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 31
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Peter Kuelul was married in 1877, to Miss Sophia Ohm, also a native of Germany, being born at Mechlenberg. They are the parents of eleven children, a fine family, whose names are as follows: Lizzie, Henry, Minnie and Willie, twins, John, Anna, Tillie, Peter, Alice, George, and Herman. Three are married: Lizzie, wife of Charles Wasberg, has two children and lives in the state of Colorado; Henry was married to Miss Elsa Fulton, and they have two children, and Willie was joined in wedlock to Miss Lizzie Crouse and they have three children.
Mr. Kuehl is a staunch republican, voting that ticket in both state and local elections. He owns four hundred and eighty acres of land in Pierce county.
JAMES IRVINE.
The name of Irvine is a familiar one to all who have passed any length of time in Howard county, in that this family is among the very ear- liest settlers of that part of Nebraska, and the gentleman above mentioned has passed through all the ups and downs of pioneer life, ever taking a prominent part in the upbuilding of his county and state.
James Irvine is a native of Lauderdale, Kirk- hill village, Scotland, born on October 7, 1846. He was the second child in a family of nine, con- sisiting of seven boys and one girl. His parents were James and Janet (Lock) Irvine, both of whom were born and reared in Lauderdale. Mr. Irvine grew up in his native country, leaving there for the United States in 1869, and landing in New York on June 8th. His first location was at Kalamazoo, Michigan, where he remained for several months, then went to Cascade, Iowa. There he engaged in farming, but after only one year in the vicinity came on to Nebraska, stop- ping at Omaha. He was accompanied by his brother George, and two friends, James Baxter and Alex Lamb, arriving in Howard county about the first of April, 1871. Our subject filed home- stead rights in southeast quarter, section twen- ty-four, township fourteen, range twelve, proved up on one hundred and sixty acres, and later sold the land. About 1899 he purchased his present farm which is situated on section sixteen, of which about two hundred and sixty acres are under cul- tivation. In the fall of 1909, Mr. Irvine purchased
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three hundred and twenty acres, which was the west half of section nine, and in February, 1910, added to it three hundred and twenty acres ad- joining it, lying in section eight, so he is now owner altogether of nine hundred and sixty acres in Logan and Fairdale precincts. He engages in mixed farming and stock raising, running a large bunch of high grade Shorthorn cattle, also raises a herd of hogs each year which he disposes of at the nearby markets. His place is completely equipped with substantial buildings and improve- ments of all kinds, and he is classed among the progressive and well-to-do residents of Howard county.
Mr. Irvine was joined here in 1873 by his father, mother and two brothers, other members of the family coming here prior to that time, so that all were early settlers in the locality. Mr. James Irvine, senior, died here November 13, 1906, while the mother passed away in 1881. On November 28, 1876, our subject was united in marriage to Margaret Jane Welsh, daughter of Peter Welsh, who is an early settler of Howard county, the ceremony taking place at the home of her parents in Kelso precinct. Mrs. Irvine's fam- ily were natives of Canada, settling in Howard county about 1876, and both her mother and father died here. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Irvine, namely: Martha Jane, Adelaide B., George L., Glenn W., and Clarence S., the first two married, while the three others are single.
During 1884 to 1890 inclusive, Mr. Irvine was county commissioner of Howard county, and at other times held precinct office. Politically he is a democrat.
CARL H. LUECK.
One of the early settlers of Valley county, who has been indentified with much of the history and development of that region, is Carl Lueck, who owns a large farm, and raises considerable stock. He was born in the village of Kleinsabien, pro- vince of Pomerania, in Germany, May 9, 1857, and is the fifth of six children born to William and Hannah (Beig) Lneck, both of whom died in Ger- many. He has one brother living in Germany, and the others are deceased. He received his education in his native land and reached man- hood on his father's farm. He emigrated to America in 1881, crossing the North Sea from Stettin to Hull in the "Otto," and embarked at Liverpool, April 27, on the "Spain," landing in New York the 8th of May. He came direct to Merrick county, Nebraska, and after spend- ing two years there, he came to Valley county in the month of January, 1883, making his home here since that time. He secured a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres on the north- west quarter of section ten, township seventeen, range fifteen, and improved and developed it until he had a well-equipped stock and grain farm. He is a successful man of busi-
ness and has now acquired six hundred and forty acres of fine farming land, lying in sections three, nine and ten, where he raises considerable stock. He has been active and interested in local affairs, helped organize school district number fifty-nine, of which he served as moderator for several years. He is well and favorably known in his part of the county and is counted a useful, public-spirited citizen, with a reputation for hon- est and upright dealing.
January 13, 1883, Mr. Lueck married Miss Jo- hanna Marks, a native of the village of Oenhau- sen, Westphalia, Germany, who came to America in 1872. She is a daughter of Ernest and Char- lotte Marks. They settled in Dane county, Wis- consin, and moved on west to Valley county in 1880. Eight children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lueck, namely : Helena J., died in in- fancy; Frederick William, of Valley county ; Otto R., at home; Hannah S., married F. F. Cook and they live in Valley county; Carl H., junior, at home ; Minnie, deceased ; Martha L. and Henri- etta Susan at home. The family are prominent socially and have a large circle of friends. Mr. Lueck, with his family, is a member of the Evan- gelical church, and he is a republican in politics.
Like the typical pioneer of the west, Mr. Lueck lived for a time in a sod house. Deer and antelope were to be found in the country when he came, and one antelope was secured for the family larder. Among the early privations of the first settlers were the dry years, especially 1894, when Mr. Lneck raised nothing but a little corn.
WILLIAM L. WILL.
Among the pioneer settlers of Madison coun- ty, Nebraska, who came to this locality in the early seventies and endured many privations and hardships in the early days, is William L. Will, who now resides in section thirty-six, town- ship twenty-two, range one, where he is sur- rounded by a host of good friends, and many ac- quaintances and neighbors, respected and esteem- ed by all with whom he has to do.
Mr. Will is a native of Vermont state, where he was born August 20, 1846, and is a son of Wil- liam and Phoebe (Roach) Will; the father was born in England, and in the very early days came to America, embarking in a sail boat; he died when our subject was but a child of four years. The mother was a native of Vermont state, a daughter of Phineas Roach, and died in 1897.
In 1870 Mr. Will came to the west, locating in Madison county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead in section twenty-eight, township twenty-one, range two ; here he put up a sod house in which he lived fourteen years, then building a good frame house.
In those early days of pioneer life on the western frontier, Mr. Will experienced many hardships and discouragements. Columbus, thir- ty-five miles distant, was the nearest market
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place, taking two days to cover the journey to and fro. Grasshoppers were a great source of destruction during the first years of residence here and in 1873 and 1874 they devoured the en- tire crops of those years; prairie fires were anoth- er danger that had to be fought and almost con- tinually checked, the rolling, seething mass of flames utterly destroying everything in their path, leaving nothing but wide stretches of blackened ground where a few moments before had waved the green grasses of the open prairie. Our sub- ject and family often fought these fires to save their lives and property.
In 1870 Mr. Will was united in marriage to Miss Sarah Jane Harris, a native of Indiana, and daughter of Warren H., and Susan (Harris) Harris. Mr. and Mrs. Will are the parents of five children, namely : Phoebe, Dr. C. L. Will, Myrtle, Roxy, Lewis, and Murl.
In 1901 Mr. Will took charge of the Hurne ranch, the land where he now resides, and has a fine home where he and his family enjoy the es- teem and respect of a host of friends.
STILLMAN GATES.
Stillman Gates has one of the pleasantest homes of Sargent, Nebraska, surrounded by a beautiful lawn and well kept flowers and shrubs. He has lived there since the spring of 1909, re- tired from active life, and owns thirty-eight acres of well improved land in the place. He is a na- tive of Chautauqua county, New York, born Oc- tober 6, 1835, eldest of the five sons and three daughters of Lorison and Salome (Felt) Gates. The father was born in New York and the moth- er in Vermont, and they were married in Elling- ton, New York, December 4, 1834. Stillman Gates has in his possession his grandfather's gun, which was made in 1803, an original flint-lock, made over into a cap lock, and later arranged to take shot for amunition. In the spring of 1837 the family moved to Huron county, Ohio, where they lived until 1852, and where the following children were born to them: Lorison, Salome, Ira, Jane, Hosea, Goodwin and Ruth. In the fall of 1852 they came to Porter county, Indiana, their home for a number of years. The father was an ordained minister of the Christian church, and held different pastorates in Ohio. Several years before his death he moved to LaPorte, Iowa, where he passed away September 17, 1902, in his eighty-ninth year. His wife had died in Porter county, Indiana, January 3, 1869. Of their eight children, but three now survive: Stillman, Hosea and Jane. Hosea lives in Fort Dodge, Iowa, and Jane, Mrs. Clark, lives in Estherville, Iowa.
Stillman Gates left home about the time he reached his majority, and was married in Wheat- field, Jasper county, Indiana, April 2, 1857, to Mary McNeal, daughter of James and Hope (Gif- ford) McNeal of St. Lawrence county. Five chil- dren were born to this union: James Lorison,
married and living in Arkansas, has seven chil- dren: Herbert, married and living at Broken Bow, has eleven children; Harry S., married and living in Omaha; Frederick A., deceased; Sa- lome, wife of Oliver L. Swick, of Custer county, has six children. Thus it may be seen that Mr. Gates has twenty-four living grandchildren. He lived in Indiana after his marriage for many years and there his wife died. He now has one great grandchild, a danghter born to Mrs. Howe Gates, son of Herbert P. Gates.
Mr. Gates was married (second) in Jasper county, Indiana, to Susannah Brown, January 12, 1873. In the spring of 1877 they moved to Tama county, Iowa, and in June, 1879, he made a trip with a horse to Custer county, Nebraska, looking for a location. He then made an entry on a homestead on section five, township nineteen, range twenty, also a timber claim, and returned to Iowa. In December of the same year he mov- ed with his family from their Iowa home to the homestead, having a four-horse team and wagon, with a house, six by sixteen feet, on wheels. They made the trip in the dead of winter and encount- ered many hardships before reaching their desti- nation. During the early years they did their trading at Grand Island, making many trips over the road. Gates postoffice in Custer county was named for Mr. Gates and for many years he serv- ed as postmaster. The local church and school house were built on his farm. He was one of the first settlers in his locality and for many years was active in the upbuilding and growth of the community, being the friend of progress along all lines. He served for a number of years as justice of the peace and in other local offices. He had a country store at Gates and was one of the best known men in the county. He owned five hun- dred and sixty acres of choice land, and was suc- cessful as a farmer and stockman. In the spring of 1909 he retired from the farm and moved to his present place in Sargent, where he has every con- venience obtainable and enjoys the well earned ease to which he is entitled.
On January 11, 1910, at Taylor, Loup county, Nebraska, Mr. Gates was united in marriage with Mary A. Cummins, an old resident of Nebraska, coming in 1884. Her maiden name was Downing and she was born in New York state, a daughter of Henry and Mary Downing. She has two broth- ers living, John Downing, living on the old home place, in St. Lawrence county, New York, and George E., of De Kalb, New York. By her first marriage she has four surviving children, name- ly: Frank Calkins, married and living in Wyom- ing; Eva, wife of Robert Ledger, of Garfield county, Nebraska, has two children; Theodore Calkins, married and living in Sargent, has three children ; Lillian, wife of Fred Robbing, of Paw- nee county, Nebraska. Another daughter, Gracie, married Frank York and died in 1905, leaving one daughter, Inez. Mr. York lives in Garfield county, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Gates have a
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wide circle of friends and are active in moral, educational and all progressive lines.
JOHN H. KOESTER.
The present prosperity enjoyed by the people of the great state of Nebraska is in reality due to the efforts of those men of perseverance and stalwart determination who came to the state when it was still young, before it had developed into an agricultural and commercial centre; when the howl of the lonely coyote or the distant thun- der of the hoofs of the flying bison took the place of the whir of farm machinery or the chime of the church bells.
John H. Koester, the subject of this sketch, was born in 1852 in Germany, the son of H. and Tena Koester. As his father was a small farmer, John remained at home and secured a good edu- cation, helping on the farm when not engaged in study.
In 1869, he decided to come to America, and with relatives, came by steamer to New York, thence by train to Iowa. They remained in this state until 1884, when they removed to Cedar county, Nebraska. Here, after a short time, Mr. Koester bought a quarter-section of fine land from W. A. Pollock, who was one of the original settlers, which is situated in section thirty-six, township thirty, range two, east.
Here Mr. Koester had lived ever since, adding improvements from time to time until now his farm is regarded as one of the most valuable in that community.
For the first four years after coming to Cedar county, Mr. Koester "batched it" in his little house, but becoming tired of a lonely life, mar- ried Miss Hannah Clawson in 1888. Three chil- dren have been born to them, all of whom are liv- ing, Katie M., Carl H., and Frank E.
Mr. and Mrs. Koester have made hosts of friends in the community and are much respected by all who know them.
JOHN P. LAUB.
The gentleman above mentioned is one of the prosperous younger members of the farming and ranching community of Merrick county, Nebras- ka, whose entire career has been passed in this state, he being born here March 31, 1877, three and a half miles north-east of Chapman, where his father was a pioneer. Our subject was second in a family of seven children born to William and Margaret (Donovan) Laub, who had five sons and two daughters. The father came to Merrick county, Nebraska, in company with his brother, Frederick Laub, in the spring of 1871 and home- steaded land in the north-east quarter section thirty-two, township thirteen, range seven. In October, 1874, Mr. Laub, Sr., married Miss Mar- garet Donovan, and all their children were born on the old homestead farm in Merrick county. 6
The father's death occurred at his home in Cen- tral City, October, 1907, survived by his widow and five children. A biographical sketch of the father appears on another page of this work.
John P. Laub, subject of this sketch, was brought up on the farm and received the usual schooling and also had the advantage of a busi- ness college course. He went out in life for him- self about his twenty-first year, and has been en- gaged in various enterprises, such as farming, hardware business, owner and operator of a threshing machine, and is now engaged in the ce- ment business.
Mr. Laub was married to Miss Minnie Hollis- ter, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. John D. Hollister, at their home in Chapman, Nebraska. Mrs. Laub is also a native-born of Merrick county. Mr. and Mrs. Laub have two children: Donald Roy, and Robert Neal.
Mr. Laub is a Merrick county boy, who is known as one of the most energetic young busi- ness men of the county, and is affilliated with the republican party, having been committeeman of his county on the central committee.
Both Mr. Laub and his wife can be classed amongst the pioneers of Merrick county. They are well known young people, having many friends.
OSCAR F. HUNT.
The state of Illinois has given her quota of settlers to the West, and among the most worthy of these in Nebraska, may be mentioned Oscar F. Hunt. He was born near Chicago on June 16, 1850, and is a son of Stephen G. and Louisa (Sal- sbury) Hunt, both of whom are now deceased. The family settled in Knoxville, Iowa, in 1852, remaining there up to 1857, at which time they went to Huntington county, Indiana, which was their home for about eight years, Oscar attending the country schools in their vicinity. From there they returned west, settling in Knox county, Mis- souri, and it was while they were making this trip across the country that news reached them of the assassination of President Lincoln, which left an indelible memory upon our subject's mind.
While in Missouri Mr. Hunt learned the car- penter's trade and followed the work there for several years, coming to Nebraska in 1886. He was undecided in which part to locate, but trav- eled on through the state until he reached the in June, his family following in September of that year. The tract on which he first located has been his home up to the present time, and he northern border line, and arrived in Knox county has improved it wonderfully, planting groves, re- modeling the buildings, etc. When he took this place there was no brush or a tree large enough to furnish even a switch, and so rapidly have those Mr. Hunt planted grown that the largest have already been felled for fuel, and the second growth is coming on. Mr. Hunt's first
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employment after reaching the vicinity, was with Bayha Brothers as a carpenter, and after a short time he began independently, since then having worked at Santee, Yank- ton, Sioux City and Mason City, Iowa, and has gone as far west as Seattle in his work. In 1898 Mr. Hunt retired from the building business and engaged in farming, having a fine tract of land in a splendid location, and is making a success of it. He was also a homesteader in Lyman county, but sold out after proving up on the land.
On March 30, 1873, Mr. Hunt was united in marriage to Miss Amanda Hiatt, who is a native of Ohio. They have three children, as follows: Anna M., wife of Chas. Wort, they having recent- ly moved to Butler county, Missouri; Fred L. who for eighteen months was in the army, sta- tioned in the Philippines as quartermaster ser- geant of Company C, First South Dakota Volun- teer Infantry; and Flora B., still living with her parents on the home farm.
Mr. Hunt is a republican in politics, and takes a lively interest in state and national affairs. Both himself and wife are members of the Bap- tist faith.
ARCHIBALD S. CAMPBELL.
Among the well-known pioneers of Nance county who have for many years worked hard to accumulate a competence, and when this has been accomplished, has retired to make way for oth- ers, we mention the gentleman above, who is now enjoying the fruits of an honorable and suc- cessful career. He is now a resident of Fullerton, where he owns a beautiful home and enjoys the esteem and friendship of a large number of con- genial people.
Archibald S. Campbell was born in Greene county, Tennessee, May 26, 1836, and is the second in order of birth in a family of ten chil- dren in the family of Adam and Susannah Camp- bell, who were natives of that state, and spent their entire lives there, the former dying in his sixty-ninth year and the mother at the age of sixty-two, at the old homestead. Our subject lived in his home county until he was twenty-one years of age, receiving his education there, and following farming during this time. He was mar- ried there to Miss Nancy Jones at the home of her parents, on September 24, 1854, her par- ents being also life residents of Greene county. The newly-married pair settled on a farm, and re- mained in that vicinity for three years, then, with their little son, Landon W., left the county, trav- eling overland by team and wagon to Atchison county, Missouri, where they located on a tract of unimproved land, and hegan to make a home for themselves. This they operated up to the spring of 1883, at that time coming to Nance county, Nebraska, which was still a thinly-settled region. Mr. Campbell purchased land in both Boone and Nance counties, engaged in the stock
business, raising and shipping cattle, etc., and also farmed considerable land. During those early years, he at different times owned and operated large tracts of land, and also handled real estate extensively, doing a loan business throughout the section, and became especially well known to the non-resident property owners, handling a great deal of business by reason of his prompt attention to their wants, and having a high reputation for honesty and integrity.
At one time Mr. Campbell owned about 1800 acres of land in Nance, Boone and Greeley coun- ties, but as it advanced in value, he sold until at the present time he owns three hundred and twenty acres in Nance county, and the same amount in Thomas county, Kansas.
In 1893, Mr. Campbell moved to Fullerton, purchasing some land just inside of the city lim- its, on which he built a fine home, which is situ- ated on a high spot near the outskirts of Fuller- ton, giving a splendid view of Loup river valley and from which the entire town can be seen. This is one of the most beautiful locations in the town, having elegant trees, fine lawns, and is one of the show places of Fullerton.
During the year 1862, Mr. Campbell lived in Omaha, and well remembers the early days of Ne- braska, becoming familiar with the exact condi- tions then existing relative to land values, the opportunities afforded settlers in the region, etc. At that time John I. Redick, of Omaha, offered our subject sixty acres of well improved land ly- ing within what is now the town site of that place, on the basis of fifteen dollars per acre, and this land is at the present time valued at $4,000 a front foot.
Mr. and Mrs. Campbell have had nine chil- dren, eight of whom are still living, namely : Landon W., married, father of two children. and residing at Oberlin, Ohio; Martha Susannah, wife of Dr. I. C. Murphy, of Fullerton ; William A. T., married, father of two children, living in Seattle, Washington ; Jacob N., married, having a family of six children, also living in Fullerton; Mary Helen, wife of G. H. Ellsworth, two children, they living in Iowa City, Iowa; John B., married, five daughters, living in Nance county ; Robert A., of Wenatchee Valley, Washington, and Al- bert B., of Seattle, Washington. The family is prominently known throughout the region, and have been identified with its social life during their residence here. Mr. and Mrs. Campbell are members of the Presbyterian church, and at the present time, Mr. Campbell is an elder of the church.
ALEXANDER MARING.
Alexander Maring, a retired farmer residing at Atkinson, Nebraska, is a native of Belmont county, Ohio, born April 10, 1841, and lived there until thirteen years of age. He is a son of Moses and Eleanor (Monroe) Maring, natives of New
M. DREESEN AND FAMILY.
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Jersey and Pennsylvania, respectively. In 1854 the family removed to Appanoose county, Iowa, then on the frontier, where deer and other game were plentiful, and furnished a large part of food for the settlers.
At the outbreak of the war, Mr. Maring offer- ed his services and became a member of Company D, Sixth Iowa Volunteers, enlisting July 17, 1861, and serving until the close of the hostilities. The first important battle in which he participated was Shiloh, and there he received a baptism of fire. He was also a participator in the siege of Vicksburg, the second battle at Jackson, the as- sault on Mission Ridge and the battle of Knox. While spending the winter at Scottsboro, Ala- bama, Mr. Maring veteranized, December 25, 1863, and took a thirty-day furlough before the activity of spring affected the army. He took part in the Atlanta campaign, and after the fall of that stronghold, marched with Sherman to the sea. The regiment was in Goldsboro, North Car- olina, when word reached them of General Lee's surrender, and were near there when they heard the sad tidings of Abraham Lincoln's death. After his participation in the grand review at Wash- ington, which was the most impressive military pageant of modern times, Mr. Maring returned home. They made the journey from Washington to Parkersburg, West Virginia, by rail, traveled thence to Louisville, Kentucky by boat, and were there mustered out, being later paid and dis- charged finally at Davenport, Iowa, July 27, 1865.
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