History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 102

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co.
Number of Pages: 1056

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personal attributes and characteristics that ever beget unqualified popular esteem.

William Albert Hale is a scion of a family that was founded in America prior to the war of the Revolution, but no relationship has ever been claimed in connection with the historic patriot, Captain Nathan Hale. The subject of this review was born in Sullivan county, Indi- ana, September 3, 1852, and is a son of Ste- phen Clark Hale and Ann (Howard) Hale, the former of whom was born in Greene coun- ty, Virginia, April 10, 1810, and the latter of whom was born in Kentucky, in 1824, she having been, in the maternal line, a descendant of the Boone family of which the renowned Daniel Boone, historic frontiersman, was a representative. Stephen Clark Hale did active scout duty in some of the numerous Indian wars that occurred nearly a century ago, and as a boy William A. Hale listened with avidity to the interesting tales which his sire related con- cerning his experiences in making his way on horseback from old Vincennes, Indiana, through Kentucky and onward to his old home in Virginia.

He whose name initiates this sketch ac- quired his early education in the common schools of his native county and that he made good use of his scolastic advantages is dem- onstrated by his having become as a youth a successful teacher in the schools of Indiana, where he thus rendered service four years, in district and graded schools. His youthful am- bition was to prepare himself for the legal pro- fession, and he according prosecuted his tech- nical studies under the preceptorship of John T. Hayes, of Sullivan, Indiana. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1878, but the causes which led to his deviation from the line of his pro- fession have thus been stated by him: "Ill health and natural modesty kept me from fol- lowing the profession. I concluded that I would rather be a live roustabout than a dead lawyer, so I packed my war sack in February, 1880, and landed west of the Missouri river." Upon thus coming to Nebraska Mr. Hale found ample demand for his continued service in the pedagogic profession, and for ten years he applied himself with characteristic ability and fidelity to teaching in the public schools of our state, his record being marked by ex- ceptional success in his work in both the com- mon and higher branches. He became a resi- dent of Scottsbluff years ago and has given every possible aid in the furtherance of com- munal advancement and prosperity. His poli- tical allegiance is given unreservedly to the Democratic party and he and his wife are

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earnest members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In January, 1873, Mr. Hale became affiliated with the. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and in 1880, he took out a withdraw- al card from his lodge. He never deposited this card with any other lodge-for the excel- lent reason that during the most of his exper- ience in Nebraska he was, until of recent years, in advance of established organization of this fraternal order in the communities in which he lived.

In December, 1894, at Harrisburg, Banner county, Nebraska, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Hale to Miss Mary Genet Cross- len, whose father, the late Asberry Crossien, came to Nebraska in pioneer days. Mr. Cross- len was a gallant soldier of the Union in the Civil war, in which he served three years, as a member of a cavalry command. Mr. and Mrs. Hale have four chidlren-William Howard, Ralph Dewey, Charles Casper, and Alice. William H. Hale, the oldest son, was one of the valiant young men who gave service to the nation during the great world war, and he was for one year in active service over seas, as a member of the Four Hundred and Seventy- fifth Aero Squadron.

HERBERT R. FULLER, vice-president of the Liberty State Bank, of Sidney, Cheyenne county, is one of the county's young and pro- gressive citizens who have created a favorable impression in banking circles and established themselves in positions formerly held by men many years their seniors. He is a native son of Nebraska, as he was born in Jefferson coun- ty, November 6, 1879, the son of Walter M. and Sarah R. (Wakeman) Fuller. The father was the first male white child born in Webster county, Iowa, as his parents were pioneers of that state. The Fuller family lived there many years and there Walter Fuller grew to man- hood, received such educational facilities as were afforded in his locality at that early date . and grew to maturity on his father's farm. Upon attaining his majority he selected farm- ing as his life work and was engaged in that occupation for some years before coming to Nebraska, where he located in Jefferson coun- ty about 1877, but Iowa had been his home for many years and his heart yearned for the old associations and with his family he returned to Webster county, where he passed the re- mainder of his days, passing away at the age of fifty-seven years, really a man in the prime of life. He is survived by his wife who now resides at Fresno, California.

Herbert Fuller received his early educational

training in the public schools of his cominuni- ity, graduated from the high school and then entered Sabin College, Fort Dodge, Iowa, where he graduated. In 1901, at the age of twenty-one, Mr. Fuller came to Nebraska, lo- cating at Sidney as his father had extensive interests in the St. George Cattle Company with headquarters in this vicinity. This con- cern was one of the immense cattle outfits that held a large tract of land, owned many thous- and head of cattle and was one of the great commercial meat enterprises that became well known in this section of the state. For several years Mr. Fuller was in the employ of the company but he desired to become an inde- pendent operator and with this end in view he purchased four hundred and eighty acres of land, leased a section of school land and was soon actively engaged as a progressive agri- culturist and stock-raiser. He subsequently disposed of his first farm but with no intention of giving up his business as he immediately began to acquire more property. He developed in to a man of excellent business ability, and sound citizenship, qualities which insured his rapid success and prosperity. As his business increased and his capital permitted Mr. Fuller purchased land on which he believed money could be made until today he is the owner of a three thousand, six hundred acre ranch. A great part of it is in pasture as he saw at an early date that the live stock industry was to become one of the greatest interests of this state, where irrigation was not feasible for the intensive farming methods carried on along the Platte. Most of the Fuller property lies about ten miles from Sidney, where extensive feeding is carried on, fattening stock for the great packing centers farther to the east. Both his farming and cattle enterprises have yielded Mr. Fuller a substantial income ; he has made judicious investments which turned out well and today is rated one of the wealthy men of Cheyenne county. However he was too full of life and energy to confine his business cn- tirely to one field of endeavor and after his ranch was established on a firm foundation he entered the realms of finance, buying a large block of stock in the Liberty State Bank of which he was soon made an officer. Mr. Full- er is one of the younger generation of bankers, progressive in his ideas and actively interested in all measures tending to advance the general welfare of the community. His policy in shap- ing the affairs of the bank has met with gen- eral approval by the directors and stockhold- ers, while he is held in high esteem by the many depositors and has won many additional ac-

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counts for the bank by his interest, kindness and courtesy in business circles.

On September 18, 1906, Mr. Fuller married Miss Jessie L. Forbs, a native of Webster county, Iowa, with whom he had attended school. Since locating in Sidney the Fullers have made a wide circle of acquaintances and friends. Independent in politics, Mr. Fuller has taken an active interest in political affairs but has never aspired to public office as he be- lieves his energies and time should be devoted to his various business interests, though he is a man who aids in all movements for the im- provement of the community and is a liberal supporter of all civic progress. His fraternal relations are with the Masonic order, as he is a member of the Blue Lodge.

JAMES W. McDANIEL, the capable and popular sheriff of Cheyenne county, furnishes in his career another exemplification of self- made manhood. Thrown on his own resources at the tender age of fourteen years, he has won his way to business success and public influence, and at the present time he is ex- tending the scope of his usefulness to every line of civic affairs in the community which he has served so faithfully and capably for so many years. He well illustrates an encour- aging example of success gained through the proper use of every-day abilities and oppor- tunities, which the rising generation might well emulate on its climb up the ladder of fortune.

Mr. McDaniel is a Hoosier, born in Adams county, Indiana, January 20, 1863, the son of William and Mary (Foreman) McDaniel, the former probably a native of Ireland while the mother was an Indianian. William Mc- Daniel was a farmer in Indiana who responded to President Lincoln's call for volunteers dur- ing the Civil war, enlisting in the Twenty- eighth Indiana Volunteers. He saw service in many of the hardest fought battles of the war laying down his all, his life, for his country that the Union might be preserved. This gal- lant man was shot in seven places during a skirmish at Marietta, Georgia, in 1865, and died from the wounds received during this comparatively small fight.

James was a small child of two years when his father was killed, leaving his wife to face the battle of life alone with small children to support. She subsequently married again and James realized what it was to be a step-child. He says that he never knew what it was to have a real home for he was compelled to work for his board and clothes as soon as he was able to hold farm implements or herd cattle. He was a high spirited boy, did not

like his step-father and when but fourteen years of age left home, working on farms or at whatever employment he could get that would pay for his food and but barely suffi- cient clothing to cover him and never enough food to satisfy his hunger or keep him warm during the severe cold of winter. As all boys do he heard of the then great west which stretched on and on beyond the Mississippi river and started out to seek what fortune might have in store for him at the age of six- teen. Soon after crossing the Missouri river he made his way to Cottonwood Falls, Kansas, where he worked on a large ranch for about five years, then married and came to Lincoln, Nebraska. For a time he was employed on a farm near the capital city, then moved into Lincoln and secured a position with the Lin- coln Ice Company, which he retained until offered a city office driving the patrol wagon. Following this he entered the city service as patrolman and later as plain clothes man or detective, remaining a public official for about eight years before resigning from the force to embark in business independently, becoming a partner in a large ranch of Cheyenne county. Here he was again in the country and enjoyed the life of the open. The cattle business in which he was engaged for twelve years thrived under his able management and Mr. McDan- iel became a prominent figure in agricultural and stock-raising circles of western Nebraska. He held a position of responsibility and dem- onstrated his worthiness for it by his capacity in discharging the many and varied duties of manager. He had taken an active part in all communal affairs, was a man of fine charac- ter, high ideals and personal honesty hard to parallel in the whole county. It was these sterling qualities that induced the voters of Cheyenne county to elect Mr. McDaniel sher- iff in 1895, as his personal fearlessness was well known throughout the entire western part of the state. So well did he execute the duties of his office that he was re-elected in 1897, 1899, 1902, 1905, 1909, 1911 and 1913; was defeated in 1916 but was again elected to of- fice in 1918 and is now serving his sixth term as the duly accredited official of the county, a record rarely to be equalled in the western sec- tion of the country. During his period in of- fice he spent eleven months in hunting down Ernest Duligan, a cattle thief, and this trailing led him through thirty-two states before he secured his prisoner, but he got him. Mr. McDaniel was a progressive ranchman for many years, is today a progressive representa- tive of his community who keeps well abreast

MR. AND MRS. GEORGE W. BEARD

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of public affairs whether local, state or na- tional; he is still a good judge of farm land and live-stock and on these subjects his expert advice is often sought. Today he is an up- standing official of trust and enterprise of whom the citizens of Cheyenne county may well be proud.

On December 17, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. McDaniel and Miss Lula Pierson, a daughter of the Sunflower state. They became the parents of ten children, five of whom died in infancy; the others are: Chester P., a conductor on a train running from Sidney to Cheyenne; James R., who owns a transfer business in Sidney, volun- teered for service in the army of the United States during the World war, being assigned to the quartermasters department at Camp Funston ; Helen, Frances and Robert, all of whom are still at home.

Mr. McDaniel is a sturdy adherent of the Democratic party and is especially proud of the record it made during the war. He is a Mason and also a member of the Modern Woodmen. He is giving his children the many advantages that he himself was unable to se- cure in his childhood and youth, and assures them that if they desire they are to have full advantage of the wonderful educational ad- vantages afforded by city and state to equip them for the business of life.

GEORGE W. BEARD, pioneer frontiers- man and early settler of Kimball county, who now resides near Greeley, Colorado, has had a career of varied and interesting experiences, for he has been a resident of Nebraska for nearly half a century and has seen what was then called "The Stake Plains" of the west- ern half of the state develop into one of the garden spots of the country. In this opening up of the panhandle Mr. Beard has played an important part, for he has been the owner-man- ager of several newspapers in which for years he published items of help to the settlers and others which told of the many advantages of this section. Mr. Beard is one of the gallant sons of the Union who enlisted in the northern army at the outbreak of the Civil War and so did his part in pre- serving the integrity of the nation and today is one of the brave, gallant figures of that great organization, the Grand Army of the Republic, the ranks of which thin so rapidly each year.

George W. Beard was born in Harrison county, Indiana, near the Ohio river, Decem- ber 28, 1836, the son of Jesse and Charlotte

Beard, the former a native of Bolling Green, Kentucky, while the mother was born in Georgia, one of the gracious and charming southern women of her day. Both parents were of Scotch-Irish extraction, handing down to their children many of the admirable traits of both races. They became the parents of eight children: Laura, Jeremiah, John P., Samuel B., Ferdinand W., who studied medi- cine and later became a practicing physician in Lawrence county, Indiana, and died at Vin- cennes ; George W., of this review, Lucy F. and William D., all deceased. Mr. Beard was reared in his native state, was given the edu- cational advantages afforded in the new coun- try where he lived in his childhood and youth. Living near the Ohio river, which was the highway of commerce in the nineteenth cen- tury, it was but natural that he became inter- ested in the river traffic and became a boat- man. Large barges were built upon which the provisions and commodities for sale were loaded and the long trip to New Orleans com- menced. Oftentimes all the products of the upper Ohio valley were sold before the barge reached New Orleans but the men finished the trip, sold or left the barge and many times returned home overland, thus learning much about the country.

In 1854 Mr. Beard gave up his career on the river to enter professional life, entering the office of the Western Argus, at Corydon, In- diana, to learn the printer's trade and become a newspaper man. Corydon was one of the early capital towns of Indiana, as the seat of government was moved there from Vincennes in 1813 and its newspapers were the leading ones of the section. For five years Mr. Beard was connected with the Argus, became an effi- cient printer and business man as well as learn- ing the profession of newspaper man. He was near enough to the border to be fully conversant with all phases of the slavery question and at the outbreak of the war, in 1861, enlisted in the Third Indiana Cavalry, commanded by Colonel Baker. Within a short time he was transferred to serve under Lieutenant-Colonel Scott Carter and later General George H. Chapman. Mr. Beard and his troop were sent to Washington, D. C., for equipment and in- struction. When ready for active service they were assigned to duty on the east shore of Chesapeake Bay in Maryland trying to catch blockade runners. Subsequently the Third Indiana Cavalry took part in the battles of South Mountain, Antietam, the siege of Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and many minor skirmishes before being assigned to

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General Beaufort's corps to take part in the battle of Gettysburg. Mr. Beard and his comrades participated in the memorable Battle of the Wilderness, then served under General Phillip Sheridan on the march toward Rich- mond, destroying the railroads of the south- erners and laying waste the country. It was on this march that Mr. Beard was wounded by a grape shot in his hip, which has caused him trouble ever since. He was removed to a hospital at Point Look Out, on Chesapeake Bay, where he remained until his third period of enlistment expired, was then sent to In- dianapolis, Indiana, and given his honorable discharge though still walking on crutches. Mr. Beard returned to Lawrence County, Indiana, and within a short time became engaged in merchandising but soon sold his store to buy the Bloomfield News, which he ran six years with great success. Like so many of the re- turned soldiers Mr. Beard came west and in 1885 located in Kimball county ; took up a homestead, proved up on it in a year and a half having a soldier's warrant and then opened a hotel in the town of Kimball. Later he engaged in the grocery business but sold out when appointed postmaster under President Harrison, serving during the Harrison admin- istration. Mr. Beard had the honor of being elected the first judge of Kimball county, proved a most efficient official and was re- elected twice, serving in the judicial capacity three terms. His tastes and inclinations were for professional life and upon leaving the bench Mr. Beard became the owner-manager of the Kimball Observer which he conducted several years before disposing of the paper and moving to Central City to assume charge of the Nonpareil, the leading publication of that locality. Five years later he disposed of his interests in Nebraska, to locate at Las Cruces, New Mexico, near the Rio Grande and for two years was the editor of the Republi- can. Nebraska was really home to Mr. Beard and he returned to Kimball for a period be- fore locating at Greeley where he has since resided.

In February, 1864, George Beard married Miss Angie E. Broaddeus, the daughter of Andrew and Jeanette Broaddeus, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of New York City. Six children were born to this union : Lena, deceased ; A. B. Beard, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Jennie, the wife of L. W. Bickel, of Greeley, Colorado, an early banker of Kimball county ; Stannard, an attorney of Billingham, Washington ; George, deceased, and two infants that died.

Mr. and Mrs. Beard have been members of the Presbyterian church for many years and ac- tive in church work. Mr. Beard has been a man of active and energetic life, ever support- ing all movements for the development of every community where he has lived and is notable as one of the pioneer journalists of Kimball county and the Panhandle. He is now living retired, enjoying the sunset time, and as the shadows lengthen from the crimsoning west can look back across the years and feel that his has been a worthwhile and worthy life for he offered the greatest gift a man has- his life - for the defense of his country and later devoted his talents to newspaper work and the owner of such publication has great influence in moulding public opinion and open- ing a vast field of information to readers. Mr. Beard lead wisely and well.

WALTER CLARK, is not only to be as- cribed pioneer distinction in Garden county, where he established his residence prior to its creation, but he also was called upon to as- sume the office of first sheriff of the new coun- ty. He is the owner of a valuable tract of land in the county and to this well improved cattle ranch he gives his personal supervision, besides which he is engaged also in real estate operation, with residence and business head- quarters at Oshkosh.

Mr. Clark was born in Floyd county, Iowa, March 1, 1871, on his father's farm, near Charles City. He is a son of Thomas and Hannah (Smith) Clark, who were born and reared in Ireland, where their marriage was solemnized and whence they came to America as young folk, in the early '60s. Soon after their arrival in this country they established their home in Iowa, where the father devoted his attention to farm enterprise until 1886, when he came with his family to Nebraska and took up a homestead claim of a hundred and sixty acres, in Keith county. He devel- oped a productive farm, upon which he made good improvements, and continued his activi- ties as an agriculturist and stock-grower until he was well advanced in years. He then re- tired and joined his children in the vicinity of Lewellen, in what is now Garden county, where he passed the remainder of his life. He was about sixty-eight years of age at the time of his death and his wife was sixty-three years old when she passed away, both having been earnest members of the Presbyterian church, his political support having been given to the Republican party. Of the eight children five are living.

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Walter Clark acquired his early educational training in the public schools of his native state and was a lad of fifteen years at the time the family came to Nebraska, where lie did his part in connection with the work of his father's farm and attended school as oppor- tunity offered. He continued his association with the work and management of the old homestead farm until he was about twenty- six years of age, when he came to what is now Garden county and purchased a quarter sec- tion of land, near Lewellen, this land having been measurably improved and also provided with irrigation facilities. He paid at the rate of fifteen dollars an acre, and the land is now conservatively valued at two hundred dollars an acre. When he instituted active operations on this ranch Garden county was still a part of Deuel county, and of this county Mr. Clark was elected sheriff in the year 1906, when he removed from his ranch to Oshkosh, the coun- ty seat. He held the office of sheriff of Deuel county some years, and when, in 1910, Garden county was segregated therefrom and duly or- ganized, with Oshkosh as the county seat, Mr. Clark was elected the first sheriff of the new county, a special election having been called for the selection of the officials for the new county. Giving a most efficient and acceptable administration, Mr. Clark retained the office of sheriff four consecutive terms-until Jan- uary, 1919. He had refused again to become a candidate for the office in the fall election of 1918, as his private business and property in- terests demanded his time and attention. Alive to the enduring value of Panhandle land, Mr. Clark wisely made further invest- ments in real estate during the period of his service as sheriff, and now he owns nineteen hundred acres of excellent grazing land, all in Garden county, all fenced and constituting one of the extensive and well equipped cattle ranches of this section of the state. He rents his original farm, but to the management of his cattle ranch and other business interests he gives his personal supervision, and also maintains his residence in Oshkosh, the coun- ty seat. As a dealer in farm land and other real estate in Garden and other counties of this section of the state Mr. Clark has con- ducted numerous transactions of important order, thereby contributing to the further ad- vancement of the civic and industrial prosper- ity of the Nebraska Panhandle. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, he is affiliated with Oshkosh Lodge, No. 286, Ancient Free & Accepted Masons, and his

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 102

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865- Publication date: 1921 Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co. Number of Pages: 1056

Author: Shumway, Grant Lee, 1865-
Publication date: 1921
Publisher: Lincoln, Neb., The Western publishing & engraving co.
Number of Pages: 1056