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 94

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 94

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John A. Kenyon was given excellent edu- cational advantages in his youth, first attend- ing the public schools of Gage county and sub- sequently the normal school at Peru, this state. When he entered upon his independent career it was as a Gage county farmer, and that county was his home for approximately ten years. Within this time, on September 12,

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY. NEBRASKA

1875, he married Miss Isabel Fuller, and in 1885 they came to Custer county and settled on the homestead, four miles from Sargent, on which they resided for twenty-seven years. In this period, through industry and good man- agement, Mr. Kenyon achieved marked suc- cess and a position among the leading agri- culturists of his locality. In 1912 he disposed of his landed interests there and came to Sar- gent, where he entered the furniture and un- dertaking business, and hy honest, and earnest work he has built up an important business in both branches. His name is one honored in business circles as that of a man of the strict- est integrity and highest principles.

Mr. Kenyon is prominent in Masonic af- fairs, having held several offices in Swastika Lodge, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, at Sargent, and he is affiliated also with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows. He is a Democrat in his political views, and he and Mrs. Kenyon are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They are the parents of seven children: Maude is the wife of Frank Sutton, a farmer six miles west of Sargent ; Oscar is married and is a resident of Hast- ings, Nebraska: Edith is the wife of Walter Sutton, of Sargent, who enlisted in the United States Army and is now a police guard in Missouri ; Lulu is the wife of Charles Ford, a farmer near Sargent: Ralph, of San Fran- cisco, is married and is a member of the United States Navy ; Miss Nellie remains with her parents ; and Hugh, who enlisted in the United States Navy. is stationed at San Fran- cisco. California, at the time of this writing.

WILLIAM V. SPURGEON. -- Mingled with the old settlers and extensive farmers of the south Loup country is a fine array of young men who are in the first flush of farm- ing activities. These are the men upon whom the future must depend; they are the ones moving rapidly to the center of the stage and must soon take the place of the stalwart pro- ducers who to-day by their production are meeting the demands of the consuming class. William V. Spurgeon belongs to this coterie.

Mr. Spurgeon was born in Johnson county, Nebraska, and is a son of Albert V. Spurgeon. who is still active, and who is conducting a general farming and stock-raising business in Moffet county, Colorado. In the father's fam- ily were three children : Mattie Van Wey. whose husband is a plasterer, is living in Kear- ney, Nebraska ; William V., whom this story concerns, was the second born; and Merle lives on a farm in Dawson county.

William V. Spurgeon was married in 1912.

at Burroak church, to Ruth McSherry a daughter of Mrs. McSherry Wodruff. They have one child, Bruce, who was born in Custer county.

The first farming operations of the Spur- geons were in Johnson county. From there they went to Missouri, and then to Louisiana, where they resided three years, and where the subject of this review had some exper- ience in raising rice. From the south they moved to Kearney, Nebraska, and from Kear- ney to Custer county. At the present time Mr. Spurgeon is located on a ranch of 500 acres, where every department of general farming receives attention. Hogs of a high grade, belonging to the Duroc variety, come in for special attention ; the cattle also are of a finc quality ; the horse power by which ranch work is carried on is provided by horses of a finc type. The grade of stock and the carc- ful cultivation of the land insure prosperity. and in a few more years this young farmer will rank with the most substantial in the community. Mr. Spurgeon is independent in politics and both he and his wife belong to the Presbyterian church.

Custer county is a splendid home for such young people ; it is the land of opportunity. and with their energy and frugality they are bound to succeed.

JOSEPH FORTIK, JR., the vigorous young farmer whom this sketch concerns, is fast building for himself a modest fortune, in for- tifying himself against that proverbial day in which much rain is supposed to fall. His his- tory is not hard to tell and is closely identified with Nebraska, which has been his home from the time of his birth. He was formerly en- gaged in farming south of Ansley, Custer county, but now resides at Overton, Dawson county.

Joseph's history is not hard to tell. He was born in Saline county, Nebraska, in 1881, and is a son of Joseph Fortik, whose family his- tory is outlined in other paragraphs of this volume. The majority of young Fortik's life has been spent in Custer county. Here he graduated from the youthful experiences of boyhood days, here he received his education, here he began farming operations for himself. and here, too, he was married, on the 15th day of October. 1917, at which time he lead to the marriage altar Mary Stenbach, from Overton. Dawson county. The parents of Mrs. Fortik became prominent pioneers of Dawson county, where they are well and widely known. Joseph Fortik is a careful and painstaking farmer, is a splendid judge of live stock and is an adept

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

in caring for the same. He breeds good strains of all kinds of stock, believing that it is easier and cheaper to keep good stock than poor, and that greater profit can be expected from the better grades. He operated in Cus- ter county a farm of 160 acres upon which are good improvements and which shows a high state of cultivation. Though still young in years, Joseph has gained an enviable reputa- tion as a farmer, and recently he has trans- ferred his stage of operations to Dawson county.

Socially, Mr. Fortik belongs to the Modern Woodmen and takes great interest in its pro- motion and benefit. He is an independent voter, claiming the right to vote always for the candidate whom he considers to be best for the office. Whether that candidate is Demo- crat or Republican matters little to him. The members of he family are communicants of the Catholic church. Mr. Fortik and his wife are likable people and well esteemed in their home community.

JOSEPH WOLNICZEK .- Down in the vicinity of the Cliff Table is the thrifty, inde- pendent farmer whose name heads this para- graph.

Joseph Wolniczek is thirty-two years of age and in the full vigor of his manhood. His father. Matt Wolniczek was a native of Ger- man-Poland and he died in the spring of 1918, at the age of seventy-five years. The mother, Julia ( Scholz) Wolniczek, was born in Mora- via and still living, at the age of sixty-five years. The parents were married thirty- four years ago, at Osceola. Nebraska. The father came to this country and home- steaded 160 acres and filed on a timber claim. in 1884. He commenced with nothing. When he landed at Columbus, Nebraska, his first stopping place, his exchequer contained just five cents ; but frugality and thrift overcame all difficulties and settled all questions of the future, so far as finances were concerned. The primitive house of sod has been replaced with a better building, and Joseph Wolniczek, who has lived on the old homestead from the time of his birth, finds himself well located to-day. the possessor of 950 good acres, well stocked with good grades of cattle. hogs, and horses. while Mrs. Wolniczek has a flock of pure blooded Wyandotts that attracts the attention of all passers by. All the farm machinery and outbuildings, fences. etc., make a splendid equipment for operation. Part of the barbed wire with which the place is fenced came from the famous old Olive ranch.

In 1911, Joseph W. Wolniczek married Ida

Kropatsch, who since that time has not only been the partner of his joys and sorrows, who also is to be credited with much of his suc- cess. They have three children, all of whom give promise of future usefulness : Albert is six, Carl five, Helen three years of age at the time of this writing.

Mr. and Mrs. Wolniczek belong to the Catholic church and are prominent. useful citizens of the community. Mr. Wolniczek is school director, and politically he is an inde- pendent voter. He and his wife maintain a hospitable home and he confines his farming operations to 250 acres, the remainder of the ranch being rented.

JAMES HALOUSKA. - The people from Bohemia when transplanted in America make useful citizens - prosperous. industrious farmers, or competent, energetic business men. All the tributes paid to the blood belong to him of whom these paragraphs are written.

James Halouska was born in Bohemia. in 1845. His parents, Egdi and Theresa (Kra- tochvil) Halouska, were of Bohemian extrac- tion for long generations. Their family con- sisted of four children, three sons and one daughter, all of whom, with the exception of James, are in Bohemia.

James Halouska came to the United States in 1878 and located first in Butler county, Ne- braska, where he farmed for three years, for himself. The next two years he spent in Omaha, working in a smelter; from there he removed to Valley county, where he remained five years, and finally he came to Custer county. in 1888, and leased a half-section of school land; of this he farms 130 acres and uses the remainder for pasture land. He keeps good horses, breeds good hogs and com- bines stock-raising with agricultural pursuits in a very profitable manner.

Mr. Halouska's wife, whose maiden name was Anna Mary, is a native of the same home- land and was born the same year as himself. They were married June 18, 1870, and since that time have toiled together, meeting jointly the hardships and reverses and rejoicing to- gether over victories and successes. Into their· home four children were born, all of whom are now middle-aged and out in the world making a creditable showing for themselves. Fred. the firstborn, is forty-six years of age and lives on a farm near Finchville: John, forty-two and Frank forty-one years of age, are both Custer county farmers of a very suc- cessful type ; Fannie lives in Colorado, where her husband operates a farm. In religious matters Mr. Halouska rates himself as a free-

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

thinker and claims allegiance to no denomina- tion ; his political affiliations are with the Democratic party, but he is a man of keen discernment, one who thinks for himself and votes according to the dictates of his best judgment.

DAVID T. ADAMS, the extent and variety of whose interests make him one of the lead- ing business men of Sargent, came to Custer county with his parents in 1885. After a period devoted to farming he entered commer - cial lines, and since that time his activities have invaded the fields of stock dealing, grain ele- vators and real estate, all with equal and grow- ing success, while he is likewise one of the county's large land-holders.

Mr. Adams was born at Indiana, the county seat of Indiana county, Pennsylvania, June 17. 1870, and is a son of Joseph W. and Eliza -. beth R. (Jones) Adams, the former a native of Maine and the latter of Wales. Joseph W. Adams was a farmer and a minister of the Church of God in Pennsylvania until 1883, when he moved to Clay county, Nebraska. where for two years he was engaged in farm - ing experiments. In 1885 he brought his family to Custer county, where he home- steaded, pre-empted and took a tree claim, all adjoining land, and here he remained as a farmer until his death, about 1890. He was a man of strict integrity and high principles. of unflagging industry and energy. He was a Republican in politics and fraternally was affiliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. Mrs. Adams, who survives, is still in good health and very vigorous, in spite of her eighty-seven years. There were ten chil- dren in the family: Mary is deceased ; Ocia is the wife of James McGlumphy, who is iden- tified with blast mills at Martins Ferry, Ohio; Henrietta is the wife of Emery B. Moore, a farmer of Thomas county, Nebraska; Ida B. is the wife of Ernest U. McCoy, a farmer of Spring View, Nebraska; David F. is the im- mnediate subject of this sketch ; Samuel G., who married Ella R. Andrews, is a livery owner at Sargent ; William is deceased; James B. and Sylvester are twins : the former married Nancy B. Pettit and is a farmer at Creigh. Colorado. and the latter is deceased ; and Allen L., who married Rhetta Hommon, is a carpenter at Thedford, Nebraska.

David T. Adams was educated in the pub- lic schools of Pennsylvania, and was fifteen years of age when he accompanied his parents to Custer county, where he was engaged in farming for his father until shortly after he had passed his majority. He was married

December 13, 1891, at Somerford, Nebraska. to Ida E. Ferris, daughter of William and Emmeline E. (Huntley) Ferris, and to this union there were born three children: Ocia is the wife of Charles V. Gatliff, a farmer and stock-raiser near Sargent; John Q., who also is a farmer and stockman near Sargent, mar- ried Moselle Dudley : and Wesley E., who was born January 17, 1899, resides with his par- ents.

After his marriage Mr. Adams was inde pendently engaged in farming in Custer county for sixteen years, and he then changed his center of activities to Sargent, where he en- tered the live-stock business, in partnership with Charles Parks, under the firm name of Parks & Adams. Later he purchased Mr. Parks' interest, but subsequently sold the yards to P. H. Leininger. He re-entered the busi- ness when he bought what were known as the Fred Cram yards, which he still owns. He entered the grain-elevator business when he purchased from F. A. Gustafson what was known as the Coburn elevator, which he op- erated three years, then increasing the busi- ness by buying the J. H. Currie elevator, which he still retains. During this time he also op- erated heavily in real estate, and he con- tinues to be the medium through which some large transactions are conducted. In addi- tion to the foregoing interests, Mr. Adams is an extensive farm owner, having 130 acres within the city limits of Sargent, as well as a ranch of 1810 acres in the northern part of Custer county, this being fully stocked with a good grade of cattle and hogs.

Mr. Adams' status as a business man is one generally recognized by his associates, who have come to depend upon his integrity no less than they have upon his judgment, astute- ness and splendid ability. As a citizen he has always shown himself progressive, and his assistance has done much to promote and carry through to a successful conclusion measures which have resulted in a betterment of condi - tions in civic affairs. His political support is given to the Republican party.

WILLIAM POWERS. - In this title line is given the name of a very successful farmer and one who has helped to make present-day conditions in Custer county - a man who has rcared a large family and is one of the de- pendable spirits in his local community.

Mr. Powers was born in Kendall county. Illinois, in 1851, which date brings him now seven years across the sixty-year line. His father was Luke and his mother was Ellen (Canfield) Powers, both natives of Ireland.

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

The father was married twice and by these unions became the father of eleven children. The parents came to this country and ended their days in Illinois. Both were adherents of the Catholic church.

In 1885 William Powers led to the marriage altar Miss Mary Foran, who was born in Illi- nois and who is a sister of James, Dominic, and Thomas Foran, all of whom are men- tioned elsewhere in this volume.

The home established by Mr. and Mrs. Pow- ers became the domicile of a large family of children : Loreta Dooley lives in South Dakota : Minnie Hickey lives in Custer county ; Fannie Snyder also lives in the county and, like her sister, presides over a farm home; Rose Condon lives in Anselmo, this county ; Flor- ence Lynch lives in the county, on a farm ; Kate, Lizzie, and Blanche are all successful school teachers; Dorothy lives at home ; Evelyn is at home and is attending school ; Martin, Arthur, and Leo are all at home and make themselves useful on the ranch.

In the early days of 1884 Mr. Powers lo- cated his homestead and began his career in this county. Later he took a pre-emption claim, and these government filings, augmented by land purchased, make to-day a splendid ranch, of which 275 acres are good farm land. The place is well improved and carries on an average 100 head of good grade cattle. aside from a splendid contigent of horses and hogs. During the early days the family occupied a sod house and they began their farming op- erations in an exceedingly modest way. They conquered their difficulties, however, and have reached the place of competency and comfort.

For the last thirty-one years Mr. Powers has been a member of the local school board and has been rated as one of the leaders in the local community. The religious connections of the family are with the Catholic church, and the political affiliations of Mr. Powers are with the Democratic party. . Mr. and Mrs. Powers are splendid neighbors and both en- joy the confidence of a large circle of friends and acquaintances.

DOMINIC FORAN. - Over in the west- ern portion of the county the name of Foran is widely known and belongs to a respected, industrious family in which there are several brothers - sons of a worthy sire who has reared his family in such a way as to make the name respected and influential in local circles.

The subject of this sketch, Dominic Foran, was born in the famous city of Joliet, Illinois, in the year 1863. At the age of twenty-two

years he came to Custer county and located a homestead, upon which he began his western career and ran the gamut of pioneer life. Hard work and privations could not daunt his courage, and to-day he has domonstrated what energy and good management can do. The homestead of 160 acres has grown into a full section, of which 175 acres are in cultivation. This, combined with the pasture land, makes an ideal and a profitable stock farm. The improvements are of a fair order and meet the requirements of the ranch.

Mr. Foran took unto himself a life partner when he led to the marriage altar Miss Minnie McGowan, who was born in Law- rence, Massachusetts, in 1869. Mrs. Foran is a lady of sterling qualities and deserves much of credit for the success her husband has achieved.

Denominationally, the Forans are connected with the Catholic church, to which they pay devotion commendable to themselves and profitable to the church. Mr. Foran helped to build the church in which he is a faithful con- stituent and contributor. Politically, the Democratic party lays claim to his support. and provided that the personnel of the ticket is reputable and competent, it generally gets his vote. He has small ambition for office; the township insisted upon electing him constable in the last election, but the office did not ap- peal to his aspirations and he failed to qualify.

The Forans are preparing to take life easy : they rent out most of the land, from which they receive profitable returns. Their neigh- bors and friends concede their right to com- fortable retirement and give them the rating of good and respected neighbors.

ALFRED AMOS. - The pioneer families of Custer county who played their parts in the vital drama that has turned this section of Nebraska into a paradise for the homeseeker, developing the wilderness into busy, thriving communities of the country, have reason to hold themselves responsible for much of present-day progressiveness. While many of those who experienced the actual hardships of the early days have passed away. there still remain many who, through sheer force of will and energy, brought out of primeval con- ditions what have become twentieth-century actualities. Among these is found Alfred Amos, who was a homesteader of the year 1883, and who is now living in comfortable retirement at his home in Sargent.

Mr. Amos was born in Carroll county, Ohio. October 1. 1851, and is a son of John and Catherine (Thompson) Amos, the former

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HISTORY OF CUSTER COUNTY, NEBRASKA

a native of Pennsylvania and the latter of Ohio. The parents were married in Ohio, where the father was engaged in farming for a number of years. Subsequently he spent six years on a farm in Fayette county, Iowa, and in 1883, he came to Custer county, where he took up as a homestead the southeast quar- ter of section 21, range IS, his son Alfred se- curing the northwest quarter of the same sec- tion. The father continued to be engaged in farming until his retirement, when he dis- posed of his farm to his son Alfred and moved to Wescott, where his death occurred about 1906. Mrs. Amos survived him until May 2, 1914. They were the parents of the follow- ing children: Alfred is the immediate sub- ject of this sketch; Kirk, who married Belle Meyers, is a retired farmer of Sargent ; Zachariah, who married Ara Love, is a re- tired farmer of Sargent; Angeline, who is deceased, was the wife of John Slates, re- tired, of Wyoming; the next daughter mar- ried Gene Westervelt, an editor of Scotts- bluff: Emma is the wife of Alexander Mc- Cune, a farmer of Westerville; Nora is the wife of Eli Armstrong, a retired farmer of Broken Bow; and William, who married Eva Campbell, is living retired, at Sargent.

Alfred Amos attended the public schools of Ohio, where he worked on the home farm with his father, as he did also in Iowa, and when the family came to Custer county, in 1883, he homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 21, township 18, range 18. He farmed that property about twenty years, but when his father retired, he took over the elder man's property and sold his own farm to his brother William. For eleven years there- after he continued operations as a farmer and stock-raiser, and through making the most of his opportunities, working industriously, man- aging his affairs carefully, and applying all his knowledge to his daily labor, he succeeded in accumulating the competence which permit- ted him to retire to his home at Sargent, where he is surrounded by the comforts and con- veniences that serve to compensate him for the numerous hardships which he experienced during his earlier years, while he was en- deavoring to get a start. He is still the owner of his property, which has fine buildings and modern improvements, and he also has in- vestments in other paying propositions, into which he has been led by his keen business judgment and foresight. Mr. Amos is a Democrat in politics and while not an office- seeker is interested in his community's affairs. He is accounted both a man of public spirit and of integrity, - one who has the welfare of his locality at heart and who respects the

rights of his fellow men. With his family, he holds membership in the Christian church.

Mr. Amos was united in marriage March 1. 1883, to Miss Carrie Carnall, who was born in Iowa, a daughter of James and Caroline (Nicholson) Carnall, natives of England, the former born in Lincolnshire and the latter in Essex. To this union there have been born

eight children : Wayne L., who is on the old homestead, married Esther Wooters; James L., who is a Custer county farmer, first mar- ried Ida L. Bruner, and he later married Alma Giser, who died March 30, 1911; Anna S. is the wife of Milton Copsey, a farmer near Westerville : Glenn A. is a farmer in Dry val- ley; Bert, who married Hazel Thompson, is in the remount department of the United States Army, and is stationed at Camp Fun- ston, Kansas, at the time of this writing; Catherine keeps house for her brother Glenn A. : Caroline, twin sister of Catherine, resides with her parents, as does also Edith M. All of the children were given good educational advantages, and Mr. and Mrs. Amos have proved themselves good friends to the schools, each having served in the capacity of director of the school board, the latter for about ten years.

SAMPSON GIVEN was an early settler of Custer county and to-day he is probably the youngest-looking sixty-one-year-old man one would meet in many a day's travel.

A native of West Virginia, where he was born March 17, 1857, Mr. Given is a son of Robert E. Given, a record of whom appears on other pages of this volume. Our subject was a young man of twenty-one years when the family home was established in Fillmore county, Nebraska. In 1883 he came to Cus- ter county and took a homestead of 160 acres, in section 28, township 18, range 21, becoming one of the early. settlers of the neighborhood. His first home was a sod house and the pio- neer experiences and hardships incident to the opening up of a new country he met with the courage and determination characteristic of the men who ventured into this new country. As the years passed. he met with success in his efforts, bringing his fields to a high state of cultivation -yielding bountiful harvests in return for the labor he bestowed upon them. The old "soddy," gave way to a modern frame structure, and to the original tract was added another quarter-section of land, to the opera- tion of which he devoted himself for many years. He then sold his farm, and after a residence of one year in Merna, he purchased his present farm of 320 acres -the south

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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 94

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