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 133
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Mr. Jones was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, on the 9th of September, 1846, and is a son of Samuel and Rebecca (Pethoud) Jones, the former of whom was born in Gray- son county, Virginia, of staunch Welsh line- age, and the latter of whom was born in Lawrence county, Ohio, where her parents settled in the early pioneer days. The parents of Mr. Jones continued their residence in Ohio until 1855, when they started for the west. After remaining six months in Platte county, Missouri, they continued their journey to Jefferson county, Kansas, where they re- mained until September Ist, 1857, when, with the primitive equipment of team and wagon, they set forth on the overland journey to Gage county, Nebraska, which at that time was on the veritable frontier. Their first din- ner in this county was eaten while they were encamped on the banks of Blue river, and on the occasion of the eleventh anniversary of the birth of their son William R., of this review. Samuel Jones entered a pre-emption claim in what is now Midland township, Gage county, and here he eventually became the owner of three hundred and sixty acres of land, an ap- preciable part of which he brought under ef- fective cultivation. In 1860, however, he went to Nuckolls county, where he remained about one year, during which he operated a pioneer ranch on the overland stage route. He then returned to his Gage county farm and here, save for a short interval during which he con- ducted a livery business in the city of Lincoln. he passed the residue of his life, his death having occurred in 1872, when he was but forty-six years of age. His widow survived him by more than a quarter of a century and
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WILLIAM R. JONES
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was a resident of Idaho, at the time of her death, in 1900, she having been one of the revered pioneer women of Gage county. Her father, John Pethoud was the first person to make settlement in what is now Midland township, this county, where he established his home in April, 1857, a number of his des- cendants being still residents of the county and further data concerning the family ap- pearing in other articles of this publication.
William R. Jones was reared under the in- vigorating discipline of the pioneer farmstead and his educational advantages after coming to Gage county were limited to the primitive schools maintained by the early settlers. At the age of twenty years he took unto himself a wife, and finally they established their resi- dence on a homestead which he obtained in Section 11, Midland township. He made good improvements on this farm and brought it into an excellent state of productiveness. In 1876 he sold this property and purchased land in Section 24 of the same township, where he eventually developed a fine landed estate of two hundred and twenty acres and where he successfully continued his operations as an agriculturist and as a breeder and grower of the better types of cattle until 1897, since which time he and his wife have maintained their residence in the city of Beatrice, their pleas- ant home being at 513 West Ella street. While on the farm Mr. Jones also gave special atten- tion to the breeding of high-grade road horses, including those of standard breeding. For three years he also kept on his farm a well ordered dairy, from which he supplied milk to a representative list of patrons in Beatrice. He continues to hold possession of his fine farm property and in his retirement is far from in- active, as he gives much of his time and at- tention to the buying of poultry. Though he celebrated in 1917 his seventy-first birthday anniversary Mr. Jones has the bearing and vigor of a man twenty years his junior, and the passing years have failed to implant a single gray thread in his abundant head of hair. His reminiscences concerning the early pioneer days are most graphic and of surpass- ing historic interest. Apropos of this state-
ment the following brief record is specially worthy of reproduction in this article :
"After the Indian massacre occurred on the Little Blue river Mr. Jones was among the first to witness the horrors of that awful scene and to aid in burying the unfortunate victims. As an old resident of the county he is most intimately acquainted with its history and no citizen has witnessed with greater satisfaction the gradual march of development and pro- gress. He is interested in all matters pertain- ing to church, school and state, and has given earnest support to measures advanced for the general good of the community."
Mr. Jones has never wavered in his loyal al- legiance to the Democratic party and he has been long and prominently affilliated with the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, through active membership in all of its branches. He is a member of the Knights of Pythias and the Improved Order of Red Men. Though he has been liberal and progressive as a citizen Mr. Jones has not been greatly afflicted with am- bition for public office, and his civic loyalty was the principal cause of his becoming a can- didate for the office of county sheriff, to which he was triumphantly elected in 1888 and in which he continued to give admirable adminis- tration for a term of two years.
September 15, 1866, recorded the marriage of Mr. Jones to Miss Hester A. Henton, who was born near Des Moines, Iowa, November 23, 1846, that city having then been little more than a frontier military post. She is a daugh- ter of the late James M. and Susan (Prim) Henton, the former a native of Tennessee and the latter of Illinois, and her parents were numbered among the earliest settlers of Polk county, lowa. The father of Mrs. Henton erected and occupied the first house in Spring- field, the capital of Illinois. In 1855 Mr. Hen- ton came with his family to Nebraska and set- tled in Pawnee county, where he surveyed and defined the town of Table Rock. Both he and his wife passed the remainder of their lives in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Jones became the parents of ten children, and concerning the six now living the following brief record is available : Minnie L. is the wife of Ralph
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Lee, of Lincoln, this state; Susan is the wife township as is his brother. The mother was of John Graves, of Fort Milton, Colorado; Ruhama is the wife of John P. Vandel, of Bridgeport, Nebraska; Hester A. is the wife of O. E. Carney, of Omaha; Rebecca is the wife of Harry K. Davis, of Lawrence, this state; and Willie Ethel is the wife of B. R. Crone, of Beatrice.
WILLIAM L. COLLINS has been a resi- dent of Gage county since 1885 and here has won for himself substantial prosperity through his effective association with the great and basic industries of agriculture and stock-grow- ing. His excellent farm of one hundred and sixty acres is situated in Section 31, Sherman township, and is equipped with good buildings and other improvements of permanent order, all of which represent the tangible results of his own efforts and enterprising policies. Mr. Collins is a scion of old and honored South- ern ancestry, both his paternal and maternal forebears having been prosperous planters, his grandfather on the paternal side having been Mahlon Collins, who passed his entire life in Virginia, and his maternal grandfather, John Woodruff having lived throughout his entire life in North Carolina.
William L. Collins was born in Grayson county, Virginia, February 6, 1855, and is a son of John C. and Caroline ( Woodruff) Col- lins, the former of whom was born in that same county, February 16, 1831, and the latter of whom was born in that part of Ashe coun- ty, North Carolina, that is now included in Alleghany county, the date of her nativity having been June 24, 1837, and her death hav- ing occurred February 14. 1913, her husband having survived her and his death having oc- curred November 7, 1915. Their marriage was solemnized in Ashe county and there Mr. Collins became a successful planter, both hav- ing remained residents of Virginia until the close of their lives. Of their three children the subject of this sketch is the eldest ; Frank- lin P. is a successful agriculturist in Carroll county, Virginia ; and Isaac R. came to Gage county, Nebraska, in the spring of 1917, he being now engaged in farming in the same
an earnest member of the Primitive Baptist church and was a woman of gentle and grac- ious personality. The father was a man of broad views, was the owner of a good farm property at the time of his death, and in politics he never wavered in allegiance to the Democratic party.
In the schools of the historic Old Dominion state William L. Collins gained his youthful education and there he continued his alliance with agricultural enterprise until 1883, when he came to Nebraska and located in Richard- son county. There he remained until 1885, when he came to Gage county and purchased a farm of eighty acres, in Sherman township. Later he purchased an additional tract of one hundred and sixty acres, which constitutes the area of his present attractive farm estate, the place having been entirely without im- provements when it came into his possession. He had the most limited of financial resources when he came to this county and by his well ordered activities as an agriculturist and stock-growers he has won place among the prosperous citizens and representative farm- ers of Sherman township. He is a Democrat in politics, has served as a member of the school board of his district and also as road supervisor, and both he and his wife are ac- tive members of the Evangelical church. In a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Mod- ern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen.
November 20, 1879, recorded the marriage of Mr. Collins to Miss Polly Andrews, who likewise is a native of Grayson county, Vir- ginia, and who is a daughter of John and Catherine Andrews. Mr. and Mrs. Collins became the parents of four children: Porter is engaged in independent farm enterprise not far from his parents' home; Cora died at the age of twenty-one years; John is associated in the work and management of the home farm; and Lythia died at the age of five years.
JOHN R. MONTGOMERY is the owner of eighty acres of well improved land in Sec- tion 15, Holt township, where he leases an
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additional tract of equal area, and where, in addition to raising the agricultural products best adapted to this locality, he is giving special attention to the raising of fine Chester White swine, his breeding of this type of stock having been initiated in 1914.
Mr. Montgomery was born in Sullivan county, Missouri, September 9, 1859, and is the eldest in a family of five children ; James is another of the prosperous farmers of Holt township; Dr. William P., an able physician and surgeon, is now actively identified with farm enterprise in Holt township; Caroline is deceased ; and Maude is employed in one of the leading hospitals in the city of Lincoln.
John R. Montgomery is a son of Andrew L. and Mary (Beall) Montgomery, the for- mer of whom was born in Wayne county, Ohio, July 11, 1837, and the latter in the state of Illinois, in August, 1839. Andrew L. Montgomery and his wife were numbered among the territorial pioneers of Lancaster county, Nebraska, where they established their residence in 1864. Mr. Montgomery entered claim to a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres, near the present village of Hick- man, and there he continued his activities as a pioneer farmer until 1870, when he came with his family to Gage county. He became the owner of a large landed estate in this county, where he and his wife still reside, and where he is still the owner of fully three hundred acres, the remainder of his land hav- ing been divided among his children. He is a son of John and Mary (Shatow) Montgom- ery, who were born respectively in Maryland and Pennsylvania, and who passed the closing years of their lives in Ohio. Andrew L. Montgomery and his wife now reside in the village of Pickrell and are honored pioneer citizens of Gage county.
John R. Montgomery was about four years old at the time of the family removal to Ne- braska Territory and his early education was acquired in the pioneer schools of Lancaster and Gage counties. He early began to assist his father in the farm operations and since 1895 he has conducted independent operations on his present farm, eighty acres of which
was given to him by his father in May, 1914.
On the 5th of January, 1887, Mr. Mont- gomery wedded Miss Celia Smith, who was born in Putnam county, Illinois, a daughter of Edward and Artie (Wardlaw) Smith, who now reside at Cortland, Gage county, Nebras- ka, the father having retired from the work of his trade, that of blacksmith. Mr. and Mrs. Montgomery have six children: Cecila is the wife of Fred Busboom, of Cozad, Daw- son county, this state; Ralph is identified with farm enterprise in Holt township; Ho- mer resides in the village of Pickrell; Edward remains at the parental home; Mildred is the wife of E. Rudder, of Highland township; and Irene is the youngest member of the pa- rental home circle.
In politics Mr. Montgomery is staunchly aligned in the ranks of the Democratic party and he has been influential in community af- fairs. In 1908 he was elected a member of the county board of supervisors, in which position he served one term, besides which he served four years as clerk and treasurer of Holt township, his retirement from this dual office having occurred in 1917. He is af- filiated with the Ancient Order of United Workmen and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
THOMAS ACTON. - The life story of Thomas Acton is made specially interesting by reason of the fact that he came to the United States with scarcely a dollar in his possession but, after years of untiring dili- gence, has acquired more than an ordinary competence, not considering that he and his good wife have reared, given a good educa- tional advantages to and instilled high ideals in: seven sons and four daughters, who are fast taking up their life work in their own homes, ready to enrich the communities in which they live.
Thomas Acton was born in Ontario, Can- ada, and is a son of Abraham and Elizabeth (Kidd) Acton, who were natives of the Emer- ald Isle and who in their early life come to Canada. Abraham Acton was a son of Frank Acton, who remained in Ireland all of his
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hfe. He and his son Abraham were active members of the Orangemen, that body of Protestant Irishmen which had for its pur- pose the overthrow of the Catholic domina- tion in the civic and religious life of the Emer- ald Isle. Abraham Acton and Elizabeth (Kidd) Acton were the parents of five chil- dren, two of whom are living - George, of Summerfield, Kansas, and Thomas, the sub- ject of this review. Mrs. Elizabeth (Kidd) Acton passed away in 1844 and in 1849 Abra- ham Acton married the second time. Of this union seven children were born.
In 1864 Mr. Thomas Acton left Canada for the United States, and he chose for his home the thriving city of Burlington, Iowa. In Iowa he worked five years in logging camps, clearing the rich fertile soil for the farmer who would soon follow with his im- plements of agriculture. From 1869 to 1885 he operated a farm in Iowa, and he then re- moved with his family to Kansas, where he homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres of land, in Logan county.
In 1876, at Rockport, Missouri, culminated the romance of Thomas Acton and Letitia Patience - in their marriage and the joining of their lives "till death us do part." Sons and daughters came to them until eleven of them were gathered in the home, and con- cerning these children record is here offered: Gertrude is the wife of Albert H. Arneal, a farmer of Rawlins county, Kansas; George is a farmer by occupation ; Winnie is the wife of D. D. Hannah, a hardware salesman, liv- ing at Hiawatha, Kansas; Thomas is farming in Gage county; Mabel is the wife of E. C. Lasher, engaged in the nursery business at Hutchins, Kansas; John remains on the farm with his father; Arthur and Robert likewise are at home; Nellie is a teacher in the Wy- more schools; Fred is attending school at Lin- coln, Nebraska; and Frank is at home with his parents. The mother of this interesting family of children was born in Canada in the year 1859.
In 1890 Mr. Acton came with his family to Island Grove township, Gage county, and purchased eighty acres of land - the nucleus
around which so many additional acres have since been gathered. He is the owner of five hundred and forty acres of well improved land, the greater share of which is in a state of intensive cultivation. The home farm is improved with a commodious and modern house and the numerous other buildings which make a progressive farmer's place look like a small village.
Mr. Acton and his family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church, and he is in- dependent in politics, preferring that the pub- lic official should be the man best fitted for the office, irrespective of party affiliations.
CYRUS P. JONES, who rents from his father's estate a farm of one hundred and six- ty acres, the southwest quarter of Section 21, Highland township, is one of the able and popular exponents of farm industry in his native county, is a member of the Gage Coun- ty Fair Association and has been specially successful and prominent in the raising of pure-bred and registered Poland-China swine, in which conection it may be noted that he is a valued member of the Poland-China Asso- ciation of Nodaway county. From his farm he has exhibited fine specimens of Poland- China swine at the Gage county fairs and also at the state fair in the city of Lincoln, his last exhibit having been made in 1912 and he having received many premiums, including first, second, and third prizes on his exhibits. In later years he has not made such displays of his fine stock, owing to the exigent de- mands made upon him in the management of his farm, but he continues as one of the coun- ty's extensive shippers of hogs, many having been shipped for breeding purposes into dif- ferent states of the union.
Mr. Jones was born on the pioneer home- stead of his father in Highland township, and the date of his nativity was August 17. 1877. To his father, the late George H. Jones, a special memoir is dedicated on other pages, so that further review of the family history is not here demanded. Mr. Jones early began to aid in the work of the home farm and in the meanwhile profited by the advantages afford-
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ed in the district schools, after which he at- now living; Maggie is the wife of William tended the high school at Cortland. In that village he thereafter clerked for a time in his father's general-merchandise store, but the vigorous life of the farm had greater appeal to him and after having been employed one year at farm work he rented land and en- gaged in farming in an independent way, in the meanwhile maintaining for the first year bachelor's hall on the farm. He has always taken much interest in fine live stock and as a grower of pure-bred Poland-China swine he has used marked discrimination in selection of breeding stock, so that his success has been very pronounced in this interesting depart- ment of farm enterprise. He is a Republican in politics and he and his wife are members of the Congregational church, he having aid- ed in the organization of the church of this denomination in his home precinct.
May 4, 1899, Mr. Jones wedded Miss Nettie Goodban, who was born in Highland town- ship, June 23, 1875, a daughter of John S. Goodban, who is individually mentioned else- where in this work. Mrs. Jones was grad- uated in the Cortland high school and prior to her marriage was a teacher in a district school for one term. Mr. and Mrs. Jones have five children, all of whom remain at the parental homes - Ethel V., Milford E., Clar- ence R., Neva F., and Howard L.
JOHN ACKERMAN, who holds secure status as one of the representative farmers of Logan township, with an attractive homestead in Section 9, was born near Lebanon, Mis- souri, October 3, 1854, and is a son of Harmon and Franka (Keiser) Ackerman, who came from Germany to America in the '40s and established their home in Missouri. In that state the father rented land and engaged in farming, but a few years later he removed with his family to Adams county, Illinois, where he was similarly engaged at the time of the Civil war, in which he served one year as a member of an Illinois regiment of volun- teer infantry. Of the five children of Har- mon and Franka (Keiser) Ackerman the sub- ject of this review is youngest of the three
Miller, a farmer near Sterling, Johnson coun- ty, Nebraska ; and Albert is a prosperous farm- er in the same county. The devoted mother of these children died at Lebanon, Missouri, and the father later contracted a second mar- riage, of the children of which six are living. Harmon Ackerman was a sincere member of the Lutheran church, as was also each of his wives, and in politics he was aligned with the Republican party. Through his own abil- ity and efforts he achieved independence and prosperity and he was the owner of a valuable farm of one hundred and twenty acres, in Liv- ingston county, Illinois, at the time of his death, which occurred in 1914, when he was eighty-eight years, seven months and seven- teen days of age. He reclaimed and improved his farm and was one of the venerable and honored citizens of Livingston county at the time when he passed from the stage of life's mortal endeavors. He was a son of Frank Ackerman, who passed his entire life in Ger- many.
John Ackerman was reared on the home farm of his father and in his youth his edu- cational advantages were very limited. He did not, in fact, attend school until he had at- tained to the age of nineteen years, but in the great school of experience he has largely over- come the handicap of earlier years. Mr. Ack- erman continued his association with farm en- terprise in Illinois until 1877, when he came to Gage county, Nebraska, and purchased six- ty-six acres of land. On this pioneer farm he erected a house and barn of modest type and finally he sold the property, for five hun- dred dollars. For the ensuing five years he farmed on land which he rented from Claus Zimmerman, and he then purchased, at eight dollars an acre, a tract of eighty acres in Lo- gan township, this property being still owned by him. He purchased his present home place, for a consideration of thirty-two hundred dollars, and since that time he has expended fully seven thousand dollars in improvements of a permanent order.
In 1877 Mr. Ackerman wedded Miss Geska Schuster, who was born in Germany. a daugh-
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ter of Mena Schuster, she having been eight years old when the family came to the United States and settled in Adams county, Illinois. Concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Ack- erman the following brief record is entered : Frances is the wife of John Buhr, of Logan township; Mena is identified with farm activi- ties on his father's property; Grace is the wife of Bruno J. Buhr, of Hooker township; Harmon is a resident of Hanover township; and Hannah and Geska remain at the parental home. Mr. Ackerman is an independent Re- publican in politics and he and his wife are active communicants of the Hanover Lutheran church.
FLOYD G. PLUCKNETT. - It is special- ly pleasing to accord in this volume recogni- tion to Mr. Plucknett, for he is a native of Gage county and a scion of one of its honored and influential pioneer families, besides having distinct precedence as one of the progressive and substantial exponents of farm industry in Grant township, where he is the owner of a finely improved farm of one hundred and eighty-five acres, in Sections 28 and 29. It was on this farm that he was born, and the date of his nativity was April 6, 1891. He is a son of George A. and Olivia (Benjamin) Plucknett and a grandson of the late William Plucknett, who was a native of England and who became a resident of Gage county, Ne- braska Territory, in 1861: here he accum- ulated and developed one of the largest and most valuable landed estates of the county and was an honored citizen who did much to further the civic and industrial progress and upbuilding of this favored section of the state. The subject of this review was but one year old at the time when his father was killed by accident, and his mother later became the wife of Michael Seidles, their home being now at Superior, Nuckolls county. Of the two chil - dren of the first marriage the one surviving is he whose name initiates this review, the oth- er child, a daughter, having died in infancy. Mr. and Mrs. Seidles became the parents of four children, of whom three are living.
Floyd G. Plucknett was about six years old at the time of his mother's second mar-
riage and he was reared principally on the farm of his stepfather, in Nuckolls countq, his early educational advantages having been those of the public schools and he having con- tinued to assist his stepfather in the work and management of the farm in Nuckolls county until he had attained to the age of twenty years. For one year thereafter he farmed in- dependently on land which he rented in Nuckolls county and upon reaching his legal majority he came into his heritage, in his present farm, an integral part of the original landed estate of his paternal grandfather. He forthwith assumed control with marked ener- gy and progressiveness and his previous ex- perience admirably fortified him for success- ful farm enterprise. In 1911 he improved his farm by the erection of his modern house, and in the following year he erected a large barn, the place being now one of the model farms of Grant township and being the stage of his vigorous and successful activities as an agriculturist and stock-grower, in which lat- ter department he is giving special attention to the raising of pure-bred Poland-China swine. Returning to his native county in 1910, Mr. Plucknett is well upholding the prestige of a family name that has been sig- nally prominent and honored in the annals of Gage county history. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party and he and his wife hold the faith of the Protestant Epis- copal church, in which faith he was reared.
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