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 67

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 67

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In the Martin home to-day are three chil- dren - Erma F., who is a young ninth-grade student ; Otha O., who has climbed to the eighth grade; and Kenneth A., who stands on the seventh rung of the educational ladder. All are at home and are promising candidates for future usefulness.

Mr. and Mrs. Martin came to Custer county in 1905 and bought the farm known as the Solomon Yoden place, in Roten valley - a property described above as being seventeen miles southwest of Callaway. Mr. Martin farms. 110 acres. He has made his money by mixed farming, in which he has turned off a good many hogs and cattle. He gives some attention to dairying and in 1918 he sold four hundred and seventy-four dollars' worth of cream from seven cows. When it comes to handling stock on the farm Mr. Martin has a notion that only the best quality pays, and ac- cordingly he keeps the best that can be pro- cured. He has a pleasant home, a profitable farm, is thrifty and prosperous, and he and his wife enjoy the confidence and respect of their neighbors. Their religious affiliation is with the Methodist Episcopal church.

LESTER D. KIRKPATRICK. - Here is a title-line name widely known in Custer county ; here is the story of a young man who is essentially a Custer county product, who is at the present time a very extensive operator in food production, and who has already laid the foundations of an unusually successful ca- reer.

Lester D. Kirkpatrick was born in Broken Bow, Nebraska, October 30, 1885, and is the second son of John S. and Isabel (Croft) Kirkpatrick, his father having been a well known early-day lawyer whose residence was in the county-seat town. Lester D. Kirk- patrick is one of a family of seven children - John C., Lester D., Harrison M., Ina B., Ruth, Marie, and Marion. His sister Ina is a law graduate. . His youngest brother, Marion, is at the time of this writing, somewhere on the French coast, in the naval service of the United States. John C., the eldest brother, is estab-

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

lished on a ranch of 3,000 acres, owned by his father, in Brown county, Nebraska. Harri- son A1. is a lawyer by profession and is en gaged in practice at Idabel, Oklahoma. Ruth is the wife of Franz Jansen and they reside in Kansas City. Marie is the wife of Wil- lard MI. Bohart, of Plattsmouth, Missouri.

Lester D. Kirkpatrick left Broken Bow with his parents when his father moved to Lincoln, after having been appointed a commissioner of the supreme court, on the bench of which he served four years. Lester was graduated in the Lincoln high school and also took a course in the Lincoln Business College. In 1904 he enlisted in the coast artillery division of the regular army, stationed at Fort Hunt, Virginia. He served thirteen months and, not liking regular army life, bought his dis- charge and went to Kansas City, where his father's family was located. There he at- tended the Kansas City Business College, which gave him an additional educational equipment. When through school he returned to Custer county and took charge of one of his father's farms, about eight miles west of Broken Bow.

March 2, 1907, recorded the marriage of Mr. Kirkpatrick to Gertrude Reinhard, a daughter of John and Mary Reinhard, living near Mckinley postoffice in Custer county. An extended reference to this family is found elsewhere in this volume.

The family circle of Mr. and Mrs. Lester D. Kirkpatrick has been increased by the ad- vent of three children - Marion, aged eight ; Helen, aged six, and Eugene; aged four ( 1918). These are bright young children, full of hope and promise. At the present time Mr. Kirkpatrick is operating a ranch which belongs to his father and is located in the Sells valley. seventeen miles south of Callaway. The hold- ings comprise 1,540 acres, of which 750 are in cultivation and used for crop production. The remainder of the land is used for grazing pur- poses and has helped to produce army beef. so much needed in connection with the great world war. Aside from his local operations Mr. Kirkpatrick deals in stock, which he buys and sells, and he is considered a "live wire" in the community. He expects the home place to ship out each year at least 200 head of cat- tle and 100 head of hogs. This makes Mr. Kirkpatrick an extensive producer and a very valuable citizen, especially at this time. In politics, Mr. Kirkpatrick affiliates with the Democratic party. Both he and his wife have a good standing in the community and are rated as "\ No. 1" in all progressive move- ments.

JOSEPH D. HAUENSTINE. - The farmers of the Callaway district seem to be uniformly prosperous and possessed of a common thrift that has distinguished their lo- cality. This story concerns a man who has contributed and is contributing to that repu- tation.

Joseph D. Hauenstine was born August 10, 1859, in Chatham, Licking county, Ohio. He is a son of Jacob H. and Lucinda (Dull ) H fauenstine, who were both natives of Penn- sylvania and were very estimable people. The stork served them well and brought to their domicile fourteen children, only five of whom are living at the present time. They are Jacob W., Joseph D. (the subject of this sketch), Mrs. Matilda Bellmire, Mrs. Lucinda Readhead, and Mrs. Ida F. Byler.

During his early life Joseph D. Hauenstine attended the country school and formed stu- dions and industrious habits which have shaped the course of his entire life. His first money was spent for a slate and pencil, and very early in his career he formed a habit - which de- veloped into a hobby - of making scrapbooks out of clippings from newspapers. These books he has preserved through the years, and to-day they show not only his wide range of reading but also the course his mind has taken in all public events. In addition to his scrap- book filing, he has kept a faithful diary, and some day these daily accounts will be very in- teresting reading. His father, although a cooper by occupation, owned a farm, and here young J. O., as he was familiarly called, put in his first years and began the reading which has made him a well informed man on all sub- jects.

Mr. Hanenstine came to Nebraska in 1882 and to Custer county in 1886. Here he took a homestead and tree claim. During the drouth period of 1894 he relinquished his homestead to the man who held a mortgage on it, for $350. The farm is now a very valuable one.

August 24, 1892, at Lexington, was solemn- ized the marriage of Mr. Hauenstine to Miss Minerva O. Osborn, who was born in Ken- tucky, the daughter of David M. and Mary ( Gilbert ) Osborn, both of whom were na- tives of the Hoosier state. In the Osborn family were seven children. Aside from Mrs. Hauenstine they were Alwilda Ashley, O. Scott, Wesley, Lizzie Henry, Noah C., and Francis Osborn. The family belonged to the Evangelical church.

Mr. and Mrs. Hauenstine established and have maintained a comfortable home and they have reared a family of five children, all of

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

whom are promising candidates for future usefulness. The children are Florence, Elsie. Edith, Raymond, and Hazel I., all of whom are in school-either at home or in the high school at Callaway, where Miss Edith is pur- suing her studies.

The hardships and trials of pioneer days are known to Mr. and Mrs. Hauenstine. They have weathered storms and drouths, and they have surmounted difficulties that would have discouraged less dauntless spirits. They have conquered their difficulties and are to- day well and pleasantly located, surrounded by the rewards of their toil. They own the orig- inal tree claim and the total area of their Cus- ter county holdings is 375 acres, beside which Mr. Hauenstine still owns the old homestead of his father in Knox county, Ohio. He and his wife, who has been a true helpmeet, have made their money in farming and stock-rais- ing. They have emphasized dairying and to- day their dairying operations are made more profitable than ever, by the use of an under- ground silo which is unique in its construe- tion and very profitable as a forage preserver for milch stock and all grades of young cattle.

The Hauenstines are regarded as fine peo- ple, and are well esteemed by their neighbors. Mr. Hauenstine exercises a good deal of in- dependence in polities.

CHARLES B. PEARCE is one of the most prominent and prosperous exponents of farm enterprise in the Arnold section of Custer county and is a liberal and progressive citizen who well merits recognition in this publication.

Mr. Pearce claims the fine old Hoosier state as the place of his nativity and is a scion of one of the sterling pioneer families of that commonwealth. He was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, on the 27th of July, 1865, and is a son of Washington Allen Pearce and Su- sanna (MleClure) Pearce, the former of whom was born in Sullivan county, Indiana, in 1813, and the latter of whom was born in Kentucky, in 1821, she having been eight years of age at the time of her parents' removal to Indiana, where she was reared to maturity and where her marriage was solemnized. Washington A. Pearce continued to be identified with agri- cultural industry in his native state until 1876. when he removed with his family to Missouri. where he passed the remainder of his life, the subject of this review being the youngest of the family of eleven children.

In the public schools of Indiana Charles B. Pearce acquired his early educational discipline and lie was about eleven years of age at the time of the family removal to Missouri, where

he continued his studies in the public schools, when opportunity afforded, and where also he gained full fellowship with the sturdy work of the home farm.

In 1887, within a short time after attaining to his legal majority, Mr. Pearce, animated by his full share of ambition and self-reliance, made his way to Custer county, Nebraska, where he cast in his lot with the pioneers of that day. Here he pre-empted a quarter-sec- tion of land, and the same constituted the nucleus around which he has developed his present large and valuable landed estate, his home ranch to-day comprising a full section of 640 aeres, of which 250 acres are main- tained under a high state of cultivation, and here Mr. l'earce devotes himself vigorously and successfully to diversified agriculture and stock-raising. He gives special attention to the breeding and growing of hogs, and for several years past two car-loads of hogs have. been marketed from this farm each year. On the place Mr. Pearce keeps an average of forty head of cattle and twenty-five head of good horses, while the yards show a fine flock of thoroughbred Rhode Island Red chickens, the poultry exhibit being really one of the attrae- tions of the farm. Enterprising policies and wise management characterize the varied op- erations of Mr. Pearce, and thus he gains the maximum returns from his well ordered activi- ties as a representative husbandman of Custer county.

The domestic relations of Mr. Pearce had their inception in 1891, when he led to the marriage altar Miss Sylvia Campbell, who was born in Iowa and who came with her mother to Custer county in 1884. Mrs. Pearce has proved the gracious and popular chatelaine of the pleasant home and has con- tributed greatly to the success of her husband. They have four children, concerning whom the following record is consistently entered. the ages noted being applicable at the opening of the year 1919: Vera, aged twenty-six years, is a Red Cross nurse and at the time of this writing is stationed at Camp Cody, New Mexico. She is a graduate of the training school for nurses that is maintained in connec- tion with St. Luke's hospital in the city of Denver, Colorado, and has been in the Red Cross service for several months. Cecil, aged seventeen years; Gladys, aged thirteen ; and Nolan. aged ten, all remain at the parental home and are duly profiting by the advantages of the public schools.

With naught of exaggeration or inconsis- tency, it may be stated that Mr. and Mrs. Pearce are leaders in their community, where they have been active promoters and supporters

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

of all helpful enterprises. Mr. Pearce has contributed community service from time to time by holding some of the local district or township offices, and at the time of this writ- ing he is giving efficient service as township clerk. He is a successful, progressive farmer who attributes much of his success to a faith- ful following of the mixed-erop policy in his farm activities. He and his wife hold mem- bership in the Methodist Episcopal church and are popular factors in the best social life of their home community.

JOHN T. MARONEY. - Credit this young farmer of Irish extraction to the An- selmo region. Give Anselmo credit for his thrift and enterprise, and let it be known that Custer county, in common with most other sections of this great country, is deeply in- debted to Irish-American blood.

John T. Maroney is a native of Custer county. It was here that he discovered Amer- ica in 1889. He is the son of Timothy Ma- roney, a familiar character in Anselmo. In the father's family were two children. John T. and his sister, Mary Knoell, of New Helena. John T. Maroney, himself a native of the county, married a native daughter of the county when, on April 26, 1911, he led to the marriage altar Miss Ora Ross. who was born in the year 1890 and is a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Jonas Ross. Since their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Maroney have maintained a representative Custer county home and by provident energy have supplied it with necessities and comforts as occasion required. Three children furnish the household with sunshine and banish lonesome- ness. Kenneth, aged six years, Paul, aged four years, and Richard, aged one year ( 1918). will soon be large enough to assume the man- agement of household affairs. Mr. Maronev and his family live on his father's land, upon which are good improvements and 160 acres of which are in cultivation. He has a good grade of stock, which consists of fifty head of cattle, twenty-one head of horses, and ten head of fine-grade hogs. These form a foun- dation of the .herds Mr. Maroney expects to own when a few more years have come and gone. They constitute the nucleus of a for- tune which he anticipates will be large enough to permit his retirement after the strenuous years of middle life are past. He and his wife have lived eight years on the place and are making good in more ways than one. John's early education was in the public schools and later in the Long public school of Omaha, of which he is a graduate. He is in-

dependent in politics and stands for anything that is helpful to the community Speaking of the opportunities in this country for making money, he remarks that when eleven years of age, he made his first money by loading hay, and for this service his employer gave him two dollars, which was almost, if not quite, a man's wages. Mr. and Mrs. Maroney are members of the Catholic church. They are good neighbors and enjoy the confidence of their many friends.

HOMER M. SULLIVAN, of Broken Bow, Nebraska, was born in Davis county, Iowa, May 1, 1857, and is a son of David L. and Re- becca ( Morris) Sullivan. He began the study of law in the office of Payne & Eckleberger, at Bloomfield, Iowa. He taught school until 1883, when he was admitted to the bar. In the fall of 1884 he came to Broken Bow and began the practice of his profession with Au- gustin R. Humphrey, with whom he was as- sociated until 1890. He then formed a part- nership with C. L. Gutterson, and this alliance continued until he was appointed judge of the district court, by Governor Ilolcomb, to fill the vacancy caused by the election of Judge William L. Greene to congress.

In the fall of 1897, Judge Sullivan was elected to fill out the term, and he was re- elected for the full term in 1899. He was county attorney of Custer county for one term. 1887-88.

Judge Sullivan affiliated with the Republican party until 1896, when he allied himself with the Populist party. In November. 1880. he married Miss Ella Turner, of Agency City. Iowa, and five children, four daughters and one son, have been born to them - Ina. Jennie, Lynn, Alma, and Elma.

AUGUST OSTRAND. - A resident of Custer county during a period of thirty-five years, Mr. Ostrand here acquired a homestead on the 9th of June, 1884, since which time he has advanced himself to a position of substan- tial prominence among the agriculturists of his community, near Mason City, where he is now conducting general farm operations on a half- section of land, with due attention given to diversified agriculture and stock-raising. Mr. Ostrand is a native of Sweden, where he was born January 5. 1850, and he is a son of John R. and Breta (Oleson) Ostrand, who passed their entire lives in their native land.

August Ostrand was educated in the schools of his native country, where also he early learned the lessons of practical industry. In

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

1872 he came to the United States and found employment in a furnace manufactory at De- Kalb, Illinois. He later returned to Sweden, where he remained for some time, and upon coming again to the United States he sought ways and means to lay the foundation for in- dividual independence and success. In 1884 he came to Custer county, Nebraska, and made permanent settlement. He secured in that vear a homestead claim near Mason City, and this property he still owns. To the same he has added from time to time, as his financial resources have warranted and his judgment dictated, with the result that he is now the owner of a half-section of land, in addition to other valuable real estate. His residence farm is situated in section 6, township 13, range 18. where he has an attractive residence and other substantial buildings, as well as being pro- vided with modern implements and machinery with which to lighten farm labor and add to the success of his operations. While general farming has been his principal business, Mr Ostrand has been successful also in the raising of cattle and hogs, and each year he ships live -- stock to the leading markets. He is progres- sive and energetic and maintains a reputation for integrity in business and for public spirit as a citizen. He is affiliated with the Masonic fraternity and the Modern Woodmen of Amer- ica, and the religious faith of the family is that of the Presbyterian church.

On the 30th of November, 1879, Mr. Os- trand was united in marriage to Miss Breta Carolina Olsen, and concerning their children the following brief record is available: Con- stantine, who was born in Sweden, is now en- gaged in farming in Custer county ; Anna is the wife of Harley Johnson, likewise an agri- culturist in this county ; Lavina is the wife of L. G. Kleckner ; John R., at the time of this writing, is with the American Expeditionary Forces in France : Hattie is a popular teacher in the public schools of Mason City ; Bettie is the wife of Lee Fisher, a farmer of this county : William and Benjamin remain at the parental home : and Clara is attending the pub- lic schools at Mason City.

E. C. HOUSE. - One of the oldest real- estate, loan, and insurance enterprises of Broken Bow is that established in 1886 by E. C. House. The founder was an excellent can- didate for a successful real-estate business, for he had formerly had experience in the same line, and the field which he chose as his scene of operations was an advantageous one, both- from the town and country standpoints, the while he pursued clean methods and made his

word and judgment respected. The result is a business which is not only financially profit- able but has also placed the community in a favorable light before those living in adjacent towns and country. The business is now con- ducted under the title of E. C. House & Son.

E. C. House was born at Moundville, Mar- quette county, Wisconsin, June 28, 1858, a son of James David and Francis (Turner ) House, natives of London, England, where they mar- ried and where several of their children were born. Coming to the United States in 1848, the family settled in Wisconsin, where the father became a successful farmer, and where his death occurred in 1865. He was a stanch Republican, and he and his wife were con- sistent members of the Episcopal church, four of their sons and one daughter having their names registered in the church at St. Johns- wood, England. There were ten children in the family, of whom eight are living: Nate J., who is a retired citizen of Canton, South Dakota, served four years and three months as a soldier of the Union during the Civil war ; John, who is a retired citizen of Morris, Minnesota, enlisted for one year in the Union army at the outbreak of the Civil war, was wounded in the first battle of Bull Run, where he was taken prisoner, and spent the following eleven months in Libby and Andersonville Prisons before being exchanged and honorably discharged ; William is living retired at Arling- ton, Iowa ; Eliza is the wife of George Falk- ner, a farmer of Glenwood, Minnesota ; Julia is the wife of J. E. Cowen, a retired citizen of Fresno, California; Mrs. Anna Bates is a widow and resides at Arlington, Iowa ; Emma is the wife of Mr. Broten, who is in the crean- separator business at Grand Forks, Minnesota.

E. C. House received his education in the common schools of Portage City, Wisconsin, and for his first occupation learned the sad- dlery business, in which he was engaged for some time, subsequently turning his attention to the insurance field. Later he displayed tal- ent as a real-estate operator and insurance salesman, and his business grew to such im- portance that he subordinated all else to it. In 1886 he came to Broken Bow, where he es- tablished himself in the same line, and in more recent years he admitted his son to part- nership, under the firm style of E. C. House & Son. The prosperity which has attended this firm has been the direct result of industry and the following out of an honorable policy in conducting a general real-estate, loan, and insurance business. Mr. House is a Royal Arch Mason, and during an early day he held the chairs of senior deacon and junior warden in the chapter. He is a stalwart Republican,

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

and he and Mrs. House, as well as their chil- dren, belong to Saint John's church. Protestant Episcopal.

July 2, 1890. Mr. House married Miss Susie I. Cole, who was born at Champaign, Illinois. She is a daughter of W. D. Cole, an agricul- turist, who came to Broken Bow in 1888. To Mr. and Mrs. House there have been born two children : Adella is the wife of Harry B. Tierney, a managing chemist with interests at Antioch, Sheridan county. Nebraska ; and Na- thaniel J., still a bachelor, is junior member of the firm of F. C. House & Son, he being a graduate of the Broken Bow high school, class of 1913. Nathaniel J. House, who was born August 20. 1894, is a blue lodge and chapter Mason, and is one of the energetic and pro- gressive young business men of Broken Bow.

RICHARD BELLIS. - Of the old and honored residents of Custer county. few have combined in greater or more successful degrees the qualities which make for individual success and those which are helpful to their fellow men than has Richard Bellis, prosperous farmer and extensive landholder, and minister of the Church of God. Mr. Bellis has reached the age of eighty-one years and, while he has somewhat relaxed from the strenuous labors of a decade or so ago. he still attends to the daily routine of his farming affairs, and continues to minister to the spiritual needs of his church's people.

Richard Bellis is a native of Wales, born February 14. 1837. his parents being Robert and Hannah ( Bill) Bellis, neither of whom ever left their native land. Robert Bellis be- gan life as a butcher, but in later years adopted the vocation of farming. By his first wife he had a family of four children. all deceased. and by his second mariage he had eight children. of whom Richard is the only survivor. Richard Bellis was given his early education in the pub- lic schools of Wales, and while his training was not far out of the ordinary his mind was so receptive and retentive that he gained a much better schooling than the majority of his com- panions with the same advantages. Through- out his life he has continued to be a great read- er and keen observer. with the result that to- day he is an extremely well educated man and a clear and logical thinker. Shortly after his eighteenth birthday he left his home in Wales and came to America. He arrived in New York City February 22. 1855. For one year thereafter he remained in the Empire state. and he then removed to Illinois, where he made his home for two years and was em- ployed as clerk. Ile came to Nebraska in

1879 and was numbered among the pioneers of Hamilton county, where he bought land and resided for ten years, carrying on farming It is to be understood that when he came to this country he had little or no capital, that his early struggles were exceedingly hard, and that every dollar he possesses to-day has been gained through his own efforts. When he left Hamilton county. Mr. Bellis came to Custer county and homesteaded a property. and here he has continued to reside to the present time. He erected all the buildings which are now located on his quarter-section. in sections 9 and 39. in addition to which he made all the other improvements which make this property so valuable and productive. Car- rying on mixed farming operations in an in- dustrious way and according to modern meth- ods of procedure, he won success such as comes to but few, and he is now able to en- joy the comforts and conveniences which are the rewards of a life of earnest effort. clean living, and probity.

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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 67

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