History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 131

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180

USA > Nebraska > Custer County > History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time > Part 131

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

county, Nebraska, where he successfully con- ducted business for twenty-four years. Nine years ago he came to Broken Bow, and since that time he has enjoyed a liberal patronage from the people of this vicinity.

Mr. Reed is a native of the Empire state and was born at Gay Head, Greene county, New York, December 3, 1852. His parents were John and Susan ( Blaisdell) Reed, na- tives of Albany county, New York, and both passed away in Greene county, that state, where the father followed the occupation of blacksmith and shoemaker. They were mem- bers of the Methodist church, and they had a family of nine children. Levi B., who re- sides at Woodstock, Greene county, New York, and Frederick A. are the only surviv- ing members of the family.

Frederick A. Reed spent his boyhood days in his native county, amid the picturesque scenery of the Catskill mountains. When asked how he earned his first money, he told of how when a boy he hired out to pump water from the hold of a hay barge plying on the Hudson river between Catskill and New York city. With the money thus earned he bought an old-fashioned, patent-lever watch and a ticket for Robinson's circus. While attending the circus a sneak thief relieved him of his watch. His next veture was to run away from home and hire out to work on the Hud- son and Delaware canal. But here he had an unpleasant experience. as his employer was an unscrupulous fellow who was given to drink- ing, and young Reed, after receiving a beating from his boss, was obliged to run away with- out receiving his pay. His next venture was to become a soldier, and of this he can always feel proud.

At Ogden, Utah, January 27. 1882, Mr. Reed was united in marriage to Miss Mamie E. Shaw, who was born in Stratfordshire, England. a daughter of Elijah and Elizabeth Shaw. Mr. and Mrs. Reed have become the parents of nine children: Levi, Harry, Ern- est. Emil, Theodore. Claire, Ethel, Laura, and Bell.

Though he has reached the age of sixty- seven years Mr. Reed appears much younger, due, no doubt, to having lived an out-door, active life and to his having a cheerful, sunny disposition. He is possessed of those quali- ties which assist in making and retaining friends and which also inspire confidence on the part of those with whom he has business transactions.

ALLEN L. BUTLER. - During the last twenty-one years the jewelry business of Al- len L. Butler has proved a substantial force in

the rising institutions of Ansley, where the proprietor is known as a solid and substantial business man. Perhaps no branch of mer- chandising is more deliberate in its growth than the jewelry business. The reason for this lies principally in non-fluctuating values, and it follows that the men engaged in this business are as a rule of calm and non-specu- lative mind, reliable as to morals, definite in their purpose and not easily led from accus- tomed grooves. No exception to this conclu- sion is found in Mr. Butler, who, in addition to jewelry, handles pianos and other musical instruments, is the owner of a valuable Cus- ter county farm, and for several years has been a member of the city council.

Mr. Butler was born in Knox county, Illi- nois, January 4, 1868, and is a member of a well known family of that section which later came to Nebraska, and a complete review of which will be found in the sketch of E. A. Butler, elsewhere in this work. Allen L. But- ler was but a lad when he was brought to Ne- braska, and his education was acquired in the public schools of Seward and Lincoln, in which latter city he also pursued a course in a business college. His first occupation was in general merchandising at Seward, but in 1886, he came to Ansley, where, with his brothers, W. E. and E. A., he opened a general store and continued in business for some time. Dis- posing of his interests, he opened a restaurant, which he conducted for four or five years. He then turned his attention to an entirely new field, organizing and installing the first telephone for the Central Telephone Company at Ansley, and for five years thereafter man- aging the Ansley office. Mr. Butler engaged in the jewelry business in 1897, and this has grown steadily until it now assumes large pro- portions. A full and up-to-date stock of watches, rings, precious stones, silverware, etc., is kept on hand, as well as a modern and attractive display of pianos and other musical instruments. In business circles Mr. Butler is known as a man of the strictest integritv. faithful to his engagements and observant of the highest business ethics. He has faith in the future of Custer county, and has invested some of his capital in farming land. being the owner of 160 acres of valuable property, on which well ordered operations are being car- ried on in the line of general farming and stock-raising.

January 4. 1898, recorded the marriage of Mr. Butler to Miss Louise Harris, who was born at Brighton, Indiana, a daughter of Thomas Harris. Mr. Harris, who was a farmer by vocation, followed that occupation in Custer county from the time of his ar- rival, in November, 1895, until his death He

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

was the father of five children: Sid and Fred, now residents of Brighton, Indiana ; Frank and Charles of Custer county; and Mrs. Butler. Mr. and Mrs. Butler are the parents of four children: Elsa, who was a member of the Ansley high school graduat- ing class of 1918; and Thomas, Paul. and Robert, who are attending school. Mr. and Mrs. Butler are members of the Presbyterian church, and he is fraternally affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and the Royal Highlanders. A Republican in politics, he has taken an active, helpful, and constructive part in local affairs, and for the past five years he has rendered excellent ser- vice as a member of the city council.

WILLIAM B. SADLER. - Here is pre- sented a biographical sketch of a man who came to Custer county after the pioneer days were over but who contributed to the present- day status of farming, a full measure of thrift, shrewd business ability, and keen exe- cutive skill.

Mr. Sadler was born in Will county, Illinois, November 24, 1856. His father, Thomas J. Sadler, was a western Canadian, and his mother, whose maiden name was Eliza John- ston, was a lady of fine culture and high stand- ing, in whose character predominated the ster- ling trait of the best Irish blood.

In the family of Thomas J. Sadler were nine children - Oliver B., William B., Mrs. Ella (Sadler) Weese, Henry R., Frederick E., Joseph F., Edward T .. MIrs. Sadie (Sad- ler) Deline, and Rupert J. Together they made a strong family of seven characteristic men and two women - a family contribution to the state that any father or mother might well feel pardonable pride in mentioning. By occupation the father was an undertaker, and in his profession he was counted proficient. the while he was generally popular. He and his wife were devoted adherents of the Methodist church.

William B. Sadler states that the first money he earned was by helping his neighbors put in their spring gardens in the small village in which he lived and where he attended the public school. At sixteen years of age young Sadler took a position in a butcher shop in Ninooka, Illinois, and he has followed that line of business for the major part of his life.

He was married October 2. 1884, in Brace- ville, Illinois, to Kate E. Varley, who was born at Jackson, Michigan, a daughter of Joseph Varley, who was from Nottingham, England, and who belonged to a sterling old English family. The maiden name of Mrs.

Sadler's mother was Charlotte Green, and she was a very estimable woman. Both parents, while connected with the Methodist Episcopal church in America, were members of the es- tablished Church of England.

In the family of Mr. and Mrs. William B. Sadler are six children : Joseph V., who is a farmer by occupation, lives on his father s farm south of Lodi; Mabel O. is the wife of Einer Klint, a young business man in a na- tional bank in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he has a position at the teller's window ; Walter B. is a sergeant in Company L, One Hundred and Thirty-fourth Infantry, and was in line for service in France when the great war came to a close ; Addie N. is a graduate of the Callaway high school and attended the State Normal School at Kearney, Nebraska, besides which she is a graduated nurse from the Silver Cross Hospital of Joliet, Illinois ; Fred T., who is in the service of his country at the time of this writing, is attached to Com- pany C, One Hundred and Twenty-eighth In- fantry, American Expeditionary Forces, and is "somewhere in France" ; Lois is still at home, and has not yet finished her course in the pub- lic school.

Mr. Sadler came to Custer County in 1909 and bought a half-section of good land, three- fourths of a mile south of Lodi. This is a splendid farm, in a high state of cultivation. Mr. Sadler's eldest son, Joseph V., lives on the place and conducts a successful farming and stock-raising business. Mr. Sadler him- self has his home in Callaway, where he is engaged in the business to which he has long given his attention. In connection with his meat market he buys and sells live stock, and he does a lucrative business.

The Sadler family is connected with the Protestant Episcopal church. In fraternal circles Mr. Sadler is a Royal Arch Mason and Knight Templar. His political affiliations are generally Democratic, although, being a man of keen discernment and good judgment, he persists in voting for the man rather than the party. The Sadlers are representative citi- zens-a family of whom Custer county makes distinguished recognition.

WILLIAM BAALHORN. - A frugal and thrifty farmer. of German extraction, who has attested his loyalty to the United States by contributing two stalwart sons to the army service, and who in other ways has done every- thing possible to forward the interests of his adopted country, William Baalhorn lives in a splendid farm home in the vicinity of Ans- ley.

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William Baalhorn was born May 21, 1860. in Germany. He is a son of Ludwig Baal- horn, a sturdy German sire who transmitted the characteristic traits of thrift and frugal- ity to his offspring. both he and his wife hav- ing passed their entire lives in Germany. They were the parents of six children, all of whom are living at the present time. Two of these children came to America - William, who is the subject of this sketch, and Fritz, engaged in the nursery business in Los Angeles, Cali- fornia.

William Baalhorn lived in Germany until he was twenty-three years of age, at which time the call of America lured him across the water and the year 1883 recorded his arrival at Grand Island, Nebraska. At the time of his arrival he had just eighteen dollars with which to commence life and operations in the new country. Grand Island held him but one year, after which he came up to Custer county and located a homestead. On this pioneer farm he built the regulation sod house, and the same figured as his home for a number of years.

A most important event of the life of Mr. Baalhorn occured in March, 1892, at which time he led to the marriage altar Miss Maggie Harris, who was born in Illinois, and who Is a daughter of George Harris, now a prominent citizen of Cherry county. Nebraska.

As the years passed by, ten children, nine of whom are still living, were born into the Baalhorn home: Fritz, who is at the time of this writing "somewhere in France," serving his country, has been in the service since March, 1918. John, who had the patriotic disposition of his brother, entered the service, anxious to do his bit, but he has recently been discharged on account of physical disa- bility. Otto, Ernest, and Clarence are at home under the parental roof. Anna is the wife of Theodore Harmon, and they reside on a farm near Thedford, Nebraska. Three daughters, Tillie, Mary, and Gracie, are in- mates of the parental home and are pursuing their studies in the district school. The Baal- horn family is connected with the Lutheran church. Mr. Baalhorn is independent in politics. He votes for the best man and af- filiates with no political party. Some years ago he bought the place where he now lives, and erected a splendid farm residence. He owns 480 acres of good land and conducts a general farming and stock-raising business. His stock-raising operations include all kinds of live stock.

The Baalhorns are a family of fine people, highly respected by their neighbors and other friends. They maintain a home that does

credit to the county in which they live, and of whose history their lives have become a part.

WILLIAM N. ROSSO. - Prominent among the energetic and progressive agricul- turists and business men of the younger gen . eration whose activities have been centered in Custer county, one deserving of more than passing mention is William N. Rosso, who has now established his residence in Buffalo county. During his comparatively short ca- reer he has been identified with a number of pursuits and vocations, and in each has demonstrated the possession of sound ability and practical knowledge, qualities developed through experience and training. He is a Nebraskan by nativity, having been born on his father's farm in Furnas county, Nebraska, December 19, 1884, and is a son of Fred C. and Athera ( Newberry ) Rosso.

Fred C. Rosso was born in Germany and was still a young man when he immigrated to the United States, taking up his home in Fur- nas county, Nebraska. He was a man of in- dustry, made a good home for his family, and well merited his fellow citizens' esteem and regard. His wife was a daughter of Norman Newberry, and they were the parents of two sons : William N .: and John C., the latter also a Buffalo county farmer.

William N. Rosso was reared on the home farm and secured his early education in the public schools of his native community, sub- sequently graduating from the high school at Kearney. His first employment was at Alli- ance, Nebraska, where he worked for his uncle, C. H. Newberry, and learned the plumb- er's and tinner's trades, the mastery of which was not difficult for him, as he is a natural mechanic. Becoming an expert along these lines, he also learned the trade of blacksmith and naturally developed the ability necessary for automobile repairing, and he has followed both lines to some extent, with excellent suc- cess: For several years he was engaged in the operation of his father's farm, but more recently has decided to secure a property of his own, his various activities having enabled him to accumulate sufficient means to enter- tain such a project. He is thoroughly fa- miliar with all manner of agricultural work, having operated a corn-sheller and threshing machine outfit for about fifteen years, and in addition is a good judge of live stock and well informed in the various other matters essen- tial to success in farming.

Mr. Rosso was married October 15, 1905. at Kearney, Nebraska, to Miss Madge H.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

GEORGE W. MCKINNEY AND FAMILY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Butcher, who was born in Custer county, a daughter of Solomon D. and Lillie M. (Bar- ber) Butcher, natives respectively of Wetzel county, West Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Mr. and Mrs. Rosso have one daughter : Olive F., born July 3, 1910. Mr. and Mrs. Rosso are members of the Highlanders and of the Christian church.

GEORGE W. MCKINNEY, who is a prosperous business man of Oconto, where he is engaged in selling real estate, owns a valuta- ble farm that adjoins the town and is his own manager and farmer. Mr. Mckinney has been an independent and self-supporting individual since he was sixteen years of age, and natural- ly he has little sympathy with those who ex- cuse their entire lack of capital because of want of business opportunity. Mr. Mckinney was born near Jacksonville, Illinois, January 7, 1874. He was one of a large family born to his parents, John and Euphemia (Baird) Mckinney. His father was born in Kentucky and his mother in Illinois. They were men- bers of the Baptist church. They had children as follows: John H., Charles I., George W., Mrs. Millie A. Cox., Mrs. Harriet Six, Mrs. Mary Christenson. Gilbert, Mrs. Clara B. Messinger, and William. William died at the age of sixteen years, and all of the other chil- dren are still living.

George W. Mckinney attended the public schools and assisted on the home farm until he was sixteen years old, when he started out for himself. He can look back over an hon- orable record, for he satisfied his employers well and worked for one man continuously for three years, in all that time losing but thirteen days from any cause. Until he was twenty-one years of age he held rigorously to the old family custom of paying into the family treasury, and gave one-half of his wages to his father, although he did not live at home. Farming has been his main occupa- tion all his life, and the success which has at- tended his efforts is largely the result of the intelligent interest he takes in his agricultural operations. He came to Nebraska in 1903 and has seen many sections of the state, but none impressed him so favorably as a location for a permanent home as did Custer county, to which he came in 1914. He shortly afterward bought 189 acres of choice land that adjoins Oconto on the southeast, and this land has since been greatly increased in value because of its being so highly cultivated and improved. His real-estate business is really a side line,

farming and stock-raising being the industries that most completely engage his attention.

At Bluffs, Scott county, Illinois, on March 3, 1897, Mr. Mckinney married Miss Adella A. Baker, who was born near Louisville, Missouri, and is a daughter of Albert and Emily (Davis) Baker, the former born in Missouri, and the lat- ter at Griggsville, Pike county, Illinois. Mrs. Mckinney was one of a family of eight chil- dren, only three of whom survive, her two sis- ters being Mrs. Sadie Atkinson and Mrs. Cath- erine Vannier. Mr. and Mrs. McKinney have four children - Vera E., Edna A., George V., and John G .- their ages, in 1918, ranging from seventeen to six years and all but the youngest being in school and making excellent records. In politics Mr. Mckinney has long been iden- tified with the Democratic party, and he re- mains loyal in his adherence to its principles. With his family he belongs to the Methodist Epicopal church.

BEN HARDIN. - Formerly a merchant and now a farmer of Custer county, Ben Har- din has been a resident of this county since the '80s, and in his range of experiences he has known poverty and affluence, obscurity and prominence. It has been his fortune to have attained many of his ambitions, and hard and conscientious work has eventually resulted in the securing of the awards which compen- sate for former hardship and struggle. Mr. Hardin was born July 20, 1854, in Noble county, Ohio, a son of Nestor and Susan (Baker) Hardin.

The parents of Mr. Hardin were natives respectively of Virginia and Pittsburgh, and settled in Ohio as young people, their mar- riage taking place in that state, where their eleven children were born. Of the children eight are living : Mrs. Emily Dyer, John, Mrs. Mary Mincks, Absalom, Mrs. Minerva Taylor, Mrs. Susan Raney and George and Ben. All of these children reside either in Noble or Washington counties, Ohio, with the excep- tion of Ben and a sister who lives at Scio, Harrison county. The parents were faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and the father, who was a farmer by vocation, supported the Republican party at elections. Ben Hardin was reared on his father's farm, and his boyhood was passed amid the exciting times of the Civil war period. The youth of all the land was at that time enthused with pa- triotic sentiment, and the lads of young Har- din's neighborhood were no exception. They accordingly formed a company and started drilling, but the matter of uniforms bothered

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them until they struck upon the idea of pick- ing wild grapes and from the result of their sale buying sufficient red calico for their mothers to fashion into uniform trousers and coats. Mr. Hardin still has in his possession his own little red jacket, which is now nearly sixty years old, and which he retains as one of his dearest possessions.

While he was being brought up on the home farm, Mr. Hardin obtained his educa- tion in the public schools of Noble county, and he remained under the parental roof until long after he had attained to his majority. He was married May 9, 1880, to Miss Edna L. Sprague, of Beverly, Ohio, who was born February 21, 1858, at Coal Run, Washington county, that state, a daughter of Joseph S. Sprague. Mr. Sprague was born May 1, 1831, at Jacobsport, Ohio, and was married November 7, 1852, at Coal Run, to Henrietta Mason Laughery, who was born December 22, 1830, at Centerville, Ohio, a daughter of Joseph and Edna (Penny) Laughery. Mr. Sprague died August 25, 1885, at Eddyville, Iowa, and Mrs. Sprague passed away Decem- ber 11, 1915, at Ottumwa, Jowa. They were the parents of four children: Dr. Manly H., James A., Edna L., and Edwin C.

Not long after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Hardin left Ohio and came to Nebraska, where Mr. Hardin entered upon a career in merchandising. His original venture was a modest and unassuming one, as he was pos- sessed of only a small capital, and for a time it was a hard struggle to make his business pay. However, in the end he succeeded in the de- velopment of a worthy commercial enterprise that had the patronage and good will of the people of Arnold and the surrounding coun- try and that brought him handsome returns. He became one of the prominent and influen- tial business men of his adopted place, ana stood high in the esteem of those with whom he was associated in business transactions. In the spring of 1918 Mr. Hardin decided he had followed commercial lines long enough, and accordingly he disposed of his mercantile in- terests and moved to a farm one and one- fourth miles south of Arnold. Here he has a new and modern house on his fine tract of 480 acres, besides which he has fifty acres of splendid alfalfa. and the finest thirteen- acre cottonwood grove in western Nebraska. 1 lis property is free from indebtedness of all kinds, and Mr. and Mrs. Hardin are now pass- ing their evening of life in comfort and con- tentment, and in the knowledge that the things that are theirs have been gained honestly and honorably. During his long and active career Mr. Hardin has at various times been called

to posts of responsibility and trust, but he has never been an office-seeker nor a politician in the generally accepted use of the word. He has supported his community's best interests as a citizen, but aside from that the greater part of his time and atention has been de- voted to his business and his home. Mr. an 1 Mrs. Hardin are the parents of two children : Homer R., who is still a bachelor, is a farmer near Arnold, and is a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen. and of the Chris- tian church. He is a Republican in politics Edna Leora is the wife of Jay O. Walker, a well known business man and banker of Alliance, Nebraska. Mr. Walker is a prom- inent Mason and Shriner, belongs to the Elks and the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and is a Republican. He and his wife belong to the Christian church.

GEORGE E. PAINE, who is one of the capable and progressive representatives of the farming and stock-raising industry of Cus- ter county, came here thirty-four years ago, and has since kept pace with the steady ad- vancement that has marked this section. Mr. Paine was born in central Wisconsin, March 27, 1862, a son of George F. and Lydia (Rid- land) Paine.

George Paine, the paternal grandfather of Mr. Paine, was born in England and in young manhood immigrated to the United States and settled in Maine. There he married a Miss Lamb and there he settled down to agricul- tural pursuits, and rounded out an honorable career. His son, George F. Paine, was born in Maine, where he was educated, grew to manhood and was married, and in February. 1862, he went to Wisconsin, where he pur- chased land and engaged in farming. He re- mained as a resident of that state until 1879. when he came to Custer county, Nebraska, and took up a homestead in section 10, township 16, which continued to be his home until his death. He was a man of industry, had the respect and esteem of those in whose midst he made his home, and from small beginning, as a poor man, he raised himself to be well-to-do and to a place of influence in his adopted community. He was a Democrat in politics, and he and his wife were Spiritualists in re- ligion. They both passed over while resi- dents of the old homestead. Mr. and Mrs. Paine were the parents of eight children, of whom four are living: Mettie, who is the widow of Samuel Guile, of Fond du Lac, Wis- consin : Emma, who is the wife of Sylvester Hathaway, a retired farmer of Lincoln, Ne- braska; W. V., who resided in Custer county-

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History of Custer County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religous, and civic developement from the early days to the present time, Part 131

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog] Publication date: 1919 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company Number of Pages: 1180

Author: Gaston, William Levi, 1865- [from old catalog]; Humphrey, Augustin R., 1859- [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1919
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western publishing and engraving company
Number of Pages: 1180