History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time, Part 101

Author: Dobbs, Hugh Jackson, 1849-
Publication date: 1918
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Publishing and Engraving Company
Number of Pages: 1120


USA > Nebraska > Gage County > History of Gage County, Nebraska; a narrative of the past, with special emphasis upon the pioneer period of the county's history, its social, commercial, educational, religious, and civic development from the early days to the present time > Part 101


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Mr. Scheideler came west in search of health and while he found this climate better than Wisconsin or Iowa, yet he was never a really healthy man. He and his wife, by diligence and careful management, developed a valuable farm from the virgin prairie where they cast in their lot with the early settlers on the Indian reservation. A commodius frame house had just been com- pleted on the farm when Mr. Scheideler was called to his final rest. His widow occupies the home and delights in recounting experi- ences of the early days, including the hard- ships and pleasures incidental to rearing her children. Her family is one of which she may well be proud. The husband and father was a loyal citizen of his native land and their boys have been quick to respond when the na- tion is endangered and their services are needed to defend the country. The members


of this family are communicants of the Cath- olic church. John Scheildeler will always be remembered as a loving father, a faithful hus- band, an honorable citizen and a loyal friend.


S. E. GIDDINGS was a lad of twelve years when he accompanied his parents to Nebraska, in 1874, and he figures as a scion of one of the specially well known and highly honored pioneer families of Gage county, where his father achieved large success in connection with farm enterprise, as will be noted in the memoir dedicated to him-the late Harvey W. Giddings - on other pages of this work. He whose name initiates this paragraph was long numbered among the representative agri- culturists and stock-growers of the county and is now living retired in the city of Bea- trice, where he has an attractive residence and where he finds activity and profit in the man- agement of his well equipped feed yard, which is supplied with excellent sheds and is largely used by farmers visiting the city, three city lots being owned by Mr. Giddings.


Mr. Giddings was born in Warren county, Illinois, on the 28th of July, 1862, and is a son of Harvey W. and Rebecca E. (McClure) Giddings, both of whom passed the closing years of their lives in Gage county, adequate record concerning the family being given in the previously mentioned memoir, dedicated to Harvey W. Giddings. The subject of this review was fourteen years old when the fam- ily home was established in Gage county, and here he received the advantages of the district schools, as well as of the Beatrice high school. From his boyhood he was closely associated with his father's agricultural and dairying en- terprise, conducted on an extensive scale, and in Filley township he is still the owner of a finely improved and valuable farm estate of two hundred and twenty-seven acres. Here he conducted a substantial and prosperous business as an agriculturist and stock-grower, with his live-stock enterprise carried on in an extensive way, and he made excellent build- ing improvements on his model farm, to which he still gives his personal supervision, as he has not found it expedient to rent the prop-


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erty and has placed the same in charge of a capable man whom he employs by the year. Mr. Giddings remained on the farm until 1908, when he removed with his family to Beatrice, where he has since maintained his residence, - a citizen who is well known in the county and whose circle of friends is coin- cident with that of his acquaintances.


The year 1888 recorded the marriage of Mr. Giddings to Miss Mollie Pilcher, who like- wise was born in the state of Illinois, and whose death occurred in August of the fol- lowing year. Mollie, the one child of this union, is now the wife of John Rae, a repre- sentative business man of Sterling, Colorado. In 1891 was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Giddings to Miss Clara Hollingworth, who was born and reared in Gage county. Mr. and Mrs. Giddings had three children: Har- old is a soldier in the national army, as a mem- ber of Company C, Fifth United States In- fantry, stationed at the time of this writing (spring of 1918) on the Mexican border. His early education included a course in a business college and he is twenty-four years of age. Katherine, who was graduated in the Beatrice high school and was for two years a student in Wesleyan University at Lincoln, Nebraska, passed away December 4, 1917 ; Oliver H. is a student in the Beatrice high school.


In politics Mr. Giddings is a staunch Re- publican, and he is affiliated with the Royal Highlanders and the Modern Woodmen of America, his wife being identified with the Royal Neighbors and both being active mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church.


JOSIAH YOUNG, who is one of the rep- resentative exponents of farm industry in Lincoln township, was born in Clinton county, Iowa, December 20, 1864, -a date that clearly indicates that he is a scion of a pio- neer family of the Hawkeye state. He is a son of Josiah and Mary Ann (Corbin) Young His father was born in Connecticut, on the 20th of July, 1823, and as a young man he found employment in the woolen mills in the state of Rhode Island. In 1854 Josiah Young, Sr., numbered himself among the pioneers of


Iowa, where he obtained land and turned his attention to farm enterprise. His marriage to Miss Mary Ann Corbin was solemnized May 23, 1854, and she shared with him in the trials and vicissitudes of pioneer life in Iowa. They became the parents of six chil- dren, of whom four are living, - William H., of Prescott, Iowa; Emily, wife of Charles Smith, of Hiawatha, Kansas; Josephine, wife of Ransom Leonard, of Holstein, Iowa; and Josiah, Jr., the immediate subject of this re- view.


Mrs. Mary Ann (Corbin) Young had three brothers who gave valiant service as soldiers of the Union in the Civil war. These loyal men were William, Royal and Charles Cor- bin, all of whom enlisted at the outbreak of the war and all of whom served until its close.


He whose name initiates this article was reared and educated in Iowa, and there he eventually instituted his independent career as a farmer. He rented land about ten years and then, in 1891, he there purchased forty acres of land, upon which he made good im- provements. He later sold this property at a distinct financial profit, and in 1905 he came to Gage county, Nebraska and purchased his present farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Lincoln township. Here he is meeting with merited success in his farm enterprise and he is one of the valued citizens of his com- munity.


In politics Mr. Young is a Democrat, but since coming to Nebraska he has never desired or held public office of any kind, as he has preferred to give his undivided time and at- tention to the management of his farm and business affairs. He became a member of the Masonic fraternity while still a resident of Iowa, and he now maintains his Masonic af- filiation in the city of Beatrice. Both he and his wife hold membership in the Christian church. Since establishing his home on his present farm Mr. Young has shown his en- terprise and progressiveness by erecting on the same good buildings, including an attrac- tive residence.


November 20, 1888, recorded the marriage


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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA


MR. AND MRS. ANTHONY W. SNYDER


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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA


of Mr. Young to Miss Edith Wilson, daughter of William R. Wilson, of Prescott, Iowa. Of the children of this union Ralph H. and Mary Edith died in infancy ; Blanche, who was born October 26, 1889, is the wife of C. S. Weigle, of Gage county ; Josiah R. was born Decem- ber 22, 1891; Jesse O., who was born April 14, 1896, and Charles R., who was born March 15, 1899 are showing their patriotism under the present conditions of warfare by serving as members of the United States navy ; and Harry L. was born February 11, 1907.


ANTHONY W. SNYDER. - Years of toil and industry enable the subject of this rec- ord to spend the declining years of his life in honorable retirement, surrounded with all the necessities and many of the luxuries of the present day. Mr. Snyder was born at Dayton, Ohio, August 27, 1837. He is a son of Eli and Barbara (Manning) Snyder, the former born at Baltimore, Maryland, January 4, 1808, and the latter at Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, in 1811. The father died in 1885, and the mother was called to her final rest in 1891.


Anthony W. Snyder was reared on a farm and secured the advantages of the common schools. When the Civil war threatened to disrupt the Union he volunteered for one hun- dred days' service, enlisting in April, 1861, in Company G, Seventh Indiana Volunteer In- fantry. At the expiration of his term of ser- vice he returned home and engaged in farm- ing, in Miami county, Ohio. In 1870 Mr. Snyder came to Nebraska and located in Gage county. Here he leased land in Adams town- ship for several years. In 1891 he purchased one hundred and twenty acres in Section 33, that township, and this property he still owns. He is the owner also of one hundred and sixty acres in Sherman county, Kansas, and for years was engaged in farming in that state. Returning to Gage county, Nebraska, he suc- cessfully conducted his farming interests until 1907, when he laid aside the active work of the fields and retired to Adams.


February 26, 1863, recorded the marriage of Mr. Snyder to Miss Christina Van Dusen, who was born in Connecticut, December 26,


1841, her parents, Edward and Marie (Bev- ins) Van Dusen, having spent their entire lives in Connecticut.


The home of Mr. and Mrs. Snyder has been blessed with eight children: Charles and Jo- seph E. reside in Dewey county, Oklahoma ; Hattie is the wife of Daniel Dellahant, oi Beatrice, Nebraska; Harry is engaged in agricultural pursuits in Lancaster county. Nebraska ; Richard operates the home farm in Adams township; William F. resides in Dewey county, Oklahoma; Nellie is the wife of W. C. Silvernail, of Phillips, Nebraska; and Myrtle is the wife of A. P. Wiar, of Adams.


In politics Mr. Snyder is non-partisan, vot- ing for men and measures he considers best. In 1903 he was elected a member of the county board of supervisors, on the Democratic ticket, and in this office he served one term. He keeps in touch with his old comrades by mem- bership in Sargeant Cox Post, No. 100, Grand Army of the Republic, at Adams.


Forty-eight years have passed since Mr. Snyder cast in his lot with Gage county, Ne- braska, and in all those years he has always been faithful to every duty and trust. He merits most fully this recognition in the his- torical records of his adopted county.


GEORGE E. HORRUM .- Fifty years have come and gone since the subject of this record came to Gage county. He was born October 20, 1859, at Manchester, Indiana, and is a son of L. R. and Elsie (Sayers) Horrum. L. R. Horrum was born in Dearborn county, Indiana, June 28, 1830. As a boy and youth he learned the trade of harnessmaking, and he followed this trade at Manchester, Indiana, until 1867, when he located at Sterling, Illi- nois. Residing there one year, he came to Gage county, Nebraska, in 1868, the year after the admission of Nebraska to statehood, and thereafter he farmed in Adams township until 1883, when he again took up the trade he had learned in his youth. In this line of business he continued until his death, which occurred September 18, 1913. Mrs. Elsie (Sayers) Horrum was born at Oxford, Ohio, March 19.


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1833, a daughter of Dr. Sayers, who later re- moved to Manchester, Indiana. The pater- nal grandfather of George E. Horrum was Daniel Horrum, who was a native of Ver- mont and who located in Dearborn county, Indiana at an early date, he having been a pioneer farmer of that county and having de- voted his entire active career to the basic in- dustry of agriculture.


George E. Horrum came to Nebraska with his parents in 1868, and attended the pioneer district schools of Gage county in the acquire- ment of his youthful education. On reaching man's estate he chose the occupation to which he had been reared, and he continued to fol- low farm enterprise until 1892, when he es- tablished his residence at Adams, this county, where he has since been successfully engaged in the harness buusiness.


On September 20, 1883, George E. Horrum was united in marriage to Miss Sarah A. Bry- son, a daughter of Silas Bryson, whose record appears elsewhere in this volume. Mr. and Mrs. Horrum are the parents of two children : Pet is the wife of W. H. Coleman, superin- tendent of schools at Crawford, Nebraska ; and Clara is the wife of William Pittam, of Savoy, Montana. Mr. and Mrs. Horrum are members of the Methodist Epicopal church, in which they take a commendable interest. In politics Mr. Horrum is a Republican and fraternally he is affiliated with the Adams lodge of Ancient Free & Accepted Masons. Mr. Horrum has lived to see many changes in Gage county since he came here as a lad of ten years, and he has done his full share to bring about the present high state of develop- ment.


WILLIAM H. MILLER. - A worthy rep- resentative of the agricultural and financial interests of Gage county is the gentleman whose name introduces this record. A native of Pennsylvania, Mr. Miller was born at White Haven, Carbon county, May 8, 1858. His parents, William M. and Martha ( Stiver) Miller, were likewise natives of the Keystone state, the former having been born September 26, 1826, and the birth of his wife having oc-


curred December 25, 1826. They became residents of Illinois in 1869 and both passed the remainder of their lives in that state. The death of the father occurred October 12, 1901, and that of the mother in 1883.


William H. Miller was reared on a farm in Illinois and acquired his education in the public schools. He was engaged in farming in the Prairie state until 1884, when he came to Gage county, Nebraska, and purchased land in Nemaha township. In 1900 he removed to his present fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Lincoln township, where he has made good improvements and is meeting with suc- cess in his undertakings.


Mr. Miller made complete the arrangements for a home by his marriage, May 25, 1882, to Miss Emma Frazier, a daughter of Louis and Elizabeth Frazier, of Illinois. The home of Mr. and Mrs. Miller has been blessed by the birth of six children: James Leroy is a farmer near Ellis; Linda May is the wife of W. F. Walsh, of Omaha; Amy is the wife of John Fitzgerald, of Omaha; Raymond F. lives in Lincoln township; Guy G. is at the parental home; and Orin R. runs a store at Ellis.


In 1907 Mr. Miller assisted in the organi- zation of the Ellis State Bank, and later he became president of the same, a position in which he served three years. He is still a stockholder and director of this flourishing in- stitution. He exercises his right of franchise by supporting men and measures for which the Republican party stands sponsor, and while he has had no ambition for public office his civic loyalty was shown in three years of most effective service in the position of treas- urer of his township. He is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and both he and his wife are members of the Royal Neighbors. Mr. Miller has given close at- tention to his various industrial and business interests and is one of the substantial and valued citizens of Lincoln township.


GEORGE H. JONES was one of the hon- ored pioneers who won individual success and furthered industrial and civic advancement through his association with farm enterprise


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in Gage county, and it is most fitting that in this history be entered a tribute to his mem- ory. He was born near Bangor, Maine, De- cember 23, 1847, a son of Cyrus Jones, and in his character and achievement he showed forth the sterling traits that have so significantly marked the sons of New England. His father likewise was a native of the old Pine Tree state and was a scion of a family that was founded in New England in the colonial era, the lineage being traced to staunch Welsh origin. At the age of eleven years George H. Jones came with his widowed mother to the west and the home was established near Dixon, Illinois, where he was reared to manhood on a pioneer farm. As a young man he went to Jones county, Iowa, where he amplified his pioneer experience as an agriculturist, and where his marriage was solemnized in 1867. Thereafter he continued to be concerned with farming at intervals in Iowa and at others in Illinois, until 1872, when he came with his family to Nebraska and took up a homestead of eiglity acres in Section 30, Highland town- ship, Gage county. Here he continued his activities as a progressive and successful farmer until 1888, when he removed to the village of Cortland and engaged in the gen- eral merchandise business. There he con- tinued successfully in this line of enterprise until his death, which occurred August 22, 1910. His well improved farm of one hun- dred and sixty acres is that of which his son Cyrus P. now has the management and of this son, as well as of the elder son, Frank W., specific mention is made on other pages of this volume.


Mr. Jones was a man of high standing in the community and did well his part in fur- thering the general advancement of Gage county along both civic and material lines. His political support was given to the Republican party, he was affiliated with the Modern Wood- men of America, and at the time of his death he was a deacon of the Congregational church at Cortland, where his widow, likewise a de- voted member, still maintains her home.


December 25, 1867, recorded the marriage -of Mr. Jones to Miss Augusta J. Whitcomb,


who was born near Meshoppen, Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, May 15, 1847, a daugh- ter of George P. and Christina (Kintner) Whitcomb. Mr. Whitcomb was born in Massachusetts, March 17, 1816, and was one of the honored pioneers and prosperous farm- ers of Gage county at the time of his death, in 1873. His wife was born in Wyoming county, Pennsylvania, April 22, 1826, and she passed the closing years of her life at Bea- trice, Gage county, Nebraska, where she died in 1901. The parents of Mrs. Jones came to this county and settled on a homestead of eighty acres, one and one-half miles south- west of Beatrice. Mr. and Mrs. Jones be- came the parents of seven children, of whom four survive the honored father: Frank W. is represented on other pages; Elva is the wife of James E. McCormick, of Clatonia ; Cyrus P. has charge of the old homestead farm; and Verna remains with her widowed mother in their attractive home at Cortland.


CYRUS HOUGHTON, a retired farmer, residing at Blue Springs, was born in Will county, Illinois, November 18, 1853, and is a son of Rudolphus and Sarah (Capron) Houghton, who came to Illinois when Chicago was only a small city, and at a very low figure he was offered land on which a part of the city now stands. This land he refused to purchase, as it was too marshy for farming purposes. Mr. Houghton then went to Will county, Illinois, where he engaged in farming and where he died in 1869, his wife having passed away several years previously.


Cyrus Houghton was but sixteen years of age at the time of his father's death and was left with very little means. He managed to purchase a team of horses and began teaming, - first in Gilman and later in Paxton and other towns in Illinois. Mr. Houghton finally bought forty acres of land in Will county, where he farmed for some time. Being in poor health, he was advised by his physician to go west. He disposed of his interests in Illinois and started for Beatrice, Nebraska, where he spent the winter. The following spring Mr. Houghton determined to remain in


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Nebraska and bought eighty acres of land on Section 34, Rockford township, Gage county, on which was built a shanty twelve by four- teen feet in dimensions with a dirt-covered log addition. This he afterward replaced with a frame building, and in later years he built a still better house, as well as other good farm buildings. He later bought an addi- tional eighty acres of land, adjoining that of his first purchase and here he continued farm- ing for many years. He and his family saw some very hard times in the early pioneer days, owing to drought several years in suc- cession, and it took a good deal of determin- ation and struggle to pull through.


In 1916 Mr. Houghton left the farm and after spending some time in Biloxi, Missi- ssippi, he returned to Gage county, in June, 1917. Here he has since lived, making his home in Blue Springs, where he owns a com- fortable residence.


Cyrus Houghton was united in marriage to Miss Hannah Jones, of Will county, Iilinois, she being a daughter of David and Mary Jones. To this unoin was born three children : Belle is the wife of Levi Miller, of Beatrice ; Pearl is the wife of Clarence Jones, of Holmes- ville, this county ; and Ralph D. has the man- agement of the home farm, in Rockford township. Mr. and Mrs. Houghton are members of the Methodist church, and in politics he is a Republican. He is also an ardent advocate of the prohibition movement.


ERNST H. SPILKER. - The vital energy and good judgment which Mr. Spilker has ap- plied in connection with farm industry have made him one of the specially successful rep- resentatives of this important line of enter- prise in Gage county, and he is the owner of a valuable landed estate of three hundred and twenty acres, in Section 12, Grant township, eighty acres of his well improved farm prop- . erty being situated just to the south of the corporate limits of the village of Dewitt, Sa- line county.


Mr. Spilker was born in the fine old prov- ince of Westphalia, Germany, on the 11th of December, 1873, and is the youngest of the


eight children born to Henry A. and Louisa (Fromme) Spilker. The eldest of the chil- dren, Karl, died in Germany; William is another of the prosperous farmers of Grant township; Frederick died when about fifty- five years of age; Louisa is the wife of Henry Damkroger, of Holt township; Carolena is the wife of Henry Bergmyer, of Grant township; Henry died when about thirty years of age; Christian is a resident of Holt county, this state.


Henry A. Spilker, a member of a family established for many generations in West- phalia, Germany, was born February 3, 1828, and his death occurred October 14, 1906. His wife was born February 18, 1831, and passed to the life eternal on the 19th of May, 1910. In 1883 Henry A. Spilker, accompanied by his wife and their four children, came from Ger- many to America and forthwith made his way to Gage county, Nebraska, where he purchased, at the rate of thirty dollars an acre, the pres- ent fine homestead farm of his son Ernst H., of this review. Minor improvements had been made on the property, and with character- istic thrift and discrimination he carried for- ward the development of the farm, upon which he eventually erected modern buildings, be- sides setting out trees, and also planted one- half of an acre with catalpa seeds, one hun- dred trees which now average fully thirty feet in height. Mr. Spilker was a man of indomitable energy and with the aid of his devoted wife and his sons and daughter he made his old homestead one of the model farms of Gage county. He achieved substan- tial prosperity and manifested his paternal loyalty and stewardship by assisting each of his children to gain a good start in life upon reaching maturity, though to compass this end he was at times compelled to borrow the requisite money. Sturdy and unassuming, he made his life count in productive activity, or- dered his course upon a high plane of integ- rity and commanded the respect of his fellow men. He was liberal in support of measures and agencies for the conserving of the general welfare of the community and he continued his active association with farm enterprise


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until within a few years of his death. Both he and his wife were devout communicants of the Lutheran church and lie aided generously in the organizing and support of the church of this denomination in Grant township. It is interesting to record that at the time of his wife's death their grandchildren numbered fifty-two and their great-grandchildren fifteen.


Ernst H. Spilker acquired his rudimentary education in his native land and was a lad ot nine years at the time when the family home was established in Gage county. Here he supplemented his mental discipline by attend- ing the district schools and he early began to lend his aid in the work of the home farm, upon which he has remained until the present time, his father having given to him the old homestead when he was twenty-three years of age. In 1907 Mr. Spilker purchased one hundred and sixty acres of land in Scotts Bluff county, and this property, which he pur- chased for seventy-five dollars an acre, he sold in 1913 at the rate of one hundred and fifteen dollars an acre. On the old homestead he has erected one of the most modern and attractive farm residences in the county, the house hav- ing eleven rooms and being equipped with electric lights, steam heat, hot and cold run- ning water, and the best type of modern bath- room. Within the past fifteen years he has expended fully six thousand dollars in mak- ing improvements on his farm and he is known as one of the wide-awake and progressive agri- culturists and stock-growers of the county, with secure place in popular confidence and good will.




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