History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 110

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742

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an admirable picture of the church, school and parish house which will give the reader a definite idea of the fine bit of church property owned by the parish of Sts. Peter and Paul.

CHARLES ALFRED STRAWN.

Charles Alfred Strawn, former justice of the peace in and for the pre- cinct of Speiser, an honored veteran of the Civil War and one of the best- known pioneer farmers of Richardson county, proprietor of a fine farm in Grant precinct and the owner of other land in Speiser precinct, is a native of the state of Illinois, but has been a resident of this county since 1866, the year in which he came out here and entered a claim. He was born on a farm in Franklin township, DeKalb county, Illinois, February 13, 1843, son of Abner and Sarah (Hart) Strawn, natives of Canada, the former of whom was born in 1812 and the latter in 1824, who became pioneers of this. county and here spent their last days.

Abner Strawn was the son of Joab Strawn, who was born in Pennsyl- vania, of Pennsylvania-Dutch stock, and who had moved to Canada in the days of his young manhood and had married and reared his family there." Abner Strawn married in Canada and in 1842 moved to Illinois, locating on a farm in Franklin township, DeKalb county, where he reared his family and where he resided until 1867, when he disposed of his interests there and came to Nebraska, settling on a farm seven miles south and west of Humboldt, in Speiser precinct, later moving to a farm four miles southeast of Humboldt, where he spent his last days, his death occurring there in I900. His widow survived him for nine years, her death occurring in 19II. They were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first-born, the others being as follow: Mrs. Mary Jane Backus, of Brown county, Kansas, died in 1888; William J., of Lamar, Colorado; Frank, deceased, and Thomas, deceased.

Charles A. Strawn grew to manhood on the farm on which he was born in Illinois, receiving his schooling in the neighborhood schools, and was living there when the Civil War broke out. On August 7, 1862, he then being nineteen years of age, he enlisted for service at Franklin, Illinois, as a member of Company G, One Hundred and Fifth Regiment, Illinois Volun- teer Infantry, and with that command served until the close of the war, receiv- ing his final discharge at Chicago on June 17, 1865. The One Hundred and

FOUR GENERATIONS OF THE STRAWN FAMILY : CHARLES ALFRED STRAWN. AGED 74 YEARS; MRS. ROSA MAY (STRAWN) WEST, AGED 50 YEARS; CHARLES HENRY WEST, AGED 26 YEARS; CHARLES ELGIN WEST, AGED 3 YEARS.

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Fifth Illinois participated in some of the most stirring battles and engage- ments of the war and during. all this strenuous service Mr. Strawn was wounded but once, a spent ball glancing off one of his ribs while fighting Wheeler's cavalry at Lawtonville, during the Carolina campaign, February 13, 1865, the wound laying him up for several days. During that battle he was in the advance guard and was lying in a ditch at the side of the road awaiting the enemy's advance when the bullet struck him. He was all through the Atlanta campaign, took part in the taking of Atlanta, having previously fought in the battles at Resaca, Cassville, New Hope Church, Kenesaw Mountain and Peach Tree Creek, and then went on with Sherman to the sea and took part in the capture of Savannah, crossing the Savannah river in a row boat on the cold and stormy New Year Day of 1865. With the great army he then proceeded on up through the Carolinas and after the battle of Lawtonville, mentioned above, participated in the battle of Averys- boro, March 17, 1865, and then, on March 19, the battle of Bentonville, the last engagement of that division. Mr. Strawn then participated in the Grand Review at Washington and with his regiment was mustered out in that city, later reporting at Chicago. for final discharge.

Upon the completion of his military service Charles A. Strawn returned to his father's farm in Illinois and the next year, in 1866, came out to the then Territory of Nebraska with a view to entering a claim and estab- lishing a home in the new country. He drove through by way of Council Bluffs, entering Richardson county via Table Rock, and after a bit of pros- pecting located his claim in section 21, town I, range 13, which later came to be organized as the precinct of Speiser. He then returned home and on the following New Year Day married and straightway returned here with his bride, employing a man to drive him and his wife out from St. Joseph, the trip being made through a foot and a half of snow. He erected a cot- tonwood shanty on the place the next summer. 1867, and in that humble abode, with unbattened chinks and no ceiling, he and his bride began their housekeeping operations. To his original claim Mr. Strawn presently added two and one-half acres of timber land, paying for the same sixty dollars an acre and adding forty acres to his homestead. On that pioneer place he lived until 1888, meanwhile improving and developing the same in fine shape, and then traded the two hundred acres for the old Bowman home- stead quarter section in Grant township on which he is now living and where he ever since has made his home, long having been very comfortably established there. Mr. Strawn has a well-kept and well-improved farm and is looked upon as one of the substantial pioneer farmers of that community.

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He is a Republican and has ever taken an earnest interest in the general political affairs of the county, and has served Speiser precinct in the capacity of justice of the peace, as a school director and as constable. He is an active charter member of the William Mix Post, No. 66, Grand Army of the Republic at Humboldt, in the affairs of which patriotic organization he has for years taken a warm interest, and is also affiliated with the local lodges of the Knights of Pythias, the Ancient Order of United Workmen, the Knights and Ladies of Security and the Fraternal Order of Eagles.

Mr. Strawn has been twice married. On January 1, 1867, in Illinois, he was united in marriage to Emily J. Young, who was born in that state on February 22, 1849, a daughter of John and Emaline (Morris) Young, and to that union four children were born, namely: Mrs. Rosa West, who is living on the old home place; Sherman, who died in infancy; Emory M., 110w a resident of Los Angeles, California, and Laura, who died at the age of five years. The mother of these children died on September 5, 1876, and in March, 1877, Mr. Strawn married Mary Houser, who was born in Monroe county, Pennsylvania, January 30, 1853, and who died on December 11, 1910. To that union were born eleven children, five of whom died in infancy, those who grew to maturity being as follow: William G., who is farming the home place; Mert and Bert, deceased; Mrs. Ella Bemis, of Speiser township; Charles Alfred, Jr., who is on the home farm, and Alice A., who is her father's housekeeper. The Strawns have a pleasant home and have ever taken an interested part in the general social activities of the community.

CHARLES E. STOLTZ.

Charles E. Stoltz, for years a well-known and successful farmer, living in Franklin precinct, this county, has recently disposed of his fine farm consisting of one hundred and sixty acres of prime land, all in an excellent state of improvement ; however, he is still the owner of forty acres of land in Texas, in the irrigated section of the Rio Grande. He was born on April 23. 1870, in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, the son of William and Mary (Ulmer) Stoltz, also natives of the same county and state. William Stoltz was a son of Jacob Stoltz, a native of Germany. Mary Ulmer was the daughter of Isaac Ulmer and wife.

William Stoltz came to Richardson county from Pennsylvania in 1886 and located between Dawson and Stella, where he bought one hundred and

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sixty acres of raw prairie land. He moved his family to the farm the following spring and began the task of clearing the ground for cultivation. William Stoltz was born in 1847 and died on March 20, 1915. His wife, Mary Ulmer, was born on May 31, 1849, and died on January 1I, 1901. They were the parents of the following children: Charles E., the subject of this sketch; Jacob F., who lives in Aurora, Illinois; Isaac H., of Onaga, Kansas; Samuel, who lives in Chicago; William F., who lives on the home farm; Ezra W., of Jerome, Idaho; Daniel, who died in 1878; Martin, who died in 1896; Mrs. Clara Bobbitt, who lives in Jerome, Idaho, and Hattie, who lives in Porter precinct. Of these children, Charles E. was educated in the Lycoming county schools, Pennsylvania, and Jacob was graduated from the Stella high school and from the University of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. William Stoltz were married on June 22, 1869.

Following his education, Charles E. Stoltz assisted his father in build- ing up a home and continued in this way up to the time of his marriage in 1893. In the latter year he rented his father's farm for four years and later bought out the home place, subsequently selling it. In 1904 he moved to Dawson and for two years was engaged in the hardware and imple- ment business and then sold out. In 1906 Mr. Stoltz bought an improved farm near Holdridge, Phillips county, this state. He was the second man to pay fifty dollars an acre for land in that locality, and sold his holding at an enhanced price of seventy-five dollars an acre. He then moved to Franklin precinct, this county, and bought the farm, which he vacated about twelve months ago, paying one hundred dollars an acre for the same in 1908. This tract of one hundred and sixty acres he parted with in 1916, obtaining one hundred and seventy-five dollars an acre for the land.

On February 9, 1893, Charles E. Stoltz was united in marriage to Anna Heim, who was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, on February II, 1869, daughter of John J. and Rosina Heim, also natives of that state. Further mention of this branch of the Heim family will be found in another part of this work in a sketch relating to Israel Heim. Tc Mr. and Mrs. Stoltz four children have been born, as follow: Esther, born on June 25, 1895; Iva, December 27. 1900; Carl. December 30, 1904, and Mildred, October 20, 1908.

Mr. Stoltz is a Democrat, but has never sought public office. He is a 111ember of the Knights of Pythias and of the Modern Woodmen, and in the affairs of both organizations he takes a warm interest. He and his wife and family are members of the United Evangelical church.

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EDWARD UHRI.

The name of Edward Uhri of Humboldt, needs no introduction to the readers of this book, since he has long been active in the affairs of Richardson county, and is one of our leading farmers and business men. He was born on May 14. 1864. on his present farm, being the scion of a pioneer family; in fact, his birth occurred in a corn crib, his parents, John Matthew and Barbara (Lutz) Uhri, having started in life here with little of this world's goods. The father was born in Germany, April 19, 1823. and died on July 1, 1904. The mother was born in Baden, Germany; Feb- ruary 4. 1827, and died on February 8, 1886. They grew up in their native land and crossed the Atlantic together and were married at New Orleans, Louisiana, March 28, 1849. - Later, in 1855. they ascended the Mississippi and Missouri rivers by steamboat to St. Joseph, Missouri, and drove over from there to Richardson county, where they took up a home- stead, a part of which is now included in the place belonging to the subject of this sketch. Here they endured the usual privations and hardships in- cident to pioneer life, but through hard work and perseverance succeeded in becoming well established. For some time they occupied the same house with the Speiser family. St. Joseph was their nearest market. This was still an Indian domain, but the red men were friendly and never molested the settlers. They once, while Mr. Uhri was on a trip to St. Joseph, came to Mrs. Uhri for food and she divided her supply of meal with them. To Mr. and Mrs. John M. Uhri the following children were born: John, who lives in Speiser precinct; George, deceased: Mrs. Carrie Stecker, who lives in Colorado: August, who makes his home in Denver: Edward, the subject of this sketch, and Mrs. Sophia Case, who lives in Colorado.

Edward Uhri grew up on the home farm, where he worked hard when a boy. He attended the district schools and the Humboldt schools, remain- ing with his parents until he was twenty-three years old, when he rented land from his father. He bought his first land in 1890 from his father, and went in debt nine thousand dollars. He managed well and gradually increased his holdings until now he owns five hundred and forty acres of excellent land in the vicinity of Humboldt, which is well improved and under a high state of cultivation. Here he carries on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale. Part of his land lies in Speiser township. He engaged also in the automobile business in 1912 at Dawson, and now has a garage at Humboldlt. He also sells gas tractors and is interested in

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Highlanders the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, and last, but not least. the Booster Club. of Falls City. He has been very successful in a business way, being a man of rare soundness of judgment and execu- tive ability. His public spirit has never been questioned. He has done much to increase the prestige of his home city and to make it a good place in which to live. Personally, he has the confidence and respect of all who know him, being a man of obliging and genial manners and unquestioned integrity.

ALBERT RUSSELL KEIM.

Albert Russell Keim, editor and proprietor of the Falls City Journal, one of the best-known newspaper men and lawyers in eastern Nebraska. former judge of the probate court of Richardson county, former police judge of Falls City and for years one of the leaders of the Republican party in this county, is a native of the old Keystone state, but has been a resident of Nebraska and of this county since he was twelve years of age and has therefore been a witness to and a participant in the develop- ment of this region practically since pioneer days. He was born near the village of Stoyestown, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, February 22. 1859, son of Christian Livengood and Amanda Corday (Will) Keim, both natives of that same county, who later became useful and influential pioneers of this county, the former of whom spent his last days in Falls City, his widow dying while on a visit at Ft. Collins, Colorado.

The Keims are of the old Mennonite, Amish or Dunker stock, so largely represented in the hill country of southwestern Pennsylvania and have been established as a family in this country since early Colonial days. Johannes Keim, believed to be the first of the name in America, was in Pennsyl- vania prospecting for a location in 1698. He returned to Germany and came back with his wife to remain in 1707, settling in Berks county, Penn- sylvania. His son, John Keim, was born in Olej, Pennsylvania, in 1711. This John Keim is supposed to be the father of Peter Keim, born in Berks county, Pennsylvania, who was the father of six sons and two daugh- ters, among whom was numbered Nicholas Keim, born in that same county on February 2, 1768, and who died in Somerset county, same state. October 18, 1830. Nicholas Keim was married three times and was the father of twenty-four children, among whom was Jonas Keim, born in Somerset county on March 11, 1803. who married Sarah Livengood and had twelve

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children, among whom was numbered Christian Livengood Keim, the father of the subject of this sketch. Jonas Keim was for years a leader of the Dunker people in his community and for some time represented that dis- trict in the Pennsylvania Legislature. He also served as associate judge of the court and was a man of extensive affairs, his principal activities being noted in the cattle business and farming, and at the time of his death was rated to be worth in the neighborhood of seventy-five thousand dollars, a considerable fortune for that time and place.

Christian Livengood Keim, son of Jonas and Sarah (Livengood) Keim, was born in Elklick township, Somerset county, Pennsylvania, December 16, 1829, and grew to manhood there, following his father's line as a cattle buyer and drover, doing an extensive business in that line. After his mar- riage in 1857 he established his home in his native county and was living there when the Civil War broke out. He was reared firm in the faith of the Dunker church, which faith forbids the taking up of arms, and though an ardent sympathizer with the cause of the Union did not enlist for service in the army, rendering his service to the cause by furnishing cattle for the use of the army. While on one of his quests over the line South to deliver cattle to the United States army he was captured by the enemy and was for five months a prisoner in Libby Prison, though a non- combatant. He also operated a farm, flour-mill, tannery and distillery at Pine Mills, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania. This he sold about 1869 and came West to seek a new location. He was favorably impressed with Nebraska and bought a farm near Falls City. During 1869 and 1870, he was engaged in selling land located in Thayer and Nuckoll counties, Ne- braska, which he had entered at the United States land office, paying two dollars and a half an acre for that within the railroad grant and one dollar and a quarter an acre for that outside of the two-mile limit; this he sold at a good profit in Pennsylvania. When Congress, in 1870, required six months residence on the land to pre-emptors this business was cut off and, in 1871, Christian L. Keim with his family came to Falls City, where he built a residence at 1903 Stone street. In that same year or in the next year he established the Falls City Bank.

What with the crop failures due to the dry years and the grasshoppers, together with the general panicky depression of that period, this pioneer bank was doomed to failure and, in 1877, was compelled to close its doors, Mr. Keim, as well as some others, losing quite heavily in the crash. Upon the failure of this bank Mr. Keim engaged in cultivating a farm not far

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from Falls City, until his death, June 30, 1883. His widow and children continued to operate the farm until 1907 when it was sold at one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre, that being the highest price paid for a quarter- section tract in Richardson county up to that date, for agricultural pur- poses. The widow moved to Falls City in the spring of 1908 and on August 8, 1908, while on a visit at Ft. Collins, Colorado, died unexpectedly, being at the time past seventy-three years of age.

It was on December 8, 1857, in Somerset county, Pennsylvania, that Christian L. Keim was united in marriage to Amanda Corday Will, who was born in that same county on February 14, 1835, a daughter of John and Nancy (Scott) Will, and to this union were born eight children, of whom the subject of this biographical sketch was the first born, the others being as follow: Carrie Alwilda, born near Stoyestown, Pennsylvania; Mary Martha, born near Stoyestown, who died at Falls City, this county, January 3, 1886; Grace Greenwood, born near Stoyestown, who died at Falls City on May 6, 1890; John Brown Keim, born near Stoyestown, who married, at Enid, Oklahoma, Kate Alford and has one child, a son, Jerome; Jennie S., born near Stoyestown; Will Seward Keim, born at Falls City, who married there, Fernanda R. Godfirnon, to which" union six chil- dren have been born, John, who died in infancy; Paul, Grace Corday, Will Seward, Mary Aletha and Martha, the last-named of whom died on June 17, 1915, and Clement Leroy Keim, born at Falls City, who died on Novem- ber 22, 1881.

Albert Russell Keim was twelve years of age when his family came from Pennsylvania to this county in the spring of 1871, arriving at Falls City on May 5 of that year. The family came by rail to Hiawatha and thence up here by stage, the trip proving a great adventure for the boy. Russell, who still vividly recalls the incidents of the journey out into the then frontier country. He completed the course in the public schools of Falls City and then entered the State University at Lincoln, from which he was graduated in 1881, with the degree of Bachelor of Arts. Upon leaving college Mr. Keim was employed as assistant principal of the high school at Falls City, and was thus engaged for two years, later serving for a time as principal of the high school at Brownville. In the meantime he had been giving his leisure time to the study of law and, in 1887, was admitted to the bar and opened an office for the practice of his profes- sion at Falls City, where he has ever since been actively engaged in practice. though of late years his chief attention has been given to his newspaper. During the legislative sessions of 1895 and 1899 Mr. Keim served as assist-

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ant secretary of the state Senate; in 1901 he was again assistant secretary of the Senate, and in 1903 served as secretary of that body. In the fall of 1895 he was elected judge of the probate court and served in that office for two years, 1896-97. Previously he had served as justice of the peace in and for the precinct of Falls City and as judge of the Falls City police court. Judge Keim is an ardent Republican and has served his party as chairman of the county central committee and as a member of the state central committee.

On May 3, 1909, Judge Keim took charge of the plant of the Falls City Journal, the former proprietor of which had "gone broke," and entered upon the somewhat difficult task of reviving the newspaper; after some years of earnest and laborious effort restoring the paper to a self-support- ing basis and putting it on a substantial financial footing, having made it one of the leading daily newspapers of eastern Nebraska and of the wide territory it serves. By prudent and enterprising direction Judge Keim has built up the Journal's circulation to a point exceeding two thousand and by his direct and independent attitude in the conduct of his editorial columns has made the paper a power of usefulness in the community. Thie Journal has an up-to-date and well-equipped plant, and is recognized among newspaper men as one of the strong newspapers of the state.

JAMES B. DAVIS.

The present popular and efficient postmaster at Humboldt, James B. Davis, is well known in Richardson county, where he has long maintained his residence and where he has won the respect of all who know him. He was born at Jackson Center, Shelby county, Ohio, March 21, 1862, a son of Jacob M. and Jane S. (Furrow) Davis, both natives of Ohio. Calvin Davis, the paternal grandfather, was a native of Virginia, of Welsh de- scent. He was an early settler in Shelby county, Ohio. Jacob M. Davis devoted his active life to farming. He came to Nebraska in 1864, and located on the prairie three miles northwest of Humboldt, developing into a good farm a practically wild piece of prairie land. He moved to Kansas in 1883, and later went to the Pacific coast, locating in the state of Wash- ington, where he spent the rest of his life, dying in July, 1912. His wife had preceded him to the grave in 1874. They were parents of the fol- lowing children: E. A., of Tonkawa, Oklahoma; J. S., of Lincoln, Ne-

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braska, who is engaged in the real-estate and loan business in Humboldt; James B., the subject of this sketch; L. M., who lives near Castle Rock, Oregon; Mrs. Rebecca Knight, who lives in Taft, Oregon, and Mrs. Flora Beck, who makes her home at Kelso, Washington.

On June 20, 1917, James B. Davis had rounded out just fifty years in Richardson county. During this long period he saw the county develop from practically a wild prairie to its present high state of prosperity, with its fine farms and substantial towns. He grew up on the home farm and was educated in the common schools. He left home in 1882 when twenty years old and began learning the blacksmith's trade. He then engaged in the saloon business for a period of twenty-seven years, selling out on May 1, 1910, after which he conducted a garage for two years. He then served as mayor of Humboldt two years, then farmed for a while. He owns thirty acres of rich land at Humboldt. He was appointed postmaster on August 23, 1916, for a term of four years and is now filling the office acceptably both to the department and to the people. Politically, he is a Democrat. Fraternally, he belongs to the Knights of Pythias lodge, which he joined twenty-five years ago. He is past chancellor commander of Hum- boldt Pythians and is a member of the grand lodge of Nebraska, having represented Humboldt lodge in the sessions of the grand lodge, of which he has been a member for fifteen years.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 110

Author: Edwards, Lewis C Publication date: 1917 Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen Number of Pages: 1742

Author: Edwards, Lewis C
Publication date: 1917
Publisher: Indianapolis : B.F. Bowen
Number of Pages: 1742