which were gained from long years of labor during the pioneer days. They are genial, contented and happy, and richly merit the success which has come to them.
The well regulated farms and ranches in Keith county contribute largely to the wealth of that region, and the gentleman whose name introduces this review is proprietor of one of the valuable estates situated on section 22, township 13, range 39, in Paxton precinct. He is prominent in local affairs, and one of the substantial and esteemed citizens of his community.
John H. Cannon first saw the light in New Holland, Pickaway county, Ohio, July 18, 1843. He is the son of Minas M. and Mary (Dawson) Cannon, who were old settlers in Ohio, the former a carpenter by trade, who died at Camp Point, Illinois, in 1869, and the latter departing this life in Ohio when John was a child four years of age. The father settled in Brown county, Illinois, as a pioneer in 1850, and there our subject was reared and educated, following farm work until 1861; in that year he enlisted in Company E, Sixteenth Volunteer Infantry, serving for three months in state service, and re-enlisting May 24, 1861 at Kelly's Ferry, Tennessee, and serving for three years. He served in Missouri with his regiment for several months and later was with the Army of the Cumberland through the Chattanooga and Nashville campaigns, participating in the engagements around Atlanta and served under Sherman in the march to the sea. On December 23, 1863 he re-enlisted as a veteran, remained in the army until the close of the war and in all his service received but one slight wound, an injury to his thumb. He was in the ranks at the grandreview and returned to his home in Illinois full of honors.
In 1865 Mr. Cannon went to Quincy, Illinois, and followed railroading on the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway, employed in train service for twenty-one years. He came to Nebraska in May, 1886, settling in Keith county, where he filed on a homestead situated seven miles southwest of Ogallala, and. there started a farm, building a sod house, breaking up land for crops, planting trees, and improving the place as best he could during the first years; while meeting at times with losses through failures of crops, he was on the whole very successful. He also filed on a tree claim two miles nearer town, proving up on both tracts. Since locating here he has followed ranching and farming constantly, and now owns four hundred and eighty acres, all of which is irrigable, having one hundred and fifty under cultivation, and a large herd of cattle and other stock.. He has a good house, substantial barns, wells and wind mills. In 1905, during April, he had the misfortune to lose his barn by fire, but replaced it with another and better building, although the loss was a heavy one to him. In February, 1906, he sold the homestead.
In 1866 Mr. Cannon was married to Miss Georgia Wright. One child was born to them, Clarence, who married Miss Emma Reed, and resides in Green River, Wyoming. They have three children. The wife and mother died in Illinois in 1871.
In 1873 he married again, taking as a wife, Miss Maria E. Giddings, daughter of Austin R. and Aletha C. (Keller) Giddings, natives of Ohio and North Carolina respectively. Mr. Giddings was a nephew of Joshua Orr, for many years a senator from Ohio.
Mr. and Mrs. Cannon have one adopted daughter, Grace L., who is a successful teacher in the Keith county schools.
Mr. Cannon is a loyal Republican, and has always been prominent in county and national politics, holding local office at various times, and for ten years served as justice of the peace in his township.
The family are members of the Methodist church, while Mr. Cannon holds membership in the Grand Army and the Workmen.
Horatio G. Newcomb, one of the leading old settlers of Dawes county, Nebraska, is known throughout that locality as a gentleman of good business capacity and active public spirit. He is a resident of Crawford, where he has been one of the prominent citizens and foremost business men for many years.
Mr. Newcomb was born in Franklin county, Vermont, in 1848, where his father was engaged in the butcher business. The latter was a native of Boston and married Charlott Sixby, born in St. Armond, Province of Quebec, of German stock, she dying when our subject was but three years of age. He was reared in Montpelier, and while a young man learned the butcher's trade, working for different parties in his home town for several years. For a time he traveled extensively, going across the Isthmus of Panama, and all along the coast of
Central America, and saw a great deal of that country about which be relates many interesting incidents. He also spent three years on cow ranches in California, and in 1875 went to Cheyenne, Wyoming, where he worked as a cow puncher for T. A. Kent, a large ranchman and banker of Cheyenne. He also was employed by Hy. Kelly and Butcher Phillips for some time, and became very familiar with that part of the country. In 1877 he started a ranch of his own on Reshaw Creek, Wyoming, and ran that for two years, then sold out to Hamilton, Hall & McCrary and acted as ranch foreman for them for some time. He next moved to the Platte river, where he lived up to 1883, when he started in the sheep business on a large scale, and in that year was unfortunate enough to lose 2,000 head of sheep, so he gave that up and went to Fort Laramie where he owned and ran a hotel for three years. There be served as deputy sheriff for three years.
In 1887 he left Fort Laramie, as the place was being abandoned, then had a ranch at Lusk, Wyoming. He was among the early settlers at Chugwater, Wyoming, and there went through rough experiences in that new country. He landed in Crawford, December 1889, and followed the saloon business to 1900, then got the Klondike fever, so went to that country and remained a year prospecting and looking over the country: He had a rough time while there, from July 10th to September 15th, covering one thousand two hundred miles on foot, and soon got enough of that place and came back to Crawford, where be has since remained, engaging in the saloon business ever since.
Since coming to this country Mr. Newcomb has seen all the pioneer experiences of the early days, witnessing the immigration into the Black Hills, and has been a potent factor in the building up of the region where he chose his home.
In 1875 Mr. Newcomb was married to Miss Martha Holsapple, a native of the state of New York, whose parents were early settlers there from Canada, her father being a farmer and cabinet maker. To Mr. and Mrs. Newcomb two children were born, namely: Jay F. and Jessie.
Samuel Fairhead is one of the most progressive and enterprising ranchmen of Cherry county, Nebraska. He resides in section 11, township 34, range 37, where he is the proprietor of a fine ranch and comfortable home and enjoys his well deserved success and high standing as a citizen.
Mr. Fairhead was born in Sidney, New South Wales, Australia, and was of English stock. The family lived in Australia until 1860 when they returned to England, living in the shire of Suffolk, where the father died in about 1870. At the age of thirteen, Samuel went to London, and secured employment as clerk, receiving at the age of sixteen years one pound sterling per month, large wages for a boy at that time. Resigning his position as clerk he embarked with his older brother, James, to Canada, living in Ontario for thirty years. The brother, James, engaged in the ice business from which he has accumulated a good fortune. In 1885 our subject, in company with two brothers, Joseph and Garrold, came to Cherry county, Nebraska. When he landed here he did not know the first thing about farming or the care of stock, so went to work on the railroad, which was then in the course of construction, driving a team, working as far up as Buffalo Gap. He was unfamiliar with the value of land around here, and after a time went back to Canada and worked there a while, but was not satisfied with conditions there and became anxious to again go back to the frontier, so ten years later be returned to Cherry county, and since that time has never lived away from this locality. On his last arrival here he had just forty dollars in cash and for five years worked on ranches in this vicinity. saving his money, and by being careful and industrious got a pretty fair start, although had he been able to begin earlier he would have been much better off today than he is. He only regrets that he did not stay in Cherry county when he first came here, instead of returning to Canada. He now owns a ranch of one thousand two hundred and eighty acres, well improved with good buildings and fences, and keeps one hundred head of cattle and some horses. He has accumulated all this property in nine years, which is doing very well, and speaks well for his good judgment and business ability.
Mr. Fairhead was married in Toronto, Canada, July 23, 1874 to Miss Fannie Long, who was a native of Ontario, born in 1854, of English stock. Mr. and Mrs. Fairhead have two children, namely: Alvin S., a plumber by trade, working all over the southwest, is married and now living in California; and Laura M., married to Percy St. Jean, of French descent, living in Idaho.
Mr. Fairhead takes a commendable interest in all public affairs of local importance, has at
different times held offices of trust, and at present is serving as roadmaster for his township. Politically he is a Republican. He is a member of the Modern Woodmen of America, of Merriman, and with his wife, a communicant of the Methodist church.
One of the beautiful country places to be found in the farming districts of Dawes county, where everything about the premises bespeaks care and pride in its appearance, is found in that of the gentleman above mentioned. Mr. Carpenter's home presents a beautiful sight to the eye of the visitor in this section, having a comfortable and handsome house, fine lawns and beautiful shade trees all around it, also a fine fish pond, and everything about his home shows careful attention and good management.
Mr. Carpenter was born in Chenango county, New York state, April 13, 1833. His father, Jesse K., was a blacksmith, a native of Windsor, Vermont, and a veteran of the war of 1812, who married Polly Beckwith, also born in Vermont, in 1800.
When our subject was a young boy his family came to Indiana, settling in Parke county, where they were among the pioneers, and there he grew up until he was about fifteen years of age, when his parents moved to Illinois. After living there a short time they came to Iowa, and again went through pioneer experiences in Clayton county and Elhanan remained in that vicinity up to 1855, when he moved to Washington county, and lived up to 1885, again leading the early settler's life in that region. In the latter county he started a farm, and built up a good home and made a success of his venture. He was the owner of one hundred and twelve acres, and helped to establish schools, and aided in every way possible the advancement of the section, serving in numerous capacities as a public official, and was well and favorably known to all as a worthy citizen of the locality. In 1861 he enlisted in Company F, Eleventh Iowa Infantry, and saw service in the Army of the Cumberland, at the siege of Vicksburg, and in all participated in twenty-one hard-fought battles. He was all through Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Tennessee and Mississippi with his regiment and encountered many thrilling incidents while in the service. At the battle of Shiloh he had three balls put through his hat at different places inside of fifteen minutes, and at another time a ball was fired so close that it tore through his trousers while in the line of battle. He was held a prisoner at Andersonville for nine months and eighteen days, and only released at the close of the war, and his experiences while at that terrible prison are most interesting to hear. He received his discharge at Davenport, Iowa, in 1865.
After returning from the war Mr. Carpenter farmed for a number of years, then sold his farm in (I)owa and came to Dawes county, Nebraska. landing in this part of the state in 1885. He had been through the locality the year before and was favorably impressed with the location, so he settled on section 28, township 34, range 47, as a homestead. Here his first building was a dugout in which he lived for four or five years, and opened up a farm, purchasing good machinery and expending quite a sum for equipment, but was only able to raise one crop. The first year he planted some corn and this showed a yield of sixty bushels to the acre, then came on the dry seasons and he was unable to get a crop of any kind of grain. He gradually worked into the cattle business and devoted his efforts to building up that branch of the business, and met with good success. His ranch now consists of eight hundred acres, all of which is fenced, and he has good buildings, house, barns and every improvement in his buildings to make easy the work of operating his place to the best advantage. He has a fine fish pond which he had built in his front yard, and this is a pleasant sight for all who passes to view. His place is well supplied with timber, furnishing him with plenty of fuel and posts.
Mr. Carpenter was married in Washington
county, Iowa, in 1856, to Miss Charlotte Layton, who was born and
raised in Maine, of Yankee blood. Mr. and Mrs. Carpenter have a
family of five children living named as follows: Marian, Martha,
Della G., Stephen W., and Edwin Francis. They have three children
dead: Mary P., Ann N. and Daniel W. Portraits of E. W. Carpenter
and family will be found on another page of this volume.
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Albert S. Enyeart is a man who is widely and favorably known in Box Butte county as a farmer and stockraiser of much skill and high personal character. He was born in Wabash county, Indiana, in 1860, a son of William J. and Amy (Slyter) Enyeart, and was the eleventh of a family of thirteen children. His
father was born in Ohio of Pennsylvania Dutch stock and was a pioneer of Indiana, where he cleared the place upon which our subject was born. His mother, who was a Quaker of Scotch and Welsh descent of Vermont, was also a native of Ohio.
In 1866 the family moved to Missouri and settled in Sheridan county. Here our subject attended the country schools, and spent the early years of his life assisting his father in the work of making a home in that state. He was the youngest living son of the family and remained at home, and for several years rented his father's farm. In 1892 Mr. Albert S. Enyeart came to Box Butte county, Nebraska, and located on a farm near Marsland, which he rented. Here he remained for two months. He then bought a farm in section 5, and homesteaded a claim in section 6, township 27, range 50, where he has made his home ever since. There were no other improvements on the place but a sod shanty and stable when he secured possession. He started the work of building a frame house, but owing to repeated loss of crops and lack of capital, he was unable to complete the work he had started, and for seven years lived in the sod shanty. However, he was not discouraged by these reverses, and his faith in this western country remained unbroken. He went to work with a determination to succeed, and as the result of his untiring efforts, and the practice of thrift and economy, he has attained a success of which he may well be proud. From time to time he added adjoining tracts of land to his original entry, which he has worked hard to improve, and now has a well appointed ranch of two thousand five hundred acres of good land together with about one thousand acres of leased land. He has built a substantial and commodious house, together with a good barn, forty by fifty feet, with a nine foot basement, erected at a cost of $1,000, irrespective of his own labor. He has fifteen miles of fences on his place. He also engages extensively in the raising of live stock, and is the owner of one hundred head of horses and eighty bead of cattle. He engages largely in raising small grain, and makes potatoes a specialty.
In 1882 occurred the wedding ceremonies of Mr. Enyeart and Miss Alice Bonds. Her father, Creed A. Bonds, a native of Virginia, was a farmer, and a man who gave his life for his country, having died while in the service of the union army at St. Louis. Her mother, Elizabeth (Grace) Bonds, was born in Indiana. Eight children came to bless this union, -- Earl T., U. May, Winnifred B., Herbert E., William J., Thomas Ross, Alice Fay and Izetta Amy. In 1897 Mrs. Enyeart passed away at their home in Nebraska. In 1898 Mr. Enyeart contracted a second marriage with Belle Martin, whose parents were pioneers of Illinois, where she was born and reared, and where she resided at the time of her marriage.
In political matters Mr. Enyeart adheres to Republican principles. He is a man who has always been prominently identified with matters of local interest, and since the age of twenty-one years has held local offices of importance. Through years of adversity and prosperity he has left no stone unturned in working out for himself a comfortable home, and giving his energies to the upbuilding of the locality in which he lives. Upright and honorable in all his dealings he has manifested on all occasions a high integrity and a strict adherence to principle.
In reviewing the history of Cheyenne county. Nebraska. the citizens who have contributed to her welfare must be given special mention, and a prominent place among this number is the gentleman above named. Mr. Kurz is a pioneer settler, and is perhaps one of the best known and most highly esteemed men of his locality. He is a prosperous farmer and large land-owner, and has gained his success by the exercise of business tact, supplemented by the strictest integrity of word and deed. He has a comfortable stone dwelling in Bronson precinct, and enjoys the comfort and contentment of a peaceful rural home.
Otto Kurz was born in Germany, at New Barnim, near Berlin, on March 14th, 1853, and grew up there, receiving a limited schooling as a boy, and at the age of fourteen, he was apprenticed to the builders trade, at which he worked until coming to America at the age of twenty-eight years. Sailing from Bremen late in October, after a stormy passage of seven days, he landed in New York, early in November, 1881. He came directly west, joining his brother at St. Louis, where he remained one year working at his trade. He then went to Scribner, Dodge county, Nebraska, and then in 1883, he came to Cheyenne county, where he secured work in a butcher shop at Sidney, and was thus employed for some eight years. In 1891 he took up a homestead on the southeast quarter of section 8, township 13, range 50, and has followed ranching ever since. He owns a quarter of good land, leasing a section of school land, and is engaged principally in
stock raising, running about fifty head of cattle and twenty-five head of horses. He has a fine set of stone ranch buildings of all descriptions, and his place shows every evidence of good management and thrift in its operation.
Mr. Kurz was married on the 6th day of June, 1891, in Cheyenne county, to Mrs. Caroline (Marder) Wolf, who was born in Germany on August 21st, 1865; she resided there until at the age of twenty-one years she emigrated to the United States, coming directly to Nebraska, and settling in Cheyenne county. Mr. and Mrs. Kurz have a family of eight children named as follows: John, Pauline, Frank, Emma, Otto, Caroline, Catherine and Annie.
In political views Mr. Kurz is a Democrat, and he takes a commendable interest in local and county affairs.
One of the reliable and successful citizens and business men of Taylor, Loup county, Nebraska, is Arthur E. Moon, who is a contractor and builder. He is a native of the state of New York, being born in Schuyler county in the year 1859. His great grandfather was a veteran in the revolutionary war and his grandfather saw service in the war of 1812. Our subject's father was Sylvester A. Moon, a native of the state of New York. His mother, born in New York state, was Fanny Wickson in her youth.
Arthur E. Moon was reared and educated in his native state, coming west to Nebraska in 1879. His parents came at the same time and were among the oldest settlers. The father died in 1887, and the mother died in 1901. Our subject settled on land near Kent, on the North Loup river, after driving from Grand Island, from which city he hauled freight, etc., camping nights under the wagon in all kinds of weather.
Mr. Moon was married in 1882 to Miss Clara B. Truax, born in Nebraska, in Nemaha county, 1863. Her father, James M. Truax, was one of the pioneers of that county and was an honored and loyal citizen, having been a veteran of the civil war. Mr. and Mrs. Moon have seven children: Flora, now a teacher; Mabel, married; Harry, James, Fanny and Emma, both born in Indian Territory; and Wilbur, born in Taylor, Nebraska, all born in Taylor, Nebraska excepting Fannie and Emma.
In 1893, our subject left the farm and followed his trade of carpenter, going to Indian Territory where he was employed on government works and remaining in that section of the southwest for eight years. In 1901 he returned to Loup county and located his home in Taylor, the county-seat. He has been engaged in the business of contracting and building and the evidences of his operations may be found in all parts of the county. Mr. Moon is a man of conscientious principles, is public-spirited and enterprising, and is widely and favorably known.
Professor Adolphe d'Allemand, of Arapahoe, Furnas county. Nebraska, is one of the oldest settlers in Nebraska, coming to Plattsmouth in 1870 from Kilkenny College, Ireland, where he has been an instructor in the French and German languages for fourteen years. Prof. d'Allemand is a native of Strasburg, France, now Germany, and was born January 27th, 1836. He received his education at the Strasburg College, and at Munich, Bavaria, and is a son of Indas d'Allemand, who for twenty years was connected with the Bible Society, in London, England. On the revision of the Bible he was a distinguished Greek and Hebrew Sanscript scholar, and wrote a great deal on these subjects. After locating in Arapahoe, our subject owned, edited and published the "Pioneer" in that town for twelve years. After he came to Plattsmouth, he taught in the Academy there, and in 1872 was elected principal of the Plattsmouth High School, which position he held for one year before coming to Arapahoe. In 1884 he was elected superintendent of the county schools of Furnas county, serving for three terms, up to 1890. In the meantime, during the year 1874, he had taken a homestead pre-emption and tree claim, four hundred eighty acres.
Professor d'Allemand was elected secretary and treasurer of the Farmers' National Alliance and was for two years state master workman of the Knights of Labor. In 1891 he was a candidate for state superintendent of education, and was elected regent of the State University in 1892, but was counted out and never held office. He is also a Mason of high degree, having been a member of this order since 1870, and is Past Grand Patriarch of the Grand Encampment, Independent Order of Odd Fellows of Nebraska. When the Populist party was organized, Professor d'Allemand was an active worker in its development, and
