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 46

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 46

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Mr. Meese was married to Miss Minnie Wald- mann in Ord, February 13, 1893. Miss Wald- mann was born in Minnesota, and the family came to Valley county in the early years. Mr. and Mrs. Meese have six children: Bertha, John, Frank, Adrian, Hilda and Rosa Lee, all of whom reside under the parental roof.

Mr. and Mrs. Meese and family are well known, have a modern, confortable home, and are an enjoyable family.

Mr. Meese has in past years served on the Valley county board of supervisors. He is a member of the Catholic church in Ord, of the Modern Woodmen of America, and is republican in politics.

J. A. JOHNSON.

Located very pleasantly in seetion nineteen, township twenty-one, range four, is to be found one of the leading citizens and prosperous agri- eulturists of Madison county. This gentleman has made Nebraska his home for many years, and during that time has been intimately identified

with its development along commercial and social lines.

J. A. Johnson was born in Smoland, Sweden, October, 1864, and was one of six children born to John and Christina Johnson, the former de- parting this life when our subject was a small boy.

When our subject was six years of age, the little family left their native land and took pas- sage on an emigrant ship bound for America which the mother had heard was a mecca for poor people, and where she confidently believed she could find a home and plenty for herself and children. They sailed from Gottenberg, touched Liverpool, and after a tedious voyage landed in New York safely, from which place they started immediately for the west, stopping off in Stark, Illinois, where they remained for nine years.

In the spring of 1879 they started out to look for a new location, and hearing of the golden op- portunities awaiting those who had the spirit and determination to sueeeed, came to Nebraska and begun the life of pioneers. Each member of the family seeured employment in Madison coun- ty, and in 1886 our subject filed on a homestead in township Box Butte county, leaving the others in their old places. He built a sod house and re- mained in that locality for a number of years, finally purchasing a tract in Madison county which he has improved in the best possible shape and it is now one of the most productive farms in the eounty.

He has seen his share of hard times, going through all the experiences of the early settlers in the way of losses of property, suffering from the dreadful storms, etc., but has kept steadily forging ahead, and has been well repaid for his efforts in the valuable property he now owns in this and other parts of Nebraska.

Mr. Johnson was married June 24, 1901, to Mrs. Minnie Youngston, of Madison county, and they have a family of four children, Myrtle, Flor- ence, Walter and Ralph.

ANSON B. HARTLEY.

Anson B. Hartley, one of the prominent real estate and loan men of central Nebraska, is closely identified with the business interests of Sargent and Custer county. He has made his own way in life and has attained success through hard work and business ability, managing his affairs according to the needs of the times and with strict attention to details. He has the repu- tation of being upright and honorable in his deal- ings and has many friends in his community. Mr. Hartley was born in Westchester county, New York, March 26, 1860, fifth child of Joseph and Mary E. (Atwood) Hartley, who have six sons and two daughters. The father was a native of Belle- fontaine, Ohio, and the mother of Mount Pleasant, Iowa, and they were married in Ohio. They re- moved to New York City about 1842, and there

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY, REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

the father engaged in the wholesale and retail dry goods business, being a member of the firm of Wentz, Hartley and Company, later be- coming a member of the firm of Taft, Griswold & Kellogg, dealers in wholesale dry goods. In 1872 he sold his interests in the city and moved to Lincoln, Nebraska, at that time a little city of about five thousand popula- tion. He organized and became president of the Lancaster county bank, and in 1879 disposed of his banking interests and moved to York county, buying a farm near Bradshaw. He lived there until March, 1882, then moved with his family to Custer county and took a homestead on sec- tion nine, township nineteen, range nineteen, his home until 1892. Then, returning to- Lincoln, he engaged in general mercantile business and continued to conduct it until his death, March 31, 1900. He was survived by his wife and seven children. Mrs. Hartley died in 1901, and those of the children now living are: William D., married and living in New Mexico; Carrie E., wife of C. W. Green, of Marquette, Michigan ; Anson B., whose name stands at the head of this sketch ; Joseph A., of Columbus, Ohio; Ellis T., of Columbus; Edward C., of Spokane, Washing- ton ; Flora B., wife of Charles Martin of Duluth, Minnesota.

In the spring of 1882, Mr. Hartley secured a homestead on the southeast quarter of section nine, in the town where his father had located, and this remained his home until the spring of 1902, when he came to Sargent and engaged in the real estate business, also dealing in insurance and loans. He began business in a primitive cracker box. He has forty acres in the tract of way, and according to his own report his first office desk was a dry goods box and his chair a land where he has erected his pleasant home, land where he has erected his pleasant home, which adjoins Sargent on the west. His is one of highly respected and having many friends. They are ready to give of their time and money to aid every cause for the general welfare and prosper- ity and the friends of progress along all lines.

On March 6, 1884, in Lillian township, Custer county, Mr. Hartley was united in marriage with Margie F. Dupray, and they have seven daugh- ters and one son living: Carrie, wife of W. L. Probert, of Custer county, has two children; Fred A., in business with his father in Sargent; Mabel and May, twins; Bessie, Eveline, Grace and Elma, at home.

JULIUS HIRSCHMAN.

It is mete that considerable praise should be given those early pioneers who came here when wilderness was King, for it is by reason of the hardships they suffered and the battle they fought that we in our generation enjoy the peace and comfort and plenty which we accept as our due. Among the early settlers of Cedar county,

the name of Julius Hirschman is well known.

Mr. Hirschman was born on a farm in Wis- consin in 1859, and is the son of Frank C. and Tecla Hirschman, both parents being foreign- born. They came to America in one of the slow sailing vessels in 1852, and came at once to Wis- consin, where they bought forty acres of land, a holding which would have made them people of distinction in their native country.

The family remained in Wisconsin and the boy Julius secured his education in the schools of that state. Finally, they decided to join the migration to the new lands of the west. So in 1872, they started for Cedar county, Nebraska, with a team of horses and a prairie schooner, coming by the overland route. It took three weeks to make the trip, and they made good time even then. Upon their arrival, the father took up a homestead in section eight, township thirty, range three. For a short time, the whole family lived here in a small dugout.

For a long time the family struggled against the misfortunes which afflicted all settlers equally. For the first four years, their crops were destroyed by grasshoppers, and they were also compelled many times to fight for hours against the fierce prairie fires in order to save their home. Even when crops were good and were finally harvested, the surplus had to be hauled either to Ponca or Yankton, the two near- est market points.

In 1887, Mr. Hirschman was united in marriage to Miss Anna Lorang, and to this couple have come five children: Clarence, Chancy, Julius, Susie and Earl.

Mr. Hirschman has certainly done his full share toward the development of the agricultural interests of the community where he has lived for so long. He has a well-improved farm and is a representative farmer and citizen.

ELIJAH MeKENDRY.

Elijah MeKendry, retired farmer, son of Elijah and Susan (Kiggen) MeKendry, was born in Beverly, Ohio, October 31, 1844, and was the ninth in a family of ten children. He has two brothers and one sister residing in Ohio, one sis- ter in Iowa, and the others are deceased. The father died in the year 1883, and the mother in 1872; both passed away in the home state.

Mr. McKendry received his education in his native s'a'e, and in July, 1861, enli ted in Com- pany A, Thirty-sixth Ohio Volunteer Infantry, receiving his discharge in July, 1864, at Chatta- nooga, Tennessee. Decisive engagements partici- pated in were at Chicamauga, Mission Ridge, An- tietam, South Mountain, second battle of Bull Run, Cloyd Mountain, Lewisburg, West Virginia, and many minor engagements and skirmishes. In August of 1864 he enlisted in the United States navy, in which he served one year; he then re- turned to Ohio, where he followed the occupation

Catholic Cemetery .

"VALLEY VIEW STOCK FARM," RESIDENCE OF FLORIAN FUCHS.

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COMPENDIUM OF HISTORY. REMINISCENCE AND BIOGRAPHY.

of shoemaking, he having learned and worked at that trade before entering the army.

On August 8, 1867, Mr. MeKendry was mar- ried to Miss Margaret J. Davis of Ohio, and in the spring of 1871 came with his wife and two children to Merrick county, Nekraska, and home- steaded one hundred and sixty acres of land in section two, township fourteen, range seven, west, which remained the home place until 1874, when having been eaten out by grasshoppers Mr. McKendry went to Rock Springs, Wyoming. where he worked to support his family, who re- mained in Nebraska. In the meantime Mr. McKen- dry had sold his homes ead and purchased in 1876. a one-hundred and sixty-acre timber claim three miles north of Archer, where he lived until 1899 when they moved to Archer. Here he built a good home, which is now his prezent residence. Mr. McKendry has served on the school board of his district number forty-three for some years.

Mr. and Mrs. McKendry have had ten ehil- dren born to them, six of whom are living: Charles, deceased in 1901, is survived by his wife and four children who reside in California; John, who is married, has five children and lives in Central City, Nebraska; William A., deceased in infancy ; Clara, deceased at the age of five years; Jessie, married Harry Morse, has five chil- dren and resides in Grand Island, Nebraska; Al- bert, deceased at the age of seventeen years; Winifred, married to Ward Morse, lives in Colo- rado Springs, and has one child; Lenna, married to Roy Frederick, has one child and lives in Chap- pel, Nebraska ; James A., resides in Lincoln, Ne- braska; and Leon, who lives under the parental roof.

Mrs. McKendry's father, William P. Davis. died in the year 1874, in Nebraska and her mother in 1900, in Missouri. She has one brother resid- ing in North Dakota, two in Merrick county, Ne- braska, one in Nance county, Nebraska; one sis- ter in Taylor, Nebraska, and one in Tipton, Mis- souri.

Mr. and Mrs. McKendry are among the earliest settlers of the county, and have passed through all the hardships and trying experiences of fron- tier life. They were the first homesteaders in Midland township.

FLORIAN FUCHS.

Florian Fuchs, a well-to-do farmer, energetic and industrious, who came to this county to estab- lish a home and accumulate a competence for his old age, resides on his fine farm in section four, township twenty-five, range two, where he owns six hundred and forty acres. He also has three hundred and twenty acres in Sheridan county, western Nebraska, a quarter-section near Rush- ville and another near Hay Springs.

Mr. Fuchs was born April 26, 1870, in the vil- lage of Ullerichs, near the city of Kirchberg- Walde, Lower Austria, and is the son of John

Fuchs, senior, who was born in 1844, and who served in the army from 1864 to 1866, participat- ing in the war between Denmark and Prussia. His mother, Anna Pommasl, was born in 1846 and died in 1876. The elder Fuchs kept the village inn for a number of years, and was formerly en- gaged in the merchandise, and later the butter- making industry in Austria. Florian Fuchs learned blacksmithing in the old country and worked at the trade two and a half years before emigrating to America.

Sailing from Hamburg to New York in the steamship "Harmonia," Mr. Fuchs came to Pierce county from Lower Austria in 1887. On reaching Nebraska he visited for a few days near Hum- phrey with the brother of a fellow voyager, and incidentally met his future wife during this visit. He found work on the farm of his uncle, Charles Hoffman, senior, near Pierce, and then for a year was engaged in construction work on the rail- road. After this he was engaged in farm labor for various settlers in Pierce county, including Owen Brothers, ranchmen and railroad contrac- tors, serving two years as foreman on their large feeding ranch near Stanton.

Mr. Fuchs began for himself on the old Schei- ber place near Pilger, which he rented for one year, and for a like period cultivated the Barn- hardt farm near Hoskins. Coming to Pierce county, he cultivated land rented from his uncle, Charles Hoffman, some nine or ten years, when he moved to his present location, which he had be- gun purchasing some years before. He had also bought a farm nine miles northeast of Pierce, and for a time cultivated both, working constantly, day and night at times.

Mr. Fuchs was married February 29, 1892, to Miss Johanna Withalm, a native of the village of Schwaetza, Lower Austria, daughter of Leon- ard and Anna (Pfeifer) Withalm. To Mr. and Mrs. Fuchs nine children were born: Mary, John, Julia, Lizzie, Johanna, Amanda, Anna, Mag- gie and Francis. They are of the Catholic re- ligion, and Mr. Fuchs is a democrat.

Our subject gives all his time to the building up of his home and the management of his farm, and everything he now has is due to his own un- aided efforts, as he had absolutely nothing to start with, and he deserves much praise for his success. As before stated, Mr. Fuchs began buy- ing his present farm while a renter, and added a good tenant house and other buildings on the northeast quarter. He began breaking ground in 1898, and three years later moved onto the place which he has continued to improve. He has three hundred acres under cultivation, an orchard of two acres, and over ten acres of trees, including some two thousand evergreens which are planted in groves and around the outer lines of the farm. Ile raises annually from ten to fifteen hundred bush- els of wheat, four to seven thousand bushels of oats, and six to eight thousand bushels of corn. This he feeds mostly on the place, shipping two

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to three car loads of cattle and over a hundred hogs per year.

An elegant ten room house has been built on the place, with running water throughout, as well as in all the larger barns and in the various feed lots. The granary, holding from eight to ten thousand bushels, is one of the best equipped in the state, with elevator and spouts to the various bins. All kinds of implements for ad- vanced farming are to be found on the place, and every labor-saving device is installed as soon as it is on the market. A view of this fine residence, barns and groves, is published on another page.

Mr. Fuchs has aided materially in the de- velopment of the region where he has spent many years, and is one of the leading old-timers. He was instrumental in organizing the Farmers' Elevator Company in Pierce, of which he sold most of the shares and serves as director.

FRANK H. LENGER.

Among the worthy citizens of Nebraska, who by thrift and energy acquired a competency in the early days of the settlement of this part of the state, no name stands higher among his fel- lowmen than that of Frank H. Lenger, now serv- ing as county commissioner of Knox county.

Mr. Lenger was born in the city of Tabor, Bo- hemia, on February 22, 1860, and was but a small boy when his father, John J. Lenger, (of whom an extended account may be found in this book), broke away from the old order of things in the fatherland by coming to the Great Republic to establish for himself and family a new life amid new surroundings and conditions. He was a man of high position and affluence in his native land, and might have retained these advantages to the end and provided places of influence and consid- erable fortune for his children had he chosen to remain. They settled in Manitowoc county, Wis- consin, where Frank grew up, receiving his edu- cation in the common schools, and he gained quite a knowledge of city life in Chicago, where the family spent two years. Also, some time was spent in Yankton, South Dakota, where he at- tended the public schools. He was the younger son, and remained with the old folks until about the time of his marriage, in 1884.

Although most of his time was occupied in farming, he had at different times clerked in a drug store and shoe store, and also was for a time with a leading implement house in Yankton. He located in Niobrara in the spring of 1884, and in partnership with his elder brother, John, es- tablished an implement house in the town, under the firm name of Lenger Brothers, continuing the business together for ten years. In addition to this, they were heavy stockholders in a pack- ing house north of the town, our subject having charge of the steam and motive power, also the rendering department, besides doing the buying of all stock, and so efficient was his work that he

was made the recipient of a gift of seventy-five dollars one Christmas, which showed the appreci- ation of the company for his efforts. During this time they developed further the business of sup- plying the government with cattle for the In- dians, and continued in this branch of the trade long after, disposing of their implement business. These contracts provided for supplying the var- ious agencies of the Yankton, Santee, Ponca and Flandreauz tribes, sometimes delivering as many as sixteen hundred head of cattle at a time.

Finding his health failing about this time, Mr. Lenger took an extensive trip through the west, and afterward feeling much improved, he re- turned to Niobrara and moved to his homestead on which he had previously filed.

In 1894 Mr. Lenger filed on a homestead near Niobrara, to which he has added from time to time until he now owns five hundred and sixty acres of the finest farming land to be found in the state. He owns other land south of the city, besides a number of residences and town lots, and also has a half section in Rock county, twen- ty-five miles from Bassett, Nebraska, (the above is sold).

Mr. Lenger was married in Yankton county, South Dakota, on November 11, 1884, to Miss Carrie Ferdinand, a native of Chicago, Illinois. Six children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Lenger, as follows: Edward, who is a graduate of the Niobrara high school and of Grand Island business college, now occupying a lucrative po- sition as stenographer in the Northwestern of- fices in Norfolk; Carrie, also a graduate of the high school and ambitious for a college career, which has been temporarily checked by her moth- er's illness and death; Ralph, in the employ of Geo. L. Adams, druggist, is also a graduate from Niobrara high school, and is ready to go to Creighton Medical College; Claude, Mildred and Irene. The three last mentioned are still going to school and are doing well. Mrs. Lenger passed away April 11, 1910. and her loss is a severe blow to her devoted family, as well as to the community in which she lived, as she was a good christian woman, and was active in the Presby- terian church.

Politically Mr. Lenger is a republican, and was nominated for a school office before his twen- ty-first birthday, which intervened between the primary and election day. Prior to coming to Nebraska he served as assessor in Yankton, and he was the first assessor of Raymond township, serving for three terms. He has since filled a like position in Niobrara. While living in Ray- mond township he several times refused the nom- ination for commissioner on account of taking his time from business, but on retiring from the strenuous life, he viewed the matter in a different light and decided to accept the honor conferred upon him by his friends, which resulted in his election to the office in 1906. He was re-elected in 1908 and 1910.

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Mr. Lenger is a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and was with his wife dur- ing her lifetime, a member of the Rebekah lodge. He also belongs to the Benevolent Order of Z. C. B. J., and is a member of the Presbyterian church, to which his wife also belonged.

IION. J. H. UMSTEAD.

Hon J. H. Umstead, a prominent early settler of Nance county, is proprietor of an extensive farm, and has large business interests in that re- gion. He is a genuine pioneer of that section and has for many years past figured prominently in the political career of that section of Nebraska, filling various offices in his county, and is a lead- ing member of the republican party. Mr. Um- stead and his wife occupy a fine residence in Full- erton, where they are popular members of a large social circle.

J. H. Umstead was born near Salem, Colum- bian county, Ohio, May 29, 1851. He is a son of Jonas and Sarah Umstead, who were the parents of six children, and our subject is the only surviv- ing member of his family. His early education was, obtained in the common schools of his home vi- cinity. Later he learned the printer's trade. which he followed for eight years, remaining in Ohio until 1879, when he came west, locating in Nance county, Nebraska, where he purchased a farm on Cedar Creek, and established a stock and grain farm. He still owns this property which consists of four hundred and eighty acres of fine land. During the first years of his residence in Nance county, Mr. Umstead experienced many difficulties in getting his farm in good shape, but has made a decided success. He has devoted much attention and time to stock feeding and has ship- ped extensively to the markets nearby. In the spring of 1905 he retired from active management of his faim and moved to Fullerton, where he owns a pleasant residence and enjoys many friends. He is one of the best known pioneers of Nance county, and takes a prominent place among its leading citiezns, at the present time serving as a member of the county board of su- pervisors, being chairman of the board. Previous to his present term he had served for seven years on the same board. In the fall of 1902 Mr. Um- stead was elected state senator from the eight- eenth district, on the republican ticket. He has always been active in politics, in 1903 being ap- pointed as a delegate to the National Road Com- mission which met at St. Louis, Missouri.

On March 27, 1883, Mr. Umstead was married to Mary E. Lamb, at the home of her parents who are well known old settlers of the county and reside near Fullerton. Mr. Umstead is a mem- ber of the Knights of Pythias, the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and Woodmen of the World.

BARTHOLOMEW LAMB.

On May 22, 1909, Bartholomew Lamb, one of the first settlers of Nance county, died at his home after a brief illness. He was born in Ire- land in 1824 and came to the United States when a boy. He was of sturdy stock and passed through all the trials of pioneer life in the west. During the early days here he worked as a freighter, driving ox teams from Nebraska City to Denver, and met with many exciting incidents during his career as a frontiersman. After passing through many hardships he gradually became successful in his different enterprises and built up a comfort- alle fortune, acquiring large land interests in both Nance and Greeley counties, and at the time of his death was counted one of the wealthy and successful men of his region.

Mr. Lamb is survived by his wife and six chil- dren : Mrs. Lamb still residing on the home farm which is located six miles northwest of Fullerton. Three sons live near Spaulding, Nebraska, while the three married daughters, live on farms near Fullerton.

JOHN RUFF.

John Ruff, proprietor of one of the valuable estates in Boyd county, Nebraska, has been a resident of that locality for years. He now re- sides on section two, township thirty-four, range twelve, and is prominently known throughout the county as one of the foremost farmers in Ne- braska. After many years' hard labor in build- ing up his business, he is now prepared to enjoy life in peace and comfort.

Mr. Ruff is a native of Germany, his birth oc- curing in the province of Schleswig-Holstein, in the year 1861, and he is the son of John and Cath- erine (Roekendorf) Ruff. When about eight years of age he, with his parents, left his native land for America, on a steamship, and on Octo- ber of 1869, landed in New York from Hamburg, Germany. The family came to Dodge county, Ne- braska, where the father bought land and built a good frame house, and here the parents remained during the balance of their lives, the father dying in 1894 and the mother in 1902.

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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 46

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