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 99

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 99

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

On the 27th of November, 1907, Mr. Strough wedded Miss May Rhodes, who was born in Pawnee county, this state, a daughter of Julius Rhodes, who is one of the substantial farmers of that county. Mr. and Mrs. Strough have two children,- Keith and Lauren.

GEORGE W. NICHOLAS .- Though Mr. Nicholas is now serving as postmaster of the village of Dewitt, Saline county, he is entitled to recognition in this history, for not only is he a native of Gage county and a repre- sentative of one of its sterling pioneer families but is also the owner of a fine farm on Sec- tion 30, Grant township, his farm being about one and one-half miles distant from the vil- lage of Dewitt, where he resides and is a prominent and influential citizen.

Mr. Nicholas was born on the old home- stead farm of his father, in Grant township, Gage county, and the date of his nativitiy was March 29, 1870. He was the fifth in order of birth of the family of Robert and Mary Ann (Plucknett) Nicholas, of whom a record will be found on other pages of this volume.

George W. Nicholas gained his early educa- tion in the pioneer schools which his father aided in organizing in Grant township, and his independent career as a farmer was ini- tiated when his father gave him a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, a property which he still owns, and upon which he continued his successful activities as an agriculturist and stock-grower until 1905. He then removed

to Dewitt and engaged in the buying and shipping of live stock, in which he continued for ten years. In 1915, Mr. Nicholas was ap- pointed postmaster of Dewitt, which position he still holds. He has given a most effective administration, and from the Dewitt postoffice, service is now given on four rural free-de- livery routes. In politics Mr. Nicholas is a stalwart advocate and supporter of the prin- ciples of the Democratic party, and he has been influential in its affairs in Gage and Saline counties. He has served four years as village treasurer of Dewitt and has been spe- cially active and liberal in support of measur- es advanced for the general good of the com- munity. He and his wife are communicants of the Protestant Episcopal church, and he af- filiates with the Masonic fraternity, the Mo- dern Woodmen of America, and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. It is worthy of note that Mr. Nicholas had the distinction of killing the last deer that appeared within the borders of Gage county,-in 1883.

On September 12, 1894, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Nicholas to Miss Agnes I. Moore, who was born in Jones county, Iowa, and whose parents, Thomas and Louisa ( Mil- ligan) Moore, removed from that state to Gage county, Nebraska, in 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Nicholas became the parents of two children; George W. and Wallace M. the latter of whom died in childhood; George W., Jr., was gra- duated in the Beatrice high school as a mem- ber of the class of 1912, and was one of the foremost players on its football team. He is now assisting his father by his efficient ser- vices as deputy postmast at Dewitt.

JAMES P. SAUNDERS .- The metewand by which are gauged personal ability and pop- ularity will find no indirection or obscurity of application when brought to bear in the determining of the status of James P. Saun- ders, who, served from 1916 until the spring of 1918 as mayor of the city of Beatrice. This former chief executive, who gave such admir- able administration of the municipal govern- ment of the Gage county metropolis, is a citizen who has here maintained his home for

738

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

thirty-eight years and who has staged his var- means for acquiring higher academic school- ious productive activities - as a business man and as a public official - in such a way as to inure greatly and conspiciously to the further- ance of civic and material development and progress in the city and county in which he justly claims pioneer honors. He has held various local offices of public trust and as mayor stood exponent of those vital and pro- gressive policies that inevitably conserve the best interests of the community.

A scion of the staunchest of colonial New England stock, Mr. Saunders reverts with a due measure of pride to the fact that he can claim the old Pine Tree state as the place of his nativity. He was born in Hancock county, Maine, on the 2d of September, 1852, and is a son of Thaddeus S. and Eliza Jane (Doyle) Saunders. Born and reared in Maine, Thad- deus S. Saunders there learned the trade of ship carpenter and became thus actively as- sociated with the maritime interests of his native commonwealth. In the little seaport city of Kittery, Maine, he worked at his trade in the United States navy yard during the clim- acteric period of the Civil war, and in this connection it is interesting to record that he assisted in the construction of the historic battleship "Kearsarge." In 1867 Mr. Saund- ers removed with his family to Bradford, Stark county, Illinois, and there he continued to fol- low the trade of carpenter until his death, at the age of fifty-eight years. His widow long survived him and about 1882 came with one of her daughters to join her son James P., of this review, in Nebraska, where she lived to attain to the venerable age of eighty-two years, her death having occurred at Lodgepole, Cheyenne county. Of the seven children five attained to maturity, and of this number three sons and one daughter are now living.

James P. Saunders is indebted to the public schools of his native state for his preliminary educational discipline, which was then supple- mented by his attending a seminary at Bucks- port. He was a lad of about fifteen years at the time of the family removal to Illinois, and there he worked with his father at the car- penter's trade until he could provide ways and

ing. This he achieved by entering Lombard College, at Galesburg, Illinois, and in this in- stitution he continued his studies two years. For the ensuing two years he found employ- ment in connection with the bridge department of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, and he devoted the major part of his time during the next four years to the reading of law, in the office and under the preceptorship of Benjamin F. Thompson, of Bradford, Il- linois. The ambition of the embryo lawyer led him then to come to the west with the de- termination to apply for admission to the bar of Nebraska. In the year 1880 Mr. Saunders arrived in Beatrice, which was then little more than a straggling frontier village, and here he entered the law office of Bush & Rickards, where he continued his technical studies about one year. He then initiated his service in con- nection with public affairs in Gage county by accepting a position in the office of the county clerk and recorder, J. E. Hill being the county clerk at the time. A year later Mr. Saunders became associated with the abstract office and business of John Ellis, and about two years thereafter he identified himself with the Gage County Abstract Company, in which connec- tion he compiled an entire new and complete set of abstract books and made the record effectively and authoritatively cover the entire county. With this company he continued his connection until 1893 and in the following year, with the best of records and facilities, he es- tablished himself independently in the abstract business, as a member of the firm of Saunders & Emery, in which his coadjutor was George E. Emery. To this successful enterprise Mr. Saunders continued to give his attention almost exclusively until 1898, when he was elected city treasurer, an office of which he continued the incumbent four years and in which he ably and carefully administered the fiscal affairs of the city. Thereafter he served four years as deputy county treasurer, and it is worthy of special note that the entire management and work of the office were reposed in him during this in- terval, as the regular incumbent of the office

739

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

of treasurer gave virtually no attention to the honored factor in community affairs and both executive details of the office. After his re- tirement from this responsible position Mr. Saunders resumed his activities in the abstract business, and to the same he gave his time until popular appreciation of his character and ability brought him again into public service, by his election to the office of mayor of Beat- rice in the year 1916. With characteristic loyal- ty and vigor Mr. Saunders gave effective ad- ministration in the position of mayor of Beatrice, and under his regime many improve- ments were effected in the public utilities and other departments of the municipal govern- ment.

The political allegiance of Mr. Saunders has never swerved and he has been active and in- fluential in the local councils of the Republi- can party. He served two years as a member of the board of education of Beatrice and prior to his election to the mayoralty he had been for four years a progressive and valued member of the city council. During one year of his incumbency he was president of the council. He served for a short time also as city clerk, to fill a vacancy in this office. Mr. Saunders has taken at all times the most lively interest in all things pertaining to his home city and county and in 1896 he executed a complete and reliable map of Gage county, the same having been authoritative and having continued in use until 1916, when he again brought to bear his cartographic skill, by mak- ing a new and authoritative map which gives all details normally pertaining to such pro- ductions and which also covers most fully the platting of the city of Beatrice and the smaller municipalities of the county. Since 1893 Mr. Saunders has been in active affiliation with Beatrice Lodge, No. 26, Ancient Free & Ac- cepted Masons.

On the 13th of March, 1882, Mr. Saunders married Miss Anna Coe, who was born in Knox county, Illinois, a daughter of Ebenezer and Mary (Brown) Coe, both natives of Ohio. In 1879 Ebenezer Coe came with his family to Gage county and established his residence at Beatrice, where he engaged in business at his trade, that of cabinetmaker. He was an

he and his wife were active in church work, both having attained to advanced age and both having been sterling pioneer citizens of Beatrice at the time of their death. Mrs. Anna (Coe) Saunders acquired her earlier educational discipline in Illinois and continued her studies in the Beatrice schools after the family removal to Gage county. She was loved by all who came within the compass of her personal influence and her death oc- curred June 17, 1909. Of the four children one died in infancy and the others survive the loved mother: Marie is the wife of W. L. Lee, of Beatrice; Thaddeus E., who was grad- uated in the University of Nebraska, was holding a responsible business position at the time when the United States declared war against Germany, and he promptly evinced his patriotism by enlisting as a private in the na- tional army, in which he has won promotion to the rank of lieutenant, being stationed, at the opening of the year 1918, with his command at Camp Lewis, Washington ; and Helene, the youngest of the children, is the wife of Charles Pyle, of Beatrice.

On the 17th of June, 1915, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Saunders to Mrs. Bertha E. (Clemens) Cone, of Lincoln, Nebraska, she having been born in Pennsylvania and being a distant kinswoman of the late and distin- guished author best known as Mark Twain. Mrs. Saunders is the gracious and popular chatelaine of the attractive home, is a leader in the representative social activities of the community and is an earnest communicant of the Protestant Episcopal church.

FREEMAN E. CLAYTON is a member of a well known pioneer family of Gage county and has become a successful exponent of farm industry in Sicily township, where he gives his attention to the operation of a well im- proved domain of three hundred and forty- five acres. Of the family history due record is given on other pages, in the sketch dedicat- ed to Isaac R. Clayton, father of him whose name introduces this paragraph.

Freeman E. Clayton was born in Stark

740

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

county, Illinois, on the 30th of May, 1874, and was a child at the time when the family came to Nebraska and settled in Gage county. Here he was reared on the pioneer farm, the while he profited by the advantages of the district schools. Of the large tract of land on which he prosecutes his vigorous operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower he purchased one hundred and twenty acres of his father, the latter having developed in the early days a productive farm from the virgin prairie in this part of the county. On his home place M". Clayton has good buildings, including an at- tractive farm residence, the buildings having been erected by his father.

In politics Mr. Clayton gives his support to the cause of the Republican party, he is affiliat- ed with the Wymore camp of the Modern Woodmen of America and he and his wife hold membership in the Baptist church.

In the year 1898 Mr. Clayton wedded Miss Helen E. Armstrong, who was born in Canada, and they have five children,- Loren Herbert, William Homer, Gilbert LeRoy, Frederick Randolph and Paul Morris.

FRANK MOSELEY was an honored re- presentative of the class of sturdy men who came to Gage county in the early stages of its history and contributed toward the develop- ment that has made it foremost among thie agricultural sections of the state.

Frank Moseley was born in Lee county, Illi- nois, October 1, 1852, a son of Joseph and Margaret (Moore) Moseley, natives respec- tively of England and Pennsylvania. Joseph Moseley was a farmer and spent his last days in Lee county, Illinois, where he was number- ed among the pioneers of that section of the state. His death occurred in 1886. The maiden name of his wife was Margaret Clin- ton, and she was twice married, her first hus- band having been named Moore. Two of her sons, John Moore and William Moseley were soldiers in the Civil war. Mrs. Moseley passed the closing period of her life in Thayer county, Nebraska.

Frank Moseley was reared and educated in his native county, and in 1876 he became a

resident of Page county, Iowa. There he married and in 1879 he became a resident of Thayer county, Nebraska, where he lived until 1883. He then came to Gage coun- ty and bought land in Paddock township. This he improved and developed and at his death, which occurred May 10, 1915, he was one of the extensive land owners of the town- ship where he had lived for thirty-two years.

In Page county, Iowa, on the 26th of November, 1879, Frank Moseley married Miss Lovisa Beer, a daughter of William Beer. The children born to Mr. and Mrs. Frank Moseley are as here noted: Nellie M. is the wife of Fred Drake, a resident of Idaho; Fred R., married Jessie Long and they live in Idaho; Ida J. is the wife of Dr. E. L. Feese, of Wymore, Gage county ; Paul F. is a farmer of Paddock township and is individually repre- sented on other pages of this volume; Maude M. is the wife of Dr. T. L. Cartney, of Idaho; and Max J. remains with his widowed mother. After the death of Mr. Moseley the estate was divided among his children and his widow now resides in Idaho, where all except two of her children have found homes.

RAY C. HEFFELFINGER, manager of the Beatrice Hide Company, is to be designated not only as one of the representative business men of the younger generation in the fair metropolis of Gage county but also has the distinction of being mayor of this city, an office which he assumed in April, 1918. His election to this important executive position in connection with the municipal government of Beatrice attests alike to his ability and his personal popularity. His administration as mayor is certain to be marked by the loyalty and progressiveness that have signally char- acterized his business career.

Mr. Heffelfinger was born at Geneseo, Illi- nois, on the 27th of January, 1887, and is a son of Bell M. and Louisa (Wagner) Heffel- finger, whose marriage was solemnized at Gen- eseo and who became the parents of six chil- dren, namely : Otis R., of Beatrice ; Roy W., of Minneapolis, Minnesota ; Harlan W., of Super- ior, Nebraska; Ray C., subject of this review ;

741

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Flossie, wife of Pearl F. Ahlquist, of Buhl, Idaho; and Percy F., of Beatrice. Of Otis B. and Percy F. individual mention is made on other pages, of this volume.

Bell M. Heffelfinger claimed the old Buck- eye state as the place of his nativity and was there reared and educated. He was born at Wooster, Ohio, on the 9th of November, 1859, and as a young man he followed farm enter- prise in Ohio, as did he later in Illinois, in which latter state his marriage occurred, as previously noted in this context. In 1888 he came with his family to Nebraska, and there- after he maintained his residence at Grand Island, this state, until 1889, when he came to Gage county and established himself in the wholesale meat business and the buying and shipping of live stock. With these important lines of enterprise he continued to be success- fully identified until his death, which here oc- curred on the 24th of January, 1908. His widow still maintains her home in Beatrice.

Ray C. Heffelfinger was educated in the public schools of Beatrice and in the Beatrice Business College. After leaving school he became associated with his father's wholesale meat and live-stock business, and with this enterprise he continued his connection until 1911, when he purchased and assumed control of the business of the Beatrice Hide Company Of this business he is the general manager and under his vigorous direction the enterprise has been signally prosperous. Mr. Heffel- finger is the owner of a well improved farm of eighty acres, in Riverside township, this property having been purchased by him in the winter of 1916.

Mayor Heffelfinger has been unswerving in his allegiance to the Republican party and has been active in its local ranks, as a citizen of distinctive loyalty and public spirit. In April, 1918, the popular estimate placed upon him was significantly shown in his election to the of- fice of mayor of Beatrice, and he assumed the functions of this municipal post on the 9th of April, 1918. He holds membership in the Royal Highlanders and he and his wife affili- ate with the First Christian church of Beatrice.

On the 27th of July, 1911, was solemnized

the marriage of Mr. Heffelfinger to Miss Edith Brandt, daughter of John and Mary Brandt, of Beatrice, and the two children of this union are Edna Louise and Clifford John.

LLOYD H. TILTON is successfully con- ducting operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower in his native township and stages his activities on the old homestead farm, in Section 15, Filley township, which was the place of his birth, the date of his nativity hav- ing been February 5, 1877. His parents, Cur- tis and Olive (Burright) Tilton, were born and reared in Ogle county, Illinois, where their marriage was solemnized and where they continued their residence until the Centennial year, 1876, when they came to Nebraska and established their home on a pioneer farm of one hundred and sixty acres, which the father reclaimed and improved and to which he added until he was the owner of a valuable property of two hundred and forty acres. He was one of the vigorous farmers and repre- sentative citizens of Filley township and re- mained on his old homestead until his death, which occurred September 11, 1916, his widow having passed away on the 11th of the follow- ing month. Curtis Tilton was a Republican in politics and the high regard in which he was held in his home community was shown in his having been called upon to serve two terms as township clerk and one term as rep- resentative of Filley township on the county board of supervisors. He was affiliated with the Masonic fraternity, was a member of the Christian church and his wife held member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. They became the parents of seven children, all of whom are living, and of the number Lloyd H .. of this review, is the eldest; Mabel G. is the wife of Frederick Cornelius and they reside at University place, Lancaster county ; Earl is a resident of the city of Beatrice and Ralph of Lincoln; and Frank, Andrew, and Leon W. continue to be associated with farm enterprise in Filley township.

Lloyd H. Tilton profited duly by the ad- vantages afforded in the district schools and at the age of twenty years he initiated his in-

742

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

MRS. CURTIS TIL,TON

CURTIS TIL,TON

743

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

dependent operations as a farmer, though he remained at the parental home for two years thereafter. At the age of twenty-two years he bought a farm of one hundred and sixty acres, in Filley township, and there he con- tinued his operations until after the death of his father, when he purchased and returned to the old homestead farm on which he was born and reared, the fine old place being endeared to him by many gracious memories and asso- ciations. He accords allegiance to the Repub- lican party, is affiliated with the Masonic fra- ternity, and he and his wife are members of the Christian church in the village of Filley.

On the 21st of December, 1899, Mr. Tilton wedded Miss Grace Clark, who was born at Mansfield, Ohio, and whose parents, Jacob and Jennie Clark, are now residents of the state of California. Mr. and Mrs. Tilton have an interesting family of seven children - Cloyd, Merl, Pearl, Ruth, Clarence, Marie, and Thelma.

FRANCIS A. MILLER, residing at 620 North Sixth street, Beatrice, is an influential business man and citizen who is descended from a long line of colonial and Revolutionary ancestry which reaches back into the earliest history of our nation. The individual branches have entwined themselves into the web and woof of our nation, having taken active part in public affairs of a civil nature, as well as in the wars which have been fought during the development of our country from its earliest colonizing period to the present. Mr. Miller is of the tenth generation in de- scent from John Thurston, who, with his wife, Margaret, came to Dedham, Massachusetts, May 10, 1637, from Wrentham, Suffolk county, England, said John Thurston having been baptized in that town, January 13, 1601. Mr. Miller is a product of English, Scotch, and Irish descent. His grandfather, Abijah Thurston Miller, eighth generation, married, on January 1, 1721, Betsey Lermond, daugh- ter of John and Nancy (Burd) Lermond. Nancy Burd was born in 1772, on Fox Island, her father having cmigrated from Scotland, and having been killed by Indians, in 1776.

Vina Thurston, seventh generation, married, December 19, 1793, Jesse Miller, whose mother was Thankful Gilmore, of Irish descent. One of their children was Abijah Thurston Miller, referred to above.

Horace Miller, father of the subject of this sketch, was born October 16, 1834, on a New England farm, near Whitefield, Maine. At different times he followed the vocation of farming, learned the trade of a cooper, taught school, mined in California, in which, at that time, far remote region he was residing dur- ing the progress of the Civil war. He was for many years a Methodist local preacher. He married Olive Chase Fuller, October 12, 1870, at McMinville, Tennessee, they having been schoolmates while attending Kents Hill Acad- emy. While living in Cumberland county, Tennessee, four children were born to them, namely: Francis A., the eldest; Edna L., wife of Robert Stratford, residing in Beatrice, and being engaged in the jewelry business ; Julius Gilmore, who lost his life while serving his country as a member of Company C, First Nebraska Volunteer Infantry, his death oc- curring at Honolulu, Hawaii, while he was en route to the Philippines ; Howard V., who graduated from Wesleyan University, Univer- sity Place, Nebraska, in 1918.

The mother of this family was born in New Sharon, Maine, June 2, 1835. Her great- grandfather, Elisha Fuller, and his son, Aaron Fuller (I), each served his country with credit during the Revolutionary war. Her father, Aaron Fuller II, turned out as mem- ber of militia during the War of 1812, doing guard duty at Portland, Maine. He also was a Methodist minister, during those early times when that arduous religious duty required the traveling of a circuit, and he was a well known and valuable citizen of his times. Much of the time when his family of eight chil- dren was growing to maturity, his home was at North Livermore, Maine, where he com- bined the occupations of farmer and minister. Miss Fuller received her education in the pub- lic schools of her native state, and at Kents Hill Academy, Kents Hill, Maine. She was for a number of years a successful teacher in

744

HISTORY OF GAGE COUNTY, NEBRASKA

Maine, and later in Illinois. In her early years she united with the Methodist church, in which she retained her membership throughout a long and active life. She was at all times an active and persistent student of both the religious and political affairs of the country, and was always able to discuss these affairs with a keen intelligence. She retained to the full this faculty until her demise, which occurred at Arapahoe, Nebraska, March 23, 1915, she then being in her eightieth year.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

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 99

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

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