History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 100

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011

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George W. Wingert attended the country schools in boyhood and practically remained at home with his parents until he was twenty- one years old. At one time, for six months, he prospected for gold in the Black Hills, but met with so little success that he returned home. Afterward, for six months, he met with better success and came up with more adventure, as a trapper between Tredford and Seneca, Nebraska, on the Middle Loup river. In the meanwhile his father and brother had become interested in a gardening project near Kansas City and he joined them and continued until the fall of 1881, when he went into the same business one mile south of Abbott, Ne- braska. In the spring of 1886 Mr. Wingert came to the new town of Cairo and was one of the enterprising early business men, opening a grocery and meat market and conducting the same in conjunction with the shipping of stock, until 1897. In that year he took charge of an elevator for Oscar Wells & Co., of Grand Island, continuing his stock shipping up to 1904, when he embarked in a grocery business in partnership with his brother, the late William C. Wingert. On account of ill health he later sold his interest to his brother and went to Denver, Colorado, where he re- mained one year and then returned to the gro- cery store, but sold out when his brother died in the following summer. Mr. Wingert became associated with the Cairo State Bank as cash- ier, October 7, 1997, and this confidential rela- tion has continued ever since.

Mr. Wingert marrried, March 23, 1890, Miss Emma E. Travis, who is a daughter of Buckle C. and Mary (Vannetta) Travis, natives of Wisconsin, pioneers of Hall County and present residents of Grand Island. Mr. and Mrs. Wingert have four children: Fern M., employed in the public schools at Phillips, Nebraska ; Ida B., the wife of H. S. Brown, lives at Loup City, Nebraska; Jean B., the wife of Howard J. Finley, lives in Grand Island; and Edna B., who resides at home. As was his father, Mr. Wingert has been fore- most in public affairs and is a zealous Re- publican. At one time he consented to be

Mr. Wingert relates many interesting stories of early days in Hall County. One of these occurred three weeks after he reached here, March 22, 1873, and made such an impression that it can never be forgotten. Every old settler of the county remembers the memorable snow storm of the spring of 1873. It hap- pened that Mr. Wingert had "bunked" with John Mader, in a sod house, which had the big chimney of such primitive structures and the old fashioned latchstring in the door. When the boys awakened in the morning they found themeslves completely buried in snow and it was with difficulty they made their way to the neighboring frame house. When the storm of three days duration was over and they endeavored to enter the sod house, they found the interior completely filled with snow that the wind had driven down the chimney and through the latchstring aperture. It might have been their fate, as it was that of many others, to be suffocated by the snow.

HENRY SCHUMACHER. - One of the men of marked business enterprise steadily active for years in the affairs of Hall County and Grand Island, is Henry Schumacher, pro- prietor of a large meat market here, which he conducts in a modern building at No. 113 South Wheeler Avenue, Grand Island, an enterprise in which he has been engaged since 1916. For nearly a quarter of a century he has been a resident of the county, and for a num- ber of years has served as a city official.

Henry Schumacher was born in Holstein, Germany, October 11, 1865, the son of Henry and Catherine (Brockmueller) Schumacher. who came to the United States in 1885, set- tling in Iowa. The father was a hard work- ing farmer in that state where by thrift and industry he accumulated property. He died on his farm in Iowa, February 29, 1908, at the age of seventy-eight years. The mother survived him nine years, passing away at the home of her son in Grand Island, in April. 1917, in her ninety-third year. They were parents of four children : John, a farmer near Preston, Iowa; Mary, the wife of William Barghols, a farmer near Cushing, Iowa; Henry, a resident of Grand Island, and Eliza. the widow of Henry Vohs, of Holstein, Iowa.

The German schools afforded Henry Schu- macher his education after which he worked on farms until 1885 when he accompanied his parents to the United States and to Iowa.

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HENRY SCHUMACHER

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There he gave his father assistance and en- gaged in farm work until twelve more years had passed by, becoming a successful husband- man and a good judge of stock. After com- ing to Grand Island in 1897, he worked at various occupations before engaging in a. saloon business, conducting an orderly and high class liquor store for eleven years. Dur- ing this period he was prominent in city poli- tics and helped start many business enter- prises that have resulted in profit to the city. Mr. Schumacher never accepted city office except that of city jailor, in which he was an honest and faithful custodian. In 1916 he embarked in the meat business in a sub- stantial building that he erected and owns, and now enjoys a fine line of patronage under the name of Henry Schumacher and Son.

In 1897 Mr. Schumacher united in marriage Mrs. Alvina Cornelius, the widow of John Cornelius. She had one son, Max John Cor- nelius, who returned to his home February 4, 1919, from military service at Camp Fun- ston, which he entered April 1, 1918, being assigned to military police duty. Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher have four children : Olga, her father's capable assistant in his business ; Frieda, Elsie and Maxine, all of whom are at home. Mr. and Mrs. Schumacher are members of the Lutheran church. They have a comfortable and attractive home at 709, West Koenig street, which was completed in 1912. He was one of the organizers in Grand Island of the Plattsdeutchen, was secretary of the society for fifteen years, belongs to the Liederkranz and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

JOHN E. COX, whose personal popularity. in Cairo and throughout Hall County is marked, has numerous interests in Nebraska, both business and political, and since 1909 he has been vice president of the Cairo State Bank. He has lived in Nebraska almost all his life and no native son is prouder of the state.

John E. Cox was born at Remington, Jasper County, Indiana. November 20, 1875, and is the eldest of the five surviving children born to his parents, James M. and Sarah J. (Tyler) Cox, both of whom were born at Plano, Illinois. James M. Cox was a farmer in his earlier years. In 1879 he came with his family to Hamilton County, Nebraska, and still makes his home in Hampton, in which city he has lived since 1885. He continues to be interested to some extent in the stock bus- iness, and for many years he has been prom-

inent in banking circles, being president of the Farmers State Bank of Bradshaw until he sold his interests there, and at present is on the directing board of a bank in York. He is well known in fraternal circles, having ad- vanced far both in Masonry and Odd Fellow- ship, and he has an honorable record in Re- publican politics, having served two terms as state senator representing Hamilton, York and Clay counties. Of his seven children, the fol- lowing are living: John E., a resident of Cairo, Nebraska ; Frank H., lives in Hampton, married Cora Powers; Alice E., the wife of S. C. Houghton, resides at Hampton ; Vera S., the wife of W. T. Bavinger, of Omaha, and Ralph E., a lieutenant in the United States Army, is stationed at Waco, Texas.

John E. Cox attended school at Hampton, Nebraska, and afterward spent a year in the Omaha Business College. His first business connection was with an Omaha stock commis- sion house, where he was employed for eighteen months as a bookkeeper, after which he engaged in the elevator business with his father for a few years, in Hampton, and in the same place conducted a hardware store for one year. After selling his store in Hamp- ton, in July, 1901, he came to Cairo to em- bark in an elevator and stock enterprise here, in which he continued active until 1913, when he disposed of his elevator interests. Since that time he has devoted his time variously to farming, stock dealing and banking, in 1909 accepting the position of vice president of the Cairo State Bank. Mr. Cox's farm- ing is on an extensive scale. He has a large farm south of Cairo and a ranch near Lake- side in Sheridan county and manages both properties. He finds time, however, to be also active in the political field, having served a term in the General Assembly from Hall County, elected on the Republican ticket. In local affairs he has always shown a good citizen's interest and at present is a member of the town board. He built the first alfalfa mill in Hall County, erecting it at Cairo, and in many ways has shown business enterprise.

Mr. Cox married, November 17, 1896, Miss Dorothy C. Jacobsen, a daughter of Chris- tian Jacobsen, a pioneer settler in York County. Mr. and Mrs. Cox have the follow- ing children : Gael M., Lucille E., Helen E., Sarah M., Ralph E., and Harold. Mr. Cox is a Mason and also an Odd Fellow.

REV. REUNE R. COON, minister, author and editor, is one of the prominent men of the Baptist church in Nebraska. He was born Digitized by

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at Peoria, Illinois, July 2, 1848, a son of Rev. of Charles B. Huntington, formerly a very R. R. and Emeline (McCowen) Coon. The father of Dr. Coon was born at Coontown, New Jersey, June 11, 1815, and his mother near Cincinnati, Ohio, April 6, 1820.

For sixty years the father of Dr. Coon was a minister in the Baptist church, during which time he organized six churches in addition to bearing his other responsibilities. He passed many years in churches and institutions in Illinois. At one time he was chairman of the board of trustees of Shurtleff College; was chaplain of the Illinois penitentiary, and in 1861 was a chaplain in the Union Army during the Civil War. He was the author of "The Primacy of the Jewish Race," "The Future Life," and a volume of poems. Of his five children, Dr. Coon of Grand Island, was the third in order of birth, the others being: Reuben W., now deceased, lived at Waukegan, Illinois, and served one term in the state senate; James M., a resident of Chicago, founded the National Young People's paper, of which he was editor for twenty- five years and is the author of much Sunday school literature, John J., who was a jour- nalist, died at Flint, Michigan, and Anna M., the widow of Rev. J. C. Johnson, formerly of Chicago.

Dr. Coon attended the public schools at Alton, Illinois, and an academy, the University of Chicago and the Chicago Theological Sem- inary, and on class day was first prize orator. He was a member of the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity, editor of the college paper, and is entitled to the signatures of many degrees indicating high scholarship. On October 9, 1877, he was ordained to the ministry at Vernon, Michigan, where he served four years, going then to St. Cloud, Minnesota, and to Oshkosh, Wisconsin. In 1898 he came to Nebraska and served churches at Laclede, Polk, Glenville and Peru, in 1905 coming to Grand Island in order to secure educational advantages for his children. He established the Inter State Christian Herald, of which he was editor for four years, and taught rhetoric and public speaking in the Baptist College, having trained five students at one time for intercollegiate oratorical contests and enjoying the satisfaction of having first prizes taken in two instances. He is historian of the Baptist State convention and is clerk of the Grand Island Baptist association. Much of Dr. Coon's time is taken up in literary effort which finds publicity in many leading publica- tions.

In Chicago, on November 6, 1879, Dr. Coon married Miss Eva Huntington, a daughter

prominent produce merchant of Chicago. Dr. and Mrs. Coon have four children: Raymond H., professor of Latin in William Jewell Col- lege, Liberty, Missouri, was the first Rhodes scholar selected from Nebraska ; Julius M. and Jesse D., twins, both of whom are lawyers at Sioux Falls, South Dakota, being graduates of the University of Chicago, the latter acting as assistant judge at Sioux Falls, and the for- mer being superintendent of the Y. M. C. A. at Camp Funston, and Anna M., the wife of Julius R. Hickerson, a planter near Tulla- homa, Tennessee. Dr. Coon, like his father, has been a lifelong advocate of temperance.

HENRY TALLMAN INGALLS, whose extensive milling interests have made his name well known for many years in Hall and other counties in Nebraska, is one of Cairo's pro- gressive business men and is at the head of a very important modern enterprise that is conducted under the style of H. F. Ingalls & Sons. He accompanied his parents to Ne- braska in boyhood and his subsequent life has been spent here.

Henry Tallman Ingalls was born in Dover, Bureau County, Illinois, the third in a family of four children born to his parents, Charles and Gertrude (Van Arsdale) Ingalls, both of whom were born in the state of New York. In early manhood Charles Ingalls moved to Illinois and engaged in farming there until 1872, when he came to Nebraska with his family. . He took up a homestead in Adams County and later acquired another tract of 160 acres, both farms being now included in the city of Hastings, the latter being known as the College Addition, while the Catholic convent stands on the site of the old home- stead. An interesting side light is thrown upon hardships the pioneers of those early times in the state were obliged to accept, in noting the difficulty that Mr. Ingalls exper- ienced in the matter of transportation when he moved here. Railroad trains reached Hastings about once in two weeks and when he wished to bill his household goods to that village, he found it necessary to bill to the next sta- tion on the route. Fortunately he was saved the expense of back hauling for the engineer accommodatingly stopped the train at Hastings and put off his goods, in all probability there being no special train schedule followed closely. Mr. Ingalls shipped the first load of lumber that reached Hastings, and further- more, he raised the first car load of wheat that was shipped from that point. He continued

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to live on his land in Adams County until his death, which occurred in 1900. In politics he was a Republican and in his neighborhood he was respected and esteemed as a quiet, cap- able citizen. Both he and wife were members of the Congregational church. Her death occurred in 1906. Their children were: Charles, connected with the claims department of the Chicago & Rio Grande Railroad, in Denver; Gertrude, deceased, was the wife of A. L. Clark; Henry T., a resident of Cairo, Nebraska, and Mollie, the wife of A. S. Camp- bell, postmaster in Imperial, Nebraska.

Henry T. Ingalls attended the public schools in Adams County, the Nebraska State Uni- versity at Lincoln, and a business college at Saint Joseph, Missouri. Farming was his chief employment until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time he went into the cattle business in Howard County, in which he continued for five years. From 1889 to 1892 he was in the flour milling business in Hast- ings, having had a year of previous experience in this line at North Loup. From Hastings he came to Doniphan, Hall County, where he operated as a grain merchant for sixteen years. In 1911 he came to Cairo and em- barked in a grain and coal business, subse- quently expanding and buying a flour mill, which he has operated ever since, having in- creased by the installation of modern equip- ments the mill capacity and doubled it in 1916. The mill is kept running day and night and still cannot keep up with orders. A favorite brand that has met with almost universal ap- proval, Mr. Ingalls has named Cairo. Asso- ciated with him in business under the firm name of H. T. Ingalls & Sons, Mr. Ingalls has his son, Ray Ingalls, and his son-in-law, Harry Turner. Two millers are employed in the Cairo mill and the company owns and operates an elevator at Saint Michael.

Mr. Ingalls married, December 9, 1884, Miss Anna Wilson, a daughter of John W. Wilson, of Saint Joseph, Missouri. They have three children: Helen, the wife of Harry Turner; Marion, the wife of Robert Thomp- son, and Ray, who married Edna Nielson. Mrs. Ingalls is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Ingalls is a Democrat, being active in local interests.

FREDERICK STOLLEY is one of the prominent and successful farmers and stock- men of Hall County where he has spent nearly all his life, coming here with his parents when two years of age.

He was born in Davenport, Iowa, March 26, 1857, a son of William and Wilhelmina Fredericka (Hagge) Stolley, of whom an ex- tensive record appears elsewhere in this vol- ume. He was reared on the pioneer farm near Grand Island and his early education was acquired in his father's home under a private teacher as there were no public schools in the county at that time. Later he took instruc- tion under a Mr. Nogle for one year and then attended a school taught by a Polish teacher. When district No. 1 was organized he became a student there with Charles Rief as teacher.

When his school days were over he became a fireman on the Union Pacific Railroad and here he earned his first money. By carefully husbanding his earnings he was enabled to invest in land near Ravenna, Nebraska, taking up farming and residing there for eight years. He then removed to his present farm and has since carried on farming and stockraising quite extensively and is known as one of the most progressive and up-to-date agriculturists of the county.

June 1, 1889, Mr. Stolley married Miss Anna Seier, a daughter of John and Sophia (Boehl) Seier, who were early settlers of Hall County, both of whom have passed away. Mr. and Mrs. Stolley have become the parents of eight children, seven of whom are living: Minnie, William, Frederick, Clara and Her- bert are unmarried and are still under the parental roof; Anna, the wife of John Rhoades of Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and Maude, the wife of Chris Nelson, of Grand Island.

Mr. Stolley is an advocate of the teach- ings of socialism, believing the best interests of the people can be better conserved through the principles of that organization than through either of the old political parties. He was the pioneer in promulgating the doctrines of that party in Hall County and he had converted his father to the belief before the death of the latter. Following in the foot- steps of his illustrious parent he has given loyal support to those enterprises that have had to do with the upbuilding of the com munity. He was one of the organizers of school district unmber 80, and has served on the board of directors continuously since that time. He is president of the fire and tornado insurance company that his father organized more than twenty-five years ago. and the company have more than four millions of insurance on their books among the farmers of Hall and adjoining counties.

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C. HUGO HEHNKE, .recognized as one of the enterprising business men and reliable citizens of Cairo, Nebraska, has spent almost all his life in Hall County. He was born at Wandsbek, Germany, August 8, 1877, a son of Herman Hehnke. He has a brother, Her- man W. A. Hehnke, of Grand Island, in whose sketch will be found a more complete record of the Hehnke family.

C. Hugo Hehnke attended the public schools of Grand Island and later the Grand Island Business College. He learned practical bus- iness under his father's supervision and con- tinued to be identified with his father's mer- . Albert Waldron, lives in Minnesota. The cantile establishment until he assumed his present duties as manager of one of the larg- est general stores in Cairo. This establishment carries an unusually heavy stock of well se- lected merchandise, and under Mr. Hehnke's admirable management, the business is very prosperous.

Mr. Hehnke married, February 6, 1901, Miss Bertha Kindler, a daughter of E. R. and Josie (Dell) Kindler, well known residents of Grand Island. Mr. and Mrs. Hehnke have five children: Josephine M., Robert H., Dorothy E., Bertha D. and Hugo M., all of whom attend school. Mr. Hehnke has not identified himself with any political party, preferring to use his own good judgment as to the merits of candidates asking the votes of their fellow citizens. He has been active in many public capacities and for several years has served with great efficiency as village clerk of Cairo and during the past year has been a member of the Hall County Food Administra- tive board.

ERVIN WHITEHEAD, a well known and highly respected retired resident of Cairo, Nebraska, has been identified with Hall County for more than forty years. He passed through its days of deepest discouragement, shared misfortune with other settlers, but never, like many of them, grew disheartened over the future. Mr. Whitehead, in fact, is one largely responsible for the better con- ditions that were evolved in time, that brought peace, plenteousness and consequent content- ment to this favored section of Nebraska. Self reliance, industry, determination and a large measure of public spirit, proved helpful in his own case and he did not hesitate to use them to help others. Mr. Whitehead has served long and faithfully in many public capacities and his fellow citizens have recognized his honest and honorable efforts for the public welfare.

Ervin Whitehead was born in Herkimer County, New York, March 9, 1852. His par- ents were William and Sarah (Watson) Whitehead, both of whom were natives of England, where William Whitehead worked as a cotton spinner, an occupation he also followed after coming to the United States until 1857, when he became a farmer in Wis- consin on land he bought from the United States government. He was twice married and to the first union nine children were born, there being two survivors: Ervin, a res- ident of Cairo, and Margaret, the wife of death of his first wife occurred July 22, 1857. In 1862 he married at Kingston, Wisconsin, Mary A. Ryan, and they had three children: Nora J., the wife of Mr. Tiffany, lives at Aberdeen, South Dakota; Edna, who lives in Michigan, and one deceased. William White- head remained on his farm in Wisconsin until his health failed, when he sold out and came to Nebraska and afterward lived with his children, his death occurring at Wood River, January 30, 1892. He possessed musical gifts of a high order. and organized the first band at Cairo and instructed it.

Ervin Whitehead had district school ad- vantages in Wisconsin but his boyhood was largely given over to very practical matters connected with the operation of his father's farm and he remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age. In the spring of 1873 he came to Hall County and in the fall of that year homesteaded, securing 160 acres on section two in Cameron County, also buy- ing forty acres of railroad land. It seemed an inopportune moment to come to Nebraska in search of a permanent home, for the mem- orable blizzard had just swept over this sec- tion, leaving death and disaster in its wake. At a later date Mr. Whitehead suffered from a somewhat less destructive snow storm, in which he saw his orchard demolished and the slow work of years wiped out. He lost heav- ily also when the scourge of grasshoppers visited Hall County, and, in fact, missed very few of the many hardships and struggles of the time.

In discouraging conditions like those men- tioned above, the value of a quiet but ener- getic citizen can not be over estimated and Mr. Whitehead set an example by continuing his farm pursuits as normally as possible. He finally went into the business of breeding black Galloway cattle and found it very profitable. He continued to live on his homestead until 1904 when he retired because of failing health. After spending four years at Saint Digitized by Google

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Paul, Nebraska, he returned to Hall County and since then has resided in Cairo.

Mr. Whitehead married February 15, 1877, Miss Susan Bellamy, the third in a family of eight children born to George and Jane (Hodgson) Bellamy. They came from Mich- igan to Hall County in 1875. Mr. and Mrs. Whitehead have the following children : Lloyd H., lives on his father's old homestead, married Frances Reed; Edith, the wife of Richard Dyre, lives in Cairo; Ervin H., who conducts a garage at Cairo, married Vesta Deffenbaugh, and Ella M., the wife of Glen Roberts, lives on the ranch near Cairo.

It might be mentioned in connection with Mr. Whitehead's activities that he operated a threshing outfit every fall from 1875 until 1916, when it was accidentally destroyed by fire. In his younger political life he was a Republican but later found himself in sym- pathy with the aims of the Populist party. At present he is an independent voter. He has always been interested in the general welfare, and at times when many others thought only of their personal losses, he could look ahead and see the necessity of formulating stable laws and providing liberally for general edu- cation. For twenty-one years he served on the school board in Cameron township and for seven years has been a member of the same in Cairo. He served three terms as assessor of Mayfield township and two terms as supervisor of Cameron township. He belongs to the M. W. A. lodge, and attends the Methodist Episcopal church with his wife and daughter, who are members as were his parents.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 100

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor Publication date: 1920 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co. Number of Pages: 1011

Author: Buechler, A. F. (August F.), 1869- editor
Publication date: 1920
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., Western Pub. and Engraving Co.
Number of Pages: 1011