Ruben Thomas Reeves |
town board and as county coroner. He is a Scottish Rite Mason and a Shriner. CHARLES C. McELROY, whose able management of his several interests places him with the successful business and professional men of Scottsbluff, was born in South Dakota, December 26, 1886, the only child of Charles and Mattie (Arbuckle) McElroy. The McElroy family is of Irish extraction but has been American for generations. The grandfather of Charles McElroy, John P. McElroy, was born in the state of New York, moving later to Illinois, and still later to South Dakota. The father of Mr. McElroy was a rancher and farmer in South Dakota and died at Rapid City in 1892. The mother was born and reared in Iowa, receiving her education in O'Brien county. She now lives at Lincoln, Nebraska, where she is an active member of the Congregational church. Charles C. McElroy attended school at Rapid City and in 1902 completed his high school course at Wisner, Nebraska, after which he spent one year in a business college at Omaha. In 1908 he completed his law course in the University of Nebraska, and after eighteen months of practice at Lincoln, came to Scottsbluff in March, 1910. Here he has not only won a definite place at the bar but has broadened his interests and does a large business in insurance and loans. He is also the representative of the R. G. Dun agency in the Platte Valley. He has been very active in Masonry and has received the Thirty-second degree, belonging to the consistory at Lincoln, and he attended the dedication of the Masonic Temple in that city. In politics he is affiliated with the Democratic party. WILLIAM REEVES was actively associated with his father in railroad contract work in Nebraska during the period of his early youth, and thus gained at first hand a definite familiarity with the conditions that prevailed in central and western Nebraska in the pioneer days. With his father he came to Cheyenne county before Scottsbluff county was segregated therefrom, and both took up and perfected title to land about five miles southeast of where Scottsbluff is now located. The subject of this sketch eventually became the owner of both of these tracts and he improved the same into one of the valuable farm estates of the county. This property he still owns and to its management he continued to give his active attention until 1918, when he retired the farm and removed with his family to Scottsbluff, where he purchased the attractive residence in which the family now makes its home and where the children are afforded the advantages of the excellent public schools. Mr. Reeves has been closely identified with progressive movements that have conserved the civic and industrial advancement of Scottsbluff county, and is a citizen who has a secure place in popular confidence and good will. His father was one of the builders of the Winter creek irrigation ditch and served as the first president of the company that constructed the same, while the son William was a director for thirteen years, as the owner of eighteen shares of the stock. In politics he gives his allegiance to the Democratic party and he and his wife hold to the faith of the Christian church. William Reeves was born in Mercer county, Missouri, August 28, 1861, and is a son of Ruben Thomas Reeves, who was born in Christian county, Kentucky, March 10, 1826, and who was about eighty-one years of age at the time of his death. His wife was born in Ohio. She died in Illinois. Their marriage was solemnized in Missouri. William Reeves has gained his education almost entirely in the school of practical experience and through self-discipline, as he early became associated with his father in railroad construction work in remote localities and was thus denied the customary school privileges. He was but ten years old when he thus began work with his father, who was engaged in 1875 in construction work on the levee along the Mississippi river from Hannibal to Hamburg Bay, later taking a contract for the building of one mile of the roadbed of the Union Pacific railroad near Callaway, Custer county, Nebraska, where he utilized in this work an average of about twenty-five teams. Later he constructed under contract two miles for the Burlington & Missouri River railroad, near Central City, and in both of these enterprises his son gave valuable coöperation. It was in 1886 that the father and son came to what is now Scottsbluff county and entered claim to the land which is now owned by the latter. In the intervening years William Reeves has stood exponent of the most progressive citizenship, the while he his worked for and won distinctive prosperity. In 1898 Mr. Reeves wedded Miss Susan V. Lacey, who was born in Texas, in July, 1874. They have two children, both of whom were born in the primitive sod house which still stands on the old home farm in Scottsbluff county. Shelley was born January 22, 1900, and Nellie July 18, 1906, both now being students in the public schools of Scottsbluff. J. RAY LANE, who has been established in the real setate (sic) business at Scottsbluff since 1908, has been the means of bringing a large |
amount of capital to the Platte Valley, owning a large acreage of valuable land and having control of vast properties on the commission basis. Mr. Lane has become as favorably known in the business as he farmerly (sic) was in the educational field. He was born at Herrick, in Shelby county, Illinois, June 1, 1884. The parents of Mr. Lane were Jesse B. and Martha (Strohl) Lane, both of whom were born in Ohio and when young accompanied their parents to Illinois. For three years the father was postmaster of Herrick, Illinois, an office he has filled at Scottsbluff since 1915. In 1888 Mr. Lane's parents came to Nebraska and settled in Cuming county where the father engaged in the real estate business until 1905, when he moved to Scottsbluff, where he continued his former activities until he was appointed postmaster. Of his nine children J. Ray is the second of the five survivors. In 1902 Mr. Lane was graduated from the Wisner high school, and in 1904 from the Nebraska Normal college at Wayne, with the B. C. degree, being president of his class. During the three following years he taught school, for one year in the country near Wayne, for one year being principal of the schools of Wolbach, in Greeley county, and one year superintendent of schools at Franklin. He then joined his father at Scottsbluff and is now associated with his brother Guy in the same business. In 1915 Mr., Lane was united in marriage to Miss Dora J. Carter, a musician of note, who is a graduate of the New England Conservatory of Music, Boston, Massachusetts, and prior to the World War, was a student in Germany for two years. Mr. and Mrs. Lane have no children. In his political views he is a Democrat like his father and grandfather. He is active in Masoinc (sic) circles and was secretary of the first Masonic lodge installed at Scottsbluff He is a member of the Episcopal church. GUY LANE, whose aggressive yet well planned business activities have given him high standing in commercial circles, is identified with a brother in the real estate line at Scottsbluff. Mr. Lane was born at Wisner, Cuming county, Nebraska, March 28, 1889. The family history appears in this work as it is an old and important one in the state. Guy Lane enjoyed educational advantages at Wisner, and after completing the high school course, went itno (sic) the telephone business, and during the following eight years he gained so broad a knowledge of electricity, that he might qualify for a number of positions where such knowledge is indispensable. In the meanwhile, however, the family moved to Scottsbluff and he joined them here, had some experience in the real estate line with his father, then became associated with his brother as the firm of Lane Brothers, and the partners carry on an extensive business, to the extension of which Mr. Lane gives close attention. In 1908 Mr. Lane was united in marriage to Miss Ann Konkle, and they have two children, namely: Helen Louise and Audrey Lee. As an intelligent, upstanding, expectant citizen, with ambition to not only forward his own fortunes but to also advance the best interests of county and state, Mr. Lane takes a hearty interest in politics and proves the sincerity of his convictions when he gives support to the Democratic party. CLYDE N. MOORE, M. D., president of the Scottsbluff County Medical society, is a leading member of his profession at Scottsbluff, where he has built up a large practice and become thoroughly identified with the best interests of this section. Dr. Moore was born at Macomb, in McDonough county, Illinois, March 13, 1882, the son of H. N. and Anna (Cooper) Moore, the former born in Ihio (sic) and the latter in McDonough county, Illinois. They had two sons born to them: Roscoe P., who is manager of the Ogallala Lumber Company, at Ogallala, Nebraska; and Clyde N., who was an infant when his parents came to Nebraska. It was in 1882 that they left their cultivated land in Illinois and came to a sparsely settled section of Seward county, where the father invested in school land for which he paid $7 an acre. He became wealthy as a farmer and stock feeder and remained on his homestead in Seward county until the close of his life, his death occuring (sic) in August, 1908. Dr. Moore's mother survives and resides at Scottsbluff. She is a member of the Presbyterian church and is interested in numerous benevolent enterprises. Clyde N. Moore completed his high school course at Seward in 1900, but before taking up a scientific cause, devoted some time to the study of human nature by spending a short period on a ranch near Buffalo, Wyoming, and conducting a hotel. In the meanwhile he had done enough preparatory medical reading to enable him to enter Lincoln Medical college, in 1907, graduating in 1911 with the |
degree of M. D., and immediately entered into practice at Gering, where he continued one and a half years before coming to Scottsbluff. Dr. Moore is engaged in medical and surgical practice, meeting with the success that not only is a source of gratification to every conscientious medical man, but that has proved his worth to his fellow citizens. He is active in all the leading medical organizations, is president of the county society, is a member of the Nebraska State Medical association, of the American Medical association and belongs also to the Volunteer Medical Service Corps of the United States. Dr. Moore's personal standing is as high as is his professional. He has long been identified with the Masonic fraternity and still retains membership in his college Greek letter society. Dr. Moore owns two valuable farms but his practice demands too much of his time and attention to permit his being much of a practical agriculturist. On October 11, 1911, Dr. Moore married Miss Udoris M. Wilmeth, a native of Salem, Iowa. She had a liberal education there and later took advanced courses in other schools. Dr. and Mrs. Moore have one son, bearing his father's name, who was born May 9, 1917. In politics Dr. Moore follows the example set by his venerated father and gives support to the principles of the Republican party and upholds its vinlication (sic) of true Americanism. HORACE E. BROWN. -- It is surprising how many interesting stories come to light when real lovers of Nebraska get together and exchange reminiscences, and could the readers of the history of the Panhandle have these stories at first hand, few would ever afterward relish more romances of courage, endurance, persistency, of neighborhood brotherliness or exemplification of sincere Christianity. Question where you will, among the stable, representative people of this great state and you will pass on with a deeper respect for the primitive qualities that have helped build up so great a commonwealth. The family history of Horace E. Brown, the leading druggist at Scottsbluff, goes back to Illinois and Indiana, then to Iowa, and after four years of fighting in the Civil War, reaches Nebraska, where different but almost as fatal enemies were found, and finally were overcome. Horace E. Brown was born at Mount Pleasant, in Henry county, Iowa, May 19, 1867, the eldest of six children born to Richard T. and Catherine (Allen) Brown. Richard T. Brown was born at Bedford, Indiana, in 1840 and in early life accompanied his father, John Brown, to Iowa. During his growing period he worked with a railroad company and was the first agent at Pacific junction, in Mills county. When the Civil War was precipitated, he enlisted and served four years, as a member of the Fourth Iowa cavalry. All his life he was a man of good standing in the community, was a member of the Odd Fellows and a pillar in the Methodist Episcopal church. After the war he was married in Iowa to Catherine Allen, who was born in 1843 and died in 1915. Her father, John Allen, came early to Iowa, where he was a merchant, his death occurring while on a business trip on the Mississippi river between New Orleans and Burlington. The Browns settled in Johnson county when they came to Nebraska. They were not prepared to endure the climatic changes, nor could the father of Mr. Brown prevail against the grasshoppers that devastated his fields, so return was made to Iowa, but it was too late, the charm of the wide, open prairies, the deep blue skies, the freshening winds and the fruitful land, had made living in any other section impossible, and in 1880 the Johnson county residents were once more increased by the Brown family, who settled at Tecumseh. The father died in January, 1917. Horace E. Brown had excellent school advantages at Tecumseh. While attending school in the winters, he worked on a farm in the summers and learned to punch cattle on a ranch near Tecumseh, Beatrice and Nebraska City. An agricultural life, however, did not appeal to him, and after spending two years in the drug business, in Idaho, he went to Louisville, Nebraska, where he carried on a drug business for ten years. In 1905 he came to Scottsbluff and opened his drug store here which he has conducted ever since. Both graduates Nebraska State University and registered druggists. (This last sentence exactly as appears in the book. It may belong at end of next paragraph?) In Idaho, in 1890, Mr. Brown was united in marriage to Miss Mary Lindsey, who was born in Boise City, and they have two children, Richard and Raymond. Richard is an American soldier with the Army of Occupation in Germany, entering military service in September, 1917, as a member of the Eighty-ninth Division. He was educated in the University of Nebraska. He married Beatrice McIntosh. Raymond was also educated in the State University. He married Zona Cline. In politics Mr. Brown is a sound Republican as was his late father. He has served at times as a member of the city council and when his party brought him forward as a candidate for mayor, he lost the election by but seven votes. Mr. Brown is the most advanced |
Mason in the county, a member of K. C. C. H., and a shriner (sic), and belongs also to the Modern Woodmen. Mrs. Brown is active in social circles to some extent, is interested in all charitable enterprises and is a member of the Episcopal church. DANIEL R. SCHENCK, justice of the peace and police judge, of Scottsbluff, who has served continuously and with the greatest efficiency since 1911, is well and favorably known in different sections of the state. He was born in Parke county, Indiana, September 8, 1849, the second of eight children born to Cyrenius and Mildred H. (Reeder) Schenck. Judge Schenck's father was born in 1827, in Butler county, Ohio, of Holland ancestry. In 1846 he was married in Parke county, Indiana, to Mildred H. Reeder, who was born in Virginia, in 1827, and died in 1913, surviving her husband one year. They were faithful members of the Methodist Episcopal church. In 1856 removal was made to Iowa, where the father engaged in the practice of medicine. At the outbreak of the Civil War he entered the Union army and served on hospital duty for four years, being quartered at Jefferson barracks during the greater part of the time. In 1876 Dr. Schenck came to Webster county, Nebraska, where he later served in the offices of coroner and justice of the peace. He was a Republican in his political views and belonged to the Masonic fraternity. Daniel R. Schenck began life on a farm after obtaining a country school education, in Davis, Decatur and Warren counties, Iowa. In 1872, while in Warren county, he met with the serious accident that cost him his hand, it having been caught in a circular saw. When able once more to resume active life, he taught one term of school in Warren county and then went to Decatur to reënter a mill and completed the miller's trade. Through work at this trade, he came to Republican Valley, in 1876, and engaged in the milling business there until 1909, when he came to Scottsbluff and took charge of a mill for his brother-in-law, 0. R. Brown, which he operated for a year, when it was destroyed by fire. In 1907, in Republican Valley, he had been elected justice of the peace and servtd (sic) with much general satisfaction. In 1911 he was appointed both justice of the peace and police judge of Scottsbluff. No one could perform the duties of these offices with more discrimination on the side of justice than Judge Schenck and there is never any danger but that the dignity of his courtroom will be upheld. In his political affiliation he has always been a Republican. On March 31, 1881, Judge Schenck was united in marriage with Miss Alice L. Brown, who was born in Illinois, and they have three children: Albert 0., Lloyd C. and Emma E. Albert 0. went to Europe with the American Expeditionary Force in June, 1918, entered military service in December, 1917, and has proved himself a brave and gallant soldier; Lloyd C., a soldier with the Army of Occupation in Germany, was sent, after enlistment, to Jefferson barracks, where his grandfather had been stationed during his military service, many years ago. At the time of entering service, Judge Schenck's sons had just been graduated from Kansas City Business College, Kansas City, Missouri. Emma E., the only daughter, is trying to keep up the home atmosphere for her father, as Mrs. Schenck was called away in 1915. judge Schenck and his children all belong to the Methodist Episcopal church. WINFIELD EVANS, who is serving his second term as water commissioner of Scottsbluff, has been identified with Scottsbluff county since 1886. He is widely known, for through his scientific agricultural efforts much has been done to bring this section of the Panhandle into a "place in the sun." While modest in regard to his achievements, he naturally takes pleasure in his success, and there are few representative agricultural bodies in the state that have not taken a deep interest in the methods which have produced the remarkable exhibits of vegetables and fruits that for some years have carried off medals and premiums at various state fairs. Winfield Evans was born at Knoxville, Illinois, May 17, 1864, the son of Charles and Jane Margaret (Wilber) Evans, the former born in Hartford county, Connecticut, in June, 1819, and died in 1888, and the latter in Schoharie county, New York, in 1830, and died in April, 1886, in Illinois. Of their seven children the following, besides Winfield, survive: Ada, the wife of Frank Hardesty, a druggist at Rigby, Idaho; Harry, a traveling salesman, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; Ralph, a printer of Milwaukee, and Grace, the wife of Walter Reiter, of Indiana. The mother of the family was a member of the Episcopal church. The father was a carpenter, and cabinetmaker by trade and lived in several states. He came to Scottsbluff county, Nebraska, and homesteaded in 1887 and died here. He was a Repulican (sic) in politics and a member of the Masonic fraternity for many years. In the public schools of Avoca, Iowa, Mr. Evans secured some educational training but |
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