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 65

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 65

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tics, Mr. Lange's first choice is for the Demo- cratic party.

JOSEPH D. BYLER. - This is an ordi- nary story of an ordinary man, - one who in his modest way lived his life and in his de- parture left behind him a splendid family, a creditable record. and the comforts earned by hard toil.

The subject of this memoir was born in Pennsylvania, January 2. 1857, and was a son of Jacob and Sarah ( Yoder ) Byler. He came of an excellent Pennsylvania family, and was one of eight children, only three of whom are living at the present time - Isaac, Rudolph, and David. Joseph D. was the youngest of the family.

It was in Pennsylvania that the boyhood years of Joseph D. Byler were spent, and there he had recourse to the common schools. in which he received a good fundamental edit - cation that qualified him for the business transactions of life. At the age of fifteen years he left the home farm and started into the world for himself. His first journey landed him in Logan county, Ohio, where he worked for a number of years. From there he went to Garden City, Missouri. There he associated himself with Charles McCants, and the two started for Nebraska. He arrived in Custer county in the spring of 1885. An in- ventory of his worldly possessions showed him to be better off than a good many others were when reaching the county. He had three mules, harness, wagon and twenty-five dollars. Ile located in Roten valley, fourteen miles southwest of Callaway, and bought a relin- quishment from James Howell. It was here that he established, and maintained for two years. bachelor quarters.

Two years after he reached Custer county Mr. Byler married Miss Ida F. Hanenstine, a native of Ohio and daughter of Jacob and Lucinda (Dull) Hauenstine, both of whom were natives of Pennsylvania. In the family of Mrs. Byler's father were fourteen children. The surviving members of this large family of children are: Mrs. Joseph Redhead, liv- ing near Callaway; Jacob, of Toledo, Ohio : Mrs. John Belmire, of St. Louisville. Ohio : Joseph, residing near Callaway, Custer county ; and Mrs. Ida Byler, widow of the subject of this memoir.

When the Byler home was established in Custer county, in 1887, it was an unpretentious sod house, and the home was maintained and the early developments of the farm started under very adverse circumstances. For two years Mr. Byler hauled water six and seven

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

miles. Then he dug a well 200 feet deep and put in a board casing. He had a horse and bucket to draw the water from the well. Later he added more room to the sod house, but in order to do this he took the roof from the barn and got along with a dirt floor.

In the course of time four children were born into the home of Mr. and Mrs. Byler, and concerning them the following brief rec- ord is entered : Bessie MI. Blixt, whose hus- band is an implement dealer in Callaway, has four children, two boys and two girls. Clar- ence H. is, at the time of this writing, in the nation's military service, as a member of Bat- tery C. Three Hundred and Thirty-ninth Field Artillery, at Camp Dodge, lowa. Ruth A. and Nellie M. are at home with their mother.

A great sorrow came to the home on the Sth day of July, 1916, when the husband and father was called from the scene of his labors in this world to the reward of the next. He had been a kind and provident father and hus- band, and his death was a sore bereavement. He left his family, however, in good circum- stances, on a farm of 480 acres, well improved and in a high state of cultivation. For twenty years prior to his death, Mr. Byler had been a faithful member of the Evangelical church. Mrs. Byler and her children who are not mar- ried, make their home on the place and main- tain the farming operations conducted by the late husband and father.

ARTELLUS P. CALHOON .- One of the venerable and honored citizens of Broken Bow, long a Nebraska farmer in Polk and Custer counties, Artellus P. Calhoon is now living in comfortable and well deserved re- tirement, after a long and creditable career. He is a native of St. Joseph county, Michigan, and was born May 26, 1845, his parents being Alvin and Lois ( Bean) Calhoon.

While still a young man, Alvin Calhoon, who had been reared to farming, raised a company for service in the Indian troubles, and he fought with the rank of captain. Later he removed to Michigan, where he set- tled on a farm and passed the rest of his life in agricultural pursuits. He was a strong Abolitionist, in the climacteric period leading up to the Civil war, was a stanch Republican in his political views, and he and his wife were faithful members of the Methodist church, of which he was a local preacher dur- ing the early days. There were eight children in the Calhoon family, and all are living : Marcellus, who married Clara Rowley, is a retired farmer of Ord, Nebraska : Emma, who

is the widow of Samuel Sidwell, makes her home at Minatare, Nebraska : Clarence C .. who married Tillie Hahn, is a farmer of Polk county, Nebraska ; Bingham, who married Caroline Simpson, is a farmer of York county, this state; Lola is the wife of Lewis Munson, a farmer near Peoria, Kansas ; Law- rence and Florence are twins, the former having married Anna Demmick and being a farmer near Gladwin, Michigan, and the lat- ter being the widow of Lewis Moore, of Three Rivers, Michigan ; and Artellus P. is the subject of this sketch.

Artellus P. Calhoon received his early edu- cation in the public schools of Michigan, and as a young man of twenty-seven years he came to Nebraska, his first settlement being in Polk county, where he took up a home- stead and farmed for eighteen years. In 1900 he disposed of his interests in that locality and came to Custer county, where he con- tinued his operations with increasing success until the spring of 1918, when he turned over the responsibilities and burdens to younger shoulders and retired to his comfortable home at Broken Bow, where he is surrounded by every convenience. During his active years Mr. Calhoon was rightly accounted a capable farmer and stockman, as well as an able business man whose transactions were char- acterized by the highest integrity. He has always been a loyal and public-spirited citizen and at various times has been active in civic affairs, more as a supporter of movements for the general welfare than as an aspirant for office or a holder of public posts.

In the spring of 1877 Mr. Calhoon was united in marriage, in Polk county, Nebraska. to Miss Henrietta Robinson, who is now de- ceased, and they became the parents of six children, concerning whom the following brief record is consistently entered: Alvin, who married Bertha Luther, is a minister of the Free Methodist church and is living near Alberta, Canada, where he has a farm and fills a pulpit ; Calvin, who married Dolly Bar- bee, is a preacher of the Home Association, and resides near Jerome, Arizona: Miss Zora resides with her father, for whom she keeps house. Ina is the wife of Rev. James Davis, a farmer and preacher in the vicinity of De Nova, Colorado. Clinton, who married Mary Shepard. is a preacher of the Nazarene church and resides in Kansas. Charles, who is still a bachelor, resides with his father and sister and is now studying to become a min- ister.

It is interesting to note that Mr. Calhoon's sons have inherited from their paternal grand- father the predilection for ministerial labors,

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY. NEBRASKA

three already having adopted this profession and the fourth being engaged in preparing for that high calling. The married daughter of Mr. Calhoon chose for her husband a preacher. Mr. Calhoon is himself a generous contributor to religious enterprises and move- ments.

EARL W. BROWN. - This caption spells the name of a prosperous son of a popular sire who was one of the prominent pioneers of Custer county, as the story which follows will disclose.

Earl W. Brown hails from Kansas, where he was born March 12, 1881, and he is a son of A. D) and Matilda ( Mullen) Brown, Cus- ter county pioneers of more than ordinary prominence. In the family of A. D. Brown were the following named children - Claude. Harl, Lawrence, Forrest, Stella Holliday. Earl W., Lila Phifer, and Oma, the last men- tioned being a student in the Grand Island Business College at the present time. A. D. Brown was a prominent farmer and stock- raiser in the early days of the South Loup country, in which section he settled in 1881. Here he located a tree claim and bought 160 acres, about five or six miles southeast of the site of the present thriving town of Arnold. He was at that time in the full vigor of man- hood and soon became one of the active and influential men in that part of the county, much credit being due him for the service he rendered in developing the southwest section of the county. He served on the board of supervisors for a number of years. He and his good wife were devoted members of the Christian church. Mr. Brown died on his farm, December 17, 1909. He was a high- degree Mason and an Odd Fellow of high rank and good standing. The children have been a credit to their parents and occupy in their respective communities much the same relation as that sustained by the parents. All of the children are in the Christian church and the boys are either Masons or Odd Fel- lows.

Further brief data concerning A. D. Brown, the sterling pioneer, are available and should be incorporated in this review. He was born at Indianapolis, Indiana, March 1, 1847, and thus his age at the time of his death was sixty-two years, nine months and five days. He was reared and educated in the old Hoosier state and he represented that com- monwealth as a gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil war. At the age of eighteen years he enlisted as a member of Company A. One Hundred and Thirty-second

Indiana Volunteer Infantry, John S. Tarking- ton having been captain of the company. Mr. Brown proved a faithful and valiant soldier and his honorable discharge, dated December 15, 1864, was signed by Abraham Lincoln, president of the United States, and Edwin M. Stanton, secretary of war. His marriage to Miss Matilda Mullen was solemnized in 1870, near Dwight, Illinois.

It was here in Custer county that Earl W. Brown ran the gamut of youth and received his education in the public schools. Here, too, he laid the foundation for the activities of his manhood years. On June 7, 1915, in the home of the bride, on the South Loup river, four miles cast of Georgetown, he led to the marriage altar Miss T. Leila Downey, the ceremony being performed by Rev. N. C. Johnson. Mrs. Brown is a daughter of John M. and Anna E. ( Welch) Downey, pioneers who became widely known as Mr. and Mrs. "Mack" Downey and who became the parents of nine children - Charles H. ; Mary McMil- lan; Leila Brown ; Edna Wood; Helen, who was graduated in the Broken Bow high school and who is now a teacher and a prominent playground supervisor for the Chautauqua system ; Verna, who is a stenographer in Sagi- naw, Michigan, was a commercial graduate of the Broken Bow high school; Zenadie was graduated in the Broken Bow high school and is a teacher at the present time: Gregor M. is at present attending Kearney Military Aca- demy ; D. Marlen is a student and is at home with his parents. Mary, Leila, and Edna Downey finished their education at the state normal school. The Downey family are all members of the Presbyterian church. The father was an old-time landsman who came to Custer county nearly forty years ago.

Mr. and Mrs. Earl Brown are following in the footsteps of their respective parents and in addition to being representatives of two very popular families, both prominently con- nected with early-day history, they individu- ally are winning a well deserved popularity for themselves. One child. Robert E., two years of age, furnishes sunshine and good cheer for the home. Mr. Brown is farming rather extensively, as he operates his mother's farm and also 320 acres of his own. He is one of the men to be reckoned with at the present time - one of the contingent upon whom present-day responsibilities rest heav- ily. He is a farmer and stock-raiser of no mean caliber and the general appearance of his home premises denotes thrift and declares his success. He is a member of the Christian church, his wife holding membership in the Prebyterian church, and both stand for high

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

ideals and highest type of service. Mr. Brown has received the thirty-second degree of the Scottish Rite in the Masonic fraternity, and is a Republican in politics. As stated in the beginning, this prosperous son of a popular sire has paid the tribute of his life to Cnster county.

JACOB J. SEANEY. - Living in honor- able and well earned retirement in the Finch- ville vicinity, than which there is no more fertile district in all the vast domain of Cus- ter county, is a courteons gentleman who has known the privations and hardships of pio- neer life in the west and who has contributed his share to county upbuilding and food pro- duction as demanded by the present day. It is to this citizen that recognition is here ac- corded.

Mr. Seaney was born February 16, 1853, in Union county, Indiana, and is a son of Pleasant and Elnora B. Seaney, both of whon! likewise were born in the Hoosier state, and who became the parents of three children - William, Sarah Beck, and Jacob J. The father was a farmer, and he lived and died near Richmond, Indiana.

Jacob J. Seaney lived at the parental home until he attained to his legal majority. He earned his first money trapping muskrats and coons. He received good educational advan- tages, but all his life has confined his efforts to the farm. In the state of his nativity he was married, on October 3, 1878, to Miss Nancy Mendenhall, a daughter of Noah and Nancy (Gard) Mendenhall, the former a na- tive of Pennsylvania and the latter of Indiana. In Mrs. Seaney's immediate family, besides herself, were two children - Jeremiah, and Margaret Hamilton. Mr. and Mrs. Seaney came to Custer county in 1888 and located on the South Loup river, six and one-half miles southeast of where Arnold now stands. There is some contract in the condition in which Mr. Seaney arrived and that of other pioneers, for he was fairly well supplied with this world's goods when he first took up his residence here. He owns at the present time 800 acres of good land, well adapted to farming and stock-raising and in this dual occupation he has acquired most of his money. In the family circle are the following named children: Elsie is the wife of Charles T. Snyder, who lives at Snod- grass, Wyoming, and is assistant game warden of that state, and they have one daughter. Charles P., who is farming near Arnold, mar- ried Lida Bailey and they have one son. Maud M. is the wife of Ellery Kruser, a farmer in the Arnold vicinity, and they have two sons

and one daughter. Dora is the wife of Ferdi- nand Beshaler, an Arnold farmer. Elmer J. is still a bachelor and is farming his father's land.

Mrs. Seaney, the mother, died May 12, 1891. Mr. Seaney still lives on his farm, but his possessions are such as to render him care-free and to enable him to retire from active work. His land is leased and still goes on producing foodstuff for humanity. The pioneers of the '80s and '90s know of Mr. Seaney's early activities and hold him and his family in high esteem. In politics his affilia- tions are with the Republican party, and he has been always ready to assist all worthy ob- jects, the while he has been regarded as a prominent and leading spirit of the commu- nity.

NOAH MELHAM. - America, with its vast and varied opportunities for the achieve- ment of success, has attracted to its shores those of every civilized race in the world, and in every well settled community there are to be found representatives of far-distant coun- tries. Custer county is no exception to this rule, and one of its thriving communities, the enterprising little city of Sargent, has a worthy representative of far-off Syria, in the person of Noah Melham, who is successfully engaged in business as the proprietor of a general store.

Mr. Melham was born August 4, 1884. at Aumscheit, Syria, Asia Minor, and is a son of Melham Norah and Mary (Scessien) Norah, who spent their entire lives in Syria. The father was a small farmer for many years, but when overtaken by failing health he took up the occupation of charcoal burn- ing. There were eight children in the family, of whom five are living: Charlie and his wife, Jennie, reside near Sargent, and he is a farmer ; the present address of Abraham is unknown : Beade is engaged in farming near Sargent ; Noah is the subject of this review ; and Barbara is the wife of John Rohana, a farmer living in Syria. Noah Melham re- ceived his education in his native land and re- mained under the parental roof until he at- tained the age of twenty-one years, when, stirred by ambition which could not be satis- fied in his own country, he bade farewell to his parents and went to Rio de Janeiro, Bra- zil. where he remained six months. He then came to the United States and for six months was a resident of Fall River, Massachusetts, at the end of which period he turned his face to the west and in 1906 arrived at Comstock, Nebraska. For one year following his ar-

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

rival he tried his hand at farming, but this vocation did not prove congenial or remunera- tive, and the young Syrian gave up the at- tempt and began traveling as a salesman ot Watson's remedies. He thus continued for three years, during which time, through his industry and capable methods of salesman- ship, he accumulated a snug little capital. He had built up a good business, which was grow- ing rapidly, but the first of his objects was accomplished, and he sold out his route and returned to his native land, where he re- mained six months. Within that time he mar- ried Sadic Wieken, who was born in Syria, May 4, 1885, a daughter of Pete and Mach- bobe (Mahwat) Wieken, farming people of that land, where they spent their entire lives. Mrs. Melham has one brother, John, who still farms the paternal acres in Syria. Mr. and Mrs. Melham became the parents of three children, of whom two survive: Marie, born July 17, 1911 ; and Oscar, born June 2, 1913.

Upon his return to the United States from Syria, Mr. Melham again took up his resi- dence in Custer county, and again gave his attention to farming. This he followed with some degree of success for six years, but, once having experienced the attractions of commercial life, he was irresistably drawn back into business affairs, and he eventually sold out his farming interests and opened a general store at Sargent. This he has con- tinued to conduct with constantly growing suc- cess, a feature of his business being the hand- ling of the. proprietary articles known as Watson's remedies. A man of pleasing per- sonality, courteous, obliging, he has made scores of friends in his adopted land and this fact perhaps has contributed as much to his success as have his untiring industry and his native business ability.

MARSHALL E. EDDY. ex-county treas- urer of Custer county, furnishes in his career another exemplification of self-made manhood. Thrown upon his own resources at the tender age of eleven years, he has won his way to business success and public influence, and at present he is extending the scope of his useful- ness to the work of education, religion and na- tional patriotism. In consonance with the reg- ulation that a county treasurer may serve only two consecutive terms. Mr. Eddy retired from this office at the end of the year 1918, after having served two terms. He was born May 5. 1857, in Canada, and is a son of Stephen P. and Margaret Jane ( Finlay ) Eddy.

The Eddy family originated in England.

whence its early representatives came to Amer- ica prior to the Revolutionary war, in which several bearing the farmily name participated. For some years the family resided in New York state, where Harden Eddy, the paternal grandfather of Marshall E. Eddy, passed his life as an agriculturist, and there also, for a a time, lived the maternal grandfather. Henry Finlay, who was a native of Ireland. Stephen Eddy was born, reared. and educated in the Empire state, and after his marriage went to Canada, where for a few years he was engaged in business as a contractor for brick and stone work. He subsequently returned to New York. but in 1877 he removed to Michigan. where both he and his wife were residents of Bay City at the time of their death. They had nine children of whom five are living. Charles H .. an invalid. is proprietor of a shooting gal- lery at Unionville. Michigan : Mary is the wife of James Ormisten, a land man of Alberta. Canada: Margaret J. is the wife of C. C. Honeywell, a farmer in the vicinity of Union- ville, Michigan : Marshall E. is the subject of this sketch; and S. R. is a painter at Mar- quette, Michigan. The family has been affili- ated with the Methodist Episcopal church. Two of the uncles of Marshall E. Eddy took part in the Civil war, as Union soldiers. One, Carle- ton Eddy, was wounded in the last battle of the war and never recovered from his injuries. dying a few years later : the other, Philo, was in the engineer corps, and returned safely to his home.

Marshall E. Eddy, as noted above, was called upon to make his own way in the world when he was still a child, and for the most part he educated himself. although he attended the public schools of Canada and Bradford, Penn- sylvania. He equipped himself so well that he was able to secure a teacher's certificate, and for several years he taught school near Bradford, being present during the big excite- ment in the oil fields, about 1879. From that community he came to Exeter, Nebraska, where he taught school for one year, following which he turned his attention to agriculture and began working a homestead in Custer county, twelve miles west of Merna. He was courageous and persistent enough to remain until he paid out on his claim, and he then transferred his base of activities to Merna. where he took charge of an implement business for the firm of Holland & McDonald. After working for this concern three years, he re- ceived and accepted an advantageous and at- tractive offer from the Deering Harvester Company, and for six or seven years he was a traveling salesman for this famous corpor-

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

MARSHALL E. EDDY

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

ation. When he resigned and left the road it was to form a partnership with Mac Johnson. in a ranch located in the northern part of Custer county, where they handled 300 to 400 head of cattle, but Mr. Eddy later sold his in- terests to his partner and bought a tract of land at the townsite of Merna, where for three years he was engaged in farming. Next he was one of the founders of the institution known as the Home Bank of Merna, and about that time was also instrumental in the erection of several large structures there, including a mod- ern hotel and opera house. When he sold his bank, after operating it for three years. he came to Broken Bow to assume the duties of deputy county treasurer, under Clarence Mack- ey, and he held that position for five years. During this time he gained in full degree the confidence and respect of his fellow citizens and when the opportunity came they elected him to the county treasurership, his record in that office being such a splendid one that when he appeared for re-election he was given a majority of 1,700 votes, on the Democratic ticket, in a county that is largely Republican. He retired from office in January, 1919.

Mr. Eddy was married November 10, 1888, to Miss Frances J. Reader, who was born in Wisconsin, a daughter of Henry and Wilhel- mina Reader, the former a native of New York and the latter of Switzerland. They were early settlers of Wisconsin, from which state they drove to Iowa in an ox-cart. as early residents, and about 1882 changed their home to Nebras- ka. where they passed the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Eddy was educated at Osceola, Iowa, and after teaching school in lowa two terms spent the same length of time in teach-

ing at Broken Bow. She is a member of the Christian Science church and is one of the highly intellectual and well informed ladies of her adopted city. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Eddy, of whom the first born, Carl. died at the age of nine months. Euroia Pearl has for the past two years been engaged in Chautauqua work, and is now man- ager of a troupe of girls, touring the New England states, she herself being a brilliant reader and gifted and a talented singer. She received her early education at Merna. follow- ing which she was sent by her parents to Brow- nell Hall, at Omaha, and her musical training was completed at Northwestern University. Chicago, and the Boston Conservatory of Music. Vera M., the youngest child, was edu- cated at Merna and Brownell Hall. Omaha. following which she took a three years' course in the Mechanics Institute of Rochester, New York, from which she secured a diploma in

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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 65

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