here they resided some six months. They then moved to Saunders county, Nebraska, living two years near Mead before making a permanent residence in Cheyenne county. Here the father filed on a homestead in section 32, township 16, range 52, and still occupies that farm. In the fall of 1885 he sent for his family, and the mother came with her three children.

     Proceeding from Stockholm to Gottenberg, they took steamer for Hull, whence they crossed English to Liverpool; thence they sailed for New York on the City of Berlin, landing after a voyage of eleven days. After a two years' residence with his father in Cheyenne county, our subject filed on a homestead for himself, in section 32, township 16, range 52, and in 1900 secured three hundred and twenty acres in section 20, now owning a fine ranch of four hundred and eighty acres. Here he has gone through all the pioneer experiences, suffering losses from failures of crops due to the drouths, etc., but has worked hard and is well rewarded for this efforts.

     He farms about two hundred acres, and is extensively engaged in the stock business, running one hundred head of cattle and twenty-five horses. Of late years he has developed the dairy interests, shipping the cream from a herd of twelve to fifteen cows to Cheyenne. His place is well fenced, has good buildings of every king and every improvement in the way of farm machinery, wells, windmill, etc. The barns, with all their contents and three fine horses, were lost by fire by in August 1907. He has planted orchard trees, besides having different varieties of small fruits. His homestead is one of the best kept and most prosperous appearing farms of the locality, and he enjoys a good competence as a result of his many years of hard labor. A view of the home is to be found on another page of this work.

     In local affairs he takes a leading part, keeping in close touch with all matters pertaining to the good of the locality. He is a Republican and firm in his convictions, keeping well posted on state, county and national politics. At present he is serving as director of school district No. 47.

     With his family Mr. Jacobson was reared in the Swedish Lutheran church

     August W. Olson, owner of a fine estate in Trognitz precinct, has been a resident of Cheyenne county for the past twenty years, and during that time has become one of the successful ranchmen and substantial citizens of that region. Mr. Olson was born in Sweden, three-quarters of a mile from the market town of Verserum, January 1, 1852, living with his parents until he was a lad of sixteen years. He was reared on a farm, and followed the usual life of that country as a boy, receiving a common school education , and came to America with some friends in 1868. His first location was at Galesburg, Illinois, and he spent twenty-two years in that section, following the carpenter's trade; fourteen years of this time he was employed in the car shops of the Burlington railroad. From there he came direct to Cheyenne county, arriving here in the spring of 1888, and immediately file on a homestead of one hundred and sixty acres in section 28, township 16, range 52, and is now owner of the whole section, besides four hundred and eighty acres of land, all but one hundred and sixty acres of it adjoining his home ranch. He has gone through all the pioneer experiences in accumulating this property, and since coming here has remained continuously on his present far. As a result of his faithful labor, his handsome farm and its well-kept appearance, all stocked with one hundred and twenty-five cattle and twenty-five good horses, is evidence of his prosperity. He farms about one hundred and seventy acres, raising food crops of small grains beside having plenty of pasture. We call attention to a view of the home and surroundings presented elsewhere in this work.

     Mr. and Mrs. Olson are the parents of five children, named as follows; Minnie, wife of Charles Alquist, employed in the hardware busi-

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ness at Morrell (sic), Nebraska; Frank, deceased; Frederick, entered for a four years' course in the Knox Business College at Galesburg; Ruth Agnes and Elsie, living at home. The family have a pleasant rural home, surrounded by every comfort and many luxuries of modern convenience, and are well liked by all in their community.

     Mr. Olson takes an active and leading part in neighborhood affairs, is prominent in school matters, at present serving as moderator of district No 47. Politically he is a Republican. The family was reared in the Swedish Lutheran church.

     Wilson I. Cady, classed among the old settlers of Cherry county, although he has been in the section only since 1898, has since his residence here been a potent factor in the development of the agricultural resources of that locality. He is know throughout the county as a prosperous and energetic farmer and ranchman, and is a worthy and highly esteemed citizen.

     Mr. Cady was born in New York state in 1833, and raised on a farm in Schenectady county. His father, Silas, and his mother whose maiden name was Susanna Coffin, were both natives of that state, and when Wilson was lad of ten years the whole family emigrated to Michigan, where he grew to manhood.

     He helped his parents carry on the home farm and in the meantime obtained a somewhat limited schooling, learning early to depend upon his own labors and resources. In 1868 he came to Nebraska, and was among the pioneers near Tecumseh, Johnson county, and there he spent thirty years, building up a good home from raw prairie land, and improved it in good shape, and the land is now worth one hundred dollars an acre. He left that place and came to Cherry county in 1898, settling on section 2, township 25, range 27, and here he has also developed a fine ranch, consisting of eight hundred acres.

     He has seventy-five acres under cultivation and raises fine crops, besides running considerable stock. The ranch is situated on Calf creek, and is beautifully located, having a fine water supply, plenty of timer, pasture and hay land, and altogether is one of the valuable estates in the county.

      Mr. Cady was married in St. Joe county, Michigan, in 1855, to Miss Catherine A. Wing, daughter of Thomas Wing, a well-known carpenter and farmer in that locality. Both her father and mother were from Massachusetts, coming west as pioneers. Mr. and Mrs. Cady have two children, namely; William E. and Emma.

     The gentleman whose name heads this personal history is well known as one of the most hospitable and congenial of men, a typical representative of the sturdy ranchman of the west, happy and contented with his home life and surroundings, and one whom it is a pleasure to know. He lives on section 35, township 34, range 50, where he has a comfortable home and everything in first-class order.

     Mr. Palmer is a native of Butler county, Iowa, born on a farm in 1860. His father, John Palmer, was born in England, and was a pioneer in Iowa, who married Miss Louisa Jeffrey, also born in England. When our subject was a small boy his parents moved to Black Hawk county, where he grew up. He attended the country schools and during his spare time assisted his father in carrying on the farm work, remaining at home until he reached the age of twenty-two years, then located in Wright county, where he engaged in the livery and pump business, running the business for two years. From there he moved to Rock Valley, Iowa, where he run a pump business for one year. In 1885 he came to Dawes county, landing here in June of that year, driving from Rock Valley with a team and covered wagon. He had a tent along with him and every night pitched the tent and spent the nights in sleeping on the ground. With him were three other men also coming here to settle. After arriving here he located new Lone Tree creek, situated on a branch of Main creek, and there put up a shack and "batched it" for five years, and in the winter of 1890 or 1891 was married to Miss Nancy A. Sweet. Two years later they moved to his present ranch, in section 35, township 34, range 50, moving his buildings, and here has built up a good home and farm. He has all good substantial farm buildings, the place well fenced, and has good running water the year around. There is plenty of hay land and he engages principally in stock raising, doing a little farming. He is now running one hundred and sixty cattle and twenty-five horse, and is doing well in his different enterprises. During the first years in this section he went through hard times, witnessing the drouths, etc., but stuck to it through all discouragements, and has mad e a good thing of it.

     Mrs. Palmer is a daughter of Henry Sweet, who settled in Dawes county in March, 1885. He is an old soldier. Mr. and Mrs. Palmer are the parents of the following children; Arthur, born November 27, 1891; Roy, now deceased; Ernest, born October 15, 1894; Eva, born August 17, 1897; Elsie, born December 28, 1899; Ruby, born October 4, 1902, and Thomas, born March 2, 1907.

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     Ole A. Davig, who is classed among the leading citizens of Box Butte county, resides on section 9, township 26, range 48, where he has a well improved farm and comfortable home.

     Mr. Davig was born in Norfjord, Norway, in 1864. His father was a farmer all his life, lived and died in his native land, his death occurring when our subject was a lad of ten years, and at the age of sixteen the latter left home and took passage for the United States. Immediately after landing n American soil he started for the west and came to Albion, Nebraska, locating in Boone county, where he had an uncle living on a farm, and he started work on his place. One year was spent in working in the brick yards in that locality, and he remained there for about five years in all. In 1886 he came farther west and settled in Box Butte county, accompanying a part of eleven pioneers, and was obliged to pay one dollar for the privilege of walking out from Hay Springs with these people, marching behind a wagon whose driver acted as guide for the rest of the party. Mr. Davig selected a location in section 27, township 26, range 48, and started to improve his claim, hiring a man to break up a piece of ground so that he could put in some seed. He began to build a sod house, putting up a building eight by ten feet, with half a window fitted in the south side of the shanty, and here he "batched it" while getting a start by working out for his neighbors, doing anything that he found to do. His first team was a good pair of oxen, and with these he broke up his land and did all the work on his farm. He proved up on his claim, constantly improving his place, and now has a fine set of farm buildings, including good residence, barn, granaries, cattle shed, etc. His house is a commodious frame building, twenty by thirty-two feet, with a good sod addition, sixteen by forty-six feet. His farm is well supplied with good water, pumped by windmills fitted with supply tanks at different points on the farm. Mr. Davig's ranch consists of six hundred and forty acres and fifty-two acres of land in Sherman county, and this is also well improved. Also, he has seven hundred and twenty acres of leased land, which he operates in this township, and he is making plenty of money by his different enterprises. He is counted among the well-do-do residents of his locality, but has gone through many discouragements and hardships during the first years in this region, but was never obliged to mortgage his property, as so many of the pioneers were forced to do. At one time he was compelled to travel on foot from his farm to Whitman, a distance of eighty miles east of Alliance, to seek for work, and on the trip he became so exhausted from hunger and fatigue that he could scarcely walk. He was so thirsty that he nearly died, all the water he could find to drink was out of Duck Lake, which was nothing more than a mud hole.

     In 1892 Mr. Davig was married to Hattie Robinson, a native of Mercer county, Illinois. Her father, E.G. Robinson, was a well-known farmer and liveryman, and one of the old settlers in Sherman county, Nebraska, where Mrs. Davig grew up among the pioneers. She came to the western part of the state and took up a homestead in Box Butte county in 1892 and proved up on the claim, and still owns it. She was a teacher in the schools in this county for some years prior to her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. Davig are the parents of the following children; Albert, aged fifteen; Margaret, aged thirteen; Archie, aged five years, and Clarence, one month old. (Handwritten on page - "and Olof A. Divig born June 16-1911.")

     Mr. Davig is at present serving his township as road overseer. Mrs. Davig has held the office of school director for six years, and the school is situated on his farm.. In political sentiments Mr. Davig is a stanch Republican.

     Mr. Davig returned to his native land in December, 1904, on account of the death of a sister, who left three orphan children, two boys and one girl, named Osmes, Alfred and Amanda. Mr. Davig returned to America in April, 1905, with the children and is doing an uncle's , and indeed a father's, part by them, educating them and rearing them along the line of uprightness and that makes honorable and successful citizens.

     The gentleman above named is one of the prominent stockmen of Kimball county, and a foremost citizen of his community, having done much to build up and improve conditions in his county. He has spent may years in Nebraska, has prospered financially through good management, and enjoys an enviable reputation as a business man and worthy citizen.

     Jacob Pedrett was born in Switzerland, November 7, 1856, and grew up there. Both his parents are now dead, they having spent their entire lives in their native country. During his boyhood he followed farming, and at the age of thirty years came to the United States to seek his fortune. After landing in New York city he came directly west, locating near Hastings, in Adams county, Nebraska, where he engaged in the cheese and dairy business, carrying that work on for four years, then came to Kimball

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county, where he homesteaded a quarter section and proved up on it. He afterward sold it, as sheepmen forced him out, and then purchased one hundred and sixty acres on section 30, township 15, range 52. He settled on this in 1901, and has improved it in splendid shape, now having one hundred acres under cultivation, and runs a large herd of cattle and horses. He also had a Kincaid claim of four hundred and eighty acres in the vicinity of his home ranch.

      Mr. Pedrett is largely interested in the stock business, being in partnership with Mr. Clark, the latter having a fine ranch adjoining Kimball village, and together they own a fine herd of registered Hereford cattle, also a bunch of high bred horses. Both men are good judges of stock and their cattle and horses are pronounced best in that section of the country.

     Mr. Pedrett was among the first to introduce registered stock in this region. He has made a success and is recognized as one of the prominent old-timers.

     Mr. Pedrett was united in marriage to Marie Louise Grothaus, in Hastings, Nebraska, March 31, 1887. Mrs. Pedrett was a native of Germany, born April 10, 1864, and came to America in 1885. Five children were born to them, four of whom are living, and named as follows; Ulrich, Freda, Willie (who died at the age of six years), Louise and Harry, forming a very interesting family. Ulrich attended the State Agricultural School at Lincoln and graduated in 1906. Mrs. Pedrett's mother is still living in Germany, at the age of seventy-six years. Politically Mr. Pedrett is a Republican. He is active in local affairs, and has served as school director in his district for a number of years, and has also held the office of assessor and road overseer.

     Charles Allen was one of the prosperous and influential citizens of Brown county, Nebraska, where he had a well-improved farm of six hundred and forty acres, and was numbered among the representative farmers of the county. Mr. Allen was born in Ontario, Canada, in 1852. His father, Samuel Allen, was also a native of Canada, of Irish descent, and his mother of Irish stock.

     In a family of six children our subject was the second member, and he was raised in his native country, his father dying there. The family came to the United States in 1870, settling in Saline county, Nebraska, as pioneers in the eastern part of the state. When they arrived here Mr. Allen walked from Ashland to Lincoln and thirty-five miles west of the latter place, to where he took up a homestead, there putting up a log house, which was the only one of its kind in sight at that time. For ten years he lived there.

     In 1880 he was married to Miss May C. Kellison, this event taking place the spring of that year, then came to Atkinson where he spent a year. He also took up a timber claim in Brown county on which he built a board shanty, the lumber for which was hauled from Niobrara City, a distance of one hundred and fifty miles. He spent his time in freighting from Oakdale to Fort Niobrara, making many trips which took several days on the road, camping out at night and leading a regular frontiersman's life. While he was working hard to build up his home and farm he met with man discouragements in the way of drouths, storms, and other destructive elements, and for four years lost nearly all of his crops, and during this time he was compelled to cut posts and wood, which he hauled a long distance to sell in order to make a living for his family. In 1897 he sold out his homestead and bought his last farm and from the beginning made a success of this enterprise. He built up his place in good shape and had a complete set of good farm buildings, fences, etc., and owned a valuable property. His crops were of the best, and grain of the finest quality, which was his chief product. At one time during the dry years he had a field of forty acres of corn from which he picked four bushels fit to use. When he first settled here, there were only three houses between his home and Stuart, and he watched the growth and development of this part of the state from its earliest beginning.

     Mr. Allen's family consists of himself, wife and seven children named as follows; Ed, Walter, Hattie, Loretta, Claude, William and Audrey.

     Mr. Allen died July 19, 1906. He was working in the harvest field at the time and was at work behind the binder, when he was stricken without any warning, thus closing a life in the very midst of the activities which had made his life a success.

     Milton Hesselgesser was born in Butler county, Pennsylvania in 1875, his parents being Samuel and Mary Alice (Watson) Hesselgesser, whose sketch appears on another page of this volume. They were pioneer farmers and old settlers of Loup county, Nebraska.

     Our subject came to the county with his parents and grew up on the farm, living on the old home place until 1892. He located a homestead on section 22, township 22, range 17, and has proven up on his land. He has an excellent farm of three hundred and twenty acres, im-

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