History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 137

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

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The paternal grandparents of the above-named children were John F. and Mary ( Kephandt) Harkendorff. They were natives of Germany, and there they grew up, were married and made their home in Mecklenburg- Schwerin until 1852, when they emigrated with their family to America, the voyage requiring over two months. They came on West to Illinois, settling in Jackson county, but two years later left that state and came to Richardson county, Nebraska, settling on the banks of the Muddy, about

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where the village of Straussville now stands. There were then but three other white men in what is now Richardson county, two of these being horse thieves, and trading posts were many miles remote, so the family endured many hardships and privations, but they persevered and established a comfortable home as a result of their industry.

John F. Harkendorff, subject of this sketch, grew to manhood on the home farm, and he attended the common schools. He rented land and worked for his father until he was twenty-three years old. He then rented seventy-three acres. He bought his present farm about 1904, and now owns a valuable and productive farm of one hundred and sixty acres in section 30, and one hundred and sixty acres in section 26, Liberty pre- cinct. His land is all well improved and under a high state of cultivation. He has a new modern, commodious home and numerous convenient out- buildings, and has been very successful as a general farmer and stock raiser.

On March 23, 1892, Mr. Harkendorff was married to Louisa M. Bauer, a native of Arago precinct, this county, where she grew to womanhood and attended school. She is a sister of John Bauer, a citizen of Richardson county, and of whom a sketch will be found on another page of this volume, containing the history of the Bauer family. Two children have been born to John F. Harkendorff and wife, namely: William H. and Edward J., both at home with their parents. Politically, Mr. Harkendorff is a Republican. He belongs to St. Mark's Lutheran church and is a trustee of the same.

JOHN A. AND GUY A. CROOK.

Crook Brothers, John A. and Guy A. Crook, of Falls City, founders of the Monarch Engineering Company, which had its origin and main offices at Falls City, with offices in Kansas City, Missouri, and Denver, Colorado, are native sons of Richardson county and are grandsons of the first perma- nent pioneer settler of Richardson county, the late Jesse Crook, concerning whom there is a full account elsewhere in the historical section of this volume. Under the energetic and capable management of these young men the Monarch Engineering Company has risen to become an important and prosperous concern and a vast amount of bridge construction, city paving, irrigation-dam building, and public building work has been done under their supervision. During the less than ten years which the firm has been

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operating, or since 1908, its activities have constantly increased and in this year (1917) they purchased the Denver Steel and Iron Works in order to facilitate the material supply part of the construction work in which they are engaged.

John A. Crook, senior member of the Monarch Engineering Company. was born in Falls City, April 9, 1879, and is a son of Hon. W. H. Crook, well-known hardware merchant of Falls City. John A. Crook received his education in the public and high schools of Falls City and studied in the State University. He pursued an engineering course with the International Correspondence School, of Scranton, Pennsylvania, and was first employed with the Canton Bridge Company, of Omaha, as structural and construc- tion engineer for two years, 1898-1900. He returned to Falls City in 1900, entered the employ of the John Gilligan Bridge Company and remained with this concern until 1908. He then established the Monarch Engineering Company, being joined by his brother, Guy A., in 1910. In October of 1916 the magnitude of the business growth of the concern required that he locate in Denver, Colorado, where he has charge of the Denver Steel and Iron Works and looks after the company's Western operations.

Mr. Crook was married in 1900 to Miss Minnie Dalbey, of Coin, Iowa, a daughter of George W. Dalbey. Two children have blessed this union, namely: Constance, aged thirteen years, and John A., Jr., deceased.

Mr. Crook is a member of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and has taken all degrees in Masonry up to and including the thirty-second (legree, having taken both the York and Scottish Rite Degrees. He is also affiliated with the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

Guy A. Crook, junior member of the Monarch Engineering Company. was born June 9, 1885, in Falls City, and is a son of W. H. Crook, con- cerning whom an extended biography is given elsewhere in this volume. Mr. Crook received his early education in the Falls City public and high schools, after which he entered the University of Nebraska and was graduated from the engineering department of the same in 1908, with the degree of Civil Engineer. Following his graduation he was engaged in the automobile busi- ness in Falls City for a period of two years. He then became a partner with his brother in the Monarch Engineering Company and has assisted materially in building up this important concern to the position which it now enjoys.

Mr. Crook was married on April 18, 1911, to Miss Florence Harman, a daughter of J. S. and Sadie Harman, of Tecumseh, Nebraska. Two

JOHN A. CROOK JESSE CROOK JOHN A. CROOK, JR. W. H. CROOK Four Generations of the Oldest Established Family in Richardson County.

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children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Crook, namely: William H .. born on August 15, 1913, and Guy A., Jr., September 9, 1914.

Mr. Crook is affiliated with the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and is a Scottish Rite or thirty-second degree Mason. He also is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

MONARCHI ENGINEERING COMPANY.

The Monarch Engineering Company, contractors and builders, of Falls City and Denver, is a Falls City institution begun and pushed to a place of prominence and influence in the industrial world by two young Falls City men who were born and reared in Falls City, namely, John A. and Guy A. Crook. 'This important concern does an immense amount of bridge construction, paving, irrigation-dam work and erection of public buildings. It was established in 1908 by John A. Crook, who was joined by his brother, Guy A. Crook, in 1910. Fifty men are constantly employed by the firm and upwards of that number, depending upon the amount of work under construction by the firm.

The construction and building work undertaken by the company is going on in several states. Much bridge work is being done and has been completed by them in Oklahoma and Nebraska. Only recently they have finished three miles of brick paving in Falls City, and have done and are doing a great deal of county work, such as highway bridges in Richardson. Nemaha, Otoe, Cass and Sarpy counties, Nebraska. One of their notable undertakings was a bridge across the Platte river at Sutherland, Nebraska, costing thirty thousand dollars. Another was the bridge across the Elkhorn river at Gretna, in Sarpy county, Nebraska, costing twenty-five thousand dollars. They have construction work going on in Missouri, South Dakota and Wyoming. The Monarch Engineering Company erected the new court house at Basin, Wyoming, at a cost of sixty thousand dollars, and are at present building two dams across the Big Horn river at Woreland, Wyo- ming. A big government bridge, costing twenty-six thousand dollars, is in process of construction in their charge at Umatilla, Oregon. Another government bridge is being built by them at Salt Fork, Oklahoma, between Noble and Kay counties. Only recently they have finished a government bridge at Arapahoe, in Fremont county, Wyoming. They also are erecting two large bridges in Calhoun county, Iowa.

This concern maintains offices at Falls City, Nebraska; Kansas City. Missouri. and Denver, Colorado. At the latter city they purchased in Feb-

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ruary, 1917, the Denver Steel and Iron Works which are in charge of John .A. Crook, the senior member of the firm. This plant is the work .shop of the Monarch Engineering Company and contains a complete structural steel fabricating plant, machine shop, blackmith shop for heavy forging and culvert shop.

REV. ANDREW J. RUMBAUGH.

The Rev. Andrew J. Rumbaugh, a pioneer resident of the precinct of Barada, in this county, and one of the best-known and most influential ministers of the Holiness church in this section of the country, is a native of Ohio, but was reared amid pioneer conditions in Iowa and has been a resident of this county since 1868, he having established his home in the precinct of Barada, where he still lives, after his marriage in that year. He was born in Ohio on August 7, 1847, son of John and Mary (Higgin- botham) Rumbaugh, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Ohio. John Rumbaugh was a member of one of the old Colonial families in Virginia. He was born in 1826 and his wife was born in 1831. They were married in Ohio and after farming in that state for some time moved to Indiana, in 1854, and in the following year, 1855, moved from the Hoosier state to Iowa, settling on a farm in Harding county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, John Rumbaugh dying there in 1901. His widow survived him for four years, her death occurring in 1905. They were the parents of twelve children, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow: Joseph, who is now living in Phillips county, Kansas; Thomas, deceased; James, who is living in Indiana; Albert, who is living on the old home place in Iowa; Harvey, deceased; Nancy Jane, deceased : George, deceased; Rebecca, deceased; Mrs. Lucinda Nulton, of San Diego, California, and two who died in infancy.

Andrew J. Rumbaugh was about eight years of age when his parents established their home in Hardin county, Iowa, and there he grew to man- hood on the home farm, receiving his schooling in the neighboring schools, remaining there until his marriage in 1868, in which year he came over into Nebraska and in the spring of 1869 settled on the farmn in Barada precinct, in this county, where he is still living, one of the real pioneers of that neighborhood. For years Mr. Rumbaugh had given close and thought- ful attention to church affairs and about 1896 began preaching, as a minister of the Holiness church and was thus engaged continuously until his retire-

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ment from the ministry some little time ago. Though practically retired from the ministry, he continues, however, to preach occasionally, as the occasion or emergency arises, and has for years been regarded as one of the most influential ministers of his church in this part of the state. During the years of his active service in the pulpit, the Rev. Andrew J. Rum- baugh served his people faithfully and well and his influence for good in the community in which his labors were directed was far-reaching in many directions. Politically, he is "independent" and his efforts have ever been directed toward the extension of good government.

As noted above, it was in the year 1868, in Iowa, that the Rev. Andrew J. Rumbaugh was united in marriage to Anna Huff, who was born in Ma- haska county, that state, in 1851, a daughter of Thomas and Zilpha (Hale) Huff, and to this union ten children have been born, namely: William, who died at the age of twenty years; Edward, deceased; John, who is living on a farm in Nemaha county, south of Auburn; May, wife of Ernest Slagel, of Hubbell, this state; Fred, of Montrose, Colorado: Grace, wife of Henry Leslie, of Graham county, Kansas; Iva, wife of Harry Cline, of the precinct of Barada, this county; Roy, who is also farming in Barada precinct; Daisy, wife of Fred Plympton, living near Burr, this state, and Arthur, who is looking after the home farm in Barada precinct. The Rumbaughs have a very pleasant home on the old home farm and have ever been an active influence for good in that neighborhood, taking an earnest part in all movements having to do with the advancement of the general welfare of the community.

JAMES T. MARGRAVE.

James T. Margrave, of Preston, vice-president. of the William A. Mar- grave Company, one of the most extensive ranch corporations in the state of Nebraska, is a native son of Richardson county and has lived here all his life. He was born on the great Margrave ranch in the precinct of Jefferson, June 28, 1880, son of William A. and Margaret R. (Rubeti) Margrave, the former a native of Illinois and the latter of Kansas, and further and fitting mention of whom is made elsewhere in this volume in a biographical sketch relating to William C. Margrave, elder brother of the subject of this sketch and president of the William A. Margrave Company. The late William .A. Margrave, who for years was one of the

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most extensive cattlemen in Nebraska, was but fifteen years of age when he came to this part of the country with his parents from Illinois in 1860. the family locating at Hiawatha, and he early entered upon a career which eventually marked him as one of the most successful men hereabout, the owner of thousands of acres of land and one of the most successful cattle- men in this part of the state. He married Margaret R. Rubeti, who was born in the neighboring county of Doniphan and who at the time of her marriage was teaching in the Indian school at Reserve, and after his mar- riage established his home in the vicinity of Preston, in Jefferson precinct. this county, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there in the summer of 1906. His widow still survives him and is now living at Hiawatha. They were the parents of five children, one of whom, a daughter, died in infancy, the others being Mrs. Julia LeClere, wife of George W. LeClere, storekeeper on the Margrave estate: William C., presi- dent of the William A. Margrave Company; James T., the subject of this biographical sketch, and Earl I., secretary and treasurer of the company. who is now living at Gordon, in Sheridan county, this state, looking after the company's extensive ranch interests in that county and in the adjoining county of Cherry.

Reared on the Margrave ranch, James T. Margrave completed his schooling in the academy at Hiawatha and early became actively identified with his father's great ranch interests, presently being given charge of the ranch in the vicinity of Gordon, but has lately made his home at Preston. where he and his family are very pleasantly and very comfortably sitnated. In 1917 Mr. Margrave remodeled his house at Preston, making it modern in its appointments throughout, and now has one of the finest homes in the county. Mr: Margrave is a Republican, with "independent" leanings on local issues, and has ever taken an interested part in local political affairs, but has not been included in the office-seeking class.

On December 24, 1901, James T. Margrave was united in marriage to Mary Honstedt, who was born at Wilson, in Ellsworth county, Kansas, December 24, 1881, daughter of Daniel and Lucy ( Bleame) Honstedt, na- tives of Canada and early settlers in Kansas, and to this union three chil- dren have been born, Margaret, born on March 18, 1905: William, June 2. 1907, and Stnart, September 19. 1912. Mr. and Mrs. Margrave are members of the Evangelical church at Preston and take an active part in church works, as well as in the general good works of the community, Mr. Margrave being a teacher in the Sunday school. They also take an interested

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part in the community's general social activities and are helpful in pro- moting all movements having to do with the advancement of the common welfare thereabout.

WILLIAM E. SLAGLE.

William E. Slagle, former superintendent of schools of Richardson county, former justice of the peace in and for the precinct of Barada. former assessor of that same precinct and a well-known and substantial farmer, the owner of a fine farm of two hundred and thirty acres a mile east and a mile north of the village of Barada, in the precinct of that name, is a native of the neighboring state of Iowa, but has been a resi- cent of this county practically all the time since the days of his early infancy and is thus properly enough accounted one of the real pioneers of Richard- son county. He was born on a pioneer farin in the vicinity of Anamosa. county seat of Jones county, Iowa, February 16, 1859, son of Hiram and Alma (Pike) Slagle, natives, respectively, of the state of Pennsylvania and of New York, who later became pioneers of Richardson county, remain- ing here until their retirement from the farm and removal to the village of Auburn, where their last days were spent.

Hiram Slagle was born in 1835, a son of Christian Slagle, of Penn- sylvania-Dutch stock, who was a son of John Slagle, who came to this country with two brothers in Colonial days. In 1856 Christian Slagle emigrated from Pennsylvania to Iowa with his family and settled in Jones county. There Hiram Slagle married Alma Pike, who was born in 1843, daughter of Joel Pike, who also was born in New York state, of old Puritan (New England) stock, and who had settled in Iowa. In the summer of 1859 Hiram Slagle drove from his home county in Iowa by ox-teanı, with his family and household belongings, seeking a new home in the then territory of Nebraska, arriving at Brownsville on July 4, and celebrating the Fourth at what then was known as Melvin's Mill, later Bennett's Mill, one of the first camps in Nebraska. On the 5th he continued his journey down into Richardson county and stopped with Jack Harris, on the Muddy, in what later came to be organized as the precinct of that name. With Hiram Slagle came his father, Christian Slagle, and all of the latter's fam- ily, Hiram at that time being the only one of the children who was married. Christian Slagle took up a homestead claim on the Sardine branch of the Muddy, north of where the village of Verdon now is situated, and there

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established his home. Hiram Slagle located in the timber not far from the Muddy, near the Nemaha county line, where fuel, fish and game then were abundant, his first home there being a dug-out. He later built a log house on Beddo creek and presently, in partnership with his brother Will. bought an "eighty" a little north of there and there erected another log cabin ; an old elm tree now marking the spot on what is now the Morehead tenant farm, near Morehead's Island, formerly known as Morgan's Island. When the Civil War broke out Hiram Slagle took service in the Missouri State Militia and served until the close of the war, holding down "jay- hawkers" and proceeding against guerillas. In the spring of 1867 he and his wife and three children moved to southeastern Kansas with a view to locating there, but on their arrival found conditions so unwholesome that they immediately returned and, in the fall of that year, Hiram Slagle traded a team of horses, a wagon and a set of harness for a fifty-acre tract out of the Medor-Duveil farm, in the precinct of Barada. . proceeded to improve and develop the same and there made his home until his retirement from the active labors of the farm, when he and his wife moved to the village of Auburn, over in Nemaha county, where they spent their last days, his death occurring there on August 9, 1910. His widow survived him for nearly five years, her death occurring in April, 1915. Hiram Slagle was the eldest of the seven children born to Christian Slagle and wife, the others being William, James, Robert, Martha Jane, Allan T. and Cath- erine, all of whom came to Richardson county with their parents in 1859 and were married after taking up their residence in this county. Martha Jane Slagle became the wife of I. N. Cooper and Catherine Slagle mar- ried Daniel Harger. To Hiram Slagle and wife seven children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first born, the others being as follow: Allan Luther, who is now living in Thayer county, this state; Charles, who is living on the old home place in the precinct of Barada; Ernest, of Thayer county; John, who died in 1910: Nola, wife of Hanibal Bennett, of Saline county, this state, and Fritz, who is living on a part of the old Slagle home farm in Barada precinct.

William E. Slagle grew up on the home farm in the precinct of Barada and received his early schooling in the King school district in the neighbor- hood of his home. He then studied for two years at the Nebraska State Normal at Peru and, thus equipped, began teaching school and was thus engaged for three years, teaching district school in this county. He then, in 1883, was appointed county superintendent of schools, to fill the un- expired term of Mrs. Schick, and served in that capacity for seven months,

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meanwhile working in the hardware store of William Willing at Shubert. In the spring of 1884 Mr. Slagle homesteaded a tract of land in Rawlins county, Kansas, at the same time taking a tree-claim, and eventually "prov- ing-up" the same, meanwhile continuing to spend his winters in the school room. In the winter of 1884-85 he attended the Teachers Institute in Nemaha county and served the following year as principal of the Nemaha city schools. Upon acquiring title to his Kansas land Mr. Slagle traded the same for a stock of merchandise owned by D. D. Honts at Shubert and presently traded that stock of goods to W. A. Cox for a seventy-acre tract of land in section 12 of the precinct of Barada, where he established his home and where he ever since has resided, he and his family having been for years very comfortably situated there. After getting the improvements well started on his original tract Mr. Slagle bought from the Stokes heirs a quarter section adjoining his place and has a splendid farm, the improve- ments of which are substantial and up-to-date. In addition to his general farming Mr. Slagle gives considerable attention to the raising of live stock and has fine Percheron horses, Shorthorn cattle and Duroc-Jersey hogs. Mr. Slagle "grew up" strong in the Republican faith, but in the memorable campaign of 1896 aligned himself alongside the "free-silver" Democrats and has ever since supported the Democratic party, though reserving his right to independence of action on local issues. For three terms he has served as justice of the peace in and for his home precinct and for three terms also served as assessor of that precinct.

On December 12, 1885, William E. Slagle was united in marriage to Sadie E. Manville, of Omaha, who was then teaching school in Douglas county, this state, and who was born at Sabetha, Kansas, May 4, 1867, daughter of R. H. and Emma (Calkins) Manville, natives of the state of Illinois and pioneers of Kansas. Mr. and Mrs. Slagle have eight chil- dren, namely: Richard Hiram, who is engaged in the United States mail service at the Burlington terminal office at Omaha and who married Hattie Lilly in 1916 and has one child; Edward William, a progressive farmer of the precinct of Barada, who married Nettie Ankrom and has two chil- dren, Alice and Mildred: Harry L., who is farming eighty acres of his father's place in section 13 and who married Effie Ankrom and has three children, Nelson. Phyllis and Keith; Jay Luther, who is working on the home farm; Fay M., a student at the Nebraska State Normal at Peru and a teacher in the public schools of this county; Fritz O., who is a student in the Veterinary College at St. Joseph; Glenn, who is a student in the high school at Shubert, and John, who is attending grade school. The

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Slagles have a very pleasant home in the Barada neighborhood and have ever taken an interested and useful part in the general social activities of that community. Mr. Slagle became a member of the Christian church when sixteen years of age and he and his family take a proper interest in church work, as well as in all local good works, ever helpful in promot- ing such movements as are designed to advance the common welfare.

GEORGE GIRD.

Although more than three decades have elapsed since the angel of death closed the interesting life chapter of George Gird, for many years a leading citizen of Richardson county, Nebraska, where he followed agri- cultural pursuits and later published the Sentinel at Humboldt, his influ- ence still pervades the lives of many who had the privilege of knowing him. His influence in behalf of the general good of the locality honored hy his residence was unquestioned.

Mr. Gird was born in Shelby county, Indiana, December 12, 1832. He was a son of Edward and Nancy (Power) Gird, natives of Wexford, Ireland, and Indiana, respectively. The father left his native land in 1809, sailing for New York City, where he followed his trade of baker, operat- ing an establishment that supplied bread to the ships laving that port. He later went to Virginia, where he was married and presently located in Marion county, Indiana, later moving from there to Shelby county, that state. From there he moved to Missouri, then to Richardson county, Ne- braska, in pioneer days, but he eventually returned to Shelby county, Indiana. where he died. Edward Gird was twice married, first, to a widow, a Mrs. Orr, of Virginia. Her death occurred after coming to Indiana. His second marriage was to Nancy Power, a native of Marion county, Indiana.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 137

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