Portrait and biographical album of Lancaster county, Nebraska, Part 20

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

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W ILLIAM CHARLTON. Among the far- mers of Centerville the name of our sub- ject is worthy of prominent mention, not simply on account of the size of his farm, but rather because of the high state of agricultural per- fection to which he has attained and the products obtained. Ilis property is situated on sections 26 and 27, and ineludes 1,052 acres. Our subject is a native of Van Buren County, lowa, and was there born on the 10th of Angust, 1845. He is the son of Thomas and Ann (Meek) Charlton. His father died about the year 1878. aged' seventy-five years ; his mother, who is still living, resides with our subject. Both his father and mother were natives of Pennsylvania, who settled in Van Buren County, Iowa, about the year 1836, and were among the first pioneers of that part.

. The family of which our subject is a member numbered nine children, only four, however, are now living. These are: Elizabeth, the wife of C. W. Stevens, of Buffalo County, Neb. ; Ella resides 1

with our subject: Emma, now Mrs. James W. Wiley, also of Buffalo County, and our subject. Mr. Charlton, Sr., died after a short illness, in 1878, eminently respected by neighbors and citizens as a man and patriot.

The subject of this sketch remained in the home of his parents until about eighteen years of age, and then went to California, where he made his home for about eight years, working for the first five years on different farms, being engaged by the month, the latter part of the time renting about 2,200 acres, which for three years he operated most successfully. In 1873 he came to Lancaster County and took up his present farm and settled upon the same, continuing to make it his home ever since, with the experience again repeated, that intelligent labor properly bestowed, other things being equal, will result in prosperity in husbandry, as in other pursuits.

The felicity which comes into the experience of every worker having the inspiration of seeking happiness for others, became his when, in May, 1872, our subject was united in the bonds of mar- riage to Mary Lidolph. This lady is a native of Iowa and a daughter of Lewis Lidolph, of this precinct. They became the parents of three chil- dren, whose names are here appended : William H., born Feb. 15, 1873; Byron, Sept. 25, 1874, and Mary A .. Aug. 12, 1876. March 3, 1877, our sub- ject had to face a trial which desolated his heart, life and home, and had to bid the last farewell to his wife, who in death left behind her an inexhaustible wealth of affection, and the realization among friends and neighbors that they had lost a friend of more than ordinary worth. The remembrance of her life and love are ineffaceable from the hearts and lives of her husband and family.

The property which our subject has accumulated is expressive of the great go-aheaditiveness of our Western farmers, associated with well-directed in- dustry, continued perseverance, and intelligent, careful planning. Mr. Charlton has held the treas- urership of the schools of his district for several years, and doubtless has yet to be heard from in other and more important offices. His thoughts upon political subjects lead him to associate himself with the Republican party, of which he is a strong

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supporter and unwavering adherent. He is as true to his manhood and conscience as is possible in all the affairs of life in whatsoever relation it may he, and is proportionately admired and esteemed by all.

C HARLES F. RETZLAFF, an extensive land- holder of Stockton Precinct, is the owner of 800 broad acres, and has one of the finest homesteads in Lancaster County, comprising the greater part of section 4. A handsome residence and substantial ont-buildings, together with fruit, shade and ornamental trees, make up one of the most desirable homes in the county, and indicate on all sides the cultivated tastes and ample means of the proprietor. His family consists of a most amiable and intelligent wife, who presides in a graceful and dignified manner over his household, and six interesting children. who are named re- spectively : George W., Frederick W., Emma W., Edith A., William T. and Albert L. The second son was married in 1887 to Miss Clara Faulhaber, and lives at the home farm. One child, a son, Charles, died at the age of two years, and another child died in infancy.

The subject of this biography was born on the other side of the Atlantic in the Prussian Province of Pommern, Oct. 3, 1831, where he spent his early life as a shepherd boy, and in 1854 came to Amer- ica with his brother. After landing in New York City they at once proceeded westward to Milwaukee, Wis., whence soon afterward they went into Wal- worth County, where Charles F. was employed as a farm laborer for a period of three years. He came to this county in August, 1858, secured a tract of land on section 4, in Stockton Precinct, and decid- ing to permanently locate, returned to Wiseonsin for his bride, being there married, April 24, 1859, to Miss Dora Sophia Lemke, who was born in Brandenburg, Germany. Nov. 3, 1838,

It thus appears that Mr. Retzlaff has been a resi- dent of this county for a period of nearly thirty years, coming to Nebraska while it was still a Ter- ritory. It is hardly necessary to say that he has watched the growth and development of the Great West with the interest manifested by every intelli-

gent citizen, and he may be pardoned for the reflec- tion that by building up one of the finest farms in this portion of the State, he has been no unimpor- tant factor in placing Lancaster County in her pres- ent proud position.

Mrs. Retzlaff came to America with her brother William and sister Minnie (the latter now the wife of John Kochler, of Wisconsin,) when a young lady eighteen years of age. They settled in Kenosha County, Wis., where she lived until her marriage. She, with her husband, belongs to the German Lutheran Church, and Mr. R., politically, is a solid Republican, one who is thoroughly alive to the im- portance of every man doing his duty in maintain- ing the principles of liberty and union. He has been prominent in local affairs, and after the organi- zation of Lancaster County was one of its first Commissioners. He has also held the office of Jus- tice of the Peace, and officiated as Road Supervisor. His course as a business man and a citizen has been such as to commend him to the favor of all with whom he has had dealings, and he bears the repu- tation of beinga leading representative of his town- ship and the county at large.

AMES M. MYERS is a son of William Myers, who was born in New Jersey, in 1814. When a young man the father went to Carroll County, Ohio, where he engaged in the occupation of farming until about the year 1843, when he engaged in the milling of flour and lumber. Having by diligent attention to business secured a fair competence, in 1876 he retired from business, and now lives at Pioneer, Williams Co., Ohio. His wife, Eleanor, was born in 1812, in Pennsylvania, but removed in early life with her people to Ohio, where she was married. She died at her home in the year 1863. The parents of Mr. Myers had a family of seven children, two of whom are sons, only three of the children now living, as follows : Joseph. a farmer living near Traverse City, Mich. ; Mary, the wife of E. P. Warner, a shoemaker of Pioneer, Ohio; and our subject.

Mr. Myers was born on the 15th of May, 1845. in Knox County, Ohio. He lived at home until

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the age of eighteen years, attending the publie schools in the time that was afforded him. In Jan- uary, 1864, when the call came for more men, lie en- listed in Company H, 38th Ohio Infantry. He served with Sherman in the troops that made the memorable march to the sea. On their return they experienced much severe marching through South Carolina, and to Raleigh, not ceasing their march until they arrived in the city of Washing- ton. Afterward he was sent to Louisville, Ky., where, about the 1st of July, they were mustered out, and discharged at Cleveland, Ohio, soon after.

Returning to his home our subject followed the occupation of farming, and engaged in buying up stock. In 1866 he and a brother bought a farm in Steuben County, Ind., and farmed together for a year. Coming to Lancaster County, Neb., in 1869, he made a selection of land in Rock Creek Precinct, and homesteaded eighty acres of it. Having built a "dug-out," he moved into it on the 22d of November, and on the 23d day he was married to Grace A. Griswold, a daughter of N. W. and Hester Griswold, of North Bluff Precinet. Mrs. Myers was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., on the 25th of February, 1846, and coming to Ne- braska with her parents she lived with them until her marriage.

In 1879 our subject was able to build a nice house, and he left his "dug-out " for the newer and more commodious dwelling. ]Ie improved the farm, setting out on it a fine fruit orchard con- taining 100 bearing trees, and one acre of young fruit trees. In common with all the farmers of that time he suffered the losses incurred by the siege of the grasshoppers, severe wind and hail- storms. But summoning up new energy each time he sustained a loss, he was enabled to recover from those misfortunes, and make a good start toward success. Few people deserve more credit for the property and wealth which they have gained than do these honest, enterprising farmers, who have had so much to contend with from the misfortunes in- cident to their location.

Our subject stands high in the esteem of the people of the community in which he lives, by rea- son of the interest which he takes in educational matters, and the good government of the country.

He is a Republican in politics, and has served as Assessor for four full terms. He has twice been a delegate to the County Conventions, and has served as a member of the School Board in his district. He and his family do not at present be- long to any religious denomination, but take their place as esteemed members of society. There are four children in the family, all living at home, their names and the dates of their birth being as follows: Lona E., born Dec. 29, 1870; Etta M., Nov. 20, 1873: Gracie J., Jan. 23, 1880; and James H., April 30, 1887. Mr. Myers is a mem- ber of the committee of the Republican Club, formed in Rock Creek in July, 1888. His hon- orable service in behalf of the country at the time she was enduring the horrors of a civil war, will always be held in remembrance, and spoken of to bis lasting honor.

E WITT C. FELLOWS. New England is second to no other section of our country in the number it has furnished from the ranks of its best citizens who have gone out to face the struggles and dangers of pioneer life. They seem to have caught the spirit of their ancestors, and those pioneers of the New England States who landed in the cokl surf at Plymouth Rock. From such a family is the subject of this writing.

Benjamin Fellows, the father of De Witt C. Fel- lows, was born in Kensington, N. II., in 1794. His education was obtained in the common schools of that place, after which he was apprenticed to a master tailor to be initiated into the varieties of texture, their quality and finish, the use of the tape- line and measure, the geometry of the cutting- board, the freaks and fictions of fashion, as well as the more piercing experience of the needle. Not until he was thirty-five years of age did he leave the business and turn to farming, in which occu- pation he continued until his death. Mr. Fellows was united in marriage to Percy Bridgeman, the daughter of Rev. Isaac Bridgeman, a Baptist clergyman of the same State. She was a lady of education according to the idea of the times, of

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culture and pleasing address, and fully endowed with those virtues which are the chief glory of womanhood. Their family has numbered seven children, whose names are here given, but who, with the exception of our subject, are all de- ceased : Melvina, John, Antonette, Ilelen, De Witt C. (our subject), Napoleon and Ira. Their father continued to live some five years beyond the allotted threescore and ten, and enjoyed good health until near the end. He was a man highly respected as a citizen, and beloved in his domestic relations. His wife, the mother of our subject, died five years prior to the death of her husband.

Our subject was born April 22, 1827, in Han- over, N. H. In due time he was sent to the common school to obtain an education, which should fit him for the duties and responsibilities of after days, and although this education did not contain the extensive list in use at the present time, and did not include the mass of learned lore which to-day might be numbered among its subjects and add to the weight of his text books, it was neverthe- less thorough and practical, and in after years he proved its value in many instances, and doubtless realized that had it been far more liberal he would have found opportunity to use it all. The business of schooling over, he entered upon the work of the farm, continuing at home in these pursuits until he reached man's estate, then he struck out for himself.

For several years Mr. Fellows was working his way in the direction of the setting sun, engaged in various occupations at different places. Ile entered the army in 1862, enlisting in Company I, 43d Massa- chusetts Regiment, under Col. Holbrook. He saw active service, and took part in several engage- ments, and upon being mustered out in 1863, he went to Boston and engaged in the carpenter trade, of which he had made himself master before he left home. Ile continued in this business, making the above city his headquarters, until 1872, when he went West prospecting, going back in the fall. The following year he came to Lincoln to stay.

One year from that time, i. e. in 1874, our sub- ject was married to Julia Ann Collins, who was the daughter of King and Mary Collins, and was born in Chagrin Falls, Ohio. They have been made

happy by the birth of three children: Paul C., Mary B. and Joseph, who were born in this county. Our subject had by this time secured property in Lincoln, and in 1877 he bought his present home, and then began immediately to improve the same. The house which has been so pleasant and conven- ient a home, was erected, together with a commo- dious barn, a large number of shade and fruit trees were set out and numberless other improvements made. Eleven years ago the property was only a cattle pasture. To-day you can enjoy under the thick leafy foliage which spreads itself before the face of the burning sun, the cooling shade which its generosity affords, or by taking a stroll over the velvety carpet of green, which spreads itself at our feet, to another part of the grounds, we are en- abled to appreciate the shadow of the fine fruit trees, and partake of the luscious gifts they extend toward us.

Mr. Fellows is Director of his school district, and in political affiliations an ardent friend and sup- porter of the Republican party, whose candidates receive his suffrage,

The wife of our subject, Miss Collins, is the daughter of Mr. King Collins and wife, and was born at Chagrin Falls, Ohio, in 1849. Iler edu- cation was received in the academy of that town, and after graduation she continued teaching several years.

As an illustration of the increase in valuation in Lincoln in the past decade, and at the same time of the increased settlement, we may remark that land for which about ten years ago he paid $11 per acre, and which lies adjacent to the city limits, is now valued at from $250 to $300 per acre. His prop- erty includes some sixty-six acres of land on section 11, and is chiefly devoted to the raising of stock and fruit eulture. His orchards are among the finest and most extensive in the county.

ILLIAM CRAIG is very prosperously en- gaged in agriculture in Nemaha Precinct. where he owns a farm on sections 28 and 33, which for fertility and productiveness is classed among the best in this locality. His skill and ex- perience in farming have proved of incalculable

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valne to him since coming to Nebraska, and he has done exceedingly well sinee purchasing a farm here in 1880, being now in possession of an assured in- come.

Our subject is a native of the town of Frankfort, Ross Co., Ohio, the date of his birth being June 8, 1835. His father, Charles Craig, was born in the same county near Chillicothe, in 1804, and his father, like- wise named Charles, was a native of Ireland, and after becoming a citizen of this country served in the War of 1812 as a private. The mother of our subjeet, whose maiden name was Rachel Ashby, she being a connection of Gen. Ashby, was a native of Virginia, but was reared in Ohio, having been taken there when a child. After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Craig settled in Ross County, near Frankfort, where they lived a long time, the father being engaged as a shoemaker. In 1838 they moved to Indiana, and located in Prince William, Carroll County, where Mr. Craig turned his attention to agricultural pursuits. He subsequently sold that farm and removed to Tippecanoe County, where he was busily engaged in farming for four years. His next move was to Me- Lean County, Ill., in 1851, where he resided until his death in 1853, before he had attained his fiftieth year. He pursued an upright course through life, and was a capable, hard-working man, but by going security for another man he lost money, and through sickness in his family and other misfortunes he was reduced to straightened circumstances. Ilis good wife, who had faithfully shared his vicissitudes, and had been to him a true helper, survived him until 1866, when she, too, yielded up the burden of life to pass to the long rest. They were the parents of eleven children, namely : Nancy, Louisa, Andrew J., James, Matilda, Charles, William, an infant un- named, Henry, Alexander and Martha.

Our subject was but three years old when the journey to the new home in Indiana was made, but he still retains a rememberance of it and of several incidents connected with it, of the camping by the wayside to rest and prepare food, of driving the cow, ete. Ile received his early education in a sub- scription school, which was held in a primitive log school-house, attending three months every year. Ile was early taught to swing an ax, and assist his father in his pioneer labors of clearing his farm in

Carroll County. lle was a lad of sixteen summers when the family moved to Tippecanoe County, a beautiful prairie country, and there he applied him- self to farming, as much of the responsibility of managing the farm devolved upon him, as his father was taken ill soon after they settled there. Ilis education was not, however, neglected, as he attended school during the winter. Time wore on and the family went to live in MeLean County, III , where they prospered well for a time, but sickness in the family, losses, and the death of the father, were serious blows which impoverished them. Our subject was then but a youth of eighteen years, but he was strong, manly and self-reliant, and bravely put his shoulder to the wheel to assist his mother, brothers and sisters in their efforts to keep the home, of which be remained an inmate until the breaking out of the war. Then, as his assistance was no longer much needed there, he offered his serv- ices to his country, being among the first to enlist in MeLean County at the first call for troops from the Government. At the expiration of his three- months term of enlistment he re-enlisted, August 14, as a member of the 39th Illinois Infantry, and was soon dispatched to Chicago with his regiment, and shortly after to St. Louis. From thenee he and his comrades went to Williamsport, Md., where they first drew their arms in an encounter with the enemy. But the first real engagement in which they took an active part was at Hancock, Md .; there they were obliged to wade the Potomac in the dead of winter to assist in reconstrueting the Baltimore & Ohio Railway. The regiment was then dispatched to Cumberland, Md., and was present at the battle of Winchester, and afterward skirmished through the Shenandoah Valley. At Harrison's Bar our subject was engaged with his regiment in a ten-days skirmish. They had some severe march- ing on their way to Suffolk, Va., where they were stationed for some time. From thenee they went to Pamlico Sound, and from there by boat to New- bern, N. C., and afterward to Beaufort. Our sub- ject took part in skirmishes on Cold Island and Foley Island, and thence went to Ft. Sumter, where he witnessed the naval fight under Admiral Dupont when he attempted to run past the batteries with his fleet of iron-clads, and enter the harbor of

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Charleston, S. C. Mr. Craig took part in the siege of Ft. Wagoner, which lasted 101 days, and was present at the time of its evacuation. While there he was attacked with chronic diarrhea, and was dis- charged from the army Dec. 6. 1863, having been in the service two years and four months. After farming the following summer, his health having improved, he enlisted for a third time, in February, 1865, to still further aid his country, and for one year was with Company B, 150th Illinois Infantry. The regiment got as far as Cleveland, Tenn., when the news of Lee's surrender announced that the long and terrible war was at an end, but many regiments were retained in the service several months, and that to which our subject belonged was not mus- tered out until February, 1866, in Griffin, Ga., when he was for a third time honorably discharged, having in the three years and five months of faith- ful service on the battle-fields of the South won for himself an enduring record as a brave and efficient soldier who was willing to risk all to defend the honor of the dear old flag, and to keep her floating over a free and undivided country. Of the three Craig brothers who served in the Rebellion, not one was wounded, but all were spared, and have since in the quiet walks of life made themselves useful and honored citizens.

After his retirement from army life our subject returned home to his wife in McLean County, he having been married to Miss Ann E. Gardner, Sept. 3, 1865, while at home on a furlough. Mrs. Craig was born in Ohio, July 27, 1848, and being the eldest of ten children in a busy household, her edu- cation was limited, as she was often kept at home to assist her mother. She thus gained a thorough. practical knowledge of housekeeping, and is an ad- mirable housewife, one who looks well to the ways of her household, providing bountifully for its in- mates, and often setting forth good cheer, sweetened by cordial words of welcome, to friends or strangers who may happen to cross the threshold of her com- fortable home. Ten children complete the family circle, seven of whom were born in Illinois, all of whom are now at home with their parents, namely : William, Alexander, Louisa Jane, Mary B., Nancy A .. Emma L., Amanda, Salina (deceased), Jacob and Orville.

Mr. Craig farmed for several years in McLean County, III., and did not take up his residence in Nebraska until November, 1880. Soon after com- ing here he purchased a farm of 120 acres on sec- tion 28, Nemala Precinct, which he still retains, and in March, 1881, he bought another forty acres on section 33, increasing the acreage of his farm to 160 acres. He and his wife are devoted members of the United Brethren Church. Mr. Craig has been school officer, and is always glad to do anything to pro- mote the welfare of the precinct where he has come to make his home. Socially, he is a member of the G. A. R. In polities, he is a strong advocate of the Prohibition movement, although he was formerly a Republican, and cast his first vote for John C. Fremont.

REDERICK A. KORSMEYER, steam-fitter and plumber, has one of the best conducted establishments of its kind in the city of Lincoln, and holds a leading position among its business men. He has a thorough understanding of the details of his calling, is prompt and reliable, thoroughly upright and honorable in his business transactions, and a man who is deservedly prosper- ous. He is a native of the Province of Prussia. Germany, and is doing a prosperous business.

R EV. JOHN CHAPMAN. One of the pret- tiest rides the tourist in England can take, and one from which he will feel rested in- stead of fatigued, is that from London to

Dover. The route is a matter of choice between that of the London, Chatham & Dover Railway on the one hand, or the Southeastern Railway on the other. Perhaps for some reasons the latter might be preferred. The traveler having snugly ensconced himself in the corner of the compartment of the railway carriage, and once got through the city with its apparently endless roofs, chimneys and smoke- clouds. does finally reach the open country; then begins a most beautiful panorama, as seen through the carriage window. A long succession of flower, vegetable and market gardens, richly-laden apple

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Portrait and biographical album of Lancaster county, Nebraska, Part 20

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

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