History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 117

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

USA > Nebraska > History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III > Part 117

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

years of their life in great comfort and happi- ness, won by them from the soil. The mother passed away in 1910, while the father survived her until 1918.

Charles was educated in the frontier schools of Nebraska, attending classes during the win- ter while he worked on his father's farm dur- ing the summer, where he early learned the lessons of practical industry. He was one of a family of ten children born to his parents, the others being : Annie, the wife of Pat Roland, who lives near Broadwater; Mike H., a resident of this county north of broadwater ; John D., of Bridgeport; Charles, the sub- pect of this review; Mamie, who lives in Bridgeport ; Simon, a railroad conductor ; Margaret, the wife of Jack Riordan; Norine, the wife of Clyde Fairman, deceased, and Katherine, who lives in Los Angeles, Cali- fornia.

John Hagerty gallantly responded to the call of his adopted country at the outbreak of the Civil War and entered the Union army, where he served until the cessation of hostili- ties when he returned to his home and took up the plowshare in place of the sword, turn- ing his energies to peaceful pursuits. He was a faithful member of the Roman Catholic church, the faith in which he was reared from childhood. In politics he was a sturdy adher- ent of the policies of the Republican party ; was a worthy, progressive citizen who ever advo- cated every movement for the progress of his community.

Charles was but ten years of age when he accompanied his parents to Alliance in 1888; he remained on the farm and early learned the care of cattle, the best crops to be sown in this climate and altitude, the time and manner of harvesting from his father. When he at- tained manhood's estate he naturally turned to agriculture and stock-raising as a life vocation as his tastes were directed along such lines from childhood and it was the business he knew best ; that the choce was a wise one needs not be acclaimed when it is learned that to- day, while yet a young man in years with the future largely before him, he is the owner of seven hundred acres of the finest farm land in Morrill county, all in one body, a part of which is under irrigation and it is but a ques- tion of time until more will be placed under ditch. Mr. Hagerty has kept abreast of the times in his farm methods, for he is one of the first men to adopt the latest machinery and the new crops which are making of the Pan- handle one of the garden spots of the world; and it was to this district that the world and

596

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

country looked and on which it called for food when the shortage arose in Europe and today it is to western Nebraska that the United States is looking for sugar during the world famine of that product. Well may the men who are farmers here be proud of the trust placed in them to raise the greatest crops pos- sible at this crisis. Mr. Hagerty has an attrac- tive residence and substantial farm buildings on his place, as well as being provided with modern implements and machinery with which to lighten farm labor and add to the success of his operations. While general farming has been his principal business, he has been very successful. As a boy Mr. Hagerty was one of the sons his father would call on when he had any long ride to make as he would often say, "that lad can put a horse over more ground and not hurt him than any man in the state," and on this account he was mostly sent to look for stock that had strayed or had been driven away, as he was hard to beat at reading brands; it being the custom for every one who owned stock to also own a brand that did not conflict with another man's brand, but on account of some being dim or if some animal had long hair, brands at times were hard to distinguish but by turning the animal at different angles to the sun a brand may easily be traced ; this Mr. Hagerty learn- ed to do while riding with old ranchers and punchers as they all took a great interest in him as he was so young and willing to learn. They taught him the tricks of handling cattle and horses on the range and how to approach and when to withdraw as they were all experienced stockmen. Mr. Hagerty mingl- ed with the good and bad but always played his part well; and when yet a youth was often call- ed on to take an important part of cutting out of different brands and as he knew them all where they belonged for many miles within his bound- ary. He always took an active part in brand- ing, as he was hard to beat at foot roping calves and delivering to the wrestlers at the fire in a cool, deliberate manner. He always held the good will of all the old ranchers as he did many a good turn for most of them in lo- cating and sending word and even bringing back to them stock they may have never found. For years he worked on many of the largest ranches in western Nebraska, in so doing he could tell many a history of a lone cow trail. He saw the free range without a fence for hundred of miles ; saw quarrels and disputes in divisions of ranges when fencing began; he also witnessed the burning of powder on dif- ferent occasions. Those were the good old

days where a man carried the law in his own hands. Then came the building of irrigation ditches and Mr. Hagerty hitched himself up in the shaves of a slip behind a team of big, long eared mules in the construction of Brown Creek Canal in the interest of his fath- er's place, which covers nearly four hundred acres being the first selections along the North Platte river, Cheyenne county. In 1887, with range cattle everywhere you might look and find but one other house to be seen besides the Hagerty home. The Belmont was another development of the south side of the river in which Conden Hunt and McShane of Omaha started to construct; then came the Burlington surveyors ; then the building of the road. By this time a number of other ditches had been constructed along the river followed by the government canal; then the Union Pa- cific came creeping up the river and put in a nice little station just a quarter of a mile from the Hagerty place. It would now make Alliance ashamed of itself for at the time Mr. Hagerty's father shipped to that point, in 1888, he had to build chutes to un- load his stock from the cars. The biggest change of all in this section is the changing of the little alkali lakes over around Antioch and Hoffman, which have been turned into mints. Mr. Hagerty would like to see the land owners get a fair deal in this great sugar beet industry and at least get the fifty-fifty plan, as undoubtedly there is as much value in the land that the beets are raised on and ma- chinery and horses and other expenses as in the factory. Then all the little towns will keep a thrifty growth and will no longer remind us of little Indian village of the old days.

W. W. WATERMAN, one of the pioneer residents of Deuel county who came here at an early day, suffered all the hardships and trials incident to a new country and who to- day is one of the responsible and substantial men of his district. Mr. Waterman was born in Jefferson county, New York, March 2, 1851, the son of W. T. and Rachael (Remington) Waterman, both natives of New York state. The father was a carpenter by trade who in later life owned and managed a box factory and saw mill in connection with which he ran a blacksmith shop. Some years before his death Mr. Waterman engaged in farming. He was a Republican ; served as supervisor of his community and died in the early seventies. Mrs. Waterman was a member of the Baptist church and survived until 1882. There were five children in the family, of whom two are living.

MR. AND MRS. CHRIS MCCORMICK

EDD. W. MCCORMICK

JAMES MCCORMICK

JACK MCCORMICK

JENNIE MCCORMICK

ROBERT A. MCCORMICK

597

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Mr. Waterman was educated in the public schools of New York, then spent several years in the oil fields of Pennsylvania. In 1884, he came west, locating in Cheyenne county, Nebraska. He first took a tree claim, returned to Pennsylvania for the first winter but came back in 1885, to take up a homestead nine miles north of Big Springs, at the Day post- office. He still owns the homestead but sold the tree claim for five hundred dollars, which todary is worth a hundred dollars an acre. The winter of 1885, was very mild so that the Watermans did not suffer from cold. They shipped their goods from Pennsylvania and though Mr. Waterman had money to buy sup- plies they were not in the country to buy and they lived on what he terms "sow belly" and water gravy until the next summer passed and they harvested some crops.

October 12, 1869, Mr. Waterman married Miss Libby King, the daughter of Henry and Lydia (Powers) King, natives and residents of New York and one child was born to this union: Henry, who married Sophia Grass and now lives in Big Springs.

Mr. and Mrs. Waterman have witnessed many changes in the Panhandle since they come here more than thirty-five years ago ; they have seen the country grow and develop and towns dot what was a wilderness. Mr. Water- man wishes he had been forced to buy and keep more land. He experienced the vicis- situdes, up and down of all early settlers but is glad that he stayed to win prosperity. Mr. Waterman still owns the old home farm but rents the land ; he also owns a fine busi- ness block in Big Springs. In politics he is a Democrat and also belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America.

CHRISTOPHER McCORMICK .- If his youthful ambition were to achieve worthy suc- cess, that ambition has been realized in gener- ous measure; if he were determined so to order his life as to win and retain the high regard of his fellow men, that reward has been granted to him, -and thus this sterling citi- zen of Garden county is a man who is most consistently accorded tribute in this history, especially in view of the fact that through his well ordered activities he has contributed def- initely to the social and industrial progress and prosperity of the famed Nebraska Pan- handle, to which this publication is dedicated.

Mr. McCormick was born in County Ty- rone, Ireland, August 24, 1854, and is a son of John and Anna Jane (Graham) Mc- Cormick. the former of whom was born in Ireland, in 1826, and the latter of whom like-

wise was a native of the Emerald Isle, though her father, Robert Graham, was born in Scot- land. The parents passed their entire lives in the native land, where John McCormick was a farmer by occupation, he having attained to the venerable age of eighty-six years and his wife having passed away at the age of forty-five years. Of their family, Christo- pher, of this sketch, is the eldest, and five of his brothers likewise became residents of Ne- braska ; Calhoun, who maintains his home in Garden county ; Andrew G., and Thomas, who reside at Lewellen, Garden county ; Robert, who lives at Bigspring, Benel county ; and James, who is deceased.

The schools of Ireland afforded to Christo- pher McCormick his early educational advan- tages, and the discipline proved effective in the developing of his alert mental powers and fortifying him for the practical duties and re- sponsibilities of life. At the age of twenty-two years, he received from Queen Victoria a ticket which provided him transportation to New Zealand, and in that Island colony of England he became actively identified with railroad con- struction, though his major occupation was that of farming. After living in New Zea- land four years he went to Australia, where he remained about two years, during which time he gave his attention to farming. He still fur- ther broadened his experience on the return voyage to Ireland, for he made the trip by way of Honolulu and San Francisco, and thus in- cidentally made his first visit to the shores of the United States. He remained in Ireland about three years and then, in 1883, came with his family to America and settled at Crete, Sa- line county, Nebraska, near which place he was engaged in farming about three years. Mr. McCormick then became a pioneer set- tler in that part of old Cheyenne county that now constitutes Garden county, having taken up homestead and tree claims in 1884, though it was not until 1886, that he removed with his family to the pioneer farm. In due course of time he perfected his title to his claims, and developed them into one of the productive, valuable and well improved farms of the coun- ty. There he continued his activities as a successful agriculturist and stock-raiser un- til 1916, when he removed to the village of Lewellen. Here he has since lived virtually retired, in the enjoyment of the rewards of former years of earnest toil and endeavor. He has been liberal and public spirited in his civic attitude, is a Republican in political al- legiance, served eight years as a director of the Lewellen board of education, and is one

598

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

of the principal stockholders of the Farmers State Bank of Lewellen, of which institution he is vice president. He and his wife are earnest and active members of the Methodist Episcopal church in their home village, and they have the high esteem of the people of the county in which they have maintained their home for more than thirty years.

May 29, 1883, in County Tyrone, Ireland, was soleninized the marriage of Mr. McCorm- ick to Miss Margaret Wood, a daughter of Samuel and Jane ( Wilson) Wood, both of whom passed their entire lives in Ireland, where the former died in 1862, at the age of fifty-two years, his widow having attained to the age of seventy-six years. They became the parents of three sons and four daughters, all of whom came to the United States. Allan Wood, the eldest, served as a member of an Illinois regiment during the Civil War, and the youngest son, Samuel, became a cleryman of the Methodist Episcopal church, his min- isterial services having been initiated in Illi- nois and thereafter continued in Nebraska. In conclusion is entered brief record concern- ing the children of Mr. and Mrs. McCormick : Jennie is the wife of Calhoun Orr, of Lewel- len, and they have one child; Jack, married Lotta Davis and served in 1919-20 as treas- urer of Deuel county, with residence at Chap- pell, has two children; Edward W., of Lewel- len, married Birddie Eggers and has one child ; Robert A., of Lewellen, served in the United States Signal Corps during the nation's par- ticipation in the late World War; and James C., of Lewellen, married Maude Beddoe, has one child.

S. AUGUST FORNANDER, early settler and successful farmer of Deuel county who came here when this country was unbroken prairie. was born in Sweden, July 26, 1864, the son of Carl and Greta ( Ankerberg) Carl- son, both natives of that country, where the father was a farmer, who died in 1869, being followed by his wife in 1899. The mother came to the United States in 1887 to Knox county, Illinois, remained there until 1893, when she located in Phelps county, Nebras- ka, but five years later, in 189 8, moved to Cheyenne county. She lived with one of her sons the rest of her days. There were six children in the family, all of whom live in this county.

August Fornander was educated in the pub- lic school of his native country and came to the United States in the Spring of 1881. He first located in Knox county, Illinois, but two

years later came farther west to Phelps coun- ty, Nebraska, then to Deuel county in 1885. He took up a homestead a mile south of his present farm as he traded the original place to his brother in order to have all his land in one section. Mr. Fornander's first team in this country was a pair of bulls which were broken to the yoke. Later he bought horses. As soon as he would get a crop in on his home- stead Mr. Fornander would leave for Colo- rado to work and earn money for supplies and one time worked on a ranch there. While on the homestead the first years he "batched" it by himself. Water had to be hauled from the tanks often times six to twelve miles, cost- ting fifteen cents a barrel at first, this price was lowered and finally water was free. Some- time when Mr. Fornander and his brother got up early for water they would find other had 'been ahead of them and the water gone from several tanks making a long tiresome journey. In the early days the people of this section raised many cattle as numerous homesteads had been abandoned and there was range, but within the past decade great changes have come and today Mr. Fornander carries on general farming due to his improved methods and modern machinery. He tills some hundred and fifty acres; is a stockholder in the Farm- ers Elevator at Chappell and has been treas- urer of school district number sixty-three since it was established.

July 10, 1914, Mr. Fornander married Miss Anna Simmons, the daughter of August and Sophia (Johnson) Simmons, natives of Swed- en and two children have been born to this union : Neal and Joel. Mr. Fornander is an independent Republican, has never aspired to office beyond those of local affairs as he help- ed organize school districts number thirty-two and sixty-three and acted as trustee. He and his wife ar members of the Lutheran church and assisted in organizing Batesta church and later Berea church, in which they are active workers.

JOHN W. GRANNELL, one of the retired colony of Big Springs who has made a success of varied lines of endeavor since he came here in the early days was born in Vego county, Indiana, January 1, 1859, the son of Noah and Elizabeth ( Baulding) Grannell, the form- er a native of Ohio while the mother was born in Indiana. The father was a cooper by trade and followed that vocation most of his life, having a shop of his own. He was a Democrat and a member of the Masonic order and with his wife was a member of the Presbyterian church. There were seven chil-

599

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

dren in the family of whom four are living, but John W. is the only one in the west. He received his education in the public schools of Indiana. Mrs. Grannell died when the boy was fourteen years of age and he began to work among strangers by the month until he was married on December 7, 1881, to Miss Margaret Clugston, also of Indiana. After that Mr. Grannell farmed in his native state until the family came to Hastings, Nebraska, in 1884, where they lived until 1900. That year Mr. Garnnell took a homestead in Perkins county ten miles south of Big Springs. Good improvements were made on the place and he farmer it for seventeen years, having bought three hundred and twenty acres in 1899. He then sold the land and retired to Big Springs. At first he worked as a carpenter so as to fill his time as he had always been busy; for when the Grannells came here it was necessary to haul water for their use and that for the stock in addition to the general farm work. This first farm had no water but the second had a well. During the first years when crops were poor, Mr. Grannell worked out for other men to secure money to buy supplies, then took care of cattle but later managed his own farm. After coming to big Springs Mr. Gran- nell bought a meat market, managed it two years and sold to engage in the restaurant business but disposed of that and purchased a pool hall and cigar store where he remained six years. Following this he ran a meat market again, a cigar store and then retired from the mercantile business entirely, working as a carpenter just a little. When Mr. Gran- nell started in business in Big Springs it had but a few buildings so that he has seen its great growth and development. Mr. Gran- nell is an Independent in politics, is a member of the Presbyterian church, served on the . school board for thirteen years and was asses- sor of his district many years. He is well known and liked in Big Springs where he has taken his part in the upbuilding and growth of the town.

EDWIN A. PHELPS, Sr., was an early rail- road man and resident of Big Springs for more than thirty-five years; there are few better known and popular men in the Panhandle. Mr. Phelps was born in Milford, Oakland county, Michigan, December 24, 1842, the son of Aaron and Mary (Armstrong) Phelps, both natives of Batavia, New York. The father was the owner of a saw mill and flour mill and at one time of a distillery in addition to man- aging a farm. He was a prominent man in his community until he moved to Chicago in

1853, where he owned and operated a hotel. The mother died in 1854, being survived by her husband until 1894. Mr. Phelps was a Republican. There were eight children in the family, of whom only two survive: Eliza, the wife of Henry Crane of Chicago, and Edwin of this review, who received his educational advantages in the schools at Milford, Michi- gan, and Chicago, Illinois. When only eigh- teen years of age the young man began his in- dependent career as a railroad man. For a few years he was brakeman, then became a machinist and in 1865, went to Tennessee to build railroad bridges for several years. In 1870, he canie west, locating in Nebraska to engage in erecting bridges from Omaha to North Platte. He came to old Cheyenne, now Deuel county, early in 1883, as bridge fore- man for the Union Pacific Railroad ; spent three years in that work and then filed on a homestead and timber claim. This land he proved up and farmed for some time before returning to the employ of the railroad, re- tiring in 1912. Since then Mr. Phelps has not been actively engaged in business though he did not sell his ranch until 1919.

Mr. Phelps was the first assessor of Deuel county, elected on the Republican ticket, but now votes with the Democratic party. He is a member of the Presbyterian Church, though he was one of the organizers of the Methodist Church at Big Springs and the first Sunday School was held in his home in 1884.

In October, 1869, Mr. Phelps married Miss Sarah E. Grote and they became the parents of two children: Edwin A., Jr., and Arthur L., both living in Big Springs. When Mr. and Mrs. Phelps first came to Big Springs the town consisted of a section house, depot and their home, built out of bridge timber, was the third structure. The first store was opened in 1884, and a drug store was built and oper- ated two years later. On Christmas eve, 1885, Mr. and Mrs. Phelps gave a dance in their new hotel building which was formally opened the next day and this structure has been in constant use up to the present time. While Mr. Phelps worked on the railroad his wife managed the hotel and we learn the conditions of the country at the time from the fact that the railroad furnished all its hands with guns to protect themselves against the Indians and kept a small detachment of soldiers at every station. Mr. Phelps is a member of the Ma- sonic lodge and he and his wife are highly respected and well known from their long resi- dence in Big Springs. They have seen the many towns grow up and the country develop

600

HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

from a wilderness to fine productive farm lands.

JOHN JOHNSON. one of the pioneer set- tlers of Deuel county who located here when settlers were few and far apart, has the dis- tinction of having lived in three counties and never moved off the original homestead, as he came before the new counties were erected and as they were formed became a resident of each in turn. Homesteading in Cheyenne coun- ty it was split and Deuel county formed then again divided and Garden county was erected. Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden January 25, 1857, the son of Joseph and Johanna (Juni- son) Johnson, both natives of the same land where the father was a farmer all his life. He also operated a flour and saw mill and ran a blacksmith shop on a large scale and at one time ground all the wheat from the surround- ing seven counties. Mr. Johnson took a prom- inant part in political life, holding several pub- lic offices ; he died in 1878 and the mother in 1909. There were ten children in the John- son family, but Gust and John are the only ones living in the western part of Nebraska, as the former resides at Oshkosh. The fam- ily were members of the Swedish Lutheran Church of which the father was a deacon.

Mr. Johnson received his education in the public schools of Sweden and then worked on the farm until he came to the United States in 1879. He first settled in Iowa where land was selling at three dollars an acre but in 1885, came to Deuel county to secure a homestead for a permanent home. This he sold in two years and then bought other land, a section of which he still owns though he has retired from active life, and now lives in a fine home in Chappell, where the family located in 1917.

It can honestly be said that Mr. Johnson is a self-made man as all he had when he came to Deuel county was a cow, calf and a few chick- ens, but he was not afraid of work and soon became established as a well-to-do farmer. At the time of his settlement wild horses and an- telope were common on the table northeast of Chappell where he located, cow boys rounded up the horses and corralled them for market. When Mr. and Mrs. Johnson stopped at Jules- burg, Colorado, on their way to the new home they were forced to sleep in the telegraph office on the floor, as the hotel, section house and all buildings were filled with the cowboys asleep for Julesburg was a shipping point for cattle.

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 117

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