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again established a livery barn and took mail contracts. He is considered one of the prosperous men of his locality, and has built up a good patronage through strict attention to business and honest and fair dealings.

     In October, 1889, Mr. Lilly was married at Kimball, to Miss Flora Stanley, who was born in Indiana and raised in Illinois, where her parents settled about 1850. While on a visit to a sister living in Kimball, Miss Stanley met her present husband. Our subject's parents are both dead, while his wife's father and mother still live in Illinois. During 1889 and 1890 Mr. Lilly was deputy sheriff of Kimball county, and while serving in this capacity experienced numerous thrilling adventures, winch he relates in a particularly interesting manner.

     In 1891 he was elected county commissioner, serving for three years. He is a strong Republican.

     Mr. Ladely was born in Muskingum county, Ohio, November 29, 1850, where he was reared to a rural life. His father, William Ladely, a farmer all his life, married Cornelia Slack, the mother of the subject of this personal history, and both were natives of the state of Pennsylvania, the former of Holland ancestry and the latter of German stock. They had a family of nine children, George W. being their second child, he remaining at home until he was twenty-one years of age, then started in life for himself, obtaining employment on farms in Iowa. In 1888 he came to Cherry county, where he took up a pre-emption claim, proved up and sold it. For two years he worked on the Gillaspie ranch, then settled on the place which he now occupies as a homestead. He has gone through hard times since locating here, and has put in many years of hard work, but has met with good success, now owning a ranch of two thousand one hundred and twenty acres known as the H. L. ranch, which is stocked with one thousand head of cattle and one hundred and fifty horses. He has good buildings on his place, his house costing one thousand four hundred dollars, and barn one thousand one hundred dollars, together with other farm buildings which are among the best to be found in this region. Mr. Ladely built his present house in 1906. Up to that time he had lived in a sod house, which was a very comfortable dwelling that he erected in 1882. The new residence is unusually large for a ranch house and is furnished in keeping with the exterior. Running water is supplied by one of the four flowing wells on his farm, which range in depth from fifty to three hundred and sixty feet, this making his ranch one of the best and most valuable in the county.

     Mr. Ladely was married May 1, 1890, to Miss Elizabeth Kime, born in Iowa in 1858, daughter of Levi N. Kime, of German descent, and a native of Ohio. Her mother, Nancy Layport, before her marriage, was also a native of Ohio, of French-English descent. Mrs. Ladely's father and her husband were the first settlers on this part of Gordon creek, and have both lived here continuously since locating. They have been very successful, and the latter is satisfied that he has done much better than had he remained in Iowa, as the opportunities for acquiring land are far ahead of that state, and the climate and conditions better in every way. A view of the family home and surroundings will be found elsewhere in this volume.

     Mr. Wallingford's father was A. J. Wallingford, an old settler in Cherry county, Nebraska, and his mother was Miss Matilda Gray, of Scotch and Irish descent, American born. Mr. Wallingford is twelfth of a family of thirteen children, and was reared in Franklin county, Nebraska, until he was eleven or twelve years of age. In 1884 he came to Cherry county with his father during the pioneer days, settling on the Snake river six miles from the mouth, they being the third family to settle on this river. Here the father established a saw-mill on Snake creek opposite the mouth of Steer creek canyon. After taking up their residence here, they handled ox teams, freighters, and passed through all the experiences familiar to the people of those days, enduring all the privations and discouragements which the pioneers had to contend with in the building up of a new country.

     When twenty-one years of age our subject

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started in life for himself, taking up a homestead on Boardman Creek, on which his first habitation was a sod shanty. He was married in 1897 to Miss Etta Hoffman, whose father was an old settler in Iowa. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Wallingford, named as follows: Edna, Willie, Mildred and Orval.

     Mr. Wallingford proved up on his homestead and took a Kincaid homestead in 1904, and has since made many improvements in the way of building, stocking up his ranch with cattle and other live stock, etc. He is numbered among the old timers who have watched the growth of this part of the country from the start. Mr. Wallingford's ranch is located in sections 25 and 26, township 30, range 32, in Cherry county, Nebraska, and is stocked with two hundred and seventy-five head of cattle; he is called one of the successful younger ranchmen of the county. His first start in life was derived from the proceeds of hunting, and he is now the owner of six hundred and forty acres, comprising the ranch on which he lives and also has interests in other lands, his wife owning one hundred and sixty acres adjoining.

     Mr. Wallingford well remembers Valentine when it was only a small side station. He has always taken an active interest in local affairs, and is a man of sterling character, universally esteemed by his fellowmen. In politics he is a Republican.

      In 1882 our subject came west to Nebraska, locating on a farm in Valley county, not far from the town of Ord, which was then only a struggling village with no railroad. After two years he took a homestead, and as he had but little to start on, his improvements were very primitive. Materials and supplies had to be hauled from St. Paul, Nebraska, the nearest railroad point, and it was here that he had to do his marketing of hogs and wheat for some time.

     In 1884 he came to Blaine county, finding a good location on the North Loup river. He came in a covered wagon and with few supplies. He worked hard and was getting things in good shape when a prairie fire swept away stable and sheds, killing one of his horses, and burning the wheels of his wagon and also some hay, lumber and his harness. This was very discouraging, coming just at the time when he was getting started, and Mr. Smith was almost at the point of giving up. But with unconquerable grit he held on and soon saw better times. Several good crops came in succession, and he had the best sod crops ever raised; grew potatoes, melons, beans and plenty of garden stuff, so that he got along very nicely, and, with six head of cattle to start in stock raising, the future looked much brighter. But next came the years of drouth and our subject was very much distressed. But he did not have enough with which to get out of the county, so he had to stay and struggle along as best he could. He came to his present location on section 25, township 23, range 21, in 1894. This was a tree claim which he purchased. It was wild prairie land with no improvements. He put up a sod home, twenty by forty feet, and bought a twelve by fourteen board shanty ten miles away and moved it to his farm, where it was used as a stable.

     He stuck to his farm and made fine improvements. But he had a bad fire in 1893, losing a large frame barn, fourteen by twenty-four feet and fourteen by eighteen feet, harnesses, saddles, hay and several calves, and it took magnificent courage to bear the loss. Now he has a fine ranch, as good as can be found in all the county. He has five quarter sections of land along the North Loup river, and, with his sons' homesteads, controls several sections of excellent land. He has a good house, built in 1907-'08, good barns, sheds, corrals, dipping tanks, has fourteen to fifteen miles of fence, four hydraulic wells and cisterns, windmills, etc., indeed one of the most completely equipped ranches in Blaine county. He has fine groves of trees on different parts of the ranch, has a number of apple. plum and cherry trees and an abundance of small fruit.

     Mr. Smith has been an intelligent participant in all local political matters and has been elected to various positions of trust and responsibility. He held the office of county clerk of Blaine county for two years, and has also been a member of the local school board. Our subject was here during the county-seat fights when Brewster, Le Dora and Blaine Center were hotly contesting for the honor of being the seat of the county government. Throughout all his fron-

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tier experiences and later life in Blaine county, Mr. Smith has been ever ready to sanction all movements tending for the betterment of his community and he has performed his share in adding to its material development.

     Edwin B. Smith and Miss Anna L. George were married March 1, 1876, Mrs. Smith was a native of New York. Her father, an expert mechanic and boat builder, died September 27, 1908. in the state of New York. Her mother was Margaret Stillson, who died in 1884. Mr. and Mrs. Smith have been the happy parents of eight children -- Truman, Morvice, William G., Earnest (deceased), Mark, Wesley, Eva and Arthur.

     Mr. Weston was born in Linden, Iowa county, Wisconsin, February 20. 1861. His father, John H. Weston, was born in England, and came to this country when a young man, where he followed the profession of a teacher. He was a man of wide experience, and an extensive traveler, having been all through the European countries, also in South Africa. His health failed and after coming to this country he devoted his entire time to teaching as an occupation. He married Miss Carolina Brooks, whose parents settled in Wisconsin in the early days, going into the region of the lead mines, where she was born and raised. Our subject was the third member in his parents' family of four children, and he was raised in the vicinity of the lead mines, working in the mines as a boy. When seventeen years of age he went to Marquette, Michigan, and worked in the mines for a year thence he came to Cedar Rapids. Iowa, working for two years before returning to Wisconsin, where for three years he was employed in a creamery at Edmund. When he was twenty-four years of age he came to Keya Paha county, traveling by rail to Ainsworth, lauding there on November 4, 1885. From Ainsworth he was obliged to take a team and drive through, and while on the journey was overtaken by one of the worst blizzards in years, from which he took shelter in a dugout, one of the rendezvous of the famous Doc. Middleton. On locating here he at once put up a sod house, and lived in it for seven years. proving up on his homestead. He did everything that came to his hand in order to make a living and improve his farm, handling ox teams with which he broke up considerable land. This place was situated on section 11, township 34, range 23.

     During the years 1893, 1894 and 1895, Mr. Weston lived at Hartington, in Cedar county, Nebraska, doing any work he could secure, and for one year was in the livery business at Armour, South Dakota, dealing in real estate much of the time. This was during the drouth periods and the panic. In 1895 he returned to Keya Paha county, living for a short time on section 11 before locating on section 34, township 34, range 22, where he lived for six years prior to taking up his present farm in section 10, township 34, range 22, both places being situated on Cottonwood creek, and which he still owns; his possessions altogether consist of five quarter sections of fine land. One hundred acres are under cultivation and the rest in hay and pasture land, with a fine orchard of plum, apple and cherry trees, with Cottonwood creek running through the place, supplying fine clear water the year around. Mr. Weston has erected a solid stone house, a milk house of the same material with barn, granary and other necessary buildings of frame construction.

     Marlbank postoffice was established on our subject's present farm in 1883, and since 1896 Mrs. Weston has served as postmistress, with the postoffice re-established in their home.

     Mr. Weston is thoroughly familiar with conditions throughout this section of the country and has aided in the development and growth of the region from its early days. Politically he is a strong Republican, attending all the county conventions as a delegate, and one of the prominent public-spirited citizens of his community.

     While still living in Wisconsin Mr. Weston was married November 14. 1883, to Miss Emma Jane Williams, daughter of John and Jane (Reed) Williams, both born in England and afterwards early settlers in Wisconsin. To Mr. and Mrs. Weston two children were born, namely: Earl, born in Wisconsin in 1884, and Velma, born in 1890, in Keya Paha county. The family are all members of the Methodist church. Formerly Mr. Weston was a member of the Pythian order and the Woodmen, but owing to distance from lodge has allowed his membership to lapse.

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tion as a citizen, and incidentally become one of the leading men of his community.

     Mr. Hahn was born in Rio, Knox county, Illinois, December 2, 1860. His father, Moses Hahn, was a farmer and came of American stock. His mother, a native of Somersetshire, England, came to this country when a young girl. Our subject was fifth of twelve children born to his parents. Early in life he became inured to hard farm work and at the age of twenty, starting out for himself, bought a farm in Nodaway county, Missouri. whither his parents had moved in 1880. He spent four years on this farm, which he sold in 1884 and came to Cherry county, settling on a homestead in section 27, township 35, range 28, where he built a small house, covered with tar paper. As a start he had two good teams, a wagon, two cows and some farm machinery, and at once set to work building up his home. In the spring of 1885 he helped to organize the first school in this locality, the school being held in his own house, his wife acting as the teacher. During the drouth periods they were able to raise but very little besides the feed absolutely needed to supply their stock, suffering hard times but never despairing, and now his farm comprises three hundred and twenty acres, half of which , is under cultivation. He has this improved with good farm buildings, including a large barn and granary with corn cribs, etc. Altogether Mr. Hahn operates at times nine hundred and sixty acres of land, and has also been extensively engaged in the cattle and horse raising business.

     Mr. Hahn was married in Illinois in 1880 to Miss Lura Melton, of American parentage, and of this union five children were born, as follows: Mabel, Lloyd. Clement, Anna and Otis D.

     He is a Democrat politically, and takes an active part in party politics, attending conventions as delegate, and is an earnest worker for his party. He has served a term or two as deputy county treasurer. He affilliates (sic) with Ancient Modern Woodmen of America and the Ancient Order of United Workmen lodges of Valentine.

     In June, 1885, Mr. Lochmiller was married

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to Miss Bertha Sobel, who came to this country from Germany when a young girl. They have four children, namely: Otto, Willie Hattie and Eddie, all born in Brown county. July 5, 1899, Mr. Lochmiller met with a sad misfortune in the death of his wife, who was accidentally killed during a cyclone. The family saw the storm corning up and they all ran to the cellar for protection, when Mrs. Lochmiller, supposing one of the children had been left behind, started to open the cellar door, and just at this instant the cyclone struck the house moving it so that she was caught under the timbers and instantly killed. This was a terrible blow to the family, the manner of her death making it all the more harrowing. In 1900 Mr. Lochmiller married Mrs. Henrietta Schneidereit, a native of Germany, who came to this country in 1882 with her husband, locating in Council Bluffs, where they lived for seven years, then moved to Blaine county, Iowa, where he was accidentally killed in 1898, leaving her with the following children: Herman, Fred, Lizzie, Anna, Albert, Rhinehart and Henry. When the family first settled in Iowa they went through much privation, and just as they were beginning to get a start, the husband and father lost his life by being shot. One child was born to Mr. Lochmiller as a result of this second marriage, Ella, born in their present home. They are members of the Lutheran church and in politics Mr. Lochmiller is a Democrat.

      In 1885, Mr. Egan came west into Box Butte county, Nebraska, working for a time at teaming in Valentine. In 1886 he pre-empted a claim in township 32, range 47, and in February. 1887, proved up on his claim. Here he made the start which developed him into one of the most successful ranchmen in western Nebraska. He brought the lumber with which to build his home from Wisconsin. In the fall of 1887 he took a homestead, proved it up, and later sold it for one hundred and fifty dollars, realizing quite a small sum of money by the transaction. The following year, 1899, he purchased his present farm in section 26, township 32, range 47, located at the head of the Little Bordeaux creek. Here Mr. Egan has erected a nice home together with good barns and sheds in which to house his stock. From time to time he has purchased adjacent lands, until at the present time he has a ranch comprising an area of one thousand six hundred acres of deeded and leased land, three hundred acres of which are cultivated. His ranch is one of the largest in this locality, and a large portion of the land has been fenced. Some portions of the land are covered with matured timber. During the past six years Mr. Egan has equipped his farm with many modern improvements, until at the present time a more modernly fitted ranch could not be found in this part of the state. He has successfully withstood the drouth periods, and the many hardships which confronted the earlier settlers in this section of the country. Our subject engages extensively in the raising of cattle and horses, and has made an enviable reputation as one of the leading ranchmen of western Nebraska.

     Mr. Egan was married in Wisconsin in October, 1875, to Katherine Kent, daughter of Patrick and Ellen (Egan) Kent, both of whom were natives of Ireland. Mr. and Mrs. Egan are the parents of thirteen children, viz: Constantine. Ellen and Laura, both of whom are school teachers; Patrick, Katie, who is married; Michael, Daniel and Julia, eight children born in Wisconsin; Margaretta, Lizzie, Mary, John and Walter, five children born in Nebraska.

     In political matters Mr. Egan generally takes strong Republican ground. He has always been prominently identified with educational matters here, having served as a school officer for many years, and has assisted in the building and opening of several of the schools in this county. He has always taken an active part in the development of Dawes county, and enjoys the respect and confidence of a host of warm friends in the community in which his useful life is passing.

     Mr. Brown is a native of Smoland, Sweden, born in 1845. and came to this country in 1869, locating near Burlington, Iowa. He is now the owner of three hundred and twenty acres including the west half section 17, of Divide township, and farmed this land from 1887 up to 1903,

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at the end of which time he located in Holdrege. He has his farm well improved with good buildings, fences, etc., and the place is operated by his son, Fred Brown. He has a herd of eighty pure bred Hereford cattle, also a large number of graded cattle, and a drove of Duroc Jersey hogs. He raises banner crops on his land, his wheat crop running up to forty bushels per acre. Year before last he procured some genuine Turkey wheat seed from the Nebraska Agricultural College at Lincoln, and from five bushels of seed he raised one hundred and five bushels of fine wheat. He sold a part of his crop, and from the seed he reserved, this year raised five hundred bushels, the yield being thirty bushels per acre.

     Mr. Brown's son Fred is clerk of Divide township, and president of the Farmers' Elevator Company just completed at Funk, with a capacity of twenty thousand bushels, in which two hundred farmers are stockholders. One son, Eben Brown, operates a store in Funk, Nebraska. Another son, Elmer, is engaged in farming, and is recognized as one of the most successful young agriculturists in the locality. He, together with his father, operate about a thousand acres of land, and raise from ten to eleven thousand bushels of grain each year. Previous to settling here Mr. Brown farmed in Iowa, and he considers Nebraska far superior to that state for farming and stock raising. The country is healthier here, and the people get along better, and he says that had he remained there he would not have been nearly so well off as he is today.

     Mr. Brown married Miss Matilda Johnson, a native of Sweden. Their family consists of the sons above mentioned, and two daughters. Mrs. C. R. Wegert, of Lincoln, Nebraska, and Miss Edna Brown, of Holdrege. The family are members of the Lutheran church, of which Mr. Brown has been a trustee for nine years. Politically he is a Republican.

     Mr. Weyerts was born in the village of Burhoffe. province of Hanover, Germany, on the 22d day of November, 1866, and was reared there until the age of fifteen years; he was the third in a family of six children born to his parents. The family sailed from Bremerhaven March 22, 1881, on the Elbe and after a voyage of nine days arrived in New York. They settled at first in Peoria, Illinois, and spent one year there and for three years our subject was employed in a store in Flatsville, coming to Cheyenne county in the spring of 1886. They were among the earliest white settlers on the table land, their first location being what was later called Weyerts Postoffice.

     Our subject filed on a homestead on section 26, township 16, range 48, and there he began the farm which has now reached immense proportions, he being proprietor of two thousand two hundred and forty acres, and is classed among the wealthy residents of the county. He has two hundred acres under the plow, raising splendid crops. and has a complete set of substantial farm buildings, including a handsome residence, fine groves, and every convenience to he found on a model ranch. He keeps one hundrd (sic) and twenty-five head of cattle and forty horses. The place is one of the best equipped in the county, and a drive over the entire ranch will convince the visitor that systematic efforts and painstaking care are used in the operation of the place.

     His parents, Tonges and Maria (Rolfs) Weyerts, are both dead, and he is the only remaining member of this prominent family now living in Cheyenne county. On March 16, 1892. he was united in marriage to Miss Anna Hinrich, a most charming and estimable lady, who was born in Golden, Adams county, Illinois, a daughter of Henry and Anke (Onnan) Hinrich, natives of the province of Hanover, Germany. Five children have been born to this union, namely: Tonges, Henry, Mary, John and Margaret, who form a most interesting family group. They have a pleasant home, surrounded by every comfort that a rural residence affords.

     In politics Mr. Weyerts is a Roosevelt Democrat. He is active in neighborhood affairs, acting as a member of the school board in his community. The family are regular attendants of the Lutheran church at Weyerts, of which he is a trustee.

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     Mr. Winton was born in Koblenz, Rhine Province, Germany, in 1848, and was reared in his native country, learning the mason's trade as a boy, and followed that work in Germany for a number of years, traveling in Westphalia and Rhine Pronzen. He served in the German army for four years and at the age of twenty-six was married to Mary Christine Krenzberg, who was a native of the same town as our subject.

     In 1878 he came to America with his family, landing in New York in 1880, and immediately struck out for the western states, settling in Iowa, where he bought a farm of eighty acres situated in Crawford county, and there engaged at farming for several years. In 1886 Mr. Winton came to Nebraska and settled in Box Butte county and selected the site which is his present homestead. His first dwelling was a sod building. as also were his barns, and he went to work to improve his place, breaking laud for crops, and was obliged to haul all the family supplies from Hay Springs, which was a distance of seventy miles. When he came here he drove through the country from Iowa, also bringing along a herd of cattle. After he had settled in the sod shack with his family there was barely enough room for a bed and table, as he had the building filled with grain, etc. He was getting along very well when the drouth seasons struck him and for three years was hardly able to raise enough to get his seed back which he planted. although he managed to raise enough potatoes which furnished the chief food for the family.

     Mr. Winton is now proprietor of a fine ranch consisting of three sections. all of which is fenced and well improved with good farm buildings, wells, windmills, etc. He has all kinds of modern farm machinery, and operates his farm and ranch along advanced lines. He has plenty of good grass to run his stock, a nice grove of trees, and always has a splendid garden and plenty of small fruits for domestic use, such as gooseberries, currants, etc.

      Mr. and Mrs. Winton are the parents of the following children: Joseph H., Mary, Christine, Jacob, Gertrude and Henry.

     Mr. Winton has held school office in his district for the past several years, and has always taken an active and commendable interest in local affairs. Politically he is a Republican.

     Mr. Becker was married October 21, 1882, to Miss Anna Knierim, born in Erkshansen, Germany, who came to America on the same boat that brought him. They have a family of seven children, named as follows: Mary, Annie, Henry, Lydia, Otto, Martha and Edith, all born in this state except Mary, whose birth occurred in Ohio.

     Mr. Becker takes a personal interest in the building up of his community and lends his aid in all affairs of importance regarding the educational and commercial advancement of his locality. He has been a director in the school for ten years. and one of the prominent men in the county. He is Independent in politics and looks for the best man on the ticket instead of voting blindly for the party.

     Mr. Becker holds fellowship in the Modern Woodmen, the Woodmen of the World and, with Mrs. Becker, is a member of the Fraternal Union

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