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 44

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 44


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He went back to Schuyler in 1876, later be- ing joined by his mother and sisters, he having secured employment with the firm of which his brother was the leading member, and for two years had charge of their business at Creighton. He then assumed the management of the Pack- ard Lumber & Grain company's business at Plainview, carrying on the same until the busi- ness was sold out. Since that time he has been a clerk in the Leader Store in Plainview, where lie has a large personal following and the friendship and esteem of all who know him.


Mr. Packard was married here in Plainview in 1890, to Ada Chamberlain, a native of North Newbury, Maine. Her parents, Isaac and Mary (Colson) Chamberlain, were also natives of that state, coming to Nebraska in 1871, and an ex- tended account of the life history of Mr. Cham- berlain and his family will be found in this volume.


Seven children have been born to our sub- ject and his esteemed wife, five of whom are now living, as follows: Leon S., in the employ of the Burlington railroad, stationed at Sioux City; Bertha, Luella, Nancy and Margaret.


Mr. Packard is a prohibitionist. Both him- self and wife are members of the Friend's church, and take a prominent part in the social life of Plainview.


JOHN IRVINE.


John Irviue, a capable and prosperous farmer of Posen precinct is a worthy representative of a family which has been prominent in the agri- cultural affairs of Howard county the past forty years.


Mr. Irvine is a native of Roxburyshire, Scot- land, born August 15, 1853. He grew up there to the age of twenty years, then came to America with his father and mother and brother Archie, landing in this country in June, 1873, and coming


directly west to Howard county, Nebraska, where two brothers, James and George, (whose sketches appear in another part of this volume) were al- ready located. Henry, another brother of our subject, was also in Howard county, and still another brother and sister-William and Chris- tine, respectively-came here in June, 1874, so that the entire family were finally all living near together. John Irvine homesteaded on section eighteen, township fourteen, rĂ¥nge eleven, proved up and sold his claim. He then located on section seven, and still occupies this tract, having a fine home and well equipped farm. During the early years he passed through every sort of fron- tier life, and while having a hard time at first to get along, gradually became prosperous, con- stantly adding to his original farm until he is classed among the well-to-do citizens, successful agriculturists and prominent old-timers of his section.


Mr. Irvine was married on July 9, 1883, to Miss Isabelle Gordon, who is a native of the north of Ireland, who emigrated to Canada in 1878, and locating in Howard county in 1882, with a sister. They were married on the Irvine homestead, the ceremony being performed by Mr. James Baxter, justice of the peace in Kelso precinct, he being a brother-in-law of our subject. Mrs. Irvine still has one sister living in Ireland, and one brother in California, all the other members of her family now being dead.


Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Ir- vine, two of whom are living: Isabelle, who is married to Albert Obermiller, they being the parents of four fine children, and living on a farm adjoining Mr. Obermiller's father's place ; Mary Alice, the other daughter of our subject, is the wife of Peter Larson. They reside on their farm near Farwell, which is situated on the south- west quarter of section six. Three children died in infancy ; Alice, when but four months old, Ja- net at the age of four years, and John, a babe of six weeks.


Mr. Irvine and his brothers are widely known through the entire country in which they reside as being about the first actual settlers in that sec- tion of the state, and it can truly be said that they have helped in a large measure to build up How- ard county in every way-commercially, educa- tionally and socially.


ROBERT NAY.


Robert Nay, one of the earliest settlers in Val- ley county, Nebraska, resides on his fine farm which is located in section twenty-one, township twenty, range thirteen, and is classed among the prominent citizens of his region.


Mr. Nay was born in Dundee, Scotland, June 16, 1858, and was third of five children in the family of Robert and Jane (Belle) Nay, who had three sons and two daughters. The Nay family moved from Scotland to Ontario, Canada, in June


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of 1871, and Robert and William Nay came from Canada to Valley county, Nebraska, in March of 1879, where Robert took up a timber claim in the northwest quarter of section eighteen, township twenty, range thirteen and William took up a homestead, on which he remained. Robert, however, went to the western part of Nebraska where he was employed on the Union Pacific railroad for two years; then returned to Valley county, but soon went to Canada.


Mr. Nay was united in marriage on December 23, 1882, to Miss Maggie Fraser in Ontario, Canada. Miss Fraser was a native of Canada, but her people were of Scotch descent. Mr. and Mrs. Nay have five children, namely: Minnie, wife of Clayton Timmerman, who has three chil- dren and resides near Ord; Emma Bell, who is married to Arthur Mensing, they having two children, and residing in Valley county; and George A., Wilbert R., and Lee E., who reside at home.


In March, 1883, Mr. and Mrs. Nay came to their farm home in Valley county, this farm being the original timber claim ; but now live in section twenty-one, township twenty, range thirteen; this is a farm of six hundred and forty acres which Mr. Nay operates as a fine stock and grain farm, improved with good buildings, etc., and where he also has a comfortable home. They set- tled on this farm in 1902.


Mr. Nay has done his part toward building up Valley county, and has been connected with the different township offices, serving as township clerk and in other capacities for a number of years. He is a prominent and successful man of affairs, self-made, coming up from the sod- shanty days to the present days of prosperity.


Mr. and Mrs. Nay and family have the re- spect and esteem of a large circle of friends. Mr. Nay's parents, Robert, senior, and Jane Nay, came from Canada several years later than Robert and William, and with them also came another son, James. Mr. and Mrs. Nay, senior, are both deceased, and lie buried in Ord cemetery. Mr. Nay, subject of this sketch, has one brother in Ord, another in Columbus; a sister in Stockton, California, and another in northwestern Canada.


Mr. Nay is independent in politics ; was reared a Presbyterian ; attends the M. E. church. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and Order of Ben Hur. Deer and antelope in country when he came. Lived in sod house until 1893. Was out in blizzard of January 12, 1888, and got back to the house by turning his back to the storm which was suffocating to one facing it.


JACKSON W. MCKIBBON.


Jackson W. McKibbon, who is known through- out Madison county, Nebraska, as a prosperous agriculturist and substantial citizen, resides on section twenty-two, township twenty-four, range two. He is a man of untiring energy, honest


principle and good business management, and commands the respect of a large circle of ac- quaintances.


Mr. Mckibbon is a native of Harrison county, Missouri, in which state he was born March 21, 1873; is a son of Robert and Mary (Fitch) McKibbon, who were natives of Ohio, but of Irish descent. Our subject's father served in the Civil war, enlisting in Company K, Ninety-first Ohio Infantry, in 1861, and served all through the war, receiving his honorable discharge in 1865.


In 1883 Mr. McKibbon, our subject, came with his parents to Madison county, Nebraska, where the father bought the Albert Biglow homestead, also purchasing a .shanty, which, was used for a dwelling. During their residence here in the early years, the family endured many hardships and discouragements due to crop failures, prairie fires, the elements of the weather, etc .; and as late as 1894 suffered entire loss of crops through the hot winds of that season, which burned every form of vegetation to a crisp; the ground during that year was but a blackened stretch of earth for miles in all directions, and the drought made great havoc. Despite the many drawbacks and discouraging conditions in the early days, our subject and family persevered and stuck to the farm, which is now proving its worth and is re- paying double every failure of former years. Robert Mckibbon died January 15, 1909. Mr. McKibbon now has the place well improved, and engages in mixed farming, in which he is very successful.


Mr. McKibbon is one of the younger old set- tlers of his locality, but since his maturity has proven himself a progressive, substantial citi- zen, as was his father before him. As before stated, he has the respect and high esteem of all who know him, and his friends are many. He is an independent voter.


ORLANDO S. PULLIAM.


Orlando S. Pulliam, one of the very early set- lers of Custer county, Nebraska, has passed through much of Nebraska's history and has been successful as a farmer and stockman, spe- cializing in fine horses. He is one of the well- known men of the region and has always been identified with the best interests of the county and state. In 1900 he retired from the farm and moved to Sargent, where he erected his present comfortable home. For several years he has dealt in real estate more or less, being well informed on land values in central Nebraska. Mr. Pulliam was born in Lee county, Iowa, March 17, 1852, third in order of birth of the seven children of James and Charity (Hinch) Pulliam, natives of Illinois. He was the only member of the family to settle in Nebraska. His father, who was of Ger- man descent, died in Appanoose county, Iowa, and his mother died in the same state.


Mr. Pulliam grew to manhood on an Iowa


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farm and there received a common school educa- tion, engaging in farming on his own account in early manhood. He was married in Iowa in 1870 to Miss Tirza McFadden, a native of the state, and three children were born of the union : Ed L., married and living in Custer county, has four children; Arthur L., of Garfield county, is mar- ried and has six children; Ora, wife of Joseph Kiker, of Cushing, Nebraska, has one child. In the spring of 1879 Mr. Pulliam came west looking for a location and took up a homestead on one hundred sixty acres on section thirty-four, town- ship twenty, range nineteen, Custer county, which was the family home for many years.


On October 17, 1880, at Moulton, Iowa, Mr. Pulliam was united in marriage with Miss Alice Ransom, a native of Iowa, their marriage taking place at the home of her parents, Elisha and Mary (Hayes) Ransom, who were born in Indi- ana. Mr. Ransom died in Appanoose county, lowa, in 1907, and his widow now resides in the old home there where she has lived the past fifty- six years. The Ransoms were among the early settlers in their part of Iowa, where they took a prominent part in local affairs and became well known. Mr. and Mrs. Pulliam began house- keeping on the Custer county homestead and he improved and developed the land from its wild state. He served for many years as moderator of school district number four and was active in promoting the best interests of the community. He is now vice president of the First National bank of Sargent, and until recently was vice president of the State Bank of that town. He and his wife had three children: George and Claude, deceased, and Olive, wife of Guy Brown, of Sar- gent.


ZUINGLEY M. BAIRD.


Among the self-made men of the west, those who have, unaided, made a place and a name for themselves in the world of business, may be men- tioned Zuingley M. Baird, the veteran auctioneer of Hartington. Left an orphan by the death of his mother at the age of eighteen months, and reared in the home of strangers, he has made his own way in the world since the age of fourteen, and done so in a measure that would be a credit to one who had enjoyed a parent's loving help and care.


Z. M. Baird was born in Lisbon, Iowa, Novem- ber 23, 1860, and was taken into the home of a woman in Fairview township, Jones county, where he was reared until the age of fourteen ; at that age he went to Lena, Illinois, and became apprentice in the office of the "Lena Star," a weekly paper. After four years in a print shop, the boy felt the need of a higher education than he had enjoyed, and returned to Iowa to attend the Blairstown academy, which he attended three years. After his school days he secured a clerk- ship in a store in Nevada, Iowa, where he remain-


ed for a year. He married while here and soon after came west to enter the profession of journ- alism.


Mr. Baird came to Nebraska in 1884, reaching Dakota City on August 11, where he visited his father one day and then came on to Hartington, which place he reached on the twelfth. He se- cured a place in the composing room of the "Herald," which he bought the last day of the year, and began the year 1885 as proprietor of the paper. This he successfully published for five years, sold, and, moving to South Sioux City, started the "South Sioux City Times." This he sold after a period of years, and moving to Em- erson established the "Emerson Times," " and while publishing this paper formed a partnership with E. Bordwell, his brother-in-law, to start a new paper in Hartington known as the "Cedar County Leader."


After getting the paper well on its way to suc- cess, he sold his Emerson paper and later dis- posed of his interest in the "Leader" to his brother-in-law. His love for journalism was not abated, so about 1895 he established the "Cedar County News," which he ably edited some five or six years until the demand on his time as an auc- tioneer necessitated his disposing of his paper.


Mr. Baird has been popular as an auctioneer ever since his advent to Nebraska. His powerful yet pleasing voice is well adapted to incessant speaking in the open air, and his merry jokes and quips keep his auditors in the proper mood when the vendue is long drawn out and they might otherwise grow weary and depart. He gets results, which is the main thing in business of any kind, but especially in public sales.


Mr. Baird is a son of Cephus and Elizabeth (Hall) Baird, both natives of Ohio. As stated, the mother died in Iowa early in 1862; the father remarried and moved to Dakota county, Nebras- ka, he afterward going to San Francisco, where he died.


Mr. Baird


was married


at Nevada, Iowa, March 28, 1883, to Miss Alwilda Mur- phey, daughter of Henry F. and Margaret (Pal- mer) Murphey, natives of Indiana, who came to the frontier in Iowa in an early day. Four chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Baird, namely : Claude M., a successful merchant of Har- tington; Margaret, teaching in the schools in Nevada ; Donald V., deceased ; and Bruce Z.


Mr. Baird is a democrat in politics, and made his papers powers in the cause of his party can- didates and principles. He is a prominent Ma- son and has advanced far in the mysteries of the ancient order. He belongs to the blue lodge and chapter in Hartington, the commandery at Bloomfield, the consistory and shrine at Omaha. He has filled all the chairs in the local lodge and of the grand lodge, as well having served as grand master of the state in 1906.


Mr. Baird was in Iowa at the time of the fear- ful blizzard of October, 1880, and of the flood of


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the following spring. He was in Hartington, how- ever, January 12, 1888, when so many lost their lives in the tempest. He had difficulty in mak- ing his way home, and was thoroughly exhausted on reaching his door. As with others, it is an ex- perience he can never forget.


Mr. Baird is a man who makes his force felt in the community where he dwells; big of body and of hrain, big of heart and spirit, he is a good citizen, a good neighbor, and a good friend.


ONON SIMONSON. (Deceased.)


For over twenty-nine years the gentleman whose name heads this personal history was asso- ciated with the agricultural interests of Merrick county, Nebraska, and as an old settler and one of her worthy citizens he was prominently known. Mr. Simonson was proprietor of one of the fine farms of that locality and accumulated his prop- erty and gained his good name by his persistent and honest labors. He resided in section twenty up to the time of his death, which occurred on April 29, 1902. Mr. Simonson was born in Nor- way, in 1848, coming to America in his eighteenth year and settling in Menard county, Illinois, close to Springfield, that state. He was married in 1870, in the state of Illinois to Miss Berte Ege- land.


Mr. Simonson came to Merrick county, Ne- braska, in March, 1873, taking up a homestead in section twenty, township thirteen, range eight, and was joined by his wife and son Simon, in May of the same year. As before stated this was the home farm at the time of Mr. Simonson's death.


Mr. and Mrs. Simonson had two children born to them: Simon, who with his family lives on the old homestead; and Anna, who is married to Chris. Thorson and lives in Chicago. Mr. Simon- son's wife died August 5, 1884, on the home farm.


SIMON SIMONSON.


Son of Onon and Berte (Egeland) Simonson, was born in Illinois, June 13, 1871. He came to Merrick county, Nebraska, with his parents in the spring of 1873, where the father homesteaded land in March of that year, and where the son grew up under the usual advantages to be had in those early days. He was a sturdy lad and as- sisted his father with the farm work, and well remembers the years of struggle and inconven- iences common at that time. Mr. Simonson started out for himself in his twenty-second year, and on the twenty-sixth of September, 1895, he was married to Miss Selma Wagner in Merrick county, Nebraska, whose parents, Traugott and Panline (Schuessler) Wagner came to Merrick county about 1879. Mr. and Mrs. Simonson have had five children born to them ; Berte, Ella, Oscar,


Onon, and Norman, all of whom reside under the parental roof.


Mr. Simonson is supervisor in district seven, and is a member of the school board of district forty-two. Our subject is living on the old home farm which has been added to until it now con- tains four hundred acres of good land, well equipped and a substantial house built thereon. He also owns another one hundred twenty-acre farm in Merrick county.


Mr. Simonson is one of the progressive young men of Merrick county, successfully taking his part in the educational and social life of his coun- ty and state. He is a man of advanced ideas and believes in keeping up-to-date along all lines.


MIKE LOFTUS.


Mike Loftus, one of the early settlers in the state of Nebraska, now resides in Knox county, where he chose his home in 1902. Here he has a valuable estate in section twenty, township twenty-nine, range five, and is known as one of the prosperous and successful agriculturalists and stockmen of his locality.


Mr. Loftus was born in Connaught Province, Knockanello village, Ireland, June 7, 1858. When but a small boy he left home and struck out for himself, taking passage for America, where he was sure a fortune awaited him only for the tak- ing. He landed in New York City after an event- ful voyage, and immediately started for the west, going first to Illinois, where he remained for two years. There he followed farming. In the fall of 1879, he came to Nebraska, locating in Platte county, but only spent a short time in that vicin- ity, removing to Holt county, where he took a homestead and started to improve his claim. He at once put up a sod shanty and lived alone, cook- ing his own meals, and working hard to build up his farm. Later on he filed on a tree claim in the vicinity, and proved up on both tracts. He now has a fine farm of two hundred acres, situated about one mile from Creighton. The place is well sup- plied with every convenience, including substan- tial buildings, plenty of trees. planted by Mr. Loftus himself, all kinds of stock, etc. He raises fine crops of grain, and is fast becoming one of the leading men of wealth in his vicinity.


Mr. Loftus was married in O'Neill on January 22, 1889, to Miss Mary Carney, and to them have been born two children, Thomas and James, both of whom are at home.


SAMUEL EWING.


Samuel Ewing, one of the more prominent business men and worthy citizens of Genoa, where he has spent the past thirty years, more or less, has gained the respect and esteem of his fellow- men by his sterling character, thrift and good spirit. By unremitting labor and good business ability he has accumulated a comfortable prop-


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erty, and also has been one of the leaders in pub- lic affairs of his vicinity since the first years of his residence here.


Mr. Ewing is a native of Perry county, Indi- ana, born November 17, 1831, and a son of Will- iam G. and Mary Ewing. His childhood was spent in that vicinity, and when about twenty-one he went to Henderson county, Illinois, and en- gaged in farming. During the month of Aug- ust, 1862, Mr. Ewing enlisted in Company K, eighty-fourth Illinois Infantry, and served with his regiment up to the close of the war, taking part in many of the principal battles, among them that of Perryville and Wild Cat Mountain, Kentucky, Chickamaugua, Tunnel Hill, Resaca, Pine Mountain and Kenesaw Mountain in Georgia, also many minor skirmishes and en- counters. He received his honorable discharge on June 7, 1865, returning at that time to his home in Illinois.


In the spring of 1867 he went to Iowa, locat- ing near Red Oak, where he engaged in farming for several years and then moved to Red Oak. He then went into the grain business at Coburg, but continued to reside at Red Oak. He had a large trade in the grain business for a number of years.


Mr. Ewing came to Genoa, Nebraska, in 1882, establishing a banking and real estate business in which he was engaged for about one year, then purchased four hundred acres of land a short distance from the town and started a grain and stock farm. In 1883 he was elected assessor for Nance county, and served in that capacity for seventeen years, also was justice of the peace for a time. While in Iowa he held the office of coun- ty commissioner for two terms, or six years.


In 1904 Mr. Ewing sold his various business interests and retired from active work. Both himself and wife have been through all the early history of Nebraska, and are widely and favor- ably known in every movement started for the benefit of their locality. Both have taken a prom- inent part in church work for over thirty years, and Mr. Ewing has been for a great number of years an official in the Presbyterian church in Genoa.


In March, 1857, Mr. Ewing married Eliza A. Short, a native of Illinois. Miss Short was the eldest in a family of eight children, five of whom are still living, although the parents are both deceased. Mr. Ewing's parents are also dead, and of nine children in the family five are still living, scattered in different parts of the country. Mr. and Mrs. Ewing have had two children, Emma A., now deceased, and Lizzie A., wife of W. E. Kennedy, living in Genoa, parents of two daughters.


Our subject and his good wife have a pleas- ant home in Genoa, and are passing the evening of their lives in a peaceful and happy manner, surrounded by many friends who enjoy their hos- pitality on various occasions.


HORACE L. BROOKS.


Horace L. Brooks, a true and tried citizen of Boone county and a man of large business in- terests, died February 8, 1911, at his home in Albion. Mr. Brooks was widely known as a man whom one could trust-upright in his dealings; he was a ready, willing neighbor-pleasant and congenial; as a citizen, his character is an ex- ample for the rising generation of Boone county. His portrait appears on another page.


Mr. Brooks was born in Springville, New York state, September 13, 1852, and was the eld- est child of Alonzo and Mary Jane Brooks who were the parents of three .. When but an infant he went to Washington, D. C. with his parents, and remained until he was two years of age, then the family came to Boone county, Illinois, and there he spent his early boyhood, receiving his education in the local schools and later attend- ing the Illinois State Normal. He taught school when a very young man, both in Illinois and later in Mills county, Iowa, coming to Nebraska in 1873, joining his father who had settled in Boone county about a year previously. He homesteaded soon after striking the locality, then returned to Iowa and resumed teaching for a year.


He was married in Iowa in February, 1874, to Agnes J. Van Orsdel, at the home of her pa- rents, in Mills county. In the latter part of March, Mr. and Mrs. Brooks removed to their homestead in Boone county, Nebraska, built a sod shanty, and begun a pioneer existence at farming and stock raising. They passed through all the early experiences here, remaining on the farm up to 1891, then settled in a pleasant resi- dence in Albion.




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