History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 106

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

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Fred R. Lindberg is a native of Sweden, born in 1866, and brought to the United States the following year by his parents, Abraham and Anna Louisa (Boxtrom) Lindberg. They

ISAAC ROUSH

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

settled in Missouri and his father was a labor- er in a stone quarry and on railroads for some years but later bought forty acres of land in Missouri and died on that farm. Three of his four children still survive: Annie, the wife of Andrew Feruquist ; Peter, of Republic county, Kansas ; and Fred R., of Bridgeport, Nebraska. After the father's death the mother moved to Republic county, Kansas, where she subsequently was married to Mr. Lindberg, and two children were born to that marriage: Ellen, who is the wife of Jonas Johnson, a Kansas farmer; and Joseph L., who lives on the old home farm in Kansas. Mr. Lindberg's parents were members of the Lutheran Church. His mother died in Republic county, Kansas.

Mr. Lindberg attended the country schools for awhile, first in Missouri and later in Kan- sas, but as soon as old enough to make his ser- vices valuable, went to work on farms. It was hard work, for at that time in that locality, farmers made use of little labor-saving ma- chinery, but he kept sturdily on and remained with one employer for six years. In 1888, he came to Nebraska and decided to remain in this state, shortly afterward homesteading in what was then old Cheyenne but now Morrill county. He remained on that homestead for fifteen years, then went to work by the month, on the Lyon Brothers' ranch and for three years of the five he remained there, had sole charge. When the owner of the ranch died, Mr. Lindberg bought both the ranch and the horses, keeping the property until 1909, when he sold to advantage. In the meantime, through good business judgment, Mr. Lind- berg had acquired other property and still owns a ranch of six thousand acres near Read- ing, where he feeds and grazes three hundred head of cattle and a hundred and fifty head of horses. After coming to Bridgeport he be- came interested in business enterprises here and assisted in the organization of the Bridge- port Bank in 1901, of which institution he was the first president.

In February, 1906, Mr. Lindberg was united in marriage to Miss Lillian Pcarl Waitman, who was born in Iowa, and they have one son, Garland Frederick, who was born January 30, 1909. The family attends the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Lindberg has been an active citizen for many years and has been prominent in the Democratic party. He has served hon- estly and efficiently in different local offices, as assessor and school director, and for six years was a member of the board of county commissioners of old Cheyenne county and

afterward served for seven years on the Mor- rill county board, this service covering a per- iod of great public responsibility. For many years he has belonged to the order of Odd Fel- lows, also to the Modern Woodmen, and in the latter organization has passed through all the chairs of the local body.

HEYWARD G. LEAVITT, who may, per- haps, be called a founder of the sugar beet industry in Nebraska, and also the inspiration and financial support of the earliest irrigation projects in Scottsbluff county, is pre-eminent- ly a man of action, and his life for two de- cades past has been devoted to such uscful effort that it amounts to public beneficence.

Heyward C. Leavitt was born in New York City, March 22, 1861. His parents were Henry S. and Martha A. (Young) Leavitt, both of whom were born at Brooklyn, New York. The father died in New York City in 1904, at the age of seventy-eight, while the mother still resides there. Of their seven children five are living, Heyward G. being the only one making his home in Nebraska. A sister, Emma, is the wife of William Fellows Morgan, who is in the cold storage business in New York City. For fifteen years he was president of the Y. M. C. A. there and Mrs. Morgan is president of the W. C. T. U.

On both sides of the family Mr. Leavitt came from solid financial ancestry. His pa- ternal grandfather, David Leavitt, who was a native of Goshen, Connecticut, was presi- dent of the American Express National Bank for many years in New York City, and his maternal grandfather, Henry Young, was also a banker there and the financier that lent the money to complete the dredging of the Sani- tary Canal, Chicago. He was the builder of the first gas plants in New York and Chicago. Henry S. Leavitt, father of Hayward G., was a banker in New York City during the greater part of his life. He was a Democrat in his political views, and both he and wife belonged to the Episcopal Church.

Hayward G. Leavitt was fortunate in his early environment and educational advantages of an excellent character were his while grow- ing up. He prepared for college under tutors and in private schools, then entered Harvard and was graduated in 1882. Two years later he was graduated from the Columbia Law School, and entered upon the practice of his profession in his native city, making a special- ty of patent law. Some years later he turned his energies in another direction, becoming to some extent interested in his grandfather's gas plant business, and after attending to the

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

installing of such plants in many eastern cities, came west to Chicago, in the same business, and subesquently to Grand Island, Nebraska. Many things contributed to Mr. Leavitt's then becoming deeply interested in the beet sugar industry. He began at the bottom, distribut- ing beet seed to farmers in Hall county, Ne- braska, where he bought a farm for experi- ment, taught farmers how to make the tests and during the eight years he lived on this farm designed different implements for the extraction of sugar, and implement men from all over the country visited him to learn of their value.

In 1900, Mr. Leavitt organized and financed the Standard Beet Sugar Company and erected a factory in the village of Leavitt, where the earlier operations of the company were car- ried on before the plant was moved to Scotts- bluff. No less interested was Mr. Leavitt in the great subject of irrigation. In 1902, he came to this county and after a thorough in- spection of the valley, assumed charge of the Farmers Irrigation project, then in the hands of a receiver. As previously indicated, Mr. Leavitt has never been an idle dreamer. He has "the vision" and with it has the sound judgment that insure his dreams coming true. His first practical move was the purchasing of thirty-six thousand acres of land. Four years later he organized the Tri-State Land Com- pany which he financed in the construction of the canal at Scottsbluff. At that time Scotts- bluff and Bridgeport had a hundred and fifty families and representatives of only eight of these are here now. Mr. Leavitt at one time owned the controlling interest in the Winters Creek Irrigation Company ; was concerned in developing the plants on the Republic river and the Pathfinder Dam ; and in all progressive en- terprises that have done so much for this sec- tion in a substantial way, Mr. Leavitt has as- sisted hy the expenditure of time, money and legal advice. At present he is looking mainly after his extensive agricultural interests, hold- ing large land leases, although in earlier days he leased at one time as large a tract as thir- teen thousand acres.

In 1899, Mr. Leavitt was united in marriage to Miss Alvina Weller, who was born in Sax- ony, Germany, a daughter of Conrad Weller, who was an early settler near Grand Island and an extensive farmer and stockman. Mr. and Mrs. Leavitt have one daughter and three sons : Martha, who has just completed a three years course at Radcliffe College, Cambridge, Massachusetts; Heyward Lathrop, who has just entered Harvard College ; David Henry,

who is attending school at Omaha ; and George Conrad, who is in school at Scottsbluff. Mr. Leavitt still preserves his Greek letter frater- nity memberships and also belongs to the ilar- vard A. D. club, of which he was president while in college. He and his family are mem- bers of the Episcopal Church at Omaha.

FREDERICK ALEXANDER, to whose energy, adaptability and progressiveness Scottsbluff is largely indebted, has been iden- tified with business enterprises and city de- velopment here since 1902, and perhaps no citizen could be named who cherishes a deeper sentiment of civic pride, or is actuated by more unselfish motives. Mr. Alexander was the first mayor of Scottsbluff and it was under his able administration of that office that the present admirable public utilities were in- stalled. At present he is secretary and gen- eral manager of The Platte Valley Telephone Company.

Frederick Alexander was born at Norwalk, Connecticut, May 30, 1875, and is the only sur- viving son of Louis F. and Helen Louise (Cur- tis) Alexander, both of whom were born near Hartford, Connecticut. The mother of Mi Alexander died in New York City. His father lives retired at Scottsbluff. For a number of years he had been in the life insurance business in New York City prior to coming here quite recently. The Alexanders are of Scotch-Irish descent, but the family is old in Connecticut. the paternal grandfather, Louis Robert Alex- ander, having been born and passed his life in that state. On the maternal side, the name of Curtis is equally well known in the "land of steady habits," Curtisville, a flourishing town perpetuating the name of Frederick Curtis, Mr. Alexander's grandfather, who was a mian :- ufacturer of silver ware.

When Frederick Alexander was a boy, the family frequently spent a part of the year on his father's estate in Florida. There he went to school and remembers earning his first money by herding a flock of sheep. On ac- count of the prevailing malaria on the Florida plantation, it was thought best for young Frcd- erick to leave there and he was sixteen years old when he went to New Mexico, where he remained until 1900. He had become inter- ested in several small telephone companies in New Mexico, but in the above year began to desire a wider field for his business energies, and after disposing of his interests in New Mexico, came to Nebraska. He resided first at Gering, but came to Scottsbluff to make his home, in 1902, and put in the first telephone in Scottsbluff county. From that beginning an

PETRUS PETERSON AND FAMILY

541

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

immense business has been developed. In April, 1902, the Platte Valley Telephone Com- pany being incorporated with a capital of $50,000, E. H. Price, of Whittier, California, became president, and Mr. Alexander secre- tary and general manager. The assets of the company reach three hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars, and they operate a hundred and fifty miles through the valley, from Bridgeport, Nebraska, to Guernsey, Wyoming, and serve twenty-two centers in Wyoming and Nebraska, including Guernsey, Heitville, Sun- rise, Single and Torrington, Wyoming, and Morrill, Mitchell, Gering, Beard, Minatare, Melbeta and Scottsbluff.

At Clayton, New Mexico, in 1900, Mr. Alexander was united in marriage to Miss Catherine W. Jost, who was born in Missouri, a daughter of John Jost, a farmer near Kan- sas City, Missouri. The parents of Mrs. Alex- ander were born in Germany, came young to the United States and were married here, and now reside in California. Mrs. Alexander is a lady of education and charm. They have one child, Louise Reberta, who was born in Octo- ber, 1911, and is attending school.

Mr. Alexander is a Republican, trained in this party faith by his honored father, but in no sense has he ever been a politician, and has never asked for a vote or sought for an office. Nevertheless he impressed his fellow citizens so favorably that he was elected the first may- or and re-elected and subsequently served a third term, his thorough business administra- tion of affairs resulting, as mentioned above, in the installation here of the water, sewerage and light plants. Mr. Alexander is somewhat prominent in Masonry. A man of travel and broad-minded citieznship, he is a very enter- taining conversationalist.

PETRUS PETERSON, who is in the real estate and insurance business at Dix, Nebras- ka, is also a progressive farmer and substantia: citizen of Kimball county, is widely known through his official association with agri- cultural organizations at Dix. Mr. Peterson came to Nebraska in 1915 and few men have been equally successful in a material way in so short a time, or have more entirely secured the confidence of their fellow citizens in their trustworthiness.

Petrus Peterson was born in Denmark, June 14, 1879, a son of Christian and Mary Peter- son. Mr. Peterson has two brothers and one sister, namely: Henry, who is a farmer near Belgrade, Nebraska; Chris, who is a farmer near Millarton, North Dakota; and Anna, the wife of Peter Olsen, a farmer near Boomer,

Iowa. The parents came to the United States and settled in western Iowa where they were farming people, both dying in 1914. Petrus Peterson attended the country schools and as- sisted on the home farm until he was twenty- seven years old, when he embarked in a gen- eral store business. In 1915 he sold his store and came to Nebraska, buying 160 acres of land in Kimball county, which he has in- creased to 800 acres. He raises some stock but gives his main attention to grain farming, his yield in 1918 being 6,000 bushels which he doubled in 1919. Much of the work of the farm is done by tractors.

In 1903 Mr. Peterson was united in mar- riage to Miss Annina Jensen, whose parents died in Denmark, after which she came to the United States and made her home with a sister in Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have four children, namely: Elsie, Chris, Henry and Donald, all of whom are attending school.

Mr. Peterson, as a good citizen, has made his influence felt in his section of the county, for he has taken an active interest in all move- ments for public welfare. He is particularly interested in the public schools and is serving as treasurer of the high school district. He is a stockholder and secretary of the Farmers' Shipping Association. Fraternally Mr. Peter- son is a Mason, belongs to Danish Brother- hood at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and to the Odd Fellows lodge at Honey Creek, Iowa.

FREDERICK H. ROBERTS, who has played an unusually active part in the develop- ment of some of the most important public utilities of Scottsbluff, is officially identified with large enterprises at other points, and throughout a considerable portion of the west, is known as a man of ample fortune. Mr. Roberts is yet scarcely in middle life and twen- ty-six years ago he was working as a factory boy at ten cents an hour. His business suc- cess, however, has not been achieved through any spectacular methods, but by the old-fash- ioned path of patient, steady industry, helped in his case, by ambition and a quick under- standing.

Frederick H. Roberts was born at Winter- set, Iowa, August 13, 1877. His parents are Hugh M. and Cordelia M. (Bowers) Roberts, the former of whom was born at Racine, Wis- consin, and the latter in Pennsylvania. They were married at Marshalltown, Iowa, and now live retired and highly respected, at Norfolk, Nebraska. They have two sons, Samuel R. and Frederick H. The former lives at Ham- ilton, Montana, where he has charge of the agricultural department of the Great Western

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Sugar Company. Hugh M. Roberts is a vet- eran of the Civil war, having served during the last six months, enlisting as soon as his age permitted his acceptance as a soldier. He has been active in the G. A. R. post at Nor- folk, Nebraska, and he and wife belong to the Methodist Episcopal Church there. When he came first to Nebraska he homesteaded in Brown county, lived on his farm for eight years and for one year on another tract near Ainsworth. In 1891, the family home was established at Norfolk.

After his school period was over, Frederick H. Roberts went to work in a small grocery house at Norfolk, where his duties were those of a general clerk, then found employment out-of-doors, cultivating sugar beets, later se- cured a job herding cattle at six dollars a month, and then accepted a place as electrical helper in the sugar factory. He continued in the factory from 1893 until 1907, making rapid progress and became superintendent of the plant at Sterling, Colorado, and later be- came interested in the factory financially. His electrical training in the meantime had borne fruit and when he came to Scottsbluff in 1911, he established the C. & R. Electric Company that supplied Gering and Scottsbluff, and in 1913 he bought a partnership interest, which he retained until March, 1916, when he sold it to the Inter-Mountain Railway Light & Power Company. Mr. Roberts is president of an in- vestment company at Scottsbluff ; is president of the light plant at Riverton, Wyoming, and is financially interested in the electric plant at Loval, Wyoming. His business sagacity has also been shown in the purchase of rich farm- ing areas, and he owns valuable land in Scotts- bluff county.

In 1905, Mr. Roberts was united in mar- riage to Miss Clara Runge, who was born at Bridgeport. Connecticut, a daughter of Her- man and Lena (Schriner) Runge, both of whom were born in Germany, came carly to the United States and were married at Bridge- port. The mother of Mrs. Roberts is de- ceased but the father survives and, in associa- tion with his one son, W. M. H. Runge, is en- gaged in the hardware business at Denver. Mr. and Mrs. Roberts have six children : Morris, born in 1906; Esther, born in 1908; Hugh, born in 1911 ; Carl, born in 1912; Gret- chen, born in 1913 ; and Carroll, born in 1914. Mr. Roberts and his pleasant family have a beautiful home at Scottsbluff and they are people of social importance. They belong to the Presbyterian Church, are foremost in all general charitable movements, and both Mr.

'and Mrs. Roberts were very active during the World War in Red Cross work, Mr. Roberts being president of the local Red Cross board. In politics he is a Republican, takes a hearty interest in everything pertaining to the city's welfare and at present is a member of the school board. He is a Thirty-second degree Mason and a Shriner, belongs to the Knights of Pythias and the Elks and is past chancellor commander of the Knights of Pythias. Per- sonally Mr. Roberts is a man of genial pres- ence and he not only commands respect from business and casual acquaintances, but wins their friendship as well.

HARRY T. BOWEN, who has been very active in the business affairs of Scottsbluff for over a decade, and a leader also in civic mat- ters, is the main factor in an enterprise of great importance carried on as the Bowen In- vestment Company. Mr. Bowen was born at Beacon, in Mahaska county, Iowa, January 8, 1873.

Mr. Bowen's paternal ancestors came from Wales and the maternal, from England. His father, John W. Bowen, was born in Wales, a son of John Bowen, who was a mine worker in Wales before he came to the United States. He died on a farm in Iowa. The mother of Mr. Bowen, Ellen ( Burdess) Bowen, was born in England and died in January, 1902. Her father, John Burdess, brought his family to the United States and located in Mahaska county, Iowa, where he was a mine worker near Oskaloosa for a number of years. John W. Bowen was reared in Iowa and early in the Civil war enlisted as a soldier in Company E, Fifteenth Iowa Infantry, in which he served three years and was wounded at Atlanta. In 1885, he homesteaded in Gage county, Ne- braska, residing at Lincoln from 1887 to 1900, during which time he was in the oil business. From 1892 nutil 1898, he was city clerk. His present place of residence is Portland, Oregon. Of his six children, Harry T. is the second in order of birth, the others being: Albert L., who is in the livestock business at Denver ; William E., who is associated in business with his brother Albert L .; Herbert J., who is a farmer and stock feeder near Gering; Minnie L., who is a widow, resides at Scottsbluff ; and Lola, who is the wife of B. J. Jellison, of Scottsbluff. The above family was reared in the Christian Church. The father is promin- ent in G. A. R. circles and is a Mason, a mem- ber of the order of Woodmen, and is also an Odd Fellow.

Harry T. Bowen obtained his education in the graded schools of Lincoln. He entered the

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

business world in that city as a bookkeeper, later worked on text books, and for five years was bookkeeper for the city treasurer, then went into the First National Bank of Lincoln and continued there until 1908, when he came to Scottsbluff. In this city he became assistant cashier in the First National Bank, and in 1909, became cashier, following which change he remained with that institution until 1916, when he went into the farm loan business and inaugurated the Bowen Investment Company which now controls a large acreage. Mr. Bowen is a heavy feeder and extensive dealer in livestock, while the company has handled various properties and estates. It owns the Ford garage at Scottsbluff and formerly owned the First National Bank building, which it recently sold for seventy-five thousand dol- lars. In 1916, Mr. Bowen purchased the First National Bank of Gering and sold the same in 1917. His business sense has always been acute and finance his favorite field of effort.

In June, 1898, Mr. Bowen was united in marriage to Miss Anna Pike, who was born in Illinois but at the time of marriage was a resident of Lincoln. They have two sons, Ralph and Wayne, aged respectively eighteen and fifteen years. Mr. Bowen and his family are members of the Presbyterian Church. He has always been intelligently active in politics, is a leader in Republican circles and for three years has served as a city councilman. For the past two years he has been president of the Scottsbluff Commercial Club, and is always to be found among those who are promoting the best interests of this city. Fraternally he is identified with the Masons and the Knights of Pythias. As a business man Mr. Bowen has always inspired confidence, and socially and publicly is a man of sterling character and high ideals.

JENS C. PEDERSEN .- Building opera- tions at Gering have been extensive during the past six years, and that much of the work lias been notably satisfactory, both in design and substantial character, may, in all justice, be attributed to Jens C. Pederson, architect, and a practical builder and contractor. Mr. Ped- ersen has now reached a point in his success- ful career, when he can devote his entire time to his profession after performing the duties of a public official. Mr. Pedersen is city en- gineer at Gering.

Jens C. Pedersen was born September 8, 1883, in Denmark. His parents are Eric and Christian (Rasmussen) Pedersen, both na- tives of Denmark, where they still live. Of their nine children six survive, but only two

have come to the United States, Carrie and Jens C. The former is the wife of Andrew Christiansen, a farmer near Ottumwa, Iowa. The parents are members of the Lutheran Church. The father followed the carpenter trade in early life and later became a builder and contractor, and when fourteen years old Jens C. began to assist his father. He at- tended the public schools and when he dis- played special talent his father afforded him a course of instruction in a technical school at Aalburg, Denmark, where he studied architec- ture.

In the meantime, Mr. Pedersen's sister Car- rie had come to America and was comfortably settled in Iowa. After completing his studies in the Aalburg School of Design, he decided to join his sister in the United States and en- gage in the practice of his profession in this country. He reached these shores in 1901, and went to his sister's home. Although there did not seem to be any great demand in Wa- pello or adjoining counties for the beautiful architectural designs he had in mind, there were many farm houses and barns to be built and he found plenty of employment. Although Mr. Pedersen made no fortune while building in the agricultural sections, he has the satis- faction of knowing that the structures he erected were substantial in character and as attractive in appearance as circumstances per- mitted. In 1913, he came to Gering and opened an office and since then has prospered in every way ; his professional reputation firmly estab- lished by the designing and building of the head gate for the Castle Rock Irrigation canal. He continued his building operations both in Gering and Scottsbluff until 1915, his last building contract being the Christian Church at Scottsbluff, a structure that is greatly ad- mired. Since then he has devoted himself to architectural designing exclusively and among the fine structures erected from his plans may be mentioned : a number of beautiful modern residences at Bridgeport ; the Ideal Laundry at Scottsbluff and numerous residences; a modern school house, store buildings and resi- dences at Beard, and a seventy thousand dol- lar school building at Gering, also a hotel and many residences. He carries on his work with the help of two assistants.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 106

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