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 126

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 126

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).

Five children were born to our subject and his good wife, of whom three are now living, named as follows: Peter, who resides in Greeley county, Nebraska; Louis, father of five children. of the same county, and Chris, also having a fam- ily of five children, living in Howard county. Mrs. Boesen died June 9, 1905, and was deeply mourned by her devoted family and a host of friends. Mr. Boesen has three great-grandsons. aged respectively, two, three and five years. The

580

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

entire family are greatly liked by their asso- ciates, and occupy a high position in their re- spective communities.

CHARLES H. WELLMAN. (Deceased.)

Charles H. Wellman, deceased, son of Chester and Lavina (Axtel) Wellman, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, May 29, 1844; he was the young- est of two children, the elder child, a sister, is now living in Oregon. The father died in 1865, his death occurring in the state of Wisconsin, while the mother passed away in the year 1878, in Greeley county, Nebraska. In 1851, our sub- ject went with his parents to Wisconsin, where he received his education and grew to manhood on a farm.

On May 18, 1867, Mr. Wellman was married to Miss Mary Francisco, a daughter of Phillip and Eliza (Covil) Francisco, both natives of New York; the father was of French descent, his grandfather being a native of France. Mrs. Wellman was born in New York and was a teacher in Wisconsin schools for a number of years. Mr. and Mrs. Wellman have four children, namely: Lowell C., a resident of North Loup, Nebraska ; Edward E., is the station agent in the service of the Union Pacific at Callaway, Ne- braska; Clyde E., is married, has one daughter, and resides in North Loup; Merrill, the youngest, is associated with his brother in business in North Loup.

In May, 1872, Mr. Wellman came with his wife and one son to Greeley county, Nebraska, and homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section thirty-one, township eighteen, range twelve, living there about six years. He then moved to North Loup, where he purchased a good home and engaged in general mercantile business, until time of his death, May 4, 1899. He was survived by his wife and four children.

In the early days Mr. Wellman served on his school board for a number of years. He was a progressive man of affairs, widely known and highly respected; he was reared in the Methodist church and was for many years the faithful treasurer of the North Loup Masonic lodge.

Mrs. Wellman still lives in the North Loup home surrounded by a large circle of friends and still owns her original homestead; with three of her sons she is still conducting the mercantile business left by her husband. The Wellman home is a reconstruction of the building used for North Loup's first school house and first church, the Seventh Day Baptist.

Mr. and Mrs. Wellman were among the earliest settlers, and passed through the trying experiences and hardships of pioneer life; their nearest trading point in those times was at Grand Island, nearly fifty miles away. Mr. Wellman is held dear in the memory of all who knew him,

and his good wife, who survives him, is highly esteemed and respected by all, and she is sur- rounded by a host of good friends and acquaint- ances.

Mrs. Wellman's parents are deceased, her father passing away in 1865, in the state of Wis- consin, and the mother's death occurring in the same state, in February of 1899; she has a brother residing in Wisconsin, one in Oregon; a sister in Towa and another in South Dakota. Two of Mrs. Wellman's brothers served through the civil war, both receiving wounds in the Battle of Shiloh.

The Wellman family endured the many hard- ships incident to pioneer life. Grasshoppers de- vastated their crops two years, the seasons of 1876 and 1877. The three days' blizzard of April 12 to 14, 1873, will long remain in their memory; Mrs. Wellman kept her boy wrapped in blankets before the fire to keep him from freezing. For the first six years they lived in a log house, which was later swept away by a flood in the spring of 1879.

SYDNEY D. ROBERTSON.

Sydney D. Robertson, one of the leading cit- izens of Norfolk, Madison county, Nebraska, is a prosperous professional man of good standing, and possesses true public spirit. He is a son of William and Anna (Garver) Robertson, and was born in Madison, Nebraska, September 24, 1878, and is the youngest son of three children, one sister living in Ithica, New York, and one brother, deceased.

Mr. Robertson received his elementary educa- tion in the public schools of Norfolk, and in 1897, 1898, and 1899, attended the Nebraska State University at Lincoln, where he received his de- gree of law in June, 1899. He then returned to Norfolk, Nebraska, and entered his father's law office as his partner. On January 22, 1907, Mr. Robertson's father died, and since then he has maintained the office, and enjoys a good practice.

Mr. Robertson is one of Madison county's pioneer native-born young men, is successful and widely and favorably known, and is one of the coming young men of this county. He lives in Norfolk with his mother, and they enjoy the es- teem and confidence of all who know them.

He is a member of the Masonic order, the Elks and the Odd Fellows. He votes the repub- lican ticket.

ROBERT M. SEEVERS.

Robert M. Seevers has long been identified with the progress and welfare of Custer county and is one of the best known men of central Ne- braska. He was born in Mahaska county, Iowa, July 18. 1862, next to the youngest child of Ben- jamin F. and Elizabeth (Forney) Seevers, who

581

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

were parents of eight children. Besides Robert M., a daughter, Mrs. J. D. Ream, lives in Cus- ter county; two daughters live in Colorado and one in Kansas, and the other children are de- ceased. The father and mother were natives of Virginia, he of French extraction and she of Ger- man parentage. He died in Iowa and she died in Custer county in 1893.

Mr. Seevers reached maturity on his father's farm in Iowa, receiving his education in local schools. He was employed at civil engineering several years as a young man, then engaged in farming. In May, 1883, he came to Custer county, Nebraska, securing a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land on section twenty-six. township eighteen, range twenty- three, which has since remained the home place. He also secured a tree claim of like size adjoining. On June 3, 1887, he was married, at the home of her parents in Ortello valley, to Rosa Butler, a native of Illinois, who accompanied her parents to Custer county in 1881. Mr. Seevers and wife have ten children: A. Franklin, of Custer county ; Lewis O., Bly, Guy, Ina, Xa, Tava, Ada, Cecil and Howard, at home. They also had twin sons who died in infancy.

Mr. Seevers has been active along all lines of progress in the county and is a prominent man of affairs in his community, interested in every- thing pertaining to the general welfare and pros- perity. He was instrumental in organizing school district number two hundred and forty-one, serv- ing many years as a member of its board. Being one of the early settlers of Custer county, he has passed through various periods of its history and through his enterprise and energy has attained success and prosperity. He has added to his homestead from time to time and now owns eight hundred acres of land, which is well equipped and improved. It is well adapted for stock and grain and in 1907 he erected a splendid modern resi- dence at a cost of over five thousand dollars. He also has new barns and other buildings and is one of the leading stock men of the region, mak- ing a specialty of thoroughbred hogs and horses.

A. A. BELL.

Perseverance and good management, supple- mented by honesty of word and deed, have placed the gentleman named above among the most prominent and influential farmers of Wayne county. He has a pleasant home in section twen- ty-eight, township twenty-six, range one, east, and owns a farm of one hundred and sixty acres.

He is a native of Illinois, and was born on September 30, 1859. His father, W. C. Bell, was a Canadian, but his mother came from Vermont. On the paternal side, the family was of Irish stock.

In 1888, Mr. Bell came to Wayne county, Ne- braska, where he ultimately purchased the

homestead of Doctor M. R. Regan. He at once set to work to improve the place in every way. New buildings were added, fences were built, and trees were planted, until now, his farm and home are most comfortable and convenient.

Mr. Bell was married, in 1881, to Miss Eliza- beth MaCauley, a native of Illinois. Four chil- dren have been born to bless the home of Mr. and Mrs. Bell, upon whom they have bestowed the names of William, Grace, Lottie and Edward.

Mr. Bell has certainly done his full share to- ward the development of the agricultural inter- ests of the community, and he has a wide acquaint- ance and is universally esteemed as a farmer and citizen.

THOMAS J. STEARNS.

Among the representative pioneers of eastern Nebraska, the gentleman above named occupies a prominent place, and he has spent many years of his life in this section, and has succeeded in building up an enviable reputation and compe- tence, and is recognized as one of the influential residents of Merrick county, well known and highly respected by all.

Thomas J. Stearns, son of Isaac and Minerva (Castle) Stearns, was born in New York state, January 24, 1836, and was tenth of eleven chil- dren. He has one brother residing in Omaha, Nebraska, one sister in Wisconsin, and another in Arkansas, the others being deceased; the father died about 1875, and the mother one year later. Our subject's mother was in a direct line of descent from ancestors who came over in the Mayflower.

Mr. Stearns was educated in his home schools and later engaged in farming. In 1856, he went to Wisconsin, remaining three years, then return- ing to New York state. On August 27, 1861, Mr. Stearns enlisted in Company I, Sixtieth New York Infantry, and received his discharge No- vember 9, 1862, at Washington, D. C. While in service he participated in the second battle of Bull Run. Afterwards he returned to New York and on March 24, 1863, was married to Miss Caroline C. Loney, who was born in Cornwell, Ontario, Canada. In the following June they moved to Wisconsin and engaged in farming. On September 24, 1864, Mr. Stearns enlisted in Com- pany D, Sixteenth Wisconsin Infantry, serving until hostilities ceased, receiving his honorable discharge June 16, 1865, at Madison, Wisconsin. He was with Sherman on his famous march through the Carolinas and on to Washington, a continual skirmish. After the war he returned to Wisconsin and resided in Stockbridge.

In the spring of 1878, he came to the Pawnee Indian reservation, which was that year opened for settlement and organized as Nance county. At this time Mrs. Stearns was one of the very few white women in the county, and for six

582

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

months of their residence there they saw nothing but Indians and coyotes. On the seventeenth of the following March, Mr. and Mrs. Stearns came to Clarks, Merrick county, Nebraska, where Mr. Stearns purchased considerable city property and built a good home where they now live. Mr. Stearns had commenced learning the carpenter's trade in New York state and after coming to Clarks followed the business of contracting and building for many years. He has built many of the best homes in Clarks.

Mr. and Mrs. Stearns are among the earliest settlers of their portion of the county, and en- joy the esteem of all who know them. They have had six children born to them: Evelyn, de- ceased in 1889, survived by her husband, Harry D. Showman, and two children; Cora, wife of C. B. Case, has two children, and resides in Overton, Nebraska; Willard A., physician in Hot Springs hospital, South Dakota; Archie, married, has one child, and lives in Clarks, Nebraska; Fannie M., wife of A. M. Cosner, has four children, and re- sides in Clarks, Nebraska; and Brownie, wife of Hugh McDermott, has two children, and resides in Central City, Nebraska.

Mr. Stearns joined the Odd Fellows at Bril- lian, Wisconsin, in 1876, and is one of the older members of the order in Merrick county. He takes an active interest in public affairs and served for three years on the Clarks city board.

EDWARD J. MEAHAN.

For a man to have made use of advantages offered him to make an established place for himself in the world when given a fair chance, is creditable; but for a hoy, reared amongst strangers, given no advantages as a child, to be unable to read or write at the age of seventeen, and then to acquire a better knowledge of funda- mentals than the average man, to be free from the average small vices, liquor and tobacco, to ae- quire a competency and attain a business acumen the equal of his competitors, is a credit to a man far beyond the ordinary course in life. Such is the story of Ed. J. Meahan, proprietor of the Racket store in Butte, Nebraska. He has led a life of vicissitudes and come out of life's cru- cible a credit to himself and family, setting a high example for his children to follow.

Ed. J. Meahan was born at Naperville, Illi- nois, a small town near Chicago, on September 17, 1858. His mother died during his infancy, and he was adopted by a man in Dupage county, named Tom Stanner, who showed more human- ity to his stock than he did to the orphan boy and his sister, who was also a member of the foster family. The orphans were given scant food and clothing and no sehool advantages at all; drudgery was their unhappy lot, which the boy endured until he was nine years old. At this time he revolted and ran away from the cruel

household, and found a home in the family of John Craig, living in Will county, about three miles east of Joliet. A year later he found a home with Albert S. Hunt in the same county, who proved to be a kind hearted, fatherly man, and when he sold out the next year and moved to Battle Creek, Michigan, he took the boy with him. A year later they moved to Schoolcraft, in Kal- amazoo county. Here the lad grew to manhood and lived until the spring of 1876, when he came west and took up his residence at Malvern, Mills county, Iowa, where he found employment at farm labor in the vicinity.

Here Mr. Meahan was married and engaged in farming until coming to Nebraska in the fall of 1884. Leaving his wife with her sister at West Point, Mr. Meahan, with his brother-in-law, John Newman, and two friends, started to drive through to Gordon seeking a location. At Spring- view, in Keya Paha county, one of their mules went lame, and liking the looks of the country they decided to locate in that county. Mr. Mea- han filed on a homestead claim sixteen miles northwest from the county seat, and returned to Malvern, Iowa, for the winter. On returning in the spring, he found his claim had been "jumped," so he had to select another tract six miles from town and seven miles from the state line, and lived on his land eighteen months. He next bought three relinquishments, that he might get the land he wanted, and secured four forties out of three-quarters lying along a stream, on which he proved up under the homestead law. After completing the necessary five years' resi- dence to perfect his title, he rented his ranch and moved down to the Platte country. Here he bought an eighty-acre tract three and a half miles southeast of Creston, after having lived for a year on a rented ranch two miles nearer town.

Here from 1891 until his return to northern Nebraska in April, 1899, Mr. Meahan was en- gaged in farming much of the time. He resided in Albion for seven years, and sold medicines and stock food throughout Boone county. In 1906 he went into the real estate business there, but learned later that his partner was fleecing him. In the fall of 1909 he dissolved the partnership, but it took some months to close up the deals in land. In February, 1910, he traded his Keya Paha ranch for a stock of goods in the Racket store, together with the business, and took possession of his new property April 7, 1910.

Mr. Meahan was first married at Malvern, Iowa, in January, 1880, to Miss Rosa Lee Mont- gomery. One son was born, Silas Howard, who is married to Miss Helen Smith, and is farming near Creston, Platte county, Nebraska.

Mr. Meahan was married a second time at Omaha, Nebraska, February 15, 1903, to Mrs. Mary Fothergill. Like Mr. Meahan, his wife was a foster child, adopted by the family of Henry H. Folkner, of Lincoln, Nebraska. By her first mar- riage, Mrs. Meahan became mother to one daugh-

583

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

ter, Mildred, whose father was killed on the rail- road prior to her birth. To Mr. and Mrs. Meahan four children have been born: John Paul, Wil- liam Clarence, Floyd Wendel, Pearlie Irene.

Mr. Meahan has always been a republican in politics. He was a communicant of the Baptist church in Iowa, and a member of the Odd Fel- lows lodge at Butte.

At the time of the blizzard of January 12, 1888, Mr. Meahan was on his Keya Paha ranch and had hitched up to go for a load of wood. Hearing the roaring, he hurried his team to the barn and had difficulty in forcing his way through the icy mist to the house. He fought prairie fires to such an extent that carrying matches became a habit with him that he has not shaken off to this day, although he is now in no danger of such conflagrations and does not smoke. Unlike most of the men of the west, he neither uses tobacco in any form nor liquors of any kind, and stands almost alone in his abstemiousness. During the seven years he occupied his homestead, a sod house was his dwelling, and a comfortable house it was, well finished with a sub-cellar, which offered a safe retreat should a cyclone come their way. They never had to burn hay, corn, or stalks, as in many parts of the west settlers had to do, but got good wood in the river canyons at one dollar per load. One year he had ten cords all cut and neatly piled ready for the summer's use when a prairie fire swept through their place and burned the last stick of the wood. The loss was a severe one at that time, for dollars, as well as fuel, were scarce then. To secure ready cash, Mr. Meahan and a neighbor took their teams and worked on grading of the main line of the Burlington railroad in Custer county, and later secured work of the same kind in the northwest corner of Iowa, on the line between Sioux City and Sioux Falls, returning by the way of Yankton, Running Water, Niobrara, the trail up the river of that name, and the Keya Paha river to his home, richer in pocket and experience.

An orphan boy, Mr. Meahan's education was totally neglected. At the age of seventeen he could neither read nor write. He set about to acquire an education by his own efforts, and by perseverance has acquired a fund of knowledge equal to that of the average man. One in con- versing with him would never think of him as ever having been deprived of early advantages.

Of such men are the bone and sinew of the country ; self-made, self-reliant and self-uplift- ing. His life should be an inspiration to his sons.

JESSE B. GALYEAN. (Deceased.)

The gentleman whose name heads this personal history was for many years a prominent agri- culturist of Boone county, Nebraska, and one of the leading old settlers in this section of the

country. He was successful in building up a good farm and home in section four, township twenty, range seven, accumulated property, and lived in the town of Albion, where he enjoyed life, in his later years. His death occurred at Albion, May 23, 1910.

Jesse B. Galyean was born in Wayne county, Indiana, October 13, 1829, and after reaching manhood he moved to Delaware county, Iowa, where he followed farming.

On March 11, 1856, Mr. Galyean was married to Miss Catherine Stoner, who was born in In- diana, but a resident of Iowa at the time of her marriage.

In the spring of 1880, our subject came to Boone county, Nebraska, homesteading one hun- dred and fifty-two acres in section four, town- ship twenty, range seven, and a timber claim of forty-seven acres adjoining the homestead. He lived on the homestead until 1894, when he retired from active farm life and moved to Albion, where he purchased a comfortable home, which was his residence until his death.

While living in Iowa, Mr. Galyean served three years as constable, and also assessor for nine consecutive years; and during his residence in Nebraska was director of school distiet num- ber forty, for a number of years.

Mr. and Mrs. Galyean had eight children born to them, five of whom are living: Josephine, wife of Alfred Clark, lives in Albion; Leora, wife of Walter Havens has two children, and lives in Loretto; Florence, died in childhood; Eudora, deceased ; George, married, has three children and resides in Albion; Nettie, deceased, was the wife of Milton Hartsock, and is survived by her hus- band and one son; Minnie, wife of Harley Long- necker, has three children and resides in Boone county ; and Elva, wife of B. E. Morehead, lives in Albion.

Mr. Galyean was one of the earliest settlers in Boone county, and widely and favorably known.

FRED BAUMANN.

The gentleman above mentioned is counted among the oldest settlers in Antelope county, Ne- braska, and since locating here May 21, 1881, has taken a foremost part in the development of his region. He is a highly respected citizen in his community, and holds the regard and friendship of all.

Mr. Baumann is a native of Germany, his birth having occurred in Ril village, Wurtenburg province, February 7, 1845. He grew to manhood in the fatherland, and served his native country in two wars, the Austro-German, and Franco- German wars; after growing to an age old enough to learn a trade, our subject was taught the blacksmith's trade, his father, George Baumann, having followed that occupation also.

584

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPITY.

Mr. Baumann first came to America in July, 1872, on the steamship "Rheim," and after landing in the new world remained in Phila- delphia, Pennsylvania, for three and a half years where he worked in a blacksmith shop; he then returned to Germany, remaining four years, when he again came to America with the intention of making this his permanent home, which he has done. He sailed to America on the steamship "Ryland," coming by way of Bremen, Germany, to Baltimore, Maryland.

Mr. Baumann was united in marriage Feb- ruary 25, 1885, to Miss Minnie Nenebroker, a native of Phalen province, North Germany. Mr. and Mrs. Baumann are highly respected and esteemed.

Mr. Baumann came to Antelope county, Ne- braska, in 1881, taking up the homestead where he now lives, which is located in section thirty-four, township twenty-five, range eight, and is still living in the first house built by him when he first came; he is one of the few old settlers of this region who are still living on the old homestead farm. The family experienced many hardships and discouraging incidents which so many others did at that period, and they suffered losses through storms of almost every description, hail, wind, etc .; in 1894, the dronth and hot winds which prevailed that year destroyed their entire crops; and many times they were compelled to fight prairie fires to save their home and posses- sions, and even their lives.

EDDIE WARREN EMERSON.

Among the few old residents of Custer county who have retained possession of their original homesteads since first locating there is the enter- prising farmer and stockman whose name heads this article. Mr. Emerson is a native of Alton, Illinois, born May 23, 1855, eldest child of Rich- ard and Mary (Ellis) Emerson, who were parents of seven children. He has a brother and a sister in Minneapolis, Minnesota; a sister in Montana, a brother in Boston, the others of the children be- ing deceased. Both parents were born in Massa- chusetts, the father of English parentage and the mother of English and Scotch descent. He died in Alton, August 5. 1872, and she in Minneapolis, August 23, 1910. The coat of arms formerly used by the Emerson family in England is in the possession of E. W. Emerson.

Mr. Emerson was reared in Alton and there re- ceived the educational advantages afforded in the public school. As a young man he engaged in farming and in the spring of 1882 decided to seek the larger opportunities offered in the west and went to St. Paul, Nebraska, where he remained one year.

Mr. Emerson was married at Hastings, March 7, 1883, to Miss Lou Edwards, who was born in London, England, and came to America in in-

fancy. She had been a teacher in Illinois before coming to Nebraska. The young couple made their first home in Custer county, securing a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land on the northeast quarter of section twenty-seven, township eighteen, range eighteen, which has been their home throughout all the years since. Mr. Emerson has made all possible improvements and has brought his land to a state of large pro- ductiveness. He is one of the older settlers of his neighborhood and in early days met with many discouragements and trying experiences, but has met them with unflagging energy and ambition, never losing faith in the future of Nebraska. In his early years there he did freighting between Westerville and Grand Island, during this time enduring the hardships of Nebraska's severe winters. He is well known in his part of Custer county as an upright and useful citizen and is re- garded with respect and esteem by all.

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 126

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