History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 90

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

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

is a native of Ireland. Mr. Mintle settled in Mills county, Iowa, in 1867, and here he re- claimed and improved a pioneer farm, to the supervision of which he continued to give his attention for many years. He is a staunch Republican in politics and both he and his wife are zealous members of the Holiness church.

Thomas C. Mintle was afforded the ad- vantages of the excellent public schools of Glenwood, Iowa, and in his native county he continued his active alliance with farm enter- prise until 1909, when he came to Scottsbluff county, Nebraska, and purchased a relinquish- ment to the land that constituted his farm, one hundred and sixty one acres of it being sup- plied with excellent irrigation facilities and all improvements and accessories being well arranged to insure his success as a vigorous exponent of agricultural and live-stock indus- try in one of the best counties in the state of Nebraska. In 1919, Mr. Mintle moved to Zillah, Nebraska, and purchased a fruit farm, to which he is now giving his attention. He is independent of political partisan lines but is always ready to support the various enterprises that tend to conserve the communal welfare and advancement. He and his wife hold mem- bership in the Holiness church, in the faith of which he was reared.

1891, the dual bonds of matrimony united the life destinies of Mr. Mintle and Miss Stella Barbee, who likewise was born and reared in Iowa, and the three children of this union are Harry E., Everett and Floyd. Everett Mintle was married to Miss Blanche Tanner, March 1, .1919, and a little daughter was born to them, December 31, 1920.

JOHN A. ORR. - To the stranger or inter- ested visitor in Scottsbluff this busy, beautiful, growing city would seem many years older than it actually is, for it lacks none of the facilities for modern comfortable living and none of the opportunities for commercial enterprise. Many might also be surprised to learn that the pioneer business man of the city is still in active busi- ness and still engages very successfully in large commercial affairs. He is John A. Orr, who conducts one of the largest seed houses in this section and also sells more real estate than many of his competitors. A man past eighty- four years of age, he is busy every day in his office, does his own writing and attends person- ally to the details of his various business affairs with perfect possession of all his faculties and enthusiasm.

He was born on the Hudson river, in the

state of New York, September 9, 1835. His parents were Benjamin J. and Mary S. (Fol- ger ) Orr, who spent their entire lives in New York. Of their thirteen children but two are now living, namely, John A. and Sarah E. The latter's married name is Jackson, and she lives at Glenns Falls, New York. By trade the father was a shoemaker. Until 1858 he was a Democrat in politics, but then became affiliated with the new Republican party and continued to approve of its principles as long as he lived. Both parents of Mr. Orr were sincere members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

As one in a large family when money was not very plentiful, John A. Orr had but limited educational advantages in his youth, beginning to work on a farm when he was twelve years of age, and following that occupation until the fall of 1856. But he cherished an ambition for a wider field of effort, and when he was twen- ty-one years old he decided that he wanted to see the new western country in his native land. He went to Chicago, then a small town, and continued on west to Galena, Illinois, the ter- minus of the railroad. From there he took a Mississippi river boat to Minneapolis, Minne- sota, which only had two or three houses at that time. He continued his journey by stage to Sauk Rapids, Minnesota, about eighty miles from Minneapolis. There he worked a short time in a sawmill, and when that shut down he helped in the building of a church, and the following spring he took a contract to build five houses. His equipment for this task con- sisted mostly of good American nerve, for he had no capital and was not an expert carpenter. but having put in a bid and had the contract awarded to him he knew no such word as give up. Procuring the lumber and other material on credit, he finished his contract, and with this start he continued in the contracting business at that point for about two years, and then re- turned east to visit his mother.

In 1860 Mr. Orr went to West Pawlet, Ver- mont, where he engaged in mercantile business for four years, then was appointed postmaster and served in that office and also as justice of the peace for eight years. He was married there and made his home in Vermont for a number of years. In 1888 he again came west and settled in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he was connected with an electrical supply house until he came to Scottsbluff county. He came here in the interest of the Farmers Canal Company and conducted a store for the company, trans- porting goods from Lincoln. This was a large irrigation enterprise which in later years has been carried to completion and has fully justi- fied the ambitions of those who started it, but

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

in the early years of its progress it became in- volved in financial difficulties, and in 1896 Mr. Orr turned his attention to farming in the new country where he had cast his lot. He bought eighty acres of land and rented other lands. Later he sold his land at a very substantial profit, and came to the place where now is the city of Scottsbluff. He put up the first new dwelling house under contract that was built in Scottsbluff, operated the first lumber yard, and in connection with William H. Wright conducted the first real estate and loan office. He was one of the committee that raised the money to build the first Presbyterian church of Scottsbluff, that cost $5000, when there were only seven members. He took the district war- rants and built the first school building in the city, which is still standing. In his loan busi- ness he has loaned money on land for outside investors, according to his own judgment, and although the amounts have been large and the loans many in number he has never lost a dollar for his clients. He continties in the real estate business, and few men in the North Platte Val- ley are better informed along that line than he. In addition he conducts his large seed business, the extent of which is proved by his books that show sales of seeds of all kinds in the present year amounting to over $12,000.

Mr. Orr was united in marriage with Miss Lucinda Whedon in 1862. She was a native of Pawlet, Vermont, and died at Scottsbluff February 1, 1907. She was reared as a Bap- tist, but on coming to Scottsbluff where there was no Baptist church she and her husband tinited with the Presbyterian church, of which she continued a devoted member during her life. She was a loving wife and mother and an admirable woman in every relation of life. To this union were born four children, namely : Horace W., who is in the hardware and plumb- ing business in Boston, Massachusetts; Alice D., principal of one of the public schools of Omaha ; David A., who is in the plumbing bus- iness at Whitehall, Montana, and Andrew J., a prominent business man of Scottsbluff.

Mr. Orr is a member of the Masonic order and has always been a staunch Republican in politics. He has always been a temperate man and a strong advocate of temperance, and can point to himself as an example to prove his faith - hale and hearty and active in business in his eighty-fifth year.

Andrew J. Orr, youngest son of John A. and Lucinda Orr, was born at West Pawlet, Ver- mont, January 31, 1877. He obtained his edti- cation in the public schools of Lincoln, Ne- braska, after which he followed farm work in Scottsbluff county until 1910. He then em-

barked in the plumbing business at Scottsbluff, under the business style of the A. J. Orr Plumbing & Heating Company, which he has developed into a very important institution. The company does all kinds of tin and repair work, furnace and steam pipe fitting, and plumbing, a general contracting business being done in this line.

In 1904 Andrew J. Orr was united in mar- riage to Miss Ethel Sawyer, who was born in Weeping Water, Nebraska, and they have four children, namely : John Clifton, Vivian, Lucille, and Alice May, their ages ranging from twelve years to fifteen months. Like his parents, Mr. Orr is rearing his own family within the folds of the Presbyterian church. He is a Repub- lican in politics and belongs to the Knights of Pythias, Odd Fellows, and Modern Woodmen. For seven years he served as a member of the city fire department.

GEORGE H. HILLS has been a resident of Scottsbluff county since 1906, and has reclaim- ed and improved one of the valuable farm properties, situated near Scottsbluff, In ad- dition to giving his careful supervision to all department of his farm enterprise, in which he has proved very successful as an agricul- turist and stock-grower, Mr. Hills has served for the past five years as ditch rider and in- spector in connection with the governmental irrigation system of the county, his own farm having excellent irrigation facilities. He took up the homestead of one hundred and fifty acres in 1906, and he still continues the work of improvement on the place, which he in- tends to make one of the model farms of this section of the state. He came here with prac- tically no financial fortification and has achiev- ed substantial and worthy success, while he holds secure place in popular confidence and esteem in his community. He is a Demo- crat in politics and while still a resident of Illinois he served two terms as township as- sessor. He was the promoter of the estab- lishment of the first rural mail delivery route out of Scottsbluff and has been influential in connection with the affairs of the county water board, which has general control of the ir- rigation system in the county. He holds mem- bership in the Presbyterian church.

Mr. Hills was born in Brown county, Illi- nois, and is a son of Charles and Rebecca (Farrington) Hills, who passed their entire lives in that state, where the father was a suc- cessful farmer until his retirement, when he established his home at Mount Sterling, where he passed his declining years. He was a staunch Democrat, served as county supervisor

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

and assessor, was affiliated with the Indepen- dent Order of Odd Fellows and both he and his wife were zealous members of the Baptist church. Of their eight children two are living. George H. Hills continued his residence in Il- linois until his removal to Nebraska, and in the meanwhile he had availed himself of the advantages of the public schools, besides gain- ing practical experience in farm enterprise. Upon coming to Butler county, Nebraska, he engaged in farming, and there he remained until 1906, when he removed to Scottsbluff county, as has been previously noted in this context. He is one of the substantial men of the county and his course has been such as to commend him to the good will of all with whom he has come in contact.

In 1878, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Hills to Miss Pauline Green, who likewise was born and reared in Illinois and whose death accurred in 1915 and who is survived by three children: Edna Meyer, of Scottsbluff ; Myrtle, who is the wife of H. O. Mckinnon, of Scottsbluff county; and Charles is a suc- cessful farmer in this county.

GEORGE W. MOORE, one of the promi- nent early day railroad men of Cheyenne coun- ty and the Panhandle, was born near Mil- waukee, Wisconsin. He was educated in the public schools and at Madison, Wisconsin. While still a young man Mr. Moore came west, arriving in Cheyenne county in 1870, where he became associated with the Union Pacific Railroad and was a railroad man until his death. For a time the rush to the Black Hills was on when gold was discovered, Mr. Moore engaged in the freighting business to the Black Hills. He owned sixteen outfits for this busi- ness, all teams of oxen and made a success of the enterprise. He was so occupied for several years, then returned to the employ of the railroad, worked up and became one of the prominent men in this field of endeavor, being assigned to the locomotive department.

In 1876, Mr. Moore married Miss Jane Sweet, a native of Wisconsin. They came west after their marriage to settle in Cheyenne county and became the parents of two chil- dren : Arnold, deceased, and George W., who lives in Sidney. Mr. Moore died in 1880. He was a member of the Methodist church.

Later Mrs. Moore was married to Dr. S. W. Boggs, who was born in Alleghany City, Pennsylvania. Dr. Boggs was educated in the public schools of his native state and then entered Jefferson Medical College, where he graduated. After completing his medical

course the doctor was at Bellevie Hospital for special work to fit him for his profession. Hc came west in 1874, and became the pioneer physician of Cheyenne county, locating in Sid- ney. Dr. Boggs became a prominent man in this community was one of the most popular physicians who ever located here and took an active part in the development of the county and town. He devoted all his time to the practice of medicine but was also active in helping to build up Sidney.

1882, occurred the marriage of Dr. Boggs and Mrs. Moore and they had one child, Sam- uel W., who is a railroad man living in Sid- ney, being a conductor. Dr. Boggs was well and favorably known here until his death, which occurred after many years of service here. He was a Mason and a member of the Presbyterian church.

Mrs. Boggs was later married to Arthur Ragon, who was born in Indiana in 1852. Hc was reared and educated in that state and after finishing his schooling learned the carpenter trade which he followed. Coming west in 1900, Mr. Ragon engaged in business in Sid- ney and was active as a contractor and build- er until the time of his death. He built many of the fine buildings that are the pride of Sid- ney today and was one of the well known and well to do men of the community. Mr. Ragon was a member of the Ancient Order of United Workmen and of the Christian church. He died in September, 1907. Mrs. Boggs is a member of the Lutheran church. She is one of the pioneer women who has lived to see Sidney develop from a small town to the prominent city of the Panhandle that it is today and has been a part of this for many years.

J. H. FERGUSON .- In according recogni- tion to the early settlers of Scottbluff county, mention should be made of J. H. Ferguson, for while he came here as a youth, he has been a resident of the county for nearly thirty-five years and has not only been an eye witness of the great changes that have taken place but with his father has been an important factor in the development of the industries of the valley.

Mr. Ferguson was born near Clarence, Ce- dar county. Iowa, in 1875, being the son of James and Isabella G. (Anthony) Ferguson, both natives of the Empire state, where they were reared and received their education ad- vantages before coming west. James Fergu- son learned the Photography business in his youth, a vocation he followed several years before he determined to avail himself of the

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cheap land to be had in the states of the west and emigrated from New York. The family first located in Iowa where the father engaged in general farming operations, but in 1886, they came to the Panhandle, becoming pioneer settlers of Scottsbluff county, as James Fergu- son located on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in old Cheyenne county. He be- gan to raise potatoes, being the pioneer man in this enterprise of the upper valley. Later he disposed of the home farm and bought other land where he engaged in general farm- ing and stock-raising. Mr. Ferguson and his wife were members of the Wesley Methodist church, he was a Prohibitionist in political belief and a man who took active part in the affairs of the community, having been pre- cinct assessor at one time. There were seven children in the Ferguson family: Charles D., a real estate dealer of Scottsbluff ; William E., a railroad man located in San Francisco ; Fanny, the wife of James McKinley, of Scotts- bluff county ; Mary D., married F. G. Fanner, a farmer near Scottsbluff; J. H., of this re- view; C. B., a contractor of Minatare, Ne- braska; and Minnie the wife of C. F. Shawver, a farmer near Glendale, Arizona.

Mr. Ferguson was reared during early boy- hood on his father's farm in Iowa, he attended the common schools of his district and accom- panied the family to the Panhandle when he was eleven years old, then attended school in old Cheyenne county. After finishing school and when he had acquired sufficient capital Mr. Ferguson purchased three hundred acres of land near Gering in section twenty-four, town- ship fifteen, most of which is under ditch. He has devoted considerable study to intensified farming under irrigation and has adopted modern methods and is well equipped with the latest type of machinery for his business. He now raises varied farm products and also is becoming a well known stock-raiser of his district. Mr. Ferguson is one of the progres- sive men of the Gering community who takes an active part in county affairs, he is a Re- publican in politics, served as county clerk from 1912 to 1916, and then assumed the of- fice of register of deeds in 1917, serving one term and established a fine record as a public official.

In 1897, Mr. Ferguson married Miss Edna A. Lovelace, a native of Wisconsin and to them one child was born, Ruth, deceased.

JEFFERSON DAVIS FUGATE .- The life of a professional or literary man seldom exhibits the striking or exciting incident that

call public notice and fix attention upon a man. His character is generally made up of the many qualities and qualifications which are necessary for the successful prosecution of his duties of his vocation, though such men are largely responsible for the formation of public opinion as they play such a large and import- and part in shaping it. Jefferson Fugate, edi- tor and owner of the Henry Mesesnger, may not deviate from this general rule but since attaining maturity his life has been a full one for he has had a varied career, has followed different occupations in several parts of Ne- braska, for he has in turn been student, pharmacist, ranchman, promoter of a town, postmatser, and now it the popular editor of one of the best edited sheets in Western Ne- braska. In these several field his versatility his assisted him to well deserved prosperity.

Mr. Fugate was born in Missouri, Marchi 31, 1863, during the closing years of the Civil War, and it may be that the spirit of that mem- orable conflict entered into his make up and given him the high courage, resourcefulness and determination that was a characteristic of the members of the armies, whether they fought under the Stars and Bars or the Stars and Stripes, for each fought for that high ideal which he believed was right. Mr. Fugate was the son of Elbert M. and Nancy C. (Holl- croft) Fugate, the former a native of the Old Dominion and a worthy representative of an old Virginia family that located in that state during its period of early settlement, while Mrs. Fugate was a Hoosier and had all the gracious characteristics of the daughters of that state. Seven children formed the Fugate family : James T., who resides in Missouri; Charles W., living in Greentop, Missouri ; Jefferson, of this review ; Robert, now a resident of Iowa ; Isabella, who married Jefferson D. Fow- ler, of Greentop, Missouri; William E., who lives at Lovila, Iowa; and Drusilla, the wife of O. E. Campbell also of Greentop, Mis- souri. Elbert Fugate was a well to do farmer of Missouri, where he was known as a man of means and weight in the community. He lived to be an old man, passing away on De- cember 21, 1918, having survived his wife who died in 1907. Both Mr. and Mrs. Fugate were members of the Primitive Baptist church.

As his father was a prosperous man young Jefferson was given excellent educational ad- vantages. He first attended the public schools near his home in the country and being a farm boy grew up self reliant, resourceful and full of a determination to get ahead in the world. At an early age he realized that a good educa-

MR. AND MRS. THOMAS M. HOWARD

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

tion was one of the best equipments for the furtherance of his life's plan, so after finishing the grades he entered the high school, pursued a full course and after graduating matriculated in the pharmacy department of Northwestern University in the city of Chicago. Being a good and conscientious student he in due time received his degree and was registered as a graduate pharmacist and licensed to practice in 1895. Within a short time Mr. Fugate be- canie established in the practice of his profes- sion in Iowa, where he engaged in business until 1906. During his years in business he realized that the man of property is more in- dependent than one tied to such an exacting business as a pharmacist. Being a student of affairs he came to realize that many men were making money in the west and at the same time becoming owners of valuable land. He studied on the question and having been rear- ed on a farm determined to follow in the foot- steps of his father and took up a homestead in Scottsbluff county. He at once began the im- provement of his land, erected good and per- manent farm buildings, built a comfortable home, proved up and for five years was en- gaged in agricultural pursuits, finding that the practical experience he had gained as a boy came in more than handy now that he was a landed proprietor. Mr. Fugate was alive to every opportunity to make money and at the same time to assist in the development of this western country, and realizing the necessity of a village where the residents of his section could obtain supplies and sell their produce he became one of the prime movers in the es- tablishment of the town. He moved into the village, one of the first families to take up their residence there where the family lived until 1912, when they removed to Henry, locat- ing here July 13, Mr. Fugate entered actively into the business interests of his new commun- ity, became interested in various enterprises and on September 14, 1914, was appointed postmaster, an office which he has efficiently filled up to the present time. Since assuming office he has inaugurated many reforms which have tended to facilitate and expediate the handling of mail which has proved of great value to the residents. Realizing of what bene- fit a well conducted newspaper would be in this thriving community in 1917, Mr. Fugate established the Henry Messenger, which has grown rapidly and now has a wide circulation in the immediate vicinity of the town and also up and down the valley, showing what success it has attained under his able management. It is bright, clean, enterprising and wholesome,

and has gained many fast friends among the reading public, being also well deserving of the support it receives as an advertising medium. In connection with the paper Mr. Fugate con- ducts an up-to-date job printing office.

May 15, 1888, Mr. Fugate married Miss Sunsan M. Satterfield, of Pike county, and to them one child was born, Mabelle., who mar- ried William F. Young and now lives in Brementown, Washington. Mr. Fugate with his wife is a member of the Methodist Episco- pal church of which they are liberal support- ers. He is a member of the Democratic party in politics, while his fraternal associations are with the Masonic order.

THOMAS M. HOWARD, the founder of the business that is now conducted by his fam- ily in Scottsbluff under the name of the Howard Greenhouse and Flower Shop, was born at Perry Center, New York, December 26, 1855, and died at Scottsbluff, Nebraska, December 4, 1918.

His life was an illustration of the principle that while many people admire nature in the abstract, not so many feel the impulse that leads to the cultivation of flowers or the sci- entific study of the mysterious results of graft- ing and propagation. As a business it may prove exceedingly profitable, as has been abun- dantly proved by the Howards, but it is one that demands special talents, hence every in- dividual would not be successful at it. The large florist business belonging to the Howards and ably managed by Mrs. Howard and her sons includes plants at both Scottsbluff and Gering.

Thomas M. Howard was married at Batavia, New York, November 30, 1887, to Deborah Tompkins, a native of Ireland. She was born July 2, 1860, and when eleven years of age came with her parents to the United States in 1871. Immediately after their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Howard came to Nebraska and located at Weeping Water, where Mr. Howard engaged in the banking business and also han- dled real estate, the latter enterprise he con- tinued after coming to Scottsbluff in 1902 in partnership with John A. Orr and the late William H. Wright, and after Mr. Wright's death he continued the same business with Mr. Orr for several years. The firm name was Wright, Orr & Howard, and it was the leading real estate firm in the North Platte Valley.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 90

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