History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 91

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

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Mr. Howard was an active citizen in public affairs at both Weeping Water and Scottsbluff, serving on the town board in both cities. He was a man of influence in the Republican party, and both himself and wife were most

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

worthy members of the Presbyterian church. No man stood higher in the estimation of his friends and neighbors than he, and he has left behind him the memory of a man who was the soul of honor, a loyal friend, and a successful business man. A lover of flowers all his life, he was endowed with the gift that enabled him to handle them successfully. He started the florist business in a small way while engaged in other enterprises, it being to a large extent a recreation with him and Mrs. Howard, and they spent many of their happiest hours work- ing together in the greenhouses, but as the com- munity grew the business grew with it until it became their major occupation.

To Mr. and Mrs. Howard seven children have been born, all of whom are living.

Albert T. Howard is the third in age of the seven children. He was born at Weeping Water, Nebraska, April 6, 1893; was gradu- ated from the Scottsbluff high school in 1910, and afterwards taught school for one year. He then accepted the position of chemist with the Great Western Sugar Company at their Scotts- bluff factory, resigning after two years to enter upon the duties of assistant postmaster, in which position he remained five years. He then resigned in order to enter the service of his country during the World War, being a mem- ber of Company G, Fourth Nebraska Infantry, Battery D, One Hundred and Twenty-seventh Field Artillery, serving from September 18, 1917, to December 5, 1918. For ten months he was at Camp Cody, New Mexico, having been commissioned at Camp Zachary Taylor. After his return from the army he resumed his peace- ful activities in the florist business and has ably carried it on. In politics he is a stalwart Re- publican, and he is a member of the Presby- terian church.

S. Morton Howard, who attends to the Howard floral interests at Gering, was born at Weeping Water, Nebraska, March 30, 1896. After completing his course in the Scotts- bluff High School he took a course in stock judging, and for one season was with Jesse Harris at Fort Collins, Colorado. From there he entered the National army in Battery A, Three Hundred and thirty-eighth Field Artil- lery, and was trained at Camp Dodge, Iowa. During his period of overseas service he was stationed at Winchester, England, and Bor- deaux, France, between May 23, 1918, and December 25, 1918. He was honorably dis- charged at Camp Dodge on January 26, 1919, returned home immediately, and since then has been located at Gering.

Richard L. Howard is pronounced by his brothers to be the most capable member of the

family as a florist. In 1918 his father had re- tired from active business and left the manage- ment of the flower culture and sale to the three sons. When the two older sons joined the army Richard consented to remain at home and look after the business, since he was under the draft age, being only twenty years old, although he was eager to go as a volunteer and would have done so if his sense of duty to his mother had not prevented. While his brothers were absent in the service he shouldered the entire care and responsi- bility of managing the greenhouses and truck gardens, and ably performed the duty. An additional burden was the death of his father, which occurred during that time. Richard was born at Weeping Water, Nebraska, April 25, 1898, and was educated in Scottsbluff. Since boyhood he has been connected with the floral business and expects to make that his life work.

The family now owns a five-acre tract .of land, with five greenhouses and an up-town shop, in addition to the plant at Gering. Mr. Howard left quite a valuable estate, the ac- cumulation of a lifetime of concentrated effort and honorable industry, and all his sons are highly esteemed as good citizens and capable business men. Mrs. Howard is also a good business woman and expects to continue ac- tive in carrying on the business in connection with her sons. Her interest and pleasure in life are her family, flowers, and home.

The other children are four daughters: R. Janet, who has been a teacher in Wyoming. and now resides at home; Roxa L., the wife of Mark M. Patterson, superintendent of schools at Hamilton, New York ; Marianna, now attending the University of Nebraska, at Lincoln, and Lydia A., a student in the Scotts- bluff high school.

WILLIAM BARNES, who is now to be designated as one of the progresive and suc- cessful representatives of agricultural and live stock enterprises in Scottsbluff county, gained in his youth experience as a cowboy on the great open ranges in the Lone State state, and the vigor and self-reliance which this service involved have never left him in the later years which he has given to productive enterprise along other lines of activity. He is one of the substantial and popular citizens of the northern part of Scottsbluff county, where his well im- proved farm is situated about five miles dis- tant from Mitchell.

Mr. Barnes was born it St. Clair county, Missouri, March 8, 1857, and is a son of

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

Lindsey and Mary (Preston) Barnes, the former a native of Virginia and the latter of Tennessee. Of the family of nine children the first born was Martha, who is deceased, and the second is William, the immediate sub- ject of this sketch; George Robert and Lind- sey Francis are deceased; Ann Eliza is the wife of Charles Hilton, of Appleton City, Mis- souri ; Mary Ellen is the wife of Edward Shrewsberry, of Osceola, that state; Ada and Elizabeth are deceased; and O. K., who has been prominent identified with government re- clamation service in western Nebraska, main- tains his residence at Mitchell, Scottsbluff county.

Lindsey Barnes, a scion of an old and hon- ored Virginia family, became a prosperous farmer in Missouri, where he continued to be identified with agricultural pursuits until he had attained middle life. He was influential in political and public affairs in Clark county, that state, where he served some time as deputy county sheriff, the cause of the Democratic party having recived his unwavering support. He was a member of the Baptist church, as is also his venerable widow, who celebrated in 1919, the eighty-seventh anniversary of her birth and whose home is at Appleton City, Missouri, though she endeavors to pass a por- tion of her time in the homes of her several children, all of whom accord to her the deep- est love and veneration.

The common schools of his native state pro- vided William Barnes with his early education- al advantages, and there also he gained his ini- tial experience in connection with farm ac- tivities. As a young man of twenty years he made his way to Texas, where he found em- ployment in herding cattle on the range, his service as a cowboy having continued for seventeen years and the free and vigorous life having given him a vigor that stands him well in these later years. He has been actively concerned in the construction of irrigation systems in Nebraska and other states, and in this connection he aided in the building of twelve miles of government irrigation ditch in Scottsbluff county. Here he took up a homestead in the year 1906, but was absent from the county thereafter until 1908, when he established his permanent residence on his land, to the development and improvement of which he has since given his close attention. He has a quarter section of land, upon which he has made good improvements, and practical- ly the entire tract is under effective irrigation. He has erected good buildings on the place and

has one of the attractive farm homes of the county. The land is most productive, and in addition to the propagation of the various crops best suited to this locality he gives at- tention also to the raising of good types of live stock. Mr. Barnes maintains an inde- pendent attitude in politics, and takes lively interest in community affairs, as a loyal and public-spirited citizen. He is affiliated with the time honored Masonic fraternity.

JAMES FINN, one of the large landholders and successful farmers of the Broadwater dis- trict, who is known for his business ability was born in Wisconsin, January 10, 1853, the son of John and Celia ( McGuire) Finn, both born and reared in Canada. To them were born eight children, six of whom are living : James, of this review ; Mary Jane, deceased ; John, of Morrill county ; Josephine, who lives in Mason City, Iowa; William W., of Wesley, Iowa; Jarvis, deceased ; Frank, of Geneva, Iowa, and Bert of Dumont, Iowa. The father was a farmer in Wisconsin, who moved to Iowa, when James was sixteen years of age. The family lived there many years ; the mother died in 1910 and the father in 1907.

James Finn spent his early youth in Wiscon- sin, attended the public schools for his educa- tion and when that was finished began to farm. After coming to Iowa he farmer some and then learned the carpenter's trade, at which he was employed for fifteen years before com- ing to western Nebraska, thirty-one years ago · last March, settling in old Cheyenne county when it was little developed. During the early days of Sidney, Mr. Finn worked on many of the buildings of that growing town, spending three years as a builder there. He then inov- ed two and a half miles west of Bridgeport to a homestead of eighty acres. Farming was well known to him, he made a success of it even at this early date, made money and from time to time bought more land until today he owns more than seven hundred acres, all well omproved land. For years he has been engag- ed in general farming and stock raising. He is a shrewd man of foresight and by short buying and long selling has made a comfortable for- tune here in the west.

In 1888, Mr. Finn married Miss Louise Fuchs, and to them have been born two chil- dren : Frank, who died in infancy, and Albert, who is at home. Mr. Finn is a member of the Catholic church and is a Republican. He takes an active interest in local affairs and backs all movements to develop his section of the county.

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

HERBERT G. RUSSELL .- In every com- munity will be found quiet, industrious, busi- ness men, following various vocation, without whom the many industries of civilized life could not go on, and very often it will be found that they are self made men, having, un- aided, built up their own fortunes. One of the leading men of the generation who typifies this class is Herbert Russell, who not only has but still is, taking an important part in the de- velopment of this western section of Nebraska.

Mr. Russell was born in Vernon county, Wisconsin, February 28, 1877, being the son of Calvin W. Russell, a pioneer settler of the Badger state, who became a prosperous farmer there. Herbert Russell received his elementary education in the public schools of Nebraska, after his family moved to this state. After completing the graded work he continued his studies in the high school, graduating from a four year course. Having been a good and rather brilliant scholar he was urged to take the teacher's examination, which ne passed brilliantly and the following fall found him a full fledged pedagogue. Finding the scholastic profession to his liking and being so successful in this line, Mr. Russell continued teaching for some years. He realized the full benefits to be gained from higher education and during the summer vacations attended the State Uni- versity at Lincoln, thus gaining not only bene- fits for his 'year's work in school but at the same time broadening his view of life. While he had achieved an enviable reputation as a teacher, Mr. Russell soon felt that there was not enough of a future in teaching and decided to enter commercial life where his constructive talents would have greater opportunities for use and development. Coming to Henry, Mr. Russell opened a real estate office with an allied line, insurance, and to this business he has since devoted his time and attention. As cor- rect surveys are of the utmost importance in land deals, Mr. Russell became interested in surveying, studied that subject and has done a considerable amount of the surveying in the western part of the state in the vicinity of Henry. Of a pleasing personality, a man of high ideals both in his private and business life, it is but natural that Mr. Russell gained warm friends in Scottsbluff county where he has a reputation for straight dealing, personal hon- esty and the careful execution of all business obligations. He has built up a lucrative busi- ness which brings in most gratfying returns and is well and favorably known throughout the Panhandle. Mr. Russell is really a pioneer of this section as he first came here when

the valley was thinly populated and it is most interesting to get him to recount his early experiences, which in many cases were priva- tions and hardships but not so according to his telling. His brother, James Russell,, was one of the earliest settlers of the Mitchell dis- trict, long before it was known by that or any name and he recalls how the postoffice of Mitchell, a frame structure of one room only, about ten feet square, was put up over night of necessity. James Russell became the first post- master and Herbert was often in the office with him. Thus the youthful school master aided in shaping the future development of a section which he has seen change from raw, unbroken prairie to rich, arable farm land where boun- teous crops reward the labors of the husband- man. Knowing the country as only an early settler could, has greatly aided Mr. Russell in his business to the end that he is regarded as one of the best buyers and sellers of real estate in the valley. Mr. Russell is an inde- pendent in politics, casting his vote for the man best qualified to hold office, whether in the community, state or nation. The family are members of the Chritian church while Mr. Russell has fraternal affiliations with the In- dependent Order of Odd Fellows and the Yeo- men.

In the fall of 1912, Mr. Russell married Miss Nellie Robertson, a native daughter of Ne- braska, and to them one child has been born, Ralph Keith.

BERT R. WEBER, who is numbered among the successful younger exponents of agricul- tural and live-stock industry in Scottsbluff county, has the distinction of being a native son of this country, his birth having taken place on the home farm of his father, near Gering, on November 14, 1890. Of the fam- ily genealogy adequate record is given on other pages, in the sketch of the career of his father, William Weber.

Bert R. Weber early gained his quota of experience in connection with the activities of the home farm and his youthful educational advantages included those of the public schools of Gering. He continued to be associated with his father in the operation of the latter's ranch until he had attained to his legal ma- jority, when he initiated his independent career in connection with the same important line of Industry. As a general agriculturist and stock- grower he is emphatically alert and progress- ive and he conducts operations on a well im- proved place of two hundred and seventeen acres, all of which will eventually have ample

FRED F. EVERETT

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BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES

irrigation facilities and upon which he is mak- ing the best of improvements. This ranch is situated in section one, township twenty-one, about a half mile distant from Gering, which is the postoffice address of Mr. Weber. On his farm he has a fine French draft stallion, and he is making a specialty of breeding this type of horses.

In 1914, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Weber to Miss Lucile Duff, who was born and reared in Nebraska, and they have two children, a winsome little daughter, Marvel, and a boy, Kenneth Ellsworth. Mrs. Weber was educated in the public schools of Gering and there she holds membership in the Metho- dist Episcopal church. In politics Mr. Weber gives allegiance to the Republican party in national and state campaigns, but in local af- fairs he maintains an independent political. attitude.

FRED F. EVERETT. - Nebraska owes a great debt to the hardy pioneers who came to this commonwealth when a large part of it was unbroken prairie. It was such men who opened up the new country and blazed the way for the later development of a rich agri- cultural district. To this honored class be- longs Mr. Everett, who has been a promiennt citizen of Scottsbluff for the past ten years, and one of the extensive dairy farmers of Scottsbluff county. He came to Cass county Nebraska in 1879, and has made this state his home ever since. Mr. Everett has been active in all irrigation projects and has been a direc- tor of the Winter Creek ditch since 1901. He is a man of much enterprise, and movements that give fair promise of being beneficial to city and county, always secure his approval. Mr. Everett was born in Woodford county, Illinois, March 10, 1854, the son of Willard and Frances (Dodge) Everett, the former born in Dedham, Massachusetts, in 1785, and died in 1873, and the latter at Littleton, New Hampshire, in 1810, and died in 1870. After their marriage in New Hampshire, in 1845 they moved to Illinois, where Mr. Everett pur- chased land and engaged in farming until the end of his life. By an earlier marriage he had six children, and eight were born to his second union, Fred F. being the youngest of the survivors. The others are as follows: Samuel B., who resides at Santa Anna, Cali- fornia, is a Civil war veteran, having served two years and ten months in Company G, Fourth Illinois cavalry; Edward, a retired farmer, lives at College view, Nebraska, and Roselle, the widow of Edwin Benedicite, lives

in Canada. The parents were members of the Congregational church. On the formation of the Republican party the father adopted its principles and voted the Republican ticket until his death.

Fred F. Everett attended school in Illinois and later at Tabor, Iowa, having gone to that state when fifteen years old. He returned to the home farm after a visit in Iowa, but when eighteen years old again went to Iowa where he began working by the month and at- tended school a greater part of the time for about ten years, when he moved to Weeping Water, Nebraska. For almost twenty years he farmed in Cass county, but in the spring of 1901 he came to Scottsbluff county and bought land, subsequently adding other tracts, and now has three hundred and twenty acres in his dairy farm which his son Lee operates with from ninety to one hundred and twenty-five head of cows, being the largest dairy in west- ern Nebraska. Mr. Everett is also one of the extensive beet growers of this section; there being about two hundred and fifty acres of that crop grown on his land this year. In 1909 he moved into Scottsbluff, his eldest son tak- ing charge of the dairy business. Mr. Everett is one of the directing board of the Farmer Canal, and is one of the directors of the Platte Valley State Bank.

In 1880 Mr. Everett married Miss Minnie Fitts, who was born at Gustavis, Ohio, and they have four children: Lee A., who has charge of his father's agricultural interests, married and has had five children, Frederick, who is deceased, Richard, Donald and Mar- gie and Betty ; Clare E., who married and is deceased, left two children, Earl and Kath- eryn ; Pauline, the wife of Joseph Spurgeon, a farmer in Scottsbluff county, has two children, John and Robert; and Jean, the wife of Thomas Richardson, a farmer in this county. Mr. Everett and family belong to the Presby- terian church. Politically he is a prominent factor in the Republican party and is a mem- ber of the city council, in which position he has served several terms.

WARREN BEATTY .- Known and valued as one of the enterprising and representative agriculturists, stock-raisers and feeders of Scottsbluff county, Mr. Beatty is the owner of a well improved farm of twenty-seven and a half acres of land under the highest state of cultivation. He was born in northwestern Iowa in 1870, the son of Martin and Lucy (Lampher) Beatty. The mother was a native of Illinois and the father of the famous blue

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grass state, Kentucky. The parents were married in Illinois where the father success- fully conducted a farm for some years and they had a happy home, but the call of the west was loud in their ears and their rapidly increasing family gave them additional rea- sons for seeking more room and greater op- portunities both for themselves and their chil- dren. With this end in view they left Illinois, crossed the Mississippi river and located in Iowa, but within a few years they went to Missouri, but still the lure of the west was beyond and heeding its call they finally came to Nebraska and were satisfied ; it was the goal of their ambitions. The family settled in Ban- ner county on a homestead which the father secured ; here a home was established and the children reared. After twelve years the father returned to Missouri where he died, but the mother rounded out her life in Banner county.

There were twelve children in the Beatty family, four of whom are now living in Socttsbluff county, and of these Warren is the youngest. The others are James and Charles, both retired farmers, and Wallace, a dealer in sand. Warren, the subject of this review received such rudimentary education in the public schools as the child of pioneer parents with a large family to raise could afford. While still a small boy he can recall that his duties consisted in herding cattle on the fam- ily homestead and such light work as children are always able to do on a farm. Reared in the new country, under pioneer conditions, the boy learned the lessons of industry and turn- ed vigorously to help reclaim the family home- stead from unbroken prairie and make it ar- able, productive land. The call of the west de- scended to the son from the parents and after helping the family at home for some years the young man went to Wyoming where he gained valuable experience in stock-raising, feeding and buying and selling cattle on the great ranches there. Mr. Beatty was frugal in his habits, saved money and after a period decid- ed to return to Nebarska as no other country looked so good to him or offered greater op- portunities to a man inured to work, who in childhood and early youth had passed his life on a farm under the sturdy discipline of such an environment. Mr. Beatty purchased twen- ty-seven and a half acres of land in Scotts- bluff township which he has brought to the highest state of cultivation, as he devotes his entire time and energy to his business. He

raises beets on a portion of his irrigated land, fodder crops on the remainder which he uses to feed cattle as he is a heavy stock buyer,

feeder and shipper. Today he is enjoying the well deserved and well earned fruits that crown the success of a man who knows his business, who has by thrift, economy and in- dustry amassed a comfortable fortune which all his family enjoy and with which he will be able to give his children many advantages not afforded him in childhood. The Beatty home is a very happy one as there are three children in the family, Fern, Merle and Ed- ward. Mrs. Beatty is affiliated with the Presbyterian church, to which she and her husband are liberal contributors. They repre- sent the best element in communal life, are people of high ideals and fine character well recognized by their friends and associates. Mr. Beatty is a leader in his community, his pro- gressiveness extends also to his status as a citizen, and he takes deep interest in commun- ity affairs, although he has no ambition for public affairs believing that his energies are best expended in his business.

THOMAS R. EVERETT. - Eminently successful in his farming operations, the life of Thomas Everett has been an expression of diversified activity and in its range has in- vaded the realms of ranch life and agriculture, in which he has successfully accumulated a large and comfortable property. He is in every sense a self made man, in that he has built up his fortune through his own industry, strict attention to business, far sighted vision along agricultural lines and honest dealing. Mr. Everett is in a way a pioneer for he first came to this section in 1885, and while he suffered the vicissitudes, hardships and trials of frontier life they did not daunt his high spirit. For many years he has contributed to the civic and industrial development of the community where he has made his home.

Thomas Everett is a native of the Keystone state, born at Crawford, Pennsylvania, August 13, 1877, the son of William W. and Sophia (Carter) Everett, the former a New England- er, born in Vermont, while the father was of southern origin, born in Mississippi. To this union seven children were born: Nellie, the wife of John Urban, living in Los Angeles, California; Robert, a resident of Scottsbluff county ; Eunice, the wife of Washington Fer- ry, now lives in Cochanton, Pennsylvania ; William H., also a resident of Scottsbluff county ; Daniel, of Slayton, Montana; John of Baison City; and Thomas, the subject of this review. In his native state, the boy gain- ed his youthful education, attending the ex- cellent schools of Harrisburg, until his par-

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 91

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