Full text of "Omaha: the Gate city, and Douglas County, Nebraska;"

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OMAHA: THE GATE CITY 

and 

DOUGLAS COUNTY 

NEBRASKA 

A Record of Settlement, Organization, Progress and 

Achievement 



i 



ILLUSTRATED 



VOLUME II 



Chicago .- 
THE S. J. CLARKE PUBLISHING COIVIPANY 

1917 



THE NEW YORK 

PUBLIC LIBRARY 

\ Ar^TC. LnNOX AND 

IiL-^SN fO'^NDATfON-- 
p n2S L 




ANDEEW J. POPPLETON 



BIOGRAPHICAL 



ANDREW J. POPPLETON. 

Andrew J. Poppleton, Omaha's second mayor and at one time speaker of 
the house of representatives in Nebraska, ranked for many years not only as a 
most distinguished lawyer of the state but as one of the eminent representatives 
of the profession in the country. He was born in Troy township, Oakland 
county, Michigan, July 24, 1830, a son of William and Zada (Crooks) Popple- 
ton, and represented a family that in each successive generation became identified 
with the pioneer development of the west. His great-grandfather, Samuel 
Poppleton, came to America with his wife, Rosanna Whalley Poppleton, from 
England about 1751. Samuel Poppleton, the grandfather, a soldier of the 
Revolutionary war, was married in 1776 to Caroline Osborne and had nine 
children, including William, who was born in Poultney, Vermont, in 1795 and who, 
actuated by the same pioneer spirit that brought his family to the new world, 
made his way to Richmond, Ontario county. New York, in 181 1, when it was 
still a frontier district. The lure of the west upon him, he went to Bellville, 
Richland county, Ohio, in 1822 and to Oakland county, Michigan, in 1825 at a 
period when the work of progress and development seemed scarcely begun there. 
He was accorded but limited educational opportunities in his youth, but he 
possessed much native ability and in the school of experience learned many 
valuable lessons, while reading and observation also added much to his knowl- 
edge. He filled various local offices in Michigan and was at one time a member 
of the state legislature. In 1814 he married Zada Crooks at Richmond, New 
York, and his death occurred in Michigan in May, 1869. 

Andrew J. Poppleton was reared upon a farm and attended the district 
schools of Michigan until 1844, when he entered an academy at Romeo, that 
state, and there prepared for college. In 1847 he became a pupil in the State 
University of Michigan, which he attended until the fall of 1850, when he with- 
drew and matriculated in Union College at Schenectady, New York, being there 
graduated in July, 1851. He afterward returned to Romeo, where he engaged in 
teaching Latin and Greek until April, 1852, when he entered the law office of 
C. I. and E. C. Walker of Detroit, under whose direction he studied until 
October 22, 1852, when he was admitted to the bar. He next became a student in 
a law school conducted by John W. Fowler at Ballston, New York. While there 
he had the advantage of instruction in elocution and oratory, which promoted his 
fluency of speech and added to his eloquence when he addressed court or jury. 
Returning to Detroit in April, 1853, he opened a law office and continued in 
practice there until October, 1854, when he decided to try his fortune in the 
west and on the 13th of that month reached Omaha. 

It was just about that time that government was being organized and estab- 

o 



6 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

lished in Nebraska. Mr. Poppleton had formed the acquaintance of Governor 
T, B. Cuming in Michigan and was frequently called upon by him for advice in 
his administration. He also tilled appointments through the formative period 
of territorial development and was very active and prominent in public atfairs. 
He served as a member of the iirst Nebraska legislature in 1857 ^"^^ was chosen 
speaker of the house, the fairness and impartiality of his rulings being recognized 
by all. In 1858 he became mayor of Omaha and on two occasions was the demo- 
cratic candidate for congress. He was always a stalwart advocate of democratic 
principles and did everything in his power to promote the growth and ensure the 
success of his party. From 1862 until 1878 he devoted his attention to his pro- 
fession and was regarded as one of the most eminent lawyers of the middle west, 
his ability qualifying him to cross swords in forensic combat with the ablest 
members of the. bar throughout the entire country. In 1863 he was retained by 
the Union Pacific Railroad Company, which he continued to represent in a legal 
capacity until 1888. All of their western business was under his charge and he 
conducted litigation for the railroad in the courts of Nebraska, Iowa, Missouri, 
Colorado, Nevada, Oregon, Wyoming, Montana, Utah and Idaho. He argued 
many cases in the United States supreme court and enjoyed the highest respect 
of the eminent jurists who sat upon that bench. It was largely through the efforts 
and instrumentality of Mr. Poppleton that the Union Pacilic established its 
headquarters in Omaha. In February, 1888, he was obliged to sever his con- 
nection with the railroad company on account of the condition of his health and 
for some time thereafter traveled in order to obtain needed rest and recreation. 
In 1890 he was called to the office of city attorney and in 1891 and 1892 he was 
engaged as leading counsel for the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Chicago, 
Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Companies in their litigation with the Union 
Pacific before the United States courts, the result of which was the breaking down 
of the Union Pacific bridge barriers, securing to the companies named the right 
to use the bridge and tracks of the Union Pacific to Omaha. His name figured 
in connection with much other notable litigation heard in various sections of the 
country from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and his ability was attested by the 
many favorable verdicts which he won in behalf of his clients. On the 12th of 
June, 1878, the University of Nebraska conferred upon him the degree of Doctor 
of Laws and in 1890 he was elected a trustee of his alma mater. Union College 
at Schenectady, New York. He also received the degree of Master of Arts from 
the University of Michigan. 

It was in 1855 that Mr. Poppleton was married to Miss Caroline L. Sears 
and they became the parents of four children, namely : Ellen Elizabeth, now Mrs. 
VVm. C. Shannon; Mary Zada; William Sears; and Mary Delia, now Mrs. Myron 
L. Learned. 

Mr. Poppleton was reared on a farm and in after years always greatly enjoyed 
the country. His favorite recreation was visiting Oakland Farm, a tract of Jand 
of twelve hundred acres which he owned near Elkhorn, Nebraska, and on which 
he engaged in breeding, raising and training standard bred trotting horses. 
Moreover, he enjoyed every phase of nature and particularly every feature con- 
cerning the development of a model farm property. About the ist of January, 
1892, Mr. Poppleton's eyes began to fail and in a few months he suffered a total 
loss of eyesight. Up to this time he remained a most active figure in the public 
life of city and state and he was frequently called upon to deliver addresses on 
various topics before the Nebraska State University, also in Indianapolis and in 
other places. He belonged to the Nebraska State Bar Association and he was one 
of the organizers and the first president of the Omaha Bar Association. He was 
likewise an organizer and the president of the Law Library Association and was 
one of the organizers and long a director of the Omaha public library. He like- 
wise aided in organizing and became the first president of the Omaha Board of 
Trade. He was a firm believer in the future of Omaha and he did everything in 
his power to promote and advance the interests of the city. His life was strong 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 7 

in purpose and in conduct. Nature endowed him with manifold talents and a 
high order of intelligence, which he used wisely and well, and he left the impress 
of his individuality for good upon the history of city and state. 



HENRY W. DUNN. 



Henry W. Dunn, who for a quarter of a century has been connected with the 
police force of Omaha and since 1912 has occupied the important position of 
chief of police, was born in Aurora, Illinois, August 16, 1862, and comes of Scotch 
ancestry, the line being traced back to William Dunn, a native of Scotland, who 
was drum major with a regiment of Highlanders under General Braddock in the 
French and Indian war. He was the great-grandfather of Henry W. Dunn, whose 
father, William Dunn, w^as born in South Acton, Massachusetts, in 181 6 and who 
married Elizabeth Pratt, a daughter of Sampson Pratt, who was born in Vermont 
and was a soldier of the War of 1812, dynig from the effects of wounds sustained 
in the battle of Lundy's Lane. The grandfather of Mrs. Elizabeth Dunn in the 
maternal line was Elijah Tryon, a nephew of Governor Tryon, the Tory governor 
of Connecticut. Following their marriage William and Elizabeth Dunn removed 
westward to Illinois in 1848, settling in Aurora, and after long residence there 
came to Omaha in 1886, here spending their remaining days. The father died in 
January, 1890, while the mother survived until 1907, passing away at the age of 
eighty-three years. Two of their sons serv^ed as soldiers of the Civil war. 

Henry W. Dunn continued a resident of his native city until he reached the 
age of sixteen years and during that period spent ten years as a public school 
pupil there. In 1878 he arrived in Omaha and entered the shops of the Union 
Pacific Railroad Company, in which he was employed for twelve years. On the 
expiration of that period he w^as given a position in the office of the city plumbing 
inspector, continuing there for a year, at the end of which time he was appointed 
a member of the police force and has since passed up through all grades from 
patrolman to his present position of chief of police, to which he was appointed 
on the ist of September, 1912. 

On the 28th of September, 1892, at Council Bluffs, Iowa, Air. Dunn was 
married to Miss Pauline Hampel, a daughter of John Hampel, a native of 
Germany. In Masonry he has taken the degrees of the York Rite and has also 
crossed the sands of the desert with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine. He is well 
known as a loyal member of the Commercial Club and as a representative of the 
Elks, the Eagles and the Stags. He has been characterized by one who knows 
him as "a big, frank, clean man, an officer who has the confidence and respect of 
all law-abiding citizens and the warm friendship of many." He is indeed an 
exceptional man in office, holding to the highest standards of official service and 
giving to the city through its police department a most adequate and thorough 
protection. 



WILLIAM CURTIS LAMBERT. 

William Curtis Lambert, corporation counsel of Omaha and since June, 191 1, 
connected with the municipality in its legal department, was born February 12, 
1865, in Nemaha county, Nebraska, in the little town of Hillsdale, which is now 
extinct. His paternal grandfather, Edward Lambert, a native of Virginia, was 
a large slave owner of that state. William Merritt Lambert, the father, was born 
in Franklin county, Virginia, in 1831 and during the greater part of his life devoted 
his attention to agricultural pursuits. In early manhood he wedded Malinda 
Long at Blue Springs, Nebraska, and for a considerable period they resided in 



8 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Xeinaha county, this state, where the father passed away in 1907 and where the 
mother still makes her home. 

After acquainling himself with preliminary branches of learning in the country 
schools of his native county William C Lambert entered the scientific depart- 
ment of the Western Normal College at Shenandoah, Iowa, from which he was 
graduated with the class of 1891. Determining upon the practice of law as a 
life work, he later matriculated in the State University at Lincoln, Nebraska, and 
was graduated with the class of 1894. He then opened an office in South Omaha 
and during his residence there served for three terms as city attorney and for 
one term as fire and police commissioner. In 1910 he took up his abode in Omaha, 
where he has since engaged in practice, and his high order of legal ability has 
been frequently drawn upon for the city's benefit. In June, 1911, he was appointed 
the first assistant city attorney of Omaha and in that office was the principal 
factor in charge of the gas rate case and the electric light franchise litigation in 
the United States circuit court of appeals and in the United States supreme court. 
In 191 5 he was appointed corporation counsel, which position he is now filling, 
and at the same time he continues in the private practice of law to some extent 
as senior partner in the firm of Lambert, Shotwell & Shotwell. He has always 
voted with the democratic party and when elected to office it has been as a 
representative of that political organization, but he never allows political con- 
nection to thwart the ends of justice or interfere in the slightest degree with the 
faithful performance of his official duties. 

On the 24th of December, 1903, Mr. Lambert was married in South Omaha 
to Miss Sue Condron, a daughter of David S. Condron, who was a soldier of the 
Civil war, enlisting from Iowa. Socially Mr. and Mrs. Lambert are prominent 
and they have an extensive circle of friends in Omaha. His entire life has been 
passed in Nebraska and the spirit of western enterprise finds expression in his 
professional career and in the discharge of his public duties as well. 



GEORGE A. JOSLYN. 



On the 4th of October, 1916, George A. Joslyn passed away and Omaha at 
that time lost one of her foremost citizens. He stood at the head of one' of the 
largest corporate interests of the Mississippi valley as president of the Western 
Newspaper Union. Within ten years he rose from a comparatively humble 
position, as an employe of the company, to the presidency and from 1896 until 
his demise was the guiding spirit in controlling the interests of this mammoth 
concern. It was not only as a most successful business man, however, that Mr. 
Joslyn was well known. He was most charitable and was continually extending 
a helping hand where aid was needed. He was born in Lowell. Massachusetts, 
in 1848, a son of Alfred and Esther Ann (Rice) Joslyn, the former of whom 
passed away in 1912, having for two decades survived his wife, who died in 1892. 
The family was of English origin and the name was originally spelled Joslin when 
the first settlers took up their abode in Massachusetts, whence a removal was 
afterward made to Waitsfield, \^ermont. 

George A. Joslyn was reared in Vermont and attended the public schools there 
l)ut had no advantage of collegiate training. Attracted by the opportunities of 
the west, he made his way to Des Moines, Iowa, where he found a ready print 
concern known as the Iowa Printing Company. He sought a position with that 
house and was employed at unloading paper from freight cars at a dollar and a 
quarter per day. In that way he first became interested in the auxiliary service. 
On reaching Des Moines he stated that his worldly possessions consisted of nine 
dollars in money, while the wardrobe of himself and wife was adequate but 
limited. Soon after securing work with the Iowa Printing Company he was 
advanced to a position on the office books, and the recognition of his keen business 




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OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 11 

judgment won him further promotion to the position of manager of the business 
at Omaha, where he took up his residence late in 1880. 

Here he accepted a position with the Western Newspaper Union at a salary 
of seventy-five dollars per month. Manifesting marked ability in performing the 
duties entrusted to him, he rose rapidly in this connection and in ten years had 
become president of the Western Newspaper Union. x\t the time of his death 
he was at the head of thirty-one houses in the United States, in addition to the 
parent house at Omaha, they being at Atlanta, Baltimore, Birmingham, Boston, 
Charlotte, North Carolina, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Des 
Moines, Detroit, Fargo, Fort Wayne, Houston, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Lincoln, 
Little Rock, Memphis, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Oklahoma City, Pittsburgh, 
St. Louis, Salt Lake City, ♦Sioux City, Sioux Falls and Wichita. A number of 
these plants were acquired by purchase and some by initial establishment. 
Through these auxiliary service houses over twenty million people are reached 
each week, the publicity channel being the most extensive ever known. In the 
early years of his residence in Omaha, in order to secure money with which to 
operate his news service business — for his funds were then limited — he conducted 
the old St. Charles Hotel and also the old Metropolitan Hotel. He often met 
customers in the evening, selling them supplies and taking their orders for his 
ready print service. During the day he was always at his office, acting as 
manager and bookkeeper and working indefatigably in the upbuilding of the 
business. He also figured prominently in financial circles of Omaha as a 
director of the Merchants National Bank and as the president of the Western 
Paper Company, the latter an auxiliary organization of the Western Newspaper 
Union. "•~^:-' — .-_._ 

Something of the marv-feloi^^'i^veiiapiiefilrof-'^he Western Newspaper Union 
is indicated in the fact that it5^flr.?|ias. receritfy been erected in Omaha, to house 
this enterprise, a splendid new buirding "iQcat^dt/at Fifteenth and Jones streets. 
The structure is sixty-six by one hundred and ;thirty-two feet, five stories and 
basement. It is fireproof tho^ughout and was; built at a cost of one hundred 
thousand dollars. In it arei-tirer,ex^aJ»vja5,offic^ of the company, local office of 
the Western Newspaper Ufiio-n; -wIiiBi mekwles "all departments that are required 
in issuing the newspaper service, and afso' the headquarters of the Western Paper 
Company. The last named has eight branch offices, situated in Des Moines, 
Lincoln, Wichita, Oklahoma City, Little Rock/ Fort Wayne, Sioux City and Salt 
Lake City. The Western Paper Company occupies four floors of the new build- 
ing and its shipments are most extensive. The business is most thoroughly 
systematized. Each of the branch houses makes direct reports and remittances 
to the home office in Omaha and from this point knowledge of every detail of 
the business in any city may be obtained. Through its auxiliary service the 
newspaper union reaches approximately twenty-one million readers throughout 
the country with general, state and national information and also supplies" patrons 
in Alaska, the Philippines and Hawaii. Associated with Mr. Joslyn were John 
F. Cramer, vice president of the company; H. H. Fish, secretary; and C. L. 
Farnsworth, treasurer, all men of marked business ability and executive force. 

Mr. Joslyn was preeminently a business man, concentrating his efforts and 
attention upon the further development and upbuilding of the great corporation 
which largely stands as a monument to his keen insight and indefatigable energy 
in business affairs. He readily discriminated between the essential and the non- 
essential in the management of the newspaper union and had the ability to coordi- 
nate and relate seemingly diverse elements into a unified business whole. Mr. 
Joslyn was often solicited to remove his headquarters to Chicago but always 
refused on strictly sentimental grounds — that he started in Omaha and proposed 
to stick by Omaha to the last. Not long before his death he was asked to state 
some of the axioms to which he attributed his success, which he did as follows : 
"Work for and consider your customer's interests first ; allow no competitor 
to better serve patrons than you serve them ; if there be a legitimate doubt, give 



12 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

your customer the benefit of that doubt ; never run up a white flag ; when financial 
disturbances darken the sky, reef your sails; watch little things, for many little 
things make big things ; whenever possible, make a friend of an enemy." 

On the 24tli of September, iS/i^ in Montpelier, Vermont, Mr. Joslyn was 
united in marriage to Miss Sarah L. Selleck. Mr. Joslyn attended the Christian 
Science church and held membership in the Omaha Country Club, the Omaha 
Club and the Commercial Club. He gave his political allegiance to the republican 
party but took no active part in politics aside from exercising his right of 
franchise. He was most generous in his contributions to various charitable and 
benevolent organizations and enterprises, and one of his gifts, recently made 
before his death, was that of twenty-five thousand dollars to the Omaha Univer- 
sity. Some years before he had erected a fine library at his old home in Vermont 
as a memorial to his parents and grandfather. His home was one of the finest 
mansions in the west, erected at a cost of over a half million dollars. At his 
demise he left one of the largest estates ever held by an Omaha resident and in his 
will he distributed among nieces, nephews, brothers, sisters and charitable insti- 
tutions nearly one million dollars. He was largely known to the public as a 
most forceful and resourceful business man, yet there were many other phases to 
his character well known to his associates and friends. He was sympathetic 
and kindly and he loved those things which have cultural value in life. Speak- 
ing of his personal characteristics. Rector Mackay of All §aints church said of 
him : "We loved to see him as he moved among us, always willing to do his 
share to make our evenings pleasant, the cares of business put aside, and many 
a time have I watched him hovering over his beloved organ and wondered that 
such a busy man could have such a side to his nature. The love 'of music with 
him was not a fad, it was a passion and it had developed in him a spirit of unself- 
ishness that would not allow him to enjoy his pleasures alone and so he threw 
open his beautiful home to his friends and every year to the public." While one 
of the most masterful of men in his ability to upbuild a great business institution 
and control its varied complex interests and the men who served him in that 
connection, he was at the same time democratic in spirit and there was no man 
who rejoiced more thoroughly in the advancement of his fellows along the lines 
of legitimate success. 



JAMES JAY BROWN. 

From the time when as a pioneer merchant James Jay Brown began making 
sales to the Indian traders and those who were outfitting for the Pacific coast on 
down through all the period of later development to the time of his death he 
remained a prominent figure in the business circles of Omaha, contribiitirig much 
to the development of the city as the promoter of many of its leading business 
interests and public utilities. He was born in Stephentown, New York, January 
12, 1832, a son of Randall A. and Margaret (Sweet) Brown. When a youth of 
eighteen years he assumed the management of his father's store at Stephentown 
and continued the business there for three years, when he sold out. It was in 
April, 1856, that he arrived in Omaha and for many years thereafter was ( losely 
associated with its mercantile interests. His first place of business was at Four- 
teenth and Douglas streets and he built his second store on Douglas street. It 
became a supply point for Indian traders and those proposing to cross the plains 
before the days of railroad travel. With the development and settlement of the 
district his business naturally changed somewhat in character but there was no 
phase of the life of the pioneer merchant with which he was not familiar. In 
connection with his brother, Randall A. Brown, and John A. Creif^liton he made 
several trips across the plains to Denver with ox teams, carrying load of mer- 
chandise. After continuing in business for five years he became the head of the 




JAMES J. BROWX 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 15 

firm of J. J. Brown & Brother in the conduct of a wholesale dry goods and grocery 
business, but after four years the grocery department was closed out and their 
efforts concentrated alone upon their growing dry goods trade. This was one of the 
first of the important commercial enterprises of the city and was a monument to 
the ability and progressive spirit of the founder. 

In 1884 he disposed of his dry goods business and retired from business for a 
short time, but indolence and idleness were utterly foreign to his nature and he 
could not content himself without some business connections. In August, 1885, 
therefore, he organized the Omaha Loan & Trust Company, of which he became 
the vice president, and from that time forward he was recognized as one of 
Omaha's leading capitalists, his efforts contributing in most substantial measure to 
the upbuilding and development of the city. In 1889 he erected the J. J. Brown 
block, a modern store and office building, at the corner of Sixteenth and Douglas 
streets. From time to time he extended the scope of his interests, activities and 
investments and became thus more and more largely associated with the business 
development of Omaha. In 1893 he became interested in the National Bank of 
Ashland, Nebraska, and was its president from that date to the time of his death. 
For many years he maintained his offices in the Omaha Savings Bank and for 
twenty-one years he was a director of the Omaha National Bank. He also became 
one of the organizers of the South Omaha National Bank and was one of its 
directors. 

Realizing the city's need along another line, he became one of the original five 
men who built the first motor railway in the city and remained an active factor 
in its management and operation until it was consolidated with the Omaha Street 
Railway Company, of which he became a director and a member of the executive 
committee. For many years he was a director and the vice president of the 
Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway & Bridge Company and then his pubHc 
spirit again found expression in his untiring efforts to promote the Trans-Missis- 
sippi International Exposition, which was held in 1898. He was one of the 
organizers of the company and in fact the first meeting in which the plan was 
discussed was held at his home. He became one of the directors of the corporation 
and labored most effectively and untiringly to make the exposition what it was — 
an artistic gem as well as a financial success. In i88o- he was one of the ten men 
who purchased and equipped the fair grounds in the northern part of Omaha, 
where the state fairs were held and where the Omaha Fair & Exposition Associa- 
tion, of which he was an officer, gave yearly exhibitions. In 1882-83 he was 
treasurer of the Douglas County Agricultural Association and he became one of 
the organizers and the president of the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association, occupy- 
ing that office for a number of year.s. 

On the 1st of March, 1865, in Florence, Nebraska, Mr. Brown was married to 
Miss Missouri Kennedy, a daughter of Captain George F. and Margaret (Wood- 
ney) Kennedy. Tlie father came from Coatesville, Pennsylvania, and was of 
Quaker parentage. He arrived in Nebraska in 1856 and removed with his family 
to Florence in 1857. For many years he remained a prominent and influential 
resident of that district. He was retired from active business but made extensive 
investments in property and real estate. There he passed away in 1869, while 
his wife died in March, 1901, having survived him for almost a third of a century. 
In the family of Mr. and Mrs. Brown were six children, of whom three are yet 
living: Clara M., the wife of Henry F. Wyman ; Randall K. ; and Jennie D. 
Three sons, James J., Lewis and Charles H., have departed this life. 

The husband and father was called to his final rest February 9, 1901, while in 
the seventieth year of his age. His early political allegiance was given to the 
democratic party from the time that age conferred upon him the right of franchise, 
but in 1856 he became an ally of the newly organized republican party, which in 
that year placed its first presidential candidate in the field. He voted for Freniont 
and was thereafter a stanch advocate of republican principles until called to his 
final rest. He had many sterling traits of character, not the least of which \\a.s 



16 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

his loyalty in all matters of citizenship, and his contributions to the upbuilding 
and development of Omaha were most valuable. He early had the prescience to 
discern something of what the future had in store for this great and growing 
western country, and acting in accordance with the dictates of his judgment, he 
garnered in the fullness of time the harvest of his labors and of his wisdom. He 
was always watchful of opportunities pointing to success and his labors were in 
large measure of a character that contributed not only to personal prosperity but 
also the public welfare. 



LEWIS CLARK SHOLES. 

Lewis Clark Sholes, a lifelong resident of Omaha, bearing a name which 
through four decades has been a synonym for business integrity as well as 
enterprise in the city, was here born November 25, 1878, a son of De Ver Sholes, 
the founder and promoter of an extensive real estate business which since 
the father's death has been taken over by the son. A record of the father, long 
a prominent and honored business man of Omaha, is given elsewhere in this 
work. Lewis C. Sholes, entering the public schools at the usual age, passed 
through consecutive grades and eventually became a student in the high school 
at Colorado Springs, Colorado, from which he was graduated with the class 
of 1897. In June of the following year he entered business circles as the asso- 
ciate of his father and since the death of the father has continued the business 
under the style of the De Ver Sholes Company, real estate and general insurance. 
His clientage is extensive and his negotiations have resulted in notable realty 
transfers. 

On the 26th of December. 1901, in Omaha, Mr. Sholes was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Margaret Linn, a daughter of David Linn. They have three 
children, Margaret Lou, Dorothy Linn and De Ver. Mr. Sholes' military record 
covers service as a private with the Colorado Springs Militia for one year and 
six years with the Omaha Guards, of which he was orderly sergeant. He votes 
with the republican party and keeps well informed on the questions and issues 
of the day. He belongs to the Commercial Club and his interest in the moral 
progress of the community is shown in his membership in the Methodist Epis- 
copal church. Throughout his life he has held to high and honorable principles 
that have governed him in every relation. He is a director of the Young Men's 
Christian Association and superintendent of the Methodist Episcopal Sunday 
school at Hanscom Park, Omaha. 



THOMAS J. O'CONNOR. 

Thomas J. O'Connor, prominent in democratic circles in Omaha, having for 
a number of years been an active worker in party ranks, is now filling the position 
of city clerk, to which he was appointed on the 15th of August, 1915. He is a 
native son of the city, born April 27. 1884. The surname indicates the Irish 
lineage, the grandfather being a native of Ireland, whence he emmigrated to 
Canada, where his remaining days were passed. His son, Patrick O'Connor, was 
born in Quebec, Canada, in 1856, and in 1876 became a resident of Omaha, where 
subsequently he wedded Mary E. Knight. They still make their home in Omaha 
and while spending his youthful days under the parental roof their son Thomas 
attended the public schools and Creighton University, leaving the latter institution 
when a youth of fifteen years. He then went to work for Armour & Company 
in the position of messenger, remaining with that corporation for six years, 
having in the meantime become rate clerk in the traffic department. Later he 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 17 

entered the freig-ht department of the Missouri Pacific Raih'oad Company, with 
which he was associated for four years, and was then called to public office in 1909 
by appointment to the position of deputy state oil inspector, in which capacity 
he served for two years. At the end of that period he returned to the Missouri 
Pacific and again spent two years in the freight department, but in 1912 was 
appointed clerk of the police court, which position he occupied for three and a 
half years, or until the 15th of August, 191 5, when he received appointment to 
the office of city clerk. Pie has long been an earnest and active worker in 
democratic circles and has served as secretary of the democratic central com- 
mittee of Douglas county. 

On the 7th of October, 1913, in Omaha, Mr. O'Connor was united in marriage 
to Miss Kathryn Nora, a daughter of James Grace, of this city. Their religious 
faith is that of the Catholic church and Mr. O'Connor holds membership with the 
Knights of Columbus, the Woodmen of the World and the Ancient Order of 
United Workmen. He is the secretary of the Dahlman Democracy Club. He 
has a wide acquaintance in Omaha, where his entire life has been passed, and 
many of those who have been witnesses of his entire career are numbered among 
his stanchest friends, a fact which indicates a well spent life. 



RALPH W. BRECKEN RIDGE. 

Ralph W. Breckenridge, whose distinguished position in legal circles is 
indicated in the fact that he was honored with the presidency of the Nebraska 
State Bar Association and was also a prominent member of the American Bar 
Association, was born in Carlisle, Ohio, on the 14th of March, i860, and was a 
son of Charles Foote Breckenridge, a well known lawyer, and of Dr. Mary J. 
Breckenridge, his wife, who for a quarter of a century successfully practiced 
medicine in Omaha. The family lived for a time in Iowa before removing to 
Omaha, \yhere for some time the firm of Breckenridge & Breckenridge occupied 
a commanding position at the bar of eastern Nebraska. The father passed away 
on the 9th of October, 191 1. 

Ralph W. Breckenridge was but a young lad at the time of the removal of the 
family to Cresco. Iowa, where he pursued a public school education and later took 
up the study of law under the direction of his father, being admitted to the bar 
there in 1881. The following year he removed to Omaha, where he entered upon 
practice in connection with Charles J. Greene, and with the exception of but a 
brief interval that association was continued until the death of Mr. Breckenridge. 
In the meantime, however, others had been admitted to the firm, which became 
Greene. Breckenridge, Gurley & Woodrufl:'. In his practice Mr. Breckenridge 
made a specialty of insurance law and there were indeed few who were better 
versed in that department of jurisprudence, his opinions coming to be regarded 
as authority upon that subject. In 1905 he was chosen to the presidency of the 
Nebraska State Bar Association and he likewise became a leading member of the 
American Bar Association, which made him chairman of the insurance com- 
mittee at the time the great insurance companies of the country were undergoing 
authoritative inquiry and investigation. Subsequently he became a member of 
the executive committee of the American Bar Association. He wrote many 
articles and delivered many lectures on the subject of insurance law and both his 
spoken and written word elicited wide attention and awakened keen interest. 

On the 19th of September, 1888. Mr. Breckenridge was united in marriage in 
Burlington. V'ermont. to Miss Harriet A. Allen, a native of that state, and they 
became the parents of three children : Almyra Morton, now the wife of Alfred 
^V. Gordon, by wbom she has a daughter. Katherine Breckenridge; Warren 
Allen, who graduated from Amherst College in 191 5. and is a member of the 



18 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

class of 1917 at the Harvard Law School; and Katherine, who died at the age of 
eight years. 

Mr. Breckenridge gave his political support to the republican party, while his 
religious faith was that of the ^Methodist Episcopal church. He was an exemplary 
member of the ALisonic fraternity, afifiliated with the Knights Templar Com- 
mandery, and a prominent representative of various other societies and organ- 
izations. He belonged to the Connecticut Society of Mayflower Descendants 
and at one time was president of the Nebraska Society of Sons of the American 
Revolution. He became a charter member of the Omaha Club and a member of 
the Field Club, the Happy Hollow Club and the Dome Lake Club. His social 
qualities were greatly appreciated by all who came into contact with him and none 
met him but speedily recognized him at his true worth. Nature endowed him 
with keen mentality and he used his powers not only for the attainment of pro- 
fessional success but for the benefit of his fellowmen in support of many plans 
and measures having a direct bearing upon the betterment of the individual 
and the community. He passed away August 8, 19 13, at the comparatively early 
age of fifty-three years and deep regret was felt at his passing by his colleagues 
and contemporaries in the profession and by all with whom he had been associated 
in other relations of life. He had many sterling traits of character wdiich were 
manifest in his association with his friends, but his best traits were reserved for 
his own fireside. 



GURDON WALLACE WATTLES. 

Said a trenchant modern w-riter: '"Opportunity is universal, not local. Suc- 
cess is not dependent upon the map or the time-table." It is the recognition of 
this fact that has brought Gurdon Wallace Wattles to the place of leadership 
which he occupies in the business and financial circles of Omaha and his career 
furthermore illustrates the principle that activity does not tire — it hardens — 
gives resisting power, and the exercise of efitort is keeping him alert. Anyone 
meeting him face to face would know at once that he is an individual embodying 
all the elements of what in this countiy we term a "square" man — one in whom 
to have confidence, a dependable man in any relation and any emergency. The 
story of his life is the record of untiring endeavor and today there is scarcely 
a resident of Omaha who has equal influence in controlling the mammoth 
business interests which constitute the basis of the city's present development 
and prosperity. He is perhaps best known as banker and street car magnate, 
yet he has been equally prominent in managing various interests of a semi- 
public character which have largely been an element in public progress and 
improvement. 

Mr. Wattles w^as born on a farm in Tioga county, New York, May 12, 1855, 
and traces his ancestral line back to 1652, when John McW^attles came from the 
highlands of Scotland and settled at Norwich Landing, Connecticut. Some time 
afterward the Mc was dropped from the name. Nathaniel Wattles, the great- 
grandfather of Gurdon Vv. Wattles, was born at Lebanon. New London county, 
Connecticut, in 1749, and his second son w^as Jehiel Wattles, who was born in 
Northampton, ^Massachusetts, in 1776 but for many years lived at Virgil, Cort- 
land county. New York. It was his son, James Wattles, who, born in Virgil in 
1820, wedded Betsy Ann Whiting, who was also of Scotch descent. Her father, 
John Whiting, was born in Connecticut, was graduated from Harvard College 
and devoted his life to the practice of medicine. In 1821 he removed to New 
York, where he met an accidental death in 1845. -^^ the time of the Civil war 
James Wattles became a lieutenant of Company B, One LIundred and Ninth 
New York A^olunteer Infantr}', and was wounded in the service. In 1865 he 
removed to Illinois and the following year went to Carroll county, Iowa, v.diere 





GURDON W. WATTLES 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 21 

he settled upon a farm. Subsequently he took up his abode in the city of Carroll 
and there passed away in June. 1907, having for more than a decade survived 
his wife, who died in Carroll in 1896. 

In the common schools of New York Gurdon W. Wattles began his educa- 
tion, which he continued in the district schools of Carroll county, Iowa, in the 
high school at Glidden, Iowa, and in the Iowa State College at Ames, which he 
entered in 1876, but was obliged to leave there during his junior year on account 
of ill health. In June, 1906, that institution conferred upon him the honorary 
degree of blaster of Philosophy. 

When eighteen years of age Mr. Wattles began teaching in the common 
schools of Carroll county, following that profession for two years before taking 
up his college course. In 1878 he was elected county superintendent of schools 
in Carroll county and thus served for two years, during which period he devoted 
his leisure hours to the study of law, and in 1S81 was admitted to the bar. He 
located for practice at Carroll, where he followed his profession for a year, but 
in 1882 entered the field of banking by organizing the Farmers Bank of Carroll, 
of which he was chosen cashier. Five years later die bank was reorganized 
under the name of the First National Bank of Carroll, and of that institution 
Mr. Wattles was the president for several years. His career may very properlv 
be divided into three parts : first, his career in connection with banking institu- 
tions; second, his association with other than banking corporations; and third, 
his public service in connection with the semi-public enterprises which he has 
promoted. 

Continuing the record of the first division, it will be noted that his indentifica- 
tion with Omaha and her interests dates from 1892. when he removed to this 
city and became vice president of the Union National Bank, while later he was 
advanced to the presidency and so remained until the United States National 
Bank of Omaha, the Union National Bank and the Commercial National Bank 
were consolidated in the year 1905 under the name of the United States National 
Bank, of which he became first vice president. He continued to occupy that 
position until January, 1916. when he was rnade chairman of the board of 
directors, which position he now fills. As a banker he began with a private 
bank, capitalized at twenty thousand dollars, in 1882 ; he now holds the highest 
office in the United States National Bank of Omaha, one of the two largest 
financial concerns in the state of Nebraska, with a capital and surplus of about 
two million dollars and deposits of eighteen million dollars. 

Turning to the second important division of his life record, it is seen that 
in the year 1885 he organized the Rochester Loan & Banking Company of 
Rochester, New Hampshire, and became western manager, which position he has 
since held. This has grown to be one of the largest financial institutions of 
New England and has purchased millions of western securities, its interests 
having ever been controlled by Mr. Wattles, whose keen sagacity and marked 
discrimination have been the salient features in the notable success attained. 
One of the elements of his power and prosperity as a business man is the fact 
that he has ever seemed to realize the full value of any business situation or 
opportunity and, moreover, he possesses the ability to coordinate seemingly diverse 
interests into a unified and harmonious whole. Taking an interest in the ques- 
tion of urban transportation, he made investment in the Omaha Street Railway 
Company, of which he was elected a director in 1902, and in 1905 he was 
chosen vice president of the Omaha & Council Bluffs Street Railway Company, 
in which connection he continued until 1908. when he was elected to the presi- 
dency of that corporation. A review of his career aside from his banking 
interests indicates that as a business man he commenced with a capital of a 
few dollars earned in teaching school and is now interested in many of the 
large and profitable enterprises of the city and state. Aside from his connection 
with urban and interurban transportation he is a director in the Chicago Great 
Western Railroad Company and is financially interested in many other mam- 



22 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

moth business enterprises which have i)rorited by his sound and discriminating^ 
judi^nnent. 

Into variou.> lields where his etVorts have constituted a source of pubbc 
progress and improvement as well as of individual success he has extended his 
activities. He became one of the organizers of the Omaha Grain Exchange in 
1904 and served as its president until 1910. Its meml)ership was drawn from 
among the business men and grain men of the city. Against great opposition 
the Exchange was built up and has proven to be of great value to Omaha and 
the state. The original five hundred dollar memberships are now valued at 
five thousand dollars. He was one of the organizers and president of the Trans- 
Alississippi and International Exposition, held in Omaha in 1898, which was in 
many ways the most successful exposition ever held in America. Artistically 
it was a gem and it was also a great financial success, having paid back to its 
stockholders ninety-two and a half per cent on their investment. In 1909 and 
1910 Mr. Wattles occupied the presidency of the National Corn Exposition and 
he was president of the Nebraska state commission to the Louisiana Purchase 
Exposition in St. Louis in the year 1904. An appropriation of thirty-five thou- 
sand dollars was made by the state and an equal amount was secured by private 
subscriptions. A very unique and attractive exhibit was made of the resources 
of the state, motion pictures being used to illustrate the business and the prin- 
cipal resources, and at the close of the exposition fifteen thousand dollars was 
returned to the state treasurer out of the appropriation of thirty-five thousand 
dollars. Mr. Wattles was the organizer and president of the Douglas Hotel 
Company, which was capitalized for one million dollars and erected the Hotel 
Fontenelle of Omaha at a total cost of more than one million dollars. This 
hotel has proven of great benefit to the city and promises to be a safe and profit- 
able investment to its stockholders. In fact every public enterprise with which 
Mr. Wattles has been associated has proven successful and no question has 
ever been raised concerning the disbursement of the large funds which have 
been placed in his hands b} the public. His business honor and integrity stand 
as an unquestioned fact in his business career and the value of his service is 
acknowledged by all who know aught of the history of the city. 

On the 20th of OctolDer, 1882. at Clarksville, Iowa, Mr. Wattles was united 
in marriage to Miss Jennie Leete, a daughter of Allen N. Leete. She was 
descended from Governor William Leete, colonial governor of Connecticut, 
and held membership wnth the Colonial Dames of America and after her removal 
to Omaha she became very prominent in the social life of the city. Going to 
Cliicago in May, 191G, to meet her husband, who w-as returning from a trip to 
New York, she visited the Presbyterian Hospital for a diagnosis, for she had 
for some time been in ill health, and at the hospital she passed away on the 25th 
of May, 1916. The only child born to Mr. and Mrs. W^attles was a son, Fred- 
erick Leete, who was born May 23, 1884, and passed away November 23, 1887. 
Their two adopted daughters are : Margaret Elizabeth, born January 2, 1902 ; 
and Mary Louise, born March 4, 1904. 

In his political views Mr. Wattles has always been a republican since casting 
his first presidential ballot and has been an active worker in party ranks, serv- 
ing for many years as president of the Nebraska Republican State League, while 
in 1904 he w^as a delegate to the republican national convention. He is a vestrv- 
nian of All Saints' Episcopal church of Omaha and fraternally he is connected 
with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In club circles throughout the 
country he is widely known, belonging to the Omaha, Omaha Country, L^ni- 
versity. Commercial, Palimpsest, Happy Hollow and Ad Clubs of Omaha, the 
Los Angeles Country Club and the Ijankers Club of New York. The breadth 
of his. interests is further indicated by his membership in the Nebraska State 
Historical Society and the Mississippi A'alley Historical Association. In a review 
of his life one must come to the conclusion that progress is a cumulative process 
and ti'iat where there is no advancement there has been no effort. Every day 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 23 

has marked off a full faithed attempt to know more and to do more and even 
in his business affairs he has united the intensely practical with a high ideality. 
Elbert Hubbard has said : "The man who is worthy to become a leader of men 
will not complain of the stupidity of his helpers, the ingratitude of mankind, 
the inappreciation of the public. These things are a part of the great game of 
life. I'o meet them and not go down before them in discouragement and defeat 
is the final proof of power." Throughout his entire career Mr. Wattles has kept 
his attention fixed on his purpose, never allowing incidental or accidental cir- 
cumstances to divert him, and thus he has attained successful accomplishment. 



FELIX JEROME McSHANE, JR. 

Felix Jerome McShane, Jr., sheriff' of Douglas county, is a native son of 
Omaha, born July lo, 1882. His father, Felix J. McShane, Sr., was born in 
Perry county, Ohio, in 1852 and was a young man of twenty years when in 1872 
he arrived in Omaha, where he married Agnes O'Connor. He has now retired 
from business but both he and his wife are still residents of Omaha. At one time 
he was a member of the city school board. 

Felix J. AlcShane, Jr., attended the Omaha city schools and also Creighton 
College, followed by study in the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. At the 
age of twenty years he entered the employ of an iron company in Omaha, with 
which he remained for a year, and then became the active assistant of his father, 
who was a railroad contractor and with whom he remained until 1908. He after- 
ward spent two years with a lumber company in Omaha and in 1910 he entered 
the automobile supply business on his own account. In September, 191 5, he dis- 
continued the supply department but is still agent for the Mercer and Hupmobile 
cars, in which connection he has built up a business of substantial proportions, 
conducted under the name of the McShane Motor Company, of which he is the 
president. However, at the present time his attention is given to the duties of 
his offfce, for in 191 1 he was elected sheriff of Douglas county and in 1914 was re- 
elected, so that when his present term expires in January, 1917, he will have 
filled the position for six years. His political allegiance has always been given 
to the democratic party. 

At Crown Point, Indiana, Mr. McShane was married to Miss Irma L. Con- 
len, and they have two children, Charles Jerome and Irma Marie. The religious 
faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. McShane is a member 
of the Phi Delta Theta, a college fraternity, and also of the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks, the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the Woodmen of the World. 
He likewise belongs to the Commercial Club and gives active aid to its well defined 
measures for the public good. His name is on the membership roll of the Omaha 
Field Club and he has many friends both within and without that organization. 



GEORGE C. TOWLE. 



The year 1873 witnessed the arrival of George C. Towle in Omaha and to 
the time of his death he was identified with the fuel trade. Under his careful 
guidance his business interests assumed extensive proportions and his trade 
relations covered a wide territory. He removed to Nebraska from Iowa and 
had previously lived in New York, his birth having occurred in Rockford, Illi- 
nois, in 1 84 1. On taking up his abode in the middle west he settled first in 
Ottumwa, Iowa, where for a short time he was engaged in the insurance business. 
Seeking another field of labor, he arrived in Omaha in 1873 ^"^ from the time 
of his arrival here was engaged in the coal trade. For a brief period he was iden- 



24 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

tified with the National Coal & IMining Company, which he organized, but which 
met with financial disaster, and later he became a member of the hrm of Pratt & 
Tovvle, which association was maintained until Air. Pratt sold out and removed 
elsewhere. They conducted the business along both wholesale and retail lines. 
Plis next association was with George Patterson in the organization of the 
Nebraska Fuel Company, which is today the oldest fuel company of the city, 
having been founded in 1882. Mr. Towle was chosen president and so continued 
until his death. lie and Air. Pratt built up a business of large and gratifying 
pro])ortions and he remained active therein until three and a half years prior 
to his demise, when failing health obliged him to leave the management of his 
interests to others, althougli he continued as ])resident of the company until his 
life's labors were ended. He was thoroughly reliable in all of his business 
transactions and was never known to take advantage of a fellowman. The com- 
pany furnished fuel to all the large concerns of the city and shipped coke exten- 
sively to Leadville for a number of years, maintaining at the time a branch office 
and yards in Denver. 

In Ottumwa, in 1870, Air. Towle was married to Aliss Eliza A. Blake, who 
was born in Bangor, Alaine, and they became the parents of two children, Rossiter 
B., president of the O'Brien Candy Company of Omaha, and Bessie B. The fam- 
ily residence was for thirty years maintained at Twenty-fourth and Douglas 
streets and Airs. Towle still owns that property. 

It was on the 13th of December, 1905, that Air. Towle passed away, when 
sixty-four years of age. His life measured up to high standards. He was an 
exemplary representative of the Masonic fraternity and was equally loyal as a 
member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. In politics he was a repub- 
lican, but the honors and emoluments of office had no attraction for him. Pie lived 
in Omaha for a third of a century and those with whom he had business or social 
relations came to appreciate his true worth, recognizing in him a man of many 
sterling traits of character. Not only was he enterprising and successful in 
business, but was progressive and public-spirited in citizenship and was ever loyal 
to the ties of family and friends. 



JUDGE GEORGE BAKER LAKE. 

An enumeration of the men of Nebraska who have won honor and public 
recognition for themselves and at the same time honored the state to which they 
belong would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to the 
late Judge George Baker Lake. He held distinctive precedence as an eminent 
lawyer and jurist and as a statesman of ability and in every connection he bore 
himself with such signal dignity as to gain the respect of all. He has been 
regarded as one of the ablest men who have sat upon the bench of the court of 
last resort in Nebraska and at all times he was recognized as a man of well 
rounded character, finely balanced mind and splendid intellectual attainments. 

Judge George Baker Lake was born September 15, 1827, at Greenfield, Sara- 
toga county, New York, a son of Walter C. and Nancy (Williams) Lake, the 
latter a lineal descendant of Roger Williams. George Baker Lake was the eldest 
of a family of six children. He received his early education in the country schools 
of New York and Ohio, his father having removed to the last named state in 
1835, shortly before his death. George B. Lake spent his boyhood employed in 
farm work. At the age of twenty-one he entered Oberlin College where he spent 
two years. 

In 1849 he began the study of law in the office of William F. Lockwood at 
Elyria, Ohio, and in the next year became a student in the law office of Clark & 
Burk, in the same place. In the fall of 185 1 he was admitted to the bar before 
Judges Hitchcock and Spaulding of the supreme court of Ohio. In the spring 



1^ 



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TBE NEW YORK 



bmm*» 



$9nm, LEnox AND 

TttJMN FOUNDATIONS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 27 

of 1852 he formed a partnership with Mr. Burk, junior member of the firm of 
Clark & Burk, which continued for two years. He then formed a partnership 
with Lionel A. Sheldon, later member of congress from Louisiana. This part- 
nership continued until his removal to Nebraska in November, 1856. He had 
various professional partnerships here, being at first associated with A. J. Popple- 
ton under the firm name of Poppleton & Lake. He afterward became the associate 
of George L Gilbert, under the style of Lake & Gilbert, and next was with Charles 
H. Brown in the firm of Lake & Brown. In January, 1888, he entered into 
partnership with James W. Hamilton and afterv/ard they were joined by a third 
partner under the style of Lake, Hamilton & Maxwell, He continued thus a 
distinguished member of the bar to the time of his death and upon the admission 
of Nebraska to the Union he was elected one of the associate justices of the 
supreme court and became the first chief justice. The state was originally divided 
into three judicial districts and Judge Lake was given jurisdiction over Douglas 
and nine other counties. In this connection, in April, 1867, h^ held the first 
term of court in Nebraska under state government. In 1870 he was elected chief 
justice for a term of four years and was reelected to the bench, drawing by lot 
the short term of two years, as the result of which he became chief justice for 
that period. In 1877 he was elected associate justice for a term of six years 
under the constitution of 1873, and during the last two years of that term he was 
the presiding judge. In 1883 he declined renomination and on the ist of January, 
1884, resumed the private practice of law in Omaha. He always took a most 
active and helpful interest in matters of public concern and for years he did 
important service in behalf of the educational interests of the city as a member 
of the school board. He was elected a regent of the high school in 1871 and put 
forth every possible efi^ort to uphol4 teaching standards. He was four times 
elected a member of the territorial legislature and he represented Douglas 
county in the constitutional convention. ©'l^--i8 71'-. -Judge Lake was a democrat 
in politics until the beginning of the Civil war, when he became a republican upon 
the issue of slavery. 

He was married at Belleville, Ohio^ in December> •i.j8.5i, to Miss D. A. Popple- 
ton, by whom he had one son, George E., now a resident of San Diego, California. 
Mrs. Lake died in 1854 and he was married in 1856 to Miss Zada Jane Poppleton, 
a sister of Andrew J. Poppleton, and a cousin of his first wife. Of this union 
there was born one daughter, Carrie Jane, who became the wife of Joy Morton, 
eldest son of the late J. Sterling Morton. His second wife died in i860, and he 
was married in 1861 to Miss Abbie G. Hayes of Omaha, who surv'ives him and 
is a resident of this city. Two children were born of this marriage, Mary, who 
became the wife of Charles L. Deuel, and Dr. Frederick W. Lake, of Omaha. 
Judge Lake passed away on July 27, 1910, in the eighty-third year of his age. 



CHARLES BRACY McDONALD. 

Charles Bracy McDonald, serving for the second term as city comptroller of 
Omaha, was born September 26, 1882, and his life record, which has won him 
official honors, stands in contradistinction to the old adage that a prophet is 
never without honor save in his own country. He is of Scotch descent, being a 
grandson of John McDonald, who was born in Scotland and came to the United 
States soon after the arrival of his son, John Wright McDonald. His remaining 
days were passed in Omaha, where he was known as a respected and valued 
citizen. John W. McDonald was born in Glasgow, Scotland, October i, 1854, 
and in early manhood left the land of hills and heather with the intention of try- 
ing his fortune in the United States. He made his way to Cumberland, Maryland, 
and afterward became a resident of Omaha, where he wedded Alice May King. 

From i8g6 until 1899 inclusive and again from 1905 until 1907 he filled the office 
Vol. TI — 2 



28 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

of sheriff of Douglas county. He was also a man of prominence in business 
circles and his activities constituted an important element in the advancement of 
commercial interests. He was vice president of the W. J. Broatch Iron & Steel 
Company, vice president of the Lion Bonding & Surety Company and the presi- 
dent of the McDonald Brothers Foundry. The careful management and control 
of his business interests brought him success long ere death called him on the 
27th of June, 1908. 

Reared in his native city, Charles B. McDonald attended its public schools and 
on attaining his majority in 1903 he was elected to the position of secretary of the 
W. J. Broatch Iron & Steel Company, of which his father was the vice president. 
He left that company in January, 1906, and entered the employ of the Union 
Pacific Railroad Company in connection with the land department. Soon after- 
ward he was appointed to the position of cashier in the office of the county 
treasurer of Douglas county and there continued iov four and a half years, after 
which he resigned. He then turned his attention to the real estate and insurance 
brokerage business, in which he engaged for two years, and in February. 191 1, 
he was appointed deputy city comptroller to fill a vacancy, serving as such until 
May, 191 2, when he was made comptroller. At the close of his first three years' 
term he was reappointed to the office in May, 191 5, so that his present incumbency 
will continue until 1918, making his entire connection with the office a period of 
seven years. His previous experience along business lines well qualified him for 
his duties in this connection and he is prompt, faithful and reliable in the discharge 
of every task that devolves upon him. 

On the 30th of November, 1909, at Madison, Nebraska, Mr. McDonald was 
united in marriage to Miss Roxy J. Wills, a daughter of William L. Wills, who 
was a soldier of the Civil war and a native of Vermont. Mr. and Mrs. McDonald 
have become the parents of two daughters, Alice Jean and Phoebe. 

The family attends the Presbyterian church and Mr. McDonald is a Scottish 
Rite Mason and Mystic Shriner. He is also identified with the Benevolent Pro- 
tective Order of Elks. He has always voted with the republican party since 
attaining his majority and his efforts in its behalf have been far-reaching and 
effective. There is no phase of the city's development ni which he is not interested 
and no plan or measure for the general good seeks his endorsement and support in 
vain. 



MICHAEL J. CURRAN. 



On the roster of city officials in Omaha appears the name of Michael J. Curran, 
now holding the office of city electrician, his previous business training and 
experience thoroughly qualifying him for the responsibilities of his present 
position. He is recognized as an active worker in republican ranks and has done 
much to further the interests of his party in Douglas county. His birth occurred 
in County Queens, Ireland, June 3, 1873, his parents being Michael M. and 
Catharine (McKenna) Curran, who were also natives of the Emerald isle, where 
they were reared, educated and married. In 1873 the father crossed the Atlantic 
to the United States and after making preparations for a home for his family was 
joined by his wife and children in 1874. They became residents of Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska, and in 1883 removed to Omaha, where the father conducted a hotel 
up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1889. While in Cass county he 
had filled the office of deputy sheriff for one term. His widow survived him for 
only three years, passing away in 1892. 

Michael J. Curran pursued his education in the public schools of Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska, and in the public and parochial schools of Omaha. Upon his father's 
death, which occurred when the son was sixteen years of age, he had to assume 
the responsibility of providing not only for his own support but for that of his 



} 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 29 

two younger brothers and two sisters. In 1893 ^^ entered the employ of an 
electrical company, then known as the Thomson-Houston Electric Light Com- 
pany of Omaha and during this period was for six years the theatrical electrician 
at the Boyd Theater. He applied himself thoroughly to the mastery of every 
branch of the business. During his journeyman days he was very active in the 
ranks of organized labor and was one of the officers of the union most of the 
time. He continued in active connection with electrical work and in June, 1913, 
recognition of his ability in that line came to him in his appointment as city 
electrician, which office he is now filling. 

Mr. Curran took a very active part in politics as a republican delegate from 
Douglas county to the state convention which was held in Lincoln in 1912 and 
was one of the "bolters" for Taft. 

Mr. Curran is a Royal Arch Mason, also belongs to the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Knights of 
Ak-Sar-Ben. He likewise has membership in the Omaha Electric Club and he 
is widely and favorably known in this city, in which he has now resided for a 
third of a century or from the age of ten years. His course is familiar to many 
of his fellow townsmen and their warm friendship places the stamp of their 
approval upon the policy which he has followed. 



FRANK DEWEY. 



Frank Dewey, the county clerk of Douglas county, is a splendid type of 
American manhood, exemplifying in his life those qualities which the American 
public holds in the highest regard. He has been continuously connected with 
the courts in Omaha since December, 1897, and his record in office has been 
characterized by the prompt and faithful discharge of his duties. He was born 
in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, June 27, 1862, and is descended from early New England 
ancestry, the family having been represented in every war in the country from 
early in 1700 down to the present time, a fact which indicates that patriotism is 
one of the marked family characteristics. His great-grandfather, his grandfather 
and his father, Josiah Allen Dewey, were all cabinetmakers. The last named was 
born in Maine in 1808 and was united in marriage to Emma Parr, also a native of 
the Pine Tree state. Removing to the west, Josiah A. Dewey became the founder 
of the town of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and there continued his residence until his 
death, which occurred in 1863. His widow survived for about seventeen years and 
passed away in 1880. 

In the town which his father had founded Frank Dewey spent his youthful 
days to the age of sixteen years and during that period attended the public schools 
and a business college. In 1878 he removed to Omaha and began clerking in a 
newsstand at the old union depot, remaining in that position for several years. 
When the Paxton Hotel was opened he established a cigar stand in that hostelry 
for another man but six months later returned to his old position and after two 
years went to Denver for the same people, his employers being the firm of 
Barkalow Brothers. He spent five or six years as their representative in Denver 
in various capacities and in December, 1897, returned to Omaha, where he entered 
the office of the tax clerk, and has since been continuously connected with the 
county clerk's office. In 1912 he was elected county clerk and in 1914 was 
reelected for a two years' term. He is also ex-officio county comptroller, superin- 
tendent of the county and city tax office and member of the board of equalization. 
His duties are manifold and important and are discharged with the utmost 
capability and fidelity, for he has ever regarded a public office as a public trust, 
and it is well known that no trust reposed in Frank Dewey is ever betrayed. His 
political allegiance has always been given to the republican party. 

In November, 1896, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Mr. Dewey was united in mar- 



30 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

riagc to Miss Jessie Ellen Burch and they now have three sons, William Frederick, 
l'>ank Clement and Harry Burch. ]\Ir. Dewey was reared in the Episcopal 
faith. His belief is perhaps best expressed in his Masonic connection, for the 
craft finds in him an exemplary representative. He has taken the degrees of the 
Scottish Rite and the Mystic Shrine and he is also a member of the Knights of 
Pythias, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order of United Workmen and 
the Loyal Order of Moose. He has qualities which render him popular and the 
circle of his friends in Omaha is almost coextensive with the circle of his 
acquaintances. 



HON. JOHN IRVIN REDICK. 

Among those men who figured prominently in the professional, business, 
financial, public and social life of Omaha during the first half century of the 
city's existence, none was any better known than John Irvin Redick. He was 
born on a farm near Wooster, in Wayne county, Ohio, July 29, 1828, a son of 
John H. and Eliza (Forbes) Redick. On the paternal side the family is of Scotch 
descent, while the mother's ancestors were of English extraction. The grand- 
father of John Irvin Redick was a judge of the court of common pleas in Beaver 
county, Pennsylvania, while John H. Redick, the father, was an accountant in the 
War of 1812 under General Bell. Later he engaged in farming and he also 
served for a number of years as deputy treasurer of W'^ayne county, Ohio. He 
died when his son, John I, was but a boy and the latter left home at the age of 
fifteen years, apprenticing himself to a tinsmith of Delaware, Ohio, for his board 
and lodging. There he remained for nearly a year, at the end of w'hich time, 
having manufactured during his leisure hours a dozen or two lard-oil lamps, then 
in common use, he started forth with his stock in a basket on his arm and worked 
his way to Wooster, Ohio, where he found employment as a helper in a black- 
smith shop. Not long afterward he opened a smithy on his own account on the 
old homestead, but his ambition prompted him to put forth effort along other 
lines. He began to study law under the tutelage of Professor Parott at Wooster, 
Ohio, and when twenty-one years of age was able to enter Delaware College, 
now the Ohio Wesleyan University, at Delaware, Ohio, where he remained as 
a student for two years. During that time he also gave some attention to the 
study of law and he continued his reading in a law'yer's office for almost a year 
after leaving school. Upon his admission to the Ohio bar in 1852 he removed to 
Lansing, Michigan, where he opened a law and real estate office. 

Li the fall of 1855 J\Ir. Redick wedded Miss Mary E. Higby, of Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, who accompanied him to Lansing, and in the fall of 1856 they came 
to Omaha, bringing with them about two thousand dollars in cash, the savings 
of Mr. Redick's four years' work in Lansing. In the spring of 1857 he became the 
law partner of James G. Chapman; who was elected prosecuting attorney soon 
afterward. In 1859 Mr. Redick formed a partnership with Clinton Briggs, under 
the name of Redick & Briggs, and for ten years this firm enjoyed a large practice, 
being retained in nearly every important case in the courts of Douglas county and 
vicinity during tliat period. Mr. Redick enjoyed wide distinction as a jury lawyer 
and was a shrewd cross examiner. In 1870 he was chief counsel for the defense 
in the impeachment trial of Davi4 Butler, governor of Nebraska, who was ac- 
quitted on all the fifteen counts but one, and the conviction on that one 
was subsequently expunged from the record by the legislature of 1876-77. In 
1869 the firm of Redick & Briggs was dissolved and for three years Mr. Redick 
conMnued in practice alone, having John D. Howe, who later became one of the 
well known and successful lawyers of Omaha, as his salaried law clerk. In 1872 
he formed a partnership with Arthur N. Ferguson, afterward judge of the district 
court, which. continued for two years. In 1877 he went to live in Denver, where 




HOX. JOHN I. REDICK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 33 

he served for about a year as attorney for the Union Pacific Railway Company, 
at the end of which time he again came to Omaha and entered into partnership 
with WilHam J. Connell. After two years this partnership was dissolved and Mr. 
Redick was joined by his eldest son, Charles R. Redick. In 1882 they were joined 
by his second son, William A. Redick, and in 1884 Charles removed to Fargo, 
North Dakota, and from that time the father gradually retired from active prac- 
tice, withdrawing from the firm in 1885. In 1887 he removed to Los Angeles, 
California, where he was president of the Southern California National Bank, 
later known as the Merchants National Bank, until the fall of 1889, when he again 
returned to Omaha. From that time until his death, which occurred April 2, 
1906, he devoted his attention to the management of his extensive private affairs, 
being a large holder of real estate and also having other interests outside- of his 
profession. No man at the Omaha bar ever enjoyed a more prominent place as a 
jury lawyer than Mr. Redick, who followed original methods in the trial of cases, 
displayed great tact in presenting facts to the jury and generally was successful. 

In polit-ics Mr. Redick was a democrat until the outbreak of the Civil war. In 
i860 he was a member of the lower house of the state legislature and received 
the voles of the democratic members for speaker. In 1861 he was commissioned 
first lieutenant of Company C of the Omaha Home Guards, First Brigade of the 
Nebraska Militia, by Governor Alvin Saunders. In 1862, being heartily in favor 
of a vigorous prosecution of the war and disapproving strongly of the attitude 
of the democratic party on that issue, he became a republican and was in 1864 
chairman of the delegation from Nebraska- tO: the Baltimore convention that 
nominated Lincoln and Johnson. In announcing the vote of his state Mr. Redick 
said: "Nebraska casts her seven votes fdfAbfaliam Lincoln, the second savior 
of the world." In the republican congressional convention of 1866 he received 
all but one of the votes of the section of the state north of the Platte river for 
nomination as delegate to congress. In i872-.he was chairman of the Nebraska 
delegation to the republican national convention in Philadelphia and on the 22d 
of May. 1876, he was appointed associate justice of New Mexico by President 
Grant. In 1880 he was disappointed and indignant at the defeat of Grant for 
renomination and in 1884 he announced his return to the democratic party, voting 
for Hancock that year. In 18S2 he was the democratic candidate for member of 
congress and was defeated by Weaver of Richardson county, who had about half 
the usual republican majority. In 1896 Judge Redick again became a republican 
on the issues of protection and sound money. He voted for President McKinley 
and approved his policy on all important questions. 

Not only in the field of law practice and in politics was Mr. Redick a recog- 
nized leader but also in many other lines. In 1874 he was president of the Omaha 
Merchants Club, the pioneer organization of the kind, comprising about eighty 
of the best business men of the city. In 1875 he was president of a delegation 
from Nebraska and Iowa to Galveston, having in view the improvement of com- 
mercial relations with the south, and he was also one of the committee of five sent 
to Boston about that time to negotiate for the location of a railroad bridge at 
Omaha. He was one of the original promoters and stockholders of the Grand 
Central Hotel Company, which on the present site of the Paxton Hotel erected a 
hostelry that was at that time the finest west of Chicago. He was a large stock- 
holder and one of the incorporators of the Omaha & Northwestern Railroad, 
which built and equipped about fifty miles of road to Blair and beyond. This 
road is now a part of the Northwestern system. Judge Redick was for some time 
general counsel for the road. He was also much interested in religious work, 
having membership in the Trinity Protestant Episcopal church, of which he 
served for several years as vestryman. 

Judge Redick was married three times. His first wife was Mary E. Higby. 
of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, whom he wedded on November 5, 1855, and to them 
were born four daughters and three sons, of whom Charles Robinson was a 
lawyer at Oklahoma City and died in 1910 and William Armstrong is a district 



34 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

judge at Omaha. The other children died in infancy and the mother passed away 
October 30, 1864. On the 8th of October, 1866, Mr. Redick wedded Mary E. 
May and they became the parents of iive children: John I., who died in 1908; 
Albert Clarkson, who died October 17, 1901 ; and Oak Chatham, George May and 
Elmer S., all of Omaha. The mother died in August, 1894, and in July, 1896, 
Judge Redick married Barbara Lyon, of Ingersoll, Ontario. 

For many years the residence of Judge Redick was on the corner of what is 
now Twenty-fourth and Pratt streets. In the early '70s he had acquired a quarter 
section of land stretching west of Twenty-fourth street and his home stood in the 
midst of this tract. It was a center of hospitality and gaiety and many and joyous 
were the parties that tilled the house in Nebraska's early days. There for more 
than a quarter of a century the family kept "open house" each New Year's day 
and the beaux and belles of the town held many a revel there, for in the family 
were several sons, all popular among the youthful social set. The old home was 
razed in 1917 to make way for one of the new buildings of the University of 
Omaha ; but the delightful social functions there held will long live in the memory 
of those in attendance, just as the name of John Irvin Redick will be honored for 
years to come among those who were his associates and friends during the long 
period of his residence in Omaha. 



GEORGE A. MAGNEY. 



George A. Magney, county attorney of Douglas county since 1912, having 
been reelected in 191 5, was born on a farm in Scioto county, Ohio, September 29, 
1858, and comes of French ancestry, his paternal grandparents having, been 
natives of Paris, whence they came to the new world as young people and settled 
in Ohio. John Magney, the father of George A. Magney. was born in the 
Buckeye state in 1834 and followed the occupation of farming as a life work. 
He wedded Mary Searl, who was also born in Ohio, and in the year 1865 they 
came to Nebraska, settling in Cass county. The father died in May, 1895, and 
the mother survived him only until December of the same year. 

The youthful days of George A. Magney were spent as a farm lad in Cass 
county, where his attention was 4ivided between the work of the fields and 
attendance at the district schools. He did not desire to follow the plow as a life 
work, however, but was ambitious to enter professional circles and took up the 
study of law in the office of Judge Samuel M. Chapman at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, 
who directed his preliminary reading until his admission to the bar in June, 1881. 
He then located for practice in Papillion, Nebraska, where he remained for four 
years, and in 1887 he came to Omaha, where he has since followed his profession. 
His arguments are strong and forceful, being based upon a careful analysis of the 
facts with the correct application of legal principles thereto. In 1897, under a 
law providing for a municipal court in Omaha, Mr. Magney was appointed one 
of the three judges of that court, but after he had served upon the bench for 
eight months the supreme court rendered the decision that the municipal court 
should not stand. In 1903 he was appointed deputy county attorney and occupied 
that position for a year under George W. Shields. Reappointment made him chief 
deputy county attorney under the late Hon.- J. P. English, in which position he 
continued for eight years, or until 1912, when he was elected county attorney. 
Two years later and again in 19 16 public endorsement came to him in his 
reelection, so that he has now entered upon a third term, continuing from 1916 
until 1918. 

On the 26th of April, 1885, in Papillion, Nebraska, Mr. Magney was married 
to Miss Dora L. Ayer and they have become the parents of three children : 
Lloyd Ayer, who was married in Omaha in 1914 to Miss Grace Cronin ; \'ernon 
Pernett; and Ethel Georgiana. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 35 

The parents are members of the Christian Science church and fraternally Mr. 
Magney is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Modern Woodmen of 
America, the Woodmen of the World, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, 
the Moose and the Red Men. In the Knights of Pythias he served as grand 
chancellor of JN'ebraska for the years 1905 and 1906. He belongs also to the 
Carter Lake Club and is an active supporter of the Commercial Club. His 
political allegiance has always been given to the democratic party, for he is a 
firm believer in its principles as eftective forces in good government. No one 
doubts his political integrity or undervalues his honesty, for he is known to be 
a man who accomplishes what he undertakes, while his methods in so doing will at 
all times bear the closest investigation and scrutiny. 



JOHN LATENSER. 



John Latenser is Omaha's most prominent architect, his skill and ability being 
manifest in many of the finest structures of the city. He was born in Liechten- 
stein, Germany, in 1859 ^"<^ pursued his education at Stuttgart, being graduated 
from the Polytechnic College with the class of 1879. Attracted by the business 
conditions and opportunities of the new world, he crossed the Atlantic to America 
in 1881, settling in Chicago, where he was employed as a draftsman. Seven years 
later, or in 1888, he arrived in Omaha and, opening an office, has since followed 
his profession, his developing powers bringing him to a foremost position among 
the architects of the city and state. For three years he was superintending archi- 
tect of the Omaha postoffice and United States superintendent of public build- 
ings for four years, his territory covering several states. Some of the largest 
and most important contracts of Omaha have been awarded to him. He was the 
builder of the Omaha high school, the Douglas county courthouse, the Hoagland 
block, the hospital building of the College of Medicine of the University of 
Nebraska, the Wise Memorial Hospital, the Ciarkson Memorial Hospital, Temple 
Israel, the Scottish Rite cathedral, the Brandeis office building, the Oscar Keeline 
office building, the Saunders-Kennedy office building and the Omaha Athletic 
Club building. He has also m.ade the plans and supervised the construction of 
at least twenty of the public school buildings and there is no point of his pro- 
fession with which he is not thoroughly familiar. 

Mr. Latenser has two sons : John Latenser, Jr., who, following his graduation 
from the Omaha high school, spent two years in Lincoln University at Lincoln, 
Nebraska, and four years in the pursuit of a course in architecture at Columbia 
University of New York city; and Frank Latenser, who was graduated from 
the Omaha high school and also studied architecture for four years in Columbia 
University. Both are now associated with their father under the firn> style of 
John Latenser & Sons. 



COLONEL LOUIS J. PIATTI. 

Colonel Louis J. Piatti is now serving for the fifth term as deputy county 
attorney of Douglas county, his long connection with the office standing as incon- 
trovertible evidence of the superior ability and unfaltering fidehty which he 
has displayed in that connection. He is a native of the eastern metropolis, his 
birth having occurred in New York city, April 15, 1863. His father, Peter G. 
Piatti, was born in Milan, Italy, and in 1843 came to the United States. In 
New York city he married Julia Chapelle and in 1896 he passed away but is still 
survived by Mrs. Piatti, who resides on Long Island. His uncle, Antonio, was a 



36 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

well known sculptor and designed the equestrian statue of Washington in Union 
vSquare, New ^'ork. A cousin, Attillio Tiatti is now vice consul at Nice. 

Reared in New York city, Louis J. Piatti attended its public schools and 
taking up the study of law, was admitted to the bar at the May term of court in 
1884, when twenty-one years of age. For several years he practiced in New 
York and for one year in iUitfalo, but, believing that the west offered a better 
field, came to Omaha in February, 1890, and has since become a prominent 
representative of the bar of this city. After a time he began to take an active 
interest in politics and his loyalty to the democratic party led to his selection for 
the position of secretary of the democratic county committee, in which capacity 
he served for eight years. In 1900 he was chosen a delegate to the democratic 
national convention, which was held in Kansas City, and his opinions have car- 
ried considerable weight in the local and state councils of his party. In 1907 he 
was appointed deputy county attorney by James P. Fnglish and reappointment 
has continued him in the office for six terms, having been in 1916 again appointed 
to serve for two years. He most faithfuUy and capably defends the legal 
interests of the county and his services are highly satisfactory to the general 
public. He is also acting at the present time as a member of the governor's 
staff. 

In September, 1905, in Omaha, Mr. Piatti was married to Minnie Hum- 
pert, a daughter of Frank Humpert. who was a private in a Pennsylvania regi- 
ment during the Civil war, and his family includes Frances R. Piatti. 

In his religious faith Mr. Piatti is a Catholic and he belongs to the Dahlman 
Democracy Club. He is a member of the state and county bar associations, was 
vice chairman of the democratic central committee for 1916 and chairman of 
that committee for 191 1. He is a man of fine personal appearance and has 
many substantial qualities which have rendered him popular with his fellow 
townsmen. 



JOHN EDWARD SUMMERS, M. D. 

Dr. John Edward Summers, a distinguished surgeon of Omaha and a well- 
known contributor to the medical press of the country, was born in Fort Kearney ,- 
Nebraska, January 2, 1858, a son of John E. and Caroline J. (Stuart) Summers. 
The family has long been a prominent one in Virginia, and Summers county of 
West Virginia was named in its honor. Dr. John Edward Summers, Sr., was for 
thirty-eight years actively connected with the medical department of the United 
States Army. His wife was born in New York and came of Scotch ancestry. 

In his youthful days John E. Summers of Omaha attended public and private 
schools and afterward spent about three years as a cadet in the United States 
Military Academy at West Point. Having determined to make the practice of 
medicine his life work, he then entered Columbia University and was graduated 
from the medical department in the spring of 1881. He joined the United States 
Army as an assistant surgeon and for two years served in Wyoming, on the expi- 
ration of which period he resigned his position in order to further study medicine 
in Europe, where he remained for two years, most of the time in Vienna. 

In the spring of 1885 Dr. Summers opened an office in Omaha, where he has 
since made his home, and throughout the intervening period he has occupied a 
most prominent position in professional ranks. For some years he has been 
professor of clinical surgery in Omaha Medical College, and his high standing 
among professional colleagues of the United States is indicated in the fact that 
he has been honored with a fellowship in the American Surgical Association, of 
which he is now vice president ; he is a membre de la Societe Internationale de 
Chirurgie, fellow of the American College of Surgeons and of the American 
Medical Association, a member and former president of the Western Surgical 




DR. JOHN E. SUMMERS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 39 

Association, the Nebraska State Medical Society, the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society and the Medical Society of the Missouri Valley. He has a very 
large practice in surgery, extending far beyond the limits of his home city. For 
five years he served as surgeon in chief of Immanuel Hospital, and since the 5th 
of May, 1885, he has been surgeon in chief and attending surgeon, respectively, 
to the Clarkson Memorial Hospital, the Wise Memorial Hospital and the Douglas 
County Hospital, all of Omaha. He has likewise been surgeon of the Chicago, 
Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and during the administration of Governor Eoyd 
he was surgeon general of the National Guard of Nebraska. He has been a most 
liberal contributor to the leading medical journals of the country and is fre- 
quently quoted in standard surgical works. 

On the 24th of April, 1895, Dr. Summers was married to Miss Laura M. 
Hoagland, a daughter of George A. Hoagland, one of Omaha's oldest and leading 
citizens ; they have two living children, John H. and Stuart Wyman. Dr. Sum- 
mers has membership with the Loyal Legion and with the Association of Military 
Surgeons of the United States, and along more strictly social lines his connection 
extends to the Omaha Club, University Club, Commercial Club of Omaha, and 
the Omaha Country' Club ; he belongs to such educational clubs as the Palimpsest 
Club and Friends of Art' Society, and is an active member of the Omaha Public 
Library Board. Those who know Dr. Summers as a clubman find him of a most 
social nature, genial and companionable, and those who meet him professionally 
always feel assured of his kindly and sympathetic interest. When engaged in pro- 
fessional service he is the alert, wide-awake surgeon, ready to meet any emergency 
or respond to any call of duty, and his developing powers have resulted in ability 
that places him in the front rank among, the ablest representatives of his calling 
in the west. . • •■ ,■ ;; ; - - 



HARLEY GREEN-MOORHEAD. 

Harley Green Moorhead, who for fourteen years has been actively engaged 
in the practice of law in Omaha and since 191 3 has occupied the position of elec- 
tion commissioner of Douglas county, was born in Dunlap, lovv'a, September 3, 
1876, and comes of a family of English origin, his paternal grandfather beinc^ 
John Moorhead, a native of Lancashire, England, born in 1804. Coming to the 
United States in early manhood, he settled in Ohio and there followed the 
occupation of farming. His son, George Park Moorhead, w^as born in Steuben- 
ville, Ohio, in 1837 and having arrived at adult age, was married in Iowa to 
Annis Bowerman, who was born in Canada. They now spend the summer 
months in Omaha, while the winter seasons are passed in San Diego, California. 
The father was formerly a cattleman and successful banker but is now living 
retired. 

At the usual age Harley G. Moorhead became a public school pupil at Dunlap, 
Iowa, and continued his studies for a time in Woodbine, Iowa. He next entered 
Oberlin College at Oberlin, Ohio, where he was graduated with the degree of 
Bachelor of Philosophy in the class of 1899. He afterward won his law degree 
at Columbia University in New York city in 1902 and immediately afterward came 
to Omaha, where he has since continued in active practice, early becoming 
recognized as one of the most capable members of the bar of this city. His 
knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence is comprehensi\e and exact and in 
the control of his cases he has ever manifested marked ability in handling and 
presenting the evidence and in applying legal principles. He is now a director of 
the Dunlap State Bank in his native city. 

On the 24th of April, 1907, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mr. Moorhead was 
married to Aliss Bertha Salina Wallin and their "children are Harley G. and 
George Chadbourne Moorhead. Mr. and Mrs. Moorhead belong to the First 



40 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Congregational church of Omaha, and he is an active and valued member of 
various fraternal organizations and clubs, being identilied with the Elks, the 
Phi Gamma Delta, the Phi Delta Phi. the Commercial Club, the Omaha Country 
Club, and the Rotary Club of Omaha, having been president of the last named 
club during 1915. His i)olitical endorsement has always been given' to the 
democratic party, and in lyot) he was elected its candidate for the state legislature 
but was defeated. In lyi i he was a candidate for judge of the district court and 
was high man on the ticket. In May, 1913, he was appointed by the governor to 
the position of election commissioner of Douglas county and has full supervision 
of registration and elections in Omaha and South Omaha. He also holds the 
office of jury commissioner by appointment of the judges of the district court. 
These positions both carry great responsibility and his selection therefor is a 
ver)' high testimonial to his worth and his character. 



HON. CHARLES LOCKARD SAUNDERS. 

Hon. Charles Lockard Saunders, a prominent real estate dealer, a distinguished 
republican leader and for five terms a member of the Nebraska state senate, was 
born in Mount Pleasant. Iowa, in 1857, a son of Hon. Alvin Saunders, who 
was born in Kentucky in 1815 and in early manhood removed to Iowa. He was 
married in Washington, D. C., to Marthena Bariow, a native of Greencastle, 
Indiana, who was at that time visiting in the national capital. A more extended 
mention of Hon. Alvin Saunders occurs elsewhere in this work. They retained 
their residence in Iowa until 1861, when they came to Omaha, and in the 
public schools of this city their son, Charles L. Saunders, began his education. 
He pursued his more specifically literary course in Cornell University at Ithaca, 
New York, and his professional course in Columbia University of New York 
city, which conferred upon him the LL. B. degree upon his graduation with the 
class of 1882. He afterward became private secretary to his father, who was 
then United States senator in Washington, and a year later he went to Helena. 
Montana, where he spent about four years in the government assay office. He was 
also interested in a cattle ranch in that state but left Montana in 1886 to returti to 
Omaha, where he entered the real estate business, in which he has since been 
actively engaged. He is now president of the Saunders Investment Company, 
which was incorporated in 1908, is president of the Omaha Real Estate Company, 
which was incorporated in 1886 but which is closing out its business as fast as 
possible, and president of the Saunders-Kennedy Building Company. He is 
likewise a director of the Merchants National Bank and is a member of the board 
of the Forest Lawn Cemetery. His deep interest in the welfare of his state is 
indicated in the fact that he is on the board of governors of Ak-Sar-Ben, while 
his active support of progressive measures for the upbuilding of Omaha is 
indicated in his membership in the Commercial Club. 

In Masonic circles Mr Saunders has attained high rank, being a York and 
Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He has been also for 
fifteen years treasurer of the Elks lodge No. 39 of Omaha and he is identified 
with the Country Club, the Carter Lake Club, the Happy PIoUow Club and the 
Omaha Club. His military record covers two years' service with the Montana 
militia. In political circles he is a most influential worker, having endorsed the 
republican party from the time age conferred upon him the right of franchise. 
He has been a member of the republican central committee of Douglas county, 
the congressional central committee and the state central committee and he was 
an alternate to the national republican convention of 191 2 held in Chicago. In 
1 910 he was supervisor of the United States census for the second congressional 
district of Nebraska and for five terms he has represented his district in the state 
senate, giving faithful and earnest consideration to those questions which are of 




HON. CHARLES I.. SAUNDERS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 43 

vital importance in determining the course and standing of the commonwealth. 
Carlyle said : "The history of a nation is best told in the lives of its people." 
It is therefore fitting that the records of such eminent and distinguished men as 
Charles Lockard Saunders should find a place in this volume, for he has borne an 
active part in shaping the material development and the political progress of city 
and state, wisely utilizing his time, talents and opportunities in the accomplish- 
ment of his purposes. 



HARRY P. DEUEL. 



There was much in the life of Harry P. Deuel to connect his record most 
closely with the history of Omaha. He came to the city as one of its pioneer 
residents, arriving in 1859, when Nebraska's metropolis was a little struggling 
frontier town. From that date forward he was always deeply and helpfully 
interested in all that pertained to its growth and progress and the city came 
to esteem him as one of its representative and valued business men. He was 
born in Clarkson, Monroe county. New York, in December, 1836, and upon 
removal to the middle west resided for a time in Illinois. It was at Tiskilwa, 
that state, that he wedded Freelove Miller, who was born in Oneida county. New 
York. Their marriage was celebrated in 1858 and it was in the following year 
that Mr. Deuel removed to Omaha from Elmwobd, Illinois. He was at that 
time twenty-three years of age and -iTje.^.W^tkQcl. part oi the distance from St. 
Joseph, Missouri. He immediately ' odciime aksobiated with his uncle, John 
R. Porter, in the agency for the, Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad Packet Line 
and they also conducted a warehouse on the levee. While thus connected with 
the transportation business he forwarded to -Salt Lake City the great organ 
which is in the temple there. Upon the completion of the Burlington Railroad 
he became city ticket agent for that company, which position he filled until 
1888, when he resigned to accept a similar position with the Union Pacific Rail- 
road Company, thus continuing until 1896. He sold the first coupon ticket in 
Omaha and there was no phase of transportation development in this section of 
the state with which he was not familiar. 

In the spring of i860 ^Ir. Deuel brought his wife and baby daughter to 
Omaha. He had bought a house and lot on Farnam street, where the Bee 
building now stands, and was residing there in 1864, when it was sold after 
which their home occupied the site of the present courthouse until 1879, when 
he erected a residence on the corner of Nineteenth and Dodge streets, where he 
resided the remainder of his Hfe. Mr. and Mrs. Deuel lived to celebrate their 
golden wedding and ]^Irs. Deuel and their son Charles L. yet survive. Their 
daughter Blanche, who was a member of the first graduating class in the Omaha 
high school, died at the age of nineteen years. 

In many ways Mr. Deuel was closely associated with interests which have 
left their impress upon the history of city and state. He gave his political alle- 
giance to the democratic party and after devoting several years to railroading 
in Omaha he put aside his work in that connection and accepted the office of 
county auditor, while later he filled the position of register of deeds. He was 
long a member of the library board, from which he retired two years prior to 
his death, but he was ever most interested in the institution and its stafi^ and at 
his home entertained a number of the members of the library staff at a musical 
just a day before his demise. He ranked very high in Masonic circles and was 
a most active worker in the order, which conferred upon him high official 
honors. He was the first grand master of the state and also the first grand 
high priest and never ceased his activities in support of the craft until death 
called him on the 23d of November, 1914. Mr. Deuel was also well known in 



44 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

sporting circles and was a most enthusiastic angler. One of his companions 
on many lishmg expeditions said of him: 

"In the death of Harry Deuel the sportsmen, particularly the anglers, in this 
section of this fair world of ours sustain a lamentable loss. He was a beloved 
friend of the writer, as he was of many and many another man, and of the count- 
less beau,tiful qualities with which he was endowed 1 might speak, but of them 
all therw was none more conspicuous than his ardent love of die line and rod 
and the rippling water sides. He was proficient in the art, and years ago, in 
company with Casper E. Yost, and similar congenial lads, spent a great deal 
of his time in long tishing trips up in the then almost primeval wilderness of 
Minnesota and Wisconsin. His outfits were elaborate and well chosen, as we 
have ample testimony in his oldest and favorite fishing box and his bag of rods, 
given just one year ago. His memory will ever hold a warm place in the hearts 
of the old guard still marching on. In Harry Deuel were combined the practical 
man and the poet in the abstract. In all his actions and all his words were ever 
to be found mingled the simple wisdom of the one with the sensitiveness of the 
other to the beauties and subtle influences of nature. These equalities never 
failed to start a sympathetic echo and endeared him to widely different personali- 
ties by which he is not likely to be soon forgotten. 

"Silently our tears drop. One more whose friendship we more than valued 
has gone. Never again shall we clasp in a strong, firm grip the hand that in life 
knew so well how to lay out his line on Washington's silvery crests or the 
Chippewa's rapids, and who in the clubroom, the woodsy cabin, before the log 
fire, could and did interest even the children with his stories of what he gathered 
while idling among the golden hours in the depth of nature's beauties. IJut with 
Harry Deuel, as with legions of other grand men, the chief praise comes after his 
work has been finished but his best monument will b,e the tokens of affection — 
tears though they be — that come from all the old comrades yet lingering behind, 
who knew him best and loved him most." 

Mrs. Deuel yet makes her home in Omaha and with her lives her cousin, 
Mrs. Inez A. Haney, who has been a resident of Omaha since 1856. She is the 
widow of Edwin Haney, who came from St.' Louis and for many years was 
connected with the Union Pacific at this point. He was a Civil war veteran and 
continued his residence here until his demise. Mrs. Haney is a daughter of John 
R. Porter, who was a very prominent and active citizen here in pioneer times, 
and both her husband and her father were widely and prominently known. 



HON. DAVID H. MERCER. 

Among Omaha's best known citizens is Hon. David H. Mercer, a man whose 
efforts and endeavors have done much for the advancement and growth of Omaha 
and Nebraska and who for ten years ably represented this district in congress. 
Mr. Mercer is virtually a Nebraska product, for save the time he resided in Wash- 
ington, D. C, as congressman, most of his life has been spent upon Nebraska soil, 
first in Nemaha county as a boy, then several months on a homestead in Brush 
Creek precinct, Saline county, where at the age of sixteen he taught his first school, 
and finally in Omaha, which has been his residence since 1886. 

The Mercer family in the United States from which the subject of this sketch 
descended, first settled in Pennsylvania almost three hundred years ago. Three 
brothers migrated from the British Isles who were of Scotch-Irish ancestry. Amos 
Mercer, the great-grandfather of David H. Mercer, was a farmer residing in Arm- 
strong county, Pennsylvania. He married Mary Mitchell. Their son, David, born 
in Armstrong county, married Eva Cribbs. From this union came Amos Mercer, 
born in the same county on February 20, 1804, who also followed the pursuit of 




HON. DAVID H. MERCEE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 47 

farming. He served two terms as county commissioner and for some time was 
brigadier general of the Pennsylvania State Militia. He married Rachel Rymer, a 
German woman through and through, and they reared a very large family. One 
of their sons, John Jackson Mercer, the father of David H., was born on a farm 
near New Bethlehem, Clarion county, Pennsylvania, on New Year's day of 1833. 
While yet in his teens and ambitious to be a man among men, John J. Mercer 
settled in Pittsburgh and learned the blacksmith trade. In 1853 he heard the call of 
the west and, responding thereto, he, after a most tedious and tiresome journey, be- 
came a pioneer in Benton county, Iowa, a few miles from Vinton. He there met and 
wedded Elizabeth Lamar Flora, a native of Pennsylvania and a descendant of the 
Lamars, Huguenots who were driven out of France by religious persecution and 
into Holland, where they were induced to flee to America, the land of the free and 
the home of the brave. Some of the descendants settled in Pennsylvania and Mary- 
land but a larger number went farther south and made their homes in Georgia, 
Mississippi and adjoining states. On July 9, 1859, the subject of this sketch, David 
Henry Mercer, was born and in later years two sisters, Clara and Minnie, came to 
the Mercer household, they being born in Adams county, Illinois, where the family 
was living when the Civil war began. When President Lincoln called for troops, 
John J. Mercer and three brothers enlisted, one being killed in battle. John J. 
enlisted as a private and was honorably discharged at the close of the rebellion as 
a captain, having served his country faithfully for over three years as a member of 
Company E, Seventy-eighth Regiment Illinois Volunteer Infantry. His brother 
Philip was first lieutenant in the same company. Captain Mercer was in many 
prominent battles, marched with Sheru.iai'U.tQ, Atlanta and the sea, never missed 
a day or had a furlough and refused a commission in the regular army when 
peace was declared. On his return home he engaged in mercantile pursuits and 
made the race for county treasurer of Adams county. ' 

In 1866 he settled in Brownville, Nebraska, a promising town on the JNIissouri 
river, a rival of Omaha and Nebraska City for commercial supremacy and full of 
promise for the future. He engaged in the -s^le^of- farming implements and con- 
ducted a machine and blacksmith shop. Captain Mercer prospered in his new 
home and in 1867 he had his family join him. While in Brownville he served as a 
member of the Ijoard of education, was elected to the legislature and in a brief 
time was recognized as one of the leading citizens of Nemaha county. In 1S88 
the Captain, wife and two daughters moved to Omaha, where the son David had 
been residing for some time. Captain Mercer became the leading Mason of 
Nebraska, serving in all positions and in every branch of Free Masonry, becoming 
grand master of the grand lodge of the state. He was an authority on Masonic 
law and tradition and left behind him an army of friends when he died on the 
25th day of February, 1915, in Omaha, his wife, who was Ijorn May 30, 1833, 
having crossed the river of life April 26, 1906, and their daughter Minnie August 
27, 1913. 

David H. Mercer was educated in the public schools of Brownville, finishing 
the prescribed course in the high school, then one of the leading educational insti- 
tutions in the state. W'hile in- the Brownville school, he and his fellows organized 
a debating society, The Lyceum, published an amateur newspaper by the same 
name and helped develop a city library. David for some time was correspondent 
from Nemaha county to the Omaha Herald, then owned by Dr. George L. Miller, 
and part of one year he edited the Nemaha County Granger of Brownville. He 
loved athletic exercise and took a leading part in all outdoor sports. After teach- 
ing school one winter in Bedford precinct he entered the spring term of the 
Nebraska State University in 1877, graduating in June, 1880. As a tmiversity 
student he took a leading part in all of its activities. He was elected president of 
the Palladium Society, captain of the baseball team, editor of the college paper and 
captain of the University Cadets. In fact he held almost every office within the 
gift of his fellow students. After graduation, young Mercer returned to Brown- 
ville and began the study of law in the office of Judge Stull. He was admitted to 



48 OMAHA AND ]:)OUGLAS COUNTY 

the bar in April, 1881, and in September of the same year he went to Ann Arbor, 
where he was admitted to the senior law class of Michigan State University upon 
examination by Hon. Thomas M. Cooley, the dean of the law school. Graduating 
in March, 1882, with the degree of LL. B., Mercer returned home and opened a 
law office. He served for a time as city clerk and police judge and refused the 
office of mayor. He was assistant secretary of the Nebraska state senate in 1885. 
In 1884-5 he served as secretary of the republican state central committee and 
materially assisted in managing two campaigns. In 1886 he came to Omaha and 
entered the employ of the Union Pacific Railroad but at the expiration of a few 
months he reengaged in private practice. During his first year in Omaha he was 
nominated for county judge over Judge McCulloch and became chairman of the 
republican city central committee. He was appointed special master in chancery 
of the United States district court by Judge E. S. Dundy and served until he was 
elected to congress. In 1891 he was elected chairman of the republican county 
committee of Douglas county and his management of the campaign reversed 
political conditions in that county. In 1898-9 he was chairman of the republican 
state central committee and during the famous gold and silver fight in 1896 he 
served as secretary of the national republican congressional committee with head- 
quarters in New York and Washington, D. C. After the census of 1890 Nebraska 
doubled her representation in congress, increasing the membership from three to 
six, and the state had to be redistricted, Douglas, Sarpy and Washington counties 
comprising the new second congressional district. In 1890 Douglas county was in 
the first district, W. J. Bryan having carried the county as a candidate for congress 
in that year by a plurality of seven thousand. Evidently the republican legislature 
conceded to democracy one congressional district in the state when the new second 
district was created, for Douglas and Sarpy were strongly democratic, while the 
vote in Washington county was very close as between the republican and demo- 
cratic parties. In 1892, the year of the Grover Cleveland landslide, the republicans 
of the second district after a lively convention nominated David H. Mercer for 
congress. His opponent was Judge George W. Doane, then on the district bench, 
to which he had been elected in 1891 by a large majority, carrying Douglas county 
by over four thousand majority. Judge Doane had often been a candidate for 
office and never defeated, was a popular judge and his election to congress seemed 
certain. Dave Mercer's campaign slogan was, "Give the boys a chance," an Abe 
Lincoln quotation, and with the young men behind him he made a memorable and 
successful canvass. For five consecutive times he was elected to congress, defeat- 
ing, besides Judge Doane, Ex-Governor James E. Boyd, Judge E. R. Duffie, 
Gilbert M. Hitchcock and Judge Edgar Howard, and the belief is prevalent that 
Mercer would have been successful in his sixth campaign if the present election 
law had then been Upon the statute book. For a decade Mr. Mercer served in 
congress — the fifty-third, fifty-fourth, fifty-fifth, fifty-sixth and fifty-seventh con- 
gresses — and in that period he secured almost five million dollars in appropriations 
for Omaha and Nebraska. He served six years as chairman of the important com- 
mittee on public buildings and grounds and was a member of other influential 
committees. When President McKinley sent for Mr. Mercer and suggested that 
the old Freedmen's Bank building on Pennsylvania avenue, which occupied land 
belonging to the government, was in a dangerous condition and should be taken 
down, Attorney General Griggs had been before Mr. Mercer's committee urging 
a new building for the department of justice upon the bank site. Mr. Griggs said 
that if he could be authorized to construct the building he would have the work 
done for one million dollars and in twelve months' time. Mr. Mercer introduced 
and passed through congress a bill in harmony with the attorney general's sugges- 
tion. The bank building was razed. After more than a year had elapsed, the 
attorney general came to Mr. Mercer, showed him his plans and requested 
another million. Mr. Mercer told him that a "skyscraper," contemplated by the 
plans and specifications, would dwarf the treasury building on the opposite side of 
Pennsylvania avenue, that the attorney general had failed to keep within the 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 49 

original limit of cost and that he intended to repeal the law and cover back into the 
treasury the one million dollars already appropriated. This he did. 

His value to Nebraska as a legislator is evidenced by the federal buildings at 
Omaha, South Omaha, Blair, Hastings, Norfolk, Grand Island and York ; quar- 
termaster's supply depot of the United States army at Omaha, one of the largest 
in the country ; city hall for Lincoln ; battleship named Nebraska ; enlargement of 
Fort Crook ; extensive improvements at Fort Omaha ; Indian supply depot and 
the division headquarters for rural free delivery at Omaha ; two hundred thousand 
dollars for Missouri river improvement at and near Omaha, Florence and Council 
Bluffs; animals from Yellowstone Park for Riverview Park; old Spanish cannon 
for Hanscom Park ; charter for First National Bank ; military training in Omaha 
high school ; free city delivery for York ; three branch postoffices in Omaha 
and rural free delivery in every county in the district ; the Trans-Mississippi 
Exposition and the Indian Congress. His bills for a bridge at South Omaha 
and a military school at Fort Omaha both passed congress but President Cleveland 
vetoed the school bill on the same day he signed the exposition bill, saying to Mr. 
Mercer, who was in the White House at the time : "I do not favor expositions 
but I cannot, on the same day, veto two bills in which you have shown so much 
interest, and for which you have made so strenuous a fight, so I will sign the 
exposition now." And he did. Mr. Mercer had the old Omaha postofifice building 
on Dodge street and Fifteenth renovated for army headquarters and secured for 
Paxton & Vierling the steel work in the new postoffice building in the face of a 
lower bid from a Milwaukee firm. In Washington, D. C, he left many monuments 
to his ability and activity, notably the handsome municipal building on Pennsyl- 
vania avenue, the agricultural, bureau of standards and engraving and printing 
structures and the monument to General U. S. Grant near the Capitol building. 
He excluded barbwire fences from the District of Columbia and introduced in 
congress the first bill to compel street railroads in Washington to vestibule their 
cars. His work for pensions, labor, irrigation and general legislation covered a 
wide field and was very effective. He forced the Trans-Mississippi bill through 
the house by holding up the Aldrich-Underwood election contest case, and although 
he refused to vote in favor of unseating Oscar W. Underwood, he discontinued his 
opposition to a consideration of the contest when Speaker Tom Reed assured him 
that he would be recognized to pass the Trans-Mississippi bill. Mr. Mercer has 
visited every county in Nebraska, every state in the Union, all our territorial pos- 
sessions, including Alaska, and has been around the world twice. 

When the cyclone did its destructive work in Omaha and a few thoughtless 
people wired east that no aid was needed or wanted, Mr. Mercer, who was in Wash- 
ington, D. C, at the time, called upon Miss Mabel Boardman and General Davis, 
then representing the Red Cross, and succeeded in obtaining from that source 
fifty thousand dollars, which sum materially aided many unfortunates who had lost 
their all in that calamity. Mr. Mercer is a member of several clubs, societies and 
fraternal organizations, a Sigma Chi and thirty-second degree Mason. 

In June, 1894, Mr. Mercer and Miss Sarah Abbott of Minneapolis were mar- 
ried in Washington, D. C, at St. John's Episcopal church. Laura Jeannette Mercer 
is the only child. Mr. Mercer resides in the old homestead near Hanscom Park and 
his law offices are in the Ware block. 



JAMES FORSYTH. 



James Forsyth, one of the early merchants of Omaha, was for many years 
actively identified with the drug trade in this city. He was born in New York 
city, March 6, 1838, and in early life learned and followed the carpenter's trade. 
At length he determined to try his fortune in the middle west, hoping that in this 
growing section of the country he might have better business opportunities. He 



50 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

reached Omaha in i8()4, having made the journey westward hy way of the Ohio, 
■Mississii)j)i and Missouri rivers. Here he learned the (haig trade, entering the 
employ of Thomas ^Jartin, a druggist, with whom he continued until 1865. He 
afterward formed a partnership with iM-ank Kennard, which association was 
continuetl from 1877 ""til 1880. The following year he bought the store of 
C. F. Goodman on Sixteenth street and Capitol avenue and there conducted 
business on his own account for twenty-one years, or until 1902, when he sold 
out to Samuel Howell and retired from active connection with commercial inter- 
ests. The store which he conducted was a well appointed establishment, neat 
and tasteful in its arrangement, while its stock was large, including all lines of 
drugs and druggists' sundries, lie was always careful in selecting the personnel 
of the house and at all times conformed his business to the highest standards of 
commercial ethics. In addition to the drug trade he became one of the original 
l)romoters of the Forest Lawn Cemetery Association, of which he was at one 
time secretary, while from the beginning until his death he served as one of its 
trustees. 

In Omaha, in 1867, Mr. Forsyth was united in marriage to Miss Jennie A. 
Brown, who arrived in this city in May, 1857. She .is a daughter of James Brown, 
who came from Michigan with his family, making the journey by wagon. He 
afterward engaged in freighting between Omaha, Denver and Salt Lake City and 
had many interesting experiences in that connection. Fie also traveled by team to 
California in 1853 when the gold seekers were yet making their way across the 
country in large numbers. Afterward, however, he returned to Omaha, pur- 
chased property and resided here until a few months before his death, when he 
removed to Papillion, Nebraska, and there died at the age of fifty-eight years. 
The marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Forsyth was blessed with one daughter, Fannie M. 

The husband and father passed away October 16, 1913, when seventy-five 
years of age. liis political allegiance had long been given to the republican 
party and he lent the weight of his aid and intiuence to all projects and plans 
that recognized the needs of Omaha and attempted to meet them. He became 
a charter member of St. Mary's Avenue Congregational church and he did every- 
thing in his power to promote its growth and extend its intiuence. In a word his 
efforts proved effective forces in furthering the cause of public progress and 
improvement and he gave generously wherever his aid was needed to advance the 
public good. His life was upright and honorable and liis memory is revered and 
cherished by all who knew him. 



BYRON BENNETT DAVIS, M. D. 

Dr. Byron Bennett Davis, who has won distinction in the field of general 
surgery, has practiced in Omaha continuously since 1894, in which year he re- 
turned after studying in Berlin- and other European centers. He was born upon 
a farm near Fayette, Wisconsin, June 14, 1859, and traces his ancestry back to 
William Davis, his great-grandfather, who was born in Greenwich, Massachusetts, 
and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. He was a brother of Isaac 
Davis, who became a captain in the Continental army and was the first man to be 
killed in the conflict, falling on Lexington Green, where a monument has been 
erected to his memory. Silas Davis, grandfather of Dr. Davis, was born in Ver- 
mont in 1768 and died in Wisconsin in 1857. His son, William Bennett Davis, 
was born in Jericho, Vermont, in 1809 and at Underbill, that state, in 1837, 
wedded Martha E. Haywood. They removed to Wisconsin in 1853, settling on a 
farm in La P'ayette county, and after sixteen years, or in 1869, they became resi- 
dents of Richardson county, Nebraska, where they lived for many years, the father 
passing away in 1889 and the mother in 1894. 

Dr. Davis attended the public schools of Wisconsin to the age of ten years and 




DR. BYRON B. DAVIS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 53 

afterward continued his education in the schools of Richardson county, Nebraska, 
and in Nebraska State University, from which he was graduated on the completion 
of a classical course, winning the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1882. Two years 
afterward, or in 1884, he was graduated from the Minnesota Hospital College at 
Minneapolis, which institution later became the College of Medicine of the Minne- 
sota State University. For one year he acted as interne in the hospital connected 
with that college, gaining thereby broad and valuable practical experience. He 
spent some time as a student in the New York Polyclinic, after which he prac- 
ticed medicine in McCook, Nebraska, until 1893, when he went abroad and con- 
centrated his attention upon surgery in Berlin, having the benefit of instruction 
from some of the most eminent surgeons of that country. In the fall of 1894 he 
returned to his native land and settled in Omaha, where he has since concentrated 
his efforts upon surgical practice, in which connection he has won high distinction 
and merited honors, for he displays marked skill in the performance of the multi- 
tudinous delicate duties that confront the surgeon in his efforts to restore health 
and prolong life. 

On the 7th of June, 1887, in Beatrice, Nebraska, Dr. Davis was married to Miss 
Sophia Myers, a daughter of P. J. Myers, now deceased. They have one son, 
Herbert Haywood Davis, who was born in Berlin in 1894, and is a member of the 
class of 1917 at Cornell University. 

Dr. and Mrs. Davis hold membership in the Congregational church and he is 
a Knight Templar Mason and a Mystic Shriner. He also has membership with 
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and is identified with the Omaha, Uni- 
versity, Field, Country and Commercial Clubs. His political allegiance is given to 
the republican party and from 1887 until 1893 he was regent of the Nebraska 
State University but otherwise has held no public office, preferring to concentrate 
his energies upon his professional duties, which have been of constantly growing 
importance. He has been a close and discriminating student of everything con- 
nected with surgery and that he has kept thoroughly informed concerning advanced 
thought in the profession is indicated in the fact that he holdg-membership in the 
Western Surgical Association, the Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society, the 
Missouri Valley Medical Association, the Nebraska State Medical Association and 
the American Medical Association. In all professional relations his vision is broad 
and his duties are performed with a sense of conscientious obligation. 



COLONEL B. D. CRARY. 

Colonel B. D. Crary, deceased, was for many years a valued resident of 
Omaha, in which city he took up his abode in 1866. A native of Albany, New 
York, he spent the period of his minority in the east and was graduated from 
Union College with highest honors on the completion of a thorough course in 
law. He then opened an office in New York city, where he engaged in practice 
until throat trouble forced him to abandon his profession, at which time he 
sought business opportunities in the west. For a time he was located at Rock 
Island. Illinois, and thence removed to Omaha in 1866. Immediately after 
his arrival in this city he became connected with Kountze Brothers, with whom 
he was actively and prominently associated for many years. He located all of 
the land for Kountze Brothers in Texas and was a man of very sound and dis- 
criminating business judgment, so that the investments were wisely and judi- 
ciously made and brought good . financial returns. Mr. Crary took a contract 
to furnish many ties for the Union Pacific Railway Company at the time the 
road was being constructed. He conducted an extensive business under the 
name of the Texas Tram Lumber Company in Texas, being one of the owners 
of the enterprise, and for about thirty years his time was divided between the 
personal management of his affairs in that state and his home in Omaha, but 

Vol. TI— 3 



54 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

throughout the entire period he ahva}s made Omaha the place of his residence. 
He was thoroughly familiar with every branch of the lumber trade, studied 
closely the market conditions and by reason of his keen discernment so controlled 
and managed his interests that success in substantial measure came to him. 

Jn New York Mr. Crary was united in marriage to Miss Anna A. Littlejohn 
and they became the parents of five children : Charles T., now residing in Beau- 
mont, Texas; Mary Ella, who married Charles Chiverick and resides in Omaha; 
Anna Maria, who is living in C)maha; Nathan N., who lives in Beaumont, 
Texas; and William H., of Omaha. 

Soon after his arrival here Mr. Crary purchased the John I. Redick home 
on St. Mary's avenue, the house being surrounded by more than two acres of 
ground. His daughter, Miss Anna M. Crary, owns jLhis property, a notable 
place by reason of the beauty of the spacious lawn and the fine old trees which 
are still standing upon it. Mrs. Crary 's death occurred in 1895 ^"^ Mr. Crary, sur- 
viving her for twelve years, passed away in April, 1907, at the age of eighty-nine 
years, lie had long been a valued and honored citizen of Omaha, maintaining 
his residence within its borders for more than four decades. Wherever known 
he was held in the highest respect, for his life was ever upright and honorable. 
He was always loyal to the high principles which he made the standard of his 
life and his entire career was the expression of most commendable ethical prin- 
ciples. As the day with its morning of hope and promise, its noontide of activ- 
ity, its evening of successful and completed effort, ending in the grateful rest 
and quiet of the night, so was the life of this good man. 



HARRY GINTER COUNSMAN. 

Harry Ginter Counsman, who since 191-2 has filled the office of county asses- 
sor of Douglas county, has been almost continuously a public official since 1887 
and the record which he has made in office has at all times been creditable and 
commendable. Omaha claims him as a native son, his birth having here occurred 
on the 24th of August, 1861. His paternal grandfather, William Counsman, was 
a native of Johnstown, Pennsylvania, devoted his life to farming and passed 
away in his native state. The father, Jacob Miles Counsman, born in Hollidays- 
burg, Pennsylvania, in 1838, was there reared and in 1858, at Altoona, Pennsyl- 
vania, wedded Arabella Redman, who was born in Hollidaysburg in 1839. He 
learned the trade of a carpenter and joiner in Pennsylvania and in 1861 removed 
to the west by way of the Ohio and Mississippi rivers and thence up the Missouri 
river by boat to Omaha, where he arrived in the month of May. Here he took 
up his permanent abode and became one of the leading contractors and builders 
of the city, his operations also extending to other western cities, where many 
evidences of his skill and handiwork are still seen. He put aside the cares of 
active business life in 1900 and is now enjoying well earned retirement. For 
two years he was a member of the Omaha city council from the fifth ward. 

Harry G. Counsman is indebted to the public school system of Omaha for 
the educational privileges which he enjoyed. At the age of eighteen years he 
became interested in the manufacture of brick and in 1883 he was appointed to 
the position of railway mail clerk on the Union Pacific Railroad between Omaha 
and Cheyenne. He served in that capacity until 1887, when he was made deputy 
city cleric, a position which he occupied until 1892, when he was appointed to the 
office of deputy city treasurer. For twelve years he continued in that position 
and then resigned in 1904 to enter the storage and brokerage business in Omaha, 
in which he continued until 1912, when he was elected county assessor of Douglas 
county and yet occupies that position. He has also made extensive and profitable 
investments in Omaha real estate and has won a creditable place in business and 
political circles. His support has ever been stanchly given to the republican 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 55 

party and he has fought earnestly and effectively to uphold its principles and 
inculcate its ideas. 

In Omaha, on the loth of July, 1884, was celebrated the marriage of Mr. 
Counsman and Miss Yuba Kate Bailey, a daughter of Francis E. and Elizabeth 
Bailey. The father, who figured in public life as a member of the city council 
of Omaha from 1884 tnitil 1888, was owner and manager of a brick manufactur- 
ing industry and was also a building contractor, being awarded the contract for 
the construction of many of the largest of Omaha's first business blocks and 
residences. To Mr. and Mrs. Counsman have been born two children, Harry 
Ginter and Maude Irene. The former wedded Josephine Swanson and they 
have become the parents of a son, Harry Ginter, a representative of the third 
generation to bear that name. 

Mr. Counsman was baptized in the English Lutheran church and he now 
holds membership with various fraternal and social organizations, being a life 
member of St. John's Lodge, Xo. 25, A. F. & A. M. ; a life member of Bellevue 
Chapter, R. A. M. ; a member of Mount Calvary Commandery, K. T. ; and a 
life member of Tangier Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. He likewise belongs to Sey- 
mour Camp, W. O. W., of Omaha, and something of the nature of his recrea- 
tion is indicated in the fact that he is identified with the Omaha Field Club and 
the Elmwood Park Golf Club, organizations in which his attractive social quali- 
ties have gained him popularity. 



JOHN A. DOE. 



John A. Doe, who in the year 1908 was called to his final rest, liad been a 
resident of Omaha since 1882 and through all the intervening years had been a 
most prominent, active and helpful factor in promoting the business development 
and consequent growth and improvement of the city. He enjoyed the confidence 
and goodwill of his colleagues and contemporaries in the business world and his 
sterling traits of character won for him the v/arm regard of many friends. He 
was born in Washington, Maine, on the loth of February, 1846, and in early 
manhood went to Boston, where for a time he occupied the position of superin- 
tendent of the Washington Market. He became a prominent and influential 
citizen there and for a period was superintendent of municipal charities, a 
position of large responsibility, demanding keen insight, discriminating judg- 
ment, ready tact and broad sympathy. 

The year 1882 witnessed Mr. Doe's removal to the west and he first made 
his way to Kansas City, but the same year removed to South Omaha and became 
associated with the Nelson Morris Packing Com.pany, taking charge of the ren- 
dering plant. From that time forward he was closely associated with the 
industrial and commercial development of the city and his efforts and activi- 
ties were far-reaching and beneficial. He built and operated the first electric 
light plant in South Omaha and was closely connected with various local improve- 
ments of a public character as well as those which had their root in business. 
In 1889 he was associated with H. H. Meday, A. C. Foster and H. C. Bostwick 
in organizing the South Omaha Ice & Coal Company, which established the 
first ice business in the city. They extended their business to Omaha. Careful 
management and unfaltering enterprise led to th^ development of their trade 
and they still further broadened the scope of their activities by organizing in 
1894 the Council Bluffs Ice & Coal Company, after which they did the major 
portion of the business in all three places. In 1898 E. A. Cudahy, T. W. Talli- 
ferro and H. C. Bostwick, who had acquired the interests of Messrs. Meday 
and Foster, sold their holdings to Messrs. Doe and Talbot in the enterprise and 
the David Talbot Ice Company, the South Omaha Ice & Coal Company and the 
Arctic Ice Company were consolidated. In 1904 Mr. Talbot disposed of his 



56 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

interests to Air. Doe and the business became the Omaha Ice & Cold Storage 
Company. In 1905 he added to his equipment a sixty ton artificial ice plant, 
the lirst ice manufacturing plant in Omaha, and later increased the facilities so 
that the plant had a capacity of one hundred and twenty tons production per day. 
After the death of Mr. Doe, Mrs. Doe became president oi the company and 
H. A. Colvin, general manager, and they have erected still another plant of sixty 
tons capaci'iy which has recently been completed. The plant is thoroughly modern 
in every way. J\lr. Doe owned large ice houses on Carter Lake with a capacity 
of thirty-five thousand tons. He had the contract for supplying the railroad 
companies with ice. It was through his efforts that the business was established 
and it has since been built up to its present extensive and gratifying propor- 
tions and his interests became among the most important of the manufacturing 
and commercial concerns of the city. He was a member of the Western Ice 
Manufacturers Association. The business which he established is still being 
profitably conducted and furnishes employment to about one hundred and 
seventy-five people. 

It was in Peabody, Massachusetts, in 1877 that Mr. Doe wedded Miss Anna 
F. Mockler and they had one child, John F., now deceased. The husband and 
father passed away April 24, 1908, when in the prime of life, being then but 
sixty-two years of age. His many friends felt the deepest regret at his passing, 
for he had endeared himself to all with whom he had come in contact.' He was 
a man of. strong character and a very public spirited citizen. He belonged to 
the Ak-Sar-Ben and was interested in all of its projects for the exploitation and 
improvement of Omaha. His life record shows what may be accomplished when 
one possesses perseverance, determination and business initiative. Step by step 
as he advanced he broadened his interests and the community benefited by the 
conduct of his business affairs, while his enterprise and diligence were rewarded 
with substantial success. 



GEORGE APPLETON HOAGLAND. 

George Appleton Hoagland, head and founder of the firm of George A. Hoag- 
land & Company, promoters of the pioneer wholesale lumber business of Omaha, 
was born in Boonville, Missouri, on the 20th of May, 1843, a son of George 
Tunis and Nancy (Gale) Hoagland, the father a native of Trenton, New Jersey, 
and the mother of Massachusetts. In 1852 they removed from Boonville to 
St. Joseph, Missouri, and in that 'state spent their remaining days. 

George A. Hoagland attended the public schools of Weston, Missouri, and 
pursued a college course in Liberty, Missouri, for a year. In the spring of 1861 
his father established the lumber business in Omaha in partnership with George 
Bebbington under the firm name of George T. Hoagland & Company. Their 
initial stock comprised a few car loads of lumber which was offered for sale 
upon the site of the Millard Hotel at the northeast corner of Thirteenth and 
Douglas streets. In the summer of 1861 George A. Hoagland arrived in Omaha, 
coming from St. Joseph, Missouri, and entered the employ of the firm in a cler- 
ical capacity. He soon displayed marked aptitude in the business and in 1865 
he and his father acquired the interests of Mr. Bebbington and the firm then 
became George T. Hoagland & Son, the son assuming the position of manager 
and resident partner. At that time building was active in Omaha and the Union 
Pacific Railroad was also in process of construction. Mr. Hoagland was often 
called upon to supply large quantities of lumber used in railroad building. He 
brought his lumber to Omaha by river steamers and it was carried to the point 
where it was to be used by team. Purchasers came with their wagons for lumber 
for a distance of two hundred miles. About 1871 Mr. Hoagland determined to 
establish at Omaha a distributing center for lumber and each initiative step in 




GEORGE A. HOAGLAND 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 59 

his business brought enlarged and satisfactory results. In 1874, therefore, he was 
able to purchase the interests of his father in the business and continue the 
undertaking as sole proprietor. His prosperity continued uninterruptedly until 
the great flood of 1881 swept away or destroyed about twenty thousand dollars' 
worJi of his stock. As new communities sprang up, Mr. Hoagland established 
branch yards to supply their needs and now maintains yards in most of the 
important towns of the state and at the same time has large lumber interests in 
Iowa. His operations in the lumber field indeed cover a very wide territory 
and the firm of George A. Hoagland & Company is one of the foremost in that 
field in the state. He is also interested in banking as president of the Hoagland 
Loan & Investment Company, of St. Joseph, Missouri. 

On the 22d of May, 1864, in Omaha, Mr. Hoagland was united in marriage 
to Miss lantha C. Wyman, who was born in Madison, Wisconsin, a daughter of 
William W. Wyman, at one time a prominent Omaha journalist. Mr. and Mrs. 
Hoagland have become parents of seven children, four of whom are yet living: 
William W., who is associated with his father in the lumber firm of George A. 
Hoagland & Company; Laura M., the wife of Dr. John E. Summers, one of the 
leading surgeons of the west, residing in Omaha ; Paul I., a member of the firm 
of Bullard, Hoagland & Benedict, dealers in lumber and building materials ; and 
Helen L., the wife of Captain D. L. Stone, of the United States army, now 
located in Honolulu. 

He is a member of the Congregational church and is interested in matters 
relative to public welfare but preeminently is a business man, giving the major 
part of his time, thought and attention to the conduct of his growing interests, 
which have constituted an element in the stage's iliaterial.advancement and prog- 
ress as well as the basis of his individual success''!' • si .=:-- 



GEORGE FC^.G4]S[,.,. 

George Forgan, well known in financial circles in Omaha, has advanced step 
by step in his business career until he now handles the interests of a large and 
important clientele under the name of the Forgan Investment Company. He 
was born in Bo'ness, Scotland, July i, 1871, and is a son of Peter L. and Grace 
(MacMillan) Forgan, who were also natives of the land of hills and heather. 
The father was born in 1834 and for twenty-three years was actively and suc- 
cessfully engaged in banking in Bo'ness before coming to the United States, after 
which he practically lived retired. It was in 1886 that he brought his family 
to the new world, settling at Norfolk, Nebraska, whence in 1887 he removed 
to Omaha. He died on the 7th of May, 1915, at his old home in Scotland, whither 
he had gone on a visit, and his widow now makes her home with their son 
George in Omaha. 

In schools of his native land George Forgan pursued his education to the age 
of sixteen years and then accompanied his parents to the new world. On the 
establishment of the family home in this city in the year 1887 he entered the 
employ of Cummings & Neilson, wholesale dealers in paints, with whom he 
continued until the spring of 1888, when he made his initial step in financial 
circles as an employe of the American Loan & Trust Company and American 
Savings Bank with which he continued until the fall of the year 1897 when he 
became manager of the Anthony Loan & Trust Company of Omaha. After 
three years, or in 1900, he resigned to enter the farm loan business on his own 
account as the senior partner in the Forgan-Haskell Company, which connec- 
tion was maintained until 1905, when Mr. Haskell retired and took up his resi- 
dence in California. Since that time Mr. Forgan has conducted the business 
alone under the name of the Forgan Investment Company, which was later incor- 
porated in 1913. He has handled extensive and important financial interests 



60 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

throughout this period and has a large chentage for which he has made most 
satisfactory and profitable investments. lie is thoroughly acquainted with every 
phase of the business and an excellent judge of property values. At the present 
time and for the past three years his company has been the financial corres- 
pondent of the lujuitable Life Assurance Society of New York city for the 
purpose of negotiating farm loans for that large life insurance company in the 
state of Nebraska. 

On the 1 2th of June, 1894, in Omaha, Yir. Forgan was united in marriage 
to Miss .Mabel Cole, her father being David Cole, wdio is deceased. To them 
has been born a daughter, Marjorie Mae. Mr. Forgan votes with the republi- 
can party. His religious faith is that of the Presbyterian church, while frater- 
nally he is a Scottish Rite Mason, a member of the Mystic Shrine and a mem- 
ber of the Henevolent Protective Order of Elks. His interest in the welfare 
and upbuilding of the city is indicated in his membership in the Commercial 
Club and his cooperation with its well defined plans for the city's benefit. He 
is also a meml)er of the Omaha Athletic Club and finds recreation through his 
membership in the Omaha Field Club, being an enthusiastic golfer, inheriting 
as it were the fondness for that ancient Scottish game from his relatives in St. 
Andrews. Scotland, celebrated golf club makers there. He has many friends 
both within and without those organizations, for throughout his entire life he 
has displayed sterling qualities of manhood and citizenship w^hich have won 
for him the high regard and goodwill of all w-ith whom he has been brought in 
contact. 



RALPH E. PARROTT. 



Ralph E. Parrott, of Omaha, manager of the Oliver Chilled Plow Company, 
proves in his business career the fact that success is not the result of genius or 
of fortunate circumstances, as some contend, but is rather the outcome of clear 
judgment, wisdom, experience and industry on the part of the individual, for 
starting out in life empty handed, he has worked his way steadily upward and 
each forward step has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportunities. 
He was born upon a farm near Danville, Iowa, March 21, 1874. The family 
name was originally spelled Parriott but several generations have adopted the 
present form. Descended from \"irginian ancestry, his grandfather and his 
great-grandfather, both of whom bore the name of William Parrott, were 
natives of the Old Dominion. The former became a farmer of that state, owning 
a large plantation and a large number of slaves, but long prior to the Civil war 
he liberated his negroes and removed to Iowa in 1833, settling on a farm in 
Des Moines county. At one time he owned a large portion of the land now 
within the corporation limits of the city of Burlington and was one of the pioneer 
residents there, contributing to its early development and assisting largely in 
promoting the interests of civilization in that region. His son, Christopher C. 
Parrott, was born on the old homestead farm near Danville, low'a, on the 
17th of February, 1839, and in that state was married to Miss Lydia A. Clark, 
w^ho is now living with her son Ralph in Omaha. Mr. Parrott having passed away 
on the 15th of February, 1900. 

The youthful experiences of Ralph E. Parrott were those of the farm bred 
boy who works in the fields through the summer months and in the winter sea- 
sons attends the district schools. He thus pursued his education in Des Moines 
county, Iowa, to the age of sixteen years, when he entered the Orchard City 
Business College at Burlington, where he studied for a time. His initial step 
in commercial circles was made as a clerk in a store in New London. Iowa, where 
he remained for two years, and later he became a clerk in a dry goods store in 
Burlington, where he also spent a similar period. He then returned to New 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 61 

London and for a year engaged in teaching school. In 1902 he entered the 
employ of the Deering Harvester Company at Ottumwa, Iowa, where he con- 
tinued for a year, and the succeeding two years were spent in charge of a retail 
implement business which he owned at New London, Iowa. He remained pro- 
prietor of the establishment for six years although he did not give personal 
supervision to it for four years of that period. In 1905 he went to Chicago 
and became purchasing agent for the large mail order house of the John M. 
Smyth Company, spending two years in that connection. He was afterward 
with the D. M. Sechler Implement & Carriage Company of Moline, Illinois, as 
traveling salesman in Iowa, representing that house upon the road for nine 
years, at the end of which time the factory was taken over by the Oliver Chilled 
Plow Company and Mr. Parrott opened a branch for that corporation at Des 
Moines, having charge there for a year. On the expiration of that period he was 
sent to Omaha to open a branch in this city and he is now manager of the 
business at this point. He is a man of marked enterprise, whose constantly 
expanding powers have brought him larger opportunities and greater responsibili- 
ties and today he figures prominently m the commercial circles of this city. 

On the 26th of Xyvember. 1896. in New London, Iowa, 'Sir. Parrott was 
married to Miss Blanch Knickerbocker, a daughter of Emory S. and Amanda 
M. (Williams) Knickerbocker, the former a native of New York and the latter 
of Iowa. Her paternal grandparents were Philo and Abbie AI. (Flint) Knicker- 
bocker, also natives of the Empire state. 

Mr. and Mrs. Parrott are members of the Presbyterian church and in poli- 
tics he is a democrat, but while interested in the success of the party he has 
never become an active worker in its ranks, preferring to concentrate his undivided 
attention upon commercial interests. Keenly alive to every new avenue opened 
in the natural ramifications of trade, he has passed through the pitfalls into 
which unrestrained progressiveness is so often led and has thus been able to 
focus his energies in directions where fruition is certain. His course, too, has 
been characterized by a native justice expressing itself in correct principle and 
practice. 



JAMES ROY JAMISON. 

James Roy Jamison, manager of the Willys-Overland Company of Omaha 
and thus an active representative of the automobile trade in the city, was born 
in Frankfort, Ohio, July 6, 1878. The ancestral line is traced back to two 
brothers who came from the north of Ireland in 1760 and settled in Culpeper 
county, Virginia. A branch of the family was afterward established in Kentucky, 
where Samuel Jamison, the grandfather, was born. He removed to Ohio and 
it was at the old family homestead at Frankfort that Samuel Jamison, father of 
James Roy Jamison, was born in the year 1827. He devoted his life to the occu- 
pation of farming in that locality. In 1862 he married Eleanor Haynes Worthing- 
ton, also a native of Frankfort, Ohio, and throughout their remaining days they 
continued their residence in that district, the mother passing away in 1903, w-hile 
the father survived until 1909. 

A course in Central College at Danville. Kentucky, supplemented the public 
school training which James R. Jamison received in Frankfort, Ohio, and in 
1902 he was graduated from Miami University at Oxford, Ohio, so that liberal 
educational advantages qualified him for an active business career. When his 
textbooks were put aside he went to Chicago and for a year was connected with 
the insurance business in that city. He later spent three years in the insurance 
business in Denver and in 1905 he returned to Ohio, entering the employ of the 
Pope Motor Car Company at Toledo, with which he was connected for a year and 
a half. Since that time he has been continuously identified with the automobile 



62 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

trade in one branch or another. In 1908 he entered the service of the Michehn 
Tire Company at New Brunswick, New Jersey, where he remained for three 
years, when he returned to Toledo and became a representative of the Willys- 
Overland Company. In July, 1914, he arrived in Omaha, where he organized the 
Overland-Omaha Company, of which he became president, and the firm built up 
a business of very large proportions. On July i, 1916, the business of the 
Overland-Omaha Company was purchased by the Willys-Overland Company 
of Toledo, Mr. Jamison becoming manager of the new concern. 

On the 19th of October, 1910, in Frankfort, Ohio, Mr. Jamison was united in 
marriage to Miss Martha Hughey, a daughter of Bernard Hughey, and their 
children are Bernard Worthington and Jane Seymour. Mr. and Mrs. Jamison 
attend the Presbyterian church and already they have gained many warm friends 
in this city. Mr. Jamison is a republican and broad reading keeps him in close 
touch with the political situation of the country. He is a well known Scottish 
Rite Mason and Mystic Shriner and he belongs also to the Ak-Sar-Ben, an 
organization largely composed of members of the Mystic Shrine who have banded 
themselves together to promote the interests of Omaha, utilizing as one means 
of the city's exploitation a fiesta similar to the Mardi Gras at New Orleans. Mr. 
Jamison is also a member of the Commercial Club, giving active aid to various 
measures put forth by that organization for Omaha's benefit, and along more 
strictly social lines he has become identified with the Omaha Athletic Club and 
the Omaha Field Club. 



GEORGE WARD HOLDREGE. 

A prominent figure in railway circles is George Ward Holdrege, general man- 
ager for the Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad Company west of the Mis- 
souri river. He was born in New York City, March 26, 1847, and his record is a 
verification of the statement of Roosevelt that the strongest men of the country 
are those who have been born and bred in the east and have sought the middle 
west as a field of labor, utilizing its opportunities in the development of the great 
business interests of this section of the country. He is a representative of a 
family of English origin that was established in New England at an early epoch 
in the development of the new world. His grandfather, Henry Holdrege, was a 
native of Connecticut and became captain of a ship sailing between the United 
States and England. His father, Henry Holdrege, who was also born in Con- 
necticut, became a merchant of New York city. He was married in Massachusetts 
to Mary Russell Grinnell, a native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, and it was 
subsequent to their marriage that they became residents of the eastern metropolis, 
where the father passed away in 1874, while the mother died in Milton, Massa- 
chusetts, in 1886. 

During the early boyhood of George Ward Holdrege the family home was 
established at Irvington-on-Hudson and there he attended school until he entered 
Harvard, within whose classic walls he pursued a course that brought him to 
graduation in 1869. at which time the Bachelor of Arts degree was conferred 
upon him. Immediately afterward he came to Nebraska and at Plattsmouth 
entered the employ of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company in a 
clerical capacity. He has since continued with that road and its successors, the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy, advancing through intermediate positions to that 
of general manager of the division west of the Missouri. He has acted in that 
capacity since 1882, during which period the business of the road under his 
jurisdiction has developed to mammoth proportions, attributable in large measure 
to his initiative and executive force. He has studied every phase of the business, 
being familiar with every detail as well as the major principles of railroad develop- 
ment and control. Mr. Holdrege has made extensive investments in farm 




GEORGE W. HOLDREGE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 65 

property in western Nebraska, whereon he raises Hve stock, this side issue of his 
business being probably his most pronounced "hobby." 

On the i2th of February, 1872, in Boston, Massachusetts, Mr. Holdrege was 
married to Miss Emily Cabot Atkinson, who died February 16, 1873, leaving a son, 
Henry Atkinson Holdrege, who is a graduate of the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology and who was married in Belmont, Massachusetts, September 26, 
1899, to Miss Anne Mumford Hunt, by whom he has three children — Emily, 
George Chandler and Charles Francis. On the 23d of April, 1878, in Omaha, 
George W. Holdrege was married to Frances Rogers Kimball and they became 
parents of three daughters: Mary, the wife of Edward Augustus Holyoke; 
Susan, the wife of Dr. Robert R. Hollister; and Leeta Arabel, at home. 

Mr. Holdrege gives his political endorsement to the republican party. He is 
a member of the Denver Club of Denver, Colorado, while in Omaha he has 
membership with the Commercial, the Omaha, the University and the Country 
Clubs. Upon the broad foundation of liberal education he has builded his 
success, winning his advancement through the mastery of interests and duties 
entrusted to his care until in important official position he is now guiding the 
interests and destinies of transportation facilities upon which the development and 
welfare of a great section of the west largely depend. 



ELIJAH CONKLIN. 



In the fall of 1873 Elijah Conklin became a resident of Omaha and throughout 
the intervening period to his death ranked with the "popular and valued citizens 
of not only this city but of the west, for his extensive travels brought him a wide 
acquaintance and his many sterling traits of character gained for him the warm 
regard and friendship of all. He came' to tMs city from Mississippi, his native 
state, his birth having occurred at Port Gibs'on on the loth of February, 1847. 
His brother, William B. Conklin, had arrived in 1871 and was employed as 
bookkeeper by the firm of Poland & Elliott. He married a niece of Judge James 
W. Savage and a few years ago removed to Chicago, where he passed away in 
191 5. Another brother, Walter W. Conklin, resided for several years at North 
Platte, Nebraska, later in Omaha and St. Louis, and is now a resident of Chicago. 
During his residence in Nebraska and St. Louis he was connected with the 
Missouri Pacific Railway but is now with the Illinois Central Railway. 

Elijah Conklin spent the days of his boyhood and youth in his native state 
and there he acquired his education. He was a youth of but sixteen years when 
he responded to the call of the Confederacy for troops and joined the army, 
serving during the last two years of the war. He enlisted as a member of 
Company A, in a Mississippi cavalry regiment commanded by Colonel Woods 
and attached to General Adams' Brigade. He was on duty under General 
Forrest when paroled at Gainesville, Alabama, at the close of the war in May, 
1865. He served as a courier under General Gardner, whose widow sent Mr. 
Conklin from La Fayette, Louisiana, a picture of the General taken in his 
uniform in 1863. This picture is still a cherished possession of the Conklin 
family. In recognition of Mr. Conklin's notable bravery and loyalty the southern 
cross of honor was conferred upon him. 

After coming to Omaha he was employed as a Pullman conductor on the 
run between this city and Ogden, Utah, over the Union Pacific for thirteen years. 
Later he became a traveling representative of the mercantile house of Maxmeyer 
Brothers, his territory covering Montana, the Black Hills and all of Nebraska. 
For over thirty years he remained upon the road and his social, genial nature and 
many admirable traits of character won for him wide popularity. He was 
one of the oldest traveling men of Omaha and none has been held in higher 
regard than he. 



66 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

In 1871 Mr. Conklin was married at Rodney, Mississippi, to Miss Helena 
Lennon, of that state, and they became the parents of three children : Elijah 
B., now a resident of St. Paul, Minnesota; Walter P., a traveling man; and Grace 
Lennon, who is a teacher of elocution and a gifted public reader. She organized 
the Omaha Chapter of the United Daughters of the Confederacy and served as 
its first president, occupying the position for two terms, while upon her retire- 
ment from the presidency she was made honorary president. She organized the 
society in J900 with twenty-three members and today it has thirty-two members. 
She was the youngest president in the national convention of the Daughters of 
the Confederacy held at St. Louis a few years ago. Her work as a public 
reader all through the south has received the highest praise and she has been 
heard on many a Chautauqua platform. She was graduated in both music and 
elocution from the Marden School of Elocution and Music in Chicago. 

Mr. Conklin was a member of J. J. Whitney Camp of the United Confederate 
X'eterans at Fayette, Mississippi, belonged to the United Commercial Travelers 
for many years and was also an active member of the Elks. He passed away 
July 18, 191 1, when sixty-four years of age, and at the time of his demise both 
the Confederate and the American flags were draped over his casket, while 
both Confederate and Union veterans were pall bearers at his funeral. He was 
said to be one of the most highly respected traveling salesmen traveling out of 
Omaha and in every walk of life he was honored and esteemed. He ever retained 
the qualities of a good soldier, prompt in the performance of duty and of 
unquestioned loyalty. His friends delighted in his companionship and regard as 
among their happiest moments the hours spent in his company. 



JAMES A. SUNDERLAND. 

Prominent among the energetic, farsighted and successful business men of 
Omaha is James A. Sunderland, president of the Sunderland Brothers Company, 
extensive jobbers in fuel and building supplies and contractors in marble and 
tile work. Close application and indefatigable effort have been the basis of his 
progress in business circles and his growing success. He was born in Jamestown, 
New York, in i860, and comes of English ancestry. His paternal grandfather, 
Thomas Sunderland, was born in Yorkshire, England, but his last days were 
spent in the United States, where he passed away after a life devoted to farm- 
ing. His son, the Rev. James Sunderland, was born in Yorkshire, England, in 
1834, but was brought to America by his parents in 1843, when the family 
home was established near Jamestown, New York. In 1856 a removal was 
made to Iowa and in 1861 James Sunderland was admitted to the ministry of 
the Baptist church after which he filled successive pastorates at Strawberry 
Point, Vinton, Sioux City, Ottumwa and Fort Madison, Iowa. Later he accepted 
the position of superintendent of Baptist missionary work in Iowa and afterward 
in Minnesota, whence he went to the Pacific coast to enter upon similar duties. 
He retired about 1906 and now makes his home at Oakland, California. His 
wife passed away in 1879. 

James A. Sunderland pursued his education in the public schools of the vari- 
ous cities to which the family removed by reason of the father's changing pastoral 
relations and in 1879 was graduated from the Ottumwa (Iowa) high school. 
Immediately afterward he made his initial step in the business world, becoming 
connected with the line of commercial activity in which he has engaged since, 
and one of the chief sources of his success is undoubtedly the fact that he has 
always continued in the same business, thereby becoming thoroughly familiar 
with every branch of the trade. Entering a coal office in Ottumwa, he three 
years later purchased the business but the following year, or in 1883, came to 
Omaha as secretary and manager of the Omaha Coal, Coke & Lime Company, 




JAMES A. Sl'XDEPvLAND 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 69 

of which he became a stockholder, his associates in the enterprise being Charles 
F. Goodman and George F. Labagh. In 1892 Mr. Sunderland and his two 
brothers bought out the interests of the other stockholders, continuing to operate 
under the same name for three or four years, after which they adopted the pres- 
ent firm style of the Sunderland Brothers Company. They do an extensive 
jobbing business in fuel and building supplies and have extended the scope of 
their undertaking to include a contracting business in marble and tile, having 
installed in Omaha a marble working mill. They thus control important com- 
mercial and industrial interests of the city, their trade having reached mammoth 
proportions. James A. Sunderland is the president of the Sunderland Brothers 
Company and he is also financially and officially connected with many other im- 
portant business concerns which have to do with the commercial development and 
consequent prosperity of the city. 

In September, 1885, in Brooklyn. New York, Mr. Sunderland was united in 
marriage to Miss Ada E. Youngs, who passed away in 1891, leaving two chil- 
dren Edwin M. and Albert E. but the latter died in infancy. In 1897 in Ottumwa, 
Iowa, Mr. Sunderland wedded Alice Edgerly and they have four children : John 
E., Helen, Ruth and Alice. 

The parents are members of the First Baptist church, in which Mr. Sunder- 
land is serving as a trustee. His political allegiance in given to the republican 
party and his social nature finds expression in his membership in the University 
and Happy Hollow Clubs. He is the president of the Commercial Club, to the 
success of which organization he has devoted much time and effort. 



JOHN C. DREXEL. . 

Business circles of Omaha knew John C: Drexel as an enterprising and 
successful shoe merchant, his interests intliaf connection being important and 
extensive, for he was the vice president and one of the~ directors of the Drexel 
Shoe Company. In his relations to the city, however, he was well known by 
reason of his activity in democratic circles and his loyal adherence to every 
pledge he made. He was one of the city commissioners of Omaha and to the 
discharge of his public duties he brought the same keen discernment and spirit 
of unfaltering enterprise which characterized his mercantile career. He was 
born on the i6th of February. 1855. in Doddridge county, now in West Vir- 
ginia, a son of Frederick and Christina (Lingner) Drexel, both of whom were 
natives of Germany. The father was born in 1833 and came to the United 
States in 1850, at which time he settled in Reading. Pennsylvania. Following 
his marriage he lived for some time in Virginia, now West Virginia, but during 
the early boyhood of his son, John C, became a resident of Omaha, where for 
a quarter of a century he successfully conducted business as a stone contractor, 
furnishing the stone for the postoffice and also for the old First National Bank. 
He was a democrat in his political views and for two terms filled the office of 
county commissioner. He died in the year 1894 but is still survived by his 
widow, who yet makes her home in Omaha. They were parents of sixteen chil- 
dren, of whom six survive. 

John C. Drexel was one year old when the family home was estab- 
lished at what is now the site of the stock yards at South Omaha and he received 
his education in the schools of Omaha, where the family moved in 1866. He was 
graduated from an Omaha business college. He afterward worked as a cow 
puncher in Nebraska and upon his return to Omaha spent two years as book- 
keeper in the employ of his father. In 1883 he turned his attention to the under- 
taking business and was so engaged until 1890, when he became active in the 
retail boot and shoe trade and in the intervening years won a place among the 
leading shoe merchants of the city. 



70 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

On the 2d of April, 1890, Mr. Drexel was married to Miss Minnie H. Brandt, 
a daughter of John JJrandt, who was a native of Holland and died in Omaha 
January 19, 1916. Mr. and Mrs. Drexel became parents of two sons, John 
Harte and Herbert William. 

Mr. Drexel attended the Lutheran church, of which Mrs. Drexel is a mem- 
ber, and he was a member of the Hajjpy Hollow and Commercial Clubs. ' He 
was a Master Mason and an Elk and was loyal to the teachings and purposes- 
of those organizations. In politics he was always a democrat and in 1884 was 
chosen coroner of Douglas county for one year to fill out a vacancy, after which 
he was twice elected to the office. In 1893 he was elected sheriit of Douglas 
county and served for one term. In 1905 he was appointed to the position of 
county clerk to fill out a vacancy and at the succeeding regular election was 
chosen to the position for a two years' term. In 191 5 he was elected city com- 
missioner of Omaha and was filling that office when his death occurred Alay 20, 
1916. He had never been defeated when a candidate save once, when he ran for 
the office of councilman against his better judgment and lost by a few votes. 
It is well known that he held a political promise sacred and was most faithful 
to the trusts reposed in him. He was always amenable to argument and reason but 
nothing could swerve him from a course which he believed to be right. He pos- 
sessed an unusual memory for names and faces and when he made acquaintances 
he ne\er forgot them. Jovial and genial, his friends, and they were many, 
regarded him as a most entertaining and valued companion. 



FRANK T. HAMILTON. 

Frank T. Hamilton, of Omaha, is closely associated with various interests 
which are integral factors in the city life and his entire record reflects credit and 
honor upon the city which claims him as a native son. He was bom in 1861, a 
son of Charles Edward and Mary F. (Murphy) Hamilton. He represents one of 
the oldest families of the city. Through the period of his boyhood and youth 
Frank T. Hamilton concentrated his efforts upon the mastery of those branches 
of learning which were taught in the Omaha schools and later entered George- 
town University at Washington, D. C, from which he was graduated with the 
class of 1885. Thus well qualified by education and training for heavy and mani- 
fold duties in the business world, he returned to Omaha. He entered the Mer- 
chants National Bank in a humble capacity, but diligence and determination 
shaped his course from the beginning. He recognized the fact that industry is 
the basis of all advancement and laudable ambition prompted him to so concen- 
trate his eflr'orts that promotion naturally followed. Each advance step brought 
him a wider outlook and broader opportunities and in 1905 he was elected vice 
president of the bank, having in twenty years reached the second position of exec- 
utive control. In the same year he was elected to the presidency of the Omaha 
Gas Company and the breadth, scope and importance of his business connections 
are further indicated in the fact that he is vice president of the Council Blufifs & 
Omaha Street Railway Company and is a director of the Independent Elevator 
Company. Thus he is actively connected with interests which have an important 
bearing upon the progress and stable prosperity of the community. 

In California, on the 24th of October, 1907, Mr. Hamilton was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Luisa d'Cistne and they have two children : Exilona Luisa, and a 
son. Frank T., Jr., born September 9, 1916. The parents are adherents of the 
Catholic faith and Mr. Llamilton holds membership with the Elks lodge, the 
Omaha Club, the Country Club, the University Club and the Commercial Club. 
His political allegiance is given to the republican party and his opinions concern- 
ing vital public questions are of interest to' party leaders inasmuch as the extent 
and importance of his business interests have led him to give thoughtful consid- 





FRANK T. HAMILTON 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 73 

eration to the questions affecting the general welfare. His record may well serve 
to inspire and encourage others, showing what may be accomplished when there 
is the will to dare and to do. 



MILTON ROGERS. 



No history of Omaha would be complete without extended mention of Milton 
Rogers, pioneer merchant, who established a hardware store which is still in 
existence and remains as a monument to the enterprise and business ability of its 
founder, whose death was the occasion of deep regret to his fellow citizens, who 
had long acknowledged his worth and held him in the highest respect and 
confidence. 

Mr. Rogers was born on a farm in Harford county, Maryland, on the 22d 
of June, 1822, a son of Joseph and Mary (Cooper) Rogers, who were also 
natives of that state and were of the Quaker faith. The family removed to 
eastern Ohio, settling in Columbiana county when Milton Rogers was very 
young, and the only educational opportunities which were obtainable at that 
time in the district in which he lived were those aft'orded by the country schools 
of that primitive period. When not occupied with his text books he assisted in 
the labors of the field, but he did not desire to make agriculture his life work 
and at the age of seventeen years he left home and began learning the trade of a 
copper and tinsmith in New Lisbon, Ohio. After four years there spent he ven- 
tured forth to start an independent business and at dift'erent periods was located 
in Ohio, Lidiana and Missouri. He followed his trade in Muncie, Indiana, and 
in Cincinnati, Ohio, before coming to the west and in search of a new location 
he visited St. Louis, Weston, Lexington, Independence, Savannah and St. Joseph, 
Missouri. He would have established a store at the last named city but was 
unable to rent a building there, as the town was filled with gold seekers en route 
for California, St. Joseph being at the time the chief outfitting place for the 
western emigrants. Thus forced to seek a dift'erent location, Mr. Rogers made 
his way up the Missouri river to Council Bluffs, then known as Kanesville, where 
he arrived in August, 1850, and soon afterward he was actively engaged in 
business there. 

The new enterprise prospered and in June, 1855, he established a branch store 
in Omaha, which was probably the first of the kind in Nebraska. His original 
location was a frame building twenty by forty feet on Lower Farnam street, 
between Ninth and Tenth streets. From time to time he made additions to the 
building until it had attained a depth of one hundred and thirty-two feet, but 
still his quarters were inadequate to the demands of his trade and he rented one 
of the stores of the Pioneer block on Farnam street, between Eleventh and 
Twelfth streets. In 1861 he erected a frame building twenty-two by sixty feet, 
on a lot twenty-two by one hundred and thirty-two feet, which he had purchased 
at the southeast corner of Farnam and Fourteenth streets, having it ready for 
occupancy in March, 1862. His business developed with the growth of the city 
and in 1867 he joined with other property holders in that block in the project 
of erecting a three-story brick building, into which he removed in June, 1868. 
A few years later he bought the twenty-two feet adjoining him and threw the 
two stores into one. His sons became associated with him in business under the 
firm style of Milton Rogers & Sons and from the beginning their establishment 
occupied a position of leadership in hardware circles. In a word, Mr. Rogers 
prospered as the years passed, his carefully managed business affairs bringing 
to him constantly growing success, so that his income became of a most substan- 
tial character. His cooperation was sought in other fields and he became finan- 
cially and officially interested in various important corporations, being a director 
of the Union Stock Yards Company, of the South Omaha Land Company, the 



74 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Omaha Water Company ami the Omaha Street Railway Comj)any. The mere 
mention of these is indicative of the place which he occupied in business circles 
and of the sound judgment and discrimination which he displayed in his invest- 
ments. Jie was actively concerned in the purchase of the tract of land which 
was platted as South Omaha, becoming one of the original stockholders of the 
South Omaha i-and Company and thus contributing in marked measure to the 
development and U})building of that section of the city. 

On the 27th of November, 1856, at Council lUuffs, Mr. Rogers was married 
to Aliss Jennie S. Spoor, a sister of Captain N. T. Spoor, who had served as an 
officer in the Civil war. They became the parents of five children : Thomas J., 
who married Ella J. Spoor and has passed away, his widow still residing in 
Omaha ; W'arren M., deceased, who wedded Mary Grace Rogers, of Portland, 
Maine; Alice L., the deceased wife of Oscar B. Williams, of Omaha; Herbert 
Milton, successor of his father in business ; and William S., who married Eliza- 
beth Fisk, of Trenton, New Jersey. 

Milton Rogers, whose name introduces this review, was a member of the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows. While he never sought to figure promi- 
nently in public afifairs as an office holder, he was ever a representative of that 
class of progressive business men who recognize the opportunities for public 
advancement and improvement and become cooperant factors in bringing about 
desired results. He had been prominently identified with the trade interests of 
the city for forty years when on the 12th of November, 1895, he passed away. 
Thus another name was added to the list of the pioneers who performed their 
work of laying broad and deep the foundation upon which has been built the 
present progress and prosperity of the city and then passed on. His record, 
however, deserves a prominent place on the pages of Omaha's history, for he 
builded along substantial lines and the business interests which he instittited 
have even yet not reached their full fruition as factors in the city's growth and 
development. 



HERBERT MILTON ROGERS. 

Herbert Milton Rogers succeeded to the business of the firm of Milton 
Rogers & Sons upon the death of his brothers and thus became the head of on^ 
of the oldest mercantile establishments of Omaha. He is a. worthy successor of 
his father, displaying a spirit of undaunted enterprise that reaches out along 
constantly broadening lines in the development of his individual interests and in 
his relation to the city's welfare as well. He married Anna C. Millard, a daugh- 
ter of the late Ezra Millard, of Omaha, and they have three children, Milton, 
Millard H. and Helen. Appreciative of the social amenities of life, Mr. Rogers 
is identified with the University and the Happy Hollow Clubs. He belongs to 
the Commercial Club and to the Presbyterian church and thus the influence 
of the family remains a supporting factor in those elements which contribute to 
the city's material, social and moral progress. 



GEORGE W. CLABAUGH. 

George W. Clabaugh, vice president of the gas company of Omaha, belongs 
to that class of business men whose keen sagacity enables them to recognize the 
possibilities of a business situation and to so utilize it that substantial results are 
achieved. With every phase of the gas business he is familiar and his developing 
powers have brought him to a position of executive control. He was born in 
Cumberland, Maryland, March 30, 1859. The Clabaugh family is of German 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 75 

extraction but has been represented in America through several generations. 
His father, George W. Clabaugh, was born in Frederick county, Maryland, 
November 15, 1808. and married Ellen Kemp, a daughter of Henry and Amanda 
(Trail) Kemp. Th'e Kemp family was represented in the Revolutionary war. 

George W. Clabaugh was a little lad of but four years when his parents 
removed in 1863 to Baltimore, Maryland, where he began his education in private 
schools. He afterward attended the Pennsylvania College at Gettysburg and in 
1 88 1 made his way to the west, settling at Chugwater, Wyoming, where he 
engaged in the cattle business for a year. From 1883 until 1887 he was con- 
nected with the produce commission business in Denver and in the latter year 
returned to Philadelphia, where he spent three years in the brokerage business. 
In February, 1890, he came to Omaha as chief clerk of the Omaha Gas Manu- 
facturing Company and through the intervening period, covering more than a 
quarter of a century, he has been continuously connected with the business, 
which in 1897 was reorganized under the name of the Omaha Gas Company. 
In that year Mr. Clabaugh was elected to the position of secretary and in 1905 
he was made vice president, in which connection he still continues. He has 
closely studied every question which has bearing upon the production of gas, 
its use and the service that can be rendered to the public in this connection, and 
he has become identified with various organizations of gas manufacturers who 
in systematic manner are studying every phase of the business. He belongs to 
the American Gas Institute, the National Commercial Gas Association, the Illumi- 
nating Engineers Society and the Iowa District Gas Association, of which he 
has been president, while in 191 5 he was a delegate to the gas congress held in 
San Francisco and had previously been a director of the National Commercial 
Gas Association. He has concentrated his efforts upon this line alone and it is 
his close application, indefatigable energy and spirit of broad enterprise that 
has led to his success. 

On the 24th of April, 1884, in Taneytown, Maryland, Mr. Clabaugh was 
vmited in marriage to Miss Anne Birnie, a daughter of Roger Birnie. Their 
daughter, Ellen, is the wife of Gilbert E. Carpenter, of Omaha, and has one 
son, Joseph Franklin Carpenter. The family are members of the Episcopal 
church and Air. Clabaugh is a republican in his political views. He is identified 
with the college fraternity. Phi Kappa Psi, and he belongs to the Elks, the 
Royal Arcanum and the Woodmen of the World. He enjoys the social life 
offered by the Omaha Field Club and the University Club, his name being on the 
membership rolls of both organizations, and he is in hearty sympathy with the 
purposes of the Commercial Club, his membership therein being proof of his 
support of all the well devised plans and measures to promote public interest. 
His position in the business circles of Omaha is one of prominence and through- 
out his business life he has been a persistent, resolute and energetic worker. Pos- 
sessing strong executive power, he has kept his hand steadily upon the helm and 
has been strictly conscientious in his dealings with debtor and creditor alike. 



LOUIS E. ADAMS. 



Louis E. Adams, of Omaha, now filling the position of county surveyor, was 
born at Elliott City, Maryland, January 9, 1874, a son of William Rutherford 
and Ellen M. (Mercer) Adams. The father was born in Waterford, Ireland, 
in 1840 and came to America in 1873, settling in Washington, D. C, but soon 
afterward removed to Elliott City, Maryland. In 1882 he brought his family to 
Omaha, where he and his wife still make their home, and for many years he 
has occupied the position of superintendent of parks in this city. 

Lquis E. Adams was a little lad of but eight summers at the time he accom- 
panied his parents to the west and in the acquirement of an education he attended 



76 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the graded and high schools of Uniahu but put aside his textbooks in order to 
make his initial step in the business world as an employe in the Omaha National 
Bank, where he remained for three or four years. He then took up civil engi- 
neering and for a number of years has been in the public service, lie occupied 
the position of deputy surveyor of Douglas county for nine years, beginning in 
1905, and in 1914 he was appointed county surveyor, which position he filled 
for a year, after which he was elected to the office for a two years' term and 
in 1916 was reelected practically without opposition, being the choice of both 
the democratic and republican parties. 

On the 18th of February, 1904, in Omaha, Mr. Adams was married to 
Miss Emma M. Frost, a daughter of Erick Frost, and they have one child, Bernice 
Mercer. In his political views Mr. Adams has always been an earnest republi- 
can and works effectively to promote the growth and ensure the success of the 
party. Fraternally he is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic 
Shrine. He is also connected with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, 
while his religious faith is manifest in his membership in the Episcopal church. 
The greater part of his life has been passed in Omaha and that his record has 
been marked by many sterling traits is indicated in the fact that many of his 
stanchest friends are those who have known him from his boyhood to the 
present. 



BENJAMIN GALLAGHER. 

Another name was added to the list of Omaha's honored dead when Benjamin 
Gallagher departed this life on the 23d of March, 1900, at the age of sixty years. 
He had for a long period been actively identified with commercial interests of the 
city as a wholesale grocer and at all times had manifested a public-spirited 
devotion to the general good. He was born upon a farm near Burlington, Iowa, 
in 1841. His father, George Gallagher, was the owner of a sugar plantation in 
southern Georgia before he w^ent to the Hawkeye state, where he became iden- 
tified with general farming. 

Benjamin Gallagher spent his boyhood and youth upon the Iowa farm and in 
the year 1863 he arrived in Nebraska, makmg his way to Fort McPherson to act 
as sutler, to which position he had been called by presidential appointment. He 
spent three years in the northwestern part of the state and in 1868 arrived in 
Omaha, where hfe became junior partner in the wholesale grocery firm of Morgan 
& Gallagher. Several years later he withdrew from that connection in order to 
embark in business with his friend, W. A. Paxton, who at that time was the owner 
of a wholesale grocery house, the new firm becoming Paxton & Gallagher. He 
applied himself mitiringly to the development and conduct of the business and 
at length his close application and strenuous efforts so undermined his health 
that he was forced to retire. He had, however, in the meantime done much to 
build up the trade and extend the commercial connections of the house and his 
sons, Paul C. and Benjamin K. Gallagher, are active in the business, which is still 
conducted under the name of the Paxton & Gallagher Company and is one of the 
best known wholesale houses of the middle west. 

In 1877, in Salt Lake City, Utah, Mr. Gallagher was united in marriage to 
Miss Winifred Keogh, a native of Canada, and while they became the parents of 
four children only the two sons previously mentioned are now living. He was a 
charter member and an active worker in the Omaha Club and it was always well 
known that his support could be counted upon to further any plan or measure 
for the general good. He was indeed public spirited and his efforts in behalf 
of Omaha's welfare were far-reaching and beneficial. He commanded the respect 
and confidence of all with whom he had business relations, for his commercial 
integrity was above question and proved an able supplement to his marked busi- 




BENJAMIX GALLAGHER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 79 

ness ability. He held friendship inviolable and was ever most loyal to those 
for whom he professed friendship. His good qualities were many and his sterling 
worth is indicated in the fact that he was best loved where best known, showing 
that his character was one which would bear the closest investigation and 
scrutiny. 



GEORGE W. LININGER. 

George W. Lininger, merchant and art connoisseur, passed away in Omaha, 
June 8, 1907, and the city mourned the loss of one whose every relation to the 
public had endeared him to his associates and colleagues. He was born in 
Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, December 14, 1834, and when in his teens accom- 
panied his parents on their removal to Peru, Illinois, where he was reared to 
manhood. After attaining his majority he turned his attention to the hardware 
business in Illinois and in 1856 was married in that state to Miss Caroline M. 
Newman. 

On the advice of his physician J\Ir. Lininger visited Kansas with the idea of 
settling there but the fear of malaria prevented him from locating there and he 
became a resident of Council Bluffs, allying his interests with the commercial enter- 
prises of that city. It was in 1868 that he entered into partnership with E. L. Shu- 
gart and established the first agricultural implement business in the Alissouri river 
valley. After six years they removed to Omaha and established an implement 
business under the name of Shugart & Lininger, which later through a change 
in the partnership became the G. W. Lininger Company and in 1881 the Lininger 
& Metcalf Company. At the death of Mr. Metcalf the style of the Lininger 
Implement Company was adopted, under which name the business is still con- 
ducted. George W. Lininger always remained president of the company until 
his demise and was largely instrumental in promoting its growth and develop- 
ment from a small business to one of the largest enterprises of that character 
in the west. Something of the nature of 'thC' man- is indicated in his policy 
toward his employes, for in 1906, upon the reorganization of the company, he 
took into the firm all the men who had faithfully serv^ed him for a number of 
years, thus giving them a substantial start toward success. His business policy 
was ever such as would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny, measuring 
up always to the highest standards of commercial integrity and fair dealing. 
Into other fields he extended his efforts and at the time of his death was presi- 
dent of the Bee Building Company and a director of the Bee Publishing Company. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lininger became the parents of two children, but their son, 
George Albert, died in childhood. The daughter, Florence, is the wife of F, L. 
Haller, who is now at the head of the Lininger Implement Company. The death 
of the husband and father occurred June 8, 1907, when he was in the seventy- 
third year of his age. He had been devoted to his family, faithful in friendship 
and loyal and progressive in citizenship. 

From the time of his arrival in Omaha Mr. Lininger never wavered for a 
moment in his allegiance to the city or lost faith in its future and in fact he 
contributed in substantial measure to its development and growth along many 
lines. He was a most active member of the Commercial Club and served on its 
executive committee for several years. He was also a member of the Board of 
Trade. In 1878 he was elected a member of the city council and he labored 
untiringly in order to induce the city to build and own a waterworks system. 
He became a member and the president of the first Omaha park commission 
and in his labors for the city he ever looked beyond the exigencies of the moment 
to the needs and opportunities of the future. In 1887 he was chosen to represent 
his district in the state senate and was identified with much constructive legisla- 
tion. For over half a century he held membership in the Masonic fraternity 

and was past grand master of the lodge and past grand commander of the Knights 
Vol. n— 4 



80 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Templar Commandery. After twenty years' effort he realized a cherished 
dream in the founding of the Masonic Home at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, for 
aged Masons and their wives and at the time of his death left a five thousand 
dollar bequest to that home. There probably never was a man who took the 
tenets of the Masonic faith more literally into his life than did Mr. Lininger and 
the home which he established is a monument to his love for the order. More- 
over, he could confer from memory every degree of Masonry and knew the 
ritual perfectly and was always in demand for burial services and the laying 
of cornerstones. Until his death he was easily the most prominent and beloved 
Mason in the state of Nebraska. 

He was the founder and owner of the Lininger Art Gallery, the most notable 
in the west and among the most famous in the country. This gallery has always 
been thrown open free of charge to the public two days each week and thou- 
sands of visitors to Omaha as well as the citizens visit this rare and beautiful 
collection yearly. An Egyptian collection which he owned is housed in the 
museum on the upper floor of the Omaha Public Library building. Every room 
in the spacious Lininger home holds numerous art treasures which have been 
gathered from every part of the globe. Mr. Lininger traveled extensively and 
wherever he w-ent collected curios and relics of art. He was quiet and unaffected 
in manner. His thoughts were not concentrated upon himself but upon other 
things which he regarded as of value in the affairs of life. Death gives us 
perspective and the treasures that we hoard above gold and gems are the treasures 
of friendship and memory. As his friends look upon the completed life record of 
Mr. Lininger they recognize as they did during his lifetime that he had many traits 
admirable and worthy of all praise, w'hile notable among his excellent character- 
istics was his capacity for friendship. The universality of his friendships inter- 
preted his intellectual hospitality and the breadth of his sympathy, for nothing 
was foreign to him that concerned his fellowmen. 



CHARLES EDWARD BLACK. 

Charles Edward Black, a well known representative of mercantile interests 
in Omaha, has been here engaged in business since 1900 and in the intervening 
period of sixteen years the term "Black, the Hatter," has become a familiar 
one to his fellow townsmen and. moreover, it is recognized as a synonym for 
business enterprise and commercial progressiveness. Mr. Black was born in 
Freeport, Illinois, in 1863 and is descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry although 
the family has been represented in America for several generations. The great- 
grandparents were residents of Pennsylvania and in that state John Black, the 
grandfather, was born. He became a resident of Canton, Ohio, in the early part 
of the nineteenth century and there in 1830 occurred the birth of Benjamin 
F. Black, who had four brothers, all of whom were soldiers of the Civil war, 
while one of the number, George A. Black, was appointed governor of Utah ter- 
ritory. Benjamin F. Black wedded Maria Louise Flanagan, a native of New 
Jersey, and for many years they resided in Freeport, Illinois, where he engaged 
for some time in merchandising but afterward became connected with the mail 
service. He passed away in 1893, while his widow, long surviving him, died 
in 1910. 

The youthful memories of Charles E. Black cluster around Freeport, where 
as a boy and youth he attended the public schools until graduated from the 
high school at the age of eighteen years. He then started out in the business 
world as an employe in the offfce of the Freeport Weekly Journal, in which he 
learned the printer's trade. After two years he went to Chicago, where he fol- 
lowed his trade for three years and then became a resident of Colorado Springs, 
Colorado, where he resided for five years, working in a printing office in the 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 81 

winter months, while the summer seasons were spent with a surveying party in 
Wyoming. He dates his residence in Nebraska from 1888, in which year he set- 
tled in Pierce, where he was employed in the office of a milling company for six 
months. In October of the same year he came to Omaha and opened a wholesale 
distributing agency for the Pierce Milling Company of Pierce, Nebraska, which 
he thus represented until 1900, when, desirous of conducting business on his own 
account, he established a hat store and the name of Black, the Hatter, has since 
figured most prominently in the commercial circles of the city. He has developed 
his business along the lines which ever lead to commercial success — carefulness 
in the selection of the personnel of the house and of the goods carried, com- 
bined with courteous treatment of patrons and thoroughly reliable methods in 
trade. Gradually his success has grown and he is now one of the prosperous 
merchants of the city. He has also become a director of the Omaha Loan & 
Building Association. 

On the 25th of February, 1892, in Creston, Iowa, Mr. Black was married 
to Miss Lilly L. Rex, a daughter of H. B. Rex, who was born in Ohio and went 
to the front at the time of the Civil war with a regiment from that state. Mr. 
and Mrs. Black became the parents of a son and a daughter but both died in 
infancy. They attend the Presbyterian church and Mr. Black gives his political 
endorsement to the republican party. He is a Knights Templar Mason and a 
member of the Mystic Shrine and is also a representative of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of the board of governors of Ak- 
Sar-Ben and was the nineteenth king of that organization three years ago. By 
reason of his business connections he has become a member of the Associated 
Retailers Club and, appreciative of the social amenities of life, he has membership 
in the Omaha, Ad and Happy Hollow Clubs. He is also identified with the 
Commercial Club, realizing the opportunities of that organization for the upbuild- 
ing of the city and cooperating with all its well defined plans for civic 
improvement. 



HON. JOHN MONTGOMERY MACFARLAND. 

Hon. John Montgomery Macfarland, former member of the Nebraska 
senate and an active and successful practitioner at the bar since November, 1889, 
was born upon a farm in Jefiferson county, Virginia, now West Virginia, January 
14, 1856. He is a representative of an old Pennsylvania family, his grandfather 
being John Macfarland, who was born in Allegheny City, Pennsylvania, whence 
in early manhood he went to Virginia as superintendent of the armory at Harpers 
Ferry. His son, John M. Macfarland, was born in Jefiferson county, that state, 
in 1826 and completed his education at the Gettysburg (Pa.) College, where he 
was a classmate of the Rt. Rev. Richard H. Clarkson, the pioneer Episcopal bishop 
of Nebraska. In Virginia he wedded Jane Douglas, also a native of Jefferson 
county, and his death occurred January 10, 1856. four days before the birth of 
his son and namesake. The mother survived for more than a half century, 
passing away at the old homestead in September, 1913. She was related to the 
Lee, Douglas and Washington families, three of the most distinguished families 
of Virginia. 

Reared in Winchester, Mrginia. John M. Macfarland was graduated in 1872 
from the Shenandoah Aalley Military Institute and in 1874 completed a course 
in the Glenwood Military Institute, near Baltimore. Maryland. He then entered 
Princeton University, at which time President Woodrow Wilson was connected 
with the institution. He completed his course to his junior year and in 1875 ^^'^^ 
a member of the Princeton crew. Leaving that school in 1876, he entered the 
University of Mrginia, wherein he completed a law course with the class of 1877 
but devoted the year 1878 to post graduate work. He was admitted to the bar 



82 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

at Wheeling', West Virginia, upon examination before the supreme court in 
December, 1878, and immediately afterward came to Omaha, where he was 
admitted to practice before the supreme court of Nebraska on the 10th of 
January, 1879. On the loth of May of the same year he opened an office in 
Columbus, Nebraska, where he remained for a decade, or until November, 1889, 
when he returned to Omaha, where he has since followed his profession. His 
practice has been extensive and of an important character and his comprehensive 
knowledge of the law enables him to hnd a ready solution for intricate legal 
l)roblems. He also quickly sees the relation of cause and effect and his deduc- 
tions are logical and his reasoning sound. 

On the lOlh of December, 1878, in Charles Town, West Virginia, Mr. 
Alacfarland was married to Miss Agnes Lyle Forrest, a great-great-granddaughter 
of Commodore Thomas Truxton, the first commodore of the American navy. 
The children of this marriage are : Forrest, now of Portland, who married 
Alice Piggon and has a daughter, Anna; John M., who is married and also lives 
in Portland; Louise, at home; Thomas Truxton, who is with the Shawmut 
National Bank of Boston, Massachusetts; Charles Richardson; and Donald 
Douglas. 

1 he parents attend the Episcopal church and Mr. Macfarland belongs' to the 
Knights of Pythias, the Woodmen of the World and the Fraternal Order of 
Eagles. He has been very prominent in the first named organization, having in 
1889 been elected grand chancellor of Nebraska, while later he was chosen supreme 
representative of the Knights of Pythias and served for four years. He is also 
identified with the Commercial Club of Omaha and he has been active in politics 
as a supporter of the principles and candidates of the republican party since age 
conferred upon him the right of franchise. In 1881 he was elected mayor of 
Columbus and for two terms was chief executive of the city, while for two terms 
he was city attorney. In 1894 he was nominated for district judge in Omaha 
but did not make the run. In 1912 he was elected state senator for a two years' 
term and in 1916 was again made the nominee of his party, which recognizes 
the value of his public service and his loyalty to the principles in which he believes. 
His opinions are based upon a thorough understanding of political questions and 
issues, and he supports his position by intelligent and comprehensive argument. 



WILLIAM MARTIN JEFFERS. 

William Martin Jeffers is general manager of the Union Pacific Railroad 
Company and his rise has been so rapid as to seem almost meteoric in character, 
yet a careful analysis of his career shows that he has based his advancement upon 
the qualities of close application and indefatigable industry, which constitute the 
indispensable elements for success in every walk of life, and although at a glance 
his career seems somewhat spectacular it is nevertheless proof of the fact that 
"Success is a cumulative process." He was born at North Platte, Nebraska, in 
1876, a son of Mr. and Mrs. William Jeffers, both of whom have now passed 
away, the former in 191 2 and the latter in 19 10. The father was born in County 
Mayo, Ireland, in 1840 and following his marriage, which was celebrated in 
Wales, came in early manhood to the United States, arriving in 1866. He first 
settled in New Haven, Connecticut, and in 1873 became a resident of North Platte, 
Nebraska. 

It was in the public schools of that city that William M. Jeffers pursued his 
education until he became a high school pupil. His textbooks, however, w^ere 
put aside when he was fourteen years of age and he started out in the business 
world, making his initial step in railway circles as office boy in the office of the 
assistant superintendent of the Union Pacific at North Platte. W'hile thus 





9^-^^ 



THE NEW YORK 
PUBUC LIBRARY 



♦STOW, \.ENOX *ND 
TH.OeN POD •■^-•-''-^ 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 85 

employed he used every available moment to learn telegraphy and after a year, 
or in November, 1892, he was given a position as an operator and in that capacity 
served at several stations. His father was an employe in the shops of the Union 
Pacific at North Platte, but there was no one on the staff of officials or heads of 
departments to use any influence to obtain promotion for him. He did not shirk 
any task assigned him, however menial, and it was not an unusual thing to see 
him in those early days running a lawn mower or watering the trees in the park 
around the office building. He regarded all work as honorable and he brought 
to it every ounce of energy that he could muster and from each experience learned 
the lesson therein contained. He had serv'ed as telegraph operator for but a 
brief period when he was made train dispatcher in the same office where he had 
first been employed as an office boy. From that time on his rise was most rapid. 
He rose to the position of chief dispatcher and was afterward made trainmaster 
on the Colorado and Wyoming divisions. The next step brought him to the 
superintendency of the Utah, Wyoming and Nebraska divisions, respectively, 
and he was then promoted to the position of general superintendent on the ist 
of November, 1915, and continued in that capacity until June 4th following, when, 
following the resignation of Charles Ware, he was appointed general manager 
and thus at the age of forty years is in control of the operations of one of the 
most important railway systems of the country, and all of this has been accom- 
plished within the short space of a quarter of a century. Nineteen centuries 
ago it was said that "A man cannot hide his light under a bushel." Ability will 
come to the front anywhere and the life record of Mr. Jeffers proves what a 
modern philosopher contends, that "Ability'ts;but-hard work- intelligently directed." 
On the 2d of June, 1900, in North Platte, Nebraska, Mr. Jeffers was married 
to Miss Lena Schatz, a daughter of the Jatg^ ;-Jo$eph Schatz, a pioneer of Omaha. 
They have become the parents of one child, Eileen! The religious faith of J\Ir. 
and Mrs. Jeffers is that of the Catholic church and in polities' he maintains an 
independent course. Pie belongs to thg. Commercial Club of Omaha and is 
interested in its various projects for promatiiig tTioSe^^thiitgs which are a matter 
of civic virtue and civic pride. Pie belongs to the Omaha Club and to the Happy 
Hollow Club and thus finds recreation from the arduous and strenuous cares of a 
position which establishes him as one of the eminent representatives of railway 
interests in the country. 



FRANK H. GAINES. 



Frank H. Gaines, for twenty-two years an active member of the Omaha bar, 
was born in Knox county, Illinois, on the 8th of April, 1863, a son of Homer and 
Martha (Boyer) Gaines. The father was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 
1838 and at the time of the Civil war became a second lieutenant of an Illinois 
regiment of volunteer infantry. In 1912 he removed with his wife, a native 
of Illinois, to Omaha, where they now reside. 

Frank H. Gaines is indebted to the public school system of his native county 
for the early educational privileges which he enjoyed and he later entered Knox 
College at Galesburg, Illinois, from which he was graduated in 1884 with the 
degree of Bachelor of Science. He quahfied for his professional career as a 
student in the Hastings College of Law in San Francisco, California, and then, 
returning to the middle west, was admitted to practice in the Iowa courts upon 
examination before the supreme court of Iowa in 1890. He at once entered 
upon the active work of his profession and soon afterward was elected county 
attorney of Adair county, Iowa, in which capacity he served from 1891 until 
1894. Then seeking a broader field of labor he came to Omaha, where he has 
since remained and is now a partner in the firm of McGilton, Gaines & Smith, 
recognized as one of the strong and able law firms of the city. He never enters 



86 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the courtroom till he has thoroughly studied his case from every standpoint and 
his thorough preparation enables him to meet not only every expected but also 
every unexpected attack of the adversary. 

On the 2d of June, 1893, in Greenfield, Iowa, Mr. Gaines was married to 
Miss Theresa Schleiter and they have a son, Francis S., born May 18, 1894. 
Mr. Gaines belongs to the Uni\ersity Club, the Country Club and the Omaha 
Club and his personal qualities insure him a cordial reception in those organiza- 
tions. He votes with the republican party but is not an active worker in its 
ranks, although never remiss in the duties of citizenship. He prefers to concen- 
trate his efforts upon his professional interests. 



HENRY M. FITZGIBBON, M. D. 

Dr. Henry M. Fitzgibbon, physician and surgeon who since 1908 has been 
engaged in active practice in Omaha, was born in Missouri Valley, Iowa, in 1878. 
His father, Dennis Fitzgibbon, a native of County Limerick, Ireland, w'as born in 
1844 and following his marriage brought his family to the new world. He has 
devoted his life to farming but is now living retired in Detroit, ^Michigan. 

Dr. Fitzgibbon is indebted to the public schools of his native city for the early 
educational privileges which he enjoyed. His more specifically literary training 
was received in Creighton University, in which he won the Bachelor of Arts 
degree in 1904, while two years later his alma mater conferred upon him the 
Master of Arts degree. Having determined to make the practice of medicine his 
life work, he then continued his studies in Creighton University in the medical 
department and won his professional degree in 1908. He at once opened an office 
in Omaha and through the intervening period of eight years has devoted his 
attention to the general practice of medicine and surgery, being particularly skilled 
in the latter field. He is very conscientious in the performance of all his profes- 
sional duties and holds to a high standard of professional ethics. 

Dr. Fitzgibbon votes with the democratic party. His religious faith is that of 
the Catholic chttrch and he belongs to the Knights of Columbus. He is also 
identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and his social nature finds 
expression in his membership in the Field, Carter Lake and Omaha Athletic Clubs. 



ALLAN DRYSDALE FALCONER. 

The attractiveness of Omaha as a place of residence and as a business center 
offering good opportunities to the ambitious, energetic young man, finds demon- 
stration in the fact that many of the native sons of the city have remained within its 
borders. Such is the record of Allan Drysdale Falconer, who was born in Omaha, 
September 2, 1875, ^ son of Thomas and Margaret (Allan) Falconer. The father 
was born in Scotland and after crossing the Atlantic to the new world took up his 
abode in Omaha in 1856, his marriage being celebrated in this city. He became 
a prominent general contractor and was serving as assistant building inspector 
of Omaha at the time of his death, which occurred in 1910. His widow survives 
and is yet living in Omaha. 

While spending his youthful days under the parental roof Allan D. Falconer 
mastered the branches of learning taught in the public schools and pursued a 
business course in high school. When a youth of seventeen he secured employ- 
ment with an insurance firm, spending a year in that connection, and later he 
entered the service of the Cudahy Packing Company of Omaha, occupying a 
clerical position for six years. On the expiration of that period he became a clerk 
in the office of the Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company at Omaha and at 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 87 

the close of six years' connection with that corporation he was occupying the 
position of cashier. In 1903 he entered the employ of the New York Central 
Lines at Omaha as contracting agent and is now assistant commercial agent, in 
which connection large responsibilities devolve upon him — responsibilities, how- 
ever, for which his powers are fully adequate. He is also interested in the 
undertaking business of Slack & Falconer. 

On the 7th of November, 1903, in Council Blufifs, Mr. Falconer wedded Miss 
Irene Carothers. They are Episcopalians in religious belief, and politically Mr. 
Falconer is a democrat. He belongs to the Commercial Club and it is through its 
channels that his public work is done, his sympathy and support being given to all 
projects for the benefit and welfare of the community. He is a York Rite Mason 
and a member of the Mystic Shrine and he also belongs to the Benevolent Pro- 
tective Order of Elks, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit which underlies 
those organizations. He is a member of Clan Gordon, No. 63. In 1900 he 
enlisted as a private in Company G, Second Regiment of the Nebraska National 
Guard, in which he was successively promoted to corporal, sergeant, first lieutenant 
and captain. In 1909 he was advanced to the rank of colonel and chief quarter- 
master of the Nebraska National Guard and so continued for about six years. He 
then resigned and was appointed major on the brigade stafif in January, 1916, 
which rank he now holds. He is well and prominently known in military circles, 
is a valued representative of fraternal orders and is accounted a representative and 
progressive business man, his worth to Omaha being thus widely acknowledged 
along various lines. 



ROY WIGHTMAN BESLEY. 

One of the most active and progressive business men of Omaha is Roy 
AX'ightman Besley, general manager of the Hydraulic-Press Brick Company of 
St. Louis and an officer in various other organizations. He readily recognizes 
the possibilities of a business situation and utilizes advantages so as to produce 
results which are substantial elements in the material progress of the community 
as well as a source*of individual prosperity. Mr. Besley was born at Council 
Blufifs, Iowa, July 2, 1880, a son of Lewis Cass and Martha ( Wightman) Besley, 
W'ho are still residents of Council Blufifs. The father was born in Michigan in 
1851 and in early manhood removed to Council Blufifs, where he engaged in brick 
making and contracting throughout the period of his active connection with 
business afifairs. 

Roy W. Besley, reared under the parental roof, passed through consecutive 
grades of the public schools until graduated from the high school of Council 
Blufifs and in 1898 he made his initial step in the business world by becoming a 
clerk with the American Express Company, which position he filled for two years. 
He afterward spent two years in the employ of Swift & Company and two years 
with the American Express Company. At the expiration of that period he 
became an employe of the Hydraulic-Press Brick Company of St. Louis, which 
he represented as a traveling salesman for two years in Illinois, Indiana and 
Kentucky. He then went to Iowa for the same company and for two years 
was in charge of the office' at Cedar Rapids. In 1906 he was transferred to 
Omaha as assistant secretary and treasurer and in 191 1 was advanced to the 
position of general manager — a position of large responsibility and importance, 
controlling the trade over a wide territory. The company is one of the most 
extensive operating in this line in the country, having branch offices at Baltimore, 
Chicago, Cleveland, Indianapolis, Kansas City, Minneapolis, New York city, 
Omaha, Philadelphia, Toledo and Washington, with the home office at St. Louis, 
Missouri. In his present connection Mr. Besley has developed the ramifying trade 



88 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

connections of the house and is now in control of a business of extensive 
proportions. 

On the 25th of May, 1912, at Maryville, Missouri, Mr. Besley was united in 
marriage to Miss Maude Uennison and they have one son, FrankHn Lewis, born 
August 19, 191 3, in Omaha. The parents are members of the Episcopal church 
and they have gained a large circle of warm friends during the period of their 
residence in Omaha. 

Mr. Besley votes independently and keeps well informed on the questions 
and issues of the day but has never been an active party worker, preferring to 
concentrate his energies upon his business affairs, and that he is regarded as a 
most progressive, farsighted and capable busmess man is indicated in the fact 
that he has been elected to the presidency of the Missouri Valley Brick Club, is a 
director of the Nebraska Brick & Tile Manufacturers Association, is president and 
a director of the Omaha Manufacturers Association and the vice president and 
a director of the Nebraska Manufacturers Association. His opinions are 
accounted as sound and his discrimination keen and his words concerning business 
projects and conditions are largely accepted as authority in those organizations. 
He is continually studying along lines for the development of trade relations and 
his efforts have been of distinct value and notable worth in promoting the manu- 
facturing and commercial progress of the middle west. 



LEE M. SWINDLER. 



Lee M. Swindler, cashier of the American State Bank of Omaha, had been 
for nearly twenty years prominently identified with banking interests in western 
Iowa before becoming connected with Omaha's financial interests. He was born 
in Cass township, Guthrie county, Iowa, in 1864, and comes from a most highly 
respected pioneer family of that section of the Hawkeye state. Llis parents were 
Robert A. and Catharine (Brumbaugh) Swindler, natives of Indiana and Ohio 
respectively. The latter was a daughter of Daniel Brumbaugh, a pioneer resi- 
dent of Guthrie county, the family home being established in Iowa in 1850. The 
father, Robert A. Swindler, arrived in Guthrie county in 1852 and became a 
factor in its pioneer development and improvement. That the work of progress 
was scarcely begun is indicated in the fact that he was able to purchase two 
hundred acres of land from the government at the usual price of a dollar and 
a quarter per acre. Not a furrow had been turned upon the place and the raw 
prairie was covered with its native grasses. He at once built and began to till 
the soil, continuing active in farm work until a few years ago. He lived to see 
marked changes in the county, for at the time of his arrival there was only one 
house between him and Adel. As time passed the country became inhabited 
by contented and prosperous people and in the work of general improvement 
Mr. Swindler bore his part, although living a quiet life. His wife died in 1896, 
at the age of sixty-four years, while he survived until 1908. He had persevered 
in his undertakings and accumulated considerable property. He was deeply 
interested in community affairs, was an active supporter of the republican party 
in the early days and was a stalwart champion of all measures and movements 
for the general good. He gave land and built thereon the first schoolhouse in 
Guthrie county, Iowa, and he helped to build the first Baptist church. 

Lee M. Swindler received liberal educational advantages. Following his 
graduation from the county high school at Panora, Iowa, with the class of 1885 
he pursued a classical course in Grinnell College of Iowa, from which he was 
graduated in 1889, with the degree of A. B. Later he went to Cambridge. Massa- 
chusetts, and completed a special course in mathematics at Harvard. Upon his 
return from Grinnell in 1889 he was elect.pd upon the republican ticket to the 
office of county superintendent of schools in Guthrie county, Iowa, in which 




LEE M. SWINDLER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 91 

position he continued for six years. He was also principal of the county high 
school at Panora for three years and proved a most able educator, his efforts 
constituting a vital and forceful element in the improvement of the school sys- 
tem of the county. He turned from the educational field to banking and on the 
1st of March, 1899, purchased the Yale Savings Bank, of which he remained the 
cashier until 1916. This was organized as a private bank in 1890 by Charles Yale 
and nine years later was converted into a savings bank by Mr. Swindler, whose 
able and intelligently directed efforts made the bank one of the strong and 
reliable financial institutions of that portion of Iowa. He is also the principal 
owner and the president of the Jamaica Savings Bank and a director of the 
Carson State Bank at Carson, Iowa. Mr. Swindler's interests are varied and 
extensive and after a most honorable and successful career as a banker and man 
of general business affairs in western Iowa, he came to the American State Bank 
of Omaha in 1916, with the prestige that must naturally follow a man of his 
record and achievement. 

Mr. Swindler was married in 1891 to Miss Laurayne Brown, a native of 
Darke county, Ohio, and prior to her marriage one of the capable teachers of 
Guthrie county, Iowa. 

Mr. Swindler is a stalwart republican, taking an active interest in the party 
and its success. While a resident of Iowa he served as chairman of the Guthrie 
county central committee and while never an office seeker he puts forth earnest 
effort to place the right men in positions of public trust. He is an active member 
of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Knights of Pythias and 
served as president of the Skunk Valley Picnic Association, an old settlers' asso- 
ciation, which was formed of those who were residents of Guthrie county in 
the '50s. He is genial and approachable, a man whose powers have been well 
developed by educational training and by wide- experience, a man who looks 
at life from a broad standpoint and who has wisely and conscientiously used 
his time, talents and opportunities not only for the advancement of his indi- 
vidual interests but for the benefit of the city- in which he makes his home. 



ROY ANDREW DODGE, M. D. 

Broad hospital experience supplementing thorough college training well 
qualified Dr. Roy Andrew Dodge for the private practice of medicine and surgery, 
to which he now devotes his energies, and the position to which he has attained 
in professional circles is a creditable one. He was born in Harrisburg, Pennsyl- 
vania, on the 15th of July, 1877, a son of George A. and Jennie (Zell) Dodge, 
both of whom were natives of the Keystone state, as were his two grandfathers, 
Andrew Dodge and Samuel H. Zell. The latter served as a soldier in both 
the Mexican and Civil wars and spent his entire life in Pennsylvania, where he 
passed away at the venerable age of eighty-nine years. The marriage of Mr. and 
Mrs. George A. Dodge was celebrated in the Keystone state and in 1882 they 
rehioved to the west, settling in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, where they now reside. 

Dr. Dodge, then a little lad of five years, pursued his education in the schools 
of Plattsmouth until graduated from the high school with the class of 1897. He 
completed a course in medicine in 1901 by graduation from the Omaha Medical 
College, which in 1902 became the College of Medicine of the University of 
Nebraska. From July, 1901, to July, 1902, he served as house physician and 
surgeon in the Douglas County Hospital at Omaha and afterward spent five months 
as traveling examiner for the Union Pacific Railroad Company. On the ist of 
November, 1902, he opened an office in Omaha and has since engaged in general 
practice, being now accorded a substantial patronage. For nine years he was 
obstetrician to the Swedish Mission Hospital and is now serving as chief of staff' 
of that hospital. He enjoys the goodwill and confidence of- his colleagues and 



92 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

contemporaries and his high standing among them is incHcated in the fact that in 
1916 he was elected to the position of secretary of the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society and was again chosen for that office December 12, 1916. He 
also belongs to the Missouri Valley Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical 
Society and the American Medical Association. 

On the 3d of June, 1905, in Plattsmouth, Dr. Dodge was united in marriage 
to Miss Ella M. Ruffner, who was a daughter of 1'. E. Ruffner, a representative 
of an old \'irginia family, and who died September 11, 1916. In politics Dr. 
Dodge is a republican, never failing to endorse party principles at the polls although 
he has never sought nor desired public office. lie is widely known in Masonic 
circles, having taken the degrees of the York and Scottish Rites, while with the 
Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he has crossed the sands of the desert. He is also 
a member of the Elks Lodge and is a prominent Knight of Pythias, serving as 
secretary of Nebraska Lodge, No. i, and as grand trustee of the state in that 
order. He likewise belongs to the Order of the Eastern Star and is a past patron of 
Vesta Chapter, No. 6. He became a charter member of the Carter Lake Club, 
which furnishes him a source of recreation and his summer residence "Dodge Inn" 
is one of the most attractive summer cottages of this club. He is a life member 
of the Omaha Athletic Club and a member of the Omaha Commercial Club. He 
holds membership in the Plymouth Congregational church and is well known in 
Omaha, the hospitality of many of the city's best homes being accorded him. 



WILLIAM ARMSTRONG REDICK. 

William Armstrong Redick, serving for the third term as judge of the fourth 
judicial district of Nebraska, has been identified with the Omaha bar continuously 
since 1882 save for a period of two years spent on the Pacific coast. The city 
claims him as a native son, his birth having here occurred on the 2d of April, 1859. 
His father, John Irwin Redick, was born in Wooster, Ohio, in 1828 and was 
married in Allegheny, Pennsylvania, to Miss Mary E. Higby. In the year 1855 
they removed to Omaha and remained residents of this city until called to their 
final rest. Mrs. Redick passed away in 1864 but her husband survived for more 
than forty years, his death occurring in 1906. He was a lawyer by profession 
and for four decades continued in active practice, most of the time in Omaha. 
His fellow townsmen chose him as their representative to the Nebraska legislature 
and in 1875 he was appointed by President Grant an associate justice of the 
supreme court of New Mexico. He figured prominently in both professional 
and political circles in this state and was honored as one of the representative 
residents of Omaha. A more extended sketch of John I. Redick will be found 
in this volume ; also in the Bench and Bar chapter of Volume one. 

William A. Redick attended school in Omaha until in his sixteenth year and 
during one year of that time was a student in the high school. He took up the 
study of law under the direction of his father and was qualified by his knowledge 
to be admitted to the bar at the age of nineteen years, but he accepted the position 
of chief clerk and deputy collector of internal revenue under Lorenzo Crounse, 
later governor, who was at that time collector. Judge Redick remained in that 
connection for four years and then resigned in order to take up the practice of 
his profession, being admitted to the bar in 1882. Immediately afterward he 
entered upon active practice here and save for the years 1889 and 1890, spent in 
Los Angeles, California, he has continuously been a representative of the profes- 
sion in this city. While he was well grounded in the principles of common law 
when admitted to the bar he has continued through the whole of his professional 
life a diligent student of those elementary principles that constitute the basis of 
all legal science and this knowledge served him well in many a legal battle before 
the superior and appellate courts, in which he has successfully conducted many 




WILLIAM A. REDICK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 95 

cases. He always prepared his cases with great care. If there was a close legal 
point involved in the issue it was his habit to thoroughly examine every authority 
within his reach bearing upon the question and this made him a most dangerous 
adversary. 

On the I2th of September, 1883, in Omaha, Judge Redick was united in 
marriage to Aliss Mary Otis Wood and they now have one son, John Wood 
Redick, who was born in 1884 and is a graduate of Williams College of Massa- 
chusetts of the class of 1907. He is now engaged in the grain business in Omaha. 
In 1909, in Williamstown, Massachusetts, he married Miss Florence Heap and 
they have one son, \Mlliam Herbert Redick. 

An Episcopahan in his religious faith, Judge Redick is identified with All 
Saints' church, of which he is a junior warden. He belongs to the Woodmen of 
the World and his social nature finds expression in his membership in the Omaha 
Club and the Omaha Country Club. He supports all well directed plans and 
measures for the public good as a member of the Commercial Club and he gives 
his political allegiance to the republican party. He has never desired nor sought 
office outside the strict path of his profession but in 1904 was elected district 
judge for a four year term and reelected in 1908. At the succeeding election 
he was defeated for the ofiice but was appointed to the position by Governor 
Morehead in 191 5 and is again serving upon the bench. In 1912 after being 
defeated for judge he was elected president of the State Bar Association. 
Devotedly attached to his profession, systematic and practical in habit, sober 
and discreet in judgment, calm in temper, diligent in research, conscientious in 
the discharge of every duty, courteous and kind in demeanor and inflexibly just 
on all occasions, these qualities have ei^^bled Judge .Redick to take first rank among 
those who have held high judicial office in the state and made him the conservator 
of that justice wherein is the safeguard of individual liberty and happiness and 
the defense of our national institutions. His reported opinions indicate his broad 
legal learning and superior ability, showing a ti>&rO(iigl)^"pia.steTy of the cjuestions 
involved. "^ — — --ir.!.. 



ALFRED CONKLING KENNEDY. 

For almost six decades the name Kennedy has figured as an honored one in 
connection with the business interests and municipal development of Omaha. 
Three generations of the family have been active in real estate operations and the 
business promoted by the grandfather, Howard Kennedy, and carried on by 
the father, Alfred C. Kennedy, is now being successfully and ably continued by the 
son, Alfred C. Kennedy, Jr., whose name introduces this review. He was born in 
Omaha, September i, 1892, and at the usual age became a public school pupil, 
passing through consecutive grades to his graduation from the high school in the 
class of 1910. He afterward attended the State University at Lincoln for two 
years and upon his return to Omaha entered his father's real estate and insurance 
office and early in 191 5, was admitted to a partnership, the interests of the firm 
being incorporated under the style of the Alfred C. Kennedy Company. Upon 
the death of his father July i, 1915, he succeeded to the management of this 
business, which is now under his control. The policy instituted by his grandfather 
and upheld by his father of giving patrons unsurpassed service is continued by him. 
The name of Kennedy has ever signified that the business placed in their hands 
has been held above personal gain. In other words, their devotion to their clients' 
interests is proverbial and they sustain an unassailable reputation for carefulness, 
conservatism and absolute dependableness. A local paper said : 

"The Kennedy Company specializes in city real estate, and has been connected 
with a number of the large deals in the history of Omaha Having been in touch 
with real estate and real estate values since Omaha was a village, having grown 



96 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

up with it and watched its development, its members know the city thoroughly. 
Ihey have completed transactions for patrons that have since made fortunes. 
Former clients of the firm have become independent by acting upon the advice of 
this agency and the same facilities and opportunities for investment are offered in 
Omaha today by the Alfred C. Kennedy Company. Because of our city's favorable 
location and growth due to this location, Omaha real estate is one of the best 
investments. For the conservative investor this firm offers first class mortgages 
on Eastern Nebraska and Western Iowa farms or city loans. On these loans 
they make a very careful inspection. For the owner of income property they 
off'er their services as rental experts, giving careful attention to every detail. 
Their insurance department represents strong, conservative companies." 

The judgment of the young man has ever sanctioned the course of his sires 
and in fact he justly feels that their example is one well worthy of emulation. 
Like grandfather and father, he is therefore a republican, a Mason, a member of 
the Commercial Club and a member of the First Presbyterian church. He is also 
identified with the Alpha Tau Omega, a college fraternity. These associations 
indicate the nature of his interests and the breadth of his sympathies. He is a 
young man of strong purpose and of keen business insight. He is not content 
to rest upon the reputation that has always been associated with the name of 
Kennedy in Omaha but is determined that his own course shall reflect further 
credit and honor upon an untarnished family name. 



N. H. LOOMIS. 



N. H. Loomis, a prominent railroad attorney who since the ist of May, 1908, 
has been general solicitor for the Union Pacific, has been professionally connected 
with that road since 1885 and his developing powers have brought him to the 
position of large trust and responsibility which he now occupies. New England 
claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred at Highgate, in Franklin 
county, Vermont, on the 28th of June, 1862, but in 1865 his parents, Noah W. 
and Ellen B. Loomis, removed with their family from the Green Mountain state 
to Chicago, where they remained for thirteen years, N. H. Loomis in the mean- 
time pursuing his education in Chicago and in Evanston. He was a youth of 
sixteen when in 1878 the family settled upon a homestead claim in Saline county, 
Kansas, and while there residing he devoted two winter seasons to teaching 
school. By the year 1881, or when nineteen years of age, he had determined upon 
his life Vv^ork and entered upon preparation therefor by becoming a law student in 
the office of Garver & Bond at Salina, Kansas. Li 1883 he was admitted to prac- 
tice and for two years thereafter was employed as a court reporter, having 
taken up the study of stenography while pursuing his law course. In 1885 he 
entered the law department of the Union Pacific Railway at Lawrence, Kansas, 
as stenographer and law clerk and in that connection his progress has been con- 
tinuous. He became assistant general attorney for the Union Pacific for Kansas 
and Missouri, with headquarters at Topeka, Kansas, in 1891 and so continued 
until 1902, when he was appointed general attorney for Kansas and Missouri, and 
upon the death of John N. Baldwin in 1908 he was advanced to the position of 
general solicitor, with headquarters at Omaha. During his connection with the 
Union Pacific he has conducted important litigation in the federal and state courts 
with gratifying success, winning well earned fame and distinction. He has much 
natural ability but is withal a hard student and is never contented until he has 
mastered every phase of a legal problem upon which he has concentrated his 
attention. He believes in the maxim "there is no excellence without labor" and 
follows it closely. Whatever he does is for the best interests of his clients and 
for the honor of his profession, and no man gives to either a more unqualified 
allegiance or riper ability. 




X. H. LOOMIR 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 99 

On the 23d of September, 1885, in Salina, Kansas, Mr. Loomis was married to 
Miss Mary Campbell, who passed away June 12, 1888, and at Salina, on the 12th 
of August, 1891, he wedded Christie Campbell. He has three sons: Alexander 
C, factory manager of the National Fur & Tanning Company of Omaha; John 
U., a law student in Columbia University of New York city ; and Robert H., a 
member of the class of 1920 at Dartmouth College. Mr. Loomis is a member of 
the Omaha, University, Country and Happy Hollow Clubs. He has served as 
president of the University Club and as a member of the pubUc affairs committee 
of the Commercial Club. He is a prominent worker in the First Presbyterian 
church of Omaha, serving at the present time as chairman of the general com- 
mittee and as a member of the building and finance committees, taking most 
active and helpful part in the development of one of the finest church properties 
of the city. He has gained well earned fame and distinction in his profession and 
at the same time has won uniform respect and confidence by a well spent life 
in which recognition of duty to one's fellows and the utilization of opportunities 
for general betterment have constituted marked characteristics. 



JUDGE JAMES Pv^NGLISH. 

One is apt to think of the quality of sternness as synonymous with judicial 
power, but all who knew Judge James P. English say that kindness was the motive 
spring of his life; and thus it was that when death called him on the 20th of 
February, 1916, the news of his passing brought a sense of personal bereavement 
to all who knew him. He was born in Kenosha, Wisconsin, September 12, 1859, 
and after acquiring a common school education took up the study of law in 
Racine, Wisconsin. The year 1880 witnessed his arrival in Omaha and for a time 
he was in the office of James M. Woolworth, one of the pioneer attorneys of this 
city, while later he became a member of the firm of, Hall, McCulloch & English. 
His ability as a lawyer was pronounced. He was strong in argument, clear and 
cogent in reasoning and logical in his deductions. His clientage constantly grew in 
volume and importance and he was connected with much of the important litiga- 
tion heard in the courts of the district while he was still in active practice at the 
bar. In 1903 he was elected county attorney for a two years' term and then after 
being out of office for two years he was reelected in 1907 and served for six years 
at that time or for four terms in all, resuming the private practice of law in 
1913. When Judge Howard Kennedy resigned his seat on the district court 
bench to become a member of the state board of control Mr. English was appointed 
by Governor Morehead to fill out the unexpired term and at the next regular 
election was chosen by popular suft'rage to the office, continuing upon the bench 
until his demise. His record as a judge was in harmony with his record as a 
man and lawyer, characterized by the utmost fidelity and by a masterful grasp 
of every problem presented for solution. 

On the 25th of June, 1885, at Omaha, Judge English was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret A. Dalton, who was born in Bellevue, Nebraska, her people having 
come to this state from New York in the '50s. Her father, William Dalton, was 
engaged in hauling freight for the government across the plains for a number 
of years and was closely associated with pioneer life and conditions. In 1882 he 
took up his abode in Omaha and for six years prior to his death lived retired from 
active business, passing away in 1913 at the advanced age of seventy-three years. 
His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Ann Maxwell and was a native 
of New York city, also died in 1913. Judge and Mrs. English became the parents 
of twelve children, of whom eleven are yet living: John E., a resident of Kansas 
City; Margaret; Mary; Alice, the wife of Leo Wickham, of Council Bluffs; 
Katherine ; James ; Anna ; Ruth ; Florence ; W^illiam, who died at the age of three 
years; Frank; and Robert. 



109ST 



100 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Judge English was ever deeply interested in affairs relating to the uphuilding 
and progress of the city and gave active support to many measures for the general 
good. He was a consistent member of the Catholic church and belonged to the 
Knights of Columbus. One of the most impressive memorial meetings ever held 
in Omaha was that held by the bar of the district on the 4th of March, 1916. 
Many words were spoken by different lawyers and judges indicating the very high 
regard in which the deceased jurist was held, and perhaps no better characteriza- 
tion of the man can be given than by quoting from one of the speeches made on 
that occasion: "The mainspring in the life of James English was kindness. 
Every time he met a man he made a friend. He was by nature a true gentleman. 
He was liberal and charitable in thought, word and deed. His natural tendencies 
and mental make-up were such that he was particularly well fitted to discharge the 
important duties of a judge. 

"His service on the bench was marked by fairness and justice. His court was 
the haven of safety for everyone who had been injured in his lands, goods, person 
or reputation. It was a hallowed place, where the rich and the poor met on 
common ground. Judge English was beyond and outside the control of any 
external agency. He did not hear the voice of flattery, nor pay heed to the tongue 
of venom and slander. He did not listen to the improper advice of powerful 
friends, nor did he lose sight of the defenseless. He did not heed the commenda- 
tion or the censure of the press, nor was he swayed in the performance of his duty 
by the clamor of the rabble. He did not evade an unpleasant duty or postpone its 
proper performance to a future day. His purpose, object and aim was to admin- 
ister justice without denial or delay. 

"His premature death is a distinct loss to the bar and bench of this state. 
He was at the beginning of a long and useful judicial career. How empty this 
room seems when we cast our eyes upon that vacant chair. Little did I think 
W'hen I talked with him less than twelve hours before his death that he was about 
to pass from the activities of this life. He spoke in words of kindness of his 
associates, regretted that he was not able to do his part of the work and expressed 
the hope that he would soon be better. Death came to him in the prime of his 
manhood. He has complied with the stern decree that man must die. His mild 
and gentle soul has passed to the great beyond. Revered be his memory. Peace 
to his ashes. There are so many of us to whom 'Jim' did some loving service 
that I am sure I express the sentiment of all when I quote the sweet epitaph which 
runs: 

' Warm western sun. shine kindly here. 
Warm western breeze, blow softly here, 
Green sod above, lie light, lie light. 
Good night, dear heart, Good night ! Good night !' " 



THOMAS J. FLYNN. 



Thomas J. Flynn, of Omaha, filling the office of United States marshal, to 
which he was appointed on the 15th of August. 191 5, was born in Taunton, 
^lassachusetts. in 1870, his parents being Cornelius and Margaret (Scanlon) 
Flynn. The father was born in County Limerick, Ireland, and in early youth 
came to the United States. Both have now passed away, the death of Mr. 
Flynn occurring in 1914. while his wife survived for only six weeks, passing 
away in 191 5. 

The family home had been established in Omaha in 1876 and Thornas J. 
Flynn was here reared and educated, supplementing his public school training by 
study in Creighton College. Almost continuously since attaining his majority he 
has occupied public office and has been an active worker in the ranks of the 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 101 

democratic party. He was elected a member of the Omaha city council, with 
which he served for one term, and he was also for one term representative of 
his district in the state legislature, where his work was along the line of con- 
structive legislation. For four years he occupied the position of deputy sheriff 
of Douglas county and for six years was street commissioner of Omaha, after 
which he served for four years as city clerk. On the 15th of August, 191 5, he 
was appointed to his present position as United States marshal, in which con- 
nection he discharges his duties without fear or favor. 

In September, 1900, in Iowa, Mr. Flynn was married to Miss Agnes O'Connell 
and they have two sons, John T. and William J. The religious belief of the family 
is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Flynn is identified with the Knights of 
Columbus. He also belongs to the Ancient Order of Hibernians, the Ancient 
Order of United Workmen and the Woodmen of the World. Practically his 
entire life has been passed in Omaha and he is known to a large percentage of 
its citizens, especially those who seek to have capable men in public office. 



J. FRANK CARPENTER. 

J. Frank Carpenter was prominent in the business life of Omaha from the 
time of his arrival in February, 1887, until his death. He removed to this city 
from Chicago and was numbered among the native sons of Illinois, his birth 
having occurred July 28, 1861, in Marengo. There he was reared and educated 
and in early manhood was there married to Miss Marion Avery, of Illinois. They 
became the parents of four children : Gilbert E. and Harry C, who are connected 
with the Carpenter Paper Company ; Marion ; and Eleanor. 

Following his removal to Omaha in 1887 Mr. Carpenter established business 
under the name of the Carpenter Paper Company. He had previously had 
experience and training along that line, having been connected with F. P. Elliott 
& Company, a paper house of Chicago. He at once embarked in the wholesale 
paper trade in Omaha, associated in the undertaking with his brother Isaac. 
They established their business on Douglas street and afterward removed to 
Twelfth and Howard streets. J. F. Carpenter was continuously connected with 
this enterprise until his demise, becoming secretary of the company. Their 
trade extended through Omaha and the surrounding country and they also 
established branch houses in other cities. Mr. Carpenter concentrated his 
undivided attention upon the upbuilding of the business and the enlargement of 
its trade connections and the thoroughly reliable and progressive methods which 
he followed brought most substantial results. He also had charge of the erec- 
tion of the present fine edifice built and owned by the Carpenter Paper Company. 

Death indeed removed from our midst one whom we could ill afford to lose 
when J. Frank Carpenter passed away December 23, 1907. There was no phase 
of his life that would not bear the closest investigation and scrutiny, for at all 
times his career was guided by high and honorable motives. He appreciated all 
those social interests which add to the happiness of the individual and was a 
well known member of the Omaha and Happy Hollow Clubs. He belonged also 
to the Commercial Club and he gave his political allegiance to the republican 
party. At the same time he never neglected the higher, holier duties of life but 
fully recognized the obligations of man to his fellowmen and held to those moral 
teachings which find their root in Christianity. He belonged to Calvary Baptist 
church, in which he took a most active and helpful part, serving for a number of 
years as superintendent of the Sunday school and as a trustee of the church. 
He was particularly interested in young men and was continually extending a 
helping hand or speaking a word of encouragement to them that he might induce 
them to choose the better things of life and make the most of their opportunities 
not only in a material way but also along the line of moral development. Mr. 



102 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Carpenter was but forty-six years of age when called to his final rest. It seemed 
that he should have been spared for many years to come, for he had not yet 
reached the zenith of his powers, but the summons came, and while he is still 
greatly missed in those circles in which he moved, among his business associates, 
his friends and most of all at his own fireside, his memory remains as an inspira- 
tion and a blessed benediction to all who knew him. 



GEORGE TILDEN, M. D. 

Dr. George Tilden is now living retired but for forty-six years was actively 
identified with the practice of medicine and surgery, in which field of labor he 
won distinction. In 1914, however, he withdrew from active connection with 
the profession to enjoy a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. 
He came to Omaha in 1868 from New York, then a young man of twenty-six 
years, his birth having occurred in the town of Warren, Herkimer county, in 
"1842. He attended the public schools and an academy there and afterward 
became a medical student in the State University of Michigan at Ann Arbor. 
He continued his preparation for the profession, however, in the Albany Medical 
College, in which he won his degree in 1867, being valedictorian of his class. In 
1868 "he entered upon the active practice of his profession in Omaha and always 
remained alone, never forming any partnership relation. His a tention was given 
to general practice and he was ever a deep and discriminating student, keeping 
in touch with the trend of modern scientific thought and investigation. Early 
in his practice he contribu'ed' articles to the State Medical Society and to 
medical journals. He was interested at all times in anything that tended to 
bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call life and he held 
membership in the County and S: ate Medical societies and of the former was 
at one time president. For forty yeariS^lie filled the position of county insanity 
commissioner but resigned in 1-914, much" to tbe regret of the judges of the dis- 
trict court, and at the time they expressed themselves to that effect by a set of 
resolutions paying tribute to his faithful service and rare ability, as follows : 

"Whereas, Upon the loss of his beloved wife, recently occurring, and after 
more than forty years of continuous service as' a member of the board of insanity 
of Douglas county, being the sustained appointee of the judges of this court 
throughout that period. Dr. George Tilden has expressed a desire to be relieved 
from further service on said board, and, 

"Whereas, Upon such occasion it seemed exceedingly fitting that the judges 
of this court should give some expression of recognition and appreciation for 
so long and fai'hful service in this exceptionally important work as an adjunct 
to the business of this court, therefore, be it 

"Resolved, First, That we extend to Dr. Tilden our sincere condolence in 
his bereavement caused by the recent death of his faithful and distinguished 
wife, a most remarkable woman, whose life was devoted to the establishment 
and support of various charitable and beneficent institutions in this community 
and in the promotion of every good work having for its object the physical, men- 
tal and especially the moral betterment of mankind. A_ distinguished public ben- 
efactor, as she was, she was none the less in her private life a most faithful 
and efficient helpmeet to her husband. 

"Second, That regretting exceedingly the necessity of accepting the resigna- 
tion of Dr. Tilden as a member of the board of insanity, we congratulate him 
upon the honor he has conferred upon himself and this community by his long 
and efficient term of service upon that board; upon his exceptional wisdom and 
sound discretion in conducting the peculiarly delicate and exacing task attend- 
ant upon the duties of the physician throughout a period of more than forty 
years without, it may be said, a single instance of unseemly notoriety or criti- 



NEW YORK 
-^UC LIBRARY 



A8TGR, LHNOX ANE 
TILDEM r«UN«ATi0Ne 



^' U ji^LftL 



IC LIBRARY 



ASTOK, LENOX AND 
TILDEN FOUtiOATIONS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 107 

cism arising- from his discharge of that duty. An unprecedented record in this 
community and one which few, indeed, if any, can ever hope to attain in the fu- 
ture. For this service Dr. Tilden richly deser\'es the lasting gratitude of the 
people of this community and particularly that of the friends of those unfor- 
tunate ones who suffered from the peculiar affliction with which he was re- 
quired to deal. 

"Third, That these resolutions be spread upon the records of this court 
and a copy thereof be presented to Doctor Tilden. 

"James P. English, Charles Leslie, George A. Day, 
"A. C. Troup, A. L. Sutton, Willis G. Sears.' 

"Lee S. Estelle." 

It is conceded among members of the profession that Dr. Tilden excelled 
along the line of treatment of mental diseases. In fact he has been repeatedly 
pronounced the peer of any man in the state as an alienist and as one whose 
opinion carried the greatest weight. During his long tenure of office, which is 
an appointive one, he had many important cases involving intricate interests — 
cases in which his opinion practically constituted the decision. His opinions 
were not given until he had thoroughly studied every case from every possible 
standpoint, and when his ideas were expressed they were given as a judgment 
formed from a purely scientific standpoint. He was for a long period physician 
and surgeon to St. Joseph's Hospital, for years was acting assistant surgeon of 
the United States army and also pension surgeon for a time. He attended the 
United States prisoners in Omaha for forty-four years and he was United 
States jury commissioner for thirty-two years. In 1914 he practically put aside 
all activities, whether of a professional, a public. or a semi-public character. 

In 1874 Dr. Tilden was united in marriage to Miss Ida V. Clegg, and two 
children, Howard and Mary, were born to them but both have passed away. " 
The life of Mrs. Tilden closed in 1914, and a sketch of the life of this noble 
woman follows. Dr. Tilden is still an honored' ahq v'a'l.ued resident of Omaha. 
He represents the scholarly, ethical man in. his. pjroiess.ion,. adhering at all times« 
to ^the highest standards. 



MRS. GEORGE TILDEN. 

Mrs. George Tilden, one of the foremost figures in the social, philanthropic 
and religious life of Omaha, was called to her final rest on the 25th of June, 
1914, when sixty-one years of age. Her beauty 'of character, her lofty spirit, 
her high ideals, all expressed in practical and resultant eft'ort for her fellowmen, 
made her life indeed a beneficent one in the community. She was a native of 
Virginia and came to Omaha from Iowa in the year 1867, after which she 
remained a resident of this city to the time of her demise. Here she completed 
her education, being graduated from Brownell Hall, at which time she won 
the prize for proficiency in higher mathematics. In early womanhood she took 
upon herself the duties of wifehood, giving her hand in marriage in 1874 to 
Dr. George Tilden, a sketch of whose life is given above. She was ever most 
devoted to her home and its best interests and in fact her entire life was eiven 
over to good works. She was contmually assistmg some organization or some 
individual and her work ever had for its purpose uplift and benefit. She gave 
freely not only of money but of time and effort. She was the first president of 
the Young Women's Christian Association of Omaha and she occupied the presi- 
dency of the Old People's Home for a longer period than anyone else who has 
filled that position. She also served as president of the alumnae association of 
Brownell Hall and ever took the deepest interest in the affairs of that institution. 
For two years she was president of the Omaha Woman's Club and a number of 
years ago ser\^ed as first president of the first suffrage society of the city, which 

Vol. II— 5 • 



108 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

was the nucleus of the Omaha Suffrage Association. All these indicated the 
breadth of her interests and activities, luery movement or agency that tended 
to advance the interests of humanity found in her a champion. She was a mem- 
ber of the First Presbyterian church, in the work of which she took a most active 
part, being president of its Ladies' Aid Society for many years and also 
president of the Women's Missionar}' Society for an extended period. For a 
third of a century she was an earnest worker in the missionary organizations of 
the state, being chairman of the Home mission committee of the Synod of Ne- 
braska early in its existence, while from 1902 until 1908 she was president of 
the missionary work of the Synodical Society. In 1902 she established the 
Nebraska Messenger, of which she was editor, this being the first synodical 
paper in the country. In 1910, when this was reestablished, she became business 
manager, so continuing until her death. She was one of the promoters of the 
Woman's Building of the Trans-Mississippi Exposition, held in Omaha, and 
furthered every interest connected therewith. 

Mrs. Tilden was equally renowned for her marvelous executive ability and 
wonderful capacity for detail. It has been repeatedly said that her hand on 
the helm of any affair assured its success, for never once did she fail in any 
enterprise great or small. Concerning her versatile powers, a coworker of many 
years said : 'AVhether it was ministering to the needs of the old people, bet- 
tering the conditions surrounding yotmg women, working for enforcement of 
laws regulating the sale of alcohol, the rights of women — (her activity brought 
about the passage of the property rights bill for women, which is now a state 
law) — higher educational standards, sanitary conditions, morality, establish- 
ment of pla3'grounds and gardens for the poor, instruction of mothers in vital 
home questions, influencing a love for missionary zeal by bringing noted home 
and foreign missionary workers to the city — in all of these various avenues of 
reform and philanthropy she was a leader. Her clear judgment and keen grasp 
of detail made the path straight for others to follow." 

An active worker for the cause of temperance, Mrs. Tilden served as presi- 
dent of the Omaha Woman's Christian Temperance Union. At her passing the 
Young Women's Christian Association, through one of its members, said : 
"Probably no personal loss could so closely affect this Association as that which 
came to it in the death of Mrs. Tilden. Even although after the long years of 
active service, she had retired from an active part in its affairs, still the habit 
of years was not easily overcome, and her thought and counsel were with us 
constantly. W^e still find ourselves saying instinctively, 'We must ask Mrs. 
Tilden,' when one or another matter is under discussion. She most wonderfully 
showed the largeness of her nature in that, after her retirement from active 
work, she refused to handicap present officers by any obtrusion of her own 
wishes or advice. But when consulted it was always apparent that she was 
following the progress of this work with intense interest, and was instantly 
prepared to give her own thought upon the matter. Mrs. Tilden's last resting 
place was in this building. By her own request the funeral services were held 
in our auditorium on Sunday afternoon, June 28. Since her going it has seemed 
that Mrs. Tilden has still been speaking her thought for us through the generous 
gift of five thousand dollars, to be kept always as an endowment fund for build- 
ing maintenance. Also her pledge for the debt fund and for the annual sup- 
port has been paid, and. so far as money can make it possible, her influence will 
be continued through the carrying on of this work for young women." 

Another wrote of her: "It may be said of Mrs. Tilden as of one of old: 
she 'walked with God; and she was not; for God took her.' It is hard to think 
of Omaha without Mrs. Tilden as a vital force in the best Hfe of the city. She 
has been, all her mature life, identified with each constructive work for the 
public welfare, and we expected many more years of service for her, but she 
has deserved the distinction of an early promotion. She will be missed in 
almost every organization which stands for social and religious betterment. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 109 

When some one protested against her joining so many societies, she said she 
wanted to belong to every good thing; and so she has been, with her means, 
her counsel, or active service, promoting righteousness. To write an adequate 
appreciation of her life would be to give the history of many institutions and 
enterprises, not only of Omaha, but of many lands, to which, in loving obedience 
to her Lord, she preached His gospel. The large attendance at the funeral 
services, of people from such varied walks of life and of widely differing 
religious faiths was an eloquent expression of appreciation of her influence 
and life in the city. The two institutions to which she gave the longest con- 
tinuous service are the Old People's Home and the Young Women's Christian 
Association. They perhaps will be remembered in Omaha longest as monu- 
ments to her memory. It was a great joy to her to know that a suitable location 
for the Old People's Home had been secured, and an adequate building assured, 
after many years of planning and waiting. The Young Women's Christian 
Association has long acknowledged Mrs. Tilden as mother of the institution, 
she having been the first president and chiefly instrumental in its organization. 
The direction, care and culture of the young womanhood of the community 
appealed to her strongly as worthy of her time and eft'ort. She gave herself 
unstintedly to the demands of the early days, when all the work was done by 
volunteers, seeing it grow, requiring larger quarters every few years, until it 
was necessary to have a building suitably equipped. When the question of loca- 
tion and securing a site was considered, Mrs. Tilden was logically chosen chair- 
man of the committee, where her acquaintance with people enabled her to secure 
the advice of business men, and inspired confidence in the enterprise. Then 
came days and weeks of preparation, preparing lists for the canvass for funds, 
where again her knowledge of people and her standing in the community made 
her services invaluable. During the trying days, weeks and months of the cam- 
paigns for the building funds she gave her whole time and strength as few were 
able to do, and secured some of the largest gifts. Though many women and 
girls gave of time, strength and money to make the splendid building a reality, 
they will agree that the leadership and abundant labors of Mrs. Tilden made 
it possible. In the adoption of plans, and in the construction of the building, 
her close attention to business details insured the greatest efficiency for the ex- 
penditure of money. Her generous gift to the endowment fund will continue 
to work for her from year to year, as long as the Association lives. In a very 
real sense the Association and building are a monument to her consecrated 
service, and its uses will perpetuate her splendid life. The Summer School of 
Missions has largely been the result of Mrs. Tilden's desire to secure the best 
things for Omaha. Much of the time she was confined to her home, and even 
from her bed by telephone and pen, she rallied and directed the agencies that 
have brought results beyond expectation. She was most loyal to her church, 
never allowing any engagement to prevent her attendance at the Wednesday 
night service. That was church night for her. She was leader in all the 
women's societies and prominent in the larger denominational life. 'The fore- 
most woman of the city,' as she was called, was a true, faithful home-maker, 
and helper and comrade of her husband. Dr. Tilden. As she often said, she 
could accomplish so much because he was willing she should give her time. 
Not only was he willing, but in hearty accord, and proud of her achievements^ 
constantly giving most valued counsel. One is tempted to extravagant expres- 
sion concerning a woman with so many fine qualities and rare abilities. But 
this would not be in harmony with her modest, unassuming nature. She was 
not without fault, else we could not call her sister. We will show best our 
appreciation of her life by emulating her example, taking up her uncompleted 
tasks and forwarding every good work. One has said. 'After a loved one's 
departure from earth, go forward to the greatest possible service in memory of 
that one.' To be intimately associated with Mrs. Tilden was to recognize the 
fact that the secret of her devoted service was 'she walked with God.' She was 



110 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

not her own, but bought with an infinite price. This dominated her whole hfe 
and accounted for her methodical, conscientious expenditure of her time, her 
faithful, unselfish service for others. 'She walked with God: she is not: for 
God took her.' " 

With all of her wonderful executive ability and her varied activities in the 
cause of humanity, of temperance, of philanthropy and of the church, Mrs. 
Tilden always found time for those quiet friendships which mean so much in 
life. She was the true friend, gifted with the rare faculty of calling forth 
the best in every individual. This wonderful woman, who fell asleep so quietly 
through her triumphant faith in Jesus Christ, has made the world better because 
she "passed this way." 

"For deeds like hers there is no death, 
They are of love, the living breath." 



SAMUEL K. SPALDING, M. D. 

In November, 1882, Dr. Samuel K. Spalding became a representative of the 
medical profession of Omaha, where he continued in active and successful prac- 
tice up to the time of his demise. He was born August 4, 1847, i" Beaver 
county, Pennsylvania, and came of sturdy Scotch ancestry. John Spalding, 
grandfather of Dr. Spalding, was a silk weaver and resided in Paisley, Scotland. 
He came to the United States in 1817, bringing his wife and nine children. They 
located first at Philadelphia, but about one year later the family emigrated to 
Pittsburgh, walking the entire distance of about four hundred miles and resting 
on the Sabbath days. The family later located in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, 
where Thomas Spalding, the father of the subject of this review, was born in 
1821. He w^as a blacksmith and resided in that county until 1855, when he 
brought his family to Morning Sun, Louisa county, Iowa, becoming a pioneer 
resident of that section, where he spent the remainder of his active life. Remov- 
ing to Omaha, he lived retired in that city until his death at the age of eighty- 
three years. He was married in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, to Miss Mary 
Kennedy and seven children were born to this union, of whom six reached adult 
age, as follows: Nancy, the wife of J. S. Williams, of Villisca, Iowa; Johanna, 
who is the widow of John T. Ochiltree and resides in Omaha ; Samuel K. ; Rev. 
William A., a United Presbyterian minister of Seattle, Washington; Harry W., 
a resident of Chicago ; and Lawrence D., of the Omaha Safe Deposit Company 
of Omaha. 

Samuel K. Spalding became a resident of Morning Sun, Iowa, in his youthful 
days and there attended the district school. When but a youth he responded 
to the country's call for troops, enlisting February 8, 1865, in Louisa county, 
Iowa, when but seventeen years of age for one year's service, as a member of 
Company K, Second Regiment Iowa Cavalry, with which he served until the 
close of the war, acting much of the time as orderly to officers. On the 19th 
of September, 1865, he was honorably discharged at Selma, Alabama, by reason 
of the close of the war. It was following the close of his military service that 
he entered Monmouth College and when his more specifically literary education 
was completed he became a student in the Keokuk Medical College and later 
pursued post-graduate work in the Bellevue Hospital Medical College of New 
York city. He first located for practice in Marshalltown, Iowa, in 1871 but after- 
ward opened an office at Elvaston, Illinois, and thence came to Omaha in 1882. 
Here he engaged in practice alone and such was his ability that it did not 
take him long to gain a good start here. He made a specialty of mental and 
nervous diseases and did much scientific research work in the field of mental 
disorders. He was a most capalple physician and was constantly called into 





'I^^!^0D cl/£p^4:1<^ 






OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 113 

consultation, while his advice was again and again sought by his fellow practi- 
tioners. He enjoyed the highest respect of his professionl brethren and he was 
always ready to aid any of them, being entirely free from professional jealousy. 
In addition to his practice he bought and sold real estate quite extensively and 
thus added materially to his income. 

On November 15, 1876, in Elvaston, Hancock county, Illinois, Dr. Spalding 
was married to Miss Ida F. Rohrbough, who was born February 5, 1856, in that 
place, a daughter of Elmore J. and JJelinda (Cook) Rohrbough, both of whom 
were natives of Virginia but became pioneer residents of Hancock county, Illi- 
nois. Mrs. Rohrbough died in Illinois, and Mr. Rohrbough later removed to 
Omaha, where he lived retired until his death, which occurred when he was 
seventy-eight years of age. Dr. and Airs. Spalding became parents of a daugh- 
ter, Mabel B., now the wife of Dr. A. Sherman Pinto. They have two sons, 
Sherman Spalding and Harvey Elmore. 

The death of Dr. Spalding occurred September 29, 191 5, at Washington, 
D. C, where he was attending the national encampment of the Grand Army Re- 
public, and was the occasion of deep and widespread regret among a wide circle 
of friends. He was a charter member of George Crook Post, No. 2O2, G. A. R., of 
which he served as commander and in the w^ork of which he took an active part in 
local, state and national affairs, and it was he who wrote the inscription found 
upon the soldiers' monument in Forest Lawn cemetery. He served as medical 
director of the department of Nebraska for several terms and as a member of 
the national council of administration of the Grand Army of the Republic. ITe 
assisted generously in building the University of Omaha, to which Mrs. Spalding 
has since contributed a memorial scholarship. His political allegiance was given 
to the republican party and for hve years he served as a member of the Omaha 
school board, being president one term. He was a member of the North Presby- 
terian church and was chairman of its building eoxiimittee and there was no 
activity for the benefit of the material, social, and moral progress of the com- 
munity that he did not feel was a matter of deep personal concern, which 
resulted in his generous aid of the same. He was public-spirited in a marked 
degree and he did everything in his power to promote the general welfare. So 
valuable were his services along professional lines and in matters of citizenship 
tliat his death was the occasion of the deepest regret throughout Omaha, while to 
those who knew him intimately the news. of his de;nise brought a sense of the 
greatest personal bereavement. 



NELSON CROOKS PRATT. 

Nelson Crooks Pratt, while continuing in the general practice of law in 
Omaha, is specializing to a considerable extent in insurance law. For twenty- 
one years he has practiced in this city and is therefore numbered among the 
pioneers as well as among the progressive attorneys. West Virginia claims him 
as a native son, his birth having occurred in Belleville, that state, July 24, 1862. 
His father, George O. Pratt, was born in Ohio in 1829 and was a son of George 
Pratt, also a native of that state, born in 1801. He died at the comparatively 
early age of thirty-three years. The Pratt family is of English origin but has 
been represented in the United States about three hundred years. Plaving 
arrived at adult age George O. Pratt was married in Pennsylvania to Miss 
Sallie Nesmith, a native of Pittsburgh, that state, and of Scotch descent. In the 
year 1849 he removed to Virginia but his last days were spent in Walnut, Illinois, 
where he passed away in 1906, having for six years surs'ived his wife, who died 
at Walnut in "1900. During the period of the Civil war the father was connected 
with the internal revenue service in West Virginia. Later he became postmaster 
at Belleville and during the last years of his life was engaged in farming. 



114 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Nelson C. Pratt acquired his education in the schools of Walnut. Illinois, 
and in the Northern Illinois College at Fulton, from which he was graduated in 
]886 with the degree of bachelor of Arts. After leaving college he came to 
Nebraska and for two years was principal of the high school at Genoa. In 1888 
he was admitted to practice at the bar of this state and in 1889 he removed to 
Albion, Nebraska, where he remained in active law practice until August i, 1895. 
He then came to Omaha, where he has since followed his profession, having for 
twenty-one years been active at the bar of this city. He is thoroughly informed 
concerning the various branches of the profession and continues in general 
j)ractice although devoting considerable time to insurance law, in which field he 
has expert knowledge. 

On the 26th of December, 1888, in Fullerton, Nebraska, Mr. Pratt was 
married to Miss Sadie M. Henderson, a daughter of the late Robert M. Hender- 
son, a native of New Jersey. They have one child, Minnie Grace. In the First 
Methodist Episcopal church they hold membership, and Mr. Pratt belongs also 
to the Happy Hollow Club, while his interest in community affairs is evidenced 
in his identification with the Commercial Club. His political endorsement is 
given to the republican party. He is a man of strong character, forceful and 
resourceful, whose plans of life are well defined and promptly executed and who 
at all times recognizes his duties and obligations to his fellowmen and in matters 
of citizenship, while in his law practice his devotion to the interests of his clients 
has become proverbial. 



JOHN D. WEAR. 



John D. Wear, an attorney at law practicing at the Omaha bar since 1900, was 
born in Fairfax, Iowa, August 21, 1879. His father, Francis Wear, was a 
native of County Westmeath, Ireland, born in 1833, and throughout his entire 
life he followed the occupation of farming. On the 21st of June, 1912, in Omaha, 
Mr. Wear w^as united in marriage to Miss Ann O'Connor, a daughter of John 
J. O'Connor. 



CHARLES ELI BUTLER. 

Charles Eli Butler was a representative and progressive citizen and business 
man of Omaha for more than a quarter of a century, taking up his residence 
here in April, 1887. He was born in Bloomingdale, lUinois, in 1857, and after 
spending his boyhood and youth in that state and in Jefferson, Iowa, where his 
education was acquired, he came to Omaha as a young man of twenty years. 
Here he embarked in the retail hay and grain business at Twenty-sixth and 
Cuming streets. After a brief period he removed to Twenty-fourth and Cuming 
streets and later to Fourteenth and Nicholas streets, where he conducted a whole- 
sale and retail business under the firm style of Butler Brothers, for his brother, 
George A. Butler, had become associated with him in the undertaking. From 
the beginning the business proved profitable and gradually his trade increased until 
he was at the head of an extensive enterprise, with which he remained in active 
connection up to the time of his death. His son, George D. Butler, then took over 
the business and has since been at its head, the interests being carried on under 
that name. He had been associated with his father for some years prior to the 
latter's death and had thus been thoroughly trained in the business in principle 
and detail. 

In 1886. in Jefferson. Iowa. Mr. Butler was united in marriage to Miss ■Maude 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 115 

Simons and to them were born two sons and a daughter, George D., Maude 
May and Charles Wesley. 

The husband and father departed this life March 13, 1916, when fifty-nine 
years of age. Fraternally he was for years connected with the Independent 
Order of Odd P^ellows, taking an active part in its work and filling all its local 
offices. He was also connected with the Knights of the Maccabees. He ever 
displayed great faith in the city and its future and lent his aid and cooperation 
to every plan and measure for the public good. Omaha came to esteem him as 
a man of sterling personal worth as well as of marked business ability and through 
the years of his residence here the circle of his friends was almost coextensive 
with the circle of his acquaintance. He had many sterling traits of character 
which endeared him to all who knew him and his worth stood as an unquestioned 
fact among his associates. 



EDMOND BERNARD CARRIGAN. 

Edmond Bernard Carrigan, president and treasurer of the E. B. Carrigan 
Company, wholesale shippers of coal, has throughout almost his entire business 
career been identified with trade of this character and gradually his expanding 
powers have laid the foundation for his present substantial and gratifying 
success. He was born on a farm in Niagara county. New York, September i, 
1866, a son of Patrick and Mary (Nugent) Carrigan, both of whom were natives 
of County Ulster, Ireland, in which country they were reared and married. 
The father was born in 183 1 and in 1856 brought his family to the United States, 
settling in Niagara county, New York, where he resided until called to his final 
rest in 191 5, and throughout the entire period he was engaged in horticultural 
pursuits. His religious faith was that of the Catholic church. His widow still 
survives and has now reached the age of eighty-three years. 

Edmond B. Carrigan attended the country schools of his native county and 
the graded schools of Lockport, New York, and upon leaving home in 1884, when 
a youth of eighteen years, he made his way to Kansas City, Missouri, and during 
the first year there spent was connected with a commission house, in which he 
rose from a humble position to that of shipping clerk. He afterward spent five 
years in the employ of the Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific Railroad Companies 
and in 1893 he entered the service of the Bolen Coal Company, with which he was 
continuously associated as sales manager until 1900. At that date he entered the 
employ of the Central Coal & Coke Company of Kansas City, with which he was 
connected at that point for two years, after which he was transferred to Dallas,. 
Texas, and became sales manager of the house for Mexico, Louisiana, Arkansas 
and Texas. In 1904 he was transferred to Omaha in the same capacity with 
Nebraska, Iowa, South Dakota and Colorado under his jurisdiction, and in 1907, 
desiring that his efforts should more directly benefit himself, he organized The 
E. B. Carrigan Company for the conduct of a wholesale coal business, of which 
he is the president and treasurer. The trade of the house is now extensive, its 
shipments covering a broad field, so that the annual income derived therefrom 
is most gratifying. 

On the 26th of April, 1900, in Sioux City, Iowa, Mr. Carrigan was married 
to Aliss Jessie Belle Morse, a daughter of Major Morse, and they have one son, 
Eugene Bernard, who was born December 9, 1910. Mr. Carrigan belongs to the 
Christian Science church. His political endorsement is given to the republican 
party and he holds membership in the Commercial and Happy Hollow Clubs. 
He belongs to that type of men whose records are held in high regard, indicating 
the opportunities afforded young men in this country, where effort is unhampered 
by caste or class, and also showing what can be accomplished through individual 
purpose. He had no assistance at the outset of his career but he resolved to win 



116 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

success if it could be done through earnest, persistent effort. An old Greek 
philosopher centuries ago said: "Earn thy reward; the gods give naught to 
sloth." Recognizing the truth of this admonition, Edmond B. Carrigan has been 
untiring in effort and honorable in method and while in the employ of others 
won advancement from time to time in recognition of his capability and fidelity 
until at length he felt justified in starting out independently and is now one of 
the prosperous business men of Omaha. 



JOHN ROBINSON WEBSTER. 

John Robinson Webster was born in Detroit, Michigan, November 21, 185 1. 
His father, Samuel Cheever Webster, was a lineal descendant of John Webster, 
of Ipswich, Connecticut, of Ezekiel Cheever, first head master of Boston Latin 
School, and of Michael Wigglesworth, author of The Day of Doom. His 
mother, Elizabeth Cutter Robinson, was a daughter of Martha Huntington, a 
descendant of the famous Huntington family of northern England. 

In 1863 Mr. Webster's parents moved to Bay City, Michigan, and young 
Webster received his education in the public schools of that city. During his 
senior year in the high school he was appointed assistant teacher in the same 
school. He graduated from the high school in 1872, and entered the University 
of Michigan literary class of 1876. After an attendance of about five months 
he was obliged to leave college on account of the severe illness of his mother. 
He received a leave of absence from President Angell, returned to his home, and 
secured a position as teacher in one of the grade schools of Bay City, and after 
three months was appointed principal of one of the ward schools which position 
he held for two years. In 1875 Mr. Webster was elected principal of the high 
school in Romeo, Michigan, and in 1876 he was elected superintendent of schools 
at Big Rapids, Michigan. While teaching Mr. Webster devoted his leisure hours 
to the study of law, and in 1877 he entered the law ofiice of Ashley Pond, a 
prominent attorney of Detroit, Alichigan. He was admitted to the bar upon 
examination before the supreme court of Michigan in January, 1878, and opened 
an office in Detroit, where he practiced for three years. 

On January 13, 1880, at Big Rapids, Michigan, he married Gertrude M. Pot- 
ter, daughter of Samuel Treat and Barbara (Keller) Potter. Mrs. Webster is a 
descendant of a number of officers of the Revolutionary army and of three colo- 
nial governors. She is a member of the Society Daughters of the American 
Revolution, Colonial Dames, Colonial Governors and Americans of Royal Descent. 

In 1 881 there were large tracts of unoccupied government land in western 
Iowa, and Mr. Webster joined a colony which located at Mapleton with the inten- 
tion of sheep ranching, but the country was so rapidly settled that ranching 
became impracticable, and in 1886 Mr. Webster moved to Omaha, where he 
became a partner in the fire insurance agency of Potter, Webster & Company. 
The firm, of which he is still a member, was afterwards changed to Webster, 
Howard & Company. In 1889 he became associated with other men of Omaha 
in the development of the district northeast of the city known as East Omaha, 
the construction of the East Omaha Street Railway, and the Omaha Bridge & 
Terminal Railway, of which latter company he w^as chosen vice president and 
general manager in 1898. After the company sold out to the Illinois Central 
Railroad Company he continued in this position until 1910, when the operation 
of the terminal company was removed to Chicago, but he is still a director and 
secretary of that company. In 1903 he was appointed general agent of the execu- 
tive department of the Illinois Central Railroad Company,_ and still_ holds that 
position. Becoming impressed with the importance of the live stock interests of 
the state, he acquired a ranch of about twenty thousand acres in the western part 
of Nebraska, which he is seeking to develop along modern lines. In 1906 he 




JOHN R. WEBSTER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 119 

joined with J. A. Sunderland in the construction of the Webster-Sunderland 
Building at Sixteenth and Howard streets, Omaha. He is a director of the city 
National Bank Building Company of Omaha, and of the Ash Grove Lime & Port- 
land Cement Company of Kansas and Aiissouri. 

John Potter Webster, his only child, was born May i8, 1889, graduated at 
the University of Michigan in 191 1, on which occasion the university conferred 
on Mr. Webster the honorary degree of Bachelor of Arts. On June 9, 1914, his 
son married Katherine Beeson, daughter of A. G. and Mabel (Miller) Beeson, 
of Omaha. 

Mr. Webster is the founder of the Webster scholarship to assist needy students 
in the Nebraska State University and Grand Island College ; and, together with 
his son, founded a similar scholarship in the University of Michigan. 

On April 29, 1866, Mr. Webster became a member of the First Baptist church 
of Bay City, Michigan, and for many years has been a member and officer of 
the First Baptist church of Omaha. For twenty-five years he has been the teacher 
of the Webster Bible Class, the largest and best organized class of its kind in the 
state. For two years, 1902-3, he was president of the Baptist State Convention 
of Nebraska. He is past master of Capitol Lodge, No. 3, A. F. & A. M., and a 
member of the Omaha, University, and Commercial Clubs, of Omaha, also of 
the Happy Hollow and Omaha Country Clubs. He belongs to the Nebraska 
Society Sons of the American Revolution, of which he has been president; he has 
also held the office of vice president of the National Society Sons of the Ameri- 
can Revolution. In politics Mr. Webster is a republican, and served his party 
as chairman of the republican county central committee of Monona county, Iowa, 
in 1884, president of the Fourth Ward Republican Club of Omaha, in 1887, and 
treasurer of the republican county central committee of Douglas county, Nebraska. 
He has always taken an active part in political campaigns, but never held nor 
sought public office. 



ARTHUR H. BURNETT. 

Arthur H. Burnett, of Omaha, attorney for the Woodmen of the World, was 
born on a farm in Saratoga county. New York, in 1857. His father, Caleb H. 
Burnett, a native of Edinburgh, New York, took up the occupation of farming as 
a life work. In his native state he wedded Caroline Wilkie and in 1862 they 
removed westward with their family to Illinois, where they resided for twenty- 
two years, and in 1884 came to Nebraska. Mrs. Burnett passed away in Holdrege, 
Nebraska, in 1893, while her husband, surviving for fifteen years, died in Den- 
ver, Colorado, in 1908. 

Arthur H. Burnett was a little lad of but five summers when the family home 
was established near El Paso, Illinois, where he attended school, later studying 
for a time in the Illinois Wesleyan University at Bloomington, that state. He 
afterward took up the study of law in the same institution and was graduated 
with the class of 1882. The following year he located for practice in Minden, 
Nebraska, where he remained for nine and a half years actively connected with 
the profession, but seeking a broader field of labor, he removed to Omaha in 
1893 and opened an office in this city. Fle continued in general practice for four- 
teen years but since 1907 has devoted his attention exclusively to the law busi- 
ness of the Woodmen of the World, which he has represented as attorney since 
1894. 

On the 19th of October, 1879, in El Paso, Illinois, Mr. Burnett was united 
in marriage to Miss Lydia P. Wilkinson, a daughter of the late John Wilkinson, 
and they have four children, Harry A., Hervey S., Elbert M. and Lydia M. 

The parents are members of the Baptist chUrch and Mr. Burnett is a Knights 
Templar Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine and also belongs to the Elks 



120 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

lodge, the Commercial Club and the Happy Hollow Club. His political allegiance 
is given to the republican party but he has neither the time nor inclination tc seek 
office, for his professional activities make full demand upon his energies. He 
is well qualified for the important duties which devolve upon him in his present 
connection, being recognized as one of the able lawyers of his adopted city. 



DAVID MARTIN McGAHEY. 

David Martin McGahey, engaged in the insurance business as general agent 
at Omaha for the Home Life Insurance Company of New York, was born in 
Belfast, Ireland, August 14, 1870. His father, David McGahey, also a native of 
Belfast, was born in 1826 and remained a lifelong resident of the Emerald isle, 
there passing away in 1882. His widow afterward came to America and died in 
Chicago in 1902. 

David M. McGahey was educated in Belfast, being graduated from the Royal 
Academy of that city in 1890. He was a young man of twenty-six years when 
in 1896 he came to the new world, settling first in Chicago,' where he remained 
for two years. He then went to Aladdin, Wyoming, where he remained for four- 
teen years, and in 19 14 he arrived in Omaha, where he became general agent for 
the Home Life Insurance Company of New York. He has long been active in 
the insurance field, in which connection he has gradually worked his way upward 
to his present position of responsibility and importance. 

On the 30th of September, 1903, in Deadwood, South Dakota, Mr. McGahey 
was married to Miss Grace Logan, by whom he has a son, David M., Jr., born 
September 14, 1906. Their religious faith is that of the Episcopal church and in 
his political views Mr. McGahey is a republican. While never seeking nor desir- 
ing office, he keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day. His 
attention is chiefly concentrated, however, upon his business interests and he is 
today one of the well known men in insurance circles in Omaha. 



GEORGE ANDREW ROBPIRTS. 

Situated in the midst of a great agricultural district, Omaha has naturally 
become a most important grain center, and a prominent representative of the grain 
trade at this point is George Andrew Roberts, whose operations are carried on 
under the name of the George A. Roberts Grain Company, of which he is the 
sole owner. He was born upon a farm in Saline county, Nebraska, February 14, 
1874, a son of Stephen Scotten Roberts, who was born in Philadelphia, Penn- 
sylvania, in 1834. Removing westward to Illinois, he was married in that state 
to Lydia A. Bainter and in 1873 they came to Nebraska, settling in Saline county, 
where the father died in 1903. He is still survived by his widow, who is now^ a 
resident of Lincoln, Nebraska. At the time of the Civil war he espoused the cause 
of the Union and enlisted in Company G, One Hundred Fifty-fifth Illinois 
Infantry, with which he served for three years on southern battlefields. He 
always maintained pleasant relations with his old military comrades through his 
membership in the Grand Army post at Dorchester, Nebraska. 

At the usual age George A. Roberts became a pupil in the country schools of 
Saline county and afterward attended the public schools of Dorchester but had 
no college training. In the school of experience, however, he has learned many 
valuable lessons and is now a practical and well informed business man, alert and 
enterprising, his intelligently directed efforts having brought him to a position of 
prominence in business circles. He embarked in the grain trade on his own 
account at Angus, Nebraska, in 1890 and for more than a quarter of a century, 



/-^.-au LIBRARY 



A8T0R, LENOX AND 
TILDEN FOUNDATIONS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 123 

therefore, has been active in that Hne of business. Seeking the broader field of 
labor offered by a larger city, he came to Omaha in 1909 where he now conducts 
extensive operations in the grain trade as the sole owner of the George A. 
Roberts Grain Company. He has ever been watchful of indications pointing to 
success and has always possessed the courage to venture where favoring oppor- 
tunity has ix)inted out the way. Opportunity is but a promise — an indication, and 
many there are who fear to utilize the chance offered, but grasping eagerly every 
legitimate opportunity presented, Mr. Roberts has advanced steadily step by step 
in his business career until he stands today among the most prosperous represen- 
tatives of the grain trade in Omaha, with unsullied business integrity that equals 
his material success. He has also made investments in other important business 
enterprises but is not active in control, feeling that his grain interests make ample 
demand upon his energies. 

On the 22d of June, 1904, in Dorchester, Nebraska. Mr. Roberts was united in 
marriage to Miss Olive H. Wilhelm, a daughter of Jerry Wilhelm, who served in 
the Civil war as a member of an Illinois regiment. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have 
one daughter, Lydia Elizabeth. 

Politically Mr. Roberts is a republican and while never an office seeker neither 
has he ever been remiss in the duties of citizenship but aids and supports all 
plans and projects for the general good. Fraternally he is connected with the 
Independent Order of Odd Fellows and he belongs to the Happy Hollow Club and 
to the Athletic Club of Omaha. His religious belief is indicated in his member- 
ship in the First i\Iethodist church, in the work of whch he takes an active and 
helpful part. One who has long known him and who is himself a prominent 
citizen of Omaha says that throughout his entire career he has ever been the same 
courteous and genial gentleman that he is today, devoted to his family, active 
in the work of the church and enjoying the respect and friendship of all who 
know him. 



SIDNEY DENISE BARKALOW. 

\Vith the history of Omaha the name of Barkalow has been associated almost 
continuously from the beginning and in many phases of the city's development 
the family have been active participants. A native of Ohio, Sidney Denise 
Barkalow was born in Warren county, November 23, 1844, a son of Benjamin 
B. Barkalow. of whom mention is made elsewhere in this volume. He was edu- 
cated at the place of his nativity and there remained until November 5, 1856, 
when, at the age of twelve years, he accompanied his parents to Omaha, where 
he became a pupil in a school conducted by Howard Kennedy, who was the first 
superintendent of schools in this city. .\t a later period he pursued his studies 
for a short time in Washington University at St. Louis. In his youthful days 
he was employed for a brief period in the ofifice of an express company at Omaha 
and also in the Woolworth book store and in the latter connection gained a knowl- 
edge of the business to which he largely devoted his life. 

He embarked in business on his own account when a youth of but sixteen 
years by opening a small book store and news stand on Farnam street, near Thir- 
teenth. In 1865, in connection with his brother, Derrick Vail Barkalow, he 
entered into a contract with the Union Pacific Railroad Company for the sale 
of newspapers, periodicals, candy, books and other articles on the trains of that 
line and the brothers were on the first train which went west from Omaha. As 
the railroads of the west spread out their business expanded. In the early days 
they enjoyed a liberal patronage in the sale of Indian curios and relics, including 
polished buffalo hoofs and horns, and as the years passed their business steadily 
increased. In 1870 D. V. Barkalow went to Cheyenne to operate the western 
division for the company, their interests extending as far as Ogden, while S. D. 



124 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Barkalow remained in Omaha. They carried on business under the firm style of 
Barkalow Brothers — a name which became a household word in Omaha and 
throughout the west. At one time they operated extensively over various 
western railroads and attained to a position of leadership in their line of busi- 
ness. On the 14th of Decemljer, 1914, their interests were incorporated under 
the name of the Barkalow Brothers' News Company, of which S. D. Barkalow 
became the president, R. V. Barkalow vice president, Denise Barkalow secre- 
tary-treasurer and George li. Schnell, general manager. The company still 
maintains news stands in depots at Council Bluffs, Omaha, Columbus, Grand 
Island, Kearney, North Platte and Cheyenne, Nebraska; at Greenriver, Wyom- 
ing; at Ogden, Utah; at Kansas City, Topeka and Junction, Kansas; at Fort 
Worth, Texas ; and at Sterling, Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado. 

At Fremont. Nebraska, on the 19th of February, 1879, Mr. Barkalow was 
united in marriage to Miss Caroline Lawrence McNamara, who was born at 
Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, a daughter of Rev. Dr. John McNanrara, who was born 
in the north of Ireland and when a young man came to the new world. He was 
well known as one of the pioneer missionaries of the Episcopal church in Mis- 
souri, Kansas, Illinois, Wisconsin and Nebraska and he carried the gospel into 
those regions when travel involved many hardships and difficulties, 'all of 
which, however, he bore uncomplainingly because of his devotion to his church. 
He married Sarah Banks Gould, avIio was born in vSandusky, Ohio, during the 
temporary residence of the family there but when six months old was taken 
by her parents to their old home in New York city. Mrs. Barkalow attended 
school in Wisconsin and completed her education at Brownell Hall in Omaha. 
By her marriage she became the mother of three children : Sidney McNamara, 
now deceased ; Denise, living in Omaha ; and Caroline Lawrence. 

Mr. Barkalow held membership in the Omaha Club, the Happy Llollow 
Club, the Omaha Country Club and the Commercial Club and was also a mem- 
ber of the Pioneers' Association of Nebraska. He was a faithful member of 
Trinity Cathedral and for thirty years served as one of its vestrymen. He 
gave loyal and generous support to the church and did everything in his power 
to promote its cause. In matters of citizenship he was most loyal and public- 
spirited and his cooperation could be counted upon at all times to aid in further- 
ing projects for the public good. At the same time he was a man of most domes- 
tic tastes, finding his greatest happiness at his own fireside. With the exception 
of one year he maintained his residence in Omaha from 1856 until his death, 
which occurred on the 29th of May, 191 5, or for almost a half century, and 
throughout the entire period the course which he followed was such as com- 
mended him to the confidence, high regard and , goodwill of all with whom he 
came in contact. He lived to see wonderful changes, for at the time of his 
arrival the city was a straggling western frontier village. He witnessed its trans- 
formation into a modern metropolis with all the advantages known to the modern 
city and his contribution to the work that was wrought was indeed valuable. 



PAUL L. MARTIN. 



Paul L. Martin, dean of the Creighton College of Law at Omaha, was bom 
upon a farm in Crawford county, Iowa, April 4, 1881. His paternal grandfather, 
James W. Martin, was a native of Ireland but emigrating to America, became a 
resident of Crawford county, Iowa, where he passed away in 1889. His son, 
James W. Martin, father of Paul L. Martin, was born in Dewitt, Iowa, in 1859. 
He wedded Hulda Catherine Chapman and they now reside in Omaha, where he 
is successfully engaged in the real estate business. 

Paul L. Martin acquired his early education in the public schools of Man- 
ning, Iowa, supplemented by study in the Lloly Family parochial school of Omaha 





PAUL L. MAKTIN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 127 

and a course in Creighton College, from which he was graduated with the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1900. In preparation for a professional 
career he entered the law department of Harvard University, which numbers him 
among its alumni of 1905. The same year Creighton College conferred upon 
him the Alaster of Arts degree. After leaving Harvard he was for two years 
associated with the law firm of Hall & Stout, of Omaha, and in 1907 he was 
called to the position of secretary of the Creighton College of Law. Two years 
later he was advenced to dean of the department and has so continued, bending 
every effort toward making this one of the best law schools of the middle west. 

On the nth of September, 1906, in Omaha, Mr. Martin was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Mary Inez Neu and to them have been born five children, Paul 
James, Bernard Aloysius, Clarence Jerome, Mary Catherine and Gertrude Mary. 

As indicated by his professional connections Mr. Martin is an adherent of 
the Catholic faith and he belongs also to the Knights of Columbus. He has been 
an earnest supporter of many plans and projects for the public good. In this 
connection he acts with the Commercial Club, of which he is a member, in its 
efforts to promote Omaha's civic standards and extend its business relations. His 
social nature finds expression in his membership in the Harvard Club and his 
professional connections extend to the Omaha Bar Association, the Nebraska 
State Bar Association, and the Association of American Law Schools. For 
several years he was a member of the committee on legal education of the 
Nebraska State Bar Association, prepared several reports of the committee 
and has taken an active interest both locally and nationally in raising the standard 
of the bar. As a member of the Association of American Law Schools he has 
been one of the leaders in the extension of the standard law course from three 
to four years. • ; ;. . : 



HENRY HAUBENS.'''* ■"'"''•*•■" ■ 

Henry Haubens, president of the Lion Bonding & Surety Company, organ- 
ized in 1907, has throughout an extended period been a prominent representative 
of financial interests in Omaha. He was born in Gonningen, Germany, in 
1855, a son of Andre\v Haubens, whose birth occurred in the same place in 1818 
and who there passed away in 1866. 

In the schools of the fatherland Henry Haubens pursued his education. He 
was graduated from the seminary in Esslingen, Wurtemberg, in 1876, and in 
188 1, when twenty-six years of age, crossed the Atlantic to the United States. 
He made his way at once to Omaha, where he taught German in a private school 
for about a year and a half. On the expiration of that period he entered the 
Omaha First National Bank as clerk in the counting department and there con- 
tinued for three years, after which he took up the business of railroad contract- 
ing, organizing the firm of Haubens, Shelton & Company, of which he became 
the president and so continued for about three years. He then purchased an 
interest in the brewing firm of Storz & Her and in 1890, when their lease on the 
brewery expired, Mr. Haubens organized the Omaha Brewing Association, of 
which he was made vice president and so continued until 1907. He then 
sold his interest in that business and organized the Lion Bonding & Surety 
Company, of which he has since been the president. This company is 
capitalized for two hundred and fifty thousand dollars and has done an exten- 
sive business in the ten years of its existence, a liberal clientage having been 
won. Mr. Haubens is also owner of the business conducted imder the name 
of the Omaha Folding Alachine Company and thus his interests have become 
extensive and important, making him a prominent figure in the business circles 
of the city. 

In September, 1887, in St. Louis, Missouri, Mr. Haubens was united in mar- 



128 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

riage to Miss Emily Vatter, by whom he had two children, Emil Victor and Walter 
William, born in 1892 and i(S(>5 respectively. Doth sons and the mother died 
in Omaha in 1902. 

In his political views Mr. J laubens maintains an independent course and has 
never been an office seeker, preferring to concentrate his energies and attention 
upon his business affairs, his close application and unfaltering energy resulting 
in the attainment of substantial success. 



EDWARD MACKENZIE WELLMAN. 

Edward MacKenzie Wellman. for twenty-two years an active practitioner at 
the Omaha bar, was born in Viola, Iowa, April 8, 1870, a son of Samuel Mac- 
Kenzie Wellman. who was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1839, while his 
father Dr. Wellman, was a native of England. Coming to America he settled 
in Connecticut, where he practiced his profession throughout his remaining days. 
At the time of the Civil war Samuel M. Wellman enlisted for service in 1861 
as a private of the Forty-second Ohio \''oluntcer Infantry, of which the late 
President James A. Garfield was commander. With that regiment he served 
for four years, rising to the rank of captain, and on several occasions he was 
wounded. In 1865 he removed westward to Iowa and was married in Viola, in 
1866, to Elizabeth Anna Marshall, who was born in Westfield, Massachusetts. 
He removed with his family from Iowa to Howard county, Nebraska, in 1879 
and during the last twelve years of his life filled the position of postmaster at 
Elba, Nebraska. He died in the year 1913, while his wife passed away in 191 1. 

Edward M. Wellman, after attending the district schools of Howard county, 
continued his education in the normal schools at Fremont and at Bloomington, 
Nebraska, thus securing a good literary education to serve as the foundation upon 
which to upbuild the superstructure of professional knowledge. In preparation 
for the practice of law he attended the University of Michigan, from which 
he was graduated in 1894, and for a year he taught school in Howard county, 
Nebraska. In June, 1895, he came to Omaha, where he entered at once upon the 
active practice of his profession and has since continued a member of the bar. 
Advancement in the law is proverbially slow, yet no dreary novitiate awaited 
Mr. Wellman. His legal powers and talents soon gained him recognition and 
his clientage has long been an enviable one. In 1898 he was made president 
of the firm of Charles E. Walters & Company, pubHshers of Walters Legal 
Directory since 1892. 

On the 15th of June, 1897, in Scotia. Nebraska, Mr. Wellman was united in 
marriage to Miss Ida C. Cook, daughter of Thomas W. Cook. To them have 
been born three children. Helen Elizabeth. Philip MacKenzie and Edward 
Samuel. In politics Mr. Wellman is a democrat but does not care to turn from 
professional to political activity and concentrates his attention upon his law prac- 
tice, his devotion to his clients' interests being proverbial. Fraternally he is a 
York Rite Mason and, the social amenities of life making appeal to him, he is 
now a member of the University and Happy Hollow Clubs. 



ELLERY HILL WESTERFIELD. 

Ellery Hill Westerfield, who since his admission to the bar in 1896 has 
practiced law in Omaha, was born in Monmouth, Illinois, January 13, 1870, and 
is a descendant of a family of Holland origin. The name was originally Van 
Westervelt and the immigrant ancestor was Lubbert Lubbertsen Van Wester- 
velt, who came to the United States from Holland in 1660. He was accompanied 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 129 

by his brother and they were the only two on the vessel who paid money for 
their passage. The great-grandfather, Samuel Westerfield, emigrated to Ken- 
tucky, but his last days were spent in Ohio. It was in Preble county, Ohio, that 
Jacob Reeder Westerfield, the grandfather of E. H. Westerfield, was born, as 
was also the father, James Westerfield, whose birth occurred in 1830. While 
he was not an enlisted soldier in the Civil war, he was in the government service 
in the south as a wagon maker. In 1855, at Knoxville, Illinois, he married 
Esther Moore and for many years the family home was maintained at Mon- 
mouth, Illinois, where the father passed away in 1893. The mother afterward 
came to Omaha, where she spent her last days. 

Ellery Hill Westerfield attended the public schools of his native city and 
afterward entered Monmouth College, from which he was graduated in 1893 
with the degree of Bachelor of Arts, while subsequently his alma mater con- 
ferred upon him the Master of Arts degree. He studied law in Washington 
University of St. Louis, Missouri, from which he was graduated in 1896, and 
immediately after he opened an office in Omaha, where he has since remained, 
giving his entire attention to his professional interests. He has a faculty for 
careful, accurate analysis which is one of the indispensable elements of success- 
ful law practice. His trend of reasoning is clear, strong and logical and he 
masters the points in his case, bringing all to bear upon the decisive point of 
contact. He also has commercial interests as a director of the Ralston Furniture 
Factory, of which he was one of the incorporators. 

On the 9th of October, 1901, in Omaha, Mr. Westerfield was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Elizabeth Edwards Orange, daughter of John B. Orange. They 
have four children, namely : Esther Moore, Elizabeth Orange, Herbert Ellery 
and Helen Genevieve. 

Mr. Westerfield gives stalwart support to the republican party, although 
never an office seeker. The rules which largely govern his life and shape his 
relations with his fellowmen are indicated in the fact that he is a member of the 
Presbyterian church and a Scottish Rite Mason. He was a commissioner to the 
General Assembly of the Presbyterian church at Columbus, Ohio, in 1907 and 
was moderator of the Presbytery of Omaha in 191 5. He belongs to the Com- 
mercial Club and therefore is an actve supporter of those forces which make 
for public improvement and progress in his city, and his social nature finds expres- 
sion in his membership in the University and Happy Hollow Clubs. 



ERNEST ANSON CONAWAY. 

While Ernest Anson Conaway is one of the younger members of the Omaha 
bar, he has already attained a position that many an older practitioner might 
well envy and his possession of those qualities requisite to advancement insures 
him continued professional success. He was born in Corning, Iowa, January 12, 
1883, a son of Alexander Campbell and Marilla (West) Conaway. The father 
was born in Canton, Ohio, in 1842 and about 1866 removed westward to Iowa, 
being married in that state. He had previously served as a soldier of the Civil 
war, enlisting in 1861 in a regiment of Ohio volunteer cavalry, with which he 
remained throughout the period of hostilities, rising to the rank of captain. 
He and his wife are still residents of Coming. 

After attending the public schools of Corning, Ernest A. Conaway began prep- 
arations for the bar, believing that he would find law practice a congenial voca- 
tion. He was graduated from the Omaha Law School with the class of 1912 and 
the same year was admitted to practice, after which he opened an office in Omaha 
and has since concentrated his attention upon his professional duties. He is 
occupying the same suite of rooms with Hon. B. S. Baker, and although he has 
been connected with the profession for but four years and advancement at the 



130 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

bar is proverbially slow, he has already made a good start and he possesses many 
of the qualities indispensable to success, including comprehensive knowledge of 
the law, indefatigable industr}', shown in the careful preparation of cases, and a 
ready analysis that enables him to reason from cause to ellect. 

On the loth of October, 1908, in Omaha, Mr. Conaway was united in mar- 
riage to Aliss Jean Houston Huntington, by whom he has two children, Dorothea 
Jean and Ernest Anson, Jr. Mr. Conaway exercises his right of franchise in 
support of the men and measures of the republican party, fraternally he is a 
Royal Arch Mason and in religious faith is an Episcopalian, taking a very active 
and helpful interest in the church work. 



JOHN ALBERT McSHANE. 

John Albert McShane, capitalist, lumberman and political leader, has left 
the impress of his individuality not only upon the history of Omaha but of the 
state as well and throughout this section of the country is spoken of in terms of 
admiration and respect. His life has been so varied in its activities, so honorable 
in its purposes and so far-reaching and beneficial in its effects that it has become 
an integral part of the records of Omaha. He left the home farm when a youth 
of twenty-one years, acquainted only with such experiences as come to the farm 
bred boy, little dreaming that he was eventually to become a most prominent 
figure in commercial circles. 

His birth occurred upon a farm near Lexington, Ohio, in 1850, and he is a 
representative of a family of Irish origin. His paternal grandfather, James 
McShane, spent his entire life in County Armagh, Ireland, and there the father, 
Thomas McShane was born in the year 1806. In early manhood he came to 
America, settling in Ohio, where he wedded Alice Creighton, a sister of the 
late John A. Creighton, long a distinguished and honored resident of Omaha. 
It was in the year 1883 that Mr. and Mrs. McShane became residents of Omaha, 
where their remaining days were passed, but the father was not long permitted 
to continue his residence here, his death occurring in 1885. His wife survived 
him until 1891. 

Reared upon a farm in Perry county, Ohio, John A. McShane attended the 
district schools and later concentrated his attention upon the work of the fields 
until he reached his majority, when he resolved to try his fortune in the west and 
made his way to a cattle ranch in Wyoming. He spent three or four years in 
that state, becoming interested in ranching in connection with Edward and John 
A. Creighton. The year 1874 witnessed his arrival in Omaha and for two and 
a half years he was employed by the Union Pacific Railroad Company. At the 
end of that time he accepted the position of manager of the lumberyards of 
W. J. Young & Company and was so employed for about three years. He later 
assumed the management of a Wyoming ranch of many thousand acres, upon 
which were herded many thousand head of cattle, but while he was in charge until 
1883 he continued his residence in Omaha. At the end of that period he sold 
his ranch interest to the Bay State Live Stock Company of Boston, of which 
he became manager, so continuing until 1887, when he went to Washington as a 
member of congress. In the meantime — in 1884 — he had been elected to the 
presidency of the Union Stock Yards Company, Ltd., of Omaha, and so remained 
until 1894. In 1887 he was elected to the presidency of the Union Stock Yards 
Bank, which position he filled until 1896. Since that time he has been much 
interested in lumber in Texas and in 1903 organized the McShane Lumber Com- 
pany, of which he has continuously been the president. This company is operat- 
ing extensively in lumber and as its head Mr. McShane displays marked 
executive ability, initiative and enterprise. It does not cover the scope of his 
activities, however, for he is the president and principal owner of the Creighton- 




JOHN A. McSHANE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 133 

McShane Oil Company of Omaha, owning oil lands in Texas, and is the president 
of the South. Omaha Land Company and of the Columbian Investment Company 
of Omaha. His business interests have thus covered a wide scope but his powers 
have proved adequate to every demand made upon him. Alert and energetic, he 
has improved every opportunity which has come to him in the course of his long 
business career and in matters of judgment has been seldom if ever at fault. 
Such is his sagacity that he has avoided all business connections in which one 
might encounter unwarranted risks and has concentrated his efforts and attention 
along those lines where fruition is certain. 

In the midst of a most active business career Mr. McShane has never been 
neglectful of public obligations or responsibilities and has ever met the duties as 
well as enjoyed the privileges of citizenship. His study of political conditions 
up to the time that he attained his majority led him to cast his first presidential 
vote for the nominees of the democratic party. Since that time he has never 
seen occasion to change his opinions regarding the political policy of the country 
and has long been a recognized leader in democratic circles in Nebraska. In 1880 
he was chosen to represent his district in the state legislature, serving in the lower 
house for two years, and then in 1882 he was chosen a member of the senate for a 
two years' term. In 1886 he was elected to represent his district in congress and 
in the following year he was the unsuccessful candidate for governor. His 
opinions have for many years carried weight in the councils of his party through- 
out Nebraska and he also has a wide acquaintance among prominent political 
leaders of the country, who appreciate the soundness of his opinions and his keen 
insight. 

In 1876, in Omaha, Mr. McShane was united in marriage to Miss Mary M. 
Lee, who died in 1894, leaving two children: Edward L., who was born in 1878 
and passed away in Omaha, May 7, 1916; and Mary Lee, now the wife of 
Willard D. Hosford. A^Tr. McShane was again married in Chicago, Kathryn 
A. Lonergan becoming his wife. 

Their religious faith is that of the Catholic church and Mr. McShane is 
connected with the Knights of Columbus. He belongs also to the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks and he is a member of the Commercial Club, the 
Omaha Club and the Country Club. Ask anyone concerning Omaha's leading 
citizens and they will name John A. McShane among the number, such being the 
prominent position to which he has attained in business and political circles. 
He is also most prominent in the affairs of the Catholic church. The records 
indicate that he has reached the age of sixty-six but his appearance belies his 
years as he possesses the physical and mental alertness of a man many years his 
junior. In a word he is yet a dominant factor in the public life of the com- 
munity — dominant by reason of his marked ability and enterprising spirit. He 
has exerted an immeasurable influence on the city of his residence; in business 
life as a financier and promoter of extensive commercial enterprises ; in politics 
by reason of his public spirit and devotion to the general good as well as his 
comprehensive understanding of the questions affecting the state and national 
welfare ; in benevolent circles by reason of his liberality in ameliorating the hard 
conditions of life for the unfortunate and in social circles by reason of a charm- 
ing personality and unfeigned cordiality. 



EDGAR H. ALLEN. 



Important business interests felt the stimulus and profited by the cooperation 
and ability of Edgar H. Allen, who became a resident of Omaha in 1880, remov- 
ing to this city from St. Paul, Indiana. He was born in Stephensport, Ken- 
tucky, February 18, 1856, but removed to St. Paul, Indiana, and there acquired 
his education as a public school pupil. He afterward learned telegraphy and later 



Vol. II— 6 



134 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

was employed by the Big Four Railway under the presidency of M. E. Ingalls. 
It was as a representative of the Western Union Telegraph Company that he 
came to Omaha in 1880. Soon afterward he was sent to Plum Creek, now 
Lexington, Nebraska, at a period when there were wild times in that district, 
the lawlessness of frontier life being manifested. After a few months, how- 
ever, he was returned to Omaha in the spring of 1881 and in March of that 
year his mother and family came to Omaha. It was then that the three brothers, 
Arthur. Oscar and Edgar H. Allen, embarked in the retail grocery business at 
Fifteenth street, near Farnam, under the firm style of Allen Brothers. The 
undertaking prospered from the beginning and their trade grew and developed 
rapidly, enabling them in 1883 to establish a wholesale grocery business, in con- 
junction with which they became tea and coffee importers. Edgar H. Allen 
continued at the head of this company which became a corporation, throughout 
his remaining days and under the style of the Allen Brothers Company they 
built up a most extensive trade as wholesale grocers, their ramifying commer- 
cial connections covering a broad territory and reaching out into many sections 
of the country. Recognizing an opportunity along other lines, they began 
operating in real estate and formed the Allen Brothers Realty Company, of 
which Edgar H. Allen was also the president. This company was formed to 
take charge of the property which they had acquired, for in the early days as well 
as at a later period they improved their opportunities for judicious investment 
and with the passing years their property interests grew largely in volume 
and contributed in substantial measure to their prosperity. Their wholesale 
grocery house was located at the corner of Tenth and Farnam streets, where 
they remodeled the building, and also made additions thereto. Edgar H. Allen 
also became interested in business projects in Washington. Utah and Wyoming 
which led to the substantial development and upbuilding of those states and he 
was likewise one of the large stockholders in a canning factory at Forest City, 
Missouri. He had framed and hung in his office the motto : 

"Pluck wins! It always wins 
Though days be slow 

And nights be dark 'twixt days which come and go. 
Still pluck will win, its average is sure. 
He gains the prize who can the most endure; 
Who faces issues, he who never shirks, 
Who waits and watches and who always works." 

This motto was commented on most favorably by journals all over the country 
and the spirit of the words constituted a dominating element in the life work of 
Mr. Allen. 

It was on the 17th of September, 1885, at North Bend, Ohio, that Mr. Allen 
was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Devin, of that place, and theirs was a 
most happy married life characterized by the closest community of interests. 
On the 22d of December, 1912, at Omaha, Mr. Allen passed away and in his 
death the community in which he lived and the many organizations to which he 
belonged suffered a great loss. He was a thirty-second degree Mason and mem- 
ber of the Mystic Shrine and also a member of the Knights of Pythias. He was 
also an honorary member of the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben. of which he was a gov- 
ernor, and he belonged to the Commercial Club, and for one term was president 
and held many other offices therein, his service in that connection being most 
highly complimented and commended. He likewise belonged to the Telegraphers' 
Union, to the Omaha Club and to the Country and Field Clubs. He was an 
active member of the Missouri River Grocers' Association and he also belonged 
to the Trans-Mississippi Waterway Association, in the work of which he took 
a most active and helpful interest. His charitable nature found expression in gen- 
erous gifts to the poor and needy and to benevolent institutions and yet his 



• OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 135 

charity was most unostentatious. He loved Omaha and its interests were dear 
to his heart, so that he cooperated in many plans and measures for the general 
good. He attended the ^Methodist Episcopal church and his entire life was 
guided by high and honorable principles that made his career one worthy of 
emulation. 



ELMER E. THOMAS. 



Elmer E. Thomas, engaged in the practice of law in Omaha, was born in 
Ironton, Ohio, July 2, 1864, a son of John Notley Thomas and a grandson of 
Benjamin Thomas. The immigrant ancestor of the family came from Wales 
about the same time that Lord Baltimore settled Maryland. Benjamin Thomas 
was a native of Frederick, Maryland, and devoted his life to the occupation of 
farming. He served as a soldier in the War of 1812 and participated in the battle 
of Bladensburg, Maryland. His son, John Notley Thomas, who was born in 
Monroe county, Ohio, in 1828, was a soldier of the Civil war, enlisting in the 
One Hundred and Seventy-second Ohio Volunteer Lifantry. He participated 
in many engagements in Tennessee, including the battle of Franklin. He was 
married in Lawrence county, Ohio, to Hannah Hull, who was born in Columbiana 
county, that state. He passed away in 1906, having for two decades survived 
his wife, whose death occurred in 1886. 

Elmer E. Thomas, after attending the schools of Ironton, continued his edu- 
cation in the National Normal University at Lebanon, Ohio, from which he was 
graduated with the class of 1887. Later he entered the Yale University Law 
School and is numbered among its alumni of 1889. Having by thorough train- 
ing prepared for a professional career, he at once came to Omaha and opened 
an office, since which time he has practiced his profession. 

On the 14th of June, 1893, in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Mr. Thomas was joined 
in wedlock to Miss Mary Irwin Williamson, by whom he has five children, 
namely: Lyman Hueston, Philip Hull, Mary Louise, Elmer E., Jr., and John 
Martin. 

Mr. Thomas gives his political allegiance to the democratic party and the 
only office which he has ever sought or desired was in the strict path of his pro- 
fession — that of deputy county attorney of Douglas county, in which capacity 
he served from 1899 until 1902. He is a member of the Happy Hollow Club 
and of the Commercial Club and he is an active member and elder in the Dundee 
Presbyterian church. He is much interested in the cause of prohibition and 
in matters of civic reform and feels the most hearty concern for the public wel- 
fare, taking a helpful part in bringing about those purifying and wholesome 
reforms which have been gradually growing up in the political, municipal and 
social life of the city. He belongs to that class of men who wield a power which 
is all the more potent from the fact that it is moral rather than political and is 
exercised for the public good rather than for personal ends. 



FRANK WILCOX. 



Frank Wilcox, a well known figure in insurance circles in Omaha, handling 
all lines was born at Bellevue, Sarpy county, Nebraska, August 30, 1859. His 
father, Newell Reuben Wilcox, was born in Cattaraugus county. New York, May 
15, 1833, and was married in Berrien county, Michigan, in 1855, to Miss Amanda 
M. Bennett. They immediately afterward removed to Sarpy county, Nebraska, 
where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land. In 1857 they estab- 
lished their home in Bellevue, where they resided for more than four decades 



136 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY • 

and in 1900 came to Omaha. At the time of the Civil war Mr. Wilcox was a 
noncommissioned officer of Company D, Second Nebraska Volunteer Cavalry, 
which was raised for the purpose of protecting the western border from the 
Sioux Indians, enlisting on the 15th of October, 1862, and serving until mustered 
out on the i8th of September, 1863. He was on active duty in connection with 
the Indian campaigns in the west. Following the .close of his military service he 
was for two terms sheriff of Sarpy county and after the war he engaged in the 
hotel business in that county throughout the remainder of his active business life. 
On his retirement he took up his abode in Omaha, where he made his home until 
called to his final rest in 1910, his widow surviving until 1913. 

Frank Wilcox, attending the public schools of Bellevue, completed the high 
school course there in 1875 and afterward devoted two years to teaching in Sarpy 
county. Later he clerked in a shoe store in Omaha for ten years and in 1885 
embarked in the shoe business on his own account as a partner of Thomas B. 
Norris under the firm style of Norris & \\^ilcox. That relation was maintained 
for eleven years or until 1896, when Mr. Wilcox sold out. During the succeed- 
ing decade he managed a shoe store in Omaha and in 1906 he entered the general 
insurance business, in which he has since successfully continued, handling every- 
thing in the insurance line, and few men are better informed upon every phase 
of the insurance business than he. 

On the jd of October, 1882, in Bellevue, Nebraska, Mr. Wilcox was united 
in marriage to Miss Kate M. Myers, her father being Henry Myers, a retired 
farmer of Bellevue, who was born in 1826. Our subject and his wife have five 
children, as follows: Mabel Claire, the wife of Frank B. Hadley, of Denver, 
Colorado ; Mildred ; Margaret, who gave her hand in marriage to George W. 
Tiller, of Guam, Marietta islands ; Catherine M. ; and Paul. 

Politically Mr. Wilcox is a republican and fraternally is a prominent Mason. 
He has filled all the chairs in Nebraska Lodge, A. F. & A. M., of Omaha and was 
its worshipful' master in 191 1 and 1912. In 1913 he was elected secretary of the 
lodge, which position he now fills, and he is justly regarded as a most exemplary 
representative of the craft, thoroughly loyal to its teachings concerning the 
brotherhood of mankind. 



JOSEPH H. SCHMIDT. 



Along the legitimate lines of trade, with thorough college training as a basis 
for success, Joseph H. Schmidt built up a business that made him one of the 
foremost merchants of Omaha and as chemist and pharmacist he ranked with 
the ablest representatives in that line. A native of Illinois, Mr. Schmidt was born 
in Lockport on the 22d of January, 1863, and in the acquirement of his education 
completed a high school course there, after which he entered the University of 
Illinois for the study of chemistry and pharmacy. He was graduated on the 
completion of his university course in 1884 and then went to Chicago, where he 
remained until his removal to Omaha in May, 1886. Here he became connected 
with W. J. Hughes, at the corner of Sixteenth and Webster streets, under the 
firm style of Hughes & Schmidt. That relation was maintained until the follow- 
ing January, when Mr. Schmidt removed to the corner of Twenty-fourth and 
Cuming streets, there establishing what becam.e well known as the J. H. Schmidt 
drug store. He remained at that location until his death and built up a very 
extensive and profitable trade. At one time he was also, for a few months, 
associated with C. A. Melcher in the ownership of a drug. store at Seventeenth 
and Farnam streets and in July, 191 5, he established a fine store at Thirty-third 
and Cuming streets, of which he remained proprietor until his death. He was 
a very progressive business man, thoroughly understanding every phase of the 
drug trade, and his establishments largely set the standard for activity along that 





.-cA 



THE NEW YORK 
PUBUC LIBRARY 



A8TOR, LENOX AND 
TILDEM FOUNDATIONS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 139 

line in Omaha. His opinions were considered authority upon many subjects relat- 
ing to the business and he bore the reputation of being one of the best pharmacists 
in the state. He wrote many interesting and instructive articles for drug journals 
of the country and in fact he stood prominently in the lead in his line in the mid- 
dle west. He was honored with the presidency of the State Druggists' Associa- 
tion and for five years he was a member of the state board of pharmacy. 

On the i/th of October, 1888, in Omaha, Mr. Schmidt was united in marriage 
to j\Iiss Anna Marie Paul, who came to this city in 1872 with her father, George 
P. Paul, who removed from Peoria, Illinois, to Omaha and was here connected 
with the Union Pacific Railroad Company the remainder of his life, spending 
thirty-two years in all in the car department of that company. He was born in 
Alsace-Lorraine, Germany, and as a young man came to the new world. He 
learned his trade in this country, working in New Orleans and Peoria before com- 
ing to Omaha. He married Anna M. Metzger and they became the parents of 
five children : George J. A., who was manager of the Alahoning and Shenango 
Railway and Light Company and died in Youngstown, Ohio, in 1915; Maude 
G. ; John Wellington, living in Chicago ; William J., a resident of Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania ; and Mrs. Schmidt. The father passed away March 30, 1900, when 
seventy-two years of age. That he had enjoyed the full confidence of the com- 
pany which he represented is indicated in his long retention in that service — a fact 
which is furthermore indicative of his- absolute fidelity and capability. 

Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt became the parents of seven children : Paul J. ; Marie 
G., now Mrs. Charles S. Hoffert, living in St. Joseph, Missouri; Joseph H. ; 
Florence A. ; Maude H. ; Lillian F. ; and Frederick Charles. 

Air. Schmidt passed away on the 9th of September, 191 5. He was at one 
time a member of the Ak-Sar-Ben and at all times he was deeply interested in 
the welfare and progress of his city, contributing in substantial measure to its 
upbuilding by his hearty cooperation with all. movements seeking to advance the 
general welfare. He belonged to St. Cecelia's Catholic ehuEch and was an active 
member in the Knights of Columbus. His political allegiance was given to the 
democratic party and he was twice a candidate for the office of city treasurer. 
He concentrated the greater part of his thought, energy and attention, however, 
upon his business interests and his capability in that direction was manifest in 
the continued growth of the trade, which made him one of the prosperous mer- 
chants of Omaha and enabled him to leave his family in very comfortable financial 
circumstances. This was the chief end and aim of his life, for his interests cen- 
tered in his home and he put forth every effort that would promote the welfare 
and happiness of his wife and children. 



HOWARD BIRCHARD SMITH. 

Howard Birchard Smith, actively engaged in the practice of law in Omaha, 
is a native of Detroit, ^Michigan, and traces his ancestry in direct line back to 
Henry Smith, who came from England in 1635. His great-grandfather was Eli 
Smith and his grandfather was Joseph Smith, who was born in the state of 
Vermont in 1782 and passed away in 1863. Joseph Smith was the father of Rol- 
lin C. Smith, who was born in Shoreham, Vermont, in 1809 and following his 
removal to Detroit engaged in banking and the lumber business. Later he 
brought his family to Omaha, where he engaged in the real estate business. In 
Shoreham, Vermont, he wedded Mary A. Birchard and it was in 1868 that they 
became residents of Omaha, where the father died in 1873, while the mother, 
surviving for many years, passed away in 1900. 

Howard B. Smith was graduated from the University of Michigan with the 
class of 1876, after which he returned to Omaha and entered upon the study of 
law in the office and under the direction of the late Judge Eleazer Wakeley. He 



140 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

returned to Michigan University for further study and was graduated from its 
law department with the class of 1878. He then opened an office in Omaha, 
where he has since been engaged in the general practice of his profession. In 
June, 1881, he was appointed to the position of county judge of Douglas county 
to fill a vacancy and served upon the bench until the following September, when 
he resigned. In 1887 he received a two years' appointment to the board of fire 
and police commissioners of Omaha by Governor Thayer and was reappointed 
to that position for a four years' term and still later was again appointed for a 
four years' term by Governor Crounse. He continued to serve until 1895, when 
he resigned to concentrate his undivided attention upon his law practice. An 
excellent presence, an earnest manner, marked strength of character, a thorough 
grasp of the law and the ability to accurately apply its principles make him an 
effective and successful advocate and he has won prestige at a bar which has 
numbered many distinguished members. 

On the 22(1 of May, 1879, in Chillicothe, Ohio, Mr. Smith was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Eliza Cook McKell, her father being the late William McKell, for 
years president of the First National Bank in Chillicothe. They have a daugh- 
ter, Phoebe Cook, the wife of Henry W. Pierpont, of Omaha, by whom she has 
two sons, Howard W. and Henry B. 

Judge and Mrs. Smith attend the Congregational church and he belongs to the 
University Club. In politics he is a republican but has never been an aspirant 
for office and the only positions he has filled are those already mentioned. He 
has always preferred to concentrate his attention upon his professional duties 
and his devotion to his clients' interests has become proverbial. His contempo- 
raries and colleagues have always entertained a high opinion concerning his 
powers as an advocate and counselor and his close conformity to the ethical stand- 
ards of the profession. 



CHARLES SELLECK. 



Charles Selleck, now living retired in Omaha, first located in the city six 
decades ago. He was born in Norwalk, Fairfield county, Connecticut, November 
2, 1829, and in his boyhood days went to sea, spending his time upon the water 
until 1 85 1, when he went to California by way of the Isthmus route, having 
in the meantime visited almost every section of the globe. He made two trips 
to and from California, spending about four years in that way, and from that 
state he returned to New York city and thence came to Omaha, driving from 
Davenport, Iowa, to his destination. In fact he has traveled all over this 
section of the state when it was a wild and unsettled district. He visited Colorado 
in 1859 during the mining excitement there and engaged in prospecting. He 
made several trips to that region and to Montana, spending seven or eight years 
in all in that way. He would return to Omaha for the winter and would haul 
freight out in the spring. In his freighting operations he was a partner of John 
Lutz, who owned a quarter section and had a stone quarry in what is now the 
center of the city of Omaha. In 1861 he prospected from Denver to the south 
fork of the Salmon river and during that long trip never saw an Indian. He 
discovered gold about twenty-five miles north of the Bannock gulch diggings 
and worked his claim for six weeks, taking out the first gold that was ever sold 
in Montana, the purchaser being Ed Creighton, of Salt Lake City, where Mr. 
Selleck spent the winter seasons. In the spring he would return to Montana and 
thus carried on mining until 1866, when Mr. Selleck again came to Omaha. 
For years he remained in this city. He furnished the capital with which to con- 
duct the Farnam Hotel, the hostelry being at that time the leading one in Omaha. 
Mr. Selleck afterward removed to Washington county and settled on land which 
he preempted at an early day. He remained there for several years but in 19 10 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 141 

returned to Omaha, where he now Hves retired. His has been an active life in 
which sound business judgment and indefatigable energy have won substantial 
success. 

In Omaha, in 1868, Mr. Selleck was united in marriage to Miss Mary L. 
Pashley, of Wisconsin, who came from that state in 1867. Her father, John 
Pashley, was a mechanic and builder connected with the Union Pacific Railroad 
for a time. To Mr. and Mrs. Selleck were born three children, of whom one is 
now living, Gertrude, the wife of O. E. Berg, of the Berg Clothing Company. 

Fraternally Mr. Selleck is connected with the Elks. In politics he has always 
been a stalwart republican since the organization of the party and he has also 
been very active in support of many measures which have contributed to the 
material progress and upbuilding of his city and state and other sections of the 
west. There is no phase of western pioneer life with which he is not familiar 
and he was with the vanguard who carried the seeds of civilization to the 
frontier. 



ARTHUR L. BARR, M. D. 

Dr. Arthur L. Barr, who has but recently started upon his professional career 
but already is gaining a creditable practice and one which promises steady growth, 
owing to his laudable ambition and close application, was born in Ashland, 
Nebraska, in 1892, a son of Wesley J. and Elizabeth (Laughlin) Barr. The 
father was born in Montana in 1867 and died in the year 1906, while his widow 
still makes her home in Ashland. 

It was in his native city that Dr. Barr pursued his public school education and 
after reviewing the broad field of business in its various agricultural, commer- 
cial, industrial and professional connections he decided to make the practice 
of medicine his life work. With that end in view he entered the Creighton 
University as a medical student and was graduated therefrom in 191 5. He then 
located for practice in Omaha and his patronage has been steadily developing 
through the intervening months. He is instructor in clinical microscopy in the 
Creighton College of Medicine. 

On the 29th of December, 1914, Dr. Barr wedded Miss Adelaide Davis. 
He has no fraternal nor club connections, preferring to concentrate his energies 
upon his practice, and he is keeping in touch with the trend of modern scientific 
thought and investigation through his membership in the Omaha-Douglas 
County Medical Society and the Nebraska State Medical Association. 



JOSEPH BEN ROBINSON. 

Joseph Ben Robinson, for eighteen years actively connected with the real 
estate and insurance business in Omaha, was born in Russia, April 15, 1868, a son 
of Moses Robinson who passed away in Russia. The mother came to the United 
States in 1895, making her way to Omaha where she now resides. 

In the schools of his native country Joseph Ben Robinson pursued his edu- 
cation, and in 1892 when a young man of twenty-four years came to the new 
world, attracted by the opportunities which he believed might be secured on 
this side the Atlantic. He came at once to Omaha, owing to the fact that his 
brother, Samuel L., had previously taken up his abode in this city, where he 
still resides. The start of Joseph B. Robinson in the business world was a humble 
one. He began selling dry goods from a pack in Douglas county, and was thus 
engaged for three and one-half years. Prompted by a laudable ambition he 
carefully saved his earnings until his industry and economy had brought him 



142 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

sufficient capital to enable him to open a store, at which time he began retailing 
groceries in Omaha. In that line he successfully continued until January, 1899, 
when he embarked in the real estate business and also began writing tire insurance. 
In the intervening period he has negotiated many important real estate transfers 
and is thoroughly informed concernmg property values in Omaha, liis business 
has now assumed extensive proportions and his large clientage is winning for 
him gratifying success. 

In 1900 in Omaha, Mr. Robinson was married to Miss Esther Wolf and they 
have a daughter, Helen Bertha, and a son, Harry. Air. and Airs. Robinson 
hold membership in the Jewish church. His political allegiance is given to the 
republican party, and fraternally he is connected with the Alodern Woodmen 
of America. He also belongs to the real estate exchange and cooperates in every 
movement that tends more fully to standardize the real estate business. He 
deserves great credit for what he has accomplished, and something of his intelli- 
gently directed activity is indicated in the fact that while he came to America 
empty handed he is today one of the substantial citizens of Omaha. 



FRANCIS ALBERT BROGAN. 

Francis Albert Brogan, for more than a quarter of a century an active mem- 
ber of the Omaha bar and well versed in every branch of jurisprudence, was born 
in Dewitt, Iowa, December 6, i860. He is a grandson of Thomas Brogan, who 
served under Wellington at the battle of Waterloo and in the year 1838 came 
to the United States, passing away in Dewitt, Iowa, about 1850. Throughout his 
active business life he engaged in linen weaving. His son, Francis Brogan, who 
was born at Lifford, Ireland, in 1822, accompanied his parents to the new world 
when a youth of sixteen years and became a resident of West Chester, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he remained until his removal to Dewitt, Iowa, some time afterward. 
He followed the occupation of farming in support of his family. In early man- 
hood he wedded Ann Cummins, who is now a resident of Omaha, but Mr. Brogan 
passed away in the year 1905. 

Their son, Francis A. Brogan, spent the first fourteen years of his life in 
his native city, during which period he attended the public schools, and between 
the ages of fourteen and sixteen years he was a public school pupil in Hartford, 
Kansas. He afterward entered St. Benedict's College at Atchison, Kansas, and 
in 1880 matriculated in Georgetown University at Washington, D. C, where he 
was graduated with the class of 1883. He made preparation for the bar as a 
student in the Harvard Law School, where he completed his course by graduation 

in 1885. 

Air. Brogan then located for practice at Emporia, Kansas, and for three 
years was connected with the law department of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa 
Fe Railroad Company. Since 1888 he has resided continuously in Omaha, devot- 
ing his attention throughout the greater part of that period to the private practice 
of law, yet his interest in questions of general moment has led to his active and 
helpful connection with various movements of public importance. In 1891 he was 
nominated on the democratic ticket for the position of regent of the State Uni- 
versity but declined to become a candidate. Opposing the democratic party on 
its financial policy, he became chairman of the Business Men's Sound Money 
League in 1896 and took part in the national campaign of that year. In 1914 
he was a candidate for chief justice of the state on a non-partisn ticket. He is 
ever well versed on the questions and issues of the day but the honors and emolu- 
ments of office have little allurement for him. From the beginning of his resi- 
dence in Omaha he has enjoyed a large general practice, for which he is splendidly 
qualified, having comprehensive knowledge of the principles of law, while in the 
preparation of his cases he is most thorough and painstaking. In 19 10 he was 




FRANCIS A. BROGAN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 145 

appointed general attorney for the Missouri Pacific Railway Company in the 
state of Nebraska and occupied that position until 1912, when he resigned in 
order to concentrate his attention upon his general law practice and his clientage 
is today extensive and important. For many years he has been the Nebraska 
attorney for the Western Union Telegraph Company. 

On the 17th of October, 1888, in Emporia, Kansas, Mr. Brogan was united 
in marriage to Miss Maude Haskell Perley and they have become parents of 
two sons : Albert Perley, who was born in 1889 and is now professor of philosophy 
in the State University of Texas at Austin; and Maurice Perley, born in 1896. 

Mr. Brogan belongs to the Commercial Club and the Omaha Club and is a 
charter member of the Omaha Country Club and the University Club, and in all 
of these he has filled the position of director. He was president of the Omaha 
Bar Association in 1905 and president of the Nebraska Bar Association in 1909. 
He is also a member of the American Bar Association and served on its general 
council, representing Nebraska, in 1909. He is now a member of the Omaha 
school board for the years 1917 and 1918. Alert, his mind readily grasps the 
salient features not only of his law cases but of public cjuestions and it is well 
known that his influence will ever be found on the side of progress for the 
individual and for the community. 



WILLIAM CRITES RAMSEY. 

William Crites Ramsey, a member of the Omaha -bar since 1910, his connection 
therewith being marked by steady progre-ss; an : a,' 'calling wherein advance- 
ment depends entirely upon individual merit and ability, was born in Platts- 
mouth, Nebraska, June 30, 1884. His father, Basil Swearingen Ramsey, is a 
native of Beaver county, Pennsylvania, born July 4, 1844, and was a young 
man of twenty years when on the 4th of August, 1864, he arrived in Nebraska, 
settling on a farm in Cass county. While there residing he filled the office of 
county commissioner and for three terms was county judge of Cass county, 
while for one term he occupied the bench of the second judicial district of 
Nebraska, but after long and prominent connection with the law both as a prac- 
titioner before the courts and upon the bench he has now retired. On the 25th 
of December, 1882, in Columbus, Nebraska, he wedded Mary Elizabeth Crites, 
a native of Walworth county, Wisconsin, and both are still residents of 
Plattsmouth. 

Spending his youthful days under the parental roof, William C. Ramsey 
mastered the branches of learning which constituted the curriculum of the Platts- 
mouth schools and then entered the University of Nebraska, where he s];;ent six 
years in the academic course and in the study of law, being graduated in 1907 
with the degrees of A. B. and LL. B. In June of that year he was admitted to 
practice before the courts of the state and for three years followed his profes- 
sion in Plattsmouth, after which he removed to Omaha in 1910, seeking the 
broader field of labor offered in the larger city. Here he has since remained 
and has attained a position which many an older representative of the profession 
might well envy. Aside from his law practice he is president of the Norfolk 
Investment Company of Omaha. 

On the 2d of May, 191 1, in Beatrice, Nebraska, Mr. Ramsey was joined in 
wedlock to Miss Mary Elizabeth Cook, a daughter of the late Daniel W. Cook, 
president of the Beatrice National Bank. They have two sons, William Crites, 
Jr., and Daniel Cook Ramsey. The parents are members of the Congregational 
church and Mr. Ramsey is a well known member of the University and Plappy 
PIollow Clubs. He also belongs to the Commercial Club and he is a Master 
Mason. His military record covers service as captain of Company F of the 
Second Nebraska National Guard in 1906 and 1907, while he was attending the 



146 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

State University. In politics ho is a democrat and is the present deputy county 
attorney of Douglas county, lie is winning a creditable place in his profession 
by hard work and by evidencing his ability to fill the official position to which 
he has been appointed. 



CHARLES EDWARD FANNING. 

In the held of street paving operations Charles Edward Fanning was a pioneer 
and instituted many of the methods which are still factors in that kind of work. 
Moreover, in the thirty-five years of his connection with Omaha he has kept in 
touch with the trend of modern progress in his field and all of the time has been 
in the vanguard of those who are seeking improved methods resulting in dura- 
bility of work. Another point in his career which is never questioned by those 
who know aught of his history is that throughout his entire association with the 
business interests of Omaha he has been thoroughly reliable — a man who stands 
four-square to every wind that blows. He was born in Washington, D. C, Sep- 
tember 27, 1853. His father, William H. Fanning, was born in Baltimore, 
Maryland, in 1827, and in Alexandria, Virginia, he wedded Wilhelmina Warren. 
He became a merchant of the national capital and there maintained his residence 
for long period but passed away in 1864, having for three years survived his 
wife, who died in 1861. The Fanning family is of Irish lineage, tracing its ances- 
try back to Edmond Fanning, who came from the Emerald isle in 1654 and set- 
tled on Fishers Island. 

In the schools of Washington, D. C, Charles E. Fanning began his education 
and afterward spent one year as a student in Georgetown College in the District 
of Columbia and three years in Calvert College at New Windsor, Maryland. 
He then returned to Washington and for three years read law in the office of Wil- 
liam H. Browne but was not admitted to practice, for his attention was directed 
in other channels and since 1876 he has been continuously connected with the 
contracting business. It was in that year that he entered the employ of the Bart- 
lett & Williams Contracting Company, with whom he remained until 1880, when 
he became associated with A. L. Barbour, who became the promoter of the well 
known Barbour Paving & Asphalt Company that has operated so extensively in 
various sections of the country. It was in the year 1882 that Mr. Fanning arrived 
in Omaha and throughout all the intervening period he has been closely and 
prominently associated with paving interests in this city. In that year the Barbour 
company secured the contract for laying the first strip of paving in Omaha on 
what is now known as Douglas street, and he has since continued active in this 
line, ranking throughout the entire period as the foremost street paving^contractor 
of this part of the country. He has executed extensive and important projects, 
many of which run up into many thousands of dollars. He employs from seventy- 
five to one hundred men and thus distributes in wages about one thousand dol- 
lars each week during paving operations. He has ever encouraged his men to 
become home owners and has been quick to recognize industry and fidelity on the 
part of employes and reward it to the extent of his ability. He also has another 
important business connection, being president and owner of the Omaha Auto 
Supply Company, now one of the important commercial enterprises of the 
city. 

Mr. Fanning has been twice married. In 1874 he wedded Mary Gray, who 
passed away on the ist of March, 191 1, leaving two daughters: Ada A., who is 
the wife of Louis Borshine ; and Margaret, the wife of George Atkin. On the 
15th of January, 1913, Mr. Fanning was again married, his second union being 
with Miss Margaret Flanagan. The religious faith of the family is that of the 
Catholic church. Mr. Fanning also has membership with the Elks, the Woodmen 
of the World, the Carter Lake Club and other organizations, while of the 




CHARLES E. FANNING 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 149 

Athletic Club of Omaha he is a life member. His interest in the city's welfare 
is demonstrated by the fact that he is for everything that tends to the upbuilding 
and advancement of Omaha. In politics he is a democrat but had never held 
public office until appointed postmaster of his city in 1916. He has, however, for 
many years been recognized as a most potent leader in democratic circles in 
Omaha, standing firmly in support of the party and its principles, and, more- 
over, he enjoys the reputation of having at all times in his political and municipal 
activity "played the game square." His integrity has never been called into 
question and he believes in the free expression of opinion. He has been a keen 
student of municipal affairs and a most mterested observer and participant in 
every movement that tends to advance the interests of the city, working for 
higher standards of municipal life along those lines which are a matter of civic 
virtue and of civic pride. 



EDWARD FRANCIS MOREARTY. 

Edward Francis Morearty, a representative of the Omaha bar, was born in 
Knoxville, Tennessee, August 11, i860. His father, Thomas Morearty, was born 
in County Kerry, Ireland, in 1821 and came to the United States in 1846. He 
preempted one hundred and sixty acres of land fifteen miles from St. Paul, 
Minnesota, but had to give it up on account of the wolves, which were plentiful 
in that district. He afterward removed to Brattleboro, Vermont, and for three 
years was superintendent of railroad construction there. He next established 
his home in Athens, Ohio, and was engaged in the building of the Baltimore & 
Ohio Railroad at that point until 1858, when he took up work on the East Ten- 
nessee, Virginia & Georgia Railroad, making . his headquarters at Knoxville, 
Tennessee. There he resided until 1871 and the following year passed away 
while visiting at his old home in County Kerry, Ireland. 

The schools of Knoxville largely afforded Edward F. Morearty his educa- 
tional privileges. He accompanied his parents on their removal to County Kerry 
when a youth of twelve years and in 1875 was graduated from the Christian 
Brothers College at Dingle, in County Kerry. In 1875 ^e and the other four chil- 
dren of the family accompanied their mother upon her return to the United 
States, the family home being established in Holyoke, Massachusetts, where he 
attended a preparatory school. Later a removal was made to Knoxville, Ten- 
nessee, and Edward F. Morearty occupied the position of paymaster with his 
uncle, John Long, who had a contract in connection with the construction of 
the Cincinnati Southern Railroad. In January, 1880, he came to Omaha and 
for four years thereafter was connected with the Union Pacific Railroad in 
various capacities. In 1884 he accepted the position of editor and manager of 
the Nebraska Watchman, a weekly paper, with which he was connected until 
1886, when he sold his interest in that publication and turned his attention to the 
real estate business. While engaged in negotiating property transfers he devoted 
his leisure time to the study of law and in January, 1890, was admitted to the 
bar, since which time he has continuously engaged in practice, covering a period 
of twenty-seven years. He has proven capable of conducting important litiga- 
tion and solving complex legal problems and it is characteristic of him that he 
carefully prepares his cases and presents his cause before the courts with clear- 
ness and force. 

On the 13th of May, 1884, in Omaha, Mr. Morearty was united in marriage 
to Miss Susan J. Lynch, a native of this city and a daughter of the late James 
Lynch. Their children are May, George H., Irvin F., Viola, Edward F., Susan 
H., Charles B. and Milton R. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. 
Morearty belongs to the Woodmen of the World, the Red Men and the Loyal 



150 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Order of Moose. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and 
upon its ticket he has been elected to several local offices. In January, 1888, 
he became clerk of the county court of Douglas county and so served until July, 
1890. in 1889 he was elected a member of the city council and as councihnan 
at large gave earnest consideration to the settlement of important problems of 
municipal welfare. In his business career his progress has been continuous 
and each forward step has brought him a broader outlook and wider opportuni- 
ties until today he occupies an enviable position in professional circles. 



HON. RICHARD SCOTT HORTON. 

Hon. Richard Scott Horton, practicing at the bar of Omaha, is prominently 
connected with a profession that has important bearing upon the progress and 
stable prosperity of any community and throughout his entire connection with the 
bar he has held to high professional standards. Since 1894 he has made his home 
in Omaha but Ohio claims him as a native son, his birth having occurred in Glen- 
dale on the 2 1 St of February, 1866. The Horton family is of English lineage 
and the first American ancestor settled in New York. The paternal grand- 
father became a foundryman of Cincinnati, where he conducted business for many 
years. His son, Benjamin J. Horton, was born in that city in 1833 and pursued 
his collegiate course at Yale, where he was graduated with the class of 1854. 
He later studied in the Cambridge Law School, a department of Harvard Uni- 
versity, after which he located for the practice of law in Lawrence, Kansas, 
where he successfully followed his profession to the time of his demise. When 
the Civil war was in progress he enlisted for service at the front, becoming a 
captain in the Twentieth Ohio Volunteer Infantry. At the battle of Stone River 
he was wounded, his injuries necessitating the amputation of a leg, so that he 
was unfit for further field service. For two years after the war he served as 
clerk of the common pleas court in Hamilton county, Ohio, and following his 
removal to Lawrence, Kansas, he occupied the position of probate judge for one 
term. His death occurred January 13, 1915, while his widow still remains a resi- 
dent of Kansas. She bore the maiden name of Virginia Yateman and is a native 
of Virginia. 

Richard S. Horton was a little lad of but four years when the family home 
was established in Lawrence, Kansas, where he attended the public schools until 
graduated from the high school. His more specifically literary course was pur- 
sued in the University of Kansas, from which he was graduated with the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts in the class of 1887. He prepared for his profession in the 
Cincinnati Law School and won his LL. B. degree in 1889. He also supple- 
mented his course there by reading law in the offices of Taft & Lloyd of Cin- 
cinnati, the senior partner being Judge Alphonso Taft, father of ex-President 
W. H. Taft. Returning to Lawrence, Kansas, Mr. Horton there entered upon 
the practice of his chosen profession in. 1890, remaining an active member of the 
bar there for four years. In 1894 he came to Omaha, where he has since engaged 
in general practice, his clientage being now of a large and distinctively represen- 
tative character. He has figured in connection with some of the most important 
litigation tried in the courts of the district, working his way upward by ability 
and gaining his reputation and success by merit. He is a strong advocate with 
the jury and concise in his appeals before the court, and he seems to possess a 
natural discrimination as to legal ethics. 

On the 20th of March, 1896, Mr. Horton was married in Kansas City, Mis- 
souri, to Miss Evelyn Harrison, a daughter of Henry Harrison, and their chil- 
dren are Evelyn and Jane. Mr. Horton belongs to the Elks lodge. _ His military 
record covers service as a member of the Usher Guards, a state militia company, 
at Lawrence, Kansas. His political allegiance is unfalteringly given to the 




HON. RICHARD S. HORTON 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 153 

democratic party and in 1910 he was elected a member of the Nebraska state 
senate, in which he served for one term. On the 8th of July, 1915, he was 
appointed public defender for Douglas county by Governor Morehead. He was 
elected for a four year term at the general election in November, 191 6, and is 
the present incumbent in that position. Nature endowed him with keen intel- 
lectuality, to which he has added the embellishments of broad culture. His pop- 
ularity rests upon personal worth and geniality as well as upon his professional 
ability, and his numerous friends speak of him in terms of the highest regard. 



WILLIAM McADAM. 



William McAdam is actively identified with the commercial interests of 
Omaha as manager of the United States Rubber Company, Omaha Branch, 
into which connection he entered in October, 191 5, although he had long been 
previously associated with the rubber trade, so that broad experience well 
qualified him for his duties as manager. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, 
in 1875, a son of James McAdam, a native of Glasgow, Scotland, born in 1834. 
James McAdam came to the United States in 1853 3-"^ settled at Detroit, Michi- 
gan, where for many years he was actively engaged in business. In that city 
he wedded Jean McCutcheon, a native of Kirkcudbright, Scotland, and both 
have now passed away, the father having died in Detroit in 1903, while the 
mother's death occurred in that city in 1914. 

Spending his youthful days in his parents' home, William McAdam attended 
the public schools of Detroit and was graduated from the high school with the 
class of 1897. He has been continuously connected with the rubber trade since 
1905, when he entered the employ of the Duck Brand Company at Chicago, 
dealers in rubber goods, remaining in that association for eight years or until 
1913, when he came to Omaha as president of the Interstate Rubber Company. 
He continued at the head of that business until October, 19 15, when he with- 
drew to enter into his present connection with the Omaha Rubber Company, 
now the United States Rubber Company, Omaha Branch, of which he has 
been the president and is now manager. His long experience in connection 
with the manufacture and sale of rubber goods has enabled him to develop this 
business to large and profitable proportions. 

On the 8th of September, 1907, in Chicago, Mr. McAdam was joined in 
wedlock • to Miss Mary EHzabeth Killeen, her father being the late John 
Killeen, who was a soldier of the Confederate army. In his political views 
Mr. McAdam is a republican and in club circles he is active, belonging to the 
Commercial Club, the Rotary Club, and the Happy Hollow Club and the Athletic 
Club of Omaha. Some one said of him, "His nature stands the test of long 
acquaintance." In a word, he has many substantial qualities and enjoys the 
friendship and high regard of those with whom he is associated. 



COLONEL B. WOOD JEWELL. 

Colonel B. Wood Jewell, sovereign adviser of the Woodmen of the World 
and well known in Omaha, was born in Exeter, New Hampshire, in 1847, ^ son 
of the Rev. Henry and Celia (Barker) Jewell, who were married in Massachu- 
setts. The father was a native of Maine, his birth having occurred in South 
Litchfield in 1812. 

Colonel Jewell acquired his education in the schools of Lynn and Canton, 
Massachusetts, and in 1862, when a youth of fifteen years, enlisted at Lynn as 
a private of Company F, First Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, for service 



154 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

in the Civil war, remaining at the front until May. li^C)^. when he was mustered 
out at Boston, ^lassachusetts. He participated in all the battles in which his 
regiment engaged after he joined it and was slightly wounded at i^'redericks- 
burg and again in the IJattle of the Wilderness. He likewise participated 
in the sanguinary conHict at Gettysburg and was with the troops that repelled 
Pickett's famous charge. 

After retiring from the army Colonel Jewell went to Washington, D. C, 
and obtained a j^osition in the treasury department under Salmon P. Chase, sec- 
retary of the treasury, there remaining for a year and a half. On the expira- 
tion of that period he removed to Terre Haute, Indiana, where he continued for 
two years, during which time he served as express messenger on the St. Louis, 
Alton & Terre Haute Railroad. He afterward removed to Manchester, Iowa, 
where he was employed in the postoffice for several years and also became con- 
nected with the Manchester Press, a weekly paper of which he acted as local 
editor. In 1883 he became deputy head consul for the Modern Woodmen of 
America under Head Consul J. C. Root and in June, 1890. came to Omaha with 
Mr. Root, assisting him in founding the great order of the Woodmen of the 
World, of which he was elected sovereign clerk. Owing to a railroad accident 
in November. 1890. Colonel Jewell was obliged to go to Florida to recuperate 
but in the spring of 1891 returned to Omaha and accepted the office of sovereign 
sentry and chairman of the sovereign finance committee of the W^oodmen of 
the World. About 1899 he was elected sovereign watchman of the order and 
so continued until February, 1914, when he was appointed by Sovereign Com- 
mander W. A. Fraser as sovereign adviser of the Woodmen of the World, an 
office next to the presidency. At the meeting of the sovereign camp at St. 
Paul, Minnesota, in July, 1915, he was unanimously elected to the same posi- 
tion for four years, and his record is notable owing to the fact that to every 
office in which he has served he has been unanimously elected. 

On the 25th of December, 1872, in Manchester, Iowa, Colonel Jewell was 
united in marriage to Miss Ella Bemis, daughter of the late Dr. Lewis S. Bemis. 
Colonel and Mrs. Jewell attend the Christian Science church, and he belongs 
to the Happy Hollow Club, to the Commercial Club, to the Masonic fraternity, 
to the Knights of Pythias and to several fraternal beneficiary societies. He is 
both a Scottish and a York Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He 
also has membership in W^ A. ^Nlorse Post. No. 190, G. A. R., at Manchester, 
Iowa. His political allegiance is given to the progressive branch of the republi- 
can party. Something of the nature of his recreation is indicated in the fact 
that he belongs to the Omaha Automobile Club, of which he is the treasurer, 
and he is regarded as the dean of the baseball fans in Omaha, greatly enjoying 
the national game and seldom failing to attend the more important games held 
in this city. His connection with the Woodmen of the World has brought him 
wide acquaintance and wherever known he is spoken of in terms of warmest 
regard. 



CHARLES L. FRITSCHER. 

Charles L. Fritscher, who for a long period was identified with the cigar 
manufacturing business in Omaha as a member of the firm of West & Fritscher, 
was bom in Germany in 1841 and in 1854 came to the new world. He learned 
the cigar making trade at Hamilton, Canada, and was employed at the trade until 
1861, after which he embarked in business on his own account. For a few 
months he conducted a cigar factory at Brantford. Ontario, and later he worked 
at his trade there in the employ of others for two years. He afterward spent 
a similar period in New York and subsequently went to other states. The firm 
of West & Fritscher was formed for the purpose of conducting a cigar factory 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 155 

at Leavenworth, Kansas, and after a few months removal was made to Omaha, 
where they arrived in 1867. Here they opened a factory, the first of its kind in 
the state, and for a long period conducted one of the important productive 
industries of the city. The excellence of their product secured to them a liberal 
sale and their trade covered a broad territory. The most sanitary conditions were 
found in their factory and the work was in all departments carefully systematized 
so that methodical effort brought excellent results. About 190 1 ^Ir. Fritscher 
retired from the cigar manufacturing business to become a traveling salesman 
for the Liggett & Meyer Tobacco Company of St. Louis and remained in that 
connection until his death, which occurred February 29, 1912. 

In 1869 Mr. Fritscher was married in Omaha to Miss Mary Schneider, a 
native of Ohio and a daughter of Jacob and Frances (Richter) Schneider, both 
of whom were natives of Germany. In 1856 her father removed from Colum- 
bus, Ohio, to Omaha, becoming one of the pioneer merchants of the city. He 
established a hardware and tinware business, being located for a time at Douglas 
and Fifteenth streets, and remained in active connection with the commercial 
interests of Omaha until his health failed and he went to the south, hoping to 
be benefited thereby. While in that section of the country he was killed by a 
train when but forty-seven years of age. He had served as a soldier of the 
Mexican war and was a progressive American citizen whose contribution to the 
early business development of Omaha was a valuable one. His wife was 
brought to the new world during her early girlhood and by her marriage she 
became the mother of eight children, of whom three are living: ]\Irs. Fritscher; 
William, engaged in the cigar manufacturing business in Omaha ; and Henry, 
who is connected with a street car company of Omaha. To the marriage of Mr. 
and Mrs. Fritscher were born four children, namely: Louisa F., who is now Mrs. 
Gustave Kroeger, of Boise, Idaho; Charles L., Jr., an attorney practicing in 
Omaha; Henry W., who is a jeweler of South Omaha; and Robert E., who 
served in the Spanish-American war and was with the Thurston Rifles in Manila 
and who is a machinist by trade. 

Mr. Fritscher held membership in the Turnverein. He was always a very 
active man, enterprising and progressive in business, and he made good use of 
his time, talents and opportunities. He was most loyal to home ties and 
devoted to his friends and he had a social, genial nature which won for him the 
kindly regard and warm affection of those with whom he was brought in contact. 
Wherever he was known his death was deeply regretted and there are many who 
yet cherish his memory. 



HUGH A. MYERS. 



For a quarter of a century Hugh A. Myers has practiced at the bar of Omaha 
and has gained a notable place among the able la%vyers of the city. He was born 
in Cooperstown, Venango County, Pennsylvania, began his education in the 
country schools of his native county, and later continued his studies in the 
high school at Titusville and in Sunville Academy, also in Pennsylvania, where 
he prepared for college. In 1883 he was graduated from Hillsdale College at 
Hillsdale, ^^lichigan, with the Bachelor of Science degree, and in 1886 his alma 
mater conferred upon him the Master of Science degree. Following the com- 
pletion of his college course he went to Berlin Heights, Ohio, where for two 
years he occupied the position of superintendent of schools, and from 1886 until 
1889 he was superintendent of schools at Harmer, Ohio. In the latter year 
he accepted the superintendency of the schools at Miamisburg, Ohio, and there 
remained for a year. In 1892 he was graduated from the law department of the 
University of Michigan with the LL. B. degree and the same year came to 
Omaha, where he opened an office and has since engaged in practice. The years 



156 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

have marked his steady professional progress and he is now accorded a large 
clientage that connects him with much important litigation. 

On the 25th of Decemher, 1889, at Jkrlin Heights. Ohio, Mr. Myers was 
united in marriage to Miss Mayhelle Ittner, daughter of the late Benjamin Ittner. 
To them have heen born two daughters, namely: Ella, who is now the wife of 
Frederick IJaumeister, of Council UlulTs, Iowa; and Laura M., now a student 
of the University of Michigan, class of 1917. 

Mr. Myers' military experience covers service as a member of Company 
K, Sixteenth Regiment, of the National Guard of Pennsylvania. He is a Knight 
Templar and a member of Delta Tau Delta, a college fraternity, and his social 
qualities find expression in his membership in the University Club. He votes 
with the republican party and in 1899 was elected to represent his district in the 
state legislature, serving as temporary chairman at its organization. He is also 
tnistee of the University of Omaha. He formerly took quite an active interest 
in politics and still uses his influence for the upholding of those principles which 
he deems essential features in good government. He studies closely and 
thoroughly every question that bears upon the public welfare and is thus able to 
support his position by strong and intelligent argument. However, the major 
part of his time is given to his professional duties and his devotion to his clients' 
interests is proverbial. 



JAMES LESTER DOWD. 

Through his auctioneering activities James Lester Dowd has taken a prominent 
part in developing Omaha as a metropolitan distributing center. Moreover, he 
has developed on his own behalf a business of large proportions, extensive in its 
scope and so specialized that every department is most ably handled. While a 
native of Kansas, he was born upon a farm just across the border line from 
Hubbell, Nebraska, in the year 1876, a son of Albert W. and Cordelia A. (Goodin) 
Dowd. The father was born in the state of New York in 1852 and was a young 
man of twenty years when he removed to the west, settling in Kansas, near 
Hubbell, where he met and married Miss Goodin. They are now residents of 
Hubbell, the father having retired from farming, to which he devoted many years 
of his active business career. 

In his boyhood James L. Dowd attended the public schools of Hubbell and a 
private school at Hebron, Nebraska, and later took up the study of telegraphy, 
after which he was connected as agent and operator with the Rock Island Rail- 
road Company for more than two years, the greater portion of that time at 
Aledford, Oklahoma. In 1900 he turned his attention to general merchandising 
at Hubbell, carrying on the business in connection with his father for three years. 
Later he went upon the road as traveling salesman for a firm of Kansas City, 
Missouri, which he thus represented for two years. He next embarked in 
general merchandising on his own account at Fort Pierre, South Dakota, but 
soon sold out there, realizing a good return on his investment. It was the profit 
which Tie made in that connection that caused him to enter upon the work of 
buying stocks of goods and afterward selling them, and from that point it was 
a logical step into the auctioneering business, in which he is now extensively and 
successfully engaged. He is now president and treasurer of the Dowd Sale & 
Auction Company of Omaha and president of the D. & W. Alanufacturing Com- 
pany, manufacturing automobile and hardware accessories. The former company 
is engaged exclusively in autioneering, selling almost everything imaginable. 
It is an organization of selling specialists who go to all parts of the country and 
from the block sell everything to be handled in that way. Today there is a 
demand for his men throughout the length and breadth of the land. Recognizing 
the wade variety in his field of business, Mr. Dowd divided it into what might be 




JAMES L. DOWD 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 159 

called departments and trained men were called upon to handle each particular kind 
of work. The result is that when a merchant wants to close out a stock of mer- 
chandise, one of the twenty-two merchandise auctioneers, or more if required,' is 
sent to handle the contract. If real estate is to be sold, an expert in that branch 
of the business is placed in charge ; and if the sale is to dispose of a herd of 
cattle or other live stock, again there is one who is expert in handling sales 
of that character — a man who knows a tine animal and is competent to judge of 
the value of high grade stock. Thus it is that every branch of the business is 
specialized and most carefully trained men handle the work in every department. 
The demand for the services of the Dowd Sale & iVuctioneering Company has 
been constantly growing and the name is a synonym for the highest efficiency 
in that field. After serving as first vice president of the International Association 
of Auctioneers, Mr. Dowd was elected to the presidency in June, 191 6, and he 
was largely instrumental in bringing the convention of that year to Omaha. 

On the 17th of May, 1909, in Schuyler, Nebraska, Mr. Dowd was united in 
marriage to Miss Stella A., daughter of Nelson W. Swanson. They have one 
child, Bonnie Bernice. Fraternally Mr. Dowd is a Master Mason and an Odd 
Fellow. He belongs to the Commercial Club, the Omaha Automobile Club and 
the Omaha Aviation Club, and he attends the Methodist Episcopal church. He 
is at all times alert. Flis mind moves rapidly not because it jumps at conclusions 
but because it is trained to meet emergencies and to quickly and accurately solve 
complex problems and find ready answers for involved questions. 



AUGUSTUS LOCKNER. 

Augustus Lockner, now living retired from business in Omaha, was born 
in Baden, Germany, March 4, 1847, and was reared in Rochester, New York. 
There he spent the period of his early boyhood and youth and on the lOth of 
August, 1863, when but sixteen years of age, he enlisted from Rochester for 
service in the Civil war under Captain James S. Graham. At the time of his 
enlistment he was the youngest member of his command. He joined the array 
as a private but was promoted to the rank of corporal over many of his com- 
rades who were much older. During the war he was captured by Mosby's Guer- 
rillas and was taken in charge by a man whose name was Lewis Powell and who 
told him while they were on the way that the south would win even if it had 
to kill the head of the government. Imagine Mr. Lockner's surprise when he 
saw the papers telling of President Lincoln's assassination and upon seeing the 
picture of "Payne," who attempted the life of Secretary Seward, recognized him 
as his escort, Powell. 

Mr. Lockner first came to Omaha in 1865 as a member of Company H of 
the Twenty-first New York Volunteer Cavalry, which was detailed to accom- 
pany General Dodge across the plains on the trip which he made for the pur- 
pose of locating the best route for the Union Pacific Railway across the Rocky 
mountains. With this command Mr. Lockner traveled all over the west and had 
no serious trouble with the Indians. Later the company was detailed for 
provost guard duty in Denver City at a time when horse thieves and gamblers 
infested that place. 

After receiving an honorable discharge from the army he homesteaded in 
the Platte valley across from Columbus, Nebraska, at which time there were 
only fifteen settlers in Butler county. He still owns that property and there 
has never been a dollar's indebtedness against it. He may well be proud of the 
fact that he still has this farm, which is one of the best in the state and which 
has been in his possession for half a century. He has owned a number of other 
tracts of land which he has obtained with patents granted by the government and 

Vol. 11—8 



160 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

his judicious investments in real estate have added materially to his income. In 
those early days the railroad conij^any burned wood and Mr. Lockner cut wood 
for the comi^any on the islands and furnished it to the road at Columbus. On 
one occasion two men, Grant and Wilson, who were old neighbors, got into an 
argument in his wood yard at Columbus and Wilson shot and killed Grant, 
after which he was hung by the enraged citizens. At that time Nebraska was 
a wild western frontier state. The Sioux Indians manifested hostility toward 
the white race but the Pawnees were friendly although they were inveterate 
beggars. During that period the Lockners were one of four or five families 
who took turns m going to Columbus for mail. Mr. Lockner had a homemade 
boat constructed of rough lumber and on one occasion when it was his turn 
to go for the mail another man by the name of John Patchen wished to go 
with him. Their boat sprang a leak, tilled rapidly with water, and sank with 
them, but Mr. Lockner, who was an excellent swimmer, saved Mr. Patchen from 
drowning. Prairie fires occurred at times and would rage for days. On one 
occasion Mr. Lockner saw smoke off against the sky line and watching its 
progress he prepared for the tire by back plowing, but tumbling weeds afire car- 
ried the blaze across the plowed ground and set fire to his tract of land. His log 
cabin was saved by his wife pumping water which he threw on the flames. His 
cattle corral, his granary, his oats, his wheat, one thousand bushels of grain, 
sixty tons of hay, his wagons, harness and farm machinery were all destroyed, 
but he managed to save his dwelling and also thirty head of cattle, which he 
rescued by driving them into a field of corn which saved them. The next year, 
1872, Mr. Lockner rented his place. 

He afterward went to Columbus and embarked in the hardware and imple- 
ment business, in which he there continued for nine or ten years and then dis- 
posed of his stock, removing to Omaha in 1882. Here he invested in property 
and has since dealt in real estate. He erected a flat building on North Sixteenth 
street, paying thirteen thousand dollars for a lot with a sixty foot frontage. The 
structure which he built is two stories in height, having stores on the first floor 
with flats above and is located at Nos. 1138 and 1140 North Sixteenth street. 
He also built two cottages, one on North Sixteenth street and one on North 
Seventeenth street, and he has much other property in Omaha, from which he 
derives a good rental. He also owns two farms which add materially to his 
mcome and at the present time he is living retired from active business, enjoy- 
ing in well earned rest the fruits of his former toil. 

After getting his farm in shape so that it had become a paying property Mr. 
Lockner was married in March, 1870, to Miss Caroline Bacherl, of Bavaria, 
Germany. Her father, Franz Z. Bacherl, was a professor of languages and r^iusic, 
who, coming to this country, started for California, but when he reached the 
Union Pacific Railroad he stopped and opened a school in Columbus, Nebraska. 
It was thus that the family became residents of Nebraska and Mrs. Lockner 
formed the acquaintance of him who sought her hand in marriage. They became 
the parents of two children : Augustus J., who died at the age of twenty-one 
years; and Theresa J., the wife of R. N. Howes, of Omaha, by whom she has 
two children, Roland Lockner and Helen Theresa. Mrs. Lockner was always 
an able helpmate of her husband in pioneer times. 

Mr. Lockner has never ceased to feel a deep interest in military affairs since 
he became a defender of the Union in the dark days of the Civil war. He was 
one of the originators of the first militia regiment of Nebraska, which was formed 
during the riots here, and he served as lieutenant of his company. He has been 
an exemplary representative of Masonry since 1874 and is now a member of 
St. John's Lodge of Omaha. He also became one of the charter members of 
the Nebraska Pioneers, of which he served as treasurer for six years, while in 
the year 19 14 he was the president. He likewise belongs to the Grand Army 
of the Republic and has filled all the chairs in Custer Post. He has taken an 
active interest in many projects which have worked for the development and 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 161 

upbuilding of the state. He was one of the men who organized the Volunteer 
Fire Department at Columbus, Nebraska, of which he became the chief, and 
while in Columbus he served for three terms as a member of the city council, 
during which time he was made chairman of the building committee that had 
charge of the construction of the waterworks there. In politics Mr. Lockner has 
ever been an earnest and active republican and in 1892 he was the successful 
candidate for the office of representative to the state legislature. He served as 
the chairman of committees and was the originator of a bill to assist Nebraska 
soldiers who served in the Indian wars. The purpose of this bill was to find 
those who had rendered such service, no record having been previously kept, and 
to recognize and pay them for the aid which they had given. It will thus be seen 
that in many connections Mr. Lockner has contributed to the development and 
progress of city and state since he arrived in Omaha more than a half century 
ago. His memory forms a connecting link between the primitive past and the 
progressive present and his reminiscences of the early days are most interesting. 



CHARLES DORSEY ARMSTRONG. 

Charles Dorsey /\rmstrong, engaged in the real estate and insurance business 
in Omaha, now operating under the name of the Armstrong- Walsh Company, 
was bom in Jeffersonville, Indiana, Jtine 24, 1876, and is a representative of an 
old Pennsylvania family. His grandfather, William Armstrong, was born in 
the Keystone state and in 1849 went with the rush to California following the 
discovery of gold upon the Pacific slope. There he passed away. The Arm- 
strong family had been founded on this side the Atlantic in colonial days and one 
member of the family. General John Armstrong, gained distinction as a com- 
mander of Continental forces in the Revolutionary war. Charles Dorsey 
Armstrong, Sr., father of him whose name introduces this review, was born 
upon a farm in Jefferson county, Kentucky, in 1837 and was married in Jeffer- 
sonville, Indiana, to Miss Mary Ingram. He still makes his home in Jefferson- 
ville, but his wife passed away in 1894. He was a soldier of the Civil war, 
enlisting in 1861, at which time he became a second lieutenant of the Second 
Kentucky V^olunteer Cavalry. He remained at the front throughout the period 
of hostilities and rose to the rank of colonel of his regiment. He participated 
in the engagements at Murfreesboro, Shilo, Corinth and Chickamauga and went 
on the Salt Works expedition to Virginia. He was then invalided and was 
placed in command of the district that included Louisville, Kentucky, where his 
military service ended. On several occasions he was slightly wounded. 

Charles Dorsey Armstrong, of Omaha, received his education through instruc- 
tion from his parents. Between the ages of fourteen and twenty-one years he 
was on a farm in Clark county, Indiana, and then went to Louisville, Kentucky, 
where he entered a real estate office. About 1898 he entered the advertising 
department of the Louisville Commercial and a year later accepted a position 
in the general office of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad at Louisville, Kentucky, 
there remaining for about a year. He next entered the field of railroad con- 
tracting in connection with an uncle and was so engaged for a year. In 1900 he 
removed to Kansas City, ]\Iissouri, where for a year he filled a position with the 
Cudahy Packing Company. Removing to Texarkana. Texas, he became store- 
keeper for the Kansas City Southern Railroad Company, but after three months 
the malaria forced him to return to the north and he came to Omaha, where he 
again entered the employ of the Cudahy Packing Company in the Omaha plant, 
having charge of the sales to hotels. A year and a half later he became connected 
with the real estate and insurance business of the D. V. Sholes Company and 
ultimately became a partner. Upon the incorporation of the business he was 
elected vice president and so continued until November i, 1910, when he with- 



162 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

drew from that connection and formed a partnership with Arthur H. Walsh of 
Lincohi in the real estate and insurance business under the name of the Arm- 
strong-Walsh Company, lie is also the secretary and treasurer of The Rose 
Realty Company. 

On the 20th of April. 1907, in San Jose, California, Mr. Armstrong was 
married to Miss Lida Cani])l)cU Lieb, a daughter of the Hon. Samuel Franklin 
Lieb, who served throughout the last year of the Civil war with an Ohio regiment 
and who had two brothers killed in the service. Judge Lieb can trace his 
ancestry back to the family of Ethan Allen, the intrepid commander of the 
"Green Mountain Boys" in the Revolutionary war. 

Li his political views Mr. Armstrong is an earnest republican but not an office 
seeker. He belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and something 
of the nature of his recreation is indicated in the fact that he has membership 
with the Omaha Field Club and the Athletic Club of Omaha, He is also a mem- 
ber of the Commercial Club and is in hearty sympathy with the purposes of that 
organization relative to the upbuilding of the city, to the extension of its trade 
relations and to the advancement of its civic standards. 



JOSEPH M. METCALF. 



Joseph M. Metcalf, a typical American business man, keen, alert and active, 
was long prominently associated with the commercial development and progress 
of Omaha, where he took up his abode in January, 1881, and continued to reside 
until called to his final rest. He was born in Lewes, Delaware, in 1S55 and his 
life record covered the intervening period to the 25th of January, 1905, when he 
passed away. He lived in the east through the period of his early boyhood and in 
1S70 accompanied an older brother and became a resident of Hamburg, Iowa. 
Another decade was passed in that state and in the spring of 1881 he arrived in 
Omaha. Here he became associated in 1882 with G. W. Lininger and H. P. 
Devalon in the conduct of an incorporated agricultural implement business which 
prospered from the beginning. From the incorporation until his death Mr. Met- 
calf remained as vice president of the company, the trade interests of which 
extended out into various sections of the state until they built up one of the 
largest enterprises of its kind in the west, with many branch houses. 

Mr. Metcalf was united in marriage to Miss Anna Cornish, daughter of 
Colonel J. N. Cornish, and sister of Judge A. J. Cornish and E. J. Cornish. Mrs. 
Metcalf survives him and still resides in their home in Omaha. Mr. Metcalf 
traveled quite extensively in Europe and found both rest and recreation in so 
doing. He had a very wide acquaintance among manufacturers and merchants 
and his personal worth drew to him the warm regard of all with whom he 
was brought in contact, so that his death was widely mourned when he was called 
to the home beyond. He possessed a very genial disposition, always having a 
ready smile and kindly word for those who addressed him. Moreover, he was 
generous and tender-hearted and was constantly reaching out a helping hand to 
those who needed assistance. 



DAVID R. BUCK. 



On the list of those who have contributed to the business development and 
subsequent upbuilding and prosperity of Omaha appears the name of David R. 
Buck, who became a resident of this state in 1864. He was born at Cabin Creek, 
in Randolph county, Indiana, December 14, 1842, and was therefore in the 
seventy-first year of his age when he passed away on the 28th of January, 1913. 




JOSEPH M_METO/\LF 



THE NEW YORK 
PUBUC LIBRARY 



A8TOR, LENOX AND 
TILOEN FOUNOATION? 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 165 

His youthful days were largely spent in a frontier district and in 1864, when 
twenty-two years of age, he removed to Omaha from Fort Dodge, Iowa. For a 
few years thereafter he engaged in farming in Sarpy county, Nebraska, and then 
went upon the road as a traveling salesman for the Richmond Grocery Company 
of Council Bluffs, in which connection he spent several years in Nebraska and in 
Minnesota. On the expiration of that period he established business in Omaha 
as a real estate dealer and for twenty-eight years was engaged in buying, selling 
and improving property. Fie had great faith in the city and its development 
and he did not hesitate to make investments in Omaha realty. He operated in 
that field under the name of D. R. Buck & Son with offices for years in the 
Omaha National Bank building. He was also connected for a number of years 
with his brother-in-law. Captain David Wadsworth, in the conduct of a grocery 
business at Thirteenth and Jackson streets. His aft'airs were wisely and capably 
managed and indefatigable energy and close application led to his success. 

In Omaha, May 5, 1887, Mr. Buck was married to Miss Olive D. Knapp. 
Her father Ethilbert Knapp, passed through Omaha in 1856 and went to North 
Platte, Nebraska, while subsec^uently he took up his abode upon a farm near 
Columbus, Nebraska, where he resided until about a year before his death, when 
he removed to Mitchell county, Kansas, and there died. To Mr. and Mrs. Buck 
was born a son, David E., who became his father's associate in business and is 
now his successor, occupying a prominent position in real estate circles in Omaha. 
He married Lydia Whistler. 

Mr. Buck belonged to the Omaha Real Estate Exchange and enjoyed the high 
confidence, goodwill and warm regard of his colleagues and contemporaries in 
business. Fraternally he was connected with the Woodmen of the World and in 
politics he exercised his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of 
the democratic party. Coming to eastern Nebraska in early manhood, he was 
thereafter more or less closely associated with its- business progress and lived to 
witness a remarkable change in Omaha as the pioneer settlement developed into 
a growing and prosperous western city. 



HON. THOMAS DORR CRANE. 

Hon. Thomas Dorr Crane, whose personal popularity is indicated in the fact 
that when elected to the state legislature and to the senate of Nebraska he led 
his ticket, has long been a recognized force in republican circles and at the same 
time he has been active at the bar and in different business connections. A 
native of New Bedford, Massachusetts, he was yet a young lad when his parents, 
Charles S. C. and Lucy C. (Millard) Crane, removed to Ottawa, Illinois. His 
father was a native of Taunton, Massachusetts, but left New England to try his 
fortune in the middle west, continuing his residence at Ottawa until his death, 
which occurred in 1884. His widow afterward came to Omaha, where she passed 
away on the 17th of February, 1895. 

Thomas Dorr Crane acquired his preliminary education in the public schools 
of Ottawa, Illinois, which was supplemented by an academic course in that city, 
and then determining upon the practice of law as a life work, he began reading 
in the office of Blanchard, Silver & Corwin of that city. He was admitted to the 
bar at Springfield, Illinois, upon examination before the supreme court of the 
state, as soon as he had attained his majority, and one of his classmates at his 
examination was the Hon. William J. Calhoun, later minister to China. Mr. 
Crane entered upon active practice in Ottawa, where he remained until the 17th of 
June, 1887, when he came to Omaha, where he has since continued in general 
practice, a very liberal clientage being accorded him. In addition to a large 
practice in Douglas county he has many outside interests that call him into the 
courts of almost every county of the state. His pleas are strong, his deductions 



166 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

logical and convincing and he is seldom, if ever, at fault in the application of a 
legal pniici])lo. 1 fe has an excellent command of English which rises at times to 
the point of eloquence, yet he never for a moment loses sight of the turning point 
in his case or allows it to become enshrouded in any sentimental garb or illusion. 
In addition to his large private practice Mr. Crane has extended his business 
connections into other lines, being now a director of the Bankers Savings & 
Loan Association, for which he is also attorney, having occupied that position for 
twenty years. He is also a director of the Fred M. Crane Company of Omaha, 
irrigation contractors, and is likewise interested in a number of other iinancial 
and industrial enterjirises in this city. 

On the 30th of December, 1896, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Crane was united 
in marriage to Miss Margaret G. Baird, daughter of the late Captain Cyrus 
Newton Baird. They have one son, Roderic Baird, who was born on the 24th 
of December, 1898, and is now preparing for college at the Lawrenceville School 
at Lawrenceville, New Jersey, being a member of the class of 1917. 

The family are Episcopalians in religious faith, holding membership in 
Trinity Cathedral. Well known in Masonic circles, Mr. Crane is a life member 
of Oriental Consistory, A. A. S. R., of Chicago, and is a charter member of 
Tangier Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S., of Omaha. His political endorsement is 
given to the republican party, and while interested in questions of state and 
national importance, he has ever held his law practice as his first consideration. 
However, in the fall of 1892 he was elected by a majority of more than twenty- 
five hundred to represent his district in the state legislature, receiving more votes 
in Douglas county than any other condidate for any office, state or national, and 
in 1894 he was elected to the state senate, receiving fifteen hundred more votes 
than had been given him when he was elected to the house. His work in the 
general assembly was efl^ective and far-reaching. He served as chairman of the 
committee on miscellaneous corporations and while in the senate was also a 
member of the committees on judiciary, municipal aft'airs, claims, banks and 
currency, manufactures and commerce. Every vital question which came up for 
settlement received his earnest consideration and his endorsement of a measure 
usually drew to it a large following. He is a man of fine personal appearance, 
broad-minded and scholarly, and association with him means expansion and 
elevation. 



PETER E. ILER. 



Peter E. Her, for a half century a resident of Omaha, is now living retired 
in the enjoyment of well earned rest and the comforts of life, which his former 
industry and business ability have brought to him. He was bom in Wooster, 
Ohio, February 10, 1840, a son of Conrad and Julia (Strine) Her, and spent his 
youthful days in the Buckeye state, where he acquired a common school educa- 
tion. In 1866 he sought the opportunities of the growing west and, disposing of 
his wholesale liquor business at Tiffin, Ohio, removed to Omaha, where he estab- 
lished a similar enterprise, continuing active along that line until 1910. He built 
the Willow Springs distillery, which he operated for a long period, or until he 
sold out to the trust. Into other fields of business he also extended his efforts, 
his cooperation being sought, for his sound judgment and enterprise were widely 
recognized. He was one of the promoters of the Omaha Stock Yards, serving 
as the first secretary of the company, m which position he continued for a number 
of years, and as such did much to promote the interests of the business at this 
point. Lie also became one of the organizers of the South Omaha Land Com- 
pany, of which he was elected the first secretary, and in that position still con- 
tinues. It was this company which built and developed all of South Omaha, 
now a most populous district. He also built the six story building on Howard 




PETER E. ILER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS. COUNTY 169 

street occupied by the Byrne & Hammer Dry Goods Company and which at the 
time of its erection in igoo was the finest business block of the city. Mr. Her was 
also one of the organizers of the Omaha Brick & Tile Company, of which he 
became the first president, still occupying- that position. He erected a building 
at No. 1 1 12 Harney street and built and owned the Her Grand Hotel, at one 
time a leading hostelry of Omaha. This he subsequently sold. He has been a 
member of the Omaha Board of Trade for years and served as its president in 
1888. He has always been active in furthering the development of the city and 
has been a generous contributor to all plans and projects looking to its further 
growth, progress and improvement. 

In Ohio, in 1863, Mr. Iler was married to Miss Mary Denzer, who died March 
19, 1904. They were the parents of five children, of whom four are yet living: 
William E., of Omaha, who has one son, William E., Jr. ; May, now the widow of 
J. S. Weitzell, and a resident of Omaha; Edith, who is now Mrs. H. J. Edwards, 
of Newark, New Jersey, and has a daughter, Bess Iler ; and Bess, who is now 
Mrs. R. L. Hamilton, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and has three children, Jane Lee, 
Iler Ervin and Edith Susan. 

Politically Mr. Iler is a republican, having long given unfaltering support to 
the principles of that party. Fraternally he is a Mason and he is identified with 
nearly all the clubs of the city. Five years ago he retired from active business to 
enjoy a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves, his attention now being 
given merely to the supervision of his investments, which have been so judiciously 
placed that they return to him a gratifying annual income. 



GEORGE W. JOHNSTON. 

George W. Johnston, modest and unassuming in proclaiming his own powers, 
is nevertheless recognized as one of the strong and capable business men of 
Omaha, where he is now widely known as president of the Mid-West Electric 
Company. He was born in Detroit, Michigan, in 1868. His father, John 
William Johnston, was born in Canada in 1824 and in his boyhood swam the 
river to Detroit, Michigan. There he later married Sarah Jane Wood, a native 
of that city, whose parents, however, were natives of Scotland. He became 
one of the pioneer real estate men of Detroit and continued actively in that 
business throughout his remaining days, his death there occurring in 1872. His 
widow long survived him and passed away in 1897, ^^ the age of sixty-eight years. 

George W. Johnston entered the public schools of Detroit, but at the age of 
fourteen his text books were put aside that he might provide for his own support 
and for six or seven years thereafter he was connected with the Detroit Free 
Press, becoming secretary to the business manager of that paper. He then 
became secretary and treasurer of the Delbridge, Brooks & Fisher Company, 
manufacturers of and dealers in lumber, sash, doors and blinds, and there 
remained for two years. He afterward removed to Kansas City, Missouri, in 
1890 and was there secretary and treasurer of the Gate City Electric Company, 
so continuing for eighteen months, when he went to Chicago as store manager for 
the Central Electric Company, in which position he continued for a year. On 
the 1st of May, 1892, he came to Omaha and bought out the Midland Electric 
Company, which he reorganized as the Western Electrical Company, of which he 
became the president. IBusiness was conducted under that name until 1912, 
when the name was changed to the Mid- West Electric Company, Mr. Johnston 
remaining as president and directing the business, which is one of the most 
extensive and important in this line in Omaha. He has thoroughly acquainted 
himself with every phase of the electrical trade and he possesses, moreover, a 
spirit of undaunted enterprise and diligence. When business activities balance 
up with the principles of truth and honor, and there are added thereto the 



170 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

qualities of industry and persistency of purpose, the results are certain. In 
addition to his important connections in the electrical world he is interested in 
oil in Wyoming. 

On the 19th of April, 1910, in Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Johnston was united 
in marriage to Miss Isabelle Mary French, daughter of Hon. John C. French. 
To them have been born three children, namely : Mary Alice, Georgette French 
and Sarah Jane. There is also another child by a former marriage, Florence 
Louise, now the wife of Reginald J. S. Pigott, of New York City. 

Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Episcopal church. Politically he 
is a republican and he is identified with various fraternal organizations and clubs, 
being a York and Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine, while 
in Bellevue Chapter, No. 7, R. A. M., he is a past high priest. He also has 
membership with the Elks, the Woodmen of the World and the Royal Arcanum, 
and in club circles is well known, being enrolled as a member of the Omaha, 
Happy Hollow, Omaha Field, Commercial and Rotary Clubs. Appreciative of 
the social amenities of life, he enjoys meeting with congenial friends of those 
organizations but concentrates his time and energies chiefly upon his business 
affairs. A trade journal devoted to electrical interests had this to say of him: 

"With the keen intellect and Cjuick grasp of the situation, which has been the 
foundation of his success, he soon saw that Omaha was an ideal location for an 
electrical supply house, if conducted on a proper business basis. Instead of 
selling out the stock he bought it and servered his connection with his former 
employer, in spite of all inducements to the contrary. His high salary and all 
promises of making the compensation of his valuable services still higher had no 
attraction for Mr. Johnston, when he saw that he could serve a better purpose 
for the industrial field at large, as well as for himself, by going into business for 
himself. There are but few men who are as well fitted for and bound to make 
a success of an establishment of their own as Mr. Johnston, as he possesses all the 
essential qualifications of a manager, such as business acumen, promptness in all 
transactions, acquisition of the confidence of all with whom he deals, and a credit 
A-i. Hence he laid then and there the solid foundation upon which the Western 
Electrical Company of Omaha has been able to grow to be one of the leading 
electrical supply houses of the middle west, a benefit to the electrical trade of its 
territory and a pride to its founder. It was not always a bed of roses, but Mr. 
Johnston was able to put his shoulder to the wheel and push it over obstacles 
that to most men would have seemed unsurmountable, with only the one object 
in view : T will ; I must.' There are several secrets of this man's success : 
First, an unfailing memory; second, his pet motto, which is displayed all over his 
place of business in print, 'Do it now'; third, his ability to employ and associate 
with him men of professional knowledge and ability to carry out his orders in 
every detail. His first and only aim in business is his customer's welfare, and 
to carry out every business obligation he or his company assumes, whether such 
can be done at a profit or whether it necessitates pecuniary or other losses. *My 
word must be made good,' has sounded into the ears of many an employe of the 
Western Electrical Company from the manager's mouth, and it is 'made good' 
no matter what the sacrifice. Another secret of Mr. Johnston's success is his 
•high regard for a perfect system that binds all the small details of a large business 
into a perfect whole. He has a system for filing catalogues and like information 
so arranged that he can lay his hands on any item, no matter how small, in the 
shortest possible time and with the least amount of labor. The same refers to 
books, quotations, orders, letters mailed and received, shipments, etc. His 
punctuality in agreements and payments is still another reason for Mr. Johnston's 
success; his word is by all that know him considered as good as his note. T 
would rather pay bills than eat' is a statement of his that he has certainly proven 
correct. His accurate and complete system of bookkeeeping was tested in a 
competent manner shortly after January 4, 1902, when the XVestern Electrical 
Company was burned out, the fire starting in an adjoining printing office. The 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 171 

insurance adjusters, who are generally experts on bookkeeping, paid Mr. Johnston 
the greatest compliments on his bookkeeping and system, which was so complete 
and practically arranged that the loss, though almost total, was adjusted in a 
few hours. Though this fire came like a thunderbolt from a clear sky and seemed 
destined to undo in a few minutes what it had taken years of hard work to build 
up, it affected Mr. Johnston differently from the ordinary individual. He seemed 
to look at it as simply another test to show his mettle; with a bulldog tenacity and 
a sacrifice of both comfort and pleasure he stuck to it, and from the ashes of the 
past he wrought the triumph of the present. As an individual Mr. Johnston is 
as remarkable as he is as a business man. But few employes have ever left 
him without a feeling of love and respect, and as a friend they never have known 
a better or truer one. In spite of the fact that Mr. Johnston is 'business' and 
strictly business from the time he enters his office in the morning until he leaves 
it at night, which is sometimes not until eleven o'clock or after, he has come to 
realize what many a business man never learns, that he does not live solely to 
make money, but simply makes money to live. The weakest point in the manager 
of the Western Electrical Company is his big heart and anxiety for his fellow- 
man's welfare — to help those that need it, is the only condition that makes it 
doubtful if the future shall ever see a rich man by the name of G. W. Johnston. 
Among the best citizens of his community, Mr. Johnston enjoys an enviable 
reputation; though his personal attention to his rapidly growing business has 
compelled him to give up many positions and offices of trust and honor, his 
advice is always sought by the various undertakings and orders of which he is 
still a member. Mr. Johnston has lately built a cozy home in the best residence 
part of the city. This silently admits two facts of which his many friends and 
the business interests of Omaha are justly proud, namely, that he has achieved the 
success he made his start for twenty-four years ago, and will remain a pillar for 
the upbuilding and prosperity of the community he has adopted as his home 
for the future." 



BRADDOCK HILL DUNHAM. 

Braddock Hill Dunham, attorney at law of Omaha, who has been engaged 
in general practice in this city since 191 2, was born on a farm in St. Lawrence 
county. New York, in 1863. His father, Peter C. Dunham, a native of the same 
county, was married in New York state to Prudence Hill and throughout the 
period of his residence in the east continued to engage in farming. In 1880 he 
removed westward, settling in Fremont, Nebraska, where he was connected with 
the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1888 he removed with his family to Omaha, where 
he departed this life in 1895, while the death of his wife occurred in 1908. 

At the usual age Braddock H. Dunham became a pupil in the country schools 
of St. Lawrence county, New York, and afterward attended an academy at Can- 
ton, in that county, and also the St. Lawrence University at Canton. In 1882 he 
became a resident of Fremont, Nebraska, where he took up the profession of 
teaching, but turned to other professional activity as a life work. Lie studied law 
with the late W. H. Munger and in 1887 was admitted to the bar. In May, 
1886, he became associated with the law department of the Fremont, Elkhorn 
& Missouri Valley Railroad and also with the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad with 
headquarters at Fremont. In July, 1888, these corporations removed their 
headquarters to Omaha and Mr. Dunham removed to this city at that time, con- 
tinuing with the law department of these companies and their successor, the 
Chicago & Northwestern Railway Company, until October 4, 1912, when he 
resigned his position and entered upon general practice, in which he has since 
continued. He has a comprehensive knowledge of railroad and corporation law 
and his ability in that field is pronounced. 



172 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

In Omaha, on the 23d of March, 1892, Mr. Dunham was united in marriage 
to Miss Lilhe Craven, a daughter of the late Samuel Craven, a native of Virginia. 
They have become the parents of two children, Helen and Llovvard. 

Mr. Dunham belongs to the University and the Happy Hollow Clubs, thus 
expressing his appreciation of the social amenities of life. His political endorse- 
ment is given to the democratic party and at the present writing, in 1916, he is 
serving as United States referee in bankruptcy. 



WILLIS C. CROSBY. 



Willis C. Crosby, serving for the third term as county coroner of Douglas 
county, was born in Clarksville, Iowa, March 22, 1883, a son of Willis and 
Elizabeth (Cannon) Crosby, the former a native of Beloit, Wisconsin, born in 
1858, and the latter a native of Newburgh, New York. In the year 1886 they 
removed to Omaha and Willis C. Crosby, then a little lad of but three summers, 
became a pupil in the city schools at the usual age. When his text books were 
put aside he began learning the printer's trade in a job office and was thus 
employed for about three years or until 1898, after which he worked for E. L. 
Dodder, an undertaker of Omaha, with whojn he continued until 1908. In the 
latter year he engaged in the undertaking business on his own account and 
in 1909 he was elected coroner of Douglas county, to which position he has been 
twice reelected, so that he is now serving for the third term in that office. 

On the 17th of August, 1903, Mr. Crosby was married in Omaha to Miss 
Jennie A. Hazen, who died in May, 191 1, and on the 6th of November, 1913, in 
Lincoln, Nebraska, he wedded Charlotte C. Wagner. By his first marriage he 
had one son, Edward D., born June 16, 1904. 

Mr. and Mrs. Crosby attend the Methodist Episcopal church and fraternally 
he is a Scottish Rite Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine. He is also iden- 
tified with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, the Knights of Pythias and 
the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and in club circles he is known as a 
member of the Carter Lake, Seymour Lake and Commercial Clubs. His political 
endorsement is given to the republican party and he takes an active and helpful 
interest in its work, serving at the present time as a member of the county cen- 
tral committee. For thirty years he has lived in Omaha, an interested witness 
of its progress through all these decades, and at all times he has ably and cheer- 
fully borne his part in promoting the public welfare and upholding high standards 
of citizenship. 



PERCY ALBERTSON WELLS. 

Percy Albertson Wells, a distinguished Omaha attorney, city builder and 
promoter of the good roads movement, standing in fact as a high type of American 
manhood and chivalry, has left the impress of his individuality and ability in large 
measure upon the history of the city in which he makes his home. He was born 
in Greenport, Long Island, New York, December 30, 1867, a son of Joseph A. 
and Amelia Halleck (Corwin) Wells. The father, a native of Southold, Long 
Island, died in 1906 and the mother's death occurred in 1908. Her ancestry can 
be traced back in direct line to two royal lines, a Greek princess and a king of 
Llungary, but the fact of which Percy A. Wells is most proud is that he can claim 
title to American citizenship. 

Attending the schools of New York city, Mr. Wells was later graduated from 
the University of the City of New York with the class of 1886 and the following 
vear was admitted to the bar, after which he opened a law office in the eastern 




WILLIS C. CROSBY 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 175 

metropolis, there remaining in practice for about a year. Believing that the 
west offered better opportunities to the ambitious young lawyer, he then made his 
way to Nebraska, settling first at Red Cloud and also maintaining an office at 
Blue Hill. Later he practiced for a time at Hastings and in 1898 came to 
Omaha, where he has since engaged in active practice. His position is that of 
one of the most distinguished attorneys of Nebraska's metropolis. His clientage 
is large and of an important character and his devotion thereto has become 
proverbial, but he never forgets that he owes a still higher allegiance to the 
majesty of the law. Calm, dignified, self-controlled, free from passion or 
prejudice, he gives to his client the service of great talent, unwearied industry 
and rare learning, but he never forgets that there are certain things due to the 
court, to his own self-respect and above ail to justice and a righteous adminis- 
tration of the law which neither the zeal of an advocate nor the pleasure of 
success permits him to disregard. In 1916 he was made general attorney for the 
United States for the Hartford Fire Lisurance Company in its live stock 
department, and prior to this time he had made a specialty of Union Stock 
Yards business. 

On November 6, 1895, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr. Wells was married to 
Miss Myrta Mulholland, a daughter of the late Irvin Mulholland, who served 
as a soldier throughout the Civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Wells attend the Episcopal 
church and he is identified with many of the social organizations of the city, 
including the University, Omaha Field, Commercial, Omaha Automobile and 
Carter Lake Clubs. In several of these organizations he has done splendid work. 
Flis eft'orts have been effective in promoting the growtli of the Automobile Club, 
of which he is counsel, and he has been active in its efforts toward the establish- 
ment of good roads. He is chairman of the legis|atio.y committee of the Com- 
mercial Club of Omaha and he is the president of' tile "^G-eo^rge Washington 
National Highway, organized for the purpose of building and improving a national 
highway from Savannah, Georgia, to Seattle, Washington. In politics he has 
always been an active and earnest republican and to'liim^is-given the greater 
share of the credit for the adoption of the Omaha plan of tdmmission form of 
government. In this connection one wrote of him : 

"Of improved systems of municipal government, rather recently established 
in American cities, the 'Omaha plan,' by experts, is most approved. Profiting 
by the experience gained from the government of various progressive municipal- 
ities under. the commission form, Omaha has inaugurated a system declared to 
be the best possessed by any American city. In influencing public sentiment, in 
making mandatory the establishment of a model municipal government in Omaha, 
P, A. Wells proved to be more than the 'man of the hour.' Energetic, resource- 
ful, gifted with convincing eloquence, public-spirited, farsighted, courageous, 
independent, progressive, strong willed, and intensely American in his ideas, 
Wells is a fighter who never acknowledges defeat. He simply can't be bluffed 
or intimidated. When pursuing any course he believes to be right, he couldn't 
be persuaded to stop or step aside. As an attorney, he stands very high ; as a 
business man his ability has been most advantageously displayed ; as a lawyer 
and financier he has achieved enviable success, gaining at the same time a notable 
reputation for straightforw^ardness and fairness. Because Wells was known, 
his efforts were made doubly effective in the campaign of education so success- 
fully carried on in Omaha. When he spoke in favor of the commission form of 
government, great audiences applauded what he said. Because they knew% in 
that fight, he was not seeking personal gain or political preferment, Wells could 
and did appeal to the people in a way that won thousands of adherents. His 
speeches inspired hope ; his arguments caused confidence to be reposed in the 
plans suggested. The mass meetings that Wells addressed diffused enthusiasm 
for a new order of things throughout the city. Day after day, the truths that 
Wells enunciated were brought home. As voters discussed the proposed changes, 
the simplicity, the economy, the common sense associated with the new arrange- 



176 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

ments were made more apjiarent. Seeing that the movement meant their official 
destruction, the 'practical politicians' of Omaha attempted to roll hack the 
rising tide of popular opinion, l.'.ut on election day, they were overwhelmed; 
the reform wave swei)t the city. The spoils system was replaced by a plan of 
municipal government of which every good citizen of Omaha is justly proud. 
With good reason, Mr. Wells is highly honored in Omaha. IJut his fame is not 
conhncd to his home city. Throughout the state, he has gained recognition; 
not alone as the champion of the commission form of government for cities, 
but as a legal adviser and as an advocate who wins the cases that he takes into 
court." 

His work in Omaha for the commission form of government is but one phase 
of his public activity, however. He has become a Nebraska leader in the good 
roads movement and has delivered addresses at various points to awaken interest 
and promote activity in support of this cause. He has studied the question from 
every available standpoint — that of economics, convenience, time and comfort, 
and he is doing splendid work in behalf of obtaining support for that legislation 
which is necessary to secure for Nebraska its due proportion of the federal 
money set aside for road improvement. His prominence in behalf of the good 
roads movement led to his selection for the presidency of the George Washington 
National Highway on the 25th of April, 1916. He utilizes each opportunity that 
offers to further the cause and the results of his labors are direct and beneficial. 
He has the faculty of making plans that seem ideal but somewhat visionary at 
once practical when he takes hold of them, and his efforts are at all times based 
upon sound common sense and a thorough understanding of prevailing condi- 
tions. He is ever a man of action rather than of theory and he has that per- 
suasive power that enables him to secure the cooperation and assistance of 
others. His activities have all been directed into those channels through which 
flow the greatest good to the greatest number and he is, moreover, identified with 
many of those wholesome and purifying reforms which have been growing up in 
the municipal life of the city. Experts on road building and municipal govern- 
ment mark him as a master in those fields, while at the same time in the practice 
of his profession he has gained notable distinction. 



HON. GEORGE W. DOANE. 

Hon. George W. Doane, a distinguished attorney, jurist and statesman, who 
became a resident of Omaha in 1864, was born in Circleville, Ohio, December 16, 
1824. His father, Guy W. Doane, a native of New Milford, Connecticut, was 
born in 1788 and about 181 5 was admitted to the bar in New York state, follow- 
ing his graduation from Union College at Schenectady, New York, with the class 
of 181 5. Removing to Circleville, Ohio, he followed his profession until 1849, 
when he lost his eyesight and was accordingly obliged to retire. He was a man 
whose wisdom, sound judgment and public spirit made his opinions of weight in 
the city and state in which he lived and in 1836 he was elected to represent his 
district in the Ohio legislature. On the 14th of February, 1821, in Ohio, he 
wedded Charlotte Thrall, who was born in Castleton, Vermont, in 1800. She was 
left a widow in 1862 and subsequently removed to Omaha, where she made her 
home with her son George until her demise in June, 1878. She was very active 
in church work and her charitable acts were many. 

Reared in Ohio, George W. Doane completed his education by graduation 
from Marietta College with the class of 1845. Interested in the profession of 
law from early boyhood because of his father's connection with the bar, he began 
studying along that line when his more specifically literary education was com- 
pleted and in 1848 was admitted to pratice in the courts of Ohio. He then entered 
upon the active work of the profession in his native state, there residing for nine 







/ 



HON. GEORGE W. DOANE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 179 

years, or until 1857, when he determined to establish his home in the growing 
west. He first made his way to Kansas but soon afterward concluded to come 
to Omaha and started for the territory of Nebraska. While en route he met a 
party of young men going to Burt county to lay out the town of Decatur and 
decided to unite his interests with those of the new municipality. He established 
himself on a tract of land beautifully located at Decatur, preempting this as a 
government claim, after which he at once began to improve it, but he did not 
find agricultural pursuits congenial and accepted the nomination for the office 
of district attorney of the third judicial district in the summer of that year. 
He was elected and occupied the position until the office was changed to that 
of prosecuting attorney in each county. At the time of his election Eleazer 
Wakeley was judge of the third judicial court and the district extended from 
the northern line of Douglas county to Canada and from the Missouri river to 
the Rocky mountains. There were no courthouses in all that territory, so court 
was held in private residences, stores, barrooms or any other convenient place. 
Mr. Doane continued to reside at Decatur until 1859 ^^^ ^^^ 1858 was elected 
a member of the territorial council, so that he early became a factor in shaping 
the legislative policy of Nebraska. He was also ex-officio probate judge in Dakota 
county for a short time. In i860 he located at Fort Calhoun, where he continued 
in the practice of law until 1862, when he returned to the east to visit friends 
and was persuaded to remain in Cincinnati, where he opened a law office and fol- 
lowed his profession until 1864, but the lure of the west with its countless oppor- 
tunities drew him back to Nebraska and in that year he established his home 
in Omaha. The following year he was elected prosecuting attorney of Douglas 
county and filled that position for a term of two years. In 1867 he was again 
chosen to office, being elected a member of the first...territorial legislature, and in 
1868 popular suffrage called him to the office of Gity^QOUUcilman in Omaha. He 
was once more elected to office in 1880, when he-wa-s sent .to represent his district 
in the state senate and again, as he had done in' jjrevious years, he gave most 
thoughtful consideration to proposed legislation and lent the aid of his influence 
and support to many measures which he believed of benefit to the common- 
wealth. In 1887 he was elected on a nonpartisan ticket as judge of the fourth 
judicial district, comprising the counties of Douglas, Burtj^VVashington and Sarpy. 
Upon the expiration of his first term in 1891 he was reelected on the democratic 
ticket and remained upon the bench until the following year, when he resigned 
to accept the democratic nomination for congress, but was defeated for the office 
by David H. Mercer. His mind was judicial in cast and his opinions were strictly 
fair and impartial, being based upon a comprehensive knowledge of the principles 
of jurisprudence, which he correctly applied to the points in litigation. While not 
an incumbent in office his attention was devoted to the private practice of law 
and he was regarded as a strong advocate and safe counselor. 

On the 25th of October, 1859, Judge Doane was married in Keokuk, Iowa, 
to Miss Emily R. Greenhow, a native of Vincennes, Indiana, and a granddaughter 
of the celebrated Dr. Greenhow, of Richmond, Virginia. Her father was James 
W. Greenhow, who was born in Richmond, Virginia, and was one of the firm of 
Greenhow & Bohannan, druggists of Louisville, Kentucky. He married Augusta 
E. Russell and later went to Vincennes, Indiana, where he was appointed to an 
important position with the Ohio & Mississippi Railroad by his brother-in-law, 
Judge Ellis, president of that company, whose line was then being built between 
Cincinnati and St. Louis. Mr. Greenhow died in 1852 at the age of forty years. 
Judge and Mrs. Doane became the parents of five children, Cora A., Guy R., Wil- 
liam G., Daisy C. and George W. 

The death of the husband and father occurred December 22, 1912, when he 
was eighty-eight years of age, and thus closed a life that had contributed much 
to progress and improvement in the state of his adoption. He labored earnestly 
for Omaha's welfare and cooperated in many plans and measures for the general 
good. He was appointed by Governor Silas A. Holcomb as one of the board of 



180 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

trustees of the Deaf & Dumb Institute at Omaha and of the Asylum for the 
UHnd at Nebraska City, filling that position for a year, when he resigned. In 
1808 he became one of the incorporators and a member of the board of trustees 
of Brownell Hall, an educational institution under the auspices of the Episcopal 
church. It is not difficult to speak of him for his life and character were as clear 
as the sunlight. No man came in contact with him but speedily appreciated him 
at his true worth and recognized in him one who not only cherished a high ideal 
of duty but who lived up to it. He constantly labored for the right and from 
his earliest youth devoted a large portion of his time to the service of others. 
He was at the head of important professional interests which he managed suc- 
cessfully, yet it was his rule to set apart some time for the labors of love to which 
he was so devoted. His friends miss him but the memory of his sweet and beau- 
tiful life, of his sincerity and of his worth will not soon be forgotten. They 
do not mourn for him as they would for a young man cut off in the flower and 
promise of youth, but rejoice in his memory as that of a man who laid down his 
task in the twilight of the day, when all that he had to do had been nobly, faith- 
fully and fully completed. 



WILLIS GRATZ SEARS. 

Willis Gratz Sears, who since 1903 has occupied the bench of the district court 
at Omaha, is thus actively connected with a profession which has important 
bearing upon the progress and prosperity of any section or community and one 
which has long been considered as conserving the public welfare by furthering 
the ends of justice and maintaining individual rights. He was born at Willoughby, 
Ohio, August 16, i860, and in the paternal line comes of English-Irish ancestry, 
the family, however, being established in New England at an early day. A 
removal was later made to New York and thence to Aleadville, Pennsylvania. In 
the latter state his father, the Rev. Stephen Speed Sears, served as the first 
county superintendent of Crawford county. He was a graduate of Allegheny 
College of Pennsylvania and at one time occupied the position of principal of 
Willoughby College at Willoughby, Ohio. He wedded Mary W. Sears, who is 
the oldest living alumnus of Alfred University of New York, and his death oc- 
curred in November, 1861, when his son. Judge Sears, was but a year old. In 
the fall of 1879 the family removed from Meadville, Pennsylvania, to Decatur, 
Nebraska. 

Judge Sears largely devoted his youthful days to the acquirement of a com- 
mon school education and was a young man of nineteen when the family home 
Avas established in Burt county, Nebraska. Not long afterward he began prep- 
aration for the bar, studying in the Kansas State Law School, while in 1884 he 
was admitted to practice before Judge Eleazer Wakeley at Tekamah. He prac- 
ticed for several years at Oakland, Nebraska, and for six years he filled the office 
of county attorney of Burt county. In the spring of 1895 he took up his abode 
in Tekamah. His fellow townsmen, appreciative of his ability and public spirit, 
elected him to the office of mayor and his administration, characterized by needed 
reform and progress, led to his reelection and for three terms he remained the 
chief executive of that city. Still higher political honors awaited him, for in 
1901 he was chosen a member of the state legislature, in which he served for two 
terms, acting as speaker of the house in 1901, his parliamentary rulings being 
characterized by the utmost fairness of procedure. In 1903 he was elected judge 
of the district court and since that time has been thrice reelected, so that he is 
still serving upon the bench, being the incumbent in the office for the fourth term. 
His decisions indicate strong mentality, careful analysis, a thorough knowledge 
of the law and an unbiased judgment. The judge on the bench fails more fre- 
quently perhaps from a deficiency in that broad-mindedness which not only 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 181 

comprehends the details of a situation quickly but also insures a complete self- 
control under even the most exasperating conditions than from any other cause ; 
and the judge who succeeds in the discharge of his multitudinous delicate duties 
is a man of well rounded character, finely balanced mind and splendid intel- 
lectual attainments. That Judge Sears is regarded as such a jurist is a uniformly 
accepted fact. He has further held office as a member of the board of insanity 
for several years and as a member of the school board of Tekamah, and the 
same fidelity marks his discharge of every public duty. 

On the 17th of May, 1887, at Turin, Iowa, Judge Sears was united in mar- 
riage to JMiss Belle V. Hoadley, a daughter of S. S. Hoadley. The children 
of this marriage are: Mabelle; John, deceased; Edward; Flora; Sigsby; and 
Charles. 

Judge Sears is a York Rite Alason, belongmg to the lodge, chapter and com- 
mandery and also to the Mystic Shrine. He likewise has membership with the 
Odd Fellows and the Red Men and is a life member of the Elks. His family 
is connected with the Methodist Episcopal church and his political allegiance is 
given to the republican party. The wise use which he has made of his time, 
talents and opportunities has brought him to the position of distinction which 
he now occupies as an honored citizen and eminent judge whose career reflects 
credit and honor upon the district which has honored him. 



JUDGE WILLIAM H. MUNGER. 

Judge William H. Munger, whose broad scholarly attainments were turned to 
good account in developing the interests and upholding the civic standards of his 
state, served as a member of the constitutional convention of Nebraska and for 
a long period was a most prominent figure in legal circles, practicing successfully 
as an attorney at the Omaha bar. He was born October 12, 1845, at Bergen, 
Genesee county, New York, and at the age of twenty years went to Cleveland, 
Ohio, where he secured employment in a dry goods store owned by his uncle. 
He devoted the hours outside of business to the reading of law and after about 
a year become a law student and clerk in an attorney's ofifice at Cleveland. Two 
years later he made a trip to Elyria, Ohio, and was there admitted to the bar in 
December, 1868. Believing that better opportunities were ofl:ered to the young 
lawyer in the west, he made his way in that year to Fremont, Nebraska, at 
which time his cash capital consisted of but two dollars and a half. The day 
after his arrival he secured work in a lumberyard and during the winter, being 
then associated with E. O. Crosby, had the opportunity to try an occasional small 
law suit, thus earning his first professional fees. In the spring of 1869 he was 
admitted to a partnership by Z. Shedd, a Fremont attorney, who had a good 
practice. That relationship was maintained for two years, at the end of which 
time he entered into partnership with W. C. Ghost, with whom he remained 
until 1874. In the meantime his ability was becoming more and more widely 
recognized and his fellow townsmen came to realize that he was not only an able 
attorney but also possessed the elements of strong American manhood anrl 
citizenship. Accordingly in 1875 he was chosen a member of the state constitu- 
tional convention and aided in forming the organic law of Nebraska. In 1878 
he entered into partnership with J. M. Woolworth, of Omaha, with whom he 
remained for a year, and then returned to Fremont, Nebraska, thereafter devoting 
his entire attention to the practice of his profession. He won a liberal clientage 
that connected him with much of the most important litigation tried in the courts 
of his district and the court records bear testimony to his ability in the many 
favorable verdicts which he won. At length he was appointed federal judge of 
his district, taking oath of office March 3, 1897, and remained upon the bench until 
his death, which occurred August 11, 1915. He was a most capable jurist, 



"e 



182 OAIAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

strictly fair and impartial in his rulings, his opinions being based upon a compre- 
hensive knowledge of legal principles as well as upon the evidence in the case. 
He was for a time lecturer on federal practice in the law school of Creighton 
University, for years delivered lectures at the University of Nebraska on different 
branches of the law and came to be recognized as a lawyer and jurist of profound 
learning and ability. 

On the 30th of March, 1871, in l'"remont, Nebraska, Judge Hunger was 
married to Miss Jennie M. Fowler and to them were born four children. May, 
Adda, Carrie and \\'illiam Horton. Judge jMunger held membership in the 
Omaha and Field Clubs and was a most prominent Alason, taking the various 
degrees of the York and Scottish rites, and the honorary thirty-third degree 
was conferred upon him in recognition of signal service rendered to the organiza- 
tion. Throughout his entire life he was never content to choose the second 
best in anything. lie held to high ideals and to lofty standards. He set his 
mark high and made every endeavor to raise himself to its level. Thus step 
by step he advanced until his continuous progress gave him rank with the 
eminent lawyers and jurists of the state. 



TIMOTHY J. MAHONEY. 

There is always something inspiring in the record of a man who rises unaided 
from amid humble circumstances to a place of prominence, and the world instinct- 
ively pays deference to the individual who thus triumphs over fate or adversity 
and wins success. Such has been the record of Timothy J. Mahoney, senior 
partner in the firm of Mahoney & Kennedy and recognized as one of the leading 
lawyers of Nebraska, his efforts along professional lines and otherwise contrib- 
uting in large part tow'ard molding and developing the metropolis. 

Wisconsin numbers him among her native sons, his birth having occurred 
upon a farm in Crawford county on the 17th of April, 1857. His father, Patrick 
Mahoney, was born in County Cork, Ireland, in 1820 and in 1850 came to the 
United States. He was married in Boston to Miss Ellen Cummins, also a native 
of County Cork, and in 1855 they removed to Wisconsin, settling on a farm in 
Crawford county. In 1864 they established their home in Clayton county, Iowa, 
there residing until 1871, when they became residents of Guthrie county, Iowa, 
which continued to be their place of abode until 1887, when they located in 
Omaha. The father died Aijgust 27, 1901, having for about three years survived 
his wife, who passed away September 30, 1898. 

Timothy J. Mahoney was a little lad of but seven years when the family went 
to Iowa and in the country and town schools of Clayton and Guthrie counties 
he pursued his preliminary education, while later he studied in St. Joseph's Col- 
lege at Dubuque, Iowa, and in Notre Dame University near South Bend, Indiana. 
He afterward pursued a law course in the Iowa State University, which con- 
ferred upon him the LL. B. degree upon his graduation, with the class of 1885. 
In the meantime, however, he had turned to the profession of teaching as a 
means of providing for his later educational training and from the 8th of January, 
1882, until January, 1884. served as county superintendent of schools of Guthrie 
county, Iowa, being then but twenty-four years of age. 

Following his graduation Mr. Mahoney located for practice in Omaha, where 
he has since remained, and although advancement at the bar is proverbially slow, 
no dreary novitiate awaited him. He soon demonstrated his ability to success- 
fully cope with intricate legal problems and won a liberal clientage which has 
since grown in volume and importance. In January, 1889, he became county 
attorney of Douglas county and by reelection continued in that office until 
January, 1893. A local paper, in writing of Mr. Alahoney, said: "Facilities 
through which to transact a city's legal business and secure representation in mat- 




TIMOTHY J. MA HONEY 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 185 

ters calling for expert legal advice and financial guidance are essentially one of 
its greatest needs. Rapid civic growth carries with it the demand for those 
agencies equipped and prepared to meet every question of the day, safeguard 
the greater responsibilities of increased financial and commercial activity and 
guide the public along proper channels of legal procedure. Neither the resources 
of Greater Omaha nor the fertile country surrounding it would have come within 
reach of the great mass of the people but for the fact that it had unlimited 
recourse to this splendid legal machinery through well organized and well balanced 
firms such as are represented by men who compose the concern of A'lahoney & 
Kennedy — one of the best known associations of legal leaders in the middle west." 
Mr. Mahoney is now practicing as senior partner in the law firm of Mahoney & 
Kennedy and included in this firm are J. A. C. Kennedy, Yale Holland, Philip 
E. Horan and Guy C. Kiddoo. Said the World-Herald of this firm: 'As legal 
representatives of individuals, institutions and corporations they are daily demon- 
strating that confidence reposed in their ability is not misplaced. They are 
handling money, transacting business, advising clients and assisting business men 
every day in the business week. They are making Greater Omaha a larger com- 
mercial center and a better place in which to live." In 1904 Mr. Mahoney assisted 
in organizing the Creighton College of Law and for a number of years was 
dean of the faculty, while at the present time he is dean emeritus. In addition to 
his interests as a member of the bar Mr. Mahoney is identified with several 
business concerns of importance, being a director of the Union Stock Yards Com- 
pany, of the Sheridan Coal Company and of the Packers National Bank of 
Omaha. 

On the 17th of April, 1893, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Mr. Mahoney was 
united in marriage to Miss Helene Lipps, her parents being John and Charlotte 
(Eiche) Lipps, both of whom have passed away. Mr. Mahoney is a communi- 
cant of the Catholic church and is identified with the Knights of Columbus, the 
Catholic Mutual Benefit Association and the Ancient Order of Hibernians. In 
club circles he is also well known, being a member of .the Omaha, Omaha Coun- 
try, Automobile and Commercial Clubs. He possesses a social, genial nature 
and a discriminating mind has enabled him to know just how much time should 
be given to recreation, how much to his profession and how much to the public 
service. In a word, his is a well balanced character. His standing at the bar is 
indicated by the fact that he was honored with the presidency of the Nebraska 
State Bar Association for the years 1907 and 1908, and colleagues and contempo-' 
raries throughout the state bear testimony of his personal and professional ability 
and worth. 



WILLIAM KELLOGG FOOTE, M. D. 

Dr. William Kellogg Foote, a specialist in the treatment of diseases of the 
eye, ear, nose and throat, was born in Belvidere, Illinois, in 1871, a son of 
William Sawtre Foote, a grandson of Isaac Foote and a representative of the 
ninth generation of the descendants of Nathaniel Foote, who settled at Wethers- 
field, Connecticut in 1630. William Sawtre Foote was born in Smyrna, New 
York, in 1824 and was married in Belvidere, Illinois, to Miss Lucy Lavinia 
Andrus. In 1891 they removed to Chicago, where Mr. Foote passed away in 
1905, having for thirteen years survived his wife, who died in 1892. 

Spending his youthful days under the parental roof at the family home in 

Belvidere, Dr. Foote there attended the pubHc schools and early decided upon the 

practice of medicine as a life work, with which end in view he entered the 

Chicago Homeopathic College, from which he was graduated in 1893. For 

five years thereafter he was associated with Dr. W. M. Stearns in active practice 

in Chicago and from 1897 ^"^^^^ ^905 '^^^^ located in Joliet, Illinois, where he 
Vol. n— 9 



186 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

was engaged in active professional work. In the latter year he came to Omaha, 
where he has since followed his jirofcssion, specializing in opthalmology, rhinology 
and laryngology. He has given his attention exclusively to treatment of 
diseases of the eye, ear, nose and throat since 1897 ^"'J his studies have been 
continuously directed along that line, so that he has gained a power in that field 
that renders his work of standard quality, while his opinions are largely accepted 
as authority. I'rom 1893 ""^i^ 1905 l^c was associate professor of diseases of the 
nose and throat in his alma mater. He belongs to the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society and the Nebraska State Medical Association. 

On the 19th of May. 1897. in Belvidere, lUinois, Dr. Foote was united in 
marriage to Miss Ella Josephine Downing, her father being the late Samuel 
Downing, a native of England. They have two daughters, Frances Esther and 
Katherine Elizabeth. Dr. and Mrs. Foote hold membership in the First Presby- 
terian church. His political opinions accord with the principles of the republican 
party, while his social interests are manifest in his membership in the Elks 
lodge, the Omaha Field Club, the Rotary Club and the Athletic Club of Omaha. 
He is eligible to membership in the Sons of the American Revolution through 
both the paternal and maternal lines. He has a wide acquaintance in this city 
and is everywhere spoken of in terms of high regard in both professional and 
social relations. 



FRED F. PITTS. 



Fred F. Pitts, president of the Pitts Pipe Organ Company, has developed in 
this connection one of the important productive industries of the city, a business 
which is a credit and a contributing factor to the activity of Omaha. Today the 
business of the company extends largely over Iowa and Nebraska and its upbuild- 
ing is attributable in very large measure to the efforts, the enterprise and the keen 
discernment of the president. Mr. Pitts was born in Chicago, Illinois, February 
15, 1876, a son of Frank J. and Margaretha (Rehm) Pitts, both of whom were 
natives of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The latter was of German descent, while Mr. 
Pitts came of English ancestry, the founder of the family arriving soon after the 
Revolutionary war. Frank J. Pitts was an organ manufacturer of Milwaukee, 
Wisconsin, where his father, Warner J. Pitts, was among the earliest and most 
successful dealers in music and musical instruments, establishing his business 
where the present city hall of Milwaukee stands. Not long after the great Chicago 
fire of October, 1871, Frank J. Pitts removed to that city, where he established 
business under the name of the Garden City Organ Company, thus developing 
one of the early organ manufactories of Chicago. He carried on the business 
to within a year of his death, which occurred in November, 1893, when he had 
reached the age of fifty-eight years. His entire attention was devoted to his 
business and every effort was put forth to manufacture an organ of the highest 
grade, until he was at the head of the leading business of the kind in Chicago 
during his early days there. His wife survived him for more than twenty years 
and passed away in 1914, at the age of sixty-six. In their family were seven 
children. 

Fred F. Pitts, the third of the number, was educated in the public schools of 
Chicago and when twenty years of age entered his father's organ factory, 
thoroughly learning the business from a practical standpoint, spending six years 
at work in different departments of the factory. He then engaged in the sale and 
installation of organs in all parts of America and this brought him into contact 
with a different branch of the business and constituted a further source of later 
success. In 19 13 he came to Omaha and established his present business, which 
was the first of the kind not only in this city but in a district including considerable 
surrounding territory. Since opening business here the firm has looked after all 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 187 

of the organs of this locahty, besides manufacturing and installing six different 
organs in Omaha, several of which are of a larger and more pretentious character 
than those usually seen. The company recently installed a fine organ in the 
Church of Christ, Scientist, and another in the Strand theatre, both of which 
represent the last word in organ building, embodying all of the modern improve- 
ments used in large three-manual electro-pneumatic organs. Besides the organs 
built for use in Omaha, the company has sent many into various states, their 
business constantly increasing. They have sold many organs in Iowa and 
Nebraska and their output enjoys a well deserved reputation because of superior 
tone quality. The business has proven more than satisfactory to Mr. Pitts and the 
company as a whole. The office and plant of the Pitts Organ Company is located 
at No. 12 18 Farnam street, where they occupy large and commodious quarters in 
the conduct of the business. 

On the 6th of July, 1914, in Omaha, Mr. Pitts was married to Miss Carol R. 
Marhoff, a native of Omaha and a representative of one of its early pioneer 
families. Her father, Henry H. Marhoff, was a trunk manufacturer but is now 
deceased. Her mother, Mrs. Carrie Marhoff, is still a resident of Omaha. 

Mr. Pitts is a supporter of the republican party and he is a member of the 
various Masonic bodies and of the Modern American Fraternal Order. His 
religious faith is that of the Episcopal church. His has been an active and well 
spent life. He has ever concentrated his efforts along a single line from the day 
in which he entered his father's plant, and this concentration of purpose and close 
application have enabled him to thoroughly master the business in which he is 
interested. There is no phase of organ building nor no feature of the sales end of 
the business with which he is not familiar, and his broad experience constitutes 
one of the strongest basic elements for the growth of the present undertaking. 



JUDGE JESSE L. ROOT. 

Judge Jesse L. Root, assistant solicitor for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy 
Railroad Company at Omaha, has through the years of an active professional 
career done much to shape the legislative and judicial history of the state, and 
his devotion to the general welfare stands as an undisputed fact in his life record. 
The tangible evidences of his devotion to the public good are many and have 
been manifest not only during the periods of his incumbency in office but also 
while he has remained in the walks of private life. A native of Illinois, he was 
born on a farm in Tazewell county, November 27, i860. He is descended from 
English ancestry, the family having been founded in the new world early in the 
seventeenth century. Judge Root's great-great-grandfather was a Captain in 
the Revolutionary war and his father was a Captain in the French and Indian 
war. Rev. Marvin Root, the grandfather of Judge Root, was a native of Con- 
necticut and devoted his life to the work of the ministry of the Congregational 
church. The father, Charles Marvin Root, was born in Connecticut in 1839 
and in Illinois wedded Maria Burnidge. He took up the occupation of farming 
and devoted his entire life to general agricultural pursuits. In 1882 he became 
a resident of Nebraska and passed away in Omaha in 1906. 

Judge Root began his education in the district schools of Kane county, 
Illinois, and afterward attended the public schools of Elgin, Illinois, while later 
he pursued a course in a commercial college in Omaha. He entered^ upon 
preparation for the legal profession as a student in the office of the Hon. Samuel 
M. Chapman, of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, following the removal of the family 
to this state when he was twenty-one years of age, and after thorough preliminary 
reading he was admitted to the bar in 1887 and opened an office in Plattsmouth, 
where developing power and ability won him distinction that placed him among 
the eminent lawyers of the state. He continued to practice in Plattsmouth until 



188 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

1908, when he was appointed to the Nebraska supreme court commission and so 
continued until 1909, wlien he was appointed a member of the supreme court of 
Nebraska, serving upon the bench for three years, during which period he proved 
himself the peer of the ablest members of the court of last resort. Retiring from 
office, he then became associated with Edmond C. Strode in the firm of Strode & 
Root for the practice of law at Lincoln, where he remained for a year, when he 
removed to the Nebraska metropolis to become, in 1913, assistant solicitor for the 
Chicago, Burlington & Ouincy Railroad Company, with which he has since been 
thus associated. 

On the 8th of June, 1888, in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, Mr. Root was united in 
marriage to Miss Evelyn W. Wise, daughter of Jonathan N. Wise. They have 
four children, namely : Elmer A., Alice E., Jesse Marvin and Flora B. Judge 
and Mrs. Root attend the Congregational church and his political endorsement 
is given to the republican party. His genial manner and unfailing courtesy make 
for personal popularity, and the appreciation of his worth on the part of his 
fellowmen has been evidenced on various occasions. While in Plattsmouth he 
was made a member of the school board and a trustee of the library, and he 
served as a member of the state senate during the famous session of 1907, during 
which he was chairman of the senate committee on finances and an active member 
of the judiciary committee. He was also chairman of the sifting committee of 
the senate and tor six years he served as county attorney of Cass county, 
Nebraska, in addition to his service as supreme court commissioner and supreme 
court judge. That he is a man of broad scholarly attainments has been shadowed 
forth between the lines of this review, and in molding public thought, opinion 
and action he has wielded a wide influence. 



JOHN FRANKLIN STOUT. 

John Franklin Stout, who for twenty-one years has engaged in law practice 
at the Omaha bar, was born near Middlebourne, Ohio, July 12, 1861, and is a 
representative of an old New Jersey family of Dutch extraction, early ancestors 
having removed from England to Holland. His grandfather, Isaac Stout, was a 
native of New Jersey and spent his entire life in that state. His father, Isaiah 
Stout, was born in New Jersey in 1822 and traveled on foot to Ohio when 
seventeen years of age. He was married in Guernsey county, that state, in 1844, 
to Miss Emeline Cochran, who was born in Ohio in 1826. 

Their son, John F. Stout, pursued his early education in the schools of 
Guernsey county and also studied for one term in the Ohio Wesleyan College at 
Delaware. Leaving that institution at the age of eighteen years, he took up the 
profession of teaching, which he followed in Guernsey county for several years, 
and through the summer months he engaged in farming, but ambitious to enter 
upon a professional career, he turned to the study of law and in 1885 entered an 
attorney's office at Cambridge, Ohio, there reading for two years. On the loth 
of June, 1887, he successfully passed the required examination which secured 
him admission to the bar, and going to LIutchinson, Kansas, there opened a law 
office. He remained in practice at that point for eight years, or imtil 1895, when 
he came to Omaha, where he has since followed his profession. He prepares 
his cases with thoroughness and care and the zeal with which he has devoted 
his energies to his profession, the careful regard evinced for the interests of his 
clients and his assiduous and unrelaxing attention to all the details of his cases 
have brought him a large business and made him very successful in its conduct. 

On the 24th of December, 1890, at Cambridge, Ohio, Mr. Stout was married 
to Miss Lida M. Stitt and they now have two children, Robert I. and Gertrude 
E., the former a graduate of Amherst College of the class of 1913. 

Mr. and Mrs. Stout attend the Presbyterian church and his political support 




JOHN F. STOUT 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 191 

is given to the republican party. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons 
and in club circles he is well known, having membership in the Commercial Club, 
the Omaha Country Club and the Omaha Club. His advancement and success 
are attributable entirely to his own efforts. Dependent upon his own resources 
from the age of eighteen years, he has made good use of his time and oppor- 
tunities and his developing powers in the practice of law are now indicated in 
the large and important clientage accorded him. 



JOHN C. KRUGER. 



John C. Kruger, an attorney of Omaha, practicing since 1910, was born at 
Vail, Crawford county, Iowa, in 1887. His father, Emil Kruger, a native of 
Germany, was born in 1867 and in 1884 came to the new world, settling in Craw- 
ford county, Iowa, where he married. He became a merchant of Vail, Iowa, and 
also served for two terms as clerk of the district court at Denison, Iowa. Later 
he was made cashier of the German Bank at Schleswig, Iowa, continuing in that 
position until his death, which occurred in 1906. He had long survived his wife, 
who passed away in 1892, after which time he again married. In the family 
are six children all of whom are living in Omaha. 

In the public schools of Denison and of Schleswig, Iowa, John C. Kruger 
pursued his early education and, determining upon the practice of law as a life 
work, he became a student in the Omaha- Law School, from which he was 
graduated with the class of 1910. Immediately ; afterward he opened an office 
in this city, where he has since practiced, and as the years have passed he has 
gained a good clientage, being connected with some of the important cases that 
have been heard in the courts of the district. 

In religious faith Mr. Kruger is a CathoHc,;,.;His club relations are with the 
Athletic Club of Omaha and in politics he is- a democrat with independent 
tendencies. He has not been active in political circles, preferring to concentrate 
his energies upon his professional duties in the hope of being able to build up a 
large law practice and this hope is being steadily realized, for his clientele is 
continually growing. 



ARTHUR CHASE. 



Arthur Chase has gained a large clientage in the field of real estate and 
insurance and while handling city investments he makes a specialty of western 
lands and ranches. . He was born upon a farm in Cayuga county. New York, in 
1864. His father, Alonzo Chase, a native of the same county, was born in 
1834 and comes of a family of English lineage. His great-great-grandfather, 
Ezra Chase, was a native of Rhode Island. His great-grandfather and his 
grandfather bore the name of Henry Chase and they were natives of New York. 
Alonzo Chase devoted his entire life to general agricultural pursuits and passed 
away in Cayuga county, New York, in 19 13. In early manhood he had wedded 
Emily Glentworth Carmichael, who was born in Hempstead, on Long Island, a 
daughter of the Rev. William Carmichael, an Episcopal minister. Her death 
occurred in 1913, when she was seventy-eight years of age. 

After attending the country schools of Cayuga county. New York, Arthur 
Chase became a student in Tillotson's Academy, a select school of that county, 
and afterward was graduated from the Elmira (N. Y.) Business College with 
the class of 1884. The year 1886 witnessed his arrival in Nebraska, at which 
time he made his way to Chadron and entered one hundred and sixty acres of 
land, complying with the laws concerning occupancy and improvement, whereby 



192 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

he secured title to the property. He Hved upon his claim and in Chadron for 
iive years and durinj^ two years of that period was editor of the Chadron Inde- 
l)endent, a weekly paper, which followed an independent i:)olitical course. For 
the remainder of the time, or three years, he was engaged in the oil and fuel 
business in Chadron. He left that city in 1891 and came to Omaha, where he 
entered the branch establishment of the American Type Founders Company, 
spending four years in that connection, during which he filled every position 
from that of shipping clerk up to manager and then closed out the Omaha branch 
in 1897. in 1898 he was connected with the admissions' department of the 
Omaha Exposition and on the expiration of that period he turned his attention to 
the real estate business, with which he was connected in a clerical capacity for 
two years. In 1901 he opened a real estate and f^re insurance office and remained 
in that held until 191 1, when he sold out the business and turned his attention 
to manufacturing interests in connection with the Brown Truck Manufacturing 
Company, of w^hich he became the secretary, but the plant was destroyed in the 
tornado of March, 1913. He sold out his interest in that business in 1914 and 
again entered the field of real estate and fire insurance, in which connection he 
has made a specialty of handling western lands and ranches, while at the same 
time he has negotiated a number of important transfers of city realty. 

On the 2d of August. 1888, in Chadron, Nebraska, Mr. Chase wedded Miss 
Florence A. Wilson, a daughter of the late Rev. James A. Wilson, who served 
throughout the Civil war, as chaplain in an Iowa regiment. Three children have 
been born to Mr. and Airs. Chase : Emily M., now the wife of Edwin D. Hazard, 
of Omaha; Mary E. ; and Dwight A., who was born in 1897. 

Mr. Chase gives his political support to the republican party and in his 
religious belief is a Cwigregationalist. He has been identified with Nebraska 
and its interests for more than a third of a century and has been a witness of and 
factor in much of its development as the state has emerged from pioneer condi- 
tions and taken its place among the progressive and growing states of the Union. 



GEORGE McBRIDE. 



George McBride, who was serving as county surveyor of Douglas county when 
death called him on the 14th of October. 191.3, spent many years of his Hfe in 
Omaha. He was born in Council BluiTs in 1858, a son of Edward McBride, who 
removed to the west from New Jersey and became one of the first merchants of 
Council Bluft's, shipping his first stock of goods by boat from St. Louis. He 
afterward removed to Missouri Valley, Iowa, where he conducted a large store, 
and later established a mercantile enterprise at Sioux Falls, where he likewise 
conducted a soap factory, becoming one of the important and prominent business 
men of that locality. In St. Louis he wedded Miss Harriet Packard, a native 
of Glens Falls, New York. 

George ]\IcBride first came to Douglas county in 1884 and helped stake out 
South Omaha, afterward assisting in the work of laying out the town. Subse- 
quently he went to Lodgepole, Nebraska, where he was editor of a paper for 
about two years, and on the expiration of that period he removed to Julesburg, 
Colorado, where he conducted the Julesburg Times. Eventually he sold that 
paper and returned to South Omaha, where he again engaged in survey work. 
For three years he filled the office of assistant city engineer of Omaha and then 
became a candidate for the position of county surveyor. He was serving as 
deputy surveyor under County Surveyor King when the latter resigned and was 
appointed to fill out the unexpired term, after which he became a candidate for 
the position and was elected and reelected, serving for two terms. He was then 
nominated for the position of sheriff but lost the election and entered the employ 
of the Standard Bridge Company as engineer, continuing in that capacity for 




GEOEGE McBRIDE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 195 

nine years. At the end of that period he was once more elected county surveyor 
and was thus serving in the position for the fourth time at his death. 

On March 21, 1889, at Grafton, Nebraska, Mr. McBride was married to Miss 
Anna M. Strater, born in Atlantic, Iowa, and a daughter of John Strater, who 
removed with his family to the west, settling at New Springs, Nebraska. Mr. 
and Mrs. McBride became the parents of three sons, George S., Wesley M. and 
Melbert J. 

Mr. McBride was a member of the First Presbyterian church of South Omaha 
and was a very prominent Mason, having attained the thirty-second degree of the 
Scottish Rite, while with the Nobles of the Mystic Shrine he crossed the sands 
of the desert. Mrs. McBride is a member of the Eastern Star and also of the 
King's Daughters. Mr. McBride likewise had membership in club circles, belong- 
ing to the Seymour Country and the Rod and Gun Clubs. His friends, and they 
were many, speak of him as a good neighbor and a man of most kindly spirit, 
ever ready and willing to extend a helping hand to assist a fellow traveler on 
life's journey. He was devoted to the welfare of his city and sought its progress 
along material, intellectual, social and moral lines. At all times he adhered to high 
principles and in many respects his life is indeed worthy of emulation. 



HERBERT HENRY NEALE. 

Herbert Henry Neale, engaged in the abstract business as president of the 
Midland Guaranty & Trust Company of Omalia, was boni iii Aylesbury, Buck- 
inghamshire, England, in 1864. liis father, Richard Neale, was a native of the 
same locality, as were his ancestors back to the time of William the Conqueror, 
and Richard Neale spent his entire life in England.:,..,.;:..:.. j 

In the schools of England Herbert H. Neale puTsued his education and in 
April, 1882, he severed the ties which bound him to his native land and came 
to the new world. For a year he resided at Middletown, New York, where he 
was connected with the Anglo-Swiss Condensed Milk Company. He then came 
to the west and after visiting various places arrived in Omaha on the loth of 
October, 1884. Here he entered the employ of the Burlington & Missouri River 
Railroad in the general offices of the company, remaining there for two years. 
He afterward spent six months in Oregon, where he engaged in hunting and 
in other phases of outdoor life for the benefit of his health. He was then offered 
a position in the office of the C. E. Mayne Real Estate & Trust Company, with 
which he continued until October, 1887, after which he remained with the 
successors of that company, the firm of Benson & Carmichael, until the Omaha 
Abstract Company was organized in 1889. There he continued until he was 
chosen secretary of the Omaha Abstract & Trust Company in 1890 and occupied 
that position until the consolidation of the company with the Midland Guaranty 
& Trust Company, with which he remained as an abstractor until 1896. He then 
embarked in the abstract business on his own account and remained alone until 
1904, when he was joined by Frank J. Norton under the firm style of Neale & 
Norton. That relation was continued until October, 191 1, when the partnership 
was dissolved, Mr. Neale selling out to Mr. Norton. In connection with John 
Campbell he then purchased a controlling interest in the Midland Guaranty & 
Trust Company, of which he became the president, with Mr. Campbell as the 
secretary. They are now conducting an extensive business. 

On the 22d of June, 1898, in York, Nebraska, Mr. Neale was united in 
marriage to Miss Grace Eagleson and to them have been born three children, 
Darrell Roberts, Beatrice and Richard Herbert. Mr. Neale exercises his right 
of franchise in support of the principles and candidates of the republican party 
and fraternally is connected with the York Rite in Masonry and with the Mystic 
Shrine. He also belongs to both the Tangier and Omaha Automobile Clubs, 



196 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

which indicates something of the nature of his recreation. For three decades he 
has been connected with his i)rescnt hne of business and his advancement has 
been the direct and legitimate outcome of a thorough mastery of every branch 
of the work, combined with laudable ambition and persistency of purpose. 



JAMES P. JENSEN. 

James P. Jensen, president of the P>rinn (S: Jensen Company, wholesale dealers 
in paper, has since 1893 been connected with the paper trade and for a decade 
has been active in his present business relations. He was born in Denmark in 
1868, a son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Jensen, who are natives of that country, where 
they have spent their entire lives. In 1913 they celebrated their golden wedding. 

In the schools of his native country James P. Jensen pursued his education and 
in November, 1884, when a youth of sixteen years, came to the United States. 
Pie made his way at once to Omaha and for a year was employed in an overall 
factory, while the succeeding year was spent in the service of a mattress com- 
pany. In 1893 he became connected with the Marshall Paper Company of 
Omaha, with which he continued for fourteen years, gradually working his 
way upward and mastering every phase of the business, so that he was well 
qualified for the successful management of a similar enterprise when in the spring 
of 1907 he embarked in business on his own account as a wholesale paper dealer. 
He entered into partnership with C. W. Brinn under the firm style of Brinn & 
Jensen, which association was maintained until the death of Mr. Brinn in April, 
191 1. The business was incorporated in 1907 and has since been conducted under 
the name of the Brinn & Jensen Company, of which Mr. Jensen is the president. 

On the 14th of August, 1890, Mr. Jensen was married in Omaha to Miss 
Eveline Jensen and their children are: Lothardt M., who married Alma Jensen 
and is connected with his father's business; Leola ; and Myron. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Danish Lutheran church and 
Mr. Jensen has membership with the Danish Brotherhood. He votes with the 
republican party and manifests a commendable interest in the city's welfare as a 
member of the Commercial Club. He also belongs to the Athletic Club of Omaha. 
That he wisely planned for his future by coming to America is evidenced in the 
success which has rewarded his eiTorts during his connection with the business 
interests of Omaha. His activities have constantly increased until his trade 
connections are now of wide scope and importance, making him one of the 
representative business men of the city. 



JESSE C. McNISH. 



There are few men in Nebraska as well known in banking circles and among 
cattle dealers as Jesse C. McNish, who is identified with various banking institu- 
tions and is the president of the McNish Cattle Loan Company of Omaha. In 
developing the last named enterprise he has carried out a long cherished ambition, 
knowing that the prosperity of the state and of the west at large must greatly 
depend upon the development of the cattle raising interests, and he is therefore 
putting forth every effort to promote the growth of the business. His plans 
are always well defined and promptly executed and he is notably energetic and 
reliable. 

Nebraska claims Mr. McNish as one of her native sons, his birth having 
occurred at Wisner on the 5th of July, 1878. His father, Clark Chadwick 
McNish, was born in Monroe, Wisconsin, on the 14th of February, 1854, and on 
the 17th of March, 1877, when a young man of twenty-three years, rNcmoved to 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 197 

Wisner, Nebraska. There he married Miss EHza M. Graham, who is now a 
resident of Los Angeles, Cahfornia, but Mr. AIcNish passed away on the 20th of 
September, 1907. 

In the schools of his native city Jesse C. McNish pursued his early education, 
which was supplemented by a course in the University of Nebraska, which he 
completed by graduation with the class of 1901. He afterward studied law in the 
State University and won the LL. B. degree in 1903. He then returned to Wis- 
ner, where he entered the First National Bank as assistant cashier, continuing 
his active connection with that institution until the 15th of February, 1916, having 
in the meantime risen through intermediate positions to the presidency of the 
bank. He is still filling that office although now largely concentrating his atten- 
tion and efi'orts upon other activities. In the meantime he had continually broad- 
ened his banking connections and is now president of the Sidney State Bank at 
Sidney, Nebraska; president of the Scottsbluff Mortgage Loan Company of 
Scottsbluff, Nebraska; president of the Farmers State Bank at Altona, Nebraska; 
president of the Farmers & Merchants Bank at Morrill, Nebraska ; vice president 
of the Scottsbluff National Bank; and a director of the Empire National Bank 
of Lewiston, Idaho. Lie is likewise president of the AIcNish Land Company of 
Wisner and his high standing in banking circles is indicated in the fact that he 
was honored with the presidency of the Nebraska Bankers' Association in 191 5 
and is now a member of the executive council of the American Bankers' Associa- 
tion from Nebraska. 

His long connection with the banking business in the middle west had brought 
to him a thorough understanding of existing conditions concerning the sources 
of the state's wealth, its opportunities, and its possibilities. He had become con- 
vinced that one of the surest methods of promoting prosperity throughout the 
west was the development of its stock raising interests and to do this loans were 
necessary. It was, therefore the fulfillment of a long cherished dream of his 
when he, in association with R. V. McGrew, organized and incorporated the 
McNish Cattle Loan Company of Omaha for the purpose of "buying, selling, 
handling, discounting, owning and holding all forms of notes, securities, bonds, 
mortgages, debentures and other forms of indebtedness, principally and particu- 
larly those forms of idebtedness secured by chattel mortgages on live stock." 
The company was formed with a paid up capital stock of one hundred thousand 
dollars, owned by the two incorporators, Mr. AIcNish becoming president of the 
company and Mr. McGrew secretary and treasurer. The plan of the company 
was the transaction of its business exclusively through the country bankers with 
the purchase of only such paper "as is recommended, endorsed and absolutely 
guaranteed by the active officers of the local banks in the vicinity of the loan." 
Every possible precaution has been taken to safeguard the placing of loans and 
the business has shown a steady development, indicating the wisdom of the offi- 
cers and a thorough understanding of the work which they have undertaken. 
Back of Mr. AIcNish's eft'orts in this direction are his broad practical experience, 
not only as a banker but as a cattle raiser, and he has always kept in close touch 
with every feature of the business and every point of knowledge bearing thereon. 
During his twelve years' presidency of the First National Bank of W^isner he 
supervised not only the four hundred thousand dollars worth of loans shown in 
the bank's statement but also handled cattle feeding paper upon his own personal 
endorsement to the amount of approximately half a million dollars annually. The 
capital stock of one hundred thousand dollars has been placed in various eastern 
banks for the sole purpose of creating a line of credit for the handling of these 
maturities and assistance in a tight money market. In all his business activities 
Mr. McNish has handled his interests in a conservative, successful and business- 
like manner. The company has formed permanent and exclusive connections with 
a large number of banks and bankers throughout the states of Nebraska, Kansas, 
Colorado. Wyoming, South Dakota and Iowa and through these banks they are 
making giltedged loans on cattle. Mr. McXish at the present time personally 



198 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

operates a ranch of six thousand acres in Keyaj^aha county, Nel:)raska, a busi- 
ness in which he has been engaged (hiring the past iifteen years. He is thoroughly 
(lualified to judge cattle paper from the standpoint of the security and from all 
other points of view. Already the business has reached gratifying proportions 
and with years of experience and insight back of it on the part of the officers its 
success is assured. 

On the 25th of October, 1903, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. McNish was united 
in marriage to Miss Clara H. Hammond, a daughter of the late Charles H. Ham- 
mond, a retired capitalist. Fraternally he is a Scottish Rite Mason and a member 
of the Mystic Shrine and also a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of 
Elks. He also belongs to the University Club, to the Omaha Country Club and 
to the Athletic Club of Omaha. In politics he has for a number of years been 
a central figure. For two years he was chairman of the Nebraska republican 
state central committee and for fifteen years has been a member of the executive 
committee of the state. Fie exercises a wide influence over politics just as he 
does in financial circles and the reason therefor is his sound judgment and clear 
insight into all the vital and significant problems of the day. His opinions are 
never superficial, for he delves down to the root of the matter and reaches the 
motive spirit back of all political activity. He is actuated in his work by a public- 
spirited devotion to the general good with no desire for personal reward. The 
honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for him as he prefers to con- 
centrate his time and attention wholly upon his business afl^airs, which have 
brought him prominently before the public as a banker and financier. 



HENRI HANSFORD CLAIBORNE. 

Henri Hansford Claiborne, attorney at law in Omaha, is a well known and 
popular citizen whose social, genial qualities win him the friendship of all with 
whom he comes in contact. Nebraska numbers him among her native sons, 
for he was born in Plattsmouth on the 29th of October, 1868, and is a representa- 
tive of one of the old Virginia families of English lineage. The ancestral line 
is traced back to William Claiborne, secretary of the Colony of Virginia for many 
years, through Richard Claiborne, colonel in the Virginia line during the Revolu- 
tionary war. His son, the Rev. Richard Berkeley Claiborne, was born in Rich- 
mond, Virginia, and was educated at Cambridge, England, where he took orders in 
the Anglican church. He was afterward sent to Tasmania and opened the first 
church school there about 1822. His last days were spent in Glenwood, Iowa, 
where he departed this life in 1879, at the notable old age of ninety-six years. 
His son, Richard B. Claiborne, Jr., was born at Nantes, France, June 14, 1839. 
He devoted his entire active life to newspaper work. At Glenwood, Iowa, he 
married Elizabeth A. Regester and in 1867 they removed to Plattsmouth, Nebraska. 
Mr. Claiborne spent his last days in Kansas, where he passed away October 12, 
1899, and his widow now makes her home in Omaha. 

At the usual age Henri Hansford Claiborne entered the public schools and his 
youthful experiences were those that usually fall to the American lad of the 
middle west. He learned the printer's trade and followed newspaper work, 
studying law and being admitted to practice while engaged in that profession. 
He served as justice of the peace in Omaha from 1912 to 1917. 

Mr. Claiborne was married in Conway, Missouri, to Miss Lena Newpont, 
a daughter of C. N. Newpont and a descendant of Commodore Christopher New- 
pont, who was in command of the English expedition to Virginia which brought 
over Captain John Smith. Mr. and Mrs. Claiborne have a son, Harry C. The 
parents are members of the Protestant Episcopal church, being communicants of 
Trinity Cathedral. 

Mr. Claiborne is well known in fraternal circles, being a York and Scottish 



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HENRI H. CLAIBORNE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 201 

Rite Mason and member of Tangier Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He also has 
membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of the 
World. Along more strictly recreational lines he is identified with the Edmund 
Park Golf Club and the Omaha Avocation Club. His interest in the city's wel- 
fare is manifest in his identification with the Commercial Club. He exercises 
his right of franchise in support of the men and measures of the republican party. 
It was said by one long familiar with his life record that he is liked by everybody, 
for his social nature and genial spirit constitute a force that at once attracts the 
attention and goodwill of those with whom he comes in contact. 



ALLEN CECIL SCOTT. 

Allen Cecil Scott, president of the Scott-Omaha Tent & Awning Company and 
the Scott Manufacturing Company, manufacturing a line of specialties at Omaha, 
is identified through other connections with important business interests of this 
state and of Missouri. His plans are always well defined and his activities are 
purposeful and resultant. He was born in Omaha, August i6, 1882, a son of 
William Wilbur and Elizabeth (Johnston) Scott, the latter a native of Omaha, 
while the former was born in New Cumberland, Ohio, in 1856 and came to this 
city when about eighteen or nineteen years of age. He figured prominently in 
business circles as superintendent of the Omaha Merchants Express Company for 
twenty-two years and at the time of his death, which occurred in 1909, he was 
the custodian of the ^lasonic Temple of Omaha. His political allegiance was 
given to the democratic party. His widow survives and yet makes her home in 
this city. 

On leaving the public schools of Omaha, in which he pursued his education, 
Allen Cecil Scott entered the employ of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad 
Company at their freight office in Omaha, there remaining for three years. On 
the expiration of that period he removed to Seattle, Washington, where he was 
employed by a steamship company, and upon his return to Omaha he spent two 
years with the Western Weighing Association. In 1905 he became shipping 
clerk for the Omaha Tent & Awning Company, with which he remained for five 
years, rising to the position of manager in less than a year and so continuing until 
1910, when he embarked in business on his own account under the name of the 
Scott Tent & Awning Company. In 1912 his interests were consolidated with 
those of the Omaha Tent & Awning Company and the name was changed to 
the Scott & Rawitzer Manufacturing Company, of which Mr. Scott became vice 
president, treasurer and general manager. In 191 5 he bought out the Rawitzer 
interests in the business and has since changed the name to the Scott-Omaha 
Tent & Awning Company, of which he remains the president. He has developed 
this business into one of the large manufacturing concerns of the city and is 
most successful and careful in its management. He is also president of the 
Scott Manufacturing Company of Omaha, which manufactures a line of special- 
ties, and that his activities cover a still broader scope is indicated in the fact 
that he is the president of the St. Joseph Tent & Awning Company of St. Joseph, 
Missouri, and the president of the Lincoln Tent & Awning Company of Lincohi, 
Nebraska. His goods are today sold all over the world and the firm names 
under which he operates have become synonymous with high standards of 
efficiency, promptness and reliability. 

On the 2d of August, 1905, in Fremont, Nebraska, Mr. Scott was united in 
marriage to Miss Myra Ethel Smith, a daughter of Theodore W. Smith, and they 
have one child, Jane Elizabeth. Mr. Scott votes with the democratic party and 
he is identified with several fraternal organizations, being now a Knights Templar 
Mason and member of the Mystic Shrine and also a member of the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to the Happy Hollow Club, the Rotary 



202 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Club and the Carter Lake and Athletic Club of Omaha and is also identified with 
the Commercial Club. His prominence in commercial circles is indicated in the 
fact that he has been treasurer of the Nebraska Alanufacturers Association since 
its organization in 191 1, and he is also chairman of the board of directors of the 
National Tent & Awning Company, having been elected in New York city in 1914 
for a term of three years. Llis advancement and success enable him to speak 
with authority on trade matters and conditions. He has studied every phase of 
every question bearing upon the business and in the conduct of his interests has 
largely displayed the spirit of initiative. 



NORMAN CALL PRINCE, M. D. 

Dr. Norman Call Prince, who since 191 1 has engaged in the practice of 
medicine and surgery in Omaha and has done notable work in the X-ray field, 
was born in St. Paul, Minnesota, June 3, 1884, a son of George Thomas and 
Carrie Augusta (Mitchel) Prince. The father was born in Boston, Massachu- 
setts, in 1853 and in 191 2 became a resident of Omaha, but the mother passed 
away in 1897. 

Dr. Prmce largely acquired his early education in the schools of Omaha and 
afterward pursued a preparatory course in Tabor (la.) College. He then entered 
Bowdoin College in Maine, where he directed his studies with the intention of 
ultimately becoming a member of the medical profession. He next matriculated 
in the Denver and Gross College of Medicine at Denver, Colorado, from which 
he was graduated in 1907, and in 191 1 he opened an office in Omaha, where 
he has since given special attention to X-ray work. He belongs to the Omaha- 
Douglas County Medical Society, also to the Nebraska State Medical Association, 
and he remains a close student of his profession and its advanced and progres- 
sive ideas. 

On the 19th of May, 1906, in Denver, Colorado, Dr. Prince was united in 
marriage to Miss Claire Louise Bosworth. Fraternally Dr. Prince is a Scottish 
Rite Mason and a Shriner, and exemplifies in his life the beneficent spirit upon 
which the craft is based. Plis political views accord with the principles of the 
republican party and he keeps well informed concerning the questions and issues 
of the day but has had no time nor inclination for office, preferring to concen- 
trate his attention upon his professional duties. 



HON. ARTHUR N. FERGUSON. 

Hon. Arthur N. Ferguson, who Avas a member of the state senate, judge of the 
district court and a prominent and successful practicing attorney at Omaha up 
to the time of his death, departed this life on the 26th of October, 1906, and in 
his passing the community lost one of its honored and valued citizens. He was 
a native of Albany, New York, born October 4, 1842. His father, Fenner 
Ferguson, became one of the most distinguished citizens of Nebraska, leaving 
his impress in notable measure upon the history of the pioneer development of the 
state. He was born in Nassau, New York, in 1814 and married Miss Helena 
E. Upjohn. It was in 1840 that he was admitted to the bar in New York state 
and for six years thereafter he engaged in the practice of his profession in the 
east. In 1846 he removed from Albany to Albion, Michigan, where he devoted 
his attention to law practice until the 12th of October, 1854, when he was 
appointed by President Pierce to the position of chief justice of the supreme 
court of the territory of Nebraska. He at once removed with his family to 
Bellevue, this state, and there resided up to the time of his demise, which occurred 



V 


1 











DE. NOEMAN C. PEIXCE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 205 

on the 1 6th of November, 1859. It was he who instituted and estabhshed the 
first courts of the state and the state's initial code of laws and not only did he 
serve as chief justice of the territory but was also territorial representative of 
Nebraska in congress. 

Arthur N. Ferguson was one of a family of four sons, the others being Alfred 
G., Stephen W. and Charles F., all of whom have passed away. Brought by 
his parents to Nebraska in 1854, he remained at Bellevue until 1857, when he 
was enrolled as a pupil in a private school at Alexandria. Virginia, conducted by 
Benjamin Hallowell. Two years later he went to Kinderhook, New York, 
where he entered an academy, and subsequently he became a law student in the 
University of Iowa, from which he was graduated with the LL. B. degree in 1870. 
The same year he returned to Bellevue, where he opened a law office and there 
remained in active practice until 1872, when he sought the broader opportunities 
offered in Omaha and took up his abode in that city. Not long after his arrival 
he was made special probate judge of Douglas county and in November, 1876, 
he was elected state senator from the sixth senatorial district and thus served 
for two terms. On the expiration of that period he was elected district attorney 
of the fourth judicial district, comprising Douglas, Sarpy, Washington and Burt 
counties, and continued on the bench for two years. Later he spent two years 
as a member of the board of education of Omaha and in 1891, when the new 
law went into effect increasing the number of judges in the fourth district to 
seven Mr. Ferguson was appointed by Governor Boyd to serve upon the bench. 
This appointment was made at the request of the Douglas county bar and he 
served under appointment from the 30th of March until the 31st of December, 
1891. In the meantime at the fall election he was chosen by popular suft'rage 
one of the judges of the district court and served with fairness and impartiality 
in that position for four years, after which he put aside the judicial ermine and 
resumed the private practice of law, in which connection he was accorded a 
most important clientage. 

In 1879 Judge Ferguson was united in marriage to Miss Delia L. Sears, a 
native of New York and a sister of Mrs. A. J. Poppleton, of Omaha. It was in 
1854 that Mrs. Ferguson accompanied her father, Leonard Sears, to Council 
Bluffs. He became the proprietor of the Robinson House and also of the old 
Pacific House, and when he retired from the hotel business took up the occupation 
of farming. Mrs. Ferguson came to Omaha in 1866 to attend Brownell Hall 
and has lived in this city continuously since 1872. By her marriage she became 
the mother of two children : Alice Sears, now the wife of Clift'ord N. Forbes, of 
Omaha ; and Elizabeth Foote, at home. 

Judge Ferguson was a stalwart democrat in his political views and did 
everything in his power to promote the growth and ensure the success of his 
party. He held membership in the Ancient Order of United Workmen, also with 
the Masonic fraternity and was a member of the Ak-Sar-Ben. At all times he 
was a public-spirited citizen, interested in the welfare and progress of the 
community in which he lived. A man of liberal culture, broad minded, well 
descended and well bred, association with him meant expansion and elevation. 
His talents were wisely used to conserv^e the legal interests of the individual 
and of the state and as judge and legislator he made an excellent record. 



ALEXANDER B. MALCOLM, M. D. 

Dr. Alexander B. Malcolm was well known in Omaha although he resided 
in Council Bluff's, and he practiced all over this section of the country, became 
one of its pioneer physicians and remained one of the most capable and trusted 
representatives of the profession to the time of his death, which occurred in 
1882. He was a native of Maine and came of Scotch ancestry and he resided in 



206 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the Pine Tree state until after his marriage. Jt was in 1854 that he removed 
from liangor, Maine to the west, aceompanied hy his friend, Mr. Carpenter. 
They drove the entire distanee and Dr. Malcohn cast in his lot with the pioneer 
settlers of Council lUuffs. He liad previously practiced for about twenty-five 
years in Boston and after coming to the west he entered into partnership relations 
with Dr. Peck, practicing at Council Bluffs and at Florence. He made his 
home in the latter place for a brief period and then took up his abode in Council 
BlufTfs, after which he practiced all over this section. He was a physician of 
marked ability, keeping in touch with the trend of modern thought, investigation 
and research. He rode all over the district on horseback or in a gig and winter's 
storms were never so severe nor summer's heat so intense as to keep him at home 
if there was a call to professional duty. In the early days he had an office on 
Harney street and at times amusing incidents occurred in connection with his 
practice. On one occasion he gave an Indian some chloroform in order to 
perform a minor operation on his foot. The next morning a squaw came to see 
him and said: ''Mr. God, give Indian 'sleep' medicine heap lots, then Indian get 
all Pawnees' horses, make them go to sleep, wake up next day, horses gone." 
Dr. Malcolm was exceedingly kind to the poor and never failed to render pro- 
fessional aid to the needy when he knew that no remuneration might be expected. 
In all his professional work he was extremely conscientious and for many years 
he remained the loved family physician in many households in Omaha, Council 
Bluffs and other districts. He held membership in the Unitarian church and 
in his life exemplified his Christian faith. Fraternally he was a Mason and was 
loyal to the teachings of the craft. He passed away in 1882, when between 
sixty-five and seventy years of age, and thus ended a life of great usefulness 
that had endeared him in large measure to all with whom he had come in contact, 
his memory being yet cherished and revered by those who knew him. 



WILLIAM H. LAFFERTY. 

Among the pioneer settlers of Council Blufls was William H. Lafferty, who 
arrived there in 1853, removing from Glasgow, Alissouri. His father, James 
Lafferty, had visited this district at a very early day and engaged in the tailoring 
business. He lived and died in Council BlulTs. with the pioneer development 
of which he w^as closely associated. His son, William H. Lafferty, was there 
reared and after attaining his majority he engaged in the dry goods business in 
connection with his brother John, opening a store in Council Bluffs. He had 
had previous experience along that line as a clerk in the store of his brother-in- 
law, W. H. Robinson, but afterward embarked in business on his own account, 
and the firm of Laft'erty Brothers existed for a number of years. Later William 
Lafferty retired from the dry goods business and entered the book and stationery 
trade in Council Bluffs in connection with his brother-in-law, James F. Hopper, 
who was a printer by trade. Mr. Lafferty was thus closely associated with 
commercial interests in this section of the country for an extended period and his 
efforts contributed to the material development and commercial progress of his 

city. 

In 1868, in Council Bluffs, Mr. Lafferty was united in marriage to Miss 
Kittie Malcolm, who became a resident of that city in 1853. She lost her m.other 
when very young and was reared by Dr. Malcolm, one of the honored physicians 
of Council Bluffs. To Mr. and Mrs. Lafferty were born three sons: Malcolm 
B., who is now engaged in the automobile business in Seattle, Washington; 
Edward, who is connected with the gas company in Omaha ; and Fred L., who is 
employed by the street car company of Omaha. 

The husband and father passed away June 19, 1909, and his death was a 
matter of deep regret not only to his immediate family but to many friends. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 207 

Fraternally he was connected with the Knights of Pythias. His early political 
allegiance was given to the democratic party but later he became a stalwart 
advocate of republican principles. He was public spirited in an eminent degree 
and cooperated in many plans and measures which he believed would prove 
beneficial to his community. His life was an active and useful one and he had 
many attractive social qualities which rendered him popular among those who 
knew him. 



G. L. EMIL KLINGBEIL. 

The German-American Life Insurance Company of Omaha is fortunate in 
having at its head a man possessed of the sterling business and personal qualifi- 
cations displayed by G. L. Emil Klingbeil — qualifications which speak in no 
unmeasured terms of the permanent success of the company. A native of Noren- 
berg, Germany, he was born on the 23d of September, 1863, but in the spring 
of 1864 was brought to the United States by his parents, Carl Wilhelm and 
Dorothea Sophia (Schultz) Klingbeil. His paternal grandparents, Daniel 
Gottlieb and Christine (Wegener) Klingbeil, never left their native land. The 
father's birth occurred in Gottberg, Germany, on the 23d of November, 1814, 
and he was therefore in his fiftieth year when in May, 1864, he brought his 
family to the new world, taking up his abode upon a farm in Dodge county, 
Wisconsin. Five years later he arrived in Omaha and homesteaded eighty 
acres in Dodge county, Nebraska, upon which he lived until the spring of 1882, 
when he retired from active business life and removed to Hooper, Dodge 
county, where his remaining days were passed. His death occurred in 1904, 
while his wife passed away in December, 1900. 

With the removal to Nebraska the family home was established in Omaha 
in order that the children might enjoy the advantages of the city schools, although 
the father lived upon the homestead six miles north of Hooper. G. L. E. 
Klingbeii was a youth of fourteen years when the entire family removed to 
the homestead in Dodge county and there he remained until twenty years of 
age, when he left the farm and became a resident of Hooper, where he engaged 
in merchandising in connection with his father. They built up a profitable busi- 
ness there and established a branch store in Alliance, Nebraska, of which G. L. E. 
Klingbeil took charge, conducting the business successfully for about eighteen 
months, or until it was destroyed by fire. He bought another stock of goods 
for his Alliance store, but the widespread financial panic of 1893 involved the 
establishment in disaster. He then removed to the Black Hills of South Dakota, 
where he remained for two years engaged in mining. He afterward became 
a traveling sales agent for a wholesale grocery house of Chicago, which he rep- 
resented upon the road for a year and a half. He removed to Plattsville, Wis- 
consin, where he turned his attention to the insurance business, in which he 
engaged at that point until the spring of 1899. He then returned to Nebraska 
and opened an insurance business at Norfolk, but after a brief time he returned 
to Hooper and thence came to Omaha. 

During the years in which Mr. Klingbeil lived in Norfolk his entire time 
and attention were taken up by the study and mastery of the insurance business 
and he thoroughly equipped himself for the business in which he afterward 
engaged. It had been his dream for many years to establish a life insurance 
company and to that purpose he bent all his energies and upon it concentrated 
all his thought. In October, 1905, he began the organization of the German- 
American Life Insurance Company and completed the organization in April, 
1906, calling to his assistance a number of his acquaintances — well known and 
reliable business men — Dr. George Haslam, of Fremont, Nebraska, Dr. H. T. 
Holden, of Norfolk, W. W. Young, attorney at law of Stanton, Nebraska, 



208 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

and D. D. Hall. In association with these gentlemen he founded the German- 
American Life Insurance Company, which has grown steadily from its inception 
and is now considered one of the substantial institutions of the state and which 
is destined to become a large factor in the insurance world. Mr. Klingbeil is 
now and has during the years since its foundation been its president. The 
business has been established along safe, conservative yet progressive lines. It 
has adopted as its motto: "Strong as the strongest" and holds steadily to this 
policy. The business is backed by approved securities deposited with the state of 
Nebraska. Its officers in addition to Mr. Klingbeil are: Dr. George J. Haslam, 
vice president and medical director; W. VV. Young, treasurer and general attor- 
ney; D. D. Hall, secretary; and Otto Pohl, director. Its real estate first mort- 
gages amount to three hundred and thirty-four thousand, two hundred dollars 
and its resources in all to five hundred and fifty-six thousand dollars. Its insur- 
ance in force at the close of the year 1913 amounted to six million, five hundred 
and sixty-one thousand, five hundred and one dollars ; in 1914 to seven million, 
seven hundred and fifty-seven thousand, nine hundred and five dollars ; and 
at the close of 191 5 to nine million, one hundred and ninety thousand, seven 
hundred and two dollars. The company certainly has a record of substantial 
progress. 

Mr. Klingbeil married Miss Marguerite Thomsen, whose father was a 
native of Germany, where he spent his entire life. The children of this mar- 
riage are: Marguerite Therese, now the wife of William Bruce Young, of 
Omaha; Ruby Beatrice; and Pearl Evangeline. 

The family attend the Lutheran church and Mr. Klingbeil is a Master Mason. 
He also belongs to the Omaha Field Club, the Omaha Ad Club and the Com- 
mercial Club and his political allegiance is given to the republican party. He 
is a cleancut business man, devoted to his business interests and to the wel- 
fare of his family. He has always been temperate in his habits, honest and 
reliable in his business transactions. Among insurance men he is considered 
one of the best posted and best equipped in the state. He possesses ambition 
and tireless energy and above all is honorable in his dealings and displays a 
loyalty to his friends that challenges the admiration of all who know him. 



ANTON HOSPE. 



Anton Hospe is the president of the A. Hospe Company, a great piano house 
whose business connections are binding many sections of the country in an inter- 
lacing network to Omaha. His life record is a notable example of whatmay be 
accomplished through determination, energy and intelligently directed effort, for 
became to Omaha in 1874, with a capital of but sixty-five dollars, and today is at 
the head of one of the important commercial enterprises of the city and, moreover, 
is today the oldest retail merchant who has personally conducted business in 
Omaha. His standing in public regard is an enviable one, for the policy which 
he has pursued has won for him the respect and goodwill of all. This is not 
alone due to his success in business but also to the active and helpful part which he 
plays in promoting the civic interests of the city. A native of Cincinnati, Ohio, 
he was born September 3, 1854, a son of Anton and Marie Laura (Gebauer) 
Hospe, both of whom were natives of Prussia. The father was born in 1827 and 
in 1848 came to the United States, then a young man of twenty-one years. He 
settled in Cincinnati and in 1850 he returned to his native land for his bride. He 
then again made his way to the new world and throughout the remaining period 
to his death in 1897 was a resident of Cincinnati. His widow still survives and 
now resides in Napoleon, Ohio, at the age of about ninety years. _ The grand- 
father, Anton J. Hospe, also became a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, and there 
passed away in 1870, at the age of eighty-two years. 




ANTON HOSPE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 211 

Anton Hospe attended the public schools of his native city to the age of twelve 
years and then entered his father's shop to learn the trade of gilding picture 
frames. Since that period he has been continuously dependent upon his own 
resources and has indeed won the proud American title of self-made man. He 
drifted around for a few years and then came to Omaha in 1874, at which time 
he was the possessor of but sixty-five dollars. Here he began the business of 
gilding picture frames and later he extended the scope of his activities by adding 
a stock of organs. A little later he began dealing in pianos and has since carried 
musical instruments and at the same time has continued the picture frame 
business, being today the oldest merchant in Omaha who has personally conducted 
his commercial interests. He has developed a wonderful mail order business, 
following a most progressive policy and in all his methods displaying in marked 
degree the spirit of initiative. 

On February 12, 1878, Air. Hospe was married to Miss Jane R. Neligh, of 
Omaha. In 191 1, in Council Bluffs, he married Mrs. Nora Adeline Pangle, who 
was the widow of Dr. George W. Pangle, and had a son and two daughters, 
now with Mr. Hospe, she having died in 191 1. His life has ever been actuated 
by high and honorable motives that have made his career one in consistent har- 
mony with his professions as a member of the Presbyterian church. He is also a 
Master Mason and a member of the Ak-Sar-Ben. He also belongs to the 
Commercial Club and to the Athletic Club of Omaha. He has ever been deeply 
interested in movements looking to the welfare and advancement of the city 
along commercial and civic lines and in such has taken an active part. In fact 
his labors have been most effective in extending the commercial connections of 
Omaha and at the same time he has loyally supported those plans which look 
toward the adoption of higher civic ideals and which have been most resultant 
in bringing about the wholesome and purifying reforms which have been grad- 
ually growing up in the municipal life. Omaha indeed finds in him a loyal sup- 
porter whose high ideals have taken form in practical effort for their adoption. 



JOHN POWER. 

The surname of the subject of this review also constituted an apt char- 
acterization of his career, for he was ever a man of wide influence in Omaha 
and he ever used this influence for the benefit of others. His standards and 
ideals of life were most high and the strength of his character was that of 
fearless Christian manhood. Omaha has reason to cherish his memory because 
of the important part which he took in upholding her interests during several 
crises in her history. 

Mr. Power was born in Waterford, Ireland, May 6, 1849, ^"^^1 his life cov- 
ered the intervening years to the 7th of January, 1916, when he passed away 
in Omaha. During his infancy he was left in the care of his grandmother while 
his parents came to America to establish a home, but soon after settling in 
Pennsylvania both passed to the home beyond. John Power remained a resi- 
dent of the Emerald isle until thirteen years of age, when he, too, crossed the 
Atlantic and made his way to Pennsylvania. From that time forward he was 
dependent entirely upon his own resources. For a time he worked in the coal 
mines of that state but afterward took up the coopering trade, which he had 
learned in his early boyhood in Ireland. He was employed in Philadelphia 
at the time when the trouble arose between the Coopers Union and the cooperage 
manufacturers of that city. Reduced wages had led to dissatisfaction followed 
by demands for relief and when this demand met with refusal a strike resulted. 
Mr. Power at this point wielded much influence among his fellow laborers, 
for he was an ardent advocate of the union cause and the rights of the men. 

A'oi. n— 9 



212 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

When the strike was finally settled after a bitter struggle Mr. Power because 
of the active part which he had taken therein was blacklisted and could obtain 
no employment in i'hiladelphia. ile then started westward and after a brief 
period spent in Kansas City, Kansas, came to Omaha in 1870. 

For several years thereafter Mr. Power was employed in the cooperage 
department of the Willow Springs Distillery, but ambitious to engage in busi- 
ness on his own account, he opened a small shop in 1878 at Seventh and Leaven- 
worth streets, there remaining until his plant was destroyed by fire, at which 
time he was serving as sheriiif of Douglas county. In this connection a contem- 
porary biographer has said of him: "At that time other cooperage factories had 
been established in Omaha and South Omaha, with modern machinery and 
improved methods, so that but a small part of the output of these factories 
was made by hand, and there was no reason why Mr. Power should then 
rebuild his factory or seek to continue the business ; but in his employ there 
were two old and faithful union coppers, who had been with him for years, 
who were unable because of their age, to stand the strain of the strenuous work 
in the modern up-to-date factory operated by machinery, and John Power 
then constructed a small shop in which these two faithful old employes continued 
to make cooperage by hand until the date of their death. I have reason to 
believe they worked under conditions that resulted in an actual loss to John 
Power, but in a way that kept them from becoming a public charge." 

It was in 1878, in Omaha, that Mr. Power made Miss Mary Quinlan his 
wife and from that time forward his interest centered in his home, his greatest 
happiness being found in the companionship of his wife and four children, a 
son and three daughters : Nicholas J. ; Lora ; Bessie, who is Mrs. F. C. Thomas, 
of Sioux City; and Alice. The mother passed away in 1888. Mr. Power was 
married to Mary O'Malley, of Dubuque, Iowa, who died in September, 191 5. 
He was ever most solicitous concerning the social and moral welfare of his 
family and they were in turn most devoted to him. To them he left the price- 
less heritage of a good name as well as the substantial reward of his success 
in business. It was well known that his integrity in business affairs was above 
question. He never built his success upon another's failure but always followed 
constructive methods and there are many who bear testimony to his irreproach- 
able integrity as well as his enterprise through all the long years of his con- 
nection with the industrial interests of Omaha. 

For many years Mr. Power was recognized as one of the leaders of the 
democratic party in his city, his work for the party being the result of the 
firmest belief in the efficacy of its principles as factors in good government. 
His political methods were such as would bear the closest investigation and 
scrutiny, for the honesty that characterized his business life was manifest as well 
in this connection. It is said that his influence was largely the cause of the 
splendid democratic majority given in the first and second wards. At length 
in 1899 some of his close friends and club associates induced him to became 
a candidate for the office of sheriff and after a most bitter primary fight he 
received the nomination and at the election won by a majority of about fifteen 
hundred. He discharged his duties with such signal fidelity and capability 
that he was reelected in 1901 and again in 1903 and no incumbent in the sheriff's 
office has made a more splendid record, his fidelity to his duties as the con- 
servator of right and order being ever paramount with him. A story is told 
of the attitude which he assumed at the time of the great strike in the packing 
houses of South Omaha. This strike was declared July 12, 1904, and as the 
lockouts continued the bitterness and hostility grew. Strike breakers were 
imported into South Omaha and the union men became more and more indignant 
and bitter. Such was their attitude that the packers begged the sheriff to call 
for the state militia to aid in maintaining order. The strike breakers, too, 
approached him with the plea that he keep his deputy sheriff's out of South 
Omaha. To the former he replied that as long as he was sheriff of Douglas 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 213 

county he felt that he could handle the situation and that he would never ask 
for the state militia or federal troops to aid in maintaining order. Toward the 
strike breakers he displayed an equally firm attitude, telling them that the law 
must be respected and that life and property would be protected if he had to 
swear in a thousand deputy sheriffs. He was hmiself a strong union labor man 
and his sympathies were all with the strikers, many of whom had been his 
stanch supporters when he was a candidate for office, but notwithstanding all 
this he upheld the dignity of the law and preserved order and protected life 
and property in South Omaha as few men could have done under similar cir- 
cumstances. He urged the strikers to refrain from acts of violence and counseled 
patience and conformity to the law. At all times he displayed the utmost 
fearlessness to personal danger, never carrying arms although going in and out 
among the strikers and the strike breakers. On one occasion when he was 
told that the dummy train which v/as used in conveying the strike breakers 
from the Union depot to the packing houses would be dynamited on the mor- 
row and pressure was brought to bear upon him to secure the aid of the state 
militia, he went himself to the depot and took his place on the front platform 
of the front coach of that train, prepared to meet any emergency that might 
arise. At the outbreak of the strike, knowing the conditions that would pre- 
vail and realizing fully that his sworn duty as sheriff of Douglas county was 
to protect the lives and property of everyone within its borders, he immediately 
appointed a large number of deputy sheriffs and assured them that they would 
receive two dollars and a half per day for their ser\'ices. This sum was cer- 
tainly not excessive when one considers the danger to which they were subjected, 
but when the county board met it authorized the payment of only two dollars 
per day. Mr. Power, however, had given his promise for two dollars and a half 
per day and out of his own pocket he paid the additional sum, amounting to 
five thousand three hundred and forty-two dollars, for which he was never 
reimbursed. 

In religious faith a Catholic, Mr. Power was a stanch churchman and for 
many years served as a trustee of St. Patrick's parish. He aided very largely 
in the erection of the church edifice and was always a generous contributor 
to the cause, but it was his life and not his works that gave evidence of his 
Christian belief. One who knew him well said of him: 'T have been with him 
where liquors flowed freely, but personally I never saw him touch a drop. 
I never heard him utter an oath ; I never heard him tell a story that might not 
be repeated at my family circle. He was charitable to a fault and many a 
person has been the recipient of his quiet, unostentatious bounty who was 
neither of his race, faith or creed. There was nothing of the bigot about John 
Power. He was tenacious in his beliefs, but equally tolerant of others. A 
simple instance may suffice. At the time when the anti-CathoHc organization 
known as the A. P. A. was the strongest in this country Mr. Power had in his 
employ as a driver of his wagons an ardent and enthusiastic A. P. A. A com- 
mittee of Catholics waited upon Mr. Power and insisted that he discharge his 
employe from his service. Mr. Power listened to the demands of the commit- 
tee and then advised them that this employe had been in his (Mr. Power's) 
service for years ; that he performed his service faithfully and well ; and that 
he had a family dependent upon him for support; and that his (the employe's) 
opinions of the Catholic church and his own religious beliefs were matters to 
be settled with his own conscience; and that the man would not be discharged. 
I may further add that this man continued in Mr. Power's employ until the 
time of his death (the employe's death) and was then buried in the Protestant 
cemetery at the expense of John Power. A splendid example of Christian 
charity but indicative of the life of the man." Mr. Power was ill for only two 
weeks ere death called hini, bringing with it a sense of personal bereavement 
into many of the homes of Douglas county. He was a man of kindly disposi- 
tion, of social nature and of genial character — a man who shed around him 



21-i OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

much of the sunshine of Hfe, a man who stood for all that is most honorable 
in man's relations to his fellowmen and who ever zealously defended the right 
and truth. 



JOilX XlUiOLAS FRENZER. 

John Nicholas Frenzer, engaged in the real estate, loan and fire insurance 
business in Omaha for twenty-eight years, was bom in this city August 17, 1863, 
a son of Feter Frenzer, who passed away July 15, 191 2, and is mentioned 
elsewhere in this work. After attending the parochial school and the Rathburn 
Business College, John N. Frenzer made his initial step in commercial circles 
as a clerk and was employed in various Omaha stores until September, 1886, 
He then started out in the field in which he has since been active, entering the 
employ of the McCague Real Estate Company, with which he remained for two 
years. On the ist of September, 1889, he entered the real estate, loan and fire 
insurance business on his own account and has so continued to the present time, 
winning a large clientage in these different departments. He has negotiated many 
important real estate transfers and has ever kept in close touch with the real 
estate market, being regarded as a most accurate valuator of property. 

On the 4th of April, 1894, in Omaha, ]\Ir. Frenzer was united in marriage to 
Miss jMattie Margaret Rieck. daughter of the late Henry F. Rieck. Their 
children are three in number, namely: Arthur J., Clarence J. and Esther M. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. 
Frenzer belongs to the Knights of Columbus and to the Woodmen of the World. 
He is also identified with the Carter Lake Club and he belongs to the Commercial 
Club and the Ak-Sar-Ben, two organizations which have for their object the 
upbuilding of the city, the exploitation of its resources and the promotion of its 
civic standards. He has always voted with the democratic party, but the honors 
and emoluments of office have never had attraction for him, as he has preferred 
to concentrate his energies upon his business affairs. 



BURTON WHITFORD CHRISTIE, M. D. 

Dr. Burton Whitford Christie, whom university training and post graduate 
v.'ork well qualify for the onerous and responsible duties that devolve upon the 
physician and surgeon, has been numbered among the Omaha practitioners since 
1902. He had from his boyhood days been a resident of this city, although he 
was born in Creston, Iowa, August 22, 1877. His father, Dr. William Henr}' 
Christie, was a native of Bergen county. New Jersey, but removed to the middle 
west in early life and was graduated from Rush Medical College of Chicago in 
the '60s. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the countrj^'s call for 
troops and enlisted in the Seventy-sixth Illinois Volunteer Infantry. He was 
wounded four times at the battle of Perryville, Kentucky, and lay all night on the 
field with his wounds unattended. He thereby developed erysipelas, from which 
he never recovered and which ultimately occasioned his death. In early man- 
hood he w^edded Sarah Maria Whitford, a native of Illinois, and after living for 
a time at Creston, Iowa, they removed in 1886 to Omaha, where they continued 
to reside until called to their final rest, the death of the father occurring in 
1909, W'hile the mother died in 1905. He was a most active supporter of the 
republican party and in 1884 was a delegate to the republican national convention 
which nominated James G. Blaine for the presidency. For two terms he served 
as president of the Omaha board of education and his loyal support of progres- 
sive public measures marked him as a leading citizen of Omaha. 




DR. BURTON W. CHRISTIE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 217 

Dr. Burton W. Christie was a youth of nine years when the family home was 
established in Omaha, where he continued his public school course until graduated 
from the high school with the class of 1895. He then entered the University of 
Nebraska and won the Bachelor of Science degree upon graduation in 1899. He 
continued as a medical student in the State University and following his gradua- 
tion therefrom in 1902 entered upon practice in C)maha, becoming a worthy 
successor to his father. In 1902 and 1903 he took post graduate work in 
Rochester, jNIinnesota, and he also pursued a special graduate course on diseases 
of children at Harvard in 191 5. He has made close study of that field of pro- 
fessional service and has displayed marked ability in treating children's diseases. 

On the 23d of June, 1902, in Omaha, Dr. Christie was married to Miss Florence 
Lois Gridley and they have four children : Harlan Page, Barbara Whitford, 
Florence De \^alon and Billie Burton. The family attend the Episcopal church. 
Dr. Christie's military record covers service with the Second Regiment of 
Nebraska \"olunteer Infantry during the Spanish-American war. He went with 
his command to Chickamauga Park in 1898 and held the rank of corporal, but 
like many others, his regiment was disappointed in not being called upon for active 
field service. In politics the Doctor is an earnest republican and fraternally is a 
Master Mason. In club circles he is well known, having membership in the 
Commercial Club, the Rotary Club, the University Club and the Field Club. 
Along strictly professional lines his association is with the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society, of which he was president in 191 3, the Nebraska State Medical 
Society and the American Medical Association. He is most conscientious in the 
performance of his professional duties, never regarding lightly the responsibility 
that rests upon him, and his care and faithfulness have brought excellent results 
when judged from both the financial and the professional standpoints. 



WILLIAM GODFREY CLEVELAND. 

The life record of William Godfrey Cleveland is of unusual interest, for 
his experiences have given him first hand knowledge of conditions in the 
orient and in the Occident, in the old countries of Europe and in the unde- 
veloped, lawless west of America that has now all but passed. Since 1904 
he has resided in Omaha, with whose business interests he .is prominently 
identified as president of the W. G. Cleveland Company, dealers in surgical 
instruments and physicians' supplies. He was born in IJrighton, England, in 
1864, but in his infancy was taken by his parents to India, where his father, 
Henry Cleveland, filled with honor the important position of attorney general 
for England in Bombay. The maternal grandfather of our subject. General 
Sir Charles Malcolm Barrow, K. C. B., won distinction in the British army 
and was for years stationed in India with headquarters in Bombay. It was 
in that country that his daughter, Effie Madeline, was married in i860 to Henry 
Cleveland, who was born in Yarmouth in 1828. 

William G. Cleveland remained with his parents at Bombay. India, until 
he was six years of age, when he was sent to Europe for his education, attend- 
ing school in Germany for seven years and later studying for a year each in 
Lucerne, Switzerland, and Brussels, Belgium. He then entered the University 
of London with the expectation of taking a medical course, but hearing of the 
Riel rebellion in Canada, he was led by his adventurous spirit to go to that 
country and at once, in July, 1884. enlisted hi the Northwest Mounted Police, 
a picked body of men famous the world over for their stamina, courage and 
resourcefulness. He remained in that service for about five years and rose 
from private to sergeant. Upon leaving the mounted police he went into the 
drug business at Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada, where he remained until 1892, 
when he sold out and for the following six years he traveled throughout the 



218 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Dominion and the States. In 1898 he located in lUitte, Montana, where he was 
a nK'nil)er of a drug tirni for about two years. l)Ut in 1901 he went to Detroit, 
^Nlicliigan. and became connected with i'arke, Davis & Company, manufactur- 
ing chemists, representing them on the road. Three years later he was sent 
by the company to Omaha as their general representative for Nebraska, Iowa, 
\Vyoming, South Dakota and Missouri and acted in that capacity until the 
1st of June, lyio, when he bought out the H. J. Penfold Company, dealers in 
surgical instruments and physicians' supplies, and incorporated the business 
as the W. G. Cleveland Drug Company, later changed to the W. G. Cleveland 
Company, under which style the business is now conducted, with Mr. Cleve- 
land as president. In the management of his extensive business affairs he dis- 
plays the initiative, the daring spirit, combined with good judgment and a 
knowledge of men, that have characterized him in all other relations of life. 
It is but natural that he should have met with success and that he should be 
ranked among the leading men in commercial circles in Omaha. 

Mr. Cleveland was married in Sioux City, Iowa, March 6, 1901, to Miss 
Margaret L. Bacon, a daughter of Edward F. Bacon, a resident of Frankfort, 
Kentucky, who. however, served as a Union soldier during the Civil war as he 
was convinced of the justice of the northern cause. 

Mr. Cleveland is a republican in politics and in religious faith is an Episco- 
palian. He holds membership in the University Club and in the Carter Lake 
Club, Avhich latter connection iiidicates his favorite recreation, fly fishing. 
Through his connection with the Commercial Club he cooperates with other 
enterprising and public-spirited business men in many plans and projects cal- 
culated to promote the general advancement of Omaha. His broad-minded- 
ness, his force and decision of character and his capacity for deep friendship 
have bound to him by strong ties of respect and regard those with whom he 
has been closely associated. In the course of his life he has known and 
worked with men of e\ery class and condition and there are few who have a 
better understanding of human nature. 



BEN B. WOOD. 



Ben B. Wood was a pioneer banker of Omaha, in which city he arrived in 
1867. From that date until his death he was continuously and prominently con- 
nected with financial interests here and his ability constituted an important element 
in placing the banking interests of Omaha upon a most substantial foundation. 
He was born in Cayuta, Schuyler county, New York, May 15, 1843, ^"^ after 
mastering the branches of learning taught in the public schools of his home town 
he continued his education in Union College of 5sew York. His business train- 
ing was received in the banking house of Charles Cook, of Havana, New York, 
and in 1867, when a young man of twenty-four years, he arrived in Omaha to 
enter the bank of J. A. Ware & Company, then located at Thirteenth and Farnam 
streets. He held the position of teller until 1870, when the institution was con- 
verted into the State Bank of Nebraska with Alvin Saunders as president and 
Ben B. Wood as cashier. From the beginning of his residence in Omaha Mr. 
Wood was continuously and prominently connected with the development of 
its banking interests. On the 1st of October, 1882, he was associated with Frank 
Murphy, S. E. Rogers and John F. Coad in organizing and establishing the 
Merchants National Bank, of which Mr. Murphy became the president, Mr. 
Rogers vice president and ]\Ir. Wood cashier. He continued active in the 
management of the business and on the nth of January, 1898. he was elected 
vice president of the bank, in which capacity he continued to serve until his 
death. He was also a member of the Omaha Gas Manufacturing Company and in 
business circles his worth was widely recognized and attested. He was spoken 




BEN B. WOOD 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 221 

of as a man of few words but a very careful, conservative and thoroughgoing 
business man whose transactions were ahvays wisely directed. He gave the most 
careful thought to the settlement of involved and complex problems of banking 
and at all times was eminently just and most loyal to any trust reposed in him. 

On the 7th of June, 1882, Mr. Wood wedded Miss Daisy B. Barkalow, a 
daughter of Benjamin B. Barkalow. an Omaha pioneer. To them were born four 
children : Le Roy, now living in Salt Lake City, Utah ; Ben Brown and Robert 
Livingstone, of Omaha ; and Margaret, the wife of William H. H. Cranmer, of 
Denver, Colorado. 

Mr. Wood was devoted to his family, counting no effort or sacrifice on his 
part too great if it would promote the welfare and happiness of his wife and 
children. He belonged to the Omaha Club and to the Country Club and his 
fellow members in those organizations entertained for him the highest regard. 
He was most charitable and gave freely of his self-acquired wealth for the bene- 
fit of the needy and for the assistance of benevolent institutions. He was always 
active for Omaha and its interests and cooperated heartily in every movement 
for the general good. Li a word he was never remiss in the obligations of 
citizenship nor failed to perform his duty i-n any relation of life. His career was 
actuated by high principles and worthy motives and his entire life measured up to 
lofty standards of manhood. He passed away June 19, 1904. 



HERBERT B. WALDRON. 

•Herbert B. Waldron, an Omaha capitalist whose investments in farm prop- 
erty are extensive and who is now giving his attention solely to the supervision 
of his agricultural interests, was born on a farm in Cass county, Nebraska, in 
1870. His paternal grandfather, Jacob Waldron, was probably a native of 
Pennsylvania and the immigrant ancestor came from Holland. The father, 
Harvey R. Waldron, was born in New York in 1846 and throughout his active 
life was engaged in farming. He was married in the Empire state to Lottie 
Russell and in 1869 they came to Nebraska, homesteading in Cass county, 
w^here they resided until 1900, when they removed to Waterloo, Douglas 
county, where the father passed away in 1910. The mother, however, is yet 
living. 

It was in the public schools of Cass county and of Omaha that Herbert 
B. Waldron pursued his education and in 1891 he was graduated from the Omaha 
Business College. In 1902 he took up his abode at Bennington, Douglas county, 
and assisted in organizing the Mangold & Glandt Bank, of which he became the 
cashier, remaining with that institution for exactly ten years. He then resigned 
and organized the Citizens State Bank of Waterloo, in which project he was 
connected with Gurdon W. Wattles. Mr. Waldron became the first cashier and 
some time afterward was elected to the presidency. Later he became sole owner 
of the bank and in 1913 he sold out. He for several years owned a controlling 
interest in the Security State Bank of Washington, Nebraska, and also in the 
Union State Bank of Murdock, Nebraska. On disposing of his interests in the 
Citizens State Bank of Waterloo he came to Omaha and has since directed his 
attention only to the supervision of his invested interests. He is the owner of 
a valuable farm of five hundred acres in Cass county, Iowa, and five hundred 
and sixty acres in Douglas county, Nebraska, and the development of the lat- 
ter is carried on under his direct management. He also has a quarter section 
of land in Kimball county, Nebraska, and one hundred and twenty acres in 
Cameron county, Texas. All are rented to tenants except the farm in Douglas 
county, on which he raises corn, alfalfa, hogs and cattle. He thoroughly under- 
stands every phase of agricultural life and keeps in touch with the trend of 
progress and improvement along that line. 



222 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

In Fairmont. Nebraska, in 1897, Mr. Waldron was united in marriage to 
Miss Florence G. Magee, a daughter of the late James Magee, and they have 
two daughters, Mildred E. and Helen. The parents attend the Methodist 
Episcopal church and Mr. Waldron gives his political support to the republican 
party. He holds membership with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows 
and also is a member of the Omaha Club and the Commercial Club, cooperating 
heartily with the plans and purposes of the latter organization for the upbuilding 
and development of the city and the extension of its trade connections. 



RODNEY WALDO BLISS, M. D. 

Dr. Rodney Waldo Bliss, a prominent member of the medical profession of 
Omaha and assistant professor of physical diagnosis and internal medicine 
in the University of Nebraska, was born in York, this state in 1878. His father, 
David Cleveland Bliss, a native of the state of New York, was born in 1843 
and on removing to the west became a resident of Wisconsin. During the 
last year of the Civil war he served as a member of the Thirty-seventh Wiscon- 
sin Yolunteer Cavalry. In 1874 he removed to Nebraska, establishing his home 
at York, and he is now living at Minden, where he is engaged in the nursery 
business. In La Salle county, Illinois, he married Sophia Hart, who is also 
living. 

Following the removal of the family' to Minden, Nebraska, Rodney W. 
Bliss acquired his early education in the public schools there and later entered 
the University of Nebraska, from which he was graduated with the class of 
1901. For professional training he matriculated in Rush Medical College of 
Chicago and completed his course there by graduation with the class of 1904. 
In 1906 he removed to Omaha, where he has since devoted his attention to 
internal medicine, and his ability in that direction is pronounced. He belongs 
to the Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society, the Elkhorn Valley Medical 
Society, the Nebraska State Medical Society and the Missouri Valley Med- 
ical Society. 

On the 25th of April, 1907, in Chicago, Dr. Bliss was united in marriage 
to Miss Clara J. Dimmick, a daughter of the late Williani O. Dimmick. and 
they have become the parents of three children, Jane, Rodney and Esther. 

Dr. and Mrs. Bliss hold membership in the Presbyterian church. His 
political endorsement is given to the republican party and he is a Master Mason 
and belongs also to the University Club and to the Happy Hollow Club. Social 
interests, however, are ever made subservient to his professional duties, which 
are performed with a sense of conscientious obligation that represents the 
utilization of his native and acquired powers. 



GEORGE ANTHES. 



George Anthes, a man of ability and high character who has filled many 
positions of trust connecting him in various ways with civic interests, is now 
serving as county auditor. He was born at Frankfort-on-the-Main, Germany, 
in 1856. His father, Christopher Anthes, also a native of that place, was born 
in 1833. He there married Margaret Dauth, who passed away in 1859. and 
later he married again. In 1867 they brought their family to the United States, 
settling first in St. Louis, where the father died in 1875. His widow still 
survives. 

George Anthes was a youth of eleven years when he accompanied his 
father to the new world, and in the schools of St. Louis he pursued his educa- 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 223 

tion. He was a young man of twenty-two years when in 1878 he came to Omaha, 
where he engaged in clerking for several years. In 1888 he became connected 
with public duties at the courthouse in Omaha and in 1901 was appointed deputy 
state auditor, the duties of that position keeping him in Lincoln from 1901 until 
1907. He had previously been connected with the Festner Printing Company, 
with the tax department in the county clerk's office of Douglas county, had 
served as chief clerk in the county treasurer's office and was deputy county 
treasurer until the year 1900, when he was appointed deputy auditor of the 
state. He was special accountant in the county clerk's office from 1906 until 
January, 1912, and is now filling the position of county auditor of Douglas 
county. His official record has been endorsed by the consensus of public opinion 
on the part of his fellowmen and he has rendered valuable aid in various 
connections. 

On the 2 1 St of March, 1880, in Omaha, Mr. Anthes was united in marriage 
to Miss Amanda Getzschmann, daughter of the late Amandus Getzschmann, 
who came from Germany to America in 1858 and traveled west from Pittsburgh 
by boat to St. Mary's, Iowa, and in the following year settled in the Bellevue 
Bottoms in Nebraska. The next year he removed to La Platte, Nebraska, 
where the family lost all their possessions by a prairie fire. He was engaged at 
farming there until 1876, when he retired and moved to Omaha, where he died 
at the age of eighty-three years. He was married in Germany to Hermine 
Dietrich, who survived him and died in Omaha at the age of seventy-six years. 
Their two eldest children were born in Germany, one of whom was Mrs. Anthes, 
who was two years old when her parents came to America. Mr. and Mrs. 
Anthes are the parents of three children, namely: Ellen Elizabeth; Paul Jacob; 
and Gertrude P. Paul Jacob wedded Miss Ollie Burnett, daughter of Oliver 
Burnett, and they have two children, Paul Oliver and Robert George. The 
family attend the Lutheran church and Mr. Anthes has membership in the 
Omaha Music Society and in the Modern Woodmen of America. In politics he 
is a republican and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the day, 
supporting those principles and measures which he deems of vital worth to the 
community and to the nation at large. 



JOHN M. "blLCHRIST. 

John M. Gilchrist, certified public accountant of Omaha, was born in Glas- 
gow, Scotland, March 9, 1862, his parents being Andrew and Margaret (Gil- 
christ) Gilchrist, who, though of the same name, were not related. The father 
was born in Scotland in 1834 and passed away there in 1867, being still survived 
by his widow, who yet remains a resident of the land of hills and heather. 

John M. Gilchrist attended the schools of Glasgow and was graduated from 
the Hutcheson grammar school of that city. He had passed the twentieth mile- 
stone on life's journey when in 1882 he bade adieu to friends and native land 
and came to the United States, establishing his home in Chicago. In 1892 he 
removed to Nebraska City, Nebraska, and in 1901 he came to Omaha. Here he 
established business as a certified public accountant and has since carried on his 
activities along that line. He began in a small way with but one assistant and 
he now employs a large office force and has several high-class assistants constantly 
on the road. 

In 1893, in Nebraska City, Nebraska, Mr. Gilchrist was united in marriage 
to Miss Anna Boydston, a native of this state, by whom he has one child, Frances 
Myrne. Their religious faith is indicated by their membership in the Presby- 
terian church. In politics Mr. Gilchrist is a democrat where national questions 
are involved but casts an independent ballot at local elections. In 1896 he was 
appointed county treasurer examiner for Nebraska and held that office until 



224 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

1901. He belongs to the Athletic Clul) of Omaha and to the Happy Hollow Club, 
of which he is a director and secretary. He has made good in his profession, 
reaching a place of prominence through his accuracy and skill, and he enjoys the 
high regard of business men throughout the city. 



ALEXANDER McAUSLAND. 

When Omaha was scarcely more than a straggling village Alexander McAus- 
land came to this city from Kentucky, May 5, 1857. He was a native of Scot- 
land and was there reared and educated. After attaining man's estate he was 
married in Edinburgh, Scotland, to Miss Agnes Ritchie and soon afterward 
they sailed for the new world, making their way at once to Cloverport, Ken- 
tucky, where he resided for several years and then came to Omaha. Here Mr. 
McAusland engaged in the gun and ammunition business, opening a store at the 
corner of Harney and Fourteenth streets, while later he removed to Douglas 
and Fourteenth streets, where he remained until his death. xAt that corner he 
erected a business block and following his death his sons carried on the business 
for several years but afterward sold out and both removed to Montana. Later 
in the same building the daughters Agnes and Jennie conducted a milliner}' 
and dry goods store for a number of years, but they, too, sold their interests 
several years ago. 

The family numbered nine children, of whom five survive : Agnes, now 
living in Omaha; John and Alexander, who reside in Miles City, Montana; Jen- 
nie, whose home is in Omaha ; and Catherine, w^ho is Mrs. J. R. Manchester, 
also of Omaha. 

In politics Mr. McAusland was a republican, active in the work of the 
party, and on one occasion he was a candidate for the legislature but failing health 
compelled him to withdraw from the race ere the election was held. He was a 
public-spirited man in an eminent degree and was active in all that pertained 
to the welfare and upbuilding of his adopted city. He passed away in 1867 
at the age of fifty-six years, while his widow survived until 1901 and had 
reached the notable old age of ninety-four years at the time of her demise. 
They attended the First Congregational church and Mr. McAusland was a 
Mason, loyal to the teachings of the craft. In a word his was a well spent life 
in which industry-, determination, integrity and rectitude of character were salient 
features. 



BYRON GEORGE BURBANK. 

Byron George Burbank, since 1885 a member of the Omaha bar, long maintain- 
ing a position of prominence among his colleagues and contemporaries in practice, 
was born near Northfield, Minnesota, August 26, i860. He is the youngest 
child of Edy and Sarah (Richardson) Mulcahie. The former was born in 
Eastport, Maine, in 1837 and the latter in Illinois in 1839. They w^ere married 
at Marengo in that state in 1855. Mrs. Mulcahie was a direct descendant of 
Amos Richardson, who came from England in 1634 and established his home in 
Boston, where he lived and died. About 1858 Mr. and Mrs. Edy Mulcahie 
removed to Minnesota and there the latter passed away in 1861. Three children 
were born to them, Clark, Mary and Byron George, who was taken, upon his 
mother's death, by her sister and husband. Mr. and Mrs. George W. Burbank, of 
Genoa. Illinois, with whom he lived and whose surname was given him and which 
he has ever since retained. 

In 1861, Mr. Mulcahie, in response to the country's call for aid, joined Com- 




BYEON G. BURBANK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 227 

pany K of the Sixty-fifth IlHnois \'olunteer Infantry and served throughout the 
period of the Civil war. He was with Sherman on the memorable march to the. 
sea and participated in the grand review at Washington, D. C, where the vie-' 
torious Union army marched through the streets of the capital under a banner 
emblazoned with the words : "The only debt which the country owes that she 
cannot pay is the debt she owes to her soldiers." In early life Mr. ]\Iulcahie 
devoted his attention to teaching but after the war became a farmer of Missouri 
and passed away at Stony Point, that state, in 1884. 

Byron George Burbank attended the country schools of De Kalb county. 
Illinois. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed 
for three years in the winter seasons, and in the fall and spring months he attended 
the Elgin (111.) Academy, from which he was graduated in 1880, with the degree 
of Bachelor of Arts. For three years afterward he was principal of the high 
school at Byron, Illinois, and in the fourth year, he became principal of the 
high school at Mount Morris, Illinois. He then went abroad for study and travel, 
spending the scholastic year 1884-5 i" Heidelberg University in Germany, where 
he pursued the Roman law and special work. Following his return to the 
United States upon examination in the appellate court in Chicago, in the fall of 
T885, he was admitted to practice law in Illinois and on the 20th of October of the 
same year came to Omaha. He at once began to practice in the office of the 
Hon, John L. Webster, with whom he continued for five years. Since then he 
has practiced alone and his developing powers have gained him a large and 
distinctively representative clientage. The assiduous and unrelaxing attention 
which he gives to the interests of his clients and the thoroughness with which he 
prepares his cases have been strong elements in his growing success. 

On the 26th of November, 1881, at Rockford, Illinois, Mr. Burbank was 
married, and the children of that union are Byron M. and Wayne. On the 6th of 
June, 1906, in Omaha, Mr. Burbank wedded Jane B. Browne, a daughter of the 
late William J. Browne, who was a Union soldier, going to the front from 
Missouri. By the second marriage there is one child, Forrest. 

Mr. Burbank attends the Methodist Episcopal Church and he is a member of 
the Omaha Club and of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the York 
and Scottish Rite degrees. His political support is given to the republican party 
but beyond the exercise of his right of franchise he does not take an active 
interest in party work because of a desire to give his attention to his professional 
duties. 



EMILE M. F. LEFLANG. 

Emile M. F. Leflang, a capitalist of Omaha, who for forty years was promi- 
nently connected with banking interests and with the grain trade in Nebraska, 
is now living retired save for the supervision which he gives to his invested 
interests. His life record is an illustration of what may be accomplished by 
the man of foreign birth who recognizes the opportunities ofliered in the new 
world and utilizes them for advancement, making his efforts count for the utmost 
along legitimate lines of business. Mr. Leflang was born in Denmark in 1850. 
His father, Andrew W. Leflang, also a native of that country, came to the 
United States in 1864 and established his home in Illinois, where he remained 
until 1867, when he came to Nebraska. Soon afterward he removed to Omaha 
but his last days were spent in Idaho, where he passed away in 191 5. 

Emile M. F. Leflang pursued his education in the schools of Haderslev, 
Denmark. He has continuously resided in Omaha since 1908 but has long been 
a resident of Nebraska, having for forty years been prominently connected 
with banking and grain trade interests at Lexington, this state. There he 
developed a business of extensive proportions in both lines and from time to time 



228 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

made judicious investments in property until his realty holdings are now exten- 
sive. He is also president of the Lexington Mill & Elevator Company and the 
president of the Wyoming & Nebraska Telephone Company. In the manage- 
ment of his business alfairs he has always displayed keen sagacity and sound 
judgment. 1 le is a man of unfaltering ])uri)ose, strong, persistent and resource- 
ful in carrying forward to successful completion whatever he undertakes and 
at all times conforming his business interests to high standards of integrity as 
well as enterprise. 

On the 15th of April, 1913, in Lexington. Nebraska, Mr. Leflang was 
united in marViage to Miss Anna Cole, a daughter of David Cole, a veteran of 
the Civil war. i>y his first marriage, which occurred in 1872, Mr. Leflang 
has a son, Arthur Charles, who was born in Lexington, Nebraska, in 1876, 
and is manager of the Lexington Mill & Elevator Company. 

Mr. and Mrs. Letlang are identified with the Presbyterian church and he 
also has membership in the Omaha Club and the Happy Hollow Club. He 
votes with the republican ])arty and his interest in community aft'airs is indicated 
in his membership in the Commercial Club, which has for its object the upbuild- 
ing of the city, the expansion of its trade relations and the upholding of its 
civic standards. His life record should serve to inspire and encourage others, 
showing what may be accomplished when there is the will to dare and to do. 



JAMES C. BUFFINGTON. 

James C. Buffington, president of the Guarantee Fund Life Association of 
Omaha, has made steady progress in the insurance field since taking his initial 
step in that direction in 1890. He was born in Columbus City, Louisa county, 
Iowa, in 1866 and is a representative of the old Buffington family of Virginia 
of English extraction, his grandfather being James Ouincy Buffington, a native 
of the Old Dominion. His father, David S. Bufiington, was born in Ohio in 1842 
and wedded Nancy Ann Getts, a native of Pennsylvania. She passed away at 
Chariton, Iowa, in 1902, and Mr. Buffington, surviving for a number of years, 
died at Columbus Junction, Iowa, in 19 13. 

In the public schools of Chariton, Iowa, James C. Buffington began his educa- 
tion but was the eldest of a family of twelve children and it seemed necessary that 
he early provide for his own support. His textbooks were therefore put aside and 
he began to learn the harness maker's trade under the direction of his father, 
following that pursuit until 1884, when he was appointed deputy county auditor 
and treasurer of Lucas county, Iowa, which position he filled until 1890. He 
then received an appointment to a position in the interior department at Wash- 
ington, D. C, where he spent about a year, when he resigned, giving up a position 
paying eighteen hundred dollars a year to enter the insurance field as a represen- 
tative of the Bankers Life Company of Des Moines at a salary of nine hundred 
dollars per year. He recognized the fact, however, that the latter offered better 
opportunities for steady advancement, and thus looking beyond the exigencies 
of the moment to future conditions, he made the step which has brought 
him eventually to his present place of prominence in insurance circles. He 
remained with the Bankers Life at Des Moines for ten years and then resigned 
the cashiership to organize the Guarantee Fund Life Association of Omaha, of 
which he became the secretary and manager. The business of the company was 
developed largely through his individual efforts and in 191 2 he was elected to 
the presidency and so continues. He has thoroughly acquainted himself with 
every phase of insurance and has wrought along resultant lines, the ramifying 
interests of the company now covering a broad territory and interlacing in a 
financial network many states. 

On the 31st of October, 1899, at Des Moines, Mr. Buffington was married 




JAMES C. BUFFINGTON 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 231 

to Miss Mae Griffis, daughter of John P. and Lorinda (Woods) Griffis, the 
former now deceased. The two children of this marriage are Ruth and James C. 
:\Ir. and Mrs. Buffington belong to the First Methodist Episcopal church and his 
political belief is that of the progressive party. He is identified with the Com- 
mercial Club, which indicates his interest in the welfare and upbuilding of the 
city, and to its projects for the public good he lends active aid and cooperation. 
He also belongs to the Happy Hollow Club and the Omaha Athletic Club, while 
fraternally he is a thirty-second degree Mason and an Odd Fellow. Both he and 
his wife are widely known and have gained many warm friends during the thirteen 
years of their residence in Omaha, while in business circles Mr. Buffington has 
attained that success which is the legitimate outcome of intelligently directed 
effort prompted by laudable ambition. 



HOWARD KENNEDY. 



Howard Kennedy, deceased, was the founder and promoter of a real estate 
firm which under the name of the Alfred C. Kennedy Company is still occupy- 
ing a foremost position in real estate circles in Omaha. He became a resident 
of the city in a pioneer epoch in its development. He was born in Lansingburg, 
New York, August 14, 1832, a son of George W. and Anne (Combs) Ken- 
nedy, both of whom were natives of Baltimore, Maryland, the former born 
in 1797 and the latter in 1800. Reared in the Empire state, Howard Kennedy 
pursued his preparatory course in the Kinderhook Academy at Kinderhook, 
New York, and later attended W'illiams College. He early took up the profes- 
sion of teaching and came to Omaha in 1859 ^o accept the position of the first 
superintendent of the Omaha schools. Omaha was then a straggling western 
frontier village and gave little evidence or promise of its future substantial 
growth and development. Following the Civil war Mr. Kennedy became receiver 
of the United States land office and since that time the family has been closely 
connected with the handling of Nebraska real estate. He had returned to the 
east in the meantime, remaining in that section of the country during die Civil 
war, but in 1866 again came west with his family, establishing his home at 
Nebraska City, at which point he performed the duties of receiver of the United 
States land office. He afterward went to Lincoln, where he aided in platting the 
city and sold the first town lot there. In 1869 he again arrived in Omaha. For 
seventeen years Howard Kennedy was identified with the land department of 
the Union Pacific, which gave him comprehensive knowledge of the real estate 
market and land values. Desirous that his labors should more directly benefit 
himself, he then turned his attention to the farm mortgage business and after- 
ward extended the scope of his interests and activities to include real estate, 
rentals and insurance. About 1900 the business was organized under the firm 
style of Howard Kennedy & Son, his associate being Alfred C. Kennedy, who 
was then admitted to a partnership by his father. Howard Kennedy remained 
an active factor in the management and control of the business until his demise. 

On the 20th of September, i860, in Mount Joy, Pennsylvania, Mr. Kennedy 
was united in marriage to INIiss Margaret A. Long, a daughter of Jacob and 
Charlotte (Verner) Long. They became the parents of three children, as fol- 
lows: Alfred C, who married Miss EHzabeth H. Leisenring and for his second 
wife chose Miss Jessie C. Godso ; Howard Kennedy, who wedded Mary R. 
Cunningham; and Ethelwynne. who gave her hand in marriage to William W. 
Grigor. 

The death of ]\Ir. Kennedy occurred on the i8th of April, 1905. when he 
was in the seventy-third year of his age. He was a man of fine personal appear- 
ance and the sterling qualities of his nature measured up to the standards of 
his physical manhood. His life was ever guided by high and honorable prin- 



232 OiMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

ciples that found expression in straightforward business deaHng and recognition 
of his (hities and obligations to liis fellowmen. lie was a devoted Presbyterian. 
The l'"irst I'resbytcrian church of Lincoln was organized in his home and he was 
elected its first ruling elder. After his removal to Omaha he was honored 
with the same office in the First Presbyterian church of Omaha and served in 
that capacity until his death. He was an exenii)lary representative of the 
-Masonic fraternit), attaining the Knights Templar degree in the York Rite 
and the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite. His political allegiance was 
given to the rei)ublican party and from about 1875 ^""itil 1882 he served as a mem- 
ber of the Omaha school board. His life was characterized by unfailing courtesy 
and kindness. 



WILLIAM SIMERAL. 



William Simeral, a member of the Omaha bar concentrating his entire atten- 
tion upon the practice of his profession, was born in Dubuque, Iowa, December 
10, 1863, a son of James Montgomery Simeral, who is mentioned at some length 
in the sketch of E. W. Simeral on another page of this work. In the schools 
of Otnaha William Simeral pursued his studies. He afterward determined upon 
the practice of law as a life work and after a thorough study of the principles of 
jurisprudence was admitted to the bar and has since followed his profession, 
gaining distinction and success by reason of his close application and the thorough- 
ness and care with which he prepares his cases. 

On the 23d of November, 1914, at Papillion, Nebraska, Mr. Simeral was united 
in marriage to Miss Pauline J. Berkeley, a daughter of Junius Berkeley, a prom- 
inent attorney of Boulder, Colorado, and direct descendant of Governor Berkeley 
of Virginia. 

Mr. Simeral is a Catholic in religious faith. His military experience covers 
service as a member of Company L of the First Nebraska Militia m 1879-80. 
In his political views he is a republican but the only office which he has ever held 
is that of deputy county attorney of Douglas county in 1888. He has never 
sought political preferment, concentrating his energies upon his professional 
interests, his ability making the name of Simeral a recognized force at the 
Omaha bar. 



JOEL N. CORNISH. 

The life record of Joel N. Cornish compassed a period of eighty years, for he 
was born in Rome, New York, May 28, 1828, and was called to his final rest on 
the 7th of June, 1908. His father was Allen Cornish, a son of Josiah Cornish 
and a representative of an old English family, the ancestry being traced back to 
Samuel Cornish, who on the 27th of October, 1692, arrived at Plymouth, Massa- 
chusetts, from Cornwall, England. He married Susannah Clark, who was a 
granddaughter of Thomas Clark, mate of the ^Mayflower. Thomas Cornish, 
great-grandfather of Joel N. Cornish, served with the militia in the Revolutionary 
war and he was the father of Josiah Cornish who followed the occupation of 
farming. His son, Allen Cornish, resided at Lee Center, New York, where he 
built an iron foundry, and became prominently identified with the industrial 
development of that region. 

Joel N. Cornish was a graduate of the State Normal School at Albany, New 
York, and afterward took up the study of law in Utica and in Rome, New York, 
reading in the same law office as Roscoe Conkling. Eventually he was admitted 
to the bar and located for the practice of his profession in Iowa City, Iowa, 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 233 

where he soon won a notable reputation as an able and successful attorney, his 
fame spreading all over that territory. In 1877 he organized the First National 
Bank of Hamburg and remained at the head of that institution until he came to 
Omaha in 1888. As a banker he never lost a loan nor ever had to realize on a 
mortgage security for one. Upon coming to Omaha he accepted the presidency 
of the National Bank of Commerce and continued in active and helpful connec- 
tion with the banking and business enterprises of the city for a long period. He 
became a member of the first board of directors of the old Midland State Bank 
and he was a director of the Carter White Lead Company. He was also a 
member of the Real Estate Owners' Association. He displayed sound judgment 
in all his business affairs, his opinions being based upon broad practical experience 
and keen insight. 

Mr. Cornish was married in Cuba, New York, to Miss Virginia Raymond 
and they became the parents of two daughters and two sons : Ada, who became 
the wife of J. H. Hertsche ; Anna, who married Joseph M. Metcalf ; Albert J., 
judge of the supreme court of Nebraska; and Edward J., president of the 
National Lead Company of New York. 

Colonel Cornish was a typical representative of his Cornish ancestors. He 
was broad-shouldered and about six feet in height, being a splendid representative 
of the pioneer settlers of the west. He was independent and self-reliant, early 
learning to depend upon his own resources and labors. In 1862 he was appointed 
draft commissioner for his congressional district with the rank of lieutenant 
colonel of cavalry and later he was commissioned by Abraham Lincoln a colonel 
of the Iowa cavalry, in which rank he served with honor. During the war he 
was stationed at Des Moines and also served as governor's aid de camp and 
provost marshal. He afterward became brigade quartermaster with the rank of 
colonel under presidential appointment. 

Through the period of his residence in the west Mr. Cornish was connected 
with many of its most prominent men. While he was studying law preparatory 
to practicing he used the law books of Samuel Kirkwood, governor of Iowa, 
who kindly loaned them to him. He was a man of great strength of character, 
wise and just, always well poised and well balanced. 



DAN W. SHULL. 



Dan W. Shull, whose operations in the field of real estate have contributed in 
substantial measure to the improvement and development of Omaha, has been 
identified with the history of this section of the state for many years, beginning 
in the early pioneer times and continuing down to the period of modern develop- 
ment and progress. He was born in Pennsylvania in 1840, near the historic 
Gettysburg battle ground. His father, Jacob Shull, came from Pennsylvania to 
Omaha in 1856, making the trip from Pittsburgh by boat to St. Louis, thence by 
the river to his destination. He lost everything that he had while en route, for 
the boat sank. Turning his attention to farming in this locality, he thus spent 
eight months, after which death called him to his final rest in 1857. His wife, 
Mrs. Susanna Shull, came to Nebraska in 1857 and the family home was estab- 
lished on the land which the father hand entered. They had five children, but 
only two are now living: Dan W. ; and Mrs. Kate :\L Jackman, also a resident 
of Omaha. 

Dan W. Shull was a youth of sixteen years when his father died. To provide 
for his support he began the operation of a ferry for the Nebraska Ferry Com- 
pany, being one of the oldest pilots on the river. For eighteen years he operated 
a steamboat on the river from Fort Benton to St. Louis, and for about five years 
was a pilot on the Missouri. He is today the last surv'ivor of the old pilots who 
were identified with navigation interests in that period when much of the travel 



234 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

was by water, long before the era of railroad building into this section of the 
country began. Later Mr. ShuU took up his abode upon the homestead farm 
which his father had entered in 1856 and which he had managed to retain only 
after a big legal fight. The value of this property increased as the city grew 
and developed and the land was needed for the extension of Omaha's corpora- 
tion limits. He then turned his attention to the real estate business and platted 
the one hundred and sixty acres of land which he owned, laying it off in ShuU's 
first and second additions, which he personally handled, organizing the Shull 
Land Company. They expended about fifty thousand dollars in getting this into 
shape but realized a handsome return on the investment, for land values rose 
quite rapidly owing to the demand for city property. Mr. Shull built a home 
at Twentieth and Pierce streets and also erected many other structures. For 
many years he devoted his entire attention to real estate activity but is now 
living retired, enjoying a rest which he has truly earned and richly deserves. 

Mr. Shull was married forty-five years ago to Miss Margaret Stevenson, who 
came to Omaha in 1856 with her father, Alexander Stevenson, who was a native 
of Scotland. He was one of the early ferrymen of this part of the state, 
operating the first ferry at Florence. In later years he turned his attention to 
farming and was very active along that line for a considerable period. He died 
in 191 5, at the notable old age of ninety-two years. In his family were three sons 
and two daughters who are yet living: John, Orson, Joseph, Mrs. Shull and Mrs. 
Minnie Gibson. To Mr. and Mrs. Shull was born a son Harry Roy, who passed 
away at the age of seven years. 

In his political views Mr. Shull is a republican and fraternally he is connected 
with Omaha Lodge, No. 39, B. P. O. E. He and his wafe are members of the 
Douglas County Pioneers Association. There is no phase of the city's early 
development with which he is not familiar and he has comprehensive knowledge 
of the various important points in the history of this section of the country. He 
has lived to witness many changes since the old days when he piloted boats on 
the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. In those early days Omaha was a straggling 
western frontier village surrounded by broad prairies starred with a million wild 
flowers in the summer seasons. The most farsighted could not have dreamed 
of the changes which w-ere to occur. Mr. Shull has witnessed a notable trans- 
formation through the intervening years and is justly proud of what he has done 
toward the development of the great western metropolis as Omaha has been 
converted into a splendid commercial center, with its ramifying trade interests 
reaching out into all parts of the country. 



DANIEL L. SHANE. 



Fifty years have been added to the cycle of the centuries since Daniel L. 
Shane took up his abode in Omaha in August, 1866, arriving by boat from St. 
Louis after having made his way to the middle west from Boston, Massachusetts. 
He was born March 15, 1835, in London, England, and in his childhood days 
crossed the briny deep to the new world, the family home being established in 
Massachusetts. In his boyhood, youth and early manhood he followed the sea 
and he also learned the mason's trade and became connected with a business of 
that character in Omaha. At that time there were no available houses in this 
city and Mr. Shane had to wait for the completion of a cottage then being erected 
by George Francis Train. He took an active part in promoting early building 
operations in this city and soon became a contractor. He was associated w^ith 
different men in this undertaking, being for a time a member of the firm of 
Shane & Jackson. He continued active in the building business up to the time of 
his death and in fact was superintending the construction of the new courthouse 
when called to his final rest. He also superintended the old courthouse and 




DANIEL L. SHANE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 237 

erected many of the famous early structures of the city. The last large building 
which he erected was the Brandeis building. Among the important business 
blocks which he constructed were the Paxton block and the Omaha National 
Bank building and on all sides can yet be seen evidences of his skill and handiwork. 

Mr. Shane was married in Boston, December 25, 1863, to Miss Lydia Collins, 
a native of the state of Indiana, who survives him. To them were born five 
children, of whom two are living, Wallace O., teller in the Omaha National 
Bank, and L. Estella. 

Mr. Shane had reached the age of seventy-seven years when on August 10, 
1912, he passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Shane tmited with the First Baptist church 
in 1 87 1, and he held a number of offices in the church, including that of trustee, 
in which he served for many years until his death, being the oldest trustee at that 
time in point of service. Airs. Shane is the oldest living member in point of years 
of membership in the church. Mr. Shane was a public-spirited citizen, interested 
in all that pertained to the general welfare yet not active in politics. Outside of 
business he preferred to concentrate his attention upon his home, for he was a 
man of domestic nature and found his greatest happiness at his own fireside. 
Coming to the west at the period of its early development, he was closely associated 
with the improvement and upbuilding of the city for many years and his name is 
therefore inseparably interwoven with its history. 



PETER FRENZER. 



In the passing of Peter Frenzer July 15, 1912, Omaha lost one of its best 
known and most respected pioneer citizens — a man who for fifty-six years had 
resided in the city, witnessing its development from a frontier village into a 
great western metropolis. He was born .in .Guthenthal, Prussia, Germany, on 
the 24th of April, 1831, and there spent the first fourteen years of his life, after 
which he was brought by his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas Frenzer, to the new 
world in 1845. The family home was established in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, 
and there Peter Frenzer was reared to manhood. While a resident of that 
city he learned the trade of carriage and wagon making, thoroughly mastering 
the work in principle and detail. He was afterward employed in a wagon shop 
in Chicago until 1856, when he determined to cast in his lot with the early 
settlers of the little village of Omaha and accordingly established himself at his 
trade here, coming by boat from St. Louis. In 1858 he entered into partnership 
with Charles J. Karbach and the two men did an extensive business in wagon 
making and repairing for several years, for at that time, while Omaha was 
nothing but a trading post, it was also the place where the California gold seekers 
outfitted for the long journey across the country and their services as wagon 
makers were in constant demand. At length Mr. Karbach withdrew from the 
partnership, after which Mr. Frenzer continued the business alone for a time. 
Later he formed a partnership with Jtilius Rudowsky for the conduct of a 
lumberyard and they continued in that business for several years, Mr. Frenzer 
carrying on the yard alone after his partner withdrew. Another field of his 
business activity was the sand trade, in which he engaged from 1885 until 1893 
in partnership with Jacob Tex. In the latter year he withdrew from active com- 
mercial interests and thereafter to the time of his death devoted his attention 
to the management of his property interests and investments. Whenever oppor- 
tunity had offered he had purchased property and had improved his holdings 
from time to time by the erection of substantial buildings. He was the 
owner of the Frenzer block, an office building at the corner of Fifteenth and 
Dodge streets, and of much other valuable real estate in the city. 

In early manhood Mr. Frenzer wedded Miss Catherine Leist, who passed 
away in Omaha on the 5th of June, 1905. His death occurred on the 15th of 



Vol. n— 10 



238 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

July, 1912, and he is survived by four children: John N., Joseph P., Alary C. H. 
and Lucy C, all residing in Omaha. 

■Mr. Frenzer belonged to the Catholic church and in politics he was an active 
democrat but never an aspirant for office. He was one of the leading members 
of the Douglas County Pioneers' Association and his warmest friendships were 
found perhaps among those with whom he had been associated from the early 
days of Omaha's development. There was no phase of the city's growth and 
progress with which he was not familiar through tifty-six years of the city's 
existence. He had indeed witnessed a notable change as the tiny frontier town 
grew and developed into a city, his memory forming a connecting link between 
the primitive past and the progressive present. 



ALFRED CONKLING KENNEDY, Sr. 

Alfred Conkling Kennedy, Sr., deceased, was an Omaha citizen honored and 
respected by all not only on account of the success which he achieved but also 
owing to the straightforward business policy which he ever followed. He was 
practically a lifelong resident of this city, although his birth occurred in New 
Lebanon, New York, April 7, 1862. In 1866 his father, Howard Kennedy, who 
had previously lived for a brief period in Nebraska and was the iirst superintend- 
ent of the Omaha schools, returned with his family to the west and settled at 
Nebraska City. That was in the year 1866, when Alfred C. Kennedy was a little 
lad of but four years. The family also lived for a time in Lincoln but in 1869 
the family home was established in Omaha, where he was reared and educated. 
When his textbooks were put aside he entered the employ of the Union Pacific 
Railroad Company in Omaha and afterward became assistant secretary of the 
South Omaha Land Company, in which connection he had charge of its selling 
operations. It was this company which platted the original town site of South 
Omaha. Later his father admitted him to a partnership in the real estate, loan 
and insurance business which he had established, the firm then becoming known 
.as Howard Kennedy & Son. Upon the death of his father in 1905 he conducted 
business under his own name until in 191 5, when it was incorporated, Alfred 
C. Kennedy, Jr., at that time becoming a member of the firm. In July of the 
same year Alfred C. Kennedy, Sr., passed away. Like his father before him, 
he had occupied an enviable and honorable position in the business circles of the 
city. He was a most alert and enterprising man, watchful of every opportunity 
pointing to legitimate success, and his energies carried him into fields where pros- 
perity was assured. 

Mr. Kennedy was married twice. In Omaha, on the 24th of February, 1884, 
he wedded Elizabeth H. Leisenring, a daughter of Dr. P. S. Leisenring, who was 
long a prominent and distinguished citizen of Omaha, where he settled in pioneer 
times. He was a leading and active member of the Kountze Memorial Lutheran 
church and of the Young Men's Christian Association. He was also one of the 
faculty of the Omaha Medical School and served for a time as city physician. 
Following the death of his first wife Alfred C. Kennedy was married in Omaha, 
September 8, 1897, to Jessie C. Godso. His children are six in number: Donald 
L., Margaret, Alfred C, Gilbert V., Jean G. and George L. The elder daughter 
is now the wife of Charles L. Brome. 

Mr. Kennedy followed in the political footsteps of his father, giving stalwart 
support to the republican party, but he never sought office of a strictly political 
nature. He sen-ed, however, as a member of the library board of Omaha from 
1898 until 1903 and in the latter year was made a member of the school board, 
so continuing until his death. Socially he was connected with the University, 
Happy Hollow and Omaha Clubs and he also belonged to the Commercial Club. 
He was a Master Mason, attained the Knights Templar degree of the York Rite, 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 239 

the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and was also a member of the 
Mystic Shrine. He also was an elder of the First Presbyterian church of Omaha 
and guided his life according to its teachings. He was open-handed and open- 
hearted, while his strong intellect enabled him to maintain an even balance between 
unbridled generosity and justice. His life at all times proved the soundness 
of the Emersonian philosophy that "'the way to win a friend is to be one." 



FREDERICK WILLIAMS LAKE, M. D. 

The old adage that a prophet is not without honor save in his own country 
does not find verification in the life record of Dr. Frederick Williams Lake, for 
in Omaha, his native city, he has won a most creditable position as a medical 
practitioner. Dr. Lake was born in 1876, son of the late Judge George Baker 
Lake, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this publication. 

Reared in Omaha, Dr. Lake there began his education and subsequently 
entered St. Paul's school at Concord, New Hampshire, from which he was 
graduated in 1894. He next entered Harvard and is among its alumni of 1898. 
He then began specific preparation for a professional career as a medical student 
in the University of Pennsylvania and won his diploma and degree in 1901. He 
received, moreover, thorough practical training and broad valuable experience in 
two years' hospital work in Philadelphia, after which he returned to Omaha for 
the practice of internal medicine and diagnosis and in that field has gained notable 
success. 

On the 24th of July, 1903, Dr. Lake was united in marriage to Miss Katherine 
\V. WVight, her father being Arthur Justin W'right, formerly of Omaha. They 
have two children, Lawrence W. and Katherine. Dr. and Mrs. Lake hold mem- 
bership in the Episcopal church and his political endorsement is given to the 
democratic party. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks and in club circles his membership extends to the Commercial, 
Omaha and Omaha Country Clubs. Along strictly professional lines he is 
identified with the Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society, the Missouri Valley 
Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical Association and the American 
Medical Association and through the proceedings of those societies he keeps in 
close touch with the onward trend of modern thought and progress in the field of 
medical science. 



MARTIN DUNHAM. 



Martin Dunham, who was active in various business lines at Omaha until his 
death on the i8th of February, 191 5, was born in Clarksville, Pennsylvania, 
November 10, 1836. In early life he made his way to the middle west, going 
first to Spragueville, Iowa, while in 1859 he arrived in Omaha. He did not tarry 
long at that time, however, but continued his journey westward to what is now 
Denver, there remaining for a year. On the expiration of that period he returned 
and entered the employ of A. J. Simpson, a carriage trimmer for Ryan & Swingle, 
harness makers. In 1863 he established a harness shop of his own where the 
Paxton Hotel now stands and there he conducted business until 1878, when he 
moved across the street to the present site of the World-Herald building, having 
previously purchased that lot. x\t length he sold that property and bought on 
Nineteenth and Farnam streets, where he erected the Dufrane building, which 
he rented. He also built where the public market is now located and he was 
identified in large measure with the early development of the city. He turned 
his attention to the hide and leather business, becoming a member of the firm 



24U OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

of McDonald, Oberg, Hozek & Dunham. That firm was organized in Chicago 
and suffered heavy losses at the time of the great Chicago fire in 1871, at which 
time Mr. Dunham' withdrew from connection with the business. For two years 
he was in the railway mail service, making the run between Omaha and Ogden, 
Utah, as railway mail clerk. 1 le was also engaged in the ice business in connec- 
tion with Richard Kimball for several years and after selling out lived practically 
retired although operating to some extent in the field of real estate. 

In Omaha, July 13, 1863, Mr. Dunham was united in marriage to Miss Sarah 
1. Winship, a daughter of jabez L. Winship, who with his family traveled by 
"wagon from Indiana to Nebraska in 1857. Her parents were both natives of 
New York and her father passed away in Omaha June i, 1858, being permitted 
to enjoy his western home for only a brief period. He was a member of the 
Masonic fraternity and of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. To Air. and 
Mrs. Dunham we're born three children; Charles A., now of Boston, who mar- 
ried Prudence Pearman, of Nebraska City, daughter of Alajor Pearman ; Bessie 
Clare, the wife of Captain L. La Vergne Gregg, U. S. A., who is in command 
of Schofield barracks in the Hawaiian islands; and Daniel H., a resident of 
Omaha, who married Morence Finch, of Newton, Iowa. 

-Mr. Dunham belonged to the Alasonic fraternity and the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and he gave his political allegiance to the republican party. He 
served as a member of the state legislature, the city council of Omaha and the 
school board and took a leading part in establishing the present school system 
in Omaha. At the time of the massacre at Plum creek he responded to Governor 
Saunders" call for troops to put down the Indians. For twenty-eight years he 
served on the state board of agriculture and thus his activities were broad and 
varied, connecting him with many features of development and progress bearing 
upon the public welfare. 



JOSEPH BARKER. 



Joseph Barker, a prominent figure in insurance circles in Omaha and actively 
connected with other business interests of importance, was born in this city 
February 19, 1877, his parents, Joseph and Eliza E. Barker, having been among 
the earliest settlers of Omaha. They arrived in the year 1856 and were married 
in 1875. For six decades, therefore, the name of Barker has been closely asso- 
ciated with the city, its development and upbuilding. 

After attending the local schools Joseph Barker of this review continued 
his education in St. Paul's school at Concord, New Hampshire, and started out 
upon his business career in connection with railroading. He has been closely 
associated with insurance interests since 1907 and is now representing the Home 
Insurance Company of New York, the Fidelity & Casualty Company of New 
York, the London Guarantee & Accident Company and other companies. In this 
connection he has built up a business of large and gratifying proportions and, 
also extending his efl'orts and investments into other fields, he has become con- 
nected with the Omaha Loan & Building Association and with the Omaha Electric 
Light & Power Company. 

On the 31st of October, 1899, in Omaha, Nebraska, Mr. Barker was united in 
marriage to Miss Elizabeth A. Peck, a daughter of E. P. Peck. Their children 
are three in number, namely : Elizabeth E., Virginia and Joseph, Jr. Mr. and 
Mrs. Barker hold membership in the Episcopal church and in the social circles of 
the city occupy a prominent position. He has attained high rank in Masonry, 
having taken the degrees of the York Rite, while in the Scottish Rite he has 
attained the thirty-second degree. He also belongs to the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks and is a well known figure in the Omaha, Country, University and 
Commercial Clubs. In the last named he has at various times served as a member 




JOSEPH BARKER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 243 

of the executive committee. He has also been a director of the Young Men's 
Christian Association, a trustee of the University of Omaha and a governor of the 
Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, associations which indicate much concerning the breadth 
of his interests and activities and which tell as well the story of his public spirit 
and devotion to all that pertains to the growth and best interests of (3maha. He 
has never allowed private business interests- to so monopolize his attention that 
he could not find time for public service but on the contrary has cooperated with 
all those forces that work for the material, intellectual, social and moral progress 
of the community. 



NATHAN E. ADAMS. 



For a third of a century Nathan E. Adams was a resident of Omaha, and at 
the time of his death, which occurred January 31, 1917, had important and exten- 
sive real estate holdings in the city. He came here from Missouri but was a native 
son of New England, his birth having occurred at West Brookfield, Massachusetts, 
in 1839. He was about twenty-nine years of age when in 1868 he came to the 
middle west, settling first in Audrain county, Missouri, where he began selling 
goods for an eastern boot company and also carried on farming. There he 
resided for about sixteen years or until 1884, when he disposed of his business 
interests there and came to Omaha. Here he turned his attention to the real 
estate business and to operations on the Board of Trade but withdrew from the 
latter line a number of years ago. In the real estate field his activities contributed 
to public progress as well as to individual success, for he improved much 
property, transforming unsightly vacancies into attractive residence districts. 
He improved much property in North Omaha and he also carried on his real 
estate activities outside of Nebraska, having large holdings in Texas and elsewhere. 

In 1872 Mr. Adams was united in marriage in Massachusetts to Miss 
Charlotte M. Edmunds, of that state, who died in 1908. In November 1915, 
Mr. Adams was married to Margaret Ellen Giles, a native of Monmouth, Illinois, 
and a graduate of A/Tonmouth College. She is a member of the Central United 
Presbyterian church. He was a member of the Plymouth Congregational church, 
in the work of which he took a very active and helpful interest, and his political 
allegiance was given to the republican party. From 1884 he was identified 
with Omaha, residing at Miami and Twenty-second streets, and he became num- 
bered among the capitalists of the city, owing his success and prosperity to his 
judicious investments, his keen sagacity and unfaltering enterprise. 



EDWARD JOSEPH McARDLE. 

Edward Joseph McArdle, connected with manufacturing interests of Omaha 
as the organizer and head of the Western Stamp & Stencil Company, was born 
on a farm in Douglas county, Nebraska, March 24, 1878. The name indicates 
his Irish lineage. His grandfather, Patrick McArdle, and his father, James 
Hugh McArdle, are both natives of County Armagh, Ireland, the latter born in 
1825, and in the year 1848 they crossed the Atlantic to America, Patrick AIcArdle 
afterward taking up government land in Douglas county, Nebraska, whereon he 
spent his remaining days, his death occurring in 1887. On his arrival in the new 
world James H. McArdle made his way to Philadelphia and in 1854 arrived in 
Douglas county, which was then largely an undeveloped and unimproved district. 
He at once turned his attention to the occupation of farming, in which he con- 
tinued to engage for many years. He also filled the office of county commissioner 



244 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

for twenty years and in the '60s he was appointed territorial governor of 
Nebraska but dechned to fill the position. He was, however, always an active 
democrat in j)olitics and did all in his power to promote the growth and ensure 
the success of his party. In Douglas county he wedded Fidelia Allen, whose 
ancestors were among the defenders of American liberty in the Revolutionary 
war, so that Edward J. McArdle is eligible to membership in the Sons of the 
Revolution. Mrs. McArdle, a native of Nev/ York, survives her husband and 
yet resides on the old home farm. 

Reared under the paternal roof, Edward J. McArdle supplemented his public 
school education by two years' study in Creighton College of Omaha and in 1891 
he secured a position on the Omaha Bee in connection with the mailing depart- 
ment. He was continuously with the Bee for eight years, or until 1899, when he 
became an employe of the Sovereign Visitor, a monthly publication issued by 
the Woodmen of the World, and there he remained for five years. He next 
established a stamp and stencil business, which he is now conducting under the 
name of the Western Stamp & Stencil Company. He is also a member of the 
Advance Manufacturing & Supply Company, a Chicago corporation, and he is 
the president of the International Stamp & Stencil Association. 

On the 25th of J\Iay, 1899, in Omaha, Mr. McArdle was married to Miss 
Katherine O'Hanlon, a daughter of James P. O'Hanlon, of Omaha, and they 
have two children, William James and Katherine Mercedes. The religious faith 
of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Mcx\rdle is identified also 
with the Knights of Columbus, the Woodmen of the World, the Loyal Order of 
Moose and the Eagles. He also belongs to the Avocation Club of Omaha and to 
the Commercial Club. In politics he has been a stalwart democrat since age 
conferred upon him the right of franchise and he is now a member of both 
the Douglas county and Nebraska state democratic central committees. While 
at Benson he served as a member of the city council and in 191 1 was elected to 
the state legislature, in which he served for one term. His opinions carry weight 
in the local and state councils of his party and he is regarded as one of the prom- 
inent democratic leaders of Nebraska. 



JOHN MARTIN DAUGHERTY. 

In the world of business John Martin Daugherty has steadily worked his way 
toward success by indefatigable industry and perseverance. His start was not 
unlike that of many other American boys of his day. Of humble parentage, he 
soon realized the necessity of work and all that it entailed, but with an indomitable 
will he kept to his purpose, being guided at all times by a spirit of enterprise and 
laudable ambition. 

His father, Martin Daugherty, a native of Ireland, accompanied by his wife, 
a daughter of Mitchell Greene, reached Canada in the year 1852, and it was here 
in the town of Blenheim, Oxford county, Ontario, in the year 1859, that John M. 
Daugherty was born. At the close of the Civil war in 1865 the family located in 
Trumbull county, Ohio, where Martin Daugherty died in the following year. 
Some years later his widow removed to northern Iowa, whence she afterward 
came to Omaha to live with her son, John M., passing away while visiting at the 
home of another son June 2, 1899. 

John Martin Daugherty as a lad attended the public schools, in Ohio. He was 
a youth of fifteen years when in 1874 he started out to earn his own living, 
securing a clerkship in a general merchandise store in Vienna, Ohio, where he 
remained for two years, thence going to West Jersey, Illinois, he engaged in the 
same line of work for more than a year, after which he saw a chance to go on with 
his education. From there he went to Crete, Nebraska, where he entered Doane 
College and studied for two years. Coming to Omaha in 1881, he was employed 




JOHN M. DAUGHERTY 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 247 

by JMcShane & Schroeder, wholesale produce merchants, for a short time, after 
which he was given a position in the office of the late John A. Creighton, with 
whom he was connected until the time of Mr. Creighton's death in Feb'ruar}^ 
1907. He rose from a humble position in Mr. Creighton's service until he 
became his right hand confidential adviser. He found in each day's work courage 
and inspiration enough to carry him on through the succeeding day, and his life 
record is proof of the fact that activity does not tire, that it hardens and gives 
resisting power. His energies have ever been carefully and wisely directed, he 
thus advancing step by step, each step bringing him a broader outlook and wider 
opportunities. He is today the president of the J. M. Daugherty Land & Cattle 
Company, controlling extensive interests, and he is also financially and officially 
connected with many other business concerns of importance. 

On the 27th of February, 1889, in Omaha, Mr. Daugherty was united in 
marriage to Miss Clara, a daughter of John D. Creighton and a niece of the late 
John A. Creighton. Mr. and Mrs. Daugherty 's family consists of five children, 
John Creighton, Frederick Charles, Edward Allison, Claire and George Martin. 

The family are communicants of the Catholic church, and in political faith 
Mr. Daugherty is a democrat. He holds membership with the Elks and is also a 
member of the Omaha Club and Country Club. The sterling worth of his 
character has been recognized and appreciated by his associates and contem- 
poraries, and during the thirty-five years of his residence in Omaha he has gained 
the confidence, goodwill and high respect of those with whom he has been 
associated, while at the same time his business ability has made for success. 



DE VER SHOLES. 



The news of the death of De Ver Sholes came with a shock to many of 
Omaha's citizens and carried with it a sense of personal bereavement, for during 
the thirty-eight years of his residence here his life record had become strongly 
interwoven with the history of the city and his many sterling traits of character 
had endeared him to his acquaintances and business colleagues. He was born 
upon a farm in Oneida county. New York, in 1855, ^ son of Lewis Miller Sholes, 
also a native of the Empire state, who removed to Butler county, Iowa, during 
the boyhood of his son De \^er. The latter obtained a public school education 
and in 1877, when a young man of twenty-two years, removed to Omaha, main- 
taining his residence here until called to his final rest. For a number of years 
he was associated with the Pacific Express Company but his desire to engage 
in business on his own account led him in 1887 to open a real estate office as a 
member of the firm of Sholes & Crum. Not long afterward he organized the D. 
\'. Sholes Company and throughout the intervening years until his death his firm 
figured prominently in the real estate interests of the city, handling some of the 
largest realty transfers known in Omaha. Less than a year prior to his death 
he promoted the sale of the Schlitz corner, which was sold by the First National 
Bank to George Joslyn for six hundred thousand dollars. Not long before his 
demise he disposed of property at the corner of Twenty-fourth and Farnam 
streets to Elmer Neville for one hundred thousand dollars, and he handled the 
Northwestern railroad purchase of its freight depot property, for which three 
hundred and eighty thousand dollars was paid. Only a few days before his last 
illness he sold the George Payne residence in Fairacres to J. A. Sunderland for 
forty thousand dollars. While he thus handled some of the largest real estate 
deals in Omaha, he did not become a wealthy man, although he was in comfortable 
financial circumstances. He was one of the very few among Omaha's real estate 
men to act exclusively as an agent, doing no personal speculation. It was a 
recognized fact that his word was as good as his signature and his colleagues and 
contemporaries bear testimony to his irreproachable business honesty. 



248 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

In 1877, in Farley, Iowa, Mr. Sholes was married to Miss Delphina Clark 
and they became parents of a son and a daughter: Lewis Clark, who is his 
father's successor in business; and Helen S., of Omaha. These children, 
together with the mother, survive the husband and father, who was a man ever 
devoted to the welfare of his family and found his greatest happiness in promot- 
ing their interests. 

His political allegiance was given the republican party, and while he never 
sought nor desired ofifice, he served as a member of the school board of Omaha 
and was ever interested in the welfare of the public school system. He belonged 
to the l*"ield and Commercial Clubs and all who were associated with him learned 
to value him speedily at his worth. His traits of character were indeed sterling 
and at all times he valued his own self-respect as of infinitely more worth than 
wealth, fame or position. He passed away on the 15th day of October, 191 5, 
after thirty-eight years' connection with the interests of Omaha, leaving behind 
him a circle of friends almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance. If 
a pen picture could accurately delineate his business characteristics it might be 
given in these words : A progressive spirit ruled by more than ordinary intelli- 
gence and good judgment; a deep earnestness impelled and fostered by indomi- 
table perseverance; a native justice expressing itself in correct principle and 
practice. 



GEORGE WALTER LOOMIS. 

George Walter Loomis, president of the Omaha Loan & Building Association 
and for a quarter of a century assistant to the general manager and chief clerk 
of the Burlington Railroad, was born in Windsor, Connecticut, March 4, 1857. 
His father, George Gilbert Loomis, also a native of Windsor, was born in 1820 
and w^as a son of George Loomis, whose entire life was spent at Windsor. George 
W. Loomis is a representative in the ninth generation of the Loomis family in 
America and is the first in his direct line of descent to leave the old home at 
Windsor, where the immigrant ancestor, Joseph Loomis, settled with his five 
sons on coming from England to the new world in 1638. George G. Loomis, in 
response to the country's call for aid, enlisted in 1862 for duty with the Twenty- 
second Regiment of Connecticut Volunteer Infantry, remaining with that com- 
mand until the termination of its period of service, when he was mustered out 
with the rank of corporal. Lie married Abigail M. Loomis, a distant relative, 
and he devoted his entire life to farming, passing away in Windsor, Connecticut, 
in 1884, while his wife survived until 1889. 

George W. Loomis pursued his education in the public schools of Windsor 
and in a preparatory college at Hartford, Connecticut, where he completed his 
course. At the age of eighteeen years he secured a clerkship in a store in his 
native village, there remaining until 1879, when, attracted by the opportunities 
of the rapidly developing middle west, he made his way to Corning, Iowa, and 
there accepted a clerkship in the private bank of Frank & Darrow. He continued 
in that position for a year and then went to Lincoln, Nebraska, where he became 
stenographer in the land office of the Burlington & Missouri Railroad, a part of 
the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy System. He remained in the capital city 
until January, 1881, when he was transferred to the office of the general super- 
intendent of the Burlington at Omaha and later was transferred to the general 
manager's office, in which for the past quarter of a century he has been assistant 
to the general manager and chief clerk, having responsible duties in this con- 
nection. Since 1890 he has been president of the Omaha Loan & Building 
Association, of which he is an incorporator, and he is likewise president of the 
Prospect Hill Cemetery Association. 

On the 9th of September, 1884, in Omaha, Mr. Loomis was married to Miss 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 249 

Mary L. Waggoner, a daughter of Dr. C. C. Waggoner, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, 
who is now deceased. The children of this marriage are: George Waggoner, 
who died at the age of seven years; Walter Phelps; Gilbert Churchill; Maurice 
Morton; Margaret, who is a member of the class of 1918 of Wellesley College; 
and Mary Louise. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Congregational church and in 
his political belief Mr. Loomis is a republican. He belongs to the Commercial 
Club and something of the nature of his recreation is indicated in his associaton 
with the Omaha Gun Club and the Omaha /\utomobile Club. His business career 
has been characterized by steady advancement and the steps in his orderly pro- 
gression are easily discernible. Each forward step has brought him a broader 
outlook and wider opportunities and the faithful performance of each day's 
duties has developed in him strength and courage for the labor of the succeeding 
day. He is now occupying a position of high standing among the leading business 
men of his adopted city. 



JOSEPH BOYD RYAN. 



Omaha had scarcely emerged from villagehood when Joseph Boyd Ryan took 
up his abode within its borders, arriving in 1865 from St. Joseph, Missouri, from 
which point he and his father had made their way by packet. They came 
originally from Rochester, New York. Charles Ryan, the father, coming to 
Omaha, purchased of the father of General Lowe a five acre tract of land at 
what is now Fortieth and Cuming streets and thereon engaged in farming. He 
lived on Hamilton avenue, in the old Lowe home, an'd first engaged in the 
nursery business, having brought nursery stock with him from Rochester, New 
York. He built up quite an extensive business as a nurseryman and for twenty 
years he filled the office of assessor in Omaha. In early manhood he wedded 
Margaret Boyd, of New York city, and on the 28th of October, 1888, he was 
called to his final rest. His ancestors fought for American independence in the 
Revolutionary war. 

Their son, Joseph B. Ryan, was born in New York city July 15, 1846, and 
was therefore a youth of nineteen years when he came with his parents to the 
west. He had previously graduated from Fordham College at Fordham, New 
York, and later he returned to Rochester, New York. While there residing he 
wrote letters for the Washington Post every week under the nom de plume of 
Teddy O. Trix. He was for some time associated with Smith Benjamin on the 
Republican and was also connected with the Democrat and Chronicle of Rochester, 
New York. He received appointment to a position in Washington, where for 
four years he served as special pension examiner. He took up the study of 
law in the office of Cowin, Manderson & Savage before returning to the east 
and when he again came to Omaha in i88i~ he resumed active connection with 
journalistic interests, being connected with the editorial department of the Herald 
under Miller and Richardson, also with the Republican, while later he was with 
the Bee Publishing Company for some years. In fact he devoted much of his life 
to editorial work and he wrote much during the strike of the Burlington Railroad. 
He continued in newspaper work up to the time of his death, which occurred 
October 21, 1890. 

It was Mr. Ryan who delivered the first St. Patrick's day address in Omaha 
at the old high school. He wrote many addresses for public speakers, wielding a 
facile pen. In fact he was regarded as one of the foremost newspaper writers 
in his day in the middle west. His discussion of any vital question was always 
clear, concise and to the point and the soundness of his opinions drew to his 
cause many followers. His editorials in both the Sunday and daily papers were 
eagerly read and did much to shape public thought and action. He was also 



250 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

most successful as a news gatherer and he seemed to possess in large measure the 
journalistic instinct. 

In Washington, D. C, in 1877, .Mr. Ryan was united in marriage to Miss Kate 
Gray, of New York city. Her father, James Gray, put the red seal on the paper 
money in the treasury dei)artnicnt at Washington, with which he was connected for 
twenty-one years, his last days being there spent. While residing in New York 
he had responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in the Twelfth New 
York Regiment under Colonel Butterfield, and he also served as a volunteer 
fireman of New York city. To Mr. and Mrs. Ryan were born four children: 
Kate F., who is now a nurse ; Margaret Arabella, assistant superintendent of 
schools; Adele B., who is the wife of Wilbur Beahm, of Indianapolis, Indiana; and 
Mary J., who is teaching in Seattle, Washington. 

Mrs. Ryan still lives upon part of the old homestead which her father-in-law 
secured upon coming to Omaha, near Fortieth and Cuming streets. It was then 
a countr}^ district and the Ryan family has lived there for the past fifty years. 
Since her husband's death Mrs. Ryan has platted the property, which is known as 
Ryan's addition, and she has been active in conducting real estate operations there. 
She has seen every president of the United States inaugurated from the time of 
Lincoln down to the present, save Hayes and Wilson, for she lived in Washington 
for many years. 

Mr. Ryan was a member of the Press Club but otherwise was not active in 
club circles. His activities and interests brought him into close touch with public 
affairs, enabling him to keep his finger constantly on the public pulse, and 
through his editorial writings and in other ways he did much to shape thought 
and opinion. 



WILLIAM H. KOENIG. 

r- 

William H. Koenig, who was actively connected with the commercial interests 
of Omaha as a dry goods merchant and member of the firm of Thomas Kilpatrick 
& Company, was numbered among the native sons of the city who rose to promi- 
nence by reason of their force of character, business enterprise, and ready 
recognition of possibilities and opportunities. He was born in this city, May 23, 
1863, and his life record covered the intervening years to the 8th of April, 1916. 
His father, William Koenig, removed from St. Louis to Omaha in 1855, when the 
site of the present city had upon it but a few dwellings, constituting a little hamlet 
upon the western frontier. He afterward returned to St. Louis, where he was 
married in 1861 to Eleanor Beecher. Henry Pundt came with him to Omaha and 
together they engaged in the grocery business until the death of Mr. Koenig, which 
occurred on the 19th of October, 1863. For a long time the store of Pundt & 
Koenig was one of the landmarks of the city, their location being at Thirteenth 
and Famam streets. 

WiUiam H. Koenig pursued his early education in the schools of Omaha and 
afterward entered the schools of St. Louis, to which city he went when eleven 
years of age. He and his mother afterward went to Europe, where they lived 
until he was nineteen years of age, that period being spent by him in school in 
Dresden. Returning to his native land, he was for seven years a resident of 
New York, during which period he traveled on the road as the representative of 
a wholesale house for a time. He then again came to Omaha and erected a house 
at Nineteenth and Davenport streets. He also became associated with the business 
management of the Omaha Bee and afterward entered the field of banking as a 
representative of the Omaha National Bank. Further extending his efforts in 
business circles by the purchase of an interest in the Thomas Kilpatrick Dry Goods 
Company, he thus became one of the organizers of the Kilpatrick-Koch Dry 
Goods Company, wholesale dealers in dry goods. Later they bought out the 




WILLIAxM H. KOENIG 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY ' 253 

Faulkner stock and later abandoned the wholesale branch of the business, con- 
centrating their energies upon the further development of their retail store, which 
they carried on under the name of Thomas Kilpatrick & Company up to the time 
of the death of Mr. Koenig. He possessed keen insight and discrimination and 
his initiative spirit brought him to a creditable and prominent position in com- 
mercial circles. 

In St. Louis, in 1892, Mr. Koenig was united in marriage to Miss Elsa Kolben- 
heyer, a daughter of Dr. Frederick Kolbenheyer, of that city. The two children 
born of this marriage are Frederick William and Gertrude A. E., both residents 
of Omaha. 

Mr. Koenig attended the Lutheran church, of which he served as treasurer. 
He belonged to the Omaha Club, the Field Club and the Commercial Club and was 
preeminently a home man, finding his greatest happiness at his own fireside. His 
political allegiance was given to the republican party and at one time he served 
as a member of the school board, but he did not seek nor desire official prefer- 
ment. He was, however, a most pubHc-spirited man, interested in everything 
that pertained to the welfare of his native city, its progress and upbuilding. He 
became one of the organizers of the Sons of Omaha, a society formed of native 
citizens. Those who knew him found him a most congenial companion. He 
was a man of broad and liberal culture, well descended and well bred, always 
courteous, kindly and considerate, and thus it was that the circle of his friends 
was almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance. 



CLARENCE JOHN CANAN. 

Clarence John Canan, a real estate dealer of Omaha, was born in St. Clair, 
Michigan, January 10, 1851, and is descended from Scotch-Irish ancestry, the 
line being traced back through several generations to John Canan, who was born 
in the north of Ireland in 1746. He came to the new world prior to the Revolu- 
tionary war and served in the struggle for independence, in which he rose to the 
rank of captain, taking active part in winning American liberty. His son, John 
Canan II, was the grandfather of Clarence J. Canan and the father of John 
Canan III, who was born in Detroit, Michigan, and who in early manhood was 
married in St. Clair, Michigan, to Sarah Von Ostrander, a native of Pennsylvania. 
They spent the entire period of their married life in Michigan and Mr. Canan 
became a very wealthy and prominent lumberman of St. Clair but suffered 
heavy losses during the widespread financial panic of 1873. He died in the year 
1891. 

In the schools of his native city Clarence J. Canan pursued his early education 
and afterward attended Olivet College in Michigan, from which he was graduated 
with the class of 1872. On leaving home he came to Omaha in 1874, at which 
time he possessed a cash capital of a dollar and a half. His limited financial 
resources rendered it imperative that he obtain immediate employment and for 
two years he clerked in a dry goods store. In 1879 ^"^^ engaged in the merchant 
tailoring business on his own account and so continued actively until 1893. On 
retiring from that business he turned his attention to the real estate and fire 
insurance business, in which he has since been engaged. He handles much 
important property and writes a large amount of insurance annually. He has 
a wide acquaintance and his enterprising methods have placed him in the front 
rank in his chosen field of activity. 

On the loth of August, 1881, at Pontiac, Michigan, Mr. Canan was united in 
marriage to Miss Elma L. Voorheis, by whom he has three children, namely: 
Jennie I.; Howard G., who is in West Point Military Academy, class of 1920; 
and Dorothy. The family attend the Episcopal church and Mr. Canan belongs 
to the Carter Lake Club.' His political endorsement is given to the democratic 



254 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

party but his activities are confined largely to the exercise of his right of 
franchise, as he prefers to c(jnccntrate his cntjcries upon his business affairs, 
which in their constant development have made him one of the foremost hgitres 
in real estate circles in Omaha. 



JAMES HENRY CRADDOCK. 

James Ilenry Craddock, an architect of Omaha since 1904 and now actively 
and prominently connected with the improvement of the city through its building 
operations, was bom at Mystic River, Connecticut, in 1856. His father, Nicholas 
Craddock, a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, came to the United States in 
1848 and settled in Connecticut. At Mystic River he married Miss Ellen Purtel 
and both passed away in Connecticut, the death of the father occurring in 1878. 

In the schools of Mystic River and in the Mystic River Institute, James 
H. Craddock pursued his education. The year 1885 witnessed his arrival in 
Nebraska, locating at Lincoln, w'here he began business as an architect. He also 
maintained an office in Omaha and in 1904, disposing of his business in Lincoln, 
he established his home in Omaha, where he has since practiced his profession. 
He is thoroughly conversant with every department of the work and the beauty 
and utility of his plans are manifest in some of the fine buildings of the city and 
state. 

In Omaha, in 1904. ]\Ir. Craddock was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude 
Sebring and they have become the parents of two children, Ellen C. and James H. 
The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Craddock 
is identified with the Knights of Pythias and with the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks. His political allegiance is given to the democratic party and in 
191 7 he was representative in the general assembly from Douglas county. The 
greater part of his time, thotight and purpose, however, are directed to his 
profession and in his chosen calling he has made continuous advancement. 



GEORGE C. JOHNSON. 

George C. Johnson, a well known Omaha grain merchant who in 1913 organ- 
ized the Iowa Elevator Company, of which he is the president, was born in 
Denmark, September 28, 1861. His father, Marinus Johnson, also a native of 
Denmark, served with the Danish army in 1864 in the war with Germany. Ere 
leaving his native country he wedded Miss Katharine Larsen and in 1870 they 
came with their family to the United States, establishing their home upon a farm 
in Iroquois county, Illinois. Throughout the period of his residence in this country 
the father followed agricultural pursuits and passed away in Kankakee, Illinois, 
in 1908, having for two years survived his wife, who died in 1906. 

George C. Johnson, a lad of nine years when brought to the new world, largely 
acquired his education in the public schools of Chebanse, Illinois, and also 
attended the Valparaiso (Ind.) College, in which he pursued a commercial course. 
He was at the time twenty years of age. Eor three years he w-as employed in a 
retail implement house in Kankakee, Illinois, after which he spent eight years 
upon the road as a traveling salesman, representing an implement manufacturing 
house of Sandwich, Illinois. During that time he spent eight months in Buenos 
Aires as representative for the firm. In 1889 he embarked in the retail hardware 
business at Newman Grove, Nebraska, where he remained for seventeen years, 
building up a business of large and profitable proportions. He turned his attention 
to banking in 1892 as cashier of the Citizens State Bank, now the First National 
Bank of Newman Grove, where he remained for seven years. In 1899 he with- 




JAMES H. CRADDOCK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 257 

drew from active connection with the bank and entered the grain and kimber 
business, remaining at Newman Grove until 1906, when he came to Omaha and 
has since been a factor in the business circles of this city. At first he was 
treasurer of the Nye-Schneider-Fowler Grain Company, with which he continued 
for two years, when he removed to Nebraska City and spent two years as vice 
president of the Duff Grain Company. In 191 1 he returned to Omaha and for 
two years was connected with the Crowell Elevator Company but on the ist of 
May, 1913, organized the Iowa Elevator Company and has since been the 
directing head of the enterprise as its president. Under his able management 
the business of the company has steadily increased and broadened and has now 
assumed extensive proportions. 

Mr. Johnson has been twice married. On the 19th of October, 1892, in 
Omaha, he wedded ]Miss Anna Ostergard, who passed away October 31, 1914, 
leaving two children: Helen D., who was born in 1895; and Walter O., whose 
birth occurred in 1898. On the nth of April, 1916, in Fremont Nebraska, Mr. 
Johnson w^as again married, his second union being w'ith Josephine Srack, nee 
Christensen. 

Mr. Johnson attends the Congregational church and formerly he was identified 
with the Masons and with the Odd Fellows but has been demitted from both 
organizations. He belongs to the Commercial Club, thus cooperating in activities 
for the benefit and upbuilding of the city, and he also has membership in the 
Happy Hollow Club. His political endorsement is given to the republican 
party. He is spoken of as a clean-cut, square business man who stands high in 
commercial circles, whose word is thoroughly reliable and whose methods are 
most enterprising and commendable. His salient qualities have won him many 
friends. 



GEORGE AKIN ECKLES. 

George Akin Eckles, lawyer and real estate dealer of Omaha, was born in 
Newcastle, Pennsylvania, in 1850 and is of Irish lineage. His great-grandfather 
in the paternal line was Arthur Eckles, who came to the United States in 1775 
from County Down, Ireland, and served as a soldier in the Revolutionary war. 
His son, John Eckles, lived for many years in Pennsylvania and in Indiana and 
it was in the former state that his son, Joseph H. Eckles, father of George Akin 
Eckles, was born in the year 1818. Having arrived at years of maturity, he was 
married in Pennsylvania to Margaret Patton and in 1854 they removed westward 
to Indiana, settling first at Logansport, while a few years later they became 
residents of Fort Wayne, Indiana. Following the outbreak of hostilities between 
the north and the south Joseph H. Eckles aided in recruiting the Forty-fourth 
Indiana Volunteer Infantry for service in the Civil war and with that regiment 
went to the front as major. He was killed in a minor engagement in 1862 follow- 
ing the battle of Shiloh. 

At Fort Wayne, Indiana, George A. Eckles attended the public schools and 
afterward became a student in an academy at Newville, Indiana, from which he 
was graduated. The year 1868 witnessed his arrival in Nebraska, at which 
time he settled in ]\Ierrick county, wdiere he lived for six years. He then took 
up his abode upon a stock ranch in Holt county, Nebraska, where he resided 
for three and a half years, and on the expiration of that period he went to 
Neligh, Nebraska, where he studied law with the Hon. J. H. Gurney, subsequently 
entering into partnership with his preceptor, which relation was maintained for 
three years. Mr. Eckles then removed to Chadron, Nebraska, where he remained 
in active law practice until 1907. In the latter year he came to Omaha and has 
since practically retired from the active- work of the profession, acting now only 
as consulting counsel. He concentrates his attention and energies largely upon 



258 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the real estate business and has handled some valuable property in this city. 
While living in Chadron he filled the offices of city and county attorney. He 
was also largely instrumental in the establishment of the Chadron Academy in 
1887 and in its restoration when it was destroyed by fire in 1892. He was 
secretary and trustee of the academy from its establishment until he removed to 
Omaha, when he resigned the office. He was also postmaster at Chadron for 
eight and a half years, retiring from that position in 1907, when he removed to 
this city. 

In early manhood, in Allen county, Indiana, Mr. Eckles was married and has 
two children: Cleoa G., the wife of Charles II. Kelsey, of Norfolk, Nebraska, by 
whom she has two children, Alpha and Hadley ; and Joseph Paul, who was born 
in 1880 and is a graduate of the Nebraska State University. He is a building 
contractor, carrying on business in Omaha. In 1909 he married Augusta Walters 
and they have three children, Pauline, Thelma and George. Following the death 
of his first wife Mr. Eckles married again. 

He is a Congregationalist in religious faith and something of the nature of 
his recreation is indicated in the fact that he belongs to the Elmwood Park Golf 
Club. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is a stalwart 
supporter of its principles. Pie made an excellent record in public office while 
in Chadron but has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking. His 
thought and purpose have rather been concentrated upon his business affairs 
and the discharge of his public duties as a private citizen, and the careful 
management of his interests has brought to him a substantial measure of success, 
especially in the real estate field. 



BENJAMIN B. BARKALOW. 

Attracted by the opportunities of the growing west, Benjamin B. Barkalow 
came to Omaha in 1856, at which time he found a small town on the western 
frontier. He did not take up his permanent abode here at that period although 
he remained for two years, but in the '60s he returned and continued his residence 
here until his death. Those who know aught of the early history of the city 
recognize the fact that he contributed in substantial measure to its early develop- 
ment and improvement and aided in laying the foundation for the present progress 
and prosperity of the city. He was born in Warren county, Ohio, October 13, 
1819, a son of Zebulon and Amy (Vail) Barkalow. On arriving at years of 
maturity he wedded Margaret Denise, the wedding being celebrated June 19, 
1842, at Carlisle, Ohio. Mrs. Barkalow was born ]\larch 27, 1818, a daughter of 
Sidney and Ann (Conover) Denise. ^Ir. and Mrs. Barkalow came of Holland 
Dutch and French lineage and their ancestors figured prominently in connection 
with the colonial history of this country and with the Revolutionary war. To 
Mr. and Mrs. Barkalow were born seven children- Derrick Vail, deceased; 
Sidney Denise, deceased ; Newton Evans, of Denver, Colorado ; Anna Denise, 
who has now passed away; Daisy Bell, who became the wife of Ben B. Wood; 
Moses Wilbur, of San Francisco; and Benjamin, who died in infancy. 

During the period of his early manhood Benjamin B. Barkalow became prom- 
inently connected with business interests in Ohio. He owned canal boats, ware- 
houses and a lumberyard on the Miami canal and his interests became extensive 
and important, connecting him in large measure with the business development 
of the district in which he operated. The reports which he heard concerning 
Omaha and the opportunities of the west led him to remove to Nebraska in 1850 
and on the 6th of November of that year he reached Omaha, where he established 
a banking business and real estate office. Two years later he removed to St. 
Louis, Missouri, and afterward became a resident of Burlington, Iowa, but in 
the '60s returned to Omaha, where he remained until his life's labors were ended 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 259 

in death in September, 1864. His widow long survived him, passing away on 
the 6th of November, 1898. Both jMr. and Mrs. Barkalow assisted in organizing 
the Presbyterian church of Omaha and ahhough his residence in that city covered 
a comparatively brief period he was actively associated with enterprises and 
projects which led to the material and moral progress of the community. He 
foresaw the possibilities of the town and worked for its development and 
upbuilding in various ways and his labors constituted a motive power in bringing 
about later development and progress. 



GUY CAMERON McKENZIE. 

Guy Cameron McKenzie, president of the Corey-McKenzie Printing Company, 
was born in Omaha on the 19th of August, 1876, and comes of Scotch lineage, 
his grandfather being George McKenzie, a native of Scotland, who, however, 
spent his last days in Omaha. George McKenzie, Jr., father of Guy C. McKenzie, 
was born in Aberdeen, Scotland, and accompanied his parents to the United 
States when a youth of fourteen years, the family home being established at 
Kanesville, now Council Bluffs, Iowa. In Desoto, Nebraska, he married Eleanore 
Maxfield and in 1866 they removed to Omaha. Throughout his active life the 
father engaged in farming. He passed away in March, 1914, having for a con- 
siderable period survived his wife, who died in 1898. Of the Presbyterian church 
they were consistent and faithful members. 

Reared in his native city, Guy C. McKenzie pursued his education in the 
public schools of Omaha and then became connected with a weekly paper of 
this city, which constituted his preliminary step in connection with the business 
in which he is still engaged. In December, 1907, the firm of Corey & McKenzie, 
which had previously been established, was incorporated as the Corey-McKenzie 
Printing Company, with Mr. McKenzie as the president, and as the head of this 
company he is directing its interests and broadening the scope of the business. 

On the 26th of October, 191 1, in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Mr. McKenzie was 
united in marriage to Miss Esther E. Holton, daughter of Nicholas Holton. 
They have two children. Ruth Caroline and Esther Eleanore. The parents 
attend the Lutheran church and Mr. McKenzie gives his political endorsement 
to the republican party. He is well known in Masonic circles as a member of 
St. John's Lodge, No. 25, F. & A. M., of which he is a past master, also of 
Mount Calvary Commandery, No. i, K. T., and of Tangier Temple, A. A. O. N. 
M. S. He likewise belongs to the Rotary Club and these associations, as well as 
his business connections, have brought him a wide acquaintance, while the sterling 
worth of his character has established him in the high regard of his many friends. 



HARRY E. MAHAFFEY. 

Harry E. Mahaffey, whose efforts have materially increased the volume of 
insurance business done in Omaha during almost a quarter of a century, was 
bom in Oquawka, Illinois, in 1864, a son of Joseph C. and Mary EHzabeth 
(Kitchen) Mahaffey. His paternal grandfather was a native of Ohio, while the 
maternal grandfather, John Kitchen, was a native of North Carolina. The 
Mahaffey family is of Scotch-Irish descent, while the maternal grandmother of 
Harry E. Mahaffey came from Holland. Joseph C. Mahaffey was born on a 
farm in Brown county, Ohio, in 1838 and took up the occupation of farming as a 
life work but at the time of the Civil war responded to the country's call for 
troops in October, 1861, enlisting as a member of Company I, Fiftieth Illinois 
Volunteer Infantry. He participated in the engagement of Fort Donelson. was 



260 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

wounded twice in the battle of Shiloli April 6, 1862, and took part in a number 
of hotly contested engagements which contributed to the victory that finally 
crowned the Union arms. He was mustered out in August, 1862. In 1886 he 
became a resident of Tingley, Iowa, where he passed away in April, 1907, and 
his widow is now a resident of Fort Morgan, Colorado. 

In the schools of Little ^'ork, Illinois, Harry E. Mahaffey pursued his educa- 
tion and never had the advantage of a college course. In 1887 he arrived in 
Omaha, then a young man of twenty-three years, and for two years thereafter 
was employed in a grocery store. He next entered the employ of the Philadelphia 
Publishing Plouse as city agent in Omaha and spent six months in that connec- 
tion, at the end of which time he secured a position with T. S. Grigor, coffee 
and tea merchant, while later he engaged in clerking in a grocery store again, 
so continuing from 1890 until the spring of 1893. On the expiration of that 
period he entered the employ of the Pacific Mutual Life & Accident Insurance 
Company of San Francisco and six years afterward became a representative of 
the Standard Accident Insurance Company of Detroit, Michigan. In 1900 he 
was made superintendent of agents for the state of Iowa and a year later his 
jurisdiction was extended to Nebraska, northern Missouri and South Dakota. 
He retained his headquarters at Des Moines, Iowa, until July i, 1910, when he 
was transferred to Omaha as general manager of Nebraska, which position he 
now fills. He thoroughly understands every phase of the insurance business 
and his administrative direction and executive force constitute a very potent 
element in the upbuilding of the business of the company in this state. 

On the 24th of April, 1895, in Omaha, Mr. Mahaffey was united in marriage 
to J\Iiss Jessie May Monteith, her parents being Lavinus and Margaret (Patter- 
son) Monteith. The father, who was born in the Mohawk valley of New York 
in 1802, passed away in 1895, while the mother, a native of Scotland, died in 
1885, when fifty-five years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Mahaffey are the parents of 
four children, namely : Edith Fern, Helen Grace, Donald Monteith and Margaret 
Elizabeth. 

The parents hold membership in the Lowe Avenue Presbyterian church, of 
which Mr. Mahaft'ey is a trustee. He belongs to the Masonic fraternity and he 
has membership in the Concord Club, the Ad Club and the Ak-Sar-Ben. His 
political endorsement is given to the republican party and he stands at all times 
for those forces which he believes to be of vital worth in the upbuilding and 
progress of his city and state. He is never willing to choose the second best but 
looks for those things which are of greatest value to the community in its 
material, intellectual, social and moral development. 



CLARENCE B. FOLTZ, M. D. 

Dr. Clarence B. Foltz, an intelligent, progressive and popular young medical 
practitioner of Omaha, recognizing fully the responsibilities and obligations 
devolving upon him, was born in Clare, Illinois, November 9, 1885, ^ son of 
Jonathan and Nancy (Barlow) Foltz and a grandson of B. M. Foltz, a native 
of Germany, who was brought to the United States by his parents in his child- 
hood days, the family home being established first in Pennsylvania. He after- 
ward removed to Illinois and passed away in Farmington, that state. His son 
Jonathan was born in Pennsylvania in 1858 and was married in Farmington, Illi- 
nois, to Nancy Barlow, a native of that state, who passed away in 1913. The 
father is still living. 

Dr. Foltz accompanied his parents on their removal to Osceola, Iowa, acquired 
his education in the public schools there and was graduated in 1914 from the 
medical department of Creighton University at Omaha. He then opened an 
ofifice in this city and already has built up a practice which many an older member 




DR. CLARENCE B. FOLTZ 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 263 

of the profession might well envy. He is thoroughly conversant with all the 
modern methods of treatment and is deeply interested in everything that tends to 
bring to man the key to the complex mystery which we call life. 

On the nth of November, 1907, in Osceola, Iowa, Dr. Foltz was united in 
marriage to Miss Ruth Adelia Cady, a daughter of Judson Cady, of Vancouver, 
Washington, and they have become the parents of four children, Mary C, AHce 
A., Ethel A. and Ehzabeth. 

Dr. Foltz votes with the republican party and he holds membership with the 
Commercial Club, thus cooperating in interests and activities that have for their 
object the benefit and upbuilding of the city. He has membership in the 
Christian church and the rules that govern his conduct are further indicated in 
his association with the Masonic fraternity, in which he has taken the commandery 
and consistory degrees, and has also become a member of the Mystic Shrine. His 
life already indicates the progressive spirit and laudable ambition which have 
prompted him in his professional career and which promise well for success in the 
future. 



ELLIS U. GRAFF. 



It is a recognized fact that Omaha holds to and maintains high educational 
standards, not alone in her colleges and universities but in her public schools and 
therefore she demands that those in charge of her public institutions of learning 
shall be people of marked ability and of superior qualifications in their chosen 
field. Thorough preliminary training and broad experience well prepared Pro- 
fessor Ellis U. Grafl: for the position which he now occupies as superintendent of 
schools in Omaha. Fie was bom March 9, 1875, in Red Oak, Iowa, a son of 
David Grafi!^, a native of Pennsylvania, and a grandson of Joseph Graff, whose 
birth occurred in Germany. David Graft' was born in 1840 and removing to 
Illinois in early life, he there married Lucy White, coming to Iowa subsequent 
to the Civil war. He had served as a defender of the Union cause for three 
years, enlisting in an Illinois cavalry regiment, with which he was in active duty 
at Shiloh, in the siege of Vicksburg and in other important engagements. Both 
he and his wife are still living, their home being in Sac City, Iowa. 

Ellis U. Graff was reared in Sac City, Iowa, whither his parents removed in 
his early boyhood, and after attending the public schools there he became a student 
in the Lake Forest College at Lake Forest, Illinois, from which he was graduated 
with the class of 1897, winning the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Later he 
pursued post graduate work in the University of Chicago and ini9i5 the Master 
of Arts degree was conferred upon him by his alma mater. He took up the 
profession of teaching as instructor in Latin and Greek in the high school at 
Clinton, Iowa, there remaining through the scholastic year of 1897-8. He then 
returned to his native city as principal of the high school, which position he 
occupied for three years, and for a similar period he was principal of the high 
school at Marshalltown, Iowa. He later spent four years as high school principal 
at Rockford, Illinois, and in 1908 accepted the position of principal of the high 
school of Omaha, in which connection he was retained for three years, and was 
then in 191 1 chosen superintendent of schools, in which capacity he has now 
served for five years. His work has been highly satisfactory to the public, 
especially to those who give thoughtful and earnest consideration to the question 
of public education. He keeps in touch with the trend of modern thought and 
progress and is continually seeking out and employing new methods which will 
advance the efficiency of the schools. 

At Clinton, Iowa, on the i8th of August, 1897, Mr. Graff was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Margaret Conger, a daughter of John S. Conger, who was a veteran 



Vol. 11—11 



264 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

of the Civil war, enlisting from Wisconsin. Two children have been born of this 
marriage, Esther and Mary Elizabeth. 

Professor and Mrs. Graff are communicants of the Presbyterian church and 
in political faith he is a republican, well versed m the principles of the party yet 
without ambition or desire for public office. His interest in community affairs 
finds expression in his membership in the Commercial Club and he enjoys 
pleasant social relations through his membership in the Rotary, University and 
Palimpsest Clubs. It would be tautological in this connection to enter into any 
series of statements showing him to be a man of broad scholarly attainments, 
for this has been shadowed forth between the lines of this review. He is 
recognized, however, as a man of kindly sympathy, generous in his opinion of 
others and yet never deviating from the high standards which he has set up as 
the course of his own conduct. 



EDWARD WOOD . SLAIERAL. 

Edward Wood Simeral was the first county attorney of Douglas county and is 
yet an active practitioner at the Omaha bar. He was born in Steubenville, Ohio, in 
1853, a son of James ]^Iontgomery Simeral, who was bom in Smithfield, Ohio, 
March 12, 1821, and was there married in 1852 to Martha Wood, a daughter of 
Edward Wood, a native of England. In April, 1861, James M. Simeral responded 
to the country's call for troops to aid in quelling the rebellion in the south. He 
joined the First Iowa Cavalry, going to the front as a private, but was soon 
afterward made lieutenant and rose to the rank of captain of Company L of the 
First Iowa Cavalry. On being mustered out at x\ustin, Texas, in August, 1866, 
he held the rank of major. Following the close of the war he purchased a 
plantation in Texas and there remained for two years. He brought "his family 
to Omaha in 1870 and for many years he was actively engaged in the real estate 
business in this city, passing away in 1902, while his widow survived him until 
1906. 

During the period of the Civil war Edward W'. Simeral was a pupil in 
Kenyon College at Gambler, Ohio, pursuing his studies in that institution until 
1866. He had previously been a pupil in the high school at Terre Haute, 
Indiana, for a year. In 1870 he came with his parents to Omaha and the 
following year entered the employ of the Omaha Bee, with which he was con- 
nected until December, 1903. It was soon after his arrival in this city that he 
took up the study of law and was admitted to the bar in 1876, after which he 
served as attorney for the Bee from that date until 1903. He now concentrates 
his attention upon the private practice of law and his clientage is extensive and 
important. In January, 1886, he became the first county attorney of Douglas 
county and so continued for tvvo years. 

Mr. Simeral votes with the republican party. His religious faith is that of the 
Catholic church and he belongs to the Knights of Columbus and is master of the 
fourth or patriotic degree for the district comprising Nebraska and South 
Dakota. 



HARRY B. FLEHARTY. 

Harry B. Fleharty, city solicitor of Omaha, to which position he was appointed 
in June, 191 5, has long been regarded as an active factor in democratic circles in 
eastern Nebraska and has been an untiring worker in support of the principles 
in which he believes. He was born in Windsor, Illinois, on the ist of July, 1872, 
and comes of a family of Scotch-Irish ancestry. His father, Henry C. Fleharty, 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 265 

a farmer by occupation, was born in Maryland in 1833 and had a twin brother, the 
late Rev. John Ouincy Adams Fleharty, who passed away in Omaha in 1916. 
Henry C. Fleharty was united in marriage to Margaret CuUison, a native of 
Virginia, who passed away in 1909, but Mr. Fleharty continues a resident of 
Omaha. 

It was in the year 1880 that the parents removed to Ogallala, Nebraska, and 
there Harry B. Fleharty attended the public schools, while later he studied at 
Fullerton. He likewise spent two years in the Nebraska Wesleyan College 
at Lincoln and later entered upon the study of law, being admitted to the bar in 
1893 at Stockville, Nebraska. He there began practice but after eighteen months 
removed to Larned, Kansas, where he continued for a year. In 1896 he was 
appointed private secretary by Governor John W. Leedy and occupied that posi- 
tion for two years. In 1899 he opened an office in South Omaha, where he 
continued in the private practice of law until 1906, when he was elected to the 
office of city attorney. Two years later he was nominated for the position of 
attorney general of the state on the democratic ticket, but met defeat, as did 
the entire ticket save the candidate for governor. In 1908 he removed to Omaha 
and in 1910 he was defeated by only ninety votes for the nomination for congress. 
In June, 191 5, he was appointed city solicitor of Omaha, which position he is 
now acceptably and creditably filling. For a long period he has been an active 
leader in the democratic party and his opinions carry weight in its councils. He 
has ever closely studied the vital and significant problems before the country 
and his position is the result of a firm belief in the principles which he advocates. 

On the 22d of October, 19 12, in Kansas City, Missouri, Mr. Fleharty was 
united in marriage to Miss Maud Doersam. They attend the Methodist Episcopal 
church and Mr. Fleharty also holds membership with the Woodmen of the 
World, the Eagles and the Stags. His interest in and support of measures of 
civic virtue and civic pride is indicated in his identification with the Commercial 
Club. 



EDWARD MORRIS MARTIN. 

Edward Morris Martin, vice president of the Guarantee Fund Life Associa- 
tion, was born in Delafield, Wisconsin, September 23, 1871. His father, the Rev. 
John Martin, was born in Ripley, Ohio, in 1825 and was the grandson of 
Alexander Martin, who enlisted from Staunton, Virginia, as a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war and was wounded at the battle of Brandywine. The Rev. 
John Alartin became a Presbyterian minister and served as chaplain of an Ohio 
regiment in the Civil war. He was married in his native state to Miss Elizabeth 
King, who was born in Ohio, and in 1865 they went to Wisconsin, while in 1880 
they came to Nebraska, settling in Cedar county, where the father passed away in 
189 1 and the mother in -1896. 

Edward M. Martin acquired a country school education in Cedar county and 
later attended Hastings College at Hastings, Nebraska, and Grinnell College at 
Grinnell, Iowa, being graduated from the latter with the Bachelor of Arts degree 
in 1893. He completed a course in the law department of the Nebraska State 
University in 1895 and the same year was admitted to the bar. He at once 
located in Omaha, where he has since practiced law, and from 1912 to the present 
he has devoted his attention to insurance litigation and is vice president of and 
counsel for the Guarantee Fund Life Association. He is likewise president of 
the Home Casualty Company of Omaha and for years he has been counsel for 
the Nebraska State Bankers Association. 

On the 1st of January, 1900, in Yankton. South Dakota. Mr. ^lartin was 
united in marriage to Miss Bertha Louisa Felber, her father being John J. Felber, 
who has passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Martin hold membership in the West- 



266 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

minster Presbyterian church and he belongs also to the Omaha Club and the 
University Club, to the Sons of the American Revolution and to the Commercial 
Club. His political endorsement is given to the republican party. He earned 
the money with which to pay his way through college, as his father was unable 
to help him. He devotes his time and attention to his family and to his business 
rather than to clubs and social organizations and he has a beautiful country home 
about four miles from Omaha, where he spends much of the time not occupied 
with his legal and hnancial interests. 



FRANK J. BIRSS. 

Frank J. Birss stands at the head of one of the most important industrial 
enterprises of Omaha, being president of the Western Bridge & Construction 
Company, and his history is a story of earnest endeavor. When in the battle of 
life the city boy crosses swords with the country lad the odds are against him. 
The early rising, the daily tasks, the economic habits of the country boy prepare 
him for the struggle that must precede ascendancy. His early training was that 
of the farm and the habits of industry and close application which he there 
developed have constituted the foundation of his present success. He was born 
in 1862 upon a farm in Cedar county, Iowa. His father, John Birss, who followed 
agricultural pursuits throughout his entire life, was born in Scotland in 1818 
and came alone to the United States in 1847, his arrival on the Atlantic coast 
terminating a voyage of fourteen weeks in one of the old-time sailing vessels. 
He made his way to Cedar county, Iowa, where a Scotch settlement had been 
planted, and there he married Ann Yule, their remaining days being spent in that 
county. 

Reared on the home farm in the usual manner of boys of that locaHty and 
period, Frank J. Birss attended the country schools and also pursued a course in 
a business college in Omaha. In 1883 he located on a farm in Thayer county, 
Nebraska, devoting the succeeding four years to the w^ork of tilling the soil. In 
1887 he entered the live stock and grain business in Belvidere, Thayer county, 
operating along that line until 1891, when he accepted the position of manager of 
a large elevator in Belvidere, so continuing until 1898. In 1894-5 there was a 
crop failure and to bridge over the interval Mr. Birss sold accident insurance, 
which was hard work, for money was scarce, but the experience proved of value 
to him and taught him self-confidence. He persevered and the second winter had 
a surjjlus over his expenses. It was in 1902 that he became connected with the 
enterprise of which he is now the head, having in that year entered the employ 
of John W. Tow^le, bridge builder, being connected with road work until 1906, 
when he was advanced to the position of manager and so continued until November 
of that year, when the Western Bridge & Construction Company was organized 
by Mr. Towle, Mr. Birss becoming secretary with Mr. Towle as president. This 
proved a growing and profitable undertaking and in November, 1914, Mr. Birss 
became president, Mr. Towle having withdrawn from the business. A local 
paper said : 

"One of the chiefest of Omaha's many industries is the Western Bridge & 
Construction Company. This concern specializes in the smaller bridges, making 
it a policy to accept only such contracts as it can finish to the complete satisfac- 
tion of the patron, and in thus specializing it has created a field for its endeavors 
that places it in the position of being a dominant factor in the pioneer work of 
trail blazing. This idea of specialization is carried further in that the company 
does not maintain its own shops, but purchases the material used in its construc- 
tion Avork from other shops that have the equipment to produce the best material. 
At the offices of the company, No. 648 Bee building, its engineers are constantly 
engaged in working out plans for defeating the obstacles of nature in spanning 




FRANK J. BIRSS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 269 

rivers, creeks and valleys. The company's work has proved one of the big 
factors in improvement of country roads, as the viaducts and bridges it erects 
are the acme of safety and service. One of the big things done by the company, 
which best illustrates its ability to perform acts that are in the nature of miracles, 
was the building of the intake for the Omaha Electric Light & Power Company's 
big generating plant on the banks of the Missouri river. This contract involved 
forty thousand dollars and is one of the most important engineering contracts 
ever completed in Omaha. The company's operations include the building of 
bridges in all parts of Iowa, Nebraska, South Dakota and Wyoming. This work 
in every instance may be considered in the light of pioneering, for it makes pos- 
sible the march of progress. Bridges spanning the rivers and valleys of the west 
mean the shortening of distance, the annihilation of time, and the building of 
new cities on the new routes of travel provided by these bridges. This company 
means an important element in the upbuilding of the city, for in every piece of 
work it completes another tribute to the enterprise and ingenuity of Omaha is 
added. F. J. Birss, president of the company, is one of the experts and authori- 
ties of the country on bridge building." 

On the 28th of September, 1892, in Belvidere, Nebraska, Mr. Birss wedded 
Carrie A. Allen. They attend the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Birss is 
a York Rite Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, to the Commercial Club and to the Ak-Sar- 
Ben and in the midst of a very busy life he finds time to do his part in every 
civic enterprise that has for its aim the building of a bigger and better Omaha. 
In 1897, he was elected county clerk of Thayer county, and later he received 
endorsement of his first term's service in reetection. At the close of his second 
term he refused the nomination for county treasurer, for his ambition is not 
along the line of office seeking, as he has ever regarded the pursuits of private 
life as in themselves abundantly worthy of his best efforts. 



CHARLES B. RUSTIN. 

Charles B. Rustin, who during the years of his residence in Omaha was 
identified with mining and allied interests, arrived in this city in 1864 and it was 
his place of residence until his final summons came. He was born in Vermont, 
March 29, 1836, and was a youth of sixteen years v/hen in March, 1852, he 
removed to Ohio, spending the succeeding year with a civil engineering corps. 
He then went to Denmark, Iowa, and in 1856 took up his abode at Sioux City. 
He was living there at the time of the Indian uprising and massacre, in which 
connection he did a notable service for the settlers. News reached the locality 
that the red men were approaching and all knew what might be expected if they 
were allowed to carry out their designs. Mr. Rustin, then a young man of 
twenty-five years, volunteered to ride to Council Bluffs and inform the military 
force there of the situation. He left Sioux City at seven o'clock at night on 
horseback and reached Council Bluff's at nine o'clock the following morning after 
fourteen hours spent in the saddle, having changed horses at the mail stations. 
There was then no telegraph communication between Council Bluff's and Sioux 
City and when Mr. Rustin volunteered it was believed that he would never reach 
there alive, for the Indians were supposed at that time to be in force, south of 
the city. With undaunted bravery and determination, however, he started, riding 
on through the long hours of the night, urging his horse to its utmost speed until 
he rode into Council Bluff's and gave the warning. Governor Kirkwood was 
telegraphed of the alarming conditions in the northwest. An order was tele- 
graphed back by the Governor that the regiment which was in marching order 
to go to the south should start at once for Sioux City, and accordingly the troops 
departed for the north. Mr. Rustin became adjutant to Colonel James A. 



270 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Sawyer of the Northern Border Brigade, with which he did active service in 
protecting the frontier during iho Indian uprising. 

It was in the year 1864 that Air. Rustin took up his permanent abode in 
Omaha. He had previously been engaged in the real estate business at Sioux 
City and following his arrival in Nebraska was for a time identified with ferry 
interests across the river as an owner of the Omaha Ferry Company. He was 
also freight agent with the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company until 
arrangements were. made to pool their interests, after which he represented the 
l)Ooled lines until the completion of the bridge across the Missouri river. Later 
he resigned in order to devote his entire attention to his duties as president of 
the Omaha Smelting Company, continuing in that position until 1880. He then 
severed his connection with the company, after which he was individually inter- 
ested in mining at Leadville. He had at different times operated mines in 
Nevada, Utah, old Mexico and Idaho. He was one of the incorporators of the 
Cable Tramway Company of Omaha in 1884 and also one of its reorganizers 
in 1888, when it became the Omaha Cable Tramway Company. He took a most 
active and helpful part in ])romoting the early transportation interests and 
facilities of the city. In a word, he contributed much to the upbuilding of the 
district and his name thus became inseparably interwoven with its annals. 

On the 29th of June, 1859, at Keosauqua, Iowa, Mr. Rustin was united in 
marriage to Miss Mary Elizabeth Wilkins, born in Ohio, who went to Iowa in 
1846. Her father, Daniel Putnam Wilkins, was one of the early attorneys of 
Ohio and he passed away in that state when a comparatively young man. Mr. 
and Mrs. Rustin became the parents of five children, a daughter and four sons, 
of whom Claire, the wife of James H. Mcintosh, of New York city, survives. 

The death of the husband and father occurred July 18, 1900, when he was 
sixty-four years of age, following a residence of more than a third of a century 
in Omaha. He was a loyal and progressive citizen and the democratic party, 
to which he gave his support, elected him to the office of state senator. He gave 
careful consideration to all the varied questions which came up for settlement 
and never hesitated to stanchly support a measure in the justice of which he 
l)elieved. Llis life commended him to the confidence and goodwill of all, and 
although nearly two decades have come and gone since he passed away, those wlio 
knew him yet cherish his memory, while the part which he played in the develop- 
ment of this section of the state will not soon be forgotten. 



HENRY ATKINSON HOLDREGE. 

\ 

Henry Atkinson Holdrege, general manager of the Omaha Electric Light & 
Power Company, in which position he is bending his energies to administrative 
direction and executive control of one of the leading corporate interests of the 
city, has throughout his entire business career made wise use of his time, talents 
and opportunities and each forward step has brought to him a broader outlook. 
He was born in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1873, ^ son of George W. Holdrege, 
who is general manager of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Company 
with headquarters at Omaha and who is represented elsewhere in this work. 

The establishment of the family home in Omaha during the early boyhood of 
Henry A. Holdrege led to his becoming a public school pupil here and for advanced 
training he returned to his native city, entering the Massachusetts Institute of 
Technology, from which he was graduated in 1895 with the degree of Bachelor 
of Science. His excellent work and high scholarship in that institution are 
indicated in the fact that he was retained there as a teacher in the laboratory for 
a year. He then went to Chicago and from 1896 until 1903 was with the Chicago 
Telephone Company, in which connection his increasing powers and trustworthi- 
ness led to his advance until he was occupying the position of district manager 




HENRY A. HOLDREGE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 273 

when he resigned. In 1903 he went to Council Bluffs, Iowa, as manager of the 
Citizens Gas & Electric Company and on the ist of January, 1904, was transferred 
to the Omaha Electric Light & Power Company as general manager. This 
position of large responsibility he is now filling and under his control the business 
has been thoroughly systematized and so developed that maximum results are 
achieved with a minimum expenditure of time, labor and material. He is now one 
of the directors of the company, also of the Citizens Gas & Electric Company of 
Council Bluff's, and is the president of the Hoeschen Manufacturing Company of 
Omaha. 

At Belmont, Massachusetts, on the 26th of September, 1899, was celebrated 
the marriage of Mr. Holdrege and Miss Annie Mumford Hunt, a daughter of the 
late Charles F. Hunt, and they now have three children, Emily, George Chandler 
and Charles Francis. The family attend the Unitarian church. Mr. Holdrege 
votes with the republican party and he is identified with the leading organizations 
which figure most prominently in the social life of the city, being a member of 
the Omaha, University, Omaha Country and Athletic Clubs and the Council 
Bluffs Rowing Association. He is also a member of the Commercial Club. 
Alert and enterprising, he is watchful of every opportunity pointing to broader 
activity along business lines, and each step in his career has brought him a 
broader outlook and wider opportunities. 



W. SCOTT KING. 



W. Scott King, president of the King-Rohrbough Company, was bom in 
Omaha, January 19, 1862, and is a representative of one of its oldest and best 
known pioneer families. His paternal grandfather was a native of Virginia and 
on removing westward settled at Springfield, Illinois, where his remaining days 
were passed. A great-grandfather of W. Scott King served as a soldier in the 
Revolutionary war. His father, Jacob King, was born in Springfield, Illinois, 
in 1832 and devoted his life to the occupation of farming. In August, 1856, 
he removed to Omaha, then a small frontier town of little commercial or industrial 
importance save that it was an outfitting station for travelers across the plains. 
In Omaha he wedded Christina Peterson and they remained residents of this 
city until called to the home beyond, the former passing away in 1910 and the 
latter in 1912. 

In the schools of Omaha W. Scott King began his education and also received 
private instruction in civil engineering. His life has been devoted to professional 
activity along that line since 1881 and he has been more and more largely con- 
nected with important engineering projects as the years have gone on. He has 
become recognized as an authority upon many m.atters relating to his profession 
and from 1881 until 1887 he was connected as a civil engineer with the Union 
Pacific Railroad Company. In 1887 when the construction of the Union Stock 
Yards was begun Mr. King became chief engineer and superintendent of con- 
struction and continued to hold both of those positions until 1907 when he 
resigned. During this time the greater portion of the present yards was con- 
structed. At the present time he is a consulting engineer, practicing as president 
of the King-Rohrbough Company, which occupies a position of leadership in 

engineering circles. 

In Elkhorn, Douglas county, Nebraska, on the 4th of January, 1888, Mr Kmg 
was married to Miss Margaret C. Hall, a daughter of the late Edward Hall, 
and they have become the parents of five children, Howard S., Fred W., Vera B., 
Ralph H. and Margaret. 

The religious faith of the parents is that of the Episcopal church. Mr. Kmg 
is well known in Masonic circles as both a York and Scottish Rite Mason and as 
a member of the Mystic Shrine. He also has membership with the Elks and he 



274 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

belongs to the Nebraska Territorial Pioneers and the Douglas County Associa- 
tion of Nebraska Pioneers. In politics he is a stalwart republican and for five 
or six years he filled the office of city engineer of South Uniaha, while in 1896 
he was chosen county engineer of Douglas county, but after one year resigned to 
concentrate his energies upon the private practice of his profession, in which 
he has steadily advanced to a place of leadership. 



ROBERT LEVI CARTER. 

Robert Levi Carter, president of the Omaha Sheet Metal Company, has been 
engaged in that line of business in Omaha since 1886 and has conducted an 
independent enterprise since June, 1889, thus becoming a well known factor in 
the industrial circles of the city. He was born in Sparta, Illinois, November 16, 
1865, a son of Robert Levi and Mary E. (Johaningsmier) Carter, who were 
married in Illinois. The father was born in North Carolina in 1822 and passed 
away in Illinois in 1879, while his wadow, long surviving him, died in Omaha in 

1903. 

After attending the public schools in southern Illinois Robert L. Carter 
continued his education in a college at Carbondale, Illinois, but did not graduate. 
Crossing the threshold of business life, he learned the sheet metal worker's 
trade in Mason City, Iowa, and in 1886 came to Omaha, where he sought and 
secured employment in that line. He was ambitious, however, to engage in 
business on his own account and in June, 1889, entered into partnership with 
Edward McBrien under the firm name of McBrien & Carter. They established 
a sheet metal shop at No. 1 10 South Eleventh street and the partnership continued 
for more than two years, at the end of which time Mr. Carter bought out the 
interests of Mr. McBrien. In 1909 the business was incorporated under the 
name of the Carter Sheet Metal Works and Mr. Carter became the president 
and executive head. In this connection he has since directed the policy and 
course of the business, which has steadily grown until it is now a large and profit- 
able productive industry of Omaha. In 1916 the firm name was changed to the 
Omaha Sheet Metal Company. 

On the 8th of January, 1891, in Omaha, Mr. Carter was united in marriage to 
Miss Henrietta Sherry and they have become the parents of three children, Mary 
Alice, Irene and Ruth Louise. The parents are Episcopalians in religious faith, 
holding membership in Trinity Cathedral, in which Mr. Carter is serving as 
vestryman. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and 
fraternally he is connected with the Odd Fellows and the Woodmen of America. 
He is a life member of the Athletic Club of Omaha and belongs also to the 
Ak-Sar-Ben and the Commercial and Rotary Clubs, oiganizations which have 
to do with the upbuilding, substantial improvement and progress of the city. He 
manifests the same spirit of progressiveness in relation to public affairs that 
he has displayed in his private life and it is a well known fact that in his business 
career he has advanced steadily from the work bench to the position which he now 
occupies as president of a profitable and growing business concern of Omaha. 



HON. JOHN E. REAGAN. 

A member of the Omaha bar and a well known leader in democratic circles is 
Hon. John E. Reagan, whose especial concern in public affairs has always been 
manifest in efforts for the upbuilding and development of his city although he 
never sought nor held office himself until 1910. He was born in St. Louis, 
Missouri, in 1867 and, as the family name indicates, comes of Irish ancestry. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 275 

His paternal grandfather, Thomas Reagan, hved and died in County Kerry, 
Ireland. His father, Michael Reagan, who was born in that county in 1822, 
came to the United States in 1848, settling first in Philadelphia. He afterward 
removed to Pittsburgh, where he remained for a year, and then went to St. 
Louis, Missouri. He came to Omaha in 1893 and there passed away in 1898. 
He devoted much of his life to farming and during the Civil war did service as a 
freighter. He was married in Davenport, Iowa, in i860 to Miss Mary Farrell, 
who died in Omaha in 1906. 

John E. Reagan pursued his education in the country schools of Adair county, 
Iowa, while spending his youthful days upon his father's farm and afterward 
attended the Teachers' Normal at Greenfield, Iowa, being graduated therefrom 
with the class of 1885. He took up the profession of teaching, which he followed 
for four years in Adair county, and then came to Omaha, where he established a 
little grocery store. While engaged in the conduct of his store he began the 
study of law and became one of the incorporators of the Omaha School of Law, 
now a department of Omaha University. He was admitted to the bar in 1897 
and has since specialized in handling estates, being thoroughly versed in land 
values and in all matters pertaining to his specialty. In practicing along that 
line he has traveled all over the United States and Europe in the interests of his 
clients. 

In Omaha, on the loth of June, 1902, Mr. Reagan was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret C. Cannon, a daughter of the late Martin Cannon, and they have 
become the parents of four children, Adesta, Patricia, Margaret Clare and 
Frances Mary. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Mr. 
Reagan holds membership with the Friendly Sons of Ireland, the Improved 
Order of Red Men and the Moose. In politics he is a stalwart democrat but 
while long an active party worker he did not seek nor hold office until 1910, 
when he was elected to represent the sixth senatorial district, embracing Douglas 
county, in the upper house of the Nebraska general assembly, where he proved 
a strong and influential member, putting forth tireless effort to secure the adoption 
of laws favored by his constituents. He was a member of the first charter board 
of Omaha and he has served at different times both as chairman and secretary of 
the Douglas county democratic central committee. He is a fluent and earnest 
speaker and a forceful reasoner and his opinions carry weight with many. 



FAY J. UEHLING. 



Fay J. Uehling, closely connected with insurance interests in Omaha as 
secretary and manager of the Commonwealth Life Company, was born at 
Scribner, Nebraska, September 23, 1881, a son of Fred and Marie F. (Kroeger) 
Uehling, the former a native of Wisconsin and the latter of Germany. At an 
early period in the development of this state the father came to Nebraska and 
first settled in Dodge county. He drove a freight team from Omaha and 
remained in Dodge county for sixteen years, being closely identified with its 
early development and progress. He settled at Scribner, where he established a 
furniture business, which he conducted for a short time. He afterward removed 
to Oakland, Burt county, where he engaged in the gAin and lumber business, 
and in 1901 he retired from active connection with commercial interests, passing 
away in March, 19 14, at the age of sixty years, his last days having been spent in 
Omaha. His widow, who was born in Germany, in March, 1858. is now living in 
Omaha. In their family were eight children, two of whom have passed away. 
Fay J. was the second in order of birth. The others who still survive are: 
Mrs. W. H. Bosse, of Meadow Grove, Nebraska; Emil M., also residing at 



276 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Meadow Grove; Mrs. Henrietta Bloodhcart, of Sioux City, Iowa; Fred H., of 
Omaha; and Dorothy, hvin<,'- in Omaha. 

In his youthful days h"ay J. Uchhng attended the schools of Oakland, 
Nebraska, and passed through consecutive grades to the senior year in the high 
school. He afterward entered the Normal College at Fremont, Nebraska, and 
when his education was comi)letcd he started out in the business world, securing 
a position with the liolmquisl Grain & Lumber L^ompany, with which he remained 
for about four years. He then began business on his own account at JJloom- 
held, Nebraska, as a lumber merchant and remained at that point for three years, 
at the end of which time he became connected with the First National Bank of 
illoomheld and was active in the banking business there for seven years. On the 
expiration of that period he sold out and became identified with the Common- 
wealth Life Insurance Company, of which he was one of the organizers. The 
business was established in 1909 and since entering upon active operations in the 
insurance held in 1910 has had a wonderful growth. The officers of the company 
are: Frans Nelson, president; George I. Parker and Paul Wupper, vice presi- 
dents; and Fay J. Uehling secretary. The business was established along safe 
and conservative yet progressive lines and the affairs of the company have been 
so conducted that its career has been one of increasing success. 

On the 3d of August, 1904, Mr. Uehling was united in marriage to Miss 
Maude L. Chambers, of Ponca, Nebraska, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Dayton 
Chambers, and they have one child. Fay Lucille, who was born in Bloomfield, 
Nebraska, January 13, 1907, and is now attending school in Omaha. 

The parents are members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Uehling is a Master 
Mason, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit of the craft. In politics 
he is a democrat and keeps well informed on the questions and issues of the 
day. He stands high in public regard as a substantial business man, a respected 
citizen and a faithful friend and he is rich in the possession of those character- 
istics which in every land and clime awaken confidence and regard. 



RUBERT E. ROGERS. 



Rubert E. Rogers, who was long active in the development of the live stock 
mdustry in Omaha and the upbuilding of the Omaha Stock Yards, continued an 
active factor in business circles of the city to the time of his death, which occurred 
May 31, 1916. Fie was then sixty-one years of age, his birth having occurred 
at Tackbear Farms, in Devonshire, England. 

While spending his youthful days in the home of his parents, Nicholas and 
Lovedy (Jewell) Rogers, he pursued his education in the public schools. He was 
still quite young when he came to America, making his way to Pennsylvania, 
while later he resided in Oilman, Illinois, prior to his removal to Nebraska in 188 r. 
On coming to this state he took up his abode at Gibbon, on the Union Pacific Rail- 
road, purchased land and engaged in the cattle business at that point for about 
twelve years. He resided two years at Grand Island, where he devoted his atten- 
tion to the work of looking up loans, passing on cattle and other such activities 
in connection with the interests of Shelly, Rogers & Company at South Omaha, 
of which firm he became a partner about 1891. In 1895 he removed with his 
family to Omaha. The firm of Shelly, Rogers & Company later went out of 
business and Mr. Rogers immediately organized the Omaha Live Stock Commis- 
sion Company of which he became president and directing head. The firm still con- 
ducts an extensive business, for at the death of the father his interests were 
taken over by his sons and the business is still carried on under the name of the 
Omaha Live Stock Company. Mr. Rogers remained active in the business until 
191 1 and was a most prominent factor in the development of the stock yards 
and the great packing house industries which have contributed so much to the 





•RU15ERT E. ROGERS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 279 

growth, progress and prosperity of the city. He was a most excellent judge of 
cattle and his opinions were sought by many. There v/as no phase of the business 
with which he was not familiar and his sound judgment, keen discrimination 
and unfaltering enterprise were manifest in the substantial success that rewarded 
his efforts. 

In Oilman, Illinois, in 1888, Mr. Rogers was united in marriage to Miss Alice 
Margaret Tibbey, of London, England, a daughter of William and Margaret 
(McPherson) Tibbey, the former a native of England and the latter of Scotland. 
Mr. and Mrs. Rogers became the parents of two sons and a daughter : Arthur E., 
who is married and has three children ; Bryant C, who is married and has one 
child; and Daisy B., the wife of Charles E. Olson. 

Mr. Rogers was a loyal member of the Masonic fraternity and he belonged 
also to the Field Club of Omaha. He exercised his right of franchise in support 
of the men and measures of the republican party and was mterested in all meas- 
ures relative to the public good. His was a strong character and his many sub- 
stantial qualities fitted him for leadership. Dependent upon his own resources 
from an early age, he steadily worked his way upward, making wise use of his 
time and talents and readily utilizing opportunities that others passed heedlessly 
by. There was no esoteric phase in all his business career but a straightforward- 
ness of purpose that made him one of the honored and respected citizens of 
Omaha. 



ALBERT C. KUGEL. 



Albert C. Kugel, filling the position of city commissioner in Omaha, in which 
connection he is superintendent of the important department of police, sanitation 
and public safety, was born in London, England, on the 8th of February, 1867, 
a son of John F. and Emily (Albrecht) Kugel. The father's birth occurred in 
Mochmel, Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1838 and in London, England, he wedded 
Emily Albrecht. In 1872 they sailed for Canada and two weeks after reaching 
American shores the mother passed away in Toronto. In 1874 Mr. Kugel 
removed to Chicago and in 1877 became a resident of New York city. In 1880 
he established his home at Harlan, Shelby county, Iowa, and for five years 
engaged in farming, although he was a cabinetmaker by trade and devoted much 
of his life to that pursuit. In 1885 he came to Omaha. For more than a quarter 
of a century he continued his residence here, passing away in the year 191 1. 

Albert C. Kugel largely acquired his education in the schools of New York 
city and never had the privilege of pursuing a college course. At the age of 
twenty years he secured a team and began farming on rented land in Shelby 
county, Iowa. After a year, however, he came to Omaha and here learned the 
plumbers' trade, subsequent to which time he engaged in the plumbing business 
until elected to his present office. He was for eight years financial secretary of 
the Plumber's Union of Omaha and for several years was a delegate in the Cen- 
tral Labor Union of Omaha, by which he was sent as a delegate to the convention 
of the American Federation of Labor held in Norfolk, Virginia. He sei-ved out an 
unexpired term as city plumbing inspector in the early '90s but did not again seek 
or hold office until elected a member of 'the city council from the tenth ward of 
Omaha. He has twice been reelected under the commission form of government 
and became superintendent of the department of police, sanitation and public 
safety, now having supervision of those important departments of the public 
life. His political allegiance has ever been given to the republican party since 
age conferred upon him the right of franchise and his efforts have been untiring 
in the advancement of its interests. 

On the 8th of November, 1893, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Kugel was united 
in marriage to Miss Hattie Petersen. They have two children, Mildred Alberta 



280 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

and Charles Frederick. Mr. and J\lrs. Kugel hold membership in the Episcopal 
church and he is a well known York and Scottish Rite Mason and member of the 
Mystic Shrine. He also belongs to the Fdks lodge and along strictly social lines 
is identified with the Automobile Club and the Seymour Lake Club. That he 
has deep concern for the public welfare is indicated not only in his official service 
but also in his membership in the Commercial Club and his hearty cooperation in 
all its plans and projects toward upholding those interests which are a matter 
of civic virtue and civic pride. 



WILLIAM JOSEPH McCRANN, M. D. 

Dr. William Joseph McCrann, a physician of high professional attainments, 
was born in Louisville, Kentucky, March 31, 1855. His father, John McCrann, 
a native of County Sligo, Ireland, was born in 1830 and came to the United 
States in 1851. Two years later he was married in Louisville, Kentucky, and 
there he met an accidental death in i860. His widow long survived him and 
passed away in Omaha in 1908. 

In the schools of his native city Dr. McCrann pursued his early education 
and afterward, having determined upon the practice of medicine as a life work, 
entered the Louisville Medical College, from which he was graduated with high 
honors in 1883, winning a gold medal. The following year he became assistant 
to the chair of theory and practice in the Louisville Medical College. In 1885 he 
was appointed attending physician to St. Vincent's Orphanage, a Catholic institu- 
tion in Louisville, under the management of the Sisters of Nazareth of Ken- 
tucky, and containing several hundred children. He was also physician to the 
house of the Loretto Sisters of St. Bridget and to the Sisters of Charity as early 
as 1884. 

In 1889 Dr. McCrann left Kentucky and removed to Tecumseh, Nebraska, 
where he practiced until 1892, when he removed to South Omaha, there resid- 
ing until 191 2, when he took up his abode in Omaha. His work with the religious 
orders was continued after he came to this state and during his residence in South 
Omaha for fourteen years he was attending physician to the Sisters of Provi- 
dence. Also in 1894, when the Convent of the Good Shepherd was established 
in South Omaha with about five sisters and a dozen inmates, he was made phy- 
sician to that institution, which now has about two hundred and fifty inmates. 
At the present time he devotes most of his practice to the treatment of diseases 
of women and children and has attained a high degree of efficiency in that 
field. He has admitted his son, Dr. W. J. McCrann, Jr., to a partnership and 
they occupy a foremost position in the ranks of the medical fraternity in Omaha. 

On the 23d of April, 1884, in Louisville, Kentucky, Dr. McCrann was joined 
in wedlock to Miss ]\Iary C. T. Hannon, daughter of the late Patrick Hannon. 
To them have been born three sons and eleven daughters, all of whom still 
survive with the exception of the eldest son and the eldest daughter. The son 
John C, was accidentally killed in Honolulu in January, 191 3, while in the 
service of the government. Another son. Dr. W. J. McCrann, Jr., was born in 
Tecumseh, Nebraska, May 21, 1891, and after completing his preparatory work 
in Creighton University entered the Louisville Medical College, from which 
his father had graduated many years before. The son completed his course there 
with honors in 19 12 and in competitive examination won the appointment to the 
position of interne in the city hospital. With the close of his year's service in 
that position he joined his father in active practice in Omaha. The third son, 
Patrick, is attending the Creighton Medical College and expects to complete his 
course in medicine in 1918. The wife and mother, Mrs. Mary (Hannon) Mc- 
Crann, is a woman of great ability in art and music and although the mother of 
fourteen children has found time to cultivate her talent. She has made an unusual 




DR. WILLIAM J. McCRANN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 283 

record, as she has served for twenty-five years of her married life as organist and 
choir director, having officiated as organist in St. Agnes' church at South Omaha 
for ten years before the removal of the family to Omaha. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Catholic church and Dr. Mc- 
Crann holds membership with the Knights of Columbus, the Ancient Order of 
Hibernians and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. He has represented 
the Hibernians and also the Young Men's Institute, the Ancient Order of United 
Workmen and the democratic party in national conventions. He has taken an 
active part in community affairs and for eight years was president of the South 
Omaha Commercial Club. His political endorsement is given the democratic 
party, which he has supported since age conferred upon him the right of fran- 
chise. For a time he filled the office of county physician of Douglas county 
and before leaving Louisville he served on the board of health of that city. He 
has been a delegate to many city, county, state and national fraternal and political 
conventions and has always taken an active part in democratic politics. It is said 
that every man has hobbies and Dr. McCrann's are perhaps music, or, as he says, 
something with sound or noise in it, and children. He has always been deeply 
interested in the welfare of children and in fact has put forth effort in many 
instances for the benefit of mankind. 



JOSEPH B. HUMMEL. 



On the list of Omaha's city commissioners appears the name of Joseph B. 
Hummel, who is superintendent of parks and public property. He does not 
belong to that class of new arrivals who sometimes capture a city by storm and 
enter upon a spectacular phase of existence but is on the contrary almost a 
lifelong resident of Omaha and one whose worth ■ fia? .been established in the 
long years of his residence here. He was brought to Omaha in 1863, when but six 
months old. His birth occurred in Yankton, South Dakota, September 8, 1862, 
being a son of John and Ellen (Fischer), .Hummel, natives of Germany, in 
which country they were reared and married. The. father was born in 1826 and in 
early life learned the cabinetmaker's trade. In 1852 he brougjit his family to 
the United States and in 1856 became a resident of Omaha. Later he removed 
to South Dakota and eventually returned to Omaha, where his remaining days 
were passed, his death occurring in 1894, while his wife was called to her final 
rest in 1896. 

In the public schools of Omaha Joseph B. Hummel acquired his education and 
started in the business world as a building contractor, in which connection he 
made steady progress, but the public recognized his ability. and called him to 
office, since which time he has been almost continuously in the public service. 
He was elected a member of city council and acted in that capacity for three 
years. He was then chosen one of the new city commissioners and such was the 
excellence of his record that when he again became a ca-ndidate for the office he 
received the highest vote of any man on the ticket, polling twenty-two hundred 
more votes than the next highest candidate in May, 191 5. He is superintendent 
of parks and public property and he has thoroughly studied every question relat- 
ing to his specific duties and has given to the city the benefit of faithful, loyal and 
capable service. Before becoming councilman he was street commissioner of 
Omaha from 1900 until 1906 and over the record of his official career there falls 
no shadow of wrong nor suspicion of evil. 

On November 5, 1902, in Omaha, Mr. Hummel was married to Miss 
Josephine Myers and they have become parents of two sons, Joe Lyman and 
Frank. Mr. Hummel is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks 
and he has always given his political allegiance to the republican party since age 
conferred upon him the right of franchise. He has made his home in this city 



284 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

for fifty-four years and comparatively few of its residents are more familiar with 
its history or have longer been a witness of the changes which have occurred. 
His memory goes back to the time when he gathered hazelnuts within a block of 
the site of the present city hall, little dreaming that he would one day become one 
of the commissioners of a great metropolitan center. Times were hard and 
money scarce at that period, and he remembers going with his mother down to 
the river bank when a steamboat anchored at the foot of Douglas street and his 
mother there paid thirty-six dollars for a barrel of flour. His entire life has 
been characterized by certain admirable qualities, among which is unfaltering 
honesty. He has made it a point to pay his debts promptly and never to interfere 
in the affairs of others. That the course which he has pursued is a wise one is 
indicated in the high regard entertained for him by those who know him, his circle 
of friends being almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance in Omaha. 



ALFRED J. BEATON. 



Alfred J. Beaton, a furniture dealer of Omaha for many years, continuing 
active in that field up to the time of his death, was well known and highly 
respected by reason of the many sterling traits of character which were manifest 
throughout his entire business career. He was born on Prince Edward Island, 
Canada, April 22, 1872, and passed away on the 24th of February, 1916. His 
parents were Allen and Mary (McDonald) Beaton, who removed from Canada 
to Omaha, where the father engaged in the lumber and coal business, spending 
his remaining days in this city. 

Alfred J. Beaton completed his education in Omaha by a course of study in 
Creighton University and throughout his entire business career he was connected 
with commercial pursuits. He first entered mercantile circles as an employ of 
the Omaha Carpet Company and later he bought out the mercantile business of 
the J. L. Baker Company, which had succeeded to the business of the Shiverick 
Furniture Company. On acquiring the interests of the Baker Company i\Ir. 
Beaton organized the Miller, Stewart & Beaton Company, which in 1907 removed 
its store from Fourteenth and Faniam streets to a business block on Sixteenth 
street, betweent Harney and Howard streets. This is the present location of the 
Beaton & Laier Company, which firm was founded in 1912, Mr. Beaton becoming 
its president. Mrs. Beaton still continues the business which he established and 
displays marked capability and sagacity in carrying on the undertaking. 

In Omaha Mr. Beaton was united in marriage to Miss Miriam Edith Orcutt, 
daughter of the late Clinton D. Orcutt. To this union were born two children, 
Orcutt and Anna Jane. Mr. Beaton belonged to St. Cecelia's Catholic church 
and along strictly social lines he had membership with the Omaha and the 
Country Clubs. He was a very active business man and enjoyed the confidence 
and goodwill of colleagues and contemporaries in an unusual degree. For two 
years prior to his death he was ill and was obliged to remain at home, passing 
away when but forty-three years of age. His worth was widely acknowledged 
by all who came in contact with him and in trade circles of the city he made for 
himself a very enviable position. 



LeROY CRUMMER, M. D. 

This is an age of specialization. Expert investigation has led to the concen- 
tration of activity along a single line of professional endeavor rather than the 
disposition of one's energies over a broader field. While well versed in the 
general principles of medicine and surgery. Dr. LeRoy Crummer, in common 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 285 

with the tendency of the age, is giving his attention especially to diagnosis and 
his work in that direction is notably successful. He was born in Elizabeth, 
Illinois, April 15, 1872, a son of Dr. ijcnjamin F. Crummer, also a native of that 
place, born in 1848, who in his early twenties married Mary Louise Donkersley, 
born in New England. Dr. Benjamin F. Crummer had prepared for a profes- 
sional career as a medical student in the University of Michigan, from which he 
was graduated in 1869. In 1888 they removed to Omaha, where he remained 
in active and successful practice until his death, January 23, 1907. 

Dr. LeRoy Crummer received his early education in the public schools of 
Warren, Illinois, and afterward attended the Omaha high school, from which he 
was graduated in 1889. Whether inherited tendency, environment or natural 
predilection had most to do with his choice of a profession it is perhaps impossible 
to determine. He was in a measure "to the manner born" and the work of his 
father perhaps influenced him to turn his attention in the direction in which he 
has since won notable and creditable success. After receiving his Bachelor of 
Science degree from the University of Michigan, in 1893, he entered the medical 
school of the Northwestern University at Chicago and there completed his course 
in 1896. He has, however, always been a close and discriminating student of his 
profession, embracing every opportunity whereby he might promote his knowl- 
edge and advance his efficiency. He has been engaged in practice as a specialist 
in diagnosis since 1897 and has taken post graduate work in Vienna, Berlin, 
Frank fort-on-the-Main, London and Zurich. 

Dr. Crummer is a republican in politics, is a member of the University Club, 
the Country Club and the Omaha Club,, but all of these interests are side issues 
in a life of intense activity in his profession. In addition to a large private 
practice he is serving as professor of clinical medicine in the University of 
Nebraska at Omaha. He has been president of the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society, and is a member also of the Missouri Valley Medical Society, 
the Nebraska State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. 



HON. JAMES A. C. KENNEDY. 

Hon. James A. C. Kennedy, an attorney of Omaha, Nebraska, was born 
October 31, 1876, in the city in which he still resides. He comes of Irish ancestry, 
his grandfather being Thomas Kennedy, a native of County Tipperary, Ireland, 
who in early manhood came to the United States and spent his last days in 
New York city. Thomas Kennedy, father of James A. C. Kennedy, was born 
in Kentucky in 1848 and at the outbreak of the Civil war enlisted m an Ohio 
regiment, with which he served for two years in defense of the Union, when 
illness incapacitated him for further duties. In Zanesville, Ohio, he married 
Anna M. Kennedy and in 1872 they removed to Omaha, where Mr. Kennedy 
passed away in 1883, his death resulting from conditions brought about by his 
military experience. His widow survives and is yet living in Omaha. 

Reared under the parental roof and attending the public schools and Creighton 
College, James A. C. Kennedy, at the age of fifteen years, was compelled to put 
aside his books and made his initial step in the business world as a messenger 
boy in the First National Bank. Fidelity and ability won him promotion and 
by the close of his seven years connection with that institution he had risen to 
the position of bank bookkeeper. While working in the bank he devotedhis 
evening hours to the study of law but with the outbreak of the Spanish-American 
war in April, 1898, he responded to the Country's call for troops, enlisting as a 
private in Company G, Second Nebraska \'olunteer Infantry, which company 
was known as the Omaha Guards. A month later he was promoted to the rank 
of first lieutenant and later was appointed judge advocate and ordinance officer 
of the regiment, so continuing until mustered out at Fort Omaha at the close of 



286 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the war on the nth of November, 1898. Mr. Kennedy had previous mihtary 
training as a member of the State Militia (Omaha Guards) from 1895 until 1898 
with which company he served as private, corporal and sergeant. 

Following his return to Omaha, Mr. Kennedy resumed his study of law, 
completing his course in 1900 in the University of Nebraska. He then entered 
upon the practice of his profession, which he is now following as junior partner 
in the firm of Mahoney & Kennedy. Earnest effort, close application and the 
exercise of his native talents have won him prestige as a lawyer at a bar that 
niunbers many eminent and prominent men. An excellent presence, marked 
strength of character and a thorough grasp of the law with the ability to correctly 
apply its principles make him an effective and successful advocate and his 
clientage is now large and of an important character. He has also become con- 
nected as directot- and stockholder with several important commercial enterprises 
of Omaha. 

On the ist of June, 1905, in Omaha, Mr. Kennedy was united in marriage to 
Miss Caroline Purvis, a daughter of Robert Purvis, and their children are Ann- 
Marie, Jean and James A. C, Jr. 

Mr. Kennedy is a Catholic in religious faith, and in club circles he is well 
known, belonging to the University, Om.aha and Country Clubs and also to the 
Commercial Club. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective 
Order of Elks. The democratic party finds in him a stalwart advocate and in 
1903 he was elected on its ticket to the state legislature from Douglas county. 
In the same year he became deputy county attorney of Douglas county, which 
position he occupied for two years, and in 1906 he was appointed referee in 
bankruptcy under the late Judge William H. Munger and continued as a referee 
for ten years. In 1916 he was selected as one of the Nebraska delegates to the 
democratic national convention at St. Louis. 

Mr. Kennedy is general attorney in Nebraska for the Missouri Pacific Rail- 
road Company and represents various other important corporations and private 
interests in the practice of his profession, in connection with which he has won 
notable distinction. 



JOHN EDWIN VON DORN. 

John Edwin von Dorn, a member of the Omaha bar, specializing in civil law 
practice, was bom September 10, 1872, at 17th and Harney streets in the city 
in which he makes his home, his parents being Theodore L. and Mary C. (Parker) 
von Dorn. The father was born in Chester, New Jersey, August 17, 1844, and the 
mother's birth occurred in Cincinnati, Ohio, June 15, 1845. They were married 
in Sedalia, Missouri, September 9, 1871. Eight years before Air. von Dorn had 
come to the middle west, establishing his home in Omaha, and throughout his 
remaining days he continued a resident of this city, covering a period of forty- 
four years, his death occurring August 17, 1907. He was a highly educated man. 
He saw active service in the Civil war, was severely injured in the battle of 
Fredericksburg and upon leaving the hospital removed to Omaha, hoping to regain 
his health in the west. He was one of the party which first surveyed the route 
of the Union Pacific Railroad and afterward engaged in the machinery and foun- 
dry' business at No. 1410 Harney street, in the rear of Tom Murray's famous junk 
shop, which property he owned. At length the effects of his injuries received 
in the war compelled him to give up his business. He built the first apartment 
house in Omaha, which was known as the Von Dorn block and was located at 
No. 816 South Twenty-second street. He was well known to all the pioneers 
of Omaha and took an active part in all public affairs. His widow survived until 
January 2"], 1916, when she, too, was called to her final rest. 




JOHN E. VON DORN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 289 

John E. von Dorn attended the Omaha schools and Bellevue College and in 
early life took up tlie study of telegraphy. When but fourteen years of age 
he became agent and telegrapher for the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad 
ofifice at Turlington, Nebraska, remaining with that road for two years. He then 
went with the Northern Pacific Railroad as agent and operator, being employed 
in those capacities at several places until 1893. He afterward spent eight months 
with the Union Pacific Railroad and on attaining his majority turned his atten- 
tion to the study of law. He had become convinced that if he made the progress 
he desired he must qualify for some other line of work and through a consider- 
able period he devoted every moment that he could spare from business interests 
to mastering the principles of jurisprudence. It was necessary, however, that he 
provide for his own support throughout the period of his preparation and in 
1900 he entered the grain business, which he carried on until 1008. The follow- 
ing year he was admitted to practice at Lincoln and has since followed his profes- 
sion, devoting his attention exclusively to civil law. 

Mr. von Dorn has been married twice. On the 7th of April, 1896, in Papillion, 
Nebraska, he wedded Louise Miller, a daughter of David Miller, and they had a 
son, John Edwin, born February 7, 1901. On the 5th of September, 191 1, in 
Glenwood, Iowa, Mr. von Dorn was united in marriage to Miss Nellie Rubin, a 
daughter of Louis and Flora (Rothholz) Rubin, of Omaha, who, however, are 
natives of Germany. 

In politics Mr. von Dorn is a republican, manifesting a citizen's interest in all 
public questions of moment. In Masonry he has taken the degrees of the York 
Rite and is also a member of the Alystic Shrine. Laudable ambition has brought 
him to his present creditable place in professional circles. He may truly be called 
a self-made man, for from the early age of fourteen years he has been dependent 
entirely upon his own resources. He early recognized the eternal principle that 
industry wins and industry became the beacon light of his life. He does with 
thoroughness anything that he undertakes and this characteristic, manifest in his 
preparation of his cases, is one of the strong elements in his success. 



HON. CHARLES HOWE WITHNELL. 

Hon. Charles Howe Withnell, city commissioner of Omaha and superintendent 
of fire protection and water supply, has also been connected with the manage- 
ment of such interests as a legislator. Omaha claims him as a native son. his 
birth having here occurred on the 30th of June, 1858. His father, John Withnell, 
a native of Manchester, England, was born in 1827 and came to the United 
States in the early '50s. In St. Louis he wedded Mary A. Commer, who was born 
in Somersetshire, England, and on the 12th of October, 1854, they removed to 
Omaha, then a straggling village on the western frontier. The father became a 
general contractor and was thus closely allied with the development and improve- 
ment of the city. He died in January, 1901, having long survived his wife, who 
passed away in January. 188-?. 

Reared in Omaha, Charles LI. Withnell attended its public schools and a 
business college. When his textbooks were put aside he learned the bricklayer's 
trade and in 1887 began contracting along that line. He was thus engaged until 
1903. when he was called to public office, being elected city building inspector, 
which position he capably and continuously filled until 191 2, when he was 
chosen by popular suffrage to the office of city commissioner and became super- 
intendent of the* department of fire protection and water supply. He is now 
giving his entire attention to his official duties, which are discharged most 
promptly and capably. He has ever exercised his right of franchise in support of 
democratic principles since age conferred upon him the suffrage and in 1893 

Vol. 11—12 



290 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

he was elected on the democratic ticket to represent Douglas county in the state 
legislature. 

On the 23d of May, 1888. in Malvern, Towa, Mr. Wilhnell was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Alfarctta J. Cleaver and their children are John h2. and Kent 
Charles. The former married Sybil Robinson and the latter son married Miss 
Bessie Ahlquist. Air. and Mrs. Withnell hold membership ni the Episcopal 
church and he is also identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks 
and the Fraternal Order of Eagles. He has continuously held office in Omaha 
for thirteen years and the record which he has made is an excellent one, for at 
all times he stands firmly in support of his honest convictions, subordinating per- 
sonal aggrandizement to the general good and partisanship to the public welfare. 



HERBERT H. FISH. 



Herbert H. Fish, vice president and general manager of the Western News- 
paper Union and a resident of Omaha, was born in Oxford, New York, in 18^0 
and is a representative of one of the old families of the Empire state. His 
grandfather, Selah H. Fish, was born at Fishkill, New York, in 1815, came of 
Holland ancestry and passed away in 1887. John J. Fish, father of Herbert H. 
Fish, was born in Cooperstown, New York, in 1845, ^^^^ is now a resident of 
Neenah, Wisconsin. 

It was there that Herbert H. Fish acquired his public school education, 
supplemented by study in the Lake Forest University at Lake Forest, Illinois. 
In 1888 he returned to Neenah and entered the office of the Wisconsin Central 
Railroad Company, by which he was employed until 1893, when he became a 
resident of Nebraska. Settling at Lincoln, he secured a position with the 
Western Newspaper Union and two years later was transferred to the Chicago 
office, where he remained for six years. In the latter part of 1900 he came to 
Omaha and in 1903 became secretary of the business at this point, serving in 
that capacity until September, 1916, when he was elected vice president and 
general manager. He is active in controlling the interests of that great organiza- 
tion which in its splendidly developing system is disseminating news all over the 
country to hundreds of papers, while its news gatherers are known in every sec- 
tion of the world. Twenty-three years' connection with the Newspaper Union 
indicates the value of Mr. Fish's service, his business qualities being especially 
adapted for the responsible interests now under his control. 

In his political views Mr. Fish is a stalwart republican with firm belief in the 
principles of the party. He is prominently known in club circles, beng identified 
with the Omaha Commercial, Field, Rotary, Happy Hollow and Omaha Athletic 
Clubs of Omaha and with the Union League Club of Chicago. 



HARRISON CROSBY BROME. 

Harrison Crosby Brome, for twenty-nine years an active member of the 
Omaha bar, is a man of strong purpose and in the utilization of the talents and 
powers with which nature endowed him he has worked his way upward to a 
position of distinction in the practice of law. He was born upon a farm in 
Sullivan county, New York, March 8, 1856, a son of Levi and Mary E. (Hill) 
Brome and a grandson of the Rev. Philip C. Brome, a native of England, who 
became a minister of the Primitive Baptist church. He founded the family in 
the new world and passed away in the state of New York. Levi Brome was 
bom in Sullivan county, New York, in 1821 and in 1880 removed westward 
with his family to Norfolk, Nebraska, where he resided until 1903. He and his 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 291 

wife then became residents of Butte, Montana, where their remaining days 
were passed. Throughout the entire period of his active business career Levi 
Brome followed the occupation of farming. 

Reared upon the home farm in Sullivan county, New York, with the usual 
environment and opportunities of the farm bred boy, Harrison C. Brome took up 
the profession of teaching after mastering the branches of learning taught in the 
district schools. He devoted his attention to that profession in New York 
between the ages of seventeen and twenty- two years and while thus engaged 
utilized his leisure hours for the study of law. In 1878 he became a resident of 
Cass county, Nebraska, where he engaged in teaching through the succeeding 
winter, and he also became a law student in the office of Sam M. Chapman, of 
Plattsmouth, Nebraska. He was there admitted to practice in March, 1879, and 
in May of that year opened an office at Stanton, Nebraska. In November, 1881, 
he removed to Norfolk, Nebraska, and became associated with A. J. Durland in the 
practice of his profession under the firm style of Brome & Durland, an association 
that was maintained until 1885, when the junior partner retired. On the ist of 
January, 1887, Benjamin T. White and Burt Mapes joined Mr. Brome under the 
firm name of Brome, White & Mapes. That association was continued until June, 
1888, when Mr. Brome removed to Omaha and opened an office. In 1890 he 
became senior partner in the firm of Brome, Andrews & Sheehan, his associates 
being I. R. Andrews and James B. Sheehan. That connection was discontinued 
in 1893 and about the ist of January, 1894, Mr. Brome entered into partnership 
with A. H. Burnett under the firm style of Brome & Burnett. Withdrawing from 
that partnership in 1908, he is now senior partner in the firm of Brome & Brome, 
his associate being his son, Clinton. It is well known that Mr. Brome is never 
easily swerved from a course which he marks out. He possesses tenacity and 
courage and one of the strong elements of his success is the thoroughness with 
which he prepares his cases. His mind is naturally analytical and logical in its 
trend and he readily recognizes the relation between cause and effect. He is sel- 
dom, if ever, at fault in the application of a legal principle. He never seeks to 
enshroud his cause in a sentimental garb or illusion, but endeavors to present it 
in the strong, clear light of reason and thus promote the ends of justice. 

On the 7th of October, 1882, in Schuyler, Nebraska, Mr. Brome was mar- 
ried to Miss Elizabeth Thompson, a daughter of the late Martin Thompson, who 
serv^ed in a New York regiment in the Civil war. Two sons have been bom of 
this marriage : Clinton, who was born in 1884 and who was married in Omaha to 
Miss Alletta Stewart ; and Charles, who was married in Omaha to Miss Margaret 
Kennedy. She died on November 14, 1916, at Worland, Wyoming. 

The parents attend the Unitarian church and Mr. Brome exercises his right 
of franchise in support of the principles and candidates of the republican party. 
The strength of his character is a manifestation of genuine worth, a recognition 
of the obligations as well as the opportunities of life. 



CYRUS DEAN GLOVER. 

Cyrus Dean Glover, active in the field of real estate and insurance, has carried 
on business since 1912 as senior partner in the firm of Glover & Spain. His 
early training w^as along this line, for soon after leaving school he entered the real 
estate and insurance office of his father. He was born upon a farm near Long 
Pine, Nebraska, July 28, 1885, and is a son of Charles R. and Effie (Whittemore) 
Glover, who were married in Aurora, Nebraska. The father was born near 
Oberlin, Ohio, in 1849 and came to this state in early manhood. He served as 
register of the United States land office at Valentine, Nebraska, for four years and 
prior to that time organized the Brown County Bank at Long Pine, Nebraska, 
of which he remained the president for fourteen years. In 1898 he became a 



292 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

resident of Omaha and through the following decade was engaged in the real 
estate and insurance business in this city but in 1908 removed to the island of 
Cuba, where he resided until 1913, removing then to New York city, where he 
is now living retired, lie lust his first wife in 1890 and was again married in 
iS<)4, his second union being with Mollie Hawes. 

Cyrus D. Glover was a lad of nine years when the family left the home farm 
near Long Pine and removed to \'alentine, where he lived for four years and then 
came with his father to Omaha. His educational opportunities were those 
aft'orded by the public school system of the state and when his textbooks were 
put aside he joined his father in the real estate and insurance business in Omaha, 
acting as his father's assistant from 1905 until 1908, when, at the age of twenty- 
three years, he succeeded to the business. He continued alone for four years and 
in K)i2 organized the firm of Glover & Spain, in which connection he has since 
carried on his interests. He is accorded a good clientage in both departments of 
his business and conducts many important realty transfers, while at the same time 
he writes a large amount of insurance annually. He is a member of the Omaha 
Keal Estate Board and of the Building Owners and Managers Association. 

On the 22(1 of December, 1909, in Omaha, Mr. Glover was united in marriage 
tu Miss ALiry B. Fenn and to them has been born a son, Robert Dean, whose natal 
day was September 12, 191 1. 

Mr. Glover votes with the democratic party but has never been abitious to 
hold office. He belongs to the Carter Lake Club, which indicates something of 
the nature of his recreation, and his interest in community affairs and in the 
upbuilding and welfare of Omaha is indicated in his membership in the Com- 
mercial Club and the Ak-Sar-Ben. 



PETER ELVAD. 



In 1912 when Peter Elvad undertook as the leading spirit the organization 
of the new monster architectural and building construction corporation known 
as the Bankers Realty Investment Company, he became an important factor in 
Omaha's development and progress, for from that day to this, this business institu- 
tion, of which he is the president, has made its influence for the city's good one 
of constantly increasing importance. 

The great number of business buildings, large and small, and the many com- 
fortable and beautiful homes all over the city of Omaha attest to this, but by far 
the most remarkable of this company's achievements up to the present time — one 
which is recognized all over the entire country as one of the finest buildings of 
its kind in existence today — is the Omaha Blackstone Hotel. Not only did the 
Bankers Realty Investment Company design and erect this building complete in 
ever>' detail for the building owners, it is responsible for bringing the existing 
opportunity for such a building to their attention as well; so that in reality this 
company should be given full credit for the existence of an apartment hotel build- 
ing in Omaha which for architectural beauty and all around efficiency will com- 
pare favorably with the very best buildings of this type in the United States 
today. 

Not only in Omaha is the influence of the Bankers Realty Livestnient Com- 
pany at work — its business is spread all over this and neighboring states as well. 
At the present time it has contracts for and has under way over a million and 
a half dollars worth of building business in the middle western states, inclusive 
of its business in Omaha proper. 

Like many young men, America beckoned to Peter Elvad from across the 
seas, as a land of promise, and like many he came with but Httle else than faith 
and courage to this land of opportunity, to carve out by dint of hard work of 
hands and brain a fortune and a place of ht)nor. In 1904 he landed in Omaha 




PETER ELVAD 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 295 

and secured a position as a bookkeeper. He saw that America was everything it 
had promised. He studied conditions carefully and saw opportunities, many of 
them. He saw Omaha a city with a future and he determined to become a factor 
in evolving this future. 

The long gray days behind a bookkeeper's desk gave hirn plenty of opportunity 
to observe, and he, like many other successful men, realized the meaning of the 
word "service" as applied to business success, with the result that the Bankers 
Realty Investment Company stands today as one of the finest examples of a highly 
organized service-rendering institution of its kind in this section of the country. 

Mr. Elvad personally refuses to take as much of the credit for this organiza- 
tion as those who know him well say that he deserves. 'He insists that those asso- 
ciated with him accomplished the biggest part — that the big corporation, of 
which he is the head, is successful only because he has been fortunate in his choice 
of captains, lieutenants and privates. But regardless of his modesty, there can be 
no doubt in the minds of those who know him well that his star is in its ascend- 
ancy and that with his progressive mentality, his indefatigable energy, the pow- 
erful influence which he in his position can bring to bear, caused him to be a 
factor to be counted on in a big way to do much toward bringing Omaha and the 
middle west into the position which the people have so long hoped to see them 
achieve. 



HENRY BASSETTE RAMSEY. 

Henry Bassette Ramsey, representing- the Prudential Insurance Company at 
Omaha as state manager for Nebraska and South Dakota, was born in Rich- 
mond, Missouri, February 2, 1886. His great-grandfather, David Ramsey, came 
to America from Scotland and took part in the War of 1812. The grandfather, 
Joseph Ramsey, was born in Monroe, Virginia, now West Virginia, on the 27th 
of December, 1817, and served in the Confederate army during the Civil war. 
His son. James William Ramsey, the father of our subject, Avas likewise born in 
Monroe and his natal day was June 20, 1846. Ele was married to Miss Anna E. 
Brawley, a native of the Old Dominion. At the time of the Civil war he went to 
the front as a soldier of the Confederate army and was in the battles of Piedmont, 
Winchester, Fishers Hill, Cedar Creek and others, fourteen in all, and remained 
in the army until the surrender of General Lee in 1865. He was honorably 
discharged from the Confederate service but was never paroled by the Federals. 
Subsequently he entered the ministry of the Methodist church, in which he has 
since been active. In 1885 he removed with his family to Missouri and is now- 
engaged in preaching at Jonesburg, that state. 

After attending the public schools in his native state Henry B. Ramsey con- 
tinued his education in a college at St. Charles, Missouri, and in Westminster 
College at Fulton, Missouri, which he attended for three years. He left the 
latter institution in 1904 and removed to Barfield. Arkansas, where he accepted 
the position of bookkeeper in a mercantile house, being thus engaged for eighteen 
months. He then returned to Fulton, Missouri, where he was connected with a 
book store for a year, on the expiration of which period he embarked in busi- 
ness on his own account at Blytheville, Arkansas, as a dealer in books and con- 
fectionery. There he remained until 19 12, when he went to Des Moines, Iowa, 
as special agent for the Prudential Insurance Company of Newark, New Jersey, 
thus making his initial step in the line of business in which he has since so 
successfully engaged. In March, 191 5, he came to Omaha as state manager for 
South Dakota and Nebraska for the Prudential and has since made his head- 
quarters in this city. 

On the 1 2th of January, 1909, in Fulton, Missouri, Mr. Ramsey was united 



296 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

in marriage to Miss Blanche R. Farmer, a daughter of Lemuel D. Farmer, and 
they have become the parents of two children, Dorothy L. and James Dudley. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church 
and fraternally he is identified with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, 
ilis political allegiance is given to the democratic party but he has neither the 
time nor inclination for public office, preferring to concentrate his efforts upon 
his business affairs. The fact that since 1912, when he entered the service of the 
Prudential in Des Moines as an ordinary agent he has worked his way steadily 
u])ward to the responsible position of manager for the company in two states 
s])eaks well for his business ability and his enterprise. 



GEORGE HENRY MERTEN. 

While one of the younger members of the legal profession in Omaha, George 
Henry Merten has already won a position which many an older practitioner 
might well envy. He is a native son of St. Louis but was reared in Fillmore 
county, Nebraska, with the usual experiences of the farm bred boy. He attended 
the graded and high schools of Grafton, Nebraska, from which he graduated 
in 1894. He decided to make the practice of law his life work and with that end 
in view entered Creighton University at Omaha, from which he was graduated 
with the Bachelor of Arts degree in 1904. Thus upon the foundation of broad 
literar}- learning he reared the superstructure of his professional knowledge, 
pursuing his law course at Creighton University, from which he was graduated 
in 1907 with the LL. D. degree. His alma mater conferred upon him the Master 
of Arts degree in 1906. Following his admission to the bar in 1907 he opened 
a law office in Omaha, where he has since remained. His ability was early rec- 
ognized and as a logical sequence he has been accorded a large and representative 
clientage. 

On the 9th of June, 1908, in Omaha, Mr. Merten was united in marriage to 
Miss Alice M. McCauley, a daughter of the late Jam.es McCauley, and they 
have become the parents of a daughter, Mary Eileen. 

Mr. Merten gives his political endorsement to the democratic party. He has 
many friends, the number being almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaint- 
ances, and he is recognized as a dynamic force in connection with those lines in 
which his activity has been most strongly manifest. 



HARRY A. WOLF. 



Actuated by a public-spirited devotion to his adopted city as well as by laudable 
personal ambition, Harry A. Wolf has in the course of his active business career 
in Omaha, covering a period of more than twelve years, done much for the city's 
development as well as for the upbuilding of his own fortunes through his real 
estate operations. He closely studies every question that has to do with activity 
in the real estate field and has been a keen observer of men and methods in other 
cities. Moreover, he is a striking example of what may be accomplished by a 
man of foreign birth. He was born in Vilna, Russia, October i, 1884, a son of 
Joshua and Rebecca Wolf, both of whom passed away in Russia in 1886. They 
had a family of four children : Samuel, now living in Philadelphia ; Mrs. Esther 
Robinson, of Omaha; Balah, the wife of Jacob Kooper; and Harry A. 

The last named was thirteen years of age when he bade adieu to friends and 
native country and sailed for the new world. He attended school in Russia, 
where he was reared by his sisters, being but two years of age at the time he v/as 
left an orphan. He came alone to America, attracted by the business opportuni- 




GEORGE H. MERTEN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 299 

ties which he believed might be enjoyed on this side the Atlantic. Landing at 
New York city, he there secured employment as an errand boy in a factory at 
two dollars and a half per week. Experience is a very thorough teacher and 
experience had already taught Harry A. Wolf something concerning the value 
of an education as a preparation for life's practical and responsible duties. Ac- 
cordingly while working in that humble capacity he attended night school and 
through study in that manner he secured a fair education. He remained in New 
York for two years and then went to Philadelphia, where he resided for five years, 
working in the daytime and studying through the evening hours. In the mean- 
time he had formed the purpose of becoming a lawyer although subsequent events 
changed his pains. While in Philadelphia he studied law under one who was 
both an attorney and real estate dealer and it was during that period that Mr. 
Wolf first came to a realization of the opportunities offered in the real estate 
field. On the ist of August, 1904, he arrived in Omaha and turned his attention 
to the real estate business. He realized that the most lucrative property is the 
business property of a city. He studied conditions very thoroughly in other 
cities and from time to time as his financial resources permitted he made invest- 
ment in business property which had deteriorated in price because of the old 
buildings thereon. Securing such property, he at once erected new buildings. In 
this connection one of the local papers said of him: 

"Pie made numerous trips to the eastern cities, watching the growth of other 
cities and always studying their business centers with a view of comparing them 
with the probable development of Omaha. Wolf a number of years ago came 
to the conclusion that the most lucrative and most stable property in Omaha is in 
the business center, which was sadly neglected. Realizing that the property is 
too expensive for any individual to handle, he hit upon the plan of acquiring 
down town property through syndicates, by' interesting two or more people in 
only one deal. He has organized a number of these syndicates. Notable among 
the deals consummated by him is the taking over from the Woodmen of the 
World of their old office building at Fifteenth and Howard streets. He has 
remodeled it at an expense of over sixty thousand dollars, turned it into a hotel, 
which is now a very profitable investment. He built the Down Town Garage on 
Howard street near Fifteenth and a number of store buildings on Upper Sixteenth 
street. He recently took over the Curtis property and by spending on it fifty- 
five thousand dollars turned it into one of the most beautiful little hotels in the 
city. He has charge of the Ware block at Fifteenth and Farnam, and is now 
erecting a ten-story hotel building on one of the best corners in the city, on a lot 
he recently acquired from George A. Joslyn on a ninety-nine year lease, on 
the northwest corner of Sixteenth and Harney streets. Mr. Wolf is recognized 
as an authority on values of down town property and is often consulted by loan 
companies and private people with reference to values and development of down 
town property. He is known for his honest, fair and frank dealings and has 
succeeded in obtaining the confidence of many of the foremost financial men of 
the city, whom he has interested in the various syndicates and who have profited 
through his investments. Mr. Wolf is very enthusiastic about the future of 
Omaha and claims that the development of the city is now only in its infancy and 
capital consen^atively invested will bring large returns to the investors as well 
as help the city in its forward movement to become one of the prominent central 
American cities. He has been a prominent factor in real estate circles and is 
always found among the enthusiasts who are working for a bigger and better 
city. His knowledge of the real estate business and his service is offered to the 
individual investor, whether his savings be listed in hundreds or thousands of 
dollars." Mr. Wolf is now a director in a number of real estate corporations, 
including the Commercial Realty, the Keystone Investment Company and the 
Carlton Realty Company. 

On the 20th of January, 1907, Mr. Wolf was united in marriage to Miss 
Clara Bernstein, of Philadelphia, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bernstein, 



300 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

well known in that city. Mr. and Mrs. Wolf have one son, Justine Robert, who 
was born in Omaha in 1910 and is now attending Kindergarten. 

Mr. Wolf is a thirty-second degree Mason and a member of the Mystic 
Shrine, lie also belongs to the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and is an 
active member of the principal Jewish societies, of both local and national import- 
ance, being i)residcnt of the Omaha Hebrew Club, which is one of the largest in 
the west. He is likewise a valued member of the Commercial Club and of the 
Athletic Club and belongs to the Omaha real estate board, of which he has been 
treasurer and director. He is likewise connected with the National Real Estate 
ICxchange. is a member of the River and Harbor Association and is a member 
of the iJuilding Owners and Managers Association. In a word he has studied 
conditions affecting the country in all its economic relations and he keeps abreast 
with the trend of modern thought and progress. His achievements are notable 
from the fact that he arrived in America when a youth of thirteen unacquainted 
with the language, customs and methods of the American people. His strength 
of character, however, proved the foundation for his advancement and success. 
Allowing no obstacles or difficulties to discourage him or to bar his path, he has 
steadily progressed and Omaha acknowledges her indebtedness to him as a factor 
in her business circles and a supporter of many of her progressive and helpful 
municipal projects. 



CHARLES DE ALARS BEATON. 

Charles De ]\Iars Beaton, an Omaha druggist whose collegiate training well 
qualified him to take up pharmaceutical work, is not only successfully conducting 
his store but is also president of the Beaton Realty Company and of the Beaton 
Photo Supply Company. A native of Nebraska, he was born in Schuyler in 
1875, a son of Allen Daniel and Mary Anne (Macdonald) Beaton. The father 
was born at East Point on Prince Edward Island in 1824 and in 1875 became 
a resident of Schuyler, Nebraska, but ni the meantime engaged in business at 
Boston as a shipbuilder. In 1879 he removed to Omaha and became a well known 
general contractor of this city. He was married on Prince Edward Island and 
passed away in Omaha in 1881, while his widow, long surviving, departed this 
life in 1914. 

Charles De Alars Beaton was but four years of age when brought to this 
city and therefore his public school education was here acquired. In 1892 he was 
graduated from Creighton College, after which he made his initial step in the 
business world by securing a clerkship in a small drug store in Omaha. Liking the 
work, he decided to further qualify for the business and to that end entered 
the St. Louis College of Pharmacy, from which he was graduated in 1894. In the 
latter year he returned to Omaha and again engaged in clerking until March, 
1899, when he established a store of his own which he has since conducted. 
It is attractive in its arrangement and he carries an extensive line of drugs and 
druggists' sundries, while the business methods of the house commend it to 
the continued and growing public patronage. Not only is he successfully man- 
aging his store but is also active in shaping the policy and controlling the interests 
of other business concerns, being now president of the Beaton Realty Com- 
pany of Omaha and of the Beaton Photo Supply Company. 

On the 6th of November, 191 2, in Milwaukee, Mr. Beaton was united in 
marriage to Miss Hattie E. Wurster, a daughter of Emanuel A. Wurster. They 
have two children, Charles De Mars, Jr., and Harriet W. He belongs to the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and along strictly social lines is connected 
with the Omaha Club and the Country Club. He is also identified with various 
organizations which have to do with the business development of the city, includ- 
ing the Ad Club, the Business Men's Association, the Retailers' Association and 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 301 

the Commercial Club. Moreover, he is one of the most active and prominent 
workers in the Ak-Sar-Ben, of which he is now a governor, while in 1914-15 
he was king. He is thoroughly in sympathy with its purposes and believes in 
such a method of advertising Omaha's advantages and opportunities. He feels 
that for individual business or community interests publicity is the basis of devel- 
opment and success, and advertising has been a potent force in the promotion 
of his mercantile interests. 



JOSEPH HERMAN GREEN. 

Joseph Herman Green, a successful clothing merchant of Omaha, was born 
in Roumania in 1866, a son of Lieb Green, who spent his entire life in Roumania, 
there passing away in 1887. Joseph H. Green attended the schools of his native 
country to the age of eighteen years, and then, attracted by the opportunities 
which he believed he might enjoy in the new world, crossed the Atlantic to the 
United States. Making his way to Cleveland, Ohio, he there remained for four 
years and was afterward a resident of St. Louis, Missouri, for a similar period. 
In 1891 he went to San Francisco, where he resided for a year, and in 1893 he 
was in Chicago. He went to Kansas City in 1894 and in 1896 embarked in the 
clothing business, there conducting a store until early in 1916, when he came to 
Omaha and opened an exclusive clothing establishment on Sixteenth and Howard 
streets, at the same time retaining the ownership of his Kansas City business. 
He is controlling extensive interests in the two cities and already has won a very 
large patronage in Omaha, carrying an excellent and well selected line of goods, 
while his business methods commend him to the patronage of the public and 
have secured for him a high position among the foremost merchants of the city. 

On the 4th of June, 1896, in Kansas City, Mr. Green was joined in wedlock 
to Miss Mary Fiegel, by whom he has two sons, namely : Lawrence Elmer, 
who is a Harvard student, class of 1918, and Howard Jay. Mr. Green is a republi- 
can in his political views. He holds to the Hebrew faith in his religious opinion 
and is a member of B'nai B'rith. Mr. Green deserves all the credit implied in 
the term a self-made man, for he started out empty handed and has worked his 
way upward through persistent, earnest effort, utilizing industry and economy 
to gain for him the capital that at length enabled him to embark in business for 
himself. 



JOHN THOMAS YATES. 

John Thomas Yates, a man of marked individuality and force of character, 
who was one of the organizers of the Woodmen of the World and has served 
continuously as sovereign clerk since January i, 1892, with headquarters at 
Omaha, was born at Mount Savage, Maryland, June 2, 1866, a son of Thomas 
and Mary (Evans) Yates. The father was a native of England but was married 
in Wales and in the early '40s came to the United States, settling in Maryland, 
where both spent their remaining days. Air. Yates passing away in 1880, while 
his wife died in 1882. He served throughout the entire period of the Civil war 
as a private of the Second Maryland Volunteer Infantry. 

To the public schools of his native city John T. Yates is indebted for his 
educational opportunities, and with the lure of the west upon him he came to 
Nebraska in 1882, settling in Nemaha City, where he spent a year. Since 1886 
he has been a resident of Omaha, in which year he entered the employ of Milton 
Rogers, a pioneer hardware merchant, with whom he continued for six years. 
In January, 1892, he became associated with Joseph Cullen Root in organizing the 



302 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Woodmen of the World, a fraternal insurance order which has grown steadily 
and which now numhers many thousand members, lie accepted the position 
of sovereign clerk of the order and has given practically his entire time and atten- 
tion to furthering the interests of the organization since January i, 1892. In 
connection with the Woodmen of the World he organized the branch known as 
the Uniform Rank, which now has a membership of between thirty and forty 
thousand well trained and picked men. He himself had previously had military 
experience and was an honorary member of the Thurston Rifles of Omaha, an 
organization which still exists although under another name. Aside from his 
work as sovereign clerk Mr. Yates is editing the Woodman News, a monthly 
paper published at Omaha and devoted to the interests of the Woodmen. In this 
connection he has become well known as a short story writer and his articles 
frequently appear in that .publication. They are characterized by a simplicity 
and beauty of style that touches the hearts of his readers and carries home the 
message which he wishes to convey. 

On the 3d of October, 1880, in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Yates was 
married to Miss Mary C. Schuey, who died in December, 1905, leaving two sons 
and three daughters. On the 12th of October, 1907, in Omaha, he wedded Mary 
E. Free, a daughter of the late Milton Free and a native of Baltimore. His chil- 
dren are: Mary Frances, the wife of Harry E. Weil, of Cincinnati, Ohio; Anna, 
the widow of J. B. Lindsay and a resident of Omaha; Effie; Frank C, who was 
graduated from Creighton University and is now an attorney of Omaha ; and 
Thomas, Jr. 

In religious belief Mr. Yates is an Episcopalian, while his political faith is 
that of the republican party. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and a member of the 
Mystic Shrine, being now past illustrious potentate of Tangier Temple of Omaha. 
Fie has held all the chairs in the subordinate lodge of the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and also in the Knights of Pythias. He has membership in the 
Country Club and the Happy Hollow Club and his interest in community affairs 
is manifest in his membership in the Commercial Club and his support of the 
projects which it advances to aid the city, extend its trade relations and uphold 
its civic standards. 



ELMER STEPHEN REDICK. 

Elmer Stephen Redick, an attorney whose legal knowledge is brought to bear 
in the successful management of the extensive interests under his direction, was 
bom in this city on the loth of June, 1887, a brother of the Hon. W. A. Redick 
and O. C. Redick, in connection with whose records on other pages of this work 
the family history is given. Having mastered the branches of learning taught 
in the public schools of Omaha, Elmer S. Redick continued his education in the 
Shattuck Preparatory School at Faribault, Minnesota, after which he entered 
Yale and completed a law course in the university with the class of 191 1. Re- 
turning to Omaha, he soon afterward went abroad, traveling for a year on the 
Continent for that more liberal if less specialized culture which travel brings, 
making many feel, therefore, that travel is perhaps a better educator than the 
college. 

Mr. Redick was admitted to the bar in 191 1 and now concentrates his ener- 
gies upon the direction of his personal interests, in which connection his knowl- 
edge of law is proving of marked value to him. He has investments in many 
important business enterprises and is the president of the E. S. Redick Company, 
dealers in real estate. 

Politically Mr. Redick is a republican and he is identified with several col- 
lege fraternities and social organizations, including the Psi Sigma Kappa, the 
Phi Delta Phi, the Omaha Club, the Country Club and the Commercial Club. He 




ELMEE S. REDICK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 305 

is recognized as a prominent factor in promoting movements that mean a bigger 
and better Omaha, giving valuable support to well devised plans and measures 
looking to the further interests and growth of the city. His entire life has been 
passed in Omaha, where his acquaintance is a wide one and the many sterling 
traits of his character insure his personal popularity. 



ALEXANDER MACKENZIE. 

Throughout his entire life Alexander Mackenzie was connected with the dry 
goods trade and became widely recognized as an expert on silks. His business 
ability, developing year by year, was of a notable order and he enjoyed in the 
fullest measure the confidence of his associates in commercial circles. He was 
born near Glasgow, Scotland, June i8, 1848, and after acquiring a good education 
in the schools of that country he entered one of the largest dry goods stores of 
Glasgow and there received his business training. 

Mr. Mackenzie was about twenty-five years of age when in 1873 he severed 
home ties and crossed the Atlantic to New York. There he met N. B. Falconer, 
of Omaha, who offered him a position in the retail dry goods store of A. Cruick- 
shank & Company of this city, who were then in business at the corner of Farnam 
and Fourteenth streets. The offer was accepted and Mr. Mackenzie remained 
continuously in that line of business in Omaha up to the time of his demise. 
While his knowledge of the trade in every department was of value to the house 
he came to be regarded as an expert on silk goods. He recognized the real worth 
of any piece of silk and he contributed miuch to the success of the house through 
his judicious purchases. For the last fifteen years of his life he was connected 
with the Thompson-Belden Company, 

In 1878 Mr. Mackenzie was united in marriage to Miss Emma N. Brown, a 
daughter of William D. Brown, one of the honored pioneer residents of Omaha, 
who developed the first ferry system and in many- ways was closely connected 
with the establishment of the city and -its- business connections. Mr. and Mrs. 
Mackenzie became the parents of four children, Mrs. Edith Brown Winegar, 
Leon R., Norma G. and Lyle S. Both Mr. and Mrs. Mackenzie became well 
known in Omaha, their genuine worth establishing them in a most enviable 
position in social circles. 

The death of Mr. Mackenzie occurred June 9, 1907. His friends, and they 
were many, knew him as a social, genial and companionable gentleman and his 
business ability was a force to be reckoned with, for his expert knowledge, 
which was combined with irreproachable business integrity, made him a man 
who never stopped short of the successful accomplishment of his purpose. 



JOHN WILSON BATTIN. 

John Wilson Battin, for twenty-three years a practitioner at the Omaha bar, 
was born in Albany, New York, February 6, 1868. His grandfather and his 
father were both natives of Pennsylvania. The latter, Isaac Battin, born in 
1832, was married in that state to Nancy Maus Wilson and in 1887 they removed 
to^Omaha, but in 1912 returned to the Keystone state, settling in Swarthmore, 
where the father passed away February 11, 191 5, and where his widow still 
resides. 

During his youthful days John W. Battin largely devoted his attention 
to the mastery of the branches of learning taught in the graded and high schools 
of Albany, New York, after which he entered Cornell University at Ithaca and 
was there graduated with the class of 1890. Returning to his parents' home in 



306 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Omaha, he completed a course in the Omaha Law School with the class of 
1893 and at once entered upon practice in this city, since which time he has 
been closely connected with the bar. Advancement in the law is proverjjially 
slow, yet he has readily worked his way upward, giving proof of his ability 
to handle imj^ortant and complex legal questions. 

On the 2cSth of March, 1907, in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Mr. liattin was 
married to Miss Lila J. Lathrop, a daughter of Hesper Lathrop. They are 
members of the Episcopal church and Mr. Battin is a Master Mason. He 
l)elongs to Delta Upsilon, a college fraternity, and is also identified with the 
h'ield Club, the Commercial Club, the Cornell Club of Omaha, and is a member 
of the Omaha and Nebraska Bar Association. In politics he is a republican and 
in 1896 was elected to represent Douglas county in the state legislature but did 
not qualify. His ambition is not in the line of otifice holding and he prefers 
that his public service shall be done as a private citizen. In a word he concen- 
trates his efforts and attention upon his law practice, depending upon his 
ability in that connection to win him success and advancement. At times, how- 
ever, he has been active in republican politics but it has been along the line 
of influence and not of office seeking, his political labors resulting from a recog- 
nition of the obligations of citizenship. 



CHARLES WATSON HULL. 

Charles Watson Hull, conducting an extensive and profitable business in coal 
and building materials, is president of C. W. Hull Co. of Omaha, treasurer of 
the Hawkeye Portland Cement Company of Des Moines, treasurer of the Aiational 
Stone Company of Omaha, president of the L. B. McCoun Company of Omaha, 
president of the Florence Lumber & Coal Company of Florence, Nebraska, and 
president of the Machine Engineering & Manufacturing Company of Council 
Bluffs and has thus extended his efforts over a broad field, his ramifying inter- 
ests interlacing various localities in a network of commercial activity that con- 
stitutes an important element in commercial progress and enterprise. It is 
characteristic of him that he has ever quickly recognized and utilized opportuni- 
ties which others pass heedlessly by and yet sound judgment and keen discrimi- 
nation have prevented any of those unwarranted risks or failures into which 
unrestricted progressiveness is so often led. 

Mr. Hull was born in Coldwater, Michigan, in 1864, a son of Henry Palmer 
Hull, who was born in England in 1830 and in 1850 came to the United States, 
settling in Rochester, New York. He afterward went to New York city and 
later to Coldwater, Michigan, and in 1872 he removed to Rock Island, Illinois, 
where he now resides, being connected with its financial interests as vice president 
of the Rock Island Savings Bank. It was in Detroit, Michigan, that he wedded 
Elizabeth Watson, who was born in England, and who passed away in 1871. 

A lad of eight years at the time of the removal of the family «to Rock Island, 
Charles Watson Hull pursued his education until he had completed the high 
school course, after which he became a student in the Morgan Park Military 
Academy of Chicago. Later he went to St. Paul, Minnesota, where for a year 
he occupied a position in a wholesale implement house, and in 1886 he came to 
Omaha, where he entered into active connection with the coal and building mate- 
rial trade. In this field he has since operated, covering a period of thirty years, 
and as president of the C. W. Hull Co. he is conducting an extensive and con- 
tinually growing business. He extended the scope of his activities by becoming 
treasurer of the National Stone Company of Omaha and president of the L. B. 
JNIcCoun Company of Omaha and of- the Florence Lumber & Coal Company of 
Florence. He also began operations in other fields, carrying on business at Des 
Moines as treasurer of the liawkeye Portland Cement Company and president 




CHARLES WATSON HULL 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 309 

of the Machine Engineering & Manufacturing Company of Council Bluffs. These 
varied connections have made his interests of mammoth proportions and he is 
today one of the foremost jobbers in coal and building materials in this section 
of the country. 

Some years ago Mr. Hull became a charter member of the Old Omaha Guards, 
in which he rose to the rank of sergeant major. He is a republican in his politi- 
cal views and an Episcopalian in his religious faith. He is prominent in club 
circles in Omaha and elsewhere, being most active as a member of the Univer- 
sity, Omaha, and Omaha Country clubs. He also belongs to the Commercial 
Club, to the Carter Lake Rod & Gun Club, to the Council Bluffs Rowing Associa- 
tion, to the Des Moines (la.) Club, and to the Fremont (Neb.) Country Club. 
He is likewise connected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Mature 
judgment characterizes his eft'orts at all times and he stands today as a splendid 
representative of commercial activity, to whom, however, business is but one 
phase of life and does not exclude his active participation in and support of the 
other vital interests which go to make up human existence. 



DANIEL FARRELL. 



While the life record of Daniel Farrell covered but a comparatively brief 
period, he seems to have accomplished in his allotted span of years more than 
many men accomplish in a lifetime of twice that duration. Fie w^as but forty-six 
when called to the home beyond and yet from a humble start in the business world 
he had worked his way steadily upward and had achieved notable success in 
founding and conducting an important productive enterprise. Fie was born in 
Newark, New Jersey, in 1851, a son of Daniel Farrell, who afterward became a 
resident of Galesburg, Illinois. It was in the year 18S7 that Daniel Farrell of 
this review came to Omaha from Keokuk, Iowa. Fie had previously filled the 
position of paymaster in the United States navy for a number of years at Naga- 
saki, Japan, but resigned his position before removing to this city. Here he 
became actively identified with the industrial development of Omaha, estabhsh- 
ing a pressed brick manufactory in the suburbs. This was owned by a 
company for which Mr. Farrell acted as manager and he was also one of the stock- 
holders. A few months later, however, he disposed of his interest in that busi- 
ness and in 1888 turned his attention to the manufacture of syrup at No. 11 10 
Douglas street. He was first associated with Mr. Welch, as a member of the 
firm of Farrell & Welch, but after two years he bought out the interest of his 
partner and organized the Farrell Company. Later a removal was made to 
Eighth and Farnam streets, where he erected a building, and he extended the 
scope of his business to include the manufacture of molasses, jellies and other 
goods. From a small beginning the business has steadily developed until in its 
ramifying branches it now reaches out all over the country, its shipments being 
sent to many parts of the United States. The house is represented by traveling 
salesmen throughout the American continent and the business is growing year 
by year. Employment is furnished to one hundred people and since the father's 
death the interests have been continued with his son, D. H. Farrell, as president, 
treasurer and manager of the business. 

In Keokuk, Iowa, in 1881, Daniel Farrell was united in marriage to Miss 
Anna C. Floward, of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and to them were born nine 
children but only four are yet living: Mrs. Alene Cecelia Cannon, of Los 
Angeles, California; Raymond A., living in Portland, Oregon; Daniel Howard; 
and Irene P., who is the wife of S. B. Young, of Omaha. 

Mr. Farrell was a Catholic in religious faith. Flis political allegiance was 
given to the republican party and he was asked to become a candidate for mayor 
but refused. He took a helpful interest in matters relating to the general wel- 



310 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

fare, however, and to that end cooperated in the progressive movements of the 
Commercial Club and was also one of the original members of the Ak-Sar-Ben. 
He belonged also to the Omaha Club. He was one of the organizers of the 
Trans-Mississippi Exposition, being the first man to put money into that venture. 
At the time of his death he was serving as president of the Omaha Board of 
Trade and a life of great usefulness was terminated when on the i8th of July, 
1897, he was called to his final rest, having then attained the age of but forty- 
six years. His worth as a business man and citizen was widely acknowledged 
and it was well known that his aid and cooperation could be counted upon to 
further even,' movement of benefit to the conmiunity. He early learned the 
value of industry, determination and persistency of purpose, and the course of 
life which he marked out accorded full recognition of the worth of those 
qualities. 



DANIEL HOWARD FARRELL. 

Daniel Howard b'arrell, president, treasurer and manager of the Farrell 
Company, controlling one of the important productive industries of Omaha, was 
born in Omaha in 1890 and supplemented a public school education by two years' 
study in Notre Dame University of Indiana and a further course in Creighton 
University of Omaha. He was graduated from the law department of that 
institution, but though qualified for the bar, he never entered upon active practice. 
Instead he became his father's successor in business and has since been connected 
with the further development of one of the city's important industries. The 
business has been enlarged from time to time and in connection with the manu- 
facture of jellies and molasses the company manufactures its own cans. Its 
trade extends to all sections of the country and in the year 1916 the sales amounted 
to three hundred thousand dollars. In 1910 a removal of the plant was made to 
Dodge and Tenth streets and the establishment is well equipped according to 
modern methods and processes. Associated with Mr. Farrell in the management 
and control of the business is George J. Braig, who is the vice president and sec- 
retary of the company. 

Mr. Farrell was united in marriage in Omaha, in 1912, to Miss Annette 
Lady, of this city, and they have a son, John Van Buren. Mr. Farrell figures 
very prominently in club circles, holding membership in the University, Athletic 
and Field Clubs. He also belongs to the Ak-Sar-Ben and to the Commercial 
Club and thus takes active interest in promoting projects that look to the estab- 
lishment of higher civic standards and to the extension of the trade relations 
of the city. Fraternally he is connected with the Benevolent Protective Order 
of Elks. He has always stood for progressiveness not only in business but in 
municipal affairs, and he is justly accounted one of the valued and representa- 
tive residents of Omaha. 



CHARLES C. GEORGE. 

Charles C. George, president of the firm of George & Company, real estate 
and investment securities, is also an officer in various other business organizations. 
He was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1863, a son of John W. and Mary E. 
(Younger) George, who were married in Ohio. The father was born in Musk- 
ingum county, that state, in 1826, and throughout his entire active life followed 
the occupation of farming. He was a son of John George, who was born in 
Baltimore, Maryland, and was of English lineage. The death of John W. George 
occurred in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1914, while his wife passed away in 1908. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 311 

After attending the public schools in Galesburg Charles C. George continued 
his education in Knox College of that city, from which he was graduated with 
the class of 1885. He then came to Omaha and entered the real estate and 
investment field, since which time he has given his attention to real estate opera- 
tions and investment securities. In 1890 the Potter & George Company was 
incorporated. Air. George becoming the secretary and manager, in which con- 
nection he remained until 1900, when he and his brother, John Edward George, 
took over the business of the corporation and changed the name to George 
& Company, and since that time Charles C. George has been the president. He is 
a director and vice president of the Conservative Savings & Loan Association, 
having been active in the upbuilding of that association and connected with it 
since 1893. He is also president of the Dundee Realty Company, is president 
of the City National Bank Building Company, and in all these corporations owns 
substantial interests. 

On the 14th of December, 1905, in Chicago, Mr. George was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Idella Louise Hamlin and they have a daughter, Mary. The parents 
are members of the Episcopal church and Mr. George is a vestryman of Trinity 
Cathedral. His political endorsement is given to the republican party and he 
belongs to the Commercial Club, being chairman of the executive committee of 
that organization in 191 7. He also has membership in the Happy Hollow and 
Omaha Country Clubs, and in the Omaha and University Clubs, of which last 
named club he was president during 1916. He is a man of unusual energy and 
has used his time and opportunities not only in the attainment of business suc- 
cess but in the cultivation of those interests which bring intellectual pleasure or 
which are based upon a recognition of man's relations to his fellowmen. His life 
therefore has maintained an even balance and words of appreciation and worth 
are ever coupled with the mention of his name. 



FRANK J. SCHLEIER, M. D. 

Dr. Frank J. Schleier, a physician of Omaha, was born in Cassville, Wiscon- 
sin, in 1877. His father, Michael Schleier, a native of Germany, was bom in 
1830 and when eighteen years of age came to the United States in 1848, settling 
first in Wisconsin. There he married Catherine Koll, who was born in Germany, 
and some years later they became residents of Iowa, the father passing away at 
Earling, that state, in 191 1. His widow still survives, now making her home at 
Defiance, Iowa. Throughout his entire business career the father had followed 
the occupation of farming. 

Dr. Schleier was a little lad of but five summers when the family went to 
Earling, Iowa, where he pursued his public school education, which was supple- 
mented by study in the Normal University at Lincoln, Nebraska. In preparation 
for a professional career he entered the Creighton Medical College of Omaha, 
from which he was graduated in 1904, and later he spent a year as interne in 
St. Joseph's Hospital of Omaha, gaining thereby the broad practical knowledge 
and experience which only hospital work can bring. He has since practiced in 
Omaha and has specialized in surgical work. He is now attending surgeon at 
St. Joseph's Hospital and is a lecturer on surgery in Creighton College. He has 
studied broadly along the line of his specialty, keeping in touch with the 
most advanced work of the eminent surgeons of this and other lands. In 191 1 
he became county physician of Douglas county, which position he filled for three 

years. 

On the loth of August, 1910, in Sioux City, Iowa, Dr. Schleier was united 
in marriage to Miss Ellen M. Minogue, daughter of John and Johannah (Carey) 
Minogue. In religious faith they are Catholics and in political.belief Dr. Schleier 
is a republican. He belongs to the Athletic Club of Omaha and to the Com- 



312 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

niercial Club, and while interested in all matters relating to the public welfare, 
he allows nothing to interfere with the faithful performance of his i)rofessional 
tluties, which he ably and conscientiously discharges, lie is a member of the 
American Medical Association, the Nebraska State Medical Association and 
the Omaha-Douglas County Medical Society and thus he keeps in touch with the 
trend of modern professional thought and progress. 



JOHN FOSTER FLACK. 

Starting out in life on his own account at the early age of eleven years, John 
Foster Flack has since been dependent entirely upon his individual exertions, 
but he early became familiar with the eternal principle that industry wins and 
industry became the beacon light of his life. Not all days in his career have 
been equally bright, for obstacles and difficulties have at limes barred his path 
and there have been periods when he has seen the storm clouds gathering, threat- 
ening disaster, but his perseverance and persistency have enabled him to sur- 
mount all obstacles and win a creditable and enviable position as a leading Omaha 
financier. Moreover, his efforts have been of a character that have contributed 
largely to the public welfare, as various concerns with wdiich he has been con- 
nected have become factors in the business development of the city. 

Mr. Flack was born in Cambridge, New York, March 24, 1863, and traces 
his ancestry back in direct line to James Flack, who was his great-great-grand- 
father and who came to the United States about 1750 from the north of Ireland. 
John W. Flack, his grandfather, was a soldier of the War of 1812. Flis father, 
George FL Flack, was born in Argyle, New York, in 1832 and there wedded 
Martha Foster. They continued residents of the Empire state until called to the 
home beyond, the mother passing away in 1868, while the father survived until 
June, 1885. In the maternal line the ancestry is traced back to James Ashton, who 
was the great-great-grandfather of John F. Flack and who became an officer in 
the Revolutionary war, serving throughout the period of hostilities with the 
mother countiy that led to the independence of the nation. 

At the usual age John Foster Flack began his education in the public schools 
of New York but when a lad of only eleven years he felt that parental authority 
was irksome and moreover was imbued with the desire for adventure, so he left 
home. Being thus thrown on his own resources, he was employed on farms 
until 1880, when he entered the Claverick College and Hudson River Institute 
at Claverick, New York, from which institution he was graduated in 1884. In 
that same year he came to Omaha and in March, 1885, he entered the produce 
commission business, at 105 South Fourteenth street, his previous farm experi- 
ence giving him considerable knowledge of the value of farm products. After 
two years spent in that way he entered the real estate field and so successfully 
placed his investments and managed his property that before he was twenty- 
five years of age he had bought, built and sold one hundred houses. It was a 
logical step to the building and loan business, which he entered in 1893 as man- 
ager of the Conservative Savings & Loan Association, the interests of which he 
controlled in that official connection until 1908, when he sold out. In 1906 he 
had become secretary and vice president of the Occidental Building & Loan 
Association and in 1908 he was elected to the presidency, still remaining as its 
chief executive officer and directing head. In 19 13 he was elected to the presi- 
dency of the Bankers Mortgage Loan Company, which was organized in 1912. 
This indicates but some of the features of his business activity, however. In 
1908 he aided in organizing the City Trust Company, of which he continued as 
president until February, 1915, when he resigned. In 1901 he became one of the 
organizers of the syndicate which was formed in Omaha and which purchased 
the Omaha Loan & Trust Company's Savings Bank, at which time the name was 




N 



^'P' 




JOHN F. FLACK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 315 

changed to the City Savings Bank. Mr. Flack became its vice president and in 
1906 was elected to the presidency, so continuing until 1908, when the institution 
was converted into the City National Bank, of which he remained president until 
March 27, 191 6. He then sold out to the German-American Bank, which later 
was merged into the State Bank, now existing. His business interests have con- 
stantly grown and developed and the methods which he has followed have at all 
times been such as would bear the closest investigation and scrutiny. His plans 
have been well devised and carefully executed and his success has followed 
a thorough understanding of business conditions in the specific line in which he 
has operated. 

On the 29th of December, 1886, in Salem, New York, Mr. Flack was united 
in marriage to Miss Carrie J. Sherman, a daughter of Jesse S. Sherman. They 
have two children : George C, who is treasurer of the Occidental Building & Loan 
Association and treasurer of the Bankers Mortgage Loan Company; and Henri- 
etta Lois, the wife of Miles McFayden, who is the secretary of the Bankers 
Mortgage Loan Company and by whom she has a daughter, Lois Caroline. 

Mr. Flack is a republican and he has membership in the Commercial Club, 
the Omaha Club, the Country Club, the Happy Hollow Club, the University 
Club and the United Presbyterian church — associations which indicate the nature 
of his interests and show that his activities have not been centered alone in lines 
of individual benefit but have reached out into those fields where assistance is 
given to the many and toward the promotion of the general good. 



IRVIN ANDREW MEDLAR. 

Irvin Andrew ^Medlar, secretary and treasurer of the Irvin A. Medlar Com- 
pany, owners and publishers of the Mid-West Hotel Reporter and the Omaha 
Hotel Reporter and also conducting a profitable job printing business, was born 
upon a farm in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, and represents an old family 
of that state, of German lineage, which was founded in America by his great- 
grandfather. His grandfather. Samuel Medlar, was born in Pennsylvania, as 
was his father, John Christopher Medlar, also a native of Schuylkill county, 
where he was reared and married Rebecca Seltzer. At the time of the Civil war 
he espoused the cause of the Union and went to the front with a Pennsylvania 
regiment. For years he filled the office of postmaster at Drehersville, Pennsyl- 
vania, where he died in 1912, his widow passing away November 19, 1916. 

In his youthful days Irvin A. Medlar attended the district schools and for 
five years continued his education in Marion county, Kansas. He then returned 
to the old home in Pennsylvania with his parents and became a pupil in the public 
schools of Pottsville, Pennsylvania, the county seat of Schuylkill county. He 
afterward learned the printer's trade on the Pottsville Republican, with^ which 
paper he was connected for three or four years. Later he went to Newton, 
Kansas, and became connected with the Newton Republican, in which office he 
was advanced to the position of foreman, remaining there for about four years. 
At Kansas City, Missouri, he became connected with the Star and in the fall of 
1891 he removed to Omaha and entered the employ of the Omaha Printing 
Company, with which he remained for a year or more, when the establishment 
was destroyed by fire. He went into business on his own account in 1892, estab- 
lishing the Omaha Daily Hotel Reporter, and a year later added a book and 
job printing department. At the same time he incorporated the busniess under 
the name of the Irvin A. Medlar Company, of which he is the secretary and 
treasurer. Something of the growth of his business is indicated in the fact 
that he not only publishes the Omaha Hotel Reporter but also the Mid-West 
Hotel Reporter, which is now in the eleventh volume, and that he is a prominent 
and popular figure in hotel circles and widely known in that connection is indi- 

Vol. 11—13 



316 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

catecl in the fact that he is the secretary-treasurer of the Northwestern Hotel 
Men's Association for the fourteenth year. 

On the 8th of May. 1894. in Omaha, Mr. Medlar was united in marriage to 
Miss Lotta Josephine Jenkins, her father heing Clarence L. Jenkins, a pioneer 
of Omaha. To them have l)een born two children: Henrietta Cordelia; and 
Irvin Frank, whose birth occurred in 1899. 

In early manhood Mr. Medlar was connected with the National Guard of 
Kansas at Newton and served as a drummer in his regiment. He is a republican 
in his political views and fraternally is a Master Mason and Knight of Pythias. 
He belongs to the Happy Hollow Club, the Athletic Club of Omaha, the Sons 
of X'eterans in Kansas, the Commercial Club of Omaha and the Ak-Sar-Ben. 
Diversified and varied as are the interests thus indicated, they do not compass 
the entire extent of his activities, for he belongs also to the Central United 
Presbyterian church and his life in all its varied relations measures up to high 
standards of manhood and citizenship. 



ELMER JAMES NEVILLE. 

Elmer James Neville, who since 1898 has practiced at the Omaha bar, was in 
that year graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan. 
He is a native son of the city in which he resides, his birth having here occurred 
April 24, 1874. While spending his youthful days in the home of his father, 
James Neville, he attended the public schools and then for further educational 
training entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which institu- 
tion he was graduated in 1896 on the completion of a classical course, winning 
the Bachelor of Arts degree. Two years later he was graduated in law from the 
same school and then returned to Omaha, where he oi>ened an office. The fact 
that he has continued in practice for eighteen years is proof of his success and 
gradually in this connection he has worked his way upward. He has come to 
display resourcefulness in the work of the courts and at all times his position 
IS fortified by thorough preparation and a clear and comprehensive understand- 
mg of legal principles. 

In 1896, in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Mr. Neville was united in marriage to 
Miss Clara ]^Iarkham, and they have become the parents of five children, Florence 
Anna, Eugene J., Maria Emefine, Elmer Markham and Norman Lewis. Mr. 
Neville is a chapter Mason and in his political views is a republican but he 
allows no outside interests to interfere with the performance of his professional 
duties. 



IRVING FRANKLIN BAXTER. 

Irving Franklin Baxter, member of the Omaha bar practicing as a member 
of the firm of Brown, Baxter & Van Dusen, was born in Liverpool, New York, 
January 11, 1863, a son of George and Amie C. (Sitts) Baxter. The father 
was born in Borodino, New York, in 1840, and for years was engaged in the 
lumber business, while later he turned his attention to real estate activities. He 
served as supervisor of the town of Liverpool, New York, and was once defeated 
for the legislature. His wife passed away in February, 1916. 

Irving F. Baxter, after attending the Liverpool Academy and the Syracuse 
(N. Y.) high school, took up the study of law in the office of Frank Hiscock, 
former United States senator from Syracuse, and after thorough preliminary 
reading was admitted to practice at the New York bar in 1887. In July of that 
)ear he came to Omaha and in January, 1888, entered into partnership with 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 317 

Charles J. Greene and Charles H. Marple. A year later the firm became Greene 
& Baxter and so continued until January, 1894, when Mr. Baxter was elected 
county judge of Douglas county and served for three terms or six years. In 
the fall of 1899 he was chosen by popular suffrage for the office of district 
judge of the fourth judicial district and in 1904 high compliment to his ability 
was accorded him in a reelection without opposition. He continued upon the 
district bench until April, 1905, when he resigned to accept the position of United 
States attorney for Nebraska at Omaha. While in that office he entered into 
a partnership that resulted in the organization of the firm of Baxter & Van 
Dusen. In July, 1912, the junior partner retired and Hon. Norris Brown, then 
United States senator, joined Mr. Baxter under the firm name of Brown, Baxter 
& Van Dusen, although Mr. Van Dusen died in February, 1916, and had had 
no connection with the firm since 19 12. The name, however, was retained and 
his son, Dana \"an Dusen, entered the firm in September, 1916. This is recog- 
nized as one of the prominent law firms of Omaha, the ability of its members 
placing it in the front rank among the city's ablest attorneys and counselors. 
Mr. Baxter's law firm is attorney for the Pullman Company, for the Union Stock 
Yards, the Howard Stove Works and the Interstate Hotel Company and he has 
largely concentrated his eft'orts and attention upon corporation law. He is a 
director of the Interstate Hotel Company, operating Hotel Fontenelle. 

On the 26th of September, 1888, at Liverpool, New York, Mr. Baxter was 
joined in wedlock to Miss Mary Cornelia Gleason, a daughter of William and 
Cornelia (Jackson) Gleason, both of whom were born in Elmira, New York. 
Her father held the rank of lieutenant in the Forty-ninth New York \'olunteer 
Infantry and served throughout the entire period of the Civil war. After receiv- 
ing wounds he was transferred to the quartermaster's department. 

Judge Baxter is a member of the Christian Science church and fraternally 
is identified with the Royal Arcanum, the W'oodmen of the World and the Elks. 
He is also a member of the Omaha Club, the University Club, the Happy Hollow 
Country Club, the Athletic Club and the Commercial Club. His political allegi- 
ance is given to the republican party and he has frequently been a delegate to 
its state conventions, his opinions carrying weight in its councils. Those who 
know him entertain for him the warmest regard by reason of his notable ability 
in professional lines and also because of his sterling personal worth. He is hon- 
ored and respected by all and the value of his work along many lines relating 
to the general welfare has made him naturally a leader of public thought and 
opinion. 



GEORGE McGregor tunison. 

George McGregor Tunison, practicing at the Omaha bar as a member of the 
firm of Jeiferis & Tunison, was born at Parkersburg, Iowa, December 20, 1882, 
his parents being James Wellington and Catherine (McGregor) Tunison. The 
former was a nephew of Henry C. Tunison, the map publisher of Chicago, and 
was his representative in the west. 

The family removed to Nebraska in 1888 and George M. Tunison attended 
the public schools of Cozad, graduating therefrom in 1899. Later he entered 
the State University and was graduated therefrom in 1906 on completion of the 
classical course. He next took up the study of law at the State University and 
won his professional degree upon graduation in 1908. He located at Omaha on 
the I St of January, 1909, and became associated with the firm of Jefiferis & How- 
ell, consisting of Albert W. Jefiferis and Francis S. Howell. When the latter 
was appointed United States district attorney for Nebraska in 1910 Mr. Tunison 
entered the firm under the style of Jeft'eris, Howell & Tunison. In 191 1 and 191 2 
he was engaged in determining heirs of deceased Indian allottees in Nebraska 



318 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

and Wyoming as special attorney for the secretary of the interior. In such 
capacity he passed on the titles to over four hundred estates, comprising some 
of the most valuable agricultural lands in Nebraska. The present firm of Jefferis 
& Tunison was formed October i, 1912. They are attorneys for the Shoshone 
tribe of Indians of Wyoming, in the presentation of matters before congress and 
the interior department. Their general practice is important and extensive and 
Mr. Tunison has won an enviable position at a bar which numbers many dis- 
tinguished attorneys. 

On the 4th of August, 191 5, in Portland, Oregon, Mr. Tunison was married 
to Miss Otis Wakefield Hassler, a daughter of John N. Hassler, and a lineal 
descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence. They are members 
of the Dundee Presbyterian church and Mr. Tunison is also a Master Mason, a 
member of the Commercial Club, the University Club and the Barristers Club. 
He exercises his right of franchise in support of the principles and candidates 
of the republican party. In the campaign of 1908 he managed the speakers 
bureau for the republican state committee at Lincoln and since then has actively 
assisted in the work for party success. Office holding, however, has had no 
attraction for him as he has preferred to concentrate his efforts and attention 
upon his professional interests, and in that field he has won a creditable place. 



ROBERT F. KLOKE. 



Robert F. Kloke, president of The Kloke Investment Company, handling 
farm lands arid loans at Omaha, was born in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, 
in i860. His father, Frederick Kloke, was born in Westphalia, Germany, in 1810 
and there married Elisabeth Fobbe. In 1848 they came to the United States, 
establishing their home in Manitowoc county, Wisconsin, where they lived for 
two decades and then removed to Cuming county, Nebraska. After residing 
there for several years upon a farm they took up their abode in Westpoint, the 
county seat of that county, and there the father passed away in 1873, while the 
mother's death occurred in 1903. 

Robert F. Kloke was a little lad of but eight years at the time of the removal 
of the family to this state, so that his education was largely acquired in the 
public schools of Westpoint, although later he attended a business college at 
Green Bay, Wisconsin. Returning to Westpoint, he there embarked in the 
real estate and farm loan business in 1881 and remained active along that line 
for twenty-four years. In 1887 he organized the Cuming County Bank at West- 
point, of wdiich he became the president. In 1889 the name of the institution 
was changed to the N^ebraska State Bank and its capital was increased. Follow- 
ing the reorganization Mr. Kloke continued as the president and remained in that 
position until he disposed of his interests there and removed to Omaha in 1905, 
seeking the broader field of labor ofifered by a larger city. He still continues in 
the investment business and is now president of the Kloke Investment Company, 
dealers in farm lands and loans. A liberal clientage has been accorded and the 
business is extensive, while the methods of the house ensure absolute fidelity 
to the interests of the clients. 

In September, 1884, at \\'estpoint, Mr. Kloke wedded Miss Amelia Rosenthal, 
a daughter of Charles and Theresa Rosenthal, both natives of Austria but now 
deceased. Mr. and Mrs. Kloke have a daughter, Mona M., the wife of Louis 
S. Clarke, of Omaha, and they have one child, Robert Louis, born July 10, 
1911. 

The family attend the Congregational church, and Mr. Kloke holds member- 
ship with the Elks, the Rotary Club, the Omaha Country Club and the Commer- 
cial Club. He is a stalwart advocate of republican principles and has been more 
or less active in political affairs. While at Westpoint he served for fifteen years 




EOBEET F. KLOKE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 321 

as -a member of the school board and was its president during seven or eight years 
of that period. He was also mayor of Westpoint for one term and in 1893 became 
a member of the state legislature, representing Cuming and two other counties. 
He has also been a member of the republican state central committee and his 
opinions have carried weight in the councils of his party. He studies closely the 
vital questions and issues of the day and his opinions are discriminating, while 
his loyalty to the party is unfaltering. 



JOHN D. WEAVER. 



John D. Weaver, secretary of the Knights of /Vk-Sar-Ben, at Omaha, was born 
in Zanesville, Ohio, July 5. 1851, a son of John and Sarah Ann (Miller) Weaver, 
the former a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of the Buckeye state. They 
were married in Ohio and their last days were spent in Indiana. 

With the removal of the family to Terre Haute, Indiana. John D. Weaver 
became a pupil in the public schools of that city and afterward continued his 
education at Indianapolis. His early manhood was devoted to newspaper work 
in Peoria and in Quincy, Illinois, until 1887, when he came to Omaha, where he 
secured a position with the Herald, now the W'orld-Herald. He was afterward 
connected with the Omaha Bee but resigned his position with that paper in 191 1 
to enter upon his present relation with the Knights of the Ak-Sar-Ben, of 
which he has since been the secretary. This is an organization composed largely 
of ]^Iystic Shriners whose purpose is both social and civic. They are putting 
forth every effort to advance Nebraska's interests and upbuilding and each year 
they hold in Omaha a parade and fiesta similar to that of the Mardi Gras in 
New Orleans. As secretary of the organization Mr. Weaver largely manages 
its business aft'airs and his previous newspaper experience and his personal qual- 
ities render him well qualified for the work wdiich he has undertaken in this 
connection. 

On the 13th of April, 1876, in Terre Haute, Indiana, Mr. Weaver was married 
to Miss Louise Sattler, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, and they have two 
daughters: Cora Louise, the wife of Ralph E. Hayward, of Omaha; and Carrie 
May, who married Guy L. Smith. 

Mr. Weaver is a republican in his political views. He belongs to the Benev- 
olent Protective Order of Elks and he is likewise associated with the Carter 
Lake Club and the Omaha Athletic Club. Genial in manner, he is always 
approachable and he has the tact which enables him to readily understand others 
and place them at their ease. He is particularly capable in his present position 
and is regarded as a most worthy Knight of the Ak-Sar-Ben. 



HON. EDWARD EVERETT HOWELL. 

Hon. Edward Everett Howell, a member of the Nebraska state senate and 
well known in business circles of Omaha as head of the firm of E. E. Howell 
& Son, coal and insurance, and vice president of the National Security Fire 
Insurance Company, was born in Ontario, Canada, in i860, a son of Samuel 
James and Anna (Everett) Howell, who were also natives of that country. The 
"father's birth occurred in Ontario in 1834 and in the year 1869 he left that coun- 
try and with his family crossed the border into the United States, establishing 
his home upon a farm in Cass county, Nebraska, where he resided until 1874. 
He then came to Omaha and was actively engaged in the insurance business in 
this city up to the time of his death in 1892 as a member of the firm of S. J. Howell 



322 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

& Son. Mis wife passed away in 1906 in Lincoln, Nebraska, where she and her 
daughter were residing. 

The educational opportunities of Edward \L. Howell were somewhat limited 
as it seemed necessary that he provide for his own support when a youth of 
fourteen. He secured employment as driver of a milk wagon and spent three 
years in that way. He then entered his father's insurance office and has since 
been continuously connected with the insurance business, steadily working his 
way upward until he now occupies a most prominent position in insurance circles. 
He conducts a general insurance business and has been elected to the office of 
vice president of the National Security Fire Insurance Company of Omaha. In 
1880 he broadened the field of his labors by taking up the business of retailing 
coal and in that connection has built up a trade of large and gratifying propor- 
tions. Since 1908 his interests have been conducted tmder the hrm style of E. E. 
Howell & Son. 

On the 15th of December, 1887, at Weeping Water, Nebraska, Mr. Howell 
was united in marriage to Miss Anna L. Gilbert, a daughter of the late Elias 
Gilbert, a native of New York, who served with a New York regiment through- 
out the period of the Civil war. Mrs. Howell died July 12, 1896. Two children, 
Samuel James and Helen Frances were born to this marriage. On September 
2, 1900, Mr. Howell was again married at Crete, Nebraska, to Pauline Burri, 
daughter of Jacob Burri of that place. Four children have been born to them, 
Bessie Marie, Amy, Edward E., Jr.. and John Searle. 

Mr. Howell is a member of All Saints' Protestant Episcopal church. In 
politics he is a democrat and in 1891 he was elected to the city council of Omaha 
from the seventh ward and served for two consecutive terms as alderman. In 
1896 he was elected to the state senate and in 1897 was the democratic nominee 
for mayor of Omaha but was defeated. In 1903 he was again nominated by his 
party for that position but again met defeat. In 1908 he was elected state sena- 
tor and served for one term and in 191 4 and 19 16 he was again called to that 
position, thus taking an active part in making the legislative history of the 
commonwealth. From 1896 until 1904 he was chairman of the Douglas county 
central committee and he has long been a recognized leader in the ranks of his 
party in Nebraska's metropolis. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights 
of Pythias, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Modern Woodmen of 
America and the Woodmen of the World. He belongs also to the Carter Lake 
Club and is connected with the Commercial Club and the x\k-Sar-Ben, two 
organizations which were formed primarily for the benefit, upbuilding and 
advancement of the city. He is actuated in all that he does by a public-spirited 
devotion to the general good and he has ever placed the general welfare before 
partisanship and the interests of city and state before self-aggrandizement. 



WILLIAM JOSEPH HOTZ. 

William Joseph Hotz, whose ability in the practice of law is attested in court 
records, which bear evidence of his successful conduct of many important cases, 
was born in Iowa City, Iowa, October 15, 1885, a son of William J. and Matilda 
(Ward) Hotz, who were also natives of Iowa City, where the mother still 
resides. There they were reared and married, and the father, who was born 
July 7, 1853, passed away April 9, 1901. At the time of his death he was 
engaged in the manufacture of lubricating oils in Iowa City. For a number of 
years he filled the office of c.^erk" of the district court of Johnson county, Iowa, 
and at the time of his demisf was a candidate for the nomination for congress- 
man in the second Iowa district on the democratic ticket. He had served for 
several years as a member of the city council and w^as recognized as a democratic 
leader in the eastern part of the state. 




WILLIAM J. HOTZ 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 325 

In the public schools of his native city \\ illiam J. Hotz pursued his early 
education, which he supplemented by study in the Iowa State University, winning 
the Bachelor of Arts degree on graduation with the class of 1908. The follow- 
ing year he was also graduated from the law department of the same institution. 
He afterward traveled for about a year and in the latter part of 1909 came to 
Omaha, where he has since remained in active practice, having been admitted to 
practice in the state and federal courts. He maintains his law offices 
at 1530-35 City National Bank building. For about three years prior to the 
annexation of Dundee to Omaha, Mr. Hotz was attorney for the vil- 
lage, during which period improvements to the value of more than one million 
dollars were made, and in connection with other public officials Mr. Hotz 
worked untiringly to bring about ideal conditions in the method of carrying 
on the work of public improvements, so that the Dundee municipal bonds 
always found a ready market. He has been connected with much important 
litigation that has established his ability and resourcefulness as a prac- 
titioner before the courts. He appeared as attorney in the United States 
court in litigation involving the Sherman anti-trust law and obtained for his 
clients large financial results, demonstrating the practicability of the Sherman 
law as a method of obtaning relief from unfair competition in interstate business. 
He was also active in securing the evidence in the election contest case, which 
introduced into the legislature of 19 13 the written evidence and proof of existing 
election conditions in Omaha, the result of which was the passage of the present 
laws governing elections in cities of the metropolitan class. He is spoken of in 
the highest terms by his professional colleagues and contemporaries, who recog- 
nize him as a foe worthy of the steel of the ablest. 

On the 17th of April, 191 2, in Sioux City, Iowa, Mr. Hotz was married to 
Miss Florence Josephine Lynch, a datfghter of J:-M. Lynch. Mr. Hotz belongs 
to the Sigma Alpha Epsilon, a college fraternity',' and his; interest in community 
affairs is indicated by his membership id. tkti.CoMm'erciiali Club of Omaha. He 
is likewise a member of the Athletic Club of the city, the American Bar Associa- 
tion, the Barristers Club, and the Omaha Bar Association. He has always 
been most careful to conform his practice jto. a. high standard of professional 
ethics and his ability is most widely recognized. ..,^ ^ 



WILLIAM D. BROWN. 



No history of Omaha would be complete without extended mention of Wil- 
liam D. Brown, who came to this section of the country on the 3d of June, 1850. 
He was born in Kentucky on the 19th of February, 1813, and afterward became 
a resident of Illinois, where he resided until he established his home in Iowa. 
He first located in Mount Pleasant, Henry county, of which county he was 
elected the first sherifif in 1837, and from that point removed to Fort Des Moines. 
He started westward, however, with the intention of going to California but on 
reaching this section of the country established his home in Council Bluffs and 
aided in laying out the townsite of Omaha. He saw that there was money to 
be made in operating a ferry across the Missouri river to aid the emigrants en 
route for California and Utah. He believed that there was more money to be 
made in that way than in hunting gold on the Pacific coast and accordingly he 
established the Lone Tree ferry, so called because of a solitary tree near which 
he landed his boat on the Nebraska side of the river. He operated this ferry 
under a charter obtained from the commissioners of Pottawattamie county. 
Iowa, and the undertaking proved very profitable to him, so that he continued 
active therein from 1850 until 1854. At the same time he engaged in the hotel 
business in Council Bluffs, becoming half owner of the Blufl:" City House. But 
the beautiful site across the river impressed him and he and some others on the 23d 



326 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

of July. 1853, became the organizers of the Council Bluffs & Nebraska 
Steam Ferry Company. Their intention was to secure the tovvnsite of Omaha 
as soon as Nebraska was organized as a territory, which occurred May 23, 
1S54. Mr. Brown then became one of the original townsite owners of Omaha, 
i le had previously been a pioneer resident of Galena, Illinois, and of Fort Des 
Moines, Iowa, and wending his way westward, he became an active factor in the 
upbuilding of the new city. In 1854 he took up his abode on land that is now 
within the city limits and in time became a very large property holder here, giv- 
ing his attention to his real estate after abandoning his ferry. He was the 
owner of several valuable farms and Brown's Park of South Omaha was named 
in his honor. 

Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Martha Patterson, of Indiana, 
who sur\ived him until March. 1888, and they became the parents of three daugh- 
ters and a son : Helen A., who became Mrs. Alfred Van Camp and is now de- 
ceased ; Mary R., the wife of Alfred Sorensen ; John; and Mrs. Emma N. 
Mackenzie. 

Mr. Brown had great faith in Omaha and was active in everything that 
pertained to its welfare and the community lost one of its most valued citizens 
when at the early age of fifty-five years he passed away on the 3d of February, 
1868. He was a man of very strong character and left the impress of his 
individuality for good upon the community and he gave an impetus to the 
pioneer development of the city which has not yet ceased to be felt. His name 
is closely interwoven with the records of Omaha, which in a measure stands as 
a monument to his business foresight and his public spirit. 



JOHN N. BALDWIN. 



Death often calls from our midst those whom we can ill afford to lose, and 
thus it was when John N. Baldwin passed away, leaving a vacancy in the ranks 
of the legal profession and in the citizenship of Omaha that it has been most 
difficult to fill. He was in the prime of life when called from the scene of earthly 
activities on the 19th of April, 1908. He was born in Council Bluffs, July 9, 
1857, a son of Caleb and Jane (Barr) Baldwin. His father was a distinguished 
lawyer and jurist of Iowa who was born near Washington, Pennsylvania, April 
3, 1824. He had reached the age of twenty-two years when he became a resident 
of Fairfield, Iowa, and while residing there for a period of eleven years he 
served as prosecuting attorney of Jefferson county and later was elected judge 
of his district. In 1857 ^^^ became a resident of Council Bluffs and two years 
later was made a member of Iowa's supreme court for a four years' term, serving 
as chief justice during the last two years of that period. He then resumed the 
private practice of law and ever maintained his position as one of the distinguished 
members of the Iowa bar. In 1864 President Lincoln appointed him United 
States district attorney of Iowa, which position he filled until after the assassi- 
nation of the president. In 1874 he was made a member of the Alabama claims 
commission by President Grant and so continued to serve until his death on the 
13th of December, 1876. 

His son, John N. Baldwin, was a worthy successor of his distinguished father. 
After mastering the branches of learning taught in the schools of Council Bluffs 
he became a student in the State University of Iowa at Iowa City in 1873, devot- 
ing three years there to collegiate work. In 1876 he entered the Columbia 
Law School at Washington, D. C, and after a year returned to the Iowa State 
University, in which he completed the law course by graduation with the class 
of June, 1877. His initial professional step was made as junior partner in the 
law firm of Rising, Wright & Baldwin, his associates being A. J. Rising and 
Hon. George F. Wright. His ability was soon manifest in his careful and capable 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 327 

handling of his cases. The senior partner of the firm retired in 1880 and the 
firm then remained Wright & Baldwin until 1889, when George S. Wright, son 
of George F. Wright, was admitted. The death of the father occurred on the 
13th of December, 1906, but Mr. Baldwin maintained his professional association 
with the son until his own death. In 1904, however, he removed from Council 
Bluffs to Omaha, in which year he was made general solicitor for the Union 
Pacific Railway Company. A contemporary writer has said of him: "Mr. Bald- 
win was recognized as one of the ablest lawyers in the middle west. He was 
retained in connection with much important litigation. He was one of the 
counsel in the suit of James Doyle vs. James F. Burns, one of the most famous 
cases heard in the courts of Iowa. His firm represented railroad companies 
in Council Bluffs and throughout the west and his ability and experience in rail- 
way litigation led to his appointment as general solicitor for the Union Pacific 
on the death of William R. Kelley, who held that place, and in that capacity Mr. 
Baldwin continued until his demise, having in the meantime removed to Omaha 
to better facilitate his work. He was thoroughly informed in all departments 
of the law and was particularly capable in the field of corporation and railway 
law, his ability in that connection winning him wide recognition throughout the 
middle west. Although he established his home in Omaha, he continued an 
active member of the firm of Wright & Baldwin of Council Bluffs. He was 
an orator of rare eloquence and his services as a public speaker were in con- 
stant demand during political campaigns. He was always active in politics, 
taking a leading part in every campaign, and he was selected to present the 
name of Senator William B. Allison, of Iowa, to the republican national con- 
vention in St. Louis in 1896 as a candidate for the presidential nomination." 

In Cedar Rapids, Iowa, in December, 1878, was celebrated the marriage of 
Mr. Baldwin and Miss Lilla G. Holcomb of that city, and they became parents 
of a daughter and a son : Genevieve ; and John N., who was admitted to the bar in 
191 1 and is now a member of the firm of Keegan & Baldwin with offices in the 
World-Herald building in Omaha. Mr. Baldwin was deeply interested in all 
the vital questions and problems of the day affecting the welfare of city, state 
and nation and he supported many measures which were advanced for the 
upbuilding of the cities in which he lived."^ He was famous as a toastmaster, in 
which connection his gifts of oratory and his rare wit had full play. He pos- 
sessed a most genial nature and he won the warm friendship of all with whom 
he came in contact. His life was purposeful and resultant and he achieved that 
distinction which comes only in recognition of superior talent and ability. 



RALPH B. WELLER.' 



. Ralph B. Weller is engaged in the lumber business at Omaha as president of 
the firm of Weller Brothers, in which connection he is active in the control of one 
of the extensive and important commercial interests of the city, for their volume 
of trade has reached large proportions. He was born upon a farm in Richard- 
son county, Nebraska, in 1870, and is a representative of an old Pennsylvania 
family, his grandfather, Frederick Weller, having spent his entire life in West- 
moreland county, that state. It was upon the old homestead farm in Pennsyl- 
vania that his father, Henry D. Weller, was born and reared and ere leaving 
Pennsylvania he was married to Miss Mary J. Campbell. At the time of the Civil 
war he responded to the country's call for troops, enlisting in 1861 in the 
Eleventh Regiment of Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry, with which he served 
until the close of hostilities. He was mustered out with the rank of first lieu- 
tenant, being in command of his company at the time of the surrender of Lee 
at Appomattox. He participated in the Grand Review in Washington, D. C, 
where the victorious Union army marched down Pennsylvania avenue, over 



328 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

which was suspctulcd a banner bearing the words: "The only debt which the 
country owes that she cannot pay is the debt which she owes to her sokHers." 
In 1869 Henry D. Weller came to Nebraska and for a time was identified with 
agricultural interests in Richardson county. He took an active interest in local 
and state politics and was called to represent his district in the Nebraska general 
assembly, where he did much to shape legislation during that period. He died 
ill 1910 and is still survived by his widow. 

Ralph P). Weller attended school at Stella, Nebraska, and in 1889, when a 
youth of nineteen years, came to Omaha. Through the intervening period he has 
been identified with Imsiness interests of the city, gradually working his way 
upward, each advance step bringing him a broader outlook and wider oppor- 
tunities. In 1903 he embarked in the lumber business at Nebraska City but in 
1907 removed the general offices of the company to Omaha and in January, 1914, 
the business was incorporated under the style of Weller Brothers, with R. B. 
Weller as president; D. C. Weller, vice president; A. W. Weller, treasurer; 
and F. M. Weller, secretary. They control an extensive trade in lumber and 
building materials and the progressive policy of the house insures a continued 
success. 

On the 17th of June, 1896, in Omaha, Mr. Weller was united in marriage 
to ]\liss Clarissa M. Wilhelmy, a daughter of the late John F. Wilhelmy. Their 
children are four in number, namely; Ruth W., Frederick H., Dorothy L. and 
Robert A. Mr. Weller is a loyal supporter of the republican party and his inter- 
est in the city's upbuilding is shown in his membership in the Commercial Club. 
He is an active and prominent member of the English Lutheran church, serving 
as a member of the council and also as treasurer of the synodical missionary 
and church extension committee of the Nebraska Synod. He takes a most active 
and helpful interest in the work of the church, doing everything in his power 
to promote its growth and extend its influence, and at no time has he allowed his 
business affairs to so monopolize his attention as to preclude the possibility of his 
cooperation in work for the moral progress of city and state. 



COLONEL MATHEWSON T. PATRICK. 

Colonel Alathewson T. Patrick, who contributed to the upbuilding of Omaha 
through his real estate operations, passed away in this city, February 21, 1899. He 
was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, February 7, 1834, and was quite young when 
the family removed to Uniontown, Pennsylvania. His parents were John and 
Matilda (Erskine) Patrick, the latter a native of Windsor, Massachusetts. The 
father, too, was born in America although both of his parents were of Irish 
birth. 

Colonel Patrick acquired his education in the common schools of Uniontown 
and became a merchant of that place, where he remained until 1856, when, at the 
age of twenty-two years, he came to Omaha. Llere for a short time he was 
connected with the lumber trade and was always active in the affairs of the city. 
He obtained a grant of eighty acres of land from the government, extending 
from Patrick avenue and Saunders, now Twenty-fourth street, to Maple street, 
and on this he platted sixty acres, selling it as town lots. With the growth of 
the city the value of his property largely increased. He also had other realty 
holdings in Omaha and from time to time he erected houses on his land, thus con- 
tributing in substantial measure to the improvement of the city. 

At the outbreak of the Civil war Colonel Patrick, aroused by a spirit of 
patriotic devotion to his country, raised and organized Company A of the First 
Nebraska Volunteer Cavalry, and upon its organization in August, 1861. he was 
elected and afterward commissioned captain of one of the four companies of 
this cavalry. With his command he was ordered to St. Louis barracks and under 




COLONEL MATHEWSON T. PATRICK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 331 

war department orders these companies were consolidated with four companies 
of cavalry from Minnesota, three from Iowa and one from Illinois, the newly 
formed regiment being called the Pifth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry. Of this com- 
mand Mr. Patrick was commissioned lieutenant colonel. After being drilled at 
Benton barracks the command was sent to Fort Henry and to Fort Donelson. 
Later the regiment garrisoned these two forts in company with infantry regiments 
and were engaged for scouting duty in western Tennessee. Subsequently the 
command moved to the front and participated in various battles extending from 
Chattanooga to Atlanta. Colonel Patrick commanded the brigade under General 
Rousseau in the raids through Alabama and Georgia and in the vicinity of Chat- 
tanooga and Atlanta. He was a brave and fearless officer. His was never the 
command of the tyrant to go but the call of the leader to come and his own 
loyalty and fearlessness inspired his men with much of his courage. He retired 
from the army with honors and received from his commanding officers, Generals 
George H. Thomas and Rousseau, letters which highly commended him for his 
bravery. 

Colonel Patrick was afterward appointed agent for the Sioux and Cheyenne 
Indians, which position he filled for a few years, and from 1869 until 1873 he 
was United States marshal for the territory of Utah. In 1876 his brother, A. S. 
Patrick, and a Mr. Salsbury became associated with him in operating a stage 
line from Sidney, Nebraska, to Deadwood, Dakota, at that time a very important 
line. Pie sold out to Mr. Salsbury in 1878 and later he and his brother operated 
a stage line from Rock Creek on the Northern Pacific Railroad to Forts McKin- 
ney and Custer on the Yellowstone river. While thus engaged Colonel Patrick 
maintained his residence in Omaha. He owned^ a large farm near Fremont. 
Nebraska, and the P. K. ranch near Sharon; Wyoming. His broad and varied 
experience made him thoroughly familiar with pioneer life, and development in 
the west. He lived upon the frontier and his activities contributed in substan- 
tial measure to the work of general progress and improvement. 

At Worcester, Massachusetts, Colonel Patrick was united in marriage on the 
i6th of August, 1881, to Miss Eliza S. Burdett, a daughter of Charles Burdett, 
author and critic. The children of this marriage were : Rose Howard, who died 
in infancy; Mary Jessie, who has also passed away; Edith Mathewson, now the 
wife of Myles Standish, of Omaha; and Marjorie Erskine, who is deceased. 

Colonel Patrick was a stalwart republican in his political views, and the 
Masonic fraternity found him a worthy exemplar and follower of the craft. His 
entire life was guided by patriotic devotion to his country and when he passed 
away in 1899 Omaha lost one of its earliest settlers, for he foiind only a little 
village when he left the east and made his way to Nebraska in 1856. From 
that time forward until his death he contributed in many ways to the upbuilding 
and development of the district in which he located and Omaha numbered him 
among her honored and worthy citizens. 



JOHN G. ROSICKY. 



John G. Rosicky, president of the National Printing Company and president 
of the National Building Company, had as the basis of his business advancement 
thorough educational training, supplemented by laudable ambition and unfalter- 
ing determination, and thus it is that he has come to the head of the two important 
business enterprises in which he is now a controlling factor. Omaha claims hmi 
as a native son. He was born December i, 1881, his parents being John and 
Mary (Bayer) Rosicky. The father was born in Humpoletz, Bohemia, and 
after his arrival in this city wedded Miss Bayer, a native of Klatovy, Bohemia. 
It was in 1867 that he crossed the Atlantic to the United States, arriving in 
Omaha in 1872. The following year he was put in charge of the Bohemian 



332 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

weekly paper known as the Pokrok Zapadn, which was established by the late 
Edward Rosewater. Mr. Rosicky purchased the paper in 1874 and conducted it 
continuously until 1900, when he sold out. lie established the Hospodar in 
1895 and it is today the paper of largest circulation among Bohemian publications 
in the new world. In 1901 he began to jniblish the weekly Kvety Americke, which 
three years later he consolidated with the Osveta, which was first published 
in 1884. The new publication became known as the Osveta Americka and in 
Sei)tember. 1916, the name was changed to the Kvety Americke, under which it 
is still continued. Mr. Rosicky remained an active factor in the publication of 
these papers until his death, which occurred April 2, 1910. His widow survived 
until August 15, 1912, when she, too, passed away in Omaha. 

In the schools of his native city John G. Rosicky pursued his early education 
and afterward spent two years as a student in the Case School of Applied 
Science in Cleveland, Ohio, where he pursued the electrical engineering course. 
Through the succeeding thirteen years or until 19 10 he was employed by the 
Nebraska Telephone Company and in January of that year he became president of 
the National Printing Company, which had been organized by his father in 1872 
under the name of the Pokrok Zapadu Printing Company. This was incorporated 
in 1889 as the National Printing Company and Mr. Rosicky succeeded to the 
business on the death of his father in 1910, becoming president of the company. 
The Kvety Americke has a sworn subscription list of twenty-five thousand 
seven hundred and eleven and the Hospodar of thirty-one thousand and eight. 
The latter is America's only Bohemian farm paper and it has a wide circulation 
among the Bohemian speaking agricultural class throughout the entire country. 
Every department of the business is thoroughly organized and the wide circula- 
tion of these papers make them an excellent advertising medium. They are 
therefore accorded a liberal advertising patronage and, moreover, the papers 
have special representatives in various sections of the country obtaining sub- 
scriptions and advertisements. The business has been thoroughly developed along 
the most progressive lines and the work instituted by his father is now being ably 
conducted and broadened by John G. Rosicky in keeping with the spirit of modern 
progress. He is also the president of the National Building Company and in 
that connection controls important business interests. 

On the 2d of April, 1905, in Omaha, Mr. Rosicky was united in marriage to 
Miss Emily B. Maystrick, by whom he has two children, Mary Bertha and John. 
Politically Mr. Rosicky is a republican. Fraternally he is connected with the 
Woodmen of the World, the Western Fraternal Bohemian Association and the 
Tel Jed Sokol Association. He is likewise identified with the Commercial Club 
and is a progressive, enterprising business man of the city, thoroughly alive to the 
opportunities in newspaper publication, and the wise utilization which he has 
made of his time and talents has brought him to a creditable place in journalistic 
circles. 



NEWELL JONES, M. D. 

Thorough training in schools of recognized standard in America, supple- 
mented by study abroad, has admirably qualified Dr. Newell Jones for the duties 
of medical practice, and in Omaha, where he now resides, he has won success, 
especially in the field of children's diseases, in which he specializes. He was born 
on a farm near Malvern, Iowa, October i, 1881. His father, Norvel Jones, 
was born near Galesburg, Illinois, in 1846 and there enlisted for service in the 
Civil war, going to the front with the One Hundred and Thirty-seventh Regiment, 
Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which he remained for about six months. He 
was a son of Daniel Jones, a native of Canada, who spent his last days in 
Galesburg, Illinois. In early manhood Norvel Jones wedded Ella Mason, who 




DR. NEWELL JONES 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 335 

was born in Sweden, and in 1887 they removed to Madison county, Nebraska. 
The father is now a resident of Galesburg, Illinois, but the mother has passed 
away. 

Dr. Jones acquired his early education in the country schools of Madison 
county and afterward attended the public schools of the city of Madison. Later 
he pursued a course in pharmacy at Highland Park College in Des ^Moines, Iowa, 
but made this only an initial step for other professional training, entering the 
Illinois Medical College at Chicago, from which he was graduated in 1905. He 
then began practice at Central City, Nebraska, where he continued until 191 2, 
when, in order to further equip himself for his chosen life work, he went to 
London, where he pursued his studies for a year, specializing in diseases of 
children, in which he displays much more than ordinary skill. 

On the 4th of September, 1907, in Grand Island, Nebraska, Dr. Jones was 
united in marriage to Miss Winifred Reynard, her father being the late Rev. 
John Reynard, a Presbyterian minister. They have two children, Frances and 
Reynard Newell. 

Dr. and Mrs. Jones hold membership in the Westminster Presbyterian church, 
in which he is serving as an elder and in the work of which church he takes an 
active and helpful interest. He exercises his right of franchise in support of 
the men and measures of the republican party and he belongs to the Athletic 
Club of Omaha. His time and attention, however, are principally devoted to 
his professional interests and that he keeps abreast with the trend of modern 
thought is indicated in his membership in the Omaha-Douglas County iMedical 
Society, the Missouri Valley Medical Association, the Nebraska State Medical 
Association, the American Aledical Association and the Central States Pediatric 
Society. He possesses a ready sympathy that enables him to quickly understand 
his patients and to, win the confidence, goodwill and faith of the children whom 
he treats. His work in that field has been particularly successful and his skill 
has carried him far beyond the point of mediocrity to a place where he enjoys 
a most deserved reputation as a successful physician. 



FRANK J. BURKLEY. 



Frank J. Burkley, president of the Burkley Envelope & Printing Company, 
has throughout most of his life been actively connected with the printing and 
newspaper business and along the line of orderly progression has made steady 
advancement until he is now at the head of a growing and profitable business 
concern of Omaha, his native city. He was born October 24, 1857, of the mar- 
riage of Vincent and Theresa (Stelzer) Burkley. The former was born in 
Germany in 181 8 and came to the United States in 1837, at which time he estab- 
lished his home in Columbus, Ohio, where he engaged in the clothing business 
until 1855, when he came to Omaha. For a quarter of a century he was a rep- 
resentative merchant of this city, being widely known as proprietor of the ]\Iorn- 
ing Star Clothing House, which was first situated on Farnam, between Tenth 
and Eleventh streets. There he built, owned and occupied the first two story 
brick business block in Omaha. Later he removed to Farnam, near Thirteenth 
street, and a picture of his establishment is one of the illustrations in this work, 
a large star in front of his business house indicating the name under which he 
conducted his interests. He was very prominent in the public life of the com- 
munity as well as in commercial circles and served as a member of the first 
school board of Omaha and also as a member of the city council. He was like- 
wise chosen to represent his district in the first territorial legislature of Nebraska 
and thus he left the impress of his individuality in large measure upon the history 
of the state and its development. His political allegiance was always given to the 
democratic party. In Columbus, Ohio, he married Theresa Stelzer. a native of 



336 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Germany, and on Uk- 4lh of Jnly, 1898, he passed away, while the death of his 
wife occurred in iyo8. Jhey were the parents of two sons and four chiughters, 
all of whom are now (ujK")) living. Three of the daughters — Mrs. Louisa M. 
Leary, the widow of Cornelius A. Leary ; Mrs. Andrew F. ]>ethge and Miss 
Antoinette ikirkley, are residents of Omaha. The fourth sister, Mrs. Cecelia 
Lurkhard, the widow of John A. Ikirkhard, resides in Missoula, Montana. The 
two sons of the family are Frank J. and Harry \'., both residents of Omaha. The 
latter was married on the 30th of September, 1896, in Council BlulTs, to Miss 
Angela VVickham and they have four children: Ilarry \'., Robert W., Eleanor 
and Francis ). 

Frank J. Lurkley, whose name introduces this review, passed through consecu- 
tive grades in the public schools of Omaha to the high school, but at the age of 
seventeen years put aside his textbooks in order to make a start in the business 
world. He began learning telegraphy with the Western Union Telegraph Com- 
pany at Omaha and remained with that corporation for seven years. He after- 
ward spent two years as government operator at Fort Omaha, on the expiration 
of which period he became connected with the Omaha Herald in the business 
office, having charge of foreign advertising. Two years were devoted to that 
work and in 1884 he, with G. M. Hitchcock and others, established the Omaha 
World. For seven years he remained as business manager of that paper and then 
sold his interest to Mr. Hitchcock, after which he and his brother Harry incor- 
porated the job printing business which the latter had been conducting for a 
year prior to that time. Their interests were organized under the name of the 
Burkley Printing Company and on the ist of January, 1916, the business was 
reincorporated as the Burkley Envelope & Printing Company, of which F. J. 
Burkley is the president and Harry V. Burkley the secretary and treasurer. Since 
they united their interests they have developed a business of large and gratifying 
proportions and their activities have resulted in the attainment of well merited 
success. 

Mr. Burkley has two daughters, namely : Agnes, who is now the wife of Jesse 
McMillan Harding, of Omaha; and Mary. The religious faith of the family 
is that of the Catholic church and Mr. Burkley has served as a member of the 
building committee of St. Cecilia's Cathedral. He is also a member of the 
board of the Associated Charities of Omaha. He belongs to the Omaha Club 
and the Omaha Country Club — associations which indicate something of the 
nature of his recreation. That he is deeply concerned in the public welfare is 
indicated in his active membership in the Omaha Commercial Club. His political 
allegiance is given the democratic party and in 1893 he was elected a member 
of the city council from the eighth ward and was reelected, serving until 1903. 
The varied interests of his life are well balanced, making him a strong and 
resourceful man and one whose cooperation is counted upon as of value in all 
the lines into which he directs his efforts. 



FRED LORIN TUBBS. 



Fred Lorin Tubbs, president of the Alamo Engine & Supply Company of 
Omaha and also president of the Alamo Farm Light Company, was born at 
Port Byron, Illinois, on the 5th of May, 1881. His father, James Jeptha Tubbs, 
was born in Ohio in 1849 and in Port Byron, Blinois, wedded Mary Agnes Rowe, 
who was a native of that city. They are now residents of Hillsdale, Michigan. 
During the latter part of the Civil war Mr. Tubbs, who was then a youth in his 
teens, joined the army as a member of the Sixty-ninth Ohio Volunteer Infantry 
and did duty at the front until the close of hostilities. 

Fred L. Tubbs was reared in Port Byron. Illinois, to the age of six years, after 
which he accompanied his parents on their removal to Rock Island, Illinois, where 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 337 

he attended school. The military spirit manifested by his father is also strong 
within him, for in May, 1898, soon after the outbreak of the Spanish-x\merican 
war, he enlisted at Moline, Illinois, in the United States Navy and was assigned 
to the United States Steamship Newport, a gunboat of the first class, as bugler. 
Thereon he served until September i, 1898, when he was honorably discharged. 
The ship was sent to Cuba and saw service at Havana and Mariel. Leaving 
the navy, he spent two years in learning the pattern making and machinist's 
trades at Rock Island, after which he became a marine engineer on the Mississippi 
river, devoting two years to that work. In 1904 he was made chief of the fire 
department of Rock Island and so continued for two years. On the 17th of 
July, 1907, he came to Omaha and was sales manager for a gasoline engine 
company for two years, while his next step in business was at the head of an 
enterprise of his own. It was in March, 1909, ihat he organized the Alamo 
Engine «& Supply Company, of which he became and is still the president. He 
further broadened the scope of his activities and interests in December, 191 5, in 
organizing the Alamo Farm Light Company, of which he is the president. He is 
an enterprising and progressive business man and has in his Farm Light project 
an enterprise that promises notable success for the future. He is bending every 
energy to the development and conduct of these business interests and his 
patronage has now reached extensive proportions. 

On the 3d of April, 1907, in Omaha, Mr. Tubbs was united in marriage to 
Miss Emily M. Dunn and they have one child, Edna Mae. Mr. Tubbs is a 
Congregationalist, while his political faith is that of the republican party. 
Fraternally he is a Mason, belonging to the Scottish Rite bodies and to the 
Mystic Shrine, and he is also enrolled among the members of the Omaha Field 
Club, the Rotary Club, the Athletic Club of Omaha and the Commercial Club. 
He is alert, ready at all times for any condition or emergency that may arise, 
and his ready recognition and utilization of opportunities has been an important 
element in his growing prosperity. 



CHARLES JOHN LYON. 

Charles John Lyon, general manager and one of the incorporators of The 
Travelers' Health Association, was born in Trumansburg, New York, in 1861, 
and is descended from an old New England family. Nehemiah W. Lyon, his 
great-grandfather, was born August 16, 1759, and passed away on the 31st of 
August, i860, when one hundred and one years old. He was a resident of 
Danbury, Connecticut, and participated in the War of 1812. His son, Samuel 
Lyon, born August 27, 1780 died in August, 1876. He also lived in Danbury, 
Connecticut, and took part in the War of 1812. Charles Lyon, the father of 
Charles John Lyon, was born in Danbury, Connecticut, October 17, 1825, and in 
Trumansburg, New York, wedded Miss Mary Teeter, a native of the Empire 
state. She died in Cleveland Ohio, in 1896, having for many years survived her 
husband. Charles Lyon in 1861 enlisted at Trumansburg, New York, for service 
as a drummer in the Forty-ninth New York Regiment of Volunteer Infantry and 
was discharged in 1863 with the regimental band. He reenlisted later in 1863, 
in the Twenty-first New York Cavalry, and was captured in Georgia, after which 
he was sent to Andersonville prison, where he died February 10, 1865, from 
starvation and exposure. He was wounded in the battle of Piedmont in the 
Shenandoah valley of Virginia in 1864, was taken prisoner and was confined in 
two different prisons before being taken to Andersonville. Prior to the war he 
had devoted his attention to the business of shoe manufacturing. He left a family 
of four sons and two daughters, but the daughters are now deceased. 

Charles J. Lyon is indebted to the public school systems of Trumansburg, 
New York, and of Manchester, Michigan, for the educational advantages which 



338 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

he enjoyed. In 1875 ^^'^ removed with his widowed mother to Manchester, where 
her eldest son, the Rev. Frank S. Lyon, a IJaptist minister, was then located. 
After completing his education in the high school of Manchester, Charles J. 
Lyon accepted a clerkship in a general store there, spending two years in that 
connection. In 1878 he went to Kansas City. Missouri, where for twelve years 
he was emi)loyed hy a wholesale firm, acting as a traveliiig salesman upon the 
road for the house during the last three years of that period. Later he took up 
the business of selling insurance for the New York Life Company in Kansas 
Citv and was so employed for three years. He afterward became department 
manager with the Emery- Uird-Thayer Company, the leading dry goods house of 
Kansas City, spending two years in that connection. In December, 1897, he came 
to Omaha and was associated with the McCord-Brady Company, wholesale 
grocers, as manager of a department until December, igo8. In the meantime, 
or in 1904, he had become one of the incorporators of The Travelers' Health 
Association, of which he was made secretary, and in 1908, on leaving the McCord- 
Brady Company, he was made treasurer of the association and also became 
general manager, which position he still fills. He is also a director and the vice 
president of the American Merchants' Syndicate, a wholesale mail order house 
of Chicago. Thus he has come into important business connections, gradually 
working his way upward from a minor position to one of prominence. 

In Kansas City, Missouri, on the ist of November, 1888, Mr. Lyon was united 
in marriage to Miss Hattie Sophia Pasmore, a daughter of James Pasmore, a 
native of England. The children of this marriage were: Edith May, the 
wife of Myron C. Buck, of Waterloo, Iowa; Hazel Emma, who married Reuben 
Elwood Pratt, of Omaha; and Helen, who died in 1906, at the age of twelve 
years. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lyon hold membership in the First Baptist church, in the work 
of w^hich they are actively and helpfully interested, Mr. Lyon serving as moderator 
and trustee. While a resident of Missouri he served for three years, from 1884 
to 1887, as a private in the Seventh Regiment of the Missouri National Guard. 
His political allegiance has always been given to the republican party since age 
conferred upon him the right of franchise. Fraternally he is a Knight Templar 
jNIason and also a member of Tangier Temple, A. A. O. N. M. S. He belongs 
likewise to the Happy Hollow Club, to the Commercial Club and to the Ad Club 
and he is interested in all those forces which make for the material, intellectual, 
social, political and moral uplift of the community. His influence has always 
been on the side of progress and improvement and his entire career has been 
actuated by a spirit of advancement. 



CHARLES WILBER SEARS. 

Charles Wilber Sears, w4io in the practice of his profession has been promi- 
nently identified with corporation law, was born at Onawa, Monona county, Iowa. 
May 5, 1872, and traces his ancestry in direct line back to one of the earliest 
of the American colonists — Richard Sears, who was born in 161 3 and was one 
of the Pilgrims who landed at Plymouth, Massachusetts, in 1630. He died in the 
year 1676. His son Paul, born in 1637, died in 1707, and from him the line 
comes down through Paul Sears II, who was born in 1669 and died in 1740, Paul 
Sears III, who was born in 1695 and passed away in 1771 ; Nathaniel Sears, 
who was born in 1738 and died in 1816; Silas Sears, who was born in Massa- 
chusetts in 1762 and died in 1838; to Leonard Sears, who was born in 1802 and 
died in 1859. He was the father of Stillman Foote Sears, who was born in 
New York in 1842 and in 1864 was married in Onawa, Iowa, to Margaret A. 
Searle, who passed away in 191 5. They were the parents of Charles Wilber 
Sears of Omaha. 




CHARLES W. SEARS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 341 

In the schools of his native city Charles W. Sears pursued his early education, 
graduating from the high school with the class of 1891. He acquired his collegiate 
education in the State University of Iowa, winning the degree of Ph. B. with 
the class of 1897. He next entered the Nebraska State University at Lincoln 
and was graduated from the law department in 1900. Nine years before he 
had become a resident of Omaha and in 1893 had entered the law office of Rich 
& Sears, the junior partner being his brother. As clerk and student he there 
remained until 1897, when he entered the employ of the F. E. Sanborn Company 
of Omaha, while the following year he went to Lincoln as cashier of the branch 
house of The Cudahy Packing Company in the capital city. In 1900 he returned 
to Omaha and for about a year was associated m practice with Arthur N. Fer- 
guson, now deceased. Later he returned to his native city, where he remained 
for a year, at the end of which time he again became a representative of the 
Omaha bar and from 1903 until 191 1 he was attorney for The Cudahy Packing 
Company, devoting his entire time to the legal interests of that corporation. In 
the latter year he opened a law office for the private practice of law, in which he 
has since continued, and his clientage is now extensive and important. 

On the 27th of February, 1901, at Onawa, Iowa, Mr. Sears was married to 
Miss Louise A. Boesche and to them have been born two children, Mary Emma 
and Melvin Leonard. Mr. Sears is a Knights Templar Mason and also a mem- 
ber of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is a member of Phi Kappa 
Psi college fraternity and the Phi Delta Phi law fraternity. He likewise 
has membership in the Athletic Club of Omaha and the Seymour Lake 
Country Club. His religious faith is manifest in his membership in St. 
Martin's Episcopal church, of which he is a vestryman, and' his interest in local 
progress is evidenced in his loyal support of the Commercial Club. In politics 
he is a republican and in 1913 was appointed by Governor Morehead as the 
republican member of the special commission on revenue and taxation in Ne- 
braska, the commission having been provided for by the legislature of 1913. 
In 1914 he was nominated for attorney general of Nebraska. While undoubtedly 
not without that laudable ambition which is so valuable as an incentive to faithful 
service in public life, he nevertheless regards the pursuits of private life as in 
themselves abundantly w^orthy of his best efiforts and his developing powers in 
the practice of law have gained him distinction as an able lawyer, well qualified 
to handle intricate and involved legal problems. His mind is analytical and 
logical in its trend and his deductions are sound and convincing. 



A. JOHNSON, M. D. 



Dr. A. Johnson, a distinguished Omaha physician, has specialized in mental 
diseases, concerning which his opinions are largely accepted as authority in his 
adopted city. He was born in Sweden, April 2, i860, a son of John and Anna 
Johnson, who were also natives of that country but came to the new world, 
establishing their home in Moline, Illinois, on the 4th of July, 1870. In 1876 
they removed to Polk county Nebraska, where the father was engaged in farming 
until death called him in 1891. His wife survived until 1898 and died at the 
age of seventy years. 

Dr. Johnson was the youngest in their family of eight children and he began 
his education in the country schools of Illinois, continuing his studies in Polk 
county, Nebraska. He afterward entered the Luther Academy at Wahoo, 
Nebraska, where he completed a literary course by graduation with the class 
of 1885. He next became a student in Augustana College at Rock Island, Illinois, 
and, having determined upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he then 
entered the Omaha Medical College, from which he was graduated in 1890, 
winning his professional degree. He entered upon practice as a physician for 



Vol. 11—14 



342 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

the Union Pacific Railway Company under Dr. Galbraith, chief surgeon for that 
company, and continued in that service for eight years, during which time he was 
located at the coal mines at Ilanna, Wyoming, for three and a half years and for 
four and a half years was located in Omaha as the company's physician and 
surgeon. Subsequently he engaged in private practice in Omaha, and during that 
period he was appointed by Governor Dietrich to the position of superintendent of 
the Home for the Feeble-Minded at lieatrice, Nebraska, continuing to occupy 
that position under Governors Savage, Mickey and Sheldon, after which he 
resigned to resume private practice. Later he was appointed by Governor 
Aldrich superintendent of the State Hospital for the Insane at Norfolk, Nebraska, 
and continued in that position of responsibility for two and a half years, when he 
resigned, desiring to devote his time and energies to the private practice of 
medicine, in which he continues at the present day, being recognized as one of the 
eminent physicians of Omaha. He has long and closely studied mental and 
nervous disorders and is a recognized authority upon diseases of the mind. He 
keeps in close touch with the trend of modern professional thought and scientific 
investigation through his membership in the Douglas County Medical Society, 
the Nebraska State Medical Society and the American Medical Association. 
Aside from his profession he is a member of the board of directors of the 
Lutheran International Insurance Company and is also its medical director. 
Since 1910, Dr. Johnson has been a member of the board of directors of 
Augustana College at Rock Island, Illinois, this being the oldest and largest 
institution of learning in America controlled by the Swedish Lutheran church. 

In Chariton, Iowa, on the 20th of November, 1890, Dr. Johnson was united in 
marriage to Miss Sophia Sandahl, of Chariton, Iowa, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. 
J. F. Sandahl, of Chariton, who were pioneers of that state but are now deceased. 
Dr. and Airs. Johnson have two children : Julius A., who was born in Omaha 
August 25, 1891, and was graduated from the University of Nebraska in 1912, 
since which time he has been pursuing a medical course in the university, class 
of 1917; and Olga, who was born in Hanna, Wyoming, in 1893 and is a graduate 
of the high school of Norfolk, Nebraska. At the present time she is a teacher in 
the Home for the Feeble-Minded at Glenwood, Iowa. 

Dr. Johnson belongs to the Commercial Club, a fact which indicates his 
interest in matters of public moment. He is also enrolled as a member of the 
Noonday Club. He stands for all those forces and interests which are of 
greatest value as factors in physical, mental and moral development and progress 
and his worth is widely acknowledged in professional connections, his constantly 
expanding powers bringing him to prominence in professional circles. 



CLINTON D. ORCUTT. 

Clinton D. Orcutt, who was the owner of large landed interests in the middle 
west and was widely and favorably known in various localities, was called to the 
home beyond January 27, 1905. His birth occurred in Naperville, Illinois, in 
1840 and at a very early day his parents had become residents of that state, 
removing from New York to the middle west. 

Following the acquirement of a public school education Clinton D. Orcutt 
took up the study of law and prepared for the bar, gaining a comprehensive 
knowledge of the principles of jurisprudence. Removing to Davenport, Iowa, 
he there engaged in the practice of law and also conducted a real estate business, 
meeting with splendid success in both undertakings, so that his labors were 
attended with a substantial reward. At length he retired from active business 
life and in 1888 removed to Omaha, establishing his home at No. 550 South 
Twenty-sixth street. In 1901, he was appointed a trustee of the Nebraska 
Institute for the Deaf and Dumb and also of the Institute for the Blind, while 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 343 

subsequently he was made president of the board of trustees. He took a very 
deep and helpful interest in that work, doing everything in bis power to promote 
the efficiency of the institutions in their work to alleviate the hard conditions under 
which their inmates were suffering. He reached out in sympathetic understand- 
ing of their needs and did much to promote the standards of both schools. 
While Mr. Orcutt lived retired from business during the period of his residence 
in Omaha he owned and managed large real estate interests in Iowa, Nebraska 
and Kansas and from his property holdings received a most gratifying annual 
income. 

In Davenport, Iowa, in 1870, Mr. "Orcutt was married to Miss Anna D. 
Dutton, a native of New Haven, Connecticut, and to them were born five 
children: Lewis D. and George D., both of whom are now deceased; Miriam 
Edith, who is the widow of Alfred J. Beaton, and has two children, Orcutt and 
Anna Jane; Anna Ri, the wife of Louis Jaques, of Chicago, and the mother of 
three children, Anna Ri, Abbie Jane and Lois; and Jane Clair, the wife of 
Arthur Keeline, of Omaha. 

Mr. Orcutt was a Mason and exemplified in his life the beneficent spirit of the 
craft, but he never sought to figure prominently in public connections, preferring 
to concentrate his energies upon his business and upon the interests of his home, 
where he found his greatest happiness. He was, however, not in the least degree 
narrow or contracted in his interests and activities and in all matters of citizen- 
ship gave his substantial support on the side of progress and improvement. 



HARLAN ALBERT SCOTT. 

Harlan Albert Scott, president of the Scott & Hill Company, engaged in the 
real estate, contracting and fire insurance business in Omaha, was born on a 
farm in Monona county, Iowa, in 1877, and is descended from one of the old 
American families. His grandfather was Samuel Scott, a native of Connecticut. 
His father, George Marion Scott, was born in Medina, Ohio, in 1835 and in early 
manhood removed to western Iowa. His early life was devoted to agricultural 
pursuits, but later he became a merchant of Little Sioux. Iowa. In that state he 
wedded Maria Cobb, a native of Chautauqua county. New York, and his death 
occurred in 1913. His widow survives and yet makes her home in Little Sioux, 
Iowa. 

It was during the infancy of Harlan A. Scott that his parents removed to 
Little Sioux, where he largely pursued his education in the public schools, 
although later he was graduated from a business college at Shenandoah, Iowa, 
with the class of 1895. He next went to Ottumwa, Iowa, where he spent two 
years in the employ of a wholesale drug firm, and later he entered the office of the 
superintendent of the Chicago Great Western Railway in Des Moines in the 
capacity of a stenographer. After a year and a half there spent he returned to 
Little Sioux and for a year was associated in business with his father, who con- 
ducted a general store there. In 1900 H. A. Scott removed to St. Louis and was 
private secretary to L. W. Wakeley, then general passenger agent of the Missouri 
lines and now general passenger agent of the Burlington lines west of the 
Missouri river. Mr. Scott remained in St. Louis for about six months and in 
June, 1901, came to Omaha, where he accepted the position of private secretary 
to the traffic manager of the Cudahy Packing Company, continuing in that position 
until August, 1907, when he turned his attention to the real estate business and to 
contracting, while soon afterward he added a fire insurance department. In 191 3 
he incorporated his interests under the name of the Scott & Hill Company and 
has continuously been its president. He has operated largely in the field of real 
estate dealing and building and fire insurance is also an important branch of his 
interests. His patronage is extensive and his interests are constantly broaden- 



SU OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

ing along legitimate business lines. He belongs to the Real Estate Exchange and 
also to the Building Managers & Owners Association. 

On the 2d of October, 1901. in Des Moines. Iowa, Mr. Scott was united in 
marriage to Miss Winifred May, daughter of Caleb M. Stafford. They have 
two children, Viola Madeline and Eugenia Winifred. Politically Mr. Scott is 
a republican but without aspiration for office. He attends the Church of the 
Latter Day Saints and something of the nature of his recreation is indicated in 
the fact that he is a member of the Automobile Club. He has gained a wide 
acquaintance during the period of his residence in Omaha and his sterling worth 
has won for him the respect and goodwill of many with whom he has been 
lirought in contact. 



WAYNE E. SAWTELL. 

\\'ayne E. Sawtell, an Omaha attorney who has practiced in this city since 
November, 1912, was born in Hartwick, Iowa, in 1881 and is a representative of 
an old New England family. His ancestors originally were French and at the 
lime of religious persecution in that country fled from France to England with 
other Huguenots. The immigrant ancestor in America came from England in 
1636. James Prescott Sawtell, the grandfather, was born in Chester, Vermont, 
and the father, Frank A. Sawtell, was born in Galesburg, Illinois, in 1861, which 
facts indicate that the family was following the trend of western emigration. 
The last named wedded Maria Jones and in 1893 they became residents of Des 
Moines, Iowa, where they are now living. 

Wayne E. Sawtell was a youth of six years when the family removed from 
Hartwick to Des ^Moines, where he continued his education in the public schools 
and later entered Drake University of that city, from which he was graduated 
on the completion of the law course in 1910. He was then appointed private 
secretary to the Hon. Judge Smith McPherson and occupied that position for five 
months. He next located in Council Bluffs, Iowa, and in November, 1912, 
removed to Omaha, where he has since practiced. He is a close student and fur- 
thermore recognizes the fact that indefatigable industry is just as essential in suc- 
cessful law practice as in the trades or in commercial life. He therefore prepares 
his cases with great thoroughness and care and this constitutes one of the 
strong elements of his growing success. 

On the i8th of June, 191 3, Mr. Sawtell was married in Council Bluffs to 
Miss Florence Harwood Keith, a daughter of Jonas Harwood Keith, who was 
born in Massachusetts. There is one daughter of this marriage, Jeanette Har- 
wood. The parents hold membership in the Congregational church and Mr. 
Sawtell gives his political support to the republican party, keeping well informed 
on the questions and issues of the day. 



ISAAC NEWTON \'OGEL. 

Isaac Newton \'ogel, president and general manager of the Big 4 Realty Com- 
pany of Omaha, was born at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, in 1874. His father, 
Isaac Sylvester Vogel, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, and his 
parents came from Germany to the United States. The family home was estab- 
lished in Pennsylvania and the father was there residing at the time of the 
outbreak of the Civil war. In full sympathy with the Union cause, he enlisted 
as a soldier of Company D, Fourth Pennsylvania Volunteer Cavalry, with which 
he served from the outbreak of hostilities until the close. He was captured at 
Harpers Ferry and sent to Andersonville, where he was incarcerated for nine 




WAYNE E. SAWTELL 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 347 

months, and on his release he was mustered out, the war having then been brought 
to a successful termination. He never recovered from the effects of his imprison- 
ment, however. From 1866 until 1884 he was engaged in the manufacture of 
lumber at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, and from the latter year until five years 
prior to his death continued in the same line of business at Port Allegany, 
Pennsylvania, his last years being spent in retirement. He married Miss Emma 
E. Parson, a native of the Keystone state. 

It was in the schools of Port Allegany that Isaac N. Vogel pursued his educa- 
tion and in July, 1901, when a young man of twenty-seven years, he came to 
Omaha, where for seven years he was engaged in the life insurance business. 
In 1908 he turned his attention to the real estate and fire insurance business 
under the name of the Vogel Realty Agency and operated under that 'name, 
negotiating many important realty transfers and building up a business which 
reached large and profitable proportions. On December 11, 1916, he organized 
the Big 4 Realty Company. 

Mr. \^ogel has been twice married. On the 26th of December, 1895, in 
Portville, New York, he wedded Miss Mittie Strang, who passed away December 
29, 1900, leaving two children, Helen B. and Millard O. On the 22d of March, 
1905, in Neligh, Nebraska, Mr. V^ogel was again married, his second union being 
with Frances Elizabeth Myers, by whom he has three children : Sylvester 
.William, Georgianna E. and Gretchen R. 

Mr. A^ogel belongs to the Woodmen of the World and to the Fraternal Aid 
Union. Politically he maintains an independent course, casting his ballot accord- 
ing to the dictates of his judgment. He is interested in all matters of progressive 
citizenship and cooperates in well defined plans and measures for the public 
good. 



ABRAHAM BtrRBANK. 

A friend of Abraham Burbank characterized his life work in the following 
manner: "He started out with a shoestring and now ownis a tannery." Back 
of this is the story of indefatigable effort, unfaltering perseverance and laudable 
ambition, which has brought him through the steps of an orderly progression to a 
prominent position in the business circles of Omaha, where he is now managing 
the Fontenelle Hotel. He was born in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, February 4, 
1878, a son of William Pomeroy and Harriett R. (Merrill) Burbank, the former 
a native of Pittsfield, Massachusetts, and the latter of New York. Both have 
now passed away, the father's death occurring in 1913, while the mother was 
called to her final rest in 1912. 

Spending his youthful days in his native city, Abraham Burbank attended the 
public schools and afterward became a student in the Friends' school at Provi- 
dence, Rhode Island. His father and grandfather were both hotel men and when 
in 1896 Abraham Burbank started out in the business world he entered the employ 
of Swift & Company, remaining with that corporation until 1904 at Chicago, 
Boston and New York, occupying the position of traveling auditor, but his early 
experience and environment undoubtedly influenced his later business activity. 
He was as it were "to the manner born," and in 1905 he turned to the business 
of hotel management, going to Moosehead Lake, Maine, as manager of the 
Mount Kineo Hotel. Since that time he has successively managed the W. E. 
Woods System of Restaurant Hotels, the Whitcomb Hotel at Rochester, New 
York, the Ten Eyck Hotel at Albany, New York, the Virginia Hotel at Columbus, 
Ohio, the Hotel Vermont at Burlington, \^ermont, and the Hotel Broezel at 
Buffalo. New York. He afterward joined with his brother, William R. Burbank, 
who died April 10, 1915, in the management of the Fontenelle Hotel in Omaha, 
of which he has since had charge, and he has made this a popular hostelry, con- 



348 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

ducted according- to the most modern methods of hotel management. He is 
acquainted with every detail of the business, thoroughly studies every point 
connected with its control and gives to the public a service that ensures a 
continued patronage. 

Mr. Burbank attends the Congregational church and he belongs to the Omaha 
1-Meld Club and to the Commercial Club. His political support is given to the 
republican party, but the honors and emoluments of office have no attraction for 
him. He enjoys the well merited reputation of being one of the most alert, 
keen-sighted and discriminating business men in Omaha and his success is the 
legitimate and deserved reward of persistent and intelligently directed effort. 



MRS. MARY MANNING H. CORMACK. 

Since 1862 Mrs. Mary Cormack has been a resident of Omaha. On the ist 
of June of that year she arrived in this city with her mother, who brought her 
family of seven children to Nebraska, making the trip by boat from Dubuque, 
Iowa, to Omaha. They were three weeks en route owing to the fact that the 
boat was continually getting stuck on sand bars. They came to make their home 
with Mrs. Cormack's uncle, Joseph D. Manning, who had made the trip from 
Indianapolis by wagon in ^lay, 1854. He was employed as watchman in the 
First National Bank and while serving in that capacity successfully frustrated 
an attempt at bank robbery. He made judicious investment of his savings in 
real estate and afterward became very active in real estate dealings. He took 
over most of the Mitchell estate at Florence and at one time there were few men 
in Omaha whose property interests exceeded his. He owned land where Forest 
Lawn cemetery is now situated and he was the first owner of the property at 
Fifteenth and Farnam streets, where the World-Herald building now stands. 
In many ways he contributed to the progress and improvement of the city. He 
removed buildings many from Florence to Omaha and with ox teams moved one 
to his property at Fifteenth and Farnam streets. He also brought a building from 
Bellevue, Nebraska, and established it at Eleventh and Jackson streets. His 
activities were of a most modern character, contributing in substantial measure 
to the upbuilding of the city, and "Sir. Manning remained an honored and valued 
resident of Omaha to the time of his death, which occurred in 1893, when he was 
about ninety years of age. 

Mrs. Cormack was one of the tirst pupils of the Omaha high school, which 
she entered in 1872. This was a most notable year in the history of the school, 
as there were many in the class who became prominent in later years, among the 
number being Mr. and Mrs. Henry D. Easterbrook, Arthur Huntington, Blanche 
Deuel, Mrs. Bertha I. McConnell, Stacia Crowley, Addie Gladstone, Esther 
Jacobs, Wilber Hawes, Alfred Ramsey, Charles L. Saunders, and Dr. Philip 
Hall, of Lincoln. 

Mrs. Cormack took up the profession of teaching and for many years was a 
principal in the Omaha schools. She possessed marked ability as an educator, 
imparting clearly and readily to others the knowledge that she had acquired, 
and she was continually studying in order to make her work more effective. Her 
cooperation has always been sought as an element of strength in promoting any 
interest with which she has become connected. She is now secretary of the 
Douglas County Pioneers Association, a position she has occupied for three years, 
and she is also a member of the Territorial Memorial Association. 

It was in 1877 that Mary Manning became the wife of William Hay, superin- 
tendent of bridges and building for the Union Pacific Railroad Company, in 
which connection he built much of the road. Mr. Hay was a very active republi- 
can and was a prominent representative of the Masonic fraternity. He attained 
the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite and was also a member of the 




I 



MRS. MARY M. H. CORMACK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 351 

Mystic Shrine. He was also an officer in the Brotherhood of Railway Train- 
men from its organization until his death. He died November 28, 1900, leaving 
a daughter, Anna D., now the wife of George F. Krelle. They are parents of 
two children, Marie F. and William Hay Krelle. In 1903 Mrs. Hay became 
the wife of Captain Thomas Cormack, who arrived in Omaha in 1878, removing 
to this city from Boston. For years he was connected with the police depart- 
ment as captain and later he organized the Cormack Detective Agency, with 
which he remained in active association until his death, which occurred on the 
15th of April, 1913, when he was only fifty-six years of age. 

Mrs. Cormack has reared several nieces, among whom are Helen, the wife of 
E. R. Stilphen, and Miss Hester Olive Lane, both of whom were born and reared 
in Omaha, where they have always resided. They were daughters of Edmund 
Lane, who was a civil engineer and chief of the engineering corps of the Union 
Pacific Railway from the time of its construction until his death in 1888. Their 
mother was a sister of Mrs. Cormack. Miss Hester O. Lane is following the 
profession of teaching, the same as that of her aunt, and is a teacher in the 
Omaha schools. 

Mrs. Cormack is the only surviving member of her mother's family of seven 
children, who came to Omaha in an early day. She is past senior vice president 
of the Woman's Relief Corps and for years has been very active in that 
organization. She is now treasurer of the Omaha Suffrage City Central Com- 
mittee and has been very prominent in the movement for many years. In a word, 
she has taken a helpful part in many interests which have been promoted for the 
benefit of the community or for philanthropic purposes. She has labored along 
the lines of social service and her work has brought good results. There are 
few of Omaha's residents who can claim longer connection with the city, for 
through fifty-five years she has here resided and there is no phase of the city's 
development and progress with which she is not familiar. 



HARRY ORED STEEL. 

Harry Ored Steel, general agent for the Union Central Life Insurance 
Company, was born February 8, 1876, in the city of Omaha, where he still makes 
his home, and has always resided here. The name of Steel has been a synonym 
of activity and progressiveness in insurance circles in Omaha for many years. 
His father, John Steel, was born in Sweden in 1848 but came to Omaha in early 
manhood, arriving about 1868. Here he was married to Hannah Pierson, who 
died in July, 1914, but Mr. Steel now makes his home in Parma, Idaho, and is the 
owner of a fruit ranch in that state. While living in Omaha he served in 1892 
and 1893 as a member of the city council from the seventh ward. Attracted by 
the opportunities of the growing northwest, he went to Idaho in the spring of 
1 91 2 and there now owns a large ranch on which he is raising apples and prunes. 
To him and his wife were born three children : Lillian A., the wife of George A. 
Loveland, of Lincoln,. Nebraska, who there occupies the position of United 
States weather observer; Harry O. ; and Alvin Arthur, who has a fruit ranch in 
Idaho and who married Ethel Kiefer, of Colon, Nebraska. 

Harry O. Steel pursued his education in the Omaha schools and in 1896, when 
twenty years of age, became connected with the life insurance business, in which 
he has since engaged. In this respect he is following in the footsteps of his 
father, who for thirty-five years was state agent for the Northwestern Mutual 
Life Insurance Company of Milwaukee. Harry O. Steel has put forth every 
possible effort to develop his business, with the result that he has created a large 
and profitable agency at this point for The Union Central Life Insurance Com- 
pany, this agency being one of their largest and ranking among the largest of its 
kind in Nebraska. 



352 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

On the 24th of January, 191 1, in Omaha, Air. Steel was united in marriage to 
]\Iiss Frances Weber, her father being Anthony Weber, a native of Alsace- 
Lorraine. They have a (laughter, Jane. In 1896, tv^o years previous to the 
Spanish-American war. Mr. Steel joined Company G of the Second Regiment 
of Nebraska National Guard. He served that command for two years and with 
it went to Chickamauga, Tennessee, in the spring of 1898. He returned in 
October of that year and was mustered out in December, and in the meantime he 
suffered an attack of ty])hoid fever. Mr. Steel votes with the republican party, 
believing tirmly in its principles as effective factors in good government. He is 
a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine and is also con- 
nected with the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. Along more strictly 
recreative lines he belongs to the Omaha Field Club, the Omaha Auto Club, the 
Athletic Club of Omaha and the Noon-Day Club and he has membership in the 
Commercial Club. Mr. Steel's life has its worth in the community as a factor in 
that substantial progress which results from the efforts of the reliable and enter- 
prising business men who recognize and meet their duties of citizenship while 
successfully controlling individual interests. 



KELSO A. MORGAN. 



Kelso A. Morgan, an attorney practicing at the Omaha bar, was born in 
Lewis, Cass county, Iowa, November 11, 1883, and began his education in the 
schools of his native city and completed a high school course by graduation with 
the class of 1902 when he was eighteen years of age. He afterward spent 
nearly four years as a student in the University of Nebraska and later entered 
the University of ^Michigan as a law student, being there graduated with the class 
of 1909. Immediately afterward he came to Omaha for the practice of law and 
for one year was in the office of F. A. Brogan but since that time has continued 
alone in the general practice of his profession. 

On the 24th of April, 191 5, in Omaha, Mr. JMorgan was united in marriage 
to Miss Beatrice Mary Louise Tancock, a daughter of Dean James A. Tancock, 
of Trinity Cathedral. Mr. and Mrs. Morgan are Episcopalians in religious 
faith, holding membership in Trinity Cathedral. His political support is given 
to the republican party and the only office that he has held has been in the path 
of his profession, for he became city attorney of Florence, Douglas county, on 
the 1st of May, 191 3. At the outset of his career he recognized the truth of 
the old maxim, "There is no success without labor," and was willing to win 
success at the price of earnest, self-denying effort. Closely applying himself to 
his chosen calling, he has ever thoroughly prepared his cases and his devotion 
to his clients' interests has become proverbial. 



JOHN ABRAHAM HORBACR 

The trend of development and modern progress in Omaha was largely shaped 
and colored by the efforts of John Abraham Horbach and his name deserves a 
prominent place on the pages of the city's history. A native of Pennsylvania, 
he was born near Greensburg, in Westmoreland county, on the 9th of November. 
1 83 1, and his life record compassed the Psalmist's span of three score years and 
ten, for he passed away on the 26th of November, 1901. Flis parents were 
Abraham and Catharine (Lobengier) Horbach, and in the conduct of his business 
of farming the father won a substantial measure of success. Through the 
period of his early boyhood John A. Horbach attended the public schools of his 
native county and afterward matriculated in Greensburg College. Early in his 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 353 

business career he spent three years in a clerical position in the United States land 
office in Omaha, which he opened before the arrival of his superior, Colonel 
Addison R. Gilmore. He thus early became identified with the development of 
this city and for many years was a prominent factor in its business circles. 
Later he opened a forwarding and commission business in Omaha, which was 
then one of the important points for the transfer of freight destined for the 
interior, from the steamboat to the wagon train. At that period Omaha was still 
a frontier town, an outpost of civilization, and with the subsequent development 
and upbuilding of the city Mr. Horbach was closely associated. Soon after taking 
up his abode here he entered a claim of one hundred and sixty acres lying 
immediately north of the original city limits, and as the population of the city 
increased and he saw that its growth would furnish a demand for his property, 
he platted his claim as Horbach's first and second additions to Omaha. The 
additions began north of Nicholas street, extended a quarter of a mile north, and 
from Twenty-fourth street on the west to a point near Eleventh street on the 
east. 

In 1866 and 1867 Mr. Horbach filled the position of local agent with the 
Alerchants Union Express Company, the predecessor of the American Express 
Company. He eagerly welcomed every enterprise that would ccfntribute to the 
welfare and progress of the community and cooperated in many plans for general 
improvement. He became one of the stockholders on the organization of the 
Omaha & Northwestern Railway Company and was elected vice president and 
general manager, continuing to serve in those capacities vmtil the road was taken 
over by the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapohs & Omaha Railway Company in 1880. 
He fully realized the value of railroad building in the development of a new 
district and he thus became an active factor in the promotion of transportation 
interests. At one time he was a director of the Merchants National Bank before 
its reorganization under the present name. In 1888 he became identified with the 
Omaha Motor Railway Company as a stockholder and he likewise aided in the or- 
ganization of the Omaha & Grant Smelting Company, now operating under the 
name of the American Smelting & Refining Company. The spirit of initiative 
and enterprise which he manifested, combined with' his keen insight into the pos- 
sibilities of business situations, caused his cooperation to be eagerly sought 
in the conduct of important commercial and industrial concerns. He was also 
extensively connected with cattle raising in the west, beginning operations along 
that line in 1874, and at one time he had extensive ranch interests in southwestern 
Kansas. 

It was before he left Pennsylvania that Mr. Horbach was married in Alle- 
gheny, that state, on the 12th of December, 1854, to Miss Sarah Wallace. They 
began their domestic life in the east but in April, 1856, removed to Omalia. 
They became parents of a son and a daughter : Paul W., a well known resident 
of Omaha; and Mary F., the widow of Captain John G. Bourke, of the United 
States army. Mr. Horbach was in Wyoming at the time of his demise. His 
widow survived him until October 18, 191 1. From the time when she came from 
Pennsylvania with her husband in 1856 she took a prominent part in the social 
life of the community. In this connection the Omaha Excelsior, followmg her 
death, said : "Her bright, cheerful disposition and a keen sense of humor made 
her a charming companion who was always missed at any social gathering from 
which she was absent, a disposition that endeared her to many a woman ni the 
early days of Omaha when life was not easy and a laugh and a light heart were 
valuable assets in the community." Both Mr. and Mrs. Horbach greatly endeared 
themselves to the community in which they lived and had a very extensive circle 

of friends. , , • r n 

While Mr. Horbach was never an active political worker, his fellow townsmen 
called upon him to represent his ward in the city council in 1870 and 187 1, at 
which time the construction of a system of city waterworks was under considera- 
tion He was appointed a member of the committee selected by the council to 



354 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

visit eastern cities and examine and report upon the water systems in use in 
different localities. While not a politician, he was a most public-spirited citizen 
and his endorsement of any measure drew to it a large following, for people 
recognized his devotion to the general good and the soundness of his judgment in 
business affairs, whether of a private nature or of moment to the municipality. 
In a review of the history of Omaha it is readily seen that Mr. Horbach played 
an important part in i)romoting the development of the city, lie had qualities 
of leadership and his business discernment and initiative placed him in the 
foremost rank. 



EDWARD LEONIDAS BRADLEY. 

Edward Leonidas Bradley, who won second honors on graduating from the 
law department of the University of Omaha in 1896, since which time he has 
practiced his profession in Omaha, being now a partner in the firm of Bradley 
& Brandley, was born in Springfield, Illinois, in 1870. His father, Leonidas H. 
Bradley, was a native of Patriot, Ohio, born in 1841, and married Abigail 
Manley, a native of Illinois, and a daughter of Judge Uri Manley of eastern 
Illinois, who during his early days was associated with Abraham Lincoln in the 
trial of many cases. Mr. and Mrs. Bradley resided in Illinois for a number of 
years but in 1886 came to Omaha, where the father spent his remaining days, 
passing away in 19^3. The mother is still living. 

At the usual age Edward Leonidas Bradley became a public school pupil 
in Springfield, Illinois, and eventually entered the high school at Omaha, from 
which he was graduated with the class of 1891. He acquired his legal educa- 
tion in the University of Pennsylvania and in the law department of the Uni- 
versity of Omaha, from which he was graduated in 1896. He began practice as 
a member of the law firm of Bradley & De Lamatre and upon its dissolution 
became a member of the firm of Bradley & Bradley. He now has a good 
clientage and in his law practice has proven his ability to cope with intricate 
and involved legal problems. Few lawyers have made a more lasting impres- 
sion upon the bar of Omaha, both for legal ability of a high order and for the 
individuality of a personal character which impresses itself upon a community. 
Of a family conspicuous for strong intellects, indomitable courage and energy, 
he entered upon his career as a lawyer and such is his force of character and 
natural qualifications that he has carved his name high on the legal arch. 

On the 17th of June, 1903, in Omaha, Mr. Bradley wedded Luna May 
Powell, a daughter of the late George S. Powell, and their children are George H. 
and Edward L. Mr. Bradley belongs to the Episcopal church and he is a 
York Rite and a Mystic Shrine Mason. He is also identified with the Moose 
and is a member of the Omaha Athletic Club. His political support is given 
to the republican party but he is not active along that line. His interest concen- 
trates rather in fraternal insurance societies and he became chairman of the 
law committee of the Fraternal Aid Union and a justice of the supreme forum 
of the Loyal Order of Moose. 



CLINTON JOY SUTPHEN. 

Clinton Joy Sutphen, well known in theatrical circles as business manager of 
the Brandeis theatre of Omaha, was born November 2, 1884, in the city in which 
he now resides. His paternal grandfather, DeWitt Clinton Sutphen, was one 
of Omaha's pioneer residents, arriving in 1854, when the Nebraska metropolis 
was but a tiny hamlet on the western frontier. He served as a sutler with the 




EDUARD L. BRADLEY 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 357 

Fifth Iowa Volunteer Cavalry during the Civil war and for many years he was 
proprietor of a gun store on Farnam, near Thirteenth street, in Omaha, but his 
last days were passed in Plattsmouth, Nebraska, where he departed this life in 
1908. His son, Charles DeWitt Sutphen, a native of Omaha, dealt in real estate 
in early life and subsequently engaged in the manufacture and sale of carriages. 
Afterward he again concentrated his efforts upon the real estate business and 
at the present time he is conducting two moving picture theatres in Waynesville, 
North Carolina. He was married in Omaha to Miss Ollie Rasmussen, who died 
in June, 1903. 

Clinton Joy Sutphen passed through consecutive grades in the Omaha public 
schools until graduated from the high school with the class of 1903 and in the 
same year he became assistant treasurer of Boyd's theatre, being thus employed 
for six months. He was then transferred to Sioux City, Iowa, where he was 
treasurer of the Grand Opera House, owned by the same people who had charge 
of the Boyd theatre of Omaha. After three months spent in Sioux City he was 
transferred by the same company to St. Joseph, Missouri, as treasurer of the 
Tootle theatre, of which he had charge for six months. Returning to Omaha 
for the summer of 1905, he was later manager for the Woodward Stock Com- 
pany on the road for a season, and in the spring of 1906 he traveled ahead of a 
musical show for three months. This stranded, however, in Marquette, Mich- 
igan, and soon afterward Mr. Sutphen obtained the position of advertising agent 
for the Sun Brothers Circus. He occupied that position for seven months, ter- 
minating his connection therewith in Florida in the winter of 1906. He spent 
the winter in Macon, Georgia, and next obtained the position of advance agent 
of a repertoire show company, traveling through the south. In ten weeks he 
managed to save enough money to get back to Omaha, where he accepted a clerk- 
ship in the cigar store owned by his brother-in-law. The following fall he was 
again upon the road and in 1907-8 he was in Council Bluffs as manager of the 
New Theatre and the posting plant there, owned by A. B. Beall of Sioux City. 
In March, 1910, he returned to Omaha as business manager of the Brandeis 
theatre, which position he has since occupied. He possesses dynamic force and 
never waits for a position to come to him but goes after it, and if he cannot get 
what he wants, takes the next best. He is resolute, energetic and determined and 
he is a popular and well known figure in theatre circles. 

On the 14th of August, 1913, in Omaha, Mr. Sutphen was united in mar- 
riage to Mrs. Irene Mowes, nee Matters, daughter of Thomas H. Matters. By 
her former marriage Mrs. Sutphen had three children: Thomas H., Gertrude 
Irene and Frank. Mr. Sutphen attends the Episcopal church and he belongs to 
the Rotary Club. In politics he maintains an independent course, voting accord- 
ing to the dictates of his judgment in relation to the situation. 



FRED G. MOORE. 

Fred G. Moore, well known in commercial circles in Omaha as secretary of 
The Yetter-Moore Company, wholesale and retail dealers in wall papers, draperies 
and decorative materials, has in the conduct of his business directed his efforts 
along modern commercial lines of enterprise, resulting in successful achievement. 
\ native of Iowa, he was born at Laporte City, September 20. 1877, and comes 
of an old Puritan family of New England. His great-grandfather in the paternal 
line was a soldier of the Revolutionary war, while his grandfather served Ameri- 
can interests in the War of 1812. The earliest records show John Moore to 
have been a member of the Massachusetts Bay colony. Later members of the 
family removed to New York and to Pennsylvania, while settlement was subse- 
(luently made in Ohio and in Indiana. It was in the last named state, near South 
Bend that Andrew Y. Moore, father of Fred G. Moore, was born September 



358 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

25, 1833, and his life record covered the intervening years to the 7th of Novem- 
ber. 1907, when he passed away at the age of seventy-four. He was an alternate 
from Michigan to the republican national convention which nominated Abraham 
Lincoln for the jjresidcncy. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Lavina 
Vore and was born January 23, 1843, 's still living. 

Fred G. ]\loore pursued his education in the schools of his native city until 
he had completed the high school course, after which he won the I'.achelor of 
Arts degree at Dixon College in Dixon, Illinois, as a member of the class of 1898. 
He afterward spent a year as a student in the law department of Drake Uni- 
versity at Des Moines, Iowa, and in 19 13 came to Omaha, where he now figures 
prominently in commercial circles as the secretary of the Yetter-Moore Com- 
pany, carrying a large line of wall papers, draperies and decorative materials, 
which they sell to both the wholesale and retail trades. They have one of the 
leading establishments of this character not only in the city but in this section 
of the country, their stock showing all the latest designs and materials that the 
market atitords. Their patronage is steadily growing and their reliable business 
methods commend them to the support of the public. 

At Dixon, Illinois, on the 27th of November, 1901, Mr. Moore was united 
in marriage to Miss Sadie U. Brubaker, a daughter of the late J. A. Brubaker, 
of Dixon, who for many years was connected with the Pillsbury Milling Com- 
pany of Minneapolis. Mr. and Mrs. Moore have become the parents of three 
children: Brett Frederick, born January 23, 1904; Jessie Mildred, March 19, 
1907; and John Hamilton, August 18, 1913. 

In politics Air. Moore is a republican, well versed on the questions of the 
day but without ambition for office. He belongs to the Christian Science church 
and he has membership with the Rotary Club, the Commercial Club and the 
Sales Managers' Association. He has always studied plans and methods bear- 
ing upon trade conditions and the development of his individual business inter- 
ests and in all that he undertakes is notably prompt, energetic and reliable. 



AMOS THOMAS. 



This is preeminently an. age of specialization. Seldom does one at the present 
time attempt to cover the broad field of a profession but concentrates his energies 
along a particular line and thereby gains the efficiency which concentrated efl:ort 
brings. In keeping with this now universal custom Amos Thomas in his law 
practice has specialized in the field of corporation law and his practice of that 
character is now extensive and important. 

Mr. Thomas is a native of Wisconsin, his birth having occurred in Milwau- 
kee, August 30, 1882. Ilis father, Joseph Amos Thomas, was born in Milwaukee 
in 1855 and was there married to Miss Addie Margaret Xeilson, likewise a native 
of that city. In 1886 they came to Nebraska, settling in Tamora, where the 
father engaged in banking as president of the Tamora State Bank, but he has 
now retired from business and he and his wife have become residents of Lincoln. 

In the graded schools of Tamora and the high school of Lincoln Amos 
Thomas pursued his preliminary education and afterward entered the Nebraska 
State University for the study of law, completing the course by graduation in 
1909, at which time the LL. B. degree was conferred upon him. Immediately 
afterward he was admitted to the bar and opened an office in Omaha, where he 
has since remained in practice. For a time he gave his attention to general 
law practice but soon began concentrating his energies upon corporation law 
work and in that field is today active, representing many important business 
and commercial concerns. 

Mr. Thomas has an interesting military record, having been for five or six 
years a member of Troop A of the Nebraska National Guard at Seward, in which 




AMOS THOMAS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 361 

he rose to the rank of second Heutenant but resigned on leaving that county. 
He is well known in fraternal and club circles. He is a Knight Templar Mason 
and in the blue lodge is serving as junior deacon. He belongs to several college 
fraternities, including the Phi Delta Theta, the Phi Delta Phi and Theta Nu 
Epsilon. He is a member of the Viking Club of Lincoln, of the University Club 
of Omaha and the Council Bluffs Boat Club. In politics he is a stalwart and 
active republican, serving as secretary of the republican state central committee 
in 1912 and as chairman of the republican central committee of Douglas county 
from 1914 until July 24, 1916. He was a delegate to the republican state con- 
ventions in both 1912 and 1914 and in 1916 was elected a member of the state 
central committee. While he ranks as one of the active and forceful workers in 
republican ranks he has never been a politician in the sense of office seeking, 
his efforts being prompted by his recognition of the duties of citizenship and a 
public-spirited devotion to the general good. His professional connections are 
with the Barrister's Club, the Omaha Bar Association, the Nebraska State Bar 
Association and the American Bar Association. 



LUCIEN STEPHENS. 



Lucien Stephens, whose name is prominently known in connection with 
mercantile interests in Omaha, was born July 15, 1861, at Rocheport, Boone 
county, Missouri, his parents being William and Mary WiUis (Griffin) Stephens. 
With the removal of the family to Omaha during his boyhood days, he obtained 
his public school education here and afterward had' the benefit of instruction in 
De Pauw University at Greencastle, Indiana. Early in his business career he 
was employed by the Chicago, Burlington &.Ouincy and also by the Union 
Pacific Railway Companies, and he also engaged jil. newspaper reporting before 
entering upon his present mercantile venture. In .this'; connection he ha« sus- 
tained the reputation established by his father, who in 1864 became a pioneer 
merchant of Omaha. The name of Stephens has since been a synonym for pro- 
gressiveness and enterprise along mercantile lines and the interests controlled 
by the family have been large and important. 

On the 15th of October, 1888, in Omaha, Mr. Stephens was united in mar- 
riage to Miss Julia Bissell Smith, representing a Connecticut family. Mr. and 
Mrs. Stephens" are members of the Episcopal church and in his political views 
he is a democrat. He belongs to the Beta Theta Pi, a college fraternity, to the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and to the Omaha Club. He is interested 
in affairs of general moment and is now serving as a director of the Omaha 
public library. His interests, of a varied character, have always been such as 
have contributed to general development and improvement. 



J. E. SIMPSON, M. D. 



Dr. T. E. Simpson won his professional degree in Creighton University m 
1908 and has since engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Omaha, 
his native city. He was born April 14, 1871, and was the elder of the two 
children of Albert E. and Mary (Burke) Simpson, both of whom were natives 
of New York. Coming to Omaha during the pioneer period of its development, 
Albert E. Simpson settled on Farnam street in 1865 and in 1868 the mpther 
arrived in this city, Mr. Simpson devoted his attention to the cigar business, 
establishing one of the first cigar factories of the city, and continued active 
along that line until 1881, when he sold out. He died in 1883. During the 
Civil war he joined the Tenth New York Regiment as a private and served for 



362 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

two years during ihc kilter pari of that cuntiict. Ilia widow is still living at 
the age of sixty-six years. The datighter of the family, Jessie M. Simpson, 
passed away in 1904. 

Reared in Omaha, Dr. Simjjson supplemented his early education hy a 
course in the Creighton Medical College, from which he was graduated' in 
1908. He then hegan ])ractice in his native city and has since remained a mem- 
ber of the medical jjrofession, in which connection he has worked his way 
steadily upward, his orderly progression bringing him into a prominent position, 
his ability being widely recognized by colleagues and contemporaries. He is 
identified with various hospitals and he is a member of the Douglas County, 
the Nebraska State and the American Medical Associations. 

On the 3d of March, 1901, Dr. .Simpson was married in Omaha to Miss 
Anna C. Peterson, who was born in Omaha, July 13, 1873, and is a daughter 
of John C. and M. Peterson. Dr. and Mrs. Simpson have one child, Irene W., 
born in Omaha in February, 1902. and now a high school pupil. 

Dr. Simpson votes with the republican party but has had neither the time 
nor inclination to seek public office, preferring to concentrate his energies upon 
his professional duties, which have been of constantly growing volume and 
importance. He is today one of Omaha's leading physicians, widely known 
and popular and enjoying a well deserved reputation. He is very conscientious 
in the discharge of his professional duties and possesses ready sympathy and 
intuition which, added to his comprehensive knowledge, make him a power in 
the sick room. He is a member of a number of fraternal organizations and for 
twenty-four years has belonged to the Masonic fraternity. He has been very 
active in the work of the craft, has taken both the York and Scottish Rite 
degrees, has been presiding officer of every Masonic body to which he belongs 
and in fact has received all the honors which those organizations have the 
power to confer upon him. He has also been a leading member of the Wood- 
men of the World. His wife has been prominent in the order of the Eastern 
Star for twenty years, during sixteen years of which time she was grand secre- 
tary of the state. She is now holding the office of associate grand matron of 
Nebraska. 



WILLARD DEERE HOSFORD. 

Various corporate interests profit by the cooperation of Willard Deere Hos- 
ford, whose business career has been characterized by indefatigable effort and 
discriminating judgment. Since 1906 he has resided in Omaha and through- 
out the intervening period has been connected with the John Deese Plow Com- 
pany, of which he is now the treasurer. Iowa numbers him among her native 
sons, his birth having occurrd in Clinton in 1882. In tracing the ancestral line 
it is found that the family is of English origin although the grandfather, Dr. 
Willard Hosford, spent his entire life in New Hampshire. His son, Schiller 
Hosford, who was born in Orford, New Hampshire, in 1856. was married in 
Moline, Illinois, to Miss Floy Mabel Chapman, whose mother was a daughter 
of the late John Deere, a native of Massachusetts and the founder of the great 
farm machinery manufactory of John Deere & Company. Prior to his mar- 
riage Schiller Hosford became a resident of Clinton, Iowa, where the family 
remained for a number of years, but his last days were passed in New- York- 
city, where he passed away in 19 12, having for eight years survived his wife, 
who died in Moline, Illinois, in 1904. 

After attending the public schools of his native city Willard D. Hosford 
continued his education in the Phillips Exeter Academy of New Hampshire, 
from which he was graduated with the class of 1902. He then entered Yale 
ind completed his course with the class of 1906. Returning to the middle west 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 363 

in search of a favorable business opening, he came to Omaha and has since 
been identified with the John Deere Plow Company, in which relation his 
developing ability has brought him successive promotions. In 1910 he was 
made treasurer of the company and is now bending his energies to administra- 
tive direction and executive control of the mammoth interests promoted and 
conducted by that corporation. He has also become financially and officially 
interested in other important business concerns and is now a director of the 
McShane Lumber Company of Omaha, of the Motorist Publishing Company 
of Omaha and of J. C. Messing & Company, of Onawa, Iowa. His discern- 
ment in business afifairs is keen and his sagacity has prevented unwarranted 
risks which too frequently end in failure. 

On the 24th of June, 1908, in Omaha. Mr. Hosford was married to Miss 
Mary Lee McShane and they have one son, Willard Deere, Jr., and one daugh- 
ter, Kathryn Emma. In his political views Mr. Hosford is a republican. He 
belongs to the Omaha Club, the Country Club, the Automobile Club, the Rotary 
Club and the Commercial Club in Omaha and he is also a member of the Uni- 
versity Club of Chicago, where he is almost as widely known as he is in his 
adopted city, having an acquaintance with many of the most prominent and 
influential residents of the western metropolis. 



WILLIAM DAVID LINCOLN. 

William David Lincoln, superintendent of transportation with the Union 
Pacific Railroad and president of the Bankers Savings & Loan Association of 
Omaha, was born in Smithville, Clay county, Missouri, in 1864. His father, 
Isaac Wells Lincoln, a native of Kentucky, was born near Lexington in 1830 
and was a son of David Lincoln, who came from the same ancestral stock as 
Abraham Lincoln. At an early day Isaac W. Lincoln accompanied his parents 
on their removal to the Platte Purchase and subsequently they went to Clay 
county, Missouri. It was there that Isaac W. Lincoln was married to Miss 
Louise Gilkey and in i860 they became residents of St. Joseph, Missouri, where 
for many years the father conducted a hotel. He passed away in 1895 and is 
still survived by his wife. 

Reared in St. Joseph, Missouri, William D. Lincoln there obtained a public 
school education and started upon his business career in connection with railway 
interests, entering the employ of the St. Joseph & Denver Railroad Company in 
1879, when a youth of but fifteen years. That he was trustworthy, capable and 
efficient is indicated in the fact that he remained continuously with that road for 
a decade and advancement through intermediate positions had brought him to 
the place of car accountant. He resigned, how^ever. in 1889 to come to Omaha 
as traveling car agent for the Union Pacific Railroad and now for more than a 
quarter of a century he has represented that corporation, rising step by step to 
the position of superintendent of transportation. He has recently been appointed 
to fill a new position in the transportation department of the road, becoming 
"outside man," in which connection he has the checking of the rolling stock and 
equipment, while upon him also devolves the responsibility of keeping the cars 
moving to their capacity. The creation of this position was made necessary by 
the heavy freight movements that have been developing. Into other fields he 
has also extended his efiforts and investments, as is indicated by the fact that he 
is now president of the Bankers Savings & Loan Association of Omaha. 

On the 2 1 St of May, 1885, in Lexington, Kentucky. Mr. Lincoln was united 
in marriage to Miss Ella Parker, her father being Alexander Parker a native 
of Kentucky. They have one son, Frank Buckingham Lincoln, who was born 
in Omaha in March, 1904. Mr. Lincoln's military record covers three years' 
service as sergeant with the Missouri State Guards at St. Joseph. In politics 



364 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

he has always maintainecl an iii(le[)t'ndent course, preferring to cast his ballot 
according to the dictates of his judgment without regard to party ties. Prominent 
in Masonic circles, he has taken the degrees of the York and Scottish Rites and 
he is also a member of Tangier Temple of the Mystic Shrine. He likewise 
belongs to the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks and along more strictly 
social lines is identified with the Country and Omaha Clubs. He is a man whose 
worth is worthy of comment. His ability and lldelity are attested by his twenty- 
eight years' service with the Union Pacific. They are further attested by all 
whom he serves or who have served under him and by all whom he has met in 
social relations. He has the qualities that win friendship and he is always appre- 
ciative of the good qualities of others. 



PAUL WALLACE HORBACH. 

Paul Wallace Horbacli, an Omaha capitalist and lifelong resident of the city, 
was born July 21, 1863, a son of John Abraham Horbach, mentioned elsewhere 
in this volume. After acquiring his early education in the schools of Omaha 
he entered the Polytechnic Institute at Troy, Xew York, and was graduated 
therefrom in 1886, on the completion of courses in civil and electrical engineering. 
He afterward traveled on the Continent for some months and upon his return 
to Omaha became connected with the Patrick Land Company, which he repre- 
sented for a year. He afterw^ard spent a year in connection with the Omaha 
Motor Railway Company, at the end of which time he became connected with the 
Thomson-Houston Electric Company of Lynn, Massachusetts, with which he 
remained from the spring of 1889 until the following September. He then went 
abroad again, returning in December of that year, and in 1891 he took a position 
with the Union Pacific Railroad Company as civil engineer, being thus employed 
until July, 1892. At that date he took charge of the interests of the Beatrice 
(Neb.) Electric Company, with which he continued until 1896, when he returned 
to Omaha and assumed the management of his father's property. In 1900 he 
went to New' York city, where he remained for eight years actively engaged in 
the brokerage business. Since 1908 he has remained continuously in Omaha, 
directing his attention to the erection of houses and store buildings. He has 
extensive and important property holdings in this city and from his realty derives 
a very substantial and gratifying income, while in its management he displays 
sound judgment, keen discrimination and notable sagacity. 

Mr. Horbach gives his political allegiance to the republican party. He holds 
membership in St. Barnabas Episcopal church and his only club is the Omaha 
Club. Widely known in the city in w'hich practically his entire life has been 
passed, he has a circle of friends that is practically coextensive with the circle of 
his acquaintance. 



MARION F. SHAFER. 



^Marion F. Shafer, president of the American State Bank and vice president of 
the firm of M. F. Shafer & Company, dealers in advertising specialties, was 
born in \"olcano. West \'irginia, January 23. 1870, a son of James R. Shafer, 
whose birth occurred in Washington county, Ohio, in 1841 and who, following 
the outbreak of the Civil war in i860, responded to the country's call for troops 
by enlisting in the Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, with which he serv^ed 
throughout the period of hostilities, becoming ^ noncommissioned officer. 

Marion F. Shafer completed his education in the State Normal School at 
Fairmont, West \'irginia, after which he returned to his native town and was 




MARIOX F. SHAFER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 367 

there engaged with his father in the merchandise business until 1891. Seeking the 
opportunities of the middle west, he made his way to Iowa and engaged in mer- 
chandising at Henderson for seven years. In 1898 he removed to Villisca, Iowa, 
where he remained until 1900, being engaged in the mercantile business during 
that period. In 1902 he became a resident of Oskaloosa and in 1903 came to 
Omaha, Nebraska, where he began the manufacture of advertising specialties 
in connection with his brother, Ward E. Shafer. On the 12th of April, 1910, 
thebusiness was incorporated and on the 24th of Aiay, 191 1, articles of incorpora- 
tion were amended and again on the T3th of January, 1912. The business is now 
being successfully conducted under the name of M. F. Shafer & Company, of 
which Marion F. Shafer is the vice president. He is also a prominent figure in 
financial circles of the city, having been one of the promoters of the American 
State Bank, which was organized July 18, 1916, with a capital stock of two 
hundred thousand dollars, its officers being: M. F. Shafer, president; John F. 
Mecox, vice president; and L. M. Swindler, cashier. 

On the nth of October, 1893, in Sistersville, West V^irginia, Air. Shafer 
was united in marriage to Miss Cora B. Snider, a native of Waverly, West 
Virginia, and a daughter of Frank M. and Catherine (Janes) Snider. Fortunate 
in his selection of a wife Mr. Shafer's success has been to no small extent the 
result of Mrs. Shafer's valuable counsel and advice in his various business 
undertakings. They are members of the Christian Science church and in politics 
Mr. Shafer maintains an independent course. He belongs to the Commercial 
Club of Omaha, the Happy Hollow Club and the Omaha Athletic Club and is a 
York Rite Mason and a member of the Alystic Shrine. His marked traits of 
character are such as commend him to the confidence, goodwill and high regard 
of his associates and contemporaries. His business career has been marked by 
steady progress and he is today at the head of interests of magnitude which 
indicate his marked ability and spirit of enterprise. 



RICHARD CALVIN PETERS. 

Richard Calvin Peters, a resident of Nebraska for thirty years, has made 
his home in Omaha since 1897, and for. a decade has been at the head of the 
Peters Trust Company and as such is a well known figure in financial circles 
of the city. He is descended from a family of Welsh extraction although rep- 
resentatives of the name have long been residents of America, and on his 
mother's side is of Scotch and English stock. His grandfather, Richard Peters, 
was born in Delaware county. New York, but removed to the west, becoming 
a pioneer settler of Michigan. It was in Petersburg, that state, that his son 
Charles was born in 1825 and he was there reared amid the conditions and 
environments of pioneer Hfe. He married Julia Ann Burnham, a native of 
Massachusetts, but both are now deceased. 

Richard C. Peters, also a native of Petersburg, Michigan, was born April 
29, 1862, and at the usual age began his education in the public schools of his 
native town. He afterward spent two years as a student in the Michigan State 
University and in the year 1886 he sought the opportunities ofifered in Nebraska, 
establishing his home at Westpoint. where he embarked in the real estate and 
loan business. There he remained for eleven years, or until 1897, when he came 
to Omaha, seeking a broader field of labor. Here he continued to engage in 
placing farm loans and in 1907 he organized the Peters Trust Company, of 
which he has continuously been the president and chief executive officer. This 
company now has a large clientage and its extensive business is of an important 
character. Air. Peters is also one of the directors of the Farm Mortgage 
Bankers Association and is serving on its executive committee. There is per- 

Vol. 11—15 



368 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

haps no one in Omaha better informed concerning farm properties and values 
and he has thus been able to make judicious investments for his clients. 

On the 9th of lunc, 18S7. in Monticello. Illinois, occurred the marriage of 
Mr. Peters and Miss Margaret L. Reed and their children are: Reed C, who 
is a graduate of Amherst College and is now assistant secretary of the Peters 
Trust Company; Jane Burnham, the wife of William IL Belcher, of Memphis, 
Tennessee; Richard 15 nice ; and Katherine Margaret. 

Mr. Peters exercises his right of franchise in support of the principles and 
candidates of the republican party and fraternally he is a Mason. He belongs 
to the Happy Hollow Club and to the University Club, of which he was the 
first iiresident. and that he does not neglect the higher, holier duties of life is 
indicated in his membership in the Presbyterian church, of which he is a 
trustee, and he is also a trustee of the Omaha Theological Seminary. He gives 
active aid and generous support to all movements that tend toward the better- 
ment of the individual and the community and his own life has been character- 
ized by high and honorable principles which have won him unqualified confi- 
dence and regard. 



ISAAC W. MINER. 



There are few residents of Omaha who have as wide an acquaintance or are 
as popular in the city as Isaac W. Miner, the secretary of the Elks lodge, occupy- 
gin the position continuously since 1908. His early identification with Omaha 
began on the 8th of April. 1871. when he removed to the middle west from 
Mystic, Connecticut, where his birth occurred on the 15th of December, 1847. 
Through a considerable period he was connected with newspaper interests, 
becoming immediately on his arrival in Omaha, city editor on the Omaha 
Tribune. On the loth of June, 1871, the Tribune was consolidated with the 
Republican and Mr. ]\Iiner was connected with that paper until 1886, it first being 
issued as the Tribune and Republican and later as the Republican. He occupied 
the position of city editor until 1877 and was then elected secretary of the com- 
pany, having charge of the business office under Casper E. Yost. The paper 
was then sold and for a year thereafter Mr. Miner was chief clerk under J. W. 
Morse, general passenger agent for the Union Pacific Railway Company. Move- 
ments which have resulted beneficially to Omaha have been instituted or promoted 
by ]\Ir. Miner. He was the organizer of the Exposition Building Company and 
was a most influential factor in bringing abovit the upbuilding of that under- 
taking. He afterward returned to the newspaper field in connection with the 
Republican and spent two more years on that paper. Following the arrival of L. 
M. CrawTord in Omaha, at which time he leased the Exposition building and 
(jrand Opera House, Mr. Miner became his local manager and so continued for 
four years, when he was succeeded by W. J. Burgess. His identification with the 
theatrical interests of the city, however, continued until 1908, when he was 
elected secretary of Lodge No. 39, B. P. O. E., of Omaha, and has since been 
continued in that position. All through the period of his connection with news- 
paper, railroad and theatrical interests he has been keenly alive to the oppor- 
tunities of the city and the trend of modern progress and improvement and has 
done much to further the work of upbuilding and advancement. He has studied 
the questions of public moment from every possible standpoint, realizing the 
difficulties as well as the advantages and weighing up each so as to gain a correct 
knowledge of the possibilities of any undertaking. 

On the i6th of June, 1870, in Mystic, Connecticut, Mr. Miner was united 
in marriage to Miss Alice Dunham, of that state. She was born in England, but 
went to Mystic, when a small child, and by her marriage became the mother 
of two sons: Walter B., who was assistant cashier of a bank at Lewistown, 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 369 

Montana, and died in 1904 ; and George D., who is now engaged in the hotel 
business in San Francisco, CaHfoniia. Both were born in Connecticut. 

Mr. Miner is not only a most prominent and poular representative of the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks but is also a member of the Ak-Sar-Ben. 
His political allegiance is given to the republican party and in the early '70s he 
served as a member of the city council but otherwise has not held nor sought 
public office. His work, however, has been of direct benefit to the city along 
many lines and Omaha's progress has been greatly promoted through his aid and 
cooperation. 



TINLEY LIONEL COMBS. 

Tinley Lionel Combs, prominently known in the commercial circles of Omaha 
by reason of his twenty-eight years' connection with the jewelry trade in that 
city, has since 1898 conducted a store of his own and today has one of the 
splendid jewelry establishments of the city. He was born in Fairfield, Iowa, 
September 8, 1870, and is a son of Andrew J. and Mary E. (Robinson) Combs. 
The father died in January, 1878, in Osceola, Nebraska, and the mother passed 
away in Brookville, Iowa, six months later, so that Tinley L. Combs was thus 
early left an orphan. He was then reared by his guardian, Dr. E. L. Robinson, 
at Silver Creek and at Clarks, Nebraska, and from the age of nine years has been 
dependent upon his own resources. At the time when most boys are attending 
the public schools he was waging a fight with the world for a living. His educa- 
tion was acquired in the public schools of Clarks, Nebraska, supplemented by a 
year and a half's study in the Nebraska Central College at Central City, Nebraska. 
He came to Omaha in 1889, when a youth of nineteen years, and sold jewelry 
from house to house, eventually winning a trade of considerable proportions, 
and from the money thus earned he saved a sufficient capital to enable him to 
embark in business on his own account. He took his initial step in that direction 
in 1898, in the store which he now occupies, being at that time one of four 
men who used the room for different lines of business. The three other men 
failed and left, but with true Scotch-Irish persistence, a trait inherited from his 
ancestors, Mr. Combs continued at his business and is today at the head of one 
of the finest jewelry establishments of Omaha. Aside from being president of 
the T. L. Combs Company, which was incorporated in 1898, he is a director of the 
Provident Loan Society. His prominence in business circles is indicated in the 
fact that he was honored by being elected by acclamation for three consecutive 
terms to the presidency of the American National Retail Jewelers Association 
and at its meeting in New York, in 191 5, he and his wife were presented with 
handsome gold watches, suitably engraved, to express the unusual esteem in which 
they were held by the five thousand members of the association. His service and 
travels in association work gave him a nation wide acquaintance and popularity, 
and he is retained on the national executive committee. He has been a close 
student of every condition bearing upon the trade and its development and has 
taken the initiative step on many occasions whereby the interests of the trade in 
general have been promoted. 

On the 8th of September, 1897, in Omaha, Mr. Combs was joined in- wedlock 
to Miss Mary Florence, her father being Caleb Winter, a retired resident of 
Om.aha. They have two children: Claubert Morlyn, born March 13, 1901 ; and 
Elton Trager/ whose birth occurred on the 29th of August, 1904. 

The parents hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church and 
take a very active and helpful interest in its work, Mr. Combs now serving on the 
official board. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is a 
very prominent Mason. He was raised in St. John's Lodge. No. 25, May 28, 1896. 
took the Scottish Rite degrees from 1904 to 1906, obtaining the thirty-second 



870 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

(k'i^^rec March J*j, u;o6. Me is past master of his rose croix chapter atul is pre- 
ceptor of his consistory now. in 1913 he was elected by the supreme council 
at W'ashinglon, D. C, to the Select iJody of Knights Commanders of the Court 
of Honor and in November, 191 5, he was crowned with the thirty-third degree. 
.■\s a boy he was a worker in the (lood 1Y'mi)lars, and he belongs to the Inde- 
pendent Order of Foresters, the Maccabees, the Mystic Legion, the Woodmen 
of the World and ihe Tribe of IJen Hur. He is also an active worker in the 
Mystic Shrine and is now assistant ral)ban of Tangier Temple. Llis public spirit 
is shown in his membership in the Commercial Club, of which he is a director, 
and his social nature finds expression through his connection with the Elks, the 
Omaha .\thletic Club, the Happy Hollow Club and the Seymour Lake Country 
Club. ( )f the last named he was president for two years and for five years has 
been a member of its board of governors. No man in business in Omaha today 
has fought a harder uphill fight to success than Mr. Combs and he has won his 
\ictory in the face of obstacles and difficulties that would have utterly discouraged 
a man of less resolute and determined spirit. What he has accomplished repre- 
sents the fit utilization of his innate i)owers and integrity, combined with a ready 
recognition of opportunity and a profound faith in Omaha and the west. 



HON. LOUIS BERKA. 



Hon. Louis Berka, ex-judge and a well known attorney of Omaha, was 
born in Bohemia, April 28, 1855, a son of Mathias and Maria (Vacek) Berka. 
The father, a native of Bohemia, came to America with his family in 1862, 
first settling in Wisconsin, but after a short time removed to Michigan, where 
he engaged in farming. Subsequently he became a resident of San Jose, Cali- 
fornia, and was there residing when death called him in 1908 at the age of 
eighty-one years. His wife passed away in San Jose in 1907, when eighty years 
of age. In the family were five children, two of whom have passed away, the 
others being: Frank, now residing in Santa Rosa, California; Mrs. Kate Mikan, 
living in Durand, Michigan ; and Louis, of this review. 

The last named acquired his early education in Michigan, becoming a high 
school pupil in Flint, that state, after which he determined upon the practice 
of law as a life work, and with that end in view became a law student in the 
State University at Ann Arbor, from which he was graduated in 1883. He 
then located for practice in Omaha, where he has continuously remained in close 
connection with the bar for more than a third of a century. He was elected 
police magistrate of Omaha and so served for eleven years at difl^erent periods, 
first under the metropolitan system in 1887-8. He was a member of the city 
council for a term of three years and was president during the last year of that 
period, being acting mayor a portion of the time. Lie served as justice of the 
peace prior to becoming judge and he has made a most excellent record in the 
various offices which he has filled. 

In August. 1878, Judge Berka was married to Miss Zela Remington, of New 
Haven, Michigan, and they have become the parents of seven children, of whom 
one is now deceased. The others are: Mrs. Grace Hill, who was born in 
Pontiac, Michigan, is now a resident of Kingsley, Iowa, and has one child, 
Doris; Mrs. Bertha Roben. who was born in (irayling, ^lichigan. now resides in 
Omaha and has one child ; Mrs. May Coleman, who was born in Omaha and there 
resides, and is the mother of three children ; Mrs. Ethel Hachten, of Omaha, who 
has two children; Mrs. Mabell Gross, now residing at Spalding, Nebraska; and 
Eloys, a pupil in the Omaha high school. 

Judge Berka is a supporter of the Christian Science faith. Fraternally he 
is connected with the Woodmen of the World and the Knights of Pythias, 
while in INIasonry he has attained the commandery degrees and become a mem- 




HON. LOUIS BERKA 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 373 

ber of the Mystic Shrine. His poHtical allegiance is given to the republican 
party and upon that ticket he has been elected to the offices which he has filled. 
He has membership in the Douglas County, the Nebraska State and the American 
Bar Associations and he is regarded as an honored and representative member 
of his profession, holding to the highest ideals of professional service and at all 
times proving a capable and conscientious minister in the temple of justice. He 
gained his education through determined effort, providing the means necessary 
for his university training through his own labor. He has ever set his mark 
high and put forth every effort to raise himself to its level. His professional 
associates speak of him in terms of admiration and warm regard. 



WILLIAM HENRY PRUNER, Jr., M. D. 

Dr. William H. Pruner, a prominent surgeon of Omaha, was born in Wash- 
ington county, Virginia, January 15, 1885, a son of Dr. W. H. Pruner, who was 
a well known physician of Kennard, Nebraska, where he passed away October 
19, 1915, at the age of fifty-nine years. He had won much more than local dis- 
tinction in his profession. He was born in Virginia and studied in the College 
of Physicians and Surgeons at Baltimore, Maryland, from which he was grad- 
uated. He was selected from among several hundred students for the position 
of private secretary to president Miner of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute. 
During his college days he became a member of the Phi Kappa Alpha fraternity. 
In 1892 he came to Nebraska, settling at Kennard, and there through his remain- 
ing days continued in active and successful practice. He was a high Mason, hav- 
ing attained the thirty-second degree. He was one of the foremost citizens of 
Washington county, and not only a leader in his profession but a man who 
wielded a wholesome and important influence in public aft'airs. He was a prom- 
inent democrat and one of the advisors and counsellors of that party 
in his section. His acquaintance was wide and included the prominent public 
and professional men over the state. In early manhood he married Miss Ella Sue 
Hawley, who is a native of Christianburg, Virginia, and who is still living at 
Kennard, Nebraska, at the age of fifty-eight years. 

In a family of seven children Dr. Pruner was the fourth in order of birth. 
In his youthful days he attended the public schools of Kennard and afterward 
became a student in the preparatory school of the University of Nebraska, while 
later he continued his education for a year in the State University. He next 
entered Creighton University as a medical student and won his professional 
degree in 1907. His initial professional experience was obtained as interne in 
the Omaha General Hospital, after which he was assistant to Dr. C. C. Allison 
for four and one-half years. In 191 2 he entered upon the private practice of 
medicine and has since built up his business to extensive proportions, his ability 
and skill being widely recognized. While not yet of middle age. Dr. Pruner has 
attained a high position in his profession and as a surgeon his skill has won for 
him a reputation that calls him into consultation over the state. His powers are 
constantly expanding through the exercise of effort, resulting in increased knowl- 
edge and skill. He is also continually promoting his efficiency through wide 
reading and close investigation. He is a man of keen discrimination, most careful 
diagnosis, and his judgment is seldom at fault in determining the outcome of a 
case. He is now a member of the staff of the Wise Memorial Hospital and he 
belongs to the Douglas County, the Nebraska State, the American Medical, the 
Elkhorn Valley and the Missouri Valley Medical Associations. 

In 1908 was celebrated the marriage of Dr. Pruner and Miss Elizabeth Myrtle 
Newkirk, the daughter of a well known farmer of Washington county, Nebraska, 
and one of the early pioneers of that county, where he became an extensive 



374 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

land owner. There are two children of this marriage, William Henry and Mary 
I'llizabeth. both born in Omaha in 1909 and 1912 respectively. 

Dr. Primer votes with the democratic party and keeps well informed on the 
cjuestions and issues of the day but has no time nor inclination for public office. 
He belongs to the Phi Rho Sigma, a Greek letter fraternity, and also has mcm- 
bershij) with the Elks. His interest, however, centers in his professional duties, 
which have been of growing volume and importance until he stands today among 
the ablest and most successful of the physicians and surgeons of Omaha. 



JOSEPH P. GRAY. 



Joseph P. Gray was born on a farm near Logansport, Indiana, attended the 
jniblic schools of his native state and graduated from the National Normal 
College of Lebanon, Ohio, in 1879. He taught in the graded schools iii the state 
of Indiana and in the meantime studied law, was admitted to the bar in Logans- 
port, Indiana, in 1886, and afterward graduated from the law department of the 
University of Michigan and commenced the practice of law in Winamac, Indiana, 
in 1882. 

In 1 89 1 he moved to Frankfort, Indiana, and continued to practice law in that 
city until April, 1914, at which time he removed to Omaha and continued the 
practice. He has never held nor sought office of any kind but has given his entire 
life to the study and practice of his profession, believing at all times that the 
profession of law is the highest possible position of trust, and since moving to 
Omaha has established a law office in the Omaha National Bank Building, is now 
the senior partner of the law firm of Gray & Brumbaugh and is engaged in the 
general practice. 



ORLA HOLMES MENOLD. 

Orla Holmes Menold, agency director in Nebraska for the New York Life 
Insurance Company, with offices in Omaha, has become one of the best known 
insurance men in his part of the state, building up a business of gratifying pro- 
portions. He was born upon a farm near Viola, Mercer county, Illinois, August 
20, 1866, of the marriage of William H. and Mary Grace (Robinson) Menold. 
The former was born in Pennsylvania in 1841 and in childhood was taken by his 
parents to Illinois, where he was reared upon a farm in Mercer county. It was 
there that he married and in 1876 he removed with his family to a farm in Sac 
county, Iowa, where he and his wife now reside. He is engaged in the furniture 
and undertaking business and is accounted one of the representative merchants 
in that line. Moreover, he is active and influential in political circles as a sup- 
porter of the democratic party. 

Orla H. Menold began his education in the country schools of Mercer county, 
Illinois. Later he spent a year at Cornell College in Mount Vernon, Iowa, and a 
year in the Western Normal College. He was next employed in a general store, 
where he worked for three and one-half years, and in 1891 he entered the employ 
of the New York Life Insurance Company, which he has now represented for a 
quarter of a century in the Central West, having been connected at various times 
with the company's offices at Sioux City, Des Moines, Chicago, Peoria, Illinois, 
and Burlington, Iowa. No higher testimonial of his fidelity and capability could 
be presented. He came to Omaha in 1907 as agency director for Nebraska and 
in this position of responsibility still continues, in which connection he has greatly 
extended the business of the corporation, making this state a profitable field. His 
great ambition is to live to see the life insurance business accorded the place in 




JOSEPH P. GEAY 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 377 

public esteem that it is really entitled to. He believes that a high standard of 
ethics should be conformed to in dealing with the public and feels that the time 
has come when no one should be permitted to represent a life insurance company 
unless he possesses good character, is honest and conscientious to a high degree 
as well as thoroughly informed on all phases of the insurance business. 

On the 6th of August, 1891, Mr. Alenold was united in marriage to Miss Mae 
Williams, a daughter of Joseph Williams and a granddaughter of Nathan Williams, 
who fought in the Revolutionary war. Mr. and Mrs Menold have two children : 
Harry Williams, born June 11, 1894; and Marjorie lone. 

Mr. and Mrs. Menold hold membership in Methodist Episcopal church and 
fraternally he is connected with the Masons and the Odd Fellows. In the former 
he has taken the York Rite and a part of the Scottish Rite degrees and has become 
a Noble of the Mystic Shrine. He belongs to the Omaha Field Club, to the Com- 
mercial Club and to the Ak-Sar-Ben and at the polls he gives his allegiance to the 
democratic party but has never been an aspirant for office. Close application has 
led to a thorough mastery of the work to which he directs his energies and atten- 
tion, and his fideliry has been the stepping stone on which he has risen to the 
place of prominence that he now occupies in insurance circles in Nebraska. 



GUY HARRIS COX. 



Guy Harris Cox, an active member of the Omaha bar whose developing 
powers have already brought him to a creditable position among the capable 
lawyers of the city, comes to Nebraska- ffdrn'the neighboring state of Iowa. He 
was born in Harrison county, July 29, 1880, and was the eldest in a family of 
four children whose parents were John L. and Evelyn (Harris) Cox. The 
father, whose birth occurred in Harrison county, lowa^- represents one of the old 
pioneer families of that state of English lineage founded, however, on the soil 
of the new world prior to the Revolutionary war. In fact representatives of the 
family participated in the struggle for independence. They lived originally in 
West Virginia and the grandfather, Henry B. Cox, was a native of Ohio. In 1851 
he emigrated westward to Iowa, becoming one of the pioneer agriculturists of 
that state. His son, John L. Cox, was reared in Iowa, supplementing his public 
school training there by study in the State Agricultural College, while later he 
entered the Uni'ed States Military Academy at West Point, in which he was 
graduated in 1878. He did not take up a military life, however, but returned to the 
soil and spent the greater part of his days upon the Iowa farm on which he was 
born. At length, however, he retired from active agricultural life and is now 
living in San Jose, California. His wife was born in Indiana and is also living. 
Their children are Guy H., Gertrude. Grace and Ben, the last named an attorney 
at law and a graduate of Stanford University of California. 

Guy H. Cox was educated in the public schools of Missouri Valley, Iowa, in 
Drake University at Des Moines, which he attended for two years, and in the 
State University of Iowa, in which he pursued his professional course, winning 
the LL. B. degree upon graduation with the class of 1905. He then removed to 
Tacoma, Washington, and became associated with the firm of Shackelford & 
Hayden, leading attorneys of that city, with whom he remained for four years. 
He then returned to Omaha and entered the firm of McKenzie, Howell & Cox, 
this association being maintained until the death of Mr. Howell, Messrs. McKenzie 
and Cox being later joined by A. L. Sutton, so that the firm is today Sutton, 
McKenzie & Cox. They have a large and growing law practice that has con- 
nected them with much important litigation and Mr. Cox and his associates are 
regarded as strong and forceful representatives of the Omaha bar. He holds 
membership with the Omaha-Douglas County and Nebraska State Bar Associa- 
tions and he enjoys the goodwill and respect of his professional colleagues. 



378 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

On the 30th of January, 1909, Mr. Cox was married in Logan, Iowa, to Miss 
Lorinda McCoid, a native of that state and a daughter of George W. McCoid. 
They have one child, Lorinda, born September 30, 1916. Mr. Cox votes with the 
ropubhcan party. Fraternally he is connected with the Masons, having been 
initiated into the order in Lebanon Lodge of Tacoma. He is a member of the 
Commercial Club and the Omaha Athletic Club. During the period of his res- 
idence here he has gained many warm friends because of his fidelity to high 
standards of life in every relation as well as by his close conformity to the 
ethical principles of the legal profession. 



ALFRED KIMBALL BARNES. 

Alfred Kimball r>arnes, an attorney practicing in Omaha since his admission 
to the bar in 1907, was born in Ponca, Nebraska, May 10, 1881, a son of John B. 
and Ida Frances (Ilannant) Barnes. The father was born in Ashtabula, Ohio, 
August 26, 1846, and came to Nebraska in 1871 or 1872, his marriage occurring 
in this state. At the time of the Civil war he responded to the country's call for 
aid, joining the First Ohio Volunteer Light Artillery, with which he served dur- 
ing the last three years of the war. It was subsequent to his removal to Nebraska 
that he was admitted to the bar and he has since won distinction as a lawyer and 
jurist of eminent ability. He is now serving for the second term as a member 
of the supreme court of the state and in April, 1916, was renominated for the 
office, in which he has proven himself the peer of the ablest members who have 
represented the court of last resort. In fact his record reflects credit and honor 
upon the judicial history of the state, for he is most fair and impartial in the 
discharge of the multitudinous delicate duties which devolve upon him, while 
his application of legal principles to the points in litigation is most correct. 

Alfred K. Barnes began his education in the public schools of Ponca, Neb- 
raska, but when he was seven years of age his parents removed to Norfolk, 
Nebraska, so that he became a pupil in the public schools of the latter place. 
He completed his more specifically literary course by graduation from the State 
University at Lincoln with the degree of Bachelor of Arts in 1902. He after- 
ward pursued a two years' course in law in the State University and in 1907 was 
admitted to the bar, at which time he opened an oflice in Omaha, where he has 
since remained in active practice, and he is now counsel for the Peters Trust 
Company. He has always largely specialized in corporation law and his knowl- 
edge thereof is comprehensive and exact. 

On the 1st of September, 1908, in Omaha, ]\Ir. Barnes was united in marriage 
to Miss Minnie Fricke, a daughter of Herman Fricke. They now have two sons: 
John Herman, born February 15, 191 1 ; and Alfred K., born July 6, 1914. 

Politically Mr. Barnes has always been a stanch republican since age con- 
ferred upon him the right of franchise. Fraternally he is a chapter Mason and 
his religious belief is that of the Presbyterian church. He is a director of the 
Omaha Bar Association and his interests are of a nature that show him to be a 
broad-minded man of well balanced capacities and powers. 



HENRY A. McCORD. 



Henry A. McCord, living retired in Omaha, enjoying a rest which should 
ever follow years of intense and well directed business activity, came to 
Nebraska in 1879 from Marshall county, Iowa. He was born in Minnesota in 
1857 and was twenty-three years of age when he took up his abode in Burt 
county, Nebraska, where he turned his attention to farming and to the feeding 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY ' 379 

and raising of stock. His business affairs in that connection were wisely and 
successfully managed and he was regarded as one of the prominent representa- 
tives of agricultural interests in his section of the state. He continued actively 
in that line of business until January, 1908, when he sold his land and all other 
interests in Burt county and came to Omaha, where he has since made his home. 
He purchased some lots and also erected bungalows, including four on Twen- 
tieth and Pratt streets. In fact he has improved several pieces of property 
which have added to the value and attractiveness of adjacent real estate and 
he still has large realty holdings in Omaha, from which he derives a most grati- 
fying annual income. His investments have been most judiciously placed, 
providing him with all the comforts and many of the luxuries of life. In 1912 
he erected an attractive home at No. 61 19 Florence boulevard and he now gives 
his entire attention to the further development of the property and grounds, 
having two acres -on which he is cultivating gardens and raising flowers. This 
constitutes both his occupation and his diversion at the present time and he is 
making of his place one of the beauty spots of Omaha. 

Mr. McCord was united in marriage to Miss Helen C. Plummer, who 
came from Iowa to Nebraska in February, 1882. They attend the United 
Presbyterian church and in the social circles of the city occupy an enviable 
position. Mr. McCord's life history is an inspiring one, showing what may be 
accomplished through determined and intelligently directed purpose and energy, 
and the qualities which he has cultivated and developed are such as have gained 
for him the enduring respect, regard and friendship of those with whom he 
has been associated. 



URBAN B. BALCOMBE. 

Urban B. Balcombe, who died at Excelsior Springs, Missouri, March 7, 191 7, 
was born in Elgin, Illinois,' in 1852. His father. Saint A. D. Balcombe, removed 
with his family to Omaha from Winona, Minnesota, July 5, 1865. He had for- 
merly been agent for the captured Sioux and Winnebago Indians and in 1863 
removed them to St. Louis and thence to North Dakota, where he established an 
agency for the representatives of the two tribes. In 1865 the Winnebagos tired 
of their location and Mr. Balcombe took five of the Indians to Washington and 
they bought one-half of the Omaha agency in Nebraska. After settling the red 
men at their new location Mr. Balcombe brought his family to Omaha and pur- 
chased the Republican, which he continued to publish until 1875. He then disposed 
of his paper and office. He was then appointed to the position of United States 
marshal for Wyoming, which position he continued to occupy for two or three 
years, after which he returned to Omaha. In 1887 he was appointed chairman 
of the board of public works, which position he filled for two terms and remained 
a member of the board until 1895. He was a native of New York and he spent 
his last days in Omaha, where he passed away in 1904, at the age of seventy-five. 
His wife bore the maiden name of Anna Denning and they became the parents of 
five children : Urban B. ; Lesbia, who married Louis S. Reed and passed away 
October i. 1916; Mrs. Selma Meikle of Chicago; Mora, the wife of Charles H. 
Marple, of Omaha; and Mrs. Mabel Lenhardt, of New York city. 

Urban B. Balcombe was a youth of thirteen when the family home was 
established in Omaha. His boyhood up to that time had been largely spent 
upon the frontier and his memory compassed many interesting incidents of 
pioneer life. He was associated with his father in all his undertakings in 
Omaha and for twenty years he held various city and county positions, acting 
at different times as deputy city clerk, as secretary of the board of public works, 
as deputy assessor under Harry Reed and in other offices, the duties of which 



380 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

he discharged with promptness and fidehty. At length he retired from office 
and afterward spent his time in the enjoyment of well earned rest save for the 
supervision which he gave to his real estate investments that returned to him a 
gratifying a^id subslaniial annual income. 

In Omaha, in 1890, Mr. Balcombe was married to Miss Cora Turner, a native 
of Missouri Valley, Iowa. Fraternally he was connected with the Knights of 
Pythias and the Modern Woodmen of America, while his father was a Mason, 
lie followed in his father's political footsteps, becoming a stalwart advocate 
of the republican party, and, like his father, was well known as an honored and 
substantial citizen. The name of Balcombe has figured in connection with 
Omaha's development and with her public interests for more than a half century 
and has ever been a synonym for progressive citizenship. 



CHRISTOPHER C. CROWELL, JR. 

Christopher C. Crowell, Jr., one of the best known men in connection with the 
grain trade of the middle west, is the president of both the Crowell Lumber & 
Grain Company and the Crowell Elevator Company, in which capacities he is 
bending his efforts to constructive methods, administrative direction and execu- 
tive control. Llis business training was in preparation for the duties which now 
engage his attention and step by step as the result of his experience, his close 
application and his thorough study of every phase of the trade he has advanced 
until he is now at the head of corporations whose assets are more than a million 
dollars. 

Mr. Crowell was born in Blair, Washington county, Nebraska, July 6, 1874, 
and is a grandson of Prince S. Crowell, a native of Massachusetts, who became 
a prominent figure in railway circles. He married Polly D. Foster. On the 
paternal side the line is traced back directly to Elder Brewster. The great- 
great-grandfather of Christopher C. Crowell, Jr., was an officer of the Revolu- 
tionary war and the great-grandfather was an officer in the American army during 
the War of 1812. In relation to the grandfather Morton's History of Nebraska 
says : 

"Prince S. Crowell was a man of remarkable business ability and great energy. 
In his youthful days he commanded one of the first merchant vessels sailing to 
China from American ports. While still young he retired from a seafaring life 
and built a number of vessels at East Dennis, his home. Later he became inter- 
ested with John I. Blair and others in a construction company which built many of 
the railroads west of the Mississippi river in Iowa, Nebraska and other states. 
He was also president of two banks and on his own account transacted a large 
marine insurance business. He was one of the leading agitators in his locality 
for the present school system, was a radical abolitionist, and his home was the 
meeting place for such great personages as William Lloyd Garrison, Wendell 
Phillips, the Burleighs, Lucy Stone and many others of prominence. He was 
always of a retiring disposition, but his power was nevertheless a strong factor 
in public afi'airs. He amassed a large fortune and was ever a liberal supporter 
of all charitable work. 

"Christopher C. Crowell, Sr., the father of Christopher C. Crowell, Jr., was 
born at East Dennis, Massachusetts, May 19, 1844. For many years, however, 
he was a resident of Nebraska, where he was a most prominent representative 
of the grain trade, becoming the owner of sixteen elevators, his headquarters 
being at Blair, where the business was established in 1869 and where the general 
offices of the Crowell Lumber & Grain Company were maintained. Later a 
removal was made to Omaha in 1909 and in the early part of 1910 Christopher C. 
Crowell passed away. Like his father before, he was greatly interested in work 
for the betterment and uplift of mankind and his influence and efforts were no 





CHRISTOPHER C. CROWELL, Jr. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 383 

less broad and no less effective than those of his honored father, Prince S. 
Crowell. C. C. Crowell, Sr., was a most earnest supporter of the temperance 
cause and did everything in his power to bring about the aboHtion of the Hquor 
trafihc, leaving ten thousand dollars to be used by his son and namesake to further 
the prohibition cause. From 1884 until his death he was a stalwart prohibitionist 
and was his party's candidate for treasurer of Nebraska in 1900. He was also the 
first full term mayor of Blair, Nebraska. On the 5th of December, 1867, he 
married Polly D. Foster and to them were born eight children, of whom five now 
survive." 

With the example of his honored father to serve as an inspiration to him, 
Christopher C. Crowell, Jr., has continued the work in which his father and 
grandfather were interested — work for the betterment of his fellowmen, and at 
the same time has become his father's successor in business, his course proving 
that he i^ adequate to all the demands placed upon him. To accumulate a fortune 
requires one kind of genius ; to retain a fortune already acquired, to add to its 
legitimate increment and to make such use of it that its possessor may derive 
therefrom the greatest enjoyment and the public the greatest benefit requires 
another kind of genius. Mr. Crowell belongs to that younger generation of 
business men of Omaha called upon to shoulder responsibiHties differing materially 
from those resting upon their predecessors. In a broader field of enterprise he 
finds himself obliged to deal with affairs of greater magnitude and to solve more 
difficult and complicated financial, economic and commercial problems. His early 
training for his present responsibilities came to him through the Blair public 
schools, supplemented by a year's study in a business college in Chicago. He 
remained thereafter in Chicago for two years as an employe in a large retail 
furniture store and in 1893 he returned to Jj lair. In the following year he 
became connected with his father's grain efevafor business at a country- station 
in Nebraska, where he remained for sevdri'years; making it his purpose to 
thoroughly learn the business in principle and detail. After learning the field 
management with all its detail work concerning buying and selling, in 1901 Mr. 
Crowell entered the general office of the CroweU Lumber & Grain Company at 
Blair and with the removal of the headquarters to Omaha in 1909 became a resi- 
dent of this city. His father died in 1910 and two years afterward, or in 191 2, he 
succeeded to the presidency of the company, which in 1885 had been incorporated 
under the style of the Crowell Lumber & Grain Company. He is today also 
president of the Crowell Elevator Company, which was incorporated in 191 1, 
and thus as chief executive officer of both concerns he controls most extensive 
interests. The business has grown in volume and the grain company now has 
twenty-three country elevators and ten lumberyards in Nebraska. The other 
officers of the company are: J. A. Linderholm, secretary; and Z. K. Doane, 
treasurer. These, together with Mr. Crowell as president and E. H. Benner and 
M. B. Copeland, constitute the board of directors. 

On the 15th of September, 1897, at Newman's Grove, Nebraska, Mr. Crowell 
Avas united in marriage to Miss Augusta Saare. a daughter of the late Herman 
Saare, a native of Germany. The children of this marriage are Herman F., 
Christopher C, Mildred and Pauline. 

Mr. Crowell is a prohibitionist in politics and a Methodist in religious faith. 
He is now serving on the official board of the McCabe Methodist Episcopal 
church, in the work of which he takes a very active, prominent and helpful part. 
He is equally earnest in his support of the Young Men's Christian Association 
and is a member of the Commercial Club. The subjective and objective forces 
of life are in him well balanced, making him cognizant of his own capacities and 
powers, while at the same time he thoroughly understands his opportunities and 
his obHgations. To make his native talents subserve the demands which the 
conditions of society impose at the present time is the purpose of his life and 
by reason of the mature judgment which characterizes his efforts at all times he 
stands today as a splendid representative of the successful merchant and capitalist 



384 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

to whom business is but one jjhase of life and does not exelude his aetive participa- 
tion in and support of the other vital interests which go to make up human 
existence. 



WILLIAM STEPHENS. Jr. 

In the hisior)' of early commercial development in Omaha it is imperative 
that mention be made of William Stephens, Jr., for scarcely more than a decade 
after the first white settlement was made on the site of the present city he became 
identified with its commercial interests, and with the development of the metropolis 
he figured more and more largely in its commercial circles. A native of Missouri, 
he was born in Monroe county in 1843, a son of Thomas N. and Mary Stephens. 

In his youthful days he became identified with mercantile interests in Missouri 
and was thus associated until 1864, when he came to Omaha to cast in his lot with 
the newdy established but rapidly developing city. He was connected with its 
commercial circles for many years as senior partner in the firm of Stephens & 
Wilcox, wholesale and retail dealers in dry goods, Indian goods, robes and furs, 
his trade gradually going through a transformation as the tide of emigration 
drifted westward and Omaha was no longer an outpost of frontier civilization. 
In other ways Mr. Stephens also took a prominent part in the development of 
Omaha, aiding largely in the establishment of the military post, of Omaha Bar- 
racks and the government supply depot. He was prominent in the promotion 
of all the social organizations of Omaha in the early days and his political 
allegiance was given to the democratic party. 

Mr. Stephens was united in marriage to Miss Mary Willis Griffin and their 
family numbered the following children: Lucien, a resident of Omaha; Oscar 
Lee and Mary Ida, who are deceased ; Thomas W., the president of the Ansco 
Company of Binghamton, New York, and New York city ; and Henry G., who 
is the secretary of the Pacific Fire Insurance Company of New York. The two 
last named were born in Omaha, Nebraska. The death of Mr. Stephens occurred 
in 1883, after a residence of almost twenty years in Omaha, during which period 
he had made valuable contribution to its upbuilding and development. 



THOMAS BROWN, 



Thomas Brown, who was successfully engaged in the quick lunch business in 
Omaha, was born in Wimbledon, England, in 1849 and was a graduate of 
Wimbledon College, of which his grandmother was one of the directors, and she 
was also a large landowner of London and its vicinity. It was in 1869 that 
Thomas Brown came to the new world, and his mother and sister, Mrs. James 
Bartlett, afterward crossed the Atlantic to America and the mother made her 
home with him in this country until her demise. 

Taking up his abode in Chicago, Mr. Brown was for many years manager of 
the Palmer House of that city. Eventually he removed to Lincoln, where he 
engaged in the restaurant business, and in 1898 he became a resident of Omaha, 
where he established the Brown Ouick Lunch Restaurants, havino- five dififerent 
places, one on North Sixteenth street, 'one on South Sixteenth, one on Farnam, 
the fourth on Thirteenth street and the fifth on South Tenth street. He built 
up a business of notable proportions, having the first establishment of the kind in 
Omaha, and from the beginning his patronage steadily grew, making his under- 
taking a profitable one. 

On the 1 2th of May, 1894, in Lincoln, Nebraska, Mr. Brown was united in 
marriage to Miss Marie Barker, a native of Yorkshire, England, and in 1904 he 




THOMAS BEOWN 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 387 

purchased the residence on Wirt street which his family still occupies and in 
1905 purchased the flats at Twenty-first and Cass streets.' To Mr. and Mrs. 
Brown were born three children : Thomas J., is a graduate of the Racine (Wis.) 
College and of the State University at Madison, Wisconsin, and is studying 
military law and tactics and also preparing for work as an army surgeon. 
Dorothey Marie studied at Brownell Hall in Omaha and afterward completed her 
education at Miss Payne's School in Folkestone, England, also studying music in 
the Royal Academy of London; Myrtle Madeline will graduate in 1917 from 
Brownell Hall. 

Mr. Brown was a most charitable man and was continually extending a help- 
ing hand where it was needed. At one time he was a member of the Masonic 
fraternity and also belonged to the Woodmen of the World. His last days were 
spent in Jacksonville, Florida, where he passed away November 23, 1909, his 
death being the occasion of deep regret to many friends as well as his immediate 
family. 

Mrs. Brown is a graduate of the Sheffield Training School and previous to 
her marriage followed the profession of nursing. She is active along various 
lines of modern thought and development. She is one of the earnest and helpful 
members of Trinity Cathedral and she belongs to the Omaha Woman's Club, 
in which she is serving as treasurer of the social science department. She belongs 
also to three suffrage associations, the Omaha, the Political Equality and the Equal 
Franchise. Her position upon the temperance question is indicated by her mem- 
bership in the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. She acted as chairman of 
the Syrian relief work on Saturday, October 21, 1916, and she is ever connected 
with some important philanthropic or social service movement which is working 
toward the uplift and betterment of the individual or of humanity at large. 



SIDNEY SMITH MONTGOMERY. 

Through the steps of an orderly progression in railroad service Sidney Smith 
Montgomery worked his way steadily upward and at length in 1906 turned to 
other pursuits, being now engaged in real estate dealing in Omaha. He was born 
in Allenwick, Ontario, Canada, August 23, 1872. His father, Samuel Mont- 
gomery, was born in County Cavan, Ireland, and in his boyhood days accom- 
panied his parents to the new world. In Ontario he wedded Lucetta Honeywell 
and in 1888 they removed to Beatrice, Nebraska, where both passed away, the 
former in 1915 and the latter in 191 1. 

Sidney S. Montgomery attended the schools of Campbellford, Ontario, to the 
fourth grade and at the age of eleven years started out to earn his own living, 
since which time he has depended entirely upon his individual resources and 
ability and has truly earned the proud American title of self-made man. After 
the removal of the' family to Beatrice, Nebraska, he did any and all kinds of 
manual work that he could secure that would yield him an honest living, and 
while thus engaged he took up the study of telegraphy at night. In 1890 he 
obtained a place as telegrapher with the Burlington Railway and afterward was 
made agent, serving at various points on the Burlington until in 1896, when he 
resigned the position of cashier at Cheyenne, Wyoming, to enter the employ 
of the Union Pacific Railroad Company as extra agent in Utah and Wyoming. 
He thus served for a year and then went to Norfolk. Nebraska, as train dispatcher 
for the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley Railroad. A year later he was 
transferred to Chadron. Nebraska, as train dispatcher for the same road and for 
nine years remained at that point or until 1906, having two years before, how- 
ever, been promoted to the position of chief train dispatcher. On leavmg the 
railway service he came to Omaha in 1906 as manager for Nebraska of the 
W'ashington Life Insurance Company. He occupied that position for a year 



388 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

and then entered the real estate business, after which he dropped insurance and 
is now concentrating his energies upon his operations in the real estate field. 
In the intervening period he has negotiated many important property transfers 
and he is thoroughly informed concerning values and is acquainted with prac- 
tically all the property upon the market. 

In June, 1896, at Norfolk, Nebraska, Mr. Montgomery was united in marriage 
to Miss Gertrude M. Ijcnnett. by whom he has a daughter, Beatrice Laird Mont- 
gomery. The family attend the Congregational church. Mr. ^lontgomery votes 
with the democratic party but has never been an aspirant for office. He is a 
Master Mason and a member of the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He is 
also identified with the Ak-Sar-Ben and his name is on the membership roll of 
the Happy Hollow Club. At a period when most boys are dividing their time 
between the duties of the schoolroom and the pleasures of the playground he 
was forced to take upon himself the burden and responsibilities of life and with 
courageous s])irit assumed his tasks. There have been indeed few idle moments 
in his career and his persistency of purpose combined with loyalty, integrity and 
determination have brought him to the creditable point which he now occupies 
in business circles. 



CHARLES FREDERICK WELLER. 

Charles Frederick Weller has passed the Psalmist's allotted span of three 
score years and ten, for he has reached the seventy-second milestone on life's 
journey, yet he is still a most active factor in commercial circles in Omaha, being 
today one of its foremost merchants as president of the Richardson Drug Com- 
pany. His life record has been- such as would at all times bear the closest investi- 
gation and scrutiny, one of his marked characteristics being his spirit of fidelity 
to every trust, manifest in pronounced manner when he aided the country in the 
efifort to preserve the Union more than half a century ago. A native of Ohio, 
Mr. Weller was born in New Alexandria, Jefferson county, May 16, 1844, a son 
of Zaccheus Sherman Weller, who was born in Roxbury, Connecticut, in 1824. 
Removing to Ohio, he was married in that state to Mrs. Mary H. Bowers, nee 
Havens, who was born near Penn Yan, New York. Both have now passed away. 

Charles F. Weller pursued his education in public schools of Ohio until 1857, 
when his father, who was a Methodist minister, was called to a pastorate in 
Jefferson City, Missouri, and the family accordingly removed to that place. 
There the son continued his education. At the time of the Civil war he finally 
obtained a pass from General Price and managed to get across the river into 
Iowa, traveling at night time and sleeping by day. He had an old horse which 
he sold in Washington, Iowa, for ten dollars and he soon afterward secured 
employment on a farm near by, digging post holes until he had blistered his 
hands. In this condition he was set to work at driving a team and not long 
afterward he passed a teacher's examination at Washington, Iowa, obtained his 
certificate and for three months taught school in Washington county at a salary 
of twenty dollars per month, boarding 'round among the families whose children 
were his pupils. In the following September he bought a ticket for Beaver, 
Pennsylvania, where his parents were then living, having been sent out of 
Missouri by General Price. 

Charles F. Weller there attended the Beaver Institute until November, 1861, 
when he felt that it was necessary for him to provide for his own support and 
accordingly he left home in search of work. He reached W^ellsburg, West 
Virginia, with a dollar and a half in his pocket and near that place he obtained 
a school which he taught for three months. He then returned to Pittsburgh, 
Pennsylvania, expecting to attend college, but the war feeling was then so strong 
that in May, 1862, he enlisted as a private of Company G. Fifteenth Pennsyl- 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 389 

vania \^oIunteer Cavalry, which at the start was called Anderson's Cavalry. It was 
raised for special service, a mental as well as a physical examination being required, 
together with a special uniform. This resulted in a crack regiment and at the 
barracks in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, they were drilled by expert officers and there 
obtained their horses, after which they joined the Army of the Potomac and 
received their baptism of blood at Antietam. The regiment was then stationed 
at Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, for scout duty in the valley but a week after 
becoming encamped there was ordered to Louisville, Kentucky, subsequent to 
which time it vvas placed in the vanguard of the Army of the Cumberland. From 
that time forward Mr. Weller was with his command in active and arduous duty. 
He participated in the battle of Antietam and skirmishes between Louisville, 
Kentucky, and Nashville, Tennessee, including the engagements at Bowling Green, 
Perryville and Elizabethtown, Kentucky. Later he took part in both engage- 
ments at Nashville and in the battle of Stone River, following which the regi- 
ment was in camp for three months. Later he was in the battles of Stevenson 
and Bridgeport, Tennessee, and thence proceeded to Chattanooga. Then came 
the battle of Chickamauga and Mr. Weller was there serving on the stafit of 
General "Pap" Thomas. He was also at Missionary Ridge and later his com- 
mand went to Knoxville, Tennessee, to relieve General Burnside. This was 
followed by the fight at Strawberry Plains, a terrific encounter, and then came 
other battles on the way to V'irginia. The regiment then joined General Sher- 
man at Atlanta and just as he started on his march to the sea, the regiment to 
wdiich Mr. Weller belonged was ordered to Lynchburg, Virginia, being a month 
en route to that place. From Lynchbtirg they started for Spartanburg, South 
Carolina, destroying everything on the way, especially in the Yadkin valley, the 
granary of the Confederate army. From Spartanburg they proceeded to Savan- 
nah, Georgia, and thence back to Nashville, Tennessee, where Mr. Weller was 
mustered out June 30, 1865, having a most creditable military record by his brave 
and loyal support of the Union cause. 

When the war was over Mr. Weller returned to Beaver, Pennsylvania, where 
his sweetheart resided, and after a brief visit with her he proceeded to Pitts- 
burgh, Pennsylvania, where he entered Duff's College, in which he studied from 
the loth of July until the 20th of September, 1865, there winning his diploma 
together with high compliment from Peter Duff, the president of the business 
college, in which he had specialized as a student in business law. 

Once more he went to the home of his sweetheart, Miss Kate A. McElwaine, 
and on the 28th of September, 1865, they were married. They removed to Macon, 
Missouri, where Mr. Weller established a grocery business, but after six months 
he sold out there and removed to Ouincy, Illinois. At that time he began travel- 
ing for a wdiolesale drug house and in 1871 was admitted to a partnership in the 
business, with which he was connected until 1873, when he sold his interest and 
removed to St. Louis. There he became connected with the wholesale drug firm 
of Richardson & Company, with which he continued for three years, when he 
returned to Quincy, Illinois, and with others embarked in the wholesale drug 
business, Mr. Weller becoming the silent partner in the firm, which was organ- 
ized under the name of Sommer, Lynds & Company. There he continued for 
three years, on the expiration of which period he sold out and again went to 
St. Louis, once more entering into business relations with Richardson & Com- 
pany, wholesale druggists, whom he represented upon the roa.d. Two years 
later the business was incorporated under the style of the Richardson Drug 
Company and Mr. Weller became one of the directors. In September, 1887, a 
branch house was established in Omaha and he removed to this city to assume 
the duties of vice president and manager. In March, 1899, o" the death of J. C. 
Richardson, who was president of the company, Mr. Weller succeeded to the 
presidency and still occupies that executive position, being at the same time 
general manager. He has since bought out the Richardson interests and now 
owns the entire business, although the name of the Richardson Drug Company 



390 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

is still retained. This is today one of the most important commercial enterprises 
of the city, carefully and wisely managed. Each department of the husiness is 
thoroughly systematized, and possessing- in large measure that quality which 
has hecn termed commercial sense, Mr. W'cller has gradually developed and 
broadened his interests and is today one of the foremost merchants of Nebraska's 
metropolis, while his ramifying trade interests cover a broad territory. 

To Mr. and Mrs. Weller have been born eight children, as follows: Mary 
A., the wife of John W. Fisher; Harry S., who is a resident of Omaha; Olive 
ILlizabeth. the wife of Frederick W. Clarke, of Omaha; Charles Keyes, living 
in Omaha : Emma Ruth, who gave her hand in marriage to Professor Charles B. 
Walker, of Syracuse. New York; Alice Elvira, the wife of Ralph E. Crandell, 
of Chapman, Nebraska ; Agnes Garfield, who is the wife of Hugh B. Thomas, 
of Denver, Colorado; and Clifford R., who makes his home in Omaha. Mrs. 
Weller. the mother of these children, passed away April 2"], 191 1, and Mr. Weller 
was married again on June 29. 1912. to Mrs. Jane Adell Whittlesey, of Hartford, 
Connecticut. 

Mr. Weller has long been a consistent member of the First Methodist 
I*!piscopal church and in his political views he has ahvays been a stalwart 
re])ublican. standing firmly by the party which was the defense of the 
Union during the dark days of the Civil war and has always been the party of 
reform and progress. His interest in community affairs is indicated by his 
membership in the Commercial Club and by the hearty aid and cooperation 
which he gives to all well devised plans and measures for the public good. He 
belongs also to the Happy Hollow Club and to the Omaha Club and maintains 
])leasant relations with his old comrades in arms through his membership in the 
Cirand Army of the Republic, proudly wearing the little bronze button which is 
an insignia that any might well covet. He has ever been as loyal to his country 
in days of peace as in days of war, and while never an office seeker, has always 
displayed the same spirit of fidelity to his country and her best interests that 
he manifested when he followed the nation's starry banner o'er the battlefields 
of the south. 



BYRON CLARK. 



Byron Clark, solicitor for the Chicago. Burlington & Quincy Railroad at 
Omaha and thus a well known figure in railway circles, was born on a farm in 
Tazewell county, Illinois, April 24, 1856. His father, Timothy Clark, was born 
near Amity, Pennsylvania, in 1820 and was married in Rushville, Blinois, on the 
29th of August, 1845, to Anna Benninger, whose father built the first iron forge 
in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. They came to Nebraska on the 3d of March, 1870, 
settling on a farm in Cass county, where the father died November 11, 1901, 
having for six years survived his wife, who passed away June 25, 1895. During 
the Civil war. being incapacitated for active service, he acted as enrolling officer 
at P'ekin, Illinois. 

Byron Clark acquired a common school education in his native county, sup- 
plemented by a year's preparatory course in the State University of Nebraska and 
also a year's study in the high school at Weeping Water, Nebraska, after leaving 
college. He was twenty years of age when his textbooks were put aside and he 
later taught school in Cass county, Nebrasl-ca. In 1879 he removed to Plattsmouth, 
Nebraska, and there entered the law office of Smith & Strode, under whose 
direction he studied. In January, 1881, he was admitted to the bar and located 
for practice at Papillion. Sarpy county, where he remained for two years. He 
next removed to Plattsmouth, w^here he entered into partnership with one of his 
former preceptors under the firm style of Strode & Clark. Mr. Strode being at that 
time district attorney, while ]\Ir. Clark acted as his deputy. The firm continued 




BYBON CLARK 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 393 

in existence for four years, at the end of which time Mr. Strode removed to 
Lincohi and Mr. Clark continued in practice alone at Plattsmouth until 1912, 
when he was appointed Nebraska and Kansas solicitor for the Chicago, Burling- 
ton & Quincy Railroad Company with headquarters at Omaha, and to the duties 
of that responsible position he is now devoting his energies. 

On the 5th of May, 1881, in Plattsmouth, Mr. Clark was married to Miss 
Mmnie C. Murphy, who was a daughter of the late Michael B. Murphy, and who 
died in September, 1905, at Plattsmouth. Mr. Clark was married in 1908 to 
Margaret T. Farley, then a teacher in the public schools at Lincoln, Nebraska. 
His children are: Earle, who married Ida B. Cruni, of Fancitas, Texas, and has 
a son Allan Byron, born in February, 1916; and Helen M., who is the wife of 
Herman E. Kuppinger, also of Francitas. Both are graduates of the Nebraska 
State University. 

Mr. and Mrs. Clark are members of the Congregational church and in politics 
he is a republican but has never sought nor held political office save that of city 
attorney of Plattsmouth. He is a Knights Templar Mason and a member of the 
Benevolent Protective Order of Elks. He belongs to the Commercial Club, 
the Omaha Club, the University, Happy Hollow and Athletic Clubs of Omaha 
and the Commercial Club of Lincoln. Plis acquaintance is broad and the circle of 
his friends almost coextensive therewith. His friends speak of him as a genial, 
courteous gentleman whose companionship is always an enjoyable feature on social 
occasions. Omaha as a railroad terminal or division point has drawn to it in 
this connection many men of notable ability among whom may well be numbered 
Byron Clark, whose labors are indeed covering a broad field for the benefit of 
mankind and are at all times resultant forces. 



WILLIAM COOLEY NORRIS. 

Among those active in real estate circles in Omaha is William Cooley Norris, 
who en'ered that field of business in 1907 and who in 191 1 incorporated his inter- 
ests under the firm name of Norris & Norris, of which company he is the presi- 
dent. He was born in St. Joseph, Missouri, in 1866. His father, Thomas Norris, a 
native of Culpeper, Virginia, was born in 1832 and in 1849 became a resident 
of St.- Joseph. Two years later, or in 185 1, he went to California, attracted by 
the discovery of gold on the Pacific slope, but later he returned to Missouri and 
continued to spend his remaining days in St. Joseph, where he served as a mem- 
ber of the Home Guards during the Civil war. He had a brother, Richard Norris, 
also a native of Virginia, who became a very prominent divine of the Methodist 
Episcopal church and spent the greater part of his life in preaching the gospel 
in Maryland and the District of Columbia. Following his removal to St. Joseph, 
Thomas Norris wedded Margaret Jane Louthan and there passed away in 1903, 
while his wife survived for six years, dying in 1909. 

In the public schools of his native city William C. Norris pursued his educa- 
tion until he became a high school pupil and in 1886, at the age of twenty years, 
made his initial step in the business world by entering the ticket office of the 
Wabash Railroad in St. Joseph, where a year later he was made agent. In 
December, 1890, he came to Omaha, where he began business as a broker in 
railroad tickets and so continued until 1904, when he took up the business of gen- 
eral railroad contracting. He remained active in that field for three years and 
in 1907 began dealing in real estate, also handling insurance. The latter, however, 
is largely a side line, the greater part of his attention being given to his real 
estate operations, which are carefully and wisely directed. He thoroughly under- 
stands the real estate market, is correct in his valuations of property and has 
negotiated many important real estate transfers. With the growth of his business 

he incorporated his interests under the name of Norris & Norris, becoming 
Vol. n— 16 



394 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

president of the company, with his brother, Ed B. Norris, as the secretary and 
treasurer. 

In his political views Mr. Norris has always maintained an independent 
course, voting according- to the dictates of his judgment. He is a Master Mason 
and is also connected with the I'llks, exemplifying in his life the beneficent spirit 
of these orders, which recognize the brotherhood of mankind and the obligations 
thereby imposed. 



COLONEL EDWARD W. GETTEN. 

The record of a man who lives among us perhaps cannot be appraised at its 
true value. It is too near to give the right perspective, but the future will trace 
the tremendous effect of his labors upon society and the institutions of his time. 
The possibilities of high position afforded in the United States to industry and 
fidelity are splendidly illustrated in the case of Colonel Edward W. Getten. He 
came to Omaha as a youth, working for his living and dependent on his own 
hands for whatever the world was to bring him of enjoyment, success and 
honors, and he is now possessed of all those worth while things for which men 
strive. 

He was born in Caledonia, Illinois, November 3, 1872, and comes of English 
ancestry. The founder of the family in the new world was Thomas Getten, 
who on coming to the United States from England, settled in Batavia county. New 
York, near Svracuse. where he conducted business as a blacksmith and farmer. 
Members of the family participated in the Revolutionary war, so that the present 
generation are all eligible to membership in the Sons and Daughters of the Ameri- 
can Revolution. Albert C. Getten, father of Edward W. Getten, was born in 
New York and became a machinist. He possessed expert ability in that line and 
was the inventor of machinery for the manufacture of paper bags and thereby 
revolutionized that industry. He received royalties from his invention through- 
out his entire life and he was for years the general manager of the Union Bag & 
Paper Company of New York city, in which connection he occupied a position 
of notable prominence in business circles. At the time of the Civil war he 
espoused the cause of the Union and while in battle at the front was captured 
and sent to Libby prison. He was one of a company of seventeen who managed 
to effect their escape and, making his way northward, he joined his company. 
He was with Sherman on the celebrated march to the sea and participated in a 
number of the most hotly contested engagements. He joined the army as a 
private but rose to the rank of first lieutenant. At the time of his demise he 
was commander of the Glens Falls, New York, department of the Grand Army 
of the Republic. In business he was very successful and he was ever a man of 
high ideals whose upright life and notable achievements make his record an 
example well worthy of emulation. He married Julia Smith, a native of Beloit, 
Wisconsin, and a representative of a pioneer family of that state of Dutch 
descent, her ancestors having settled in the Mohawk valley at an early day. Mrs. 
Getten passed away in New York in 1912, at the age of sixty-six years, and Mr. 
Getten died in Los Angeles, California, at the age of seventy-two. They were 
parents of five sons: Frederick J., living in Glendale, California; Edward W., 
of Omaha; Ira C, of Boston, Massachusetts; Ernest A., of Hudson Falls, New 
York; and Francis W., of Glens Falls, New York. 

Edward W. Getten largely passed his boyhood and youth in Chicago, where 
he attended the public schools, being graduated from the Lakeview high school 
with the class of 1889. He made his initial step in the business world as an 
employe in the wholesale grocery house of W. M. Hoyt of Chicago, entering 
that house with a view to learning the business. He continued in that line for 
two years and was later with the McCord-Brady Company of Omaha, his asso- 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 395 

ciation with that firm continuing for twenty years and three months, during which 
period he rose from the position of office boy until he was assistant manager 
of three departments. He arrived in Omaha on the loth of September, 1890, and 
in 1909 he resigned his position with the McCord-Brady Company to become 
manager of the Omaha branch of the wholesale cigar business of Rothenberg 
& Schloss of Kansas City. In 1910 he established the Getten Cigar Company, 
beginning business on a small scale but developing the trade until he now has 
the largest retail cigar stores in Omaha. In 191 1 he was joined by Paul Wick- 
ham in a partnership under the name of the Getten & Wickham Cigar Company. 
They conduct five of the leading retail cigar stores in the state, three in Omaha, 
one in Lincoln and one in Alliance, Nebraska. Their business is now very exten- 
sive and is steadily growing. In addition to his cigar trade Mr. Getten has 
extensive interests in various other Omaha enterprises. He is a large stock- 
holder in the Western Druggists Supply Company, doing a wholesale business at 
1806 Harney street, and is the southern manager for the Hull-Grummond Com- 
pany, cigar manufacturers of New York city. He likewise has other invest- 
ments and business interests and is the holder of extensive properties not only 
in Omaha but also in Los Angeles and elsewhere. He has a home at Hollywood, 
California, where he spends the winter, and he has an extensive orange grove 
in that section of the state. His is a notable career inasmuch as he started out 
in life a poor boy and came to Omaha an entire stranger to make for himself a 
place in its business circles. Gradually he has worked his way upward and 
through the steps of an orderly progression has reached a position of notable 
prosperity and prominence. 

On the 17th of June, 1895, Mr. Getten was married in Omaha to ]\Iiss 
Mabelle Claire Cheney, a native of this city and a daughter of Charles C. and 
Margaret (Fleming) Cheney, who are still living in Omaha. To Mr. and Mrs 
Getten have been born two daughters : Margaret Claire, born in Omaha in June, 
1897 ; and Julia Mabelle, in December, 1899. The religious faith of the family 
is that of the Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Getten is a democrat, interested 
in political and civic matters. He has attained the Knight Templar degree in 
Masonry, and is a noble of the Mystic Shrine, and he also belongs to the Inde- 
pendent Order of Odd Fellows, the Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the 
Eagles, the Royal Arcanum and the United Commercial Travelers. He is also a 
member of the Travelers Protective Association and of the United Commercial 
Travelers is a past grand councilor. He has membership with the Omaha 
Athletic Club and for five terms he has served as colonel on the governor's staff", 
having filled the position through five administrations, being one of only two who 
have served through that entire period. In the course of his life he has attained 
almost everything that men covet as of value and he has won it all by his own 
unaided exertions. He has also found time for the finer things which our self- 
made men are so prone to overlook — aid in money and personal attention to 
schools and churches, collection of rare objects of beauty and the artistic adorn- 
ment of his city and of his home. 



FREDERICK J. FARRINGTON. 

Frederick J. Farrington, manager of the John Deere Plow Company, is a 
man whose constant energy and achievements are a source of wonder to his 
business associates and colleagues. He displays the keenest grasp of situations, 
accompanied by determination to accomplish the maximum in the situations 
offered, and along the lines indicated he has won advancement to his present 
position of administrative direction and executive control in connection with one 
of the important commercial interests of Omaha. He was born in Romeo, 
Michigan, August 20, 1876, his parents being Levi and Maria (Young) Far- 



396 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

rington. who in 1882 removed from Michigan to South Dakota, settling at 
Aberdeen, lloth are now deceased, the father passing away in the state of 
Washington in 1910, while the mother died in Omaha in 1914. 

Frederick J. Farrington began his education in the schools of Aberdeen, 
South Dakota, and afterward attended high school at St. Thomas, North Da- 
kota, liamline University at St. Paul, Minnesota, and also pursued a course in 
a business college in that city. In 1903, when a young man of twenty-seven 
years, he came to Omaha and entered into active connection with the John Deere 
Plow Company, which he has since represented. Working his way steadily 
upward, he has ultimately reached the position of secretary and manager and 
is regarded as a keen, farsighted business man. 

In St. Thomas. North Dakota, on the 21st of October, 1899, Mr. Farring- 
ton was united in marriage to Miss Katie G. Van Camp. They attend the 
Methodist ICpiscopal church and Mr. Farrington belongs to the Benevolent 
Protective Order of Elks, also to the Omaha Field Club and the Athletic Club 
of Omaha. He is likewise a valued member of the Commercial Club and for 
two years was chairman of its traffic board. His political allegiance is given 
to the republican party and he carefully studies the questions and issues which 
are of vital importance to the commonwealth. He has never allowed a desire for 
office, however, to swerve him from the strict path of business and his constant 
energy has resulted in notable achievements. Said one who knows him well : 
"While many of his undertakings may fail, yet his ability to foresee these 
failures and discount them, and the enormous success of his projects which win 
establish him in my mind entirely in a class by himself. He is an optimist of 
the highest order where optimism counts and is a pessimist as strong where 
. his foresight leads him. His energy is akin to marvelous. His ambition to 
attain his purpose, which he maps out in the most minute detail, is filled with 
dynamic force and his retention and grasp of the smallest data relative to the 
cjuestion at hand has challenged my admiration to perfect wonderment of the 
man." 



DANIEL THOMAS QUIGLEY, M. D. 

Dr. Daniel Thomas Ouigley, who is accorded a position of eminence as a 
surgeon of Omaha, was born in Edgerton, Wisconsin, June 27, 1876. His father, 
Thomas Bartlett Quigley, a native of Boyle, County Roscommon. Ireland, was 
born in 1841 and in 1849 came with his father's family to the United States. 
After two years spent in Buffalo, New York, he became a resident of Edgerton, 
Wisconsin, and after the outbreak of the Civil war enlisted for service with the 
Union troops as a member of the Army of the Tennessee. He served for three 
years and was in the Vicksburg campaign under General Grant, taking part in 
the charge on Fort Hill at Vicksburg. He suft'ered a sunstroke at the foot of the 
fort and lay there until night, when he was discovered by the Union troops. 
He was an officer in the regiment and proved himself a loyal and courageous 
soldier, never faltering in the face of danger. In 1879 he removed from Wis- 
consin to Lennox, South Dakota, and there passed away in 1899. His widow, 
who bore the maiden name of Elizabeth Durnin, is now residing at Sioux Falls, 
South Dakota. 

Dr. Ouigley was a little lad of but three years when the family home was 
established in Lennox and there he completed his high school education. Having 
determined upon the practice of medicine as a life work, he entered Rush 
Medical College of Chicago, from wdiich he was graduated in 1902. His first 
professional service was that of interne in the Chicago Plospital and later he was 
interne in the Englewood Hospital of Chicago. In 1903 he located for practice 
at North Platte, Nebraska, where he remained until 1913, when he went abroad 




DR. DANIEL T. QUIGLEl' 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 399 

for post graduate work in the capitals and medical centers of Europe. Upon 
his return he located in Omaha in 1914 and now concentrates his energies upon 
surgical practice, for which he is eminently fitted, having directed his studies 
largely along that line. He possesses a steady hand and cool nerve, added to 
comprehensive scientific knowledge, and his labors have been attended with a 
notable measure of success. 

On the 15th of June, 1904, in North Platte, Nebraska, Dr. Quigley was united 
in marriage to Miss Helen Seyferth, a daughter of the late Edward Seyferth, and 
they have one child, Thomas Bartlett, born May 24, 1908. 

Dr. Quigley is a republican in his political belief and fraternally is connected 
with the Knights of Pythias and the Elks. He also belongs to the leading clubs 
of Omaha, including the University, the Happy Hollow, the Carter Lake and the 
Omaha Athletic Clubs. He is likewise a member of the Commercial Club, which 
is indicative of his interest in community afifairs and municipal progress. His 
attention, however, is chiefiy concentrated upon his professional duties, which 
are constantly growing in volume and importance. He belongs to the Omaha- 
Douglas County Medical Society, the Elkhorn Valley Medical Society, the 
Missouri Valley Medical Society, the Sioux Valley Medical Society, the American 
Medical Association and the American College of Surgeons. For six years he was 
councillor in the State Medical Society and was then elected vice president, while 
in 1914 he was made chairman of the surgical section. Li 1908 he organized the 
Nebraska State Health ofticers, the first society of the kind in the United States, 
and for three years served as its president. Among the articles on surgical 
subjects which he has carefully prepared are the following: "Rheumatism as a 
Surgical Disease," 1907, one of the first contributions on the relationship between 
focal infections and' rheumatism ; "Use of Sphygmomanometer by General Prac- 
titioners and Surgeons," 1908; "Tuberculosis of Bone"; "Complications following 
Operations"; "Suprapubic Operation for Removal of Prostate Gland"; "Rela- 
tions between Radium and Surgery"; "Prevention of Death from Cancer"; "'A 
Neglected Point in the Etiology of Foot Diseases" ; "Abortion as a cause of 
Cancer of Uterus"; "A Review of the Surgical Clinics of Europe"; "The 
Diagnosis of Coxa Vara"; "The Neglected Anus"; "Therapeutics of Radium"; 
and one of the first contribvitions on the subject of blood pressure. He has 
attained very high professional rank and has ever advocated the highest pro- 
fessional standards, recognizing fully the obligations and responsibilities which 
devolve upon the physician and surgeon. 



GEORGE A. KEYSER. 



George A. Keyser, an attorney practicing at the bar of Omaha, his native 
city, and a graduate of Creighton Law School, is well known in Douglas county 
and throughout eastern Nebraska. He was born on the 3d of July, 1889, the 
only child of John and Elizabeth (Murphy) Keyser, who are natives of Penn- 
sylvania and of Illinois respectively. They were married in Chicago and in the 
early '80s removed to Omaha, where the father afterward became a railroad 
postal clerk in the mail service. He is still in the government service after 
thirty-five years and has now reached the age of sixty, making trips between 
Omaha and Sioux City. His wife also survives at the age of fifty-five years. 

Reared in Omaha, George A. Keyser attended the public schools and after- 
ward, in preparation for a professional career, matriculated in the law depart- 
ment of Creighton University, from which he had graduated in 1910 on the 
completion of a classical course. Three years later he won his professional 
degree and in the intervening period he has since built up a large and lucrative 
practice which has connected him with much important litigation. Pie resides 



400 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

at home with his parents, who arc well known pioneer settlers of Omaha, the 
family having long- been prominent and popular here. 

George A. Keyser holds to the faith of his fathers and is a member of the 
Roman Catholic church. He is also connected with the Catholic Order of 
Foresters and the Kniglits of Columbus. His political support is given to the 
republican party and along strictly professional lines he has membership with 
the County and State Bar Associations, He is exceedingly popular among the 
younger members of the bar and in other walks of life, possessing social quali- 
ties and characteristics that have gained him high regard. Having always re- 
sided in Omaha, he is widely known and has a circle of friends almost coex- 
tensive with the circle of his acquaintance. 



WILLIAM J. HYNES. 



Among those who have been active in developing and promoting the grain 
trade that has made Omaha a great market for that commodity is William J. 
Hynes, now president of the Hynes Elevator Company. He was born in 
Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1873. ^is father, Patrick Hynes, a native of County 
Gahvay, Ireland, was born in 1832 and in 1848 came to the United States, estab- 
lishing his home in Pittston, Pennsylvania. He responded to the country's call 
for troops in 1862 and served in the Civil war for six months with a Pennsylvania 
regiment, when illness incapacitated him for further field service. In 1898 he 
became a resident of Omaha, where he now makes his home, but in the meantime 
he had spent a considerable period in Grand Island, Nebraska. 

It was at Grand Island, Nebraska, that William J. Hynes completed his public 
school education by graduation from the high school, and later he spent two years 
as a student in the State University, after which he drifted to the age of eighteen 
years and then found the field of labor in which he has since operated. It was 
at that time that he began buying grain for a grain merchant of Trumbull, 
Nebraska, and, finding the work congenial, he applied himself to a thorough 
mastery of every phase of the business and in that connection worked his way 
steadily upward, experience bringing to him increasing power as time went on. 
In 1902 he embarked in the grain business on his own account at Hastings, 
Nebraska, and in 1906, seeking a still broader field of labor, he came to Omaha 
and the same year organized the Hynes Elevator Company, of which he is the 
president. It has ever been his purpose and plan to give to the patrons of the 
company quick, efficient service and through his instrumentality the business 
has grown to be one of the dominating factors in the grain trade in this part of 
the country. Upon the sure foundation of enterprise and business integrity the 
prosperity of the company has been built and that it today controls an immense 
industry is evident to all who inquire into the history of the grain trade in Omaha. 
The Hynes Elevator Company has had a long and honorable career as a member 
of the Omaha Grain Exchange and as such has done its full share in the move- 
ment of the crops and in the progressive work that has resulted in the upbuilding 
of the Omaha market. The company receives and ships grain in large quantities, 
maintaining a line of elevators in the heart of the hard winter wheat belt of 
Nebraska and Iowa. Making a specialty of the milling trade, it has become one 
of the largest concerns connected with that line of business in the middle west. 
The policy pursued by the president and his associate officers embraces big 
business methods, personal service, excellent equipment, promptness and thorough 
trustworthiness. Mr. Hynes was one of the corporators of the Farmers Terminal 
Elevator Company, and has been its president since its organization. 

On the 5th of June, 1903, in Hastings, Nebraska, Mr. Hynes was married to 
Miss Margaret Pickens and they have a son, William J., born April 5, 1905. The 
parents are adherents of the Catholic church and in politics Mr. Hynes is a 




WILLIAM J. HYNES 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 403 

republican. He belongs to the Commercial Club, which is a manifestation of his 
deep interest in the welfare and progress of his city. He is also a member of 
the Omaha Club, the Omaha Field Club, the Omaha Country Club and the 
Athletic Club of Omaha, and in the midst of heavy and onerous business cares 
he finds time for social enjoyment, which is ever a force in maintaining an even 
balance in the individual. Naturally his interest centers first in his mercantile 
aitairs and he is today a director of the Omaha Grain Exchange, having charge 
of the Exchange and acting as chairman of the finance committee. For a 
quarter of a century he has been closely connected with the grain trade and there 
is no phase of the business with which he is not familiar, while the spirit of 
advancement that has characterized his entire career has brought him to the 
point of leadership. 



JOSEPH HOWARD RUSHTON. 

Joseph Howard Rushton, whose optimistic spirit makes him a valuable addi- 
tion to the business circles of Omaha and, moreover, a distinct asset in citizen- 
ship, is now president of the Fairmont Creamery Company, with which he has 
been continuously identified for a third of a century. A fixed purpose he 
believes to be one of the elements of success and thus he has closely adhered 
to one line of business, to which he has given his entire thought and undivided 
attention. Mr. Rushton^ is a native of England, his birth having occurred in 
Manchester in 1849. His father, George Rushton, who was born in England 
in 1823, married Isabella Hoyle. He came to the United States in 1848 and his 
wife reached America in 1851. Settling first in Lisbon, Illinois, he there 
remained to the time of his death, which occurred in 1887. For some years he 
had survived his wife, who passed away in 1876. He was the founder of the 
family in the new world, his father, George Rushton,' never having come to the 
United States. 

In the schools of Kendall county, Illinois, Joseph Howard Rushton pursued 
his early education, arriving there when a little lad of but two years. Ulti- 
mately he became a student in Jennings Seminary at Aurora, Illinois, and 
then took up the profession of teaching, accepting the superintendency of the 
schools at Piano, Illinois, in 1873. There he remained for six years or until 
1879. when he began studying law. In that year he removed to Aurora, Illi- 
nois, and in 1880 was admitted to the bar. For a year he practiced in Aurora 
and in 1881 removed to Fairmont, Nebraska, where he practiced for four years. 
He then abandoned the practice of law but has a knowledge of legal principles 
above that of the average lawyer. Becoming allied with commercial interests, 
he helped to organize the Fairmont Creamery Company in 1884 and has since 
devoted his attention to the business, which in 1907 was removed to Omaha. He 
served as secretary and treasurer from 1884 until 1897 ^"d in the latter year 
was elected president of the company, in which position he has since continued. 
This company are manufacturers of and wholesale dealers in butter, cheese, ice 
cream and artificial ice, and also wholesale dealers in eggs and poultry, besides 
doing a large commercial cold storage business. Associated with Mr. 
Rushton in the management and control of the business are : E. T. Rector, 
who is vice president of the company; E. F. Howe, secretary; and 
George W. Sumner, treasurer. Mr. Rushton thoroughly believes in the policy 
of adhering to one line of business and it has been his close and concen- 
trated attention of thought and activity along a single line that has led to his 
substantial success. His industry is seldom equalled and his loyalty and friend- 
ship to all those with whom he has come in contact generally follows in propor- 
tion to their habits of industry. Said one who has known him well for a quarter 
of a century: "Fle is justly entitled to the honor of a place in history as the 



404 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Edison of the creamery and dairy industry." In a word, his initiative has 
resulted in develo])ing many new plans and methods which have been of direct 
and great value to the business. He has been a wide reader and thorough 
student of his own business, is a strong organizer and developer of men. 

On the 25th of March. 1875, in Lisbon, Illinois, Mr. Rushton was united in 
marriage to '^liss Minnie J. I'utt, daughter of William Putt. To them have 
been born five children, as" follows: Grace Isabella, the wife of Dr. John D. 
Cortelyou. who is professor of German in the Kansas State Agricultural Col- 
lege at Manhattan. Kansas; George Howard; Raymond \V. ; Arthur L. ; and 
Alice Louise. 

^Ir. Rushton attends the Methodist Episcopal church and his political alle- 
giance is given to the republican party. He is a' member of the Happy Hollow 
Club, of the University Club and of the Commercial Club of Omaha, associa- 
tions which indicate much of the nature of his interests and the rules which 
govern his conduct. It is characteristic of him that he stands stanchly in sup- 
port of every principle in v.hich he believes. Studious by nature, he is continu- 
ally broadening his knowledge by reading and research and he possesses an 
analytical mind seldom equalled. He is loyal to a fault to all those in whom he 
believes. Optimistic in his opinion, he has no time or patience for the views 
of a pessimist. He inherits the English thrift and disposition to dominate in 
all the affairs in which he takes part or is interested. One who has known 
him intimately through long years said: "Summing up the Hfe of Mr. Rush- 
ton we would, without doubt, be justified in recording his name with those of 
the great men of his generation." 



FREDERICK W. SIMPSON. 

Frederick W. Simpson, now living retired, first came to Omaha on the 4th 
of May. 1869, from Watertown, New York, and for many years was closely 
associated through business and other connections with the development and 
progress of the west. He is a native of New York, born October 3, 1842, and 
is the only survdvor of a family of twelve children whose parents were Mr. 
and Mrs. John H. Simpson, of Watertown, New York. There he was reared and 
at the time of the Civil war he enlisted at Watertown in May, 1861, as a mem- 
ber of the Thirty-fifth New York Volunteer Infantry. After serviog with that 
command as a private for two years he was transferred to the Tenth New 
York Heavy Artillery and at different times w^as connected with the First, Ninth, 
Eighteenth, Sixth and Twenty-fourth Army Corps. He served altogether for 
four years, one month and eighteen days and was promoted to the rank of first 
sergeant in the Thirty-fifth Regiment, was made first lieutenant on the reorgan- 
ization of the regiment and afterward was advanced to the rank of captain. 
Throughout the entire j^eriod of his service he w'as connected with the Army 
of the Potomac and he participated in many important engagements, including 
the battles of Petersburg and Richmond. 

With the close of the war Mr. Simpson returned to New York but after 
four years sought a home in the middle west, arriving in Omaha on the 4th of 
May, 1869. W^hen a year had passed he took a trip to Utah, then returned to 
Omaha and later went to the east with the intention of bringing his family to 
this city. He became ill, however, when in New^ York and accordingly changed 
his plans. He then went to work on the Rome, Watertown & Ogdensburg Rail- 
road, in which connection he was employed in different capacities until 1878. 
The following year he established his family in Omaha, where he has since con- 
tinued, and for six years he was connected with the mechanical department of 
the Union Pacific Railroad Company. He then went into business on his own 
account on Cuming street in 1887, establishing a blacksmith and carriage mak- 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 405 

ing shop, which he conducted for twelve or thirteen years, winning substantial 
success through his unfaltering industry and persistency of purpose. Eighteen 
years ago he retired from active business life and has since enjoyed well earned 
rest. On the 15th of January, 1902, he was appointed secretary of the Douglas 
County Soldiers' & Sailors' Relief Committee, which office he has since accept- 
ably filled. 

Mr. Simpson was married in Browmville, Xew York, on the 29th of Janu- 
ary, 1866, to Miss Rachel Powers, also a native of the Empire state. She 
passed away in September, 1914, and of their family of two sons and two 
daughters only one is now living, Grace M., wife of William Arthur, of Omaha. 

Fraternally Mr. Simpson is connected with the Grand Army of the Republic 
and thus maintains pleasant relations with his old comrades who wore the blue 
uniform in the darkest days of the country's history. He is also connected with 
the Masons and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and many years ago 
he was an active democrat. His long residence in Omaha has made him widely 
known here and the sterling traits of his character are recognized by all with 
whom he has come in contact. 



HOWARD TAYLOR ROGERS JUDSON. 

Howard Taylor Rogers Judson, superintendent of the Alidland Glass & 
Paint Company of Omaha, was born September 2^,, 1878, in the city in which 
he yet makes his home. He is a cousin of F. W. Judson. He acquired his edu- 
cation in the schools of Omaha but put aside his textbooks at the age of fifteen 
years and began earning his living as an office boy in the employ of a physician, 
with whom he remained for a year. He was afterward cash boy for two years 
in Mrs. Benson's store and afterward spent about five years as telegraph messen- 
ger with the Western Union Telegraph Company, the Postal and the American 
District Telegraph Company. He afterward became associated with the Klopp 
& Bartlett Company of Omaha and in 1899 he entered the employ of the Midland 
Glass & Paint Company in a minor capacity. It took but nine years for him to 
familiarize himself with every branch of the business and work his way upward 
through intermediate positions to that of superintendent, in which connection 
he has remained continuously since 1908. 

On the 23d of April, 1902, in Omaha, Mr. Judson was married to Miss 
Emma H. Schellberg, a daughter of John David Schellberg, and they have 
become the parents of a daughter, Elinore Eunice. 

Mr. Judson's military record covers two years' service with the Thurston 
Rifles of Omaha. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and 
fraternally he is connected with the Ancient Order of United \\'orkmen. He 
belongs to the Kountze Memorial Lutheran church and the jirinciples which 
have guided him in all of his life's relations are such as will bear the closest 
investigation and scrutiny. His latent powers have responded to the call of 
opportunity and a recognition of the forcefulness of industry as a factor in 
the world's work has led to the attainment of the creditable position which 
he now occupies. 



JOSEPH CORY MOORE, M. D. 

Dr. Joseph Cory Moore became a representative of the medical profession in 
Omaha "in 1887 and for many years actively and successfully engaged in prac- 
tice but is now largely living retired. Ohio claims him as a native son. his 
birth having occurred at Cadiz, that state, December 17, 1851. His father, John 



406 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

Moore, was born at Cadiz in 1811 and in early life followed the occupation of 
farming but afterward turned his attention to merchandising in his native city. 
He married Elizabeth McCullough, who was born in Ohio in 1813, and both 
passed away in Cadiz, the death of the mother having occurred in 1856, while 
the father was called to his linal rest in 1881. 

Dr. Moore was but five years of age at the time of his mother's demise. He 
pursued his public school education in Cadiz and afterward matriculated in the 
University of ^Michigan for the study of medicine. Later he entered the Col- 
lege of Physicians and Surgeons at St. Louis and was graduated therefrom with 
the class of 1882. He then came to Nebraska and was engaged in active prac- 
tice at Oakland until 1887, when he removed to Omaha, where he opened an 
office and has since continued in the practice of medicine and surgery although 
he is now practically living retired, his son. Dr. John Clyde Moore, having 
succeeded him in his professional work, in which he is closely following in the 
footsteps of his father. For many years Dr. Joseph C. Moore maintained an 
enviable position in the front ranks of the medical practitioners of Omaha and 
his counsel is yet greatly valued but he does not care to continue in active prac- 
tice, feeling that he has earned the right to rest from arduous professional labors. 
He now has valuable interests in a cattle ranch in Wyoming. 

On the 6th of October, 1878, at Hennepin, Illinois, Dr. Moore was united 
in marriage to Miss Emma B. Markley, who passed away in 1891, leaving four 
children : David Cory, who was chief electrician on the United States Steam- 
ship Quiros and was drowned at Shanghai, China, October 11, 1915, when 
thirty-six years of age; Ila May, the wife of John Boies, of Greeley, Colorado; 
John Clyde, who is a graduate of the University of Nebraska and is his father's 
successor in practice ; and Eldred Delmar, who completes the family. Having 
lost his first wife, Dr. Moore was married again in 1893 in Omaha, his second 
union being with Clarinda Jane Evans. 

Dr. Moore is a member of Trinity Methodist Episcopal church, while Mrs. 
Moore is a member of the North Presbyterian church. Fraternally he is a 
Knights Templar Mason and a member of the Mystic Shrine. His political 
endorsement is given to the republican party and for five years he served on the 
Omaha board of education but has never sought nor desired political prefer- 
ment, feeling that his professional duties make full demand upon his time and 
attention. Both he and his son hold membership in the Omaha-Douglas County 
Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical Society and the American Med- 
ical Association and the well earned reputation of the father is being sustained 
l)y the son, so that the name Moore has long been a synonym for high efficiency 
in the field of medical practice in Omaha. 



SAMUEL EVAN ROGERS. 

Samuel Evan Rogers, an Omaha pioneer who has been one of the builders of 
the city, is now living retired. He was financially interested in banking and real 
estate enterprises in Omaha and for many years was an active factor in further- 
ing business along those lines. He was born in Flemingsburg, Kentucky, Feb- 
ruary II, 1822, and in direct line traces his ancestry back to Samuel Rogers, 
who was the first settler in New Jersey of that name and who had a family of 
five children, one of whom, Anne, became the wife of Francis Hopkinson, a 
signer of the Declaration of Independence. Joseph, son of Samuel Rogers, 
served with distinction in the Revolutionary war. One branch of the family 
remained in New England and another branch moved south, settling in Ken- 
tucky. It is from this branch that Samuel E. Rogers is descended. His father, 
William Robert Rogers, was born in Flemingsburg. Kentucky, December 14, 
1 800, and wedded Dorcas Dent, whose birth occurred in Flemingsburg. Feb- 




SAMUEL E. ROGERS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 409 

ruary 21. 1799. She passed away in Michigantown, Indiana, August 26, 1853, 
after which Wilham R. Rogers came to Omaha, where his death occurred October 
13. 1854- 

Samuel Evan Rogers is a graduate of Wabash College, of Crawfordsville, 
Indiana, which institution has conferred upon him the degrees of Bachelor and 
Master of Arts. He was graduated in July, 1848, and is the last living member 
of his class. When his college course was completed he became editor of a 
weekly paper called the Reveille, published at Pekin, Illinois, and at the same 
time he engaged in the practice of law there. Attracted by the opportunities of 
the growing west, he arrived in Omaha on the 28th of October, 1854, and assisted 
in starting the town, contributing much to its early development through the erec- 
tion of between eighty and one hundred houses. His operations in real estate 
were extensive as the years went on and he also became a leading figure in finan- 
cial circles, for some time conducting a private banking house under his own 
name, while he also became identified with the State Bank of Nebraska and the 
Merchants National Bank. In 1882 he set out a fine orange grove in Sutherland, 
Florida, and there spent the winters for thirty years, returning to Omaha in the 
spring. 

On the 31st of October, 1841. in Michigantown, Indiana, Mr. Rogers was 
married to Miss Martha Brown, daughter of John Slack Brown. She accom- 
panied her husband when he drove from Omaha to Salt Lake City in 1861 and 
returned the following svmimer. They had some rather exciting experiences 
with the Indians, who occupied the entire western country at that time. Mrs. 
Rogers died January 13, 1907, the period of her married life covering more than 
sixty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Rogers became parents of a son, G. Samuel, 
mentioned elsewhere in this work.--''' 

In his political views Mr. Rog=efs.". has long been a stalwart democrat. He 
was formerly a member of the*]\Iasonic order and he belongs to the Unitarian 
church. In the different localities in which he has lived he has been called upon 
for public service, filling the office of postmaster at Havana, Illinois, while in 
Nebraska he was a member of. both the first' arid second territorial legislatures, 
the first convening January' 16, 1855, and the second on the i8th of December 
of the same year. Thus it was that he became closely associated with the work 
of shaping early legislative measures of the state as well as with the growth and 
upbuilding of his city and the influence of his labors is yet felt. He has now 
reached the very venerable age of ninety-five years, an honored and respected 
resident of Omaha, where he has made his home for more than six decades. 
There has been no phase of its development with which he has not been familiar, 
and throughout the entire period he has borne an active and helpful part in pro- 
moting public progress. 



THOMAS E. MICKEL. 



Thomas E.- Mickel is president of Mickel's Nebraska Cycle Company of 
Omaha and also of the Mickel Investment Company and his _ interests 
along those two lines constitute an important factor in the commercial circles 
of his city. He was born at Point Pleasant, Ohio, July i, 1864, and is a son of 
Thomas E. and Sylvania (Peterson) Mickel, who were natives of New Jersey 
and were of New England stock. Becoming a resident of Ohio, the father there 
engaged in farming for many years and at the time of the Civil war became a 
member of the Home Guards. He died at Point Pleasant in 1913 at the ven- 
erable age of seventy-eight years, while his wife survived until 1914 and was 
eighty-four years of age at the time of her death. In their family were five 
children, one of whom has now passed away. 

Thomas E. Mickel, who was the fourth of that number, attended the public 



410 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

schools of his native state and when his textbooks were put aside he made his 
initial step in the business world as an employe in a brickyard, in which con- 
nection he continued until the spring of 1884. He then embarked in business 
on his own account and remained alone until 1891. He established his present 
business in 1904 under the name of Mickel's Nebraska Cycle Company and in 
the intervening period has built up a trade of large proportions, being associated 
in its conduct with George E. Mickel, who is a partner. Mickel's Nebraska 
Cycle Company handles X'ictor Victrolas and various commodities of a similar 
character, doing business at Fifteenth and Harney streets, in Omaha. Aside 
from this Thomas E. Mickel is president of the Mickel Investment Company, 
of Omaha, and Mickel Brothers, of Des Moines, Iowa. 

In 1884 Mr. Mickel was united in marriage to Miss Florence Sherman, of 
Point Pleasant, Ohio, who died in Omaha in 1900. There were four children of 
that marriage. William E., who was born in Omaha and is a graduate of the 
city schools, is now married and still makes his home here. Fle has two sons, 
Robert and William E., Jr. The second of the family is a daughter, Grace, 
who is a graduate of the Omaha schools. Clyde, who resides in Omaha, is 
married and has two sons, Thomas E. and William Lee. The youngest of the 
family, ]\Iay, was born in Omaha. She is the wife of Morton D. Gray and they 
have two children, Jacciueline and Martha D. For his second wife Mr. Mickel 
chose Miss Idabelle Thorpe, of St. Joseph, Missouri, whom he wedded in 1904, 
and her death occurred in 1912 as the result of an accident. 

Fraternally Mr. Mickel is connected with the Knights of Pythias and with 
the Modern Woodmen of America and is favorably known in those organiza- 
tions as well as in business circles. Point by point he has worked his way 
upward and whh each advance he has had a broader outlook and wider oppor- 
tunities. Fortunate in possessing character and ability that inspire confidence 
in others, the simple weight of his character and ability have carried him into 
important relations. 



GEORGE PARKS. 



George Parks, city commissioner of Omaha and the head of the National 
Construction Company of that city, occupies a position among the most prominent 
and substantial residents of Douglas county. His labors have been a most 
potent element in bringing about the progress which has made Omaha the 
metropolis of Nebraska and one of the great trade centers of the middle west. 
A notable career of successful achievement marks the life record of George 
Parks, who was born in County Armagh, Ireland, March 15, 1858, a son of George 
and Katherine (Hughes) Parks, who were likewise natives of the Emerald isle. 
In early life the father engaged in the manufacture of brick and later became a 
fiax buyer. He died, however, when but forty-seven years of age and in 1881 his 
widow came with her family to the new world, settling in Chicago. In 1888 she 
removed to Omaha and lived there to the time of her death, v/hich occurred in 
1913, wdien she had reached the age of eighty-two years. In her family were 
seven children, of whom George Parks is the eldest. The others are : Robert, 
who was married at Kansas City, Missouri, January 8, 1902, to Cecelia M. 
O'Connell, a daughter of William and Mary O'Connell, and who passed away 
November 20, 1912, in South Omaha; James, a well known contractor of South 
Omaha; John; Mrs. Peter Henry; Mrs. Patrick Smith; and Mrs. Peter McCrane. 

In his youthful days George Parks attended the public schools of Ireland and 
at the age of twelve years began work in the spinning mills of Keady, Ireland, 
where he learned the trade of spinning and weaving, being first employed by the 
firm of William Kirk & Sons. He afterward removed to Dundalk, Ireland, 
where he was employed in spinning and weaving mills until 1871, when he 




GEOKGE PARKS 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 413 

abandoned that work and entered upon an apprenticeship to the bricklayer's and 
mason's trade at Dundalk, Ireland. There he worked at his trade tuitil 1877, 
when he came to America, thinking to try his fortune on this side the Atlantic. 
He was so well pleased with the country and the opportunities here offered that 
he subsequently sent for his mother, who with the younger children of the 
family crossed the Atlantic, as previously stated. 

George Parks made his way at once to Chicago, where he secured immediate 
employment as a bricklayer. He did considerable work along the line of his trade 
in connection with the packing house interests and he remained a resident of 
Chicago until 1888, when under contract to the Armour-Cudahy Packing Company 
he came to Omaha to take charge of all the brick and iron work in connection 
with the erection of the Cudahy- Armour packing plant in South Omaha. An 
entire year was consumed in the erection of the first plant. In 1889 he returned 
to Chicago to erect the addition to the Armour plant, having entire charge of the 
brick work. At the same time he had the contract for the Hammond packing 
plant in South Omaha and he also erected the St. Agnes church in South Omaha, 
together with many store buildings, carrying on these numerous projects at the 
same time. He was awarded the contracts therefor and had the personal 
charge of these vast building enterprises. He completed the entire Hammond 
packing plant in South Omaha in 1892 and also the plant of the Omaha Packing 
Company, another vast building project, in the same year. In 1893-4 he built 
and completed the brick work of the warehouse and shipping plants of the 
Cudahy Packing Company in New Orleans and the Cudahy packing plant at 
Seattle, Washington. He also built the Masonic Temple at Logan, Iowa, and in 
1896 built the Fort Wayne (Ind.) plant for Cudahy, together with several build- 
ings in Chicago for the same interests. He was the builder of the John Cudahy 
plant in Chicago, also of the glue factory for?' the Armour Company at Chicago, 
and he built the Cudahy packing plants at Brockton, Massachusetts, at Boston 
and at Fall River, Massachusetts. In 1897 he erected the magnificent palatial 
residence of Mr. Cudahy on Dewey avenue in Oijiaha and the same year built the 
Sioux City (Iowa) plant. In 1899 he erected the Adams-Kelly building, a build- 
ing for the John Deere Plow Company and many other important business blocks 
and large public buildings in Omaha, as well as many private residences which 
add much to the architectural beauty of the city. Mr. Parks has the distinction 
of having erected the greater part of the prominent buildings in Omaha. In 
1899 he built the Hammond packing house in St. Joseph, Missouri, also the Viles- 
Robbins Packing Company plant at St. Joseph and the plant of the St. Joseph- 
American Beef Packing Company. In 1900 and 1901 the construction of the 
plant of the Cudahy Packing Company at Kansas City occupied his attention 
and in 1902 he built the substation for the Metropolitan Street Railway in Kansas 
City, and in 1904 he rebuilt the plant of the Cudahy Packing Company at Los 
Angeles, California, which had been destroyed by fire. It was about that time 
that he began to devote his attention to paving and he secured the contract for 
the paving for Lincoln, South Omaha and Kearney, Nebraska, which he com- 
pleted. He afterward built the South Omaha sewer system and the ice houses for 
the Cudahy interests at Seymour Lake. Lie has erected more buildings in 
Omaha than any other man in the past twenty-five or thirty years and his work 
stands as a monument to his skill, ability and genius. In this connection one of 
the local papers wrote : 

"Twenty-eight years a dominant factor in building South Omaha ! For more 
than twenty years the company entrusted with the paving of the city's streets! 
The men who erected the huge Armour-Cudahy packing plant and constructed 
the monster Cudahy ice house at Seymour Lake I These are a few of the mile- 
stones in the career of the National Construction Company of South Omaha. 
The rapidity with which merit is recognized in the substantial middle west is 
responsible for many of the excellent conditions affecting the lives of residents 
of its commercial centers. By the same token city improvements have been 



414 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

executed by companies that stand out in perfect harmony with the general 
scheme of rounding out a nietropohs worthy of the efforts of those who have 
completed the gigantic tasi<. Thoroughness is the watchword in city contracts. 
The organizations of experts that have mastered these problems and completed 
enormous paving contracts to the entire satisfaction of all the people, have a 
prior claim on public patronage and esteem. And such an institution is the 
National Construction Company of Omaha, 749 Brandeis building, of which 
George Parks, one of the best known men in construction circles in the middle 
west, is president. The National Construction Company is organized upon a 
cooperative basis, hence the strength that is behind it and the prestige carried 
by the name of the company. Every member gives his full time to the firm's 
business. Every department head is an efficiency expert in his line. Satisfactory 
service and the successful completion of every contract is the natural result. It 
was in 1888 that George Parks came to South Omaha at the head of his crew 
of men, with the contract for the erection of the great Armour-Cudahy packing 
house in his inside pocket. With the completion of that enormous task the 
capability of Mr. Parks as a contractor was recognized. South Omaha's future 
appealed to Mr. Parks and he decided to make the city his home. And it was but 
a few years until he became listed among the leading contractors of the city. 
It was perhaps in his ability to complete paving contracts that he won greatest 
esteem. Perusal of paving work completed in South Omaha during the last year 
alone mutely tells the story of city improvement. These strides toward metro- 
politanism were assured when the contracts were placed in the hands of heads 
of the National Construction Company. Here's a portion of the paving com- 
pleted : Twentieth from S to Y; Twenty-seventh from H to L; Twenty-eighth 
from D to F ; H street from Twenty-sixth to Twenty-fourth ; Nineteenth from 
H to G; Sixteenth from Missouri avenue to M; N street from Sixteenth to 
Twentieth; Fifteenth from M to O; Twenty-ninth from Q to R ; Twenty-eighth 
from to R. This enviable record for one year's work is a tribute to the ability 
and efficiency of the contractors. In addition to the street paving the National 
Construction Company paved ten alleys in the downtown district as well as 
laying more than three blocks of pavement for the Jetter Brev/ing Company. 
When the Cudahy Packing Company's ice house at Seymour Lake was completed 
by the National Company at a cost of approximately seventy-five thousand, 
dollars in 191 5, the story of successfully applied efficiency was retold. During 
the paving season the company gives employment to one hundred and fifty 
Omaha men. More than ten thousand dollars is paid to these men every month. 
This money goes back into Omaha channels where it will benefit the taxpayer. 
Through its contracts the National Construction Company is keeping this money 
in Greater Omaha. This is being done by a fair policy of equitable profits 
whereby the public receives a double return." 

Aside from being president of the National Construction Company, Mr. 
Parks is president of the George Parks Company of Omaha. In May, 1916, he 
was appointed to succeed John C. Drexel, as city commissioner. As a city 
official, superintending the department of street cleaning and maintenance, Mr. 
Parks gives his official duties the same close attention as he has given his own 
private business, eliminating all partisan influence and putting his department 
on a strictly business basis. 

At Chicago, on the 29th of August, 1886. Mr. Parks was united in marriage to 
Miss Margaret Storm, born September 20, 1869, in Cleveland, Ohio, a daughter of 
Frank and Annie (Corcoran) Storm, natives of Germany and Ireland respectively. 
They have become parents of fourteen children ; Ann, born in Chicago, June 23, 
1887, is now Mrs. John Mugan, of South Omaha, and has three sons, John, 
Robert and Joseph. Margaret was born in Omaha, July 28, 1888. Catherine 
was born January 26, 1890. George, Jr., born October 7, 1891, married Lillian 
Dworak, and has a daughter, Mary Margaret. He is active in the management 
of his father's business. Marie, who was bom August 23, 1893, died in infancy. 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 415 

John, born September 26, 1894, is in his father's employ. Robert, born April 25, 
1896, is in the plumbing business. James, born July 25, 1898, is a student at 
Spalding College. Gertrude, born July 3, 1900, is a student at Father Judge's 
school. Florence, who was born July 6, 1902, Cecelia, born August 30, 1904, and 
Mildred, born March 16, 1907, are all attending St. Bridget's school. Claire 
and Francis, twins, were born February 4, 1910. 

The religious faith of the family is that of the Roman Catholic church and 
Mr. Parks also has membership with the Knights of Columbus, the Fraternal 
Order of Eagles, the. Benevolent Protective Order of Elks, the Woodmen of 
the World and the Modern Woodmen of America. Mr. Parks has been termed 
by those who know him "a prince of good fellows." He has become a recognized 
leader in business affairs and his life record is the story of thrift and business 
sagacity grafted on western energy and enterprise. Every day in his life must 
mark oft' a full-faithed attempt to know more and to do more. The simplicity 
and beauty of his daily life, as seen in his home and family relations, constitute 
an even balance to his splendid business ability. 



WILLIAM G. URE. 



In this age when much is heard concerning incapability and dishonesty in 
public office it is most pleasing to contemplate the career of such a public official 
as William G. Ure, treasurer of Douglas county, and to hear the expressions of 
public confidence which continually bear testimony as to his capability, fidelity 
and trustworthiness. Loyalty in every relation of life is one of his most marked 
characteristics and when there is a duty to be done he prepares for it with the 
utmost thoroughness, carefully studying every phase of the situation that he 
may thoroughly inform himself concerning its needs, demands and opportunities. 

Mr. Ure was born on a farm in Linn county, Iowa, May 9, 1867, and comes 
of Scotch-Irish ancestry, manifesting many of the sterling traits which have 
descended to him through that lineal strain, ever constituting a source of 
strength in the citizenship of any community wherein it is found. His paternal 
grandfather, Robert Ure, was born in Scotland and came to the United States 
in 1838 at the age of sixty years. He was a farmer by occupation and his last 
days were spent in Linn county, Iowa, where he passed away in 1849. His 
son, William Ure, father of William G. Ure, also took up the occupation of 
farming as a life work. He was born in Sterlingshire, Scotland, in 1828 and 
was therefore a lad of ten years when he accompanied his parents to the new 
world, becoming a resident of Linn county, Iowa, in 1841. For a long period 
he was actively identified with agricultural pursuits there and his ability as a 
business man and loyalty as a citizen led to his selection for official honors. 
For nine years he served as county supervisor and bridge commissioner of Linn 
county and for two terms he represented his district in the Iowa state legis- 
lature, leaving the impress of his individuality upon legislation enacted during 
that period. He was also one of three commissioners who selected Anamosa, 
Iowa, as the site of the state penitentiary. He died in 1898 and is still survived 
by his widow, who is now living in Omaha at the age of eighty-nine years. 

William G. Ure supplemented his early education, acquired in the district 
schools of Linn county, by five years' study in Monmouth College at Monmouth, 
Illinois. Later he spent two years in the furniture business at Minden, Nebraska, 
under the firm style of Nichol & Ure and in 1891 he removed to Omaha, where 
he entered the real estate and loan business, in which he has since been success- 
fully engaged, negotiating many important realty transfers and also enjoying 
a good clientage in the other departments of his business. 

On the 9th of November, 1898, in Bloomington, Indiana, Mr. Ure was mar- 



416 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

lied ;o ^liss Minnie Paris, a daughter of James I'aris, deceased, and they have 
three children. Mary Faris, Frances h'oster and WiUiam G. 

In his pohtical views Mr. Ure is a stalwart republican and ranks as one 
of the active leaders of his party in Douglas county. Arriving in Omaha a 
quarter of a century ago, he soon became prominent in a public way because of 
his advocacy of equal taxation. In the early days the corporations were bear- 
ing a very small part of the burden of taxation. The vast railway terminals 
of Lincoln and Omaha were paying practically nothing toward the support of 
municipal government and Mr. Ure became probably the foremost advocate of 
terminal taxation, being instrumental in securing the passage of a law that has 
resul ed in the railroads contributing annually thousands of dollars to the sup- 
port of the city of Omaha, to say nothing of the benefits accruing to Lincoln 
and other cities over the state. Henry T. Clark, Jr., and N. P. Dodge, Jr., were 
the members of the house of representatives in charge of the terminal tax bills 
and hey were unable to answer the figures advanced by the railroads. Mr. Ure 
was therefore sent for to meet the opponents of the terminal tax, and going to 
the capital, he there remained until the opposition was thoroughly subdued. 
There are few men in the state as familiar with the principles of taxation or as 
capable of arraying figures and thereby demonstrating facts as William G. 
Ure. From 1906 until 1908 inclusive Mr. Ure filled the position of county com- 
missioner of Douglas county and in 191 1 he was elected county treasurer, while 
reelections have continued him in office to the present time. Since his first 
election the responsibility of caring for the funds of the water district, the 
funds of the city of South Omaha and the village of Dundee have been added 
to the office, involving the handling of additional millions annually. The busi- 
ness of the office has been so conducted by him that many thousands of dollars 
have been saved during his incumbency, resulting from investing the funds in 
a way never done by any former treasurer. As county commissioner he made 
an enviable record. The county funds were in a deplorable condition when he 
became a member of the board, there being a deficit of two hundred thousand 
dollars in the general fund, but at the end of Mr. Ure's term the office was not 
only free of the deficit but had such a surplus as put the county on a cash basis 
and enabled the commissioners to pay promptly for all goods purchased. 

His active interest in community afi^airs is further indicated by his mem- 
bership in the Commercial Club. He also belongs to the University Club and 
to the Happy Hollow Club. He is a member of the United Presbyterian church 
and comes of a long line of ancestors connd'cted with that religious organiza- 
tion. Mr. Ure served as treasurer of the Billy Sunday campaign committee, 
handling all the funds, amounting to about fifty thousand dollars, and reported 
daily to the last penny. Society in its usually accepted sense has no interest for 
him, but he is easy of approach and he holds friendship inviolable. His success 
in public life has come because of the fact that he has always been found on 
the side of the people — not the common people, as the politician expresses it, 
but the people as a whole — the public as against private selfish interests. 



SEYMOUR M. SADLER. 

Seymour AI. Sadler, engaged in the abstract business in Omaha, was born 
hi Monroeville, Ohio, June 25, 1854, a son of William and Martha (Webster) 
.Sadler, whose family numbered six children, of which Seymour M. is the eldest. 
The father was a native of Ireland and when but three years of age was brought 
to the United States by his parents, who settled in Cuyahoga county, Ohio, near 
Akron. He eventually became a well known lawyer of Sandusky, Ohio, and 
later removed to Centerville, ^Michigan, where he practiced for fifty years. He 
spent the last three years of his life in the home of his son at Centerville, where 




SEYMOUR M. SADLER 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 419 

he passed away in December, 1909, at the age of eighty-six years, his death result- 
ing from a shock causd by faUing downstairs. During the war he offered his 
services to the government three times but was rejected. However, he succeeded 
in raising three companies which went to the front, but he was not allowed to 
enlist on account of a broken limb. His wife, a native of Connecticut, died in 
the fall of 1916 in Centerville, Michigan, at the age of eighty-two years. 

Following the removal of the family from Ohio to Centerville, Michigan, 
Seymour M. Sadler there pursued his public school education and in 1869 he 
entered the University of Michigan from which he was graduated in 1874. He 
is today the oldest living graduate of the academic or literary department in 
Omaha. When his course was completed he read law under the direction of his 
father and was admitted to the bar at Centerville, St. Joseph county, Michigan, 
in 1876. He took up the active practice of the profession, which he followed 
until elected for a two years' term to the office of circuit court commissioner. 
Subsequently he was nominated for the same position as a repubHcan but was 
defeated by the greenback party. In 1878 he removed to Maquoketa, Iowa, 
where he remained in active practice until 1882. He came to Omaha in 1882 
and secured a position with the Burlington Railroad, with whom he remained 
until 1886. He then accepted a position with the Midland Guarantee & Trust 
Company, with whom he remained as secretary until 1892, when he established 
an abstract business on his own account, opening an office in the Patterson block, 
then the leading office building of Omaha. He has since continued in the abstract 
business and is today the veteran in that field in Omaha. He has a most com- 
plete set of abstract books, his work being most systematically and thoroughly 
done, and he is now accorded a liberal patronage. 

On the 13th of September, 1877, Mr. Sadler was married to Miss Nellie 
Campbell, of Centerville, Michigan, a daughter of Richard Campbell, of Detroit. 
They have become the parents of two children. Clarise Martha, who was a student 
at Buchtel College, at Akron, Ohio, and various musical centers in the east, died 
April 21, 1904, in Omaha, at the age of nineteen years. Clifford C, born in 
Centerville, Michigan, May 29, 1879, is a graduate of the Omaha high school. 
He then entered railway circles in the employ of the Union Pacific, with which 
company he remained for a number of years but since 1906 has been in business 
with his father. He wedded Miss Agnes Duff, a graduate nurse of Omaha, and 
they have two children: Seymour Duff", who was born in Omaha in 1904; and 
Edith Campbell, born in 1906. Both are attending school. 

In pohtics Mr. Sadler is a republican giving general support to the pruiciples 
of the party. He is prominent as a Knight of Pythias and in Masonry has attained 
the Knights Templar degree. He is also connected with the Independent Order 
of Odd Fellows and enjoys the warm regard of his brethren of these fraterni- 
ties. He now has a wide acquaintance in Omaha, where he has lived for many 
years, and his popularity results from a social, genial nature and ready apprecia- 
tion of the good qualities of others. 



JOHN HENRY L. WILLIAMS. 

Industrial activity in Florence finds a worthy and substantial representative 
in lohn Henry L. Williams, a well known contractor who throughout the period 
of "his residence here has been engaged in building operations. He was born m 
Williamsport, Indiana, January i, 1848, and is a son of Enos and Catherme 
(Ludincrton) Williams, who were also natives of Wdhamsport. His paternal 
grandfather John Williams, a native of Virginia, married Miss McCormack. 
who was born in Dublin and was most liberally educated there. She enjoyed 
wide reputation as a writer of hymns. The grandfather of J. H. L. Williams 
was married in Virginia and took his bride in a wagon drawn by oxen to Indi- 



Vol. 11—17 



420 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

ana, traveling after the primitive manner of the times, lie seeured a large tract 
of government land and the town of Williamsport was named in his honor. 
He was closely associated with the early settlement and pioneer progress of the 
district and there remained until 1H49, when he sold out and removed to Dallas 
county, Iowa, where he also invested in large land holdings. He then concen- 
trated his efforts upon farming in that region up to the time of his retirement 
from active business. He continued to make his home in Dallas county until 
his death, which occurred in 1875, when he had reached the notable old age of 
ninety-three years. He was regarded as a very wealthy man as wealth was 
judged in those days. 

Enos Williams was reared and educated in Indiana and in 1849 ^^^ ^'^^^ 
his family to Iowa, where he became proprietor of a saw and grist mill which 
was probably the lirst steam mill in Dallas county. The machinery was taken 
by ox team from Keokuk, the streams being forded and the trails followed 
until the destination was reached. There Mr. Williams remained until 1853, 
when he disposed of his farm lands, his mills and other interests in that locality 
and removed to Peoria, Guthrie county, Iowa, where he opened a sawmill and 
became closely and actively identified with the business development of that 
region. He laid out an addition to the town and had the first and only mill in 
Guthrie county, having received a grant of forty acres as an inducement to 
locate a mill there. He platted the forty acres, built a store, a blacksmith shop, 
a boarding house and several dwellings and there remained until the spring of 
1854, when he sold out and went with his family to Plattsmouth, Nebraska, 
where he arrived on the 3d of June, 1854. At that place he erected a mill and 
also bought large tracts of land upon which he built houses. Again he was 
proprietor of a store and blacksmith shop and in his store he carried an im- 
mense stock of goods, all of which was brought by steamboat. He continued 
his undertakings in that connection and during the war had charge of the com- 
missary for General Lyons. He was with the General when that intrepid soldier 
was killed and he continued in active connection with the army until the close 
of the war or for more than four years. In the meantime he had sold out his 
business but retained his land and in the fall of 1864 he removed to the Pawnee 
Indian reservation, going there under Major D. H. Wheeler as an engineer. 
He took charge of the government saw and grist mill at that point and there 
remained until the fall of 1865, when he came to Douglas county and bought 
land a mile and a half north of Benson. There he spent the balance of his 
life in farming and passed away April 10, 1872, at the age of forty-five years, 
his demise being caused by pneumonia. He was a typical pioneer and state 
builder and contributed in large measure to the development and progress of 
the various localities in which he lived. 

John Henry L. Williams was the eldest in a family of five children and he 
continued with his father, becoming an active factor in the business in 1865. 
Previous to this time he was in his father's employ on a salary. 

On the 28th of November, 1867, Mr. Williams was united in marriage to 
Miss Loretta Schroeder, of Jefferson county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Joseph 
Schroeder, born in Maryland, whose father removed to Pittsburgh, Pennsyl- 
vania, when Joseph was but two years old. Mr. and Mrs. J. H. L. Williams are 
the parents of seven children, as follows : Lilly Ann, who is now the wife of 
Edward Templing, of Douglas county; John Wesley, who is engaged in busi- 
ness as a partner of his father; Joseph Enos, a resident of Waterloo, Nebraska; 
Olive, who is the wife of Fred Hender and lives on a farm three miles from 
Florence; Loretta, who gave her hand in marriage to L. M. Smith, of Omaha; 
Stella, the wife of Thomas Kendrick, of Omaha; and Edith, who is Mrs. Fred- 
erick Wight. 

In the year 1867 Mr. Williams took up the occupation of farming in Doug- 
las county and remained upon his land until 1916 but in addition to cultivating 
his fields also engaged in freighting. In 1878 he took up construction work 
on the railroad, his first contract being on the Julesburg branch from Julesburg, 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 421 

Nebraska, to Greeley, Colorado. In that undertaking he was in partnership 
with his brothers, C. F. and W. M. Williams, their interests being carried on 
under the firm style of Williams Brothers. They operated quite extensively as 
railroad contractors, employing one hundred and twelve teams and owning an 
immense amount of construction machinery, while a large force of workmen 
were retained. They conducted an extensive business but the partnership was 
dissolved by the death of C. F. Williams when he was forty-five years of age. 
The business was then carried on by J. H. L. Williams and his brother until 
1904, when the latter retired and John Williams, son of the former, took over 
his uncle's end of the business, which is still being carried on by father and son 
under the firm style of Williams & Son. The latter now has the field manage- 
ment, while Mr. Williams gives his attention to the matter of buying. 

Mr. Williams has always avoided political activity as an office seeker, for his 
business has never permitted his time being given to outside interests. He con- 
tinued upon the farm until March, 1916, when he sold his place, which was 
known as the Maple Grove Farm and which was pleasantly situated four miles 
west of Florence. He had purchased the property for seven dollars and fifteen 
cents per acre and sold it for two hundred dollars, owing to the rise in values 
brought about by the development of the county and also owing to the many 
splendid improvements he had placed upon his land. In addition to his other 
interests Mr. Williams removed three quarters of a million yards of earth at 
South Omaha for the stock yards and did a large share of the grading in 
Omaha. 

Mr. Williams is connected with the Fraternal Order of Eagles and the 
Modern Woodmen of America. In 1917 he and his wife expect to celebrate 
their golden wedding. They now have thirty-one grandchildren and three great- 
grandchildren, all born and living in Douglas county. Mr. Williams is every- 
where spoken of as a fine man with a most excellent family. His record is 
absolutely clean and commendable and his life history may well serve as a source 
of emulation to all who have regard for those things which are most worth 
while in the individual. Wherever known he is held in high esteem and most 
of all where he is best known. 



CHARLES W. BAKER. 



One of the best known consulting and hydroelectric engineers in this section 
of the country is Charles W. Baker of Omaha, the president of the Baker Con- 
struction Company. He was born in Sangamon county, Illinois, April 13, 1875, 
a son of I. N. and Sarah E. Baker, the former a native of Posey county, Indi- 
ana, and the latter of Sangamon county. Illinois, where she was educated and 
married. In 1879 the father removed with his family to Hall county, Nebraska, 
and the following year became a resident of Hamilton county, while later he 
established his home in Giltner, Nebraska. His last days were passed in New 
Plymouth, Idaho, where he died on the 21st of November, 1915. at the age of 
sixty-six years. His widow is still residing there at the age of sixty-five years. 
In their family were two sons, the elder being Harry O. Baker, who is now 
engaged in fruit raising at Payette, Idaho. 

During his boyhood days Charles W. Baker attended the public schools of 
Nebraska and pursued his college course at Grand Island. His eyesight, how- 
ever, became afl:'ected and he had to lay aside his books. He then took up 
music as a profession, possessing much natural talent in that direction, and he 
remained a teacher of music at Giltner, Nebraska, until 1894, when he became 
connected with a noted consulting engineer, under whom he secured actual 
experience in the field. He afterward \vent to Chicago. Illinois, where he ob- 
tained a position as conductor with the Chicago Street Railway Company, 



422 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

remaining there until 1902. That year witnessed his removal to Payette, Idaho, 
where he took up contracting and carpenter work and also taught music. He 
later became a resident of Pawnee, Nebraska, where for a year he was engaged 
in the lumber business and at the end of that time went to Des Moines, Iowa. 
Through careful study and research work and through close application he 
became well qualified to take up the profession of engineering and, removing 
to Omaha in 1909, he organized the Baker Construction Company, Incorporated. 
He became president of the company, with H. P. Buhman as vice president ; 
R. Kincaid, of Omaha, as secretary; and Peter Mangold, of Bennington, Ne- 
braska, as treasurer. They are doing business as civil and hydroelectric engi- 
neers and contractors. Their purpose is the generation of hydroelectric power 
for interurban and lighting service and the development of electric railways 
in interurban connections. He feels that the work of the company has just 
been begun, that it has scarcely more than started upon its initial step in the 
development of a business which has already proved most far-reaching and 
eitective, constituting a valuable asset in the development of the state. 

On the 20th of October, 1897, at Loami, Illinois, Mr. Baker was married 
to Miss Grace Greenwood Graham, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Graham, 
the former for many years postmaster at Loami. The two children born of 
this marriage are: Leah Alta, who was born at Giltner, March 22, 1900, and 
is now a junior in the high school of Omaha; and Roscoe, who was born in 
Payette, Idaho, July 26, 1903, and is now an eighth grade pupil in the Omaha 
schools. 

In politics Mr. Baker maintains an independent course, voting according to 
the dictates of his judgment. He is an active and helpful member of the Meth- 
odist Episcopal church, in which he is serving as chorister. He deserves all the 
praise implied in the term a self-made man, for he has worked his way upward 
through persistent effort, utilizing each offered opportunity and never fearing 
to venture where favorable chance points out the way. 



JOHN WEBSTER TOWLE. 

John Webster Towle well merits the reputation of being a farseeing public- 
spirited citizen who has operated boldly and continuously in business and by the 
stimulus of his exertions has aroused the enterprise of others, while through 
this means he has furnished remunerative employment to many while at the same 
time he has promoted his individual success. There are many tangible evidences 
of his public spirit that may be cited, but none indicates more clearly the position 
which he holds in public regard than the fact that into his hands was given the 
task of supervising all construction work done by the relief committee following 
the terrific cyclone which visited Omaha in 1913. 

Mr. Towle w^as born in Falls City, Richardson county, Nebraska, August 28, 
1872. His father, Edwin S. Towle, is a native of Mishawaka, Indiana, born of 
New England stock in 1843, and in the year 1862, when a youth of nineteen, he 
arrived in Nebraska, being married in Richardson county April 15, 1867, to Miss 
Kittie L. Dorrington. At the time of the Civil war Edwin S. Towle responded 
to the country's call for troops, enlisting in 1862 in Company L, Second Nebraska 
Volunteer Cavalry, of which he became first duty sergeant. He served until 
the latter part of 1863 and was honorably discharged for physical disability. 
His duty had called him to the Dakota frontier. Returning to Nebraska after 
being mustered out, he entered upon the practice of law and has not only left the 
impress of his individuality and ability upon the record of the Nebraska bar but 
also upon its legislative history. He was called to represent his district in the 
general assembly and during his second term's service, in 1875, w^as speaker of 
the house. His political allegiance is given to the republican party and he is 




JOHN W. TOWLE 



OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 425 

one of its recognized leaders in the state. Both he and his wife are yet residents 
of Falls City and ]\Ir. Towle is still a forceful factor in the community and in 
the commonwealth with which he has so long been connected. 

Spending his youthful days in his native city, John W. Towle attended the 
public schools until graduated from the high school and then went to Ithaca, New 
York, where he entered Cornell University, completing a course therein with the 
class of 1894. In 1897 he became a resident of Omaha and accepted the position 
of agent for the Canton (Ohio) Bridge Company, with which he remained for 
three years. In 1900 he embarked in business on his own account as a bridge 
engineer and contractor. In 1899 he organized the Nebraska Bridge Supply & 
Lumber Company, of which he became president, and, with the passing years his 
interests developed and expanded until he became one of the foremost repre- 
sentatives of industrial activity in this part of the state. He afterward organized 
the Western Bridge & Construction Company, which conducted an extensive 
business in bridge building throughout various western states. At length he 
retired from that connection and formed the Omaha Structural Steel Works, 
of which he is the president. This company now controls a large and growing 
business, figuring most prominently in industrial circles not only of Omaha but 
of the middle west. He has ever been recognized as a man of well balanced 
capacity and powers and upon the foundation of indefatigable energy, thorough- 
ness and persistency of purpose he has builded his success. He has long occupied 
a central place on the stage of business activity and his labors have found culmi- 
nation in the development and control of the Omaha Structural Steel Works, 
which is today a most important concern, being a contributing element to the 
substantial development and upbuilding of this entire part of the country. 

If there is one chapter in the life record of Mr. Towle for which he deserves 
credit more than any other, it is that which covers his work during the recon- 
struction period in Omaha following the "cyclone of 1913, which so largely 
devastated the city. Omaha faced the gigantic task of rebuilding the city which 
had been laid low. It was not the problem of the pioneer who comes to a district 
where there is vast land expanse with natural resources at his command, but the 
problem of caring for hundreds of homeless people, of directing energies so that 
business could be almost immediately resumed- and of meeting exigencies that 
have to do with almost every phase of life that bears upon the health and the 
welfare of a community. Mr. Towle was put in charge of all construction work 
done by the relief committee, amounting to seven hundred separate jobs. This 
appointment, while it brought upon him much strenuous labor, was as well an 
honor, showing how high is the regard in which he is held by his fellow towns- 
men and how great the confidence reposed in his ability. The promptness and 
efficiency with which he discharged his duties constitutes a record of which he 
has every reason to be proud. 

On the 3d of September, 1894, at Geneva, Illinois, Mr. Towle was married 
to Miss Naomi Frances Everts, a daughter of James S. Everts, now deceased. 
They have become the parents of two daughters. Marion Ruth and Naomi Everts, 
both graduates of Brownell Hall of Omaha and of Bradford Academy at Brad- 
ford, Massachusetts. 

The family hold membership in the First Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. 
Towle gives his political allegiance to the republican party, giving strong endorse- 
ment to its principles and putting forth every efi'ort to promote its success. In 
1912 he was a delegate to the republican national convention. He belongs to the 
Elks, the University, Country, Field, Rotary, Commercial, Athletic and Omaha 
clubs. His interest along those lines centers chiefly perhaps in the University 
Club and for three years he was a member of its board. At the present time he is 
serving as president of The Cornell University Alumni Association and as trus- 
tee of the First Methodist Episcopal church. Reading between the lines, one 
recognizes the fact that his interest and efforts have been centered and directed 
in those channels through which flow the greatest good to the greatest number, 



426 OMAHA AND DOUGLAS COUNTY 

and while he has never sought to figure personally before the public in any light 
or any relation, his intfuence is felt as a strong, steady, moving force in the 
industrial, social, political and moral movements of the community which result 
in the upbuilding of a better city and in the adoption of higher standards of 
citizenship. 



EDMUND GEORGE McGILTON. 

Edmund George McGilton, a distinguished attorney of Omaha and former 
lieutenant governor of the state, is a recognized leader of public thought and 
action in Nebraska, and it is moreover a recognized fact that in all of his public 
service he has held to high ideals, subordinating personal aggrandizement to 
the general welfare and partisanship to the public good. He was born in Eau 
Galle, Dunn county, Wisconsin, February lo, 1859, and comes of a family of 
Scotch-Irish ancestry. His paternal grandfather, Thomas McGilton, was born 
in the north of Ireland and throughout his life engaged in the operation of a 
grist mill. He emigrated to Canada and there on the 21st of December, 1825, 
ai Hemingford, John H. McGilton was born. After arriving at years of maturity 
he wedded Gratia Eleanor Burke and in the year 1854 they removed to Eau 
Galle, Wisconsin, where their remaining days were passed, the death of Mr. 
McGilton occurring February 5, 1910, while his wife passed away May 25, 1889. 

Pursumg his education in the public schools of Wisconsin, Edmund G. McGil- 
ton completed the high school course at Menomonie with the class of 1878 and 
afterward entered the University of Wisconsin, taking the modern classical 
course. He was graduated therefrom in 1883 and in the following year filled 
the position of superintendent of schools at Menomonie, but he had become 
imbued with the desire to make the practice of law his life work and in 1885 he 
completed a course in the law department of the State University and soon 
afterward became a representative of the legal department of the Wisconsin 
Central Railway Company. He also traveled for a few years in the northwest 
for the Northwestern Manufacturing Company but in January, 1888, succumbed 
to the allurements of Omaha and has since remained an active and distinguished 
member of its bar save for the period when his official duties kept him in Lincoln. 
He stands very high in his profession, being recognized as one of the ablest 
lawyers of the state, which is demonstrated