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 145

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 145

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HERMAN GERECKE.

The subject of this personal history was born in Germany, August 28, 1844, and was the eldest of three children, our subject and William and Bertha Gerecke.

In September, 1854, Mr. Gerecke's father and mother and their three children and two children by the father's former marriage, came to the United States of America. settling in Dodge county, Wisconsin, in the town of Hustisford, where the father worked at his trade of plasterer and brick mason.

Herman Gerecke, the subject of this sketch, from his tenth year, grew up in Wisconsin until

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the time of his enlistment in Company D, Six- teenth Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, December, 1861. While in his country's service, he received a wound in the battle of Pittsburg Landing, April 6, 1862, on account of which he was discharged on August 26, 1862, at Milwaukee, Wisconsin, after which, in July, 1863, he came to Nebraska with a family by the name of Nettleton, coming overland by ox team from Wisconsin.

In December, 1863, Mr. Gerecke again enlisted in the United States army from Burt county, Nebraska, and joined Company C, Seventh Iowa Cavalry, this regiment being stationed at that time at Omaha, Nebraska, on frontier duty. On May 7, 1866, Mr. Gerecke received his discharge at Leavenworth, Kansas, and in September, 1866, returned to Nebraska, going back to Burt county, where he took up a homestead, and where he is known as one of the pioneer homesteaders of Burt county.

Mr. Gerecke also learned the carpenter's trade, and on April 29, 1869, moved to Norfolk. Madison county, Nebraska, where he went to work in a new flour and saw mill in Norfolk as a carpenter and millwright, and Norfolk has re- mained his home ever since.

Our subject was first elected mayor of Nor- folk, Nebraska, and served his people so well that he was elected to fill that office three differ- ent times. He also held the office of justice of the peace fourteen years since 1880, and also served as assessor for Norfolk. Mr. Gerecke needs no words to acclaim his worth, as his own history tells of the popularity and esteem he en- joys in his community.

Mr. Gerecke is democratic, and has been prominent in his party for a number of years, and was the nominee of his party for the state legislature about 1892.

Mr. Gerecke's parents, after their residence in the state of Wisconsin, eame to live in Madison county also, and were well known and highly respected by all. Our subject suffered the loss of both parents. Ilis mother died in Norfolk in 1877 in her sixty-third year, and his father died in Norfolk in 1901 in his eighty-sixth year.

Mr. Gereeke was married to Miss Sarah E. Brickley in Omaha, Nebraska, on July 22. 1871, and they are the parents of a fine family of seven children, whose names and histories are given as follows: Addie, who is married to A. K. Leonard. a druggist in Norfolk, Nebraska; Alfred M., also married, and lives in Holdrege, Nebraska ; Ervin, married, and living in Fremont, Nebraska ; Nellie, who is married to F. W. Emory. and living at Oakmont, Pennsylvania ; Charley, who resides in Hastings, Nebraska; Ciarence and Fred. who live in their home town, Norfolk, Nebraska.

Mr. Gerecke is one of the few remaining old settlers of this portion of Nebraska. IIe has had a varied eareer, and has been a successful man of affairs, and is one of the best known citizens of Madison county.

REV. SYLVESTER CURTIS TUBBS.

Rev. Sylvester Curtis Tubbs is a citizen of Custer county who has long been identified with its farm, stock and business interests. He is well known, also, for his activity in educational and religious interests. He has been especially forceful in church work and at different times has served as pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church in various churches in the Kearney dis- trict. He has in past years devoted consider- able time to pastoral work in Custer and ad- joining counties. On account of throat trouble, he gave up this line of work in 1904, but retains a keen interest in the affairs and welfare of the local church. Mr. Tubbs was born in Ulster county, New York, December 3, 1851, sixth child of the eight children of Lysander C. and Caro- line (Swan) Tubbs. Of these children three sons and three daughters reached maturity. The parents were also natives of New York and were married in that state. The father died in Kansas March 23, 1875. The mother came to Nebraska with her son, Sylvester C., and her death occurred at his house, January 22, 1892. The only mem- bers of the family now surviving are Sylvester and his brother James O., who lives seven or eight miles south of Maxwell, in Lincoln county.

Lysander C. Tubbs was a farmer and also had a lumber mill and blacksmith shop. The younger days of Sylvester C. Tubbs were spent on a farm and later he helped his father in the mill. The family moved to Vineland. New Jersey. about 1869 or 1870, and about one year later to Potta- wattamie county, Kansas, where the death of the father occurred. Mr. Tubbs was married in that county July 8, 1875, to Mrs. Anna E. Larrem. and they lived on a farm in Kansas a few years after their marriage.

In May, 1880, Mr. Tubbs brought his wife and their adopted son to Custer county, making the trip via the prairie schooner route, and spend- ing three weeks on the road. With the parties were his brother-in-law, Andrew Case, and his uncle. I. S. Sawn, with their families, and also George W. Ransier, brother of Mrs. Tubbs, and Inther Mattison. They reached their destina- tion in June and all located in the same neigh- borhood. Mr. Tubbs secured a timber claim on the southeast quarter of section eighteen, town- ship seventeen, range twenty-five, and several years later took the northeast quarter of the same seetion as a pre-emption, making a half-section farm. The timber claim was taken June 30, 1880, and he still holds both pieces of land, being one of the few old settlers to retain possession of their original farms.

At the time he came to Custer county the cat- tle men and ranch men were the only residents of his part of it. and the members of his party were the original homesteaders of that region. being the farthest settlers up the South Loup river for about three years. Lexington, in Daw- son county, was then their nearest trading point,

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, RE MINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

Mr. Tubbs experienced the losses and trials of the years of drouth and other vicissitudes of the early settler, but was not diseouraged, and event- ually reaped the fruits of his toil. His wife died on the home farm March 13, 1900, and in July, 1908, Mr. Tubbs left the farm and came to live in Arnold. No children had been born to their union.

Mr. Tubbs had been an active worker and ex- horter in the Methodist church before coming to C'uster eounty, and soon after his arrival organ- ized a Sunday school and held religious services. At first the congregation was made up of the lit- tle settlement of which his family was a part, with cattlemen and cowboys from the neighbor- ing ranehes, but in 1888 he entered the ministry and for several years thereafter was engaged in supply work. He was well fitted for this good work and held many early appointments in een- tral Nebraska. It has been a regret and sorrow to his many friends and acquaintances that he has felt it necessary to give up active participation in this work.

On July 8, 1901, Mr. Tubbs was united in mar- riage with Mrs. Orpha Olive Gregory, and two children have blessed their union: Anna Leota. born in Dawson county, and Velma Mary, born in Custer county. Mr. Tubbs is one of the best known men in the central part of the state and has been associated for many years with the best interests of the region.

ABNER BAILEY.

The highly eultivated fields of Nebraska and well equipped ranch properties bear little sem- blanee of the land as it was in the time of the pioneer settler, when he found it a vast wilderness or barren prairie, perhaps covered in parts with brush or submerged. None of it was in shape for cultivation, and yet many of those who went to that country under these unpromising conditions have remained to become the owners of some of the finest farms in the state. Among those who have brought about this most pleasing condition is the gentleman above named. Abner Bailey, who for many years had a pleasant and comfortable home in section one, township twenty-seven. range four, in Pierce county, Nebraska. They now live on section fifteen, township sixteen. range forty-seven, near Lodge Pole, Cheyenne connty, Nebraska, having moved to the new loea- tion March 1, 1911.

Abner Bailey was born in 1845. in LaPorte, Indiana. and is the son of Volney W. and Anna (Hendrieks) Bailey, the father being of English deseent, born in New York state in 1820, and died in 1873; and the mother was of German descent, born in 1824, and died in 1894. Our subject's father served in the civil war, enlisting in 1864.

Mr. Bailey came from LaPorte, Indiana, to Pierce county. Nebraska, in 1882, and home-

steaded land in the southwest quarter, section one, township twenty-seven, range four, where he built a sod house in which he lived six months and then built a frame house. Here he developed a fine farm after going through all the hardships ineident to those early pioneer times, and among other calamities suffered from the great hail- storm of 1894.

Mr. Bailey was united in holy wedlock to Miss Marie Carr, and they have had two children born to them: Volney W., and Charles W.

Mr. Bailey is highly respected and esteemed by all who knew him, and he is a member of the Masonic order ; in' religious faith he is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and in politics he votes the republican tieket.

ABSALOM Y. KING.

Perseverance and integrity are the stepping stones by which many men have reached success. but of the early settlers of the west these charae- teristics were required in greater measure than usually falls to the men of old settled regions. The genteleman above mentioned possesses these attributes in a marked degree and to this fact is due his present snecess. He resides in section two, township thirteen, range seven, where he has a finely developed farm, comfortable home, and good buildings.

Absalom Y. King was born in New Jersey. January 7, 1842, and was third of eleven ehildren in the family of Charles and Elizabeth (Van Fleet) King, who had nine sons and two daugh- ters. The King family moved to Moline, Illinois, in 1855, and then to Henry county, Illinois, the following year. Mr. King was a farm boy, and farming and stock raising has been his occupation until this time.

Mr. King enlisted in Company C, Ninth Illi- nois Cavalry, in March, 1864, and was mustered out at Selma, Alabama, in November, 1865. He was out on scout duty most of the time during his service, and was also on patrol and detached skirmish duty. After his discharge our subject returned to Henry county, Illinois, and in the spring of 1873 came to Merrick county, Nebraska, taking up a homestead on section six, township fourteen, range eight.

Mr. King was married to Miss Susan Artman. in Henry county, Illinois, November 17, 1864, one child being born of this union: John Edward. who is married, bas one ehild, and resides at Lin- coln, Nebraska. Mrs. King died in January, 1866.

Mr. King was united in marriage a second time, when on October 5, 1867, he was bound in holy wedlock to Malinda MeHenry, in Henry county, Ilinois ; and at the time of coming to Mer- rick county, Nebraska, the family consisted of himself, wife and three children. Six children in all were born to this union, three of whom were born in Merriek county. Of the six ehildren five are living : Daisy, who resides at home; Charles

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

William, married, has four children, and lives in Merrick county; Annie May, lives at home; Eugene, married, has two children, and lives in Logan county, Nebraska ; and Ernest, who resides at home; one child, Nora U., died in infancy.

Mr. King lived on his homestead until 1884, and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in section two, township thirteen, range seven, where he now resides. Mr. King is a demo- crat and has in past years filled different precinct offices. He and his family are pioneers of Mer- rick county, and enjoy the respect and esteem of a large circle of friends.

F. B. SMITH.

New England and the east have furnished the west with many of its sturdiest citizens. New York was the birthplace of F. B. Smith, retired farmer of Creighton, Nebraska, who first saw the light of day in Oswego county, July 7, 1845. His father, Franklin Smith, died at the age of thirty- five when the boy was about four years old. His mother, who was Elizabeth House before mar- riage, passed away in 1896, at the age of seventy- five years.

Mr. Smith learned the tanners' trade and was employed in tanneries ten years in his native county, and five years in Forest county, Pennsyl- vania. This was a forest country at that time and tan-bark was to be had in plentiful quantities throughout all the mountain region. In 1871 he came west, settling in Champaign county, Illi- nois, where he bought an eighty-acre farm which he cultivated until the fall of 1881. Selling to ad- vantage, he sojourned in Glenwood, Iowa, from December of that year until February following, when he came to Nebraska the first day of March and bought a half section of school land three miles from Creighton. This he proceeded to im- prove with a fine frame house and good substan- tial buildings, and developed one of the most productive farms in the vicinity. In 1904 he retired from active farming, built a trim and com- modious dwelling in the southwest part of Creigh- ton, and is taking the best out of life for the balance of his days.

Mr. Smith was first married in Oswego county, New York, November 15, 1866, to Miss Philura Wilkinson, who was born in that county, Septem- ber 10, 1849, and passed away in Forest county, Pennsylvania, in March, 1878. She was the daughter of George W. and Polly Ann (Spicer) Wilkinson. Of the first marriage, one daughter was born, Alice May, who is the wife of Moses Dayger, living in Oswego county, New York.

Mr. Smith was married a second time in Glen- wood, Iowa, April 3, 1882, to Miss Emma Guyer, who was born near Syracuse, Onondaga county. New York. Her father, Charles Guyer, came to Towa and secured a farm where he died; the mother Helen A. (Pierce) Guyer, died in New York when Mrs. Smith was a child. There were

two children born to Mr. and Mrs. Smith : Olive, wife of John Quartier, who is farming near Creighton ; and Hazel, the younger, is a student in the Creighton schools.

Mr. Smith happened to be in town during the blizzard of January 12, 1888, and was prudent enough to remain; he lost only a few hogs, his cattle all being in shelter. Along with others he suffered the four years drouth in the early nineties, but had the endurance to see it through, and those who had confidence in Nebraska and stuck to the land have been rewarded a thousand fold. During the years when much corn was being burned Mr. Smith used coal; he was wise enough to give the problem a scientific test ; weighing out a dollar's worth of corn at the pre- vailing price, and quantity of coal the same, he found that corn was no cheaper and could be turned into a marketable product in flesh, which coal could not.

In political faith Mr. Smith is a democrat. He is a member of Creighton lodge number one hun- dred, Ancient, Free and Accepted Masons, having joined the order in New York when but four months past his twenty-first birthday; with Mrs. Smith he is also a member of the Order of the Eastern Star, and he also fraternizes with the Ancient Order United Workmen. The family all worship at the altar of the Baptist church.

WILLIAM H. STOUT.

William H. Stout, who is among the very earliest settlers of Boone county, Nebraska, is a prosperous agriculturalist of Manchester pre- cinct. He still resides on 'his original home- stead taken in April, 1871, which is now one of the most valuable and fully equipped farms in that region.

Mr. Stout was born in Jersey City, New Jersey, on May 23, 1849. He was the oldest of two children born to John Y. and Mary Stout, both parents now deceased, while his brother re- sides in Michigan.

When he was a child of three years, his pa- rents moved into Michigan, and he made that state his home until he was about twenty-two years old, at that time coming into Nebraska and locating on a homestead in section twenty-one, township twenty, range six, of Boone county, this being one of the original homesteads in the county. There he went through all the pioneer experiences and became familiar with every change which came to that portion of the state. His first building was a sod house which he erected on a forty-acre plat, this land now being a part of the city of Albion, and the shanty it- self stood on ground that is now one of the main streets of the place. He occupied this dwelling for a number of years, then put up a comfort- able frame house, the lumber for the same being hauled from Columbus. Nebraska, and it was his home up to 1908 in its original state, when he

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had the entire building remodeled, and the lum- ber used at that time was sawed out of timber cut from Boone county trees, Mr. Stout him- self cutting the timber and preparing it from a growth of trees which he himself planted. Mr. Stout's home is situated just outside of the city limits of Albion, and is one of the pleasant and well-kept places of that section.

For a number of years Mr. Stout has been engaged to quite an extent in the stock shipping business, also carrying on an extensive grain farm. He owns large tracts of land in different parts of Boone county, also four hundred and eighty acres in Dawson county, the same number of acres in Frontier county, and three hundred and twenty acres in Wheeler county, and is justly called one of the successful and prominent old-timers of Nebraska. He is a truly self-made man, having practically made his own way in life since he was twelve years of age, and has devoted all of his time to the occupation of a farmer. He has always taken an active interest in promoting the growth of his chosen locality.

H. E. HOLT.

One of the most prominent Grand Army men of northeastern Nebraska is found in the veteran comrade, H. E. Holt, of Butte, who has been a resident of the state since the fall of 1886, when he settled ten miles north of Johnstown, in Brown county, and filed on a homestead and timber claim, leasing at the same time a school section. He begun farming, but crops were poor, and, after trying it for five years, decided to make a change, so sold out and removed to Boyd county. Here he invested in town lots in Butte, obtaining twenty in three different blocks, which are now worth a considerable sum of money. He has a pleasant home and cosy cottage surrounded by a grove of fine trees, orchard and beautif- ful lawns. Mr. Holt is custodian of the school house and grounds in Butte, and their neat ap- pearance bespeaks his faithfulness to duty. He is familiarly known to everyone in his town as "Grandpa" Holt, and the children, particularly, claim him as their own.

Mr. Holt was born in Troopsburg, Steuben county, New York, on March 20, 1842, and grew up there. Before attaining his majority he en- listed in Company H, Eighty-sixth New York Volunteers, joining the regiment on September 7, 1861, and serving for three years. He then re-enlisted in the same company on December 31, 1863, remaining up to June 27, 1865, which is the date of his discharge. Mr. Holt's com- pany was in the thickest of the fight, he having been a participant in the second battle of Bull Run, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Spottsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, Siege of Pittsburg and the Richmond campaign, besides numerous smaller engage- ments, making truly a long list of famous battles

for one man to have gone through and come out alive. He was at Appomatox at the time of Lee's surrender, and was on picket duty when General Meade received Lee's offer of a conditional sur- render, remembering perfectly General Grant's demand for the surrender within an hour, or the beginning of hostilities again. The answer to this demand is well known to all.

After the close of the war, Mr. Holt returned to his native county, remaining there engaged in farming until his emigration west, in 1886.

Mr. Holt was married in Troopsburg, New York, on December 30, 1865, to Miss Ruth J. Metcalf, who was born in Brookfield, Tioga county, Pennsylvania. Her parents, Moses and Polly Ann Metcalf, spent their entire lives in the east, her father attaining to the age of eighty- three, while his wife survived him by several years, passing away at the ripe old age of ninety. Mr. and Mrs. Holt have had eight children, and they are named as follows: Will Ellsworth, liv- ing on a homestead in Fall River county, South Dakota; Cora B., wife of Emerson Whipple of Tampa, Florida; Estella, wife of Edwin Wilson, of Neodesha, Kansas; Gertrude, wife of William Dew, living in Belfry, Montana ; Orton, engaged in the mercantile business in Three Lakes, Wash- ington; Franklin E., a paper hanger by trade, living in Laird, Colorado; Mary W., wife of Jacob Sieler, a leading merchant of Butte; and Moses, who remains under the parental roof.

Mr. Holt has been a lifelong republican, as are most of the boys who wore the blue. He is a member of the W. M. Hooton Post number three hundred and thirty-eight, Grand Army of the Republic, at Butte, and during the greater part of his residence here, has served as com- mander.

BURLEN W. LOWE.

Burlen W. Lowe is one of Custer county's early settlers and has long been identified with the stock and grain interests of the region. He owns a large and well-improved farm, which in- cludes his original homestead, and is widely and favorably known. He has lived retired from active life for some half dozen years past, and has a pleasant home in Callaway, devoting his atten- tion to the business of buying and selling stock. Mr. Lowe was born in South Valley, New York, January 22, 1846, fourth of eight children of Peter and Louisa (Lettes) Lowe, both natives of the same place. The father was of Holland de- scent and died in Irondale, Missouri, February 10, 1898, and the mother died in New York, No- vember 15, 1859. Mr. Lowe's ancestors have lived in America for several generations past, and his great grandfather, Peter Lowe, came from Holland to New York about 1750, and served under General Washington in the Revolutionary war as captain. Mr. Lowe has brothers and sis- ters as follows: Mrs. E. A. Cornist of Ladi,

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Custer county; Mrs. Luella Wineland, of Blue Springs, Nebraska ; ]. N. Lowe of Chapman, Kan- sas ; Dea T. Lowe, Adrian, Michigan ; M. S. Lowe of Monroe, Michigan ; Mrs. L. M. Lowe Ricketts who died in Lincoln, Nebraska, March 28, 1902. A few years after Louisa Lettes Lowe's death, Peter Lowe was married to Caroline Knowlton, June 18, 1860. To this union there were four children : R. A. Lowe, of Alamosia, Colorado ; W. K. Lowe, of Monroe, Michigan; F. E. Lowe; Hollis of Sulligant, Alabama; and G. A. Lowe. Caroline K. Lowe died in St. Louis, February 2, 1900, and was buried by the side of her husband at Irondale, Missouri.

Mr. Lowe reached manhood on the farm where he was born and received his early edu- cation in the local public schools. Later he at- tended private schools and was for a time a student in the seminary at Cooperstown, New York. In 1867, he accompanied his father to Adrian, Michigan, and for some fourteen years thereafter was in the employ of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern railroad company. He was married at the home of the bride's parents at Cherry Valley, New York, on December 28, 1868, to Fannie E. Gaylor, a native of the state and daughter of Chauncey and Mary (Hannah) Gaylor, the former born in New York and the latter in England. Both parents died in Cherry Valley, the father April 23, 1904, and the mother August 19, 1899. She had come to the United States with her parents at the age of twelve years. Mrs. Lowe has two brothers and two sisters liv- ing in Cherry Valley, New York. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Lowe, namely: Eber C., married, and living in New York ; Ethel, died in 1906, survived by her husband, Fred Wine- land, and the following children : Elmer A .. married, and living in Custer county ; Eola L., wife of F. L. Hoffman, of Custer county, has one daughter; Elroy P., married and living in Deadwood, South Dakota, has two sons. Three children died in infancy.

In March, 1885, Mr. Lowe, with his wife and five children came to Custer county, where he pre-empted one hundred and sixty aeres of land on section twenty-eight, township fourteen. range twenty-two, took a timber claim of the same size, and in 1888 took homestead on seetion twenty-nine, township fourteen, range twenty- two, which was the home place until a few years since. Ile set out to improve and develop his land. and brought it to a high state of production. ereeting suitable buildings and furnishing it with the necessary equipment for successful farming. For several years he served as a mem- ber of the school board of district number seventy- three, and also held other township offices. He is a man of recognized business ability and has won the respeet of his neighbors and associates. In 1905 he retired and came to Callaway. his present 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 145

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