History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 35

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

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John W. Morris was born in Caroline coun- ty, Maryland, June 4, 1843, the son of Vincent and Elizabeth Morris, the father being born and reared in this state along the bay, and the mother in Delaware. Mr. Morris received his educational advantages in the public schools and while still a boy assumed many of the duties and much of the work on his father's farm. After his schooling was over he estab- lished himself independently in farm industry, as that was the business with which he was most familiar and of which he had an excellent working knowledge, but he was an ambitious man, and this old settled county offered few

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opportunities to a man of vigor who deter- mined to branch out, "put fortune to the haz- ard," and seek out what the "Golden West" might have in store. Mr. Morris had read widely along lines connected with his business and knew of the offers mads by the govern- ment of fertile lands on the high prairies of the middle west and in 1885 he and his wife severed all the old home associations and ties that bound then to the east and started for Nebraska, then considered a part of the "Great American Desert." Mr. and Mrs. Morris drove into the state in true pioneer style ; they had a team of oxen, the best animals for break- ing the sod, hitched to their wagon in which were carried their household goods. They drove their hogs and cattle along with them as settlements were few and far between in that early day. It was a long, tedious journey up the river route across the great commonwealth that today is one of the richest in the Union, but they were high-hearted and their faith in this new country kept up their courage. At last they reached Scottsbluff county and took up the first claim in the Cedar valley, later changed to Gering valley. At that time all this great plains country was the range of the great cattle barons, who owned vast herds that ranged from Texas in the winter to Wyoming in the summer and Mr. Morris tells that it was impossible for men or women to go out on foot for fear of cattle running them down, so were forced to go everywhere on horseback. He remembers very well the first day in the valley, when he was running out the line of his claim, that a man came along driving several horses through ; they talked and it proved that he was H. M. Springer, who was one of the early resi- dents of Mitchell, a friendship that has con- tinned through the years. Mr. Morris says that he had to drive to Sidney for his supplies, a trip that took four days, and when he decided to replace his first sod house with a frame building he had to drive to Laramie Peak, Wyoming, and freight the lumber into the Gering valley. After getting settled and erect- ing a log house for shelter of the family and such primitive farm structures that were abso- lutely necessary, Mr. Morris began the labori- ous work of breaking the prairie sod with his team of oxen. Soon after arriving in the Pan- handle, Mr. Morris put his previous farming experience to good use by buying cattle to stock his land and soon developed a paying business of it. He planted diversified grain crops, but the early years were hard ones in western Ne- braska, due to drought. blizzards, crop failures, and the insect pests that destroyed the growing grain. However, the Morrises were not dis-

couraged and they have lived to see their faith in this section proved true, where were only unbroken rolling prairies when they first came is now a smiling countryside, green with the growing crops in the summer, dotted with pros- perous, flourishing towns and villages, and with irrigation Scottsbluff county has become the garden spot of Nebraska. Mr. Morris im- proved his homestead, and when his capital per- mitted bought other land adjoining the original claim, until he was one of the heavy and sub- stantial landed men of the section and for many years was actively engaged in the various branches of farm enterprise from which he reaped a well deserved return and today has given up active life, disposed of all his holdings but five acres where his beautiful home is locat- ed. Now in the sunset years of life he can look back and feel that life has been worth while for he can visualize the changes that have taken place in the thirty-five years since he drove up the valley. In politics Mr. Morris is an adherent of the Republican party but draws no tight party lines when it comes to local elec- tions, believing that the man best fitted to serve the people should be elected.

October 17, 1872. Mr. Morris married Miss Elizabeth Haskell, born in Scott county, Illi- nois, February 7, 1847, and they became the parents of three children: Bertram, who lives in Tacoma, Washington; Bertha, who married Sam Lawyer, who died, and she now lives in Gering: and Benjamin, who is the deputy sheriff of Scottsbluff county.

The foregoing record, implying much to him who can read between the lines as well as ap- preciate the data of the context itself, will be read with great pleasure by the many friends of Mr. and Mrs. Morris in Scottsbluff county and will prove a definite and worthy contribui- tion to the generic history of this favored section of Nebraska, as their names merit an enduring place of honor and distinction on the pages of the history of Scottsbluff county.

JOHN G. BAUR, who is a highly prosper- ous farmer and stockman in Kimball county, has lived here for eighteen years, and dur- ing that time has been a witness not only of great agricultural development in this sec- tion, but of the actual building of such busy and important towns as Bushnell and Dix. He has done his part in forwarding many of the enterprises that have contributed to this rapid expansion.

John G. Baur was born in Germany, No- vember 4, 1862, one of a family of fourteen children. Six of the sons and five daughters came to America. The parents died in Ger-

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many, the mother in 1886 and the father in 1890. They were honest, virtuous people re- spected by all in their community and mem- bers of the Lutheran church.

When John G. Baur landed in the port of New York he was twenty-seven years old. In his native land he had learned the shoemaking trade, but his aim in coming to America was to become the owner of a western homestead with material comforts for himself and fam- ily. In 1901 Mr. Baur came to Kimball coun- ty and settled near what is Bushnell at the present time, but then was represented by a little shed on the site of the flourishing town. He lived there one year during which he was in partnership with his brother-in-law, Charles Snyder, in the cattle business. He then moved to what is the present site of Dix and started into the cattle business for himself, in which he continued for three years and then home- steaded a three-quarter section on the main road three miles from Dix. Thus Mr. Baur succeeded in his desire that had brought him to America, in a comparatively short time. He has placed substantial improvements here, has an attractive and comfortable farm house, commodious barns and other buildings and an air of thrift is everywhere to be observed. Of his homestead he now has three hundred and fifty acres under the plow. Since his first purchase, he has added the other quarter section and additionally has bought a three- quarter section east of the homestead.

In 1892 Mr. Baur was married to Miss Catherine Funk, who was born in Germany and accompanied her people to the United States. They were very early settlers in Madison county, Nebraska, and her father built the first blacksmith shop. In the early days there the Funk family endured many hardships. They lived a distance of fifty miles from a market and on many occasions the father or brothers of Mrs. Baur would carry a dressed hog to town and exchange it for a bag of flour. The crops were eaten up by the grasshoppers, the only fortunate son of the family being the blacksmith, for the in- sects could not eat the anvil. Eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Baur and all sur- vive except the eldest son, who died at the age of two and a half years. The others are as follows: Walter, who is engaged in farm- ing, was honorably discharged from military service in the great war after training in camp at Fremont, in New Jersey, and at Fort Lee, Virginia ; Gertrude, who lives with her parents ; Henry, who is manager of a cattle ranch in Wyoming; Otto, who is associated

with his father ; Frank, who is also a farmer ; and John and Eugene, both of whom are at- tending school. Mr. Baur and family are members of the Lutheran church. Aside from his land and stock, Mr. Baur has other invest- ments, one being in the Elevator Company at Dix. Mr. Baur is an honorable, upright citi- zen, a competent farmer and business man and a friendly, helpful neighbor.

CHARLES G. NELSON, who is promi- nent in business circles at Kimball and well and favorably known in other sections, was born at Stanton, in Montgomery county, Iowa, February 22, 1872. His parents were Lars Peter and Loiuse Nelson, both of whom were born in Sweden. Their marriage took place in Henry county, Illinois, in 1866.

Charles Gustav Nelson remained on the farm with his father until he was twenty-five years old. His father died at Stanton, Iowa, February 14, 1901, and his mother at Boone, Iowa, March 21, 1919. In 1897 Mr. Nelson embarked in the real estate business at Stan- ton, three years later accepting a railway mail route and two years afterward was appointed assistant postmaster at Stanton. On July 17, 1906, he came to Genoa, Nebraska and became identified with the insurance department of the Modern Woodmen of America and con- tinued in that work for eighteen months. He was then called to Omaha as state manager for the Monarch Land & Loan Company of Kansas City, Missouri. He remained in that position for one year, then returned to Genoa and became associated with C. W. Kaley of Omaha, and became state manager for all of South Dakota and the northern half of Ne- braska for two years for the Woodman Acci- dent Association, after which he was with the Woodmen of the World for two years. Mr. Nelson then went into business of handling flour, feed and produce, which enterprise he turned over to his son in July, 1916, and then established the Monarch Land Company of Genoa with William E. Martin. On March 1, 1919, a third interest in the business was bought by Carl O. Heart. On April 1, 1919, Mr. Nelson came to Kimball and established the real estate business in partnership with his son Wayne I., which is operated as the Mon- arch Land Company. A large land business is now being done in the western part of the county by this firm.

On June 14, 1895, Mr. Nelson was united in marriage to Miss Julia J. Peterson, a daugh- ter of Gustav and Louise Peterson, who had children as follows: George, who died in in-

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fancy ; Amanda, who died in infancy ; Lydia, who is the widow of Herman Anderson ; Emily, who lives at Genoa, Nebraska ; George, who is deceased; Julia J., who is Mrs. Nel- son; Annie, a twin sister, who died aged two and a half years. Gerhard, who is in the greenhouse business at Denver ; Albert, who is a farmer near Genoa; Helga, who lives in Sweden; John, who is a merchant at Hult, Sweden ; and Edith, who died when nine years old. The parents of Mrs. Nelson died at Hult, Sweden.

To Mr. and Mrs. Nelson were born three sons and two daughters, namely : Frances, who is the wife of Reuben Dawson, a farmer north of Bushnell, and they have a little daughter, Dorothy; Hazel, who died when fifteen years old; Wayne I., who is associated in business with his father; Morris, who is a fariner north of Bushnell; and Leland, who is at- tending school. Mr. Nelson and his family belong to the Lutheran church. He belongs to the Odd Fellows, the Woodmen of the World, the Woodmen of America and the Royal. Neighbors. Mr. Nelson is one of the coun- ty's far-sighted, trustworthy business men.

EDWARD L. ROLPH, M. D., physician and surgeon at Kimball, a man of wide pro- fessional experience, was born at Chautauqua Lake, New York, in 1859, a son of Lyman D. and Willoughby (Crandall) Rolph, the latter of whom is deceased, but the father of Dr. Rolph survives and resides at Pender, in Thur- ston county, Nebraska.

Edward L. Rolph comes of old American stock, the family name, properly Rolfe, belong- ing to early Virginia history tracing back to the marriage of the young Englishman Rolfe to Pocahontas. Like many names, the change of spelling came about for reasons now lost to the family, and for generations back the name has been Rolph. Dr. Rolph enjoyed su- perior educational advantages in his native state and secured his medical training at Louis- ville, Kentucky. He engaged first in practice in South Dakota, in 1894 locating at Pender, in Thurston county. Nebraska, and it was dur- ing his years of professional work in eastern Nebraska that he so endeared himself to the Winnebago Indians, that they conferred on him the greatest mark of confidence and es- teem, making him a member of their tribe. In 1909 Dr. Rolph went to Old Mexico, and in 1916 came to Kimball.

In 1894 Dr. Rolph was married to Miss Edith E. Stebbins, of Pender, Nebraska. Al- though Dr. and Mrs. Rolph have had no chil-

dren of their own, that has not prevented their having young life about them, for out of the goodness of their hearts they have given shelter and parental affection to several orphan chil- dren. An adopted daughter is no longer living, but an adopted son has grown to fine young manhood and during the great war was in military training at Camp Dodge. Dr. and Mrs. Rolph are members of the Methodist church. He belongs to the Masonic fratern- ity and Mrs. Rolph is a member of the order of the Eastern Star.

CHARLES E. JACOBY, proprietor of the only photographic studio at Kimball, has been in this line of business ever since he left school. Mr. Jacoby was born at Wilton Junction, Iowa, in 1870, where he was reared. His parents died in Iowa.

Charles E. Jacoby was educated in Musca- tine county and is a graduate of the public schools. From boyhood he manifested certain artistic tastes, and when nineteen years old, left to his own choice of profession, he de- cided to learn photography. He established his first studio at Sioux Rapids, Iowa, where he continued twelve years in the business. In 1910 he came to Kimball county, Nebraska, homesteaded and lived on his land until 1914, when he came to Kimball, erected a building suitable for studio purposes and occupies a large part of it for photographic developinent. He has kept fully abreast of the time in the photographic field, and his rooms are equipped with all necessary instruments and high priced lenses, together with draperies and settings that may be found in establishments of this kind in metropolitan cities.

In 1894 Mr. Jacoby was united in marriage to Miss Pearl Noll, of Wilton Junction, Iowa, where she was born in 1872. The father of Mrs. Jacoby is deceased but her mother sur- vives and lives at Walnut Grove, Minnesota. Mr. and Mrs. Jacoby have had four children, namely : Esther, Maurine, Phyllis and Charles E. Mr. and Mrs. Jacoby are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. While living in Iowa Mr. Jacoby was active in the Odd Fel- low and Rebekah lodges. He owns property at Kimball which includes his studio build- ings and a handsome modern residence.

CHARLES J. OLDAKER, who is a widely known representative and worthy citizen of Kimball county, has been a resident of Nebras- ka for many years, and owns a large body of richly cultivated land in Kimball county. He was born August 10, 1860, in Johnson coun-

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ty, Iowa, where his parents were farming peo- ple. His father died in September, 1896, and his mother in September, 1916.

Charles J. Oldaker obtained his education in the country schools and remained in Iowa un- til he was twenty-one years old, when he went to Bozeman, Montana, with the Northern Pa- cific Railroad. He tried farming in the vicin- ity of Bozeman for a year, then gave it up and went back to Iowa. Later on he again left Iowa and came on a visit to Frontier county, Nebraska, went then into Colorado and took up a pre-emption claim and proved up. In 1887 he came to Kimball county and, pleased with the aspect of the country and the fine people he met among the earlier settlers, decided to remain, and in the following season homestead- ed a half section located nine miles north of Kimball. To his first purchase he added and now owns an entire section. Mr. Oldaker re- mained on his farm until 1917, when he came to Kimball to live, having a comfortable resi- dence here and an unlimited number of friends.

Mr. Oldaker was married at Bicknell, Ne- braska, to Miss Clara C. Kennedy, and they have the following children: Roy C., born April 19, 1889 ; Elmo, born April 18,1891 : John G., born May 31, 1892 ; Fay, born July 2, 1894; Lola, born July 30, 1896 ; Clara, born June 15, 1898; Earl, born June 14, 1902; and Lynn, born July 15, 1907. John Gilbert Oldaker of the above family, is one of the returned heroes of the great war. He enlisted in the United States navy on December 11, 1917, was sent to France and served seven months on the Flanders front, and was honorably dis- charged July 10, 1919. Both Mr. and Mrs. Oldaker belong to the order of Royal High- landers and Mrs. Oldaker is also chief matron in the Degree of Honor lodge, and both set a good example of thrift and foresight by car- rying life insurance. Mrs. Oldaker was reared in the Christian church but she attends serv- ices in the Presbyterian church with her hus- band, of which religious body he is a member. He belongs also to the Knights of Pythias.

ALBERT HUBBARD was born in Ran- dolph, Indiana, December 5, 1862, the son of Francis and Elizabeth (Meriwether ) Hubbard. His father was a native of Indiana, and his mother of Delaware. The subject of the sketch was the second of five children born in this family, the eldest being a daughter, Lavina E., now living in Indiana, the wife of Riley Hin- shaw. Of the others, Ira is a resident of Scottsbluff county, Nebraska, and Elza and Riley live in Indiana. The father was a farm- er and was killed crossing a railroad track

August 19, 1913, at eighty years of age; the mother died May 25, 1890, at about fifty years of age.

Albert was educated in the public schools of Indiana. After completing his schooling he took up farming in his native state, but heard the call of the great undeveloped West and came to Nebraska in 1886. In October of this year he took up a preëmption claim and proved up on same. He then took up a homestead of 160 acres in Scottsbluff county, developed and improved it through the years of pioneering, clerking in a store in Gering several years, and now owns 160 acres of well improved, irrigated land, of the kind that is fast coming to be known as the most valuable because the most productive land in the entire United States.

On February 15, 1894, Mr. Hubbard was united in marriage with Gertrude England, and to their married life has come the blessing of four children, all of whom are living at home. They are : Emery O., Edna V., Ralph, Waldo, and Laura E.

Mr. Hubbard is a member of the Christian church, and is a Republican in politics. He stands high in the estimation of his fellow cit- izens, and is bound by the close ties of sym- pathy and common experience with the early settlers of this community who experienced along with him the struggles and trials of liv- ing in a new country during the period of drouth and hard times before the magical power of irrigation was invoked to turn the desert into a garden.

JAMES W. BOGLE, for many years one of Kimball county's enterprising and progres- sive business men, now lives comfortably re- tired at Bushnell, in which city he owns a large amount of valuable realty. He is a na- tive of Indiana, born, and reared, in Washing- ton county, July 13, 1849. Both parents have long since passed out of life.

James W. Bogle attended the country schools in boyhood and grew up on a farm. In 1871 he left Indiana and went to Jasper county, Illinois, working there as a farmer for two years and then found better oppor- tunities in Clay county, where he remained six years. Having a natural desire to see more of the great country in which it had been his good fortune to be born, he kept making his way westward, going from Clay county, Illi- nois, to Ringgold county, Iowa, and six months afterward reached Missouri. Mr. Bogle engaged in farming in Missouri for a year and a half, but in 1879 came to Nebras- ka, located in Gosper county, took a home- stead and tree claim of a quarter section of

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land, settled down to its development and im- provement, during the first two years living in a sod house, which afforded a great contrast to his modern residence in Bushnell. When he left his farm and came to Bushnell he went into the mercantile business, being a pioneer here in this line and continued for some years and then sold his stock but still owns his fine brick building, in which are located a number of other business firms. Mr. Bogle has shown great business foresight in his investments in land since he came to Nebraska and owns ex- tensive tracts, including four hundred acres in Gosper county and tracts in Kimball county aggregating fourteen hundred and eighty acres.

In 1874 Mr. Bogle was united in marriage to Miss Mary C. Barnett, who was born in Washington county, Indiana, a daughter of Martin M. and Martha Elizabeth Barnett. The mother of Mrs. Bogle died in Indiana in 1860 but the father survived until April, 1891, moving to Missouri in 1889 and engaging in farming there. To Mr. and Mrs. Bogle the fol- lowing children were born : George D., who re- sides with his parents ; John F., who is a farm- er near Bushnell; Lauretta, who lives near Nampa, Idaho; Mrs. Eva May Meyerhoeffer, who lives in Gosper county ; Thomas Leander, who is a rancher near Bushnell ; Freddy, who was born September 12, 1886, died February 17, 1887 : Laura Alice, who resides at Bushnell ; and Charles L., who conducts a general store at Bushnell. While Mr. Bogle has never been unduly active in politics, he has always been an upright, forward-going citizen and has not neglected any of the responsibilities of good citizenship. Both he and wife are members of the Christian church, and benevolent move- ments of every kind find them interested and helpful when possible.

DAVID R. READ. - One of the substan- tial and prominent men of Bushnell, whose life story is filled with interest, because it tells of worthy effort bountifully rewarded, is David R. Read, now living retired in this beautiful little city. He may well be classed a first citizen, as he was one of the pioneer set- tlers of the hamlet of Orkney, which was the original site of Bushnell.

Mr. Read was born in Henry county, Mis- souri, in 1860. His parents were Joseph T. and Mary Anna (Gilbert ) Read, the former of whom was born in Tennessee and the latter in Pennsylvania. The mother died in 1893 and the father came to Scottsbluff county, Ne- braska, and died there in 1917. Mr. Read ob-

tained his schooling in Henry county, Missouri. The Civil War undoubtedly had its changing effect on the fortunes of the family and he was not very old when he made his way to Kansas. He remained in that state for five years, and afterward lived in Nebraska and Missouri until 1906. He had met with finan- cial misfortune before this and when he reach- ed Kimball county in that year, his capital amounted to $22.65, which he had obtained by selling a cow. He took a homestead of four hundred and eighty acres in the north- eastern part of what is now the Bushnell set- tlement, then borrowed money and sent for his family. Times were hard during the next two years but through the helpful assistance of a most estimable wife he made headway. While he worked in the town, Mrs. Read took care of the children and the affairs on the homestead, thus holding down the claim. From their present position of affluence, it may seem almost impossible to believe the diffi- cult things they accomplished in those early days, when they had to carry all water used a distance of two miles, and when coal gave out, gathered buffalo chips on the prairie to use as fuel. After Mr. Read had proved up on his homestead he sold it to advantage and invested it in town property, and now owns one of the finest cement block buildings in the city, the first floor of which is used as a bank.

Mr. Read married Miss Willie Felts, and they had two sons: Ernest, who lives in Nevada ; and Wm. T., who lives at Stanberry, Missouri. Twenty-three years ago he married Zora Van Gundy, daughter of George and Ruth (Minnick) Van Gundy, who were na- tives of Indiana, but Mrs. Read was born in Iowa. They have one son, Arthur T., who lives at Bushnell. Mr. Read has never been inclined toward great activity in politics, but he has always been a good citizen, and one proof of this may be cited in the fact that he not only invested in property but when the government called on loyal citizens to help, he bought $600 worth of Liberty bonds. Both he and wife are members of the Christian church. While living at Cameron, Missouri, he was an active member of Star Hope Lodge No. 182, Odd Fellows, and belonged also to the order of Patriarchs at the same place.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 35

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