History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 95

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

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HISTORY OF WESTERN NEBRASKA

money. Mr. Kennedy at present is not only one of Scottsbluff's most respected citizens, but is the owner of a large tract of some of the finest irrigated land in this part of Ne- braska.

Anthony Kennedy was born in Ireland, January 5, 1842, the son of John and Ann (Right) Kennedy, natives of Scotland but long residents of the north of Ireland, where the were married and spent their lives. They were members of the United Presbyterian church. Anthony grew up on his father's little farm and attended the local school. When sixteen years old he went to England in search of em- ployment, and found work with contractors who were building a cut-off dam in the sea. His work was hauling and, although according to the present high wage scale of laborers, he was paid but a pittance, that money was saved and when he returned home a year later had amounted to enough, as he hoped, to pay his passage to the United States. When he reached Liverpool he found himself able to still further add to his savings and he remained in that city for six months, in the meanwhile making friends, with one of whom, in 1864, he embarked for the United States.

After landing the youths made their way to Pittsburg, Pennsylvania, where Mr. Kennedy soon secured work as a drayman, later as a warehouse man, and then entered the employ of the Kilpatrick Grocery Company, with which house he remained connected for twelve years. In the meanwhile Mr. Kennedy mar- ried and later decided to embark in farming. He removed to Deleware county, Iowa, and rented land there for eight years, then came to Madison county, Nebraska. For the next four years he rented land there and carried on farming and stockraising very profitably, com- ing in 1886 to Scottsbluff county and secured a homestead near Minatare. He now owns one hundred and ninety-two acres of irrigated land, the agricultural possibilities of which are incalcuable. In 1908 the family moved into Scottsbluff but later returned to the farm for three years when Mr. Kennedy bought a lot and erected a comfortable residence at Scotts- bluff, which is now the family home.

At Pittsburg, Pensylvania, December 20, 1870, Mr. Kennedy married Miss Martha Baxter, who was born August 20, 1848, in the north of Ireland where she was reared. She was of Scotch ancestry, her forebears having settled in Protes- tant Ireland at an early day. Mr. and Mrs. Kennedy were school mates in youth, and after the young man came to America and

could support a wife he sent for his boyhood sweetheart to join him in this country. Martha Baxter crossed the ocean in 1869 and the mar- riage occurred the next year. Three sons and three daughters have been born to them, as follows: William, who resides in Texas ; Al- exander, a stockman in Montana; Maggie, lives with her parents ; Mary the wife of John Jensen, who operates Mr. Kennedy's farm six miles northeast of Minatare; John, in the stockraising business in Montana ; and Sarah who resides at home, is employed in the Platte Valley State Bank.

Mr. Kennedy has been an important factor in public affairs since coming to Scottsbluff county. For ten years he was a justice of the peace and his decisions were never re- versed. He was one of the first elected coun- ty commissioners and his general popularity was shown by the returns when it was found that his majority was greater than that of any other county candidate. Mr. Kennedy served in other official capacities and was county as- sessor for four years. He has always been a staunch Republican, and is a Royal Arch Ma- son. With his family Mr. Kennedy belongs to the Presbyterian church. Few men in Scotts- bluff county are better known than 'Squire Kennedy.

FRANK L. BLACK, one of the earliest set- tlers of Dawes county who has taken an im- portant part in the development of this section, deserves a place in the Dawes County History, as a man who has done much for his locality, as he has lived to see the many changes and im- provements that have taken place here since he came in 1884. Today, Mr. Black is one of the heavy land owners here and is considered one of the most substantial and reliable men of the county and Chadron. He was born in Henry county, Iowa, October 9, 1854, the son of Layfette and Anna (Johnson) Black, the former born in Olio, while the mother was a native of Kentucky. Frank Black was the oldest child in a family of nine children but only one of the girls is now living. His fath- er was a farmer who enlisted in the Union army and served for three years during the Civil War, under Captain Little and Colonel Hardesty. The Black children were raised on the farm and Frank began to earn money while still a boy trapping opposums. He attended the public schools for three months for a while in the winter time, but most of his schooling consisted of lessons in the hard but excellent school of experience where he learn- ed well, for he has succeeded in becoming one

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of the influential and prominent farmers and producers of his section of the plains country.

Mr. Black remained at home until he was about twenty-one years of age and then began to work as a farmer, his day being usually sixteen hours long. After three years Mr. Black began to split rails and says that he often split seven hundred in a day. He was mar- ried in Gentry county, Missouri, January 13, 1876, to Miss Mary A. Green, who was born at Wayne, Michigan, the daughter of Henry and Matilda (Freeman) Green, being the fifth in a family of nine children. Twelve chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Black: Sarah M., the wife of Henry Miller, a fariner near Chadron, has nine children; Thomas, a farmer near Clifton, Wyoming, married Amanda Pell, and they have two girls; Vic- toria, married M. L. Mitchell, a farmer near Chadron; Samuel, a farmer near Pine Ridge, South Dakota, married Erna Gorton, and they have four children; Anna, Married Dan Claf- flin, a teamster in Chadron and they have one boy ; Laura, married Ralph Munkers, a farm- er near Chadron and has one child; William, who served in France during the World War, married Fontine Johnson; Maud, is the wife of Mark Jensen, a farmer near Newell, South Dakota; Ida M., is a student in the Chadron high school, while the other are dead.

After his marriage, Mr. Black farmed about eight years in Missouri and then joined a col- ony that was coming to Dawes county in 1884. He came as far as Valentine with the colony and located on a pre-emption claim ten mile southeast of the present site of Cliad- ron, near Bordeaux creek. The first six months he lived in a tent then built a log cabin, using straw and slabs for the roof, with a coating of clay above that. Though the home was primitive, Mr. Black says those were happier days than these. The country where he settled was so wild that a man could go out and kill all the deer he wanted to for meat any time. For some time Mr. Black worked by the day and ploughed sod for his neighbors to obtain money for supplies, when not busy with his own farm work. He cut and hauled stove wood to Chadron, taking one day to cut the wood and another to drive to town. At first the crops were fairly good, until 1890, when the drought killed everything. For eight years he raised vegetables and ran a huxter wagon and made money. He says that he raised four hundred dollars worth of water melons on an acre, and often brought in a load of vegetables that sold for thirty-five dollars. One year his cabbages beat all those

shown at the State Fair, thirteen head weigh- ing ninety-six pounds. From time to time, as he made money, Mr. Black invested in land and now owns fourteen hundred and forty acres, all well improved, which he has culti- vated and so became one of the influetial farm- ers of his locality. For some time now, Mr. Black has given up the active management of his land and lives retired at Chadron where he is enjoying the fruits of his many years of labor. He can look back and review the years of trials and hardships and feels that he has done his share in the upbuilding of Dawes county. He is a man honored and respected by all who know him, has many friends and the Black family is one of the old pioneer stock that has made the present prosperity of the county possible.

WILLIAM TOBERT STOCKDALE, dean of the Chadron Normal School, Chadron, Ne- braska, is a man of high culture and education who is well and favorably known throughout the educational circles of the state and holds his position of responsibility because of his attainments and marked ability.

Mr. Stockdale was born in Springfield, Illi- nois, November 4, 1866, the son of Jonas and Rachael Stockdale, being the second of the five children born to his parents. The father homesteaded in Saunders county, Nebraska, in 1868. The summer preceding that the family lived on an island between the Platte and Elk- horn rivers just above the point where the Elkhorn empties into the Platte. During the harvest season the father swam the Elkhorn river each morning to his work, pushing a tub ahead of him which contained his clothes. Late at night on his return, his wife would go down to the river and by calling, guide him across the stream on his return. Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale lived for two years on the home- stead without a team, carrying water from a spring a mile away. Then an ox team was se- cured, with which William Stockdale of this sketch did his first days plowing when a little over seven years of age. William Stockdale received his elementary education in the rural schools and took higher work in the Lincoln Normal University, receiving his first degree in 1898; he took still more work at Fremont College from which he received the degree of Bachelor of Science in 1899, and in 1921, was granted the degree of Master of Arts by the University of Nebraska.

Mr. Stockdale lived at home until he was about twenty years old and then began to teach in the rural schools, where he continued

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several years. One memorable occasion was the blizzard of 1888, when he had to stand against the door to keep the children from rushing out into the storm when it struck the building. After serving in the district schools he taught in the Arlington, Nebraska, schools for several years; then became city superin- tendent of Wisner, Nebraska, where he re- mained eight years, followed by two years at Madison. Mr. Stockdale was appointed to teach in the State Junior Normal School at Valentine during summers, filling this position five years, from 1906 to 1910 inclusive, acting as principal the last year. He had gained a high reputation as a teacher and superin- tendent and when the new normal school was established at Chadron he was appointed dean of the institution, June 5, 1911, and assigned to the head of the department of education and teacher training, a position which he still holds. During all these years Mr. Stockdale

had continued his studies in the various insti- tutions from which he received his degrees and kept abreast of the latest educational move- ments. He became recognized as an able executive and it was his high scholarship coupled with this that led to his present im- portant position where he is winning more laurels as one of the foremost educators of the state,

October 9, 1890, Mr. Stockdale married Miss Ida May Vorse, of Saunders county, Ne- braska, the daughter of Amos and Sarah Vorse, pioneer settlers, of eastern Nebraska, who came to this state in 1878. Mrs. Stock- dale is one of their four children and before her marriage was a teacher of recognized merit. Mr. and Mrs. Stockdale have had two

children : Alva Percy, who was a graduate of the Wisner high school, the Peru State Normal School and the University of Nebraska, who was principal of the high school of Alli- ance, Nebraska, when he died, January 3. 1919, and Irma Lucile, who was graduated with advanced credit from the high school department of the Chadron Normal School in 1919, is now in the senior class of the normal school and in addition to receiv- ing her regular state diploma will be granted the Bachelor of Arts Degree in 1921.

Mr. Stockdale belongs to the Rotarian Club, to the Congregational church and is a Past Master in the Odd Fellows Lodge. The Stock- dale family is one of the well known and prominent one in Chadron, especially in edu- cational circles.

WILLIAM A. POTTS, the owner of the Chadron Steam Laundry, and one of the sub- stantial and progressive business men of the town is a native son of Nebraska, born in Hamilton county, April 20, 1882, of an old pioneer family. He is the son of Abraham W. and Harriet C. (White) Potts, the former a native of Pensylvania, while the latter was born near Carbondale, Illinois. William Potts is the eldest of the four children born to his parents. After leaving school he obtained employment in a sugar factory at Grand Is- land, then he went to Wyoming. With an- other boy he walked from Clearmont to Buffa- lo, some forty miles. They worked on Crazy Woman creek on a ranch for some time. From the ranch he went to Billings, and worked in a laundry but left for Townsend to work in the hay fields. Returning to Nebraska he ob- tained employment in a laundry at David City, remaining six months before moving to Hast- ings to canvas for pictures but did not like that and again tried the laundry business which he now learned from the bottom up, working over twenty years, becoming an efficient laundry- man. He was made manager of the Aurora Steam Laundry in 1906, holding that position until the laundry was sold. He then went to Holdrege for the same company as foreman of a laundry in that town and on August 20, 1907 was married there to Miss Luella II. Tatum, the daughter of William and Margaret F. Ta- tum, being the oldest of the two children in the family. Mr. and Mrs. Potts have two children, Margaret and Roscoe A.

Mr. Potts came to Dawes county and located in Chadron April 1, 1913. He bought the old Chadron Steam Laundry which he remodeled and equipped, and in 1919, he built his new

GEORGE LAUCOMER

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laundry of reinforced concrete with a floor space of forty-five by one hundred feet, and two stories high. This is one of the modern and best equipped laundries in the state.

GEORGE LAUCOMER, one of Scotts- bluff's capitalists and a prominent citizen, has been identified with many important undertak- ings since he came to Nebraska thirty-five years ago, having already behind him years of success, failure and again success in the Penn- sylvania oil fields. Bearing with him, also, Mr. Laucomer had testimonials of which he might well be proud, proving how valiantly he had fought as a boyish soldier in defense of his country and won promotion because of his gallantry. It is the duty of the biographer to recall these days from the past and give them a true setting.

George Laucomer was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, October 4, 1848, the son of Jacob and Elizabeth (Reed) Laucomer, who were born in Pensylvania of German par- ents. They spent their lives in Lancaster and Mr. Laucomer remembers that his father for many years was a man highly esteemed, act- ing as sexton of the German Reformed church, an office of great dignity. Of his ten children but two are living, George and Caroline, the latter being a widow and living at Sheffield, Pennsylvania.

A schoolboy when the Civil War was pre- cipitated, George Laucomer determined from the first that he would enter the Union army and defend the liberties endangered, and pos- sibly when he succeeded in becoming a mem- ber of the One hundred ninety-fifth Pennsyl- vania volunteer infantry, in October, 1862, he was one of the youngest soldiers in the entire army organization. Nevertheless he bore him- self as a man, serving under gallant General Sheridan in the Shenandoah Valley and with such efficiency that when he was honorably discharged in June, 1865, he was corporal al- though the youngest member of his company.

Mr. Laucomer did not return to school to complete his interrupted education, but he went back to Lancaster and served an apprentice- ship of three years to the blacksmith trade and, according to the trade rule of the time, work- ed one year as a journeyman. Those were the busy days of oil development in his state and he soon drifted to Oil City, where at first he worked in a refinery, but later ventured into the business on his own account and made a fortune that a further venture caused him to lose just as quickly. He remained in the oil fields for fifteen years and during that time

again made a comfortable fortune, after which he came to Nebraska, buying a ranch in 1884, in Frontier county, and for many years he was engaged in the stock business there. In 1907 he came to Scottsbluff county, bought a cattle ranch and additionally a large acreage, and continued in the stock business until 1909. He still owns a large amount of land that is worth $200 an acre. Mr. Laucomer is finan- cially interested in the Independent Lumber Company and for some years was president of this important concern.

In 1872 Mr. Laucomer was united in mar- riage with Miss Catherine Snader, who died in 1905, the following of their five children sur- viving: George, superintendent of an oil com- pany in Montana ; Charles, a prominent ranch- man in Sioux county ; Minnie, the wife of Henry Clingman, of Ogden, Utah, and Dora, the wife of Arthur Jack, a merchant at Te- kawah, Nebraska.

In 1907, Mr. Laucomer married Miss Emma Frances Shroad, who was born at Lancaster, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Fred E. and Frances ( Roth ) Shroad, natives of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Laucomer's father was born April 6, 1846 and died in 1904. He served in a cavalry regiment in the Civil War. Of their nine children only two live in Ne- braska, Mrs. Laucomer and Samuel, who farms a portion of Mr. Laucomer's land. Mr. and Mrs. Laucomer have one son, Franklin George, who was born June 15, 1914. In poli- tics Mr. Laucomer is a Republican and at times has served in local offices and for six years was a justice of the peace. For some time he was president of the Farmers' Alliance of Dawson county. He has always taken great interest in the Grand Army of the Republic and has served as quartermaster of his post. Mr. Laucomer is known in many sections of Nebraska but since 1907 has resided in Scotts- bluff, where he is held in universal esteem. He has always liberally supported local en- terprises, has done much in the way of char- ity and has been generous to the Lutheran church of which he is a member.

WILLIAM ALLEN WHITE, one of the owners of the Chadron Furniture Company of Chadron is a practical furniture man of many years experience, as he has been associated with the manufacturing and sales department of the furniture industry nearly all his business life and though a new merchant in this section is making good in his special vocation. Mr. White was born at Salem, Dent county, Missouri, January 7, 1885, the son of Ransom A and Martha (Buckner) White, both natives of Mis-

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souri. William was the second of the five children born to his parents. His father was a veteran of the Civil War, having served in the army three years under General Marmaduke and participated in Price's Raid in Missouri and many battle and skirmishes. He farmed for several years and the family then lived in the country. Later the family moved to St. Louis and then to Springfield, Missouri, where the children attended school. After completing his course in the public schools Mr. White went to work for the Springfield Furni- ture Company in the factory and thus learned the business from the bottom up. He first swept sawdust up, advanced from that to more important work and then became fore- man of the shipping department. After hold- ing that position three years he entered the main office of the company and in six months was made time-keeper and assistant bookkeep- er. Following this he went on the road as a salesman for the company and continued to travel for eleven years. His territory covered Missouri, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Iowa and Colorado. In this line he was very successful and built up a fine trade which led him to engage in an independent business in 1917, traveling for different kinds of furni- ture supplies but selling on a commission basis. He liked the independence of an enterprise of his own so well that in 1920, Mr. White came to Chadron where he already was . well ac- quainted with the commercial outlook and pur- chased a third interest in the Chadron Furni- ture Company. From selling in this territory he knew that business was good and located here. Since coming to Dawes county he has taken an active part in the management of the store and inaugurated many policies that have increased business and though one of the lat- er residents of the town has a bright future from the present outlook.

July 4, 1920, Mr. White married Miss Louise Horine, who was born in Springfield, Missouri. She is a graduate of the high school there and Loretto Academy, specialing in lan- guages. After finishing school she was assist- ant in the Carnegie Library in Springfield for a year.

Mr. White is a member of the Knights of Pythias having taken the highest degree of that organization. He is a man of energy, knows the furniture business thoroughly, both manufacturing and salesmanship and is an ad- dition to the commercial element that is build- ing up and developing Chadron.

MICHAEL CHRISTENSEN, pioneer set- tler of Dawes county, prosperous ranchman and a man who has served as a public official with benefit to the county and credit to himself, is today one of the large landholders of the Panhandle who is regarded as one of the sub- stantial and progressive men of his day. He has played his part in the opening up and de- velopment of Dawes county both in his private business and as county commissioner, and de- serves place in the history of the county, where he has been well known for more than thirty years and is highly esteemed. Mr. Christensen was born in Denmark, October 27, 1859, the son of Chris and Christine ( Mikkel- sen) Christensen, both of whom were born, reared and spent their lives in their native land. Michael was the fourth in a family of seven children born to his parents. His father was a small farmer and brick maker. The boy was reared on his father's land and early displayed business ability as he would secure some article and trade it for something better and keep this trading up, always gaining on each deal. He attended the public school in the winter time and worked in the summers. At the age of twelve years he began to work in the brick yard and learned the trade of brick maker. He remained at this occupation, going to school at the same time, until he was fifteen then obtain- ed his parents' consent to work for a large farmer for two years. He did not draw his salary but let it accumulate but made some money in trading deals. When seventeen years old, Mr. Christensen's father called him home to take charge of the brick yard where he was engaged two years. He then ran a small farm of his father's for a winter before attending college for a time. He had heard of the many opportunities for a young man in America and in 1882, came to the United States. Com- ing west, Mr. Christensen reached Cleveland, Ohio. and as he did not understand English found it hard to secure work. He found a Dane with whom he could talk and who prom- ised to help him, but his money was gone and he finally found a place in a stone quarry mill, where the stone was cut in blocks. At first he worked for very little, but soon learned some English, showed his ability and within a short time he was advanced. The second year he was made foreman of the mill.

December 6, 1882, Mr. Christensen married Miss Catharine M. Albertson, at Cleveland, who was born in Germany, of Danish parents, Christian and Catharine (Smidt) Albertson and was the fourth of their six children. Mr.

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and Mrs. Christensen have had eight children : Catharine, deceased ; George C., a farmer near Chadron; Albert, a farmer near Chadron ; Christiana M., in New York learning the mil- linery business; William B., married Alice Manchester of Chadron, and spent over a year in France during the World War, is now running his father's ranch on White river; Mike F., who farms with his brother ; Frank- lin R., married Vernice M. Robinson and owns a farm southwest of Chadron; and Marion B., deceased.

Remaining in Cleveland until 1886, Mr. Christensen came to Chadron, then the end of the railroad and took a pre-emption on White river on which he proved up, then took a homestead adjoining. He at once began im- provements on his ranch where he lived until 1898. The Christensens passed through all the hardships and privations of life in a new country. Wheat was introduced, he became one of the fine farmers and also a stock man. With increased capital he began to buy more land, as he saw there was a great future in the Panhandle and now owns about five thou- sand acres, used for farming and grazing pur- poses. After accumulating a comfortable for- tune he retired from the active work of the ranch, leaving that to his sons and now lives in his comfortable home in Chadron, honored and respected by all his business associates and friends. With his sons Mr. Christensen is interested in raising registered Hereford cattle of the Anexiety Fourth strain. They have from three to four hundred head all choice registered cattle on the ranch and will have about the same amount the next year, as they find them profitable and make money from beef cattle. In addition there is about four hundred acres planted to alfalfa, and many acres to other farm crops. The Christiansen ranch is one of the fine properties in Dawes county ; it is well watered, has good buildings which have cost about fifteen thousand dol- lars; is fenced and cross-fenced and the hay land cuts from five to six hundred tons a year.

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 95

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