Compendium of history, reminiscence, and biography of Nebraska : containing a history of the state of Nebraska also a compendium of reminiscence and biography containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of Nebraska, Part 105

Author: Alden Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : Alden Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1402

USA > Nebraska > Compendium of history, reminiscence, and biography of Nebraska : containing a history of the state of Nebraska also a compendium of reminiscence and biography containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of Nebraska > Part 105

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

"Early in the spring of 1870, about a half dozen families settled on the bottom lands of the Niobrara river, in the vicinity of what is now Pishelville postoffice, and also on Verdegris creek. To one who has not experienced the hardships of pioneer life. it is impossible to explain the trials we underwent. Indian scares were numerous.

483

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

as the Indians were not all peaceable. On May 1, 1870, the news was brought in by a frightened settler that a band of Indians were on the war path and had killed a boy eight years old, his sis- ter, twelve years old, and wounded the mother. The settlers for miles around flocked to Niobrara with what household goods and effects they could carry, but in a short time the excitement died out and they returned to their homesteads. The In- dians were a constant menace to the peace of mind and happiness of the settlers. They were constantly committing depredations, and no set- tler felt safe. The Indians would kill or steal their live stock, and demand food or whatever they wanted. The Indians, however, were only a part of our troubles ; in 1874 and 1875 the grass- hoppers destroyed everything in the way of vege- tation. They were so dense as to shut out the sun, the air swarming with them, and when they settled down to the earth, shrubbery and small trees would be bent to the ground with their weight.

"In January, 1877, I took up a homestead claim, 'batching' it for twenty years; then I saw an opportunity to engage in mercantile life. I saw that it would accommodate my patrons to have a postoffice convenient, and arranged to have the postoffice established in my store. In July, 1902, I was appointed postmaster, my pre- decessor having resigned to move to Center. At that time the county seat of Knox county was moved to Center by popular vote of the people."

The experiences of Mr. Holecek would fill a volume in themselves, and many interesting stories and incidents he can relate in connection with pioneer life. He was one of the first super- visors of the county, and at the same time was manager of the Bohemian Anti-Hail Damage as- sociation, which had a membership of some two thousand, with forty lodges scattered over the state. He has also held other offices, such as as- sessor, township clerk, justice of the peace, etc.

Mr. Holecek firmly believes in the advice of Horace Greeley to "Go west young man and grow up with the country." When he came to Nebraska it was truly a wilderness, inhabited by Indians, buffalo and deer, and he has undergone hardships of every kind connected with pioneer life. He has seen the country in the same state that Lewis and Clark and DeSoto saw it, and he has helped develop it into a part of one of the greatest states in the Union.

Mr. Holecek is now living in Niobrara, hav- ing disposed of his business at Sparta, and he en- joys the confidence and good will of a large circle of friends and acquaintances in Knox county.

ANDREW JOHNSON.

For over forty years, Andrew Johnson has been a continnous resident of Staunton county, Nebraska, where he owns one of the most valu-

able estates in the county. He is well known throughout the northeastern part of Nebraska as one of the foremost farmers and stock raisers in the state, and after many years of hard labor in building up this business, is now prepared to en- joy the remaining years of his life in peace and comfort.

Mr. Johnson is a native of Sweden, and was born in 1865, the son of Andrew Johnson, senior, and Mary Hansen Johnson. In 1870, when our subscriber was only five years old, the parents came to America. They embarked on the steam- ship at Gottenburg for New York, and were four- teen days in making the trip. The father eame to Dodge county, Nebraska, first, in the spring of that year, and in the fall brought his family to Staunton county, where he filed on the homestead where our subseriber now lives.

A sod house was first put up here, to be fol- lowed later by other improvements as the times would permit. At first, the family met with many reverses. The first five years were almost total failures, as the grasshoppers took the crops eaeli year. To new settlers in a strange land, this was a misfortune of considerable magnitude, and it is a matter of conjecture to the people them- selves now, how they really did continue to ex- ist under such misfortunes. Many times they were compelled to fight prairie fires, sometimes a very closely contested battle with the flames, too' in order to save their homes from destruction. For some years most of the work was done by oxen. and they were used as a means of transit, also al- though hardly rapid transit as the phrase is now understood. Wisner was the nearest market place, and it took two days to go to town with a yoke of oxen, so slow were the beasts.

In 1883, Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Anna Norling, and of this union eight children have been born. They are named as follows: Alexandria, Anita, Ray, Silas, Lloyd, Harold, Bes- sie and Kenneth.

During their long residence in this county, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have made many friends and acquaintances, and have won the highest respect and esteem from all.

Bega post office was located in the house of Mr. Johnson's father twenty-one years, but the details of the business was managed by the junior Johnson, he later becoming the appointed post master, and he has always been identified with the community affairs.

WILLIAM FOSTERMAN.

William Fosterman, proprietor of one of the most valuable estates in Knox county. Nebraska, has been a resident of that locality for some thirty-nine years. Ile is prominently known throughout Knox county as one of the foremost farmers and stoekmen in the state of Nebraska ; and after many years of hard labor in building

484

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

up his business, is now prepared to enjoy the re- maining years of his life in peace and comfort, surrounded by a host of good friends and ac- quaintances. Mr. Fosterman resides in section twenty, township thirty-one, range six.

Mr. Fosterman is a native of Germany, his birth occurring in the province of Hanover, in the year 1854, where he received a part of his edu- cation.

In 1868 our subject, with his parents, came to the new world to seek their fortune in the land of plenty and golden opportunities. After land- ing in New York, they proceeded to Minnesota, where they located and remained for four years. Later, in 1872, they came to Knox county, Ne- braska, where the father took up a homestead. and also a tree claim, and on this land built a log house. Here the family experienced many hard- ships and privations through the many canses in- cident to those first days of settlement on the western frontier. During the first years of the family's residence in Knox county, the grasshop- pers destroyed the entire crops; and, later, the hot winds that prevailed during one season burned every stalk of crops that had been planted that year.

In 1878 Mr. Fosterman was united in mar- riage to Miss Houzuika, and Mr. and Mrs. Foster- man are the parents of seven children, namely : Emma, Rosa, Lillie, Clara, William, Mabel and Arthur. They are a fine family and enjoy the esteem and friendship of a wide circle of friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Fosterman, as before stated, is a promi- nent man in his community and is known for his many good qualities. He now owns nine hundred acres of fine land, all well improved, and has one of the largest and finest tracts of trees in this part of the county, having forty acres of fine grove and orchard trees.

MILTON W. MCCANDLESS.

Milton W. McCandless, now living retired from active life in Broken Bow, Nebraska, and honored as a veteran of the civil war, was one of the earlier settlers of Custer county. He was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania, June 28, 1841, the fifth born of the eleven children of James and Harriet (Mechling) MeCandless. Two of the children now live in Custer county, Milton of Broken Bow, and Eli P., of Merna, and two daughters live in Indiana. The father was born in Ireland and the mother in Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. He came to America with his parents in infancy and died in Indiana in 1894, and she died in that state in 1899.

At the age of sixteen years, Milton W. Me- Candless came with his parents to Indiana and lived there several years before his enlistment. which took place August 1, 1862, at Elizabeth. Indiana, when he became a member of Company

C, Sixty-sixth Indiana Infantry, in which he served to the close of the war. He won a good record and was discharged in Washington city, in June, 1865. He was with Sherman on the mem- orable march to the sea and participated in the grand review in the city of Washington in June, 1865. He took part in many important battles during the Atlanta campaign, besides many minor engagements. At the close of the war he re- turned to Indiana and engaged in farming in Har- rison county. On December 28, 1871, in Har- rison county, he was united in marriage with Mary A. Black, a native of Indiana.

In the spring of 1886, Mr. McCandless came with his wife and three children to Custer county, Nebraska, homesteading on one hundred and sixty acres of land on sections twenty-nine and thirty, township eighteen, range twenty-three, which has been the home place throughout the years that have since intervened. He has been very successful in his operations there and added to his possessions as he was able, and finally owning a splendidly equipped stock and grain farm, where in 1906 he erected a nice house. He was very helpful in organizing school district number one hundred and ninety-five and has served on its board most of the time since coming to the county. In 1910 he retired from farm life and moved to Broken Bow, where he pur- chased two and one-half acres of land inside the city limits, where the family now make their home. Mr. and Mrs. McCandless have three children : Robert A., married and living in Seneca, Nebraska, has one child; Grace, wife of F. O. Brown, of Berwyn, has two children; Maud A., wife of G. W. Troyer, living near Cal- laway, has four children.

Being one of Custer county's earlier settlers. Mr. MeCandless has passed through its various stages of development, from the days of pioneer existence to the present time. He has been closely identified with its upbuilding and progress and is one of the best known men in the county. His wife is a daughter of Robert and Matilda (Gun- terman) Black, the former a native of Ohio and the latter of Indiana. Mr. Black lives in Indiana, being now ninety-one years of age, and his wife died on the home place there in 1903.

GEORGE IRVINE.

George Irvine, who enjoys the distinction of being one of the first resident settlers of Howard county, has been a potent factor in the develop- ment of the agricultural resources of that lo- cality. He is known throughout the region as a prosperous and energetic farmer and thorough stockman, and owns a fine estate in Kelso pre- cinct.

George Irvine was born in Roxburyshire, Scotland, on December 21. 1848, and grew up in that country, coming to America in 1870. He is

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE IRVINE.

485

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

a brother of John and James Irvine, whose names appear in this volume at the head of a review of their lives, and his early residence in America was identically the same as theirs, his first loca- tion being in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

He came to Nebraska in 1871, his first stop- ping place being at Omaha, and from there be went to Columbus, remaining in that vicinity but a few days looking for a desirable location. Not finding anything that suited him he came on to Grand Island, and from there to Howard county. Here he spent a few days looking over the land, returned to Grand Island, and finally came back to Howard county during the latter part of March, making settlement on a tract situated on Oak Creek, April 6, 1871. James Bax- ter, also mentioned in this volume, Alex Lamb, and a brother, James Irvine, settled on adjoin- ing claims, and these were the first white set- tlers in the locality. They passed through all the incidents of early frontier life in Nebraska, and to these same men and others of their charac- ter, the state owes its success. Mr. Irvine's claim was situated on section twenty-four, township fourteen, range twelve, and this still remains his home place. He occupied for many years his original dwelling, which was the first erected in the vicinity, but several years since built a fine residence, and his family are among the popular members of society in their neighborhood. Mr. Irvine is owner of nine hundred acres of as fine land as one ever saw, and he is called one of the wealthiest men of his county.

Mr. Irvine was married on December 26, 1876. to Miss Sarah Elizabeth Kerr, who resided east of Farwell. Mr. and Mrs. Irvine were married by James Baxter, who is a brother-in-law of our subject, and for many years justice of the peace. Mr. Baxter also officiated at the weddings of Mr. Irvine's brothers, William and John.

The Kerrs are an old Howard county family, coming here in 1872 from Canada, both Mrs. Ir- vine's parents, Christopher and Sarah (Arm- strong) Kerr, now deceased. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Irvine, namely : James F., who married Sophia Mortensen, and lives in section seventeen of Fairdale precinct ; Nellie Jane, wife of Herman Kaiser, section thir- teen, Kelso precinct; Mary Della, Esther Mabel, wife of George Kosch, of section seven, Posen precinct ; John Robert, and Jennie Bell.

Mr. Irvine is a democrat in political views, and has for many years past taken an active part in the affairs of his county and state. Dur- ing 1891 to 1898 he was county commissioner of Iloward county, and for a number of years has been officially connected with the local precinct schools. Portraits of Mr. and Mrs. Irvine will be found on another page.

JAMES G. HUFFMAN.

Few men have had more vicissitudes, more ups and downs during their initiative career, than James G. Huffman.

His parents, John and Lockie Huffman, were natives of Kentucky, whence they migrated to Indiana and later to Boone county, Iowa, in the fifties, where James G., was born May 15, 1860. soon after which the mother died. The father was again married about 1863, to a Missouri woman, and the same year moved down into that state among his wife's people.

This being a locality of strong southern sym- pathy, Mr. Huffman's outspoken unionism made him an object of persecution by guerillas who in- fested the country. Two of his stepsons, he learned, were members of a band of "bush- whackers," as they were called. So great be- came the tension that his life was endangered. so he had to abandon his eighty-acre farm and flee in the night, taking with him only a part of his children. James G., then a lad of but seven, who was not home at the time, was left with the hope of going back for him later. However, all communication between them were broken, and for ten years the boy lived around among strangers, some of whom were unkind or even ernel to him.

In 1877, by corresponding with people whom he could remember in Boone county, he learned his father had migrated to York county, Ne- braska. He came out to this state and found that his parent and two sons had filed on a homestead twelve miles northwest from York.

Being too young to file on a homestead, Mr. Huffman secured farm labor for one year and then tried farming for himself two years in the vicinity of York. Filing on a homestead in Charles, Mix county, South Dakota, on going to take possession, he found a squatter on his land, and after three months, owing to the expense of long litigation, abandoned his claim and returned to Iowa and worked on farms in that county for a year, and then for a like period rented a farm there.

Coming a second time to York county, he was employed for a year breaking prairie and then again took up farming, hav- ing wisely married about this time in Iowa. For two years after his marriage, Mr. Huffman farmed in York county, when he sold and moved to Grand Island to take a six months' course in a business college, showing a determi- nation and ambition few men exhibit at his time of life. During his boyhood in Missouri, drudg- ery was his lot, none caring to give him enough of his time to attend school.

He was in Grand Island during the memor- able blizzard of January 12, 1888, and in the college at the time the storm broke. In making his way across an open square he became bewil- dered in the blinding whirl of snow, and ran

486

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

into a house, whose he did not know. Knocking, he was admitted, warmed, and was directed to the end of a grove of trees at the other end of which his home was situated; making his way from tree to tree he reached home without fur- ther mishap.

He next came to Verdigris, bought a lot, and with lumber brought from Creighton built a bakery, which, owing to a large foreign popu- lation, proved to be unprofitable. Mr. Huffman then rented his ovens and bakery, and, with his wife, secured work in a bakery at Pierce for a few months to get funds for a new start. In July, 1889, he formed a partnership with C. M. Hall, the leading merchant of Plainview, and built and opened the first bakery there. After the first baking of bread was out of the ovens, Mr. Huffman had only fifteen cents, but pros- perity came to him at once, the first month's profit being one hundred and fifty dollars.

For two years the business was carried on in partnership, when Mr. Huffman bought his part- ner's interest and for seven years conducted the business alone. He then sold his bakery and opened a store of general merchandise, but owing to hard times prevailing then, he was forced to sell, having in eighteen months sunk three thousand dollars. He next opened a shoe department in another store, in which he was fairly successful.

Selling the business a year later, together with his dwelling, he purchased a farm six miles south of Plainview, in 1899. Here he worked to such good advantage that in January, 1910, he rented his farm and moved to Plainview, where he and his helpmeet may take some ease in life after so long a period of struggle and toil. This farm he sold at seventy-two dollars and fifty cents per acre, cash, investing part of the pro- ceeds in a half-section near Rushville, Sheridan county. His meat market he traded for one hun- dred and sixty acres near Flagler, Colorado.

Mr. Huffman was married in Clarion, Iowa, October 13, 1885, to Miss Ida M. McIntire, a na- tive of Vermont, Michigan, born August 30, 1865; she is a daughter of William and Ruena (Striker) McIntire, both natives of New York. They moved to Wright county, Iowa, in 1876, where they died in February, 1891, within a week of each other.

Mr. and Mrs. Huffman have adopted two chil- dren: Elmer, born January 22, 1905; and Lela Margaret, born June 2, 1908.

Mr. Huffman is a republican, and is affil- iated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.

When he first came to the state there were still a few antelope, and he has seen a bear on the prairies around Verdigris, in the early days. He witnessed the last of the grasshopper raids while in York county, and, as before stated, passed through the blizzard of January 12, 1888. His experience in a prairie fire came near result- ing seriously. While driving into the country, in

the spring of 1883, a prairie fire came over a hill on to them suddenly, when they lived near Foster, Nebraska; starting a counter fire they followed it as rapidly as possible, but not before their wagon cover was scorched and the horses' tails and manes set afire. For a minute or two it seemed as if the end had come, but as soon as the fire reached their back-fire it was over as quickly as it came.

When Mr. Huffman first came to York, he might have bought a section of railroad land adjoining the town at five dollars per acre and had ten years in which to pay. The land is now worth hundreds of dollars per acre; but no one dreamed at that time that land in Nebraska would bring such a price. However, these are vain regrets, as we are all at fortune's beck and call. Although Mr. Huffman did not buy this valuable property when at a low figure, he is able to enjoy life more than in his earlier days; and contentment, peace and happiness are greater than all riches.

WILLIAM SORENSEN.

Among the prominent young business men of Dannebrog, who is widely and favorably known for his capability and progressiveness, we men- tion the name of William Sorensen. He is active in local affairs and enjoys the confidence and esteem of his fellowmen.

Mr. Sorensen was born of Danish parents in Howard county, Nebraska, on July 7, 1873, and received his early education in the district schools of his vicinity. Later he attended the Danish academy situated at Nysted, also the Western Normal college at Lincoln, remaining at the latter school for one year, returning to his home locality where he purchased eighty acres of land and begun farming and stock raising. This land was situated about one and a half miles northwest of the town Dannebrog, and he suc- ceeded in building up a good farm and comfort- able home, occupying the place up to 1904. At that time he moved to Dannebrog and engaged in the creamery business, which he has since carried on with great success.

On March 21, 1897, Mr. Sorensen was married to Anna M. Frank, of Hamilton county, Nebraska, the ceremony being performed in the Lutheran church at Nysted. Mrs. Sorensen was a young woman of many accomplishments, and has a large circle of friends throughout the locality, as for eight years prior to her marriage she was a teacher in the Howard county schools. To our subject and his charming wife five children have been born, named as follows: Ansgar L., Hor- tense S., Alma A., Ernest V., and Ralph R., all at home, and forming a most interesting family group. Mr. Sorensen's mother lives on the orig- inal homestead at Nysted at the present time.

487

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

DAVID KAY.

Among the early settlers of Nebraska is David Kay, who has lived in the state since April, 1872, and since 1881 has for most of the time occupied his homestead on section ten, township sixteen, range fifteen, of Sherman county. He was born in Girvan, Ayrshire, Scotland, July 3, 1848, youngest of six children in the family of Cathcart and Elizabeth (Me William) Kay, the former of whom died in 1848, three weeks before David's birth, and the mother died when he was but thirteen months old. He spent his early years with his maternal grandfather, and in youth received a practical college education and spent some time in studying along the lines of medicine and theology. The father was a school teacher in the town of Gir- van and was also ordained a minister of the Presbyterian church, though his prin- cipal work was in educational lines, in which he was a prominent worker.

When in his twenty-first year Mr. Kay left his native country and came to Canada, sailing from Glasgow, to Quebec in the "St. Patrick," an old sailing vessel converted into a steamer. They were carried out of their course and first saw land on the bleak coast of Labrador. In the last days of October, 1869, he came to Cass county, Illinois, where he joined relatives ; a year later he made a trip into northeastern Nebraska to take a look at the country, but returned to Illinois and soon afterwards made a visit to his home in Scotland. In June, 1871, he returned to Illinois and remained there until April, 1872, when he came to Nemaha county, Nebraska, and purchased a quarter section of land. He carried on farming there until 1881, when he came to Sherman county and secured the homestead which has since been his residence most of the time. He has developed and improved it and during all the years has been a farmer and stockman. He has substantial buildings and farming implements and is recognized as an ag- gressive and successful farmer, as well as a cit- izen of reliability and integrity. He taught sev- eral times in the district schools of Sherman county.

In politics Mr. Kay is independent of party lines; in the fall of 1895 he was elected county judge of Sherman county, being re-elected in the fall of 1897. He served two terms and went out of office January 1, 1900. In October, 1889, Mr. Kay published the Sherman County Citizen, in Loup City, which was democratic in politics, and in the spring of 1890 the paper was merged into an organ of the Farmers Alliance, which re- mained in the field until the election of that fall. After the time of the Richardson-Willard killing Mr. Kay was connected with the Northwestern, a weekly journal at Loup City. He has been prom- inent in the educational and political life and de- velopment of Sherman county and has been ac-

tively identified with the interests of his com- munity. He is widely known and has many friends, as well as the respect and esteem of all who have had dealings with him-in a social, business or other character. He is a mem- ber of the American Peace society and belongs to several educational societies that are national in their scope; is an honorary member of the Na- tional Conservation Association.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Compendium of history, reminiscence, and biography of Nebraska : containing a history of the state of Nebraska also a compendium of reminiscence and biography containing biographical sketches of hundreds of prominent old settlers and representative citizens of Nebraska, Part 105

Author: Alden Publishing Company Publication date: 1912 Publisher: Chicago : Alden Publishing Co. Number of Pages: 1402

Author: Alden Publishing Company
Publication date: 1912
Publisher: Chicago : Alden Publishing Co.
Number of Pages: 1402