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 215
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eeeded in improving the place in good shape, erect- ing substantial buildings and cultivating more land each year until Mr. Crowe now has one of the valu- able estates in the locality, consisting of about five hundred aeres, all choice farm land which he has stoeked up in fine shape, and while he still takes an active part in the management of his farming in- terests, he makes St. Paul his residence, sur- rounded by many friends, the family being among the prominent citizens of their community.
Two children of Mr. Crowe's first marriage are living, William Henry Crowe, now in South MeAllister, Oklahoma, and George Crowe, a well known resident of South Omaha, Nebraska.
HARRISON E. DAVIS.
Harrison E. Davis, the only son of George W. and Zilpha Williams Davis, was born in Lewis county, New York, on May 15, 1855. Both father and mother were of New England stock, the mother being a descendant of Roger Williams. In the fall of 1865, the Davis family went to Minnesota where the son, Harrison E., the subject of this sketch, grew to manhood on the farm, later engaging in farming for himself.
On December 31, 1874, Mr. Davis married Eliza Boyd, who was born in Pennsylvania. In 1878, Mr. Davis, with his wife and one daughter, came to Valley county, Nebraska, purchasing one hundred and twenty aeres from the Burlington and Missouri railroad, seetion twenty-three, township eighteen, range thirteen, just north of North Loup. The fol- lowing year Mr. Davis took a homestead of one hundred and sixty aeres near Ord, but later sold his right and returned to his first farm, which re- mained the "old home place" for many years.
Mr. Davis was always interested in the progress of the county along educational lines and was in- strumental in organizing two school districts and for ten years served as treasurer of district num- ber forty-two.
In the fall of 1903, Mr. Davis left the farm, moving to North Loup in order to engage in the furniture and undertaking business. He is pros- perons and sueeessful. owning good eity properties and splendid interests.
Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Davis: Fanny S., H. Eugene, who lived at Leoo, China, for three years where he was a missionary, returning to the states in 1910 to recover health lost in that malarious country ; George E., David A., Orson E., J. Stennett and Ross O. One child, Orville, died in infancy.
MIT. Davis and his family are widely and fav- orably known and for many years have been active members of the Seventh Day Baptist church.
A. F. REEVES.
A. F. Reeves, for the past twenty-one years a prominent representative of the farming com- munity of Madison county, Nebraska, has a pleas-
ant home in section eighteen, township twenty-two, range two, west. Ile is one of the worthy eitizens of that region, and his success and good name are well merited.
Mr. Reeves is a native of North Carolina, his birth occurring September 13, 1852, and is a son of Jesse and Nancy Reeves, both of Virginia birth. Our subject's father enlisted in 1861, in Company E, Twenty-sixth North Carolina Artillery in the Confederate army, and was killed in battle with guerillas the last year of the war. Mr. Reeves' grandfather came to America from England, thus making our subject a descendant of that country.
Mr. Reeves came to Madison county, Nebraska, in 1882, and bought the Mccutchen farm, which was not then very highly improved; he has steadily improved this land until now he owns one hundred and sixty acres of finely improved land and engages in mixed farming, at which he has made a success.
Mr. Reeves was united in marriage April 12, 1887, to Miss Maggie Warden, and Mr. and Mrs. Reeves are the parents of six children, whose names are as follows: Joe, David, Betty, Will, John and Jessie.
Mr. and Mrs. Reeves and family have the re- spect and esteem of all who know them, and in their pleasant home are surrounded by a host of good friends and acquaintances.
DANIEL BARRETT.
Daniel Barrett, of Broken Bow, is an early set- tler of Custer county and has always been closely identified with the progress and upbuilding of his part of the state. He is an energetie and successful man of affairs and owns a fine stock and grain farm of nearly five hundred acres, which he has improved, developed and equipped by his own ef- forts. He also owns some desirable eity property and in 1904 purchased the pleasant home in Bro- ken Bow where the family have sinee resided. Mr. Barrett was born in Warren, Illinois, March 17, 1854, a son of Hercules and Susan (Hawkeye) Bar- rett, natives of England. The parents eame to America in 1848, locating in Wiseonsin, but later removed to Cass county, Iowa, where both died, he in 1887 and she in 1885. Their children who now survive are : Henry lives seven miles west of Merna in Custer county; a daughter lives in Jackson county, Iowa, one in Omaha, and one in Cass coul- ty, Iowa; one daughter lives in Spokane, Wash- ington.
In early childhood Mr. Barrett went with his parents to Cass county, Iowa, where he received his education and grew to manhood, later engaging in farming there. He was married in Montgomery county, Iowa, to Esther Electa Booth, a native of New York state, a daughter of C. W. and Nancy (MicNinch) Booth, also natives of that state and now living seven miles east of Broken Bow, hay- ing come to Custer county in an early day. Mr. Booth served in the civil war. Mrs. Barrett has three sisters and five brothers living in Custer
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
county, namely : Mrs. Cora Hethley, Mrs. Grace Coulter, Mrs. Lizzie Shoup, Ed, Joseph, Ernest, William and George. Mr. and Mrs. Barrett made their first home in Iowa and in March, 1887, brought their one child, a son, with them to Custer county and secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land in section three, township sixteen, range twenty-two, which was their home for a number of years. For several years Mr. Bar- rett served as a member of the school board of dis- trict number one hundred and forty-eight, and he has always been ready to forward any worthy cause in the community.
Mr. Barrett and wife have had four children, as follows : Charles, is married and lives in Dunning, Nebraska; Orlonzo died June 28, 1888; Bertha E. lives at home, and Eugene died March 11, 1901. The family are well regarded and have a wide cir- cle of friends and acquaintances.
LEOPOLD EGE.
Leopold Ege, one of the old settlers of this re- gion, where he chose his home in the early days, occupies a good home and valuable property in sec- tion twenty-three, township thirty-one, range four, Knox county, Nebraska, where he is well known and respected by all with whom he has to do. He has done his share in the upbuilding of his locality, and is well and favorably known through- out this part of the state.
Mr. Ege is a native of Germany, in which coun- try he was born in 1842, where he spent the earlier portion of his life. In 1881, when he was thirty- nine years of age. Mr. Ege left his native land, with his wife and five children, and came to America, the land of plenty and golden opportunities. He set sail from Havre, France, to where he and his family had journeyed overland by rail, on the steamship "Labrador," and landed in New York from where they immediately started for the west, going as far as Sioux county, Iowa, where they remained over four years. He then came to Knox county, Nebraska, in 1886, where he took up a homestead in the location where he is now living.
In the first days of his settlement in Knox county, Mr. Ege experienced many hardships and discouragements. In the memorable blizzard of 188S, he lost all the stock he possessed except one cow, and suffered many other losses and struggles.
Mr. Ege was united in holy matrimony in 1870 to Miss Rachel Pefferly, and Mr. and Mrs. Ege are the parents of ten children, whose names are as follows: Lizzie and Rachel, both of whom are de- ceased, the former dying in Sheldon, Iowa, and the latter in Knox county; Caroline, died in Germany ; Charles, who lives in Canada; Chris, of Montana ; John of Washta, Iowa; Annie, wife of Thomas Vourn, of Knox county; Bertha, wife of Theodore Schaefer, of Knox county; Alice, of Washta, Iowa ; and Carrie, who lives at home. In addition to their own children, Mr. and Mrs. Ege have taken a boy,
Charles Woods, to raise, he having been with them since he was four months old.
Mr. and Mrs. Ege and family are highly es- teemed and respected in their community, and re- side in their pleasant home where they are sur- rounded by a host of good friends and acquain- tances.
ROBERT RUHLOW.
Robert Ruhlow, a retired agriculturist of prom- inence in Pierce county, Nebraska, is one of those substantial citizens whose integrity and industry, thrift and economy have added so much to the ma- terial wealth and growth of Nebraska. Agricul- ture forms the basis of wealth in that part of the country, as indeed in most sections of the United States. It is therefore of great importance that the class of people who inhabit the great farming re- gions of the country should represent those ele- ments of sterling worth so prominently displayed by the majority of the early settlers and their des- cendants.
Mr. Ruhlow was born March 4, 1864, near Wat- ertown, Wisconsin. His father William Ruhlow, was born in the province of Pomerania, Germany, in 1830, where after growing to manhood he fol- lowed the occupation of wagon maker. He emi- grated to America in 1849, sailing from Hamburg to Havre, France, on a small sailboat, and there embarked in a sailing vessel and landed in New York after a voyage of six weeks. After landing, the family came west to Wisconsin, where the father took up forty acres of timber land.
In 1867, Mr. Ruhlow, with his family, migrated to Madison county, Nebraska, coming by ox team with a party of Wisconsin people bound for the far west. He took up a homestead claim in Madi- son county, living for a time in a dugout, and later built a log house, for which they hauled the logs from the Elkhorn river. The family went to farm- ing their land and managed to get along very com- fortably, hauling their supplies from Columbus, Omaha and Sioux City. At this time this portion of the country was almost a wilderness, and deer, elk, and antelope were plentiful. There were but few settlers here, and Indians were camped all over the country. The pioneers experienced many hard times and frights from the red skins, but never had any great trouble through them. The grasshop- pers destroyed all their crops in 1873, 1875 and 1879, and in the blizzards of 1869, 1870, 1873, 1880 and 1888 caused them much suffering. Robert Ruhlow was out in the blizzard of October 1880, attempting to save their stock.
In 1886 Mr. Ruhlow, with his father, took a tree claim in Pierce county, Nebraska, in section thirty, township twenty-six, range three, which is now a well improved farm and the residence of our sub- ject until February, 1911, when he retired from farming and became a resident of Pierce.
Mr. Ruhlow was married in 1887 to Miss Bertha
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
Barfknecht, and they have nine children: Mabel, who died when a small child; Albert, Alvina, wife of Anton Bokemper, has one child; and Julius, Nettie, Liddia, Edna, Walter, and Ruth.
Mr. Ruhlow bought his father's interest in the land he lived on for so many years, and owns three hundred and twenty acres, twenty acres of it cov- ered with a grove of large trees, their own planting. Mr. Ruhlow worships at the German Lutheran church, and is a member of the Wood- men lodge. He is a democrat and served as school treasurer.
JOHN CHINDVALL.
To the men of perseverance and strong deter- mination who went to Nebraska when it was yet undeveloped as an agricultural and commercial re- gion, the present prosperity enjoyed there is due. Such a one is Mr. John Chindvall, who resides in section four, township thirty, range two, Knox county, where he owns a good farm of two hun- dred and forty acres, which is well improved.
Mr. Chindvall is a native of Sweden, his birth occurring in the province of Osterjotland, October 3, 1870. He is a son of August and Hattie (Lotman) Chindvall, both natives of Sweden. He grew to the age of twelve years in his native land, where he received his early education, and in 1882 came to America with his parents, embarking on a steamship, sailing from Guttenberg and landing in New York City. After landing in the United States, our subject and his parents traveled west- ward, locating in Burt county, Nebraska, where the family lived seven years, and where our subject grew to his maturity.
In 1890, Mr. Chindvall came to Knox county, Nebraska, where his father had previously pur- chased two hundred and forty acres of fine land, which John lived on until purchasing his present home. Mr. Chindvall's parents followed him to Knox county in 1892 and occupied the old farm un- til the father's death, and two years later the mother moved to Wausa where she now resides. In 1902 John Chindvall purchased his present farın of two hundred and forty acres and has since re- sided on, and operated, it. He has made many im- provements-among others having been the build- ing of a large house-one large barn, granary, log house, corn erih, etc. He has all but forty acres under cultivation, the forty being used for pasture. UIe raises considerable cattle and hogs.
In politics he is a republican, and is a member of the Swedish Lutheran church at Wausa.
Mr. Chindvall is one of those sturdy sons of Sweden who have proven their sterling worth in the npbuilding and making of Nebraska state, and he well deserves the credit which the citizens of his locality have accorded him. He is a man of many good qualities, and is honest and upright in all his dealings with mankind.
JOHN HAFNER.
John Hafner, proprietor of one of the most valuable estates in Knox county, Nebraska, has been a resident of that locality for a number of years. He is prominently known throughout the northeastern part of the state as one of the fore- most farmers and stockmen in Nebraska, and after many years' hard labor in building up his business, is now prepared to enjoy life in peace and com- fort, surrounded by a host of good friends and ac- quaintances. He resides on section twenty-one, township thirty, range three, where he attends to his farm and business.
Mr. Hafner is a native of Germany, his birth occurring in 1861 ; he is the son of John and Mary (Lana) Hafner, and is the third in a family of four children. His father served in the German army in the war between Denmark and Germany in 1848.
Mr. Hafner grew to his manhood days in his na- tive land, and in 1881, with his parents, came to America, and after landing in New York City, where they remained a week, they proceeded west- ward, locating in Omaha, where they lived five years.
In 1886, Mr. Hafner came to Knox county, Ne- braska, buying one hundred and sixty acres of fine land from his brother Henry, a sketch of whom appears on another page of this review. Mr. Hafner has been thrifty and industrious during his residence here, and has steadily increased his property until now he owns two hundred and six- ty-six acres of good land, five acres of which are set to trees. He formerly owned four hundred acres, but recently traded one hundred and sixty acres for city property 'in Bloomfield.
Mr. Hafner was united in marriage in 1900 to Miss Minnie Menkens, and Mr. and Mrs. Hefner are the parents of two fine children, whose names are Christ and Edward. Mrs. Hafner is also a na- tive of Germany, from which country she came to America some twenty-nine years ago.
Mr. and Mrs. Hafner and family reside in their pleasant home in the location above named, where they are highly esteemed and enjoy the respect and friendship of a host of friends and acquaintances.
JOSHUA BARNES.
Among the prosperious and enterprising farm- ers of Madison county, Nebraska, none is better known or more highly respected than the subject of this review, who resides, on section twenty-six, township twenty-three, range two. Mr. Barnes has devoted many years of his life to the pursuit of agriculture in this region, and has been a potent factor in producing the present prosperity en- joyed in his locality.
Mr. Barnes is a native of Lankshire, England, his birth occurring in the year of 1847; he is a son of Henry and Jane Barnes, also natives of Eng- land. Mr. Barnes, our subject, received his educa-
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
tion and grew to manhood in his'native land, and after attaming his majority worked out in Man- chester, England, working at whatever he found to do.
In 1879 Mr. Barnes, with his family, came to America, of which country and of the cheap lands to he had, he had heard so much. The family em- barked on a steamer at Liverpool, and were ten days on the water. After arriving in the United States, they went to Ford county, Illinois, where they remained three years.
In 1882 Mr. Barnes and family eame to Madi- son county, Nebraska, where he took up a home- stead in section twenty-six, township twenty-three, range two, which remains the homestead farm. Their first dwelling was a sod house in which the family lived comfortably for eight years. During those first years of residence on the western, fron- tier, the Barneses, as well as the few other families who came here at an early period, suffered many hardships and discouragements. Mr. Barnes lost part of his stoek in the terrible blizzard of January 12, 1888. This storm will ever remain vivid in the memory of Mrs. Barnes, whose husband was work- ing away from home at the time to get money with which to support his family. She was left alone with several small children, and the storm was so severe she could not get out to get fuel for the stove ; she ehopped up the ehairs and table to make fuel to keep the children and herself from freezing to death. Prairie fires were another source of dan- ger and had to be fought many times to save life and property. As late as 1894 our subjeet lost all that season's crops through the hot winds that pre- vailed,on account of the terrible drouth of that year.
Mr. Barnes was united in marriage Mareh 25, 1875, to Miss Mary Womsley, who is also a native of England, and a daughter of David and Sarah Womsley. Mr. and Mrs. Barnes are the parents of eight children, four of whom are living: James, Samuel, Elizabeth Emma, Wilbert, and Mary Alice ; Sarah, Jane, Womsley, Adda and Harry are deceased. They are a fine family and enjoy the respeet and esteem of all who know them and have a host of good friends and acquaintances. Mr. Barnes is a member of the Episcopal ehureh, and is a republican.
JOSEPH B. SMITH.
Joseph B. 'Smith is one of the best known men of Custer county, where he was one of the early settlers. He was born and reared on his father's farm in Washington county, Pennsylvania, the date of his birth being April 6, 1848, and he is next to the youngest child of Dennis and Sophia (Carwin) Smith, also natives of that state. The parents are deceased, and there are three sons and one daughter now surviving, all of whom except Joseph live in their native county. The Smith fam- ily has heen . in America for several generations back, the great-great grandfather of Joseph Smith
having been with Washington at Valley Forge dur- ing the Revolutionary war. The grandfather served in the Black Hawk war. A brother of Joseph, James Smith, served in the civil war as a member of the eighty-fifth Pennsylvania Volunteer Infan- « try, enlisting in 1861. A nephew of Joseph B., Alonzo Smith, served in the Spanish-American war, being sent to the Philippine Islands. An un- cle, Peter Smith, served during the civil war as a member of the Twenty-second Pennsylvania Cav- alry, and four cousins also served in that war. lt will thus be seen that Mr. Smith is of good old American stoek and descended from a family of patriots.
March 9, 1864, Joseph B. Smith enlisted in Company A, Sixth Pennsylvania 'Cavalry, being mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, in August, 1865. He received an honorable discharge at Har- risburg, Pennsylvania, August 18, 1865, having served under General Sheridan and participated in numerous skirmishes and engagements. At the close of the war he returned to his home and went baek on his father's farm. In March, 1877, he eame. to Fillmore county, Nebraska, making the trip by rail, and in the spring of 1883 he came to Custer eounty and took up 'a homestead comprising the northwest quarter of seetion twenty-seven, town- ship eighteen, range twenty-one. He returned to Fillmore county, put in a crop there, and in the fall came to his newly acquired land.
Mr. Smith was married in Greene county, Penn- sylvania, June 9, 1869, to Emma Bristor, and at the time of coming to Nebraska brought his wife and one child. They lived on their farm they had first acquired in Custer county until 1895 and in March of that year removed to a farin two and one- half miles east of Merna. They now reside in Merna, where he is engaged in grocery business. He engaged in business about 1901, condueting a liv- ery stable and running a mail route until 1909, when he started his present business. He has built up a good trade and has the confidenee and esteem of his customers and associates and is recognized as an upright, enterprising business man. IIe is one of the earliest residents of the county and has been identified with its development and progress, having passed through the years of privation and hardship during the early years. His sister Pris- cilla accompanied him when he came to Fillmore eounty. He now has a very pleasant home in Merna, and is a Royal Highlander and is Com- mander of Samuel Riee post Grand Army of the Republie. He has seen central Nebraska grow from its wild state to a region of prosperity and pro- gress.
Mrs. Smith, who was an estimable woman, of high character and noble purpose, and had many sincere friends, passed away at her home in Mer- na, May 10, 1910. The only daughter, Maggie, is the wife of W. M. Dodge and they reside east of Merna. There are five children in the Dodge fam- ily. A sketeh of Mr. Dodge appears in this work.
-20
RESIDENCE OF D. B. GORDAN.
"SPRING VIEW STOCK FARM," RESIDENCE OF DAVID E. STRONG.
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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.
DAVID BENJAMIN GORDAN.
Among the very early settlers of Nebraska were the members of the Gordan family, David B. Gor- dan having lived in the state since he was two years of age. Ile is one of the self-made men of his part of the state, and now owns a well developed farm in Custer county, west of Arcadia. He is rec- ognized as one of the substantial men of his locali- ty and has earned his possessions by his own efforts. Mr. Gordan was born in Fulton county, Illinois, April 10, 1867, fifth in a family of seven children born to John, and Mary (Bivins) Gordan. The father a native of Germany came to America in childhood growing to manhood in the state of Penn- sylvania, where he was married. He enlisted in a Pennsylvania regiment, serving two years in the civil war. In 1870 he came to Milford, Nebraska, and died in York county, that state, in 1891. The mother a native of Illinois and of Scotch and Ger- man parentage, died in Custer county, Nebraska, in 1904. Of their children besides David B. the follow- ing may be related : Mrs. Susan Casteel and Mrs. Lily Dascher live in Custer county ; Mrs. Hattie HInlshizer lives in Brown county, Nebraska ; Mrs. Ida Francis lives in Grant county, same state ; one son is deceased; Lorenzo D. lives at Sehuyler, Nebraska.
When he was two years old Mr. Gordan accom- panied the rest of the family to Milford and two years later they removed to Seward county, where the father secured a homestead and lived on it nineteen years. Later he moved to Gresham, York county. David B. Gordan has always followed farming and in 1898 purchased two hundred acres of land on section twenty-three, township seven- teen, range seventeen, Custer county ; which is still the home place. Ile has four hundred aeres in sec- tions fourteen and fifteen devoted to grain and cat- tle. Ile has devoted this place largely to stock raising, in which he has meet with gratifying sue- cess, and in the year 1909 he erected a handsome residence at a cost of five thousand dollars. We give an excellent view of this model country home on another page of this work, to which we invite attention as one of the best in this section of Ne- braska. A complete system of water supply and gas illumination is installed in both house and barn. 1
September 2, 1889, Mr. Gordan was married, in Custer county to Anna Abresch who was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, daughter of William and Anna Abresch. Iler father, a native of Germany, served in the German army and later came to America, loeating in Milwaukee, where his death occurred in 1879. His wife is now living in Seward county, Nebraska and she has one son, Charles, also living there. Mr. Gordan has always had much patriotie love for Nebraska, the only home he can remember, and has taken an active interest in pub- lie affairs. He is serving his ninth year as moder- ator of school district number eleven and has pro- moted the cause of education and every other good .
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