History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 81

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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HISTORY OF HALL COUNTY NEBRASKA

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C. H. TULLY

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after his enterprise was well under way he sold his bridge interests to devote all of his time and efforts to his personal concerns.

At the present time Mr. Tully is the sole proprietor of the enterprise and devotes his. time to manufacturing wire fencing and a wholesale business in nails, bank wire and steel gates. The greater part of his trade is in Nebraska and yet he has a growing list in Idaho and Wyoming. Mr. Tully has invested largely in Grand Island property. Of this one half block is on East Seventh street. In 1881 he built his handsome residence and also a most attractive one for his son.

Mr. Tully in February, 1888, married Miss Jennie M. Brown, who was born in Illinois. Her father was an officer in the Civil War who had settled near Central City in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Tully have two children : Charles Franklin who is general manager of the father's business; and Inez, the wife of Paul R. Robinson. Mr. Robinson is cashier of a bank at Kramer, Nebraska. For many years Mr. Tully has been active in the work of the Congregational church. From the time' of its organization he has been identified with the Y. M. C. A. He belongs to the Grand Island Home Guards, is a Knight Templar Mason, an Elk and a Knight of Pythias. Of the last named order he is past chancellor. In politics he is a staunch Republican. Mr. Tully has been a member of the library board for thirteen years and is one of the executive committee of the Red Cross and commercial club.

JOHN TORPEY .- Few names are better or more favorably known in the horse and cattle industry throughout Nebraska and ad- jacent states than that of John Torpey. He has devoted his entire business life to this line, beginning in boyhood, a love and knowledge of horses that early brought him into the first rank as a jockey, determined the choice of career in which he has met with great suc- cess.

John Torpey was born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, February 22, 1870, the third in a family of five sons born to William and Ellen (Lee) Torpey. His par- ents were natives of Ireland but were brought to the United States in childhood. His mother is deceased but his father, for many years a farmer in Delaware County, Pennsylvania, now lives retired at Radnor, having reached his eighty-fifth year. He has always been a faithful member of the Roman Catholic church. Aside from John, his other sons

were: William, in the milk business at Radnor; James, who died in 1905; Thomas, a contractor and builder of East St. Louis, Illinois; and Robert, who is interested in rubber manufacturing at Norristown, Penn- sylvania.

After completing the public school course at Radnor, John Torpey started into the horse and cattle business, in the meanwhile becom- ing an expert horseman and through his skill in horsemanship he attracted wide attention and became well known afterward in the rac- ing field as a favorite jockey. . From those early days to the present Mr. Torpey has con- tinued in the horse business. His first partner was Thomas H. Haley; they remained to- gether for three years. After that partnership was dissolved, Mr. Torpey took charge of a sales barn for Ivan C. Walker, at Norristown, and two years later was sent as a purchasing agent to East St. Louis, Illinois, eighteen months later going to St. Paul, Minnesota, where for three years he bought cattle for Mr. Walker ; during the six years he remained in his employ, he visited all the important stock markets in the West. Mr. Torpey then came to Nebraska and entered into a partnership at Columbus with A. C. Scott. They opened a sales and feed barn and he remained in Columbus for three years before coming to Grand Island. Here he opened a first class feed barn which he operated until November, 1912, when he assisted in the organization of the Grand Island Horse & Mule Company, the four parties interested being : A. C. Scott, A. H. Langmann, W. S. Fletcher (of Loup City), and John Torpey. The comany does a general horse and mule commission business and Mr. Torpey has been manager ever since the enterprise was started.

Mr. Torpey married, December 16, 1916, Miss Lillian Hinz, who was born in Grand Is- land. They are members of the Roman Cath- olic church. Mr. Torpey has never been very active in politics, business affairs possessing more interest for him, but he never neglects his citizenship privileges and, like his father, casts his vote with the Democratic party.

NELSON BRIGGS DOLSEN, manager of the J. H. Yost Lumber Company, has been a resident of Grand Island for less than a de- cade, nevertheless, he is well and favorably known here through his business enterprise and all-around good citizenship. During his entire business career he has been associated with lumber interests, as was his father suc- cessfully before him. Mr. Dolsen was born in Digitized by gle

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Canada, in 1864. His parents were John L. and Anna E. (Pratt) Dolsen, the former of whom was born in Canada and the latter in Vermont. In 1866 the Dolsen family came to the United States and settled at Bay City, Michigan, where the parents united with the Presbyterian church. They had nine children, four of these survive.

Nelson Briggs Dolsen obtained his edu- cation in the public schools of Bay City and after completing the high school course went into the lumber business with his father. He remained in Michigan until 1887, then spent about a year in Oregon and for eighteen months was an inspector for the Union Pacific Railroad. In 1888 he located at Silver Creek, in Merrick County, Nebraska, where he re- mained engaged in a lumber business for twelve years, being manager for the Chicago Lumber Company. For the next seven years Mr. Dolsen was interested in Norfolk, Madi- son County, transferring his lumber interests then to Hastings, in Adams County, where he remained for two years. In 1911 he came to Grand Island to take charge of the J. H. Yost Lumber Company's yard and has re- mained a resident of Grand Island ever since. He has taken a responsible citizen's interest in local matters but is not a politician. The business of the company, of which he is a stockholder as well as manager, claims the greater part of his time. He votes the Repub- lican ticket.

Mr. Dolsen married in 1891, Miss Josephine Milliman, who was born in Illinois the daugh- ter of M. W. Milliman, an early settler and stockman at Silver Creek. They have two children : Frederick M. and Bessie Pratt, the former of whom is a graduate of the Grand Island High School, in which the latter is yet a student. Mr. Dolsen and his family are mem- bers of the Episcopal church. He is a Royal Arch Mason and is past high priest of his lodge.

HENRY GLADE. - Representing the mil- ling interests of Hall County, one of the most prominent concerns is that operating under the name of Henry Glade Milling Company .. For more than thirty-five years this name has stood for high quality of product, purity of material and honorable business policy, and while the founder of the business has long since passed to his final rest, the name and policy of the business are being preserved by his capable and energetic sons. At the same time they are perpetuating the reputation es- tablished by their honored father.

Henry Glade, the founder of the business, was one of the men who richly deserved the title of self-made. He was born in Hanover, Germany, November 20, 1844, the youngest of a family of twelve children, and when four or five years of age was brought by his parents to the United States. The trip was made in a sailing vessel and after thirteen weeks on the ocean they landed at New Orleans and from there went to St. Louis, Missouri. Shortly after their arrival here the father died and not long after this the mother was called to the home beyond, so that the youth was left practically among strangers and was thrown upon his own resources at an early age. For many years he was compelled to stage a con- tinued struggle agaist discouraging conditions. His education was of the most ordinary kind and as a boy he made his way to Dubuque, Iowa, where he learned the milling business and was only a boy of fourteen when placed in charge of a mill. He built the mill at Swiss Valley, Iowa and continued in the milling busi- ness in Iowa until 1878, when on the 22nd of December of that year he came to Nebraska and engaged in the same line at Columbus. In 1882 with. George Etting and William Mc- Quade he built a mill at David City, Nebraska. In 1883 he came to Grand Island and pur- chased the Koenig and Wiebe mill. Mr. Glade at that time had little save his experience and a small capital which he had accumulated. He entered vigorously and confidently into the milling field in this growing locality, and through the sheer force of his own ability, energy and perseverance built up a substantial business. The old mill was torn down and a new one was erected of modern character and put in operation January 1, 1884, and from that time until his death, December 18, 1910, Henry Glade was the directing head of this important enterprise. He was one of the com- munity's most highly esteemed citizens. His reputation in business circles was of the best. In politics he was independent, though he never cared for public life, his business interests and his family connections completely satisfying him. He was a devout member of the Luth- eran church.

Mr. Glade married April 26, 1866, at Belle- vue, Iowa, Miss Catherine: Etting, a sister of Albert Etting. They became the parents of six children. Mrs. Glade passed away Febru- ary 28, 1886 and seven years later Mr. Glade married Louisa A. Brown.

Of the six children five are living: August A; Christina W., the widow of Ed Kiefer, a resident of Lincoln; Fred M .; Filbert A .; and Arthur W.

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In the death of Henry Glade Grand Island lost one of her worthiest citizens who for thirty-three years had been a resident here and during the whole course of a busy life was a man of stable character. In editorial comment on his death the Grand Island Inde- pendent had this to say of Mr. Glade: "Probably no man so active in business for over thirty years in Grand Island, is known less in public life. Mr. Glade belonged to no fraternal orders or societies of any kind and when he was not at work he was at home. He was a hard working man all his life and probably nothing contributed more to his suc- cess."

August A. Glade was born near Dubuque, Iowa, December 20, 1868. He was educated in the public schools, and was but fifteen years of age at the time he joined the concern of which his father was the head, and of which August A. is now treasurer and bookkeeper. He is one of the highly esteemed business men of Grand Island, is an active factor in civic affairs, and in politics is an inde- pendent Democrat. He married Miss Nellie Andrews, who was born in Kansas and prior to her marriage resided during the greater part of her life at Abilene. They are the par- ents of two children: George C. and Cathe- rine. Mrs. Glade is a member of the Christian Science church.

Fred M. Glade was born near Dubuque, Iowa, January 25 1876, and received his edu- cation in the public schools of Grand Island. He entered his father's mill at an early age, but his business career was frequently inter- rupted by his activities in baseball. Like his brothers, he had been an athlete from boy- hood, and he soon developed such prowess that he entered the national pastime as a profes- sional. In 1898 he joined the Fort Worth, Texas, club, and in 1900 was purchased by the Des Moines club of the Western League. While there his work attracted the attention of one of the scouts of the Chicago Cubs team, which bought him from Des Moines in 1902, but a place on that famous National League team was not found for him and he finished the year with Saint Joseph, of the Western League. He continued with Saint Joe during 1903, but in 1904 returned to "fast company," being purchased by the Saint Louis club in the American League. It was while with this club that he had his best seas- ons, remaining on the roster of that team dur- ing 1904, 1905, 1906 and 1907, in which years he became a great favorite among the fans of the Mound City. In 1908 he was sold to the New York team of the American League,

and that was his last appearance in the span- gles. At the end of the season he retired from the diamond to enter the milling busi- ness with his brothers. His business record has been an excellent one, and it has been largely through his aggressive and energetic work that the enterprise has prospered so greatly. Mr. Glade maintains an independ- ent stand in politics, preferring to use his own choice in picking candidates. He married Miss Dixie Husband, who was born near Fulton, Missouri. They are the parents of two chil- dren: Frederick, born in 1909; and Henry Dixon, born in 1911. Mrs. Glade is a Chris- tian Scientist and is first reader in the church in Grand Island.

Filbert A. Glade was born near Columbus, Nebraska, June 22, 1880, and his entire life from the time he left school has been passed in connection with the milling business. He is now a partner in the Henry Glade Milling Company. He married Mary Lightner, of Abilene, Kansas, and has one son: Henry Arthur. Mr. Glade is a capable man of busi- ness and a factor in various civic movements promulgated for the benefit of the general community.

Arthur W. Glade, head miller in the Hendy Glade Mills, was born in Grand Island, May 4, 1885, and, like his brothers, has had his entire business experience with the family company. Also like them he is a public-spirited citizen, and is popular with a wide circle of acquaintances, which is another family charac- teristic. He married Miss Nellie Dobson, of Abilene, Kansas. They have one daughter, Elizabeth, who was born in 1908.

The Henry Glade Milling Company's mill has a capacity of four hundred and fifty barrels per day, and the product is shipped through the states of Wisconsin, Illinois, Pennslyvania, Iowa and Michigan. During the final year of the war, the mills furnished much flour for the United States Government. The brothers devote all their time to the busi- ness, which under their management, has be- come one of the essential manufacturing ad- juncts of Grand Island.

CARL H. MENCK. - The family of Carl H. Menck came to Hall County sixty-two years ago. This section of the state has been repre- sented by him during this time. During this period he has aided in developing the land, in building the school houses and in supporting the church. Mr. Menck was born on a farm in Hall County, December 2, 1868. His par- ents, Christian and Ernestine (Harding)

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Menck were born in Germany. Of his father's family Emilie, August C. and Carl H. are living. His father was born May 31, 1831 and died November 8, 1909. His mother was born May 25, 1828 and died October 23, 1911. Christian H. Menck came to Hall County in 1857 and took up a claim. He was the first of a German colony. Carl's father and mother were maried in 1858 and lived to celebrate their golden wedding September 21, 1908. They removed from the farm to Grand Island in 1890. The members of the family still own the farm. The father and mother were both members of the Lutheran church. Christian Menck was one of the founders of the Lieder- kranz society. He filled several township offices and, voted with the Democratic party.

The subject of this sketch obtained his edu- cation in the public schools and in a business college. His first business position was that of bookkeeper for the Grand Island Lumber Company. He was in this position from July, 1888 to 1894 when he was elected city clerk. He held this office three years and in 1897 he was elected county clerk. He served in that important office two terms. When he left the clerk's office he turned his attention to bank- ing, being assistant cashier of the Commercial State Bank. He served in this capacity until 1908 when he was elected cashier. This office he still holds. This is one of the many sound banking institutions of the state having a capital of $150,000, surplus $35,000 and aver- age deposits of $100,000. As cashier of the bank Mr. Menck has the confidence of the public.

In 1892 Mr. Menck married Miss Amelia Boehm who was a sister of Theodore Boehm of this county. Mrs. Menck died June 19, 1903 leaving two children: Harold C. and Lydia C. Menck. The son entered military service, May 28, 1918 as a member of Com- pany D, three hundred and thirty-eighth machine gun batallion, eighty-eighth division which landed in England August 29, 1918, and in France, September 1, 1918. The batallion was under artillery fire in the front line trenches.

The daughter, Miss Lydia C. Menck, is a graduate of the high school and the Grand Island Conservatory of Music and is a teacher of vocal music. Both son and daughter are members of the Lutheran church as were also their mother. Mr. Menck is a Democrat in politics, is public spirited and is interested in all the progressive movements in Grand Island and Hall County. He is serving his third term as a member of the school board. He is greatly interested in athletic sports and has

been connected for a long time with the Plattsdeutch and Liederkranz societies and is a member of some of the leading fraternal orders. He has taken the council degree in Masonry, is a Shriner, is treasurer of the Royal Arch body and a member of the Ma- sonic building association. He is, also, past exalted ruler of the Elks and is chairman of the building association of that organization. He has represented the Knights of Pythias in the Grand Lodge of that order. He is a typical American business man, being capable and re- sourceful. He is wise enough to combine rec- reation with stern duties.

ARTHUR H. LANGMAN, who has many important business interests in Nebraska and other sections, reflects credit on Grand Island, for this is his place of birth, schooling and residence. The business success that has made his name so widely known, has been secured by persistently following an industrious path in a common sense way, making use of the practical talents that nature bestowed, and with good judgment never assuming responsi- bilities too heavy to carry.

Arthur H. Langman was born at Grand Island, Nebraska, March 20, 1882, a son of Fred and Margaret (Rief) Langman. The parents of Mr. Langman were born in Ger- many, but emigrated to the United States where the mother died in 1883. The father homesteaded in. Hall County when he first came to Nebraska, continuing to live on his land until 1908, when he retired to Grand Island. He has been a resident of the United States since 1869 and many years ago was admitted to full citizenship. He votes with the Republican party, and he is a member of the Lutheran church. His two sons live in Nebraska, Fred and Arthur H., the former of whom was clerk of the county court in Hall County, for ten years. He now conducts a garage at Potter, Nebraska. The one daughter, Lena, is the wife of J. L. Converse, who is a traveling salesman and lives in the city of New York.

Arthur H. Langman worked on his father's farm in boyhood and attended school. He then drove a grocery wagon for Frank Olsen for a time, in the meanwhile applying him- self to the study of bookkeeping, after master- ing this, he took charge of the books and ac- counts of Thomas E. Bradstreet. Being alert as to private business opportunities he soon proved excellent business judgment in the buy- ing and shipping of horses to the Grand Island market. For some years he was a member of Digitized by

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the Bradstreet firm but later sold his interest to assist in the organization of the Grand Is- land Horse & Mule Company, of which he is vice-president. Mr. Langman is also presi- dent of the Walker-Langman Land & Live Stock Company, of Elbert County, Colorado. having a valuable ranch there and addition- ally owns an extensive farm in Kimball County, Nebraska. He has property at other points and his garage at Potter, Nebraska, with dimensions of one hudred and fifty by seventy-five feet, is one of the finest in west- ern Nebraska.

Mr. Langman was married in 1910, to Miss Daisy Heffelfinger, who was born at Grand Island, a daughter of Jerome O. Heffelfinger, who is interested in the Chicago Hide & Fur Company at Grand Island. Mr. and Mrs. Langman have one son Arthur Jerome. They are members of the Episcopal church, and fraternally he is identified with the Elks.

HIRAM J. PALMER, who is one of the best known residents of Grand Island, for forty years has been active in the substantial development and political life of Hall County. Although now living somewhat retired, for many years there were few important county matters agitated, in which he did not prove his right to be considered an intelligent. earnest and honest citizen, and the universal esteem in which he is now held is a just tribute to his worth. Mr. Palmer is one of the repre- sentative men of Hall County.

Hiram J. Palmer is of English ancestry, his grandparents having come to the United States and settled in Pennsylvania. He was born in the Keystone state, August 21, 1849, one of a family of seven children born to Freeman and Mary (Raught) Palmer. Both parents were born in Pennsylvania and died there. Of the five surviving children, Hiram J. is the only one living in Hall County. Free- man Palmer was a farmer all his life. In early political life a Whig, upon the forma- tion of the Republican party he united with that organization. Both he and wife belonged to the Baptist church.

In the country schools near his father's farm, Hiram J. Palmer obtained his education and remained on the home place until he was twenty-five years old, engaged in the usual farm industries and learning to be a compe- tent judge of stock. In 1875 he came to Dodge County, Nebraska, and resided for nearly four years at Fremont, doing well in the business of buying and selling stock. In 1879 he came to Grand Island and during the

following twelve years he was in the horse and mule business, his operations being heavy in the shipping of mules and horses to Hall County where they were needed by settlers from Missouri, Illinois and Iowa. Mr. Palm- er retired then from the stock business and embarked in the brokerage business with Walter Bacon. He had come to Nebraska on borrowed capital but had prospered greatly and was able about this time to go back to Pennsylvania and buy his father's farm. Later he disposed of that property but still has valuable farm land, owning 600 acres in Custer County, Nebraska.

April 16, 1877, Mr. Palmer was married to Miss Eva A. Griffin, who was born in Iowa. Mrs. Palmer's parents were Dr. S. W. and Matilda (Maxfield) Griffin, natives of Penn- sylvania who became residents of Marshall County, Iowa, before the advent of railroads into that county. The doctor taught school and became the first county superintendent of schools of that county. He enlisted there for service in the Civil War, acting as assis- tant surgeon in the army, having taken up the practice of medicine. After the war they returned to Pennsylvania where they both died. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer have had eight children, namely: Harry E., who operates a whole- sale and retail feed store at Ogden, Utah; Mabel, who lives with her parents; Jay, who is in the ice business at Grand Island; Grace, who died at the age of sixteen years; Hazel. who is with her parents awaiting the return of her gallant soldier husband from France, Captain William R. Gilchrist, who entered the United States' service with that rank in April. 1918; Helen, who is the wife of Walter Schourup, who is with a heating plant firm in Grand Island; George S., whose memory will ever be tenderly preserved by his grate- ful country, was a soldier in the American Expeditionary Force and was killed Septem- ber 15, 1918; and Herbert, who has been with his army comrades in France since August. 1918. Mrs. Palmer and the children are mem- bers of the Episcopal church. In politics a zealous Republican, Mr. Palmer has served on the county executive committee and for four years was county treasurer of Hall County. In Grand Island affairs he has taken deep interest and as a member of the city council secured many reforms in the city gov- ernment. He served one term as president of the Hall County Agricultural Society and many years on the board and for seven years at the State Agricultural Fair he was one of the judges. He has been a director of the First National Bank of Grand Island since

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the organization of that institution. In Ma- sonry he is a Knight Templar and is also a Shriner and additionally belongs to the order of Elks.

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History of Hall County, Nebraska, Part 81

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