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 61

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 61


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GEORGE KIRKLAND.


Among the most energetic and prosperous stoekmen of northeastern Nebraska may be men- tioned George Kirkland, of Atkinson. He was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, May 8, 1861, a son of Charles and Margaret (Fox) Kirkland, the father a native of England but reared in Ire- land, whence he emigrated to America. For thirty years he was manager of the Caledonia woolen and cotton mills, of Philadelphia. Margaret Fox was a native of County Armagh, Ireland. In 1871 the family moved to Linn county, Iowa, lived two years in the western part of that county 'and then located near Urbana, Benton county, in the same state.


There George Kirkland grew to manhood on his father's farm, and harvested one crop of his own before coming to Nebraska in 1882. He filed on a homestead in 'the northern part of Holt county, at the head of Spring Branch and six miles south of Nebraska river. To this he added, by purchase, from time to time, and finally became possessed of eleven hundred acres of land. Later he purchased his father-in-law's place of one hundred and sixty acres in one body,'and an outlying tract of eighty acres. He also added five hundred and sixty acres by purchase. He lived on the homestead place eight years, then moved to the place his father-in- law had improved, and'resided on that place until March, 1905, when he moved to Atkinson, where he had purchased a small place from Mr. Hall, who was a stockman. This place was well suited to the purpose of Mr. Kirkland, who has since continued dealing in stock. He raises stock on his various ranches and buys and ships many carloads each year. He deals in hogs and cattle, chiefly, and his shipping point is Atkinson. He has arranged his place to suit his needs, having divided it into yards of various sizes, equipped with scales and other conveniences for operating his large busi- ness.


Mr. Kirkland was married at O'Neill, May 8, 1886, to Miss Kate Stockwell, a native of Indiana, and a daughter of Benjamin and Jane (Rowland) Stockwell, of Butte, Nebraska, of whom extensive mention is made elsewhere in this work. The Stockwell family came to Nebraska in 1870, and eight years later moved to Lincoln county, Kansas, where they resided six years. On his return t Nebraska Mr. Stockwell resided for a time in Holt county, and later retired to Butte, Boyd county, which place has since been his home. Mr. Kirk- land and wife became the parents of two sons, Wilbur S., who is raising stock on the Turkey creek ranch, and Harold V., a pupil in the Atkin- son high school.


Mr. Kirkland is a republican in politics and has given his firm support to the candidates on the state and national tickets, although he sometimes votes for local candidates who do not have the endorsement of the party.


He and his wife had a unique experience in connection with the blizzard of January 12, 1888. After he had been out in the storm getting his stock into sheds, he returned to the house, and soon afterward the soot in the chimney caught fire, and the pipe, becoming red hot, set fire to the roof. There was but little water in the house, and getting more meant great delay on account of the fury of the storm, so he brought a bucket of milk, and used this, a cupful at a time, until the fire was extin- guished-probably the first time in the history of the west that laeteal fluid was used as a fire ex- tinguisher. The next day's experiences were any- thing but pleasant, with the mercury forty de- grees below zero. Mr. Kirkland and his neighbors were trying to save a herd of cattle that had drifted into a marsh near his house, many of which died


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on the sleigh on the way back to the sheds. Some had strength left to recover, but many died before they could be dragged out from the mud and slushy snow.


In the earlier days, prairie fires were often a source of menace to homes and crops. On one occasion he had but once chance to drive through a fire which was burning fourteen miles northeast of Atkinson, and that was to find a place where the grass was short. His way to safety lay in passing through and after selecting what he con- sidered the best place to make the attempt, he rushed his horses through, although in this rush, to the other side the poor creatures were much singed. Upon reaching his own home, however, he found it in no danger. IIe lived in a "dug-out" during the first year of his residence in the state, but growing tired of living alone, sent for his sis- ter, who threatened to return east unless he built a frame house, which he did rather than again look after his own house. When 'times were hard- est the earliest settlers went to distant parts of the state to find work, and in the fall of 1885 Mr. Kirkland went as far as Dakota threshing. He worked on a railroad in the spring of 1887 and in the fall of 1888 husked com in Wayne county. Al- though the wages earned in this work were not very large, the early settlers were glad to earn enough to help keep flour in the barrel. In the early times there were deer and antelope, and oc- casionally a big grey wolf forgot his shyness and came into view.


'Some of the severe hail storms that have sev- eral times swept the state have passed by way of Mr. Kirkland's home, and in his neighborhood hail- stones as large as a man's fist have fallen, at times even breaking through a roof. Two in one year, in the months of August and September, broke not only the glass in the windows, but the sereens and sashes as well, and left marks on the sides of the house. Great welts were to be noticed on the horses and cattle where the hail had struck them, and during the year when this happened Mr. Kirkland lost all the corn on his home farm, and would have been obliged to buy corn for'his own usè that year if he' had not had some planted on another farm. During the first winter he chopped his fuel along the Niobrara river and hauled it seven miles to his home. Like many other pioneers he often used parched rye instead of coffee, and for a whole year ate only rye bread, wheat flour he- ing too searce and expensive. Mr. Kirkland be- came,so expert in making good rye bread that the wheat bread was not missed, and during the en- tire year but one hundred pounds of the white flour was used in baking, and that when company was entertained. During the hard times the milk and butter from their cows formed a good share of their living, although butter then brought but eight or ten cents per pound at the small store in their neighborhood.


The Indian scare of 1881 gave the family some uneasiness, although it did not cause them to 10 1%


leave their homes, and for a long time a coyote's cry would cause Mrs. Kirkland to listen intently to make sure it was not a yell of the Indians.


In spite of the hard time he was then having to get along, Mr. Kirkland purchased ten heifers in the spring of 1887, the beginning of his large herd of cattle, and from that time on success at- tended his way, notwithstanding the drought of the early nineties and various other setbacks. He is a man of great force of character and bound to make his way in any walk of life he selected to follow. Ile is a keen judge of cattle and other stock, and in his shipping has deals that amount to many thousands of dollars each year. He is one of the substantial citizens of his part of the state and one who bore with great fortitude the hardships and privations of pioneer days in order that his children might be able to meet easier con- ditions and enjoy the comforts and luxuries of eiv- ilization and progress in a greater degree than he was able to do. Not only did the men have to bear heavy burdens, but the women often had more se- vere trials and taxes on their endurance, and in his wife Mr. Kirkland has a helpmeet who has been a constant inspiration to cheer him on his way, and to hope with him for better things to come.


ANDREW J. MCKELVEY.


Among the representative pioneer farmers and business men of Boone county who have aided ma- terially in its development and advancement, a prominent place is accorded the above mentioned gentleman, who resides in St. Edwards, where he is engaged in the harness business and is making a success of that work.


Andrew J. MeKelvey was born in Brockville, Canada, December 16, 1845. He was the eldest of four children in the family of David and Eliza MeKelvey, who settled in Berlin, Wisconsin, in the latter part of 1848. After living there for ten years, they removed to Ripon and remained up to 1863.


Andrew received his education in Wisconsin, and in 1863 enlisted in the First Wisconsin Caval- ry, Company M, serving until the close of the war, and being mustered out at Edgefield, Tennessee, in August, 1865. He was with McCook's company of cavalry at the battle of Atlanta, and was with Sherman in his march to the sea. He was also en- gaged in many other battles and skirmishes, in- cluding the battle of Selma and took part in ev- ery principal action of his regiment. '


At the elose of the war, Mr. MeKelvey returned to Ripon, and in the fall of 1869, started to work at his trade, that of harnessmaker and saddler, and has remained in this business up to the present time.


He came to Nebraska in the winter of 1871. the following year homesteading on seetion ten, township eighteen. range five, in Boone county, and this tract of land is still in his possession. HIe fol- lowed farming for a number of years, also work-


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ing his trade in Columbus, and in 1892 opened a harness store at St. Edward, carrying the busi- mess on successfully since then. He has made St. Edward his residence for the past eighteen years, and has been a member of the town board, holding different local offices, and also being connected with the school board for a number of years. He is an active member of several lodges, among them the Knights of Pythias, etc.


In September, 1869, Mr. McKelvey was mar- ried to Anconetta Dana at Eureka, Wisconsin, she being a native of New York state. They have four living children: Edward, Nettie, Jay D., and Harley, all married and residing in Boone coun- ty. The entire family is well known and among the popular citizens of their respective communi- ties.


ED. MILLER.


A history of the settlement and development of northeastern Nebraska would be incomplete without mention of the life and agricultural suc- cess of Ed. Miller, prominent among the earlier settlers of Wayne county.


Mr. Miller is a native of western Prussia, Ger- many, born in 1851, and a son of Christ and Min- nie Miller, who spent their entire lives in Ger- many. He was educated in his native country and as a young man served three years in the army, participating in the Franco-Prussian and Austrian wars. Afterward the desire grew upon him to own a home of his own, and he decided to come to the United States, where there was a good oppor- tunity for a young man with small capital to make a start in life. He sailed from Hamburg to New York in 1876, and came direct to Wayne county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead of eighty acresand a forty acre tree claim. He at once set out to improve and cultivate his land, and now has a very comfortable and well situate dhome, surrounded by every possible improvement.


Upon his arrival in Nebraska, Mr. Miller found himself with very few neighbors, his market was distant, and there were still a few deer and ante- lope to be found in the neighborhood of his claim. He had the usual difficulties to encounter with grasshoppers and prairie fires that other early set- tlers had, and found it necessary to work very hard to get his first start and begin to reap a pro- fit from his place. However, he persevered in his undertaking, and has been well rewarded for his pains. He is no wsurrounded with agricultural and commercial prosperity, and has many friends throughout the county. He was united in mar- riage with Miss Bertha Benstrouf, in 1883, and they are parents of eight children: Margaret, ITugh, Minnie, Allen, Emma, Knox, Otto and Adolph.


MARTIN KRUEGER.


The economy and thrift that are dominant traits of the German race are well exemplified in


the career of Martin Krueger, formerly of Staun- ton, Staunton county, Nebraska.


He was born in the little village of Vrechow, Brandenburg, Germany, on May 21, 1835, and was the son of Christian and Louisa (Engel) Krueger. When he had attained manhood years, he became overseer of a large estate, but for the last five years before emigrating, had rented land and farmed for himself.


Mr. Krueger's voyage to America was not en- tirely without excitement. He left Bremen on April 13, 1870, but before the vessel reached Havre, it ran on the rocks and was so badly dam- aged that it was forced to put into Havre and dock for repairs.


On coming to Nebraska, Mr. Krueger filed on a homestead sixteen miles northeast of Staunton. llere he put up a log house. At this time deer and antelope were quite common in that section of the country, and at one time he was so fortunate as to shoot an elk, which supplied fresh meat to his household.


Like other early settlers, Mr. Krueger endured many hardships. Several years, grasshoppers took his crops, leaving devastation in their wake. In time his prospects brightened, and as his circum- stances permitted, he improved the place by plant- ing groves and orchards, and erecting barns and outbuildings. By thrift and industry, he added to his possessions another quarter section.


Mr. Krueger and family lived on the farm until 1892, when he bought a small house in Staunton, and moved to that town. He moved this house away in 1897, and built a comfortable, roomy, two- story frame house, with granitoid walks surround- ing it, and an abundance of fruit and trees on the place. He enjoyed a comfortable income from the rent of his lands.


Mr. Krueger was first married to Wilhelmina Shienke in Nebraska, no children being born of this union.


Later he was married to Emma Fechner, a native of the village of Bueten, province of Silesia, Germany. Her parents, Carl and Juliana Seidel Fechner came to America in 1870, sailing in the "Rising Star" from Stettin, the voyage to Amer- ica consuming four weeks. They were also among the early settlers of Nebraska. Indians often came to their house, begging flour or bread, and fre- quently acted ugly when none of the scant supply could be given them. Mr. and Mrs. Krueger had hut one daughter, Martha, who is at present a student in the Staunton schools.


Mr. Krueger was a democrat in politics, and a member of the Lutheran church. He was much esteemed hy the wide circle of friends whom he made during his long residence in this part of the country. He saw Nebraska develop from a wil- derness to its present civilization. His death oc- eurred November 22, 1910, mourned by many friends.


Mr. Krueger was the eldest son of his family,


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and thereby exempt from military duty in Ger- many.


M. M. WHITMORE.


A typical early settler of Nebraska is repre- sented by the gentleman above mentioned. He has lived many years in this section of the coun- try, and has been a part of the growth and devel- opment of the region, building up for himself a substantial home and fortune by his perseverance and thrift, and has come to be one of the foremost citizens of Antelope county.


Mr. Whitmore is a native of the state of Mich- igan, born in 1849. His father, Horace Whit- more, lived to the good old age of eighty-two years, passing to the great beyond in 1899. He was of English descent. Our subject's mother, Desire (Hill) Whitmore, was a native of New York state, and was of English descent also.


In 1882, Mr. Whitmore came to the state of Nebraska, locating in section three, township twenty-three, range six, buying one hundred and sixty acres of land from Mr. Morona Derrz, on which land he put up one of the finest frame houses in that section of the country at that time. As Mrs. Whitmore says: "Our house was fairly good for that time, for nearly all the houses were very small-but this looks very small now."


Mr. Whitmore was united in holy matrimony in 1873 to Miss Elmira Brown, a native of Penn- sylvania, and five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore, their names being as follows : D. C., who married Miss Mary Andrews; Floyd, Ralph, Roland, and Nettie M. Whitmore, who married John Holmes.


Mr. and Mrs. Whitmore and family are very highly esteemed and respected by all who know them, and during their twenty-nine years' resi- dence here, have gained the friendship of a wide circle of acquaintances, and their home is hospita- hly open to hosts of good, substantial friends.


HERMAN J. HECHT.


Ilerman J. Hecht, treasurer of Pierce county, Nebraska, came to this state in the spring of 1884, with his parents, who bought a relinquishment on homestead and timber claims, six miles northeast of Plainview. Our subject attended the country schools, and graduated in 1888 from the Plainview high school.


Mr. Hecht began life for himself about the time of his marriage in 1894, farming on the home place, for a year or two, and later on rented land. He then bought the southwest quarter of scetion eleven, township twenty-eight, range four, at twenty-five dollars per acre, and later eighty acres adjoining. He owned a tract in South Da- kota, which he traded for a residence in Pierce. He owned four hundred and eighty acres in Colo- rado, which he sold, and purchased half of section


one, township twenty-six, range four, in Pierce county. Since his election as county treasurer in 1907, Mr. Hecht leases his farms, having a good tenant on each place.


Mr. Hecht is a son of Christian and Ida (Deerson) Hecht, natives of Holstein, Germany, who came to America in 1851 or 1852, and settled first at Joliet, Illinois, and later moved to Mo- mence, and then bought a farm in Yellow Head township, Kankakee county. They engaged three years in the hardware business at Grant Park, whence they came to Nebraska.


Mr. Hecht was married at Plainview in Sep- tember, 1894, to Miss Elsena Rasmussen, a native of Chicago, Illinois, whose father, Haus Rasmus- sen, emigrated with his family from Denmark. Mr. and Mrs. Hecht have one child, LeRoy.


Mr. Hecht is a republican, and has filled the office of county treasurer so satisfactorily that he had no opposition for re-election in 1909. He is a member of the Masonic lodge at Pierce.


Mr. Hecht has known what is meant by pioneer life, and has witnessed some of the severest west- ern blizzards, and fought prairie fires. He was attending school at Plainview during the blizzard of January 12, 1888, and he and Mr. Nelson stretched a rope from the school house to a church in the heart of the town, which the children fol- lowed, and were taken to their homes.


Herman J. Hecht is a model citizen, and has proven himself an estimable and useful member of society, and an official whose efficiency and in- tegrity cannot be questioned.


JAMES H. GOURLEY.


James H. Gourley, who formerly resided on section thirteen, township fifteen, range eleven, is one of the best known old settlers of that locality. He is a business man of more than ordinary abil- ity, and in the building up of his fine farm his good judgment is evidence and his en- terprising spirit displayed, he now being classed among the prosperous and successful agricultur- ists and stockmen of Howard county.


Mr. Gourley is a native of Ohio, born in No- bles connty on February 19, 1851, and spent the first three years of his life there. He then went with his parents to Illinois, 'remaining up to 1861. when they returned to Ohio and lived for several years. They next moved to Greenfield, Indiana, and, after a short stay, again went back to Ohio. The mother died in Indiana in the spring of 1864, and about 1870 our subject went into Iowa, and, after two years in different parts of that state, came to St. Paul, Nebraska, in the early part of 1872, his father, Samuel Gourley, and a brother, Thomas McCoy, joining him here in May of that year. James was the eldest of a family of six. The brother, who came to St. Paul at the same time his father did, was drowned in Moffat creek,


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Howard county, the year following, and the father died here on September 16, 1893, both buried in Cedar Creek cemetery.


Mr. Gourley, senior, was an early homesteader on Davis creek, and up to his death, took an active interest in local affairs, succeeding in building up a good farm and home. James H. Gourley filed on a homestead on his own account about June 1. 1872, taking a claim on section thirteen, township fifteen, range eleven, which he made his home farm for many years, and later had his residence on seetion twelve. He owned two hundred acres of finely improved land, lying along the North Loup river, and was accounted one of the pros- perous and progressive agriculturists of the see- tion. In October, 1910, Mr. Gourley traded his farm for one hundred and twenty acres in Sher- man county, on Davis creek, and the same month moved to Elba, where he intends making his home.


Mr. Gourley was married in December. 1879, to Sarah Waggoner, and, after one short year of married life, Mrs. Gourley passed away. She was a woman of lovely character, and left a sorrowing family and many devoted friends.


October 29, 1884, Mr. Gourley was married to Mary Clark, of Noble county, Ohio, and she died February 5, 1900, leaving two children, Raymond S. and Guy Henderson, the former now living with his family at Overton, and the latter in Greeley county, Nebraska.


February 12, 1903, Mr. Gourley married Mrs. Ilarriet (Houseman) Gaast, and they have had three children, Clara May, William Earl (who died when three years old), and Lloyd Allen.


Mr. Gourley is a well-known pioneer of his re- gion, and has passed through all the different times for the past forty years, gaining the respect and esteem of all by his energetic efforts to aid in the upbuilding of his locality. He is now, and has been for the past twenty years, treasurer of school district number twenty.


IIARRY A. SHERMAN.


Harry A. Sherman, president of the First Na- tional Bank of Sargent, Nebraska, and connected with various other local enterprises, is recognized as one of the leading financiers and business men of the region. Ile was born in Streator, Illinois, November 3, 1870, son of George W. and Ruth (Courtney) Sherman, and came to Custer county with his parents in March, 1879, receiving his ed- ueation in local schools. George W. Sherman was born in Byron, New York, September 7. 1835, next to the eldest of the five children of Reuben and Almeda (Shedd) Sherman, natives respectively, of Vermont and New York. Ilis parents both died in Illinois. George W. Sherman went with his par- ents to Indiana when but a small child, and, later on, accompanied them to Ottawa, Illinois, where he reached manhood, receiving his education in the home schools. After leaving school, he learned


the trade of carriage painter. On January 14, 1866, at Sunbury, Illinois, he married Ruth A. Courtney, a native of Morgantown, West Virginia, and in the spring of 1879, they came to Custer county, taking up a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres of land a mile and a half northeast of Sargent. They also took up a timber elaim. In the early years there was a postoffice named Sar- gent some time before there was a town of the name, and Mrs. Sherman was postmistress for a number of years. When the town of Sar- gent was laid out, the postoffice was moved to it, and Mrs. Sherman resigned her position, with the understanding that no change be made in the name of the postoffice. Mr. Sherman was helpful in organizing his school district, and served on the board for a number of years. Ile was active in publie affairs, and served as a member of the county board. In the fall of 1900, he retired from farm life, and moved to Sargent, where he erected a comfortable home, and ocenpied it until his death, November 11, 1904. He was survived by his wife and two children, Nellie S., Mrs. A. F. Phillips, of Sargent, and Harry A. Mrs. Sherman still lives in Sargent, surrounded by a large circle of friends, and being near both her children. Her father, William Courtney, was also horn in Mor- gantown, and came to Custer county in the fall of 1879, taking up a homestead near Sargent. He married Amy Gapen. a native of Greenburr, Penn- sylvania. He died in Lincoln in 1892, and his widow in 1893. Mrs. Sherman has two sisters living in Sargent, Mrs. Hannah Sherman and Mrs. David M. Shaw. She also has a sister in Wiscon- sin, a brother, James D., in South Omaha, three brothers in Illinois, one in Missouri. and one in Jowa. William Sherman, brother of George W .. came with his family to Custer county in 1879, and now resides in Sargent.


Harry A. Sherman, as before mentioned, was brought to Custer county when about eight years of age. When in his twenty-first year he entered the state university, studied there a year, and then spent a year in Lincoln Business College. Return- ing home, he carried on farming until the fall of 1896, when he went to Rochester, New York, and until the spring of 1898, worked in the office of the Rochester Street Railway Company. Returning to Nebraska. he taught in the public schools of Sar- gent until the close of the spring term of 1901,'at which time he became assistant cashier and book- keeper of the Farmers' & Merchants' Bank at Sargent, retaining the position until June, 1903, when the bank consolidated with the Custer Coun- ty Bank under the name of the latter concern. Mr. Sherman became cashier of the institution. The Custer County Bank was the first one organ- ized in the county. On October 14, 1904, the Custer County Bank became the First National Bank of Sargent, of which Mr. Sherman was cash- ier until March, 1909, then was elected president.




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