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 33

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 33

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On January 12, 1896, in Cass county, Nebras- ka, Mr. Koch was married to Johanna Janssen, sister of his first wife. Mr. and Mrs. Koch have had two children, sons, namely: Jacob Daniel and George William, who reside at home. Mrs. Koch's father died in Nebraska in 1878, and her mother passed away in 1862 in Germany.

In 1906 Mr. Koch built a new home on his farm, and the farm is well improved in every way. Mr. Koch and family are highly esteemed and respected, and are surrounded in their home by a host of good friends and neighbors. In politics he is a republican.

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In the dry year, 1894, Mr. Koch raised a little corn in the low places, but not enough to be profitable, and in 1896 lost nearly all his grain by hail.

Mr. Koch lived for a time in a log dug-out in Cass county, but has enjoyed having a much better dwelling since coming to Valley county.

WILLIAM HAASE.

The gentleman above mentioned is a native- born Nebraskan, having been born on a farm in Madison county locality, January 8, 1872. Since attaining his maturity, he has been closely identi- fied with every movement for the benefit of the region, and assisted materially in its development and growth, as did his father before him. Mr. Haase resides in Norfolk precinct, in section eight, township twenty-four, range one, where he has a pleasant home and valuable estate.

Mr. Haase is a son of Fred and Louisa (Raasch) Haase, the father being a native of Germany, who left his native land when he was but fifteen years of age, embarking on a sailboat, and being on the sea eight weeks.

In 1868 he came to Nebraska from Wisconsin by the usual route of those days-driving by ox team-locating in Madison county, where he took up a homestead, and on this land built a log house. Here he experienced many hardships in those very first days of settlement, some forty odd years ago. The grasshoppers destroyed all the crops during the first years, which was very discouraging to the new settlers in the almost unpopulated country, where work, food and money were scarce. They also fought prairie fires many times to save their homes and lives. Deer and antelope were plentiful then, and fre- quently could be seen grazing in large herds. Our subject remembers many of these incidents, and relates many interesting instances of the earlier days, when he was but a young lad.

In 1891 Mr. Haase was united in marriage to Miss Matilda Doomer, who is a native of Ne- braska, and daughter of William and Rosie (Miller) Doomer. Mr. and Mrs. Haase are the parents of the following named children: Al- vina, Adolph, Elsie, Eimel and Leona. They are a fine family, and in their pleasant home are sur- rounded by a host of good friends and acquaint- ances.

Mr. Haase is one of the younger old settlers in Madison county, and has a bright future be- fore him. He now owns three hundred and nine- ty acres of fine land, three acres of which he has set to trees. He is a member of the Lutheran church, and is a democrat.

DAVID W. LOCKER.

For nearly forty years the gentleman named above has been identified with the farming inter- ests of Greeley county, and during this time he

has acquired a valuable estate of nearly five hun- dred acres by dint of his industry and thrift. He is now retired from active management of his possessions, and is living in the city of Scotia, one of the substantial and highly esteemed citi- zens of the community.

David W. Locker, the son of John L. and Harriet (Glass) Locker, was born in Dayton, Ohio, on the 18th of December, 1846. He was the eldest of seven children, six of whom are now living. The father was a native of Bishopsheim, province of Baden, Germany, who came to this country in 1842. He died in his eighty-fifth year, on the first of February, 1905, while the mother, in her eighty-seventh year, is still living in Sco- tia.

The first few years of Mr. Locker's life were spent in Dayton, Ohio, and Niles, Michigan, when the family moved to Lake county, Indiana, and there he grew to manhood, receiving his educa- tion in the local schools. When only fifteen years of age, in 1862, our subject did what so many other patriotic boys did-enlisted at Indianapolis in the Twenty-fourth Indiana Battery, Light Ar- tillery, and served until the close of the war, re- ceiving his discharge on August 3, 1865. During his three years of service, young David was in many decisive and dangerous engagements. At one time the detachment followed closely on the heels of Morgan and his men on his memorable raid through Kentucky and Ohio. His battery marched over four thousand miles during its service, and at one time traversed three hundred miles from Knoxville, Tennessee, to Tunnel Hill, Georgia, to take part in that campaign. He was present at the siege of Knoxville and the fall of Nashville, and took part in minor engagements at Horse Shoe Bend, Cumberland River, Ken- tucky, Sweetwater, Tennessee, Resaca, and at the fall of Atlanta at the close of that memora- ble campaign. He served under Thomas the latter part of the war, and was under his com- mand when peace was declared.

After the war was over, Mr. Locker returned to the old home in Indiana, but soon after went to Chicago, Illinois, where he learned carpentry, and worked at his trade for twelve years. Then, realizing that greater opportunities were to be found in the west, he went to Kansas in 1871, but remained there only a few months. He then went to the Indian Territory, but remained there only eight months. Next he proceeded to Ar- kansas, where he spent two years, and then final- ly decided to locate permanently in Greeley coun- ty, Nebraska. He took up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, and also a timber claim of equal size adjoining, in section six, township seventeen, range eleven.

On January 24, 1880, in Lake county, Mr. Locker married Miss Mary Brandt, a native of Hanover, Germany, who came to America with her parents, Dietrich aud Anna (Bishop) Brandt, when only three years of age. Her parents were

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natives of Hanover and Bremen respectively.

Mr. and Mrs. Locker have had four children born to them: Edward H., living in Greeley county, on part of the old farm; Ella, now Mrs. Henry Thurnagle, of Grand Island; Anna J., now Mrs. Arthur Schilling, of Greeley county; and William D., who, with his wife and one child, is now living on the old homestead.

Mr. Locker has been associated with all move- ments of public interest ever since his first resi- dence in the county. He was instrumental in organizing school district number twelve, serv- ing on the board for fourteen years. He has also served the public for two terms as supervisor in the county board. For the past three years he has also been president of the Scotia Indepen- dent Telephone Company.

MAGNES OLSEN.

Magnes Olsen, retired farmer of Hartington, is one of Sweden's creditable contributions to American citizenship. He was born where Char- lottenberg now stands, then only a farming dis- trict, on August 22, 1833. His father, Ole Dahl, died before Mr. Olsen emigrated to America, and his mother had been dead some years at that time. Mr. Olsen farmed in the old country until his migration to America in 1868. In his journey hither, he crossed the North Sea from Guttenberg to Hull, thence by rail to Liverpool, when he embarked on the "City of Paris" for New York, which was reached after a voyage of twelve days. He came west, reaching Chicago on the 24th of June, whence he journeyed to Lisbon, Illinois, and worked eleven days in the cornfields there for money to take him to Madi- son, Wisconsin, where many of his countrymen had settled. Here he lived for five years, farm- ing most of the time prior to his migration to Nebraska.

A colony of friends made the trip overland with ox teams, the journey extending into the sixth week before their destination was reached. Mr. Olsen settled on a homestead a mile north- west of where Hartington now stands. He has herded cattle many times over the present town- site when there was nothing here but waving prairie grasses. He lived on his homestead seven years, and then sold, buying a quarter section ten miles southwest of Hartington, on which he resided until 1910, when he retired from active farming, and moved to town.

Mr. Olsen was married in Norway, February 15, 1858, to Miss Bertha Jansen. On his migra- tion to America, the wife remained in the old country for a year, while Mr. Olsen earned and saved enough to send for her and the children, and a joyous reunion it was, after the absence of a year. Ten children were born to them, of whom only one is deceased. The living arc: Olaf, farming five miles north of town; John resides in Hartington; Mary is the wife of Steve 6 1/2

Seim, a retired farmer, who is street commission- er of Hartington ; Chris lives in Laramie, Wyom- ing; Dina is married to Mike Markeson, who resides in Lawton, Oklahoma; Peter is living in Hartington; Julius in Omaha; and Simon and Edward, the youngest, have homesteads in Ly- man and Tripp counties, South Dakota. Clara, the deceased child, was born next after Julius.

The early days in Nebraska were fraught with many trials; markets were distant, and prices low ; grasshoppers destroyed the crops for three years, leaving little or nothing in their wake. In 1880, Mr. Olsen made eighteen trips to Yankton and two to Vermillion, disposing of his crop and freighting provisions back to Cedar county. Deer and antelope were plentiful in the sixties, but it was but a short time until they were all killed or driven off.

There was much suffering at times during the severe blizzards, and in that of January 12, 1888, John was away from home, teaching school. Wheat and other grain found a market at St. Helena, whence it was shipped to St. Louis by boat. The price of it was paid half in cash and half in trade at the store. The Indians were fairly good neighbors on the whole, but occas- ionally sold a settler his own axe if he were neg- lectful in bringing it in when staking out his cattle. Mr. Olsen lived during the first winter in a sod house with a hay roof, but built a better dwelling the following spring.

Church services were not so numerous in the early days, though there was a congregation near Hartington. Mr. Olsen and others drove forty miles across the country to the southwest to organize a congregation, with the Reverend N. G. Tvedt. Religious fervor was not at ebb tide, even if the settlements were small and few between.

Mr. Olsen is independent in politics, and, like most all Scandinavians, is a member of the Luth- eran church.

WILLIAM LAUB. (Deceased.)

William Laub, deceased, was for many years one of the leading citizens of Merrick county, Ne- braska, and to his efforts were due much of the prosperity enjoyed in that region. He was a man of strong character and during his lifetime en- joyed the esteem and respect of all with whom he came in contact, and his memory is cherished by a host of warm friends throughout the country.

William Laub, son of Phillip and Anna Laub, was born in Germany, province of Bavaria, March 29, 1843, and was third in a family of elev- en children. Three brothers reside in Merrick county, Nebraska; one sister in Omaha; one sis- ter in Kansas, and the others are deceased, as are also the parents. In 1848 our subject came with the family to America locating in Illinois where

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Mr. Laub received his education and later engag- ed in farming.

In the spring of 1871, in company with his brother, Frederick Laub, came to Merrick county Nebraska, and timber-claimed one hundred and sixty acres in the north-east quarter section thir- ty-two, township thirteen, range seven, west, which remained the home place until April of 1900, when Mr. Laub retired from the farm and moved to Central City where he built a fine house, living there until the time of his death, Novem- ber 17, 1907. He was survived by his wife and six children : Alvin S., who is married and lives in Central City, has one child; John P., married has two children and resides in Chapman; Wil- liam Edward, deceased April 15, 1909, survived by his wife and three children who reside in Chapman, Nebraska; Mary Elida, married to Thomas Costello, has three children and lives in Cozad, Nebraska; Alice Rachel, married to Harry Parsons, lives in Central City; and Daniel Earl, who is married and lives on the old timber claim.

Mr. Laub served on the school board of his district number fifty for a number of years, and later was also a member of the city council in Cen- tral City. He was prosperous and successful, and owned nine hundred and sixty acres of stock and grain farming land in Merrick county, and also splendid city property.

On October 1, 1874, Mr. Laub was married to Margaret Donovan of Pennsylvania who came to Nebraska in 1868. Mrs. Lanb lives in the Central City home surrounded by a large circle of friends.

Mr. Laub was a man of affairs, interested in all pertaining to the welfare of his state and coun- ty. He passed through the trying experiences and discouragements of frontier life, and was the first man to ship a car-load of grain out of Chap- man.

Mrs. Laub is carrying on the large stock and farming interests left her by her husband.

THOMAS STOURAL.

Prominent among Knox county, Nebraska, old settlers is Thomas Stoural, who since the fall of 1873 has made this region his home, and who has done his share in the developing of the agricul- tural resources of this section of the county. Mr. Stoural lives on section eleven, township thirty, range six, where he has built up a valuable pro- perty through his industry and good manage- ment.

Mr. Stoural is a native of Bohemia, born in 1857, and is the son of Albert and Magdaline Stoural. When but a young man, our subject left his native home for America, to make a for- tune for himself. After landing in the United States, in 1870, Mr. Stoural first came to Chicago, Illinois, where he stayed two years and worked ont. He then came to Knox county, Nebraska, with his parents, where they took up homesteads and tree claims. First our subject built a sod

house in which he lived five years, then building a good frame house.

Mr. Stoural has struggled and worked faith- fully to build up his home and gain a competence for himself, and in the earliest days of his settle- ment here he endured many hardships and dan- gers. For the first few years he worked out in Knox county to make money to keep up his home- stead. He suffered severe losses through the grasshopper pests which destroyed all his crops during the first years of his residence on the homestead. The Indians were a source of nneasi- ness to the settlers of the region in those days, and they experienced many a scare from them, but the Indians were not so hostile to the settlers of this locality as they were to other portions of Knox county.

Mr. Stoural was united in marriage in 1884, to Miss Antonia Divis, and they are the parents of seven children, named as follows: Minnie, Emanuel, Clara, George, Frank, Martha and Thomas.

Mr. and Mrs. Stoural and family are highly esteemed and respected by all who know them, and they are one of the substantial families of the community.

FRANK BIRCH.

Frank Birch, one of the oldest settlers of the region where he chose his home in the early days, occupies a good home and valuable property in section twenty-nine, township twenty-six, range three, in Pierce county, Nebraska. He has done his full share in the upbuilding of his locality, and is well and favorably known throughout this part of the state.

Mr. Birch is a native of St. Lawrence county, New York, born December 8, 1855, and is the son of Thomas and Mary (Williams) Birch. Our sub- ject's grandfather was a native of Vermont, where he followed the occupation of ship build- ing. The father, Thomas Birch, was born in New York state, and after he was grown to manhood and married, he was drafted in the army, and died in a short time of wounds received in the battle of the Wilderness in 1863, our subject be- ing but a small boy at that time. Mr. Birch's mother was born in 1836 and died in 1900. Her father was born in England and ran away from his native land and came to America.

Mr. Birch grew up in New York state, where he received a common school education and was early obliged to make his own way in the world, his father dying when the boy was six or seven years of age, he was bound out for his board and clothes, receiving but a seant amount of either.

When nineteen years of age, he bought the remainder of his time, seventeen months, for ten dollars per month and began life for himself.

In 1879 he came to Nebraska and seenred land in section twenty-nine, township twenty-six, range three, it then being an entirely undevel-

HOME OF J. L. BUFFINGTON.

"ELMWOOD DAIRY FARM," RESIDENCE OF FRANK BIRCH.

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oped country. He filed first on a timber claim and later on a pre-emption, and here he built a board shack, in which he lived for a time. As his means increased he erected good barns and other buildings, besides a substantial nine room house. We show a view of the premises with its fine sur- rounding grove and orchard on another page of this work.

Mr. or Mrs. Birch was in charge of Birch postoffice for fifteen years. This office was established on his farm when star routes were the order of the day. Mr. Birch is now in very comfortable circum- stances, but passed through many hardships and privations during his early settlement here.

Mr. Birch was united in matrimony January 30, 1884, to Miss Jane Woodward, also a native of St. Lawrence county, daughter of Richard and Caroline (Coleman) Woodward, natives of Eng- land and Canada, respectively. Mr. and Mrs. Birch are the parents of four children: Minnie, who graduated from the Wayne Normal in 1908 and received a three-year certificate, is the wife of Lee Graeser; Harry, graduated at Wayne in April, 1911; Homer, now attending the Wayne institution, and Allan.

Mr. Birch has a fine farm of three hundred and fifteen acres, seven acres of which is a fine grove of trees. This place is known as Elmwood Dairy Farm, with fifteen to twenty cows supply- ing cream throughout the year. Mrs. Birch is a member of the Free Methodist church. In poli- ties Mr. Birch is independent of party lines.

J. L. BUFFINGTON.

Mr. Buffington is one of the well known old timers of eastern Nebraska, having come here when the country was a barren prairie, and when it was being settled by those brave pioneers who came here prepared to suffer all kinds of hard- ships and privations in order to make a success and acquire a home and fortune. Many of these pioneers have remained and seen the wilderness develop into a fertile tract, and are now the own- ers of fine farms and are leading citizens of their locality. Mr. Buffington resides on section twen- ty-one, township twenty-four, range eight, in Staunton township, where he owns three hundred and twenty acres of good land, having twenty acres of fine orchard and grove trees.

Mr. Buffington is a native of Ohio, born Oc- tober 9, 1850, in the same house that his father, George Buffington, was born in. From Ohio Mr. Buffington moved to Illinois where he was em- ployed by the Panhandle railroad as boiler-maker and machinist for fifteen years. Mr. Buffington's father served in the Civil war, enlisting in 1863 in One Hundred Sixty-first Ohio Volunteers un- der General Seigel. In 1877, our subject came to Washington county, Nebraska, and from there he went to Holt county in 1885 where he took up a homestead in section twenty-four, township twen-

ty-four, range thirteen, building on this land a sod house.

Mr. Buffington was united in matrimony, April 11, 1879, at Blair, Washington county, Nebraska, to Miss Catherine Thyme. Mr. and Mrs. Buffington have one child, Minnie, who is the wife of Allen Wilson, living in Stanton township. They have two chil- dren, Clarence J. and Katie E. In 1889, Mr. Buff- ington with his family came to Antelope county, Nebraska, and bought his present farm of three hundred and twenty acres of land, on which, as before stated, there are twenty acres of trees.

Mr. Buffington is of English descent, his ances- tors having come from England, although his father and mother were born in Ohio. They had five children: John, Sarah, Ellen, Jacob and Carrie.

His brother John served five years in the war of the rebellion, enlisting in 1861 and serving un- til '65. He was wounded twice. He died in 1896. His sister Carrie, the youngest, died in 1859. His other sisters are still living; his sister Sarah now resides in Blair, Washington county, Nebraska. Sister Ellen lives in Herman, Washington county, Nebraska.

On January 12, 1888, Mr. Buffington who then lived in Holt county, started to walk to town to get some thread for his wife. When but two and one-half miles from home he was overtaken by that famous blizzard of that day and forced to return; when he was about sixty rods from the house (which was made of sod) he was so blind- ed by the storm that he lost his way and was driv- en into a grove which was near the house. Here he thought he would be able to locate the house but failed and became so exhausted that he laid down on what he supposed to be a snow drift, when a very strong gust of wind turned him com- pletely over and when he stopped rolling found himself lying up against the house which he had been looking for, into which he hurried utterly exhausted from his experience with the blizzard, said to have been the worst in the history of Ne- braska.

Mr. Buffington is a broad minded man and one who has won the respect and esteem of all by his many sterling qualities. A view of the family home is presented on another page of this volume.

JOHN PORTERFIELD.

John Porterfield, an energetic and thrifty resident of Fullerton, has for many years follow- ed the occupation of contractor and builder in Nance county, and in this work has accumulated a comfortable property, and gained the esteem and respect of his fellowmen. In the past year he has become acting manager of the Edmunds Creamery company's station in Fullerton, which position he is now filling to the satisfaction of his firm.

Mr. Porterfield is a son of James and Eliza

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

Porterfield, born March 2, 1844, in Dover, Illinois. He was reared there, following farming during his younger years, and on August 27, 1857, was married to Frances A. Belden, of New York state, who had been a teacher in the public schools of that state for several years. The year following their union they settled in Atchison county, Kan- sas, there engaging in farming, and remained for a number of years. He then learned the stone masonry trade, also that of builder, and started in the contracting business, going to Genoa, Ne braska, in 1882. He only lived in that city for one year, then moved to Fullerton, which has been his permanent residence since that time. Here he has followed his trade and become one of the prominent business men of the section, handling many large contracts, and proving his ability and true worth as a master of that vocation. In the winter of 1909. Mr. Porterfield began buying cream, poultry, and eggs, since which time he has been continuously employed in that line of work.

Mr. and Mrs. Porterfield have had eight chil- dren, six of whom are now living, namely : James C., of Boise City, Idaho; Alice, wife of Franklin Hollensteiner, living in Missoula, Montana; Cyn- thia, wife of Chas. E. Carter, they living in Ful- lerton ; Helen, now Mrs. Roy Wilbur, also of Mis- soula, Montana, and Mabel and Marion, twins. The latter lives at home, and is a teacher in the Fullerton schools, while the former is the wife of E. H. Davis, and resides in Wolbach, Nebraska. The entire family are well known, and enjoy a large circle of friends.

In 1895 Mr. Porterfield was elected police judge of his county, and served ten consecutive years, or five terms. He was president of the school board for a number of years, also serving in that body in various other capacities. In 1884 he held the office of street commissioner, and also marshal of the village, and, in fact, has, during his career in Nebraska, been almost con- stantly in the service of the people.

DR. H. A. SKELTON.

To find office equipment equal to that of a city hospital, a country physician who almost annual- ly takes post-graduate courses, thus keeping abreast of the times, in the far west in a practical- ly new country, is a surprise indeed. A hasty vis- it to the office of Dr. H. A. Skelton, of Spencer, will give one that surprise, and convince him of the unusual.

Dr. Skelton's first recollections of Nebraska date back to the latter part of December, 1881, when his father, J. B. Skelton, an attorney from the middle west, settled in O'Neill, and began the practice of his profession. He was born in India- na, where he read law, was admitted to the bar, and practiced at Princeton, in Gibson county, for a number of years. He attained the age of sixty- six years, passing away in 1896 at Monette, Mis-

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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 33

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