USA > Nebraska > Hamilton County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 21
USA > Nebraska > Clay County > History of Hamilton and Clay counties, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 21
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William Frederick Jeffers attended common schools in Illinois and Nebraska and also pursued his education in York College. He afterward took up the profession of teaching, which he followed successfully for seven years and was then called to public office, being elected clerk of the circuit court in 1899, again in 1903 and for a third term in 1907, so that he occupied the office altogether for twelve years. In 1911 he was elected county judge and by reelection has con- tinued on the bench to the present time. He was also city clerk of Aurora for one year, was councilman for two terms and has been an active figure in politics for twenty-one years, never being defeated for office throughout this entire period. He is a democrat in politics.
On the 14th of February, 1900, Mr. Jeffers was married to Miss Jennie M. Will, a daughter of N. B. and Alice ( Ferguson) Will, who were natives of Penn- sylvania but removed to York county in pioneer times, the father securing a homestead claim. Here he passed away in York county. Mrs. Jeffers taught school in York and Hamilton county for eleven years and is recognized as a lady of liberal culture. By her marriage she has become the mother of five children: Marie, who is now teaching in the country schools of Hamilton county ; Madge, a pupil in the tenth grade; Kenneth ; Marthena and William J., all yet in school.
Judge and Mrs. Jeffers are members of the United Brethren church, while both have taken an active part in the various branches of church work. Two years ago Judge Jeffers was a delegate to the General Conference of the World, held in Topeka, Kansas. Fraternally he is connected with the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Royal Highlanders. Judge Jeffers started out on his own resources in early life. He has always been self- reliant and progressive and now devotes his entire attention to the important
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duties of the office which he is filling. He has studied law extensively and the fact that he has been continuous on the county bench for a decade is a proof of the fairness and impartiality of his decisions.
JOHN NISSEN
In the vigorous contingent of successful farmers to be found in Otis township, Hamilton county, a place of prominence and pioneer distinction is to be accorded to John Nissen, who has here maintained his residence for nearly half a century and whose prosperity has been in keeping with that which has marked the general development and progress of this now favored section of Nebraska.
Mr. Nissen was born in Denmark, on the 31st of October, 1849, is indebted to the schools of his native land for his youthful education, and there also he gained his initial experience in connection with farm enterprise. In 1871, shortly after attaining to his legal majority, he severed the home ties and set forth to seek his fortunes in the United States. For the first two years he was employed at farm work in the state of Illinois, and in 1873, in company with his brother, A. B., and their mutual friend, Mat Mattsen, he came by train to Seward, Nebraska, and thence overland to Hamilton county, where he took up a homestead of eighty acres and a timber claim of equal area. On this unbroken prairie land in Otis township he constructed a little sod house of the most primitive pioneer type which met the requirements and became the abode of happiness and good cheer. The township had but few settlers at the time when Mr. Nissen here established his home, but the following spring brought in a goodly number. Not a tree was visible from the little sod house in which Mr. Nissen lived. His brother had also taken up land in this locality and had become the owner of a team of horses. John Nissen depended upon an ox team principally in the breaking of his land and in the meanwhile gained a full quota of pioneer experience, including the obtaining of fuel from trees along the Platte river, the hunting of antelopes, deer and other wild game and the frequent visits of Indians, who, however, never caused him any trouble. In 1874 he saw his growing crops eaten up by grasshoppers and a similar visitation worked even greater havoc in the season of 1876. Losses through drought likewise became his portion, but in a general way the years did not fail in tribute and increasing prosperity attended his earnest activities in con- nection with agricultural and live stock enterprise. He became the owner of four hundred and sixty acres of the excellent land of Hamilton county which he brought to a high standard in the matter of buildings and productiveness. He has now divided his land to a large extent among his children but still retains and resides upon his fine old homestead, which is endeared to him by many pleas- ing memories and associations.
In 1879 Mr. Nissen was united in marriage to Miss Helena Green and the supreme loss and bereavement in his life came when his devoted companion and helpmeet was summoned to eternal rest in 1918, at the age of seventy years. She bore with fortitude and graciousness the trials and reverses of the pioneer days and her gentle personality gained for her the affectionate regard of all who
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came within the sphere of her influence. She is survived by her husband and four children. The children are: Eric, who is a progressive farmer of Hamilton county ; and Otto, Elsie and Marie remain at home, the younger son having active management of the home farm.
Mr. Nissen is a man of well fortified opinions and convictions, is a republican in politics, is a loyal and liberal citizen and is a communicant of the Danish Lutheran church, as was also his wife.
JOHN BOAG
It required courage and self-reliance of high order when the early settlers of Nebraska essayed the task of reclaiming the virgin prairies to the uses of civiliza- tion, for there were many obstacles to be overcome, adverse conditions to be con- sidered and many hardships and privations to be endured. The pioneers of Hamil- ton county were in general men of sturdy physical powers, resolute purpose and high ambition and thus were fortified for the important tasks to which they set themselves. Among the number was the sterling Scotsman, John Boag, who has exemplified in all of the stages of his career the fine traits of character for which the sons of Scotland are invariably known.
Mr. Boag was born in Perthshire, Scotland, in the year 1848, was reared on a farm and was but twelve years of age when he began to earn his own living, his compensation for his labors having been about thirty dollars a year in the early stages of his independent career. At intervals he was enabled to attend the schools of his native land and there he remained until 1869, when at the age of nineteen years he immigrated to America. During the summer of that first year he found employment at farm work in the Province of Ontario, Canada, and in the autumn of 1869 he proceeded to Dane county, Wisconsin, where he remained two years and worked as a farm hand near Madison, the capital of the state. On his salary of two hundred dollars a year he saved enough to enable him to buy a team of horses and a wagon, as well as a small supply of requisite household effects, and in the year 1871, in company with his brothers, William and David, he made the long overland trip to the state of Nebraska. Upon his arrival in Hamilton county Mr. Boag obtained a homestead of eighty acres in Union precinct and as a necessary preliminary he here provided a dwelling in the construction of a rude sod house of the primitive pioneer type and also a dugont stable in which to shelter his team. With characteristic vigor he carried forward the reclaiming and improving of his land, but lost his crops when the grasshopper invaders saw fit to make their disastrous visitations to this section of the state. He experienced losses also through droughts, was snowbound at the time of the memorable blizzard of 1873 and did not flinch from the various hardships which he faced with other pioneers. In comparison with present-day prices it is interesting to recall that when he hauled his early crops of grain to Grand Island he received payment for the same at the rate of seventy-five cents per bushel, for wheat. He gained as a hunter his share of prairie chickens, antelopes, deer and other wild game then plentiful in this section, and after remaining on his original homestead two years
MR. AND MRS. JOHN BOAG
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he sold the property and purchased railroad land at five dollars per acre. His original purchase comprised one hundred and twenty acres of his present farm property, an additional tract of the same area having been purchased by him a little later. On this aggregate tract of two hundred and forty acres he has made the best of improvements, including good buildings and the setting out of shade trees and a nice apple orchard. His eventual success fully repaid him for all he endured in the early days, and he now lives "on the sunny side of the street," with gratifying prosperity as his portion and with secure place in the esteem of the people of the county to whose development he has contributed his quota. Mr. Boag has shown discrimination and progressiveness both as an agriculturist and stock raiser and in the live stock department of his farm industry he gives prefer- ence to red polled cattle and Poland China hogs. He utilizes forty-five acres of his land for pasturage, devotes fifteen acres to alfalfa and the remainder of the place is given to the raising of wheat and corn.
In 1880 Mr. Boag was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Stewart, who like- wise is a native of Scotland and who was fourteen years of age when she accom- panied her parents to the United States, the family home having been established in Hamilton county, Nebraska, in 1872. Mr. and Mrs. Boag have six children : Jessie, John, Mary, Annie, Margaret and Roy.
The attractive homestead farm of the Boag family is situated in section 21, Scoville township, on one of the rural mail routes from the village of Giltner, and the home is pervaded by an atmosphere of generous hospitality and good cheer. In expressing his political convictions Mr. Boag takes an independent stand. He and his wife are earnest members of the Baptist church, in which he has served as a deacon.
JOHN A. SWANSON
Since 1910 John A. Swanson has engaged in the real estate business in Ong, Clay county, where he is recognized as a successful and representative citizen. He was born in Sweden on the 19th of December, 1862, a son of Swan Swanson and Asrina Swanson, also natives of that country. His father was a carpenter by trade and was well known in the community in which he made his home. The parents of Mr. Swanson never came to the United States but passed their lives in Sweden. Four children were born to their union, three of whom are living: Peter, a retired farmer of Loretta; John A., the subject of this review ; and Tillie, who is the wife of F. J. Engdahl, a retired farmer of Ong. The religious faith of Mr. and Mrs. Swanson was that of the Lutheran church, in the activities of which they took a prominent part.
In May, 1880, John A. Swanson came to the United States and located in Dunbar, Nebraska, where he started farming. For nine years he worked out on farms and engaged in farming on his own account and then removed to Wilcox, where he was similarly employed for three years. At the end of that time, in 1893, he located in Clay county, and there purchased eighty acres of land whereon he lived for a number of years. He brought his land to a high state of cultivation and was recognized as a successful and progressive agriculturist. In 1910, how-
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ever, he moved into Ong and established a real estate business, in which line he has continued. He deals mostly in lands in west Nebraska and Colorado, and the honorable principles on which he conducts his business have won for him an extensive trade.
In 1916 Mr. Swanson was united in marriage to Josie L. Gustes, the widow of A. R. Rudd. She was born in Henry county, Illinois, a daughter of John Gustes, an early settler of Fillmore county. He was a homesteader in that county and also a veteran of the Civil war.
The political allegiance of Mr. Swanson has always been given to the republican party and it is well known that he is a stalwart champion of any cause which it espouses. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church and fraternally he is identified with the Odd Fellows, which he has served as Noble. The success that Mr. Swanson enjoys is the result of his own grim determination and labor, for he had practically nothing when he came to the United States. A brother paid his passage over and when he arrived in Nebraska City he had but two dollars to his name. Thrown upon his own resources at an early age he learned his lessons in the school of experience and his life illustrates that it is under the pressure of adversity and the stimulus of necessity that the strongest and best in men is brought out and developed.
CHRISTOPHER C. COON
Christopher C. Coon is living retired at Aurora but for many years was closely associated with farming interests and through his activity and enterprise in busi- ness won the success that now enables him to rest from further labor. Moreover, he came to Nebraska in pioneer times and is familiar with the early history of the state with all of its hardships and privations incident to the settlement of the frontier. He rejoices in what has been accomplished and has borne his full share in bringing about modern day progress and improvement. Mr. Coon was born in Knox county, Ohio, June 24, 1847, a son of Chauncy S. and Olive (Hurd) Coon, both of whom were natives of New York, in which state they were reared and married. Two of their children were born ere they left New York to become residents of Ohio. The father was a carpenter and followed his trade for many years in the Buckeye state. In 1860 he went to Michigan and both he and his wife died there. They were members of the Methodist Episcopal church and Mr. Coon gave his political support to the republican party. The family numbered eight children, of whom four are living: Christopher C .; Melvina, who is now the wife of George Trayor of Michigan; W. T., also living in Michigan; and Mrs. Calista Russell of the same state.
Christopher C. Coon was a youth of thirteen years when the family home was established in Michigan where he continued his education in the public school, having previously entered upon his studies in Ohio. When still quite young he started out to earn his own living by working by the month on farms in that section. He afterwards turned his attention to the carpenter's trade which he followed in Michigan for a number of years. On the 5th of April, 1871, he ar-
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rived in Hamilton county, Nebraska, and here homesteaded the south half of the southwest quarter of section 2, township 10, range 6, thus obtaining eighty acres of land. He built thereon a shanty ten feet square with a dirt floor and dirt roof.
It was in June, 1873, that Mr. Coon married Miss Mary Kutch who was born in Indiana, a daughter of Nelson Kutch who came to Hamilton county when it was a largely undeveloped and unsettled district and here homesteaded. He was a well known pioneer and continued an honored resident of the county to the ad- vanced age of eighty-four years when he was called to his final rest. To Mr. and Mrs. Coon have been born five children: Glenn, who conducts a lumber-yard at Hastings, Nebraska; A. B., who is connected with the shoe department of the Herckenshimer Store in Lincoln, Nebraska ; Charles J., a farmer and fruit grower of Idaho; Merle, who is connected with the dray business in Aurora; and Olive, the wife of C. C. Firth who is connected with the Burlington Railroad.
It was soon after the marriage of Mr. and Mrs. Coon that they took up their abode on the old homestead in the little shanty which he had built. When he first came to the state he drove with a team to Lincoln, Nebraska, and there made a payment of fourteen dollars on his homestead, spent seventy cents, and returned . with fifty cents which constituted his entire capital. He had a bedstead and went to the creek to cut poles in order to make the frame work on which to lay a bed. He also had a small stove which he had borrowed, while a large tool-chest which he brought from Michigan served for a table. Two nail-kegs were used for chairs and thus in the most primitive style the young couple began their domestic life on the homestead which he had secured. There are many experiences of frontier life in Nebraska which Mr. Coon will never forget. On the 13th day of April, 1873-Easter Sunday-there was a storm that will ever live in the memories of those who were in this section of the state at the time. Mr. Coon went to see his future wife on that day, wearing a light coat. He started home late in the evening and had gone but a short distance when it began to snow and blow. It was with the utmost difficulty that he reached the home of a neighbor where he remained through the night, it being impossible to proceed farther. The next day it seemed equally impossible to go on, but his brother-in-law was ill and Mr. Coon became anxious about him, so he started out for his house a mile away and it was two o'clock in the afternoon before he reached the barn at his place. The house was entirely covered with snow but he managed at length to effect an entrance. The storm lasted until Wednesday, this being the hardest storm within the memory of people living in Hamilton county. In the early days there were many antelopes in the region and game of all kinds was very plentiful. In 1874 the Indians drove seven buffaloes into the county when engaged in a hunt which had begun further west. Mr. Coon resided on his homestead until 1882 when he removed to Aurora where he has since lived. Here he took up carpenter work and followed his trade for a number of years. Through his industry, economy and diligence in his business affairs Mr. Coon met with a fair measure of success, so that he is now able to live retired and enjoy the comforts of life, owning town prop- erty from which he derives a good income. Great, indeed, have been the changes which have occurred since he arrived in Nebraska. There was not a building in Aurora when he came in April, 1871, and it was not until the following October Vol. II-14
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that the first building was put up, so that he has witnessed the entire growth and development of the city in which he now resides.
In 1917 Mr. Coon was called upon to mourn the loss of his wife who passed away on the 23d of December, of that year. She was a consistent member of the Christian church, to which Mr. Coon also belonged and for twenty-six years he has been a member of the Modern Woodmen. In politics he is a republican and while interested in the success of the party he has never aspired to office. There is no one who can speak with greater authority upon the history of the county than this honored pioneer, Christopher C. Coon.
HENRY C. LITTLER
Pioneer experience came to the late Henry C. Littler both in Iowa and Nebraska and in all of the relations of a long and useful life he exemplified the high spirit of loyalty and personal stewardship which marked his service as a gallant young soldier of the Union in the Civil war. He was born in Ohio in the year 1836 and was one of the venerable and honored pioneer citizens of Hamilton county, Nebraska, at the time of his death, on the 19th of December, 1912.
The pioneer schools of Illinois and Iowa were the medium through which Mr. Littler gained the early education that was to be the basis of a broad superstructure of knowledge to be reared through wide and varied experience in connection with the practical affairs of a busy and useful life. In Iowa he found employment at farm work, as he also did after his return to Illinois, of which latter state he was a resident at the beginning of the Civil war. In response to President Lincoln's first call for volunteers Mr. Littler promptly tendered his services in defense of the Union by enlisting in 1861 as a corporal in the Sixty-fifth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, and he was discharged as a sergeant, his service continuing until the close of the war and involving his active participation in many major battles and minor engagements. At Harper's Ferry he was captured by the enemy and for some time thereafter was held as a prisoner of war. His exchange was finally effected and he rejoined his regiment, with which he remained until victory crowned the Union arms and the war came to an end, his honorable discharge being received by him in the city of Chicago.
After the close of the war Mr. Littler engaged in farm work, sawmill operation and railroad work in Illinois, and in that state the year 1867 recorded his mar- riage to Miss Emeline Laird, who was there born and reared. In 1874, traveling overland in an old-time "prairie schooner," Mr. and Mrs. Littler came to Hamilton county, Nebraska, five weeks being required to complete the journey. They arrived at their destination on the 9th of October, having utilized ferry-boats in crossing both the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. Mr. Littler took up a homestead of sixty- nine acres of raw prairie land in Deepwell precinct and here he and his wife had as their first habitation a dugout of the most primitive pioneer type, having one small window and a dirt floor until a board floor could be installed. They resided here for two years and then removed to a slab shanty, sixteen by twenty-four feet in dimensions and covered with tar paper, the lumber for the house having been hauled
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by team from Hastings. The hardships and trials of the pioneer days did not .. dishearten Mr. and Mrs. Littler, for they were hopeful of what the future had in store and were ready to work and endure until success came to them. Mr. Littler broke his land and made it available for cultivation, planted an orchard and gradually made other improvements, his orchard, however, having died out without giving returns for the labor and money expended. For three years after coming to the pioneer farm Mr. Littler had no surplus crops to sell, but the lean years were in due course followed by those of plentiful harvest and attending prosperity and advancement. He became one of the substantial farmers and valued and in- fluential citizens of the county and here remained on his farm until 1905, when he and his wife removed to Phillips, where he lived practically retired until his death and where Mrs. Littler still maintains her home. He also had eighty acres of land in Hall county. He was a stalwart republican and was affiliated with the Grand Army of the Republic, his religions faith having been that of the Methodist church. His widow is a zealous member of the Christian church.
Mr. and Mrs. Littler were the parents of the following children: Melvin, asso- ciated with the manufacture of beet sugar in the city of Denver, Colorado; Edward, a railroad man, who resides in the state of Washington; Alice, the wife of Luther Wilson, employed in shipyards in the state of Oregon; Frank, who has the active management of the old home farm; Otis, a barber in the city of Omaha; and Laura, who died at the age of twenty-nine years. Mrs. Littler's memory com- passes most of the period of development and progress in Hamilton county and in retrospect the pioneer days are replete with pleasing recollections, while she rests secure in the companionship and high regard of friends who are tried and true, many of whom shared with her the experiences of the pioneer period of Hamilton county history.
FERDINAND GRIESS, D. D. S.
Dr. Ferdinand Griess is one of the successful dentists engaged in business in Sutton, in which town he was born and he is regarded as one of the highly respected and enterprising citizens of that place. His birth occurred on the 5th of Novem- ber, 1883, his parents being Peter H. and Sophia (Grosshans) Griess, extended mention of whom is made in the sketch of C. H. Griess to be found on another page of this work.
Dr. Ferdinand Griess received his education in the Sutton schools and then for two years engaged in the coal business for his father. He saved enough of his earnings to enable him to complete his education and decided upon the dental profession as a life work, with the result that he entered the dental department of the State University, receiving his degree in 1909. He then returned to his home in Sutton, where he commenced practice and has built up a most enviable and lucrative business.
On the 22d of June, 1910, Dr. Griess was married to Miss Georgia Shivers, a native of Lincoln, Nebraska. To this union two children have been born: Donald, who is six years of age; and Marjorie Jeanette, two years of age.
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