USA > Nebraska > Gage County > Portrait and biographical album of Gage County, Nebraska : containing full page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 73
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comed his son to the present life on the 22d of December, 1816, at his home in West Virginia. The grandfather of our subject, John H. Kinzie, was born of Scottish parents, in New York City, and until this time the name had been prefixed by the syllable, Mac, represented in the usual manner. Ile was one of the heroes of the Revolutionary Army, and also of the War of 1812. Ile saw much of military life and was a recognized able soldier and officer. He was one of the first to be in what is now Chicago, being Indian agent for that district, and making it his headquarters. The well-known, important business thoroughfare in that eity, Kinzie street, received its name in his honor. He died at a very advanced age, while that town was still known by the name of Ft. Dearborn, his death be- ing very sudden and caused by heart disease.
William Kinzie, the father of our subject, was born in what is now Detroit, Mich. He grew to manhood in the State of Ohio. and served through the War of 1812. His chosen occupation in life was that of farming. The maiden name of his wife was Rebecca Martin, whom he met and married in the southeastern part of the State. After this im- portant and interesting event they continued to make their home in Ohio until 1832. They then removed to Elkhart County, Ind., took up land and improved a new farm. Ilis wife died in 1842, somewhat past middle life; somewhat later the widowed husband came to Nebraska, and in the year 1869 died at the home of our subject, where he had been residing for some time, in his seventy- eighth year.
Our subject was the third child and first son of a family of ten children, four of whom were daugh- ters. One of the sons died from sickness during military service. The subject of our sketch was reared in Ohio and Indiana, and entered upon his majority in the latter State. There, also, in 1848, he became the husband of Lydia E. Hatch, who was born in Pennsylvania, in the year 1831. She is the third daughter of Albert and Sally A. (Wood) Hatch, both of whom are now deceased. They de- parted this life at LaPorte, Ind. They were natives of New York State, and after their marriage made their home there until after the birth of two chil- dren, then removed to Pennsylvania. In 1837 they
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went to the Hoosier State, making their home at Elkhart for a time, but the father, who was by trade a millwright and a skilled workman, not long after- ward removed to Chicago, and was employed in the carshops of that city. He finally removed to LaPorte, where he established a foundry, and in- vented and brought out the first corn sheller in the country for the use of Messrs. Peck & Co., the ex- tensive grain dealers in that city.
Lydia Kinzie, daughter of the above and wife of onr subject, received a good education in the Indi- ana schools. This was subsequently supplemented by her own most laudable, ambitious efforts at self- improvement, which have made her a well-educated lady, and have also given her a perfect command over what she has learned, and made it possible for her to utilize the same at any time. She has be- come the mother of eleven children, and it is her happiness to have them all living; seven of them are married and have homes of their own, and fill honorable and responsible positions in life. They are as follows: Mary E., the wife of John Wehn, Jr., editor of the Opposition, at Wilber, Neb .; William, who is married to Sarah Barnhouse, and living upon a farm in Grant Township; Laura J., the wife of Calvin C. Goodhart, an engineer on the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, and resident at Wymore; John D., who is still at home; Sally A., now Mrs. James Clary, and living in Jefferson County, Neb .; Agnes, the widow of Peter Shawm, at present residing with her parents; Alice, happily married to Charles Morris, a farmer in Grant Town- slip; Emma R., wife of Tom Collister, of Frontier County ; James E. and Erastus E. (twins), still at home; and Clarissa B., also still with her parents.
Upon the roll of the Methodist Episcopal Church, at De Witt, are found the names of our subjeet, his wife, and several members of their family. They are among its most able supporters, stanch friends and consistent members, and as a result are very higlily esteemed. The subject of our sketch is not in the front rank of politicians, but is ever ready to do his full duty as a citizen with all loyal eager- ness. He usually votes with the Democratic party. Although not much found in political circles, his bright, genial smile is seldom missed from any gathering, religious, social or otherwise, where pro-
jects and plans are to be perfected or carried out for the benefit of the community or even a more prescribed circle, if only the object be right, honor- able, charitable or beneficent. Both himself and wife have always been the true friends of such enterprises, and hold a very warm place in the hearts of those who know them.
S AMUEL E. RIGG, Postmaster at Beatrice, and also carrying on a flourishing drug business, stands well among the citizens and business men of this part of the State, as one intimately identified with its most important interests. He comes of substantial German ances- try, who settled in the Keystone State during the Colonial days and engaged mostly in agricultural pursuits. He was born near the town of Washing- ton, in Washington County, that State, May 20, 1852. and his parents were Joseph and Catherine (Earhart) Rigg, descended from Quaker stock, the former a native of Pennsylvania, and the latter of Athens County, Ohio. Joseph Rigg, in 1867, mi- grated to Illinois, loeating in Champaign County, where he operated as a miller, and where his deatlı took place Sept. 22, 1882. The mother, after the death of her husband, joined her sons in Beatrice, Neb., where she now resides.
To Joseph and Catherine Rigg there were born two children only, Charles M., and Samuel E., of our sketch. The elder is now engaged in the real- estate business in Beatrice. Samuel pursued his early studies in the common schools of Ohio and Illinois, and later was a student in the Illinois State University at Urbana. He began his business career as clerk in a drug-store at Champaign, Ill., and later, going South, was employed in the same capacity in a drug-store at Hot Springs, Ark., where he so- journed for a period of five years. He has also been a resident of the States of Georgia and Ohio, being in the former at the outbreak of the late Civil War. He had been there about one and one-half years, and from there returned to Ohio.
Mr. Rigg, in May of 1879, migrated to this county, and began clerking in the drug-store of Hinkle & Jackson, at Beatrice, with whom he re-
Pannen a. Varia
Lydia Davis
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mained four years, and then secured an interest in the business, becoming associated with Mr. J. W. Ilinkle, under the firm name of Ilinkle & Rigg, which partnership continued five years. Mr. Hin- kle, then retiring, disposed of his interest to Mr. Jackson, and the firm of Jackson & Rigg now com- mands a large proportion of the patronage extended to this line of merchandise in the city. They carry a full stock of everything pertaining to their line of trade, and by their strict business methods have built up a substantial and lucrative business. Mr. Rigg is a stanch Democrat politically, and received the appointment of Postmaster in March, 1886. He has hosts of friends in the community, his course having been that which commands respect and con- fidence.
The marriage of Samuel E. Rigg and Miss Mary, eldest daughter of G. W. and Amanda E. (Jones) Hinkle, of Beatrice, was celebrated at the home of the bride in this city, Oct. 18, 1881. Mrs. Rigg was born Nov. 6, 1860, and was given the advantages of a common-school education. She was reared to womanhood in Beatrice, and remained at home until her marriage. Her father is a native of Ohio and the mother of Illinois; the latter died when Mrs. Rigg was about four years old. Mr. Ilinkle resides in Beatrice. Their family consisted of four children.
6 RUMAN L. DAVIS, one of the largest sheep and stock raisers in the State, operates the ranch comprising the entire extent of sections 17 and 18 of Hooker Township. He is the son of John and Jane (Waters) Davis, natives of New York State. Our subject represents the sixth generation of his family in this country, and is of English and Scotch extraction. His grandfather. John Davis, served with distinction in the War of 1812. Upon their marriage the parents of our sub- ject settled in Saratoga County, N. Y., where his father owned a farm and followed his trade as a carpenter. Their marriage occurred in the year 1842, in Wayne County. In the year 1860 he purchased a farm in Warren County and removed to it; they are still living and in comfortable cir-
enmstances. Mr. Davis has reached the advanced age of sixty-two, and his wife the age of fifty-eight. Their family included five children, who received the names Howard, Harvey, Alpheus, Byron and Truman L.
Onr subject was born on the 25th of December. 1854, at Millbrook, Warren Co., N. Y. At the age of about six years, his parents removed to Saratoga County, where he attended the common school for some time. When about fourteen years of age he left home to work, and engaged with Messrs Den- nison & Belden, contractors for the Erie and Wel- land Canals, working as a boy of all work. His disposition, intelligence, and rapidly developing ability, were marked by his employers, and at the age of fifteen, an opportunity occurring, he was given the preference and placed in charge of a gang of men, and in this position remained four years. This was the school in which he learned how to handle a body of men, and the many details thereof that have since been of snch help to him npon his ranch and elsewhere.
Upon leaving the canal Truman, with his brother Howard, engaged in business in a meat-market in Saratoga, where he continued until 1877, when he came to Beatrice. Here for the first year he worked by the month, then rented the farm next to where he had worked, and continued upon it with increas- ing prosperity for five years. It was while here he became acquainted with Mr. J. B. Long, of Washington County, N. Y. This gentleman rented the Hooker farm, and converted it into a sheep ranch. He subleased the land to Mr. Davis, who has personal charge of the farm.
On the 6th of August, 1885, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Lydia White, a daughter of William and Jennie White, who were natives of Tennessee, where they settled and con- tinued until after the war. Mr. White was by occupation a farmer and planter, but upon removal to Nebraska he was engaged in the hotel business. About two years werespent in Nebraska; then they removed to Burr Oak, Kan., and there Mr. White opened a hotel. At present he has a good farm, upon which he resides, situated in Butler County, that State. Ile is now forty-six years of age, and his wife thirty-six. Their three children have been
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named Lydia, Josephine and Ella. Their daughter Lydia, the wife of our subject, was born on the 4th of February, 1869. She remained at home with her parents until her marriage, and was well educated in the common and Normal schools at Peru. There have been two children born to our subject : Pearl, who was born May 6, 1886, and Byron, who died in infancy.
Mr. Davis has under his immediate supervision, control and management, 1,280 acres, being 960 acres of Hooker and 320 acres of Scully land. There are ten teams kept continually at work in connection with the ranch, and a force of never less than twelve men. Besides his teams he usually has about forty head of horses in his pastures, but aims chiefly to feed for the market. In 1884 there were fed 6,000 head of sheep, and in 1885 10.000; the following year 7,000, and in 1887 11,500; this year (1888) there will probably be fed about the same number. These figures tell something of the measure of his success, even far better than any merely complimentary sentence could do. About the 1st of November usually the sheep are brought in from the pasture and housed for the winter. This is the largest sheep ranch in Eastern Nebraska, and enjoys a widespread and favorable reputation.
It is interesting to notice the amount required by our subject for feed purposes alone for a season. The figures which are as follows are startling: Of oats he uses 2,000 bushels; of corn 40,000 bushels; of hay 2,000 tons; and of oil cake ninety tons. The ranch is fully supplied with the various sheds, yards and buildings requisite for its successful oper- ation, and all of them have been erected accord- ing to the most improved plans; the place is also provided with a five-ton scale, which is in constant nse, and three large and powerful windmills. There are twelve sheep yards, ten having a capacity of 1,000 sheep, and two with a capacity of 500. By this means every grade of sheep can be kept sepa- rate, their feeding attended to better, and in shipping this arrangement saves much time and trouble. Shearing time is quite a busy season upon the ranch, there being usually from 6,000 to 7,000 sheep sheared annually.
Mr. Davis is heartily esteemed in the community, and is greatly admired because of his high personal
character, business ability and success. In political matters he usually votes with the Republican party, but is careful to deposit his ballot where, in his belief, the best interests of the people will be served. The portrait of the enterprising gentleman whose life has been so briefly sketched here will be gladly received by the patrons of this work. As a fitting companiou picture we present the portrait of his estimable wife.
EFFERSON H. BROADY, Judge of the First Judicial District. having his residence at Beatrice, has for many years been recog- nized as one of the leading members of the bar of Southern Nebraska. He was born on a farm near Liberty, in Adams County, Ill., April 14, 1844, and is the son of John C. and Anna (Wigle) Broady, the latter of Belgian ancestry. The mother was also born in the Prairie State, where she was reared to womanhood. Her father was John Wigle, a farmer, miller and pioneer tav- ern-keeper by occupation, and a man prominent in his community. His house was the stopping-place of the travelers, and a sort of headquarters for the settlers.
John C. Broady was of Scotch descent, and a na- tive of Kentucky. His mother died when he was seven years of age, and he was taken from Ken- tucky at an early age to Knoxville, Tenn., and thenee to Vienna, Ind., where he was bound out to an old-school Presbyterian preacher to learn the min- istry according to the old Scotch Covenantor's faith. This was too much for the exuberance of youth, and he fled from there to the frontier in Illinois, and enlisted in the Black Hawk War. John C. Broady continued a resident of Adams County, Ill., where he followed farming and spent the remainder of his days, his death occurring in 1878. The mother survived her husband one year, dying in 1879. Their family included seven liv- ing children, fonr sons and three daughters, who now reside in the States of Illinois, Nebraska, Mis- souri and Kansas.
The subject of this sketch was the fourth child of the family, and passed his boyhood and youth
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on the farm, becoming familiar with the various employments of rural life. His early studies were conducted in the district school, and later he be- came a student of Payson High School, from which he was graduated with honors, and not long after engaged as a teacher. Being of a delicate constitu- tion, he was unfitted for the arduous labors of the farm, and devoted much of his time to reading upon the political topics of the day. Ile soon de- veloped excellent powers as an orator, and was es- pecially efficient as a political organizer when a boy of twelve years. During the memorable campaigns of Stephen A. Douglas, while yet a schoolboy, he was dubbed the "Little Giant" of his community, on account of his active interest in promoting the success of the Democracy in organizing the boys of his acquaintance into a band of campaigners.
As he advanced to maturity young Broady grew more healthy, but none the more inclined to farm- ing or manual labor. When near his majority he was incidentally drawn into newspaper discussions, and attracted much attention as a forcible and vigorous writer. From that time he was seldom at home, and taught considerably in order to raise funds for the further prosecution of his studies. He was at one time for several months connected with the office of the Springfield (Ill.) Register, having in view the acquirement of the printer's trade, but later abandoned this. and determined that the profession of law would be more congenial to his tastes and more in keeping with his capabili- ties.
Young Broady, accordingly, in the fall of 1865, entered the law department of the Michigan Uni- versity, where he at once took a leading position as a debater. Two years later he was graduated with honors, receiving the degree of LL.B. on the 27th of March, 1867. Soon afterward he entered the law office of Skinner & Marsh, at Quincy, Ill., but in July following, determining upon a per- manent location, crossed the Father of Waters, and on the 1st of August took up his abode at Brownville, Neb. In a few months he formed a partnership with Hon. E. W. Thomas, and not long afterward the firm of Thomas & Broady began to give evidence of its future importance. They discarded everything but strictly legal business,
and are now ranked among the finest practitioners west of the Mississippi.
The subject of this sketch, a clear-headed and decidedly practical man, is a close student and ex- tensive reader, and possesses the qualities of reso- Intion and perseverance in no ordinary degree. In the fall of 1883 he was elected Judge of the First Judicial District, composing the counties of Gage, Johnson, Nemaha. Richardson and Pawnee. In the fall of 1887 he was re-elected to the same office, and is now serving his fifth year and second term. Politically, he is a stanch Democrat. Ile was a member of the Nebraska Constitutional Convention in 1875, and the same year was elected Prosecuting Attorney for the district comprising the counties of Lancaster, Cass, Otoe and Nemaha. When re .. tiring from the ordinary duties of his profession in order to assume his judicial office, he had several important cases pending in the Circuit, Supreme and Federal Courts. His natural abilities and ac- quirements are uniformly recognized throughout the profession in Southern Nebraska.
Judge Broady. on the 2d of November, 1871, was united in marriage with Miss Nannie J. Mac- Donald, of Rock Springs. Pa. The marriage was celebrated at Albia, Iowa. Mrs. Broady was born and reared in Pennsylvania, and is the daughter of Dr. John G. and Jane (Bailey) MacDonald, who resided in Spruce Creek Valley, Pa. Of this nnion there have been born seven children, viz: Anna, Grace, Bracton, John C., Jefferson H., Jr., Joyce and Beatrice. The eldest is sixteen years of age, and the youngest eight months.
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W ILLIAM II. ROULSTEN, of Glenwood Township, was born in Worcester, Mass .. Oct. 5, 1855, and migrated with his par- ents to Illinois when a little lad four years of age. They settled in Henry County, where the father engaged in brickmaking ; he died when William II. was only about five years of age, and the latter continued under the parental roof assisting his mother until a youth of fourteen years, when she died. Then, crossing the Father of Waters into Page County, lowa, he worked two years at brick-
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making near the town of Creston, later at Shenan- doah. At the expiration of this time he began operations as a tiller of the soil, and to this calling has since given his time and attention.
Mr. Roulsten, in January, 1881, settled in Glen- wood Township on section 31. Upon the eighty acres of land which he then secured he has labored industriously, bringing the soil to a good condition and producing the crops which in this region thrive so well under the hand of the judicious husbandman. As a man and citizen he occupies a good position, and may be accounted among the useful and praise- worthy members of the community.
The family history of our subject, which is next in importance to that of the man himself, is in its essential points as follows : His father, Eli Roulsten, was a native of Vermont, and upon reaching man- hood was united in marriage with a most estimable lady, Miss Clementine Wood, whom it is believed was also a child of the Green Mountain State. After marriage the parents of our subject settled in Worcester, Mass., where the father was occupied in brickmaking. and whence they migrated about 1858 to Henry County, Ill. There they engaged in brickmaking, and the father departed this life in 1860. The mother passed away in 1870. They were the parents of two children only, William H. and Herbert E .; the latter lives in Henry County, Ill.
Mr. Roulsten was for years old when his parents removed from Massachusetts to Illinois, and in the latter State received his rudimentary education. After becoming a resident of Shenandoah, Iowa, he formed the acquaintance of Miss Amy L. Brewer, and they were made one at the home of the bride in that place on the 19th of December, 1878. Mrs. Roulsten was born in Carroll County, Ill., July 29, 1859, and is the daughter of Oliver H. and Elvira (Westfall) Brewer, who were natives of Virginia and emigrated to the Prairie State. The mother died in Carroll County about 1866. Mr. B. is still living, and a resident of Page County, Iowa. Mrs. R. was the youngest of a family of six children, and was reared to womanhood in Illinois. She acquired a common-school education, and remained a member of the home circle until her marriage. Of her union with our subject there have been born five children
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-Oliver E., Herbert R., Jesse W., Blanche and Jay O. The eldest is nine years of age and the young- est nine months.
Mr. Roulsten has little to do with politics or the world at large. He, however, keeps himself posted upon matters of interest to the average citizen, and as a voter is a stanch Republican.
AMUEL OSCAR WISHERD is undoubt- edly more extensively engaged in agricult- ural pursuits than any other man in this county, having under his immediate super- vision 2,800 acres devoted to that purpose. He owns all of section 24 in Nemaha Township; section 9 in Adams Township; section 1 in Hanover Township; one-half of section 6 in Hooker Town- ship; one-fourth of section 5 in Hanover Town- ship; the south half of section 21, and eighty acres on section 2 in Adams Township, making in all a total of 2,800 acres. He also controlled all of sec- tion 11 in Adams Township. Our subject has the assistance of his brother John in the management of this large estate, the latter having ranches in Mis- souri and Arkansas.
The parents of our subject, Edward and Amanda (Smith) Wisherd, were born near Hagerstown, Md., and the father traces his ancestry back to an old Scotch family, who settled in that State in Colonial times. The parents were married in Hagerstown, and began their happy wedded life on a farm in their native State, on which they remained until 1854, when they moved to Fulton County, Ill. The father became a land-owner, and went into business in that place, afterward removing to MeDonough County. the same State, where they lived for twelve or fourteen years. After that length of time they changed their residence to Atchison County, Mo., in which place the mother died in April, 1885, at the age of sixty-one years. The father still remains there, and has reached the age of sixty-five years. They had a family of six children, whose names are: John A., Samuel Oscar, Mary E., William H., Jennie V. and Mattie (deceased).
Our subject was born near the early home of his parents, on the 14th of July, 1853, and was but one
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year old when they moved to Illinois. He attended the district schools in Fulton County, and after his removal to McDonough County he continued the pursuit of his education in the common schools un- til he reached the age of nineteen years, when he entered college at Carthage. At the age of twenty years he and his brother John rented a farm, and together took the management of it, the father giv- ing them each a team of horses, and allowing our subject the proceeds of his labor, though he had not yet attained his majority.
The brothers first took charge of a farm contain- ing 480 acres, and as they were very energetic, hou- est, and possessed excellent business capabilities, the owner of the farm was inspired with perfect confidence in their ability and integrity, and fur- nished means for buying cattle and stock. They staid on this farm for two years, and were very suc- cessful, but imbibing the, current "Western fever," they resolved to try their fortunes in Missouri. In that State they purchased land to the amount of about 4,000 acres, and put it all under cultivation, having to break it and improve it. and carry on the work themselves. For awhile the price of land was at a standstill, and there came over the finan- cial horizon of the energetic young men a cloud of somewhat dark aspect.
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