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 20
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CHAPTER XVII
A ROLL OF HONOR
GAGE COUNTY TERRITORIAL PIONEERS - BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES: NATHAN BLAKELY, CHARLES N. EMERY, JOSEPH HOLLINGWORTH, HIRAM W. PARKER, CHARLES G. DORSEY, FORDYCE ROPER, ALBERT L. TINKHAM, HORACE M. WICKHAM, ISMA P. AND ELIZABETH MUMFORD, JAMES B. MATTINGLEY, SAMUEL JONES, ALGERNON SIDNEY PADDOCK.
Most of the men and women of our county whose heroism made it possible for the lines of civilization to be advanced upon these western prairies, have long since passed away. Many are now unrepresented here by posterity or near relatives. As far as possible, it is the design of the author of this history to rescue from oblivion in this chapter of his work the names of the territorial pioneers of Gage county. In a few instances names will be found here of those who were in the territory many years before they became residents of Gage county. Appended to the list of names will be found brief biographical sketches of some of these heroic dead, who, by public service, position in the county, or from worth of character, are entitled to a place in any history of the county. It is a regrettable fact that no accurate catalogue of the names of these pioneers is now in existence. The most reliable evidence is afforded perhaps by the records of the United States land office. As far as possible the writer has supplemented these records from the minutes of the meetings of the Old Settlers' Association of Gage coun- ty, the early district-court records, the minutes of the county commissioners, and the recollec- tion of a few pioneers still amongst us.
Nebraska was admited to the great sister- hood of states March 1, 1867. Though pioneer conditions still prevailed in many portions of the state, it may reasonably be said that with railroads built and rapidly building through-
out Nebraska, fairly accessible markets for the bulk of the population, steadily rising land values, rapidly accumulating wealth, a grow- ing independence on the part of the entire pop- ulation and the political freedom which under our system of government statehood always confers, the pioneer days were at an end when Nebraska ceased to be a territory. In compiling the following list of names, where the date on which the residence of the pioneer began in our county is known it is given; where unknown, the date on which the pioneer is shown to have entered public land in the old Brownville-Beatrice land office is given as the year to which residence of the party is credit- ed. Names appear in this roll regardless of the fact that they are found elsewhere in this history. It is hoped that as time advances, the years may render more and more apparent the value of this
ROLL OF HONOR
BEATRICE
Alexander, T. J., 1859
Alexander, William, 1859
Ashby, William H., 1865
Ayers, James L., 1860
Ayers, Patience M.
Blakely, Nathan, July 17, 1857
Blakely, Margaret Constance (Tinkham)
Blakely, William, 1857
Burke, Patrick, 1858
149
150
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
Burke, Mary E., 1858
Brown, Thomas W., 1860
Brown, J. L., 1860 Brown, Sidney, 1860 Bonham, G. W., 1857
Stoner, William Henry, 1860
Saunders, Joseph, 1855
Saunders, Emer, 1857
Coulter, Theodore M., 1859
Cartwright, Edward, 1860
Cook, Harrison F., 1857
Snow, Emilie, 1866
Chandler, Luther B., 1865
Towle, Albert, 1857
Chase, J. E., 1860
Towle, Catherine, 1857
Cox, M. D., 1867
Tinkham, Albert L., 1862
Davis, Richard C., 1860
Dorsey, C. G., 1856 (Brownville)
Dunbar, John J., 1866
Emery, Charles, 1860
Emery, Mary E., 1860
Emery, Carl, 1860
Favor, Filetus M., 1859
Gilbert, John, 1858
Griggs, L. T., 1865
Griggs, N. K. 1867
Hewett, Obediah B., 1857
Hulburt, George W., 1864
Hamma, Peter, 1865
Harrington, Silas B., 1857 La Selle, Henry A., 1866 Loomis, Gilbert T., 1857
LePoidevin, Nicholas, 1865 LePoidevin, Thomas, 1866 Latham, John W., 1864 Latham, Diana, 1864 Latham, Asa, 1864
Mumford, Isma P., 1857
Mumford, Elizabeth, 1857
Mack, Eugene, 1866
Maxfield, James B., 1860
Nelson, Joseph, R., 1857
Parker, Hiram W., 1857
Pike, Bennett, 1857
Paddock, Algernon Sidney, 1857
Pethoud, Andrew J., 1857 Reed, Israel
Roper, Fordyce, 1857
Roper, Frederick E., 1857
Sage, A. D., 1863 Stevens, Orrin, 1857
Stevens, Amasa, 1864
Sibier, Frederick, 1866 Shaw, Jacob, 1866
ELM TOWNSHIP
Mudge, William E., 1866
Stebbins, Austin E., 1866
Worden, William A., 1866
BLAKELY TOWNSHIP
Alexander, John W., 1863
Badley, John W., 1863
Ball, Lucy A., 1865
Bailey, Asa F., 1863
Benjamin, James H., 1861
Blakely, William, 1857
Blakely, Cornelia, 1863
Claybaugh, John H., 1866
Claybaugh, Reuben, 1866
Claybaugh, Rebecca, 1866 Claybaugh, Joseph, 1866
Clyne, Thomas, 1859 Clyne, Joseph, 1859
Clyne, Margaret, 1859
Dibble, Richard, 1865
Dolen, Benjamin, 1864
Freeman, Daniel, 1866 Graff, Joseph, 1863 Jakes, John, 1862
Kilpatrick, Samuel, 1859 Kilpatrick, Rachael, 1859 Kinzie, John, 1866 Myers, Mary, 1863
McCleve, William H., 1864
Odell, Hiram S., 1859
Rogers, Washington N., 1865
Shaw, Julia, 1866 Shaw, John, 1866
Steer, William H., 1866 Snow, A. L., 1866
Tinkham, Sarah, 1862 Tobbey, G. H., 1857
Townsend, Oliver, 1857
Weston, Jefferson Burns, 1857
Weston, Helen (Towle), 1857
151
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
Rogers, Wilber S., 1865 Rossiter, Richard, 1862
Scheve, Henry, 1865 Scheve, John, 1866
Scribner, Irving S., 1866
Sopher, Elijah, 1866
Suiter, Agnes E., 1865
Wells, Joel, 1863
Wells, Christian, 1865
Wells, Leon, 1863
Wells, James, 1863
Wells, Darius, 1863
Wells, Cyrus, 1863
Wells, B. E., 1863
Wright, Amos L., 1866 Wickham, Horace, 1859
GRANT TOWNSHIP
Barrett, John, 1858
Buss, Charles, 1859
Carnahan, Thomas, 1866
Carnahan, George, 1866
Claibourne, 1865
Claibourne, 1865 Creed, George, 1865
Gaston, George W., 1866
Grant, George, 1858
Grant, John, 1858
Grant, James, 1865 Haddlock, Alva R., 1865
Harvey, David, 1865
Kinsey, James, 1861
Kinsey, William, 1861
Lull, H. M., 1865
Nicholas, Robert, 1860
Plucknett, William, 1861 Van Clief, William, 1863
CLATONIA TOWNSHIP
Albert, Henry, 1866
Kloepper, Henry, 1866 Pitzer, Frederick, 1866
Steinmeyer, William, 1866
Steinmeyer, Henry, 1866 Steinmeyer, Frederick, 1866
SICILY TOWNSHIP
Harvey, Oliver J., 1866 Harpster, Daniel J., 1862
Lott, James L., 1864 Stebbins, Austin E., 1861
RIVERSIDE TOWNSHIP
Crites, George B., 1866 Holt, C. B., 1866 Parker, John C., 1864 Shelley, Francis, 1862
MIDLAND TOWNSHIP
Brick, Henry, 1866
Buchanan, Joe, 1865
Bull, Stephen, 1866
Barney, Joseph, 1866
Conley, Michael, 1866
Dixon, Ira, 1858
Jones, Samuel, 1857
Jones, William, 1859
Jones, Isaac, 1857
LePoidevin, Thomas, 1866
Loomis, Gilbert T., 1857
Martin, Joseph, 1860
Pierce, H. J., 1857
Pethoud, John, 1857
Pethoud, John, Jr., 1858
Pethoud, F. M., 1857
Pethoud, Thomas, 1858
Pethoud, James K. P., 1858
Sherrill, Thomas, 1860
HOLT TOWNSHIP
Austin, Edward C., 1857
Austin, Homer B., 1857
Barnhouse, John, 1866 Chesney, Warren, 1865
HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP
Michael, Weaver, 1866
BLUE SPRINGS
Armstrong, Thomas, 1860 Anthony, Levi, 1862 Chambers, Joseph Desert, George Elliott, Martin, 1857
Elliott, William, 1857
Elliott, Henry, 1857
Elliott, Stephen, 1857
Hager, Adam, 1859
152
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
Hager, Margaret, 1859
Hager, John, 1859
Fisher, King, 1862 Fisher, Fred, 1862
Gary, Patrick R., 1859
Graham, F. M., 1859
Johnson, James H., 1857
Johnson, Martha M., 1857
Johnson, Rankin, 1859 .
Knight, Lynus, 1860
Knight, Jane A., 1860
Lott, James, 1860 Max
Nichols, James H., 1864
Noyes, Reuyl, 1857
Poff, Jacob, 1857
Shaw, Samuel, 1859
Sargent, True, 1859
Sargent, Wright, 1859
Summers, J. M., 1859
Tyler, William B., 1859
Tyler, Rebecca (Woodward), 1859 Wilson, Robert A., 1861
ROCKFORD TOWNSHIP
Adams, John, 1865
Andrews, Miles, 1863
Barnum, H. S., 1859
Breese, Robert, 1860
Coffee, Philip B., 1865
Coffinberry, C. C., 1858 Davis, Carroll, 1859
Davis, William, 1859
Dixon, James, 1858
Dobbs, F. H., 1858
Dunn, John H., 1860
Elerbeck, James, 1866
Freeman, Humphrey P., 1863 Graves, H. J., 1860 Hendy, Eli B., 1859
Hollingworth, James, 1862 Hollingworth, Henry, 1862
Hollingworth, Joseph, 1862 Hollingworth, James, Jr., 1862 Hayden, Stephen, 1863 Hayden, Amos, 1863 Lily, Henry D., 1863 Mattingley, James B., 1857 Milligan, Joseph, 1857
Montgomery, John, 1860
Miller, David, 1863 Miller, Catherine, 1863
Mudge, Louis C., 1866
Mudge, Franklin, 1865
Nyghart, Stodgell, 1866
Potterton, John, 1859
Schullenberger, Jacob, 1859
Schullenberger, Henry, 1859
Schullenberger, William McK., 1859
Shaw, Harley, J., 1865
Slocumb, Charles H., 1866
Stark, George W., 1858
Tidler, John, 1859 Webber, Cyrene, 1865
Weigle, Gabriel, 1863
Welsh, Alex, 1864
Wild, William, 1862
Van Boskirk, Asher, 1863
Van Bockirk, William, 1866
LOGAN TOWNSHIP
Armstrong, William, 1865
Chrisman, David, 1863
Chrisman, Marion, 1863
Chrisman, Joseph, 1863
Graves, Abraham, 1860
Graves, Louis, 1860
Graves, Enoch, 1860
Graves, Henry, 1860
Hadley, Isaac N., 1862
Mumford, J. W., 1865
Mumford, J. B., 1865
Pheaster, Johnathan, 1865
Rogers, John, 1863 Smith, Duncan, 1866
Smith, Archibald, 1866 Tanner, John, 1865
Williams, Thomas, 1865
Williams, Evan, 1865
Zimmerman, Thomas, 1862
Zimmerman, Class, 1862
NEMAHA TOWNSHIP
Sykes, George, 1865
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP
Cain, Nathaniel D., 1865 Dunn, William B., 1865
153
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
Dunn, John C., 1865
Evans, Stephen, 1866 Fisher, Sylvester, 1859 Goin, James K., 1856
Jimmerson, Allen, 1866 Jimmerson, John J., 1866
Muchmore, L. M., 1856
Muchmore, James, 1866
MacMains, A .P., 1858
Palmer, David, 1855
Palmer, John, 1866
Sharp, Johnathan, 1865 Sharp, Louis, 1865
Sharp, George, 1865 Wymore, Cornelius S., 1866
ISLAND GROVE
Bolinger, Peter, 1866
Buckles, Peter, 1864
Brown, Joel, 1866
Dewey, Timothy, 1859
Dewey, William F., 1859
Fishbaugh, John, 1864
Garaer, James I., 1866
Irby, James, 1864
Mangus, David, 1866
Marion, Tipton, 1864
Stuteman, Thomas, 1866
Tibbitts, Samuel A., 1864
Tibbitts, Thomas D., 1864
Tibbitts, Edward, 1864 Willis, Scott, 1864
Willis, Cornelius, 1864
Wymore, Cornelius, 1864
Wymore, James, 1864
Wymore, Frederick, 1863
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP
Anderson, Asa, 1865 Martin, Thomas, 1865 Smith, Abraham B., 1866 Wilkinson, George, 1866
FILLEY TOWNSHIP
Bendernagle, Andrew, 1866 Bendernagle, Philip, 1866 Blakely, Benjamin F., 1862 Dunn, James W., 1859 Franklin, George W., 1863
Kees, John F., 1866 Norton, Noah, 1866 Reese, Levi M., 1864 Scott, Wilson D., 1865
HOOKER TOWNSHIP
Fuller, George W., 1863
Fuller, John, 1863
Fuller, Mary A., 1863
Hillman, John, Sr., 1860
Hillman, John, Jr., 1860
Hillman, Thaddeus, 1860
Krause, William, 1865
Williams, Thaddeus, 1863
ADAMS TOWNSHIP
Adams, Jolın O., 1857
Adams, Nelson, 1857
Barmore, Henry, 1865
Curtis, William, 1860
Drown, George W., 1863
Golden, Henry, 1857
Gale, Alfred, 1857
Gale, George, 1858
Hildebrand, Jacob P., 1858
Hildebrand, Leroy, 1857
Hickock, Charles, 1860
Mathews, William, 1856
Moore, B. F., 1859
Noxon, George, 1857
Lyons, John, 1857
Reynolds, H., 1857
Shaw, Stephen P., 1857
Shaw, William, 1857
Shaw, John, 1857
Shaw, James I., 1857
Shaw, Stephen V., 1857 Silvernail, James, 1857
Silvernail, William, 1857
Stafford, John, 1857
Shaw, Egbert, 1857
Whyman, Charles, 1866
NATHAN BLAKELY
Nathan Blakely was born at Roxbury. Con- necticut, July 26, 1824. He obtained a good. usable education in the public schools of his neighborhood and in Roxbury Academy. In 1844 he began to teach school in Westchester
154
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
county, New York, and he followed this un- county and the first minutes of the board of eventful but useful calling for a number of years, teaching thirteen terms in succession at Long Branch, the celebrated watering place in Monmouth county, New Jersey. He then returned to Connecticut and for a while en- gaged in newspaper work at Roxbury. In 1852 he went to Chicago, and finally he lo- cated in Iowa, where he again taught school. In 1857, in company with his brother, Wil- liam Blakely, he came to the new territory of Nebraska, and, with Isma Mumford, almost
NATHAN BLAKELY
by accident, stumbled upon the Beatrice Townsite Company and found the members of this company engaged in building the log house which afterward became famous in the pioneer history of the county as "Pap's Cabin." He never identified himself directly with the townsite company, but a few days after his arrival he entered the tract of land where Zimmerman Spring is now located. He lived there from July, 1857, to the spring of 1865, and the walnut grove north of the spring was planted by him. He then sold his land to Nicholas LePoidevin and moved to Beatrice, where he engaged in mercantile pursuits and for a few years was the most active and prom- inent business man in the village.
In 1858 he was elected county clerk of Gage
county commissioners, or the county court as that board was then called, are written by Mr. Blakely's hand. In 1859 he was reelected to the office of county clerk, and during his entire incumbency of that office he was ex officio county superintendent of public instruc- tion, while for a brief period, in 1858-1859, he filled the office of county judge. In 1861 Mr. Blakely was elected the representative in the territorial assembly for the district composed of Gage, Johnson, Clay, and Jones (now Jef- ferson) counties, and in 1866 he was again elected, to what proved to be the last terri- torial legislature. Before the adjournment of the session, in June, 1867, Nebraska had be- come a state and it became necessary to elect two United States senators to represent her in congress. Mr. Blakely steadily supported for these offices Thomas W. Tipton of Brown- ville, and Algernon S. Paddock of Omaha. Tipton was elected, but instead of Paddock, General John M. Thayer was chosen. Mr. Blakely was elected to the first state legisla- ture in the fall of 1868, from our county, and while still a member of that body he was ap- pointed receiver of public moneys for the Unit- ed States land office at Beatrice : he took charge of that office October 1, 1869. He served the government in this responsible position for six years, handling thousands of dollars of public money, and at the close of his service it was found that the government was slightly in his debt.
In November, 1868, Mr. Blakely married Margaret Constance Tinkham, the daughter of Albert L. and Sarah Tinkham, who were also among the earliest settlers of Gage coun- ty. Prior to her marriage Mrs. Blakely had been one of the active and successful school teachers of Gage county. Her first school was at Blue Springs, and her pupils were: Carter C. Coffinberry and Hugh J. Dobbs, from what is now Rockford township; John Shaw, from the Otoe Indian Agency; and from Blue Springs, Thomas, James, Richard, and Martha Johnson, Maria Knight (afterward Mrs. Louis Wehn), Retta Anthony (now Mrs. F. M. Graham), her brother Isaac, and two
155
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
younger sisters, children of Dr. Levi Anthony. These, with Sarah Fisher and her sister, daughters of King Fisher, constituted one of the earliest schools taught in the county.
Mr. Blakely's death occurred at his home in Beatrice on his birthday anniversary, July 26, 1906, and his wife passed away, at her home, December 6, 1908. At the time of his decease he had attained the age of eighty-two years, and Mrs. Blakely had reached the age
MARGARET CONSTANCE BLAKELY
of sixty-five. Mr. Blakely was a shrewd busi- ness man and at the time of his death was one of the wealthy men of our county. His fortune was all in Beatrice real estate and farm lands in Gage, Thayer, Nuckolls, and other Nebraska counties. After his widow's death this fortune descended to their only son, Charles, who is now a resident of Omaha. This pioneer husband and wife lie side by side in their own burial plot in Beatrice cemetery, in, as yet, unmarked graves.
From the moment of its origin until the last moment of his life, Beatrice never pos- sessed a more loyal, enthusiastic, hopeful friend than Nathan Blakely.
CHARLES N. EMERY
Charles N. Emery was born in Industry, Franklin county, Maine, August 15, 1836.
Early in 1856, with the great influx of free- soil immigration, he came to Kansas, and made his home at Lawrence, which, from 1854 to 1863, was the rallying point of the free-soilers and the headquarters of John Brown, Jim Lane, Redpath, Parsons, Eldridge, Pomeroy, and other anti-slavery leaders. His first occupation was to drive stage on the old Santa Fe Trail from Leavenworth to Topeka, Kansas, and in this capacity he made the ac- quaintance of nearly every prominent leader of the anti-slavery movement in the territory of Kansas.
In 1864 he came to Nebraska territory, where he was for a while in the employ of the Overland Stage Company and had charge of the station at Thirty-two Mile Creek. Later he came eastward on the Oregon Trail to Liberty Farm, and he had charge of that im- portant station at the time of the great Sioux Indian raid on the Little Blue river in August, 1864. On the afternoon of that day a stage driver halted his team at Liberty Farm long enough to warn the inmates to fly for their lives. Mr. Emery and his family made their way quickly to Pawnee Ranch, a large station of the Overland Stage Company, so located as to be easily defended. They went through the siege from three or four hundred savages, and when the danger had subsided they made their way to Atchison, Kansas. From that point, for a year or two, Mr. Emery engaged in freighting across the plains to Colorado. In July, 1867, he came to Beatrice, and for a while he was engaged in farming and stock- raising, but on the completion of the old stone hotel building at the corner of Fifth and Court streets, he. on January 1, 1871, became its landlord. This famous old hostelry was known for years as the "Emery House," and is to this day in favor with the traveling pub- lic, under the name of the "Burwood." Be- ginning with 1878, Mr. Emery owned and ran a livery barn, which was located directly east of the hotel.
While driving stage over the old Santa Fe Trail, Charles N. Emery met Mary Benson, and on May 4, 1858, they were married, at Lawrence, Kansas. Here their two children
156
HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
were born, George E. and John C. Emery. This pioneer family from the first was prom- inent in the social and business affairs of Beatrice. Charles and Mary Emery were genial, optimistic, friendly people and were much loved and highly respected by the en- tire community.
He reached the boundaries of life when venerable in years, and on the 6th day of January, 1907, the passing Death Angel with his wing touched his companion of over forty years, and she passed peacefully from the earth forever. After their long pilgrimage together, they lie side by side, in everlast- ing repose, near the beautiful city which they both loved and which loved them.
JOSEPH HOLLINGSWORTH
Joseph Hollingworth was born in the man - ufacturing town of Melbourne, Derbyshire, England, November 2, 1836. He was the youngest of twelve children born to his par- ents, James and Elizabeth Hollingworth. In 1848 these fine English parents, accompanied by their four youngest children, came from England to the United States of America and settled in the then new state of Wisconsin, where the father engaged in farming and in the manufacture of lumber from the pine for- ests of that state. After the parents had been in this country some years they were followed by most of their other children. They were James, the eldest son ; Henry and Robert ; also their married daughters Elizabeth, wife of William Wild, and Frances, wife of Francis Shelley. In 1861 all these families except Robert numbering probably twenty-five souls, migrated from Wisconsin to Gage county, Ne- braska. All found homes in Rockford town- ship except Robert, who came on later and set- tled in Thayer county, where he became very prominent both in public and private life. They became at once useful and valued citizens of our county and state and though all but Eliza- beth Wild have answered the summons of death their posterity is to be found in numbers in the city of Beatrice, in Gage county and elsewhere in Nebraska, engaged in many voca- tions in the world of work. Joseph Holling-
worth and his brothers, as well as Wild and Shelley, were successful farmers and belonged to the cultivated English rural class. These families all possessed the manly and womanly virtues that distinguish high-class English peo- ple wherever found.
Shortly after coming to Nebraska Joseph Hollingworth met and, on July 13, 1862, mar- ried Wealthy, the good and accomplished daughter of Rev. Albert L. Tinkham and his wife Sarah, pioneers, too, of Gage county. She was a successful school teacher. She taught the village school in Beatrice in 1861 and was teaching the second school taught in Blue Springs, in 1862, when she first met her future husband. Their marriage was from first to last a complete exemplification of perfect con- jugal happiness and domestic felicity, broken only by the husband's death.
Joseph Hollingworth maintained a continu- ous residence here till 1882, when he went to Nuckolls county to live, on a section of land which he had purchased. In 1887 he returned to his farm in Rockford township, and in 1895 he came to Beatrice to live. After a few years spent in this city he removed to University Place and after a short time he went to Cali- fornia, whence eventually he went to Portland, Oregon, where he died October 23, 1914. His wife, though nearing life's boundary, still survives,- the object of the tender affection and solicitude of her children and friends.
To Joseph and Wealthy Hollingworth there were born five sons and three daughters. The sons are Arthur, Thomas, George, Albert, and Archie; the daughters are Alma, Arvilla, and Aimee. All reside in Portland, Oregon, except Albert, who for many years has made his home in Beatrice. He served during the Spanish- American war as captain of Company C of the First Nebraska Regiment of Volunteer Infan- try, a company composed largely of Gage coun- ty men. He was severely wounded in battle in the Philippines but returned with his regi- ment in 1899, and on February 27, 1906, he was appointed postmaster of Beatrice, an office which he most ably and acceptably filled for more than eight. years, maintaining, however, in some capacity a connection with the military
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HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA
organization of the state. When the United States entered the present world war, in 1917, he was among the first to offer his services to his country, and he is now lieutenant colonel of one of the Nebraska regiments in training for service in France.
HIRAM W. PARKER
In the history of Gage county, few men have played so important a part as Hiram W. Park- er. He was born in Worcester, Massachusetts, December 17, 1827 ; he died at Beatrice in 1899. Mr. Parker came to Nebraska from Ironton, Ohio, in April, 1857, and in 1858 he located a
HIRAM W. PARKER
claim in old Clay county, near the present vil- lage of Pickrell, and engaged in farming and stock-raising. In 1865 he removed to Camden, in Seward county, Nebraska, where he built a saw mill, and followed this, in 1871, by adding a grist mill. On the 2d day of June, 1871, he was appointed register of the government land office at Beatrice, and by successive appoint- ments he held this office until April 1, 1884. He was county judge of old Clay county, and
was the clerk of that county in 1864, when Clay was partitioned between Lancaster and Gage counties. In 1860 Mr. Parker was elect- ed to represent Gage, Clay, and Johnson coun- ties in the territorial assembly, and he was al- so a member of the state constitutional con- vention in 1871.
Mr. Parker was married, at Austinburg, Ohio, in October, 1852, to Almira T. Dole, a native of that state. His living children are Franklin H. Parker of Santa Rosa, California, and Louis C. Parker of Chicago, Illinois. Mr. Parker for a long time was vice-president of the First National Bank, and was also president of a brick manufacturing company and a large canning company, in both of which he lost money, and of an early-day telephone company of Beatrice. For a number of years he was a member and president of the school board of the city of Beatrice; he was also a long-time official of the Gage County Agricultural Society.
The remains of both Mr. and Mrs. Parker lie in the old Beatrice cemetery, where two chil- dren preceded them many years, and the spot is marked by a fine monument.
Though rather abrupt in manner, Mr. Parker at bottom was a good, reliable citizen, and to those who broke through his reserve he was a good friend.
CHARLES G. DORSEY
Charles G. Dorsey came to Brownville from Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1856, and engaged in the practice of the law, principally, however. in such litigation as grew out of land contests before the register and receiver in the Brown- ville land office. He combined with his practice a general real-estate business. On the 25th day of July, 1865, he was appointed register of the land office, and he held this position till March 7, 1867, when he was suc- ceeded by Henry M. Atkinson, who was af- terwards surveyor general of New Mexico. The land office was moved from Brownville to Beatrice July 7, 1868, and Mr. Dorsey removed from Brownville in 1869, and continued his practice before that of- fice. His brother, George Dorsey, also
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