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 200

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 200

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tions and losses through all sorts of misfortunes ; in 1894 the crops were almost a total failure from drouth, but they saved three hundred bushels of wheat, and in the years 1901 and 1902, the severe hailstorms destroyed the growing crops. But they have held on tenaciously and have prospered. Mr. Rotter now owns four hundred and eighty acres, and his sons own one hundred and sixty acres of fine land.

Mr. Rotter is the father of a family of ten chil- dren, whose names are as follows: Frank, Joc, John, Ernest, Theresa, Josie, Bertie, Carrie, Amelia, and Otilda. Theresa is now Mrs. M. Gieh- ler; she has three boys. Josie, who is now Mrs. J. Beck, has three boys, three girls.

Mr. Rotter and family enjoy the highest re- spect and esteem of a wide circle of friends and ac- quaintances, with whom they are surrounded in their pleasant home. Mr. Rotter is a substantial citizen, and is known in his community for his many good qualities. Mr. Rotter is a good demo- crat and a staunch Roman Catholic.

In January 12, 1888, during the day of the se- vere blizzard, Mr. Rotter's children were at school. Frank his oldest boy and himself, went to bring them home facing the storm all the way and could keep the course only by following some grass that grew in the center of the road, they eventually got the children home safely.

ROBERT R. DUNCAN.

Robert R. Duncan, cashier and active manager of the Home Bank of Merna, Nebraska, is one of the most prominent business men of Custer county, where he has lived since 1888, with the exception of two years. Mr. Duncan was born in Buffalo, New York, February 17, 1857, the seventh child of James and Christine (Ross) Duncan, who were parents of six sons and six daughters. In April, 1857, the Duncan family moved to Ashkum, Iro- quois county, Illinois, and located on an Illinois farm. Both parents were natives of Scotland and at the time of coming to Illinois they had five chil- dren. They lived in Iroquois county a number of years and the sons and daughters one by one left the home circle and started out in life for them- selves, forming new ties and going to homes of their own. The mother died in 1885 and the fa- ther in March, 1908, the latter being then in his eighty-seventh year.

The last child to leave the old home in Illinois was Robert R. Duncan. He received his education and early business experiences in Illinois, and lived with his parents until coming to Custer county in the spring of 1888. He engaged in the hardware business in the new town of Merna, with a Mr. Kelly, the firm name being Kelly & Duncan. Mr. Duncan remained in this business until 1903, then returned to Illinois, intending to remain there permanently, but felt the fascination of his old pioneer life in Nebraska too strongly to be sat-

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HOME OF E. D. APPLEGATE.

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"CAT CREEK RANCH," RESIDENCE OF ULYSSES G. BROWN.

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isfied in the east, and came back to Merna in June, 1905, soon after which he helped in the organiza- tion of the Home Bank of Merna, since which time he has held his present position in this institution. The officers of this institution are all old time busi-, ness men of Custer county and of recognized ill- tegrity and ability : N. Jacquot, former president, died in June, 1911; J. S. Francis, president; Mr. Kellenberger, vice president, and Robert R. Dun- can, cashier and manager. This is one of the most important organizations of Custer county and has been influential in the development and npbuilding of the region. The bank now occupies a fine mod- ern building, well adapted to the use for which it was erected, and containing suitable safety vaults, etc., for insuring the proper care of capital and de- positis, securities, and other valuables entrusted to the care of the institution.

Mr. Duncan was married in Ashkum, Illinois, May 5, 1890, to Agnes McDonald, a daughter of Aleck and Catherine MeDonald, natives of Scot- land, but early settlers of Illinois. Both Mr. Duncan and his wife are the only ones of their im- mediate 'families who live in Nebraska. Her father died in Illinois in 1904, at the age of seventy-five years, and her mother died in 1909, aged eighty- eight years. Mr. Duncan is president of the Merna school board and is actively interested in progress along all lines. He is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, and the In- dependent Order Odd Fellows orders.

E. D. APPLEGATE.

For over a quarter of a century Mr. E. D. Ap- plegate has been identified with the agricultural interests of Antelope county, Nebraska, and he has aided materially in transforming this locality from its wild natural state into a thriving farming district. He is a gentleman of energy and perse- verance, and has met with deserved success in his labors, now being classed among the leading citi- zens of his community.

Mr. Applegate is a native of Harrison county, Indiana, where he was born January 30, 1855; he is the son of Robert and Marinda (Jacobs) Apple- gate. His mother died April 7, 1878. His father was born in 1823 in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, and died January 7, 1869. Our subject's grandfather came from Holland His mother was a native of Indiana. Our subject was but fourteen years of age when his father died.

Mr. Applegate was united in marriage Feh- ruary 8, 1881, to Miss Louisa Hays. Mr. and Mrs. Applegate are the parents of five children, whose names are as follows: Mattie M., who is now Mrs. Moore, and resides in Clearwater; Dolly E., who is married and lives in Clearwater township; Evert, William, and Hazel.

Mr. Applegate moved to Washington county, lowa, in 1874, remaining there ten years; then after his marriage, came to Clearwater, Antelope county, Nebraska, October 9, 1884, where he took 30 1%

up a homestead and tree claim in section seven, township twenty-four, range eight, which is his present location. Here he and his family reside and enjoy the respect and esteem, and friendship of all in their community. Mr. Applegate has built two sod houses on the old homestead farm, but later built a beautiful home which he and his family now occupy, a picture of which appears on another page of this volume.

ULYSSES GRANT BROWN.

Among the younger pioneers of Custer county, Nebraska, may be mentioned Ulysses Grant Brown, a native of Switzerland county, Indiana, born May 31, 1871. He is a son of John G. and Martha Ann (Tucker) Brown, the former a native of Ohio county, Indiana, born August 10, 1840. They were married at Bear Branch, Ohio county, August 24, 1862, and of this union four sons and seven daughters were born. In the fall of 1872 John G. Brown removed with his family to Danville, Illi- nois, and in the fall of 1883 to Polk county, Ne- braska, eoming to Custer county two years later. In the latter part of 1885 he secured a homestead on section fourteen, township fourteen, range nine- teen, Loup township, Custer county, where he re- sided until his death, which occurred August 20, 1904. He was survived by his widow and nine children, all of whom are now living. With the exception of two daughters, one in the state of Washington and one in Council Bluffs, Iowa, all the children reside in Nebraska. Mrs. Brown makes her home in Garden county, Nebraska, where two of her sons reside.

In 1872 Ulysses G. Brown accompanied his par- ents to Vermillion county, Illinois, in the fall of 1883 to Polk county, and two years later to Custer county. In 1893 he secured a homestead on the south half of the south half of section fourteen, township fourteen, range nineteen, thus becoming one of the original homesteaders of Custer county. Since early manhood he has been identified with the farming and stock-growing interests of his part of the state and is considered a progressive man along all lines. He was but fourteen years of age when he came to the county and has spent most of his life within the state. He is actively interested in local affairs and gives his support to various public project for the advancement of the general prosperity. His father was an influential citizen and served two terms (1898 to 1902) as county coroner.

On Christmas day, 1895, Mr. Brown was united in marriage with Anna, daughter of Joseph and Anna (Kline) Fortik, natives of Bohemia, original homesteaders of Custer county, where they located in the fall of 1886. The Fortik family eame to the United States in 1878 and first located in Saline county, Nebraska. Mrs. Brown is the second in order of birth of nine children, and has five brothers and one sister surviving. Her parents

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still reside in Custer county. Mr. Brown and wife have three children, all born on the homestead : Guy Floyd, July 21, 1897; Mary Ruth, March 25, 1900; Charles William, August 22, 1907.

Mr. Brown is independent in politics and a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

He has enjoyed the privileges of pioneer life, living in a "soddy" since coming to Nebraska, un- til 1909, when he erected a substantial concrete block cottage on a well selected location. A few years later a well-built barn was added to the im- provements of the place, which is known as Cat Creek ranch, of which we show an engraving on one of our illustrated pages.

WILLIAM O. TROTTER.

William O. Trotter, manager of the Atlas Grain Company's elevator at Osmond, has known life in at least four of the states in the Mississippi valley. He was born in the north part of Wayne county, Illinois, March 17, 1864. His parents, Shirley and Elizabeth (Reed) Trotter, natives of Kentucky and Illinois, respectively, were of Scotch- Irish descent, their ancestors having settled in co- lonial times in the Allegheny and Blue Ridge mountains. For a few years during the early sev- enties, his parents lived west of the Mississippi, farming for a season in Buchanan county, Missouri, near St. Joseph, followed by a season in Clay county, Arkansas, near Cherokee Bay, and another in Ripley county, Missouri, before returning to Wayne county, Illinois, where Mir. Trotter resided until coming to Nebraska in May, 1884, to join a brother who had preceded him to Brown county in the fall of 1882.

Here Mr. Trotter pre-empted an eighty-acre tract three miles north of Long Pine and a year or two later traded his equity in it for forty acres near town. For a year or two he "batched" it on rented land, a part of the time that ,of his future father-in-law. After marriage in 1888, he lived in part of the house with Mrs. Trotter's parents and rented the farm for three years. He then bought the relinquishment to a quarter-section three and one-half miles west of Long Pine, on which he lived nine years. Owing to the ill health of Mrs. Trotter they sold the place and came to Osmond in 1900, intending to buy land, but in- vested the proceeds of the sale of their Brown county farm in three or four houses and lots in the town, in which they have at all times a good class of tenants, and keep their tenements in an excel- lent state of repair.

Mr. Trotter was first employed as a carpenter at Osmond, and later was for four years engaged by the W. O. Snyder Lumber Company, of O'Neill and continued with their successors, the Saberson Brothers, of Allen, Nebraska. During this time Mr. Trotter frequently acted as helper for the manager of the Atlas Grain Company, familariz- ing himself with the business, and at the same time establishing a reputation for efficiency and integ-

rity. On the promotion of the local manager to the auditorship, Mr. Trotter was recommended for the vacant place carly in August, 1907, and except for a few weeks' interim, owing to a misunderstanding in the general office, he has been in continuous charge ever since. The affairs of the company have prospered under the management of Mr. Trotter and his books and accounts are always ready at a minute's notice for the examination of the auditor. He has familiarized himself with all phases of the grain business, and makes himself agreeable to the producers of the surrounding country.

Mr. Trotter was married near Long Pine, to Miss Addie B. Stockwell, who was born in Iowa, February 27, 1867. She is a daughter of Francis E. and Eliza (Hale) Stockwell, who settled in Brown county, Nebraska, in 1879; they were natives of Vermont, where they were married, and came west in 1865 or 1866, living in Webster county, Iowa, un- til migrating to Nebraska, as stated before. When first settling on their claim, the nearest railway ter- minus was Neligh, eighty-five miles distant, and here they had to drive across the open prairies to. market and trade.

Charles O. Trotter, brother of the subject of. this sketch came to Nebraska in the spring of 1892 and lived for a few years near Long Pine. In 1903 he removed to Wisconsin, where he lived for three years,and returned to Nebraska, settling in Osmond in August, 1906. He married Miss Winifred May Stockwell, sister of Mrs. W. O. Trotter, September 2, 1893. They have a family of five sons, Loren, William, Albert, Charles and Elmer. Returning to Wisconsin in 1910, with his father-in-law, they purchased land in Rusk county where they intend to make their permanent home.

W. O. Trotter is a republican, though as a pro- test against corrupt party machine politics he voted for Weaver and twice for Bryan in the last cam- paigns of the nineteenth century.

During the blizzard of January 12, 1888, Mr. Trotter was "keeping batch" on the Sprouse farm north of Long Pine, and prudently kept to the house until the storm was spent. Antelope and deer were plentiful there when he first came to the west and he had the excitement of catching the first an- telope he ever saw. His brother and a neighbor had been running it on their horses ; exhausted, it threw itself down in the yard of his ranch when he ran to it and held it down until the others came and finished the chase.

Charles O. Trotter, our subject's brother, had a series of exciting incidents when living north of Ainsworth in the summer of 1899. On the evening of July fourth, every window in his house was broken by a torrential hailstorm that came up from the southwest, destroying every blade of his crops, and the next day about the same hour a cyclone from the northwest crossed the track of the hail- storm on his place and left nothing of his house but the foundations. Some of the papers from his

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shelving were found on the farm of his brother, William O. Trotter, seven miles away.

Those early experiences are interesting topics of conversation now, but were sources of extreme hardship at the time they transpired.

JORGEN CHRISTENSEN.

Jorgen Christensen, one of the prominent pio- neers of Howard county, Nebraska, has a fine farm in Dannebrog precinct, and is a worthy and highly esteemed citizen of his community. He is a pros- perous and successful farmer and stockman, and only another of those sturdy immigrants who came from their native land and by dint of thrift and perseverance have built up for themselves comfort- ahle homes and become respected hy their fellow- men.

Mr. Christensen was born in Denmark on Sep- tember 28, 1846. He is a son of Christen and Annie Jorgensen, and the third child in order of birth in their family of eight, both parents now be- ing dead. In 1873, our subject, one brother, and two sisters, came to America, coming directly to Nebraska, and landing in Dannebrog, Howard county, on June 27. Jorgen homesteaded on sec- tion four, township thirteen, range eleven, about two years after settling here, and still owns this eighty-acre tract which is the home farm. Later on, he acquired one hundred and sixty acres on the Loup River bottoms , which he still owns. In all he owns about half a section of choice Howard coun- ty land, which is improved in first-class shape, and he is regarded as one of the wealthy residents of his section.

Mr. Christensen was married in Grand Island on October 14, 1878, to Annie Sorensen, and they have eight children, who are named as follows: Niels C., Metta, Jens P., Christen L., Frederick, Annie, Viggo and Elmer, the first two mentioned married and settled in Nebraska, while the rest are living at home with their parents.

Mr. Christensen has always been active in local affairs, doing his full share in the upbuilding of his community. He has served as road overseer in his township, also for many years was moderator of district number seventeen.

HORACE M. DAVIS.

Horace M. Davis, editor and proprietor of the Ord Weekly Journal, and prominent in educational and political cireles in that part of the state, is said to be the first white child born in Greeley county or in the North Loup valley north of St. Paul, in Howard county. He was born September 14. 1873, the oldest of three children born to Man- sell and Mary Davis, who came to Greeley county in 1872. A sketch of Mansell Davis appears else- where in this work. In early boyhood Horace M. Davis received the advantages of a district school education, later attended high school at North Loup, from which he graduated with the class of

1891, and then began teaching in the Fish creek, (Greeley county) school. Later he taught in his home distriet number three and in the fall of 1892 went to Milton (Wisconsin) college, where he studied one school year. Then, returning to Ne- braska, he taught school one year in Manderson village, after which he spent another year in Milton college and taught one year in the public schools of LaCrosse, Wisconsin. lle spent the summer of 1894 in Colorado and upon his return to Nebraska accepted the position of principal of the Elba vil- lage school in Howard county, which he held one year, and during the school year of 1895-1896 taught the North Loup school. For several years Mr. Davis devoted his vacation time to study and in 1897 became an A. B. graduate of the Lincoln Normal school. In the fall of that year he became principal of the Ord high school which post he held during 1897-1899. He had been for several years connected with institute work in different counties during the summer months, and in the fall of 1899 he was elected clerk of the district court of Valley county, which office he ably and creditably filled a four-year term.

In October, 1900, Mr. Davis entered upon his journalistic career, purchasing the Ord Weekly Journal, of which he remained editor and proprie- tor until November, 1901, when he sold his interest in the paper and began traveling as special agent. for a fire insurance company. In 1902 he pur- chased an interest in a real estate and insurance business in Ord, remainig in that business until January 1, 1905, when he again purchased the Ord Weekly Journal, of which he has since been the owner. He has a well established paper and a well equipped plant for its production and issue. He is a democrat in politics and is much interested in questions affecting the public welfare and prosper- ity. Since 1906 Mr. Davis has been press agent for the Redpath Chautauqua system, and during the years 1909-1910 served as secretary of the Nebras- ka state senate. He is a member of numerous or- ders and lodges and is a progressive young man all along the line, having been closely identified with the North Loup valley and its interests since reaclı- ing manhood, and being a patriotic son of Nebraska.

July 17, 1901. Mr. Davis was united in marriage with Miss Besse Fackler, at the home of her father, Samuel Fackler, in Ord. Two children have blessed this union, Mansell and Keith.

GAY HALVERSTEIN.

Among the old settlers and prominent residents of Norfolk, Nebraska, the name of Gay Halverstein deserves a foremost place. Mr. Halverstein is well known all over the northeastern part of Nebraska as an upright publie-spirited citizen.

Gay Halverstein, an engineer on the Northwest- ern railroad, was born in Norway, November 12, 1851, and was the second in a family of five chil-

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dren, two brothers residing in South Dakota, and two sisters in Norway. Both parents are deceased.

In the spring of 1869, Mr. Halverstein came with his elder brother to America, the brother lo- cating in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, and Mr. Hal- verstein coming on to Nebraska, where he worked at railroading for the Northwestern railroad com- pany. In the summer of 1871, he located at Wis- ner, and the same year homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land near Battle Creek, Ne- braska, relinquishing the same a couple of years later. In 1879, when the Northwestern railroad pushed on to Norfolk, Mr. Halverstein located in that city where he has resided through the years, and since his residence in America has been identi- fied with the Northwestern railroad.

On February 20, 1882, Mr. Halverstein was joined in wedlock to Miss Jennie Long, of the state of Illinois, and they are the parents of three chil- dren, who are named as follows: Lester B., resides at home; Verne L., deceased July 4, 1893; and Ruth, who lives at home.

Mrs. Halverstein's parents are deceased, and she has one brother and one sister in the state of Illinois, one brother in Iowa, and one sister in Missouri.

Our subject, Mr. Halverstein, has served several terms on Norfolk city council. In 1898, he pur- chased a fine home where they now live, always showing the desire to assist in the advancement of his home community. Mr. Halverstein is a pioneer railroad man of Nebraska, and has passed through all the experiences of frontier life, and is one of the well known and successful men of this locality.

HENRY E. ZIMMERMAN.

One of the most prominent citizens of Ansley Nebraska, is the above named gentleman, who has for many years been a resident of Custer county. For more than a quarter of a century he has been closely identified with the agricultural interests of this section, and has won the esteem of all with whom he has come in contact.

Mr. Zimmerman was born in the village of Wel- lersburg, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, on Octo- ber 9, 1851, and was the third of eight children born to Louis F. and Elizabeth (Holdseider) Zim- merman. Of this large family, only three of the chil- dren have passed away in all this lapse of years. Both parents were of German birth; the father, a native of Anhalt-Katen, died in Pennsylvania in 1881, while the mother, who came to America at the age of sixteen, passed away in Custer county, Ne- braska, in December, 1906.

Our subscriber went with his parents to Mahas- ka county, Iowa, in early childhood, and it was here that he grew to manhood years, receiving his education in the local schools. Later, he engaged in brick making and stone cutting in Oskaloosa. It it a notable fact that he moulded and burned the first brick used in Broken Bow, firing the kiln with dead cedar branches and hay.

In the spring of 1879, he came to Custer coun- ty, and took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, near the town of Mason, and this re- mained the home place for about thirteen years. At the same time he also took up a timber claim, com- prising another nearby quarter-section.

In the year following, 1880, Mr. Zimmerman was united in marriage to Miss Anola J. Amsberry, a native of Marion county, Iowa. Her parents, Louis Norton and Jane (Coffman) Amsberry, were natives of West Virginia. The father died in 1876, and Mrs. Zimmerman came to Custer county, with her mother, four brothers and little sister, in 1879, an older brother having preceded them. Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman are the parents of seven chil- dren: Louis Ray, now married and living near Berwyn; Thomas E., married and living near Ansley ; Addie E., now Mrs. Garfield F. Eggleston living near Ansley; Lottie J., now Mrs. Aaron Staab, residing near Ansley; Frona, now Mrs. J. W .Parkhurst, of Omaha; Mabel J., now Mrs. Ray Lewis, living near her parents' home, and Flora, still at home.

Mr. Zimmerman has always engaged extensive- ly in diversified farming, and has also paid consid- erable attention to stock raising. In 1906 the fam- ily moved to the town of Ansley, where he built a comfortable home. After four years of town life, however, they returned to the farm just outside the northern city limits, where they now live. They have a well improved and well equipped farm of one hundred and thirty acres.

Mr. Zimmerman has always been much inter- ested in educational affairs, and was instrumental in organizing his school district, number thirty, and for some years served continuously, either as di- rector or treasurer. At the time he sold his farm near Mason, he purchased a half-section near Ber- wyn, and lived there about six months. This was just before his removal to Ansley, which was made almost entirely because of the better educational advantages in the latter place.

Mr. Zimmerman never killed deer or antelope in the early days, being a farmer instead of a hunt- er, but when Jacob Cover, a noted pioneer, brought down big game, he usually came for Mr. Zimmer- man to haul it home for him. For a short time Mr. Zimmerman and family lived in a dugout, and for some years after in a "soddy," before erecting a frame dwelling. At the time of the blizzard of Oc- tober, 1880, Mr. and Mrs. Zimmerman were visiting her mother and were compelled to remain until the third day, their stock enduring without feed and water for two and a half days; they had eaten the mangers and hay roof of the barn during the time.

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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 200

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