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 217

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 217

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

the crops were a total failure, and the family suf- fered many other drawbacks and discouragements. Mr. Prokop was united in marriage in 1890 to Miss Elizabeth Kovnovsky, and Mr. and Mrs. Prokop are the parents of four children, whose names are as follows: Joseph, John, Mary, and Helen, and they are a fine family who enjoy the esteem of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

Mr. Prokop now owns five hundred and twenty acres of fine land, ten acres of which are set to trees, and the home farm is known as the Martin Kec homestead.

MARTIN NIELSEN.

The gentleman above named is a brother of Niels and Ole Nielsen, whose sketches appears on another page of this volume, and he is equally well known and respected, having spent the past many years as a resident of Howard county. He is pro- prietor of a well-developed farm in Warsaw pre- cinct, and there enjoys a comfortable home and the friendship of all with whom he has had to do.

Martin Nielsen was born in Denmark on Sep- tember 2, 1855, and made that his home up to his eighteenth year, then started for the new world to join two brothers, Niels and Ole, who had come here several years previously, they locating in Howard county in 1871. Our subject spent a few weeks with them, then settled in Hall county and remained for about one year, returning to Howard county in June, 1874, and began farming. After several months he secured employment at Fort Hardstuff in digging the fort wells, at which work he continued up to the first of the following year. In February he went into Cheyenne county to work for the Union Pacific, continuing in their service for over a year, then followed. ranching, etc., for a time.

In the summer of 1878 Mr. Nielsen came back to Howard county and settled on land on section twenty-one, township fourteen, range eleven, which he had previously purchased in 1876, and which has remained his home place up to this time. He now owns two hundred and forty acres of choice farming land situated along the Turkey creek, and has put up substantial farm buildings of all kinds, including a fine modern residence and barn, and has one of the best equipped farms in the section. He has passed through all the various phases of Nebraska early settlement, and located here just before the terriffic storm which swept the region in April, 1873, which every old-timer well re- members.

Mr. Nielsen was married on October 18, 1883. to Miss Karen Marie Nielsen, who came into How- ard county in 1883. Her father and mother al- ways lived in their native country, but she has four brothers and one sister, who came to the United States from Denmark during the earlier years, and now reside in Howard county, with the exception of the sister who is now deceased. Four children

have been born to our subject: Peter, Francis G., William and Froda, all bright and intelligent young people, the eldest, Peter, now married and farming in Howard county while the others are living with their parents on the home farm.

Mr. Nielsen has been connected with numerous precinct offices ever since locating in the county, and is one of the active and prominent men of affairs in his locality.

CARL ASMUS. (Deceased.)

Carl Asmus, deceased, was born in Germany, near Berlin, on October 22, 1838. He received his education in his home country, and came to America, in 1868, when he located in the state of Utalı for about a year, following the occupation of railroading. In 1869, he came to Nebraska, lo- cating near West Point, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land.

On February 2, 1871, Mr. Asmus was married to Miss Louisa Koch who was also born in Ger- many, and came to America in 1869 with her par- ents. Shortly afterwards, Mr. Asmus moved to Norfolk, where he lived until the time of his death, which occurred August 1, 1903.

Mr. Asmus was one of Norfolk's pioneer mer- chants, conducting a store until 1901, when, owing to poor health, he retired from business life. He served as a member of the Norfolk city council for several years.

Mr. and Mrs. Asmus, have had six children four of whom are living, whose names are as fol- lows: Elsie, married to Lewis Koenigstein, who have one child and live in Norfolk; Max, also mar- ried, lives in Portland, Oregon; Hugo, married, and living in Kansas City, Missouri; and Fritz, who holds the position of assistant cashier of the Norfolk National Bnak.

Mr. and Mrs. Asmus are among the early pio- neers of Nebraska, and are widely and favorably known. Mrs. Asmus lives in Norfolk, where she owns one of the prettiest homes of the city, and enjoys the esteem of.a large circle of friends. Her father died in West Point, Nebraska, about 1890, and her mother in March 14, 1907, in Norfolk, at the advanced age of eighty-seven years.

Mrs. Asmus has three brothers in West Point, Nebraska, one sister in the state of Texas, and two sisters in Nebraska.

HENRY SWEENEY. (Deceased.)

The late Henry Sweeney, of Custer county, im- proved and developed a fine farm, erected a mod- ern and comfortable residence and set out fine trees on the estate now occupied by his widow, and conducted by two of their sons. He was born in Ireland in 1830. The family moved to England when he was a small boy, and in 1848, when in his

HON. D. M. AMSBERRY.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

eighteenth year, he came to America and spent sev- eral years in the states of New York and New Jersey. His parents followed him to the United States some years after his coming and spent their remaining years in New Jersey. In 1863 he went to Illinois to see a brother who had enlisted in the union army, and remained in that state about seventeen years.

On May 12, 1863, Mr. Sweeney was married in Will county, Illinois, to Bridget Harvey, a native of Ireland, born in 1840, who came to the United States in 1857, and joined an older sister in Chi- cago. None of her immediate family ever came to Nebraska except Mrs. Sweeney, the other members who survive being residents of Chicago. In 1880 Mr. Sweeney brought his wife and their eight children to Butler county where two more children were born to them. Thomas, Katie, Harry, George, Alice, Ambrose, Arthur, and Annie, were born in Illinois, and William and Edward, were born in Butler county. In 1887 they came to Custer county and Mr. Sweeney located on school section sixteen, township eighteen, range twenty-two, where he spent the remainder of his life, bringing it to a high state of productiveness. He died there in 1907, deeply mourned by his many friends and acquaintances. He was well-known as an upright, honest citizen, and had a high standing in the community.

Mrs. Sweeney still lives on'the home farm and her two sons, Edward and William, assist her in its management. They are young men of energy' and ability and substantial citizens. Eight chil- dren now survive, all of them living in Nebraska, except Harry. They are: Katie, wife of Owen Gray, of Butler county, has three children ; George, of Custer county, has five children; Ambrose is married and lives in Custer county; Arthur is married and lives in the county; Annie, wife of James McCarty, of Custer county, has four chil- dren ; Harry, of Wyoming, has one child; William and Edward, on the home farm.

AMONG THE EARLY SETTLERS OF CUS- TER COUNTY, NEBRASKA, WERE THE AMSBERRYS.

The Amsberrys of Custer county are the de- seendants of William A. Amsberry and Polly Ev- erett, who entered into marriage relations, in the state of New York, in 1821. William A. Ams- berry's parents were of English descent, having emigrated to the United States in the early set- tlement of New England. William A. was a sol- dier in the war with Mexico, for which service he received his pay in government land warrants, which he subsequently laid on land in the state of Iowa, where he made his home in his old age. Soon after their marriage they left the stone and wood topped hills of New York and located in Mason county, Virginia, between two hills on a branch of the Little Sixteen, which meant a little stream of

water coursing its way down the valley, over the pebbles and rocks, sixteen miles from the mouth of the Kanawah river.

Polly Everett Amsberry was the daughter of Francis and Sally Franklin Everett, the latter a cousin of Benjamin Franklin, the noted statesman and philosopher.

It was here in this humble home on the Little Sixteen that these people gave to the world Wil- liam Franklin, Francis Everett, Lewis Norton, Al- mira, Horace Allen, and Matthew James Amsberry.

William A. Amsberry was a tanner and shoe- maker by trade. He prepared his own tan-bark and tanned the raw material from which he manu- factured the boots, shoes and leggins for the rugged woodmen, their wives and children of that day. Here he built a home and cleared out a small farm, on which employment for the children was fur- nished as they grew up. He was a musician and composer and gained wide popularity, as well as notoriety by his clever compositions of music, which he sang and played on the violin.

William F. Amsberry, the oldest of the children was the first to drift from the old plantation of the Virginia home. He with his young bride, Har- riett A. Brown, moved to Marion county, Iowa, and located near the Des Moines river, near Knox- ville, on government land for which they paid $1.25 per acre. They gave to the world Mary Jane Beatrice, Darius Mathew, Medora H., Boyd F., Marsena L., Kittie B., and twin boys who died iu infancy.

Lewis Norton and his bride, Jane Coffman, in a few months followed and located on land adjoining his brother William F. They gave to the world Florentine, Lewis Allen, Mary, William Zacha- riah, James Green, Nola, Norton, Charley, Ada- line and Lyman B.

Almira Amsberry, with her husband, William Beard, came soon after and located six miles down the river from her brothers, William and Norton. Their children were Albert David D., Mary E., El- len J., and Jabus Everett. William Beard, the husband and father, lost his life as a soldier in the Civil war. Some years after, the wife and mother married Pearly Troby. The second family of children were Ruth, Sophie, Allen and Puss. These children are married and have families. Rutlı married James Runyan, Jr .; Ellen married Perry Dady ; Sophie married Leonard Dady; Puss mar- ried Will Sharper.

Francis Everett Amsberry and his wife, Lucy Beard, remained on the old Virginia plantation until after the Amsherry settlement was made in Custer county, Nebraska. Their children are Mar- garet, Sally, John A., Martha, James M., Laura, Frank E., Mvra, William, Ella and Floyd. All are married but Martha, and have families, and all live in Custer county except Floyd and family.

The two older children of William and Har- riet Amsberry, Beatrice, now Mrs. H. T.'Coffman, and Darins M. Amsherry, were the first to move to Nebraska to seek homes on the wild domain.

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Darius and H. T. Coffman went to Nebraska in the fall of 1873 and located near Grand Island, in Ilall county. Both Beatrice and Darius, before emigrating to the west spent a series of terms in Central University, a Baptist school at Pella, Iowa.

In the spring of 1874, John A. Amsberry eame to the state and first located in Valley county, near Ord. Beatrice Amsherry, with her' husband lo- cated on a homestead near Grand Island. Darius resumed his occupation as teaeher in district num- ber one, in Grand Island, where he taught five years in succession.

. On learning of the organization of the new county of Custer, John and Darius located home- steads, in sections thirty and thirty-one, township fifteen, range seventeen, near where Mason City now stands. This was the nucleus of the Ams- berry settlement in Custer county. Prior to this settlement Darius M. had gone baek to Iowa, in the spring of 1875, where he married Miss Evaline Greenlee, of Corydon, Iowa, on April eighth, the daughter of Sylvester and Esther Barnett Green- lee, pioneers of Wayne county, who had emigrated from Mason eounty, West Virginia. The children of this family are Minnie May, William S., Ama R .. Lorin W., Jessie. who died in infancy; Lillie H. Minnie May married W. J. Clay, and they are liv- ing on a farm of their own near Broken Bow; Wil- liam S. is married, and is express agent at Dead- wood, South Dakota ; Ama R. married Carl Foote, and is living on a raneh of their own of several hundred acres, near Dunning, in Blaine eounty ; Lorin W. is married living in Broken Bow and is a printer by trade ; Lillie H. is living with her par- ents in Broken Bow.

After a year or more John A. Amsberry, grow- ing tired of a bachelor life, returned to Iowa and married Miss Mary Buekley, daughter of Frank and Martha Buekley, who were former residents of West Virginia. Their children are Zadee, Frank. and Nellie. Zadee married Ray Duke, a druggist in Mason City, Nebraska. Frank is engaged with his father on the original homestead, with several hundred acres added, in farming and raising thoroughbred Poll Angus eattle, both farming and cattle raising are carried on extensively. Nellie is living with her parents.

When John and Darius located in Custer county there was hut one neighbor in five miles, and not more than a half dozen settlers within a radius of fifteen miles, and less than two hundred in the county, which embraeed a territory of forty. eight by fifty-four 'miles. Their buildings were construeted of sod, but little lumber being used, as their nearest railroad point where lumber eould he bought was at Kearney or Grand Island, sixty miles distant. On account of the great distance from a railroad, groceries eeased to be a necessity in large assortment and quantity, but they were not without provisions as the eanyons abounded in wild plums, grapes, eurrants and gooseberries in their season. This wild fruit was gathered in large quantities in the fall, which provided sance

the year round. This with the sorghum made from home grown cane met all the needs in the line of food. Elk, deer, antelope, prairie chickens and jack-rabbits were plenty at first and from this source a supply of fresh meat could be obtained without mueh loss of time as they were at hand and were not very wild. The only time the colony was hard pressed for provisions was the winter of 1880 and 1881, when the snow was so deep from No- vember, 1880. to April, 1881, that it was impossible to go to market or the grist mill, thirty miles dis- tant, to secure bread stuff. Those who had not laid in a large supply of flour in the fall, for weeks had to parch corn and grind it on their eoffee mills for all the bread they ate.

After Darius M. Amsberry had proved up on his homestead, in 1884, moved to Broken Bow, having been elected county superintendent of schools in the fall of 1882. He was elected for three consecutive terms, from 1882 to 1888. During this period the country had its greatest growth in population,and he organized in that time one hundred sixty-five sehool distriets. In 1887 he purchased the Custer County Republican, the pioneer paper of the town of Broken Bow. The Re- publican was started with the platting of the town, June, 1882, by R. H. Miller. At the elose of his third term as eounty superintendent, January, 1888, he assumed personal busness and editorial manage- ment of the paper and continued active in it its management until August, 1906, when, having been appointed Receiver of the United States land office at Broken Bow, by President Theodore Roose- vent, in July of that year for a term of four years. he turned the active management of the paper over to his foreman, Charles K. Bassett, as practieally all of his time was required in the government offiee, in disposing of the government land in his district under the Kinkaid law of six hundred and forty acre homesteads. At the expiration of this termi he was re-appointed to the same offiee by President William Howard Taft. He continued the supervision of the publication of the Re- publican, however, until July 1, 1911, when he sold the plant to Norman Parks. He still resides in Broken Bow, where he has one of the best homes of the city, besides business property, as well as valuable property joining the city.

Soon after finding valuable government land in Custer eounty these two pioneers, John and Darius Amsberry proceeded to notify their relations and friends of the splendid opening for free homes. It. was not long until the valleys and hills around about were settled with Amsberrys and relatives. Among the first were Darius' father, mother and family; Zaeh Ambserry and bride, his mother, "Aunt Jane," widow of Norton Amsberry, and her family, Almira Amsberry, Troby and her family. Franeis E. Amsherry and family, Beatrice Ams- berry Coffman, husband and family, Florintine Amsberry Mossman, husband and family, Rose Amsberry Greenlee, husband and family, Laura Ambserry Fisher, husband and family.

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Medora H. Amsberry, who filed on a homestead where Mason City now stands, married George W. Runyan and they are now residing in Mason City, having retired from their valuable farm near town. They gave to the world, Ira, Ada, Blanch, Merle, William and Willis, twins, and Glenn. Ira married Fraces Rumery who following the example of their ancestors have filed on government land, under the Kinkaid act, on which they are residing. Ada married Buff Watson and is living on her father's farm near Mason. Blanch married Henry Rumery, who has taken a section of government land. Merle, who for several years has been a student in Grand Island Baptist College, as well as William, Willis and Glenn are still single, and all but Glenn have homesteads.

The children of Beatrice Amsberry Coffman are Mary, Harry, Hariet, Paul and Kittie. Harriet, Kittie and their father are dead and Paul is living on the home place near Mason with his mother, who after the death of her husband, moved from her city home back to the farm. Mary married James Kelley and they, with Harry are living on home- steads in Box Butte county. Harry married Rosa Runyan, daughter of Dug and Mary Jane Runyan.

Boyd F. Amsberry married Mollie Coffman. They gave to the world Elmer, Mary, Augustus. HIiram and Harry. Mary married Pratt Bliss. They are living in Seattle, Washington. Elmer and family and Augustus are living in Vancouver. British Columbia. Hiram and wife live in Ana- cortes, Washington, from which place he operates as postal mail clerk Harry is still in school and at home with his parents.

Marsena L. Amsherry is married and has a val- nable farm near'Ansley on which he resides. His children living are Maple, Rolly, Ora, Lavern, Violet and Ethel. Maple married John Mitchie and they live on their own farm adjoining her father. The other children are all at home with their parents.

Kittie Amsherry maried M. L. Whitaker, who is in the mercantile business at Canton, Nebraska, and have a seetion of land near, which the children work. They gave to the world Ray, Howard, Clif- ford, Mamie, Edith, Helen and Herbert, all of whom are at home.

Zach Amsherry still owns his homestead, which with time has become valuable, from which he and "ife enjoys the fruits thereof in extensive travel for health and recreation. Their children are Alma and Fannie. and are both married.

Nola Amsherry married Henry Zimmerman and now reside in Ansley, near where they have a valuable farm. They gave to the world, Ray, Ada- line, Thomas, Lottie, Fronia and Flora, all of whom are married, but Flora.

Norton, Charley and Lyman are married and live in the vicinity.

Aunt Jane is still living and makes her home with her youngest son Lyman on the farm.

The Amsberrys of Custer are generally promi- nent members of the Baptist church and active in

all lines of Christian work, as well as all matters of publie interest.

A portrait of D. M. Amsberry is , presented on another page of this volume.

JACOB JUYLAN.

One of the many sons of Old England, who have found a home in the vieinity of Plainview and added to the material wealth and social stability of the community, was the venerable Jacob Julyan, who, at the time of his death in 1910, was one of the oldest men in his county.

Mr. Julyan was born in the village of Thurn- gay, Cornwall, in 1830, and was a son of Jolin and Elizabeth Julyan, who were natives of the same shire and passed their entire lives in their native land.

Jacob learned the blacksmith's trade at his father's forge and followed the work during his younger years. He was married at an early age to Elizabeth Allen, and three children were born to them, all settled in the west here. Mrs. Julyan died in England, and our subject was married to Jane Cock, a native of Cornwall also, and of this marriage five children were born, three now living, namely : Jessie, who is the wife of Frank Peed, of Knox county ; Eva, wife of George Roan, a ranch- man of Cherry county ; and Charles who lived with his parents at the time of their death. Mrs. Julyan also died in 1910.

In 1876, Mr. Julyan was influenced by the let- ters from a friend who had come to America and settled in Nebraska, to leave the old country. so he sailed in June of that year, accompanied by his two eldest sons, taking passage on the "Baltic," from Liverpool. They arrived at Belleview, Sarpy county, Nebraska, early in July, and the father immediately obtained work at his trade, also tried farming, but owing to the hard times brought on by the grasshopper raids in that country, was ob- liged to give up blacksmithing altogether. He was joined by his wife and the rest of his children in June 1877, and as conditions in Sarpy county. be- came worse, Mr. Julyan left his family there and sought work in other fields, finally obtaining em- ployment at Ward, a mining camp in Nevada, where he remained for four years, his family re- training at Belleview all of this time

In 1884 Mr. Julyan came to Pierce county pur- chasing a farm six miles northeast of Plainview. flere he experienced every form of pioneer life. At the time of the blizzard which struck their locality in 1888, two of the younger children were at school and unable to reach home. As soon as the storm abated sufficiently to permit travel, which was to- werd morning of the following day, Mr. Julyan and a hired man took a well-filled bucket of lunch, and hv keeping close to a wire fence as a guide, made their way to the schoolhouse. Before reaching there, however, he stopped at a neighbor's home. where he found his children safe and sound, so con-

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tinued on his way, and at the schoolhouse found the teacher and a number of the pupils huddled togeth- er to keep warm and in a state bordering on star- vation from their long fast and worn with the anxiety occasioned by the terrific storm. These and many others were the hardships that confronted them during those years. For several years they were obliged to use hay and corn for fuel when they were unable to get any other commodity as coal was very high and scarce. Their only Indian scare was the memorable false alarm, when a crowd of young men returning from a charivari shot off their guns and raced through the town making everybody think that a band of the redskins were on the warpath. '

In 1902, Mr. Julyan left the farm and pur- chased a comfortable home in Plainview where he spent the remaining years of his life in peace and plenty, surrounded by the comforts of life.

In politics Mr. Julyan is an Independent, al- · ways supporting the best man on the ticket, regard- less of party. Both our subject and his wife were reared in the Episcopal church, but since settling in the west they attended other houses of worship, more frequently the Methodist church and the Friends' services.

TELMAN N. BENNETT.

Telman N. Bennett, probably as well known as any citizen of Howard county, for his extensive business interests in the past, also his thorough ap- preciation of the needs of his community and his conscientious labors to meet them, is a resident of the city of St. Paul. At the present time Mr. Ben- nett is acting in the capacity of eastern represen- tative of a prominent business house in the west, and is successfully covering a large territory, known among the commercial travelers far and near as one of the brightest and most successful men in his line of work . .

Mr. Bennett was born in Steuben county, New York state, on November 18, 1847, and was the third in a family of four children. When he was four years of age his parents removed to Potter county, Pennsylvania, his brother George still liv- ing there, although both parents, one sister and a brother are deceased. Pelman received his educa- tion in the public schools, later took a course at the Ulysses Academy, in that county, and at the age of sixteen years, begun teaching school during the summer months, attending college through the win- ter season. He continued his labors at a teacher for some six or seven terms, also at various times followed farming in his home vicinity.

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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 217

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