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and much work, and richly deserves the reward of that substantial success which has come to his industry and perseverance. He was born in Alsace, Germany, in 1857. His father was a carpenter in his native country, and there Mr. Engel was raised and educated, receiving the training usual to children of the middle class, and during his boyhood was apprentice to his father in the carpenter, work, following the trade during his residence in Germany. He came to America when about twenty-seven years of age, landing in New York city, and came directly west, locating in Cass county, Nebraska.

      There he followed his trade, and in May, 1885, moved to Perkins county and filed on a homestead on section 6, township 11, range 39. When he landed here his start in money was a capital of three hundred dollars, and while it was not a very large sum, it was much more than the pioneer in this section usually had. He "batched it" at first and tried hard to get a home started, but often went through hard times, during the drouth periods, and many discouragements which fell to the lot of the average early settler.

      In 1886 he married Miss Carrie Schaffner, who was born in Germany and came to this country in 1885. They had six children, namely: Will, Carrie, Herman, Walter, Emma and Anna, all bright and intelligent young people, and they form a happy and congenial family.

      Mr. Engel has a ranch of about eight hundred acres, with two hundred acres devoted to farming, and plenty of pasture and range for his stock, of which he has quite a herd. He has good barns, sheds, windmill, fences and a fine residence built of cement blocks, thirty by thirty-six feet, and fitted with many modern improvements. He has gone through many hard experiences in building up his home, but is now happy in the thought of his success, which has come to him through his own individual efforts.

      Mr. Johnson was born in Sweden March 2, 1856, and grew to the age of twenty-six years in that country. He was one of a family of eleven children, being the fifth n order of birth, and he received the usual sturdy training of the children of that class in his native land, beginning at an early age to look out for himself and make his own way in the world. He came to America in 1882, locating in Vermont at first, but remaining but a short time, then came west to Omaha, Nebraska. There he passed through many different experiences as a stranger in a strange land, at one time having all his money stolen and being left without a cent. He worked in eastern Nebraska for over two years, then took a pre-emption and later homesteaded in Kimball county, settling on section 6 and 14, township 14, range 59, which is now his home ranch. There he passed through all the early experiences of the settlers of that time, devoting most of his energies to the stock business. He has seen many hardships and privations in getting his start, but has come out victorious in the battle for a home and is now successful and prosperous, being owner of a fine ranch of four hundred acres, besides controlling leased land in his vicinity. He runs considerable stock, having a nice bunch of high-grade horses and cattle, which he sends to market and from which he derives a nice income. He has considerable of his land under cultivation and raises good crops of grain, etc. His place is improve with good buildings, the house being a large L shape type, and the barn sixty by sixty-two feet, besides man good outbuildings, sheds, etc. He has a good water system on the premises and in the barn , making in all a model farm.

      Mr. Johnson was married in Sweden in 1877, to Miss Caroline Anderson, and together they came to the new world to seek their fortune. They have no children. Politically Mr. Johnson is a Republican and he takes a commendable interest in all local affairs, looking to the best development of his community and the public good. He has served two terms as assessor of Kimball county. He has certainly done his share as an old settler, building his ranch from the wild prairie land.

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      Mr. McNamee was born in Jackson county, Ohio, November 7, 1850, and reared there until ten years of age when his parents moved to Harrison county, Missouri. His father, Hiram McNamee, a native of Ohio, of Scotch descent, was a member of the Home Guard, in Missouri during the Civil war. Our subject is the second member in a family of nine children, and at the age of twelve years went to live with an uncle near Mitchelville, Harrison county, with whom he remained for twenty-nine years, assisting him in the work on his farm, the left to start for himself. In 1889 he landed in Merriman, Nebraska, and lived on rented land for four years, then he took a homestead in Cherry county, twenty-five miles southeast of Gordon. During his residence here he was but two nights off his claim. He worked his farm and also handled cattle for J. C. Jordan during the following five years, and then started in the cattle business for himself. He began with twenty-five head of cattle and kept getting more until he sold at one time a drove of one thousand head. After this he started at farming and cattle raising on rented land on the Niobrara river, continuing this up to 1903. After living one year on Missouri Flats he took up his present homestead of four hundred and eighty acres on section 2, township 32, range 37, in 1904, and it comprises about one hundred acres of good hay land, the rest being excellent range. He constantly keeps about forty head of cattle and some horses. He also has a threshing outfit, having followed his business for thirty-two consecutive seasons and still enjoys that work. During the drouth seasons between 1893 and 1896 he lost all his crops, and these were his hardest time: to support his family he was obliged to haul posts and timber from his farm to town, making a bare living: he also did ploughing and other farm work for his neighbors in the spring, taking as payment for this work meat and vegetables to supply his family with provisions.

      A view of the family residence will be found on another page in this work.

      Mr. McNamee is an earnest and upright citizen, lends his influence and aid for the up building of the better interests of his community, taking an active interest in all public affairs. He is a Republican in politics, has been justice of the peace for twenty-five years, having served in that capacity for eight years in Missouri before coming west. The family are members of the Methodist church.

      Mr. Gentry is a native of Rockingham county, Virginia, born November 5, 1863, and was raised there. Both parents are now dead, the mother dying when he was bout two years old. He migrated to Keokuk county, Iowa, in 1881, where he remained for a number of years, then came to Nebraska, reaching Cheyenne county in 1886: he at once took up a homestead in section 24, township 13, range 48, consisting of one hundred and sixty acres. This he developed into a fine farm of four hundred and eighty acres, having secured the entire north half of section 34 and the southwest quarter of section 26. He has about fifty acres under cultivation, and runs about seventy-five head of cattle and twenty horses. In 1908 he erected a fine two-story dwelling of ornamental concrete blocks, which is to be followed shortly by a large and commodious concrete barn of sufficient dimensions to shelter all his stock and a large supply of hay and grain.

      Mr. Gentry was married in Cheyenne county, on Christmas day, 1892, to Anna Lingenfelter. Mrs. Gentry was born in Scioto county, Ohio, in 1859: and her parents, Christopher and Phoebe (Serans) Lingenfelter, native of Allegheny county, Pennsylvania, have both been dead for a number of years.

      Four children were born to Mr. Gentry and his estimable wife, all living excepting and eldest, and they are a very happy family, and enjoy a comfortable and peaceful home. They are named as follows: Roy (deceased), Mabel, Alice, Earl Dewey and Ralph Schley.

      Mr. Gentry is an active and wide-awake citizen, keeps abreast of the times and takes an active part in local affairs. He is an independent voter, and stands firmly for reform prin-

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ciples and the right. A fine view of the family residence with its substantial surroundings, is presented in this work.

      Mr. Anderson was married in 1887 to Miss Laura Stoudt, born and raised in Pennsylvania of Pennsylvania Dutch stock, her father Jacob Stoudt, having been a school teacher in the early days, the family settling in Dawes county in 1885. Mr. and Mrs. have a family of four children, all born and raised on the old homestead, and named as follows: Jennie, Wallace, Emma and Francis. Our subject and his wife were the first couple ever married in the new court house at Rushville, Nebraska.

      Mr. Anderson is well satisfied with what he has made here, all of which he has accumulated within the past ten years. He bought land because he was unable to sell his own, offering at one time to sell four hundred and eighty acres for six hundred dollars, and could get no bid on his place. He is glad now that he did not have a chance to sell, as he is satisfied here and should he make a change would go further west rather than east. Politically Mr. Anderson is a Populist. He has never held any office, as in the early days he had all he could do to make a living, and he has not desire for a public life.

      Mr. Johnson was born in Larvig, Norway, in 1863, and was reared there. As a young man our subject followed the life of a sailor in his native land, making trips to St. Johns, New Brunswick, also had visited Denmark twice, and in 1882 he came to the United States. He landed in Baltimore and immediately struck out for the west, locating in Green Bay, Wisconsin. He was accompanied by a brother, and they intended to secure work as sailors the Great Lakes, but at the time they arrived here it was winter and the lakes were frozen over, so they went to work in the big saw mills in that region, and remained in the lumbers woods for about five years. They spent some time at Ashland, Wisconsin, working in the lumber yards, and made good wages, receiving as high as three dollars and a half per day for their labor, which was considered very high in those days. Theodore was a sawyer in the mills, and in order to fill that position was obliged to do all the work connected with the

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lumber business to fit himself properly. Mr. Johnson came to Nebraska in the spring of 1886. He filed on a homestead in Box Butte county the following fall, locating seven miles southeast of Hemingford, and began with very little capital. The following spring he bought a yoke of oxen and began to improve his claim, building a sod shanty and dug-out combined, and there "batched it". The first summer he broke up some ground and put in a crop of sod corn. He also worked out by the day in the vicinity of his home to make extra money with which to improve his place, proved up on his land and lived there for fifteen years, going through the drouth periods and seeing his crops fail for several successive years. In 1900 our subject came to his present location in section 17, township 27, range 48, and here he has a good home. He has all good buildings, fences, windmills, etc., having expended in all about five thousand dollars in building and improvements.

      His ranch consists of about four thousand acres, and he farms only a small portion of it, using the balance as a ranch, engaging principally in cattle and horse raising. Mr. Johnson has accomplished all of this by his own unaided efforts, as when he located in this section there were no buildings of any kind or improvements on the place, and he often had to hunt out the boundaries of his farm by locating the corner stakes which had been set by the surveyors in the early days.

      In 1888 Mr. Johnson was married to Miss Laura Anderson, born and reared in Sweden. Mr. and Mrs. have a family of five children, named as follows: Oscar, Lizzie, Alfred, Christine and Olga.

      Mr. Johnson is one of the oldest settlers of western Nebraska and has been closely identified with the development of the agricultural interests of the region since its beginning. He is a Republican, and active in local affairs. He has helped to build up the schools in the section, and is at present serving as school director in his district.

      His father, was a cabinet maker by trade, born in Germany, who came to the United States as a young man, and he married Elizabeth Cessena, and she was born in the same house in which our subject was. When the latter was five years of age the family moved to Mahoning county, Ohio, and were among the pioneers in that vicinity, and there he was raised and educated. At the age of twenty-one years he went to Indiana and thrre worked as brick maker and painter for quite a long time. Then he enlisted n the Seventy-third Indiana Volunteer Infantry, Company D, in August, 1862. He was twice rejected, but persevered and the third time was accepted. He saw service in the Army of the Cumberland, was at the battle of Perryville, Stone River, Tennessee, and on one of Stuart's raids was captured at Rome, Georgia. He was held prisoner at Belle Island and Richmond, Va., and later saw service in Tennessee, Alabama, and Georgia. Mr. Kaiser received his discharge from the army in July, 1865, then returned to his home and remained in Indiana up to 1871, then came to Gage county, Nebraska, where is was a pioneer and farmed for two years, leasing school land. About 1877 he bought a farm and lived on it up to 1887, and while on that land made a success of his work. He came to Dawes county n 1887 and settled upon a homestead located on Indian creek, south of Whitney, which at that time was all wild prairie with no improvements at all. Here he put up a board shack and lived in it the first winter and has steadily built up the place from that time on. He owns a ranch of one thousand forty acres lying along both Indian and Butte Trunk creeks, and has spent eighteen years on this ranch. He is counted among the old timers of the locality and has done his share up building up the community.

      Mr. Kaiser was married July 24, 1862, to Miss Nancy A. Stallard, daughter of James Stallard, a Methodist Episcopal minister, well known in Indiana. Mr. and Mrs. Kaiser have a family of six children , named as follows: Frank, Emma, Nettie, Omar, Grace and Fred.

      Mr. Kaiser was justice of the peace for many years, and also was postmaster at Coxville, and his wife also held the office for about eight years, when it was discontinued in about 1905.

      George P. Ewing was born in New York

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state, on February 17, 1844, and grew up in his native community, receiving a common schooling, following farm work as a boy. He enlisted in Company G, One Hundred and Eighth New York Volunteers, in 1862, and served for three years. During his career as a soldier he participated in thirty-two heavy engagements, and was at the front all of the time. His father was a member of the same regiment with his son, and both have brilliant records as soldiers. Mr. Ewing was mustered out at Bailey's Cross Roads, Virginia, in 1865, returned to New York state, and about 1870 went to Michigan, where he remained up to 1885, at that time coming to what was Cheyenne county, now known as Deuel county. He filed on a homestead on section 6, township 15, range 44, and started to establish a farm and build up a home. During the first few years he had up-hill work, as the country was utterly wild and uncultivated, with settlers few and far between, and he had the usual experiences of the pioneers in the region. He was one of the very first settlers on the river, and started with very small capital, living in a rude shanty which he built himself, for a number of years, and worked hard to improve his place, eventually proving up on it. He took a Kincaid claim of four hundred and eighty acres, situated on section 10, township 18, range 45, and now has his home ranch on this tract, of which he farms two hundred acres, and is engaged in the stock business to quite an extent. He has made an ideal ranch out of the place, having it improved with good buildings, and every sort of modern machinery, etc.

      Mr. Ewing was married in 1875 to Mrs. Anna Shove, who was a widow with two children. Six children were born to them, all of whom are now dead, and the mother is also deceased, her death occurring at Chappell, Nebraska, in 1903.

      Mr. Ewing is a gentleman of broad mind and active public spirit, and keeps pace with the times in all matters of public interest. He is a Republican, and lends his influence for the best interests of his community.

      Mr. Langer, besides running his farm, was interested in Langer Bros. general merchandise store in Norden. They have a large trade and as fine a stock of goods as can be found anywhere in a town the size of Norden, and are doing exceedingly well in the enterprise.

      Mr. Langer was married in 1893, to Mary Korallewsky, born in Germany in 1873, coming to this country when ten years of age, with her parents, they being pioneers of Cherry county. To Mr. and Mrs. Langer were born a family of seven children, named as follows: Rosa, Joseph, Charles, Martha, Marie, Theodore and Agnes, all living at home at this time. The family is highly esteemed in their community, and popular member of society. Mr. Langer died October 12, 1907. He had been active local politics, serving as county commissioner from 1903 to 1906, being the only Populist on the board. He saw his share of pioneer experiences, and had hard times since coming here, losing two crops by drouths, but never an acre through hailstorms.

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of fourteen he began working for himself, giving his wages to his mother after his father's death. He rented the home place and added to it, running the farm until 1904, when , in partnership with his brother Joseph, he established the retail general merchandise store mentioned. They carry a five-thousand-dollar stock of goods, and have the finest store building in Norden, enjoying an extensive trade from the surrounding country. When they first started this business they began in a rented store, but in 1905 erected a fine building, moving in the new place in February, 1906. Besides his town property, Mr. Langer has three hundred and twenty acres of fine land four miles from Norden.

      Mr. Langer has never married, and lives with his mother who keeps house for him. He has done his share in developing the commercial resources of this region, and is one of the successful and prosperous business men of his locality. He is a Democrat and a communicant of the Catholic church.

      Frank B. Codr was reared on a farm and learned what the work of farming meant, but he was also able to spend considerable time in the country schools. At the age of twenty-three years he commenced farming for himself in Saunders county on rented land.

      In the year 1880 Mr. Frank Codr was united in marriage with Miss Barbara Novak, a native of Bohemia. Ten children have blessed this union: Frank, Annie, Barbara, Joe, John, Anton, Lewis, Ella, Mary and Lillie.

      In the fall of 1855 (sic) Frank B. Codr, with his family, moved from Saunders county to Loup county, driving over the country by team and wagon, and leading one cow. The family had five dollars in money after getting settled on their homestead on section 26, township 21, range 20. All the house that they had was sod shanty to live in , and a sod stable, and they had to haul water a distance of two miles. For three or four years Mr. Codr had to work out in order to make a living for the family. A year after their arrival a horse was lost and thus they were left with only one horse, which was not enough to do the work required. Mr. Codr had no money, so he had to buy a horse on time, giving his note drawing interest at the rate of three per cent per month. It took five years to pay for the horse. Besides this there was the loss of several crops owing to dry periods. All this illustrates the hardships that sometimes seem to be a necessary part of the life of a pioneer. Mr. Codr fought a good fight, however, and at last has succeeded in accumulating eight hundred and forty acres, all deeded land, two hundred acres of which he cultivates, while the balance is devoted to the pasturage of his stock.

      Mr. Codr's farm is a fine one, nearly all fenced, and there are large forest trees, and also a nice orchard of about two acres. Mr. Codr has done much toward improving the looks and values of his neighborhood and his work is appreciated by his associates.

      Mr. Dentler was born in 1850, in Northumberland county, Pennsylvania. He is one Pennsylvania Dutch stock, his father, Henry Dentler, having been a shoemaker by trade.

     He married Mary Stoughton, who was his second cousin, and when the Civil war broke out the father answered the call of his country to arms, saw hard service and was taken prisoner by the enemy, thrown into Andersonville prison, where he died in 1863. Thomas was reared in his native state, following farming and other occupations as a boy, and when he was about nineteen years of age came west, locating in Dodge county, Nebraska, where he had relatives, working on farms, also clerked in a store for two years, and late was employed in a lumber and coal yard in Scribner, Nebraska. He finally settled on a farm in that vicinity and spent many years there, building up two good farms, and in 1884 he brought his family to Johnstown, Nebraska. This was in 1884, and he filed on a pre-emption and tree claim and began a farm in Cherry county. During the first few years there the country abounded in wild game of all kinds, and he killed many deer close to his home. He put up a good eight-room house, and this was a famous stopping house for travelers and freighters for a number of years, his location being fifteen miles southwest of the town of Johns-

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town. In 1888 he sold that place and went to Colorado, where he spent one summer, but returned to Nebraska and started a boarding house in Scribner and also ran the hotel at that place for one year. The summer of 1891 he spent in Colorado, and in the fall of that year drifted into the sand hills of Cherry county, Nebraska, and for a number of years went from one place to another, visiting Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and part of the time in Fremont and other towns in Nebraska.

     Mr. Dentler first came to Thomas county in 1895, rented land which he farmed, also took up a homestead on section 12, township 24, range 26, and has lived there ever since. He now has six hundred and forty acres, and has developed a fine ranch, planting trees, fruits, etc., and has above seventy acres cultivated.

     On July 3, 1871, our subject married Mary E. Cummings, daughter of William Cummings, a well-to-do farmer in Indiana, who died when she was a young girl, her mother having departed this life when Mrs. Dentler was but nine years old. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Dentler, named as follows: Harry, Birge, deceased; Edith and Guy. They have an adopted daughter named Nina Pauline. The family occupy a pleasant and comfortable home, surrounded by all the conveniences of modern rural life, and their home is one of the most hospitable in the community, all well liked by their associates. During the time Mr. Dentler lived in Dodge county he served as justice of the peace for several years, and since coming to his present location has been assessor of the precinct for a number of terms.

     John Englehorn, who is the possessor of a good home and well developed farm in section 9, township 24, range 49, Box Butte county, is one of the representative members of the farming community of that region. He is one of the old-timers of western Nebraska, coming here in 1888, and has watched the growth and development of the region from the days of its early settlement. and, incidentally, has taken an active part in its upbuilding.

     Mr. Englehorn was born in the village of Baden, Germany, in 1843. His father, Jacob, was a farmer in the old country, and came to the United States with his family in 1849. There were seven children in the family group, of whom our subject was the third member. Their first location after landing on American soil, was at Lansing, Iowa, and there the father occupied a farm up to the time of his death, which occurred in 1881. Our subject was raised and educated in Iowa, and was early taught to do all kinds of farm work, receiving a common school education attending the country schools. After growing to manhood he lived at home and carried on the home farm for about fifteen years.

     In 1888 Mr. Englehorn came to Nebraska settling in Box Butte county, purchasing the relinquishment on the tract of land which is his present location. This is situated in section 9, township 24, range 49. He started improving his place with a will, rapidly building it up and putting in crops, and while he met with the usual discouragements which came to every pioneer, has done exceedingly well. He spent considerable money in building up the place, planting trees, etc., and has one of the valuable farms in his section. In 1893 he had the misfortune to lose his barn by fire. This happened when his wife was the only person at home, and through the hardest work on her part she managed to save their stock and residence. However, a large quantity of hay and grain was burned up, and had it not been for Mrs. Englehorn's courage and presence of mind the loss would have been much greater, and great credit is due her. As it was, this caused a severe loss which they keenly felt, as during those times crops were poor and they had a hard time to get along. Several crops were complete failures during the drouths, but after these periods had passed they were able to get ahead, and constantly added improvements and bought more land, so that he is now owner of one thousand acres lying along the Snake creek, located about seven miles from Alliance. This is all fenced, and improved with good buildings, and he is mostly engaged in stock raising, finding this branch of ranching the most profitable in his locality.

     Mr. John Englehorn was married in 1874 while residing in Iowa to Miss Emma Larson, who was born and raised in that state. Her father, O. C. Larson, was a native of Norway, who emigrated to this country in 1849, and settled in Iowa, where he was among the pioneers, and they occupied a farm in Taylor township, Allamakee county, for many years, both Mr. Larson and his wife dying on the homestead there, the former in 1899 and the latter in 1897. Mr. and Mrs. John Englehorn have three children living, namely: Minnie, now the wife of Odie Schofield, living at Salt Lake City, Utah; Hattie, who is a stenographer in Seattle, Washington, and Elmer, now a civil engineer in Seattle, Washington. They are all well educated and children any parent might be proud of, all filling honorable positions in the world. All were reared and educated in Box Butte county,

 

 

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