History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 123

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

USA > Nebraska > Hall County > History of Hall County, Nebraska > Part 123

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In 1897 Mr. Boltz married Miss Minnie Nubert. Her parents were residents of Hall County where her father died at the age of sixty-four years and her mother when seventy years of age. Mr. and Mrs. Boltz have seven children : Mrs. Freda Gulzow, who lives on a farm in Kimball County, Nebraska ; Mrs. Emma Mattisen, who resides on a farm near Overton, Nebraska ; and Bertha, Amelia, Walter, Freddie and Gladys, all of whom are at home. The children have had school advan- tages and some of them have special talents. Mr. Boltz belongs to the South German so- cieties and to the American Order of United Workmen. He is not particularly active in politics but occasionally has served in public office, for a number of years being especially efficient as supervisor of roads.

WILLIAM HENRY McDOWELL, whose fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres is situated in section eighteen, South Platte town- ship, leads many farmers and stock raisers of Hall County because of his progressive ideas and enterprising methods. Not only is he successful in business affairs but he is of con- siderable prominence in public matters in the county, serving with marked efficiency in num- erous important offices.

W. H. McDowell was born in Iowa, Decem- ber 3, 1865. His father, Joseph McDowell, who was born in Indiana, died on his own farm in Iowa. His mother, Mrs. Mary (Jones) McDowell, is a resident of Grand Island. She also was born in Indiana. Mr. McDowell at- tended the public schools, first in Iowa and later in Nebraska. He has followed agricultural pursuits all his life. His farm is well im- proved. He raised Poland-China hogs, pure strain Percheron horses and Shorthorn cattle, conducting all his farm affairs carefully and scientifically. In January, 1919, Mr. Mc- Dowell, having gained a comfortable fortune decided to retire from the active management of his land and moved to Doniphan, where he now devotes his time to his commercial enter- prises.

In Hamilton County, Nebraska, in 1883, Mr. McDowell married Miss Nancy Daniels, a daughter of Marion and Anna Daniels. The parents of Mrs. McDowell were natives of Ohio who came to Nebraska and settled in

Hamilton County. Both are now deceased. Mr. and Mrs. McDowell have four children: Myrtle, the wife of John Gerdes; Lilly, the wife of John Sullivan; Goldie, the wife of Fred Bentz; and Flora, who resides with her parents.

In addition to his farm interests, Mr. Mc- Dowell is a stockholder and one of the board of directors in the Grain and Supply Company of Doniphan, a prospering enterprise. In poli- tics he is a Democrat, and for years he has been a factor in educational affairs in his township, serving continuously for twenty years in the office of school moderator. For two years he was a member of the board of county highway commissioners and at the present time is serving in his fourth term as county supervisor, having charge of the high- ways of the county. In serving in these vari- ous important offices, Mr. McDowell has dis- played the practical qualities that have made him successful in the management of his pri- vate affairs. He belongs to the order of Modern Woodmen and also to the Odd Fellows.

HENRY GEORGE YOUNG, a resident of Hall County for many years, is a general farmer and extensive raiser of horses and mules, carrying on his various industries in section nine, town of Doniphan. He was born in the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, August 16, 1873, the son of Henry and Jane (White) Young. Mr. Young has one brother, Robert, who lives on the home place in Hamil- ton County Nebraska.

The father of Henry George Young was born in Scotland and came to the United States in 1871. He settled in Pennsylvania where he was accidentally drowned when thirty-five years old. Mr. Young's mother was born in England and was twenty-five years old when she came to the United States. After the death of Mr. Young she married Isaac Chubb, in Illinois, and lived there one year when he died. Her third marriage was to Thomas McKee, who died in 1917. She resides at Lincoln, Nebraska. Her father Solomon White bought railroad land in Hamilton County, and Mrs. McKee owned two quarter sections bordering on Hall County. Mr. Young has heard his mother tell many stories of early days here, when the country was full of wild birds never seen now. and of many things that would be considered hard- ships at the present time but were not thought of as such in those days. When her mother wanted a sack of flour, she set off on foot for Doniphan, four and a half miles away, and

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carried it home in her arms. When Mrs. Mc- of first class farm machinery, keeps up im- Kee wished to pay a social call, the necessity provements and is unusually prosperous. for walking several miles to do so, did not matter at all. Mr. McKee hauled his grain a distance of twenty miles, to Aurora. The family lived here at the time the railroad was constructed from Hastings to Aurora.

Henry G. Young rents a large amount of land from Mrs. George Bronell, comprising a half section and also a quarter section situ- ated two miles from Doniphan. Here he carries on general farming, making use of his own improved farm machinery, and devotes much attention to raising Shorthorn cattle, Duroc hogs, horses and mules, making a feature of the latter.

At Hastings, Nebraska, December 21, 1898, Mr. Young was united in marriage with Miss Alice Littell, who was born in Indiana, and died at the early age of thirty-five years, very generally mourned. Her parents were Joseph C. and Sarah Littell, both of whom are de- ceased. Mr. Littell was a prosperous farmer in Hamilton County. Mr. and Mrs. Young had five children born to them: George J., Orville E., Arthur J., Harold W., and Mable M., aged respectively, nineteen, seventeen, fif- teen, thirteen and nine years. The little daughter attends school at Doniphan. Mr. Young is a member of the Congregational church, while Mrs. Young belonged to the Christian church.

JOHN HENRY BITTER, classed with the successful farmers of Hall County, has lived on his present place for twenty-three years, hence is widely known in his neighborhood, where apparently he can claim friendship with every one. That is a pretty fair test of char- acter.

John H. Bitter was born in Germany, Feb- ruary 17, 1866. His parents were Deidrick and Margaret Bitter, both of whom were born in Germany, where the mother died at the age of forty-five years. After that the father and his children came to the United States and later settled. in Whiteside County, Illinois, where he lived to be seventy-two years old. John Henry Bitter was sixteen years old when he accompanied his father to the United States and he had already had school training. He remained in Whiteside County, Illinois, until 1889, when he came to Nebraska, and in 1896 settled on the farm he has operated since. He has one hundred and twenty acres here which he rents, and carries on general farming and raises a good grade of cattle, hogs and chick- ens. He is careful and systematic, makes use

In Hall County, on September 18, 1895, Mr. Bitter married Miss Mina Olthoff, who was born in Hall County, and they have had three children : an infant that died; Bertha, a popu- lar teacher in the public schools; and Mary, attending the high school at Doniphan. Mr. Bitter and his family are members of the Lutheran church. For a number of years he has been a school director. In fraternal mat- ters he belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, and Mrs. Bitter is a member of the Royal Neighbors.

JAMES A. HARDING is living in honor- able retirement in a comfortable home in Hast- ings, Nebraska, surrounded by all the neces- sities and many of the luxuries of life, a con- dition made possible by the success attained in former years of activities as an agricul- turist. He was a resident of Hall County for thirty-three years and contributed his full share towards the agricultural development of the community in which he lived.

James A. Harding is a native of Maine and was born in the Pine Tree State, Janu- ary 6, 1844. His parents, Thomas and Lydia Harding, were natives of Maine and in 1853 became residents of Crawford County, Wis- consin, taking up their abode there in pioneer days and there the father passed away at the age of eighty-four years, while the death of the mother occurred in California at the age of eighty years.

James A. was a lad of nine summers when the family home was established in Wisconsin and here he spent the days of his boyhood and youth, going into the lumber camps of the northern pine woods, at sixteen he did a full man's work while yet a boy in years, and be- coming ambitious, in 1880 went to Kansas and secured a homestead in Lincoln County, prov- ing up on the same and residing there five years. He then moved to Saline County, Ne- braska, living at Pleasant Hill for five years, when his next move took him to Hall County. In Doniphan township he purchased eighty acres of land and devoted himself industri- ously to farming pursuits, making a success of his undertakings which is attested by the fact that today he is the owner of three hundred and twenty acres, improved with three sets of buildings, the land now being operated by his sons. He also owns an eighty acre tract near Leeton, Missouri. The success that has come to Mr. Harding has been justly earned through industry and good management and

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he richly deserves the opportunity to spend the evening of life in ease and comfort.

Mr. Harding married Miss Bettie Dykeman, who bore him one child, a son, George Hard- ing, who is engaged in operating one of his father's farms in Hall County. For his second wife Mr. Harding married Miss Orra Thomp- son, whose death occurred when fifty years of age, being killed in a cyclone at Leeton, Mis- souri. She was the mother of two children: Jay A., who resides on one of his father's farms in Hall County; and Anna May, a young lady of fifteen who lives with her father.

Mr. Harding has the honor of being one of the surviving soldiers of the Civil War, having served in the Eighth Wisconsin Light Artillery. He was a member of the local post of the Grand Army of the Republic as long as there were members enough in this locality to keep it up.

He can truly be called a self made man for the success that has come to him is the result of his own efforts, and before he took up the occupation of farming he followed the trade of carpenter, and though he has reached the age of seventy-five appears a man much younger. The years that mark the span of his life have been years of wonderful develop- ment and he has been not only an eye-wit- ness of this wonderful transformation but has been a pioneer in three states, and assisted in bringing about present day conditions.

Mr. Harding is a Republican in politics and while living on the farm in Kansas served several years as a member of the school board of his district, the cause of education finding in him a starlwart champion.

JOHN GALLACHER. - The recollec- tions of some of the old settlers of Hall County extend far back, taking in interesting details of events that are a part of the county's history. Not many there are whose remem- brances are equally authentic with those of John Gallacher who, as a public official during important years, had a part in the political as well as material development here. Mr. Gallacher is now living comfortably retired at Doniphan.

The birth of Mr. Gallacher took place in the historic city of Glasgow, Scotland, May 29, 1852, the third son in a family of nine children born to Christopher and Anna (Wilson) Gallacher, both of whom were born in Scotland and reared there, the former at Johnstone and the latter at Mauchline. Beside John, two other children of the family survive, these being: James, superintendent of the

Southern Pacific coal mines at Paris, Ala- bama, and Mrs. Anna Thornton, whose hus- band is a retired miner of El Paso, Texas. Christopher Gallacher was a bridge contractor and stone dresser and his accidental death was caused in 1883 by a railroad train while he was engaged in bridge building. There are few Scotch youths who do not have a chance to get the foundation of an education and John Gallacher had his opportunity in Glas- gow. He was twenty years old when he left his native land for Canada, landing at Quebec, May 14, 1872, and shortly afterward came to the United States, which country has since been his home. He first went to Braidwood, Illinois, where he worked as a miner until 1875, then came to Hall County. He was a witness of the Great Diamond mine disaster in Illinois.

In 1875 Mr. Gallacher married Miss Alice Spellman, whose brother, Allen Spellman, resides at Coal City, Illinois. The parents of Mrs. Gallacher, John and Sally Spellman, were pioneer settlers in Adams County, Indiana, where both died, the father at the age of sixty-four and the mother at the age of fifty-five years. Mr. and Mrs. Gallacher have six children: Mrs. Sarah Kissinger, whose husband operates a garage at Hastings, Nebraska; Mrs. Anna Marsh, whose husband is superintendent of the public schools of Hooper, Nebraska; Charles, who died at the age of twenty-eight years ; Mrs. Alice Gideon, who lives at Doniphan, and John and Mrs. Mary Kindig, twins, both of whom live at Doniphan. Mr. Kindig, Mary's husband, en- listed in the service of the United States as a marine, June 17, 1917, at Omaha, Nebraska, a member of the Fifth Regiment which won undying honor for its unparalleled bravery on the battle-fields of France. This gallant young hero was killed in action on November 1, 1918.

When Mr. and Mrs. Gallacher first came to Hall County they settled on a tract of wild prairie not far from Doniphan. He was so ignorant of farm surroundings and equip- ments that he had to have his wife, who had been reared on a farm, teach him how to harness a team. There were many difficult things he could do but he had never been trained to farm pursuits. At first he broke up the prairie in order to quickly get in a crop with a team made up of a horse and cow. Actual money was scarce in those days and Mr. Gallacher gladly took opportunity of the chance to work for John Agers for seventy-five cents a day even when it meant . making the long trip back and forth each day

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ALEXANDER GRAHAM HOME

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between Doniphan and Grand Island. His in- dustry and enterprise met with a generous re- ward and through all their changes in fortune, Mr. and Mrs. Gallacher continued to live on their pioneer farm until 1906, when they moved into Doniphan. They attended the Con- gregational church, of which Mrs. Gallacher is a member. Mr. Gallacher is a staunch Repub- lican. For four years he was on the board of county commissioners of Hall County and instrumental in bringing the St. Joseph and Grand Island railroad through Doniphan. He has faithfully and honestly served in a number of other public capacities and was chairman of the building committee that erected the present handsome Hall County courthouse. For twenty-four years he has been a school director, accepting this responsibility as a public duty. Mr. Gallacher has long been considered one of the county's representative men. Since he was twenty-one years old he has been a member of the Masonic fraternity.

ALEXANDER GRAHAM, a resident of Hall County for many years, followed agricul- tural pursuits here and at the time of his death, September 21, 1919, owned many acres of valu- able land. Mr. Graham was considered one of the county's representative citizens.

He was born in Scotland in 1852, and was only fourteen years old when he accompanied . his father to Hall County, where he spent the rest of his life. The farm which is now the property of his widow, he bought when twenty-one years old, and afterward expended time and money in improving it. During his most active years he was an exten- sive feeder of cattle. He was a member of the Baptist church.

At Grand Island, April 28, 1891, Mr. Graham married Miss Otillie Richter, who was born at Chicago, Illinois, October 28, 1870. Her parents were August and Matilda Richter, the father was born in Germany, being four- teen years old when he came to the United States, living three years in Hastings. After- ward he homesteaded in Hall County, in 1881. securing one hundred and sixty acres of land. He was a carpenter by trade and followed that in addition to farming. Before coming to Nebraska he had served as a soldier in the Civil War. Mrs Graham was educated in the public schools. Five children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Graham: Agnes, who died in infancy ; Amelia E., who resides at home; August Alexander, who enlisted May 4, 1917, in the coast artillery, United States army, is stationed in the Phillipine Islands ; and George

D. and John, both of whom reside with their mother on the home farm on section eleven, South Platte township. Mrs. Graham is a member of the Methodist church. Mr. Graham was never very active in political matters but he was well informed as a citizen and he voted with the Republican party.

JAMES EDWARD ORNDOFF, a pros- perous general farmer in Cameron township, Hall County, is one of the old settlers of this section, having come to the county in 1885. Mr. Orndoff was born in the historic Shenan- doah valley in West Virginia, in 1852, the eldest of nine children in the family of Robert and Anna (Thompson) Orndoff, the others being: Benjamin and Harvey, both of whom are deceased; Orlando, who lives at Cairo, Nebraska; John, Lewis and Virginia, all of whom are deceased; Porter, a farmer in the state of Washington, and Albert, who lives in New York. The parents were born and reared in West Virginia and from that state moved to Christian County, Illinois, where the father engaged in farming. He was a Demo- crat in politics and both he and the mother belonged to the Christian church. Both died in Illinois.

James Edward Orndoff obtained a common school education and has always devoted him- self to agricultural purusits. In 1885 he set out, with his family, from Springfield, Illionis, for Nebraska, the long journey to the new home in Hall County being made in a prairie schooner. Since first coming here he has owned different properties, but for some years. has resided on his present one hundred and sixty acre farm situated in section 1, Cameron township, where he has made substantial im- provements, has a fine orchard and judging by his accumulation of modern farm ma- chinery, is an intelligent and progressive farmer. He keeps standard livestock and a few milch cows but makes no special feature of dairying.

Mr. Orndoff married Mary C. Carr, who. was born in 1860, in Dewitt County, Illinois. Her parents were Dr. Clark H. and Catherine (Johnson) Carr, the former of whom was born in Kanawha County, West Virginia, in 1834, and the latter in Ross County, Ohio, in 1833. Mrs. Orndoff was the first born of their six children, the others being: Mrs. Laura E. Gross, who lives in Deadwood, South Dakota; Samuel C., located in Illinois ; Margaret E., the wife of William G. Banning, of Shelby County, Illinois; Ida F., the wife of William Reed, lives in Illinois, and Cath-

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erine J., the wife of John Nichols, lives in livestock interests, he has followed modern Illinois. By a former marriage Dr. Carr had one son, Millard F., who lives in Illinois, where Dr. Carr practiced medicine during the greater part of his life. He was a Republican in his political views, and he belonged to the Masonic fraternity. He died in 1913 aged seventy-eight years. The mother passed away six months prior to the death of her husband.

To Mr. and Mrs. Orndoff the following children have been born: Anna, the wife of Milburn Brundage, of Cairo, Nebraska; Robert and James, both of whom are de- ceased; Goldie, who is the wife of Frank Ir- vin, of Cairo; John, who is a farmer and stock- man living near Cairo, married Emma Vlock, and has one child, Edward; Gilbert, who is de- ceased, was married to Della Rodocker, who had one child, Goldie Catherine; Eward, who lives at Cairo, married Belle Omer, and they have one child, Wilmer; Opal, the wife of Jack Irvin, has two children, Lorene and Duard; she is postmistress at St. Michael, Buffalo County, Nebraska; Bryan, who has recently returned home with his honorable discharge, for nineteen months was a member of the Fourth Engineers, United States army, was married July 30, 1918, to Vashti Leverich, a native of Linn County, Oregon.

RALPH B. MILLER, a progressive and successful farmer of Hall County, is operating the old family homestead which is situated in sections 16-21, Cameron township. He was born in this township, August 23, 1891, the oldest of a family of three children born to his parents, who were August George and Selma (Powers) Miller. His father, August George Miller, was born in Fayette County, Iowa, November 4, 1868. His father Jacob, was a native of Germany who came to Hall County in the early seventies. August George inherited eighty acres of land to which he added another eighty. He was married in Hall County in 1889 to Selma Powers, and died September 10, 1912, the mother having passed away at the age of thirty-two. He belonged to no church, was a Democrat and served as school director. . Of his two brothers, Floyd W. was killed in a runaway accident, and Frank J. is a student of law in the Sate University in Lincoln.

Ralph Bernard Miller obtained his educa- tion in the public schools and has always made his home in Hall County. Embracing an agricultural life when he reached manhood, he determined to do well what he undertook and in the cutivation of his land and in his

methods. While the farm was fairly well improved before he took charge, he has found much to do and has developed his father's old homestead into a very valuable property. He owns one hundred and sixty acres, ninety acres of which are under cultivation. His cattle and stock are equal in grade to any in the county and his average is twenty-eight head of cattle and fifty head of hogs yearly.

In 1912 Mr. Miller married Miss Margaret Siek, a daughter of Hans Siek, a prominent Hall County farmer. They have two sons: August George and Roy Floyd, aged respect- ively four years and one month. Mr. and Mrs. Miller are quiet, home-loving people and they have many friends in this neighborhood. Mr. Miller has never been active in poltics and is an independent voter.

JAMES WYLEY SMITH. - To know first hand of early conditions in Hall County, which is now one of the garden spots of the great state of Nebraska, the interested student should question Mr. and Mrs. James W. Smith of Doniphan. They came here in 1873 and had ample opportunity within the succeed- ing ten years to exercise every bit of patience they possessed in weathering hail storms, snow, blizzards, floods, drouths and grass- hopper invasions.

James Wylie Smith was born in Washing- ton County, Pennsylvania, February 1, 1834. His parents were Andrew and Jane (Barr) Smith, both of whom were born, reared and died in Pennsylvania. James W. was the first of their four children, the others being: Robert, who is deceased; Caroline, who is deceased, and Joseph, a farmer near Marys- ville, Ohio. James W. Smith attended the district schools and afterward followed farm- ing. When the Civil War came on he joined the home guards when the enemy threatened Pennsylvania and Ohio, later serving on guard duty in the southern part of the state.

On December 24, 1860, James W. Smith married Miss Nancy Carpenter, who was born in 1843 in Union County, Ohio. Her parents were John and Susie (Cole) Carpenter, the latter of whom was born in New York and died in California at the age of eighty-three years. The father died when Mrs. Smith, the youngest of his six children, was very young. Her brothers were: James and Andrew, both of whom are deceased; John, a farmer living in California ; Hiram, who lives retired in California, and Henry, who died in infancy.

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Mr. and Mrs. Smith lived on their farm in Union County, Ohio, for ten years and then removed to California, but their efforts there did not meet with the success they had ex- pected and three years later they came to Hall County. Mr. Smith homesteaded five miles southeast of Doniphan. It was a lonely sec- tion at that time and the roads were so poor that with the means of transportation that they had, Mrs. Smith says that it took an entire day of travel to cover the thirteen miles between Hastings and their farm. There were so few settlers in this part of the county that no schools could be organized at any one point, and while proving up on his land, for four years Mr. Smith taught the children in their own homes. He became well known ánd very highly esteemed, passing away ten years ago.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 123

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