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her loved and respected her. Beside her husband, she left four children to mourn the loss of a loving and devoted mother. 

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HARLES DUNN, as a pioneer of Polk county, has watched with interest the entire growth and development of this region, yet has not been an idle looker-on, but has contributed his share to the wonderful transformation that has taken place here in the last quarter of a century. Since April, 1871, he has been identified with the agricultural interests of the county, and has made his home on section 20, township 1, range 2, Valley precinct.

     A son of Robert and Mary Ann (Bell) Dunn, our subject was born June 4, 1850, in county Cavan, Ireland, upon the old homestead which has been handed down from father to son in this family since 1688, when it came into possession of William Dunn, a native of Scotland, who was a soldier in the army of William of Orange, and removed to the Emerald Isle from England with that famous leader. The place contains thirty acres and was successfully operated by the father of our subject until his death, which occurred in 1886. There the mother still continued to reside. In their family were four sons and one daughter, of whom three sons are now living, namely: Charles, Francis and James. Francis Dunn, an uncle of our subject, was a soldier in the English army and was killed at the taking of Sebastopol.

      Charles Dunn was reared on the old homestead and received a fair common-school education. In 1871, on leaving the parental roof, he crossed the ocean in a steamship, and landed at Castle Garden, New York, whence he proceeded at once to Nebraska, arriving in Columbus, in March of that year. He first made his home with a maternal uncle. Mr. Bell, and in April, 1871, they took up adjoining claims in Polk county when there were no other settlers between their homes and Clear creek, a distance of twelve miles. No other settlements were made for some time, and their only visitors were the Pawnee Indians, who still inhabited this section of the state. Their nearest market was Columbus twenty miles away, and wolves, deer and antelope were still quite plentiful. Upon his place Mr. Dunn erected a sod house, and the first year broke twenty acres of prairie land and raised some sod corn. He well remembers the terrible snow-storm of April, 1873, and with the other early settlers passed through the grasshopper plague of 1874. His first team was a yoke of oxen. In 1878 he built a frame house 12 x 18 feet, but the main part of his present comfortable, home was erected in 1890. He has a good orchard covering one acre of land, and has also set out two acres in forest and shade trees, which add greatly to the beauty of his place. Having prospered in his new home, he is now the owner of two hundred and ninety-three acres of good land, of which one hundred and three acres have been placed under the plow, and he is still successfully engaged in general farming and stock raising.

      Returning to Ireland, in 1879, Mr. Dunn was married there on the 11th of December, of that year, to Miss Lizzie Beatty, who was born in county Cavan, September 7, 1855, a daughter of Thomas and Mary (Blair) Beatty, both now deceased. She was the second in order of birth in their family of four children, the others being Thomas; Willie, a merchant of county Cavan; and Margery, who now lives in Canada. Mr. and Mrs. Dunn have five children: William F., Robert C., Eva M., Maud E. and Calmer J. They have spent their entire married life upon their present farm, and are educating their children in the schools of this locality.

      Politically, Mr. Dunn is a Democrat but

has never cared for official honors. He and his wife are members of the Church of England, and belongs to the blue lodge, F. and A. M., at Osceola, holding a demit from Orange Lodge, No. 606, District of Belturbet, county Cavan, Ireland, forwarded to him February 4, 1880 Mr. Dunn has always been in hearty sympathy with every movement that will in any way add to the prosperity of his adopted county. He helped to organize his township and precinct, and assisted in building the schoolhouse of district No. 5. 

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ILLIAM P. TROUTMAN, although still on the sunny side of fifty, is spoken of as one of the older settlers of York county, and from his pleasant rural home in the vicinity of Benedict, Morton township, he can look out upon a prairie that he has seen transformed from original wildness to high cultivation, and rich productiveness. He has done well in the past years, and can well hope for peace and comfort in the home he has won by hard work, for years to come.

      Mr. Troutman was born in Fayette county, Pennsylvania, in 1852, and is a son of Charles and Mary (Hardin) Troutman. They were both natives of Pennsylvania. They came west in 1858, and located in Grundy county, Iowa, where he followed farming until the day of his death in 1862. The grandfather of the gentlman (sic) who forms the theme of this article was George Troutman, and he died in Pennsylvania at the age of eighty-three years.

      William P. Troutman was the youngest son of his parents, and remained with them until the death of his father, when at the tender age of eleven years he began life on his own account. He was reared to a farmer's life, and when he became a man embraced it as his own calling. He followed it in Iowa until 1878, when he came to York county, and bought two hundred and forty acres of railroad land on section 33, Morton township. It was all raw prairie, and while it offered neither rocks nor woods to hinder his toil, yet the labor of improving it was immense. He put up a good house, and began at once the labor of putting his farm in order. The first year of his residence here he broke one hundred acres, and now has the entire place under cultivation.

      Mr. Troutman was married, in 1880, to Miss Mary Miller, a daughter of Daniel and Leah Miller, residents of Lee county, Illinois. She has presented her husband with five children, whose names are Charles A., Leah M., May, Ralph D., and Lydia V. They are all living, and parental partiality seems warranted in painting a bright future for them. The father and mother are members of the Lutheran church at Benedict, and are active and devoted supporters of that noble organization. He is a member of the fraternal order of United Workmen, and also of the Modern Woodmen of America. He is a Republican, but has never sought or accepted an office. He has had many difficulties in the past years, but has been quite successful. He has a good home, which is out of debt, and he is surrounded by friends, who testify of his good character. What more can a man justly ask? 

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ILLIAM C. DARNELL was born in Coles county, Illinois, November 24, 1833, a son of Dr. Amos E. and Elizabeth (Maryan) Darnell. The parents were natives respectively of Kentucky and Tennessee, but later moved to Coles county, Illinois, and from thence to Clark county, of the same state, where they both died, the mother on July 18, 1848, at the age of forty-seven, and the father on the 20th of the same month and year, at the age of fifty-two years. To

them were born eleven children, nine of whom survived them, and of whom the subject of this sketch is the fourth in the order of their birth. The youngest brother is one of the leading attorneys of Lincoln, Nebraska.

      Our subject's schooling consisted of only thirteen days. He was five years of age when his parents moved to Clark county, Illinois, and was thirteen years of age when his parents died, and during his father's illness he was sent twenty-three times for the doctor. After the death of his parents he was not only obliged to work for his own living, but also support a younger brother and one sister. He began life as a farm laborer at five dollars per month, and not until he was nineteen years of age did he receive a larger salary. At this age he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Smith, who was but sixteen years of age, the date of their marriage being July 7, 1852.

      After his marriage, Mr. Darnell decided to start farming on his own account. He took a life lease of his father-in-law's farm, which consisted of forty acres of prairie, most of which was swampy, ditched it and hauled lumber seventy-five miles with which he built a house and barn. While on this farm, he devoted most of his attention to raising hogs and was doing quite an extensive and profitable business when his entire drove was swept away by the cholera just as they were about ready for market. He afterward left his father-in-law's farm, and in the spring of 1860 he was elected constable and was also appointed deputy sheriff of the county, and the two positions involved considerable hard work. Although our subject has been unfortunate several times during his life in the loss of property and sickness and death in his family, and also himself receiving injury while operating a threshing machine that crippled him for the remainder of his life, he has made a marked success in life and he will be long remembered in the communities in which he has lived for his example. His whole-souled generosity has found expression in the donation of large sums to various worthy causes and his integrity in the example of an honest and upright life. In 1863 he made the largest donation to the United States soldiers that was made by any one man in Edgar county, Illinois.

      In 1867, Mr. Darnell moved with his wife and family of six children to Nebraska City, camped there for a time, and then moved on to Oak Creek and filed a homestead claim to eighty acres in A precinct, Seward county. When first reaching Nebraska he had an opportunity to locate a homestead on the present site of the state capitol, but as he was entirely without means, he was obliged to move to where he could earn money to start farming. In 1880, our subject purchased a quarter section of land, and two years later he purchased another quarter in the northeastern part of A precinct. In 1885 he bought eighty acres in the western part of the same precinct, and at different times during the same year he purchased two other eighty-acre tracts in the vicinity. In 1891 he bought the sixty-five acre tract that he now makes his home. His first domicile after locating in Nebraska was a dug-out covered with poles and earth, and in this he lived three years, and by this time the family of children had increased to nine. He then erected a log house, and by the time he was able to move from this to a frame house his own family numbered twelve and he was caring for six adopted children.

      Mr. Darnell has served the citizens of A precinct in the capacity of school officer for twenty years. He has also served as justice of the peace continuously for fourteen years, and during that time not one of his decisions has been changed by the higher courts. He is public spirited and enterprising, and every project that tends to

the growth and prosperity of the community in which he lives receives his support in influence, time and means.

      Mr. Darnell's children, except the youngest daughter, are all married and own the homes in which they live and are all located in or near A precinct. Mrs. Darnell's father, David Smith, lived in Tennessee. At the age of twenty-one he was united in marriage to Miss Cynthia Edwards, and three sons and two daughters blessed their wedded life. About five years after the death of his wife, he married Sarah W. Martin, and to them were born nine children. Mr. Smith died at the age of sixty-two years, and his wife survived him only two years. 

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LIVER C. JACKSON.--Prominent among the leading farmers of Morton township, York county, may be found the name of the gentleman of whom this sketch is written. He is also quoted as one of the influential citizens of his community and a first-class agriculturist.

      Mr. Jackson was born in Lincoln, Logan county, Illinois, on the 29th of December, 1857, and is a son of Joseph and Jane (Develbiss) Jackson, natives of Maryland, who removed to Illinois in 1856, and since 1881 have made their home in York county, Nebraska, being numbered among its honored and highly esteemed citizens. By occupation the father is a shoemaker and farmer. His family consists of nine children, six sons and three daughters, six of whom are now living in York county.

      In much the usual manner of farmers' sons, Oliver C. Jackson passed his boyhood and youth, acquiring a fair district school education and early becoming familiar with the duties which fall to the lot of the agriculturist. He wisely chose that for his future calling, to which he was best adapted both by nature and experience, an as a farmer occupies an enviable position among the progressive men of his community. On first coming to York county, in 1881, he settled in Arborville township, but later moved to Morton township, where he now resides. He has converted the raw land into highly cultivated fields and now has one of the best farms of the locality.

      In Illinois, Mr. Jackson was married, in 1878, to Miss Permelia, a daughter of Charles and Mary Jackson, who were from Ohio and Indiana, respectively. Seven children bless this union: Clarence C., Elmer W., Jennie E., Mary M., George H., Harvey E. and Ray C., all living. In religious belief the parents are Lutherans, and in political sentiment Mr. Jackson is a Democrat. Socially, he affiliates with the Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen. 

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IETRICH DANKERS, a well-known and prosperous citizen of I precinct, Seward county, was born in Germany, December 21, 1843, a son of Hans and Maggie (Schmidt) Dankers, in whose family were eleven children, our subject being the third child. After the father's death, which occurred in Germany, the mother came to America at the age of fifty-six years and made her home with her children. She died in the spring of 1898, at the age of seventy-nine, years and was laid to rest in Middle Creek church cemetery.

      As is customary in his native land Mr. Dankers was sent to school between the ages of six and fourteen years, and during his sixteenth and seventeenth years learned the carpenter's trade, at which he worked until attaining his majority. During the following three years he was a soldier in the German army. In the spring of 1867 he took passage on a vessel at Hanover, bound for New York, which he finally reached in safety. Two years were then spent in

Fond du Lac county, Wisconsin, and the year 1869 witnessed his arrival in Seward county, Nebraska, where he has since made his home. On his arrival here most of the land-was still in its primitive condition and there were no railroads through this section of the state, though roads were being built from Nebraska City and also from Plattsmouth to Lincoln, and the latter was completed in 1870, and the former about a year later. The capital city at that time was only a small town but was very rapidly being populated and to-day numbers 60,000 souls, being the second largest city in the state.

      Mr. Dankers secured a homestead of eighty acres in I precinct, and commenced at once to transform the land into rich and productive fields. At the age of twenty-six he was married in Nebraska City to Miss Anna Moyer, then twenty-five years old, and they began their domestic life upon the farm in a little house, partly dugout and partly logs. Being a skilled workman, he found employment at the carpenter's trade, and in this way added not a little to his income while engaged in the development and cultivation of this land. He has met with remarkable success in his undertakings and is to-day the owner of four hundred and eighty acres of valuable land in I precinct, Seward county, upon which he erected a comfortable residence in 1874 and a large barn in 1888. In fact, the place is supplied with all of the conveniences and accessories found on a model farm of the nineteenth century. Mr. Dankers is also a stockholder in the Pleasant Dale creamery, which was built in 1896 at a cost of about twenty-five hundred dollars, and has a capacity of seven thousand pounds of milk per day. This has been of great benefit to the farmers of the surrounding country.

      Mr. and Mrs. Dankers are the happy parents of eight children, namely: Mary, Anna, Chris, Minnie, John, Lizzie and Carrie, all at home with their parents; and Maggie, now the wife of John Clindworth, of I precinct, Seward county. In his political affiliations Mr. Dankers is a Republican, having cast his first vote for U. S. Grant. His fellow citizens recognizing his worth and ability have called upon him to fill a number of local offices of honor and trust, including the school offices and that. of supervisor of his township, the duties of which he has discharged in a most creditable and acceptable manner. 

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EORGE E. RICHARDSON, the pioneer merchant of Linwood, established a general store in that village in 1871, and has since been prominently identified with its commercial interests. From the beginning his trade has steadily increased, and he now has one of the largest mercantile houses in Butler county, occupying a large double brick building. Self-reliance, conscientiousness, energy, honesty--are the traits of character that insure these the highest emoluments and greatest success, and to these may be attributed the success that has crowned the efforts of Mr. Richardson.

      He was born in Rockford, Illinois, March 30, 1840, and is a son of Charles W. Richardson, who was a native of Maine, and of Scotch extraction. In early life the father removed to Michigan, where he married Miss Edna Penhollow, whose ancestors were of old colonial stock, and prominently identified with the early struggles for liberty, having taken an active part in the Boston Tea Party. About 1839 or 1840 Mr. and Mrs. Richardson removed to Rockford, Illinois, where they made their home until our subject was about nine years old, when they went to Clayton county, Iowa. Having attained to man's estate, and feeling that his country needed his services, the son enlisted, in 1861, in Company F, Fourteenth Iowa Volunteer Infantry, for three years,

and took part in the battles of Fort Henry, Fort Donelson, Shiloh and Corinth, and in the Red River expedition. He has never recovered from the effects of his arduous service, being crippled, the result of an attack of typhoid fever during the war.

      On receiving his discharge Mr. Richardson returned to Clayton county, Iowa, which continued to be his place of residence until 1868. He was married in that county, in 1867, to Miss Lizzie Husenetter, and they now have one son, Ira F., born in Linwood, Nebraska. It was in 1868 that Mr. Richardson came to Nebraska, and took up a homestead about three miles from Linwood, across the county line in Saunders county. To the cultivation and improvement of his farm he devoted his energies until coming to Linwood in 1871, when he was obliged to lay aside the arduous duties of farm life on account of the infirmities brought on by his army experience. As a merchant he has met with excellent success, and to-day occupies a position of prominence in business, social, and religious circles. He was one of the first trustees of the Linwood Congregational church, organized June 4, 1873, has ever been a liberal contributor to all objects tending to advance the welfare of the church, and in his daily walk has shown himself to be consistent with the beliefs which he professes, being generous and charitable in answering the appeals of the distressed. 

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AURENCE C. VAN ALEN (or Van Allen).--Men of marked ability, forceful character and culture, leave their impress upon the world, written in such indelible characters that time is powerless to obliterate their memory or sweep it from the minds of men. Their commendable acts live long after they have passed from the scene of their early careers. Mr. Van Alen, who portrait appears on another page, is one of the strong characters who have become an intregal part in the life of York county, and by the exercise of his powers has not only advanced his individual prosperity, but has contributed to the welfare of his adopted county. Since coming to this locality in pioneer days he has made his home on section 4, Stewart township, and has there developed an excellent farm. Mr. Van Alen was born December 5, 1828, in the town of Perth, Fulton county, New York, and is a son of Cornelius and Margaret (Taylor) Van Alen, who spent their entire lives in that state. Both families were originally from Holland and were founded in New York at and early day, Johannes, being the first of the Van Alens to come to the new world, settling at Kinderhook, New York. Laurence E. Van Alen, our subject's grandfather, was a very prominent man of his community, was a well known squire, and also held office under King George, prior to the Revolutionary war. During his business career, our subject's father was interested in farming, merchandising and hotel-keeping, and met with fair success in his undertakings. Both he and his wife held membership in the Dutch Reformed church. In the family of this worthy couple were three children: Mrs. Christina Traver; L. C.; and Mrs. Mary Ann Brown.

      Losing his own father when quite young, L. C. Van Alen was reared by a stepfather, and grew to manhood in Fulton county, New York. He obtained an excellent education for those days, supplementing the knowledge acquired in the common schools by a course in a high school and also in the Johnstown Academy. At the early age of twenty-two years he was elected county superintendent of schools of Fulton county, but a year later resigned his position to go to California, traveling by way of Nicaraugua. He successfully engaged in teaching school in Stockton, that state, for three

years, and then engaged in the book and stationery business for five years. During this time he was elected superintendent of schools in San Joaquin county, and creditably filled that office for four years. Returning to New York, he took charge of the old home farm, which he operated in connection with merchandising for two years. He then removed to New York City, but afterward returned to the old homestead and resumed farming.

      On the 13th of July, 1866, Mr. Van Alen married Miss Teresa F. Harris, of New York city, who was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, June 26, 1839, but was reared in the former city and was educated at Plymouth, New Hampshire. She successfully engaged in teaching school and also music, in New York city, prior to her marriage. Her parents, James and Mary (Chapman) Harris, were natives of Maine and Maryland, respectively, and made their permanent home in Baltimore, Maryland, where he served as cashier in the Susquehanna bank for some time. He was educated for the law, but at the time of his death, which occurred in 1844, was engaged in surveying. Mrs. Harris still survives her husband, at the age of eighty-seven years, and now resides with her daughter in Nebraska. She has only two children, the younger being S. V. Harris, proprietor of the Hotel Ryan, of St. Paul, Minnesota. He was a soldier of the Civil war. To Mr. and Mrs. Van Alen were born eight children, of whom seven are still living: Russell, Mrs. Maud Campbell, Ardell, Olive, Lowell, Una and Ethel.

      Until 1872 Mr. Van Alen continued to reside in New York and then came to York county, Nebraska, locating upon his present farm, where in June of that year he built a shanty and in the fall banked it with sod. At the end of a year he had it raised and put in a floor, making it what was then called a big frame house, 24X 12 feet. The first year he raised some sod corn and melons; in 1873 raised good crops, but the following year the grasshoppers destroyed all his corn. However, he has generally prospered and now has a fine farm of three hundred and thirty-two acres under excellent cultivation and well improved. His comfortable residence was built in 1885, and enlarged in 1894. For four winters after coming to this state he taught school in Polk county, and has been prominently identified with the early educational and religious welfare of this region. He helped to organize the first Congregational church in the county, served as one of its deacons, and the first Sunday-school in four counties of this section of the state was organized in his house, and he was chosen superintendent of the same. He and his wife are now prominent and active members of the Presbyterian church at Gresham, in which he has served as elder for several years, and also trustee. Mrs. Van Alen has contributed her share to the music of these organizations. Our subject has served as master of the Masonic lodge at Gresham, and is also a charter member of the Odd Fellows lodge of that place, having become identified with both orders while a resident of Stockton, California. Politically, he is a Democrat, has served as local school director and township treasurer, and has been the candidate of his party for the state senate twice, and also for county superintendent of schools. On the 17th of April, 1891, he was obliged to have his left leg amputated, after eighteen years of trouble from a felon on his finger, which had been badly treated by an overdose of strong lye, and the poison settled in his leg.

      Laurence E. Van Alen, the grandfather, had three sons and two daughters. Of the descendants of Evert Van Alen, one of these sons, three were ministers and two were physicians. A sister of Laurence E. became Mrs. H. L. Van Dyke. Of her sons, one

was the Hon. H. H. Van Dyke, who filled the office of state superintendent of public instruction, also state bank examiner, and also superintendent of United States sub-treasury, of New York city. 

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SCAR D. KEELER is a prominent and representative citizen of York county whose name is inseparably connected with its agricultural and commercial interest. He is one of the pioneer settlers of the county and has borne an active part in its development and upbuilding. He now resides upon a farm in Morton township and is devoting his time and attention to agricultural pursuits with most gratifying results.

      Mr. Keeler was born on the 17th of April, 1841, in Madison county, New York, of which state his parents, Oscar and Parnel Keeler, were also natives. There our subject was reared and educated until seventeen years of age, when he came west and located in Will county, Illinois, where he found employment on a farm. He continued to engage in farming in that state until 1862, when he responded to the President's call for troops, and enlisted for three years in Company D, One Hundreth Illinois Volunteer Infantry, with which command he participated in the battles of Stone River, Chickamauga, Missionary Ridge, the Atlanta campaign, and the battles of Franklin and Nashville, Tennessee. In the engagement at Kenesaw Mountain he was wounded and still carries a ball in his right hip. He also received several other slight wounds at different times. The war having ended, he was honorably discharged with the rank of sergeant and returned to Illinois to resume the more quiet pursuits of farm life.

      After spending four years in that state Mr. Keeler came to York county, Nebraska, in 1871, and took up a homestead in Bradshaw township, to the cultivation and improvement of which he devoted his energies for some years. His first home here was a sod house, which was subseently (sic) replaced by a more comfortable and substantial dwelling, and many other improvements were made upon the place, which added greatly to its value and attractive appearance. On selling his farm in 1890 he removed to Benedict, where he successfully engaged in the coal trade for eight years, and then purchased a farm adjoining the village. Upon that place he now makes his home and is successfully engaged in its operation.

      While a resident of Illinois, Mr. Keeler was married, in 1867, to Miss Martha Hess, by whom he had seven children, four still living, namely: Walter G., Gracie P., Clyde S. and Rhena H. The wife and mother was called to her final rest in 1893, and in 1896 Mr. Keeler wedded Mrs. Retta A. Green, a native of Ohio. The family holds membership in the Presbyterian church, and in his social relations Mr. Keeler is identified with the Ancient Order of United Workmen, and the Grand Army of the Republic. Politically he is a stalwart supporter of the Republican party and its principles, and most acceptably served as a member of the town board for six years. Financially he has met with success since becoming a resident of York county, and his career has ever been such as to command the confidence and esteem of all with whom he has come in contact. 

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LICE A. AND ALONZO ANDREWS are the fortunate owners of one of the productive and well equipped farms of Savannah township, Butler county.

     Alice A. Andrews was born in Foster, Rhode Island, March 20, 1833. Her maiden name was Miss Alice A. Walker, and she is a sister of Captain Henry A. Walker, of Stewart, Holt county, Nebraska. She is a

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