A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska, Vol. I, Part 1

Author: Lewis Publishing Company, Chicago (Ill.)
Publication date: 1904
Publisher: Chicago ; New York : Lewis Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 614


USA > Nebraska > A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska, Vol. I > Part 1


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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40



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


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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


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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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