History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 97

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

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THEODORE F. GOLDEN, president of the Farmers State Bank of Crawford, and owner of a large body of fine, irrigated land in Dawes county, has been a resident of Nebras-

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ka for thirty-three years. Of sterling per- sonal character, he has built up a business reputation that is impregnable, and any fi- nancial institution that carries his name at the masthead, will be sure of a large measure of public confidence.

Theodore F. Golden was born in Vermillion county, Illinois, March 23, 1856. His par- ents were William and Mary (Collison) Gold- en, both of whom were born in Virginia. The father died in 1911 and the mother in 1914. Of their ten children, Theodore F. was the only one to come to Nebraska. They were members of the Presbyterian church al- though the father was reared a Quaker. In 1858, he moved to Iowa with his family and engaged in farming there on a large scale, dur- ing the rest of his active life. First he was a Whig and later a Republican.

Reared on his father's farm and attending the common schools in Iowa, Mr. Golden re- mained in that state until March, 1887, when he came to Sioux county, Nebraska, and homesteaded, later securing a pre-emption and tree claim. He lived in a log cabin with a sod roof and went through with about the same experiences as fell to other early settlers. In recalling those early days, Mr. Golden speaks of the thousands of acres of land that fell to the loan companies on account of many of the homesteaders mortgaging their land and never becoming able to pay the loans. In 1900, he came to Dawes county. At that time there was not enough hay to feed the stock and it was a curiosity to see even a load of hogs shipped out, while now one of the county's ex- ports is hay, and both hogs and dairy cattle are shipped and even cream is bought and shipped to Alliance. Wonderful changes have been brought about within the short interval of twenty years. Mr. Golden now owns over a thousand acres of land. He specializes on cat- tle and alfalfa, his land being irrigated, and he sees a great future in alfalfa.

Mr. Golden was married October 11, 1876. to Miss Anna Lane, a daughter of George and Tillie (Walker) Lane, who are deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Golden children were born as follows: Mary, who is the wife of Frank Wright, of Dawes county ; Bertha, who is the wife of Edwin Raum, of Crawford; George, who is a farmer in Dawes county ; Florence, who is the wife of Howard Glaze, of Sioux county ; Chester, who is on the home place ; Ralph, who is in Sioux county; Hugh, who lives at Lusk, Wyoming; Elizabeth, who is the wife of Henry Raum, of Sioux county ; and Victor and Ida, both of whom live at

home. Mrs. Golden is a member of the Pres- byterian church.

The Farmers State Bank of Crawford, was established March 20, 1919, by F. M. Staple- ton, with a capital of $25,000, when Mr. Golden became president. The first cashier was H. P. Gipson, the present cashier being F. M. Stapleton, William Sutherland being vice president. The bank has prospered from the first and its statement on December 12, 1919, showed deposits of over $100,000. By March 1, 1920, the bank expects to be housed in its own building, a handsome structure, well located from a business point of view and equipped with modern conveniences and bank safety devices, being almost completed. Mr. Golden has never accepted any public office but he has always been a sturdy Republican in national affairs from principle, in local matters quite often depending on his own ex- cellent judgment.

JUDGE GEORGE J. HUNT, who has been exceedingly prominent in important af- fairs in Morrill county for a number of years and one of the earliest professional men of Bridgeport, is numbered with the leading members of the bar of this county. The judge is a native of Maryland, born at Baltimore, September 18, 1856. He made his first visit to Nebraska immediately after his graduation from college in 1876.

His parents were Thomas H. and Julia A. (Dorsey) Hunt, both of whom spent their lives in Maryland. Thomas H. Hunt and his father, once mayor of Baltimore, established the Eutaw Savings Bank in Baltimore, which still is one of the soundest financial institutions in Maryland. The Hunts, as well as the Dor- seys, came to Maryland before the Revolution- ary war. Judge Hunt is thus a direct de- scendant on maternal side of Captain Bachel Burgess, who was a British officer on east- ern shore of Maryland prior to the Revolu- tion and was captain in the American army during that war. Many of the Maryland east- ern shore Dorseys were leaders in the Society of Friends, their descendants being among the most highly esteemed residents of Philadel- phia today. George J. Hunt has one brother, Herbert M., who is associated with the great packing firm of Libby, McNiel & Libby, at Baltimore. One brother, Frank N., whose death occurred from accident in 1885, was cashier of the Eutaw Savings Bank at that time. The parents were members of the Epis- copal church.

George J. Hunt had both social and educa-

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tional advantages in his youth. He attended Washington College, a branch of the State University of Maryland, from which he was graduated in 1876 and immediately came to Omaha, where he spent one year as an employe of the wholesale firm of Morgan & Gallagher, and then returned to Baltimore. During the next two years he applied himself to the study of law and in 1878 was admitted to the bar at Belair, Maryland, following which he came back to Omaha and as a member of the law firm of Congdon, Clarkston & Hunt, became well know in that city. In the spring of 1893 he came to Morrill county, being interested in the completion of the Belmont Ditch, in which he had invested largely. He bought 16,000 acres of land for the company, bonded the ditch for $250,000 and floated the bonds in the east. The ditch was completed in 1894 but Mr. Hunt was obliged to handle many suits against the company before the business was entirely settled. He protected every claim and never lost a quarter section of the land and paid off all the bonds. In 1902 when the town of Bridgeport started, he opened his office and has continued in active practice ever since, at one time being urged for the Supreme Court bench. Mr. Hunt owns a large amount of property in city and county and built many of the houses on the land under the Beemont Canal.

In 1883 Mr. Hunt was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Bouldin, who was born at Belair, Maryland, and they have three chil- dren : Harriet, the wife of T. B. Still, who is assistant cashier of the Merchants Bank of Denver, Colorado ; Julia D., who married Rev. Philip S. Smith, an Episcopal clergyman, and Frank N., in the real estate business at Bridge- port. Mrs. Hunt is a member of the Episcopal church. Mr. Hunt has always been affiliated politically with the Democratic party. During the period of the World War, he took a very active part in helpful movements, was chair- man of the Council of Defense and gave liber- ally of his time, means and professional ad- vice when all these seemed necessary.

AUGUSTUS L. MOYER, who has been a prominent business man and representative, dependable citizen of Crawford, Nebraska, for over a quarter of a century, was born in Union county, Pennsylvania, November 12, 1859. His parents were John W. and Violetta ( Meixell) Moyer, natives of Pennsylvania, in which state both died. Of their thirteen chil- dren, five are living, Augustus L. being the only one in Nebraska. The father followed

agricultural pursuits all his life, was a Re- publican in politics and served frequently in county offices.

Augustus L. Moyer completed his educa- tional training at Bucknell University, Lewis- burg, Pennsylvania. Gifted with musical tal- ent, he started out as a teacher of music and conducted a retail music business until 1884, when he came to Omaha and engaged as com- mercial traveler for Max Meyer & Brothers, music dealers. After two years he came to Grand Island, Nebraska, and conducted his own music store for five years. After selling his Grand Island store he established a similar one at Norfolk, Nebraska. In 1893, he came to Crawford and bought a drug business here, for which he paid sixteen hundred dollars. It was a small store at the time but capable of expansion, and under Mr. Moyer's careful but progressive business direction, grew into the largest establishment of its kind in Western Nebraska. In November, 1919, Mr. Moyer sold the store for sixteen thousand dollars. In the meantime he has been interested in other enterprises of modern character. In associa- tion with his son, he built the Crawford Tele- phone system, which he sold in 1912, to the Wyoming and Nebraska Telephone Company, now the Nebraska Telephone Company. . He is about completing a modern garage at Craw- ford, a fireproof one-story and basement struc- ture, fifty by a hundred and fifty feet in di- mensions, of modern construction and equip- ment. Mr. Moyer is agent for the Cole-Hud- son, Nash, Overland-4 and Chevrolet cars, and by the first of March, 1920, a complete repair shop will be in operation.

In the state of New York, on November 26, 1883, Mr. Moyer was married to Miss Myra L. Walter, a daughter of Abraham and Mary (Shively) Walter. Mr. and Mrs. Moy- er have one son, John Walter Moyer, who is married, lives at Crawford, and is in business with his father. The entire family belong to the Methodist Episcopal church, and both father and son are Republicans in political affiliation. Mr. Moyer has always been a loyal party man but has never been willing to accept any office, it being his contention that a man so engrossed as he has always been in his own business affairs, could not find time to properly and honestly discharge the duties of a public office. He is a thirty-second de- gree Mason and has been an official in the Blue Lodge. In addition to the property above described, Mr. Moyer owns a business block and several residences at Crawford, also the telephone lieadquarters, and some exceedingly

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valuable farm property, about forty acres, near the city limits, for which he has recently refused six thousand dollars.

GEORGE M. ADAMS, long a prominent and representative citizen of Dawes county, enterprising in the field of business and hon- ored in public life, has belonged to this sec- tion of Nebraska for thirty-five years. He came into the county on foot, a boy of thirteen years with his gun over his shoulder, prepared to meet with courage and self defense any foe he might find in the long, lonely, almost un- settled country over which he had trudged, all the way from Valentine. That same spirit of fearlessness combined with prudence has been manifested by Senator Adams as he has met the problems of life in a somewhat ex- tended business and political career.

George M. Adams was born at Tekamah, Burt county, Nebraska, October 16, 1872. His parents were John J. and Clara (Kerr) Adams, the former of whom was born at Washington, District of Columbia, and the latter in Fayette county, Illinois. The father served through two enlistments in the Civil War, a member of Company H, Forty-fourth Iowa Volunteer Infantry. For some years he filled a very important position with the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad as buyer of right of way and coal mines for that com- pany between Boone, Iowa, and Blair, Nebras- ka. He was married at Boone, Iowa, and from there, came as a prospector and homesteader in Dawes county, in 1884, returned then to Iowa, and in 1885 came with his wife and seven children and settled on the homestead. Mr. Adams continued on his homestead near the old Mayfield ranch, until 1894, when the fam- ily moved into Crawford, where he lived more or less retired until his death on May 23, 1912. The mother of Senator Adams still

resides at Crawford. Of the family of seven children, George M. was the second in order of birth, the others being as follows : Charles F., whose home is at Casper, Wyom- ing, is an engineer on the Burlington Rail- road ; Carrie, who is the wife of Frank Wheel- er, of Dunbar, Nebraska; Jennie, who is the wife of Charles Triplett, a resident of Cali- fornia; John J., who is· postmaster at Craw- ford, Nebraska; Emma, who is the wife of Riley D. Richard, of Harrison, Nebraska ; and Harry, who served five years as treasurer of Dawes county, is in the oil business at Casper, Wyoming.

George M. Adams obtained his education in the public schools. When the family left Iowa

for the new home in Dawes county, in the spring of 1885, he accompanied the other on the railroad as far as Valentine, the terminus. From there it was necessary to transport fam- ily, household goods and provisions by wagon over the many intervening miles to the site of the homestead. It was then that the youth de- termined to relieve the overloaded wagon by undertaking to walk the distance, fortunately finding a fellow pedestrian in Charles Spear- man. He made the trip without any serious mishap, and at first gave his father assistance in getting settled.

Mr. Adams sought employment, as his serv- ices were not actually needed on the home- stead, and found it with the railroad men con- structing the line from Chadron to Lusk, Wy- oming, as water boy. After returning from this job he sought another and found it at Crawford, where he was a clerk in the Graves' drug store until 1893. In that year Mr. Adams embarked in a general merchandise business for himself, in which he continued at Craw- ford until 1900, in the meanwhile becoming in- terested in other important business enterprises that resulted in his establishing a lumber yard and the organization of the Crawford Fruit and Cold Storage Company.

As a citizen, Mr. Adams early made his usefulness apparent, first in civic life as a member of the school board and the city coun- cil, and later in the state legislature, to which he was elected a member of the lower house in 1907, and to the upper house in 1917. He has proved as wise in statesmanship as able in business. He was reared in the Democratic party and has always loyally maintained its principles.

Senator Adams was married at Crawford, June 20, 1900, to Miss Nellie Johnson, whose parents were Sylvester and Eliza A. (Wel- born) Johnson, natives of Kentucky, he form- er of whom died August 5, 1896, and the lat- ter April 19, 1906. Senator and Mrs. Adams have one son, John J. Mrs. Adams is a mem- ber of the Methodist Episcopal church, while he was brought up in the Episcopal church. For nineteen years he has been a Mason and is a member of the Crawford Lodge No. 181 A. F. & A. M. During the Wounded Knee In- dian uprising Mr. Adams was one of a com- pany that set out from Crawford to give assist- ance, but a furious snowstorm prevented their reaching the place in time.

MRS. FREDA ROMINE, who is one of Chadron's well known residents, prominent in social life and active in business, has a wide acquaintance not only in Nebraska but over the

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United States and Canada. As Freda Hartzell, for some years she was a noted theatrical at- traction while traveling with her parents, her father being a man of outdoor life and con- nected for a long time with the familiar and popular entertainments known the country over as the "Buffalo Bills" shows, under the management of the late Colonel Cody.

Freda Hartzell was born at Omaha, Nebras- ka, December 20, 1891. Her parents were James and Mary C. (Boruff) Hartzell, her paternal grandfather being Solomon Hartzell. The latter came to Dawes county as a member of what was called "the Sweat Colony," from Missouri, and homesteaded about four miles east of Chadron. He still surivives, residing at Soldiers' National Home, Hot Springs, South Dakota.

The father of Mrs. Romine was born at Mankota, Minnesota, and the mother at Bowl- ing Green, Kentucky. Of their three children Mrs. Romine is the only survivor, twin sons dying in infancy. The mother survives and lives at Los Angeles, California, but the fath- er died January 16, 1915. As a cowboy and as owner and producer of "Wild West" shows he was long in the public eyes before he en- gaged with Colonel Cody. He was a man of fine physical present, was a crack pistol shot and expert horseman. It was Mr. Hartzell who organized the novel "Cowboy Race," in 1893, which aroused national interest in con- nection with the World's Fair. He home- steaded in Dawes county about seven miles east of Chadron. At that time he might have acquired many acres of surrounding land but much of it was considered so valueless that he considered the most of it not worth paying taxes on.

Mrs. Romine was only five years old when she began to travel with her parents and re- ceived her first training in marksmanship. She attended school at Deadwood, South Da- kota, for a time and had private teachers that looked carefully after her education while traveling. She soon developed remarkable skill with the rifle even when her childish hands could only hold a weapen two and a half feet in length. She has used guns of all kinds but her favorite was a 22 caliber rifle and two of these she yet preserves in memory of old days. She had many experiences in her exhibition life, her first public appearance be- ing at Crawford, some thirty miles from Chad- ron, and her skill with her rifle not only in- terested the audience but aroused the suspi- cion of at least one in the crowd, that some trickery must be on foot. While all the others

applauded, this one demanded proof that she could bring about results with other fire arms. She therefore accepted the loan of a rifle from a soldier present, although its .caliber was 30 30, and as soon as she had found the range, hit her target just as easily as before. She was also taught fancy and trick riding, her thor- oughbred steeds being known in the profes- sion as "High School" horses. Mrs. Romine continued to travel and exhibit with her father, visiting almost every large city and every state in the Union, until 1910, when they returned to Chadron, where her father afterward lived practically retired. During these years of professional life, Mrs. Romine found appreciative audiences everywhere, has many pleasing memories to recall, and mnet people of distinction and culture whom she can yet claim as friends.

On June 26, 1911, Miss Hartzell was united in marriage to Guy Romine, who for thirteen years had been connected with the Chicago & Northwestern railroad as a freight conduc- tor. In June, 1918, they purchased the City Garage, a business founded by Frank Plum- mer. Since then Mr. and Mrs. Romine have conducted this garage, enlarged space and in- creased its scope and probably do the largest garage business in all this section. They have car storage space for sixty cars, handle the Oakland, the J. I. Case and other machines, do a general auto repair business and give constant employment to four machinists and in busy seasons increase the number. Mr. Romine acts as salesman and general mana- ger, while Mrs. Romine attends to the office work. They have one daughter, Catherine. Mr. Romine belongs to the Elks and the Or- der of Railway Conductors. Mrs. Romine takes a deep interest in all matters of public concern and at Chadron is prominent in the work of the Woman's Club.

MRS. GERTRUDE H. ROMINE, whose name is prominently associated with social and political life, with ever ascending effort, at Chadron, fairly represents the nobility and substantial character of intelligent, progres- sive womanhood as it is presented to the world today. Mrs. Romine came to Nebraska from a home of culture and refinement, one of old tradition, in the east, and no subsequent unex- pected hardships ever interrupted her natural aspirations toward development or lessened her interest in those things which make for social betterment and diffusion of knowledge.

Gertrude E. Hatch was born at Strafford, Vermont, secured her early education in her

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native state and completed her intellectual training at York Seminary and the Nebraska State University at Lincoln. She was the youngest in a family of twelve children born to R. and Mary (Bacon) Hatch, the former of whom was a native of Massachusetts where he was prominent in business and the law and served as judge of the Probate Court. He died in Massachusetts and was laid to rest near his Puritan ancestors. The mother of Mrs. Romine came to York, Nebraska, where a son was engaged in the coal business, mov- ing later to the home of a brother, J. D. Bacon, who was a broker at Chadron for many years, and she died here in 1907. Mrs. Romine's only surviving sister, Mrs. Hebbard, resides in California. This sister was the first teacher at Plattsmouth, Nebraska. Her husband was the first land commissioner at Seward, Ne- braska, and was president of the first Nebras- ka State Fair, which he was instrumental in organizing. Other members of the family have been very prominent in state affairs in many directions. A brother of Mrs. Romine established the Citizens Bank at Leigh, Ne- braska, which was the family home for a time. A cousin was an early president of the B. & M. railroad and probably did more for the development of Lincoln than any other man, while an uncle, George Harris, was one of the first land commissioners in the state.

On June 1, 1887, Miss Hatch was united in marriage to James S. Romine, a dentist by profession. They moved on Mrs. Romine's homestead situated four miles from Gordon, in Sheridan county, their first house being su- perior to many others in the county, as it was of frame, but it had an earthen floor and is described as being so full of open spaces that a cat might have been thrown through at any time. Mrs. Romine had some valuable pieces of old furniture and still owns them, prizing them highly as she has every reason so to do, but there was great lack of the ordinary con- veniences of housekeeping and the homestead was many miles distant from any source of supply. Pioneer resourcefulness came to the front, however, and when the family cook stove could not be adjusted to the chimney be- cause of a lack of stove pipe, the difficulty was overcome by setting the stove on the table. In early days they suffered great incon- venience from an insufficiency of water, which had to be carried a long distance or bought from those who made a business of selling it.

When Dr. Romine located his timber claim he had to drive to Valentine and at that time there was not a single house between the

homestead and Hunter's ranch. At first they kept on adding to their property until they had several thousand acres, but hard times fell on the settlers of Sheridan county, from different causes, and they sold one tract of land after another at a great loss, some of which adjoined Gordon and at the present time commands a high price. In 1890, they came to Chadron and invested here and now own large holdings in this section and have property interests also at Danville, Illinois. During the early years after marriage and for some time afterward, Dr. Romine practiced his profession in neigh- boring towns. He belongs to the Odd Fel- lows and organized the first Modern Wood- men of America lodge in the state of Ne- braska.

Mrs. Romine has a wide acquaintance with people of prominence and has pleasant recol- lections of former Governor Dawes, for whom the county is named, as he at one time resided in the home of her aunt at Lincoln. She has taken a very decided stand in Republican pol- itics and assisted in bringing about suffrage legislation in Nebraska. She established the first Literary Club at York and later the first at Chadron and has been an inspiring influence in both and in such other organizations as the Chadron Culture Club, the Woman's Club both of the city and the Sixth District and has been president of all these bodies. She is a member of the Republican Women's commit- tee and a director of the Home Service work at Chadron and is past noble grand in the order of Rebekah's. Many of the citizens of Chadron who enjoy the grateful shade of some of its streets, may not know that a large num- ber of there beautiful trees were set out by Mr. and Mrs. Romine, both of whom are lovers of Nature. Her first flower garden aroused interest and admiration as did the well kept lawn about her home. She is held in esteem and affection by those with whom and for whom she has labored so long.

WILLIAM H. WILLIS, one of the repre- sentative business men of Bridgeport, and a large property owner, takes an active and pub- lic spirited part in the civic and community life of Bridgeport. He was born at Sioux City. lowa, in 1873, being a son of John G. Willis, extended mention of whom will be found in this work.

William H. Willis attended the public schools at Omaha, the military school at Fari- bault, Minnesota, and the Omaha Commercial College. Omaha, these laying an excellent foundation upon which his later commercial

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History of western Nebraska and its people, Vol. III, Part 97

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