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Compendium of History Reminiscence & Biography of Western Nebraska

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his place, putting up good buildings, and of late years has raised good crops and been very successful. His wheat has shown a yield of thirty bushels per acre and corn fifty, and besides farming he engages in stock raising to some extent. He has a good many draught horses all the time on his farm, and enough cattle for his own use, besides hogs and other stock. He is counted one of the best farmers of the township, and as he has plenty of help with his force of seven sons, is not obliged to hire any work done, which is of immense saving to him.

   Mr. Carlson was united in marriage to Miss Emily Samuelson, a native of Sweden. They have a family of eight children, named as follows: Nora, Roger, Carl, Theodore, Lawrence, Leroy, Eddie and Albert.

   Mr. Carlson and his family are members of the Lutheran church of Holdrege, and he has served as treasurer for the past fifteen years. He was one of the organizers of the Church. He is also moderator of his district school. In political faith he is a Republican. Mr. Carlson has gone through many hardships in the building up of his home and farm here, but has overcome all the struggles and adversities of the pioneer life, and success has crowned his efforts in the possession of a fine estate and happy home surrounded by his family and friends, and richly deserves it all.

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PETER SCHAEFER, DECEASED.

   To the early settlers of Sioux county the name of Peter Schaefer is well known. He located on a homestead in 1894, where the region was but slightly developed, and there was little in sight to reward the struggles and hardships through which he must pass, but he was possessed of indomitable will and stanch courage, and he took up his work with success as his watchword. For many years he labored faithfully and at his demise his widow took up the management of the farm and is now the owner of one of the best estates in the county and in the management and labors she has been assisted by her sons and daughters, and the family is well known locality and highly esteemed.

   Peter Schaefer was born in Ausendorf, Prussia, April 1, 1847. His father, John, was a day laborer; his mother, who was Susan Haman, a native of Praesen, Germany. Our subject grew up in his native land working as a laborer, and in 1869 came to America, landing in New York, from whence he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, where he spent nine years, engaged most of the time in working for the Baldwin Locomotive Works. His health began to fail and from there he came west. He settled first in Seward county, Nebraska, on a farm, and remained on that place for seventeen years, succeeding in building up a good home and developing a farm, and in 1894 came to Sioux county, taking up a homestead, utterly unimproved land, and started to farm. He had poor success at first, and worked hard in trying to raise crops. Two years after locating here he died, in 1896, and his wife and children were obliged to take the management of the farm. The sons worked faithfully to help their mother in carrying on the place, and steadily improved it with good buildings and fences, and they now have everything in the finest possible shape, and are doing splendidly. Mrs. Schaefer has bought more land and the ranch now comprises sixteen hundred acres, which is situated on Sow Bellie creek. Three hundred acres of this land can be irrigated when there is a dry season, and they have considerable timber, also many fruit trees bearing good fruit, which they have planted themselves and are in fine growing condition. They also have a quantity of wild fruits along the creek. The ranch is pleasantly situated, there are many acres of hay land, also large alfalfa fields, and it is considered one of the model ranches of Sioux county.

   Our subject was married in 1871 to Miss Anna Margaret Liebert, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Mrs. Schaefer was born in Wurtemberg, Germany, in 1850. Both her parents were born, lived and died in that country. Ten children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Schaefer, named as follows: Peter (dead), Anna and Nicholas, born in Philadelphia, and Mary, Peter, Susie (deceased), Fred, Margaret, John and Joseph, born in Nebraska. They are all bright and intelligent children, and have been a great help and comfort to their mother, giving their best aid in the carrying on of the home place since the death of their father, whose death was a great affliction to his family and the many friends in the vicinity.

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JOHN O'NEIL.

   The gentleman above named is one of the very oldest settlers in Deuel county, Nebraska, and is familiarly known as "The Father of Chappell," having made that town his home for the past quarter of a century, and since his earliest residence here he has been one of the leading citizens who by his influence and personal aid has helped in a wonderful degree the development of the region. Of late years


Compendium of History Reminiscence & Biography of Western Nebraska

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Mr. O'Neil has devoted his time to the real estate business, although he has practically retired from active business cares. He is an enthusiastic admirer of his adopted country, and while he has traveled considerably during his career and seen many different parts of the United States, he is always anxious to get back home and declares there is no place to compare with it. A portrait of Mr. O'Neil will be found on another page of this volume.

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   John O'Neil was born in New York City in 1853. He is of Irish descent, both father and mother being born in Ireland, coming to America in their youth, where the former followed the moulder's trade, and there our subject grew up, attending the public schools, and later the Bailey College, taking up a commercial course, and graduated from the same in 1879. In his boyhood he came to Illinois, settling in Whiteside county, where be grew to manhood, following farm work for several years. When he was seventeen years of age he began the study of telegraphy, and as soon as he mastered the profession secured a position at Converse, Indiana, as railroad operator, living there for a number of years, and later holding positions in Iowa, Ohio and Illinois, and came to Nebraska in 1880, locating first at Omaha, then in Lincoln, remaining there up to 1881, when he came to Chappell and opened the first telegraph station, working as operator and agent. Four years later he entered the land department of the Union Pacific railway, and handled this business for the company all over the Chappell district, representing the United States government, also handling school lands throughout the region for twenty-four years. During the past many years here Mr. O'Neil has been largely interested in ranching and stock raising, also in the general mercantile business. He has the distinction of having erected the first building in Chappell, and was one of the few here when the county was organized and laid out. He also selected the original town site of Chappell in 1884 and the following year laid out the O'Neil addition. He ran a store here for some years, building up an extensive cowboy trade.

   When Deuel county was organized in 1888 he took a leading part in the affairs and assisted in the establishment of schools, holding school office for many years afterwards. In 1901 he was elected county judge, and at the expiration of his first term was re-elected, serving in all two full terms.

   Mr. O'Neil was married in 1886 to Miss E. Allie Warner, who was born in Madison county, New York, where she was reared. They have one daughter, Mabel Alice, born January 17, 1896. Prior to her marriage Mrs. O'Neil taught school in Chappell, and was the teacher of the first school established in that town. She was also a homesteader, proving up on a pre-emption in 1886. She has always been one of the foremost ladies of the community, taking active part in the affairs of her circle, and is a most estimable lady. Mr. O'Neil was made Mason in 1891 and has taken an active part in the affairs of that lodge, now being worshipful master, serving his second term.

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EDWIN CASE.

   Edwin Case, one of the older settlers of the western part of Nebraska, who has long since made his mark in the affairs of Sioux county, is widely known throughout his locality as a hard-working farmer and a worthy and estimable citizen. His entire career has been passed in mechanical pursuits, and since coming to this region he has taken a leading part in its development, incidentally building valuable estate for himself by strictest integrity and perseverance. He has a pleasant home in section 34, township 32, range 55.

   Mt. Case was born in Ashtabula county, Ohio, in 1836. His parents were of America stock, the father, Uri Case, following the trade of carpenter and joiner during his lifetime. Our subject was raised in Ohio until he was sixteen years of age, when the family moved to Michigan. settling at Edwardsburg, and there Edwin was married to Miss Helen Covey, who is a daughter of Luther H. Covey and Julia Covey, well known pioneers of that state, the father being a wagonmaker by trade.

   After the breaking out of the war our subject enlisted in the Ninth New York Heavy Artillery, Volunteer Company B, in 1863, was sent with his regiment to the fortifications at Washington, D. C. Later he was at Harbor, Virginia, Monocacy, Maryland, and Winchester. Virginia, seeing actual service in all these places. During the action at Winchester, Virginia, he was so wounded that he was obliged to leave his company and remained disabled until close of the war.

   In 1868 Mr. Case returned to Michigan and there followed the carpenter's trade and furniture and undertaking business for a number of years at Edwardsburg. In 1878 he started the furniture and undertaking business at the city named and followed that for over twenty years, and during that time twice sold out the establishment, but each time again went into business at a new stand in the same town. Finally his health failed, and he was compelled


Compendium of History Reminiscence & Biography of Western Nebraska

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to give up his work and seek another climate, so he came to Nebraska and located seven miles northeast from Harrison, where he has succeeded in developing a good farm on his Kincade homestead of four hundred acres, all good land, which is devoted to mixed farming and stock raising. He has erected a complete set of substantial farm buildings, putting them up himself, as he is skilled in mechanical work. He enjoys that work more than farming, which be has adopted for his health's sake. He has improved his health in a great measure and thinks the west is a great country.

   Mr. Case and his wife and one daughter, Bessie A., occupy a pleasant and comfortable rural home, and have a host of warm friends in their community. Bessie A., his daughter, has a section of good land adjoining her father's and it is well improved, having lots of good timber on the place. She settled here two years before her father and mother came, on a Kincaid homestead.

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CHARLES H. STEWART.

   Charles H. Stewart was a resident of Keya Paha county, Nebraska, for the past twenty-five years, associated with the agricultural interests of that section of the state, and helped the growth of that county while it was yet a part of Brown county, always assisting in the advancement of all matters tending to its improvement and commercial value. Mr. Stewart is now a resident of Sioux county, where he lives on section 35, township 32, range 56.

   He is a native of Ray county, Missouri, born in 1851. He is a son of William A. Stewart, a farmer, and Caroline (Smith) Stewart, both of American stock. He is the fourth member in his parents' family of thirteen children, and was raised in the state of his birth, receiving a common school education and learning to do all kinds of hard farm work. At the age of twenty-three years he worked in the woods, and also farmed for two years. In 1883 he came to Nebraska and settled in Brown county, taking a homestead in section 9, township 32, range 19. His first building was a log shanty, and he batched it there for five years, going through the dry years, and lost his crops, but did not lose faith in northwest Nebraska. Since the good years began he has been very successful in his farming operations, and has also engaged to quite an extent in stock raising, and now owns a fine ranch of six hundred and forty acres all fenced and cross fenced. He has a substantial farm house, 36x26, one and a half story high, and a splendid set of farm buildings with all improvements necessary for conducting a model farm. All this has been accomplished by his unaided efforts, supplemented by hard work and good management, and he is well known all over the county as a prosperous farmer and worthy citizen. He is a firm believer in improved stock. In 1907 he purchased a small herd of thoroughbred Shorthorn cattle, consisting of eighteen cows and one bull, all registered.

   October 10, 1888, Mr. Stewart was married to Miss Margaretta Draine, whose parents are old settlers in Keya Paha county. Eight children complete their family, named as follows: Harold, Arthur, Donald, Amy, Alta, Elsie, Clyde and Glen.

   Mr. Stewart takes an active interest in local affairs, and has been on the Republican central committee for six years. He has served his locality in different capacities at various times, and is one of the worthy and influential men of the county. In October, 1908, partly on account of his daughter's health and partly to take advantage of the better school facilities, Mr. Stewart moved to Sioux county, but he still owns his farm in Keya Paha county.

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SAMUEL H. GOUCHER.

   Samuel H. Goucher, one of the most potent factors in the development of the commercial and agricultural resources of Cherry county, is also one of the oldest settlers in this part of the state, where he owns a valuable estate he has gained by careful management and honest industry, well meriting his high standing as a citizen.

   Mr. Goucher was born in Ripley county, Indiana, February 4, 1854. His parents moved first to Illinois, where they resided one year, and then to Harrison county, Missouri, in about 1856. His father, David Goucher, served in the Sixteenth Missouri Cavalry for four and a half years during the war. Samuel H. was the eldest member of seven children in his father's family, and started out for himself at the age of twenty-one, working out by the day for neighbors and living at home until he was twenty-four. In 1878 he moved on a farm and worked for himself until 1886, when he came to Cherry county, Nebraska, driving over the old Kearney trail with a team and covered wagon, and located near where he now resides. He built the first log house on the place and lived in this place for a long time. He at once began farming and was just nicely start-

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