson  married  Miss  Lorraine 
Gurney,  who  was  born  and  educated  in  Iowa. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Mary  Louise,  a  little 
maid  of  two  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carlson 
attend  the  Methodist  church  and  Mrs.  Carlson 
is  actively  interested  in  its  many  benevolent 
movements.  In  politics  Mr.  Carlson  is  a 
Democrat  and  an  advocate  of  prohibition.  He 
is  not  only  a  wide  awake  business  man  but  a 
responsible  and  public-spirited  citizen,  and  he 
is  so  recognized  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  be- 
longs to  the  United  Commercial  Travelers 
Association  and  also  the  Knights  and  Ladies 
of  Security. 


"Taylor  Ranch"  is  the  largest  concern  of  its 
kind  in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Robert  Taylor  was  born  near  Pilmuir,  Ber- 
wickshire, Scotland,  December  9,  1847,  a  son 
of  David  and  Eliza  (Littster)  Taylor,  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  the  land  of  hills 
and  heather.  The  subject  of  this  record  was 
reared  in  his  native  land  and  was  a  lad  of  but 
eighteen  when  he  came  to  the  United  States. 
He  spent  a  short  time  at  the  home  of  hi* 
maternal  grandparents  in  Indiana  Coun 
Pennsylvania,  but  it  was  his  desire  to  see  mot. 
of  the  country.  There  were  no  transcon';- 
nental  railroads  at  that  time,  so  by  way  of  1 
famous  Nicarauguan  Route  across  the  Isth- 
mus he  went  to  California,  arriving  at  San 
Franciso  in  April  1867.  His  worldly  capital 
consisted  of  what  he  carried  in  a  belt.  He 
found  employment  shearing  sheep  and  the 
money  acquired  in  this  way  was  the  first  h 
earned  in  the  United  States.  In  the  early  sev- 
enties he  purchased  six  hundred  ewes  and  en- 
gaged in  the  sheep  business  wholly  on  bor- 
rowed capital,  paying  eighteen  per  cent  interest 
but  was  so  successful  that  he  was  out  of  debt 
three  years.  Ten  years  later  he  took  the  trail 
and  with  his  herd  went  to  Wyoming  where  he  I 
was  extensively  engaged  in  sheep  raising  for 
many  years.  It  was  about  1890  that  he  be-  j 
came  interested  in  Hall  County  land  and  is 
today  the  owner  of  more  that  nine  thousand 
acres  devoted  to  the  sheep  and  cattle  industry. 
He  has  the  finest  herd  of  Angus  cattle  in  t.f  I 
state  of  Nebraska.  The  ranch  is  equipped 
with  several  hundred  thousand  dollars  spent 
in  improvements. 

In  18%  Mr.  Tayor  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Agnes  Elizabeth  Littlefair,  who  was 
born  in  England,  she  became  the  mother  oi 
four  children:  Mary  Elizabeth,  Robert  Bruce. 
Dorothy  Agnes  and  Grace.  Mrs.  Taylor  pass- 
ed away  in  Hall  County  and  for  a  second  wife 
Mr.  Taylor  chose  Miss  Annie  Dover  Little-  i 
fair,  a  native  of  England  and  a  sister  of  the 
former  wife. 

Mr.  Taylor  is  a  member  of  the  Epi>cop..: 
church  and  in  politics  is  a  Republican.  While 
residing  in  Wyoming  he  served  two  term- 
in  the  state  senate.  The  extensive  scale  or. 
which  Mr.  Taylor  has  conducted  his  affairs  ar.;i 
the  success  that  has  crowned  his  efforts  si 
once  display  his  sound  business  judgment  an  J 
ability,  qualities  which  when  industriously  ap-  | 
plied  are  bound  to  bring  gratifying  results. 


ROBERT  TAYLOR  is  the  owner  of  the  ROBERT  BRUCE  TAYLOR  was  one  o: 
largest  tract  of  land  in  Hall  County  held  by  Hall  County's  sons  who  enlisted  in  the  sen-ice 
any   individual,  and  his   property   known   as     of  his  country  in  its  fight  for  democracy-  in  the 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


World  War  and  was  one  of  those  who  were 
destined  to  make  the  supreme  sacrifice  in  that 
cause. 

Robert  Bruce  Taylor  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  January  7,  1899,  a  son  of  Robert  and 
Agnes  (Littlefair)  Taylor.  His  early  educa- 
tion was  acquired  in  school  district  number 
eighteen,  this  being  supplemented  by  a  course 
at  the  Kearney  Military  Academy.  He  was  a 
student  in  the  Baptist  College  at  Grand  Island 
when  he  enlisted  for  service  in  1917.  His 
company  first  located  at  Camp  Logan,  Colo- 
rado, later  they  .were  sent  to  Camp  Greene,  in 
North  Carolina,  going  from  there  overseas. 
He  died  September  11,  1918,  from  wounds  re- 
ceived in  the  battle  of  St.  Mihiel.  His  memory 
will  ever  be  cherished  by  his  family  and  a 
host  of  friends  for  the  noble  cause  for  which 
his  life  was  given  and  for  the  sterling  traits 
of  young  manhood  which  he  posessed. 

(Insert  Port.) 

WILLIAM  H.  ANYAN,  for  many  years 
a  faithful  and  trusted  employe  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  Company,  was  well  known 
and  highly  respected  in  Grand  Island.  He  was 
born  at  Racine,  Wisconsin,  February  25,  1857, 
and  died  as  the  result  of  an  accident,  in  the 
line  of  duty,  November  6,  1918.  His  parents 
were  William  and  Marion  (Sharp)  Anyan. 

The  name  of  Anyan  became  well  known  in 
Hall  County  over  forty  years  ago,  when  the 
father  of  the  late  William  H.  Anyan,  came 
here  as  manager  of  the  government  land  office, 
in  which  he  served  for  nine  years,  first  under 
appointment  of  President  Rutherford  B. 
Hayes,  and  second  under  President  Chester  A. 
Arthur,  in  1882.  William  Anyan  was  bom 
at  Hull,  England,  and  in  that  industrial  city 
learned  the  building  trade.  In  1852,  being 
then  twenty-six  years  old,  he  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Wisconsin  and 
from  that  state  enlisted  for  service  in  the 
Union  army  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War. 
He  was  a  member  of  Company  B,  First  Wis- 
consin heavy  artillery,  serving  four  years  he 
was  honorably  discharged  from  military  ser- 
vice in  1865.  Following  his  release  from  the 
army  he  worked  as  a  carpenter  and  builder  at 
East  Troy,  Wisconsin,  and  Chicago,  Illinois. 
In  1873  he  removed  to  Gage  County,  Nebraska, 
to  take  up  a  homestead  near  Beatrice,  coming 
from  there  to  Hall  County  under  presidential 
appointment  in  1878.  Mrs  Anyan  has  her 
husband's  commissions  signed  by  the  presi- 
dents named  above,  entitling  him  to  receive 
public  money  and  conduct  the  business  of  the 
land  office.      He  was  a  man  of  high  character 


and  was  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
He  had  but  two  children,  William  H.  and 
George,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 

William  H.  Anyan  had  common  school  ad- 
vantages and  in  his  earlier  years  worked  on 
the  home  farm  and  at  the  carpenter  trade. 
He  entered  the  service  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  Company,  July  5,  1880,  being  em- 
ployed at  first  as  fireman  and  working  his  way 
up  until  he  became  engineer  of  a  switch  engine. 
In  1912  he  received  the  injury  that  put  an 
end  to  his  life  on  the  railroad  and  eventually 
caused  his  death.  He  was  a  kind,  generous 
man  and  had  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

On  June  21,  1882,  William  H.  Anyan  mar- 
ried Miss  Mary  Cook,  who  was  born  in  Han- 
over, Germany.  Her  parents  were  Henry  and 
Catherine  (Sandbury)  Cook.  Her  father  met 
with  an  accidental  death  when  Mrs.  Anyan 
was  two  years  old,  following  which  her  mother 
brought  her  to  the  United  States  and  Mrs. 
Anyan-  was  reared  in  the  family  of  an  uncle, 
at  Havana,  Illinois.  She  had  but  little  school 
training  but  became  skilled  in  domestic  in- 
dustries and  has  reared  her  four  daughters  in 
such  a  way  that  they  reflect  great  credit  on 
their  home  training.  They  are:  Marion,  the 
wife  of  Rufus  Geer;  Grace  the  wife  of  Clar- 
ence R.  Helber,  agent  at  Pine  Bluffs,  Wyo- 
ming, for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad ;  Mar- 
garet, an  assistant  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Farns- 
worth,  Grand  Island,  and  Irma,  who  lives  at 
home.  The  family  attends  the  Congregational 
church,  to  which  Mr.  Anyan  was  a  liberal  con- 
tributor. He. was  a  Republican  in  his  political 
views.  He  belonged  to  the  fraternal  order  of 
United  Workmen.  Mrs.  Anyan  occupies  a 
comfortable  residence  at  No.  304  Fourth 
street,  Grand  Island. 


EDWIN  A.  JONES,  manager  of  the  Gas- 
ton Music  Company  of  Grand  Island,  is  well 
known  and  highly  respected,  being  a  careful, 
attentive  and  reliable  business  man.  Mr. 
Jones  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1903  and  has 
been  connected  with  reliable  business  enter- 
prises since  that  time. 

Edwin  A.  Jones  was  born  at  Diamond 
Springs,  Morris  County,  Kansas,  December 
26,  1873.  He  attended  the  public  schools  of 
Chase  County,  Kansas,  and  the  Salina  Normal 
University,  at  Salina,  Kansas.  After  leaving 
school  he  taught  for  four  years.  He  then  be- 
came acquainted  and  connected  with  the  Singer 
Sewing  Machine  Company  and  in  1903  moved 
to  Grand  Island  to  take  charge  of  the  com- 
pany's business  at  that  place,  remaining  with 
the  company  for  five  years,  following  this  he 


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was  western  traveler  for  Tryber  Piano  Com- 
pany five  years.  In  1913  he  accepted  the 
management  of  the  Gaston  Music  Company 
and  is  at  the  present  time  connected  with  this 
well  known  establishment.  Mr.  Jones  has 
kept  well  abreast  of  the  times  in  music  develop- 
ment and  recognizes  the  special  demands 
brought  about  in  the  public  taste  by  the 
changed  and  changing  social  conditions.  He 
has  made  it  his  business  to  see  that  the  com- 
pany has  issued  and  handled  the  very  best 
productions. 

In  1903  Mr.  Jones  married  Miss  Georgia  L. 
Collins,  who  was  born  at  Hot  Springs, 
Arkansas.  They  have  five  children :  Edwin  A. 
a  representative  of  the  Gaston  Music  Com- 
pany; Mabelle  Gertrude,  a  highly  educated 
young  lady,  whe  teaches  in  the  Grand  Island 
High  school ;  Estel  O.,  who  entered  military 
service  February  9,  1918,  was  released  and  re- 
turned home  the  following  December  after 
special  taining  at  Princeton  University;  and 
Bertram  W.,  who  is  in  school.  One  child  died 
in  infancy. 

Mr.  Jones  is  a  member  of  the  Odd  Fellow 
and  Modern  Woodmen  lodges. 


ALBERT  V.  D.  HEYDE,  for  years  one  of 
Grand  Island's  active  business  men,  has  been 
prominent  also  in  civic  affairs.  Six  years  he 
served  as  a  member  of  the  city  council,  repre- 
senting the  third  ward,  and  for  one  year  was 
president  of  this  important  body.  Although 
now  living  retired,  he  has  not  lost  his  interest 
in  what  concerns  Grand  Island,  and  still  retains 
ownership  of  valuable  real  estate  in  this  city. 

Mr.  Heyde  was  born  at  Pyrmont,  Germany, 
November  13,  1862,  one  of  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren bom  to  George  and  Mannie  (Snitker) 
Heyde,  both  natives  of  the  Fatherland.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Heyde  was  a  cigar  manufac- 
turer, and  both  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the 
Lutheran  church.  He  died  in  Germany  in 
1886,  at  the  age  of  fifty-six  years.  The  vener- 
able mother  still  lives  in  her  old  home  in 
Germany.  It  may  be  mentioned  here  that  her 
son  Albert,  accompanied  by  his  wife,  paid  her 
a  visit  in  1913.  She  was  then  eighty-six  years 
old.  Of  her  four  living  children  there  are  two 
in  the  United  States :  Albert  V.  D.  who  lives  at 
Grand  Island;  and  Lena,  whose  home  is  in 
New  York. 

Albert  V.  D.  Heyde  obtained  his  education 
in  his  native  land  before  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1883  and  the  year  following  worked 
as  a  carpenter  at  St.  Paul,  Minnesota.  In  1884 
he  came  to  Grand  Island,  spending  the  winter 
cutting  ice  on  the  Platte  river  at  $1.20  a  day. 


After  a  short  time  he  entered  the  employ  of 
the  Burlington  Railroad  as  a  builder  when  the 
bridge  was  constructed  across  the  Platte  river. 
For  a  number  of  years  subsequently  he  fol- 
lowed a  contracting  business  in  Grand  Island. 
During  1893-1895  he  conducted  a  retail  liquor 
business  at  Chapman,  and  also  was  in  the 
meat  business  there.  During  1896  he  engaged 
in  the  liquor  business  in  Grand  Island,  conduct- 
ing a  popular  saloon  here  for  many  years,  and 
then  took  the  agency  for  the  Dick  Brothers 
Brewing  Company,  but  sold  out  prior  to  his 
visit  to  Germany  in  1913.  In  earlier  days  he 
wes  secretary  of  the  Hood  and  Lader  Com- 
pany and  in  1912,  assisted  in  the  organization 
of  the  Grand  Island  Brewing  Company,  of 
which  he  was  president  for  three  years  and 
is  yet  a  director  of  the  company,  which  is  a 
large  corporation  with  numerous  interests. 

In  188/  Mr.  Heyde  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Amelia  Lucas,  who  was  born  in 
Germany,  a  daughter  of  August  Lucas.  Mrs. 
Heyde's  father  settled  in  Brooklyn,  New  York, 
when  he  first  came  to  the  United  States,  but 
later  he  took  up  a  homestead  in  Merrick 
County,  Nebraska,  on  which  the  family 
lived  for  many  years.  The  following  chil- 
dren were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heyde: 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Calkins,  who  is  in 
the  employ  of  the  government,  building 
docks  at  Norfolk,  Virginia ;  George,  in 
the  United  States  service  as  a  sailor 
at  Great  Lakes;  Minnie,  the  wife  of 
Bliss  Springer,  a  teacher  in  the  commercial 
department  in  the  high  school  at  Grand  Island : 
Ella,  bookkeeper  for  a  Grand  Island  busi- 
ness firm;  Albert,  who  entered  military  ser- 
vice in  June;  1918.  arrived  in  France,  Septem- 
ber 2,  1918,  being  attached  to  the  Sixty- 
seventh  coast  artillery,  and  Alice  and  Her- 
bert, both  of  whom  are  yet  in  school.  All 
the  children  have  been  confirmed  in  the 
Lutheran   church. 

In  his  political  views-  Mr.  Heyde  is  a 
strong  Democrat.  He  has  long  been  identi- 
fied with  the  old  German  societies  of  a  social 
nature  that  have  been  established  at  Grand 
Island  for  many  years.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Sons  of  Herman,  of  which  he  was  president 
four  years  and  grand  president  of  the  State 
of  Nebraska.  He  also  is  a  member  of  the 
Liederkranz  society,  of  which  he  has  been 
a  trustee. 


HENRY  H.  FALLDORF  for  many  years 
was  active  in  business  in  Grand  Island  as  a 
contractor,  now  lives  somewhat  retired,  re- 
siding   in    a   handsome   residence   on   South 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


691 


Locusi  street,  which  he  completed  in  1907. 
He  owns  valuable  farm  property  adjacent  to 
Grand  Island  and  is  regarded  as  one  of  the 
capitalists  of  Hall  County. 

Mr.  Falldorf  was  born  in  Hanover, 
Germany,  September  7,  1864,  the  second  bom 
in  a  family  of  three  children.  His  father, 
Henry  Falldorf,  also  a  native  of  Germany, 
came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1873,  be- 
ing engeged  in  farming  until  he  retired  to 
Grand  Island  in  1903,  where  he  still  resides, 
having  reached  his  eighty-sixth  year.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Falldorf,  Mrs.  Mary  (Mor- 
man)  Falldorf,  was  born  in  Germany  and 
died  there  in  1872.  Their  three  children  were 
named  Fred.  Henry  H.,  and  Annie.  Fred 
Falldorf  died  in  1918,  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
three  years.  Annie  is  the  wife  of  M.  Riefers, 
of  Boulder,  Colorado. 

Henry  H.  Falldorf  attended  school  in 
Germany  and  afterward  in  Hall  County.  He 
learned  the  Stan-builder's  trade,  a  vocation  he 
followed  for  twenty  years,  when  he  became 
a  general  contractor,  and  now  points  with 
pardonable  pride  to  many  handsome  substan- 
tial buildings  in  Grand  Island,  for  the  con- 
struction of  which  he  was  responsible,  among 
which  may  be  named  the  following:  the 
Grand  Island  Library  building,  the  new  Hall 
County  Courthouse,  and  extensive  business 
blocks  and  private  residences.  In  addition  to 
the  local  structures  he  also  was  the  contractor 
for  the  exceptionally  fine  high  school  build- 
ing at  Norfolk,  Nebraska.  Recently  he  re- 
tired from  active  business,  taking  with  him 
a  reputation  for  business  integrity  and  per- 
sonal honesty. 

In  1887  Mr.  Falldorf  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Timpke,  who  was  born  at 
Grand  Island,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Timpke, 
a  pioneer  fanner  of  Hall  County.  They  have 
had  two  children;  Amelia,  the  wife  of  Albert 
Hein;  a  farmer  in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska, 
and  Fred,  who  died  at  the  age  of  thirteen. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Falldorf  were  reared  in  the 
Lutheran  church  and  attended  there.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Republican,  as  is  his  fatner.  He 
belongs  to  the  Low  German  social  organiza- 
tions in  the  city,  and  is  identified  also  with  the 
Masons  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles. 


RICHARD  GOEHRING.  JR.,  an  enter- 
prising and  popular  young  business  man  of 
Grand  Island,  bears  the  name  of  his  honored 
father,  a  sketch  of  whom  is  found  in  this 
work. 

Richard  Goehring  was  born  in  Grand  Island, 
August   18,   1887.     He  was  educated  in  the 


public  schools  of  his  native  city,  subsequently 
taking  a  business  course  in  the  Baptist  Col- 
lege in  Grand  Island.  His  industrial  training 
was  thorough  and  practical  and  when  but 
twenty-three  years  old  he  became  associated 
with  such  carpenters  and  contractors  as  Will- 
iam C.  Southmann  and  E.  J.  Voss.  In  1910 
they  built  the  Hedding  building  and  other 
large  structures  in  Grand  Island.  After  dis- 
posing of  his  interests  here  Mr.  Goehring  went 
to  Columbus,  Nebraska,  where  for  three  years 
he  was  the  manager  of  the  lumber  yards  of 
G.  H.  Hoagland  Company,  but  in  1914  he  re- 
turned to  Grand  Island  as  manager  of  the 
George  A.  Hoagland  lumber  interests  here.  A 
large  wholesale  lumber  business  is  carried  on 
and  great  credit  is  due  Mr.  Goehring  for  the 
excellently  organized  system  that  prevails. 
The  greater  part  of  his  time  is  devoted  to 
this  business  although  he  is  additionally  inter- 
ested in  some  other  directions,  being  secre- 
tary and  treasurer  of  the  Central  Storage 
Company. 

In  March,  1911,  Mr.  Goehring  married  Miss 
Ina  Kaiser,  who  was  born  in  Hastings,  Adams 
County,  Nebraska.  Her  father  George  Kaiser, 
was  formerly  an  electrician  for  the  Burlington 
Railroad  Company  and  now  occupies  the 
same  position  with  the  Oregon  Short  Line 
and  resides  in  the  state  of  Washington.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Goehring  have  one  daughter,  Helen, 
who  was  born  August  13,  1913.  Mrs.  Goeh- 
ring is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church. 
He  is  very  popular  in  musical  circles  in  Grand 
Island.  It  was  mainly  through  his  efforts  that 
a  local  orchestra  was  organized  which  for 
many  years  supplied  fine  music  for  dances  and 
other  entertainments,  Mrs.  Goehring  also  be- 
ing an  accomplished  musician.  Mr.  Goehring 
belongs  to  a  number  of  fraternal  organizations 
including  the  Elks,  the  Eagles  and  the  Lieder- 
kranz.  He  is  a  foremost  member  of  the 
Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  has  been  earnest  in  his 
efforts  to  further  the  work  of  this  great  and 
helpful  organization  in  the  year  just  closing. 


AUGUST  BECKER  is  one  of  the  younger 
generation  who  is  making  a  success  of  agri- 
cultural pursuits  in  operating  the  old  home 
place  in  Washington  township.  He  is  a  native 
of  Hall  County,  his  natal  day  being  April  4, 
1876,  a  son  of  Fritz  Becker,  a  record  of  whom 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

February  27,  1901  August  Becker  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Amelia  Ewoldt, 
like  her  husband  a  native  of  Hall  County,  a 
daughter  of  Cay  and  Elizabeth  Ewoldt,  of 
whom  mention  is  made  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 


691a  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ume.  The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Becker  has 
been  blessed  with  five  children,  whose  names 
are:  Alfred,  Matilda,  Bertha,  Bernard  and 
Walter,  all  of  whom  are  at  home. 

Mr.  Becker  is  engaged  in  general  fanning 
and  the  raising  of  Poland  China  hogs  and 
Short  Horn  cattle,  both  branches  of  his  busi- 
ness bringing  him  good  annual  returns.  His 
place  is  well  equipped  having  been  improved 
by  his  father,  the  barn  being  one  of  the  land- 
marks of  the  neighborhood,  its  erection  hav- 
ing been  made  more  than  forty  years  ago. 

The  religious  faith  of  the  family  is  that  of 
the  Lutheran  church,  and  Mr.  Becker  is  serv- 
ing his  school  district  as  treasurer,  holding 
this  responsible  position  for  the  last  seven 
years.  The  family  are  held  in  the  highest 
esteem,  and  their  friends  to-day  are  they  who 
have  known  them  since  childhood. 


JAMES  MICHELSON  was  one  of  the 
pioneers  of  Hall  County  and  for  many  years 
was  an  active  force  in  the  business  affairs 
of  Grand  Island.  He  was  a  native  of  Den- 
mark where  he  grew  to  manhood  and  mar- 
ried. He  and  his  wife  were  members  of 
wealthy  families  and  were  both  well  educated. 
About  the  time  of  the  Civil  War  he  decided  to 
try  his  fortune  in  America.  Not  as  many 
emigrants  who  had  only  the  money  to  pay 
their  passage  across  the  waters,  James  Michel- 
son  was  well  provided  with  capital  and  to  add 
to  the  comforts  of  the  family  two  maid  serv- 
ants were  brought  along.  Arriving  at  Omaha 
he  purchased  an  outfit  consisting  of  a  spring 
wagon,  a  team  and  provisions  and  taking  his 
family  with  him  located  in  Montana  where 
he  engaged  in  the  sheep  business.  He  hired 
as  interpreter  a  scout  and  from  this  man 
learned  to  speak  the  Indian,  French  and  Eng- 
lish languages.  After  spending  two  or  three 
years  in  Montana  he  returned  to  Omaha  where 
he  built  up  a  black  smithing  enterprise  and 
found  it  very  profitable  shoeing  horses  for  the 
soldiers.  On  his  way  west  he  had  passed 
through  Hall  County  and  was  very  favorably 
impressed  with  the  country  so  he  returned  to 
establish  himself  in  the  blacksmith  business 
at  a  time  when  both  horses  and  oxen  were 
brought  in  to  be  shod.  When  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  was  being  built  Mr.  Michelson  found 
it  profitable  to  supply  ties  for  the  construction 
of  the  road.  He  had  purchased  land  with 
trees  on  it  and  the  entire  supply  of  timber 
was  converted  into  ties  for  the  railroad  com- 
pany. The  second  hotel  in  Grand  Island  was 
erected  by  Mr.  Michelson;  "The  Nebraska 
House"  will  be  remembered  by  many  of  the 


older  settlers.  He  also  followed  mercantile 
pursuits  for  many  years,  being  prosperous  in 
all  of  his  undertakings.  At  one  time  he  was 
the  heaviest  tax  payer  in  Hall  County. 

He  was  a  Republican  in  politics  and  a  liberal 
contributer  to  churches  and  all  worthy  enter- 
prises. In  his  native  land  he  had  served  nine 
years  in  the  Danish  army  and  fought  for  his 
country  in  the  war  with  Germany.  He  was 
a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  ex- 
emplified the  benevolent  spirit  of  that  craft 
in  his  daily  life. 

In  this  family  were  six  children :  Laurena, 
married  Joseph  Killian  and  is  now  a  widow 
residing  in  San  Bernardino,  California;  Carrie 
Maria,  residing  in  California,  is  the  wdow  of 
James  Lambert,  who  was  one  of  the  first 
engineers  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad ; 
Anker,  who  passed  away  in  1894,  was  for 
many  years  a  conductor  on  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad ;  McLena,  now  Mrs.  Wilkins,  resides 
in  Grand  Island ;  Fred,  who  was  born  in 
Grand  Island,  in  1864,  is  now  engaged  in  the 
real  estate  business  in  that  city;  and  Rose 
Minnie,  born  in  Idaho,  is  deceased. 

The  above  record  has  been  furnished  by 
the  daughter  of  this  pioneer  settler  who  ac- 
companied the  family  to  Grand  Island.  She 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Edward  B.  Hirst 
who  died  in  August,  1880.  Of  this  marriage 
there  were  four  children :  Anker  Hirst,  a  res- 
ident of  Tulsa,  Oklahoma,  a  machinist  em- 
ployed by  an  oil  company;  Fred,  one  of  the 
organizers  and  member  of  the  Sapho  Chemical 
Company,  died  in  St.  Louis  in  1913;  Edward 
W.,  a  mining  promoter,  also  a  member  of 
the  chemical  company,  residing  at  Mansfield. 
Missouri,  and  George,  who  had  just  entered 
college  when  he  passed  away  in  1899. 

January  25th,  1886,  Mrs.  Hirst  was  mar- 
ried to  Mr.  M.  H.  Wilkins,  a  native  of  Bristol, 
England.  He  was  brought  to  the  United 
States  by  his  parents  when  one  year  old.  the 
home  being  established  in  Utica,  New  York, 
later  in  St.  Joseph,  Missouri.  Mr.  Wilkins 
learned  the  machinist's  trade  which  he  fol- 
lowed until  he  retired  in  1904.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wilkins  are  the  parents  of  two  children ;  Vina 
Meta,  married  Charles  Conklin,  a  salesman  for 
the  Nebraska  Mercantile  Company,  and  Isaac 
James,  a  partner  with  his  father  in  the  man- 
agement of  the  billiard  parlors. 

HERMAN  C.  GOEHRING,  who  is  one  of 
the  substantial  men  of  Prairie  Creek  town- 
ship, Hall  County,  owns  a  large  body  of  well 
improved  land  where  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  stockraising.     He  was  bom  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


James  Mfchelson 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


694 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Germany,  in  1865,  the  son  of  Ernest  W.  and 
Katherine  (Easser)  Goehring,  who  emigrated 
from  Germany  to  the  United  States  in  1874. 
The  father  died  in  1892,  when  aged  sixty-nine 
years,  and  the  mother  in  1911,  at  the  hale  old 
age  of  eighty-four  years.  Of  their  five  chil- 
dren Herman  C.  was  the  second  in  order  of 
birth,  the  others  being:  Richard;  Ernest,  who 
lives  retired  at  Ravenna,  Nebraska ;  Lena,  a 
resident  of  Buffalo  County,  Nebraska,  and 
Paul,  who  lives  at  Sheridan,  Wyoming. 

Herman  C.  Goehring  was  nine  years  old 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Nebraska 
where  his  father  took  up  a  homestead  in 
Buffalo  County,  which  he  improved  so  that  his 
farm  was  one  of  the  finest  in  this  locality. 
He  was  a  well  educated  man  and  believed  in 
the  principles  of  the  Socialist  party  as  they 
were  understood  in  his  day.  He  was  a  faith- 
ful member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Herman 
C.  Goehring  had  attended  school  in  Germany 
and  had  further  educational  advantages  after 
coming  to  Nebraska.  He  remained  in  Buffalo 
County  until  1913  when  he  sold  his  interests 
there  and  removed  to  Hall  County,  purchas- 
ing a  well  improved  farm  of  160  acres,  to 
which  he'  has  added  from  time  to  time  until  he 
now  owns  320  acres.  He  has  always  been 
careful  in  his  farming  and  stockraising  as  a 
result  of  which  he  has  been  signally  success- 
ful in  this  chosen  vocation.. 

In  1893  Mr.  Goehring  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Hulda  Wutcler,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  and  came  to  the  United  States 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Goehring 
have  had  ten  children  born  to  them,  those 
whom  survive  being:  Emma,  the  wife  of 
Richard  Schroeder,  of  Hall  County ;  Clemens, 
who  is  at  home ;  William,  who  is  operating  one 
of  his  father's  farms ;  Lida,  who  resides  at 
home;  Rose,  the  wife  of  Louis  Biering,  a 
farmer  in  Hall  County,  and  Elsie,  Fred,  Frieda 
and  Richard,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  Two 
otheres  died  in  infancy.  Mr.  Goehring  and  his 
family  belong  to  the  Lutheran  church.  In 
politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  while  living  in 
Buffalo  County  served  as  school  treasurer. 
He  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  lodge 
in  Grand  Island. 


MAX  GREENBERGER,  a  man  of  enter- 
prising and  progressive  personality  who  illus- 
trates what  energy  and  application  to  business 
can  accomplish  is  representative  of  Grand  Is- 
land's prospering  business  men,  conducting  a 
first  class  tailoring  establishment  and  haber- 
dashery, with  attractive  quarters  on  one  of 
the  leading  business  streets  of  this  city.     He 


has  beeen  a  resident  of  the  United  States  since 
1883. 

Mr.  Greenberger  was  born  in  Hungary,  the 
son  of  Samuel  and  Frediel  (Berkowitz) 
Greenberger,  who  still  live  in  their  native  land, 
where  the  father  is  a  merchant.  In  1883  he 
visited  the  United  States  and  remained  one 
year  looking  ovef  business  prospects  but  de- 
cided to  return  to  Europe.  Of  his  family  of 
twelve  children  eight  are  living  and  four  of 
these  are  in  the  United  States :  Samuel,  vice- 
president  of  the  Grand  Island  Culvert  works ; 
Max,  in  business  in  Grand  Island;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  J.  Berkwitz,  associated  with.  Mr. 
Greenberger  in  business,  and  Rose,  who  is 
a  nurse  and  now  detailed  to  hospital  work  in 
New  Jersey.  The  family  is  of  the  Jewish 
faith. 

Max  Greenberger  attended  school  in  his 
native  land,  until  he  was  twelve  years  old 
when  he  began  to  learn  the  tailor's  trade.  As 
he  grew  older  he  sought  better  business  oppor- 
tunities and  to  find  them  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1883,  landing  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  He  found  countrymen  there,  and  re- 
mained one  year  in  the  metropolis  to  become 
accustomed  to  new  world  methods  before  mak- 
ing his  way  to  Omaha,  Nebraska,  in  which 
city  he  remained  until  1907,  when  he  came 
to  Grand  Island.  For  one  year  he  worked  at 
his  trade  for  John  Alexander,  then  embarked 
in  the  tailoring  business  for  himself,  and,  as 
he  saw  a  favorable  opening,  added  a  haber- 
dasher's stock.  Being  a  keen  business  man  as 
well  as  a  skillful  tailor,  Mr.  Greenberger  has 
built  up  a  very  profitable  trade  connection, 
while  his  circle  of  friends  is  constantly  en- 
larging because  of  his  honest  methods  and 
courteous  manner. 

In  1905  Mr.  Greenberger  married  Miss 
Flora  Graetz,  who  was  born  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  They  have  two  children :  Louise 
and  Miriam.  The  family  attends  the  Jewish 
synagogue  and  keeps  up  the  observances  of 
their  religious  faith.  Mr.  Greenberger  be- 
longs to  the  Masonic  fraternity  but  practically 
takes  no  part  in  politics. 


WILLIAM  SHEFFEL,  one  of  Grand  Is- 
land's most  respected  residents  and  influential 
business  men,  has  claimed  this  city  as  his 
home  for  the  past  thirty-four  years.  His  life 
has  been  one  of  great  industry,  by  which  he 
has  gained  well  earned  prosperity. 

William  Sheffel  was  born  at  Baden,  Ger- 
many, March  19,  1863,  His  parents  were 
Jacob  and  Sophia  (Kranmer)  Sheffel,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Germany  in  1830, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


695 


and  died  there  in  1903 ;  the  latter,  bom  in 
1835,  died  in  1905.  The  father's  trade  was 
that  of  a  stonecutter,  They  had  six  children, 
two  of  whom  live  in  the  United  States,  these 
being  Jacob  and  William.  The  parents  reared 
their  children  in  the  Lutheran  church.  In  his 
native  land,  William  Sheffel  attended  school 
and  then  worked  under  his  father  until  he 
was  eighteen  years  old,  learning  the  trade  of 
stone  mason.  Realizing  broader  opportunities 
were  open  for  young  men  in  the  new  world  he 
left  his  native  country  for  that  "land  of  prom- 
ise," America,  coming  to  the  United  States. 
For  three  years  he  worked  for  an  aunt,  who 
resided  at  Alexandria,  Virginia,  but  decided  to 
carve  his  own  course  and  in  1885  he  came  to 
Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  and  for  thirty  two 
years  engaged  in  stone  contracting. 

Since  1917  he  has  been  in  the  monument 
business.  His  yards  are  situated  on  the  corner 
of  Clearbum  and  West  Point  streets.  Mr. 
Sheffel  has  been  concerned  for  over  a  quarter 
of  a  century  in  almost  all  of  the  important 
stone  and  brick  construction  work  in  Grand 
Island.  Thip  has  been  accorded  to  him  be- 
cause of  his  expert  knowledge  of  stone  and 
stone  work.  He  has  cut  and  placed  many 
monuments.  At  the  same  time  he  has  con- 
tinued his  work  along  other  important  lines. 

In  1889  William  Sheffel  married  Miss  Mary 
Scroeder,  who  was  born  in  Canada.  Their 
family  consists  of  four  children:  Katie,  the 
wife  of  Erich  Meyer  of  Grand  Island;  Carl, 
in  business  with  his  father,  a  civil  engineer 
who  has  recently  returned  from  Nitre,  West 
Virginia  where  he  built  a  power  plant ;  Flora, 
who  lives  at  home;  Tillie,  who  also  lives  at 
home ;  and  William,  who  is  a  student  in  the 
high  school.  Mr.  Sheffel's  first  wife  died  in 
1906  and  a  year  later  he  married  Miss  Katie 
Rickman  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  a  daughter 
of  Christofer  Rickman,  a  pioneer  in  Buffalo 
County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sheffel  have  two  chil- 
dren: Rudolph  and  Louis.  They  are  attend- 
ing school  and  both  are  doing  well. 

Mr.  Sheffel  was  for  five  years  a  member  of 
the  board  of  education.  Also,  he  served  as  chief 
of  a  volunteer  fire  department  for  four  years, 
and  of  which  he  has  been  a  member  for 
twenty-nine  years. 


JULIUS  REESE.  — One  of  the  few  trades 
in  which  factory  work  has  not  yet  been  able 
to  equal  skilled  hand  work,  is  harnessmaking, 
and  in  the  shop  of  Julius  Reese,  No.  215  West 
Second  street.  Grand  Island,  may  be  found 
some  fine  specimens  that  have  been  turned  out 
by  the  owner.    He  is  an  expert  workman  and 


conducts  the  only  exclusive  shop  of  this  kind 
in  the,  city,  having  established  a  general  harness 
business  here  in   1902. 

Mr.  Reese  was  born  September  26,  1880,  at 
Kiel,  Germany.  His  parents  are  Christian 
and  Margaret  (Kruse)  Reese  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Germany,  May  7,  1852,  and 
the  latter  in  October,  1852.  They  came  to 
America  and  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in 
1884.  The  father  works  in  Grand  Island  as 
a  tailor  for  A.  W.  Sterne.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  is  a  Socialist  in 
his  political  views.  Of  his  five  children,  the 
following  are  living:  Julius,  residing  in  Grand 
Island;  Anna,  who  is  the  wife  of  Louis  Poff, 
a  steamfittef  in  the  employ  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Railroad  in  Grand  Island;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  H.  B.  Alexander,  a  machinist  in  Grand 
Island;  and  William  who  is  a  mail  clerk  in 
Grand  Island. 

Julius  Reese  was  but  a  child  when  his  par- 
ents left  their  native  land  for  America,  soon 
after  which  they  located  in  Grand  Island.  He 
obtained  his  education  in  this  city  and  after- 
ward learned  the  harnessmaking  trade.  There 
is  a  great  demand  for  such  work  as  he  turns 
out  and  he  has  prospered  in  his  chosen  busi- 
ness to  a  most  satisfactory  extent.  Like  many 
other  Germans,  he  has  a  talent  for  music,  be- 
longing to  bands  and  orchestras,  and  takes  an 
active  part  in  the  Liederkranz  and  Platts- 
deutchen  social  organizations.  He  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Fraternal  Order  of  Eagles. 

In  1906,  Julius  Reese  married  Miss  Marie 
Mollie  Rickert,  who  was  born  at  Grand  Island, 
her  father,  Jacob  Rickert,  was  an  early  settler 
here  and  shoemaker  by  trade.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Reese  have  four  children :  Florence,  Frederick, 
Dorothy  and  Lorraine.  The  members  of  the 
family  are  identified  with  the  Lutheran  church. 


ALBERT  THARP.  — A  busy,  eventful, 
useful  life  has  been  that  enjoyed  by  one  of 
Grand  Island's  most  esteemed  citizens,  Albert 
Tharp,  who  came  to  Thomas  County,  Ne- 
braska in  1887,  and  in  1884  established  him- 
self in  business  in  Grand  Island.  Business 
success  has  attended  him,  and  many  calls  to 
public  office  have  indicated  the  confidence  re- 
posed in  him  by  his  fellow  citizens.  He  is 
an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and  has 
served  as  commander  of  the  local  post  of  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  of  which  he  is 
a  member. 

Albert  Tharp  was  born  in  Marion,  Marion 
County,  Ohio,  April,  22  1843.  His  parents 
were  John  and  Margery  (McKeever)  Tharp, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania  and  Ohio  respectively. 


696  HISTORY  OF  BALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


697 


The  father  was  born  February  9,  1808,  and 
died  August  27,  1897,  in  the  home  of  ,a 
daughter,  at  Enid,  Oklahoma.  The  mother 
passed  away  October  13,.  1874,  in  Decatur 
County,  Iowa.  Of  their  six  children,  Albert 
Tharp  is  the  second  of  the  three  survivors, 
the  others  being :  Martha  S.,  the  wife  of  John 
H  end  rick  son,  a  retired  fanner  of  Denver, 
Colorado;  and  Joseph,  who  conducts  a  real 
estate  business  in  Davis  City,  Iowa.  The 
parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  In  1846  John  Tharp  removed 
with  his  family  from  Ohio  to  Jasper  County, 
Indiana,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
1853,  when  he  removed  to  Leon^  Decatur 
County,  Iowa,  taking  up  government  land, 
securing  eight  hundred  acres  for  $1.25  an 
acre. 

In  the  district  schools  in  Iowa  near  his 
father's  farm,  Albert  Tharp  pursued  his 
studies  through  boyhood.  He  gave  his  father 
assistance  on  the  farm  until  1862,  when  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  enter- 
ing Company  I,  Thirty- fourth  Iowa  Volun- 
teer Infantry.  During  his  three  years  and  one 
month  of  military  life,  he  participated  in  many 
of  the  great  engagements  of  the  war  under 
leadership  of  many  of  the  noted  commanders. 
Judge  Tharp  can  yet  recall  Vicksburg,  Ar- 
kansas Post,  Mobile,  Pensecola,  Fort  Blakely, 
Mat  agora  Island  and  the  Red  River  expedi- 
tion under  General  Banks.  He  served  at  first 
as  a  private  but  later  was  promoted  to  drum 
major.  All  of  his  company  in  the  army  died, 
or  were  killed  except  twenty-one.  Only  that 
number  returned. 

At  the  close  of  the  war  Albert  Tharp  with 
his  brave  comrades  returned  to  their  homes  in 
Iowa,  where  he  resumed  farming  in  Decatur 
County.  With  a  quickened  perception  of  public 
affairs  that  the  war  had  brought,  he  realized 
clearly  the  duty  of  public-spirited  men  to 
enter  intto  the  field  of  local  politics,  because 
politics  everywhere  was  influencing  public 
opinion  and  government.  Having  the  con- 
fidence of  his  fellow  citizens  to  a  marked 
degree  he  was  elected  constable  of  Decatur 
County.  During  the  next  twelve  years  he 
served  continuously  and  efficiently  as  deputy 
sheriff,  deputy  treasurer  or  chief  of  police,  be- 
ing elected  to  all  offices  on  the  Republican 
ticket.  Since  coming  to  Grand  Island,  he 
has  been  tendered  many  public  offices  and 
has  served  as  police  judge  and  justice  of  the 
peace.  In  1887  he  went  to  Thomas  County, 
Nebraska,  where  he  found  excellent  land  and 
took  up  a  homestead,  acquiring  two  one-quar- 
ter sections.  He  lived  on  his  farm  there  until 
1894,  when  he  removed  to  Grand  Island,  and 


afterward  embarked  in  the  real  estate  business, 
which,  with  little  interruption,  he  has  carried 
on  ever  since. 

On  July  4,  1867,  Mr.  Tharp  married  Miss 
Ella  K.  Jenree,  who  was  born  in  the  state  of 
New  York.  To  them  seven  children  have 
been  born:  Arthur  S.,  who  is  engaged  in 
farming  near  Overton,  Nebraska;  Izora,  the 
wife  of  B.  I.  Mewhirter,  who  operates  a  tele- 
phone system  at  Tacoma,  Washington ;  Zella, 
the  wife  of  M.  E.  Johnson,  for  the  last-twenty- 
five  years  a  passenger  conductor  between 
Edgemont,  South  Dakota  and  Alliance,  Ne- 
braska ;  Fred,  who  is  an  engineer  on  the  North- 
ern Pacific  Railroad;  Lou;  Ella,  the  wife  of 
Michael  O'Brien,  a  farmer  near  Blunt,  South 
Dakota ;  Floyd,  who  owns  a  ranch  in  Wyom- 
ing, has  but  recently  returned  from  his  duties 
in  the  navy  at  Hampton  Roads,  Virginia ;  and 
Hazel  J.,  the  wife  of  Ebert  R.  Potts,  who 
lives  near  Wheatland,  Wyoming.  Mrs.  Tharp 
is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  During  1918  Judge  and  Mrs.  Tharp 
enjoyed  a  period  of  travel.  They  visited  all 
their  children  and  several  states.  They  found 
all  sections  possess  advantages  but  none  su- 
perior to  those  belonging  to  Nebraska.  Judge 
Tharp  is  one  of  the  older  members  of  the  lodge 
of  Odd  Fellows  in  Grand  Island. 


EDWARD  WILLIAMS,  the  leading  florist 
at  Grand  Island,  has  been  interested  in  this  vo- 
cation throughout  his  entire  life.  His  taste 
for  flowers,  and  his  skill  in  producing  them 
are  natural  abilities,  and,  as  far  as  he  knows, 
Jiot  inherited.  His  success  has  been  remark- 
able and  many  neighboring  cities  and  all  ad- 
jacent territory  largely  depend  upon  him  for 
flowers  and  plants.  Mr.  Williams  is  located  at 
No.    122   North  Elm  street,  Grand   Island. 

Edward  Williams  is  a  native  of  North 
Wales,  bom  at  Colwyn  Bay,  June  16,  1877. 
His  parents  were  Hugh  and  Catherine  (Elias) 
Williams,  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in 
Wales  in  1848  and  died  there  in  1885.  Hugh 
Williams  was  born  in  Wales  in  1848,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1888,  and  died  at  the  home 
of  his  son  in  Grand  Island  in  1917.  This  son 
is  the  only  survivor  of  his  family  of  five 
children.  When  Hugh  Williams  came  to  the 
United  States  he  located  at  Utica,  New  York, 
as  a  contractor  and  builder.  For  three  years 
he  was  superintendent  for  a  contracting  firm 
in  that  city,  then  removed  to  Denver,  Colo- 
rado, where  he  became  superintendent  of  the 
Argo  Smelter  Company,  continuing  with  that 
organization  for  eighteen  years.  While  a  resi- 
dent of  Denver  he  took  an  important  part  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


civic  affairs  and  served  in  the  city  council 
from  a  Republican  ward,  for  some  years. 
When  he  definitely  retired  from  active  life  he 
came  to  Grand  Island  and  became  well  known 
in  his  last  years  in  this  city. 

Edward  Williams  attended  the  public 
schools  in  Utica,  Njew  York,  and  later  the 
high  school  in  Denver.  In  that  city,  with  the 
firm  of  Brown  &  Miller,  he  learned  the  florist 
business,  later  having  further  training  with 
"  the  Wilcox  firm  in  Council  Bluffs,  where  he 
remained  for  five  years.  In  January,  1899, 
in  partnership  with  S.  H.  Brewster,  he  bought 
the  Jones  greenhouse  in  Grand  Island.  Five 
years  later  he  purchased  Mr.  Brewster's  inter- 
est, since  which  time  he  has  been  sole  owner. 
Mr.  Williams  has  an  investment  here  of  $45,- 
000.  His  plant  covers  a  half  block  and  he  has 
28,000  square  feet  of  glass.  Aside  from  it 
being  a  creditable  business  enterprise,  it  is  an 
exceedingly  pleasant  place  for  the  people  of 
Grand  Island  to  visit  at  any  time  of  the  year. 

In  1898  Mr.  Williams  married  Miss  Mina 
Rutledge,  who  was  born  in  Missouri.  They 
have  two  children:  Irvin  and  Eleanor,  aged 
respectively  eleven  and  seven  years,  both  of 
whom  are  attending  school.  Their  eldest  son, 
Lamont,  was  accidentally  drowned  in  Lake 
Manawa,  Council  Bluffs,  in  August,  1918,  at 
the  age  of  fifteen  years.  Mr.  Williams  and 
his  family  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  He  is  prominent  in  Masonry,  having 
received  both  the  York  and  Scottish  Rites,  and 
he  belongs  also  to  the  Elks.  Like  his  father, 
Mr.  Williams  has  always  taken  an  intelligent 
interest  in  public  matters,  accepting  at  vari- 
ous times  the  responsibilities  of  active  citizen-j 
ship.  He  served  as  chairman  of  the  Central 
Republican  committee  for  one  year  and  one 
year  was  its  treasurer.  For  two  terms  he  was 
a  member  of  the  county  board,  chairman  one 
term,  and  under  the  administration  of  Gover- 
nor Aldrich  was  a  member  of  the  State  Fire 
Insurance  Board. 


JOHN  V.  REILLY,  M.  D.— In  the  wide 
field  covered  by  the  medical  profession,  there 
must  be  special  lines  of  the  vast  whole  that 
call  more  directly  to  one  scientific  investiga- 
tion than  another.  Its  problems  seem  either 
more  difficult,  more  interesting  or  more  appeal- 
ing than  others,  and  hence  we  find  doctors  of 
eminent  learning  becoming  more  or  less  spec- 
ialists. Attention  may  be  called  to  one  of 
Grand  Island's  able  medical  practitioners,  Dr. 
John  V.  Reilly,  who,  while  engaging  in  a 
general  practice,  makes  a  specialty  of  chil- 
dren's diseases. 


John  V.  Reilly  was  born  at  Auburn,  New 
York,  August  10,  1881.  His  parents  were 
William  H.  and  Ellen  J.  (O'Neill)  Reilly,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Bombay,  India, 
and  the  latter  in  New  York.  Both  parents 
and  one  sister  and  two  brothers  of  Dr.  Reilly 
died  in  1918,  the  latter  being:  William,  a 
Catholic  priest,  residing  at  Riverhead,  Long 
Island ;  Gertrude,  a  resident  of  Rochester, 
New  York ;  and  Frederick  J.,  in  business  at 
Rochester,  New  York,  and  who  had  charge 
also  of  his  father's  real  estate.  Of  the  sur- 
vivors of  his  father's  family,  Dr.  Reilly  has 
two  brothers  and  one  sister,  namely:  Edward 
J.,  manager  of  the  Parisian  Cloak  House,  at 
Rochester;  Frank,  assistant  corporation  coun- 
sel of  the  city  of  New  York;  and  Helen,  the 
wife  of  Edward  Kammer,  in  the  house  fur- 
nishing business  at  Rochester. 

During  boyhood  and  youth  Dr.  Reilly  had 
both  social  and  educational  advantages  and 
was  thoroughly  prepared  when  he  entered 
Holy  Cross  College,  Worcester,  Massachusetts, 
where  he  was  graduated  in  1902.  This  was 
followed  by  his  graduation  in  1906  from 
Georgetown  University,  Washington,  D.  C. 
His  subsequent  graduate  work  brought  grad- 
uation from  Bellevue  Hospital,  the  New  York 
Post  Graduate  School,  Creighton  Medical 
College,  Omaha,  and  King's  Park  Hospital, 
Long  Island.  He  has  done  much  study  in 
other  lines.  He  was  on  the  staff  of  St.  Mary's 
Hospital  at  Rochester,  New  York,  and  assis- 
tant superintendent,  Amilyville  Hospital,  Long 
Island,  New  York.  Dr.  Reilly  has  devoted 
much  study  and  investigation  to  mental  and 

He  came  to  Omaha,  in  1912,  and  after  fur- 
ther graduate  work  he  removed  to  Greeley, 
Nebraska.  From  there  he  came  to  Grand 
Island  in  May  1917.  His  coming  added  one 
more  to  the  professional  men  of  which  the 
city  may  be  proud.  Dr.  Reilly  married  in 
1912,  Miss  Helen  Lennon.  Mrs.  Reilly  was 
bom  in  Rochester,  New  York.  They  have 
two  children:  John  V.  and  Helen  G.  Dr. 
Reilly  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  as  did,  also,  his  parents.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Kinghts  of  Columbus  and. 
also,  of  the  Elks.  A  busy  physician,  feeling 
his  responsibility,  he  finds  little  time  to  devote 
to  politics.  Nevertheless  he  takes  an  interest 
in  all  local  and  public  affairs.  He  uses  his 
influence  for  the  welfare  of  the  city,  county 
and  state. 


GUS   VALONIS,   successfully  conducting 
a  first  class  confectionery  store,  at  No.  314 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


699 


West  Third  street,  Grand  Island,  is  an  enter- 
prising business  man  of  this  city.  He  was 
born  in  September,  1880,  in  Greece,  where 
his  mother  yet  lives.  He  is  a  son  of  Peter  and 
Catherine"  (Kostopulos)  Valonis.  His  father, 
who  was  a  small  farmer,  is  deceased,  but  on 
the  maternal  side  the  family  is  unusually  long- 
lived,  the  maternal  grandmother  of  Mr.  Val- 
onis having  exceeded  the  century  mark  by 
some  years,  and  her  proud  descendants  assert 
that  she  still  possesses  her  natural  comple- 
ment of  teeth. 

Gus  Valonis  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight 
children,  the  eldest  three  living  in  the  United 
States,  the  other  two  being:  Dick,  who 
works  for  his  brother  Gus,  and  William,  who 
is  employed  in  the  Union  Pacific  car  shops. 
The  father  was  in  poor  financial  circumstances 
when  his  sons  were  young  and  all  had  to  do 
something  to  help  the  family.  Even  while 
attending  school,  Gus  Valonis  displayed  com- 
mendable anxiety  to  give  assistance,  working 
first  as  a  newsboy  and  later  as  a  jewelry  sales- 
man. In  1895  he  came  to  the  United  States 
and  joined  an  uncle  in  Chicago,  where  he 
worked  in  his  uncle's  store  and  saloon  for  a 
time,  after  which  he  worked  in  a  fruit  store 
in  Omaha,  for  four  years.  In  1904  Mr.  Val- 
onis came  to  Grand  Island.  He  soon  estab- 
lished himself  in  the  confectionery  business, 
in  which  he  has  greatly  prospered-  His  busi- 
ness methods  are  honorable,  his  products 
attractive  and  wholesome,  and  Mr.  Valonis 
stands  well  both  as  a  business  man  and  as  a 
citizen.  He  gives  his  political  support  to  the 
Democratic  party.  He  belongs  to  the  Ortho- 
dox Greek  church. 


BENJAMIN  R.  McGRATH,  M.  D.— 
Scarcely  enough  time  has  yet  elapsed  since  the 
tragedies  of  Beauvais,  Chantilly,  Courcy, 
Chateau  Theirry  and  Argonne  Forest,  France, 
to  enable  the  world  to  learn,  much  less  suffici- 
ently appreciate,  the  marvelous  accomplish- 
ments of  surgical  science  that  followed.  Still 
less  does  the  world  know  as  it  should,  of  the 
high  courage  and  professional  devotion  that 
led  trained  men  of  medical  science  into  the 
same  danger  as  their  helpless  patients,  nor 
how  often,  with  resolution  but  almost  in 
despair,  they  pitted  their  skill  against  the 
forces  of  death.  Seemingly  impossible  opera- 
tions were  performed  whereby  scores  of  valu- 
able lives  were  saved  and,  through  wonderful 
surgical  work,  thousands  of  apparently  shat- 
tered men  will,  in  time,  be  able  to  return  to 
normal  life.  As  yet  the  story  is  too  big  to 
tell,  but  who  can  question  that  it  is  more  noble 


to  restore  than  to  destroy?  In  the  wide  citi- 
zenship of  Grand  Island  can  be  found  eminent 
professional  men.  The  one  to  whom  most 
respectful  attention  is  called  at  the  present 
time,  is  Benjamin  R.  McGrath,  physician  and 
surgeon,  but  recently  returned  from  medical 
service  in  the  hospitals  behind  the  battle  lines 
in  France. 

Dr.  McGrath  was  born  in  Jo  Daviess, 
County,  Illinois,  May  17,  1873.  His  parents 
were  Robert  and  Esther  (Weir)  McGrath, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Pennsylvania,  the 
father  in  1829  and  the  mother  in  1834.  They 
were  reared  and  later  married  in  Jo  Daviess 
County,  Illinois,  to  which  section  their  parents 
had  removed  in  1836.  The  father  of  Dr.  Mc- 
Grath was  a  farmer  all  his  life  and  at  the  time 
of  his  death,  in  1903,  owned  a  farm  in  Carroll 
County,  Illinois.  In  early  political  life  he  was 
a  Republican  but  later  identified  himself  with 
the  Prohibition  party.  Both  he  and  the  mother 
of  Dr.  McGrath,  were  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  She  survived  until 
1906.  Of  the  four  surviving  children  of  the 
family  of  five.  Dr.  McGrath  is- the  youngest, 
the  others  being:  James  E.,  who  is  a  farmer 
near  Savanna,  Illinois;  Charles  M.,  who  re- 
sides on  his  ranch  near  Wauneta,  Nebraska, 
and  Wilmer  W.,  who  is  a  practicing  physician 
at  Savanna,  Illinois. 

Benjamin  R.  McGrath  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  and  a  normal  training  school 
and  for  seven  years  afterward  taught  school 
in  Illinois,  and  for  three  years  at  Grant,  Ne- 
braska. In  the  meanwhile  he  pursued  the 
study  of  medicine  which  he  had  determined  to 
make  his  life  work,  and  in  1902  was  grad- 
uated from  the  University  of  Illinois.  He 
located  first  in  Perkins  County,  Nebraska, 
coming  from  there  to  Grand  Island  in  1904* 
Surgery  from  the  first  has  always  been  the 
favorite  branch  of  his  profession,  but  not  until 
1915,  when  he  associated  himself  with  Dr. 
Woodruff,  did  he  decide  to  make  it  his 
specialty,  and  in  preparation  for  the  same 
he  attended  clinics  at  Rochester,  Minnesota, 
Chicago  and  New  York  City. 

The  year  1917  was  a  vital  one  to  Dr.  Mc- 
Grath as  it  was  to  thousands  of  other  loyal 
American  men.  Like  others  he  put  aside  his 
immediate  personal  affairs  and  entered  the 
active  service  of  his  country  on  August  27, 
1917,  first  as  a  medical  officer  in  the  Medical 
Offcers'  Training  camp  at  Fort  Riley,  from 
there  entering  surgical  service  in  Bellevue 
Hospital,  being  subsequently  transferred  to 
Camp  Dodge.  He  was  then  assigned  to  Base 
Hospital  No.  1 16,  which  mobilized  in  Decem- 
ber, 1917,  and  he  accompanied  this  hospital 


700 


HISTORY  OF  BALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


to  France  in  March,  1918.  He  was  tempo- 
rarily detached  from  this  base  hospital  to 
serve  as  surgeon,  in  an  operating  team  to  assist 
in  the  evacuation  hospitals  at  Beauvais,  Chan- 
tilly  and  Coincy,  but  returned  to  Base  Hos- 
pital No.  116  after  four  months  of  service  with 
the  operating  team.  During  this  term  he  took 
care  of  patients  from  all  the  battle  fronts  in 
France,  receiving  wounded  men  from  Chateau 
Thierry  at  Chantilly,  and  following  behind  the 
army  to  Coincy  but  returning  to  the  base  hos- 
pital just  in  time  to  receive  his  fellow  country- 
men who  had  suffered  in  Aigonne  Forest, 
where  he  had  charge  of  the  fracture  service. 
He  left  France,  January  22,  1919  and  was  dis- 
charged from  service  at  Camp  Dix,  February 
3,  1919,  reaching  his  home  February  11.  Here- 
after Dr.  McGrath  will  devote  himself  entire- 
ly to  surgery,  the  general  practice  of  the  firm 
being  attended  to  by  Dr.  Woodruff  and  Dr. 
Wilmer  D.  McGrath. 

In  1905  Dr.  McGrath  married  Miss  Susan 
E.  Williams,  who  was  born  in  Jo  Daviess 
County,  Illinois.  They  have  three  children: 
William,  Esther  and  Robert,  all  of  whom  are 
in  school.  Mrs.  McGrath  is  a  member  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.  In  his  political  views, 
Dr.  McGrath  is  a  Republican.  He  has 
served  both  as  county  and  city  physician,  and 
for  nine  years  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
education,  a  part  of  the  time  being  president. 
Fraternally  he  is  a  Royal  Arch  Mason  and 
also  a  Knight  of   Pythias. 


RICHARD  GOEHRING,  a  substantial  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Grand  Island,  own- 
er of  valuable  property  here  and  president  of 
the  Central  Storage  Company,  was  born  in 
Saxony,  Germany,  March  23,  1850.  His  par- 
ents were  William  Ernst  and  Ernestine 
(Steinbach)  Goehring.  They  were  both  born 
in  Saxony  and  in  that  country  his  mother 
died.  After  a  time  his  father  married,  for 
his  second  wife.  Miss  Caroline  Oeser.  They 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1874,  settling  in 
Buffalo  County,  where  the  father  secured  a 
land  claim  on  which  he  lived  until  his  death 
in  1892.  Twelve  children  were  bom  to  the 
first  family  of  which  Richard  is  the  only  sur- 
vivor. Four  members  of  the  second  marriage 
survive.  His  father  was  a  weaver  in  his  na- 
tive land  but  after  coming  to  this  country  he 
devoted  his  life  to  farming.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Lutheran  church. 

Richard  Goehring  obtained  his  education 
in  Germany.  Coming  to  America  in  1873,  he 
shortly  afterward  reached  Nebraska,  where 
he  homesteaded  in  Buffalo  County,  living  on 


his  land  several  years.  He  removed  to  Grand 
Island  and  for  nine  years  worked  for  Fred 
Hedde,  who  operated  a  store,  lumber  yard 
and  elevator.  During  this  period  he  made 
rapid  progress  in  this  business  and  became  so 
thoroughly  qualified  in  the  lumber  industry 
that  he  was  engaged  as  manager  of  a  large 
lumber  concern,  a  position  he  filled  with  the 
greatest  efficiency  for  many  years.  As  a  solid, 
dependable  business  man,  Mr.  Goehring  has 
always  been  very  careful  concerning  the 
soundness  of  the  enterprise  with  which  he 
has  permitted  his  name  to  become  associated, 
and  his  acceptance  of  the  presidency  of 
the  Central  Storage  Company  definitely  proves 
the  stability  of  this  large  business  house. 

Mr.  Goehring  married,  in  1881,  Miss 
Paulina  Wagner,  who  was  born  in  Saxony, 
Germany.  They  have  had  five  children : 
Theckla,  a  very  capable  young  lady  employed 
in  the  office  of  the  Central  Storage  Co. ;  Hettie, 
the  wife  of  Miller  Bevier,  of  Salem,  Oregon; 
Richard,  manager  of  Hoagland's  lumber  yards 
at  Grand  Island,  and  Carl  and  Minnie,  the 
last  named  being  a  graduate  of  the  University 
of  Michigan,  now  a  teacher  of  mathematics 
in  the  high  school  of  Salem,  Oregon.  Carl 
Goehring,  a  graduate  of  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Michigan  at  Ann 
Arbor,  for  two  years  had  charge  of  a  large 
hospital  at  Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  and  for 
the  past  year  has  been  a  captain  in  the  medi- 
cal corps  of  the  Fourth  Battery,  Twenty-sec- 
ond Engineers.  Mr.  Goehring  has  great  reason 
to  be  proud  of  a  family  that  reflects  so  much 
c«dit  on  their  home  training  and  on  the  com- 
munity. He  belongs  to  several  well  known 
fraternal  and  social  organizations,  including 
the  American  Order  of  United  Workmen,  the 
Royal  Highlanders  and  the  Liederkranz,  hav- 
ing been  connected  with  the  last  named  for 
forty  years  and  many  times  has  served  as  its 
president. 


ROBERT  TEVIOTDALE,  sole  owner  of 
one  of  the  large  and  important  business  enter- 
prises of  Grand  Island,  may  be  cited  as  an 
example  of  what  may  be  accomplished  through 
industry  and  thrift.  Within  fourteen  years 
Mr.  Teviotdale  has  built  up  a  comfortable  for- 
tune. Eight  of  these  years  have  been  spent  in 
Grand  Island  to  the  great  advantage  of  the 
city.  He  is  proprietor  of  the  Monogram 
Bakery,  and  through  his  first  class  goods,  fits 
name  has  become  well  known  all  over  the  state 
of  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Teviotdale  was  born  at  Abroath,  in 
Scotland,  of  old   Scotch   Presbyterian  stock. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Richard  Goehring,  Sr. 


D.0iiizedb»  Google 


702 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


His  natal  day  was  September  21,  1877.  His 
parents  are  Adam  and  Isa  (Burnett)  Teviot- 
dale,  who  still  live  in  Scotland.  His  grand- 
parents were  Adam  and  Julia  (Rail)  Teviot- 
dale  and  William  Burnett,  old  Scottish  names 
that  have  been  honorably  known  in  their 
country   for  many  generations. 

Robert  Teviotdale  is  the  only  one  of  his 
parents'  family  of  seven  shildren  who  came 
to  the  United  States.  He  had  as  fair  educa- 
tional advantages  as  his  father,  a  bookkeeper, 
could  afford  him  in  Scotland,  and  subsequently 
learned  the  bakery  trade  in  a  most  thorough 
manner.  On  March  9,  1905,  he  reached  the 
shores  of  the  United  States,  well  equiped  in 
the  way  of  good  habits,  trade  and  health  but 
with  little  visible  capital.  He  made  his  way 
to  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  where  he  opened  a 
bakery  which  he  conducted  for  three  years. 
During  the  next  three  years  he  operated  a 
bakery  at  Onawa,  Iowa,  for  an  employer.  But 
he  was  ambitious,  decided  to  work  out  his  own 
career  and  with  this  end  in  view  came  to  Grand 
Island  in  1911.  He  shortly  afterward  pur- 
chased a  residence  property  and  at  the  same 
time  founded  what  is  now  the  Monarch  Bak- 
ery. Within  a  short  period  he  bought  a  lot 
and  erected  his  present  modem  building  which 
is  two  stories  in  height,  with  dimensions  of 
one  hundred  thirty-two  by  forty-two  feet.  This 
was  completed  in  1917.  In  its  construction, 
space,  air,  light  and  sanitation  were  considered 
and  without  doubt,  it  is  the  most  up-to-date 
and  complete  building  of  its  kind  in  the  state. 
Mr.  Teviotdale  is  a  systematic  business  man 
and  has  not  only  called  to  his  establishment  the 
most  skillful  assistants  possible  to  secure,  but 
he  has  made  innovations  that  in  a  way,  have 
radically  changed  many  of  the  old  methods  of 
the  industry.  He  was  the  first  baker  in  Ne- 
braska to  introduce  the  wrapping  of  bread 
loaves  in  waxed  paper.  In  a  comparatively 
short  time  his  business  has  grown  to  astonish- 
ing proportions.  The  bakery  turns  out  7,000 
loaves  of  bread  a  day  and  the  excellence  and 
wholesomeness  of  his  product  may  be  indi- 
cated by  the  fact  that  it  is  shipped  to  various 
parts  of  the  state.  Mr.  Teviotdale  revolution- 
ized the  baking  business  in  Grand  Island.  The 
old  methods  and  processes  in  use  before  he 
came  are  no  longer  tolerated  by  the  awakened 
community.  He  is  president  of  the  Nebraska 
Bakers'  association. 

Mr.  Teviotdale  married,  in  1895,  Miss  Mary 
Smart,  who  was  born  in  the  northern  part  of 
Scotland.  Three  of  their  six  children  survive : 
William,  recently  honorably  discharged  from 
the  army  training  camp  at  Humphreys,  Vir- 
ginia, who  has  resumed  his  old  place  in  his 


father's  business  house,  and  Stanley  and  Ruby, 
both  of  whom  are  in  school.  Mr.  Teviotdale 
and  his  family  belong  to  the  Presbyterian 
church.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat  and  fra- 
ternally is  a  Mason  and  an  Elk. 


WILLIAM  H.  SAMPSON.  — The  ordi- 
nary, everyday  man  with  no  inventive  talent, 
goes  about  his  business  unconsciously  profit- 
ing in  a  hudred  ways  by  the  inventions  of 
others  who  may  have  more  quickness  of  brain 
and  magic  of  hand.  Possibly  many  of  the 
inventions  that  have  been  perfected  have  not 
been  beneficial  in  every  way  to  mankind,  but 
without  a  large  number  of  them,  modem  life 
would  lose  much  in  safety  and  general  com- 
fort. In  William  H.  Sampson,  a  widely 
known  citizen,  Grand  Island  has  an  inventor 
who  has  secured  patents  on  several  appliances 
of  great  merit. 

William  H.  Sampson  was  bom  in  Menard 
County,  Illinois,  December  26,  1847,  the  son 
of  John  W.  and  Susanna  (Bale)  Sampson 
both  of  whom  spent  their  entire  lives  in  Illi- 
nois. His  grandparents  were  natives  of  Ken- 
tucky and  his  maternal  grandfather  was  a  Bap- 
tist minister.  Of  his  parent's  family  of  four 
children,  William  H.  was  the  eldest,  the  others 
being:  Stephen  D.,  associated  in  business  with 
his  eldest  brother;  Joseph  Marion,  a  resident 
of  Casper,  Wyoming;  and  Mary,  the  wife  of 
William  Clark,  of  Spingfield,  Illinois. 

William  H.  Sampson  attended  the  country 
schools  in  boyhood  and  made  the  most  of  his 
opportunities,  thereby  fitting  himself  for  teach- 
ing school.  He  assisted  his  father  on  the  home 
farm  until  he  was  fifteen  years  old,  taught 
school  in  Illinois  for  ten  years  and  then  came 
to  Hall  County,  Nebraska.  In  1873  he  home- 
steaded  in  Hamilton  County  and  in  the  spring 
of  the  following  year  brought  his  family  to 
the  new  home,  on  which  they  lived  for  several 
years.  He  retained  this  farm  until  1918,  when 
he  sold  it  to  advantage.  After  retiring  from 
the  farm  Mr.  Sampson  lived  one  year  at  Mc- 
Cook  where  he  engaged  in  a  mercantile  busi- 
ness. In  1889  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and 
for  more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century  engaged 
here  in  a  general  real  estate  business,  doing 
much  to  develop  Hall  County  and  other  sec- 
tions of  the  state.  Mr.  Sampson  has  handled 
a  large  amount  of  valuable  property  and  has 
been  the  means  of  bringing  much  capital  to 
this  section.  He  is  now  giving  particular 
attention  to  the  patent  business,  several  of  bis 
own  inventions  giving  promise  of  large  future 
returns.  He  invented  a  feeding  machine  for 
rivets,  the  patent  for  which  he  receiTcd  No- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


703 


vember  26,  1918.  He  has  also  patented  an 
automobile  tire  that  is  as  near  puncture  proof 
as  can  be  manufactured,  which  will,  never- 
theless ride  free  and  easy.  This  invention 
was  put  on  the  market  in  the  spring  of  1919. 
On  October  26,  1871,  Mr.  Sampson  mar- 
ried Miss  Clarissa  Denton,  who  was  bom  in 
Illinois.  They  have  three  children :  John  W., 
of  Seattle,  Washington,  who  is  a  detective 
and  a  specialist  in  finger  print  investigation ; 
William;  E.,  who  conducts  a  ranch  near  Den- 
ver, Colorado;  and  Goldie,  the  wife  of  Vin- 
cent Noble,  a  merchant  in  Grand  Island.  Mr. 
Sampson  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Baptist 
church.  He  was  made  a  Mason  in  1870  and 
has  taken  many  degrees.  He  belongs  also  to 
the  Fraternal  Aid  Union.  While  never  actu- 
ally active  in  politics  and  always  voting  inde- 
pendently, Mr.  Sampson,  with  his  wide,  prac- 
tical experience,  has  ever  been  a  good  citizen 
in  deed  as  well  as  in  name. 


CLAUS  STOLLEY,  who  for  many  years 
was  a  highly  respected  citizen  and  successful 
farmer  in  Hall  County,  everywhere  known 
as  an  honest  man  and  good  neighbor,  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1863.  He  was  born  in 
Germany.  August  2,  1845,  and  died  on  his 
farm  near  Cairo,  Nebraska,  July  19,  1910. 

Claus  Stolley  was  brought  up  according  to 
the  laws  prevailing  in  his  country  when  he  was 
young,  by  which  he  had  school  training,  and 
military  experience  would  have  followed  had 
he  remained  there.  He  wanted,  however,  to  live 
a  peaceful  life  and  be  a  farmer,  hence  he  came 
to  the  United  States  when  eighteen  years  of 
age.  He  had  no  money  but  he  had  habits  of 
industry  and  good  health  so  that  when  he 
reached  Douglas  County,  Illinois,  he  found  no 
difficulty  in  finding  work  on  farms  and  by 
1890,  when  he  removed  to  Sherman  County, 
Nebraska,  he  was  able  to  buy  a  farm  near 
Ashton,  where  he  remained  fifteen  years  im- 
proving the  land  and  gaining  a  comfortable 
living.  In  1905  he  was  able  to  sell  this  to 
advantage  and  then  bought  the  farm  that  his 
widow  still  owns,  situated  near  Cairo,  in  this 
County. 

In  1881  Claus  Stolley  married  Miss  Theresa 
Peters,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  a  daughter 
of  John  and  Anna  Peters,  both  of  whom 
died  in  the  old  country.  In  company  with 
his  sister  Mrs.  Stolley  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1878  and  lived  in  Davenport,  Iowa, 
until  her  marriage  to  Mr.  Stolley.  Five  chil- 
dred  were  born  to  them;  William,  who  oper- 
ates the  farm  near  Cairo;  Claus,  who  was  a 
member  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force 


that  landed  in  France  November  12,  1918; 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Claus  Grave,  a  farmer  in 
Illinois ;  Alvena,  the  wife  of  Frank  Shoop- 
man,  a  farmer  near  Cairo;  and  Emma,  the 
wife  of  Dorsey  Coons,  a  fanner  near  St  Paul, 
Nebraska. 

In  the  fall  of  1910,  following  the  death  of 
her  husband,  Mrs.  Stolley  removed  to  Grand 
Island,  in  which  city  she  has  many  friends  and 
is  highly  respected.  She  is  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church  as  also  was  Mr.  Stolley.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics  but  did  not  desire 
any  political  office.  He  was  very  industrious 
and  saving  and  thus  was  able  to  leave  his 
family  in  comfortable  circumstances. 


EMIL  STOLLEY.  —That  no  better  oppor- 
tunities are  offered  for  the  successful  per- 
formance of  agriculture  and  other  enterprises, 
than  can  be  found  in  Hall  County,  is  proved 
by  the  fact  that  many  of  her  native  sons  have 
chosen  to  remain  within  her  borders  or  have 
returned  here  after  having  been  elsewhere. 

Among  this  number  may  be  mentioned  Emil 
Stolley,  who  was  born  on  the  William  Stolley 
homestead,  September  17,  1865.  Reared  on 
the  farm,  educated  in  the  public  schools,  he 
was  well  prepared  under  the  lessons  of  enter- 
prise and  thrift  taught  by  his  father,  to  take 
up  the  responsible  duties  devolving  upon  a 
young  man.  In  1884  he  went  to  Texas  and 
for  fifteen  years  represented  his  father's  inter- 
ests in  a  cement  factory.  Returning  to  the 
old  home  he  associated  himself  with  his  father 
and  brothers  in  agriculture  and  pork  packing. 
The  old  packing  establishment  still  stands  on 
the  farm,  but  after  the  death  of  his  brother 
Richard,  the  duties  falling  upon  the  others 
were  too  numerous  to  further  continue  that 
phase  of  the  business.  Mr.  Stolley  is  now 
giving  his  attention  to  farming  and  stockrais- 
ing  on  the  old  farm. 

November  30,  1901,  Mr.  Stolley  married 
Miss  Sophia  L-  Lauber,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian and  Barbara  (Lutz)  Lauber,  who  came 
from  Crete,  Nebraska,  in  1889,  and  are  now 
both  deceased.  They  were  homesteaders  in 
Filmore  County,  coming  to  Nebraska  in  1873. 
Mr.  Stolley  was  formerly  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  but  is  now  non-partisan.  For  the 
past  eight  or  ten  years  he  has  been  deputy 
precinct  a 


.HERMAN  WILKENS,  pastor  of  the 
Evangelical  Lutheran  Trinity  church  in  Grand 
Island,  is  a  man  of  scholarly  attainments,  deep 
religious  convictions  and  pleasing  social  gifts. 


704 


HISTORY  OF  BALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


He  has  practically  devoted  his  entire  life  to 
the  church,  and  he  is  not  only  highly  regarded 
by  the  church  authorities,  but  is  esteemed  and 
beloved  by  all  who  have  come  under  his 
parochial  care. 

Reverend  Wilkins  was  born  in  the  northern 
part  of  Germany,  August  27,  1871,  the  son 
of  Frank  P.  and  Magdeline  (Beckedorf) 
Wilkens,  also  natives  of  Germany,  who  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Platte 
County,  Nebraska,  in  1880.  The  father 
bought  a  farm  near  Columbus,  on  which  the 
family  lived  for  ten  years  and  then  moved 
to  Hamilton  County,  where  both  parents  sub- 
sequently died.  They  were  people  of  sterling 
worth  and  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  friend- 
ship of  all  who  knew  them.  Of  their  four 
children,  Herman  was  the  second  born,  the 
others  being:  Henry,  a  farmer  in  Hamilton 
County;  Peter,  also  a  farmer  in  Hamilton 
County,,  and  Magdeline,  the  wife  of  John 
Werth,  a  farmer  in  the  above  county. 

Herman  Wilkens  was  nine  years  old  when 
his  parents  settled  in  Platte  County,  Nebraska. 
He  attended  the  public  schools,  later  a  school 
at  Concordia,  Missouri,  for  three  years,  and 
spent  three  years  more  in  study  at  Fort 
Wayne,  Indiana.  After  that  he  took  a  course 
in  theology  in  Concordia  Seminary,  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  graduating  in  1895,  being  ordained 
in  the  same  year.  He  remained  in  his  first 
charge,  the  church  in  Minden,  Nebraska,  for 
eight  years,  and  came  from  there  to  Grand 
Island  in  1903.  He  has  a  large  and  intelligent 
congregation  here  of  five  hundred  souls,  two 
hundred  and  eighty  communicants  and 
seventy-three  voting  members.  Through  ex- 
ecutive ability  he  has  brought  the  various 
branches  of  church  work  to  a  high  degree  of 
excellence,  and  has  the  satisfaction  of  know- 
ing that  not  only  in  his  own  congregation  but 
with  citizens  generally,  his  teaching  and  in- 
fluence are  considered  indispensible  as  a  moral 
influence,  outside  of  consideration  of  religious 
bias. 

In  1896  Mr.  Wilkens  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Amelia  Rhode,  a  daughter  of  the 
late  Carl  Rhode,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil  War, 
having  served  four  years  in  the  army  thereby 
contracting  disease  which  finally  terminated 
his  life.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wilkens  have  the 
following  children :  Erma,  who  with  complete 
efficiency,  fills  a  position  in  a  department  store 
at  Grand  Island;  Alfreda,  who  was  grad- 
uated from  the  high  school  in  1918,  is  a  book- 
keeper in  a  Grand  Island  business  house; 
Walter,  who  is  taking  a  course  in  college  at 
Winfield,  Kansas ;  Clara,  who  attends  the 
parochial  school,  and  Esther,  who  is  also  in 


school.  While  Mr.  Wilkens  is  no  active  par- 
tisan in  political  matters,  he  always  votes  with 
the  Republican  party.     The  family  residence 

is  No.  512  East  Second  street. 


PETER  CONWAY  KELLEY,  M.  D,  a 
man  of  wide  reputation  as  a  surgeon,  has 
been  eminent  in  his  professin  in  Hall  County 
for  a  number  of  years  and  prominent  in  public 
affairs.  Dr.  Kelley  is  the  founder  and  pro- 
prietor of  the  Grand  Island  General  Hospital. 
He  was  born  in  West  Virginia,  May  29,  1870. 
one  of  six  sons  bom  to  Joseph  and  Mary  C. 
(Creigh)  Kelley,  and  the  only  one  to  settle 
in  Nebraska. 

Joseph  T.  Kelley  was  born  at  Beech  Hill, 
Mason  County,  Virginia,  (now  West  Vir- 
ginia), September  19,  1841,  and  is  now  an 
honored  retired  resident  of  Charleston.  West 
Virginia.  His  parents  were  Peter  C.  and 
Mary  (Woodside)  Kelley,  both  being  residents 
of  an  old  Virginia  section  that  suffered  severe- 
ly during  the  progress  of  the  Civil  War.  In 
June,  1861  Joseph  T.  Kelley  enlisted  in  Co. 
E,  twenty-second  Virginia  Infantry,  for  ser- 
vice in  the  Confederate  Army.  He  took  part 
in  the  battles  of  Cold  Harbour,  Winchester, 
Dry  Creek,  Minoxie  Junction,  Fayetteville 
and  New  Market.  On  September  19,  1864  at 
Winchester,  he  was  struck  in  the  foot  by  a 
shell  from  which  he  was  disabled  for  six 
weeks.  He  was  captured  during  the  battle 
and  held  as  a  prisoner  of  war  six  months  in 
the  Federal  prison  at  Point  Lookout,  Mary- 
land. A  brave  and  gallant  soldier,  he  served 
in  the  Confederate  Army  three  years  and  six 
months.  In  1865  he  married  Miss  Mary  C. 
Creigh,  who  was  born  at  Lewisburg,  Green- 
brier County,  now  West  Virginia,  May  9,  1839, 
who  died  in  that  state  in  1880.  Her  parents 
were  John  and  Delilah  (McClung)  Creigh, 
the  latter  of  whom  lived  to  the  remakable  age 
of  ninety-eight  years. 

Peter  C.  Kelley  had  excellent  school  advan- 
tages in  boyhood,  subsequently  attending  the 
State  Normal  school  at  Huntington,  West  Vir- 
ginia, and  the  National  Normal  University  at 
Lebanon,  Ohio,  where  he  remained  one  term. 
He  then  concentrated  on  the  study  of  medi- 
cine and  on  April  13, 1898,  was  graduated  from 
the  Barnes  Medical  College  of  St.  Louts, 
Missouri.  Dr.  Kelley  began  practice  at  Looney- 
ville,  West  Virginia,  where  he  continued  for 
two  years  and  then  spent  some  time  in  grad- 
uate work  in  the  medical  schools  of  Chicago. 
During  the  next  four  years  he  was  in  practice 
at  Alda,  Nebraska.  The  doctor  then  decided 
on  a  trip  to  Oregon  and  he  and  his  wife  made 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


707 


the  long  journey  by  mule  team  and  during  the 
next  four  years  he  practiced  at  Harrisburg, 
Oregon.  Following  his  residence  in  the  west 
Dr.  Kelley  visited  New  Orleans,  Louisiana, 
and  while  there  took  an  additional  graduate 
course,  subsequently  engaging  in  practice  for 
five  months  at  Alexandria.  He  returned  to 
Alda,  Nebraska,  to  continue  his  practice  there 
until  1912,  when  he  came  to  Grand  Island. 
Here  he  built  his  fine  modern  hospital,  known 
as  the  Grand  Island  General  Hospital,  a  sketch 
of  which  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. That  same  year  Dr.  Kelley  was  elected 
to  the  state  legislature  and  served  as  speaker 
of  the  house  during  the  session  of  1913. 

Dr.  Kelley  married  in  West  Virginia,  June 
19,  1898,  Miss  Virgie  Taylor,  who  was  born 
at  Walton,  West  Virginia.  They  have  four 
children:  Kate,  a  graduate  of  a  business  col- 
lege at  Minneapolis,  Minnesota;  Daisy,  a  high 
school  student ;  Helen,  in  school,  and  Robert 
Lee,  who  has  passed  his  sixth  birthday.  Mrs. 
Kelley  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church.  Dr. 
Kelley  belongs  to  the  State  Medical  Society, 
Hall  County  Medical  Society,  and  in  1907  was 
president  of  the  latter.  He  is  a  Scottish  Rite 
Mason.  He  is  surgeon  for  the  C.  B.  &  Q.  rail- 
road and  at  one  time  served  in  the  same  capa- 
city for  the  Union  Pacific.  He  is  first  vice- 
president  of  the  Farmer's  Life  Insurance  Com- 
pany of  America,  of  Denver,  Colorado,  and  is 
president  of  the  State  Bank  of  Alda,  which  he 
helped  to  organize.  Dr.  Kelley's  personality 
inspires  confidence  and  the  esteem  in  which  he 
is  held  is  continually  being  evinced. 


JOSEPH  M.  SOPER.  M.  D.,  who  has  been 
established  in  the  practice  of  his  profession 
in  Grand  Island  since  1918,  has  had  no  dif- 
ficulty in  winning  the  confidence  of  the  public. 
Dr.  Soper  has  an  honorable  professional  rep- 
utation behind  him  which  justifies  the  high 
regard  in  which  he  is  held  in  this  city. 

Joseph  M.  Soper  was  born  at  Forrest, 
Canada,  March  27,  1880,  the  son  of  Seymour 
and  Ellen  (Cairns)  Soper,  thej  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Quebec,  Canada,  and  the 
latter  in  Scotland.  His  father  followed  an 
agricultural  life  until  1914,  when  he  retired 
and  removed  to  Forrest.  Of  the  family  of 
five  children,  Dr.  Soper  is  the  only  one  living 
in  the  United  States.  After  attending  the 
public  schools  of  Forrest,  he  entered  the  Uni- 
versity in  London,  Canada,  from  which  insti- 
tution he  was  graduated  with  the  A.  B.  degree 
in  1905,  receiving  the  degree  of  M.  D.  a  year 
later.  In  1907  he  came  to  Shelton,  Nebraska, 
for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  where  he 


remained  until  1918.  He  built  up  a  large 
practice  and  still  practically  holds  it,  but  he 
finally  realized  that  his  zone  of  work  was  too 
widely  extended  for  his  health,  necessitating 
constant  driving,  hence  he  transferred  his 
main  office  to  Grand  Island.  Dr.  Soper  is  a 
close  student.  Surgery  is  a  preferred  branch 
of  his  profession,  and  to  perfect  himself  in 
this  science  he  has  taken  graduate  courses  at 
Rochester,  Minnesota. 

In  June,  1914,  Dr.  Soper  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Anna  Hurley,  a  professional 
nurse,  who  is  a  graduate  of  St.  Joseph's  Hos- 
pital, Chicago. 

Dr.  Soper  is  independent  in  his  political 
views.  He  belongs  to  the  Elks,  in  Kearney, 
and  to  the  Knights  of  Pythias.  He  is  idetified 
with  many  professional  organizations,  among 
them  the  Nebraska  State  Medical  Society,  the 
American  Medical  Association,  and  the  Buffalo 
County  Medical  Society,  which  he  served  as 
president.  He  was  reared  in  the  Presbyterian 
church. 


OSCAR  WELLS,  a  large  property  owner 
in  Grand  Island  is  now  practically  retired 
from  active  participation  in  business.  For 
many  years  he  was  an  important  factor  in  the 
grain  industry,  operating  a  line  of  elevators 
in  Hall  and  Buffalo  counties.  Mr.  Wells  is 
a  self  made  man,  building  up  his  own  fortune 
after  coming  to  Hall  County  in  1878.  He 
was  born  in.  West  Virginia,  June  29,  1856, 
one  of  four  children  born  to  Levy  H.  and 
Johannah  E.  (Wiseman)  Wells,  natives  of 
Virginia.  The  maternal  grandfather  was 
Jephinneh  Wiseman,  who  was  of  Dutch  des- 
cent, his  people  having  settled  in  Greenbrier 
County,  now  in  West  Virginia,  when  they 
came  from  Holland  to  the  United  States  at 
an  early  day.  The  paternal  grandfather,  Levi 
Wells,  was  born  in  the  city  of  Philadelphia 
and  removed  early  to  Virginia.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Wells  worked  at  the  blacksmith  trade 
during  the  greater  part  of  his  life.  He  was  a 
man  as  sturdy  in  character  as  he  was.  in 
muscle,  serving  in  many  public  offices  in  the 
gift  of  the  Democratic  party,  being  a  county 
commissioner  at  times  and  also  was  county 
judge.  His  two  surviving  sons  are  Oscar 
and  S.  F.  The  latter  never  came  to  Nebraska, 
living  in  West  Virginia  where  he  is  engaged 
as  a  land  broker.  The  parents  were  members 
of  the  Baptist  church. 

Oscar  Wells  attended  both  private  and 
public  schools  in  youth,  and  before  coming  to 
Nebraska  taught  school  for  two  years.  He 
joined  an  uncle  who  lived  in  Grand  Island, 


70S 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  late  E.  R.  Wiseman,  who  was  a  pioneer 
lumber  man  here.  For  five  years  Mr.  Wells 
was  associated  with  his  uncle  in  the  lumber 
business  before  he  became  connected  with 
Lewis  Wasmer  as  a  grain  commission  mer- 
chant. After  the  death  of  Mr.  Wasmer,  Mr. 
Wells  took  over  the  grain  business  of  his 
former  employer,  expanded  and  developed  it 
and  in  the  course  of  years  was  considered  a 
leader  of  this  important  business  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state.  From  the  time  he  first  came 
to  Grand  Island  and  found  his  first  job  as  a 
grocery  boy,  until  in  June,  1918,  when  he  sold 
his  last  grain  plant,  Mr.  Wells  was  one  of  the 
city's  hardest  workers.  During  the  interven- 
ing years,  as  favorable  opportunity  came,  he 
invested  in  real  estate  and  has  accumulated 
much  valuable  property  at  Grand  Island. 
Much  of  this  property  has  been  improved  and 
is  a  credit  to  the  city. 

In  1881  Mr.  Wells  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Mollie  Morgan,  who  was  born  in 
Missouri,  and  died  in  her  home  in  Grand 
Island,  in  1915.  She  was  a  woman  of  beau- 
tiful character,  and  was  a  member  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  She  is  survived  by  one 
daughter,  Florence,  the  wife  of  William  Kelso, 
who  is  a  clerk  in  the  Grand  Island  post  office. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Ruth.  For  a  number 
of  years  Mr.  Wells  has  been  secretary  of  the 
Masonic  lodge  in  Grand  Island.  In  his  po- 
litical views  he  is  independent  of  party  ties, 
but  has  always  been  active  in  the  cause  of 
prohibition  and  therefore  belongs  to  the  great 
majority  who  rejoice  over  the  suppression  of 
the  liquor  traffic.  Few  men  in  the  grain  trade 
in  this  section  are  so  well  or  favorably  known 
as  Oscar  Wells. 

Mr.  Wells  has  been  identified  with  church 
work  for  over  forty  years.  He  has  been 
superintendent  of  Sunday  schools  and  teacher 
for  several  years ;  is  holding  the  highest  elec- 
tive office  in  the  Presbyterian  church  at  pres- 
ent. He  believes  that  the  Bible  is  the  only 
rule  and  guide  for  individual  as  well  as 
national  life ;  that  the  church  is  the  only  great 
factor  in  making  the  world -a  safe  place  to 
live  in. 


WILLIAM  T.  DETWEILER.  cashier  of 
the  German  Bank,  at  Millard,  Nebraska,  has 
important  interests  in  the  line  of  agricultural 
implements  in  Grand  Island  and  other  points 
in  Nebraska.  Practically  from  the  bottom  of 
the  ladder  Mr.  Detweiler  has  built  his  fortune, 
and  the  foundation  stone  of  his  success  has 
been  business  integrity. 

Mr.    Detweiler   was   born    in    Cumberland 


County,  Pennsylvania,  September  8,  1867,  the 
son  of  John  W.  and  Susan  (Timmons)  Det- 
weiler, both  of  whom  were  natives  of  the 
Keystone  state.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Detweiler 
resides  in  Osceola,  Nebraska.  His  father 
served  more  than  three  years  as  a  soldier  in 
the  Civil  War,  participating  in  many  impor- 
tant battles.  He  removed  to  Nebraska  in  1878 
and  bought  railroad  land  in  Polk  County  and 
later  took  up  a  homestead  in  Custer  Count)-. 
In  politics  he  was  a  Republican.  While  his 
wife  was  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal "  church,  he  remained  steadfast  to  the 
United  Brethren  faith,  in  which  he  had  been 
reared.  His  death  occurred  in  1896,  at  the 
age  of  seventy-three  years.  Of  his  children, 
the  following  are  living:  J.  O.,  in  practice  as 
an  attorney  at  Omaha  since  1888;  A.  B.,  pres- 
ident of  the  German  Bank  in  Millard,  Ne- 
braska ;  Charles  K.,  associated  with  his  brother 
William  T.  in  Ord  and  North  Loup,  Ne- 
braska ;  Mrs.  Jennie  Hartzell,  a  resident  of 
Pennsylvania;  Mrs.  David  Kunkle,  lives  in 
Osceola,  Nebraska ;  Mrs.  O.  E.  Mickey,  whose 
father-in-law  was  ex-Governor  Mickey,  and 
whose  husband  is  president  of  the  Osceola 
Bank,  and  William  T.,  who  has  established 
his  home  in  Grand  Island. 

William  T.  Detweiler  obtained  his  schooling 
in  Polk  County,  Nebraska,  and  through  boy- 
hood worked  on  a  farm.  At  a  later  time  he 
became  associated  with  his  brothers,  A.  B.  and 
J.  O.  Detweiler,  in  a  banking  business  in 
Millard,  Nebraska,  where  he  remained  eight 
years  and  is  still  cashier  of  the  institution. 
Close  confinement  made  it  necessary  for  him 
to  seek  a  more  active  life  and  this  led  to  his 
becoming  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Deer- 
ing  Harvester  Company.  He  continued  with 
that  concern  until  the  formation  of  the  Inter- 
national Harvester  Company,  traveling  in  the 
southeastern  part  of  the  state  out  of  Lincoln. 
In  1903  he  entered  into  business  relations 
with  the  John  Deere  Plow  Company,  which 
were  not  interrupted  until  July  1st,  1913, 
when  he  gave  up  traveling  in  order  to  give 
closer  attention  to  his  many  personal  interests 
which  had  increased  in  volume.  Mr.  Det- 
weiler is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Bailey  & 
Detweiler  at  Ord ;  Bailey  fit  Detweiler  of 
North  Loup;  of  Detweiler  &  Petersen  of 
Burwell;  of  Hisen  &  Detweiler,  in  Ansley, 
Nebraska,  and  additionally,  operating  under 
his  own  name,  has  a  large  implement  store  in 
Grand  Island  which  he  proposes  to  still  fur- 
ther enlarge. 

In  1896  Mr.  Detweiler  married  Miss  Anna 
Peters,  of  Millard,  Nebraska,  who  died  No- 
vember 21,   1913,  survived  by  two  children: 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


709 


Wallace,  a  traveling  salesman  for  the  Inter- 
national Harvester  Company,  and  Merwyn, 
completing  his  high  school  course.  On  June  4, 
1915,  Mr.  Detweiler  married  Miss  Anna 
Doshrn,  who  was  born  in  Grand  Island.  They 
have  two  children,  Ardith  and  Donald.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Detweiler  are  members  of  the  Eng- 
lish Lutheran  church.  He  is  not  very  active 
in  politics  but  votes  with  the  Republican  party 
and  takes  a  good  citizen's  interest  in  public 
affairs.  He  has  an  unimpeachable  business 
reputation  and  is  known  more  or  less  all  over 
the  state. 


■  CARL  V.  WILLARD  occupies  a  prominent 
place  in  the  business  world  in  Grand  Island  as 
secretary  and  treasurer  of  the  Donald  Com- 
pany. He  is  also  an  active  and  popular  cit- 
izen, serving  most  satisfactorily  as  council- 
man from  the  second  ward. 

Mr.  Willard  is  a  native  of  Missouri,  born  in 
Shelby  County,  August  17,  1877,  the  second 
in  a  family  of  three  children  born  to  W.  L. 
and  Maggie  (Vance)  Willard.  The  father 
was  born  in  1845,  at  Auburn,  New  York,  was 
married  at  Oquawka,  Illinois,  came  to  Grand 
Island  and  went  into  the  insurance  business. 
He  died  here  in  1895.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics  and  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Willard 
was  born  in  1847,  at  Terre  Haute,  Indiana. 
She  now  resides  at  Los  Angeles,  California, 
with  her  daughter  Abigail,  the  wife  of  F.  B. 
Reynard,  secretary  of  the  California  Vegetable 
Union.  Her  eldest  daughter,  Frederika,  the 
wife  of  Dr.  E.  O.  Weber,  lives  at  Wahoo, 
Nebraska. 

Carl  V.  Willard  remained  in  school  at  Grand 
Island  until  he  completed  his  high  school 
course,  when  he  accepted  a  position  with  the 
Bank  of  Commerce  as  a  bookkeeper,  although 
he  was  only  fourteen  years  old.  Afterward 
he  became  connected  with  the  Minton-  Wood- 
ward Company,  wholesale  grocers  and  fruit- 
iers,  where  he  continued  four  years.  On  May 
19,  1899,  he  became  associated  with  the  Don- 
ald Company,  to  which  he  has  devoted  his  best 
business  efforts  ever  since. 

On  May  16,  1905,  Mr.  Willard  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Meta  Schourup,  who  was 
born  at  Grand  Island,  daughter  of  Edward 
Schourup,  who  was  in  the  lumber  and  coal 
business  in  this  city.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Willard 
have  two  children:  Vance,  who  was  born 
May  20,  1907,  and  Carl  Edward,  who  was 
born  May  8,  1910.  Mrs.  Willard  is  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  Mr.  Willard  of 
the  Presbyterian  church.    He  is  vice  president 


of  the  Liederkranz  society,  and  a  member  of 
B.  P.  O.  E.  No.  604,  being  the  youngest  past 
exalted  ruler  of  this  order  to  be  so  honored 
in  the  United  States.  In  politics  he  is  a  Dem- 
ocrat but  in  his  official  position  is  non-partisan. 


GEORGE  WASHINGTON  WINGERT, 
cashier  of  the  Cairo  State  Bank,  came  to  Hall 
County  in  the  days  now  denominated  "pioneer 
times,"  and  his  life  here  has  been  fairly  rep- 
resentative of  the  class  that  has  taken  an  im- 
portant part  in  the  development  of  this  sec- 
tion of  Nebraska.  In  the  quiet,  comfortable, 
orderly  procedure  of  life  and  business  at  the 
present  time  in  settled  communities,  there  is 
little  on  the  surface  to  suggest  the  old  days 
of  hardship,  privation  and  constant  watchful- 
ness, but  Mr.  Wingert  and  his  contemporaries 
remember  and  in  an  interesting  way,  for  his- 
torical purposes,  recall  them. 

George  Washington  Wingert  was  born  in 
Perry  County,  Pennsylvania,  November  1, 
1857.  His  parents  were  Peter  S.  and  Maria 
(Rynard)  Wingert,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Perry  County.  Peter  S.  Wingert  was  a 
tailor  by  trade  and  followed  the  same  in  Perry 
County  until  he  was  thirty-five  years  of  age 
when  he  turned  his  attention  to  farming  for 
a  time.  With  the  intention  of  securing  better 
agricultural  opportunities,  perhaps,  for  he  had 
a  family  of  ten  children,  in  1867  he  moved  to 
Warren  County,  Illinois,  but  later  recognized 
the .  better  advantages  offered  in  Nebraska. 
Hence,  in  1873  Mr.  Wingert  brought  his 
family  to  Hall  County  and  tiomesteaded,  se- 
curing the  east  half  of  the  northeast  quarter 
section  20-12-10  Prairie  Creek  township.  He 
resided  on  that  place  until  1877  when  he  re- 
moved to  a  cultivated  tract  of  land  near 
Kansas  City,  on  which  he  engaged  in  garden- 
ing until  1881  and  then  returned  to  Nebraska. 
The  following  four  years  he  lived  one  mile 
south  of  Abbott,  but  when  Cairo  began  to  show 
signs  of  rapid  development,  in  1886,  he  came 
to  the  new  town  and  was  an  important  factor 
here  but  had  removed  to  Grand  Island  before 
his  death,  which  occurred  in  1902.  For  years 
he  was  active  in  Republican  politics,  had 
served  many  times  on  the  county  board  and 
had  been  a  justice  of  the  peace  until  he  was 
eighty  years  old.  His  wife  died  in  1891  and 
of  their  ten  children  the  following  are  living: 
Mary  E.,  the  widow  of  Samuel  Schlisler,  lives 
at  Denver,  Colorado;  Anna  M.,  the  widow  of 
James  T.  Allen,  lives  at  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia; Ida  V.,  the  wife  of  David  Millhollen, 
lives  in  Oregon ;  Alice  C,  the  widow  of 
George  Adwers,  lives  in  Chicago ;  George  W., 


710 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


a  resident  of  Cairo,  Nebraska;  Milton  C, 
married  Roberta  Calhoun,  lives  in  Wood 
River,  Nebraska;  and  Emma  J.,  the  wife  of 
John|  H.  Squires,  lives  in  Canada.  Those 
deceased  are:  Salmon  M.,  who  served  as  a 
soldier  throughout  the  entire  period  of  the 
Civil  War;  William  C,  who  died  July  6,  1907, 
and  Jeremiah  A.,  deceased,  •  was  the  founder 
of  the  Grand  Island  Metal  &  Culvert  Works. 
The  mother  of  this  family  was  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

George  W.  Wingert  attended  the  country 
schools  in  boyhood  and  practically  remained 
at  home  with  his  parents  until  he  was  twenty- 
one  years  old.  At  one  time,  for  six  months, 
he  prospected  for  gold  in  the  Black  Hills,  but 
met  with  so  little  success  that  he  returned 
home.  Afterward,  for  six  months,  he  met 
with  better  success  and  came  up  with  more 
adventure,  as  a  trapper  between  Tredford  and 
Seneca,  Nebraska,  on  the  Middle  Loup  river. 
In  the  meanwhile  his  father  and  brother  had 
become  interested  in  a  gardening  project  near 
Kansas  City  and  he  joined  them  and  continued 
until  the  fall  of  1881,  when  he  went  into  the 
same  business  one  mile  south  of  Abbott,  Ne- 
braska. In  the  spring  of  1886  Mr.  Wingert 
came  to  the  new  town  of  Cairo  and  was  one 
of  the  enterprising  early  business  men,  opening 
a  grocery  and  meat  market  and  conducting 
the  same  in  conjunction  with  the  shipping  of 
stock,  until  1897.  In  that  year  he  took  charge 
of  an  elevator  for  Oscar  Wells  &  Co.,  of 
Grand  Island,  continuing  his  stock  shipping 
up  to  1904,  when  he  embarked  in  a  grocery 
business  in  partnership  with  his  brother,  the 
late  William  C.  Wingert.  On  account  of  ill 
health  he  later  sold  his  interest  to  his  brother 
and  went  to  Denver,  Colorado,  where  he  re- 
mained one  year  and  then  returned  to  the  gro- 
cery store,  but  sold  out  when  his  brother  died 
in  the  following  summer.  Mr.  Wingert  became 
associated  with  the  Cairo  State  Bank  as  cash- 
ier, October  7,  1997,  and  this  confidential  rela- 
tion has  continued  ever  since. 

Mr.  Wingert  marrried,  March  23,  1890, 
Miss  Emma  E.  Travis,  who  is  a  daughter  of 
Buckle  C.  and  Mary  (Vannetta)  Travis, 
natives  of  Wisconsin,  pioneers  of  Hall  County 
and  present  residents  of  Grand  Island.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Wingert  have  four  children:  Fern 
M.,  employed  in  the  public  schools  at  Phillips, 
Nebraska;  Ida  B-,  the  wife  of  H.  S.  Brown, 
lives  at  Loup  City,  Nebraska;  Jean  B.,  the 
wife  of  Howard  J.  Finley,  lives  in  Grand 
Island;  and  Edna  B.,  who  resides  at  home. 
As  was  his  father,  Mr.  Wingert  has  been  fore- 
most in  public  affairs  and  is  a  zealous  Re- 
publican.    At  one  time  he  consented  to  be 


the  Republican  candidate  for  county  treasurer 
and  lacked  but  nineteen  votes  of  election  in 
the  primary. 

Mr.  Wingert  relates  many  interesting  stories 
of  early  days  in  Hall  County.  One  of  these 
occurred  three  weeks  after  he  reached  here, 
March  22,  1873,  and  made  such  an  impression 
that  it  can  never  be  forgotten.  Every  old 
settler  of  the  county  remembers  the  memorable 
snow  storm  of  the  spring  of  1873.  It  hap- 
pened that  Mr.  Wingert  had  "bunked"  with 
John  Mader,  in  a  sod  house,  which  had  the 
big  chimney  of  such  primitive  structures  and 
the  old  fashioned  latchstring  in  the  door. 
When  the  boys  awakened  in  the  morning  they 
found  themeslves  completely  buried  in  snow 
and  it  was  with  difficulty  they  made  their 
way  to  the  neighboring  frame  house.  When 
the  storm  of  three  days  duration  was  over 
and  they  endeavored  to  enter  the  sod  house, 
they  found  the  interior  completely  filled  with 
snow  that  the  wind  had  driven  down  the 
chimney  and  through  the  latchstring  aperture. 
It  might  have  been  their  fate,  as  it  was  that 
of  many  others,  to  be  suffocated  by  the  snow. 


HENRY  SCHUMACHER.  — One  of  the 
men  of  marked  business  enterprise  steadily 
active  for  years  in  the  affairs  of  Hall  County 
and  Grand  Island,  is  Henry  Schumacher,  pro- 
prietor of  a  large  meat  market  here,  which 
he  conducts  in  a  modern  building  at  No.  113 
South  Wheeler  Avenue,  Grand  Island,  an 
enterprise  in  which  he  has  been  engaged  since 

1916.  For  nearly  a  quarter  of  a  century  he  has 
been  a  resident  of  the  county,  and  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  has  served  as  a  city  official. 

Henry  Schumacher  was  bora  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  October  11,  1865,  the  son  of  Henry 
and  Catherine  (Brockmueller)  Schumacher, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1885.  set- 
tling in  Iowa.  The  father  was  a  hard  work- 
ing farmer  in  that  state  where  by  thrift  and 
industry  he  accumulated  property.  He  died 
on  his  farm  in  Iowa,  February  29,  1908,  at 
the  age  of  seventy-eight  years.  The  mother 
survived  him  nine  years,  passing  away  at  the 
home  of  her  son  in  Grand  Island,  in  April. 

1917,  in  her  ninety-third  year.  They  were 
parents  of  four  children:  John,  a  farmer  near 
Preston,  Iowa ;  Mary,  the  wife  of  William 
Barghols,  a  farmer  near  Gushing,  Iowa; 
Henry,  a  resident  of  Grand  Island,  and  Eliza, 
the  widow  of  Henry  Vohs,  of  Holstein,  Iowa. 

The  German  schools  afforded  Henry  Schu- 
macher his  education  after  which  he  worked 
on  farms  until  1885  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  to  the  United  States  and  to  Iowa. 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


712 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


There  he  gave  his  father  assistance  and  en- 
gaged in  farm  work  until  twelve  more  years 
had  passed  by,  becoming  a  successful  husband- 
man and  a  good  judge  of  stock.  After  com- 
ing to  Grand  Island  in  1897,  he  worked  at 
various  occupations  before  engaging  in  a 
saloon  business,  conducting  an  orderly  and 
high  class  liquor  store  for  eleven  years.  Dur- 
ing this  period  he  was  prominent  in  city  poli- 
tics and  helped  start  many  business  enter- 
prises that  have  resulted  in  profit  to  the  city. 
Mr.  Schumacher  never  accepted  city  office 
except  that  of  city  jailor,  in  which  he  was  an 
honest  and  faithful  custodian.  In  1916  he 
embarked  in  the  meat  business  in  a  sub- 
stantial building  that  he  erected  and  owns, 
and  now  enjoys  a  fine  line  of  patronage  under 
the  name  of  Henry  Schumacher  and  Son. 

In  1897  Mr.  Schumacher  united  in  marriage 
Mrs.  Alvina  Cornelius,  the  widow  of  John 
Cornelius.  She  had  one  son,  Max  John  Cor- 
nelius, who  returned  to  his  home  February 
4,  1919,  from  military  service  at  Camp  Fun- 
ston,  which  he  entered  April  1,  1918,  being 
assigned  to  military  police  duty.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Schumacher  have  four  children:  Olga, 
her  father's  capable  assistant  in  his  business ; 
Frieda,  Elsie  and  Maxine,  all  of  whom  are 
at  home.  Mri  and  Mrs.  Schumacher  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  They  have 
a  comfortable  and  attractive  home  at  709, 
West  Koenig  street,  which  was  completed  in 
1912.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  in  Grand 
Island  of  the  Plattsdeutchen,  was  secretary 
of  the  society  for  fifteen  years,  belongs  to 
the  Liederkranz  and  the  Fraternal  Order  of 
Eagles. 


JOHN  E.  COX,  whose  personal  popularity 
in  Cairo  and  throughout  Hall  County  is 
marked,  has  numerous  interests  in  Nebraska, 
both  business  and  political,  and  since  1909 
he  has  been  vice  president  of  the  Cairo  State 
Bank.  He  has  lived  in  Nebraska  almost  all 
his  life  and  no  native  son  is  prouder  of  the 
state. 

John  E.  Cox  was  born  at  Remington,  Jasper 
County,  Indiana.  November  20,  1875,  and  is 
the  eldest  of  the  five  surviving  children  born 
to  his  parents,  James  M.  and  Sarah  J. 
(Tyler)  Cox,  both  of  whom  were  born  at 
Piano,  Illinois.  James  M.  Cox  was  a  farmer 
in  his  earlier  years.  In  1879  he  came  with 
his  family  to  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  and 
still  makes  his  home  in  Hampton,  in  which 
city  he  has  lived  since  1885.  He  continues  to 
be  interested  to  some  extent  in  the  stock  bus- 
iness, and  for  many  years  he  has  been  prom- 


inent in  banking  circles,  being  president  of 
the  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Bradshaw  until 
he  sold  his  interests  there,  and  at  present  is 
on  the  directing  board  of  a  bank  in  York.  He 
is  well  known  in  fraternal  circles,  having  ad- 
vanced far  both  in  Masonry  and  Odd  Fellow- 
ship, and  he  has  an  honorable  record  in  Re- 
publican politics,  having  served  two  terms  as 
state  senator  representing  Hamilton,  York  and 
Clay  counties.  Of  his  seven  children,  the  fol- 
lowing are  living:  John  E.,  a  resident  of 
Cairo,  Nebraska ;  Frank  H.,  lives  in  Hampton, 
married  Cora  Powers;  Alice  E.,  the  wife  of 
S.  C.  Houghton,  resides  at  Hampton ;  Vera  S., 
the  wife  of  W.  T.  Bavinger,  of  Omaha,  and 
Ralph  E-,  a  lieutenant  in  the  United  States 
Army,  is  stationed  at  Waco,  Texas. 

John  E.  Cox  attended  school  at  Hampton, 
Nebraska,  and  afterward  spent  a  year  in  the 
Omaha  Business  College.  His  first  business 
connection  was  with  an  Omaha  stock  commis- 
sion house,  where  he  was  employed  for 
eighteen  months  as  a  bookkeeper,  after  which 
he  engaged  in  the  elevator  business  with  his 
father  for  a  few  years,  in  Hampton,  and  in 
the  same  place  conducted  a  hardware  store 
for  one  year.  After  selling  his  store  in  Hamp- 
ton, in  July,  1901,  he  came  to  Cairo  to>  em- 
bark in  an  elevator  and  stock  enterprise  here, 
in  which  he  continued  active  until  1913,  when 
he  disposed  of  his  elevator  interests.  Since 
that  time  he  has  devoted  his  time  variously 
to  farming,  stock  dealing  and  banking,  in 
1909  accepting  the  position  of  vice  president 
of  the  Cairo  State  Bank.  Mr.  Cox's  fann- 
ing is  on  an  extensive  scale.  He  has  a  large 
farm  south  of  Cairo  and  a  ranch  near  Lake- 
side in  Sheridan  county  and  manages  both 
properties.  He  finds  time,  however,  to  be 
also  active  in  the  political  field,  having  served 
a  term  in  the  General  Assembly  from  Hall 
County,  elected  on  the  Republican  ticket.  In 
local  affairs  he  has  always  shown  a  good 
citizen's  interest  and  at  present  is  a  member 
of  the  town  board.  He  built  the  first  alfalfa 
mill  in  Hall  County,  erecting  it  at  Cairo,  and 
in  many  ways  has  shown  business  enterprise. 

Mr.  Cox  married,  November  17,  1896,  Miss 
Dorothy  C.  Jacobsen,  a  daughter  of  Chris- 
tian Jacobsen,  a  pioneer  settler  in  York 
County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cox  have  the  follow- 
ing children:  Gael  M.,  Lucille  E.,  Helen  E., 
Sarah  M.,  Ralph  E.,  and  Harold.  Mr.  Cox 
is  a  Mason  and  also  an  Odd  Fellow. 


REV.  REUNE  R.  COON,  minister,  author 
and  editor,  is  one  of  the  prominent  men  of  the 
Baptist  church  in   Nebraska.     He  was  born 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


713 


at  Peoria,  Illinois,  July  2,  1848,  a  son  of  Rev. 
R.  R.  and  Emeline  (McCowen)  Coon.  The 
father  of  Dr.  Coon  was  born  at  Coontown, 
New  Jersey,  June  11,  1815,  and  his  mother 
near  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  April  6,  1820. 

For  sixty  years  the  father  of  Dr.  Coon  was 
a  minister  in  the  Baptist  church,  during  which 
time  he  organized  six  churches  in  addition 
to  bearing  his  other  responsibilities.  He 
passed  many  years  in  churches  and  institutions 
in  Illinois.  At  one  time  he  was  chairman  of 
the  board  of  trustees  of  Shurtleff  College; 
was  chaplain  of  the  Illinois  penitentiary,  and 
in  1861  was  a  chaplain  in  the  Union  Army 
during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  the  author  of 
"The  Primacy  of  the  Jewish  Race,"  "The 
Future  Life,"  and  a  volume  of  poems.  Of 
his  five  children,  Dr.  Coon  of  Grand  Island, 
was  the  third  in  order  of  birth,  the  others 
being:  Reuben  W.,  now  deceased,  lived  at 
Waukegan,  Illinois,  and  served  one  term  in 
the  state  senate;  James  M.,  a  resident  of 
Chicago,  founded  the  National  Young  People's 
paper,  of  which  he  was  editor  for  twenty- 
five  years  and  is  the  author  of  much  Sunday 
school  literature,  John  J.,  who  was  a  jour- 
nalist, died  at  Flint,  Michigan,  and  Anna  M., 
the  widow  of  Rev.  J.  C.  Johnson,  formerly 
of  Chicago. 

Dr.  Coon  attended  the  public  schools  at 
Alton,  Illinois,  and  an  academy,  the  University 
of  Chicago  and  the  Chicago  Theological  Sem- 
inary, and  on  class  day  was  first  prize  orator. 
He  was  a  member  of  the  Delta  Kappa  Epsilon 
fraternity,  editor  of  the  college  paper,  and 
is  entitled  to  the  signatures  of  many  degrees 
indicating  high  scholarship.  On  October  9, 
1877,  he  was  ordained  to  the  ministry  at 
Vernon,  Michigan,  where  he  served  four 
years,  going  then  to  St.  Cloud,  Minnesota,  and 
to  Oshkosh,  Wisconsin.  In  1898  he  came  to 
Nebraska  and  served  churches  at  Laclede, 
Polk,  Glenville  and  Peru,  in  1905  coming  to 
Grand  Island  in  order  to  secure  educational 
advantages  for  his  children.  He  established 
the  Inter  State  Christian  Herald,  of  which 
he  was  editor  for  four  years,  and  taught 
rhetoric  and  public  speaking  in  the  Baptist 
College,  having  trained  five  students  at  one 
time  for  intercollegiate  oratorical  contests  and 
enjoying  the  satisfaction  of  having  first  prizes 
taken  in  two  instances.  He  is  historian  of 
the  Baptist  State  convention  and  is  clerk  of 
the  Grand  Island  Baptist  association.  Much 
of  Dr.  Coon's  time  is  taken  up  in  literary  effort 
which  finds  publicity  in  many  leading  publica- 
tions. 

In  Chicago,  on  November  6,  1879,  Dr.  Coon 
married    Miss    Eva   Huntington,   a   daughter 


of  Charles  B.  Huntington,  formerly  a  very 
prominent  produce  merchant  of  Chicago.  Dr. 
and  Mrs.  Coon  have  four  children:  Raymond 
H.,  professor  of  Latin  in  William  Jewell  Col- 
lege, Liberty,  Missouri,  was  the  first  Rhodes 
scholar  selected  from  Nebraska ;  Julius  M-  and 
Jesse  D.,  twins,  both  of  whom  are  lawyers 
at  Sioux  Falls,  South  Dakota,  being  graduates 
of  the  University  of  Chicago,  the  latter  acting 
as  assistant  judge  at  Sioux  Fails,  and  the  for- 
mer being  superintendent  of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  at 
Camp  Funston,  and"  Anna  M.,  the  wife  of 
Julius  R.  Hickerson,  a  planter  near  Tulla- 
homa,  Tennessee.  Dr.  Coon,  like  his  father, 
has  been  a  lifelong  advocate  of  temperance. 


HENRY  TALLMAN  INGALLS,  whose 
extensive  milling  interests  have  made  his  name 
well  known  for  many  years  in  Hall  and  other 
counties  in  Nebraska,  is  one  of  Cairo's  pro- 
gressive business  men  and  is  at  the  head  of 
a  very  important  modern  enterprise  that  is 
conducted  under  the  style  of  H.  F.  Ingalls  & 
Sons.  He  accompanied  his  parents  to  Ne- 
braska in  boyhood  and  his  subsequent  life  has 
been  spent  here. 

Henry  Tallman  Ingalls  was  born  in  Dover, 
Bureau  County,  Illinois,  the  third  in  a  family 
of  four  children  born  to.  his  parents,  Charles 
and  Gertrude  (Van  Arsdale)  Ingalls,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  the  state  of  New  York. 
In  early  manhood  Charles  Ingalls  moved  to 
Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming  there  until 
1872,  when  he  came  to  Nebraska  with  his 
family.  He  took  up  a  homestead  in  Adams 
County  and  later  acquired  another  tract  of 
160  acres,  both  farms  being  now  included  in 
the  city  of  Hastings,  the  latter  being  known 
as  the  College  Addition,  while  the  Catholic 
convent  stands  on  the  site  of  the  old  home- 
stead. An  interesting  side  light  is  thrown 
upon  hardships  the  pioneers  of  those  early 
times  in  the  state  were  obliged  to  accept,  in 
noting  the  difficulty  that  Mr.  Ingalls  exper- 
ienced in  the  matter  of  transportation  when  he 
moved  here.  Railroad  trains  reached  Hastings 
about  once  in  two  weeks  and  when  he  wished 
to  bill  his  household  goods  to  that  village, 
he  found  it  necessary  to  bill  to  the  next  sta- 
tion on  the  route.  Fortunately  he  was  saved 
the  expense  of  back  hauling  for  the  engineer 
accommodatingly  stopped  the  train  at  Hastings 
and  put  off  his  goods,  in  all  probability  there 
being  no  special  train  schedule  followed 
closely.  Mr.  Ingalls  shipped  the  first  load  of 
lumber  that  reached  Hastings,  and  further- 
more, he  raised  the  first  car  load  of  wheat  that 
was  shipped  from  that  point.     He  continued 


714 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


to  live  on  his  land  in  Adams  County  until  his 
death,  which  occurred  in  1900.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican  and  in  his  neighborhood 
he  was  respected  and  esteemed  as  a  quiet,  cap- 
able citizen.  Both  he  and  wife  were  members 
of  the  Congregational  church.  Her  death 
occurred  in  1906.  Their  children  were : 
Charles,  connected  with  the  claims  department 
of  the  Chicago  &  Rio  Grande  Railroad,  in 
Denver ;  Gertrude,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
A.  L.  Clark;  Henry  T,,  a  resident  of  Cairo, 
Nebraska,  and  Mollie,  the  wife  of  A.  S.  Camp- 
bell, postmaster  in  Imperial,  Nebraska. 

Henry  T.  Ingalls  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Adams  County,  the  Nebraska  State  Uni- 
versity at  Lincoln,  and  a  business  college  at 
Saint  Joseph,  Missouri.  Farming  was  his 
chief  employment  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  of  age,  at  which  time  he  went  into  the 
cattle  business  in  Howard  County,  in  which  he 
continued  for  five  years.  From  1889  to  1892 
he  was  in  the  flour  milling  business  in  Hast- 
ings, having  had  a  year  of  previous  experience 
in  this  line  at  North  Loup.  From  Hastings  he 
came  to  Doniphan,  Hall  County,  where  he 
operated  as  a  grain  merchant  for  sixteen 
years.  In  1911  he  came  to  Cairo  and  em- 
barked in  a  grain  and  coal  business,  subse- 
quently expanding  and  buying  a  flour  mill, 
which  he  has  operated  ever  since,  having  in- 
creased by  the  installation  of  modern  equip- 
ments the  mill  capacity  and  doubled  it  in  1916. 
The  mill  is  kept  running  day  and  night  and 
still  cannot  keep  up  with  orders.  A  favorite 
brand  that  has  met  with  almost  universal  ap- 
proval, Mr.  Ingalls  has  named  Cairo.  Asso- 
ciated with  him  in  business  under  the  firm 
name  of  H.  T.  Ingalls  &  Sons,  Mr.  Ingalls 
has  his  son,  Ray  Ingalls,  and  his  son-in-law, 
Harry  Turner.  Two  millers  are  employed  in 
the  Cairo  mill  and  the  company  owns  and 
operates  an  elevator  at  Saint  Michael. 

Mr.  Ingalls  married,  December  9,  1884, 
Miss  Anna  Wilson,  a  daughter  of  John  W. 
Wilson,  of  Saint  Joseph,  Missouri.  They  have 
three  children:  Helen,  the  wife  of  Harry 
Turner;  Marion,  the  wife  of  Robert  Thomp- 
son, and  Ray,  who  married  Edna  Nielson. 
Mrs.  Ingalls  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Ingalls  is 
a  Democrat,  being  active  in  local  interests. 


FREDERICK  STOLLEY  is  one  of  the 
prominent  and  successful  farmers  and  stock- 
men of  Hall  County  where  he  has  spent 
nearly  all  his  life,  coming  here  with  his  parents 
when  two  years  of  age. 


He  was  born  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  March  26, 
1857,  a  son  of  William  and  Wilhelmina 
Fredericka  (Hagge)  Stolley,  of  whom  an  ex- 
tensive record  appears  elsewhere  in  this  vol- 
ume. He  was  reared  on  the  pioneer  farm  near 
Grand  Island  and  his  early  education  was 
acquired  in  his  father's  home  under  a  private 
teacher  as  there  were  no  public  schools  in  the 
county  at  that  time.  Later  he  took  instruc- 
tion under  a  Mr.  Nogle  for  one  year  and 
then  attended  a  school  taught  by  a  Polish 
teacher.  When  district  No.  1  was  organized 
he  became  a  student  there  with  Charles  Rief 
as  teacher. 

When  his  school  days  were  over  he  became 
a  fireman  on  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  and 
here  he  earned  his  first  money.  By  carefully 
husbanding  his  earnings  he  was  enabled  to 
invest  in  land  near  Ravenna,  Nebraska,  taking 
up  farming  and  residing  there  for  eight  years. 
He  then  removed  to  his  present  farm  and  has 
since  carried  on  farming  and  stockraising 
quite  extensively  and  is  known  as  one  of  the 
most  progressive  and  up-to-date  agriculturists 
of  fhe  county. 

June  1,  1889,  Mr.  Stolley  married  Miss 
Anna  Seier,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Sophia 
(Boehl)  Seier,  who  were  early  settlers  of 
Hall  County,  both  of  whom  have  passed  away. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stolley  have  become  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living: 
Minnie,  William,  Frederick,  Clara  and  Her- 
bert are  unmarried  and  are  still  under  the 
parental  roof ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Johc 
Rhoades  of  Plattsmouth,  Nebraska,  and 
Maude,  the  wife  of  Chris  Nelson,  of  Grand 
Island. 

Mr.  Stolley  is  an  advocate  of  the  teach- 
ings of  socialism,  believing  the  best  interests 
of  the  people  can  be  better  conserved  through 
the  principles  of  that  organization  than 
through  either  of  the  old  political  parties.  He 
was  the  pioneer  in  promulgating  the  doctrines 
of  that  party  in  Hall  County  and  he  had 
converted  his  father  to  the  belief  before  the 
death  of  the  latter.  Following  in  the  foot- 
steps of  his  illustrious  parent  he  has  given 
loyal  support  to  those  enterprises  that  have 
had  to  do  with  the  upbuilding  of  the  com- 
munity. He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
school  district  unmber  80,  and  has  served 
on  the  board  of  directors  continuously  since 
that  time.  He  is  president  of  the  fire  and 
tornado  insurance  company  that  his  father 
organized  more  than  twenty-five  years  ago, 
and  the  company  have  more  than  four  millions 
of  insurance  on  their  books  among  the  farmers 
of  Hall  and  adjoining  counties. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fred  Stollev 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


716 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


C.  HUGO  HEHNKE,  recognized  as  one 
of  the  enterprising  business  men  and  reliable 
citizens  of  Cairo,  Nebraska,  has  spent  almost 
all  his  life  in  Hall  County.  He  was  born  at 
Wandsbek,  Germany,  August  8,  1877,  a  son 
of  Herman  Hehnke.  He  has  a  brother,  Her- 
man W..  A.  Hehnke,  of  Grand  Island,  in  whose 
sketch  Will  be  found  a  more  complete  record 
of  the  Hehnke  family. 

C.  Hugo  Hehnke  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Grand  Island  and  later  the  Grand  Island 
Business  College.  He  learned  practical  bus- 
iness under  his  father's  supervision  and  con- 
tinued to  be  identified  with  his  father's  mer- 
cantile establishment  until  he  assumed  his 
present  duties  as  manager  of  one  of  the  larg- 
est general  stores  in  Cairo.  This  establishment 
carries  an  unusually  heavy  stock  of  well  se- 
lected merchandise,  and  under  Mr.  Hehnke's 
admirable  management,  the  business  is  very 
prosperous. 

Mr,  Hehnke  married,  February  6,  1901, 
Miss  Bertha  Kindler,  a  daughter  of  E.  R.  and 
Josie  (Dell)  Kindler,  well  known  residents 
of  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hehnke  have 
five  children :  Josephine  M.,  Robert  H., 
Dorothy  E.,  Bertha  D.  and  Hugo  M.,  all 
of  whom  attend  school.  Mr.  Hehnke  has  not 
identified  himself  with  any  political  party, 
preferring  to  use  his  own  good  judgment  as 
to  the  merits  of  candidates  asking  the  votes 
of  their  fellow  citizens.  He  has  been  active 
in  many  public  capacities  and  for  several  years 
has  served  with  great  efficiency  as  village  clerk 
of  Cairo  and  during  the  past  year  has  been  a 
member  of  the  Hall  County  Food  Administra- 
tive board. 


ERVIN  WHITEHEAD,  a  well  known  and 
highly  respected  retired  resident  of  Cairo, 
Nebraska,  has  been  identified  with  Hall 
County  for  more  than  forty  years.  He  passed 
through  its  days  of  deepest  discouragement, 
shared  misfortune  with  other  settlers,  but 
never,  like  many  of  them,  grew  disheartened 
over  the  future.  Mr.  Whitehead,  in  fact,  is 
one  largely  responsible  for  the  better  con- 
ditions that  were  evolved  in  time,  that  brought 
peace,  plenteousness  and  consequent  content- 
ment to  this  favored  section  of  Nebraska. 
Self  reliance,  industry,  determination  and  a 
large  measure  of  public  spirit,  proved  helpful 
in  his  own  case  and  he  did  not  hesitate  to  use 
them  to  help  others.  Mr.  Whitehead  has  served 
long  and  faithfully  in  many  public  capacities 
and  his  fellow  citizens  have  recognized  his 
honest  and  honorable  efforts  for  the  public 
welfare. 


Ervin  Whitehead  was  born  in  Herkimer 
County,  New  York,  March  9,  1852.  His  par- 
ents were  William  and  Sarah  (Watson) 
Whitehead,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
England,  where  William  Whitehead  worked 
as  a  cotton  spinner,  an  occupation  he  also 
followed  after  coming  to  the  United  States 
until  1857,  when  he  became  a  farmer  in  Wis- 
consin on  land  he  bought  from  the  United 
States  government.  He  was  twice  married 
and  to  the  first  union  nine  children  were 
born,  there  being  two  survivors :  Ervin,  a  res- 
ident of  Cairo,  and  Margaret,  the  wife  of 
Albert  Waldron,  lives  in  Minnesota.  The 
death  of  his  first  wife  occurred  July  22,  1857. 
In  1862  he  married  at  Kingston,  Wisconsin, 
Mary  A.  Ryan,  and  they  had  three  children : 
Nora  J.,  the  wife  of  Mr.  Tiffany,  lives  at 
Aberdeen,  South  Dakota;  Edna,  who  lives  in 
Michigan,  and  one  deceased.  William  White- 
head remained  on  his  farm  in  Wisconsin  until 
his  health  failed,  when  he  sold  out  and  came 
to  Nebraska  and  afterward  lived  with  his 
children,  his  death  occurring  at  Wood  River, 
January  30,  1892.  He  possessed  musical  gifts 
of  a  high  order,  and  organized  the  first  band 
at  Cairo  and  instructed  it. 

Ervin  Whitehead  had  district  school  ad- 
vantages in  Wisconsin  but  his  boyhood  was 
largely  given  over  to  very  practical  matters 
connected  with  the  operation  of  his  father's 
farm  and  he  remained  at  home  until  he  was 
twenty-one  years  of  age.  In  the  spring  of 
1873  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  in  the  fall 
of  that  year  homesteaded,  securing  160  acres 
on  section  two  in  Cameron  County,  also  buy- 
ing forty  acres  of  railroad  land.  It  seemed 
an  inopportune  moment  to  come  to  Nebraska 
in  search  of  a  permanent  home,  for  the  mem- 
orable blizzard  had  just  swept  over  this  sec- 
tion, leaving  death  and  disaster  in  its  wake. 
At  a  later  date  Mr.  Whitehead  suffered  from 
a  somewhat  less  destructive  snow  storm,  in 
which  he  saw  his  orchard  demolished  and  the 
slow  work  of  years  wiped  out.  He  lost  heav- 
ily also  when  the  scourge  of  grasshoppers 
visited  Hall  County,  and,  in  fact,  missed  very 
few  of  the  many  hardships  and  struggles  of 
the  time. 

In  discouraging  conditions  like  those  men- 
tioned above,  the  value  of  a  quiet  but  ener- 
getic citizen  can  not  be  over  estimated  and 
Mr.  Whitehead  set  an  example  by  continuing 
his  farm  pursuits  as  normally  as  possible.  He 
finally  went  into  the  business  of  breeding  black 
Galloway  cattle  and  found  it  very  profitable. 
He  continued  to  live  on  his  homestead  until 
1904  when  he  retired  because  of  failing 
health.     After  spending  four  years  at  Saint 


r  ■ 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


717 


Paul,  Nebraska,  he  returned  to  Hall  County 
and  since  then  has  resided  in  Cairo. 

Mr.  Whitehead  married  February  15,  1877, 
Miss  Susan  Bellamy,  the  third  in  a  family  of 
eight  children  born  to  George  and  Jane 
(Hodgson)  Bellamy.  They  came  from  Mich- 
igan to  Hall  County  in  1875.  Mr.  and  Mrs, 
Whitehead  have  the  following  children: 
Lloyd  H,  lives  on  his  father's  old  homestead, 
married  Frances  Reed ;  Edith,  the  wife  of 
Richard  Dyre,  lives  in  Cairo;  Ervin  H.,  who 
conducts  a  garage  at  Cairo,  married  Vesta 
Deflenbaugh,  and  Ella  M.,  the  wife  of  Glen 
Roberts,  lives  on  the  ranch  near  Cairo. 

It  might  be  mentioned  in  connection  with 
Mr.  Whitehead's  activities  that  he  operated 
a  threshing  outfit  every  fall  from  1875  until 
1916,  when  it  was  accidentally  destroyed  by 
fire.  In  his  younger  political  life  he  was  a 
Republican  but  later  found  himself  in  sym- 
pathy with  the  aims  of  the  Populist  party.  At 
present  he  is  an  independent  voter.  He  has 
always  been  interested  in  the  general  welfare, 
and  at  times  when  many  others  thought  only 
of  their  personal  losses,  he  could  look  ahead 
and  see  the  necessity  of  formulating  stable 
laws  and  providing  liberally  for  general  edu- 
cation. For  twenty-one  years  he  served  on 
the  school  board  in  Cameron  township  and 
for  seven  years  has  been  a  member  of  the 
same  in  Cairo.  He  served  three  terms  as 
assessor  of  Mayfield  township  and  two  terms 
as  supervisor  of  Cameron  township.  He 
belongs  to  the  M.  W.  A.  lodge,  and  attends 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  with  his  wife 
and  daughter,  who  are  members  as  were  his 
parents. 


WILLIAM  E.  PRESTON.  — Wonderful 
changes  have  been'  brought  about  in,  Hall 
County  since  William  E.  Preston,-  one  of 
Cairo's  most  respected  retired  citizens,  came 
here  as  a  home  seeker  in  1872.  Although 
he  had  been  a  soldier  during  the  closing  year 
of  the  Civil  War,  he  probably  encountered 
as  much  danger  and  more  hardships  during  his 
early  days  of  pioneering  than  had  been  his 
portion  while  in  the  army.  He  has  been  a 
continuous  resident  of  Nebraska  for  forty- 
seven  years  and  has  done  his  full  part  in  de- 
veloping Hall  County. 

William  E.  Preston  was  born  in  Wyoming 
County,  New  York,  December  1,  1843.  His 
parents  were  EH  and  Belinda  { Coleman ) 
Preston,  natives  of  New  York.  Eli  Preston 
was  a  man  of  consequence,  prominent  in  the 
Democratic  party,  a  farmer  and  a  lawyer  at 
Johnsonburg  and  for  a  number  of  years  was 


county  judge.  Of  his  family  of  six  children 
the  following  are  living:  Ellen,  Lovila,  James, 
Ida,  and  William  E. 

Although  his  early  years  were  spent  on  a 
farm,  William  E.  Preston  had  school  advan- 
tages in  two  states,  New  York  and  Illinois. 
In  1865  he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil 
War  and  took  part  in  a  few  battles,  frequentlyy 
being  in  great  danger  but  fortunately  escap- 
ing injury.  In  1872  he  came  to  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  and  homesteaded,  then  bought 
eighty  acres  of  railroad  land  north  of  where 
Abbott  now  stands,  but  later  disposed  of  this 
land  on  account  of  failing  health.  Mr.  Preston 
has  vivid  recollections  of  the  great  storm  that 
was  so  destructive  in  the  spring  of  1873  in 
this  section.  It  was  of  such  unusual  severity 
and  so  far  reaching  in  its  effects,  that  it  oc- 
cupies a  definite  place  in  every  history  of  this 
section.  Indians  were  numerous  when  Mr. 
Preston  came  here  and  frequently  were  guests 
in  his  home.  He  treated  them  well  and  never 
had  any  trouble  with  them.  Farming  was  a 
hard  proposition  during  those  early  years  and 
the  settlers  had  to  work  in  many  other  ways 
in  order  to  make  a  living.  For  a  time  Mr. 
Preston  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade  in 
Grand  Island  and  afterward  found  hauling  a 
more  or  less  profitable  industry.  He  hauled 
cedar  posts  and  a  load  of  piling  from  the 
Niobrara  river,  a  distance  of  110  miles,  and 
sold  them  to  the  railroad,  his  first  load  bring- 
ing him  $78.  It  required  a  week  to  make  the 
round  trip,  but  Mr.  Preston  continued,  re- 
ceiving $120  for  his  last  load.  He  made  a 
corral  on  his  land  with-  some  fine  cedar  posts 
and  disposed  of  others  to  a  neighbor,  ex- 
changing a  post  for  a  bushel  of  corn.  When 
Mr.  Preston  came  here  wolves,  coyotes,  prairie 
dogs  and  rattlesnakes  were  numerous,  he 
sometimes  killed  as  many  as  seven  snakes  in 
one  day. 

Mr.  Preston  married  in  December,  1873, 
Miss  Emma  Dean,  who  died  December  24, 
1917,  in  Grand  Island.  Her  father,  William 
C.  Dean,  was  a  pioneer  in  Hall  County  from 
Michigan.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Preston  had  two 
children :  James,  who  lives  at  Metzler,  Wyom- 
ing, married  Florence  Smith,  and  Susan,  the 
widow  of  William  Robinson.  Since  the  death 
of  Mrs.  Preston,  Mr.  Preston  has  made  his 
home  with  his  daughter,  Mrs.  Robinson  in 
Cairo.  In  politics  Mr.  Preston  has  always 
been  identified  with  the  Democratic  party  and 
at  times  has  served  in  local  offices,  for  seven- 
teen years  being  overseer  of  the  poor.  He  is 
highly  regarded  by  his  old  army  comrades  and 
was  commander  of  the  post  of  the  Grand 
Army  of  the  Republic  at  Grand  Island  for  one 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


year,  when   failing  health  caused  him  to  re- 
sign the  office. 


MARY  A.  OLDFIELD,  widely  known  and 
very  highly  esteemed  in  Hall  County,  is  the 
widow  of  the  late  William  C.  Oldfield.  They 
came  to  Hall  County  among  the  pioneers  of 
1872  and  Mrs.  Oldfield  has  resided  here  ever 
since.  A  woman  of  courage  and  resource,  in 
early  days  she  faced  and  overcame  manifold 
hardships,  and  to  her  helpful  energy  and  cheer- 
ing encouragement  may  be  attributed  much  of 
the  success  that  finally  brought  to  the  house- 
hold domestic  comfort  and  financial  in  depend- 

Mary  A.  Oldfield  was  born  near  Cambridge, 
England,  one  of  a  family  of  seven  children 
born  to  her  parents,  James  and  Susan  Pedley. 
They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1845,  the 
mother  dying  one  month  after  landing.  Mrs. 
Oldfield  is  the  only  member  of  the  family  liv- 
ing in  Nebraska.  One  sister,  Mrs.  Sarah 
Balker,  died  in  Hall  County  in  1896.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Oldfield  had  been  a  farmer  in 
England  and  after  coming  to  this  country 
bought  land  in  the  state  of  New  York  where 
he  continued  to  reside  on  it  until  his  death  in 
1867.  Mrs.  Oldfield  was  eight  years  old  when 
her  parents  brought  her  to  the  United  States 
receiving  her  education  at  an  excellent  school 
near  her  father's  farm.  On  August  7,  1865, 
she  was  united  in  marriage  with  William 
C.  Oldfield,  at  Baldwinsville,  New  York.  He 
was  a  farmer  just  returned  from  service  in  the 
Civil  War,  and  they  lived  on  his  farm  in 
Onondago  County  until  1872.  Although  he 
had  not  been  wounded  while  in  the  army,  his 
health  evidently  had  been  under-mined  to  some 
extent  by  military  exposure,  and  it  was  in 
the  hope  of  regaining  it  that  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Oldfield  determined  to  seek  a  more  bracing 
climate  and  came  to  Nebraska,  reaching  Hall 
County  in  the  above  year.  He  homesteaded 
160  acres,  his  land  adjoining  the  present  city 
limits  of  Cairo. 

For  the  first  two  years  after  coming  to  Ne- 
braska, Mr.  Oldfield's  health  seemed  to  im- 
prove but  the  hard  work  entailed  by  the  neces- 
sity of  using  ox-teams  to  break  up  his  land 
and  the  long  distances  he  had  to  travel  to  se- 
cure any  of  the  comforts  of  life  to  which  he 
had  been  accustomed  in  his  eastern  home,  to- 
gether with  an  unusually  inclement  winter 
caused  him  to  break  down  again  and  to  be- 
come io  discouraged  that  he  wanted  to  re- 
turn with  some  other  disheartened  settlers,  to 
New  York.  It  was  then  that  Mrs.  Oldfield 
practically  took  charge  of  the  farm  and  about 


that  time  they  received  financial  aid,  being 
paid  the  proceeds  from  a  tobacco  crop  they 
had  left  for  sale  when  they  gave  up  their  New 
York  farm.  They  acquired  cattle  and  soon 
were  in  better  circumstances  than  the  average 
settler  although  they,  too,  at  first  lived  in  a 
dugout.  Mrs.  Oldfield  relates  that  the  way- 
neighbors  could  know  of  each  other's  where- 
abouts, was  to  look  over  the  level  prairies  and 
note  where  smoke  was  rising  from  chimneys. 
Although  Mr.  Oldfield  never  became  a  robust 
man,  his  health  improved  and  he  lived  until 
1896,  in  the  meanwhile  carrying  on  his  farm 
industries  successfully  and  taking  his  place 
among  the  useful  public  men  of  his  township. 
He  was  a  sound  Republican  and  for  several 
years  was  road  overseer.  He  was  a  great- 
uncle  of  Barney  Oldfield,  the  American  auto- 
mobile racer. 

The  following  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Oldfield:  Frank,  who  is  deceased; 
William,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island,  married 
Lola  Pierce ;  Mamie,  who  is  deceased ;  Lottie, 
the  wife  of  Albert  Seymour,  of  Grand  Island; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Warren  Baker,  of  Dunning, 
Blaine  County,  Nebraska;  Lucy,  the  wife  of  i 
William  Taylor,  of  Dunning;  Ida,  the  wife 
of  William  Sensenay,  of  Wood  River ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Martin  Lorenson,  of  Cairo; 
Charles,  who  is  deceased;  Maude,  the  wife  of 
Harry  Waters,  of  Cambridge,  Nebraska,  and 
Belle,  the  wife  of  John  Solon,  of  Grand  Island. 
Mrs.  Oldfield  is  a  member,  as  was  her  hus- 
band, of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  ADELBERT  THOMPSON, 
one  of  Cairo's  most  prominent  citizens,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Hall  County  for  almost 
forty  years.  He  came  here  in  early  manhood, 
and  with  other  pioneer  settlers  of  that  period 
cheerfully  assumed  tasks  and  shouldered 
responsibilities  that  subsequently  led  to  pro- 
gress and  development.  For  some  years  Mr. 
Thompson  has  lived  retired  from  active  par- 
ticipation in  business,  although  his  extensive 
farm  and  city  property  interests  still  require 
his  general  supervision. 

Mr.  Thompson,  familiarly  known  as  "Dell,'" 
is  a  native  of  Iowa,  born  in  Jasper  County, 
December  27,  1858.  His  parents  were  Wilson 
and  Susan  (Hart)  (Ferrall)  Thompson,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  near  Muncie, 
Indiana,  and  the  latter  near  Cleveland,  Ohio. 
They  had  seven  children  and  two  of  these 
are  living:  William  Adelbert,  resides  at  Cairo, 
Nebraska,  and  Robert,  resides  at  Newton, 
Iowa.  There  are  two  children  of  a  former 
marriage  living:    Samuel  C.  Thompson,  a  res- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Dell  Thompson  and  Wife 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


720 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ident  of  San  Diego,  California,  and  Alta 
Sangfelter,  a  resident  of  Seattle,  Washington. 
Wilson  Thompson  enlisted  for  military  service 
during  the  Mexican  War  but  by  the  time  he 
reached  Chicago  the  war  was  over.  He  was  a 
conscientious  supporter  of  the  principles  of 
the  Republican  party  but  never  accepted  a 
political  office.  For  many  years  he  was  a 
substantial  farmer  in  Jasper  County,  Iowa, 
and  a  heavy  shipper  of  horses,  cattle  and  hogs. 
When  he  retired,  several  years  before  his 
death,-  he  visited  Oregon,  Washington  and  Ne- 
braska, returning  then  to  Iowa  and  buying 
city  property  in  Newton.  He  died  there  in 
1905.  His  widow  survived  until  1912.  They 
were  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 

William  A.  Thompson  had  educational  ad- 
vantages in  Newton,  attending  both  the  public 
schools  and  Hazel  Dell,  the  local  academy. 
He  assisted  his  father  on  the  home  farm  until 
the  spring  of  1881  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County.  He  bought  160  acres  of  railroad,  land, 
situated  two  miles  east  of  the  present  site 
of  Cairo.  This  land  was  originally  owned 
by  George  Bussell,  who  lived,  in  early  days, 
in  a  sod  house  just  north  of  Mr.  Thompson's 
present  handsome  residence  which  is  made  of 
cement  blocks,  planned  and  erected  under  Mr. 
Thompson's  personal  supervision.  He  can 
remember  cutting  grass  on  the  land  now  oc- 
cupied by  the  busy  little  city  of  Cairo.  His 
railroad  land  was  situated  at  a  point  then 
known  as  Easton,  where  he  resided  for  six 
years,  inaugurating  many  improvements,  and 
during  this  time  succeeded  in  having,  the 
hamlet  made  a  post  office  station,  serving  as 
postmaster  until  the  office  was  removed  to 
Cairo,  when  the  latter  place  was  established. 
Mjr.  Thompson  then  traded  his  land  for  a 
hardware  store  in  the  new  town  and  con- 
tinued in  the  hardware  line  in  Cairo  for  the 
next  thirteen  years  before  establishing  a  gen- 
eral mercantile  business  which  he  conducted 
for  eight  years.  Since  1909  he  has)  been 
practically  retired,  although  a  man  who  owns 
a  large  amount  of  city  property  and  1700  acres 
of  fine  farming  land  is  still  regarded  as  an 
important  factor  in  business  life.  He  has 
420  acres  in  Hall  County  and  1286  acres  in 
Morrill  County,  Nebraska. 

Mr.  Thompson  married,  March  29,  1883, 
Miss  Harriet  F.  Nebergall,  a  daughter  of 
Thomas  and  Margaret  (Vanbiber)  Nebergall, 
who  were  natives  of  West  Virginia.  They 
came  west  at  an  early  day,  locating  in  Iowa. 
Subsequently  they  became  pioneer  residents 
of  Hebron,  Nebraska,  where  they  resided 
many  yars.     The  father  died  in  the  state  of 


Washington,  the  mother  passing  away  at 
Gilead,  Nebraska.  There  were  six  children  in 
the  Nebergall  family :  William  and  Philip,  re- 
side at  Peudleton,  Oregon;  David,  lives  at 
Baker  City,  Oregon;  Jennie  E.,  the  wife  of 
Samuel  Wheeler,  of  Carlton,  Nebraska ;  Vic- 
toria, the  wife  of  Robert  McGee,  of  Prov- 
idence, Rhode  Island,  and  Mrs.  Thompson, 
who  met  and  married  her  future  husband  in 
Hall  County.  She  was  leading  saleswoman  in 
his  mercantile  establishment,  assisted  in  con- 
ducting the  store  and  materially  contributed  to 
accumulating  their  present  comfortable 
fortune.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thompson  have  four 
children:  Loren  W.,  married  Belle  Grosser!; 
Robert  R.,  married  Marian  Ingalls ;  Millard 
F.,  a  sergeant  in  the  United  States  army,  now 
stationed  at  Camp  Mills,  Long  Island,  New- 
York,  and  one  child  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Thompson  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views  but  has  never  been  a  seeker  for 
public  office.  He  has  become  one  of  the 
capitalists  of  this  section  mainly  through  per- 
sistent industry,  careful  habits  and  the  pos- 
session of  the  good  judgment  that  led  to  wise 
investments. 


WILLIAM  B.  WAITE.  — To  the  settle- 
ment of  Nebraska  many  pioneers  came  from 
homes  in  the  eastern  states,  where  comfort  and 
even  luxury  generally  prevailed,  and  the  story 
of  early  struggle  and  unexpected  hardships 
here,  with  the  subsequent  coming  of  affluence 
and  ease,  possesses  much  that  is  interesting  and 
that  is  illustrative  of  American  energy.  In 
this  history  of  Hall  County  no  better  example 
of  the  above  reflection  can  be  found  than  is 
afforded  by  William  B.  Waite,  whose  landed 
possessions  include  1,180  acres  of  rich  Ne- 
braska soil,  and  whose  herds  of  cattle  graze 
over  many  miles. 

William  B.  Waite  was  born  September  12. 
1856,  in  Etna,  Licking  County,  Ohio.  His 
parents  were  Hiram  and  Sarah  (Hartsell) 
Waite,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Ver- 
mont and  the  latter  in  Pennsylvania.  They 
were  the  parents  of  seven  children  of  whom 
the  following  are  living:  Arthur  H.,  Frank 
E.,  William  B.,  Charles  E-,  and  Hiram  H. 
The  father  of  the  above  family  died  in  Nemaha 
County,  Nebraska,  in  1868,  but  the  mother  yet 
survives,  a  venerable  lady  of  ninety-two  yean, 
making  her  home  in  Beatrice.  After  she  was 
left  a  widow,  she  built  a  house  on  one  of 
the  farms  of  her  husband's  estate,  six  miles 
west  of  Brownsville,  Nebraska,  where  she 
lived  until  1876  when  she  moved  into  Browns- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


721 


ville  and  two  years  later  to  Auburn  and  then 
to  Beatrice,  where  she  still  takes  part  in  the 
affairs  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  enjoys 
social  life.  The  father  of  Mr.  Waite  was  a 
carpenter  and  wagonmaker,  carrying  on  these 
trades  in  Ohio  until  1862,  when  he  came  to 
Nemaha  County,  Nebraska,  and  bought  three 
quarter  sections  of  land  near  Brownsville.  In 
the  previous  year  he  had  made  a  prospecting 
trip  to  that  section  and  on  his  return  gave 
such  favorable  reports  that  about  fifty  other 
families  joined  him  in  1863.  They  all  came 
by  wagon  to  settle  on  the  beautiful  Nebraska 
prairie.  He  did  not  live  long  enough  after- 
ward to  reap  much  benefit  from  his  invest- 
ment as  his  death  occurred  as  above  stated, 
in  1868.  He  was  a  member  of  the  Presby- 
terian church.  In  the  light  of  recent  public 
events  Mr.  Waite  relates  that  three  times  his 
father  was  drafted  for  service  in  the  Civil 
War  and  three  times  he  provided  a  substitute. 
No  one  of  the  three  lived  to  return. 

William  B.  Waite  had  but  meager  educa- 
tional advantages  after  coming  to  Nebraska. 
He  assisted  his  father  and  later  worked  on 
his  mother's  farms  one  year  after  his  own 
marriage,  which  was  celebrated  December  17, 
1882,  to  Miss  Cora  Mclninch.  Her  parents 
were  Benjamin  F.  and  Eliza  (Kennery)  Mc- 
lninch, natives  of  Ohio  and  Missouri  respec- 
tively, who  came  early  to  Nemaha  County  and 
acquired  a  farm,  on  which  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Waite  still  lives.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Waite 
died  December  6,  1911,  at  that  time  being  a 
guard  at  Fort  Kearney.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Waite 
have  two  duaghters:  Opal,  the  wife  of  Dr. 
Marcus  Piersol,  in  Cairo,  and  Viva,  who 
teaches  school. 

After  marriage  Mr.  Waite  remained  to 
operate  his  mother's  land  until  1883.  In  the 
fall  of  that  year  with  his  fat  he  r:  in-law  he 
went  to  Custer  County  in  order  to  file  a  claim 
for  a  certain  tract  of  land,  but  when  they 
reached  Grand  Island  on  the  way  they  learned 
that  that  claim  had  been  taken.  With  the  idea 
of  securing  land  that  would  enable  him  to 
get  into  the  cattle  business,  Mr.  Wahe  went  on 
into  Hall  County  and  filed  on  section  S.  E. 
one-quarter,  Township  12-12  and  bought  280 
acres  of  railroad  land  on  section  15,  town- 
ship 12-12.  at  $4  an  acre.  At  that  time  he 
generally  made  the  trip  on  foot  but  early  in 
March  of  the  following  spring  he  began  to 
plan  to  occupy  his  land.  He  went  to  Grand 
Island  and  started  on  a  walk  he  yet  remembers. 
Through  eight  inches  of  snow  he  made  the 
Ernest  Ramsel  farm  where  he  remained  all 
night  and  the  next  day  went  on  to  his  new 
place  to  make  arrangements  with  J.  J.  Brewer 


to  break  his  land,  then  walked  back  through 
the  snow  as  far  as  the  Varney  farm  and  on  the 
next  day,  through  melting  snow  to  Aurora, 
where  he  found  he  had  worn  out  a  pair  of 
shoes.  In  August  of  that  year  he  constructed 
his  sod  house,  built  a  barn,  dug  a  well  and  had 
a  good  first  crop.  He  still  owns  the  home- 
stead he  filed  on  in  March,  1884,  which  was 
supposed  to  be  the  last  homestead  remaining 
in  Hall  County.  In  addition  to  his  1,180 
acres,  all  broke  and  fenced  and  the  most  of 
the  farms  improved  with  buildings,  Mr.  Waite 
owns  a  handsome  residence  in  Cairo.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  heavy  dealer  in 
cattle,  and  in  this  line  as  in  others  has  done 
well  through  hard  work  and  close  attention 
to  business. 

The  winter  of  1885-1886  was  particularly 
stormy  and  on  account  of  being  in  poor  health, 
Mrs.  Waite  made  a  visit  to  her  people  in 
Nemaha  County,  and  when  prepared  to  re- 
turn Mr.  Waite  drove  five  times  to  Grand 
Island  to  meet  her  only  to  find  that  the  heavy 
snow  had  prevented  her  reaching  there.  On 
the  day  she  did  come,  with  her  infant,  Mr. 
Waite  drove  twenty-two  miles  in  a  lumber 
wagon  through  twelve  inches  of  snow  with 
the  thermomenter  28  degrees  below  zero.  They 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  which  Mr  .Waite  helped  to  start  and 
he  also  assisted  the  United  Brethren  congrega- 
tion when  it  held  its  first  services  in  a  sod 
house.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican  and  has 
served  in  numerous  public  offices,  having  been 
road  overseer,  school  director  and  county  su- 
pervisor for  sevearl  years.  He  has  always 
taken  honest  interest  in  the  welfare  of  Hall 
County  and  has  encouraged  many  worthy  en- 
terprises here. 


ALBERT  D.  TRUMBULL,  whose  long 
continued,  faithful  and  effective  service  in  the 
ministry  of  the  Baptist  church,  entitles  him  to 
the  esteem  and  affection  in  which  he  is  held  in 
Cairo  and  in  other  sections,  came  first  to  Ne- 
braska in  1872  and  settled  in  Hamilton  County. 
He  has  been  a  resident  of  Cairo  since  the 
summer  of  1916,  a  moral  force  in  the  com- 
munity, and  is,  perhaps,  the  oldest  minister  in 
the  state,  both  in  age  and  years  of  ministerial 


Reverend  Trumbull  was  born  October  8, 
1838,  in  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Drayton  E. 
and  Sallie  A.  (Morey)  Trumbull,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  Connecticut  and  the 
latter  in  Massachusetts.  They  were  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  of  whom  Albert  D.  is 
the  only  survivor.     They  both  passed  away 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


when  about  seventy  years  old.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Trumbull  was  a  fanner  in  Ohio,  later  in 
Indiana  and  still  later  in  Michigan,  where  he 
died.  In  addition  to  farming  he  raised  fine 
Devonshire  cattle.  He  belonged  to  the  Masonic 
fraternity,  united  with  the  Republican  party 
after  its  formation,  and  both  parents  were 
members  of  the  Baptist  church. 

Albert  D.  Trumbull  attended  the  district 
schools  near  his  father's  farm  in  Indiana.  He 
was  thirteen  years  old  when  he  was  converted 
and  his  mind  was  turned  to  serious  subjects. 
He  never  had  an  opportunity  to  attend  a  the- 
ological seminary  but  devoted  all  his  spare  time 
to  the  study  of  religious  books  and  readily 
absorbed  their  teachings  and  was  yet  quite  a 
young  man  when  he  was  licensed  to  preach,  at 
Athens,  in  Marshall  County,  Michigan,  and 
afterward  was  ordained  at  Hesparia,  in 
Oceanic  County,  becoming  pastor  of  the  Bap- 
tist church  there.  He  continued  to  live  on 
the  home  farm  for  some  years,  his  health 
never  having  been  very  robust,  but  has  held 
many  pastorates  both  in  Michigan  and  Ne- 
braska. 

In  August,  1872,  Mr.  Trumbull  came  to  Ne. 
braska  and  took  up  a  homestead  in  Hamilton 
County,  near  what  is  the  present  site  of 
Phillips,  his  being  the  second  family  to  settle 
in  that  neighborhood.  He  lived  there  until  the 
fall  of  1875  when  he  was  called  to  the  pastor- 
ate of  the  Grand  Island  Baptist  church,  to 
which  city  he  then  removed,  selling  his  home- 
stead. In  the  fall  of  1874,  recognizing  the 
need  that  the  people  of  southwestern  Hamil- 
ton County  had  for  religious  privileges,  he 
went  there  and  made  preparations,  succeeded 
in  interesting  the  people  and  a  church  was 
organized  in  April,  1875,  under  the  name  of  the 
Salem  Baptist  church,  which  name  continues. 
He  served  that  congregation  as  well  as  the 
church  at  Grand  Island,  for  two  years  and 
then  returned  to  Michigan  for  a  year  When 
he  came  back  to  Nebraska  he  again  became 
pastor  of  the  Salem  church.  By  that  time  the 
B.  &  M.  Railroad  had  been  extended  through 
Hamilton  and  Clay  counties  and  a  new  town 
was  started  which,  by  request  of  the  people, 
was  named  Trumbull,  they  demanding  this 
honor  for  Mr.  Trumbull  because  of  his  fervent 
and  self-sacrificing  efforts  in  founding  the 
first  church  in  the  vicinity.  They  knew  that 
every  time  their  pastor  came  to  minister  to 
them,  he  had  to  walk  a  distance  of  twenty- 
four  miles,  twelve  there  and  twelve  back  to 
Grand  Island.  He  realized  how  hard  the  times 
were  for  the  people  and  while  traveling  as 
above  noted  and  preaching  twice  a  day  on  Sun- 
day, through  the  week  he  worked  at  manual 
labor  to  support  his  own  family. 


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Two  years  later  Mr.  Trumbull  removed  to 
a  location  near  the  present  site  of  Cairo  and 
organized  the  first  church  in  the  village  and 
also  organized  the  first  church  at  Bluff 
Center,  eight  miles  southwest  of  Cairo.  For 
several  years  longer  he  was  active  in  church 
work  here  but  his  health  failed  again  and  he 
went  to  California  to  recuperate,  living  there 
for  eighteen  months.  After  returning  to  Ne- 
braska he  preached  in  Madison,  Madison 
County;  in  Crab  Orchard,  Johnson  County, 
and  in  Filley  in  Gage  County.  Although,  for 
the  past  twenty-five  years  the  state  of  his 
health  has  prevented  his  accepting  pastorates, 
it  has  not  debarred  him  from  active  ministerial 
work,  and  even  yet  he  gladly  responds  when 
called  to  supply  or  to  assist  in  evangelical 
movements. 

On  October  8,  1861,  Mr.  Trumbull  married 
Miss  Nancy  Sands,  who  was  born  at  Kalama- 
zoo, Michigan,  and  died  at  Fremont,  Nebraska, 
in  January,  1916.  Two  children  were  bom 
to  them :  Albert  W.,  who  lives  at  Sioux  City, 
and  Drayton  E.,  a  resident  of  Omaha.  In 
July,  1916,  Mr.  Trumbull's  second  marriage 
was  celebrated  when  Mrs.  Eva  ( Stanley) 
Brundage  became  his  wife.  She  was  the  widow 
of  R.  D.  Brundage,  to  whom  she  had  been 
married  March  15,  1879,  and  they  had  come 
to  Hall  County  shortly  afterward,  homesteaded 
and  remained  here.  Mr.  Brundage  was  a  well 
known  and  highly  respected  citizen  and  sub- 
stantial farmer.  Did  space  permit,  it  would 
be  interesting  to  go  into  details  concerning  the 
many  Christian  enterprises  with  which  Mr. 
Trumbull  has  been  connected  in  the  exercise  of 
noble  virtues  for  the  welfare  of  his  fellowmen. 


WILLIAM  STOLLEY.  —  No  man  ever 
lived  in  Hall  County  whose  name  was  more 
closely  connected  with  the  early  history  of  it= 
settlement,  and  no  man  wielded  a  greater  influ- 
ence in  the  growth  and  development  of  the 
county  than  the  gentleman  whose  name  in- 
troduces this  biography,  who  at  the  time  ol 
his  death,  May  17,  1911,  had  been  a  resident 
of  this  community  for  nearly  fifty-four  years. 

William  Stolley  was  bom  at  Warder,  Ger- 
many, April  6,  1831.  His  father,  Frederick 
Stolley,  was  a  noted  teacher  in  the  duchy  ot 
Holstein,  and  his  mother,  Abel  Stuhr  Stolley, 
was  descended  from  a  family  of  considerable 
wealth.  William  Stolley  reveived  his  early 
education  in  his  father's  school,  which,  though 
only  a  common  school,  was  considered  of  high 
grade  in  those  days.  At  the  age  of  sixteen  he 
ceased  attendance  at  this  institution  and  took 
special  instruction  from  his  father,  at  the  same 
time   taking   regular   lessons    in   the   cabinet 


VtOs*. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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making  business.  He  acquired  sufficient 
knowledge  to  construct  waterproof  boxes  for 
the  shipment  of  specimens  of  natural  history. 
His  brother  George  was  a  naturalist  and  it 
was  the  intention  of  William  to  study  and 
travel  with  his  brother,  who  had  assurances 
of  aid  from  the  government  for  his  explora- 
tions. In  March,  1848,  however,  the  duchies 
of  Schleswig  and  Holstein  rose  in  revolt 
against  Danish  misrule,  and  William  Stolley 
in  company  with  his  brother,  enlisted  in  the 
service  of  his  country.  Both  were  enrolled 
as  sharpshooters,  though  William  was  not  then 
seventeen  years  old.  He  saw  service  immed- 
iately after  enlistment,  and  remained  in  the 
company  until  his  term  of  enlistment  expired. 
He  did  not  enlist  in  the  regular  army,  however, 
but  with  his  three  older  brothers  made  ready 
to>emigrate  to  the  United  States.  His  young- 
est brother,  August,  remained  at  home  to  care 
for  the  aged  parents  who  died  a  few  years 
later.  His  brother  afterwards  gained  the  very 
highest  position  as  a  teacher,  winning  a 
national  reputation.  On  April  9,  1849,  Mr. 
Stolley  sailed  from  the  harbor  of  Hamburg, 
under  the  Russian  flag  for  the  port  of  New 
Orleans.  After  an  exciting  voyage,  the  vessel 
having  been  pursued  from  the  outset  by 
Danish  war  ships,  and  later  beaten  back  by 
storms,  he  landed  at  the  mouth  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi River  eight  weeks  after  the  date  of 
his  departure.  Cholera  was  raging  in  New 
Orleans  upon  the  arrival  of  the  vessel,  and 
the  dread  scourge  attacked  the  little  colony. 
Before  they  reached  St.  Louis  thirty-one  of 
the  healthy  and  nearly  all  of  the  young  pas- 
sengers had  died  of  the  disease.  During  that 
voyage  the  future  Mrs.  Stolley  who  was  then 
a  child  of  twelve  years,  lost  her  mother,  one 
brother  and  one  sister.  The  party  took 
steamer  from  St.  Louis  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
and  they  arrived  there  almost  disheartened. 
Here  Mt.  Stolley's  knowledge  of  cabinet  mak- 
ing stood  him  in  good  stead,  and  by  such 
work  he  earned  his  first  dollar  in  America. 
His  inclination  for  natural  history,  however, 
caused  him  to  take  up  that  work  for  a  time, 
and  in  company  with  his  brother  George  he 
traveled  for  three  years  in  the  states  of  Iowa, 
Illinois,  Missouri,  Arkansas  and  Tennessee 
collecting  and  preparing  specimens  for  Pro- 
fessor Agassiz.  The  collections  were  sent  to 
museums,  in  Germany  principally,  though 
some  were  sent  to  London  and  Paris.  Feeling 
that  he  could  never  make  a  success  at  this 
work,  owing  to  his  lack  of  sufficient  education, 
he  returned  to  Davenport  and  became  a  sales- 
man for  a  large  lumber  concern.  Later  he 
was  employed  in  a  general  mercantile  store 


and  was  finally  taken  in  as  a  partner,  the 
firm  being  Hagge  &  Stolley.  The  concern  had 
the  largest  and  best  trade  in  Davenport,  and 
was  very  successful  for  a  time,  but  on  ac- 
count of  the  financial  crisis  of  1857  was 
forced  to  assign.  Though  much  money  was 
owing  them,  they  were  unable  to  collect  the 
larger  part  of  it,  and  Mr.  Stolley  was  thus 
placed  under  a  debt  of  ten  thousand  dollars, 
which  he  afterwards  spent  ten  years  of  hard 
labor,  privation  and  self-denial  to  liquidate, 
That  year  a  party  consisting  of  congressmen 
and  bankers  in  Washington,  D.  C,  decided  to 
form  a  colony  along  the  Platte  valley  some- 
where in  Nebraska.  This  plan  was  carried 
out,  and  Mr.  Stolley  became  sole  organizer 
of  the  colony,  taking  an  active  part  in  looking 
after  the  welfare  of  the  little  band  which 
settled  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  of  Grand 
Island.  The  capitalists  who  were  the  promot- 
ers of  the  colony,  under  the  lead  of  a  Mr. 
Barrows,  furnished  si*  thousand  dollars  for 
the  support  of  the  colonists  until  they  could 
raise  a  crop  and  establish  themselves  in  bus- 
iness. This  money  was  to  be  repaid  to  the 
company,  each  man  of  the  colony  agreeing 
to  pay  his  share.  The  terms  of  the  contract 
did  not  provide  any  money  for  clothing,  and 
when  winter  set  in  great  suffering  threatened 
the  little  band  unless  they  could  receive  aid. 
A  delegate,  Fred  Hedde,  was  therefore  sent 
to  Mr.  Barrows  to  secure  from  him  five  hun- 
dred dollars  additional  to  be  used  in  the  pur- 
chase of  clothing  and  blankets.  The  request 
was  refused,  but  upon  Mr.  Stolley's  agreeing 
to  become  personally  responsible  for  the 
amount,  Mr.  Barrows  drew  his  personal  check 
for  five  hundred  dollars,  and  the  colony  was 
provided  with  warm  clothing  for  the  winter. 
Mr.  Stolley  was  afterwards  released  from  this 
obligation,  the  company  losing  the  whole  sum 
which  they  had  advanced,  six  thousand  five 
hundred  dollars,  only  three  men  paying  their 
obligation.  In  1857  Mr.  Stolley  took  one 
hundred  sixty  acres  as  a  squatter's  claim  in 
the  vicinity,  of  Grand  Island,  and  later  pre- 
empted it,  which  was  the  first  claim  entered 
in  Hall  County.  Here  he  shared  in  all  the 
hardships  and  privations  incident  to  the  early 
days  and  by  perseverance  and  the  exercise 
of  good  judgment  became  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  county.  During  the  grass- 
hopper scourge  of  1874,  he  was  delegated  to 
go  to  Washington  to  seek  aid  for  the  suffering 
and  succeeded  in  securing  one  hundred  fifty 
thousand  dollars  for  the  relief  of  the  people 
of  this  section  of  Nebraska.  Through  per- 
sonal appeal  to  Mr.  Jay  Gould  he  secured  free 
transportation  over  the  railroads  for  the  ship- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  725b 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Adah  Wiwdolph 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ment  of  all  goods  sent  to  Nebraska.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stolley  were  teachers 
in  the  old  country,  and  realizing  the  experi- 
ences they  had,  led  Mr.  Stolley  to  take  great 
interest  in  the  public  school  system  of  the 
county.  He  helped  to  organize  school  district 
No.  1  and  served  as  a  director  for  forty  years. 
He  travelled  all  over  the  state  organizing  the 
State  Grange  and  became  master  of  the  same. 
He  always  advocated  the  planting  of  trees 
and  had  much  to  do  with  the  furthering  of 
arboriculture  in  the  state.  In  former  years  he 
distributed  vast  numbers  of  seedling  trees  best 
adapted  to  the  soil  and  climate  of  Nebraska, 
and  they  now  present  themselves  in  little 
groves,  dotting  the  once  barren  and  treeless 
plains.  The  beautiful  orchard  and  shade  trees 
on  his  own  farm  are  the  result  of  years  of 
patient  labor  in  planting  and  caring  for  the 
same  by  himself  and  his  sons.  The  first  Eng- 
lish sparrows  in  this  section  were  twenty-five 
Mr.  Stolley  carried  from  New  York  City  to 
his  farm.  He  was  a  lover  of  bees  and  had  as 
many  as  sixty  stands  at  one  time.  The  cannon 
now  in  the  court  house  grounds  was  donated 
by  Mr.  Stolley,  who  secured  it  through  a  noted 
general  in  recognition  of  the  excellence  of  old 
Fort  Independence,  which  was  located  on  Mr. 
Stolley's1  farm. 

July  15,  1856,  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  Mr. 
Stolley  married  Miss  Wilhelmina  Fredericka 
Hagge,  who  was  born  in  the  same  province  as 
her  husband,  April  21,  1837,  and  came  to 
America  on  the  same  vessel  that  brought  her 
future  husband  to  America.  They  became 
the  parents  of  ten  children :  Frederick,  a  suc- 
cessful farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall  County ; 
Anna,  is  the  wife  of  Emil  Leonardt,  residents 
of  Cuero,  Texas;  Minnie,  is  the  wife  of  Oscar 
Roeser,  of  Grand  Island;  William,  is  a  res- 
ident of  Dowagiac,  Michigan;  Emil,  is  en- 
gaged in  farming  in  Hall  County;  Auguste 
and  Richard,  are  deceased;  Clara  and  Ottilie, 
are  unmarried  and  reside  with  their  mother, 
and  Olga,  the  wife  of  J.  C.  Palmer  of  Grand 
Island. 

This  pioneer  family  were  here  at  a  time 
when  the  older  children  had  for  their  play- 
mates the  Indians.  William  Stolley  was 
always  on  friendly  terms  with  the  red  man 
and  learned  to  speak  their  langauge  quite 
fluently,  and  in  a  history  of  Hall  County  which 
he  wrote  in  1907,  will  be  found  many  Indian 
names  which  he  translated  into  the  English 
language. 

Of  the  noble  men  of  Hall  County  who  have 
passed  to  their  reward,  who  made  sacrifices 
and  did  deeds  to  make  the  county  a  better 
place  in  which  to  live  than  when  they  found  it, 


no  name  stands  out  more  distinctly  than  that 
of  William  Stolley.  And  while  we  are  paying 
tribute  to  him  we  must  not  forget  the  partner 
of  his  life's  joys  and  sorrows,  who,  if  her 
life  be  spared  till  September,  1919,  will  have 
lived  in  Hall  County  more  than  half  a  century. 
We  take  pleasure  in  presenting  the  life  record 
of  such  noble  men  and  women  and  trust  their 
life  record  will  serve  as  an  inspiration  to 
future  generations. 


GEORGE  ALEXANDER  DOVE,  engaged 
in  the  mercantile  business  in  Cairo,  has  made 
his  home  in  Nebraska  for  many  years,  always 
finding  here  many  of  the  good  things  of  life, 
and  in  the  main,  intelligent,  prosperous  and 
centented  people  as  associate  citizens. 

George  A.  Dove  was  born  in  Allen  County, 
Ohio,  May  8,  1856.  His  parents  were  Reuben 
and  Elmira  (Creps)  Dove.  The  father  was 
born  in  Virginia  and  remained  there  until 
eighteen  years  of  age,  when  he  went  to  Ohio, 
engaged  there  in  farming  and  stockraising,  and 
died  there  in  1861.  Although  not  able  to 
enter  the  Union  army  at  the  outbreak  of  the 
Civil  War,  he  was  so  patriotically  active  in 
soliciting  volunteers,  that  he  brought  on  an 
illiness  that  terminated  fatally.  He  was  an 
ardent  Republican,  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  belonged  to 
the  order  of  Odd  Fellows.  The  mother  of 
George  A.  Dove  was  bom  in  Ohio  and  died 
there  in  1892.  Of  the  family  of  four  children, 
George  A.  is  one  of  the  two  survivors,  the 
other  being  Mrs.  Inez  Brown,  who  lives  in 
Ohio. 

George  A.  Dove  had  educational  advantages, 
first  in  the  excellent  schools  of  Westminster, 
Ohio,  and  later  in  a  college  in  Adrian,  Michi- 
gan. The  death  of  his  father  placed  responsi- 
bilities on  him  very  early,  and  he  was  only  six. 
teen  years  old  when  he  began  farming  for 
himself.  He  remained  in  Ohio  until  the  fall 
of  1879,  when  he  removed  to  De  Witt  County, 
Illinois,  where  he  resumed  agricultural  pursuits 
and  continued  until  the  fall  of  1889,  when  he 
came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  to  buy  land, 
and  since  that  time  this  state  has  been  his 
preferred  home.  In  the  spring  of  1908  he 
went  to  Morrill  County,  where  he  invested  in 
land,  which  he  still  owns,  and  remained  on  the 
same  until  1916,  when  he  came  to  Cairo.  Here 
he  embarked  in  a  general  mercantile  business 
and  has  built  up  a  trade  that  is  entirely  satis- 
factory, keeping  his  unusually  varied  stock 
attractively  arranged  and  selling  it  according 
to  honorable  business  methods. 

On  September  1,  1880,  Mr.  Dove  united  in 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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marriage  with  Miss  Callie  Slick,  the  only 
seurviving  child  of  Thomas  H.  and  Hannah 
(Monnett)  Slick.  Mrs.  Dove  had  one  sister, 
Minnie.  Both  parents  of  Mrs.  Dove  were  born 
and  reared  in  Ohio.  Her  father  was  a  farmer, 
a  merchant,  a  banker,  and  was  quite  promi- 
nent in  Republican  politics  in  his  locality.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Dove  have  the  following  children : 
Laura,  the  wife  of  Howard  Hulett;  Walter 
V.,  married  Anna  Scanlon ;  Claude  H.,  married 
Catherine  Stahl;  Cassius  N,  married  Esther 
Glau;  and  Earl  W.,  resides  with  his  par- 
ents. Mr.  Dove  has  always  been  in  sym- 
pathy politically  with  the  Republican  party  but 
has  never  desired  to  accept  official  responsibili- 
ties, although  at  all  times  being  ready  to  co- 
operate with  his  fellow  citizens  in  matters  of 
public  moment.  He  is  conscientious  in  his 
support  of  worthy  charities.  He  and  his  fam- 
ily belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


RUDOLPH  GUHL,  one  of  Grand  Island's 
well  known  and  highly  respected  retired  busi- 
ness men,  has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  for 
thirty-six  years  and  knows  its  history  by  heart. 
In  a  business  way  he  has  been  intimately  asso- 
ciated with  its  best  citizenship  and  on  friendly 
terms  with  its  most  distinguished  men.  His 
reminiscences  of  earlier  people  and  events  are 
authentic   and   interesting. 

Rudolph  Guhl  was  born  October  25,  1847, 
near  Luet  Kenwisch,  Wittenberg,  Germany. 
His  parents  were  John  J.  and  Elsabe  (Sten- 
del)  Guhl,  the  father  a  native  of  Germany 
and  the  mother  of  France.  The  father's  busi- 
ness was  fanning  but  undoubtedly  he  was  a 
man  of  superiority  because  he  served  as  mayor 
of  his  city  for  forty  years,  and  had  other 
official  duties.  Both  parents  died  in  Germany. 
Of  their  three  children,  William  died  in  Ger- 
many; Mrs.  Wilhelmina  Heinrich  still  lives 
in  Germany,  while  Rudolph  resides  in  Grand 
Island.  He  attended  school  in  Germany  be- 
fore coming  to  the  United  States  in  1864, 
landing  on  June  24.  The  following  five  years 
he  lived  with  his  brother-in-law,  at  Cincinnati, 
Ohio,  working  as  a  cigarmaker  and  barber. 
In  1883  he  came  to  Grand  Island,  and  for 
fifteen  years'was  employed  by  John  Zink,  then 
embarked  in  business  for  himself,  which  he 
conducted  until   1918,  when  he  retired. 

In  Toledo,  Ohio,  October  1,  1872,  Mr.  Guhl 
married  Miss  Ottelia  Linenfelzer,  born  April 
6,  1855,  at  Oesteringen,  Baden,  Germany. 
Her  parents  were  Pius  and  Paulina  (Milch) 
Linenfelzer,  who  settled  in  Monroe  County, 
Michigan,  after  coming  to  the  United  States. 
Six  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guhl: 


Annie,  the  wife  of  Horace  Jones,  of  Omaha; 
Louisa,  the  wife  of  Wallace  Quest,  of  Upton, 
New  York ;  Arthur,  who  resides  with  his  fam- 
ily in  Toledo,  Ohio ;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Otis 
B.  Mills,  of  South  Dakota ;  William,  living  at 
Horton,  Kansas,  married  Emma  Hohenstine; 
and  Ellen,  the  wife  of  George  Gaver,  lives  at 
home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Guhl  are  active  members 
of  the  English  Lutheran  church  in  Grand  Is- 
land, and  Mrs.  Guhl  is  a  member  of  the  De- 
gree of  Honor  lodge.  In  politics  Mr.  Guhl 
is  a  Republican. 


FRANK  EUGENE  BLAUVELT.  —  Per- 
haps no  family  at  Cairo  is  better  known  in 
business  circles  or  more  highly  respected  than 
the  Blauvehs,  who  are  substantial  people  here. 
The  head  of  the  family,  Frank  E.  Blauvelt, 
is  prospering  as  a  producing  merchant,  while 
Mrs.  Blauvelt  and  their  competent  daughters, 
own  and  operate  a  first  class  restaurant  and 
confectionery  store.  Mr.  Blauvelt  has  spent 
almost,  his  entire  life  in  Nebraska. 

Frank  Eugene  Blauvelt  was  born  in  Jones 
■County,  Iowa,  April,  15,  1871.  His  parents 
were  Elijah  S.  and  Elizabeth  (Horton)  Blau- 
velt, natives  of  New  York,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased,  the  father  died  in  Nuckolls  County, 
Nebraska,  February  11,  1902,  and  the  mother 
at  Hardy,  Nebraska,  September  1,  1898.  They 
had  eight  children  and  of  the  six  surviving 
Frank  E.  is  the  only  one  living  in  Hall  County. 
The  parents  were  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  The  father  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  his  political  opinions.  By  trade  he  was 
a  bricklayer.  Before  moving  to  Iowa  he  served 
three  years  in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil 
War.  Although  he  was  never  wounded  or 
taken  prisoner,  he  had  many  thrilling  escapes. 
On  one  occasion  while  driving  an  army  am- 
bulance, he  was  closely  pursued  for  twelve 
miles  by  a  guerilla  band,  and  when  he  at  last 
reached  safety  at  Murfreesboro,  Tennessee, 
three  of  his  four  horses  fell  dead.  In  1873 
Elijah  S.  Blauvelt  came  to  Nebraska,  home- 
steaded  and  secured  a  tree  claim  in  Franklin 
County,  living  on  his  320  acres  for  six  years. 
After  one  year  he  engaged  in  work  at  his  trade, 
in  Blommington,  then  moved  to  Nuckolls 
County,  where,  during  the  rest  of  his  life  he 
was  engaged  mainly  in  brick  mason  work  and 
farming. 

Frank  E.  Blauvelt  was  nine  years  old  when 
his  parents  moved  to  Nuckolls  County,  where 
he  later  had  common  school  advantages.  He 
remembers  very  well  the  wild  conditions  that 
prevailed  in  those  early  days  there,  and  relates 
many  exceedingly  interesting  occurrences.   In- 


728 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


dians  were  very  often  seen  and  deer  and 
huffalo  were  so  numerous  that  Mr.  Blauvelt, 
in  describing  the  droves  of  deer,  can  think  of 
nothing  better  to  compare  them  to,  as  they 
rushed  over  the  prairies,  than  the  rough  waves 
of  a  great  sea.  Sometimes  these  wild 
creatures,  both  antelope  and  buffalo,  would 
seemingly  try  to  escape  from  civilized 
surroundings,  but  occasionally  they  would  be 
tempted  into  some  settler's  barnyard  and 
trouble  would  inevitably  ensue.  Mr.  Blauvelt 
recalls  an  occasion  when  he  was  young,  when 
his  father  had  gone  to  town,  a  distance  away, 
for  provisions,  his  mother  being  left  with  the 
task  of  doing  the  evening  "chores."  When  she 
went  about  these  duties  she  found  a  buffalo 
among  the  herd  of  domestic  catttle.  As  soon 
as  she  advanced  the  wild  animal  would  threat- 
en her  and  finally  she  used  the  usual  distress 
signal  to  her  neighbors,  running  up  a  white 
flag.  This  brought  speedy  assistance  and  the 
buffalo  was  killed. 

After  Mr.  Blauvelt  left  the  farm  he  went 
to  Custer  County  to  engage  in  the  harness  and 
saddlery  business  at  Callaway,  continuing  there 
until  1916,  when  he  came  to  Cairo.  He  recog- 
nized this  a  promising  business  point,  estab- 
lishing a  produce  line,  in  which  he  has  greatly 
prospered,  at  present  doing  a  $15,000  annual 
business. 

On  December  24,  1895,  Mr.  Blauvelt  united 
in  marriage  Miss  Marie  A.  Minnich,  in  Tren- 
ton, Missouri.  Her  parents,  Henry  and 
Margaret  (Eakin)  Minnich,  settled  in  Nuck- 
olls County,  Nebraska,  in  1878  and  bought 
school  land.  In  1895  they  moved  to  Missouri 
but  two  years  later  returned  to  Nuckolls 
County,  where  the  father  died  in  1899,  and  the 
mother  at  Casper,  Wyoming,  in  1918.  Of  their 
six  children,  Mrs.  Blauvelt  is  the  only  one  liv- 
ing in  Hall  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Blauvelt 
have  the  following  children:  Ercel  M.,  Sybil, 
Thelma,  Nyleptha,  Zane  and  Daphne,  all  of 
the  daughters  residing  at  home.  The  only 
son,  Ercel  M.,  who  did  a  hero's  part  as  a 
member  of  the  American  Expeditionary  Force 
in  France,  has  recently  returned  to  his  native 
land  and  is  under  treatment  in  an  army  hos- 
pital in  Virginia.  The  family  attend  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church. 


EDWARD  DODD,  M.  D.  — Although  Dr. 
Dodd  has  been  a  resident  of  Cairo  only  a 
short  time,  he  has  already  gained  the  con- 
fidence and  esteem  of  the  community  through 
personal  characteristics  as  well  as  professional 
ability,  and  the  hope  is  openly  expressed  that 
this  little  city  will  be  his  permanent  home. 


Dr.  Dodd  came  here  in  1918  with  years  of  pro- 
fessional experience  back  of  him,  having  spent 
fifteen  in  active  practice  in  other  sections  of 
Nebraska. 

Edward  Dodd  was  bom  in  Appanoose 
County,  Iowa,  August  8,  1878,  the  second  born 
•  in  a  family  of  six  children.  His  parents  were 
William  L.  and  Eda  (Hinkle)  Dodd,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Iowa,  where  the  father 
of  Dr.  Dodd  was  a  farmer  until  1905,  when  he 
removed  to  White  Tail,  Montana,  and  there 
he  engaged  in  ranching  until  his  death,  in 
1915.  He  was  a  man  of  sturdy  character,  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  a  member  of  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  With  his  wife  he  be- 
longed to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 
She  still  resides  in  Montana.  They  had  the 
following  children:  Amy  L.,  the  wife  of 
F.  E.  Porter,  of  Putnam  County,  Missouri; 
Edward,  a  resident  of  Cairo;  Luther,  who 
resides  with  his  mother;  Orpha  G.,  deceased, 
and  Elmer  and  Eva,  twins,  who  reside  at 
home. 

Edward  Dodd  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Centerville,  Iowa,  and  after  completing 
his  high  school  course,  became  a  student  of 
medicine  in  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  subsequently 
was  graduated  from  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons  in  that  city.  During  his  college 
course  he  had  the  great  advantage  of  being 
under  the  immediate  teaching  of  the  cele- 
brated Dr.  C.  E.  Ruth,  for  one  year  being  his 
assistant  in  anaesthesia,  and  for  another  year 
being  his  surgical  assistant.  For  three  years 
Dr.  Dodd  engaged  in  practice  as  a  member  of 
the  staff  of  St.  Joseph's  Hospital,  Keokuk, 
being  an  instructor  for  one  year  in  the  nurses* 
training    school    as    lecturer    on    sanitation, 

fynecology  and  obstetrics.  After  leaving 
leokuk  Dr.  Dodd  practiced  his  profession  in 
Nebraska  from  1903  until  August,  1918,  when 
he  located  at  Cairo.  For  one  year  he  served 
as  chairman  of  the  Howard  County  Medical 
Society,  and  for  seven  years  he  was  district 
surgeon  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad.  In 
addition  to  a  general  medical  and  surgical 
practice.  Dr.  Dodd  is  an  experienced  optician. 
Dr.  Dodd  married  June  27,  1906,  Miss  Mary 
Rae  Jones,  a  daughter  of  Charles  W.  and 
Elizabeth  (Irion)  Jones,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Northampton,  England,  and  the 
latter  near  Princeton,  Illinois.  They  are 
people  of  prominence  in  Knox  County,  Ne- 
braska. Dr.  and  Mrs.  Dodd  have  three  chil- 
dren: Phyllis  W.,  Donald  F.,  and  Daniel  E. 
Dr.  Dodd  has  been  active  in  all  patriotic  move- 
ments during  the  past  few  years  and  in  1917 
he  volunteered  for  the  World  War  in  his  pro- 
fessional capacity,  but  was  not  accepted  for 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Edward  Dodd,  M.D. 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


730 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


active  service  because  of  physical  disability. 
In  no  sense  a  politician,  nevertheless  he  keeps 
thoroughly  abreast  of  the  times  in  public 
affairs  and  has  the  courage  of  his  convicitions. 


WILLIAM  STOEGER,  a  well  known  and 
most  highly  respected  citizen  of  Cairo,  is  also 
one  of  Hall  County's  heaviest  land  owners, 
and  individually  with  his  brothers  he  has  valu- 
able holdings  in  other  sections.  He  has  built 
up  his  ample  fortune  through  farming  and 
stockraising. 

William  Stoeger  was  born  March  30,  1860, 
in  Hendricks  County,  Indiana,  the  third  mem- 
ber of  a  family  of  eight  children  born  to  his 
parents,  John  and  Mary  (Billmeyer)  Stoeger, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Germany  and 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1854  and  1852 
respectively.  At  the  time  of  their  marriage, 
the  mother  of  Mr.  Stoeger  was  the  widow 
Kemptar  with  two  sons,  Lawrence  and  Charles, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased.  To  her  second 
marriage,  to  John  Stoeger,  besides  William 
the  following  children  were  born :  Philip,  who 
lives  near  Cairo,  Nebraska;  John  who  lives 
near  St.  Michael,  Nebraska;  Mary,  who  is 
deceased ;  Elizabeth  who  is  deceased ;  Frank, 
who  is  deceased ;  Henry,  who  formerly  lived  on 
the  timber  claim  his  father  bought  in  Hall 
County,  now  a  resident  of  Cairo ;  and  Adam, 
who  lives  at  St.  Michael.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  a  remarkable  woman  in  many  ways. 
She  survived  her  husband  and  three  children 
and  at  the  time  of  her  death  on  September  22, 
1918,  lacked  but  one  month  and  eight  days 
of  being  ninety-three  three  years  of  age.  To 
the  very  last  she  retained  her  mental  faculties 
and  physically  was  more  active  than  many 
whe  were  much  younger. 

John  Stoeger,  father  of  William,  was  a 
tanner  by  trade  and  he  followed  this  work  in 
Terre  Haute,  Indiana,  from  1854  until  1862, 
when  he  removed  to  Crawford  County,  Illinois, 
and  for  the  next  ten  years  engaged  there  in 
the  same  business.  In  1872  this  businss,  as 
a  private  enterprise,  had  become  less  profit- 
able and  he  sold  out  and  moved  to  near 
Russellville,  Illinois,  where  he  engaged  in 
farming  and  raising  stock  until  the  summer 
of  1879.  In  the  meanwhile  the  second  son, 
John,  and  the  second  daughter,  Elizabeth,  had 
developed  signs  of  ill  health  that  the  anxious 
parents  believed  a  change  of  climate  would  dis- 
sipate and  that  was  the  reason  that  the  farm 
and  stock  were  sold  in  Illinois  and  the  family 
started  on  the  long  overland  journey  to  Ne- 
braska. Before  they  reached  there,  however, 
Elizabeth  died.     When  Mr.  Stoeger  came  to 


Hall  County  he  bought  a  timber  claim  of  John 
L.  Means,  which  adjoins  the  town  site  of 
Cairo.  In  the  spring  of  1892  he  sold  his 
homestead  and  timber  claims  to  his  sons  and 
moved  then  into  Cairo  and  lived  retired  until 
his  death,  which  occurred  February  22,  1906. 
He  was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  honest 
and  upright  in  all  his  dealings  and  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Evangelical  church.  His  wife 
belonged  to  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and  frequently  was 
elected  to  township  offices. 

William  Stoeger  obtained  his  education  in 
Illinois  and  worked  for  his  father  until  he 
was  twenty  years  old  and  afterward  up  to 
the  summer  of  1882,  on  other  farms,  the 
general  wage  being  $17  a  month.  In  the  spring 
of  1883,  in  partnership  with  his  brother  John, 
he  bought  a  flock  of  sheep  and  the  partner- 
ship in  sheep  raising  and  farming  continued 
for  four  years  and  then  was  dissolved,  William 
continuing  alone  as  a  farmer  until  1892  when 
the  four  brothers  in  partnership  bought  the 
father's  land,  he  having  acquired  and  improved 
a  large  acreage,  and  they  carried  on  farming 
and  ranching  together  until  1900,  when  two  of 
the  brothers  withdrew.  The  other  two,  one 
of  whom  was  William,  continued  until  1906, 
when  the  property  was  all  divided.  William 
then  carried  on  his  ranch  interests  alone  for  a 
number  of  years,  selling  the  last  of  his  horses 
in  the  fall  of  1918,  when  he  rented  the  ranch 
and  retired  to  Cairo.  He  owns  more  than 
2,000  acres  of  land  and  the  Stoeger  brothers 
together  own  several  thousand  more  acres  in 
the  state.  Additionally,  Mr.  Stoeger  owns 
land  and  town  property  in  Texas;  he  is  a 
stockholder  in  the  Ravenna  (Nebraska)  State 
Bank,  and  is  on  the  directing  board  of  the 
Cairo  State  Bank. 

On  November  14,  1898,  Mr.  Stoeger  mar- 
ried in  Cairo,  Miss  Mary  Feldmayer,  daughter 
of  William  and  Anna  (Lepold)  Feldmayer, 
who  were  pioneers  in  Buffalo  County,  Ne- 
braska, in  1882,  and  died  on  their  farm  in 
Garfield  township.  Mr.  Stoeger  is  a  prominent 
Democrat  and  served  two  terms  as  assessor 
of  South  Loup  township  and  for  the  past  ten 
years  has  been  supervisor.  He  is  a  past  grand 
in  the  Cairo  lodge  of  Odd  Fellows.  He  has 
had  many  ranching  experiences  and  lost  many 
cattle  in  the  great  storm  that  came  upon  this 
section  in  January,  1888. 


EDWARD  H.  BAKER,  engaged  in  the  con- 
crete construction  business  in  Grand  Island, 
belongs  to  an  old  Nebraska  family  and  was 
born  at  Columbus,  Nebraska,  July  28,  1875. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


731 


His  parents  were  Edward  H.  and  Zilda  (Seni- 
cal)  Baker,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  at 
White  Pigeon,  Michigan,  and  the  latter  in 
Montreal,  Canada. 

The  earliest  member  of  the  Baker  family 
in  Nebraska,  was  an  uncle  of  Edward  H. 
Baker  of  Grand  Island,  who  settled  on  Silver 
Creek  in  1858,  when  his  nearest  neighbor  was 
seventeen  miles  away.  Mr.  Baker's  father 
came  to  Platte  County,  Nebraska,  in  1866,  but 
his  mother  had  located  in  the  city  of  Omaha 
in  1853.  She  died  November  16,  1906.  Prior 
to  the  Civil  War,  the  elder  Edward  H.  Baker 
lived  in  St.  Joseph  County,  Michigan.  He 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  August  30,  1862, 
at  Freeport,  Illinois,  and  served  three  years, 
being  mustered  out  as  corporal  of  his  company, 
June  19,  1865.  His  company,  locally  known 
as  "Young's  Lions,"  was  detailed  when  the 
war  closed  for  such  important  work  as  taking 
charge  of  supplies  and  of  Confederate  paroled 
prisoners.  When  he  came  to  Platte  County 
in  the  following  year,  he  homesteaded  and 
lived  on  his  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  until 
June  18,  1887,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County, 
which  remained  his  home  until  his  death  which 
occurred  February  27,  1916.  For  the  last 
eleven  years  of  his  life  he  had  been  engineer 
tor  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors  Home.  In  politics 
he  was  a  Republican,  and  both  he  and  his  wife 
were  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  Of  their 
seven  children,  six  are  living.  Edward'  H.  is 
the  youngest.  The  others  are :  Mrs.  R.  G. 
Isdell,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island;  Alfred  J-, 
who  resides  in  Grand  Island,  is  agent  for  the 
American  Beet  Sugar  Company;  Mrs.  Frank 
Smock,  of  Colorado  Springs ;  Mrs.  A.  J. 
Knipe,  who  lives  at  Seattle,  Washington ;  and 
Ray  R.,  with  a  medical  unit  in  the  American 
army  in  France. 

Edward  H.  Baker  attended  the  public 
schools  of  Grand  Island.  Upon  finishing  his 
education  he  started  to  work  in  a  concrete 
construction  business.  After  nine  years  in  the 
employ  of  others,  Mr.  Baker  established  a  con- 
cern of  his  own  in  1905,  and  has  done  well, 
usually  keeping  six  men  employed.  He  has 
built  up  a  trustworthy  reputation  that  extends 
all  over  Hall  County. 

At  Wood  River,  Nebraska,  December  7, 
1904,  Mr.  Baker  married  Miss  Mary  J.  Nelson, 
a  daughter  of  Sylvester  and  Amanda  J. 
(Hargis)  Nelson,  who  came  to  Hall  County 
in  1887  and  lived  in  Wood  River.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Nelson  have  five  children ;  Mrs.  Bert 
Miller*,  who  lives  at  Elm  Creek ;  Mary  J.,  who 
is  Mrs.  Baker;  Olivene,  wife  of  J.  Ven 
Roberts  of  Florida ;  Oscar  E.,  a  soldier  in 
France,    a    member    of    Company    C,    318 


Engineers,  Sixth  division;  and  Elmer  S., 
who  lives  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Baker  have  an  adopted  daughter,  Helene 
E.,  who  was  born  February  23,  1917.  Mrs. 
Baker  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
In  politics  Mr.  Baker  is  a  Republican  and 
keeps  well  informed  on  public  matters  as  he 
is  justified  in  doing,  but  he  has  accepted  no 
public  office  except  membership  on  the  city 
school  board.  He  belongs  to  the  Masonic  fra- 
ternity and  belongs  also  to  the  Elks  and  the 
Odd  Fellows,  in  the  latter  organization  having 
passed  all  the  offices  in  the  local  lodge.  Mr. 
Baker  is  held  to  be  one  of  the  sound,  dependa- 
ble business  men  of  Grand  Island. 


VIRGIL  R.  EVERHART.— To  assemble 
together  iron,  copper,  brass,  aluminum,  rubber 
and  wood  and  make  that  necessity  of  modem 
life,  the  automobile,  was  a  great  achievement, 
and  yet,  without  proper  care  and  repair,  this 
great  triumph  of  mechanism  would  be  prac- 
tically useless.  To  give  this  scientific  care  and 
to  have  at  hand  proper  accessories,  many 
young  men  have  entered  this  line  of  business, 
finding  it  exceedingly  profitable.  At  Grand 
Island,  Virgil  R.  Everhart  has  been  financially 
interested  in  automibles,  tires  and  accessories, 
throughout  his  entire  business  life.  He  is 
located  in  his  own  building,  No.'llO  East  Sec- 
ond  street. 

Mr.  Everhart  was  bom  in  Grand  Island, 
Nebraska,  August  31,  1893,  the  son  of  Will- 
iam S.  and  Ida  M.  (Carr)  Everhart,  both 
of  whom  were  bom  at  Hayden,  in  Jennings 
County,  Indiana.  Until  the  last  three  years, 
when  he  became  associated  in  business  with 
his  son,  Virgil  R.,  the  father  was  a  railroad 
man.  The  family  home  has  been  in  Grand 
Island  for  thirty  years.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat,  is  a  member  of  the  Brotherhood  of 
Railway  Trainmen,  and  both  his  father  and 
mother  belong  to  the  Baptist  church.  Three 
of  their  four  children  are  living;  Virgil  R., 
of  Grand  Island;  Verna,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Ludvik,  of  Hartwell,  Nebraska ;  and  John, 
who  resides  with  his  parents. 
Virgil  R.  Everhart  was  educated  in  Grand 
Island.  After  spending  three  years  in  the 
high    school    he   accepted   a   position   in    the  ■ 

girage  of  the  Harrison  and  Reed  Automobile 
ompany,  Grand  Island,  in  order  to  learn  the 
business  in  which  he  has  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent. Since  May,  1915,  it  has  been  operated  as 
a  private  concern.  He  handles  all  the  stan- 
dard tires,  all  first  class  accessories,  and  does 
expert  repairing.  His  business  standing  and 
reliability  are  unquestioned. 


732 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


On  July  5, 1916,  Mr.  Everhart  married  Miss 
Kizzie  M.  McGuirk.  Her  parents  came  to 
Hall  County  in  1906,  where  her  father,  An- 
drew McGuirk,  was  accidentally  killed  on  the  . 
railroad  two  years  later.  Her  mother,  Mrs. 
Sarah  (Davis)  McGuirk,  resides  in  Grand  Is- 
land. Mr.  and  Mrs.  McGuirk  have  five  chil- 
dren: Kizzie  and  Katie,  twins,  the  former  of 
whom  is  the  wife  of  Virgil  R.  Everhart,  and 
the  latter  resides  with  her  mother;  Andrew, 
who  is  deceased ;  and  Clara  and  Edna,  both 
of  whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ever- 
hart have  one  daughter,  Florence  L.  He  has 
never  taken  any  very  active  part  in  politics  in 
party  organizations,  but  is  a  very  intelligent, 
thoughtful  young  man  with  decided  opinions 
to  which  he  testifies  by  an  independent  vote. 
As  a  citizen  he  is  ready  to  help  measures  of 
a  public  nature  when  they  seem  to  promise 
substantial  benefit  to  Grand  Island.  He  belongs 
to  the  Knights  of  Pythias  and  the  Elks. 


JAMES  H.  YUND.  — For  almost  a  half 
century  James  H.  Yund,  one  of  Grand  Island's 
substantial,  representative  citizens,  has  been 
a  resident  of  Hall  County.  Although  his  busi- 
ness engagements  have  frequently  called  him 
to  other  sections,  this  has  always  been  home. 
He  owns  valuable  improved  property  in  Grand 
Island. 

Mr-  Yund  was  born  in  Hillsdale  County, 
Michigan,  March  9,  1853,  a  son  of  George  and 
Rachel  (Stevens)  Yund.  His  father  was  born 
in  Pennsylvania,  February  15,  1820,  and  died 
in  Van  Buren  County,  Michigan,  November 
15,  1867.  His  mother  was  born  in  the  state 
of  New  York.  August  3,  1818,  and  died  April 
26,  1911.  They  were  the  parents  of  seven 
children  of  whom  the  following  are  living; 
John  S-,  Emma,  James  H.,  Isabelle  and  Ida. 
The  greater  part  of  George  Yund's  mature  life 
was  spent  in  Michigan,  where  he  was  a  farmer. 
He  was  an  active  Republican  politician  and 
for  several  years  was  a  county  commissioner  in 
Van  Buren  County. 

James  H.  Yund  had  excellent  educational 
advantages ;  after  his  common  school  course,  he 
attended  the  high  school  at  Decatur,  Michigan, 
following  which  he  was  a  student  in  Kala- 
mazoo College,  Kalamazoo,  Michigan.  A  bus. 
iness  life  attracted  him,  and  from  1876  until 
March,  1881,  he  was  employed  as  a  dry  goods 
clerk  in  a  large  establishment  in  Hartford, 
Michigan.  A  change  of  climate  at  that  time 
being  decided  on,  Mr.  Yund  came  to  Hall 
County  in  April  of  that  year,  and  in  Grand 
Island  he  bought  a  small  grocery  from  H.  A. 
Battling,  which  he  operated  until  1897,  and 


although  that  period  was  a  season  of  hard 
times  in  this  country,  he  came  through  without 
loss  but  not  with  sufficient  encouragement  to 
make  him  continue  in  the  grocery  line.  It  was 
then  he  embarked  in  an  entirely  new  business, 
as  fas  as  he  was  concerned,  accepting  the  offer 
of  a  position  as  traveling  salesman  for  lumber 
mills.  In  his  case,  as  in  many  others,  a  touch 
of  adversity  seemed  the  key  to  open  the  lock 
of  the  door  of  success,  for  the  new  work  not 
only  proved  congenial  but  his  services  were  of 
such  value  to  the  Kansas  companies  which  em- 
ployed him,  that  they  were  sensible  of  great 
loss  when  he  accepted  a  similar  offer  from 
lumber  companies  for  the  mill  interests  of 
the  state  of  Nebraska.  Mr.  Yund  still  con- 
tinues his  activities  in  this  line. 

At  Lawrence,  Michigan,  December  9,  1880, 
Mr.  Yund  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Addie  Ridlon,  who  was  born  at  Pa  Pa,  Michi- 
gan, September  28,  1861,  a  daughter  of  John 
N.  and  Sarah  M.  (Phelps)  Ridlon,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  at  Hollis,  Maine,  May  16, 
1822,  and  the  latter  at  Parkham,  Ohio,  De- 
cember 4,  1831.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Yund  was 
a  man  of  much  importance  in  civil  life  and 
during  the  Civil  War  he  was  an  officer  in  the 
Twenty-fifth  Michigan  volunteer  infantry, 
taking  part  in  the  military  campaign  that  re- 
sulted in  the  capture  of  the  noted  Confederate 
guerilla  leader,  Quantrell.  For  six  years  he 
was  on  the  board  of  commissioners  of  Van 
Buren  County,  and  after  the  close  of  the  war 
removed  to  Lawrence,  Michigan,  where  he 
engaged  in  the  mercantile  business.  Following 
this  he  was  for  twenty  years  previous  to  his 
death  engaged  in  insurance  business.  He 
passed  away  April  23,  1916.  For  fifty  years 
he  was  a  deacon  in  the  Congregational  church 
at  Lawrence,  which  he  had  been  instrumental 
in  building,  and  he  had  served  on  church  build- 
ing committees  at  other  points.  Mrs.  Ridlon 
still  lives  at  the  hale  old  age  of  eighty-seven 
years.  Of  their  three  children,  Mrs.  Yund 
was  the  second  bom,  the  others  being:  Jennie, 
the  wife  of  S.  M.  Hess,  of  Lawrence,  Mich- 
igan, and  Charles  A.,  who  lives  at  Roulette, 
Pennsylvania,  married  Sarah  Cooper. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yund  have  had  four  children: 
Sylvester  G.,  who  was  born  September  10, 
1881,  married  Grace  Ericson;  Grace  B.,  who 
was  born  September  15,  1883,  is  the  widow  of 
Henry  D.;  Kleinkauf;  Harry  C,  who  was 
born  August  27,  1885,  married  Marguerite 
Goss ;  and  Henry  R.,  born  November  28, 1889. 
who  sleeps  in  a  soldiers'  grave  in  the  American 
cemetery,  near  Merignac-Bordeaux-Gironde. 
France.  This  youthful  hero  was  a  member  of 
the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in  France, 


./Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  733 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


734 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


belonging  to  Company  H,  Three  Hundred 
Fifty-fifth  regiment,  Eighty-ninth  division. 
He  received  wounds  that.proved  fatal,  October 
24,  1918.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Yund  are  members 
of  the  Presbyterian  church,  he  being  one  of 
the  trustees.  Politically  he  is  a  Republican. 
In  1892  he  broke  prairie  sod  for  the  erection 
of  his  handsome  residence  at  No.  222  West 
Eighth  street,  and  in  1909  put  up  the  brick 
store  building  on  West  Third  street,  which  is 
a  remunerative  renting  property. 


IRA  T.  HOMAN,  one  of  Grand  Island's 
enterprising  young  business  men,  is  the  junior 
member  of  the  firm  of  Teeter  &  Homan, 
formerly  of  Holbrook,  Nebraska,  but  since 
November  21,  1916,  doing  business  at  No. 
112  Second  street.  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Homan  was  born  at  Corning,  Adams 
County,  Iowa,  November  25,  1890,  the  son  of 
Joseph  N.  and  Lena  C.  (Knodle)  Homan,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
Iowa,  and  the  latter  in  Ogle  County,  Illinois. 
During  his  active  years  the  father  of  Mr. 
Homan  followed  agricultural  pursuits  from 
which  he  retired  in  1917  and  now  lives  at 
Bethany,  Nebraska.  He  has  always  been  affili- 
ated with  the  Democratic  party,  frequently 
serving  in  township  offices  and  has  been 
county  supervisor.  In  the  Order  of  Odd  Fel- 
lows he  has  been  through  all  the  local  offices. 
Both  parents  of  Mr.  Homan  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church.  Of  their  four  children 
two  reside  in  Hall  County,  Ira  T.  and  Ollie  L. 

Ira  T.  Homan  attended  school  at  Ridgeway, 
Missouri,  the  high  school  at  Bethany  and  spent 
one  year  in  a  business  college  at  Grand  Island. 
He  remained  with  his  parents  until  he  was 
twenty  years  of  age  and  then  engaged  in  the 
mercantile  business  with  his  present  partner, 
at  Holbrook,  Nebraska,  under  the  firm  name 
of  Teeter  &  Homan.  The  firm  carried  on  a 
general  mercantile  business  there  for  six  years 
before  transferring  their  interests  to  Grand 
Island.  As  agents  and  dealers  they  carry  on 
an  extensive  business  in  the  Dodge  automobiles 
and  Republic  trucks,  their  record  being  about 
6oo  cars  in  two  years,  distributed  over  their 
territory  of  ten  counties,  with  the  same  num- 
ber of  dealers.  In  addition  they  carry  a  full 
line  of  Dodge  parts. 

On  Christmas  Day,1910,  Mr.  Homan  mar- 
ried Miss  Carrie  C.  Cooper,  of  Holbrook,  Ne- 
braska. The  parents  of  Mrs.  Homan  were 
Robert  and  Alice  (Miller)  Cooper,  the  former 
of  whom  was  a  merchant  and  died  at  Holbook. 
The  latter  resides  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Homan, 
who  have  one  child,  Phyllis  O.,  who  was  born 


September  29,  1917.  They  are  members  of 
the  Baptist  church.  Politically  Mr.  Homan  is 
a  Democrat  and  fraternally  belongs  to  the 
Masons  and  the  Elks. 


LEWIS  S.  MOORE,  D.D.S.,  engaged  in 
the  practice  of  dentistry  in  Grand  Island  for 
twenty-nine  years,  is  one  of  the  best  known 
members  of  his  profession  in  the  state.  Long 
before  dentistry  had  received  its  present  uni- 
versal recognition  as  a  vital  necessity  in  the 
preservation  of  health,  Dr.  Moore,  with  the 
intelligence  that  has  made  him  a  leader  in 
many  helpful  movements,  lost  no  occasion  to 
call  attention  to  his  own  beliefs  on  the  subject. 
Supplementing  his  own  careful  studies  with 
attendance  on  dental  conventions,  he  did  much 
to  arouse  interest  and  investigation  that  in 
time  led  to  the  formulating  and  passage  of  the 
present  dental  laws  in  Nebraska.  He  has  seen 
wonderful  advances  made  in  dental  surgery  in 
its  several  branches  since  he  entered  into  prac- 
tice, and  has  lived  to  see  his  own  opinions  as 
to  dental  therapy  more  than  justified. 

Lewis  S.  Moore  was  born  in  Tuscarawas 
County,  Ohio,  February  20,  1855.  His  par- 
ents were  John  and  Sophia  (Biddenger) 
Moore,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  near 
Pittsburgh,  Pennsylvania,  October  3,  1816,  and 
died  in  Iowa,  October  1,  1905.  The  latter 
was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in  September,  1822, 
and  died  in  Iowa  in  July  1895.  Of  their  nine 
children  seven  yet  live ;  Lewis  S.  being  the  only 
one  residing  in  Hall  County.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Moore  followed  farming  all  his  life,  in  a 
modest  way  and  met  with  deserved  success. 
He  brought  his  family  to  Iowa,  in  1855,  driv- 
ing across  country  to  the  new  home  in  a 
wagon ;  Lewis  S.  being  at  that  time  an  infant 
of  eight  months,  his  mother  carrying  him  in  her 
arms  the  entire  distance  of  700  miles.  When 
she  died,  aged  seventy-three,  one  of  the  best 
of  women  passed  out  of  life.  The  father  sur- 
vived long  afterward  and  he,  too,  was  held  in 
high  regard,  being  always  an  honest,  upright 
man,  and  for  over  forty  years  was  a  deacon 
in  the  Baptist  church  near  his  home. 

Dr.  Moore  was  educated  in  the  publk 
schools  and  in  Independence,  Iowa,  where  he 
studied  dentistry  and  engaged  in  practice  dur- 
ing his  apprenticeship  of  several  years.  On 
April  1,  1879,  he  opened  an  office  at  Fairmont, 
Nebraska,  where  he  engaged  in  the  pursuit  of 
his  profession  until  April  1,  1890,  when  he 
came  to  Grand  Island,  where  he  has  continued 
ever  since,  having  a  professional  reputation  of 
high  standing  all  over  Hall  County. 

On  June  5,  1883,  Dr.  Moore  married  Miss 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


735 


Lucie  M,  Wellman,  a  daughter  of  William 
and  Clara  (Schryver)  Wellman.  The  father 
of  Mrs.  Moore  was  born  in  New  York,  May 
25,  1819,  and  died  in  1867.  The  mother  was 
born  also  in  New  York,  in  1825,  and  died 
January  6,  1882.  Of  their  four  living  children, 
Mrs.  Moore  is  the  only  one  residing  in  Hall 
County.  Dr.  and  Mrs.  Moore  have  three  chil- 
dren: L.  Don,  who  lives  at  Grand  Island, 
married  Rose  Erdburger;  Ruby  A.,  who  lives 
at  home ;  and  J.  Ross,  who  is  relieving  his 
father  of  many  professional  duties,  resides  in 
Grand  Island,  and  married  Rose  Faerber.  Dr. 
J.  Ross  Moore  served  three  months  in  the 
dental  department  of  the  Walter  Reed  Hos- 
pital, United  States  army,  at  Washington, 
D.  C,  also  three  months  at  Camp  Greenleaf, 
and  two  months  at  Camp  Beauregard. 

Dr.  Lewis  S.  Moore  belongs  to  the  order 
of  Maccabees  and  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  is 
quite  active  in  the  latter  organization,  having 
held  all  the  offices  in  the  local  lodge,  of  which 
he  is  the  present  treasurer.  In  politics  he  has 
always  been  a  Republican,  and  for  six  years 
has  been  a  member  of  the  school  board.  Both 
he  and  his  wife  are  very  active  members  of 
the  First  Baptist  church  in  Grand  Island. 


DAVID  M.  GRAHAM— In  the  death  of 
David  M.  Graham,  which  occurred  January  10, 
1919,  Grand  Island  lost  a  citizen  of  sterling 
worth,  and  a  man  who  was  held  in  high 
esteem  both  in  business  and  social  life.  He 
had  a  wide  acquaintance  in  both  Hall  and 
Merrick  counties  and  everywhere  left  friends 
who  remember  his  kindness,  generosity  and 
good  fellowship. 

David  M.  Graham  was  born  in  Merrick 
County,  Nebraska,  April  8,  1878,  one  of  a 
family  of  ten  children  born  to  John  W.  and 
Mary  (Gurley)  Graham.  Mr.  Graham's  par- 
ents were  both  natives  of  Scotland,  from  which 
land  they  emigrated  at  an  early  day,  coming 
to  the  United  States  where  the  father  became 
an  early  settler  in  Merrick  County,  Nebraska, 
a  homesteader  engaging  in  farming  and  also 
worked  at  the  carpenter  trade.  His  death 
occured  in  1896,  surviving  his  wife  just  one 
year.  Three  of  their  children  became  resi- 
dents of  Hall  County:  David  M.,  Mrs.  Daisy 
Ewalt,  and  Mrs.  Maud  Ehlers. 

Mr.  Graham  grew  up  in  Merrick  County, 
where  he  attended  the  public  schools,  but  later 
took  a  course  in  the  Baptist  College  in  Grand 
Island.  He  was  interested  in  farm  pursuits  al- 
most exclusively  until  1915,  in  Merrick  and 
Keya  Paha  counties,  for  three  years,  from 
1902  to  1905,  being  manager  of  a  ranch  in 


the  latter  county.  In  1915  he  came  to  Grand 
Island,  where  he  immediately  became  im- 
mersed in  business,  becoming  manager  of  the 
Kelly  Well  Company,  and  selling  agent  for 
the  Buick,  Maxwell  and  Oakland  automobiles, 
with  territory  covering  several  counties.  He 
was  a  hard  worker  and  was  actively  engaged 
in  business  until  his  death. 

On  December  27,  1905,  Mr.  Graham  mar- 
ried Miss  Emma  Frauen,  a  daughter  of  Mar- 
cus and  Rebecca  (Niehus)  Frauen,  who  were 
born  in  Germany,  but  left  their  native  land 
to  settle  in  the  United  States  many  years  ago 
and  are  highly  respected  citizens  of  Ainsworth, 
Brown  County,  Nebraska.  All  of  their  family 
of  nine  children  are  living:  Mrs.  Graham  has 
one  sister,  Mrs.  Tillie  Stanley,  as  a  neighbor 
in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graham  had 
two  children,  Marion  and  Madeline,  the  latter 
of  whom  passed  away  February  20,  1919.  Mr. 
Graham  belonged  to  the  Odd  Fellows,  the  Elks 
and  the  Moose  orders,  was  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  in  politics  was  a 
Republican  and  an  occasional  township  official. 


JENS  RASMUSSEN,  who  came  from  far 
off  Denmark  to  the  United  States  in  1880,  has 
been  practically  a  resident  of  Hall  County 
since  that  date.  He  is  now  one  of  Grand  Is- 
land's substantial  and  respected  citizens,  and 
has  had  much  to  do  with  the  material  develop- 
ment of  this  handsome  city. 

Jens  Rasmussen  was  born  in  Denmark,  Sep- 
tember 3,  1854,  a  son  of  Rasmus  and  Andrey- 
ette  (Sorenson)  Rasmussen.  The  father  was 
a  small  farmer  in  Denmark  and  both  passed 
their  life  there.  Jens  is  the  only  member  of 
their  family  living  at  present  in  the  United 
States.  He  had  both  common  and  high  school 
advantages  in  his  native  land  and  there  also 
learned  the  trades  of  brickmason  and  plasterer 
before  leaving  his  native  country.  This  was 
fortunate,  as  after  reaching  the  United  States 
he  came  to  Nebraska  and  found  work  at  these 
trades  during  the  summer  of  1880,  in  Grand 
Island,  and  for  two  and  a  half  months  of  the 
following  winter  found  an  opportunity  to  at- 
tend a  school  in  the  country  by  working  for  a 
farmer  for  board  and  lodging.  In  the  fall  of 
1883  he  returned  to  Denmark  on  a  visit  and 
for  business  purposes ;  upon  his  return  to  the 
United  States  he  was  accompanied  by  a  sister 
and  another  young  lady,  Miss  Margrethe  Eric- 
son  whom  he  married  December  8,  1885.  Her 
parents,  Jens  and  Anna  (Christensen)  Eric- 
son,  came  to  Grand  Island  in  1887,  where 
they  live  retired.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rasmussen 
have  seven  children:  George  R.,  his  father's 


736 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


partner  in  business,  is  a  soldier  in  the  United 
States  army  in  France,  a  member  of  a  hospital 
ambulance  corps;  Anna  A.,  the  wife  of  Floyd 
White,  of  Grand  Island;  Mable  A.,  who  re- 
sides with  her  parents;  Roy  W.,  in  business 
at  Casper,  Wyoming ;  and  Marie,  Evelyn  and 
Lorraine,  all  of  whom  are  at  home. 

When  Mr.  Rasmussen  settled  permanently 
in  Grand  Island,  he  went  into  the  contracting 
business  for  himself,  in  which  line  he  has  con- 
tinued to  the  present  time.  His  son  and  pres- 
ent partner,  George  R.,  grew  up  in  the  busi- 
ness under  his  direction  and  they  have  been 
associated  as  a  firm  since  1915.  Among  the 
fine  buildings  they  have  constructed  in  Grand 
Island  may  be  mentioned  the  H.  P.  Hansen 
store,  the  Emil  Rickert  store  and  several  large 
buildings  for  Mr.  Wolbach.  Mr,  Rasmussen 
has  always  taken  interest  in  educational 
progress  and  he  has  served  six  years  as  a 
member  of  the  city  school  board. 


JEREMIAH  A.  WINGERT,  the  founder 
of|  one  of  Grand  Island's  most  Important 
manufacturing  concerns,  in  which  he  continued 
to  be  interested  until  the  close  of  his  busy 
life,  was  a  member  of  a  large  family  that  has 
been  more  or  less  distinguished  in  Hall  County 
for  over  forty  years.  While  other  members  of 
the  family  followed  agricultural  pursuits  to 
some  extent,  Jeremiah  A.  Wingert  s  predilec- 
tions were  in  the  line  of  mechanics,  in  which 
branch  of  industry  he  was  eminently  success- 
ful. Mr.  Wingert  established  the  Grand  Is- 
land Culvert  and  Metal  Works. 

Jeremiah  A.  Wingert  was  born  in  Warren 
County,  Illinois,  in  1868,  and  died  in  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  September  13,  1914.  His 
parents  were  Peter  S.  and  Maria  (Rynard) 
Wingert,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Perry 
County,  Pennsylvania,  where  they  were  reared, 
married  and  lived  until  Peter  S.  Wingert  was 
thirty-five  years  old.  He  was  a  tailor  by  trade. 
A  rapidly  increasing  family  led  to  thoughts  of 
providing  for  the  future  in  a  more  certain 
way  than  remuneration  from  his  trade  prom- 
ised. That  led  to  removal  to  a  farm  in  Werren 
County,  Illinois,  and  later  to  Nebraska.  In 
1873  Peter  S.  Wingert  homesteaded  in  Hall 
County  and  the  family  resided  for  some  years 
in  Prairie  Creek  township.  Some  changes  of 
residence  were  made  between  1877  and  1886, 
when  Mr.  Wingert  came  to  the  rapidly  de- 
veloping town  of  Cairo,  where  he,  as  a  man  of 
high  character  and  sound  judgment,  was  a 
valued  citizen.  His  death  occurred  in  Grand 
Island  in  1902,  having  survived  his  wife  since 


1891.  Of  their  ten  children  the  following  sur- 
vive :  Mary  E-,  the  widow  of  Samuel  Schlisler, 
of  Denver,  Colorado;  Anna  M.,  the  widow 
of  James  T.  Allen,  lives  at  Los  Angeles,  Cali- 
fornia; Ida  V.,  the  wife  of  David  Millhollen, 
lives  in  Oregon ;  Alice  C,  the  widow  of  George 
Adwers,  lives  in  the  city  of  Chicago ;  George 
W.,  cashier  of  the  Cairo  State  Bank;  Milton 
C,  who  married  Robert  Calhoun,  lives  at 
Wood  River,  Nebraska;  and  Emma  J.,  wbt> 
lives  in  Canada,  is  the  wife  of  John  H.  Squires. 
Those  deceased  are :  Salmon  M.,  William  C, 
and  Jeremiah  A. 

Jeremiah  A.  Wingert  was  five  years  old 
when  his  parents  came  first  to  Hall  County 
and  it  was  mainly  in  the  Hall  County  schools 
that  he  secured  an  elementary  education.  He 
learned  the  tinner's  trade  and  followed  the 
same  for  a  time  after  coming  to  Grand  Island. 
He'  had  business  ambition  beyond  many  of 
those  with  whom  he  associated  and  hence  came 
about  the  establishing  of  the  Grand  Island 
Culvert  and  Metal  Works.  Beginning  in  a 
small  way  the  concern  rapidly  grew  to  large 
proportions  under  his  management  and  became 
a  great  factor  in  the  city's  industrial  enter- 
prises. He  retained  management  of  the  com- 
pany and  was  virtually  its  head  for  many 
years.  In  1909  he  consented  to  sell  some  of 
his  interest  in  the  plant  and  reorganized  it 
under  the  name  of  the  Grand  Island  Culvert 
Works  with  Mr.  Wingert  as  president.  After 
his  death  Mrs.  Wingert  disposed  of  her  inter- 
ests to  the  other  stockholders. 

On  September  15,  1901,  Jeremiah  A.  Win- 
gert married  Miss  Stella  Heath,  who  was  bom 
in  Putnam  County,  Indiana.  Her  parents  were 
H.  C.  and  Isabel  (Adair)  Heath,  natives  of 
Kentucky  and  Ohio  respectively.  Both  were 
brought  to  Michigan  in  infancy,  were  married 
in  Indiana,  and  now  reside  with  their  daughter. 
Mrs.  Wingert,  who  occupies  the  attractive  resi- 
dence that  Mr.  Wingert  built  on  East  Seventh 
street,  Grand  Island.  Mrs.  Wingert  has  one 
brother,  Frank  Heath,  who  is  a  civil  engineer, 
and  has  one  sister,  Cora,  the  wife  of  Arthur 
Snell,  employed  in  a  bank  in  Denver,  Colo- 
rade.  Two  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Wingert,  Mildred  and  Helen,  both_  of 
whom  are  attending  school.  Mrs.  Wingert  and 
her  daughters  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Politically  he  was  identified 
with  the  Republican  party,  and  fraternally  he 
was  a  Mason,  belonging  to  the  Commandery, 
and  also  a  Shriner.  Also,  he  was  a  member 
of  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the  Highlanders. 
He  is  recalled  by  his  fellow  citizens  as  an  up- 
right, honorable  man  in  business  and  thor- 
oughly dependable  in  all  friendly  relationships. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


JEREMIAH  A.  WlNGERT 


Children  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jeremiah  A.  Winceht 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


738 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


CHARLES  A.  HOFMANN,  well  known  in 
Grand  Island  in  both  business  and  political 
circles,  has  been  a  resident  o*  this  city  for 
more  than  a  quarter  of  a  century.  During 
almost  all  of  this  period  he  has  been  in  business 
for  himself  as  a  blacksmith,  starting  necessarily 
in  a  small  way  as  he  had  little  capital,  but 
through  hard  work  and  prudent  investments 
gradually  accumulating  until  at  the  present 
time  he  is  the  owner  of  valuable  property. 

Charles  A.  Hofmann  was  born  January  19, 
1859,  near  Coblentz,  Germany,  the  only  sur- 
vivor of  eleven  children  born  to  Anton  and 
Henrietta  (Lotz)  Hofmann,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  their  native  land.  The  father  was  a 
blacksmith  by  trade  and  evidently  was  a  man 
of  responsibility,  as  for  many  years  he  was 
assistant  mayor  of  the  village  of  Obernhof,  a 
place  noted  for  its  fine  scenery  on  the  river 
Latin.  He  was  a  politician  and  belonged  to 
what  was  then  known  as  the  Liberal  party. 
Until  he  was  fourteen  years  old,  Charles  A. 
Hofmann  attended  school,  then  he  was  appren- 
ticed to  the  blacksmith  trade  and  made  such 
good  progress  that  when  only  eighteen  years 
old  he  had  completed  his  trade  and  went  to 
work  in  a  shop.  A  year  later  he  was  a  finished 
workman  and  though  only  a  lad  of  nineteen 
was  engaged  as  a  bridge  builder  in  constructing 
bridges  over  the  Rhine  and  other  rivers  of 
Germany.  Subsequently  he  worked  in  the 
mines  of  his  native  country.  From  1879  until 
1882,  he  served  in  the  German  army,  and  in 
1883  he  came  to  the  United  States. 

When  Mr.  Hofmann  reached  Nebraska  he 
found  many  of  his  countrymen  comfortably 
settled  here  and  the  greater  number  were  pros- 
perous and  respected  business  men.  He  stop- 
ped for  one  week  in  Kearney  before  coming  on 
to  Grand  Island,  where  he  entered  the  em- 
ploy of  Henry  Stratman,  for  whom  he  worked 
three  and  one-half  years.  Mr.  Hofmann  then 
embarked  in  business  for  himself,  as  mentioned 
above,  and  being  an  expert  at  his  trade  and 
honest  in  his  business  methods,  soon  made 
friends,  many  of  whom  were  his  patrons  up  to 
1918,  when  he  retired. 

Mr.  Hofmann  married  first  in  1886,  Miss 
Ella  Trinke,  who  was  bom  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska.  On  a  return  voyage  from  Germany, 
January  30.  1895,  the  ship  Elbe  was  wrecked 
in  the  North  sea,  and  Mrs.  Hofmann  and  in- 
fant son  were  lost.  Only  four  of  the  passen- 
gers and  sixteen  of  the  crew  of  the  ill-fated 
ship  were  saved.  In  1897  Mr.  Hofmann  mar- 
ried Miss  Minnie  Sievers,  who  was  the  first 
white  female  child  in  Howard  County,  Ne- 
braska, taken  there  by  her  parents  when  an 
infant.    Her  parents  were  Theodor  and  Cathe- 


rine (Sierk)  Sievers.  Her  father  built  the 
first  school  house  in  Howard  County. 

Mr.  Hofmann  has  always  been  intelligently 
interested  in  public  affairs.  While  he  is  a 
strong  Republican  in  national  politics,  good 
judgment  has  led  him  to  maintain  an  independ- 
ent attitude  in  regard  to  local  matters,  and  the 
personal  knowledge  he  has  of  local  candidates 
assists  him  when  casting  his  city  vote.  He 
formerly  belonged  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W.,  of 
which  he  was  recorder  for  thirteen  years,  and 
to  the  Liederkranz  society,  of  which  he  has 
been  secretary  for  two  years. 

He  was  president  of  the  Hook  and  Ladder 
Fire  Company  No.  1  for  five  years,  for  two 
years  he  has  been  president  of  Landwehr 
Verein. 


JOHN  W.  DENMAN  is  one  of  the  pioneers 
of  Hall  County  who  for  many  years  was  a 
leading  farmer  and  stockman  and  whose  in- 
dustry and  good  judgment  brought  him  suc- 
cess that  makes  it  possible  to  put  aside  the 
activities  of  former  years  and  is  living  in  re- 
tirement in  a  beautiful  home  in  Grand  Island, 
surrounded  by  all  the  necessities  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  the  present  day. 

Mr.  Denman  was  born  in  McLean  County, 
Illinois,  November  15,  1854.  His  parents 
were  William  H.  and  Mary  (Brown)  Denman, 
the  former  a  native  of  Licking  County,  Ohio, 
while  the  birthplace  of  the  latter  was  in  the 
state  of  Virginia.  William  H.  Denman  was  a 
farmer  all  his  life  residing  first  in  Ohio,  later 
in  Illinois  and  about  1856  became  a  resident 
of  Nebraska  and  secured  a  homestead  in 
Nemaha  County,  where  he  resided  until  1871 
when  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  bought  land, 
making  this  his  home  the  remainder  of  his 
days. 

John  W.  Denman  was  the  youngest  of  eight 
children,  six  of  whom  are  living:  Henry  C. 
J.  H.  and  Joseph,  all  residents  of  Grand 
Island;  Augusta  is  the  wife  of  W.  H.  Demp- 
ster, of  Oregon ;  Martha,  is  the  wife  of  Hiram 
England,  of  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska ;  and 
John  W. 

The  latter  was  a  babe  when  brought  to  Ne- 
braska and  was  reared  on  the  pioneer  farm 
in  Nemaha  County,  acquiring  his  education 
in  the  public  schools,  later  attending  the  State 
Normal  at  Peru.  On  the  25th  of  January, 
1880,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Ida 
Huhn,  a  daughter'  of  Jacob  and  Martha 
(Magee)  Huhn.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Denman  have 
become  the  parents  of  three  children,  two  of 
whom  are  living,  namely:  Albert  J.,  who  is 
manager  of  the  American  Beet  Sugar  Com- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


739 


pany's  plant  at  Grand  Island ;  and  Minnie  B. , 
who  is  the  wife  of  Walter  C.  Jessup  of  Grand 
Island. 

John  W.  Denman  has  been  a  resident  of 
Hall  County  since  1871  and  successfully  car- 
ried on  agricultural  pursuits  until  1912  when 
he  retired  to  Grand  Island,  although  still  re- 
taining possession  of  a  valuable  farm  property. 
Mrs.  Denman  is  a  member  of  the  M.  E.  church 
and  in  politics  Mr.  Denman  is  a  Republican. 
The  family  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  all  who  know  them. 


CLAUS  EGGERS.  —  One  of  the  represen- 
tative citizens  of  Hall  County  may  be  found 
in  Clans  Eggers,  one  of  Grand  Island's  re- 
tired business  men,  who  came  here  in  early 
days  and  through  his  own  industry  soon  be- 
came independent.  He  has  assisted  in  the 
development  of  this  section  of  Nebraska,  from 
the  days  of  savage  Indians  and  herds  of  deer 
and  buffalo,  to  present  conditions  that  repre- 
sent comfortable  living  and  even  luxury. 

Claus  Eggers  was  born  December  7,  1849, 
under  the  Danish  flag,  in  Schleswig-Holstein. 
After  the  war  between  Austria-Germany  and 
Denmark,  Schleswig-Holstein  was  annexed 
to  Germany,  which  the  parents,  like  many  other 
patriotic  Danish  people,  bitterly  resented.  They 
were  Hans  and  Margaret  (Peters)  Eggers. 
The  father  owned  a  little  farm  aSid  lived  con- 
tentedly until  political  conditions  made  him 
anxious  to  escape  German  rule,  and  in  1875 
they  left  Schleswig,  their  old  home,  for  that 
land  of  the  free,  the  United  States,  to  join 
their  son  Claus  in  Hall  County.  The  father 
died  December  14,  1885,  and  the  mother,  Jan- 
uary 20,  1901.  They  have  five  children  and 
of  the  four  who  are  living  all  are  residents  of 
the  United  States.  They  are  Claus  and  Mrs. 
Anna  Rethmann ;  Mrs.  Charles  Guenther  and 
John  Eggers,  Loup  City,  Sherman  County, 
Nebraska. 

Mr.  Eggers  attended  the  common  schools  in 
his  native  land  before  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1869.  In  the  winter  of  that  year,  on 
his  way  to  Nebraska,  the  ferry  boat  on  which 
he  was  crossing  the  Missouri  river,  froze  fast 
and  he  crossed  on  the  ice.  After  reaching 
Hall  County  he  went  to  work  on  a  farm  and 
then  on  railroad  construction.  He  remembers 
seeing  the  first  year  so  many  antelopes  on  the 
land  that  the  present  site  of  St.  Francis  Hos- 
pital could  not  be  seen.  During  1870  and 
1871  great  herds  of  buffalo  could  be  seen  at 
many  places  coming  from  the  river  as  the  lack 
of  rain  had  caused  all  their  secret  water  holes 
to  dry  up.    In  1870  a  gang  of  railroad  section 


men  were  killed  by  the  Indians,  and  after  that 
the  railroad  men  were  allowed  to  carry  weap- 
ons for  their  protection.  All  these  things 
caused  a  different  mode  of  living  than  the 
present,  but  it  is  well  for  our  pioneers  to  recall 
them  as  interesting  pages  in  the  history  of  the 
county. 

Early  in  the  eighties  Mr.  Eggers  went  into 
the  meat  market  business  in  partnership  with 
his  two  brothers,  a  partnership  which  con- 
tinued until  1888.  Mr.  Eggers  then  engaged 
in  the  retail  liquor  business,  which  he  fol- 
lowed for  fourteen  years,  conducting  a  quiet, 
respectable  place  which  had  the  approval  of 
the  community  and  the  patronage  of  leading 
citizens.  Mr.  Eggers  never  countenanced  the 
modern  objectionable  features  that  largely  led 
to  the  adoption  of  the  present  prohibitory  laws. 

On  April  24,  1886,  Mr.  Eggers  married 
Miss  Mary  Nieburger,  a  daughter  of  Christ 
and  Annie  (Kramback)  Nieburger,  who  were 
born  in  the  same  section  of  Denmark  as  the 
Eggers  family.  They  came  to  the  United  States 
and  settled  in  Clinton  County,  Iowa,  in  1869. 
In  the  fall  of  1870  Mrs.  Eggers'  father  took 
a  homestead  in  Hall  County,  on  which  they 
yet  live.  It  lies  four  miles  southeast  of  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eggers  have  two  sons, 
Otto  and  Henry,  both  of  whom  are  soldiers 
in  the  United  States  army. 

Mr.  Eggers  took  out  his  first  naturaliza- 
tion papers  in  1870,  and  his  second  papers  in 
1875,  having  come  to  the  United  States  with 
the  intention  of  becoming  an  American  citi- 
zen. He  has  proved  the  sincerity  of  his  pro- 
claimed intentions,  and  in  every  way  is  recog- 
nized as  true  and  loyal  to  this  country.  He 
votes  with  the  Demorcratic  party  in  the  large 
affairs  of  the  nation,  but  in  local  elections  uses 
his  own  judgment.  For  two  years  he  has 
been  a  member  of  the  city  council.  While  he 
attends  the  Lutheran  church  he  has  'never 
formally  united  with  it,  but  he  has  been  liberal 
to  all  religious  bodies,  and  has  assumed  it  his 
duty  to  contribute  to  all  worthy  charities  that 
have  been  brought  to  his  attention.  The  com- 
fortable family  residence  was  built  in  1875  and 
in  1913  it  was  thoroughly  remodeled  and  is 
now  modern  in  every  way. 


STEPHEN  S.  HAYMAN,  numbered  with 
the  1883  pioneers  of  Hall  County,  is  a  promi- 
nent business  man  in  Grand  Island,  where  he 
has  spent  many  years  of  a  very  busy  life.  He 
still  owns  his  old  homestead,  secured  thirty- 
six  years  ago,  together  with  much  valuable  city 
realty,  and  since  1898  has  been  in  the  real 
estate  and  general  insurance  business. 


740 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mr.  Hayman  was  born  November  19,  1851, 
at  Letart  Falls,  Ohio,  one  of  a  family  of  four 
children  and  the  only  survivor,  born  to  Stephen 
T  .and  Letitirf  (Caldwell)  Hayman.  The  Hay- 
man  family  is  of  old  English  stock.  Its  found- 
ers in  the  United  States  were  four  brothers 
who  landed  in  Maryland,  one  of  whom,  a 
preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  faith, 
was  the  grandfather  of  Stephen  S.  Hayman. 
He  located  in  Ohio  and  there  Stephen  T.  Hay- 
man was  born,  and  there  he  died  when  his  son 
Stephen  was  six  months  old.  Like  his  father 
he  was  of  religious  mind  and  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
but  his  vocation  was  farming.  The  mother 
of  Mr.  Hayman  was  born  at  Wolf's  Island, 
Kentucky,  and  died  in  Nebraska  at  the  age 
of  eighty-four  years.  Her  father  came  to 
Kentucky  from  Ireland  after  the  most  of  the 
family  had  died  there  of  the  black  plague. 
He  bought  Wolf's  Island  and  died  there  when 
his  daughter  was  only  four  years  old.  The 
only  relative  was  an  aunt,  who  lived  at  Rut- 
land, Ohio.  She  took  the  orphan  child  to 
her  home,  abandoning  the  island,  the  child's 
birthright,  which  was  subsequently  sold  for 
taxes  and  at  the  present  time  is  worth  millions. 
Mrs.  Hayman  was  reared  and  married  in 
Ohio,  and  after  the  death  of  Mr.  Hayman, 
married  again,  being  united  to  H.  P.  Lawrey, 
a  lawyer  at  Letart  Falls,  Meigs  County,  Ohio. 
Of  the  four  children  of  her  second  marriage, 
two  are  living  in  Hall  County:  H.  P.  Lawrey, 
and  Mrs.  W.  H.  Quillen,  of  Grand  Island. 

Stephen  S.  Hayman  completed  his  high 
school  course  at  Racine,  Ohio,  in  time  to  teach 
his  first  school  when  sixteen  years  of  age, 
after  which  he  took  a  full  course  in  the 
Lebanon  Normal  school  and  thus  thoroughly 
fitted  himself  for  teaching,  which  profession 
he  afterward  followed  in  Ohio  for  several 
years.  Having  thereby  impaired  his  health, 
Mr.  Hayman  decided  upon  an  entire  change 
of  both  climate  and  business.  In  1883  he 
came  to  Hall  County  and  bought  a  half  sec- 
tion of  land.  He  lost  his  first  crops,  later 
suffered  from  the  low  prices  obtainable  for 
his  products,  and  (luring  the  drought  of  1890, 
his  cattle  died.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had 
taught  school  during  the  winters  and  thus  had 
managed  to  get  along.  He  had  been  graduated 
in  penmanship  from  a  commercial  college  at 
Poughkeepsie,  New  York,  and  in  1890  he 
found  an  opportunity  to  teach  this  art,  con- 
ducting classes  in  the  Glover  building  in  Grand 
Island. 

In  the  following  fall  Mr.  Hayman  secured 
the  appointment  as  teacher  in  the  first  brick 
schoolhouse  east  of  Grand  Island,  where  he 


continued  his  workfor  several  years.  A  bus- 
iness opportunity  then  seemed  to  open  in  the 
Black  Hills,  in  the  wholesale  fruit  and  vege- 
table line  and  it  was  while  there  that  he  first 
became  particularly  interested  in  fraternal  in- 
surance, and  the  position  of  state  manager  of 
the  Home  Forum,  with  jurisdiction  in  Oregon 
and  Washington  was  offered  him.  He  de- 
clined the  offer,  however,  and  in  1898  came 
back  to  Grand  Island.  Subsequently  he  ac- 
cepted the  position  of  state  manager  of  the 
Modem  Brotherhood  of  America,  which  still 
engages  his  attention.  From  this  beginning 
Mr.  Hayman  gradually  embarked  in  a  general 
insurance  business  and  the  handling  of  real 
estate,  much  of  the  latter  being  his  own  prop- 
erty. 

On  November  4,  1875,  Mr.  Hayman  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Douglas,  who  was  born  near 
Ravenswood,  West  Virginia,  a  daughter  of 
Reuben  and  Sarah  (Stone)  Douglas.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  Hayman  was  a  wealthy  farmer 
in  West  Virginia.  He  survived  to  the  age  of 
seventy-five  years  but  the  mother  of  Mrs. 
Hayman  passed  away  at  the  age  of  forty-five. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hayman  have  had  three  chil- 
dren: Ora  O.,  who  resides  on  his  father's 
farm ;  Stephen  A.,  who  owns  and  operates 
the  beautiful  Lyda  Theater  in  Grand  Island, 
and  Sarah,  who  was  accidentally  killed  by  a 
gasoline  explosion.  Mr.  Hayman  is  a  Re- 
publican in  (politics  and  he  says  the  nearest 
he  ever  came  to  political  office  was  when  he 
was  defeated  by  only  eleven  votes  for  county 
superintendent.  He  attends  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  Fraternally  he  is  a  Knight 
of  Pythias  and  a  Mason,  his  son  having 
reached  the  Thirty-second  degree  in  this  order. 


RICHARD  A.  ODUM,  deputy  county  clerk 
of  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Grand  Island  for  over  two  decades.  Al- 
though not  entirely,  yet  in  large  measure,  Mr. 
Odum  has  been  identified  with  railroads 
throughout  his  business  career,  and  he  is  well 
and  favorably  known  in  the  offices  of  the 
different  systems  that  operate  through  Ne- 
braska. 

Richard  A.  Odum  was  born  at  Benton. 
Franklin  County,  Illinois,  February  13,  1876, 
the  only  survivor  of  two  children  born  to  Adel- 
bert  R.  and  Hannah  (Moore)  Odum,  the 
former  of  whom  died  when  the  boy  was  only 
two  years  old.  His  business  was  farming  and 
stock  raising,  for  the  most  part  in  Illinois, 
where  he  owned  fine  land  on  which  coal  was 
subsequently  discovered.  After  his  dead), 
which  occurred  in  March,  1878,  the  mother  left 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


741 


the  farm  and  moved  to  Benton  where  she  and 
her  son  resided  until  January,  1891,  when  re- 
moval was  made  to  Colfax  County,  Nebraska. 
At  that  time  Mrs.  Odum  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  John  A.  Brown.  Since  June,  1918, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Brown  have  lived  retired  in 
Grand  Island. 

Richard  A.  Odum  attended  the  common 
schools  in  Benton  and  the  high  school  in 
Schuyler,  Nebraska.  He  began  his  business 
career  as  a  clerk  in  the  offices  of  the  Chicago 
Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad,  at  Schuyler, 
and  after  transfers  to  a  number  of  other  cities, 
came  to  Grand  Island  in  1898  remaining  with 
the  above  system  until  1905.  From  1906  until 
1910,  he  was  associated  with  the  Union  Paci- 
fic Railroad,  when  he  retired  from  railroad 
work,  and  for  the  following  five  years  con- 
ducted a  meat  and  grocery  business  in  Grand 
Island.  This  business  he  sold  in  1915  and  for 
a  few  months  afterward  was  again  in  rail- 
road work,  which  he  gave  up  when  he  was 
appointed  deputy  county  clerk,  in  January, 
1917.  He  is  serving  in  his  second  term  and  is 
a  very  popular  official. 

On  June  14,  1899,  Mr.  Odum  married  Miss 
Jennie  Brown,  of  Schuyler,  Nebraska.  Her 
parents  were  James  T.  and  Ellen  (Miller) 
Brown,  both  of  whom  are  deceased,  having 
been  old  and  highly  respected  residents  of  Col- 
fax County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Odum  have  one 
son,  Windsor  A.,  who  was  born  June  7,  1900, 
a  well  educated  young  man  who  still  makes 
hi9  home  with  his  parents.  Mrs.  Odum  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
in  which  she  is  very  active.  She  has  been  one 
of  the  leaders  in  the  Y.  W.  C.  A.  in  Grand 
Island  and  is  on  the  board  of  directors  of  this 
organization.  During  the  entire  period  of  the 
World  War  she  was  indefatigable  in  her  labors 
for  the  Red  Cross.  Mr.  Odum  also  has  been 
a  leader  in  patriotic  work  and  was  secretary  of 
the  county  council  pf  defense.  In  politics 
he  is  a  sturdy  Republican,  in  church  connec- 
tion he  is  a  Baptist,  and  fraternally  is  identi- 
fied  with  the  Elks. 


FRANCIS  CORKINS,  one  of  the  best 
known  residents  of  Grand  Island,  came  to 
Hall  County  when  this  present  modern  com- 
mercial city  had  but  one  store  and  three 
saloons  to  represent  its  business  enterprises. 
He  was  a  young  man  of  twenty-five  but  had 
already  seen  much  adventure,  having  just 
served  three  years  in  the  Union  Army  during 
the  Civil  War.  His  settlement  here  was  for 
permanency,  not  speculation,  and  throughout 
many  succeeding  years  he  was  actively  and 


honorably  engaged  in  business,  a  helpful  citi- 
zen in  every  way.  Today  his  friends  are  as 
numerous  as  his  acquaintances. 

The  birth  of  Francis  Corkins  took  place  in 
County  Cavin,  Ireland,  October  26,  1842.  His 
parents  were  Patrick  .and  Nancy  (Carlin) 
Corkins,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1847.  They  reached  Illinois  on  their  travels 
westward,  spending  one  year  in  Chicago.  The 
father  had  been  a  small  farmer  in  Ireland  and 
it  was  on  a  farm  in  McHenry  County,  Illinois, 
that  they  settled-  permanently,  and  there  the 
father  died  in  1863.  The  mother  survived 
until  1904.  Of  their  seven  children  four  are 
living,  but  Francis  Corkins  is  the  only  one 
of  the  family  in  Nebraska  and  the  only  one 
of  the  name,  the  other  children  of  the  family 
being  girls. 

Francis  Corkins  attended  the  country  school 
in  his  boyhood,  that  was  situated  two  and  a 
half  miles  from  his  father's  farm  in  McHenry 
County,  and  as  soon  as  old  enough  assisted 
on  the  farm.  On  August  4,  1862,  he  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Union  Army  for 
service  during  the  Civil  War,  and  as  proof 
of  being  a  worthy  soldier,  was  promoted  to 
be  corporal  of  his  company.  He  was  hon- 
orably discharged  August  18,  1865,  having 
escaped  all  serious  injuries  and  even  capture 
by  the  enemy,  although  close  to  it  in  the  en- 
gagement at  Guntown,  Mississippi.  Mr.  Cork- 
ins then  returned  to  his  father's  farm  but  was 
not  satisfied  to  remain  there,  having  by  that 
time  ambitions  to  own  land  for  himself,  hence, 
in  the  fall  of  1867  he  came  to  Nebraska.  He 
worked  for  farmers  in  Hall  County  and  then 
home  steaded  near  Wood  River,  remaining 
on  his  farm  eleven  years,  then  sold  and  moved 
into  Grand  Island,  where  he  purchased  a  livery 
stable.  For- twenty-four  years  he  operated 
that  establishment,  through  his  business  capac- 
ity making  it  a  profitable  enterprise  and  the 
leading  one  here  for  many  years.  On  March 
1,  1913,  Mr.  Corkins  retired. 

On  November  5,  1876,  Mr.  Corkins  married 
Miss  Harriet  E.  Smith,  a  daughter  of  George 
P.  and  Harriet  N.  (McGregor)  Smith,  her 
mother  being  a  first  cousin  of  Ralph  W. 
Emerson.  Mrs.  Corkins'  parents  were  early 
settlers  of  Hall  County.  Her  father's  death 
was  the  result  of  one  of  those  unfortunate 
accidents  that  pioneer  history  so  often  records. 
Although  seventy  years  old  he  was  both  physi- 
cally and  mentally  active  and  enjoyed  taking 
part  in  some  of  the  farm  industries.  In  May, 
1875,  he  attempted  alone  to  burn  oil  a  field 
of  prairie  grass,  and  when  the  wind  suddenly 
veered  to  the  opposite  direction,  he  was  caught 
in   the   flames    and   his    death    followed   six 


742 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


weeks  later.  Not  having  any  children  of  their 
own,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corkins  adopted  a  nine 
year  old  girl  named  Anna  Bliss/ who  was  care- 
fully reared  and  subsequently  married  Douglas 
Woodman,  of  Denver,  who  is  now  a  soldier 
in  the  Unites  States  army  in  France.  They 
have  one  son,  Wilbur  Woodman,  who  resides 
with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Corkins.  The  latter  is  a 
member  of  the  Christian  Science  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Corkins  is  a  Democrat.  His  fellow 
citizens  have  often  desired  him  to  accept 
public  office  and  he  served  as  county  super- 
visor for  two  years,  but  otherwise  he  has 
always  declined.  The  legislation  that  has 
abolished  alcohol  from  the  country  as  a  bev- 
erage may  have  disturbed  some  of  Mr.  Cork- 
ins' fellow  citizens  but  not  himself,  for  never, 
in  his  entire  life,  has  he  tasted  liquor,  and 
what  is  still  further  somewhat  unusual,  he 
has  never  used  tobacco. 


CARRIE  L.  FRASER.  — There  are  many 
well  satisfied  residents  of  Grand  Island  who. 
consider  the  development  of  the  public  schools 
during  the  past  twenty-nine  years,  one  of  the 
city's  most  notable  evidences  of  progress.  In 
this  connection  not  a  few  will  accord  much 
credit  to  Miss  Carrie  Fraser,  whose  devotion 
to  the  cause  of  education  has  been  the  leading 
motive  of  her  life  since  early  girlhood.  In 
1894  Miss  Fraser  was  made  principal  of  the 
Piatt  school,  Grand  Island. 

Carrie  L.  Fraser  was  bom  at  Chatham,  -in 
the  province  of  Ontario,  Dominion  of  Canada, 
■  the  only  child  born  to  William  and  Sarah  E. 
(Huson)  Fraser.  Miss  Eraser's  father  was 
born  in  Canada  in  1846,  and  died  at  Chatham, 
where  he  had  been  in  business  for  five  years, 
September  8,  1872.  He  was  identified  with 
the  order  of  Odd  Fellows.  The  mother  of 
Miss  Fraser  was  born  at  Buffalo,  New  York. 
In  1877  her  second  marriage  took  place,  she 
being  united  to  Daniel  Ferguson,  a  merchant 
in  Chatham.  In  September,  1878,  Mr.  Fergu- 
son, with  his  brother,  came  to  Grand  Island  to 
take  charge  of  the  Hooper  foundry,  which  he 
managed  for  several  years,  and  this  city  has 
been  the  family  home  ever  since.  Mr.  Fergu- 
son died  here  in  August,  1907,  his  widow  and 
two  daughters  surviving;  Grace  L.,  who  is 
a  teacher  in  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Island, 
and  Flora  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Glenn  G. 
Reeder,  of  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa. 

In  recalling  educational  conditions  at  the 
time  of  her  own  graduation  from  the  high 
school  in  Grand  Island,  Miss,  Fraser  pays 
tribute  to  the  scholarship  of  Superintendent 
Henry  Garm  and  his  assisants,  one  of  whom 


was  Mrs.  T.  O.  C.  Harrison.  At  that  time 
four  frame  store  buildings  (there  were  no 
brick  ones  then)  were  used  as  schoolrooms, 
the  high  school  being  held  in  the  German  Luth- 
eran church,  but  the  Dodge  school  building 
was  in  course  of  erection.  Miss  Fraser  soon 
took  up  school  work  and  has  been  identified 
with  this  profession  continuously  for  twenty- 
nine  years,  at  the  present  time  having  in  her 
classes  children  of  her  earliest  pupils.  When 
she  took  charge  as  principal  of  the  Piatt  school 
in  1894,  she  had  but  two  teachers,  while  now 
seven  are  employed.  Miss  Fraser  is  much 
beloved  in  Grand  Island  where  she  has  always 
been  an  uplifting  influence,  very  active  as  a 
member  of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and_  prominent  in  the  high  school 
alumnae. 


SAMUEL  HEXTER.  — One  of  the  men 
who  came  in  the  early  days  to  Grand  Island, 
and  through  good  citizenship  greatly  assisted 
in  the  remarkable  development  of  the  city. 
is  found  in  Samuel  Hexter,  a  highly  esteemed 
retired  citizen,  whose  comfortable  home  is  al 
No.  708  West  First  street.  For  many  years 
Mr.  Hexter  was  active  in  business  circles  and 
became  well  and  favorably  known  over  the 
county. 

Samuel  Hexter  was  born  in  Germany, 
February  4,  1845.  His  parents  were  Judah 
and  Miriam  (Strauss)  Hexter,  natives  of 
Germany,  his  mother  being  a  sister  of  Johann 
Strauss,  the  great  musical  composer.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Hexter  was  in  the  grain  bus- 
iness, a  man  of  high  character  and  prominent 
in  the  Orthodox  Jewish  church.  There  were 
seven  children  in  the  family,  four  of  whom 
at  one  time  lived  in  Hall  Counry.  Mrs.  Sophis 
Rothschild  and  Mrs.  Rosa  Boehm  are  de- 
ceased, but  Samuel  and  David  Hexter  still 
reside  here. 

In  June,  1860,  well  educated  in  the  schools 
and  trained  for  business,  Samuel  Hexter 
came  to  the  United  States.  For  a  short  nine 
he  lived  in  New  York  City,  then  went  to 
North  Carolina  and  from  there  proceeded  to 
Petersburg,  Virginia,  where  he  was  practically 
a  prisoner  because  the  siege  of  the  city  by 
the  Federal  troops  followed  and  he  was  forced 
to  remain  there  until  the  close  of  the  Civil 
War.  Mr.  Hexter  then  joined  his  brother-in- 
law,  J.  Rothschild,  in  Baltimore,  Maryland, 
subsequently  becoming  his  manager  of  stores 
at  Aurora,  Illinois,  and  Columbus,  Kansas. 
From  the  latter  place,  in  1883,  he  came  to 
Hall  County  and  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Wolbach  Bros.  Company,  a  firm  that  did  much 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


743 


to  develop  Grand  Island,  remaining  in  the 
employ  of  that  concern  for  seventeen  years- 
Mr.  Hexter  then  embarked  in  business  for 
himself,  in  1899,  continuing  in  the  commercial 
field  for  twelve  years,  during  which  time  he 
added  to  the  excellent  reputation  he  already 
had  made  for  honesty  and  good  citizenship. 
Because  of  the  sale  of  the  building  for  other 
purposes,  Mr.  Hexter  found  himself  obliged  to 
close  out  his  store  in  1911,  and  as  he  had  been 
in  business  for  so  many  years  he  decided  to 
retire  rather  than  build  up  a  new  connection. 
On  March  5,  1884,  Mr.  Hexter  married 
Miss  Bertha  Yost,  who  was  born  in  the  city 
of  New  York,  a  daughter  of  Abraham  and 
Clara  (Freund)  Yost.  Her  father  was  born 
in  Baden  and  her  mother  in  Bavaria,  Germany. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hexter  have  four  children: 
Miriam,  the  wife  of  Oscar  Veit,  of  Grand 
Island ;  Florence,  the  wife  of  Solomon  Hirsch, 
of  St.  Joseph,  Missouri ;  Maud,  a  teacher  in 
the  public  schools,  and  one  who  is  deceased. 
Mr.  Hexter  and  family  are  prominent  in  the 
membership  of  the  Orthodox  Jewish  church. 
In  his  early  political  life  in  the  United  States, 
Mr.  Hexter  was  a  Democrat,  but  the  issues 
that  came  up  during  the  first  administration 
of  President  McKinley,  caused  him  to  change 
his  opinions  and  he  has  been  identified  with 
the  Republican  party  since  then.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  has  had  the 
honor  of  twice  being  master  of  his  lodge.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hexter  remember  when  Grand 
Island  was  nothing  but  a  country  village,  with 
no  permanent  sidewalks,  no  lights,  no  water 
or  sewer  system.  Mr.  Hexter  has  been  one 
of  the  enterprising  and  progressive  men  who 
have  helped  to  bring  about  present  modern 
conditions. 


JENS  ERICKSEN,  a  well  known  and 
highly  respected  resident  of  Hall  County, 
came  to  Grand  Island  thirty-two  years  ago 
and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  Master  of 
several  trades  he  has  been  a  hard  worker  as 
well  as  a  useful  citizen. '  No  one  has  had 
a  higher  reputation  for  business  integrity. 

Jens  Ericksen  was  born  at  Veborg,  Den- 
mark, January  5,  1844,  the  son  of  Jens  and 
Anna  (Brundom)  Ericksen,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  Denmark,  where  the  father  was  a 
fanner  and  stockman.  They  were  faithful 
members  of  the  Danish  Lutheran  church. 
Their  family  consisted  of  three  children,  two 
daughters  who  died  in  Copenhagen,  and  one 
son,  who  came  to  America,  landing  in  the 
United  States  in  1887.  Jens  Ericksen  attended 
school   and   helped   his   father   on   the   farm 


until  he  was  eighteen  years  old,  when  he 
entered  the  army  and  for  his  reward  in  serv- 
ing during  the  war  with  Germany  in  1864,  he 
receives  a  pension  from  the  Danish  govern- 
ment of  one  hundred  kronen  annually.  He 
learned  the  cvabinet-making  trade  in  the  old 
country  and  after  coming  to  the  United  States, 
the  carpenter  trade,  but  prior  to  leaving  Den- 
mark he  owned  and  conducted  a  general  store 
for  sixteen  years.  In  the  meanwhile  Mr. 
Ericksen  had  learned  much  concerning  the 
business  opportunities  that  the  great  country 
across  the  Atlantic  offered  to  men  of  industry, 
especially  in  its  western  states,  and  as  many 
of  his  countrymen  were  prospering  in  Grand 
Island,  it  was  to  this  place  he  came  with  his 
family.  A  ready  welcome  awaited  men  of 
his  class,  honest,  sturdy,  dependable,  hard- 
working, and  it  is  not  remarkable  that  Mr. 
Ericksen  prospered.  In  1904  he  began  con- 
tracting, and  as  a  private  venture  he  built  ten 
houses  in  the  city,  on  which  he  performed 
practically  all  the  work  himself.  These  houses 
he  owned  and  since  then  has  sold  all  but 
three.  < 

In  Denmark,  on  May  28,  1865,  Mr.  Ericksen 
married  Miss  Anna  M.  Carstensen.  They 
have  the  following  children :  Jens,  who  lives 
in  Denver,  Colorado;  Mrs.  Maggie  Ras- 
mussen,  deceased ;  Walter,  a  business  man  of 
Grand  Island ;  Mrs.  Gertrude  Alexander,  who 
resides  in  Omaha;  Mrs.  Emma  Dalgus,  of 
Grand  Island ;  Charles,  in  business  at  Grand 
Island ;  Martin,  deceased ;  Ernest,  who  lives  in 
Grand  Island;  Albert,  in  business  in  Seattle, 
Washington;  Anna,  the  wife  of  C.  Petersen, 
and  Christ,  who  makes  his  home  in  Grand 
Island.  All  the  children  were  born  in  Den- 
mark except  the  youngest,  a  native  son  of 
Grand  Island.  ,  The  family  belongs  to  the 
English  Lutheran  church.  In  his  political 
opinions  Mr.  Ericksen  is  a  Democrat. 


REV.  GUSTAV  H.  MICHELMANN.— 
Perhaps  the  Lutheran  clergy  in  Nebraska  has 
no  more  scholarly  representative  than  Rev. 
Gustav  Herman  Michelmann,  pastor  of  the 
German-English  St.  Paul's  Evangelical  Luth- 
eran congregation,  on  Seventh  and  Locust 
streets,  Grand  Island,  who  for  the  past  five 
years  has  been  president  of  the  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Synod  of  Nebraska. 

Rev.  Michelmann  was  bom  at  Prosigk, 
dukedom  Anhalt,  Germany,  July  17th,  1871. 
His  parents  were  bom  in  Anhalt,  the  father 
at  Muehno  and  his  mother  at  Coethen. 

From  1878  to  1881  Rev.  Michelmann  at- 
tended the  grammar  school  at  Coethen-Anhalt. 


744 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


In  the  latter  year  he  became  a  pupil  of  the 
gymnasium  of  the  same  city.  At  that  insti- 
tution he  paid  especial  attention  to  the  lan- 
guages, Latin,  Greek,  French  and  English. 
On  March  10,  1891,  he  passed  the  examina- 
tion, the  so-called  abiturium  which  qualifies 
for  admission  to  the  university.  In  April, 
1891,  he  became  a  student  of  the  university 
of  Tuebingen  (Wurtemberg)  and  registered 
as  a  student  of  philosophy  and  evangelical 
theology.  At  the  close  of  the  first  semester 
he  passed  the  examination  in  the  Hebrew 
language.  In  April,  1892,  he  went  to  the 
university  of  Halle  (Saxony)  to  continue  and 
to  complete  his  studies  in  the  same  branches. 
In  the  fall  of  1894  he  was  graduated  and  ac- 
cepted a  call  as  private  instructor  from,  a 
Lutheran  minister  in  a  village  of  Mecklenburg. 
He  remained  there  one  year  engaged  in  pre- 
paring five  boys  for  the  higher  classes  of  a 
gymnasium. 

Due  to  the  fact  that  there  were  so  many  can- 
didates for  the  ministry  at  that  time  in  Ger- 
many, Rev.  Michelmann  resolved  to  emigrate 
to  the  United  States  of  America,  landing  at 
New  York  City  December  20,  1895,  and  went 
from  there  to  Chicago,  where  he  accepted  a 
call  as  assistant  professor  in  a  Lutheran  Theo- 
logical seminary.  In  June,  1896,  he  received 
a  call  from  a  Lutheran  congregation  of  Chi- 
cago, and  was.  ordained  a  minister  of  the 
Gospel  in  September,  1897.  Since  that  time 
he  has  served  churches  in  the  following  places : 
Chicago,  Brookville,  Indiana,  Oak  Park, 
Illinois,  and  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  coming 
to  the  last  named  city  in  August  1906.  In 
August,  1915,  Rev.  Michelmann  accepted  a 
call  from  the  Grand  Island  College  to  teach 
German  and  French,  at  that  institution,  from 
which  he  received  the  degree  of  Ph.B.,  in 
1916.  In  November,  1905,  Rev.  Michelmann 
became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States. 

In  Brookville,  Indiana,  in  1899,  Rev.  Mr. 
Michelmann  married  Miss  Elizabeth  Klemme. 
Five  children  have  been  born  to  them:  Oswald 
C,  Hans  F.,  Margaret,  Clara  W.  and  Use 
Pearl.  The  oldest  son  is  a  student  of  phi- 
lology in  Ann  Arbor,  Michigan. 


REV.  HERMAN  SCHUMANN.  — There 
are  few  old-time  German  residents  of  a  num- 
ber of  counties  in  Nebraska  who  have  not 
heard  or  come  under  the  ministrations  of  Rev. 
Herman  Schumann,  who  now,  having  retired 
from  active  ministerial  work,  resides  in  Grand 
Island,  his  pleasant  home  being  situated  at 
No.  304  West  Sixth  street.  As  one  of  the 
pioneer    preachers    of    the    Lutheran    faith, 


Rev.  Schumann  for  years  traveled  back  and 
forth  visiting  scattered  settlements  and  lonely 
farmhouses,  sharing  the  hardships  of  his 
parishioners  while  helping  them  both  ma- 
terially and  spiritually.  In  passing  from  one 
field  of  labor  to  another,  he  never  failed  to 
leave  behind  tangible  evidence  of  his  interest, 
and  the  religious  bodies  he  then  organized,  in 
many  cases  were  plants  that  have  developed 
into  the  large  congregations  of  the  present. 

Herman  Schumann  was  born  in  Germany, 
February  13,  1857,  one  of  a  family  of  eleven 
children  born  to  Julius  and  Anna  (Dunskus) 
Schumann,  who  passed  their  entire  lives  in 
Germany,  the  father  dying  in  1869  and  the 
mother  in  1914.  Two  of  their  six  surviving 
children  live  in  Grand  Island,  Rev.  Schumann 
and  Mrs.  Anna  Freeland,  From  the  high 
school  in  his  native  land,  Herman  Schumann 
entered  the  university  at  Basel,  Switzerland, 
and  was  ordained  to  the  Lutheran  ministry 
before  coming  to  the  United  States  in  1885. 
He  located  first  in  Platte  County,  Nebraska, 
his  first  charge  being  near  Columbus.  In  those 
early  days  he  visited  the  three  churches  to 
which  he  was  usually  asssigned,  at  regular 
intervals,  driving  alone  over  miles  of  prairie 
from  one  to  the  other,  often  carrying  with  him 
the  consolations  of  religion  to  the  sick  and 
afflicted  while  at  other  times  his  advent  was 
awaited  anxiously  for  the  celebration  of  a 
wedding  or  a  baptism.  From  Platte  County 
he  removed  to  Fillmore  county  and  five  years 
later  from  there  to  Dodge  County,  where  he 
resided  until  in  1898,  when  he  accepted  a  call 
to  Grand  Island.  Here  he  continued  active 
in  church  work  until  his  retirement  in  the  fall 
of  1918.  He  was  a  faithful  laborer  and  was 
instrumental  in  building  four  churches  beside 
organizing  five  congregations. 

At  Shell  Creek,  in  Platte  County,  Nebraska 
Rev.  Schumann  married,  November  18,  1886. 
Miss  Amelia  Radtke.  They  have  the  follow- 
ing children:  Lydia,  the  wife  of  Rev.  Fred 
Motckus,  of  Hastings,  Nebraska ;  Albert,  a 
resident  of  Cameron  township,  Hall  County, 
married  Freda  Buckow ;  Reinhold,  a  farmer 
in  Cameron  township,  married  Opal  Stewart*; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Leves  Seddell,  of  Omaha: 
Martha,  a  talented  musician,  resides  at  home; 
Freda,  a  teacher  in  the  public  schools,  resides 
at  home ;  Ferdinand,  a  student  in  the  high 
school  in  Grand  Island ;  Hulda,  also  a  higii 
school  student,  and  Rosalie,  who  resides  with 
her  parents. 

When  Mr.  Schumann  retired  from  the  min- 
istry as  a  profession  it  was  from  no  lack  of 
Christian  zeal  nor  with  the  expectation  of 
living   entirely   at   ease.     He   has   some   im- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


745 


portant  interests  to  claim  his  time,  included 
in  these  being  the  management  of  his  three 
farms,  and  looking  after  the  affairs  of  the 
Grand  Island  Manufacturing  Company,  of 
which'  he  is  president.  Many  years  ago  he 
became  a  citizen  of  the  United  States.  He  is 
a  Republican  in  his  political  identification. 


GEORGE  W.  BROADWELL,  who  does 
an  extensive  business  in  Grand  Island  as  a 
general  contractor,  is  prominent  in  public  as 
well  as  business  affairs.  Although  not  a  native 
of  Nebraska  almo'st  all  of  his  life  has  been 
spent  here  and  he  takes  much  pride  in  the 
present  status  of  this  state  in  comparison  to 
her  sister  states. 

Mr.  Broadwelt  was  born  in  Springfield, 
Sangamon  County,  Illinois,  June  13th,  1868, 
a  son  of  Cyrus  F.  and  Ella  A.  (Goff)  Broad- 
well.  Cyrus  F.  Broadwell  was  oorn  in  Spring- 
field and  in  boyhood  attended  school  with  the 
sons  of  Abraham  Lincoln.  He  was  a  general 
farmer  and  raiser  of  stock.  He  removed  from 
Illinois  to  Colorado,  where  he  lived  for  three 
years  and  then  came  to  Nebraska,  May  8, 1871, 
homesteading  near  Lincoln.  He  lived  in  Web- 
ster County  until  the  spring  of  1887,  moving 
then  to  Hall  County,  where  his  death  occurred 
in  1894,  at  the  age  of  forty-eight  years.  He 
was  a  member  of  the  American  Order  United 
Workmen,  and  in  politics  was  a  Republican. 
His  wife  was  born  in  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 
They  had  six  children,  George  W.  being  the 
only  one  of  the  four  survivors  to  live  in  Hall 
County.  His  mother  makes  her  home  with 
him.  She  remembers  many  interesting  events 
of  early  times  in  Hall  County.  On  one  oc- 
casion, when  she  was  yet  a  young  woman,  she 
drove  a  yoke  of  oxen  all  the  way  from  Omaha 
to  Denver,  and  when  the  family  removed  to 
Nebraska,  young  George  W.  was  entrusted 
with  the  duty  of  driving  the  ox-team,  which 
was  not  always  an  undertaking  devoid  of 
danger. 

After  his.school  days  were  over,  George  W. 
Broadwell  worked  as  a  farmer  until  he  was 
twenty  years  old,  when  he  came  to  Grand 
Island  and  learned  the  brickmason  trade, 
which  he  pursued  until  1897,  when  he  became 
a  general  contractor,  in  which  he  has  been 
very  successful. 

On  December  25,  1889,  Mr.  Broadwell 
married  Miss  Minnie  Balcom,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Elzina  (Bowen)  Balcom,  who  came 
to  Grand  Island  thirty  years  ago  and  still 
reside  here.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Broadwell  have  no  , 
children.  Mr.  Broadwell  has  taken  an  active 
part   in   public  matters   and   is   a  prominent 


factor  in  Republican  political  circles.  He  has 
been  chairman  of  his  ward  organization  at 
different  times  and  •  for  thirteen  years  prior 
to  1917,  was  a  member  of  the  city  board  of 
aldermen.  His  efforts  at  all  times  are  directed 
to  advance  the  general  welfare.  In  early  days 
he  assisted  in  the  organization  of  Alexander 
Fire  Company  No.  4,  and  many  old  settlers 
will  recall  the  station  at  Elm  and  Seventh 
streets.  He  belongs  to  the  fraternal  orders  of 
the  Elks,  and  the  Eagles. 


JOHN  PETER  WINDOLPH,  for  many 
years  well  known  in  the  newspaper  business 
in  Nebraska,  yet  connected  with  the  printing 
business,  was  bom  in  Uder  Kreis  Heiligen- 
stadt,  Germany,  January  24,  1865.  His 
parents  were  John  and  Kat  henna  (Kellner) 
Windolph,  both  natives  of  Germany. 

In  1872  the  father  of  Mr.  Windolph  came 
to  the  United  States,  the  mother  and  children 
following  in  April,  1873.  They  settled  in 
Hall  County,  the  father  buying  a  farm  of 
eighty  acres  south  of  Grand  Island,  on  which 
they  lived  ten  years,  then  sold  and  bought 
160  acres  east  of  Grand  Island.  The  father 
died  in  the  same  year,  on  September  23,  1882. 
The  mother  continued  on  the  farm  for  a  num- 
ber of  years  and  thenj  removed  to  Grand 
Island,  where  she  still  resides.  She  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Catholic  church.  She  remembers 
when  the  cyclone  blew  the  first  Catholic  church 
away  and  afterward  for  some  time  there  was 
no  church  building  in  this  section  of  that 
denomination.  She  also  remembers  the  hard- 
ships of  the  farmer's  life  in  those  early  days 
including  the  losses  of  crops  from  hail,  drought 
and  grasshoppers.  Nine  children  were  born 
to  John  and  Catherine  Windolph,  as  follows : 
John  P.,  who  resides  one  mile  east  of  Grand 
Island;  Mary,  who  is  the  wife  of  Chris 
Mangelsen,  of  near  Palmer,  Nebraska;  Kath- 
erine,  who  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Eberhard, 
resides  with  her  mother  in  Grand)  Island; 
Dora,  who  is  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  John 
Goettsche  of  Grand  Island ;  Hedwig,  who  lives 
with  her  brother  William  in  Creighton,  Ne- 
braska; William,  a  Catholic  priest,  resides  at 
Creighton;  John,  who  is  a  clerk  in  the  post 
office  in  Grand  Island,  married  Freda  Cords ; 
Charles,  who  lives  on  the  old  farm  of  his 
mother  and  operates  it,  is  a  twin  brother  pf 
John,  usually  called  Peter,  who  married 
Antonia  Cords,  and  Oscar,  a  druggist  at 
Humphrey,  Nebraska,  married  Miss  Burk- 
hardt. 

Fortified  with  a  common  school  education, 
secured  at  Grand  Island,  John  P.  Windolph 


746 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


began,  April  1,  1881,  his  apprenticeship  to  the 
printing  trade,  in  the  office  of  the  Herald, 
in  Grand  Island,  where  he  remained  several 
years.  For  some  time  afterward  he  operated 
a  store,  then  was  in  the  railway  mail  service, 
from  which  latter  he  resigned  in  1888,  shortly 
afterward  starting  a  job  printing  office,  which 
was  the  nucleus  of  a  newspaper,  which  he 
founded  and  named  the  Grand  Island 
Anseiger,  of  which  he  was  editor.  The  ven- 
ture succeeded  and  within  two  years  Mr. 
Windolph  had  enlarged  to  an  eight  page  six 
column  sheet,  continuing  to  operate  as  such 
until  April,  1894,  when  he  purchased  the 
Herald  plant  and  good  will,  consolidating  the 
two  papers.  In  1900  he  bought  the  Stoats 
Anseiger,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  which  he  con- 
solidated with  his  other  journals  and  continued 
publication  until  1906,  before  he  disposed  of 
all  his  newspaper  interests. 

In  1907  Mr.  Windolph  treated  himself  to  a 
vacation,  spending  several  months  in  his 
native  land.  This  pleasant  experience  he  re- 
peated in  1913  when  he  went  to  Germany  ac- 
companied by  his  wife.  On  September  9, 
1887,  he  married  Miss  Amanda  Rieck,  a 
daughter  of  Henry  and  Margaret  (Reimers) 
Rieck.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Windolph  died 
in  Germany  and  the  mother  afterward  married 
Christian  Bade,  both  of  whom  are  deceased. 
The  following  children  were  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Windolph :  William,  who  lives  in  Grand 
Island,  married  Elizabeth  Koch ;  Hugo,  a  res- 
ident of  Grand  Island,  married  Anna  Wetzel ; 
Peter,  whose  home  is  at  Cortland,  New  York, 
was  a  soldier  in  the  United  States  army,  having 
just  returned  home  from  France ;  Clara,  the 
wife  of  Albert  Schultz,  a  meat  merchant  in 
Grand  Island ;  Walter,  who  is  a  soldier  in  the 
United  States  army  of  occupation  in  Germany ; 
Otto,  at  home  was  recently  released  from 
miltitary  training  at  Camp  Dodge;  Albert, 
who  lives  at  Grand  Island,  and  Elsie,  a 
photographist,  lives  at  home. 

In  1896  Mr.  Windolph  and  family  moved 
out  of  the  city  of  Grand  Island  to  their  country 
place  of  ten  acres,  one  mile  east,  this  being 
part  of  the  old  homestead.  In  1908  he  started 
a  job  printing  office  here  and  has  operated 
it  ever  since.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat. 
He  has  never  had  any  ambition  to  hold  office 
and  the  only  public  position  he  ever  accepted 
was  that  of  moderator  of  schools  for  four 
terms.  He  belongs  fraternally  to  the  Eagles, 
the  Sons  of  Herman,  the  Liederkranz  and  the 
Plattsdeutschen  society. 


JOHN    F.   WALSH.  — A   r 
honorable   achievements   both  i 


in   of   many 
public   and 


business  life  for  many  years  well  known  in 
Nebraska,  is  John  F.  Walsh,  the  retiring  com- 
mandant of  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home, 
at  Burkett,  Nebraska.  Mr.  Walsh  was  bora 
in  Dublin,  Ireland,  March  31,  1846.  His 
parents  were  Patrick  K.  and  Susan  (Woods) 
Walsh,  natives  of  Ireland  who  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1848. 

Patrick  K.  Walsh  was  a  shoemaker  by  trade 
but  a  leader  of  men  by  nature.  He  was  a  man 
of  education  and  brilliant  mind,  a  writer  of 
books  and  a  welcome  contributor  to  such  well 
known  literary  journals  as  the  Celtic  Index 
and  the  Irish  National  Magazine.  He  was 
one  of  a  very  active  group  of  agitators  in  the 
rebellion  of  1884  in  Ireland  and  it  became  ex- 
pedient that  he  leave  his  country,  hence  his 
emigration  to  the  United  States  when,  that 
uprising  in  Erin  was  unsuccessful.  He  never 
ceased  his  active  interest  in  Irish  affairs  and 
was  recognized  in  Ohio  as  a  devoted  worker 
for  Ireland's  freedom.  His  death  occurred 
July  28,  1886,  and  in  St.  Joseph  cemetery. 
Cleveland,  Ohio,  stands  a  monument  erected 
to  his  memory  by  his  followers.  In  1862  he 
showed  his  willingness  to  fight  for  what  he 
believed  to  be  right,  by  enlisting  as  a  private 
for  service  in  the  Civil  War,  being  placed  in 
command  of  a  telegraph  construction  division 
and  later  was  promoted  to  the  rank  of  captain. 
Although  he  was  not  the.  type  of  man  to  shun 
danger  and  his  work  took  him  into  many  haz- 
ardous situations,  he  was  never  either 
wounded  or  taken  prisoner.  His  wife  died 
in  1891.  Of  their  six  children  three  are  liv- 
ing, John  F.  being  the  only  one  in  Hall  County. 

John  F.  Walsh  was  instructed  in  his  early 
years  by  his  father  but  later  attended  the 
public  schools  in  Cincinnati.  In  1862,  when 
his  father  entered  the  Union  army,  he  also 
endeavored  to  be  accepted  as  a  soldier,  and 
twice  afterward  made  further  ineffectual 
efforts,  but  succeeded  in  1864  and  served  until 
the  war  closed,  during  this  time  having  been 
a  prisoner  of  war  on  one  occasion  for  two 
hours.  He  returned  then  to  his  father's  house 
in  Cleveland  and  completed  his  appreticesbip 
to  the  shoemaking  trade  while,  for  two  years, 
he  attended  night  schools  to  further  his  edu- 
cation. 

Mr.  Walsh  then  went  as  far  west  as  St 
Louis,  Missouri,  where  he  joined  a  company 
of  fur  traders  whose  life  of  adventure  led 
them  to  the  source  of  the  Missouri  river.  In 
those  wild  regions  they  were  attacked  by  a 
band  of  Indians  who  killed  two  of  their  party 
and  stole  their  pelts.  Being  unable  under  the 
circumstances  to  resent  this  injustice,  the  fur 
men  went  down  the  river  in  skiffs  as  far  as 
Sioux   City  and   from   there  to  Brownsville, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mb.  and  Mrs.  J.  P.  Windolph 


D.0iiizedb»  Google 


748 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Nebraska.  His  first  marriage  took  place  at 
Brownsville,  and  from  there  he  went  to  what 
was  then  the  hamlet  of  Humboldt,  in  Richard- 
son County,  Nebraska.  The  village  at  that 
time  had  but  fifty  inhabitants  and  Mr.  Walsh 
was  the  first  shoe  merchant  in  the  town,  own- 
ing,and  operating  his  store  until  1888,  when  he 
embarked  in  general  merchandising.  He  was 
a  resident  of  Humboldt  for  forty-four  years 
and  was  one  of  the  leading  factors  in  its  de- 
velopment. He  was  a  member  of  the  first  city 
council,  was  on  the  school  board  for  eighteen 
years,  was  post  master  during  the  four  years 
of  President  Cleveland's  first  administration, 
was  mayor  of  Humboldt,  and  during  the  early 
'nineties  was  treasurer  of  Richardson  County. 
Mr.  Walsh  then  engaged  in  the  banking  bus- 
inss,  in  which  he  continued  up  to  the  time  he 
gave  way  to  the  solicitation  of  Governor 
Moor  head  to  accept  the  position  at  the 
Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  at  Burkett,  hav- 
ing been  cashier  of  the  bank  for  twenty-three 
consecutive  years. 

The  Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home  of  Hall 
County  was  organized  October  20,  1887.  It 
is  situated  on  640  acres  of  land  and  until 
1913  the  home  was  under  the  control  of  a 
board  of  Public  Land  and  Buildings.  Since 
then  it  has  been  under  the  management  of  a 
constitutional  body  known  as  the  Board  of 
Commissioners  of  State  Institutions,  ap- 
pointments under  this  board  being  considered 
based  on  efficiency  only.  At  the  present  time 
there  are  two  hundred  and  forty  women  and 
three  hundred  and  .sixty  men  residing  at  the 
institution.  The  United  States  government 
allows  $100  per  year  for  each  inmate,  the 
state  providing  the  balance  of  expense.  The 
average  age  of  the  inmates  is  over  seventy 
years,  and  there  is  always  a  waiting  list.  In 
March,  1915,  Mr.  Walsh  upon  appointment 
took  charge  of  the  home  as  commandant,  a  po- 
sition he  has  resigned  as  indicated  by  the 
following  letter  made  public  addressed  to  the 
board  of  control.  After  courteous  prelimi- 
naries Mr.  Watsh  said  as  follows  in  this  com- 
munication :    "To  the  State  Board  of  Control : 

"I  herewith  tender  you  my  resignation  as 
commandant  of  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Home  at  Burkett,  to  take  effect  March  15, 
1919,  or  not  later  than  April  1,  following,  for 
the  following  reasons :  When  I  was  solicited 
to  take  the  position  four  years  ago,  I  was  given 
to  understand  that  it  was  a  non-partisan  civil 
service  proposition,  and  not  a  political  foot- 
ball, but  from  reading  the  newspapers  I  learn 
of  the  petty  and  pernicious  political  activity 
of  some  members  of  the  legislature,  and  the 
public  and  emphatic  pronouncement  of  Gov- 


ernor McKelvie  that  this  administration  was 
to  be  one  of  the  ultra  partisan  type,  I  do  not 
care  to  undergo  the  nagging  and  annoyance 
of  such  conditions.  I  must  say  for  you, 
gentlemen,  that  I  have  never  discovered  any 
partisan  discrimination  on  your  part.  The 
good  of  the  institution  seemed  to  be  your 
sole  object,  and  I  consider  the  board  of  control 
one  of  the  best  executive  departments  in  our 
state  government.  I  will  say  nothing  of  im- 
personal record  as  you  have  that  in  black  and 
white.  I  heartily  thank  you  one  and  all  for 
your  uniform  kindness  and  support  during 
my  service  under  your  jurisdiction.  Respect- 
fully submitted.    J.  F.  Walsh." 

Mr.  Walsh  married  Miss  Cora  V.  Layton, 
a  daughter  of  Judge  Layton,  of  Pottawattamie 
County,  Iowa.  Her  death  occurred  July  25th, 
1886;  their  children  are  all  deceased.  His 
second  marriage  took  place  November  29. 
1888,  to  Miss  Kate  B.  Murphy,  who  is  a 
daughter  of  Barney  and  Margaret  ( Mc- 
Sweeney)  Murphy.  To  this  union  the  follow- 
ing children  were  born :  Patrick  R.,  who  lives 
in  Omaha ;  Morgan  A.,  of  Los  Angeles ;  Paul 
E.,  whose  home  is  Omaha;  Ernest,  who  has 
been  farm  boss  at  the  Soldiers'  and  Sailors' 
Home,  and  Vinetta  M.,  who  is  a  skilled 
stenographer  in  the  Union  Pacific  offices  at 
Grand  Island. 

During  his  lifetime  Mr.  Walsh  has  been 
associated  with  men  of  large  affairs  and  has 
been  on  terms  of  intimacy  and  friendship 
with  such  national  characters  as  J.  Sterling 
Morton,  Governor  Butler,  Governor  Moor- 
head,  Governor  Furness  and  Governor 
Poynter. 


GEORGE  ALBERT  ENGLE,  depot  agent 
for  the  American- Express  Company  in  Grand 
Island,  has  been  identified  with  this  important 
business  organization  for  a  number  of  years, 
and  was  advanced  to  his  present  position 
because  of  merit.  Mr.  Engle  has  spent  his 
life  in  Grand  Island,  and  while  his  business 
associations  have  made  him  widely  known, 
his  personal  demeanor  has  made  him  equally 
respected. 

Mr.  Engle  was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, February  14,  1889^  son  of  Charles 
and  Lillie  (Ruby)  Engle,  natives  of  Iowa. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Engle  is  interested  in  farm- 
ing in  South  Dakota,  but  the  mother  is  re- 
siding in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Engle  had  one 
sister  who  is  deceased.  He  has  the  follow- 
ing half  brothers  and  sisters:  Dora,  the  wife 
of  Frank  Deeds,  of  Mendon,  Nebraska ;  Roy 
Kent,  a  resident  of  Grand  Island,  and  Ethel. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


749 


Ruby  and  Oscar,  all  of  whom  reside  at  home. 

George  Albert  Engle  attended  the  public 
schools  in  his  native  city,  immediately  after- 
ward looking  about  for  a  useful  line  of  indus- 
try and  subsequently  learning  the  trade  of 
plasterer  and  mason,  in  which  he  was  more  or 
less  continuously  engaged  for  twelve  years.  He 
then  entered  the  employ  of  the  American  Ex- 
press Company,  serving  first  as  platform  man, 
then  as  teamster,  next  as  agent,  in  June,  1913, 
becoming  station  agent.  Mr.  Engle  is  known 
to  be  careful,  reliable  and  courteous  and  he  has 
many  friends  among  the  home  people  as  well 
as  the  general  traveling  public. 

Mr.  Engle  married,  July  4,  1910,  Miss 
Augusta  Ottomiller,  a  daughter  of  the  late 
John  Ottomiller,  who  died  on  his  farm  near 
Grand  Island,  in  January,  1914.  The  mother 
of  Mrs.  Engle  still  lives  on  the  farm.  Mrs. 
Engle  has  three  brothers  and  two  sisters :  John, 
a  farmer  in  Hall  County;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Rudolph  Reher,  of  Grand  Island;  Fred,  a 
farmer ;  Henry,  a  soldier  in  the  United  States 
army;  and  Katie,  who  lives  with  her  mother. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Engle  have  had  the  following 
children :  George,  Ruby,  Harold,  Robert  and 
Eugene,  all  of  whom  survive  except  Harold. 
Mr.  Engle  is  a  good  citizen  but  is  not  active 
in  politics. 


REV.  CONRAD  WOELZ,  who  was  con- 
nected with  the  active  ministry  of  the  Evan- 
gelical church  both  in  Germany  and  in  the 
United  States  for  many  years,, is  a  resident 
of  Grand  Island  who  is  held  in  the  highest 
esteem.  Although  the  weight  of  more  than 
four  score  years  rests  upon  him,  he  still  re- 
sponds to  ministerial  calls  in  local  churches 
and  still  takes  a  deep  interest  in  everything  of 
moral  import  that  is  brought  to  his  attention. 

Rev.  Woelz  was  born  at  Lautern,  Wurttem- 
berg,  Germany,  February  17,  1838.  His  par- 
ents were  Jacob  and  Margaret  ha  (Grimm) 
Woelz,  who  never  left  Germany,  where  the 
father  lived  to  the  age  of  eighty-three  years 
and  the  mother,  seventy-six  years.  They  had 
six  children,  three  of  whom  live,  Conrad  being 
the  only  one  to  come  to  the  United  States. 
The  father  was  a  weaver  in  a  cotton  factory. 

After  attending  the  local  schools,  Conrad 
Woelz  was  accepted  as  a  theological  student 
in  the  seminary  at  Reutlingen,  Germany, 
where  he  completed  his  studies  and  became  a 
minister  of  the  Evangelical  association.  In 
1876  he  began  his  active  labors, in  the  Evan- 
gelical ministry,  attended  conferences  in 
Switzerland  and  organized  several  churches  in 
southern  Germany.     In  1883  he  came  to  the 


United  States  with  his  family,  locating  in 
Mil  ford,  Seward  County,  as  a  minister,  from 
which  place  he  came  as  a  minister  to  Grand 
Island,  in  1884,  where  he  continued  active  in 
church  affairs  until   1890. 

In  Germany,  May  21,  1866,  Rev.  Woelz 
married  Anna  M.  Zeuner,  who  was  born  at 
Herbrechtingen,  Germany,  and  eight  children 
were  born  to  them:  Charles,  who  resides  in 
Grand  Island,  married  Elvina  Janss ;  Chris- 
tian, who  now  lives  at  Fort  Collins,  Colorado; 
Gottletb,  at  present  a  resident  of  Longmont, 
Colorado ;  John  who  is  at  home ;  Lydia,  also  at 
home;  Herman,  who  lives  at  Longmont,  Colo- 
rado; Theodore,  who  died  February  7,  1919; 
and  an  infant  that  died  unnamed.  There  is  only 
one  grandchild  in  the  family.  The  sons  of 
Rev.  Woelz  developed  into  young  men  of  un- 
usual stability  and  business  capacity,  all  of 
them  being  connected  for  years  with  the  well 
known  mercantile  house  of  Wolbach  &  Sons. 
The  late  Theodore  Woelz  was  engaged  with 
this  important  firm  for  twenty  years  of  his 
life,  while  Charles  has  been  there  sixteen  years, 
John,  twenty-two  years,  and  Christian,  Gott- 
leib  and  Herman,  six,  fourteen  and  ten  years 
respectively.  It  may  not  be  out  of  place  to 
comment,  in  this  connection,  on  the  very  evi- 
dent value  of  Christian  home  training  and 
Rev.  and  Mrs.  Woelz  may  well  be  proud  of  a 
family  so  creditable  in  every  way.  The  family 
home  is  at  No.  1323  West  First  street,  Grand 
Island. 


FRANK  SALLINGER,  one  of  Hall 
County's  well  known  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zens, now  lives  in  comfortable  retirement  in 
Grand  Island,  after  almost  forty  years  of  ac- 
tive life  here  as  a  farmer.  He  came  to  Hall 
County  in  1879  and  has  never  felt  inclined  to 
leave,  finding  here  land,  business  opportunity, 
good  neighbors  and  many  friends. 

Frank  Sallinger  was  born  in  Westmoreland 
County,  Pennsylvania,  June  15,  1848,  a  son 
of  Alda  and  Mary  (Cokenaur)  Sallinger, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Westmoreland 
County.  They  died  in  Pennsylvania  aged  re- 
spectively eighty  and  eighty-seven  years.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  all  his  active  life.  He  was 
a  quiet,  industrious  man,  honest  and  fair  in 
all  dealings,  a  consistent  member  of  the  Meth- 
odist Episcopal  church,  and  Republican  in  poli- 
tics. 

In  the  country  schools  near  his  father's 
farm  in  Westmoreland  County,  Frank  Sallinger 
obtained  the  usual  education  of  the  farmer 
boy  of  that  peiod,  laying  a  good  foundation 
on  which  he  built  the  higher,  wider  experi- 


75C 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ences  of  life.  He  began  to  be  useful  on  the 
home  farm  by  the  time  he,  was  twelve  years  . 
old  and  farm  pursuits  have  interested  him  ever 
since.  In  18/9  he  left  his  native  state  and 
came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  as  above  men- 
tioned, where  he  continued  to  be  a  farmer 
until  1913,  when  he  retired  and  removed  to 
Grand  Island,  locating  in  his  comfortable 
home  at  No.  1836  Lafayette  Avenue, 

On  December  31,  1871,  Mr.  Sallinger  mar- 
ried Miss  Margaret  Kerns,  who  was  born  in 
Northumberland  County,  England,  being 
brought  to  the  United  States  when  a  small 
child,  by  her  parents  and  reared  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. Mrs.  Sallinger  died  in  Nebraska, 
March  14,  1916.  Her  parents  were  natives 
of  England  from  which  country  they  emi- 
grated. The  father  died  on  the  voyage  to 
America  and  was  buried  at  sea.  The  mother 
subsequently  married  August  Nettle.  She  died 
in  Hall  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sallinger  be- 
came the  parents  of  seven  children,  five  of 
whom  are  living,  namely :  Charles,  lives  in 
Hall  County,  married  Mary  Miles;  Edward, 
residing  in  Grand  Island,  married  Emma  Ring, 
who  was  born  on  her  parents'  homestead  in 
Hall  County;  Frank,  also  lives  at  Grand  Is- 
land; Jennie,  the  wife  of  William  Thomas,  of 
Hall  County ;  and  William,  who  lives  in 
Perkins  County,  Nebraska,  has  been  twice 
married,  first  to  Maggie  Benson  and  after  her 
death  married  Katherine  Nagel.  Mr.  Sallinger 
is  a  member  of  the  Trinity  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  Grand  Island.  He  has  never  de- 
sired to  hold  public  office  but  has  been  inter- 
ested in  the  developement  of  this  section  as 
a  good  citizen.  He  votes  with  the  Republican 
party. 


WILLIAM  A.  HAGGE.  — The  history  of 
a  community  is  best  told  in  the  life  record  of 
its  citizens.  In  gathering  the  records  for  the 
early  history  of  Hall  County,  we  find  that  the 
gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this  sketch 
is  one  of  the  three  survivors  of  the  original 
colony  that  settled  on  the  present  site  of  Grand 
Island,  and  at  a  meeting  held  to  decide  upon 
a  name  for  the  new  town,  the  name  finally 
adopted  was  the  one  suggested  by  William 
A,  Hagge.  It  is  nearly  sixty-two  years  since 
that  little  band  of  sturdy  German  people  came 
here  and  during  all  these  years  the  subject  of 
this  record  has  been  a  resident  of  this  com- 
munity. 

William  A.  Hagge  was  born  in  the  village 
of  Pratsdorf,  province  of  Holstein,  Germany, 
April  3,  1834,  a  son  of  Johann  and  Ida 
(Klindt)  Hagge,  natives  of  the  same  province. 


The  father,  who  was  a  school  teacher,  died  in 
Germany  and  the  mother  with  her  family,  in 
company  with  a  party  of  neighbors  started  for 
America.  The  were  opposed  to  the  militarism 
in  vogue  in  that  country,  and  to  escape  the 
possibility  of  its  young  men  having  to  serve 
in  the  army,  they  sought  refuge  on  this  side 
of  the  Atlantic.  They  sailed  from  the  harbor 
of  Hamburg  on  April  9,  1849,  on  a  vessel 
flying  the  Russian  flag,  and  from  the  start 
were  pursued  by  Danish  warships.  The  ship 
also  encountered  severe  storms  and  after  a 
voyage  of  eight  weeks  they  landed  at  New 
Orleans.  Cholera  was  raging  at  the  time  and 
the  disease  attacked  the  little  band.  Before 
they  reached  St.  Louis  several  of  their 
number  had  succumbed  to  the  dread  dis- 
ease, among  the  number  being  the  mother, 
an  older  brother  and  a  sister  of  our 
subject.  The  party  continued  up  the  Missis- 
sippi River  to  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  here 
William  A.  Hagge  grew  to  manhood  and  be- 
came a  merchant.  His  store  enjoyed  the  best 
German  trade  in  Davenport  and  he  continued 
to  prosper  until  the  panic  of  1857,  and  though 
there  was  much  money  owing  him  he  was 
forced  to  give  up  the  business.  It  was  that 
year  that  a  party  of  congressmen  and  bankers 
of  Washington,  D.  C,  planned  to  form  a 
colony  in  the  valley  of  the  Platte  somewhere 
in  Nebraska,  and  Mr.  Hagge  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  second  Nebraska  colony  and  was 
with  them  when  they  settled  on  the  present  site 
of  Grand  Island.  Here  Mr.  Hagge  took  a 
homestead  and  a  pre-emption  claim  and  be- 
came a  successful  farmer.  He  erected  the 
first  house  to  be  built  in  the  neighborhood 
which  was  destoyed  by  a  prairie  fire  the  next 
year.  He  was  the  first  justice  of  peace  of  this 
district  and  the  first  trial  on  record  was  held 
before  him. 

He  has  always  been  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  took  an  active  part  in  all  things  that  had 
to  do  with  the  developement  of  the  county. 
He  was  called  to  public  office  and  served  two 
terms  as  treasurer  of  Hall  County.  Later  he 
engaged  in  the  banking  business,  but  for  many 
years  has  lived  retired,  his  sons  under  the 
name  of  Hagge  Brothers  carrying  on  the  work 
of  the  farm. 

October  26,  1865,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
William  A.  Hagge  and  Miss  Caroline  S.  Mol- 
ler,  who  was  born  in  the  village  of  Dairy, 
Holstein,  Germany,  February  10,  1846.  Her 
parents,  Frederick  and  Katrina  (Lillienthal) 
Moller,  emigrated  to  America  in  1857  and 
settled  first  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  in  1859 
became  residents  of  Hall  County.  They  drove 
overland  from  Iowa  with  horse  and  ox  teams 


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Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


753 


and  cast  their  lot  with  the  early  settlers  of 
Washington  township.  They  were  farming 
people  and  spent  the  remainder  of  their  lives 
here,  the  father  passing  away  at  the  age  of 
eighty-five  and  the  mother  was  seventy-two 
when  called  to  her  final  rest. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hagge  became  the  parents 
of  eight  children,  seven  of  whom  are  living: 
Ida  Adelia,  the  wife  of  Harman  C.  Petersen, 
of  Davenport,  Iowa;  Emma,  married  F.  W. 
Behrns  and  resides  at  home ;  William  A.,  Jr., 
and  Frederick  J.  are  operating  the  old  farm; 
August  W.,  is  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Hagge 
Brothers,  and  for  twenty  years  has  been  on 
the  agricultural  staff  of  the  American  Beet 
Sugar  Company;  Helen  M.,  the  wife  of  John 
G.  Roby,  residing  in  Hall  County;  Clara, 
unmarried  and  resides  at  home;  and  Minnie, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nineteen. 

Though  for  several  years  Mr.  Hagge  has 
been  bereft  of  his  hearing  and  his  eyesight  is 
impaired,  he  still  delights  in  recounting  the 
reminiscenses  of  the  early  days.  He  is  one  of 
the  few  remaining  pioneers  to  whom  we  are  in- 
debted for  the  information  that  makes  possible 
an  authentic  history  of  Hall  County.  He  en- 
dured the  hardships,  overcame  obstacles  and 
helped  to  make  the  community  a  better  place  in 
which  to  live.  Indians,  grasshoppers,  prairie 
fires  and  drouth  were  some  of  the  trials  they 
had  to  meet.  On  one  occasion  Mr.  Hagge  had 
gone  to  the  woods  for  a  log  when  he  was  sur- 
rounded by  Indians.  When  they  searched  him 
a  postage  stamp  was  all  they  found.  His  re- 
sourcefulness was  brought  into  play  and  when 
he  told  them  that  this  stamp  was  his  protection, 
and  that  if  he  was  harmed  Uncle  Sam  would 
deal  harshly  with  them  at  once,  they  seemed 
satisfied  and  went  on  the  way  leaving  him 
unharmed. 

A  full  account  of  the  trials  and  experi- 
ences of  these  early  settlers  will  be  found  in 
the  general  history  and  the  people  of  the 
county  should  appreciate  the  opportunity  to 
have  this  done  before  it  is  too  late.  In  giving 
space  to  those  who  are  deserving  especial  men- 
tion, we  trust  the  life  record  here  preserved 
will  prove  not  only  an  inspiration  to  his  own 
family  but  to  all  future  generations  of  Hall 
County. 


JOHN  H.  WINDOLPH,  one  of  Grand 
Island's  well  known  business  men  and  re- 
putable citizens,  bears  a  name  that  has  been 
held -*n  great  respect  in  Hall  County  for  over 
a  half  century.  Mr.  Windolph  was  born  in 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  January  6,  1871,  the 
eldest  of  the  four  children  of  John  L,  and 


Mary  (Magdalene)  Windolph,  the  latter  of 
whom  is  deceased.  His  father  was  born  in  Ger- 
many. He  came  to  the  United  States  in  early 
manhood,  and  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in 
1861.  An  octogenarian  but  still  vigorous  in 
mind  and  body,  he  now  lives  in  comfortable 
retirement  on  a  part  of  his  original  homestead 
adjoining  the  city  limits  of  Grand  Island. 

John  H.  Windolph  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Hall  County  and  the  Grand 
Island  Business  College.  He  has  been  cm- 
ployed  by  his  father  more  or  less  throughout 
his  entire  business  life  and  it  is  recognized 
that  he  possesses  decided  commercial  ability. 
He  is  now  operating  the  finely  improved  farm 
of  eighty  acres,  all  that  the  reaching  out  and 
expansion  of  Grand  Island  has  left  of  the 
original  homestead  which  grew  to  a  farm  of 
240  acres.  Business  streets  and  fine  residences 
now  occupy  the  rest  of  the  land  other  than 
the  hbme  farm,  it  having  been  sold  gradually 
after  being  divided  in  city  lots.  Mr.  Windolph 
has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Hall  County  with 
the  exception  of  two  and  a  half  years  during 
which  he  was  looking  after  his  father's  prop- 
erty in  Oklahoma.  He  gives  his  father  assist- 
ance in  looking  after  the  latter's  many  Grand 
Island  interests. 

January  20,  1909,  Mr.  Windolph  married 
Miss  Helen  Krause,  a  daughter  of  W.  T.  and 
Pauline  (Gebauer)  Krause,  who  came  to  Hall 
County  in  1880.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Windolph  have 
two  children :  Chester  Charles  and  Marie 
Magdalena.  They  are  members  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  In  politics  Mr.  Windolph  is 
a  Republican.  He  has  never  accepted  political 
office,  but  for  five  years  was  member  of  the 
Grand  Island  Fire  Department,  and  secretary 
of  the  same  as  well  as  secretary  of  the  Pacific 
Hose  Volunteer  Company  No.  1. 


SIMON  NYCUM  LYSINGER,  a  substan- 
tial citizen  of  Grand  Island,  has  been  identified 
with  the  city's  best  interests  for  the  past 
twenty  years,  but  he  is  still  interested  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits,  owning  large  bodies  of  valu- 
able land  in  different  sections,  aggregating  over 
1,700  acres. 

Simon  N.  Lysinger  was  born  in  Bureau 
County,  Illinois,  March  18,  1854,  one  of  a 
family  of  seven  children  born  to  Isaac  and 
Rachel  (Sparks)  Lysinger,  who  were  natives 
of  Pennsylvania.  The  father  was  born  in  1820 
and  died  in  1897,  at  which  time  he  owned  260 
acres  of  land  in  Illinois.  He  setttled  in  that 
state  in  1852  and  remained  there,  gradually 
acquiring  land  through  his  industry.  He'  was 
a  Republican  in  politics.  The  mother  of  Simon 


754 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


N.  Lysinger  was  a  member  of  the  English 
Lutheran  church.  Of  their  three  surviving 
children,  Simon  N.  is  the  only  one  living  in 
Hall  County.  He  came  to  this  state  on  March 
4,  1874,  settling  in  Hamilton  County,  where 
he  took  an  80  acre  timber  claim  to  which  he 
subsequently  added  land  by  purchase  until  now 
he  owns  over  400  acres  in  Hamilton  County 
alone.  His  only  property  in  Hall  County 
is  his  comfortable,  commodious  residence 
beautifully  located  in  Grand  Island,  but  he  has 
320  acres  of  farm  land  in  Oklahoma,  and  has 
1,000  acres  in  Oregon.  Mr.  Lysinger  had  com- 
mon school  advantages  in  Illinois,  and  at  the 
age  of  twenty  years  began  business  as  a  farmer 
on  his  own  account.  He  resided  on -his  farm 
in  Hamilton  County  managing  his  industries 
himself  until  1899,  when  he  came  to  Grand 
Island.  Since  then  he  has  had  his  sons  asso- 
ciated with  him,  two  of  whom  have  been  called 
from  the  peaceful  home  circles  to  take  paYt  in 
the  World  War. 

In  Aurora,  Nebraska,  November  1,  1874, 
Mr.  Lysinger  married  Miss  Julia  E.  Lehen. 
The  following  children  have  been  born  to 
them:  Anastasia,  who  lives  at  Grand  Island, 
is  the  widow  of  William  Harrison ;  Isaac  L-, 
who  resides  at  Comstock,  Nebraska,  married 
Emma  Peachon;  Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  Albert 
Sprague,  of  York,  Nebraska;  Harriet  H.,  the 
wife  of  Horton  Tully,  of  Spaulding,  Ne- 
braska; Joseph,  a  resident  of  Kansas  City; 
Lenora,  the  wife  of  Emmet  O'Connell,  of 
Minneapolis,  Minnesota ;  Gertrude  C,  the  wife 
of  Omer  Schills,  of  Grand  Island ;  Bessie,  the 
wife  of  Louis  Rigle,  of  Savannah,  Georgia; 
Evelyn,  the  wife  of  Donald  Martin,  of  Helena, 
Montana ;  and  Simon  Richard  and  Lawrence 
L.,  both  of  whom  are  members  of  the  Ameri- 
can Expeditionary  Force  in  France.  Mr.  Ly- 
singer has  given  his  children  educational  and 
other  advantages  and  without  exception,  they 
are  respected  members  of  society.  Mrs.  Lysing- 
er is  a  member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 
An  active  citizen  in  all  that  concerns  the  wel- 
fare of  country  and  community,  Mr.  Lysinger 
feels  better  satisfied  in  political  matters,  to  cast 
his  vote  according  to  his  own  intelligent  judg- 
ment than  to  submit  to  the  domination  of  any 
particular  party. 


JOHN  SCHIMMER,  a  member  of  an  old 
and  important  family  of  Hall  County,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  here  and  is  interested  in  Hall 
County  enferprises.  He  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  October  11,  1873,  and  is  a 
son  of  Martin  Schimmer,  who  is  widely  known 
as  a  capitalist,  farmer  and  stockman.    An  ex- 


tended history  of  the  Schimmer  family  will  be 
found  in  this  work. 

John  Schimmer  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm 
and  was  educated  in  the  public  schools  of  Hall* 
County  and  the  Grand  Island  Business  Col- 
lege. He  is  operating  a  farm  for  his  father 
and  together  they  are  interested  extensively 
in  buying  and  feeding  stock,  annually  handling 
about  700  beef  cattle,  and  also  turning  out  a 
car  load  of  hogs.  Their  business  standing  in 
every  market  is  the  best.  Mr.  Schimmer  is 
concerned  also  with  the  operation  of  the  well 
known  and  popular  summer  resort,  Sand  Krog, 
which  is  under  the  able  management  of  his 
sister,  Mrs.  Lena  Scheel.  Sand  Krog  was 
founded  by  his  father  in  1874  and  was  the 
first  road  house  in  Hall  County. 

On  May  5.  1896,  John  Schimmer  married 
Miss  Anna  Thavenet,a  daughter  of  George  and 
Maggie  (Scheel  )  Thavenet,  now  deceased, 
who  were  pioneer  settlers  in  Hall  County.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Schimmer  have  two  sons:  Martin 
and  Walter,  both  of  whom  reside  at  home.  Mr. 
Schimmer  is  not  identified  with  any  political 
party  but  is  a  careful,  watchful  citizen  and 
casts  his  vote  according  to  his  own  excellent 
judgment.  He  belongs  to  the  fraternal  order 
of  iiagles,  attending  the  lodge  at  Grand  Is- 
land.   He  maintains  his  home  at  Sand  Krog. 


ROBERT  PAGE  SHIPTON.  —  Undoubt- 
edly the  teacher  is  right  who  declared  that  the 
greatest  task  in  the  world  is  the  turning  the 
soil  each  year  for  the  growing  of  crops.  The 
importance  of  farming  in  all  its  branches  is 
thoroughly  recognized  in  Hall  County,  where 
many  of  the  most  intelligent  young  men  turn 
each  year  to  this  industry,  and  thus  contribute 
to  their  own  prosperity  and  the  nation's 
wealth.  One  of  the  wide-awake,  enterprising 
farmers  of  Washington  township  is  Robert 
P.  Shipton,  who  is  operating  a  large  tract  of 
land  situated  on  section  five  and  meeting  with 
deserved  success. 

Robert  Page  Shipton  was  born  in  Halt 
County,  Nebraska.  April  10,  1881,  the  son  of 
Samuel  F.  and  Lovina  S.  (Davison)  Shipton. 
the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in  Illinois,  April 
10,  1862.  The  father  of  Mr.  Shipton  was 
born  in  Kentucky,  but  early  in  life  went  to 
Illinois,  and  from  there  came  to  Hall  County 
in  1879.  He  still  owns  the  farm  purchased 
when  he  first  came  here  but  now  lives  retired 
in  Alda,  Hall  County.  He  has  been  more  or 
less  active  in  Democratic  politics  and  both  he 
and  wife  are  faithful  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  For  some  years  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  M.  W.  A,  and  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


755 


A.  O.  U.  W.  fraternal  organizations.  His  three 
children  are  as  follows:  Robert  P.,  who  grew 
up  on  the  home  farm ;  Ella,  the  wife  of  Wesley 
Knox,  of  Alda,  Nebraska;  and  Cassie,  the 
wife  of  Mark  Hessel,  of  Alda. 

Mr.  Shipton  completed  the  public  school 
course  in  Hall  County  and  then  spent  some 
time  in  the  Normal  school  at  Fremont,  follow- 
ing which  he  engaged  in  farming,  in  which 
business  he  has  been  interested  ever  since.  At 
the  present  time  he  is  operating  a  well  im- 
proved farm  that  belongs  to 'his  father-in-law, 
Martin  Schimmer,  and  through  his  careful 
methods  is  making  it  one  of  the  most  profit- 
able estates  in  Washington  township. 

On  March  21,  1907,  Mr.  Shipton  married 
Miss  Dora  Schimmer,  born  July  19,  1878,  the 
daughter  of  Martin  Schimmer,  who  is  a 
prominent  farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall 
County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shipton  have  three 
children :  Lorraine,  born  March  4,  1908 ; 
Hazel,  bom  August  21,  1909;  and  Samuel, 
bom  July  1,  1915.  Like  his  father,  Mr.  Ship- 
ton  is  a  Democrat,  and  belongs  to  the  same 
fraternal  orders,  in  addition  he  belongs  to  the 
F.  O.  E. 


JOHN  L.  WINDOLPH.  —  There  were  not 
many  householders  in  Grand  Island,  not  more 
than  seven  or  eight  all  told,  when  John  L. 
Windolph  came  here  over  a  half  century  ago. 
Fine,  sturdy  people  they  were  and  Mr.  Win- 
dolph knew  them  all.  For  many  years  of  an 
industrious  life  he  worked  for  and  with  them 
in  developing  what  has  been  made  one  of  the 
finest  cities  in  the  state  of  Nebraska.  This 
venerable  and  highly  esteemed  resident  of  Hall 
County,  despite  the  weigth  of  eighty-three 
years,  can  so  clearly  recall  people  and  events  of 
the  long  ago,  that  it  is  a  privilege  as  well  as 
pleasure  to  listen  to  his  reminiscences.  Mr. 
Windolph  has  lived  in  Hall  County  for 
fifty-eight  years.  John  L.  Windolph  was 
born  in  the  village  of  Buchwilde,  Ger- 
many, July  27,  18j6.  He  was  one  of  two 
children  born  to  Nicholas  and  Elizabeth 
(Bingel)  Windolph,  and  the  only  member  of 
his  family  to  come  to  the  United  States,  His 
father  followed  the  trade  of  wool  carder.  After 
a  certain  period  spent  in  the  public  school, 
John  L.  Windolph  was  apprenticed  to  a  cab- 
inetmaker with  whom  he  worked  faithfully 
and  laboriously.  According  to  the  rules  of  the 
trade,  he  was  not  considered  entirely  compet- 
ent until  he  had  traveled  as  a  journeyman 
worker  for  three  years.  He  started  out  on  a 
small  capital  but  was  confident  of  earning  more 


very  easily,  for  he  had  become  exceedingly 
expert  as  a  cabinetmaker.  He  was  about 
einghteen  years  old  when  he  and  his  friend 
Lucas  Flom,  decided  that  they  could  probably 
do  journeyman  work  just  as  profitably  in 
America  as  in  Europe,  hence  they  took  pass- 
age for  the  United  States.  The  first  city  in 
which  he  worked  at  his  trade  in  this  country, 
was  Sandusky,  Ohio.  After  being  employed 
there  a  few  months  he  went  to  Logansport, 
Indiana,  and  a  few  months  later  to  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  and  found  himself  on  the  way  west. 

In  the  meanwhile,  Mr.  Windolph  had  formed 
the  acquaintance  of  Christopher  Cornelius, 
Hans  Maas  and  Philip  Feldtman,  and  together 
they  decided  to  look  the  country  over  with  the 
idea  of  securing  homesteads  in  the  western 
country.  They  started  for  St.  Louis  and 
landed  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  May  20, 
1861,  but  went  on  to  St.  Louis  and  continued 
their  inspection  trip  in  that  territory  several 
months.  Then  Cornelius  and  Maas  went  to 
Davenport,  Iowa,  Feldtman  went  first  to  Fort 
Kearny  and  then  to  Toledo,  Ohio.  Mr.  Win- 
dolph found  no  place  that  pleased  him  as  well 
as  Hall  County,  so  he  settled  in  Grand  Island. 
Although  at  that  time  there  was  no  demand 
for  the  fine  finished  workmanship  of  the  cabi- 
netmaker, the  country  was  being  settled  and 
there  was  need  of  a  carpenter  and  Mr.  Win- 
dolph with  his  expert  knowledge  of  tools,  had 
no  difficulty  in  turning  his  skill  in  that  direc- 
tion. His  services  were  required  very  often  to 
put  up  doors  and  fit  window  sash  in  the  new 
log  houses,  and  he  was  the  carpenter  that  built 
the  old  O.  K.  store  well  remembered  by  the  pio- 
neers. The  first  slab  turned  out  by  the  local 
sawmill  was  secured  by  Mr.  Windolph  ami 
from  it  he  fashioned  a  stool  that  he  yet  owns. 
He  proved  an  astute  business  man  as  well  as 
good  workman,  for  he  pre-empted  160  acres 
of  land  adjoining  the  village  of  Grand  Island, 
of  which  land  he  still  owns  a  small  tract,  the 
lajger  part  of  the  original  body  having  been 
divided  into  city  lots  and  sold  most  advantage- 
ously. He  owns  several  valuable  building  lots 
in  Grand  Island  that  he  keeps  as  an  invest- 
ment, and  also  lots  one  and  two  in  block  sev- 
enty-nine which  he  has  improved  with  store 
buildings. 

Mr.  Windolph  married  Miss  Mary  Jenne- 
man,  whose  parents  lived  and  died  in  Germany. 
There  were  four  children  born  to  them :  John 
H,.  who  resides  on  the  old  home  place  in 
Grand  Island ;  Anna,  married  and  lives  at 
Washington,  D.  C. ;  Frank,  who  lives  in  Den- 
ver, Colorado;  and  Christopher,  who  is  de- 
ceased. Mrs.  Windolph  passed  away  Decem- 
ber 6,  1906.     Mr.  Windolph  has  always  been 


756 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


a  faithful  member,  as  was  his  wife,  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  He  has  never  been 
very  active  in  politics,  not  because  of  indiffer- 
ence to  neighborhood  progress,  but  because  he 
has  been  a  very  busy  man  and  inclined  to  look 
closely  after  his  own  business  rather  than 
that  of  others.  He  always  casts  his  vote  ac- 
cording to  his  own  judgment  and  it  is  always 
on  the  side  of  law  and  order. 


MRS.  LENA  SCHEEL.  —  There  are  many 
residents  of  Hall  County  who  have  been 
royally  entertained  at  the  fine  summer  resort, 
Sand  Krog,  on  Schimmer's  Lake,  near  Grand 
Island,  and  all  of  these  acknowledge  the  busi- 
ness capacity  and  executive  ability  of  Mrs. 
Lena  Scheel,  who  with  her  brother  John  is 
general  manager. 

Mrs.  Scheel  was  born  in  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska, August  3,  1882.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
Martin  Schimmer,  a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  in  this  work.  Mrs.  Scheel  was  edu- 
cated in  the  public  schools  and  remained  at 
home  with  her  parents  until  her  marriage,  in 
1903  to  Hans  D.  Scheel.  He  was  born  Sep- 
tember 28,  1879,  and  died  Stepember  26,  1912. 
His  parents  were  Henry  and  Anna  (Reuting) 
Scheel,  the  former  being  a  native  of  Germany 
and  now  deceased,  and  the  latter  of  Pennsyl- 
vania but  now  lives  in  Grand  Island.  For  one 
year  after  their  marriage  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scheel 
resided  in  Grand  Island,  but  in  1904  they  went 
to  Sand  Krog,  where  Mrs.  Scheel  still  re- 
sides and  operates  the  summer  resort.  Sand 
Krog  was  founded  in  1874  by  Mrs.  Scheel's 
father,  Martin  Schimmer,  being  the  first  road 
house  in  the  county.  It  has  always  been  a 
properly  conducted  resort  and  is  beauti- 
fully located  on  a  body  of  water  that  gives 
opportunity  for  fishing  and  water  sports.  The 
hotel  is  very  popular  and  every  summer  is 
crowded  with  pleasure  seekers.  Mrs.  Scheel  is 
an  admirable  hostess  and  watches  carefully 
the  welfare  of  her  guests.  She  has  four  chil- 
dren: Louis  D.,  Elmer  E.,  Henry  F.  and 
Evelyn  E.  Scheel.  Sand  Krog  is  situated  one 
quarter  mile  west  of  the  large  stock  farm  of 
Martin  Schimmer,  who  is  one  of  Hall 
County's  extensive  dealers. 


JUERGEN  CLAUSEN,  a  leading  citizen  of 
Hall  County  and  in  every  way  a  representative 
of  its  best  interests,  accompanied  his  parents 
to  the  United  States,  almost  a  half  century 
ago.  He  was  bom  September  28,  1853,  in 
Schleswig-Holstein,  Germany,  the  son  of  Claus 
and  Christina  (Wresener)  Clausen,  natives  of 


the  same  province,  where  the  father  was  a 
mason  contractor. 

In  1870  Claus  Clausen  decided  to  follow  his 
eldest  son,  Peter  Clausen,  who  had  come  to  the 
United  States  in  1869.  Emigrating  from  the 
old  country  the  family  reached  America  safely 
and  traveled  as  far  west  as  the  Mississippi 
River,  spending  their  first  year  at  Clinton,  Iowa, 
land  and  establish  a  settled  home.  To  this  end 
he  took  advantage  of  the  opportunity  in  Ne- 
braska and  in  1871  took  up  a  claim  in  Hall 
County.  On  this  land  he  continued  to  live 
throuhgout  his  life,  his  death  occurring  May 
3,  1903.  His  widow  survived  him  only  a  few 
months,  her  death  following  on  October  4,  of 
the  same  year.  They  had  four  children :  Peter, 
now  deceased ;  Anna,  the  wife  of  John  Schuett, 
of  Boelus,  Nebraska;  Claus,  who  lives  in 
Grand  Island,  a  farmer,  married  Kate  Lassen, 
now  deceased ;  and  Juergen,  who  lives  on  the 
old  homestead  in  Washington  township.  Claus 
Clausen  was  a  highly  respected  man,  was  a 
very  successful  agriculturist  and  stock  raiser. 
Both  he  and  his  wife  belonged  to  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  was  very  enterprising  and  is  cred- 
ited with  the  aid  of  his  sons,  with  making  the 
first  brick  ever  mixed  and  burned  in  Hall 
County.  He  found  the  clay  on  his  own  land 
and  quickly  turned  it  to  good  account.  Conse- 
quently the  family  did  not  have  to  live  in  log 
houses  or  dugouts  quite  as  long  as  did  many  of 
their  neighbors,  all  having  substantial  brick 
residences  built  by  themselves.  Mr.  Clausen 
also  constructed  his  own  windmill),  possessing 
much  ingenuity  and  mechanical  skill. 

Juergen  Clausen  was  seventeen  years  old 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  the  United 
States,  having  attended  school  previously  in 
Germany.  He  worked  for  his  father  until  he 
was  twenty-five  years  old,  in  the  meanwhile, 
about  1875,  taking  up  a  homestead  at  Boelus, 
in  Howard  County,  Nebraska.  He  lived  on  bis 
place  for  a  short  time  and  then  sold  his  claim 
and  returned  to  the  homestead  as  his  father 
needed  him.  His  brothers  Peter  and  Claus 
determined  to  explore  the  region  west  of 
Dannebrog  and  if  possible,  homestead  there. 
At  that  time  the  Sioux  Indians  were  giving  the 
settlers  much  trouble  and  United  States  sol- 
diers were  preventing  the  savages  from  com- 
ing south.  The  Clausens,  however,  broke 
through  the  military  line,  believing  they  could 
take  care  of  themselves,  but  they  found  out 
their  mistake  when  the  Sioux  drove  them  back. 

Mr.  Clausen  remembers  many  interesting 
events  of  those  early  days  and  in  his  own  life 
and  circumstances.  There  are  sharp  contrasts 
between  then  and  now.  He  recalls  the  heavy 
losses  the  settlers  encountered  when  the  grass- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


757 


hoppers  destroyed  entire  crops  of  corn,  oats, 
and  potatoes,  and  the  subsequent  loss  from 
the  drouth  of  1894,  when  cattle  and  stock  suc- 
cumbed in  great  numbers.  In  this  connection 
he  mentions  the  Pawnee  Indians,  who  were  yet 
quite  numerous  in  the  neighborhood  but  had 
never  been  considered  dangerous.  They  proved 
beneficial  at  this  time  as  they  were  not  fastid- 
ious about  their  food  and  willingly  removed 
all  Jhe  dead  animals  from  the  farmers'  fields. 
The  lack  of  bridges  sometimes  occasioned  loss 
to  the  settlers  and  Mr.  Clausen  recalls  an 
experience  of  his  own  that  was  dangerous  and 
thrilling.  His  father's  cattle  had  strayed  in 
search  of  herbage,  to  the  farther  side  of  the 
Platte  River,  ordinarily  fordable  on  horseback, 
but  the  river  had  risen  rapidly  and  was  at  flood 
stage  wherj  he  crossed  and  succeeded  in  get- 
ting the  cattle  home.  He  remembers  when  they 
lived  in  a  log  house,  carried  on  their  first  farm- 
ing with  oxen,  and  started  their  great  herds 
with  two  cows.  On  many  occasions  he  has 
gone  to  a  neighbor  for  coals  to  start  their 
morning  fire,  there  being  no  matches.  His 
first  work  away  from  home  was  done  for 
John  Oldman  and  his  wages  were  $18  a  month. 
At  that  time  corn  brought  eights  cents  a  bush- 
el, oats  ten  cents  a  bushel  and  hogs  two  cents 
a  pound. 

Since  returning  from  Howard  county,  Mr. 
Clausen  has  remained  on  his  father's  home- 
stead. He  owns  five  hundred  and  seventy 
acres  of  land  in  different  farms,  all  fenced 
and  highly  improved.  His  residence  has  every 
modern  comfort,  the  commodious  brick  house 
beng  lighted  by  electricity,  with  motor  installed 
that  also  operates  a  washing  machine,  too) 
grinder,  churn  and  meat  cutter,  while  a  gaso- 
line engine  is  utilized  for  other  machinery.  Mr. 
Clausen  and  his  family  also  enjoy  a  handsome 
automobile.  His  farms  are  well  stocked  and 
he  raises  Duroc-Jersey  hogs  and  Hereford 
cattle,  making  a  specialty  of  the  latter. 

On  October  4,  1880,  Mr.  Clausen  married 
Miss  Anna  Wiesner,  a  daughter  of  Juergen 
and  Catherine  (Fram)  Wiesner,  natives  of 
Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clausen  have  four 
children:  Christina,  the  wife  of  Rudolph 
Sass,  of  Alda  township ;  Christopher,  who 
lives  in  Alda  township,  married  Ida  Giese ; 
Claus,  a  farmer  in  Washington  township,  and 
Henry,  recently  welcomed  home  from  France, 
to  which  country  he  went  as  a  soldier  with 
the  American  Expeditionary  Forces.  He  is 
a  sergeant  in  rank  and  served  eighteen  months 
in  the  Eighty- seventh  division  of  the  Three 
Hundred  Thirty-fifth  field  artillery. 

In  politics  Mr.  Clausen  is  a  Democrat.  For 
twelve  years  he  served  as  treasurer  of  School 


District  No.  4.  He  has  been  helpfully  inter- 
ested in  many  local  enterprises  and  at  present 
is  a  director  in  the  Holsatia  Fire  Insurance 
association,  which  is  a  local  body  confined  to 
Hall  County  farmers.  He  has  belonged  to  the 
Lutheran  church  since  boyhood. 


HENRY  RIEF.  — In  well  deserved  enjoy- 
ment of  material  comforts  which  advancing 
years  make  particularly  acceptable,  Henry 
Rief,  one  of  Hall  County's  early  settlers,  lives 
on  his  old  homestead  in  Washington  town- 
ship, which  he  secured  over  a  half  century 
ago.  Mr.  Rief  is  one  of  Hall  County's  best 
known  and  most  respected  citizens. 

He  was  born  in  Schleswig-Holstein,  October 
8,  1846,  away  back  when  that  province  was  a 
part  of  Denmark.  His  parents  were  Hans 
and  Margaretta  (Brammer)  Rief,  natives  of 
Germany.  The  father  was  a  weaver  by  trade 
and  was  able  to  take  care  of  his  family  thereby 
until  political  disturbances  with  Prussia,  prac- 
tically ruined  the  weaving  business.  Like 
many  others  of  that  time  and  condition,  he 
turned  his  eyes  toward  that  land  of  freedom, 
the  United  States,  and  in  1869  reached  this 
country  with  wife  and  children,  the  son, 
Henry,  having  come  to  America  five  years 
previously.  The  Rief  family  settled  permanent- 
ly in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  where  the  father 
homesteaded  and  also  bought  land  that  has 
never  been  out  of  the  family.  He  was  a  farmer 
and  raised  stock  and  lived  quietly  and  industri- 
ously on  his  homestead  until  his  death  in  1892. 
Both  he  and  the  mother  were  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  She  died  in  1909.  They 
had  eight  children,  four  of  whom  are  living : 
Henry,  who  resides  in  Washington  township ; 
Mary,  who  lives  at  Boelus,  Nebraska,  is  the 
widow  of  Peter  Clausen;  Juergen,  who  mar- 
ried Anna  Bucholtz,  lives  in  Washington  town- 
ship, and  Emma,  who  lives  at  Council  Bluffs, 
Iowa,  is  the  widow  of  Sivert  Rief.  The  four 
children  now  deceased,  were :  Margaretta,  the 
wife  of  Fred  Langman,  was  accidentally 
drowned  in  the  Platte  River  during  a  flood, 
leaving  three  children,  the  youngest  but  three 
months  old;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Henry  Bock- 
man,  died  leaving  eight  children ;  Charles,  who 
married  Anna  Sick,  died  in  California  in  1915, 
and  William,  who  died  in  1909,  married 
Catherine  Bilfeld  and  was  a  farmer  in  Wash- 
ington township.  The  late  Charles  Rief  was 
a  man  of  prominence  in  Hall  County  and  else- 
where. He  had  been  an  extensive  traveler  as 
a  sea  captain  prior  to  coming  to  the  United 
States  in  1871,  having  been  a  student  of  navi- 
gation in  Flensburg,  Denmark,  and  London, 


758 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


England.  He  served  a  number  of  years  as 
county  clerk  in  Hall  County,  was  a  member  of 
the  school  board  and  the  examining  board  for 
teachers,  then  was  elected  to  the  state  legis- 
lature and  during  his  service  in  the  general 
assembly  worked  for  and  secured  the  location 
of  the  Soldiers'  Home  in  Hall  County.  He 
was  also  an  author  and  one  of  his  books  en- 
titled "Land  and  Light"  has  had  wide  circu- 
lation. 

A  well  educated  youth  of  observing  mind, 
Henry  Rief  left  Denmark  at  the  age  of 
eighteen  years,  reaching  the  United  States  in 

1864,  when  this  country  was  yet  in  the  throes 
of  civil  war.  He  first  made  a  home  at  Val- 
paraiso, Indiana,  and  within  three  months 
had  taken  but  his  first  papers  looking  to  Amer- 
ican citizenship.  He  enlisted  for  any  service 
needed  by  the  Federal  government  and  cheer- 
fully performed  every  duty  required  of  him 
until  he  was  honorably  dischai  ged  and 
mustered  out  April  5,  1865,  having  been 
mainly  stationed  at  Chattanooga,  Tennessee. 
He  then  started  westward  and  on  reaching 
Chicago,  found  employement  as  a  clerk  and 
made  good  use  of  his  time  by  studying  the 
English  language  in  a  night  school.  In  the 
fall  of  1865  he  went  to  St.  Louis,  then  to 
Hannibal  and  to  St.  Joseph  on  the  Platte  on 
his  way  to  Omaha.  On  his  trip  up  the  Mis- 
sissippi he  was  a  passenger  on  the  same 
steamer  that  carried  the  fourth  engine  for 
the  Union  Pacific  Railroad. 

On  the  present  site  of  the  great  commercial 
and  railroad  center,  Kansas  City,  nothing  was 
to  be  seen  but  swamp  and  prairie.  Mr.  Rief 
found  work  with  the  railroad  construction 
gangs,  helping  to  build  the  first  two  bridges 
for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  over  Papillon 
and  Elk  Horn  rivers.  He  was  one  of  a  party 
of  twenty-four  that  made  plans  to  celebrate 
the  completion  of  the  first  telegraph  line  be- 
tween Omaha  and  Fremont,  on  December  26, 

1865.  They  started  for  Omaha  on  hand  cars, 
in  the  face  of  a  blizzard,  spending  the  night 
on  the  way,  and  when  they  reached  the  city 
found  great  trouble  in  getting  accommodations 
in  a  boarding  house.  Mr.  Rief  remembers  the 
discomforts  of  that  trip  very  vividly.  During 
the  rest  of  the  winter  he  worked  for  the  Union 
Pacific  cutting  wood  and  getting  out  railroad 
ties.  The  islands  in  the  Platte  River  were 
heavily  timbered  and  from  these  wood  for 
burning  and  ties  was  secured.  In  those  days 
there  was  little  supervision  of  such  work  and 
large  logs  were  left  in  the  forests.  There  was 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Riddel!,  who  took  ad- 
vantage of  this  condition  and  no  doubt  profited 
greatly.     He  owned  a  portable  sawmill  and 


sawed  the  logs  into  lumber,  on  shares  with 
whoever  cared  to  bring  the  logs  to  him. 

In  the  spring  of  1866  Mr.  Rief  engaged  in 
another  enterprise  with  Peter  Stuem  to  brnjg 
goods  from  Omaha.  This  was  a  considerable 
undertaking  as  the  merchandise  had  to  be 
transported  over  the  military  road  and  as  there 
were  no  bridges,  every  river  and  creek  had 
to  be  forded.  It  required  about  eight  days 
to  make  the  trip  from  Omaha  to  Hall  County. 
In  the  same  year  he  worked  for  a  Mr.  Monroe 
who,  when  he  left,  owed  him  the  sum  of 
$180,  which  he  obtained  only  through  the  good 
offices  of  friends,  and  upon  receiving  it  loaned 
it  to  a  Mr.  Wiebe,  who  also  seems  to  have 
miscalculated  his  ability  to  pay  it  back,  but 
later  turned  over  a  team  of  oxen  to  Mr.  Rief. 
who  humorously  says  that  he  had.ro  take  up 
a  homestead  in  order  to  use  the  oxen.  He 
filed  on  a  claim  in  1867  and  has  since  lived 
on  this  place,  for  many  years  carrying  on  gen- 
eral farming  and  stockraising.  During  the 
early  days  he  oftentimes  furnished  hay  and 
cord  wood  to  Fort  Kearney.  His  land  lies 
near  what  was  the  famous  California  trail, 
a  path  about  forty  rods  wide.  The  Pawnee 
Indians  were  numerous  here  when  he  home- 
steaded  but  he  always  maintained  friendly  re- 
lations with  them  and  when  they  started  for 
their  government  reservation  they  came  by  the 
hundred  to  bid  him  goodbye. 

In  November,  1869,  Mr.  Rief  married  Miss 
Lizzie  Prahm,  the  ceremony  taking  place  in 
Grand  Island,  her  parents  being  early  set- 
tlers in  Hall  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rief 
had  five  children :  Henry,  who  lives  at  Seattle. 
Washington :  Edwin,  who  lives  in  Adams 
County,  Nebraska,  married  Amelia  Siegert: 
Matilda,  the  wife  of  William  Sievers  of  Grand 
Island;  Centennial,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Wehr, 
of  Doniphan,  and  Lillie,  the  wife  of  Wash- 
ington Sampson,  of  Seattle.  The  mother  of 
these  children  died  March  17.  1877.  The 
second  marriage  of  Mr.  Rief  took  place  June 
15,  1879,  to  Miss  Emma  Fischer,  a  daughter 
of  August  and  Louise  (Hahn)  Fischer,  who 
spent  their  lives  in  Germany.  Of  the  four 
children  born  to  this  marriage  the  following 
survive :  Arthur,  who  lives  on  the  home  farm, 
married  Gertrude  Westerburg ;  Nellie,  the 
wife  of  Charles  Ericksen,  of  Grand  Island: 
and  Herbert,  who  was  in  the  military  training 
camp  at  Camp  Dodge  when  this  biography 
was  written. 

In  early  days  in  Hall  County,  school  district 
No.  4  comprised  territory  in  which  there  are 
now  five  schools.  Mr.  Rief  has  always  been 
greatly  interested  in  this  district,  for  he  taught 
school  there  and  in  District  No.  28  for  nine 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


759 


years,  and  for  ten  years  was  a  director  in  the 
former  district.  In  his  political  views  he  is 
a  Republican  and  has  taken  part  in  many  a 
committee  meeting.  For  eight  years  he  served 
on  the  county  board  of  supervisors  from 
Washington  township  and  for  one  year  was 
chairman  of  the  board. 


ARTHUR  ROBY,  a  substantial  farmer  and 
highly  respected  citizen  of  Hall  County,  has 
always  lived  on  the  old  homestead  in  Wash- 
ington township,  where  his  birth  took  place 
June  5,  1878.  His  parents,  Frederick  and 
Johanna  (Lillenthal)  Roby,  were  born  in 
Germany,  from  which  country  they  came  to 
the  United  States  as  young  people,  in  1848. 
They  were  married  in  Iowa  and  in  April, 
1864,  came  to  Nebraska. 

For  about  eight  years  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roby 
lived  in  Center  township,  where  they  kept  a 
road  house  and  saloon  where  a  stage  delivered 
mail  every  other  day  until  the  Sioux  Indians 
frightened  the  settlers  away  and  held  up  the 
stage  service  for  two  months  at  a  time. 
Soldiers  were  sent  from  the  nearest  fort  for 
the  protection  of  the  pioneers,  when  the 
frightened  settlers  returned  to  their  home- 
steads. The  people  grew  accustomed  to  the 
Pawnee  Indians  and  tolerated  them  as  they 
were  never  savage,  but  the  mother  of  Mr. 
Roby  can  remember  when  neither  life  nor 
property  was  safe  in  this  section  of  the  county. 
In  1872  Mr.  Roby  homesteaded  in  section  8, 
township  10,  range  9,  and  here  Mrs.  Roby 
has  continued  to  live,  one  of  the  best  known 
and  highly  esteemed  residents  of  Washington 
township.  In  her  interesting  reminiscences  of 
early  days  here  she  tells  of  the  difficulty  exper- 
ienced in  securing  even  the  commonest  of 
household  furniture  and  utensils.  The  nearest 
trading  point  was  Omaha  and  it  required  four 
weeks  to  make  the  round  trip  and  necessarily 
transportation  charges  were  high.  She  la- 
mented when  she  could  not  get  wash  tubs,  but 
showed  her  resourcefulness  when  no  bedstead 
could  be  secured,  by  helping  to  construct  one 
out  of  poles  easily  obtained  in  the  surround- 
ing timber.  She  mentions  also  the  lack  of 
deep  wells  and  the  necessity  of  using  surface 
water.  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  all  these 
hardships,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roby  prospered,  and 
when  he  passed  away,  on  June  3,  1903,  he  was 
not  only  one  of  the  substantial  men  of  the 
county  but  was  one  of  influence  and  im- 
portance. He  was  prominent  in  Democratic 
politics,  was  one  of  the  county  commissioners 
for  some  years  and  also  was  on  the  township 
school  board,  and  additionally,  for  many  years 


was  a  director  of  the  Lincoln  Mutual  Fire 
Insurance  Company.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roby  had 
children  as  follows:  Gustave,  who  lives  in 
Center  township;  Ida,  the  wife  of  Conrad 
Lassen,  died  July  15,  1913;  Dora,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Stoltenberg  of  Merrick  County ;  Nancy, 
born  July  8,  1872,  died  February  6,  1873; 
Arthur,  who  lives  in  Washington  township, 
and  John,  who  married  Helen  Hagge. 

Arthur  Roby  attended  the  country  schools 
in  boyhood  and  has  made  his  home  on  the 
farm  which  he  now  owns.  He  has  240  acres 
of  some  of  the  best  improved  land  in  this 
section,  his  commodious  and  substantial  build- 
ings comparing  favorably  with  any  farm 
structures  in  the  county.  He  is  a  man  of  pro- 
gressive ideas,  hence  his  stock  is  of  standard 
grade,  his  farm  machinery  the  best  obtainable 
and  his  .various  farm  activities  are  carried  on 
according  to  methods  approved  by  experts  who 
have  scientifically  studied  Nebraska  climate 
and  soil.  Intelligent  farming  and  stockraising 
like  this  is  certain  to  be  profitable. 

On  April  20,  1900,  Mr.  Roby  married  Miss 
Margaretha  Thavenet,  whose  parents  were 
George  and  Margaretha  (Scheel)  Thavenet, 
who,  when  living,  owned  a  fine  homestead 
located  just  south  of  Grand  Island,  where  they 
reared  their  eight  children.  *  All  but  two  of 
the  children  live  in  Hall  County.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Roby  have  six  children :  Clara,  who  was 
born  October  15,  1901 ;  Nancy,  who  was  born 
September  22,  1903 ;  Olga,  who  was  born 
March  3,  1905;  Edna,  who  was  bom  "De- 
cember 23.  1910 ;  Evelyn,  who  was  bom 
February  19,  1915  ;  and  Roy  Arthur,  who  was 
bom  February  19.  1918.  For  the  past  six 
years  Mr.  Roby  has  been  a  member  of  the 
township  school  board.  In  national  political 
campaigns  he  supports  the  Democratic  candi- 
dates, but  in  local  affairs  he  exercises  his  own 
good  judgment.  In  every  way  he  is  a  man  of 
high  standing  in  his  county,  a  good  farmer,  a 
friendly  neighbor,  an  honest  public  official  and 
a  solid  citizen. 


GEORGE  M.  BAKER.—  Perhaps  there  are 
few  residents  of  Hall  County  who  have  not 
heard  of  Woodland  Park,  which  is  situated  in 
Washington  township  and  which,  in  its  whole 
history  and  its  present  state  of  modem  de- 
velopment, is  one  of  the  most  interesting 
homesteads  of  the  county.  It  comprises  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable  land 
which  its  owner,  George  M.  Baker,  devotes 
largely  to  the  breeding  of  Shorthorn  cattle, 
Poland-China  hogs  and  Rhode  Island  Red 
chickens.     On  this  farm  will  be  the  "Wood- 


760 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


land  Park  Association,"  with  golf  grounds, 
another  evidence  of  the  vast  changes  that  have 
taken  place  since  the  days  of  the  early  settlers. 
This  is  but  one  of  his  valuable  holdings. 
Among  his  properties  are  included  two  hand- 
some residences  in  Grand  Island. 

George  M.  Baker  was  born  in  La  Salle 
County,  Illinois,  February  6,  1864,  while  his 
father  was  foreman  in  large  coal  mines  there. 
His  parents  were  Samuel  and  Elizabeth 
(Keegan)  Baker,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Germany  and  the  latter  in  Ireland. 
Samuel  Baker  spent  almost  all  of  his  life 
in  the  United  States  as  he  was  only 
thirteen  years  old  when  he  accompanied  his 
parents  here.  Unusual  responsibilities  fell 
upon  him  almost  immediately  as  his  father 
died  soon  after  landing,  and  the  considerable 
amount  of  money  and  jewels  he  had  .brought 
with  him  were  stolen  by  unknown  robbers 
while  his  sorrowing  relatives  were  attending 
his  funeral.  Samuel  thus  became  the  family 
breadwinner  while  yet  a  boy.  He  found  work 
on  boats  plying  on  the  Illinois  and  Mississippi 
rivers  and  finally  became  second  officer  on 
a  large  steamboat.  His  home  was  then  es- 
tablished in  the  coal  regions  of  La  Salle 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  was  soon  given  a 
position  of  authority  by  one  of  the  big  operat- 
ing companies.  In  politics  he  was  a  Dem- 
ocrat. His  wife  died  in  1880  but  he  survived 
until  June,  1915.  Both  were  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Of  their 
seven  children  six  are  living,  but  only  two 
reside  in  Hall  County,  George  M.  and  Hubert, 
the  latter  making  his  home  in  Grand  Lsland. 

After  securing  a  good  common  school  ed- 
ucation in  La  Salle  County,  George  M.  Baker 
started  in  life  as  a  traveling  salesman  for  a 
farm  implement  house,  with  which  he  re- 
mained three  years,  and  then,  in  the  same 
capacity,  went  out  for  the  well  known  Omaha 
grocery  firms  of  McCord  &  Brady  and  Allen 
Brothers,  traveling  continuously  for  these 
firms  for  twenty-five  years  and  two  days,  re- 
tiring from  a  quarter  century  of  service  in 
this  line  with  the  record  of  never  having  lost 
a  day.  In  the  meanwhile  he  had  been  prudent 
in  his  expenditures  and  when  he  was  ready  to 
turn  his  attention  into  other  channels  of  bus- 
iness, he  found  himself  with  abundant  capital. 
He  found  a  satisfactory  investment  in  the 
First  Bank  of  Cestos,  Oklahoma,  of  which 
he  was  vice  president  for  five  years.  He  sold 
his  interest  and  bought  lands  and  livestock 
in  Nebraska.  Oklahoma  and  Idaho,  much  of 
which  he  still  controls.  He  has  two  farms 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  each,  .in 
Oklahoma,  which  have  been  brought  to  the 


highest  possible  state  of  cultivation.  His 
present  farm  in  Hall  County  is  the  old  Win- 
dolph  property,  which  he  purchased  from  his 
father-in-law  at  the  time  of  his  marriage.  It 
has  pleased  him  to  give  it  the  beautiful  name 
of  Woodland  Park,  and  here  he  and  Mrs. 
Baker  spend  the  greater  part  of  the  year,  not- 
withstanding two  comfortable  residences  await 
their  occupancy  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Baker 
intends  to  transform  the  farm  into  a  dairy 
farm  to  be  known  as  "Woodland  Park  Dairy." 
For  some  time  he  has  not  given  personal  at- 
tention to  any  of  his  land  except  a  few  acres, 
the  cultivation  of  which  gives  him  pleasant  ex- 
ercise, but  all  its  industries  are  carefully  over- 
looked, for  Mr.  Baker  has  been  a  keen  and 
discerning  business  man  for  many  years. 

On  April  15,  1891,  Mr.  Baker  married  Miss 
Catherina  Windolph,  one  of  a  family  of  eight 
children  born  to  Adam  and  Margaretta 
(Stender)  Windolph,  both  of  whom  were 
natives  of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker 
have  three  children:  Lillian,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Thirifay,  of  Omaha ;  Margaretta 
Walburga,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Power,  of 
Grand  Island;  and  Marie  C.,  employed  in  the 
First  National  Bank,  Grand  Island. 

In  1864  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Baker  came  to 
the  United  States,  and  after  living  in  New 
York  for  one  year,  came,  west  as  far  as 
Kankakee,  Illinois,  a  few  months  later  moving 
to  Belle  Plaine  in  Benton  County,  Iowa.  Six 
months  later  Adam  Windolph  bought  a  wagon 
and  team  of  horses  and  started  with  his  family 
on  the  long  journey  to  Hall  County.  When 
they  reached  Columbus  they  discovered  that 
there  was  no  bridge  and  hence  had  to  cross 
on  the  ice,  also  being  delayed  in  many  other 
ways  they  finally  landed  here,  on  April  1, 
1866,  having  spent  four  weeks  on  the  road. 
Mr.  Windolph  homesteaded  in  Washington 
township  and  Mrs.  Baker  still  has  the  patent 
from  the  United  States  government  for  this 
farm.  Adam  Windolph  was  a  practical,  far- 
seeing  man  and  when  he  built  his  log  house  he 
built  for  the  future  and  so  substantially  that 
the  present  attractive  residence  still  includes 
a  portion  of  the  old  log  house  plastered  with 
clay.  Seemingly  no  one  could  have  a  better 
right  or  reason  to  take  pleasure  in  the  beau- 
tiful surrounding  grounds  with  luxuriant 
shade  trees  than  Mrs.  Baker,  for  it  was  with 
her  own  hands  that  many  of  these  trees  were 
set  out  and  she  and  her  sisters  kept  them 
alive  with  the  water  they  had  to  carry  a  full 
half  mile.  She  has  one  sister  in  the  county. 
Mrs.  Hubert  Baker,  of  Grand  Island. 

Mrs.  Baker's  reminiscences  of  early  days 
here  are  exceedingly  interesting,  as  in  vivid 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


761 


language  she  tells  of  the  old  California  trail 
and  of  Indians,  of  social  customs  and  of  the 
lack  of  entertainment  in  her  childhood  days. 
To  the  latter  she  ascribes  her  sometimes  fol- 
lowing the  emigrant  wagons  as  they  passed 
by  on  the  trail  a  few  feet  before  her  father's 
fence,  on  down  to  the  fort,  a  few  rods  further, 
where  they  often  stopped  for  provisions,  and 
then  about  a  mile  still  further  to  Mr.  Michel- 
son's  blacksmith  shop,  where  she  could  not 
fail  being  interested  in  seeing  Mrs.  Michelson, 
a  very  small  woman,  help  with  the  shoeing 
of  the  horses  and  oxen,  leather  pads  being 
attached  to  the  tatter's  feet.  No  doubt  she 
often  looked  wonderingly  after  the  gold- 
seeker's  wagons  as  they  passed  into  the  mys- 
terious West,  where  hung  the  rainbow  of 
hope,  and  probably  saw  many  of  the  travelers 
go  by  again,  no  richer  than  before.  Educa- 
tional advantages  were  very  limited  at  this 
early  day.  Mrs.  Baker  recalls  how  they 
finally  secured  a  teacher,  and  she  was  able  to 
attend  school  a  half  day  a  week.  In  a  rather 
lonely  childhood,  the  semi-annual  coming  of 
the  Indians  with  their  furs  and  moccasins  to 
exchange  for  eatables,  was  a  great  event  and 
many  times  she  joined  the  dark  children  in 
their  play  and  helped  them  gather  the  leaves 
and  bark  of  the  kinnikinick  (a  kind  of  dog- 
wood) bushes,  which  the  Indians  dried  and 
smoked.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baker  are  members 
of  the  Cattholic  church.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  but  has  never  accepted  any  public 
office. 


CHRIS  CLAUSEN— A  visitor  of  a  decade 
ago,  if  he  were  to  make  a  second  jounrey 
through  Hall  County,  would  discover  many 
wonderful  changes  throughout  the  agricultural 
sections.  The  farmers  in  the  meanwhile  have 
not  been  asleep  and  many  of  them  have  been 
particularly  wide  awake,  heeding  the  call  of 
progress.  In  Washington  township  he  might 
some  timej  find  himself  a  guest  of  Chris 
Clausen  on  the  beautiful  farm  of  two  hundred 
and  fifty-five  acres  that  he  and  his  brothers 
are  so  successfully  operating.  He  could  not 
long  be  in  doubt  of  the  value  of  the  use  of 
improved  farm  machinery  and  the  adoption  of 
scientific  methods  of  agriculture.  This  model 
farm  gives  ample  proof. 

Chris  Clausen  belongs  to  one  of  the  pioneer 
families  of  Hall  County.  He  was  born  here 
August  27,  1883.  His  parents  are  Juergen 
and  Anna  (Wiesner)  Clausen,  who  are  highly 
esteemed  residents  of  this  section.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Clausen  was  born  in  Germany,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1853.     The  subject  of  this  sketch 


was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  accompanied 
his  parents,  Claus  and  Christina  (Wresener) 
Clausen,  to  the  United  States.  They  lived  one 
year  in  Clinton,  Iowa,  and  then  came  to  Hall 
County.  In  addition  to  his  homestead,  the 
father  of  Chris  Clausen  asquired  a  number 
of  farms,  becoming  a  man  of  substance  and 
also  of  neighborhood  prominence.  Chris 
Clausen  has  been  engaged  in  farming  and 
stockraising  since  boyhood.  He  obtained  his 
education  in  the  schools  of  Washington  town- 
ship and  when  he  started  out  for  himself, 
rented  the  farm  of  two  hundred  and  fifty-five 
acres  of  exceptionally  well  improved  land 
belonging  to  his  father  which  is  situated  on 
section  17,  Washington  township.  Mr.  Clausen 
gives  much  attention  to  raising  high  grade 
Durham  cattle  and  Duroc- Jersey  hogs.  He  is 
not  only  a  clear-headed,  progressive  agri- 
culturist, but  he  is  also  a  representative  of 
the  county's  best  citizenship. 

On  January  12,  1905,  Mr.  Clausen  married 
Miss  Ida  Giese,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Mary  (Obermiller)  Giese,  early  settlers  in 
Hall  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Clausen  have  two 
children:  Anna  M.,  who  was  born  June  24, 
1906,  and  Mildred  R.,  who  was  born  October 
20,  1912.  In  politics  Mr.  Clausen  prefers  to 
vote  an  independent  ticket.  He  has  been 
treasurer  of  his  school  district  for  the  last 
twelve  years  and  in  many  other  ways  has 
proved  useful  and  trustworthy. 


PETER  HERMAN,  who  owns  a  well  im- 
proved farm  of  eighty  acres,  situated  south 
of  Grand  Island,  has  spent  the  greater  part 
of- his  life  in  Hall  County.  He  is  known  as 
an  excellent  farmer,  good  neighbor  and 
worthy  citizen,  bom  in  Schleswig-Hol stein, 
Germany,  March  2,  1868,  the  son  of  Peter 
and  Margaret  (Mahlsted)  Herman,  both 
natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  a  small 
farmer  there  but  as  he  saw  no  opportunity 
to  better  his  condition,  decided  to  come  to  the 
United  States  with  his  family  and  endeavor 
to  secure  some  of  the  government  land  that 
awaited  settlers  in  the  western  country.  In 
1869  the  family  reached  America,  soon  reach- 
ing Davenport,  Iowa.  In  that  vicinity  the 
father  engaged  in  farming  until  the  fall  of 
1871,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  lived 
on  what  was  known  as  the  Hooper  place  for 
two  years,  then  homesteaded  near  Wood 
River.  He  remained  on  that  place  until  1890, 
when  he  removed  to  a  location  near  Saint 
Libory,  in  Howard  County,  purchasing  land 
which  he  cultivated  four  years.  He  returned 
to  Grand  Island,  where  his  death  occurred  in 


762 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


1906.  He  had  survived  the  mother  of  Mr. 
Herman  since  1899.  Of  their  family  of  six 
children,  the  following  are  living:  John  and 
Fred,  in  Grand  Island;  Henry,  in  Wyoming; 
Peter,  in  Hall  County,  and  William,  in  Hall 
County.  The  father  was  an  American  citizen 
and  gave  his  political  support  to  the  Demo- 
cratic party.  Both  parents  belonged  to  the 
Lutheran  church. 

Peter  Herman  was  a  babe  in  his  mother's 
arms  when  his  parents  came  to  the  United 
States.  He  obtained  his  schooling  in  Hall 
County  and  afterward  assisted  his  father  on 
the  home  farm  as  long  as  he  was  needed,  when 
he  began  farming  on  his  own  account.  His 
farm  has  been  well  stocked  and  all  his  in- 
dustries here  are  carried  on  with  the  care 
and  good  judgment  that  assures  success.  The 
farmer  of  today  is  justly  accounted  one  of 
the  country's  most  important  men  and  in  the 
record  of  production  that  Nebraska  is  making, 
a  great  deal  of  credit  may  be  given  the  sensi- 
ble, hard-working  farmers  and  stockmen  of 
Hall  County,  Mr.  Herman  being  one  of  these. 
He  has  devoted  himself  closely  to  his  business. 
He  has  never  been  very  actiye  in  politics,  cast- 
ing his  ballot  as  an  independent  voter. 

On  February  11,  1891,  Mr.  Herman  mar- 
ried Miss  Delia  Dibbern,  a  daughter  of 
Jochem  and  Margaret  (Weise)  Dibbern,  early 
settlers  in  the  county  who  are  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Herman  have  the  following  children, 
who  have  had  every  advantage  their  parents 
could  give  them:  Edith,  the  wife  of  Bernie 
Schimmer;  Albert,  who  assists  his  father; 
Linda,  the  wife  of  Henry  Meyer;  Edna,  the 
wife  of  Arthur  Knuth,  and  Martha,  Josephine, 
Olga,  Harry,  Ernest  and  Mildred,  all  of  whom 
live  at  home;  and  one  who  is  deceased.  Mr. 
Herman  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 


JULIUS  MATTHIESEN,  a  prosperous 
farmer  of  Washington  township,  belongs  to 
one  of  the  oldest  pioneer  families  of  Hall 
County.  He  was  born  at  Davenport,  Iowa, 
March  29,  1863,  a  son  of  Frederick  and  Anna 
(Hansen)  Matthiesen.  The  first  wife  of  Fred- 
erick Matthiesen  died  during  the  voyage  from 
Germany  to  the  United  States.  They  had 
two  children,  one  of  whom  is  living,  Margaret, 
the  widow  of  Frederick  Lillenthal. 

In  1857  Frederick  Matthiesen  married  Anna 
Hansen  and  they  had  seven  children.  The  fol- 
lowing are  living:  Julius,  who  has  lived  in 
Hall  County  since  1866;  Laura,  the  wife  of 
Bemhard  Ewoldt,  near  Sand  KYog;  Ernest, 
a  farmer  south  of  Grand  Island,  married  Dora 


Ewoldt;  and  Anna,  the  wife  of  Frederick 
Schoel.  For  ten  years  after  coming  to  the 
United  States,  Frederick  Matthiesen  con- 
ducted an  express  business  in  Davenport. 
From  there  he  came  to  Hall  County  in  1866 
and  hotnesteaded  in  section  34,  Washington 
township,  south  of  Grand  Island,  where  he 
resided  until  his  death,  which  occurred  June 
14,  1914.  His  widow  survives,  being  now  in 
her  eighty-seventh  year.  He  was  a  member 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  in  politics  was  a 
Democrat. 

Julius  Matthiesen  was  three  years  old  when 
his  people  settled  in  Hall  County  in  the  spring 
of  1866.  His  school  adavntages  were  rather 
meager  for  several  reasons,  one  being  the 
lack  of  easy  school  facilities,  and  the  other 
that  he  was  needed  by  his  father  on  the  farm. 
Among  his  recollections  of  early  days  the 
Indians  play  a  prominent  part  for  there  were 
many  of  them  in  Hall  County  at  that  time. 
When  the  hunting  season  came  on  he  has 
watched  them  pass  by  the  hundred  on  their 
way  to  the  Platte  River.  He  sometimes  played 
with  the  Indian  children,  who  were  much  like 
other  children  except  they  were  always  hungry 
and  if  food  was  not  given  in  answer  to  their 
begging,  they  would  boldly  steal  it.  These 
Indians  were  mostly  the  peaceable  Pawnees, 
but  he  remembers  one  occasion  when  the 
savage  Sioux  came  down  in"  a  raid  from  the 
North,  killed  several  white  people  and  carried 
two  girls  off  with  them,  but  the  girls  were 
rescued  by  the  soldiers  from  Fort  Kearny. 
He  remained  with  his  father  until  he  was 
almost  twenty-five  years  old  before  engaging 
in  agricultural  pursuits  on  the  farm  he  now 
owns,  which  comprises  one  hundred  and 
eigthy-eight  acres.  It  is  well  stocked  and 
finely  improved.  He  has  been  very  successful 
in  his  farming  operations  and  is  ranked  with, 
the  substantial  men  of  his  township. 

On  February  1,  1889,  Mr.  Matthiesen  mar- 
ried Miss  Christina  Gulzow,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Metha  (Truelson)  Gulzow,  who- 
came  to  Hall  County  in  1865.  The  father  home- 
steaded  in  section  34,  Washington  township, 
where  he  died  and  the  mother  owns  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Of  the  eleven  children 
in  the  Gulzow  family,  Mrs.  Matthiesen  is  the 
eldest  of  the  survivors,  the  others  being:  Hans, 
who  operates  the  homestead  for  his  mother, 
married  Metha  Wegner;  Minnie,  the  wife  of 
Diedrick  Husman,  of  Merrick  County ;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  William  Brooks,  of  Grand  Island  ; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  William  Thesenvitz.  living 
near  Alda,  Nebraska ;  Rosa,  the  wife  of  Nich- 
olas Werner,  living  near  Doniphan ;  William, 
who,  lives   at   Grand    Island,   married   Dora 


-lJ 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


763 


Hann ;  and  Anna,  the  wife  of  Frank  Strauss, 
of  Pine  Bluff,  Wyoming. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Matthiesen  seven  children 
were  born:  Lena,  now  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  Claud  Starling;  William,  who  assists  his 
father  on  the  farm;  Augusta,  the  wife  of 
Herman  Knuth,  of  Fitnam,  Oklahoma; 
Henry,  who  lives  at  Overton,  Nebraska,  mar- 
ried Emma  Boltz ;  Julius,  who  married  Emma 
Wiese ;  and  Rosa  and  Liliie,  both  of  whom 
live  with  their  parents.  The  whole  family 
stands  well  in  the  township  where  they  have 
lived  so  long  and  where  all  the  children  have 
attended  school.  For  one  year  Mr.  Matthiesen 
was  treasurer  of  Washington  township,  but  he 
has  never  been  very  active  in  politics.  He 
votes  an  independent  ticket.  In  speaking  of 
early  days,  Mr.  Matthiesen  tells  of  the  coming 
of  a  young  and  earnest  physician,  Dr.  Tosping, 
who  soon  found  that  the  neighborhood  was 
so  healthy  that  either  he  would  have  to  take 
his  own  tonics  to  keep  alive  or  get  to  work 
with  his  hands.    He  chose  wood  chopping. 


JOHN  FALLDORF,  carrying  on  farming 
operations  on  the  homestead  in  Washington 
township,  which  is  the  land  his  father  pre- 
empted in  1873,  is  well  known  in  Hall  County 
where  the  family  has  been  held  in  great  esteem 
for  almost  a  half  century. 

John  Falldorf  was  born  in  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska. October  8,  1884,  the  third  in  a  family 
of  five  children  born  to  Frederick  and  Dora 
(Parkman)  Falldorf.  The  father  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1852  and  the  mother  in  the 
same  county,  in  1859.  They  were  married  in 
the  fall  of  1879,  and  all  their  children  are  liv- 
ing: Anna,  the  wife  of  John  Heesch,  of  Ham- 
ilton County.  Nebraska ;  Henry,  also  in 
Hamilton  County,  married  Dora  Schuler ; 
John  lives  in  Washington  township ;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  John  Schuler,  a  farmer  east  of 
Grand  Island ;  and  Otto,  who  lives  in  Ham- 
ilton County,  married  Clara  Neubert.  When 
the  father  of  this  family  first  came  to  Ne- 
braska, his  business  of  freighting  was  a  very 
■important  and  a  dangerous  one.  There  were 
many  hostile  Indians  ever  ready  to  attack  the 
long  train  of  frieght  wagons  that  had  to  carry 
everything  that  was  transported,  not  over  the 
fine  automobile  highways  of  the  present  day, 
but  over  trails  through  the  forests  and  un- 
bridged  streams.  Mr.  Falldorf  also  drove  a 
stage  for  a  time  from  the  western  part  of  the 
state  to  Sidney.  In  1873  he  came  to  Wash- 
ington township.  Hall  County,  and  pre-empted 
land  on  section  2,  on  which  he  continued  to 
live  until  1910,  when  he  retired.    For  a  num- 


ber of  years  he  served  as  school  moderator 
and  director  in  his  township  and  his  sound 
judgment  in  school  matters  was  generally  ac- 
cepted. In  politics  he  is  a  Republican.  He 
is  one  of  the  olderst  members  of  the  Platts- 
deu^ch  society  at  Grand  Island. 

John  Falldorf  has  always  lived  in  Hall 
County.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  learned  the  principles  of 
farming  in  a  practical  way.  For  some  years 
he  has  had  charge  of  his  father's  old  farm, 
and  being  experienced  and  thoroughgoing,  he 
has  been  very  successful.  He  married  Freda, 
a  daughter  of  John  C.  and  Catherine  Hann, 
and  they  have  the  following  children:  Lillie, 
Raymond,  Louis  and  Maxine.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican.  He  belongs  to  the  Sons  of 
Herman  and  the  Plattsdeutch  society. 


HENRY  KNUTH,  whose  well  improved 
farm  situated  in  Washington  township,  Hall 
County,  shows  evidences  of  thrift  and  good 
management,  belongs  to  an  old  family  of  this 
section.  Extended  mention  can  be  found  on 
another  page  of  this  work.  Mr.  Knuth  was 
born  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  December  24, 
1872,  a  son  of  Henry  Knuth. 

The  boy  was  reared  on  his  father's  pioneer 
farm  and  remembers  many  interesting  events 
of  early  days  in  the  county,  when  hardships 
were  many  and  comforts  few.  He  recalls 
some  creditable  things  of  the  Indians,  also, 
and  mentions  one  occasion  when  his  brother 
broke  his  leg  and  an  old  Indian  doctor  was 
called  in,  who  set  the  leg  properly  and  treated 
it  with  his  herbs  so  carefully  that  recovery 
was  rapid.  He  attended  one  of  the  early 
schools  but  the  most  of  his  life  until  his 
twenty -sixth  year,  was  spent  in  the  cultivation 
of  the  home  land.  His  present  farm  of  one 
hundred  and  eighty  acres  has  been  improved 
with  substantial  buildings,  and  is  exceedingly 
well  stocked.  Mr.  Knuth  breeds  Shorthorn  - 
cattle  and  at  the  head  of  his  herd  has  a  ped- 
igreed bull,  while  all  his  other  stock  is  up  to 
the  same  high  standard. 

On  May  16,  1899,  Henry  Knuth  married 
Miss  Martha  Baasch,  who  is  a  daughter  of 
Charles  and  Minnie  (Hansen)  Baasch,  well 
known  early  settlers  of  the  county.  They  now 
live  retired  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Knuth  have  the  following  children :  Rudolph, 
born  January  25,  1900;  Marie,  born  May  19, 
1901 ;  Emma,  born  October  3,  1903 ;  Ella,  born 
April  25,  1905 ;  and  Emil,  born  September  19, 
1907.  These  children  have  had  excellent  ed- 
ucational advantages  and  are  creditable  rep- 
resentatives of  Hall  County's  younger  genera- 


764 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


tion.  In  politics  Mr.  Knuth  has  always  been 
a  Democrat,  but  he  has  never  been  willing  to 
accept  a.  public  office,  although  well  qualified 
through  sound  judgment  and  practical  knowl- 
edge, to  serve  in  many  capacities.  He  belongs 
to  the  order  of  the  Sons  of  Herman  and  also 
to  the  Plattsdeutch  society. 


HENRY  A.  KNUTH,  one  of  the  pros- 
perous younger  farmers  of  Washington  town- 
ship. Hall  County,  is  a  native  of  the  county, 
born  here  January  10,  1889,  and  is  a  son  of 
Juergen  Knuth,  an  extended  sketch  of  whom 
will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this  work, 
The  family  is  an  old  and  highly  respscted  one 
of  this  section. 

Henry  A.  Knuth  attended  the  public  schools 
near  his  father's  farm  through  boyhood,  and 
afterward  remained  with  his  parents,  assist- 
ing his  father  until  he  was  twenty-three  years 
old.  March  15,  1912,  he  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Dora  Pieper,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  and  Anna  (Paustain)  Pieper,  early 
settlers  in  Washington  township  who  now  live 
retired.  Mrs.  Knuth  is  one  of  a  family  of 
seven  children  and  the  second  oldest  of  the 
four  survivors.  She  has  two  sisters  and  one 
brother:  Erna,  the  wife  of  Otto  Schimmer; 
Hugo,  married  Freda  Heesch ;  and  Adele,  lives 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Knuth  have 
three  sturdy  little  sons,  namely:  Raymond, 
Roy,  and  George. 

Mr.  Knuth  is  operating  one  of  his  father's 
farms,  which  lies  in  section  33,  Washington 
township,  where  he  is  meeting  with  deserved 
success,  devoting  special  attention  to  his  fine 
herd  of  Hereford  cattle.  He  has  never  taken 
any  very  active  part  in  politics,  but  keeps  well 
informed  on  current  events.  He  belongs  to 
the  order  of  Sons  of  Herman  and  also  the 
Plattsdeutch  society. 


JOHN  C.  NEUBERT,  a  native  son,  a  man 
of  ample  means,  a  heavy  breeder  of  Hereford 
cattle  and  a  factor  in  the  sugar  beet  industry, 
has  been  the  builder  of  his  own  fortune,  begin- 
ning his  business  career  on  borrowed  capital, 
and  through  thrift  and  industry,  honesty  and 
good  judgment  he  has  attained  his  present 
state  of  prosperity.  Mr.  Neubert  was  born 
in  Hall  Coutny,  Nebraska,  October  22,  1874. 

The'  parents  of  Mr.  Neubert  were  John  and 
Wiebke  (Alpen)  Neubert,  Germans,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  April,  1872,  made 
their  way  to  Nebraska  and  homesteaded  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  section  32, 
Washington  township,  Hall  County.     In  the 


old  country  the  father  had  worked  as  a  wine- 
maker  and  also  was  on  a  sailing  vessel  that 
plied  between  Burg  and  Hamburg.  After 
coming  to  America  he  devoted  himself  to 
agricultural  pursuits,  living  on  his  land  in 
Hall  County  until  his  death,  which  occurred 
in  June,  1906.  His  political  affiliation  was 
with  the  Democratic  party,  and  he  belonged 
to  the  Ancient  Order  of  United  Workmen. 
Both  parents  of  Mr.  Neubert  were  members 
of  the  German  Lutheran  church.  They  had 
nine  children  and  of  the  six  survivors  John 
C.  Neubert  is  the  second  in  order  of  birth, 
the  others  being:  Annie,  the  wife  of  Her- 
man Hehnke,  of  Grand  Island ;  Minnie,  the 
wife  of  Edward  Boltz,  of  Alda  township. 
Hall  County ;  Celia,  the  wife  of  Richard 
Boltz,  of  Alda  township ;  Henry,  who  lives  at 
Wheatland,  Wyoming,  married  Dora  Scheel. 
now  deceased,  and  Marie,  the  wife  of  Otto 
Weise,  of  Alda  township.  The  Neuberts,  like 
other  early  settlers,  had  to  face  many  hard- 
ships and  an  early  experience  was  the  great 
snowstorm  of  April  13,  1873.  Fortunately  the 
log  house  had  been  finished  by  that  time,  but 
so  violent  was  the  storm  that  the  inmates  soon 
found  themselves  unable  to  use  the  door  and 
Mr.  Neubert  had  to  crawl  out  of  the  window 
in  order  to  get  to  his  tethered  mules  to  dig 
them  out  of  the  snow.  It  was  a  blizzard  ex- 
perience never  to  be  forgotten  by  those  who 
endured  it. 

John  C.  Neubert  worked  for  his  father 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  in  the 
meanwhile  having  some  schooling  during  the 
winter  seasons.  He  then  borrowed  a  dollar 
and  with  this  capital  started  out  to  shape 
his  own  career.  He  worked  on  a  farm  near 
Omaha,  then  went  to  Aberdeen,  in  South 
Dakota,  where  he  remained  a  few  months. 
going  from  there  to  Iowa,  where  he  remained 
one  year  and  then  came  back  to  Hall  County 
to  engage  in  the  business  of  raising  sugar 
beets,  which  occupied  him  for  one  year  before 
he  accepted  a  position  from  Martin  Schimmer, 
at  Sand  Krog.  In  the  meanwhile  his  industry 
was  being  rewarded  and  his  success  continued. 
At  the  present  time  Mr.  Neubert  owns  two- 
hundred  and  sixty-four  acres  of  the  best  im- 
proved land  in  the  county,  seven  acres  of 
which  he  devotes  annually  to  sugar  beets.  He 
is  a  breeder  of  Hereford  cattle,  and  mules,  a 
ready  market  always  awaiting  his   livestock. 

On  December  20,  1898,  Mr.  Neubert  mar- 
ried Miss  Lena  Hann,  a  daughter  of  John 
C.  and  Catherine  (Pahl)  Hann,  natives  of 
Germany.  The  Hanns  came  to  Hall  County 
with  the  second  German  colonization  party 
in  the  state  of  Nebraska.     Mrs.  Neubert  is 


Top  — H.  A.,  Arthur,  Heiamuth,  Herman,  Fred,  sons  of  Jurcen  Knuth 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jurgen  Knuth  Raymond,  Roy,  George,  chil- 

Er.MKE,  Lorraine,  children  dben  ot  H.  A.  Knuth 

op  Herman  Knuth  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Knuth 


766 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


[he  eldest  of  the  seven  survivors  of  her  par- 
ents' family  of  eleven  children,  the  others 
being:  Aclelia,  the  wife  of  Adolph  Gehrt  of 
Custer  City,  Oklahoma ;  Christian,  who  lives 
at  Custer  City  also,  married  Augusta 
Beberness;  Celia,  the  wife  of  Emil  Boltz,  of 
Alda  township;  Dora,  the  wife  of  William 
Gulzow,  of  Washington  township;  Emil,  who 
lives  on  the  old  home  place,  married  Amanda 
Beberness;  and  Freda,  the  wife  of  John  Fall- 
dorf,  of  Washington  township.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Neubert  have  eight  children :  Clara,  Malinda, 
Kathryn,  Frieda  and  Marie,  twins,  Glenn, 
Hazel  and  Reuben,  all  of  whom  live  at  home 
except  Clara,  the  wife  of  Otto  Falldorf,  of 
Washington  township.  Mr.  Neubert  and 
family  are  people  who  stand  well  in  their 
community.  He  is  a  member  of  the  non-par- 
tisan league  in  politics  but  has  never  accepted 
any  public  office  except  that  of  school  director 
in  which  he  is  now  serving.  He  belongs  to  the 
Plattsdeutcheri  society  of  Grand  Island. 


PETER  SHULTZ,  who  is  prospering  as 
a  general  farmer  and  is  recognized  as  one  of 
the  reliable  and  enterprising  citizens  of  Center 
township,  Hall  County,  belongs  to  a  pioneer 
family  of  this  section  that  has  been  well  and 
favorably  known  here  for  many  years. 

Peter  Shultz  was  born  in  Alda  township, 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  December  4,  1885, 
and  is  a  son  of  John  and  Emma  (Thomssen) 
Shultz,  an  extended  sketch  of  the  family  being 
found  in  this  work.  His  father  was  born  in 
Germany  but  has  resided  in  the  United  States 
since  he  was  eighteen  years  old  and  now  lives 
in  comfortable  retirement  near  Alda.  Peter 
Shultz  attended  the  public  schools  in  the 
county  and  grew  to  manhood  on  his  father's 
homestead.  Some  ten  years  ago  he  rented  his 
farm  in  Center  township  from  his  father,  and 
since  then  has  been  successfully  carrying  on 
important  farm  industries.  He  has  his  farm 
well  stocked  and  makes  use  of  modern  farm 
machinery,  which  is  his  own  property,  and 
keeps  well  posted  concerning  agricultural 
matters  generally. 

In  1913  Mr.  Shultz  was  united  in  marriage 
to  Miss  Theckla  Stange,  who  was  bom  in 
Germany  and  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1909  with  her  parents,  who  live  at  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Shultz  have  three 
children:  John,  Evelyn  and  Albert,  aged 
respectively  six,  four  and  one  year.  Mr. 
Shultz  Is  not  identified  with  any  political  party 
but  that  does  not  indicate  that  he  is  indifferent 
concerning  public  matters,  especially  in  Center 
township,   where  he   wants  good  schools  by 


the  time  his  bright  little  children  are  old 
enough  to  attend  them,  and  the  best  of  roads 
over  which  he  must  transport  his  produce  and 
stock  to  market.  He  is  a  practical,  sensible 
young  man  who  casts  an  independent  vote  be- 
cause he  desires  to  choose  public  officials  by 
the  measuring  rule  of  his  own  good  judgment. 


AUGUST  REHER,  a  representative  of  one 
of  Hall  County's  fine  old  pioneer  families, 
owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  valuable 
land  situated  in  Washington  township,  on 
which  he  carries  on  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  Mr.  Reher  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  March  15,  1882. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Reher  were  Christian 
and  Christina  (Kroeger)  Reher,  natives  of 
Germany,  where  the  father  followed  the 
carpenter  trade.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  in  the  spring  of  1873  and  reached 
Washington  township.  Hall  County,  on  April 
17,  just  two  days  after  the  memorable  snow- 
storm of  that  year.  The  father  homesteaded 
on  section  26,  where  he  lived  for  a  few  years 
before  removing  to  section  36,  where  he 
started  a  summer  resort  at  a  point  known  as 
Platte  Krog.  After  a  few  years  there  he  re- 
moved to  section  10,  Washington  township, 
where  he  bought  160  acres  and  resided  on  the 
place  until  the  close  of  his  life,  which  oc- 
curred April  16,  1903.  Two  of  his  four  chil- 
dren, William  and  August,  survive.  Their 
mother  lives  alternately  with  them,  in  Grand 
Island  and  on  the  old  home  farm.  Mr.  Reher 
was  known  as  a  hardworking,  upright  man, 
becoming  well  acquainted  over  a  wide  neigh- 
borhood during  the  twenty-five  years  he 
hauled  cream  for  Oscar  Roeser  of  Grand 
Island.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  politics  and 
served  several  years  as  a  school  director- 
August  Reher  attended  the  public  schools. 
He  lived  at  home  and  worked  for  his  parents 
until  he  was  twenty-one  years  old,  when  he 
started  farming  on  his  own  account  on  the  old 
home  place.  He  has  made  many  improve- 
ments here  but  has  never  removed  the  old 
log  cabin  in  which  his  parents  lived.  He  cul- 
tivates his  land  intelligently,  raising  the  grains 
that  do  well  in  this  soil  and  climate,  devoting 
some  attention  to  raising  stock  of  good  grade. 
On  September  15,  1905,  Mr.  Reher  married 
Miss  Lucy  Aye,  who  was  born  in  Hall  County 
after  her  parents,  Peter  and  Lena  (Bifeldt) 
Aye,  came  here  in  1882.  The  father  of  Mrs. 
Reher  died  January  13,  1916.  She  has  two 
brothers  and  one  sister :  Theodore,  who  lives 
in  Grand  Island,  married  Annie  Wilhdmy; 
Martha,  the  wife  of  August  Thavenet,  living 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


767 


near  Grand  Island;  and  Herman,  who  lives 
with  his  family,  in  Palmer,  Nebraska.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Reher  have  two  daughters,  Helen 
and  Sadie.  Mr.  Reher  has  never  taken  a  very 
active  part  in  politics,  but  votes  with  the 
Democratic  party.  As  a  good  citizen,  he  is 
interested  in  everything  that  promises  to  be 
of  substantial  benefit  to  his  township  and 
county. 


WILLIAM  HEESCH,  a  progressive 
farmer  and  business  man  of  Washington 
township,  is  a  member  of  one  of 'the  old  and 
prominent  families  of  Hall  County,  which  has 
had  much  to  do  with  the  substantial  develop- 
ment of  this  section  since  the  early  seventies. 
He  was  bom  in  Hall  County,  March  17,  1878. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Heesch,  Peter  and 
Annie  (Goetsche)  Heesch,  were  born  in  Ger- 
many. They  came  from  that  country  to  the 
United  States,  reaching  Nebraska  in  1870. 
The  father  homesteaded  in  section  24,  Wash- 
ington township.  Hall  County,  where  the 
family  lived  until  1884,  when  he  sold  and 
bought  land  in  section  36,  subsequently  adding 
to  his  holdings  until  he  owned  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres.  This  land  he  held  until  1902, 
when  he  sold,  retired  from  active  farm  life 
and  removed  to  Grand  Island.  During  his 
many  years  in  Washington  township  he  had 
been  active  politically,  had  served  on  the  town- 
ship board  and  for  many  years  was  road 
overseer.  In  association  with  William  Stolley, 
he  organized  the  German  Mutual  Fire  &  Tor- 
nado Insurance  Company,  which  has  always 
been  a  growing  concern  and  at  the  present 
time  has  not  less  than  $4,000,000  insurance 
risks  on  its  books,  operating  in  Hall  and  ad- 
joining counties.  For  some  time  in  early  days 
he  operated  the  place  started  by  Christian 
Reher,  known  as  Platte  Krog,  which  was 
largely  frequented  by  Indians  as  it  was  located 
very  near  the  Platte  river.  Mr.  Heesch  still 
resides  in  Grand  Island.  His  wife  died  on  flie 
farm  on  October  22,  1890.  They  had  eight 
children:  Amelia,  the  wife  of  Ferdinand 
Stollenberg,  of  Alda  township ;  John,  a  farmer 
in  Hamilton  County,  married  Annie  Falldorf ; 
William,  who  has  always  lived  in  Hall 
County;  Adelia,  the  wife  of  August  Kroger, 
of  Grand  Island;  Olga,  the  wife  of  August 
Peters,  of  Taloga,  Oklahoma;  Dora,  the  wife 
of  George  T.  Bauman,  of  Grand  Island ;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  Henry  Lucks  of  Grand  Island,' 
and  Clara,  the  wife  of  John  Baasch,  of  Alda 
township,  Hall  County. 

William  Heesch  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Washington  township,  and  grew  to  man- 


hood on  his  father's  farm.  On  February  16, 
1903,  he  married  Miss  Anna  Beckman,  the 
fourth  in  a  family  of  seven  children  born  to 
August  and  Amelia  (Vieregg)  Beckman,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Germany  and 
now  lives  retired  in  Grand  Island.  The 
mother  of  Mrs.  Heesch  was  born  in  Iowa 
and  died  on  the  Beckman  homestead  in  Mer- 
rick County,  near  the  Hall  County  line,  in 
December,  1889.  Mrs.  Heesch  now  has  the 
following  brothers  and  sisters:  Diedrich,  who 
lives  in  Grand  Island,  married  Emma  Bruhn ; 
Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Herman  Sass,  lives  in. 
Washington  township ;  John  E.,  who  lives  in 
Hall  County,  married  Alma  Grosch;  Olga  H., 
the  wife  of  Henry  Menecke,  lives  in  Howard 
County ;  and  Augusta,  lives  with  her  father 
in  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Heesch  have  two  children : 
Hildegard  E.,  who  was  born  November  9, 
1908;  and  Evelyn  A.,  who  was  born  November 
27,  1910.  They  have  a  beautiful  home  on  the 
two  hundred  and  forty  acre  farm  that  Mr. 
Heesch  owns  and  successfully  operates.  He 
bought  the  first  traction  plow  used  in  this 
neighborhood  and  in  many  other  ways  has 
shown  enterprise  in  carrying  on  his  agri- 
cultural undertakings.  He  sells  his  products 
at  prices  that  make  a  fair  profit.  He  is  justly 
proud  of  his  high  grade  Orpington  chickens 
and  no  less  so  of  a  flock  of  wild  geese  and 
ducks  which  he  has  thoroughly  domesticated. 
Mr.  Heesch  conducts  the  supply  store  on  his 
farm,  in  the  interest  of  the  Farmers'  Union, 
which  is  doing  an  extensive  business  among 
the  members  of  the  union,  as  only  these  can 
avail  themselves  of  this  privilege.  Mr.  Heesch 
has  been  storekeeper  for  the  past  two  years. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  fraternal  order  of 
Eagles,  and  of  the  Plattsdeutch  society  in 
Grand  Island. 


MARTIN  SCHIMMER,  whose  life  record 
illustrates  what  may  be  accomplished  by  in- 
dustry and  perseverance,  has  been  a  resident. of 
Hall  County  for  more  than  a  half  century, 
and  from  a  humble  position  has  become  one 
of  the  largest  land  owners  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Schimmer  was  born  in  Schleswig-Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  June  24,  1841.  His  parents 
were  Peter  and  Marie  (Hoffman)  Schimmer, 
natives  of  the  same  country  in  which  they 
spent  their  entire  lives,  where  the  father  was 
a  farmer.  They  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  reared  a  family  of  seven  children, 
of  whom  only  two  are  now  living,  Martin  and 
a  brother  James  who  lives  in  Germany.    The 


768 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


others  were,  Fred,  Peter,  John,  Hans,  and 
Henry,  all  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Martin  was  reared  in  his  native  land  acquir- 
ing his  education  in  the  schools  of  that  country 
and  when  old  enough  found  employment  on 
the  farm.  At  the  age  of  twenty-two,  having 
saved  sufficient  money  to  pay  his  passage,  he 
decided  to  come  to  the  United  States.  He 
spent  the  first  year  and  a  half  in  Scott  County, 
Iowa,  and  then  started  west.  It  was  his  in- 
tention to  go  to  Oregon,  but  experiencing  some 
difficulty  in  learning  where  to  take  the  stage, 
as  there  were  no  railroads  in  Nebraska  at  that 
time,  he  arrived  in  Hall  County  in  March, 
1866,  and  soon  found  employment  on  a  farm. 
He  often  saw  the  stage  coaches  and  freighting 
outfits  crossing  the  plains  to  the  west,  but  his 
money  was  gone  and  it  was  necessary  for  him 
to  remain  where  he  was.  That  he  made  no 
mistake,  and  that  it  proved  rather  fortunate 
that  he  was  a  poor  man  and  obliged  to  stop  in 
Hall  County,  is  evidenced  by  the  success  that 
has  come  to  him  with  the  passing  years. 

Mr.  Schimmer  took  a  homestead  in  what  is 
now  Alda  township,  and  in  true  pioneer  style 
began  the  task  of  subduing  the  soil  and  pre- 
paring to  establish  a  home.  He  resided  on  this 
place  until  1875,  when  he  removed  to  Wash- 
ington township,  his  first  purchase  here  being 
one  acre,  the  only  improvement  being  a  shanty. 
The  pursuit  of  agriculture  and  other  interests 
have  been  carried  on  successfully,  and  today 
Mr.  Schimmer  is  the  owner  of  three  thousand 
acres  in  this  county,  a  section  of  land  in 
Buffalo  County  and  a  quarter  section  near 
North  Platte.  The  public  spirit  and  enterprise 
of  Mr.  Schimmer  has  been  manifested  in  many 
ways  which  have  had  to  do  with  the  develop- 
ment of  the  country.  The  people  of  Grand 
Island  and  vicinity  are  especially  indebted  to 
Mr.  Schimmer  for  Schimmer's  Lake  and  the 
beautiful  resort  known  as  "Sand  Krog."  The 
lake  covers  an  area  of  twenty-five  acres  and 
was  made  by  Mr.  Schimmer  who  after  exca- 
vating the  sand  built  a  dam  to  retain  the  water. 
The  shore  of  the  lake  is  dotted  with  cottages 
which  are  owned  by  Grand  Island  people  who 
find  great  pleasure  in  coming  here  to  enjoy  the 
cool  breezes  of  the  lake  and  get  away  from  the 
heat  and  dust  of  the  city.  Mr.  Schimmer  is  the 
principal  stock  holder  in  the  Grand  Island 
Manufacturing  Company. 

In  1870  Mr.  Schimmer  was  united  in  mar- 
riage with  Miss  Louisa  Wolf,  a  daughter  of 
Henry  Wolf,  who  came  to  Hall  County  in  an 
early  day.  Of  this  marriage  there  were  four 
children :  Emma,  the  wife  of  Phillip  Sanders, 
a  resident  of  Merrick  County;  John,  married 
Anna  Thavenet,  and  resides  at  Sand  Krog; 


Dora,  the  wife  of  Robert  Shipton,  of  Washing- 
ton township;  and  Lena,  the  widow  of  Hans 
Scheel,  living  at  Sand  Krog.  The  mother  of 
these  children  passed  away  in  1884,  and  Feb- 
ruary 15,  1885,  Mr.  Schimmer  married  Miss 
Emma  Wiese,  who  has  become  the  mother  of 
one  child,  Bertha,  the  wife  of  John  Schaup- 
dach,  of  Washington  township. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Schimmer  exercises 
the  right  of  franchise  in  support  of  men  and 
measures  of  the  Republican  party,  in  national 
affairs,  while  in  local  elections  he  casts  an  in- 
dependent ballot. 

Mr.  Schimmer  is  one  of  the  few  remaining 
real  pioneers  of  Hall  County,  and  has  wit- 
nessed some  vast  changes.  He  used  oxen  when 
he  first  came  here,  and  that  first  winter  made 
ties  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  which  was 
being  constructed  and  later  hauled  cord  wood 
which  was  used  for  fuel  in  the  engines  in  those, 
days.  He  bore  his  share  of  the  hardships,  in- 
cluding the  grasshopper  scourge,  drouths  and 
crop  failures  and  has  lived  to  see  Hall  County 
become  one  of  the  leading  communities  of  this 
great  state.  Indians  were  numerous  though 
peaceable,  buffalo  and  antelope  roamed  over 
the  prairies  and  the  beautiful  city  of  Grand 
Island  was  only  a  hamlet.  And  in  the  work 
of  progress  Mr.  Schimmer  has  contributed 
his  full  share  and  enjoys  the  honor  that  comes 
to  those  who  helped  make  Hall  County  a  better 
place  in  which  to  live. 


CARL  ROSENKOTTER,  a  prominent 
farmer  in  Washington  township,  and  one  of 
Hall  County's  well  known  residents,  came  here 
many  years  ago  when  conditions  were  very 
different,  and  has  done  his  part  in  bringing 
about  the  many  improvements.  He  was  born 
at  Minden,  Germany,  January  20,  1849.  His 
parents  were  Carl  and  Katie  (Bode)  Rosen- 
kotter,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Germany 
in  1814,  and  died  there,  the  father  in  1861, 
and  the  mother  in  1880.  The  father  was  a 
farmer  all  his  life.  Both  parents  were  kind, 
good,  worthy  people  and  were  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  Of  their  family  of  six 
children  two  came  to  the  United  States,  these 
being  Carl  and  Mary,  the  latter  of  whom  is 
Mrs.  Casper  Meyer,  who  lives  in  Grand 
Island. 

Carl  Rosenkotter  had  excellent  educational 
advantages  in  his  native  country,  where  he 
was  mainly  engaged  in  farming  until  1883, 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States.  Shortly 
after  reaching  Hall  County  he  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land  and  still  lives  on  that  property 


76  f 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


771 


although  he  has  a  residence  and  two  improved 
lots  in  Grand  Island,  and  until  recently  owned 
in  addition  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of 
valuable  land  which  he  has  disposed  of.  Mr. 
Rosenkotter  has  been  very  successful  in  his 
business  undertakings  and  has  been  a  liberal 
supporter  of  the  German  parochial  school  and 
served  on  the  school  board  for  six  years.  An 
honest,  upright  man  in  business  and  a  good 
neighbor,  he  has  always  enjoyed  the  respect 
of  all  who  have  known  him. 

On  December  13,  1883,  Carl  Rosenkotter 
married  Miss  Johanna  Bulk,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Wilhelmina  (Sass)  Bulk,  and 
they  have  had  the  following  children:  Wil- 
liam, Minnie,  Henry,  Martha,  Anna,  Mary, 
Carl,  Emma,  Fritz  and  Ella. 


HANS  SCHEEL,  who  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  a  busy,  useful  life  in 
the  United  States,  came  to  this  country 
and  to  Hall  County,  with  his  parents,  in  the 
spring  of  1867.  Here  he  has  lived  ever  since, 
with  the  exception  of  a  few  years  prior  to 
1881.  He  has  long  been  considered  one  of 
the  best  farmers,  of  Washington  township. 
He  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany,  March  19, 
1854,  the  son  of  Detlef  and  Lucy  D.  (Lilen- 
thal)  Scheel,  natives  of  Germany,  who  were  in 
humble  circumstances  there  when  the  father 
realized  that  across  the  Atlantic  ocean  he 
could  secure  land  of  his  own  and  would  no 
longer  be  compelled  to  labor  for  others,  hence, 
with  great  effort  and  much  self  denial  he 
brought  his  family  to  America.  At  that  time 
many  of  his  countrymen  were  securing  farms 
in  Nebraska,  and  here  the  Scheels  decided  to 
locate.  He  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  railroad  land  in  Hall  County  and 
hopefully  looked  forward  to  independence  in 
old  age.  His  hopes  for  himself  were  not 
realized,  however,  for  his  death  occurred  in 
August,  1871,  before  he  could  move  his  family 
on  the  land  he  had  purchased  for  a  home. 
The  mother  did  not  survive  him  many  years, 
her  death  occurring  in  April,  1877.  Of  their 
four  children,  Hans  is  the  only  one  living. 

Hans  Scheel  was  thirteen  years  old  when 
the  family  came  to  the  United  States  and  had 
already  attended  school.  He  grew  up  on  the 
farm  and  remained  in  Hall  County  as  a  farmer 
until  about  1878,  when  the  discovery  of  gold 
in  the  Black  Hills  of  South  Dakota  and 
Wyoming  attracted  thousands  to  that  section, 
■and  among  those  who  went  from  Hall  County 
were  Hans  Scheel  and  Claus  Frauen.  Mr. 
Frauen  covered  the  whole  distance  with  a 
team  of  eight  oxen,  and  although  this  was  a 


slow  mode  of  travel,  it  had  advantages  over 
those  who  went  by  foot,  though  thousands 
did  so.  While  Mr.  Frauen  was  in  the  gold 
region  he  hauled  supplies  to  the  miners  and 
before  he  returned  to  Nebraska,  had  disposed 
of  his  oxen  for  beef.  In  1881  Mr.  Scheel  re- 
turned to  Hall  County,  homesteaded  and 
bought  railroad  land,  living  in  section  22, 
Doniphan  township  for  ten  years.  He  then 
moved  to  his  father's  old  property,  in  section 
27,  Washington  township,  where  he  has  since 
resided.  He  now  owns  two  farms,  aggregat- 
ing four  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  both  of 
which  are  highly  improved.  His  farming 
operations  have  always  been  carried  on  intel- 
ligently and  systematically,  for  he  has  taken 
deep  interest  in  his  vocation,  and,  while  never 
sparing  himself  when  necessary,  he  has  made 
use  of  the  best  obtainable  farm  machinery. 
On  April  3,  1883,  Mr.  Scheel  married  Miss 
Emma  Dorothy  Reher,  a  daughter  of  John 
and  Sophia  (Vogt)  Reher,  who  came  from 
Germany  to  Hall  County  in  April,  1883.  They 
bought  the  farm  in  section  36,  Washington 
township,  on  which  their  son  Ernest  Reher 
now  lives.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Scheel  have  had 
children  as  follows :  Anna,  the  wife  of  Henry 
Schimmer,  of  Phillips,  Nebraska;  Otto,  who 
lives  at  Doniphan,  married  Freda  Schimmer; 
Lena,  the  wife  of  Otto  Martens,  lives  in  Alda 
township;  Dora,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Henry  Neubert  and  she  left  four  little  children 
motherless;  Emil,  unmarried,  lives  at  home; 
Herman,  who  lives  in  Doniphan  township, 
married  Minnie  Schimmer;  Minnie,  the  wife 
of  Albert  Rohweder,  lives  in  Washington 
township;  and  Bernard,  Harry,  Max  and 
Viola,  all  of  whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  Scheel 
is  one  of  the  county's  dependable  men  and 
for  fifteen  years  he  served  as  a  member  of 
the  township  school  board.  In  politics  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Non-Partisan  League,  and 
for  many  years  he  has  belonged  to  Platts- 
deutchen,  the  old  German  organization  of  a 
social  nature  in  Grand  Island. 


PAUL  FRAUEN,  claimed  by  both  Hall 
and  Merrick  counties,  resides  in  Merrick 
County  but  is  financially  interested  and  a 
director  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  Frauen  has  been  widely  known  in 
both  counties  for  many  years,  owning  large 
bodies  of  land  in  both  sections,  and  at  the 
present  time  has  two  sons  living  on  his  land 
in  Merrick  and  one  in  Hall  County.  His  recol- 
lections of  early  days  in  Nebraska  are  exceed- 
ingly interesting. 

Paul  Frauen  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany, 


772 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


September  22,  1846.  He  was  one  of  a  family 
of  six  children  born  to  his  parents,  Paul  and 
Cecelia  (Janss)  Frauen,  both  of  whom  died  in 
Germany,  on  their  dairy  farm,  in  1898.  Four 
of  their  children  are  living  but  only  Paul  and 
his  brother  came  to  the  United  States.  Mr. 
Frauen  had  school  training  in  his  native  land. 
In  May,  1864,  he  came  to  America,  and  after 
three  years  in  Scott  County,  Iowa,  located  in 
Hall  County  and  in  1867  worked  on  a  farm 
which  is  now  the  site  of  the  Grand  Island 
stockyards.  In  that  year  came  the  grasshopper 
invasion  and  the  country  was  so  stripped  by 
tne  insects  that  crop  harvesting  was  a  farce. 
In  the  fall  of  1867  he  went  to  Merrick  County 
and  homesteaded  eighty  acres.  The  law 
restricted  homesteaders  to  eighty  acres  within 
twenty  miles  of  the  railroad,  while  outside 
that  limit,  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  were 
allowed.  This  eighty  acres  is  the  homestead 
on  which  Mr.  Frauen  now  lives.  He  recalls 
that  when  he  went  to  Lone  Tree,  south  of 
Central  City,  to  secure  his  first  homestead 
papers  before  Judge  Brewer,  he  made  the 
journey  with  oxen,  in  fourteen  hours.  Within 
the  last  year  he  covered  the  same  ground  in 
less  than  one  hour,  in  his  automobile. 

After  securing  his  claim,  Mr.  Frauen  put  up 
a  log  house  and  the  next  winter  built  what  was 
then  the  largest  barn  in  Merrick  County,  at 
no  cost  to  him  except  time  and  labor.  The 
round  trip  with  oxen  from  Dannebrog,  where 
logs  were  obtained,  consumed  twenty-four 
hours,  and  he  and  his  brother  worked  on  bam 
building  all  winter.  It  served  its  purpose  for 
twenty-five  years,  and  in  later  years  when  the 
magnificent  improvements  of  the  present  were 
made  on  the  homestead,  the  old  log  house  was 
used  for  a  granary.  In  1876  the  brothers  were 
in  partnership  and  raised  their  first  corn  crop. 
They  fattened  eight  steers,  butchered  them  and 
when  they  offered  the  meat  for  sale,  could 
get  no  price  over  three  cents  per  pound.  That 
seemed  too  low  even  then,  So  the  following 
April  Mr.  Frauen's  brother  started  with  a  load 
of  meat  to  the  Black  Hills  and  there  was  able 
to  sell  it  for  six  cents  a  pound  live  weight. 
The  brothers  had  planned  to  invest  their  meat 
money  in  mines,  but  before  doing  so  Mr. 
Frauen  investigated  and  found  that  the  com- 
pany in  which  he  had  thought  to  invest  had 
made  no  money  that  far  and  the  whole  propo- 
sition failed  to  interest  him.  Therefore  when 
the.  brother  returned  to  Merrick  County,  he  yet 
had  their  joint  capital  in  his  pocket. 

With  this  money  the  brothers  bought  cattle, 
fed,  fattened  and  sold  in  the  following  spring 
and  still  had  fifty  head  left.  They  invested 
their  money  in  land  that  the  government  had 


put  on  the  market  near  Fullerton,  Nebraska, 
at  one  dollar  an  acre  down  and  the  balance  at 
six  per  cent  interest,  and  in  that  and  the  fol- 
lowing year  bought  two  sections  of  land  in 
Nance  County.  With  these  responsibilities 
they  became  land  poor,  and  early  in  the 
eighties  sold  the  land  with  the  improvements 
they  had  put  oni  it,  to  John  Riemers.  Later 
Mr.  Frauen  bought  more  land  in  Merrick 
County,  and  still  later  in  Hall  County,  at  one 
time  owning  about  2,000  acres  in  Merrick 
County.  He  has  sold  all  this  land  to  his  chil- 
dren, retaining  for  his  lifetime  the  old  home- 
stead. His  Hall  County  land  had  absolutely 
nothing  on  it  when  he  bought  and  all  the  im- 
provements he  made  himself. 

In  the  fall  of  1877  Mr.  Frauen  married 
Miss  Catherine  Paustian,  who  died  in  189f. 
They  had  children  as  follows :  Otto,  who 
lives  in  Merrick  County;  Cecelia,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Max  Cornelius;  Henry,  a 
farmer  in  Lake  township,  Hall  County ;  Annie, 
the  wife  of  Christian  Sass,  of  Merrick  County ; 
and  John  J.,  who  operates  the  home  farm  of 
520  acres,  raising  Hereford  cattle  and  Duroc- 
Jersey  hogs.  Mr.  Frauen  formerly  favored 
Shorthorn  cattle,  thoroughbred,  but  sold  his 
herd  in  1904.  Another  contrast  is  presented 
when  memory  goes  back  to  the  wearying  work 
on  the  farm  that  had  to  be  done  with  ox 
strength,  when  Mr.  Frauen  was  a  young 
farmer,  while  now  the  most  modern  of  farm 
tractors  solves  every  problem. 

Since  he  became  an  American  citizen,  Mr. 
Frauen  has  valued  his  political  privileges  and 
has  conscientiously  supported  the  candidates 
and  upheld  the  principles  of  the  Republican 
party.  He  has  been  active  in  the  affairs  of 
Merrick  County  and  frequently  has  served  in 
public  office.  Early  in  the  eighties  he  was  a 
member  of  the  county  board,  for  many  years 
was  assessor,  and  for  fully  twenty  years  was 
a  school  director.  He  has  lent  his  influence 
in  support  of  more  than  one  worthy  enterprise 
in  the  county,  has  always  worked  for  sobriety, 
law  and  religion. 


JAMES  GARFIELD  ERION,  whose  agri- 
cultural activities  include  the  operation  of  a 
large  farm  in  Lake  township,  Hall  County,  a 
dairy  in  connection,  and  the  raising  of  Hol- 
stein  cows  for  the  same,  came  to  this  county 
in  1883,  when  three  years  old.  With  the  ex- 
ception of  seven  years  this  has  since  been  his 
home. 

James  Garfield  Erion  was  born  in  Linn 
County,  Iowa,  October  13,  1880,  the  son  of 
Joseph  and   Clara  L,.    (Stewart)    Erion,  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


771 


former  of  whom  was  born  in  Ohio,  April  6, 
1851,  and  died  in  1890.  The  mother  of  Mr. 
Erion  was  born  in  Linn  County,  Iowa,  Octo- 
ber 12,  1860,  and  resides  in  Hall  County. 
Of  their  six  children,  James  Garfield  was  the 
second  in  order  of  birth,  the  others  being: 
Leota,  the  wife  of  Robert  Plummer,  of  Elk- 
ton,  Maryland ;  Edward  E.,  who  lives  north  of 
Grand  Island,  married  Elva  Rice;  Nellie,  the 
wife  of  R.  R.  Hanna,  of  Grand  Island;  Har- 
riet, who  lives  in  Hastings,  Nebraska;  and 
Addie  L-,  the  wife  of  George  Stevenson,  of 
Simla,  Colorado.  The  father  of  this  family, 
came  to  Iowa  from  Ohio  when  fourteen  years 
old,  and  to  Hall  County,  in  1883,  purchasing 
eighty  acres  situated  two  miles  north  of  Grand 
Island.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling  character, 
a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and  a 
Republican  in  politics. 

James  G.  Erion  obtained  his  education  in 
the  schools  of  Lake  township,  and  grew  up  on 
the  homestead  on  which  he  now  lives.  He  en- 
gaged in  farming  here  and  continued  until 
1909,  when  he  learned  the  carpenter  trade 
and  afterward  worked  at  the  same  in  Grand 
Island  for  seven  years.  Mr.  Erion  then  re- 
turned to  the  farm.  This  was  in  September, 
1916,  and  he  proposes  to  continue  in  agricul- 
tural life.  He  is  interested  in  Holstein  cattle 
and  has  built  up  a  fine  dairy  business  in  addi- 
tion to  conducting  farm  operations  on  his  one 
hundred  and  forty  acres,  and  is  regarded  as 
one  of  the  very  busy  men  of  his  neighborhood. 

On  November  28,  1911,  Mr.  Erion  married 
Miss  Cora  Ophelia  Rice,  a  daughter  of  John 
D.  and  Carrie  (Martin)  Rice,  pioneers  in 
Merrick  County  but  now  residents  of  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Erion  have  two  children 
Robert  R.,  born  May  10,  1916  and  Jane  E., 
born  March  29,  1918.  In  politics  Mr.  Erion 
is  a  Republican,  but  like  his  late  father,  has  no 
desire  for  political  office. 


JOHN  QUANDT.  —  One  of  the  solid,  sub- 
stantial citizens  of  Lake  township,  where  he 
carries  on  general  farming,  is  John  Quandt, 
who  belongs  to  a  pioneer  family  of  this  section 
that  is  well  and  favorably  known  all  over  Hall 
County.  He  was  born  in  Waupaca  County, 
Wisconsin,  May  19,  1876,  the  son  of  August 
and  Henrietta  (Klemp)  Quandt,  natives  of 
Germany. 

August  Quandt  was  nineteen  years  old  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States  in  1855.  After 
his  marriage  he  bought  land  in  Waupaca 
County,  Wisconsin,  on  which  he  and  his 
family  resided  for  twenty-five  years,  then 
sold   and  came  to   Nebraska,   reaching   Hall 


County  on  March  24,  1880.  Here  he  bought 
the  farm  in  Lake  township  on  which  his  son 
John  now  lives,  and  here  both  he  and  wife 
spent  the  rest  of  their  lives.  His  death  occurred 
in  1900.  They  had  children  as  follows :  Louise, 
the  wife  of  Charles  Niemoth;  Augusta,  the 
wife  of  August  Wrtzke,  of  Hall  County; 
Frederick,  who  lives  in  Lake  township;  Gus- 
tave,  who  died  at  the  age  of  twenty-one  years, 
was  a  graduate  of  the  Nebraska  City  Blind 
school,  having  become  blind  when  two  years 
old ;  William,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma ;  Ida, 
the  wife  of  Emil  Dankert,  a  farmer  near 
Palmer,  Nebraska ;  Albert,  who  lives  in  Hall 
County ;  and  John,  who  lives  on  the  old  home 
place.  In  politics  the  father  of  the  above 
family  was  a  Republican.  He  was  regarded 
with  confidence  and  esteem  by  all  who  knew 
him  and  for  years  held  school  and  church 
offices.  He  belonged  to  the  Missouri  synod  of 
the  Lutheran  church.  Crop  conditions  were  so 
discouraging  the  first  year  after  the  Quandt 
family  came  to  Hall  County,  that  they  serious- 
ly considered  the  advisability  of  returning  to 
Wisconsin.  In  the  second  year,  however,  the 
father  cleared  $1,300  on  his  farm  and  the 
family  has  prospered  ever  since. 

John  Quandt  obtained  his  education  in  the 
Hall  County  schools.  He  has  been  a  farmer 
all  his  life  and  now  operates  160  acres  of  land 
with  first  class  farm  machinery,  in  great  con- 
trast to  the  way  his  father  worked  in  early 
days,  with  one  team  of  horses  and  a  yoke  of 
oxen.  The  Quandt  homestead  is  one  of  the 
most  vanuable  farms  in  Lake  township. 

On  October  31,  1902,  Mr.  Quandt  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Ruff,  a 
daughter  of  John  A.  and  Wilhelmina  (Beyer) 
Ruff,  and  a  granddaughter  of  John  H.  and 
Anna  (Miche)  Ruff.  The  Ruffs  have  been 
prominent  people  in  this  section  for  many 
years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Quandt  have  six  chil-  • 
dren,  namely:  Agnes,  Radbalt,  John,  Milton, 
Carl  and  Edwin.  Mr.  Quandt  has  always 
been  active  in  township  affairs  and  served 
three  years  on  the  school  board.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Fanners'  Union,  and  the  entire 
family  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church. 


JOHN  C.  C.  HANN  enjoys  the  distinction 
of  being  one  of  the  first  two  white  children 
brought  to  Hall  County ;  his  sister  Mary,  now 
deceased,  being  the  other.  Today  Mr.  Hann 
is  one  of  the  best  known  residents  of  this 
section  of  Nebraska.  There  are  few  men 
so  well  informed  as  to  the  county's  early  life 
and  history,  and  it  may  be  added,  there  are 
not  many  who  can  recall  past  events  in   so 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


775 


interesting  a  way.  Mr.  Hann's  home  has  been 
in  Hall  County  for  sixty-one  years,  and  since 
1899  he  has  been  owner  and  conductor  of  the 
popular  amusement  park  in  Grand  Island, 
known  as  Lion's  Grove. 

John  C.  C.  Hann  was  born  in  1856,  in 
Mecklenburg  Schwerin,  Germany,  the  son  of 
John  and  Katherina  (Boehl)  Hann,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Germany  April 
5,  1823,  and  died  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
December  22,  1888.  The  mother  was  born 
in  Germany  November  15,  1825,  and  died  in 
Hall  County  October  12,  1908.  They  had 
five  children,  three  of  whom  are  living:  John 
C.  C,  whose  interests  are  important  in  Hall 
County ;  Henry,  resides  in  Grand  Island,  mar- 
ried Hedwig  Keuster;  and  Lena,  the  wife  of 
Benjamin  Brandow,  of  Leavenworth,  Kansas. 
John  Hann  and  his  family  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1857  and  made  their  way  to  Daven- 
port, Iowa,  where  many  of  their  countrymen 
had  settled,  and  five  months  later,  as  members 
of  the  second  German  colonizing  party  in 
Nebraska,  came  to  Hall  County,  reaching  here 
July  6,  1858.  Mr.  Hann  homesteaded  six 
miles  southwest  of  Grand  Island  where  the 
family  lived  nine  years,  spending  the  entire 
first  year  in  the  wagon  in  which  they  had  been 
transported  by  oxen,  from  Chicago  to  Daven- 
port. Then  a  log  cabin  was  built  which  still 
may  be  seen  on  the  farm  of  William  Stolley. 
While  they  endured  many  pioneer  hardships 
the  first  winter  was  the  most  trying  period. 
There  were  no  mills  to  grind  the  corn  and 
when  it  was  necessary  to  prepare  this  staple, 
a  hand  operated  coffee  mill  had  to  be  utilized, 
the  resulting  mush  serving  as  food  only  be- 
cause there  was  nothing  else.  When  actual 
necessity  arose  the  father  of  Mr.  Hann  hitched 
up  his  oxen  and  started  for  Omaha,  some- 
times being  able,  if  the  condition  of  the  roads 
was  favorable,  to  make  the  jounrey  back  and 
forth  in  three  weeks.  Meat  was  a  luxury  and 
Mr.  Hann  remembers  his  mother  trapping 
snow  birds  to  add  to  the  lean  bill  of  fare.  At 
times  it  was  possible  to  secure  buffalo  meat 
from  the  Indians,  who  paid  in  this  way,  and 
in  blankets,  for  his  mother's  services  as  a 
midwife.  She  was  a  capable,  big-hearted 
woman  who,  when  called  upon,  hastened  to 
the  relief  of  suffering  for  many  miles  around, 
and  Mr.  Hann  is  certain  that  through  her  min- 
istrations at  least  eight  hundred  children  were 
added  to  the  population  of  Hall  County,  ten 
of  these  being  born  to  Indian  and  four  to 
colored  parents.  There  were  some  things, 
however,  that  this  resourceful,  untiring  mother 
cound  not  do,  an  instance  being  inability  to 
restore  her  son's  hearing  after  a  boyhood 


attack  of  scarlet  fever.  To  its  partial  restora- 
tion Mr.  Hann  gives  credit  to  an  old  Indian 
doctor,  who  was  faithful  in  his  efforts, 
although,  of  course,  he  lacked  all  scientific 
knowledge  of  the  real  cause  of  the  deafness. 
In  the  course  of  years  the  parents  of  Mr. 
Hann  became  prosperous.  In  the  later  sixties 
the  father  bought  twenty  acres  of  land  near 
Grand  Island,  which  he  improved  by  setting 
out  trees  and  it  was  long  managed  by  him  as 
Hann's  Park  in  connection  with  a  licensed 
saloon.  He  remained  in  the  business  until 
his  death.  He  was  a  Republican  in  politics 
and  in  many  ways  was  an  influential  man. 
Both  parents  were  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church. 

John  C.  C,  Hann  was  too  young  to  be  able 
to  recall  at  the  present  day  the  long  voyage 
across  the  Atlantic  ocean,  consuming  thirteen 
weeks  and  three  days,  in  an  old  sailing  vessel, 
by  which  he  reached  America,  nor  the  further 
journey  by  railroad  across  the  country  to  the 
end  of  the  line,  Chicago,  nor  later  the  ox-team 
journey  to  the  wild  prairie  land  in  Hall 
County,  but  he  remembers  his  first  subscrip- 
tion school  teacher  was  named  Mr.  Nogle,  and 
that  for  three  months  instruction,  his  father 
had  to  pay  the  sum  of  $40.  There  were  but 
three  other  pupils  in  the  school,  which  Mr. 
Nogle  conducted  in  his  own  log  cabin.  The 
young  man  helped  his  father  on  the  farm 
until  1868  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Grand  Island,  in  which  city  his  first  work 
was  selling  milk  and  vegetables.  Later  he 
assisted  his  father  in  the  saloon  at  Hann's 
Park,  continuing  there  until  1899,  when  he 
bought  the  five  acres  near  Grand  Island  which 
is  widely  known  as  Lion's  Grove.  This  he 
has  converted  into  a  first  class  amusement 
park.  Mr.  Hann  has  been  in  business  here 
ever  since  and  is  interested  also  in  the  Grand 
Island  Brewing  Company.  He  still  owns  the 
old  muzzle-loading  rifle  with  which  he  has 
killed  many  elk,  deer  and  buffalo.  As  an  in- 
cident of  the  unusually  severe  winter  of  1870 
he  tells  of  the  freezing  of  all  the  fish  in  the 
river  when  the  ice  measured  a  depth  of  four 
feet  and  the  freezing  of  the  water  in  the 
pipes  of  the  city  water  works,  when  relief 
was  obtained  through  the  use  of  an  old 
threshing  machine  engine,  using  oxen  for 
motive  power.  The  contrast  between  city  fa- 
cilities at  that  time  and  the  present  is  marked 
indeed.  Mr.  Hann  was  ever  active  in  civil 
affairs,  having  been  instrumental  in  calling 
the  meeting  which  organized  the  old  volunteer 
fire  company,  the  first  one  in  Grand  Island, 
In  October,  1882,  Mr.  Hann  married  Miss 
Lena  Boehl,  who  died  at  Spokane,  Washing- 


776 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA. 


ton,  leaving  one  son,  Otto,  who  lives  in  that 
city.  Mr.  Hann's  second  marriage  took  place 
October  30,  1891,  to  Mrs.  Minnie  Augusta 
(Pankratz)  Stepel.  who  was  the  widow  of 
Herman  Stepel  and  a  daughter  of  Frederick 
W.  and  Edith  (Hapke)  Pankratz.  They 
have  one  daughter,  Pauline  Augusta,  the  wife 
of  John  F.  Koehler.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hann  are 
members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  belongs 
to  the  fraternal  order  of  Eagles  and  the  sons 
of  Herman,  and  Mrs.  Hann  is  a  member  of 
the  Royal  Highlanders.  , 


JACOB  J.  LORENTZEN,  who  came  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  with  his  parents,  when 
seven  years  old,  has  lived  here  since  with  the 
exception  of  three  years  in  Denver  and  Grand 
Island.  Few  men  are  better  known  and  none 
more  favorably,  in  Lake  township,  where  he 
carries  on  extensive  agricultural  operations. 
He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  May 
13,  1868. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Lorentzen  were  Jacob 
and  Elizabeth  (Mindt)  Lorentzen,  both  of 
whem  were  born  in  Germany.  After  coming 
to  the  United  States,  the  father  worked  as  a 
carpenter  and  shipbuilder  in  New  York  city, 
finding  much  opportunity  there  for  his  trade 
skill,  but  he  desired  a  farm  on  which  to  rear 
his  children,  and  with  this  ambition  he  came 
to  Nebraska  and  on  May  2,  1875,  secured 
school  land  situated  in  section  sixteen,  Lake 
township,  Hall  County,  on  which  he  lived 
until  his  death  in  1896.  He  was  a  Democrat  in 
politics,  but  never  was  willing  to  accept  a 
public  office,  and  both  he  and  his  wife  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
She  survives  and  resides  with  Jacob  J.,  on  the 
homestead.  They  had  the  following  children : 
Jacob  J.,  the  first  born;  Henry,  who  lives  in 
Grand  Island;  Charles,  died  at  the  age  of 
nineteen  years ;  Christina,  the  widow  of 
August  Ritterbusch,  resides  on  the  homestead ; 
and  Amanda,  who  lives  in  California. 

Jacob  J.  Lorentzen  attended  the  public 
schools  in  Lake  township  and  assisted  his 
father  on  the  farm,  assuming  entire  charge 
when  the  latter  died.  He  has  one  hundred 
and  eighty-seven  acres  of  well  improved  land, 
which  he  devotes  to  general  farming  and 
stock  raising.  He  has  additional  business 
intertests  and  is  a  stockholder  in  the  Loup 
Valley  Packing  Plant.  Formerly  he  was  a 
leading  factor  in  Democratic  circles  and  yet 
is  active  politically  but  more  independently. 
He  has  served  in  numerous  township  offices, 
for.  five  years  being  township  assessor,  while 
for  four  years  he  was  a  county  supervisor. 


He  has  been  chairman  of  the  Liberty  Bond 
drive  in  Lake  township,  and  his  personal  popu- 
larity has  had  its  weight  in  making  the  record 
of  Lake  township  such  a  creditable  one.  He 
is  a  valued  member  of  the  several  German 
social  organizations  that  have  been  in  exist- 
ence in  Grand  Island  for  many  years. 

HENRY  C.  J.  STOLLE,  worthy  repre- 
sentative of  an  old  Hall  County  family,  is 
one  of  the  most  efficient  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers  in  Lake  township,  which  has  been  his 
home  all  his  life.  He  was  born  here  July  1. 
1889,  was  educated  in  the  public  schools,  and 
is  now  serving  in  the  office  of  township  clerk. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Stolle,  Charles  and 
Mary  (Rickert)  Stolle,  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many, the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Han- 
over and  the  latter  in  Holstein.  Of  their  family 
of  ten  children  Henry  C.  ].  was  the  seventh 
in  order  of  birth,  the  others  being  as  follows: 
Alvina,  the  wife  of  Otto  Kruse,  of  Grand 
Island;  Herman,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island; 
Minnie,  deceased,  was  the  wi  fe  of  Otto 
Frauen ;  William,  who  lives  in  Lake  township, 
married  Mary  Brabander;  Anna  and  John, 
both  of  whom  are  unmarried ;  Otto,  a  farmer 
in  Howard  County,  married  Theresa  Sassen; 
and  Emil  and  Louis,  both  of  whom  live  in 
Hall  County.  The  mother  of  this  family  died 
in  the  spring  of  1909,  from  the  effects  of 
fright  when  automobiles  caused  the  team  of 
horses  behind  which  she  was  riding,  to  run 
away.  She  was  an  estimable  woman  and  was 
much  esteemed  in  her  neighborhood.  In  1869 
the  father,  Charles  Stolle,  came  from  Ger- 
many to  the  United  States,  and  after  spending 
two  years  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  came  *to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska.  At  that  time  he  was 
without  capital  and  the  fact  that  when  he  died. 
in  the  fall  of  1914,  he  owned  four  hundred 
and  ninety-three  acres  of  well  developed  land, 
indicates  that  his  industry  and  thrift  were  sup- 
plemented by  good  business  judgment.  In  1871 
he  homesteaded  the  eighty  acres  on  which  his 
son  Henry  now  lives,  to  which  he  kept  on  add. 
ing  until  he  was  one  of  the  county's  large  land- 
owners. He  was  a  man  of  sterling  character 
and  was  respected  by  everyone.  Although  he 
would  never  accept  any  public  office,  he  was 
strong  in  his  support  of  the  Republican  party's 
principles  and  candidates.  Both  he  and  wife 
were  faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
To  build  his  first  house  and  barn,  he  hauled 
logs  by  ox  team  from  Loup  and  Oak  creeks, 
the  last  of  these  log  structures  being  taken 
down  in  order  to  make  way  for  substantial 
modem  improvements,  about   1909. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


Henry  C.  J.  Stolle  was  born  on  the  home- 
stead and  has  lived  there  with  the  exception 
of  two  years,  when  he  resided  on  one  of  his 
father's  olher  farms.  He  obtained  a  good  com- 
mon school  education  and  ever  since  has  de- 
voted himself  to  general  farming  and  stock- 
raising  with  much  success. 

On  December  18,  1912,  Mr.  Stolle  married 
Miss  Anna  Schloemer,  who  is  a  daughter  of 
Sophus  and  Mary  Schloemer,  residents  of 
Grand  Island.  Mr.  Stolle,  like  his  late  father, 
is  a  sound  Republican  and  on  that  party 
ticket  was  elected  township  clerk,  an  office 
of  considerable  importance  in  Lake  township. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Farmers'  Union,  the 
Non-Partisan  League,  the  Modern  Woodmen 
of  America,  and  the  Plattsdeutchen  society, 
and  carries  insurance  in  Globe  Life  Insur- 
ance Company. 


GEORGE  A.  TILLEY,  one  of  Lake  town- 
ship's representative  citizens,  has  passed  al- 
most his  entire  life  here  and  is  well  and  favor- 
ably known  all  over  Hall  County.  He  was 
born  in  Otsego  County,  New  York,  September 
26,  1871.  He  was  three  years  old  when  his 
parents  came  from  New  York  to  Hall  County. 
They  were  Adin  D.  and  Maria  A.  (Perkins) 
Tilley,  a  record  of  whom  will  be  found  on 
another  page  of  this  book. 

George  A.  Tilley  was  educated  by  his  father 
and  his  older  sister,  who  also  was  a  well  known 
teacher  in  Hall  County  prior  to  her  marriage. 
He  worked  on  the  farm  and  assisted  his  father 
in  setting  out  the  many  beautiful  trees,  in 
Grand  Island  and  in  the  vicinity,  which  will  be 
a  perpetual  memorial  of  the  Tilley  name.  Mr. 
Tdley  has  heard  his  mother  tell  of  the  sad  lack 
of  trees  that  so  unfavorably  impressed  his 
father  and  herself  when  they  came  to  this  sec- 
tion. The  only  two  standing  on  the  homestead 
were  landmarks  from  the  fact  that  they  were 
the  only  trees  within  a  radius  of  miles.  Mr. 
Tilley  has  practically  been  engaged  in  farm- 
ing all  his  life  and  on  his  own  account  since  his 
twenty-seventh  year.  He  is  operating  his  own 
eighty  acres  and  an  additional  eighty  acres 
which  he  rents,  carrying  on  general  farming 
and  moderate  stock  raising. 

On  February  14,  1899,  Mr.  Tilley  married 
Miss  Lida  Nickle,  who  is  a  daughter  of  Will- 
iam and  Mary  (Black)  Nickle.  They  have  one 
son,  Lawrence.  Mr.  Tilley  and  his  family 
belong  to  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he 
is  a  Republican  and  takes  hearty  interest  in 
public  affairs.  Like  his  father  before  him, 
he  values  his  privilege  of  real  Amercan  citi- 
zenship, and  is  proud  of  his  ancestral  names 


that  connect  him  with  the   founding  of   the 
United  States  of  America. 


RUDOLPH  SASS  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  earliest  families  of  Hall  County,  as 
he  was  born  on  the  old  homestead  near  Grand 
Island,  December  23,  1874,  and  is  a  son  of 
Detlef  Sass,  a  record  of  whom  will  be  found 
elsewhere  in  this  history. 

Rudolph  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  re- 
mained at  home  till  he  was  twenty-five  years 
of  age,  when  he  became  a  farmer  on  his  own 
account,  and  is  operating  one  hundred  twenty 
acres  of  land  in  Alda  township. 

January  23,  1900,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Rudolph  Sass  and  Christina  Clausen. 
Mrs.  Sass  is  also  a  native  of  Hall  County,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Juergen  Clausen,  of  whom 
further  mention  is  made  on  other  pages  of  this 
volume. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sass  has  been 
blessed  with  four  children,  namely:  Helen, 
Tony,  Detlef  and  George,  all  of  whom  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof. 

The  family  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem 
by  all  who  know  them,  and  their  friends  are 
those  who  have  known  them  since  childhood 
days.  Mr.  Sass  has  been  elected  justice  of  the 
peace  in  his  township  and  his  neighbors  have 
given  him  the  title  of  "Judge." 


CHARLES  WYLEY  SMITH  is  one  of  the 
successful  farmers  of  Hamilton  County,  has 
since  boyhood  resided  in  this  section  of  Ne- 
braska. He  was  born  in  Union  County,  Ohio, 
April  18,  1870,  and  was  but  three  years  old 
when  his  parents  established  their  pioneer 
home  in  Hall  County.  His  father,  James 
Wyley  Smith,  came  to  Nebraska  in  1873  and 
secured  a  homestead  in  Hall  County  where 
for  many  years  he  carried  on  farming  opera- 
tions. A  record  of  this  pioneer  family  will 
be  found  on  other  pages  of  this  volume,  in  a 
biography  furnished  by  Mrs.  Nancy  Smith, 
the  mother  of  our  subject  who  is  living  in  a 
comfortable  home  in  the  village  of  Doniphan. 

Charles  Wyley  Smith  was  reared  on  his 
father's  farm,  attended  the  public  schools  of 
the  neighborhood,  and  under  the  instructions 
of  his  father  learned  the  best  methods  of  till- 
ing the  soil  and  caring  for  crops,  as  a  result  of 
which  upon  attaining  landlord's  estate  he  was 
well  qualified  to  enter  upon  the  task  of  farm- 
ing on  his  own  account.  That  he  chose  wisely 
and  has  made  a  success  of  the  business  is  prov- 
en by  the  fact  that  today  he  is  the  owner  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land  under 


778 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


a  high  state  of  cultivation  equipped  with  the 
necessary  buildings  and  machinery  for  an  up- 
to-date  farm.  The  success  and  prosperity  that 
has  come  to  Mr.  Smith  is  the  result  of  his 
own  efforts  and  the  logical  outcome  of  perse- 
verance and  industry. 

Mr.  Smith  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Amy  Harris,  a  native  of  Hall  County,  a 
daughter  of  Thomas  and  Emily  (Starky) 
Harris,  who  were  among  the  pioneers  of  this 
section,  taking  up  their  abode  here  in  1872  on 
a  homestead.  Thomas  Harris  is  now  deceased 
but  the  mother  of  Mrs.  Smith  resides  in  Doni- 
phan. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  has  been 
blessed  with  three  children:  Emily  May, 
Nancy  Anna  and  Geneva,  all  of  whom  are 
still  under  the  parental  roof.  The  family  are 
held  in  high  esteem  by  all  who  know  them  and 
their  circle  of  friends  is  co-extensive  with  their 
circle  of  acquaintance. 


ALBERTUS  E.  EDWARDS,  who  carries 
on  an  extensive  greenhouse  business,  devotes 
his  entire  fifty-four  acres  of  richly  cultivated 
land,  situated  in  section  four,  Washington 
township,  to  gardening  purposes.  Although 
not  a  native  of  Hall  County,  he  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  here,  and  it  is  his 
opinion  that  there  are  no  finer  people  any- 
where. 

Albertus  E.  Edwards  was  born  in  Wood 
County,  Ohio,  September  18,  1861.  His  par- 
ents were  Edson  and  Jane:  (Cleveland) 
Edwards,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in 
the  state  of  New  York,  and  the  latter  in 
Cleveland,  Ohio.  The  late  Hon.  Grover  Cleve- 
land, twice  prsident  of  the  United  States,  was 
her  cousin.  Edson  and  Jane  Edwards  had 
three  children,  two  of  whom  survive:  Al- 
bertus E.  and  Eva  N.,  the  wife  of  R.  I.  Evans, 
residing  in  South  Dakota.  In  early  manhood 
Edson  Edwards  learned  the  shoemaking  trade 
but  afterward  became  a  farmer.  He  came  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1871,  homesteadirtg 
thirteen  miles  west  of  Grand  Island,  where  he 
secured  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  on  which 
the  family  lived  until  1877  and  then  moved  to 
Grand  Island.  For  one  year  he  conducted  the 
Crescent  Hotel,  and  for  three  years  a  shoe 
store,  moving  then  to  Custer  County,  where  he 
resided  three  years.  He  finally  located  per- 
manently at  York,  where  he  was  engaged  in 
the  insurance  business  until  his  death,  in  April, 
1886.  His  widow  survived  until  December  22, 
1897. 

Albertus  E.  Edwards  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools.    He  was  ten  years 


old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Halt 
County,  and  sixteen  when  the  family  moved 
into  Grand  Island.  At  that  time  he  says  that 
when  the  hunting  trips  of  the  Indians  were 
over,  they  came  in  from  the  Republican  River 
in  such  numbers  that  the  streets  were  crowded 
and  he  has  seen  valuable  skins  and  pelts  piled 
four  feet  high.  That  would  be  a  strange  sight 
today  on  the  busy,  modern  thoroughfares  of 
Grand  Island.  He  lived  with  his  parents  until 
he  was  twenty-three  years  old,  in  the  mean- 
while working  for  three  years  in  the  drag 
store  of  Barker  &  Hait,  in  Grand  Island.  He 
had  a  strong  predilection,  however,  in  favor 
of  the  business  in  which  he  is  now  engaged. 
and  when  he  started  his  gardening  enterprise, 
on  ten  acres  of  land,  it  was  with  a  debt  of 
$150  hanging  over  him.  His  natural  gifts  in 
this  direction,  however,  soon  made  his  venture 
a  splendid  success,  and  his  business  has  con- 
tinued to  expand  until  now  he  dominates  the 
trade  in  this  section  and  furnishes  both  retail 
and  wholesale  to  dealers  in  Grand  Island  and 
elsewhere.  He  has  a  greenhouse  one  hundred 
and  twenty-five  by  sixty  feet  in  dimensions, 
making  specialties  of  choice  early  lettuce  and 
French  asparagus,  also  supplying  cut  flowers 
and  bedding  plants. 

On  March  30,  1886,  Mr.  Edwards  married 
Miss  Mollie  A.  Roush,  whose  people  came  to 
Hall  County  in  1883.  She  is  a  daughter  of 
David  and  Marie  (Lowery)  Roush,  who  were 
born  near  Letart  Falls,  in  Meigs  County,  Ohio 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Edwards  died  December 
19,  1900,  and  the  mother,  November  10,  1916. 
They  were  the  parents  of  eight  children. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Edwards  have  no  children  of 
their  own,  but  they  reared  one  as  a  daughter 
and  she  is  now  married  and  lives  at  Omaha, 
Nebraska.  Mr.  Edwards  has  never  been  active 
in  politics  but  is  a  good  citizen  who  is  ever 
mindful  of  the  welfare  and  good  name  of 
Washington  township. 


WILLIAM  F.  STOLLE,  whose  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated  in  sec- 
tion three.  Lake  township,  Hall  County,  gives 
evidence  of  careful  cultivation  and  intelli- 
gent management,  is  a  member  of  a  fine  old 
family  of  this  section,  that  has  been  identified 
with  Lake  township  affairs  for  almost  a  half 
century.  Mr.  Stolle  was  born  in  Halt  Countv. 
May  3,  1883. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Stolle  were  Charles  and 
Mary  (Rickert)  Stolle,  the  former  of  whom 
was  born  in  Hanover  and  the  latter  in  HcJ- 
stein,  Germany.  Of  their  family  of  ten  chil- 
dren, William  F.   was  the   fourth  bom,  the 


HISTORY  OP  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


A.  E.  Edwards  and  Wife 


d  by  Google 


780 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


other  members  being:  Alvina,  the  wife  of 
Otto  Kruse,  of  Grand  Island;  Herman,  a 
resident  of  Grand  Island;  Minnie,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Otto  Frauen ;  Anna,  who  lives 
in  Hall  County;  John,  a  farmer  in  Lake  town- 
ship ;  Otto,  a  farmer  in  Howard  County,  Ne- 
braska, married  Theresa  Sassen ;  and  Emil 
and  Louis,  both  of  whom  live  in  Hall  County. 
The  mother  of  the  above  family  died  in  the 
spring  of  1909,  from  the  rupture  of  a  blood 
vessel,  when  an  accident  occurred,  while  the 
father  passed  away  in  the  fall  of  1914.  He 
had  been  of  considerable  importance  in  Lake 
township  and  was  one  of  its  largest  land- 
owners. He  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1869,  lived  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  until  1871, 
removed  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  taking  up 
a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in  Lake  town- 
ship. Through  industry  and  business  ability  he 
increased  his  possessions  and  when  he  died 
left  an  estate  of  four  hundred  and  ninety-three 
acres  of  well  improved  land.  He  was  a  Re- 
publican in  politics  and  was  loyal  to  his  friends 
but  accepted  no  offices  for  himself.  For  many 
years  the  log  structures  he  built  in  early  days 
remained  on  the  farm,  but  the  last  one  was 
torn  down  in  1909  when  modern  buildings 
were  erected. 

William  F.  Stolle  attended  the  public  schools 
in  Lake  township,  and  ever  since  has  devoted 
himself  to  farm  pursuits.  His  land  is  well 
adapted  to  the  industries  he  carries  on  and  his 
annual  crop  and  stock  products  are  very  satis- 
factory from  their  owner's  point  of  view.  On 
October  26,  1910,  Mr.  Stolle  married  Miss 
Mary  Brabarider,  a  daughter  of  Garrett  and 
Louise  (Manke)  Brabander,  and  they  have 
three  children:  Alfred,  Carl  and  Blanche. 
They  belong  to  the  English  Lutheran  church. 
Politically  Mr.  Stolle  is  a  Republican.  He  is 
a  member  of  the  Fanners  Union,  the  Non- 
partisan League,  and  a  German  society. 


AUGUST  STOLDT,  who  represents  large 
agricultural  interests  in  Lake  township,  is 
representative  of  a  family  that  has  been  known 
and  respected  in  Hall  County  for  many  years. 
He  was  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  June 
12,  1873,  the  son  of.  Hans  and  Magdalene 
(Suehlsen)  Stoldt,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Germany,  August  13,  1839,  and  the 
latter  September  19,  1840.  Their  marriage 
took  place  in  Germany,  September  30,  1865. 
They  becam^  the  parents  of  five  children, 
three  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  two  sur- 
vivors are  August  and  Johanna.  The  latter 
is  the  wife  of  Asbjorn  Heiberg.  who  lives  at 
Big  Sandy,  Montana.    A  few  days  after  mar- 


riage, Hans  Stoldt  and  his  wife  left  Germany 
for  the  United  States  and  safely  reached  the 
harbor  of  New  York.  He  was  a  cabinet- 
maker skilled  in  his  trade  and  had  no  difficulty 
in  finding  employment  in  the  big  piano  manu- 
facturing houses  of  Steinway  and  Kroenig  & 
Bach,  of  New  York  City.  In  1878  he  came 
with  his  wife  and  family  to  Hal!  County.  He 
purchased  a  part  of  what  is  now  the  farm  of 
his  son.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  very  in- 
dustrious, letting  no  opportunity  go  by  to  add 
to  their  income.  While  not  engaged  on  his 
farm,  Mr.  Stoldt  worked  as  a  carpenter  and 
helped  in  the  erection  of  the  present  substan- 
tial Wolbach  store  building  at  Grand  Island. 
In  those  early  days,  when  there  were  no  pub- 
lic means  of  transportation,  it  was  a  heavy 
task  to  procure  fuel.  The  custom  was  for  the 
householder  to  start  with  his  team  at  three 
o'clock  in  the  morning  for  the  Loup  River, 
trirty-two  miles  away,  making  the  round  trip, 
loading  logs  which  cost  nothing  at  that  time, 
and  usually  reaching  home  in  the  night.  This 
was  but  one  of  the  many  hardships  of  early 
settlement  in  Lake  township.  Nevertheless, 
when  Mr.  Stoldt  retired  in  1903,  he  owned  two 
hudred  acres  of  well  improved  land  in  Hall 
County,  the  direct  result  of  his  industry  and 
thrift.  Both  he  and  his  wife  are  members  of 
(he  Lutheran  church.  He  belongs  to  old  Ger- 
man social  societies  in  Grand  Island. 

August  Stoldt  attended  the  common  schools 
near  his  father's  farm  and  later  a  business  col- 
lege in  Grand  Island,  after  which  he  accepted 
a  position  in  a  grocery  house  in  Brooklyn, 
New  York,  having  an  ambition  to  become  a 
city  business  man.  During  the  six  months  that 
he  worked  for  the  Brooklyn  firm,  his  hours 
were  from  five  in  the  morning  until  eight  at 
night,  and  half  of  Sunday,  for  which  he  re- 
ceived the  meager  salary  of  $10  a  month.  He 
remembers  how  tiresome  this  service  was  on 
account  of  the  city  customers  purchasing  in 
small  quantities  for  their  daily  needs,  and  the 
repetition,  day  after  day,  finally  became  too 
much  to  stand  and  he  decided  to  return  to  a 
real  man's  work  on  the  home  farm,  where  he 
has  continued  to  reside.  He  now  owns  and 
operates  three  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  fine 
land,  all  well  improved,  and  has  a  profitable, 
growing  business  in  the  breeding  of  Hereford 
cattle.  Mr.  Stoldt  carries  on  his  operations 
with  first  class  machinery.  He  says  the  first 
binder  in  this  neighborhood  was  owned  by 
Henry  Ahrens,  and  further,  in  contrasting  old 
days  with  the  present,  recalls  that  the  first  top 
buggy,  a  great  luxury  and  extravagance  al 
that  time,  was  owned  by  Fritz  Buckow. 

On  June  16,  1903,  Mr.  Stoldt  married  Miss 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


781 


Anna  Mohr,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Margaret 
(Lemburg)  Mohr,  very  early  settlers  in  Hall 
County.  They  are  now  living  retired  at  Grand 
Island.  Mr:  and  Mrs.  Stoldt  have  had  three 
children,  two  of  whom  died  in  infancy,  the  one 
surviving  being  his  father's  name  sake,  August, 
Jr.,  who  was  born  February  11,  1911.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Stoldt  is  a  Democrat.  He  has  served 
Lake  township  in  the  office  of  assessor  several 
terms  and  for  a  number  of  years  has  been 
treasurer  of  his  school  district.  He  is  presi- 
dent of  the  Farmers  Union  and  one  of  the 
board  of  directors,  and  also  is  president  of  the 
Anti-Horse  Thief  Association,  which  has  a 
hundred  members.  He  is  a  member  of  one  of 
the  old  German  social  societies  in  Grand 
Island. 


ALBERT  J.  NIEMOTH,  whose  farm  ac- 
tivities are  large  and  important  in  Hall  County, 
and  who  stands  among  the  foremost  farmers 
and  cattle  breeders  of  Lake  township,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Nebraska  nearly  all  his  life. 
He  was  born  in  Winnebago  County,  Wiscon- 
sin, September  28,  1872,  a  son  of  John  and 
Wilhelmina  (Lindstedt)   Niemoth. 

Both  parents  of  Mr.  Niemoth  were  bom  in 
Germany.  John  Niemoth  came  to  the  United 
States  when  fourteen  years  old  and  for  seven 
years  worked  in  a  Norwegian  settlement  in 
Wisconsin,  where  he  learned  the  Norwegian 
language.  He  was  twenty-two  years  old  when 
he  married.  In  May,  1873,  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  buying  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  at  first,  afterward  owning 
two  whole  sections.  His  wife  having  passed 
away  on  the  farm  June  25,  1912.  in  1916  he 
retired  to  Grand  Island.  They  had  ten  chil- 
dren: Anna,  the  wife  of  August  Buchfink,  of 
Grand  Jsland;  Frank,  who  lives  in  Merrick 
County;  Clara,  the  wife  of  Ernest  Wagner,  of 
Greeley  County,  Nebraska;  Emily,  who  lives 
in  California;  Albert  J.,  a  farmer  and  stock- 
man of  Lake  township ;  Frederick,  who  lives. at 
Gordon,  Nebraska ;  Robert  and  Richard,  twins, 
the  former  of  whom  lives  in  Lake  township, 
and  the  latter  is  deceased;  Augusta,  the  wife 
of  Rhinehart  Kunze,  of  Lake  township;  and 
Ernest,  who  lives  in  Lake  township. 

Albert  J.  Niemoth  obtained  his  education  in 
the  Hall  County  schools  and  remained  with  his 
father  until  grown,  then  went  to  Grant  County, 
where  he  took  up  a  homestead  on  which  he 
lived  for  nine  years.  In  1904  he  sold  his 
interests  there  and  returned  to  Hall  County, 
since  which  time  he  has  been  operating  five 
hundred  acres  in  Lake  township,  all  well  im- 
proved.    Mr.  Niemoth  is  justly  proud  of  his 


Red  Polled  cattle,  this  breed,  in  his  opinion, 
being  the  most  profitable  in  Hall  County  as 
well  as  in  Grant,  where  he  began  in  the  cattle 
business. 

On  September  16,  1897,  Mr.  Niemoth  mar- 
ried Miss  Bertha  Loescher,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Louise  (Raatz)  Loescher,  who 
live  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Niemoth 
have  the  following  children :  Frederick,  Laura, 
Minnie,  Ella,  August,  Bertha,  Elizabeth  and 
Pearl.  The  eldest  son  is  attending  college  in 
Grand  Island.  Mr.  Niemoth  and  his  family 
are  members  of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 
For  many  years  he  has  been  a  Republican  in 
his  political  connection  and  on  that  ticket  was 
elected  to  the  office  of  treasurer  of  Lake  town- 
ship, in  which  he  has  served  for  two  years. 
He  is  vice-president  of  the  Lake  township 
local  of  the  Farmers  Union  and  belongs  also 
to  the  Non-Partisan  League. 


JOHN  A.  RUFF,  one  of  the  highly  esteemed 
older  residents  of  Lake  township,  came  to  Hall 
County  almost  a  half  century  ago,  having 
chosen  to  make  this  locality  his  home  to  the 
present  day.  He  has  had  varied  experiences 
in  the  passage  of  a  long  life,  and  his  reminis- 
cences are  both  interesting  and  enlightening. 
His  birth  took  place  in  Germany,  September 
24,  1847,  the  son  of  John  H.  and  Anna  M. 
(Miehe)  Ruff,  the  former  of  whom  was  born 
in  Germany,  March  26,  1801,  and  the  latter, 
January  26,  1806.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1856,  settling  near  Peoria,  Illinois, 
with  a  son,  who  was  pastor  of  a  church  there, 
He  afterward  built  a  house  in  Bloomington, 
Illinois,  in  which  the  family  resided  a  num- 
ber of  years,  the  son,  in  the  meanwhile  fill- 
ing pastorates  in  Wisconsin,  then  in  Michigan, 
in  which  state  he  died,  having  spent  some  years 
in  the  family  home.  All  the  rest  of  their 
children  have  also  passed  away  except  John 
A.  and  Elizabeth,  the  latter  being  Mrs.  Hoff- 
man, a  resident  of  Jacksonville,  Illinois.  In 
Germany  Mr.  Ruff's  father  had  been  an  emi- 
nent physician  and  surgeon,  also  carying  on 
a  mercantile  business,  but  he  had  retired  from 
general  practice  before  coming  to  this  country. 
Both  parents  died  at  the  home  of  their  son, 
John  A.,  the  mother  on  May  3,  1888,  and  the 
father  on  January  18,  1890.  Their  burial  was 
in  the  Grand  Island  cemetery. 

John  A.  Ruff  had  school  training  at  Peoria 
and  Bloomington,  Illinois,  and  in  Ozaukee 
County,  Wisconsin.  When  sixteen  years  old 
he  went  to  Chicago,  where  he  learned  the 
mattress  making  trade,  subsequently  making 
a  specialty  of  this  line,  and  also  worked  at 


782 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


upholstering.  In  the  meanwhile  the  Civil  War 
was  in  progress  and  at  Nashville,  Tennessee, 
he  enlisted  for  six  months  service  in  the  army. 
Within  two  months,  however,  his  health  failed, 
and  later  he  became  so  ill  that  he  was  dis- 
charged on  account  of  disability.  At  Jeffer- 
sonville,  Indiana,  he  met  an  acquaintance  and 
together  they  went  to  Indianapolis,  Mr.  Ruff 
being  on  his  way  home  to  Bloomington,  but  in 
that  city  he  met  with  misfortune,  being  robbed 
of  his  army  pay,  and  was  left  with  only  fifty 
■  cents  which  had  been  concealed  in  an  inside 
pocket.  Although  he  did  not  recover  from  bis 
army  illness  for  two  years,  a  year  later  he 
left  Bloomington  for  Chicago,  where  he 
worked  irregularly  at  his  trade,  also  in  Dwight 
and  Bloomington,  Illinois,  until  he  came  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1870.  Here  he 
homesteaded  eighty  acres  situated  three  miles 
north  of  Grand  Island,  where  he  lived  for 
seven  years,  later  he  bought  land  on  section 
17-12-9,  and  on  this  farm  he  yet  lives.  Mr. 
Ruff  owns  more  than  four  hundred  acres  of 
land,  the  greater  part  of  it  being  well  im- 
proved. 

In  the  fall  of  1871,  when  meat  and  pro- 
visions were  scarce  in  the  region  around  Grand 
Island,  he  did  as  other  men  of  the  neighbor- 
hood who  had  families  to  provide  for,  bought 
a  trusty  rifle  for  $5  from  an  Indian  chief, 
and  thus  fitted  out  he  started  after  game. 
When  some  sixty  miles  from  home  he  killed 
three  elk  and  other  game  including  a  black- 
tail  deer.  The  latter  he  traded  to  a  party  to 
ferry  him  across  the  river  with  his  load,  as 
there  were  no  bridges  in  this  section  at  that 
time,  and  the  meat  he  brought  home  from  this 
trip  kept  their  tarder  supplied  all  winter.  On 
another  occasion,  when  stalking  an  elk,  he  had 
to  walk  through  weeds  and  sunflowers  fully 
eight  feet  high,  and  came  suddenly  to  a  cliff 
in  the  canyon.  Hearing  a  noise  above  his  head 
he  discovered  a  herd  of  at  least  thirty  elk  look- 
ing at  him.  The  sudden  view  and  unusual 
sight  almost  unnerved  him,  but  he  managed 
to  get  two  of  the  elk  before  they  dashed  away, 
a  tribute  to  his  good  marksmanship. 

In  Grand  Island.  November  26,  1870,  Mr. 
Ruff  married  Miss  Welhelmina  Beyer,  of 
Bloomington,  Illinois.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  fifteen  children,  all  but  two  of  whom 
survive:  John,  a  minister,  lives  at  Secord, 
Gladwin  County,  Michigan ;  Charles,  a  teacher, 
lives  in  the  great  city  of  Chicago;  William,  a 
preacher,  lives  at  Chase,  Kansas ;  Henry,  a 
resident  of  Grand  Island;  Mary,  the  wife  of 
William  Sielaff,  lives  at  Grand  Island;  Clara, 
the  wife  of  John  Quandt,  of  Lake  township; 
Paul,  who  lives  in  Howard  County,  Nebraska ; 


Walter,  who  lives  at  Vergas,  Minnesota;  Al- 
bert, who  lives  on  the  home  place ;  Rosa,  the 
wife  of  Reverend  Nau,  of  Holstein,  Nebraska; 
and  Fred,  who  is  in  the  United  States  army. 

Mr.  Ruff  owned  and  operated  the  first  furni- 
ture store  in  Grand  Island,  which  he  opened  in 
1870.  He  made  his  own  mattresses  and  sup- 
plied stores  at  other  places.  He  and  James 
Geary  rented  a  store  room  from  a  Mr.  Arnold, 
who  was  the  United  States  register  in  Grand 
Island  at  that  time.  Mr.  Geary  occupied  one 
side  of  the  building,  conducting  his  tin  shop 
and  selling  stoves,  while  Mr.  Ruff  occupied 
the  other.  He  did  very  well  in  this  business 
venture,  a  natural  sincere  and  courteous  man- 
ner that  yet  distinguishes  him,  making  both 
business  and  personal  friends  very  easily.  His 
political  convictions  have  come  from  close  ob- 
servation and  wide  reading.  The  only  public 
office  he  ever  consented  to  hold  was  that  of 
school  director.  He  was  reared  in  the  Lutheran 
faith  and  his  religious  duties  have  always  been 
a  part  of  his  daily  life. 


ADIN  DORRINGTON  TILLEY.  —  One 
of  the  prominent  early  settlers  in  Hall  County 
who  had  much  to  do  with  its  substantial  de- 
velpoment  and  educational  progress,  was  the 
late  Adin  D.  Tilley,  whose  long  and  useful  life 
of  seventy-eight  years  closed  on  June  8,  1914. 
He  lived  to  see  Grand  Island  emerge  from  a 
little  sun-dried  hamlet,  with  a  grass-grown 
wagon  track  as  its  main  thoroughfare,  into 
one  of  the  busy,  modern  cities  of  the  state. 
In  later  years  he  walked  along  beautiful  tree- 
lined  streets  and  avenues  that  owed  their  shade 
to  the  work  of  himself  and  sons,  who  brought 
this  condition  about. 

Adin  Dorrington  Tilley  was  born  at  New 
Lisbon,  Osage  County,  New  York,  August 
29,  1835,  and  was  liberally  educated  in  his 
native  state.  In  March,  1873,  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  and  secured  the  homestead 
of  eighty  acres,  on  which  his  widow  yet  lives. 
He  divided  his  time  between  fanning  and 
teaching  school,  his  services  being  in  demand 
both  in  Hall  and  Merrick  counties,  teaching 
fourteen  terms  in  one  district  in  Merrick  and 
thirteen  in  one  district  in  Hall  County.  To 
the  younger  generation  this  profession  is  one 
that  possesses  no  danger  and  offers  little  ex- 
citement, but  had  they  been  with  Mr.  Tilley 
and  fourteen  of  his  pupils  in  the  little  un- 
sheltered schoolhouse  on  the  prairie,  when  the 
sudden  blizzard  of  1888  so  rapidly  enveloped 
them  with  blinding  snow  that  they  could  only 
leave  at  the  peril  of  their  lives,  they  might 
have  changed  their  minds  and  like  the  others 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  A.  D.  Tilley 
Fiftieth  wedding  anniversary 


d  by  Google 


784 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


remained  during  the  entire  night.  Another 
severe  storm  that  the  Tilleys  lived  through 
after  reaching  Hall  County,  was  the  memor- 
able one  of  April,  1873.  In  their  little  cabin 
three  families  were  domiciled  at  the  time.  With 
great  good  fortune  Mr.  Tilley  reached  home 
before  the  storm  fell,  with  a  load  of  corn,  that 
was  intended  for  fuel,  because  nothing  else 
could  be  secured,  hence  they  were  much  better 
off  than  the  majority  of  their  neighbors.  When 
Mr.  Tilley  retired  from  the  educational  field. 
he  went  into  the  nursery  business,  and  he  and 
his  sons  subsequently  set  out  almost  all  the 
trees  in  Grand  Island  and  its  vicinity.  The 
two  trees  standing  on  his  homestead  when  he 
came  here,  were  the  only  ones  for  many  miles. 
He  was  a  lover  of  trees  and  they  responded 
to  his  care. 

On  April  10,  1860,  Mr.  Tilley  married  Miss 
Maria  A.  Perkins.  Her  parents  were  Ransom 
and  Elizabeth  (Tenbroeck)  Perkins,  of  Ed- 
meston,  Ostego  County,  New  York,  both 
families  being  old  and  prominent  in  New  York 
to  the  present  day,  Mrs.  Tilley's  father  came 
later  to  Hall  County,  living  here  fourteen 
years.  Of  the  eight  children  bom  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Tilley,  the  following  survive:  Lydia,  the 
wife  of  John  Reaugh,  of  Savannah,  Missouri ; 
George,  a  substantial  farmer  in  Lake  town- 
ship, Hall  County;  William,  who  is  a  farmer 
in  Lake  township,  married  Floy  Wilcox ; 
Sadie,  the  wife  of  Arthur  Hanna,  of  Lake 
township ;  and  John,  who  lives  in  Arthur, 
Nebraska,  married  Anna  Brabander.  In  poli- 
tics, Mr.  Tilley  was  a  Republican.  He  was  a 
man  of  firm  convictions  and  ever  courageous 
in  carrying  them  out.  He  was  a  faithful  mem- 
ber of  the  Baptist  church,  as  is  his  widow.  She 
still  resides  on  the  old  homestead  and  is  well 
known  and  affectionately  regarded  all  through 
this  neighborhood. 


ARTHUR  DAY  HANNA.  —  Never  before 
in  the  history  of  the  world  have  farm  products 
been  in  such  demand  as  today.  Among  the 
capable  farmers  of  Hall  County  who  are  con- 
tributing to  the  supply  of  life  sustaining  foods 
for  the  populations  both  at  home  and  abroad, 
the  gentleman  whose  name  introduces  this 
record  is  found  in  the  front  rank. 

Arthur  D.  Hanna  was  born  in  LaSalle 
County,  Illinois,  August  12,  1877,  a  son  of 
James  E.  and  Etta  M.  (Day)  Hanna,  a  record 
of  whom  will  occupy  other  pages  of  this  vol- 
ume. 

On  December  15,  1903,  Arthur  D.  Hanna 
married  Miss  Sadie  Tilley,  a  native  of  Hall 
County,  a  daughter  of  Adin  D.  and  Maria  A. 


(Perkins)  Tilley,  of  whom  extended  mention 
is  made  elsewhere  in  this  volume.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hanna  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Etta 
M. 

Mr.  Hanna  is  the  owner  of  a  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  sixty  acres,  in  section  twenty- 
one,  Lake  township,  where  he  successfully 
carries  on  general  fanning  and  stockraising. 
His  farm  is  provided  with  a  substantial  set  of 
buildings  and  he  is  accounted  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive men  of  his  community. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Baptist 
church,  of  which  Mr.  Hanna  is  a  deacon.  He 
exercises  the  right  of  franchise  in  support  of 
men  and  measures  of  the  Democratic  part), 
and  in  every  relation  of  life  measures  up  to  the 
full  standard  of  citizenship  . 


CASPER  HONGSERMEIER,  a  highly  re- 
spected retired  farmer  of  Lake  township,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Hall  County  since  1885. 
He  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Germany,  Febru- 
ary 28,  1854,  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children 
born  to  Heinrich  and  Marie  (Unferther) 
Hongsermeier.  Both  parents  died  in  Germany 
where  the  father  had  been  a  general  farmer. 
Only  two  sons  came  to  the  United  States. 
Casper  and  Henry.  The  latter  settled  in 
Kansas  and  recently  died  there. 

During  boyhood  Mr.  Hongsermeier  attended 
the  common  school  near  his  home  and  after- 
ward engaged  in  farming  in  the  old  country. 
In  1885  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  Hall  County,  where  he  bought  land  at 
$2  an  acre,  which  is  now  worth  over  $150  an 
acre  because  of  the  excellent  improvements  he 
has  made.  He  has  always  carried  on  farming. 
being  most  successful.  Although  now  retired 
he  still  lives  on  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  where  he  has  every  comfort  of 
life  and  can  oversee  farming  operations  as  he 
feels  inclined. 

On  April  25,  1879,  Mr.  Hongsermeier  mar- 
ried Miss  Marie  Mettenbrink,  a  daughter  of 
Frederick  and  Anna  M.  (Schwendeniek) 
Mettenbrink,  who  spent  their  lives  in  Germany 
Her  father  was  a  prosperous  farmer  there  at 
one  time.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hongsermeier  have 
the  following  children :  Henry  and  Charles, 
both  of  whom  live  in  Buffalo  County,  Ne- 
braska; Mary  who  lives  with  her  parents; 
Frederick  who  is  a  farmer  in  Hall  County. 
married  Louise  Hamann ;  Anna,  who  lives  ai 
home;  Augusta,  the  wife  of  Ernest  Hoerst. 
of  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska ;  Lena,  the 
wife  of  Fletcher  Thurley,  of  Custer  County: 
and  Emma,  William  and  Albert,  all  of  whom 
reside   at   home.      This   is   one   of    the   fine 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


785 


families  of  the  township,  parents  and  children 
alike  being  highly  respected  and  welcome  in 
every  circle.  They  all  belong  to  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Hongsermeier  casts  an  independ- 
ent political  vote.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
Farmers  Union  and  the  Non-Partisan  League. 


HENRY  C.  AHRENS,  who  owns  one  of 
the  well  improved  farms  of  Lake  township, 
where  he  carries  on  general  agriculture  and 
makes  a  specialty  of  raising  Rhode  Island 
Red  chickens  for  the  market,  was  born  in  this 
county  July  8,  1885,  and  the  same  year  his 
father  was  accidentally  killed  by  a  runaway 
team  of  horses  owned  by  a  neighbor. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Ahrens,  Henry  C.  and 
Magdalena  (Dierks)  Ahrens,  were  born  in 
Germany.  On  their  way  to  America  they  were 
married  in  the  city  of  Liverpool,  England, 
November  19,  1868,  before  sailing  for  the 
United  States.  Their  children  were :  Alida, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Niemoth  of  Merrick 
County,  Nebraska;  Alexander,  a  substantial 
farmer  in  Lake  township,  married  Sophronia 
Lorenzen ;  and  Henry  C.,  who  has  spent  his 
life  in  Hall  County. 

Under  the  care  of  an  admirable  mother. 
Henry  C.  Ahrens  grew  to  manhood,  attended 
school  and  worked  on  the  home  farm.  When 
twenty-three  years  old  he  removed  to  his 
mother's  second  farm  and  operated  it  for  her 
until  1917,  when  he  bought  it  and  today  is 
ihe  owner  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  highly  improved  land  where  he  engages  in 
general  agriculture. 

In  March.  1914,  Mr.  Ahrens  married  Miss 
Maria  W.  Hintz,  who  was  born  in  Germany 
and  came  to  Hall  County  May  5,  1911.  She  is 
the  only  one  of  her  family  to  come  to  the 
United  States.  Her  parents  are  Claus  and 
Amelia  (Anderson)  Hintz,  highly  respected 
residents  of  their  neighborhood  in  Germany. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ahrens  have  no  children.  They 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  poli- 
tics he  has  been  a  Republican  for  a  number 
of  years  and  now  belongs  to  the  Non-Partisan 
League. 


DETLEF  SASS.—  The  life  record  of  the 
first  settlers  of  Grand  Island  all  have  their 
values  from  the  standpoint  of  being  historical, 
and  none  are  more  interesting  than  that  of  the 
man  whose  name  heads  this  biography. 

Detlef  Sass  was  a  native  of  Holsetin,  Ger- 
many, the  same  country  that  furnished  nearly 
all  of  those  pioneers  who  laid  the  foundation 
of  the  present  Hall  County.    The  date  of  his 


birth  was  June  16,  1831,  the  youngest  of  a 
large  family.  His  father  conducted  a  bakery 
establishment.  It  was  intended  that  the  son 
should  take  up  this  trade,  but  the  life  of  a 
baker  did  not  appeal  to  him,  so  he  learned  the 
trade  of  a  weaver.  He  served  an  apprentice- 
ship, and  as  was  the  custom  in  that  country, 
traveled  three  years  as  a  journeyman  weaver. 
When  the  province  of  Holstein  arose  against 
Danish  misrule,  young  Sass  enlisted  in  the  ser- 
vice of  his  country,  serving  a  term  in  the  Ger- 
man army.  Soon  after  his  period  of  service 
ended  he  joined  a  party  of  his  countrymen 
who  were  to  leave  for  America.  Their  first 
home  in  the  new  country  was  at  Davenport, 
Iowa.  In  1857  Detlef  Sass  became  a  member 
of  the  little  band  who  came  to  Nebraska  and 
founded  the  city  of  Grand  Island.  The  story 
of  this  settlement  will  be  found  on  other  pages 
of  this  history,  and  suffice  to  say  that  through 
the  trials  and  hardships  that  met  these  early 
settlers,  Mr.  Sass  always  contributed  his  full 
share.  In  speaking  of  the  pioneer  days,  Mr. 
Sass  often  told  this  story.  "Joachim  Doll  was 
one  of  the  first  settlers,  and  once  he  was 
obliged  to  make  a  trip  to  Omaha.  When  the 
time  came  for  him  to  go  he  came  to  me  and 
told  me  that  his  wife  was  sick  and  asked  me  to 
go  in  his  place.  I  told  him  if  I  had  soles  on 
my  shoes  I  could  go  all  right.  He  was  a  shoe- 
maker and  put  wooden  soles  on  my  shoes 
and  I  made  the  journey  to  Omaha  for  him." 
It  was  the  promise  of  a  home  and  land  that 
induced  these  men  to  come  to  the  then  barren 
wilds  of  what  was  called  the  Great  American 
Desert. 

Mr.  Sass,  like  many  others,  took  a  home- 
stead and  his  first  home  was  a  primitive  log 
house.  He  carried  on  farming  until  the  grass- 
hopper scourge  came  upon  the  country  but 
he  was  one  of  those  who  thought  that  a  better 
opportunity  awaited  them  further  west,  and 
with  a  neighbor  went  to  Fort  Steele,  Wyoming. 
Having  taken  a  few  cows  with  them  the  men 
went  into  the  business  of  supplying  milk  to  the 
soldiers  of  the  fort.  It  was  while  residing 
here  that  he  was  joined  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Eliza  Kuhl,  whom  he  had  met  at  Grand  Is- 
land. Life  in  Wyoming  became  very  lonesome 
for  the  young  wife  with  her  husband  gone  all 
day,  and  as  the  Indians  were  becoming  trouble- 
some, they  decided  to  return  to  Grand  Island. 
He  found  employment  conducting  the  saloon 
at  Sand  Krog  for  a  short  time  when  he  moved 
into  the  city  and  erected  the  Wyoming  House. 
This  he  and  his  wife  conducted  for  a  time 
and  prospered,  but  misfortune  came  to  them 
when  the  hotel  took  fire  and  burned  to  the 
ground.    This  left  them  with  nothing  but  the 


786  HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Digitized  by  CjOOQ  I' 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mrs.  Detuf  Sass 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


788 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


clothes  on  their  backs.  With  a  large  family  of 
boys  he  decided  that  the  city  was  no  place  to 
raise  them  so  he  moved  to  a  farm.  He  later 
bought  one  hundred  sixty  acres,  to  which  he 
added  another  tract  of  the  same  size.  But  he 
seemed  to  be  possessed  of  a  desire  for  a  change 
and  went  to  Oregon.  Here  he  made  invest- 
ments but  was  not  long  permitted  to  enjoy  the 
new  country  for  his  death  occurred  there  Sep- 
tember 4,  1894. 

Mrs.  Sass  was  also  a  native  of  Germany, 
her  birth  occurring  July  20,  1844.  By  her 
marriage  she  became  the  mother  of  nine  chil- 
dren :  Dan,  resides  in  Michigan ;  John,  is  a 
business  man  of  Grand  Island ;  Minnie,  is  the 
wife  of  William  Keuscher,  of  Hall  County; 
George,  who  owns  and  operates  the  old  farm; 
Rudolph,  a  fanner  of  Alda  township;  Her- 
man, a  fanner  of  Hall  County ;  Antonia,  is  the 
wife  of  Ernest  Sankbeyer,  of  Merrick  County ; 
Chris,  who  resides  in  Merrick  County;  and 
Freda,  who  passed  away  when  a  young  lady  of 
twenty-one 

Mrs.  Sass  has  capably  managed  the  affairs 
since  her  husband's  death,  and  though  she  has 
disposed  of  the  property,  makes  her  home  on 
the  old  farm.  Coming  to  a  new  country  when 
a  young  woman,  and  haying  lived  in  so  many 
different  places  in  this  country  hers  is  an  inter- 
esting story  of  pioneer  days,  as  she  is  one  of 
those  who  have  witnessed  the  vast  changes 
that  have  taken  place  during  a  half  century. 
She  and  her  husband  were  reared  in  the  faith 
of  the  Lutheran  church  and  their  family  were 
brought  up  to  have  the  same  religious  belief. 
Mr.  Sass  belonged  to  the  old  German  societies 
of  Grand  Island,  and  in  politics  was  a  Repub- 
lican, though  he  took  no  part  in  the  affairs  of 
government.  He  will  long  be  remembered  as 
one  of  the  first  stttlers  and  a  man  who  in  all 
the  years  he  lived  in  Hall  County,  could 
always  he  counted  upon  to  do  his  full  share 
toward  building  up  and  developing  the  com- 
munity. 


HENRY  C.  FRAUEN,  numbered  with  the 
representative  citizens  and  good  farmers  of 
Hall  County,  was  born  in  Merrick  County, 
Nebraska,  December  13,  1879,  and  has  lived 
on  his  present  well  improved  farm  in  Lake 
township  since  February,  1907.  He  is  one  of 
a  family  of  five  children  born  to  Paul  and 
Catherine  (Paustian)  Frauen,  whose  record 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume,  the 
latter  of  whom  died  in  1898. 

Henry  C.  Frauen  attended  school  in  Mer- 
rick County.  He  has  always  been  a  farmer 
and  on  his  wedding  day  settled  on  his  place 


in  Lake  township,  Hall  County.  He  carries 
on  general  farming  and  raises  fine  stock,  de- 
voting close  attention  to  all  his  industries,  fol- 
lowing modern  methods  and  making  use  of  the 
best  farm  machinery  on  the  market,  all  his 
hauling  and  heavy  work  being  done  by  a 
modern  farm  tractor. 

On  February  20,  1907,  Mr.  Frauen  married 
Miss  Lydia  Spatholt,  a  daughter  of  Frederick 
and  Charlotte  (Scheel)  Spatholt,  residents  of 
Hall  County.  Mrs.  Frauen  was  born  on  the 
farm  on  which  she  yet  lives.  Of  the  three 
children  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frauen  only 
two  are  living:  Paul,  who  bears  the  honored 
name  of  his  grandfather,  was  born  February 
11,  1908,  and  Irene,  who  was  born  September 
20,  1912.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frauen  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  politics  Mr. 
Frauen  is  a  Republican,  as  is  his  father.  He 
belongs  to  the  Farmers  Union  and  the  Non- 
partisan League. 


MRS.  MAGDALENE  AHRENS,  a  very 
highly  esteemed  resident  of  Grand  Island,  liv- 
ing in  her  comfortable  home  at  No.  108  West 
Tenth  street,  is  the  widow  of  Henry  Ahrens, 
who  homestead ed  in  Hall  County  in  1872. 
Left  a  widow  with  a  family  of  small  children, 
Mrs.  Ahrens  for  many  years  had  heavy  re- 
sponsibilities to  bear.  She  is  a  woman  of  great 
strength  of  character  and  safely  guided  her 
little  family  to  mature  years  so  husbanding 
the  resources  of  the  land  Mr.  Ahrens  had  left 
that  she  found  ease  and  ample  fortune  await- 
ing them  all. 

Mrs.  Ahrens  was  born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, November  1,  1847.  Henry  Ahrens  was 
born  in  Hanover,  Germany,  December  5,  1839. 
Both  started  for  America  and  they  were 
united  in  marriage  on  November  19,  1868,  in 
Liverpool,  England,  before  sailing  for  the 
United  States.  Their  first  home  was  near 
Yorkville,  Illinois,  where  they  lived  for  three 
years,  then  started  westward,  travelling  with 
horses,  taking  three  weeks  to  reach  Shelby 
County,  Missouri,  where  they  remained 
through  the  following  winter.  In  the  spring 
they  came  on  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  Mr. 
Ahrens  taking  up  a  homestead  in  Lake  town- 
ship, in  February,  1872.  Mrs.  Ahrens  re- 
members well  the  hardships  of  those  early 
days.  A  good  housekeeper,  she  had  to  do 
without  many  conveniences  to  which  she  had 
always  been  accustomed  and  at  first  longed 
for  one  of  the  big  clean  cellars  that  she  had 
had  in  Germany.  As  soon  as  possible  Mr. 
Ahrens  set  out  trees  to  please  her,  which  have 
now  grown  into  a  beautiful  grove.     Before 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


789 


coining  to  America  he  had  been  a  valet  for 
wealthy  employers,  but  after  settling  in  Ne- 
braska he  accepted  changed  conditions  and 
worked  as  hard  and  efficiently  as  if  he  had 
always  been  a  farmer.  During  the  winter  time 
he  earned  a  dollar  a  day  digging  cellars,  work- 
ing the  entire  week  in  Grand  Island,  while 
Mrs.  Ahrens  directed  affairs  on  the  homestead. 
She  remembers  how  fearful  she  was  of  prairie 
fires,  as  they  had  few  neighbors  to  help  them 
out  in  time  of  need  and  were  seven  miles  away 
from  Grand  Island.  During  the  grasshopper 
invasion  her  garden  was  completely  eaten  up, 
the  insects  crawling  under  a  blanket  she  had 
spread  over  her  young  onion  bed  also  devour- 
ing the  tubers  in  the  ground. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ahrens  continued  to  add  to 
their  first  farm  by  hard  work  and  frugality, 
until  they  had  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
acres.  They  were  well  on  their  way  to  a  much 
more  comfortable  manner  of  living,  when  the 
accident  occured  which  cost  Mr.  Ahrens's  life, 
on  June  9,  )885.  It  was  caused  by  a  runaway 
team  belonging  to  a  neighbor.  The  children 
who  survived  him  were  as  follows :  Alida, 
the  wife  of  Frank  Niemoth,  of  Merrick 
County ;  Hellene,  who  died  when  17  months  of 
age ;  Alexander,  who  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead in  Lake  township,  married  Sonne  Loren- 
zen ;  and  Henry  C,  who  bought  his  mother's 
second  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty-five 
acres  and  resides  on  it.  Mr.  Ahrens  was  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  a  member  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 

After  her  husband's  death,  Mrs.  Ahrens 
manged  affairs  until  her  health  gave  out.  With 
her  sons  she  later  bought  additional  land  and 
now  each  one  has  a  fine  farm.  In  1907  she 
visited  her  old  home  in  Germany  and  after  her 
return  she  removed  to  Grand  Island,  where 
she  has  a  valued  church  connection.  She  has 
made  warm  friends  because  of  her  kind  and 
helpful  nieghborliness. 


CHRISTOPHER  BAUER.  — In  order  to 
properly  realize  the  phenomenal  development 
within  the  space  of  a  few  decades  not  only  in 
Hall  but  in  other  neighboring  counties  of 
Nebraska,  one  has  but  to  turn  back  the  pages 
of  history  a  little  way,  and  consider  what  the 
fathers  and  mothers  faced  in  the  way  of  liv- 
ing conditions  when  they  came  to  Nebraska. 
Christopher  Bauer,  one  of  Hall  County's  rep- 
resentative men,  can  tell  of  pioneer  days  in 
York  County,  and  of  experiences  that  might 
just  as  well  be  applied  to  Hall  County.  Mr. 
Bauer  was  bom  at  Theresa,  Dodge  County, 
Wisconsin,  January  19,  1856. 


The  parents  of  Mr.  Bauer,  Christian  and 
Dorothy  Bauer,  were  natives  of  Germany.  He 
was  bom  near  Stuttgart  and  she  near  Hiedel- 
berg.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1855,  locating  on  the  land  the  father  bought  in 
Dodge  County,  Wisconsin,  where  the  family 
made  their  home  until  February,  1880,  when 
removal  was  made  to  York  County,  Nebraska, 
There  were  three  children  in  the  family: 
Freda,  Christopher  and  Mary.  Freda  is  the 
widow  of  William  Kastner,  and  lives  at  James- 
town, North  Dakota.  Mary  is  the  wife  of 
Frederick  Spoeri,  they  live  at  Marion,  North 
Dakota.  When  the  Bauers  located  in  Wis- 
consin, the  country  was  heavily  wooded  and 
the  great  trees  had  to  be  cut  down  in  order  to 
make  clearing  on  which  the  primitive  log 
cabin  could  be  built  of  green  logs.  The  roof 
of  the  cabin  was  of  rough  timbers  covered 
with  hand  made  shingles,  while  the  earth  was 
the  only  flooring.  After  locating  in  Nebraska 
the  cows  the  family  brought  with  them  from 
Wisconsin,  had,  at  first  to  be  used  as  beasts 
of  burden,  for  oxen  were  high  priced  and 
scarce.  Wild  animals  were  by  no  means  ex- 
tinct, bears  sometimes  being  seen,  while  a 
watch  had  to  be  kept  in  order  that  deer  did  not 
invade  the  newly  cleared  fields  and  trample  the 
growing  grain.  There  were  many  Indians, 
but  they  were  never  menacing  to  the  Bauer 
family,  who  divided  their  food  with  the  travel- 
ers as  they  came  to  their  cabin  door,  even  when 
they  had  but  little  themselves.  In  spite  of 
hard  work,  toil  with  their  hand  and  many  pri- 
vations, Mr.  Bauer's  parents  lived  into  com- 
parative old  age,  the  mother  dying  in  1887 
and  the  father  in  1889.  At  that  time  he  owned 
eighty  acres  of  improved  land. 

Christopher  Bauer  attended  school  in  Wis- 
consin and  remained  with  his  parents  until  he 
was  twenty-one  years  old.  In  1877  he  came 
to  York  County  with  a  team  and  covered 
wagon,  spending  over  three  weeks  on  the  way. 
He  invested  in  land  and  worked  for  other 
settlers  up  to  1880,  when  he  married.  The 
ceremony  uniting  Miss  Lydia  Wissmann  with 
him  took  place  February  21,  1880,  at  Long 
Hope,  York  County.  Her  parents  were 
George  and  Catherine  (Gesberg)  Wissman, 
natives  of  Germany  who  at  an  early  day  came 
to  Iowa  and  later  to  York  where  the  father 
died  in  1883,  The  mother  died  at  the  home 
of  her  daughter,  Mrs.  Bauer,  in  July,  1886. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Bauer  became  the  parents  of  six 
children :  Frank,  who  lives  in  Western  Ne- 
braska ;  Laura,  the  wife  of  Frederick  Ehlers, 
of  Prairie  Creek  township,  Hall  County ;  Rena, 
the  wife  of  William  Hardekopf,  near  Palmer, 
Nebraska;  Edna,  the  wife  of  Reverend  Goef- 


790 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


fert,  of  Culbertson,  Nebraska;  and  Paul  and 
Myrtle,,  both  of  whom  are  at  home.  Mr. 
Bauer  and  his  family  belong  to  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church,  as  did  his  parents. 

Mr.  Bauer  continued  to  live  in  York  County 
until  1890,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County  and 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  section 
two.  Lake  township.  Here  he  has  carried 
on  general  farming  and  stockraising  ever  since. 
While  living  in  York  County  he  was  quite 
active  in  public  affairs,  serving  frequently  as 
school  director,  road  overseer  and  treasurer, 
but  he  has  confined  his  energies  entirely  to 
business  since  coming  to  Lake  township.  In 
his  political  convictions  he  is  a  Republican.  On 
many  occasions  he  has  demonstrated  his  good 
citizenship  and  neighborly  feeling,  and  with 
his  family  is  held  in  much  esteem  in  Lake 
township.  As  he  looks  over  his  well  culti- 
vated fields  and  notes  his  fine  stock,  his  im- 
proved machinery  and  commodious  buildings, 
his  thoughts  often  tunr  to  the  little  log  cabin 
in  the  woods,  and  the  courageous,  resourceful 
people  who  made  it  an  endearing  home,  so 
many  years  ago. 


.EDITH  SAUNDERS  SPENCE,  M.  D.,  ac- 
tive and  successful  in  her  practice,  is  one  of 
the  leading  members  of  the  medical  profes- 
sion in  Grand  Island  and  Hall  County.  She 
has  a  large  private  practice,  and  has,  also, 
capably  filled  positions  of  great  public  responsi- 
bility, commanding  the  confidence  and  enjoy- 
ing the  esteem  of  all  who  know  her  either  pro- 
fessionally or  personally.  As  a  woman  of  en- 
lightened mind  and  intellectual  vigor,  she  has 
always  been  interested  in  cultural  activities,  and 
her  ideas  frequently  find  expression  in  her 
poems  and  short  stories.  Dr.  Spence  was  born 
at  Bellaire,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Dr.  Alcinon 
Jackson  and  Mary  Caroline  (Hayman) 
Saunders. 

Dr.  Alcinon  Saunders  was  bom  at  Williams- 
burg, Pennsylvania,  September  16,  1837,  and 
died  September  12,  1900.  He  provided  by 
his  own  efforts  for  his  college  education  at 
Richmond,  Ohio.  He  studied  chemistry  and 
during  the  years  1861,  1862  and  1863,  was 
pharmacist  in  the  Central  Ohio  Insane  Asylum. 
From  there  he  entered  Starling  Medical  Col- 
lege, at  Columbus,  and  was  graduated  in  medi- 
cine and  surgery  from  that  institution.  Sub- 
sequently he  was  graduated  from  the  Long 
Island  College  hospital,  and  for  five  years  re- 
mained there  taking  graduate  work.  He 
entered  into  practice  in  Ohio  and  became  very 
successful.  In  1880  he  came  to  Grand  Island, 
where  his  professional  skill  won   immediate 


recognition  and  his  personal  character  shed 
distinction  on  everything  with  which  he  was 
identified.  For  many  years  he  was  a  member 
of  the  school  board;  a  member  of  the  United 
States  Pension  Bureau ;  physician  at  the  Sol- 
diers and  Sailors  Home,  and  surgeon  at  St. 
Francis  Hospital.  In  1889  he  went  to  Europe 
to  attend  lectures  and  clinics  at  Vienna, 
Austria,  and  on  his  return  became  a  specialist 
in  chronic  troubles  of  the  ear,  nose  and  throat. 
In  1896  he  opened  an  office  at  Leavenworth, 
Kansas.  He  was  there  stricken  with  paralysis, 
from  which  he  never  recovered.  He  was  a 
Knight  Templar  Mason.  A  leader  in  his  pro- 
fession, he  was  called  as  a  consultant  all  over 
the  state.  On  November  13, 1866,  Dr.  Saunders 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Mary  Caroline  Hay- 
man,  who  was  born  at  Letart  Falls,  Ohio,  and 
died  in  August,  1900.  Of  their  surviving  chil- 
dren Dr.  Spence  is  the  youngest,  the  others 
being:  Lucy,  the  wife  of  J.  P.  Bruchert,  of 
Portland,  Oregon;  Bertha,  the  wife  of  Robert 
Fontaine,  of  Grand  Island ;  Florence,  who  re- 
sides in  Grand  Island;  Austin,  a  resident  of 
Cheyenne,  Wyoming,  and  Alanous,  who  lives 
at  Chicago,  Illinois. 

After  completeing  the  high  school  course  in 
Grand  Island  Dr.  Spence  entered  the  medical 
department  of  Creignton  University  in  Omaha, 
completing  her  medical  course  in  the  Nebraska 
State  University  in  Lincoln.  In  1901  she 
entered  into  medical  practice  in  Grand  Island. 
Afterward  she  was  appointed  physician  for  the 
State  Industrial  home  at  Milford,  by  Governor 
Savage,  which  exacting  office  she  filled  for 
some  years,  then  resigned  to  return  to  Grand 
Island.  Here  she  continued  in  active  practice 
until  1917,  since  which  time  she  has  practically 
retired  from  the  medical  field.  For  a  number 
of  years  she  was  grand  medical  examiner  for 
the  Degree  of  Honor  lodge.  She  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Hall  County  Medical  Association 
and  at  all  times  with  professional  equality  took 
part  in  its  proceedings.  For  a  number  of  years 
she  was  the  only  lady  member  of  the  medical 
fraternity  of  her  college. 

On  November  13,  1906,  Dr.  Spence  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Daniel  E.  Spence.  Jr.,  in 
Grand  Island.  He  is  a  son  of  Daniel  E.  and 
Sarah  (McLaughlin)  Spence,  former  residents 
of  Fairbury,  Nebraska.  The  mother  of  Mr. 
Spence  is  deceased,  but  his  father  survives  and 
lives  at  Portland,  Oregon.  Mr.  Spence  came  to 
Grand  Island  from  Kansas,  and  for  twenty-five 
years  has  been  passenger  engineer  on  the  St. 
Joseph  &  Grand  Island  Railroad.  By  a  former 
marriage  he  has  twin  sons,  Harry  and  Howard. 
who  are  in  school.  In  politics  Mr.  Spence  is  a 
Republican,  is  a  Knight  Templar  Mason  and  a 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


791 


Shriner,  and  belongs  to  the  Brotherhood  of 
Locomotive  Engineers.  Since  retiring  from 
professional  work,  Dr.  Spence  has  more  time 
to  devote  to  her  literary  labors.  At  one  time 
she  was  interested  in  preparing  a  county  his- 
tory, but  found  the  work  involved  too  much 
time  and  effort  in  connection  with  other  un- 
dertakings she  had  in  hand.  Both  she  and 
husband  are  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church. 


JOHN  M.  HANSSEN,  one  of  Washington 
township's  best  known  and  most  resptected 
citizens,  continues  to  live  on  a  part  of  the  old 
family  homestead  in  Hall  County,  to  which  he 
was  brought  by  his  parents  forty-seven  years 
ago.  The  Hanssen  family  has  been  one  of 
the  solid,  substantial  and  progressive  families 
of  this  section  ever  since  it  was  established 
here. 

John  M.  Hanssen  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  December  30,  1864.  His  parents 
were  Ties  and  Louise  (Neubert)  Hanssen, 
natives  of  Germany,  where  his  father  was  a 
day  laborer  and  bee  keeper.  In  April,  1870, 
the  family  landed  in  the  United  States.  They 
resided  in  Chicago  until  June,  1872,  when 
they  came  to  Hall  County,  where  the  father 
bought  eighty  acres  in  Washington  township, 
south  of  Grand  Island.  At  the  time  of  his 
death,  in  February,  1911,  he  was  considered 
a  man  of  financial  independence.  He  was 
quiet,  hardworking  and  honest,  never  identify- 
ing himself  with  any  political  organization  but 
being  faithful  as  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  A  warm  neighborly  feeling  existed 
between  him  and  William  Stolley,  another 
prominent  early  settler.  The  mother  of  Mr. 
Hanssen  died  at  his  home  on  June  10,  1918. 
There  were  but  two  children  in  the  family: 
John  M.  and  Henry  G.  The  latter  is  an 
engineer  on  the  Texas  Pacific  Railroad  and 
lives  at  Marshall,  Texas.  He  married  Ella 
P.  Gilbert,  of  Paducah,  Kentucky. 

John  M.  Hanssen,  familiarly  known  to  his 
many  friends  as  "Hannes"  was  educated  in 
the  public  schools  and  the  Grand  Island  Bus- 
iness college.  In  addition  to  his  agricultural 
activities,  he  is  secretary  of  the  Grand  Island 
Mutual  Assessment  Association,  fire  and  storm 
insurance.  This  company  was  originated  by 
William  Stolley  and  Peter  Heesch  in  1892, 
and  now  has  about  $5,000,000  insurance  on 
the  books.  The  company  has  had  only  five 
assessments  for  losses  and  expenses,  in 
twenly-seven  years,  and  seven  losses  in  that 
time,  a  very  remarkable  showing.  Mr. 
Hanssen   has   been    secretary  since   October, 


1896.  For  nine  years  he  has  been  school  direc- 
tor in  his  district. 

On  July  6,  1903,  Mr.  Hanssen  married  Miss 
Catherine  Hein,  a  daughter  of  Casper  and 
Magdalene  (Voss)  Hein,  natives  of  Germany, 
who  came  to  the  United  States  and  to  Chicago, 
in  1868,  and  to  Hall  County  in  1871.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hanssen  have  one  son,  Arnold  H., 
who  resides  with  his  parents. 

Mr.  Hanssen  owns  a  large  park  which  he 
devotes  to  the  growing  of  cedar  trees.  A 
lover  of  birds,  these  trees  have  given  him  an 
opportunity  to  study  scientifically  a  species 
that  winters  in  the  trees,  coming  here  from 
northern  -Canada.  He  has  discovered  many 
facts  from  his  study  of  his  little  wild  pets.  It 
seems  that  the  seeds  of  these  trees  so  greedily 
devoured  by  the  birds,  are  thereby  rendered 
ripe  for  planting,  the  digestive  organs  of  the 
birds  softening  the  hard  outer  shell  that  would 
resist  the  elements  for  several  years.  In  all 
matters  pertaining  to  the  welfare  of  the  town- 
ship, Mr.  Hanssen  keeps  well  posted.  In  his 
political  convictions  he  is  a  Socialist  and  he 
has  served  several  terms  on  the  township 
board.  He  belongs  to  the  Farmers  Union 
and  the  Nonpartisan  League,  and  to  the  old 
social  organizations  in  Grand  Island  that  were 
founded  there  by  the  early  German  settlers. 


FREDERICK  E.  LOESCHER,  showing  a 
large  amount  of  enterprise  in  the  management 
of  his  farm  industries  in  Lake  township,  be- 
longs to  a  pioneer  family  of  Hall  County 
that  has  prospered,  and  been  respected  here 
for  forty-five  years.  Mr.  Loescher  was  born 
in  Hall  County,  April  13,  1893,  the  son  of 
Frederick  F.  and  Dora  (Raatz)  Loescher, 
natives  of  Germany.  The  father  was  born 
October  11,  1845  and  was'  brought  to  the 
United  States  in  1850.  He  was  reared  in 
Wisconsin  and  enlisted  from  that  state  as  a 
soldier  in  the  Civil  War.  After  leaving  the 
army  he  was  a  farmer  in  Winnebago  County, 
near  Oshkosh  until  1874,  when  he  came  to 
Hall  County,  where  he  now  owns  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  fine  land.  He  retired  from 
his  farm  in  1910  and  lived  in  Grand  Island  for 
two  years  but  resumed  farming  once  more  and 
continued  actively  engaged  until  March,  1918, 
when  he  retired  to  Grand  Island  a  second  time. 
Of  his  thirteen  children,  Frederick  E.  is  the 
youngest  of  the  survivors,  the  others  being: 
William,  who  lives  in  Lake  township,  married 
Ella  Spotholt;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Wagner;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Fred  Hengen, 
of  Omaha;  Herman,  who  lives  at  Belgrave, 
Nebraska,  married  Rose  Peters,  and  Charles 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


793 


and  Laura,  both  of  whom  live  in  Grand 
Island;  Bertha  is  the  wife  of  Albert  Niemoth, 
of  Lake  township ;  Emma,  who  died  in  April, 
1918,  was  the  wife  of  Edward  Niemoth,  and 
Frank,  the  ninth  in  order  of  birth,  died  July 
29,  1915. 

Frederick  E.  Loescher  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Washington  township,  and 
the  Grand  Island  Business  College.  He  enter- 
tains very  progressive  ideas  about  farming  and 
is  willing  to  work  hard  to  carry  them  out. 
Modern  methods  and  modem  machinery  are 
made  use  of  and  Mr.  Loescher  is  proving  the 
value  of  both.  He  is  carrying  on  general 
farming  and  stockraising.  On  February  10, 
1918,  he  married  Miss  Olga  Lohmann,  a 
daughter  of  William  and  Mary  (Dickman) 
Lohmann,  who  are  residents  of  Merrick 
County.  They  have  one  child,  Myrtle,  who 
was  born  November  30,  1918.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church.  In  politics  he 
is  independent  but  is  identified  with  the  Farm- 
ers Union  and  is  interested  in  everything  that, 
promises  permanent  benefit  to  the  farmers  of 
Hall  County. 


CHARLES  H.  METTENBRINK,  prob- 
ably one  of  Lake  township's  most  progressive 
farmers,  is  also  one  of  the  largest  landowners 
in  this  part  of  Hall  County.  It  may  be  said 
further,  that  these  fine  farms  and  herds  of 
registered  cattle  did  not  come  to  him  by  in- 
heritance, but  as  the  result  of  the  hard  work 
of  a  persevering  fanner  who  possesses  more 
than  the  usual  amount  of  sober  business  judg- 
ment. 

Charles  H.  Mettenbrink  was  born  in  West- 
phalia, Germany,  April  9,  1854.  His  parents 
were  Frederick  W.  and  Anna  M.  (Schwen- 
deniek)  Mettenbrink,  natives  of  Germany  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  there.  The  father  was 
a  farmer  and  raised  cattle,  and  for  the  times, 
was  considered  well  to  do.  Of  their  eight 
children  three  live  in  Germany,  the  other  five 
having  homes  in  Nebraska,  Charles  H.  being 
the  eldest  of  these.  He  has  two  sisters  and 
one  brother  in  Hall  County:  Anna  M.,  the 
wife  of  Casper  Hongsermeier,  of  Lake  town- 
ship; Katherine,  the  wife  of  Henry  Ansmer; 
William,  who  is  dead;  and  Frederick,  who 
lives  near  Grand  Island.  The  parents  were 
faithful  members  of  the  Lutheran  church  and 
reared  their  children  in  this  religious  body. 

When  his  school  days  were  over,  Charles  H. 
Mettenbrink  worked  as  a  farmer  in  Germany 
until  1881,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States, 
reaching  Hall  County  in  the  fall  of  that  year. 
The  following  four  years  he  was  employed  on 


farms  and  prudently  saved  his  earnings,  then, 
in  partnership  with  his  brother-in-law  bought 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land.  For 
a  time  they  operated  the  entire  tract  together 
but  later  evenly  divided  it.  He  now  owns 
eight  hundred  acres,  all  valuable  property, 
devoting  a  large  amount  of  attention  to  the 
cattle  business,  raising  on  an  average,  two 
car  loads,  and  from  one  to  two  car  loads  of 
calves  a  year.  When  he  settled  on  his  home 
place  it  was  bare  of  improvements,  but  through 
industry  and  thrift  he  soon  made  notable 
changes  through  setting  out  trees  and  erect- 
ing substantial  buildings.  As  already  men- 
tioned, he  is  doing  an  immense  business  in 
cattle  and  his  opinions  are  worth  listening  to 
when  he  announces  a  preference  for  White 
Face  registered  cattle,  of  which  he  has  a  valu- 
able herd. 

In  April,  1885,  Mr,  Mettenbrink  returned 
to  Germany  and  was  there  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Mary  Ostermeier,  who  died  August 
20,  1894.  She  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Elsie  (Esem)  Ostermeier,  who  spent  their 
lives  in  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mettenbrink 
had  five  children  bom  to  them:  Mary,  the 
wife  of  Casper  Meier,  of  Merrick  County, 
Nebraska;  Charles  who  assists  his  father; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  Herman  Huepner;  and 
Elsie  and  Henry,  both  of  whom  live  at  home. 
For  his  second  wife  Mr.  Mettenbrink  mar- 
ried Miss  Louisa  Obermeier,  of  Germany,  who 
is  deceased.  Mr.  Mettenbrink  and  family 
are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is  a 
Republican  in  politics  and  has  political  influ- 
ence in  township  affairs  but  has  never  been 
willing  to  accept  any  public  office.  Mr.  Metten- 
brink has  made  three  visits  to  Germany  since 
he  first  came  to  the  United  States. 


ALEXANDER  AHRENS,  one  of  the  pro- 
gressive farmers  and  good  business  men  of 
Lake  township,  is  a  native,  having  spent  his  en- 
tire life  in  Hall  County,  where  his  birth  took 
place  July  2,  1876.  His  parents  were  Henry 
and  Magdalene  Ahrens,  the  former  of  whom 
was  bom  in  Germany,  December  5,  1839,  and 
the  latter,  November  1,  "1847.  They  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1868  and  to  Nebraska  in 
1871,  where  the  father  homesteaded.  Assisted 
by  the  mother  of  Mr.  Ahrens,  the  father  pros- 
pered in  spite  of  many  early  hardships,  and 
at  the  time  of  his  accidental  death,  in  1885, 
he  owned  a  large  estate. 

Alexander  Ahrens  was  but  a  lad  when  he 
was  left  fatherless.  His  mother,  a  woman  of 
great  energy  and  executive  ability  proved 
equal  to  the  responsibilities  suddenly  placed 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


upon  her,  and  not  only  reared  her  young  chil- 
dren carefully  and  judiciously,  but  ably  man- 
aged the  farm,  and,  as  the  sons  grew  into  man- 
hood, guided  and  joined  them  in  adding  to 
the  already  ample  estate.  Mr.  Ahrens  oper- 
ates his  farm  of  one  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
which  is  well  stocked  and  highly  improved. 
His  second  farm,  the  old  August  C.  F.  Wendt 
estate,  containing  one  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
he  rents  out.  His  brother,  Henry  C.  Ahrens^ 
is  also  a  large  farmer  in  Lake  township.  The 
mother,  after  an  enjoyable  visit  to  Germany, 
in  1907,  took  up  her  residence  in  Grand  Is- 
land, where  she  has  a  comfortable  and  attrac- 
tive home  and  is  within  a  pleasant  social  circle. 
On  March  6,  1914,  Mr.  Ahrens  married 
Miss  Sonne  Lorenzen,  a  daughter  of  Falquardt 
and  Marline  (Bonson)  Lorenzen,  residents  of 
Germany.  They  have  two  most  engaging  little 
children,  Walter  and  Anita.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
AJirens  are  active  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  has  always  been  affiliated  with 
the  Republican  party  but  has  never  been  will- 
ing to  accept  any  political  office.  He  belongs 
to  the  Farmers  Union  and  the  Non-Partisan 
League,  and  is  identified  also  with  a  German 
social  organization  in  Grand  Island. 

CARL  DEICHMANN,  who  came  to  "the 
United  States  in  1866,  and  to  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  in  1878,  is  one  of  Lake  township's 
best  known  Tesidents.  He  belongs  to  the 
group  of  old  settlers,  who,  through  their  in- 
dustry and  sound  judgment  made  conditions 
easier  for  later  pioneers,  who  now  intelligently 
relate  many  facts  of  early  days  that  might 
well  be  given  a  place  on  the  page  of  history. 

Carl  Deichmann  was  born  in  the  province  of 
Hanover,  Germany.  October  12,  1848,  a  son 
of  Carl  H.  and  Mary  (Stottenberg)  Deich- 
mann, who  lived  and  died  in  Germany.  His 
father  was  an  official  in  government  operated 
copper  mines  of  that  country.  Of  their  seven 
children  Carl  and  a  brother  came  to  the  United 
States,  the  latter  being  now  deceased.  In  his 
boyhood  a  certain  amount  of  schooling  was 
given  every  youth  in  Germany,  and  following 
this,  when  about  seventeen  years  old,  Carl 
came  to  the  United  States.  For  about  a  year 
after  reaching  this  country  he  lived  in  New 
York  and  then  was  variously  employed  in 
other  eastern  states  until  1878,  when  he  came 
to  Hall  County.  He  rented  land  for  several 
years  and  then  bought  the  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  on  which  he  yet  lives. 
Here  he  has  followed  farming  and  has  been 
an  extensive  stockraiser.  In  a  general  way  he 
suffered  with  others  in  the  climatic  changes 


that  made  the  life  of  a  farmer  in  the  early 
'nineties  a  more  or  less  unprofitable  vocation, 
taken  in  conjunction  with  the  severe  winters, 
during  which,  on  one  occasion,  Mr.  Deich- 
mann found  the  snow  fifteen  feet  in  depth. 
Mi\  Deichmann  first  married  Miss  Kate 
Westermann,  who  died  in  1888,  the  mother  of 
three  children,  the  two  survivors  being:  Freda, 
the  wife  of  Fred  Harris,  who  lives  in  Cali- 
fornia, and  Emma,  the  wife  of  George  Cooper, 
of  Omaha.  His  second  marriage  was  to  Miss 
Mary  Marsham,  and  they  have  had  six  chil- 
dren: Ella,  the  wife  of  Fritz  Bergholtz,  of 
Grand  Island;  Carl,  who  went  to  France 
as  a  soldier  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Force;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Jesse  Schroeder,  of 
Grand  Island,  and  Albert,  Bruno  and  Freie. 
all  of  whom  are  at  home.  Mr.  Deichmann  is 
not  a  member  of  any  political  party  preferring 
to  cast  an  independent  vote.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  Plattsdeutch  society  in  Grand  Island. 


FREDERICK  MOELLER,  one  of  the 
public  spirited  residents  and  most  prosperous 
farmers  of  Lake  township  has  been  road 
overseer  for  the  past  seven  years  and  has 
efficiently  filled  other  public  offices.  Mr. 
Moeller,  born  in  the  city  of  New  York,  May 
16,  1875,  was  five  years  old  when  he  was 
brought  to  Hall  County,  which  has  since  been 
the  home  of  his  choice. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Moeller  were  H.  C. 
and  Wilhelmina  (Koester)  Moeller,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Germany  June 
22,  1850,  and  the  latter  August  8,  1849.'  When 
fourteen  years  old  the  father  became  a  sailor 
following  the  sea  life  for  five  years,  and  was 
but  nineteen  years  old  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1869.  At  first  he  found 
work  in  an  iron  foundry  in  the  city  of  New 
York.  Afterward  he  learned  to  be  a  meat 
cutter.  On  March  11,  1881,  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  bought  land  in  Lake  township,  de- 
veloped and  improved  it  and  continued  its 
active  operation  until  1912,  when  he  retired. 
He  was  an  important  factor  in  county  pol- 
itics as  a  Republican,  was  assessor  many  years 
and  for  six  years  was  supervisor,  during  the 
time  that  a  supervisor  from  each  township 
made  up  the  board.  He  married  during  the 
time  he  lived  in  New  York,  Miss  Wilhelmine 
Koester,  who  came  to  the  United  States  in 
1866.  Ten  children  were  born  to  them,  the 
survivors  being :  Frederick,  who  lives  m 
Lake  township;  Anna,  the  wife  of  George 
Mader,  of  Prairie  Creek  township ;  Lena,  the 
wife  of  Max  Schultz,  of  Washington  town- 
ship; Minnie,  the  wife  of  Otto  Geisenhageo, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


795 


of  Grand  Island,  and  Lillie,  the  wife  of  August 
Luebbe,  of  Howard  County. 

Frederick  Moeller  started  to  attend  school 
when  six  years  old,  although  he  had  to  walk 
a  distance  of  three  and  a  half  miles  to  the 
nearest  school  house.  Ordinarily  this  was  not 
considered  too  much  of  a  task  for  sturdy 
little  country  boys,  but  Mr.  Moeller  tells  of 
one  occasion  when  it  almost  meant  loss  of 
life.  On  May  22,  1882,  he  started  to  school 
in  company  with  Jacob  Lorentzen,  both  boys 
being  barefooted.  During  the  day  clouds 
gathered,  the  sky  became  a  steely  gray  and 
snow  began  to  fall,  and  when  the  little  bare- 
footed lads  were  on  their  way  home  they 
had  to  wade  through  five  inches  of  snow,  Jacob 
carrying  his  younger  companion  a  part  of  the 
way.  Mr.  Moeller  has  been  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits  since  boyhood.  He  now 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  fine 
land,  gained  through  his  own  efforts.  This 
farm  is  well  improved,  has  substantial  build- 
ings including  a  fine  residence,  which  has  every 
modern  convenience,  except  a  heating  plant. 
On  November  8,  1900,  Mr.  Moeller  married 
Miss  Minnie  Rauert.  She  is  the  daughter  of 
Matthew  and  Elsie  (Sieck)  Rauert,  pioneers 
in  Hall  County,  who  now  live  retired  in  Grand 
Island.  Mrs.  Moeller  is  the  eldest  child  and 
only  daughter  of  her  parents,  while  Mr. 
■  Moeller  is  the  oldest  child  and  only  son  of 
his  parents.  Another  interesting  coincidence 
in  the  family  came  to  light  some  years  ago, 
when  the  mother  of  Mr.  Moeller  and  the 
father  of  Mrs.  Moeller  chanced  to  be  talking 
of  their  coming  to  the  United  States.  They 
discovered  thatj  thirty  years  ago  they  had 
crossed  the  Atlantic  ocean  in  the  same  sailing 
vessel,  which  required  forty-nine  days  to  make 
the  voyage.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Moeller  have  two 
children:  George  A.  and  Elsie.  In  all  public 
affairs  Mr.  Moeller  takes  the  interest  of  a 
good  and  intelligent  citizen  and  is  ever  ready 
to  co-operate  for  the  general  welfare.  In 
national  politics  he  is  a  Republican,  but  in 
local  campaigns  votes  independently.  He  is  a 
member  of  the  Nonpartisan  League  and  the 
Farmers  Union,  being  secretary  of  the  latter 
organization. 


JOHN  G.  ROBY,.  proprietor  of  the  well 
known  place  of  entertainment,  Harmony  Hall 
Amusement  Park,  in  Hall  County,  and  also 
engaged  in  large  farming  operations  in  Deuel 
County,  Nebraska,  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
August  17,  1881,  a  son  of  Frederick  Roby, 
an  extended  sketch  of  the  Roby  family  being 
found  in  this  work. 


John  G.  Roby  obtained  his  education  in  his 
native  county.  On  July  20,  1904,  he  married 
Miss  Helen  M.  Hagge,  a  daughter  of  William 
A.  and  Caroline  (Moeller)  Hagge,  who  were 
among  the  earliest  pioneers  of  Hall  County. 
Mrs.  Roby  was  graduated  from  the  Grand 
Island  High  School  in  the  class  of  1895.  She 
is  a  woman  of  fine  education  and  holds  a 
teacher's  permanent  certificate  because  of  her 
acquirements.  Prior  to  her  marriage  she 
taught  school  for  six  years,  two  years  in  Grand 
Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roby  have  four  chil- 
dren: Leota  C,  born  August  2,  1905;  J. 
Frederick,  born  January  4,  1908;  Nelda  J., 
born  October  8,  1909,  and  William  H.  born 
January  7,  1913. 

After  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roby  settled 
on  the  Roby  farm,  which  he  operated  until 
1913,  when  they  moved  into  Grand  Island, 
where  he  conducted  a  retail  liquor  business 
for  eighteen  months.  He  then  engaged  in  the 
automobile  business,  selling  the  Chevrolet  cars 
for  a  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he  bought 
Harmony  Hall  and  continues  in  the  amuse- 
ment business,  not  exclusively,  however,  for 
he  has  recently  purchased  a  section  of  land 
in  Deuel  county,  which  he  is  operating  with 
a  farm  tractor.  Mr.  Roby  is  a  man  of  great 
enterprise.  He  belongs  to  the  Sons  of  Her- 
man, the  Plattsduetch  society,  the  Farmers 
Union  and  the  Nonpartisan  League. 


OSCAR  A.  SMITH.— To  the  settlement 
of  Hall  and  many  other  well  developed  coun- 
ties of  Nebraska,  the  great  state  of  Pennsyl- 
vania contributed  in  no  small  degree.  It  was 
from  that  state  the  late  Oscar  A.  Smith,  who 
was  well  known  and  highly  esteemed  in  Grand 
Island,  came  to  Hall  forty-five  years  ago.  He 
was  born  in  Columbus,  Warren  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, January  9,  1849,  the  son  of  William 
and  Roxy  (Bardwell)  Smith,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Pennsylvania,  where  he 
died  in  1861,  and  the  latter  in  New  York,  the 
spring  of  1892.  They  had  two  sons:  Walter 
and  Oscar  A.,  the  former  of  whom  lives  in 
Pennsylvania. 

Oscar  A.  Smith  had  school  advantages  in 
youth  and  remained  in  his  native  neighbor- 
hood for  some  years  after  his  father's  death. 
He  possessed  a  pioneering  and  courageous 
spirit,  however,  and  in  early  manhood  de- 
termined to  seek  his  fortune  much  farther 
afield.  With  this  idea,  in  association  with  a 
comrade  of  similar  ambitions,  he  procured  a 
boat  and  started  from  the  headwaters  of  the 
Clarendon  river  for  Central  America.  The 
youths  floated  as  far  as  the  Allegheny  river, 


796 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


when  they  were  dissauded  by  friends  from 
pursuing  their  journey  to  such  a  distant  point, 
it  being  represented  to  them  that  adventure 
and  business  opportunity  could  be  found  much 
nearer  home.  Thus  it  came  about  that  they 
landed  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  May, 
1874.  Mr.  Smith  engaged  in  freighting  to 
Fort  Niobrara,  and  in  the  same  year  home- 
steaded  in  Custer  County,  living  in  Grand 
Island  while  proving  up  on  his  claim.  He 
retained  his  Custer  County  land  until  1916. 
Frequently  he  related  stories  of  early  days, 
some  tragic  and  some  amusing.  There  were 
many  Indians  in  Hall  County  when  he  first 
came  here  and  many  were  savage  as  well  as 
treacherous.  The  settlers  learned  to  be  sus- 
picious. He  told  that  on  one  occasion,  a 
group  of  freighters  were  gathered  in  their  cabin 
when  the  furious  barking  of  their  dog  on  the 
outside  caused  a  not  unnatural  fear  that  an 
Indian  with  his  ready  tomahawk,  was  lurk- 
ing near.  As  was  their  custom,  the  men  drew 
lots  as  to  which  one  should  investigate  the 
trouble,  the  choice  falling  on  Mr.  Smith.  As 
soon  as  he  warily  ventured  into  the  open,  he 
knew  that  the  supposed  Indian  was  nothing 
more  dangerous  than  the  very  prevalent  little 
musteline  mammal — a  skunk. 

On  January  17,  1892,  Mr.  Smith  married 
Miss  Margaret  Elizabeth  Baird,  at  New 
Helena,  Nebraska.  Her  parents,  now  de- 
ceased, were  John  F.,  and  Mary  E;  (Conn) 
Baird,  natives  of  Kentucky.  For  over  twenty 
years  Mrs.  Smith's  father  was  postmaster 
of  New  Helena  and  for  four  years  his  wife 
was  postmistress  at  the  same  place.  Four 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith: 
Walter,  who  resides  with  his  mother,  was  born 
December  30,  1892;  Oscar  Talmadge,  who 
was  born  October  17,  1894,  went  to  Europe  as 
a  soldier  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Force,  returned  home  in  July,  1919;  Victor 
B.,  who  was  born  June  9,  1897,  is  connected 
with  the  Nebraska  Mercantile  Company  in 
Grand  Island,  and  Laura  C,  who  resides  with 
her  mother.  On  December  12,  1911,  Mr. 
Smith  and  family  came  to  Grand  Island,  es- 
tablishing their  home  at  West  Lawn.  Here 
Mr.  Smith  died  March  11,  1918.  While  re- 
siding in  Custer  County  he  was  active  in  many 
ways,  being  a  prominent  figure  in  Broken 
Bow,  where  he  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Masonic  lodge.  He  was  a  Democrat  in  his 
political  affiliation  and  always  loyal  to  party 
and  friends  but  would  never  accept  any  public 
office  for  himself  except  membership  on  the 
school  board,  on  which  he  served  some  years 
from  a  sense  of  duty.  Mrs.  Smith  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church. 


AUGUST  SCHIMMER-  — The  Schimmer 
family  has  been  one  of  importance  in  Hall 
County  for  many  years,  noted  not  only  for 
success  in  farming  and  stockraising,  but  also 
business  energy  and  political  efficiency.  One 
of  its  best  known  members  is  August  Schim- 
mer, who  owns  valuable  farm  land  in  Wash- 
ington township,  who  is  serving  in  his  third 
term  as  township  clerk.  He  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  July  30,  1874. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Schimmer  were  Henry 
and  Christina  (Heesch)  Schimmer,  natives  of 
Germany  who  came  to  the  United  States  and 
to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  when  young. 
Henry  Schimmer  secured  a  homestead  and 
tree  claim,  and  the  rest  of  his  life  was  spent 
on  this  land,  his  death  occuring  in  January, 
1908,  at  the  age  of  sixty-two  years.  He 
worked  hard  in  improving  his  property  and 
on  two  occasions  suffered  great  loss  from 
fire.  The  beautiful  trees  that  form,  a  grove 
around  the  residence,  were  set  out  by  Henry 
Schimmer,  and  now  give  protection  from  the 
winter  winds  and  provide  grateful  shade  in 
summer.  The  grove  provides  an  abundance 
of  firewood,  and  Mr.  Schimmer  has  used  over 
25,000  feet  of  lumber  from  the  fallen  timber. 
Henry  Schimmer  possessed  the  confidence  and 
respect  of  his  neighbors  at  all  times,  and  for 
a  number  of  years  served  as  school  director 
and  as  township  clerk.  Of  his  ten  children, 
August  is  the  eldest  of  the  six  survivors,  the 
others  being?  Henry,  who  lives  in  Hamilton 
County ;  John,  who  lives  at  Custer  City,  Okla- 
homa ;  Otto,  who  lives  in  Nebraska ;  Bemy, 
in  Hall  County,  and  Minnie,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Christian  Hart  wig. 

August  Schimmer  obtained  his  education 
in  the  schools  of  Washington  township,  and 
has  always  lived  on  the  old  homestead.  He 
owns  157  acres  of  highly  improved  land,  on 
which  he  carries  on  general  farming  and 
stockraising,  prospering  exceedingly  as  he  de- 
serves to  do. 

On  March  1,  1899,  Mr.  Schimmer  was 
united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Clara  Ewoldt. 
They  have  the  following  children:  Eddie, 
Helene,  Augusta  and  Henry.  Although  an 
independent  voter,  Mr.  Schimmer  was  elected 
to  the  office  of  township  clerk  on  the  Repub- 
lican ticket,  his  personal  popularity  being  a 
factor,  which  continues,  as  evidenced  by  his 
being  twice  re-elected.  He  has  always  been 
a  great  friend  of  the  public  schools  and  for 
six  years  served  as  school  director,  and  it 
may  be  here  noted  that  his  school  district  has 
no  trouble  in  carrying  off  scholarship  honors- 
After  suffering  from  several  fires,  the  father 
of  Mr.  Schimmer  began  to  think  of  a  farmer's 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mb.  and  Mrs.  Henry  Sch 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


fire  insurance  company,  which  resulted  in  the 
organization  of  the  Holsatia  Fire  Insurance 
Company,  a  mutual  affair,  which  carries  risks 
in  Hall  and  adjoining  counties  and  has  been 
a  boon  to  many  of  its  members.  It  was  orga- 
nized by  Henry  and  Martin  Schimmer,  the 
former  being  treasurer  during  the  rest  of  his 
life,  his  son  August  succeeding  him  in  office. 
Martin  Schimmer  is  president  of  the  company, 
and  Frederick  Thommsen,  of  Alda  township, 
is  secretary.  It  was  through  this  company 
that  the  farmers  of  this  section  for  three  suc- 
cessive years  were  saved  from  losing  their 
entire  crops,  the  years  1884,  1885  and  1886. 
Mr.  Schimmer  belongs  to  the  Non-Partisan 
League  and  the  Farmers  Union,  is  also  a 
member  of  the  Plattsdeutch  Verein,  a  German 
social  organization,  at  Grand  Island. 


FREDERICK  T.  LOESCHER,  one  of  the 
.  oldest  citizens  of  Hall  County,  and  held  in 
high  regard,  was  born  in  the  province  of  Reus, 
Germany,  October  15,  1844.  His  parents  were 
John  G.  and  Christina  (Sermann)  Loescher. 
The  father  was  a  carpenter  in  Germany.  He 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  family  in 
May,  1850,  and  lived  four  years  in  Calumet 
County,  Wisconsin,  then  removed  to  Winne- 
bago County.  In  1875  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  purchasing  the  farm  on  which  his 
son  Frederick  now  lives.  He  died  in  Sep- 
tember, 1877,  and  the  mother  died  November 
24,  1887.  Of  their  seven  children  all  died  in 
infancy  except  Frederick  T.  , 

When  Frederick  T.  Loescher  accompanied 
his  parents  to  Hall  County,  he  was  thirty-one 
years  old,  having  had  farm  experience  in  Wis- 
consin. He  has  lived  since  on  the  farm  his 
father  bought  in  1875,  but  retired  in  March, 
1918,  having  lived  on  this  farm  continuously 
with  the  exception  of  two  years.  He  can 
recall  not  only  early  days  in  Hall  County,  but 
many  interesting  incidents  of  pioneer  exper- 
ience in  Wisconsin.  During  the  early  days 
here  he  relates  how  each  family  was  entitled 
to  five  bushels  of  wheat  and  as  that  cereal 
was  so  scarce,  his  mother  ground  seeds  of 
weeds  into  a  flour  that  made  a  palatable  bread 
but  was  uninviting  on  account  of  its  black 
color.  The  family,  however,  seemed  to  thrive 
on  potato  pancakes.  The  home  was  twenty- 
five  miles  from  a  town  and  they  traveled  with 
oxen.  The  first  few  years  in  Hall  County 
were  discouraging  on  account  of  the  grass- 
hopper invasions.  He  relates  that  once,  on 
visiting  the  Loup  River,  he  found  the  water 
thick  with  the  insects.  All  such  experiences 
and  hardshrips  have  long  since  passed  away, 


and  Mr.  Loescher  has  lived  to  feel  happy  and 
contented  that  Hall  County  is  his  home. 

On  November  24,  1870,  Mr.  Loescher  mar- 
ried Miss  Louise  D.  Raatz,  a  daughter  of 
Christian  and  Wilhelmina  (Schroeder)  Raatz. 
Thirteen  children  were  born  to  them :  William 
who  lives  in  Lake  township,  married  Ella 
Spotholt;  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Ernest  Wagner; 
Bertha,  the  wife  of  Albert  Niemoth;  Minnie, 
the  wife  of  Fred  Hengen;  Emma,  deceased, 
was  the  wife  of  Edward  Niemoth;  Herman, 
who  lives  at  Belgrade,  Nebraska,  married  Rose 
Peters ;  Chrales  and  Laura,  who  live  in  Grand 
Island;  Frank,  who  died  July  29,  1915;  Fred- 
erick E.,  who  lives  on  his  father's  farm,  and 
three  who  died  in  infancy. 


A.  P.  DRAKE.  —  In  the  passage  of  almost 
a  half  century,  change  comes  about  in  a  com- 
munity as  well  as  in  an  individual,  and  marked 
indeed  is  the  change  that  has  come  over  Hall 
County  within  that  period.  With  the  coming 
here  of  young  men  of  vigor  and  enterprise, 
the  wild  prairie  became  cultivated  farms,  the 
homes  of  an  industrious,  contented  people, 
who  have  become  representative  of  Ne- 
braska's best  citizenship.  One  who  has  taken 
an  active  part  in  the  agricultural  develop- 
ment of  Hall  County  is  A.  P.  Drake,  whose 
valuable  farm  is  situated  in  Wood  River  town- 
ship. 

A.  P.  Drake  was  born  in  Lake  County- 
Illinois,  October  10,  1849.  His  parents  were 
John  C.  and  Mary  E.  (Garwood)  Drake,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Maine  and  the 
latter  in  Pennsylvania.  They  had  two  chil- 
dren :  A.  P.  and  Alice  J.  The  latter  resides 
in  South  Dakota,  the  widow  of  William 
Thompson,  one  of  the  early  engineers  on  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad.  For  many  years  the 
father  was  a  prosperous   farmer  in   Illinois. 

In  his  native  neighborhood,  Mr.  Drake  had 
school  advantages  in  boyhood  and  remained 
at  home  with  his  father  until  1871.  when  he 
came  to  Hall  County,  taking  up  a  homestead 
the  same  year.  He  contended  with  early  hard- 
ships here  as  did  his  neighbors,  but  never  lost 
courage,  and  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  some  of  the  finest  land  in  Wood 
River  township.  He  has  all  of  his  land  under 
profitable  cultivation  and  his  improvements 
have  kept  pace  with  the  development  of  the 
soil.  While  proving  up  on  his  land,  Mr.  Drake 
drove  a  stage  between  Sidney  and  Deadwood 
for  five  years,  and  in  that  business  saw  much 
adventure  and  faced  many  dangers.  His  rec- 
ollections and  stories  of  those  early  days  are 
exceedingly  interesting. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


799 


On  December-29,  1876,  Mr.  Drake  married 
Miss  Susan  C.  King,  who  was  born  in  Illinois. 
They  have  three  children:  Julia  May,  the 
wife  of  Louis  Stoup,  of  Montana;  John  C, 
the  home  farmer,  and  Alice  Gertrude,  the 
wife  of  William  Brauer,  of  Wood  River  town- 
ship. In  politics  Mr.  Drake  has  always  been 
a  staunch  Republican.  He  is  known  all  over 
the  county  and  is  held  in  high  regard. 


MARTIN  L.  WISEMAN,  Jr.,  a  thor- 
oughly experienced  farmer,  is  successfully 
operating  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  well 
improved  land  which  makes  him  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  Wood  River  township.  He 
was  born  in  Frederick  County,  Maryland, 
the  son  of  Martin  Luther  and  Martha  A. 
(Ray)  Wiseman.  His  mother  died  in  1882 
but  his  father  survives  and  is  yet  active  in 
agricultural  life,  being  an  extensive  fanner  in 
Hall  County. 

Martin  Luther  Wiseman,  Jr.,  came  with  his 
father  to  Hall  County  in  1886  and  obtained 
his  schooling  here.  From  boyhood  he  has 
followed  farm  pursuits  and  all  through  the 
experiences  that  have  later  come  to  him  in 
the  management  of  his  own  property,  he  has 
been  glad  that  he  had  early  and  thorough 
training  along  agricultural  lines.  To  operate 
profitably  a  farm  in  modem  days  a  man  does 
not  have  to  be  a  college  graduate,  but  he  must 
have  much  knowledge  that  very  often  has 
never  appeared  on  any  college  curriculum, 
hence  practical  training  and  years  of  exper- 
ience are  valuable  possessions.  Mr.  Wiseman 
is  not  specializing  to  any  extent,  general  farm- 
ing covering  his  activities. 

On  February  26,  1902,  Mr.  Wiseman  mar- 
ried Miss  Bessie  Cross,  whose  people  came  to 
Hall  County  in  1894.  They  have  three  inter- 
esting, intelligent  children :  Edith,  Mildred 
and  Ruth.  Mr.  Wiseman  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Presbyterian  church.  In  pol- 
itics he  votes  independently.  He  is  a  Mason 
in  good  standing  and  belongs  also  to  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World. 


JAMES  HENRY  ELIJAH,  a  highly  re- 
spected citizen  and  substantial  farmer  of 
Wood  River  township,  has  been  a  resident 
of  Hall  County  for  nineteen  years.  He  came 
here  in  1903,  bought  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  of  land  in  Wood  River  township  and 
has  made  of  this  a  highly  productive  farm. 

James  Henry  Elijah  was  born  in  Cedar 
County,  Iowa,  May  14,  1866.  His  parents 
were   Allen  and  Anna    (Nicoll)    Elijah,  the 


former  was  born  in  Delaware  County,  New 
York  and  the  latter  in  Scotland,  in  1836.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Elijah  is  deceased,  but  her 
father  survives  and  resides  in  the  home  of 
his  son  a  part  of  the  time  at  Clarence,  Iowa, 
being  now  a  man  of  venerable  age.  In  his 
active  years  he  worked  at  the  carpenter  trade, 
and  in  Iowa,  at  one  time,  was  an  extensive 
raiser  of  stock  in  Cedar  County.  Mr.  Elijah 
was  reared  on  a  farm  in  Iowa  and  for  thirty 
years  was  in  the  cattle  business  in  Montana, 
and  still  retains  his  interests  in  the  stock  bus- 
iness there.  The  family  have  lived  in  Hall 
County  and  in  Montana  since  the  year  they 
bought  the  farm. 

On  June  26,  1901,  James  H.  Elijah  married 
Miss  Nellie  Sylvester,  who  was  born  in  Cedar 
County,  Iowa,  August  12,  1871.  Her  parents 
were  Peter  Bent  and  Catherine  (McKibben) 
Sylvester,  natives  of  New  York.  The  father 
of  Mrs.  Elijah  died  in  1918.  The  mother  still 
resides  there.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Elijah  have  six 
children:  Harold,  Leonard,  James,  Ralph, 
David  and  Catherine,  all  living  with  their  par- 
ents on  the  well  improved  home  farm.  Mrs. 
Elijah  had  educational  advantages  in  Iowa, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


HANS  WIESE,  one  of  the  older  German 
settlers  of  Wood  River  township,  has  carried 
on  general  farming  here  for  many  years.  He 
owns  five  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  well 
improved  land.  He  has  not  only  set  a  good 
example  in  industry  and  frugality,  but  has 
never  been  lacking  in  those  qualities  that  have 
made  him  a  good  citizen  and  a  friendly  neigh- 
bor, 

Hans  Wiese  was  born  in  Germany,  October 
8,  1843.  His  parents  were  Paul  and  Bertha 
(Spiet)  Wiese.  He  was  the  youngest  born 
of  their  six  children,  the  others  being :  Celia, 
who  is  deceased,  the  wife  of  Henry  Wiese, 
also  deceased ;  James,  who  is  deceased ;  Peter, 
who  lives  in  Hall  County;  Anna,  deceased, 
who  was  the  wife  of  Henry  Wiese,  also  de- 
ceased, and  Margaret,  who  is  the  widow  of 
James  Dibbins.  In  his  native  land,  Hans 
Wiese  worked  as  a  laborer  until  1864  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  settled 
first  in  Scott  County,  Iowa,  and  from  there 
came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1871,  pur- 
chasing railroad  land  in  Wood  River  town- 
ship. He  has  placed  excellent  improvements 
on  his  land,  and  could  easily  sell  his  entire 
five  hundred  and  forty  acres  for  many  times 
the  amount  he  paid  for  it. 

In  1869  Mr.  Wiese  married  Miss  Catherine 
Hirt,  and  they  have  had  five  children :    Emma, 


soo 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  wife  of  Julius-C.  Strasser,  of  Hall  County ; 
William,  who  lives  on  the  home  place; 
Charles,  deceased ;  Matilda,  the  wife  of  Frank 
Strasser,  and  August,  who  lives  in  Lexington 
in  Dawson  County.  Mr.  Wiese  is  an  inde- 
pendent voter.  He  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church  since  his  youth.  He  has 
seen  wonderful  changes  in  this  section  since 
he  first  came  here,  having  passed  through  the 
hardships  and  privations  of  the  early  days  to 
now  enjoy  during  his  sunset  years  a  well  de- 
served competency.  Many  of  the  contempo- 
rary pioneers  o.f  his  day  have  passed  away 
but  he  lives  to  enjoy  the  innovations  of  the 
present  day. 


ALBERT  E.  LUEBS.  —  In  some  sections 
of  Nebraska  where  intelligent  and  ambitious 
young  men  live,  the  fostering  of  agriculture  is 
well  under  way.  This  is  to  be  seen  in  the 
number  of  well  cultivated  farms  and  fine 
large  herds  of  blooded  cattle.  Where  some 
exceptionally  well  developed  properties  arouse 
unusual  interest,  the  owner  or  operator  is, 
in  all  probability,  a  progressive  young  man, 
who  has  had  training  in  an  agricultural  school, 
and  his  activities  are  directed  according  to 
scientific  methods.  The  visitor  in  Hall  County 
may  meet  just  such  an  enthusiastic  and  trained 
farmer  as  this  in  Albert  E.  Luebs,  who  is 
carrying  on  general  farming  in  Wood  River 
township. 

Albert  E.  Luebs  is  a  Nebraskan,  born  in 
Hall  County,  January  27,  1891.  His  father, 
Henry  Luebs,  who  lives  retired  in  Grand 
Island,  was  a  prominent  farmer  and  stock- 
raiser  in  Hall  County  for  many  years.  Albert 
E.  is  a  son  of  his  second  marriage.  The 
Luebs  are  all  men  of  sterling  character  and 
through  marriage  are  connected  with  many 
other  leading  old  families  of  the  county. 
After  Albert  E.  Luebs  completed  his  public 
school  education,  he  entered  the  agricultural 
department  of  the  State  University  at  Lin- 
coln, where  he  spent  three  useful  years. 
Upon  his  return  home  he  rented  three 
hundred  acres  of  well  improved  land 
from  his  father,  who  owns  many  acres  of 
farm  land  in  the  county.  Here  the  young 
farmer  is  putting  his  acquired  knowledge  into 
practice  with  most  gratifying  results,  having 
been  very  successful  in  all  he  has  undertaken. 

On  February  20,  1918,  Mr.  Luebs  married 
Miss  Olive  Smeaton,  who  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  to  which  her  parents  came  many 
years  ago  in  pioneer  days.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Luebs  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
He  is  an  active  member  of  the  Grange  and 


is  interested  in  all  matters  and  movements 
that  promise  to  be  of  benefit  to  agricultural 
progress.  He  is  also  a  member  of  the  order 
of  Royal  Highlanders. 


DANIEL  ELROY  HARVEY  WISE- 
MAN.—  It  was  from  Maryland  that  the 
Wiseman  family  came  to  Hall  County  where 
it  is  now  quite  numerous.  For  generations 
the  Wisemans  have  been  noted  for  their  suc- 
cess in  agricultrual  pursuits.  A  well  known 
member  of  this  highly  respected  family  is 
Daniel  Elroy  Harvey  Wiseman,  who  owns 
one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  situated  in  section  28,  Wood 
River  township.  Mr.  Wiseman  was  bom  in 
Frederick  County,  Maryland,  June  10,  1882, 
a  son  of  Martin  Luther  and  Martha  A.  (Ray) 
Wiseman,  who  came  to  Hall  County  in  1886. 

Daniel  E.  H.  Wiseman  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  Hall  County,  and  from  boyhood  he 
has  been  connected  with  farming,  first  with 
his  father  and  afterward  on  his  own  account. 
He  is  wide  awake  and  progressive  and  is 
carrying,  on  his  agricultural  operations  with 
entire  success.  In  1903  he  married  Mliss 
Maude  E.  Burmood.  They  have  two  sons: 
Harvey  E.  and  Glenn  Lee,  both  of  whom  are 
attending  school.  Mr.  Wiseman  and  family 
attend  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  devotes 
comparatively  little  time  to  politics,  taking 
more  interest  in  his  farm  and  stock  than  polit- 
ical campaigns.  He  is  a  good,  quiet,  peaceable 
citizen  who  can  always  be  depended  upon  in 
times  of  real  necessity.  He  owns  a  herd  of 
registered  Jersey  cows  and  is  specializing  in 
Poland-China  hogs. 


.  ADOLPH  KRUSE,  whose  valuable  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is  situated  in 
Center  township,  is  the  representative  of  an 
old  pioneer  family  of  Hall  County  that  has 
been  highly  respected  here  and  has  been  use- 
fully concerned  in  agricultural  efforts  for 
many  years.  The  Kruse  family  has  never 
desired  political  prominence,  but  it  has  taken 
some  pride  in  its  reputation  as  steady  and 
honest,  and  as  strong  in  its  support  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 

Adolph  Kruse  is  a  native  of  this  section, 
born  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  September 
12,  1877,  a  son  of  Henry  Kruse.  After  at- 
tending school  in  boyhood,  he  assisted  his 
father  on  the  farm  and  in  the  course  of  time 
became  a  farmer  on  his  own  account.  He  not 
only  carries  on  general  fanning  but  raises 
many  fine  horses  and  operates  his  own  land 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


801 


and  an  additional  eighty  acres  which  he  rents. 
He  is  one  of  the  well  informed  farmers  In  his 
township,  making  practical  and  successful  ap- 
plication of  his  knowledge  to  insure  the  prof- 
itable carrying  out  of  his  farm  enterprises. 
On  April  5,  1905,  Mr.  Kruse  married  Miss 
Katie  Keams.  They  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 


GEORGE  NICHOLAS  RAUERT,  who 
devotes  his  time  and  attention  to  raising  cattle 
and  hogs,  together  with  general  farming,  is 
well  known  in  Hall  County,  where  his  life 
has  been  passed.  He  is  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  early  pioneer  families  of  the  county, 
his  grandparents  coming  here  with  their  chil- 
dren, in  1866.  Since  then  the  family  has  been 
identified  with  land  development  here,  and  its 
reputation  for  successful  agricultural  effort  is 
second  to  none  in  the  county. 

George  Rauert  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
June  27,  1882,  and  is  a  son  of  James  and  Anna 
(Tagge)  Rauert,  the  latter  of  whom.  died 
September  11,  1895.  The  father  of  Mr! 
Rauert  was  born  in  Germany  in  1851,  ac- 
companied his  parents  to  the  United  States 
when  fifteen  years  old,  assisted  his  mother 
after  the  early  death  of  his  father,  and  now 
lives  retired  in  Grand  Island,  in  which  city 
he  owns  a  comfortable  home.  From  boyhood 
George  Rauert  has  followed  farm  pursuits. 
He  has  recently  purchased  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  well  improved  land,  situated  in 
Mayfield  township,  and  while  he  gives  careful 
attention  to  general  farming,  the  raising  of 
fine  cattle  and  hogs  is  made  a  leading  feature. 

In  1908  Mr.  Rauert  married  Miss  Minnie 
Behring.  They  have  four  children :  Ida, 
Louis,  Albert  and  Lillie,  all  residing  at  home 
and  with  their  parents  regularly  attending 
religious  services  in  the  Lutheran  church. 
Mr.  Rauert  is  a  fine,  upstanding  citizen  of 
Mayfield  township,  being  always  ready  to  pro- 
mote her  best  interests,  but  has  never  been  ac- 
tively concerned  in  political  matters.  He 
belongs  to  several  German  social  organizations 
that  were  established  many  years  ago  in  Grand 
Island. 


MARTIN  L-  WISEMAN,  one  of  Hall 
County's  highly  respected  citizens,  has  been 
a  resident  for  many  years  of  Wood  River 
township,  where  he  owns  well  improved  prop- 
erty. Mr.  Wiseman  was  born  in  Frederick 
County,  Maryland,  March  16,  1850,  the  son 
of  Daniel  and  Catherine  (Palmer)  Wiseman, 
who  spent  their  lives  in  Maryland.    Of  their 


eight  children  four  are  living^  Martin  Luther 
is  the  second  born.  The  others  are:  Mary, 
who  lives  with  her  brother,  Martin  Luther; 
John.  P.,  who  lives  at  Knoxville,  Maryland, 
and  Samuel,  who  lives  in  Loup  County,  Ne- 
braska. The  parents  were  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 

Martin  Luther  Wiseman  went  to  work  on 
a  farm  as  soon  as  his  school  days  were  over. 
Farm  wages  were  very  low  in  Maryland  at 
that  time,  and  Mr.  Wiseman  worked  on  a 
neighbor's  farm  for  three  dollars  a  month. 
In  the  course  of  time  he  became  interested  in 
the  opportunities  offered  in  western  lands 
and  this  led  him  to  Hall  County,  in  1886.  He 
was  not  quite  satisfied  at  first  and  in  1887 
went  to  Colorado,  but  in  1889  returned  to 
Hall  County.  He  broke  up  the  prairie  sod 
on  what  is  called  the  Eurkhert  farm,  moved 
onto  the  same  and  rented  that  land  for  seven- 
teen years.  Mr.  Wiseman's  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  in  Wood  River  township 
is  well  adapted  to  general  farming  and  dairy- 
ing. He  has  always  been  thorough  in  his  farm 
methods  and  now  enjoys  well  merited  pros- 
j>erity. 

In  Maryland,  in  1872,  Mr.  Wiseman  mar- 
ried Miss  Martha  A.  Ray,  who  died  in  1882. 
They  had  the  following  children :  Marcia  Ellen, 
the  wife  of  A.  Kinney,  of  Salt  Lake;  R.  S-, 
who  lives  in  Wood  River  township;  Caroline; 
Catherine,  the  wife  of  Aden  Able,  of  Sioux 
County;  A.  S-,  a -farmer  in  Wood  River  town- 
ship; Gilmore,  who  lives  in  Wood  River; 
Martin  Luther,  Jr.,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Wood 
River  township,  and  Daniel,  also  a  farmer  in 
Wood  River  township.  The  mother  of  this 
family  was  a  member  of  the  Reformed  church. 
Mr.  Wiseman  is  an  elder  in  the  Presbyterian 
church.  He  belongs  to  the  order  of  Odd 
Fellows,  and  is  a  Scottish  Rite  Mason  and  a 
Shriner. 


RUDOLPH  H.  LUEBS,  one  of  Hall 
County's  best  qualified  and  most  progressive 
agriculturists,  is  a  member  of  a  prominent 
Hall  County  family.  His  birth  took  place 
here  October  6,  1886.  His  father,  Henry 
Luebs,  a  highly  respected  retired  citizen  of 
Grand  Island,  was  born  in  Germany,  in  1845, 
and  came  to  the  United  States  in  young  man- 
hood. For  many  years  he  was  successfully 
engaged  in  farming  in  Hall  County. 

Rudolph  H.  Luebs  attended  the  public 
schools  in  his  native  county,  after  which  he 
entered  the  agricultural  school  at  Lincoln, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  with  credit  in 
1909.      Thus    well    prepared    for   the    many 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


problems  every,  farmer  has  to  face,  Rudolph 
Henry  Luebs  took  upon  himself  the  responsi- 
bility of  operating  one  of  the  largest  farms 
in  this  part  of  the  county,  consisting  of  three 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  highly  improved 
land,  which  he  rents  from  his  father.  He  has 
been  trained  to  work  systematically  and  with 
thoroughness  and  the  success  that  is  attend- 
ing him  demonstrates  his  agricultural  wisdom 
as  well  as  his  business  capacity.  He  is  making 
a  specialty  of  thoroughbred  Shorthorn  cattle 
and  the  only  kind  of  hogs  he  deems  worth 
raising  are  the  Poland  China  variety,  which 
he  has  found  very  profitable. 

On  November  46,  1916,  Mr.  Luebs  married 
Miss  Hattie  Persson,  who  also  belongs  to  an 
old  Hall  County  family.  They  are  active 
members  of  the  Lutheran'  church  at  Wood 
River.  Mr.  Luebs  is  independent  in  his  po- 
trtical  views,  but  is  very  much  interested  in 
all  worthy  enterprises  in  the  county  that  are 
in  any  way  related  to  agricultural  life  and 
industry.  He  is  a  valued  member  of  the 
Grange  and  is  foremost  in  county  fair  promo- 
tion. He  has  served  four  years  as  a  director 
of  the  County  Fair  association.  He  belongs 
to  the  order  of  Royal  Highlanders. 


AUGUST  RAUERT,  a  member  of  one  of 
the  oldest  pioneer  families  of  Hall  County, 
was  born  here  February  27,  1889.  He  is  a  son 
of  Matthew  and  Elsie  (Sfek)  Rauert,  the 
former  of  whom  came  to  the  United  States 
and  to  Hall  County  with  his  parents  in  1866. 
For  many  years  Matthew  Rauert  was  a  lead- 
ing farmer  in  the  county  but  now  lives  retired 
in  Grand  Island,  where  he  is  held  in  much 
esteem. 

August  Rauert  attended  the  public  schools 
through  boyhood,  in  the  meanwhile  assisting 
his  father  and  getting  practical  training  that 
has  made  him  a  capable  farmer  and  able  to 
carry  on  profitably  his  large  agricultural  opera- 
tions. He  owns  eighty  acres  of  excellent  land, 
all  well  improved,  and  from  his  father  rents 
two  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres.  He  makes 
a  feature  of  raising  Shorthorn  cattle  and 
Duroc-Jersey  hogs.  Mr.  Rauert  has  the  repu- 
tation of  being  one  of  the  most  successful 
farmers  and  stockraisers  in  this  section. 

On  March  6,  1912,  August  Rauert  married 
Miss  Martha  Boldt,  whose  people  came  to  Hall 
County  in  the  early  days.  Mr.  Rauert  and  his 
wife  have  two  children:  Frederick  and  Viola, 
both  of  whom  attend  school.  The  family  be- 
longs to  the  Lutheran  church.  Mr.  Rauert  has 
never  found  time  to  enter  into  politics  very 
actively  and  has  no  desire  for  public  office.  He 


belongs  to  the  order  of  Eagles  and  to  several 
German  social  organizations  of  old  establish- 
ment in  Grand  Island. 


HENRY  DAVISON,  who  has  been  a 
resident  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  since  early 
manhood,  came  here  from  a  state  that  has 
contributed  largely  to  the  county's  best  citi- 
zenship and  he  is  justly  proud  of  being  a  na- 
tive of  Illinois.  He  was  born  in  Tazewell 
County,  May  2,  1857,  the  son  of  Minor  A. 
and  Mary  (Cornelius)  Davison,  who  came  to 
Hall  County  in  1879,  where  the  father  bought 
a  tract  of  railroad  land,  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  the  owner  of  eighty  acres  that 
had  been  greatly  advanced  in  value  because  of 
the  improvements  he  had  made.  The  mother 
died  January  21,  1890,  aged  forty-eighty  years, 
being  survived  by  her  husband  who  passed 
away  August  14,  1896,  aged  sixty-one  years. 

Henry  Davison  was  reared  on  a  farm  in 
Tazewell  County,  Illinois,  and  obtained  his 
education  in  the  public  schools  in  that  locality. 
When  the  family  removed  to  Nebraska  he 
accompanied  them,  purchasing  first  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  of  school  land,  to  which,  with 
buisness  acumen,  he  subsequently  added  until 
he  now  owns  four  hundred  and  forty  acres 
in  Hall  County,  all  of  which  is  highly  im- 
proved. Mr.  Davison  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing, growing  crops  and  raising  stock,  until 
1914,  when  he  moved  into  Grand  Island  and 
took  possession  of  his  handsome  residence 
here. 

In  1881  Mr.  Davison  married  Miss  Rachel 
Malissa  McCabe,  who  was  also  born  in  Illinois, 
and  of  their  ten  children  the  following  sur- 
vive: Etta  Belle,  the  wife  of  William  Dangler; 
Edith,  the  wife  of  Orville  Hutton,  a  farmer 
in  Center  township,  Hall  County ;  Roy,  a  farm- 
er in  Center  township;  Earl  E.,  who  lives  in 
Center  township;  Gladys  and  Wayne  W.,  both 
of  whom  reside  at  home.  Mr.  Davison  and 
his  family  are  members  of  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  has  always 
been  affiliated  with  the  Republican  party  and 
in  earlier  days  was  active  in  many  party  move- 
ments although  he  never  consented  to  hold 
political  office.  Mr.  Davison  is  well  known  in 
Hall  County  and  as  man  and  citizen  is  held 
in  high  regard. 


WILLIAM  FAGAN,  one  of  Hall  County's 
well  known  residents  and  owner  of  a  fine 
farm  in  Center  township,  is  a  native  of 
Canada  where  he  was  born  September  15, 
1865,  the  eldest  of  a  famijy  of  nine  children 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


803 


bom  to  John  and  Sarah  (McGriskin)  Fagan. 
Both  parents  were  born  in  Ireland,  from 
which  land  they  came  to  Canada  in  1860. 

About  1867  the  parents  of  Mr.  Fagan  re- 
moved to  the  United  States  and  the  father 
engaged  in  farming  in  Illinois.  In  1892  he 
came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  where  he 
took  up  a  homestead  and  also  secured  a  quar- 
ter section  of  land  in  Prairie  Creek  township, 
on  which  he  resided  until  his  death  in  Febru- 
ary, 1902,  at  which  time  he  owned  four  hun- 
dred acres  of  fine  land.  Both  parents  were 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Of 
their  children  besides  William,  the  following 
are  living:  Patrick,  manager  of  Taylor's 
ranch  in  Hall  County ;  Katherine,  the  wife  of 
Jefferson  Norris,  of  Illinois ;  Mary,  who  lives 
at  Hot  Springs,  South  Dakota;  Arinie,  who  . 
has  been  a  teachet]  in  Lake  township  for 
twenty  years,  where  she  is  much  beloved; 
Jennie,  the  wife  of  George  Buckingham,  of 
Chicago;  and  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Edward 
Landrigan,  af  Ravenna,  Nebraska. 

William  Fagan  was  young  when  the  family 
removed  to  Illinois.  He  attended  school  there 
and  worked  for  his  father  and  other  farmers 
until  1892,  when  he  came  to  Nebraska,  locat- 
ing in  Hall  County.  At  first  he  helped  his 
father  on  the  home  farm,  at  times  he  also 
worked  on  the  neighboring  farms  and  in  the 
course  of  time  bought  his  present  well  de- 
veloped and  finely  improved  property  consist- 
ing of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated  in 
section  6,  Center  township.  For  seventeen 
years  he  was  manager  of  the  Taylor  ranch  in 
Hall  County,  prior  to  coming  to  the  McDonald 
ranch,  of  which  he  has  been  manager  for  the 
past  three  years,  these  being  the  largest 
ranches  in  the  county. 

On  September  16,  1890,  Mr.  Fagan  mar- 
ried Miss  Ellen  Walsh,  who  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois and  they  have  four  children,  namely : 
Annie,  the  wife  of  Lloyd  W.  O'Halleron,  of 
Howard  County,  Nebraska;  John,  who  oper- 
ates his  father's  farm ;  William,  in  the  United 
States  navy ;  and  Ella,  who  makes  her  home 
in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Fagan  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He 
belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Columbus,  the  Elks 
and  the  Modern  Woodmen. 


HERMAN  LUEBS,  a  prominent  farmer 
and  extensive  raiser  of  cattle  and  hogs,  owns 
two  hundred  and  ninety  acres  of  fine  land 
which  he  devotes  to  these  purposes.  He  is 
well  known  all  over  Hall  County.  He  was 
born  on  his  father's  farm  in  Hall  County, 
September  24,   1875. 


The  parents  of  Mr.  Luebs  were  Henry  and 
Sophia  (Plauth)  Luebs,  the  latter  of  whom 
died  in  January,  "1883.  They  had  eight  chil- 
dren, and  those  besides  Herman  who  are  liv- 
ing are  the  following:  Emma,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Kamps,:  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin; 
Nicholas,  who  lives  in  Oklahoma,  and  John, 
who  lived  in  Wood  River  township,  Hall 
County.  The  father  of  Mr.  Luebs  was  born 
in  Germany  in  1845,  who  emigrated  to 
America  many  years  ago  and  for  many  years 
was  a  very  successful  farmer  and  stockman 
in  Hall  County.  He  owns  a  fine  residence  in 
Grand  Island,  in  which  he  has  lived  since  he 
retired  some  years  ago. 

Herman  Luebs  had  school  privileges  in  his 
boyhood  but  was  little  more  than  a  boy  when 
he  began  to  be  of  great  assistance  to  his 
father  on  the  homestead.  Mr.  Luebs  has  never 
desired  to  embark  in  any  other  business  than 
the  one  in  which  he  has  done  so  well,  although 
it  has  often  been  one  of  hard  work  and  worry. 
He  has  his  land  well  improved  and  modern 
methods  and  expensive  farm  machinery  are 
made  use  of  in  carrying  on  his  farm  industries. 
On  March  25,  1915,  he  married  Miss  Rose 
Holling,  a  daughter  of  Peter  Holling,  who 
came  to  Hall  County  as  an  early  settler.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Luebs  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  is  independent  in  his  political 
opinions,  but  is  an  interested  and  valued  mem- 
ber of  the  Grange  at  Wood  River. 


CHARLES  RAUERT,  whose  farming 
operations  carried  on  in  Prairie  Creek  town- 
ship for  some  years  have  been  satisfactory 
from  every  point  of  view,  is  an  enterprising 
young  man  with  progressive  ideas.  He  has 
been  a  farmer  all  his  life  and  has  knowledge 
and  experience  to  back  him  in  his  undertak- 
ings. It  is  probable  that  in  a  very  few  years 
Mr.  Rauert  may  have  one  of  the  finest  herds 
of  thoroughbred  Shorthorn  cattle  in  this  sec- 
tion of  the  state. 

Charles  Rauert  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  August  31,  1883,  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  four  children  born  to  Matthew  and 
Elsie  (Siek)  Rauert,  the  former  of  whom 
came  to  the  United  States  with  his  parents  in 
1866  and  immediately  located  in  Hall  County. 
The  grandfather  died  in  the  same  year.  The 
father  of  Mr.  Rauert  now  lives  retired  in 
G  rand  Island,  but  retains  the  ownership  of 
his  valuable  farms  in  the  county,  one  of  which 
Charles  Rauert  rents  from  his  father.  He  has 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and  devotes  the 
land  to  general  farming  and  stockraising,  giv- 
ing particular  attention  to  Duroc-Jersey  hogs, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


and    as    above    mentioned,    to    thoroughbred 
Shorthorn  cattle. 

In  1908  Mr.  Rauert  married  Miss  Elsie 
Seim,  and  they  have  four  children:  Erma, 
Arthur,  Elvira  and  Edna,  the  older  children 
already  making  a  fine  record  at  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rauert  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  They  have  a  wide  acquaintance  and 
many  friends.  Mr.  Rauert  is  not  identified 
with  any  political  party  but  is  active  andinter- 
ested  in  township  matters  that  concern  the 
general  walfare,  casting  his  vote  at  local  elec- 
tions,.according  to  his  own  well  matured  judg- 
ment. 


FRANZ  WIECK.  —  Many  of  the  fine  pro- 
ductive farms  of  Hall  County  would  never 
have  reached  their  present  value  without  the 
patient  industry  and  unusual  efficiency  of  the 
owners,  who  made  their  improvement  the 
main  business  of  life.  Such  a  man  was  the 
late  Franz  Wieck,  who  came  here  in  1893  and 
took  up  a  homestead.  During  his  subsequent 
life  no  one  could  have  been  more  industrious 
and  the  success  he  experienced  was  well  de- 
served. 

Franz  Wieck  was  bom  in  Germany,  Novem- 
ber 29,  1865,  a  son  of  Franz  and  Catherine 
Wieck,  who  spent  their  lives  in  Germany. 
After  schooldays  were  passed  and  military 
service  was  over,  the  young  man  came  to  the 
United  States  in  order  to  take  advantage  of 
the  government  offer  of  homesteads  in  the 
western  part  of  the  country.  Immediately 
after  reaching  Hall  County,  he  secured  a 
homestead,  settling  happily  on  it  where  he  re- 
mained a  continuous  resident  until  the  time  of 
his  death,  which  occurred  April  20,  1915,  leav- 
ing an  estate  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  finely  improved  land. 

In  1895  Mr.  Wieck  married  Miss  Anna 
Hargens,  and  they  became  the  parents  of  the 
following  children :  Margaret,  Martha,  John, 
Alma,  Alfred,  Ernest,  Clara,  Alice  and  Rosa, 
all  of  whom  reside  on  the  farm  with  their 
mother.  In  religious  faith  he  was  a  Lutheran. 
He  took  no  particular  interest  in  politics,  but 
he  belonged  to  one  of  the  old  German  social 
organizations  in  Grand  Island,  in  which  he 
was  very  highly  esteemed. 

ABRAHAM  W.  LEISER,  who  has  been 
a  resident  of  Hall  County  for  thirty  five  years, 
is  a  representative  citizen  of  Center  township 
and  an  exceedingly  prosperous  farmer.  When 
Mr.  Leiser  came  to  the  county  he  had  very 
little  in  the  way  of  earthly  goods,  but  he  had 


courage,  health  and  energy,  and  with  the  de- 
termination to  make  use  of  them  to  the  best 
advantage,  pushed  forward  and  now  is  one 
of  the  most  substantial  farmers  of  the  county. 
Mr.  Leiser  set  a  good  example  as  a  young  man 
and,  as  is  usually  the  case,  has  never  had 
cause  to  regret  his  early  industrious  efforts 
and  much  self  denial. 

Abraham  W.  Leiser  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania, March  12,  1863,  the  son  of  David  and 
Rebecca  (Trump)  Leiser,  natives  of  the  same 
state.  They  had  the  following  children: 
George,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island ;  Anne,  who 
lives  in  Grand  Island ;  Abraham  W.,  who  lives 
in  Center  township;  Sadie,  who  died  in  in- 
fancy; and  Melvin,  who  is  deceased.  In  his 
youthful  days,  Abraham  W.  Leiser  attended 
school  in  Michigan  and  also  in  Missouri.  In 
1884  he  came  to  Hall  County  with  the  inten- 
tion of  making  this  his  permanent  home.  His 
first  purchase  of  land  was  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres,  to  which  he  has  added  from  time  to  time 
until  now  he  owns  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  his  home  farm 
being  situated  in  section  three,  Center  town- 
ship, within  easy  market  distance  of  Grand 
Island.  He  has  always  carried  on  general 
farming,  having  no  particular  specialties  but 
an  abundance  of  staple  crops. 

On  January  17,  1888,  Mr.  Leiser  married 
Miss  Melvina  Eager,  whose  people  were  very 
early  settlers  in  Hall  County.  They  have  had 
four  children,  two  sons  and  two  daughters, 
namely :  Alvin,  a  farmer  in  Center  township : 
Rebecca,  the  wife  of  William  Vocke;  and 
Floyd  and  Helen,  both  of  whom  live  at  home. 
In  politics  Mr.  Leiser  is  a  Democrat,  having 
served  as  deputy  sheriff  four  years  under  Jim 
Dunkle,  and  is  always  ready  to  support  his 
political  friends  but  has  never  desired  public 
oflfrce  for  himself. 


JACOB  SHOEMAKER.— When  the  early 
settlers  o*f  Hall  County,  who  have  passed  away 
are  called  to  mind,  there  is  great  reason  to 
remember  Jacob  Shoemaker.  He  came  here 
almost  a  half  century  ago  when  all  this  beau- 
tiful country  was  practically  a  prairie.  Al- 
though at  that  time  already  a  man  of  middle 
life,  such  was  his  industry  that  he  succeeded 
in  accumulating  a  large  property  and  he  be- 
came also  one  of  the  county's  most  useful  and 
respected  citizens.  His  honest  name  is  per- 
petuated by  a  large  family  of  children,  almost 
all  of  whom  belong  and  add  to  the  fine  citi- 
zenship of  Nebraska. 

Jacob  Shoemaker  was  born  in  Preble 
County,  Ohio,  May  20,  1818,  and  died  in  Hall 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


805 


County,  Nebraska,  December  11,  1895.  His 
parents  were  Daniel  and  Margaret  (Witt) 
Shoemaker,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Penn- 
sylvania. Jacob  Shoemaker  obtained  his  edu- 
cation in  the  subscription  schools,  and  being 
strong  and  sturdy  in  his  youth,  his  father 
urged  him  to  learn  the  carpenter  trade,  which 
at  that  time  included  much  heavy  work  that 
is  now  done  by  the  allied  trades.  He  con- 
tinued carpenter  work  until  he  came  as  far 
west  as  Iowa,  after  which,  until  the  close  of 
his  active  life,  he  was  interested  in  fanning. 
In  1871  he  came  as  a  homesteader  to  Hall 
County,  and  years  of  uninterrupted  industry 
followed  during  which  he  acquired  five  hun- 
dred and  twenty  acres  of  land.  He  neglected 
no  opportunity  to  improve  his  home  property 
and  when  he  built  his  house  it  was  reputed 
to  be  the  most  commodious  in  the  county  and 
for  years  was  a  landmark,  showing  for  miles 
across  the  treeless  prairie.  Without  any  of 
the  scientific  knowledge  that  has  so  greatly 
assisted  the  modern  farmer,  he  perseveringly 
carried  on  his  operations  with  the  practical 
good  sense  and  agricultural  knowledge  that 
experience  had  brought  him,  and  was  con- 
sidered one  of  the  most  successful  farmers  in 
Center  township. 

October  28,  1849  Jacob  Shoemaker  and 
Sarah  Ann  Brunt  were  united  in  marriage. 
She  was  bom  December  6,  1832,  a  native  of 
Rush,  Madison  County,  Indiana.  To  them 
were  born  children  as  follows:  William  B., 
who  lives  at  Chapman,  Nebraska;  Clara,  the 
wife  of  Cyrus  Kellogg,  of  Chapman;  Albert 
E-,  who  lives  at  Burwell,  Nebraska;  Belle, 
who  resides  on  the  old  homestead ;  Jesse,  who 
lives  at  Oconto,  Nebraska;  Samuel  M.,  who 
resides  on  the  homestead;  George,  a  farmer 
near  Burwell;  Eva,  the  wife  of  F.  M.  Cav- 
ender,  of  Ainsworth,  Nebraska;  Anna,  the 
wife  of  Henry  Rathmann,  of  Holdrege,  Ne- 
braska ;  and  Edna,  the  wife  of  Harry  Lenon, 
and  they  live  in  Arizona.  Mr.  Shoemaker 
was  a  Republican  in  his  political  views.  He 
was  reared  in  a  Quaker  community  and  at- 
tended their  meetings  in  his  youth,  but  in  later 
life  became  a  member  of  the  Christian  church 
and  the  family  assisted  in  its  support  in  Hall 
County. 


JAMES  RAUERT,  who  now  lives  retired 
in  Grand  Island,  surrounded  with  comforts 
suitable  to  his  age  and  position  in  life,  has 
been  a  resident  of  Hall  County  for  many 
years,  brought  here  by  his  parents  in  early 
pioneer  days  when  Nebraska  was  still  con- 
sidered a  part  of  the  Great  American  Desert. 


Mr.  Rauert  has  seen  wonderful  changes  take 
place  during  his  life  in  the  county,  where  he 
and  his  brothers  have  been  very  successful 
along  agricultural  lines. 

James  Rauert  was  born  in  Germany,  May 
1,  1851,  a  son  of  Jacob  Mat  and  Anna 
(Madiensen)  Rauert,  who  came  to  the  United 
States  and  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1866. 
In  that  same  year  the  father  died  and  the  five 
children  had  to  assume  much  responsibility 
when  young  in  order  to  assist  their  mother  in 
keeping  the  family  together.  From  early  boy- 
hood James  Rauert  followed  farming  until  he 
retired  from  active  life,  moving  then  to  Grand 
Island,  in  which  city  he  is  greatly  respected. 
He  owns  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
well  improved  land,  together  with  his  attrac- 
tive city  residence,  and  is  counted  one  of  the 
county's  men  of  ample  fortune. 

In  1877  James  Rauert  married  Miss  Anna 
Tagge,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers  in 
Hall  County,  and  they  have  three  sons,  Will- 
iam, George  and  John,  the  eldest  of  whom 
lives  in  Idaho,  the  youngest  has  charge  of  the 
home  farm  and  George  operates  his  own  farm. 
They  are  all  fine  young  men  who  reflect  credit 
on  their  parents  and  the  community.  The 
beloved  wife  and  mother  passed  away  Sep- 
tember 11,  1895.  Mr.  Rauert  is  a  member  of 
the  Lutheran  church. 


HENRY  F.  LUEBS.  — Grand  Island  is 
the  home  of  many  retired  farmers  and  has 
no  better  citizenship  than  these  men  of  means, 
resources  and  wholesome  life.  They  are,  too, 
usually  men  of  sound  judgment  and  their 
advice  is  not  to  be  despised  when  matters  of 
city  importance  are  up  for  consideration,  es- 
pecially the  expenditure  of  public  funds.  In 
order  to  make  their  farming  operations  profit- 
able, they  had  to  be  frugal  and  foresighted, 
and  their  methods  might  solve  many  civic 
problems.  A  dependable  citizen  of  this  class 
is  found  in  Henry  Luebs,  who  resides  in  his 
fine,  residence  in  Grand  Island,  after  many 
years  as  a  farmer  in  Hall  County,  where  he 
owns  over  eight  hundred  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  in  Wood  River  and  Alda  town- 
ships. 

Henry  Luebs  was  born  in  Germany,  Sep- 
tember 6,  1845,  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  six 
children  born  to  John  and  Dorothy  (Schoel) 
Luebs,  the  others  being  as  follows:  Malie, 
Anna,  Lena,  Frederick  and  Amelia,  all  of 
whom  live  in  Germany  except  the  oldest,  who 
went  to  Australia  many  years  ago,  and  Fred- 
erick, who  like  his  next  younger  brother, 
came    to    Nebraska.      After    Henry    Luebs 


806 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


landed  in  the  United  States  in  1874  he  first 
located  in  Iowa  and  from  there,  on  the 
eleventh  of  November  of  the  same  year,  came 
to  Hall  County.  The  beginning  of-  his  pres- 
ent large  property  was  when  he  acquired 
eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  and  to  the  de- 
velopment and  cultivation  of  his  land  as  it 
increased  through  subsequent  purchases,  he 
devoted  many  years.  He  became  one  of  the 
best  general  farmers  in  his  section,  growing 
heavy  crops  and  raising  much  fine  stock. 

Mr.  Luebs  was  twenty-four  years  old  at  the 
time  of  his  first  marriage,  which  united  him 
to  Miss  Sophia  Plauth,  who  died  in  January, 

1883.  Of  thetr  eight  children,  the  following 
are  living:  Emma,  the  wife  of  Henry  Kamps, 
of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin;  Nicholas,  who  lives 
in  Oklahoma ;  Herman,  a  fanner  in  Wood 
River  township,  and  John,  who  also  lives  in 
Wood    River   township.     On    December    19, 

1884,  Mr.  Luebs  contracted  his  second  mar- 
riage, with  Annie  Plauth,  a  sister  of  the  first 
Mrs.  Luebs,  and  of  the  ten  children  born  to 
them  eight  are  living:  Rosa,  who  lives  at 
Grand  Island:  Rudolph,  a  fanner  in  Wood 
River  township  on  the  old  farm;  August,  who 
lives  at  Lincoln;  Elbert,  a  farmer;  Henry, 
who  lives  in  Milwaukee,  and  Alma,  Alfred 
and  Marie,  all  of  whom  reside  at  home.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church. 


HENRY  SCHROEDER.  — There  are  few 
general  farmers  and  stockraisers  in  Wood 
River  township,  Hall  County,  who  have  done 
better  in  a  business  way  within  the  same  space 
of  time,  than  has  Henry  Schroeder.  He  started 
with  nothing  and  now  owns  one  of  the  large, 
well  developed  farms  here  and  is  a  shipper  of 
cattle  and  hogs. 

Henry  Schroeder  was  born  September  10, 
1873,  at  Syracuse,  New  York.  His  parents 
were  Frederick  and  Sophia  Schroeder,  who 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Germany. 
In  1872  they  emigated  from  the  old  country 
for  the  greater  opportunities  afforded  in 
America,  settling  first  near  Syracuse,  New 
York,  soon  after  arriving  in  the  United  States, 
where  the  father  worked  as  a  farmer.  The 
family  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in 
1881.  In  speaking  of  the  early  days  here  in 
reference  to  himself,  Henry  Schroeder  says 
he  was  educated  mainly  in  the  school  of  hard 
knocks,  which  may  be  interpreted  as  having 
little  other  schooling  and  few  advantages  of 
any  kind.  Therefore  it  is  creditable  that 
through  his  own  efforts  and  thrift  he  has  be- 
come a  man  of  independent  means  and  owns  a 
farm  of  four  hundred  and  twenty  acres.    He 


has  it  substantially  improved,  also  the  result 
of  his  own  industry  and  progressive  ideas.  He 
has  worked  very  hard  and  still  devotes  him- 
self closely  to  his  farm  industries  which  he 
finds  more  and  more  profitable.  He  raisei 
and  disposes  of  about  twenty-five  head  of 
good  grade  cattle  and  forty  head  of  hogs  an- 
nually. 

Mr.  Schroeder  married  Miss  Bettie  Miller, 
who  was  born  and  reared  in  Hall  County. 
They  have  a  fine  family  of  four  sons  and  one 
daughter,  namely:  William,  who  lives  on  the 
home  farm ;  Frederick,  married  Etta 
Schwieger,  who  is  also  a  farmer;  and  Elsie, 
Harry  and  Louis,  all  of  whom  live  at  home. 
Mr.  Schroeder  and  his  older  sons  are  Repub- 
licans. The  entire  family  is  highly  esteemed 
throughout  Wood  River  township. 


AMOS  W.  JOBE,  one  of  the  progressive 
young  farmers  of  Hall  County,  who  is  intelli- 
gently interested  in  agriculture  generally,  and 
most  particularly  in  the  section  where  he  is 
very  successfully  operating  a  farm  of  eighty 
acres,  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  Hall  County. 
He  was  born  in  Center  township,  November 
19,  1897,  and  is  a  son  of  the  late  Simeon  C. 
and  Mahala  P.  (Mackey)  Jobe. 

Simeon  C.  Jobe  was  born  at  Griggsville. 
in  Pike  County,  Illinois,  where  he  grew  up  on 
a  farm,  and  farming  was  his  business  all  hi? 
life.  He  served  as  a  soldier  during-  the  Civil 
War,  a  member  of  Company  I,  Thirty-third 
Illinois  Infantry,  and  at  the  time  of  his  death 
was  a  member  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public. Mr.  Jobe  was  married  first  to  Susan 
B.  Pollack,  of  Griggsville,  Illinois  and  by  that 
union  there  were  six  children:  Priscilla,  now 
Mrs.  Nichols,  and  they  have  two  children. 
Gladys  and  Harold,  both  college  graduates. 
Harold  is  now  receiving  military  training  ir. 
Texas;  Hattie  Jane,  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  in  1873,  lives  in  Colorado ;  Charles  S.. 
who  lives  in  Dalton,  Nebraska,  has  four  chil- 
dren, Ada  and  Estyl,  and  two  are  dead,  Roscoe 
and  Alice ;  Nettie  F.,  the  wife  of  Lute  Tobias, 
in  Eugene,  Oregon,  is  the  mother  of  two  boys- 
Kenneth  and  Merle,  and  two  children  who 
died  when  quite  small,  William  and  Eva.  The 
mother  died  in  1883,  In  Illinois  Mr.  Jobe 
married  for  his  second  wife  Miss  Mahala  P. 
Mackey,  who  was  bom  in  Randolph  County, 
Illinois.  He  parents  were  William  and  Mary 
E.  (Stanley)  Mackey,  who  lived  and  died  in 
Illinois.  Her  father  was  a  Baptist  in  re-  ■ 
ligious  faith,  while  her  mother  belonged 
to  the  Methodist  church.  When  Mr.  and 
Mrs    Jobe    came    to    Hall    County     in    the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


807 


eighties,  Mr.  Jobe  brought  with  him 
considerable  capital,  at  least  $1,000,  and  did 
not  feel  compelled  to  hasten  permanent  settle- 
ment, but  in  1900  he  invested  and  his  family 
have  been  benefitted  by  the  good  judgment 
he  used  when  he  purchased  the  Deal  property, 
a  valuable  farm.  He  was  one  of  the  first  resi- 
dents in  this  section  of  Nebraska  to  raise  fine 
hogs  and  winter  wheat,  both  proving  satisfac- 
tory enterprises.  At  the  time  of  his  death,  at  the 
age  of.  sixty-three  years,  he  was  looked  upon 
as  a  successful  business  man  as  well  as  a 
most  worthy  citizen.  His  widow,  and  three 
children  survive:  Walter  E.,  in  business  at 
Duncan ;  Ruth,  a  popular  and  efficient  teacher 
in  the  public  schools  in  District  No.  29;  and 
Amos  W.,  who  is  making  use  of  his  excellent 
education  in  carrying  on  his  extensive  opera- 
tions on  the  farm.  He  realizes  the  responsi- 
bility that,  in  these  days,  rests  upon  the  young 
farmers  of  the  nation  and  is  doing  his  best. 
The  son  and  two  daughters  both  graduated 
from  the  high  school  of  Grand  Island,  the 
former  in  1917  and  the  latter  in  1913,  the 
youngest  of  a  class  of  fifty-two  and  the  only 
members  of  the  class  who  have  been  to  all  the 
alumni  meetings. 


AUGUSTINE  C.  DENMAN  is  one  of 
Hall  County's  most  respected  residents.  He 
has  spent  forty-five  years  in  this  part  of  Ne- 
braska, and  has  been  active  and  useful  in  all 
things  concerning  the  welfare  of  Alda  town- 
ship, where  he  bought  land  in  1872. 

Augustine  C.  Denman  was  born  in  1840,  in 
Ohio.  In  1872  he  came  to  Hall  County,  and 
in  the  following  year  married  Mary  H.  Phil- 
lips. She  was  bom  in  England  and  brought  to 
the  United  States  when  one  year  old.  To  this 
marriage  the  following  children  were  born ; 
Frank,  who  is  in  the  farm  implement  business 
at  Alda,  Nebraska;  Mrs  Maude  Olsen,  who 
lives  in  Hall  County;  Edward  E-,  who  is 
operating  his  father's  farm ;  Nettie,  who  re- 
sides at  home;  Arthur,  who  lives  at  Alda; 
Mrs.  Alice  Dolstrom,  and  Mrs.  Jane  Stimpfig, 
both  of  whom  live  at  Grand  Island;  and  two 
who  are  deceased. 

When  Mr.  Denman  Cnme  to  Hall  County 
he  was  practically  without  capital,  but,  taking 
advantage  of  the  opportunities  presented  here 
for  acquiring  financial  independence,  he  grad- 
ually advanced  his  fortune  through  industry 
and  good  judgment,  and  today  is  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  the  county.  He  is  a  stock- 
holder in  the  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Alda, 
also  in  the  State  Bank  of  Grand  Island,  owns 
stock     in     the     leading     hotel     property     at 


Grand  Island,  and  has  one  of  the  best 
developed  farms  in  Alda  township.  This 
farm  has  been  taken  over  by  his  son 
Edward  E.  Denman,  who  is  having  marked 
success  in  the  business  of  feeding  cattle  and 
hogs.  Mrs.  Denman  is  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  at  Alda,  Ne- 
braska. 


JOHN  C.  RAUERT,  one  of  the  younger 
generation  of  the  prominent  family  of  his 
name  in  Hall  County,  is  maintaining  the  repu- 
tation that  this  family  has  enjoyed  for  years 
as  successful  agriculturists.  He  is  a  young 
man  of  much  enterprise  and  in  conducting  his 
farm  operations  shows  love  for  his  vocation 
as  well  as  a  scientific  knowledge  concerning  it. 

John  C.  Rauert  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  November  14,  1891,  a  son  of  James 
and  Anna  (Tagge)  Rauert,  the  latter  of  whom 
died  September  11,  1895.  Mr.  Rauert  has  two 
brothers,  William  and  George,  the  former  of 
whom  lives  in  Idaho,  and  the  latter  in  Hall 
County.  The  father,  who  was  born  in  Ger- 
many, May  1,  1851,  now  lives  retired  in  Grand 
Island,  where  he  owns  improved  property. 

After  his  school  days  were  over,  John  C. 
Rauert  settled  down  to  fanning,  sensibly 
choosing  the  most  important  vocation  in  the 
world,  and  to  this  he  has  devoted  his  best 
efforts.  The  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
he  is  so  profitably  operating,  he  has  under 
rental  from  his  father.  He  has  no  par- 
ticular specialties,  general  crop  and  a  mod- 
erate amount  of  stockraising  engaging  his 
attention.  He  is  an  intelligent,  well  informed 
farmer  and  keeps  thoroughly  posted  on  agri- 
cultural as  well  as  other  questions  of  the  day, 
through  reading  and  exchanging  views  with 
others. 

On  January  20,  1916,  Mr.  Rauert  married 
Miss  Anna  Stoltenberg,  and  they  have  three 
children :  Caroline,  Beulah  and  Lola.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rauert  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  belongs  to  several  German  social 
organizations  at  Grand  Island. 


OTTO  F.  WIESE,  who  successfully  carries 
on  large  farming  operations  in  Alda  township, 
Hall  County,  belongs  to  a  prominent  family 
here,  whose  settlement  dates  from  1869.  Mr. 
Wiese  was  born  in  Hall  County,  April  12, 
1882.  His  father,  Fritz  Wiese,  was  born  in 
Holstein,  Germany,  January  21,  1844.  Several 
members  of  the  family  came  with  him  to  the 
United  States  in  1869. 

In  the  same  year  Fritz  Wiese  came  to  Hall 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


809 


County  and  homesteaded  a  claim  containing 
eighty  acres.  When  he  reached  here  he  had 
$2.50.  Now  he  owns  six  hundred  and  fifty- 
two  acres  of  land,  two  hundred  and  ninety 
two  being  in  his  home  farm  in  Alda  township, 
two  hundred  in  Wood  River  township,  and 
one  hundred  and  sixty  in  Mayfield  township. 
He  remembers  when  the  Indians  were  often 
seen  traveling  through  this  section.  For  many 
years  he  was  an  active  farmer  but  is  now  re- 
tired. For  twelve  years  he  was  treasurer  of 
the  school  board.  It  sounds  strange  to  hear  a 
capitalist  like  Mr.  Wiese  tell  of  the  time  he 
did  not  have  money  enough  to  buy  coffee  for 
himself  and  wife,  but  this  was  the  case  for 
several  years  after  their  marriage  in  1872. 
Two  sons,  William  H.  and  John  F.  are  of  his 
first  marriage  and  two  sons  and  two  daughters 
were  born  to  his  second  marriage :  Mrs.  Dora 
LUlenthal,  who  lives  in  Nebraska;  Mrs. 
Augusta  Arp,  who  lives  near  Abbott,  Ne- 
braska; Emil,  who  lives  near  Wood  River; 
and  Otto  F.,  who  resides  on  the  home  place 
with  his  father. 

Otto  F.  Wiese  obtained  his  education  in  the 
Hall  County  schools  and  has  followed  farming 
as  a  chosen  vocation.  He  is  operating  his 
father's  farm  in  Alda  township  and  gives 
much  attention  to  good  stock,  raising  two  car 
loads  of  hogs  yearly.  He  has  the  reputation 
of  being  one  of  the  best  all  around  farmers 
in  this  part  of  the  county. 

Otto  F.  Wiese  married  Miss  Mary  Neubert, 
born  near  Sand  Krog,  Hall  County,  the 
daughter  of  John  and  Widke  Neubert,  both  of 
whom  are  deceased.  They  have  three  children : 
Augusta,  Mamie  and  Mildred,  aged  fourteen, 
eleven  and  nine  years  respectively.  Mr.  Wiese 
has  never  accepted  any  public  office  except 
that  of  school  moderator,  in  which  office  he 
served  nine  years.  He  is  an  independent 
voter. 


HENRY  PETERS,  a  very  successful  gen- 
eral farmer  and  highly  respected  citizen  of 
Center  township,  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall 
County  since  1882  and  in  the  interim  has  built 
up  a  comfortable  fortune.  He  was  born  in 
Germany,  January  24,  1866,  and  is  a  son  of 
Claus  and  {Catherine  (Kroger)  Peters. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Peters  spent  their  lives 
in  Germany  where  the  father  was  a  small 
farmer.  They  had  four  children,  Henry  being 
the  youngest  and  the  only  one  in  Hall  County. 
The  others  are :  Anna,  who  lives  in  Germany ; 
Katherine,  who  is  the  wife  of  John  Kruse; 
and  John,  who  is  in  Germany. 

Henry   Peters  was  only  sixteen  years  old 


when  he  came  to  the  United  States,  spend- 
ing his  first  few  months  in  the  new  country 
where  he  hoped  to  make  his  home,  in  Peoria, 
Illinois.  He  wanted  to  be  a  farmer  but  the 
price  of  land  in  the  neighborhood  surrounding 
Peoria  was  rather  discouraging  and  therefore 
he  came  west  and  late  in  the  year  reached 
Hall  County.  Here  he  found  the  land  also  be- 
yond his  means  but  even  then  the  price  was 
reasonable,  and  with  determination  he  went 
to  work  to  accumulate  enough  money  to  en- 
able him  to  invest.  He  worked  and  saved, 
sometimes  even  going  barefooted,  and  through 
rigid  economy  and  without  any  outside  help, 
earned  the  money  with  which  he  bought  his 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Its  im- 
provement was  only  a  matter  of  time  and  now 
Mr.  Peters  is  one  of  the  township's  substantial 
men,  owning  a  valuable  property,  and  looked 
up  to  as  a  solid,  wise  and  dependable  man. 
During  this  time  Mr.  Peters  went  to  Iowa 
where  he  was  married  and  they  farmed  there 
for  six  years. 

In  1895,  Mr.  Peters  married  Miss  Amelia 
Dengler,  who  was  born  in  Iowa,  both  her  par- 
ents were  born  in  Germany  but  came  to 
America  when  young  and  were  married  in 
Iowa.  There  are  four  children  in  the  Peters 
family :  Claus  A.,  who  lives  in  Center  town- 
ship; Henry  William  a  resident  of  Merrick 
County;  and  August  John  and  Laura  Amelia, 
both  of  whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  Peters  and 
his .  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Claus  A.  was  notified  to  get  ready 
for  military  training  at  Camp  Funston  but  on 
account  of  the  "flu"  did  not,  when  ready  for 
Camp  Kearney,  the  signing  of  peace  kept  him 
at  home. 


HENRY  BUETTNER,  the  fortunate  own- 
er of  a  well  improved  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  which  is  situated  in  Alda 
township,  was  bom  at  Grand  Island,  Nebraska 
September  15,  1867,  and  has  lived  in  Hall 
County"  all  his  life.  His  parents  were  Louis 
and  Catherine  (Wiese)  Buettner. 

Louis  Buettner,  father  of  Henry,  was  born 
in  Germany  but  from  the  age  of  seventeen, 
lived  in  the  United  States.  Just  following  the 
great  Chicago  fire  he  visited  that  stricken  city 
on  his  way  westward.  After  reaching  Ne- 
braska, he  bought  railroad  land  which, 
through  his  industry,  was  made  valuable,  and 
to  his  first  purchase  he  had  added  until  at  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres,  all  of  which  he  had  improved. 
He  belonged  to  several  fraternal  organizations 
and  was  a  Lutheran  in  religious  faith.    Of  his 


810 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


nine  children,  Henry  is  the  eldest,  the  other 
survivors  being :  Augusta,  the  wife  of  Charles 
Beberness;  William,  who  lives  in  Alda  town- 
ship; Gustave,  on  duty  on  the  coast  of  South 
Carolina,  as  a  member  of  the  United  States 
Marine  corps;  Theresa,  the  wife  of  Arthur 
Reher,  of  Pine  Bluff,  Laramie  County 
Wyoming;  and  Louis,  who  resides  with  his 
brother  William  in  Alda  township.  The  father 
died  in  1900,  but  the  mother  survives  and 
resides  on  the  old  homestead  in  Alda  town- 
ship. 

Henry  Buettner  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  is  a  well  informed 
man.  He  has  never  taken  any  strong  stand 
in  politics  and  because  of  his  business  cares, 
has  never  been  willing  to  accept  a  public  office. 
He  has  always  been  interested  in  church  and 
school  progress  and  in  road  improvement.  Few 
farms  in  the  township  give  evidence  of  more 
careful  cultivation,  and  all  his  home  surround- 
ings are  comfortable. 

On  October  8,  1903,  Mr,  Buettner  married 
Miss  Lena  Beberniss,  a  daughter  of  John 
Beberniss,  an  old  settler  in  Hall  County. 
They  have  three  children,  namely :  Helen, 
Alfred  and  Ethel,  all  of  whom  live  at  home. 
Mr.  Buettner  and  his  family  belong  to  the 
Lutheran  church.  He  is  a  member  of  the 
order  of  Modern  Woodmen  at  Alda. 


IRA  GIBSON,  one  of  the  representative 
citizens  of  Center  township,  has  been  un- 
usually successful  as  a  farmer  and  stockraiser 
in  Hall  County,  although  he  began  his  busi- 
ness life  in  an  entirely  different  direction.  For 
years  he  has  been  known  as  a  successful  rail- 
road contractor  from  Montana  to  Texas. 

Ira  Gibson  was  born  in  Lycoming  County, 
Pennsylvania,  July  7,  1857,  the  eldest  of  a 
family  of  thirteen  children  born  to  James  J. 
and  Mary  (McKinley)  Gibson,  the  other  sur- 
vivors being:  William,  who  lives  in  Cali- 
fornia; Mrs.  Ella  Grey,  who  lives  in  Kansas 
City ;  James,  a  resident  of  Le  Mars,  Iowa ; 
Frank,  whose  home  is  in  Ohio;  Mrs.  Anna 
May  Doughty,  of  Minnesota;  Mrs.  Margaret 
Hensen,  who  lives  in  Ohio ;  and  Susan  and 
Minnie,  both  of  whom  live,  in  Minnesota. 
The  mother  of  this  family  died  in  the  fall  of 
1860,  but  the  father  survived  into  old  age 
and  was  vigorous  in  mind  and  body  when 
his  death  occured  in  1915,  following  his  nine- 
tieth birthday.  In  many  ways  he  was  a  re- 
markable man.  He  made  a  success  of  his  busi- 
ness of  farming,  was  a  leader  in  beneficial 
movements  in  his  community,  an  earnest  Pres- 


byterian, a  Mason  in  good  standing  and  a  most 
zealous  Republican. 

Ira  Gibson  had  excellent  educational 
advantages,  his  father  being  a  man  of 
liberal  mind,  and  after  creditably  com- 
pleting the  high  school  course  he  entered 
the  Pennsylvania  School  of  Mines,  from 
which  technical  institution  he  was  grad- 
uated. He  then  went  into  the  contracting 
business  and  in  visiting  western  territory, 
came  "to  Hall  County  in  1888.  Having  lost  on 
some  of  his  contracts,  at  this  time  he  was 
practically  without  capital,  a  condition  that  he 
soon  overcame  however  through  industry  and 
then  resumed  contracting  and  completed  the 
Billings  branch  of  the  Chicago,  Burlington  & 
Quincy  Railroad.  After  that  he  was  with 
other  western  roads  as  stated  above.  In  1899 
he  bought  a  farm  in  Hall  County,  and  five 
years  later  established  his  permanent  home 
on  it,  and  now  owns  a  half  section  of  valuable 
land.  He  has  handled  stock  extensively  and 
the  measure  of  his  profits  may  be  estimated  by 
the  fact  that  in  the  past  years  he  has  turned 
off  $57,000  worth.  His  handsome  residence 
is  modern  in  every  particular  and  all  sur- 
roundings are  in  keeping,  it  being  an  ideal 
rural  home- 
In  1880  Mr.  Gibson  married  Miss  Martha 
Ellis,  who  was  born  in  Canada,  and  they  have 
had  two  children:  Grace,  who  is  deceased: 
and  Maude,  the  wife  of  T.  A.  McCullough. 
a  representative  of  an  old  pioneer  family  of 
Hall  County.  Mrs.  Gibson  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Gibson 
is  a  Master  Mason,  belongs  to  the  United 
Workmen  and  Maccabees.  Politically  he  is  a 
Republican  of  no  uncertain  type,  revering  the 
traditions  of  his  party  in  the  past,  and  firm 
in  his  confidence  in  its  principles  in  the  presenL 


JOHN  F.  WIESE,  a  properous,  general 
farmer  of  Hall  County,  owning  land  in  Alda 
township  that  in  pioneer  days  could  have  been 
bought  for  $6  an  acre,  that  is  now  valued  at 
over  $200  an  acre,  has  spent  almost  all  his 
life  in  the  United  States,  being  only  two  year; 
old  when  his  parents,  Fritz  and  Leiza  Wiese 
brought  him  from  Germany,  January  23.  1869. 
He  grew  up  and  attended  school  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  and  from  there  came  to  Hall  County 
in  1885,  with  the  intention  of  settling  perraa- 1 
nently,  but,  like  many  others,  had  but  little  ! 
capital  and  it  was  a  hard  struggle  before  he! 
acquired  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  situated  on  ] 
section  twenty-one,  Alda  township,  on  Rural  J 
Free  Delivery  Route  No.  1,  Alda.    Mr.  Wiest] 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY"  NEBRASKA 


811 


has  always  been  a  steady,  hardworking  man 
and  the  success  that  has  come  to  him  is  well 
deserved.  His  business  has  been  general 
farming  and  it  is  one  he  thoroughly  under- 
stands 

In  1894  Mr.  Wiese  married  Miss  Mary 
Knuth.  A  sketch  of  her  family  will  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  work.  This  estimable 
lady  died  March  2,  1918,  having  bravely  and 
cheerfully  faced  many  hardships  with  her  hus- 
band in  early  days.  She  was  the  beloved  mother 
of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  living: 
Carl,  who  lives  in  Alda  township ;  Dora,  em- 
ployed away  from  home ;  Emma,  the  wife  of 
Julius  Mathiesen,  a  farmer  in  Washington 
township;  and  Anna,  George  and  Fritz,  all  of 
whom  live  at  home.  As  a  business  man  and 
neigfaor,  Mr.  Wiese  stands  well  in  his  town- 
ship, he  being  one  of  the  men  of  whom  it  may 
be  said  that  his  word  is  as  good  as  his  bond. 


ROBERT  BERG.—  It  is  gratifying  to  those 
who  take  an  interest  in  Hall  County,  that  the 
old  pioneer  names  may  still  be  found  in  con- 
nection with  the  lands  secured  through  much 
hardship  by  the  original  owners.  An  example 
is  found  in  Robert  Berg,  one  of  the  successful 
fanners  here,  who  has  always  lived  on  the 
homestead  and  has  continued  the  industries 
his  father  followed  for  many  years. 

Robert  Berg  was  born  in  Boone  County, 
Nebraska,  in  1884  and  accompanied  his  par- 
ents to  Hall  County  in  his  childhood.  They 
were  Olaf  and  Louise  Berg.  The  father  was 
a  native  of  Sweden  and  the  mother  of  Nor- 
way, who  came  to  the  United  States  in  the 
fifties  and  were  early  settlers  in  Hatl  County. 
They  had  two  children,  Robert  and  Lawrence. 
Olaf  Berg  was  a  man  of  industry  and  good 
business  judgment.  His  first  purchase  of 
land  in  Hall  County  was  fifty-six  acres,  which 
strained  his  resources  at  that  time,  but  before 
he  died  he  owned  two  hundred  and  sixteen 
acres,  all  secured  through  his  own  efforts. 

Robert  Berg  obtained  his  education  in  the 
Hall  County  schools.  He  and  his  brother  are 
partners  in  operating  the  old  home  farm.  He 
belongs  to  the  order  of  Modern  Woodmen. 


ROGER  H.  BARNARD,  a  successful 
young  farmer  of  Hall  County  and  a  man  of 
sterling  character,  represents  one  of  the  old 
families  of  the  county.  He  was  bom  in  Hall 
County,  May  17,  1892,  and  is  one  of  the  two 
children  of  Alfred  and  Mida  (Rumbarger) 
Barnard.     His  father  was  born  in  Ohio.  His 


mother  was  a  native  of  Hall  County.  Both 
died  here,  the  father  in  November,  1900,  and 
the  mother  in  1909.  Mr.  Barnard  has  one 
sister,  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Melvin  Stellins. 

Roger  H.  Barnard  has  always  lived  on  the 
old  homestead.  His  father  came  to  Hall 
County  when  a  young  man  and  acquired  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  which  he  im- 
proved and  cultivated  until  his  death.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Barnacd  was  an  excellent  busi- 
ness woman  and  following  her  husband's  death, 
purchased  forty  acres  of  valuable  land,  Roger 
H.  now  owning  the  entire  two  hundred  acres. 
He  is  a  well  educated  young  man  and  is  carry- 
ing on  his  farm  industries  in  an  intelligent, 
sensible  way  that  speaks  well  for  the  future. 

On  August  2,  1916,  Mr.  Barnard  married 
Miss  Ruby  Franz,  whose  parents  were  early 
and  substantial  settlers  in  this  county.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Barnard  have  two  children,  a 
daughter  and  son :  Mina  and  Alfred,  who  are 
certain  to  have  both  social  and  educational 
advantages  as  soon  as  they  are  old  enough  to 
receive  them.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Barnard  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church, 
and  in  that  connection  and  elsewhere  are 
held  in  high  esteem.  Mr.  Barnard  is  inter- 
ested in  all  matters  pertaining  to  Center  town- 
ship's progress,  but  takes  no  active  part  in 
political  campaigns. 


WILLARD  A.  PRINCE  is  one  of  the  lead- 
ing members  of  the  Hall  County  bar  who  has 
won  an  enviable  place  among  the  members  of 
his  profession. 

Mr.  Prince  was  born  at  Pierpont,  Ohio, 
September  4,  1864,  and  was  a  son  of  A.  W. 
Prince,  now  deceased.  He  attended  the  pub- 
lic schools  of  his  native  city  and  in  1882 
entered  Hillsdale  College  where  he  received 
the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1886.  He  then  took 
up  the  study  of  law  in  the  office  of  Harwood, 
Ames  and  Kelly,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and 
was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1888.  He  located 
in  Grand  Island  the  same  year  where  he  has 
enjoyed  a  continually  growing  practice. 

December  26,  1888,  at  Ulysses,  Nebraska, 
Mr.  Prince  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Carrie  B.  Roberts.  Her  father  Thomas  R. 
Roberts  was  a  native  of  Wales  and  became 
one  of  the  first  settlers  of  Des  Moines,  Iowa. 
He  is  a  cousin  of  General  Lord  Roberts  of 
the  English  army. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Prince  have  four  children; 
Harold  A.,  who  is  in  partnership  with  his 
father ;  Mrs.  Hazel  M.  Bolton,  of  Schuyler,  Ne- 
braska; C.  Roberta,  a  graduate  of  the  Grand 

Google 


812 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Island  high  school,  class  of  1919,  is  a  student 
in  the  State  University ;  and  Elizabeth. 

The   family  are  members   of   the   Presby- 
terian church. 


BAYARD  H.  PAINE.  — Judge  Bayard  H. 
Paine,  was  elected  Judge  of  the  Eleventh 
Judicial  District  in  1916  and  has  enjoyed  his 
work  very  much  in  this' widely  extended  dis- 
trict of  eleven  counties. 

Bayard  H.  Paine  was  born  on  a  farm  near 
Painesville,  Ohio,  April  27,  1872,  and  is  a  son 
of  Ira  T.  and  Ella  M.  Paine,  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  volume. 

Judge  Paine  attended  the  Grand  Island 
schools  and  graduated  from  the  high  school 
with  the  class  of  1889.  He  then  ■  entered 
Northwestern  University,  at  Evanston,  Illi- 
nois, where  he  received  his  B.Sc.  degree  in 
1894.  For  one  year  he  was  superintedent  of 
schools  at  North  Loup.  From  1895  to  1898 
he  was  assistant  principal  of  the  Grand  Island 
schools.  From  1898  to  1904  he  was  court  re- 
porter for  Judge  John  R.  Thompson  and  in 
the  latter  year  he  entered  upon  the  practice 
of  law,  continuing  this  until  elected  to  the 
bench  in  1916.  He  served  the  city  of  Grand 
Island  as  police  judge  from  1907  to  1911. 
From  1906  to  1917  he  was  referee  in  bank- 
ruptcy for  fourteen  counties  in  Nebraska. 
Aside  from  strictly  professional  lines  his  name 
is  found  on  the  directorate  of  several  financial 
institutions,  including  the  following:  The 
First  National  Bank  of  Grand  Island,  Cairo 
State  Bank,  Alda  State  Bank  and  the  Bank  of 
Doniphan.  He  Is  secretary  of  the  Paine  and 
Fishburn  Granite  Company. 

At  Grand  Island  January  15,  1902,  occurred 
the  marriage  of  Bayard  H.  Paine  and  Miss 
Grace  Bentley,  a  daughter  of  Charles  F,  Bent- 
ley.  Mrs.  Paine  was  the  first  graduate  of  the 
Grand  Island  Baptist  College  in  1895,  and  also 
attended  Mt.  Vernon  Seminary,  Washington, 
D.  C.  Prior  to  her  marriage  she  taught  four 
years  in  the  Grand  Island  high  school.  Mr. 
and  Mrs  Paine  are  the  parents  of  three  chil- 
dren:   Grace,  Charles  B  .and  Bayard  H.,  Jr. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  First 
Methodist  church,  and  the  Judge  has  twice 
been  a  delegate  to  its  general  conference,  first 
to  Los  Angeles  in  1904  and  to  Baltimore  in 
1908.  For  several  years  he  was  a  trustee  of 
Nebraska  Wesleyan  University. 

In  politics  Judge  Paine  is  a  Democrat  and  in 
1914  was  the  unsuccessful  candidate  of  his 
party  for  congress. 

Fraternally  Judge  Paine  is  a  Mason  belong- 


ing to  Ashlar  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M  and  has 
crossed  the  sands  of  the  desert  and  b 
a  member  of  the  Tangier  Temple,  Nobles  of 
the  Mystic  Shrine.  He  belongs  to  the  B.  P. 
O.  Elks  and  several  other  fraternal  orders. 

In  all  things  pertaining  to  the  moral,  intel- 
lectual and  educational  well-being  of  the  com- 
munity he  gives  generously  of  his  time  and 
means.  For  five  years  he  capably  served  as 
a  member  of  the  school  board  and  the  Public 
Library  Board.  For  many  years  he  was 
secretary  and  later  vice-president  and  director 
of  the  Y.  M.  C.  A.  and  served  as  president  of 
that  organization  four  years  during  which 
time  the  new  building  was  erected. 


ST.  FRANCIS  HOSPITAL.—  The 
modem  hospital  is  not  only  the  highest  de- 
velopment of  science  for  the  alleviation  and 
cure  of  the  ailments  of  mankind,  a  wonderful 
organization  into  which  the  best  thought  and 
experience  of  experts  at  work  the  world  over 
have  entered,  but  it  is  also  a  great  philanthrop- 
ic enterprise.-  Particularly  is  this  true  in 
regard  to  an  institution  such  as  St.  Francis 
Hospital  at  Grand  Island. 

The  building  and  grounds  of  St.  Francis 
Hospital  cover  four  city  blocks.  It  was 
founded  in  1886,  under  the  direction  of  Sister 
Magdelene,  representing  the  Francisan  Sisters 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith,  long  established 
at  Lafayette,  Indiana.  The  original  building 
is  still  standing  but  in  1911  was  greatly  en- 
larged. At  first  it  accommodated  but  twenty- 
five  patients  and  eight  nurses,  but  now  com- 
fortable quarters  are  provided  for  one  hun- 
dred patients  and  twenty-one  nurses.  All  the 
rooms  above  the  basement  have  been  equipped 
and  are  suplied  by  private  individuals,  and 
plans  are  on  foot  for  still  further  extension  of 
the  hospital's  public  usefulness.  In  addition  to 
a  first  class  operating  room,  equal  to  any  in 
equipment  in  the  city,  the  hospital  owns  an 
X-ray  machine  that  is  not  excelled  in  the 
state. 

St.  Francis  Hospital  is  under  the  direct 
supervision  of  Mother  Superior  Blanca,  who 
came  first  to  Grand  Island  in  1891  and  has 
occupied  her  present  office  since  1905.  Father 
Long  is  chaplain  of  the  hospital.  This  institu- 
tion is  doing  a  great  work  in  giving  scientific 
care  to  the  sick,  ill  in  mind  or  body.  While  it 
is  generously  supported,  it  would  be  unjust  to 
fail  to  mention  its  charitable  work,  its  free 
maternity  ward,  its  loving  care  of  little  chil- 
dren and  its  benevolence  to  those  of  whom 
one  of  the  highest  dignitaries  of  the  church 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  813 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


has  said:  "To  comfort  the  poor,  the  sick 
and  the  unfortunate ;  to  bring  the  blessed  light 
of  joy  and  peace  and  hope  into  the  dark 
places  of  the  earth,  is  the  highest  and  noblest 
work  that  can  be  done  by  man." 


JOHN  LEO  CLEAR Y.  — A  large  amount 
of  personal  ability  and  popularity  is  made 
manifest  in  determining  the  status  of  John 
Leo  Cleary,  who  is  serving  his  second  term  as 
mayor  of  the  city  of  Grand  Island,  and  as 
chief  executive  stands  as  an  exponent  of  those 
vital  and  progressive  policies  that  inevitably 
conserve  the  best  interests  of  the  community. 

John  Leo  Cleary  is  a  native  son  of  Hall 
County,  born  in  Grand  Island,  October  17, 
1878.  He  is  a  son  of  James  and  Johanna 
(Danahy)  Cleary,  who  are  mentioned  else- 
where in  this  volume.  The  son  was  educated 
in  the  public  schools  of  Grand  Island  and  later 
became  a  student  at  Notre  Dame  University 
in  Indiana.  He  then  entered  the  law 
department  of  the  State  University  of 
Nebraska  at  Lincoln  from  which  he  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1902.  He  at  once  entered 
upon  the  practice  of  law  in  Grand  Island, 
where  he  has  staged  his  activities  as  a  lawyer 
and  public  official  in  such  a  way  as  to  inure 
greatly  and  conspicuously  to  the  futherance 
of  the  civic  and  material  development  of  the 
city  and  county. 

June  9,  1910,  was  solemnized  the  marriage 
of  John  Leo  Cleary  and  Miss  Frances  Jane 
Cunningham.  Mrs.  Cleary  is  a  native  of  Ohio 
and  accompanied  her  parents  to  Grand  Island 
in  1903  and  prior  to  her  marriage  served  as 
public  librarian.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Cleary  have 
one  child,  Frances  Jane. 

Mr.  Cleary's  political  beliefs  make  him  a 
Democrat  and  his  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Catholic  church. 


GEORGE  L.  ROUSE,  JR.,  who  has  been 
very  successrul  in  his  fanning  operations  in 
Center  township,  Hall  County,  in  which  he 
has  been  engaged  since  his  school  period 
ended,  was  born  in  this  county,  March  24, 
1875,  and  is  a  son  of  George  L.  and  Susana 
(Rexroad)  Rouse,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Ohio  and  the  latter  in  Illinois. 

When  a  young  man  the  father  of  Mr.  Rouse 
went  to  Illinois  and  as  he  was  well  educated, 
was  engaged  there  in  teaching  school  until 
1872  when  he  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 
Here  he  invested  in  railroad  land,  which  he  se- 
cured at  $4  an  acre,  in  its  purchase  displaying 


considerable  business  foresight.  He  returned 
then  to  Illinois  and  taught  school  there  for 
another  year,  at  the  end  of  which  time  he 
came  back  to  Hall  County  and  still  resides 
here.' He  owns  an  entire  section  of  land  which 
has  a  high  market  value.  He  belongs  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity  and  to  the  A.  O.  U.  W. 

George  L.  Rouse,  Jr.,  obtained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  He  has  carried  on  gen- 
eral farming  under  the  best  conditions,  for 
many  years,  and  is  convinced  that  intelligent 
methods  of  farming  will  make  this  the  great- 
est farm  products  section  in  the  state. 

Mr.  Rouse  married  Miss  Alice  Davison, 
whose  parents  came  also  from  Illinois  to  Ne- 
braska. They  have  five  children :  Warren, 
Mildred,  Margaret,  Mary  and  Wilma.  Mr. 
Rouse  belongs  to  two  fraternal  orders  that 
have  many  active  members  in  Hall 
County  among  representative  people,  the  A. 
O.  U.  W.  and  the  Yoemen.  He  is  not  a  poli- 
tician. 


HAROLD  A.  PRINCE  is  one  of  Hall 
County's  native  sons  who  distinguished  him- 
self in  the  World  War. 

Mr.  Prince  was  born  in  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska, April  6,  1891,  and  is  a  son  of  Willard 
A.  Prince  of  whom  mention  is  made  on  other 
pages  of  this  volume.  Reared  in  his  native 
city,  Harold  A.  attended  the  public  schools 
and  graduated  from  the  Grand  Island  high 
school  with  the  class  of  1909.  He  then  entered 
the  Nebraska  State  University  where  he  re- 
ceived the  degree  of  A.  B.  in  1913,  and  the 
degree  of  LL.B.  in  1915,  then  entered  upon 
the  practice  of  the  law  in  partnership  with  his 
father. 

May  11,  1917  he  enlisted  in  the  army  and 
went  into  the  first  officer's  training  camp  at 
Fort  Snelling,  Minnesota,  and  received  the 
commission  of  second  lieutenant.  In  August 
1917  he  sailed  for  France,  landing  there  Sep- 
tember 7th.  He  was  assigned  to  the  Sixteenth 
Infantry  of  the  Second  Division,  and  later 
with  the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-sixth,  One 
Hundred  and  Sixty-seventh  and  finally  with 
the  One  Hundred  and  Sixty-eight  Infantry, 
all  of  them  a  part  of  the  famous  Rainbow 
Division,  He  was  promoted  to  first  lieuten- 
ant in  the  Argonne.  He  was  in  action  from 
February  21,  1918  until  November  11,  1918, 
when  the  Armistice  was  signed,  and  never 
received  a  scratch:  His  command  became  a 
part  of  the  Army  of  Occupation  and  he  re- 
mained with  them  until  he  was  mustered  out 
of  the  service,  May  30,  1919.     Here  may  be 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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mentioned  the  sectors  where  he  saw  service 
and  where  the  severest  fighting  of  the  war 
took  place:  Lorraine,  February  21st  to  June 
21st ;  Campagne-Mame  defensive,  July  4th  to 
July  18th;  Marne-Aisne  offensive,  July  26th 
to  August  2d;  St.  Mihiel  offensive,  Septem- 
ber 12th  to  September  30th;  Argonne-Meuse 
offensive,  October  5th  to  November  1 1th. 
When  the  fighting  was  over  he  remained  with 
the  Army  of  Occupation  until  mustered  out 
when  he  returned  home  with  a  most  splendid 
military  record  and  deserving  the  honor  due 
those  who  helped  in  the  fight  for  democracy. 
He  has  again  taken  up  the  practice  of  law 
where  further  honors  are  sure  to  follow. 


S.  N.  WOLBACH  has  been  a  resident  for 
forty-five  years  and  during  this  time  no  man 
has  been  more  prominently  connected  with  the 
city's  business  and  financial  interests  than  he. 

S.  N.  Wolbach  is  a  native  of  New  York 
City,  born  in  1851.  His  early  education  was 
acquired  in  the  public  and  private  schools  of 
that  city,  this  being  supplemented  by  a  course 
in  Bryant  and  Stratton's  Commercial  College. 
He  then  found  employment  in  a  mercantile 
establishment  and  held  one  position  five  years. 
He  then  went  to  Chicago  and  found  employ- 
ment, and  was  there  during  the  great  fire,  his 
firm  being  one  of  the  few  who  saved  their 
books  during  that  therrible  disaster. 

In  1874  he  came  to  Grand  Island  and  estab- 
lished the  business  now  known  as  Wolbach 
and  Sons,  the  largest  concern  of  its  kind  in  this 
part  of  the  state. 

Mr.  Wolbach  was  married  in  Chicago  to 
Miss  Rose  Stein  and  they  have  become  the 
parents  of  four  sons:  Murray  W.,  is  a 
capitalist  and  resides  in  Chicago;  E.  J.,  of 
Grand  Island;  Dr.  S.  B.,  professor  of  bac- 
teriology and  pathology  in  Harvard  College; 
and  Emil,  of  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Wolbach  has  always  been  a  Democrat 
and  was  a  member  of  the  lower  house  of  the 
legislature  in  1885,  and  a  member  of  the 
state  senate  in  1887  and  1889.  He  was  an  un- 
successful candidate  for  lieutenant  governor 
of  Nebraska  in  1892,  on  the  ticket  with  J. 
Sterling  Morton. 

Mr.  Wolbach  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Grand  Island  and 
has  been  president  of  this  institution  for  many 
years.  He  is  also  connected  with  several  other 
financial  institutions  of  this  part  of  the  state, 
among  them  being  The  Bank  of  Doniphan, 
Cairo  State  Bank  and  the  Ravenna  State  Bank. 
He  is  the  owner  of  four  sections  of  land  in 


Greeley  County  and  the  town  of  Wolbach  was 
named  in  his  honor. 

For  forty-five  years  he  has  been  an  import- 
ant factor  in  the  business  activities  of  this 
section  of  the  state  and  he  is  held  in  the  high- 
est esteem  wherever  known. 


JAMES  CLEARY  has  been  a  resident  of 
Grand  Island  for  nearly  fifty  years  and  during 
this  time  has  been  one  of  its  foremost  business 
men  and  on  several  occasions  has  been  called 
to  public  office. 

James  Cleary  was  bom  in  Tipperary,  Ire- 
land, in  1847.  He  was  the  son  of  John  and 
Anna  (Russell)  Cleary.  The  mother  died  in 
Ireland  and  in  1850  John  Cleary  brought  his 
family  to  the  United  States  establishing  his 
home  at  .Stanton,  Virginia,  where  he  became 
superintendent  of  an  insane  asylum.  In  1863 
he  moved  to  Lewisburg,  Virginia,  and  here  his 
death  occured  soon  after. 

James  Cleary  was  reared  in  Virginia  and  at 
the  age  of  sixteen  enlisted  in  the  Southern 
army  and  served  two  years  during  the  Civil 
War,  a  member  of  the  Fourteenth  Virginia 
Cavalry  under  General  McCausland.  Soon 
after  the  close  of  the  war  he  went  to  Lewis- 
burg, Virginia,  and  from  there  to  Missouri 
where  he  spent  one  year  before  going  to  Colo- 
rado. It  was  in  1870  that  he  came  to  Grand 
Island  to  establish  himself  in  the  hardware 
business,  becoming  one  of  the  early  merchants 
of  the  city,  and  continued  in  this  line  until 
1888.  He  then  entered  the  real  estate  business 
which  he  has  continued  to  the  present  time 
and  is  one  of  the  few  survivors  of  the  pioneer 
merchants  of  Grand  Island. 

In  1874  he  was  united  in  marriage  to.  Miss 
Johanna  Danahy,  a  native  of  Ireland,  and  they 
became  the  parents  of  four  children,  as  fol- 
lows :  Mary  Josephine,  at  home ;  James  T., 
an  attorney,  who  met  death  by  drowning  in 
1909,  at  the  age  of  twenty-eight;  Frank  J., 
cashier  of  the  State  Bank  of  Grand  Island; 
and  J.  L-,  mayor  of  Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Cleary  is  a  Democrat  in  politics  and 
his  fellow-citizens,  realizing  his  ability  have 
called  upon  him  several  times  to  serve  in  pub- 
lic positions.  He  was  city  treasurer  in  an  early 
day,  mayor  of  the  city  three  terms,  member  of 
the  county  board  of  supervisors  two  terms 
and  a  member  of  the  city  council  two  terms. 
He  proved  a  capable  official,  always  loyal  to 
the  trust  reposed  in  him. 

Mr.  Cleary  is  a  member  of  the  Catholic 
church  and  is  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by 
all  who  know  him. 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


A.  F.  BUECHLER.  — The  press  is  the 
recorded  voice  of  the  community,  and 
a  leading  representative  of  the  press 
of  Hall  County  is  A.  F.  Buechler,  editor  of 
the  Grand  Island  Daily  Independent  and  one 
of  the  editors  in  chief  of  this,  history  of  Hall 
County. 

The  subject  of  this  sketch  was  born  in  Stan- 
ton, Illinois,  January,  1869,  son  of  Rev.  C. 
and  Mrs.  Hannah  Buechler.  The  father  had 
emigrated  to  America  from  Germany  in  1865. 
The  mother's  parents  came  to  America  from 
Northern  Germany  when  she  v^as  still  a  babe 
and  the  grandfather  on  the  maternal  side  died 
in  1871  as  a  result  of  injuries  and  exposure 
received  while  fighting  for  the  Union  in  1864. 

About  1870  the  father  was  called  to  serve 
three  German  congregations  in  Northern  Ohio 
and  here  A.  F.  Buechler  attended  the  public 
schools  until  the  age  of  thirteen,  at  which  time 
his  family  moved  to  Thayer  County,  Nebraska. 
After  a  year  of  school  at  Carleton,  Nebraska, 
he  began  work,  at  the  age  of  fourteen,  as  a 
copyist  in  the  office  of  the  county  clerk  at 
Hebron,  Nebraska,  and  four  months  later  took 
a  clerkship  in  the  postoffice  in  the  village  of 
Carlton,  work  which  in  later  years  stood  him 
well  in  hand.  He  also  carried  on  general 
clerks  duties  in  the  general  merchandise  store 
of  S.  A.  Truesdale,  the  postmaster.  In  1885, 
he  began  his  advanced  education,  which  con- 
sisted of  one  year  in  the  preparatory  depart- 
ment and  later  four  years  in  the  college  at 
Capital  University,  Columbus,  Ohio,  from 
which  he  graduated  in  1890,  with  the  degree 
of  A.  B.  His  parents,  in  the  meantime,  had 
moved  to  Grand  Island,  and  early  in  the  fall 
of  1890  he  found  employment  on  the  Daily 
Times  as  solicitor  and  reporter.  In  1891,  S. 
P.  Hobley,  then  business  manager  of  The 
Independent,  obtained  a  commission  with  the 
state's  exhibit  at  the  Chicago  World's  Fair, 
and  Fred  Hedde,  the  founder,  and  then  editor 
and  owner  of  the  Independent  gave  Mr. 
Buechler  employment  as  a  general  office  assist- 
ant during  the  absence  of  Mr.  Mobley.  So 
on  August  3,  1891,  Mr.  Buechler  began  ser- 
vice with  The  Independent  which  has  con- 
tinued until  this  time.  In  December,  1895, 
W.  M.  Geddes  and  A.  F.  Buechler,  under  the 
partnership  of  Geddes  &  Buechler,  leased  the 
Independent  plant.  In  February,  1897,  Mr. 
Hedde  again  resumed  charge  of  the  paper,  re- 
taining Mr.  Buechler  as  silent  partner.  Fail- 
ing health  compelled  Mr.  Hedde's  disposal  of 
the  plant  in  1900  and  Mr.  Buechler  organized 
the    present    Independent    publishing    Com- 


pany on  a  capital  of  $7,000,  merging 
therewith  the  Standard  Printing  Company. 
He  has  thus  been  employed  and  connected 
with  the  Independent  for  twenty-nine  years, 
for  the  last  nineteen  years  as  president,  which 
office  has  thus  far  always  assumed  the  editor- 
ship. 

In  addition  to  the  close  association  with 
public  affairs  of  the  community  which  the 
editorship  of  a  daily  paper  naturally  entails, 
Mr.  Buechler  has  devoted  his  time  and  energy 
to  numerous  specific  public  duties.  He  has 
assisted  in  organizing  three  commercial  clubs, 
during  these  twenty-nine  years,  and  for  five 
years  served  as  the  first  secretary  and  for  four 
years  thereafter  as  a  member  of  the  executive 
committee  of  the  present  organization 
For  two  years  he  also  served  as  secretary  of 
the  state  association  of  Commercial  Clubs.  In 
1911,  he  was  appointed  postmaster  and  served 
one  term. 

Besides  the  many  tasks  which  The  Inde- 
pendent cheerfully  met  during  the  war  period. 
Mr.  Buechler  was  appointed  as  one  of  the  first 
directors  of  the  Red  Cross  and  served 
throughout  the  war.  He  was  elected 
at  a  mass  meeting  as  one  of  a  War  Activities 
Committee  of  five,  to  take  over,  at  request,  all 
war  drives,  and  was  upon  the  organization  of 
the  committee  elected  as  its  secretary,  serv- 
ing in  that  capacity  up  to  and  including  the 
Victory  Loan  drive.  He  also  served  as  pub- 
licity committeeman  in  every  war  drive 
throughout  the  war  with  the  exception  of  the 
first  Y.  M,  C.  A.  which  was  taken  up  by  the 
association   independently. 

He  was  united  in  marriage  in  1891  to  Mrs. 
Lydia  L.  Boehm.  They  have  a  family  of  four 
children ;  the  eldest,  Theo.  E.  Buechler,  grad- 
uated with  honors  from  the  local  high  school. 
attended  Grand  Island  College  one  year. 
whereupon  he  obtained  an  appointment  as 
cadet  for  West  Point  Military  Academy,  at- 
tended Columbia  Preparatory  school  at  Wash- 
ington, six  months,  passed  the  mental  and 
physical  examination  for  entrance  at  West 
Point,  and  upon  completion  of  the  course 
ranked  twenty-first  in  a  total  entering  class  oi' 
two  hundred  and  fifty-one.  He  became  a 
captain  of  artillery,  with  an  assignment  of 
instructor  in  gunnery  in  central  officers  train- 
ing school,  Camp  Taylor,  Kentucky,  and  is 
at  present  zone  major,  with  the  American 
army  at  Coblenz,  Germany. 

Mrs.  A.  A.  Roeser  is  the  wife  of  the  former 
assistant  cashier  of  the  State  Bank  of  Grand 
Island,  and  now  local  agent  for  Peoria  Life 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


819 


Insurance  Company.  She  is  a  graduate  of 
the  local  high  school  and  Grand  Island  Con- 
servatory of  music. 

Walter  E.  Buechler,  became  a  corporal  in 
Company  B  One  Hundred  and  Thirty-seventh 
Engineers,  American  Expeditionary  Force, 
France.  He  volunteered  at  the  age  of  nine- 
teen with  the  Seventh  Nebraska  Regiment, 
and  when  that  regiment  was  abandoned  by  the 
War  Department,  carried  out'  his  determina- 
tion to  enter  the  service  by  enlisting  with  the 
Engineer  Corps  at  Jefferson  Barracks.  Since 
his  return  he  has  resumed  his  duties  with 
the  Independent  Publishing  Company. 

The  youngest  daughter,  Catherine,  aged 
twelve,  is  attending  the  public  schools  of  Grand 
Island. 

Mr.  Buechler*s  interest  in  preserving  the 
early  history  of  the  county,  of  which  his 
efforts  in  1907  in  securing  the  personal  remin- 
iscences of  some  of  surviving  members  of  the 
original  colony  of  1857,  and  other  Hall  County 
pioneers,  was  an  invaluable  aid  in  the  com- 
pilation of  the  present  volume.  The  steady 
substantial  growth  and  recognition  being  ac- 
corded in  newspaper  circles  of  the  state  to 
the  Grand  Island  Daily  Independent  attests 
the  success  of  the  services  of  Mr.  Buechler 
and  his  associates  to  the  Independent  Publish- 
ing Company,  the  community  in  general  and 
Hall  County  particularly.  - 


DANIEL  A.  FINCH,  D.D.S.  — While  the 
principles  of  dentistry  have  not  changed  since 
the  early  days  of  the  science,  the  world  has 
grown  wiser  concerning  its  benefits,  and  the 
scientific  discoveries  of  recent  years  that  have 
made  consideration  of  the  hygiene  of  the 
mouth  most  important  in  medical  diagnosis, 
has  gone  far  to  place  this  profession  in  the 
foremost  place  where  it  belongs.  It  is  to 
dental  surgery  that  thousands  of  the  unhappy 
victims  of  the  late  war  will  look  for  facial 
regeneration,  and  its  achievements  already  in 
plastic  surgery  recall  the  day  of  miracles. 
There  are  many  among  the  older  practitioners 
who  have  labored  with  faith  and  professional 
skill  for  this  wider  field  of  human  usefulness, 
and  great  credit  must  be  accorded  them  for 
preparing  the  way,  often  with  inadequate  fa- 
cilities and  hampering  environment.  One  of 
Grand  Island's  leading  dental  surgeons,  Dr. 
Daniel  A.  Finch,  has  been  continuously  en- 
gaged here  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  for 
thirty-four  years. 

Dr.  Finch  was  born  at  Florence,  New  York, 
Nevember  19,  1863,  one  of  a  family  of  five 


children  bom  to  Daniel  and  Maria  (Livesey) 
Finch.  Both  parents  were  born  in  Yorkshire, 
England.  The  mother  of  Dr.  Finch  was  ac- 
companied to  the  United  States  in  1843,  by 
her  mother,  who  was  an  evangelist  preacher 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  from  the 
time  of  landing  until  her  death  many  years 
afterward.  The  father  of  Dr.  Finch  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1841,  when  the  old  sailing 
vessels  that  plied  between  England  and  Amer- 
ica, sometimes  consumed  six  months  in  mak- 
ing the  passage.  He  settled  in  Oneida  County, 
New  York,  engaged  in  farming  and  raising 
stock,  became  respected  in  his  community, 
■where  he  held  local  offices,  and  finally  died  on 
his  farm  when  aged  forty-two  years.  Of  his 
four  living  children,  there  are  two  residing  in 
Nebraska,  Daniel  A.  and  John  S.  in  Lincoln, 
Nebraska.  The  latter  has  been  connected  with 
the  Nebraska  State  Journal,  at  Lincoln,  for  the 
past  twenty-five  years. 

From  the  public  schools  of  Oneida  County, 
where  his  educational  training  had  been  thor-  . 
ough,  Daniel  A.  Finch  went  to  New  York 
City  and  pursued  a  course  in  dentistry,  since 
then  making  it  his  sole  vocation.  He  came  to 
Nebraska  in  his  early  days  of  practice  and  has 
been  a  resident  of  Grand  Island  since  June 
10,  1885.  He  has  kept  fully  abreast  with  the 
times  and  maintains  well  appointed  offices  in 
the  Hedde  building,  Grand  Island. 

On  February  17,  1887,  Dr.  Finch  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Addie  M.  Hall.  Her 
parents  were  H.  L.  and  Lydia  Hall,  who  came 
to  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  as  early  as 
1872  and  died  there.  Mrs.  Finch  passed  away 
at  Grand  Island,  in  January,  1917.  Their  one 
daughter,  Grace  M.,  resides  with  her  father, 
and  being  talented  in  music  is  very  popular 
in  music  circles  and  is  a  teacher  of  merit.  Dr. 
and  Miss  Finch  attend  the  Methodist  church. 
While  a  Republican  in  national  politics,  Dr. 
Finch  maintains  an  independent  course  in  local 
affairs.  He  has  never  accepted  any  public 
office  except  membership  on  the  school  board, 
during  six  years  of  service  displaying  good 
judgment  and  civic  pride.  For  many  years  he 
has  been  identified  with  the  Masons  and  the 
Knights  of  Pythias,  serving  officially  in  both 
orders,  and  has  held  all  the  offices  in  the  latter 
organization  pertaining  to  the  local  lodge. 


HENRY  J.  BECKER  is  proprietor  of  the 
Becker  Music  Company,  the  oldest  established 
concern  of  its  kind  in  Grand  Island  which  had 
its  beginning  more  than  twenty-one  years  ago. 
Endowed  by  nature  with  ability  in  his  chosen 


820 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


calling,  his  education  and  experience  have  well 
fitted  him  for  making  this  line  of  endeavor  his 
life  work.  When  a  boy  of  seven  years  he  was 
playing  the  violin  for  dances  and  public  enter- 
tainments in  his  native  land,  and  later  received 
instruction  under  such  able  tutors  as  William 
Thiele,  who  for  years  was  a  member  of  the 
famous  Thomas  Orchestra  of  Chicago. 

Mr.  Becker  was  born  in  Westphalia,  Ger- 
many, July  12,  1872.  At  the  age  of  fourteen 
he  was  brought  to  America  by  his  parents, 
C.  F.  and  Matilda  (Eickhoff)  Becker,  who 
established  their  home  in  Grand  Island.  Here 
Henry  J.  and  his  brother  C.  F.  continued  the 
study  of  music,  later  becoming  instructors- 
and  for  several  years  conducted  an  orchestra. 
It  is  now  twenty-one  years  since  the  Becker 
Brothers  opened  a  store  and  the  partnership 
continued  until  1912,  when  Henry  J.  pur- 
chased the  interest  of  his  brother  and  became 
sole  proprietor. 

The  Becker  Music  Company  have  a  well 
equipped  store  at  the  southwest  corner  of 
Third  and  Pine  streets,  where  everything  in 
music  can  be  found. 

A  genial  disposition,  a  pleasing  personality, 
together  with  his  knowledge  of  music,  have  in- 
spired the  confidence  and  good  will  of  the  pub- 
lic, while  honest  dealings  and  fair  prices  have 
assured  him  success. 

Mr.  Becker  was  married  in  Grand  Island  to 
Miss  Emma  Boettcher,  and  they  have  two 
children:     Robert  H.  and  Wilma  M. 


WILHELM  R.  JENSEN,  who  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  merchant  police  force  at  Grand  Is- 
land, came  first  to  this  city  in  the  spring  of 
1874.  He  is  a  native  of  Denmark,  born,  Jan- 
nary  28,  1846,  near  Aalborg,  a  son  of  Jens  P. 
and  Margaret  Cline  (Wilhelmsen)  Rasmus- 
sen  Jensen.  The  father  of  Mr.  Jensen  was 
born  in  Denmark,  February  14,  1818,  and  died 
there  in  1894.  His  mother  was  born  in  Den- 
mark June  21,  1819,  and  died  there  in  1862. 
They  were  the  parents  of  six  children  and  of 
the  five  yet  living,  Wilhelm  R.  is  the  only  one 
in  the  United  States. 

The  laws  of  Denmark  provide  for  the  edu- 
cation of  the  children  of  the  country,  and  Mr. 
Jensen  had  the  opportunity  to  lay  a  good  foun- 
dation in  the  schools  and  afterward  learned 
the  trade  of  bricklayer  under  his  father.  In 
1869  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  for 
four  years  worked  on  farms  in  Iowa,  after- 
ward spending  one  year  in  Colorado,  working 
in  brickyards  and  on  a  sheep  ranch.  In 
March,  1874,  he  came  to  Grand  Island,  which 


has  been  his  home  during  the  greater  part 
of  the  time  ever  since.  He  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  first  volunteer  fire  department,  and 
is  one  of  the  four  survivors'  of  the  "Always 
Ready  Hook  and  Ladder  Company,  No.  1" 
which  made  a  notable  name  for  itself  in  pro- 
tecting property  in  the  early  years  when  the 
city  was  largely  constructed  of  inflammable 
material.  Mr.  Jensen  owns  an  interesting 
photograph  of  the  above  company,  which  he 
prizes  very  highly.  In  1878  he  was  appointed 
deputy  sheriff  and  served  under  Sheriff  Kil- 
lian  from  1878  until  1882.  During  this  time 
he  had  in  charge  a  convicted  murder,  named 
Hart,  but  Mr.  Jensen's  term  expired  before  the 
time  of  execution.  The  criminal  escaped  the 
penalty  through  pardon  on  the  day  before  his 
sentence  was  to  be  carried  out,  the  scaffold 
having  been  erected  in  the  jail  yard. 

In  1882  Mr.  Jensen  returned  to  Denmark  on 
a  visit  and  in  1883,  while  there,  was  united 
in  marriage  to  a  widow,  Mrs.  Meta  K.  Ander- 
sen. She  had  four  children  but  only  one  is 
living,  namely:  Martina,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Thomas  A.  Brown  of  Iowa  City,  Iowa.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Jensen  three  children  were  bom: 
Margaret,  who  is  a  saleslady  for  the  O.  C. 
Thompson  Company,  Grand  Island ;  Mar}-, 
who  is  a  stenographer  and  bookkeeper  in  the 
offices  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  Com- 
pany at  Grand  IsSmd;  and  Niels,  who  is  in 
the  contracting  business.  All  of  the  children 
reside  at  home,  and  with  their  parents  belong 
to  the  English  Lutheran  church. 

When  Mr.  Jensen  returned  to  Grand  Island 
from  his  visit  to  Denmark,  he  gave  his  atten- 
tion for  some  time  to  his  personal  property 
interests.  In  the  spring  of  1889  he  accepted 
a  place  on  the  city  police  force  and  served 
as  a  patrolman  until  1901.  After  that,  for 
two  years,  he  worked  for  Jens  Rasmussen  at 
brick  work,  and  then  returned  to  official  life. 
since  then  having  been  employed  on  the  mer- 
chant police  force.  Mr.  Jensen's  record  for 
personal  courage  is  well  known  at  Grand  Is- 
land.   In  politics  he  is  a  strong  Republican. 


CARL  BAASCH  is  among  the  number  who 
came  to  Hall  County  in  an  early  day,  and  in 
his  farming  operations  met  with  the  success 
that  enables  him  to  spend  the  evening  of  life  in 
honorable  retirement. 

Mr.  Baasch  was  born  in  the  village  of  Kiel 
Holstein,  Germany,  May  27,  1841,  and  was  a 
son  of  George  and  Anna  (Krambeck)  Baascb. 
both  natives  of  the  same  province  in  which 
their  son  was  born.    The  father  was  a  wagon 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


821 


maker  by  trade  and  died  in  that  country  about 
1858.  The  mother  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1860  and  lived  to  be  nearly  one  hundred 
years  of  age  and  passed  away  at  Davenport, 
Iowa. 

Carl  was  reared  in  his  native  land  and  was 
a  young  man  of  twenty-three  when  he  came  to 
the  United  States  in  1864,  He  spent  two 
years  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  and  in  1866  came 
to  Hall  County,  Nebraska.  In  recalling  that 
trip  brings  to  mind  that  there  were  no  rail- 
roads in  Nebraska  then  and  the  journey  was 
made  by  stage.  Martin  Schimmer,  another 
pioneer  of  this  county,  was  a  passenger  on 
that  trip,  and  often  twelve  men  rode  in  the 
stage  at  one  time.  On  reaching  Hall  County 
Mr.  Baasch  found  employment  at  whatever 
would  provide  him  a  living  and  worked  four- 
teen months  for  the  pioneer  firm  of  Koenig 
and  Wiebe.  For  eight  months  he  was  em- 
ployed in  railroad  construction  work  and 
helped  build  the  line  to  the  Black  Hills. 

It  was  soon  after  he  came  here  that  Hall 
County  was  visited  by  the  memorable  grass- 
hopper plague.  Mr.  Baasch  like  many  others 
was  not  very  favorably  impressed  with  the 
prospects  of  making  this  a  permanent  home. 
But  times  grew  better  and  Mr.  Baasch  took  up 
the  occupation  of  farming,  bought  land  and 
conducted  his  affairs  in  such  a  manner  that  suc- 
cess attended  his  efforts,  and  he  is  considered 
one  of  the  well-to-do  men  of  his  community. 

April  11,  1875,  Mr.  Baasch  was  married  to 
Miss  Wiebke  Minnie  Hansen,  a  native  of  Ger- 
many, a  daughter  of  one  of  the  early  settlers 
of  the  county,  her  parents  settling  here  in  1874. 
The  father  of  Mrs.  Baasch  died  in  1916,  but 
the  mother  is  s'till  living  and  has  reached  the 
age  of  nearly  eighty-nine. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Baasch  have  been  born 
six  children,  all  of  whom  are  married  and  re- 
side in  this  county.  Ernest,  married  Emma 
Thode,  who  is  deceased  and  the  present  wife 
is  Katie  Bockmann.  Henry  married  Bertha 
Luth,  who  is  now  deceased.  Gustave  married 
Hermina  Wragge.  John  married  Clara 
Heesch.  Anna  married  Emil  Wagner.  Martha 
is  the  wife  of  Henry  Knuth. 


REV.  LEWIS  A.  ARTHUR,  who  is  one  of 
the  able  men  of  the  Protestant  Episcopal 
clergy  in  Nebraska,  is  the  rector  of  the  Epis- 
copal church  at  Grand  Island.  Zealous  in  the 
cause  of  religion  and  giving  unsparingly  of 
the  best  that  is  in  him,  Dr.  Arthur  wields  wide 
influence.  Carried  away  as  the  world  is  at 
the  present  time  sometimes  seems  to  be  by 


materialism,  a  strong  guiding  force  is  needed 
in  every  community  to  combat  vicious  doc- 
trines, and  to  supplant  them  with  the  whole- 
someness,  beauty,  love  and  sympathy  ex- 
pressed in  the  tenets  of  the  church.  Such  is 
Dr.  Arthur's  mission. 

Lewis  A,  Arthur  is  of  New  England  birth 
and  ancestry,  but  the  Arthur  name  is  not  un- 
known in  other  sections  as  it  is  honorably  re- 
corded in  the  nation's  annals.  Mr.  Arthur 
was  bom  in  a  manufacturing  city  of  Bur- 
lington, Vermont,  and  is  a  son  of  John  A.  and 
Harriet  F.  Arthur.  Without  mention  of  early 
school  advantages  and  favorable  home  en- 
vironment, he  was  graduated  from  the  Univer- 
sity of  Vermont  with  the  degrees  of  A.  B.  and 
A.  M.,  and  subsequently  from  the  General 
Theological  Seminary,  New  York  City,  with 
degree  of  S.  T.  B. 

Dr.  Arthur  has  been  twice  married.  On 
June  29,  1887,  he  was  united  in  marriage  to 
Miss  Eunice  Tripler,  who  died  September  25, 
1911.  She  was  a  daughter  of  General  Charles 
S.  Tripler,  Medical  Corps,  United  States  army. 
On  June  16,  1915,  Dr.  Arthur  married  Miss 
Alice  May  McAllister,  who  is  a  daughter  of 
William  R.  McAllister.  Dr.  Arthur  has  one 
daughter,  Eunice,  who  was  married  April  16, 
1916,  to  William  Ritchie,  Jr.,  an  attorney  at 
law   at  Omaha,   Nebraska. 


RALPH  R.  HORTH  has  been  a  member  of 
the  Hall  County  bar  for  thirty-five  years  and 
throughout  that  entire  period  has  made  con- 
tinued progress  and  has  written  his  name  high 
on  the  keystone  of  Nebraska's  legal  arch. 
While  at  all  times  careful  to  conform  his  prac- 
tice to  the  highest  professional  ethics  he  has 
at  the  same  time  so  guided  his  course  in  every 
relation  that  his  name  is  honored  and  respected 
wherever  known  and  most  where  he  is  best 
known. 

Mr.  Horth  is  a  native  of  the  Empire  State, 
born  at  New  Albion,  New  York,  April  16, 
1863.  His  parents  were  Charles  and  Angetine 
(Smith)  Horth,  who  became  residents  of  Hall 
County  in  1872,  settling  on  a  farm  in  Jackson 
township.  Both  parents  died  in  this  county, 
the  father  in  1914  and  the  mother  in  1904. 
Charles  R.  Horth  served  three  years  during 
the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  Company  H. 
Seventy-second  New  York  Volunteer  Infantry. 

Ralph  R.  Horth  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Gibbon  ano>  also  the  Baptist  Seminary 
located  there.  He  then  entered  the  State  Uni- 
versity of  Michigan  where  he  received  his  de- 
gree of   LL.B.   in   1885.     Following  this  he 


SZ2 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


entered  upon  the  practice  of  law  at  Grand 
Island  where  he  has  continued  to  the  present 
time.  Since  1911  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  firm  of  Horth  and  Ryan  with  offices  in 
the  Ryan  building.  He  served  as  county  attor- 
ney and  city  attorney  and  was  chairman  of  the 
War  Activities  Committee  during  the  World 
War. 

In  connection  with  this  prominence  at  the  bar 
he  has  become  well  known  in  financial  circles 
and  has  been  a  director  in  the  First  National 
Bank  of  Grand  Island,  Bank  of  Phillips,  State 
Bank  of  Ravenna,  Perkins  County  Bank  and 
the  Bank  of  Meeker  at  Meeker,  Colorado. 
He  is  a  director  of  Davis  Brothers  Drug  Com- 
pany of  Denver,  Colorado,  vice-president  of 
J.  W.  Hugus  and  Company  who  operates  a 
chain  of  eleven  stores  in  Wyoming  and  Colo- 
rado, secretary  of  the  Chicago  Hide  and  Fur 
Company  of  Grand  Island  and  secretary  of 
the  Efell  Company,  a  corporation  in  Wyoming 
engaged  in  the  sheep  and  cattle  industry. 

August  8,  1888  Mr.  Horth  was  married  to 
Miss  May  Castiday,  a  daughter  of  D.  R.  and 
Mahalah  Castiday.  Mrs.  Horth 's  father  was  a 
prominent  stockman  of  Wyoming  and  is  now 
deceased,  while  the  mother  is  still  living. 

Mr.  Horth  is  a  member  of  the  Episcopal 
church  and  has  been  a  member  of  the  vestry 
lx>ard  for  twenty-five  years.  For  eighteen 
years  he  was  chancellor  of  the  diocese. 

In  politics  Mr.  Horth  is  a  Republican  and 
has  served  as  chairman  of  the  County  Central 
Committee  several  times.  Fraternally  he  is 
a  member  of  the  Knights  of  Pythias,  Masonic 
and  B.  P.  O.  Elks  lodges. 


IRA  T.  PAINE,  who  is  one  of  the  sub- 
stantial business  men  of  Grand  Island  and  is  at 
the  head  of  one  of  the  city's  important  enter- 
prises, has  been  a  resident  of  this  city  forty- 
six  years  and  has  taken  a  keen  interest  and  im- 
portant part  in  much  of  its  development. 

Mr.  Paine  is  a  native  of  Ohio  but  is  of  New 
England  ancestry  and  of  Revolutionary  stock, 
his  paternal  great-grandfather,  Eleazer  Paine. 
having  been  a  soldier  in  the  patriot  army  in 
his  native  state,  Connecticut.  Mr.  Paine's 
maternal  great-grandfather,  Ira  Tuttle,  also  a 
native  of  Connecticut,  was  a  justice  of  the 
peace  for  many  years  in  Ohio.  Among  the 
young  lawyers  practicing  in  his  court,  were 
Frank  and  Benjamin  F.  Wade,  whe  became 
distinguished  in  public  life  in  the  Buckeye 
state. 

Ira  T.  Paine  was  born  at  Painesville,  Ohio, 
January  31,  1847,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Har- 


riet (Tuttle)  Paine,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  northeastern  Ohio,  and  spent 
nearly  all  their  lives  on  a  farm,  passing  away 
there  in  old  age.  Henry  Paine  was  a  son  of 
Hendricks  Paine,  a  native  of  Connecticut  who 
moved  to  Ohio  in  1802.  Henry  Paine  was  a 
man  of  prominence  in  Lake  County,  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  and  for  nine  years  was  a  county 
commissioner.  He  and  wife  were  pillars  in  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  worthy 
people  in  every  relation  of  life.  Of  their  family 
of  eight  surviving  children  out  "of  the  original 
ten,but  two  reside  in  Grand  Island,  Ira  T,  and 
Miss  Carrie  M.  Paine,  who  lives  with  her 
brother. 

In  the  country  schools  and  at  Painesville, 
Ira  T.  Paine  obtained  his  education,  in  the 
meanwhile  working  on  the  home  farm  until 
1873,  when  he  came  to  Grand  Island,  Ne- 
braska. He  arrived  with  but  a  small  amount 
of  capital  but  as  he  was  frugal,  a  hard  worker 
and  had  early  acquired  industrious  habits,  he 
soon  found  employment  and  for  six  years 
worked  in  a  lumber  yard  after  which  he  went 
into  the  railway  mail  service  where  he  remained 
seven  years.  In  the  spring  of  1888  he  embarked 
independently  in  the  monument  business,  a  con- 
cern which  has  developed  into  a  stock  company 
of  large  importance,  under  the  firm  name  of 
the  Paine -Fishburn  Granite  Company,  oper- 
ating with  a  capital!  stock  of  $64,000.  Mr. 
Paine  is  president  of  the  company  and  much 
of  its  success  is  due  to  his  careful,  conserva- 
tive guidance  of  its  affairs.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  politics  and  at  all  times  is  an  earnest  citi- 
zen, but  he  has  never  had  any  ambition  for 
political  honors,  in  the  proper  regulation  of 
his  own  business  affairs  finding  a  satisfying 
life. 

Mr.  Paine  was  married  June  9,  1870,  to 
Miss  Ella  M.  Huston,  who  died  October  21, 
1911,  survived  by  one  child  who  is  Judge 
Bayard  H.  Paine  of  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Ira 
T.  Paine  has  been  for  more  than  twenty-five 
years  the  chairman  of  the  board  of  trustees 
of  the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Grand  Island. 


WILLIAM  J.  HEFLIN.  — With  the  am- 
bition to  accomplish  something  valuable  and  to 
make  their  lives  truly  useful,  many  intelligent 
young  men  early  turn  to  a  career  in  medicine, 
and  in  more  or  less  debree  they  attain  their  ob- 
ject. Grand  Island  has  attracted  many  thor- 
oughly qualified  medical  men  and  a  represen- 
tative member  of  the  profession  is  Dr.  Will- 
iam J.  Heflin,  who  is  in  the  enjoyment  of  a 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  823 


Ira  T.  Paine 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


824 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


large  and  lucrative  practice  as  the  result  of 
marked  ability. 

William  J.  Heflin  was  bom  in  Dane  County, 
Wisconsin,  November,  26,  1860.  His  parents 
were  Ezekiel  and  Eleanor  E.  (Moore)  Heflin. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Heflin  was  a  minister  in 
the  Christian  church  for  many  years.  He  was 
born  in  South  Carolina  and  died  in  1905  in 
Minnesota.  Dr.  Heflin's  mother  was  born  in 
New  York  and  died  in  Grand  Island  in  1916. 
Both  had  accompanied  their  parents  to  Wis- 
consin in  childhood  and  their  marriage  took 
place  in  that  state.  Eight  children  were  born 
to  them  and  Dr.  Heflin  of  Grand  Island  is  the 
eldest  of  the  three  survivors,  the  others  being: 
H.  H.,  who  is  a  physician  and  surgeon  at  Ke- 
wanee,  Illinois,  and  Edna  E.,  who  is  a  prac- 
tising physician  at  Grand  Island. 

After  his  school  period  was  over  Dr.  Heflin 
was  faced  with  the  necessity  of  earning,  the 
means  to  take  him  through  medical  college, 
having  early  determined  to  become  a  physician, 
consequently  he  looked  about1  for  employ- 
ment with  the  result  that  for  some'  time  he 
was  a  traveling  representative  of  the  manu- 
facturing firm  of  Hay  &  Todd,  of  Chicago. 
Subsequently  he  entered  the  medical  depart- 
ment of  the  University  of  Minnesota,  from 
which  he  was  graduated  in  1895-  After  three 
years  of  practice  in  the  city  of  Minneapolis 
he  went  to  Nora  Springs,  in  Floyd  County, 
Iowa,  and  from  there,  in  1909,  came  to  Grand 
Island.-  Competent  in  every  branch  of  his  pro- 
fession, Dr.  Heflin  has  no  specialty. 

In  1896  Dr.  Heflin  was  united  in  marriage 
with  Miss  Clara  A.  Adams,  who  was  bom  in 
Iowa,  and  they  have  one  son  and  two  daugh- 
ters: William  Duane,  who  is  a  student  in 
the  Nebraska  State  University  at  Lincoln ;  and 
Alice  Fay  and  Clara  Lenore,  both  of  whom 
attend  school  at  Grand  Island.  Mrs.  Heflin  Is 
a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  is  interested  in  numerous  charities.  Dr. 
Heflin  has  long  been  identified  with  Masonry 
and  has  attained  the  thirty-second  degree  and 
formerly  served  both  as  senior  and  junior 
warden  of  Nicolett  Lodge  A.  F.  &  A.  M., 
St.  Peter,  Minnesota.  He  entertains  as  does 
every  intelligent  man  and  enlightened  physi- 
cian, very  decided  views  on  public  questions 
and  votes  according  to  his  own  judgment. 


G.  H.  THOMAS.  —  For  many  years  promi- 
nent in  Nebraska  along  lines  of  useful  effort, 
G.  H.  Thomas,  president  of  the  Grand  Island 
National  Bank,  commands  attention  as  a  rep- 
resentative   citizen    of    Hall    County.      Mr. 


Thomas  was  born  at  Berlin,  in  Green  Lake 
County,  Wisconsin,  March  4,  1876,  the  elder 
of  two  sons  born  to  Griffith  J.  and  Anna  E. 
(Griffith)  Thomas,  who  are  highly  respected 
retired  residents  of  Harvard,  Nebraska. 

Griffith  J.  Thomas  was  bom  in  Wales,  Jan- 
uary 20,  1847,  and  brought  to  America  and 
to  Wisconsin  in  childhood.  He  was  reared 
there  and  from  there  entered  the  service  of 
his  country  during  the  Civil  War,  serving  as 
a  private  for  three  years  under  two  enlist- 
ments, thereby  almost  wrecking  his  health.  He 
was  a  journalist  by  profession  and  continued 
to  be  interested  in  newspapers  until  he  retired. 
He  has  always  been  an  ardent  Republican  and 
for  nine  years  served  as  postmaster  at  Berlin. 
In  1886  he  came  with  his  family  to  Clay 
County,  Nebraska,  where  he  was  postmaster 
for  eighteen  years.  He  is  one  of  the  older 
members  of  the  Masonic  bodies  in  Clay 
County  and  one  of  the  state  leaders  in  the 
Grand  Army  of  the  Republic.  To  this  noble 
organization  Mr.  Thomas  has  been  particularly 
devoted  and  has  labored  zealously  for  its  in- 
terests. He  belongs  to  one  of  the  oldest  posts 
in  existence,  John  H.  Williams  Post  No.  4, 
Berlin,  Wisconsin,  which  he  has  served  three 
terms  as  deputy  commander.  He  was  married 
Nevember  1,  1874,  to  Miss  Anna  E.  Griffith, 
who  was  born  at  Utica,  New  York,  December 
7,  1846,  but  was  reared  at  Berlin.  They  have 
two  sons  G.  H.  and  Harrie  G.,  the  latter  of 
whom  was  associated  with  his  brother  in  the 
banking  business  at  Harvard  and  also  in  news- 
paper work  with  his  father." 

G.  H.  Thomas  completed  the  high  school 
course  at  Harvard,  Nebraska,  and  then  entered 
the  State  University  from  which  he  was  grad- 
uated in  1897  and  still  maintains  his  member- 
ship in  the  Greek  letter  fraternities.  Delta  Tau 
Delta  and  Phi  Beta  Kappa.  Mr.  Thomas 
then  turned  his  attention  and  acquirements  to 
the  educational  field  and  for  eleven  years 
taught  school  in  Nebraska,  for  eight  years 
being  superintendent  of  schools  at  McCook, 
in  Redwillow  County.  He  then  entered  the 
banking  business  and  from  1908  until  1917  was 
cashier  of  the  Union  State  Bank  of  Harvard, 
Nebraska,  which  is  one  of  the  sound  financial 
institutions  of  Clay  County,  operating  with  a 
capital  of  $25,000,surp)us  and  profits  $17,000 
and  average  deposits  $500,000.  He  still  main- 
tains an  interest  in  that  institution  although 
now  a  resident  of  Grand  Island.  When  he 
came  here  to  associate  with  Theodore  Griess 
of  this  city,  he  bought  the  majority  of  stock 
in  the  Grand  Island  National  Bank,  of  which 
he  has  since  been  president.     This  bank  is 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


825 


conducted  carefully  and  conservatively  with  a 
capital  of  $100,000,  surplus  and  undivided  pro- 
fits $135,000. 

Mr.  Thomas  was  married  in  1900  to  Miss 
Blanch  E,  McCarl,  who  was  born  in  Iowa,  a 
daughter  of  John  McCarl,  who  removed  from 
Iowa  to  Hastings  in  Adams  County,  Nebraska, 
and  later  to  McCook.  Mr.  Thomas  is  a  staunch 
Republican  but  has  taken  no  very  decided  part 
since  coming  to  Grand  Island  but  previously 
served  for  five  years  as  mayor  of  Harvard. 
He  is  prominent  in  Masonry,  a  Knight  Temp- 
lar and  also  a  Shriner. 


THEODORE  GRIESS,  president  of  the 
Grand  Island  National  Bank,  is  well  known 
bith  in  financial  and  political  circles.  He  has 
not  been  a  resident  of  Grand  Island  very  long, 
but  his  welcome  to  this  city  has  been  hearty 
and  his  name  will  be  a  valuable  asset  in  the 
furtherance  of  business. 

Theodore  Griess  is  a  native'of  Russia,  born 
at  Worms,  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children  bom 
to  his  parents,  Peter  and  Sophia  (Grosshaus) 
Griess.  The  family  originated  in  Germany  and 
from  there  went  to  Russia  in  earlier  times.  In 
1873,  the  father  of  Mr.  Griess  came  to  the 
United  States  and  settled  in  Clay  County,  Ne- 
braska, being  accompanied  by  his  family.  The 
mother  of  Mr.  Greiss  died  on  November  25, 
1903.  Their  children  were  as  follows :  Theo- 
dore, who  is  a  resident  of  Grand  Island; 
Henry  P.,  who  is  a  merchant  at  Sutton,  Ne- 
braska; John  G.,  who  is  cashier  of  the  Sutton 
National  Bank ;  William,  also  a  merchant  at 
Sutton ;  Edward,  a  merchant  at  Eldorado,  Ne- 
braska ;  Ferdinand,  a  dental  surgeon  at  Sut- 
ton ;  Gustave.  who  was  graduated  in  dentistry 
at  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  in  1912;  Rudolph,  in 
college;  Lydia,  the  wife  of  J.  A.  Dennis,  a 
merchant  at  Eldorado ;  and  three  who  are  de- 
ceased. For  many  years  the  father  of  the 
above  family  has  been  engaged  in  the  grain 
and  coal  business  at  Sutton.  He  has  been  ac- 
tive in  Democratic  politics  and  in  1887  was 
his  party's  candidate  for  county  treasurer. 

Theodore  Griess  obtained  his  education  in 
the  country  schools,  the  Sutton  graded  schools 
and  Doane  College,  at  Crete,  Nebraska.  His 
business  career  began  when  he  went  into  busi- 
ness with  his  father.  In  1904  he  removed 
from  Clay  County  and  became  cashier  of  the 
Union  State  Bank,  and  in  1908,  in  association 
with  George  Thomas,  bought  the  controlling 
interest  and  became  president.  Subsequently 
Mr.  Griess  purchased  the  majority  of  stock 
in  the  Grand  Island  National  Bank  and  moved 


to  Grand  Island.  Early  in  his  career  he  be- 
came interested  in  public  affairs  and  has  held 
many  public  offices  of  responsibility.  From 
1896  until  1897  he  was  deputy  county  treas- 
urer of  Clay  County.  In  1897  he  was  elected 
county  treasurer  and  was  re-elected  in  1899 
and  after  the  expiration  of  his  second  term 
he  was  deputy  again  for  two  years,  spending 
in  all  ten  years  in  the  treasurer's  officd  In 
1900  he  was  chosen  as  the  candidate  of  the 
Democratic  party  for  state  auditor. 

Mr.  Griess  married  Miss  Johanna  Fand- 
mann,  the  ceremony  taking  place  March  28, 
1900.  She  was  born  at  Scotland,  South  Da- 
kota. They  have  three  children:  Helenei  Ray- 
mond Paul  and  Gertrude  Louise.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Griess  are  people  of  education,  culture 
and  religion. 


WILLIAM  SCHROEDER  is  a  represen- 
tative citizen  of  Hall  County  and  a  substantial 
farmer  in  A  Ida  township.  He  belongs  to 
a  well  known  family  of  this  section'  who 
homesteaded  here  forty-eight  years  ago.  His 
has  always  been  an  agricultural  family  and  it 
has  been  a  prosperous  one  from  the  beginning, 
industry,  thrift  and  good  management  being 
family  characteristics. 

William  Schroeder  was  born  January  6, 
1865.  His  parents  were  Fritz  and  Sophia 
(Lamp)  Schroeder,  both  of  whom  were  born 
and  reared  in  Germany.  They  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1864,  and  in  1871  the  father 
homesteaded  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska.  He 
came  to  the  county  a  poor  man  but  at  the  time 
of  his  death  he  was  a  wealthy  man,  being  the 
owner  of  a  whole  section  of  well  improved 
land.  He  was  not  only  honest  and  industrious, 
but  also  a  man  of  high  principles,  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church,  and  for  many 
years  a  member  of  the  order  of  United  Work- 
men. He  was  the  father  of  five  children : 
William,  the  eldest  born ;  Charles,  who  lives  at 
Grand  Island ;  Henry,  a  farmer  in  Alda  town- 
ship; Otto,  a  farmer  in  Alda  township;  and 
Elizabeth,  deceased,  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Scholtz,  of  Hall  County. 

William  Schroeder  obtained  his  education  in 
the  Hall  County  schools  and  early  began  farm 
training.  He  now  owns  and  cultivates  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  a  favorable 
location,  which  he  has  admirably  improved. 
He  is  one  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  de- 
pendable citizens  of  the  county.  He  married 
Miss  Maggie  Clauson.  They  have  children 
as  follows:  Sophia,  the  wife  of  John  Mohn, 
of  Montana;  and  Alfred,  Alma,  Ella,  John, 


P26 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


George  and  Rudolph,  all  of  whotn  live  at 
home.  Mr.  Schroeder  and  his  family  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Lutheran  church  and  attend  ser- 
vices in  Grand  Island. 


CHARLES  LUTH,  a  prosperous  general 
farmer  in  Alda  township,  Hall  County,  be- 
longs to  an  old  family  of  this  section,  one  that 
is  noted  for  its  agricultural  success.  Father  and 
sons  have  been  farmers  all  their  lives,  and  with 
the  experience  of  many  years,  have  made  their 
land  unusually  productive.  Nowhere  in  the 
county  will  be  found  better  tilled  acres,  more 
modern  farm  machinery,  evidences  of  more 
thorough  methods  in  crop  rotation  and  fertili- 
zation, or  more  substantial  improvements  than 
on  the  Luth  farms. 

Charles  Luth  was  born  in  Marshall  County, 
Iowa,  the  second  son  of  Fred  and  Minnie 
Luth,  both  natives  of  Germany.  His  father 
was  born  in  1844,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Yohn)  Luth,  and  the  only  one  of  their  eight 
children  to  come  to  the  United  States.  For 
some  years  prior  to  coming  to  Hall  County, 
he  engaged  in  farming  in  Iowa.  The  most 
of  his  ample  fortune  has  been  made  after  com- 
ing to  Nebraska.  Charles  Luth  had  some  edu- 
cational opportunities  in  Hall  County.  Mr. 
Luth  is  in  partnership  with  his  brother  Will- 
iam in  the  operation  of  two  hundred  and  thirty 
acres  of  land  belonging  to  their  father  and 
much  success  is  attending  their  undertaking. 
Mr.  Luth  is  an  independent  voter,  never  hav- 
ing identified  himself  with  any  political  party 
and  never  being  desirous  of  holding  a  political 
office. 


GEORGE  F.  RICKARD,  a  well  known 
general  farmer  of  Hall  County,  operating 
what  was  his  grandfather's  old  homestead  near 
Alda,  has  spent  his  life  in  this  county  and 
all  his  interests  are  centered  here.  Both  father 
and  grandfather  were  pioneers  in  this  section 
and  no  people  are  better  or  more  favorably 
known  than  the  Rickards. 

George  F.  Rickard  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  February  16,  1873,  the  second  in 
a  family  of  six  children  bom  to  Charles  Louis 
and  Margaret  (Burd)  Rickard,  and  a  grand- 
son of  George  H.  and  Polly  Anne  (Forrest) 
Rickard.  The  grandparents  were  born  in  New 
York,  lived  for  some  years  in  Illinois,  came 
to  Hall  County  in  1880  and  homesteaded,  their 
property  still  remaining  in  the  family.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Rickard  resided  on  their  own 
homestead  in  Hall  County,  the  father  having 


come  here  in  1877,  and  there  the  mother  died 
in  1916.  George  Rickard  remained  at  home 
assisting  his  father  until  he  was  twenty-one 
years  old.  In  the  meanwhile  he  attended  the 
public  schools.  As  mentioned  above,  he  lives 
on  his  grandfather's  old  place  and  rents  a 
half  section  of  land  from  his  father,  which 
he  devotes  to  general  farming. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1910,  Mr.  Rickard  mar- 
ried Miss  Carrie  Barr,  whose  parents  were 
very  early  settlers  in  Hall  County.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Rickard  have  had  three  children : 
Charles,  Earl,  and  an  infant  that  is  deceased. 
Mr.  Rickard  has  always  devoted  himself 
closely  to  his  own  business  and  has  taken  little 
part  in  political  matters.  He  is,  however,  an 
intelligent,  wide-awake  citizen,  and  while  he 
votes  according  to  his  own  judgment,  may  be 
depended  upon  to  support  candidates  who  have 
the  best  interests  of  Hall  County  at  heart. 


CHARLES  L.  RICKARD.  — For  more 
than  forty  years  Charles  Louis  Rickard,  one 
of  Hall  County's  substantial  farmers,  has  been 
a  resident  of  this  section.  He  came  here  in 
the  early  days  of  county  settlement,  has 
worked  hard  and  has  prospered.  He  has 
done  his  part  in  advancing  agricultural,  edu- 
cational and  social  interests.  He  was  born 
in  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  January  30, 
1852.  His  parents,  George  H.  and  Polly  Anne 
(Forrest)  Rickard,  were  natives  of  New  York, 
where  they  were  reared  and  married.  The 
father  was  a  farmer  all  his  life,  first  in 
Illinois,  and  after  1880  in  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  owned  a  homestead  of  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  They  had 
two  children,  Charles  Louis  and  Emma,  the 
latter  of  whom  died  at  the  age  of  four  years. 

Charles  L-  Rickard  attended  the  district 
schools  near  his  father's  farm  in  Illinois  and" 
remained  at  home  until  1877  when  he  came  to 
Hall  County.  He  was  much  better  off  than 
many  of  the  older  settlers,  for  he  brought  with 
him  three  horses,  two  yoke  of  oxen  and  $75 
in  cash.  Later  he  homesteaded  and  continued 
on  his  land  through  the  years  of  hardship  that 
overwhelmed  many  of  the  pioneers.  Grad- 
ually, through  hard  work  and  the  exercise  of 
good  judgment,  he  acquired  other  tracts  of 
land,  until  now  he  owns  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  acres.  His  property  has  all  been  well 
improved  and  for  many  years  he  has  been 
considered  one  of  the  most  capable  and  pros- 
perous general  farmers  of  the  county. 

In  1873  Mr.  Rickard  married  Miss  Margaret 
Burd,  whose  people  were  of  old  New  England 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


828 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


stock.  She  died  December  24,  1916,  mourned 
by  a  devoted  family  and  a  wide  circle  of 
friends.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rickard  had  the  fol- 
lowing children:  Effie,  the  wife  of  Marley 
Compton  ;  George,  a  successful  farmer  in  Hall 
County ;  Nellie,  the  wife  of  Roy  Orendoff ,  of 
Hall  County;  Walter  D.,  who  lives  at  Ord, 
Nebraska;  Elsie,  the  wife  of  Otto  Giersdorf, 
of  Columbus,  Nebraska,  and  Amer  C.  who  is  a 
railroad  man. 


HENRY  LUTH,  a  very  successful  farmer 
in  Hall  County  belongs  to  a  well  known  family 
of  this  section,  the  most  of  its  members  being 
substantial  farmers.  Mr.  Luth  was  born  in 
Hall  County,  on  Christmas  Eve,  1869,  a  son 
of  Fred  and  Minnie  (Runfeldt)  Luth,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Germany.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Luth  was  twenty-two  years  old  when 
he  came  to  the  United  States.  He  engaged  in 
farming  in  Marshall  County,  Iowa,  until  1886, 
when  he  came  to  Hall  County,  where  he  is  now 
one  of  the  heavy  landowners. 

Henry  Luth  attended  the  public  schools  in 
Hall  County  as  opportunity  afforded.  His 
services  on  the  farm  began  when  he  was  but  a 
boy,  a  pursuit  in  which  he  has  been  continu- 
ously engaged  to  the  present  time.  He  is 
now  operating  land  which  his  father  formerly 
owned,  and  if  all  farmers  in  the  county  were  as 
careful  about  the  condition  of  the  soil  and 
quality  of  seed,  and  as  well  informed  other- 
wise as  Mr.  Luth,  this  would  soon  be  the  ban- 
ner section  of  the  state  for  big  crops.  He  has 
put  fine  improvements  on  his  farm  and  has 
everything  comfortable  around  him. 

In  1895  Mr.  Luth  married  Miss  Mary 
Schoel,  a  daughter  of  Henry  Schoel.  The  fol- 
lowing children  have  been  born  to  them :  a 
babe  that  died  in  infancy;  Ella,  the  wife  of 
John  Roby,  a  farmer  in  Center  township; 
and  Ralph,  Minnie,  Irvin  and  Henry,  all  of 
whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  Luth  has  been  a 
good  citizen  of  his  township.  He  has  never 
been  active  in  politics  and  in  elections  of  all 
kinds  casts  an  independent  vote. 


OTTO  SCHROEDER,  whose  extensive 
farming  operations  place  him  among  the  lead- 
ing agriculturists  of  Hall  County,  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  one  of  the  sturdy  pioneer  families 
of  this  section.  His  father  homesteaded  in  Hall 
County  almost  a  half  century  ago  and  the 
name  has  been  well  and  favorably  known  in 
the  county  ever  since. 

Otto  Schroeder  was  born  in  Hall  County, 


October  7,  1883.  His  parents  were  Fritz  and 
Sophia  (Lamp)  Schroeder,  who  came  from 
Germany  to  the  United  States  in  1864.  The 
former  took  up  a  homestead  in  Hall  County  in 
1871,  and  from  then  until  his  death  in  1912, 
followed  an  agricultural  life.  In  early  days 
he  passed  through  many  hardships  but  indus- 
try and  perseverance  enabled  him  to  make 
headway  where  others  might  have  failed,  and 
when  he  passed  away  he  left  an  estate  that 
included  an  entire  section  of  land.  He  was 
never  active  in  politics.  He  belonged  to  the 
order  of  United  Workmen,  and  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  Of  his  five 
children,  Otto  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth, 
the  others  being:  William,  a  substantial  farmer 
in  Hall  County ;  Charles,  who  lives  in  Grand 
Island ;  Henry,  who  is  a  farmer  in  Alda  town- 
ship; and  Elizabeth,  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  Ernest  Scholtz,  a  farmer  in  Hall  County. 

Otto  Schroeder  had  educational  advantages 
in  Hall  County  and  when  he  left  school  chose 
farming  as  his  vocation.  A  well  trained,  prac- 
tical man,  with  intelligent  ideas  in  agricultural 
matters,  he  has  steadily  gone  forward 
and  has  become  prominent  in  agricultural 
circles  because  of  his  success  in  the  manage- 
ment of  his  fine  farm  of  two  hundred  acres. 
His  land  is  well  improved  and  ever)'  part  of 
it  shows  the  effect  of  careful  tillage. 

In  1906  Mr.  Schroeder  married  Miss  Bertha 
Rickert,  whose  parents  were  early  settlers  in 
this  county.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schroeder  the 
following  children  have  been  born :  Edna.  Mer- 
vin,  Louis,  Albert,  Raymond  and  Hazel.  The 
older  children  have  made  excellent  records 
in  school.  Mr.  Schroeder  and  his  family  are 
members  of  the  Christian  Science  church. 


HENRY  BOEKMAiN,  the  founder  of  a 
well  known  and  highly  respected  family  of 
Hall  County,  was  bom  in  Germany,  April  5, 
1843,  and  remained  in  his  own  country  until 
1868,  when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and 
the  same  year  located  in  Hall  Count}-,  Ne- 
braska. Like  many  settlers  from  foreign 
lands,  he  had  but  little  capital  left  by  the 
time  he  had  paid  transportation  charges.  He 
was  twenty-five  years  old  on  reaching  the 
shores  of  America  and  was  not  easily  dis- 
couraged, although  he  arrived  in  Nebraska  in 
the  midst  of  the  Indian  troubles  that  prevented 
permanent  settlement  for  a  time.  Before  long 
he  homesteaded  a  timber  claim  and  secured  a 
pre-emption,  then  settled  down  to  develop  his 
land  and  in  the  course  of  years  became  a  man 
of  wealth  and  local  importance.     At  the  time 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


829 


of  his  death  he  owned  five  hundred  and  forty- 
five  acres  of  well  improved  property. 

In  1887  Mr.  Boekman  married  Miss  Sophia 
Hanson,  born  in  Germany  and  the  only  mem- 
ber of  her  family  to  come  to  the  United 
States.  To  this  marriage  the  following  chil- 
dren were  born:  Otto,  Claus,  James,  Theo, 
George,  Katie,  Dora  and  Sadie,  all  of  whom 
live  at  home  except  the  two  married  daughters, 
Katie  and  Dora.  Katie  is  the  wife  of  Ernest 
Bosh,  of  Alda  township,  and  Dora  is  the  wife 
of  Arthur  Wiese.  The  family  belongs  to  the 
Roman  Catholic  church  at  Doniphan. 


JUERGEN  KNUTH,  a  representative  of 
one  of  the  early  pioneer  families  of  Hall 
County,  was  born  in  Germany  and  accom- 
panied his  parents  to  the  United  States.  They 
were  Henry  and  Anna  (Juergen)  Knuth,  who 
had  four  other  children :  Thomas  and  Hans, 
both  of  whom  are  deceased ;  Henry,  who  is  a 
farmer  in  Washington  township,  and  Mary, 
who  is  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  John  Wiese. 
The  family  emigrated  to  America  from  the 
old  country,  locating  in  Hall  County  in  1870, 
where  the  mother  died  in  1900,  and  the  father 
in  August,   1909. 

Juergen  Knuth  obtained  his  education  in 
Germany.  In  many  ways  conditions  were 
hard  during  early  days  in  this  section.  There 
were  many  Indians  and  in  speaking  of  them, 
Mr.  Knuth  says  that  once,  in  1872,  he  was 
thrown  from  a,  load  of  wood  which  resulted 
in  a  broken  leg.  Indians  picked  him  up  and 
kindly  carried  him  to  his  father's  cabin  and 
though  badly  shattered  and  he  had  only  an 
Indian  doctor  who  set  and  attended  it  yet  he 
was  so  skilled  that  the  bones  knit  perfectly  and 
the  leg  has  never  given  him  any  trouble..  The 
elder  Knuth,  at  the  time  of  his  death,  owned 
two  hundred  acres  of  land,  all  of  which  had 
been  accumulated  through  his  own  industry. 
His  sons  assisted  him  and  learned  to  be  good 
farmers.  Juergen  Knuth  first  purchased  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  still  residing  on  that 
tract.  He  now  owns  four  hundred  acres  in 
Hall  County  and  five  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
in  Oklahoma,  all  fine  land  suitably  improved, 
so  that  today  he  is  numbered  with  the  sub- 
stantial men  of  the  county. 

Mr.  Knuth  married  Miss  Emma  Wegner, 
who  was  born  in  Germany  and  accompanied 
her  people  here  in  1881.  She  has  one  sister, 
Mata,  the  wife  of  Hans  Gulzow.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Knuth  have  had  eight  children :  Mata, 
who  is  deceased ;  Henry,  who  lives  in  Wash- 
ington township ;  Herman,  who  lives  in  Dewey 


County,  Oklahoma ;  Arthur,  also  a  resident  of 
Oklahoma;  Anna,  the  wife  of  August  Wiese, 
in  Wyoming,  and  Fred,  Hedwig  and  Helmuth, 
all  of  whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  Knuth  and  his 
family  attend  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is 
independent  in  his  political  views.  He  belongs 
to  several  Low  German  social  organizations 
at  Grand  Island,  and  his  wife  belongs  to  the 
Maccabees. 


WILLIAM  WIESE,  one  of  the  substantial 
citizens  of  Alda  township,  Hall  County,  has 
been  a  resident  for  many  years.  He  has 
always  taken  part  in  township  affairs  and  at 
all  times  promoted  to  the  best  of  his  ability, 
the  interests  of  Hall  County. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Wiese  were  Henry  and 
Anna  (Wiese)  Wiese,  who  were  born  in  Ger- 
many and  came  to  the  United  States  in  1860. 
Of  their  six  children  William  was  the  third 
born,  the  others  being:  Lena,  the  widow  of 
Carl  Krueger,  of  Alda  township;  Katrina,  the 
widow  of  Louis  Buttner,  of  Alda,  Hall 
County;  Henry,  a  farmer  in  Alda  township; 
Gustave,  in  the  coal  business  in  Chicago,  and 
Otto,  who  operates  the  old  homestead  in  Alda 
township.  For  a  time  after  coming  to  the 
United  States,  the  family  lived  in  Iowa,  where 
William  was  born  in  Scott  County.  After 
moving  to  Hall  County,  the  father  bought  one 
hundred  and  seventy-four  acres  of  land,  later 
added  a  hundred  acres,  and  improved  it  all, 
putting  up  substantial  buildings  in  place  of 
the  old  log  cabin  and  barn  he  found  there. 

The  Wiese  family  with  five  other  German 
families,  came  together,  driving  across  the 
country  in  covered  wagons,  bringing  with 
them  from  Iowa  twenty  head  of  cattle, 
and  settled  in  Hall  County  in  1871. 
No  members  of  the  little  colony  pros- 
pered more  than  the  Wieses,  for  they  have 
always  been  industrious  and  thrifty,  have  been 
thorough  in  their  farming  methods,  and  have 
set  a  good  example  in  raising  stock  standards 
in  this  section. 

William  Wiese  attended  school  in  boyhood 
but  was  yet  young  when  he  commenced  to  be 
of  use  to  his  father  on  the  farm.  In  1884 
he  began  farming  on  his  own  account,  going 
to  Key  a  Paha  County  and  homesteading.  He 
remained  there  two  years  and  then  returned  to 
Hall  County,  where  he  purchased  a  farm  of 
one  hundred  acres,  to  which  he  has  added 
until  now  he  owns  three  hundred  and  ninety 
acres  of  valuable  land,  all  of  which  he  has 
improved.  He  carries  on  general  farming  and 
raises  stock  for  his  own  use. 


830 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


In  the  fall  of  1885.  Mr.  Wiese  married  Miss 
Alma  Appledorn.  They  have  the  following 
children :  Clarence,  who  lives  at  Alda ;  Anna, 
the  wife  of  Allen  Sell,  of  Alda  township,  and 
Dorothy,  Lawrence  and  Irene,  all  of  whom 
are  at  home.  Mr.  Wiese  and  his  family  are 
of  the  Lutheran  faith.  He  belongs  to  the 
order  of  Maccabees. 


CARL  KRUEGER,  a  homesteader  of  the 
late  sixties  in  Hall  County,  was  a  man  of  large 
estate  and  through'  good  neighborly  kindness 
and  upright  living,  gained  the  friendship  and 
respect  of  all  who  knew  him  in  Alda  township. 

Carl  Krueger  was  born  in  Germany,  July  27, 
1840,  and  died  on  his  farm  in  Hall  County, 
November  24,  1905.  His  father  was  Christian 
Krueger.  He  left  the  Fatherland  for  the 
United  States  in  1860  and  soon  after  landing 
in  this  country  became  engaged  in  farm  work 
and  carpentering,  a  vocation  he  followed  for 
many  years,  his  industry  keeping  pace  with  his 
opportunities.  He  was  the  builder  of  many 
farm  structures  in  Hall  County.  He  kept 
adding  to  his  original  homestead  until,  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  he  owned  four  hundred 
acres  of  well  improved  land,  all  of  which  he 
had  secured  through  honest  labor. 

On  March  24,  1874,  Carl  Krueger  married 
Miss  Lena  Wiese,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Anna  (Celia)  Wiese,  natives  of  Germany,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  in  the  sixties.  To 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Krueger  the  following  children 
were  born:  Otto,  a  farmer  in  Center  town- 
ship; Charles,  who  lives-  in  Alda  township; 
Henry,  who  lives  on  the  homestead  with  his 
mother,  in  Alda  township;  Matilda,  the  wife 
of  Herman  Ewoldt;  Caroline,  the  wife  of 
Hugo  Schuchman ;  William,  who  lives  in 
Lanner  County,  Wyoming,  and  Herman,  who 
lives  with  his  mother.  The  family  is  a  prom- 
inent one  in  Alda  township. 


WILLIAM  LUTH,  classed  with  the  suc- 
cessful farmers  of  Hall  County,  belongs  to  a 
highly  respected  old  family  of  this  section.  He 
was  born  in  Marshall  County,  Iowa,  February 
16,  1878.  He  is  the  son  of  Fred  and  Minnie 
Luth,  and  a  grandson  of  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Yohn)  Luth. 

Fred  Luth  was  born  in  1844  in  Germany 
and  was  twenty-two  years  old  when  he  came 
to  the  United  States.  He  followed  farming  in 
Marshall  County,  Iowa,  until  1886,  when  he 
came  to  Hall  County,  where,  in  the  course  of 
time,  he  became  the  owner  of  four  hundred 


acres  of  land,  all  of  which  has  been  well  im- 
proved. In  1869  he  married  Minnie  Runfeldt, 
also  a  native  of  Germany,  and  they  have  had 
the  following  children:  Augusta,  the  wife  of 
William  Stuhr ;  Henry,  a  prominent  farmer  in 
Hall  County;  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Edward 
Stuhr ;  Charles  and  William,  both  of  whom  are 
prosperous  farmers  in  Alda  township ;  Emma, 
the  wife  of  August  Schoel;  a  babe  who  died 
in  infancy;  and  Alvena,  the  wife  of  Rudolph 
Kay. 

William  Luth  was  about  eight  years  old 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Hall 
County,  where  he  had  winter  schooling  for 
several  years.  While  still  a  boy  in  years  he 
began  hard  work  on  his  father's  land  and  has 
always  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in  this 
county.  At  present  he  is  in  partnership  with 
his  brother,  Charles  Luth,  and  together  they 
carry  on  extensive  operations  on  two  hundred 
and  thirty  acres  of  land  which  they  rent  from 
their  father.  They  are  quiet,  industrious, 
practical  men  who  are  well  thought  of  every- 
where.   Mr.  Luth  belongs  to  no  political  party, 

Mr.  Luth  was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss 
Dora  Nissen,  July  19,  1911;  they  have  five 
children:  Lawrence,  Helen,  Elsie,  Minnie  and 
Clarence,  are  all  attending  school  near  home. 


HERMAN  LILIENTHAL  successfully 
carries  on  farming  operations  in  Alda  town- 
ship, Hall  County,  where  he  rents  land  from 
his  mother,  one  of  the  largest  owners  of  real 
estate  in  this  locality.  Mr.  Lilienthal  belongs 
to  a  fine  old  family  of  this  section  which  set- 
tled here  almost  sixty  years  ago. 

Herman  Lilienthal  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
January  25,  1878,  the  son  of  Frederick  and 
Dora  (Gilthaw)  Lilienthal,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Germany.  Of  their  children, 
Herman  is  the  eldest,  the  others  being:  Mrs. 
Lena  Boltz,  who  lives  in  Alda  township ;  John, 
who  lives  in  Wyoming,  and  Toney,  the  wife 
of  Charles  Kay.  The  father  came  to  this 
county  in  1861  and  homesteaded,  and  at  the 
time  of  his  death,  in  May,  1894,  owned  a  val- 
uable farm  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres. 
Industry  was  the  rule  in  his  household  and 
Herman  was  not  very  old  when  he  stopped 
going  to  school  in  order  to  help  on  the  farm. 
He  thus  had  excellent  instruction  and  dis- 
cipline and  is  considered  a  farmer  of  ripe 
judgment,  understanding  how  to  make  his 
industries  very  profitable. 

On  February  27,  1907,  Mr.  Lilienthal  mar- 
ried Miss  Anna  Clausen.  They  have  two  very 
bright,  intelligent  sons:     Alfred  Fred,  eleven 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


831 


years  old,  and  Ervin  Herman,  six  years  of  age. 
Herman  is  said  to  be  as  much  interested  in 
his  school  duties  as  is  his  older  brother.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Lilienthal  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church. 


FREDERICK  LILIENTHAL.  —  One  of 
the  early  settlers  and  thrifty,  enterprising 
fanners  of  Hall  County,  was  the  late  Frederick 
Lilienthal,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  March 
25,  1852,  the  son  of  Claus  and  Christina  Lilien- 
thal, who  had  three  sons,  Henry,  Frederick 
and  Charles,  all  of  whom  are  deceased. 

Frederick  Lilienthal  came  to  the  United 
States  in  early  manhood  and  was  among  the 
first  settlers  of  Hall  County.  Here  he  bought 
railroad  land,  which  he  worked  hard  to  im- 
prove, and  at  the  time  of  his  death,  in  May, 
1894,  owned  eighty  acres  of  finely  improved 
land.  In  those  early  days  he  had  much  to 
contend  with,  one  disadvantage  being  his  long 
distance  from  market,  for  he  had  to  haul  his 
grain  to  Fort  Kearny.  He  is  remembered  as 
a  hard  working,  honest  man  and  a  kind  and 
helpful  neighbor.  He  was  twice  married,  his 
first  union  being  with  Dora  Gilsthaw,  and 
they  had  the  following  children :  Herman,  a 
farmer  in  Alda  township ;  a  babe  that  died  un- 
named ;  Lena,  the  wife  of  August  Boltz ;  John, 
lives  in  Wyoming,  and  Toney,  the  wife  of 
Charles  Kay.  The  mother  of  these  children 
died  and  his  second  marriage  was  to  Mrs. 
Margaret  (Mathiesen)  Struve.  Her  parents 
were  Fred  and  Anna  (Hanson)  Mathiesen, 
who  were  born  in  Germany,  but  were  married 
in  1857  at  Davenport,  Iowa,  as  they  came  sep- 
arately to  America.  Mr.  Mathiesen  had  prac- 
tically no  capital  when  he  came  to  Hall  County 
but  through  thrift  and  industry,  he  accum- 
ulated a  large  body  of  land.  His  death  oc- 
curred June  14,  1914. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lilienthal  five  children 
were  born :  Julius,  Fred,  Ernest,  Laura  and 
Anna,  all  living  except  Fred.  Laura  is  the 
■wife  of  Benjamin  Ewoldt,  and  Anna  is  the 
wife  of  Frederick  Schoel.  Mrs.  Lilienthal 
resides  in  her  comfortable  home  on  West 
Charles  street,  Grand  Island,  one  of  the  highly 
•esteemed  and  estimable   women  of  the  city. 


HERMAN  EWOLDT,  one  of  the  progres- 
sive agriculturists  of  Hall  County,  owning  a 
fine,  well  developed  farm  near  Grand  Island, 
belongs  to  a  very  old  county  family  that  has 
always  been  noted  for  hs  industry  and  sound, 
practical  qualities.    Mr.  Ewoldt  is  not  only  a 


good  farmer  but  is  an  intelligent,  far-seeing 
one,  realizing  that  for  many  years  to  come  the  J 

American  farmer,  with  his  mighty  yields  of 
life-giving   grain,   and   his   herds   and   other  j 

stock,  must  practically  feed  the  world. 

Herman  Ewoldt  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  August  1,  1882.    His  parents  were  1 

Cay  and  Elisa  (Stuben)  Ewoldt,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Germany.  The  father 
came  to  the  United  States  in  1854  and  located 
first  in  Davenport,  Iowa,  from  which  place  he 
removed  to  Hall  County,  in  1857.  He  early 
secured  a  pre-emption  claim  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  and  to  this  original  farm  he 
kept  on  adding  throughout  his  life.  When 
his  death  occurred  in  1914,  at  the  age  of 
eighty-two  years,  he  left  an  estate  of  four 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  well  improved  land. 
For  many  years  he  had  been  considered  one 
of  the  township's  substantial  and  representa- 
tive men.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Ewoldt  died  in 
August,  1915.  The  parents  are  survived  by 
seven  of  their  eleven  children. 

Herman  Ewoldt  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Hall  County.  During 
his  youth  and  the  lifetime  of  his  father,  he 
worked  on  the  homestead,  but  now  he  owns  a 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres,  to 
which  he  devotes  his  entire  attention.  He 
carries  on  a  general  farming  line  and  has 
raised  some  fine  Hereford  cattle.  If  he  suc- 
ceeds in  carrying  out  his  present  admirable 
plans,  he  will  make  a  feature  of  raising  cattle. 
Mr.  Ewoldt  is  a  hard  worker  and  is  thoroughly 
interested  in  all  his  farm  activities,  keeps 
abreast  of  the  times  in  agricultural  progress 
and  makes  intelligent  use  of  the  knowledge 
he  acquires. 

In  1905  Mr.  Ewoldt  married  Miss  Matilda 
Krueger,  whose  parents  also  were  early  set- 
tlers in  Hall  County.  They  have  six  children : 
Edwin,  Helen,  Carl,  Rudolph,  Lillian  and 
Daniel,  four  of  whom  go  to  school,  the  three 
older  never  having  missed  a  day  since  they 
started.  They  all  are  unusually.intelligent  and 
fond  of  their  books. 


WILLIAM  SCHOEL,  a  prosperous  gen- 
eral farmer  in  Center  township,  owns  and 
carefully  cultivates  a  large  farm  in  Center 
township.  He  was  born  in  Hall  County,  Octo- 
ber 9,  1974,  on  his  father's  homestead,  his 
people  having  been  early  settlers  here.  Ex- 
tended mention  of  this  prominent  family  will 
be  found  in  another  part  of  this  work. 

William  Schoel  believes  he  was  no  more 
than  seven  years  old  when  he  went  to  work  on 

Coogle 


832 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


the  farm.  All  the  family  worked  and  he  re- 
members seeing  his  mother  binding  grain  by 
hand  on  many  an  occasion.  In  those  days  the 
grain  was  cut  with  the  old-fashioned  scythe 
or  a  mowing  machine,  and  all  the  corn  was 
planted  by  hand.  Much  of  the  modern  machin- 
ery that  Mr.  Schoel  now  makes  constant  use 
of  on  his  farm,  had  not  yet  been  invented  in 
his  boyhood  and  it  was  many  years  before 
the  ordinary  Nebraska  farmer  could  afford 
to  buy  it.  The  family  had  settled  far  from 
a  center  where  provisions  could  be  purchased, 
and  Mr.  Schoel  remembers  one  occasion  when 
his  father  and  a  neighbor  had  driven  to  Omaha 
for  flour,  and  on  the  return  trip  in  fording  the 
Loup  river  because  there  was  no  bridge  at 
that  time,  became  swamped.  Mr.  Schoel 
walked  thirty  miles  to  Wood  River  before  he 
secured  help  and  it  was  with  difficulty  that 
the  wagons  and  teams  were  dragged  out  of  the 
water.  At  that  time  there  were  many  Indians 
passing  up  and  down  the  river  but  the  Schoels 
were  kind  and  friendly  and  never  had  any 
trouble  with  the  savages. 

William  Schoel  married  Anna  Schweiger, 
whose  parents,  August  and  Caroline  Schweiger 
live  in  Grand  Island.  They  have  two  children, 
Helen  and  Olga,  aged  nineteen  and  fifteen 
years  respectively.  Mr.  Schoel  has  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  every  acre, 
under  his  efficient  management,  gives  a  profit- 
able account  of  itself.  He  feeds  cattle  and 
hogs  and  averages  a  car  load  a  year.  The  farm 
surroundings  indicate  thrift  and  the  improve- 
ments are  suitable  and  substantial.  Mr.Schoel 
has  the  reputation  of  being  a  hard  worker  and 
sensible  business  man.  He  is  an  independent 
voter  but  his  ballot  is  sure  to  be  cast  in  sup- 
port of  law  and  order  and  good  citizenship. 


FRED  LUTH.  — Thirty-three  years  have 
slipped  away  since  Fred  Luth  came  to  Hall 
County.  They  have  not  been  idle  years  for 
hard  work  has  marked  the  passing  of  many 
of  them  and  thrift  and  efficiency  were  observed 
in  each  and  every  one.  Mr.  Luth  is  not  only 
a  widely  known  and  highly  respected  resident 
of  the  county  but  is  also  one  of  the  most  sub- 
stantial, being  the  owner  of  many  acres  of 
highly  developed  land,  as  the  result  of  his  own 
industry  coupled  with  good  judgment. 

Fred  Luth  was  born  December  15,  1844,  in 
Germany,  and  is  a  son  of  Henry  and  Sophia 
(Yohn)  Luth,  and  the  only  one  of  their  eight 
children  to  come  to  America.  He  remained 
in  Germany  throughout  his  schooldays  arid 
military  service  period,  being  a  youth  twenty- 


two  years  old  when  he  reached  the  United 
States.  He  located  in  Iowa  and  worked  on 
farms  there  until  1886,  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County,  where  he  has  since  lived  and  has  en- 
gaged in  the  business  of  farming.  The  first 
land  he  bought  was  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  and  at  the  present  time  he  owns 
four  hundred  acres.  Mr.  Luth  has  not  been 
satisfied  with  merely  owning  this  large  body  of 
land  and  enjoying  the  ordinary  yield  of  the 
same,  but  has  subsequently  improved  it  all. 
and  with|  thorough  going  methods  has  in- 
creased the  fertility  until  he  has  some  of  the 
most  productive  farm  land  in  the  county. 

In  1869  Mr.  Luth  married  Miss  Minnie 
Runfeldt,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  they 
have  had  the  following  children :  Augusta,  the 
wife  of  William  Stuhr;  Henry,  who  lives  in 
Hall  County;  Sophia,  the  wife  of  Edward 
Stuhr;  Charles,  a  resident  of  Alda,  Ne- 
braska ;  William,  a  farmer  in  Alda  township ; 
Emma,  the  wife  of  August  Schoel;  a  babe 
who  died  in  infancy ;  and  Alvina,  who  is  the 
wife  of  Rudolph  Kay.  Mr.  Luth  has  never 
interested  himself  greatly  in  politics  and  has 
never  been  willing  to  accept  a  public  office. 


JULIUS  EWOLDT,  one  of  Hall  County's 
well  known  men  and  successful  general  farm- 
ers, belongs  to  one  of  the  first  families  who 
located  here  at  a  *ime  when  Nebraska  was  con- 
sidered a  part  of  the  wild  west,  having  to 
break  the  prairie  sod  for  first  crops  in  the 
country.  For  sixty  years  the  Ewoldts  have 
owned  and  operated  land  here  and  all  of  the 
sons  of  the  old  pioneer  of  that  name,  are  sub- 
stantial farmers  and  respected  citizens. 

Julius  Ewoldt  was  bom  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  July  23,  1874.     His  parents  were  I 

Cay  and  Elizabeth  (Stuben)  Ewoldt,  natives 
of  Germany,  where  the  father  was  born  in  | 

1831  and  the  mother  in  1841.  Her  people 
came  to  Hall  County  with  the  early  settlers 
and  she  grew  up  and  was  married  here.  The 
father  left  Germany  when  twenty-three  years 
old,  reaching  the  United  States  in  1854.  It 
was  his  intention  to  acquire  land  but  he  lacked 
capital  at  first  and  for  three  years  worked  as 
a  laborer  in  Davenport,  Iowa.  In  1857  he 
came  to  Hall  County  to  settle  permanently, 
later  taking  up  a  pre-emption  claim  and  im- 
mediately beginning  to  make  improvements. 
He  was  a  careful,  industrious,  honest  man. 
took  pride  in  his  farm  and  surroundings  which 
show  his  love  for  agricultural  life.  Gradually 
he  added  to  the  original  tract,  continuing  to 
improve  the  land  as  soon  as  it  came  into  his 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


833 


possession,  thereby  adding  to  its  value.  When 
his  death  occurred  in  1914,  after  a  long  life 
of  honest  industry,  he  left  an  estate  of  four 
hundred  and  sixty  acres,  ail  well  improved. 
The  mother  of  Julius  Ewoldt  died  in  August, 
1907.  She  was  the  devoted  mother  of  eleven 
children,  three  of  whom  died  in  infancy. 

Julius  Ewoldt  obtained  his  education  in  the 
country  schools  and  grew  up  on  his  father's 
farm.  Agricultural  pursuits  have  engaged  his 
entire  attention  from  boyhood  and  through 
careful  methods  he  has  made  this  business 
very  profitable.  He  carries  on  diversified 
farming  which  includes  the  raising  of  stock 
for  his  own  use  and  a  little  dairying  and  fruit 
growing.  Every  inch  of  his  valuable  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  fifteen  acres  is  utilized  in 
some  way.  He  has  substantial  farm  buildings 
and  in  1911  erected  a  fine  modern  residence. 

In  1901  Mr.  Ewoldt  married  Miss  Minnie 
Schweiger,  who  was  bom  in  Germany  and 
came  to  the  United  States  with  her  parents 
when  young.  They  have  four  children : 
Harry,  Max,  Lydia  and  Elizabeth,  all  of  whom 
attend  school.  Mr.  Ewoldt  is  a  member  of  the 
Low  German  society. 


FERDINAND  STOLTENBERY,  a  pros- 
perous farmer  of  Hall  County  and  a  well 
known  and  respected  citizen,  has  spent  his 
life  in  this  part  of  Nebraska.  He  is  a  repre- 
sentative of  an  old  family  of  the  county  that 
came  here  sixty  years  ago,  and  did  its  part  in 
overcoming  the  wild  conditions- that  then  pre- 
vailed. The  older  members  have  passed  away 
but  the  family  is  still  well  known  here  and  its 
characteristics  of  sturdy  honesty  and  persever- 
ing industry  are  yet  in  evidence. 

Ferdinand  Stoltenbery  was  born  in  Hall 
County,  September  25,  1863,  the  son  of  Claus 
and  Etta  (Paustun)  Stoltenbery,  both  of 
whom  were  bom  in  Germany  and  came  to  the 
United  States  before  their  marriage.  Claus 
Stoltenbery  came  across  the  Atlantic  ocean  in 
1859  and  immediately  came  on  to  Hall  County, 
where  a  German  colony  had  settled  in  1857. 
He  had  enough  capital  with  him  to  enable  him 
to  buy  some  land  and  he  also  took  up  a  pre- 
emption claim.  Here  his  long  and  industrious 
life  was  spent  and  when  he  passed  away  he 
left  an  estate  of  three  hundred  and  seventy 
acrs  of  highly  improved  land.  His  marriage 
had  taken  place  in  1860,  in  Hall  County,  and 
six  children  were  born  to  him  and  his  wife: 
Alvina,  who  is  deceased ;  Etta,  the  wife  of 
Emanuel  Heimke;  Ferdinand,  who  lives  in 
Hall  County;  Cecelia,  the  wife  of  Bernhard 


Wersia;  Wilhelmina,  the  wife  of  Chris  Raher; 
and  Carl,  who  lives  in  Washington  township, 
Hall  County. 

Ferdinad  Stoltenbery  had  a  rudimentary 
schooling,  but  nothing  to  compare  with  the  ad- 
vantages his  children  are  having.  He  began 
farm  work  when  a  boy  and  has  kept  at  it  ever 
since,  beginning  on  his  own  account  about  twen- 
ty-five years  ago.  He  has  worked  hard  but  feels 
somewhat  repaid  when  he  looks  over  his  fine 
farm  of  four  hundred  acres,  which  he  has 
excellently  improved.  He  carries  on  general 
farming  and  is  rated  with  the  substantial  men 
of  his  township.  He  married  Amelia  Hirsch, 
who  belongs  to  an  old  county  family,  and  they 
have  the  following  children :  Richard,  Esther, 
Rudolph,  Barney,  Anna,  Dora  and  Angela,  all 
living  at  home  except  Esther,  the  wife  of 
William  Mitfoldt. 


FRED  SCHOEL,  a  well  known  citizen  and 
substantial  farmer  of  Hall  County,  has  spent 
his  entire  life  here,  belonging  to  one  of  the 
oldest  pioneer  families  of  this  section.  Today 
on  every  side  productive  farms  and  comfort- 
able homesteads  may  be  seen,  but  it  was  very 
different  sixty-two  years  ago  when  the  parents 
of  Mr.  Schoel  came  here  with  other  German 
colonists.  They  faced  many  dangers  and  bore 
uncomplainingly  for  the  most  part  privations 
and  great  hardships,  but  they  were  resource- 
ful and  persevering  and  founded  homes  and 
families  that  are  now  inseparable  from  the  his- 
tory of  Hall  County. 

Fred  Schoel  was  born  here,  February  3, 
1867,  a  son  of  Henry  and  Mary  (Becker) 
Schoel,  the  father  of  Mr.  Schoel  was  born  in 
Germany,  April  1,  1828.  He  heard  of  the 
many  opportunities  for  a  young  man  in  Amer- 
ica so  emigrated  from  his  native  land  in  1855. 
He  came  west  two  years  after  reaching  the 
United  States,  taking  up  land  in  Hall  County. 
At  that  time  he  was  entirely  without  capital 
and  the  fact  that  thirty-nine  years  later  he 
died  owning  two  hundred  acres  of  the  best 
improved  land  in  the  county,  proves  that  his 
industry  in  Nebraska  was  well  rewarded. 
There  were  many  Indians  here  when  he  came ; 
herds  of  buffalo  were  frequently  seen,  and 
buffalo  meat  was  frequently  found  in  the 
larder  of  the  settlers.  It  was  a  number  of 
years  before  the  family  could  live  in  comfort 
but  both  parents  were  hard  working  people 
and  did  not  ask  for  the  luxuries  of  life.  They 
were  good  neighbors  and  honest  in  their  deal- 
ings with  every  one.  The  mother  passed  away 
in  1887,  and  the  father  died  on  January  10, 


X34 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


1894.  They  had  the  following  children: 
Charles,  the  first  white  male  child  born  in 
Hall  County ;  Henry,  who  is  deceased ;  Fred, 
who  resides  in  Hall  County  in  the  vicinity  of 
Grand  Island;  Emma,  the  wife  of  Albert 
Felske,  of  Hall  County ;  Mary,  who  is  the  wife 
of  Henry  Luth,  of  Alda,  Nebraska ;  and 
August  and  William  both  of  whom  live  north 
of  Alda. 

Fred  Schoel  grew  to  manhood  on  the  home 
farm  and  obtained  his  education  in  the  public 
schools.  He  has  made  farming  the  business  of 
his  life,  always  taking  a  deep  interest  in  his 
work,  and  has  found  his  methods  very  satis- 
factory. He  owns  a  large  body  of  land,  four 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  in  all,  which  is  well 
improved,  his  residence  being  one  of  the  best 
in  the  township.  He  makes  no  feature  of 
either  stock  raising  or  dairying,  but  carries 
these  industries  on  as  a  part  of  his  general 
farming  line.  He  owns  many  modem  farm 
implements  which  greatly  facilitate  farming  as 
carried  on  today. 

On  June  16,  1896,  Mr.  Schoel  married  Miss 
Anna  Matthiesen,  and  two  daughters  and  one 
son  have  been  bom  to  them :  Hulda,  the  wife 
of  Albert  Marth;  Elsie,  the  wife  of  William 
Marth;  and  Harry,  a  student  in  the  high 
school  at  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Schoel  has  never 
taken  much  interest  in  general  politics  but  is 
always  ready  to  do  his  duty  as  a  good  citizen  in 
neighborhood  affairs.  The  family  is  one  that 
is  held  in  friendly  regard  all  through  this 
section. 


BERNHARD  EWOLDT,  one  of  the  Hall 
County's  reliable,  substantial  citizens,  is  a  mem- 
ber of  an  old  pioneer  family  that  has  had  much 
to  do  with  the  material  development  of  the 
county.  From  the  beginning  the  family  has 
been  an  agricultural  one  and  some  of  the  finest 
farms  in  this  section  of  the  county  are  held  in 
this  old  and  respected  name. 

Bernhard  Ewoldt  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  April  25,  1863.  His  parents  were 
Cay  and  Elizabeth  (Stuben)  Ewoldt,  the 
former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Germany  in 
1831  and  the  latter  in  1841.  The  father  em- 
igrated to  the  United  States  in  1854  and 
came  as  far  west  from  the  Atlantic  seaboard 
as  Davenport,  Iowa,  where  he  found  employ- 
ment and  remained  until  July  4,  1857,  before 
coming  to  Hall  County.  Within  a  short  time 
he  took  up  a  pre-emption  claim  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  which  was  but  the  beginning 
of  his  large  fortune  in  land,  for  through  hard 
work  and  wise  management  he  kept  adding 


one  tract  of  land  to  another  as  he  recognized 
a  good  investment,  and  when  he  passed  away 
on  November  1,  1913,  he  left  an  estate  of 
four  hundred  and  sixty  acres  highly  improved. 
He  was  a  sober,  industrious,  honest  man  and 
was  highly  thought  of  in  his  neighborhood. 
The  mother  of  Mr.  Ewoldt  came  to  Hall 
County  with  her  parents  at  an  early  day  also 
and  she  survived  until  August  30,  1915.  Of 
the  eleven  children  bom  to  his  parents,  Bern- 
hard  was  the  oldest,  the  others  being:  Cecelia, 
deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Henry  Wiese; 
Henry,  who  lives  at  Alda,  Nebraska;  Minnie, 
the  wife  of  Carl  Stoltenberg,  Cairo,  Nebraska; 
Julius  a  general  farmer  in  Hall  County ; 
Amelia,  the  wife  of  August  Becker,  of  Wash- 
ington township.  Hall  County ;  Clara,  the  wife 
of  August  Schimmer;  Herman,  a  farmer  in 
Hall  County;  and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 

Bernhard  Ewoldt  attended  the  country 
schools  when  a  boy  and  began  to  assist  his  , 
father  very  early.  Farming  has  been  his  busi- 
ness all  his  life  and  the  appearance  of  his 
well  improved  farm  of  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen acres  gives  testimony  that  he  is  careful 
and  competent  in  his  work.  He  carries  on  a 
general  farming  line  and  raises  stock  for  his 
own  use. 

On  March  9,  1889,  Mr.  Ewoldt  married 
Miss  Laura  Matthiesen,  and  they  have  five 
children:  Arthur,  Linda,  Albert,  Emil  and 
Eddie.  All  the  sons  are  now  at  home  although 
two  of  them  were  in  military  service  during 
the  World  War,  Albert  being  with  the  Ameri- 
can Expeditionary  Force  in  France,  and  Eddie 
in  training  at  Camp  Funston.  They  are  all 
fine  young  men  who  are  a  credit  to  the  family 
and  county. 


WILLIAM  WRAGE.  — Hall  County  has 
an  unusually  large  proportion  of  well  de- 
veloped, finely,  improved  farms,  indicating  that 
the  business  of  farming  is  carried  on  here  by 
men  who  have  made  a  study  of  agriculture 
and  take  a  deep  interest  in  their  vocation. 
One  of  the  successful  farmers  of  this  county 
is  William  Wrage,  who  bears  a  fine  old  pioneer 
name  that  has  been  held  in  respect  here  for 
over  sixty  years. 

William  Wrage  was  bom  in  Hall  County, 
September  18,  1863.  His  parents  were  Hans 
and  Abirline  (Stoltenberg)  Wrage,  both  na- 
tives of  Germany  and  were  young  people  when 
the  came  to  the  United  States,  the  father  in 
1857  and  the  mother  about  1861.  They  were 
married  after  coming  to  Hall  County,  and  be- 
came the  parents  of  the  following  children: 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


835 


William,  who  has  spent  his  li  fe  in  Hall 
County;  Frederick  and  Hammond,  both  of 
whom  died  in  infancy;  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Claus  Tagge,  of  Prairie  Creek,  Nebraska ;  and 
Emily,  who  lives  with  her  brother  William. 
Hans  Wrage  came  to  Hall  County  in  1857  with 
the  large  German  colony  that  settled  here  at 
that  time,  and  like  the  majority  of  them,  was 
pessessed  of  little  money.  He  was  equipped 
with  a  good  trade,  however,  and  after  he  had 
secured  a  pre-emption  claim  and  a  tract  of 
railroad  land,  he  worked  for  his  neighbors  as  a 
carpenter,  not  only  putting  up  houses  for  them 
but  cutting  logs  with  which  to  build.  All  the 
first  houses  were  built  of  logs,  frame  houses 
were  not  erected  until  a  sawmill  was  put  in 
operation  some  time  later.  He  was  honest 
and  industrious  all  his  life  and  acquired  two 
hundred  acres  of  land  which  he  greatly  im- 
proved. He  became  well  known  in  the  county 
and  was  highly  respected.  Mrs.  Wrage  died 
when  forty-seven  years  old,  the  father  sur- 
vived until  the  age  of  sixty-two  years. 

William  Wrage  was  reared  on  the  home 
farm  and  began  farm  work  while  yet  a  young 
boy,  taking  responsibility  when  his  father  was 
engaged  in  carpenter  work.  He  obtained  his 
education  in  the  country  schools  and  was 
twenty-five  years  old  before  he  started  out  to 
farm  for  himself  and  has  never  desired  to 
change  his  vocation.  He  now  owns  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  fine  land  on  which  the  improve- 
ments are  modem  and  substantial,  and  carries 
on  a  general  farming  line  according  to  methods 
which  he  has  proved  to  be  most  profitable. 

On  June  12,  1889,  Mr.  Wrage  married  Miss 
Annie  Arp,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  and 
the  following  children  have  been  born  to  them : 
Hermiene,  the  wife  of  Gustave  Baasch,  of 
Alda  township.  Hall  County ;  Alvin,  who  lives 
at  home;  Arnold,  who  assists  his  father;. 
Max,  who  was  a  soldier  in  the  Amer- 
ican Expeditionary  Force  in  Europe,  now  at 
home;  and  Ebiline,  Linda,  Hulda  and  Alvia, 
all  of  whom  reside  with  their  parents.  Mr. 
Wrage  is  a  good  citizen,  always  interested  in 
township  matters,  such  as  schools  and  good 
roads,  but  he  has  never  been  willing  to  accept 
public  office  and  has  kept  out  of  politics. 

CONRAD  LASSEN,  a  leading  farmer, 
highly  respected  citizen  and  trustworthy  public 
official  of  his  township,  is  a  representative  of 
a  family  that  was  established  at  an  early  day  in 
Hall  County,  and  ever  since  its  members  have 
been  prosperous  and  self  respecting  citizens  of 
their  various  communities,  sound,  reliable 
people. 


Conrad  Lassen  was  born  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  December  20,  1863.  He  is  one  of  a 
family  of  fourteen  children  born  to  John  and 
Catherine  (Heuricks)  Lassen.  The  father  was 
born  in  Germany  in  1823  and  the  mother  in 
1833.  They  came  to  the  United  States  in  1855, 
landing  at  the  port  of  New  Orleans.  They 
then  came  up  the  Mississippi  river  as  far  as 
Davenport,  Iowa,  where  the  father  worked  at 
the  brickmason  trade  until  1864,  when  he  de- 
cided to  locate  in  Nebraska  and  secure  land 
on  which  his  large  family  of  children  would 
have  a  chance  to  develop.  He  came  into  Hall 
County  driving  a  team  of  oxen.  Here  he 
homesteaded  and  later  bought  some  good  land 
and  in  the  course  of  years  acquired  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres.  With  the  help  of  his 
sons  he  improved  his  land  and  was  permitted 
to  live  long  enough  to  enjoy  the  comforts  won 
by  his  industry.  Of  his  children,  Conrad  was 
the  sixth  born,  the  others  being  as  follows: 
Margaret,  the  wife  of  Hans  Obermiller,  of 
Farwell,  Nebraska;  Anna,  the  wife  of  Aleck 
Shoemaker,  a  native  of  Canada;  Mary,  de- 
ceased, was  the  wife  of  Dirk  Schweiger,  of 
Grand  Island ;  John,  who  lives  in  Canada ; 
Katie,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of  Claus  Clau- 
sen, of  Grand  Island;  Hannah,  the  wife  of 
Dedloff  Mathiesen,  Halt  County ;  Sherman, 
who  lives  in  Washington  township,  Hall  Coun- 
ty ;  Agatha,  the  wife  of  Hans  Pahl ; 
Dora,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten 
years;  Lydia,  married  Jake  Wright;  Harry 
who  lives  in  Canada;  Eveline,  who  is 
the  wife  of  John  Bushman,  of  Grand  Island; 
and  a  child  that  died  in  infancy. 

Conrad  Lassen  began  to  make  himself  use- 
ful on  the  farm  in  boyhood.  As  opportunity 
offered  he  attended  the  country  schools,  but  his 
time  was  mainly  taken  up  in  assisting  his 
father.  In  1885  he  established  himself  on  a 
farm  and  through  hard  work  and  business  pru- 
dence, finally  became  the  owner  of  three  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  which  he  placed  under 
cultivation  and  has  substantially  improved.  Mr. 
Lassen  carries  on  a  general  line  of  farm  pro- 
duction and  is  classed  with  the  best  agricul- 
turists of  the  county.  He  is  a  self  made  man, 
having  accumulated  his  comfortable  fortune 
through  his  own  efforts. 

In  1885  Mr.  Lassen  married  Miss  Ida  Roby, 
sister  of  Gustav  Roby,  who  belongs  to  a  promi- 
"nent  old  Hall  County  family,  and  they  have 
two  children,  Dora  and  Nancy.  Dora  was 
married  first  to  Rudolph  Wemer  and  after  his 
death  she  became  the  wife  of  Paul  Schweiger. 
Nancy  is  the  wife  of  Hanney  Lindaman,  of 
Grand  Island.    Mr.  Lassen  and  his  family  be- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


837 


long  to  the  Lutheran  church.  Although  inde- 
pendent in  politics,  his  personal  popularity 
has  been  shown  by  his  election  to  important 
offices.  In  1906  he  was  elected  to  member- 
ship on  the  county  board  and  served  two  terms, 
at  times  being  chairman  of  the  board,  and 
recently  has  been  again  elected  and  is  serving 
on  the  board  with  his  accustomed  efficiency. 
He  has  served  as  president  of  the  Platts- 
deutchen  society  at  Grand  Island. 


GUSTAV  ROBY.  — The  farming  interests 
of  Hall  County  are  in  safe  hands  as  long  as 
sound,  practical  men  like  Gustav  Roby  devote 
their  time  and  energies  to  their  development. 
From  ancient  times  agriculture  has  been  the 
most  important  of  all  industries,  and  as  the 
world  grows  older  and  more  populous  its  in- 
creasing importance  becomes  evident.  The 
Roby  family  has  been  an  agricultural  one  in 
the  main,  ever  since  its  founder  came  to  Hall 
County  in  pioneer  days.  A  leading  represen- 
tative, well  known  all  over  the  country,  is  found 
in  Gustav  Roby,  whose  two  hundred  acres  of 
land  lie  not   far  from  Grand  Island. 

Gustav  Roby  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
April  14,  1865.  His  parents  were  Frederick 
and  Johanna  (LUlienthal)  Roby,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Germany.  They  came 
to  the  United  States  in  1861,  finding  this 
country  then  in  the  throes  of  civil  war.  They 
were  humble,  peaceful  people  in  search  of 
better  living  conditions  than  their  own  land 
had  afforded  them,  and  as  quickly  as  their 
resources  permitted,  made  their  way  as  far 
west  as  Davenport,  Iowa.  They  were  not 
satisfied  there,  however,  as  farm  land  was  the 
desire  of  their  hearts,  and  two  years  later 
found  them  in  Hall  County,  ready  to  claim  a 
homestead.  It  is  told  in  the  family  of  the 
father  that  when  they  came  here,  the  expendi- 
ture of  ninety-five  cents  for  the  purchase  of 
a  mesquito  net. was  a  serious  drain  on  his 
capital,  but  before  he  died  his  signature  at  any 
bank  would  have  been  gladly  honored,  for  he 
owned  a  thousand  acres  of  land.  To  his  origi- 
nal homestead  he  added  tract  after  tract  of 
land  and  went  into  the  stock  business,  proving 
to  be  a  fine  man  of  business  when  he  had 
sufficient  opportunity.  Of  the  eight  children 
born  to  Frederick  Roby  and  his  wife,  the  fol- 
lowing are  living:  Gustav,  who  lives  in  Hall 
County ;  Dora,  who  is  the  wife  of  HenryStolt- 
enberg,  formerly  of  Hall  County,  now  of  Mer- 
rick County;  Arthur,  who  lives  on  the  old 
home  place  in  section  eight,  Washington  town- 


ship; and  John,  proprietor  of  Harmony  Hall, 
at  Harmony,  in  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 

Gustav  Roby  grew  to  manhood  on  the  old 
homestead  in  Washington  township  and  at- 
tended the  country  schools.  It  has  been  thirty 
years  since  he  started  out  as  a  farmer  on  his 
own  account  and  all  these  years  have  been 
busy  ones.  Thirty  years  ago  the  farmer  knew 
less  about  soils  than  he  does  now  and  fewer 
types  of  farm  machinery  were  on  the  market, 
yet  Mr.  Roby  found  profit  .in  his  farm  under- 
takings, although,  perhaps,  he  had  to  labor 
harder  than  now.  He  is  a  man  of  progressive 
ideas  and  has  his  land  well  improved  and  well 
stocked.  The  buildings  which  give  a  substan- 
tial appearance  to  his  place  were  all  erected  by 
him,  and  all  the  other  improvements  are.  the 
work  of  his  hands.  His  two  hundred  acres 
are  carefully  cultivated  and  his  annual  yield 
is  very  satisfactory. 

On  March  13,  1889,  Mr.  Roby  married  Miss 
Catherine  Schroeder,,  bom  in  Germany,  who 
came  to  the  United  States  when  nineteen  years 
old,  whose  people  came  to  Hall  County  in 
1881.  To  this  marriage  the  following  children 
have  been  born :  John,  who  lives  with  his  own 
family  in  Center  township.  Hall  County; 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Alfred  Werner,  lives  at 
Doniphan;  Bernhardt,  who  lives  with  his 
family  in  Washington  township;  Linda,  at 
home;  Johanna,  the  wife  of  Emil  Lucht,  of 
Cairo,  Nebraska ;  and  Ida,  Daniel  and  Irma, 
all  of  whom  live  at  home.  Mr.  Roby  is  a  good 
citizen  and  is  interested  in  everything  that 
promises  to  benefit  Hall  County,  but  he  is 
not  active  in  politics  and  belongs  to  no  political 
party.  He  decides  public  questions  for  him- 
self and  votes  according  to  his  own  judgment. 


FRANK  EWOLDT,  a  well  known  resident 
and  highly  respected  farmer  of  Center  town- 
ship, is  operating  the  old  homestead  that  his 
father  secured  in  1870,  where  he  was  born, 
November  23,  1876,  the  son  of  Claus  and  Dora 
(Schroeder)    Ewoldt. 

The  father  of  Frank  Ewoldt  was  born  in 
Germany,  eight  miles  from  Kiel,  March  5, 
1837,  a  son  of  Paul  Ewoldt.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1864  and  lived  in  Davenport, 
Iowa,  until  1870,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County 
soon  buying  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
land,  subsequently  he  added  to  this  until  at  the 
time  of  his  death  he  owned  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  all  of  it  having  been  improved 
through  his  own  industry.  He  retired  in  1909 
and   bought    four  lots  and   a   spacious   resi- 


v  Google 


HISTORY  OB  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


dence  in  Grand  Island  where  he  passed  his 
last  years  in  great  comfort.  His  death  occurred 
July  31,  1917.  He  frequently  told  his  children 
of  his  first  coming  to  Hall  County  and  of  driv- 
ing back  to  Iowa  with  his  span  of  mules,  and 
when  he  returned  to  take  up  his  permanent 
residence,  a  railroad  had  been  built.  In  early 
time  he  hauled  his  grain  to  market  at  Fort 
Kearny.  In  1868  he  married  Dora  Schroeder, 
a  native  of  Germany  and  a  daughter  of  Fred- 
erick and  Margaret  (Stroben)  Schroeder,  and 
the  following  children  were  born  to  them: 
Augusta,  who  is  deceased;  Elizabeth,  the  wife 
of  Paul  Mohr,  of  Montana;  Frederick,  who  is 
deceased ;  Dora  the  wife  of  Ernest  Matthiesen, 
of  Washington  township;  Frank,  who  is  a 
farmer  in  Hall  County;  Mate,  the  wife  of 
Frank  Schwieger ;  Paul,  who  is  deceased ; 
Mary,  the  wife  of  William  Otis,  died  in  Texas 
leaving  four  children,  three  boys  and  a  girl, 
also  three  others  who  died  in  infancy. ;  Will- 
iam, who  is  deceased ;  and  Frieda,  the  wife  of 
Fred  Dreibus,  of  Grand  Island.  The  mother 
resides  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dreibus. 

Since  boyhood  Frank  Ewoldt  has  been  inter- 
ested in  farm  pursuits.  In  1901  he  rented  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  and  operated 
that  until  he  took  charge  of  the  old  homestead, 
which  he  rents  and  conducts  very  successfully. 
In  1901  he  married  Miss  Daisy  Graham,  and 
they  have  had  four  children,  the  only  survivor 
being  Frank,  a  manly  youth  of  fourteen  years 
who  is  attending  school.  The  Ewoldts  are  all 
prominent  and  substantial  people,  making  no 
particular  display  but  possessing  solid  qualities. 


AUGUST  SCHOEL,  a  member  of  a  very 
prominent  family  in  Hall  County,  which  lo- 
cated here  in  an  early  day  and  has  always  been 
respected  and  esteemed,  is  a  successful  farmer 
and  stockraiser  in  Center  township.  His  par- 
ents were  Henry  and  Mary  (Becker)  Schoel, 
natives  of  Germany,  who  after  coming  to  the 
United  States  lived  for  a  short  time  in  Iowa. 
In  1857  they  came  farther  west  to  Hall  County 
where  Henry  Schoel  homesteaded  near  Grand 
Island.  They  had  four  sons,  all  of  whom  are 
farmers  in  Hall  County:  Charles,  northeast 
of  Grand  Island ;  Fred,  on  the  old  homestead ; 
William,  near  Alda;  and  August,  on  section 
thirty-two  Center  township. 

August  Schoel  began  to  assist  his  father  on 
the  farm  when  he  was  a  schoolboy,  for  in  those 
days,  when  there  was  little  labor  saving  ma- 
chinery to  be  procured,  the  industry  of  all 
hands  was  needed.  Mr.  Schoel,  like  other 
members  of  his  family,  is  in  independent  cir- 


cumstances, owning  a  finely  improved   farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres. 

On  March  12,  1899,  Mr.  Schoel  married 
Miss  Emma  Luth,  a  daughter  of  Fred  and 
Minnie  Luth,  who  reside  in  Hall  County, 
southwest  of  Alda.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Schoel  have 
an  adopted  son,  Charles  Schoel,  now  aged 
nine  years,  who  has  found  a  good  home  and 
kind  foster  parents. 


JOHN  THOMSSEN,  a  representative  citi- 
zen of  Hall  County,  having  large  business 
interests  and  at  times  having  served  in  offices 
of  trust  and  responsibility,  belongs  to  one  of 
the  real  pioneer  families  of  this  section.  His 
father  settled  here  in  1855  or  1856,  when  the 
entire  county  was  practically  a  wilderness. 

John  Thomssen  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
May  6,  1870,  thej  son  of  John  and  Anna 
(Stehr)  Thomssen,  natives  of  Holstein,  Ger- 
many. Both  came  young  to  the  United  States, 
the  father  in  1860  and  the  mother  in  1857.  Of 
their  five  children,  John  was  the  youngest, 
the  others  being:  Henry,  who  died  when 
about  forty-seven  years  old ;  William,  a  farmer 
in  Hall  County;  Fred,  who  lives  in  Hall 
County;  and  Emma,  the  wife  of  John  Scholtz. 
The  parents  were  people  of  industry  and  thrift 
and  uncomplainingly  endured  the  many  hard- 
ships that  pertained  to  pioneer  life.  The 
father  took  up  a  homestead  and  kept  adding 
to  his  original  farm  until,  at  the  time  of  his 
death,  he  owned  eight  hundred  and  forty  acres 
of  finely  improved  land.  While  he  was  well 
known  as  a  shrewd  and  careful  business  man, 
he  was  also  known  as  a  man  whose  word  was 
as  good  as  his  bond.  His  mother  is  still  living 
in  Alda  at  the  age  of  eighty-four,  one  of  the 
four  surviving  wohien  of  the  original  thirteen 
in  the  colony  that  settled  here  in  1857. 

John  Thomssen  attended  the  country  schools 
and  grew  up  on  the  old  homestead  where  he 
afterward  engaged  in  fanning.  In  1895  he 
was  called  from  the  farm  to  public  office,  hav- 
ing been  appointed  deputy  county  treasurer, 
in  which  position  he  served  four  years,  when 
he  was  elected  county  treasurer  and  continued 
to  engage  in  public  business  for  two  years 
longer.  When  he  retired  from  the  treasurer's 
office  he  returned  to  the  farm  and  interested 
himself  for  the  following  seven  years  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits.  In  the  meanwhile,  however, 
he  made  plans  to  enter  business  in  Alda,  and 
in  1909,  when  he  had  perfected  them  he 
founded  the  Alda  State  Bank,  since  which 
time  he  has  given  his  attention  to  financial 
affairs  entirely.     The  working  capital  of  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


839 


bank  is  ample,  capital  stock  being  $12,000 
with  surplus  $8,000.  The  establishing  of  this 
bank  filled  a  definite  need  and  its  affairs  are 
well  managed  by  Mr.  Thomssen  and  his  asso- 
ciates, who  command  public  confidence. 

Mr.  Thomssen  married  Miss  Christina  Glt- 
mann,  who  was  born  in  Hall  County,  a  daugh- 
ter of  John  Oltmann,  an  old  settler  in  this  sec- 
tion. Mr.  and  Mrs.  Thomssen  have  three  sons : 
Eli,  Emil  and  Arthur,  aged  respectively  eleven, 
nine  and  five  years.  The  family  attends  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Thomssen 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity 
for  many  years  and  belongs  also  to  the  order 
of  Highlanders. 


EDWIN  F.  NEWTON.  — Each  passing 
year  marks  the  thinning  of  the  ranks  of  the 
pioneers  of  Hall  County,  who  journeyed  here 
in  covered  wagons  to  live  in  sod  houses  while 
the  first  hard  years  of  preparation  and  culti- 
vation were  being  passed.  Real  interest  at- 
taches to  the  careers  of  these  venerable  men, 
for  they  were  the  forerunners  of  the  civiliza- 
tion that  has  since  been  brought  about ;  theirs 
was  the  first  work  of  development,  which  had 
to  be  done  before  Hall  could  take  its  place 
among  the  fertile,  productive  agricultural 
counties  of  the  West.  While  he  was  not  among 
the  earliest  settlers,  Edwin  F.  Newton  shared 
in  the  hardships,  and  passed  through  the  same 
discouragements  that  beset  those  who  first 
located.  His  arrival  in  Hall  County  was  in 
1887,  but  his  early  years  here  were  attended 
by  all  the  experiences  that  made  life  for  the 
pioneers  at  the  same  time  strenuous  and  inter- 
esting. 

Mr.  Newton  was  born  November  26,  1849, 
in  Painesville,  Ohio,  a  son  of  Nathan  B.  and 
Margaret  Newton,  the  former  born  in  Ohio, 
August  29,  1819,  and  the  latter  in  the  same 
state,  December  29,  1822.  Following  their 
marriage,  the  parents  removed  to  Illinois,  and 
subsequently  to  Seward  County,  Nebraska, 
where  the  wife  and  mother  passed  away  in 
1887.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  drove  from  Illi- 
nois to  Nebraska  in  a  covered  wagon.  They 
lived  in  Seward  County  during  the  grasshop- 
per scourge.  In  that  year  Nathan  B.  Newton 
came  to  Hall  County,  but  after  a  short  resi- 
dence remoVed  to  Iowa,  where  his  death  oc- 
curred in  1894,  when  he  had  reached  the  ripe 
age  of  seventy-five  years.  In  his  younger 
years  he  had  followed  the  life  of  a  sailor  but 
after  leaving  the  sea  learned  the  trade  of  a 
brick  mason,  but  in  later  life  took  up  farming 
a  vocation  in  which  he  won  a  measure  of  suc- 


cess by  reason  of  his  industry,  while  at  the 
same  time  he  attained  and  held  the  friendship 
and  esteem  of  those  with  whom  he  came  into 
contact. 

Edwin  F.  Newton  was  educated  in  the  pub- 
lic schools  and  grew  to  manhood  as  a  farmer's 
son.  He  married  in  Wisconsin,  in  1872,  Miss 
Melissa  Robbins  who  was  born  in  Jo  Daviess 
County,  Illinois,  June  27,  1855,  a  daughter  of 
Welcome  and  Mahala  (Willits)  Robbins.  Mr. 
Robbins,  who  was  a  miner  in  Illinois,  died  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years  in  that  state,  while 
Mrs.  Robbins  passed  away  at  the  age  of  sixty- 
four  years.  Following  their  union,  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Newton  resided  in  Seward  County,  Ne- 
braska, and  were  engaged  in  farming  until 
1887,  at  which  time  they  took  up  their  resi- 
dence in  a  sod  house,  or  "soddy."  For  several 
years  they  resided  thus,  while  Mr.  Newton  was 
engaged  in  doing  preliminary  work  on  his 
eighty  acre  tract,  but  eventually  the  little  struc- 
ture that  they  had  known  as  home  was  re- 
placed by  a  more  pretentious  residence,  and 
this  later  also  gave  way  to  a  comfortable  dwel- 
ling, with  which  were  made  other  improve- 
ments, both  as  to  structures  and  machinery. 
The  farm  is  now  a  model  one  and  during  his 
active  years  Mr.  Newton  cultivated  the  soil 
in  a  manner  that  made  it  highly  productive. 
He  died  December  23,  1918,  and  the  farm  is 
now  operated  by  his  son.  Mr.  Newton  is  a 
Democratic  voter  and  a  member  of  the  Modern 
Brotherhod  of  America. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Newton  have  been  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children ;  Alice,  now  Mrs.  Beer- 
up  of  Garden  County,  Nebraska ;  Minnie,  now 
Mrs.  Rickard  of  Hall  County;  Leon,  now 
Mrs.  Siebers  of  Chappel,  Nebraska;  Mabel, 
now  Mrs.  Searson,  of  Hall  County;  Charles, 
who  resides  at  home  and  operates  the  farm ; 
Jessie,  who  is  deceased;  and  Macyl,  Mrs. 
Hammond,  of  Davenport,  Iowa. 


JASPER  EGGERS.  — Some  men  are  des- 
tined never  to  leave  the  ordinary  paths  of  life, 
but  in  pursuing  simple  and  homely  duties 
along  them  to  accomplish  as  much  perhaps  as 
those  whose  responsibilities  carry  them  into 
larger  fields.  One  of  the  men  who  for  years 
worked  faithfully  and  well  as  a  farmer  and  did 
much  to  raise  agricultural  standards  in  Hall 
County,  is  Jasper  Eggers,  who  is  now  living 
in  comfortable  retirement  in  his  home  in 
Grand  Island. 

Mr.  Eggers  was  born  in  Holstein,  Germany, 
July  24,  1848,  a  son  of  Jasper  Eggers,  a  gen- 
eral farmer  who  never  left  that  country.   Mr. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


§41 


Eggers's  mother,  who  died  when  he  was  two 
years  old,  was,  prior  to  her  union  with  his 
father,  a  Miss  Behrens.  Educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  native  land,  M.r.  Eggers  had 
just  passed  his  majority  when  he  set  sail  for 
the  United  States.  His  first  location  was  in 
Davenport,  Iowa,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm 
for  three  years,  but  in  1872  came  to  Hatl 
County  and  homesteaded  eighty  acres  in 
Harrison  township.  To  this  he  later 
added  by  purchase  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  and  still  owns  this  tract  of 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  all  under  a  splen- 
'  did  state  of  cultivation  and  with  permanent 
and  modern  improvements  installed  by  him. 
He  now  has  his  farm  rented  and  is  living  re- 
tired in  his  home  at  721  West  Louisa  street, 
Grand  Island.  Mr.  Eggers  was  a  most  in- 
dustrious and  painstaking  agriculturist,  won 
his  success  solely  through  individual  effort, 
and  at  the  same  time  obtained  and  held  the 
esteem  and  confidence  of  those  with  whom  he 
came  in  contact. 

Mr.  Eggers  was  united  in  marriage  with 
Miss  Lena  Vitt,  a  native  of  Germany,  where 
her  parents  were  also  born.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Eggers  have  had  no  children.  Mrs.  Eggers  died 
and  in  1912  Mr.  Eggers  married  Christine 
Oltmann,  a  native  of  Schleswig-Holstein  who 
came  to  America  when  twenty-five  years  of 
age.  They  are  faithful  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  In  past  years  Mr.  Eggers 
has  been  a  Democrat,  but  is  inclining  toward 
the  socialist  ticket. 


EARL  A.  MECHAM.  —  Many  of  the  sub- 
stantial and  rapidly  progressing  agriculturists 
of  Hall  County  are  those  who  either  own  or 
are  carrying  on  operations  on  the  homesteads 
taken  up  and  formerly  operated  by  their  fath- 
ers, and  in  this  class  is  found  Earl  A.  Mecham, 
of  Center  township.  He  has  been  a  resident 
of  Hall  County  since  the  spring  of  1907,  and 
during  the  period  that  has  intervened  has 
made  rapid  strides  toward  the  attainment  of 
success  and  high  standing. 

Earl  A.  Mecham  was  born  at  Kenesaw, 
Adams  County,  Nebraska,  June  30,  1884,  a 
son  of  Clinton  P.  Mecham,  a  sketch  of  whose 
career  will  be  found  on  another  page  of  this 
■work.  He  was  given  the  educational  training 
securable  in  the  public  schools  of  Adams 
County,  then  attended  the  agricultural  school 
of  the  University  of  Nebraska  at  Lincoln  from 
which  he  graduated.  He  was  brought  up  as 
a  farmer's  son,  his  boyhood  and  youth  being 
passed  in  assisting  his  father  in  the  work  of 
the  home  place.     Mr.  Mecham  came  to  Hall 


County  in  the  spring  of  1907,  and  since  that 
time  has  been  engaged  in  general  farming,  at 
present  being  engaged  in  tilling  one  hundred 
and  twenty  acres  of  land  belonging  to  his 
father,  in  section  7,  Center  township.  Like 
other  progressive  men  of  his  calling,  Mr. 
Mecham  uses  modern  methods.  The  funda- 
mental industry  of  farming  is  becoming  gen- 
erally recognized  as  being  so  important  as  to 
loom  up  large  among  other  vocations  of  the 
world,  and  not  only  are  all  the  leading  colleges 
and  universities  including  agricultural  depart- 
ments in  their  courses  of  study,  but  there  are 
numerous  educational  institutions  practically 
devoted  to  agriculture  alone.  The  government 
of  each  state,  following  the  policy;  of  the 
national  government,  is  giving  attention  to  the 
encouragement  of  farmers,  and  the  men  who 
till  the  soil  are  feeling  the  effect  of  this  uni- 
versal impetus  and  working  accordingly.  With 
such  examples,  Mr.  Mecham  feels  secure  in 
the  advisability  and  wisdom  of  using  the  most 
modem  methods  and  machinery,  and  the  re- 
sults that  he  is  obtaining  from  such  a  course 
substantiate  his  faith.  Mr.  Mecham  takes  an 
independent  stand  in  regard  to  political  ques- 
tions, but  is  a  supporter  of  good  movements 
which  benefit  his  community.  The  family  be- 
longs to  the  Methodist  church  at  Alda. 

Mr.  Mecham  married  in  Hastings,  Ne- 
braska, November  27,  1907,  Nettie  Ball,  who 
was  bom  in  Adams  County,  September  26, 
1886,  a  daughter  of  Daniel  and  Laura  Ball, 
who  are  now  residents  of  Hastings.  Mr.  Ball 
was  bom  in  1854,  at  Richmond,  Wayne 
County,  Indiana,  and  up  to  the  time  of  his 
retirement  was  an  educator,  teaching  in  schools 
at  various  places  in  the  country,  but  prin- 
cipally at  Kenesaw  and  Hastings,  Nebraska. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mecham  are  the  parents  of 
four  children :  Marion,  who  was  born  in 
1911;  Florence,  who  was  bom  in  1914;  La- 
vonne,  who  was  bom  in  1915,  and  Lucile,  who 
was  born  in  1917. 


JOHN  W.  DANGLER  has  been  a  resident 
of  Hall  County  since  1906.  Mr.  Dangler 
belongs  to  the  progressive  class  of  men  who 
are  always  eager  to  improve  their  properties 
according  to  the  latest  improved  standards. 
In  answer  to  his  efforts  the  soil  of  this  sec- 
tion makes  quick  response.  He  has  net  only 
been  successful  and  progressive  in  his  personal 
affairs,  but  as  a  citizen  has  been  quick  to  sup- 
port movements  which  are  calculated  to  benefit 
his  locality. 

John  W.  Dangler  was  bom  in  Logan 
County,  Illinois,  August  26,  1867,  a  son  of 


842 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Daniel  and  Martha  (Quisenberry)  Dangler. 
The  father  was  born  in  Ohio,  November  30, 
1843.  As  a  young  man  he  went  to  Logan 
County,  Illinois,  where  he  married  a  native 
of  that  county  and  settled  down  to  a  career 
in  farming.  After  many  years  passed  there, 
in  1882  he  came  to  Hamilton  County  and  pur- 
chased a  quarter- sect  ion  of  land.  On  this  he 
followed  farming  until  his  retirement,  since 
which  event  he  has  been  making  his  home  with 
his  son.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dangler  were  the  par- 
ents of  three  children :  John  W. ;  Anna,  who 
resides  at  Fall  City,  Nebraska,  and  Belle,  who 
is  married  and  a  resident  of  Newton,  Iowa. 

John  W.  Dangler  was  educated  in  the  public 
schools  of  Logan  County,  Illinois,  where  he 
grew  to  manhood  and  engaged  in  farming. 
He  was  still  a  young  man  when  he  removed 
to  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  and  settled 
down  to  a  career  as  a  general  farmer.  For 
the  business  of  farming  he  was  singularly 
fitted  by,  nature,  training  and  inclination. 
After  several  years  in  Hamilton  County  he 
bought  land  in  Hall  County,  but  did  not  move 
here  until  1906,  in  which  year  he  settled  in 
section  10,  Wood  River  township,  where  he 
has  since  made  his  home.  At  this  time  he  is 
the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres 
of  valuable,  productive  and  highly  cultivated 
land,  where  he  raises  the  standard  crops  and 
also  engages  in  stockraising  to  some  extent. 
He  has  a  commodious  and  comfortable  home, 
attractive  and  substantial  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings and  other  modern  improvements.  The 
general  air  of  prosperity  which  surrounds  his 
farm  testifies  to  his  good  management. 

Mr.  Dangler  married  in  Hamilton  County, 
Nebraska,  December  26,  1900,  Miss  Etta 
Davison,  born  in  Hall  County,  September  11, 
1881.  They  are  the  parents  of  several  chil- 
dren :  Blanche  E.,  Ethel  M.,  Percy  A.,  Leonard 
A.  and  Thelma  O.  For  a  sketch  of  the  par- 
ents of  Mrs.  Davison,  the  reader  is  referred 
to  the  review  of  Henry  Davison,  to  be  found 
on  another  page  of  this  work.  Mr.  Dangler 
is  a  Republican  in  his  political  affiliation.  A 
man  who  has  never  spared  himself  in  working 
ahead,  keen  to  embrace  every  opportunity,  and 
able  to  plan  good  business  combinations,  he  is 
one  of  the  capable  men  of  the  Wood  River 
Valley.  He  holds  and  merits  the  confidence 
of  his  associates.  He  and  Mrs.  Dangler  are 
consistent  members  of  the  Methodist  church. 


EBER  PAULK.— Hall  County  land  has 
proved  an  excellent  investment  of  both  time 
and  money,  and  those  foresighted  enough  to 
secure  farms  before  prices  increased  to  their 


present  quotations  have  been  able  to  acquire 
a  competence  commensurate  with  their  labors. 
One  or  those  in  the  past  whose  good  judg- 
ment in  securing  a  location  made  it  possible 
for  him  to  pass  his  declining  years  in  the  midst 
of  advantages  and  comfortable  surroundings 
and  left  his  family  in  excellent  financial  cir- 
cumstances was  the  late  Eber  Paulk.  His 
death  occurred  at  his  home  in  Wood  River 
township  April  20,  1919. 

Eber  Paulk  was  born  June  20,  1849,  in 
Athens  County,  Ohio,  the  son  of  Venus  and 
Elizabeth  (Balcom)  Paulk,  natives  of  Ohio 
who  followed  general  farming  all  their  lives 
in  the  Buckeye  state.  Eber  Paulk  received  a 
public  school  education  in  Ohio  and  was 
reared  on  the  home  farm,  where  he  assisted 
his  father  until  the  time  of  his  marriage,  when 
he  located  on  another  farm  and  established 
a  home  of  his  own.  On  October  30,  1879,  he 
married  Miss  Lusy  Ann  Diff,  who  was  bom 
in  Woods  County,  West  Virginia,  May  11. 
1862.  She  was  the  daughter  of  John  and 
Elizabeth  (Ray)  Diff,  the  father  a  land  dealer 
of  West  Virginia.  Following  his  marriage, 
Mr.  Paulk  continued  to  make  his  home  in 
Virginia  until  1885,  in  which  year  he  came  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  and  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  seven  miles  north 
of  Wood  River,  where  he  lived  till  seventeen 
years  ago  when  he  bought  land  in  Wood  River 
township,  where  the  rest  of  his  life  was  passed 
in  the  peaceful  pursuits  of  tilling  the  soil  and 
reaping  the  harvests.  He  was  an  industrious 
and  persevering  man,  and  through  good  man- 
agement and  the  use  of  intelligence  in  his 
work  secured  a  good  farm  and  gained  himself 
a  position  of  security  in  the  confidence  of  the 
people  among  whom  his  days  were  passed.  He 
was  independent  in  his  political  views,  and  a 
member  of  the  Masonic  lodge. 

Mrs.  Paulk,  who  survives  her  husband,  is 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  the  home  place.  She  is  the  mother  of  seven 
children:  Clifton,  who  is  married  and  lives 
at  Pleasanton ;  Elizabeth  and  Jerome,  who  are 
married  and  live  in  Hall  County ;  Genevieve, 
who  is  married  and  lives  in  Grand  Island; 
Robert,  who  is  deceased;  Mamie,  who  lives 
at  home,  and  Edna,  who  is  married  and  lives 
in  Hall  County. 


LLOYD  M.  HOWE.  —  That  prosperity  has 
attended  the  efforts  of  many  of  Hall  Count)' 's 
agriculturists  is  not  due  to  any  happy  fortune 
or  chance  circumstances,  but  to  a  fortunate 
selection  of  location  and  persistent  and  intel- 
ligent working  of  the  land.     One  of  the  sub- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


843 


stantial  farmers  of  this  locality,  whose  pros- 
perity is  in  the  Wood  River  Valley,  where  he 
is  widely  known  for  his  progressiveness  and 
industry,  is  Lloyd  M.  Howe.  Mr.  Howe  has 
passed  his  entire  life  in  this  county,  being  born 
December  10,  1875,  a  son  of  Frank  E.  Howe, 
a  sketch  of  whose  career  appears  on  another 
page  of  this  book. 

Mr.  Howe  was  reared  on  the  home  farm  in 
Hall  County,  where  he  was  given  the  advan- 
lages  of  attendance  at  the  district  schools. 
Later  he  pursued  a  high  school  course  at 
Wood  River,  and  then  entered  the  Nebraska 
State  University,  but  after  one  year  gave  up 
his  college  work  and  became  a  railroad  mail 
clerk,  a  position  which  he  held  for  eight  years. 
He  purchased  his  first  land  with  his  earnings 
in  1904,  when  he  bought  a  tract  of  eighty 
acres,  which  he  has  since  increased  to  two 
hundred  and  eighty  acres.  In  addition  to  this 
he  is  farming  his  father's  land,  a  homestead. 
He  devotes  himself  principally  to  general 
farming.  He  made  a  success  of  his  operations 
as  a  breeder  of  pure-bred  stock.  The  greater 
part  of  the  improvements  now  on  the  land 
were  installed  by  Mr.  Howe,  who  not  only 
believes  in  modern  methods  of  procedure  but 
also  in  improved  appearances  and  whose  pro- 
gressive ideas  have  served  as  a  good  example 
to  others  in  his  community.  He  has  thereby 
contributed  to  the  general  welfare  of  the  com- 
munity. His  property  is  situated  in  section  17, 
Wood  River  township,  a  community  in  which 
Mr.  Howe  has  become  favorably  known  for 
his  public  spirit  and  good  citizenship  as  well 
as  for  the  honorable  manner  in  which  he  con- 
ducts his  transactions.  He  is  a  Republican 
in  his  political  creed,  and  has  served  as  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board  of  district  No.  8  for 
three  years. 

Mr.  Howe  married  Mary  E.  Behr,  daughter 
of  the  late  Henry  and  Marie  (Bohn)  Behr, 
natives  of  Germany,  the  latter  of  whom  makes 
her  home  at  Wood  River.  Two  children  have 
been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Howe :  Mary  and 
Anna. 


MRS.  CATHERINE  CURRY,  who  is  well 
known  in  Hall  County  and  is  one  of  the  most 
highly  esteemed  residents  of  Wood  River,  is 
the  widow  of  the  late  Owen  Curry,  who,  at 
the  time  of  his  death,  January  12,  1914,  was 
one  of  the  most  substantial  men  of  Hall 
County.  He  left  behind  him  a  fine  family  for 
whom  he  had  amply  provided,  a  large  circle 
of  friends  who  valued  him  highly,  and  a  record 
of  faithful  membership  in  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 


Mrs  Curry  was  born  at  Haverty,  April  26, 
1849,  in  Ireland.  Her  parents  were  John  and 
Ellen  Haverty,  of  county  Kilkenny,  Ireland, 
where  her  father  was  a  small  farmer.  Mrs. 
Curry  was  the  fifth  born  in  their  family  of 
eight  children,  the  others  being:  James,  John, 
Thomas,  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Quinn,  Patrick,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Spohn,  and  Michael.  In  1866  Mrs. 
Curry's  two  brothers,  James  and  John,  came 
to  the  United  States  and  settled  in  Hall 
County.  She  had  always  lived  in  her  home 
until  that  time  but  in  1867  her  brothers  in 
America  sent  for  her  and  she  came  directly  to 
their  home  in  Hall  County,  afterward  until 
her  marriage,  making  her  home  with  her 
brother  James.  The  first  money  she  ever 
earned  was  for  work  done  in  the  family  of 
F.  C.  Dodge,  in  Hall  County. 

On  August  20,  1871,  at  Wood  River,  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Owen  Curry,  who 
had  procured  the  license  in  Buffalo  County, 
his  being  one  of  the  first  two  licenses  issued, 
the  other  was  secured  by  County  Judge  Welsh. 
The  marriage  ceremony  was  performed  by 
Rev.  Father  Ryan,  who  lived  at  Columbus, 
Nebraska,  but  had  a  small  congregation  at 
Wood  River  that  he  visited  about  once  a 
month.  Mr.  Curry  was  also  of  Irish  extrac- 
tion and  was  one  of  a  family  of  five  children : 
Hugh,  James,  Peter,  Owen  and  Mrs.  Mary  A. 
Goodin.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curry  had  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  them,  as  follows:  James  P., 
who  is  deceased ;  Mary  E.,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Frank  O'Brien,  of  Portland,  Oregon ;  Theresa, 
who  was  graduated  as  a  trained  nurse  from 
a  convent  school  at  Council  Bluffs,  Iowa,  re- 
sides with  her  mother  when  not  professionally 
engaged ;  John,  who^  owns  a  farm  in  Hall 
County,  married  Grace  Supten,  and  they  have 
one  daughter;  Fannie,  the  wife  of  Millard 
Wickersham,  owns  a  farm  near  Wood  River 
and  they  have  a  son  and  a  daughter;  Delia, 
married  Arthur  Mattoone,  a  merchant  in  Port- 
land, Oregon,  and  they  have  two  sons;  Anna 
is  deceased,  and  Nellie,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Joseph  Knight,  a  fanner  near  Shelton,  and 
they  have  two  sons.  Mr.  Curry  was  a  kind 
and  generous  father  and  it  pleased  him  to  be 
able  to  make  his  children  comfortable  and  he 
provided  them  all  with  beautiful  homes  during- 
his  lifetime. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Curry 
moved  to  Willow  Island  and  Mr.  Curry  went 
to  work  for  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad  as 
section  foreman,  but  two  years  later  returned 
to  the  neighborhood  of  Wood  River.  He 
bought  two  hundred  and  eigthy  acres  of  rail- 
road land  and  in  addition  took  up  a  homestead 
of  eighty  acres  adjoining  it,  situated  five  miles 


844 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


west  of  Wood  River,  and  it  was  there  the 
family  lived  for  many  years.  They  did  not 
have  to  bear  many  of  the  hardships  that  their 
neighbors  had  to  endure  because  Mr.  Curry 
had  brought  considerable  capital  with  him  when 
he  came  here,  nevertheless  he  could  not  have 
accumulated  nine  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
rich  Wood  River  bottom  land,  now  worth  $150 
an  acre,  without  industry  and  frugality  in  the 
huosehold.  While  he  worked  hard  raising  corn 
and  stock  and  putting  his  surplus  money  into 
more  land  Mrs.  Curry  as  a  true  helpmate, 
worked  hard  and  the  marketing  of  her  butter, 
chickens  and  eggs  provided  necessities  and 
many  luxuries  beside.  Mrs.  Curry  owns  a 
beautiful  modern  residence  at  Wood  River  and 
a  large  body  of  land,  in  addition  having  a  gen- 
erous income,  a  part  of  which  she  expends  in 
charity.  She  is  a  devoted  member  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church  as  are  all  her  children. 


WILLIAM  J.  BURGER.—  Few  of  the  old- 
er residents  of  Doniphan  are  better  known  or 
more  highly  valued  as  good  and  upright  citi- 
zens, than  William  J.  Burger,  who  came  very 
early  to  Hall  County  and  for  years  has  been 
prominent  in  its  business  affairs.  While  Mr. 
Burger  has  been  mainly  interested  in  the  stock 
business,  he  has  been  successfully  connected 
with  other  lines,  since  1880,  when  he  assisted 
in  laying  out  the  town  of  Doniphan,  he  has 
resided  here  and  has  been'identified  with  its 
remarkable   development. 

Mr.  Burger  was  born  in  Cedar  County, 
Missouri,  February  12,  1844.  His  parents  were 
James  L.  and  Nancy  (Goodwin)  Burger,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  Tennessee,  in 
1812,  and  the  latter  in  North  Carolina,  in 
1811.  Of  their  eight  children,  William  J. 
was  fifth  in  order  of  birth,  the  others  being  as 
follows":  Tolbert,  who  died  in  Cedar  County, 
Missouri;  Halbert  H.,  who  died  at  Glenwood, 
Iowa;  Caroline,  deceased,  was  the  wife  of 
Robert  Craig;  Mitchell,  who  died  at  Red 
Oak,  Iowa;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Thomas 
Young,  lives  in  Hastings,  Iowa;  George  E., 
who  died  at  Doniphan,  Nebraska;  and 
Diantha,  the  wife  of  Martin  White,  died  near 
Glenwood,  Iowa.  James  L.  Burger  moved 
from  Tennessee  to  Missouri,  and  from  there 
to  Mills  County,  Iowa,  where  he  secured  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  government  land 
under  the  pre-emption  law,  to  which  he  sub- 
sequently added  until  he  owned  over  three 
hundred  acres.  He  improved  his  land  and  be- 
came a  substantial  citizen  of  Mills  County, 
serving  acceptably  in  township  offices  on  many 


occasions.  In  1862  he  went  to  Colorado,  where 
he  spent  one  year,  going  then  to  Nebraska  and 
buying  a  farm  in  Cass  County,  near  Platts- 
mouth,  where  his  death  occurred  in  1868.  He 
was  a  Democrat  in  his  political  views,  and 
both  he  and  wife  belonged  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church. 

William  J.  Burger  attended  the  district 
schools  in  boyhood  and  grew  up  on  his  father's 
farm.  In  1862  he  accompanied  his  father  to 
Colorado  where  they  were  associated  in  the 
cattle  buisness  for  two  years.  In  the  fall  of 
1864  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  took  up  a 
homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  and 
had  a  ranch  on  the  freight  road  —  the  govern- 
ment trail  —  that  ran  form  Nebraska  City  to 
Plattsmouth  and  thence  to  Denver,  this  ranch 
lying  at  an  important  junction.  The  Burgers 
suffered  from  Indian  depredations  as  did  other 
neighbors,  who,  at  that  time,  were  few  and 
far  between.  On  July  24,  1864,  the  Indians 
made  a  raid  through  this  section,  and  condi- 
tions were  so  bad  during  the  next  few  years 
that  in  the  spring  of  1868  Mr.  Burger  moved 
with  his  family  to  Plattsmouth,  remaining 
there  until  1870.  Once  more  the  family  set- 
tled on  the  farm  in  Hall  County  and  lived 
there  until  1879,  when,  as  noted  above,  re- 
moval was  made  to  Doniphan.  Mr.  Burger 
immediately  started  a  sale  and  livery  stable, 
and  in  1880  embarked  in  the  mercantile  busi- 
ness, this  enterprise  was  continued  under  the 
firm  name  of  W.  J.  Burger  &  Son  until  re- 
cently when  they  sold  out.  For  a  number  of 
years  Mr.  Burger  was  active  also  in  the  grain 
business  but  stock  has  been  his  main  interest 
and  reliance,  and  his  name  stilt  is  a  leading 
one  in  the  industry.  He  is  a  large  employer  of 
labor,  keeps  only  good,  standard  stock,  feeds 
for  market  and  aims  to  annually  ship  two  cars 
of  cattle  and  three  cars  of  hogs.  He  owns 
five  hundred  and  fifty  acres  of  fine  land,  hav- 
ing the  greater  port  of  it  under  cultivation. 

November  24,  Thanksgiving  Day.  1864,  Mr. 
Burger  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss  Martha 
Creason,  who  was  born  September  25.  1845. 
near  Burlington,  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  John  and 
Abagail  (Hillman)  Creason,  natives  of  Ohio. 
They  were  farming  people  and  moved  to  Mills 
County,  Iowa,  later  to  Nemaha  County,  Ne- 
braska ;  removing  then  to  Hall  County  where 
their  death  occurred.  The  following  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burger: 
Charles  A.  and  Rose  B.,  both  of  whom  are 
deceased ;  Flora  A.,  who  is  the  wife  of  Benja- 
min F.  Scudder,  of  Doniphan ;  William,  Frank 
J.,  and  Emma,  all  of  whom  are  deceased: 
Martha  Jennette,  the  wife  of  Arnold  HerreO, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


d  Mrs.  W.  J.  Burger 


d  by  Google 


846 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


of  University  Place,  Lancaster  County,  Ne- 
braska; Albert  D.,  associated  with  his  father 
in  the  mercantile  business  at  Doniphan ;  James 
F.,  deaceased;  and  Mary  M.,  the  wife  of  H. 
S.  Knapp,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska. 

At  present  Mr.  Burger  is  independent  in  his 
political  sentiments,  but  he  was  interested  in 
the  early  days  of  the  Populist  party  in  that 
organization.  For  years  he  has  served  as  a 
justice  of  the  peace  and  for  two  terms  was  oa 
the  board  of  county  commissioners.  Both  he 
and  his  wife  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episco- 
pal church.  During  the  World  War  he  was  a 
willing  and  liberal  contributor  to  the  various 
movements  and  a  hearty  supporter  of  the 
government  after  war  was  declared. 


JULIUS  CAESAR  STRASSER.  —  From 
a  clerkship  in  a  small  general  store  in  Alda  to 
the  ownership  of  four  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  some  of  the  best  farming  land  in  Hall 
County  is  the  distance  in  position  traveled  by 
Julius  Caesar  Strasser  since  his  arrival  in  Hall 
County  thirty-three  years  ago.  His  exper- 
ience in  the  field  of  merchandising  covered 
only  three  years  or  less,  for  in  the  spring  of 
1889  he  added  his  name  to  the  list  of  agricul- 
turists whose  activities  center  in  Hall  County, 
and  in  that  field  of  endeavor  worked  out  a 
gratifying  success. 

Mr.  Strasser  was  born  on  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi  river,  at  Bellevue,  Jackson  County, 
Iowa,  August  22,  1864,  a  son  of  Adam  and 
Catherine  Strasser.  Adam  Strasser  was  a 
lumber  merchant  at  Bellevue,  with  large  inter- 
ests in  the  industry  being  plied  on  the  Mis- 
sissippi and  never  left  that  community  for 
the  West.  J.  C.  Strasser  was  reared  in  his 
home  community,  where  he  attended  the  public 
schools,  remaining  at  home  until  after  attain- 
ing his  majority,  when  he  left  the  parental 
roof,  feeling  that  a  better  future  awaited  him 
farther  to  the  West.  He  arrived  at  Alda,  in 
Hall  County,  May  1,  1886,  and  there  secured 
employment  as  clerk  in  the  store  of  William 
Mitchel.  He  had  been  fitted  for  the  position 
by  a  high  school  course  and  a  commercial 
course  in  Elliott's  Business  College  at  Burling- 
ton, Iowa.  He  remained  with  Mr.  Mitchel 
until  July  5th  of  the  same  year,  when  he  trans- 
ferred his  services  to  Hayden  Brothers,  a  con- 
cern with  which  he  was  connected  until  the 
fall  of  1888.  In  the  meantime  he  had  con- 
served his  savings  carefully,  and,  combining 
them  with  the  small  capital  which  he  had 
brought  with  him  from  Iowa,  he  was  able 
in  the  spring  of  1889  to  make  the  initial  pay- 
ment on  a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 


acres,  located  in  section  10,  Wood  River  town- 
ship. That  formed  the  nucleus  for  his  present 
holdings  of  four  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
while  Mrs.  Strasser  is  the  owner  of  an  ad- 
ditional two  hundred  and  forty  arce  tract 
For  years  Mr.  Strasser  was  engaged  in  general 
farming  and  stockraising,  but  at  this  time  is 
retired,  and  rents  his  land.  During  the  years 
of  his  activity  he  was  accounted  one  of  the 
progressive  and  substantial  agriculturists  of 
the  Wood  River  Valley,  and,  with  their 
modern  improvements,  his  farms  were  con- 
sidered by  many  as  models. 

About  the  time  he  settled  on  His  farm.  Mr. 
Strasser  married,  March  30,  1889,  Miss  Emma 
C.  Wiese,  daughter  of  Hans  Wiese,  of  Wood 
River  township.  Three  children  have  been 
born  to  this  union:  Matilda,  a  history  and 
English  student,  class  of  1919,  at  the  Uni- 
versity of  Nebraska,  who  will  teach  in  Wood 
River  school  the  coming  year;  Ethel  A.,  wife 
of  Doctor  H.  Burgess,  of  Lincoln,  and  Flor- 
ence, attending  the  Wood  River  high  school. 
Mr.  Strasser  is  independent  in  his  political 
views.  He  has  always  been  ready  to  assist 
with  his  abilities,  his  time  and  his  means  in 
any  worthy  movements  having  for  rts  object 
the  advancement  of  his  locality.  He  is  a  par- 
ticular friend  of  education,  having  served  as 
a  member  of  the  local  school  board  for  a 
period  of  twelve  years. 


MARTIN  HARDERS.  — The  career  of 
Martin  Harders  in  its  demonstration  of  the 
value  of  industry  and  persistent  endeavor  as 
a  means  of  attaining  success,  furnishes  a 
valuable  lesson  for  the  youth  of  today  who 
are  entering  upon  their  careers  feeling  that 
they  are  handicapped  by  the  lack  of  the  aids 
represented  by  money  and  influence.  Mr. 
Harders,  at  the  time  of  his  entering  upon  an 
independent  career,  had  only  his  native  ability 
and  determination  to  assist  him;  today  he  is 
one  of  the  substantial  citizens  of  Harrison 
township,  where  he  lives  in  comfortable  re- 
tirement on  his  six  hundred  acre  farm. 

Martin  Hardens  was  born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, October  21,  1868,  a  son  of  Johann  and 
Anna  Harders,  natives  of  that  country  who 
emigrated  to  the  United  States  in  1880  and 
passed  the  rest  of  their  lives  as  farming  people 
in  Hall  County.  The  son,  Martin,  had  at- 
tended the  public  schools  in  Germany  and  re- 
ceived some  small  instruction  after  arriving 
in  Hall  County,  but  his  youth  in  this  new 
country  was  largely  filled  with  hard  work,  and 
the  greater  part  of  his  education  came  from 
the  school  of  experience.    The  family  was  not 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


847 


affluent  as  to  financial  circumstances,  and  ac- 
cordingly when  the  young  man  started  his  in- 
dependent life  he  was  forced  to  rely  upon 
his  own  resources.  These  were  sufficient  to 
enable  him  to  buy  a  quarter-section  of  school 
land  located  in  section  16,  Harrison  township, 
and  to  this  he  has  since  added,  from  time  to 
time,  through  purchase  and  investment,  until 
he  now  has  six  hundred  acres.  While  for 
some  years  he  followed  fanning  almost  ex- 
clusively, more  recently  he  turned  his  attention 
to  the  cattle  business,  a  field  in  which  he 
achieved  such  success  that  he  eventually  re- 
tired, and  is  now  living  in  his  comfortable 
home,  surrounded  by  everything  desirable,  a 
condition  of  affairs  far  removed  from  those 
existing  when  he  first  began  to  make  his  own 
way.  He  is  independent  in  his  political  belief 
and  action,  and  is  highly  regarded  in  his  com- 
munity, as  a  dependable,  useful  and  construc- 
tive citizen. 

Mr.  Harders  was  united  in  marriage  in  1889 
with  Marguerite  Kunk,  a  native  of  Germany, 
and  to  this  union  there  have  been  bom  eleven 
children:  Ella,  now  Mrs.  Thompson,  wife 
of  a  Cameron  township  farmer;  John,  carry- 
ing on  farming  in  section  17,  Harrison  town- 
ship; Julius,  operating  on  land  situated  just 
north  of  the  home  place  in  Harrison  township; 
Emil,  who  enlisted  in  Company  H,  One  Hun- 
dred Thirty-fourth  Infantry,  was  sent  to 
Camp  Cody,  New  Mexico,  for  training,  as- 
signed to  the  Thirty-second  Division,  with 
which  he  was  sent  to  France,  served  in  the 
ranks  until  the  signing  of  the  armistice  and 
was  subsequently  sent  back  to  the.  United 
States,  arriving  at  New  York  City,  May  20, 
1919;  Frieda,  now  Mrs.  Hargins,  of  Abbott; 
Miss  Edith,  who  resides  with  her  parents; 
Helga  and  Charley,  who  are  attending  school, 
and  Hilda,  Otto  and  Anna,  who  live  at  home. 


EDMOND  ADNARM  KEARNEY.  — A 
progressive  representative  of  the  farming  and 
stock  raising  interests  of  Hall  County,  Edmond 
Adnarm  Kearney  has  been  the  architect  of 
his  own  fortunes  and  has  advanced  himself 
to  substantial  position  through  the  exercise 
of  his  own  native  attainments.  He  is  now  the 
owner  of  a  well-cultivated  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres,  located  in  section  3, 
Harrison  township,  and  is  accounted  one  of 
the  men  who  have  done  much  in  a  constructive 
way  for  the  betterment  and  advancement  of 
their  adopted  community. 

Mr.  Kearney  was  born  on  a  farm  in  Clay 
County,  Illinois,  March  19,  1874,  a  son  of 
William  Kearney.    His  father  as  a  young  man 


enlisted  for  service  in  the  Union  army  during 
the  Civil  War,  and  at  the  close  of  that  struggle 
went  to  Illinois,  where  he  followed  farming 
until  1885.  In  that  year  he  migrated  to  Hall 
County,  where  he  resided  four  years,  and  then 
removed  to  Keya  Paha  County,  this  state,  set- 
tling on  a  homestead,  where  he  resided  three 
years.  Returning  to  Hall  County,  he  resumed 
farming,  and  at  the  time  of  his  retirement 
went  to  the  Old  Soldiers'  Home  at  Grand 
Island,  where  he  now  resides. 

Edmond  A.  Kearney  was  eleven  years  of 
age  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Hall 
County,  and  his  education,  which  had  been 
started  in  the  public  schools  of  Clay  County, 
Illinois,  was  completed  here  and  in  Keya  Paha 
County.  He  returned  to  Hall  County  with  his 
father  and  began  working  out  on  various 
farms  until  he  was  able  to  accumulate  enough 
to  purchase  a  farm  of  his  own.  His  present 
property,  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  in  Harrison  township,  was  bought 
in  1904,  the  year  of  the  Portland  (Oregon) 
Exposition.  When  he  came  to  this  farm  it 
was  lacking  in  all  save  the  crudest  improve- 
ments, and  the  modem  ones  which  at  present 
add  value  to  the  farm  are  of  Mr.  Kearney's 
installation.  He  carries  on  general  farming 
and  raises  some  stock,  and  his  success  has 
been  achieved  through  strictly  honorable 
methods,  so  that  his  reputation  is  an  excellent 
one.    Politically,  Mr.  Kearney  is  independent. 

Mr.  Kearney  married  Miss  Nielson,  daugh- 
ter ofvjohn  and  Josephine  Nielson,  of  Salt 
Lake  City,  Utah,  and  they  have  one  child: 
Ruth  A.,  bom  in  1918.  Mrs.  Kearney  is  a 
member  of  the  Mormon  church. 


WILLIAM  L.  HALDEMAN,  who  owns  a 
valuable  farm  in  Harrison  township.  Hall 
County,  that  has  been  developed  and  highly 
improved  through  his  own  efforts,  came  to 
this  county  thirty -five  years  ago  and  has 
always  been  considered  one  of  the  solid,  de- 
pendable men  of  this  section. 

William  L.  Haldeman  was  born  at  Mil- 
waukee, Wisconsin,  April  9,  1854.  His  par- 
ents were  James  F.  and  Anna  (Short)  Haider- 
man,  who  were  bom  in  Ohio.  In  1875  they 
moved  from  Muscatine,  Iowa,  to  Hall  County, 
settling  near  Alda,  where  both  parents  died, 
the  father  when  aged  seventy-four  years,  and 
the  mother,  seventy-one  years.  The  latter  was 
a  member  of  the  Episcopal  church.  William 
L.  Halderman  grew  to  manhood  in  Iowa, 
where  he  had  common  school  advantages  and 
practical  training  in  business.  In  1884  he 
joined  his  father  in  Hall  County  immediately 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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investing  in  railroad  lands  situated  in  Harri- 
son township,  and  from  then  until  the  present 
has  been  closely  engaged  in  agricultural  ac- 
tivities. For  many  years  he  has  been  ex- 
ceedingly successful  as  a  general  fanner  and 
has  grown  some  stock  and  cattle.  At  present 
he  is  giving  attention  to  a  beautiful  herd  of 
Aberdeen  Polled  Angus  cattle,  that  give  evi- 
dence of  being  very  profitable. 

On  Thanksgiving  day,  1877,  Mr.  Halderman 
married  Miss  Isabel  Harris,  a  daughter  of 
Abraham  and  Isabel  Harris,  formerly  of 
Avoca,  Iowa,  but  now  Ideceased.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Halderman  have  three  children,  namely: 
Russell,  E.  K.  and  Anna,  all  of  whom  live  in 
Grand  Island.  Mr.  Halderman  has  never  been 
active  politically,  but  he  takes  much  interest 
in  his  connection  with  the  Masonic  and  Elk 
lodges,  in  Grand  Island. 


FRANCIS  MERVIN  WILES  is  one  of  the 
substantial  and  up-to-date  farmers  of  Hall 
County,  owning  and  operating  a  well  improved 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  sec- 
tions eleven  and  twelve,  Wood  River  township. 

Mr.  Wiles  is  a  native  of  the  neighboring 
state  of  Kansas,  having  been  born  at  Alton, 
Osborne  County,  November  9,  1879.  His 
father,  Alverdo  Wiles,  is  a  native  of  New 
York  state  and  now  a  resident  of  Doyle,  Cal- 
i  fomia.  The  mother  of  our  subject  was  Emily 
Vernon,  a  native  of  Iowa,  who  died  in  Kansas 
when  Francis  was  eleven  years  old. 

Young  Wiles  was  early  thrown  upon  his 
own  resources  and  was  reared  on  farms.  He 
was  seventeen  years  old  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County  where  he  found  employment  at  farm 
labor.  He  carefully  saved  his  earnings  and 
was  able  to  purchase  eighty  acres  of  land  to 
which  he  later  added  a  tract  of  similar  size, 
this  being  improved  and  here  he  has  made  his 
home  for  the  last  seventeen  years,  being  en- 
gaged in  diversified  farming  with  good  success. 
He  uses  modern  machinery  in  his  farm  opera- 
tions and  was  the  first  to  make  use  of  the 
small  tractor  in  the  cultivation  of  his  land. 

December  19,  1900,  occurred  the  marriage 
of  Francis  M.  Wiles  and  Miss  Mabel  Clair 
Rickard.  She  was  born  in  Hall  County,  a 
daughter  of  Lewis  and  Marie  Antoinette 
(Fellows)  Richard,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  New  York  and  the  latter  was  born 
at  Flowerfield,  Michigan.  They  were  among 
the  early  settlers  of  Hall  County  where  the 
father  took  a  homestead  and  became  one  of 
the  well-to-do  men  of  the  county.  Both  are 
now  deceased. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiles  are  the  parents  of  six 


living  children :  Pearl  Gertrude,  Earl  Fran- 
cis, Clyde  Edwin,  Milton  Seth,  Ralph  Willard 
and  Delmar  Glenn.  They  lost  two  children : 
Arthur  L.  and  Floyd  Clarence. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Friends 
church  at  Alda,  in  which  Mr.  Wiles  holds  an 
official  position.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  is  an  efficient  member  of  the  school  board 
and  a  director  in  the  Farmers  State  Bank  of 
Alda. 


JOHN  SYLVESTER  HAYSE,  whose  res- 
idence in  Hall  County  dates  from  1880,  found 
few  settlers  earlier  than  himself  in  Harrison 
township,  where  he  is  one  of  the  leading  ag- 
riculturists. He  came  here  in  early  manhood 
from  Ohio,  where,  even  then,  neighborhoods 
were  becoming  crowded  and  the  tocsin  was 
being  sounded  of  "Go  west,  young  man,  go 
west."  He  has  never  felt  that  he  made  any 
mistake  in  coming  to  Hall  County,  with  its 
invigorating  climate  that  gives  urge  to  in- 
dustry, and  with  soil  that  readily  responds  to 
proper  cultivation. 

John  S.  Hayse  was  bom  in  Hancock  County, 
Ohio,  December  24,  1855.  He  was  the  only 
child  bom  to  the  marriage  of  John  Conrad 
and  Sarah  (Crouse)  Hayse.  His  mother  was 
a  native  of  Pennsylvania  who  died  in  Ohio 
when  aged  thirty-nine  years.  His  father  was 
born  in  Germany  and  lived  to  be  seventy  years 
old.  By  a  second  marriage  he  had  children 
and  two  daughters  survive  and  reside  in  Ohio. 

After  his  school  period  was  over,  John  S. 
Hayse  assisted  on  the  home  farm  in  Hancock 
County  and  remained  in  Ohio  as  a  farmer 
for  four  years  after  his  marriage.  When  he 
reached  Hall  County  in  1880  his  capita!  con- 
sisted of  $50,  with  which  he  bought  railroad 
land.  For  some  years  he  found  farming  a 
rather  hard  proposition,  as  the  methods  to 
which  he  had  been  accustomed  in  Ohio  were 
not  altogether  applicable  to  Nebraska  soil,  but 
he  was  earnest,  steady  and  industrious  and 
adjusted  himself  to  changed  conditions  in  the 
course  of  time,  and  at  present  owns  one  of 
the  most  productive  eighty  acre  farms  in  Har- 
rison township.  He  has  kept  abreast  of  the 
times  in  agricultural  matters,  makes  use  of 
modern  machinery,  tests  his  seed  carefully 
and  is  particular  concerning  the  quality  of  his 
stock.  His  farm  buildings  are  substantial  and 
the  surroundings  attractive  and  inviting. 

In  Ohio,  on  October  19,  1876,  Mr.  Hayse 
was  united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Mary  E. 
Orwick,  and  they  have  had  four  children : 
Mrs.  Nancy  B.  Foster,  who  lives  near  Don- 
iphan; Otto  E.,  a  farmer  near  Wood  River; 


850 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


John  E.,  at  home,  and  Bertha  May,  who  died 
when  aged  five  years.  For  six  years  Mr. 
Hayse  has  been  a  school  director  and  performs 
his  duties  conscientiously. 


HENRY  WESTPHAL,  a  prosperous-  gen- 
eral farmer  in  Hall  County  and  the  owner  of 
a  quarter  section  of  land  in  Harrison  town- 
ship, was  bom  in  Holstein,  Germany,  May  31, 
1858.  His  parents  were  Diedrick  and  Katrine 
Westphal,  natives  of  Germany. 

Henry  Westphal  was  twenty-six  years  old 
when  he  came  to  the  United  States  and  im- 
mediately located  in  Grand  Island,  Hall 
County,  Nebraska.  Like  many  other  early 
settlers  in  the  county,  he  was  practically  with- 
out capital,  but  he  found  work  and  was  in- 
dustrious and  frugal  and  that  is  the  explana- 
tion of  his  present  ample  fortune.  Mr.  West- 
phal has  come  to  a  time  of  life  when  it  is  no 
longer  necessary  for  him  to  labor  as  in  old 
days,  but  he  still  continues  active  and  capably 
manages  his  farm  as  he  has  done  for  so  many 
years.  He  has  made  substantial  improvements 
on  his  property,  carries  on  varied  farming  and 
raises  some  fine  grade  stock. 

In  1880,  Mr.  Westphal  married  Miss 
Katrine  Christian,  whose  parents  were  res- 
idents of  Hall  County.  They  have  had  chil- 
dren as  follows :  August,  Richard,  Oscar, 
Mrs.  Minnie  Enspinger,  Harry  and  Charles. 
Harry  Weslphal,  the  fourth  son,  wenti  to 
Europe  as  a  soldier  with  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Forces,  and  is  with  the  Army  of 
Occupation  in  Germany.  Mr.  Westphal  and 
his  wife  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
The  entire  family  is  held  in  general  esteem 
in  Grand  Island  as  well  as  in  Harrison  town- 
ship. 


JOHN  MATHIAS  TAGGE,  who  for  fifty 
years  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall  County,  came 
here  in  youth,  was  quiet,  industrious  and 
efficient  whether  working  for  others  or  for 
himself,  and  now  owns  one  of  the  best  im- 
proved farms  in  Harrison  township. 

John  Mathias  Tagge  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  May  23,  1850.  His  parents  were 
Claus  J.  and  Matilda  Tagge,  who  were  highly 
respected  people  in  the  section  of  Germany  in 
which  they  lived.  John  M.  Tagge  was  the  first 
of  the  family  to  come  to  America  and  largely 
upon  his  report  depended  the  emigration  of 
his  parents.  He  reached  the  United  States 
in  1868,  made  his  way  from  the  eastern  sea- 
board to  Illinois  and  spent  one  year  there 
working  in  the  farming  regions.     After  com- 


ing to  Hall  County  in  1869,  the  young  man 
realized  the  great  opportunities  offered  here, 
and  it  is  sure  that  a  message  speedily  went 
across  the  Atlantic  that  brought  his  parents  to 
the  United  States  in  1870.  After  passing  a 
short  time  in  Iowa  they  came  to  Hall  County 
and  spent  the  rest  of  their  lives  in  Harrison 
township.  At  first  John  M.  Tagge  hired  out 
to  other  settlers,  but  by  1872  he  was  able  to 
buy  land  for  himself.  It  was  entirely  unim- 
proved and  years  of  hard  work  had  to  be  put 
behind  him  before  Mr.  Tagge  felt  able  to 
increase  his  holdings,  to  the  improvement  of 
which  he  also  devoted  himself.  He  now  owns 
two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land, 
situated  in  section  1,  Harrison  township,  three 
miles  from  Abbott  which1  affords  him  fine 
market  facilities,  and  here  he  carries  on  gen- 
eral farming  very  profitably.  The  results  of 
thrift  and  good  management  may  be  seen  on 
every  side. 

Mr.  Tagge  married  Miss  Emma  Ruff,  whose 
parents  were  Henry  M.  and  Christina  Ruff 
natives  of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tagge 
have  nine  children :  Herman,  a  farmer  operat- 
ing two  miles  north  of  the  homestead ;  John, 
who  assists  on  the  home  farm ;  William,  who  is 
a  farmer  in  Cameron  township ;  Otto,  who  has 
returned  home  after  eleven  months  service  in 
France,  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces,  a  soldier  of  whom  his  township  is 
proud,  and  Freda,  Amanda,  Rudolph,  Alfred 
and  Arvenus,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Tagge  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  The  family  is  everywhere  held  in 
high  regard." 


JOHN  RUSHEN,  one  of  Hall  County's 
well  known  and  substantial  farmers  and  stock- 
men, came  first  to  Nebraska  in  1878.  Since 
then  he  has  led  a  busy  life,  in  which  there  have 
been  ups  and  downs,  and  now  resides  on  his 
well  improved  farm  situated  in  South  Loup 
township. 

Born  in  Germany  January  10,  1855,  John 
Rushen  was  the  eldest  child  of  his  parents, 
Jeorgen  and  Katherine  (Stange)  Rushen,  the 
others  being  as  follows:  Mrs.  Mary  Kuehl, 
a  widow,  who  lives  at  Valparaiso,  Indiana; 
Mrs.  Molly  Foster,  who  died,  at  Chicago, 
Illinois,  in  1906;  Lena,  who  died  during  the 
voyage  to  America  from  Germany  and  was 
buried  at  sea,  and  Henry,  who  died  in  infancy. 
The  parents  were  natives  of  Germany.  The  ! 
mother  of  the  above  named  children  died  at 
the  age  of  thirty-six  years  and  to  a  second 
marriage  of  the  father  the  following  children 
were   born:     Lena,    Charles,   James,    Bertha 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


851 


and  Emma,  all  of  whom  are  living.  The 
father  was  a  wagonmaker  by  trade,  an  occupa- 
tion in  which  he  was  engaged  while  living  at 
first  in  Chicago.  From  there  he  removed  to 
Porter  County,  Indiana,  where  he  bought  forty 
acres  of  land  in  what  was  known  as  the  White 
Settlement,  on  which  the  family  lived  for  two 
years  when  he  sold  it  and  bought  another  farm 
of  forty  acres  situated  three  miles  north  of 
Valparaiso.  Still  later  he  bought  additional 
land  and  put  up  a  fine  house  and  in  1878  died 
there. 

John  Rushen  attended  the  public  schools 
and  helped  his  father  on  the  Indiana  farm.  In 
1878  he  came  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  and  at 
first  herded  cattle  for  $15  a  month,  and  then 
became  connected  with  Hass,  Mitchell  &  Com- 
pany, an  association  which  continued  for 
almost  seven  years.  After  leaving  this  con- 
cern he  went  into  partnership  with  George 
W.  Dunham  as  game  hunters  and  they  made 
their  headquarters  at  Denton  in  Lancaster 
County,  a  station  between  Crete  and  Lincoln, 
supplying  game  to  the  Lincoln  markets.  The 
next  business  venture  of  Mr.  Rushen  was  the 
renting  of  a  ranch  in  Buffalo  County  and 
stocking  it  with  cattle  but  he  never  lived  on 
the  ranch  but  settled  at  Venango,  in  Perkins 
County  and  carried  on  an  implement  business 
there  for  six  years.  Unfortunate  investments 
caused  his  failure  in  business  and  he  de- 
termined then  to  return  to  Hall  County.  With 
a  team  of  mules  he  conveyed  his  household 
goods  from  Venango  to  Denver  and  there 
loaded  a  car  for  Cairo.  His  finances  at  that 
time  were  at  so  low  an  ebb  that  he  had  to 
borrow  one  dollar  to  finish  paying  for  the 
transportation,  else  the  railroad  would  not 
have  permitted  him  to  unload. 

As  soon  as  settled  at  Cairo  Mr.  Rushen 
went  into  the  well  and  pump  business,  found 
it  profitable  and  afterward,  when  he  had 
succeeded  in  honestly  paying  every  cent  of 
indebtedness  that  misfortune  had  brought 
upon  him,  he  moved  on  a  part  of  what  was 
once  the  estate  of  his  father-in-law,  and  has 
since  followed  an  agricultural  life  here.  His 
land  is  situated  in  section  35,  South  Loup 
township,  where  he  has  found  the  soil  par- 
ticularly well  adapted  for  fruit  growing  and 
the  raising  of  potatoes.  During  the  past 
season  Mr.  Rushen's  potato  crop  was  con- 
sidered the  best  that  came  to  the  Grand  Island 
market.  He  set  out  trees  of  all  kinds  and  at 
one  time  was  credited  with  having  the  best 
orchard  in  the  county.  He  devotes  his  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  to  mixed  farming 
and  pays  considerable  attention  to  his  grade 
of  livestock. 


Mr.  Rushen  married  Miss  Emma  Mieth, 
October  16,  1883,  who  was  born  at  Chicago, 
Illniois,  March  26,  1864,  a  daughter  of  August 
and  Mary  (Pingle)  Mieth,  natives  of  Ger- 
many. Both  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rushen  were 
reared  in  the  Lutheran  church.  He  is  an 
independent  voter  but  not  an  indifferent  one 
because  he  is  a  good  citizen.  For  many  years 
he  has  belonged  to  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


ELMER  E.  VEEDER.— In  the  untimely 
death  of  Elmer  E.  Veeder  the  county  lost  one 
of  its  substantial  citizens  and  his  family  a  lov- 
ing helpmate.  His  death,  which  occurred  at  his 
home  on  the  sixth  of  March,  1916,  was  caused 
from  the  accidental  discharge  of  a  gun  while 
out  hunting.  Mr.  Veeder  had  been  a  resident  of 
the  county  for  nearly  forty  years  and  he  had 
improved  and  developed  a  splendid  farm  prop- 
erty in  South  Loup  township.  He  was  a 
native  of  Gloversville,  New  York,  born  June 
19,  1861,  a  son  of  Seymour  and  Cordelia 
(Slawson)  Veeder,  natives  of  New  York. 
They  came  to  Nebraska,  settling  in  Hall 
County  in  1878,  where  both  passed  their  lives. 
They  bought  raw  prairie  land,  which  the 
father  improved  until  he  had  a  fine  farm. 

Mr.  Veeder  was  married  in  this  township 
November  6,  1890,  to  Miss  Bertha  Mieth,  a 
daughter  of  August  Mieth,  Sr.,  a  record  of 
whom  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Veeder  became  the  parents  of 
three  children,  as  follows:  Francis  A.,  who 
married  Carrie  Miks,  now  operates  the  home 
farm ;  Earl  M.,  and  Esther  E. 

Mr.  Veeder  was  one  of  the  best  known  and 
most  highly  respected  citizens  of  his  commun- 
ity, and  was  held  in  the  highest  respect  by 
all  who  knew  him.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
A.  O.  U.  W.  and  his  remains  were  laid  to  rest 
in  the  Cairo  cemetery. 


RUDOLPH  GLOCK  was  one  of  the  highly 
respected  citizens  of  Halt  County  and  his 
death  which  occurred  on  his  farm  in  South 
Loup  township,  February  24,  1917,  was 
mourned  by  a  host  of  friends  as  well  as  by 
his  immediate  family. 

Rudolph  Glock  was  born  at  Highland, 
Illinois,  September  9,  1862,  a  son  of  Adolph 
and  Anna  (Iberg)  Glock,  the  former  a  native 
of  Basil,  Switzerland,  while  the  mother  was 
born  in  Highland,  Illinois,  where  they  passed 
their  lives.  In  1888  Mr.  Glock  came  to  Ne- 
braska, bought  a  farm  and  engaged  in  agri- 
cultural pursuits. 

November  23,  1891,  he  married  Miss  Ida 


852 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mieth,  a  daughter  of  August  Mieth,  Sr., 
whose  record  as  a  pioneer  will  be  found  else- 
where in  this  history.  They  became  the  par- 
ents of  two  children :  August  and  Anna  Marie, 
who  reside  with  their  mother  on  the  farm  and 
assist  in  its  operation. 

Mr.  Glock  had  been  an  invalid  for  many 
years  but  was  successfully  engaged  in  farming. 
He  owned  a  Well  improved  farm  of  eighty 
acres  in  South  Loup  township,  where  his 
widow  and  family  still  reside.  She  also  owns 
eighty  acres  of  her  father's  estate.  He  was 
a  good  man,  a  kind  and  loving  father  and 
held  in  the  highest  respect  by  all  who  knew 
him.     He  was  reared  in  the  Lutheran  faith. 


AUGUST  MIETH,  SR.  —  The  man  whose 
name  introduces  this  record  will  long  be  re- 
membered as  one  of  the  pioneers  of  Hall 
County,  and  one  of  its  noble  citizens  who  has 
long  since  passed  to  his  reward. 

August  Mieth,  Sr.,  was  a  native  of  Prussia, 
Germany,  born  April  5,  1829.  His  parents 
were  Christ  and  Anna  Mieth  who  spent  their 
entire  lives  in  their  native  land.  The  son 
attended  the  schools  of  that  country  and  when 
a  young  man  served  an  apprenticeship  of  four 
years  and  learned  the  blacksmith  trade.  He 
married  Miss  Theodora  Wyka,  a  native  of  the 
same  province  and  soon  after  this  event  they 
emigrated  to  America  i-nd  first  lived  at  Falls 
Villa,  Connecticut,  moving  from  there  to 
Buffalo,  New  York.  In  1855  he  became  a  res- 
ident of  Chicago.  While  residing  there  he 
helped  build  the  first  hearse  in  use  in  the  city, 
remaining  there  until  1870  when  he  settled  at 
Burlington,  Illinois.  He  worked  at  his  trade 
all  these  years  and  in  1880  came  to  Hall 
County,  and  purchased  land  in  South  Loup 
township,  on  which  he  made  his  home  until 
his  death  which  occurred  May  21,  1890.  He 
was  a  successful  farmer  and  at  the  time  of 
his  death  was  the  owner  of  six  hundred  acres 
of  land.  His  first  wife,  who  had  one  child, 
Mary,  who  lived  but  a  short  time,  died  while 
they  were  living  in  Chicago,  and  in  that  city 
he  married,  in  1860,  Miss  Mary  Pingel,  a 
native  of  Germany,  who  died  in  Burlington, 
Illinois.  She  was  the  mother  of  five  children, 
as  follows;  August  L.,  who  became  one  of 
Hall  County's  prominent  farmers  and  passed 
away  February  10,  1914;  Emma,  the  wife  of 
John  Rushen,  residents  of  Hall  County; 
Frederick  E.,  who  owns  and  occupies  the  old 
place;  Bertha,  the  widow  of  E.  E.  Veeder, 
and  lives  in  Hall  County,  and  Ida,  the  widow 
of  Rudolph  Glock,  resides  in  Hall  County. 
August  Mieth  was  a  man  possessed  of  those 


sterling  traits  of  character  which  in  every 
clime  win  the  admiration  of  all  and  he  left 
his  family  not  only  large  possessions  of  mis 
world's  goods  but  also  the  priceless  heritage 
of  an  untarnished  name.  As  a  monument  to 
the  memory  of  a  loving  parent,  the  family 
have  arranged  for  a  beautiful  portrait  to  ap- 
pear in  this  volume. 


CLINTON  P.  MECHAM,  one  of  Hall 
County's  representative  men  and  substantial 
farmers,  has  large  and  valuable  property  inter- 
ests here.  His  coming  to  the  state  dates  back 
forty-one  years  when  he  was  a  youth  of  nine- 
teen years,  and  the  fact  that  before  he  reached 
his  twentieth  birthday,  he  had  invested  in 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Adams  County  is  in- 
dicative of  his  intention  to  make  this  favored 
section  his  permanent  home,  living  there  for 
twenty-eight  years,  when  in  1907  he  sold  and 
came  to  Hall  County,  locating  in  Center  town- 
ship where  he  bought  three  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  where  he  has  resided  for  twelve  years. 
He  has  been  a  very  prominent  citizen  and 
several  times  has  been  elected  to  offices  of  trust 
and  responsibility  in  Adams  County. 

Clinton  P.  Mecham  was  bom  in  Grundy 
County,  Illinois,  November  9,  1859.  His  par- 
ents were  Alvin  T.  and  Lucy  (Booth) 
Mecham.  Alvin  T.  Mecham  was  bom  in 
Pennsylvania  and  from  there  removed  to 
Illinois.  In  1850  he  married  Lucy  Booth,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  sixty-five  years.  They  had 
but  two  children :  Mrs.  Chloe  Armitage,  who 
lives  in  Grand  Island,  and  Clinton  P.,  who 
lives  on  his  farm  in  Center  township.  In 
1878  Mr.  Mecham  and  his  family  came  to 
Nebraska,  settling  first  in  Adams  and  after- 
ward in  Hall  County.  His  death  occurred  at 
the  age  of  eighty-one  years.  Clinton  P. 
Mecham  owns  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  fine  land  which  he  devotes  to  farming  and 
livestock  growing,  taking  particular  interest 
in  his  thoroughbred  Holstein  herd,  in  which 
he  has  six  head  of  pure  bred  cows. 

On  September  2,  1883,  Mr.  Mecham  mar- 
ried Miss  Martha  Milligan,  a  daughter  of 
Joseph  and  Martha  (Parson)  Milligan,  the 
former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Scotland  and 
the  latter  in  Indiana.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mecham 
have  had  six  children  bom  to  them :  -  Earl  A.. 
a  farmer  near  his  father  in  Hall  County; 
Floyd  J.,  also  a  farmer  in  Hall  County;  Flor- 
ence, deceased;  Mrs.  Harry  Genn,  who  lives 
near  Wood  River;  Glenn  rents  part  of  the 
home  farm  and  Blanche,  who  lives  at  home. 
Mr.  Mecham  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  His  political 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


855 


affiliation  is  not  denned  because  Mr.  Mecham 
is  a  thoughtful,  well  informed  man  and  pre- 
fers to  vote  according  to  his  own  judgment. 
For  twelve  years  he  served  on  the  school  board. 
He  belongs  to  the  order  of  Highlanders. 


PETER  HENNINGS,  an  enterprising  and 
successful  fanner  in  Center  township,  belongs 
to  one  of  the  early  families  of  Hall  County. 
He  was  bom  near  Alda,  in  Hall  County,  Jan- 
uary 28,  1885,  a  son  of  Claus  and  Katrina 
Hennings,  both  of  whom  were  born  in  Ger- 
many.   The  latter  still  survives. 

Although  his  practical  father  set  him  farm 
tasks  when  he  was  not  more  than  nine  years 
old,  Peter  Hennings  went  to  school  and  made 
as  fair  progress  as  other  country  boys  in  his 
neighborhood.  He  has  always  taken  an  inter- 
est in  his  farm  work  and  because  of  long  ex- 
perience understands  every  detail.  He  is 
operating  his  mother's  farm,  on  which  his 
father  put  substantial  improvements,  and 
gives  considerable  attention  to  raising  Poland- 
China  hogs.  Mr.  Hennings  keeps  well  posted 
concerning  agricultural  matters  and  believes 
that  a  large  measure  of  his  success  comes 
from  his  intelligent  study  of  new  methods 
as  regards  improved  tillage,  crop  rotation  and 
fertilization. 

On  January  27,  1915,  Mr.  Hennings  mar- 
ried Miss  Frieda  Muhs,  who  was  born  and 
reared  in  Hall  County  where  her  parents  still 
reside.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Hennings  have  three 
interesting  little  children :  Wilma,  Edna  and 
Harrold,  aged  respectively  three,  two  and  one 
year.  Mr.  Hennings  has  never  identified  him- 
self with  any  political  party  but  he  is  a  good 
citizen  and  is  particularly  vigilant  concerning 
educational  matters  in  his  township  and  at 
present  is  serving  in  the  office  of  moderator 
of  school  district  No.  66.  He  and  Mrs.  Hen- 
nings maintain  a  very  hospitable  home  and 
have  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 


ALBERT  FELSKE,  a  reliable  citizen  and 
prosperous  general'  farmer  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  may  almost  be  numbered  with  the 
county's  native  sons  for  he  was  only  three 
years  old  when  he  was  brought  here  by  his 
parents,  who  were  John  and  Henrietta 
(Ronke)  Felske.  They  were  natives  of  Ger- 
many who  came  to  the  United  States  in  1872, 
settling  in  Illinois  and  in  that  state  their  son 
Albert  was  born  on  October  29,  1877. 

John  Felske  came  to  Nebraska  with  enough 
capital  to  buy  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  land  at  $5  an  acre.     It  was  located  near 


/ 


Abbott,  and  on  that  place  Mr.  Felske  resided 
until  his  death  in  1891.  He  was  counted  with 
the  most  careful  and  successful  farmers  in 
his  section  of  the  county.  He  and  wife  were 
highly  respected  by  all  who  knew  them. 

Albert  Felske  attended  school  in  boyhood 
and  ever  since  has  been  engaged  in  farm  pur- 
suits, beginning  to  operate  for  himself  in  1902. 
He  owns  eighty  acres  of  well  developed  im- 
proved land  on  which  he  engages  in  general 
farming  including  the  raising  of  some  good 
stock.  His  surroundings  indicate  excellent 
management,  much  thrift  and  plenty,  and  the 
comforts  that  make  a  well  regulated  farm  a 
very  desirable  place  on  which  to  live.  Mr. 
Felske  married  Miss  Emma  Schoel,  a  daugh- 
ter of  Henry  Schoel,  a  sketch  of  whom  will  be 
found  in  this  work,  the  ceremony  taking  place 
March  6,  1902.  They  have  one  child,  Edgar, 
who  lives  with  his  parents.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Felske  are  members  of  the  Lutheran  church. 
In  politics  he  maintains  independent  views  and 
votes  according  to  his  own  judgment. 


WILLARD  N.  HILDEBRAND,  one  of 
the  intelligent,  progressive  young  farmers  and 
stockraisers  of  Hall  County,  is  doing  quite 
a  great  deal  along  the  line  of  agricultural  im- 
provement. He  has  adopted  modern  methods 
in  all  his  farm  work,  and  by  example,  is  doing 
his  best  to  raise  stock  standards  here.  He  has 
charge  of  the  homestead  farm  situated  on 
section  29,  town  of  Doniphan. 

Mr.  Hildebrand  was  born  September  9, 
1900,  in  Woodford  County,  Illinois,  and  is  a 
son  of  Jacob  Mk  and  Mary  Frances  Hilde- 
brand. The'  father  was  born  at  Afton,  Vir- 
ginia, was  reared  a  farmer  and  lived  there 
for  twenty-two  years,  moved  then  to  Wood- 
ford County,  Illinois,  and  after  living  twenty- 
two  years  in  that  county,  came  to  Hafi  County, 
Nebraska,  in  1907.  He  purchased  the  pres- 
ent home  farm  which  contains  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  and  resided  on  it  until  his 
death  when  aged  sixty-two  years.  His- burial 
was  at  Doniphan.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Hilde- 
brand lives  on  the  homestead.  There  were 
four  children  in  the  family,  namely:  Arvilla 
M-,  who  died  in  Illinois  when  twenty  years 
old ;  Myrtle  M.,  who  lived  to  the  age  of  sixteen 
years  also. died  in  Illinois;  Carroll  D.,  who 
was  bom  at  Benson,  Illinois,  is  a  theological 
student  in  the  Wesleyan  University  at  Lincoln, 
and  Willard  W.,  who  resides  with  his  mother 
on  the  farm. 

Since  taking  charge  of  the  home  farm,  Mr. 
Hildebrand  has  done  a  large  amount  of  im- 
proving.   He  takes  much  interest  in  his  extra 


S56 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


fine  livestock  and  aims  to  market  ten  head 
of  Red  Duroc -Jersey  hogs,  ten  head  of  cattle, 
seven  head  of  horses  and  five  head  of  mules. 
He  is  not  active  in  local  politics,  but  is  always 
ready  to  give  assistance  in  movements  for  the 
general  welfare.  Both  he  and  mother  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 


WILLIAM  C.  MULLEN,  a  prominent 
citizen  of  Hall  County,  to  which  he  came  in 
1871,  following  honorable  service  in  the  Civil 
War,  owns  a  quarter  section  of  valuable  land 
situated  in  Center  township,  where  he  has 
been  one  of  the  foremost  men  for  many  years. 
Mr.  Mullen  was  bom  in  Siillivan  County,  New 
York,  June  26,  1843. 

The  Mullen  family  was  established  early  in 
the  state  of  New  York,,  its  first  members 
probably  coming  from  Ireland.  The  grand- 
father of  William  C.  Mullen,  Philip  Mullen, 
fought  in  the  Revolutionary  War.  The  father 
of  Mr.  Mullen,  Philip  Mullen,  was  born  in 
New  York  state,  but  his  mother,  Rachel 
(Canty)  Mullen,  was  born  in  Wales  and 
brought  to  this  country  when  two  years  old. 
Five  sons  were  born  to  them :  Jordan,  Darius, 
O.  P.,  John  S.  and  Willam  Canty,  the  last 
named  being  the  only  survivor. 

William  C.  Mullen  was  only  eighteen  years 
old  at  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil  War,  in  which 
he  served  until  its  close  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany L,  Fourteenth  Illinois  cavalry.  He  en- 
listed September  22,  1862,  saw  service  under 
General  Sherman,  participating  in  the  battles 
of  Nashville,  Cumberland  Mountain  and 
second  battle  of  Clarksville.  Being  in  the 
cavalry  he  took  active  part  in  many  skirmishes 
before  receiving  his  discharge,  July  30,  1865. 
After  the  war  ended  he  learned  the  stone 
mason  and  bricklaying  trade.  In  1871  he  de- 
termined to  take  advantage  of  the  govern- 
ment's offer  of  land  in  Nebraska,  came  to  Hall 
County  and  took  up  a  hundred  and  sixty  acre 
homestead  to  which  section  his  father  came 
also  in-  1873,  securing  a  homestead  of  eighty 
acres.  Like  many  other  settlers  at  that  time, 
Mr.  Mullen  came  with  no  accumulated  capi- 
tal, all  he  owned  being  a  team  of  horses. 
Through  use  of  his  team  he  managed  to  keep 
the  wolf  from  the  door  during  the  first  hard 
winter,  and  he  remembers  starting  out  with  a 
load  of  logs  on  one  occasion,  with  but  ten 
cents  in  his  pocket,  driving  a  distance  of  one 
hundred  and  fifty  miles  up  the  Loup  River 
and  being  fortunate  enough  to  sell  his  load 
to  railroad  builders.  At  one  time  he  was 
captured  by  Indians  and  held  captive  for 
several  hours  but  managed  to  escape  and  today 


some  of  these  early  experiences  are  told  for 
the  entertainment  of  friends.  He  experienced 
many  hardships  before  he  could  get  his  land  in 
a  productive  condition,  but  kept  up  his  cour- 
age, did  the  best  he  could  and  set  an  example 
that  was  not  altogether  lost  on  his  neighbors. 
In  the  course  of  time  Mr.  Mullen  overcame 
early  difficulties  and  at  present  is  in  the  enjoy- 
ment of  an  ample  fortune  and  has  a  beautiful 
home  on  his  large  estate  in  Center  township. 
Mr.  Mullen  married  Miss  Mary  Bussell, 
whose  people  came  to  Hall  County  from  Eng- 
land when  she  was  young.  They  have  chil- 
dren as  follows:  Albert  D.,  who  lives  at 
home;  Arthur,  who  lives  in  Kansas;  Philip, 
who  resides  in  Sherman  County,  Nebraska; 
Charles,  who  lives  at  Cairo,  Nebraska; 
George,  the  home  farmer;  Mrs.  May  Dumont, 
of  Detroit,  Michigan;  Mrs.  Lora  Johansen, 
who  lives  in  Grand  Island;  Mrs.  Bertha 
Hightshoe,  who  lives  at  Eagle  Bend,  Min- 
nesota ;  Mrs.  Lula  Culverson,  who  lives  in 
Grand  Island,  and  Maude,  who  lives  with  her 
parents.  Mr.  Mullen  and  his  family  belong 
to  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  and  attend 
services  at  Alda.  For  many  years  Mr.  Mullen 
was  active  in  the  councils  of  the  Republican 
party  in  Center  township  and  is  still  staunchly 
identified  with  that  political  organization.  For 
four  years  he  served  as  school  director  of 
school  district  No.  39,  and  for  five  years  was 
school  treasurer,  and  he  also  has  served  in 
the  office  of  constable.  He  has  lived  through 
a  period  of  wonderful  development  in  Hall 
County,  and  in  every  way  within  his  power 
has  done  his  part  as  a  worthy  and  upright 
man  and  loyal  citizen. 


ELMER  ROBERT  FRANZ,  an  extensive 
farmer  in  Hall  County,  has  spent  almost  his 
entire  life  here  and  is  a  native  of  Nebraska. 
He  was  bom  in  Hamilton  County,  March  21, 
1877,  and  is  a  son  of  Robert  B.  and  Amanda 
(Cox)  Franz,  natives  of  Sheboygan,  Wis- 
consin, who  were  married  in  1876.  In  1865 
the  father  of  Mr.  Franz  came  to  the  territory 
of  Nebraska.  He  homesteaded  in  Hamilton 
County  and  the  family  resided  there  until  1885 
then  came  to  Alda  township,  Hall  County. 

Elmer  Robert  Franz  was  but  eight  years 
old  when  the  family  settled  near  Alda  in  Hall 
County.  He  is  the  only  surviving  member 
now,  both  parents  and  three  brothers,  Roy, 
Otto  and  an  infant,  having  passed  away.  He 
received  the  education  offered  by  the  public 
schools  of  this  section  and  at  an  early  day 
began  to  run  a  farm  which  vocation  tie  has 
followed  all  his  life  and  at  present  is  operat- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


W.  C.  Mullen  and  Wife 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


858 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ing  his  own  farm  of  eighty  acres  which  ad- 
joins Grand  Island  on  the  west,  and  three 
hundred  and  eleven  acres  which  he  rents  in 
Atda  township.  He  owns  a  large  amount  of 
first  class  farm  machinery  and  his  farm  under- 
takings are  conducted  with  great  thorough- 
ness. It  is  to  enterprising  farmers  like  Mr. 
Franz  that  the  world  is  looking  for  the  nec- 
essary increased  production  of  food  stuffs. 

February  11,  1899,  Mr.  Franz  married  Miss 
one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  Aida  town- 
ship and  whose  parents  live  in  Grand  Island. 
They  have  one  child,  Mayme,  who  remains 
with  her  parents.  Mr.  Franz  is  not  identified 
with  any  political  party. 


AUGUST  L.  MIETH.  —  In  the  death  of 
August  L-  Mieth,  Hall  County  lost  one  of  its 
worthy  citizens  and  his  family  a  loving  hus- 
band and  father.  Mr.  Mieth  was  born  in  the 
city  of  Chicago,  February  3,  1862,  a  son  of 
August  Mieth,  Sr.,  of  whom  a  record  will  be 
found  on  other  pages  of  this  volume.  The 
son  accompanied  the  family  to  Hall  County 
in  1880  when  the  home  was  established  in 
South  Loup  township  on  the  farm  where 
another  son,  Frederick,  now,  resides.  Upon 
reaching  man's  estate  he  wisely  chose  the 
occupation  to  which  he  had  been  reared  and 
from  the  virgin  prairie  improved  and  de- 
veloped one  of  the  best  farms  in  this  section. 
A  tract  of  four  hundred  and  forty  acres,  with 
a  fine  country  home,  good  barns  and  outbuild- 
ings, acres  of  orchard  and  shade  trees,  is  the 
result  of  many  years  of  persistent  energy  and 
good  judgment  on  the  part  of  its  owner,  and 
now  left  to  be  enjoyed  by  the  family  which 
mourns  his  loss. 

Mr.  Mieth  was  married  in  Cameron  town- 
ship September  13,  1880,  to  Miss  Emma 
Stewart,  a  native  of  Lee  County,  Iowa.  Her 
parents,  Wm  J.  and  Maggie  (Markwell) 
Stewart,  were  natives  of  Lee  County,  Iowa. 
They  came  to  Hall  County  in  1872  and  took 
a  homestead  in  Cameron  township.  Both  are 
dead.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mieth  became  the  par- 
ents of  seven  children,  six  of  whom  are  still 
living:  Fred,  Frank,  Mary,  Nathalie,  Otto, 
Everett.  Fred  married  Edna  Waddington, 
and  assists  in  the  operation  of  the  home  farm. 
The  other  children  are  all  at  home. 

Mr.  Mieth  early  realized  the  value  of  pure 
bred  stock  and  became  a  pioneer  in  the  breed- 
ing and  raising  of  pure  bred  hogs  and  cattle, 
and  specimens  from  his  farm  found  their  way 
to  many  other  states.  He  was  one  of  the 
familiar  figures  at  fairs,  stock  and  poultry 
shows  and  public  sales  of  pure  bred  stock  and 


held  many  sales  of  pure  bred  Poland  China 
hogs  and  Shorthorn  cattle  at  his  farm.  When 
the  Farmers  State  Bank  was  organized  in 
Cairo,  in  1911,  he  was  one  of  the  first  to  put 
his  shoulder  to  the  wheel,  and  was  one  of  the 
first  to  become  a  stockholder  in  the  institu- 
tion, displaying  the  same  public  spirit  that 
characterized  the  man  in  all  movements  that 
he  thought  would  help  make  better  the  living 
conditions  in  his  community.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 

Though  the  condition  of  his  health  was 
known  to  the  immediate  family,  yet  his  pass- 
ing was  a  surprise  and  a  severe  loss  to  the 
county,  and  left  a  place  that  can  never  be 
filled.  A  comfortable  estate  acquired  by 
pioneer  ruggedness,  endurance  and  determina- 
tion and  a  good  name,  are  left  to  a  worthy 
helpmeet  and  family,  and  the  world  is  better 
off  for  his  having  lived  in  it. 


HENRY  BECKER,  well  known  in  Hall 
County  where  his  life  has  been  spent,  owns 
one  of  the  best  improved  farms  in  Alda  town- 
ship, where  he  conducts  agricultural  opera- 
tions with  much  success.  He  is  a  representa- 
tive of  one  of  the  county's  earliest  families, 
having  been  born  on  the  old  Becker  home- 
stead near  Grand  Island,  August  26,  1867. 

The  parents  of  Henry  Becker  were  Fritz 
and  Elizabeth  (Danker)  Becker,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Germany  but  became  ac- 
quainted and  were  married  after  they  reached 
Grand  Island.  Of  their  family  of  five  chil- 
dren three  sons  are  living:  Charles,  who  fol- 
lows the  carpenter  trade  in  Hershey,  Lincoln 
County,  Nebraska;  Henry,  a  representative 
citizen  of  Alda  township,  Hall  County,  and 
August,  who  resides  on  the  old  homestead 
near  Grand  Island.  Fritz  Becker  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1860  and  homesteaded  in 
Hall  County  among  the  early  German  settlers 
of  that  locality.  He  was  an  industrious, 
thrifty  farmer,  cultivating  his  land  with 
thoroughness,  and  by  the  time  that  Nebraska 
became  a  state,  was  recognized  as  one  of  the 
stable  and  substantial  men  of   Hall  County. 

Henry  Becker  grew  up  on  his  father's  pio- 
neer farm.  He  had  fewer  educational  ad- 
vantages than  those  reared  in  better  organized 
settlements,  but  time  has  fairly  remedied  that 
and  Mr.  Becker  is  one  of  the  best  informed 
citizens  of  his  township.  He  has  followed 
farming  all  his  life  and  owns  one  hundred  and 
sixty-nine  acres  of  valuable  land,  devoting  it 
to  general  farm  purposes. 

In  1900  Henry  Becker  married  Miss  Lena 
Luth,  who  was  born  in  Germany,  where  her 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


859 


father  died.  She  was  eleven  years  old  when 
she  accompanied  her  mother  to  the  United 
States,  where  the  latter  subsequently  married 
George  Lorenzen.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Becker  have 
two  sons,  Carl  and  William,  aged  respectively 
seventeen  and  sixteen  years.  They  are  intel- 
ligent, well  educated  young  men,  and  both  are 
giving  their  father  assistance  on  the  home 
farm.  Mr.  Becker  has  never  desired  public 
office  and  takes  no  very  active  interest  in  gen- 
eral politics. 


WILLIAM  ORANGE  TYLER.  — One  of 
the  early  settlers  in  Hall  County,  was  the  late 
W.  O.  Tyler,  who  owned  and  operated  a  fine 
farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  situated 
in  section  eight,  South  Platte  township.  This 
farm  is  well  improved  and  still  remains  in 
the  possession  of  the  Tyler  family. 

W.  O.  Tyler  was  born  in  Orion,  Michigan, 
August  3,  1845,  and  came  to  Hall  County,  in 
1870.  His  parents  were  William  E.  and  Char- 
lotte (Nichols)  Tyler,  who  removed  from 
Michigan  to  Iowa  shortly  after  the  birth  of 
their  son.  William  E.  Tyler  served  in  an 
Iowa  regiment  through  the  last  year  of  the 
Civil  War,  returning  then  to  his  farm  in  Iowa 
where  the  family  retained  residence  until  1871 
when  removal  was  made  to  Hall  County.  Here 
Mr.  Tyler  hotnesteaded  and  continued  on  his 
land  until  1884.  W.  O.  Tyler  took  up  a 
homestead  in  Hall  County,  which  he  de- 
veloped, and  as  long  as  his  state  of  health  per- 
mitted, was  active  in  its  improvement.  In 
1881,  however,  his  health  broke  down  com- 
pletely and  he  was  forced  to  retire  from  the 
farm  and  finally,  as  stated  above,  went  to 
California,  where  he  spent  three  years.  Mr. 
Tyler  died  in  California,  June  17,  1886. 

After  .a  short  stay  in  Nebraska,  Mr.  Tyler 
returned  to  Iowa  and  soon  afterward  married 
Miss  Mary  F.  White.  Her  parents  were  John 
and  Mary  C.  (Thrift)  White,  who  were  na- 
tives of  North  Carolina.  They  moved  to  In- 
diana in  1863,  where  they  remained  until  1867, 
when  they  came  to  Iowa,  where  Mr.  White 
bought  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land 
that  he  developed  into  a  valuable  property. 
Following  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler 
settled  in  Hall  County  and  this  has  been  her 
home  ever  since.  She  is  well  known  in  this 
section  and  is  very  highly  esteemed.  Two 
children  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler: 
Retson,  who  was  born  in  1875,  is  unmarried; 
and  Estella,  the  wife  of  Milo  Karr.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Karr  have  the  following  children :  Helen, 
Lavern,  Ada,  Glenn  and  Lloyd,  all  of  whom 
are  attending  school  except  the  youngest. 


WALTER  RHOADES,  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stockraiser  of  Hall  County,  owns 
eighty  acres  of  fine  land  situated  in  section 
thirty-three,  town  of  Doniphan.  Mr.  Rhoades 
was  born  at  Phillips,  Hamilton  County,  Ne- 
braska, July  4,  1888.  His  parents  were  Will- 
iam H.  and  Jennie  Rhoades,  both  of  whom 
were  born  and  reared  in  Illinois.  They  came 
from  there  to  Hamilton  County  about  thirty- 
five  years  ago,  when  pioneer  conditions  pre- 
vailed here,  and  they  shared  in  the  hardships 
that  tested  and  proved  the  courage  and  steadi- 
ness of  the  early  settlers.  Their  lives  were 
not  unduly  extended,  the  father  dying  when 
aged  fifty-four  years  and  the  mother  passing 
away  at  the  age  of  fifty  years,  their  burial 
being  at  Phillips. 

Walter  Rhoades  grew  up  in  Hamilton  Coun- 
ty and  attended  the  public  schools.  For  seven 
years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Bell  Tele- 
phone Company  as  a  lineman,  and  his  record 
shows  that  he  was  exceedingly  efficient  in  the 
performance  of  his  duties  and  maintained 
friendly  relations  with  his  employers  as  well 
as  the  patrons  of  the  company.  In  1913  he 
became  a  farmer  and  since  then  has  devoted 
himself  closely  to  his  farm  interests. 

At  Hastings,  Nebraska,  October  8,  1913, 
Mr.  Rhoades  married  Miss  Lulu  May  Will- 
iams, a  daughter  of  C.  W.  and  Viola  Will- 
iams, residents  of  Hansen,  Nebraska.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Rhoades  have  three  children:  Law- 
rence and  Florence,  twins,  and  Bettie  Irene. 
They  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 
In  politics  Mr.  Rhoades  takes  no  very  active 
part  but,  as  a  good,  reliable  citizen,  he  casts 
a  vote  according  to  his  own  judgment  after 
carefully  considering  public  questions  for  him- 
self. For  some  years  he  has  been  associated 
in  membership  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Woodmen  of  the  World. 


"LEONARD  EARL  HUFFMAN,  one  of 
the  alert  young  business  men  and  enterprising 
farmers  and  stockraisers  of  Hall  County, 
belongs  to  an  old  and  substantial  family  here, 
and  has  spent  his  entire  life  in  this  county. 
He  is  well  known  and  his  reputation  as  a 
competent  agriculturist  and  dependable,  trust- 
worthy young  man  is  thoroughly  established. 
Mr.  Huffman  was  bom  January  3,  1894,  at 
Doniphan,  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  a  son  of 
Elmer  Albert  and  Amanda  Ellen  (Kar- 
michael)  Huffman,  the  former  was  bom  in 
Clarke  County,  Iowa,  in  1862.  His  parents 
were  John  and  Margaret  (Parkins)  Huffman. 
He  worked  on  his  father's  farm  and  attended 
the  country  schools  in  Iowa.    When  he  came 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


first  to  Nebraska  he  was  glad  to  obtain  work 
for  $15  a  month,  while  now  he  is  a  man  of 
large  means,  owner  of  a  fine  residence  in 
Hastings,  and  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
well  improved  land.  His  first  wife  was 
Amanda  Ellen  Karmichaei,  and  two  sons 
were  born  to  them:  Roy  and  Leonard  Earl, 
both  of  whom  are  farmers  in  Hall  County. 
Mr.  Huffman  married  second  Myrtle  Wilson. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  in  Hastings. 

Leonard  Earl  Huffman  attended  the  public 
schools  at  Doniphan  and  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school.  He  assisted  his  father  on 
the  home  farm  until  the  latter  retired  and 
moved  to  Hastings,  where  he  resides  at  No. 
600  West  Sixth  street.  He  has  been  a  res- 
ident of  Nebraska  since  1882.  In  1916  Leon- 
ard E.  Huffman  went  into  business  for  him- 
self and  now  rents  two  hundred  acres  of  fine 
land  from  W.  M.  Rapp,  of  Hastings,  on  which 
he  carries  on  general  farming  according  to 
the  latest  improved  methods.  He  owns  a  large 
amount  of  expensive  farm  machinery,  for  Mr. 
Huffman  is  a  farmer  of  modern  type,  and  he 
has  invested  in  first  class  stock,  at  the  date 
of  writing  having  eight  head  of  Duroc-Jersey 
hogs,  eight  head  of  horses  and  five  head  of 
cattle,  a  fine  showing  for  three  years  of 
operation. 

Mr.  Huffman  married  a  woman  born,  reared 
and  educated  in  Hall  County,  like  himself. 
The  ceremony  that  united  him  to  Miss  Myrtle 
Lawell  was  performed  September  20,  1915. 
She  is  the  youngest  of  a  family  of  seven  chil- 
dren bom  to  George  and  Julia  Lawell.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Huffman  have  one  son,  Jack  Wilson. 
They  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Doniphan. 


HENRY  N.  MARTIN.  — An  early  settler 
in  Hall  County  is  found  in  Henry  Nathaniel 
Martin,  who  now  lives  retired  in  Hastings, 
Nebraska,  after  many  years  of  successful 
effort  as  a  general  fanner  and  raiser  of  fine 
cattle.  Mr.  Martin  was  born  in  England  in 
1848,  and  was  brought  to  the  United  States 
in  1851  by  his  parents,  George  and  Ann 
(Owers)  Martin.  For  one  year  the  family 
lived  in  Ohio  and  then  removed  to  McHenry 
County,  Illinois,  which  remained  the  family 
home  for  nine  years. 

Henry  N.  Martin  was  thirteen  years  old 
when  his  people  came  as  far  west  as  Iowa, 
where  they  remained  one  year  and  then  pro- 
ceeded to  Hall  County,  where  his  father  took 
tip  a  homestead  tn  section  thirteen,  township 
eleven,   residing  on   his  homestead  until   his 


death.  Within  a  few  years  Mr.  Martin  ac- 
quired a  pre-emption  claim  for  himself  and 
subsequently  bought  other  land  when  he  be- 
lieved the  investment  would  be  profitable, 
keeping  on  acquiring  farms  until  he  found 
himself  one  of  the  Targe  landowners  of  the 
county.  He  now  has  eight  hundred  acres  and 
all  his  property  has  been  improved  in  a  sub- 
stantial manner,  his  farms  are  well  stocked 
and  as  a  rule  they  are  cultivated  according 
to  scientific  methods.  Mr.  Martin  continued 
to  manage  and  operate  his  land  himself  until 
1911,  when  he  retired  and  moved  into  Hast- 
ings, .where  he  built  a  comfortable  modern 
residence  on  North  Kansas  avenue. 

In  1873  Mr.  Martin  married  Miss  Letitia 
Donald,  a  native  of  Morgan  County,  Illinois, 
and  she  became  the  mother  of  two  children : 
Arthur  A.,  who  resides  on  one  of  his  father's 
farms,  married  Pauline  Hanson ;  and  Viola, 
the  wife  of  A.  M.  Johnson,  a  native  of  Ohio, 
lives  on  one  of  Mr.  Martin's  farms.  In  1879, 
Mr.  Martin  was  married  a  second  time  to  his 
present  wife,  who  was  Miss  Sarah  M.  Donald, 
a  sister  of  the  first  wife.  Mr.  Martin  and  his 
family  are  members  of  the  Nazarene  church. 
During  his  many  years  in  Hall  County,  Mr. 
Martin  has  been  a  witness  of  wonderful 
changes,  and  he  has  borne  a  part  in  much  of 
the  development  that  has  made  this  section  of 
state  rich  in  its  agricultural  industries  and  law- 
abiding  in  its  citizenship.  He  is  very  widely 
and  commonly  known  as  "Nat"  Martin. 


JAMES  R.  VARAH,  a  well  known  grain 
farmer  of  Hall  County,  belongs  to  a  family 
that  came  to  Nebraska  full  forty  years  ago  and 
ever  since  has  been  represented  here.  He  was 
born  on  the  hometsead  on  which  he  yet  lives, 
situated  in  section  23,  town  of  Doniphan,  No- 
vember 14,  1886.  His  parents  are  Thomas 
and  Erissa  (Wisner)  Varah,  the  latter  of 
whom  was  born  in  La  Salle  County,  Illinois. 
The  father  of  Mr.  Varah  was  born  in  1857, 
at  Syracuse,  New  York,  was  married  in  Illi- 
nois, and  in  1879  came  to  Nebraska.  He 
homesteaded  in  Hall  County  and  for  many 
years  lived  on  this  farm,  then  went  into  the 
real  estate  business  and  now  lives  retired  in 
Hastings,  Nebraska. 

James  R.  Varah  had  common  school  advan- 
tages and  has  followed  farming  for  himself 
since  1907,  renting  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres  from  his  father.  He  devotes  himself 
mainly  to  growing  grain  and  sells  his  product 
as  he  makes  no  special  feature  of  stockrais- 
ing.  For  his  own  use  and  convenience  be 
averages  four  head  of  cattle  annually  but  no 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


H.  N.  Martin  and  Grandchil 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


hogs,  and  a  few  horses  and  mules,  all  of  first 
class  grade.  Mr.  Varah's  farm  shows  the 
effect  of  careful  husbandry,  his  farm  machin- 
ery is  of  the  best  and  his  improvements  are 
adequate  and  substantial.  He  owns  stock  in 
the  mill  and  elevator  at  Doniphan. 

At  Hastings,  Nebraska,  April  29,  1908,  Mr. 
Varah  married  Miss  Mary  Rothwell,  one  of  a 
family  of  three  children  bom  to  James  and 
Mary  Rothwell,  both  deceased.  The  father  of 
Mrs.  Varah  was  formerly  a  druggist  at  Trum- 
bull, Nebraska.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Varah  have 
five  children:  Lloyd,  Curtis,  Howard,  Wayne 
and  Norma,  their  ages  ranging  from  nine  to 
two  years.  Mrs.  Varah  is  a  memeber  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he 
is  an  independent  voter.  He  belongs  to  a 
family  noted  for  its  longevity,  and  his  grand- 
father, who  died  in  1916,  was  eighty-three 
years  old  and  had  been  a  retired  farmer  at 
Central  Square,  Oswego  County,  New  York, 
for  many  years.  The  grandmother  still  sur- 
vives, being  now  in  her  eighty-sixth  year. 


FRED  J.  BUDDECKE,  a  prosperous  gen- 
eral farmer  in  Hall  County,  is  a  native  of  Ne- 
braska, born  at  Hayes  Center,  in  Hayes 
County,  September  6,  1891.  His  parents  were 
Carl  and  Louise  Buddecke,  both  of  whom  were 
born  in  Germany.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  in  1884,  landing  in  the  harbor  of  New 
York.  From  there  they  went  to  Toledo,  Ohio, 
where  three  years  were  spent.  From  Toledo 
they  came  to  Nebraska  and  the  father  secured 
a  homestead  near  Hayes  Center,  proved  up, 
then  moved  near  Trumbull,  in  Clay  County, 
dying  in  Hastings,  January  9,  1917,  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  years.     The  mother  is  still 

Fred  J.  Buddecke  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools.  He  was  reared  on  a  farm 
and  has  been  interested  in  farm  pursuits  all 
his  life.  In  1913  he  started  out  on  his  own 
responsibility,  renting  a  tract  of  land  which 
he  operated  successfully.  Later  he  rented  the 
farm  he  is  now  operating,  situated  in  section 
twenty-four,  town  of  Doniphan,  belonging  to 
the  Buddecke  estate.  Here  he  has  made  many 
substantial  improvements,  has  invested  in  first 
class  farm  machinery,  follows  modern  methods 
and  is  making  a  great  success  of  his  venture. 
He  handles  standard  stock  only  and  at  the 
time  of  writing  has  forty  head  of  Duroc-Jer- 
sey  hogs,  four  mules  and  twenty  head  of  cattle, 
all   ready  for  market. 

In  Hastings,  Nebraska,  December  17,  1914, 
Mr.  Buddecke  married  Miss  Minnie  Brum- 
mond,   a   daughter   of   Herman   and    Hattie 


Brummond,  who  have  been  residents  of 
Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  for  seven  years, 
where  Mr.  Brummond  is  a  farmer.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Buddecke  have  one  son,  Norman,  who 
is  two  years  old.  They  attend  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Buddecke  has  been  treasurer  of 
school  district  No.  39  for  four  years  and  in 
many  other  ways  has  proved  his  good  stand- 
ing as  a  citizen.  In  politics  he  casts  an  inde- 
pendent vote. 


OTIS  TAGGART.  —  If  an  early  beginning 
has  anything  to  do  with  it,  Otis  Taggart,  one 
of  Hall  County's  prosperous  farmers,  should 
be  very  competent  in  his  chosen  vocation,  for 
his  efforts  began  when  he  was  five  years  old. 
There  are  many  small  tasks  on  a  well  regu- 
lated farm  that  can  easily  be  performed  by  the 
sturdy  growing  boys  of  the  family,  and  Otis, 
as  the  second  eldest  son,  was  found  very  use- 
ful by  his  practical,  sensible  father,  who  has 
been  a  resident  of  Nebraska  for  the  past 
thirty -six  years. 

Otis  Taggart  was  born  in  Moultrie  County, 
Illinois,  May  4,  1878.  His  parents  were  David 
and  Margaret  Ellen  Taggart,  both  deceased. 
His  mother  was  born  in  Kentucky  and  his 
father  in  the  city  of  New  York.  He  served 
during  the  Civil  War  as  a  member  of  Com- 
pany H,  One  Hundred  and  Twenty-third  Illi- 
nois Infantry.  After  the  war  he  returned  to 
Illinois,  was  married  and  became  a  farmer  in 
Moultrie  County  and  in  1883  removed  from 
there  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  where  his 
death  occurred  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years. 
The  mother  survived  until  sixty-six  years  old, 
passing  away  near  Doniphan.  They  were 
estimable  people  in  every  relation  of  life.  Their 
four  children  survive:  Otis,  Edward,  James 
and  Nellie. 

As  above  indicated,  Mr.  Taggart  was  reared 
on  a  farm.  He  attended  the  public  schools  and 
afterward  worked  as  a  farmer  for  others  until 
1900  when  he  rented  land  and  since  then  has 
carried  on  agricultural  industries  on  his  own 
account.  He  is  operating  two  hundred  and 
forty  acres,  carrying  on  a  general  farming  lint 
Mr.  Taggart  makes  no  special  feature  of 
stock  raising  but  he  always  maintains  a  sub- 
stantial supply  on  the  farm,  all  of  good  grade, 
and  at  present  has  two  fine  milch  cows,  nine 
brood  sows,  some  good  horses  and  an  exten- 
sive poultry  yard  containing  about  a  thousand 
chickens,  with  a  large  proportion  of  Plymouth 
Rocks.  In  addition  to  his  farm  property,  Mr. 
Taggart  is  interested  in  the  Doniphan  Elevator 
and  Mill  Company. 

At  Doniphan,  Nebraska,  March  18,  1908, 
i|£ 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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Mr.  Taggart  married  Miss  Edith  Maud  Cava- 
naugh,  the  youngest  in  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren born  to  Simon  and  Julia  (Stansberry) 
Cavanaugh.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Taggart  was 
bora  in  County  Wicklow,  Ireland,  and  the 
mother  in  Tennessee.  Both  are  deceased.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Taggart  have  three  children:  Bonnie 
Maxine,  Floyd  Allen,  and  an  infant.  Mrs. 
Taggart  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Mr.  Taggart  carries  insurance 
in  the  Bankers  Life  Company.  He  belongs 
to  the  order  of  Woodmen  of  the  World.  Mr. 
Taggart  is  an  intelligent,  progressive  farmer, 
and  is  a  good  citizen  of  his  count*  He  is 
known  to  be  ever  ready  to  co-operate  with  his 
neighbors  for  mutual  benefit  and  for  good 
government.  Politically  he  casts  an  independ- 
ent vote. 


HENRY  MOELLER.  — There  are  many 
men  now  living  in  Nebraska  who  have  built 
up  comfortable  fortunes  since  coming  here. 
One  of  these  is  Henry  Moeller,  who  owns  a 
large  body  of  valuable  land  situated  in  section 
twenty-five,  Alda  township,  Hall  County.  Mr. 
Moeller  is  also  one  of  the  leading  stockmen  of 
this  section. 

Henry  Moeller  was  born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, July  26,  1861.  His  grandfather,  Claus 
Moeller,  was  a  highly  educated  man  in  Ger- 
many, a  scientist  and  an  astronomer.  He  never 
came  to  America  as  he  was  eighty-two  years 
of  age  when  his  descendants  set  out  for  the 
United  States  in  1883.  The  parents  of  Henry 
Moeller  were  Henry  and  Margaret  Moeller, 
who  landed  in  the  harbor  of  New  York  in  1883 
and  from  there  came  to  Davenport,  Iowa. 
Later  they  removed  to  Harlan  County,  Ne- 
braska, where  both  died  on  the  home  farm. 

Before  coming  to  the  United  States  Henry 
Moeller  had  attended  a  public  school.  He 
assisted  his  father  on  the  homestead  in  Harlan 
County  and  afterward  operated  his  own  farm 
there  where  he  continued  to  live  for  many 
years.  He  now  owns  eight  hundred  and  thirty- 
three  acres  of  rich  bottom  land  along  the 
river,  and  his  farm  improvements  are  of  a 
substantial  character.  He  is  a  large  cattle 
feeder  and  has  two  car  loads  of  cattle  ready 
for  shipment,  also  about  two  car  loads  of  hogs 
for  market  every  year.  Mr.  Moeller's  farm 
methods  are  thorough  and  practical  and  his 
undertakings  result  profitably. 

On  March  29,  1895,  in  Hall  County,  Mr. 
Moeller  married  Miss  Emma  Boltz.  They 
"have  seven  children :  John  C,  a  soldier  in  the 
United  States  army,  at  Fort  Douglas,  Utah, 
connected   with  a   hospital  ambulance  corps, 


and  Albert  G.,  Elsie  M.,  Clara,  Hannah,  Rosie 
and  Nora,  all  of  whom  reside  at  home.  Mr. 
Moeller  and  family  belong  to  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  is  an  independent  voter.  While 
living  in  Harlan  County  he  served  in  the  office 
of  school  treasurer  for  twenty-one  years. 


EDWARD  BOLTZ.  —  In  meeting  the  rep- 
resentative and  substantial  men  of  Hall  County 
who  came  here  as  early  settlers,  much  that  is 
interesting  and  historically  instructive  is 
learned  from  the  recital  of  their  experiences. 
Very  few  of  them  came  here  with  any  con- 
siderable amount  of  capital,  and  their  present 
state  of  comfortable  independence  is  a  result 
of  their  own  industry,  prudence  and  good 
judgment.  Edward  Boltz,  one  of  the  county's 
big  feeders  of  cattle  may  be  cited  as  an  ex- 
ample. 

Edward  Boltz  was  born  in  Holstein,  Ger- 
many, June  22,  1870,  the  son  of  Claus  and 
Johanna  Boltz,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
the  same  country.  They  came  to  the  United 
States  with  two  children,  in  May,  1873,  having 
incurred  a  debt  of  $200  in  order  to  make  the 
voyage.  The  father  located  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  on  Schimmer's  Lake,  near  Grand 
Island,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until  his 
accidental  death,  which  was  occasioned  by  a 
runaway  team  of  horses.  He  was  then  forty- 
five  years  of  age  and  the  father  of  nine  chil- 
.  dren,  the  eldest  being  seventeen  years  old  and 
the  youngest  aged  but  eighteen  months.  This 
calamity  fell  heavily  on  the  mother  and  during 
the  following  years  when  pioneer  hardships 
added  to  her  troubles,  all  her  resources  of 
strength,  cheerfulness  and  frugality  were  heav- 
ily taxed.  Edward  Boltz  in  recalling  those  times 
makes  mention  of  the  great  snowstorm  in  the 
winter  of  1888.  He  was  eighteen  years  old 
at  the  time  and  when  the  storm  assumed  vio- 
lence, started  some  distance  away  to  get  his 
brothers  and  sisters  who  were  in  the  school- 
house.  Fortunately  on  the  return  he  found 
a  fence  and  only  by  following  that,  hand  over 
hand,  was  he  able  to  bring  the  little  ones  home 
safely.  The  mother  survived  to  the  age  of 
sixty-four  years. 

Edward  Boltz  has  always  been  a  farmer 
and  more  or  less  interested  in  stock.  He  now 
owns  three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine 
meadow  land,  for  some  of  which  he  paid 
$38  and  acre,  which  he  now  refuses  to  sell 
for  $125  an  acre.  He  has  placed  fine  farm 
improvements  here.  For  many  years  he  has 
been  an  extensive  feeder  and  now  averages 
three  cars  of  cattle  annually  and  fifty  head  of 
hogs.     All  the  horses  he  raises  find  a  ready 


864 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


market.  Mr.  Boltz  has  experienced  some  hard 
rimes  and  would  be  sorry  indeed  to  see  a  re- 
currence of  the  furious  storms  that  once 
swept  over  this  section  of  the  country  within 
his  memory,  or  the  return  of  such  a  devastat- 
ing plague  as  the  grasshoppers. 

In  1897  Mr.  Boltz  married  Miss  Minnie 
Nubert.  Her  parents  were  residents  of  Hall 
County  where  her  father  died  at  the"  age  of 
sixty-four  years  and  her  mother  when 
seventy  years  of  age.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Boltz 
have  seven  children :  Mrs.  Freda  Gulzow,  who 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Kimball  County,  Nebraska ; 
Mrs.  Emma  Mattisen,  who  resides  on  a  farm 
near  Overton,  Nebraska;  and  Bertha,  Amelia, 
Walter,  Freddie  and  Gladys,  all  of  whom  are 
at  home.  The  children  have  had  school  advan- 
tages and  some  of  them  have  special  talents. 
Mr.  Boltz  belongs  to  the  South  German  so- 
cieties and  to  the  American  Order  of  United 
Workmen.  He  is  not  particularly  active  in 
politics  but  occasionally  has  served  in  public 
office,  for  a  number  of  years  being  especially 
efficient  as  supervisor  of  roads. 


Hamilton  County.  Both  are  now  deceased. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  McDowell  have  four  children: 
Myrtle,  the  wife  of  John  Gerdes ;  Lilly,  the 
wife  of  John  Sullivan;  Goldie,  the  wife  of 
Fred  Bentz;  and  Flora,  who  resides  with  her 
parents. 

In  addition  to  his  farm  interests,  Mr.  Mc- 
Dowell is  a  stockholder  and  one  of  the  board 
of  directors  in  the  Grain  and  Supply  Company 
of  Doniphan,  a  prospering  enterprise.  In  poli- 
tics he  is  a  Democrat,  and  for  years  he  has 
been  a  factor  in  educational  affairs  in  his 
township,  serving  continuously  for  twenty 
years  in?  the  office  of  school  moderator.  For 
two  years  he  was  a  member  of  the  board  of 
county  highway  commissioners  and  at  the 
present  time  is  serving  in  his  fourth  term  as 
county  supervisor,  having  charge  of  the  high- 
ways of  the  county.  In  serving  in  these  vari- 
ous important  offices,  Mr.  McDowell  has  dis- 
played the  practical  qualities  that  have  made 
him  successful  in  the  management  of  his  pri- 
vate affairs.  He  belongs  to  the  order  of  Modern 
Woodmen  and  also  to  the  Odd  Fellows. 


WILLIAM  HENRY  McDOWELL,  whose 
fine  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is 
situated  in  section  eighteen,  South  Platte  town- 
ship, leads  many  farmers  and  stock  raisers  of 
Hall  County  because  of  his  progressive  ideas 
and  enterprising  methods.  Not  only  is  he 
successful  in  business  affairs  but  he  is  of  con- 
siderable prominence  in  public  matters  in  the 
county,  serving  with  marked  efficiency  in  num. 
erous  important  offices. 

W.  H.  McDowell  was  born  in  Iowa,  Decem- 
ber 3,  1865.  His  father,  Joseph  McDowell, 
who  was  born  in  Indiana,  died  on  his  own 
farm  in  Iowa.  His  mother,  Mrs.  Mary  (Jones) 
McDowell,  is  a  resident  of  Grand  Island.  She 
also  was  born  in  Indiana.  Mr.  McDowell  at- 
tended the  public  schools,  first  in  Iowa  and 
later  in  Nebraska.  He  has  followed  agricultural 
pursuits  all  his  life.  His  farm  is  well  im- 
proved. He  raised  Poland-China  hogs,  pure 
strain  Percheron  horses  and  Shorthorn  cattle, 
conducting  all  his  farm  affairs  carefully  and 
scientifically.  In  January,  1919,  Mr.  Mc- 
Dowell, having  gained  a  comfortable  fortune 
decided  to  retire  from  the  active  management 
of  his  land  and  moved  to  Doniphan,  where  he 
now  devotes  his  time  to  his  commercial  enter- 
prises. 

In  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  in  1883, 
Mr.  McDowell  married  Miss  Nancy  Daniels, 
a  daughter  of  Marion  and  Anna  Daniels.  The 
parents  of  Mrs.  McDowell  were  natives  of 
Ohio  who  came  to  Nebraska  and  settled  in 


HENRY  GEORGE  YOUNG,  a  resident 
of  Hall  County  for  many  years,  is  a  general 
farmer  and  extensive  raiser  of  horses  and 
mules,  carrying  on  his  various  industries  in 
section  nine,  town  of  Doniphan.  He  was  bom 
in  the  city  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania, 
August  16,  1873,  the  son  of  Henry  and  Jane 
(White)  Young.  Mr.  Young  has  one  brother. 
Robert,  who  lives  on  the  home  place  in  Hamil- 
ton County  Nebraska. 

The  father  of  Henry  George  Young  was 
born  in  Scotland  and  came  to  the  United  States 
in  1871.  He  settled  in  Pennsylvania  where  he 
was  accidentally  drowned  when  thirty-five 
years  old.  Mr.  Young's  mother  was  bom  in 
England  and  was  twenty-five  years  old  when 
she  came  to  the  United  States.  After 
the  death  of  Mr.  Young  she  married  Isaac 
Chubb,  in  Illinois,  and  lived  there  one  year 
when  he  died.  Her  third  marriage  was  to 
Thomas  McKee,  who  died  in  1917.  She 
resides  at  Lincoln,  Nebraska.  Her  father 
Solomon  White  bought  railroad  land  in 
Hamilton  County,  and  Mrs.  McKee  owned 
two  quarter  sections  bordering  on  Hall  County. 
Mr.  Young  has  heard  his  mother  tell  many 
stories  of  early  days  here,  when  the  country 
was  full  of  wild  birds  never  seen  now.  and 
of  many  things  that  would  be  considered  hard- 
ships at  the  present  time  but  were  not  thought 
of  as  such  in  those  days.  When  her  mother 
wanted  a  sack  of  flour,  she  set  off  on  foot 
for  Doniphan,  four  and  a  half  miles  away,  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


W.  H.  McDowell 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


carried  it  home  in  her  arms.  When  Mrs.  Mc- 
Kee  wished  to  pay  a  social  call,  the  necessity 
for  walking  several  miles  to  do  so,  did  not 
matter  at  all.  Mr.  McKee  hauled  his  grain  a 
distance  of  twenty  miles,  to  Aurora.  The 
family  lived  here  at  the  time  the  railroad  was 
constructed  from  Hastings  to  Aurora. 

Henry  G.  Young  rents  a  large  amount  of 
land  from  Mrs.  George  Bronell,  comprising 
a  half  section  and  also  a  quarter  section  situ- 
ated two  miles  from  Doniphan.  Here  he 
carries  on  general  farming,  making  use  of  his 
own  improved  farm  machinery,  and  devotes 
much  attention  to  raising  Shorthorn  cattle, 
Duroc  hogs,  horses  and  mules,  making  a 
feature  of  the  latter. 

At  Hastings,  Nebraska,  December  21,  1898, 
Mr.  Young  was  united  in  tnarriage  with  Miss 
AKce  Littell,  who. was  "bom  in  Indiana,  and 
died  at  the  early  age  of  thirty-five  years,  very 
generally  mourned.  Her  parents  were  Joseph 
C.  and  Sarah  Littell,  both  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased. Mr.  Littell  was  a  prosperous  farmer 
in  Hamilton  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Young 
had  five  children  born  to  them:  George  J., 
Orville  E.,  Arthur  J.,  Harold  W-,  and  Mable 
M.,  aged  respectively,  nineteen,  seventeen,  fif- 
teen, thirteen  and  nine  years.  The  Httle 
daughter  attends  school  at  Doniphan.  Mr. 
Young  is  a  member  of  the  Congregational 
church,  while  Mrs.  Young  belonged  to  the 
Christian  church. 


JOHN  HENRY  BITTER,  classed  with  the 
successful  farmers  of  Hall  County,  has  lived 
on  his  present  place  for  twenty-three  years, 
hence  is  widely  known  in  his  neighborhood, 
where  apparently  he  can  claim  friendship  with 
every  one.  That  is  a  pretty  fair  test  of  char- 
acter. 

John  H.  Bitter  was  born  in  Germany,  Feb- 
ruary 17,  1866.  His  parents  were  Deidrick 
and  Margaret  Bitter,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Germany,  where  the  mother  died  at  the 
age  of  forty-five  years.  After  that  the  father 
and  his  children  came  to  the  United  States 
and  later  settled- in  Whiteside  County,  Illinois, 
where  he  lived  to  be  seventy-two  years  old. 
John  Henry  Bitter  was  sixteen  years  old  when 
ne  accompanied  his  father  to  the  United  States 
and  he  had  already  had  school  training.  He 
remained  in  Whiteside  County,  Illinois,  until 
1889,  when  he  came  to  Nebraska,  and  in  1896 
settled  on  the  farm  he  has  operated  since.  He 
has  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres  here  which 
he  rents,  and  carries  on  general  fanning  and 
raises  a  good  grade  of  cattle,  hogs  and  chick- 
ens.   He  is  careful  and  systematic,  makes  use 


of  first  class  farm  machinery,  keeps  up  im- 
provements and  is  unusually  prosperous. 

In  Hall  County,  on  September  18,  1895,  Mr. 
Bitter  married  Miss  Mina  Olthoff,  who  was 
born  in  Hall  County,  and  they  have  had  three 
children:  an  infant  that  died;  Bertha,  a  popu- 
lar teacher  in  the  public  schools;  and  Mary, 
attending  the  high  school  at  Doniphan.  Mr. 
Bitter  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Lutheran  church.  For  a  number  of  years  he 
has  been  a  school  director.  In  fraternal  mat- 
ters he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  of 
America,  and  Mrs.  Bitter  is  a  member  of  the 
Royal  Neighbors. 


JAMES  A.  HARDING  is  living  in  honor- 
able retirement  in  a  comfortable  home  in  Hast- 
ings, Nebraska,  surrounded  by  all  the  neces- 
sities and  many  of  the  luxuries  of  Hfe,  a  con- 
dition made  possible  by  the  success  attained 
in  former  years  of  activities  as  an  agricul- 
turist. He  was  a  resident  of  Hall  County  for 
thirty-three  years  and  contributed  his  full 
share  towards  the  agricultural  development  of 
the  community  in  which  he  lived. 

James  A.  Harding  is  a  native  of  Maine 
and  was  bom  in  the  Pine  Tree  State,  Janu- 
ary 6,  1844.  His  parents,  Thomas  and  Lydia 
Harding,  were  natives  of  Maine  and  in  1853 
became  residents  of  Crawford  County,  Wis- 
consin, taking  up  their  abode  there  in  pioneer 
days  and  there  the  father  passed  away  at  the 
age  of  eighty-four  years,  while  the  death  of 
the  mother  occurred  in  California  at  the  age 
of  eighty  years. 

James  A.  was  a  lad  of  nine  summers  when 
the  family  home  was  established  in  Wisconsin 
and  here  he  spent  the  days  of  his  boyhood 
and  youth,  going  into  the  lumber  camps  of  the 
northern  pine  woods,  at  sixteen  he  did  a  full 
man's  work  while  yet  a  boy  in  years,  and  be- 
coming ambitious,  in  1880  went  to  Kansas  and 
secured  a  homestead  in  Lincoln  County,  prov- 
ing up  on  the  same  and  residing  there  five 
years.  He  then  moved  to  Saline  County,  Ne- 
braska, living  at  Pleasant  Hill  for  five  years, 
when  his  next  move  took  him  to  Hall  County. 
In  Doniphan  township  he  purchased  eighty 
acres  of  land  and  devoted  himself  industri- 
ously to  farming  pursuits,  making  a  success  of 
his  undertakings  which  is  attested  by  the  fact 
that  today  he  is  the  owner  of  three  hundred 
and  twenty  acres,  improved  wfth  three  sets  of 
buildings,  the  land  now  being  operated  by 
his  sons.  He  also  owns  an  eighty  acre  tract 
near  Leeton,  Missouri.  The  success  that  has 
come  to  Mr.  Harding  has  been  justly  earned 
through  industry  and  good  management  and 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


he  richly  deserves  the  opportunity  to  spend  the 
evening  of  life  in  ease  and  comfort. 

Mr.  Harding  married  Miss  Bettie  Dykeman, 
who  bore  him  one  child,  a  son,  George  Hard- 
ing, who  is  engaged  in  operating  one  of  his 
father's  farms  in  Hall  County.  For  his  second 
wife  Mr.  Harding  married  Miss  Orra  Thomp- 
son, whose  death  occurred  when  fifty  years  of 
age,  being  killed  in  a  cyclone  at  Leeton,  Mis- 
souri. She  was  the  mother  of  two  children : 
Jay  A.,  who  resides  on  one  of  his  father's 
farms  in  Hall  County;  and  Anna  May,  a 
young  lady  of  fifteen  who  lives  with  her  father. 

Mr.  Harding  has  the  honor  of  being  one 
of  the  surviving  soldiers  of  the  Civil  War, 
having  served  in  the  Eighth  Wisconsin  Light 
Artillery.  He  was  a  member  of  the  local  post 
of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic  as  long  as 
there  were  members  enough  in  this  locality  to 
keep  it  up. 

He  can  truly  be  called  a  self  made  man  for 
the  success  that  has  come  to  htm  is  the  result 
oi  his  own  efforts,  and  before  he  took  up  the 
occupation  of  farming  he  followed  the  trade 
of  carpenter,  and  though  he  has  reached  the 
age  of  seventy-five  appears  a  man  much 
younger.  The  years  that  mark  the  span  of 
his  life  have  been  years  of  wonderful  develop- 
ment and  he  has  been  not  only  an  eye-wit- 
ness of  this  wonderful  transformation  but 
has  been  a  pioneer  in  three  states,  and  assisted 
in  bringing  about  present  day  conditions. 

Mr.  Harding  is  a  Republican  in  politics  and 
while  living  on  the  farm  in  Kansas  served 
several  years  as  a  member  of  the  school  board 
of  his  district,  the  cause  of  education  finding 
in  him  a  starlwart  champion. 


JOHN  GALLACHER.  —  The  recollec- 
tions of  some  of  the  old  settlers  of  Hall 
County  extend  far  back,  taking  in  interesting 
details  of  events  that  are  a  part  of  the  county's 
history.  Not  many  there  are  whose  remem- 
brances are  equally  authentic  with  those  of 
John  Gallacher  who,  as  a  public  official  during 
important  years,  had  a  part  in  the  political 
as  well  as  material  development  here.  Mr. 
Gallacher  is  now  living  comfortably  retired  at 
Doniphan. 

The  birth  of  Mr.  Gallacher  took  place  in 
the  historic  city  of  Glasgow,  Scotland,  May 
29,  1852,  the  third  son  in  a  family  of  nine 
children  bom  to  Christopher  and  Anna 
(Wilson)  Gallacher,  both  of  whom  were  born 
in  Scotland  and  reared  there,  the  former  at 
Johnstone  and  the  latter  at  Mauchline.  Beside 
John,  two  other  children  of  the  family  survive, 
these  Tjeing:     James,   superintendent   of   the 


Southern  Pacific  coal  mines  at  Paris,  Ala- 
bama, and  Mrs.  Anna  Thornton,  whose  hus- 
band is  a  retired  miner  of  El  Paso,  Texas. 
Christopher  Gallacher  was  a  bridge  contractor 
and  stone  dresser  and  his  accidental  death  was 
caused  in  1883  by  a  railroad  train  while  he 
was  engaged  in  bridge  building.  There  are 
few  Scotch  youths  who  do  not  have  a  chance 
to  get  the  foundation  of  an  education  and 
John  Gallacher  had  his  opportunity  in  Glas- 
gow. He  was  twenty  years  old  when  he  left 
his  native  land  for  Canada,  landing  at  Quebec, 
May  14,  1872,  and  shortly  afterward  came 
to  the  United  States,  which  country  has  since 
been  his  home.  He  first  went  to  Braidwood, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  as  a  miner  until 
1875,  then  came  to  Hall  County.  He  was  a 
witness  of  the  Great  Diamond  mine  disaster 
in  Illinois. 

In  1875  Mr.  Gallacher  married  Miss  Alice 
Spellman,  whose  brother,  Allen  Spellman, 
resides  at  Coal  City,  Illinois.  The  parents  of 
Mrs.  Gallacher,  John  and  Sally  Spellman, 
were  pioneer  settlers  in  Adams  County, 
Indiana,  where  both  died,  the  father  at  the 
age  of  sixty-four  and  the  mother  at  the  age 
of  fifty-five  years.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallacher 
have  six  children:  Mrs.  Sarah  Kissinger, 
whose  husband  operates  a  garage  at  Hastings, 
Nebraska ;  Mrs.  Anna  Marsh,  whose  husband 
is  superintendent  of  the  public  schools  of 
Hooper,  Nebraska;  Charles,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  twenty-eight  years ;  Mrs.  Alice  Gideon, 
who  lives  at  Doniphan,  and  John  and  Mrs. 
Mary  Kindig,  twins,  both  of  whom  live  at 
Doniphan.  Mr.  Kindig,  Mary's  husband,  en- 
listed in  the  service  of  the  United  States  as 
a  marine,  June  17,  1917,  at  Omaha,  Nebraska, 
a  member  of  the  Fifth  Regiment  which  won 
undying  honor  for  its  unparalleled  bravery 
on  the  battle-fields  of  France.  This  gallant 
young  hero  was  killed  in  action  on  November 
1,  1918. 

When  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallacher  first  came 
to  Hall  County  they  settled  on  a  tract  of  wild 
prairie  not  far  from  Doniphan.  He  was  so 
ignorant  of  farm  surroundings  and  equip- 
ments that  he  had  to  have  his  wife,  who  had 
been  reared  on  a  farm,  teach  him  how  to 
harness  a  team.  There  were  many  difficult 
things  he  could  do  but  he  had  never  been 
trained  to  farm  pursuits.  At  first  he  broke 
up  the  prairie  in  order  to  quickly  get  in  a 
crop  with  a  team  made  up  of  a  horse  and 
cow.  Actual  money  was  scarce  in  those  days 
and  Mr.  Gallacher  gladly  took  opportunity 
of  the  chance  to  work  for  John  Agers  for 
seventy-five  cents  a  day  even  when  it  meant 
making  the  long  trip  back  and  forth  each  day 

C,oo>;[e 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


d  by  Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


between  Doniphan  and  Grand  Island.  His  in- 
dustry and  enterprise  met  with  a  generous  re- 
ward and  through  all  their  changes  in  fortune, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Gallacher  continued  to  live  on 
their  pioneer  farm  until  1906,  when  they 
moved  into  Doniphan.  They  attended  the  Con- 
gregational church,  of  which  Mrs.  Gallacher  is 
a  member,  Mr.  Gallacher  is  a  staunch  Repub- 
lican. For  four  years  he  was  on  the  board 
of  county  commissioners  of  Hall  County  and 
instrumental  in  bringing  the  St.  Joseph  and 
Grand  Inland  railroad  through  Doniphan.  He 
has  faithfully  and  honestly  served  in  a  number 
of  other  public  capacities  and  was  chairman 
of  the  building  committee  that  erected  the 
present  handsome  Hall  County  courthouse. 
For  twenty-four  years  he  has  been  a  school 
director,  accepting  this  responsibility  as  a 
public  duty.  Mr.  Gallacher  has  long  been 
considered  one  of  the  county's  representative 
men.  Since  he  was  twenty-one  years  old  he 
has  been  a  member  of  the  Masonic  fraternity. 


ALEXANDER  GRAHAM,  a  resident  of 
Hall  County  for  many  years,  followed  agricul- 
tural pursuits  here  and  at  the  time  of  his  death, 
September  21, 1919,  owned  many  acres  of  valu- 
able land.  Mr.  Graham  was  considered  one 
of  the  county's  representative  citizens. 

He  was  born  in  Scotland  in  1852,  and  was 
only  fourteen  years  old  when  he  accompanied 
.  his  father  to  Hall  County,  where  he  spent 
the  rest  of  his  life.  The  farm  which  is  now 
the  property  of  his  widow,  he  bought  when 
twenty-one  years  old,  and  afterward  expended 
time  and  money  in  improving  it.  During 
his  most  active  years  he  was  an  exten- 
sive feeder  of  cattle.  He  was  a  member  of 
the  Baptist  church. 

At  Grand  Island,  April  28,  1891,  Mr. 
Graham  married  Miss  Otillie  Richter,  who  was 
born  at  Chicago,  Illinois,  October  28,  1870. 
Her  parents  were  August  and  Matilda  Richter, 
the  father  was  born  in  Germany,  being  four- 
teen years  old  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  living  three  years  in  Hastings.  After- 
ward he  homesteaded  in  Hall  County,  in  1881. 
securing  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land. 
He  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  followed  that 
in  addition  to  farming.  Before  coming  to 
Nebraska  he  had  served  as  a  soldier  in  the 
Civil  War.  Mrs  Graham  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  Five  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Graham:  Agnes,  who  died  in 
infancy;  Amelia  E.,  who  resides  at  home; 
August  Alexander,  who  enlisted  May  4,  1917, 
in  the  coast  artillery,  United  States  army,  is 
stationed  in  the  Phillipine  Islands ;  and  George 


D.  and  John,  both  of  whom  reside  with  their 
mother  on  the  home  farm  on  section  eleven. 
South  Platte  township.  Mrs.  Graham  is  a 
member  of  the  Methodist  church.  Mr.  Graham 
was  never  very  active  in  political  matters  but 
he  was  well  informed  as  a  citizen  and  he  voted 
with  the  Republican  party. 

JAMES  EDWARD  ORNDOFF,  a  pros- 
perous general  farmer  in  Cameron  township. 
Hall  County,  is  one  of  the  old  settlers  of  this 
section,  having  come  to  the  county  in  1885. 
Mr.  Orndoff  was  born  in  the  historic  Shenan- 
doah valley  in  West  Virginia,  in  1852,  the 
eldest  of  nine  children  in  the  family  of  Robert 
and  Anna  (Thompson)  Orndoff,  the  others 
being:  Benjamin  and  Harvey,  both  of  whom 
are  deceased ;  Orlando,  who  lives  at  Cairo, 
Nebraska;  John,  Lewis  and  Virginia,  all  of 
whom  are  deceased;  Porter,  a  fanner  in  the 
state  of  Washington,  and  Albert,  who  lives  in 
New  York.  The  parents  were  born  and 
reared  in  West  Virginia  and  from  that  state 
moved  to  Christian  County,  Illinois,  where  the 
father  engaged  in  farming.  He  was  a  Demo- 
crat in  politics  and  both  he  and  the  mother 
belonged  to  the  Christian  church.  Both  died 
in  Illinois. 

James  Edward  Orndoff  obtained  a  common 
school  education  and  has  always  devoted  him- 
self to  agricultural  purusits.  In  1885  he  set 
out,  with  his  family,  from  Springfield,  Illionis, 
for  Nebraska,  the  long  journey  to  the  new 
home  in  Hall  County  being  made  in  a  prairie 
schooner.  Since  first  coming  here  he  has 
owned  different  properties,  but  for  some  years 
has  resided  on  his  present  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acre  farm  situated  in  section  1,  Cameron 
township,  where  he  has  made  substantial  im- 
provements, has  a  fine  orchard  and  judging 
by  his  accumulation  of  modern  farm  ma- 
chinery, is  an  intelligent  and  progressive 
farmer.  He  keeps  standard  livestock  and  a 
few  milch  cows  but  makes  no  special  feature 
of  dairying. 

Mr.  Orndoff  married  Mary  C.  Carr,  wh& 
was  born  in  1860,  in  Dewitt  County,  Illinois. 
Her  parents  were  Dr.  Clark  H.  and  Catherine 
(Johnson)  Carr,  the  former  of  whom  was 
born  in  Kanawha  County,  West  Virginia,  in 
1834,  and  the  latter  in  Ross  County,  Ohio,  in 
1833.  Mrs.  Orndoff  was  the  first  born  of 
their  six  children,  the  others  being:  Mrs. 
Laura  E.  Gross,  who  lives  in  Deadwood, 
South  Dakota;  Samuel  C,  located  in  Illinois; 
Margaret  E.,  the  wife  of  William  G.  Banning, 
of  Shelby  County,  Illinois;  Ida  F.,  the  wife 
of  William  Reed,  lives  in  Illinois,  and  Cath- 


870 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


erine  J.,  the  vife  of  John  Nichols,  lives  in 
Illinois.  By  a  former  marriage  Dr.  Carr  had 
one  son,  Millard  F.,  who  lives  in  Illinois, 
where  Dr.  Carr  practiced  medicine  during  the 
greater  part  of  his  life.  He  was  a  Republican 
in  his  political  views,  and  he  belonged  to  the 
Masonic  fraternity.  He  died  in  1913  aged 
seventy-eight  years.  The  mother  passed  away 
six  months  prior  to  the  death  of  her  husband. 
To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Orndoff  the  following 
children  have  been  born:  Anna,  the  wife  of 
Milburn  Brundage,  of  Cairo,  Nebraska ; 
Robert  and  James,  both  of  whom  are  de- 
ceased; Goldie,  who  is  the  wife  of  Frank  Ir- 
vin,  of  Cairo ;  John,  who  is  a  farmer  and  stock- 
man living  near  Cairo,  married  Emma  Vlock, 
and  has  one  child,  Edward ;  Gilbert,  who  is  der 
ceased,  was  married  to  Delia  Rodocker,  who 
had  one  child,  Goldie  Catherine ;  Eward,  who 
lives  at  Cairo,  married  Belle  Omer,  and  they 
have  one  child,  Wilmer;  Opal,  the  wife  of 
Jack  Irvin,  has  two  children,  Lorene  and 
Duard;  she  is  postmistress  at  St.  Michael, 
Buffalo  County,  Nebraska ;  Bryan,  who  has 
recently  returned  home  with  his  honorable 
discharge,  for  nineteen  months  was  a  member 
of  the  Fourth  Engineers,  United  States  army, 
was  married  July  30,  1918,  to  Vashti  Leverich, 
a  native  of  Linn  County,  Oregon. 

RALPH  B.  MILLER,  a  progressive  and 
successful  farm  a1  of  Hall  County,  is  operating 
the  old  family  homestead  which  is  situated  in 
sections  16-21,  Cameron  township.  He  was 
born  in  this  township,  August  23,  1891,  the 
oldest  of  a  family  of  three  children  born  to 
his  parents,  who  were  August  George  and 
Selma  (Powers)  Miller.  His  father,  August 
George  Miller,  was  born  in  Fayette  County, 
Iowa,  November  4,  1868.  His  father  Jacob, 
was  a  native  of  Germany  who  came  to  Hall 
County  in  the  early  seventies.  August  George 
inherited  eighty  acres  of  land  to  which  he 
added  another  eighty.  He  was  married  in 
Hall  County  in  1889  to  Selma  Powers,  and 
died  September  10,  1912,  the  mother  having 
passed  away  at  the  age  of  thirty-two.  He 
belonged  to  no  church,  was  a  Democrat  and 
served  as  school  director.  Of  his  two 
brothers,  Floyd  W.  was  killed  in  a  runaway 
accident,  and  Frank  J.  is  a  student  of  law  in 
the  Sate  University  in  Lincoln. 

Ralph  Bernard  Miller  obtained  his  educa- 
tion in  the  public  schools  and  has  always  made 
his  home  in  Hall  County.  Embracing  an 
agricultural  life  when  he  reached  manhood,  he 
determined  to  dq  well  what  he  undertook 
and  in  the  cutivation  of  his  land  and  in  his 


livestock  interests,  he  has  followed  modern 
methods.  While  the  farm  was  fairly  well 
improved  before  he  took  charge,  he  has  found 
much  to  do  and  has  developed  his  father's 
old  homestead  into  a  very  valuable  property. 
He  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
ninety  acres  of  which  are  under  cultivation. 
His  cattle  and  stock  are  equal  in  grade  to  any 
in  the  county  and  his  average  is  twenty-eight 
head  of  cattle  and  fifty  head  of  hogs  yearly. 
In  1912  Mr.  Miller  married  Miss  Margaret 
Siek,  a  daughter  of  Hans  Siek,  a  prominent 
Hall  County  farmer.  They  have  two  sons: 
August  George  and  Roy  Floyd,  aged  respect- 
ively four  years  and  one  month.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Miller  are  quiet,  home-loving  people  and 
they  have  many  friends  in  this  neighborhood 
Mr.  Miller  has  never  been  active  in  pofrics 
and  is  an  independent  voter. 


JAMES  WYLEY  SMITH.  — To  know 
first  hand  of  early  conditions  in  Hall  County, 
which  is  now  one  of  the  garden  spots  of  the 
great  state  of  Nebraska,  the  interested  student 
should  question  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James  W. 
Smith  of  Doniphan.  They  came  here  in  1873 
and  had  ample  opportunity  within  the  succeed- 
ing ten  years  to  exercise  every  bit  of  patience 
they  possessed  in  weathering  hail  storms, 
snow,  blizzards,  floods,  drouths  and  grass- 
hopper invasions. 

James  Wylie  Smith  was  born  in  Washing- 
ton County,  Pennsylvania,  February  1,  1834. 
His  parents  were  Andrew  and  Jane  (Barr) 
Smith,  both  of  whom  were  bom,  reared  and 
died  in  Pennsylvania.  James  W.  was  the  first 
of  their  four  children,  the  others  being : 
Robert,  who  is  deceased;  Caroline,  who  is 
deceased,  and  Joseph,  a  farmer  near  Marys- 
ville,  Ohio.  James  W-  Smith  attended  the 
district  schools  and  afterward  followed  farm- 
ing. When  the  Civil  War  came  on  he  joined 
the  home  guards  when  the  enemy  threatened 
Pennsylvania  and  Ohio,  later  serving  on 
guard  duty  in  the  southern  part  of  the  state. 

On  December  24,  1860,  James  W.  Smith 
married  Miss  Nancy  Carpenter,  who  was  bom 
in  1843  in  Union  County,  Ohio.  Her  parents 
were  John  and  Susie  (Cole)  Carpenter,  the 
latter  of  whom  was  born  in  New  York  and 
died  in  California  at  the  age  of  eighty-three 
years.  The  father  died  when  Mrs.  Smith, 
the  youngest  of  his  six  children,  was  very 
young.  Her  brothers  were:  James  and 
Andrew,  both  of  whom  are  deceased ;  John,  a 
farmer  living  in  California ;  Hiram,  who  lives 
retired  in  California,  and  Henry,  who  died 
in  infancy. 

LiOOglC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mrs.  J.  W.  Smith 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


872 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith  lived  on  their  farm  in 
Union  County,  Ohio,  for  ten  years  and  then 
removed  to  California,  but  their  efforts  there 
did  not  meet  with  the  success  they  had  ex- 
pected and  three  years  later  they  came  to  Hall 
County.  Mr.  Smith  homesteaded  five  miles 
southeast  of  Doniphan.  It  was  a  lonely  sec- 
tion at  that  time  and  the  roads  were  so  poor 
that  with  the  means  of  transportation  that 
they  had,  Mrs.  Smith  says  that  it  took  an 
entire  day  of  travel  to  cover  the  thirteen  miles 
between  Hastings  and  their  farm.  There 
were  so  few  settlers  in  this  part  of  the  county 
that  no  schools  could  be  organized  at  any  one 
point,  and  while  proving  up  on  his  land,  for 
four  years  Mr.  Smith  taught  the  children  in 
their  own  homes.  He  became  well  known 
and  very  highly  esteemed,  passing  away  ten 
years  ago. 

The  following  children  were  born  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Smith:  Mrs.  Emma  Jane  Snarley, 
is  a  widow  living  in  Doniphan;  Orvil,  a 
farmer  in  this  county ;  Charles,  also  a  farmer 
in  Hall  County;  George,  who  is  employed  at 
Detroit,  Michigan ;  Mary,  who  died  at  the 
age  of  two  years ;  Lucy,  who  died  when  seven 
years  old ;  Lora,  a  teacher  in  Garden  County ; 
Albert,  a  farmer  in  Minnesota;  Mrs.  Clara 
Bond,  whose  husband  is  a  farmer  in  Hall 
County  on  the  old  homestead  of  J.  W.  Smith, 
and  John  and  an  unnamed  infant,  both  of 
whom  died  when  babes.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Smith 
are  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


ALMOND  WILLIAM  BENTON,  a  rep- 
resentative citizen  of  Hall  County,  at  one  time 
a  justice  of  the  peace,  and  owner  of  highly 
improved  farm  land  in  Cameron  township, 
came  to  Nebraska  almost  forty  years  ago  and 
has  been  helpful  in  the  various  developing 
agencies  that  have  changed  a  wilderness  into 
one  of  the  most  productive  and  one  of  the 
most  intelligent  sections  of  this  great  common- 
wealth. 

Mr.  Benton  was  born  in  Lewis  County,  New 
York,  December  13,  1850.  His  parents,  Loren 
D.  and  Sarah  (Seward)  Benton,  belonged  to 
notable  families  of  the  Empire  State.  His 
father,  bom  in  Otsego  County,  July  14,  1798, 
was  a  farmer  and  also  a  carpenter,  and  lived 
to  be  eighty-five  years  old.  His  mother  was 
also  a  native  of  Otsego  County,  born  Novem- 
ber 10,  1804,  and  she  survived  to  the  same 
advanced  age.  They  never  came  to  Nebraska, 
the  old  settled  ways  of  the  east  pleasing  them 
best,  and  they  lived  and  died  in  New  York 
highly  esteemed  by  all  who  knew  them. 

Almond  William  Benton  grew  up  on  the 


home  farm  and  obtained  his  education  in  the 
local  schools.  In  1880  he  came .  to  Hall 
County,  having  a  small  amount  of  capital, 
which  he  invested  in  railroad  land,  and  he 
now  owns  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
that  he  has  very  substantially  improved.  In 
addition  to  engaging  in  general  farming  he 
early  became  interested  in  the  stock  industry 
and  until  recently  was  an  extensive  raiser  of 
hogs,  but  has  been  mainly  concerned  in  rais- 
ing thoroughbred  Percheron  horses  and  has 
marketed  fine  animals.  He  has  had  his  share 
of  pioneer  hardships  but  he  never  became 
discouraged  as  to  the  final  outcome  and  in 
times  of  deep  despondency,  his  attitude  was 
often  very  helpful  in  encouraging  others. 

By  his  first  wife  Mr.  Benton  had  two  chil- 
dren: Lila,  who  is  the  wife  of  R.  B.  Ran- 
dolph, a  farmer  in  Mayfield  township,  and 
Myron  A.,  who  is  a  farmer  in  South  Loup 
township.  In  1890  Mr.  Benton  married  Miss 
Emogene  Reed,  a  native  of  Iowa,  who  was 
reared  in  Hall  County.  Her  father,  Emerson 
Reed,  was  born  in  Vermont  and  her  mother 
Mary  E.  Garrison,  was  born  in  Pennsylvania. 
They  came  to  Iowa  when  children  and  mar- 
ried there,  where  the  father  was  a  farmer. 
They  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  1878, 
living  here  until  fourteen  years  ago  when  they 
removed  to  Washington,  both  passing  away 
in  that  state.  Of  this  marriage  there  are  three 
children:  Ina,  the  wife  of  George  D.  Allen, 
a  farmer  in  Cameron  township;  Hazel  D.,  the 
wife  of  Rupert  W.  Sill,  a  farmer  in  Cameron 
township,  and  Almon  W.,  attending  school 
at  Cairo.  Mr.  Benton  has  always  been  active 
in  the  Democratic  party  and  has  loyally  sup- 
ported its  fundamental  policies.  His  sterling 
character  has  frequently  been  recognized  by 
his  fellow  citizens  by  his  election  to  office  and 
his  intelligent  attitude  in  regard  to  the  public 
schools  in  his  township,  with  which  he  has 
been  connected  for  twenty  years,  has  had 
much  to  do  with  their  notable  excellence.  He 
has  acceptably  filled  many  local  positions  in 
which  good  judgment  and  public  spirit  have 
been  essential,  and  for  twelve  years  he  was 
a  justice  of  the  peace. 

QUINTES  D.  OMEY,  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall  County,  resides 
on  his  substantially  improved  farm  situated 
in  section  35,  South  Loup  township.  He  is 
one  of  the  solid,  reliable  citizens,  a  man  of 
practical  ideas  and  one  who  consistently  at- 
tends to  his  own  business,  having  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  in  Nebraska. 

Quintes  D.  Omey  was  born  April  21,  1881, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


873 


in  Ringgold  County,  Iowa.  His  parents  were 
Edward  and  Isabell  (Wibble)  Omey,  natives 
of  New  York,  who  were  married  in  Illinois 
and  from  there  came  to  Iowa  and  in  1884  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  settling  on  a  farm 
in  Cameron  township.  The  father  of.  Mr. 
Omey  died  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven  years 
and  the  mother  in  her  seventy-third  year.  Of 
the  six  children,  Q.  D.  was  the  youngest, 
the  others  being:  Edward,  a  farmer,  died  at 
the  age  of  forty-seven  years ;  Lewis,  a  farmer 
in  Holt  County,  Nebraska ;  John,  also  a 
farmer  in  Holt  County;  Nora,  the  widow  of 
R.  M.  Graves,  lives  in  Pueblo,  Colorado,  and 
Lillie,  the  wife  of  Henry  Waddington,  lives  on 
a  farm  in  Buffalo  County,  Nebraska. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Omey  brought  him  to 
Hall  County  when  he  was  about  three  years 
old  and  he  grew  to  the  age  of  twenty-one 
years  on  his  father's  farm,  attending  school 
in  the  meanwhile  as  opportunity  offered.  His 
business  life  has  been  along  agricultural  lines. 
In  addition  to  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres,  on  which  he  has  placed  excellent 
improvement,  Mr.  Omey  has  other  land 
situated  west  of  his  home  place.  He  has  been 
very  successful  in  his  farm  undertakings  and 
attributes  his  prosperity  mainly  to  the  fact  that 
he  has  given  such  a  large  measure  of  attention 
to  the  best  of  stock.  He  has  on  his  farm  a 
good  grade  of  cattle  and  Plymouth  Rock 
poultry  and  he  is  the  owner  of  registered 
Duroc  Jersey  hogs,  having  thirty-five  head  of 
the  same  at  the  present  time.  His  enterprise 
has  paid  him  well  and  his  efforts  to  raise  stock 
standards  in  the  county  is  very  commendable. 

On  October  30,  1902,  Mr.  Omey  married 
Miss  Genevieve  Paul,  who  was  born  in  1881, 
in  Cameron  township,  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 
Both  parents  of  Mrs.  Omey,  James  and  Flora 
(Green),  are  deceased,  the  father  dying  at 
the  age  of  fifty-seven  and  the  mother  when 
thirty  years  of  age.  They  had  the  following 
children,  six  in  number,  Mrs.  Omey  being  the 
youngest :  J.  E.,  a  dentist,  lives  at  Santa  Ana, 
California;  Frank,  a  fanner  near  Broadwater, 
Nebraska ;  Dora,  the  wife  of  Leslie  Boodry, 
a  farmer  near  Angora,  Nebraska ;  Edith,  the 
wife  of  Fred  Goodrich,  a  merchant  at  Cairo, 
and  Gladys,  the  wife  of  William  Lee,  a  farmer 
near  Bridgeport,  Nebraska. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Omey  have  the  following 
children :  Virginia,  who  attends  school  at 
Cairo;  Marcia,  Maxwell  and  Mildred,  all  of 
whom  are  at  home,  the  older  two  attending 
the  neighborhood  school.  Mrs.  Omey  is  a 
member  of  the  Church  of  the  Latter  Day 
Saints.  In  politics  Mr.  Omey  votes  as  his 
judgment  dictates. 


JAMES  W.  LONGSTRETH.  — One  of 
Hall  County's  pioneers  and  permanent  settlers 
is  found  in  J.  W.  Longstreth,  who  has  lived 
on  his  farm  in  South  Loup  township  since  he 
bought  it  thirty-four  years  ago.  He  found 
little  here  except  the  unbroken  prairie  and 
for  some  years  conditions  were  not  as  com- 
fortable as  those  enjoyed  today.  Mr.  Long- 
streth always  maintained  that  this  section  of 
the  state  would  become  exceedingly  valuable 
and  he  has  lived  to  see  his  judgment  proved 
true. 

James  W.  Longstreth  was  born  February 
5,  1856,  in  Muscatine  County,  Iowa.  His 
father  was  born  in  Dayton,  Ohio,  and  died 
in  Iowa  at  the  age  of  seventy  years.  The 
family  name  of  his  mother  was  Deweese  and 
she  was  born  in  Ohio  and  died  when  aged 
seventy -two  years.  They  had  nine  children: 
J.  R.,  who  lives  in  Iowa ;  J.  W.,  oi  South  Loup 
township,  Hall  County,  Nebraska;  N.  W., 
who  lives  in  Canada;  F.  E-,  resides  at  Letts, 
Iowa;  Ada,  whose  home  is  in  Wyoming; 
Eleanora,  who  died  in  Iowa ;  Oliver  J.,  who 
lives  in  Iowa ;  D.  Cochran,  who  lives  at  Letts, 
Iowa,  and  Cora,  deceased. 

Mr.  Longstreth  attended  school  in  Iowa  and 
engaged  in  farming  in  that  state  until  1885, 
when  he  came  to  Hall  County,  with  the  in- 
tention of  making  this  section  his  home  and 
bought  a  tract  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres 
of  land  that  suited  his  purpose.  He  has 
greatly  improved  this  property  in  the  years 
he  has  lived  here  and  now  has  one  hundred 
and  fifty  acres  under  a  high  state  of  cultiva- 
tion. He  has  made  the  raising  of  good  stock 
a  feature  of  his  work  and  has  many  fine  cattle, 
horses  and  hogs.  He  has  been  a  useful  citizen 
also,  taking  an  interest  in  all  that  has  promised 
to  be  of  permanent  benefit,  especially  in  the 
public  schools,  serving  as  school  trustee  for 
many  years.  He  married  Miss  Mattie  J. 
Reed,  who  was  born  in  Muscatine  County, 
Iowa,  and  was  thirty-seven  years  old  at  time 
of  death.  They  had  three  children:  Marietta, 
the  wife  of  F.  G.  Shoopman,  a  farmer  near 
Litchfield ;  Dayton  Oliver,  who  conducts  the 
home  farm,  and  James  H.,  who  entered  Camp 
Grant  for  military  training  in  an  infantry  reg- 
iment, September  5,  1918,  recently  returning 
home.  The  family  is  one  held  in  high  esteem 
throughout  the  county. 


JAMES  C.  BULLOCK.  — One  of  the  well 
known  and  highly  respected  residents  of 
South  Loup  township.  Hall  County,  is  J.  C. 
Bullock,  who  came  to  Nebraska  in  early  days 
and  has  assisted  in  the  development  of  dif- 


874 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ferent  sections.  Mr.  Bullock  has  always  been 
an  observing  man  and  his  recollections  of 
people  and  events  connected  with  his  long 
life  in  the  state,  give  a  very  vivid  idea  of 
conditions  here  a  half  century  ago. 

Mr.  Bullock  was  bom  in  Hawkins  County, 
Tennessee,  October  1,  1842.  His  father  was 
born  in  Oglethorpe  County,  Georgia,  grew  up 
there  and  acquired  land  which  he  sold  and 
moved  first  to  Jay  County,  Indiana,  then  to 
Randolph  County,  and  from  there,  in  1856 
to  Polk  County,  Iowa.  He  was  twice  married 
and  had  three  sons :  J.  C,  who  lives  in  Hall 
County ;  Isaac,  who  died  in  Hall  County  at 
the  age  of  fifty  years,  and  Moses,  who  was 
a  carpenter,  died  in  Kalawa  County,  Wash- 
ington, at  the  age  of  sixty  years.  In  1889 
Mr.  Bullock  removed  from  Iowa  to  Nebraska 
and  homesteaded  near  Antioch,  in  Sheridan 
County,  where  he  remained  five  years  before 
coming  to  Hall  County  in  1894. 

In  Polk  County,  Iowa,  Mr.  Bullock  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Nancy  Anna  Cox, 
who  died  at  Antioch,  Nebraska,  in  1890. 
They  had  five  children :  Newton  Clark,  who 
was  born  July  9,  1865,  served  four  years  in 
the  United  States  navy,  then  returned  home, 
but  is  now  on  the  United  States  cruiser  Cal- 
ifornia ;  Sarah,  born  January  30,  1868,  in  Jay 
County,  Indiana,  is  the  wife  of  Adam  Stoeger; 
Alice  Louise,  born  Nevember  4,  1870,  is  the 
wife  of  Henry  Stoeger,  a  substantial  farmer 
and  dairyman  of  Hall  County ;  Maria  Celesta, 
born  January  5,  1875,  lived  but  three  years, 
and  Otto  M.,  born  November  5,  1877,  and 
died  at  the  age  of  thirteen  months. 


LESLIE  BOODRY,  Jr.,  one  of  the  enter- 
prising and  industrious  fanners  of  Hall 
County,  conducts  his  agricultural  operations 
very  successfully.  He  is  listed  with  the  intel- 
ligent and  progressive  citizens  of  South  Loup 
township. 

Mr.  Broody  was  bom  in  Cameron  township, 
Hall  County,  October  29,  1888,  the  son  of 
Leslie  and  Dora  (Paul)  Boodry,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York 
in  1866  and  the  latter  in  1869.  They  now  live 
near  Aurora,  Nebraska,  where  Mr.  Broody 
conducts  a  ranch.  Of  their  family  of  eleven 
children,  Leslie  Boodry,  Jr.,  was  the  second 
born,  the  others  being:  James,  who  lives  at 
Angora ;  David,  a  mechanic  in  a  government 
aviation  field  in  Texas;  Frank,  a  ranchman 
near  Angora ;  Warren,  who.  served  one  year 
and  five  months  in  a  training  camp  at  Jackson- 
ville, Florida,  during  the  World  War;  Theo- 
dore and  Ila,  both  of  whom  reside  at  home; 


Eunice,  who  is  a  teacher  at  Angora,  and 
Phoebe,  Dorothy  and  Edith,  all  of  whom  live 
at  home. 

Leslie  Boodry,  Jr.,  obtained  his  education 
in  the  public  schools.  He  has  made  farming 
and  stockraising  his  business  ever  since  he 
reached  manhood  and  has  taken  so  much 
interest  «n  the  work  that  he  has  been  unusually 
successful.  In  1907  he  located  in  Morrill 
County,  Nebraska,  where  he  continued  to  live 
until  1914  when  he  came  to  Hall  County, 
locating  one  mile  west  of  his  present  farm  and 
then  came  to  the  one  he  is  yet  operating, 
which  he  rents  from  Phoebe  A.  Fuller.  He 
keeps  everything  in  good  repair  and  an  air 
of  plenty  and  appearance  of  thrift,  indicate 
Mr.  Boodry's  thoroughness  and  industry.  On 
an  average  he  keeps  fifteen  head  of  cattle, 
thirty  head  of  hogs  and  six  horses. 

Mr.  Boodry  married  Miss  Rachel  Clugy, 
who  was  born  in  1891,  in  Iowa,  and  they  have 
one  son,  Leslie  William,  who  is  now  four 
years  old,  a  bright  engaging  child.  Mr. 
Boodry  is  an  independent  voter.  While  living 
in  Morrill  County  he  served  one  year  on  the 
school  board,  but  has  accepted  no  public  office 
since  coming  to  Hall  County. 


HENRY  STOEGER,  whose  reputation  for 
excellence  in  farming  and  success  in  dairying 
is  so  well  founded  that  he  is  placed  with  the 
representative  agriculturists  of  Hall  County, 
is  not  a  native  of  Nebraska  but  has  spent  the 
greater  part  of  his  life  in  this  state.  Mr. 
Stoeger  entertains  a  high  opinion  of  this  great 
commonwealth,  its  business  possibilities  and 
its  people,  and  says  that  he  never  encountered 
unusual  hardships  during  his  whole  period  of 
residence.  He  is  a  heavy  landowner  and  a 
prominent  factor  in  the  dairy  interests  of 
South  Loup  township.  Mr.  Stoeger  was  born 
in  Lawrence  County,  Illinois,  September  25, 
1865,  the  son  of  John  Stoeger. 

H.  Stoeger  attended  the  public  schools  in 
his  native  county  and  assisted  his  father  on 
the  home  farm  until  he  was  thirteen  years 
old,  when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  Hall 
County,  where  his  father  homesteaded.  He 
later  went  to  Chase  County  and  took  a  home- 
stead for  himself  and  proved- up,  but  twenty- 
three  years  ago,  after  selling  his  Chase  County 
land,  he  returned  to  the  homestead  in  South 
Loup  township,  Hall  County,  and  has  lived 
here  since.  In  1890  he  had  a  record  com  crop, 
raising  thirty  bushels  to  the  acre  on  his  land 
one  mile  west  of  Cairo,  when  other  farmers 
found  their  crop  an  entire  failure.  In  his  sub- 
sequent large  agricultural  operations  he  com- 


^ooglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Stoker 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


876 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


bined  farming  and  cattle  raising  and  found 
it  profitable.  He  now  devotes  the  most  of  his 
attention  to  dairying,  keeping  a  large  herd  of 
cows  for  the  purpose,  but  he  also  raises  horses 
and  hogs.  Mr.  Stoeger  owns  five  hundred  and 
forty  acres  and  has  three  hundred  and  twenty 
in  pasture  land. 

Mr.  Stoeger  married  Miss  Alice  Louise  Bul- 
lock, who  was  bom  November  4,  1870,  and  is 
a  daughter  of  J.  C.  and  Nancy  Anna  (Cox) 
Bullock.  They  have  three  children :  Edward 
Byran,  who  assists  his  father;  Eugenia  Maud, 
born  Nevember  9,  1905 ;  and  Clifford  Henry, 
born  June  27,  1911.  Mrs.  Stoeger  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Stoeger  is  a  Democrat  but  he  has 
never  had  any  political  ambition,  being  satis- 
fied with  the  quiet  life  of  a  farmer  and  the 
ample  returns  that  his  vocation  brings  him. 
The  family  is  a  large  one  in  this  section  and  its 
members '  are  all  men  of  property  and  of 
honorable  standing  in  their  communities. 


WILLIAM  LINDSAY,  whose  well  im- 
proved farm  and  fine  stock  proclaim  him  one 
who  takes  an  understanding  interest  in  his 
agricultural  operations,  has  been  a  resident  of 
Hall  County  since  1903  and  of  Nebraska  since 
1884.  He  owns  a  valuable  farm  of  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  which  is  situated  in  sec- 
tion eight,  Harrison  township. 

William  Lindsay  was  born  in  Sandusky 
County,  Ohio,  December  24,  1860.  His  par- 
ents were  E.  C.  and  Julia  Ann  Lindsay,  who 
spent  their  entire  lives  in  that  state.  The 
father  was  a  retired  farmer  at  the  time  of  his 
death.  Of  their  family  of  twelve  children. 
William  Lindsay  was  the  third  in  order  of 
birth,  the  others  being :  Charles,  a  farmer  near 
Vickery,  Ohio ;  Byron,  a  farmer  near  his 
brother  in  Ohio ;  Herman,  a  merchant  at  Vick. 
ery;  Clara  Jeanette,  the  wife  of  W.  J.  Barr, 
a  farmer  near  Vickery ;  Frank,  a  farmer  near 
Fremont,  Ohio;  Ida  the  wife  of  William 
Grave,  a  farmer  near  Vickery ;  Jessie,  with  her 
brother  Herman  in  his  store  at  Vickery; 
Florence,  the  wife  of  Roy  Story,  a  mail  car- 
rier ;  Elmer,  who  died  at  the  age  of  ten  years ; 
and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Lindsay  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  of  his  native  state  and  after- 
ward taught  school  for  three  years  at  Reily 
Center,  in  Buffalo  County.  In  1884  he  came 
to  Nebraska  and  bought  land  in  Howard 
County,  near  Alba,  and  while  operating  his 
farm  found  time  to  teach  school  at  a  small 
place  called  Coachfield,  which  he  conducted 
there  for  three  years.     When  he  eame  to  his 


present  farm  in  Hall  County  he  found  it  prac- 
tically unimproved.  Mr.  Lindsay  has  put  time 
and  money  into  making  this  one  of  the  fine 
farms  of  Harrison  township.  He  is  interested 
in  producing  good  stock  and  turns  off  twenty 
head  of  cattle  and  at  least  fifty  head  of  Poland 
China  hogs  a  year.  His  farm  operations  are 
unusually  successful  because  he  directs  his 
work  carefully  and  systematically. 

At  Coachfield,  Nebraska,  Mr.  Lindsay  mar- 
ried Miss  Nora  B.  Lindsay,  who  was  bom  in 
Illinois,  in  1870.  They  have  two  children: 
Claude,  who  is  employed  in  a  garage  and  lives 
at  Cairo,  Nebraska,  and  Lenora,  the  widow  of 
J.  W.  Zook,  who  was  in  the  employ  of  the 
Union  Pacific  Railroad  as  an  electrician  at  the 
time  of  his  death  which  resulted  from  an 
attack  of  influenza  in  December,  1918.  Mr. 
Lindsay  and  family  are  members  of  the  Evan- 
gelical church.  Like  his  father  before  him  he 
is  a  strong  Republican  in  his  political  opinions. 
He  has  served  in  public  office  both  in  Howard 
and  in  Hall  County,  being  county  assessor  for 
one  year  in  the  former  and  school  treasurer 
here  for  three  years.  He  is  highly  respected 
by  his  neighbors  and  is  looked  upon  as  one  of 
the  township's  representative  men.  _ 


ORION  BRYAN,  who  owns  one  of  the 
best  regulated  farms  in  South  Loup  township, 
Hall  County,  has  made  a  success  of  his  agri- 
cultural operations  in  this  as  well  as  in  other 
sections.  He  was  brought  up  on  his  father's 
farm  in  Fulton  County,  Indiana,  where  he  was 
born  November  6, 1868,  being  the  son  of  Henry 
Bryan,  who  died  many  years  ago.  His  wife 
survived  him  many  years  passing  away  in 
1910. 

Mr.  Bryan  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  in  Indiana.  He  came  to  Ne- 
braska in  March,  1882  to  engage  in  farming 
in  Buffalo  County,  where  he  rented  land  for 
a  time.  Later  he  bought  land  near  Bluff 
Center,  in  Hall  County,  situated  one  and  a 
half  miles  east  of  Cairo,  where  he  lived  for 
two  years.  In  1890  he  moved  three  miles 
further  east,  buying  eighty  acres  from  a  Mr. 
Hooper,  but  later  sold  that  property  to  Ed- 
ward Wilcox  and  bought  another  eighty,  two 
miles  to  the  south  and  one  mile  to  the  east, 
paying  a  fair  price  to  Michael  Dunlap.  When 
he  sold  that  place  he  removed  to  Cameron 
township  on  a  farm  owned  by  Mr.  Dodd  and 
when  he  left  Hall  County  in  the  fall  of  1888, 
he  had  sufficient  capital  to  establish  himself 
well  in  Box  Elder  County,  Utah,  where  he  fol- 
lowed farming  for  seven  years,  and  then  re- 
moved to  a  location  near  Gridley,  California, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


877 


where  he  carried  on  fruit  growing  for  three 
years.  In  the  meanwhile  a  favorite  sister  had 
married  John  T.  Coons,  a  prominent  farmer 
and  stockman  of  Hall  County,  and  that,  per- 
haps, had  something  to  do  with  Mr.  Bryan 
once  more  turning  his  steps  to  this  section. 

In  1910  Mr.  Bryan  came  back  to  Hall 
County  and  lived  three  years  on  a  farm  lo- 
cated one  mile  east  and  two  south  of  Cairo 
and  subsequently  purchased  this  valuable 
property  from  Patrick  Swan  and  has  one  hun- 
dred and  seventeen  of  his  two  hundred  and 
seventeen  acres  under  cultivation.  He  has 
greatly  improved  his  surroundings,  his  barns 
and  outbuildings  are  substantial,  his  residence 
comfortable  and  he  has  one  of  the  most  up- 
to-date  silos  in  the  county.  He  keeps  high 
grade  stock  and  raises  cattle,  horses  and  hogs. 

Mr.  Bryan  married  Miss  Lillie  Porter,  who 
was  born  in  Illinois.  They  have  the  following 
children,  their  ages  ranging  from  twenty-four 
to  six  years:  Lena,  Belle,  Gertrude,  Gilford, 
Ruth,  Lawrence  M.,  and  Helen,  all  of  whom 
live  at  home,  and  the  older  children  have  been 
given  good  educational  opportunities.  Mr. 
Bryan  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Baptist  church,  and  one  of  his  brothers  is  a 
Baptist  minister.  He  has  never  been  very  ac- 
tive in  politics  but  his  fellow  citizens  know 
that  he  has  sound  judgment  and  on  important 
questions  has  decided  opinions.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  M.  W.  A.  lodge  in  Cairo. 


HANS  ADAM  DIBBERN,  called  one  of 
Hall  County's  best  farmers,  is  operating  four 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  in  South 
Loup  township  and  gives  much  attention  to 
stockraising.  He  is  an  industrious,  frugal 
man,  always  paying  close  attention  to  his  own 
business,  and  has  such  sound,  practical  ideas 
of  what  farmers  need  in  order  to  make  their 
industries  profitable,  this  his  advice  is  often 
asked  by  his  neighbors. 

Hans  Adam  Dibbern  was  born  in  Schleswig- 
Holstein,  Germany,  one  of  a  family  of  fifteen 
children  born  to  Joachim  and  Margaret  Dib- 
bern. They  were  born  in  Germany  and  came 
with  their  children  to  the  United  States  in 
1871.  The  father  homesteaded  five  miles  east 
and  one  mile  south  of  Wood  River,  Hall 
County,  and  that  farm  remained  the  family 
home  as  long  as  he  and  his  wife  lived.  They 
died  when  aged  about  seventy-four  years  and 
were  interred  in  the  Wood  River  cemetery, 
Three  of  their  children  died  in  infancy,  the 
others  being:  Mrs.  K.  Weise,  who  died  at 
the  age  of  forty-eight  years ;  Mrs.  J.  Hermann, 
who  died  when  aged  fifty  years;  Henry  D.,  a 


clerk,  lives  in  Grand  Island;  Mrs.  L.  Schmidt, 
who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Hooker  County;  Peter 
D.  and  Hans  A.,  twins,  who  live  in  Hall 
County;  Mrs.  P.  Hermann,  who  lives  on  a 
farm  south  of  Grand  Island;  Mrs.  John 
Schlieker,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Garden 
County ;  Ernest  D.,  a  farmer  south  of  Wood 
River;  Mrs.  Richard  Runge,  who  lives  in 
Custer  County ;  Otto  D.,  who  works  in  the 
sugar  factory  at  Grand  Island ;  and  August  O., 
who  lives  on  the  old  homestead  near  Wood 
River. 

Hans  A.  Dibbern  was  but  six  months  old 
when  brought  to  America,  he  obtained  his  edu- 
cation after  coming  to  the  United  States.  He 
assisted  his  father  on  the  homestead  as  long  as 
he  was  needed  there  and  then  farmed  for  him- 
self. At  present  he  is  renting  the  Hans  Siek's 
farm  and  follows  careful  methods  that  result 
profitably.  He  believes  it  good  policy  to  raise 
a  good  grade  of  stock. 

Mr.  Dibbern  married  Miss  Maggie  Engel, 
who  was  bom  in  Germany,  where  her  parents 
were  also  born.  Her  mother  died  in  Germany 
but  her  father  came  to  the  United  States.  The 
following  children  have  been  born  to  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Dibbern :  Herman  H.,  a  farmer  in  Hall 
County;  Mrs.  Peter  Siek,  whose  husband  is  a 
farmer  in  Hall  County;  Harry  J.,  Celia  M., 
Lulu  K.,  all  of  whom  are  at  home ;  a  babe  that 
died  unnamed ;  and  Walter  J.,  Miles  F.,  and 
Bessie  A.,  all  of  whom  are  at  home  and  all 
attending  school.  Mi'.  Dibbern  and  his  family 
are  well  known  and  highly  respected. 


JOHN  TAYLOR  COONS,  a  prosperous 
farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall  County,  is  also 
one  of  South  Loup  township's  active  and  use7 
ful  citizens.  He  came  to  Nebraska  in  1885  and 
bought  his  first  land  in  Valley  County,  on 
which  he  lived  for  four  years  then  sold  and 
bought  his  present  fine  farm  in  South  Loup 
township,  Hall  County. 

Mr.  Coons  was  born  in  1856,  in  Fulton 
County,  Indiana.  His  father  died  many  years 
ago  but  his  mother  survived  until  1918,  al- 
though she  had  been  an  invalid  for  the  last 
twelve  years.  Of  the  family  of  eight  children, 
J.  T.  Coons  was  the  second  born,  the  others 
being:  Mary  Jane,  who  was  born  in  1854, 
married  a  Baptist  minister ;  Martha  Jane,  the 
wife  of  George  Carter,  a  retired  farmer  of 
Indianapolis,  Indiana ;  Emma,  the  wife  of 
Schuyler  Keyes,  connected  with  the  Standard 
Oil  Company  at  Albion,  Indiana;  Dora,  who 
died  at  the  age  of  thirty  years ;  an  infant  that 
died  unnamed ;  Myra,  who  was  the  wife  of 
Ed  Tracy,  a  teacher  at  Eden,  Idaho,  died  at 


878 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  age  of  forty-six;  and  Carrie,  the  wife  of 
Ed  Studebaker,  who  is  in  the  wholesale  pro- 
duce business  at  Logansport,  Indiana. 

In  boyhood  Mr.  Coons  had  common  school 
advantages.  He  grew  up  on  a  farm  and  agri- 
cultural industries  have  mainly  engaged  his 
attention  since  he  reached  man's  estate.  For 
ten  years  he  was  in  the  employ  of  George  Win. 
gate  in  the  butchering  business.  He  owns  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  South  Loup 
township  and  has  eighty  acres  under  a  high 
state  of  cultivation.  He  feeds  the  bulk  of  his 
own  grain  and  each  year  has  twelve  head  of 
cattle  and  the  same  of  horses  to  sell.  He  has 
found  the  raising  of  high  grade  poultry  profit- 
able and  annually  markets  a  flock  of  Rhode 
Island  Reds.  Mr.  Coons  is  very  systematic 
in  carrying  on  his  farm  operations.  He  is 
well  informed  on  all  subjects  pertaining  to  his 
business  but  is  too  sensible  a  man  to  be  led  into 
making  any  great  changes  in  methods  that 
have  proved  satisfactory  in  his  past  experi- 
ence, and  in  his  own  neighborhood  his  judg- 
ment is  accepted  as  valuable. 

Mr.  Coons  married  Miss  Amy  Bryan,  of 
Fulton  County,  Indiana.  Her  father  died  at 
the  age  of  fifty-nine  years  while  her  mother 
passed  away  in  1910,  aged  eighty-three  years. 
Mrs.  Coons  was  the  seventh  born  of  eight 
children,  the  others  being:  Mrs.  Samantha 
King,  who  lives  in  Rochester,  Indiana ;  Lafay- 
ette, who  died  at  the  age  of  sixty-three  years ; 
Malinda,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Mrs.  Ella 
Powers,  who  lives  on  a  farm  in  Hall  County ; 
J.  L.,  a  minister  of  the  Baptist  church,  in 
Franklin,  Indiana;  J.  N.,  who  was  a  farmer  in 
Hall  County,  died  at  the  age  of  thirty-three ; 
and  Orion,  a  resident  of  Hall  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Coons  had  six  children  in 
"their  family:  D.  L.,  who  was  born  in  1883, 
lives  on  a  farm  in  Howard  County,  Nebraska, 
west  of  St.  Paul ;  Ottis,  who  died  in  infancy ; 
Edith  and  Ernest,  twins,  the  former  of  whom 
is  the  wife  of  Arthur  Lowry,  living  at  Cairo, 
Nebraska,  and  the  latter  living  at  home ;  Ethel, 
a  competent  teacher  in  the  public  schools ;  and 
Lloyd,  a  student  in  the  high  school  at  Cairo. 
Mrs.  Coons  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist  church. 
Mr.  Coons  is  active  in  politics  to  some  extent 
in  South  Loup  township  and  as  a  man  of 
sound  judgment  in  most  matters,  has  much 
influence.  For  a  number  of  years  he  has  care- 
fully watched  over  the  welfare  of  the  public 
schools  as  a  member  of  the  school  board,  and 
for  two  years  he  served  very  satisfactorily  to 
his  fellow  citizens  as  township  clerk. 


WILLIAM  EDWARD  MARTIN.  — The 
traveler  of  today  whose  pleasant  task  it  is  to 


visit  and  occasionally  pause  and  perhaps  accept 
hearty  hospitality  in  Hall  County,  is  much  im- 
pressed by -the  evidences  on  all  sides  of  peace, 
plenty  and  a  high  state  of  civilization.  It  al- 
most requires  credulity  therefore,  to  accept  the 
fact  that  history  proves,  that  but  fifty  years 
ago  this  entire  section  of  the  state  was  yet  the 
home  of  savage  Indians  who  pillaged  and  mur- 
dered at  will.  Attesting  this  hideous  truth,  so 
abhorrent  to  present  American  ideals,  are  per- 
sons still  living  who  passed  through  this  con- 
dition with  other  hardships  of  pioneering,  and 
among  those  none  are  better  known  than  the 
Martin  family,  a  prominent  representative  of 
which  is  William  E.  Martin,  who  resides  on 
his  farm  near  Doniphan. 

William  E.  Martin  was  born  in  McHenry 
County,  Illinois,  not  far  from  the  city  of  Elgin, 
January  20,  1856.  His  parents  were  George 
and  Ann  (Owers)  (Weaver)  Martin,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  the  same  village  of 
Soahm,  in  England,  the  father  in  March,  1819, 
and  the  mother,  September  5,  1818.  The 
mother,  by  a  previous  marriage,  had  two  chil-  - 
dren :  George  Weaver,  a  minister  of  the  Holi- 
ness faith,  died  in  the  church  parsonage  at 
Tabor,  Iowa,  April  18,  1914,  and  Eliza  Weaver 
who  died  in  Hall  County,  in  1885.  To  her 
marriage  with  George  Martin,  the  following 
children  were  born :  Hephzibah,  the  wife  of 
George  Masterson,  a  farmer  near  Little  River, 
Kansas;  Henry  N.,  a  retired  farmer  living  in 
Hastings,  Nebraska ;  Robert  O.,  who  was  a 
retired  farmer  living  at  Ellsworth,  Kansas,  al 
the  time  of  his  death,  in  1902 ;  Annie,  the  wife 
of  George  Huffman,  a  banker  at  Little  River. 
Kansas;  and  William  Edward,  who  lives  in 
Hall  County. 

George  Martin,  the  father  of  William  E. 
Martin,  was  a  man  of  good  standing  in  Illinois 
before  coming  to  the  west.  He  came  to  the 
United  States  in  1850  and  located  as  a  farmer 
in  McHenry  County,  Illinois,  where  he  rented 
land  near  the  present  Elgin  watch  factor*'. 
In  1857  he  removed  to  Sidney,  Iowa,  ami 
from  1858  to  1862  engaged  in  freighting  across 
the  plains  between  Nebraska  City  and  Denver. 
In  1862  he  brought  his  family  to  Hall  County. 
securing  a  homestead  of  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  lying  about  eight  miles  west  of  Doni- 
phan. The  family  lived  at  first  in  a  sod  house 
built  by  the  father,  but  later  he  built  a  log 
house,  using  cottonwood  logs  which  he  cut  on 
the  bank  of  the  Platte  river.  George  Martin 
was  industrious,  enterprising  and  reliable.  He 
raised  about  two  hundred  head  of  cattle  on  his 
own  ranch  and  operates  ranches  for  others 
He  was  the  first  postmaster  at  Martin,  through 
which  ran  the  Ben  Holliday  stage  line  be- 
tween Nebraska  City  and  Denver.       He  re- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  .  879 


W.  E.  Makttn 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


malneri  on  his  homestead  until  his  death,  which 
occurred  April  18,  1883. 

While  the  Indians  were  a  constant  menace 
to  the  early  settlers,  the  first  definite  trouble 
that  the  Martins  encountered  was  on  Septem- 
ber 10,  1864,  when  George  Martin  was 
wounded  by  an  Indian  arrow,  and  two  of  his 
sons,  Henry  N.  and  Robert  O.,  who  were  rid- 
ing the  same  horse,  were  struck  by  an  arrow 
that  pinned  them  together,  H.  N.  being  shot 
through  the  body.  As  soon  as  possible  Mr. 
Martin  and  his  wife  started  with  them  for 
Nebraska  City  for  surgical  treatment,  but  the 
boys  were  too  badly  wounded  to  be  able  to 
stand  the  rough  trip,  so  at  Beaver  Crossing, 
the  family  took  possession  of  an  abandoned 
ranch  house  and  within  thirty  days  the  parents 
had  nursed  the  youths  to  a  state  of  health  that 
enabled  them  all  to  return  home,  Henry  N. 
Martin  still  survives  but  Robert  O.  never  fully 
recovered  and  his  death  twenty  years  after- 
ward from  spinal  meningitis,  was  primarily 
due  to  the  Indian  injury.  On  June  6,  1868, 
Indians  raided  a  bunch  of  staked  out  horses 
belonging  to  the  Martins,  and  although  given 
a  warm  reception,  managed  to  make  off  with 
three  animals,  going  on  then  to  a  neighbor's 
place  and  carrying  off  the  Greggs'  furniture 
and  clothing.  The  Martins  pursued  the  robbers 
and  wounded  one  of  them.  In  1869  the  Mar- 
tins went  to  the  help  of  other  neighbors.  The 
Indians  killed  a  Mrs.  Warren  and  carried  off 
two  girls  by  the  name  of  Campbell,  who  were 
kept  prisoners  three  months  when  an  exchange 
was  made  for  Indian  prisoners  held  by  whites, 
through  the  authority  of  the  government. 

William  E.  Martin  was  six  years  old  when 
the  family  came  to  Hall  County.  He  says  that 
in  the  summers  the  antelope  and  buffalo 
appeared  in  countless  numbers.  One  of  his 
earliest  sports  was  trapping  beaver,  mink  and 
otter  on  the  Platte  river  and  as  he  grew  older 
and  became  more  adept,  he  provided  much  of 
the  warm  clothing  needed  by  the  family,  his 
resourceful  mother  contriving  all  kinds  of  gar- 
ments from  the  skins.  At  an  early  day  he 
bought  a  quarter  section  of  cottonwood  trees 
and  watched  them  grow,  and  when  large 
enough 'for  saw  logs,  bought  a  power  saw  and 
from  his  little  grove  sawed  about  70,000  feet 
of  lumber.  A  cottonwood  sapling  he  planted 
in  1869,  today  has  a  diameter  of  over  six  feet. 

Mr.  Martin  is  a  very  intelligent,  well  in- 
formed man,  and  is  a  graduate  of  the  Grand 
Island  Business  College.  He  owns  three 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  well  improved  land 
and  has  an  excellent  orchard.  He  is  a  Re- 
publican, as  was  his  father,  but  votes  inde- 
pendently in  local  matters.    During  the  World 


War  he  was  a  liberal  Supporter  of  patriotic 
causes.  Mr.  Martin  is  a  member  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  On  December  28,  1904, 
Mr.  Martin  married  Nettie  M.  Hummel!,  who 
was  born  in  Nebraska,  the  daughter  of  George 
and  Lottie  (White)  Hummell,  natives  of  New 
York  and  New  Jersey,  who  settled  with  their 
parents,  when  young  people,  in  Louisa  County, 
Iowa.  Here  they  were  married  and  after  a 
residence  of  one  year  came  to  Nebraska  in 
1871,  locating  in  Webster  County  where  they 
passed  their  lives.  The  mother  died  there  in 
her  forty-fourth  year,  the  father  passed  away 
in  July,  1917.  He  was  a  Methodist  minister, 
one  of  the  first  in  Red  Cloud  vicinity.  A  short 
time  before  his  death  at  a  pioneer  picnic  he 
rode  a  horse  at  the  head  of  a  procession,  carry- 
ing a  bible,  just  as  he  had  done  in  the  early 
days  as  a  circuit  rider. 


CARL  STOEGER,  successfully  operating 
three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  well  im- 
proved land  situated  in  section  twenty-two, 
South  Loup  township,  is  a  native  of  Hall 
County,  born  at  Cairo,  March  18,  1893.  He 
is  a  son  of  Adam  and  Sarah  Stoeger,  the 
father  a  native  of  Buffalo  County,  Nebraska, 
and  the  mother  of  Iowa. 

Carl  Stoeger  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools.  He  remained  at  home  until 
fourteen  years  of  age  and  then  went  to  work 
on  farms  and  after  renting  land  for  a  time 
which  belonged  to  his  father  he  purchased  his 
present  property  which  he  has  successfully 
operated  the  past  three  years.  He  has  given 
careful  attention  to  cattle  and  stock,  keeping 
standard  breeds  only.  At  the  present  time  Mr. 
Stoeger  has  twenty  head  of  fine  cattle  and 
seventeen  head  of  hogs,  his  sows  being  pure 
bred  Poland-China,  a  large  herd  of  good  horses 
and  mules  and  first  class  poultry.  His  farm 
and  stock  show  the  effect  of  careful  manage- 
ment and  probably  his  farm  is  one  of  the  most 
profitable  in  South  Loup  township. 

On  August  15,  1913,  Carl  Stoeger  was 
united  in  marriage  with  Miss  Lulu  Pry.  Her 
parents  are  deceased.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Stoeger 
have  four  children :  Laurence,  Mildred,  Ray- 
mond and  Leonard.  The  family  is  highly  re- 
spected in  their  neighborhood  and  Mr.  Stoeger 
is  considered  a  competent  farmer  and  depend- 
able citizen.    He  is  an  independent  voter. 


HANS  SIEK,  one  of  Hall  County's  good 
farmers  and  highly  respected  citizens,  owns  a 
fine  body  of  land  in  South  Loup  township, 
five  hundred  and  eighty  acres  in  all  and  his 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  881 


Hans  Sjek  and  Wife 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


over  half  of  it  under  cultivation.  He  is  num- 
bered with  the  county's  substantial  men  and 
has  made  all  he  has  by  hard  work. 

Mr.  Siek  was  born  in  Germany,  November 
26,  1856.  His  parents  were  Claus  and  Eliza- 
beth Siek,  neither  of  whom  came  to  the 
United  States.  The  father  died  at  the  age  of 
fifty-four  years  and  the  mother  when  fifty- 
three  years.  When  twenty-one  years  old, 
April  1,  1878,  Mr.  Siek  came  to  Nebraska  and 
secured  farm  work  in  Hall  County,  subse- 
uently  he  pre-empted  land  near  Elder,  but 
never  lived  on  it.  In  1886  he  married 
Margaret  Holtdorf,  and  they  have  had 
children  as  follows:  a  babe  that  died;  Mrs. 
Anna  Runge,  who  lives  in  Cameron  township ; 
Mrs.  Ella  Schuett,  who  lives  in  Cameron 
township;  John,  a  physician;  Peter,  a  fanner 
in  Cameron  township ;  Mrs.  Rosa  Peters, 
whose  husband  is  a  farmer  and  dairyman  in 
Buffalo  County ;  Ernest,  who  assists  his  father ; 
Mrs.  Margaret  Miller,  who  lives  in  Cameron 
township;  August,  who  lives  at  home;  and 
three  others  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Siek  can  tell  many  interesting  stories  of 
early  days  in  the  county,  Cairo  being  a  little 
village  when  he  first  came  here.  He  says  that 
on  many  occasions  he  has  shot  rabbits  in  what 
is  now  north  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Siek  is  not 
only  a  careful  farmer  and  stockman,  but  a 
progressive  one  and  he  has  always  made  a 
study  of  his  business  just  as  he  would  have 
done  had  he  engaged  in  any  other.  He  has 
improved  his  property  and  all  his  buildings  are 
substantial.  He  believes  it  good  policy  to  give 
attention  only  to  good  grade  of  stock  and  at 
present  he  has  ten  head  of  fine  horses,  fifty 
head  of  cattle,  fifty  head  of  hogs  and  stan- 
dard poultry.  He  is  an  independent  voter  and 
he  is  a  Spiritualist  in  religious  belief. 


HERMAN  WIESE,  whose  large  and  well 
cultivated  farm  is  situated  in  sections  twenty- 
eight  and  thirty-four,  Center  township,  is  well 
known  in  Hall  County  where  he  has  spent  al- 
most his  entire  life.  He  was  only  six  years 
old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents,  Joachim 
and  Catherine  Wiese,  from  Germany,  where 
he  was  born  August  24,  1875.  His  recollec- 
tions are  vague  in  regard  to  the  long  voyage 
and  wearying  journey  from  the  Atlantic  coast 
to  Nebraska,  but  he  can  easily  recall  many 
interesting  events  of  early  times  in  Hall 
County. 

Herman  Wiese  grew  up  on  his  father's 
homestead  and  had  school  advantages  but  not 
to  compare  with  those  his  own  children  can 


enjoy.  He  very  early  began  to  assist  his  father 
and  take  responsibility,  but  in  1909  he  be- 
gan farming  on  his  own  account  and  has  done 
exceedingly  well.  Mr.  Wiese  owns  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  some  of  the  finest  land  to  be 
found  in  Hall  County.  He  has  it  well  stocked 
and  cultivates  it  with  modern  farm  machinery, 
and  has  taken  his  place  with  the  foremost 
farmers  of  this  section. 

In  1902  Mir.  Wiese  married  Miss  Anne 
Hennings,  whose  people  were  early  settlers  in 
Hall  County,  and  they  have  the  following  chil- 
dren: Helen,  Hulda,  Clarence,  Linda,  Arnold 
and  Walter,  all  of  whom  Hve  at  home  except 
Helen,  employed  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Wiese 
and  his  family  are  members  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  He  has  never  interested  himself  to 
any  extent  in  general  politics  but  feels  a  little 
differently  where  Hall  County  is  concerned, 
and  when  matters  of  local  importance  come 
to  the  front.  He  casts  his  vote  for  the  man 
he  deems  best  qualified  for  the  office  he  seeks. 
He  belongs  to  some  of  the  low  German 
organizations  which  meet  at  Grand  Island. 


KLAUS  HENRY  KRUSE,  identified  with 
the  interests  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  for 
almost  fifty  years,  has  taken  an  active  part  in 
its  agricultural  development.  By  improving 
the  tracts  of  land  that  he  gradually  acquired, 
he  has  not  only  added  to  their  value,  but  set 
an  example  that  many  another  careful  land- 
owner followed.  Mr.  Kruse  was  born  in  Hol- 
stein,  Germany,  October  2,  1841,  the  eldest  of 
ten  children  born  to  Frederick  and  Catherine 
(Miller)  Kruse. 

It  was  in  1871  that  Klaus  Henry  Kruse 
came  to  the  United  States  and  immediately 
made  his  way  to  Iowa,  where  many  Germans 
had  already  settled.  He  remained  in  that  state 
for  one  year,  then  came  to  Nebraska  and  se- 
cured a  homestead  of  eighty  acres  in  Prairie 
Creek  township,  Hall  County.  He  immediately 
applied  himself  to  the  development  of  this 
land  and  years  of  hard  labor  followed.  In 
the  course  of  time  Mr.  Kruse  acquired  othef 
farms,  and  these  also,  during  his  active  yean, 
he  developed  into  profitable  properties.  He 
now  owns  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres,  a 
larger  territory  than  was  comprised  in  some 
of  the  provinces  in  his  native  land  in  his  boy- 
hood. He  has  always  believed  a  general  farm- 
line  more  satisfactory  for  the  Nebraska  fann- 
er than  special  features,  and  has  raised  grain, 
potatoes  and  other  crops  and  has  had  cattle 
and  stock  that  always  commanded  a  good 
price. 

Mr.  Kruse  has  been  twice  married.     His 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


first  wife,  died  in  1880,  was  Dora  Kruse.  They 
had  four  children :  August,  employed  on  the 
Reid  Alton  ranch;  Adolph,  who  lives  in 
Center  township ;  Rosa,  the  wife  of  H.  Smith, 
of  Hall  County ;  and  Dora,  the  wife  of  George 
Hoagland,  of  Hall  County.  Mr.  Kruse  mar- 
ried second,  in  1883,  Mary  Cyndia  Wale. 
Four  children  were  born  to  this  union :  Mary 
and  Henry,  who  are  at  home;  and  Fred  and 
Katie,  who  are  deceased.  Early  in  1917  Fred 
Kruse,  was  called  into  military  service  by  the 
government.  After  a  season  of  training  he 
went  to  France  with  the  American  Expedi- 
tionary Force  and  alas,  he  can  never  come 
back,  for  he  fell  in  battle,  July  25,  1918.  He 
was  a  very  popular  young  man  and  the  whole 
community  grieve  with  his  family.  Mr.  Kruse 
is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  and 
family  are  very  highly  esteemed  in  their 
neighborhood. 


GUY  M.  DEAN,  one  of  Hall  County's  suc- 
cessful farmers)  and  representative  citizens, 
operating  his  father's  farm  in  Prairie  Creek 
township,  was  born  in  Shiawassee  County, 
Michigan,  February  14,  1872.  His  parents 
were  George  P.  and  Emily  (Firster)  Dean, 
both  of  whom  were  born  in  Michigan. 

Following  the  close  of  the  Civil  War,  many 
of  the  returning'  soldiers  found  their  old  home 
surroundings  offered  too  little  opportunity  to 
men  broadened  by  travel  and  experience,  and 
they  took  heed  when  the  chance  was  given  to 
secure  government  land  in  the  yet  unsettled 
sections  of  the  western  country.  The  certainty 
.  of  pioneer  hardships  did  not  alarm  men  who 
had  fought  through  four  years  of  carnage  and 
had  faced  death  on  many  a  battlefield.  Thus 
it  was  that  Hall  County  secured  such  worthy 
settlers  as  George  P.  Dean,  who  came  with 
wife  and  infant  son  in  the  summer  of  1872. 
He  had  served  as  a  member  of  the  Twelfth 
Michigan  Cavalry  during  three  years  of  his 
service,  participating  in  many  battles  includ- 
ing the  campaign  around  Chattanooga,  Look- 
out Mountain  and  Missionary  Ridge.  He  still 
owns  his  farm  of  eighty  acres  situated  in  sec- 
tion thirty-five,  Prairie  Creek  township,  Hall 
County,  but  no  longer  is  actively  concerned  in 
its  operation,  having  turned  his  farm  responsi- 
bilities over  to  his  only  son  when  he  retired. 
In  order  to  occupy  his  time,  however,  without 
unduly  taxing  his  strength,  he  is  serving  as 
caretaker  of  a  cemetery  at  Pittsburg  Landing. 
Mr,  Dean  in  telling  of  early  days  says  that  they 
hauled  their  fire  wood  from  the  Loup  river, 
a  distance  of  fifty  or  sixty  miles,  and  cedar 
wood  for  the  railroad  for  a  living  during  the 


winter  time  and  were  caught  in  many  a  bliz- 
zard on  the  prairies.  Has  family  consists  of 
two  children :  Guy  M.  and  Edna.  The  latter 
is  the  wife  of  B.  X.  Harvey,  of  Adamsvilk, 
Tennessee. 

Guy  M.  Dean  has  practically  spent  his  entire 
life  in  Hall  County.  After  finishing  his  period 
of  school  attendance,  he  became  his  father's 
right  hand  man  on  the  farm  and  now  rents 
the  entire  property  from  his  father.  It  has 
been  greatly  improved  and  Mr.  Dean  keeps  it 
well  stocked.    In  1881  he  married  Miss  Cora 

B.  Spiker,  who,  at  death,  left  one  son  William 

C,  who  lives  in  Grand  Island.  Mr.  Dean's 
second  marriage  was  to  Miss  Mabel  M.  Baton. 
Mrs.  Dean  is  a  member  of  the  First  Congre- 
gational church  at  Grand  Island. 


GEORGE  GRAHAM,  who  conducts  his 
large  farm  situated  in  section  two,  South 
Platte  township,  Hall  County,  very  profitably, 
has  lived  amid  farm  surroundings  all  his  life. 
The  Graham  family  came  early  to  Hall 
County,  and  the  grandfather  of  George 
Graham  took  part  with  other  pioneer  set- 
tlers, in  many  struggles  with  the  Indians, 
who  at  that  time  were  very  hostile. 

George  Graham  was  born  November  24, 
1862,  in  Wisconsin,  and  was  young'  when 
brought  to  Nebraska  by  his  people.  His  par- 
ents were  Alexander  and  Elizabeth  (Campbelll 
Graham,  natives  of  Scotland.  Accompanied  by 
other  members  of  their  family,  they  came  to 
the  United  States  and  located  first.in  Wiscon- 
sin. From  there  they  came  to  Hall  County, 
where  Alexander  Graham  secured  a  home- 
stead. On  that  place  George  Graham  grew  to 
manhood.  Later  he  went  to  Kansas  and 
took  up  a  homestead  for  himself,  on  which  he 
carried  on  farming  for  a  time  and  then  re- 
turned to  Hall  County.  He  owns  two  hun- 
dred acres,  has  his  farm  well  stocked,  carries 
on  a  general  line  of  agriculture,  raising  a 
large  amount  of  prairie  hay,  and  makes  a 
feature  of  doing  his  own  blacksmithing,  hav- 
ing a  smithy  on  his  place. 

Mr.  Graham  is  a  quiet,  thoughtful,  busy 
man,  who  makes  no  display  of  political 
opinions  at  any  time,  but  he  always  casts  his 
vote  according  to  his  convictions  of  right.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  Congregational  church. 


JACOB  C.  NEUHALFEN.  — The  startta- 
developed  farms  that  meet  the  eye  in  Hall 
County,  give  the  impression  that  men  of  agri- 
cultural experiences  are  operating  here  t» 
their  own  and  the  county's  profit  An  ii 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


885 


is  presented  in  the  well  kept  farm  of  Jacob  C. 
Neuhalfen,  situated  in  section  26,  Doniphan 
township,  for  he  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
has  devoted  his  life  to  farm  industries. 

Jacob  Charles  Neuhalfen  was  born  in  Ham- 
ilton County,  Nebraska,  July  2,  1886.  His 
parents  were  Michael  and  Marie  (Trost) 
Neuhalfen,  the  latter  of  whom  was  born  in 
Germany  in  1849,  and  the  former  in  1838. 
He  died  in  Nebraska  in  1915.  Both  parents 
came  tp  the  United  States  in  1858,  lived  at 
first  in  Illinois,  and  later  came  to  Nebraska 
locating  in  Hamilton  County.  The  father 
bought  land  that  he  later  improved.  The 
parents  of  Jacob  C.  Neuhalfen  had  eight  chil- 
dren. He  attended  the  country  schools  in  the 
neighborhood  of  his  father's  farm  and  grew 
to  manhood  in  Hamilton  County.  Farming 
and  raising  stock  have  been  familiar  tabors 
since  boyhood,  and  the  practical  methods  he 
uses  so  successfully  on  his  own  farm,  are  more 
or  less  the  resuhs  of  experience.  He  is  a  man 
who  stands  well  in  his  neighborhood  in  every 
way. 

In  Grand  Island  in  1910,  Mr.  Neuhalfen 
married  Miss  Bertha  Happold,  a  daughter  of 
Karl  and  Lena  (Gmelich)  Happold,  natives 
of  Germany.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Neuhalfen  have 
three  children:  Wilbur,  Charles  and  Elaine. 
Mrs.  Neuhalfen  is  a  member  of  the  Lutheran 
church.  Mr.  Neuhalfen  has  never  been  very 
active  in  politics  as  far  as  party  is  concerned, 
but  he  has  opinions  on  public  affairs  and  votes 
according  to  his  own  judgment.  This  is  a 
family  of  very  pleasant,  hospitable  people. 


CHARLES  JOHN  HEITZ,  an  enterpris- 
ing and  successful  farmer  of  Hall  County,  be- 
longs to  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families  of  this 
section  that  has  been  favorably  known  here 
for  almost  a  half  century.  The  old  home- 
stead that  Mr.  Heitz's  father  secured  in  those 
early  days  when  >  Indians  still  wandered 
through  this  section  and  permanent  white 
settlers  were  few,  is  yet  in  possession  of  the 
family. 

Charles  J.  Heitz  was  born  in  Hall  County, 
September  10,  1894.  His  parents  were  Theo- 
bald and  Amelia  (Walther)  Heitz.  His 
mother  was  bom  in  Switzerland,  September 
5,  1859.  His  father  was  bom  July  1,  1839, 
in  Alsace-Lorraine,  France,  and  died  in  Hall 
County  May  22,  1909,  being  survived  by  the 
mother  who  still  lives  on  the  old  farm.  He 
was  a  well  educated  man,  having  attended 
school  in  his  native  land.  He  took  a  course 
in  a  high  school  after  coming  to  the  United 
States.    In  1871  he  came  to  Nebraska  to  be- 


come a  permanent  settler,  selecting  a  home- 
stead of  eighty  acres  lying  in  section  34,  Don- 
iphan township,  Hall  County.  He  continued 
to  live  on  this  property  during  the  rest  of  his 
life,  in  the  course  of  years  placing  substantial 
improvements  thereon.  When  he  came  first 
to  Grand  Island  one  small  store  represented 
the  present  busy  commercial  houses  of  that 
city,  and  bands  of  Indians  were  not  unusual 
sights.  It  is  not  on  record  that  he  ever  had 
any  difficulty  with  them.  The  family  home 
was  at  first  a  sod  house  but  later  comfortable 
farm  buildings  were  erected.  The  following 
children  of  the  family  survive :  Charles  J. ; 
George,  in  Montana;  William,  of  Hastings, 
Nebraska ;  Frank  and  Edison  on  the  farm 
with  the  mother;  Mrs.  Louise  Spiehs,  of  Don- 
iphan township,  and  Mrs.  Lee  Richmond,  also 
of  Doniphan  township. 

Charles  J.  Heitz  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools.  From  boyhood  he  has- 
been  interested  in  farm  pursuits  and  for  some 
years  has  been  numbered  with  the  extensive 
farmers  and  cattle  feeders  of  the  county.  He 
operates  three  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of 
valuable  land  situated  in  section  34,  Doniphan 
township,  to  which  he  gives  close  attention. 
He  is  financially  interested  additionally  in  the 
Farmers  Elevator  and  Milling  Company  at 
Doniphan,  and  is  considered  a  capable  and 
upright  business  man. 

In  Grand  Island  in  1913,  Mr.  Heitz  married 
Miss  Byrd  Nelson,  a  daughter  of  Edward  and 
Mary  Belle  (Drake)  Nelson,  the  latter  of 
whom  was  born  in  Greensburg,  Indiana,  in 
1861.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Heitz  was  bom  in 
Kentucky  in  1846.  He  served  four  years  in 
the  Civil  War,  enlisting  when  fifteen  years 
old  and  was  a  prisoner  at  Andersonville, 
Georgia,  for  six  months.  He  .died  two  years 
ago,  the  mother  in  November,  1918. 


"  RICHARD  LEO  McMULLIN,  whose  busi- 
ness enterprise  in  farm  and  stock  activities 
has  made  his  name  well  known  in  Hall  County, 
belongs  to  a  pioneer  family  of  Nebraska  that 
settled  permanently  in  this  county  in  1883. 
Like  others  of  that  date,  it  was  called  on 
to  bear  many  unexpected  hardships  and  face 
many  discouragements,  but  a  certain  steady 
family  strength  of  character  brought  endurance 
that  finally  won  Success  in  spite  of  misfortune. 
Richard  L.  McMullin  was  bom  in  Harlan 
County,  Nebraska,  in  1880  the  youngest  of 
three  children  and  the  only  son  bom  to  Rich- 
ard and  Jane  (Joynt)  McMullin.  Their  two 
daughters  survive :  Anna,  a  resident  of 
Council  Bluffs,   Iowa,   and   Bessie,  the  wife 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


887 


of  I.  J.  Doan,  of  Doniphan,  Nebraska.  The 
father  was  born  in  New  York,  in  1841,  and 
died  in  Hall  County  in  1911.  The  mother  was 
a  native  of  County  Mayo,  Ireland.  Prior  to 
coming  to  Nebraska  in  1878,  Richard  Mc- 
Mullin  was  a  farmer  in  Illinois.  He  settled 
in  this  state  in  Harlan  County  in  1878,  where 
he  homesteaded  and  the  family  lived  for  five 
years  in  a  sod  house  on  his  three  hundred  and 
twenty  acre  farm.  After  selling  his  home- 
stead advantageously,  he  brought  his  family 
in  1883  to  Hall  County  where  he  bought  four 
hundred  and  eighty  acres,  which  he  developed 
with  the  assistance  of  his  son.  When  he  died 
this  land,  by  that  time  grown  very  valuable, 
was  divided  among  his  three  children.  He 
was  a  man  of  sterling  character,  upright  in 
all  his  dealings  with  others,  and  was  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church. 

Richard  L.  McMultin  attended  the  country 
schools,  had  Christian  training  at  home  and 
remained  with  his  father  until  1896  when  he 
embarked  in  farming  on  his  own  account,  He 
invested  in  land  in  different  parts  of  Hall 
County,  now  owning  six  hundred  acres,  some 
of  which  is  well  improved.  He  is  an  exten- 
sive feeder  of  hogs,  cattle  and  mules  for 
market,  an  important  feature  of  his  business 
being  the  handling  of  mules.  In  some  of  his 
business  enterprises  he  is  associated  with 
Frederick  O.  Harrell,  also  a  prominent  stock- 
man of  Hall  County. 

Mr.  MjcMulltn  married  Miss  Emma  Gregg, 
who  was  born  in  1885,  in  Hall  County,  also 
a  member  of  one  of  the  pioneer  families  here. 
They  have  one  daughter,  Nona,  attending 
school  at  Doniphan. 

In  politics  Mr.  McMulh'n  is  an  independent 
voter.  He  has  never  been  very  active  in  pol- 
itics, his  business  affairs  largely  absorbing  his 
time  and  interest,  but  he  has  served  in  village 
offices  and  as  school  director.  He  belongs  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  church  and  is  a  liberal 
contributor  to  many  of  its  benevolent  agencies. 


JOHN  W.  RATHBUN,  one  of  Hall 
County's  progressive  agriculturists,  is  success- 
fully conducting  farm  industries  on  the  old 
Rathbun  homestead,  on  section  fourteen. 
Center  township.  Believing  that  agriculture 
calls  for  a  man's  best  thought  and  effort,  Mr. 
Rathbun  kept  his  chosen  vocation  in  mind 
during  school  years  both  in  Hall  County  and 
in  Michigan,  and  has  turned  his  education  to 
good  account.  Mr.  Rathbun  was  born  De- 
cember 13,  1888,  in  Hall  County. 

The  parents  of  John  Wilbur  Rathbun, 
Cyrus  P.  and  Emma  (Lyman)  Rathbun, 
were  born   respectively  in   Ontario,  Canada, 


and  the  state  of  New  York,  the  father  in  1844 
and  the  mother  in  1848.  Her  death  occurred 
July  28,  1918.  The  paternal  grandparents, 
Daniel  and  Ruth  (Ryder)  Rathbun,  were 
Canadians,  the  former  born  in  1812  and  the 
latter  in  1815.  Of  his  parents'  family  of  seven 
children,  C.  P.  Rathbun  was  the  fourth  in 
order  of  birth,  the  others  being:  William,  a 
farmer  in  Iowa ;  Eliza,  a  resident  of  Michigan, 
is  the  widow  of  William  Long,  who  was  killed 
in  the  Civil  War;  Lyman,  who  died  in  Michi- 
gan ;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of  Major  Conk- 
wright,  formerly  of  Michigan;  Rebecca,  the 
wife  of  Wilbur  McCombs,  of  Grand  Island; 
and  Gideon,  a  farmer  in  Michigan.  In  1871 
Cyrus  P.  Rathbun  came  to  Hall  County, 
where  he  took  up  a  homestead  of  eighty  acres, 
living  in  a  primitive  way  at  first  but  gradually 
making  improvements  which  included  the  set- 
ting out  of  trees.  Later  he  rented  a  sawmill 
and  prepared  the  lumber  for  his  subsequent 
building  operations.  For  thirty-three  years  he 
served  in  the  office  of  school  moderator  in 
Center  township  and  yet  serves  as  a  school 
director  of  his  district.  He  is  a  member  of 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of 
Grand  Island. 

John  Wilbur  Rathbun  has  always  made  his 
home  with  his  father,  and  since  the  latter  re- 
tired has  had  sole  responsibility  in  carrying 
on  the  various  farm  industries.  In  this  he 
has  shown  much  enterprise.  In  connection 
with  general  crop  raising,  he  has  given  con- 
siderable attention  to  his  fine  Duroc-Jersey 
hogs  and  Holstein  herds  and  does  some  dairy- 
ing. His  surroundings  are  just  those  one  might 
expect  on  a  well  kept  farm  where  modern 
methods  prevail  and  intelligence  and  interest 
mark  all  undertakings. 

Mr.  Rathbun  '  married  Miss  Georgians 
Bailey,  who  was  born  in  Cass  County,  Ne- 
braska, in  1891,  and  is  a  daughter  of  George 
Bailey,  a  farmer  in  Hall  County.  They  have 
two  sons :  Donald  L.  and  Ralph  W.  Having 
no  desire  for  public  office  and  being  well  able 
to  do  his  own  political  thinking,  Mr.  Rathbun 
has  never  identified  himself  with  any  political 
party,  although  his  father  is  a  Democrat.  As 
a  good  citizen  he  is  interested  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  district  and  is  serving  as  a 
school  director.  He  belongs  to  no  fraternal 
organization  but  carries  insurance  in  the  old 
line  Bankers  Life  Company.  Mr.  Rathbun  is 
looked  upon  as  one  of  the  solid,  dependable 
men  of  Hall  County. 


JOHN  L.  McNAMARA,  well  known  in 
Hall  County,  is  a  general  farmer  residing  on 
his  well  improved  land  situated  in  section  12, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


South  Platte  township,  has  devoted  the  most 
of  his  life  to  agricultural  pursuits.  Through 
industry  and  good  management  he  has  made 
them  profitable. 

John  L.  McNamara  was  born  in  the  great 
city  of  Montreal,  Dominion  of  Canada,  June 
1,  1870.  His  parents  were  Daniel  and  Anna 
(Small)  McNamara,  the  former  of  whom  was 
a  corporal  in  the  Canadian  army.  John  L. 
obtained  his  education  in  the  public  schools, 
first  in  Montreal  and  later  Alma,  Nebraska. 
While  working  on  a  farm  he  learned  the  black- 
smith trade  and  prior  to  coming  to  Hall 
County  worked  as  a  blacksmith  in  South 
Dakota,  for  the  Homestead  gold  mine.  He 
now  operates  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  that  belong  to  Mrs.  E.  A.  Filch,  his 
mother  in  law.  He  has  made  the  property 
very  valuable  by  careful  tillage  and  substantial 
improvements,  carrying  on  a  general  farming 
line,  diversifying  his  crops  and  raising  excel- 
lent stock. 

At  Doniphan,  Nebraska,  in  1884,  Mr.  Mc- 
Namara married  Miss  Jennie  Britt,  a  daughter 
of  John  Britt.  When  Mr.  Britt  came  to  the 
county  he  took  a  pre-emption  claim  and  also 
a  tree  claim,  subsequently  making  improve- 
ments on  all  his  property.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mc- 
Namara have  three  children :  William,  a 
member  of  the  aero  squadron  with  the  Amer- 
ican Expeditionary  Force  in  France,  and 
Daniel  and  Millie,  both  of  whom  are  attend- 
ing school.  Mr.  McNamara  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church,  and 
in  church  and  neighborhood  are  held  in  high 
esteem.  In  his  political  views  Mr.  McNamara 
is  a  Republican. 


WALTER  F.  AUGUSTIN,  a  representa- 
tive business  man  of  Doniphan,  became  a  resi- 
dent of  this  city  in  1915.  For  a  number  of 
years  he  was  exclusively  interested  in  farm- 
ing, for  others  and  himself,  but  since  coming 
to  Doniphan  he  has  embarked  in  the  farm  im- 
plement business  and  is  agent  for  leading 
manufacturers. 

Mr.  Augustin  was  born  January  16,  1887, 
in  Adams  County,  Nebraska,  a  son  of  Henry 
and  Mary  (Ruater)  Augustin,  whose  record 
will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume  in  a 
sketch  written  for  W.  R.  Augustin. 

Walter  F.  Augustin  attended  the  country 
schools  in  boyhood  and  with  his  brothers 
assisted  on  the  home  farm  near  Juniata.  Later 
he  engaged  in  farming  for  himself,  then  con- 
ducted an  implement  business  for  a  short  time 
at  HayJand,  Adams  County,  coming  from 
there  in  1915  to  Doniphan.     Here  he  bought 


an  implement  business  and  has  greatly  en- 
larged its  scope.  In  farm  implements  he  repre- 
sents the  John  Deere  Company,  and  the  J.  I. 
Case  tractors  and  threshing  machines.  He  also 
handles  oils,  and  additionally  does  plumbing 
and  well  work.  He  has  built  up  a  solid  repu- 
tation along  the  lines  of  reliability  and  effici- 
ency. 

Mr.  Augustin  married  Miss  Sena  Uden, 
who  was  born  in  Adams  County,  Nebraska, 
and  they  have  one  daughter,  Irene,  who  attends 
school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Augustin  are  members 
of  the  Lutheran  church.  For  some  years 
while  residing  near  Prosser,  Nebraska,  he 
served  as  a  school  director  but  otherwise  has 
never  accepted  public  office.  He  is  not  identi- 
fied with  any  political  party  but  votes  accord- 
in  to  his  own  judgment. 


HENRY  OLTHOFF,  one  of  Doniphan's 
good  citizens  and  honest  business  men,  cele- 
brated his  forty-second  birthday  in  1919.  He 
was  born  near  Doniphan,  Hall  County,  and 
has  spent  his  life  in  the  same  neighborhood. 
He  has  been  an  industrious  man  all  of  his  life 
and  in  younger  years  worked  as  a  farmer. 
Through  the  exercise  of  prudence,  he  accumu- 
lated capital  and  this  he  invested  in  a  stock  of 
general  merchandise  and  in  1915  opened  his 
store  at  Doniphan.  A  feature  of  his  business 
is  the  purchase  and  sale  of  produce.  Believed 
to  be  trustworthy  in  every  way,  Mr.  Olthoff 
has  hearty  patronage  from  his  fellow  citizens 
and  is  a  prosperous  merchant  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Olthoff  married  Miss  Edith  Stevenson, 
now  deceased.  She  was  a  faithful  member 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  They  had 
one  daughter,  Edith  Henrietta,  who  died  in 
1918,  at  the  age  of  seven  years. 


FREDERICK  O.  HARRELL.  —  Grain 
and  stock  represent  great  wealth  in  Nebraska. 
To  be  sufficiently  interested  in  these  necessary- 
factors  of  food  supply,  with  a  thousand  acres 
of  rich  land  to  utilize  profitably,  may  well  de- 
mand close  attention  and  unusual  business 
sagacity  of  any  one  so  fortunately  situated. 
These  requisites  for  success  are  possessed  by 
Frederick  O.  Harrell,  a  prominent  and  repre- 
sentative grain  farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall 
County,  who  has  made  the  foregoing  propo- 
sition possible.  Mr.  Harrell  has  spent  almost 
his  entire  life  in  Hall  County  and  is  devoted 
to  its  every  worthy  interest. 

Mr.  Harrell  was  born  in  Winterset,  Madi- 
son County,  Iowa,  in  1867,  the  fourth  in  a 
family  of  six  children  born  to  E-  L,  and  Sarah 


J 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


(James)  Harrell.  His  father  was  born  in 
1838,  near  Indianapolis,  Indiana,  and  died  at 
Hansen,  Nebraska,  in  1912.  His  mother  was 
also  born  in  Indiana  and  now  resides  at  Han- 
sen, having  reached  her  seventy-eighth  year. 
They  had  the  following  children:  Wilbur 
and  Laura,  both  of  whom  are  deceased ;  James, 
who  lives  at  Hansen,  Nebraska;  Frederick  O., 
who  resides  near  Doniphan ;  Ollie  May,  the 
wife  of  William  Meyer,  of  Portland,  Oregon ; 
and  Georgie,  the  wife  of  Joseph  Sleuman,  who 
owns  a  fruit  ranch  in  California.  The  father 
of  the  above  family  followed  agricultural  pur- 
suits throughout  life.  In  1877  he  came  to 
Hall  County  where  he  bought  two  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  railroad  land,  and  to  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  this  land 
practicatly  devoted  his  entire  time  as  long  as 
he  was  active.  He  was  a  man  of  industry, 
good  judgment,  of  high  moral  character  and 
a  faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Although  never  very  active  in  politics, 
he  had  the  best  interests  of  his  section  at 
heart  and  in  voting  the  Democratic  ticket  be- 
lieved he  best  protected  them.  He  left  a  fine 
property  which  is  yet  owned  by  his  heirs. 

Frederick  O.  Harrell  was  brought  to  Hall 
County  in  boyhood  and  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools.  He  was  long  associated  with 
his  father  in  carrying  on  general  farming.  At 
the  present  time  he  owns,  with  partners,  1000 
acres  of  Nebraska  land,  divided  into  farms. 
He  feeds  cattle  and  hogs  for  market,  keeping 
only  first  class  grades;  is  a  large  dealer  in 
mules  and  horses  for  market  purposes,  and 
also  is  in  the  .grain  business,  in  connection 
with  which  he  owns  an  elevator  at  Doniphan. 
Mr.  Harrell  has  other  property  here,  owning 
a  half  interest  in  buildings  in  the  business 
section  of  the  town. 

Mr.  Harrell  first  married  Miss  Etta  May 
Sides,  who  was  born  in  1870,  in  Illinois,  and 
the  following  children  were  born  to  them : 
Charlotte,  the  wife  of  Fred  Adams,  residing 
on  one  of  Mr.  Harrell's  farms  near  Doniphan ; 
Edward,  deceased;  Georgia,  the  wife  of  John 
Bowden,  a  farmer  near  Doniphan;  Minnie, 
the  wife  of  Donald  Brewer,  of  Doniphan; 
Thomas,  a  fanner;  and  Floyd,  who  lives  at 
Hansen.  Mr.  Harrell's  second  marriage  was 
to  Miss  Rose  Farabee,  who  was  born  in  Illi- 
nois, in  1873.  Mrs.  Harrell  is  a  member  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Harrell 
does  his  own  political  thinking,  hence  is  an 
independent  voter. 


CHARLES  W.  BIERBOWER,  editor  and 
proprietor   of    the   Enterprise,   at   Doniphan, 


has  made  it  one  of  the  best  known  and  most 
valuable  advertising  mediums  of  the  many 
well  conducted  newspapers  in  this  section  of 
the  state.  Mr.  Bierbower  is  a  practical  print- 
er, having  served  his  apprenticeship  at  the  case 
and  is  familiar  with  every  detail  of  newspaper 
work  and  printing  house  industry.   ■ 

Charles  W.  Bierbower  was  born  in  1889, 
in  Hamilton  County,  Nebraska,  a  son  of  Jona- 
than and  Margaret  (Cavett)  Bierbower,  the 
former  of  whom  was  bom  in  Ohio  in  1846, 
and  the  latter  in  Indiana  in  1850.  Of  their 
twelve  children,  Charles  W.was  the  ninth  in 
order  of  birth,  the  others  being  as  follows :  Ja- 
cob, who  is  deceased ;  John,  connected  with  the 
Giltner  Lumber  Company,  Giltner,  Nebraska; 
Martin,  a  farmer  on  the  old  homestead;  Leslie, 
also  a  farmer  on  the  old  homestead  in  Hamil- 
ton County ;  William,  a  contractor  at  Giltner; 
Frank,  who  conducts  a  fruit  farm  in  Cali- 
fornia; J.  D.,  who  lives  in  Giltner;  James  C, 
editor  of  the  Gazette,  at  Giltner;  Mary,  the 
wife  of  E.  O.  McKibben,  who  operates  an 
elevator  at  Geneva,  Nebraska;  Ruth,  book- 
keeper in  the  Giltner  State  bank,  and  Mar- 
garet, the  wife  of  Hubert  Cox,  a  farmer  near 
Giltner.  The  father  of  the  above  family  Jona- 
than Bierbower,  removed  from  Ohio  to  Iowa 
when  a  boy,  from  there  to  McLean  County, 
Illinois,  where  he  worked  on  a  farm  until  he 
enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  He  was 
only  seventeen  years  old  at  the  time  but  was 
accepted  in  the  Thirty-fourth  Illinois  Infan- 
try, in  which  he  served  under  General  Grant 
in  Virginia.  After  the  war  was  over  he  re- 
turned to  Illinois  and  engaged  in  farming  there 
until  1889,  when  he  came  to  Nebraska  and 
subsequently  bought  two  hundred  and  forty 
acres  of  land  in  Hamilton  County,  which  he 
still  owns  although  he  retired  from  active 
farm  work  in  1906  and  moved  to  Giltner.  He 
placed  many  substantial  improvements  on  his 
land  and  made  his  farm  industries  profitable. 
He  is  a  member  of  the  Presbyterian  church 
as  was  his  wife.  In  politics  he  is  a  Republican 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the 
Republic. 

Charles  W.  Bierbower  attended  the  country 
school  near  his  father's  farm  and  later  in  the 
high  school  in  Giltner.  When  seventeen  years 
old  he  started  to  learn  the  printing  business 
under  C.  H.  Stall.  Those  who  have  followed 
Mr.  Bierbower's  career  with  interest  will  not 
be  slow  in  asserting  that  his  choice  of  a  voca- 
tion was  a  wise  one.  In  1912  in  association 
with  his  next  older  brother,  James  C.  Bier- 
bower, he  bought  the  Giltner  Gazette,  and 
retained  his  interest  for  six  years,  in  the 
meanwhile  making  it  a  first  class  newspaper. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


He  then  came  to  Doniphan  where  he  bought 
the  Enterprise,  and  as  before  immediately 
brought  to  bear  the  business  capacity  that  has 
resulted  in  the  expansion  of  every  department 
of  the  Enterprise  plant,  doubling  the  subscrip- 
tion list,  increasing  the  advertising,  and  turn- 
ing out  the  finest  kind  of  job  work.  From 
a  small  town  paper  he  has  made  this  journal 
influential  all  through  this  part  of  the  state, 
not,  however  in  the  interest  of  any  political 
party,  for  Mr.  Bierbower  is  an  independent 
voter. 

Mr.  Bierbower  married  Miss  Llewellyn 
Talbert,  who  was  born  at  Trumbull,  Clay' 
County,  Nebraska,  and  they  have  one  child, 
Charlotte,  who  resides  at  home.  Mr.  Bier- 
bower belongs  to  the  Masonic  fraternity,  also 
to  the  Modern  Woodmen  and  Woodmen  of 
the  World  orders.  His  father's  honorable 
military  record  has  always  been  a  source  of 
pride  to  him  as  also  that  of  his  eldest  brother, 
Jacob  Bierbower,  now  deceased,  who  served 
in  the  Spanish-American  war  and  took  part  in 
the  capture  of  Manilla. 


WILLIAM  RUDOLPH  AUGUSTIN, 
mayor  of  Doniphan,  is  also  an  enterprising 
business  man  here  as  well  as  a  substantial 
farmer  and  stockman  of  Hall  County.  Al- 
though not  a  native  of  Nebraska,  he  has  lived 
in  the  state  since  he  was  ten  years  old  and  since 
1912  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall  County. 

Mayor  Augustin  was  bom  in  1873,  at  Red 
Wing,  Minnesota.  His  parents  were  Henry 
and  Mary  (Ruhter)  Augustin,  natives  of  Ger- 
many, who  came  to  the  United  States  when 
about  twenty  years  of  age.  The  mother  died  in 
1916,  aged  sixty-seven  years.  They  had  the 
following  children :  William  Rudolph,  Mayor 
of  Doniphan ;  Henry  a  farmer  near  Kenesaw, 
Nebraska;  Peter,  a  farmer  in  Adams  County 
Nebraska ;  George,  a  farmer  near  Kenesaw ; 
Jacob,  a  farmer  northeast  of  Kenesaw;  Fred, 
a  farmer  near  Juniata,  Nebraska ;  Walter,  who 
deals  in  agricultural  implements  at  Doniphan ; 
Herbert,  who  resides  on  a  farm  with  his  father 
near  Juniata,  Adams  County,  Nebraska ;  Mata, 
the  wife  of  John  Saurmann,  a  farmer  west  of 
Juniata;  Anna,  the  wife  of  John  Uhden,  a 
farmer  near  Prosser,  Nebraska ;  and  Emma 
and  Lena,  both  of  whom  reside  with  their 
father,  now  in  his  seventy-first  year.  He  is 
a  well  educated  man  who  taught  school  in  the 
country  near  Red  Wing,  Minnesota,  for  some 
time  after  coming  to  the  United  States.  In 
1883  he  located  in  Nebraska  and  bought  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  situated  north- 
west of  Kenesaw,  in  Adams  County,  where 


he  made  improvements  and  set  out  three  or- 
chards. He  lost  one  of  them  by  storm  but 
for  many  years  the  others  yielded  fine  fruit. 
During  his  active  years  he  carried  on  general 
farming  and  raised  stock.  He  is  not  identified 
with  any  political  party,  casting  his  vote  ac- 
cording to  his  own  judgment.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  German  Lutheran  church. 

W.  Rudolph  Augustin  had  public  school 
advantages  and  gave  his  father  assistance  in 
the  earlier  years  but  later  engaged  in  farming 
for  himself  in  Adams  County,  where  he  had 
five  hundred  and  sixty  acres.  Subsequently  he 
sold  all  his  land  near  Kenesaw,  Adams  County, 
buying  two  hundred  and  ninety  acres  in  Hall 
County.  Here  he  has  carried  on  general  farm- 
ing and  makes  a  specialty  of  feeding  cattle 
for  market.  Since  1912  he  has  beeit  a  resi- 
dent of  Doniphan.  Here  he  embarked  first 
in  the  implement  business  which  he,  continued 
until  1916,  since  which  time  he  has  been  in 
the  garage  and  general  automobile  repair  busi- 
ness, and  is  agent  for  the  Overland  cars,  hold- 
ing the  sales  privilege  over  all  of  Hall  County 
south  of  the  Platte  river,  and  two  miles  across 
Adams  County,  taking  in  several  townships. 
He  carries  a  complete  line  of  accessories  for 
the  Overland  and  the  Ford  cars,  and  has  ex- 
pert mechanicians  to  attend  to  the  repair  work. 

Mayor  Augustin  married  Miss  Minnie 
Winter,  who  was  born  in  1875,  near  Rose- 
land,  Nebraska,  and  they  have  three  sons :  A. 
H.  and  Irwin,  both  of  whom  assist  their  father 
in  the  work  pertaining  to  the  garage;  and  La- 
Verne,  who  attends  school.  The  family  be- 
longs to  the  Lutheran  church.  In  politics, 
although  a  Democrat,  Mayor  Augustine  in  the 
administration  of  his  office  is  not  partisan. 
He  has  brought  about  many  reforms  in  public 
matters  and  has  given  encouragement  to  many 
worthy  enterprises  that  promise  to  be  of  great 
benefit  to  the  city.  He  was  a  liberal  contri- 
butor to  the  various  causes  presented  to  the 
country  during  the  continuance  of  the  World 
War. 


WALLACE  D.  BEERS,  one  of  the  honored 
pioneer  settlers  of  Hall  County  who  has  ex- 
erted benignant  influence  during  more  than  a 
quarter  of  century  of  residence  in  this  section 
is  a  man  of  high  ideals  and  keen  interest  in 
civic  and  ecomomic  questions  regarding  the 
welfare  and  uplifting  of  his  community  which 
is  attested  by  the  fact  of  his  having  held 
public  offices  in  his  district  for  over  twenty 
years.  His  energies  have  been  entirely  de- 
voted to  agricultural  pursuits ;  for  as  a  boy  be 
broke  the  prairie  sod  to  make  it  available  for 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


cultivation.  Mr.  Beers  was  born  in  Logan 
County,  Illinois,  January  10,  1869,  the  son  of 
Hendrick  and  Lucinda  { Foley)  Beers ;  the 
former  a  New  Englander,  born  in  Connecticut, 
while  the  mother  was  a  native  of  Illinois. 
There  were  seven  children  in  the  family: 
Sarah,  who  became  the  wife  of  a  man  named 
McDowell ;  Wallace  D. ;  William  H.,  who 
entered  the  ministry ;  Charles  F. ;  Mary,  who 
married  Mr.  Cleal ;  Florence,  now  Mrs.  Kesel, 
and  Nellie,  deceased.  Wallace  acquired  the 
rudimentary  education  afforded  in  the  public 
schools  of  Illinois  in  the  winter  time,  and  as 
all  farm  boys  of  that  period  did,  worked  on 
the  home  farm.  When  he  was  seventeen  years 
of  age  the  family  came  to  Nebraska,  locat- 
ing in  Hall  County  in  1886,  eight  miles  north 
of  Doniphan.  Having  already  completed  the 
elementary  schools  Wallace  entered  the  Grand 
Island  Business  College  to  prepare  himself  for 
business  life.  Coming  here  at  a  day  when 
settlement  was  still  being  made  in  this  locality 
the  boy  shared  to  an  extent  the  hardships  of 
earlier  settlers  .and  in  recounting  the  early 
days  remembers  when  he  earned  the  first 
money  that  was  not  given  him,  by  hauling  hay 
shocks  with  a  horse  and  rope,  for  his  aunt ; 
obtaining  the  magnificent  sum  of  tweny-five 
cents  a  day  for  the  work. 

February  12,  1896,  Mr.  Beers  married  Miss 
Nellie  Denman  at  the  home  of  her  parents 
south  of  Schimmer's  Lake  in  Hall  County. 
She  was  born  in  Nemaha  County. 

Mr.  Beers  is  the  owner  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  bought  by  his  father  in 
Hall  County  in  1886  and  an  additional  eighty 
acre  tract  lies  across  the  line  in  Hamilton 
County,  all  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation 
and  there  is  no  more  valuable  farm  in  Hall 
County  for  today  Mr.  Beers  would  not  be 
willing  to  part  with  an  acre  for  $200. 

There  is  a  beautiful  home  on  the  place, 
modem  in  every  manner;  good  barns  and 
numerous  outbuildings  for  the  stock.  Having 
been  energetic  and  having  used  proper 
methods  in  his  business  Mr.  Beers  and  his 
family  are  today  enjoying  the  fruits  of  un- 
qualified success  in  the  various  departments 
of  farm  industry  and  he  is  today  regarded 
as  one  of  the  substantial  and  influential  citi- 
zens of  his  community.  Mrs.  Beers  has  also 
contributed  to  the  raising  and  welfare  of  the 
family  as  she  has  done  her  full  part,  raising 
poultry,  making  butter  and  selling  eggs  and 
cream  to  augment  the  family  bank  account, 
while  Mr.  Beers  and  the  two  sons  are  en- 
gaged in  the  heavy  work  of  the  farm.  Dur- 
ing the  terrible  years  of  drought  Mr.  Beers 
obtained   work   for  small  wages  on  the  belt 


railroad  when  a  track  was  being  laid  to  the 
sugar  factory,  and  did  not,  as  other  men,  re- 
turn east  to  his  wife  and  family  but  in  the 
parlance  of  that  day  "stuck  it  out."  For  over 
twenty  years  he  has  served  on  the  school 
board  of  his  district  and  it  is  not  necessary 
to  say  that  the  position  has  been  well  filled 
as  the  service  speaks  for  itself.  The  family 
are  members  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  at  Doniphan ;  they  are  well  and  favor- 
ably known  throughout  the  community  in 
which  they  have  spent  so  many  years  and 
whenever  duty  calls  are  ready  to  help  others 
witb  time  or  money  or  for  any  laudable  enter- 
prise in  the  upbuilding    of  the  community. 


DAVID  CLARK  GIDEON.  — In  1877, 
when  the  Gideon  family  came  to  Hall  County 
and  settled  as  permanent  residents  near  what 
is  now  the  flourishing  town  of  Doniphan,  the 
country  roundabout  was  but  sparsely  settled 
and  comparatively  few  farms  had  yet  been 
much  improved.  Like  their  neighbors,  the 
Gideons'  lived  for  a  time  in  a  sod  house.  A 
well  known  representative  of  this  family  is 
David  Clark  Gideon,  who  owns  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  of  excellent  land,  carrying  on 
general  farming  and  stock  raising. 

Mr.  Gideon  was  bom  in  1859,  at  Winter- 
set,  Iowa.  Hts  parents  were  Jacob  M.  and 
Orelia  A.  (Stump)  Gideon,  the  former  of 
whom  was  bom  in  Champaign  County,  Ohio, 
May  26,  1824,  and  the  latter  near  Circleville, 
Ohio,  May  12,  1822.  She  died  April  8,  1916. 
when  nearly  ninety-four  years  old.  They  had 
four  children,  two  of  whom  are  still  living: 
Charles  L.  and  David  C.  The  eldest,  William 
H.  Gideon,  died  at  Doniphan,  in  1915,  hav- 
ing been  born  January  12,  1850.  He  was 
prominent  in  township  affairs,  for  many  years 
being  an  officeholder  and  postmaster,  and  was 
a  very  religious  man.  He  was  known  all  over 
the  state  as  a  poultry  fancier,  having  exhibited 
and  won  prizes  at  many  exhibitions,  special- 
izing as  a  breeder  of  dark  Cornish  chickens, 
a  beautiful  variety.  James  S.  passed  away 
March  7,  1919.  Jacob  M.  Gideon,  father  of 
this  family,  was  a  farmer  and  a  blacksmith. 
He  removed  from  Ohio  to  Illinois  and  from 
there  to  Madison  County,  Iowa,  where  he 
lived  for  more  than  twenty  years.  In  1877 
he  came  to  Nebraska,  making  a  trade  for  his 
land  near  Doniphan,  which  later  was  made 
more  valuable  because  of  the  improvements 
made  on  it,  including  the  setting  out  of  an 
orchard.  Although  the  Indians  gave  the 
Gideons  little  trouble,  there  were  many  pioneer 
hardships  to   face.     Mr.   Gideon   remembers 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


893 


when  his  father  killed  a  deer  on  his  farm, 
and  when  it  was  necessary  to  drive  wild  geese 
off  the  fields  in  order  to  be  sure  of  a  yield  of 
grain. 

David  C.  Gideon  was  eighteen  years  old 
when  the  family  came  to  Hall  County.  He 
attended  school  in  Iowa  and  always  assisted 
his  father  on  the  home  farm.  He  remembers 
the  first  house  the  family  lived  in  and  recalls 
that  when  the  railroad  was  being  put  through 
here,  the  family  in  some  way  managed  to 
board  a  part  of  the  gang  of  workers.  All  these 
little  details  are  interesting  in  a  history  of  the 
county,  showing  as  they  do,  the  sensible,  re- 
sourceful character  of  the  early  settlers,  from 
whom,  have  come  the  intelligent,  practical, 
sturdy  men  of  today.  They  also  did  some 
construction  work  on  the  railroad  themselves 
as  contractors.  Mr.  Gideon,  like  his  father, 
has  always  voted  with  the  Democratic  party, 
although  the  latter  at  one  time  might  have 
been  somewhat  influenced  in  favor  of  the 
Republican  party  because  of  his  acquaintance 
and  friendship  of  Abrham  Lincoln.  In  old 
days,  back  in  Illinois,  he  bought  his  groceries 
from  Mr.  Lincoln  in  his  little  store  not  far 
from  Springfield. 

Mr.  Gideon  married  Miss  Mary  A.  Smith, 
who  was  born  in  1873  in  Delaware  County, 
Iowa.  The  only  child  in  the  Gideon  family, 
A.  C.  Gideon,  a  nephew,  is  a  sailor  in  the 
United  States  service,  who  was  trained  at 
Great  Lakes,  Chicago.  Mrs.  Gideon  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Christian  church  and  Mr.  Gideon 
was  reared  by  a  good  mother  in  the  faith  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  lodge  at  Doniphan. 

FREDERICK  E.  MIETH,  whose  fine  farm 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is  situated  in 
section  thirty-three,  South  Loup  township 
Hall  County,  is  an  industrious  and  successful 
farmer  and  respected  citizen.  He  was  bom  in 
the  city  of  Chicago,  May  S,  1866,  the  third  in 
a  family  of  six  children  born  to  his  parents, 
August  and  Mary  (Pingel)  Mieth,  the  father 
of  which  family  was  among  the  early  settlers 
of  Hall  County  and  of  whom  a  complete 
record  is  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Frederick  E.  obtained  his  education  in  the 
public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  on  the 
farm,  until  the  death  of  the  latter,  when  the 
son  came  into  possession  of  the  old  home  place, 
and  here  he  carries  on  a  general  farming  in- 
dustry. 

In  1895  was  solemnized  the  marriage  of 
Frederick  E.  Mieth  and  Miss  Eunice  Siverly, 
who   was   born   in    1876,   and   passed   away 


March  1,  1919,  leaving  two  children:  Ernest, 
who  assists  Kis  father  on  the  farm,  and  Carl, 
who  is  attending  school. 

Mr.  Mieth  and  his  family  attend  the  Baptist 
church.  He  is  an  honest,  upright  citizen  and 
independent  in  politics.  He  is  now  serving  as 
justice  of  the  peace. 


ARTHUR  COX  HUTTON,  whose  valu- 
able, well  improved  farm  of  eighty  acres  is 
situated  on  section  twelve,  Cameron  township, 
is  a  representative  citizen  and  prosperous 
farmer  of  Hall  County.  He  was  born  in 
Bartholomew  County,  Indiana,  in  1854.  His 
parents  were  George  and  Lydia  (Beard)  Hut- 
ton,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania and  the  latter  in  Ohio.  They  had  three 
sons  and  three  daughters.  Of  the  former 
Arthur  Cox  Hutton  is  the  only  survivor,  both 
brothers  dying  in  infancy.  Of  the  latter,  but 
one  survives,  Mrs.  Mary  Benafield,  of  Shelby- 
ville,  Indiana.  Anna  Elizabeth  died  in  Grand 
Island  and  Eliza  Jane  died  in  Clay  County, 
Illinois,  the  former  being  the  wife  of  Robert 
Heinzle.  The  father  was  a  farmer  and  his 
death  was  occasioned  by  the  kick  of  a  horse, 
when  he  was  but  thirty-five  years  old,  and  the 
mother  did  not  long  survive  him.  They  were 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 

In  1879  Arthur  C.  Hutton  came  to  Adams 
County,  Nebraska,  where  he  worked  for  a 
time  at  farm  labor,  then  went  on  the  Spring 
ranch  in  Clay  County,  then  came  to  Hall 
County  and  worked  for  a  time  in  the  grain 
business  for  E.  R.  Wiseman  &  Co.  After 
another  period  of  farm  work  in  Hall  County 
he  went  to  Blue  Hill,  Nebraska,  and  from 
there  to  Colorado,  where  he  remained  for 
eight  years  and  during  that  time  became  one 
of  the  responsible  men  of  his  neighborhood 
and  helped  to  organize  its  first  school  district. 
When  Mr.  Hutton  came  back  to  Hall  County, 
he  bought  eighty  acres  of  pleasantly  situated 
land,  and  here  he  has  made  substantial  im- 
provements and  carries  on  general  farming 
and  raises  a  good  grade  of  stock. 

Mr.  Hutton  married  in  Clay  County,  Ne- 
braska, Miss  Emma  Kenworthy,  who  was  born 
in  1862,  in  Clay  County,  Illinois,  and  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born  to  them :  Sidney, 
conducts  a  ranch  in  South  Dakota;  Orville, 
a  fanner  in  Hall  County ;  George,  who  served 
with  an  engineer  corps  in  France  with  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force,  one  of  the 
brave  American  boys  who  helped  turn  the  tide 
of  war,  is  still  in  Europe ;  Genevieve,  the  wife 
of  M.  E.  Tennant,  a  druggist  at  Cairo;  Ray, 
who  served  with  the  American  army  in  France 


894 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


and  saw  action  in  the  trenches,  returned  April 
17,  1919 ;  Roy  on  the  home  farm ;  and  Hubert 
and  Laverne,  both  of  whom  are  at  home.  Mr. 
Hutton  is  a  Republican  in  politics. 


RAY  ALBERT  GREEN,  a  representative 
citizen  of  Hall  County,  in  which  part  of  Ne- 
braska almost  his  entire  life  has  been  spent, 
owns  a  well  improved  farm  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  situated  in  section  thirty-four, 
South  Loup  township,  and  also  is  proprietor 
of  what  is  known  as  the  Greenville  store. 

Ray  A.  Green  was  born  in  Tuscola  County, 
Michigan,  October  14,  1869,  the  son  of  Joseph 
and  Elizabeth  (Smith)  Green,  who  were  bora, 
reared  and  married  in  England.  His  brothers 
and  sisters  were  as  follows:  Thomas,  who 
died  in  Hall  County;  Anna,  deceased,  the  wife 
of  P.  R.  Stradley,  a  retired  farmer  who  lives  in 
Broken  Bow,  Nebraska;  Julia,  the  wife  of 
Luther  S.  Trefern,  a  farmer  and  lumber  man 
in  Oregon ;  Mary,  wife  of  William  R.  Goss, 
a  farmer  in  Hall  County;  Nina,  the  wife  of 
George  F.  Filsinger,  living  at  Cairo,  Nebraska, 
and  William  and  Kitty,  both  of  whom  died  in 
infancy.  Joseph  Green  was  a  sawyer  by  trade 
in  his  native  land,  from  which  he  came  to 
the  United  States  in  early  manhood.  After 
locating  at  Pontiac,  Michigan,  he  worked  as 
a  painter  but  later  became  a  farmer,  in  1873 
he  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  home- 
steaded  and  proved  up  and  also  bought  a 
quarter  section  of  railroad  land  in  section 
twenty-seven.  South  Loup  township,  all  of 
which  remains  a  family  inheritance.  He  im- 
proved his  property  and  built  the  first  frame 
house  in  this  part  of  the  country.  Like  other 
settlers  he  had  many  early  hardships  to  con- 
tend with  and  during  the  grasshopper  invasion 
practically  lost  all  his  crops.  Both  he  and 
wife  were  members  of  the  Baptist  church.  In 
his  political  views  he  was  a  Democrat.  His 
death,  which  occured  March  17,  1904,  removed 
one  of  the  sterling  men  of  Hall  County.  His 
wife  died  March  31,  1908. 

Ray  Albert  Green  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  remained  at  home  assist- 
ing his  father.  He  carries  on  a  general  agri- 
cultural line  and  his  industries  prove  profit- 
able because  they  are  intelligently  and  system- 
atically directed.  For  eighteen  months  he 
has  operated  what  is  known  as  the  Greenville 
store,  an  enterprise  connected  to  some  extent 
with  the  Farmers'  Grange  movement,  with 
which  he  is  in  full  sympathy  and  for  some 
years  has  been  a  member  of  the  organization, 
which  includes  the  most  progressive  farmers 
in  the  state. 


Mr.  Green  has  a  pleasant  and  hospitable 
family  circle,  including,  wife,  two  sons  and 
one  daughter.  He  married  Mary  L.  Balcom, 
who  was  born  in  1872,  in  Macon  County, 
Illinois,  and  their  children  are:  Albert,  who 
assists  his  father  on  the  home  place ;  Julia, 
attends  school  at  Cairo;  and  Joseph,  attending 
the  district  school.  Mr.  Green  and  family  are 
members  of  the  Baptist  church  at  Bluff  Cen- 
ter. He  keeps  well  posted  on  all  that  is  going 
on  in  the  world,  and  when  it  comes  to  cast- 
ing his  vote  does  so  with  the  discretion  his 
own  good  judgment  justifies.  In  addition  to  his 
Grange  membership  he  also  belongs  to  the 
Odd  Fellows. 


JOHN  WARREN  MAHAFFEY,  a  prac- 
tical printer  and  for  years  closely  identified 
with  newspaper  work  over  the  country  as 
publisher,  owner  and  editor  of  different  jour- 
nals bought  the  Cairo"  Record  in  June,  1918, 
and  has  developed  it  into  an  influential  news- 
paper and  a  paying  property.  Few  men  in  or 
out  of  the  profession  are  better  known  in 
several  states,  for  Mr.  Mahaffey  has  been 
likewise  concerned  in  other  business  enter- 
prises. 

The  Mahaffey  family  probably  originated  in 
Ireland.  It  is  known  to  have  settled  early  in  the 
New  England  states  and  later  to  have  lived  in 
Kentucky  and  still  later  in  Iowa,  in  which  state 
the  grandfather  of  John  Warren  Mahaffey 
lived  to  the  age  of  ninety-three  years.  His 
own  birth  took  place  near  Fairfield,  in  Jeffer- 
son County,  Iowa,  February  27,  1863,  the 
youngest  of  a  family  of  four  children  born 
to  his  parents,  John  and  Lucinda  Frances 
(Mahaffey)  Mahaffey,  who  were  very  distant- 
ly related.  Their  other  children  were :  Belle, 
who  was  for  many  years  a  teacher  in  govern- 
ment Indian  schools,  resides  at  Broken  Bow, 
Nebraska,  the  widow  of  Joseph  M.  Steele, 
formerly  under-sheriff  of  Washington  County. 
Kansas ;  Luella,  who  died  in  Henry  County, 
Iowa,  at  the  age  of  four  years;  and  Laura, 
who  is  the  wife  of  J.  D.  Fell,  who  has  been 
manager  of  the  Chicago  Lumber  &  Coal  Com- 
pany at  Concordia,  Kansas,  for  thirty  years. 

John  Mahaffey,  father  of  John  \Y.  Ma- 
haffey, was  born  in  Kentucky  and  accom- 
panied his  father  to  Iowa  where  he  afterward 
bought  a  quarter  section  of  land  and  engaged 
in  farming  and  stockraising  until  1862,  when 
he  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  be- 
coming a  member  of  Company  C  Thirtieth 
Iowa  Infantry.  He  was  a  brave  soldier  and 
did  his  duty  but  in  the  summer  of  1863  was 
captured  by  the  enemy  and  was  incarcerated  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  895 


Joseph  Green  and  Wife 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


the  infamous  Libbey  Prison.  At  one  time  he 
succeeded  with  others  in  making  his  escape 
through  a  tunnel  the  wretched  men  evcavated 
but  he  was  recaptured  and  transferred  to  the 
prison  on  Belle  Isle,  where  he  died,  his  age  be- 
ing only  thirty-three  years. 

In  a  reminiscent  mood.  Editor  Mahaffey 
sometimes  recalls  early  boyhood  days  when  he 
earned  his  board  and  twenty-five  cents  for 
every  day  that  he  drove  the  lead  team  attached 
to  a  self-raking  reaper  on  the  farm  of  John 
Hoefer  and  afterward  the  same  munificent 
salary  from  Farmer  Lilly  in  the  home  neigh- 
borhood in  Washington  County,  Kansas.  The 
family  then  moved  to  Washington,  Kansas, 
and  there  he  had  a  chance  to  attend  the  high 
school.  He  kept  busily  employed,  chopping 
wood,  herding  cattle  and  breaking  horses  un- 
til he  was  seventeen  years  old  and  about  that 
time  made  a  trip  with  three  hundred  head  of 
cattle  from  Witchita,  Kansas,  to  the  Otoe  res- 
ervation in  Nebraska  and  was  there  at  the  time 
the  Otoe  Indians  were  removed  to  Indian 
Territory.  This  vigorous  out-door  life  had 
built  up  his  health,  for  Mr.  Mahaffey  like  an 
illustrious  American  lately  deceased,  had  suf- 
fered serious  illness  and  for  nine  months, 
when  about  thirteen  years  old,  had  been  near 
to  death  from  an  attack  of  lockjaw  and  spinal 
meningitis. 

Under  Wesley  E.  Wilkinson,  on  the  Seneca 
Courier,  Seneca,  Kansas,  Mr.  Mahaffey  served 
a  three  years'  apprenticeship  to  the  printing 
trade  after  which  he  became  a  school  teacher, 
taught  seven  terms  in  Washington  and  Riley 
counties.  His  first  active  connection  with  a 
newspaper  was  manager  for  one  year  of  a 
paper  at  Burr  Oak,  Kansas.  In  1892  he  es- 
tablished the  Esbon  Leader,  and  later  owned 
the  Miltondale  leader,  the  Green  County  Moni- 
tor and  the  Vermillion  Times,  which  last 
named  paper  he  sold  in  1900  and  then 
located  in  Concordia,  Kansas,  and  went  in- 
to the  auction  business,  from  which  he 
retired  for  a  time  because  of  throat  trouble. 
He  then  became  a  travelling  salesman  for 
two  years  for  the  Topeka  Paper  Company ; 
then  went  with  the  Shaw  Novelty  Adver- 
tising Company  of  Kansas  City,  Missouri, 
and  after  that  bought  the  Linn  (Kansas) 
Digest,  oj>erating  it  for  eighieen  months  before 
disposing  of  the  paper.  Mr.  Mahaffey  then 
permitted  himself  three  months  of  leisurely 
travel  during  which  he  visited  the  exposition 
at  Seattle  and  the  coast  states.  Following 
this  he  accepted  a  position  with  the  Grand 
Island  Business  College,  being  occupied  thus 
four  years  before  establishing  the  Doniphan 
(Nebraska)  Enterprise,  printing  his  first  paper 


May  18,  1916.  He  sold  this  journal  in  March. 
1918,  and  invested  in  what,  at  the  time,  was 
considered  a  "dead"  newspaper  proposition, 
the  Cairo  Record.  He  started  out  with  his 
first  issue,  June  13,  1918,  with  no  business, 
while,  by  January,  1919,  every  department  of 
the  office  is  so  overcrowded  that  the  entire 
force  cannot  handle  it,  and  Mr.  MaharTey  is 
enlarging  his  plant.  He  has  always  been  a 
Republican,  even  during  the  period  when  this 
section  of  the  country  was  given  over  to  the 
populist  party  theories. 

Mention  has  been  made  above  of  the  throat 
trouble  that  caused  Mr.  Mahaffey  to  retire 
for  a  time  from  the  auction  business,  but  it 
fortunately  yielded  to  treatment  and  by  190+ 
was  well  enough  for  him  to  resume  a  line  of 
business  in  which  he  has  been  interested  and 
in  which  he  has  been  remarkably  successful. 
He  has  embarked  in  the  auction  business  at 
Cairo,  and  as  an  example  of  his  ability  in  this 
direction  it  may  be  mentioned  that  in  two 
hours  and  twenty  minutes,  on  December  14. 
1918.:  he  sold  stock  and  other  property  worth 
$2,160. 

Mr.  Mahaffey  married  in  Greenleaf,  Kansas. 
Miss  Evelyn  J.  Dunn,  who  was  born  at  Wilkes- 
barre,  Pennsylvania.  They  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  Mr.  Mahaflfey  has 
been  identified  with  many  fraternal  and  social 
organizations  at  different  times  but  has  retired 
from  activity  in  many  because  of  lack  of  time, 
still  maintaining  however;  his  Masonic  and 
Woodmen  connections. 


GEORGE  LEWIS  RAVENS,  a  substantial 
and  representative  citizen  of  Cairo.  Nebraska. 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  United  States  since 
he  was  fifteen  years  of  age.  He  was  bom  in 
Germany  in  1840.  one  of  a  family  of  three 
children  born  to  his  parents,  George  Jacob  and 
Adaline  Ravens.  Mr.  Ravens  had  one  brother. 
the  late  George  W.  Ravens,  who  was  in  the 
banking  and  insurance  business  at  Ottawa, 
Illinois.  He  also  had  one  sister,  Mrs.  Amalia 
Stanch,  who  is  now  deceased.  The  father  of 
Mr.  Ravens  was  a  millwright  by  trade.  After 
coming  to  the  United  States  he  settled  at 
Kansas  City  in  1857,  here  he  worked  as  a  car- 
penter until  his  death  there  at  fifty-five  year? 
of  age  and  Mr.  Ravens's  mother  passed  away 
also  there  at  the  age  of  fifty-three  years.  She 
was  a  member  of  the  Lutheran  church  but  the 
father  was  a  Free  Thinker. 

George  Lewis  Ravens  attended  school  in 
Germany  but  was  apprenticed  to  no  trade.  He 
was  an  office  boy  for  a  lawyer  before  coming 
to  America,  and  though  only  a  lad  of  fifteen 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY    NEBRASKA 


897 


he  made  the  trip  across  the  ocean  alone.  He 
left  Bremen  on  a  sailing  vessel  spending  six 
weeks  on  the  ocean  before  landing  at  the  port 
of  New  York.  It  required  considerable  cour- 
age to  leave  the  old  country  for  America  as 
the  only  relative  he  had  here  was  a  brother. 
For  three  years  after  reaching  St.  Louis,  Mis- 
souri, he  worked  as  a  general  laborer.  In 
search  of  employment  he  went  to  New  Orleans, 
becoming  a  clerk  in  a  hardware  store  there 
for  six  months  and  then  returned  to  St.  Louis 
as  that  city  seemed  more  homelike  and  he  re- 
mained there  one  year  longer.  He  then  secured 
a  position  in  Memphis,  Tennessee,  but  as  sec- 
tional feeling  was  strong  at  that  time  and  he 
did  not  want  to  enter  the  Confederate  army, 
he  came  as  far  north  as  Illinois.  There  he 
found  ready  employment  learning  a  fine  trade 
and  for  the  next  thirteen  years  he  remained 
at  Ottawa,  working  in  a  bakery.  By  this 
time  Mr.  Ravens  was  prepared  to  go  into  busi- 
ness for  himself  and  opened  a  bakery  at  Mor- 
ris, Illinois,  which  he  conducted  prosperously 
for  six  and  a  half  years,  but  like  so  many 
fine  men  of  German  descent  he  felt  the  call  of 
the  land  and  during  the  next  two  years  he 
followed  farming  in  Kansas.  In  1883  he  came 
to  Hall  County  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  railroad  land,  put  substantial 
improvements  on  it  and  sold  advantageously. 
He  then  returned  to  Kansas  and  invested  in 
land  which  he  sold  in  the  next  three  years,  be- 
fore coming  back  to  Hall  County  to  take  up 
his  residence  in  Cairo. 

Mr.  Ravens  married  Miss  Amanda  Warner, 
who  was  born  in  West  Virginia  in  1845  and 
died  in  1914.  They  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: George,  who  died  in  Illinois;  Frank, 
who  also  died  in  Illinois  six  weeks  later; 
Amelia,  the  wife  of  E.  E.  Bellamy,  died  on  her 
husband's  farm  in  Michigan ;  Rose,  the  wife  of 
Mr.  Jessen,  a  gardener  in  California;  Jennie, 
the  wife  of  Fred  Willis,  a  farmer  in  Hall 
County;  Lewis  David,  a  farmer;  Mable,  the 
wife  of  John  Cady,  an  undertaker  at  Beatrice, 
Nebraska ;  and  Rena,  the  wife  of  C.  A.  Clark, 
a  farmer  in  Hall  County.  Mr.  Ravens  is  a 
member  of  the  Lutheran  church.  He  has  never 
been  active  in  politics  but  has  held  minor 
offices  in  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows,  with  which 
organization  he  has  been  connected  for  many 
years. 


GROVER  CLEVELAND  RAVEN,  cash- 
ier of  the  Farmers  State  Bank  of  Cairo,  Ne- 
braska, has  been  identified  with  banking  insti- 
tutions ever  since  he  entered  business  life,  hav- 
ing been  connected  with  the  above  financial 


institution  since  its  organization.  He  has  won 
ness  methods,  while  at  the  same  time  his  per- 
sonality is  such  as  to  make  friends  for  any 
business  house  with  which  he  may  be  asso- 
ciated ;  as  a  result  he  has  a  wide  circle  of  these 
at  Cairo. 

Grover  Cleveland  Raven  was  born  in  1884, 
in  Linn,  Kansas,  the  son  of  Herman  and 
Theresa  (Loop)  Raven,  natives  of  Germany. 
They  had  five  children,  of  whom  Grover  C. 
is  the  eldest,  the  others  being;  Jacob,  who 
lives  in  Portland,  Oregon,  is  a  ship  builder; 
George  and  Marvin,  who  are  bankers;  and 
Anna,  a  clerk  in  a  store,  in  Linn,  Kansas.  The 
parents  of  Mr.  Raven  came  to  the  United 
States  in  the  sixties  and  directly  after  landing 
came  west  to  locate  in  Linn,  Kansas,  later 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Washington  County.  For 
some  years  the  father  operated  an  elevator  at 
Linn  and  was  considered  a  successful  busi- 
ness man.  He  gave  political  support  to  the 
Democratic  party  and  held  so  high  a  place  in 
the  community  that  he  was  elected  a  justice 
of  the  peace,  serving  many  years  in  that  capa- 
city. 

Mr.  Raven  obtained  his  education  in  Linn 
and  because  of  inclination  and  natural  gifts 
early  entered  business  life,  soon  becoming 
assistant  cashier  of  the  Exchange  State  Bank 
of  Linn.  He  also  served  as  bookkepper  of 
the  National  Bank  of  Commerce,  of  Kansas 
City,  Missouri,  for  two  years.  In  1910,  on  the 
organization  of  the  Farmers  State  Bank  of 
Cairo,  he  came  to  the  institution  as  cashier, 
an  association  which  has  continued  to  the  pres- 
ent time.  This  bank  is  capitalized  at  $15^000, 
with  a  surplus  of  $3,000  and  deposits  of 
$230,000.  Its  officials  are:  C.  C.  Hansen, 
president ;  Fred  Voss,  vice-president ;  Grover 
C.  Raven,  cashier;  and  T.  M.  Sorensen,  now 
a  soldier  in  France,  assistant  cashier. 

Mr.  Reven  married,  in  1905,  Miss  Mertie 
Jones,  who  was  born  in  Linn,  Kansas.  Politic- 
ally he  is  a  Democrat  and  served  as  chairman 
of  the  village  board  for  one  year,  while  frater- 
nally he  belongs  to  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Woodmen. 


CHARLES  HENRY  DE  SOE,  for  many 
years  a  well  known  farmer  and  orchardist  in 
Hall  County,  was  born  near  Sandusky,  Ohio, 
in  1846,  and  died  in  Cairo,  Nebraska,  Jan- 
uary 25,  1898.  He  was  one  of  a  family  of 
five  children,  being  one  of  the  three  sons  who 
came  to  Hall  County.  His  brother  George 
De  Soe  was  a  Civil  War  veteran  who  em- 
barked in  business  for  a  time  in  Wood  River 
as  also  did  Orrin  De  Soe,  a  second  brother, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


both  of  whom  dealt  in  agricultural  implements. 
They  subsequently  returned  to  Ohio. 

Charles  Henry  De  Soe  was  reared  and  edu- 
cated in  Ohio  and  followed  farming  until  he 
enlisted  in  the  First  Ohio  Heavy  Artillery  for 
service  in  the  army  during  the  Civil  War. 
He  served  one  year  and  to  the  end  of  his  life 
was  interested  in  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Re- 
public, belonging  to  Simon  Cameron  Post.  On 
account  of  failing  health  he  went  to  Colorado 
and  while  there  purchased  mining  stock  which 
proved  a  good  investment  and  which  he  later 
traded  for  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of 
land  in  Cameron  township,  Hall  County.  He 
resided  on  this  farm  for  about  twenty  years, 
in  the  meanwhile  greatly  improving  it,  setting 
out  and  caring  for  one  of  the  finest  orchards 
in  the  county  at  that  time.  He  also  carried  on 
general  farming  and  took  pride  in  raising  fine 
stock.  After  retiring  from  his  farm  he  moved 
to  Concordia,  Kansas,  where  he  remained  four 
years  before  coming  to  Cairo,  where  his  last 
days  were  spent. 

Mr.  De  Soe  married  Miss  Hannah  Cole, 
who  was  born  in  Ohio  in  1855.  One  son, 
James  A.  De  Soe,  carries  oh  the  farm  indus- 
tries and  is  a  well  known  livestock  dealer. 
Mrs.  De  Soe  is  a  member  of  the  Baptist 
church.  Mr.  De  Soe  was  a  Republican  in  his 
political  views,  was  an  honest,  straightfor- 
ward man,  strict  in  the  fulfillment  of  every 
obligation,  and  all  the  acquaintances  he  made 
in  his  own  and  in  other  neighborhoods  held 
him  in  the  highest  possible  esteem,  so  that 
his  sunset  years  were  passed  in  prosperity  and 
happiness. 


JAMES  HENRY  HULETT,  one  of  the 
best  known  citizens  of  Mayfield  township, 
Hall  County,  came  here  as  its  first  permanent 
settler,  and  he  still  owns  the  land  that  he 
bought  forty-five  years  ago.  He  may  truly 
be  called  a  pioneer  of  the  county  and  perhaps 
no  resident  of  the  township  is  more  highly 
respected.  His  reminiscences  of  old  days 
cover  the  sod  house  period,  the  dry  years  and 
the  grasshopper  invasion,  and  he  can  tell  also 
of  the  brave  struggles  that  he  and  his  neigh- 
bors made  before  they  were  able  to  break  the 
barriers  that  nature  seemed  to  place  in  their 
way.  At  the  present  time  Mr.  Hulett  is  one 
of  the  county's  most  substantial  retired  farm- 
ers and  stockmen,  and  is  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

James  Henry  Hulett  was  born  in  1841,  in 
Preble  County,  Ohio.  His  parents  were  Amos 
and  Sarah  (White)  Hulett,  the  fojmer  of 
whom  was  born  in  1812,  in  Vermont,  and  died 
in  1896,  and  the  latter  bom  in  Rutland,  Ver- 


mont in  1818  and  died  in  1898.  She  was  the 
eight  generation,  a  direct  descendant  of  John 
and  Priscilla  Alden.  They  were  married  in  Ohio 
and  then  moved  to  Illinois  to  establish  their 
pioneer  home,  the  father  of  Mr.  Hulett  se- 
curing the  last  pre-emption  claim  of  eighty 
acres  in  Whiteside  County,  for  which  he  paid 
$1.25  an  acre.  He  was  a  cabinetmaker  by  trade 
and  a  skilled  mechanic,  was  early  a  Whig  in 
his  political  leaning  but  later  a  Republican 
and  held  local  offices,  and  both  he  and  wife 
were  fervent  members  of  the  Methodist  Epis- 
copal church.  Of  their  children  James  was 
the  eldest,  the  others  being:  William,  who 
lives  retired  at  Ames,  Iowa ;  Robert,  a  re- 
tired farmer  at  Morrison,  Whiteside  County, 
Illinois ;  and  John  W.,  who  owns  a  ranch  in 
Montana. 

A  country  school  provided  Mr.  Hulett  with 
his  education  and  he  remained  on  the  home 
farm  until  he  entered  the  service  of  his 
country  during  the  Civil  War.  He  was  ap- 
pointed as  paymaster's  steward  and  served 
one  and  one-half  years  in  the  United  States 
Navy,  cruising  from  the  east  coast  of  Florida 
to  fifteen  miles  above  Charleston,  entering  the 
service  at  Port  Royal  and  discharged  at 
Charleston.  In  1874  he  left  Illinois  for  Ne- 
braska driving  a  "bunch"  of  cattle  the  entire 
distance.  He  brought  capital  with  him  and 
when  he  looked  about  for  investment,  found 
land  that  pleased  him  in  Hall  County  and 
shortly  afterward  he  owned  the  first  claim 
taken  in  Mayfield  township,  which  he  has 
since  owned.  Like  his  neighbors  Mr.  Hulett 
and  family  lived  at  first  in  a  sod  house  and 
were  as  comfortable  and  independent  as  any, 
although  he  had  the  advantage  of  having 
money  with  which  to  start  putting  up  build- 
ings. In  the  course  of  time  the  present  com- 
fortable and  substantial  structures  took  shape 
and  proportion  and  other  improvements  fol- 
lowed, and  additions  were  made  to  the  original 
acreage.  Mr.  Hulett  now  owns  two  hundred 
and  forty  acres  of  valuable  land.  In  the  early 
days  he  did  some  freighting  from  Grand  Is- 
land.Every  one  at  the  present  time  is  familiar 
with  the  word  "aid"  but  Mr.  Hulett  heard 
it  many  years  ago  when  the  settlers  and  their 
families  and  stock  would  have  perished  in 
Nebraska  because  of  the  devastations  of  the 
grasshoppers  between  1874  and  1876,  had  not 
men  like  himself  traveled  over  the  ravaged 
fields  with  sustaining  food.  He  was  one  of 
the  Aid  Society. 

Judge  Hulett  married  Anna  Olds,  who  was 
born  in  1846,  at  Bonn,  Canada,  and  died  in 
Hall  County  in  1913.  They  had  the  follow- 
ing children :    Rexford  E-,  an  electrical  ertgi- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA  899 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  H.  Hl-lett 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


sx» 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


neer  employed  with  the  Canada  Cement  Com- 
pany, in  the  city  of  Winnipeg;  Howard  L., 
conducts  the  home  farm,  carrying  on  a  general 
farm  line  and  feeding  hogs  during  the  winter ; 
and  Erne  J.,  who  died  in  1901.  At  the  time 
of  her  lamented  death  she  was  a  student  in 
the  High  School  in  Grand  Island.  In  politics 
a  sturdy  Republican  all  his  life,  he  has  served 
as  town  clerk  and  as  justice  of  the  peace.  He 
belongs  to  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
and  is  a  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church. 


LEROY  WELLINGTON  GOSS.  —  In 
naming  the  early  families  which  settled  in 
Hall  County  in  the  neighborhood  of  Cairo  that 
are  still  well  represented  here,  that  of  Goss 
will  quickly  come  to  mind,  Leroy  W.  Goss 
still  possessing  his  farm  of  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  in  the  same  township  where  he 
homesteaded  in  1872.  He  has  been  a  contin- 
uous resident  here  and  has  done  his  part  in 
bringing  about  the  fine  agricultural  develop- 
ment that  marks  this  section. 

Leroy  Wellington  Goss  was  born  in  1850,  in 
Oswego  County,  New  York,  the  son  of  Oliver 
and  Sophronia  Goss,  both  natives  of  the  Em- 
pire state.  He  was  one  of  four  children,  the 
others  being :  Orsemous,  who  is  deceased ; 
Ada,  the  wife  of  Albert  Thomas,  a  dairyman 
in  Jefferson  County,  New  York,  and  Arleta, 
who  also  lives  in  New  York. 

Leroy  W.  Goss  came  to  Hall  County  in  1872 
and  soon  secured  a  homestead  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  situated  six  miles  south  of 
Cairo.  Later  he  went  to  Wyoming  to  work 
on  a  railroad,  but  shortly  returned  and  began 
the  cultivation  of  his  land,  breaking  the  virgin 
sod  with  a  yoke  of  oxen.  It  was  not  until  his 
second  year  on  this  prairie  farm  that  he  owned 
a  wagon.  Today  Mr.  Goss  has  fine  improve- 
ments on  his  place  which  include  a  comfort- 
able farm  house,  but  when  he  first  settled  here 
he  lived  in  a  sod  house,  as  did  most  of  his 
neighbors.  He  engaged  in  general  farming  and 
raised  cattle  and  stock  until  he  retired  in  1909. 

Leroy  W.  Goss  married  Miss  Laura  L. 
Holly,  who  was  born  in  Jefferson  County, 
New  York,  in  1853,  became  the  mother  of 
the  following  children:  Minnie,  the  wife  of 
Henry  Vierk,  a  mail  carrier  at  Cairo;  Leon 
II.,  assistant  treasurer  of  the  Cudahy  Packing 
Company,  Chicago;  Bernice,  the  wife  of 
Emory  Ilerriman,  a  carpenter  living  in  Ore- 
gon; Nora,  the  wife  of  L.  E.  Van  Winkle,  a 
farmer  in  Hall  County;  Mabel,  the  wife  of 
George  Mortimer,  in  the  automobile  business 
at  Shelton;  Blanche,  the  wife  of  C.  C.  Stahl 


of  Lincoln ;  and  Ruth,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Herman  Vierk,  a  farmer  of  Buffalo  County, 
Nebraska.  All  his  children  have  been  given 
educational  advantages  and  all  are  well  fixed 
in  life.  He  has  never  been  much  of  a  politi- 
cian in  the  sense  of  following  the  dictates 
of  any  political  party  but  he  always  casts  his 
vote  as  a  good  citizen,  giving  support  to  the 
candidate  who  in  his  estimation  is  qualified 
for  the  office.  Mr.  Goss  can  relate  many  inter- 
esting stories  of  the  early  days  in  Hall  County. 


HANS  JOERGENS  RUNGiE,  well  known 
and  highly  respected  in  Hall  County  who  has 
been  a  resident  of  Cairo  since  1904,  is  engaged 
in  the  business  of  buying  cream  for  the  Hard- 
ing Cream  Company  of  Omaha,  with  which 
dairy  company  he  has  been  connected  for  the 
last  sixteen  years.  He  was  born  in  Holstein, 
Germany,  in  1855,  a  son  of  Hans  J.  and  Cath- 
erine (Ranmiers)  Runge.  His  father  was 
killed  while  Hans  was  serving  in  the  army,  his 
horse  accidentally  falling  on  him.  The  mother 
wa.5  later  married  to  John  Goss,  and  two 
daughters  born  to  that  union  are  living:  Mrs. 
Margaret  Paulson,  of  Grand  Island,  and  Mrs. 
Lina  Soli,  of  Wyoming. 

Hans  J.  Runge  has  been  a  hard  worker  all 
his  life.  He  started  as  a  laborer  when  he  was 
a  boy,  remaining  for  nine  years  with  his  first 
employer.  In  1887  he  landed  in  the  United 
States  and  came  directly  to  Grand  Island. 
where  he  was  first  engaged  as  a  general  labor- 
er but  as  soon  as  he  became  known  he  made 
friends  through  his  industry  and  honesty  and 
found  employment  with  the  grocery  houses 
of  H.  D.  Hennings,  William  Baker  and  Hay- 
den  Brothers.  After  that  he  rented  land  and 
engaged  for  a  time  in  farming.  In  1904  he 
removed  to  Cairo  and  since  then  has  managed 
the  cream  business  of  the  above  mentioned 
Omaha  firm,  a  business  connection  of  long 
standing  which  has  been  mutually  profitable. 

Mr.  Runge  married  Augusta  Lange,  who 
was  born  in  Germany  in  1840  and  is  now  de- 
ceased. The  following  children  were  born  to 
them:  Rudolph,  who  works  in  the  railroad 
shops  in  Grand  Island;  William  M.,  who  is  a 
farmer  in  Hall  County ;  John,  a  farmer  in 
Buffalo  County;  Ernest,  who  works  at  Grand 
Island  in  the  railroad  shops ;  Fred,  a  sailor  in 
the  United  States  navy ;  Charles,  with  the 
United  States  Engineers  serving  in  France; 
Peter,  also  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Force  in  France,  belongs  to  the  artillery; 
Anna,  who  lives  at  Grand  Island;  August,  a 
soldier  in  the  United  States  army ;  and  Emil. 
a  schoolboy  at  Cairo.    Mr.  Runge  and  family 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


901 


attend  the  Baptist  church.  In  politics  he  is  a 
Democrat.  He  belongs  to  the  Plattsduetchen 
society,  to  the  Fraternal  Union  and  the  Mod- 
em Woodmen.  Mr.  Runge  is  a  man  whose 
word  is  as  good  as  his  bond  at  any  time. 


JESSE  M.  RUTH,  owner  and  proprietor 
of  the  Cairo  Pharmacy,  in  Cairo,  Nebraska, 
and  interested  here  along  other  lines  of  mod- 
ern business,  impresses  a  stranger  as  one  of 
the  most  progressive,  alert  and  enterprising 
citizens  of  this  community.  He  is  a  native  of 
Nebraska,  born  at  Emerick,  Madison  County, 
in  188?,  the  elder  of  two  sons  born  to  his  par- 
ents, Phineas  W.  and  Rachel  (Colh'ngwood) 
Ruth.  The  second  son,  Silas  B.  Ruth,  who 
resides  at  Spokane,  Washington,  is  sales 
manager  of  the  Ryan  Fruit  Company. 

The  father  of  Mr.  Ruth  was  born  in  Alle- 
gheny County,  Pensylvania,  in  1856,  came  to 
Madison  County,  Nebraska,  and  still  resides  in 
that  county,  being  one  of  the  prominent  busi- 
ness and  public  men  of  Newman  Grove,  now 
serving  as  treasurer  of  Madison  County. 
When  he  first  located  here  he  was  practically 
a  poor  man,  but  soon  secured  a  homestead 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres,  took  an  ac- 
tive part  in  the  development  of  that  section 
and  kept  on  acquiring  land  until  he  now  owns 
many  acres  on  the  Canadian  frontier  and  valu- 
able realty  at  Newman  Grove.  He  is  an  im- 
portant factor  in  the  Republican  party  there, 
having  served  two  terms  as  county  assessor 
and  was  a  member  of  the  first  city  council  of 
Newman  Grove.  He  is  one  of  the  pillars  of  the 
Congregational  church  and  fraternally  is 
identified  with  the  Odd  Fellows  and  the 
Woodmen.  He  was  in  business  as  a  contrac- 
tor and  builder  and  did  much-  work  at  New- 
man Grove,  but  is  now  retired  from  this  line 
of  activity.  The  mother  of  Mr.  Ruth  was 
born  in  Pennsylvania  in  1860  and  is  deceased. 

Jesse  M.  Ruth  was  graduated  from  the 
Newman  Grove  schools  in  1896  and  for  the 
next  four  years  was  engaged  as  a  bookkeeper 
for  the  Crowell  Lumber  and  Grain  Company, 
when  he  entered  the  drug  store  of  C.  V. 
Anderson  as  clerk  and  student  remaining  there 
until  the  fall  of  1902,  when  he  entered  the 
school  of  pharmacy  in  Creighton  College, 
from  which  he  was  graduated  in  1904.  For  the 
next  two  years  he  was  with  the  drug  firm 
of  Sherman  &  McConnell,  and  then  went  to 
Bloomfield,  Nebraska,  Where  he  conducted 
the  Corner  Drug  Store  until  1908,  before  com- 
ing to  Cairo  to  enter  the  employ  of  Dr.  Tische, 
taking  charge  of  the  Cairo  Pharmacy.  In 
1909  Mr.  Ruth  purchased  the  business  but  has 


continued  to  conduct  it  under  the  old  well 
known  name.  Under  his  ownership  it  has 
been  greatly  improved  and  the  scope  of  the 
business  widened.  In  addition  to  carrying  a 
complete  line  of  fresh  pure  drugs,  patent  medi- 
cines, including  The  Penslar's  Line,  also  Hess 
&  Clark's  products,  livestock  remedies  and 
the  innumerable  toilet  and  other  preparations 
now  found  in  every  first  class  drug  store.  Mr. 
Ruth  has  added  other  departments  and  handles 
cut  glass,  jewelry,  wall  paper  and  paints.  He 
has  one  of  the  finest  soda  fountains  in  Hall 
County  and  his  entire  establishment  would 
be  creditable  to  a  much  larger  city.  He  has 
shown  unusual  enterprise  along  other  lines, 
notably  when  he  founded  the  Gem  Theatre,  in 
1915,  of  which  he  is  the  owner. 

Mr.  Ruth  married  Miss  Rena  B.  Cain,  who 
was  born  in  1884,  at  Creston,  Nebraska,  and 
they  have  three  children,  namely:  Winifred, 
Laverne  and  Kenneth,  all  of  whom  attend 
school.  The  family  belongs  to  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church.  In  politics  he  is  active  as 
a  Republican,  and  in  fraternal  life  his  connec- 
tions are  with  the  Masons,  the  Odd  Fellows, 
the  Highlanders  and  other  leading  organiza- 
tions. 


KARL  ALFRED  RASMUSSEN,  one  of 
Cairo's  most  successful  young  business  men, 
has  won  his  present  prosperity  honestly  and 
fairly  through  his  own  efforts.  Many  young 
men  acquire  good  business  prospects  but  few 
of  them,  perhaps  have  to  do  so  much  alone  and 
unaided  as  did  Mr.  Rasmussen,  who,  when 
but  eighteen  years  old,  came  to  a  far  off  land 
to  make  his  way  among  total  strangers.  It 
is  much  to  his  credit  that  he  has  done  so  well. 
He  was  born  in  Denmark,  July  28,  1889,  and 
his  parents  and  two  sisters  and  three  brothers 
still  live  in  that  country. 

Karl  Alfred  Rasmussen  attended  school 
near  his  birthplace  and  was  only  twelve  years 
old  when  he  began  to  learn  the  blacksmith 
trade,  entering  upon  a  certain  period  of  ap- 
prenticeship, in  the  meanwhile  cherishing  an 
ambition  to  come  to  t'ne  United  States,  which 
he  was  only  able  to  gratify  by  borrowing  his 
passage  money  for  the  voyage  to  this  country. 
After  landing  in  America  he  made  his  way 
to  Dannebrog,  Howard  County,  Nebraska, 
where  Oscar  Carlson  employed  him  in  his 
blacksmith  shop  for  sixteen  months.  Mr. 
Rasmussen  then  came  to  Cairo,  where  he 
worked  for  eighteen  months  for  Fred  Erick- 
son,  at  the  end  of  that  time  buying  the  shop 
from  his  employer.  It  was  just  a  plain,  ordi- 
nary blacksmith  shop  but  it  was  the  beginning 


902 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


of  Mr.  Rasmussen's  business  success  for  in 
the  course  of  time  he  put  up  a  first  class 
blacksmith  building  with  modern  appliances, 
twenty  by  one  hundred  and  thirty  feet  and  a 
second  building  almost  as  large  and  now 
hadles  farm  implements  of  all  kinds  in  addition 
to  modern  black  spinning,  making  a  specialty 
of  acetylene  welding.  He  is  also  manager  of 
the  city  water  and  light  plants. 

Mr.  Rassmussen  married  after  he  came  to 
Hall  County,  Miss  Anna  Eggers,  who  was 
bom  here  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Helen 
Dora,  who  attends  school.  Mr.  Rasmussen 
has  not  identified  himself  with  any  political 
party  but  casts  an  independent  vote  as  his  own 
excellent  judgment  dictates.  He  belongs  to 
the  order  of  Odd  Fellows  and  also  to  the 
Danish  Brotherhood. 


AMOS  HENRY  SHATTUCK,  pastor  of 
the  Baptist  church  in  Cairo,  is  a  man  whose 
intellectual  acquirements  and  broad  vision 
have  made  him  take  interest  in  many  lines  of 
useful  effort  that  have  given  him  marked 
leadership  in  both  business  and  public  affairs 
in  this  village.  He  has  been  one  of  the  in- 
vigorating forces  here  since  1908.  He  was  born 
in  1897,  near  Winona,  Minnesota,  and  was  but 
two  years  old  when  he  became  a  resident  of 
Nebraska. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Shattuck  were  Amos 
and  Elizabeth  (Thackery)  Shattuck,  the 
former  of  whom  was  born  in  New  York  in 
1830,  and  the  latter  in  1850,  in  Indiana.  Both 
are  deceased.  They  had  the  following  chil- 
dren: Mrs.  Emma  Harpham,  who  is  de- 
ceased ;  Mrs.  Abby  Mott,  who  lives  in  Iowa ; 
Eugene  G.,  efnployed  in  the  freight  depart- 
ment of  the  Burlington  Railroad  at  Hastings ; 
and  Amos  Henry,  who  resides  at  Cairo.  The 
father  of  the  above  family  went  to  Indiana  in 
early  manhood  and  from  there  to  Minnesota 
prior  to  1870,  and  in  1872  removed  with  his 
family  to  Adams  County,  Nebraska.  He  home- 
steaded  there  and  acquired  a  forty  acre  tree 
claim,  the  latter  being  of  note  because  it  was 
one  of  the  very  few  that  proved  profitable. 
While  he  resided  on  his  farm  he  made  many 
improvements  although,  like  his  neighbors,  he 
suffered  hardship  and  loss  at  times,  partic- 
ularly from  the  violent  wind  storms  that  swept 
over  the  level  prairie.  His  son  recalls  one 
of  these  furious  storms  during  his  boyhood,  on 
which  occasion  the  barn  was  blown  entirely 
away  and  the  family  horses  had  to  be  brought 
into  the  house  with  the  family  until  its  violence 
subsided.  His  father,  by  setting  out  trees, 
did  his  part  in  bringing  about  the  changed 


conditions  that  now  prevail,  Amos  H.  Shat- 
tuck remembering  the  early  conditions  and  the 
first  tree  planted  in  Adams  County.  When 
his  father  retired  from  the  farm  he  settled 
in  the  village  of  Juniata,  where  he  lived  the 
rest  of  his  life.  He  was  a  man  of  sterling 
character,  a  faithful  member  of  the  Dunkard 
church,  and  so  trustworthy  in  public  affairs 
that  his  fellow  citizens  elected  him  to  many 
political  offices.  At  the  time  of  his  death  he 
owned  a  large  body  of  land  and  across  his 
farm  lay  the  old  California  trail. 

Amos  H.  Shattuck  remained  at  home  with 
his  father  until  he  was  eighteen  years  of  age 
and  then  went  to  Washington,  working  there 
for  one  year  as  a  carpenter.  After  coming  back 
to  Adams  County,  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
a  year.  In  September  1892  he  entered  the 
Grand  Island  Academy  and  afterward  the 
Baptist  College,  from  which  he  received  the 
degree  of  Ph.  B.,  and  afterward,  from  the 
Chicago  University,  the  degree  of  Bachelor  of 
Theology.  Soon  after  graduation  he  located 
in  Illinois  and  served  as  pastor  of  a  Baptist 
church  there  for  one  year,  then  accepted  an 
appointment  as  a  missionary  to  Utah,  remain- 
ing in  that  territory  for  one  year.  Prior  to 
coming  to  Cairo,  Nebraska,  where  he  became 
pastor  of  the  Baptist  church,  he  had  been  sta- 
tioned for  a  time  in  California.  Here  Mr. 
Shattuck  has  proved  the  invigorating  quality 
of  his  citizenship  by  not  confining  himself 
alone  to  his  pastoral  work.  On  the  other  hand 
he  embarked  in  business  in  the  line  of  con- 
tracting and  has  put  up  a  number  of  the  town's 
substantial  business  houses,  in  the  meanwhile 
being  manager  of  the  Nelson  Lumber  Com- 
pany. An  active  and  conscientious  Republican, 
he  has  accepted  political  responsibilities  and 
has  served  in  school  offices,  as  a  police  magis- 
trate and  is  a  justice  of  the  peace. 

Reverend  Mr.  Shattuck  married  Miss  Clara 
L.  Craig,  who  was  born  in  1875,  at  Jackson- 
ville, Illinois,  and  they  have  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Gordon,  I  .C,  Ruth,  Francis  Rae,  Clara 
Lucille,  Paul  Craig,  Bessie  Evangaline  and 
Amos  Bruce,  the  eldest  being  a  sophomore  in 
college  at  Ottawa. 


PETER  ELLIOTT,  who  came  to  Hall 
County,  Nebraska,  at  a  time  when  homestead 
claims  could  be  secured  here  and  plans  made 
for  future  development  that  has  really  come 
to  pass,  purchased  land  which  has  never 
passed  out  of  his  ownership.  The  old  farm  is 
nicely  located  in  South  Loup  township,  within 
three  miles  of  Cairo. 

Peter  Elliott  was  born  in  the  state  of  New 


;:zca  by  G00g[c 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


903 


York,  in  1862,  one  of  a  family  of  six  chil- 
dren born  to  his  parents,  Peter  A.  and  Mary 
(Sevier)  Elliott,  natives  of  the  Empire  state. 
The  father  died  there  but  the  mother  passed 
away  in  Nebraska.  The  father  was  a  hard 
working  man  all  his  life  and  was  respected 
wherever  known,  while  the  mother  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Besides  Peter  they  had  children  as 
follows:  Sarah,  the  wife  of  Comstock  Penn, 
a  retired  farmer;  Viola,  the  wife  of  Ephraim 
Fowler,  a  retired  farmer  living  at  Arcadia; 
and  Mrs.  Nellie  Walker,  Lucy  and  Tilly,  all 
of  whom  are  deceased. 

When  Peter  Elliott  came  from  New  York 
to  Hall  County,  it  was  with  the  intention  of 
settling  here  permanently.  He  homesteaded 
eighty  acres  and  secured  a  pre-emption  of 
forty  acres  near  Arcadia,  in  Valley  County. 
Later  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  bought 
three  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land.  Times 
were  hard  from  the  first  for  he  could  make 
only  fifty  cents  a  day  working  on  a  ranch  and 
that  counts  for  very  little  when  one's  cash 
capital  does  not  exceed  $7.50.  Perhaps  Mr. 
Elliott  remembered,  however,  that  once  he  had 
worked  on  a  farm  for  two  months  for  $5,  for 
in  those  days  people  were  unfamiliar  even  with 
such  words  as  millions.  After  securing  his 
land  he  built  the  regulation  sod  house,  a  kind 
of  dwelling  that,  in  spite  of  its  disadvantages, 
has  often  been  called  exceedingly  comfortable, 
where  the  family  lived  until  better  times  came 
and  another  farm  house  was  built.  Mr.  El- 
liott and  his  family  went  through  the  dry 
years,  1890  and  1894,  and  suffered  losses  in 
crops  and  cattle  as  did  their  neighbors. 

Mr.  Elliott  married  Mertie  Bower,  who  was 
born  in  Vermont  in  1869 ;  they  have  had  five 
children:  Nelson,  a  farmer  in  Hall  County; 
Sylvia,  the  wife  of  Joe  Burry,  a.  fanner  in 
Hall  County;  Minnie,  the  wife  of  Ralph  R. 
Sherlock,  a  farmer  near  Angora,  in  Morrill 
County ;  Percy,-  deceased ;  and  Florence,  the 
wife  of  A.  R.  Dickerson,  who  is  a  farmer. 
,  M.  Elliott  now  lives  retired  in  the  village 
of  Cairo.  For  some  years  he  served  as  school 
director  in  his  district  and  he  has  also  been 
road  overse'er.  In  politics  he  is  a  Democrat, 
and  he  belongs  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  lodge 
in  Cairo.  Mr.  Elliott  can  relate  much  that  is 
interesting  concerning  early  days  in  this  sec- 
tion of  Nebraska. 


NIELS  C.  NIELSEN,  manager  for  the 
W.  H.  Harrison  Company,  owning  a  lumber 
yard  in  Cairo,  has  been  a  resident  of  Hall 
County  since  1892.     AH  his  life  Mr.  Nielsen 


has  been  a  steady,  hard  working  man  and 
through  his  industry  he  has  accumulated  a 
fair  competency,  while  his  sound  judgment 
and  fair  dealing,  have  won  both  business 
and  personal  friends  in  a  land  far  from  that 
in  which  he  was  born.  His  birth  took  place 
on  the  island  of  Jutland,  Denmark,  in  1859. 
His  parents  were  Chris  and  Anna  Nielsen,  the 
former  of  whom  died  in  Denmark,  where  the 
latter  yet  lives  in  her  ninety-first  year.  Of 
their  four  children,  two  live  in  Nebraska, 
Niels  C.  and  Chris,  the  latter  of  whom  con- 
ducts a  store  at  Rockville.  The  father  owned 
a  farm  of  144  acres  and  was  considered  pros- 
perous. 

Mr.  Nielsen  had  some  school  advantages  in 
his  boyhood  and  then  worked  as  a  farm  hand 
in  Denmark  until  1881  when  he  came  to  the 
United  States.  He  made  his  way  to  Chicago, 
in  which  chy  he  found  many  of  his  country- 
men doing  well  in  business  and  highly  re- 
spected, and  he  remained  there  for  a  time 
working  for  a  market  gardener.  Following 
this  employment  he  went  to  the  lumber  regions 
of  northern  Michigan  and  worked  in  a  sawmill 
in  the  deep  woods  during  the  season,  but 
1884  found  him  farther  west  on  a  farm  in 
Howard  County,  Nebraska.  He  then  learned 
the  mason  and  plastering  trade  and  when  not 
otherwise  busy  found  employment  in  this  line. 
For  some  years  he  was  in  a  sawmill  business 
in  Washington,  but  in  1897  he  came  to  Hall 
County  to  work  in  the  lumber  yard  of  C.  H. 
Bogue  &  Co. ;  subsequently  he  entered  the 
employ  of  the  W.  H.  Harrison  Company  of 
Cairo,  having  been  associated  with  this  firm 
for  twenty-two  years. 

Mr.  Nielsen  married  Sena  Jensen,  who  was 
born  in  Denmark  in  1875,  and  they  have  four 
children:  Agnes,  the  wife  of  Albert  Tagge, 
a  farmer ;  Edna,  the  wife  of  Ray  Ingalls,  who 
owns  an  elevator;  Clyde,  in  the  government 
service,  in  the  quartermaster's  department,  and 
Mildred,  who  resides  with  her  parents.  Mr. 
Nielsen  votes  with  the  Republican  party  and  is 
somewhat  active  in  local  affairs,  having  served 
both  as  village  and  as  school  trustee.  He  be- 
longs to  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows. 


MELVIN  L.  HODGES,  prospering  as  the 
result  of  his  intelligent  efforts  in  the  stock 
industry,  belongs  to  a  well  known  Nebraska 
family  that  has  been  prominent  in  Hall  County 
since  1897.  Mr.  Hodges  was  born  at  Shelton, 
Buffalo  County,  Nebraska,  August  6,  1892. 
His  parents  were  Lucian  M.  and  Carrie 
(Atchley)  Hodges,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Ohio,  educated  and  well  bred  people. 


904 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


who  came  to  Nebraska  and  located  near  Cedar 
Bluffs,  Saunders  County,  in  1885.  Two  years 
later  the  father  bought  a  farm  near  Shelton, 
and  in  1897  moved  to  Jackson  township,  Hall 
County,  locating  three  miles  southwest  of 
Wood  River.  That  remained  the  family  home, 
where  the  father  died  February  14,  1910,  and 
the  mother  January  26,  1914.  They  had  five 
children:  Mrs.  Minnie  K.  Bly,  Everett  L-, 
Melvin  L.,  Mrs.  Blanche  J.  Williams,  and 
Elmer  J. 

Melvin  L.  Hodges  had  educational  advan- 
tages in  the  Wood  River  high  school  and  at  a 
business  college  in  York,  Nebraska,  while  prac- 
tical training  for  his  life  work  was  gained  on 
the  home  farm.  Following  the  death  of  his 
parents  he  bought  the  interests  of  the  other 
heirs  and  now  owns  one  hundred  and  sixty 
acres,  which  is  valued  at  over  $200  an  acre.  It 
is  highly  improved  and  Mr.  Hodges  and  his 
family  enjoy  a  beautiful  modern  residence.  He 
makes  stockraising  his  leading  farm  feature 
and  has  done  well,  especially  with  his  regis- 
tered Duroc-Jersey  hogs. 

At  Wood  River,  on  April  17,  1918,  Mr. 
Hodges  married  Miss  Mabel  M.  Williams,  a 
daughter  of  Oliver  P.  and  Cora  (Gillett) 
Williams,  natives  of  Illinois,  who  have  the 
following  children:  Charles  B.  Williams,  Mrs. 
Jennie  Hodges,  Mrs.  Mabel  M.  Hodges,  Ruth, 
Edward  P.,  John  H.,  Bethel  and  Otis.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hodges  are  members  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  church.  He  is  a  Mason  in  good 
standing  and  has  advanced  as  far  as  the  four- 
teenth degree  in  the  order.  He  is  not  active 
politically  but  is  interested  as  a  good  citizen 
in  all  that  concerns  his  country  at  home  and 
abroad. 


HENRY  C.  ORVIS,  spending  the  evening 
of  life  in  a  comfortable  home  in  Grand  Island, 
is  an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
during  the  days  of  peace  since  that  memorable 
struggle  has  had  various  experiences  as  a  pio- 
neer in  Kansas  and  Nebraska.  His  account  of 
the  trials  and  hardships  of  the  early  days 
may  almost  seem  incredible  to  the  present  gen- 
eration who  are  accustomed  to  the  comforts 
and  conveniences  of  the  present  day,  and  the 
life  record  of  such  a  man  cannot  help  but  in- 
spire those  who  may  have  the  opportunity  to 
read  this  volume. 

Henry  C.  Orvis  was  born  in  Durand,  Illi- 
nois, September  18,  1849.  His  parents  were 
Victor  M.  and  Mary  L.  (Tyler)  Orvis,  the 
former  born  in  Vermont  while  the  latter  was 
a  native  of  New  York.  As  a  farmer  and  a 
shoemaker  the  father  reared  a  family  of  ten 


children.  Henry  C.  was  the  fifth  in  order  of 
birth,  the  others  being:  John  R.,  Mary  E., 
Mrs.  Matilda  Wells,  Mrs.  Harriett  M.  Moore. 
Mrs.  Delilah  Smith,  all  of  whom  are  deceased ; 
Mrs.  Lucinda  L.  Adams  of  Dubuque,  Iowa; 
and  three  who  died  in  infancy. 

Mr.  Orvis  was  reared  in  his  native  state  and 
in  recalling  his  youthful  days  he  says  the  first 
money  he  ever  earned  was  feeding  an  old 
wooden  cane  mill,  with  a  horse  as  the  motive 
power,  grinding  cane  to  make  sorghum  mo- 
lasses. When  he  was  fifteen  years  and  ten 
days  old  a  recruiting  officer  came  to  the  home 
and  wanted  young  Henry  to  become  a  soldier 
in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  War.  As 
the  lad  was  anxious  to  go  the  father  gave  his 
written  consent  and  at  Marengo,  Illinois,  Sep- 
tember 28,  1864.  he  enlisted  in  Company  D. 
Twelfth  Illinois  Cavalry.  It  was  sent  to  Mem- 
phis, Tennessee,  where  the  men  were  put  on 
patrol  duty  watching  the  movements  of  Gen- 
eral Hood's  command.  Mr.  Orvis  took  part  in 
a  number  of  skirmishes,  his  company  going 
to  Vicksburg  and  later  to  Baton  Rouge.Louis- 
iana,  where  he  served  to  the  end  of  the  war, 
being  mustered  out  of  service  and  receiving 
an  honorable  discharge  at  Springfield,  Illinois, 
June  28,  1865.  He  was  a  gallant  defender  of 
the  nation's  cause  and  was  always  found  a! 
his  post  of  duty. 

In  1879  Mr.  Orvis  moved  to  Kansas,  with  a 
team  of  horses  and  a  capital  of  ten  dollars  in 
money  and  the  remainder  of  his  worldly  pos- 
sessions loaded  on  a  wagon.  His  home  was  a 
dugout.  Crops  were  poor  owing  to  the  drouth. 
He  lost  one  of  the  horses  and  traded  the  other 
for  a  yoke  of  oxen.  He  hauled  freight  from 
Waukeeney  to  the  settlement  of  Prairie  Dog 
Creek,  a  distance  of  sixty-five  miles,  a  trip 
requiring  five  or  six  days.  He  slept  under  the 
wagon  in  all  kinds  of  weather. 

In  1881  he  made  a  trip  to  Custer  County  for 
corn,  and  bought  corn  raised  on  the  ground 
where  the  court  house  stands  in  Broken  Bow. 
There  was  nothing  raised  in  Kansas  and  he 
would  take  a  load  of  pigs  and  selling  them 
would  trade  them  for  corn.  On  the  way  back 
he  slept  in  an  old  sod  house  and  turned  his 
oxen  in  the  corral. 

That  same  year  he  and  his  brother  John  C. 
went  to  Iowa,  settling  in  Brush  Creek.  Fayette 
County.  Here  Mr.  Orvis  was  united  in  mar- 
riage September  22,  1867,  with  Miss  Frances 
E.  Richardson,  a  native  of  Peoria,  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Josiah  and  Rhoda  Richardson, 
natives  of  Massachusetts.  Soon  after  this 
event  Mr.  Orvis  and  his  wife  went  to  Morton 
County,  Kansas,  where  after  losing  five  con- 
secutive crops   from  drouth  they   decided  to 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


H.  C.  Orvis  at  age  fifteen 


D.0iiizedb»  Google 


906 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


remove  to  a  more  congenial  climate.  In  the 
fall  of  the  year  when  there  were  five  or  six 
inches  of  snow  on  the  ground,  his  children 
barefooted,  with  his  worldly  possessions 
loaded  on  a  wagon  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen 
they  travelled  one  hundred  and  eighty  miles, 
camping  out  at  night  and  his  cash  capital  con- 
sisted of  one  dollar  and  fifty  cents  with  which 
they  made  the  entire  trip.  That  winter  he 
found  employment  hauling  coal  at  a  dollar 
per  ton  a  distance  of  eight  miles  from  Miners- 
ville  to  Concordia,  Kansas,  and  to  help  provide 
for  the  needs  of  the  family  the  wife  taught 
school.  The  next  spring  he  returned  to  the 
homestead  and  engaged  in  farming  while  the 
wife  continued  to  teach.  The  son  Winnifred 
was  a  small  child  and  Mr.  Orvis  fastened  a 
box  on  the  cultivator  and  took  the  little  fellow 
with  him  to  the  field  all  day  long.  In  the 
fall  of  1883,  Mr.  Orvis  again  made  a  move 
and  became  one  of  the  early  settlers  of  Custer 
County,  Nebraska,  making  the  trip  there  with 
a  wagon  drawn  by  a  yoke  of  oxen,  secured  a 
homestead  near  West  Union,  where  he  resided 
for  fourteen  years.  While  living  here  his  wife 
died  March  14, 1891.  November  23,  1893,  Mr. 
Orvis  was  again  married  to  Mrs.  Emily  N. 
Loghry,  who  was  born  in  Steuben  County, 
New  York.  Her  parents  were  John  G.  and 
Dilla  (Johnson)  Van  Houtin,  the  former  born 
in  Steuben  County,  New  York  and  the  latter 
a  native  of  Connecticut.  She  also  was  a  pio- 
neer of  Nebraska,  locating  here  at  an  early  day 
and  so  suffered  many  of  the  privations  and 
hardships  of  the  early  settlers.  By  a  former 
marriage  Mrs.  Orvis  had  eight  children :  Mrs. 
'  Maggie  L.  Thorpe ;  Harry ;  Mrs.  Minnie 
Verly;  John;  Mrs.  Kittie  Belle  Disert;  Mrs 
Grace  Marsh;  Walter  C,  and  Thomas  D. 
Mr.  Orvis  is  the  third  old  soldier  husband  of 
Mrs.  Orvis,  she  seeming  to  have  a  preference 
for  veterans.  In  January,  1891,  in  company 
with  Mr.  S.  D.  Butcher,  of  Broken  Bow, 
Mr.  Orvis  made  a  trip  with  team  and  wagon 
to  the  Pine  Ridge  country,  arriving  there  three 
days  after  the  Battle  of  Wounded  Knee.  They 
took  more  than  forty  views  of  interesting 
scenes  in  that  vicinity. 

After  a  busy,  eventful  life  Mr.  Orvis  now 
occupies  a  comfortable  home  in  Grand  Island, 
surrounded  with  all  the  comforts  and  many 
luxuries  of  life,  a  condition  which  he  justly 
deserves;  He  has  been  as  faithful  in  days  of 
peace  as  when  following  the  Stars  and  Stripes 
on  the  battlefields  of  the  south.  Mr.  Orvis 
maintains  pleasant  relations  with  his  old  army 
comrades  by  membership  in  the  W.  A. 
Whipple  Post,  at  Burkett,  his  home  being 
near  the  Soldiers  and  Sailors  home  of  Burkett. 


DANIEL  LYHANE,  a  well  known  and 
highly  respected  resident  of  Hall  County  for 
many  years,  will  long  be  remembered  as  a 
man  of  high  character,  sterling  honesty  and 
great  industry.  He  was  born  in  Ireland,  in 
May,  1858,  and  died  on  his  valuable  farm  in 
Jackson  township,  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
May  29,  1917. 

Daniel  Lybane  lost  his  father  by  death 
when  he  was  two  weeks  old.  Later  when  his 
young  mother  found  an  opportunity  to  come 
to  the  United  States,  she  left  her  child  in  the 
care  of  strangers,  but  she  did  not  forget  him. 
In  the  land  across  the  sea  she  married  again 
and  when  Daniel  was  eight  years  old  she  sent 
for  him  to  join  her  in  Nebraska.  He  learned 
the  painter's  trade  in  addition  to  farming, 
easily  making  friends  because  of  his  genuine 
kindness  and  good  will. 

On  May  5,  1884,  Mr.  Lyhane  married  Miss 
Mary  C.  Kerr,  at  Aurora,  Nebraska.  Her 
parents,  James  and  Mary  (O'Hare)  Kerr,  had 
the  following  children :  Mrs.  Margaret  Sav- 
age, James  D.,  Mrs.  Mary  C.  Lyhane,  Mrs. 
Delight  L.  Caveny,  and  Mary  T.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Lyhane  had  three  children  born  of  their 
own:  John  G.,  an  engineer,  resides  in  Chey- 
enne, Wwoming,  married  Lillie  McElharen; 
Mary  E.,  the  wife  of  Thomas  Mullen,  a 
mechanic  in  the  railroad  shops  in  Grand  Is- 
land, has  one  daughter;  and  Maro  D.,  who 
resides  at  home,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Wood 
River  high  school. 

After  their  marriage,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lyhane 
bought  land  near  Aurora,  Nebraska,  on  whkh 
they  resided  for  nine  years.  In  1893  they 
came  to  the  present  home  farm,  Mr.  Lyhane 
purchasing  eighty  acres  at  that  time  and 
through  industry  adding  to  it  until  now  the 
family  owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
valued  at  $200  an  acre.  Maro  D.  Lyhane'  is 
successfully  carrying  on  farming  and  stock- 
raising.  Mrs.  Lyhane  has  a  beautiful  country 
home  here,  built  at  a  cost  of  $6,000.  The 
Lyhanes  are  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church. 


NORMAN  J.  ELDRIDGE,  an  enterpris- 
ing business  man  and  progressive  agricultur- 
ist of  Hall  County,  is  a  representative  of  a 
pioneer  family  .that  came  here  to  settle  in  the 
wilderness  sixty  years  ago.  Industry,  enter- 
prise and  frugality  have  always  marked  this 
family,  prosperity  resulting  from  these  quali- 
ties, and  the  old  homestead  secured  in  1859 
still  belongs  to  the  Eldridges. 

Norman  J.  Eld  ridge  was  bom  in  Wood 
River  township,  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  a  son 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


907 


of  William  G.  and  Sarah  S.  (Shenton)  Eld- 
ridge,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  In- 
diana and  the  latter  in  England.  They  were 
married  at  Wood  River,  November  11,  1860, 
by  Fred  Hedde,  and  the  following  children 
were  born  to  them:  Mrs.  Anna  S.  Winslow, 
Norman  J.,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Calnor,  Jasper  J., 
and  Mrs.  Fannie  R.  Williams.  William  C. 
Eldridge  came  to  Hall  County  from  Attica, 
Indiana,  in  1859,  being  accompanied  by  his 
brother,  Jesse  F.,  and  their  father,  Jasper  J. 
Eldridge.  He  pre-empted  the  northeast  quar- 
ter of  section  fourteen,  range  eleven,  Wood 
River  township,  was  married  in  the  following 
year  and  this  land  continued  to  be  the  family 
home.  The  father  of  Norman  J.  died  here 
December  13,  1908,  and  the  mother  on  Novem- 
ber 27,  1916.  Mrs.  Eldridge  was  an  estimable 
woman  in  every  relation  of  life  and  was  not 
only  precious  to  her  own  family  but  was  uni- 
versally beloved. 

Norman  J  and  his  brother  Jasper  J.  Eld- 
ridge have  always  lived  on  the  old  homestead, 
where  in  a  general  way,  they  have  always  been 
associated  together  in  business.  On  February 
13,  1899,  they  entered  into  a  regular  partner- 
ship. They  own  the  old  home  place, 
which  is  worth  $200  an  acre,  and  also 
own  an  irrigated  tract  of  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres,  near  Douglas,  Wyoming. 
They  carry  on  general  farming  and  have  pro- 
fited greatly  in  their  stock  business  and  at  the 
time  of  writing  have  just  completed  plans  to 
engage  in  raising  registered  Hampshire  Down 
sheep  on  an  extensive  scale.  In  building  up 
their  fortunes,  they  have  gained  a  reputation 
for  business  integrity  that  is  entirely  deserved. 
Mr.  Eldridge  remembers  when  Indians  were 
still  in  this  neighborhood  and  when  it  was  not 
an  unusual  thing  to  see  a  herd  of  buffalo. 

At  Grand  Island,  on  April  10,  1910,  Jasper 
J.  Eldridge  married  Miss  Annie  E.  Rickard, 
the  only  child,  of  T.  L.  and  Catherine  A.  (Mc- 
Dermot)  Rickard.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Eldridge 
have  two  sons :  Jasper  W.,  six  years  old  and 
Jesse  L,  two  years  younger.  The  latter  had 
the  distinction  of  being  the  youngest  purchaser 
of  Liberty  Bonds  in  Hall  County,  when  he  in- 
vested at  the  age  of  two  and  a  half  years. 
While  the  Eldridges  are  not  active  politically, 
they  are  fine,  upstanding  citizens  and  depend- 
able in  every  way  when  the  welfare  of  Hall 
County  is  under  consideration. 


WILLIAM  M.  REED.  —  With  our  country 
just  emerging  from  its  participation  in  the 
World  War,  it  is  only  natural  that  more  than 
ordinary  attention  be  paid  to  the  record  of 


those  who  have  been  the  gallant  defenders  of 
the  nation  in  time  of  peril,  and  the  subject  of 
this  record  is  deserving  honorable  mention. 

William  M.  Reed  was  born  in  McDonough 
County,  Illinois,  March  7,  1896,  a  son  of 
George  W.  and  Maria  (Stoneking)  Reed,  both 
of  whom  were  born  in  Illinois,  the  father,  May 
31,  1834,  and  the  mother  March  4,  1862;  They 
were  married  in  the  fall  of  1887,  and  in  1899 
became  residents  of  Hall  County,  Nebraska. 
George  W.  Reed  was  a  soldier  during  the  Civil 
War,  serving  in  an  Illinois  regiment  during 
the  last  three  years  of  that  terrible  conflict. 
He  took  part  in  twenty-two  hard  fought  bat- 
tles, and  was  one  of  those  who  escaped  being 
wounded.  He  maintained  pleasant  relations 
with  his  old  army  comrades  by  membership  in 
the  G.  A.  R.  He  was  successfully  engaged  in 
farming  for  many  years,  but  is  now  making 
his  home  at  Purcell,  Colorado.  His  wife  suc- 
cumbed to  typhoid  fever  March  2,  1890.  They 
reared  a  family  of  six  children,  as  follows: 
Isaac  M.,  Francis  B.  Henderson,  Emma  L. 
Hehy,  Joseph  S.,  William  M.  and  Elnor  L. 
Pence. 

William  M.  was  reared  on  the  farm  and 
completed  the  course  of  study  prescribed  for 
common  schools  in  1912.  When  just  past  his 
eighteenth  birthday,  he  enlisted  in  the  United 
States;  Regular  Army,  March  11,  1912,  at 
Fort  Logan,  Colorado.  While  at  Fort  Bliss 
he  had  the  misfortune  to  have  a  leg  broken 
by  the  kick  of  a  horse.  No  sooner  had  he  re- 
covered from  this  when  the  other  leg  suffered 
the  same  fate  by  having  a  horse  fall  on  him. 
He  was  at  Douglas,  An  zona,  when  Villa  and 
Caranza  had  their  three  days  fight  starting 
on  Thanksgiving  morning.  He  and  five  com- 
rades were  sitting  on  the  school  house  steps 
when  the  outlaw,  Villa,  crossed  the  line  and 
fired  on  the  First  Artillery  at  Aqua  Prieta. 
When  the  Mexicans  spied  our  subject  and  his 
comrades  they  became  somewhat  reckless  in 
the  use  of  fire  arms,  which  caused  the  soldiers 
of  Uncle  Sam  to  come  down  from  their  seats 
and  as  Mr.  Reed  does  not  relate  what  took 
place  after  that  it  is  left  for  the  reader  to  sur- 
mise. As  a  member  of  the  machine  gun  com- 
pany of  the  Twentieth  Infantry,  with  the 
Third  Battalion  and  the'Twelfth  Infantry  of 
Regulars,  he  participated  in  the  skirmish  with 
the  Mexicans  when  they  crossed  the  line  at 
Nogales,  Arizona.  This  seems  to  have  been 
a  red  letter  day  for  the  Jones',  all  of  the  ten 
wounded  men  were  of  that  name. 

While  stationed  at  New  Orleans  he  met  and 
fell  in  love  wfth  Miss  Anna  M.  Oldenwalder, 
whom  he  married  on  the  12th  of  June,  1918. 
She  remained  in  her  parent's  home  until  her 


ws 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


husband  was  released  from  the  army  and  put 
on  the  reserve  list,  when  he  returned  to  that 
city  and  brought  his  young  bride  home  with 
him  and  they  are  now  making  their  home  on 
the  farm  in  Wood  River  township.  A  port- 
rait of  the  subject  of  this  record  will  be  found 
on  other  pages  of  this  volume,  and  it  is  need- 
less to  say  that  in  the  years  to  come  he  will 
be  found  as  loyal  as  when  following  the  Stars 
and  Stripes  as  a  member  of  the  United  States 
army. 


GEORGE  B.  FRAZELL,  one  of  Hall 
County's  substantial  men  and  representative 
American  citizens,  has  been  well  and  favor- 
ably known  here  for  many  years.  He  is  a 
man  who  built  up  his  fortune  through  personal 
effort  and  in  doing  so  has  always  commanded 
the  respect  o£  those  with  whom  he  has  been 
associated. 

George  B.  Frazell  was  born  at  Oquawka, 
Henderson  County,  Illinois,  February  19, 
1857,  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  seven  children 
born  to  George  B.  and  Jane)  (Strickland) 
Frazell.  The  other  children  were :  Warren, 
a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War;  Mrs.  Amelia 
Martin,  deceased;  Ray,  a  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War;  Mrs.  Philena  Romans,  who  survives; 
Mrs.  Leona  Gregg,  who  is  deceased,  and 
Jennie,  also  deceased.  The  paternal  grand- 
parents were  Warren  and' Jane  (Van  Galder) 
Frazell.  From  a  chronological  history  of  the 
Frazell  family  that  George  B.  Frazell  has  in 
his  possession  and  justly  prizes  highly,  he  can 
prove  that  his  ancestors  came  from  France 
between  1620  and  1625  and  landed  at 
Plymouth  Rock,  Massachusetts.  The  early 
Frazell  family  was  prolific  and  the  vigorous 
descendants  spread  over  many  states  and  the 
name  is  held  in  respect  in  many  sections  of  the 
country  in  addition  to  Hall  County. 

When  George  B.  Frazell  was  five  years  old, 
his  father,  a  cooper  by  trade,  passed  out  of 
life  and  the  child  was  made  an  orphan  as  his 
mother  had  died  a  year  earlier.  A  family  by 
the  name  of  Martin  sheltered  him  but  were 
not  kind  and  when  less  than  seven  years  old 
the  little  boy  ran  away,  going  to  an  uncle 
named  Moses  Frazell,  with  whom  he  remained 
until  he  was  twenty  years  old.  He  worked 
on  his  uncle's  farm  in  the  summer  seasons  but 
__went  to  school  in  the  winter  time  and  thus 
acquired  a  fair  amount  of  general  book  knowl- 
edge. He  has  not  forgotten  his  days  on  the 
old  farm,  however,  when  he  hoed  corn 
through  the  long  hot  summer  days  and  felt 
the  joy  of  a  capitalist  when  his  wage  of  a  dime 
was  placed  in  his  hand. 

In  the  fall  of  1884,  Mr.  Frazell  traveled  by 


prairie  schooner  from  Warren  County,  Illi- 
nois, to  Shelton,  Nebraska.  He  bought  eighty 
acres  pf  land  situated  on  section  5,  Jackson 
township,  Hall  County,  contracting  to  pay  $10 
per  acre,  but  forced  to  go  into  debt  for  the 
greater  part  of  it.  He  worked  this  land  for 
two  years  and  then  accepted  an  offer  of  $20 
per  acre  and  after  selling  it  went  to  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  state  prospecting  for  cheaper 
land.  Finally,  however,  he  returned  to  Hall 
County  and  bought  eighty  acres  in  the  same 
section  as  before,  settled  on  it  and  has  re- 
mained ever  since.  He  now  owns  two  hunded 
acres  that  have  a  market  value  of  $200  per 
acre,  and  in  addition  owns  an  attractive 
modern  residence  at  Shelton.  His  farm  is 
considered  one  of  the  best  alfalfa  farms  in 
Nebraska. 

In  Warren  County,  Illinois,  on  November 
2,  1882,  Mr.  Frazell  married  Miss  Anna  Snell, 
who  was  born  in  Henderson  County,  Illinois, 
the  only  survivor  of  ten  children  born  to  Lev- 
ingston  and   Esther   (Freeman)    Snell.     The 
mother  was  a  native  of  Kennebec,  Maine,  and 
the  father  of  Indiana.    To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fra- 
zell the  following  children  were  born:    Jessie 
M.   Harvey,   Eugene,   Erma  F.,   Bernice   B., 
and  Lura  I.      Of  these  Harvey  and  Bernice  B. 
are  deceased.    Jessie  M.  is  the  wife  of  Clyde 
Burkerd,  in  the  insurance  business  at  Shelton, 
and  they  have  two  children.    They  belong  to 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.     Mrs.  Burk- 
erd is  a  graduate  of  the  Shelton  high  school. 
Eugene  Frazell  operates  his  own  land  near 
his  father's.    He  married  Inez  Dubbs  and  they 
have  three  children.     They  attend  the  United 
Brethren  church.     Erma   F.   is  the   wife  of 
Milo  Faser,  a  farmer-near  Kearney,  and  they 
have  one  son  and  one  daughter  and  are  mem- 
bers of  the  United  Brethren  church.      Mrs. 
Faser  is  a  graduate  of  the  Shelton  high  school. 
also  attended  the  Normal  school  at  Kearney 
and  taught  school  for  one  year  prior  to  her 
marriage.    Lura  I.,  the  youngest  of  the  family, 
resides  with  her  parents.     A  graduate  of  the 
Shelton  high  school  and  a   teacher   for  two 
years,  she  is  also  accomplished  in  music  and 
teaches  the  same.     She  is  prominent  in  social 
circles  and  with  other  members  of  her  family, 
has  been  exceedingly  active  in  Red  Cross  and 
other   patriotic   movements.      Mr.    and    Mrs. 
Frazell  belong  to  the  United  Brethren  church. 
For  eighteen  years  he  has  been  a  member  of 
the  township  school  board  and  foremost  in  all 
laudable  enterprises   for  the  welfare  of  the 
county. 


NATHANIEL   P.   DICKINSON,   one  of 
Hall  County's  most  highly  esteemed  citizens, 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


909 


has  spent  forty-seven  useful  years  here.  After 
valiant  service  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War, 
Mr.  Dickinson,  in  the  spring  of  1872  came 
to  Hall  County  and  took  a  soldier's  homestead 
in  section  4,  Jackson  township,  where  he  re- 
sides. He  was  born  July  25,  1842,  at  West 
Northfield,  Massachusetts,  the  only  survivor 
of  a  family  of  four  sons  and  four  daughters 
born  to  Porter  and  Ardelia  T.  (Williams) 
Dickinson. 

Nathaniel  P.  Dickinson  remained  at  home 
to  give  his  father  assistance  on  the  farm  until 
he  was  nineteen  years  of  age,  in  the  meanwhile 
having  attended  the  common  school  and  en- 
joyed four  terms  in  the  West  Northfield  high 
school.  He  had  been  reared  to  love  his 
country  and  believe  in  the  principles  on  which 
the  mighty  union  of  states  had  been  founded, 
hence,  the  precipitation  of  the  Civil  War  found 
him  ready  to  fight  for  its  preservation.  He 
enlisted  in  the  Union  army,  at  Burlington, 
Vermont,  November  19,  1861,  entering  Com- 
pany F,  First  Vermont  Cavalry,  and  served 
three  years  and  two  months  before  receiving 
his  honorable  discharge  at  the  place  of  enlist- 
ment. In  Mr.  Dickinson's  military  record  of 
forty-two  battles  and  skirmishes  in  which  he 
participated,  may  be  found  the  following  sug- 
gestive list:  Banks'  retreat,  May  24,  1862; 
Occupation  of  Culpepper  Court  House,  Vir- 
ginia, July  12.  1862;  Baniet's  Ford,  July  18, 
1862 ;  Orange  Court  House,  August  2,  1862 ; 
Kelley's  Ford,  Virginia,  August  21,  1862; 
Waterloo  Bridge,  August  24,  1862 ;  Thorough- 
fare Gap,  August  28,  1862;  second  battle  of 
Bull  Run,  August  30,  1862;  Chantilly,  Vir- 
ginia, September  1,  1862;  Ashby's  Gap,  Sep- 
tember 26,  1862;  Manassa  Junction,  October 
20,  1862;  Warrington,  November  25,  1862. 
The  record  of  this  one  year  was  repeated  in 
those  that  followed.  When  his  whole  duty 
was  done,  Mr.  Dickinson  gladly  returned  from 
the  awful  carnage  of  the  battlefield  to  his 
former  peaceful  life  on  the  farm  and  remained 
in  Massachusetts  until  March,  1872,  when  he 
entered  upon  a  new  career  by  becoming  a  pio- 
neer settler  in  Hall  County. 

Before  two  months  had  passed  by  Mr.  Dick- 
inson had  a  comfortable  log  cabin  nearing 
completion  on  his  claim,  which  became  a  home 
indeed  when  his  marriage  was  completed,  at 
Gibbon,  Nebraska,  on  May  17,  1872,  to  Miss 
Harriet  E.  Gleason.  This  was  the  first  re- 
corded marriage  in  Buffalo  County.  Miss 
Gleason  was  also  born  in  Franklin  County, 
New  York,  and  there  awaited  Mr.  Dickinson's 
preparations  in  Hall  County  for  their  future 
joint  home  before  joining  him  at  Wood  River 
for  their  marriage.     The  little  cabin  proved 


acceptable  in  every  way  and  after  taking  pos- 
session, Mr.  Dickinson  immediately  set  about 
planting  sod  com  and  starting  a  garden  and 
in  all  his  work  found  an  indefatigable  and 
cheerful  helper  in  his  young  wife.  In  com- 
menting on  those  early  days,  Mr.  Dickinson 
mentions  that  their  nearest  neighbor  was  Seth 
Lee,  located  two  miles  north,  who  had  arrived 
on  the  same  train  with  him  at  Grand  Island 
and  they  entered  their  claims  on  the  same 
day.  Mr.  Dickinson  brought  with  him  $500, 
but  after  purchasing  a  team,  wagon  and  nec- 
essary farm  equipment,  a  cow  and  a  hog,  his 
money  was  about  gone.  There  was  never  any 
lack  of  meat  for  the  larder  as  game  was  plenti- 
ful at  that  time  in  this  section.  Hard  work 
was  the  rule  ofi  the  day  for  a  long  time  but 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson  had  expected  that 
feature  of  pioneering  and  with  faith  and  cour- 
age faced  and  overcame  hardships,  as  later 
they  have  together  borne  some  family  bereave- 
ments. They  now  own  two  hundred  and  eighty 
acres  of  valuable  land,  their  farm  being  im- 
proved with  two  sets  of  substantial  buildings. 
Mrs.  Dickinson's  parents  were  Sherman  C. 
and  Rhoda  (Goodrich)  Gleason,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  towns  bearing  the  name  of 
Benson,  the  mother  in  Vermont,  and  the 
father  in  New  York.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the 
War  of  1812.  Of  their  seven  children,  Mrs. 
Dickinson  and  one  brother,  Sherman  L.  Glea- 
son, who  resides  with  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson, 
alone  remain.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson  the 
following  children  were  born :  Ardelia,  who 
died  February  3,  1898,  was  a  highly  educated 
lady,  a  graduate  of  York  College  and  for 
seven  years  a  popular  teacher ;  Alma  Filia,  who 
died  January  28,  1896,  at  that  time  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  class  graduated  with  honors  in  the 
previous  year  from  the  Wood  River  high 
school;  Ada  J.,  the  wife  of  Frank  A.  Dority, 
a  farmer  near  Shelton,  Nebraska,  and  they 
have  two  sons.  Verle  and  Wayne,  and  Ellen 
F.,  who  died  May  5,  1916,  was  the  wife  of 
Burt  Jones.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Dickinson  are 
members  of  the  United  Brethren  church. 
They  are  known  far  and  near  for  their  sterl- 
ing worth  and  neighborly  kindness. 


RICHARD  MOORE.— A  story  as  inter- 
esting as  any  romance  might  be  made  of  the 
life  of  the  late  Richard  Moore,  who  was  one 
of  Hall  County's  earliest  settlers  and  during 
a  long  and  busy  life,  a  man  of  sterling  worth. 
Although  some  years  have  elapsed  since  he 
passed  away,  there  are  many  men  still  living 
in  the  neighborhood  of  Wood  River,  who  well 
remember  his  neighborly  kindness,  his  honest 


cV 


910 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


business  methods,  and  the  good  judgment  and 
sound  common  sense  that,  with  his  personal 
courage,  made  him  a  tower  of  strength  for 
others. 

Richard  Moore  was  bom  in  County  Cork, 
Ireland,  in  1835.  His  parents  were  Patrick 
and  Anna  S-  (Collins)  Moore,  who  had  four 
children  born  to  them ;  Michael,  Patrick,  Rich- 
ard and  Mary.  The  father  was  not  what  was 
considered  a  poor  man,  when  he  left  Ireland, 
but  of  all  his  money,  chest  and  boxes  shipped 
on  a  sailing  vessel  when  the  family  started  for 
the  United  States  in  1847,  no  trace  was  found 
after  the  surviving  members  of  the  family 
landed.  The  voyage  consumed  seven  weeks 
and  during  the  passage  ship  fever  broke  out 
and  the  father  of  Richard  Moore  died  and 
was  buried  at  sea.  While  detained  in  quar- 
antine on  Ellis  Island,  the  mother  of  Mr. 
Moore  and  little  sister  Mary,  both  died,  and 
Michael  died  soon  afterward.  Of  the  family 
only  two  remained,  Patrick  and  Richard,  who 
found  shelter  in  the  home  of  a  cousin,  in  the 
city  of  New  York. 

In  1859  the  two  Moore  brothers  made  their 
way  to  Hall  County.  They  squatted  on  a  tract 
of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  land  located 
two  miles  west  of  Wood  River,  and  as  soon 
as  the  land  was  surveyed,  Patrick  pre-empted 
this  land  and  Richard  pre-empted  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  adjoining  on  the  west,  moving 
onto  it  about  the  time  of  his  marriage.  For 
those  days  he  was  in  good  circumstances,  in 
comparison  to  many  others,  and  his  good  for- 
tune was  increased  when  he  secured  as  his 
wife  the  admirable  woman  who  so  cheerfully 
bore  early  hardships  by  his  side  and  through 
her  good  management  and  frugality  helped  to 
build  up  his  fortune. 

On  February  18,  1862,  Mr.  Moore  married 
Miss  Honora  Noonen,  at  Iowa  City,  Iowa. 
She  also  was  born  in  County  Cork,  Ireland, 
being  fourteen  years  old  when  she  came  with 
her  parents  and  two  brothers  to  Iowa.  The 
names  of  her  parents  were  Maurice  and  Cath- 
erine (Fitzgerald)  Noonen,  both  born  in  Ire- 
land. They  had  eight  children :  Margaret, 
Mary  Anne,  Catherine,  Elizabeth,  Honora, 
Daniel,  Patrick  and  John.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Moore  nine  children  were  born :  John,  a 
farmer  near  Wood  River,  married  Tillie  Gil- 
lespie, and  they  have  three  children ;  Richard, 
a  railroad  man  and  lives  at  Salt  Lake  City, 
Utah,  married  Carrie  Richmond,  and  they 
have  one  daughter;  Elizabeth,  the  wife  of 
Michael  Carey,  a  retired  farmer  of  Salt  Lake 
City,  has  three  children;  Mary  N.,  who  died 
June  2,  1898,  was  the  wife  of  Austin  Ryan,  a 
painter  by  trade,  living  in  Hastings,  Nebraska, 


left  two  sons  and  one  daughter ;  Margaret  and 
Catherine,  twins,  of  whom  the  latter  is  de- 
ceased, the  former  -being  the  wife  of  Patrick 
Mahoney,  a  farmer  near  Wood  River; 
Francis,  a  railroad  man  with  home  at  Salida, 
Chaffee  County,  Colorado,  married  Rose  Ross 
and  they  have  one  daughter;  Nora,  the  wife 
of  Michael  J.  Carey,  a  farmer  near  Wood 
River,  has  four  sons,  and  Anastatia,  who  is 
deceased. 

Mrs.  Moore  still  resides  on  the  old  home- 
stead which  is  endeared  to  her  by  many  memo- 
ries. She  tells  of  her  early  married  life  here, 
when  savage  Indians  might  be  expected  to 
raid  the  little  settlement  at  any  time  and  when 
Mr.  Moore  never  went  to  his  fields  to  work 
without  strapping  on  his  revolver.  On  ac- 
count of  the  solidity  of  their  house  and  their 
generous  hospitality,  it  was  a  haven  of  refuge 
on  many  occasions  and  Mrs.  Moore  at  one 
time  entertained  a  house  full  of  frightened 
neighbors  for  a  space  of  two  weeks.  The 
neighbors  settled  within  a  radius  of  five  miles 
of  Mr.  Moore  in  1859,  were  the  following: 
Anthony  Moore,  James  Jackson,  John  Mahar, 
Edwin  O'Brien  and  Mrs.  M.  Keefe.  With  all 
these  and  many,  many  others,  Mrs.  Moore 
became  well  acquainted  and  perhaps  no  one 
in  this  section  is  more  highly  esteemed  than 
she  because  of  her  unvarying  kindness.  The 
homes  of  her  children  are  open  to  her,  but 
she  prefers  her  own  home  and  the  manage- 
ment of  her  own  affairs.  She  is  a  faithful 
member  of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  The 
death  of  Mr.  Moore  occurred  March  22,  1910. 


CARL  F.  RICKERT,  who  has  spent  many 
years  in  Hall  County,  would  probably  be  sur- 
prised if  all  the  friends  he  has  made  here 
would  gather  around  him  to  wish  him  well, 
reminding  him  how  often  in  old  days  he  had 
helped  one  or  another  of  his  neighbors  by 
friendly  advice,  by  cheering  word,  or,  where 
all  were  poor,  spared  of  his  scant  earnings 
in  case  of  distress.  Mr.  Rickert  now  lives 
retired  on  his  farm  in  Jackson  township,  but 
is  known  and  highly  respected  all  over  the 
county.  He  was  born  in  Germany,  April  19. 
1855.  His  father's  name  was  Jacob  T.  Rick- 
ert. His  mother  died  when  he  was  very 
young,  leaving  one  son  and  one  daughter,  the 
latter's  name  being  Mrs.  Marie  Moore.  For 
some  time  the  father  worked  for  the  German 
government  as  a  contractor. 

Carl  F.  Rickert  grew  up  in  a  community 
where  even  the  little  children  worked,  and 
after  his  mother  died,  he  was  set  at  the  task 
of  watching  geese  to  keep  them  from  eating 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


911 


the  field  crops  and  for  this  service  he  received 
three  pence  a  day.  A  part  of  his  daily  duty 
was  to  gather  the  goose  eggs  and  he  confesses 
that  sometimes,  when  his  one  sandwich  of 
coarse  black  bread  was  not  satisfying  enough 
for  his  growing  appetite,  he  would  manage 
a  little  fire  in  a  secluded  place  and  boil  one  of 
the  eggs  for  his  own  delectation.  This  was 
a  very  risky  procedure,  however,  and  would 
have  brought  punishment  from  the  owner  of 
the  geese  if  discovered.  Later  he  herded 
cattle  and  in  the  meanwhile  attended  the 
schools  of  his  class  and  secured  a  good  foun- 
dational German  education.  He  married  in 
1877  and  in  1881  came  to  the  United  States. 
After  coming  west  for  two  years  he  fanned 
in  school  section  No.  16,  Harrison  township, 
on  land  which  he  leased,  and  in  1883  when  he 
settled  on  that  place  with  his  family,  he  had 
a  wife,  three  children,  one  cow  and  twelve 
chickens.  He  lived  on  the  same  land  for 
fifteen  years,  making  many  improvements  on 
the  place.  At  the  end  of  that  time,  through 
circumstances  over  which  he  had  no  control, 
he  had  to  let  his  property  go  at  a  sacrifice.  In 
early  days  the  eigthy  acres  he  now  owns 
changed  hands  on  one  occasion  when  the  trade 
was  completed  for  $20  and  a  bottle  of  whiskey. 
This  land  is  now  valued  at  $150  an  acre  and 
the  improvements  are  worth  at  least  $5,000. 
In  Germany,  on  August  25,  1877,  Mr..  Rick- 
ert  married  Margaret  Bauman,  who  was  born 
in  Germany  and  died  in  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska, November  25,  1918.  Her  parents 
were  George  and  Catherine  (Rave)  Bauman 
and  she  was  the  youngest  of  their  nine  chil- 
dren, and  two  of  her  sisters  live  in  the  United 
States :  Mrs.  Johanna  Brenchenbach,  of 
Brooklyn,  New  York,  and  Mrs.  Emma  Stenge, 
of  Grand  Island.  Six  children  were  born  to 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rickert:  Frederick,  Amanda, 
George,  Bertha,  Charles  and  Christina.  Fred- 
erick married  a  young  woman  who  was  a  Red 
Cross  nurse  in  Europe  in  1917-18  and  re- 
ceived a  gold  service  medal  for  her  work  dur- 
ing the  war;  Amanda  is  the  wife  of  John 
Kink,  a  farmer  near  Shelton.  George  resides 
with  his  father  on  the  home  farm  and  is 
operating  a  half  section  of  land  for  himself, 
He  is  one  of  the  most  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive young  agriculturists  of  Jackson  town- 
ship, taking  a  great  deal  of  interest  in  breed- 
ing Belgian  horses,  and  having  magnificent 
pedigreed  jack  at  the  head  of  his  stud.  Bertha 
is  the  wife  of  Otto  Schroeder,  fanning  his 
own  land  near  Alda.  They  have  six  children. 
Charles  is  a  farmer  near  Wood  River,  married 
Nora  Leonard,  and  they  have  four  children. 
Christina  is  the  wife  of  Henry  Swartz,  who 


owns  and  operates  a  farm  near  Stoneham, 
Colorado.  They  have  three  children.  Mr. 
Rickert  has  witnessed  many  changes  since  he 
came  first  to  Hall  County  and- his  stories  of 
people  and  events  of  early  days  possess  much 
interest. 


JOHN  A.  EWING,  who  is  one  of  the  rec- 
ognized capitalists  of  Hall  County,  came  to 
Wood  River  in  1872  with  his  widowed  mother, 
five  brothers  and  three  sisters.  He  was  bom 
in  Allegheny  County,  New  York,  September 
26,  1857,  a  son  of  Robert  and  Mary  (Furge- 
son)  Ewing,  both  of  whom  were  bom,  in 
Scotland.  Of  their  children  the  following  sur- 
vive :  Mrs.  Helen  Crawford,  Mrs.  Mary 
West,  John  A.,  and  Edward  F.  The  father 
died  in  1871. 

John  A.  Ewing  was  fourteen  years  old  when 
he  lost  his  father,  but  fortune  was  kind  to  him 
in  having  a  wise  and  resourceful  mother.  He 
attended  school  as  opportunity  was  afforded 
and  continued  to  work  on  the  farm,  agricul- 
tural pursuits  always  engaging  his  attention 
from  the  time  in  early  boyhood  when  he 
earned  his  first  money  by  dropping  corn  for 
a  wage  of  ten  cents  a  day.  Later  Mr.  Ewing 
taught  school  and  is  listed  with  the  early 
educators  here.  He  has  always  taken  an  inter- 
est in  the  public  schools,  and  for  four  years 
was  chairman  of  the  county  board  of  com- 
missioners that  not  only  built  the  new  county 
courthouse,  but  did  much  to-  place  the  schools 
on  their  present  solid  foundation.  Mr.  Ewing 
is  a  heavy  landowner,  his  possessions  aggre- 
gating seven  hundred  and  ten  acres,  all  lying 
in  Hall  County  except  three  hundred  and  ten 
acres  in  Lincoln  County. 

At  Wood  River,  Nebraska,  May  16,  1882, 
Mr.  Ewing  was  united  in  marriage  to  Miss 
Laura  B.  Dubbs.  Her  parents  were  William 
W.  and  Mary  E.  (Coy)  Dubbs,  who  had  chil- 
dren as  follows :  Mrs.  Laura  B.  Ewing,  Mrs. 
Etta  May  Rinderer,  Ralph  E.,  John  H.,  Mrs. 
Elizabeth  Holden,  Mrs.  Mary  M.  Tumey, 
Willard,  Walter,  George,  Marion  F.,  Raymond 
B.,  Emmett  C,  Mrs.  Inez  Frazell  and  Daniel. 
Mrs.  Ewing  came  to  Wood  River  in  the  spring 
of  1872.  She  is  an  active  worker  in  the  Chris- 
tian church. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ewing  five  children  have 
been  born:  Mary  G.,  William  R.,  John  A, 
James  A.  and  Theophilus  H.  The  last  named 
is  the  military  member  of  the  family  and  in 
the  soldier  section  of  this  work  will  be  found 
the  photograph  and  service  record  of  this 
young  hero.  Miss  Mary  G.  Ewing  was  grad- 
uated from  the  Wood  River  high  school.    For 


912 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


fifteen  years  she  served  most  acceptably  as  a 
teacher,  but  at  present  fills  a  responsible  posi- 
tion in  the  Quartermaster's  Department,  at 
Washington,  D.  C.  William  R.,  the  eldest  son, 
who  was  graduated  in  the  class  of  1904  from 
the  college  at  Fremont,  is  an  electrician.  He 
spent  one  year  in  the  State  University  and  has 
taught  school  for  three  years.  John  A.,  who 
assists  his  father,  lives  on  the  home  farm. 
James  A.,  who  is  farming  a  part  of  his  father's 
land,married  Florence  Ooley,  and  they  have 
three  children :  Beulah,  and  Laura  and 
Lawrence,  twins. 

Having  spent  so  many  years  in  Hall  County, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ewing  have  a  wide  acquaint- 
ance. The  entire  family  has  reflected  credit 
on  the  community  and  friendly  interest  is  felt 
for  all.  Mr.  Ewing  was  reared  in  the  Presby- 
terian faith.  He  is  a  member  6f  the  fraternal 
order  of  United  Workmen,  and  for  ten  years 
Mrs.  Ewing  was  financial  secretary  of  the 
Degree  of  Honor  while  she  resided  in  Cam- 
eron township. 


THOMAS  H.  CONNOR,  a  representative 
citizen  of  Hall  County,  is  a  substantial  farmer 
and  stock  raiser  in  Jackson  township,  where  he 
owns  a  large  body  of  highly  developed  land. 
Mr.  Connor  came  to  Hall  County  with  his  par- 
ents, more  than  forty  years  ago  and  he  has 
been  a  continuous  resident  in  the  neighbor- 
hood of  Wood  River  ever  since. 

Thomas  H.  Connor  was  born  at  Holmesburg, 
Pennsylvania,  July  4,  1861.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Catherine  (Welch)  Connor,  who 
had  the  following  children:  Thomas  H., 
Francis  P.,  Mrs.  Mary  Billert,  William  A., 
and  Mrs.  Catherine  Tallmire.  In  the  spring 
of  1878,  the  father  came  with  his  family  to 
Hall  County  and  bought  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  land  situated  two  miles  west  of 
Wood  River.  Thomas  H.  attended  school  be- 
fore the  family  removed  to  Nebraska,  and 
while  yet  a  boy  was  able  to  help  with  the 
family  income  by  working  in  a  calico  print 
factory  at  Holmesburg,  where  he  received  a 
wage  of  $4  a  week,  and  occasionally  had 
twenty-  five  cents  of  this  salary  to  devote  to 
his  own  entertainment.  After  coming  to  Hall 
County  he  assisted  his  father  and  afterward 
embarked  in  general  farming  and  stockraising 
on  his  own  account.  His  valuable  farm  of 
two  hundred  acres  is  located  three  and  a  half 
miles  west  of  Wood  River  and  all  of  it  is 
under  a  fine  state  of  cultivation  His  excellent 
improvements  include  a  handsome  modern  res- 
idence equipped  with  comforts  and  con- 
veniences. 


On  March  2,  1886,  Mr.  Connor  married 
Miss  Elizabeth  Quinlan,  the  ceremony  taking 
place  at  Omaha.  Mrs.  Connor  was  born  at 
Iowa  City,  Iowa,  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and 
Mary  (Camey)  Quinlan,  natives  of  Ireland, 
who  had  children  as  follows :  Mrs.  Margaret 
Shanahan,  Mrs.  Catherine  Dennis,  Michael. 
Mrs.  Ellen  Henley,  Mrs.  Mary  Power,  Wil- 
liam, Mrs.  Jennie  Baldwin,  Mrs.  Elizabeth 
Connor,  and  Mrs.  Alice  Reardon. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Connor  six  children  liave 
been  born:  William  P.,  in  the  drug  business 
at  Wood  River,  is  a  graduate  of  Creighton 
College  of  Pharmacy  in  Omaha,  married  Ellen 
Maughan  and  is  a  Fourth  degree  Knight  of 
Columbus ;  Charles  F.,  who  is  deceased ;  Leo 
T.  and  Charles  V.,  both  of  whom  have  hon- 
ored Hall  County  through  military  service, 
have  extended  mention  in  the  soldier  section 
of  this  work ;  Bernard  F.,  assisting  his  father 
on  the  farm,  and  Alice  M.,  in  school  at  Hast- 
ings, Nebraska.  Mr.  Connor  and  family  are 
all  faithful  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
church,  and  in  that  connection  and  every 
other,  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem.  Mr. 
Connor  is  a  Knight  of  Columbus  and  has  been 
a  tireless  worker  in  its  war  activities,  also  for 
the  Red  Cross  and  for  the  success  of  the 
Liberty  loans,  in  all  these  movements  earnestly 
working  for  what  true  American  citizenship 
means.  He  has  been  moderately  active  in  pol- 
itics, but  the  only  public  office  he  has  ever 
accepted  is  that  of  road  overseer,  which  office 
he  has  held  for  the  last  twelve  years.  He  be- 
longs to  the  order  of  Modern  Woodmen. 


DALE  P.  STOUGH,  District  Court  Re- 
porter for  the  Eleventh  Judicial  District,  with 
District  Judge  Bayard  H.  Paine,  is  the  Asso- 
ciate Editor  of  the  Hall  County  History.  Mr. 
Stough  has  compiled  the  greater  part  of  the 
statistical  matter  used  in  this  work,  and  has 
written  a  number  of  the  chapters  in  the 
history.  His  industry  and  initiative  have  been 
of  invaluable  assistance  to  the  editors  of  the 
work. 

Mr.  Stough  was  born  June  29,  1888.  at 
Bigelow,  Holt  County,  Missouri.  His  father. 
Charlie  Bion  Stough,  at  that  time  was  a  rail- 
road brakeman  on  the  St.  Joseph -Villisca 
branch  of  the  Burlington  railroad  system. 
For  a  short  time  his  father  worked  on  the  Si. 
Joseph  and  Grand  Island  road.  After  a  ven- 
ture in  the  grocery  business  in  St.  Joseph,  Mis- 
souri, the  father  of  the  subject  of  this  sketch 
returned  to  railroad  work,  residing  for  a  time 
at  Villisca,  Iowa,  and  moved  on  Dale's  fourth 
birthday  to  Creston,  Iowa.    Charlie  B.  Stough 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  913 


Dale  P.  Stough 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


914 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


came  from  a  family  that  had  lived  in  Ohio  and 
Pennsylvania  since  early  in  the  eighteenth 
century,  when  the  first  Stough  to  come  to 
America  fled  from  Germany  with  a  refugee 
German  princess.  His  mother's  family,  the 
Greenwalts,  were  a  Holland-Dutch  family. 
Mr.  Stough's  mother  was  Mina  Bigetow 
Stough,  a  descendant  of  the  old  English  family 
of  Bigelows. 

It  was  in  the  public  schools  of  Creston, 
Iowa,  that  Dale  received  his  education.  He 
was  graduated  from  the  Creston  high  school 
in  June,  1905.  A  year  later  he  finished  a  com- 
mercial course  from  the  Crest  City  Business 
College.  For  the  next  two  years  and  three 
months  he  was  engaged  as  a  local  reporter 
for  the  Creston  Daily  Morning  American,  and 
as  a  clerk  in  the  division  railroad  offices  of  the 
Chicago,  Burlington  and  Quincy  Railroad  at 
Creston  and  timekeeper  of  construction  work 
on  the  Western  Iowa  division  of  that  road. 
In  September,  1908,  he  came  to  Nebraska  and 
entered  the  law  school  of  the  State  University 
of  Nebraska.  During  his  freshman  year  in 
college  he  served  as  reporter  for  the  law 
school  on  the  Daily  Nebraskan. 

In  the  summer  of  1909,  Dale  went  to  Omaha 
and  worked  as  a  stenographer  in  the  general 
offices  of  the  Union  Pacific  Railroad,  until 
later  in  the  summer  when  he  became  registrar 
and  librarian  of  the  Creighton  Law  College, 
and  clerk  to  the  secretary  (now  dean)  Paul 
L.  Martin,  and  in  that  capacity  was  enabled  to 
complete  his  law  course.  He  received  his 
LL.  B.  degree  in  May  1911. 

After  considering  many  tentative  points  of 
location  for  the  practice  of  his  profession,  Mr. 
Stough  came  to  Grand  Island  in  June,  1911, 
and  prepared  to  open  a  law  office  in  the  Ryan 
Building.  In  a  few  weeks,  upon  consultation 
with  a  number  of  Grand  Island  lawyers,  he 
deciced  to  go  to  Ravenna,  where  there  was 
then  no  law  office  open  for  general  practice, 
and  practiced  there  that  summer.  But  in  the 
fall  of  that  year,  1911,  he  became  associated 
with  Former  Supreme  Judge  James  R.  Dean 
of  Broken  Bow,  returned  to  the  Supreme 
Bench  in  1917.  For  the  next  three  years  and 
a  half  he  practiced  law  in  Custer  and  adjoin- 
ing counties. 

During  his  residence  in  Ravenna  and 
Broken  Bow,  Mr.  Stough  served  at  both  places 
as  secretary  of  the  Retail  Merchants  Federa- 
tion. At  Broken  Bow,  Mr.  Stough  served  as 
superintendent  of  the  Sabbath  school  and  as 
clerk  of  the  church  of  his  affiliation,  St.  John's 
Episcopal.  In  political  circles  he  served  as 
secretary  of  Democratic  County  Central  Com- 


mittee and  secretary  of  the  Sixth  District  Con- 
gressional Committee  in  1912. 

In  January,  1915,  Mr.  Stough  went  to  Lin- 
coln to  become  secretary  to  Chief  Justice 
Conrad  Hollenbeck  of  the  Nebraska  Supreme 
Court.  Upon  Judge  Hollenbeck's  death, 
which  occurred  two  weeks  after  his  inaugura- 
tion, Mr.  Stough  remained  with  Chief  Justice 
Andrew  M.  Morrissey  for  three  years.  Dur- 
ing that  time  Mr.  Stough  was  author  of  the 
History  of  the  Nebraska  Supreme  Court, 
which  was  published  in  December,  1917,  by 
the  Lawyers'  Cooperative  Publishing  Com- 
pany of  Rochester,  New  York,  the  leading 
monthly  law  magazine,  "Case  and  Comment." 

In  December,  1917,  Mr.  Stough  returned  to 
Grand  Island,  as  District  Court  Reporter,  and 
took  up  his  residence  once  more  in  the  city 
of  his  choice. 

On  his  twenty-fifth  birthday  anniversary, 
June  29,  1913,  Mr.  Stough  was  united  in  mar- 
riage to  Miss  Cassie  Mary  Beeler,  of  Daven- 
port, Iowa.  At  the  time  of  her  marriage.  Miss 
Beeler  was  Dietitian  and  Assistant  Superin- 
tendent of  the  St.  Luke's  Hospital  of  Daven- 
port. They  have  one  child,  a  daughter,  Ida 
Mildred  Stough,  five  years  of  age.  Mrs. 
Stough  is  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John 
Beeler,  and  was  born  at  Perry,  Iowa.  She 
was  educated  in  Worth  ington,  Minnesota, 
Harris,  and  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  Her  father 
was  a  native  of  Wurtemberg  province,  and 
son  of  a  high  court  judge  in  that  state.  Her 
mother  was  born  in  Alsace-Lorraine  of  French 
and  German  parentage,  and  educated  in 
Zurich,  Switzerland.  Mrs.  Stough  has  three 
brothers  and  six  sisters,  living  in  Iowa  and 
Minnestota.  She  is  an  accomplished  musician. 
being  both  a  piano  and  violin  player,  and 
contralto  singer.  With  the  spread  of  the 
influenza  epidemic  during  the  past  year,  she 
temporarily  gave  up  her  musical  studies,  over- 
came the  difficulty  of  leaving  home  duties  and 
the  care  of  her  little  daughter  and  spent  con- 
siderable portion  of  her  time  nursing  the 
afflicted,  and  enrolled  in  the  Red  Cross  Home 
Defense.  In  December,  1918,  she  took  charge 
of  the  City  Emergency  Influenza  Hospital, 
which  was  then  conducted  in  the  old  Brewster 
Hotel  property  and  superintended  it  during 
the  last  weeks  of  its  career. 

Mr.  Stough  was  a  member  of  the  Lancaster 
County  Council  of  Defense  in  1917,  resigning 
when  he  came  to  Grand  Island.  During  1918 
he  served  as  a  four-minute  man  and  in  such 
other  ways  as  he  could.  He  is  a  close  student 
of  transportation  and  traffic  matters  with  a 
view  of  specializing  upon  that  phase  of  legal 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


915 


matters  upon  his  return  to  the  practice  in  the 
future. 


WILSON  H.  FULMER,  successfully  ope- 
rating a  farm  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres, 
situated  four  and  a  half  miles  west  of  Wood 
River,  in  section  22,  Jackson  township,  is  one 
of  Hall  County's  good  farmers  and  patriotic 
citizens.  He  was  born  in  Pennsylvania, 
March  10,  1862,  the  only  child  born  to  L.  B. 
and  Elizabeth  Fulmer.  His  father  fell  on  the 
battlefield  at  Gettysburg,  in  the  Civil  War. 

Wilson  H.  Fulmer  attended  the  public 
schools  and  made  his  own  way  from  youth, 
working  as  a  farmer  and  also  m  a  grist  mill. 
In  1900  he  came  to  Nebraska  and  two  years 
later  settled  in  Valley  County,  where  he  en- 
gaged in  farming  for  four  years.  The  next 
four  years  he  spent  in  Ohio  but  returned  to 
Valley  County,  from  which  section,  in  March, 
1918,  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  rented  the 
farm  in  Jackson  township. 

On  September  17,  1889,  Mr.  Fulmer  mar- 
ried at  Lockhaven,  Pennsylvania,  Miss  Emma 
J.  Allen.  Her  parents  were  Christopher  and 
Lydia  M.  (Horner)  Allen.  She  had  one 
sister,  Catherine,  who  is  deceased.  Six  chil- 
dren have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fulmer: 
Gertrude,  the  wife  of  William  Christiansen, 
of  Wood  River;  James  A.,  who  died  January 
20,  1919,  formerly  assisted  his  father  on  the 
farm;  Raymond  D.,  a  soldier  in  the  Army  of 
Occupation,  in  Germany,  is  particularly  men- 
tioned in  the  soldier  section  of  this  work; 
Zeola  H.,  who  resides  at  home,  is  a  graduate 
of  Davis  Creek  Academy,  in  Valley  County; 
Harvey  G.,  a  student  in  the  Wood  River  high 
school,  and  Ava  O.,  attending  school.  Mr. 
Fulmer  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Beside  parting  with  his 
son  for  service  in  the  World  War,  Mr.  Fulmer 
has  many  times  testified  to  his  good  American 
citizenship,  taking  an  interest  in  all  necessary 
war  work  and  investing  in  Liberty  bonds  to 
the  limit  of  his  means. 


MICHAEL  P.  HANNON,  owner  of  the 
Evergreen  Farm  and  one  of  the  leading  stock- 
men in  Hall  County,  has  spent  almost  his 
entire  life  on  Wood  River,  and  has  been  in 
the  cattle  business  since  boyhood.  He  was 
born  March  19,  1865,  in  Kentucky.  His  par- 
enter  were  Daniel  and  Mary  (Francis)  Han- 
non,  who  had  the  following  children:  Mich- 
ael, Sarah,  John,  Patrick,  Maria  and  Winnie. 
During  the  Civil  War  the  father  was  a  fireman 
on  a  gunboat,  and  shortly  after  its  close  came 


as  a  pioneer  to  Hall  County,  settling  near  the 
present  site  of  Wood  River. 

Michael  P.  Hannon  was  four  years  old 
when  his  parents  came  to  this  county,  their 
neighbors  in  1869  being:  Patrick  Neville, 
F.  C.  Dodge,  the  Lamberson  brothers,  James 
and  Patsy  Crane,  Thomas  Francis,  Patrick 
Dugan,  John  Mullen  and  Lawrence  Kilkeney. 
There  were  many  Pawnee  and  Omaha  Indians 
in  this  vicinity  and,  while  they  were  never 
considered  dangerous,  their  thievish  ways 
made  them  a  great  nuisance.  On  one  occasion 
as  Mr.  Hannon  relates,  the  family  dinner  was 
much  delayed  because  his  mother  had  trust- 
ingly hung  her  cooking  utensils  on  the  outside 
of  the  log  cabin  over  night,  only  to  find  them 
gone  in  the  morning  and  never  returned.  This 
was  a  calamity  for  in  those  times  it  was  not 
very  easy  to  replace  domestic  articles  of  any 
kind.  Mr.  Hannon  was  eight  years  old  when 
the  Wood  River  settlement  experienced  the 
greatest  storm  that  has  ever  swept  over  Hall 
County,  in  which  hundreds  of  cattle  perished 
in  the  Platte  River. 

From  boyhood  Mr.  Hannon  has  devoted 
himself  to  agricultural  pursuits  and  has  made 
Evergreen  Farm  notable  because  of  its  fine 
products.  With  the  first  money  he  earned 
he  bought  a  calf ;  that  was  the  beginning  of  a 
business  in  cattle  that  has  made  turn  the  fore- 
most factor  in  the  cattle  industry  in  the 
county.  He  feeds  and  ships  from  three  to 
seven  car  loads  annually.  His  beautiful  estate 
consisting  of  four  hundred  and  eighty  acres, 
is  situated  in  Jackson  township,  four  miles 
west  of  Wood  River,  and  he  is  said  to  have 
some  of  the  finest  alfalfa  land  in  the  state, 
-isnq  3}iun33B  '[tipieo  'uaaif  joj  uouemd^j  b 
He  would  not  consider  less  than  $250  an  acre 
for  any  of  his  land,  which  is  quite  an  advance 
over  the  price  his  father  paid  in  1869  when  he 
settled  one  and  one-half  miles  east  of  Shelton. 

On  June  7,  1893,  Mr.  Hannon  married  Miss 
Bridget  O'Brien,  a  daughter  of  Patrick  and 
Mary  (McCue)  O'Brien,  and  they  have  had  a 
family  of  nine  sturdy  sons  born  to  them: 
Daniel,  a  fanner  and  in  the  stock  business 
near  Shelton,  was  educated  at  Wood  River 
and  in  the  Grand  Island  Business  college,  is 
an  Elk  and  a  Knight  of  Columbus ;  Edward 
F.,  about  completing  his  law  course  in  Creigh- 
ton  College,  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus ;  Earl,  preparing  to  enter  the  agricultural 
school  of  the  State  University;  Howard,  a 
high  school  student  in  Wood  River,  and  Mich- 
ael P.,  William  M.,  Charles  R.,  Walter  J.  and 
Gordon,  all  of  whom  are  at  home.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hannon  may  well  be  proud  of  this  fine 
family,  all  of  whom  have  been  carefully  reared 


916 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


in  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  Mr.  Hannon 
has  always  taken  an  active  part  in  township 
affairs  and  has  been  particularly  useful  in  the 
matter  of  the  public  schools.  Largely  owing 
to  his  earnest  efforts  Jackson  township  has 
its  first  class  school  with  two  competent  teach- 
ers that  carry  the  pupils  as  far  as  the  tenth 
grade.  He  has  been  assessor  of  Jackson  town- 
ship continuously  since  1898,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  four  years.  In  all  war  work,  he  has 
proved  untiringly  patriotic,  and  is  chairman 
of  the  Council  of  Defense. 


T.  H.  FRITTS.  —  Long  before  the  world 
had  any  conception  of  the  mighty  uses  to 
which  electricity  might  sometime  be  applied, 
there  were  scientific  investigators  who  gave 
close  study  to  everything  pertaining  to  this 
force  as  then  known,  and  thereby  made  the 
discoveries  that  have  been  so  revolutionary  in 
almost  every  line  of  activity.  It  was  about  a 
quarter  of  a  century  ago  that  T.  H.  Fritts,  who 
is  so  well  known  in  Grand  Island  became  inter- 
ested in  the  electrical  business,  which  interest 
has  continued  to  the  present  day.  He  is  vice- 
president  of  the  Central  Power  Company  of 
Grand  Island. 

T.  H.  Fritts  was  born  in  Lyons,  Burt 
County,  Nebraska,  November  3,  1872,  a  son 
of  Gideon  and  Martha  A.  (Cockrell)  Fritts. 
They  were  born  and  married  in  Ohio  and 
moved  from  there  to  Burt  County  in  the  early 
sixties.  The  father  acquired  land  on  which 
he  lived  until  his  death  in  1914,  at  the  age  of 
seventy-  nine  years.  Mr.  Fritts'  mother  still 
lives  on  the  old  home  place.  Of  their  seven 
children  the  following  survive:  W.  J.,  who 
lives  on  the  old  homestead  in  Burt  County ; 
a  daughter,  now  Mrs.  Eckleen,  lives  in  Lyons ; 
the  subject  of  this  review  who  has  lived  at 
Grand  Island  for  the  past  thirteen  years,  and 
Arcelia,  who  lives  with  her  mother  in  Burt 
County. 

Gideon  Fritts  was  one  of  the  founders  of 
the  Presbyterian  church  in  Burt  County  and 
the  first  organized  meeting  of  the  congrega- 
tion was  in  his  house.  He  gave  liberally  to 
church  purposes  and  was  the  largest  donator 
to  the  church  which  yet  stands  on  the  main 
street  in  Lyons.  In  his  political  convictions  he 
was  a  Democrat.  Before  coming  to  Nebraska 
as  a  permanent  resident  he  had  been  a  soldier 
in  the  army  during  the  Civil  War  and  as  long 
as  he  lived  was  a  rigid  supporter  of  temper- 
ance, law  and  order. 

Mr.  Fritts  had  the  educational  advantages 
afforded  by  the  elementary  and  high  schools 
of  his  community  and  then  became  employed 


as  an  apprentice  in  the  electrical  business  in 
South  Omaha,  being  engaged  in  various 
branches  of  this  industry  for  seven  years.  For 
two  years  he  was  otherwise  occupied,  before 
returning  to  the  business  in  which  he  was 
trained,  taking  charge  of  an  electrical  plant  at 
Wayne,  Nebraska,  for  five  years.  In  June. 
1906,  he  came  to  Grand  Island  to  become 
manager  and  vice-president  of  the  Central 
Power  Company,  in  which  he  is  financially 
interested.  His  time  is  largely  taken  up  with 
the  duties  of  this  position  as  he  has  charge 
of  all  the  company  property  in  seventeen 
towns  in  Nebraska,  to  which  electric  power  is 
supplied. 

Mr.  Fritts  was  married  in  March,  1892,  to 
Miss  Josephine  Higley,  who  was  born  in 
Decatur,  Nebraska,  a  daughter  of  Lewis  D. 
Higley,  who  settled  in  the  early  eighties  in 
Burt  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fritts  have  two 
children:  Victor,  who  is  connected  with  the 
Western  Electric  Company  of  Chicago,  and 
Bernadine,  the  wife  of  Robert  E.  Pfeiflfer. 
who  is  manager  of  the  Central  Power  Com- 
pany's plant  at  Kearney.  Mr.  Fritts  is  an 
earnest  and  public  spirited  citizen  but  is  not 
unduly  active  in  politics,  being  an  independent 
voter.  Fraternally  he  is  identified  with  Lodge 
No.  604  Elks,  Grand  Island. 


JESSE  C.  BURKERD.  a  highly  esteemed 
retired  citizen  of  Wood  River,  has  been  identi- 
fied with  the  development  of  Hall  County  for 
almost  fifty  years.  He  is  the  owner  of  a  large 
amount  of  valuable  property  in  the  county  and 
of  choice  real  estate  in  Wood  River.  He  was 
born  in  the  city  of  Milwaukee,  Wisconsin. 
August  7,  1849.  His  parents  were  John  and 
Hannah  (Siverly)  Burkerd.  Of  their  fourteen 
children  but  three  are  living:  Mrs.  Theresa 
Wise,  Jesse  C.  and  Julius  W.  The  parents 
were  natives  of  Germany.  They  settled  in 
Milwaukee  after  reaching  the  United  States, 
where  the  father  was  a  carpenter  and  ship 
builder,  and  in  1852  removed  to  Appleton. 
Wisconsin,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  until 
his  death  in  1862. 

Jesse  C.  Burkerd  was  three  years  old  when 
the  family  settled  near  Appleton  and  he  re- 
mained at  home  until  his  father's  death,  when 
he  joined  his  brother  Nicholas,  at  Clinton. 
Illinois.  While  attending  school  near  his 
brother's  farm,  he  worked  for  board  ahtl 
clothes  for  two  and  a  half  years,  and  worked 
for  other  farmers  in  De  Witt  County  for 
seven  years,  until  he  came  to  Hall  County 
and  took  an  eighty  acre  homestead  inside  the 
railroad  limits.     This  was  in  1871.     Later  he 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


917 


bought  two  hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  ad- 
joining railroad  land,  paying  $5  an  acre.  This 
land  Mr.  Burkerd  saill  owns  and  it  is  at  least 
worth  $125  an  acre  today.  He  continued  on 
the  farm  during  many  years  but  in  1888 
secured  a  satisfactory  tenant  and  moved  into 
Wood  River,  where  he  owns  the  handsome 
residence  in  which  he  has  lived  since. 

On  March  18,  1873,  Mr.  Burkerd  married 
Miss  Achsah  J.  Guy,  who  was  born  at  Me- 
chanicsburg,  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  Samuel  K. 
and  Calista  (Plummer)  Guy,  who  had  the 
following  children :  Wesley,  Milton,  Achsah, 
Aden  and  Mary.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burkerd  have 
had  three  children :  Nellie  and  Nettie,  twins, 
and  Frederick.  Nellie,  deceased,  was  the  wife 
of  C.  W.  Hooton.  She  is  survived  by  three 
children :  Erma  A.,  the  wife  of  Elmer 
Wiggin,  of  Wood  River ;  and  Alice  and  Law- 
rence Hooton,  both  of  whom  live  with  their 
grandparents  in  Wood  River.  Nettie  is  the 
wife  ef  Edwin  Rounds,  in  the  furniture  and 
undertaking  business  at  Wood  River.  They 
have  two  daughters.  Frederick  Burkerd  is 
a  graduate  of  the  Wood  River  high  school, 
and  is  also  a  graduate  pharmacist.  He  is  con- 
ducting a  drug  store  in  Scotia,  Nebraska.  He 
married  Emma  Shimmerman.  They  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Burkerd  are  active  workers 
in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Wood 
River  and  are  interested  in  many  worthy  char- 
ities and  public  welfare  movements.  They 
have  a  wide  social  circle  both  in  town  and 
country.  Mr.  Burkerd  has  been  a  very  suc- 
cessful man  in  his  business  undertakings,  and 
in  his  time  has  handled  money  in  large 
amounts,  but  he  has  never  forgotten  the  first 
twelve  cents  he  ever  earned,  by  directing  a 
stranger  through  a  belt  of  pine  timber..  To 
this  first  capital  he  kept  gradually  adding  until 
it  amounted  to  twenty-two  cents  and  then  he 
became  the  proud  owner  of  what  every  boy 
longs  for,  a  pocket  knife.  He  relates  a  story 
of  his  early  boyhood  that  has  probably  been 
retained  in  memory  because  of  the  impression 
a  day  of  real  enjoyment  left  to  a  little  boy 
whose  pleasures  were  neither  varied  nor 
numerous.  It  was  on  a  memorable  Fourth  of 
July  that  his  father  gave  Jesse  and  his 
brother  Lewis  five  cents  each,  with  which  to 
celebrate  the  day  in  proper  manner.  The  mere 
matter  of  walking  four  miles  to  the  scene  of 
patriotic  goings  on  and  with  the  certainty  of 
having  to  walk  the  distance  back,  did  not  in 
the  least  interfere  with  their  anticipations  of 
pleasure.  They  sturdily  trudged  off  and 
reached  Bachelor's  Hill  warm  and  thirsty. 
Jesse  immediately  expended  his  fortune  in  a 


glass  of  cooling  liquid  which  the  brothers 
divided,  while  Lewis  saved  his  for  fire  crack- 
ers that  had  to  be  exploded  before  dark  be- 
cause the  lads  remembered  that  the  chores 
awaited  their  home  coming,  and  they  did  not 
dare  delay.  At  last  two  tired  and  happy  boys 
reached  the  home  farm  and  probably  their 
day's  adventures  served  them  for  conversation 
many  months  afterward.  Mr.  Burkerd  laughs 
heartily  as  he  tells  this  story  and  its  pathos 
will  be  echoed  in  the  heart  of  many  another 
who  reads  it,  remembering  a  boyhood  that  had 
more  serious  tasks  than  opportunity  for 
healthy  "fun." 


EDGAR  SAMUEL  LEAVENWORTH. 
—  Some  one  has  said,  "Expect  great  things, 
attempt  great  things  and  great  tilings  will 
result."  This  may  not  be  true  in  every  case, 
but  in  the  life  of  the  subject  of  this  record  it 
most  undoubtedly  is. 

Edgar  Samuel  Leavenworth  is  a  native  of 
the  Green  Mountain  State,  and  was  born  at 
Hinesburg,  Chittenden  County,  not  far  from 
Lake  Champlain,  March  6,  1859.  His  parents 
were  Abel  E.  and  Mary  G.  Leavenworth,  both 
of  whom  are  now  deceased.  Abel  E.  Leaven- 
worth was  an  honored  veteran  of  the  Civil 
War,  serving  as  Captain  of  Company  K,  Ver- 
mont Volunteers.  He  was  a  finely  educated 
man  and  for  twenty  years  was  principal  of  the 
Vermont  State  Normal  School. 

Edgar  S.  had  exceptional  educational  ad- 
vantages and  graduated  from  Beaman 
Academy,  at  New  Haven,  Vermont.  His  first 
business  venture  was  when  a  young  man  of 
nineteen  he  engaged  in  a  mercantile  enterprise, 
on  borrowed  capital,  with  an  experience  of  only 
three  years  as  a  clerk  in  a  store  in  New  Haven. 
He  successfully  conducted  this  business  until 
1880,  when  he  disposed  of  the  business  and 
went  to  Dakota  Territory,  establishing  himself 
in  the  same  line  of  business  at  what  is  now 
Melville,  North  Daktota,  becoming  a  pioneer 
in  the  community.  When  Foster  County  was 
organized  he  was  elected  its  first  treasurer 
and  held  the  office  two  terms. 

Subsequently  he  became  a  resident  of  Hall 
County,  locating  at  Wood  River,  where  he 
now  owns  six  hundred  and  seventy  acres  of 
land  and  is  accounted  one  of  the  substantial 
men  of  the  county.  For  twenty-two  years 
Mr.  Leavenworth  has  made  a  specialty  of 
feeding  sheep  and  his  operations  in  this  line 
have  reached  extensive  proportions,  feeding  as 
high  as  forty-eight  thousand  head  in  one  year. 
Other  enterprises  have  been  benefitted  by  the 
sound  judgment  and  keen  business  ability  of 


918 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Mr.  Leavenworth  and  his  name  is  on  the  direc- 
torate of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Wood 
River. 

October  30,  1884,  was  solemnized  the  mar- 
riage of  Edgar  S.  Leavenworth  and  Miss 
Emma  E.  Gifford,  a  daughter  of  Henry  O. 
Gifford.  They  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
hyterian  church,  and  in  politics  Mr.  Leaven- 
worth is  a  Republican.  He  is  also  a  thirty- 
second  degree  Mason,  and  is  a  member  of  the 
Shrine  and  Knight  Templar  orders.  He  is 
public  spirited  to  a  high  degree  and  is  presi- 
dent of  the  commercial  club,  and  belongs  to 
the  order  of  the  Loyal  Legion. 


MRS.  ELIZABETH  HORN,  one  of  Wood 
River's  most  highly  esteemed  residents,  has 
passed  the  greater  part  of  her  life  in  Hall 
County.  She  was  born  in  Germany,  Septem- 
ber 30,  1860.  Her  parents  were  Carl  and  Mary 
(Sweiger)  Schultz,  both  of  whom  were  born  in 
Germany.  They  had  seven  children,  four 
daughters  and  three  sons.  The  father  was  a 
carpenter  by  trade,  a  good  workman  and  a  man 
of  steady  habits,  but  as  he  saw  only  a  poor  fu- 
ture ahead  of  him  in  his  native  province,  with 
a  family  growing  up  around  him,  he  decided  to 
emigrate  to  America  and  endeavor  to  secure 
land  in  the  hope  of  succeeding  as  a  farmer. 
He  came  to  the  United  States  reaching  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska,  in  1871,  and  in  the  following 
year  homesteaded  five  and  a  half  miles  south- 
east of  Wood  River,  in  Hall  County.  His 
family  joined  him  there  in  1873,  and  on  that 
old  homestead  Mrs.  Horn  lived  until  her 
marriage.  Her  people,  like  other  pioneers  in 
this  section,  had  to  work  hard  in  order  to  make 
a  living,  but  they  were  naturally  industrious 
-  and  frugal  and  they  succeeded  much  better 
than  many  others. 

On  September  22,  1875,  Elizabeth  Schultz 
was  married  to  Mildred  Horn,  in  Grand  Is- 
land, Nebraska.  He  also  was  a  native  of 
Germany,  born  in  Bavaria,  and  was  only  nine- 
teen years  old  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  and  was  a  young  man  yet  when  he  en- 
listed for  service  in  the  Civil  War.  He  served 
three  years  as  a  member  of  the  Sixty-eighth 
New  York  Infantry,  participating  in  several 
great  battles,  and  was  twice  wounded.  By 
trade  he  was  a  shoemaker  and  after  the  war 
was  over  he  came  to  Sidney,  Nebraska,  where 
he  conducted;  a  shop  until  1873,  when  he 
came  to  Grand  Island.  Soon  after  their  mar- 
riage, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horn  went  to  Fort  Hart- 
soff,  where  he  conducted  a  shoemaking  shop 
for  two  years,  working  mainly  for  the  soldiers 
at  the  fort.    In  1877  he  built  a  shoe  shop  at 


Wood  River,  which  he  operated  for  twenty- 
nine  years.  Ill  health  fell  upon  him,  however, 
and  he  had  to  give  up  work,  and  for  a  number 
of  years  prior  to  his  death,  which  occurred 
June  1,  1913,  he  had  been  an  invalid,  tenderly 
taken  care  of  by  his  faithful  wife. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Horn's  two  oldest  children 
were  the  first  born  in  Wood  River.  There 
are  five  of  the  family  living  today,  namely: 
Mary  M.,  Charles  P.,  Henry  W.,  Anna  B. 
and  Otto  J.  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  oi  Otto 
Abraham,  a  machinist  at  Gering,  Nebraska. 
They  have  five  children  and  are  members  of  the 
Presbyterian  church.  Charles  P.  is  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  Foster  Lumber  Company,  at  Pick- 
rell,  Gage  County,  Nebraska.  He  married 
Lena  Lawson  and  they  have  three  children. 
They  belong  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church,  and  he  is  a  Mason.  Henry  W.  is 
foreman'  of  a  lumber  yard  at  Basin,  Wyom- 
ing. He  married  Nina  Teesinger  and  they 
have  one  son.  They  attend  the  Methodist 
Episcopal  church,  and  he  is  a  Mason.  Anna 
B.  and  Otto  J.  both  reside  with  their  mother 
in  the  comfortable  residence  she  owns  in 
Wood  River,  to  which  she  has  but  recently 
welcomed  home  this  youngest  son,  who  de- 
serves extended  mention  for  he  is  a  hero  of 
the  great  World  War  now  mercifully  ended. 

No  history  of  any  section  of  the  United 
States  will  be  complete  if  it  eliminates  the 
story  of  the  heroic  actions  of  the  gallant  men 
who  marched  into  what  were  for  many  the  very 
jaws  of  death,  in  a  foreign  land,  with  almost 
unbelievable'  courage,  and  the  wounds  that 
many  must  bear  during  the  rest  of  their  lives, 
should  by  every  one  be  esteemed  noble  badges 
of  honor.  In  giving  the  interesting  military 
record  of  Otto  J.  Horn,  it  may  properly  be 
recalled  that  his  father  was  a  brave  soldier  of 
the  United  States  in  Qther  days,  and  that 
courage  and  loyalty  are  but  natural  inherit- 
ances. 

Otto  J.  Horn  enlisted  March  4,  1918;  was 
sent  to  a  medical  school  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas 
where  he  was  trained  four  weeks,  and  then 
was  sent  to  Camp  Crane,  Allentown,  Pennsyl- 
vania. After  two  'veeks  of  training  there,  be 
was  attached  to  a  medical  unit  that  left  an 
American  port  April  14,  1918,  on  the  United 
States  vessel  Von  Steuben,  formerly  a  Ger- 
man raider,  the  Crown  Prince  Wilhelm.  This 
ship  was  a  part  of  the  great  northern  convoy, 
and  was  attacked  by  a  German  submarine 
when  about  three  days  off  the  coast  of  Ireland, 
but  reached  Brest  France,  on  April  20,  19I& 
Two  days  later  Mr.  Horn  left  Brest  for  * 
casual  replacement  company  at  Blois,  France, 
where  he  was  assigned  to  Ambulance  Compaq* 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


919 


No.  2  of  the  First  Division.  This  company 
was  sent  to  the  front  on  May  27th,  to  the 
sector  known  as  Death  Valley.  While  Mr. 
Hom  was  busy  performing  his  dangerous  duty 
of  helping  carry  off  the  wounded  to  the  rear, 
his  protective  mask  was  shot  off  his  face  by 
shrapnel,  but  he  immediately  put  on  another 
mask  and  continued  his  merciful  work,  when 
the  second  mask  was  shot  from  his  face.  By 
this  time  he  was  so  nearly  overcome  by  the 
enemy's  gas  that  he  hardly  had  strength  to 
stagger  to  the  form  of  a  soldier  already  dead, 
wrench  off  the  mask  from  one  who  would  never 
need  it  again.  He  adjusted  it  to  his  own  face 
but  then  lost  consciousness.  For  eighteen 
hours  he  lay  undiscovered,  then  was  rushed  to 
a  hospital  where  he  was  a  patient  for  five 
weeks.  He  was  then  transferred  from  the  am- 
bulance company  to  Company  D,  Sixteenth 
Infantry,  First  Division,  which  was  sent  on 
July  18,  into  the  memorable  fight  of  Chateau 
Thierry.  Again  he  was  wounded  by  shrapnel 
and  being  injured  in  three  places,  was  carried 
from  the  field  and  for  seven  weeks  lay  in  a 
hospital  recovering  from  his  injuries,  when 
he  was  again  sent  back  to  his  old  organization. 
On  September  17,  while  making  preparations 
with  his  company  for  the  big  drive  on  St. 
.  Mihiel,  he  fell  on  the  field  from  shell  shock 
and  lay  there  for  three  days  before  he  was 
discovered.  Again  he  was  in  the  hospital  and 
remained  there  until  November  21,  when  he 
found  himself  sailing  for  home  on  the  ship 
Nansemond,  which  arrived  at  Hoboken  on 
December  7,  after  a  stormy  voyage.  He  was 
sent  to  Ellis  Island  Hospital  and  on  January 
21,  1919,  was  discharged  on  the  surgeon's 
certificate  of  disability,  at  Plattsburg,  New 
York,  reaching  his  home  and  his  rejoicing 
mother  four  days  later.  Mr.  Horn  is  very 
modest  concerning  his  bravery  but  his  friends 
and  fellow  citizens  are  proud  of  him. 


MARCUS  R.  ABBOTT,  one  of  Hall 
County's  representative  men  for  many  years, 
an  early  settler  near  Wood  River  and  a  de- 
pendable man  in  every  relation  of  life,  was 
born  at  Hatley,  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
February  15,  1844,  and  died  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  May  4,  1912.  He  was  the  third 
in  a  family  of  seven  children  born  to  Abiel 
B.  and  Sabra  (Young)  Abbott,  the  others  be- 
ing: Edward  K.,  Othman  A.,  Mrs.  Luella 
Stokes,  Ai  H.,  Mrs.  Martha  North,  and 
Edgar  P. 

The  parents  of  Marcus  Riley  Abbott  moved 
from  Canada  to  Illinois  in  his  boyhood  and 
he  xompleted  his  education  at  Belvidere,   in 


Boone  County,  where  he  was  graduated  from 
the  high  school,  He  served  through  three 
years  of  the  Civil  War,  and  was  a  corporal  in' 
Company  G,  Ninety-fifth  Illinois  volunteer 
infantry,  that  participated  in  the  battles  of 
Shiloh  and  Vicksburg,  and  was  distinguished 
with  his  comrades  for  many  exhibitions  of 
personal  bravery.  In  1867  he  accompanied' 
his  brother,  Othman  A,  Abbot,  to  Hall  County, 
the  latter  locating  in  Grand  Island,  Marcus 
R.,  however  continuing  farther  west  and  for 
a  time  worked  on  a  ranch  in  California.  In 
1872  he  returned  to  Hall  County  and  took  up 
a  homestead  situated  four  miles  south  of 
Wood  River,  which  property,  many  times  en- 
hanced in  value,  belongs  to  his  surviving 
family.  In  those  early  years  of  occupancy, 
Mr.  Abbott  added  to  his  income  by  working 
as  a  clerk  at  times  in  the  general  store  of 
James  Jackson,  in  Wood  River,  and  also 
taught  school  in  District  No.  S,  where  old 
Wood  River  was  started  in  1867.  For  thirty- 
five  years  Mr.  Abbott  remained  on  his  farm, 
having  developed  and  improved  it  until  it  is 
one  of  the  most  attractive  and  valuable  prop- 
erties in  the  county.  He  continued  to  add 
to  his  acreage  until  he  owned  four  hundred 
and  eighty  acres  of  fine  land,  a  tribute  to  his 
industry  and  business  judgment  He  was  wide- 
ly known  and  was  always  identified  with  the 
worthy  enterprises  that  proved  beneficial  to 
this  section.  He  was  a  charter  member  of  the 
Masonic  Lodge  in  Wood  River. 

In  her  father's  home,  four  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  Wood  River,  on  November  26, 
1876,  Mr.'  Abbott  married  Miss  Carrie  E. 
Weldon,  who  was  born  in  Oswego  County, 
New  York,  July  5,  1859,  third  of  four  chil- 
dren born  to  James  M.  and  Jane  (Irving) 
Weldon,  who  had  two  other  daughters  and  one 
son:  Fidelia  and  Adelia,  twins,  and  James 
M.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Abbott  served  in  a 
heavy  artilley  regiment  from  New  York  dur- 
ing the  entire  period  of  the  Civil  War,  and 
escaping  all  its  dangers,  continued  a  soldier  in 
the  United  States  army  two  years  longer.  Mrs. 
Abbott  was  liberally  educated.  Prior  to  com- 
ing to  Hall  County  in  1873,  she  was  a  stu- 
dent in  the  high  school  of  Sand  Creek,  New 
York,  afterward  attending  school  in  Grand 
Island  during  the  fall  of  1873  and  the  spring 
of  1874.  During  the  fall  of  1875  and  spring 
of  1876,  she  taught  school  in  district  27,  four 
miles  southwest  of  Wood  River,  further  teach- 
ing experience  being  interrupted  by  her  mar- 
riage in  November  of  the  latter  year  to  Marcus 
R.  Abbott.  For  thirty-five  years  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Abbott  resided  on  their  homestead,  as  men- 
tioned above,  but  since  Mr.  Abbott's  death  she 


920 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


has  occupied  her  attractive,  comfortable  resi- 
dence in  Wood  River.  Two  children  were  bom 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Abbott,  a  daughter  and  a 
son,  Sabra  J.  and  Roscoe  C.  The  former, 
principal  of  the  Wood  River  high  school,  is  a 
graduate  of  this  school  and  also  the  Baptist 
College,  Grand  Island.  She  resides  with  her 
mother  and  both  are  prominent  in  the  city's 
church  and  social  life.  The  latter,  a  graduate 
of  the  Wood  River  high  school  and  of  the 
Nebraska  State  University,  has  been  instruc- 
tor in  chemistry  in  the  university  for  the  last 
four  years.  He  married  Miss  Hazel  Gooden, 
a  daughter  of  Albert  L.  and  Emma  (Fee) 
Gooden,  and  they  have  one  daughter,  Barbara. 
Mrs.  Abbott  is  a  member  of  the  Eastern 
Star  and  during  two  terms  was  worthy  ma- 
tron. During  the  past  two  years  she  has  been 
a  faithful,  indefatigable  worker  in  the  Red 
Cross  movement,  being  chairman  of  the  organ- 
ization at  Wood  River,  which  may  well  be 
proud  of  what  it  has  accomplished  in  the  great 
and  merciful  work  in  which  is  has  so  patriotic- 
ally engaged,  there  being  to  its  credit  2,000  hos- 
pital garments,  1,800  knitted  articles  and  8,000 
surgical  dressings.  Both  she  and  daughter  are 
active  members  of  the  Presbyterian  church  and 
their  benefactions  to  many  charities  will  never 
be  wholly  known. 


SAMUEL  A.  SHERRERD.  —  One  of  the 
representative  men  of  Hall  County  well  and 
favorably  known  over  its  entire  extent,  is  Sam- 
uel A.  Sherrerd',  a  prominent  merchant  in 
Wood  River.  He  came  first  to  Hall  County  in 
1S77  but  did  not  establish  a  permanent  resi- 
dence until  about  a  decade  later.  Mr.  Sherrerd 
is  a  notable  example  of  a  self-made  man,  and 
the  story  of  his  progress  from  orphaned  child- 
hood to  his  place  among  men  of  worth  and  re- 
sponsibility, teems  with  human  interest.  It  illus- 
trates the  positive  value  of  industrial  persist- 
ency and  personal  integrity. 

Samuel  A.  Sherrerd  was  born  at  Scranton, 
Pennsylvania,  January  14,  1860.  His  parents 
were  John  and  Rachel  (Furman)  Sherrerd, 
natives  of  Pennsylvania,  both  of  whom  died 
when  Samuel  A.,  their  fifth  child  was  but  two 
years  old.  Their  other  children  were :  Frank, 
William,  Mary,  and  Mrs.  Lydia  Bennett.  By 
a  former  marriage  Mrs.  Sherrerd  had  one 
daughter,  now  Mrs.  Emma  Gilmore.  The 
father  was  an  educated  man  and  for  some 
■  years  was  a  bookkeeper  for  the  Scranton  Coal 
and  Iron  Company. 

When  orphanage  fell  upon  him,  Samuel  A. 
Sherrerd  was  not  left  a  public  charge  for  he 
had   a  warm  hearted   aunt,   Mrs.   Samantha 


Shipman,  who  took  him  to  her  home  and  cared 
for  him  until  he  was  six  years  old,  when  it 
was  thought  best  by  his  relatives  that  he 
should  go  to  his  uncle,  Peter  Barber,  who 
conducted  a  drug  store.  It  is  probable  that 
Mr.  Barber  aimed  to  make  a  druggist  of  his 
nephew  and  while  attending  school  Samuel 
assisted,  as  a  dependable  boy  can,  in  various 
ways  about  the  house  and  in  the  store  and 
picked  up  a  not  inconsiderable  knowledge  of 
business.  It  seems,  however,  that  his  natural 
inclinations  were  not  along  the  line  of  his 
uncle's  business  and  therefore  the  trade  he 
started  to  learn  was  that  of  a  jeweler.  When 
he  was  fifteen  years  old  he  left  the  shelter  of 
his  uncle's  home  and  went  to  Philadelphia 
where  he  secured  a  position  with  the  firm  of 
Lippincott  and  Company,  manufacturers  of 
soda  water  and  equipments,  who  had  a  con- 
cession at  the  Centennial  Exposition.  Two 
years  later,  in  1877,  he  came  to  Hall  Count; 
and  in  considering  the  business  field  offered 
by  the  pleasant  little  village  of  Wood  River, 
he  noted  the  following  business  houses:  a 
general  store  conducted  by  A.  G.  Hollister  and 
James  Jackson ;  Edward  McDermott's  black- 
smith shop;  Charles  Horn's  shoe  store;  Dr. 
Gibson's  drug  store;  James  Kennedy's  saloon; 
James  A.  Shick's  hotel ;  a  livery  stable  con- 
ducted by  James  Williams  and  Carl  White: 
an  old  stone  burr  fiour  mill  operated  by  the 
Thorp  Brothers ;  and  a  one-mule  dray  line  run 
by  Fred  Swartz. 

None  of  these  business  enterprises  appeal- 
in  to  Mr.  Sherrerd,  so  he  went  to  the  farm 
of  his  uncle  Joseph  Furman,  who  lived  one 
mile  north  of  Wood  River  and  hired  out  to 
him  as  a  general  helper.  He  remained  on  the 
farm  long  enough  to  learn  the  harnessing  of 
a  team  and  the  use  of  a  plough,  but  soon  de- 
cided that  still  another  line  of  work  would  be 
more  congenial  if  he  could  find  it.  He  was 
young  enough  to  welcome  adventure  and  this 
he  found  on  many  occasions  after  he  reached 
Walcott,  Wyoming.  For  three  years  he  was 
a  cowboy  in  that  state.  He  then  made  his 
way  to  Fort  Collins,  Colorado,  and  it  may  be 
said  that  there,  for  the  first  time,  he  went  into 
the  line  of  work  for  which  nature  evidently 
intended  him,  becoming  an  employe  in  a  dry 
goods  store  and  continued  there  until  he  re- 
turned to  Wood  River,  Nebraska,  having  main- 
tained, during  these  years  of  absence,  friendly 
communication  with  a  number  of  its  residents. 
When  Mr.  Sherrerd  settled  here  perroanentiy. 
he  went  into  the  jewelry  business,  but  through 
subsequent  expansion  he  has  become  proprie- 
tor of  one  of  the  largest  general  mercantile 
establishments  in  this  section  of  the  couaty. 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


921 


In  1907  he  erected  his  handsome  cement  and 
stone  business  building,  with  dimensions  thirty 
eight  by  ninety-five  feet  situated  on  the  cor- 
ner of  Ninth  and  Main  streets.  Wood  River.  In 
addition  he  owns  a  beautiful  modern  residence. 
He  has  always  been  a  careful,  conservative 
man  in  business  and  when  serving  in  public 
office,  as  he  frequently  has  done,  has  main- 
tained the  same  attitude.  Mr.  Sherrerd  was 
postmaster  of  Wood  River  during  the  entire 
administration  of  President  McKinley,  and 
subsequqently,  at  different  times,  has  served 
as  a  member  of  the  town  board. 

At  Wood  River,  November  15,  1888,  Mr. 
Sherrerd  married  Miss  Cora  Shick,  who  was 
born  in  Ohio,  a  daughter  of  James  and  Chris- 
tina (Morrison)  Shick,  who  had  other  chil- 
dren, as  follows :  Mrs.  Addie  E.  McElvain, 
Mrs.  Bessie  Root,  Welcome,  Frank  and 
Elizabeth  Mercer.  Five  children  were  born 
to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherrerd:  Earl,  who  was  a 
soldier  in  training  at  Camp  Funston  for  ser- 
vice in  the  World  War  when  the  peace  armis- 
tice was  signed;  Ruth,  the  wife  of  Tracy  F. 
Tyler,  a  teacher  in  the  Fremont  high  school; 
Rachel  M.,  a  student  in  Drake  University,  at 
Des  Moines,  Iowa;  Helen,  who  has  assumed 
duties  in  her  father's  business,  is  a  graduate  of 
the  high  school  in  Wood  River  and  also  of  the 
Conservatory  of  Music,  in  Grand  Island;  and 
James,  a  student  in  the  Wood  River  high 
school.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Sherrerd  have  one 
granddaughter,  Ruth  Geraldine,  the  child  of 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Tyler.  Mr.  Sherrerd  and  his 
entire  family  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church,  in  which  he  has  served  as  deacon.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the 
different  Masonic  bodies. 

As  an  echo  of  early  days  in  Hall  County, 
the  following  incident  coming  under  Mr. 
Sherrerd's  observation,  may  be  of  much  inter- 
est to  readers  of  this  history  that  is  being 
made  as  complete  as  possible.  It  was  in  1879, 
while  Mr.  Sherrerd  was  working  for  his  uncle 
Mr.  Furman.  One  fine  morning  a  rough  ap- 
pearing young  man  rode  up  to  Mr.  Furman's 
door  and  introduced  himself  as  Albert  Spear, 
an  acquaintance  Mr.  Furman  had  made  some 
time  before  at  Medicine  Bow,  Wyoming,  and 
with  true  western  hospitality  he  was  invited 
to  make  the  farm  his  home.*  He  accepted  with- 
out demur  and  remained  a  not  too  welcome 
guest  for  three  weeks,  or  until  he  was  cap- 
tured by  detectives  who  were  on  his  trail.  As 
the  story  was  afterward  revealed,  he  had 
been  a  carpenter  with  a  bridge  gang  at  Medi- 
cine Bow  and  from  there  had  gone  to  the 
Black  Hills,  ostensibly  to  dig  for  gold,  but  evi- 
dently fell  into  bad  company  and  was  made  the 


leader  of  a  band  of  fourteen  outlaws  who 
decided  that  robbery  would  bring  them  gold 
more  quickly  than  the  pick  and  "washing." 
After  several  minor  successful  robberies,  the 
gang  held  up  a  government  treasurer  coach 
that  was  hauling  bullion  from  Deadwood  to 
Sidney.  The  robbers  secured  about  $140,000 
but  in  the  melee  Spear  was  said  to  have  killed 
one  of  the  government  guards.  After  his 
arrest,  which  strangely  came  about  through  his 
desire  to  have  in  his  possession  a  picture  of 
his  mother  that  had  been  put  away  in  a  trunk, 
to  which  one  of  his  gang  comrades  had  access. 
When  Spear  escaped  after  the  robbery  he  took 
advantage  of  his  acquaintance  with  a  reput- 
able man  like  Mr.  Furman,  and  not  only  ac- 
cepted board  and  lodging,  but  brought  his  ill 
gotten  wealth  with  him  and  concealed  it  in  an 
old  hog  pail  that  he  buried  under  a  pile  of 
manure  in  Mr.  Furman's  farm  yard.  This 
money  was  recovered  for  the  government.  He 
was  taken  back  to  Wyoming  and  was  sentenced 
to.  the  penitentiary  for  life  and  served  ten 
years,  when  he  gained  his  release  through  a 
curious  situation  that  came  up  between  the 
treasurers  and  other  officials  of  Nebraska  and 
Wyoming.  This  was  in  reference  to  Wyoming 
having  no  penitentiaries  at  that  time,  hence 
Nebraska  was  called  on  to  incarcerate  all 
criminals,  and  when  Nebraska,  quite  natur- 
ally it  would  seem,  presented  a  bill,  Wyoming 
declined  to  pay  it,  with  the  result  that  the 
doors  of  the  Nebraska  dungeons  swung  open 
to  alien  prisoners.  No  doubt  there  are  many 
who  will  read  this  true  record  who  have  also 
read  romances  on  the  same  subject  and  with 
the  same  reputed  ending,  for  it  is  said  that  in 
a  large  western  city  that  shall  be  nameless, 
there  later  was  a  man  of  wealth  and  high 
official  position,  who  was  honored,  trusted  and 
respected,  under  another  name,  who  once  was 
the  mail  thief  of  this  little  tale. 


RUDOLF  DURTSCHI,  who  has  large  and 
valuable  farm  and  stock  interests  in  Hall 
County,  is  one  of  the  truly  enterprising  busi- 
ness men  of  Wood  River.  He  was  born  July 
15,  1880,  in  Ness  County,  Kansas,  the  only 
son  of  John  and  Leopoldina  (Jacob)  Durtschi. 
His  father  was  born  near  Berne,  Switzerland, 
and  his  mother  in  Austria,  both  of  whom  came 
young  to  the  United  States,  the  father  in  1872. 
After  their  marriage  in  Ness  County,  Kansas, 
they  lived  on  a  farm  until  1883,  when  they 
came  to  Nebraska.  The  father  bought  land 
near  Bellwood,  in  Butler  County,  where  they 
still  live.  They  have  three  children :  Rudolph, 
Mrs.     Rosa     Fruth,  and  Ruby.     Miss  Ruby 


922 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Durtschi  is  a  graduate  of  the  Albion  high 
school  and  of  the  Normal  school  at  Kearney, 
and  subsequently  a  student  in  Leland  Stan- 
ford University. 

Rudolph  Durtschi  obtained  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  and  assisted  his  father  and 
sometimes  the  neighbors  as  a  farmer.  Follow- 
his  marriage  he  moved  to  Boone  County  where 
he  bought  land  near  Albion  and  engaged  in 
farming  and  raising  stock  until  the  spring  of 
1908,  when  he  came  to  Hall  County.  Here 
he  purchased  five  hundred  and  forty  acres, 
which  he  has  placed  under  a  high  state  of  cul- 
tivation. He  breeds  registered  Shorthorn  cattle 
and  Poland-China  hogs.  He  also  owns  a  tract 
of  tweny  acres  adjoining  Wood  River,  on 
which  stands  his  comfortable  residence.  Aside 
from  his  agricultural  interests,  Mr.  Durtschi  is 
connected  with  important  enterprises  in  Wood 
River.  He  represents  the  Farmers  Mutual 
Insurance  Company,  of  Lincoln,  Nebraska, 
and  carries  the  largest  volume  of  insurance 
risks  on  farms,  in  this  neighborhood.  He  is 
president  of  the  Central  Nebraska  Elevator 
Company,  at  Wood  River,  which  handles  coal 
as  well  as  grain.  He  is  also  secretary  of  the 
Central  Nebraska  Fair  Association  at  Grand 
Island. 

At  Bellwood,  Nebraska,  March  22,  1905, 
Mr.  Durtschi  married  Miss  Etta  Judevine, 
who  was  born  at  Bellwod,  and  is  the  youngest 
of  five  children  born  to  Frederick  C.  and  Mary 
E.  (Page)  Judevine,  the  former  a  native  of 
Wisconsin,  and  the  latter  of  Fort  Wayne,  In- 
diana. Mrs.  Durtschi  has  three  brothers  and 
one  sister:  Royal,  Frank,  Clifford,  and  Mrs. 
Ethel  Byers.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Durtschi  have 
three  children,  two  daughters,  Gladys  M.  and 
Lorna  L-,  both  of  whom  attend  school  at 
Wood  River ;  and  one  son,  Ronald  R.,  who  is 
three  years  old.  Mr.  Durtschi  is  not  active  in 
politics  but  is  a  citizen  who  feels  his  responsi- 
bilities as  a  prominent  business  man,  and  he 
readily  and  liberally  co-operates  in  all  move- 
ments for  the  benefit  of  city,  county  and  state 
when  his  judgment  approves. 

MILTON  C.  WINGERT,  a  representative 
of  one  of  the  old  families  of  Hall  County,  is 
a  progressive  business  man  who,  with  his  three 
sons,  is  carrying  on  a  rather  remarkable  gar- 
dening enterprise  in  the  environs  of  Wood 
River  that  is  meeting  with  profitable  results. 
The  Wingerts  do  a  large  wholesale  business 
and  successfully  compete  with  California 
growers. 

Milton  C.  Wingert  was  born  in  Perry 
County,.  Pennsylvania,   November    12,    1859. 


His  parents  were  Peter  S.  and  Maria  (Rey- 
nard) Wingert,  natives  of  Cumberland  County, 
Pennsylvania.  Their  children  were  as  follows: 
Salmon  M.,  Mrs.  Mary  E.  Schtsler,  Mrs.  Anna 
M.  Allen,  Mrs.  Alice  C.  Adwers,  Mrs.  Ida  V. 
Millhollen,  George  W„  Milton  C,  Mrs.  Emma 
J.  Squires,  William  C.  and  Jeremiah  A. 
Peter  S.  Wingert  was  a  fanner  all  his  life.  In 
1866  he  removed  to  Warren  County,  Illinois, 
and  from  there  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in 
1873.  locating  a  homestead  ten  miles  north- 
west of  Grand  Island.  The  family  lived  in  a 
sod  house  at  first  and  their  hardships  were 
many.  From  1874  to  1876,  with  other  pioneer 
disadvantages,  they  had  to  endure  the  ravages 
of  the  grasshopper  pest.  They  possessed  the 
true  pioneer  spirit,  however,  and  with  courage, 
industry  and  frugality  came  safely  through  a 
period  of  general  distress.  Mr.  Wingert  and 
his  wife  reared  their  children  in  the  faith  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church. 

Milton  C.  Wingert  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  the  family  came  to  Hall  County.  He 
went  to  school  as  the  opportunity  was  afforded 
but  his  advantages  were  not  comparable  to 
those  he  has  given  his  own  children.  He  well 
remembers  early  days  here  and  the  necessary 
family  economics,  when  his  resourceful  moth- 
er browned  rye  and  barley  grains  to  take  the 
place  of  accustomed  coffee,  and  when  a  dime 
for  a  Fourth  of  July  celebration  seemed  like 
a  fortune  to  him.  General  farming  continued 
to  be  his  business  until  he  entered  upon  hi- 
present  gardening  enterprise.  He  owns  ten 
acres  at  Wood  River  and  because  of  his  un- 
usual success  in  the  past,  in  1919  is  renting 
fifteen  additional  acres.  His  land  is  irrigated 
systematically  and  is  under  the  highest  state 
of  cultivation.  He  is  assisted  by  his  sons, 
Albert,  Ralph  and  Miles,  .all  of  whom  are 
deeply  interested  as  they  may  well  be  in  so 
profitable  a  business.  Their  main  crops  are 
cabbage,  sweet  potatoes  and  onions.  As  an 
indication  of  the  extent  of  their  shipping  busi- 
ness, it  may  be  stated  that  in  1918  they  sold 
seventy  tons  of  cabbage  alone,  for  $90  a  ton. 
They  grow  their  own  plants  in  hot  beds,  hav- 
ing 3,000  feet  of  space  under  glass,  and  get 
their  plants  out  ahead  of  the  California  mar- 
kets, having  new  cabbage  ready  {o  ship  by  the 
20th  of  June.  Mr.  .Wingert  owns  his  business 
quarters  on  Main  street,  Wood  River,  and  also 
a  comfortable,  attractive  residence  here. 

At  Grand  Island,  Nebraska,  in  1886,  Mr. 
Wingert  married  Miss  Roberta  Calhoun,  who 
was  born  in  Illinois.  Her  parents  were  Noah 
and  Julia  A.  (Parkinson)  Calhoun,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  at  Bedford,  Pennsylvania, 
and  the  latter  in  Jo  Daviess  County,  Illinois- 


HISTORY  OK  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


923 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  Calhoun  had  nine  children: 
Roberta,  Chrissie  E-,  J.  Manley,  William  R., 
John  S.,  Mrs.  Hattie  L.  Barmore,  Mrs.  Jose- 
phine Stewart,  Charles  W.  and  Mrs.  Jennie  L. 
Snyder.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wingert  have  four 
sons:  Albert  H.,  Curtis  P.,  W.  Ralph  and 
Miles  M.  Albert  H.  Wingert,  a  graduated 
pharmacist,  is  a  hardware  merchant  at  Wood 
River.  He  is  a  Republican  in  politics,  is  an 
Odd  Fellow,  and  belongs  to  the  Baptist  church. 
He  married  Olive  Shisser  and  they  have  one 
son  and  two  daughters.  Curtis  P.  Wingert, 
who  was  clerk  for  the  Dirk  Lumber  Com- 
pany before  enlisting  for  service  in  the  World 
War,  was  assigned  to  Ambulance  Corps  Hos- 
pital No.  26,  Des  Moines,  Iowa.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church,  is  a  Republi- 
can in  politics,  and  belongs  to  the  Woodmen 
of  the  World  order.  He  married  Bernice 
Davies,  they  have  two  daughters,  and  their 
post  office  is  Broken  Bow.  W.  Ralph  Wingert, 
associated  in  the  hardware  business  with  his 
brother  at  Wood  River,  as  well  as  with  his 
father  in  gardening,  is  a  graduate  of  the  high 
school  here.  He  is  a  Republican  and  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  both  he  and  wife  belong  to  the  ' 
order  of  Highlanders.  He  married  Elizabeth 
Francis.  Miles  M.  Wingert,  a  graduate  of  the 
city  schools,  resides  at  home.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wingert  are  members  of  the  Presbyterian 
church.  For  many  years  he  has  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows,  and  is  a  Re- 
publican in  politics. 


ERNEST  DIEFENDERFER,  one  of 
Wood  River's  substantial  business  men,  came 
to  Hall  County  with  his  parents  when  ten 
years  old  and  has  claimed  this  as  his  home 
ever  since.  In  the  meanwhile,  however,  a  num- 
ber of  years  were  spent  at  other  points  fur- 
ther west,  and  during  these  he  experienced 
many  adventures  inseparable  from  the  life  of 
a  Wyoming  cowboy. 

Ernest  Diefenderfer  was  born  May  2,  1869. 
at  Sharon,  in  Mercer  County,  Pensylvania.  His 
parents  were  John  H.  and  Louisa  (Markle) 
Diefenderfer,  both  of  whom  were  natives  of 
Pennsylvania.  They  had  the  following  chil- 
dren :  Sylvia,  Ernest,  Martin,  Calvin  and  Al- 
bert, the  two  last  named  being  deceased.  The 
father  was  a  carpenter  by  trade  and  became  a 
contractor  and  builder-  In  1877  he  visited 
Nebraska  on  a  prospecting  tour.  Being  pleased 
with  the  appearance  of  the  country  he  decided 
to  move  here  and  brought  his  family  as  far  as 
Shelton,  Buffalo  County,  in  1879.  Shortly 
afterward  he  bought  land  two  miles  northeast 
of  Wood  River,  in  Hall  County,  to  which  the 
family  removed.     He   found  employment  at 


his  trade  while  his  two  sons,  Martin  and  Er- 
nest, did  the  greater  part  of  the  farming. 
Later  he  engaged  in  the  hardware  and  farm 
implement  business  in  Wood  River,  where  he 
died  in  1909. 

Ernest  Diefenderfer  attended  the  public 
schools  in  boyhood  and  remained  at  home 
assisting  his  father  until  1887.  He  then  went 
to  Saratoga,  Wyoming,  where  he  hired  out  as 
a  cowboy  and  rode  the  range  for  nearly  eight 
years,  his  employers  being  a  cattle  company, 
owned  by  the  Kirkehdall  Company  of -Denver; 
the  Swan  Land  and  Cattle  Company,  of  Chug- 
water,  Wyoming,  and  the  Reading  Cattle  Com- 
pany, Grand  Encampment  Hills,  Saratoga, 
Wyoming.  He  next  found  employment  as  a 
driver  for  the  Yellowstone  Transportation 
Company,  Yellowstone  Park,  and  remained 
one  year,  going  then  to  the  Wheatland  De- 
velopment Company,  which  was  operating  a 
state  experimental  station  at  Wheatland, 
Wyoming.  He  remained  there  two  years  arid 
then  returned  to  Hall  County,  subsequently 
entering  the  implement  and  hardware  business 
in  Wood  River  with  his  father  and  brother 
Martin.  Since  then  he  has  increased  his  busi- 
ness activities.  He  owns  and  operates  one  of 
the  finest  garages  in  Wood  River,  a  cement 
building  forty  by  eighty  feet  in  dimensions, 
and  is  agent  for  the  Dodge  automobiles.  In 
addition  he  supplies  when  called  on,  an  auto- 
mobile hearse  to  Wood  River,  Shelton,  Cairo 
and  Gibbon.  As  a  business  man,  social  factor 
and  good  citizen  he  is  known  all  over  the 
county. 

The  marriage  of  Ernest  Diefenderfer  to 
Miss  Cora  Estella  Foreman,  was  celebrated 
at  Shelton,  Nebraska,  August  30,  1898.  She 
was  born  at  Newman  Grove,  Madison  County, 
Nebraska,  and  is  the  daughter  of  Samuel  and 
Esther  (Thompson)  Foreman,  the  former  of 
whom  was  born  in  Iowa  and  the  latter  in  Nor- 
way. Mrs.  Diefenderfer  has  one  sister,  Mrs. 
Margaret  McDonald.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Diefen- 
derfer have  three  children:  John  H.,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Wood  River  high  school  and  a  stu- 
dent in  the  York  Business  College,  York,  Ne- 
braska; and  Homer  J.  and  Carrol,  both  of 
whom  are  pupils  in  the  public  schools  of  Wood 
River.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Diefenderfer  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church.  He  belongs 
to  the  Masonic  fraternity  and  both  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Eastern  Star  and  the  order  of 
Highlanders.  He  keeps  an  open  mind  in 
political  matters  and  votes  as  an  Independent. 


HARRISON  S.  EATON,  who  has  long 
been  prominent  in  business  circles  and  civic 
progress  in  Wood  River,  belongs  to  an  old 


924 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


New  England  family  that  has  more  than  once 
contributed  men  of  great  achievement  to  the 
nation.  He  was  born  in  Addison  County,  Ver- 
mont, October  8,  1876,  a  son  of  Oliver  Will- 
iam and  Virginia  C.  Eaton.  Oliver  William 
Eaton  was  an  early  settler  in  Hall  County 
and  was  one  of  the  pioneer  sheep  feeders  in 
Nebraska.  He  was  one  of  the  organizers  of 
the  First  National  Bank  of  Wood  River. 

Harrison  S.  Eaton  obtained  early  educa- 
tional training  in  Wood  River  and  later  at- 
tended school  and  college  it  Denver,  Colorado, 
and  Evanston,  Illinois.  Developing  business 
tastes,  Mr.  Eaton  first  accepted  the  position  of 
assistant  cashier  in  the  Merrick  County  Bank, 
in  Clarks,  Nebraska.  From  there  he  entered 
the  employ  of  the  First  National  Bank  of  Wood 
River,  of  which  institution  he  later  was  elected 
assistant  cashier,  a  position  which  he  filled  un- 
til he  succeeded  F.  M.  Penny  as  cashier.  This 
is  one  of  the  soundest  banks  of  Hall  County 
and  one  that  has  always  had  the  full  confi- 
dence of  the  public,  the  Eaton  name  from 
the  beginning  being  a  valuable  asset.  Mr. 
Eaton  is  a  member  of  its  board  of  directors. 
He  also  has  other  business  interests,  being  the 
owner- of  a  large  amount  of  real  estate,  sheep 
feeder  and  shipper  on  a  large  scale,  and  a 
stockholdr  in  the  Central  Nebraska  Elevator 
Company. 

At  Long  Beach,  California,  Mr.  Eaton  mar- 
ried Miss  Josephine  B.  Paddock.  They  have 
two  children :    Oliver  M.  and  Josephine  B. 

In  political  affiliation,  Mr.  Eaton  has  always 
been  a  Republican,  but  in  local  matters  affect- 
ing the  general  public,  he  recognizes  no  party 
division,  and  for  fifteen  years  has  given  ser- 
vice conscientiously  as  a  member  of  the  village 
board.  He  stands  as  one  of  Wood  River's  most 
trustworthy  citizens  and  has  borne  many  finan- 
cial responsibilities  for  the  public  good,  at 
present  being  treasurer  of  the  cemetery  asso- 
ciation and  treasurer  of  the  Red  Cross.  He 
belongs  to  the  order  of  Elks,  lodge  No.  604, 
Grand  Island. 


JOHN  J.  CARTER,  one  of  the  best  known 
mill  men  in  Hall  County,  having  been  identi- 
fied with  the  milling  business  since  boyhood, 
has  kept  pace  with  its  development  in  machin- 
ery and  methods,  and  as  president  of  the  Wood 
River  Roller  Mill,  Wood  River,  Nebraska, 
occupies  a  very  important  position  in  the  mill- 
ing industry. 

Mr.  Carter  was  born  in  New  Jersey,  March 
16,  1867,  one  of  a  family  of  ten  children  born 
to  Frank  and  Harriet  (Malett)  Carter,  natives 
of  Cambridge,   England.     Of  their  children, 


John  J.  was  the  fourth  in  order  of  birth,  the 
others  bearing  the  following  names:  Mrs. 
Sarah  Kuntz,  Mrs.  Anna  E.  Patton,  Mrs.  Car. 
rie  Schafer,  Edward  C,  Thomas  H.,  Mrs. 
Catherine  Schafer,  Oscar  M.,  Carter  B.  and 
Mrs.  Josephine  Biggerstaff.  The  father  o( 
Mr.  Carter  was  a  miller  by  trade.  In  1874 
he  removed  from  New  Jersey  to  Ashland,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  continued  in  the  milling  busi- 
ness until  the  close  of  his  life,  his  death  occur- 
ring February  4,  1884.'  He  had  been  an  in- 
dustrious man  all  his  life  but  had  not  accumu- 
lated a  competency.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Episcopal  church. 

John  J.  Carter  was  seven  years  old  when 
the  family  came  to  Nebraska,  and  as  early  as 
that,  when  released  from  school  spent  his  time 
in  the  mill  assisting  his  father.  In  this  way, 
without  realizing  it,  he  learned  the  business 
and  when  his  father  died  he  was  able  to  step 
into  his  father's  place,  although  only  seven- 
teen years  old  at  the  time.  He  worked  for 
W.  T.  Allen,  at  Ashland,  for  the  next  two 
years,  in  the  meanwhile  taking  care  of  his 
widowed  mother  and  other  dependents.  It 
was  in  this  same  mill,  when  but  eight  years 
of  age  that  he  earned  his  first  five  dollars. 
which  he  expended  for  a  suit  of  clothes,  be- 
ing justly  proud  of  his  ability  to  help  take 
care  of  himself.  In  1886  Mr.  Carter  went  to 
Hebron,  Nebraska,  where  he  worked  for 
eleven  years  for  the  milling  firm  of  Wetherald 
Bros.  In  1898  he  moved  to  Ansley,  in  Custer 
County,  where  he  entered  the  employ  of  the 
Ansley  Milling  Company  and  remained  six 
years.  In  1904  he  came  to  Wood  River 
where,  in  association  with  his  brother, 
Edward  C.  Carter,  he  bought  the  old  Thorp 
mill,  afterward  entirely  dismantling  it  and 
after  putting  in  new,  modern  machinerv,  oper- 
ated it  until  1907,  under  the  firm  style  of 
Carter  Brothers.  In  that  year  John  J.  Carter 
bought  his  brother's  interest  and  conducted 
the  business  alone  until  December  27,  1909. 
when  the  fnill  was  destroyed  by  fire.  As  the 
insurance  on  the  property  was  only  partial. 
Mr.  Carter  sustained  a  loss  of  $9,000.  Per- 
haps people  do  not  really  value  friendship  un- 
till  it  is  put  to  the  test.  In  suffering  from  the 
above  disaster,  Mr.  Carter  found  that  he  had 
a  large  circle  of  friends  and  back  of  them  a 
reputation  for  business  integrity  that  in  itself 
was  an  important  asset,  and  by  the  beginning 
of  the  next  year  he  was  able  to  formulate  plans 
for  reentering  business.  In  April,  1910,  in 
partnership  with  Martin  Diefenderfer,  he  built 
the  Wood  River  Roller  Mill,  which  they  ton- 
ducted  together  until  August,  1912,  when  they 
took  out  papers  of  incorporation,  John  J.  Car- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Carter 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


926 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


ter,  who  owns  owns  one-half  of  the  stock,  be- 
coming president  and  Martin  Diefenderfer, 
vice  president,  who,  with  R.  R.  Root,  sec- 
retary and  treasurer,  own  the  other  half,  the 
■company  thus  formed  being  one  of  sound 
financing  and  acknowledged  ability.  A  large 
business  is  being  done  and  this  is  considered 
■a  very  important  commercial  enterprise  of  the 
town.  Mr.  Carter  owns  one  of  the  attractive 
residences  of  Wood  River. 

On  July  29,  1891,  Mr.  Carter  married  Miss 
Carrie  B.  Ayres,  who  was  born  in  Illinois, 
a  daughter  of  John  A.  Ayres.  Mrs.  Carter 
has  one  brother,  Charles  Ayres.  To  Mr.  and 
Carter  the  following  children  have  been  born : 
Jessie,  the  wife  of  Jerome  Paulk,  who  con- 
ducts a  garage  in  Wood  River ;  Walter  A.,  a 
soldier  with  the  American  Expeditionary 
Forces  in  France,  connected  with  the  medical 
■detachment  of  the  Thirty-ninth  Infantry ; 
Hugo  E.,  employed  in  the  Wood  River  Rolling 
mills ;  John  J.,  a  student  in  the  high  school  at 
Wood  River,  and  Helen  E.  and  Grace  E., 
both  of  whom  are  in  the  grammar  school. 
The  family  attends  the  Presbyterian  church. 
Politically  Mr.  Carter  is  a  Republican.  For 
many  years  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  Ma- 
sonic fraternity.  During  the  World  War  he 
has  loyally  cooperated  with  others  in  giving 
assistance  to  his  country. 


PATRICK  HOYE.  — To  be  able  to  visua- 
lize conditions  in  Hall  County  when  Patrick 
Hoye,  one  of  her  most  highly  respected  citi- 
zens who  now'  lives  retired  in  Wood  River, 
came  here  as  a  pioneer,  the  clock  of  time  must 
be  tured  back  forty  years.  Wood  River  then 
was  but  a  hamlet,  and  Mr.  Hoye's  present 
finely  improved,  productive  farm  a  stretch  of 
wild  prairie  land,  visited  by  wild  cats,  over- 
run by  coyotes  and  infested  with  the  deadly 
rattlesnake,  while  the  fear  of  vengeful  Indians 
in  this  region  was  not  entirely  unfounded. 
Mr.  Hoye  has  been  a  witness  of  and  has  borne 
an  important  part  in  the  county's  wonderful 
development.  He  is  vice-president  of  the 
Citizens  State  Bank  of  Wood  River. 

Patrick  Hoye  was  born  in  County  Ros- 
common, Ireland,  March  17,  1849.  His  par- 
ents were  Daniel  and  Elizabeth  (Cronin) 
Hoye,  natives  of  Ireland  and  their  entire  lives 
were  spent  there.  They  had  the  following 
children :  Mary,  John,  Patrick,  Bernard, 
Thomas  P.,  Daniel,  and  two  daughters  who 
died  in  childhood  from  the  effects  of  scarlet 
fever.  The  father  owned  a  small,  well  kept 
farm  but  his  main  business  was  stone  contract- 
ing.   He  was  not  possessed  of  great  wealth  but 


was  a  man  of  some  consequence  and  when 
Patrick  was  twenty  years  old,  having  finished 
school,  secured  a  contract  for  him  from  the 
English  government  to  finish  certain  public 
roads  with  cobblestone.  When  it  came  to 
signing  the  contract,  however,  the  government 
agent  decided  that  Patricio  was  too  young  for 
so  important  a  job  and  gave  it  over  to  an 
older  applicant.  Prior  to  this  Patrick  had 
intimated  a  desire  to  emigrate  to  America 
and  this  disappointment  strengthened  his  de- 
termination. His  father  finally  gave  consent 
with  the  money  for'  the  youth's  passage  to 
the  United  States.  When  Mr.  Hoye  reached 
Castle  Garden,  New  York,  he  had  one  English 
sovereign,  equal  at  that  time  to  $4.48  in  United 
States  coin,  as  his  capital  on  which  to  start 
on  his  way  to  fortune. 

That  Mr.  Hoye  immediately  secured  work 
with  a  brick  contractor  in  New  York,  indicates 
the  decision  of  character  which  has  had  much 
to  do  with  his  subsequent  success  in  life.  He 
did  not  wait  for  an  opportunity  to  work  to 
come  to  him  but  found  it  for  himself.  This 
was  in  1869  and  wages  were  high  for  that 
time,  Mr.  Hoye  receiving  $14  a  week  for 
teaming  during  the  year  he  remained  in  New 
York  City.  As  is  usually  the  case,  however, 
the  cost  of  living  was  high.  At  the  end  of 
the  year  Mr.  Hoye  found  that  with  the  strict 
economy  he  had  exercised,  he  had  been  able 
to  save  but  $65  and  in  his  judgment  such  a 
result  would  not  satisfy  his  ambition,  there- 
fore in  May,  1870,  he  started  out  to  find  some- 
thing more  profitable.  During  that  year  he 
worked  in  a  tannery  in  Warren  County,  Penn- 
sylvania, and  during  the  next  seven  years 
engaged  in  farming  in  Susquehanna  County 
during  the  summer  seasons  and  followed  the 
tanning  business  at  Montrose  during  the 
winters.  While  he  lived  in  New  York  he  be- 
came interested  in  reading  the  New  York 
Tribune  edited  at  that  time  by  Horace  Greeley, 
and  was  much  impressed  by  the  great  editor's 
advice  to  young  men  to  go  to  the  western  part 
of  the  United  States,  where  there  was  oppor- 
tunity for  all.  Acting  upon  this  advice,  Mr. 
Hoye  reached  Hall  County  in  1879,  locating 
three  miles  north  of  Wood  River  and  still 
owns  the  land  on  which  he  first  settled.  He 
now  has  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  very 
fine  farm  land  in  the  county,  together  with  a 
handsome  modern  residence  in  Wood  River. 

At  Montrose,  Pennsylvania,  on  February 
14,  1876,  Mr.  Hoye  married  Miss  Mary  A. 
Kelley,  who  was  born  in  Pennsylvania.  Her 
parents  were  John  and  Anna  (McCoy) 
Kelley,  both  natives  of  Ireland.  To  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Hoye  the  following  children  were  born: 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


927 


Daniel  J.,  who  is  a  druggist  in  Overton,  Ne- 
braska, married  Lillian  Whalen;  John  A.,  in 
the  drug  business  in  Wood  River,  married 
Allora  Babel  and  they  have  a  son  and  daugh- 
ter; Thomas  P.,  who  is  an  extensive  feeder 
of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep,  was  trained  at  the 
State  Agricultural  College,  Lincoln,  married 
Fannie  Conway  and  they  have  two  sons  and 
two  daughters;  Bernard  J.,  an  extensive  stock- 
man of  Hall  County,  married  Catherine  Miller 
and  they  have  one  son  and  one  daughter; 
Anna,  the  wife  of  Leo  Mullen,  farmer  and 
stockman,  and  grand  treasurer  of  the  A.  O. 
U.  W.  Grand  Lodge  of  Nebraska  at  Grand 
Island,  has  one  daughter;  and  M.  Gertrude, 
who,  like  her  older  sister,  is  a  graduate  of  the 
Wood  River  high  school,  resides  with  her  par- 
ents. Mr.  Hoye  and  all  his  family  belong  to 
the  Roman  Catholic  church.  He  is  a  member 
of  the  order  of  Modern  Woodmen,  and  with 
all  his  sons  belongs  to  the  Knights  of  Colum- 
bus. Formerly  he  was  quite  avtive  in  the 
political  field.  He  served  two  terms  as  school 
director  of  District  No.  16  and  two  terms  as 
school  treasurer;  six  years  as  assessor  of 
Wood  River  precinct,  and  six  years  as  a 
member  of  the  county  board  of  supervisors, 
of  which  board  he  was  chairman  for  one  yean 
Mr.  Hoye's  reminiscenses  of  early  days  in  the 
county  are  full  of  interest  and  lack  of  space 
alone  prevents  their  presentation  to  the  reader. 
On  one  occasion  he  was  bitten  by  a  prairie 
rattlesnake  and  his  life  was  saved  only 
through  prompt  and  strenuous  medical  atten- 
tion. 


FREDERICK  J.  MILLER,  one  of  the 
prominent  business  men  of  Hall  County,  ex- 
tensively engaged  in  feeding  and  shipping 
-cattle  and  hogs,  accompanied  his  parents  to 
this  county  when  fourteen  years  old,  and  this 
has  been  his  chosen  home  ever  since.  He  is 
widely  known  and  because  of  business  integ- 
rity and  genial  .manner,  he  can  lay  claim  to 
an  ever  widening  circle  of  friends.  He  is  not 
■only  considered  trustworthy  in  business-  but 
also  in  public  affairs,  and  although  no  active 
politician,  has  been  the  choice  of  his  fellow 
■citizens  as  supervisor  of  District  No.  3,  Hall 
County,  in  which  office  he  is  serving. 

'  Mr.  Miller  was  born  May  5,  1866,  in  Fayette 
County,  Iowa,  the  second  son  of  Jacob  F.  and 
Catherine  F.  (Hedinger)  Miller,  both  of 
whom  were  born  in  Germany.  Of  their 
family  of  seven  children  the  following  are 
living:  Mrs.  Sophia  Shultz,  Carl  P.,  Freder- 
ick J.,  Mrs.  Augusta  C.  Horthand  Mrs. 
Amelia  B.  Parks.    The  parents  of  Mr.  Miller 


came  to  the  United  States  in  1856  and  settled 
in  Iowa,  where  the  father  secured  land  near 
Arlington,  in  Fayette  County,  for  $1.25  an 
acre.  In  1880  the  family  came  to  Hall  County, 
locating  ten  miles  north  of  Wood  River.  The 
father  bought  a  half  section  of  railroad  land 
and  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  school 
land,  paying  $5  an  acre  for  the  former,  which 
is  yet  owned  by  his  heirs.  The  parents  of 
Mr.  Miller  were  quiet,  industrious,  thrifty 
people  who  in  many  ways  set  a  worthy 
example. 

Frederick  J.  Miller  was  fourteen  years  old 
when  the  family  located  in  Hall  County.  His 
school  advantages  were  three  months  during 
the  winter  seasons,  the  remainder  of  his  time 
until  he  became  a  recognized  factor  as  a 
farmer,  being  usefully  spent  on  the  home  place 
with  intervals  of  recreation  that  wholesome 
youth  demands  and  generally  secures.  In 
answer  to  a  question  concerning  his  first  earn- 
ing of  money,  a  very  pertinent  one  because 
Mr.  Miller  has  accumulated  a  reasonable 
fortune,  he  replied  that  the  sixty-five  cents 
he  first  earned  was  the  hardest  to  get  and  the 
most  enjoyable  to  spend  of  any  money  he  has 
ever  since  secured.  At  that  time  the  little 
striped  squirrels  and  the  gophers  were  great 
nuisances  to  farmers  and  the  capture  of  one 
of  the  former  brought  a  penny  and  the  latter 
were  worth  five  cents  apiece.  On  the  occasion 
referred  to  Mr.  Miller  was  inspired  to  great 
activity  because  of  an  approaching  Fourth  of 
July  celebration  at  Strawberry  Point,  which 
he  did  not  want  to  miss.  With  his  sixty-five 
cents  safe  in  his  possession  he  was  one  of  a 
happy  crowd  of  youngsters  conveyed  in  a  box 
car  over  the  newly  laid  tracks  of  the  Chicago, 
Milwaukee  &  St.  Paul  Railroad,  to  the  picnic 
grounds.  Notwithstanding  the  ten  cent  car 
fare  and  a  day  of  feasting  and  sport,  he  says 
he  found  some  money  still  in  his  pocket  when 
he  reached  home  in  the  evening.  That  little 
story  may  point  a  moral  as  well  as  amuse, 
for  the  lad  who  could  first  earn  his  money 
before  he  thought  of  spending  any,  and  could 
save  some  of  it  in  the  face  of  unusual  tempta- 
tion, is  one  of  the  most  substantial  and  re- 
spected men  of  his  community. 

For  the  past  thirty  years  Frederick  J. 
Miller  has  been  in  partnership  with  his 
brother,  Carl  Miller,  and  their  interests  have 
been  identical  in  the  business  of  farming  and 
feeding  and  shipping  of  stock.  They  own  a 
tract  of  twenty  acres  adjoining  Wood  River, 
where  they  carry  on  the  stock  business. 
Frederick  J.  Miller  owns  four  hundred  and 
eighty  acres  of  land  northwest  of  Wood  River 
but  has  resided  in  the  town  for  the  last  nine 


928 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


years,  where  he  has  a  handsome  modern  res- 
idence set  in  a  park  of  five  acres. 

The  marriage  of  Frederick  J.  Miller  was 
celebrated  on  December  28,  1887,  in  Marshall, 
Saline  County,  Missouri,  to  Miss  Anna  L- 
McGrath,  who  was  bom  at  Lexington,  Ken- 
tucky. Her  parents  were  Daniel  and  Jennie 
(Cannon)  McGrath.  Both  parents  were  born 
in  Ireland  and  had  the  following  children: 
John,  Elizabeth,  Catherine,  Lillie,  Anna  L-, 
Richard,  William,  Thomas,  Nora,  Hughes  and 
Robert.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Miller  have  four 
daughters:  Catherine,  who  is  the  wife  of 
Bernard  J.  Hoye,  a  farmer  near  Wood  River, 
and  they  have  a  son  and  a  daughter;  Blanche, 
who  is  the  wife  of  Forest  W.  Miller,  assistant 
sales  manager  of  the  Cudahy  Packing  Com- 
pany, in  the  main  office  at  Chicago,  and  they 
have  one  son ;  Alice,  the  wife  of  Thomas  J. 
R.  Langan,  a  farmer  near  Wood  River,  and 
they  have  one  daughter ;  and  Gladys,  a  grad- 
uate of  the  Wood  River  high  school,  lives  with 
her  parents. 


OEORGE  E.  CRAWFORD,  whose  val- 
uable and  finely  improved  farms  make  him 
one  of  the  substantial  men  of  Hall  County, 
now  lives  retired  in  Wood  River,  where  he 
owns  a  handsome  modern  residence.  He  set- 
tled in  this  neighborhood  when  this  thriving 
little  city  was  represented  by  a  railroad  depot 
and  section  house  two  miles  west  of  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Wood  River,  and  has  borne  his  full 
part  in  the  development  that  the  last  forty-five 
years  of  effort  has  brought  about. 

George  E.  Crawford  was  born  at  Elkhart, 
Indiana,  August  15,  1844,  the  seventh  in  a 
family  of  eleven  children  born  to  his  parents, 
George  E.  and  Hannah  (Beardsley)  Craw- 
ford. His  brothers  and  sisters  were:  Mrs. 
Alice  McClellan,  Henry,  James,  William,  Mrs. 
Mary  Cole,  Mrs.  Martha  Hass,  John,  Charles, 
Lewis  and  Laura.  The  father  of  this  family 
was  bom  in  Pennsylvania,  of  Scotch  parent- 
age, and  the  mother  in  Ohio,  of  Scotch- Welsh 
ancestry.  They  were  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church. 

Mr.  Crawford  spent  his  boyhood  days  on 
hi  j  father's  farm  near  Laporte.  Indiana,  re- 
ceived a  district  school  education  and  worked 
at  home  until  he  was  twenty  years  of  age. 
He  then  enlisted  for  service  in  the  Civil  War, 
in  February,  1865,  entering  Company  K,  One 
Hundred  Fifty-first  Indiana  Infantry,  and 
served  until  the  end  of  the  war  under  General 
Thomas,  receiving  his  honorable  discharge  at 
Nashville,  Tennessee.  He  had  been  a  faithful 
roldier  but   after  seven   months   of  military 


life  the  old  farm  routine  did  not  seem  attrac- 
tive and  in  1866  he  came  to  Denver,  Colorado. 
Here  he  worked  for  one  year  for  his  brother 
William,  who  was  engaged  in  freighting  with 
oxen  between  Nebraska  City,  Denver  and 
Echo  Canyon.  Mr.  Crawford  then  purchased 
four  yoke  of  oxen  and  for  the  following  three 
years  continued  in  the  freighting  business  on 
his  own  account  and  when  he  sold  his  outfit 
he  came  to  Hall  County.  In  July,  1870,  he 
located  a  homestead  on  Prairie  Creek,  eight 
miles  north  of  where  old  Wood  River,  repre- 
sented by  a  section  house,  then  stood.  There 
had  been  some  attempt  made  at  settlement 
there  as  James  Jackson  operated  a  small  store 
on  his  farm  two  miles  still  further  west  and 
kept  the  post  office.  In  1874  the  present  site 
of  Wood  River  was  established. 

By  1874  Mr.  Crawford  had  forty  acres  of 
sod  corn,  having  broken  prairie,  put  in  the 
seed  as  soon  as  he  had  built  his  sod  house 
and  had  rented  additional  land.  To  any  one 
acquainted  with  early  county  history,  the  story 
of  the  grasshopper  invasion  need  not  be  told 
It  carried  with  it  disaster  to  many  a  striving, 
hard-working  settler,  and  when  the  pest  had 
departed  from  Mr.  Crawford's  flourishing 
corn  field,  there  was  nothing  but  the  despoiled 
soil  left.  Many  discouraged  pioneers  returned 
to  their  eastern  homes  or  hopefully  moved  to 
other  states,  but  Mr.  Crawford  was  more  per- 
sistent, and  while,  for  a  time  he  could  make 
little  headway,  to  use  his  own  expressive 
word,  he  "tinkered"  around  enough  to  make 
a  living  and  the  time  came  when  he  was  well 
rewarded.  He  owns  two  of  the  most  beautiful 
and  productive  farms  in  the  vicinity  of  Wood 
River. 

In  Hall  County,  on  February  21,  1878,  Mr. 
Crowford  married  Miss  Helen  Ewing,  who 
was  born  in  the  state  of  New  York.  Her 
parents,  Robert  and  Mary  (Ferguson)  Ewing, 
were  born  in  Scotland.  They  had  the  follow- 
ing children:  James,  Mrs.  Helen  Crawford. 
Robert,  Mrs.  Mary  West,  Mrs.  Annie  Curtiss. 
John,  William,  Charles  and  Edwin.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Crawford  have  two  children :  George  E. 
and  Annie  M.  George  E.  Crawford  was  grad- 
uated from  Hastings  College  and  then  passed 
a  year  as  a  student  at  the  State  Agricultural 
College,  Lincoln.  For  some  time  he  was 
superintendent  of  schools  at  Thedford,  in 
Thomas  County,  Nebraska,  but  is  now  operat- 
ing one  of  his  father's  farms  near  Wood 
River.  He  is  independent  in  his  political 
opinions,  is  a  Presbyterian  in  religious  belief 
and  belongs  to  the  order  of  Odd  Fellows.  The 
maiden  name  of  his  wife  was  Esther  Cline. 
Miss  Annie  M.  Crawford  is  a  lady  of  intd- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


929 


lectual  attainment  and  a  graduate  of  Hastings 
College.  She  is  instructor  in  mathematics  and 
languages  in  the  public  schools  of  Shelton,  Ne- 
braska, and  is  active  in  church  circles.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Crawford  are  members  of  the  Pres- 
byterian church,  Mr.  Crawford  being  one  of 
the  elders  in  the  church  in  Wood  River.  The 
family  is  one  held  in  very  high  esteem. 


JOHN  E.  ROUNDS,  a  representative  bus- 
iness man  of  Wood  River  and  secretary  of  the 
Wood  River  Commercial  Club,  .has  had  an 
unusually  full  and  interesting  life  since  he 
was  brought  to  Nebraska  by  his  parents,  in 
1879.  He  was  born  at  Manchester,  Illinois, 
December  28,  1872,  one  of  a  family  of  two 
children  born  to  his  parents,  William  and 
Angeline  (Boon)  Rounds.  He  has  one' sister, 
Edna  M.  Rounds,  who  belongs  to  that  noble 
body  of  war  workers  connected  with  the  Y.  M. 
C.  A.  organization  in  Paris,  France. 

Mr.  Rounds  still  owns  the  old  family  home- 
stead situated  two  and  a  half  miles  southeast 
of  Wood  River,  on  which  his  parents  settled 
after  their  long  "prairie  schooner"  journey 
from  Illinois  was  completed.  There  was  much 
to  contend  with  in  those  early  days  but  every 
member  of  the  family  possessed  his  own  por- 
tion of  Scotch-English  thrift  and  energy  and 
the  hardships  of  other  days  have  long  since 
passed  away.  Mr.  Rounds  attended  the  public 
schools  until  he  finished  work  in  the  tenth 
grade.  He  found  himself  possessed'of  a  nat- 
ural inclination  toward  mechanics  and  there- 
fore, in  1902-3  he  took  a  preparatory  course 
in  Highland  Park  College,  Des  Moines,  Iowa, 
where  he  studied  electrical  engineering,  later 
continuing  in  the  same  line  of  study  in 
Montana  College,  Deer  Lodge,  Montana.  It 
required  considerable  self  denial  and  a  large 
amount  of  persistence  for  Mr.  Rounds  had  no 
wealthy  backer,  in  fact  paid  part  of  his  ex- 
penses himself  by  teaching  forge  work  in  the 
shop  for  two  years  and  by  operating  the 
steam  power  plant  at  Deer  Lodge.  From 
there  he  went  to  Bozeman,  Montana,  and  after 
taking  a  special  course  in  electrical  testing  in 
the  agricultural  college  there,  secured  a  posi- 
tion with  the  Westinghouse  Electrical  Man- 
ufacturing Company  of  East  Pittsburg,  Penn- 
sylvania. When  he  landed  in  Pittsburg,  Mr. 
Rounds  relates,  he  had  just  $26  and  payday 
was  almost  a  month  away,  but  he  had  been 
well  drilled  in  frugal  ways  and  by  strict  econ- 
omy he  made  his  meager  capital  carry  him 
over  the  interval  and  even  had  $2  to  spare. 
He  worked  hard  in  this  position  and  took 
night  shift  hours  as  it  was  possible  then  to  get 


pay  for  over  time,  and  in  a  period  of  eighteen 
months  he  succeeded  in  saving  $200.  He  was 
then  transferred  to  Denver,  where  for  one 
year  he  had  charge  of  the  company's  stock 
department.  For  the  responsibility  he  had 
to  incur  Mr.  Rounds  felt  that  his  wages  were 
too  low  and  that  caused  him  to  resign  and  he 
then  came  back  to  Hall  County.  Six  months 
later,  however,  the  company  called  him  by 
telegraph  to  return  to  them  at  increased  salary 
and  take  charge  of  the  company's  interests  at 
Butte,  Montana.  He  remained  in  Montana 
for  ten  years  and  during  that  time  filed  on  a 
homestead  and  rented  other  land  and  became 
an  extensive  wheat  farmer,  operating  four 
hundred  acres.  When  he  returned  to  Hall 
County  he  retained  his  land  but  sold  all  his 
personal  property.  He  has  invested  at  Wood 
River  and  has  built  a  fine  garage  here  of 
cement  construction,  with  dimensions  of  one 
hundred  by  fifty  feet  which  he  finds  too 
limited  for  his  rapidly  increasing  business  and 
plans  are  under  way  to  add  space  so  that  the 
building  will  be"  a  hundred  feet  square.  He  is 
sales  agent  for  the  Overland  and  Bujck  cars. 

Many  successful  business  men  get  so  ac- 
customed to  large  financial  transactions  that 
they  lose  sight  6f  their  first  efforts  in  the 
money  line,  but  Mr.  Rounds  says  that  his 
first  attempt  brought  him  such  personal 
anguish  for  a  time  that  he  can  remember  it 
well.  After  a  little  boy  works  faithfully  over 
a  patch  of  pop  corn  and  harvests  a  heavy  bag 
of  the  grain  and  carries  it  to  the  grocer 
along  about  Christmas  time  when  boys  need 
quite  a  little  bit  of  cash,  and  finds  that  all  of 
ninety-five  cents  is  coming  to  him,  he  naturally 
feels  that  it  will  be  a  serious  but  delightful 
matter  to  invest  the  same  in  gifts  for  others. 
When  Grocer  James  T.  Britt  announced  that 
it  was  his  regular  business  policy  to  pay  for 
pop  corn  only  in  trade,  there  was  a  broken- 
hearted little  lad  at  the  counter.  Through 
one  of  the  mysterious  ways  that  mothers  have, 
this  little  business  was  finally  adjusted  and 
everything  turned  out  in  a  satisfactory  way. 
This  little  story  may  recall  to  many  another 
reader  one  of  the  little  tragedies  of  boy  life. 

On  Christmas  Day,  1910,  Mr.  Rounds  mar- 
ried at  Arriba,  Colorado,  Miss  Ida  J.  Jensen, 
who  was  born  at  Albert  Lea,  Minnesota,  and 
is  a  daughter  of  Edward  Jensen.  Six  children 
have  been  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Rounds: 
William  S.,  aged  seven  years ;  Ellen  L-,  is  five 
years  old;  Edward  C,  deceased;  Beth  E-, 
whose  years  number  two;  Jane  M.,  aged 
eighteen  months,  and  an  infant  son.  Mr. 
Rounds  is  a  sound  Republican  in  his  political 
sentiments  but  he  has  never  been  willing  to 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


accept  public  office  although  ever  ready  to  help 
bear  the  general  responsibilities  that  fall  upon 
a  community's  best  citizens. 


DAVID  D.  O'KANE,  postmaster  and  one 
of  the  substantial  business  men  of  Wood 
River,  Nebraska,  has  been  identified  with 
affairs  in  Hall  County  since  1883  and  has 
lived  in  the  state  since  he  was  six  years  of 
age.  From  that  time  to  the  present  seems  a 
comparatively  short  period  in  the  actual  pas- 
sage of  time,  but  seemingly  a  century  many 
have  gone  by  when  the  progress  and  sub- 
stantial development  made  in  this  part  of  the 
country  is  considered.  In  all  this  change  Mr. 
O'Kane  has  been  vitally  interested  and  has 
borne  a  leading  part. 

David  D.  O'Kane  was  born  at  Polo,  Illinois, 
December  8,  1868.  His  parents  were  Joseph 
and  Mary  (Davie)  O'Kane,  the  father  a 
native  of  Pennsylvania  and  the  mother  of  Ire- 
land. David  D.  was  the  youngest  born  of 
their  family  of  eight  children,  the  others 
being:  Mary,  deceased;  James,  deceased; 
John  H.,  postmaster  at  Gothenburg,  Ne- 
braska ;  Daniel,  employed  in.  the  postoffice  at 
Wood  River;  Mrs.  Elizabeth  Sanders,  who 
lives  at  Norfolk,  Nebraska ;  Mrs.  Josie  Kelley, 
who  resides  in  Omaha,  and  Mrs.  Anna  Worth- 
ing, who  lives  at  Lost  Angeles,  California. 

In  1874  the  parents  of  Mr.  O'Kane  moved 
to  Dawson  County,  Nebraska,  locating  two 
and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Willow  Island. 
His  father  was  a  ranchman  and  had  work  for 
all  his  boys  to  do  and  it  was  not  long  before 
little  David  claimed  recompense  for  herding 
his  father's  cattle.  When  the  family  reached 
their  new  home  in  Dawson  County,  they  found 
no  provision  for  comfortable  family  fife  like 
that  they  had  enjoyed  in  Illinois.  They  had 
shipped  lumber  to  this  point  from  Clinton,  but 
transportation  was  slow  and  delayed  and  they 
were  forced  to  live  in  the  school  house  as  it 
was  the  sole  building  in  the  neighborhood 
until  their  own  house  could  be  put  up.  It 
was  in  this  same  building  that  Mr.  O'Kane 
later  attended  school.  He  was  about  twelve 
years  old  when  he  was  able  to  qualify  as  a 
sportsman.  Game  was  plentiful  and  he  kept 
the  larder  well  supplied  with  deer  meat,  ducks 
and  wild  geese.  He  relates  that  droves  of 
wild  horses  would  gallop  across  the  country 
and  that  it  was  great  sport  to  chase  them  but 
it  was  difficult  to  catch  any  of  the  old  ones 
and  when  the  young  colts  were  captured  it 
was  almost  impossible  to  raise  or  break  them 
for  use  on  the  farm. 

When  Mr.  O'Kane  was  fifteen  yars  old  he 


left  the  home  ranch  and  went  to  Alda,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  learned  the  art  of  telegraphy, 
and  in  the  fall  of  1883  he  came  to  Wood  River 
as  night  operator.  This  pleasant  little  city  has 
since  been  his  settled  home,  although  for  some 
time  he  worked  up  and  down  the  railroad  line 
as  telegrapher  for  short  periods.  A  man  of 
energy  and  enterprise,  Mr.  O'Kane  was  one  of 
the  early  promoters  of  the  now  necessary  tel- 
ephone service.  In  1902  he  organized  the  Ne- 
braska Telephone  Company,  with  country 
lines  working  out  of  Wood  River  and  has  been 
its  able  manager  ever  since.  He  has  given 
encouragement  to  many  other  laudable  enter- 
prises in  the  county  and  his  fellow  citizens 
know  that  they  may  safely  invest  if  he  gives 
support.  He  owns  valuable  real  estate  at 
Wood  River  which  includes  his  comfortable 
residence  and  the  brick  building  in  which  the 
post  office  is  located. 

On  November  27,  1905,  Mr.  O'Kane  mar- 
ried Miss  Agnes  Whalen,  who  was  bom  in 
Illinois,  a  daughter  of  Thomas  and  Anna 
Whalen,  who  were  the  parents  of  four  sons 
and  three  daughters :  John,  William,  Frank, 
James,  Mrs.  Elizabeth  L.  Hoye,  Mrs.  Anna 
Dunn,  and  Mrs.  Agnes  O'Kane.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  O'Kane  have  the  following  children: 
Mary,  a  student  in  the  Wood  River  high 
school;  Leo  David,  a  pupil  in  the  fifth  grade 
at  school ;  Robert  Harold,  also  doing  well  at 
school;  Gretchen,  has  reached  her  fifth  year, 
and  Charlotte,  at  the  charming  age  of  two 
years.  Ih  politics  Mr.  O'Kane  is  a  Democrat 
and  in  addition  to  serving  for  the  past  four 
years  as  postmaster,  he  has  served  several 
terms  as  village  clerk.  He  has  conducted  an 
insurance  business  in  connection  with  real 
estate  handling  for  some  time,  for  the  past 
fifteen  years  having  been  active  along  many 
lines.  He  and  family  belong  to  the  Roman 
Catholic  church  and  he  is  a  leading  member 
of  the  Knights  of  Columbus.  He  was  one  of 
the  founders  and  is  a  prominent  factor  in  the 
Wood  River  Commercial  Club. 


CHARLES  HEUBNER.  —  Among  the 
general  farmers  of  Hall  County  who  have 
been  successful  in  their  operations  during 
recent  years,  one  who  has  passed  his  entire 
life  in  this  community  is  Charles  Heubner,  of 
Alda  township.  It  has  been  his  fortune  to 
have  been  connected  with  agricultural  matters 
all  of  his  life  and  his  privilege  to  have  found 
in  his  employment  both  profit  and  content- 
ment. Mr.  Heubner  was  born  in  Hall  County 
in  1874,  a  son  of  Fritz  and  Nancy  (Kay) 
Heubner,  natives  of  Germany  who  came  to  the 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


931 


United  States  as  young  people  and  were  early 
settlers  of  Hall-  County,  where  they  rounded 
out  useful  and  honorable  lives.  After  secur- 
ing a  public  school  education,  Charles  Heub- 
ner  adopted  farming  as  his  life  work,  and  with 
the  passage  of  the  years  through  good  man- 
agement and  the  use  of  modern  methods  he 
has  made  a  successful  showing  and  accumu- 
lated a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres. 
This  is  under  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
has  been  improved  with  the  erection  of  good 
buildings  and  the  installation  of  up-to-date 
improvements.  As  a  general  farmer,  Mr. 
Heubner  is  alive  to  the  possibilities  of  his  vo- 
cation, and  makes  his  land  pay  him  well  for 
the  labor  which  he  exepnds  in  its  cultivation. 
In  1898  Mr.  Heubner  married  Miss  Nancy 
Kay.  To  this  union  there  have  been  born 
seven  children:  Fred,  who  is  employed  on  a 
Hall  County  farm;  Harry  and  Henry,  twins, 
who  are  engaged  in  assisting  their  father  in 
the  work  of  the  home  place ;  Eddie,  Dona)  and 
Lilly,  who  all  live  with  their  parents,  and  Ella, 
who  is  deceased.  Mr.  Heubner  maintains  an 
independent  stand  upon  political  questions, 
prferring  to  use  his  own  judgment  in  the 
choice  of  candidates  instead  of  being  confined 
by  strict  party  lines.  He  has  been  content 
with  the  work  of  his  farm  and  the  pleasures 
of  his  home,  and  has  formed  no  lodge  con- 
nections. 


EMIL  BOLTZ  is  one  of  the  native  sons  of 
Hall  County  who  is  making  a  success  of  his 
farming  operations.  He  was  born  on  the  place 
which  is  now  his  home,  June  3,  1881.  His 
parents,  Claus  and  Johannah  (Kay)  Boltz, 
were  born,  reared  and  married  in  Holstein, 
Germany.  They  had  two  children  when  they 
came  to  America  and  soon  after  landing  in 
this  country  established  their  home  in  Alda 
township,  Hall  County,  Nebraska.  The  father 
bought  forty  acres  of  land  which  he  later 
traded  for  the  place  where  Emil  now  lives. 
This  was  also  a  forty  acre  tract  to  which  he 
added  eighty  acres  and  here  he  passed  away 
more  than  thirty  years  ago.  The  mother  sur- 
vived until  about 'five  years  ago  when  she  too 
was  called  to  her  final  rest. 

Of  the  children  in  the  family  Edward,  Gus- 
tave,  Herman,  Emil,  Minnie  and  Henry  are 
living.    Charles  and  Emma  are  deceased. 

Emil  was  reared  in  the  neighborhood  and 
received  an  excellent  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  his  district,  making  the  most  of 
his  opportunities.  Upon  completing  his  stud- 
ies he  determined  upon  an  agricultural  career, 
having  been  reared  in  the  country  he  decided 


farm  Hfe  appealed  to  him.  For  some  years  he 
remained  at  home  assisting  in  the  operation 
of  the  land  which  gave  him  an  opportunity  to 
demonstrate  his  abilities.  Some  time  before 
his  mother  died  the  estate  was  divided  and 
Emil  purchased  the  home  place.  Here  his 
mother  lived  until  her  death.  He  is  the  owner 
of  two  hundred  and  twenty-two  acres  and 
does  general  farming. 

Emil  Boltz  married  Miss  Hahn,  who  was 
also  born  in  Hall  County,  and  she  has  become 
the  mother  of  four  children:  Arthur,  Dora, 
Daniel  and  Hazel. 

Mr.  Boltz  is  one  of  the  honest  and  upright 
citizens  of  Hall  County  and  hightly  respected 
wherever  known. 


PETER  F.  McCULLOUGH.  —  A  resident 
of  Hall  County  for  thirty-seven  years,  Mr. 
McCul lough  passed  the  first  quarter  of  a 
century  of  his  residence  here  in  agricultural 
work,  but  during  more  recent  years  has  been 
the  representative  of  the  Omaha-Moline  Plow 
Company,  although  he  is  still  the  owner  of  a 
valuable  farm  in  Center  township.  His  career 
has  been  an  illustration  of  typical  self-made 
success,  and  today  he  stands  as  one  of  the 
substantial  men  of  his  community. 

Mr.  McCullough  was  born  in  the  city  of 
Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  November  15, 
1859.  He  acquired  his  education  in  the  public 
schools  of  the  City  of  Brotherly  Love  and 
grew  to  manhood  there,  but  his  opportunities 
for  success  were  restricted  and,  seeking  a 
broader  field  in  a  new  country,  in  1882  he 
made  his  way  to  Nebraska  and  purchased 
eighty  acres  of  land  in  Center  township,  which 
has  since  been  his  home.  From  practically  its 
virgin  state  he  developed  his  property  into  a 
productive  and  valuable  farm,  upon  which  he 
devoted  himself  to  general  operations  with  a 
generous  measure  of  success,  and  continued  to 
follow  the  pursuits  of  the  soU  with  unremit- 
ting energy  until  1909,  when  he  accepted  an 
attractive  offer  from  the  Omaha-Moline  Plow 
Company,  the  traveling  representative  of 
which  concern  he  has  since  been.  During  his 
extensive  travels  during  the  past  decade,  he 
has  become  widely  and  favorably  known 
among  the  farmers  of  Hall  County,  and 
wherever  his  acquaintance  has  extended  he 
has  the  confidence  and  esteem  of  the  people. 

Mr.  McCullough  married  Miss  Ellen  Sear- 
son,  and  to  them  there  have  been  bom  seven 
children :  Thomas,  married  and  resides  at 
Alda,  he  being  the  manager  and  operator  of 
his  father's  farm;  Albert,  married  and  resides 
in  Idaho;  Mary,  married  and  resides  at  Grand 


932 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Island;  John  and  Bryan,  the  former  married 
and  the  latter  single,  who  reside  in  Florida; 
Charlie,  who  lives  at  home  and  assists  in  the 
work  of  the  farm,  and  Floyd,  attending  the 
high  school  at  Grand  Island. 

In  his  political  views,  Mr.  McCullough  is 
a  Democrat.  His  religious  faith  is  that  of  the 
Friends  Church,  which  he  attends  at  Alda. 
He  holds  membership  in  the  United  Com- 
mercial Travelers. 


EARL  E.  DAVISON  is  among  the  younger 
generation  of  successful  men  of  Hall  County. 
He  was  bom  in  Center  township,  May  22, 
1896,  the  son  of  Henry  Davison  who  is  living 
retired  in  Grand  Island,  a  record  of  whom  will 
be  found  elsewhere  in  this  volume. 

Earl  E.  was  reared  on  the  farm  and  at- 
tended the  public  schools  and  when  not  busy 
with  his  text  books  assisted  in  the  operation 
of  the  home  farm.  On  reaching  man's  estate 
he  chose  the  occupation  to  which  he  had  been 
reared  and  is  now  successfully  operating  one 
hundred  twenty  acres  belonging  to  his  father. 

May  3,  1919,  occured  the  marriage  of  Earl 
E.  Davison  and  Miss  Grace  Howell,  also  a 
native  of  Hall  County,  a  daughter  of  E.  J. 
and  Betty  (Kelly)  Howell,  who  reside  in 
Grand  Island.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Davison  are 
members  of  the  Methodist  Church  in  Alda, 
and  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all  who 
know  them. 


FLOYD  J.  MECHAM.  —  Among  the 
younger  element  of  agriculturists  carrying  on 
operations  in  Hall  County,  one  who  has  al- 
ready made  a  success  of  his  chosen  vocation 
and  is  working  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
of  land  is  Floyd  J.  Mecham  of  Center  town- 
ship. Mr.  Mecham  is  a  man  who  brings  to 
his  work  a  knowledge  of  general  principles  of 
agriculture  and  modern,  scientific  methods, 
and  through  their  application  in  his  daily 
round  of  duties  has  found  the  medium  through 
which  he  has  attained  prosperity. 

Mr.  Mecham  was  born  in  Adams  County, 
Nebraska,  November  13,  1885,  and  belongs  to 
a  family  which  has  resided  in  Hall  County  for 
a  number  of  years,  founded  here  by  his  father, 
Clinton  P.  Mecham.  a  sketch  of  whose  career 
will  be  found  on  another  page  of  the  work. 
His  education  was  acquired  in  the  public 
schools,  following  which  he  settled  down  to 
a  life  as  a  tiller  of  the  soil,  and.  as  before 
noted,  his  success  has  been  of  a  definite  and 
gratifying  character.  The  one  hundred  and 
twenty  acre  property,  well  cultivated  and  very 


productive,  has  been  made  increasingly  val- 
uable by  the  erection  of  good  buildings  and  the 
making  of  various  other  improvements,  and 
through  intelligent  study  of  the  problems  con- 
cerning his  vocation  and  industrious  work  in 
the  matter  of  cultivation  of  the  soil,  Mr. 
Mecham  has  become  known  as  one  of  those 
to  whom  Hall  County  looks  for  its  continued 
development  and  progress  in  an  agricultural 
way  in  the  years  to  come. 

Mr.  Mecham  married  Lena  Forburger,  of 
Lincoln,  a  daughter  of  a  retired  contractor 
of  that  city,  and  to  this  union  there  have  been 
born  two  children:  Dale  and  Floyd  J.,  Jr. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mecham  belong  to  the  Meth- 
odist church.  He  is  a  Democrat  in  his  political 
allegiance,  although  his  only  activity  in  poli- 
tics is  the  casting  of  his  vote  for  good  men 
and  beneficial  measures.  He  has  no  lodge 
connections. 


HARVEY  L.  STARKEY,  M.  D.  —  Tht 
medical  profession  in  Hall  County  has  no 
more  able  or  experienced  physician  and  sur- 
geon than  Dr.  Harvey  L.  Starkey,  who  has 
been  established  at  Wood  River  for  the  past 
decade.  In  addition  to  his  professional  en- 
dowment, Dr.  Starkey  has  other  claims  de- 
serving recognition  by  his  fellow  citizens  be- 
cause of  his  loyal  attitude  and  patriotic  and 
unselfish  services  during  the  World  War, 
from  which  he  was  honorably  released  De- 
cember 16,  1918. 

Harvey  L.  Starkey  was  bom  March  16, 
1865,  in  Ritchie  County,  West  Virginia,  one 
of  a  family  of  nine  sons  and  four  daughters 
bom  to  Enoch  A.  and  Jane  (Cunningham) 
Starkey.  The  father  of  Dr.  Starkey  was  born 
in  June,  1828,  at  Clarksburg,  Harrison  County, 
West  Virginia,  and  the  mother  was  bom  in 
1830.  All  of  their  thirteen  children  survived 
to  maturity  with  the  exception  of  one  son, 
who  died  at  the  age  of  nine  months.  Enoch 
A.  Starkey  was  a  carpenter  by  trade.  He 
lived  at  Clarksburg  during  his  earlier  life- 
moved  then  to  Burning  Springs,  where  he 
lived  for  ten  years,  in  1852  was  married,  ten 
years  later  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Union 
army  during  the  Civil  War,  afterward  locating 
in  Roane  County,  where  his  death  occurred  at 
the  age  of  eighty-six  years. 

In  the  public  schools  of  Roane  County,  Dr. 
Starkey  received  the  educational  training  that 
made  him  an  acceptable  teacher  and  for  twelve 
years  he  remained  in  the  schoolroom,  in  the 
meanwhile  doing  preparatory  medical  reading 
in  preparation  for  a  course  in  Barnes  Medical 
College,  St.  Louis,  Missouri,  from  which  insti- 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Dr.  Harvey  L.  Starkey 


D.0iiizedb»  Google 


934 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


tution  he  was  graduated  with  his  coveted 
dergree  in  1899.  He  immediately  entered  into 
medical  practice  at  Junction  City  and  Harris- 
burg:,  Illinois,  until  May,  1909,  when  he  came 
to  Hall  County,  purchasing  the  practice  of 
Dr.  W.  J.  Redfield  of  Wood  River.  He 
speedily  won  the  confidence  and  personal 
esteem  of  the  Wood  River  people  and  in  no 
case  has  this  early  estimate  been  changed. 
Always  deeply  interested  in  public  affairs  as 
an  enlightened  and  earnest  citizen,  and  with 
the  memory  of  a  patriotic  father,  Dr.  Starkey, 
when  his  country  became  involved  in  war, 
began  to  make  preparations  to  do  his  part. 
When  the  government  called  on  his  profession 
for  help,  he  made  a  personal  matter  of  it  and 
immediately  offered  his  services.  Unexpected 
business  complications,  however,  prevented  his 
taking  the  first  examination,  but  he  was  ready 
for  the  second,  on  June  19,  1918,  and  on  July 
9th  following  be  received  a  commission  as 
captain,  being  assigned  to  the  officers'  trainig 
came  at  Fort  Riley,  Kansas.  After  completing 
training  there,  on  September  25th  he  was  ap- 
pointed to  the  base  hospital  at  Fort  Riley,  but 
telegraphic  instructions  from  Washington, 
D.  C,  changed  the  assignment,  and  he  was 
ordered  to  Fort  Sam  Houston,  San  Antonio, 
Texas,  where  he  became  a  member  of  the 
brigade  on  duty  in  the  infirmaries.  When  the 
influenza  epidemic  broke  out  he  was  made 
assistant  sanitary  inspector  of  the  camp.  After 
strenuous  work  in  this  office  for  one  month, 
he  was  assigned  to  section  F  of  the  hospital 
annex,  where  he  became  ward  surgeon,  with 
responsibility  over  four  wards  and  two  hun- 
dred and  eighty  beds,  few  of  which  were 
vacant  at  any  time.  Dr.  Starkey  is  very 
modest  concerning  the  work  he  did  in  getting 
the  sick  soldiers  on  their  feet  again  and  speed- 
ing them  back  to  their  companies,  but  in  many 
sections  of  the  country  his  name  is  gratefully 
remembered  by  brave  youths  who  came  under 
his  medical  ministrations  and  cheering  influ- 
ence at  that  time. .  Dr.  Starkey  was  again 
transferred  and  given  command  of  infirmary 
No.  3,  and  was  discharging  his  duties  there 
at  the  time  of  the  signing  of  the  armistice,  his 
honorable  discharge  following  as  mentioned 
above.  He  immediately  returned  to  Wood 
River  and  resumed  practice,  with  broadened 
outlook  taking  up  again  the  problems  of  health 
and  sanitation  that  civil  as  well  as  military 
life  present  to  the  conscientious  physician. 

On  June  19,  1892,  Dr.  Starkey  married  Miss 
Dorcas  Stewart,  the  youngest  in  a  family  of 
two  sons  and  five  daughters  born  to  William 
P.  and  Anna  (Straley)  Stewart,  of  Reedy, 
West  Virginia.     The  father  of  Mrs.  Starkey 


had  large  timber  interests  and  was  in  the  hotel 
business.  For  twelve  years  before  her  mar- 
riage, Mrs.  Starkey  taught  shcool.  She  is  a 
woman  of  education  and  social  charm,  and  an 
admirable  mother  of  four  adopted  children, 
she  and  Dr.  Starkey  having  opened  their  home 
and  hearts  and  have  given  through  adoption, 
their  honorable  name  to  Florence,  Evelyn, 
William  and  John,  their  ages  ranging  from 
two  to  eleven  years.  Mrs.  Starkey  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church,  south. 
She  has  been  one  of  the  most  enthusiastic 
workers  in  the  Red  Cross  ranks  in  Wood 
River,  gives  attention  to  many  social  obliga- 
tions, and  enjoys  membership  in  the  order  of 
the  Eastern  Star,  the  order  of  Rebekah,  and 
the  Royal  Highlanders.  Dr.  Starkey  is  a 
Thirty-Second  degree  Mason  and  an  Odd 
Fellow  and  is  identified  with  other  organiza- 
tions both   fraternal  and  professional. 


ISAAC  K.  WATSON,  well  and  favorably 
known  in  Hall  County  for  many  years,  was 
one  of  the  substantial  farmers  and  worthy- 
citizens  of  Jackson  township.  His  memory 
is  not  only  preserved  because  of  his  high  per- 
sonal character  and  useful  citizenship,  but  also 
by  his  descendants  who  reflect  credit  on  his 
honorable  name. 

Isaac  K.  Watson  was  born  at  West  Liberty, 
Iowa,  August  30,  I860.  His  parents  were 
Albert  and  Speedy  Watson,  who  had  six  chil- 
dren :  Lewis,  Albert,  Isaac  K.,  Anna,  Maria 
and  Cora.  His  father  was  in  easy  enough  cir- 
cumstances to  permit  his  attending  college 
after  completing  the  high  school  course  at 
West  Liberty,  and  he  remained  in  Iowa  City 
until  he  was  graduated  from  the  University 
of  Iowa.  Although  prepared  in  this  way  for 
a  profession,  he  chose  the  vocation  of  farming, 
and  prior  to  1885,  when  he  removed  to  Ne- 
braska, he  followed  agricultural  pursuits  in 
Iowa.  In  1885  he  came  to  Hall  County  and 
purchased  two  hundred  and  forty  acres,  situ- 
ated in  section  21,  Jackson  township.  To  the 
cultivation  and  improvement  of  this  land,  in 
conjunction  with  such  citizenship  duties  as  he 
thought  best  to  assume  for  the  general  wel- 
fare, he  devoted  the  rest  of  his  life.  His  death 
resulted  from  an  attack  of  pneumonia,  Jan- 
uary 8,  1889. 

Mr.  Watson's  first  marriage  took  place  Feb. 
ruary  22,  1882,  to  Miss  Mary  A.  Gundlach,  of 
Fayette  County,  Iowa,  daughter  of  John  and 
Mary  Gundlach.  They  had  four  children: 
Clark  A.,  John  K.,  and  Harry  H.  The  last 
named  died  in  infancy.  The  others  reside  in 
Iowa.    The  mother  of  these  children  died  dur- 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


935 


ing  an  epidemic  of  measles,  on  July  12,  1890. 
On  June  9,  1891,  Mr.  Watson  married  Mrs. 
Almeda  L.  (Gardner)  Burbank,  of  Loup  City, 
Nebraska,  for  his  second  wife.  She  was  the 
widow  of  Don  C.  Burbank,  and  a  daughter  of 
Louis  D.  and  Mary  A.  (Warren)  Gardner. 
Mrs.  Watson's  father  was  bom  in  Medina 
County,  Ohio,  and  her  mother  in  Rock  Island, 
Illinois.  She  had  seven  sisters  and  one 
brother:  Clara,  Minnie,  Hattie,  Abbie  E., 
Etta,  Mary  and  Marta,  twins,  and  Harry,  the 
three  eldest  dying  in  infancy. 

Mrs.  Watson  was  married  first,  December 
29,  1885,  at  Verdon,  Nebraska,  to  Don  C.  Bur- 
bank, who  came  to  Nebraska  from  Benton 
Harbor,  Michigan,  and  settled  near  Loup  City, 
in  1882.  He  died  of  typhoid  fever,  on  No- 
vember 12,  1886,  leaving  one  daughter,  Donnie 
C,  the  wife  of  Ray  Dubbs,  a  farmer  in  Cam- 
eron township.  Hall  County.  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Dubbs  have  three  children :  Raymond,  Lewis 
and  Inez.  After  Mr.  Burbank's  death,  his 
widow  returned  to  the  home  of  her  parents, 
where  she  resided  until  her  marriage  to  Mr. 
Watson  in  the  summer  of  1891.  They  then 
took  up  their  residence  on  the  beautiful  farm 
of  Mr.  Watson  in  Jackson  township.  After 
his  death  she  remained  on  the  farm  looking 
after  the  healthful  rearing  of  her  children, 
until  the  spring  of  1918,  when  she  turned  over 
the  management  of  the  place  to  her  son  Arthur 
Lloyd,  and  retired  to  Wood  River,  where  she 
has  a  wide  circle  of  friends. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Watson  four  sons  and  one 
daughter  were  born :  Lewis  E.,  Arthur  Lloyd, 
Roy,  Orval  and  Elsa  A.  Lewis  E.  Watson 
was  born  June  5,  1892.  He  is  a  farmer  near 
Arcadia,  Nebraska.  On  October  6,  1915,  he 
married  Alice  A.  Cox,  of  Wood  River,  and 
they  have  three  children.  Arthur  L.  Watson 
was  born  October  25,  1893,  and  on  March  6, 
1918,  was  united  in  marriage  to  Nora  C. 
Moore,  of  Shelton,  Nebraska.  They  reside 
on  the  old  Watson  place  in  Jackson  township. 
Roy  Watson  was  born  March  16,  1896,  and 
after  being  graduated  from  the  Wood  River 
high  school,  went  to  work  on  the  home  farm. 
On  December  3,  1917,  he  enlisted  in  the 
United  States  navy,  at  Omaha.  After  four 
months  of  seamanship  training  at  Great  Lakes, 
Illinois,  he  was  sent  to  Philadelphia  and 
assigned  to  the  transport  Corolla,  sailing  April 
23,  1918,  for  Brest,  France,  where  he  yet  re- 
mains on  duty  as  a  member  of  the  naval  mili- 
tary police.  Orval  Watson,  who  was  born 
July  28,  1897,  died  October  17,  1897.  Elsa 
A  Watson,  the  only  daughter,  was  born  De- 
cember 2,  1898.  She  was  educated  in  the 
public  schools  of  Wood  River  and  completed 


the  high  school  course.  On  July  9,  1918,  she 
was  united  in  marriage  to  Owen  Frederick,  of 
Wood  River,  whose  military  record  is  well 
worth  repeating. 

Mr.  Frederick  enlisted  for  service  in  the 
World  War,  on  June  14,  1918,  at  Grand 
Island,  Nebraska.  Being  assigned  to  the  de- 
partment of  automobile  mechanics,  he  was 
sent  to  Lincoln,  Nebraska,  where  he  completed 
his  course  of  training  and  on  August  13,  1918, 
was  transferred  to  Valparaiso,  Indiana,  where 
he  had  additional  training  for  three  weeks, 
being  sent  from  there  to  Camp  Purdue,  and 
remained  there  two  months  attached  to  the 
Motor  Transport  Corps,  holding  the  position 
of  master  truck  driver.  Six  weeks  in  Camp 
Sheridan,  Illinois,  followed,  where  he  was 
fitted  out  with  his  over-sea  equipment.  The 
sudden  signing  of  the  armistice  interrupted 
further  government  transport  plans,  but  on 
December  17,  1918,  Mr.  Frederick  was  trans- 
ferred to  Fort  Wingate,  New  Mexico.  There 
he  assisted  in  storing  explosives  shipped  from 
eastern  arsenals  and  continued  this  work  until 
March  14,  1919,  when  he  was  transferred  to 
Camp  Funston,  Kansas,  where,  five  days  later, 
he  was  honorably  discharged.  Although  he 
has  had  much  in  military  training,  Mr.  Fred- 
erick is  well  prepared  for  civil  life.  He  is  en- 
gaged in  Wood  River  as  an  expert  automobile 
mechanic. 


HILMER  BENSON.  — While  men  in  any 
confidential  relation  with  big  business  houses 
may  attract  attention  through  certain  gifts  or 
talents,  it  is  the  quiet,  faithful,  matter-of-fact, 
ever  dependable  man  with  the  best  interests  of- 
his  firm  at  heart,  who  gives  the  greatest  satis- 
faction during  his  useful  life,  and  is  most 
missed  when  death  calls  him  away.  For 
twenty-two  years  the  late  Hilmer  Benson  was 
a  familiar  figure  at  Wood  River.  Ever  assid- 
uous in  the  performance  of  his  duties,  trusted 
by  everyone  because  of  his  honesty  and  up- 
rightness, he  had  many  personal  as  well  as 
business  friends. 

Hilmer  Benson  was  born  in  Odsmal, 
Sweden,  April  18,  1860.  His  parents  were 
Benjamin  and  Inger  Johanna  (Hermanson) 
Benson,  who  had  four  sons :  Bernard,  Elam, 
Hilmer  and  Anders.  Hilmer  Benson  attended 
the  public  shcools  in  his  native  land  until  he 
was  fiftteen  years  of  age,  when  he  entered 
his  uncle's  genera!  store  as  a  clerk,  where  he 
had  thorough  business  training.  In  October, 
1887,  when  twenty-seven  years  old,  he  came 
to  the  United  States  and  after  landing  came 
west,  stopping  first  at  St.  Paul,  Nebraska.    A 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


few  months  later  he  removed  to  Palmer,  Ne- 
braska. He  found  employment  as  a  clerk  in 
Palmer  and  remained  there  until  June,  1889, 
when  he  came  to  Wood  River.  In  this  pleas- 
ant little  city  he  spent  the  remainder  of  his 
life.  As  a  clerk  he  .entered  the  employ  of 
F.  M.  Penny  and  continued  with  him  until 
Mr.  Penny  sold  out  to  Mr,  Brett,  and  re- 
mained with  the  new  merchant  until  the  close 
of  his  life,  having  a  record  of  eighteen  years 
of  continuous  service  in  the  same  business 
establishment.  He  was  known  to  almost 
everyone  and  anxiety  was  felt  when  it  was 
learned  he  was  prostrated  with  an  attack  of 
pneumonia,  which  was  the  cause  of  his  death 
on  Febraury  7,  1911. 

At  Kearney,  Nebraska,  November  3,  1889, 
Mr.  Benson  married  Miss  Hildur  M.  Peter- 
son, who  was  born  in  Jonkoping,  Sweden,  Jan- 
uary 4,  1864.  Her  parents  were  Carl  J.  and 
Christiana  M.  (Lund)  Peterson.  Mrs.  Ben- 
son was  the  second  born  of  three  children,  the 
others  being:  Sixtus  and  Bertha  C.  As. 
young  people,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Benson  had  been 
warmly  attached  to  each  other  in  Sweden,  and 
rather  than  have  him  leave  his  business  and 
make  the  long  journey  to  Sweden  for  their 
marriage,  she  decided  to  come  alone  to  the 
United  States  and  reached  Wood  River,  Ne- 
braska, September  28,  1889.  Their  marriage 
followed  as  already  stated.  Three  sons  were 
born  to  them:  Charles  Allan,  Einer  Hilmer 
and  Curt  Oscar.  The  eldest,  Charles  Allan 
Benson,  was  born  at  Wood  River,  November 
5,  1890.  He  obtained  his  education  in  the 
Wood  River  public  schools  and  then  became  a 
farmer.  The  subsequent  history  of  his  brave 
young  life  will  be  found,  with  his  photograph, 
in  the  soldier  section  of  this  work.  His  death 
occurred  while  in  the  service  of  his  country, 
October  7,  1918.  Einer  Hilmer  Benson,  the 
second  son,  was  born  in  Wood  River,  Novem- 
ber 12,  1891,  and  was  graduated  from  the  high 
school  in  this  city  in  the  class  of  1911.  In  the 
following  year  he  finished  a  course  in  Balls 
Business  College,  and  is  assistant  cashier  of 
the  Citizens  State  Bank  of  Wood  River.  The 
third  son,  Curt  Oscar  Benson,  was  bom  in 
Wood  River  September  13,  1897.  He  was 
graduated  from  the  Wood  River  high  school 
in  the  class  of  1915,  and  from  the  Creighton 
College  of  Pharmacy  in  the  class  of  1918. 
He  is  engaged  with  the  Hoyes  Pharmacy  in 
Wood  River.  Mrs.  Benson  and  sons  are  mem- 
bers of  the  Presbyterian  church.  She  is  an 
active  worker  in  the  Red  Cross  movement  and 
her  sons  have  been  equally  interested  in  for- 
warding every  patriotic  measure.  No  family 
in  Wood  River  stands  higher  in  public  esteem. 


WILLIAM  V.  RYAN,  a  farmer  in  Hall 
County  for  many  years,  has  lived  retired  in 
Wood  River  since  1913,  where  he  has  a  wide 
acquaintance  and  many  friends.  He  was  born 
in  Jersey  County,  Illinois,  June  25,  1856,  the 
son  of  William  and  Catherine  (Blaney)  Ryan, 
both  of  sound  old  Irish  stock,  although  his 
mother  was  born  after  her  parents  came  to 
the  United  States  and  had  settled  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. His  father,  William  Ryan,  was  bom 
in  County  Limerick,  Ireland,  being  twenty 
years  old  when  he  came  from  his  native  land 
to  America  in  1848.  In  1852  he  married 
Catherine  Blaney,  at  Jerseyville,  Illionis,  and 
of  their  family  of  six  sons  and  two  daughters, 
William  V.  Ryan  was  the  firstborn. 

William  grew  up  on  his  father's  farm  in 
Jersey  County,  Illinois,  and  in  boyhood  at- 
tended the  country  schools.  In  answer  to  a 
question  as  to  farm  wages  in  his  youth,  he 
was  led  to  recall  an  experience  of  his  own, 
when  he  was  paid  $3  a  day  for  binding  wheat, 
following  a  dropper,  and  when  the  job  con- 
tinued for  six  days,  he  felt  he  had  made  a  for- 
tune. On  February  4,  1880,  Mr.  Ryan  mar- 
ried Miss  Catherine  Caveny,  of  Carlinville, 
Illinois.  She  was  born  in  Pennsylvania  in 
1856,  a  daughter  of  Michael  and  Ann  (Coan) 
Caveny,  who  came  to  the  United  States  from 
Ireland  but  were  married  in  New  Jersey. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ryan  became  the  parents  of 
the  following  children :  Anna  Laura,  the  wife 
of  William  Kearney,  a  farmer  and  stockraiser 
in  Jackson  township,  Hall  County,  and  they 
have  eight,  children;  Mary  Agnes,  the  wife  of 
John  Moore,  who  operates  his  own  three-chair 
barber  shop  at  Shelton,  Nebraska ;  Thomas  E, 
an  expert  barber,  operates  his  own  three-chair 
shop  at  Wood  River;  Ellen,  the  wife  of  Wil- 
liam Moore,  a  farmer  and  stockman  in  Jack- 
son township,  is  the  mother  of  one  son ;  John 
W.,  a  prosperous  and  popular  young  farmer 
in  Jackson  township,  owning  a  fine  automo- 
bile; James  S.,  who  is  employed  as  a  barber 
in  a  fifteen  chair  shop  at  Omaha,  has  been 
honorably  discharged  from  military  service 
and  his  photograph  and  record  may  be  found 
in  the  soldier  section  of  this  work,  and  Joseph 
Francis,  employed  as  a  barber  by  his  brother 
in  Wood  River.  Mr.  Ryan  and  his  family 
belong  to  St.  Mary's  Catholic  church.  He  has 
always  been  a  Democrat  politically. 


CECIL  S.  SHERER,  who  belongs  to  one 
of  the  well  known  early  families  of  south 
central  Nebraska,  may,  any  day,  be  found 
interested  and  busy  with  peaceful  activities 
on  his  father's  farm  near  Wood  River,  in 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


937 


Hall  County.  Modest,  quiet,  unassuming,  it  is 
only  by  close  questioning  that  this  young  hero 
can  be  induced  to  tell  of  his  thrilling  experi- 
ences in  the  service  of  his  country,  a  recital 
of  which  gives  but  a  poor  idea  of  their  magni- 
tude and  importance. 

Mr.  Sherer  belongs  to  Nebraska.  He  was 
born  at  Aurora,  in  Hamilton  County,  October 
25,  1882.  His  parents  are  Jacob  and  Rhoda 
(Evans)  Sherer,  the  former  of  whom  is  a  na- 
tive of  Ohio,  and  the  latter  of  Iowa,  where  she 
was  born  in  January,  1861.  Their  marriage 
took  place  in  Aurora,  Nebraska,  in  January, 
1881,  and  they  have  had  six  children  as  fol- 
lows: Cecil  S.,  Leo,  Verna,  Myrtle,  Glenn, 
Elmer  Ray  and  Nellie  May,  twins,  Sampson 
and  Dewey,  twins,  and  Jacob.  All  the  chil- 
dren are  living  with  the  exception  of  Elmer 
Ray,  who  met  a  soldier's  death  in  the  ever  to 
be  remembered  batle  of  Argonne  Forest,  in 
France,  on  September  27,  1918.  He  entered 
military  service  on  June  22,  1918,  at  Camp 
Lewis,  Oregon,  and  was  with  a  contingent  of 
American  soldiers  landed  in  France  on  Sep- 
tember 5,  1918. 

Cecil  S.  Sherer  attended  the  public  schools 
of  Wood  River,  Hall  County,  and  after  his 
high  school  course  enlisted  in  the  United 
States  navy,  on  September  15,  1903,  and  was 
assigned  to  the  United  States  steamer  Alba- 
tross, a  fish  commission  ship  doing  deep  sea 
work  on  the  Pacific  coast.  He  was  honorably 
discharged  on  September  14,  1907  and  re- 
turned to  his  home  with  the  expectation  of  en- 
gaging in  agricultural  pursuits  during  the  rest 
of  his  life.  For  ten  years  he  was  so  occupied 
on  his  own  account,  in  Wood  River  township, 
-but  with  the  entrance  of  his  country  into 
war,  not  only  was  his  patriotism  aroused  but 
memory  of  his  life  as  a  sailor  came  back  and 
he  soon  determined  the  branch  of  his  country's 
service  he  would  enter. 

On  December  26,  1917,  he  enlisted  in  the 
Unitd  States  navy  once  more  for  war  service. 
(See  photograph  and  service  record  in  the 
soldier  section  of  this  work).  During  his 
service  of  fifteen  months  he  made  seven  trips 
across  the  Atlantic  ocean,  five  of  these  on  the 
United  States  Destroyer  Talbot.  On  August 
28,  1918,  he  saw  his  first  submarine.  It  was 
in  the  English  channel  and  at  the  same  time 
two  of  the  submarines  attacked  the  convoy  of 
destroyers,  one  of  the  monsters  coming  to  the 
surface  for  its  cruel  work  right  in  the  midst 
of  the  convoy.  As  soon  as  sighted  the  five 
destroyers  swept  in,  dropped  depth  bombs  on 
the  submarine  with  such  effect  that  within  five 
minutes  the  boat  sank,  leaving  seventeen  of  the 
enemy  crew  in  the  water,  who,  with  American 


humanitarian!  sm,  were  rescued  by  the  United 
States  steamer  Rathburn.  The  second  subma- 
rine was  sighted  about  1,000  yards  to  the  port 
quarter  and  shots  were  fired  from  the  destroy. 
ers  resulting  in  the  disapperance  of  the  U.  boat. 
One  of  the  troop  ships,  however,  had  been  in- 
jured by  the  undersea  vessel  and  as  it  was 
listing  heavily,  the  destroyers  stood  by  to  help, 
but  its  ship  carpenters  managed  to  repair  the 
damage  in  part  and  the  American  troops  were 
finally  safely  landed  at  Plymouth,  England. 
,  The  convoy  of  destroyers  then  scattered,  and 
with  great  speed  went  to  different  ports,  hav- 
ing sixteen  troop  ships  in  charge,  and  all  were 
safely  landed  either  at  Plymouth,  England,  or 
Brest,  France.  On  one  occasion,  Mr.  Sherer 
assisted  in  convoying  the  Leviathan  in  safety 
as  far  as  the  Azore  Islands,  and  on  the  home 
voyage  encountered  another  submarine.  The 
Talbot  was  one  of  the  receiving  ships  on  No- 
vember 21,  1918,  when  seventy  German  ves- 
sels were  turned  over  to  the  Allies  in  the 
Firth  of  Fourth,  a  memorable  occasion  to 
which  future  histories  will  devote  many  pages. 
After  the  last  trip  as  escort  to  troop  ships,  Mr. 
Sherer  and  his  brave  comrades  w«re  em- 
ployed for  a  time  in  target  practice  on  the 
south  coast  of  Cuba,  for  the  purpose  of  testing 
torpedoes.  On  March  1,  1919,  a  radio  mes- 
sage was  received  calling  for  four  destroyers 
to  proceed  at  once  to  New  York,  the  Talbot  be- 
ing one  of  the  chosen  vessels.  On  reaching 
that  city  Mr.  Sherer  teamed  that  those  de- 
stroyers were  to  be  used  for  convoy  of  the 
George  Washington,  on  which  President  Wil- 
son was  to  sail  for  France.  Before  the  vessels 
started,  however,  Mr.  Sherer  secured  his  re- 
lease from  the  service,  and  contentedly  re- 
turned to  the  safety  and  quiet  of  home,  being 
ready,  however,  to  return  if  his  country  has 
further  need  of  him,         , 


FRITZ  WIESE,  one  of  Hall  County's  high- 
ly respected  citizens,  resides  on  his  valuable 
farm  situated  in  Wood  River  township,  on 
which  he  has  lived  for  forty-eight  years.  He 
was  born  in  Lichtenberg,  Germany,  Novem- 
ber 17,  1848,  the  second  in  a  family  of  three 
sons  and  two  daughters  born  to  Dedlef  and 
Margaret  (Hein)  Wiese. 

Fritz  went  to  school  in  his  native  land  with 
his  brothers  and  sisters,  Louisa,  Carl,  William 
and  Lizzie,  and  grew  up  under  conditions  that 
prevailed  in  his  neighborhood  at  that  time.  He 
was  an  ambitious  youth  however  and  believ- 
ing he  could  better  himself  in  America,  left 
Germany  when  twenty  years  old  and  came  to 
the  United  States  in  April,  1869,  and  immedi- 


938 


HISTORY  OF.  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


ately  made  his  way  to  Hall  County.  He  was 
not  yet  i  old  enough  under  the  law  to  take  ad- 
vantage of  the  homestead  bill,  but  lost  not  a 
day  in  seeking  work.  This  he  found  as  a 
laborer  and  was  paid  $1.55  a  day  for  assisting 
in  the  building  of  a  dam  in  the  Platte  River. 
After  that  he  hired  out  to  near-by  settlers  by 
the  month.  In  the  spring  of  1871  he  home- 
steaded  in  section  twenty-six,  securing  eighty 
acres  and  also  bought  forty  acres  of  school 
land  all  in  Wood  River  Township.  Mr.  Wiese 
managed  his  own  housekeeping  during  the 
time  required  to  prove  up,  having  many  ex- 
periences both  tragic  and  interesting.  At  this 
time  there  were  many  peaceable  Indians  in1  the 
neighborhood  and  he  became  acquainted  with 
them  and  even  has  visited  them  in  their  camp 
on  the  island,  at  no  time  having  cause  to 
either  fear  or  dislike  them.  He  was  lonely  in 
a  strange  land,  and  kindness  from  anybody 
was  appreciated.  Money  was  hard  to  get  in 
those  days,  trading  being  carried  on  between 
parties  who  often  exchanged  commodities  in 
place  of  real  money,  but  by  close  economy  he 
finaly  secured  sufficient  to  enable  him  to  buy  a 
team  of  horses,  a  wagon,  a  mower  and  a 
breaking  plow,  and  with  that  outfit  he  started 
to  be  a  Nebraska  farmer.  There  were  many 
misfortunes  during  the  earlier  years  for  either 
the  grasshoppers  or  the  unexpected  frost  took 
his  corn  and  oats,  but  he  was  no  worse  off 
than  his  neighbors  and  had  fewer  responsi- 
bilities than  the  most  of  them,  so  he  tried  to 
be  philosophical  and  went  steadily  on.  He  now 
has  two  hundred  and  eighty  acres  of  land 
worth  $125  an  acre,  all  well  improved  and  well 
stocked,  and  a  home  fitted  with  every  comfort 
he  could  wish. 

On  October  11,  1876,  Mr.  Wiese  married 
Miss  Catherine  Dibbern,  who  was  born  in 
Hall  County.  Her  parents  were  Jacob  and 
Margaret  (Wiese)  Dibbern,  natives  of  Ger- 
many who  came  to  the  United  States  and  set- 
tled in  Iowa  in  1870,  removing  from  there  to 
Hall  County  in  1871.  They  had  sixteen  chil- 
dren four  of  whom  died  in  infancy.  The  fol- 
lowing are  living:  Catherine,  Bertha,  Minnie, 
Peter  and  Hans,  twins,  Delia,  Anna,  Ernest, 
Otto,  Emma  and  August.  Five  sons  and  four 
daughters  were  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wiese : 
Emma,  Arthur,  Henry,  Frank,  Dora,  Bern- 
hardt, Eda,  Herman  and  Maggie.  Emma,  who 
died  December  15,  1906,  was  the  wife  of 
Henry  Schlicker,  who  now  lives  in  Garden 
County,  near  Lisco,  Nebraska,  with  their  five 
children,  Tena,  Pauline,  Fred,  Eda  and  Mable. 
Arthur  carries  on  farming  on  the  home  place 
in  Wood  River  township.  He  married  Dora 
Bockman,  and  they  have  four  children :  Helen, 


Henry,  Elmer  and  Raymond.  Henry,  the 
second  son,  is  deceased.  Frank  is  a  farmer  in 
Alda  township.  He  married  Minnie  Marth 
and  they  have  the  following  children :  Alfred, 
Ralph,  Harvey,  Catherine,  Leroy  and  Berna- 
dine.  Dora  is  the  wife  of  George  Rathman, 
a  farmer  in  Alda  township,  and  they  have  the 
following  children :  Henry,  Louie,  Walter, 
Goldie,  Viola  and  Marie.  Bernhardt,  who  has 
but  recently  returned  from  military  service 
with  the  American  Expeditionary  Force  in 
France,  saw  hard  service  as  a  member  of  a 
machine  gun  company.  His  photograph  and 
service  record  will  be  found  in  the  soldier's 
section  of  this  work.  From  what  his  young 
eyes  have  seen,  war  is  so  abhorrent  that  he 
does  not  want  to  talk  of  it  even  concerning  the 
courageous  feats  he  performed  himself,  of 
which  his  comrades  speak  glowingly.  He  pro- 
poses to  assist  in  taking  care  of  the  home  farm. 
Eda,  the  next  in  order  of  birth  is  deceased 
Herman  is  a  farmer  in  Wood  River  township. 
Maggie  looks  after  her  father's  comfort  in  die 
home.  The  beloved  mother  passed  away  on 
June  11,  1907.  Mr.  Wiese  has  never  been 
unmindful  of  the  best  interests  of  his  township 
and  when  he  has  felt  able  to  do  so,  has  al- 
ways co-operated  in  public  spirited  movements, 
has  been  helpful  and  friendly  as  a  neighbor 
and  strictly  honest  in  every  business  trans- 
action. 


EMIL  G.  PEARSON,  one  of  Wood  River's 
representative  men,  has  been  known  in  this  sec- 
tion of  Hall  County  for  over  a  quarter  of  a 
century.  For  many  years  back  he  has  been 
considered  one  of  the  township's  best  farmers 
and  most  successful  stockmen.  In  Mr.  Pear- 
son is  found  a  man  of  enterprise  and  progres- 
siveness,  of  intelligence  and  sound  judgment. 
His  influence,  well  directed,  has  been  beneficial 
to  the  entire  farming  community.  A  firm  be- 
liever in  the  value  of  co-operation,  he  belongs 
to  the  fanner's  organizations  that  started  the 
elevators  at  Shelton  and  Wood  River  and  is  a 
stockholder  in  both  of  these  successful  enter? 
prises. 

Emil  G.  Pearson  was  born  at  Helsingborg, 
Sweden,  February  21,  1872.  His  parents  were 
Per  and  Troen  (Pearson)  Pearson,  who  had 
the  following  children :  Per,  Kerston,  Sven, 
Emil  G.  and  Oscar.  In  April,  1890,  Emil  G. 
Pearson  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska,  set- 
tled in  Wood  River,  and  went  to  work  for 
F.  C.  Dodge.  Afterward  for  several  years 
he  worked  on  farms  and  then  bought  eighty 
acres  of  land  with  the  expectation  of  building 
up  a  large  agricultural  business  of  his  own. 


<V 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


939 


In  the  early  nineties  climatic  conditions  in  this 
section  caused  much  loss  and  discouragement, 
and  after  Mr.  Pearson  had  seen  his  crops  for 
several  seasons  dried  up  and  blasted  for  lack 
of  moisture,  he  let  the  land  go  and  became  a 
i  enter  instead  of  an  owner.  That  was  a  period 
very  different  in  the  county's  agricultural  his- 
tory than  the  present.  Low  prices  for  farm 
products  discouraged  industry  and  seemingly 
argriculture  here  was  at  a  low  ebb.  In  the 
meanwhile  Mr.  Pearson  had  married  and  in 
February,  1901,  they  went  to  Greeley,  Colo- 
rado. There  they  looked  over  the  country  for 
a  time  with  the  result  that  they  decided  it  by 
no  means  equalled  Hall  County  from  the  point 
of  view  of  a  prospective  farmer. 

After  returning  to  Hall  County  from  Colo- 
rado, in  the  fall  of  1901,  Mr.  Pearson  rented 
farming,  land  and  found  better  conditions  exist- 
ing, then  bought  one  hundred  and  twenty  acres 
on  Grand  Island  southwest  of  Wood  River. 
Under  his  management  this  has  become  some 
of  the  most  productive  land  in  the  county.  Mr. 
Pearson  not  only  cultivates  his  own  farm,  but 
an  additional  five  hundred  and  twenty  acres, 
with  the  help  of  modem  machinery  and  with  a 
Ford  automobile  truck  for  hauling.  In  addi- 
tion to  extensive  farm  production,  the  raising 
and  feeding  of  cattle,  hogs  and  sheep  has  be- 
come an  important  feature.  The  season  of 
1919  finds  him  with  three  hundred  head  of 
hogs  and  one  hundred  head  of  cattle. 

On  November  9,  1899,  Mr.  Pearson  mar- 
ried Miss  Lula  A.  McFarland,  a  daughter  of 
James  and  Anna  (Kimple)  McFarland,  who 
came  from  Ohio  to  Iowa  and  from  there  in 
the  early  seventies  to  Nebraska  and  secured 
a  homestead  in  Kearney  County.  Mrs.  Pear- 
son had  sister  and  brothers  as  follows: 
George,  Lizzie,  Etta,  Fred,  Jessie  and  Howard, 
all  of  whom  are  married  and  all  survive  except 
two  brothers,  who  died  of  influenza  during 
the  epidemic  in  November,  1918.  Mr.  and 
Mrs.  Pearson  have  eight  children :  Thea,  a 
popular  teacher  in  school  district  No.  69 ;  Vio- 
let, attending  the  high  school  in  Wood  River ; 
Clair  and, Malcolm,  assisting  their  father;  and 
Elmer  N.,  Loretta  B.,  Leona  M.  and  Cecil 
R.,  the  baby,  all  of  whom  are  attending  the 
country  school.  The  Pearson  home  is  a  beau- 
tiful one.  The  modern  residence,  which  has 
every  city  convenience  except  artificial  heat- 
ing, is  even  equipped  with  electric  light.  It 
is  charmingly  located  with  a  fine  grove  on 
the  west  and  a  blue  grass  lawn  and  ornamental 
trees  on  the  other  approaches.  The  dynamo 
that  supplies  light  to  the  residence  and  barns, 
pumps  water  to  all  parts  of  the  corrals  and 
feed  yards.     Everthing  about  the  place  is  of 


substantial  and  modern  construction.  Mr. 
Pearson  considers  his  land  worth  $100  an  acre 
without  any  improvements.  His  residence  cost 
him  over  $4,000.  He  has  not  discussed  the 
cost  of  his  automobile,  in  which  he  and  his 
family  spend  many  happy  hours,  but  as  it  is  in 
keeping  with  everything  else  on  this  model 
farm,  its  original  price  must  have  been  con- 
siderable. Mr.  Pearson  does  nat  take  all  the 
credit  for  the  success  that  has  crowned  his 
efforts,  but  attributes  a  just  share  to  his  estim- 
able wife.  The  family  acquaintance  is  wide 
and  their  friends  are  many.  Mr.  Pearson  is 
serving  as  a  director  of  school  district  No.  27. 
He  is  one  of  the  most  active  factors  in  the  local 
Grange. 


TIMOTHY  ROCHE,  whose  fine  farm  of 
one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  is  situated  in 
Grand  Island  township,  three  miles  south  and 
two  miles  east  of  Wood  River,  is  well  known 
in  Hall  County,  to  which  he  came  first 
in  the  spring  of  1881,  where  he  has  since  made 
his  home,  with  the  exception  of  five  years 
spent  in  Wyoming.  Mr.  Roche  was  born  in 
County  Cork,  Ireland,  May  26,  1857.  His 
parents  were  Timothy  and  Catherine  (Rear- 
don)  Roche,  whose  nine  children  bore  the 
following  names:  Margaret,  Patrick,  John. 
Edmund,  James,  Timothy,  Dan,  Mary  and 
Catherine.  The  father  died  when  Timothy 
was  ten  years  old. 

Eight  years  later  while  stiH  a  youth,  Tim- 
othy Roche  came  to  the  United  States,  as  he 
believed  a  young  man  had  greater  opportun- 
ities in  the  new  world.  His  first  six  years  in 
America  were  spent  as  a  farm  worker  in  Hen- 
derson County,  Illinois.  After  coming  to 
Hall  County,  Nebraska,  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
he  bought  railroad  land  in  Harrison  township, 
six  miles  north  of  Wood  River.  In  1890  Mr. 
Roche  and  his  family  moved  to  Green  River, 
Wyoming,  where  he  worked  in  the  railroad 
shops  until  the  spring  of  1895.  Upon  return- 
ing to  Wood  River,  Mr.  Roche  resumed  farm- 
ing in  this  neighborhood,  in  the  meanwhile 
having  acquired  his  present  well  stocked  farm 
in  Grand  Island,  and  in  1910  he  settled  on  the 
place  which  has  since  continued  the  family 
home. 

On  May  31,  1882,  Mr.  Roche  married  Miss 
Johanna  C.  Carey,  who  was  born  near  Auburn, 
Illinois,  a  daughter  of  John  and  Elizabeth 
(Davis)  Carey.  The  father  of  Mrs.  Roche  was 
born  in  County  Clare,  Ireland,  June  24,  1834, 
came  to  America  in  1852  and  went  to  Phila- 
delphia, Pennsylvania.  There,  on  April  12, 
1859,  he  married  Elizabeth  Davis,  who  was 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  941 


Mr.  and  Mrs.  August  Geobce  Miller 


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942 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


born  in  Dublin,  Ireland,  in  May,  1838.  She 
accompanied  her  parents,  when  sixteen  years 
of  age,  to  the  United  States.  After  their  mar- 
riage, Mr.  and  Mrs.  Carey  moved  to  Chatham, 
Illinois,  and  front  there  to  Auburn,  Illinois, 
and  in  1879  came  to  Wood  River,  Hall  County. 
Mr.  Carey  bought  a  quarter  section  of  railroad 
land  situated  two  miles  north  and  a  half  mile 
east  of  Wood  River.  During  the  early  days 
here  the  Carey  family  endured  many  hard- 
ships as  did  their  neighbors,  but  they  finally 
prospered  and  Mr.  Carey  became  a  citizen  of 
local  importance.  For  years  he  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  school  board,  and  throughout  life 
was  a  faithful  Catholic.  His  death  occurred 
October  14,  1912,  from  pneumonia.  His  chil- 
dren were  as  follows:  Rosanna  Jane,  Jo- 
hanna C,  John  J.,  Matthey  C,  Mary  A., 
Michael  J.,  Elizabeth  F.,  Catherine  and'Mar- 
garet. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Roche  were  born  seven 
sons  and  six  daughters:  KatherineP.,  whose 
record  as  a  Red  Cross  nurse  will  be  found 
with  her  photograph,  in  the  soldier  section  of 
this  work ;  John  J.,  who  died  in  infancy ;  Eliza- 
beth C,  a  teacher  in  the  North  Platte  schools ; 
Leo  T.,  a  farmer  near  Ogalla,  Nebraska,  mar- 
ried Irene  Wolfe,  of  Fullerton,  Nebraska,  and 
they  have  three  children,  Margaret  E.,  John 
J.  and  Patricia  K. ;  Mary  A.,  yet  in  France 
performing  her  noble  duties  as  a  Red  Cross 
nurse,  has  potograph  and  record  in  the  sol- 
dier section  of  this  work ;  Vincent  E.,  a  fanner 
living  near  Grand  Island ;  Joseph  F.,  who  went 
to  Europe  as  a  member  of  the  American  Ex- 
peditionary Force,  is  with  the  Army  of  Occm 
pation  in  Germany,  and  his  photograph  and 
military  record  may  be  found  in  the  soldier  sec- 
tion in  this  work ;  Patrick  A.,  associated  with 
his  brother  Leo  T.,  in  farming;  Daniel,  and  M. 
James,  both  of  whom  are  assisting  their  father 
on  the  home  farm ;  Rosa  L ,  a  student  at  Hast- 
ings, Nebraska ;  Constance,  a  high  school  stu- 
dent in  Wood  River ;  and  Lenore,  who  died  in 
infancy. 

Mr.  Roche  and  family  are  devoted  members 
of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  There  are 
few  families  in  this  section  so  notably  patriotic 
and  Mr.  Roche  is  justly  proud  of  his  daughters 
and  son  who  have  served  the  country  so  well. 
He  has  a  creditable  military  record  of  his  own. 
While  living  at  Green  River,  Wyoming,  he  was 
a  member  of  Company  E,  First  Infantry, 
Wyoming  National  Guard.  This  company  was 
named  the  Warren  Rifles,  in  honor  of  the  first 
governor  of  Wyoming,  who  is  now  further  dis- 
tinguished by  being  a  senator  of  the  United 
States    and    the    father-in-law    of    our    own 


General  Pershing.    Mr.  Roche  and  his  family 
are  everywhere  held  in  high  esteem. 


WILLIAM  J.  BALLINGER,  one  of  Wood 
River's  highly  respected  citizens,  has  been  a 
resident  of  Hall  County  sinee  the  fall  of  1881, 
when  he  accompanied  his  parents  to  this  sec- 
tion. For  a  number  of  years  he  followed 
farming,  but  a  serious  accident  in  1898,  al- 
most entirely  disabled  him  for  a  time,  and 
since  the  fall  of  1911  he  has  taken  life  a  little 
easier  in  his  comfortable  home  in  Wood  River. 

William  J.  Ballinger  was  bom  in  Coles 
County,  Illinois,  March  24,  1863.  His  parents 
were  George  W.  and  Sarah  (Graves)  Bal- 
linger, the  former  of  whom  was  born  in  Mor- 
gan County,  Indiana,  December  24,  1832,  and 
died  in  Nebraska,  January  25,  1919,  and  the 
latter,  born  in  Hendricks  County,  Indiana, 
March  14,  1837,  died  July  17,  1916.  The; 
were  united  in  marriage  in  1857  and  three 
sons  and  one  daughter  were  born  to  them: 
John  L.,  Francis  M.,  William  J.  and  Matilda 
J.,  all  of  whom  are  living.  The  Ballinger 
family  came  to  Hall  County  in  the  fall  of 
1881  and  settled  about  four  and  a  half  miles 
southwest  of  Wood  River.  William  J.  worked 
for  his  father  for  several  years  and  then 
started  out  for  himself  as  a  farmer.  After 
leaving  the  farm  and  coming  to  Wood  River, 
he  engaged  in  teaming  until  two  years  ago, 
although  a  sad  sufferer  from  rheumatism. 

On  March  23,  1890,  Mr.  Ballinger  mar- 
ried Miss  Emma  Lewton,  of  Wood  River. 
Her  parents  were  Newton  and  Sarah  E.  (Nes- 
bit)  Lewton,  the  former  of  whom  was  bom  in 
Pike  County,  Illinois,  May  15,  1841,  and  the 
latter  near  Louisville,  Kentucky,  August  27, 
1832.  They  were  married  at  Carthage,  in  Han- 
cock County,  Illinois,  and  had  two  daughters 
and  one  son :  Emma,  Charles  and  Salena. 
Charles  Lewton  resides  at  Huntsville,  Illinois- 
Mrs.  Salena  (Lewton)  Riley,  lives  in  Topeka, 
Kansas. 

Mrs.  Ballinger  accompanied  her  parents 
when  they  came  to  Hall  County  in  the  fall  of 
1871,  when  her  father  located  on  a  homestead 
four  and  a  half  miles  northwest  of  Wood 
River,  a  practically  unsettled  section  at  that 
time.  Mrs.  Ballinger  well  remembers  some  of 
the  notable  events  of  those  early  days,  par- 
ticularly the  freezing  of  the  crops,  grasshop- 
per invasion  and  more  than  all  the  memorable 
three  days  storm  of  1872,  when  snow  fell  to 
a  depth  that  covered  the  tops  of  the  barns. 
Her  father  was  away  from  home  at  the  time 
and  that  made  the  situation  more  alarming. 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


943 


There  were  many  Pawnee  Indians  in  the 
neighborhood,  none  of  whom  were  savage,  but 
all  were  certain  to  be  hungry  when  they  visited 
a  settler's  cabin.  In  1881  Mrs.  Ballinger's 
father  removed  to  Wood  River  and  went  into 
the  furniture  and  undertaking  business.  Later 
he  became  interested  in  a  drug  store  and  still 
later  a  livery  business.  In  1892  he  embarked 
in  a  confectionery  business  and  continued  in 
this  line  up  to  the  time  of  his  death,  May  24, 
1894.  The  mother  of  Mrs.  Ballinger  died 
May  19,  1915. 

To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ballinger  one  son  was 
born,  Charles  W.,  on  October  13,  1897.  With- 
out giving  this  young  man  undeserved  praise, 
there  is  much  to  say  in  the  way  of  comment  on 
his  honorable  career.  A  diligent  student,  he 
was  graduated  from  the  Wood  River  high 
school  on  May  21,  1914,  receiving  the  coveted 
distinction  of  Honorable  Graduation  Diploma. 
While  yet  in  school  he  applied  himself  to  ac- 
quiring the  art  of  telegraphy,  studying  with 
Grant  and  Mrs.  Gard,  in  the  Union  Pacific 
depot,  and  after  he  was  considered  competent, 
he  entered  the  services  of  the  Union  Pacific 
Company  as  night  operator  and  helper.  Later 
he  was  used  as  relief  man  up  and  down  the 
line  for  two  years,  and  after  this  experience, 
was  placed  in  the  office  of  the  train  dispatcher 
in  Grand  Island.  He  was  efficiently  perform- 
ing his  duties  there  when  he  enlisted,  May 
15,  1917,  for  service  as  a  soldier  because  he 
felt  his  country  had  need  of  all  her  loyal  sons. 
His  photograph  and  service  record  may  be 
found  in  that  interesting  part  of  this  work, 
the  soldier  section.  Since  his  safe  return  to 
life  he  has  gone  back  to  his  old  position  in 
Grand  Island. 

The  accident  above  referred  to  that  so  seri- 
ously injured  Mr.  Ballinger  some  twenty  years 
ago,  was  a  fall  over  an  unprotected  plow  shear, 
and  his  good  right  arm  was  almost  severed 
thereby.  Nevertheless  he  has  borne  that  handi- 
cap and  his  later  rheumatic  affliction  with  re- 
markable patience  and  courage.  He  is  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Wood  River  Lodge,  No.  158,  Odd 
Fellows,  to  which  he  has  belonged  for  thirty- 
one  years.  Mrs.  Ballinger  is  a  member  of  the 
Rebekah  Lodge,  No.  287.  She  is  also  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Presbyterian  church. 


JOHN  FRANKLIN  SHEHEIN,  who 
was  one  of  Hall  County's  well  known  and 
highly  respected  citizens  for  many  years,  in- 
vested in  land  when  he  came  here,  improved  it 
and  added  to  the  original  tract,  and  at  the 
time  of  death,  April  10,  1907,  was  accounted 
a  farmer  who  had  prospered  greatly,  as  well 


as  deservedly,  for  he  was  always  careful  and 
industrious.  He  had  a  beautiful  home  farm 
that  he  had  enjoyed  improving,  it  being  said 
that  his  improvements  cost  more  than  was  the 
original  cost  of.the  land. 

John  Franklin  Shehein  was  born  in  Ken- 
tucky, January  21,  1858.  His  parents  were 
David  R.  and  Alice  Shehein,  who  left  Ken- 
tucky during  the  Civil  War  and  moved  to 
Hamilton  County,  Iowa.  There  John  F.  went 
to  school  and  when  old  enough  began  to  help 
his  father  on  the  farm.  In  June  1886,  just 
before  what  is  always  referred  to  as  the  big 
storm,"  he  came  to  Hall  County.  At  that  time 
he  was  a  poor  man,  but  he  had  the  industry 
and  energy  that  served  finally  to  make  him  a 
rich  man.  He  bought  railroad  land  in  Doni- 
phan township  for  which  he  paid  $25  an  acre, 
and  as  above  stated,  so  admirably  improved  it 
that  after  his  death  his  widow  sold  the  entire 
form  of  one  hundred  and  fifty-five  acres  at 
$125  an  acre. 

March  20,  1880,  Mr.  Shehein  married  Miss 
Mary  Wiggins,  who  was  born  in  Illinois,  a 
daughter  of  Charles  and  Olive  (Van  Cassel) 
Wiggins,  also  natives  of  that  state.  To  this 
marriage  children  were  born  as  follows :  John 
Franklin,  who  lives  at  Doniphan,  Nebraska; 
Georgiana,  the  wife  of  G.  S.  Denman,  of 
Doniphan;  Hattie  May,  the  wife  of  Barney 
Jacobs,  of  Denver,  Colorado ;  David  Earl,  who 
lives  in  Kimball  County ;  Leo  G.,  employed  in 
the  People's  State  Bank  in  Grand  Island; 
Hazel  Gladys,  who  lives  with  her  mother; 
Verna,  attending  the  high  school ;  and  Howard 
and  Matilda,  both  of  whom  are  deceased.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Methodist  Episcopal 
church.  Mr.  Shehein  was  a  Republican  in 
politics  and  he  belonged  to  the  fraternal  order 
of  United  Workmen.  He  was  an  honorable, 
worthy  man  in  every  way  and  in  his  death 
Hall  County  lost  one  of  her  best  citizens. 


CHARLES  D.  EVANS,  a  well  known, 
patriotic  and  popular  resident  of  Hall  County, 
came  to  the  vicinity  of  Wood  River  with  his 
parents  when  ten  years  old.  This  neighbor- 
hood has  been  his  home  ever  since  with  the 
exception  of  six  years  spent  as  cowboy  and 
farmer  on  the  Bar  A  ranch,  in  Colorado.  He 
was  born  at  Waynesville,  Illinois,  September 
24,  1869. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Evans  were  Thomas  A. 
and  Sarah  E.  (Goodrich)  Evans,  both  of 
whom  were  reared  in  Illinois.  They  had  a 
family  of  three  sons  and  two  daughters,  name- 
ly: Carles  D._,  Carmi  G.,  George  D.,  Mrs, 
Nora  M.  Warren,  and  Mrs.  Jennie  Harmeson. 


944 


HISTORY  OF  HALL,  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


The  father  came  to  Nebraska  with  his  family 
in  June,  1879  and  settled  four  miles  south  of 
Wood  River  on  the  Platte.  He  was  a  bridge 
carpenter  by  trade  and  also  was  a  farmer. 
He  had  served  as  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War 
and  was  very  active  in  G.  A.  R.  circles  in 
Hall  County.  Being  a  man  of  sound  character, 
he  was;  frequently  elected  to  public  office, 
and  served  several  terms  as  road  overseer  and 
county  assessor. 

Charles  D.  Evans  had  some  school  training 
after  coming  to  Hall  County.  He  has  always 
led  an  active  life  and  from  the  age  of  four- 
teen years  has  practically  taken  care  of  him- 
self. In  boyhood  days  he  earned  a  small  wage 
as  a  cattle  herder.  He  developed  skill  in 
managing  horses,  and  while  with  the  Bar  A 
ranch  in  Colorado  had  a  reputation  for  his 
feats  of  horsemanship.  After  coming  back  to 
Hall  County  he  engaged  in  farming.  On  July 
24,  1892,  Mr.  Evans  married  Miss  Cora  M. 
Irish,  of  Menlo,  Iowa,  the  daughter  of  Jesse 
P.  and  Mary  A.-  (Craig)  Irish,  the  former, 
born  in  the  state  of  New  York,  was  eight  years 
old  when  he  was  taken  to  Illinois  and  later 
to  eastern  Iowa.  Mrs.  Evans's  mother  was 
born  at  Blue  Grass,  Scott  County,  Iowa.  After 
marriage  the  parents  of  Mrs.  Evans  removed 
to  Adair  County.Iowa,  where  they  spent  the 
rest  of  their  lives.  They  had  two  sons  and 
three  daughters:  Orlando  E.,  Mrs.  Annette  J. 
Sill,  Roscoe  E-,  Cora  M.  and  Arthur  O.  Be- 
fore becoming  acquainted  with  Mr.  Evans, 
Mrs.  Evans  had  come  to  Boone  County,  Ne- 
braska, to  pay  a  visit  to  relatives. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  have  three  sons  and  one 
daughter,  as  follows :  Roy  E-,  in  the  United 
States  navy,  enlisted  in  the  service  of  his 
country  just  before  completing  his  course  in 
the  York  Business  College,  photograph  and 
his  service  record  will  be  found  in  the  soldier 
section  of  this  work;  Mary  E.,  who  taught 
school  for  one  year  after  graduating  from 
the  Shelton  high  school,  was  married  in  1916 
to  Arthur  A.  Harris,  a  farmer  in  Buffalo 
County,  and  they  have  one  daughter ;  Carl  E, 
whose  army  service  record  may  be  found  in 
the  soldier  section  of  this  work,  enlisted  April 
2,  1917,  and  upon  release  returned  to  the  em- 
ploy of  the  B.  &  M.  railroad,  with  which  he 
has  been  connected  as  a  telegrapher  since  the 
age  of  sixteen  years.  He  married  May  17, 
1918,  Miss  Hattie  Mathew,  of  Wood  River; 
and  Everett  B*.  who  is  a  schoolboy  of  seven 
years.  Mr.  Evans  himself  has  an  honorable 
military  record,  having  served  three  years  as  a 
member  of  Company  C,  Second  Nebraska 
National  Guard.     This  shows  that  for  three 


generations  the  Evans  family  has  been  found 
in  the  ranks  of  this  country's  defenders. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Evans  are  members  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  They  both  be- 
long to  the  Fraternal  Aid  Union.  In  politics 
he  is  a  sturdy  Republican.  Of  genial  tempera- 
ment and  gifted  with  true  wit,  Mr.  Evans  is 
a  welcome  addition  to  any  circle.  His  many 
friends  find  much  enjoyment  and  cheer  in 
listening  to  his  humorous  way  of  looking  at 
life. 


DANIEL  O'KANE,  one  of  Wood  River's 
well  known,  respected,  patriotic  citizens,  for 
many  years  was  in  the  employ  of  the  Union 
Pacific  Railroad  as  telegrapher  and  agent.  He 
was  born  in  Ogle  County,  Illinois,  October 
24,  1855,  and  is  one  of  a  family  of  eight  chil- 
dren bom  to  Joseph  and  Mary  (Davey) 
O'Kane. 

Daniel  came  to  Nebraska  with  his  parents  in 
the  spring  of  1874  and  located  in  Willow  Is- 
land, Dawson  County,  securing  a  section  of 
land  three  miles  northeast  of  Gothenburg. 
Subsequently  the  father  served  one  term  as 
county  commissioner  in  Dawson  County.  Dan- 
iel had  attended  school  in  Illinois,  and  was 
about  twenty  years  old  when  he  began  to 
work  for  the  government  at  North  Platte,  Ne- 
braska, putting  up  hay  for  the  cavalry  regi- 
ments at  Forts  McPherson  and  Russell.  In 
1876  he  worked  on  railroad  construction  and 
at  the  same  time  studied  telegraphy,  making 
such  rapid  progress  that  in  1877  he  secured  a 
position  as  operator  and  extra  agent.  On  July 
12,  1878  he  was  transferred  to  Fort  McPher- 
son in  the  capacity  of  night  operator,  and 
transferred  from  there,  December  23,  1879, 
to  Alda,  Nebraska,  as  agent  and  operator  for 
the  Union  Pacific.  He  remained  at  Alda  the 
following  ten  years,  when  he  was  sent  to 
Overton,  where  he  remained  until  1903  and 
in  the  next  year  retired^  from  railroad  service. 
For  about  three  yeas  he  conducted  a  store 
in  Kearney  and  then  came  to  Wood  River. 
Having  so  long  been  in  "the  tide  of  events" 
as  it  were,  Mr.  O'Kane  feels  that  he  is  not 
ready  entirely  to  retire,  and  in  order  to  keep 
somewhat  in  touch  with  active  affairs  and 
passing  events,  he  keeps  himself  busily  en- 
gaged as  a  clerk  in  the  Wood  River  post  office. 

On  January  17,  1882,  Mr.  O'Kane  married 
Miss  Anna  Mitchell,  at  Alda,  Nebraska,  who 
was  born  at  Milford,  Indiana,  August  9,  1862. 
Her  parents  were  Thomas  and  Frances  H. 
(Self)  Mitchell,  the  latter  of  whom  died  De- 
cember 15,  1869,  leaving  two  sons  and  three 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


H.  P.  Hanan,  Fatheb,  motheh,  and  chandchil 


Jgi:izcdby  VjOOQIC 


946 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


daughters,  Mrs.  O'Kane  being  the  only  sur- 
viving daughter.  She  was  eight  years  old 
when  she  accompanied  her  father  to  Nebraska, 
where  in  1871  he  homesteaded  near  the  pres- 
ent site  of  Alda,  starting  a  little  store  at  this 
location  which  was  also  the  post  office.  Two 
years  later  he  endeavored  to  cultivate  his  land 
but  for  two  seasons  the  grasshoppers  devoured 
all  the  result  of  his  hard  work,  and  he  gave 
up  the  attempt.  Accompanied  then  by  his 
daughter  and  son,  Frank,  Mr.  Mitchell  went 
to  Iowa  with  the  intention  of  working  there 
for  sufficient  capital  to  continue  effort  on  his 
Nebraska  land  in  the  future.  He  had  suffered 
a  great  shock  in  the  year  previously  in  the 
accidental  death  of  his,  son  Elmer.  When  the 
great  exodus  came  to  the  Black  Hills,  Mr. 
Mitchell  was  one  of  the  first  to  go  to  the  gold 
fields  from  this  section  and  he  remained  there 
several  years  doing  very  well. 

In  this  connection,  Mrs.  O'Kane  relates  an 
interesting  narrative  concerning  a  trip  she 
made  to  Deadwood,  South  Dakota,  in  1880,  to 
visit  her  father.  She  was  about  sixteen  years 
old  at  the  time  and  was  accompanied  by  a 
.  young  woman  a  few  years  older,  also  going 
to  visit  her  father.  These  brave  maidens  faced 
many  perils  on  the  journey,  but  safely  reach- 
ed their  destination  after  traveling  two  days 
and  three  nights  in  a  stage  coach  drawn  by 
six  horses.  Youth  and  good  spirits  carried 
them  through,  with  the  seven  other  passengers, 
three  of  whom  were  young  English  prospec- 
tors. The  stage  driver  gave  the  party  credit 
for  being  the  jolliest  and  best  natured  load  he 
had  ever  brought  up  the  dangerous  Black  Hills 
trail.  Mrs.  O'Kane  remained  with  her  father 
for  a  year  and  then  returned  to  Alda,  where 
she  was  married  to  Mr.  O'Kane  in  1882. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  O'Kane  have  had  three  daugh- 
ters and  one  son :  Mary  Mabel,  who  lived  but 
seven  months;  Josephine  F.,  who  was  united 
in  marriage,  October  31,  1903,  with  John  G. 
Doherty,  of  Loomis,  Nebraska,  cashier  of  the 
Exchange  Bank  of  Ogalalla,  They  have  five 
children,  Irma,  Helen,  Dorothy,  Daniel  and 
Kathleen;  Thomas  Frank,  who  volunteered 
in  the  service  of  his  country  (see  soldier  sec- 
tion in  this  work)  was  graduated  from  a  busi- 
ness college  at  Amarillo,  Texas,  then  entered 
the  service  of  the  Santa  Fe  Railroad  as  rate 
clerk  in  the  office  of  the  general  passenger  agent 
and  was  filling  the  position  as  assistant  chief 
clerk  in  the  passenger  department  when  he  vol- 
unteered and  is  stiil  in  service ;  and  Thelma  B., 
a  graduate  in  the  class  of  1919  from  the  Wood 
River  high  school,  and  is  a  graduate  also  of 
the  Conservatory  of  Music  at  Grand  Island. 

In  his  political  views  Mr.  O'Kane  is  a  Demo- 


crat and  is  as  loyal  to  the  party  as  he  has 
always  been  to  friends  and  employers.  He 
is  a  member  of  the  order  of  Modem  Wood- 
men of  America,  while  Mrs.  O'Kane  belongs 
to  the  Royal  Neighbors  and  to  the  M.  B.  W. 
She  has  been  one  of  the  hardest  workers  in  the 
Red  Cross  movement  of  the  Wood  River  chap- 
ter and  has  received  a  beautiful  badge  and 
certificate  of  merit  from  the  head  office  of  the 
American  Red  Cross.  This  was  in  acknowl- 
edgement of  having  put  in  eight  hundred 
hours  for  the  cause,  although  the  actual  time 
was  much  more  than  that,  hut  it  was  not  only 
an  example  of  patriotism  but  a  labor  of  love 
as  well. 


PATRICK  FAGAN,  one  of  Hall 
County's  well  known  and  highly  respected  citi- 
zens, has  been  identfied  for  many  years  with 
the  management  of  several  of  the  largest  agri- 
cultural enterprises  of  the  county,  at  the  same 
time  successfully  conducting  a  large  estate  of 
his  own.  He  was  bom  in  the  Dominion  of 
Canada,  November  13,  1866. 

The  parents  of  Mr.  Fagan  were  John  and 
Sarah  (McGriskin)  Fagan,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Ireland.  They  came  to  Canada 
about  1860,  where  the  father  of  Mr.  Fagan 
worked  as  a  farmer  until  1867,  when  removal 
was  made  to  Morgan  County,  Illinois  and  the 
rest  of  the  father's  life  was  spent  in  the  United 
States.  In  1893  he  came  to  Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska, where  he  secured  a  homestead  of  a 
quarter  section  of  land,  situated  in  Prairie 
Creek  township,  and  to  the  development  and 
improvement  of  his  land  he  devoted  his  re- 
maining years.  His  death  occurred  in  February, 
1902.  Both  he  and  his  wife  were  faithful  mem- 
bers of  the  Roman  Catholic  church.  They  had 
the  following  children:  William,  a  prominent 
farmer  in  Prairie  Creek  township ;  Patrick, 
who  owns  a  valuable  farm  in  Center  town- 
ship; Katherine,  the  wife  of  Jefferson  Norris, 
of  Christian  County,  Illinois;  Mary,  who  lives 
at  Hot  Springs,  South  Dakota ;  Anne,  who  has 
taught  school  in  Hall  County  for  twenty 
years;  Jennie,  the  wife  of  George  Bucking- 
ham, of  Chicago ;  Margaret,  the  wife  of  Ed- 
ward Landrigan,  of  Ravenna,  Buffalo  County, 
Nebraska,  and  two  who  died  in  infancy. 

Patrick  Fagan  had  instruction  in  the  country 
schools  near  his  father's  farm  in  Illinois. 
When  he  started  out  in  life  for  himself  he 
worked  on  farms  for  $15  a  month,  which  was 
considered  a  fair  wage  at  that  time.  He  came 
first  to  Hall  County  in  1889  and  in  a 
short  time  returned  to  Illinois  but  three 
years  later  returned  to  spend  a  year  before 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


947 


going  to  Wyoming,  where  he  had  many  cattle 
and  range  experiences.  In  1899  he  settled  in 
Hall  County  and  has  since  made  his  home 
here.  Mr.  Fagan  owns  a  farm  of  two  hun- 
dred acres  of  land  in  Center  township,  which 
is  well  stocked  and  yields  a  satisfactory  in- 
come. He  is  best  known,  however,  for  his 
successful  management  of  two  extensive 
ranches,  having  been  for  sixteen  years  the 
manager  of  the  McDonald  ranch,  and  at  pres- 
ent manager  of  the  great  Taylor  ranch,  which 
is  the  largest  ranch  in  the  county,  an  account 
of  which  will  be  found  elsewhere  in  this 
volume. 

On  May  12,  1901,  Patrick  Fagan  married 
Miss  Mary  Donigan,  who  was  born  in  Morgan 
County,  Illinois,  but  her  parents  were  natives 
of  Ireland.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Fagan  have  had 
four  children  born  to  them,  three  of  whom 
are  living:  Clara,  John  and  Margaret.  Mr. 
Fagan  and  his  family  are  members  of  the 
Roman  Catholic  church.  He  belongs  to  the 
Knights  of  Columbus  and  the  Elks.  In  poli- 
tics Mr.  Fagan  votes  according  to  his  own  ex- 
cellent judgment.  He  is  an  independent  Re- 
publican. 


GEORGE  FREDERICK  has  long  been  a 
resident  of  Hall  County  and  for  many  years 
was  actively  engaged  in  farming  pursuits,  but 
for  the  past  seven  years  has  been  living  re- 
tired. 

Mr.  Frederick  was  born  in  Hesse-Darm- 
stadt, Germany,  April  5,  1844.  His  father, 
Christopher  Frederick,  was  a  native  of  the 
same  province  and  when  sixteen  years  of  age 
came  to  America  and  worked  at  the  trade  of 
miller  in  New  York  and  Boston.  He  remained 
here  till  he  became  twenty-one  years  of  age, 
and  often  spoke  of  having  voted  for  Andrew 
Jackson  for  president.  He  returned  to  Ger- 
many and  married  Margaret  Keller.  When 
the  revolution  of  1848  came  on  he  again  came 
to  America,  bringing  his  family  and  establish- 
ing his  home  in  New  York  City.  A  few  years 
later  he  moved  to  Franklin  County,  Indiana, 
and  here  he  and  his  wife  both  passed  away. 

George  Frederick  was  five  years  old  when 
brought  to  America  and  grew  to  manhood  in 
Franklin  County,  Indiana.  In  1864,  at  the 
last  call  for  volunteers,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany F,  One  Hundred  Forty-sixth  Indiana 
Regiment  of  Infantry  and  served  till  the  end 
of  the  war,  being  mustered  out  in  September, 
1865.  After  the  war  he  returned  to  Indiana 
and  became  a  farmer,  residing  there  until 
1889,  when  he  came  to  Hatl  County,  Nebraska, 
and  settled  in  Cameron  township.     He  was 


sucessful  in  his  chosen  vocation  and  became 
the  owner  of  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  of 
land  which  he  cultivated  until  1912,  when  he 
sold  his  farm  and  retired  to  Wood  River, 
where  he  occupies  a  comfortable  home,  sur- 
rounded with  all  the  necessities  and  many  of 
the  luxuries  of  life. 

Mr.  Frederick  was  married  in  Franklin 
County,  Indiana,  to  Miss  Catherine  Keough, 
who  was  born  in  Hamilton,  Butler  County, 
Ohio.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Frederick  have  two  chil- 
dren: Otto,  is  cashier  of  a  bank  at  Hanna, 
Wyoming;  and  Owen,  an  expert  mechanic, 
asides  in  Wood  River. 


NEWTON  WESLEY  HENDERSON,  a 
well  known  and  competent  fanner  of  Hall 
County  for  a  number  of  years,  is  well  remem- 
bered in  Jackson  township  for  his  many  traits 
of  sterling  character.  He  was  born  in  Fulton 
County,  Illinois,  December  5,  1886,  and  died 
on  his  farm  in  Hall  County,  October  19,  1909. 
He  was  the  fifth  in  a  family  of  nine  children 
born  to  Elijah  J.  and  Sarah  E.  (Watson) 
Henderson.  His  father  was  born  in  Fayette 
County,  Ohio,  April  22,  1835,  and  his  mother 
in  Indiana,  September  18,  1832. 

Newton  Wesley  Henderson  was  nineteen 
years  old  when  he  accompanied  his  parents 
to  Nebraska  in  1885,  and  had  been  well  edu- 
cated in  the  schools  of  his  native  state.  The 
family  settled  in  South  Jackson  township. 
Hall  County,  and  he  remained  at  home  assist- 
ing his  father  as  long  as  he  was  needed,  then 
worked  on  neighboring  farms  until  1894, 
when  he  became  a  fanner  on  his  own  respon- 
sibility, and  so  continued  until  the  close  of 
his  life.  He  carried  on  his  farm  operations 
with  much  success,  was  a  kind  husband  and 
father  and  was  neighborly  and  just  in  the 
community. 

On  December  8,  1897,  Mr.  Henderson  mar- 
ried Miss  Emma  A.  Alberts,  of  Jackson  town- 
ship, Hall  County,  a  daughter  of  Gottlieb  H. 
and  Lena  C.  (Majweskey)  Alberts,  the  former 
of  whom  was  born  January  1,  1822,  at  Baden, 
Germany,  and  the  latter,  February  7,  1838,  in 
Mecklenburg,  Germany.  Mrs.  Henderson's 
father  was  left  an  orphan  in  his  youth.  Before 
coming  to  the  United  States,  he  had  served  in 
the  German  army  according  to  law,  and  after 
he  reached  this  country,  found  it  embroiled 
in  civil  war  and  re-entered  military  service,  as 
a  member  of  the  Thirty-third  New  York  In- 
fantry. He  served  two  and  a  half  years,  par- 
ticipating in  many  battles  and  at  Fredericks- 
burg received  an  injury  to  his  knee  that 
troubled  him  all  the  rest  of  his  life.     When 


948 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


he  crossed  the  ocean  to  America,  it  was  in  a 
sailing  vessel  that  was  unskillfully  managed, 
for  the  captain  lost  his  bearings  and  while 
drifting  far  out  of  its  course,  provisions  al- 
most gave  out. 

Mr,  Alberts  remained  on  a  farm  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Syracuse,  New  York,  after  his  mili- 
tary service  was  over,  until  1871.  In  the  mean- 
while he  had  married  a  young  lady  who  had 
crossed  the  ocean  alone  and  had  gone  to  the 
home  of  a  brother  near  Syracuse,  and  to  this 
marriage  three  sons  and  one  daughter  were 
born,  Mrs.  Henderson  being  the  daughter,  all 
natives  of  Hall  County  except  the  eldest  son. 
As  noted  above,  the  Alberts  family  came  here 
in  1871  and  in  the  fall  of  the  year  Mr.  Al- 
berts homesteaded  in  Jackson  township.  Like 
other  settlers  of  that  time,  this  family  passed 
through  many  hardships,  trough  loss  of  crops 
on  account  of  unseasonable  weather  and  the 
pest  grasshoppers,  and  through  the  drowning 
of  their  cattle  and  horses  in  the  Platte  river, 
in  the  memorable  blizzard  that  occurred  Easter 
Sunday,  in  the  early  seventies.  The  family 
never  suffered  from  lack  of  food,  however,  for 
wild  game  was  plentiful,  and  they  even  had 
enough  at  all  times,  to  generously  divide  with 
the  vagrant  Indians  who  were  never  ashamed 
to  beg.  On  the  other  hand,  as  Mrs.  Hender- 
son relates,  they  demanded  the  best  their  hosts 
could  supply,  always  refusing  corn  bread  if 
they  saw  white  bread.  Mr.  Alberts  erected 
a  house  for  his  family  but  when  it  was  paid 
for  he  had  only  $5  left  as  his  capital  with 
which  to  face  the  future.  In  the  estimation  of 
everyone,  he  was  a  fine  man. 

For  about  four  years  after  marriage,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Henderson  lived  on  a  farm  north 
of  Wood  River  and  then  removed  to  the 
Alberts  homestead  in  Jackson  township. 
They  became  the  parents  of  three  sons: 
Ralph  W.,  Earl  A.  and  Elijah  R.  Ralph  W. 
Henderson  was  born  October  19,  1898,  was 
in  military  service  and  accompanied  the 
American  Expeditionary  Force  to  France. 
His  record  appears  in  the  soldier  section  of 
this  publication.  He  returned  home  safely 
with  duty  well  performed,  and  is  assisting  his 
mother  on  the  homestead.  Earl  A.,  who  was 
bom  April  11,  1900,  and  Elijah  R.,  who  was 
born  March  18,  1904,  are  also  engaged  in  farm 
pursuits  on  the  home  farm,  and  all  three  are 
reliable,  steady,  highly  respescted  young  men. 
During  the  World  War,  Mrs.  Henderson  was 
continuously  active  in  Red  Cross  work,  going 
into  Wood  River  for  supplies  and  taking  them 
home  to  make  into  the  articles  most  needed, 
her  kind  heart  at  all  times  overflowing  with 
good   will   and   sympathy    for   the   sick   and 


wounded.     She   is   very   highly   esteemed   in 
Jackson  township. 


DAVID  L.  MINOR.  — Hall  County,  Ne- 
braska is  indebted  to  the  state  of  Iowa  for 
some  of  its  most  worthy  citizens.  From  that 
state  came  the  Minor  family,  a  leading  repre- 
sentative of  which  in  this  section  is  David 
L.  Minor,  a  progressive  man,  large  land- 
owner and  prosperous  farmer. 

David  L.  Minor  was  born  in  Marion  County, 
Iowa,  January  25,  1866.  His  parents  were 
William  and  Rebecca  (Lyons)  Minor,  natives 
of  Kentucky,  he  being  the  fifth  born  in  their 
family  of  ten  children,  the  other  survivors  be- 
ing :  Alice,  the  wife  of  R.  A.  Koepke ;  Richard, 
located  in  Colorado;  Mary,  a  resident  of  Iowa; 
William,  a  citizen  of  Grand  Island ;  and  Daisy, 
the  wife  of  a  Mr.  Forsher.  The  father  was 
a  carpenter  by  trade,  an  occupation  he  fol- 
lowed before  locating  in  Hall  County  in  1892 
and  for  years  afterward  followed  the  same 
vocation.    His  death  occured  in  1909. 

In  the  excellent  schools  of  his  native  state, 
David  L.  Minor  obtained  his  education  and 
prior  to  establishing  himsejf  in  Hall  County 
with  his  parents,  followed  farming  in  Iowa. 
His  first  land  in  the  county  was  a  tract  of 
eighty  acres  which  he  purchased  soon  after 
becoming  a  resident  and  to  which  he  added 
until  he  now  owns  four  hundred  acres.  Mr. 
Minor  is  a  farmer  with  modern  progressive 
ideas  and  his  varied  farm  activities  are  car- 
ried on  scientifically.  His  beautiful  home 
situated  on  section  eleven,  Center  township, 
is  one  of  the  finest  rural  residences  in  this 
part  of  the  country.  Mr.  Minor  and  his 
family  enjoy  all  the  advantages  which  make 
modern  farm  life  agreeable,  being  near  enough 
to  Grand  Island  to  participate  in  city  affairs 
when  they  so  desire. 

November  2,  1892  Mr.  Minor  married  Miss 
Carrie  Anderson  who  was  also  born  in  Marion 
County,  Iowa.  They  have  three  children: 
Lloyd  William,  Leatha  and  Laurel,  all  resid- 
ing at  home.  Mrs.  Minor  belongs  to  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  politics  Mr. 
Minor  has  always  given  his  support  to  the 
Democratic  party. 


MARTIN  MATTISON.  — There  are  few 
families  in  South  Jackson  township.  Hall 
County,  more  respected  or  better  established 
than  the  Mattisons,  father  and  two  sons  all 
owning  valuable  land,  all  enterprising  and  pro- 
gressive, and  all  types  of  thorough  American 
citizens.     Martin  Mattison  was  born  in  Den- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA  949 


Henry  W.  Locke 


D.0iiizedb»  Google 


950 


HISTORY  OF  HALL,  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


mark,  September  19,  1859.  His  parents  were 
John  and  Katy  (Anderson)   Mattison. 

Martin  was  eleven  years  old  when  he  accom- 
panied his  parents,  five  brothers  and  one  sister, 
to  the  United  States  in  1868  and  after  locating 
at  Nebraska  City,  Nebraska,  Mr..  Mattison 
remembers  the  building  of  the  first  railroad 
there  and  recollects  the  day  he  started  to  school 
but  never  reached  the  building  because  of  the 
necessity  he  felt  of  observing  the  ferrying 
across  the  Missouri  river  of  the  first  engine  for 
the  new  road.  The  family  continued  to  live  in 
Nebraska  City  until  1872,  when  the  father  took 
a  homestead  in  Lancaster  County,  south  of 
Lincoln.  That  section,  like  others  in  the  state, 
suffered  in  early  days  from  the  grasshoppers 
and  the  climatic  changes  that  ruined  many  a 
fine  crop,  but  the  parents  of  Mr.  Mattison 
were  sturdy,  resourceful  people,  and  they  never 
lost  courage  as  did  many  of  the  neighboring 
settlers.  Martin  remained  with  his  father  and 
assisted  in  operating  the  homestead  until  his 
marriage  in  1886.  For  three  years  after  that 
event  he  rented  and  operated  land  in  Lancaster 
County.  In  188?  he  went  to  Colorado,  where  he 
remained  eight  years,  in  the  meanwhile  home- 
steading  one  hundred  and  sixty  acres  in  Arap- 
ahoe County  and  engaged  in  farming  and  stock 
raising.  Then  he  returned  to  Nebraska,  resided 
on  a  rented  farm  in  Adams  County  until  1906, 
when  he  came  to  Hall  County  and  bought  a 
farm  of  eighty  acres  situated  in  South  Jackson 
township,  two  miles  southeast  of  Shelton  and 
eight  miles  southwest  of  Wood  River,  an  ad- 
mirable location.  Here  he  carries  on  general 
farming  and  raises  enough  stock  for  his  own 
use. 

In  July,  1886,  Mr.  Mattison  married  Miss 
Elizabeth  Albers.  She  was  born  at  Garnavillo, 
Clayton  County,  Iowa,  and  accompanied  her 
parents  to  Nebraska  in  1867.  She  is  the  young- 
est in  a  family  of  four  children  born' to  Henry 
and  Margaret  (Hubby)  Albers.  Her  father 
was  a  blacksmith  by  trade  and  after  coming  to 
Nebraska,  homesteaded  in  Lancaster  County. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Mattison  have  two  sons  and 
one  daughter:  George,  Rosa  and  Henry. 
George  was  born  in  Lancaster  County,  is  a 
graduate  of  the  Ayer  public  school  in  Adams 
County,  and  is  assisting  his  father  on  the 
home  farm.  Rosa  was  born  in  Lancaster 
County  and  also  is  a  graduate  of  the  Ayer  pub- 
lic school.  Henry,  who  was  born  in  Arapahoe 
County,  Colorado,  also  completed  his  school 
course  in  Adams  County.  For  a  short  time 
he  was  in  military  service  and  his  record  ap- 
pears in  the  soldier  section  of  this  work.  He 
is  at  present  assisting  his  father  but  is  also 
interested  as  an  automobile  mechanic.     Both 


sons  of  Mr.  Mattison  are  property  owners, 
and  their  one  hundred  acres  of  land  one  mile 
south  of  the  homestead  and  in  the  river  bot- 
tom, will  prove  a  profitable  investment.  The 
family  belongs  to  the  Lutheran  church.  In 
politics  Mr.  Mattison  is  a  strong  Republican 
but  has  never  been  willing  to  accept  any  public 
office  except  membership  on  the  school  board 
During  the  period  of  the  World  War  he 
proved  the  quality  of  his  Americanism  by 
purchasing  bonds  and  giving  liberally  to  the 
Red  Cross  and  other  organizations. 


MICHAEL  L.  CRONIN,  one  of  Cameron 
township's  farmers  and  stockmen,  has  been 
a  resident  of  Hall  County,  since  he  came  here 
in  1888,  and  he  has  prospered  here  through 
his  industry  and  good  management.  Mr. 
Cronin  was  born  January  6,  1856,  at  Charles- 
ton, Coles  County,  Illinois.  His  parents  were 
Jeremiah  and  Mary  Cronin,  both  of  whom 
were  born  in  Ireland  and  were  married  there, 
coming  to  the  United  States  on  their  honey- 
moon. They  settled  first  in  Indiana  and  then 
removed  to  Coles  County,  Illinois,  and  from 
there  into  Greene  County  in  the  same  state. 
Of  their  twelve  children  there  are  but  two 
survivors:  Michael  L.  and  his  sister,  Mrs. 
Kate  Thompson,  whose  husband  is  a  railroad  : 
engineer. 

In  boyhood  Michael  L-  Cronin  attended 
school  as  opportunity  offered,  and  he  grew 
to  manhood  industriously  inclined  with  a 
desire  to  become  a  farmer  and  stockraiser. 
In  1888  he  came  to  Hall  County,  Nebraska, 
and  brought  with  him  sufficient  capital  to  buy 
land  that  was  already  improved,  farming  for 
five  years  near  Wood  River.  In  1892  be  pur- 
chased his  present  farm  where  he  raises 
horses,  cattle  and  hogs,  his  annual  average 
being  twenty  head  of  cattle  and  eighty  head 
of  hogs.  Mr.  Cronin  is  now  numbered  with 
Cameron  township's  substantial  farmers  but 
he  can  easily  recall  times  past  when  he  offered 
to  sell  corn  at  eighty  cents  a  bushel  only  to 
have  it  refused,  when  eggs  sold  for  five  cents 
a  dozen,  and  when  the  highest  price  for  cattle 
and  hogs  was  $1.25  per  hundred  weight.  As 
for  potatoes,  which  so  recently  all  over  the 
country  were  in  the  list  of  luxuries,  he  could 
not  give  them  away. 

In  1881  before  coming  to  Nebraska,  Mr. 
Cronin  married  Johanna  Welsh,  who  was  born 
August  29,  1857,  in  Missouri.  Her  parents 
were  Thomas  and  Margaret  (Hartnett) 
Welsh,  the  former  of  whom  was  born  in 
County  Limerick  and  the  latter  in  County 
Cork,  Ireland.    From  Missouri  they  removed 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


951 


to  Montgomery  County,  Illinois,  where  the 
mother  of  Mrs.  Cronin  died,  but  her  father 
died  in  Missouri  at  the  age  of  fifty-eight  years. 
Nine  children  were  bom  to  Mr.  and  Mrs. . 
Cronin,  the  two  youngest  being  deceased: 
Michael,  who  passed  away  at  the  age  of  fifteen 
years,  and  Katherine,  who  was  aged  one  year 
and  nine  months.  All  the  others  have  been 
given  every  advantage  their  father  has  been 
able  to  afford  them  and  the  family  is  a  very 
united  one,  all  but  two  children  still  remaining 
with  their  parents.  The  list  is  as  follows: 
John,  a  farmer  and  also  conducts  a  garage  at 
Saint  Libory,  in  Howard  County;  Marie  N., 
Joanna  and  Statia,  all  of  whom  live  at  home ; 
Patrick,  who  entered  the  National  army  July 
28,  1918;  Thomas  Francis,  who  assists  his 
father,  and  Daniel  William,  a  graduate  of  the , 
Spalding  school  and  may  study  a  profession. 
Mr.  Cronin  and  his  family  are  members  of 
the  Roman  Catholic  church.  In  politics  he 
has  always  been  a  Democrat. 


NOLAN  PATRICK  LACEY.— No  people 
are  better  known  or  more  highly  respected  in 
South  Jackson  township.  Hall  County,  than 
the  Laceys,  who  came  here  by  ox-team  in 
1878,  and  now  own  some  of  the  most  valuable 
land  in  this  section.  The  early  history  of  the 
family  is  exceedingly  interesting,  with  jts 
pioneering  features  and  military  exploits, 
while  its  later  records  are  no  less  so  because 
of  its  sturdy  character  and  solid  American 
citizenship  both  in  peace  and  war. 

Nolan  Patrick  Lacey  was  born  at  St.  Louis, 
Missouri,  October  28,  1844,  the  son  of  Pat- 
rick and  Mary  (Nolan)  Lecey .natives  of  Ire- 
land. They  had  four  sons  and  two  daughters, 
Nolan  Patrick  being  the  eldest  of  the  family. 
He  lived  with  his  parents  until  he  was  eighteen 
years  of  age.  At  the  outbreak  of  the  Civil 
War  he  enlisted  in  1862  in  the  Union  army  and 
was  placed  in  the  ordnance  department.  After- 
ward he  served  until  the  war's  close  with  a 
gunboat  crew,  and  was  honorably  'discharged. 
On  account  of  trouble  with  the  Indians  on 
the  frontier,  effort  was  made  to  increase  the 
United  States  regular  army,  and  Mr.  Lacey, 
asa  seasoned  soldier  responded.  When  the 
regulars  marched  across  the  plains  under  the 
command  of  General  Morrow,  Mr.  Lacey  was 
made  first  sergeant  of  Company  G,  Thirty- 
sixth  Infantry.  They  were  stationed  at  Camp 
Baker,  Montana,  and  placed  under  the  com- 
mand of  General  Gibbons.  Much  trouble  en- 
sued with  the  Indians,  although  the  most  seri- 
ous encounters  with  the  Sioux  on  the  Yellow- 
stone river  occurred  after  Mr.  Lacey  had  re- 


turned to  private  life.  Warfare  with  the 
teacherous  Indians  was  however  full  of  dan- 
ger. He  served  out  his  term  of  enlistment, 
which  ended  in  1869,  in  the  meanwhile  hav- 
ing been  married,  and  for  seven  years  after- 
ward resided  at  Salt  Lake  City,  Mr.  Lacey 
during  this  time,  working  in  the  silver  mines. 

On  September  25,  1869,  at  Fort  Douglas, 
Utah,  Mr*  Lacey  married  Miss  Nancy  Her- 
shey,  whom  he  first  met  in  the  fall  of  1868. 
She  was  born  January  7,  1848,  in  Pleasant 
Valley,  Wisconsin,  a  daughter  of  Henry  and 
Caroline  (Good)  Hershey.  Her  father  was 
born  in  Canada  and  her  mother  in  Pennsyl- 
vania. She  takes  pride  in  the  fact  that  for  two 
hundred  years  her  ancestors  have  been  Amer- 
icans, coming  originally  to  this  continent  from 
Switzerland.  Henry  Hershey,  father  of  Mrs. 
Lacey  had  true  pioneering  spirit.  He  was 
twelve  years  old  when  he  came  to  the  United 
States,  following  the  death  of  his  father,  and 
went  to  live  with  a  brother  in  Allentown,  Le- 
high County,  Pennsylvania,  where  he  learned 
the  millwright  trade.  He  was  twenty-one  years 
old  when  he  married  Caroline  Good,  to  which 
union  three  sons  and  five  daughters  were  born, 
Mrs.  Lacey  being  the  fourth  oldest  child.  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Hershey  lived  in  Canada  for  a  short 
time  after  their  marriage.  Later,  prior  to  the 
birth  of  Mrs.  Lacey,  they  moved  to  Wisconsin. 
Then  Mr.  Hershey  became  interested  in  the 
little  town  of  Warsaw,  Minnesota,  which, 
through  the  efforts  of  himself  and  brother,  was 
colonized  by  Norwegians.  In  1856  he  built 
a  grist  mill  and  also  a  sawmill  on  the  Canyon 
river,  but  pushed  on  into  Nebraska  six  years 
later,  arriving  in  a  little  settlement  named 
Florence,  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Omaha, 
in  the  winter  of  1861. 

It  must  be  remembered  that  the  Hersheys 
traveled  very  differently  from  the  way  people 
do  in  these  days.  There  were  no  speedy  auto- 
mobiles at  that  time,  in  fact  there  were  no 
railroads  and  but  few  horses  to  be  had.  Mrs. 
Lacey  tells  in  a  most  interesting  way  of  the 
winter  journey  in  a  prairie  schooner  drawn 
by  oxen,  in  constant  fear  of  savage  Indians 
and  very  often  during  that  winter  the  family 
fled  to  the  blockhouse  for  protection.  In  the 
following  July  they  left  Omaha  with  a  wagon 
train  of  sixty-three  wagons,  from  two  to 
three  yoke  of  oxen  being  attached  to  each 
wagon,  traveling  slowly  and  in  constant  dan- 
ger, finally  reaching  Salt  Lake  City  by  the  way 
of  the  old  Mormon  trail.  '  As  noted  above, 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lacey  livel  at  Salt  Lake  City 
until  1878,  when  they  came  to  Nebraska,  Mrs. 
Lacey  making  her  second  ox-team  trip  over 
the  same  trail  on  the  way  back.    They  located 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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in  Hall  County  where  Mr.  Lacey  took  a  pre- 
emption and  timber  claim  in  South  Jackson 
township,  and  this  has  been  the  family  home 
ever  since.  To  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lacey  the  fol- 
lowing children  were  born :  Frank  J.,  Mary 
M.,  Nolan  H.,  Caroline  E.,  Walter  D.,  Will- 
iam W.,  Emma  D,,  Edward  L.  and  Leonard 
C.  Frank  J.,  who  is  foreman  in  a  large  pack- 
ing plant  at  Ontario,  Southern  California,  mar- 
ried Emma  Kesterson,  and  they  have  five  sons 
and  two  daughters.  Mary  M.  is  the  wife  of 
Ward  Allen,  who  is  a  market  gardener  and 
poultry  fancier  at  Tulsa,  Oklahoma.  They 
have  one  son  and  one  daughter.  Nolan  H.  is 
the  successful  home  farmer,  operates  the  one 
hundred  and  sixty  acres  of  fine  land  according 
to  modern  methods.  On  May  10,  1915,  he  mar- 
ried in  Grand  Island,  Miss  Ora  E.  Lippin- 
cott,  who  was  born  at  Kearney,  Nebraska. 
Her  parents  afterward  moved  to  Elm  Island, 
on  the  Platte  River,  southeast  of  Shelton,  and 
she  was  educated  there.  Caroline  E.  is  the 
wife  of  Francis  L.  Johnson,  working  with  a 
Grand  Island  construction  company.  They 
have  four  sons  and  two  daughters.  Walter  D. 
is  a  farmer  in  South  Jackson  township,  near 
the  Platte  River.married  SarabelleVaith.  Will- 
iam W.  is  farming  with  his  brother  Walter  D., 
married  Etta  C.  Comer,  and  they  have  one 
daughter.  Emma  D.  is  with  her  brother  in 
California.  Edward  L.,  who  has  returned 
from  military  service  in  the  World  War,  is 
now  working  as  a  machinist  at  Sterling,  Colo- 
rado, and  his  record  appears  in  the  soldier 
section  of  this  work.  Leonard  C,  whose  honor- 
able record  as  a  soldier  also  appears  in  the 
soldier  section  of  this  work,  is  engaged  in 
farming  near  New  Castle,  Wyoming.  Mrs. 
Lacey  and  her  family  are  justly  proud  of  what 
she  accomplished  in  Red  Cross  work,  during 
the  World  War,  for  she  not  only  provided 
comforts  for  her  own  sons,  but  knit  eight 
additional  sweaters  and  was  one  of  the  lead- 
ing members  of  the  Red  Cross  chapter  at  Shel- 
ton. She  is  a  member  of  the  Re-organized 
church  of  the  Latter  Day  Saints,  which  has 
its  headquarters  at  Independence,  Missouri. 


LEWIS  C.  BATTERSON.  —  An  interest- 
ing story  appears  in  the  relation  of  the  early 
life  in  Hall  County  of  one  of  its  most  highly 
esteemed  pioneers,  Lewis  C.  Batterson,  who  is, 
also,  one  of  the  county's  most  substantial  citi- 
zens. Like  many  other  of  the  representative 
men  of  the  county,  he  came  from  Ohio,  and 
was  born  in  Williams  County,  May  24,  1848. 
His  parents  were  natives  of  Connecticut  and  of 


their  family  of  six  children,  he  is  the  only 
survivor. 

Lewis  C.  Batterson  came  to  Hall  County, 
in  November,  1872,  homesteaded  and  has  re- 
mained here  ever  since.  He  is  located  in  sec- 
tion thirty,  town  nine,  range  twelve,  and  is 
the  owner  of  four  hundred  and  six  acres  all 
in  one  body,  in  Grand  Island,  and  no  finer 
land  can  be  found  in  the  county.  After  com- 
ing here  he  built  himself  a  dugout,  did  his 
own  housekeeping,  and  had  one  yoke  of  oxen 
and  fifteen  head  of  cattle  that  he  had  brought 
with  him.  On  April  13,  1873,  when  a  storm 
started,  Mr.  Batterson  thought  it  best  to  drive 
his  cattle  out  of  the  corrall  down  to  the  river 
until  is  should  abate.  He  found  so  much  to 
worry  over  in  regard  to  his  unprotected  cattle 
during  the  next  three  days  of  furious  storm, 
that  he  almost  forgot  that  his  little  home  was 
buried  under  snow  and  that  he  had  neither 
fire  nor  anything  to  eat.  When  the  storm 
finally  exhausted  itself,  he  managed  to  dig  a 
path  so  that  he  could  look  for  his  cattle.  He 
found  that  down  by  the  river  where  the  snow 
had  drifted  to  the  tops  of  trees  that  were  thirty 
feet  high,  it  had  a  crust  so  hard  he  could  walk 
on  the  top  of  it.  It  was  a  sorrowful  sight 
when  at  length  he  discovered  his  stock,  for 
all  were  dead  except  one  ox  and  one  little  calf 
that  had  found  protection  under  the  body  of 
the  ox.  Thinking  he  would  go  back  and  bring 
the  ox  some  corn,  Mr.  Batterson  started,  but 
almost  human-like,  the  poor  animals  struggled 
after  him,  on  the  top  of  the  snow,  over  the 
tree  tops,  finally  reaching  the  half  buried  dug- 
out. 

At  that  time  an  ox  team  was  worth  $175  and 
it  was  indeed  discouraging  to  see  his  stock, 
his  entire  capital,  thus  wrenched  from  him. 
The  comforts  of  his  old  home  in  Ohio  came 
back  to  him  as  he  sorrowfully  considered  his 
condition  and  he  finally  decided  to  leave  Ne- 
braska and  return  to  his  native  state.  Hence  he 
offered  his  one  ox  for  sale  at  $30,  which  would 
buy  his  railroad  ticket  to  the  old  Buckeye  state. 
Fortunately  no  one  in  his  neighborhood  had 
the  above  amount,  and  just  at  that  time  Mr. 
Batterson  was  sensible  enough  to  listen  to  the 
practical  suggestions  of  another  settler,  who 
reminded  him  that  if  he  remained  and  proved 
up  his  land,  he  could  sell  at  an  advance,  and  in 
the  meawhile  things  might  take  a  turn  for  the 
better.  He  paid  a  man  $1.50  a  day  to  help  him 
skin  his  dead  cattle,  hired  an  ox-team  to  haul 
the  hides  nine  miles  to  Gibbon,  sold  them  there 
only  to  be  told  that  he  could  not  be  paid  under 
a  week.  The  bill  amounted  to  $30  and  Mr. 
Batterson  afterward  made  two  trips  on  foot  to 

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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


collect  his  money,  on  neither  occasion  find- 
ing his  debtor  at  home.  In  fact  he  never  re- 
ceived one  farthing  of  it,  the  man  leaving  the 
country.  In  the  meantime,  however,  Mr.Bat- 
terson  had  made  friends  and  a  neighbor  was 
willing  to  be  security  for  him  when  he  bought 
other  oxen,  for  which  he  paid  $60.  With  this 
team  he  broke  sod  and  planted  corn,  also  found 
work  at  fifty  cents  a  day.  He  had  one  more 
discouraging  experience  before  becoming  well 
established.  He  hired  out  to  a  logging  com- 
pany at  Laramie,  Wyoming,  for  $3  a  day  and 
worked  until  he  had  earned  $150,  when  the 
company  declined  to  pay  on  the  excuse  that 
bankers  had  an  attachment  on  the  timber  and 
the  company  could  do  nothing. 

In  the  fall  of  1874,  Mr.  Batterson  returned 
to  Ohio  and  on  February  23,  1875,  married 
Miss  Minerva  Cooper,  of  Williams  County, 
a  daughter  of  Griffith  and  Nancy  (Amsbaugh) 
.  Cooper,  the  father  a  native  of  Virginia  and 
the  mother  of  Pennsylvania.  After  marriage 
Mr.  Batterson  returned  with  his  young  wife 
and  they  started  housekeeping,  in  the  little 
frame  shanty  he  had  erected,  twelve  by  four- 
teen. In  the  next  spring  he  built  a  sod  addition 
for  a  kitchen.  It  was  a  happy  home  although 
there  is  a  great  contrast  between  that  and  the 
present  commodious  farm  house  with  its  mod- 
ern comforts.  To.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Batterson 
three  daughters  were  born  all  three  now  in 
homes  of  their  own  within  easy  reach  of  their 
parents.  The  eldest,  Delia,  is  the  wife  of  C. 
H.  Bly,  and  they  live  on  a  farm  about  four 
miles  southwest  of  Wood  River.  They  have 
three  sons.  Carrie,  the  second  daughter,  is 
the  wife  of  S.  P.  Burmood  and  they  live  one- 
half  mile  east  of  the  home  place,  and  have  two 
sons  and  one  daughter.  Blanche,  the  third 
daughter,  is  the  wife  of  G.  L.  Burmood,  a 
farmer  located  four,  miles  south  of  Wood 
River,  and  they  have  two  daughters. 

Mr.  Batterson  is  one  of  the  honored  veter- 
ans of  the  Civil  War.  When  sixteen  years 
old,  in  February,  1865,  he  enlisted  in  Com- 
pany D,  One  Hundred  Ninety-fifth  Ohio  In- 
fantry, and  took  part,  as  a  man,  in  the  closing 
campaigns  of  the  war,  serving  in  the  Shenan- 
doah Valley.  When  the  war  closed  he  was 
sent  to  Baltimore,  then  to  Washington,  D.  C, 
then  to  Alexandria  and  finally  to  Camp  Chase, 
Ohio,  where  he  was  mustered  out  and  received 
his  honorable  discharge  in  December,  1865. 
He  then  went  to  Iowa  for  awhile,  in  1871  to 
Kansas,  and  from  there  traveling  in  a  covered 
wagon,  with  his  precious  bunch  of  cattle, 
reached  Hall  County  in  1872.  Although  there 
is  no  necessity,  Mr.  Batterson  still  looks  after 
his  own  affairs  to  a  large  extent  himself.  Both 


he  and  wife  are  members  of  the  Evangelical 
church.  They  are  widely  known  and  are  not 
only  respected  but  much  beloved  in  their  neigh- 
borhood. 


CLARENCE  M.  LOWRY,  who  has  lived 
on  his  original  homestead  in  Hall  County, 
Nebraska,  ever  since  he  secured  it  forty-four 
years  ago,  is  widely  known  in  this  section  for 
he  has  been  an  active,  useful,  public-spirited 
citizen.  He  had  many  trying  experiences  in 
the  settlement  and  developing  his  land.  He  was 
one  of  the  earliest  to  agitate  and  give  assist- 
ance in  the  adjustment  of  such  public  matters 
as  the  organization  of  schools  and  the  im- 
provement of  roads.  He  now  owns  two  hun- 
dred and  sixty-six  acres  of  cultivated  land. 

Mr.  Lowry  was  bom  near  La  Fayette. 
Tippecanoe  County,  Indiana,  February  4, 
1854.  His  parents  were  William  Harrison  and 
Sarah  Lowry,  the  latter  of  whom  lived  to  be 
ninety  years  old.  Mr.  Lowry's  father  was 
born  in  Ohio,  later  became  a  farmer  in  In- 
diana, still  later  came  to  Nebraska  and  died 
in  Nemaha  County  when  fifty  years  old.  The 
record  of  his  children  reads  as  follows :  Alex- 
ander, who  is  deceased ;  Mrs.  Rebecca  Cromp- 
ton,  who  is  deceased ;  Mrs.  Sarah  J.  Hall,  a 
widow1,  lives  in  Idaho ;  Samuel,  who  lives  on 
his  ranch  in  Texas ;  Harrison,  deceased  ;  John, 
who  is  deceased;  Mrs.  Margaret  Denman, 
who  is  deceased;  and  Clarence  M.,  who  lives 
in  Hall  County.  Harrison,  John  and  James 
were  soldiers  during  the  Civil  War,  enlisting 
from  Nebraska  but  as  there  was  no  recruit- 
ing station  here  they  had  to  go  to  Iowa  to  en- 
ter the  service. 

When  Clarence  Malcom  Lowry  was  four 
years  old  his  parents  brought  him  to  Nemaha 
County,  Nebraska.  He  attended  the  country 
schools  when  opportunity  came  but  his  boy- 
hood and  early  youth  held  many  responsi- 
bilities. He  gave  his  father  assistance  on  the 
home  farm  until  1872,  when  he  came  to  Hall 
County  and  has  lived  here  ever  since.  Coming 
here  so  early,  he  encountered  many  pioneer 
hardships  that  later  settlers  escaped.  The 
great  blizzard  of  1873  that  finds  a  record  in 
state  history,  was  probably  the  most  calamit- 
ous of  all  the  severe  storms  through  which  Mr. 
Lowry  passed,  although  subsequent  ones,  the 
later  years  of  drouth,  and  the  pest  of  grass- 
hoppers were  all  serious  matters  enough  to 
discourage  men  of  less  resolution  than  Mr. 
Lowry.  In  1873  he  took  up  a  homestead 
where  he  has  since  resided,  being  the  only 
settler  in  this  section  who  has  done  so.  His 
property  has  been  well  improved  and  his  stir- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


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HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


roundings  indicate  thrift  and  good  manage- 
ment. He  carries  on  general  farming  and  is 
a  moderate  feeder  of  cattle  and  hogs  to  some 
extent. 

In  Hall  County,  February  4,  1877,  Mr. 
Lowry  married  Miss  Maggie  Dufford,  whose 
parents  were  born  and  reared  in  Pennsylvania. 
Mr.  and  Mrs.  Lowry  have  seven  children: 
Mrs.  Delia  Meseraull,  who  lives  in  Doniphan; 
Archibald,  who  lives  near  Anselmo  in  Custer 
County;  Mrs.  Nettie  Herr  resides  on  a  farm 
in  Hamilton  County ;  Robert  a  farmer  in  Hall 
County;  Mrs.  Gertrude  Crawford,  who  lives 
in  Hall  County;  and  Fay  and  Rolland,  both 
of  whom  are  at  home.  As  soon  as  Mr.  Lowry 
became  a  land  owner  in  the  county  and  felt 
assured  that  the  Indians  yet  in  evidence  were 
only  thieving  and  not  hostile  he  began  to  agi- 
tate for  the  organization  of  schools,  believing 
this  to  be  one  of  the  first  helps  to  good  and 
intelligent  citizenship.  Afterward  he  served  as 
a  school  director  for  twenty  years.  In  the 
early  times  the  transportation  question  was  a 
very  serious  one  and  Mr.  Lowry  did  his  full 
part  in  bringing  about  the  building  of 
roads  and  later  served  four  years  in  the  office 
of  road  overseer.  As  a  man  of  long  experi- 
ence and  practical  ideas,  his  suggestions  on 
many  subjects  relating  to  the  public  welfare 
carry  weight  with  his  fellow  citizens.  He  has 
been  a  Mason  for  many  years  being  identified 
with  the  lodge  at  Doniphan. 


JOHN  C.  McGOWAN,  one  of  Hall 
County's  representative  farmers  and  stock- 
raisers,  a  heavy  land  owner  and  honorable,  up- 
right citizen,  was  born  April  4,  1880,  at  Wilton 
Center,  Will  County,  Illinois.  He  is  the 
eldest  of  a  family  of  two  sons  and  three 
daughters  born  to  Michael  and  Mary  A. 
(Shields)  McGowan.  His  father  was  born  in 
Ireland  and  his  mother  in  Illinois. 

John  C.  McGowan  was  brought  to  Nebraska 
by  his  parents  in  1883.  After  his  father  came 
to  the  United  States,  he  remained  in  the  state 
of  New  York  for  eight  years,  then  went  to 
Illinois  and  was  married  there  in  April,  1879. 
After  coming  to  Nebraska,  he  bought  one  hun- 
dred and  sixty  acres  of  land  at  $12.50  an  acre, 
situated  near  Rising  City  in  Butler  County, 
and  still  lives  there.  In  the  schools  of  Butler 
County,  John  C.  McGowan  received  his  educa- 
tion, and  afterward  became  a  farmer  and  in 
association  with  his  father  and  brother,  ac- 
quired a  six  hundred  acre  tract  in  Butler 
County.  In  the  spring  of  1916  he  came  to 
Hall  County  and  began  improving  the  land  the 
family  had  purchased  ten  years  before  in  sec- 


tions two  and  three,  town  nin^,  range  twelve. 
He  now  has  charge  of  seven  hundred  and 
twenty  acres  all  under  cvultivation  except 
seventy-five  acres  in  alfalfa  and  one  hundred 
and  sixty  in  pasture,  of  which  he  owns  four 
hundred  and  forty.  The  property  is  improved 
with  a  large  two-story  frame  house,  substan- 
tial barns,  cattle  corrals  and  hog  sheds.  He 
is  doing  remarkably  well  in  cattle  and  hogs, 
taking  his  1919  record,  which  shows  that  so 
far  he  has  sold  fifty  head  of  hogs  averaging 
two  hundred  and  forty  pounds,  and  has  an- 
other car  of  hogs  ready,  also  fifty  head  of  fat 
cattle,  mostly  White  Face,  that  will  average 
1,100  pounds.  He  has  ten  head  of  work  horses 
and  mules,  and  attends  to  affairs  over  his 
large  estate  by  driving  a  Chandler  automobile. 
He  keeps  in  touch  with  agricultural  progress 
in  this  and  other  sections  through  membership 
in  the  Farmers'  Grange  of  district  twenty- 
seven,  and  is  financially  interested  in  the 
Farmers  Elevator  association  of  Wood  River 
On  September  12,  1916,  Mr.  McGowan 
married  Miss  Margaret  C.  Branigan,  of  Shel- 
by, Nebraska.  She  is  the  ninth  in  a  family  of 
twelve  children  born  to  Maurice  and  Nora 
(Burke)  Branigan,  natives  of  Ireland,  who 
were  married  at  Columbus,  Nebraska.  The 
father  of  Mrs.  McGowan  was  a  section  fore- 
man in  the  construction  of  the  railroad  from 
Columbus  west  to  Egbert,  Wyoming.  After 
leaving  the  railroad  in  1889  he  moved  on  his 
homestead  near  Clear  Creek,  Polk  Count)-, 
Nebraska,  where  he  followed  farming  until 
the  close  of  his  life,  in  1905.  The  mother  of 
Mrs.  McGowan  still  lives  on  the  farm  and 
owns  two  hundred  and  forty  acres.  Mrs.  Mc- 
Gowan has  been  very  active  in  Red  Cross 
work  and  has  taken  special  interest  in  the 
noble  work  done  by  the  Knights  of  Columbus 
along  the  same  line.  Mr.  McGowan  is  a  mem- 
ber of  this  organization.  Both  belong  to  St. 
Mary's  Catholic  church  at  Wood  River. 


CHARLES  A.  DAHLSTROM.— In  re- 
calling the  fine  men  of  Hall  County  now 
passed  away  mention  must  be  made  of  Charles 
August  Dahlstrom,  who,  for  many  years  was 
known  and  respected  here.  He  came  to  HaD 
County  with  but  little  to  show  for  the  hard 
labor  of  a  long  period  before,  but  when  he 
died,  December  14,  1911,  he  left  a  rich  man's 
estate,  owning  one  thousand  and  forty  acres 
of  well  improved  land. 

Charles  August  Dahlstrom  was  born  in 
Sweden,  April  20,  1856,  a  son  of  August 
Hockhanson  Dahlstrom.  After  completing 
his  elementary  education  he  attended  an  agri- 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


957 


cultural  college  at  Wennersborg,  Sweden, 
for  two  years.  In  1879  he  came  to  the  United 
States  and  found  his  first  work  in  a  factory 
at  Boston,  Massachusetts.  From  there  he 
went  to  Omaha.  After  working  on  a  farm 
near  that  chy  for  a  time,  he  removed  to  Polk 
County,  where  he  engaged  in  farming  for 
about  fifteen  years.  He  then  came  to  Hall 
County  and  remained  until  the  end  of  his  life, 
an  honest,  steady,  hard-working  farmer.  He 
was  unusually  successful  after  coming  here, 
soon  acquiring  a  fine  farm  and  when  he  died 
left  not  only  a  fine  inheritance  in  a  material 
way,  but  a  good  name,  and  a  family  that  re- 
flects still  further  credit  on  it.  He  was  a  large 
cattle  owner  and  feeder,  often  marketing  five 
hundred  head  of  cattle  and  six  hundred  head 
of  hogs  a  year.  He  was  a  member  of  the 
Methodist  Episcopal  church  in  Grand  Island, 
and  belonged  to  the  Modern  Woodmen  at  the 
same  place. 

In  Polk  County  Mr.  Dahlstrom  was  united 
in  marriage  to  Miss  Fanny  Spong,  the  cere- 
mony taking  place  November  11,  1883.  Five 
children  were  born  to  them :  George  a  farmer 
in  Holt  County;  Nora,  the  wife  of  E.  J.  Long, 
a  member  of  one  of  the  old  pioneer  families 
of  Hall  County;  Frank  Richards,  who  served 
one  year  in  the  National  army  in  the  aviation 
department,  attended  the  Massachusetts 
School  of  Technology,  then  was  stationed  at 
Brookfield,  Texas,  where,  as  a  lieutenant  he 
had  charge  of  the  operation  of  62  aeroplanes 
for  the  government;  Fannie  May,  in  the  em- 
ploy of  the  government  at  Washington,  D.  C, 
and  Neva,  who  resides  with  her  mother  at 
Alda,  after  seven  months  in  a  government  posi- 
tion at  Washington.  Mr.  Dahlstrom  was  a 
Democrat  in  his  political  views  but  he  could 
never  be  induced  to  accept  a  political  office. 


WILLIAM  R.  CUNNINGHAM,  in  the 
employ  of  the  Fairmont  Creamery  Company, 
of  Grand  Island,  is  a  native  of  the  neighbor- 
ing state  of  Iowa,  and  was  born  in  Mills 
County,  December  24,  1871. 

His  parents,  Alexander  and  Carrie  S.  (Slat- 
er) Cunningham,  were  natives  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, the  father  was  born  in  Fulton  County 
and  the  mother  in  Washington  County.  They 
were  married  July  4,  1865,  and  for  many  years 
resided  in  Iowa  where  the  father  followed  the 
occupation  of  fanning.  In  1898  they  became 
residents  of  Nebraska.  Alexander  Cunningham 
was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  War,  having  served 
the  full  three  years  and  was  one  of  those  for- 
tunate enough  to  serve  a  full  term  and  return 
home  without  having  been  wounded.    He  was 


prominent  in  the  I.  O.  O.  F.  lodge  and  assisted 
in  organizing  a  number  of  lodges. 

William  R.  was  the  fourth  child  in  a  family 
of  six,  and  was  reared  on  a  farm.  His  edu- 
cation was  acquired  in  the  public  schools  of 
Iowa,  and  he  also  attended  the  Western  Nor- 
mal College  at  Shenandoah.  His  parents  then 
removed  to  Missouri,  and  there  he  assisted  his 
father  in  the  operation  of  a  farm. 

August  21,  1895,  occurred  the  marriage  of 
William  R.  Cunningham  and  Miss  Balsa  L. 
Peery,  who  was  born  in  Nodaway  County, 
August  31,  1877,  Her  parents  are  Granville 
and  Amanda  E.  (Harlan)  Peery.  They  were 
both  natives  of  Missouri,  the  father  born  in 
Grundy  County  and  the  mother  in  Gentry 
County.  Granville  Peery  was  left  an  orphan 
at  the  age  of  seven  years  and  became  one  of 
the  early  settlers  of  Nodaway  County  where 
he  engaged  in  farming  until  he  retired.  He 
and  his  wife  now  live  at  Elmo,  Missouri.  Mrs. 
Cunningham,  was  fifth  in  a  family  of  twelve 
children  and  by  her  marriage  has  become  the 
mother  of  seven  children,  as  follows :  Oren 
E-,  a  young  man  of  twenty-two,  is  a  member  of 
the  American  Expeditionary  Force,  and  is  now 
in  France  in  the  service  of  his  country  (see 
his  record  and  photograph  in  the  soldiers  sec- 
tion). Urah  J.,  is  a  graduate  of  the  Grand  Is- 
land high  school  and  is  in  her  junior  year  at 
the  Kearney  State  Normal  School,  and  will 
teach  the  coming  year;  Eldon  P.,  is  a  junior 
in  the  Grand  Island  high  school,  and  is,  during 
his  vacation  employed  by  the  Fremont  Cream- 
ery Company;  Verle  E.,  aged  fifteen,  and 
Royle  R.,  are  attending  school;  one  child, 
William  E.,  died  in  infancy;  and  Harlan  E., 
aged  four,  completes  the  family. 

The  family  are  members  of  the  Christian 
church  in  the  work  of  which  they  are  very 
active.  Mrs.  Cunningham  is  treasurer  of  the 
Dorcas  Society.  During  the  war  she  was  a 
liberal  supporter  and  great  worker  in  the  do- 
ings of  the  Red  Cross. 

Mr.  Cunningham  and  his  family  came  to 
Grand  Island  seven  years  ago  and  for  a  time 
he  was  employed  by  the  American  Express 
Company.  He  then  was  an  employe  of  the 
Fairmont  Creamery  Company.  On  the  13th  of 
August,  1919,  he  went  back  to  the  express  com- 
pany. Since  coming  to  this  city  they  have  made 
themselves  valuable  members  of  the  best  co- 
ciety  and  are  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  all 
who  know  them. 


ROBERT  BRUCE  RAY.  — Though  not  a 
native  of  Nebraska,  the  subject  of  this  record 
has  been  a  resident  of  the  state  since  the  age 


958 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


of  three  years.  He  was  born  in  Knox  County, 
Illinois,  July  26,  1885.  His  parents  were  Archi- 
bald M.  and  Rachel  (McCormick)  Ray,  of 
whom  mention  is  made  on  another  page  of  this 
volume,  in  a  sketch  prepared  for  William  Wal- 
lace Ray. 

Robert  Bruce  Ray  was  reared  on  a  farm  and 
attended  the  country  schools,  later  entering  the 
high  school  in  Tecumseh,  after  which  he  be- 
came a  student  in  the  State  Normal  at  Peru, 
Nebraska,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1906.  For  three  years  he  suc- 
cessfully engaged  in  teaching  school,  and  then 
for  a  time  he  solicited  as  a  canvasser  of  books. 
Since  1910  he  has  been  a  salesman  for  the 
Walrath  and  Sherwood  Lumber  Company,  and 
maintains  his  home  in  Grand  Island.  He  took 
a  soldier's  part  in  the  great  World  War,  as 
will  be  seen  from  his  record  in  the  military 
chapter  of  this  history. 

On  January  2,  1907,  Mr.  Ray  married  Miss 
Mary  Phoebe  Sheppard,  who  was  born  near 
Shelby,  Polk  County,  Nebraska.  Her  parents 
are  William  H.  and  Harriet  W.  (Ware)  Shep- 
pard, who  were  among  the  early  settlers  in 
Polk  County  and  it  is  said  that  they  erected  the 
first  frame  dwelling  in  that  neighborhood. 

Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ray  are  the  parents  of  three 
children :  Harriet  Rachel,  born  November  5, 
1907;  Willa  Gertrude,  born  August  11,  1909; 
and  Robert  Bruce,  Jr.,  born  January  2,  1915. 

He  is  a  member  of  tha  Masonic,  B.  P.  O.  E. 
and  U.  C.  T.  lodges.  The  family  occupy  a 
comfortable  home  which  they  own,  at  324 
WeJ    Tenth  street. 


WILLIAM  WALLACE  RAY.— Because 
centrally  located,  together  with  the  fact  that 
it  offers  unusually  good  accommodations  in  the 
way  of  railway  travel,  Grand  Island  is  a  very 
desirable  place  to  live  in  the  capacity  of  travel- 
ling salesman.  The  subject  of  this  record  is 
one  of  those  who  have  found  it  convenient  to 
avail  himself  of  the  opportunities  thus  af- 
forded and  has  made  his  home  in  Grand  Is- 
land for  the  past  seventeeen  years. 

William  Wallace  Ray  was  born  in  Yates 
City,  Knox  County,  Illinois,  October  2,  1876. 
His  parents  were  Archibald  M.  and  Rachel 
(McCormick)  Ray,  both  of  whom  were  na- 
tives of  Ireland,  the  former  born  at  Belfast, 
May  27,  1846,  and  the  latter  in  the  County  of 
Antrim,  August  13,  1850.  They  were  brought 
to  America  by  their  representative  parents 
when  twelve  years  of  age.  They  were  mar- 
ried in  Douglas  County,  Illinois,  in  August, 
1874,  and  the  father  became  a  farmer  residing 
in  Knox  County  until  1888.     When  he  came 


to  Nebraska  he  settled  near  Bladen,  and  con- 
tinued to  be  an  agriculturist  until  his  death 
which  occurred  August  17,  1897.  The  mother 
still  resides  on  the  old  home  place. 

William  Wallace  acquired  his  education  in 
the  public  schools  of  Illinois  and  Nebraska, 
his  early  training  being  supplemented  by  a 
course  in  the  Nebraska  State  Normal  School, 
at  Peru,  from  which  he  was  graduated  with 
the  class  of  1902.  His  early  years  in  business 
were  devoted  to  farming,  stockraising  and 
teaching.  For  the  past  eleven  years  he  has 
been  in  the  wholesale  lumber  business,  and  is 
vice-president  of  the  Ottawa  Lumber  Com- 
pany, which  has  extensive  lumber  interests  in 
northern  Michigan.  Mr.  Ray  looks  after  the 
business  of  the  firm  over  a  wide  territory,  his 
field  covering  a  large  part  of  Nebraska,  East- 
ern Colorado  and  Eastern  Wyoming.  He  is 
also  a  stockholder  and  director  in  the  Bladen 
Lumber  Company  of  Bladen,  Nebraska. 

At  Bladen,  Nebraska,  December  29,  1902, 
was  solemnized  the  marriage  of  William  Wal- 
lace Ray  and  Miss  Blanche  Cather.  Mrs.  Ray 
is  a  native  of  Nebraska.  She  was  born  near 
Bladen,  October  21  1878.  After  completing 
the  prescribed  course  of  study  taught  in  the 
public  schools,  she  became  a  student  in  Grand 
Island  College,  from  which  she  was  graduated 
with  the  class  of  1901,  with  the  A.  B.  degree. 
The  parents  of  Mrs.  Ray  were  George  P.  and 
Frances  Cather,  the  former  born  in  Virginia, 
while  the  latter  was  a  native  of  Boston,  Massa- 
chusetts and  was  a  graduate  of  the  Mount 
Holyoke  Seminary. 

The  home  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Ray  has  been 
blessed  with  the  birth  of  three  healthy  chil- 
dren :  George  Cather,  born  November  9,  1907 ; 
Margaret  Blanche,  born  October  2,  1911 ;  and 
Frances  Eleanor,  born  October  27,  1913. 

A  brother  of  Mrs.  Ray  was  Lieutenant  G. 
P.  Cather,  Jr.,  who  fell  at  Cantigny,  France, 
May  28,  1918,  being  the  first  Nebraska  officer 
to  lose  his  life  in  the  World  War.  Lieutenant 
Cather  was  a  member  of  the  First  Division. 
Twenty-sixth  Infantry,  being  under  command 
of  Major  Theodore  Roosevelt,  Jr. 

Mr.  Ray  is  a  member  of  several  fraternal 
organizations,  being  a  Mason  and  has  taken 
both  the  Knight  Templar  and  Shriner  degrees 
of  that  organization.  His  name  is  also  found 
on  the  membership  of  B.  P.  O.  E.  and  U.  C.  T. 
lodges  of  Grand  Island.  He  exercises  the  right 
of  franchise  in  support  of  men  he  deems  best 
fitted  for  the  office  regardless  of  party  afhb'a- 
tions.  He  is  an  ardent  admirer  of  President 
Woodrow  Wilson,  who  has  just  piloted  the 
United  States  through  one  of  the  most  trying 
times  in  its  history. 

Liooglc 


GENERAL  INDEX 


Abbot,  3  trading  center,  143 
Abbott,  O.  A.,  writes  of  first 

constitutional         convention. 

186;     lieutenant     governor, 

189;  first  attorney  in  county, 

423 
Aero  Campany,  262 
Agriculture,  growth   of,   in  the 

county,  223 
Agricultural  organizations,  225 
Agricultural  Society,  organiza- 
tion of,  229 
Alda,  town  of,  142;  banks  in, 

311;    its    schools,    360;    its 

lodges,   385 
Alda  State  Bank,  311 
Alda  township,  157 
Alfalfa,    introduction    of,    into 

Nebraska,  224 
American     Investment     Com- 
pany, 314  ' 
Amsberry,  Darius  M.,  secretary 

of  state,  190 
Ancient     Order     of      United 

Workmen   in   Grand   Island, 

376;  in  county,  377 
Anderson,  Jack,  gives  glimpses 

of  early  life  in  Hall  County, 

93 
Anderson- Smith    Massacre,    76 
Ameiger  and  Herald,  400 
Ashlar  lodge,  A.   P.  &  A.   M., 

first  Masonic  in  county,  368 
Ashton,  Fred  W.,  an  attorney, 

426 
As  tori  an   Expedition,   5 
Athletic  organizations,  381 
Augustine    Company,    printers, 

247 
Automobile  industry,  255 

Bacon,  W.  R.,  an  early  attor- 
ney, 425 

Bands  in  county,  381 

Banks,    297 

Bank  of  Commerce,  303 

Bank  of  Doniphan,  307 

Baptist  church :  First  in  Grand 
Island,  343 ;  Immanuel,  343 

Barnard,  Richard  C,  represen- 
tative in  the  legislature,  183 

Barnes,  Eli  A.,  writes  of  the 
settlement  of  Prairie  Creek 
township,  156 

Barton,  Silas  R.,  state  auditor, 
189;  member  of  congress,  194 

Barr,  George  H.,  an  early  attor- 
ney, 425 

Barr,  Rotrt.  J.  elected  princi- 
pal of  Grand  Island  schools, 
357 


Bassett,  Samuel  C,  writes  of 
"A  Broken  Axle/'  92 

Bates,  J.  M.,  describes  the  flora 
of  Hall  County,  198 

Beet  Sugar  industry,  230;  fac- 
tory, 239 

Bell,  George  B.,  banker,  301 

Bentley,  Charles  F.,  banker,  300 

Bessey,  Dr.  C.  E.,  writes  of 
alfalfa,   224 

Bicycle  industry,  260 

Black  Hills,  expedition  to,  229 

Blain  Horse  and  Mule  Com- 
pany, 252 

Blizzard  of  1888,  202 

Board  of  Supervisors,  record  of 
first  meeting  of,  171 ;  mem- 
bers and  proceedings  of  sub- 
sequent boards,  172  ff 

Board  of  Trade,  291 

Boyd,  James  E-,  75 

Bradstreet  &  Clemens  Co..  251 

Brittin,  N.  F.,  124 

Brown  Fruit  Co.,  254 

Building  and  Loan  Associa- 
tions, 311 

Burger,  W.  J.,  writes  of  the 
early  history  of  the  south 
side  of  the  Platte  River,  145 

Business  Men's  Ctub,  291 

Cairo,  town  of,  138;  its  govern- 
ment, 138;  business  houses. 
140;  its  banks.  310;  its 
schools,  361 ;  its  lodges,  385 

Cameron  township,  152 

Campbell  ranch,  Indian  raid, 
41 

Campbell,  J.  R.,  * 
neer    days   in   Western 
braska,    42 

Canal  bonds,  issuance  of  de- 
feated,  170 

Catholic  church;  history of,328; 
Grand  Island  Parish,  329; 
Wood  River  parish,  331; 
Grand  Island  diocese,  332 

Center   township,   157 

Central  Labor  Union,  394 

Central  Nebraska  Republican, 
402 

Central  Power  Company  of' 
Grand  Island,  113 

Chicago,  Burlington  &  Quincy 
Railroad,  326 

Christian  church,  Grand  Is- 
land, 346 

Christian  Science,  347 

Cigar  factories,  245 

Citizens'  State  Bank  of  Wood 
River,  308 


s  of  pio- 


Citizens'    State    Bank,   297 

Civil  War,  one  man  entered 
from  Hall  County,  433 

Clapp,  Mrs.  Sarah,  tells  of  work 
of   Major   North,  40 

Cleary,  James,  early  business 
leader,  266 

Clerks  of  District  Court,  list 
of,  177 

Clifford,  Henry  E-,  425 

Columbus,  mentioned,  11 

Commercial  Club,  292;  mem- 
bers of,  293 

Commercial  Exchange  Bank  of 
Doniphan,    307 

Commercial  State  Bank,  304 

Congregational  church:  First 
in  Grand  Island,  345 ;  in 
Doniphan,  346 

Constitutional  Conventions, 
names  of  men  who  repre- 
sented Hall  County  in,  185; 
O.  A.  Abbott  writes  of  ones 
held   in    1871-1875,   186 

Coon,  Rev.  R.  R.,  writes  of 
Grand  Island  College,  364 

Coroners  of  Hall  County,  178 

Country  Club,  383 

County  attorneys,  178 

County  clerks,  fist  of,  177 

County  commissioners,  early 
proceedings  of,  167  ff 

County  Council  of  Defense,  443, 
460;    Women's  auxiliary  of. 


County  treasurers,  list  of,  177 
Court  House,  bonds  voted  for, 

169,  175;  farewell  to  the  old, 

421 
Courts  of  the  county,  413  ff 
Cowboy  regime,   97 
Cowboys,  the,  65 
Creameries.  241 
Cyclone  of  1919,  204 

Daily-Estabrook  Contest,  182 

Dairying,  227 

Darnell,  J.  H..  an  early  attor- 
ney, 424 

Davenport  Company,  failure  of, 
13,  22 

Degree  of  HjDnor  in  Grand 
Island.   377 

Democrat,   The,  400 

Democratic '  convention,  first 
territorial,    181 

Denman,  Z.  H.,  158 

Dentists  of  Hall  County.  410 

Deuel  Chapter,  R.  A.  M.,  369 

Dey,  Peter  A.,  railroad  engi- 
neer,  319 

District    Court,    first    in 


,Goog 


„,„ 


960 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


County,  413;  beginning  of 
court  work  in  county,  423 

Dodge,  Grenville  M.,  railroad 
builder,  316 

Dodge  School,  mentioned,  353 

Dolan  Fruit  Co.,  253 

Doniphan :  town  of,  132 ;  officers 
in,  134;  commercial  interests, 
136;  early  settlement  near, 
146;  Methodist  church  in, 
339;  Congregational  church 
in,  346;  its  schools,  359; 
lodges,  385 ;   its  newspapers. 


Donald  Company,  The,  253 
Doyle,  Thirza  M.,  gives  histori- 
cal information,  386 

Eagles  Fraternal  Order  of, 
379 

Edward,  Herschel  A.,  425 

Eldridge,  W.  G.,  an  early  set- 
tler in  Alda  township,  157 

Elevator  enterorises,  234 

Elks  in  Grand  Island,  378 

Episcopal  church,  332 

-Equitable  Building  and  Loan 
Association,  312 

Etting  Candy  Company,  254 

Ewing,  James,  126 

Fairmont  Creamery  Company 
242 

Farm  Bureau,  232 

Farmers  Mercantile  Company 
of  Cairo,  235 

Farmers  State  Bank  of  Cairo, 
310 

Farmers'  unions,  233 ;  Co-oper- 
ative Exchange  of,  235 

Federal  Fuel  Administration, 
465 

Fifth  Nebraska  Infantry,  his- 
tory of,  436;  roster  of  mem- 
bers of  Company  M.,  438 

Finch,  Dr.  D.  A„  411 

Financial   institutions,  297 

First  National"  Bank,  302 

Foght,  H.  W„  writes  of  the 
Pawnees,  38 

Food  Administration,  464 

Fort  Independence,  27,  49 

Fort  Kearny,  433 

Fort  Kearny  and  Nebraska 
City  road,  59 

Fort  O.  K,  49 

Four  minute  men,  465 

Fremont,  town  of,  mentioned, 
11 

Fremont,  John  C,  describes 
Grand   Island,   7 

Free  Press,  402 

Gallup,  I.  C,  Horsb  and  Mole 
Company,  252 

Ganville,  Richard  C,  an  early 
attorney,  425 

Gerrard,  Leander,  unsuccess- 
ful candidate  for  the  legis- 
lature,   183 


C-oettsche-Frauen  Massacre,  29, 
50 

Gould,  Jay,  aids  in  grasshopper 
plague,  33 

G.'A.  R.  Building  Association, 
435 

Grand  Army  of  the  Republic, 
434 

Grand  Island :  Fremont's  des- 
cription of,  7;  settlement,  12, 
15;  personnel  of  first  colony, 
19;  second  colony.  21;  set- 
tlement protected.  27;  organi- 
zation of.  101 ;  list  of  officers 
of,  103;  parks,  110;  fire  de- 
partment, 111;  municipal  im- 
provements, 112;  revenue  and 
taxation,  115;  street  railway 
system,  118;  industrial  enter- 
prises in,  236  ff;  commercial 
history,  263;  hotels,  269; 
banking  in,  297;  churches, 
328;  schools  in,  351;  bonds 
voted  on,  353;  early  census 
of,  355;  early  graduates  from 
high  school,  356;  fraternal 
organizations,  392 ;  press  in, 
395;  physicians,  405 

Grand  Island  Banking  Com- 
pany, 298 

Grand  Island  Brewery,  239 

Grand  Island  Building  and 
Loan  Association,  311 

Grand  Island  Business  and 
Normal  College,  362 

Grand  Island  Canning  Factory, 
238 

Grand  Island  College,  363 

Grand  Island  Culvert  &  Metal 
Works,  246 

Grand  Island  Electric  Companyi 
113 

Grand  Island  General  Hospital, 
410 

Grand  Island  Horse  and  Mule 
Company,  252 

Grand  Island  Loan  and  Trust 
Company,  314 

Grand  Island  National  Bank, 
298 

Grand  Island  and  Northwest- 
ern Railroad  Company,  bonds 
voted  for,  169 

Grand  Island  Stock  yards,  249 

Grand  Island  Telephone  Com- 
pany, 248 

Grange  movement,  226 

Grasshopper  plague,  14,  31 ; 
congress  asked  for  aid,  31 ; 
196;  poem  on,  198 

Guenther,  William,  gives  ac- 
count of  settlement  of  Lake 
township.    160 

'  Hainline  &  Son  Laundry,  246 
Hall,  Judge  Augustus,  bio- 
graphical sketch  of,  183 
Hall  County,  discoveries  affect- 
ing, 2;  settlement  of,  10  ff; 
first  things  in  23 ;  public 
lands  surveyed  in,  30;  early 
Indians  in.  34  ff;  effect  of 
Oregon  trail  on,  57;  map  of, 
60;  arrival  of  permanent  set- 


tlers in ;  64 ;  cowboy  Teg'n'e 
in,  65;  earlv  days  in,  77  ff; 
last  years  of  Indian  occupa- 
tion in,  88;  townships  of, 
145 ;  township  government  in, 
161;  list  of  early  voters  ifi, 
161;  organization  of,  166; 
first  records  of,  167;  early 
proceedings  of  official  board 
of,  168;  townships  formed, 
171;  fiftieth  anniversary  of, 
179;  part  of,  in  state  and 
federal  governments,  lot , 
list  of  senators  represent- 
ing, 184;  members  of  lower 
house  of  legislature  from, 
184;  representatives  from,  in 
early  constitutional  conven- 
tions, 185 ;  state  officers  from. 
188;fauna,  flora,  and  natural 
history  of,  195;  topography 
and  soil  survey  of,  OH . 
agriculture,  live  stock  and 
dairying  in,  223,  227;  beet 
sugar  industry  in,  230;  indus- 
trial history  of,  236;  bank- 
ing in,  297;  railroads,  316; 
churches,  328;  schools  of, 
348;  fraternal  and  social 
organizations,  368 ;  organized 
labor  in,  392;  press  of,  395; 
medical  and  dental  profession, 
405;  bench  and  bar,  413; 
chronological  survey  of  coun- 
ty's progress,  429;  in  mili- 
tary affairs,  433 ;  in  the 
World  War,  441;  list  of 
sons  in  war,  468 

Hall  County  Immigration 
Board,  225 

Hamann,  August,  describes 
cyclone   of   1919,  204 

Hanssen,  John  M..  writes  of 
early  schools,  350 

Harrison  township,  154 

Harrison,  T.  O.  C.  Supreme 
Court  justice,  190 

Harte,  Bret,  poem  by,  319 

Hayman,  Winfield  S.,  an  attor- 
ney, 426 

Hedde,  Fred,  an  early  business 
leader,  265 

Hedde,  Frederick,  narrative  of, 
H, 

Herman  Nelson  Lumber  and 
Supply  Co.,  245 

Home  Guards,  463 

Home  Savings  Bank,  305 

Horse,  Mule  and  Cattle  Mar- 
ket, Grand  Island,  250 

Horth,  Ralph  R.,  an  attomev, 
425 

Hospitals,  409 

Hotels  in  Grand  Island,  269 

Hoye,    Patrick,    125 

Hurst  Sash  and  Door  Co.,  244 

Indians:  cause  scare  in  1864, 
14;  visit  colony  in  1858.  21; 
first  massacre  by,  25;  Paw- 
nees treacherous,  28;  early 
inhabitants  of  Hall  Constr. 
34;  the  Sioux,  39;  outbreak 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


of  1864,  39;  raid  the  Camp- 
bell ranch,  41 ;  journeying  to 
the  hunt,  50;  dance  of,  SI; 
horsethieves,  S3;  last  years 
of  occupancy  of  Platte  Val- 
ley, 88  ff. 
Immigration  Board,  290 
Independent     Order     of     Odd 

Fellows,  372 
Independent,  The,  396 

Jackson  James,  123 

Jack  son- Wood  River  town- 
ship, 150;  early  landholders 
in,  152 

Jim  Boyd  Ranch,  75 


244 

Knights  of  Columbus,  377 

Knights  of  Pythias  in  Grand 
Island,  375 

Knights  Templar,  Mt.  Lebanon 
Command ery,  370 

Koenig,  Henry  A.,  state  treas- 
urer, 189;  an  early  business 
leader,  26S 

Labor  Organizations,  392 
Ladies'  Auxiliary,  B.  or  R.  T., 


221 


i  value,  of 


Laundries,  245 
Lawyers  of  Hall  County,  423 
Lewis  and  Clark  Expedition,  4 
Letton,  Judge  Charles  B.,  des- 
cribes storm  of  1873,  201 
Liberty  Loan  Campaign,  462 
Long's  Expedition,  7,  37 
Loup  Valley  Packing  Company, 

Lutheran  Church :  Evangelical 
Lutheran  Trinity,  Grand  Is- 
land, 340;  St.  Paul's  English, 
341 ;    Evangelical    Lutheran, 


McAllister,  W.  R.,  early  busi- 
ness man,  266 

McDonald  Co.,  D.  H.,  246 

MacMurray,  S.,  125 

Maccabees,   380 

Maher,  John,  1S2 

Martin,    George,    149 

Mankin,  Richard,    125 

Martin  township,   147 

Martin,  W.  E.,  writes  of  the 
Platte   Valley,   88 

Masonic  lodges  in  Hall  Coun- 
ty, J68 

Masonic  Building  Association 
370 


154 
Menck,     Christian,    writes    of 

"An      Early      Hall      County 

Bridal  Couple,"  16 
Merchants  Clubs,  291 
Methodist    church:     First,    in 


Grand  Island,  335;  Trinity. 
339;  in  Wood  River,  339;  in 
Alda,  339;   in  Doniphan,  339 

MHchelson,  James,  early  busi- 
ness leader,  266 

Miller,  Dr.  Howard  C,  411 

Milling  industry,  237 

Mint  on- Woodward  Comnanv, 
253 

Mitchell-Ketchum-OIive  trag- 
edy, 66 

Mitchell  Serum  Co.,  247 

Mitchell,  W.  W.,  127 

Modern  Brotherhood  of  Amer- 
ica, 380 

Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
381 

Moore,  Anthony,  151 

Moore,  Patrick,  151 

Moose,  Loyal  Order  of,  379 

Mormons,  63 

Mothers'  Teachers'  Federated 
Club,  390 

Moving  picture  industry,  255 


Nagel,  Theodore,  first  school 
teacher  in  county,  348 

Nebraska:  beginning  of  his 
tory  of,  2;  changes  in  terri- 
tory of,  7 ;  initial  steps  in  for- 
mation of,  8;  territorial  gov- 
ernment of  prior  to  1858,  9;  . 
population  in  1857,  11;  Paw- 
nees in,  35;  trails  across,  56 
ff. ;  first  statehood  election, 
183 ;  in  the  World  War,  441 

Nebraska  "Loan  &  Trust  Com- 
pany, 315 

Nebraska  Mercantile  Co.,  253 

Nebraska  State  Bank,  306 

Nebraska  Telephone  Company, 
247 

Nelson,  Luella  B..  gives  history 
of  Rebekahs,  373 

"Nezarrezarries,"  48 

Nichelson,  James,  Jr.,  gives  in- 
formation on  Loyal  Order  of 
Moose,  379;  Royal  Highland- 
ers, 380 

North,  Major  Frank,  and  his 
Pawnee  scouts,  40 

North  &  Robinson  Company, 
142 

"O.  K.  Store,"  263 
Olive,  I.  P.,  66  ff. 
Oliver,  Edward,  Sr.,  93 
Oregon  Trail,  57 
Overland. Trail,  58 

Pacific    Fur    Corporation,    5, 

Paine-Fishburn  Granite  Com- 
pany, 242 

Paine,  Ira  T.,  Sr.,  writes  his- 
tory of  First  Methodist 
church  of  Grand  Island,  33S 

Parochial  schools  in  county, 
366 

Patterson,  Dr.  J.  P.,  quoted, 
263 

Paul,  Col.  H.  J.,  writes  history 


of.  Fifth  Nebraska  Infantry, 
436 

Pawnees,  largest  tribe  that 
lived  in  Nebraska,  35;  decay 
of,  38;  Major  Frank  North 
and  Pawnee  scouts,  40 

Penney,  Minnie  Freeman,  a 
heroine,  203 

People's  Building  and  Loan 
Association,  313 

Peoples  State  Bank,  306 

Perkins,  R.  C.  gives  his  remi- 
niscences of  early  days  in 
Mayfield  township,  154 

Physicians,   list  of,  405   ff. 

Pike's  Peakers,  13 

"Pioneer  Days  in  Western  Ne- 
braska," by  J.  R.  Campbell, 
42 

Piper,  Edwin  Ford,  poem  of. 
on  the  grasshoppers,   198 

Piatt,  W.  H.,  early  business 
leader,  266 

Piatt,  William  H.i  an  early 
attorney  in  county,  424 

Platte  River  bridge,  bonds  vot- 
ed  for,   168 

Plattsdeutch  Verein,  383 

Pony  Express,  60 

Postmaster  of  Grand  Island, 
193 

Prairie  Creek  township,  156 ; 
notes  on  its  settlement,  by 
Eli  A.  Barnes,  155 

Prairie  fire  in  winter  of  1859- 
1860,  78 

Prince,   Willard   A.,   an   attor- 

Presbyter:an  church :  First  in 
Grand  Island,  343 ;  at  Wood 


Riv« 


116 


,  345 


Quackenbush,  O.  M.  writes  of 
the  early  history  of  Wood 
River  Valley,  71 ;  gives  early 
history  of  Wood  River,  120; 
brief  biography  of,  127 

Raine,  John  G.,  early  business 
leader,  266 

Rebekah  Odd  Fellowship,  his- 
tory of,  in  Grand  Island,  373; 
in  Wood  River,  375 

"Recollections,"  by  Fred  Stol- 
ley,  43 

Red  Cross  organized,  443 ; 
Hall  County  Chapter  of, 
451;  Grand  fsland  Chapter, 
452;  Women's  Executive 
Committee,  452;  membership 
and  financial  campaigns,  453 

Reese,  Norman,  reminiscences 
of,  80 

Registers  of  land  office,  194 

Republican  convention,  first  ter- 
ritorial, 182 

Roach,  John,  124 

Royal  Highlanders,  380 

Runnelsburg,  a  past  trading 
center,  144 


jOOglc 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY   NEBRASKA 


Ryan',  Mrs.  C.  G..  gives  infor- 
mation on  St  Cecilia  Society, 
385 

St.  Cecilia  Society,  385 

St.  Francis'  Hospital,  409 

St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island 
Railroad,  bonds  voted  for,  170 

St.  Joseph  and  Grand  Island 
Railroad,  325 

Salvation  Army,  347 

Scheffel  &  Son,  monuments,  243 

Schauppsville,  an  extinct  town, 
144 

Schernekau,  A.,  writes  of  early 
days  in  Hall  County,  77  ft".; 
enters  Civil  War  from  coun- 
ty, 433 

School  Board,  members  of, 
357  ff. 

Schools  in  Hall  County,  348; 
county  superintendents,  349; 
in  Grand  Island,  359;  in 
Wood  River.  360;  in  Alda, 
360;  in  Cairo,  361;  school 
population,  362;  parochial 
school,  366 

Security  National  Bank,  304 

Seventh   Day  Adventists,   347 

Sheriffs  of  Hall  County,  178 

Sherrerd,  S.  A.,  128 

Shoemaker  Island,  149 

Sioux  Indians,  38,  46 

Soil  survey  of  county,  207 

Soldiers'  and  Sailors'  Home, 
190;  commandants  of,  191 

Spanish  American  War,  436 

Spanish  War.  Veterans  Post, 
436 

Sprague,  W.  L-,  125 

Stage  coaches,  59 

Stage  routes  through  Hall 
County,  82 

State  Bank  of  Grand  Island, 
305 

State  Central  Bank,  a  pioneer 
institution,  297 

Stolley,  Fred,  gives  his  recollec- 
tions of  early  days,  43 ;  gives 
account  of  first  school  in 
county,  348- 

Stolley,    William,    gives    early 


gress  for  aid  in  grasshopper 

devastation,  32 
Stolley  school  district,  349 
Stoltenberg,    Claus,    158 
Stone,  Virgil   K,   an  attorney. 

Storm  of  1873,  described  by 
Judge  Charles  B.  Letton,  201 

Superintendents  of  schools, 
178,  349 

Surveyors  of  Hall  County,  178 


Thayer,  John  M.,  governor  of 

state,  188 
Theosophical  Society,  347 
Thomas,  C.  W.,  early  business 

man,  266 
Thompson,     Judge    John    R., 

testimonial  to,  422 
Thompson,  John  R.t  an  early 

attorney  in   county,  424 
Thomsscn,   John,  gives  details 

of  Anderson -Smith  massacre, 

76 
Thorpe,  William  and  Fred,  125 
Thummell,  George  H.,  member 

first  constitution!  convention, 

187 
Times,  of  Grand  Island,  400 
Topography  and  soil  survey  of 

county,  207  ff. 
Trapp,  William  L.  G.,  125 
Travelers    Protective    Associa- 


early 


Trefen,   George   W., 

attorney,  424 
Tully,  C.  H.,  manufacturer  of 

woven  wire  fencing,  243 


Underwood,  an  extinct  trading 
center,   144 

Union  Pacific  Railway,  early 
history  of,  319;  local  manage- 
ment, 321 ;  superintendents, 
321 ;  mechanical  department, 
322;  list  of  train  and  engine- 
men,  322;  station  agents,  325; 
branches,  326 

United  States  Investment  Com- 
pany, 313 

United  war  work,  466 


Vierecc,  Henry,  early  bottler. 


Wait,  Addison,  secretary  of 
state,  190 

Wallichs,  John,  state  auditor, 
189 

War  Activities  Committee,  462 

War  Savings  Committee,  465 

Washington  township.  160 

Wheel  clubs,  382 

White  Cloud,  an  early  post- 
office,  74 

White,  J.  R.,  county  agent,  233 

Wilkins.  Rev.  H.,  gives  history 
of  Evangelical  Lutheran 
church.  Grand  Island,  340 

Winn,  Major -General  "Frank  U. 
writes  of  World  War  experi- 
ences, 439 

Wolbach  Bros.,  pioneer  .mer- 
chants, 284 

Wolf.  Father  W.,  329 

Woolley,  John  H.,  an  earlv 
attomev,  425 

Woman's  Club,  391 

Woodmen  of  the  World,  380 

Wood  River,  first  settlers,  14; 


community  buildings  i_,  _  . 
early  commercial  interests 
129;  Citizens  State  Bank  of, 
308 ;  Methodist  church  in, 
339;  Presbyterian  church, 
345;  schools  of,  360;  Mason- 
ry in,  372;  Rebekah  Oddfel- 
lowship  in,  375 ;  lodges  of. 
385 ;  newspapers  or,  403 

Wood  River  Building  &  Low 
Association,  314 

Wood  River  Co-operative 
Grain  Company,  235 

Wood  River  Valley,  early  his- 
tory of,  71 

World  War,  activities  in  HaD 
County,  441  ff. 

Woven  wire  fence  factory,  243 

Young      Men's       Chrjstuk 

Association,  387 
Young      Women's      Christian 

Association,  389 


d  by  Google 


INDEX  TO  BIOGRAPHIES 


Abbott,  Marcus  R.,  919 
Abbott,  Othman  A.,  565 
Ahrens,  Alexander,  793 
Ahrena,  Henry  C,  785 
Ahrens,  Mrs.  Magdalene,  78£ 
Allan,  John,  577 
Anderson,   Alfred,   661 
Anyan,  William  H.,  689 
Arthur,  Rev.  Lewis  A.,  821 
Augustin,  Walter  F.,  888 
Augustin,  William  R.,  890 
Augustine,  Ernest  W.,  569 

Baasch,  Carl,  820 
Baker,  Edward  H,  730 
Baker,  George  M.,  759 
Ballenger,  Edward  L.,  622 
Ballinger,  William  J.,  942 
Barnard,  Roger  H.,  811 
Barnes,  Eli  A.,  615 
Barr,  Robert  J.,  562 
Batterson,  Lewis  C,  953 
Bauer,   Christopher,   789 
Baumann,  George  J.,  661 
Becker  August,  691 
Becker,  Henry,  858 
Beers,  Wallace  D.,  890 
Benson,   Hilmer,  935 
Benton,  Almond  W.,  872 
Berg,  Robert,  811 
Bierbower,  Charles  W.,  889 
Bitter,  John  Henry,  866 
Bain,  William  I.,  636 
Blauvelt,  Frank  E.,  727 
Bock,  Rudolph  W.,  630 
Boeck,  Julius,  574 
Boekman,  Henry,  828 
Boehm,  Theodore  P.,'608 
Boltz,  Edward,  863 
Boltz  Emil,  931 
Boodry,  Leslie,  Jr.,  874 
Boyden,  Dr.  Henry  B.,  598 
Bradstreet,  Thomas  E.,  573 
Broadwdl,  George  W„  745 
Brown,  Daniel  C.,  674 
Brown,  Elmer  E.,  597 
Bryan,  Orion,  876 
Buchfinck,  Fred  A.,  602 
Buchfinck,  Joseph,  592 
Buddecke,  Fred  J.,  862 
Buechler,  A.  F.,  816 
Buenz,  Richard,  600 
Buettner,  Henry,  809 
Bullock,  James  C,  873 
Burge,  William  J.,  844 
Burger,  Edwin  C,  673 
Burkerd,  Jesse  C,  916 

Cady,  Addison  E.,  610 
Carey,  Harry  A.  658 
Carlson,  Luther  M.,  683 


Clearv,  J 

Cleary,  John  Leo,  814 
Clausen,  Chris,  761 
Clausen,  Juergen,  756 
Clayton,  William  E,  597 
Conaway,  Dr.  H.  0.,  682 
Connor,  Thomas  H.,  912 
Coon,  Rev.  Reune  R-,  712 
Coons,  John  T.,  877 
Corkins,  Francis,  741 
Cox,  John  T.,  712 
Crawford,  George  E„  928 
Cronin,  Martin  I*.  950 
Cunningham,  Benjamin  J.,  603 
Cunningham,  Elizabeth  M.,  673 
Cunningham,  William  R.,  957 
Curry,  Mrs.  Catherine,  843 

Dahlstrom,  Charles  A.,  956 
Dangler,  John  W.,  841 
Davison,  Earl  E.,  932 


Davison,  Hem 


802 


nry,  1 
Davison,  Roy  H„ 
Dean,  Guy  M.,  884 
Deichmann,  Carl,  794 
Den  man,  Albert  J-,  621 
Denman,  Augustme  C,  807 
Denman,  John  W.,  738 
Dennon,  Purly  A.,  642 
DeSoe,  Charles  H.,  897 
Detweiler,  William  T.,  708 
Dibbern,  Hans  A.,  877 
Dickinson,  Nathaniel  P.,  908 
Diefenderfer,  Ernest,  923 
Dill,  James  E,  631 
Dive,  George  A.,  726 
Dodd,  Dr.  Edward,  728 
Dolsen,  Nelson  B.,  580 
Drake,  A.  P.,  798 
Duffy,  Rev.  James  A.,  608 
Durtschi,  Rudolf,  921 

Eaton,  Harrison  S.,  923 
Edwards,  Albertus  E,  778 
Egge,  Max  J.,  575 
Eggers,  Claus,  739 
Eggers,  Jasper,  839 
Eickert,  Carl  F.,  910 
Eldridge,  Norman  J.,  906 
Elijah,  James  H.,  799 
Elliott,   Peter,  902 
Ellsworth,  John,  678 
Engle,  George  A.,  748 
Engleman,  Dr.  Wm.  T.,  678 
Ericksen,  Jens,  743 
Erion,  James  G.,  772 
Etting,  Albert,  668 

963 


Evans,  Charles  D.,  943 
Evans,  Virden  E.,  672 
Everhart,  Virgil  R.,  731 
Ewing,  John  A.,  911 
Ewoldt,  Bemhard,  834 
Ewoldt,  Frank,  837 
Ewoldt,  Herman,  831 
Ewoldt,  Julius,  832 

Facan,  Patrick,  946 
Fagan,  William,  802 
Falldorf,  Henry  H.,  690 
Falldorf,  John,  763 
Farnsworth,  Dr.  A.  H.,  674 
Famsworth,  Dr.  Earl  E,  668 
Farnsworth,  Luther  F.,  667 
Felske,  Albert,  855 
Finch,  Dr.  Daniel  A.,  819 
Franz,  Elmer  Robert,  856 
Fraser,  Carrie  L-,  742 
Frauen,    Paul,    771 
Frauen.  Henry  C,  788 
Frazell,  George  B.,  908 
Frederick,  George,  947 
Freeman,  Charles  B„  609 
Fritts,  Thomas  H.,  654 
Fritts,  T.  H.,  916 
Fulmcr,  Wilson  H.,  915 

Gallachek,  John,  867 
Geer,  Lewis  T.,  622 
Geer,  Rufus  M.,  620 
Geer,  Russell  L-,  577 
Gibson,  Ira,  810 
Gideon,  David  C,  891 
Glade,  Arthur  W.,582 
Glade,  August  A.,  582 
Glade,  Filbert  A.,  582 
Glade,  Fred  M.,  582 
Glade,  Henry,  581 
Glass,  Tohn  B.,  672 
Glock,  Rudolph,  851 
Goehring,  Herman  C,  692 
Goehring,   Richard,   700 
Goehring,  Richard,  Jr.,  691 
Goss,  Leroy  W.,  900 
Graham,  Alexander,  869 
Graham,  David  M.,  735 
Graham.  George,  884 
Green,  Ray  Albert,  894 
Greenberger,  Max,  694 
Griess.  Theodore,  825 
Guendel.  Arthur  T-,  571 
Guendel,  Tulius,  571 
Guhl,  Rudolph,  727 

Hacge,  William  A.,  750 
Hainline,  Walker,  641 
Haldeman,  William  L.,  847 
Hann,  John  C.  C,  773 


Google 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Hanna,  Arthur   D.,  784 
Hanna,  James  E.,  633 
Hanna,  James  R.,  604 
Harmon,  Michael  P.,  915 
Hansen,  Hans  P.,  633 
Hanssen,  John  M.,  791 
Haulers,  John,  625 
Harders,  Martin,  846 
Harding,  James  A.,  866 
Harrell,   Frederick  O.,  888 
Harrison,   Fred   L.,   616 
Harrison,  Guy  L.,  612 
Harrison,  Ray  L-,  616 
Harrison,  Thomas  O.  C.,  576 
Harrison,  William  Henry,  613 
Harry,  Henry,  648 
Hayman,  Stephen  S.,  739 
Hayse,  John  S.,  849 
Hedde,   Fred,  562  . 
Hedde,  William,  767 
Heflin,  William  J.,  822 
Hehnke,  Herman,  572 
Heidkamp,  C.  H.  Gottlieb,  666 
Heimes,  Rev.  August  W-,  609 
Heitz,  Charles  J.,  885 
Henderson,  Newton  W.,  947 
Hennings,   Peter,  855 
Herman,  Peter,  761 
Hetzel,  George  D,  607 
Heubner,  Charles,  930 
Hexter,  Samuel,  742 
Heyde,  Albert  V.  D.,  690 
Hildebrand,  Willard  N.,  855 
Hodges,  Melvin  L.,  903 
Hoffmann,  Charles  A.,  738 
Homan,  Ira  T.,  734 
Hongsermeier,    Casper,   784 
Horn,  Mrs.  Elizabeth,  918 
Horth,  Ralph  R.,  821 
Howe,   Lloyd   M.,  842 
Hoye,  Patrick,  926 
Huffman,  Leonard  E..  859 
Hulett,  James  H„  898 
Humphrey,  George  E.,  567 
Hurst,  Edwin  W.,  643 
Huston,  Samuel  C,  607 
Hutton,  Arthur  C,  893 

Incaus,  Henry  T.,  713 

Jasper,  Fred  H.,  620 
Jensen,  Peter  R.,  572 
Jensen,  Wilhelm  R.,  820 
Jessen,  Claus  Theo..  611 
Jobe,  Amos  W.,  806 
Tones,  Edwin  A.,  689 
Jones,  Glenn,  618 
Johnson,  William,  647 
Joseph,  Arthur  L.,  606 

Kavfmann,   David,   641 
Kearney.  Edmond  A.,  847 
Kelley,  Dr.   P.  C,  704 
Kingsbury,  Raymond  D.,  645 
Klinge,  Joseph  J.,  628 
Knickrehm,   John.   655 
Knuth,   Henry,  763 
Knuth,    Henry   A.,   764 
Knuth,   Juerren,  829 
Krehmke,  William  F..  &>3 
Kroger,  Ernest  G.,  576 
Krueger.  Carl,  830 
Kruse,  Adolph,  800 
Kruse,  K.  Henry,  882 
Kunze,  Frank  O.,  659 


Lacey,  Nolan  P.,  951 
Langman,  Arthur  H.,  585 
Lassen,  Conrad,  835 
Leavenworth,  Edgar  S.,  917 
Leiser,  Abraham  W.,  804 
Lesher,  James  B.,  682 
Lest  hi  ii  sky,   Julius   P.  F.,  634 
Lilienthal,  Frederick,  831 
LilienthaL  Herman,  830 
Lindsay,  William,  876 
Locke,  Henry,  W-,  656 
Loescher,   Frederick   E.,   791 
Loescher,  Frederick  T.,  798 
Long,  Harry  H.,  683 
Longstreth,  James  W.,  873 
Lorentzen,    Henry   J-.   676 
Lorentzen,  Jacob  J.,  776 
Lowry,  Clarence  M.,  9S4 
Luebs,   Albert  E.,  800 
Luebs,  Henry  F.,  805 
Luebs,  Herman,  803 
Luebs.  Rudolph  H„  801 
Luth,   Charles,  826 
■Luth,  Fred,  832 
Luth,  Henry,  828 
Luth,   William,   830 
Lyhane,   Daniel,   906 
Lyle,  James  E„  600 
Lyons,   Harry  C.  663 
Lysinger,  Simon  N.,  753 

McAllister,  Charles  I..  657 
McAllister.  Robert  N.,  658 
McCollough,  Peter  F.,  931 
McCutcheon,    John   E.,  667 
McCutcheon,  Ruben  P.,  665 
McDowell,  William  H..  864 
McElroy,  Charles  T„  655 
McGowan,  John  C,  956 
MtGrath,  Dr.  B.  R.,  699 
McLellan,  Albert,  662 
McLclian,  Tohn,  640 
McLeUan,  William,  654 
McMulltn.  Richard  L.,  885 
McNamara,  John  L-,  887 

Mahaffey,  Iohn  W.,  894 
Mandeville,   Frederich   R.,  611 
Martin,   Henry  N..  860 
Martin,  William  E.',  878 
Mathiesen,  Frederick.  602 
Matthiesen.  Julius,  762 
Matthews,  Tohn  F.,  603 
Matthews,   Thomas    P.,   618 
Mattison,  Martin,  948 
Mattke,  Otto  L..  663 
Meeham,  Clinton  P.,  852 
Mecham,   Earl   A.,  841 
Meeham.  Flovd  T-.  932 
Menck,  A.  C.  621 
Menck,  Carl  H„  582 
Mettenbrmk,  Charles  H.,  793 
Meyer.   August,   643 
Michelman,  Rev,  Gustav  H-,  743 
Michetson,  James.  692 
Mieth,   August,    Sr.,   852 
Mieth,  August  L.,  858 
MWh,  Frederirk  R.  f»3 
Miller,  Frederick  J..  927 
Miller,  Ralph  B.,  870 
Minor.  David  L.,  948 
Mitchell,  Tames  A..  594 
Moeller,  Frederick.  794 
Moellcr,  Henrv,  863 


Moore,  Dr.  Lewis  S.,  734 
Moore,  Richard.  909 
Mullen,  William  C.,  856 

Nagelstock,  Arny  E.,  676 
Nelson,  Herman.  646 
Neubert,  John  C,  764 
Neuhalfen,  Jacob  C,  884 
Neumann,  Gus  E.,  569 
Newton,  Edwin  F.,  839 
Nielsen,  Nels  C,  903 
Niemoth,  Albert  J„  781 
Niemoth,  Frank  T.,  589 
Nietfeld,  William  D.,  679 

Odum,  Richard  A.,  740 
O'Kane,  Daniel,  944 
O'Kane,  David  D.,  930 
Oldfield,  Mary  A.,  718 
Olsen,  Frank  I.,  632 
Olthoff,  Henry,  888 
Omey,  Quintes  D.,  872 
Omdoff,  James  E,  869 
Orvis,  Henry  C,  905 

PainE,  Bayard  H.,  812 
Paine,  Ira  T.,  822 
Palmer,  Charles  J.,  657 
Palmer,  Hiram  J.,  586 
Paulk,   Eber,  842 
Paulsen,  John  H.,  638 
Pearson,  Emil  G-,  938 
Perry,  Charles  C,  680 
Peters,  Henry,  809 
Phelan,  Dr.  Leo,  671 
Pizer,  J.  B.,  660 
Potter,  Henry  W-,  592 
Preston,  Willam  E.,  717 
Prince,  Harold  A.,  814 
Prince,  Willard  A.,  811 


QUANDT,    JOI 


,  773 


,  735 


Rasmussen,  Jen;. 
Rasmussen.  Karl  A.,  901 
Rathbun,  John  W.,  887 
Rauert,  August,  802 
Rauert,  Charles,  803 
Rauert,  George  N-,  801 
Rauert,  James,  805 
Rauert.  John  C,  807 
Rauert,  Mattheus,  656 
Raven,  Grover   C,  897 
Ravens,  George  L-,  896 
Ray,  Robert  Bruce,  957 
Ray,  William  Wallace,  958 
Reed,  William  M-.  907 
Reese,  Henry,  587 
Reese,  Julius,  695 
Reher,  August,  766 
Reilly,  Dr.  John  V.,  698 
Rhoades,  Walter,  859 
Richard.  Charles  L.,  826 
Rickard,  George  F.,  826 
Rief,   Henry,  757 
Roby,  Arthur,  759 
Roby,  Gustav.  837 
Roby,  John  G.,  795 
Roche,  Timothy,  939 
Roeser,    Oscar,   634 
Rosenktftter,  Carl,  768 
Roth,  Fred,  588 
Rounds,  John  E„  929 


HISTORY  OF  HALL  COUNTY  NEBRASKA 


Rouse,  George  L.,  Jr.,  814 
Rousey,  Harvey  B.,  625 
Ruff,  John  A.,  781 
Kungc,    Hans    J.,    900 
Rusken,  John,  850 
Ruth,  Jesse  M.,  901 
Ryan,  William  V.,  936 

St.  Francis  Hospital,  812 
Sallinger,  Frank,  749 
Sampson,  William  H.,  702 
Sass,  John,  658 
Sass,  Detlef,  785 
Scheel,  Hans,  771 
Scheel,  Mrs.  Lena,  756 
Schimmer,  August,  796 
Schimmer,  John,  754 
Schimmer,  Martin,  767 
Schoel,  August,  838 
Schoel,  Fred,  833 
Schoel,  William,  831 
Shattuck,  Amos  H„  902 
Schroeder,  Henry,  806 
Schroeder,  Otto,  828 
Schroeder,  William,  825 
Schuff,  Henry,  617 
Schumacker,  Henry.  710 
Schumann,  Rev.  Herman,  744 
Schuster,  Arthur  A.,  677 
SherTel,  William,  694 
Shehein,  John  Franklin,  943 
Sherer,  Cecil  S..  936 
Sherrerd,  Samuel  A.,  920 
Shipton,  Robert  P.,  754 
Shoemaker,  Jacob,  804 
Shultz,  Peter,  766 
Siek,  Hans,  880 
Sievers,   Gustave,  601 
Stusser,  Frank  E,  604 
Smith,  Charles  W..  777 
Smith,  James  Wylev,  870 
Smith,  Oscar  A.,  795 
Soper,  Dr.  Joseph  M.,  707 
.Spangenberger,  William,  574 
Spence.  Dr.  Edith  S..  790 
Starkey,  Dr.  Harvey  L.,  932 


Sterne,  Adolph  W.,  642 
Stoeger,  Carl,  880 
Stoeger,  Henry,  874 
Stoeger,  William,  730 
Stoldt,  August,  780 
Stolle.  Henry  C.  J-,  776 
Stolle,  William  F.,  778 
Stollcv,  Claus,  703 
Stolley,  Emil,  703 
Stolley,  Frederick,  714 
Stolley,  William,  722 
Stoltenberg,  Ferdinand,  833 
Slough,  Dale  P.,  912 
Strasser,  Julius  C,  846 
Stratman,  Herman  L.,  680 
Sutherland,  Dr.  J.  Lue,  592 

Tacce,  John  M.,  850 
Taggart,  Otis,  862 
Taylor,  Robert,  684 
Taylor,  Robert  Bruce,  684 
Teviotdale,  Robert,  700 
Tharp,  Albert,  695 
Thomas,  G.  H.,  824 
Thompson,  John  R.,  638 
Thompson,  Lloyd  G.,  593 
Thompson,  William  A.,  718 
Thompson,  William  H.,  628 
Thomssen,  John,  838 
Tilley,  Adin  D.,  782 
Tilley,  George  A.,  777 
Tilley,  William  F.,  612 
Torpey,  John,  580 
Trent,  John   H.,  646 
Trumbull,  Albert  Dy  721 
Tully,  Charles  H.,  578 
Tuttle,  Earl  S„  590 
Tyler,  William  O.,  859 

Upperman,  Louis  E.,  659 

Valonis,  Gus„  698 
Varah,  James  R.,  860 
Veeder,  Elmer  E,  851 
Veit,   Louis,  590 


Vieregg,  Emil  H...  588 
Vieregg,  Henry,  587 
Voss,  Fred,  645 
Voss,  Henry  J.,  637 
Voss,  Max  Jacob,  637 

Waite,  William  B.,  720 
Walsh,  John  F.,  746 
Watson,  Dr.  E.  Arthur,  593 
Watson,  Hapley  M.,  666 
Watson,  Isaac  K.,  934 
Wells,  Oscar,  707 
Wengert,  Dr.  Henry  C,  596 
Westphal,   Henry,   850 
Whitehead,  Ervin,  716 
Wieck,  Franz,  804 
Wiese,  Fritz,  937 
Wiese,  Hans,  799 
Wiese,  Herman,  882 
Wiese,  John  E,  810 
Wiese,  Otto  F.,  807 
Wiese,  William,  829 
Wiles,  Francis  M-,  849 
Wilkens,  Herman,  703 
Willard,  Carl  V.,  709 
Williams,  Edward.  697 
Windolph.  John  H.,  753 
Wmdolph,  John  L,  755 
Windolph,  John  P.,  745 
Wingert,  George  W.,  709 
Wingert,  Jeremiah  A.,  736 
Wingert,  Milton  C,  922 
Wiseman,  Daniel  E  K,  800 
Wiseman,  Martin  L-,  801 
Wiseman,  Martin  L,  Jr.,  799 
Woelz,  Rev.  Conrad,  749 
Wolbach,  S.  N.,  815 
Woodruff,  Dr.  R.  C,  596 
Wrage,  William,  834 

Younkin,  Edward  F.,  662 
Young,  Henry  G.,  864 
Yund,  James  H.,   732 

Zuehlke,  Ludwic  A.,  647 


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JAN  16  1942 


I 


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