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 78

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 78

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In 1875, Mr. Miller was joined in marriage to Miss Lodema MeConnell, and they are the parents of three children, whose names are the following : Fred, who married Miss L. Morris, they have one child, by name Forrest; Grant, married Ada Hill. and they have two children, by name Mearl and Mildred ; and Glen.

Mr. and Mrs. Miller are known well and widely, having resided in the one home so many years, and they hold the respect and estecm of all their friends, which are many. They are Methodists in religious belief and Mr. Miller is a democrat in politics.

HERMAN STEINKRAUS.

In the gentleman above named we have anoth- er one of the sturdy sons of Germany who left his native land and came to this country to help in the steady march of progress. He is one of the very earliest settlers of the northeastern part of Nebraska, having come to this section in 1870, with his parents, who came to America from the fatherland, to seek their fortune, as so many sons of the German Empire have done.

Mr. Steinkraus was born January 28, 1855, in the village of Damgard, province of Pommerania, Germany, and is the son of Frederick and Sophy (Martin) Steinkraus, the former born in 1830, and died in 1910; the mother was born in 1832, and died in 1896.

On coming to America in 1874, the family sailed from Hamburg to New York, on the steam- ship "Harmony," and after their arrival came to Omaha, Nebraska. From here they drove to a homestead claim the father had entered two and a half miles east of Norfolk. Here they lived eight years, when in 1882, the father moved to Plain- view. where he conducted a store for over twenty years. He retired about 1904, and made his home in Pierce until his death in 1910.

On first coming, the nearest market place was at Wisner, thirty miles away, then the terminus of the railroad. Mr. Steinkraus was in Plainview the day of the blizzard of January 12, 1888, and was half way home when the storm broke. After reaching home he spent two hours in the fearful blast, getting his stock into shelter.

In 1876, Mr. Steinkraus filed on a pre-emp- tion claim which he later converted into a home- stead, in the northwest quarter of section seven- teen, township twenty-six, range four, and also a timber claim, where he built a good house. Mr. Steinkraus has always given much attention to stock, breeding Herefords, the herd amounting to two hundred and fifty and upwards each year. Mr. Steinkraus has one thousand seven hundred and twenty acres of good land, forty acres of which is set to a beautiful grove of trees, the pride of the country round. The home place con- tains ten hundred and forty acres, devoted to stock raising. Mr. Steinkraus purchased a fine residence in Plainview in 1910, and removing there, retired from active business.

May 5, 1879, Mr. Steinkrans was married to Miss Emily Ruhlow, who was born in Wisconsin. a daughter of William and Christina (Pasewalk) Ruhlow. Nine children were born of this union, eight of whom are living: Ida, wife of Chris Pet- erson : Richard, who occupies the Willow Creek ranch ; Clara, wife of Stanley Skeen ; Emma, wife of Ernst Gast ; Erwin, occupying part of the home ranch ; Elsie ; Arthur, also a tenant on the home place ; and Alfred, the youngest.

Mr. Steinkraus has always been closely iden- tified with both the political and commercial inter- ests of his locality. He votes the democratic tiek-

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et, and has served his connty in the capacity of connty commissioner. He holds the esteem and confidence of all who know him.

JACOB F. HILD.

Among the truly self-made men of Howard county, Nebraska, we might mention the name of Jacob F. Hild, who is the only remaining pioneer in his immediate neighborhood. He has been a foremost citizen of the locality from the time of his settlement here, and has given liberally of his time and means in helping build up his county, and state, during the time becoming prosperous and successful on his own account and gaining an enviable reputation as an active leading citizen of his county. His home is on section thirty-three. township sixteen, range ten.

Jacob F. Hild was born in Wurtemberg, Ger- many, on Angust 2, 1855, and grew up there, to the age of ten years. In 1865 father, mother, two brothers, two sisters and himself came to America, landing in Lincoln, Illinois, during Christmas week of that year, where another sis- ter was born soon afterwards. The father en- gaged in farming, and they were getting along nicely. although being poor, when the mother was taken ill and died in the winter of 1868, leaving her six little ones with just the father to care for them. He did the best he possibly conld, but often had a hard struggle to carry on the farm and also keep the house going properly. In 1870 he took his family to Kansas, and there engaged in farming in Montgomery county. After a two years' residence in that section, Mr. Hild also died. and the following year our subject returned to Illinois, and there worked on rented land up to 1890, when with his family he came to Howard county. He had previously purchased eighty acres on section thirty-three, Logan precinct, and shortly after arrival, eighty acres more, and this is still the home farm. He also owns one hundred and sixty acres, ahont half a mile from this place, all of which is fine soil and most of it under cultivation. Ile has erected good buildings, has a fine orchard. and every improvement in the way of machinery. etc.

Mr. Ilild was married in Logan county, Illi- nois, to Anna Proehl. in February. 1883. Mrs. Ilikdl died in 1894 on the homestead, leaving three children. Fred, who is married, Oscar and Albert. all of whom are in Colfax county. In December. 1895. Mr. Hild was married the second time, to Mrs. Annie Harris, the ceremony taking place in Marshall county. Kansas, where she resided. They have two children, Jacob and Minnie, both at home. Mrs. Ilild has two children by her for- mer marriage ; Mrs. Lillie Bilyen, and Henry H. Ilarris.

Mr. Hild has held different local offices, inelnd- ing that of road overseer, and for the past ten years has been moderator of school district num- her twenty-one.

WILLIAM J. TIMMERMAN.

William J. Timmerman, a leading old settler of Valley county, Nebraska, who has gained an en- viable reputation as a progressive agriculturalist and worthy citizen, resides on his fine farm in section nineteen, township nineteen, range thir- teen, where he has a pleasant home. He has been a resident of this locality for the past thirty-one years. and is closely identified with the history of the development and growth of the agricultural and commercial interests of this region.

William J. Timmerman was born in Montgom- ery county, New York state, November 17, 1843, and was fourth of eleven children in the family of Jonas and Catherine (Cramer) Timmerman ; two of the children died in infancy, and seven sons and one daughter grew to maturity. The Timmer- man family were farmers; Jonas Timmerman and family moved from Montgomery county, New York, to Steuben county, New York, in 1847.

On August 29, 1864, William J. Timmerman enlisted in Company H, One Hundred and Sixty- first New York Volunteer Infantry, and partici- pated in the engagements at the Siege of Mobile, Alabama, Spanish Fort, and Fort Blakely. He received his honorable discharge September 20, 1865, returning to his home farm in Steuben county, New York. Ransford and Montgomery Timmerman, brothers of William Timmerman, were also in the civil war, the former losing an arm in the service, a ball shattering a bone to such an extent that amputation was necessary.

In the spring of 1879, Levi and Montgomery Timmerman, who were brothers, came to Valley county, Nebraska, and in December, 1879, William Timmerman, his brother. Hosmer M. Timmerman, and his brother-in-law, H. P. Eastman, moved from New York state to Valley county, Nebraska. The Timmerman brothers and their families have been pioneers of Valley county, and have had much to do with the development of the county. They have been known as good citizens and stuck to Valley county during adverse years of this por- tion of Nebraska, becoming prosperons and suc- cessful men.

Mr. Timmerman was married on March 9. 1864, to Miss Alsemeda Drake in Steuben county. New York, in the town of Jasper. Miss Drake was a native of Steuben county, a daughter of William and Adeline (Gerry) Drake. Mr. and Mrs. Timmerman have had five children born to them, namely : Lina, who is married to J. Cronk. has ten children and is living in Idaho; Edith. wife of William Cronk, has nine children, and re- sides in Ord, Nebraska : Ernest, who has a farm in Noble township, now occupies the home farm. the parents residing with him; Herman, who is married and living one mile west of the home farm, and has three children: and Clayton, also married, has three children, and lives in Elyria township on his farm purchased in 1910.

November 30, 1879, Mr. and Mrs. Timmerman

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and five children came from New York state, and with them also came the mother of Mrs. Timmer- man, Mrs. Adeline Drake. The family settled on eighty acres of purchased land on section nine- teen, township nineteen, range thirteen, and this farm has remained the family home until this date ; where William Timmerman and his good wife, surrounded by the farm homes of their boys, are enjoying their riper years, having the love and respect of a large circle of friends.

Mr. Timmerman has three hundred and twen- ty acres of choice Valley county land besides his home farm. He is republican in politics, a mem- ber of the Methodist church and a comrade of the Grand Army of the Republic. For four years af- ter coming to the west, the family lived in a sod house, and a sod retreat, known as Fort Bancroft, built by the earlier settlers as protection against the Indians, stood on the farm a few rods east of his dwelling. Deer and antelope were plentiful in the country at that time and smaller game was to be found in abundance.

ADOLPH HILLE.

To the men of perseverance and determina- tion who came to Nebraska when it was yet unde- veloped as an agricultural region, the present prosperity enjoyed there is due. Among the early settlers of Madison county who have been in- timately identified with its development and have gained enviable reputations as citizens, may be mentioned Adolph Hille, a prosperous and suc- cessful farmer who resides on section fourteen, township twenty-four, range one.

Mr. Hille is a native of Jefferson county, Wis- consin, where his birth occurred March 21, 1863, and is a son of Carl and Wilhelmina (Kluth) Hille, both natives of Germany. They came from Germany to America in 1850, sailing from Ham- burg to New York in a sailboat and were twelve weeks on the sea, a much longer time than would take at the present time of traveling by water. After reaching the United States they came as far west as Wisconsin, where they settled and re- mained sixteen years.

In 1866, our subject, with his parents, started for Madison county, traveling by ox team, the us- ual mode of migrating in those days, starting May 4, and reaching their destination two months later, on July 4. Upon their arrival they took up a homestead claim on section fourteen, township twenty-four, range one, which remains the home- stead farm to this day, it now being the home of the subject of this biographical writing. On this land two log houses have been erected, but Mr. Hille has now built a beautiful residence, which together with the well improved farm and fine orchard, makes one of the finest homes in the com- munity. The land is naturally rich and resource- ful, it lying along the banks of the Elkhorn river, which affords it a natural supply of moisture.

In the first days of settlement in this new

western country, numerous hardships and priva- tions were encountered by the brave sons who dared the unknown dangers and suffering of a new and unsettled territory. Among other dis- couragements met by our subject's family was that of the grasshopper pests that destroyed every leaf of vegetation for miles around during the first five years of cultivation; the crops would grow to a promising state, and along would come the clouds of grasshoppers and have their annual feast of young, tender vegetation. This was very discouraging to those concerned, but they man- aged by fortitude and courage, to pull through these trying periods, and lived to share the pros- perity and comfort of a later period.

Mr. Hille was married May 31, 1887, to Miss Fredericka Wachter, a native of Wisconsin, and Mr. and Mrs. Hille were the parents of five chil- dren, namely : Louis, Ernest, Amy, Arthur, and Alford. Mrs. Hille died June 17, 1896, deeply mourned by her husband and children and many sorrowing friends.

Mr. Hille was again married October 10, 1898, the bride being Miss Bertha Wallschlager, and Mr. and Mrs. Hille are the parents of four fine children, whose names are as follows: Richard, William, Freda and Carl.

Mr. Hille now owns one hundred and seventy acres of good land, on which are set eight acres of orchard trees, this making a fine home, where he and his family live, surrounded by a host of friends and acquaintances. They are members of the Lutheran church, and Mr. Hille is a democrat.

JOHN H. LOVEJOY.

John H. Lovejoy has always been a farmer, and before settling in Custer county, which he did at a very early date, he carried on this occu- pation in New Hampshire, his native state. He was born at Orford, April 8, 1834, second in the family of six children born to Enos and Mary (Hale) Lovejoy. The only other surviving mem- ber of the family is his brother, Lewis, who still lives in New Hampshire. The parents were born in New Hampshire, where they spent their entire lives.

On March 5, 1856, Mr. Lovejoy married, in Orford, New Hampshire, Mary A. Lamprey, also a native of that city, and in the spring of 1880, they came with their six children to Custer coun- ty, Nebraska, taking a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section seven, township nine- teen, range eighteen, the home place for a num- ber of years, and which is now owned by their son Frank E. Later Mr. Lovejoy pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land on section eight- een, township nineteen, range eighteen, eighty acres of which he still owns. Mrs. Lovejoy died on the homestead June 12, 1887, survived by her husband and six children: Emma F., wife of Frank Washburn, lives in Orford, New Hamp- shire, and they have five children ; Mary E., mar-

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ried Charles F. Sharp, of Garden City, and they have three children ; Frank E., of Custer county, is married and has three children; Amy M., wife of George W. Brown, of Sargent (a sketch of whom appears in this work), has five children; Hattie A., wife of F. Wittemeyer, of Sargent, has seven children; George C., who was accidentally killed while hunting, in 1900.

In 1889 Mr. Lovejoy married (second) Ellen Sawyer, also of New Hampshire, who was an orig- inal homesteader of Custer county in that year, and she died March 6, 1894, survived by her hus- band. Mr. Lovejoy has always taken an active and useful part in public affairs and served in various public offices from time to time. He helped organize school district number two hundred and fifty-two and for many years served as moderator of same. He was also justice of the peace and held township offices. In earlier years he passed through the various trials and vi- cissitudes incident to pioneer life, and through his energy and hard work became successful as a grain and stock farmer. He is widely and favor- ably known in the community for his support of various worthy measures and is highly respected as a citizen. He has been a devout and active christian for nearly sixty years and has given largely of his time and substance to the cause.

December 26, 1894, Mr. Lovejoy was married (third) at Broken Bow, to Agnes J. McAllister, a daughter of James A. and Lettie (Gaily) McAl- lister, the seventh born of a family of eight chil- dren. Her girlhood days were spent in Indiana county, Pennsylvania. As a young girl of sixteen she came to Nebraska and resided with her par- ents in Gage county and then in 1888 the family moved to Custer county, where they made their home in the sod houses of that day. She home- steaded a claim in 1894 in section seven, town- ship nineteen, range eighteen.

Mr. and Mrs. Lovejoy have two children, Alice and James E., both at home. In 1907 Mr. Lovejoy retired and moved with his family to Sargent, purchasing the comfortable home where they now live.

ROBERT WILLIAM WALLACE.

"A man without fear," is the designation of Robert William Wallace, city marshal of Harting- ton, given by his fellow citizens to a man who has been the instrument of the execution of the law as constable or city marshal for all but a few years since his advent to Hartington on its found- ing in the fall of 1893.

Mr. Wallace was born near Chatham, Ontario, Canada, June 25, 1843; here his youth was spent until 1856, when his father moved to Michigan and resided two years at Ann Arbor, and then re- turned to his former Canadian home, and lived here until his deathı. Robert learned the carpen- ter's trade and was employed in that vocation for several years. In 1869 he crossed the national

boundary again and for a year was employed in the saw mills of Bay City, Michigan, and fol- lowed the sawyer's trade at Blenheim, on the shores of Lake Erie, after returning to Canada the second time.

In 1876, Mr. Wallace emigrated to Nebraska, coming by rail to Mechling, South Dakota, and crossing thence to St. James, which he reached July- 16, 1876. He was employed at farm work the rest of that season, and in 1877 went to the Black Hills, where he "grubstaked" a party from Cedar county, but some of them becoming dissatisfied the entire party returned after thir- ty days there, although prospects were good. fie resumed farm labor on his return to St. James and in 1880 found employment in construction work on the railroad then being built through

Jackson, Nebraska. He was employed in this work in Nebraska, Iowa, and South Dakota for several years, and was employed one winter mak- ing ties for the railroad north of Jackson. He was one of the surveying party which laid out the road from Sioux City to Norfolk.

In 1883 Mr. Wallace removed to Hartington, bought a lot and built a house which has since been his residence. For all but six of the inter- vening years, he has served the public as con- stable or city marshal, and has proved an efficient, faithful officer of the law. His father, Joseph Wallace, was born in Ireland, near Cork, of Scotch parentage. He came to America in 1837, landing in New York after a voyage of seven weeks, and shortly after proceeded to Canada, where he was married to Mary Reardon, whose life was spent in Ontario, Canada.

Mr. Wallace was married in South Sioux City, Nebraska, then known as Covington, to Miss Maria Plant, in February, 1880. She was born in Indiana and came west about 1876 to join a sister in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who later removed to Sioux City, where Mr. Wallace and his future wife met; they have been a happy couple ever since and bless the circumstances that brought them together. They have reared and matured two boys, Walter Cramer and James Bruce Al- lingham, one of whom is still with them.

Mr. Wallace has been a life-long democrat. His father while living in Michigan, cast his ballot for Buchanan, in 1856, before returning to Can- ada. Mr. Wallace is a charter member of botlı the Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges of Harting- ton ; he was made a Mason in Canada in 1872 and joined the Odd Fellows there also the same year. He revisited his old home for the first time in 1906, and stopped off to visit two brothers, prom- inent physicians in Michigan, on his way to his sister's in London, Canada.

Mr. Wallace remembers well the blizzards of October, 1880, and January, 1888; and the flood of March, 1881, when all who lived along the bluffs on the Nebraska side rendered aid to the sufferers on the low lands across the river in South Dakota.

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Mr. Wallace has always been fond of fine horses and has done well his part in improving western stock of that kind. He owns Acme, a fine bred horse by Alcyone, a standard bred trot- ter that has made excellent records on the track. His horses show well in this region of fine horses, and have left their impress for good in the state.

JAMES VIEREGG.

James Vieregg, one of the leading old settlers of eastern Nebraska, in fact the very first white man to settle in Lone Tree station, went to that lo- cality when it was in its most undeveloped state, and has resided there for the past fifty-three years. He is recognized as one of the substantial citi- zeus of that part of the country.

Mr. Vieregg was born near Probsti, Germany, December 6, 1833, where he grew up to his young manhood, and in 1852 came to America via the Gulf of Mexico in a sailing vessel, making final settlement in lowa; then going from Iowa to Cali- fornia via Isthmus of Panama route, and in 1858 moved from California to Nebraska, coming over- land on horseback, and settling near Lone Tree, taking up such land privileges as were afforded by the government at that time. Mr. Vieregg was one of the first, possibly the first, to settle in this portion of territory in Nebraska, and we quote the following taken from a Fourth of July ad- dress by John L. Martin, delivered at Central City, Nebraska, in 1876: "In August 1858, James Vieregg returning to the States from the gold fields of California, stopped in Hall county to visit his brother John, who had squatted there. While resting there and beholding the fertile plains displayed before him, and looking with prophetic eye forward to its future greatness, he came on down within the boundary of Merrick county, drove a cottonwood stake into the ground and lariatted his claim on what the government surveyors afterward located as the southeast quarter of section five, township eleven, range eight. This claim was located Thursday, Septem- ber 5, 1858, and was the first settlement by white man in Merrick county, Nebraska. In 1858 the Western Stage company established a station at Lone Tree and erected the first building in Mer- rick county. Lone Tree was so called from a beautiful tree which stood alone on the prairie. The Lone Tree was three or four feet in diameter at stump height, and was twenty feet in height to the first limb; the branches were wide spread- ing and the whole tree was remarkably symmet- rical in its proportions. It stood about eighty rods from any other tree and could be seen for twenty miles."

Mr. Vieregg followed the occupation of farm- ing and about 1870 left the farm and came into the little village of Central City to reside. He was the first county treasurer of Merrick coun- ty, holding said office for eleven consecutive years,

then engaging in the grain business.

In 1886 Mr. Vieregg purchased the Brewer mill built by J. G. and W. Brewer, it being the pioneer mill of Merrick county. Mr. David Mar- tin was a partner of Mr. Vieregg, but about 1894 Mr. Vieregg became sole owner of the mill prop- erty which remained in the Vieregg family until 1907, when it was sold. Mr. Vieregg now spends a great portion of his time in Oregon, and al- though nearing his eightieth year is still an active man of affairs.

Mr. Vieregg assisted greatly in the develop- ment of this portion of Nebraska. He was at all times an active, progressive man, and is known and respected by a wide circle of friends and ac- quaintances.

Mr. Vieregg was married in Hall county, Ne- braska, to Miss Sarah Martin, May 6, 1863. Mr. and Mrs. Vieregg have had seven children, all born in Merrick county, and five of whom are living: Nettie, wife of E. C. Fisher, has one child and lives in Basin, Wyoming; Joseph W., married, has one child and resides in Central City; Eva, wife of O. T. Bishop, has one child, and lives in Central City; Amy, wife of John Zane, resides in Basin, Wyoming ; and Hazel, who is completing her musical education in Oberlin, Ohio. The family of Mr. Vieregg are one of the real pioneer families of Nebraska. The son, Joseph, is said to be the first male child born in Merrick county. Mr. Vieregg passed through all those early years that make history.

T. J. BUCKMASTER.

Mr. T. J. Buckmaster first came to Knox county, Nebraska, in October, 1876, settling on a farm west of Creighton, which he had secured two years before. He came with his brother, Jasper M., who has since moved to Hot Springs, South Dakota, and others of the family came about the same time. A brother, W. W. Buck- master, has removed to Brunswick, and a sister, Mrs. Eliza Doty, lives at Bloomfield.

Mr. Buckmaster resided on his farm five years and then moved to Creighton, which has since been his home. He also owns two hundred and forty acres of land two and one-half miles from Creighton. During his five years' residence on the farm he taught school at Niobrara and dur- ing the last term was elected county superintend- ent of schools, serving from January 1, 1879, to January 1, 1885. Later he taught a term at Bazile Mills, and one at Verdegris. On coming to Creighton he was engaged in the livery busi- ness about nine years, and since 1900, he has been interested in real estate and insurance.

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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 78

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