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 114

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 114

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In 1900 Mr. Tichy was united in marriage to Miss Mary Liski, and Mr. and Mrs. Tichy are the parents of three fine children, namely : Eddie, Vlasty and William.

Mr. Tichy owns a fine estate of five hundred and sixty acres, of which thirty acres are given to trees.

ERIC NORLING.

One of the most progressive and prosperous farmers and stockmen of the northeastern sec- tion of Nebraska, is the above-named gentleman. who has been a resident of this locality for many years. He is proprietor of one of the most valuable estates in Stanton county, and after many years of hard labor in building up his busi- ness, is now prepared to enjoy the remaining years of his life in peace and comfort, surrounded by a host of good friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Norling is a native of the north of Sweden, and was born in 1862, to Erie and Anna Norling. The father was a small farmer, and the subseriber spent his early years on the little farm, receiving his edueation in the schools of his native land.

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In 1880, the subscriber, with his parents, left Sweden for America, coming at once to Stanton county, Nebraska, where they took up the home- stead which is now occupied by Mr. Norling. The first thing to be done upon gaining posses- sion of their claim was to put up a dugout twelve by twelve, which served as a home for the family for ten years. At this time, a good substantial frame house took its place.

The first years in this country were not mo- notonous in any way. During the summer, they had the prairie fires to contend with, and in the winter, there were disastrous blizzards which made traveling, even for a few feet away from the house extremely dangerous.

In 1886, Mr. Norling was united in marriage to Miss Carrie Hendrickson. Seven children have been born to bless their home, named as follows: Amy, Hattie, Ida, Leonard, Elfy, Pearl and Kermitt.

Mr. Norling has always taken a keen interest in all that affeeted the interests of his new conn- try. The family is prominent in social and edu- cational matters, and they are well esteemed by all who know them. Mr. Norling is a director of his school district, and is one of the select men of the county.

JUSTUS BUTTERFIELD.

Located very pleasantly in section thirty-five, township .thirty, range eight, is to be found one of the well known and highly esteemed old set- tlers of northeastern Nebraska. This gentleman is Mr. Justus Butterfield, and he has been closely identified with the history of Knox county from a very early date, having come here when the country was very sparsely settled, and he well re- members when the plains abounded with wild game, and Indians were frequently seen in hands near their settlements.

Mr. Butterfield is a native of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, and was born October 2, 1850. His father was born in New York, and his mother was a native of the same state. Our subject's boy- hood was spent in his native state until he was about eight years old. He then came with his parents to Buchanan county, lowa, where he fol- lowed farming as an occupation until he was twenty-four years old, at which time he came west, driving through from Buchanan county, Iowa, to Knox county, Nebraska, where he filed on a homestead in 1874. His first work was to build a house of rocks, in which he lived for sev- eral years.

During his early residence in Nebraska, Mr. Butterfield and his family went through their share of the hardships which met every pioneer on the frontier, experiencing failures of crops, grasshopper raids, severe storms, etc .; but they had the courage to endure, and in the years of plenty that followed those times, have managed

to accumulate a fine property and establish a per- manent home. His holdings consist of two hun- dred and eighty-eight acres of land, every part of it under good improvement, except eight acres of timber.

Mr. Butterfield was united in marriage in Oc- tober, 1877, in Knox county, to Miss Queiney Canning, a native of Wisconsin, who came to Ne- braska with her parents, William and Mariette Canning, in 1874. To them have come eleven children, named as follows: Henry, Hiley, Laur- ence, Eva, Elmer, Willard, Marvel, Merle, Clar- ence, Mabel and Claude. Merle, Mabel and Claude are now deceased, all having died from diphtheria and membraneous croup in October, 1910. Mrs. Butterfield died May 2, 1906.

RICHARD R. MARTIN.

Richard R. Martin, a prosperous and public- spirited citizen of Custer county, is a self-made man and one who has many friends. He is an early settler of the state and has passed through many stages of its history. In years past he spent considerable time in helping to locate home- steaders on government land, for which work he was well fitted by training and experience. In his youth he hunted and trapped through the west and many times acted as guide to parties desiring to hunt buffalo. For the past few years he has devoted much attention to real estate, dealing chiefly in land in Texas and Old Mexico.

Mr. Martin was born in Dodge county, Wis- consin, January 1, 1854, next to the youngest of the eight children of Noah and Hannah (Prest) Martin, the father a native of New York state and the mother of Pennsylvania. His three brothers, Jerry, John and Asa, and also two sisters. Mrs. Ordelia Dimery and Mrs. Caroline Tidyman, live in Seward county, Nebraska, and another sister, Mrs. Hattie Conway, lives in York, Nebraska.

Mr. Martin's father was of Irish descent. He served in the civil war as a private in the Third Wisconsin Infantry, for two years. In the fall of 1868 he settled in Nebraska, and in 1869 took up a homestead in York county, being murdered on his way to the homestead from York, Decem- ber 10, 1879. He was a millwright, and intended starting the next day to build a mill in Harlan county, one hundred and twenty-five miles west. His sons completed the work the following year. His widow died at Beaver Crossing, Seward county, Nebraska, in 1894.

Richard R. Martin grew to manhood on the home farm, receiving his education in local schools, and later engaged in farming and in the milling business. On November 28, 1876, in York county, he was united in marriage with Emma Lezotte, daughter of Charles and Mary (Little) Lezotte, and a native of MeHenry county. Illinois. She came with her parents to Seward county in 1874, her father being a homesteader

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there. He was born in New York, of French de- scent, and died at Beaver Crossing, in 1895. Mrs. Lezotte was born in Vermont, also of French de- scent, and now lives at Beaver Crossing. Mrs. Martin has four brothers and two sisters in Ne- braska.

In the spring of 1883 Mr. Martin brought his wife and their two sons to Custer county, and shortly thereafter pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land near Mason City. The fol- lowing year he erected the first flouring mill in the county, at Algernon, its capacity being one hundred barrels per day. The railroad refusing to make a station here, the town and mill were abandoned. He hauled one hundred and seventy- six loads of lumber and machinery from Kearney, a distance of about fifty miles. Mr. Martin has operated three different mills in the vicinity, the Algernon mill, followed by the Old Muddy Mill near Litchfield, and a mill three and one-half miles south of Mason City and known as the Mason City mill ; he remained in the business for twenty-one years. He has added to the home farm until he now has a ranch of seven hundred and twenty acres of improved and well equipped farm land, including the original pre-emption, on which he erected a comfortable cottage in 1905, and which remained the home place since he lo- cated there until the fall of 1911, when he built a fine seven-room dwelling east of the ereek. This is lighted with acetylene gas, and is piped for water, which is supplied from a five hundred barrel cistern on the hill, giving a pressure of one hundred and ten feet.

Mr. Martin has always been deeply interested in the progress and development of his locality, and is one of the best known men in central Ne- braska. While a resident of York county he acted as locater of homesteads for several years, and had many meetings with the Indians in those early days. When the railroad was built in Cus- ter county, he had a contract for forty miles of repair work along the line. He is interested in various mining propositions and has valuable holdings of land in the southern and western states. He and his wife have traveled widely through the south, west and east, in connection with their various interests or for pleasure. He served for some years as director of his school district, number twelve, and has always been the friend of progress and education.

Mr. and Mrs. Martin have had five children: Charles W., married and living on the old home place, has one son ; Asa C., Jennie E., who has a school of cutting and fitting at Broken Bow, under a system of which she is the patentee, Emma C. and Ida M., at home.

Mr. Martin is republican in polities, and a member of the Odd Fellows. He is a typical westerner in his hospitality, and even goes most of them one better. While many object to having the public cross their land, this jovial Nebraskan has a sign posted at the month of a lane on his

south line, "Welcome, Road Here. R. R. Mar- tin." This "welcome road" is a great accommo- dation, as it is the only convenient cross road in several miles.

MELVILLE B. GOODENOW.

Melville B. Goodenow, who for the past forty years has been a resident of Valley county, Ne- braska, is one of the few old settlers who still live on the old homestead farm. He is one of the oldest settlers of Valley county, and has wit- nessed the country grow from a wild, bleak, wind-swept prairie to a land of beautiful homes and groves, occupied by intelligent, contented and prosperous people. He has coped with the varying fortunes of pioneer life and has surround- ed himself with the satisfying evidences of work well done.

Mr. Goodenow was born on French Mountain, at the head of Lake George, in Warren county, New York, March 11, 1844, and was the only child of Royal and Marilla (Griffin) Goodenow, both natives of New York. The father died in Iowa, March 21, 1911, at the age of ninety-one years, and the mother died in her native state in March of 1844, shortly after Melville's birth. About 1848 our subjeet went with his father to Clinton, Iowa, where he was raised on a farm and received his education.

On September 20, 1861, Mr. Goodenow en- listed in Company I, Twelfth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the war, re- ceiving his honorable discharge in January of 1864, at Shawalee, Tennessee. Here he re-en- listed and served until February of 1866, receiv- ing his final discharge at Davenport, Iowa. The battles engaged in were at Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh, the two battles at Corinth dur- ing the siege of that place; during the last of these battles the troops fought seven times over the same grounds in dense woods; luka, and two battles at Jackson, Mississippi, Clinton, Mississ- ippi, the Siege of Vicksburg, Champion Hills, Meridian, Red River, Oxford, Tupelo, Nashville, and Mobile, and many minor engagements and skirmishes. His regiment, under General A. J. Smith's command, was at Montgomery when the news of Lee's surrender and Lincoln's death reached them. After the war he returned to Clinton county, Iowa, where he followed farm- ing until 1870, when he moved to Woodbury county, locating near Sioux City.

On January 18, 1868, in Dewitt, Iowa, Mr. Goodenow was married to Miss Minetta Coffin, of New York birth. It is an interesting coinei- dence that Mr. Goodenow's father and himself, as well as his wife, were all born in the same house, in Warren county, New York. Mr. and Mrs. Goodenow have had four children, namely : Claude, who died in 1898, while in service during the Spanish-American war; Maude, married N. E. Jackson, and lives in Valley county, Nebraska ;

FIRST RESIDENCE ON NEB. HOMESTEAD

BIRTH PLACE OF MR GOODENOW IN N.Y. STATE

GOODENOW

"MEADOW BROOK FARM," RESIDENCE OF M. B. GOODENOW."

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Irene, who is married to L. N. Kennedy, has six children, and lives in Custer county, Nebraska ; and Marilla, deceased.

In the spring of 1871 Mr. Goodenow made a trip into Nebraska from Sioux City, driving a light rig, and with an Indian for a guide drove up Cedar river, crossing to Long Pine, thence south to Burwell by way of the Calamus, look- ing for a location. In the spring of 1872 he first pre-empted, but later homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in Valley county, the northwest quarter of section six, township fifteen, range twenty, north ; also filed on a timber claim of one hundred and sixty acres adjoining. In the spring of 1873 Mr. Goodenow was joined by his wife and two children, and he and his family are still residing on the old homestead farm. The dwelling now stands on the timber claim, on which forty acres of most excellent timber is standing, making a most beautiful grove, in which all neighborhood picnics are held.

Mr. Goodenow is a proserous man of affairs, owning seven hundred and twenty acres of stock farm land, where he has a fine herd of Aberdeen and Angus cattle. He is a stockholder and di- rector of the First National Bank of Ord, Ne- braska, the First National Bank at Burwell, Ne- braska, and vice president of a Savings Bank at Wall Lake, Iowa. He was instrumental in or- ganizing school district number one, of which he also served as moderator, and he also served as sheriff of Valley county in the years of 1875 and 1876.

Mr. Goodenow has passed through the Valley county pioneer years, sharing all the experiences. Hle well remembers the Indian days, knowing many of the tribe personally, and has in his pos- session the tomahawk that belonged to Chief Crazy Horse during his career in the west. Mr. Goodenow is the earliest settler in the upper val- ley of the North Loup in Valley county, settling there before Fort Hartseff was established. He remained here, holding down his claims, after the commandant of the fort had ordered all settlers to abandon their claims and come in for pro- tection. He has fought Indians, and was person- ally acquainted with all the noted chiefs, Spotted Tail, Black Bird, Crazy Horse, Man-afraid-of-his- horses and Snow-in-the-face, who ranged the plains of Nebraska at the time of settlement. To keep them from stealing his horses for the first three years, he hid them out every night in the canyon, changing their hiding place after dark so the marauders could not find them where they were seen feeding in the evening. Seven were stolen from neighbors above him in the valley and eleven below, but his caution saved him any loss. Ilis saddle mare could smell an Indian before her owner could see him, and gave him warning of their approach. One time they were stam- peded and driven as far as North Loup, where they were recovered, while the man was caught on Mira creek.

Once when his circumstances were in a criti- cal condition and a loan was refused him at Grand Island, he rode to Sioux City and return, a dis- tance of seven hundred miles, for fifteen dollars that was due him, and saved the day. It was while returning from this trip, when nearing home, he came near riding into a camp of hostile Sioux on the war path after their Pawnee enemies. Seeing them around thier campfire as he came over the crest of a hill at dawn, he backed his horse down and rode around to a place where he could watch them in safety. On their leaving, he rode to their camp and appeased his hunger from the remains of a deer on which they had been feeding while in camp there. He had been riding night and day on the trip, and at times was with- out food for twenty-four hours or more. On reaching home, exhausted as he was, he paused not for sleep or rest, for he learned that the sol- diers and officers at Fort Hartseff intended filing on land he and other settlers occupied. Snatching a hasty morsel of food, he journeyed on, and at dusk overtook the army wagon of soldiers on the way to the land office at Grand Island. He lagged along until night, pulled his hat down over his face to keep from being recognized if seen, and, when the soldiers were housed in the hotel at West Point, rode on through to Grand Island that night, put his exhausted horse in a barn, and perched himself at the door of the land office to await the break of day and the coming of the officials in charge. When open he filed on his own claims and those of all his neighbors who were bona fide settlers, and then started out in search of food and to care for his faithful horse that had carried him over seven hundred miles at a time when the delay of a few hours meant financial ruin. On emerging from the office he was met by the sol- diers, who had taken an early start, and thought they had outdistanced him. They were chagrinned to know he had saved his own land and that of his neighbors, and be it to the shame of some of the latter, they never repaid Mr. Goodenow their fil- ing fees which saved their land.

After his family joined him, Mr. Goodenow never went far from home without taking them with him, for there was danger of an Indian raid at any time. Deer and antelope were so plentiful that they might be seen in herds of a hundred or more most any time. Mr. Goodenow has killed hundreds of them, at one time bringing down four elk in one day. Wild turkeys were plentiful, and furnished a most palatable food to the settlers. He became so excellent a hunter that his fame spread to the states east of the Mississippi, and prominent men from Indiana and Ohio came out annually to hunt in this region, insisting that Mr. Goodenow act as their guide.

When Mr. Goodenow settled on his claim. Mr. Mortensen and his colleagues were still living in their wagons, not yet having had time to build the dugout that later became noted in local an- nals. Mr. Goodenow's first dwelling was a log

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cabin with a dirt floor, to build which Mr. Goode- now rafted the logs across the river from Cedar Canyon. In this cabin was held the first Christ- mas celebration, a Christmas tree and dance; a cotton rabbit for the child gave it more pleasure than most elaborate presents have ever done since. Those were days of helpfulness and good cheer, and, although times were hard and pleasures few, every one was friendly and kind-as many have expressed it, "those were the happiest days of our lives."

Mr. Goodenow was reared in the Methodist Episcopal church, is a member of the Grand Army, and a charter member of the Masonic lodge at Burwell, having transferred from Ord. In poli- tics he is independent.

WILLIAM E. POWERS.

William E. Powers, for many years a prosper- ous business man of Pierce county, Nebraska, has a pleasant home at Pierce. He has been engaged in the real estate and insurance business at that point since July 1, 1902, during which time he has prospered in a marked degree, and is now classed among the wealthy and successful residents of that portion of the state.

Mr. Powers was born in Henry county, Iowa, on July 20, 1863. His father, Ira C. Powers, was a native of Indiana, and was married in Iowa, making that state his home for many years after- wards. He was a member of the One Hundred and Seventeenth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serv- ing for about six months, at the close of the war returning to Crawfordsville, Indiana, and making that his home until his death, which occurred in 1897. There our subject was reared, and was well acquainted with that city's distinguished citizen, General Lew Wallace, who was also an intimate friend of both his father and grandfather.

Mr. Powers was graduated from 'the high school there, and then entered the Journal office and learned the printers' trade, remaining up to 1885, when he came west, locating at Des Moines, Iowa, and securing a position with the Register and Leader. He next was with the Commercial, of Hawarden, then filled the "easy chair" as editor of the Sioux County Leader, at Orange City, Iowa. His next move was to Caldwell, Kansas, there editing the Daily Journal until its discon- tinuance, being transferred to the Weekly News and becoming foreman in that establishment. After a short time there he became telegraph editor, reporter and compositor for the Daily Traveler at Arkansas City, Kansas, then pur- chased a half interest in the Plainville, Kansas, Weekly Times. This purchase was made entirely on credit at twelve per cent interest and the debt was paid inside of three months. In July, 1891, he sold this business and came to Pierce, purchas- ing the "Leader," which he built up into a pros- perons journal with a greatly increased circula-

tion, retaining the ownership up to July, 1903, at that time engaging in the real estate business as above mentioned.

Mr. Powers was married at Ainsworth, Ne- braska, on November 15, 1887, to Emme E. En- derly, who was born near New Chicago, Iowa, and whose parents were well known pioneers in Brown county, Nebraska, now residing in Mad- ison county. Mr. and Mrs. Powers have had four children, namely: Robert M., who is an expert stenographer, associated in business with his father; Ira Christian, who died in June, 1907, at the age of fifteen, Bryan Allen and Ellen, the two latter at home.

In 1907 Mr. and Mrs. Powers took an extended trip to the Pacific coast, visiting many points of interest, returning greatly benefited in health by their travels.

Mr. Powers has been almost a lifelong demo- crat, and during the administration of Cleveland was honored with the postmastership of Pierce. He has also served in the city council for several terms. He is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Royal High- landers, and Modern Woodmen of America, of Pierce.

GEORGE W. MeCLOUGHAN.

George W. MeCloughan, a prominent old set- tler of middle Nebraska, resides in St. Paul, Howard county, and is widely known as a man of industrious habits and good business ability.

Mr. McCloughan was born in Hunterdon county, New Jersey, September 20, 1844, and was the eldest child in a family of five boys. He grew up in his native county, receiving a common school education, and at the breaking out of the war, enlisted in the army, beginning his service on August 9, 1861, in Company H, Sixth New Jer- sey Volunteer Infantry, remaining with his regi- ment up to October of the following year, when he was transferred to Troop B, Second United States Cavalry, and served with that regiment until the close of the war. He was mustered out. February 14, 1866, receiving his discharge at Fort Kearney, Nebraska, having been sent to this state in the early fall of 1865 on frontier service. During his career as a soldier he took part in the battles of the Wilderness, Gettysburg, and Wil- liamsburg, besides numerous other skirmishes, re- ceiving slight wounds at the battle of the Wilder- ness and at Spottsylvania Court House, Virginia. He has a war record of which he is justly proud, and is a prominent member of Camby Post num- ber eight, Grand Army of the Republic, depart- ment of Nebraska.

In the spring of 1866 Mr. McCloughan located in Nebraska City, where he followed farm work for about six years, then filed on a claim in Adams county. He made that vicinity his home for about fourteen years, engaged in farming and

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stock raising, and succeeded in accumulating a comfortable property and building up a nice home. He then disposed of his holdings and re- moved to Clay county, afterwards to Howard county, arriving at the latter place in the spring of 1888. After two years here he went to Loup county, remained there for two years, and again returned to Howard county, where he has since resided, having established a permanent home in St. Paul.

Mr. McCloughan was married May 25, 1867, at Nebraska City, to Miss Melinda `R. Davis, County Judge Dickey officiating. Mrs. Me- Cloughan is a native of Illinois, born in 1852. They have eight children, namely: Frank F., married and living on Davis Creek, in the north- ern part of Howard county, he being the father of eight children; William J., married, living in Kansas with his wife and three children; George A., married and living in Howard county, he has one child; Thomas A., married and living in Col- orado with his family of two children; Dennis L., of Hastings, Nebraska, single; Lucy Ann, wife of Charles Crowe, they have three children and re- side in St. Paul ; Nettie M., wife of William Burk, living on a farm southwest of St. Paul, and Stella May, married to John McCormick. and living in Lincoln, Nebraska.

JOHN VANDEGRIFT.

Honorable John Vandegrift, the oldest of nine children, was born near Hammonton, New Jer- sey, September 10, 1854, and lived in his native state until his seventeenth year, when the family moved to Davis eounty, Iowa, residing there two and a half years, since that time he has lived in Sherman county, Nebraska. The Vandegrift fam- ily own one of the large grain and stock farms of central Nebraska and are among the most influ- ential and successful operators in the region, trading and shipping many cattle each year, and also handling Duroc Jersey swine.

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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 114

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