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 218

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 218

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In 1868 Mr. Bennett was married here to Sarah Freeman, daughter of Jerry Freeman, a well known resident of Potter county, Pennsylvania. To them were born one daughter and a son, and Mrs. Bennett died in St. Paul, in January, 1880, the daughter also being deceased, while Atlas J. Ben- nett, the son, is married and now makes his home in Amarillo, Texas.

Our subject came into Howard county in 1872. and located a pre-emption and homestead in the northwestern part of the county, situated on the Loup River bottom, making that his home up to 1879, when he came to St. Paul and took up his permanent residence. Here he went into, the gen- eral merchandise business and continued in the trade for a number of years, being numbered among the pioneer merchants of the place. He has been interested in various enterprises, at one time hauling lumber from Central City for about the first residence built in St. Paul. In 1891 he begun his career as a traveling salesman for a wholesale grocery honse and has followed this ever since, be- ing connected with different firms in this time, and at present acting as eastern representative of the Thomas Devlin Tannery Company, of Arcata, California.

In October, 1882, Mr. Bennett married Miss Ida Kenney, daughter of Samuel Kenney, a leading pioneer of Howard county, the event taking place at the home of the bride's parents. After three short years of happy married life Mrs. Bennett de- parted this life, deeply mourned by all, as she was a lady of charming personality, and greatly ad- mired by those who knew her. Mr. Bennett mar- ried again, in 1887. taking as wife Miss Frances Tripp and they are the parents of two children. Fred and Lois, both now living at home. The fam- ily are among the leading members of the social life of their city, taking an active interest in educa- tional and church affairs in St. Paul.

GEORGE STRATHDEE. (Deceased.)

The late George Strathdee was one of the early settlers of Valley county, where he was a successful farmer and stock raiser. He spent the last years of his life at Arcadia. IIe was honored as a vet- eran of the civil war, and was highly esteemed for his many good qualities. Mr. Strathdee was born in Glasgow, Scotland, December 12, 1835, reached maturity in his native country and there enjoyed excellent educational advantages. As a young man he came to America and located at Wilmington, Illinois, where he secured a position as bookkeeper and later served as constable and sheriff of Will county. On February 7, 1867, he was married, at Wilmington, to Mrs. Mary (Hurley) Forbes, a na- tive of County Limerick, Ireland, who 'came to America with her parents when about fifteen years of age.

In the fall of 1885 Mr. Strathdee brought his wife and five children to, Valley county and there homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres af land at Lee Park, later purchasing eighty acres of land. He lived there until 1906, when he sold the farm and retired from hard work, purchasing a com- fortable home at Arcadia where his death occurred May 2, 1910. He was survived by his widow and four children: George, married and living in Ar- cadia, has two children; Fred, of Arcadia, whose

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wife died in September 1908; Mary, wife of Robert F. Rowe, of Arcadia, a sketch of whom ap- pears in this work, has two children; and Albert, married and living in Arcadia. Another son, Al- fred, twin brother of Albert, died in September. 1902. Mrs. Strathdee has two sons by a former marriage, Charles and William Forbes, both living in Nebraska. She still resides in the home in Ar- cadia, surrounded by a large circle of friends.

Mr. Strathdee enlisted in Company I, One Hun- dredth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, served throughout the war, and lost his left arm in the bat- tle of Mission Ridge. He received his honorable discharge at the close of the war having a record of which his family are proud. All who knew him deplored his decease and he is missed in many cir- cles. He was a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Grand Army of the Republic

AUGUST JACOBSON. (Deceased.)

August Jacobson was well and favorably known in the city of Newman Grove, and indeed, through- out Boone county, Nebraska ; he was born in Swe- den, and comes of a very old and respected family of that country.

Mr. Jacobson was a son of Jacob and Margaret Neilson, and was born on May 1, 1846. He was the fifth in a family of six children, all of whom are deceased with the exception of one brother still in Sweden and another Charles Jacobson, who lives in Platte county, Nebraska. Also, both father and mother died in Sweden several years ago. August was married in 1872, to Caroline Anderson, who was born and raised near his home place, and to- gether they came to the United States in the spring of 1873, their first location being in Illinois. There Mr. Jacobson worked at railroading for four years. during which time with care and the strictest econ- onmy, he managed to save up fifteen hundred dol- lars and then brought his family to Boone county. Nebraska. He filed on a homestead on section twenty- three, township twenty range five and this was their home place up to 1905, when Mr. Jacob- son retired from the farm and moved to Newman Grove taking up his residence in a fine dwelling which he had erected there. He stilled owned and superintended the work on the farm up to the time of his death and owned considerahle land adjoin- ing his original homestead, part of which he took in the early years as a timber elaim, and was classed among the wealthy self-made men of that region. Himself and wife were among the early pioneers of Nebraska becoming prosperous and successful by dint of faithful attention to duty, and good man- agement. Mr. Jacobson served as assessor of Boone eounty for three years, from 1894 to 1896 inclusive. and was also director of school district number thirty-seven, for twelve years.

Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ja-

cobson, all living, named as follows: Charles A., Emily M., H. G., Segard A., J. Martin, Alice A .. Walter A., Theodore A., all are married except the two last mentioned. Mrs. Jacobson has four sisters and two brothers, three of whom are still living in Sweden.

ROBERT J. MILLS.

Robert J. Mills is one of the old settlers of Cus- ter county, Nebraska, and has been instrumental in furthering the welfare and development of his county and state since locating there in the fall of 1885, a period of more than a quarter of a century. He is a native of Steubenville, Ohio, born May 10, 1853, son of John and Sarah (Wolfenden) Mills, natives of England. The father eame to America in 1848 and loeated first at Sharon, Pennsylvania. He died in Beaver county, Pennsylvania, in 1882, and his widow in 1884. Robert J. Mills was next to the oldest of their eight children, the others being: one son in Illinois, three sons in Pennsyl- vania; two daughters in Pennsylvania, and one daughter deccased. In early child- hood Mr. Mills accompanied his parents to Beaver county, Pennsylvania and there he grew to matur- ity, receiving his education in the local schools. He later worked in the mines in that state and his mar- riage occurred in Beaver county July 11, 1878, when he was united with Miss Catherine Baker, a native of Pennsylvania and daughter of Richard and Catherine (Thomas) Baker, both natives of western Pennsylvania.

In the fall of 1885 Mr. Mills brought his wife and three children to Custer county and secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land near Westerville, the home of the family until 1900, when he sold out and purchased two hundred and eighty acres of land on section twenty-nine, town- ship seventeen, range eighteen, where he has a well improved and fully equipped stoek and grain farm. In 1908 he erected a modern farm residence and he has also provided other substantial and suitable buildings. Ile has served as director of the school board in district number four for some time and was also supervisor of the county for a period of four years.

Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Mills, namely : Thompson B., of Custer county, has two children; Lina, wife of J. P. Runer of Ansel- mo, Nebraska, has four children; Carrie, a teacher in Custer county : Edward W. at home; Harry R., also at home; Bertha, a student at Broken Bow; Emma J. at home, and a daughter who died in in- fancy. Mr. Mills is an enterprising and progress- sive farmer and is recognized as a publie-spirited and desirable citizen. IIe is one of the best known men in his part of the county and has a wide eir- cle of friends.

The Mills lived some nine years in sod houses before building his present pretentious country home. The "soddie" on their first farm was in strong contrast with the substantial homes

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in the east. Their furniture was shipped from Wampum, Pennsylvania, to Grand Island, and was several weeks on the way. In going for them after arrival Mr. Mills was eleven days away from home on the way during which time Mrs. Mills was left alone in the almost empty house but felt no fear, having a faithful family dog, brought with them from the east, to guard her.

The day of the blizzard of January 12, 1888, Mr. Mills started to the Hiekenbottom sale at which so many were gathered that day, and giving the tle mules they were driving to a homemade sled, their heads, the team took them to Mr. Joseph Gid- ding's, where they remained all night.

The early nineties were trying years to the set- tlers; Mr. Mills suffered from drouth ,in 1890 and 1894, and lost all or part of the crops in 1893 and 1895 by hail.

In politics Mr. Mills is a democrat. Fraternally he is a member of the Masonie order, the Odd Fel- lows, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.

BEN. F. STOCKWELL.

Few men living today in the state of Nebraska have memories of its prairies fifty years ago, but one of these few is Ben F. Stockwell, now retired, living in Boyd county, in the county seat. Mr. Stockwell first set foot on Nebraska soil in 1861, when he traversed the state on his way to Nevada, where for eighteen months he was employed in the silver mines of Virginia City. He had spent a short time in Utah, Idaho, and Montana, but made his longest sojourn in the state of Nevada before returning to his former home at La Grange, Indiana.

Mh. Stockwell was born in the village of Alexan- der, Licking county, Ohio, September 7, 1838, and when four years old his parents moved to La Grange county, Indiana. He is a son of Ephriam and Margaret (Streeter) Stockwell, the former working as a millwright practically all his life. Ben Stoekwell has been self-supporting since he was but nine years of age, working for his board and clothes. neither of which was over-abundant. At the age of twenty. he became one of a threshing crew, and for thirty years followed that emloyment. After his return from the mountains in the year 1862, Mr. Stockwell lived in Indiana until coming to the west. He lived during the winters of 1870- 1871 in Jasper county. Iowa, before making resi- dence in Nebraska in June, 1871, when he settled in Cass county, on a farm three miles west of Weeping Water, where he bought railroad land. Tere he lived nine years, suffering total losses two years, owing to the grasshopper pest. In 1880 he sold in Cass county, and moving to Lincoln coun - ty Kansas, bought two hundred and forty acres six miles east of the city of Lincoln: Here he plied the science and art of farming and stock-raising seven vears. Coming to Holt county in the fall of 1877, he bought a relinquishment and filed on a home-

stead of one hundred and sixty acres seven. miles east of Eagle Mills where he resided until 1903.

In 1900 Mr. Stockwell retired from active farm- ing and became a resident of Butte, where his brother, Dr. Stockwell, had been the leading phy- iscian since the founding of the town. He bought two lots, built a residence, and at once planted trees which are today as large and thrifty as any in town. His place he sold to advantage in 1903, and built his present home, which faces the school square on the north.

Mr. Stockwell was married September 5, 1860, to Miss Jane Rowland, a native of, Huron county, Ohio. Her father, William Rowland, was a native of New York, who died at the age of eighty-seeven ; the mother, Mary Holcomb, lived until attaining her seventy-fifth year. Four children have been horn to Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell, named as follows: Lydia, wife of S. Anderson, of Henley, South Dakota ; Kate, who is married to George Kirkland, of Atkinson, Holt county ; Emma and her husband, Wilford Standeford, have a claim near Gregory, South Dakota; and Charlotte, is married to Ray Coleman, who is employed at Phoenix, Holt county, Nebraska.

Mr. Stockwell was living in Holt county at the time of the great blizzard of January 12, 1888, and going from the house to the barn to feed his stock, he lost his way and with difficulty returned to his dcor. The weather looked suspicious to the mother that day, and the children were kept home from school, saving them suffering and distress.

Mr. and Mrs. Stockwell never lived in the prim- itive sod house, as many settlers were compelled to to, but always lived near enough a town to buy lumher for a frame dwelling. Part of the time while living in Cass county corn was a drug on the market and furnished a cheaper fuel than coal.

With a recollection of Nebraska extending over a period of more than fifty years Mr. Stockwell has no eause to regret the impulse that brough him to the state as a settler; and the state has cause to congratulate itself on acquiring so thrifty and sub- stantial citizens as he.

N. G. CAMPBELL.

A typical pioneer of northeastern Nebraska is represented by the gentleman above named. Ile has lived many years in this section of the country and has been a part of the growth and development of this region, building up for himself a substan- tial home and fortune by his perseverance and thrift, and has come to be one of our foremost citizens.

Mr. Campbell was born in Green county New York state July 16 1846; he is the son of William and Mary (Van Steenberg) Campbell both natives of New York state. Our subject's grandfather, on the paternal side, and three uncles, served in the Revolutionary war.

N. G. Campbell has an honorable war record to

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his credit, having served his country in the civil war, enlisting in 1862, and receiving his honorable discharge October 7, 1865. He joined Company I. One Hundred and Fifty-sixth New York Volunteer Infantry, under General Grover, and Captain T. J. Rundell. He was with General Banks on the Red River campaign and then joined Sheridan and went down the Shenandoah Valley to Cedar Creek then joining Sherman in Savannah, Georgia, un- der which famous general he served during the campaign in North and South Carolina. Mr. Camp- bell participated in the battles of Fort Gisbon, Pleasant Hill, Winchester, Fisher Hill, and Cedar Creek. After receiving his discharge, Mr. Camp- bell returned to Green county, New York, and there remained until coming west.

In 1878 Mr. Campbell came to Knox county, Nebraska, to make a fortune for himself and fam- ily, eoming by way of Yankton, South Dakota, and from there driving to his homestead, where he now lives. He first built a frame house, the first of its kind to be erected in this section of the country. Ile lived on this place eight years before he owned a team ; then managed to get two ealves and raised them until they were old enough to break to use for farm work and to go to market. These served the purpose fairly well for about three years, when in 1888 Mr. Campbell bought his first team of horses.

Mr. Campbell also had his experience in the memorable blizzard of January 12, 1888, which storm will ever remain vividly in the minds of those who were unfortunate enough to experience it. In 1894, the crops were a total failure, being destroyed by the hot winds that prevailed that season during the drouth, our subject barely saving his seed. Dur- ing the flocd in the spring of 1881 the family lost practically all their household effects and what lit- tle they were able to recover was ruined by having been in the water. Thus can be recounted the many hardships and failures of the early pioneer, and it seems that more than the allotted share came to our subject.

But Mr. Campbell has persevered through thick and thin as it were and now is reaping his reward of faithfulness and persistency. He is a substan- tial and popular citizen, which fact is attested to by the numerous offices he has satisfactorily and effici- ently filled. Ile has been assessor of his precinct for eight years; 'he was postmaster of Herrick for ten years, and he has also served as justice of the peace. Mr. Campbell and his family own about six hundred and sixty acres of good land, which makes a fine estate.

Mr. Campbell was married in 1869 to Miss Elizabeth Nelson, and Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are the parents of six children, whose names are as follows : George; Minnie, wife of Albert Lee; John ; Edgar, who died November 10, 1910, leaving a widow who was Emily Finotti; Ina, wife of Mr. Will Poulson ; and Rufus, who is married to Miss Della Bedford.

In politics Mr. Campbell is a democrat and he is a member of the Grand Army of the Republic at Bloomfield.

GUENNES GUNDERSON.

Scandanavia has given many of her sons to the west, and Knox county, Nebraska, has its share of these sturdy citizens. Among the na- tives of Norway who have won for themselves a worthy place in the new world, may be mentioned Guennes Gunderson, the lumberman of Crofton, Nebraska.

Mr. Gunderson was born in Norway, June 5, 1863. His father, Hans Gunderson, emigrated to America with his family about the middle of May, 1870; crossing the North sea from Christi- ana to Hull, England, the embarked at Liverpool for New York, reaching their destination, Florence, Douglas county, Nebraska, the fifth of June. The family resided in town, the father succeeding in renting land nearby until 1886, when he moved to the far west and filed on a homestead, a timber claim and a pre-emption claim in Kimball county, where he lived for seven years. In 1893 he re- turned to the east end of the state, purchased eight acres of land in Washington county, and resides here at the age of seventy-two years. He retains his four hundred and eighty acres of land in Kimball county, which are cultivated under lease. He was married in Norway to Dorothea Hanson, who has shared with him all all the privations of pioneer life in the west.

Guennes Gunderson attended the schools of Florence and remained under the parental roof until several years after coming of age. He filed on a homstead in Cheyenne county, and in 1884 came back east for a helpmeet to cheer his lonely home. He was married in Omaha, February 22, 1886, to Miss Mary Blade, whose parents, Gust and Engobar Blade, emigrated from Sweden with their family in 1880 and settled in Nebraska. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gunderson, six of whom are living. They are: Henry, in business in Yankton, South Dakota; Lulu. a successful teacher of Crofton; Clara, Ethel, Gladys and Pearl.

Mr. Gunderson has been on his claim near Eckers postoffice in northwest part of Cheyenne county two years at the time of his marriage, and he made this his home four years more. In June of 1890 he came to Knox county, and farmed for two years near Crofton. He next engaged in carpentry and followed that trade until 1905, erecting buildings all over Knox and Cedar counties. He discontinued building to take charge as manager of the lumber yard at Crofton op- erated by Blinkiron Brothers, which firm was sue- ceeded by Weller Brothers.

He has been faithful in his management of his employers' business, winning by his courteous treatment a large share of the patronage of the surrounding country.

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Mr. Gunderson is a republican in political beliefs. He is a member of the Masonic lodge, the Odd Fellows, the Modern Woodmen, and the Yeomen of Crofton, and of the Eagles at Hart- ington ; and with his wife he is a member of the Rebekah degree.

The family lived at Florence during the grass- hopper years, and suffered severely through their devastation. One notable incident Mr. Gunder- son relates, is that as late as March 16, 1881, he drove across the Missouri river at Florence, the last of a number of wagons in the party. Cross- ing was made at a later date a little further down the stream. What at the time, seemed to be a provoking delay, is all, probably, that saved the lives of Mr. Gunderson and two of his friends, the day of the drearful blizzard of January 12, 1888. One of the neighbors had a horse he wanted to lead to Hartington; the horse escaped and managed to elude his captors two hours. When they finally did get started, they were but a short distance ahead of the storm, which over- took them near the last house between their starting point and town. Here they found shelter and remained for the night. Had they been half or even a quarter of an hour earlier they might have perished in the storm.

Hail storms in the west shower down chuncks of ice that are unbelievable further east. In one storm in this region during the fall of 1880, dropped a hailstone that measured upwards of nine inches in circumference. When a hail storm of that character passes over a farm, there is nothing of the crops left. The hail was so deep one spring that enough of it was gathered from a deep ravine to freeze ice cream three weeks after the storm.

Deer and antelope were to be seen in the country after the Gunderson family came, and at one time in Cheyenne county, a deer came within forty feet of where Mr. Gunderson was sitting near his own door. Mr. Gunderson has lived at times in a dugout, and in log houses in truely primitive style.

CHAUNCEY STEWART, SR.

Chauncey Stewart, Senior, deceased who owned and occupied and extensive farm in sec- tion thirty-one St. Paul precinct, was one of the oldest men in his locality, and also among the first pioneers to settle in Howard county.

Mr. Steward was born in New York state on December 3, 1818, and made that state his resi- dence up to the fall of 1856, at that time going to McHenry county, Illinois. During his young manhood he followed farming as an occupation, and was married in Oswego county, New York in 1850, to Miss Mary A. Southworth. Three children were born to them in New York state, seven others in Illinois and Wisconsin. Mr. Stewart also worked on the Erie Canal for con- siderable of the time he lived in New York state.

Mr. Stewart and his family made Illinois their home for about twenty-four years, then came to Nebraska, landing in Grand Island in March, 1880, and in the same month came on to Howard county. . He purchased a tract of land on sec- tion thirty-one, township fourteen, range ten, and at the time of his death had three hundred acres in his home place, all of which is highly cultivated and the entire place equipped with good improvements of all kinds.

Mrs. Stewart died on the farm on November 24, 1908, at the ripe old age of seventy-five years, leaving a host of sorrowing friends, as she was a woman of the kindliest nature, beloved by all who knew her. She was survived by her ten children, and Mr. Stewart, whose death occurred on November 16, 1909, in his ninety-first year. He enjoyed good health and took a lively interest in the farm affairs up to the time he died although for some years had given up active work. The farm is carried on by his son, Chauncey, junior, who with his family occupies the homestead.

Mr. Stewart had two sons living in Howard county, and two daughters, who reside in St. Paul, Mrs. Lucy Brown and Mrs. Lew Warner, while the balance of the children are scattered in different parts of the country.

CHAUNCEY STEWART, JR.

Chauncey Stewart, junior, was born in Wis- consin on October 22, 1876, and came to Howard county with his parents in 1880. He grew up on the home farm, receiving his education in the local schools, and has been the main help of his father in carrying on the farm since his boy- hood. He was married in Dannebrog, on Feb- ruary 24, 1909, to Bertha Nielsen, daughter of Hans Nielson, one of the prominent pioneers of Howard county, where she was born and reared. Mr. and Mrs. Steward have one child, Dale, who was born April 6, 1910.

Mr. Stewart has been successful in his farm- ing operations, and since assuming entire charge of the old homestead, has made many improve- ments, now being considered one of the practical and up-to-date agriculturists and stockmen of his vicinity. He is a young man of sterling worth and integrity, and ejoys the friedship of all with whom he has to do.

JAMES HUTCHINSON.

James Hutchinson, a prominent farmer and stock raiser living on section nineteen, township twenty-three, range six, is well known through- out Antelope county, Nebraska, as a progressive and successful agriculturist, highly esteemed by all who know him.

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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 218

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