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 228

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 228

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seventies, and during the Indian uprising of 1876 a fort of hewed logs was erected on the homestead. these logs were afterward used in erecting the Simins home. Six or seven aeres of trees had been set out by Temp Merchant and Mr. Simms an ! family also set out trees, so that there is a splendi 1 grove surrounding the house, and water from the springs of Victoria ereek is piped over the farm here and there by a good system of water works, so that the home is located in a picturesque spot. The fine flowing springs add to the beauty and eharm of the place ; some of the trees are more than three feet in diameter, through which are inter- spersed many fine cedars. There is a fine orehard on the estate, some of the apple trees having limbs over thirty feet in length.

Mr. and Mrs. Simms have but two children, George is married and living just west of the home farm, and he and his wife have one child; Theo- dore, married and living in Colorado, has two chil- dren. The reader is referred to the sketch of George W. Simms in this work.

The mother of Mr. Simms came to Custer coun- tv in 1881 with her married daughter, IIettie, now Mrs. Edward Bishop, and took up a homestead on which she proved up her claim. Her death oc- curred in Broken Bow, the interment being in Gates cemetery, when she was in her eighty-seventlı year, a woman who had lived in a frontier home most of her life, greatly loved by all who knew her. She left one son, David B., who lives at Ar nold, Custer county, and her daughter, Mrs. Martha G. Herbert, lives in Broken Bow, these be- ing the only ones in the county besides Isaac N. Of the thirteen children in the family six sons and one daughter now survive.

Mr. Simms is one of the most enterprising of citizens and he and his family have made many friends in the comunity.

WILBUR F. BRYANT.

Wilbur F. Bryant, a portrait of whom appears on another page, is a man who has seen all phases of life on land and sea, in the oldest centers of civi- lization and the outer borders of the western fron- tier. He was born in Coos county, New Hampshire March 21, 1851, son of George and Naney M. (Parker) Bryant, also natives of New England, the former of Irish, the latter of English descent. An uncle, IIenry Bryant, was one who fell at the assassination in South Hampton, Virginia, in 1831. When a boy of fourteen he ran away to sea and shipped in a whaler, in which he served three years, becoming an able seaman. He made two other voyages before attaining his majority, visit- ing Malaga and Libson on the Iberian peninsula ; the Azore Islands, St. Helena, Tristan da Cunha, Tasmania, India, China, and the Spanish Main.

On the last voyage, Mr. Bryant, although not yet of age, was made mate by the supereargo, who reduced that official to the ranks. On his return

he was a guide in the White Mountains; and at one time while showing the German ambassador and wife over Mt. Lafayette. he gave geological infor- mation he had frequently heard, the ambassador surprised to learn he had had little schooling en- couraged him to go to college, whiel advice he followed. He attended Kimball academy and fit. ted himself for college in two years, and later at. tended Dartmouth college at Hanover, New Hamp- shire.

He went to Holly Springs, Mississippi, where he was principal of the Academy there for one vear. He came to Nebraska in 1876, reaching Green Island, Cedar county, September 1, of that year. Here he taught for a year and then spent a year on the open range with the cowboys' outfit in the Elkhorn valley. Returning to St. Helena, he was appointed postmaster of the town by President Hayes, holding the office for three years.' He had read law and been admitted to the bar in the mean- while, and was elected distriet 'attorney, serving during 1882 and 1883. Moving to Cuming county, he was elected county judge, serving one term at West Point; he was then appointed supreme court reporter, holding the office four years under the democratie administration, and one year and three months under republican ; he has also been state in- surance commissioner for part of a term.

Mr. Bryant was married October 1, 1881, to Miss Kate Saunders, who was born at the old set- tlement of Waeapana, a daughter of Stephen P. and Elizabeth Aten Saunders, pioneers in Cedar eounty who came to the settlement in 1860. They had been teaeliers in the south prior to the eivil war; and seeing the confliet eoming, and holding anti-slavery sentiments, they migrated in 1860- thus eseaping the outbreak of hostilities. Mr. and Mrs. Bryant have been blessed with five children, namely : Ita, a teacher in Hartington city schools; Ethel, teaching in Crofton; Eugene, a grain buy- er in Pendar; Donovan K., who with George W., the youngest, is in school.

Mr. Bryant has been a life-long demoerat of broad and liberal views. He takes a rational view of the negro question in the south, and believes in educating them to a higher level; realizing that as a race they ean never equal the Caucasian, though many of their race have attained to high education and have brilliant minds. Mr. Bryant has been an omnivorous reader; history philosophy, mythol- ogy, religions controversy, the languages, all flow readily from his tongue, or pen. He has written much in prose and some in verse, all bearing the stamp of high mentality. Mr. Bryant became a member of the Knights of Columbus some years ago, and at Dartmouth was a member of the K. K. K. fraternity.

The, fieree storms that have swept the plains have had their place in the life of Mr. Bryant. He struggled for an hour or more before reaching shel- ter the first day of the blizzard of October, 1880. He had difficulty in reaching home January 12,

W. F. BRYANT.

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1888, while on the bench at West Point ; in flound- ering through the snow that drifted around one of the buildings, he beeame exhausted and was almost ready to give up, but thoughts of his family roused him to greater efforts, and he made his way safely home, nearly frozen in his battle with the elements. He made a superhuman effort to reseue a Norwegian family on the roof of their house in the memorable flood of March and April, 1881; seeing their peril he made his way over the waste of iee in wild confusion to their house, to find them unwilling to abandon their home. He, with a companion who had followed him and became help- less, spent the night in a cabin on somewhat higher ground, but which was threatened with destruction should the gorge of iee above them give away. To amuse them he played the fiddle through the night, keeping their minds off the danger. By morning the loose iee was frozen more solid, and he made his way safely baek to St. Helena, his home.

He has seen deer grazing where Hatington now stands; has seen the open country stretching away to the mountains, a waving, grassy plain. From the wilderness to a blooming garden, the granary of the country he has seen Nebraska de- velop her giant strides. It seems almost incredible that sueh ehanges could take place within the life- time of one man.

IIENRY LONEY.

Henry Loney a native of Indiana, came to Ne- braska in 1866 when there were few settlers beyond the bluff's of the Missouri river.

He was born in Tippacanoe county, December 26, 1837, a son of Edward and Nancy (Wilson) Loney. His father was born in North Carolina, and when our subjeet was but five years of age, the father moved to Ohio, and lived there until his marriage, when be removed to Tippacanoe county. He lived to the extreme old age of one hundred and one years, and one month, dying at Wilsonville, Oregon, the twenty-seventh of November, 1905. The mother was a native of Ohio and died about 1844.

Mr. Loney , farmed in his native state until his migration to Nebraska in 1866. He rented land the first year one mile south of Wisner, plowing forty aeres after his arrival on October 15. The following year he filed on a homestead eight miles north of West Point, the first on the east side of Plum ereek. Here for eighteen years he toiled and prospered, and in 1885 he sold his holdings and purchasing the relinquishment of a homestead and timber claim he pre-empted the former and fulfill- ing the requirements of the timber statutes re- ceived a patent to both traets. He continued in operation of his farming here until 1901, when he moved to the town of Plainview. In 1910 he re- moved to Oregon City, Oregon, arriving at that place on November 16 and there he still resides.

Mr. Loney was first married in Dayton, 34 1%

Indiana, to Naney Catherine Stoops, to whoni three children were born: Charles, living in Re- public, Washington; George, farming three miles south of Plainview; Herman, farming near Nio- brara.

Mr. Loney was married a second time to Mary Brown at West Point and, five children have been born to them : Edward, lives in Orchard, Nebraska ; Julia, wife of Edward Baxter, resides at Toledo, Washington ; Lily, married Frank Bishop of Plain- view; Oliver, at present living in Washington ; Ada, now living near Oregon City, Oregon.

r. Loney was married a third time November 29, 1906, in Creighton to Mrs. Rosalia (Oliver) Gernhardt, a native of Rossie, Saint Lawrence county, New York. She is a daughter of Luther and Thankful ( Potter) Oliver, natives of Essex county, New York. Of her first marriage four children were born : Cora Belle, who married Mr. Campbell of Sionx City, lowa; Jennie, is the wife of Nathan Reynolds of Creighton ; Carrie, married William Goos of Lyons, Kansas; Oliver, employed at Oelriehs, South Dakota.

Mrs. Loney first came to Nebraska in 1886, hav- ing lived in Sioux City twenty-four years prior to that time. When she first knew that thriving city there was but one sidewalk in town, that leading down to the river front.

While living in Nebraska, Mr. Loney witnessed the worst raids of the grasshopper pest, having lost all his erops five successive years. Each year he was compelled to place a large mortgage on his land to provide sustenanee for his family, and each year saw his erops destroyed in a few hours; when the pests did cease, however, the first year's harvest made his way easy and his indebtedness was soon liquidated.

One year the family attempted to save the corn erop and garden by burning sulphur around the fields, and had the pests remained but seven days instead of nine all would have been well. The gar- den was saved, however, but the eorn erop was de- voured before a wind sprung up which carried the marauders to fresher fields. One year the pests came out of the north in three or four columns like so many lines of smoke. A new neighbor not fa- miliar with them could not be convinced that it was anything but smoke until twenty minutes after, when the voracious inseets began to alight, and devour every green thing to be seen. Deer and antelope were to be seen when Mr. Loney first settled in Nebraska, and wild turkeys frequently wandered out from the Missouri bottoms, some- times running through his dooryard.

Mr. Loney and wife were out in one of the early blizzards of Nebraska and had a fortunate escape; they had been sitting up all night with a siek neighbor and Mrs. Loney was uneasy about the older children left at home, having an infant in arms with her. After waiting for hours in hopes the storm would subside they started for home. Mr Loney keeping his eyes on the ground where the

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whirling snow was less dense, managed to keep the trail to their own door step after suffering for some time in the storm with his wife elinging to his sleeve. In all his trips over the wild prairies he was never lost, not even at night. He had his bap- tism of paririe fires the first year of his life in Ne- braska, when the farm he had rented was nearly overwhelmed. By strenuous work, with the aid of the owner of the place, who was stopping with a neighbor, everything was saved. An escaped fire from a twenty-five acre field Mr. Loney had plowed around and then burned, came near prov- ing his undoing getting beyond control it swept onward towards a neighboring ranch, which by hard labor was saved.

Indians of the Omaha tribe were frequent visit- ors, camping on Plum creek near Mr. Loney's place every year in migrating to their summer hunting grounds. Our subject and children visited the Indians many times in their tepees. Their odd trail leading to the Platte country passed through his place and is, to this day, visible for miles eveu where the land has been for years under cultiva- tion. He has seen their peculiar mode of burial on poles high in the air, a custom discontinued long after the settlement of the county. In those pion- eer days, Omaha was the nearest market place first at which to sell produce and purchase supplies, four days being consumed in the journey from the region of West Point. However, Mr. Loney seldom made the trip, sending by passing neighbors for such things as he needed. The land office was there at the time and the journey had to be made there to file on homestead rights.

Mr. Loney richly deserves the competency he has secured by his years of arduous toil in the pioneer days, the hardships he has endured, and bids fair to attain his father's venerable age of a century and more.

, WILLIAM HILMER.

Of the prominent and leading old settlers of Howard county, Nebraska, none are held in higher esteem by their fellow citizens than William Ililmer, brother of Fred Hfilmer also an influential resident of that section, whose personal history is recorded in this book. He has spent his entire ca- reer in the pursuit of farming, and has met with pronounced success in the development of a fine farm situated in Keslo precinct.

William Hilmer was born in the province of Ilanover, Germany, on January 14, 1850. 1Ie is the third child in the family of Henry and Doritha HIilmer, and was the first of the family to leave his native land and try his fortune in America, com- ing here in 1868, his first location being in Wis- consin. He was joined there by his brother, IIenry, and after a few years there, when they had saved enough money to send for the balance of the family, mother, father, and three children arrived in Wisconsin and begun farming. Our subject

came to Howard county in May, 1873, the others joining him in the fall of that year, William tak- ing a homestead upon landing here and the father and two other sons filing on claims later. Henry Hilmer became ill, and died in the hospital at Lin- coln. Nebraska, in 1902. The father died on the home place in 1887.

Mr. Ililmer has been successful in his farming and stock raising enterprises since coming to How- ard county, and now owns a finely improved three hundred and twenty acre farm, thoroughly equip- ped with good buildings, ete. He has a handsome dwelling, surrounded by beautiful lawns and a fine grove of trees, and also has a large orehard in good growing condition. The family lives in comfort, and even luxury, and appreciate keenly the change from the earlier years when they were obliged to endure discomfort and hardship. Mr. Hilmer well remembering the time when even the necessaries of life, such as flour and bacon, were considered a luxury.

Mr. Hilmer was married in Howard county, April 6, 1878, to Adelheit Weiss, her family being among the early settlers here. Mr. and Mrs. Hil- mer have had eight children, all of whom are dead but Albert II., and Ilarry C., both of whom live on their father's farm. Albert H. is married to Elsie Groch.

Mr. Hilmer is a member of the school board in district number forty-seven, and has been for the past twenty-five years. He has also held the office of road supervisor for two years, and is active in all affairs that stand for the best interests of his community. Mr. Hilmer is a member of the Ger- man Lutheran church, and was instrumental in es- tablishing the church, of that denomination, which is located on his farm. He has been seeretary of the church for sixteen years.

ROBERT H. ENGLISII.

Robert H. English is one of the well known and successful stock and grain farmers of Custer county who made their start by taking up home- stead land. He was born in Collingwood, Canada, February 16, 1858, eldest of the six children of Samuel and Mary (Hickey) English, natives of Ireland. Of the other children, one son, James lives in Mason City and two sons in Wyoming, while others are deceased. The father came to Canada as a young man and passed his last days in Mason City, Nebraska, where he died in 1908, and his widow, still lives there.

In 1877 Robert II. English came to Sarpy coun- ty, Nebraska, where he carried on farming six years, and he was married at Gretna September 17, 1882, to Lillian Miles, a native of Pennsylvania, whose parents, Adam and Elizabeth (Booze) Miles, were early settlers .of Sarpy county. Ten children were born of this union, nine of whom survive: Samuel P., of South Dakota; Angeline, wife of Wallace Pringle, of Portland, Oregon, has

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one child; Hattie, wife of Levi Patrick of Mason City, has three children ; William H., James R., Hazel V., Timothy, Charles W. and Albert J., at home.

In the spring of 1884 Mr. English brought his wife and one son to Custer county where he took up a homestead on the southwest quarter of section three, township fourteen, range seventeen, which is still the home place. He has improved and devel- oped his farm, which is well equipped for stock and grain raising. He is one of the earliest settlers of the state and has spent nearly thirty years in Cus- ter county, where he is widely known and has a large number of friends. He has prospered through energy and enterprise to a gratifying degree and is accounted one of the substantial, public-spirited citizens of the county. In politics he is indepen- dent of party ties and fraternally is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America.

CHRIST SCHMITT.

Christ Schmitt an agriculturist of prominence in Madison county, Nebraska, is one of those sub- stantial 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 de- scendants.

Mr. Schmitt is a native of Germany his birth occurring in the province of Bavaria on the Rhine, May 17, 1844; he is a son of Valentine and Catherine (Kaiser) Schmitt who were also natives of Germany.

In 1866, Mr. Schmitt left his native land, em- harking on the steamship "Ferkrutz," coming by way of Havre, France, to Liverpool, and from thence to New York. After landing in the new world he started for the west, and settled in Will county, Illinois, where he remained five years.

In 1871 Mr. Schmitt came to Madison county, Nebraska, and took up a homestead, the one on which he now resides. On this land he built a frame house sixteen by twenty-two feet, hauling the lumber for its construction by ox team from Columbus, which place was also the nearest market in those early days.

Mr. Schmitt endured many hardships and dis- couragements in the first days of settlement on the western frontier. and suffered many losses through grasshoppers, blizzards, and prairie fires. In 1873, 1874 and 1875, the crops and nearly all vegetation were completely destroyed by the grass- hopper pests that devastated that region 'in those years ; in 1873, his losses were added to by some of his stock having perished in the blizzard of April

13, 14 and 15; and many times the family were compelled to fight prairie fires that often swept that region, consuming everything in its path. Deer and antelope were plentiful in those times, and were often seen grazing about through the country.

Mr. Schmitt was united in marriage in 1869 to Miss Phœba Gabelman, and they are the parents of twelve children, namely : Katie, Caroline Phœba, Anna, Christ D., Jacob, George, William, Fred, Maggie, Lizzie, and Martha. They are a fine fam- ily, and enjoy the respect and esteem of a large cir- cle of friends and acquaintances.

WILLIAM W. BARNES.

William W. Barnes is one of Nebraska's early settlers and has passed through the varions periods of its history from 1883 to the present time-near- ly thirty years. He was born in Parke county, Indiana November 27, 1863, next to the youngest of the six children of Samuel and Catherine (Clarke) Barnes. He has two brothers and a sister in Missouri and one brother in Texas, and one child is deceased. The father, also a native of In- diana was of German descent, and his death occur- red in Missouri in the fall of 1889. The mother, a native of the same state, died in Missouri the spring after her husband's decease. At the age of five years William W. Barnes was taken by his parents to Missouri where he received his education and grew to manhood.

Mr. Barnes came to Nebraska in 1883 and en- gaged in farming, spending the first two years in Hall county. In 1885 he moved to Colfax county, remaining there until 1904. He was married while on a visit to Missouri, in September, 1887, to Miss Lorena Garton a native of Missouri, and returned with his bride to his farm in Colfax county. In 1904 he brought his wife and four children to Custer county and purchased a ranch of one thou- sand acres of land near Broken Bow. In 1908 .he sold this property and purchased two hundred and forty acres of land on section thirty-two, township eighteen range twenty. In 1910 he disposed of two hundred acres of this, and purchased eighty acres across the road from the forty, and now occupies the new tract of land, on which are good buildings, and on which is situated the church. It is a well equipped and highly developed stock and grain farm, and is well located. Mr. Barnes served as director of the school board of district number six- ty for several years, and has always taken an active interest in the welfare of his state. He is widely known and muel: respected.

Five children have been born to Mr. Barnes and wife, namely : Lura A., wife of Ernest Kaohn. of Ord, Nebraska, has two children; Samuel, at home; Eva. wife of Raymond Gates, of Custer county ; Ethel and Mildred at home. Mrs. Barnes is a daughter of Thomas and Emily (Crayton) Garton, now residing in Missouri, where they have

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spent their married life. The father is a native of that state and of German descent, and the mother, a native of Illinois, is of Irish descent. They have two sons, Frank and Ray, in Nebraska ; two daugh- ters in that state besides Mrs. Barnes; a son in New Mexico and one in Colorado, and other chil- dren in Missouri.

FRED GRECKEL.

Located very pleasantly in section eight, town- ship thirty-one, range four, Knox county, Nebras- ka, is to be found the well known and somewhat popular gentleman whose name introduces this bio- graphical writing. He has been identified with the history of Knox county from an early date, and his contributions to the making of northeastern Ne- braska have been many. Mr. Greckel is a quiet, unobtrusive man of industrious habits and poss- esses force of character and honesty of purpose. He is known as one of the leading influential early settlers of the state.

Mr. Greckel is a native of Germany, his birth occurring in Naugard village, King'William prov- ince, in the year 1853. His birth place being a farm house, his associations from the very first were with agricultural interests; it is natural, therefore, that he should be a farmer, and that he should find success in life's endeavors in the till- ing of the soil.

Mr. Greckel left his native land in 1881 for the new world, sailing from Bremen on the steamship "Wayser" for New York; and after landing in the United States he proceeded westward, going as far as Cuming county, Nebraska where he rented land and remained twelve years. He then moved to Knox county, in 1892, and bought the land where he now resides from Mr. Morris Detz.

When Mr. Greckel first came to Nebraska he, like so many other early settlers of this region, ex- perienced many hardships and privations incident to those times, but has successfully weathered that trying period, and now owns a well improved farm and beautiful home and the experiences of those early days remain but a memory.

Mr. Greckel was'united in marriage in 1879 to Miss , Annie Lemke, and Mr. and Mrs. Greckel are the parents of seven children, whose names are as follows: Lena, Mary, Anna, Hattie, Fritz, Otto, and Herman. Mr. and Mr. Greckel and family enjoy the esteem and friendship of a host of friends and acquaintances.

JOSEPH D. SAMUELL.

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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 228

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