History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 129

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

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Willianı Ritchie, Jr., was graduated from the Oak Park high school in 1904 and shortly afterward went to Morrill county, Nebraska, while Morrill county was still a part of Chey- enne county, as a visitor on the Belmont ranch. Finding climate and surroundings agreeable and the people friendly and congenial, Mr. Ritchie decided to remain in the neighborhood of Bridgeport, accepting the offer to teach a country school and taught three terms. Fol- lowing this entry into the pedagogic profes- sion he became principal of the Lodgepole schools and remained two years. On the sug- gestion of friends he then became a candidate for county superintendent of schools of Chey- enne county, to which offce he was elected in 1907, at the first primary election, having made a campaign on horseback of over three thou- sand miles. He served until 1909, then re- signed and entered the Nebraska State Uni- versity as a student of law. During his ad- ministration of the office of superintendent, he did a stupendous amount of business, which included the organization of twenty-five new school districts, the building of forty-two new schoolhouses and passing judgment on one hundred and ninety-seven petitions for changes in school district boundaries. He continued his interest in educational development after entering the university, and under appoint- ment of Governor Morehead, did legal work on a committee to revise the school laws. Al- so while in the university he organized the Teachers' Casualty Underwriters Association, which has become the largest insurance organ- ization of its type in the United States.

Mr. Ritchie was graduated from the de-

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partment of law in the university in February, 1915, and in June following embarked in the practice of his profession at Brideport and his professional future seemed fully assured. On August 2, 1917, however, Mr. Ritchie loy- ally put his personal ambitions aside and enlisted as a private soldier for service in the World War, entering Company C, Sixth Ne- braska Infantry, that afterward became Com- pany K, One Hundred and thirty-fourth U. S. Infantry. A month later he was sent to Fort Snelling for training. He was commis- sioned first lieutenant November 27, 1917, and assigned to Company B, Three Hundred and Ninty-fourth Infantry, Eighty-eighth Division at Camp Dodge. Because of an injury he was operated on March 21, 1918, but infection set in while he was in the hospital where he was confined until July 22, 1918. He was promot- ed captain July 23, 1918, but his physical con- dition rendered it impossible for him to ac- company his division abroad and he was trans- ferred to the Tenth Division at Camp Funston, Kansas. He commanded Company I, Sixty- ninth United States Infantry until October 1, 1918, when the influenza assumed an epidemic form in the ranks. At the time of the sign- ing of the armistice with the enemy, Captain Ritchie was in command of the Second bat- talion, Seventh colored troops. He was then assigned to camp headquarters and put in charge of the discharging of enlisted men at Camp Funston, and received his honorable discharge February 4, 1919. His application for a commission with the Reserve Corps was not granted because of his physical condition at that time.

On April 26, 1916, Captain Ritchie was unit- ed in marriage to Miss Eunice Arthur, daugh- ter of Rev. L. A. Arthur, rector of the Episco- pal church at Grand Island.

Mr. Richie maintains an office at Omaha under the firm name of Ritchie, Mantz and Canaday, and is attorney for Central States Investment Company, the Skinner Packing Company, Skinner Manufacturing Company, Trans-Mississippi Life Insurance Company and other corporations. At Bridgeport, Mr. Ritchie is associated with Ralph O. Canaday. The law firm of Ritchie & Canaday handles a large proportion of the important law business at Bridgeport.

Mr. Ritchie has been active in political circles since early manhood. He was a dele- gate to the National Democratic convention held in Baltimore in 1912, and voted for Wood- row Wilson; was chairman of the Democratic Congressional District in 1914, in the First District; and chairman of the Sixth Congres-

sional Distrct in 1916. Although but a young man he has achieved honorable success along different lines, and, experienced and level- headed with high standards that he lives up to, may go far both professionally and politic- ally. He has the respect and confidence of his fellow citizens and the good will of hosts of friends. Outside of college life he has not been active as a fraternity man, but he retains membership in the Beta Theta Pi and the Phi Delta Phi societies of university days.

RALPH OLIVER CANADAY, who is one of the younger members of the Bridgeport bar, came to this city to establish himself in his profession in March, 1919, after his re- turn from military service during the World War. Lieutenant Canaday was born at Min- den, Nebraska, April 4, 1891, the elder of two sons born to Joseph S. and Mary Jane ( Win- ters) Canaday. His brother, Walter A. Cana- day is in the real estate business at Broadwat- er; and his sister. Golda May, is a senior in the State University.

Senator Canaday, father of Ralph Oliver Canaday, was born in Indiana, lived subse- quently in Illinois and now lives at Minden, Nebraska. The Canadays probably settled in Kentucky contemporary with Daniel Boone and the grandfather of Senator Canaday was the only member of his family that escaped during an Indian attack on the unprotected settlement. Joseph S. Canaday was married in Illinois to Mary Jane Winters, who was born in Crawford county, that state, and in 1887 they came to Nebraska. He bought land in Kearney county and still lives at Minden. He has been very prominent in Democratic politics in that county, served in the state senate, was county superintendent of schools and also county treasurer and has frequently been suggested for other public positions of responsibility. He was the organizer of the Farmers Co-operative Elevator Association found all over the state and is president of the same. With his family he belongs to the Christian Science church.

Ralph O. Canaday was graduated from the Minden high school in 1909, and spent six years in the State University, in 1915, being graduated with the degree of A. B. and in 1918, with his L.L. B. degree. He was ad- mitted to the bar in 1917, and practiced at Minden until May 17, 1918, when he entered the National army, going to the officers' train- ing school at Camp Dodge, and was commis- sioned second lieutenant of Company D, Eighty-eighth Infantry on August 26, 1918. The end of hostilities came before his regi-

MARY VAN PELT WM. VAN PELT

THOMAS VAN PELT

MRS. SARAH JOHNSON JONITHIAN VAN PELT

THOMAS VAN PELT

NANCY VAN PELT

CYRUS VAN PELT AND FAMILY

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

ment left Camp Dodge, and he received his discharge January 3, 1919. In march follow- ing he came to Bridgeport with William Ritchie, Jr., and has been engaged in the prac- tice of law here ever since with encouraging success. He is locally in charge of the land belonging to the Belmont Irrigating Canal & Water Power Company. In politics Mr. Cana- day is a Democrat and fraternaliy a Mason, belonging to Lodge No. 19, A. F. & A. M. at Lincoln. He belongs to the Christian Sci- ence church.

CYRUS VAN PELT. - Probably no pio- neers of Banner county are better or more favorably known than the Van Pelts, and the records show that Mrs. Nancy (Lucas) Van Pelt was the oldest living homesteader in the county when she died June 23, 1920. In asso- ciation with her son, Cyrus Van Pelt and her daughter, Mrs. Sarah J. Johnston, who have been long identified with county affairs and development, they owned five thousand, five hundred acres of valuable land.

Cyrus Van Pelt was born in Marion county, Iowa, April 18, 1858, a son of Thomas C. and Nancy (Lucas) Van Pelt. The father was born in Highland county, Ohio, and moved from there to Iowa in 1856, where he engaged in farming until the outbreak of the Civil War. He enlisted in the Fortieth Iowa In- fantry, later came home on furlough on ac- count of sickness, then returned to his regi- ment and died in camp on July 14, 1863. He was a man of sterling character, industrious in peace and brave in war. He was a member of the Methodist Episcopal church, and gave his political support to the Republican party. Mr. Van Pelt's mother was born in Highland coun- ty. Ohio, March 12, 1825, and resided in Ban- ner county, esteemed and beloved by all who knew her. There were six children in the fam- ily : Sarah J., who is the widow of Samuel B. Johnston, resided many years with her moth- er ; Jonathan, who died in 1880, married Rose Plummer; Mary, who is the widow of A. B. Stanfield, lives at Greybull, Wyoming; Will- iam, who lives in Banner county, married Blanche Snyder ; Cvrus, of Banner county ; and Thomas, who is deceased, is survived by his widow, Mrs. Lottie (Brookheart) Van Pelt, who lives near Flowerfield.

Cyrus Van Pelt attended school in Iowa and remained at home with his people in Marion county until fifteen years old, then lived in Page county for seven years, afterward was in Maryville, Missouri, for two and a half years, and in Des Moines, Iowa, for four and

a half years. In 1887, Mr. Van Pelt came to Cheyenne, now Banner county, homesteaded and bought a tree claim. He now operates his own and his sister's land, raising cattle ex- tensively. For the first few years after com- ing here, the Van Pelts engaged in crop rais- ing but when the long season of drought fell in the Nebraska country, they turned their attention to cattle and it was not unusual to have five hundred head a year. Climatic changes have been brought about, a change in agricul- ture, and during the past few years Mr. Van Pelt has been farming on a large scale, assist- ed by the latest improved machinery including tractors, threshers, trucks and modern farm implements of all kinds. He raises about two hundred and thirty head of cattle since devoting more land to farming purposes.

Mr. Van Pelt, in recalling early days here, mentions the necessity of hauling water a distance of four miles for about four years. His first well went down two hundred and fifty feet and the water was drawn in the old fash- ioned way with an upright shaft to which a horse was attached. James Campbell had the first windmill in this neighborhood. Wood was plentiful in the near by canyons and logs were cut there, from which houses and barns were built that are yet in good repair. Many settlers left the country during the days of drought and Mr. Van Pelt was able to buy their wire fencing for a comparatively small amount, and today has twenty-five miles of such fence on his ranch. Many cattle were lost in the early blizzards that visited this section and on many occasions Mr. Van Pelt had to cover a territory of twenty-six miles to get his cattle back in the home corral. Among other changes in the country the growth of Gering and Scottsbluff are worthy of note. In 1891, when he visited Gering the only hotel was a poor log affair where now stands a palatial structure, and Scottsbluff was only a small hamlet.

When Mr. Van Pelt came to Banner coun- ty his mother accompanied him, with his sister and a brother, and they homesteaded, their land cornering together, so that their log house, sixteen by thirty-two feet with an ell, could rest on the corner of all three homesteads, thus all lived in the same house and at the same time on their own homesteads. In all the plans and decisions, the mother was a leading factor. Despite her ninety-four years, she continued to enjoy good health, had a very retentive memory and excellent eyesight, and enjoyed church attendance and social inter- course as if she were many years younger.

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

Cyrus Van Pelt was married March 26, 1890, to Miss Jennie W. McKee, a daughter of David S. and Sarah A. (Savage) McKee, who came to Banner county in 1885. Mrs. Van Pelt is the youngest of their six living children, the others being: Alexander, who lives in Pennsylvania, married Sallie Patton; James S., who lives in Banner county, married Ma- linda Ferguson; David, who lives at Council Bluffs, Iowa, married Ida Bolton; Robert W., who lives at Council Bluffs, married Fannie M. Wheeler; and William S., who lives at Denver, married Alma Sutton.

Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Van Pelt: Carl P., who married Bessie Try, who died in November, 1918, of influenza, has lived at home since then; Luella, is the wife of Franklin Schumaker, of Banner county ; and Edna, who died when aged fifteen years. Mrs. Cyrus Van Pelt is a member of the Presbyterian church, and Mr. Van Pelt not only was very helpful in the organization of the church in this neighborhood, but also of school district number thirty-five, of which he has been treasurer for a number of years. He has served in other positions of responsibility in the county, being the first county treasurer, in which office he served two terms. From an accident in childhood, Mr. Van Pelt has been somewhat handicapped all his life, but in his relations with others has never taken advan- tage of this, nor has ever claimed relief from social, neighborly duties or citizenship re- sponsibilities. He is held in universal respect and esteem.

WALTER A. CANADAY, second son of Hon. Joseph S. and Mary Jane (Winters) Canaday, was born at Minden, Nebraska, March 22, 1893. He was graduated from the high school of Minden in 1913, after which he took a commercial course in Boyle's Business College at Omaha. He then went on his fath- er's farm in Kearney county and remained in- terested there until in August, 1917, when he joined a medical corps for service in the World War, accompanied the American Expedition- ary Force to France, where he served form August, 1918, until May, 1919, when he was discharged. He returned home and visited one week, then came to Bridgeport and em- barked in the real estate business in partner- ship with R. C. Neumann. Mr. Canaday's business future looks bright. Like his brother he belongs to the Masonic lodge and Christian Science church. Both are held in the highest possible esteem.

JOHN S. EMERSON. - Many men are moulded by the circumstances of life, as lack of early opportunity oftentimes changes a man's entire career. Not every youth can or does overcome obstacles and make his way along the path to success as has Mr. Emer- son, whose real estate operations and extensive farm interests make him one of the very re- sponsible men of western Nebraska.

John S. Emerson was born near Afton, Iowa, September 25, 1875, the son of W. J. and Christian J. Emerson. The father was born in Ohio and the mother in Montreal, Can- ada, and they had six children, four of whom are living, but John S. is the only one in the middle west. When he was only seventeen years old, circumstnces gave Mr. Emerson the care of his mother as well as the support and edu- cation of his two sisters in addition to finish- ing his own education. While most boys of this age have at least a part of their time for some diversion, Mr. Emerson had to keep steadily at work and was rewarded later by seeing both his sisters graduate from school and to find himself the possessor of a good, practical education. In order to earn money for the family and himself Mr. Emerson, while very young learned the photograph business which he 'followed with success for several years. While working in this line at Crete, Nebraska, he also attended Doane College, taking four lines of study. This not only took all his day time but his evenings and many times a good share of the night for study. He was then twenty-five years old.

Later Mr. Emerson located at Hartington, Cedar county, Nebraska, where he had a photo- graph studio and before long he owned and operated two studios and two hotels. He gave personal supervision to each and made all show good returns. A good opportunity came to sell and Mr. Emerson disposed of his busi- ness after running them four years. While taking a much needed vacation in the northern part of the county he believed he saw a good opportunity and on the spot purchased the general mercantile store owned by August Krouse in the old inland town of St. James, near the Missouri river. Mr. Emerson im- mediately took charge of the eight thousand dollars stock and a fourth class post office. He built up a good trade by hard work and good business judgment and was making money but was not contented to live and rear his family in an inland town without the edu- cational and other advantages. He could not sell his business or trade it for anything paying

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

as well because St. James was so far from a railroad. He believed it was a case of moving his store to a railroad or building a road to the town and he chose the latter course. In three years this was accomplished, a thing that the citizens of St. James had been trying to accomplish for forty years, for they had made every effort to get the Northwestern Railroad to come into the town and had given it up. After the line was completed and extended and the new towns of Maskell, Obert and Wy- not were established, Mr. Emerson found not only a ready sale for his store but also for his half interests in the new town sites which he had acquired in the railroad building operations. The country through which the line was built was well settled, the towns grew, rapidly ; Wynot being at the end of the line grew es- pecially rapid, gaining five hundred inhabi- tants in a few months. After selling his store Mr. Emerson moved to the new town and also disposed of most of his real estate interests in Cedar county. He was still looking for busi- ness opportunities and while on a trip through the southwestern portion of Nebraska was impressed with the need of more railroads there and the consequent development, so he moved west and became identified with this section. He purchased a large ranch in Ban- ner county, which he still owns and though conditions have not been favorable to railroad building he is glad he came. After spending a few years on his ranch, where he recuperated in health from the strenuous years of hard work, Mr. Emerson moved to Scottsbluff where he is extensively engaged in a real es- tate and farm loan business, establishing the Emerson Land Company. He has shown his faith in the Panhandle by investing heavily in farm lands until he now owns forty-five hun- dred acres located in Scottsbluff, Banner, Kim- ball and Sioux counties.

Mr. Emerson is a quiet, unassuming man who delights in his family and friends. On December 31, 1902, Mr. Emerson married Miss Florence I. Averill, the daughter of Dr. G A. Averill, of Corning, Iowa. Three chil- dren have been born to this union : Ruth, Bea- trice and Rex, all of whom are being trained in the school of Democracy, the American pub- lic school, and Mr. Emerson expects to send them to college.

The Emerson family are members of the Methodist church and Mr. Emerson is a Re- publican. He is a member of the Odd Fellows and is a Thirty-second degree Mason.

EDWARD D. SCHICK .- The improve- ments which have been made in almost every

line of industry within recent years, have been kept pace with in plumbing and gas-fitting. New methods are being used and more dur- able parts taking the place of many of the old construction materials, while modern de- vises have added to comfort, safety and sani- tation. The plumbing house that his skilled workers who carry on the business along mod- ern improved lines, is the one the discriminat- ing people of Scottsbluff prefer to deal with and this is evidenced by the success that has visited Edward D. Schick and his partner since they established ther busness here in 1918.

Edward D. Schick was born at Cleveland, Ohio, February 4, 1872. His parents were Otto and Mary (Krabach) Schick, the for- mer of whom was born at Baden, Germany, and died aged seventy-nine years, in 1918, and the latter born in Ohio and residing at Colum- bus Grove. They had the following children : Fannie, who is the wife of Fred Fisher, of Toledo, Ohio; Frank, who is a steamfitter at Cleveland ; Edward D., who is a respected citi- zen of Scottsbluff; Fred, who is a machinist at Cincinnati; and Bertha, who is the wife of Cass Clouson, a bookkeeper with Marshall Field & Company, Chicago, Illinois. The fam- ily was reared in the Roman Catholic church. By trade the father was a cooper but after- ward became a farmer and for forty years lived on his own farm near Defiance, Ohio, then sold and retired to Columbus Grove.

After his school day Edward D. Schick learned the plumbing and steamfitting trade and went to Denver, at the age of seventeen years, after which he worked at his trade until 1893, when he engaged in mining in Colorado until 1901. Then he operated a shop of his own for eight years in Denver. In 1915, Mr. Schick came to Scottsbluff and immediately bought a residence on the edge of town. It now is well within the town limits and he and his family have many near neighbors, so rapid has been the growth of Scottsbluff. This growth has been profiable to Mr. Schick for his skilled work is needed in the construction of both residences and business buildings of any pretention. In 1918, with Mr. Ray, Mr. Schick established his plumbing and heating business and lias prospered, giving close atten- tion to his work and is doing well.

In 1895. Mr. Schick was united in marriage to Miss Maude Dufoe, who was born in Iowa, and is a daughter of Alexander and Emma (Doyle) Dufoe. The mother of Mrs. Schuck resides with her at Scottsbluff, but, in 1888, the family had moved to Denver and there

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

the father died, being then aged ninety-four years. Mr. and Mrs. Schick have the follow- ing children: Thelma, who is the wife of C. L. Ray; Paloma, who is the wife of Jack Brashier, a farmer in Scotts Bluff county ; and Vernon and Beatrice, both of whom are in school. Mr. Schick and family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he in an independent voter, and fraternally he belongs to the Woodmen of the World. He is one of the representative business men of the city.

THOMAS KNAPP, who is one of the younger business men of Scottsbluff, in point of time, is firmly established here in the auto- mobile repair and painting busness and is pro- prietor of the Baxtrom Auto Paint Company and its branches. Mr. Knapp was born at Omaha, Nebraska, May 18, 1880.

The parents of Mr. Knapp were Jarred M. and Ellen M. (Edwards) Knapp, both of whom were born near Columbus, Ohio, in which state they were married. They came west and located first at Council Bluffs, Iowa. He was appoined an Indian agent and had many exciting adventures. He drove the third express on the Oregon trail and made trips to Salt Lake, Utah, in the early days. Three time the Mormons kidnapped his two brothers and twice he succeeded in reclaiming them, but failed in the third attempt. He acquired land in Nebraska on which a part of the city of Omaha now stands and engaged in farming there. He died at Omaha, where the mother of Mr. Knapp yet lives, having resided on the same place for over forty-three years. In politics the father of Mr. Knapp was a Re- publican. He belonged to the Masonic fra- ternity, was a Knight of Pythias and an Odd Fellow, and was active in the organization known as the Knights of Labor.

'Thomas Knapp was the only child born to his parents. He grew up near and in Omaha, and attended school until he was eleven years old. Since that age he has, unaided, earned his own way in the world and through industry has prospered. For twelve years he worked for the Samuel Lee Orchard Carpet Company, Omaha, and then eight years for the Union Outfitting Company, making a very creditable record, in that his services were so long re- tained by these two representative firms. Dur- ing a cyclone that swept Omaha, he lost prop- erty valued at many thousands of dollars. On May 7, 1918, Mr. Knapp came to Scottsbluff and started his present business with two as- sistants, while he now requires seventeen skill- ed men. Mr. Knapp is head of the largest

auto painting, body building, and top making concern in the west, known as the L. A. Mann Company. This firm will operate twelve places of business before the close of 1921, and have plans all made for a three story building in Scottsbluff, size forty-eight by one hundred and sixty-six feet. Mr. Knapp knows eighty percent of the residents of Scottsbluff and Morrill counties by name and is known as a success wherever he goes, as is shown by the many branches he has taken as a failure and made big successes with them. Mr. Knapp lives with his hand in his pocket for anyone he can help and is known as "Chrismas basket Knapp" on account of his personal efforts to the poor at Christmas time.

WILLIAM A. GORDON .- There is not any doubt but that the real estate man of to- day, succeeds by reason of the confidence placed in him by his clients; therefore the most prosperous men and firms in the real estate business are those who are able to ad- vise wisely and willing to deal honestly. A very successful real estate man at Scottsbluff, is William A. Gordon, the head of the Gordon Realty Company, that is doing much work for the upbuilding of the city along lines of beauty as well as utility. Mr. Gordon came to Scottsbluff in 1915, but has been a resident of Nebraska since boyhood. He was born in Jones county, Iowa, in 1872.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 129

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