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 138
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In 1884, Mr. Evens removed to Brown county, Nebraska, there took up a homestead, and erected a house. In 1890 he came to Cedar county, and later purchased his present farm on section nine, township twenty-nine, range one, east, where he has made many improvements, and now owns one of the best equipped stock and grain farms of his
part of Cedar county. He is well deserving of the success that is his, and has won many warm friends, being recognized as a man of upright- ness and integrity in all his dealings.
In 1859, Mr. Evens was united in marriage with Elizabeth Stork, a native of Germany, who came to America with her parents when seven years of age. Ten children have blessed their union, namely: Eliza, now Mrs. Charles A. Rob- erts ; Julia, now Mrs. F. S. Carpenter ; George C .; Lillie, now Mrs. F. E. Jones; Etta, wife of Robert Sceli; Charles; Harry L., and John P. Two daughters, Katie and Luella, are deceased.
Mr. Evens is inclined to democracy, and al- ways has assisted in a public-spirited manner in the precinct affairs of his home locality.
JOHN L. DAVIS.
In the person of the above-mentioned gentle- man we find one of the oldest settlers of Merrick county, recognized by all as one of the repre- sentative citizens of that locality, who has seen the growth and progress of that region from its early settlement.
John L. Davis was born in Morgan county, Ohio, June 6, 1841, and was eldest of nine chil- dren in the family of William P. and Hannah (Logan) Davis, who had five sons and four daughters. Mr. Davis was a farm boy, and re- ceived the district school advantages, and re- mained on the home farm in Noble county until time of his enlistment in the Civil war, in Com- pany A, Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, July 29, 1861. He participated in the battles of Lewisburg, Virginia, Chickamauga, Mission Ridge, Berryville, Winchester and Lynchberg, under Thomas and Sheridan. Mr. Davis had an excellent war record, and received his honorable discharge, September 3, 1864, when he returned to Noble county, where he engaged in the oil busi- ness for two years.
On May 24, 1866, Mr. Davis was married to Miss Elenor H. Posten, who was also a native of Ohio. After marriage, Mr. Davis farmed in Mor- gan county one year, then moved to Muskingum county, Ohio, where he lived until 1872, and fol- lowed farming.
In the fall of 1872, Mr. Davis, with his wife and two children, moved to Merrick county, Ne- braska, taking up a homestead on section thirty- two, township fourteen, range eight, which now joins the town of Palmer, and he sold this prop- erty about 1900. Mr. Davis was, therefore, one of the pioneer homesteaders of Merrick county.
In the spring of 1888, Mr. Davis began busi- ness in the new town of Palmer, dealing in farm implements, becoming one of the pioneer business men of Palmer, and has continued in the imple- ment business to this date. He has a fine imple- ment house, and enjoys a large trade. Mr. Davis in past years has been connected with the politi- cal progress of the county, and, besides his busi-
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ness in Palmer, has land interests in Wyoming.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis have had five children, four of whom are living: Elizabeth P., wife of A. T. Ferris, has seven children, and resides in Palmer, Nebraska; Frank T., married, has six children, and lives in Wheatland, Wyoming; Ann E., wife of A. J. MeClellan, has four children, and resides in Nanee county, Nebraska, and Elsie M., wife of R. T. Linderman, has one child, and lives in Palmer.
Mr. and Mrs. Davis and family are of the pioneer stock of Merrick county, and in social and educational circles are well known, having the respect and esteem of many friends.
JOHN ICKLER.
John Iekler, of Creighton, now retired, is one of the many thrifty sons of the fatheland who has won a competency for himself in the new world. He was born in the village of Allendorf. province of Hesse-Nassau, April 17, 1850, and spent the first nineteen years of his life in the old country, employed at farm labor. His par- ents, Siebert and Catherine (Reitz) lekler, died in their native province.
On emigrating, he sailed from the haven of Bremen in November, 1869, and in ten days landed in New York. Coming west, he found work in Cook county, near Chicago, for a short time, and then went to Chatsworth, where he remained nntil near harvest time, when he came to Omaha, and found work in the grain fields a mile or two out of town. Here he was found to he so efficient and industrious that he remained one and one half years with the same man, work- ing on his farm or in his mill at West Point.
Desiring possessions of his own, he took what money he had saved, and filed on a homestead. nine miles northwest from West Point, in Cum- ing county, which he occupied about six years. He then sold and rented for two years. after which he came to Knox county, reaching Creigh- ton in November, 1880, before the railroad had been laid into town. He ran a dray in town nine years, during which time he built a comfort- able home. Seeing more rapid prosperity in farm- ing, he sold bis town property, and purchased a (marter section, five miles south of ('reighton, in Antelope county, and lived there twenty-one years, adding to his possessions until he acenmu- lated four hundred and eighty aeres of fine farm and grazing land. Retaining two hundred aeres for his own use, he divided the rest between two of his sons, and retired from active farming. Ile purchased from his son. Siebert, a neat conerete cottage in Creighton, where he is with his wife and younger daughters, taking life easy, free from the worry of whence is to come his daily bread. He well merits the rest he is enjoying : it was by hard, persistent toil his success has been won.
Mr. Ickler was married at West Point, October 3, 1872, to Miss Anna Lobel, a native of the vil- lage of Altdorf, in Bavaria. Her father, George Lobel, eame to America about 1872, and was one of the early settlers of Cuming county. Of the nine children born to Mr. and Mrs. Ickler, seven are living: Paul, farming on part of the old home farm in Antelope county; Siebert, who for a number of years was a prosperous blacksmith in Creighton, sold his residence to his father, and took up a claim near Wall, South Dakota, run- ning a shop at his new ranch when not busy on the land; William, farms a part of the old farm near his eldest brother; Katie, married George Romine, a farmer of Knox county; Margaret, wife of Fred Hoffman, occupies the old home in Antelope county, and Bertha and Elsa are still under the parental roof.
Mr. Ickler has lived in Nebraska in three of the memorable blizzards-that of 1874, the one of October 15, 1880, and the one of January 12, 1888. His first house in Cuming county was a dug-ont of the usual type, which was later sup- planted by a frame dwelling, the timber being hauled from West Point. The country was all open when Mr. Ickler came, with no fences to im- pede travel in any direction. Prairie wolves were plentiful, and occasionally big grey wolves from the timber along the river were seen straying into the prairie in search of a calf or hog that had wandered too far from the herd.
Mr. lekler is a republican in politics, and, with his family, a member of the German Luth- eran church.
JONAS NELSON.
Jonas Nelson illustrates in his career the strong virtues and manly qualities of his Tentonie ancestry, and, like them, defies any danger, and overcomes any hindering obstacle. Never afraid of hard work, he has made his own way entirely, and is well known to the people of Stanton county as one of the prosperous and prominent farmers of that locality.
Mr. Nelson was born in 1849, in Schleswig- Ilolstein, Germany, and is the son of John and Nellie Nelson.
His childhood years were spent in the old country, where he recevied his education. As he grew up, he was for several years employed in loeal factories. In 1877 he was united in mar- riage to Miss Minnie Mawz, a native of Germany.
In 1881 Mr. Nelson, with his little family, left his native land, and came to the new world. which they imagined-and with truth-had so mueh for them in the future. They came at once to Washington eonnty, Nebraska, where Mr. Nel- son worked a rented farm for several years. Ten years later he came to Stanton connty, where he bought a farm in section five, township twenty- one, range two, east, which has been the home farm ever since. Since he bought this place, he
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
has improved it in many ways, and it is now a picture of thrift and plenty.
Mr. and Mrs. Nelson are the parents of five children, upon whom they have bestowed the fol- lowing names: Charles, William, Gusta, Emma and Mary. They enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.
WILLIAM BROOKHOUSER.
William Brookhouser, of Orchard, Nebraska. is an old settler in that part of the state, having come to Knox county over twenty-one years ago. He is a native of lowa, born in 1858, and came west at an early day. During his residence in Nebraska, he has taken an active part and done his share toward the development of the agricul- tural resources of this part of the state.
ALEXANDER L. MATHEWS, M. D.
Dr. Alexander L. Mathews owns desirable business interests in Custer county, and has an extensive practice in the vicinity of Callaway. He is interested in local and state politics, and is recognized as a public-spirited, enterprising citi- zen. He was born in Bradford county, Pennsyl- vania, February 18, 1849, fourth of the seven children of John and Eliza (Waltman) Mathews. The only ones of the family who still survive, besides himself, are : Sarah, Mrs. Kenyon, of Bradford county; Lewis, of Tioga county, New York, and Mrs. Minerva J. Fleming, of Picture Rocks, Pennsylvania. The father was of English descent, and was born at Morris, New Jersey. He spent most of his life in Pennsylvania, and worked most earnestly for the progress and de- velopment of Bradford county, where he died in 1888. His father, Aaron Mathews, served in the war of 1812. The mother of Alexander L. Math- ews was born in Luzerne county, Pennsylvania, of German extraction, and died in Bradford county in 1885.
Dr. Mathews reached manhood on the farm where he was born, and received his elementary education in local schools. In 1874 he graduated from the American University, of Philadelphia. where he had taken a medical course, and in 1882 graduated from Eclectic Medical Institute, of Cincinnatti. In 1874 he had spent some time in the Blockley hospital in West Philadelphia, where he had clinical experience, and in 1893 he took a post-graduate course in medicine and sur- gery at the Bennett Medical College in Chicago.
On January 1, 1870, in Bradford county, Penn- sylvania. Dr. Mathews was united in marriage with Miss Lanra Strevey, who was born in Brad- ford, and who died in Pennsylvania in 1875. sur- vived by her husband and two children-Lillian. who died in 1904. leaving her husband, Samuel Idell, and two children. and Willard V., who is married, and living at Lincoln, Nebraska.
In 1886 Dr. Mathews came with his family to Fremont, Nebraska, and for six months engaged in drug business and cared for his medical prac- tice. In October of the same year, he came on to Callaway, and established a practice which has since steadily increased. He has a high reputa- tion, professionally, and stands well in the com- munity in all circles.
Dr. Mathews was married (second) in Brad- ford county, to Mrs. Adelaide Brown, whose maiden name was Wilcox, a native of the county and a teacher in Pennsylvania schools. When Dr. . and Mrs. Mathews decided to locate in Callaway, it was some six weeks before he could make ar- rangements to leave his practice, and Mrs. Mathews came on ahead, and opened the first hotel in Callaway. Both have taken an active interest in the growth of the town, and in the welfare and upbuilding of the community. Dr. Mathews was one of the organizers of the Seven Valleys State Bank, of Callaway, and was its president for twelve years. While he has always continued in medical practice, he has helped var- ious enterprises to get a start, was for six years engaged in mercantile business. has been quite extensively interested in the stock business, and has also had a retail drug business. In 1887 he helped organize the Callaway school district, and for seven years served as secretary of the board. For six consecutive years he was chairman of the town board, and he has always been influential in public affairs. In early years he was one of the prime movers in establishing a flour mill at Calla- way, the only one within a radius of twenty-five miles, and a great help to the community.
While Dr. Mathews has at different times had extensive and varied business interests, his pro- fession has taken the first place in his life at all times, and he has always kept abreast of the times in the line of medical work. He has read the literature of the profession, and belongs to various medical societies. During the years 1895. 1896 and 1897. he was a member of the faculty of Lincoln Medical College as lecturer on dermatology. Throughout the years he has been a patriotie Nebraskan, and is well known throughout the central part of the state.
Dr. Mathews is a strong believer in the spirit- ual, and all through his professional practice as a physician the spiritual feature has been a dom- inant one with him. Frequently, when it is ap- parent that the soul of a mortal is near the call to the great beyond, he has administered in this capacity, much to the relief and comfort to the one afflicted, and to those so soon to be bereft of a loved one. The peculiarities of the settlement of a new country, with its abnormal distances to neighboring homes, has made this a necessary part of his professional practice. Frequently his ardent prayers have given comfort to a departing soul when the life and end of a sufferer needed consolation, and when the services of a clergyman was not to be had.
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STEPHEN N. ARNOLD.
While not of the very oldest settlers of Ne- braska, Stephen N. Arnold is considered one of the reliable men of Valley county, where he has lived for the past nineteen years, and the Arnold family has intermarried with some of the old Valley county families. Mr. Arnold resides on section twenty, township nineteen, range thir- teen, where he owns three hundred and twenty acres of fine land, and where he raises stock. This farm is well equipped, and has good build- ings.
Mr. Arnold was born in a log house in War-' ren county, Iowa, March 15, 1851, and was eldest of six children in the family of James and Mar- garet (Durham) Arnold, who had five sons and one daughter. The father was a native of Indi- ana, and the mother a native of Maine. The father and family moved from Warren to Jones county, Iowa, in 1852, remaining until 1859, when they moved to Marion county, living there ten years, then moving to Lucas county, and residing there several years. The father died here in 1886, and the mother passed away in the winter of 1892. Of the family now living there are: Stephen N. Arnold, the subject of this review ; William, who lives in Minnesota, and Abraham L., who lives on the old homestead in Lucas coun- ty, Iowa. The Arnold family were pioneers of Iowa, and the mother's family, the Durhams, were pioneers of Iowa before its admittance as a state.
Mr. Arnold was given his time by his father, and started out for himself on attaining his twen- tieth year. He was married to Miss Margaret A. Carmichael in Lucas county, Iowa, November 13, 1872. Her father, Solomon E. Carmichael was a native of North Carolina, and the mother, Eliza- beth Young in maidenhood, was a native of Indi- ana. Mr. and Mrs. Arnold have nine children, namely : Emma Jane, wife of A. J. Litz, has three children, and resides in Rock county, Nebraska; Della E., who is married to Albert McMindes, has three children, and lives in Ord; Charles G., farming with his brother, James; James S., who is married and living on the Wigent farm adjoin- ing his father's land; Bertha May, wife of L. W. Seerley, has two children, and lives on the Van Wie farm in Springdale township, and Benjamin H., David D., Verl E. and Lela Pearl, who reside at home.
Mr. and Mrs. Stephen Arnold lived in Lucas county, Iowa, until coming to Valley county, Ne- braska, in March of 1893, when they moved on the farm purchased in the fall of 1892, on section twenty, township nineteen, range thirteen. Mr. Arnold was a farmer and stock man in Iowa, and since coming to Valley county has continued to farm and raise stock. He now as a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres, known as Pleas- ant Grove Grain and Stock farm, on which a com- modious dwelling and large, roomy barn were built within the last few years. We are pleased
to call attention to a view of the dwelling and sur- roundings illustrating another page of the book.
Mr. Arnold has lived most of his life on the frontier. At the time of his birth, wolves were plentiful in Warren county, and each successive move of the family was into a new country with few settlers, and these far between. For years the mother cooked the family meals in an open oven before a wood fire on the hearth or in a skil- let with coals heaped on top, as well as packed in below, and though for long periods johnny cake and sorghum formed the principal, if not the only diet, it was wholesome and nourishing, and to keen young appetites tasted good. There was usually a small sack of wheat flour in the cabin for biscuit Sunday morning or when a chance visitor remained with them for a meal, and the hope of such fare made visitors doubly welcome to the children, to whom hot, white biscuit were a great treat.
Mr. Arnold has always taken a keen interest in matters pertaining to the welfare of his adopted county, always standing for advance- ment along progressive and educational lines. He is a republican in politics, has served the people as treasurer of Springdale tonwship, and also as township assessor.
JOHN W. BRYAN.
One of the best known farmers of Custer county, Nebraska, is John W. Bryan, who has brought his homestead to a high state of improve- ment and productiveness. Mr. Bryan was born in Clay county, Illinois, December 6, 1849, being third in a family of seven children born to Wil- liam H. and Martha C. (Brinn) Bryan, the father of English and the mother of Scotch descent. The father was born in Tennessee, and the mother in Illinois; her mother was born in South Caro- lina and at the age of fifteen came with her par- ents to Shelbyville, Illinois. The family is men- tioned elsewhere in this work in connection with others of its members. The paternal grand- father, Gilson T. Bryan, was a minister of the Christian church. William H. Bryan served in the Civil war and was killed in April, 1862, at the battle of Pittsburg Landing. His wife died in Illinois in October of 1862. They have one son at Taylorville, Illinois, one daughter at Gi- rard, Illinois, one daughter in California, and the subject of this sketch, who survive, their other children being deceased.
Mr. Bryan grew to manhood in the family of an uncle, John W. Bryan, and received his edu- cation in his native county, later engaging in farming there. On December 23, 1874, he was married, in Clay county, to Sarah Ingraham, a native of that state, who died in July, 1876. In March, 1877, Mr. Bryan came to Custer county and homesteaded on one hundred and sixty acres of land, comprising the southeast quarter of sec- tion nine, township sixteen, range seventeen,
B
"PLEASANT GROVE GRAIN AND STOCK FARM," RESIDENCE OF STEPHEN N. ARNOLD.
999
"ELM HILL FARM," RESIDENCE OF JOHN W. BRYAN,
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
which has since been his home. He filed on this land October 27, 1877, being the first homesteader on Clear creek in Custer county; at that time deer, elk and antelope were plentiful, three be- ing killed in one day about this time near his home.
On April 10, 1883, Mr. Bryan married (sec- ond), in Westerville, Nebraska, Miss Anna Dun- lap, a native of Ohio. The Dunlap family settled in Nebraska in the seventies. Mrs. Bryan died on the home farm April 15, 1893, survived by her husband and the following five children: Win- field S., Daniel W., Wilbert M., Francis M., at home, and John, who died at the age of six years.
Mr. Bryan is enthusiastically interested in all that pertains to the general welfare, and has been closely identified with the progress of his county, having held various township offices and performed every duty that fell to him as a citi- zen. He is a republican in politics, and a mem- ber of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the American Order of Protection.
Mr. Bryan has a fine stock and grain farm, and gives much attention to bees, having many stands of hives. His place contains substantial ontbuildings, the neat cottage dwelling having been erected in 1910. We give an illustration of the home on its elevation, with other buildings conveniently grouped, making an excellent farm residence.
Mr. Bryan was three miles away from home at a sale when the well-known blizzard of Janu- ary 12, 1888, began. Being familiar with every foot of the surrounding country, he had no diffi- culty in making his way home. Among the early discouragements were hailstorms on July 4, 1880, and July 3, 1885, and the drouth of 1894, when Mr. Bryan fed an old crop of wheat to his hogs, thus saving them.
AUGUST ROEPKE.
Among the well-to-do retired farmers of Pierce county, the gentleman above mentioned, who has spent many years as a tiller of the soil, and during that time through industry, thrift and good management, has accumulated a valuable estate, is accorded a foremost place. He has passed through the severest experiences of pioneer life, has been an earnest and faithful citizen, and well merits the success and high station to which he has attained.
August Roepke was born February 26, 1836, in the village of Mandelsloh, province of Hanover, Germany, and as a boy attended the parochial school kept by an old soldier named Depmering, who had served in the Russian campaign under Napoleon. After leaving school, August secured employment as an errand boy and continued at that until he was eighteen years of age, then learned the shoemakers trade and followed it for about six years. During the hostilities he- tween Hanover and Prussia, he served in the
army for a short time, at the close of the war returning home.
In 1868 he came to America with a brother, Henry, who settled in Illinois, acquired a good farm and has reared a large family of boys, most of them now in business in Chicago. On the trip from Germany, which was made on the "Deutchland," which was later lost at sea, they had a very stormy voyage but finally landed in New York safely. Our subject located in Chicago, obtaining employment with a railroad construc- tion company, and was sent to Wisconsin where he worked at grade work and later bridge build- ing, but this labor proving too heavy, he found work on a farm in Eaton county and remained there two years.
He was very saving, and when he had gotten quite a little money together, came to Pierce county, Nebraska, in the fall of 1870, at which time there were only two or three houses in the county seat. He filed on a homestead located on the edge of the present site of Osmond, when there was no obstruction in the open prairie for miles around. He went through pioneer experi- ences there, for many years receiving frequent visits from bands of Indians, some of them prov- ing very troublesome but by treating them kindly he won the good will of the chief, who, to show his appreciation, presented him with a large black hat many sizes too big for him, so he passed it on to a friend, Herman Kort, who kept it as a highly prized relie of the early days. Another odd experience once befell him in fording a stream on the way home from Pierce; his wagon box floated off the trucks and landed safely on the shore, but in order to recover a bucket that had fallen into the water Mr. Roepke waded out up to his arm pits, and as a result of this ex- posure suffered a hard cold followed by a decline, and for twenty years he was affilicted with con- sumption, at one time being so low and death seemingly so near, that a neighbor brought lum- ber from Wisner to make his coffin. He begun to get better and now jokingly relates the cir- cumstance, stating that the boards were after- wards stolen. Although now well along in the seventies, he is seemingly in the best of health, and will not need a "wooden overcoat" for some time to come.
After the title to his homestead had been per- fected, Mr. Roepke sold the land and took up a timber claim, and bought other land which he operated as a farmu for a number of years. This he sold in 1889, and purchased another tract located near Pierce, dealing in farm lands from time to time. In 1909 he disposed of all his land interests, putting his money into securities that required no labor, and he is at present residing in Pierce, where he settled in 1898, having built a comfortable residence, and occupying his time in buying stock.
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