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 120

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 120

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in Monroe, Green county, Wisconsin, in December, 1863.

When Mr. Wescott was sixteen years of age he removed with his parents to Wisconsin, where they located on a farm and he was married, at the home of her parents in Green county, that state, Janu- ary 28, 1855, to Thankful B. Cleveland, who was born in Embden, Somerset county, Maine, and for some time was a teacher in Wisconsin schools. Her parents, James Y. and Edith (Cragin) Cleve- land, were also natives of Embden, and both died in Wisconsin, the father in 1868. Mrs. Wescott has one brother in California. Two of her broth- ers, H. G. and Roger S., served in the civil war.

For thirty years after marriage Mr. and Mrs. Wescott remained on a Wisconsin farm. In 1880 Mr. Wescott came to Custer county and pur- chased about two thousand acres of land in the vicinity of Wescott, starting a cattle ranch. He shipped one thousand head of cattle from Wiseon- sin, including a number of thoroughbred Durham and short horn stock, and during the following winter lost all save sixty head, in the severe storms that were characteristic of the winter of 1880-81. However, he was undaunted by his great loss and made a new start. In 1885 he brought his family from their Wisconsin home to Custer county and located on the ranch. The fol- lowing year he established the town of Wescott on his land, and in connection with his other inter- ests engaged in general mercantile business there, carrying a large stock. He established the first bank in the village, known as the Bank of Wes- cott, of which he was the president. He always took an active interest in the progress and devel- opment of the community, lending his aid in var- ious ways to help the general advancement. He was well known for his high character and was kindly and charitable in manner and disposition.

Mr. Wescott, while in Wisconsin was promi- nent in the affairs of that state, and served as leg- islator in the general assembly two terms in the lower house and two terms in the senate. One incident occurred in the senate which illustrates well the fearless courage of the man. The Wis- consin soldiers were in distress; they needed clothing and their food was reported insufficient. A hill to appropriate money from the school fund for the relief of the soldiers in the field was before the senate. "It will never do," argued the op- ponents of the bill. "It is not constitutional," argued the lawyers. Wescott's turn came to vote, and here is his explanation : "Our soldiers are fighting for the very existence of the nation. I allow no man to surpass me in solicitude for the education of our children or obedience to the con- stitution and the law. But more important than all these is the comfort of our soldiers and the final triumph of our cause. A dire necessity ex- ists, and necessity such as this knows no law, no constitution. I therefore vote 'Aye !" "

Seven children were born to Mr. and Mrs Wescott: Ida May, married Ed. C. Gibbons and

E. E. DRISKELL AND FAMILY.

RESIDENCE OF E. E. DRISKELL.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

died in March, 1904, survived by her husband and three children ; . Eva Marie, wife of Charles D. Bragg, of Comstock; John J., of Monroe, Wis- consin, is married and has one child; four chil- dren died in infancy. Mr. Wescott's death oc- curred March 31, 1908, at the age of eighty years, being survived by his widow and two children. Mr. Wescott was well known as the originator of the Wescott irrigation canal, which was con- structed on Middle Loup river between Sargent and Wescott. Mrs. Wescott still occupies the Wescott home, where she is surrounded by a large circle of friends, and she has been active in continuing many of her husband's former busi- ness interests. She enjoyed excellent educational advantages in early life, and is a woman of busi- ness intelligence and ability.

E. E. DRISKELL.

· E. E. Driskell, one of the older settlers of Wayne county, Nebraska, is honored as a veteran of the civil war, and is one of the most public- spirited citizens of his locality. He has a pleas- ant home on section twenty-two, township twen- ty-six, range five, where he carries on general farming and stock raising with gratifying success, and he is the owner of nine hundred and sixty acres of fine, fertile land in Wayne county. He also owns four hundred acres in Fremont county, Iowa. and one hundred and sixty acres in Per- kins county, Nebraska.

Mr. Driskell is a native of Iowa, and was born near the city of Burlington, Des Moines county, November 7, 1838, a son of Anglo and Sarah Dris- kell, who were born in Ohio and England, respect- ively. He was reared and educated in Iowa, and in November, 1861, enlisted in Company K, Four- teenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, serving three years, and in March, 1865, re-enlisted in Company B, Fourth United States Veteran Infantry, from which he was discharged in March, 1866. He par- tieipated in many of the important battles of the war during his long and faithful service, and won an enviable record for devotion to duty. He was wounded in the battle of Corinth, Mississippi, after which he spent two months in a hospital. At Shiloh, the entire regiment and brigade were cap- tured by the enemy, but Mr. Driskell, at the time, was driving a team, and so escaped. The prin- cipal engagements in which he fought were Fort Ilenry, Fort Donaldson, where fourteen thousand prisoners were captured and Mr. Driskell's bri- gade was the first to go over the breastworks; Pittsburg Landing, Shiloh, Corinth, Tupelo, and Yellow Bayou. After Lincoln was assassinated, the regiment was sent to Washington, and for four of five months they guarded the conspira- tors who planned the killing of Lincoln and his cabinet. At the time they were executed, Mr. Driskell stood on the prison wall only a few feet from the place of execution. Afterward, the regi- ment did provost and guard duty at Columbus,

Ohio, and Louisville, Kentucky, being finally dis- charged at Columbus, Ohio.

At the close of the war, Mr. Driskell engaged in farming in Louisa county, Iowa, and later in Fremont county, where he remained until 1882, when he came to Wayne county and bought four hundred acres of land. He has added to his orig- inal purchase, and has shown great energy in im- proving and cultivating his land, so that he now has a large and valuable estate, all the fruit of his own efforts. He has a grove and orchard of about ten aeres in extent, and has in many ways beau- tified his place. He is one of the most successful farmers of the region where he lives, and is a man of influence and stability, interested in every pub- lic movement, and ready to advance the cause of progress in every form. In 1888 he lost consider- able stock in the well remembered blizzard, and has, at other times, suffered loss from various causes, but he has steadily progressed in his way to prosperity.

Mr. Driskell was united in marriage with Miss Mary Hartman in 1877, and they are the parents of four children, namely: Mrs. Fanny Hugel- man ; Mrs. Ada McCorkendale; J. O., on the farm in lowa; and W. R., farming in Dixon county, Ne- hraska. Mrs. Hugelman and Mrs. McCorkendale are on a part of their father's old farm. Mrs. Driskell was born in West Virginia, and came to Towa with her brothers, following the death of her parents.

Mr. Driskell's home, which he erected in 1893. is one of the largest and best built houses in Wayne county. It is equipped with a bath, hot and cold water, and acetylene gas lights, being thoroughly modern in every respect. Since 1906, Mr. Driskell has erected three substantial homes for his children, who reside in Nebraska, two on the old home place, and one near Wakefield. Dixon county. A picture of the family residence and also the family group will be found on an- other page.

A. P. SEABURY.

To the men of perseverance and stalwart de- termination who went to Nebraska when it was vet undeveloped as an agricultural and commer- cial region the present prosperity enjoyed there is due.

Among the early settlers of Antelope county. Nebraska, who has been intimately identified with its development, and has gained an enviable repu- tation as a citizen, may be mentioned A. P. Sea- bury, a prosperous and successful farmer of Craw- ford township, where he has one hundred and sixty acres of land in section eleven, township twenty-seven, range five-five acres being in good trees with an orchard. Mr. Seabury is a native of Albany county, New York, but came here from ('rawford county, lowa, where he lived from 1867 to 1878. Ilis father, Cornelins Seabury, was born in 1807, in the state of Rhode Island, and is a

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descendant of the pilgrims who came over on the boat succeeding the Mayflower. He was a cousin of the Brusters. His grandfather, Philip Seabury, was born in 1767, in Massachusetts and died in 1845. He was a captain on a whaler.

Our subject was born in 1848, and was the youngest of five children, and is the son of Cor- nelius Seabury and Adeline (Crary) Seabury.

Mr. Seabury came to Antelope county, Ne- braska, in 1878, to where he moved by wagon from Crawford county, Iowa, making in all four trips, and then took up a homestead and timber claim in the north half of section ten, township twenty-seven, range five, where he built a good frame house, fourteen by twenty-two. While go- ing after hay, Mr. Seabury was caught in the bliz- zard of 1888, but did not get lost as some people did, although it is an experience he does not care to encounter again. He lost his crops by the hail- storm of 1892, which makes him one of the many old settlers who suffered the hardships of those early days.

Mr. Seabury was married in 1871 to Miss Elizabeth Gould, and they are the parents of a family of four children, whose names are here given : Charles, who married Edith Tyndall, they have one child Georgia; May, who married H. C. Holbert, they having three children, Wini- fred, Charles, and Mildred; George, who married Gertrude Fisher, they having one child, Dwight; and the fourth being Elva.

Mrs. Seabury was born in Lewis county, New York.

In concluding this personal history, we wish to state that the Seaburys are highly respected by all who know them in their community.

THOMAS BLANCHARD.

Thomas Blanchard, of Cotesfield, Nebraska. is one of the prominent citizens of Howard county. During his residence in the state he has held many positions of trust, always taking an active part in local affairs, and his name is familiar to to all who have spent any time in this section. During the early days he served as justice of the peace. In the eighties he was appointed post- master of Cotesfield and served in that capacity for a period of fifteen years. In 1883 he was elected county commissoner, holding that office for three years, and for about thirty years was a member of the school board, and treasurer of district number fourteen.

Thomas Blanchard was born in England on May 17, 1837, grew up there, receiving a common school education, and during his young manhood followed railroading as an occupation. He re- mained in England up to the spring of 1871, then came to America, locating at first in Burling- ton, Iowa, spending about six months there, and came on to Howard county. Here he pre-empted a quarter section in section nineteen, township sixteen, range eleven, also filed on a timber claim

of forty acres in section eighteen, and later homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres in section twelve, township sixteen, range twelve, proving up on all three tracts. From time to time as he became able he bought more land, and at the present time is owner of a fine estate com- prising one thousand and twenty acres in this state, besides having one quarter section of land in South Dakota. He has followed farming all of the time since coming here until the fall of 1900, when he retired from active work and moved to Scotia, making that his home for five years, then came to Cotesfield. Here he has es- tablished a comfortable home and become one of the substantial and highly esteemed citizens of the thriving little city.

Mr. Blanchard was married in 1874, to Miss Laura Rawalt, of Fulton county, Illinois. Miss Rawalt was for a number of years prior to her marriage a teacher in the public schools of Illi- nois. To them have been born two children, both of whom are married and have comfortable homes of their own. Maud, wife of J. H. West, is a resident of Cotesfield; they have two children. Their son, Horace, married Miss Buda Paist, and with their four children, occupy the original homestead of our subject.

Mr. Blanchard and his family are widely and favorably known as being among the old-timers of this locality. They have passed through all the various phases of Nebraska's history and have seen its growth from the very earliest days of settlement.

Politically Mr. Blanchard is a democrat and a firm supporter of party principles, proving him- self a loyal friend to all that has stood for the good of his community and the welfare of its people.

JAMES CRUIKSHANK. (Deceased.)

James Cruikshank, deceased, was one of the early settlers of Valley county, Nebraska, and always during his residence there closely identi- fied himself with the best interests of the county. For many years before his death he was an earnest and active christian, and is well remem- bered for his kindly and charitable deeds. He was a native of Strathspay, Scotland, born July 16, 1833, and at the age of six years came with his parents to Ontario, Canada, where he reached maturity. On February 2. 1860, he married Mary MeLachlen, a native of the township of East Williams, Canada, their union taking place in Middlesex county, and the first few years of their married life were spent in Canada. They then removed to Dallas county, lowa, lived there until 1885, and in that year came to Valley county, which continued to be their home during the remainder of their lives. They secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land, comprising the southwest quarter of section six,

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township seventeen, range fifteen, the home place for many years.

Mrs. Cruikshank died March 14, 1892, on the home farm, deeply mourned by her husband and seven children, namely: Kate, widow of J. H. Rhinehart, who died in 1908, of Martinsburg, Missouri, has two children ; Jennie, wife of W. H. Clark, of Des Moines, Iowa, has six children ; Mary, wife of N. H. Slaughter, of Minburn, Iowa, has five children; Maggie, died December 7, 1904, survived by her husband, J. W. Hayes, has six children ; Nettie, wife of John T. Haworth, living near Selah, Washington, has two children : Nahum, of Arcadia, married Lodema Hogue and they have three children; James Grant, of Valley county, a sketch of whom appears in the work, is married and has one daughter. In September, 1892, Mr. Cruikshank married Mrs. Martha Myers.

In 1900 Mr. Cruikshank retired from active life and moved to Arcadia, where he remained until his death June 24, 1906. He was well known in the community and had many warm friends there, who sincerely deplored his loss. He was a man of high character, who had a high standard of life and endeavored to live up to it. He was rearcd in the Presbyterian church in Scotland, and while living in Iowa identified himself with the Baptist denomination. He was a republican in politics and a member of the Masonic frater- nity.

GOTTLIEB BRUMMUND.

The gentleman above mentioned is counted among the oldest settlers in Madison county, Ne- braska, and since locating here in 1868 has taken a foremost part in the development of his region.

Mr. Brummund is a native of Germany, and was born in the province of Pommerania, May 11, 1834. Here he lived, growing to manhood and receiving his schooling, and later married. In 1867 Mr. Brummund, with his family, left his native land for America, where he could get land cheap, and where a young man had a better op- portunity to get a start in life. They embarked at Bremen, Germany, on a sailboat bound for Quebec, and were ten weeks on the sea. After landing in the new world, Mr. Brummund went to Wisconsin, where he remained two years.

In 1869 Mr. Brummund, with his family, came by railroad to Omaha, there purchasing an ox team, and drove to Madison county, Nebraska, where he took np a homestead in section twenty- five, township twenty-four, range one, which is still the home place. Mr. Brummund put up a log house on this land, and immediately began improvements on the place, building the necessary sheds for the stock, and various other improve- ments until now he has a fine farm and home. In the first years of residence here, he worked hard, broke sod and planted his first crop, reap- ing a bountiful harvest. During the succeeding

years he saw hard times and had a struggle to make a living for his family, as the grasshoppers destroyed every spear of his crops for seven suc- cessive years, which was very discouraging to the family and caused them much privation and hardship. In the early days Fremont was the nearest market place, which was an eight-day journey by ox team.

Mr. Brummund was married May 30, 1849, to Miss Uricka Ruhlo, a native of Germany, and Mr. and Mrs. Brummund are the parents of seven children, whose names are as follows: William, August, Emil, Paul, Minnie, Martha and Mary.

Mr. and Mrs. Brummund and family are highly respected in their community, and in their comfortable home are surrounded by a host of friends and neighbors. They are members of the Lutheran church, and Mr. Brummund is a demo- crat.

WILLIAM WALSH.

William Walsh, one of Custer county's very early settlers, in early days passed through the trials and discouragements of pioneer existence and has reached a period of prosperity and suc- cess. He is a self-made man and has always been closely identified with the development of Custer county, being a patriotic citizen of his state and county. He was born in Ireland in June, 1835, next to the oldest of five children, of whom he and a brother in Ireland are the only survivors at this writing. He reached maturity and acquired his education in his native country, meanwhile working on his father's farm after he was old enough. He engaged in farming on his own account as a young man and in April, 1868. came to America, where he again engaged in farming. In December, 1874, he made a visit to his native place and while there was married, February 8, 1875, to Ann Nolan, also of Irish birth.

The month after his marriage Mr. Walsh brought his wife to America and they lived on a farm in Iowa, where he had previously spent a few years, and lived there until 1880. He then brought his wife and their four children to Custer county, being one of the earliest settlers in the region of his homestead, which was located on section twenty-six, township eighteen, range twenty-two, where he had secured a timber claim adjoining same. This has been the home during the many years since then, and they are of the few who have retained possession of their origi- nal homestead place for so many years. They have been much interested in the cause of educa- tion and other movements of progress and in 1880 Mr. Walsh helped organize school district number thirty-one, of which he served as a member of the board for some time. Ile served two years as county supervisor and for the past two years has been township assessor. Ile also served as as- sessor of his township in 1882. He is a success- ful man of affairs and owns three hundred and

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twenty acres of land comprising a well improved and equipped stock and grain farm. In May, 1909, he retired from the farm and came to Merna to live, purchasing the comfortable, modern resi- dence the family now occupy. He is known to be the friend of progress along all lines and is well regarded by his many friends and acquaint- ances.

Ten children have been born to Mr. Walsh and wife, of whom the following account may be given : Mary, wife of Dr. J. H. Morrow, of Merna, has five children; Anastasia, of Omaha; Elizabeth is a nun in a convent at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin ; Anna, is the wife of M. S. Quinn, of Colorado, and they have seven children ; John J., lives in Sioux county, Nebraska; Kathryn, is a teacher and lives at home; Loretta and Margaret are in Omaha, where the latter is a student; two sons died in infancy.

JOHN HAVEL.

The gentleman above named resides on sec- tion thirty-three, township twenty-six, range two, in Pierce county, where he owns an interest in seven hundred and eighty acres of well improved land, some of which is a beautiful grove of trees.

Our subject was born in 1876, and came to Pierce county with his parents when but a boy of six years old. Mr. Havel's father, Mathious Havel, was born in Bohemia, in 1837, and served in the army of his native country for twelve years in the war between Prussia and Austria in 1866, and also in the war between France and Germany. He came to America in 1872, and lived in Wisconsin a short time, and from there went to Omaha, and subsequently settled in Saun- ders county, where he took up a homestead and where the family endured many hardships and pri- vations, as did most of the early settlers on the frontier. Our subject's father first built a house of adobe, which is a mixture of mud and hay. The family experienced many severe losses through failures of crops on account of drouths and hail, and during the blizzards of 1873 and 1888 had to burn hay to keep warm, and lost some cattle. All the crops were lost in the grass- hopper raids for two seasons; then he finally bought a tree claim in Pierce county, from C. C. Ranch, which has developed into the present beautiful home of the two sons, John and M. M. Havel.

John Havel the subject of this sketch was married in 1897 to Miss Mary Silhaeck, whose parents emigrated from Bohemia to America about 1890. Mr. and Mrs. Havel have a fine family of four children, who are named as fol- lows: Mary, Anna, Rosa and Emma.

Mr. Havel is a member of the Modern Wood- men and is also affiliated with the Z. (. B. J. IIe is independent in politics, voting for the best man.

HON. JOHN G. BOELTS.

The gentleman herein named is well known by residents of Merrick county, Nebraska, as one of the leading old settlers of his locality, and a man who has done his full share in the upbuild- ing of the agricultural and other interests of his community. Mr. Boelts, in partnership with his brother, S. G. Boelts, and two sisters resides in section three, township thirteen, range eight, which is his home place, where he has a fine home and valuable estate, and enjoys the esteem and respect of his fellowmen.

John G. Boelts, son of Gerd and Anna (Oelt- jen) Boelts, was born December 31, 1873, at Oldenburg, Germany, and was sixth in a family of eight children, two of whom are deceased. He has two brothers and two sisters in Merrick county, Nebraska, and one sister in Denver, Colo- rado. Mr. Boelts came to America in September of 1878, with his parents who located in Merrick county, Nebraska, engaging in farming. In 1908, Mr. Boelts was elected to the lower house of the thirty-first Nebraska state legislature. His term of office expired January 1, 1911. He has also served on board of his school district number thirty-five, for four years; and as justice of peace and township treasurer.

Mr. Boelts in partnership with his brother, S. G. Boelts and sisters own seven hundred and sixty acres of fine farm land in township thirteen, range eight. It is a splendid stock farm and. they make a specialty of Hereford cattle.

Mr. Boelts is a young man of good attain- ments, standing for progression, and all uplift- ing of state and county. He is an active intel- ligent man who keeps abreast of the time and is conversant with all affairs of public interest.

John G. Boelts' father, Gerd Boelts, died May 9. 1898. He located where the present buildings are situated when he first came to Nebraska and this was his home during the balance of his life. He added to the original farm until at the time of his death he owned four hundred and forty acres. His widow, Mrs. Anna Boelts. survives him and makes her home with her children.

To Mr. and Mrs. Gerd Boelts the following children were born: Kate, wife of G. Pfleiderer. Johanne; Frederick G., John G., S. Gustav and Anna L., besides two who died in infancy before the family came to the United States. All the children were born in Germany except Anna L.

N. P. BRADSTREET.

The genial sheriff of Boyd county, N. P. Brad- street, has been a resident of Nebraska for the past thirty years. He has gone through all the early Nebraska days, tenting out during their first days here. He also well remembers seeing herds of deer and antelope roaming the plains, when occasionally an intrepid hunter brought one down with his trusty rifle, sharing his prize with

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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 120

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