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Gc 978.2 B51 v.1 1271402
M. K
GENEALOGY COLLECTION
ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY 3 1833 01065 6962
A Biographical and Genealogical History OF
Southeastern
Nebraska
EMBELLISHED WITH PORTRAITS OF MANY WELL KNOWN PEOPLE OF THIS SECTION OF THE GREAT WEST. WHO HAVE BEEN AND ARE PROMINENT IN ITS HISTORY AND DEVELOPMENT
VOL. I
ILLUSTRATED
CHICAGO NEW YORK
THE LEWIS PUBLISHING COMPANY
1904
Lexder =60.00 5-6-64
Preface. 1271402
Out of the depths of his mature wisdom Carlyle wrote, "History is the essence of innumerable biographies." Believing this to be the fact, there is no necessity of advancing any further reason for the com- pilation of such a work as this, if reliable history is to be the ultimate object.
Southeastern Nebraska has sustained within its confines men who have been prominent in public affairs and great industrial enterprises for half a century. The annals teem with the records of strong and noble manhood, and, as Sumner has said, "the true grandeur of nations is in those qualities which constitute the greatness of the individual." The final causes which shape the fortunes of individuals and the des- tinies of States are often the same. They are usually remote and obscure, and their influence scarcely perceived until manifestly declared by results. That nation is the greatest which produces the greatest and most manly men and faithful women; and the intrinsic safety of a community depends not so much upon methods as upon that normal development from the deep resources of which proceeds all that is precious and per- manent in life. But such a result may not consciously be contemplated by the actors in the great social drama. Pursuing each his personal good by exalted means, they work out national destiny as a logical result.
The elements of success in life consist in both innate capacity and
iv
PREFACE.
determination to excel. Where either is wanting, failure is almost cer- tain in the outcome. The study of a successful life, therefore, serves both as a source of information and as a stimulus and encouragement to those who have the capacity. As an important lesson in this con- nection we may appropriately quote Longfellow, who said: "We judge ourselves by what we feel capable of doing, while we judge others by what they have already done." A faithful personal history is an illus- tration of the truth of his observation.
In this biographical history the editorial staff, as well as the pub- lishers, have fully realized the magnitude of the task. In the collection of the material there has been a constant aim to discriminate carefully in regard to the selection of subjects. Those who have been prominent factors in the public, social and industial development of the country have been given due recognition as far as it has been possible to secure the requisite data. Names worthy of perpetuation here, it is true, have in several instances been omitted, either on account of the apathy of those concerned or the inability of the compilers to secure the informa- tion necessary for a symmetrical sketch; but even more pains have been taken to secure accuracy than were promised in the prospectus. Works of this nature, therefore, are more reliable and complete than are the "standard" histories of a country.
THE PUBLISHERS.
Index.
Achenbach, Lewis
402
Caley, Lewis 861
Akin, Almon M.
595
Callen, Harvey J. 208
Aldrich, Benton
353
Callison, Jesse B. 977
Allpress, Henry A.
808
Camp, Chester R. 116
Allvord, William H.
52
Carey, Peter 97
Andrews, A. D.
269
Carmony, Frank A.
193
Armstrong, George B.
100
Carmony, John W.
567
Ashenfelter, J. W
239
Carpenter, Jonathan 471
Aumiller, John
507
Carr, Preston W. 106.1
Castor, Bernard L.
772
Axtell, Daniel 685
Bacon, Caleb M. 681
Chase, Lumon 761
Bailey, Benjamin H.
515
Chubbuck, Carlton K 530
Baker, Luther S.
569
Clapp, Robert A. 605
Baker, William H.
444
Clark, Mrs. Mary E. 312
Barclay, Andrew 1). 904
Clark, William A 195
Clark, William L 495
Barnes, C. D.
539
Barnhart, John W
129
Cole, Sanford D .. 425
Collins, Andrew G. 650
Belding, G. T.
66
Colman, Allen 8.47
Bell, Alexander
805
Confer, Daniel 153
Bell, James T. .
806
Conner, Monroe T 187
Bennett, Robert D
284
Copeland, Thomas 49
Cornell, John F. 256
Coulter, Robert 803
Cowel, James 108
943
Blessing, Clayton E.
44
Cramb, E. M.
541
Borst, Alanson M.
479
Crane, William H. 560
Bower, Henry T.
693
Cravens, Joseph M. 383
201
Boyd, Robert C.
42
Crinklaw, Robert 552
Brandow, William 499
Crook, Jesse 474
Brandt, John H. 975
Croop, Morton O.
1052
Bridges, Henry C. 878
Crow, George
306
Brown, Harvey A. 521
Brown, Jefferson D. 388
Cussins, James
421
Brown, J. P. 666
Brown, M. M. 880
Dalbey, J. Lee 294
Darnell, George 856
Bush, Walter D. 291
Darr, Francis D. 818
Butler, Chatfield H. 873
Davidson, S. P. 536
Davies, John 267
Caldwell, Samuel L. 37 Davis, Daniel D. 160
Chaffin, Shadrach M. 22.1
Chaney, William R 87
Barnes, Casner 112
Coatney, John H 185
Binger, Henry 769
Black, Toliver P 672
Blandin, John F.
784
Cowperthwait, S. J.
Boyd, Edward M.
854
Creuz, Charles
Cussins, Jackson, 424
Burress, James M. 248
Carmichael, John 894
Ammerman, U. S. 629
Avery, W. H. 680
Beeler, J. A. 1063
Bill, Edwin J. 695
INDEX.
Davis, Nathaniel E.
600
Gilliland, Josialı 163
Day, E. H.
663
Gilmore, Andrew H. I45
Day, Harry A. 963
Gilmore, Robert G. . 40
Dean, Lewis H. 281
Gilmore, William M. 584
Deffer, Augustus 787
Given, H. A. 428
DeKalb, Thomas J.
668
Glasgow, Sterling P. 955
Deubler, Conrad
513
Goin, James K. 458
1029
Diller, Jacob K.
587
Goldner, William
422
Diller, W. H.
631
Goodman, Daniel 123
Doane College
832
Graff, Gus 456
968
Dooley, Samuel B.
183
Dort, Edward H.
63
Grimes, Joscph W. 857
Dorrington, William E.
418
Green, Francis 626
Downey, W. F.
641
Greenwood, H. A. 870
Grout, Arnold W. 906
Doyle, James E.
80
Druery, Jonas
325
Hacker, Charles R. 78
I
Dustin, George T.
25
Hageman, Gaddis P. 798
Haggard, George T. 638
Hahn, Frederick J. 524
Hahn, Mrs. Catherine 526
Easley, Stephen R.
919
Eckhardt, August
210
Edgar, W. H.
871
Harmon, Henry
IO
Edgerton, William 8 16
Harris, G. A. .
973
Ellis, William A. 1016
Hassler, Fred. S.
274
Engel, J. Louis
8g
Hastings, George H.
728
Enlow, (
410
Hawley, William H.
518
Enoch, Absalom M. 1.49
Hazard, Ashbel P. 68
490
Helvey, Henry W. 675
Fairall, Truman E. 538
Fall, C. P.
903
Fallstead, George H.
390
Feather, Peter W. 1034
Hepperlen, H. M.
266
Forney, Joseph 1041
Heskett, John W. 264
Fowler, Charles L. .554
Hibbert, Thomas E.
.1074
Frankforter, David 763
Frankforter, Noah 766
Frederick, John 76
Freel, Oliver
901
Friday, John H.
550
Frieze, John I.
IO44
Fritz, L. R.
Holtgrewe, John F. 511
Iloover, Mrs. Harriet 74
Hoover, Harry G. 296
Horney, Joseph M. 742
Hosford, James W. 358
Hossack, John 378
Houck, James 654
Houseman, Harry 814
Gallant, William 653
Howe, Seymour 896
Gardner, I. S. 697
Huffman, Elisha 376
Gillespie, P. L. 431
Hughes, Amos T. D. 958
941
Hockman, Noah
726
Holbrook, Stephen F.
1057
Holroyd, William
2II
Fry, Isaac M. 447
914
Fuller, Mrs. Sarah E.
103
Fulton, Wesley M.
35 I
Furnas, Robert W.
2
Gaede, William 22
Gage, Edward D. and Family 983
Helvey, Jasper
574
Hensel, Clande P. 807
Hickman, Isaac N. Hildebrand, Arthur E.
399
741
Hileman, Milton
Hamersham, James 1031
Harden, Charles
349
Dodge, Seth W.
603
Graves, Albion,
Griffin, E. P. 836
Downs, Mrs. Catherine 429
Dundas, John H.
82
Haddan, John
Dye, George E.
Easley, Drury T. 367
Erisman, Henry B.
IQI
Heilman, W. L.
Helvey, Hiram P. 1053
Diller, Andrew 825
Goin, Phillip
vii
INDEX.
Hummel, Wesley G. 231
Louderback, Mills 610
Humphreys, Thomas W. 502
Lowery, W. B. 883
Hurlburt, M. C. 885
Lum, George 243
Hurst, Charles B. 220
Lutgen, Sidney B.
545
Hutchinson, Oswin S. 927
Lyford, Victor G. 737
Huyck, Isaac 488
Lynch, John H.
.1050
Isaac, Swen A. 261
Jacobs, William 746
James, P. H. 54
Jeffrey, J. O. 862
Jelinek, Joseph, Jr.
Jenkins, Philip
226
Johnson, James 72.4
Johnson, Porter C.
531
Jones, Benjamin I.
320
Maxwell, Mrs. Ann 309
Maxwell, Jackson 464
Jones, William W. 37.2
McAdams, Robert T. 1008
Jump, John D. 1035
Karten, Frank . 709
Kauffman, William 31. 1.41
Kechely, Mechior
Keedy, Thomas J. 57
Kennedy, George L. 435
Kennedy, Stephen W. 436
Kimball, F. E. 362
King, Jolın P. 302
Kinney, Samuel A.
364
Mc Mullen, Adam 869
McNickle, A. B. 416
McNown, Frank L. 254
Mead, Giles H. 792
Lake, D. B.
293
Lambert, John E. 126
Langley, Moses 533
Lapp, Henry C. 400
Millar, Appollas H. 375
Lawrence, Abraham L. 68
Miller, Franklin 907
Miller, John 92.1
Miller, Theodore H. 730
Leeper, Albert C. 213
Moffitt, Andrew 888
Moles, James S. 581
Lescher, Joseph 405
Moore, Jacob W. 385
Lewis, George B. 343
Moore, Thomas 797
Lewis, John B. 314
Morris, Lewis H .. 369
Lightbody, Isaac 677
Moses, Ebenezer 852
Lilly, Guilford 13.8
Muff, Mrs. Catharinc 703
Lilly, Wilson S. 866
Muir, Robert V. 315
Little, George F.
9.45
Mutz, Albert B.
51
Littrell, Dan L. 565
Loch, O. H. 287
194
Nelson, Ross W. 366
London, John 547
Nider, John 951
Loofbourrow, Abner R. I3I
Majors, Thomas J. 201
Manley, Abram F. 47.3
Marlatt, Jeremiah 158
Marrs, Frank L.
.10.42
Marshall, Thomas C.
. 1047
Martin, Everard 812
Massey, T. E. 491
Masters, Joseph D. 618
. Mather, Daniel 1023
Maust, Elias A. 4II
Johnston, William J. 701
Maxwell, Edward J. 311
Jones, Joel T. 965
McBride, Daniel L. 478
McCandlass, A. D. 824
McComas, Edward MI. 439
McComas, Mortimer M. 413
McDowell, Joseph B. 542
McElhose, Robert
392
McGuire, James A. 432
McIninch, William H.
93
Mckibben, J. W. 346
Mckinney, Alfred 1017
Kirk, Mrs. Laura D. 1013
Koeppel, Albert 215
Meader, Cyrus C. 276
Meliza, Michael 233
Meyers, Henry S. 406
Lawrence, John A. 482
Leedom, Conoway 921
Legate, Elward K. .418
Mutz, Austin C. 15
Lohr, William H.
Nutzman. Louis J. 506
Lore, George L. S Nye, C. F. 34
viii
INDEX.
Ogle, Joseph 180
Shannon, Greenville G. 459
Ord, Clarence E.
170
Shaw, James I. 341
Ottens, Bernard
178
Shepherd, Alexander 841
Overman, James H.
270
Shepstall, Daniel 838
Ozman, William L.
781
Shepstall, George W. 839
Shepstall, Nathaniel I. 8.40
Pace, James W. 409
Sherwood, David A. .953
Page, Alfred, 228
Shook, John H. 17
Palmer, John
251
Showalter, Benjamin F. 497
Palmer, Phillip
252
Shubert, Henry W. 1065
Parker, Fred
175
Shubert, John D. 297
717
Parriott, William C.
59
135
Peabody, Valentine P.
Skeen, Thomas B.
29
Percival, Judson
929
Skinner, John B.
643
Perry, David P. 828
Sloan, W. T.
301
Perry, James K. 937
Pettit, Samuel
980
Smith, Albert F.
891
Phillips, W. H. 859
Smitlı, George Y.
577
Pickrell, William
899
Pittman, Joseph K.
IIO
Pittenger, Reuben S.
930
Place, George M. 1059
Snyder, Anthony W.
300
Poc, Thomas B. 1025
Pohlman, John H.
118
Porterfield, James N.
381
Prouty, Francis L.
1019
Pyle, George W.
1027
Randall, Myron G. 85
Randall, Orlando T. 874
Raynor, James
426
Reed, Francis B.
527
Reed, Harrison
462
Reid, D. J.
492
Retchless, William
467
Richards, W. H.
21
Riddle, W. M.
633
Taylor, J. S. 558
Taylor, William M.
241
Robinson, Edward
571
Rodebaugh, Daniel F.
Thacker, Levi
336
Roe, Joseph E. 849
Thompson, Isaac N.
591
Rogers, Edwin J.
623
Rogers, George A.
621
Tigard, Samuel 720
Tout, John M. 863
Towne, Reuben J. 1049
1055
Trimmer, Thaddeus 699
Tucker, Edward J. 172
Turner, Robert T. 1045
Twedell, Simon 493
198
Scott, Henry A. 165
278
Upton, David
753
Shade, Daniel A.
1060
Shafer, Michael
288
Vance, George C. 597
658
Stainbrook, W. B.
661
Starr, Joseph W.
932
Starr, Peter D. 748
Stephenson, James A. 70
Stewart, Washington 636
Stewart, Charles F. 8
Stockman, Thomas J. 152
Stowell, William H. 91
Sullivan, Michael 715
Sykes, Jasper M. 876
Riesenberg, Frank W.
155
Teale, Joseph 721
Rogge, J. H. F.
946
Rohmeyer, Louis H.
Root, Mrs. Emeretta Rounds, Lorin 61
961
Tramblie, Julius
Rubelman, George J.
537
Sanders, William W. 450
Schoonover, Hiram
469
Tynon, William
Scott, Robert T.
799
Shufeldt, H. W.
Skeen, Benjamin T.
Slocum, Samuel E. 395
Smith, Mrs. Eliza C .. 245
Smith, William 949
Smith, William W. 453
Snyder, Edward W. 48.4
Snyder, James A. 651
Spirk, John F. 776
Stainbrook, Marcus
Tidball, John L. 909
Reed, Enos H.
328
Parks, Robert B.
ix
INDEX.
VanDeventer, Morgan H.
332
Wetmore, H. J. 446
Van Valkenburg, Dudley
347
Wey, Charles A. 1.43
Vertrees, Samtiel D.
1032
Wheeler, Theodore M. 779
Viette, William
1037
Whitaker Brothers
734
Vilda, Wencil 751
White, William
28
Vollbehr, John
936
Whitfield, Needham B.
845
Whitlow, Peter
Waldter, Louis
796
Whitney, William L.
6.46
Walker, Benjamin
615
Wilkie, David
338
Walker, W. H.
238
Williams, James A.
10.10
Ward, George E.
972
Willoughby, Winfield S.
612
Ward, H. L.
971
Wilson, Joseph D.
759
Ward, John A.
280
Wilson, Walter H.
923
Watson, Henrick L.
125
Wilson, W. P.
974
Watson, William,
218
Winter, F. W.
1039
Welch, Henry C.
756
Wirick, John
504
Wells, Horace M.
711
Wirth, Lewis P.
433
Welton, Charles M.
322
Woodman, John H.
820
Welsh, John B.
606
Wright, W. W.
397
Wendorff, Ferdinand
790
Weston, William
864
Zook, Abrahanı
236
BIOGRAPHICAL HISTORY.
JOHN C. HADDAN.
John C. Haddan, of Wymore, Gage county, Nebraska, one of the leading residents of that locality and a prominent veteran of the Civil war, has lived in Nebraska for thirty-two years and in this county for nineteen years.
His enlistment took place at Putnam, Putnam county, Indiana, in August, 1861, in Company I, Twenty-seventh Indiana Volunteer In- fantry, Colonel Silas Colgrove in command. After a long and exciting term of service he was honorably discharged in February, 1863, and returned home. During his service at one time it was supposed he was taken prisoner, but he escaped as he was at that time guarding a train of supplies. He was in the battles of Winchester, Virginia, Straws- burg, Virginia, Banks' retreat in the Shenandoah Valley, Cedar Moun- tain, second battle of Bull Run.
John C. Haddan was born in Putnam county, Indiana, not far from Putnamville, July 15, 1840, the year William H. Harrison was elected president. He was a son of Isaac Haddan and Mary (Wilson) Haddan, the former of whom died in Page county, Iowa, at the age of sixty-five years, while the mother, who was born in 1808, died aged eighty-six years. These worthy people had eight sons and three daugh- ters.
Mr. Haddan is a grandson of John Haddan, a native of Virginia,
1
2
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.
born and reared a farmer. John moved to Kentucky with his parents when a young man and they settled in Owen county. John Haddan fought under General Harrison at the battle of Tippecanoe. After that war he moved from Kentucky to Putnam county, Indiana, where he died aged one hundred years. He had two brothers, William and Robert, and they all served in the war under General Harrison. Robert was one of General Harrison's aides. John C. Haddan resided in Iowa for some years after having come to that state with his parents, and in 1872 he removed to Nebraska. While still residing in Iowa, he was married to Mary I. Wymore, a daughter of Robert and Elizabeth (Mc- Mann) Wymore. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Wymore were: Abram E., who served in the Fortieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry, died at Helena, Arkansas : Mathew, who died while a member of the Fortieth Indiana Volunteer Infantry; James H., of the same regiment.
Working steadily to gain a comfortable home for himself and family Mr. Haddan is now the owner of four houses and lots and his home place is surrounded by four acres of ground. His house is a pleasant five-room cottage, comfortably furnished. In politics he is a Republican, and he is past commander of Coleman Post No. 115, G. A. R. Mrs. Haddan is a member of the Christian Science Club. Both Mr. and Mrs. Haddan are well and favorably known throughout the entire community.
EX-GOVERNOR ROBERT W. FURNAS.
Robert Wilkinson Furnas was born on a farm near Troy, Miami county, Ohio, May 5, 1824, being a son of William and Martha (Jen- kins) Furnas, both natives of Newberry, South Carolina, where the father was born in 1804 and the latter in 1800. In the paternal line the
3
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASK.A.
family is traced back to the great-grandfather of our subject, John Furnas, who was born at Standing Stone, Cumberland, England, March 5, 1736, while his son, Thomas Wilkinson, the grandfather of Robert WV., was born at Bush River, South Carolina, March 23, 1768. Both the paternal and maternal ancestors were Friends or Quakers. William and Martha Furnas died of cholera within a few days of each other, at Troy, Ohio, in the year 1832. In their family were three children, the twin brother of Robert W. dying in infancy, and the daughter, Mary Elizabeth, died at the age of eighteen years.
Robert Wilkinson Furnas was reared in the home of his grand- father Furnas until twelve years of age, receiving but limited educational advantages in his youth, and his school days were limited to about twelve months. For two years, from the age of twelve to fourteen years, he served as "chore boy" in the general store of Singer & Brown, of Troy, Ohio. At the age of fourteen years he was apprenticed to the tinsmith's trade, in which he served for four years, and then served a four years' apprenticeship to Rich C. Langdon, of the Licking Valley Register, Covington, Kentucky, there learning in detail the art of printing. After the expiration of his term of apprenticeship he, with A. G. Sparhawk, for some years conducted a book and job printing house in Cincinnati, Ohio, during which time he was also the publisher of several periodicals. Returning to his native county of Troy in 1846, he there purchased and published The Times at the county seat, but after a number of years thus spent he retired from the newspaper business and engaged in the clock, watch, jewelry and notion trade in the same town, also serving as the village clerk and deputy postmaster. On the completion of the Dayton & Michigan Railroad to Troy. he entered the employ of that company as railroad and express agent and conductor.
In March, 1856, Mr. Furnas came to Brownville, Nebraska, bring-
4
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.
ing with him a printing press and outfit and again ventured into the journalistic field. He established, published and edited the Nebraska Advertiser, which is still published in Nemaha county, and in 1868 published and edited the Nebraska Farmer, that being the first agri- cultural paper edited in Nebraska. In the same fall in which he came to the state he was elected to the council branch of the territorial legisla- ture, serving four consecutive years, and was elected by that body the public printer, printing the laws and journals of the fourth session of the legislature. During his first session he was the author of the first com- mon school law for Nebraska, also the law creating the territorial, now state, board of agriculture. During his term as a legislator he intro- duced and secured the passage of many acts of both local and general im- portance. naver having failed in securing the passage of a bill when introduced. He was conspicuous in the passage of an act declaring against holding slaves in Nebraska.
At the breaking out of the war between the states Mr. Furnas was commissioned by the then acting governor J. Sterling Morton, colonel of the territorial militia and was afterward commissioned, by acting governor A. S. Paddock, brigadier general in the same service for the district south of the Platte river. Without solicitation on his part he was appointed and commissioned by President Lincoln, March 22, 1862, colonel in the regular army, being mustered into the service by Lieu- tenant C. S. Bowman, of Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, May 22, 1862, and under this commission organized three Indian regiments from the Indian Nation, composed of Creeks, Seminoles, Choctaws, Chickasaws and Cherokee Indians, commanding the brigade. In this campaign Colonel Furnas had with him as members of his staff and Indian advisers the two noted Seminole chiefs, Opotholoholo, then said to be over one hun- dred years old, and Billy Bow Legs. These two Indian leaders, it will
5
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.
be remembered, were conspicuous characters in the Florida-Seminole war of 1838. While in this service Colonel Furnas captured the cele- brated Cherokee Indian chief, John Ross, and family, sending them to Washington, D. C., for conference with the president of the United States. This terminated the trouble in the Indian nation. With these Indians he fought several successful battles against white confederate soldiers on the border of the Missouri and in the Indian territory. Colonel Furnas was detailed from this service with a special commission from the noted "Jim Lane" to recruit in Nebraska, recruiting largely the Second Nebraska Cavalry. He entered that service as a private, but was later commissioned captain of Company E, and when the regiment was completed was by Governor Alvin Saunders commissioned colonel of the same and served under General Sully in his northern Indian expedi- tion against the Sioux and other hostile Indians north. near British pos- sessions. The Second Nebraska Cavalry successfully fought the battle of White Stone Hill against a treble number of the Sioux Indians.
After the expiration of his term of service Colonel Furnas was hon- orably discharged, and soon afterward, without his knowledge, was ap- pointed by President Lincoln agent for the Omaha Indians in northern Nebraska, serving nearly four years, during which time he also had charge of the Winnebago and Ponca Indian tribes. During his term as Indian agent. from a condition of annual support by the general govern- ment, he elevated the Omaha Indians agriculturally to the production and sale of forthy thousand bushels of surplus corn in one year. Through his efforts the mission school increased from thirty-five to one hundred and forty-five pupils. For political disloyalty to "Andy" Johnson he was removed by him, he having succeeded Lincoln after his assassin- ation. Returning to Brownville. . Mr. Furnas engaged again in the newspaper business and later turned his attention to farming in Nemaha
6
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.
county. Politically he was an old-line Whig and afterward a Republi- can, and in 1872 he was elected the governor of Nebraska. After his term of service expired he returned to Brownville, where he has ever since been engaged in farming and fruit and forest-tree growing. Since coming to this state he has also held numerous other official positions, as follows : president and secretary of the state board of agriculture, president and secretary of the state horticultural society, president of the state horticultural society, president of the Nebraska soldiers' union, vice president of the American Pomological Society, president of inter- national fairs and expositions, president of the American Fair Associa- tion, president of the first trans-Mississippi irrigation convention at Den- ver, Colorado, in 1879, a delegate to the convention at Topeka, Kansas, in 1857, to form a new territory composed of land between the mouth of the Kaw and Platte rivers, United States commissioner to Phila- delphia centennial, the New Orleans cotton centennial, Chicago Colum- bian exposition and special commissioner of the international exposi- tion at London, England. For two years Mr. Furnas was special agent for the United States pension bureau, and was a member of the first board of regents of the University of Nebraska, a portion of the time being president of the board. He was also special agent of the United States department of agriculture to investigate the agricultural needs of California, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico, also to obtain forestry data for territory between the Mississippi river and the Pacific coast, and special agent to obtain national data for the United States treasury department. He was a delegate to the national convention which first nominated General Grant for president, and was a member of the committee on resolutions.
While a resident of Cincinnati, Ohio, on the 29th of October, 1845, Mr. Furnas was married to Miss Mary E. McComas, and eight children
7
SOUTHEASTERN NEBRASKA.
were born to them, six sons and two daughters, as follows: William Edward, who was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, October 13, 1846, served as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war, and died in a hos- pital at Omaha, Nebraska, December 16, 1862; Filmore Taylor, born in Troy, Ohio, October 29, 1848, died in Brownville, Nebraska, April 21, 1864; Arthur W. was born in Troy, Ohio, June 30, 1850; George Gilbert was born in that city on the 25th of May, 1852, and married Charlotte Judkins, at Brownville, September 25, 1873; John Somerville Inskip, who was born in Troy, Ohio, February 6, 1855, married Martha Cook in California, May 14, 1889; Mollie, who was born in Brownville, June 25, 1857, was married in this city June 16, 1880, to William J. Weber; Celia Hensley was born in this city June 29, 1860, was here married, June 5, 1895, to Edward E. Lowman; and Robert, who was born in Brownville August 29, 1862, died in the Omaha Indian reserva- tion on the 16th of May, 1864. Mr. and Mrs. Furnas have a unique volume entitled "The Golden Anniversary of Robert W. Furnas and Mary E. Furnas," dated Brownville, Nebraska, 1895, contains one hun- dred and seventeen pages and is filled with reminiscences and congratula- tory letters from their many friends. This volume is dedicated to their . children. Mr. Furnas is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the military order of the Loyal Legion of the United States. He has filled all the grand chairs in the Masonic bodies of the state, also in the order of Odd Fellows in Nebraska and served as representative to the grand lodge of the United States. In religion he was born a Quaker, but when nineteen years old identified himself with the Methodist church, and after coming to Nebraska connected himself with the Presbyterian church, of which he is yet a member.
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