gress. In 1886, he came to Banner county, then a part of Cheyenne county, and filed on a homestead. After the organization of the new county of Banner, he was elected county judge and served two years. Mr. and Mrs. Shumway affiliated with the Congregational church in Illinois but there being none of that denomination here at that time, they attended Methodist services, and occasionally the Presbyterian. He was a Thirty-second degree Mason before coming west and was for many years High Priest of the Chapter at Rio, Illinois. Clara A., the eldest daughter came to Banner county, and filed upon a homestead in 1887. She was married to George B. Luft December 10, 1890. Mr. Luft was a pioneer merchant, and continued in business until his death at Scottsbluff. Clara Shumway was the first superintendent of public instruction in Banner county, being elected without opposition and served two terms. She has always been active in educational, mercantile, lodge; club and civic endeavor. Grace F., who was inclined to literary pursuits, and prominent in the W. C. T. U. was married at Woodhull, Illinois to C. L. Burgess, and was killed by the accidental discharge of a revolver August 13, 1899. Stephen Roswell, the oldest son except Gano, who died in infancy, was married to Mary E. Brown at Woodhull, Illinois, and has been engaged in mercantile pursuits for the greater part of his life. He now resides at Oklahoma City. He attended Monmouth college. George O., who attended Knox College, was married to Lena Hoadley at Galesburg, and took up the practice of law. He was seven times mayor of Galesburg, and once candidate for lieutenant governor of Illinois. He now resides in northern California. Grant Lee, the writer of the history of western Nebraska, and Alson J. have sketches elsewhere in this volume. Minnie Mae, now Mae Shumway Enderly, resides at Lon Angeles, where her husband, Fred W., has mercantile interests. She is professionally an entertainer for chautauquas, singing, reading, and high class vaudeville. Mabel (Raymond) is at Los Angeles, and is a student and practitioner of therapeutics, and active in civic affairs. The ranch of nine hundred and sixty acres in Banner county was sold and Mr. and Mrs. Shumway moved to Gering, where he died August 5, 1897. Mrs. Shumway lived at Gering, Scottsbluff, and Los Angeles, until October 22, 1904, when she died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Luft at Scottsbluff. MARTIN L. WEHN. -- One of the younger but prominent and truly representative men of Morrill county, who is president of the Broadwater Bank of Broadwater, and who has had other important interests in the county and city, is a native son of Nebraska, born in Aurora, October 5, 1885, the son of George H. and Susan C. (Hartzell) Wehn, who are descended from a long line of fine Pennsylvania stock, where both were born. The father was a minister of the gospel and lived in different places in the middle west as he was called to various charges. The Wehn family first came to this section of the country in 1865, when George Wehn assumed charge of a church in Beatrice and from that date to the present has been an influence for good living, progress and the advancement of religion and education wherever he has been located. Having spent forty-five years in ministration to the spiritual life of mankind he lives a retired life, passing the declining years in the homes of his devoted children. There were seven children in the Wehn family: Margaret, who married J. W. Beggs, now lives at Whiting, Iowa; Daisy, the wife of B. C. Brons, also of that city; Susan, married Herbert Scott of Hampshire, Wyoming; Martin, the subject of this review; and three who died in infancy. Being the son of educated parents, Martin Wehn was given advantage of every educational facility afforded in the public schools of Iowa and Missouri where the family lived while he was a boy and youth. After completing his practical education the young man entered the general mercantile business, open- (sic) the first store in Broadwater, but after building up an excellent patronage within the short space of some eighteen months his interest was directed to financial circles by his uncle J. W. Wehn. Having made a marked success of a retail business and having great faith in the future of this section of Nebraska, Mr. Wehn purchased a large block of stock of the Broadwater Bank from J. W. Wehn who had owned the controlling interest in that splendid financial institution, and became its president. The bank has a capital of $25,000, surplus of $7,000 and deposits of over $250,000. Mr. Wehn has became a leading financier of the county and as president of the bank, enjoys the confidence of the public generally. He has taken an active part in all local enterprises of recognized merit and his public spirit has many times been sufficiently exercised to warrant his reputation as an earnest and able citizen of this progressive community. In politics he is a Republican and while he |
is interested in all political questions that pertain to the progress of Broadwater, Nebraska, and the nation has no time to enter political life as his entire energies are concentrated on the business of the bank and its allied financial activities. Fraternally Mr. Wehn is allied with the Masonic order while he and his wife are liberal supporters of the Presbyterian church. On September 4, 1907, Mr. Wehn married Miss Mary Evans, who is a charming, gracious woman and the family have a large circle of friends, while Mr. Wehn stands high in banking circles due to his constructive yet conservative policy, his universal courtesy to depositors and borrowers and his interest in the civic improvements of Broadwater and the county. JOHN H. ADAMS, who has been prominently known in business circles in Broadwater for a decade, is a broad minded citizen and progressive man of affairs who manifests lively interest in all things touching the communal welfare and the upbuilding of the city. John Adams is descended from fine old English stock and displays many of the excellent characteristics of that race. He was born in Kansas, November 30, 1884, the son of Benjamin and Elizabeth (Bluer) Adams, both of whom were born and reared in England. They were ambitious people who desired greater opportunities both for themselves and their children than could he obtained in the island of their nativity and immigrated to the United States. Soon after arriving in this country they came west, locating on a Kansas farm, where the father lived all his life, passing away in 1892, while the mother still lives residing in Wakefield, Kansas, a sturdy, worthy, old woman. The youthful years of John Adams were passed on his father's farm, where he assisted in the farm work during the summer and attended the public schools of that state, and to this preliminary education he has been constantly adding, by extensive and well directed reading. He was one of a family of twelve children and grew up inured to the happy strife of a big family until his majority was attained when he decided to start out on an independent career and learned bookkeeping; after completing this course he entered the employ of a hardware house at Bayard, where, in 1905, he gained the practical knowledge of its administration. After residing in this state for two and a half years he felt the call of the west, and with an idea of looking for business openings as well as seeing the country, Mr. Adams left, going to Nevada, then on to California and the Pacific coast, returning by way of Idaho. No country looked as good as the Panhandle and as he had faith in the future of this section he settled in Broadwater on his return. The two years and a half spent in travel had broadened his vision and he saw that a great future was in store for this section of fertile soil, with its assured sunshine and the irrigation which is being developed in the valley of the Platte. A year after his return Mr. Adams opened his present grocery and dry goods house. This business dates from 1910, and in the decade since its establishment the store has grown to most satisfactory and gratifying proportions. Today it is regarded as one of the leading commercial enterprises in the Panhandle, due to the excellent policy of its proprietor, who won and holds his trade by his unqualified personal popularity. He is ever courteous, is regarded as a progressive man in ideas, an enterprising citizen as well as a successful business man. Mr. Adams is still young, the years of a broad commercial career are still before him and the past makes this more of a statement than a prophecy. In 1912, Mr. Adams married Miss Bertha Rogers, a native of this state and they have one child, Harland. The family is connected with the Presbyterian church, to which they are liberal contributors. Politically Mr. Adams is affiliated with the Democratic party but he is an idependent (sic) Democrat, not drawing close party lines when voting in local elections as he picks the best man for the position to be filled. He takes pride in the record made by the party during the war. JESS R. MINSHALL, has identified himself with the civic, financial and material interests of Morrill county, for he has not only been a representative merchant of this section and a banker of prominence but has held a public position of trust in the county. He is a native son of the west and has exemplified its progressive spirit in the varied activities that that have brought him such a generous share of temporal prosperity. Mr. Minshall was born in the Sunflower state, February 12, 1881, the son of James R. and Mary (Hogan) Minshall, the former born in Wisconsin, while his mother was a native of Missouri. There were five children in the family: Ralph, who lives in Tacoma, Washington; Nola, who married H. W. Benett; Benjamin, who lives near McGrew, Nebraska; Jess, the subject of this review, and Dora, deceased. |
The family resided in Kansas for a number of years, then removed to North Platte, where the father was employed as a machinist, an occupation which gave him a comfortable income so that he saw his children had good, practical educations. Jess Minshall attended the public schools of North Platte and after graduating from the High school he entered the Fremont Normal school, spending four years there in advanced study, making a specialty of commercial subjects. After completing his course in this institution he entered upon a financial career by becoming interested in a mercantile house, where for ten years he was engaged in varied commercial pursuits gaining invaluable knowledge in business methods. He was ambitious and decided to establish himself independently and in 1906 came to the Panhandle, for he believed there was a great future for this part of the state, due to the new intensive farming being introduced with irrigation. Mr. Minshall initiated his career in this section by opening the Blue Creek Mercantile Company at Lewellen, on the north bank of the Platte. His store flourished from its initiation but commercial life was not the goal of his ambitions and after studying the situation over he entered the bank at Lewellen, to learn in a practical manner, the administration and policies of the banking business. Leaving this institution he came to Broadwater in 1909, and established a hardware store but gave up active participation in its management when he was elected clerk of the district court. Mr. Minshall performed his public duties as a worthy citizen who had the best interests of the community at heart, and at the expiration of his term of office returned to Broadwater, becoming one of the stockholders and organizers of the Union State Bank of this city. From the initiation of this substantial and progressive banking house Mr. Minshall has been cashier, with Mark Shanogle as president. The institution is capitalized at $25,000, with deposits in excess of $100,000, which attests to the popularity of its officers as well as the high standing of the men who direct it and to the confidence the public has in their sound business methods. Mr. Minshall has been active and liberal as a citizen, is intensively patriotic and public spirited, contributing liberally to all progressive movements of the community, and commands high place in popular confidence and good will. October 1, 1910, Mr. Minshall married Miss Mary R. Clary and they have one child, Georgia. They are members of the Episcopal church, while Mr. Minshall is affiliated with the Masonic order and the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. In politics he is a Democrat and takes an interested part to see that good men are elected to office in the community where he makes his home. FLOYD S. McCAFFREE. -- The story of success that crowns determined effort in the face of discouragement will never lose its interest in a free country like the United States with its sound, sane people, because it reveals those admirable qualities that are fundamentals of her strength. Courage, perseverance, industry, frugality and hopefulness, are the stepping stones that have led many a young mail starting out in life handicapped by poverty, to the heights of comfortable independence. These reflection call to mind one of Scottsbluff's representative men and well known capitalists, Floyd S. McCaffree, former mayor of this city, who has been extensively engaged in handling real estate for some years. Floyd S. McCaffree was born at Spirit Lake, Iowa, November 15, 1882, the fourth in a family of seven children, born to Floyd J. and Rachel E. (Stratton) McCaffree. These are old family names in Iowa, and the father of the family was the first white child born in Bremer county. For twenty-five years he was in the active ministry of the Methodist Episcopal church, riding a circuit in early days, but now lives retired at Scottsbluff, the mother also surviving. Mr. McCaffree had the following brothers and sisters: Charles, emigration commissioner at Pierre, South Dakota; Grace, the wife of H. H. Smith, a farmer in Canada; Alice, who lives with her parents; Mattie, the wife of O. C. Smith, who is a government engineer and reclamation agent at Grand Junction, Colorado; Harry, in the real estate business at Mitchell, prior to his death from influenza, in November, 1918, and Rolfe K., an automobile salesman at Mitchell, Nebraska. Educational advantages were not denied Mr. McCaffree in his youth, in fact he had a year of collegiate training at Morningside College, Sioux City, Iowa. In 1905 he started for Nebraska, making the journey in a covered wagon, accompanied by his bride, formerly Miss Esther Scott, who was born at Marathon, Iowa, She died in February of the following year. Mr. McCaffree came to Scottsbluff county with the intention of securing a homestead, which he accomplished in the same year, and he still owns this property, now exceedingly valuable, as it lies eight miles north of Scottsbluff. As he had no capital as represented by money, stocks or bonds, he accepted the first work that offered itself, which was |
working on the government ditch and other odd jobs that brought a good cash remuneration (sic) for his labors. It was unaccustomed work but he kept at it and for a long time cheerfully worked side by side with laborers who had come from every section. When it came to breaking the sod on three hundred acres of land that he desired to seed in alfalfa, he was able to do a man's work with anyone. In 1907, two years after reaching the county, he began the business of locating homesteads. In 1910 he became associated in the real estate and insurance business with Harvey L. Sams, and they have developed one of the largest concerns of its kind in this part of the state and together own thousands of acres of land. Mr. McCaffree has one tract of four hundred acres of irrigated land, which he has operated by farmers who understand modern methods, with all kinds of improved machinery supplied, and here he feeds cattle extensively. In his partnership with Mr. Sams, the insurance line is also an important feature. In 1910 Mr. McCaffree married Miss Gertrude D. McDowell, who was born at Omaha, Nebraska, and they have three children: Ruth, Robert, and Edwin, aged respectively, eight, six, and four years. Mr. and Mrs. McCaffree are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He is a Republican in politics and since coming to this county has been active and public-spirited, showing an earnest desire to advance the interests of this section in every way. For four years he served as county assessor and when elected mayor of Scottsbluff, gave the city a fine administration. He has been a vitalizing force here in many ways. Like his father he is a Mason and Odd Fellow, and belongs also to the Yeomen and the Modern Woodmen orders. GEORGE W. BEERLINE was born in Missouri, in 1866. He lived in that state with his parents until he was seven years of age, when they removed to Sarpy county, Nebraska, and in 1887, to Cheyenne county. He homesteaded one hundred and sixty acres, and now is the owner of six hundred acres of land in what is now Morrill county, about two hundred acres of it being under irrigation. He is a farmer and stock raiser. At one time he made a specialty of Duroc Jersey hogs, and at all times has made a specialty of livestock, handling nothing but high-class grades. He put the improvements on his place, which are up to date and of the kind that will be permanent and add permanent value to the. land, including a good orchard. He was married in 1902, to Margaret Chase, a native of Nebraska, a daughter of John arid Mary (Miller) Chase. The father is now deceased; the mother living at Papillion, Nebraska. The father, John Chase, located at Bellwood, Nebraska, in 1856, and lived for forty-six years on his original homestead there, dying at the advanced age of ninety-one years. He was a close friend of Secretary J. Sterling Morton, and at the time of his death was the oldest Mason in Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Beerline have two children, both living at home. Their names are John Chase and Helen Catharine. Mr. Beerline was educated in the public school of Sarpy county, as was also his wife. He is an independent voter, belongs to the Modern Woodmen, and is a director of his school district. Mr. Beerline is one of the leading men of Broadwater and vicinity, and stands high in reputation among his fellow citizens. He has always taken an intelligent interest in public affairs and is always found in favor of progress and up-to-date methods both in private business and public matters. JULIUS GEBAUER. -- The agriculturist has ever before him the chance of making himself an enormously useful factor in a community, and a realization of this fact has come to Mr. Gebauer in Morrill county, where he has maintained his home for more that eighteen years. He is the architect of his own fortunes, and as such deserves the greater credit for the success which he has achieved by his own efforts. A native of Germany, when he came to this country he brought with him many of the admirable traits of that sturdy race, and the fortune that has come to him has been won through legitimate business enterprise. Julius Gebauer was born in the German Empire in 1852, the son of Trangott and Johanna Elizabeth Gebauer, both natives of that country. The father was a butcher; he and his wife spent their entire lives in their native land. Julius had two sisters: Augusta Ewalt, who lives in Grand Island, Nebraska and Pauline Crause, a resident of the Grand Island district. Julius spent his youth and early manhood in his native country where he took advantage of such educational facilities as were available to him, but he saw no future for a man without capital in the old country and determined to take advantage of the lands opened up for settlement in the new world that could be obtained with but little initial outlay. In 1879, he immigrated to the United States, and soon after landing came west as he knew of the |
many Germans who had located on the prairies beyond the Mississippi river. Mr. Gebauer came to Nebraska and found employment with the railroad in the vicinity of Grand Island. He was frugal, careful in his habits and expenditures and in time had accumulated fifteen hundred dollars, which he intended to use in the purchase of desirable land, but the money was stolen from him in Grand Island. This did not daunt his spirits and he but worked the harder, for he had no equipment but his sturdy determination and the will to succeed. As soon as he became acquainted with the language and customs of the country he started his career as an agriculturist on a farm in Hall county. He first purchased two hundred and forty acres of railroad land, and made permanent improvements. This state was not then the smiling countryside of the present time and the early settlers lived in sod houses, broke the virgin sod of the prairie in order to put in the first seed for crops. After raising the land to a good state of fertility he was able to sell the first farm for nine dollars an acre, a good price for that day. Following this sale he purchased forty acres of land from the railroad and also school land so that he had a considerable holding. But as the returns from the land at this early day came slowly he decided he needed more capital and went to Grand Island where he put the knowledge he had learned from his father to practical use and opened a butcher shop; subsequently he went to Colorado, locating in Julesburg but after a short period returned to Grand Island, being employed in a sugar factory until he decided to return to the soil and began operating a truck farm where he raised fancy vegetables to supply the city markets. Meeting with success in this line Mr. Gebauer accumulated a comfortable capital, and decided to engage in farming on a more extensive scale. He came to the Northport district in 1903 and located on a homestead north of the Platte. A comfortable home was erected, permanent and substantial farm buildings were soon established and he began to operate a diversified farming business. He believed that the most paying stock was pure bred cattle and hogs and he has specialized in these successfully and he now owns six hundred acres of the finest land in this section. From first coming here he determined to extend his business and as his farm produced good crops he sold at good figures and with the money so made bought more land until he is one of the largest landed proprietors in the valley. This finely cultivated and productive property shows what may be accomplished by a man of self determination, foresight and who is not afraid to work, who starts out in life equipped with nothing but a sturdy body and a determination to succeed. In 1881, Mr. Gebauer married Miss Amelia Krause, at Grand Island, and they have become the parents of eight children: Erna, is married and lives in Kansas; Oscar is a locomotive, engineer at Bridgeport; Paul, who spent nineteen months in the army in the remount service, is not at home farming the home place; Martha, lives in Kearney; Olga, is a school teacher in Bridgeport; Ella, also teaches; Arnold, teaches at Lisco; and Adelia, is only fourteen and attend (sic) school near home, and one boy who died in 1914. The Gebauer family are members of the Lutheran church, while Mr. Gebauer is an independent in politics. WILLIAM JOHNSTON was born in Iowa in 1852, and died November 6, 1907. He was one of the early settlers in the vicinity of Bayard, having come to that locality in 1887, after farming in his native state of Iowa. He took a homestead that included part of the present site of Bayard, the residence house being now in the north part of the city. He followed farming and stock raising, and in addition to his other occupations he built the first hotel in that part of the country and conducted it himself for sixteen years. His business prospered, so that at the time of his death he owned two hundred and forty acres of valuable land, which is still more valuable owing to its location at the edge of a growing city. Mr. Johnston was educated in Iowa, and before coming west he was married in 1883, to Anna Varrier, a native of Indiana, who survives him and makes her home at Bayard. Five children were born to them, all of them living. They are: Albert and Clarence, living in Bayard; Irma, who makes her home with her mother; Cora, now Mrs. John Zook, at Bayard; and Otta, who married Monte Fullerton and lives in California. Mr. Johnston, while he did not live to see the full development of the country in which he was a pioneer, still saw it on the way to wealth and fame. At the time of his death the great system of irrigation which is now in full operation was getting well started and the future of the North Platte valley was assured. He was a man who was widely acquainted and enjoyed an enviable reputation among the |
people of his community, being known as a public-spirited and enterprising citizen who took an intelligent interest in the progress of the country and was ever ready to support public movements and advance the interests of his fellow men. PATRICK ROWLAND is a native of Canada, the son of Michael and Ella (McDonald) Rowland. The parents were natives of Ireland, now deceased. They had eight children, four of whom are living: Michael, a farmer in Canada; John a miner in Colorado, died August 14, 1918; a daughter, now Mrs. Blake, lives in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and Patrick, the subject of this sketch. The father owned land and did a general farming and stockraising business in Canada. Later he moved to Kansas and bought land there. He was a Democrat in politics and a member of the Catholic church. Patrick came from Canada to Kansas when nine years old and worked for his father until he was seventeen, then went to Nevada and Wyoming and from there to Cheyenne county, Nebraska, twenty-five years ago. He homesteaded a quarter section and now owns thirteen hundred and sixty acres of land, of which eleven hundred and fifty acres are under irrigation. He follows general farming and stockraising. He was married twenty-five years ago to Anna C. Hagerty. They have four children, all at home. Their names are, Estella May, John F., Helen A., and William L. Mr. Rowland is a Republican in politics, a director of his school district, also a director of the irrigation district in which his land is located, and a member of the Catholic church. He is one of the leading successful farmers of his vicinity and stands high in the community as an energetic and progressive man. He takes part in public affairs and keeps abreast of the times in public questions as well as in matters affecting his own business. In Broadwater district, his home, he is widely and favorably known among a large circle of friends and acquaintances. DANIEL W. WARNER, the owner of a fine farm near Hull, is numbered with the substantial and representative men of this section. From an experience of more than thirty years in Banner county and taking part in its wonderful development, Mr. Warner feels proud of what he has accomplished in a comparatively short time. Mr. Warner was born in Jasper county, Iowa, in 1857, the son of Joseph and Ingaba (Webb) Warner, the former a native of Ohio who lived to be fifty-four years of age, while the mother was also a Buckeye by birth lived out the psalmist's allotted span of three score years and ten, passing away in 1917, at the advanced age of eighty-four years. The father was a farmer in Indiana and later removed to Iowa where he was extensively engaged in general farming and stock-raising. There were seven children in the Warner family: Henry, deceased; Thomas, a farmer of Iowa; Daniel, of this sketch; Dora E., the wife of James S. Edger, a farmer in Colorado; Elmer, farming in Iowa; Josiah, in Iowa; and Frank, who lives at Crawford Nebraska. Joseph Warner was a Republican while both he and his wife were members of the Methodist church. Daniel was educated in the common schools in his native state and early learned the practical side of farm industry from his father and after his school days were over engaged in farming with his father for a time, but he was ambitious to get ahead in the world, and having heard of the fine land to be obtained in western Nebraska on the homestead plan, came to the Panhandle in 1886, to, establish himself independently in business. He located in what was then Cheyenne county--known today as old Cheyenne--on a claim of one hundred and sixty acres of land, proved up and still owns the old home place. After several years passed in farming here Mr. Warner went to Colorado, where he took employment with the P. 0. outfit horse ranch, but after a time returned to his land, where he continued to improve the fertility of the soil, erected new and better farm buildings and a fine home for his family. As he sold his crops and thus had capital available Mr. Warner purchased more land adjoining his first holding and today is the owner of a full half section all under cultivation. From first becoming established on the plains he has engaged in general farm business and also raises a good grade of live stock, which he has found to be a profitable line. Mr. Warner is an independent in politics. In 1891 Mr. Warner married Miss Lillie C. Ammerman, the daughter of Hiram and Martha Ammerman, who located near Hull in 1887. The father is deceased but is survived by his widow. Nine children have become a part of the Warner family circle: Mattie, the wife of Oscar Barkell; Frances, the wife of William Jones, of Scottsbluff county; Gladys, who married L. W. Hopkins; Ida, Eva, Anna,
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