History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 69

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 McCorkle came to western Nebraska in July, 1886, on account of his wife's health. They camped out at first in a tent on Pine Ridge, Dawes county, forty miles northwest of the present town of Alliance. During that first summer he broke sod on the prairie for the amusement of it as he had become very expert in this method of plowing in his youth- ful days in the hazel brush of Iowa. The country was thinly populated, settlers were few and far between and the Panhandle of that day deserved the name of "wild and wool- ly west." Early in the fall a heavy snow fell and Mr. McCorkle and his wife were un- able to make the trip back to the home at Superior, Nebraska, so Mr. McCorkle built a comfortable log house, took a pre- emption claim, remained during the winter of 1886 and spring of 1887, proved up on it and was thus enabled to put a mortgage on the land and raised sixteen hundred dol- lars in cash for his living expenses and also bought a good team of oxen, the best animals for breaking prairie sod. He then filed on a homestead, commuted this claim and raised another sixteen hundred dollars with which money he engaged in the live-stock business. That was the heigh-day of the cattle business as there were vast stretches of open range over which the great baronial cattle companies ranged immense herds, while smaller dealers

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were also able to take advantage of the gov- ernment privileges. Mr. McCorkle bought and sold live stock on a large scale from 1887 to 1890, living during that period on the home- stead. The latter year he moved into the town of Hemingford, there establishing a cat- tle and hog market of his own and at the same time began to deal in horses. In 1893, he shipped two cars of the finest horse flesh ever gathered together in the northwest as they were from four to six years old and weighed from twelve to fifteen hundred pounds, selling at about seventy-seven dollars apiece in the St. Louis market, a remarkable price for that time. In 1895 Mr. McCorkle sold his business to accept a position as fore- man of the Carey and Arle Cattle Company at a salary of twenty-five dollars for himself and wife, who cooked for the outfit, but it needs not be said that the salary was very soon raised when the owners found what an excellent manager they had. For nearly elev- en years the McCorkles remained with this company who made it well worth their while to do so. In the fall of 1905, they came to Alliance to live and Mr. McCorkle went into the real estate firm of Watkins and Tagean, which then became Watkins, Tagean and Mc- Corkle, though Mr. McCorkle still had outside business interests as a live-stock man. Two years later Mr. McCorkle bought out his part- ners in the real estate branch and reorganized it as the Nebraska Land and Loan Company, becoming its chief executive and manager. Under his management anyone can buy an interest in the company, as it will sell a custo- mer a farm at an agreed price, the customer holding the deed and title in his own name and when the land is sold he receives one-half the advance on the land for his profit in the company, which incurs all the expense of handling and selling the land, thus putting the time and expense against the stockholder's in- vestment, though he holds the security, which makes a most satisfactory and absolutely safe investment. The office of the company is lo- cated on the first floor of the First National Bank, on Box Butte Avenue, where the books show more than a hundred satisfied custo- mers. At the present time Mr. McCorkle and his son Norman are in charge of the business which has proved a success in every way and a most desirable investment. Their farms and ranches offer many and varied opportunities to anyone who has money on which they desire a good return and at the same time an abso- lutely sound proposition.

FREDERICK A. BALD. - In every com- munity will be found quiet, industrious business men following different vocations, without whom the ordinary industries of modern civil- ized life could not go on, and very often it will be found that they are self made men, having unaided, built up their fortunes. Such a type of the progressive and prosperous busi- ness men of the Panhandle is exemplified in Frederick Bald, the president of the Wyoming- Northeastern Oil Company, also engaged in the real estate business and in the practice of his profession.

Mr. Bald was born at Aurora, Nebraska, October 13, 1881, the son of Louis B. and Ma- tilda (Kemper) Bald, the former born and reared in the vicinity of Philadelphia, Penn- sylvania. He was an ambitious young man and after attaining his majority determined that he would win a fortune for himself and believing that the west offered more oppo- tunities emigrated from his native state and settled in Grant county, Wisconsin, but did not prosper there as he wished and learning of the fine farms to be had in Nebraska came here in 1876, locating near Aurora on a farm he bought from the railroad company. Mr. Bald arrived in this commonwealth with very little of what we term "worldly goods," but was able to pay the required eight dol- lars an acre for his land, and that his vision of the future was a wise one may be gained from the fact that today this same farm would bring more than three hundred dollars an acre on the market were it for sale. Frederick, better known to his friends as "Art," attended the public school near his home during the winters and worked on farms in the summer time and tells that at one time he worked an eight hour shift all right only it was twice a day, eight hours before noon and another eight hours after dinner, receiving for his labor fifty cents a day and well recalls that they always had salt fish for breakfast. After completing the district school the boy took a four year course in the Aurora high school, graduating in 1900. The following two years he taught in the country schools then matriculated in the law school of the State University at Lincoln, ob- tained his degree of LL.B. and was admitted to practice in the courts of Nebraska, on June 1, 1904. He opened an office in Aurora in partnership with C. P. Craft, a class mate from the university and they continued to be associated until 1909, when Mr. Bald went to Watertown, South Dakota, to engage in a real estate business. In 1911, the year of the great drought, he returned to Nebraska, locat-

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ing at Central City, to engage in the practice of his profession seven years. In 1916, he was appointed to fill the unexpired term of Edward Patterson as attorney of Merrick county, and two years later came to Alliance. Since locating here Mr. Bald has entered into partnership with L. C. Thomas and they are engaged in business under the firm name of Thomas-Bald Investment Company. Within a short time they have been the moving spirits in the organization of the Wyoming-North- eastern Oil Company, which has located and leased some thirteen thousand acres of oil lands in the fields of eastern Wyoming. The company is incorporated for a million and is preparing to open up their business on an extensive scale. The officers are : F. A. Bald, president ; C. M. Loomey, vice-president ; L. C. Thomas, secretary ; and A. M. Miller, presi- dent of the American State Bank of Heming- ford, treasurer, while the board of directors consists of F. A. Bald, L. C. Thomas, C. M. Loomey, R, M, Baker of Alliance, A. M. Mil- ler, P. Michael, of Hemingford, F. W. Melick of Hemingford, and F. T. Morrison and C. F. Gruenig of Omaha.

March 28, 1906, Mr. Bald married at Hamp- ton, Nebraska, Miss Ella Kemper, who was born there, the daughter of Henry and Serepta (Smith) Kemper, both natives of Illinois. Mrs. Bald was an only child, she graduated from the Hampton high school and then took a special musical course at Nebraska Wesley- an College. Three children have been born to the Balds : Maurine, Warren and Helen 1 .. , all at home.

Mr. Bald owns a fine modern home in Alli- ance and also about five hundred acres of farm land which he gives general supervision and from which he says he gets a comfortable nest egg each year. In politics he is a Democrat, is a member of the Presbyterian church, while his fraternal affiliations are with the Elks and the Knights of Pythias.

JOHN O'KEEFE and WILLIAM I O'KEEFE, the owners and managers of one of the progressive real estate firms of Box Butte county and the city of Alliance belong to a prominent and well known family that came here in pioneer days and helped make history in the upper Platte valley.

Jolın O'Keefe was born in Fulton county, Illinois, April 28, 1867, the son of John and Sarah (Kelly) O'Keefe, the former a native of Ireland. who came to America and located in Illinois where his children were born. John was the second in a family of four children

and spent his boyhood years on his father's farm, attending the public schools in the win- ter sessions and helping around the home place during his vacations, thus early becoming well acquainted with the business side of farm industries. He was an ambitious youth ; de- siring to establish himself independently he came to Nebraska where he could obtain gov- ernment land in 1886, and took up a homestead five miles south of Hemingsford. Mr. O'Keefe put up the usual "soddy" for a house as lumber was almost unknown on the plains at that early day. He drove into Box Butte county in true pioneer style, freighting his goods from Hay Springs, sixty miles away, settled in a veritable wilderness where habita- tions were few and far apart and civilization was yet in its most primitive form. On the trips to and from Hay Springs he was forced to ford the Niobrara river, much of an under- taking when the water was at all high as bridges had not yet been built over the stream and a bitter cold experience for man and beast in the winter time. Feul and posts for the ab- solutely necessary fences on the farm were hauled from Pine Ridge nearly thirty-five miles away. Water was the great problem of the first settlers and to obtain some on his place Mr. O'Keefe dug a well a hundred and ten feet deep for his own use and to water his stock. It was one of the first in his section and neighbors came as far as five miles with tank wagons to secure water for themselves and their animals. In the fall of 1887, Mr. O'Keefe was elected treasurer of the newly created county of Box Butte, served two years and was re-elected. During the four years he held office John O'Keefe, Jr., acted as his deputy and in the fall of 1889, was elected to succeed his father and in the summer of 1892 the father was appointed postmaster of Hem- ingsford under President Cleveland and held office four years. Upon the close of his term of office John O'Keefe, Jr., came to Alliance in the spring of 1894 to enter the post office as deputy postmaster, serving in that capacity three and a half years, then joined his broth- er Dan in opening up and developing a ranch. They met with success and from time to time added to their original holdings until they own- ed ten thousand acres of land, on which they ran about a thousand head of cattle and horses, cutting annually two hundred and fifty tons of hay. As the country was new, for many years they had open range but as settlement contin- ued this was restricted and after about fifteen years of successful ranching the brothers dis- posed of all but some three thousand acres of

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land lying ten miles southwest of Hemingford, but still own scattered and valuable tracts throughout the country. At the present time they rent their ranch and Mr. O'Keefe with his son William are engaged in handling real estate and insurance in Alliance, with an office in the Alliance National Bank Building. Mr. O'Keefe has invested heavily in city property and is active and energetic as most men many years his junior, he is progressive in his ideas and a "booster" for the Panhandle. The O'Keefe family are members of the Catholic church while in politics he is a Democrat. Mr. O'Keefe's fraternal affiliations are with the Elks, he is a Knight of Columbus and a mem- ber of the Country Club.

May 25, 1891, Mr. O'Keefe was married at Nonpareil, Nebraska, to Miss Lucy Shipley, born near Bloomington, Illinois, the daughter of Robert S. and Frances (Edwards) Shipley, the former a native of Kentucky. Three chil- dren have been born to this union, William L., Everett B., a graduate of the Alliance high school, took a course in dentistry at Creighton University, Omaha, graduating with the class of 1919, and is now established in practice at Alliance, an energetic purposeful young man for whom a bright future is in store ; and Sarah F., a student at Loretta Heights Acad- emy, Denver, Colorado.

William L. O'Keefe is a native son of Ne- braska, born in the city of Alliance May 29, 1894, and inherits from his father all the ex- cellent and verstile qualities of the Irish with a steadying influence from his mother's side of the family that have combined to make him a business man of far vision and full of re- source yet conservative in his financial affairs, a combination which can not but bring suc- cess to the fortunate possessor. He is the old- est of the three children in the family and in youth attended the public schools of Alliance. After graduating from the city school in the city he matriculated at the Christian Brothers College at St. Joseph, receiving his degree with the class of 1914. Having a brilliant scholas- tic record William O'Keefe was chosen as chief clerk to the secretary of state of Ne- braska a year after leaving college, and served in that capacity until he responded to the presi- dent's call for volunteers when war was de- clared against Germany, when he enlisted in November, 1917, in the Signal Corps, Ballon division and was a candidate for commission. Later he was assigned to the Flying Cadet Corps, and stationed at Fort Omaha, serving in this branch of the service until after the signing of the armistice, when he was dis-

charged and returned to Alliance to form a partnership with his father in a real estate and insurance business. Mr. O'Keefe is one of the younger generation of business men who are infusing new methods and new blood into the financial affairs of the Panhandle and be- cause of such are standing out pre-eminently as the leaders of progress in this section for which they are doing so much to develop.

April 10, 1918, Mr. O'Keefe married Miss Pauline Golden, a graduate of the Catholic schools of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and Omaha, Nebraska, and also of St. Mary's Notre Dame, Indiana. She is a woman of gracious pres- ence, high culture and is the chatelaine of one of the most hospitable homes in Alliance. Mr. and Mrs. O'Keefe have two children : a daugh- ter Alice Lucile, aged two years, and William John, an infant.

Mr. William O'Keefe and his father are both indefatigable workers, they, so to speak, are "on the job" all the time, both are well read men. who keep abreast of the move- ments of the day and seize every opportunity to support and promote movements for the civic and communal welfare of Box. Butte county and Alliance. A most brilliant future seems in store for the junior member of the firm, who is an Elk and a Knight of Columbus.

ST. AGNES ACADEMY of Alliance is the leading Catholic educational institution of Western Nebraska. It is conducted under the direction of Mother Superior Henrietta of the Sisters of St. Francis, whose mother house is located at Stella Niagara, New York. The Academy was erected in 1908, under the au- spices of Reverend William McNamara, who for some years had cherished the idea of founding an institution of learning for the benefit of the children of the parish as well as to give exceptional advantages to non-resi- dent students. Although the building had not yet been completed, the school was opened to students in September 8, 1908, when eighty nine pupils enrolled. The Academy met with the warm approval and hearty support of all the Catholics of Alliance and the surrounding country so that the number of pupils increased very rapidly and within a short time it was found necessary to erect another building. The work on the new structure was begun in the fall of 1910, and the rooms were ready for occupancy the following spring. Both buildings are of the highest type architectural- ly, and are equipped with every modern appli- ance and improvement conducive to the health and convenience of the pupils. They are heat-

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ed with steam and lighted with electricity. The class rooms, study halls, gymnasium and dor- mitories are commodious, well lighted and ven- tilated and are suitably furnished. The labora- tories are up-to-date in every way and are well equipped and offer abundant opportunities for class and lecture demonstrations and for individual work in physics, botany and agricul- ture. The extensive play grounds are well supplied with swings, teeters, slide, tennis- courts and general recreation space. During bad weather the gymnasium affords ample space for recreation for the students who are encouraged to take advantage of the excellent facilities to build up the bodies. As in all schools and colleges, basket ball is the favorite indoor sport during the cold season.

St. Agnes Academy is accredited at the State University and enjoys all the powers and privileges granted by it to the leading edu- cational institutions of the state. It is the aim of the faculty to maintain this high stan- dard of scholarship, and we feel this is also the desire of all those who are interested in the welfare of the Academy. The Sisters en- deavor to lay a solid foundation in the mind and to develop the character of the pupils up- on which to build the super-structure of moral and religious life as well as purely scholastic attainments. Thus the students receive alike the purely scientific along with the higher training of religion. A close supervision is exercised over the students but in such a man- ner as to exclude all idea of harsh espionage. The rules and regulations of the Academy are enforced with mildness and consideration, but when there is question of the good of the stu- dents or the reputation of the Academy, great firmness is exercised.

The curriculum offered is as follows : prim- ary, grammar, high school, commercial, music and art courses. Pupils who complete the grammar grades are awarded diplomas which admit them to any high school in the state. The courses in the high school are those of the usual college preparatory schools, normal training and commercial. The pre-college course qualifies the student to enter the State University or any standard college. The normal course is pursued during the junior and senior years and students who finish it receive a second grade certificate and after the completion of one year's successful teaching a first grade certificate will be issued to them without further examination. Commercial sub- jects may also be pursued during the last two years and while this course possesses all the advantages of a thorough business training,

it affords the student a more liberal education than that received in the ordinary business college. A special commercial training is of- fered for those who wish to prepare them- selves for a higher place in the world of finance.

The course in music is under the able direc- tion of competent teachers. Instruction in in- strumental and vocal music is optional and is open to all students, provided they can carry this extra work without detriment to their regular school work. A complete course in china painting and decorating is also offered while oil painting, water color, and charcoal and pastel are also taught.

The enrollment for 1920, is one hundred and forty-seven day pupils and one hundred and four boarders representing the states of Ne- braska, Wyoming, Colorado, Kansas and Washington. During the past two years it has been found necessary to limit the number of boarders because of limited accommoda- tions. Owing to abnormal conditions resulting from the World War, it has been found im- possible to begin the erection of the new build- ing which has been planned but it is sincerely to be hoped that work on the contemplated new wing will soon be started.

Since June, 1920, the Academy is super- vised by Mother Gerard who succeeded Moth- er Henrietta, when the latter was removed to Columbus, Ohio.

MRS. NELLIE HARVEY. - More than casual distinction attaches to the personality and record of this woman, for though she is a recent citizen of Alliance, she came to Ne- braska as a child in pioneer days and had to endure her share of the hardships that marked the stages of development and progress in this now favored commonwealth. She is a woman of keen business capacity, broad minded and is typical of the women of post war conditions, as she like the thousands of other ambitions and educated women of our broad land, are stepping in and filling important business posi- tions.

Mrs. Harvey was born in England, the daughter of Edward and Penelope (Ellisoan) Weston, both natives of the tight little island that has given to the United States the greatest proportion of our best settlers. She was the second in a family of five children born to her parents. The father emigrated from England to the United States in 1878, with the idea of becoming a farmer on the broad western plains. With this end in view he came to Ne- braska, located on land where Orleans is now

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situated but after remaining a short time left as there was no timber to shelter stock and no available water. He changed the filing of his homestead, going about five miles north- west of the original allotment, to a farm lying along the bank of the Republican river, where he soon established his family and lived until his death seven years later. The widow left alone with a family of young children soon sold out and moved into the town of Orleans which had been established on the old Weston homestead. Even then the settlers of the village had to haul their supplies and pro- visions from Kearney or Red Cloud, the near- est towns of any size where merchandise could be purchased. The mother remained a short time, then taking her little family returned to the old home at South Killworth, England, as the burden of being both father, mother and provider of the family was proving too inuch for her fragile strength. Later the Weston family, because of Mrs. Weston's failing health returned to Hastings, Nebraska. Mrs. Harvey attended the public schools in England and after she came to Hastings entered the high school, from which she graduated. In 1901 she came to Alliance, where she has since re- sided.

On August 5, 1918, Nettie Weston was mar- ried to Joseph C. Harvey at Hot Springs, South Dakota. After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Harvey managed the Silver Grill Cafe for about eight months but were made an at- tractive offer for the cafe business and sold out. June 18, 1920, they bought the fixtures for a cafe and rented the Vaughn building on Box Butte Avenue, and now are running a first class eating house. We predict for them a splendid business in the line as the cafe can seat over one hundred people.

GEORGE J. HAND, M. D. - For a period of sixteen years Dr. Hand has been established in the practice of his profession at Alliance and the unequivocal success which he has achieved in his exacting vocation fully attests to his high professional attainments and his faculty in the effective application of his technical knowledge. The doctor long controlled a sub- stantial and representative practice and then took special courses in diseases of the eye, nose, throat and ear and now devotes his entire time to these specialties which gives him most- ly office and hospital work, as he has many delicate and difficult operations. Dr. Hand commands high place in the popular confidence and esteem of the residents of the city and is essentially one of the representative members

of the Box Butte County Medical Associa- tion.

The doctor was born in Vermillion, South Dakota, August 2, 1875, the son of Redmond and Mary (Keough) Hand, the former a gen- ial son of the Emerald Isle, born in County Roscommon, who came to the United States when a lad of ten years, when his parents emigrated to the new world that they and their children might take advantage of the great op- portunities afforded the new settlers in our broad land. Mary Keough was a native of the Bay State, born in Lowell, where she spent her early life and was educated. After landing on our shores Redmond Hand came west to locate at Dubuque, Iowa, where he was married in 1861, and the same year went to Vermillion with his bride. They settled on a homestead where Mr. Hand placed the re- quired improvements and proved up. Subse- quently they moved into the town and for some years Mr. Hand ran a hotel and livery estab- lishment. then opened a meat market. All of his ventures were proving profitable. In 1881 the town of Vermillion was practically wiped out by the great flood, when an ice gorge in the Missouri river broke and the water which had been held back by the ice dam, swept down stream carrying all before it. Mr. Hand lost practically everything he had as his hotel was landed on a sand bar three miles down stream from the town site. Following this disaster he engaged in contracting and for nearly eight years was constructing grades for the new railroads that were creeping westward across the great plains. As a consequence of this George attended school in various towns along the new road, for the family was continually moving to keep up with the advancing con-

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 69

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