History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 121

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

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On August 18, 1868, Charles G. Henderson was united in marriage to Julia Wilkinson, who was born in Kentucky on January 20, 1853, and

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who was but a child when her parents, William Wilkinson and wife, came to Nebraska and became pioneers of Richardson county, and to this union two children have been born, a son, Dr. Robert Henderson, who married Carrie Staver and is now practicing his profession at Rulo, this county. and a daughter, Mrs. Harriet Dodderer, who has two children, Hattie and Marion, and is now making her home with her parents at Verdon. Elsewhere in this volume there is further and fitting mention of the Wilkin- son family, one of the pioneer families of Richardson county, and the atten- tion of the reader is respectfully invited to a perusal of the same for further particulars regarding the pioneer parents of Mrs. Henderson, and of the part they took in the development of the community in which they settled out here at an early day in the settlement of this region. Mr. and Mrs. Hender- son are members of the Congregational church at Verdon and have ever taken an interested part in the various good works of the community of which they have been a part since pioneer days. Mr. Henderson once owned eighty acres of the townsite of Verdon and practically gave it to a poor man for whom he felt sorry.

EMERSON A. HARDEN.

One of the well-known farmers and stockmen now living in retirement at Verdon, this county, is Emerson A. Harden, who was born on November 25, 1841, in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, a son of Simmons W. and Mar- jorie M. (Taylor) Harden. The father was born in October, 1814, in Bradford county, Pennsylvania, where he was reared on a farm, remaining in his native state until 1855, when he went to Buchanan county, Iowa, and engaged in the hotel business at Quasqueton. While he was living there the Civil War came on and he enlisted in the First Iowa Cavalry and saw considerable service in the south, taking part in many engagements in differ- ent states. He was honorably discharged and mustered out at the close of the war. He returned to Fowa in 1867 and sold his farm, removing to Nebraska and buying eighty acres east of Falls City. He made the trip here in a wagon. There was only a log cabin on the place he bought and the place had been improved but little. After living on the farm two years he started a hotel at Falls City, known as the Harden House, but later sold out and went to Leavenworth, Kansas, where his death occurred at the Soldiers" Home, on May 3, 1904, he then being at the advanced age of

EMERSON A. HARDEN.

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eighty-eight years and seven months. His wife was born in Pennsylvania in 1822, and died in 1887 in Falls City. To these parents the following children were born: Emily, who is living in St. Joseph, Missouri, widow of Sidney Adanıs, a veteran of the Civil War; Emerson A., the subject of this sketch: Minerva, who lives in Los Angeles, California, the widow of James Kendall, and Allan, who was a cavalry soldier in the Civil War and was killed while in service, near Little Rock, Arkansas.

Emerson A. Harden was fourteen years old when his parents moved to Iowa and there he attended school and worked out as a farm hand until the breaking out of the Civil War, during the progress of which he enlisted three different times, but was rejected each time. He enlisted at the first call, but the quota being full he was rejected; his second enlistment was in the First Iowa Cavalry, rejected; third enlistment was in the Thirteenth Regular Regiment, and he was rejected on account of bad eyesight.

In 1863 Mr. Harden began freighting from Iowa to Boulder, Colorado, often driving cattle to that country, a trip requiring three months. He took the first train of provisions to one of the big mining camps in the vicinity of Boulder. It was a hazardous business, as the Indians not infre- quently destroyed the outfits of freighters. There were usually twenty-two wagons in his train and four yoke of oxen to a wagon. Mules were some times used instead of oxen. Mr. Harden relates many interesting experi- ences of the early days in the West.

Mr. Harden came to Nebraska with his parents and rented land from Charles Steele, south of Falls City. In 1870 he bought wild prairie land in Liberty precinct, which he broke, planted to crops and improved in a general way, erecting good, comfortable buildings, set out an orchard and other trees and here he has since resided, successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising. He endured many hardships and privations at the start, passing through the droughty and grasshopper years, when all crops were destroyed; but he kept at work and managed well and is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres of valuable and productive land in Liberty precinct, and also owns land in Texas and Oregon. In 1887 Mr. Harden began breeding Percheron and Clydesdale stallions, also standard-bred trotting horses. He often exhibited his fine stock at the county fairs and drove his trotters at the racing grounds at Salem and Falls City. He continued breeding for many years and his stock always brought fancy prices, owing to their superior qualities. He also fed live stock in connection with general farming, preparing for market on an average two hundred head of cattle and one hundred and fifty head of hogs annually. Having accumu-

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lated a competency, Mr. Harden retired from active life in 1904 and has since been living quietly in the village of Verdon, where he owns an attrac- tive home, equipped in up-to-date fashion.

On December 11, 1868, Emerson A. Harden was married to Katherine Bowers, who was born in Ohio, a daughter of Benjamin and Harriet H. (Rubendall) Bowers. Mr. Bowers was a native of Pennsylvania, and was an early settler in Ohio. He came to Nebraska in 1867 and engaged in farming in Richardson county until his death in 1887, at the age of seventy- nine years. His wife died on February 10, '1882. They were parents of thirteen children, Katherine, who married Mr. Harden, being the seventh in order of birth. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Harden, namely : Allen E., a ranchman in the state of Washington; Carmelita, de- ceased; Della, wife of R. A. Tynan, a son of one of the early settlers of West Muddy precinct, this county, and Clyde, who lives in Garfield county. Nebraska, and is now serving as treasurer of that county.

Mr. Harden is a Democrat. He helped organize school district No. 32, in Liberty precinct, and was a member of the board for several years. He helped build the Congregational church at Verdon, and attends services there.

CHRISTIAN HORN.

Christian Horn, one of Richardson county's substantial farmers and stockmen and the owner of a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres in the precinct of Barada, is of European birth, but has been a resident of this country since he was twenty-four years of age, having come to America in the summer of 1872, and after working at Buffalo, New York, for two or three years, went to Idaho and was there engaged in mining for five years, at the end of which time he returned to the old country, but two years later came back to America and settled in this county, which has been his place or residence ever since, with the exception of a year spent in Oregon some years ago. He was born in Holstein, a province of Prussia, February 26, 1848, son and only child of Christian C. and Augusta (Stuhr) Horn, natives of that same province, who spent all their lives in their native land.

Reared in Holstein, Christian Horn remained there until he was past twenty-four years of age and then, on June 23, 1872, left his native land for the United States, arriving in this country after a voyage of two weeks,

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with about fifty dollars in his pockets. He proceeded to Buffalo, New York, where he became engaged working in a packing-plant and was there thus engaged for about three years, at the end of which time he started for the western mining country and in 1875 began working in the mines and quartz-mills in Idaho. He also did considerable prospecting and ac- quired an interest in a mine, his five years of experience in the mining country netting him sixty-five hundred dollars. Early in the year 1880 Mr. Horn returned to his old home in Holstein and there he remained about two years, at the end of which time he came back to the United States and proceeded on out to Nebraska, arriving in Falls City in November. 1881. During the following winter he worked in the Allgewahr packing house at Falls City and in May, 1882, bought the southeast quarter of section 28 in the precinct of Barada, this county, and after his marriage the next month established his home there. When he took possession of that farm the only improvements on the place were a log cabin and a hay stable. He improved the place, including the planting of an acre of orchard, and there made his home for ten years, at the end of which time he sold the farm to advantage and after looking about for six months bought the place on which he is now living in that same precinct, establishing his home there on February 26, 1892. In 1900 Mr. Horn had an attack of what he called "mountain fever" and began to long for the farther West, so he went to Oregon, with the expectation of probably making his permanent home there. but after a year returned to his home in this county and has since been quite satisfied to remain here. Mr. Horn now has a fine farm of four hundred acres and one of the best farm plant's in' Barada precinct, includ- ing a fine bearing orchard of two acres and many up-to-date improvements. In addition to his general farming he has given considerable attention to the raising of hogs and has done quite well in that line.

On March 7, 1882, at Falls City, Christian Horn was united in mar- riage to Emma Springe, who also was born in the province of Holstein. Prussia, March 20, 1861, daughter of Henry and Ernestine ( Rohlfs) Springe. who spent all their lives in their native land. She had come to this country early in 1882, proceeding on out to Nebraska and locating in Falls City. where she married Mr. Horn. To this union have been born nine children. namely : Mrs. Anna Stine Fehr, who lives near Stella, this county: Louise, who is at home; Henry, who is farming in Barada precinct; Augusta, who married Mortimer Zentner, a farmer living near Shubert, this county; Emma, who is engaged in the millinery business at Sargent, in Custer county,

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this state; William, of Barada precinct ; Minnie, deceased; Walter, deceased, and Theodore, who died at the age of eight years. Mr. and Mrs. Horn are members of the Lutheran church. Politically, Mr. Horn is an "independent."

FRED BAHR.

Among the surviving pioneers of Richardson county there are few better known than Fred Bahr, who started here as a farm hand back in 1868, and has long been regarded as one of the most substantial landowners in the county, having been very successful in his farming and live stock operations, the owner of eight hundred and sixty acres of choice land in Richardson county, the most of which is located in the precinct of Barada. where he has a very pleasant home.

Fred Bahr was born in Germany, near the Austrian line, in May, 1852, a son of Fred and Rosina Bahr, and there he spent his youth, remaining there until he was sixteen years of age, when, in 1868, he came to this country and proceeded on out to the then new state of Nebraska, and here became engaged as a farm hand, continuing thus engaged for several years. at the end of which time he rented a tract of river-bottom land and began farming on his own account. He was successful in that initial operation and presently bought a tract of eighty acres in Barada precinct, this county, and that became the nucleus of his present extensive farm holdings in that precinct. As he continued to prosper he gradually bought other tracts, gen- erally buying in small lots, as he was able to do, and he is now the owner of eight hundred and sixty acres of land and the proprietor of one of the best-improved farms in Richardson county, the buildings making up his great farm plant in Barada precinct resembling a small village. Mr. Bahr began in a small way, breaking his first land with an ox-team and estah- lishing his first home in a log cabin, a wide contrast to his present fine home establishment. During the more active period of his operations Mr. Bahr was for years actively engaged in the raising of live stock, shipping in car-load lots, but of late years has not given so much attention to the cattle industry. As his children married and made homes for themselves he settled them on his lands and the family has ever worked closely together, the mutual interest thus having been admirably and profitably preserved. During the early days, in addition to gradually extending his own interests, Mr. Bahr was able to be of help to many of the new settlers in his part of

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the county and there is no pioneer of that section, who is held in higher esteem than he. Mr. Bahr is a Republican and once was honored by his party by the nomination for representative from this district in the state Legisla- ture, but was defeated for election by one vote.

In 1876 Fred Bahr was united in marriage to Wilhelmina Finck, who also was born in Germany, in 1856, a daughter of Fred Finck and wife. who came to the United States in 1864 and who became residents of Rich- ardson county in 1872, and to this union eleven children have been born, namely: Fred, who is farming in Muddy precinct; John H., of Barada precinct; Richard and Alvin, at home; Edward P., of Muddy precinct ; Louise, wife of Fred Wertz, of Barada precinct, and Sophia, Henry, Louis, Ida and Ernest, deceased. Mr. Bahr was reared as a Lutheran and in the early days of his residence here religious services were held in his house, before the Lutherans had organized a local congregation and established a formal house of worship.

WILLIAM MOSIMAN.

William Mosiman, one of the best-known and most substantial farmers and stockmen of the precinct of Jefferson, this county, and the proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres in section 5 of that precinct, is a native son of Richardson county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm in the precinct of Arago on March 26, 1872, son of John and Katherine (Mertz) Mosiman, well-known and influential pioneers of that part of the county and further and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume.

Reared on the home farm, William Mosiman grew to manhood there. receiving his schooling in the local schools of that neighborhood, and for two years after attaining his majority continued working for his father. He then, in 1895, rented land and began farming on his own account, remaining on that place until his marriage in 1897, when he bought the farm on which he is now living, the place on which his wife was reared. and has there ever since made his home, he and his family being very comfortably situated. Since taking possession of that quarter section Mr. Mosiman has made many substantial improvements on the same, including the remodel- ing of the house, the erection of a new barn and the setting out of an extensive grove, his place being well improved and profitably cultivated. When he bought that farm Mr. Mosiman became engaged somewhat exten-

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his father in the hardware business; Guy, who is a partner of his brother John in the contracting business; Mrs. Edna Hurst, whose husband is con- nected with the Crook brothers in the contracting business, and Eliza, who was graduated from the Falls City high school with the class of 1917.

WILLIAM HENRY ELSE.

William Henry Else, who departed this life some years ago, was one of the real old settlers of Richardson county, and one of the best respected men of Barada precinct; his was a long life of usefulness and ceaseless endeavor, the best years of which life were spent on the battlefields of the South fighting in defense of the Union during the great Civil War. The late William Henry Else was born on a farm in Logan county, Ohio, August 4, 1839, and when ten years of age his parents removed to Mahaska county, Iowa, and became pioneers of that county. There William H. Else was reared to young manhood and married to Zilpha Gearhart on January I, 1860. The young couple had hardly got settled down to housekeeping and were caring for their first child when the Civil War broke out and the call came from President Lincoln for volunteers to put down the rebellion of the Southern states. Mr. Else responded and the young couple broke up their newly-made home, thereby placing patriotism and love of country above all other considerations. Ingrained in both of them was a sacred love of free institutions and the desire to serve their country. Mr. Else enlisted in August, 1861, and became a member of Company H, Eighth Regiment, Iowa Volunteer Infantry, which was organized in Mahaska county. He was mustered into active service in September, 1861, and served until honor- ably discharged from the service in October, 1864. His regiment participated in many great battles and sieges, in all of which he was present. Among the engagements in which he fought were those at Corinth, Island No. 10, Mission Ridge, Chattanooga, Lookout Mountain and the siege and capture of Vicksburg. A Bible reposing in his breast pocket saved his life during a battle, the bullet which would have caused his death glancing off the Bible, which he religiously carried all through his arduous service. While her husband was absent during his war service Mrs. Else invested his pay, which he sent home regularly each month, in a tract of eighty acres of uncleared land in Mahaska county. Upon his return home the young couple at once set to work to create a home upon this wild land. They bought a small house

WILLIAM H. ELSE.

MRS. ZILPHA GEARHART ELSE AND CHILDREN.

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and after moving the house to its new location, they had but thirty-five dollars remaining. During the first winter Mr. Else worked at a saw-mill for one dollar a day, walking five miles night and morning to his place of work. This money he gave to Mrs. Else, with which to buy a cow. Thus equipped they began to carve out their fortunes and endured many hard- ships until success at last crowned their efforts. Many times during the wee small hours of the morning, and while the children were sleeping in their beds, Mr. and Mrs. Else would sally forth and pick blackberries during the summer season so as to have fruit delicacies to serve to the harvest hands during the day.

There came a day, however, when the West beckoned and called to them and, in 1877, they sold their Iowa land and came to Richardson county. Here they bought one hundred and sixty acres of land in Barada township. This place had been practically abandoned by its owners during the grasshopper years and was partly broken up and improved, with a small shanty erected by the homesteader. They went to work with a will and, being ambitious, eventually had a comfortable home and buildings and increased their land holdings to two hundred and eighty acres. They had the satisfaction of seeing their later years crowned with success and were able to live com- fortably and have many of the luxuries of life.

To Mr. and Mrs. Else were born the following children: William Wilson Else, of Shubert, who is a landowner in Richardson county; Elnier Ellsworth Else, of Shubert, who has had two children, Charles Wilson, who was accidently drowned at the age of twenty-four years, and Nellie Grace, who was drowned with her brother, at the age of fourteen years; Mrs. Clara May Krug, who lives at Shubert and has three children, Harry, who married Emma Boatman and has one child, Russell Max; Clyde Krug, and Bernice, who married John Lewis and has one child, John Vernon.

Mrs. Zilpha (Gearhart) Else, mother of the foregoing children, was born on May 10, 1843, in Floyd county, Kentucky, and is a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Hale) Gearhart, natives of old Kentucky, who removed to Mahaska county, Iowa, in 1845. Shortly after their removal to Iowa, Benjamin Gearhart was employed in the woods in cutting fence rails at a wage of twenty-five cents a hundred. During this occupation he became ill with the fever which was the bane of the early settlements of the Iowa backwoods and died. The widow later married a Mr. Shoemaker and died in California.

William Henry Else died on January 2, 1902, and his passing was (78)

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sincerely mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. He was a man of sterling worth, who in later years suffered severely from the privations which he underwent while serving his country. He was a member of the Baptist church and was religiously inclined. He was an ardent Repub- lican and took an active interest in county and state politics, although he had no ambition to hold office. Mr. Else was a charter member of Shubert Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and always took a keen interest in the affairs of his favorite order. Mrs. Else is a member of the Baptist church and is a liberal contributor to religious works and to charitable undertakings. She is one of the charter members of the Shubert Woman's Relief Corps; is active, despite her years; keeps abreast of the times, and is progressively inclined.

. MATTHIAS SCHULENBERG.

Matthias Schulenberger, proprietor of the store at "Mattsville," in sec- tion 1 of the precinct of Ohio, this county, and of the farm of fifty-seven acres surrounding the same, is a native of the old Empire state, but has been a resident of this county since he was nine years of age, having come here with his parents in 1865, and has thus been a witness to the develop- ment of Richardson county since pioneer days. He was born in Erie county, New York, July 1, 1856, son of John and Barbara ( Walter) Schulen- berg, both of European birth, the former a Prussian and the latter an Alsatian, who became pioneer residents of this section of Nebraska and here spent their last days.

John Schulenberg was born about 1840 and was about fourteen years of age when he came to this country from his native Prussia with his parents, the family settling in New York state, where he learned the carpenter and cabinet-making trades, at which he worked practically all the rest of his life. He grew to manhood in the state of New York and there married Barbara Walter, who was born in the Alsace-Lorraine country of Europe about 1842 and who was twelve years of age when she came to this coun- try with her parents, the family settling in New York state. After his marriage John Schulenberg continued to make his home in New York until 1865, when he came with his family out to the then Territory of Nebraska. proceeding by steamboat from St. Joseph to the old landing of Arago, in this county. He rented a farm in the immediate vicinity of Rulo and there settled with his family, starting a bit of farming, but giving his

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chief attention to his work as a carpenter. Four years later he bought the farm now owned by his son Frank, six miles north of Falls City, paying for the same twelve dollars an acre, and there established his permanent home, spending the rest of his life there. When he took possession of that place there was a house, a mere shack, and a barn on it and he made extensive improvements on the place, set out three acres of orchard and planted a sizable grove. During the early days of that community John Schulenberg was one of the most active builders thereabout and built numer- ous churches and school houses and many dwelling houses. When the old county seat town of Arago was deserted and practically abandoned, it was he who moved most of the houses to Fargo. He was a Democrat and served for one term as coroner of Richardson county. He died on Decem- ber 19, 1891, and his widow survived him for ten years, her death occur- ring in 1901. They were members of the Catholic church and their chil- dren were reared in that faith. There were five of these children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being as follow: John, of Sidney, this state; Joseph, deceased; Mrs. Barbara Lahmer, deceased, and Frank, who is farming the old home place in the precinct of Ohio.

Matthias Schulenberg, as noted above, was but a boy when he came to this county with his parents in 1865, and his schooling was completed in the district schools of this county and at St. Benedict College at Atchison, Kansas. His young manhood was spent in helping to improve and develop the home farm. Upon attaining his majority he began to work on his own account and presently rented a farm and after his marriage in 1881 estab- lished his home on the same, remaining there until 1883, when he bought ninety-three acres in section I of the precinct of Ohio, where he is now living, and later bought an adjoining tract, still later selling the east part of his place, retaining the fifty-seven acres which he still owns. In 1907 Mr. Schulenberg left the farm and moved to Barada, where he erected a building and engaged in the saloon business, continuing thus engaged in that business there until 1911 in which year he moved that building onto his farm, put in a stock of general merchandise and has since been conducting a store there, his place becoming locally known as "Mattsville," and is doing quite well in a mercantile way, his store being a great convenience for the people of that neighborhood. Mr. Schulenberg is a Democrat and . has. served the public as a member of the local school board. By religious persuasion he is a Catholic, in which faith he was reared.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 121

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