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where Mr. Bixler now has relatives living. He is the second child in a family of six, and started in life for himself when eighteen years of age, following farm work. In 1884 he came to Broken Bow, Custer county, remaining here four years, and in 1888 moved into Cherry county and took pre-emption which he sold and took a homestead, in section 26, township 25, range 37, still holding it as a ranch and has added to it until he now has six hundred and forty acres of deed land, nearly all hay land excepting a small portion which is hilly range. On this ranch he runs about two hundred and fifty head of cattle and a number of horses. He is also owner of some town property and makes his home there during the winter. Excepting for about two years in which he was engaged in the livery business, he has engaged exclusively in stock raising.
Our subject was married to Miss Alice Pruden in 1897, whose father was a farmer of English descent. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Bixler, named as follows: Lottie, Lottie, (sic) George, Clyde and Frost, all of whom were born in Cherry county.
When Mr. Bixler landed in Cherry county all he had in the world was a horse, saddle, and clothes he wore. He has seen hard times, for several years working for different ranchmen by the year for $14 a month. He now has his ranch well improved, all fenced, and has about thirty acres of broken land, and some tame grasses started.
Mr. Bixler moved into town in order to give his children the benefit of the better schools. He has always worked hard and has met with success in the ranching business, but feels that his labor has not been in vain. In political faith he is a Republican, and is firm in his convictions. He is a member of the Merriman lodge of Modern Woodmen of America.
George A. Evans started out for himself in 1884, engaging in agricultural pursuits. In 1886, he came west to Loup county, Nebraska, working for a while in Taylor, the county seat. In 1887 he took a pre-emption claim in Blaine county, on the Loup river, and in 1890 he located a homestead three miles west of Taylor.
In 1890 Mr. Evans was united in marriage to Miss Nettie Hooper, who was reared in Loup county, where her father was one of the earliest pioneers. Her mother was Miss Mahaley Kinser before marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Evans have four daughters: Cristie, May, Ina and Blanche.
George Evans had only a team of horses when he made his start in Loup county, but he has proven a man of ability and enterprise by building up a fine farm and home. He bought the place where he now lives in 1898, and has three hundred and twenty acres with nice improvements, good house, barns and fine trees. For three years he engaged in the implement business in Taylor and was active in the upbuilding of that city. He has been one of the prominent pioneer settlers and old-timers of Loup county and has done his share in advancing the interests of that community.
George A. Evans has taken an active part in the politics of the county and has been honored with several offices in the gift of the people He has been road overseer, assessor and has held other minor offices. For several years he was chairman of the county central committee of the Populist party. In 1901 he was elected sheriff of Loup county and was re-elected in 1903, 1905 and 1907, and is the present incumbent of that office.
On another page of this volume
will be found a picture of Mr. Evans' place.
---->o<----
Mr. Porter is a native of Prince Edward Island, Canada, born in 1866, on December 25th, being a Christmas gift to his parents, who were of Scotch-Irish descent, his father a leather dealer in Canada. Our subject was reared and educated in that county, (sic) attending an Episcopal school and was graduated as a barrister in Winnipeg in 1891. In 1894 he came to Nebraska and settled in Crawford, where he opened a law office and has continued in that work ever since, building up a large and lucrative practice in Dawes and the adjoining counties. He has done
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well since locating here, and has accumulated a good property by persistent and faithful efforts supplemented by good management, and is one of the leading attorneys of this region.
Mr. Porter is a Republican politically, and has taken an active part in party politics since locating here. He has been chairman of the county central committee for two years, and has acted as city attorney off and on for many years past.
Mr. Porter has a family of two children, namely: Waldo and Caroline.
Mr. Gould is a native of Iowa, born in 1870. His father, Gavin H. Gould, of Republican, Harlan county, is a native of Lincoln county, Maine, born December 19, 1845, and is a son of Joseph and Mary E. (Hamilton) Gould, the former born in 1815. He has one brother, Albert H. Gould, residing in Harlan county. The Gould family moved from Maine to Handy Hollow, New York, then to Yeoman's Mills, Tioga county, Pennsylvania, having been engaged for at least two generations in the lumbering business in Maine, New York and Pennsylvania. At the breaking out of the civil war Albert H. enlisted in the Eighty-sixth New York regiment, and served until April 2, 1862. He was at the first battle of Bull Run. His father, Joseph Gould, also belonged to the same company of soldiers.
After the war the latter came with his family to Marengo county, Iowa, and in 1871 came to Nebraska, locating in Harlan county, where he was one of the earliest settlers, his death occurring there in 1882. Gould Post, Grand Army of the Republic, of Republican City, was named after him, and he was the first probate judge of Harlan county. His son, Garvin H. Gould, entered the Elmira Commercial College in 1884, and engaged there in the grocery business as Gould Bros., remaining there until 1869, then came west settling in Marengo county, Iowa, and farmed for three years. At that time he came to Harlan county, taking a homestead in the Republican valley. He bought one hundred and sixty acres of land, also a fine farm of three hundred and twenty acres two miles west of Republican City. In 1874 and 1875 he was appointed by the state aid society to distribute relief over the east half of Harlan county, and has served on the local school board almost continuously since 1872.
Mr. Gould's business extends over a section covering a radius of thirty-five to forty miles. He carries a full line of dry goods, clothing, boots and shoes, and ladies' and gents' wearing apparel of the best quality and most up-to-date styles. His whole time and attention is given to the management of this business, and his strict honesty in business methods, and honorable and square dealings win him many friends. He is of a frank and genial personality, and is greatly admired and esteemed by the entire community.
Mr. Gould was married in 1895 to Miss Birdie Shaffer, daughter of Frank Shaffer, of Alma, whose sketch appears in this volume. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Gould, namely: Clarence, Clayton and Harold. Mr. Gould was an only child, his mother's death occurring December 2, 1873 at Republican. Mr. Gould was educated at the Commercial College, located in Republican, having attended the county schools here during his boyhood years. He is one of the public spirited citizens of Alma, but has little time to devote to taking an active part in affairs. He is a member of the Masonic Blue Lodge, and a Knight of Pythias.
Mr. Hornbeck is a native of Macon county, Illinois, born in 1854. His father, Abraham Hornbeck, was from Kentucky, and an early settler in Illinois, and there our subject was reared and educated. In 1888 he first came to this county and township, where he farmed on rented land up to 1900, and at that time purchased the place and erected a fine house, barn and other buildings on the place. He engaged in grain raising almost exclusively and was very successful from the start. The land has trebled in value since he bought it and he is perfectly satisfied with his efforts and the result of his hard work. He likes
