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 198

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 198

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).

Mr. Hather is engaged in raising, shipping, and exporting registered Clydesdale horses, short- horn cattle. and Poland China swine, and is rec- ognized as one of the most prominent stock men in Nebraska. So excellent and famous are his thorough-bred swine that orders were secured from

South America in 1910. He is a self-made man, coming into Valley county with only a pair of colts and ten dollars in cash.

Mr. Hather was united in marriage July 4, 1889, to Miss Nellie Vincent, in Valley county, Nebraska, a daughter of Horaee C., and Alice (Graves) Vincent, who came from Michigan to Valley county in 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Hather have four children, namely : Alice, Fern, Charlie, and Wendall, all of whom reside at home.

Mr. Hather evidently likes to have the boys with him, as his stock farm is known as the W. J. Hather & Sons Stoek Farm. He is a member of the Methodist church. a democrat in politics, and a laborer of the Ancient Order United Workinen.

FRANK WHITE.

It would be impossible to give a sketch of the history of northeastern Nebraska withont includ- ing a review of the life of the gentleman whose name heads this article. Mr. White settled in the region during the earliest pioneer times, and to his influence and aid is due much of the prosperity enjoyed at the present time. He has helped build the sehools, and assisted in every way possible to promote the best interests of the community in which he has resided for so many years.

Frank White was born in Will county, Illinois, and first saw the light on October 21, 1856. His father. Joseph White, was a native of Massachu- setts, and married Lanra Smith, who was horn and reared in Vermont, both of English descent.

Our subject was reared in the vicinity of his nativity, following farming during his young man- hood. In 1872 the entire family came to Madison county, Nebraska, traveling by rail to Columbus, and from there were obliged to drive to their des- tination, a distance of twenty-five miles, meeting with numerous incidents on the journey.

Shortly after arriving in Madison county, Mr. White filed on a homestead, and rapidly improved the land, which was merely a wild tract at the time he acquired it. In the early years of pio- neering, he experienced all the hardships and set- backs familiar to those who came west when the country was in its primitive state, but he perse- vered through all, finally being richly rewarded for his efforts in the possession of a productive farm, improved with every modern tool for eulti- vation. with substantial buildings, etc. In 1873. Mr. White suffered the loss of his entire crop by grasshoppers, and in 1894 everything was again destroyed by the hot winds which swept the region. There were also prairie fires to battle with, and many times has our subject helped fight the flames for days at a time, when there seemed scarcely any hope of saving their homes and property.

Mr. White was united in marriage in 1881 to Miss Rega Knapp, who is a native of Will county, Illinois, and to them have been born fourteen chil- dren : William, Clara, George, Frank, Emma, Os-

912

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

car, Rose, Matilda, Roy, Pearl, Phillip, Edward, Cora, and Alfred.

FRANK ASHWORTH. (Deceased.)

For many years prior to the death of Mr. Aslı- worth, he was a leading citizen and successful farmer of Custer county, Nebraska. He came to this county in 1880, and by dint of persistent in- dustry and good management, became the owner of a fine estate. He was a man of excellent char- acter and enjoyed the confidence of the people of this community to a marked degree.

Mr. Ashworth was born in Iowa, on the four- teenth day of August, 1852, and was the eldest of ten children born to Jasper and Sophia (Miller) Ashworth. His father was a veteran of the Civil war and died in Iowa in February, 1890. The mother is still living. Mr. Ashworth grew to man- hood on the Iowa homestead and received his ele- mentary education in the local school. Later he attended a college in Chicago for a couple of years.

On December 25, 1888, in Marion county, Iowa, he was married to Miss Matilda Buckley, a native of West Virginia. They lived for two years in Iowa, and then in December of 1880, came to Cus- ter county, Nebraska, where he took up a home- stead of a quarter-section, with an adjoining quarter-section of timber land, abont four miles east of Ansley. He lived on this homestead for twenty years.

Mr. Ashworth was closely identified with the development of this section and always lent his influence to every measure which had for its aim the ultimate progress of the community along all lines. lle was instrumental in organizing his school dis- triet and served as director for many years. He passed away on the first of October, 1902, on the farm which had been his home for so many years, and was survived by his wife and five children. Of the children, Ralph, Grant, Eva May and Carl, are still at home; Ora is now married to Willard Moody and lives in Custer county. The eldest son, Walter, died in the Philippine Islands during the Spanish-American war. He was a member of the Twenty-sixth Oregon Infantry.

After her husband's death, Mrs. Ashworth moved on a farm nearby, which he had purchased some little time before, and lived here until 1909, when she left the farm, and moved to the town of Ansley, where she built the comfortable home which the family now occupy. She still lives there, surrounded by loving children and a host of friends, and enjoys the respect and admiration of the entire community. Her own mother, Martha Blaine Buckley, is still living in Duel county, Nebraska.

DAVID HERNER.

In selecting land on which to build a perma- nent home, much is to be considered. The task is less difficult in a country where civilization has

endured for some time, and where the results of man's labor can be justly estimated, but in a new country, where climate and soil are both untried, the task is more serious. To decide unwisely means many years of toil practically wasted, while a wise judgment brings a reward far beyond the expectation of the early settler. All honor is due the pioneers of our country, for its present pros- perity is largely the result of their labors.

One of the most prominent pioneers of Wayne county, Nebraska, is David Herner, who owns a pleasant home in section nineteen .. He was born in Canada in 1854, the son of Samuel and Mary Herner. He obtained most of his education iu Canada, and in 1866, came to Illinois, with his parents, where he remained for eleven years.

In December, 1876, David Herner came to Wayne county, Nebraska, where he purchased the homestead of J. R. Russell, consisting of one hun- dred and sixty acres. His experience during the first few years was rather disheartening, as he was called upon to suffer many hardships. Prairie fires formed a peril which was ever threatening the settler during the summer, while in winter there were the terrific blizzards, which were a source of much loss and suffering. By dint of sheer pluck and perseverance, however, our subscriber refused to be beaten by the elements, and remained year after year, each season a little less hard than those preceding until now, after a residence in this county of more than thirty years, he is in a position to take his ease after his years of toil. Since coming to Wayne county Mr. Herner has added to his first purchase of land, and now owns two hundred and forty acres. In November, 1910, he began building one of the finest and best equipped homes in the county. It is two stories high, heated by furnace, lighted by acetylene gas, and has a bath-room-in fact, it is modern in every respect. It is now completed, and occupied by the family.

Mr. Herner's work was made much harder dur- ing the first few years of his life on the homestead, owing to the fact that he had to do his own work both in and out of the house, as he was "batching it" at the time. In 1882, he was united in mar- riage to Miss Mary Park, of Dixon county, and they have had but one child, Nellie, who is at home.

In politics Mr. Herner is a democrat, although not active in politics-never caring for office.

ANDREW JACKSON HUXFORD.

The gentleman whose life history is here pre- sented is widely known as one of the oldest settlers and most influential citizens of Merrick county, Ne- braska. Mr. Huxford is the son of Charles and Margaret (Green) Huxford, and was born in In- diana, near Terre Haute, January 18, 1834. He was fifth of ten children, and has one brother, John, living in Indiana, the others being deceased, as are also the parents, the father having died in 1867, and the mother in 1874, both passing away

913

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

in Indiana. Our subject was educated in his home state, and later engaged in farming and teaching. On April 20, 1854, Mr. Huxford was united in marriage to Miss Dilemma Burton, also of Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Huxford have had ten children, seven of whom are living: William, mar- ried, has two children, and lives in Merrick county ; Josephine, wife of Eugene MeDonald, has one child and resides in Idaho; Margaret, wife of J. M. Persinger, has seven children and lives in Central City; Alice, deceased in 1868; Rosella, wife of Edward Dorshimer, has two children and lives in Central City; Charles, married, has one daughter, and resides in Central City; Anna, wife of Robert Morrison, has five children, and lives in Merrick county; Clarence died in infancy, as did also Perry; and Dora, who resides at home. Mrs. Huxford died February 23, 1908.

In the early days of 1860 Mr. and Mrs. Hux- ford and family moved to Illinois where they farmed for eleven years, and during the winter seasons Mr. Huxford taught school. In February, 1871, they came to what was then known as Lone Tree, Merrick county, Nebraska, later the town name being changed to Central City. Here they homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres in sec- tion eighteen, township thirteen, range seven, which remained the home place until 1899 when Mr. Huxford retired from the farm and moved to Cen- tral City purchasing a good home where they now reside. Mr. Huxford has been prosperous and suc- cessful, and at one time owned nearly one thou- sand acres, all in Merrick county. He has served as director of his school district number forty- eight for about twenty years.

Mr. Huxford is one of the early pioneers of his county, and passed through all the trying experi- ences and hardships of frontier life. In 1873 our subject shipped the first car load of corn out of Merrick county to North Platte, Nebraska. In 1872, he helped to build the First Baptist church, in Merrick county, and in 1875 was instrumental in organizing a Methodist church in Central City, of which he is a member. In politics he is a strong democrat.

W. S. TRENHAILE.

Though of English birth, Mr. W. S. Trenhaile of Bloomfield is American bred, having lived in the states since his eighth year. He was born in Cornwall, December 19, 1839, the second in a fam- ily of seven sons and seven daughters. His parents, George and Mary (Stevens) Trenhaile, were na- tives of the same county where the father was a farmer.

The father emigrated with his family to Amer- ica in 1847 sailing from Falmouth in the full rig- ged ship "Roslyn Castle," commanded by Captain Sadler. After a voyage of six or seven weeks, they landed in Quebec, and proceeded thence by lake to Milwaukee, whence they traveled by wagon to 30

Dodgeville, in Iowa county, Wisconsin. Here the father bought a tract of land, engaging in farming during the winter seasons, and when work was slack on the farm he worked in the lead and zine mines in the southwest part of Wisconsin. In the fall of 1873 he joined his son, W. S., who had pre- ceded him in 1872 and settled in Saunders county, Nebraska. Here the parents died in January of 1878-the mother on Sunday, January 6, and the father the next day, both being interred at the same time. As nearly as Mr. Trenhaile can recollect the father was sixty-five and the mother about sixty- three years of age.

W. S. Thenhaile followed farming in Wisconsin until the spring of 1860 when he joined a party of gold seekers bound for Pike's Peak, passing up the Platte valley through Nebraska. Returning in the fall after but indifferent luck in the mining coun- try, he remained under the parental roof until 1864, when, in company with his father and broth- er he again crossed the plains, passed over the mountains and joined in the search for gold in California. The father soon returned to Wiscon- sin, while the son remained a year in the golden state at the famous mining camp, Grass Valley, from where he, with six others, traveled on horse- back to Montana and was employed in the mines there for eighteen months, twelve at Virginia City, and from March to September in 1866, in Helena. Horses for the journey were purchased at Marys- ville, California, the day of Lincoln's funeral. On his homeward journey, Mr. Trenhaile took a boat on the Missouri river at Fort Benton for Sioux City, and proceeded thence by stage to New Jeff- erson, the western terminus of the railway at that time. The construction train was the only means of transportation until they reached Boone. An account of these tribulations of travel sound queer in these days when railroads traverse nearly every section of our land.

On reaching Wisconsin again, Mr. Trenhaile married and followed farming there until his mi- gratiou to Nebraska in 1872, when he drove through, camping by the wayside on the journey of about three weeks. He bought a farm in Saunders county and later eighty acres where the town of Cedar Bluffs now stands, and lived on his quarter section most of the time until 1880 when he moved to Fremont. In 1875 he rented the farm and went into the Black Hills, the lure of gold having drawn him to where many were making rich strikes in the yellow metal; but finding the opportunities less than he had anticipated and the Indians hostile, he shortly after returned and lived in Fremont until he could again gain possession of his farm. In 1880 he went into the grocery business in Fremont, but about four months later sold out and opened a shoe store with a partner who continued the busi- ness when Mr. Trenhaile withdrew two years later.

In 1882 he purchased a section of land five miles north of Bloomfield, and two years later moved on to the place stocked it with cattle and un-

914

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

til 1892 led the life of a ranchman. At that time his nearest trading point was at Yankton, twenty- five mles away. When Bloomfield was platted and sold, Mr. Trenhaile purchased lots on the hill in the east part of town, and planted the first trees in this section of the city. Besides his present large two-story house, built in 1903, Mr. Trenhaile has owned several other pieces of city property and now owns a few building lots.

Mr. Trenhaile was first married at Mineral Point Wisconsin, in 1869, to Miss Margaret Cur- now, whose parents emigrated from Cornwall. Two children were born to them, but both are de- ceased. Mrs. Trenhaile died in 1901.

Mr. Trenhaile's second marriage took place at Mineral Point, Wisconsin, to Miss Mary J. Mar- tin, whose parents emigrated from Cornwall dur- ing her infancy. She was an intimate friend and schoolmate of the first wife.

Mr. Trenhaile was living on the ranch at the time of the well known blizzard of January 12, 1888, and although he had two hundred head of cattle out in it, he got all of them into shelter and lost none, while some neighbors lost nearly all they had. Of his original section Mr. Trenhaile has sold four hundred and eighty acres, and later pur- chased a half section in Sherman county, Kansas.

In politics he is a democrat, and is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church.

In 1901 Mr. Trenhaile made a tour of the west, visiting Portland, Seattle, and Lake Cheland, be- sides many points of interest in British Columbia, both on the coast and the Selkirk Rockies, return- ing by way of Minneapolis and St. Paul. In 1909 he visited points in the south, including Houston, Galveston, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville, in Texas, and Metamoras in Old Mexico.

Mr. Trenhaile is hale and hearty, of strong vi- tality and rugged health, with his mind unim- paired by the strenuous life he has led. By busi- ness energy and thrift he is now enabled to take life easy in one of the finest and most elegantly fur- nished dwellings in his home town.

LINAS W. BARBER.

Linas W. Barber one of the leading old-time residents of Boone county, Nebraska, is a highly respected farmer of Boone precinct. Since locating here in 1872, he has worked faithfully, and has suc- ceeded in accumulating a nice property, now own- ing a finely developed farm and enjoying a pleas- ant home and all the comforts of rural life.

The place of Mr. Barber's birth was in St. Law- rence county, New York, and the date July 2, 1843. His father and mother were Lahira and Annis Bar- ber, he being the seventh member in a family of ten children. When Linas was a small boy, his parents removed to Kane county, Illinois, and there he grew up, receiving a common school edu- cation, and remaining on the home farm until he was of age.

He then went into Brown county, Wisconsin,

and spending his time for several years between Wisconsin and Illinois, finally coming to Boone county, Nebraska in 1872. He made the entire trip from Wisconsin by wagon team, and landed in the vicinity in June, immediately filing on a homestead on section six, township nineteen, range five, west. He was almost the first white man to make settle- ment in that portion of the county, and is one of the few genuine old-timers left here, who have seen all of the changes that have come to the place. He has resided during all of this time on his original claim which he has converted from a wild barren tract to a fertile farm, supplied with every con- venience in the way of buildings and equipment for the operation of a model grain and stock farm.

Mr. Barber was married in Green Bay City, Wisconsin, on October 29, 1867, to Miss Elizabeth Lindsay, who was a native of Michigan, and of Scotch descent. To them have been born seven children, four daughters and three sons, named as follows: Arthur and Frank, married and living in Duluth, Minnesota; Anna, William, Florence and Minola, at home, and Lois, wife of Fred Foltz, they living north of Albion. The family are well known throughout their section of the county, and have many warm friends and acquaintances, who enjoy the hospitality of their pleasant home.

GEORGE BURGHARDT.

In the person of Mr. George Burghardt, who has a comfortable home in Logan township, we have one of the prominent old timers of Knox county, Nebraska. He has made this his perma- nent home since 1880, and during this time has been a part of its growth and progress, and a his- tory of the county would be incomplete without a review of his career.

Mr. Burghardt is a native of Bohemia, Ger- many, and was born in 1864. He remained with his parents until his sixteenth year, then struck out for himself, having determined on coming to America, from which country such glowing ac- counts had come to him of the wonderful oppor- tunities to be had. He embarked at Bremen and landed in Baltimore, stopping in that city only long enough to get his ticket to the west. He reached Nebraska in October, 1879. For seven vears he worked in a packing house and on farms, and then bought one hundred and sixty acres in section eight, township twenty-nine, range seven, and moved to the place with his wife and one child. He built a shack fourteen by twelve feet, and saved all that he could earn to improve his place planting trees, and getting some of the land under cultivation in the meantime.

He now owns four hundred and eighty acres of fine land, raising good crops of grain, hay and oth- er commodities, besides having considerable live stock on the place. He has five acres of trees which he planted himself and has built a good home, barn, and other outbuildings, his farm being one of the

MR. AND MRS. JACOB B. KLUMP.

915

COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

best improved in the township.

Mr. Burghardt was united in marriage to Miss Mary Kurka in June, 1887, and three children came to bless their home: Lena, Rose and Mary, all charming girls. Mrs. Burghardt died August 4, 1903.

HERMAN J. MARTEN.

Herman J. Marten, who owns a well equipped stock and grain farm of over nine hundred acres of land on section twenty-five, township seventeen, range twenty-two, and adjoining sections, is prominent in local affairs and always ready to for. ward the cause of progress in his county and state. He is a native of Germany, next to the youngest child of Frederick and Dorothy (Luet- zow) Marten, and their only son, his birth occur- ring September 9, 1864. The parents had four chil- dren, and in June, 1868, they brought them to America, locating first at Petersburg, Menard county, Illinois. They lived in that county until the fall of 1862, when the father and son came to Custer county, Nebraska, to look over the country in search of a place to locate. The father secured a tree claim and they returned to Illinois, but the following spring the son, Herman, returned to Custer county to live, taking up a homestead when he reached his majority. The father and mother, with one daughter, came to Custer county in the spring of 1884, and the former took up a home- stead which was the home of the parents the re- mainder of their lives. The father died in Sep- tember, 1895, and the mother in September, 1900. One daughter, Mrs. Amelia Safranek, and her fam- ily, came to Custer county in 1890, to make their home with her parents, and they now live on the old homestead farm three miles west of Merna. The younger daughter was married to Angust Hoffman, of Menard county, Illinois, in 1890, their marriage taking place in Custer county. After their mar- riage they went to Illinois to live.

Ilerman Marten has made Custer county his home continuously since the spring of 1883 and is now one of the most prosperous farmers and stock men of his part of the state. He passed through many trying experiences during his early years there, but has been an energetic and pro- gressive manager, and now has a fine farm to show for his efforts and thrift. He is a man of stability and worth, and though much interested in local affairs, has never sought publie office or honors. He is a member of the school board of district number seventy-four, and in years past has held various township offices, and is recognized as a public-spirited citizen.

Mr. Marten was married in Petersburg, Illi- nois, March 4, 1908; to Miss Katie Juergens, and they have two children, Frederick and Dorothy Johanna.

JACOB B. KLUMP.

Jacob B. Klump, of Broken Bow, Nebraska. now retired from active life, is one of the earlier settlers of Custer county, and is the owner of two thousand and two hundred acres of good farm land, most of it within the county. He has passed through the various periods of central Nebraska's history for the past thirty years, and is a pros- perous and successful man of affairs. Mr. Klump was born in Wurtemberg Germany, December 24, 1834, fifth of the thirteen children of John M. and Frieda (Wolf) Klump. One son, Charles, lives fourteen miles north of Callaway ; a daughter, Mrs. Sophia Schaad, lives at Evanston, Illinois; one daughter, Mrs. Mary Finkbinder, lives in Ger- many, and several of the children are deceased. Both parents were born in Germany, the father died in 1849, and the mother in 1867.

When about nineteen years of age Jacoh B Klump and his sisters, Sophia and Katherine, came to America and located in Illinois. He worked at farming for several years and on Sep- tember 4, 1861, enlisted in Company G, Thirty- ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, serving until the close of the war. He received his final discharge at Springfield, Illinois, December 16, 1865, having been promoted October 12, 1864, to rank of cor- poral, and on May 1, 1865, to that of sergeant. He had participated in sixteen different engagements and was slightly wounded several times, and for six months had carried the flag of the regiment. Mr. Klump was married February 29, 1864, while home on a furlough, to Miss Jane Parkinson, their union taking place at Freeport. She was born in Jo Daviess county, being the first white child born in Ward's Grove precinct.

In the spring of 1883 Mr. Klump brought his wife and their nine children to Nebraska, having in April of that year filed on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land in Custer county, and a timber claim of the same size adjoining, on section twelve, township seventeen, range twenty- three. The family lived in York county about one year before locating on the homestead, and Mrs. Klump died there on December 3, 1906, having been a good wife and mother and mourned hy a wide circle of sincere friends. She left nine chil- dren, namely : Sophia E., wife of F. A. Bertram, of Missouri, has five children ; Herman R., of Ring- gold, Nebraska, has three children; Julia, wife of James Halliwell, of Custer county, has two chil- dren ; William F., of MePherson county ; Mae is a teacher in Montana; Ruby, wife of Fred Hack- barth, of Lincoln county, has four children ; Hardy lives in Custer county he served two years in Spanish-American war in Philippine Islands cam- paign in Company M, First Nebraska Infantry. Olive is a teacher, of Idaho; August E. lives in Lincoln county.

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 198

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