USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 13
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 13
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Thomas E. Williams obtained a high school education in Eau Claire, Wisconsin, and afterward completed three years' work in Cornell University at Ithaca, New York. He early took up the profession of teaching, which he followed in the schools of Wisconsin, spending eleven years as superintendent of schools at Augusta,
THOMAS E. WILLIAMS
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that state. He afterward turned his attention to mercantile pursuits in Eau Claire and was thus engaged in business for five years. In 1888 he arrived in Aurora, where he purchased an interest in the Farmers & Merchants Bank, of which he became cashier and manager. After two years this bank was merged with the Hamilton County Bank and Mr. Williams continued as cashier of the consolidated organization. He remained with the Hamilton County Bank until 1896, when it was merged with the Aurora Bank Company under the name of the Hamilton County Bank, and in October, 1898, the Hamilton County Bank purchased the First National Bank, the new organization being perfected under the name of the First National, having the same officers, with Mr. Williams as cashier. In this position he continued to serve until 1909, when he became president and as head of the bank bent his energies to administrative direction and executive control. He sold his interest in the bank in 1917, after almost thirty years' identification with the financial interests of Aurora, and throughout the entire period he bore an unassailable reputation for the integrity of his methods as well as for his enterprise.
On the 1st of August, 1873, Mr. Williams was married to Miss Lida Kemp, who was born in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and passed away in June, 1899. On the 21st of December, 1904, Mr. Williams wedded Susanna Eliza Sirwell, who was born in Evansville, Indiana, but educated and reared in St. Louis, Missouri.
Mr. Williams belongs to the Masonic lodge and is a loyal follower of the teachings and purposes of the craft. In politics he is a stalwart republican and in 1885 was elected to represent his district in the state legislature of Wisconsin. He has never sought nor desired political office, preferring that his public service should be performed as a private citizen. He was a delegate to the national con- vention when Taft was elected president and has been a delegate to the state conventions at different times. In 1916 he was one of the presidential electors on the republican ticket. Mr. Williams was very active in all World war cam- paigns and gave liberally to the support of all war work and to charities, etc. He is loyal to all interests pertaining to the welfare and upbuilding of his com- munity and his cooperation can at all times be counted upon to further measures for the general good. He is a gentleman of genial, social disposition whose circle of friends is almost coextensive with the circle of his acquaintance.
JONATHAN BIERBOWER
After many years of vigorous and productive activity in connection with agri- culture and stock raising Mr. Bierbower is now living in well earned retirement and comfort and has an attractive home in the village of Giltner, his residence in Hamilton county having covered a period of more than thirty years, so that he is entitled to a measure of pioneer distinction.
Mr. Bierbower was born in Brown county, Ohio, on the 10th of September, 1846, and in the year of his birth his parents set forth to number themselves among the pioneer settlers of Iowa. They journeyed down the Ohio river and then up the Mississippi river to Muscatine, Iowa, and resided in this state for about twelve
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years. They then removed to McLean county, Illinois, in which state they passed the remainder of their lives, the father having given the major part of his active life to farm industry.
Jonathan Bierbower gained his rudimentary education in the pioneer schools of Iowa and was twelve years old at the time of the family removal to Illinois, where he was reared to manhood and continued his studies in the common schools at such times as opportunity afforded. He was too young to realize his patriotic ambition in the earlier part of the Civil war, but in 1864, at the age of seventeen years, he enlisted in Company B, Thirty-ninth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which command he continued in service twenty-two months and with which he was present at Appomattox at the time of the surrender of General Lee, his service having thus continued until the close of the war. After receiving his honorable discharge Mr. Bierbower resumed his alliance with farm enterprise in Illinois and there he continued his residence until the spring of 1889, when he came to Hamilton county, Nebraska, and purchased two hundred and forty acres of unimproved land in sec- tion 4, Scoville township. Here he developed one of the fine farm estates of the county, his progressiveness having been shown in the erecting of excellent buildings and providing other improvements of the best type. Though he encountered his share of adverse conditions in the passing years, yet abundant success attended his vigorous activities in a general way and he had much of leadership in progressive farm enterprise in this section of the state. He remained on his farm until 1911, since which time he has lived retired from active business, in his attractive home at Giltner.
Mr. Bierbower was a charter member of the Giltner Post of the Grand Army of the Republic, with which he continued his affiliation until the membership so decreased as to cause lapse of the organization. In politics he is a stanch republican and as a citizen he has always been ready to aid movements and enterprises for the general good of the community. His wife, whose maiden name was Margaret Cavett, died in the year 1914, and of their twelve children all are living except Jacob, the firstborn. The names of the surviving children are: John L., Mary A., Martin, Leslie, William, Frank, Jonathan D., James C., Charles W., M. Ruth, and Margaret J., the wife of Hubert Cox, a Hamilton county farmer.
ANDREW G. PETERSON
The life story of Andrew G. Peterson is one of steady progression, intelligently directed. Realizing at the outset of his career the value of industry, perseverance and determination he has ever cultivated these qualities and step by step has ad- vanced, each forward step bringing him a broader outlook and wider opportunity. For many years he was identified with mercantile pursuits, but is now living retired in Aurora, enjoying in well earned rest the fruits of his former toils. He belongs to that class of substantial citizens which Sweden has furnished to Hamilton county and who have been so potent a force in the development and progress of this section of the state. His birth occurred in Sweden, November 23, 1847, his parents being Peter and Anna Marie (Rosengren) Anderson, who spent their entire lives
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in that country, where the father successfully followed farming and became the owner of considerable land. They were members of the Lutheran church and Mr. Peterson served as one of the church officials, acting as a deacon and in other capacities. He and his wife had ten children, seven of whom are living, but only two are now residents of Hamilton county: Andrew C .; and Iner E., who is engaged in merchandising in Aurora.
Andrew G. Peterson pursued his education in the public schools of his native country and was reared on a farm in Sweden, where he spent the period of his minority. On reaching the age of twenty-one years he determined to try his fortunes in the new world and crossing the Atlantic became a resident of Council Bluffs, Iowa, in 1868. He was empty handed when he arrived in the United States, but he possessed courage and firm purpose and these qualities stood him in stead of capital. He started to earn his living as a day laborer in Iowa and later secured a position as engine wiper for a short time on the Burlington Railroad. Steadily he worked his way upward, becoming first a fireman and later an engineer. He was in the railroad service at Plattsmouth, Nebraska, and continued his railroad work until 1879, when he came to Aurora and with the capital which he had saved through his industry and economy established a small clothing and shoe store in this city. In the meantime, during his railroad work, he took an engine from Omaha to Lincoln in the fastest time ever made by any train over that road-a mile a minute. This was in 1894.
With his removal to Aurora Mr. Peterson instituted a new chapter in his life history. He was entirely without mercantile experience and knew practically noth- ing of the methods of conducting commercial enterprise. However, good, practical common sense guided him in everything and honorable dealings and an earnest desire to please his patrons soon brought to him a large number of customers. He increased his stock and it was not long before his business was a good paying proposition. He was also the owner of a ranch in Hitchcock county, on which he had two hundred and fifty head of cattle and this investment was also the result of savings earned while working on the railroad.
On the 19th of September, 1882, Mr. Peterson was married to Miss Carrie M. Kendall, a native of DeKalb, Illinois, who was reared in Beloit, Wisconsin, where she was educated. She is a daughter of Charles Kendall, an insurance man, who has filled the office of police judge and justice of the peace. By her marriage she became the mother of two children: Harry A., who is a graduate of the Aurora high school and of the Shattuck Military Academy of Faribault, Minnesota, there winning a certificate of first lieutenant. He is now on a prune ranch at Healdsburg, California; Nellie K. is a graduate of the high school and also of the St. Mary's Hall, Faribault, Minnesota, and she did post-graduate work in the State University. For some time she assisted her father in the store while he was actively engaged in merchandising. With America's entrance into the World war she volunteered as a canteen worker and was in France and Germany for fifteen months. She was one of the first women to go from Nebraska and did most valuable service for her country in this connection. Mrs. Peterson is prominent in the social and elnb circles of Aurora and the state, has been president of the Nineteenth Century Club, president of the State Federation of Clubs and state treasurer of the P. E. O. sisterhood. She has likewise been president of the state organization
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of that sisterhood of college bred women for two years and was appointed by the supreme president as chairman to revise the edict of the order. After she had revised the edict she was made supreme president. She was appointed by a board as chairman of the endowment fund to invest the money made by the P. E. O. sisterhood so that their funds would be safe and in this she was asso- ciated with Mrs. Mary Garret Hay of New York and Mrs. Homer Miller of Des Moines, Iowa. She is a director of the general Supreme Order Federated Clubs of Nebraska. She was also elected vice president of the State Federation of Clubs and later was chosen to the presidency of that organization. Recognition of her ability has come to her from those in authority in the state, for she was appointed by Governor McKelvie on the board of control, being the first woman to serve in this position. Mrs. Peterson was state chairman of the Woman's Committee of the Nebraska Liberty Loan Campaign during the World war.
Mr. Peterson is well known in Masonic circles, having taken the degrees of both York and Scottish Rites and he is also a noble of the Mystic Shrine. He has traveled extensively and has crossed the ocean a number of times with his family, visiting all the principal places of modern and historic interest in Europe and on each occasion his visit extended over from four to ten months. His trips would total up to nineteen or twenty times. His last trip was made to South America during President Wilson's second administration. He was in Washington at the time of the inauguration and then went to Cuba, to Kingston, Jamaica, Colon and the Panama Canal. From there he proceeded to South America, visiting many countries on the southern continent and returned by way of the Danish islands. He left home in September, 1913, and took a trip around the world, being gone three hundred and sixty days and arriving in Berlin on the first day of the war. He was forced to remain in the German capital eleven days before he could get out. He then sailed from Europe, glad to be away from the war stricken country and little dreaming that America would be involved in the great world conflict. In politics Mr. Peterson is a republican but has never aspired to office.
Although Mr. Peterson has retired from active connection with business af- fairs he is still financially interested in the store with which he has been identified since 1879. In 1889 he became associated with D. E. Thompson, Ed. Bignall and John Tidball in establishing the State Bank at Aurora which was capitalized for seventy-five thousand dollars. Mr. Peterson entered the bank as cashier, was after- ward elected to the vice presidency and later was chosen president, continuing at the head of the institution until 1916, when he sold out. It was then that he prac- tically retired from active management of business affairs, for in the same year he disposed of his interest in the Aurora lumber-yard and also of his interest in the Peterson Clothing Company of York. Thus he severed his connection with all business organizations save the Peterson Brothers Clothing Company of Aurora. He was one of the eight men that built the Terminal building at Lincoln. He is still interested in the Fairmont Creamery Company as a stockholder and is like- wise a stockholder in the Omaha & Lincoln Street Railway Company. His property includes eight store buildings in Aurora and one or two buildings in Lincoln. All that he has had and enjoyed is attributable to his own efforts. Starting out in the business world empty handed he steadily worked his way upward through the wise utilization of his time and his opportunities. He has ever been recognized
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as a man of well balanced capacities and powers and has occupied a central place on the stage of action almost from the time when his initial effort was made in the field of business. His labors have found culmination in the development not only of various business enterprises, but in the promotion of public welfare and public improvement. He has never allowed personal interests nor ambition to dwarf his public spirit or his activities. His is the record of a strennous life-a record of a ยท strong individuality, sure of itself, stable in purpose, quick in perception, swift in decision, energetic and persistent in action. Mastering the lessons of life day by day, his post-graduate work in the school of experience, his broad travel and recep- tive mind have placed him with men of learning and ability who have figured prominently in connection with the history of Aurora and the state for many years.
DANIEL S. WOODARD, M. D.
For thirty-nine years Dr. Daniel S. Woodard has been engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery in Hamilton county and since 1897 has been located in Aurora. He was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, near Woodville, Novem- ber 26, 1848, a son of James Madison and Frances (Driver) Woodard. The paternal grandfather was James Woodard of Irish descent, who married Miss Anna Young, a lady of Scotch lineage. They resided throughont their entire life in Virginia, Mr. Woodard passing away in 1872 at the notable old age of ninety-two years while his wife died in 1862. The maternal grandfather of Dr. Woodard was Daniel Driver who was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, but in early life removed to Virginia.
James Madison Woodard was born in Rappahannock county, Virginia, and in early manhood took up the profession of school teaching which he followed in connection with farming, operating his land through slave labor for he was the owner of a number of slaves. He wedded Frances Driver who was born in Rockingham county, Virginia, and who was a member of the Mennonite church. They became the parents of three children only two of whom are living: Daniel S. and James J., the latter an officer in the Reform School near Grafton, West Virginia.
Dr. Woodard was but five years of age at the time of his father's death and his mother passed away in 1866. He lived with her during the period of the Civil war and guarded the horses in order to keep them from falling into the hands of the soldiers. He obtained a country school education, attending the subscription schools of the neighborhood and in 1876 he began the study of medicine alone. In 1880 he went to St. Joseph, Missouri, and there entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons from which he was gradnated on the 15th of March, 1882. For a short time he practiced in St. Joseph and then removed to Hampton, Nebraska, where he opened an office in 1882. Throughout the intervening period he has practiced in Hamilton county, save from November, 1919, until June, 1920, when he was practicing in Watsonville, California. He first came to Aurora in 1897 and in July of that year purchased the Northside Drug Store, having previously had experience in the drug business as owner of an interest in a store of that kind in Hampton. His Aurora store was destroyed by fire in 1898. In April, 1899, he
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was appointed first assistant physician to the Hospital for the Insane at Hastings, Nebraska, and there served for two years. In June, 1902, in connection with his elder son, he established another drug store on the Northside in Aurora and while engaged in its conduct he received the appointment in 1908 of superintendent of the Hospital at Lincoln. During his term there his son sold the drug store in 1910. After his two years hospital service in Lincoln Dr. Woodard returned to Aurora and has here since been engaged in the practice of medicine. He is recognized as one of the ablest physicians of this section of the state, his skill and ability being demonstrated on countless occasions. In 1914 he once more became connected with the drug business by opening a store on the west side of the Square, but later disposed of this and is now concentrating his undivided time and attention upon his practice. He is a member of the Hamilton County Medical Society, the Nebraska State Medical Society and the American Medical Association and has taken a most active and helpful part in the proceedings of the State Medical Society for several years.
In 1868 Dr. Woodard was married to Miss Sarah Ann Casteel, who was born in Coshocton county, Ohio, January 16, 1851. To them have been born six chil- dren : Cora, who is the wife of George E. Lane, a coal and produce merchant. of Salem, Massachusetts; Samuel F., a druggist located at Gannett, Idaho; John A., of Bozeman, Montana, who is devoting his time to educational work, being now principal of the Gallatin county high school ; William A., a dentist at Long Beach, California; James M., who was graduated from the medical department of the University of Nebraska in 1907 and is now practicing with his father; and Dean S., a physician and surgeon of Watsonville, California, who was graduated from the St. Louis University School of Medicine in 1914.
Dr. Woodard and his wife are members of the Presbyterian church and his political belief is that of the democratic party. He has twice represented his district in the state legislature, exercising his official prerogative in support of many benefi- cial progressive measures. He is chairman of the Democratic County Committee and is keenly interested in everything that has to do with the advancement of county and commonwealth. His cooperation can at all times be counted upon to further any measure for the general good and there is an almost countless legion who attest the worth and ability of Dr. Woodard both as a physician and as a citizen.
ALBERT L. DAWSON
Four different states of the Union have been associated with the life record of Albert L. Dawson, a representative farmer of Hamilton county, who was born in Jefferson county, Ohio, January 31, 1861. The following year marked the removal of his parents to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and in the year 1864 the family went to Douglas county, Illinois, where the son, Albert L. Dawson, was reared on the home farm and received the advantages of the public schools of the period. There he continued to be associated with his father in farm enterprise until he was twenty- two years of age and in the spring of 1884 he came to Hamilton county, Nebraska, where his father had previously purchased three hundred and twenty acres of land
MR. AND MRS. ALBERT L. DAWSON
Vol. II-9
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in Union precinct. On the land were erected a small house and barn and during the first five years of his residence here Albert L. Dawson kept bachelor's hall. He brought about the excellent development of the farm, upon which he erected good buildings and made other improvements and there he continued his activities as an agriculturist and stock raiser until the autumn of 1899, when he removed to Thomas county and established himself in the cattle business. There he conducted his successful enterprise on a large stock ranch until the fall of 1910, when he returned to Hamilton county and established his residence on his present farm, in section 17, Union precinct. Here he erected a commodious and modern house and other good buildings and in addition to owning this fine home farm of three hundred and twenty acres, he is now the owner of another farm of two hundred acres in the same township, this latter place being in charge of his son, Claude. Mr. Dawson has always been vital and progressive in his farm enterprise and thus has achieved substantial success, the while he has given much attention to the raising and feeding of cattle of the shorthorn type.
In September, 1888, Mr. Dawson was united in marriage to Miss Jennie Burley, and of this union have been born nine children : Roy is associated in the work and management of the home farm ; Jessie died at the age of one year ; Osceola continues a member of the home circle; Claude has active management of the second farm owned by his father; Ernest is now a resident of the state of Utah, as is also Percival; Ruth; Alberta remains with her parents; and Wilbur died at the age of eight years.
Mr. Dawson has not been self-centered but has shown marked loyalty and lib- erality in his civic attitude and has supported measures and enterprises that have tended to advance the communal welfare in general. His allegiance to the repub- lican party is unswerving, he has served five years as township assessor of Union township and for many years has been a member of the school board of his district. While a resident of Thomas county he served two terms as county commissioner and was reelected for a third term but resigned the office before the completion of this term. He and his wife hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal church.
C. M. FERREE
C. M. Ferree, engaged in the real estate, insurance and loan business, has through individual effort risen to a position of prominence in Edgar. Like many other prominent and successful men of Clay county, Mr. Ferree is a native of another state, his birth having occurred in Clermont county, Ohio, on the 6th of October, 1866. His parents were George W. and Mary E. (Robinson) Ferree, both natives of Clermont county, Ohio, where they resided until 1869, and then removed to Illinois. For ten years they made that state their home and the father engaged in teaching school, both there and in Ohio. In 1879, however, they determined to come west and later in that year located in Clay county, where the father purchased farm land whereon he built a three-room frame house. There the death of Mrs. Ferree oc- curred and George W. Ferree then removed to Edgar, where he passed away, an honored and respected citizen. Three children were born to that union, two of
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whom are living: C. M., whose name initiates this review; and Ella, the wife of S. O. Lewis, a rancher at Gold Bar, Washington. Frank M., the other child, passed away in August, 1919. The family was reared in the faith of the Methodist Episcopal church and for a number of years George W. Ferree was identified with the Masons. Many were the hardships endured but prompted by the laudable ambition to make the most of his opportunities, he allowed no obstacles to remain long in his path and advanced steadily step by step to success. Upon the outbreak of the Civil war Mr. Ferree enlisted in Company E, Fifty-seventh Ohio Regiment and participated in some of the most important battles of that conflict. He was wound- ed at the battle of Missionary Ridge and confined to the hospital for a short time.
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