History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 97

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

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As noted above, Eugene Allemend was but eighteen years of age when

MR. AND MRS. EUGENE ALLEMEND.

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he came to this country with his parents and during the time he lived in Chicago he worked there as a cook. Upon his removal to St. Louis in 1859 he began working there and in December, 1863, was married in that city. . The next summer, in August, 1864, he came to Nebraska and bought a small tract of land in Aspinwall precinct, Nemaha county, just northeast of Stella, and there established his home, settling down as a farmer. Though Mr. Allemend suffered a little privation and hardship during the early years of his pioneering here, as did most of the early settlers of this section, he kept pushing ahead and it was not long until he began to see his way clear to the development of a fine piece of property surrounding his home. In addi- tion to his general farming he early began giving considerable attention to- stock raising and as he prospered in his operations added to his holdings until he came to be regarded as one of the leading landowners in that part of the state. Mr. Allemend is now the owner of six hundred and forty acres in his old home tract, besides a nearby "eighty" in that part of the county and two hundred and twenty acres over the line in Nemaha county, all in Aspinwall precinct, and is accounted one of the most substantial citi- zens of Richardson county. For years he gave much attention to the raising of high-grade draft horses and 'also kept a trotting horse, "MacMahon," that became more than locally famous and that he kept until the animal's death at the age of thirty-three years. In 1890 Mr. Allemend retired from the active labors of the farm and moved to the village of Stella, from which place he since has directed his extensive farming interests. He built a fine residence there and he and his family are very pleasantly situated. Mr. Allemend has taken an active interest in the general development of the com- munity in which he settled back in pioneer days and has done much to pro- mote the advancement of that community along all proper lines. Politically, he is a Republican and has ever given a good citizen's attention to local civic affairs; but has not been a seeker after public office.

On December 28, 1863. at St. Louis, Eugene Allemend was united in marriage to Adale Deculle, also a native of France, born in the city of Paris, December 13, 1844, who left there with her parents in 1849 for the United States, the family settling in Illinois and later locating at St. Louis, where she was living at the time of her marriage to Mr. Allemend. To this union seven children have been born, namely: One, who died in infancy; Emil, deceased; Eugene, deceased ; Mrs. Georgette Monnett, who lives over in Nemaha county : Mrs. Leona Timermann, of North Platte, this state: Frank. of Nemaha county, and Mrs. Grace. Martin, wife of a merchant at Stella.

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JAMES FRANKLIN SHUBERT.

The Hon. James Franklin Shubert, of Shubert, banker, orchardist and land agent and former representative from this district to the Nebraska state Legislature, cashier of the Citizens Bank of Shubert, president of the Brown- ville State Bank of Brownville, a member of the board of directors of the Farmers State Bank of Stella and one of the leading fruit growers and most ardent orchardists in Nebraska, is a native son of Richardson county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a pioneer farm, the site of the present thriving village of Shubert, in the precinct of Barada, November 4, 1870, son of Henry W. and Mary (Griffin) Shubert, pioneers of this sec- tion of Nebraska, both now deceased and further and fitting mention of whom is made in a memorial sketch presented elsewhere in this volume. relating to the late Henry W. Shubert, after whom the village of Shubert was named and who was for years one of the most active and influential factors in the development of that part of the county.

Reared on the home farm at Shubert, James Franklin Shubert re- ceived his early schooling in the schools of that district and completed the same by a course in the high school at Auburn. From the days of his boyhood he was an active factor in the labors of developing and improving the home place, which his father developed into one of the finest estates in this part of Nebraska, and early began to give particular attention to the great orchard industry which his father had created there, the elder Shubert long ago having been recognized as the pioneer in that industry hereabout, he having established the first commercial apple orchard in Rich- ardson county. It was along in the eighties that Henry W. Shubert started his initial orchard, a plant of about three hundred trees, and in the nineties began to develop the same on a large scale, the venture then being made · commercially profitable, he by that time having about three hundred acres covered with bearing trees, the great orchard being tended scientifically and in accordance with the most approved methods of modern horticulture. Upon the retirement of his father from this business, J. F. Shubert assumed the direction of the same, having meantime become recognized as one of the most expert pomologists in the state, and has continued to develop and extend the orchards until he is now the owner of two hundred acres of bearing orchards in the vicinity of Shubert and is operating with others who plan to extend their operations by planting an additional thousand acres in apple trees. Mr. Shubert is now the largest individual orchardist

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in Richardson county and has made of that industry a commercially profit- able affair, annually shipping as many as four hundred carloads of apples, for which he receives the top of the market, Nebraska apples having gained great favor wherever introduced. Mr. Shubert is a member of the Central Nebraska Fruit Growers' Association, in the affairs of which he takes an active interest, and is also a stockholder in the Loess Land and Orchard Company, which was organized in 1914 for the purpose of buying lands for other purposes. In addition to these interests, besides his large banking interests, he is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred acres, to the culti- vation of which he gives his personal oversight.

As noted above, Mr. Shubert's banking interests are represented in Brownville, Stella and Shubert, he being president of the Brownville State Bank, which he organized in 1914, with a capital stock of $15,000, and a member of the board of directors of the Farmers State Bank of Stella. but it is to the affairs of the Citizens Bank of Shubert, which he was mainly instrumental in organizing and of which he is the cashier and office man- ager, that he gives his close personal attention. The Citizens Bank of Shubert, locally known as "The Bank of Good Service," was organized by J. F. Shubert, A. M. Shubert, H. E. Williams, E. C. Riggs and Robert Kutler, and was opened for business on January 2, 1908, in an old building which since has been torn down and supplanted by a handsome new bank building, with modern fixtures and all the latest appurtenances of an up-to- date banking office. A recent statement of this bank shows its capital to be $10,000, surplus, $5,000, and deposits, $110,000. The present officers of the bank are as follows: President, H. E. Williams; vice-president, A. M. Shubert ; cashier, J. F. Shubert, and assistant cashier, L. W. Shubert, with these officers and E. C. Riggs and Robert Kutler as the board of directors. In addition to carrying on a general banking business the bank also con- ducts a fire and life-insurance business and has a flourishing farm-loan department.

On March 12, 1896, James Franklin Shubert was united in marriage to Leona Athey, of Macon county, Illinois, a daughter of Milton Athey, who spent his last days in Shubert, and to this union one child has been born, a daughter, Nina M., born on December 12, 1896, who was graduated from the Shubert high school and later, in 1916, from the Falls City high school and is now a student in the Nebraska State Normal at Peru. The Shuberts have a very pleasant home at Shubert and take a proper interest in the general social and cultural activities of that place. Mr. Shubert is a Republican and has served, at one time or another, in nearly all the local

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public offices, serving on the town board and on the school board, and in 1907 represented this district as a member of the House of Representatives in the General Assembly of Nebraska. He is a Royal Arch and York Rite Mason, a member of the local lodge at Shubert and of the chapter and commandery at Falls City. and is a noble of the Ancient Arabic Order of Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, affiliated with Sesostris Temple at Lincoln, and takes a warm interest in Masonic affairs. He also is a member of the local lodge of the Woodmen of the World.

J. ABNER HEWS.

A thrifty farmer of Franklin precinct, Richardson county; is J. Abner Hews, who was born September 2, 1872. He is a son of Sanborn S. Hews and wife, a sketch of whom appears elsewhere in this work. Both parents are deceased, the mother dying when the subject of this sketch was a boy. j. Abner Hews spent his childhood on the home farm, a half mile east of Verdon, Richardson county. He attended the district schools, but his edu- cation was limited as he was compelled to go to work when only ten years of age, working three years for his board. When fourteen years he got his board and clothes. About this period his father remarried and he lived with the elder Hews until he became of legal age. Upon the death of his father he rented the James Gavitt farm and land of John Holman. He farmed with his brother in Nemaha county, from 1895 until 1904. He managed well during that period of nearly ten years and saved enough to purchase a place of his own, buying ninety acres of land in Franklin precinct, Richard- son county, for which he paid seventy dollars per acre. In 1907 he sold out to H. G. Mehlin, receiving the sum of nine thousand six hundred dollars. He then purchased the farm he now owns, for which he paid the sum of one hundred and ten dollars per acre. His place consists of one hundred and sixty acres of excellent land. in section 23. Franklin precinct. He keeps it in fine tilth and under a high state of improvements; he has erected a new barn, fifty-eight by sixty feet, also has another good barn, but smaller. He is erecting an attractive new residence in the fall of 1917. He makes a specialty of raising Duroc-Jersey hogs, marketing about two hundred annually, also keeps a large number of Shropshire sheep and a good grade of cattle.

Mr. Hews was married on February 12, 1901, to Phoebe Legg, a native of Missouri, born there on December 12, 1876. She came with her parents

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to Richardson county when young, the family locating in Humboldt. She is a daughter of Lewis Legg, who brought his family to this county in the eighties.

Politically, Mr. Hews is a Democrat and is an admirer of William J. Bryan and his doctrines. He has forged his way up from a very unpromis- ing start and is therefore entitled to the easy circumstances in which he now finds himself while still in the prime of manhood. He takes an active inter- est in whatever makes for the general good of Franklin precinct and Rich- ardson county.

JAMES HARVEY OVERMAN.

James Harvey Overman, well-known veteran hotel-keeper at Stella, this county, former postmaster of that village, formerly and for years en- gaged in the mercantile business there and since pioneer days one of the leading factors in the development of the town, is a native of the old Hoosier state, a fact of which he never has ceased to be proud, but has been a resident of this section of the country since the days of his early infancy, having come out to the neighboring state of Iowa with his par- ents in the spring of 1852, he then being but an infant in arms, and one year later, in 1853, came to Missouri. He was born in Clark county, Indiana, not far across the river from the city of Louisville, January 10. 1852, son of James L. and Mary (Dailey) Overman, both of whom were born in that same county, members of pioneer families in southern Indiana. and who later became pioneers of this region, their last days being spent at Stella.

The Overmans are of Dutch stock and the family has been repre- sented in this country since Colonial days. James L. Overman's father, whose wife was an Amick, became early settlers in Clark county, Indiana. where James L. Overman was born on February 15, 1824. His father died about six years later and he early began working on his own account, learn- ing the cooper's trade. On December 29, 1845, he married Mary Dailey, who also was born in Clark county. Indiana, May 16, 1819, member of a pioneer family in that section of the Hoosier state, and there made his home until 1852, when he came West and settled in Iowa, one year later settling in Missouri. In 1858 he moved over to St. Deroin, on the river, just at the southeast corner of Nemaha county, where he began operating a ferry, at the same time setting up a small cooperage establishment, and was living

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there when the Civil War broke out. Previous to the formal declaration of war, however, in March, 1861, he had enlisted as a member of the local company of Home Guards, for service against the "bushwhackers," and was later transferred to Company D, Fifth Missouri Cavalry, with which command he served for sixteen months, that command doing effective serv- ice against the guerillas that caused so much trouble in Missouri and through- out this section. Later James L. Overman was engaged in the cooperage business at St. Joseph and at Amazonia, where he established a cooperage shop, but after awhile returned to St. Deroin and there remained until 1884, when he moved to Stella, this county, where he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring there on December 28, 1894. His widow survived him nearly fifteen years, her death occurring at Stella on Feb- ruary 4, 1909. They were the parents of four children, of whom the sub- ject of this sketch was the last-born, the others being Kate, widow of Peter Fraker, of Stella; Andrew M., who enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil War and whose fate thereafter was unknown to his family, and Arabella, of Stella, widow of J. M. McCollough.

As noted above, James H. Overman was but an infant when his par- ents came West and he was about six years of age when the family, on March 6. 1858, settled at St. Deroin, this state; the state at that time, how- ever, being under a territorial form of government. He consequently has been a witness to and a participant in the development of this region since pioneer days and one of the recollections of his childhood is, of the burial at St. Deroin of the old Indian chief, Joseph Deroin. He received his schooling in the primitive schools of his boyhood days and when seventeen years of age began clerking in his brother-in-law's store at St. Deroin. In July, 1871, Mr. Overman- began- clerking in a store at Severance, Kansas, and was there engaged in business until 1874. He then returned to St. Deroin and clerked in the store of A. J. Ritter until March, 1879. In 1877 he was appointed postmaster at St. Deroin under President Hayes, serving until 1879, having previously served as deputy postmaster. In 1879 he moved to Corning, Missouri, and was there engaged in business for about three years, at the end of which time he came to Stella. Soon after the townsite was laid out at Stella, this county, in February, 1882, he opened a store at that place, in June, 1882, and has ever since resided there, with the exception of ten months spent conducting a hotel at Humboldt. Mr. Overman -- was appointed postmaster of - Stella. on January, .1898, by Pres- ident Mckinley, and on April 27, 1904. was reappointed postmaster by President Roosevelt, and was reappointed by President Taft, serving until

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October 1, 1916. His life has been practically devoted to merchandising and hotel-keeping and he. now has a well-appointed and modern hotel of twenty-three rooms at Stella, one of the best-known and most popular hos- telries in this county. Mr. Overman's hotel at the corner of Main and Third streets is of brick, three stories in height and is equipped in accord- ance with modern demands for the greatest degree of comfort on the part of the traveling public. Mr. Overman is a stanch Republican and has for years been looked upon as one of the leaders of that party in Richardson county.

On March 24, 1878, James H. Overman was united in marriage to Lucinda Marie Thomas, who was born in Putnam county, Missouri, daugh- ter of Elijah P. and Samantha Ann ( Hillis) Thomas, natives of Kentucky and Indiana, respectively, who became pioneers in Missouri. Elijah P. Thomas was born at Maysville, Kentucky, February 11, 1827, son of John and Margaret (Harmon) Thomas, the former of whom was born in Ken- tucky about 1795 and the latter in Champaign county, Ohio, not far from Urbana. John Thomas was the son of Solomon Thomas, a Virginian by birth and a soldier of the patriot army during the Revolutionary War, his father, Solomon Thomas, Sr., having been a Welshman who came to this country in Colonial days and settled in Virginia. John Thomas was a farmer and miller and served as a soldier during the War of 1812. He moved from Kentucky to Missouri and died in Scotland county, that state, at the age of eighty years. His wife died in Putnam county, that state, she also reaching a ripe old age. Elijah P. Thomas was married at Knoxville, lowa, September 15, 1853. to Samantha Ann Hillis, who was born in In- diana on March 18. 1833. daughter of Dr. J. D. B. . and Lucinda (Stearett) Hillis. Dr. J. D. B. Hillis was born in Bourbon county, Kentucky, January 10, 1810, and his wife was born in the vicinity of Urbana, Ohio, in 1813. Doctor Hillis served in the Civil War as surgeon in a Wisconsin regiment, and served as state senator in Iowa -- a capable man.

Mr. and Mrs. Overman are members of the Church of Christ (Scientist) and take an earnest interest in the affairs of the same. They have no chil- dren of their own, but reared to womanhood a niece of Mrs. Overman, Mary Palmer, who was educated in the schools of Stella and who on Sep- tember 22. 1895, married George W. Harris, who is now engaged in sheep raising at North Yakima, Washington. Mr. Overman is a member of the local lodge of the Ancient Free and Accepted Masons and in the affairs of that organization takes a warm interest.

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JOACHIM H. EICKHOFF.

A well-known farmer and breeder of Duroc-Jersey swine, is Joachim H. Eickhoff, of near Falls City, Richardson county. Mr. Eickhoff was born on January 15, 1870, in Mecklenburg, Germany, and is a son of Joachim and Dora (Godeman) Eickhoff, natives of Germany, where they grew up, were married and established their home until they emigrated to America. Their family consisted of eight children, two of whom are deceased. Joachim Eickhoff was born in 1844 and died in 1912. He and his family remained in Germany until 1874, when they immigrated to America, locating in Richardson county, Nebraska, where the father worked out as a farm hand for a time, after which he rented land on the Baker farm. By his industry and hard work he succeeded in establishing a comfortable home in this county. He retired a few years prior to his death, locating in Falls City, where he spent his last days, living in comfortable retirement from the income of a fine farm of two hundred and forty acres near Falls City. His widow, who still lives on the home place in Ohio precinct, was born in I845.

Joachim H. Eickhoff, of this sketch, was nearly four years old when his parents brought him to Richardson county. Here he grew up on the home farm and assisted his father in the general work about the place. He received his education in the district schools. When twenty-five years old he rented land until 1901. when he bought a farm near Shubert, Nebraska, which he sold in 1908 and bought his present farm of two hundred and forty acres in section 4, of Falls City precinct, and he also owns land in section 9. He has made many important improvements on the place and is carrying on general farming and stock raising successfully. He devotes considerable attention to orcharding, his fine orchard now embracing forty- five acres, thirty acres of which he himself set out. He has a good variety of commercial apples and knows how best to prepare them for market, ship- ping them in car lots to Western markets. . He is a scientific farmer, keeps well read in regard to all phases of modern methods, reading the latest gov- ernment bulletins and the best farm journals. He has for years been a successful breeder of Duroc-Jersey hogs, holding private sales of his stock, for which he never fails to receive fancy prices, owing to their superior quality. In 1914 he bought a fine thoroughbred Belgian stallion, imported. for which he paid the sum of fifteen hundred dollars, when two years old. He has a pleasant home and surroundings, large and convenient barns and

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outbuildings, everything about his place denoting thrift and good manage- ment as well as good taste. He has also been a feeder of cattle for many years for the markets.

Mr. Eickhoff was married, April 18, 1895, to Emma Eichsteadt, who was born on August 27, 1873, in Germany. She is a daughter of John and Sophia (Siemon) Eichsteadt, who came to the United States in 1884, locat- ing in Richardson county, Nebraska, where they engaged successfully in gen- eral farming. Mr. Eichsteadt is now living in retirement in Falls City.

To Mr. and Mrs. Eickhoff eight children have been born, namely: Mrs. Minnie Ottobek, of Falls City precinct, Richardson county; Elmer lives at home; Laura, Frank, Clara, Joachim, Jr., Robert and Esther are also all at home.

Politically, Mr. Eickhoff is a Democrat but votes independently. He holds membership with the German Lutheran church. He is regarded as one of the progressive and useful citizens of his precinct. where his honesty and neighborly ways have made him a host of friends.

JOHN C. MULLEN.

John C. Mullen, city attorney and city clerk of Falls City, president of the Falls City Boosters' Club, chairman of the Democratic central com- mittee of Richardson county, secretary of the local bar association and one of the best-known lawyers in this part of the state, is a native son of Nebraska and has lived in this state all his life. He was born at O'Neill, county seat of Holt county, July 3. 1886, son of James and Emily (Clancy) Mullen, natives of Kingston, Canada, of Irish descent, the former of whom was born in 1849 and the latter in 1851, who are still living, prominent and long-time residents of the city of O'Neill. They were married in Canada and then came to Nebraska, homesteading a farm in Holt county, in the immediate vicinity of O'Neill, in 1880, where they remained ten years, at the end of which time, in 1890, they moved to the neighboring village of Page and were there located until 1907, when they moved back to O'Neill and have since made that their place of residence. For many years James Mullen was actively engaged in the live stock business in Holt county and did very well. He and his wife are members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith. There are nine of these children,

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all of whom are living, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow: Arthur, who is engaged in the practice of law at Omaha; Robert. a lawyer at Alice, Texas; James, a ranchman at Cardwell, Montana; Mrs. John O'Donnell, of Norfolk, this state; Mary, a teacher in the normal school at Peru, this state: Helen, who is at home; Sister Mary Januaris, of the order of St. Dominica at Sinsinawa, Wisconsin, and Sister Mary Roslyn, of that same retreat.

Upon completing the course in the public schools of his home town, John C. Mullen studied two years at Creighton University at Omaha and then for two years, 1906-07, taught school. He then entered the University of Nebraska at Lincoln and upon completing a course there in 1908 entered the law department of the university, from which he was graduated in 1912. In that same year he opened an office for the practice of his profession at Falls City and has ever since been thus engaged there, having established his home in that city after his marriage there in 1914. Mr. Mullen is an ardent Democrat and is now serving as chairman of the county central committee of that party. On April 18, 1916, he was appointed city attor- ney and on January 30, 1917, was appointed city clerk, in both of which important public capacities he is now serving. Since entering upon the practice of his profession at Falls City Mr. Mullen has done well there and is now the secretary of the local bar association, in the affairs of which he has taken an earnest interest ever since becoming a member of the same. He is regarded as one of the real "live wires" of his home town and is doing good work in behalf of the promotion of the interests of the city as the president of the celebrated Falls City Boosters' Club, ever active in promoting any proper movement looking to the advancement of the city's interest in a material way.

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History of Richardson County, Nebraska : its people, industries and institutions, Part 97

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