USA > Nebraska > Adams County > Past and present of Adams County, Nebraska, Vol. II > Part 18
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straight and erect, ready to command and yet never over hasty in issuing orders but recognizing at all times the exigencies of a situa- tion. The same qualities render him a most commendable official in his present position as chief of police in Hastings.
C. C. CHRISTOPHER.
Prominent among the energetic, farsighted and successful busi- ness men of Hastings is C. C. Christopher, the manager of the Hastings Equity Grain Bin Company. He is strong and purpose- ful, ready to meet any condition or emergency that arises and along the well defined lines of trade and commerce is gaining substantial success. He was born in Greene county, Pennsylvania, on the 17th of March, 1857, and is a son of William C. and Mary (Reeves) Christopher. The father was a farmer by occupation and thus pro- vided for the support of his family, which numbered four sons and two daughters, but both he and his wife are now deceased.
C. C. Christopher was educated in the public schools and when his textbooks were put aside continued to remain with and assist his father until he reached the age of twenty-seven years. He was then married and removed to Iowa, where he remained for two years, on the expiration of which period he became a resident of Hall county, Nebraska. There he purchased land and engaged in farming until 1908. when he came to Hastings, where he purchased land and built a home. In 1910 he became connected with the Hastings Equity Grain Bin Company as manager. In fact he was one of the organ- izers of the company, which does job work in sheet metal and also shop work all over the state and also into southeastern Illinois, Wyoming, Kansas, Colorado and South Dakota. This is one of the important productive industries of Hastings, employing twenty-five men. They manufacture tanks for every need, including garages, grain bins, underground gasoline systems, for water, milk, oil, grain, also dipping, wagon, scalding, thresher, cistern, tower and supply tanks. They have a large and well appointed plant at Hastings. comprising the manufacturing building and the warehouse. Their tanks are manufactured from the best grade of material obtainable and are rust proof. The tanks which they manufacture show many points of excellence over others and by reason of this their business is constantly and steadily growing. having already reached gratifying proportions.
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On the 31st of January, 1883, Mr. Christopher was united in marriage to Miss Maggie E. Price, a daughter of W. H. Price, of New Jersey. They have four children, namely: Edward; Edith, who is the wife of W. B. Brown; May, who assists her father in his plant; and Vern. The religious faith of the family is that of the Evangelical church.
In his fraternal relations Mr. Christopher is an Odd Fellow and is also connected with the Knights of Luther. He belongs to the Commercial Club and gives his political allegiance to the republican party. For twenty-one years he served as township treasurer, was also a member of the school board for some time and has been town- ship clerk. He is now concentrating his efforts, however, upon his business affairs, which are capably directed and are bringing to him gratifying returns. He works hard, closely applies himself to the interests of the business, studies out new methods and improvements and is continually advancing the standard of excellence maintained by the house.
JOHN RUHTER.
John Ruhter, who has gained financial independence through wisely directing his farming activities, now holds title to five hundred acres of excellent land in Roseland township. He was born in Han- over, Germany, near the city of Hamburg, on the 24th of February, 1850, of the marriage of Henry and Mary (Banidt) Ruhter, who were born and reared in that locality. They continued to reside there until 1866, when with their family they came to the United States, locating in Minnesota, fifty miles east of St. Paul, where the father died. Subsequently the mother removed to Kansas and there she passed away. They were the parents of eleven children, as follows: Jolın; Peter, who is living in Long Beach, California; Jacob, a resi- dent of Verona township; Mary, the deceased wife of Henry Augustin, Sr., who is living near Prosser; Mattie, who married Fred Alms, of York county, Nebraska; Henry, of Hastings; George, who is living in Cheyenne county, Nebraska; Anna, the wife of John Stehr, of Gregory county, South Dakota; William, of Norfolk, Ne- braska; Fred, of Clay county, Kansas; and Emma, who is residing with her brother Fred.
John Ruhter was educated in the public schools of Germany and of Minnesota and remained at home until 1874. In the meantime he
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had been thoroughly trained in agricultural work and on beginning his independent career he came to Adams county, Nebraska, and pur- chased his present home farm on section 5, Roseland township, which was raw prairie when it came into his possession. He at once set about its development and has brought the land to a high state of cultivation and has made many fine improvements. There are two sets of build- ings upon the place, which now comprises five hundred and eighty acres, and his work is facilitated by the use of the most up-to-date implements. He has manifested the qualities of determination, fore- sight, thoroughness and thrift and the signal success which he has gained as an agriculturist is the direct result of his own industry and good management.
In 1879 Mr. Ruhter married Miss Katie Schifferns, a daughter of Peter and Susie (Pauly) Schifferns, who came to this state from Illinois in 1873. Mr. and Mrs. Ruhter have had ten children: Susie, who died when two years old; P. H., a resident of Hall county, Nebraska; Emma, the wife of Charles Oldfeldt, who is farming in Cottonwood township; Ada, who married Fred Tauty, of Verona township; Fred, at home; Amelia, the wife of William Struss, who is living near Kenesaw; Caroline, the deceased wife of Richard Struss; and Charles, August and Anna, all at home.
Mr. Ruhter casts his ballot in favor of the man whom he deems best suited for the office regardless of his political allegiance. He has served as school director for the past thirty-eight years and during that time has been instrumental in bringing about great advancement in school affairs in his district. Both he and his wife hold member- ship in the German Lutheran church and their lives are guided by its teachings. For forty-two years he has been a resident of this county and he is not only widely but is also favorably known, his genuine worth being attested by all who have come in contact with him.
SIMEON JOHNSTON.
Simeon Johnston makes his home in Juniata, where he assisted in building the first house of the town, arriving here with the first load of lumber which was brought from Grand Island. His original place of residence was a little sod house, while his present home is one of the finest in the town. For a considerable period he engaged in gen- eral farming and at the present is living retired, enjoying the fruits of his former toil. He was born near Mount Jackson in Lawrence
MR. AND MRS. SIMEON JOHNSTON
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county, Pennsylvania, January 4, 1844, a son of David and Margaret (McGeithen) Johnston, who spent their entire lives in the Keystone state, both passing away about the time of the Civil war. The father followed the occupation of farming and thus provided for his family of four children, of whom the three eldest, Eliza Ann, Margaret and John, are all now deceased.
Simeon Johnston, the only survivor of the family, pursued his education in the common schools of Pennsylvania and was reared to farm life, having the usual experiences that come to the farm lad as he divides his time between the work of the schoolroom and the work of the fields. At the outbreak of the Civil war he attempted to enlist but was not accepted. Finally, however, on the 5th of September, 1862, he was permitted to join the army and enlisted for three years, serving until the close of the war. He was taken prisoner at Mill- wood, Virginia, December 17, 1864, and was not exchanged until the following March. On one occasion his horse was shot from under him and fell upon him, from which he suffers a rupture to the present time. He was a member of Company B, Fourteenth Pennsylvania Cavalry, and with that command participated in the battles of Rocky Gap, Cedar Creek and a large number of skirmishes with the troops of General Sheridan. After being captured he was in the prison at Richmond, Virginia, for three months and his health was greatly underminded by the hardships of southern prison life, necessitating a period of rest in which to recuperate after the close of the war.
Mr. Johnston continued to live in Pennsylvania until 1868, when he removed to Clinton county, Michigan, where he engaged in farni- ing until the spring of 1871, when he removed to Nebraska and home- steaded the southwest quarter of section 18, Denver township, Adams county. With the development and progress of the county he has since been closely identified. From Grand Island he hauled the first load of lumber into Juniata and assisted in erecting the first building here. On his own claim he built a sod house, planted trees and put out an orchard, but during the grasshopper plague the insects took the orchard and killed the trees. In 1874, however, he planted an- other orchard and he continued the work of further developing and improving his property until he had converted it into a very valuable and productive farm. He broke his land with ox teams and for four years continued to do his farm work with oxen before he was able to purchase a team of horses. He started out practically empty handed but he was industrious and ambitious and made good use of his oppor- tunities, while his persistent labors year by year enabled him to progress steadily toward the goal of success. He is still the owner Vol. II-12
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of one hundred and sixty acres of land-the old homestead place in Denver township-and he continued to carry on general farming until nine years ago, when he took up his abode in the town of Juniata, where he now owns a fine residence which he occupies and also the adjoining house.
Mr. Johnston has been twice married. In December, 1867, he wedded Miss Margaret P. McCollum, by whom he had five children, as follows: Joseph, who is deceased; Alfred, a resident of Fullerton, California; Harry C., living in Vancouver, Washington; Jessie, who died in the '80s; and Earl, who is a resident of Juniata. The wife and mother passed away February 1, 1905, and in the following year Mr. Johnston was again married, his second union being with Mrs. D. R. Ball, the widow of D. R. Ball, who was born in Henry county, Indiana. He served for three years and ten months as a soldier in the Union army during the Civil war and he continued his residence in his native state until 1880, when he came to Juniata. To Mr. and Mrs. Ball were born five children, namely: Cora, who is the wife of George Bivins and lives a mile south of Juniata; Mary E., who gave her hand in marriage to G. N. Munger, of Hastings, Nebraska; Cloyd S., a resident of Spirit Lake, Idaho; and Wilbur and Olive, both of whom are deceased.
Mr. and Mrs. Johnston are members of the Baptist church and he holds membership in the Grand Army post at Juniata. Their in- fluence is always on the side of progress and improvement, of truth and of right and their well spent lives have gained for them the warm and enduring regard of many friends. As pioneer settlers of the county they have witnessed practically its entire development, Mr. Johnston having made his home within the borders of Adams county for about forty-five years, during which he has seen notable changes as the wild land has been converted into productive farms, as towns and villages have sprung up and as all the advantages of the older east have been introduced.
ALEXANDER H. CRAMER.
Alexander H. Cramer is a pioneer resident of Hastings and one of the leading real estate and loan agents of the city, handling both farm and town property. He possesses untiring energy, is quick of perception and forms his plans readily, while his close application to business and his excellent judgment have brought to him the high
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degree of prosperity which is today his. A native of New York, he was born in the city of Utica, January 31, 1852, and was four years of age when the family removed to Wisconsin, settling on a farm in Waushara county. There he attended the public schools until he reached the age of seventeen years, when he removed to Oneida, Knox county, Illinois, where he had two brothers living. There he spent nine months a year as a high school pupil for about four years and during vacation periods worked upon farms or engaged in clerking. During a part of the last year he was employed in the store of Pratt & Lawson, the owners of the business being George H. Pratt and Charles K. Lawson, who on selling out came to what is now the city of Hastings. Wishing to retain the services of Mr. Cramer, they induced him also to come to the west and he arrived in this city on the 1st of October, 1872, assisting his employers in the erection of their store building and afterward continuing with them as a clerk. All three were young men and they kept "bachelors' hall" over the store during that winter, Mr. Cramer doing the cooking while the others furnished the food. This arrangement proved very satisfactory to the three and there were pleasant hours spent in that way.
In the spring of 1873 Mr. Cramer began working in a himber yard as it was his desire to have outdoor employment, which he hoped would prove beneficial to his health. On the 13th of April, 1873, a terrific snow storm occurred accompanied by high and violent winds. The storm raged for three days and three nights and Mr. Cramer says no other such storm has occurred during all of the forty-four years of his residence in Nebraska. The country was then sparsely settled, so that the homes were few and far between and several people were lost in the blizzard. Mr. Cramer continued to work in the lumber yard until December of that year and in the month of October was elected county clerk of Adams county, assuming the duties of the position in the following January. Under the law of that time the county clerk was also ex-officio register of deeds and district clerk. He was reelected in 1875 and again in 1877, serving in all for six years, making a most creditable record by the prompt and capable manner in which he discharged his duties. In 1874 he secured a con- tract with the Union Pacific Railroad Company to sell their lands and the clerk of the court was authorized to make out applications and final proofs of homesteads, preemptions and tree claims and transmit them to the government land office, which was a great convenience to the homesteaders, obviating the necessity of their making a trip to the land office. Mr. Cramer sold large tracts of Union Pacific Railway lands, ranging in price from three to eight dollars per acre. In 1879
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the clerk of the district court was made an independent office separate from the city and Mr. Cramer was elected to the position and served for four years, at the same time continuing his real estate business. He continued in business altogether for ten years and his experience during that period well qualified him to engage in the real estate, loan and abstract business, to which he turned his attention in January, 1885. However, he had begun making farm loans in 1875 and has since continued active along that line. His first loans were made at twelve per cent interest and twenty per cent commission. In January, 1912, he sold his interest in the abstract and real estate business, main- taining his interest in the loan business, which he still conducts. He places loans on farm and city property and he is thoroughly conversant with real estate values and with the financial standing of the majority of Adams county's citizens, so that his business is most carefully con- ducted, insuring him against loss.
On the 13th of October, 1874, Mr. Cramer was united in mar- riage to Miss Ella E. Cox, a native of Indiana, who came to this county in August, 1873, with her parents, having acquired her educa- tion in the schools of her native state. Mr. and Mrs. Cramer have become the parents of two children: Edna, now Mrs. Henry F. Jacobson, of Hastings; and Mabel, at home.
In his political views Mr. Cramer is a republican and served as a member of the first board of education in Hastings in 1881, at which time there were but three members on the board, which now numbers nine. He acted in that capacity for nine years, and during four years of that time served as secretary. He was also supervisor during the years 1888 and 1889 and for eleven years was city treasurer. Over the record of his official career there falls no shadow of wrong nor suspicion of evil, for he has ever been most loyal to the interests reposed in him and has discharged his duties in a prompt and business- like manner. Fraternally he is connected with Hastings Lodge, No. 50, A. F. & A. M., and has attained the thirty-second degree in the Scottish Rite. He was also a charter member of the Knights of Pythias lodge and his wife and daughters are members of the Presby- terian church. Mr. Cramer's career is a notable and commendable one. He had a cash capital of but fourteen dollars and a half when he arrived in Hastings and, moreover, was suffering from ill health. He came to a frontier district in which the work of development and progress seemed scarcely begun. He has since taken an active part in the work of the upbuilding and improvement of city and county, cooperating in all plans and measures which look to the welfare and betterment of the community. As time has gone on he has become
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the owner of considerable city property and has laid out the east side addition. He is truly a self-made man and one who deserves great credit for what he has accomplished in a business way. His social qualities have gained him personal popularity, winning for him the friendship and kindly regard of all with whom he has been associated, and as one of the honored pioneer residents he well deserves mention in a history of Adams county.
GEORGE H. POULSON.
George H. Poulson is now living retired from active business life but for a considerable period was identified with general agri- cultural pursuits and in the capable management of his business affairs won a substantial measure of success. He remained upon his farm until September, 1915, when, putting aside all business activi- ties, he took up his abode in Hastings. He was born in McLean county, Illinois, on the 1st of March, 1867. His father, Peter Poul- son, was born and reared in Pickaway county, Ohio, his natal day being December 24, 1833. He was married in 1857 to Matilda Messie, of Pickaway county, where he engaged in farming until 1864, when he removed to Illinois, where he carried on general agricultural pursuits until 1892. That year witnessed his arrival in Adams county, Nebraska, after which he engaged in farming about ten miles northeast of Hastings. His wife died in 1907 and subsequently he lived with his children until the time of his death, which occurred September 26, 1914. He had sons and daughters to the number of ten. John, who was born August 17, 1859, married Bertha Reed, of Iroquois county, Illinois, and they have seven children. Andrew L., born January 2, 1861, married Mollie Carter, of Iroquois county, Illinois, by whom he has two children, and now makes his home near Overton, Nebraska, where he is engaged in farming. David, who was born February 5, 1863, is also engaged in farming near Overton. He married Emma McCoy, of McLean county, Illinois, and they have six children. Mary, born March 19, 1865, is the wife of Alfred Cunningham. George H. is the next of the family. Ida, born March 21, 1869, is the wife of Mont Salyards, of Iroquois county, Illinois, who is now engaged in farming near Brady, Nebraska, and they have three children. Myrtle, born March 22, 1871, is the wife of Ernest Crawford, of Denver, Colorado, by whom she has three children.
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Lula, born November 5, 1873, became the wife of Cassius Crane, of Iroquois county, Illinois, and died in Virginia, leaving five children. Emma, born February 13, 1878, is living at Lodgepole, Nebraska. Will, born April 15, 1880, married Sophie Hoffman, by whom he has two children, and resides at Overton, Nebraska.
George H. Poulson, spending his youthful days in his native county, there attended the public schools until he reached the age of eleven years, when his parents removed with their family to Say- brook, Illinois, where he resided for six years, attending the town schools of that place until he reached the age of seventeen. In 1884 the family took up their abode upon a farm in Iroquois county, Illi- nois, and George H. Poulson continued to assist his father in the cultivation and improvement of that place until 1891. On the 28th of January of the latter year he arrived in Adams county, Nebraska, where he engaged in farming in connection with his brother, Andrew L. Poulson, on a tract of land ten miles northeast of Hastings. He planted trees and cared for them in order to prove up the land as a timber claim, doing this for the owner, Edgar Lewis, to which work he devoted a year. In the spring of 1892 his parents came to Adams county and George H. Poulson purchased a farm eleven miles north- east of Hastings and for a year carried on general farming there with his father. He then sold the property and returned to his first farm after his marriage. He remained thereon continuously until 1915 with the exception of the years 1909 and 1910, during which time he resided in Colorado, being engaged in fruit raising near Canon City. He then returned to this county and again occupied the old homestead farm until September, 1915, when he retired from active business life and removed to Hastings, where he is now enjoy- ing a period of well earned rest with leisure to indulge in those activ- ities which are a matter of interest or recreation to him.
On the 21st of December, 1892, Mr. Poulson was married to Miss Belle Cunningham, a daughter of James Cunningham, who had been a neighboring farmer of the Poulson family in Illinois. He was born in County Wicklow, Ireland, May 18, 1833, and when about ten years of age had accompanied his parents on the voyage across the Atlantic, the family home being established in Guelph, Canada. After the death of his father James Cunningham, then about sixteen years of age, started out in life on his own account and finally went to Ohio, where he remained until about 1864, when he removed to McLean county, Illinois, and subsequently to Iroquois county, that state. In the spring of 1891 he arrived in Adams county, Nebraska, and purchased a farm comprising the southeast quarter of section 12,
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township 8, range 9, known as the Holderman timber claim, upon which he resided for some time, but for a few years prior to 1910 he spent a part of his time in Trumbull, Nebraska, with his son. In the year mentioned he sold his farm and purchased a home in Trumbull, where he remained until his death, which occurred on the 4th of December, 1915. It was in 1858 that he wedded Caroline Stumpff, a daughter of William Stumpff, of Harrisburg, Ohio, and they had two sons and four daughters who came to Adams county. Their eldest son, Alfred, born in McLean county, Illinois, in 1864, arrived in Adams county in 1888, driving a team across the country from Iroquois county, Illinois, after which he rented a farm four miles southwest of Giltner, Nebraska, remaining thereon for seventeen years. In 1911 he removed to Garden county, Nebraska, where he again purchased a farm. He was married in Illinois to Miss Mary Poulson, a sister of George Poulson, and they had eight sons. Alfred Cunningham was a prominent and influential citizen of Adams county and twice represented his district in the state legislature. Death terminated his career on the 30th of December, 1913. Belle Cunningham, the second of the family, was born in McLean county, Illinois, July 6, 1866, and prior to her marriage engaged in teaching in a country school which her children have since attended. Jennie, born in 1867, was for twenty years a most able teacher in the country schools of Adams, Clay and Hamilton counties of Nebraska and in 1912 she became the wife of J. Helm Haggard, of Clay county, who is now living retired in Trumbull. Edith, born in 1872, died in 1910. Anna, born in 1874, is the wife of A. R. Rich, a grain buyer of Trum- bull. Alvin, born in 1880, wedded Mary Harter, a daughter of Lou Harter, who follows farming near Giltner, Nebraska. They have three children.
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