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 152

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 152

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

His parents were John and Christina Swan- son. The father was a carpenter by trade and in the family were five children, but John and his brother Ernest were the only two who ever came to the United States. John's boy- hood days were spent in Sweden, where he re- ceived a liberal education and where, in De- cember. 1879. he was married to Matilda Thornholm. The next year after his mar- riage he and his young wife started for Amer- ica, which was in the fall of 1880. The first year on his homestead is one long to be re- membered. There was a drouth and the crop failed. A prairie fire came rolling down on his little home and would have destroyed his home, barn and feed but for the fact that two wagon loads of people came out from Sargent and helped him fight the fire. The land was sandy and of light soil and this added to his difficulties. Then, too, there was no bridge across the river to Sargent, the nearest bridge being five miles west up the river toward West Union. When the weather was warm, it was his custom to wade the river but when it was cold he had to walk up to the bridge and back, altogether a distance of 10 miles. This he did day after day while working for differ- ent people in Sargent in order that he might support his family and get started at farming in this new country.

Speaking of those times he recalls that often he was compelled to go into debt. but it is part of the Swedish nature to meet obligations, consequently he met every dollar of his in- debtedness. If he could not pay in cash, he worked for the people to whom he was in- debted and in one way or another secured the means by which he started his early farming operations. Today he has a splendid farm, is comfortably situated. although not enjoying the best of health. He rejoices, however, that he lives in the United States. His early pre- emption of 135 acres, upon which he lived for eight years, has been sold and likewise a home - stead of 120 acres southwest of Comstock. upon which he lived another eight years. Since that time he has bought 160 acres and put on it splendid improvements. This is his home at the present time and upon which he has a good supply of hogs, cattle, and horses.

His children are: Martin. Esther Ellen. John, Alex. Emrick. Conrad. Joseph, and Clarence, three of whom are still at home with their parents. The Lenstroms are dependable people, highly rated as neighbors and in every way an asset to their community.

EDWARD E. GUTHRIE is a representa- tive of the younger generation of progressive

and successful exponents of agricultural industry in Custer county and is specially en- titled to recognition in this history of the county.

Mr. Guthrie was born in Chenango county, New York, May 1, 1878. His father, Edward Guthrie, who was a native of Ireland, was left an orphan when quite young and was sent to the home of an uncle who lived in the state of New York. There he grew to manhood and became a wagon-maker by trade. He followed his trade in New York state, and in 1884 he came to Nebraska and settled at Elm Creek, Buffalo county. In the following year he came to Custer county and took a home- stead in the northwest part of the county, where he engaged in the cattle business. He died in Custer county nine years ago, at the age of seventy-four years. In New York state he married Mary Brady, a native of the Empire state, and she now makes her home with her son Edward E. Five of the six children born to Edward and Mary (Brady) Guthrie are still living: Nellie is the wife of Joseph Rottgen, of Ohio; Charles is a farmer of Custer county ; Edward E. was next in order of birth; Alice is the wife of Elijah Luce, of Merna : and Richard Ralph is a captain in the national army, having seen service in France, but having been sent back to the United States before the close of the war, to assist in pre- paring troops for service in Europe.

Edward E. Guthrie was a young man of seventeen years when he and his brother Charles engaged in the cattle business. They owned a ranch and were in partnership until 1915, when Edward E. took up farming on the place he now operates and which he had owned for several years. The property is im- proved with a nine-room house, and this is one of the finest homes in this part of the county, equipped with steam heat, hot and cold running water, and electric lights.

Mr. Guthrie has never married and seems to prefer single blessedness, while his mother presides over the home. The Guthrie family is well and favorably known.

CHARLES MELHAM. - Twenty-eight years of residence in Custer county have ac- complished the evolution of Charles Melham from a penniless, homeless and friendless young man with no knowledge of the Amer- ican language or customs, into one of the best- informed men of his community, a substan- tial farmer and land-owner, and a highly-re- spected and esteemed citizen. His career has been a somewhat remarkable one, and in it

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MR. AND MRS. EDWARD GUTHRIE

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there lies a lesson for the encouragement of the youths of any land who are striving to get a start in life through their own resources.

Mr. Melham is a native of the little-known country of Syria, Asia, and was born in the village of Amcheete, December 4, 1866, a son of Abraham and Mary (Swanson) Melham. He comes of a rather remarkable family, and was born in the house in which the family had lived for 300 years, a small stone structure which had been built by his great-great-grand- father, and which had also been the birthplace of his great-grandfather, grandfather and father. The family lived on the little farm which was rented by them, but in addi- tion to being a tiller of the soil, Abraham Mel- ham was a man of prominence in his locality, where he held prestige by reason of being a natural astronomer, which art, in his country, called for not only a reading of the heavens and knowledge of the heavenly bodies, but the capacity to measure the corn in the field, the wheat in the crop, the nuts on the tree, etc. While it is not the usual thing in Syria to come upon large families, there were eight children in the family of Abraham Melham, but despite his large family the father was able to give his children better educational advan- tages than generally fall to the lot of most of those of his race. The parents never left their native land, but Charles was ambitious to bet- ter himself, and when the opportunity arose bade farewell to his parents, when twenty-four years old, and immigrated to the United States. He arrived October 24, 1890, at Fall River, Massachusetts, and remained there until the following May, when he came to Custer county, Nebraska, arriving here without a dollar and without the slighest knowledge of the country's language. His first work was to operate a medicine wagon for Watkins Reme- dies Company, and while he was thus engaged one of his first tasks was the mastering of the language of his adopted country, not alone as to specch, but also as to reading and writing. During the seven years that he was employed by the medicine company he saw many houses vacated which are now occupied by people who have grown wealthy in the county. Mr. Mel- ham's wants during his early years here were few, and he wisely and thriftily saved his earnings, which, as soon as they reached ap- preciable proportions, he invested in land. Soon he engaged actively in farming and stock-raising, using western methods, and kept on increasing his acreage. This system has brought him success, so that to-day he is the owner of 520 acres of highly improved land, on which he carries on farming, making a specialty of raising pedigreed Poland-China

hogs and registered Red Polled cattle. His improvements are of the best, and at the pres- ent time he is installing an electric plant, with a fifty-light system, which will be sufficient to light his house, barns, and outbuildings. That he has been able to accomplish so much from such small beginnings denotes that Mr. Mel- ham is a man of initiative resource and strength of character. He is an extra well read man, especially. in history, and has made a particularly close study of his adopted coun- try's past, as he is grateful for the chance ex- tended to him by the United States for making a success of his life. This has led him to be independent in politics, for with him country comes before party. He was born and reared in the faith of the Moronic orthodox church. the only branch in all the world of that faith, and while he does not worship in that faith here, he believes in all religious bodies and supports their movements generously.

Mr. Melham was married March 25, 1900, to Miss Jennie M. Reynolds, a daughter of George E. and Amanda J. (Sweezey) Rey- nolds, pioneers of Custer county, who now reside at Bartley. To this union there have been born four children, of whom three are living : Ralph A., Leo L., and Kenneth, all at home.

OSCAR THOMPSON .- Down in the fertile region of Burr Oak and on a splendid farm that is the stage of very successful farming operations, lives the subject of this sketch, Oscar Thompson who is in middle life and the acme of his manhood years.

He was born in 1875 at Furnace. Scioto county. Ohio, and his good wife, Florence (Woodruff) Thompson, to whom he was married in 1897, was born in the same year. Mr. Thompson is a son of Silas Thompson, who was a native of Ohio, and who departed this life when seventy-seven years of age. He was twice married, his first wife, mother of the subject of this sketch, being Hanna ( Ga- hene) Thompson, who died when forty-two years of age. The second wife was Ellen (Humphrey) Thompson, who passed from this life in the sixty-fifth year of her age.

In the family circle of the elder Thompson were the following children: John maintains his home in Rock county, Nebraska, where he operates a ranch. David is a Custer county farmer. as is also Edgar. and these are full brothers of Oscar. Elbert is a Custer county farmer and Aubrey lives in Ansley. these two being half-brothers of Oscar. Belle Schriver lives in Kentucky. Anna Benedict is in Ur- bana, Ohio, and Lou Houston lives at Geneva,

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Nebraska. These are full sisters of Oscar Thompson, the immediate subject of this sketch. There are two half-sisters - Cora Hickman, who lives on a Custer county farm, and Maude Bass, whose home is in Omaha.

In Oscar Thompson's immediate farmily is but one child, a bright young girl, who has come to make cheerful the family fireside. This daughter, Louise, is at present a student in the high school at Geneva, Nebraska.

Mr. Thompson owns 180 acres of well im- proved land, but he leases additional land and is operating a farm of 300 acres. Only about fifty acres of his own land are under culti- vation. His live-stock operations include the raising of hogs, horses, and cattle. He has a full equipment of farm machinery, has good buildings, and an attractive home -in fact everything that goes to make farming a profit- able and comfortable occupation. Such sur- roundings make farm life attractive. Mr. Thompson and his family ride in a splendid motor car and have all modern conveniences. Mrs. Thompson is a member of the Presby- terian church. This is an excellent family that merits the good standing it sustains in the community.

ALBERT McGREGOR. - Any record of the capable and industrious agriculturists of Custer county who have worked their way to position and prominence would be incomplete did it not contain the name and review of Al- bert McGregor, who is now engaged in exten- sive operations on section 33. township 1, in the Sargent neighborhood. For thirty years he has been a resident of the county and dur- ing this period has run the gamut of exper- iences from poverty to affluence and from humble position to independence.

Mr. McGregor was born in Joe Daviess county, Illinois, September 22, 1858, a son of Robert and Isabella (Bankhead) McGregor, natives of Edinburgh. Scotland. From the time that he passed boyhood, Robert McGre - gor was employed in the coal mines, working his way up through the various grades until the proud time when he donned the lighted cap of the full-fledged miner and was given a man's wages. He was twenty-one years of age when he came to the United States, and followed coal mining in Pennsylvania until 1848, when he went to Illinois. There he en- gaged in farming in Joe Daviess county and remained until 1884, in the spring of which year he came to Custer county and took a homestead in Douglas Grove, that being his place of residence until his death, in 1887. He

was a Republican in politics, but never held office, while his religious faith was that of the Lutheran church, as it was also of Mrs. Mc- Gregor, who survived her husband until 1892. They were the parents of nine children, of whom five are living, but Albert and his brother William are the only ones residing in Custer county.

Albert McGregor was educated in the pub- lic schools of Illinois, and as a young man adopted the vocation of miner, which he fol- lowed until his coming to Custer county, in 1888. Here he found employment as a farm hand and blacksmith, but even with both these occupations was unable to make both ends meet. and in order that he might earn a little more money for the hard times he would walk four miles night and morning to work on an irrigation ditch, this being outside of the hours devoted to his other vocations. For this added labor he received the sum of forty- five cents per day, and one of the stirring mo- ments of his career was when his pay was ad- vanced five cents per day. Eventually. through his industry and continued persever- ance, he was able to get a start, and from that time to the present his rise has been steady and encouraging. He is the owner of a good property located on section 32. township 1, on on which he carries on general farming and stock-raising, in both of which departments he has shown himself skilled and well in- formed. He has been too busily engaged with his private affairs to enter actively into pub - lic life, but is a supporter of the principles and candidates of the Republican party, and a citizen who shows his interest in civic affairs by his support of progressive movements.

Mr. McGregor was married in November, 1884, at Taylor. Nebraska, to Miss Jennie Fer - ritor, whose parents were pioneers of Custer county of the year 1882. in which year Mr. Ferritor pre-empted land six miles northeast of Sargent. He died in the fall of 1912, and Mrs. Ferritor is now a resident of Douglas, Wyoming. Five children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. McGregor: Hugh, the pro- prietor of a garage at Sargent. who married Stella Edwards: Earl, who married Margaret Tolen, and is now employed in the United States Government's shipyards at Pascagoula, Mississippi ; and Cora, Hazel, and Gilbert, who are single and reside with their parents.

ANSON B. HARTLEY, who belongs to that class of men who, more than any other. have a direct influence upon the building up and development of any community - the real estate operators - has resided in Custer

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ANSON B. HARTLEY AND FAMILY

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county for a period of more than thirty-five years. During a large part of this time he was engaged in farming, but since 1904 he has devoted himself to real estate almost to the exclusion of other interests. He is known as one of the most successful real-estate men in Custer county, particularly at Sargent, where his activities are centered.

Mr. Hartley was born in Westchester county, New York, March 26, 1860, and is a son of Joseph W. and Mary E. ( Atwood) Hartley. His father was born at Bellefon- taine, Ohio, a son of Dr. Aaron Hartley, and his mother at Mount Pleasant, Iowa, a daugh- ter of John Atwood.

Joseph W. Hartley was one of the success- ful, prominent, and influential men of his day and one of the best known in Custer county. From New York he removed to Lincoln, Ne- braska, where he engaged in the banking bus- iness, in company with J. S. Atwood, and con- tinued therein until 1880, when he came to Custer county. On March 15. 1882, he home- steaded on what was then the Jess Gandy ranch, in section 9, township 19, range 19, on the Middle Loup river. There he farmed until 1894, when he was called to Lincoln as general manager and purchasing agent for the Farm- ers Alliance - positions which he retained to the time of his death, which occurred while he was on a visit to his son Anson B. at Sar- gent. He was buried at Lincoln. Mr. Hart- ley was a Republican in politics and at one time served as supervisor for Lillian township. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church and very active in church work. donat- ing considerable sums to the building of the West Union and Walworth churches of that faith and in other ways assisting in religious movements. He was also prominent in Ma- sonic and Odd Fellows circles. He and his wife were the parents of eight children, of whom six are living: Carrie is the wife of C. W. Gring, a traveling salesman living near Los Angeles, California ; Anson B .. of this re- view, was next in order of birth: Joseph A. is a wholesale and retail dry-goods merchant of Columbus, Ohio : Russell E. is married and is engaged in the dry-goods business at Chil- licothe, Ohio: Flora B. is the wife of Charles M. Martin, who is in mercantile lines at Du- luth. Minnesota ; and Edward. a bachelor, is a railroad man of Spokane. Washington.

Anson B. Hartley received his early educa- cation in the public schools of Lincoln, and after his graduation in the high school in that city he engaged in farming. In 1883 he set- tled on a Custer county homestead. the south- east quarter of section 9, township 19, range

19, and he continued to be engaged in agri- cultural activities with constantly increasing success until 1904. In the meantime he had been, from the time of his arrival, interested in realty dealing, and he eventually found his interests in this direction so heavy that he deemed it advisable to give his whole atten- tion thereto. On his removal to Sargent, in 1904, he formed a partnership with O. S. Pulliam, and this association continued, with mutual satisfaction, for three years. Mr. Hartley is a heavy landholder, and besides the most beautiful home at Sargent is the owner of a large amount of personal property, all of which he has accumulated through his own efforts and by strictly legitimate means and honorable dealing. Perhaps he has done as much for Custer county in building it up and developing it as any other one man, for dur- ing a period of thirty-five years he has steadily and unceasingly sung the county's praises, in endeavoring to induce people to make their homes here and business houses to center their activities in this progressive section.

After reaching his majority, Mr. Hartley found that his viewpoints in politics differed from that of his father, and he gave his sup- port to the Democratic party. He became a somewhat influential figure during the organ- ization of the Populist party, when he worked to great effect in combining the interests of the Democrats and Republicans and patching up their feuds. He has been more of a worker in behalf of his friends and party than a seeker after personal preferment. As a citi- zen Mr. Hartley has always been glad to as- sume his responsibilities, and his name is found on the list of those supporting each movement that promises to better his com- munity in a worthy and practical manner.

Mr Hartley was married March 6, 1884, to Miss Margie Dupray, a daughter of Fred M. Dupray, of the Goheen valley, who settled on a homestead in Custer county in 1883. Of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. Hart- ley, the following record is given in conchi- sion of this review: Carrie E. is the wife of W. L. Probert, manager of the Farmers Ga- rage at Sargent, and a dealer in cream and farm produce: Mabel is the wife of George Christensen, an agriculturist carrying on op- erations about four miles north of Sargent : Alfred A., who enlisted in the aviation corps of the United States army, is, at the time of this writing, in the mechanical department, American training school. at Rockwell Field, San Diego, California : May resides with her parents : Bessie is a school teacher at Casper, Wyoming : Elma B., who is a graduate of the

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Sargent schools, is engaged in teaching; Ev- elyn D. is the wife of William D. Jorgensen, a farmer in the locality of Minden, Nebras- ka ; and Grace is engaged in teaching.

EARL GLOVER, who belongs to one of the old and substantial pioneer families of Custer county, was born May 19, 1888, near Comstock, or its present site, and is a son of Percy D. and Gussie (Lower) Glover. The full history of the Glover family will be found on another page of this work.

Earl Glover has spent his life in Custer county and has always been deeply interested in its substantial development. He obtained his education in the public schools and until 1909 operated as a farmer for his father and then embarked in the same business for him- self. Since 1917 he has been farming on his uncle's ranch near Comstock. This ranch is one of the best improved in Custer county and is conducted along modern lines. It con- tains 1040 acres, giving space and pasturage for all kinds of stock, only of the best, how- ever. The specialties are Aberdeen Angus cattle, Percheron horses, and Poland China hogs. The money value of the shipments from this ranch is amazing. Careful, inter- ested and trained farmers and stock-raisers are absolutely necessary in an enterprise of such magnitude, and along this line Mr. Glover easily qualifies.

Mr. Glover was married October 2, 1913, to Miss Ellen L. Johnson, who was also born in Custer county. Her father, Reuben Johnson, brought his family to Custer county in pioneer days and during life was a farmer on school section No. 36, near Westerville, and there both he and his wife died some years ago. Mr. and Mrs. Glover have no children. They are members of the Christian Science Church. Like his father before him, Mr. Glover has always given his political support to the Re- publican party. He is a highly respected citi- zen and. like all the other Glovers in Custer county, has a wide circle of personal friends, because of pleasing personality, friendly neighborliness and sterling character.

FRANK F. GARRISON, the Walworth merchant and postmaster, has lived most of his life in Custer county and here he spent his youthful days during the pioneer times that entailed hardships and privations which tested the metal of the generation to whose lot they fell.

Frank Garrison discovered America in Iowa, where he was born in Taylor county, Septem-

ber 27, 1877. He is the second son of George and Amanda ( Maple) Garrison, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. George Gar- rison was in early life a cabinetmaker by trade, but in later years followed bridge building al- most exclusively. He was for years in the employment of the Rio Grande and Kansas Pacific Railroads in Colorado. He built all the bridges on the Kansas Pacific line between Kansas City and Denver. He was the pro- moter of the Walworth bridge, which was the first built on the Middle Loup river west of North Loup. When he quit the railroad, he settled in Taylor county, lowa, where he lived until 1882, engaged in farming pursuits. Then, putting his family into a covered wagon, he started the team westward and later landed in Custer county, where he bought a relin- quishment from Walter Bedwell and where he gained possession of the land by complet- ing the homestead rights. He engaged in gen- eral farming and stock-raising, making a spec- ialty of Short Horn Durham cattle. He was the first man to raise Poland-China hogs in the Middle Loup section of the county. He was affiliated, generally, with the Republican party, a member of the Masonic lodge. His wife, mother of Frank F., died October 26, 1901, and George Garrison, the father, died May 10, 1908. They were the parents of four chil- dren. Besides Frank F., these were: George H., who is an engineer in the employ of the Southern Pacific Railroad. He married Miss Pollock, of Sparks, Nevada. Jessie C. mar- ried George Orvis and lives north of Wal- worth. Lulu M. married Bert Orvis and re- sides west of old West Union.

Frank F. Garrison was educated in the dis- trict schools of this county. He had the ex- periences common to all who have been reared in these western preserves. March 9, 1904, he married Maude A. Gattliff, at Taylor, Ne- braska. She is a daughter in a pioneer fam- ily. Her people came to North Loup in 1883, and then to Custer in 1884. Her father home- steaded north of Sargent, where he lived for several years. At his retirement he moved to Sargent, where he died, February 10, 1918. His widow, mother of Mrs. Garrison, still lives in Sargent. In the Gattliff family were seven children, six of whom survive this present day. Aside from Mrs. Garrison these are: Georgia, who married A. A. Vin- dege and lives at Berwyn ; Nannie, who mar- ried Roy L. Sevier and lives at Sargent ; Elsie, who married Ray Leach and lives in Taylor, Nebraska ; Nellie, who married Forest Sar- gent and lives at Craig, Colorado; and Charles, who married Ocia Adams and re- sides at Sargent.

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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 152

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