History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 139

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

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Mr. Roblee was born in New York state, October 28, 1861, and in the same state were born his parents, Orlando and Agnes (Cran-

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dall) Roblee, who passed their entire lives there, the father having been a farmer by vocation. Orlando Roblee attained to the venerable age of eighty-three years, his wife having passed away at the age of sixty-eight years.

Lafayette O. Roblee was afforded the ad- vantages of the public schools of Sandusky, New York, and in his youth gained practical experience in connection with the work of the home farm. Finally he engaged in inde- pendent farm enterprise in his native state, and after a period of about four years turned his attention to the operation of a saw mill and grist mill, with which enterprise he was identi- fied for eighteen months. His ambition then led him to make personal investigation of the opportunities afforded in the progressive west, and in 1887, as a young man of twenty-six years, he came to Nebraska and numbered himself among the pioneers of Custer county. He took a pre-emption claim near the present village of Sargent, and was engaged in gener- al farming and stock-raising for five years, within which time he made numerous improve- ments on his pioneer farm. At the expiration of that period Mr. Roblee went to the state of New York, but four years later returned to Custer county, where he continued his ac- tivities as a farmer for the ensuing four years. He then came to that part of Deuel county that is now comprised in Garden county, and enter- ed claim to a homestead, to the reclamation and development of which he applied himself with characteristic energy and discrimination. He made good improvements on the place and was actively engaged in farming until 1909 when he removed to the village of Lewellen and established himself in the furniture and undertaking business, to which he later added a grocery department. He became one of the leading business man of the village and that he gained unqualified popularity in the commun- ity is evidenced by the fact that in 1910, he became postmaster of the village, a position he held until 1917. In 1918, he sold his busi- ness at Lewellen and purchased his present farm, to the active management of which he has since given his attention, as one of the suc- cessful and representative agriculturists and stock-growers of Garden county. His land is well irrigated by water from the Bratt ditch, of which he is one of the owners. A man of well ordered convictions in relation to political affairs, Mr. Roblee is a Republican, and he is always ready to lend his support to those agencies that tend to conserve the prog- ress and prosperity of his home county and state.

August 2, 1881, Mr. Roblee wedded Miss Ella Fuller, who was born in the state of Iowa, but who was reared and educated in the state of New York, having been a milliner by occupation at the time of her marriage. Mrs. Roblee is a daughter of Alonzo and Emily (Brady) Fuller, who were born and reared in the state of New York, the father having served as a soldier of the Union dur- ing the Civil War and died in 1865, while enroute to his home, after having received his honorable discharge; his widow passed away at the age of forty-nine years. Mr. and Mrs. Roblee have four children : Dean S., of Lewel- len, married Miss Maude Sargent, and they have three children ; Roy L., who likewise re- sides at Lewellen, married Miss Ina Durand and they have two children; Agnes is living at home; Lawrence, who is associated with his father in the management of the farm, married Vinnie Rickard and they have one child, Dar- line.

FRED JOHNSON, known and honored as one of the sterling pioneers of Garden county, has shown the energy and good judgment that gain success in connection with ranch and farm enterprise. He came to Garden county about thirty-five years ago, when it was still a part of old Cheyenne county, and in develop- ing his farm property he encountered his full share of the burdens and trials that marked the careers of all pioneers in this section of the state. Success has crowned his efforts and he is a citizen who commands the high regard of the people of the county in which he has long maintained his home.

Fred Johnson was born in Germany, Decem- ber 19, 1855, and was a lad of about twelve years at the time the family immigrated to America. He was reared and educated in the state of Wisconsin, where his parents estab- lished their home in 1867. He is a son of Henry and Mary (Russ) Johnson, who left their native land in 1867, as above noted, and came to the United States. They settled in Greenfield township, Milwaukee county, Wis- consin, where the father reclaimed and devel- oped a good farm, and they passed the remain- der of their lives there; the father died at the age of seventy-three years and the mother at the age of seventy-five years.

Fred Johnson made good use of the ad- vantages afforded in the public schools of the Badger state, and as a youth of seventeen years made his way to Michigan City, Indiana, where for seven years he was employed in that now gigantic railroad-car factory of the Haskell & Barker Company. For about eighteen months

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thereafter Mr. Johnson was employed in a gas factory at Michigan City, and later he was for five years an employe in the chair factory of Ford & Johnson, which is still one of the important furniture manufacturing concerns of the country. In 1885, Mr. Johnson came to that part of old Cheyenne county, Nebraska, that now comprises Garden county, and took up a homestead, seven miles southwest of the present village of Lewellen. He instituted the improvement of his claim, to which he proved title in due course, and with the passing years he proved successful in his agricultural and live-stock operations. He has developed one of the model farms of the county, and still gives his personal supervision to the same, be- sides which he has done a prosperous business in the raising of cattle and horses. He has been a helpful force in community advance- ment, is a Republican in politics, is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are communicants of the Lutheran church.

September 16, 1880, recorded the marriage of Mr. Johnson to Miss Anna Lambke, of Michigan City, Indiana, in which state she was born and reared. Mrs. Johnson is a daughter of Henry Lambke, who was born in Germany and was a young man when he came to Amer- ica. For many years he was identified with railroad operations, and for twenty-one years was in the employ of the New Albany Railroad Company of Indiana. In conclusion is given brief record concerning the children of Mr. and Mrs. Johnson: Mrs. Florence Wilson re- sides at Lewellen and is the mother of three sons ; Elmer likewise resides at Lewellen ; Mrs. Emma Emerson, of Lewellen, has three chil- dren ; Archie has returned to Garden county after loyal service with the One Hundred and Ninth Engineers during the World War; Mrs. Edmona DeLatour, of Lewellen, has three children, and Harry, Gordon and Fred, Jr., remain at home.

JAMES COPLEY is one of the represen- totive farmers of the younger generation in the Lewellen district of Garden county, where he purchased and still owns the fine homestead which was here taken by his father, James S. Copley, of whom more specific mention is made on other pages, in the sketch of the ca- recr of an older son, Ira Copley, so that a re- petition of the family record is not demanded in the present review.

James Copley was born in Wayne county, West Virginia, and was reared and educated in his native state, the date of his birth having

been April 6, 1889. He has been a resident of Garden county since 1907, in which year he came to Nebraska from West Virginia, and for several years was in the employ of the Western Land & Cattle Company. In 1916, he entered claim to the homestead upon which he now resides and upon which he has made good improvements, besides which, as pre- viously stated, he owns the old homestead of his father, who was one of the pioneers of what is now Garden county and who is still engaged in farming and live-stock enterprise. The farm property of James Copley now com- prises a section of valuable land, and his at- tractive home is situated about six miles west of the village of Lewellen, which is his post- office address. He is a Republican in his poli- tical views and he and his wife are popular factors in the social life of their community.

At Oshkosh, Garden county, December 4, 1916, Mr. Copley was united in marriage to Miss Mabel Nash, whose parents were pioneer settlers in the vicinity of Oshkosh, where Mrs. Copley was reared and educated, she being a native of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Copley have a fine little son, Kenneth, who was born August 16, 1918, and who holds undisputed dominion in the pleasant home.

HJALMAR E. OLSON conducts a success- ful business in the buying and shipping of live stock, with residence and general headquarters in the village of Lewellen, Garden county, and he also has developed a prosperous business as a skilled and resourceful auctioneer, a ca- pacity in which his services are much in de- mand. He is one of the alert and progressive young men of Garden county, where he had been engaged in farm enterprise prior to his removal to Lewellen.

Mr. Olson was born in Kearney county, Ne- braska, March 2, 1887, and is a son of Andrew and Catherine Olson, the former of whom was born in Sweden and the latter in Denmark. After their marriage the parents continued their residence in Sweden until 1885, when they came to the United States and settled in Kearney county, Nebraska, where the father became a successful agriculturist and stock- grower, he having continued his active asso- ciation with farm enterprise in that county until 1912, when he retired and established his residence at Minden, where he and his wife have since maintained their home. They have reared a fine family of twelve children-nine sons and three daughters-all of whom are living, the subject of this sketch having been the seventh in order of birth.

Hjalmar E. Olson passed the period of his

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childhood and early youth on the home farm of his father and is indebted to the excellent schools of Kearney county for his educational training. At the age of twenty-one years he engaged in independent farm enterprise in his native county, where he continued operations eight years, with special attention given to the raising of hogs. At the expiration of that per- iod he came to Garden county and purchased a tract of land, upon which he was success- fully engaged in general farming and stock- raising for the ensuing two years. He then removed to Lewellen and engaged in his pres- ent line of business, in which his success has been enhanced by his thorough knowledge of live-stock values. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, and while he has shown no desire for official preferment he served as treasurer of school district No. 50, Garden county, from 1916 to 1919.

November 10, 1908, recorded the marriage of Mr. Olson to Miss Mattie Jones, who was reared and educated in Kearney county, and who is a daughter of Edmond N. and Sarah Jones, natives of Kentucky. Mr. and Mrs. Jones established their residence in Kearney county in 1880, and there he took up a home- stead and instituted the development of a farm. He perfected his title to the place and there his death occurred in 1897, his widow being now a resident of Minden, that county. Mr. and Mrs. Olson have five children-Avis, Doris, Vera and Verna (twins) and Irene. Mrs. Olson is a member of the Baptist church.

IRA PAISLEY has been prominently and worthily identified with the civic and indus- trial interests of Garden county since the pio- neer period when it was still a part of old Cheyenne county, and after many years of earnest and active service in connection with the development of the agricultural resources and live-stock interests of this section of the state, is now living virtually retired, in a pleas- ant home in the village of Lewellen. As one of the honored and influential pioneers of the county he is entitled to special tribute in this history.

Ira Paisley, a scion of the staunchest of Scotch ancestry, was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, February 16, 1851, and is a son of Hugh C. and Mary Anna (Haynes) Pais- ley, the latter of whom was born and reared in Ohio, her death having occurred in Louisa county, Iowa, in May, 1865. Hugh C. Paisley was a member of an old and influential family of Scotland, and was born in the city of Pais- ley, where he was reared and educated. As a young man he severed the ties that bound

him to his native land and set forth to seek his fortunes in the United States. He settled in Ohio, where he followed the trade of car- penter for some time, but eventually bccame a farmer. His marriage was solemnized in the old Buckeye state where he continued to reside until 1850, when he removed with his family to Illinois. About two years later he settled in Iowa, where he secured a tract of land about twenty miles north of the present city of Burlington. There he continued his activities as a pioneer farmer about thirteen years, and, in 1880, came with his family to Nebraska and established his residence in Polk county, where he passed the residue of his life, having been sixty-nine years of age at the time of his death. Of his nine children the subject of this sketch was the seventh in order of birth. Three of the sons, Findley, Isaiah and Frank, were soldiers of the Union in the Civil War. Findley and Isaiah enlisted in the Sixteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and Frank became a member of Company M, Eighth Iowa Cavalry. All three served during the great conflict and all were confined for a time in the historic Andersonville Prison. Findley met his death at the battle of Shiloh, and Frank was severely wounded at the battle of Gregory Station.

Ira Paisley was reared under the influence of the pioneer era in the state of Iowa, where he was afforded the advantages of the public schools, and, in 1870, he came to Nebraska and settled in Polk county, where he began to farm. About four years later he returned to lowa, and remained about two years. He then came again to Polk county, Nebraska, to live there until 1884, when he came to the western part of the state as a pioneer settler of that part of Cheyenne county that consti- tutes the present Garden county. He took up a pre-emption claim on the Blue river, north- west of the present village of Lewellen, and became one of the early farmers and live-stock men in this now opulent section of the state. He perfected title to his claim, and also to a homestead, which likewise he developed and improved and owned until 1904. Thereafter he secured three-fourths of a section of land, under the provisions of the Kincaid law, and he continued his active association with farm industry until 1918, when he sold his land and removed to Lewellen, where he has since lived in well earned retirement, the labors and well directed enterprise of earlier years having gained to him a competency. He takes great pride in the progress that has been made in this section of the state and also in the fact

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that he has been able to do his share in pro- moting this civic and industrial advancement. A man of sterling character, he has ever com- manded the fullest measure of popular con- fidence and esteem, and has been a loyal and public-spirited citizen. His political allegiance is given to the Republican party, but he has never manifested any ambition for the honors of political office. He is one of the stock- holders of the Warner Telephone Company and has other substantial financial interests. Both he and his wife are zealous members of the United Presbyterian church at Lewellen.

September 20, 1875, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Paisley to Miss Mary M. Wilson, who was born and reared in Iowa, where her father, John M. Wilson, was a pio- neer farmer, having been born in Preble coun- ty, Ohio. Mr. Wilson passed the closing per- iod of his life at Pawnee City, Nebraska, where he died at the venerable age of eighty years, the maiden name of his wife was Gar- rison. She died before her husband. Mr. and Mrs. Paisley have nine children-Harry, cf Joliet, Wyoming ; Mrs. Eva White, of Le- wellen; Mrs. Cora Clark, of Oshkosh, Garden county ; Mrs. Clara Sellers, of Ashton, Idaho ; John M., of Joliet, Wyoming; Mrs. Pearl Robinson and Mrs. Irene Roberts, both resi- dents of Lewellen, Garden county ; Mrs. Myrtle Robinson, of Joliet, Wyoming, and Ira Jr., of Lewellen, who served in the United States Navy during the period of the World War.

JAMES W. ORR is to be accorded recog- nition as one of the representative pioneer citi- zens and successful agriculturists and stock- growers of Garden county, where he is the owner of a large and well improved farm property, to the supervision of which he gives his personal attention, though he is now liv- ing in semi-retirement, in the village of Le- wellen. His career has been one of varied and productive activity, and he has achieved worthy success as a result of his earnest and well directed endeavors.

James William Orr was born at Rockaway, New Jersey, on September 8, 1868, and is a son of John and Mary (McCormick) Orr, the former a native of Scotland and the latter of Ireland. The father was a young man when he removed from Scotland to Ireland, where he engaged in the work of his trade, that of wheelwright. There his marriage was sol- emnized, and in 1847 he came with his fam- ily to America and settled at Rockaway, New Jersey, where he continued for many years in

the work of his trade and in that state he died at the age of seventy-four years, his wife having passed away at the age of sixty-three years. Of their nine children three sons be- came residents of Nebraska-Calhoun, John H. and James W.

To the public schools of his native state James W. Orr is indebted for his early educa- tional discipline, which was received princi- pally at Danville, Warren county. At the Kis- lepau mines, near that place, he became oper- ator of a stationary engine, and continued his association with the mining industry about ten years. In 1892, Mr. Orr came to Nebras- ka and took up a homestead in Keith county, where he engaged in farming and stock-rais- ing and finally perfected his title to the land. In 1898, he began to farm irrigated land, and to give special attention to the raising of hogs, but about three years later he went to the state of Washington, where he returned to the occupation of his youth, by operating the en- gine of a shingle mill. He remained in Wash- ington about seven months and then returned to Nebraska and resumed operations as an agriculturist and stock-grower. In 1903, Mr. Orr purchased four hundred acres of land in Garden county, and to provide for its irriga- tion effected the completion of the Bratt ditch. In addition to developing the agricultural re- sources of his land he has here carried on successful and somewhat extensive operations in the raising and feeding of hogs, and con- tinued to live on his well improved farm until 1918, when he removed to Lewellen, where he owns and occupies an attractive home, though he still gives a general supervision to his farming and stock interests. He is part own- er of the Bratt irrigation ditch and has been liberal in the support of enterprises that have tended to advance the civic and material wel- fare of the county. His political views are in harmony with the principles of the Demo- cratic party ; he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Woodmen of the World, and he and his wife hold member- ship in the United Presbyterian church.

November 12, 1904, recorded the marriage of Mr. Orr to Miss Elsie Branden, who was born in England, of Scotch-Irish lineage. Mrs. Orr died in 1907 and is survived by two chil- dren, Mary E. and John E., who remain at home. On March 9, 1910, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Orr to Miss Jennie Gor- don, at Julesburg, Colorado. Mrs. Orr was born and reared in County Tyrone, Ireland, and came to America with her brother An-

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drew, who settled in Garden county, Nebras- ka, in 1907. Mr. and Mrs. Orr have one son, James G.

STEPHEN L. BROWN. - In Crawford county, Illinois, February 4, 1854, Stephen Louis Brown "ope'd wondering eyes to view a naughty world," and it may be that on this birthday of a now prominent and honored citi- zen of Garden county, Nebraska, the auguries foreshadowed the career that was to give to him a plethora of pioneer experience in the west. He has been distinctly one of the world's productive workers, and the results of his honorable and well ordered efforts are shown in his ownership of a large and valu- able farm property in this county.

Mr. Brown is a son of Phillip and Caroline (Dare) Brown, both of whom were born and reared in the state of Indiana, to which Mrs. Brown's people came as pioneers from New Jersey. Phillip Brown became a substantial farmer in the Hoosier state, whence he even- tually removed to Illinois and engaged in the same fundamental vocation in Crawford coun- ty. In 1878, he removed with his family to Kansas, where he became associated with con- struction work on the Missouri Pacific Rail- road. In the following year he came to Ne- braska and assumed a contract for grade work on the line of the same railway, near Browns- ville. In 1882, he established his residence in Atchison county, Missouri, where he resumed his operations as a farmer, but eventually he returned to Illinois, where he died within a short time, at the age of eighty-two years. His wife was seventy-nine years of age at the time of her death, which occurred in Boone county, Nebraska.

Stephen L. Brown passed the first nine years of his life in Crawford county, Illinois, where he profited by the advantages afforded in the public schools of the period, and then went to Lawrence county, that state, where he re- mained, and continued to attend school, until he attained his legal majority. When about eighteen years of age he gained his initial ex- perience in independent farm enterprise, in Lawrence county, Illinois, and in the autumn of 1877, he drove with team and wagon from Illinois to Mitchell county, Kansas. In Feb- ruary of the following year he filed entry on a pre-emption claim and a tree claim on Chey- enne creek, in Lane county, that state, but, owing to ensuing difficulties with cattle men and a mistake on the part of a veteran soldier of the Civil War, who had supposed he was to have the same property, Mr. Brown turned over to him the two claims. On June 25 of

the same year he left Lane county and went to Cove county, from which locality he made his way on foot to Mitchell county-covcring a distance of eighty-five miles in two and a half days. For the ensuing three years he was engaged in grade work on the line of the Mis- souri Pacific Railroad, in association with his father, and he then accompanied his father to Atchison county, Missouri, where he remained about two years. He then, in 1886, came to Nebraska and purchased a quarter-section of railroad land in Greeley county, where he was engaged in farming and stock-raising for four- teen years. The following two years found him employed on the extensive ranch of Sam- uel Allerton, the prominent Chicago meat- packer, in Boone county, this state, and the next six years he was engaged in farming near Albion, that county. In 1908, he established his residence in that part of Deuel county that now comprises Garden county, where he filed entry on a section of land, to which he even- tually perfected his title. With characteristic energy and discrimination he instituted the de- velopment and improvement of his land, which he utilized for diversified agriculture and for the raising and feeding of cattle and horses. He has made this one of the valuable farm properties of the county, and although he now resides in the village of Lewellen he still gives his personal supervision, in a general way, to his well improved farm, his son Frank having the active management of the place and their live-stock operations being conducted on a somewhat extensive scale.

In politics Mr. Brown designates himself an independent Democrat, in a fraternal way he is affiliated with the Modern Woodmen of America, and he and his wife are zealous members of Calvary Baptist church at Le- wellen, in which he formerly served as super- intendent of the Sunday school.

In Atchison county, Missouri, February 14, 1885, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Brown to Miss Phoebe Watts, who was born in the state of Illinois, as were also her par- ents, James H. and Martha (Gill) Watts. Mr. Watts, a farmer by vocation, though a car- penter by trade, removed with his family from Illinois to Missouri in 1882, and about four years later went to Greeley county, Nebraska, where he took up a homestead and engaged in farming. He eventually retired from the farm and settled at Cedar Rapids, Boone county, where he died at the age of seventy-five years, his wife having been forty years old, at the time of her death, which occurred in Illinois, In conclusion is given brief record concerning

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 139

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