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business and social circles of this county, was chosen as the nominee of the Republican party for Treasurer of Gage County, and soon after his election assumed the duties of his office, in January, 1886. The result of the election was one of which he has reason to be proud, as his opponent was a prominent member of the community, as well as of the Democratic party. Mr. B. was the first Republican candidate elected to any important office outside of the city of Beatrice, and such was the efficiency with which he fulfilled his duties that he was re-elected to the same office in November, 1887, and is now (1888) approaching the completion of the first year of his second term, he was reelected by a much larger majority than at first, and appears to be in all respects the right man in the right place. Mr. Roderick was married in Princeton, Bureau Co., Ia., in October, 1885, to Miss Mollie B. Crossley, who was of Princeton, Ill., and is the daughter of Dr. George W. and Mary C. (Shugart) Crossley. Dr. Crossley was a native of Princeton, Ill., and was one of the most prominent and popular physicians of that part of the Prairie State. He and his wife are both deceased. To Mr. and Mrs. Roderick there has been born one child, a daughter, Gwendolen. The farm of Mr. Roderick embraces 160 acres of valuable land, adjacent to the town of Blue Springs. It is hardly necessary to state that he is an active Republican. Socially, he belongs to the Masonic fraternity, being a member of Blue Lodge, at Blue Springs. He is also a Knight Templar, a member of Mt. Herman Commandery, at Beatrice.
On the 23d of January, 1881, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Elizabeth Massey, of this county, she having come from England, her native country, in the spring of 1880. Her parents, George and Selina Massey, are natives of England, in which country the father still lives. To brighten their home and add a charm to their lives, there have been given four children to our subject and his wife, viz: Charles E., Arthur G., Lillian M. and John Sherman. Mrs. Taylor is a member of the Church of England. Mr. Taylor is the owner of a fine farm of 160 acres, located on section 24, Sicily Township, on which he lives. He has his farm in a good state of cultivation and splendidly improved. Besides giving particular attention to the growing of grain, he has been interested in the raising of live stock, of which he raises enough to use all the grain grown on his farm, he is also the owner of another farm consisting of 142 acres on section 28. He is an energetic and enterprising young farmer, and has met with success, as his present prosperous condition indicates. He is a Republican in politics, and is interested in the advancement of all educational, business and social movements. He enjoys the confidence and esteem of his neighbors, and is always pleased to know of their success.
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AMES
TAYLOR is a son of Jacob and Alice Taylor, whose biography appears in this
work. He was born on the 15th of February, 1853, in England, and when a child
he was brought by his parents to America. He was reared in Illinois, receiving
his education in the district schools, and afterward he took a course of study
in the Davenport (Iowa) Business College.
EUBEN CAVETT. Upon section 26 of Rockford Township is the farm of our subject, which is some 200 acres in extent, and exhibits in every department most unmistakable signs of enterprise, thrift, progress, success and ability, all the more praiseworthy because Mr. Cavett is even now only in the full vigor of his manhood. He is the son of James and Lucy A. (Barnes) Cavett, who were born, the father in Pennsylvania, the mother in Ohio. James Cavett, the grandfather of our subject, came from Scotland and settled in the Keystone State in an early day. As a young man the father of our subject settled in Ohio. Thence, in 1846, he migrated to Ogle County, Ill., and died there at the age of thirty-eight years, in 1855, having for several years by his industry been in quite easy circumstances. His wife, who is seventy-one years of age, resides with our subject. The family circle included four children, two of whom survive. Their names are re-
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corded as follows: Cynthia A., who died in childhood, as did also her brother, John D. Besides these are Reuben, our subject, and his sister Elizabeth, who is now Mrs. H. C. Colburn, and lives at Blue Springs, this county. Our subject was born Sept. 21, 1841, upon the old farm in Van Wert County, Ohio. He was five years of age when the family removed to Illinois, and fourteen when he lost his father. Owing to the newness of the country his education was received in a private school, and in consequence of his father's death was confined within far narrower limits than had been designed. From a youth until the year 1862 he took charge of and managed the farm, but in response to the call for men in that year he enlisted for a term of 100 days in Company I, 140th Illinois Infantry, was mustered into the service at Springfield, Ill., and almost immediately departed for Memphis, where the regiment was employed in guarding the Memphis & Charleston Railroad. At the expiration of the 100 days, he received an honorable discharge at Chicago, and returned home and resumed farming. In 1865 Mr. Cavett was happily wedded to Miss Calesta Todd, a daughter of Wilkenson and Aletha Todd, a lady whose home and school education has both tended to fit her for a position in either domestic or social circle whenever she should be called upon to occupy them. She has without doubt brought into the life and home of our subject influences that have given to it tone, color and completeness. She is the youngest of a family of six children, and was born at Findlay, Ohio, on the 16th of September, 1844. When but three years of age she was left fatherless, and was just prepared to enter into her teens when her mother also was removed by death, and she was left in the most awful loneliness, that of the orphan. A cousin, Mrs. J. Bixby, of Findlay, was deeply moved by this sad bereavement, and adopted her into her family, which was her home until her marriage. After their union our subject and his wife continued upon the farm in Ogle County, year by year increasing in prosperity. In 1880 this property was sold, and they removed to Nebraska, and in the fall of the following year their present farm was purchased. If a well-built, roomy house, beautifully furnished and pleasantly situated, make a home, then our subject has a home; but without doubt these things, however beautiful, and much to he desired, would lose their attraction were it not for those who are its brightness, the family circle, which, besides the wife and mother, includes three children, whose names are here given, viz: Lucy, Charles H. and Nettie A. Besides these there is one little one, Wilbur, who was laid away to sleep until the great awakening, having departed this life at the tender age of four years. For several years our subject has ably filled the office of School Director, a position eminently congenial to him, since his interest in educational matters has always been great. Our subject never has been what would be called a politician, but has at the same time ever been mindful of his duty as a citizen, and usually votes with the Republican party, which looks upon him as a faithful friend and supporter. This deeply interesting and intelligent family are held in universally high regard by the community in which they reside, and there are none who more appreciate such sentiments than they.
When oar subject was twenty-five years old he went to Morgan County, Ill., and engaged in farming for two years, subsequently moving to Marion County, Iowa, where he purchased 150 acres of land, on winch he made his home for twenty-two years. During his residence in Marion County he was Deputy Sheriff one year. At the end of that time |
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he moved to this State and began the work of cultivating a farm of 480 acres in Elm Township, which was originally a part of the Otoe and Missouri Reservations. Much hard work and constant diligence were necessary in order to bring the farm to its present condition, and it is now the source of a lucrative income. Our subject has made many improvements, and has beautified and adorned his home with groves of trees and rows of beautiful hedge fences, which are kept well trimmed and add very much to the attractiveness of the place. He is engaged in general farming and stock-raising, and of the grains he makes a specialty of raising corn extensively. Mr. Cully was married in Marion County, Iowa, on the 4th of April, 1850, to Miss Ellen Ives, a daughter of Josiah and Mary (Coughlin) Ives, the former of whom was a native of New Jersey and the latter of Pennsylvania. Mrs. Cully was born in Plymouth, Pa., on the 23d of December, 1833, and when she was but a child her parents moved to Sunbury, Ohio; from there they moved to Mendota, Ut. After residing there a few years they went to Marion County, Iowa, and about 1874 to Des Moines, the same State, where the father is now living a retired life; the mother died Jan. 26, 1878. Mr. Cully made the acquaintance of the lady whom he made his wife in Iowa, and by their marriage they have had a family of ten children, five of whom are deceased. The surviving members are: James P., John A., William S., Charles T. and Josiah S. James P. married Miss Florence Pickering, and they now live in Elm Township, and have two children in their home, whose names are Ralph H. and Inez; William S. married Miss Lora Brandt, and they also live in Elm Township, and have one child, Clarence; John A. married Ada Gear; they also live in this township. The other two children are living at home on the farm. The gentleman of whom we write has served as School Treasurer for five years, and has been at the head of many of the important improvements in the educational advantages of this township. He was elected Justice of the Peace in 1881, and after serving for four years he was re-elected. He has been a member of the I. O. O. F., and he and his wife are honored members of the Baptist Church, at Steele City. Our subject has no small amount of inventive genius, of which he makes use in facilitating the labor on the farm, as an illustration of which he has had made a large force mill about 1,250 feet from the house, which forces water to the kitchen for general purposes, having to make a rise of thirty-five feet. Mr. Cully has reached the age at which he can afford to cease his arduous labors, and as he has been prosperous in his vocation, and has a pleasant home with conveniences and luxuries abounding, he is well situated to enjoy the remainder of his life in happy contentment. He is a Republican in politics, though originally a Whig; his first vote for President was for Gen. Fremont, and during the war he was a stanch Union man. He has lived long enough to see the evil effects of the use of spirituous liquors, therefore he is a strong temperance advocate. Mrs. Cully is a very hospitable and estimable lady, and unsurpassed in domestic virtues.
The main points in the parental history of our subject are substantially as follows: His father, John Williams by name, was born in New Jersey about 1823, and was there reared to manhood. There also he was married to Miss Elmira Randolph, who became the mother of our subject, and who died when he was a small child. He was then taken into the home of his grandparents, by whom he was reared until eighteen years of age. |
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Joel C. Williams was born in Jerseyville, Ill., Oct. 6, 1848, and is consequently a man in the prime of life and the midst of his usefulness. He remained a resident of his native city until reaching his majority, receiving a good education, and employing himself when not in school at farming. In April of 1869, desirous of trying his fortune in one of the rising communities of the West, he came to this county, and purchased an unimproved farm on section 26, in Sherman Township, which he lived upon and cultivated for a period of ten years. In the meantime he effected the various improvements suggested to the modern and progressive farmer, putting up a dwelling, and erecting the other buildings necessary for his comfort and convenience. He planted an orchard, set out fruit and shade trees, enclosed the fields with hedge, and in fact built up one of the best farms in the county. He sold it in 1881, soon after coming to the city of Blue Springs. Mr. Williams is a man of more than ordinary ability, and has been uniformly successful in his business and farming operations. While having much to engross his mind besides the ordinary routine of office cares, he has ever kept in mind the matters pertaining to the general welfare of his community, and has signalized himself as a liberal-minded and public-spirited citizen, giving his substantial support to the enterprises calculated to advance the common interest, and enhance the reputation of the city, both as a business point and a desirable place for residence. These qualities of his character have been generously recognized by the people of this county and city, by whom he has been chosen to fill important offices. He was Treasurer of the city schools for a period of six years, and was elected to the Mayoralty on the Republican ticket in the spring of 1887. He has fulfilled the duties of his office in a manner creditable to himself and acceptable to the people. He was a member of the School Board for several terms, and has been foremost in the establishment and maintenance of the institutions calculated to advance the rising generation in the manner which should make of them useful and worthy citizens. The marriage of Joel Williams and Miss Carrie Donnalley was celebrated at the home of the bride in Jersey County, Ill., Jan. 29, 1870, and the young people began the journey of life together in Gage County, where Mr. Williams was engaged in farming. In due time they became the parents of two children, a daughter and son, Nettle and Thomas, who are now attending school. Mrs. Williams was born in Pennsylvania, Aug. 18, 1849, and is the daughter of Thomas K. and Susan Donnalley, who were born and reared in the Keystone State. A few years after their marriage they immigrated to Illinois, locating near the then young town of Jerseyville, where Miss Carrie was reared to womanhood, and acquired her education in the public schools. There also she became acquainted with her future husband. She continued a member of the parental household until her marriage. Thomas K. Donnalley was a farmer by occupation, and with his excellent wife a member in good standing of the Presbyterian Church. They are still living at the homestead near Jerseyville. Mr. and Mrs. Williams upon coming to Nebraska found themselves comparatively pioneer settlers, there being very few neighbors near them, and only a small portion of the land around them under cultivation. Mr. Williams first purchased a half-section, to which he added as his capital allowed, and finally became the owner of 400 acres, all of which he brought to a productive condition. John Williams, the father of our subject, was married to a Miss Randolph, daughter of Lewis Randolph, of Delhi, Ill. She also was a native of New Jersey, where she lived with her parents until her marriage, and departed this life at her home near Verdon, in 1851. Lewis Randolph was born in New Jersey, where he was reared to manhood, and thence emigrated to Illinois during its pioneer days. He purchased a tract of wild land in Jersey County, and which now lies near the town of Delhi. From this he built up a fine farm, which is now valuable, and from which he receives an income amply sufficient for his declining years. He has been prominent in the affairs of his community, and is a member in good standing of the Baptist Church. His birth having taken place in 1804, he has now arrived at the advanced age of eighty-four years. His wife in her girlhood was Miss Mary Compton, also a native of New Jersey, and they |
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became the parents of seven children, all of whom lived to years of maturity. Lewis Williams, the only living brother of our subject, is a resident of Fairmont, Neb, where he is engaged as engineer in the railroad shops of that place. Socially. Mr. Williams is a member of the Masonic Lodge No. 85, of Blue Springs. Politically, he is a stalwart Republican.
Joseph Townsend was born in Connecticut, whence he emigrated early in life to Ulster County, N. Y.. where he spent the remainder of his days engaged extensively in farming and stock-raising. He was one of the earliest pioneers of that region, and departed hence in 1867. This branch of the Townsend family traces its ancestry back to England, the first representatives crossing the Atlantic during the Colonial days. They were people generally well-to-do, honest, industrious and upright, and uniformly held a good position in the community where they settled. The mother of our subject was a native of the State of New York, and died at the old homestead in Ulster County, about 1847. The household circle included seven sons and two daughters, four of whom are living, three sons and one daughter. The subject of this sketch was reared as a farmer boy, and acquired his education in the district school of his neighborhood. Upon approaching manhood he left the parental roof, and repaired to Knightston, N. Y., where he began his business career, first as a clerk in a hotel and afterward occupied the same position at Hudson in Columbia County; later he resumed his studies in the High School at Claverack, and afterward attended school at Ellenville, his native State. In the spring of 1856, being a young man twenty-two years of age, and desirous of seeing something more of the world, he migrated west into Huron County, Ohio, where he was employed at farming until the winter season. In January following he proceeded still farther westward to Sioux City, Iowa, and in the fall of 1857 sought the legion of Southern Nebraska, and was not long in making up his mind to remain here. In the fall of 1857 Mr. Townsend staked a claim of 160 acres, which land now forms part of the town site of Beatrice. Building a post and rail fence he commenced operations as an agriculturist operating thus four years. Mr. Townsend has a very fine orchard of thirty acres adjoining the city limits on the northeast. In 1865 he formed a partnership in the merchandise business with H. M. Reynolds, and at that time was located at the intersection of Court and Third streets, before the time of railroads. They operated together until 1867. During that year Hon. Nathan Blakely was admitted into the firm, which then assumed the style of Blakely, Reynolds & Co. Four years later Mr. Blakely sold out his interest, and the firm of Reynolds & Townsend continued until 1872, when Mr. Reynolds purchased the entire stock and Mr. Townsend retired from the business. Mr. Townsend now became interested in the furniture business, and two years later in the clothing trade. To the latter since 1877 he has devoted his entire time and attention, with most excellent results. He established himself at his present quarters. No. 419 Court street in November, 1887. He carries a full stock of clothing, hats, caps, boots, shoes, etc., and by the exercise of honesty and integrity receives an extended patronage from the leading citizens of the county. Politically, he is a stanch Republican, and has served as a member of the School Board several terms. He had previously served under Mr. Blakely a short time as Deputy. In 1858 he was elected County Clerk, of which office he was the incumbent for a period Of ten years, and at the same time officiated as Register of Deeds. In 1867 he was elected a member of the first session of the State Legislature, served acceptably two years, and took an active part in the removal of the capital from Omaha to Lincoln. |
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ON. OLIVER TOWNSEND, dealer in clothing, boots and shoes, at Beatrice, and enjoying a prosperous trade, came to Beatrice in 1867, and is recognized as one of the leading business men of the city. A native of Ulster County, N. Y., he was born Oct. 4, 1834, and was the youngest son of a family of nine children, born to Joseph and Nancy (Tomkins) Townsend. The mother died when our subject was thirteen years old; the father died about 1867.
