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 133

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 133

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At the age of ten years, Willis R. Waite ae- companied his parents to Valley county, where he reached manhood on his father's farm. John D. Waite had purchased, in 1880, the homestead right taken by his oldest son. C. E. Waite, who had settled in Valley county in April, 1879. Af- ter completing the course in the local schools. Willis R. Waite entered the Capital City Com mercial College at Des Moines, Iowa, where he graduated, and he also holds a diploma from ('o- lumbian Business College, of Chicago. Aft. leaving school he engaged in teaching school. and later was employed as bookkeeper for the Bur- lington & Missouri River Railroad Company, at New Castle, Wyoming, where he remained a year and a half. He taught school in Loup City and in Sherman eounty for a time, and in 1899 re- turned to Valley county, Nebraska.

Mr. Waite was married October 25, 1899, to

Miss Abbie Grow, who was born at Loup City, Nebraska, and they are the parents of two chil- dren, Charles Edmund and Lucy Grow. Mrs. Waite is the daughter of Darwin C. Grow, post- master of Loup City, whose wife was before mar- riage Harriet Reniff, born near Hartford, Connec- ticut. Mr. Grow was born at Batavia, Illinois, and came to Nebraska in 1876, becoming one of Sherman county's pioneers.

In 1907 Mr. Waite purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land in section sixteen, town- ship seventeen, range fifteen, and this is still the home place. He has substantial and convenient buildings on his farm, of which we show a view elsewhere in this work. An especial item of in- terest on the place is his fine orchard of over a hundred and fifty trees, protected by a grove of fast growing Norway poplars, of which he has several groves on the place.

Mr. Waite is an energetic man of affairs, and is interested in everything relating to the welfare of the state or county. He is well and favorably known in Valley county and has many friends. He served for a time as director of district num- ber twenty-seven. In politics he is a republican.

Mr. Waite's introduction to Nebraska was anything but pleasant; the family was snow- bound at Seward by the three-day blizzard in the middle of October, 1880. They spent the winter in a half-finished house with nothing but shiplap between them and the cold world outside; for a whole week they stayed in bed most of the time, having only cornstalks for fuel. To keep their cow from freezing, she was brought into the house and kept in one room. When the floods came in the spring they were water-bound for three weeks, and even when it subsided travel was difficult, as all bridges were washed away. When the blizzard of January 12, 1888, came, our subscriber and his brother were hauling hay half a mile from home, and experienced great diffi- eulty in reaching home. Deer, elk and antelope were plentiful, the former sometimes being seen in herds of five or six. Mr. Waite and his broth- er killed a fine buck on one of their hunting ex- peditions. They followed trapping to add to their income, and with good success; they trapped not only animals, but game birds, seeur- ing over one hundred prairie chickens one winter.

ARTHUR H. BACKHAUS.

Arthur H. Backhaus, editor and proprietor of The Leader, published at Pierce, Nebraska, is one of the leading newspaper men of Pierce county. He has followed the work for many years, having been identified with different organs in that part of Nebraska, and since acquiring management of the above paper, has doubled the plant and cireu- lation of the same.

Mr. Backhaus is a native of Iowa, born in Allamakee county on August 18, 1880. He left that state with his parents when a small boy,

RESIDENCE OF WILLIS R. WAITE.

"VALLEY COVE FARM," RESIDENCE OF CHARLES D. FRASER.

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coming to Holt county, Nebraska, in the fall of 1887, locating sixteen miles southwest of Atkin- son. Here he received his education, attending the sandhill schools with his brother and sister, walking six miles to and from school, and these trips were attended by considerable risk in those days, the children from several families being obliged to cross a river by boat in order to reach the school, and often they had exciting experien- ces along the way.

Mr. Backhaus remained, working on his fath- er's farm until he was eighteen years of age, then entered the office of the Holt County Independent at O'Neill, and served his apprenticeship to the printer's trade.

After an extended trip through the state, he entered the office of the Stuart Ledger at Stuart, soon afterwards entering into partnership with the editor of that paper, and they also started the Naper News in Boyd county, their equipment be- ing a small hand press and some old type given them by Mr. Evans, of the O'Neill Independent, this same press being the one with which he start- ed in business. However, a beginning was made in the small village, which gave no great promise of its later increase, the young men alternating between Naper and Stuart, a division finally be- ing made, by which our subject was to handle the Stuart paper and the partner the Naper News. The latter was transferred to a successor about a year later, when Mr. Backhaus secured a position on the Post at Lindsay, Platte county, remaining for one year in the position, and then purchased the paper, which he edited for two years and sold. In February, 1903, he came to Pierce, and bought the Leader, which he has run ever since, this be- ing the chief official organ of the democratic party in Pierce county.

Our subject was married in Lindsay, June 15. 1903, to Miss Elizabeth Thomazin, daughter of Thomas and Mary Thomazin, natives of England, the latter now living with Mr. and Mrs. Back- haus.

Two children have been born to our subject and his charming wife, Ramona and Edgar, both bright and interesting young people.

Mr. Backhaus has always been affiliated with the democratic party, and, through his paper, gives his earnest support to the candidates and principles of his party. He is popular in business and educational circles in his vicinity, and a man highly esteemed by the people. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America lodge of Pierce.

NIELS P. JENSEN.

A fine two hundred and fifty acre farm is owned and operated by the gentleman above named. He resides on section twenty-four, and is one of the influential citizens of Howard county, having been identified with public affairs of his locality for the past thirty-six years or more.

Niels P. Jensen is a representative son of Denmark, having been born there on August 29, 1868, and at the age of four years came to America with his father, mother, three sisters and one brother, he being the fourth in order of birth. The ship on which they came over stopped at New Brunswick, and from there the Jensens went to Quebec, remaining a short time, then came on to the United States, settling at first in Iowa. The father took a farm in Blackhawk county, and after three years residence there the entire family came to Howard county, locating on a homestead on section thirty-two, township fifteen, range eleven, proved up and occupied it as the home place for some years after the death of the father, Lars Jensen, in the spring of 1893. The mother survived him for two years, her death occurring in 1895, and two years later the farm was divided among the children. Our subject started out for himself when about twelve years of age, working by the month on farms in that vicinity, and in 1898 purchased his home place which he still carries on, and which he has de- veloped into a fine farm, devoting his entire time to grain and stock raising so that he has become oue of the well known prosperous men of his locality.

Mr. Jensen was married to Annie Andersen, on March 5, 1890. Mrs. Jensen is a native of Denmark, coming to America with her parents in the spring of 1888. Ten children were born of their union, all of whom are living, as follows: Carrie, wife of George Wall, they living on a good farm in this county ; John, Mary, Ida, Hans, Chris, James, Olea, Walter and Peter, all at home.

Mrs. Jensen died on the homestead May 22, 1908, and her demise was a sad misfortune to her family, who together with a host of friends sin- cerely mourn her. She was a woman of lovely character, a devoted wife and mother, and was sorely needed in her home and community.

In the earlier years Mr. Jensen was a mem- ber of the school board in district number two, which was the first school established in How- ard county outside of the St. Paul schools. He has also been prominent in local public affairs.

On January 26, 1909, Mr. Jensen married Mrs. Minnie Hansen, also a native of Denmark, whose parents still reside in that country. By the last marriage there has been one child, Christina.

DIRK O. FRANZEN.

The Franzen family were among the very earliest settlers of Nebraska and passed through the experiences and trials of pioneer life. They have had much to do with the development and advancement of the best interests of Valley county and are numbered among the most pros- perous and successful of the early comers. Dirk O. Franzen is a native of the Kingdom of Han- over, Germany, born in the village of Luelesberg, province of East Friesland, May 15, 1850, youngest

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of the eight children of Onka and Jantje (Fran- ders) Franzen. The parents were born, reared and marired in Germany, where all their children were also born and reared. Two brothers and one sis- ter of Dirk O. Franzen came to the United States before he did and in the fall of 1873 his father and another sister came, and all settled in Cass county, Nebraska, except one sister, who settled first in Pennsylvania, but in later life came to Jefferson county, Nebraska. The father died in Cass county in 1881 in his eighty-eighth year; the mother had died in Germany in 1866. Mr. Franzen had a brother, Claus, in Germany, who died December 25, 1910, a brother, Frank, in Valley county, and a sister, Christina, (Mrs. Harm Lottman), in Cass county.

As a young man Dirk O. Franzen served three years in the German army, and during that time served in the Franco-German war. He partici- pated in thirteen battles, the siege of Metz and the campaign against the army of the Loire. He came to the United States in the fall of 1872, sailing from Hamburg in the "Ohio," landing in Baltimore after a voyage of eighteen days. He reached Nebraska December 1, of that year. He was the only one of the family who came to the United States at that time and located first in Cass county, where he was employed by the month at farm work. January 2, 1879, he married Miss Sophia Peters, in Cass county. She was a daughter of Peter and Lena (Shoemaker) Peters. The father came to the United States in 1855, and Miss Shoemaker came shortly afterward and they were married in Cook county, Illinois, in 1857, having known each other in Germany. In 1860, Mr. and Mrs. Peters brought their children, Sophia and William, to Cass county, Nebraska, being of the hardy pioneer band to pave the way for the present prosperity and development of the region. Six children were born to Mr. Peters and wife in Nebraska. The mother died in Cass county, October 23, 1897, and the father Febru- ary 28, 1904, both in their seventy-second year. Of their children six now survive and all live in Nebraska except Louis, of Kansas. Two sons and two daughters live in Cass county; Mrs. Ludwig Lenz and Mrs. Dirk Franzen live in Valley

county.

After his marriage Mr. Franzen and his wife began farming for themselves and rented a farm in Cass county until February, 1884, then moved to Valley county and there secured a homestead. They now have a well equipped grain and stock farm of four hundred and eighty acres of land on section four, township seventeen, range sixteen, which has been developed and improved by the efforts of Mr. Franzen and his family. They won their present success and prosperity by years of hard work and the practice of economy and thrift. Eight children were born to Mr. Franzen and wife, namely : Emma, wife of Theodore Shultz, of Valley county, has two sons; Henry, married and living in Cass county ;

Frank, married and living on section three, town- ship seventeen, range sixteen, has one child; Anna and Alvina, at home; Mary, wife of Nea- man Bouma, of Valley county ; and Christina and Claus, at home. The family has a good standing in the community and has many friends.

Mr. Franzen is independent in politics and a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fel- lows.

Mr. Franzen first lived in a sod house like most of the pioneers. He built a fine concrete block house in 1906, and nearly all the other buildings on the place have been erected since Mr. Franzen came into possession of it. The dry year, 1894, nothing was raised on the farm, and on several occasions severe hail storms des- troyed his crops. At the time of the memorable blizzard of January 12, 1888, Mr. Franzen was in Arcadia, and made his way home traversing the three miles bent almost to the ground in order to withstand the severe wind and to better see the ruts of the road leading home.

EDMUND P. WEATHERBY.

The gentleman above named is one of the foremost citizens of Norfolk, Nebraska, and is a very well known and esteemed member of the northeastern part of Nebraska.

Edmund P. Weatherby was born in Morrow county, Ohio, March 2, 1846, and was third of six children in the family of Thomas and Sophia Weatherby, who had three sons and three daugh- ters, Edmund being the eldest son. The parents were natives of New York state.

The Weatherby family went to Dubuque county, Iowa, in the spring of 1859, locating in Epworth, where the children attended the semi- nary at that place. Our subject's father pur- chased a farm in Delaware county, Iowa, in 1860, and removed his family to the farm.

Edmund Weatherby was a student in Lennox College at Hopkinton, Iowa, in the spring of 1864. The president of that college enlisted in the war as Captain in Company C, Forty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and with him in this com- pany he enrolled about sixty of his students, the subject of this sketch being one of the number, and saw such service as fell to the lot of the regiment. This company was in the one-hundred- day service, and in September was mustered out at Davenport, Iowa.

Mr. Weatherby then returned to his home in Delaware county, Iowa, and the following year attended Cornell College at Mount Vernon, lowa, where he remained until his senior year; then going into a law office in Manchester, Iowa, as a law student. In 1869, Mr. Weatherby began the practice of law in Manchester, and later on practiced in Dubuque. Iowa. In the spring of 1875 he came to Pierce county, Nebraska, open- ing up a law office in Pierce; and in the fall of 1886, moved to Creighton, Knox county, Nebraska,

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where he again began the practice of his pro- fession in a new field.

In 1888, Mr. Weatherby was the nominee on the democratic ticket in the third Nebraska con- gressional district, making a fine run in a strong republican district, and although he suffered de- feat he had the honor of six hundred majority over his opponent, in his opponent's home county. Mr. Weatherby continued the practice of law in Creighton until the fall of 1889, when he came to Norfolk for residence, opening up his law office in Norfolk and still continues his law practice at this place, where he now enjoys a large clientele. He has been a prominent attorney of Nebraska many years and in 1898 received the appointment of United States referee in bank- ruptey for the district of Nebraska. Mr. Weath- erby is prominent along all lines, political, social and educational, and has creditably filled differ- ent offices, among which he served in the capac- ity of city attorney of Norfolk several terms.

Mr. Weatherby was married at Creighton, Nebraska, September 3, 1890, to Miss Gertrude Warrick, a native of Iowa, coming to Nebraska with her parents about 1885. Mr. and Mrs. Weatherby occupy one of the pleasant homes of Norfolk, and enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.

Mr. Weatherby is a past commander of Nor- folk Post Grand Army of the Republic, and is affiliated with the Knight of Pythias lodge, being chancellor commander in that fraternity. He is national and state aid de camp in the Grand Army of the Republic.

JAMES W. HALLIWILL.

James W. Halliwill, a prosperous and snc- cessful farmer owning sixteen hundred acres of land, most of it within the borders of Custer county, is highly esteemed as a public-spirited and progressive citizen, who is interested in the upbuilding of the central portion of Nebraska. He passed through the experiences and hard- ships of the early days in his region and is well and favorably known. He was born in Jasper county, Iowa, October 26, 1862, next to the oldest of six children born to Austin and Rebecca (Sims) Halliwill. He has one sister in Long Beach, California, and two brothers in Iowa, and two of the children are deceased. The father was born in Medias, Guilford, Ohio, August 16, 1833, and the mother in Indiana, April 13, 1844, and they now reside in Mitchellville, Iowa.

Mr. Halliwill grew to manhood on an lowa farm, received his education in the public schools, and as a young man engaged in farming on his own account. In the fall of 1884 he de- cided to seek the larger opportunities offered for advancement in the west and pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land and took up a tree claim of like size about twenty miles west of Broken Bow. Custer county. After proving up

his claims to these properties he took another one hundred and sixty acres of land as a homestead and another tree claim adjoining. On June 1, 1898, Mr. Halliwill married Miss Julia M. Klump, of Custer county, a native of Jo Daviess county, Illinois, and daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Klump, who were among the early settlers on West Table, Custer county, and became promi- nent in local affairs. Two children have blessed the union of Mr. and Mrs. Halliwill: Everett Lee, and Rebecca Jane.

In 1903 Mr. Halliwill purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land on section fifteen, town- ship seventeen, range twenty-three, to which the family moved. He has in this place a well im- proved and equipped farm, well adapted for raising grain and stock, and very productive. He has been identified with the best interests of his county and state and is always ready to ad- vance any movement for the general welfare and progress. For some years past he has served on the board of school district number one hundred fifty-one. He and his wife are well known in various circles and have many friends.

JOHN C. HOFFMAN.

That success comes to the man who earnestly seeks it, is well illustrated in the career of John C. Hoffman, landed proprietor and business man of Plainview, Nebraska. He began with nothing except his energy and integrity, and was able in the prime of life to retire on a competency, though life and energy were too strong for him to remain in retirement long.

Mr. Hoffman was born in Girard, Trumbull county, Ohio, December 15, 1863, where the first four years of his life were spent there. The family then moved to Richland county, Wisconsin, where he attended school and assisted in working the home farm until he was eighteen years of age. In 1882 he sojourned in Dakota a short time, then to Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he spent one year, coming to Chase county, Nebraska, in 1884, while that vicinity was still unorganized as a county. He was among those who helped form this county, and afterwards started on a prospecting trip to the Colorado mountains, be- ing in the employ of a Chicago mining company. Ile remained with this firm for two years, then sought work in the mines at Park City, Utah, where he remained for a short time, finally re- turning to his parent's home in Wisconsin in 1889. He spent that winter with the old folks. and in the spring of 1890 came to Chamberlain. South Dakota, looking for a place to settle, but finding no opening alluring enough to hold him, decided to seek other fields. He adopted a novel mode of travel, in that he secured a skiff and floated down the Missouri River to Niobrara, stopping to inspect different points along the way. On arriving at Niobrara he proceeded across country to Lynch, where he met John

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Lynch, for whom the town was named, who shared his dugout with the young stranger. Mr. Hoffman filed on a homestead west of the town site, and in May opened a small store in Lynch, which he ran for a year and a half; this was the first mercantile establishment and gives Mr. Hoffman undisputed title to pioneer merchant ( Boyd county. He then went into partnership with Frank Muller, to whom he sold out his in terest at the end of the first year. Mr. Boonsteel, who had the faculty of seeking out honest, in- dustrious young men with whom he started new enterprises, made Mr. Hoffman an offer, which would have joined them in a profitable business venture, but the illness and subsequent death of the elder man played havoc with their plans. C. S. Anderson became an available partner in his next enterprise, and for three years they worked together and prospered to a flattering degree; then dissolved partnership, Mr. Hoffman retiring to reside on his homestead near town, where he farmed for a time.

After fully proving up on his claim, mercan- tile life again drew his attention to such an ex- tent that he returned to town, establishing a new store which grew rapidly, compelling him to add to his floor space frequently, until at the time of his retirement in 1908, he had the largest store in the county. On retiring from active business life Mr. Hoffman engaged in the real estate busi- ness in connection with the management of his own large estate. He owns twelve hundred and eighty acres of fine Boyd county land, besides a half section in Minnesota, which he took in ex- change for his stock of merchandise on quitting the store. But inactivity did not agree with a man in the prime of life with all his faculties still unimpaired and one of steady habits. On the failure of one of the old mercantile establishments in Plainview in the fall of 1910, Mr. Hoffman leased the building from the new owners and filled it with a complete new stock of general merchandise, which his years of experience en- abled him to select with a view to the best for local needs.

Mr. Hoffman was married in Lynch, on No- vember 25, 1895, to Miss Kate Johnson, dangh- ter of Marcellus Johnson, who for many years was post blacksmith at the Rosebud and Yankton Agencies, also at Fort Randall prior to his re- moval to Lynch in 1893. Four children have come to gladden the Hoffman home, namely : Lloyd, Kenneth, Marvin and Duane

Mr. Hoffman is a democrat in political faith. He was one of the members of the first board of county commissioners of Boyd county, and served two terms. He served as a member of the village council of Lynch, also on the board of education for a number of years. Ile is a mem- ber of the Masonic lodge at Butte, also of the Royal Ilighlanders, the Modern Woodmen of America, and the Ancient Order of United Work- men of Lynch.

Mr. Hoffman's success is not an accident; he has won his wealth by the exercise of good judg- ment and honest dealings which make for suc- cess in any field of human endeavor.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN PHELPS.

Abraham Lincoln Phelps, an old settler of Merrick county, Nebraska, has done his full share toward the development and improvement of its fertile lands. He is a prosperous and successful citizen who has the respect and esteem of all who know him.

Mr. Phelps was born in the state of Wiscon- sin, December 10, 1861, and was ninth of ten children in the family of Elnathan and Lucy (Wilson) Phelps, who had three sons and seven daughters. The Phelps family moved to Mer- rick county, Nebraska, in 1867, coming overland by wagon. The father homesteaded land one mile east of Central City. In the memorable cyclone on July 5, 1871, Mr. Phelps, senior, was killed on the homestead. The Phelps house was destroyed, and of the family two daughters, Rose and Carrie, and boy Abraham, and the father were in the house at this time. Mr. Phelps, senior, had his neck broken, Abraham, our sub- ject, had his collar bone broken and was knocked senseless, and Rose had her head injured.

Abraham Phelps from his sixth year grew up in Merrick county, and Merrick county has been his home until this time. In past years he trailed cattle throughout the west, shipping them. He is now located on the old John Allen homestead, four miles north of Clarks.

Mr. Phelps was united in marriage to Miss Cora Richfield in Central City, Nebraska, about the spring of 1880, and four children have been born to them: Gertrude, wife of Paul Cunning- ham, has three children and resides in the state of Washington, on Whitby Island, eight miles from Seattle; Alnathan, married and lives in Merrick county; and William and Archie, who reside at home.

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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 133

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