Portrait and biographical album of Lancaster county, Nebraska, Part 12

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 812

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embarked at Hamburg on a sailing-vessel in the fall of 1846, and four weeks later landed upon American soil in the city of New York.

Our subject at once left the metropolis, andimak- ing his way westward, located first in Greenbush Township, Sheboygan Co., Wis., where he continued farming as before, and where he made his home until coming to this county twenty-five years later, in the spring of 1871. At that time he located in Stockton Precinct, where he has since remained. While a resident of the Badger State he was married. March 12, 1850, to Miss Catherine Kuael, who, like her husband, is a native of Germany, and who was born in the Province of Holstein, Dec. 16, 1832. She came to America with a brother-in-law when sixteen years of age, and has proved the faithful and efficient helpmate of her husband in all his undertakings. The household circle in due time was completed by the birth of fourteen children, six of whom they have laid away in early graves, namely : Emma, Anna, Amanda, Julana, Hermina and Mary. Those surviving are Henry, Albertina, Ilerman, Albert, August, Louisa, Alex and Laura. Four of these are at home with their parents. Louisa is the wife of Joseph Knadle, and lives in Stockton Precinct.

Mr. Francke east his first Presidential vote for Pierce, and has since been a stanch adherent of the Democratic party. Hle is a man of more than ordinary intelligence. pleasant and agreeable in con- versation, and impresses both stranger and friend as one whose highest aim has been to live an honest and upright life and become worthy of the good opinion of his friends and neighbors. It is pleasant to note that he is appreciated by the people of his community, among whom he bears an excellent reputation as one of their best citizens.

ENRY DEARDOFF, one of the leading far- mers of Lancaster County, is classed among those men of force and rare ability who have been instrumental in developing the State of Nebraska into a powerful and opulent commonwealth, whose commercial, agricultural and mercantile interests are hardly surpassed by any of

her sister States west of the Mississippi River. He owns a large and valuable farm in Saltillo Precinct, a part of it being on section 12, and probably has more land under his direct supervision than any other farmer in this part of the county. It com- prises 640 acres of land, under the highest state of enltivation, and amply provided with commodious and substantial farm buildings for every purpose. His large and conveniently arranged residence, of a pretty, modern style of architecture. pleasantly located in the midst of beantifully laid out lawns and orchards, is an ornament to the town. Ile erected his fine basement barn, 46x56 feet in dimen- sions, in 1880, and he has a large corn crib, with a capacity of 6,000 bushels of ear corn, the dimen- sions of the crib being 25x48 feet. The farm is well supplied with running water. Mr. Deardoff has an abundant supply of fruit-bearing trees and plants. He has a fine orchard comprising 225 apple, forty cherry and twenty plum trees, besides a vine- yard of the choicest varieties of grapes, and a large bed of strawberries, everything about the place, from the architecture of the buildings to the lawns, or- chards, ete., indicating that a master mind and hand have planned and exeented all this. and that the owner has been pre-eminently successful in his life work.

Our subject is a son of Henry and Elizabeth (Bartlett) Deardoff, and on his father's side he is of mingled French and German blood, and on his mother's side is of German descent. His grand- father Bartlett was a soldier in the War of 1812. After marriage the parents of our subjeet settled in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, where his father followed farming, and operated a distillery. Ile was a man full of enterprise, and soon became the owner of a farm, and was in a fair way to become a man of wealth when death intervened, and he passed away from the scenes of earth on Sept. 8, 1846, at 9 o'clock A. M. The very day that ended the life of the father was the one on which our subjeet first be- gan life, as he was born at 7 o'clock that evening, the two tragedies of the birth and death of two human beings so nearly connected thus being en- acted within a few short hours in that sad home.

The mother of our subject continued to live on the homestead for two years, and then the estate

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was divided up. She married a second time, and moved to Crawford County. Ohio, and thence back to Tusearawas County, where she and her hus- band lived for several years. They then removed to Minnesota, where she died in 1866, at the age of sixty-five, leaving thirteen children by her sec- ond marriage, our subject being the only child by the first marriage.

Henry Deardoff began to make his own way in the world at the age of thirteen. and his education after that was necessarily limited, as he only attended school in the winter. At the age of twenty-one he returned to Ohio to settle up the estate that he had inherited from his father, but he having been under different guardians during his minority, and the property having passed through a legal process, he found it greatly reduced. After he had attended to his business he went to Illinois, remaining a year, and there engaged to drive a team for Mr. Macklin to Nebraska. He was very much pleased with the appearance of the country here, and de- termined to locate here at some future time. Ile returned to Illinois, visited his friends in Minnesota and Ohio. and in the latter State was married, in 1869, to Miss Lydia Garber, who is likewise a na- tive of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, having been born there Oct. 12, 1851. She is well educated, is a superior housewife, and to her judgment and ability is her husband greatly indebted for his prosperity,

and for the enjoyment of a comfortable and well- appointed home. The year following his marriage, our subject and his young wife started for this State to make their home here, coming by rail to Nebraska City, and thence by stage to Lincoln. Ile took up eighty acres of land under the provis- ions of . the Homestead Act, settled thereon in a log house which he built, and immediately com- menced its improvement. In the years of depres- sion that followed he manfully maintained his struggle for independence, bravely assisted by his wife, and managed to keep his head above water until better times came, when prosperity began to smile on him. By hard labor and judicious man- agement, he contrived to add to his landed estate at various times until he is now one of the most ex- tensive real-estate owners in Lancaster County. Ilis purchases are as follows: In 1872 he bought a

second 80-acre tract of land; in 1880, 160 acres more; in 1885 another 160 acres; and in the spring of 1887 be purchased still another tract of 160 acres of land. Ile is a man of strong character, vig- orous and energetie, both physically and mentally, and possesses much sagacity and foresight. He is a respected member of the Masonic fraternity, be- longing to Bennett Lodge. Politically. he sym- pathizes with the Democratic party.

OUIS COLAS. The snug and well-conducted farm of this gentleman is pleasantly located on section 16, Yankee Ilill Precinet, six miles from the village, and there he is success- fully carrying on general agriculture and lives in the midst of comfort and plenty, enjoying an abun- dance of the good things of life, which he has accu- mulated through his own industry. A native of the Grand Duchy of Mechlenburg, Germany, our subject first opened his eyes to the light Feb. 8, 1838. and spent twenty-seven years upon his native soil. Ilis parents, George and Maria Colas, were of pure Ger- man descent and are now both deceased.

Young Colas, in common with the majority of German youth, was placed in school at an early age and gained a good education in his native tongue. He employed himself at farming during his early manhood, and July 16, 1866, was united in marriage with a maiden of his own country, Miss Mary Miller, who was born not far from his childhood's home, and whose parents are now deceased. Soon after their marriage our subject and his wife set out for America, embarking from the city of Ham- burg on a sailing-vessel. and after an ocean voyage of six weeks landed in New York City.

After a brief sojourn in the metropolis, Mr. and Mrs. Colas made their way to Mauch Chunk, Pa., where our subject engaged in the carshops, and lived for a period of fifteen years. During this time their seven children were born, namely : Lena, Mary, Louis, Lizzie, Augusta, Emma and Willie. The latter died in Lincoln when thirteen months old.

Our subject, not yet quite content with his con- dition or his prospects, left the Keystone State in

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the spring of 1878, and came to this county with his family. They took up their residence in the city of Lincoln, and Mr. Colas for about six years thereafter was employed in the roundhouse of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad. In the meantime he saved what he could of his earnings, and in the year 1884 invested his little capital in his present farm. He now has eighty acres of good land, upon which he has labored industriously and brought it to a good state of cultivation, besides putting up the buildings required by the pro- gressive and intelligent agriculturist. ' He is a man who stands well among his neighbors. being prompt to meet his obligations and attending strictly to his own concerns. He does not meddle very inch in polities, but usually casts his vote with the Demo- cratic party.

OIIN WATSON, one of the solid and relia- ble men of Grant Precinct, is comfortably located on section 9, where he owns and oc- cupies eighty acres of good land, which by a process of careful cultivation yields abundantly the rich erops of Southeastern Nebraska. IIe came to this section of country in the spring of 1878, lo- cating on his present farm, and during his residence of ten years among the people of Lancaster County has acquitted himself as an honest man and a good citizen.

Our subject is of excellent Scotch anecstry, a nationality of which any man has reason to be proud. Ilis parents. Thomas and Jeannette (Smith ) Watson, were natives of the city of Glasgow, and the mother died in her native land while a young woman, in 1836. The father four years later emi- grated to the United States, and settling in Adams County, Ill., there spent the remainder of his life. his death taking place in 1883, when he was seventy- nine years old. The parental family consisted of two children only, our subject and his younger brother, James S. The latter is a grocer by ocen- pation, and a resident of Berry, Pike Co .. Il.

John Watson is a native of the same city as his parents. being born in Glasgow, Scotland, on the Sth of May, 1833, Ile was three years of age at

the time of his mother's death. and seven years old when he crossed the Atlantic with his father. lle lived with the latter in Illinois, both in Quiney and in Adams County, until coming to Nebraska, and in the meantime, when nineteen years old, began his apprenticeship at the carpenter's trade. which he followed until coming to this State. His education was acquired in the common school, and. naturally of an industrious and quiet disposition, when start- ing ont for himself he was amply fitted for the fu- ture duties of life.

Mr. Watson, while a resident of Adams County. Ill., was united in marriage with Miss Nancy B. Mitchell, Oct. 19, 1865. Mrs. W. was born in Adams County, Ill., Oct. 30, 1843. and is the daughter of James W. and Nancy Mitchell, who were natives of Virginia. The father is deceased; the mother resides in Adams County, Ill. Their family consisted of four children, who are all liv- ing and reside in Illinois.

Mr. and Mrs. Watson began life together in Adams County. Ill., and while residing there became the parents of three children-Jeannette B .. Thomas and Lethenia E. The second child, Thomas, who was their only son, died March 18, 1873, when two years old. Mr. Watson is a solid Republican, po- litieally, and has served in his district as School Treasurer and also been Assessor of Grant Precinct. A man whose word is as good as his bond. he stands well among his neighbors, is in the enjoyment of a' comfortable home, and is contributing his quota toward the welfare and prosperity of his adopted township.

At the time of the outbreak of the late Rebellion Mr. Watson was a resident of Adams County, HI., and not long after the first call for troops enlisted, Aug. 12, 1861, in Company L, 2d Illinois Cavalry, in which he became Sergeant. and gave three years to the service of his adopted country. Ilis regi- ment was a part of the Army of the Mississippi, serving under Gen. Grant, and their duties lay mostly in the States all along the line. Mr. Watson, in common with his comrades, saw much hard- ship and privation, and engaged in many important battles. but fortunately escaped wounds and capture. and at the expiration of his term of service was mustered out at Baton Rouge, La., and returning

yours truly natten S.Has wood

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to Illinois resumed work at the carpenter's bench until coming to this State. About 1858 he identi- fied himself with the Masonic fraternity, and is a member of the Royal Arch Chapter No. 5, at Quincy, Ill.

ATHAN S. HARWOOD, the subject of this sketch, and whose portrait appears on the opposite page, is senior member of the law firm of Harwood, Ames & Kelly, and President of the Lincoln National Bank. He is a native of St. Joseph County, Mich., and was born at Corey's Lake, near Constantine, June 18, 1843. The house- hold of his parents, Nathan, Sr., and Nancy (Dor- rance) Harwood, included nine children, of whom five are now living, and Nathan was the youngest born. Aurelia is the wife of Thomas Fitch, of Waterloo, Iowa; Louisa, Mrs. John Speese, lives in Winthrop, Iowa; Jane, Mrs. N. S. Fairchild, re- sides in Valparaiso, Ind .; Matilda is the widow of Frank Morton, and makes her home in Hastings, Neb.

Nathan Harwood, Sr., was born in Bennington, Vt., Jan. 6, 1794, and was the youngest son in a family of twelve children, ten sons and two daugh- ters, the offspring of Zachariah and Lovina (Rice) Harwood. Zachariah Harwood, born in Hardwick, Mass., in 1742, was of English origin. being of the sixth generation from the first representative of the family in this country, namely, Peter Harwood, who, upon crossing the Atlantic, settled in Concord, Mass. Zachariah Harwood lived to the advanced age of eighty years. He served as a soldier in the Revolutionary War, and spent his last days at Bennington, Vt. The following obitnary is from the Vermont Gazette, of June 19, 1821, published. by Darius Clark, at Bennington: "Died, in this town, on the 6th day of June, instant, Mr. Zacha- riah Harwood, in the eightieth year of his age. Ile was one of the earliest settlers and fathers of this town, and was an industrious and worthy man. lle was one of the heroes of Bennington battle, and through life maintained in steady practice the prin- eiples which early led him to espouse those politi- cal interests, and to aid those manly efforts which

resulted in the independence of his country. Ile has left many and respectable descendants, relatives and friends, to remember his usefulness and mourn their loss."

Nathan Harwood, Sr., spent his early days near Bennington. Ile enlisted as a volunteer in the War of 1812, and before the battle of Plattsburg, during a night of storm, crossed Lake Champlain in an open boat. A severe illness followed this ex- posure, an illness from which he never fully recov- ered. He was an invalid for life, fighting against odds to support a large family in a new country. Ile married Nancy Dorrance in 1815, and they lived in Bennington ten years, when the first move in the grand march westward was made. In 1825 he emi- grated to Ontario County, N. Y., and settled near Lake Canandaigua, where he bought a small farm. There he lived until 1832, when he moved to St. Joseph County, Mich .. then upon the frontier. The land he chose is now upon the borders of the town of Three Rivers. Here twenty years passed by before the next change was made. In 1855 a com- pany of white-sailed prairie schooners, headed dne west, crossed the Mississippi River and found safe harbor in Black Ilawk County, Iowa. Nathan, Sr., was accompanied by his daughter Aurelia, Mrs. Thomas Fitch and her family, and by Matilda, afterward Mrs. Morton, and Nathan, Jr. He secured his land by a warrant received from the Govern- ment in payment of his services as a soldier in the War of 1812. Here he spent the remainder of his life, his death occurring March 4, 1858. Nathan, Sr., was a Whig, politically, a member of the Con- gregational Church, and a man of sterling honesty. llis wife, Nancy Harwood, was born in Bennington, Vt., in 1798, the daughter of William and Anne (McCormick) Dorrance. William was of Scotch- Irish descent, and Anne was born in Scotland. Her life was beautiful. not only in its devotion to her husband and children, but also for a certain large kindliness of nature which was especially shown to the sick, for whose needs she had a fine intuition. She died in December, 1852, of an illness which followed her ministrations to a sick daughter.

The early days of the subject of this biography were spent under the home roof until the death of his mother, when he was but eight years of age.

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The two following years he made his home with his sisters, then took up his abode with his father, in Black Ilawk County, lowa, where he assisted in the improvement of a new farm until the marriage of his sister Matilda two years later, when he went with her to her home at Janesville, and until the summer of 1860 spent his time at farm work and attending school. In the fall of that year. having been a studious lad, making good progress with his books. he became a student at the Upper Iowa University at Fayette, and making his home with the family of Prof. Mckenzie, worked for his board during the first term, and the next two terms em- ployed himself in different capacities around the college for the purpose of earning money to pay his way. The year following occurred the out- break of the Rebellion, and young llarwood, in August, 1861, a youth of eighteen years, enlisted in Company G, 9th Iowa Infantry, and soon after- ward went down the Mississippi with his comrades to St. Louis, where, after sojourning a short time at Benton Barracks, they were detailed to guard the railroads in the vicinity of Franklin, Mo., and on the 28th of January set out on the memorable march of the Pea Ridge campaign.

The exposure and hardships to which our subject was subjected produced an illness, on account of which he was not long afterward forced to accept his honorable discharge. He had, however, seen the smoke of battle at Pea Ridge. and with his dis- charge in his pocket advanced to participate in the fight. After it was over he remained in the hos- pital at Springfield, Mo., about six weeks, then tore up his discharge, and resumed his place in his regi- ment. going with it on the march to Helena, Ark., where he was again attacked by illness, which necessitated once more his abandonment of the military service. He returned home broken down in health. but in the winter of 1863 had recovered sufficiently to take up his studies again, attending school at Fayette, Iowa, until the winter of 1863-64, when he engaged as a teacher.

The war being yet in progress, Mr. Harwood could not content himself to remain at home while so many of the young men of his country were fighting in the field. and he rallied his energies once more, and, in the spring of 1864 raised part of a

company of infantry. of which he was commissioned First Lieutenant. This was named Company D. and was assigned to the 46th lowa Infantry, being mustered into service on the 17th of June, 1864, at Davenport. They went directly to Memphis, Tenn., and were detailed to do guard duty on the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. Our subject was mustered out in the fall, there being no further need of his services, and again returned home.

Still intent upon securing an education, Mr. Har- wood, in January, 1865, became a student of Hills- dale College, Michigan, from which he was gradu- ated in the class of '69, in the classical course. In September following he entered the Albany (N. Y.) Law School, and was graduated from this institu- tion in the class of '70. lle supplemented his legal studies in the law office of Messrs. Brown & Patter- son. at Marshall, Mich., where he remained until a short time before coming to Lincoln, in February, 1871.

Mr. Harwood now formed a law partnership with Samuel J. Tuttle, which was in existenee until No- vember, 1875, under the firm name of Tuttle & Har- wood. At this time John H. Ames was added to the firm, but in the spring of 1877 Mr. Tuttle witlı- drew, and the firm continued as Harwood & Ames until the 1st of January, 1885. Then William R. Kelly was admitted. Mr. Harwood has stuck closely to his profession, declining to be a candidate for office ; only once has he departed from this rule, when in 1876 he was a candidate before the Republican State Convention for the office of Attorney General, but was defeated by the then incumbent, George H. Roberts, who was renominated. Nevertheless, in addition to the practice of law, he has filled many positions of trust and responsibility since coming to this county, among whose people he occupies a position of the highest standing. Ile was Private Secretary for Gov. Garber in 1875-76, and Dele- gate-at-Large to the Republican National Conven- tion held at Chicago in 1884, where he served as one of the committee on resolutions. In 1885 he was elected one of the Vice Presidents of the Na- tional Tariff Reform League, and has been identi- fied with many of the leading enterprises of this county. among them the Lincoln Public Library As- sociation, of which he was one of the founders and

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the first President. Ile hield that position until it was organized as the Lincoln Public Library, being one of the few who were instrumental in engineering a bill through the Legislature for the purpose of levying a tax for the support of libraries. Upon retiring from the Presidency he was selected Chair- man of the Book Committee, and has always main- tained a lively interest in this institution which forms so great a factor in the education of the people.

Mr. Harwood was admitted to the bar of the Supreme Court of the United States in December, 1883. He was elected President of Lincoln Na- tional Bank on the 1st of December, 1887. He belongs to the G. A. R. and the Loyal Legion, also the A. F. & A. M., as a member of Lancaster Lodge No. 54, and Scottish Rite, 32d degree. Politically. he has always affiliated with the Republican party. but is in favor of tariff reform, and for this reason not in sympathy with his party in this contest of 1888.

The first wife of our subject, to whom he was married May 29, 1872, was Miss Mary E., daughter of Ilon. John P. Cook, of Hillsdale, Mich. Of this union there was born one child, a daughter, Ielen, Oet. 17, 1874, who is now attending school at Lin- coln. Mrs. Mary Harwood departed this life at Montague, Mich., in September, 1878. Mr. H., July 25, 1883, contracted a second marriage, with Miss Celia Harris, who was born at South Bend, Ind., in April, 1846, and is the daughter of George S. and Sarah (Bacon) Harris, whose family consists of ten children, and of whom Celia was the eldest, Their second child, George, was born in Brookline, Mass., Dee. 20, 1848; Ellen in Boston, Feb. 3, 1851; Charles L. in Boston, Nov. 5, 1853; Fred- erick L. in West Roxbury, Mass., Oct. 11, 1857; Edward K. in Boston. April 21, 1859; Sarah But- ler, in Boston, July 18, 1860; John F. in Boston. Feb. 24, 1863, and Agnes, Feb. 20, 1866.

George S. Harris, the father of Mrs. Harwood, was a native of Caldwell, N. Y., and was born March 22, 1815, to Michael and Susan (Allen) Harris, be- ing the third in a family of five sons. He was left fatherless at the age of five years, his care and early training devolving almost wholly upon his mother. For her he cherished the strongest affection, as one

who had made him what he was in after life. While still a yonth he embraced the principles of Chris- tianity, professing them before men, and made them the governing rule of his life.

In early manhood Mr. Harris engaged in mer- cantile pursuits, but his desire was for a professional life, and in 1836 he entered Oberlin College with the intention of preparing for the ministry. Cir- cumstances, however, caused him to change his purpose and led him to remove to Boston, where for many years he was actively engaged in business, most of the time in connection with railroad inter- ests, for the promotion of which his energies and abilities were admirably adapted. In 1859 he re- moved to the West and was variously engaged, first as Land Commissioner for the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad in Missouri, and subsequently acting in the same capacity for the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad in both Iowa and Nebraska.

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Portrait and biographical album of Lancaster county, Nebraska, Part 12

Author: Publication date: 1888 Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers Number of Pages: 812

Author:
Publication date: 1888
Publisher: Chicago, Chapman brothers
Number of Pages: 812