History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 63

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

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In many ways Mr. Larson was a prominent man in Banner county, not because of any claims he made himself, but on account of his upright, sterling character that marked all his dealings with his fellow men. For twenty- eight years he served as postmaster at Heath, appointed under a Republican administration but never disturbed by political changes, and after his death, on December 20, 1917, was succeeded by his daughter Minnie, now Mrs. Leafdale, who served until the office was dis-

continued a year later. He operated a general store at Heath for many years also, and dur- ing the most of this time served as treasurer of the Heath school district. While the family lived in Kansas, they were united with the Methodist Episcopal church, but Mr. Larson was a man who needed no church creed to impel him to do deeds of justice and charity. The only fraternal organization that he ever joined was the Modern Woodmen of America.

RALPH E. DUBBS, who is numbered with the substantial farmers and ranchmen of Ban- ner county, lives on the place he homesteaded in April, 1888, to which he has from time to time added, until now he has one of the largest ranches in this part of the country. Mr. Dubbs has made his own way in the world and is an example to which attention may be called, of the sure reward that follows persistent effort in a country where the work of one's hands, in itself, is honorable.

Ralph E. Dubbs was born in Columbiana county, Ohio, December 12, 1886. His parents were William and Mary (Coy) Dubbs, na- tives of Ohio. Of their fourteen children, eleven are living, Ralph E. being the only one in Banner county. The father was a farmer and stockraiser in Ohio until 1870, when he removed with his family to Hall county, Ne- braska, where he died in 1909, having sur- vived the mother for three years. She was a faithful member of the Methodist Episcopal church. In politics he was a Republican and after coming to Hall county served two terms as county supervisor.

Only four years old when his parents brought him to Nebraska, Mr. Dubbs has never had any divided state loyalty. He was reared, educated, given business opportunities and married here, and it is in Nebraska that his interests are centered. He remained at home assisting his father until twenty-one years old, then started out for himself and accepted work of all kinds that was not dishonorable, thereby providing well for his own necessities although because of small wages paid in those days, it was difficult to accumulate much capital. He helped to build a number of log cabins after coming to Ban- ner county and dug numerous wells, the deep- est one of which he has recorded being one hundred and eighty-four feet in depth and twelve feet in circumference. In April, 1888, he filed on his homestead in Banner county and then returned to Hall county to take care of a ninety acre field of corn, thirty-six hundred

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bushels of the yield being his share, which he sold for fourteen cents a bushel.

Mr. Dubbs returned then to Banner county, with a cash capital of fifty dollars, a team of mules and a buckskin mare. In the first year on his homestead he broke sixty acres of ground and sowed wheat in the following spring, harvesting twelve hundred bushels, that brought sixty cents a bushel, and that crop was the nucleus of his present fortune. In later years wheat fell to twenty-two cents, butter brought only ten and even six cents a pound, and he has hauled a load of wood many miles and exchanged it for one sack of flour. During his first year here he planted sod corn and traded a part of his crop to the late Swen Larson for a hog. In later years as he had the capital, Mr. Dubbs added to his holdings and now has deeds for nineteen hundred and twenty acres, and leases three hundred and twenty acres of school land. He breeds White Face and Polled Durham cattle, averaging fifty head yearly, fifty head of horses and many head of Duroc-Jersey hogs, especially in recent years. In addition to his well con- ducted farm and stock industries, Mr. Dubbs has been a pioneer orchardist and small fruit grower. He takes a justifiable pride in his beautiful fruit-bearing trees, cherries, plums and apples all doing well under his careful cultivation.

On March 3, 1895, Mr. Dubbs was united in marriage to Miss Mary Leftwich, who is a daughter of James E. and Catherine (Nelson) Leftwich, and a sister of Mrs. Philip R. Barkell, of Banner county. The parents of Mrs. Dubbs were natives of Kentucky and later were residents of Missouri. The mother died when she was young and when her father was obliged to leave home for a year to work at another point, he left little Mary with an elderly lady of the neighborhood. This lady not only cared kindly for the child but pro- vided her with clothes and school books while her father was away, and put here under such a debt of gratitude that Miss Leftwich felt she could never discharge it. When the op- portunity came some years later she did not hesitate to discharge this debt. At that time she was employed by a firm near Lake Su- perior and was doing very well. When she received a letter from the elderly lady men- tioned, asking if she would not join the lady's lonely and homesick daughter, away out in Banner county, Miss Leftwich only waited long enough to make hurried preparation be- fore she was on her way. It was thus that she met Mr. Dubbs and they were subsequent-

ly married. They have the following children : Harry E., Harriet C., Florence I., James W., Philip R., and Margaret E. They reside at home, an intelligent, happy united family. Mr. Dubs is a Republican in politics but is no seeker for public office. He belongs to the Modern Woodmen of America, attending lodge at Kimball.

GEORGE N. BENNETT, who is one of Banner county's solid, reliable citizens and good farmers, might also be named as the pio- neer orchardist, for he was one of the first to take a pracital interest in fruit growing and apply scientific methods for the preservation of his trees.

George N. Bennett was born in Hardin county, Ohio, March 5, 1861. His parents were John A. and Mary (Roberts) Bennett, the former of whom was born in Logan coun- ty, Ohio, in 1845, and the latter in Hardin county in 1847. They had four children, namely: George N., who grew up in Ohio; James E., who died when eight years old; John E., whose death occurred when travel- ing, on a railroad train near Alliance, Nebras- ka ; and Jesse, who lives on the old home place in Ohio, The father was a farmer in Ohio until 1884, when he came to Colfax, Nebraska, but not being satisfied with conditions there, in a few months returned to his old place in Ohio. The mother died in 1893 and the father in 1912.

Equipped with a country school education and excellent home training, when twenty-one years old George N. Bennett started out for himself. As a farmer he worked near Council Bluffs, Iowa, Omaha and Schyler, Nebraska, reaching the latter place on August 16, 1883. After working there for a time he went to Fremont, Nebraska, and ranged seven hun- dred cattle for their owners, then was employ- ed by Frank Isabelle. In the following year he started to farm for himself, but lost his crops through hailstorms, and somewhat dis- couraged sold his team for three hundred dol- lars - that is, such was the price agreed upon, but after many years Mr. Bennett is still waiting the payment of two hundred and fifty dollars. After that Mr. Bennett worked for others for four years. In Colfax county at that time he could have bought land at from ten to twenty-five dollars an acre, but he did not take advantage of it and the price soon went higher. In the meanwhile he married and came to Banner county. Here he bought out John Trowbridge, which transaction placed him in debt and it was a number of years

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before Mr. Bennett could extricate himself and find the road to prosperity. Since then he has never had a complete crop failure but has had a few lossess of cattle from lightning and blizzards, but better than that, in his opinion, is the fact that in a residence of twen- ty-two years in Banner county, a physician has not been called in more than a dozen times to prescribe for the family.

In the fall of 1889. Mr. Bennett was mar- ried to Mrs. Ada E. Thinehardt, a widow and a daughter of William and Eveline (Stevens) Stevens, of Schyler, Nebraska. The father of Mrs. Bennett died in 1890 but the mother survives and resides with Mr. and Mrs. Ben- nett. The latter have three children, namely : Perlie V., who is the wife of John E. Johnson, of Banner county; Ethel, who is the wife of Alfred Sterner, of Madison, Nebraska; and Mary, who is the wife of Ralph Randall, lives on her father's farm. For three years after their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Bennett resided on the Stevens homestead. Then he bought a hay baling outfit and worked with that for five years. On February 16, 1897, Mr. Bennett came to Banner county and bought one hun- dred and sixty acres for three hundred dollars. This property was well improved for the times, having a good well, comfortable · resi- dence and sufficient fencing, and the family has resided on the place ever since. Ten years later Mr. Bennett bought another tract of one hundred and sixty acres, cornering on the first tract, for which he paid sixteen hundred dol- lars, and nine years afterward purchased three hundred and twenty acres, for which he paid twenty-eight hundred and eighty dollars. He carries on mixed farming, raises hogs for his own use and turns off quite a few head of cattle yearly.

Mr. Bennett is a lover of both shade and fruit trees. He has one of the best orchards of ten years standing in Banner county and succeeds where others fail, in growing fine cherries, apples, pears and plums, his cherry trees yielding fifty bushels of fruit last sea- son, all being sold at the farm. His varieties of fruit are the best and his apples compare favorably with the great apple products of the Northwest. He protects his orchard with a surrounding grove of other trees. Mr. Bennett is intelligently interested in many other lines. He has a collection of Indian relics that would be creditable in a city museum, and scientists would be very apt to envy him the possession of the jaw bone and thigh of a mastadon, unearthed in Banner county. Mr. Bennett and his family belong to the United Brethren

church. In national affairs he votes with the Republican party, but in local issues uses his own excellent judgment in political action.

FRANK PETERSON, who is numbered with Banner county's substantial farmers and stockmen, was born in Sweden, August 1, 1864. He is a son of Nels and Bertha (Nel- son) Peterson, who came to the United States in 1886. They lived two years in Iowa, then came to Banner county, Nebraska, in 1888, homesteading on section thirty-four, near Heath. The mother died July 11, 1891, when the father came to the home of his son Frank and resided with him until death, which occur- red January 14, 1911. Both parents were members of the Lutheran church. Of their six children Frank was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follows : Helena, who is the wife of Claus Peterson, of Banner county ; Alma, who is the widow of John Carl- son, lives in California; Claus, who lives at Greeley, Colorado, married Hilda Johnson ; Victor, who lives in Banner county, married Emma Swanson; and Mary, who is the wife of Theodore Carlson, of Minatare, Nebraska.

Frank Peterson obtained his education in the common schools of his native land. He had some military training there also, spending one year in the Swedish army and afterward giving seventeen days of service each year. He worked on his father's farm in Sweden and in 1886 accompanied him to the United States. When he came to Banner county in 1888, he homesteaded and still owns this land, to which he has added much land, now own- ing sixteen hundred acres, two hundred and fifty acres being devoted to crop raising, the rest being fine pasture land. He breeds White Face cattle, about one hundred and forty head annually, raises also about twenty-five head of hogs and horses and poultry for home use. While Mr. Peterson is now financially inde- pendent, with well improved and well stocked farm, it was not always so, and his success may be attributed to his good judgment and continued industry. His first expense after locating on his homestead was the necessary purchase of a team of oxen and a breaking plow. the cost being seventy-five dollars. Con- sidering the farm implements that he owned, his first crop of wheat was satisfactory and Mr. Peterson believes that just as bounteous a yield of grain could have been secured then if the pioneer farmers has such modern farm machinery as is used at present. Money was very scarce and prices for farm products were low, and after his father came to live with

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him, Mr. Peterson left the farm in his care and went to Colorado and other points to work for wages. Until he was able to have a well dug on his land, about three years after settlement, he had to haul water for all pur- poses a distance of four miles. Like other homesteaders he passed through many hard- ships and has had losses of crops and cattle through the severity of storms. In recalling the blizzards that swept over the county at different times, he mentions the unprecedent fury of the storm of April, 1912, in which his life was endangered. With his family he had gone to Kimball one day with the intention of returning to the farm on the day following. Although a blizzard was on the way attempted to make the trip with the large conveyance, but found the going was too heavy for that vehicle, returned to town and started again in a single-horse buggy. He relates that if the horse had not known its way he would never have reached home on account of the cold and blinding snow.

On March 5, 1902, Mr. Peterson was united in marriage to Miss Lottie Hendrikson, a daughter of Lars J. Hendrikson, extended mention of whom will be found in this work. Mr. and Mrs. Peterson have four children, namely: Harold, born January 27, 1903; Dorothy, born June 21, 1905; Wallace, born May 9, 1910; and Evelyn, born October 18, 1913. Although not church members, Mr. Peterson and his family are regular church attendants, Mr. Peterson arguing that no par- ticular creed is necessary if the proper religi- ous spirit is maintained. He is a Republican in politics but has never sought any public office. It is the pleasant custom of the family to spend the fall and winter at Kimball, where they have a comfortable residence, thereby giv- ing the children better educational advantages than they could have in the country. Addi- tionally Mr. Peterson owns three desirable building lots in this city, owns stock in the Higgins Packing plant at Omaha, and also is a stockholder in the western Nebraska Telephone Company. Mr. Peterson is highly respected by all who know him.

CHARLES O. JOHNSON, who came to Banner county and filed a pre-emption claim in the spring of 1887, has never regretted that step although for some years while acquiring additional land and developing it, he and fam- ily had to bear many hardships. He was born in Sweden, April 12, 1850, one of eight chil- dren born to Johannes and Elizabeth (Swan- son) Johnson. They spent their lives in

Sweden, where the father was a general farm- er. They were members of the Swedish Lu- theran church.

Charles O. Johnson and a brother, Swen D. Johnson, who lives near Kirk, Nebraska, are the only surviving members of their parents' family. Charles obtained a common school education, and according to the law of Swed- en, served two years in a military training camp and during the following two years gave seventeen days of annual service. He worked as a farmer before coming to the United States, in May, 1884, and in Kansas for three years afterward. In May, 1887, he filed on a pre-emption in Banner county, and in 1890 secured the homestead on which he yet lives, situated on section twelve, range fifty-four, town seventeen. Mr. Johnson now owns eight hundred acres of fine range land and he raises about twenty head of White Face cattle annually for market and an abun- dance of other stock for his own use. His ranch is situated near Sheep canyon and is well improved.

When Mr. Johnson entered Banner county, his covered wagon had been drawn over the rough country from Kansas by an old team of horses that accommodated their pace to the slow movements of the family cow, the latter helping to solve the food problem for Mr. Johnson's entire cash capital was one dol- lar and fifty cents. The first house was a dugout, with a sod roof, like those of the most of their neighbors. They met with many dis- couragements and lacked many of the things that the present generation would consider essentials of life, but they were more fortunate than the majority of the settlers in the matter of water, for there was a spring on their land.

Mr. Johnson was married in Sweden, in March, 1877, to Ida S. Carlson, who was born in Sweden in 1854, and died in Nebraska, February 7, 1909. Her parents were Carl Samuelson and Mary E. ( Munson) Carson, who passed their lives in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. Johnson had six children born to them, as follows: Charles, who lives on the home- stead ; Oscar, who is a highly educated man, is a professor in the college at Wahoo, Ne- braska ; Frank, who resides northeast of Mina- tare, Nebraska; and Hannah, Joseph and Clara, all of whom reside with their father. He is a member of the Lutheran church. He votes with the Republican party and believes in the justice of its principles, but has never accepted a public office. He has always been a good citizen of the county and has lent his

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influence to the improvement of the public highways and the establishment of churches and schools.

CYRUS W. RIDER, who is one of Banner county's most respected retired citizens, came very early to this section, in those early days bearing with his fellow pioneers as bravely as possible, the many vicissitudes that were often disheartening indeed, lending a helping hand whenever he could and never losing faith in the ultimate superiority of this beautiful part of Nebraska. Mr. Rider comes very near to going down in history as the earliest homesteader, having filed, with his brother Clinton O. Rider, in the first week in Octo- ber, 1885, second only to the Cross brothers, who filed in September. There had been squatters on the land before this, but these were all permanent settlers.

Cyrus W. Rider was born in Geauga coun- ty, Ohio. September 20, 1843, a son of Wil- liam S. and Martha J. (McElroy) Rider. The father was born in 1814, at Poultney, Ver- mont, and the mother in Geauga county, Ohio, in 1816. Her death occurred in 1905. The father was a farmer and from 1865 to 1894 lived in Iowa. He was active in the Republi- can party and for many years was a justice of the peace. Of the family of six children four are living, but Cyrus W. is the only one in Nebraska. In 1855 he accompanied his par- ents to Wisconsin, where he had winter school advantages, and assisted his father until he enlisted for service in the Civil War. entering Company D, Third Wisconsin cavalry, serv- ing under General Steele in the Department of Missouri. He was a brave and cheerful soldier and escaped all serious mishaps of military life. From Iowa he came to Banner county to live and in 1887 homesteaded near Gabe Rock, west of Harrisburg, and lived on that property until 1905, then sold and bought land near Kirk Post Office. Recently he sold his farm and since then has resided with his youngest daughter, who is the wife of Clinton Trowbridge.

Mr. Rider was married April 6, 1877 to Miss Laura A. Clendening, a daughter of Hi- ram and Cynthia ( Miller) Clendening, of Ohio. Mrs. Rider died November 12, 1886, survived by three children, namely : Alice, who is the wife of Wilbur E. Harmon, of Port- land, Oregon; Charles E., of Freeport, Ne- braska, who married Frances Turner; and Erma, who is the wife of Clinton Trowbridge, of Banner county. In politics Mr. Rider is a Republican.

MERVIN SNYDER, who has long been a representative citizen of Banner county, accom- panied his people here when fourteen years old and, with the exception of seven months spent in Tennessee, has been a continuous resident of this county. He has been a foremost citi- zen in its development and has been identi- fied with many of the worthy enterprises that have made Banner county what it is today.

Mervin Snyder was born in Scott county, Iowa, May 27, 1872. His parents were Mel- coir and Adelaide (Labarr) Snyder, the form- er of whom was born in Pennsylvania in 1837, and the latter in New York state, March 22, 1841. The father spent sixteen years in Iowa, working at his trade of blacksmith, first in Benton and later in Hamilton county, and from the latter went to Banner county and filed on a homestead situated two and one- half miles southeast of Harrisburg, on July 6, 1886, settling on his land November 27, 1886. This land was still wild prairie and for many years after coming here, water had to be hauled several miles for all purposes. On account of Mr. Snyder's skill as a black- smith and the urgent need of his services at that time C. A. Schooley deeded him a lot in Harrisburg, on which Mr. Snyder built a blacksmith shop, the first one in the place, which he operated for six years. After that he lived on the farm for two years, then mov- ed to Tennessee and continued farming there until his death in November, 1907. He was a Democrat in politics and both he and wife were members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Of their fourteen children, Mervin was the seventh in order of birth, the others being as follows: Susan, who is the wife of William Pyle, of Kimball, Nebraska; Rosel, of Hamilton county, Iowa, who married Ida B. Stover; Helen, who is the wife of Martin Stover, of Mead county, South Dakota; Em- ma, who is the wife of William Scoville, of Banner county; Belle, who is the wife of Hans Gunderson, of Dix, Nebraska; Kate, who is the wife of Peter Clauson, now a resi- dent of Odell, Nebraska, who once owned the land on which Harrisburg stands; Blanche, who is the wife of William Van Pelt; John, who is a farmer in Banner county, married Blanche Hammocks; William, who lives at Stanton, Haywood county, Tennessee, married Mollie Patted ; and Amanda, who was the wife of Amos Patted, died in the spring of 1908; Bessie, who is the wife of Joseph Patted, of Stanton, Tennessee; Nettie, who is the wife of Robert Perry, of Stanton; and Ivy, who

ADOLF Goos

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is the wife of Myron Bants, of Odell, Ne- braska.

Mervin Snyder obtained his education in the common schools in Iowa. He accompanied his parents to Banner county and when twenty-one years old filed on a homestead, but when his father moved to Tennessee he sold it to William Van Pelt and accompanied his parents to the new home. After remaining in Tennessee for seven months he returned to Nebraska and shortly afterward bought his present home farm and has added to the same until he now owns eleven hundred and twenty acres of fine land. He devotes six hundred acres to crop raising, and breeds Hereford cattle and Percheron horses. When he came here Mr. Snyder was faced with the necessity of immediately making improvements and from small beginings he has developed one of the best improved farms in the county.

On March 25, 1897, Mr. Snyder was united in marriage to Miss Mary Koenig, who is a daughter of Jacob and Anna (Fisher) Koenig, extended mention of this prominent family being found on other pages of this work. Mr. and Mrs. Snyder have children as follows: Alvin M., Pinkie A., James J., Glenn M., Arthur C., Bessie L., Ruby M., Herbert G. and Susie A.,

In politics Mr. Snyder is a Democrat. He holds no public office at present but has served efficiently in numerous positions at different times, being road overseer for a long period and school moderator for twenty-two years. He was influential in having the post office re-established at Harrisburg. He owns stock in the Western Nebraska Telephone Company, of which he has been a director ten years and was president for three years. In re- calling the changes that have been brought about in this section of Banner county, Mr. Snyder remembers when he hauled wood to Kimball and exchanged the same for flour and other provisions, and hauled his wheat to Gun- derson's mill, an old water-power mill, where grinding was done with no exchange of money. He remembers the occasion of the first coun- ty fair. It was held in the unfinished court- louise at Harrisburg and people brought inter- esting exhibits of all kinds, his father showing an old heirloom in a seven foot clock, which was wound up by chains, this being a curiosity even then. Mr. Snyder participated in some of the sports, taking part in the mule race which was one of the enjoyable features. A large crowd attended, visitors coming to Har- risburg from Gering, Kimball and towns still farther away.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 63

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