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eighty acres of railroad land on section 15 in Cletonia (sic) Township. This, it is hardly necessary to say, had been undisturbed by the plowshare, and there was neither shelter for man nor beast, but he soon erected a humble dwelling. He was married to Miss Susie Lauber, in Gage County, April 21, 1875, and they took possession of their first abode with hearts strong and hopeful for the future. In due time the little household embraced five children--Henry, born Nov. 23, 1876; Anne, Aug. 28, 1878; Emma, Oct. 23, 1880; George, July 26, 1882, and Nana, Aug. 5, 1887. They are all living and continue under the home roof. Mrs. Theasmaeir was born July 30, 1852, in Stephenson County, Ill., and is the daughter of Jacob and Doretha (Ruby) Lauber, the former now deceased and the mother a resident of Clatonia Township. Mr. T., politically, votes the straight Republican ticket. and in religious matters is a member in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church, being one of its chief pillars and most liberal supporters. He represents a fine property, accumulated by his own industry and energy, and is one of the thrifty and reliable citizens who have assisted in bringing this county to its present condition.
On the 20th of August. 1850, Mr. Taylor was married, near Haywood, England, to Miss Alice Howorth, and they have a family of seven children: Elizabeth, who was married on the 20th of August, 1879, to Mr. John Dawson; Esther Ann, now Mrs. John Kelly; James, John J., Edwin J., Sherman and Albert D. The three eldest children are married and live in this vicinity. When Mr. and Mrs. Taylor arrived in Wyoming, Ill., they had about the sum of $60 in money, and by industry and strict application to business, they have since accumulated the valuable property mentioned. The farm is one of the best and finest improved in the neighborhood, being well stocked, and having all the modern conveniences for the pursuit of agriculture. The fine horse-teams drawing the riding or buggy-plow, now seen in the fields, present a great contrast to the teams of the earlier settlers, they very often consisting of the slow and harmless oxen, drawing the rude and primitive breaking-plow. The father of our subject, John Taylor, was also a native of England, in which country he married Miss Ann Greenhalgh (our subject's mother). There were ten children of this family, all of whom, with the exception of our subject, remained in England, and there the father and mother died. Jacob received a common-school education in his own country, and at about the age of seventeen years he began learning the carpenter's trade with his father, who then carried on that business; but later he took a fancy to machinery, and then learned the machinist's trade, at which he worked until he came to America. The wages which he received as a machinist were twenty-five shillings per week, being time highest wages he ever received there. Having adopted America as his country and future place of residence, our subject made himself acquainted with the form of government and general political information, that he might be enabled to enjoy the privileges of an American citizen and voter, and the policy of the Republican party having met his approval. he joined himself to that organization. He takes an active interest in the welfare of the country, in her educational and politi- |
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ACOB
TAYLOR, one of the leading farmers and land-owners of Sicily Township, was
born on the 3d of September, 1827, in England, and at the age of thirty-one
years he left his native country to come to America. Starting from Liverpool
on the 15th of October, 1858, he endured a voyage of six weeks and two days,
landing at the end of that time in New Orleans. Going at once to Peoria, Ill.,
he stopped for six weeks with his uncle, John Greenhalgh, and thence migrated
to Wyoming, Stark Co., Ill., where he remained for twenty-four years. At that
place he had a farm of 170 acres of land. He came to his present home in March,
1883, where he has since lived, having a fine farm of 551 acres splendidly
improved on section 36, Sicily Township. He also has 480 acres on sections
35, 2 and 7, on one of which farms his son Sherman and daughter Elizabeth,
now Mrs. John L. Dawson, reside. Our subject gives attention to the raising
of grain and live stock.
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cal advancement and prosperity, and in every way he has striven to make himself an honorable resident of his community, winning by his own qualifications of worth the highest esteem and the entire approval of his fellowmen and associates in business. The portrait of Mr. Taylor, which will be found on an accompanying page, occupies its rightful position among those of the men of wealth and influence in Gage County, to the progress and development of which he has contributed his full quota.
The father of our subject was a physician, and for fifty-eight years he practiced his profession in Juniata Valley, Pa., living to the advanced age of eighty-six years, longevity being a characteristic of this family. Some of the ancestors attained the remarkable age of one hundred and five years, others ninety-five, and thus transmitted the vigor of advanced years to their descendants. Maj. Moore was at one time a slave-holder, but becoming convinced of the curse of slavery, he liberated his own servants and became a very strong Whig. There is not a battlefield of the Union that is not stained by the blood of this illustrious family, unless it be that of the Seminole War. The father was an examining surgeon in the War of 1812, and in the late civil unpleasantness eight of his sons, including our subject, enlisted and served throughout the war, all returning home alive, an incident not duplicated in the history of the war. The mother of our subject died on the 14th of September, 1864, in Fulton County, Pa., when she was sixty-three years old, and had been a loving and devoted mother to a family of twelve children. Her death was an irreparable loss, not only to her family, who deeply mourned the bereavement, but to a large circle of friends and acquaintances, who understood and appreciated her true worth and Christian character. Of her children we have the following record: Kinebar A. resides in Adams; Ellen died at the age of three years; Rebecca is now Mrs. J. B. Alexander; John C. makes his home in Harrisburg, Pa.; Dr. C. W. is in Sterling, Neb.; Julia is now Mrs. Gray, of Adams; Harriet, now Mrs. Kennedy, of Sterling; Maj. Joseph A., of Harrisburg, Pa.; James M., of Adams; Lieut. Benjamin Franklin (our subject) William H., deceased, and Curran E., in Cropsey. Our subject was born on the 30th of January, 1838, at Shirleysburg, Huntingdon Co., Pa., under the rafters of the old homestead. When he was three years of age his father sold the homestead in Huntingdon County, and went to Fulton County, where he built a woolen factory and sawmills on a large tract of land, thus the earliest scenes of our subject's recollection were in the latter county. He began to work when he was but a young lad of eleven years, lending his assistance in lumbering and farming, and attended the subscription schools, although the educational advantages were not great. The first school which he attended was held in a log house that he had helped |
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ENJAMIN
F. MOORE is entitled to honorable mention in this collection of biographies,
because of his illustrious ancestors, and their connection with the American
struggle for independence, and subsequent wars; of his own war record, which
has been most gratifying; of his early connection with this State, and the
subsequent manner in which he distinguished himself in its behalf, as well
as the present position which he so ably fills. His parents, James and Harriet
(Barton) Moore, were natives of Pennsylvania, the former being born in Juniata
County, and the latter in Union County. The grandfather of our subject, John
Moore, was a Major in the Revolutionary War, and had two brothers killed in
the same war, one at Brandywine and one at Bennington. The grandfather was
born in Ringgold's Manor, in Maryland, but the inhabitants were driven out
by the Indians to Juniata County, Pa. The great-grandfather of our subject
was of Scotch-Irish descent, a Protestant in religion, and came to Maryland
with Lord Baltimore, being one of the colony which settled in that State. They
were molested by the Indians, and they removed to Pennsylvania, where they
were among the first permanent settlers. This illustrious ancestor of our subject
assisted William Penn in surveying the boundary line for the State which bears
his name.
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to build, and all the surroundings were of the most primitive fashion. His father was a strong Whig and a personal friend of Henry Clay, thus our subject was early imbued with ideas of freedom and liberty, a were his seven brothers, and as he grew to manhood his strength of character and intellectual faculties were developed from the association with the greatest minds of the age. He served a regular apprenticeship by which he learned the plasterer's trade, which he followed for some time. From his earliest recollections he has had a fondness for collecting and preserving relics and bric-a-brac, and has now quite a large collection of old and interesting articles, many of which savor of startling reminiscences of Colonial and Revolutionary times. Having the patriotism thus inborn and inflate in a manly breast, at the breaking out of the Rebellion our subject at once enlisted in Battery A, 1st Pennsylvania Light Artillery, for three months' service, and participated in the engagements at Sir John's Run and Bath. He then reenlisted in the United States service for three years, or during the war, in the same battery, and fought at Cedar Mountain, Chancellorsville, South Mountain and Antietam, when he was transferred, in September, 1862, to Company K of the 6th United States' Cavalry. He next served at Sulphur Springs, Fredericksburg, Stoneman's raid and Beverly Ford, where they met the enemy in a hand-to-hand engagement which was the largest and hardest fought cavalry fight in the war. In this engagement his horse was shot under him, the bullet passing through the unfortunate animal's body, and it fell dead to the ground, pinning underneath it our subject's left leg, in trying to extricate which he was severely and permanently injured. He next fought at Middleburg, then Upperville, and at Gettysburg he was one of Gen. Meade's special detached officers. He was in the center of the fight, and when the illustrious Hancock was shot our subject was right beside him. He was also at Brandy Station, and in May, 1864, the time of his enlistment having expired, he re-enlisted as Second Lieutenant in Company A, 12th Maryland Infantry, for services of bravery and valor being afterward promoted to the rank of First Lieutenant, he was then appointed aide on the staff of Gen. Lew Wallace, in the campaign at Monocacy, against Gen. Early. Out subject was under fire in thirty-seven skirmishes and battles, and he assisted at the unloading of the Andersonville prisoners at Annapolis, being retained six months longer in the special service of the United States, from which he obtained his final discharge after the close of the war. His seven brothers also fought bug and valiantly, and it seems almost due to the special protection of a kind Providence that while they were in some of the hottest engagements of the Rebellion they all came home alive. From a letter written by our subject after the battle of Cedar Mountain, and one written in reply by his loving mother, we take the following extracts:
"DEAR BROTHER AND HOME:--Again having leisure to write I thought it prudent to keep my pen moving and not forget home. We are again getting fixed up and settled after the fight. I know by this time what the reality of war is, and if I should never happen in another engagement I should be perfectly satisfied. But if I am called into other engagements I will try to do the best I can for the cause for which we are all battling. The old flag is more precious to me than ever it was before. Just to see the rebels carrying their motto before them and trying to put down the old National colors, I tell you it does stir up the so-called 'Yankee' blood within me. You can see none of the Southern boldness at home in the North, here plenty of it can be seen; however, we boys under Gen. Pope make it hot for them when we get hold of them. Yesterday a number of us went out to the battle-field to get the body of the man that was killed on our gun. We buried him on Monday right on the battle-field, but having made a coffin for him we raised his body out of the first grave and gave him a burial in time Soldiers' Cemetery. It was a disagreeable and disheartening job, but we thought it was right to give him a proper burial. I was nearly all over the field and found where many a brave fellow struck the dust for the last time, both 'boys of the blue' and 'boys of the gray.' The graves are large and many, and mark the |
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battle-field of Cedar Mountain. It is no job to find many trophies of the battle-field, but I felt I could not touch anything that belonged to the poor unfortunate ones who fell. The dying groans and last struggles of the dying ones can never be depicted by the pen; it is a sight those present alone can behold, a sight which never can be expressed. * * * Now write often to your affectionate brother. Direct as before. Do your best for the old folks, and I will try to partly compensate you for your trouble. 1 sent$5 to Ellen for a dress, and when I draw my next pay I will send you some more if you want it. Good-by.
The following letter was written by the mother of our subject in reply to his of the 17th, above noted: "NEW GRANADA, August, 1862. "DEAR FRANK:--You do not know what comfort your letter gave us; as long as you are able to hold a pen do not forget to write. * * * My son, while you are rallying around the flag of the Union, do not forget to rally around the standard of King Jesus. You may soon be ushered into His presence; go in His fear, your cause is just. Pray that you may be saved and restored to us; we pray unceasingly for your preservation, and that you may be guarded from all evil. Act as if every moment were your last. Be careful of your diet; your crackers may be hard, yet they are wholesome. Avoid all evil companions; be subject to your superiors. Give our respects to your Captain. The Lord bless and take care of you is the prayer of your mother,
Who can say that it was not in answer to the prayers of this loving and devoted mother, who could send out her eight boys, not knowing that she should ever again look upon one of their faces, and yet so bravely encourage them to do their duty in behalf of their country? Who can say that it was not because of her devotion and sacrifice that her sons were permitted to return to their home? Having served for four years, two months and three days, our subject was honorably discharged, and returned to his home in Fulton County, Pa., on the 18th of August, 1866. In the following year he started from Pittsburgh and came to Omaha, engaging at his trade for a few months, and in the same year, on the 16th of October, he took up a homestead on which the Cropsey post-office, in Adams Township, is now located, where he was one of the first settlers. He started for St. Joseph, stopped at Brownville until December 24, and in company with two of his brothers came to his own homestead. His patent on the homestead was signed by Ulysses S. Grant, and was among the first homesteads issued. In the spring of 1868, after Lincoln was located, our subject worked in that city and through the. summer at plastering. He had the contract for plastering the old capitol building, and with eight men did the work, completing it on December 8, with five men. On the 13th of January. 1869, our subject was united in marriage with Miss Amazetta K. McCord, daughter of Mitchell K. and Amanda (Howell) McCord, the former of whom was born in Monongahela County, Pa., and the latter in Louisville, Ky. The father's parents died when he was very young, and he was for a time engaged in working on flatboats on the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers, where he made the acquaintance of young Abraham Lincoln, who was engaged in the same work in his early struggles with the world. The father of Mrs. Moore went to Kentucky on a flatboat, and stopped for awhile at Louisville, where he went into business, and became a friend of Daniel Boone. While there he also made the acquaintance of Peter Cartwright, and was himself widely known as a frontiersman. He was a stock-trader, but he would have no slaves, and in this respect he sympathized with his friends James Lane and John Brown. He went to Madison, Wis., when there was but one traders' post there, about the year 1834, and kept the hotel known as the "American House" for some time. In 1856, in company with Harry Gilmar, 'the raider," he started on an expedition tour through the West, and in the course of their journey they came to the Big Nemaha, which was much swollen. In order to cross the stream Mr. Gilmar took Mr. McCord on his back and swam the stream near its mouth. There they formed the acquaintance of John Brown and James Lane, of Kansas Mr. McCord purchased a section of land in Richardson County and engaged in farming, and he |
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also became the proprietor of a freight and stage route. It fell to his lot to take the celebrated Indian chiefs White Cloud and Tecumseh to Illinois, where they took the railroad train to Washington, on their first trip, or mission, to settle affairs in regard to their lands. Both Mr. and Mrs. McCord were very generous; at times the latter cooked for 500 Indians, and as long as they had provisions they shared with them. The father was the leading man in several gigantic enterprises, and was "up and down" in the financial world several times. In 1871 he moved to South Lancaster County, where he made his home, and after a long and busy life he spent a few years in retirement at Bennet. He died there on the 13th of September, 1886, when he was seventy-seven years old, and his remains now rest in Panama, where a handsome monument marks his grave. Mrs. McCord still makes her home in Bennet, and is seventy-five years old; she is the mother of nine children--William J., Joseph, Josephine, Henry, Cassey, Canton, Amazetta, and two unnamed. Mrs. Moore was born at Madison, Wis., on the 3d of February, 1849, where she passed her early days, and she was nine years old when she came to Nebraska, her parents moving across country with one carriage and one wagon. She and her mother rode on the first passenger train which left Madison for Louisville, Ky., and while living in the former place her sister attended the academy. After her removal to Nebraska she attended a select school in Richardson County, taught by a young lady named Miss Cooper, in a private house, there being no public schools and no churches there at that time. While her father was keeping hotel in Brownville, she made the acquaintance of our subject, and after a brief courtship, at the age of twenty years, she was married, and left her father's roof to grace the home of her husband, which she has done to perfection, combining with her personal charms and fascinating manner the refinement of a true womanly heart. She is the mother of three children, named: Frank V., Thomas W. and Julia J., of whom the first is an engineer in the elevator at Adams. and the two last named are at home attending school. Our subject owns eighty-five acres of good farming land, and a house and lot in town. He is independent in political views, sufficiently non-partisan to vote for men rather than for the upholding of any party. He was elected almost unanimously for Supervisor in 1888, which office he is now filling, and has been Constable and a member of the School Board. Frank V. Moore was the first white child horn in the Nemaha Valley, our subject having been an early resident, and prominently identified with public affairs since that early day. Mrs. Moore owns a millinery store in Adams, and her taste, ability and affable ways have built up a fair trade for her. In regard to the family of which our subject is a member we clip the following interesting account from the Sterling News: "The city of Sterling is the home of many members of one of the most remarkable families that America has produced--we refer to the Moore family. Eight stalwart brothers of the said family were in the War of the Rebellion at one time, fighting for the defense of American liberties and the perpetuation of American institutions. This family will hold a reunion at the residence of Mrs. H. L. Kennedy, one of the sisters, next Friday, the occasion being the seventieth birthday of Judge K. A. Moore, the oldest member of the family. There will be present at this reunion, Judge K. A. Moore; Hon. John C. Moore, of Harrisburg, Pa.; Dr. C. W. Moore, James M. Moore, B. F. Moore, W. H. Moore, C. E. Moore, and two sisters, Mrs. W. A. Gray and Mrs. H. L. Kennedy. One sister, Mrs. Alexander, and one brother, Capt. J. A. Moore, who is Principal of the Whitehall Soldiers' Orphans' Home, at Harrisburg, Pa., will not be present." A writer in the National Tribune in speaking of this family says: "I hope you will allow me to offer a tribute to the memory of the mother of these eight heroes. When the war broke out she was more than threescore years old, and in April, 1861, the writer saw her approach five of her stalwart sons, every man of whom afterward distinguished himself and came home only when the war was ended, as they stood in the ranks ready to leave the home of their childhood for the bloody fray, and giving each a mother's kiss and a mother's parting blessing, told them to acquit themselves like men, and if the charge of cowardice ever was attached to any one of them he must never intrude |
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himself upon his mother again. The dear old lady was a most devoted Christian, and thanked God for honoring her by making her the mother of eight soldiers for the Union. She had an unwavering faith that God would return all of her sons to her alive. In this she was not disappointed; her sons all came home, but when they came the grand old Spartan mother, whose prayers and benedictions had made them strong in the hour of trial, had gone to receive the crown of immortality."
In September, 1878, our subject came to this county, the next spring settling on his present farm, on which he has since resided, although five years of the time he has engaged in business in Blue Springs. He now gives his whole attention to his farm, making a specialty of breeding graded stock. His house, barns and other buildings are in good order, and the general appearance of the place, with its well-kept fences and largely productive fields, shows him to be a man of thrift and industry. He was married, on the 9th of May, 1883, to Miss Mary Sandritter, a daughter of Henry and Margaret (Yetter) Sandritter, of Blue Springs, who were natives of Germany, and came to this county in the year 1867. Mrs. Chamberlin was born in Peoria, Ill., on the 20th of October, 1860, and came to this county with her parents when she was seven years old. She has been a faithful companion and helpmate to her husband, and has often assisted him in the management of his labor by her kindly advice and sympathy, bearing her share of the household labors. Our subject devotes his time so closely to the necessary work of his farm--than which there is no occupation more confining, and at the same time affording so wide and broad a scope for the development of physical strength and Christian principles--that he does not engage prominently in the political field, and does not care to seek office, but has well-defined views of the same, and affiliates with the Republican party. He is a well-known member of the I. O. O. F., in which order he has passed all the degrees and chairs, and was the delegate to the Grand Lodge of the State, held in Omaha, in October, 1888. He and his wife are esteemed members of the Methodist Episcopal Church at Blue Springs, and are well respected by the people of their community.
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RANKLIN
L. CHAMBERLIN is a successful farmer and stock-raiser residing on section 26,
Blue Springs Township, where he has a fine farm of eighty acres. He was born
in Macomb, Ill., on the 14th of February, 1857, his father, Isaac G. Chamberlin,
having moved to that place from his native State. He was born on the 24th of
October, 1817, in Adams County, Pa., near Gettysburg, and his earliest recollections
were of the scenes and events of his home near the foot of the Alleghany Mountains.
He married Miss Mary J. Adair, who was also a native of Adams County, Pa. They
were married in Illinois, in December, 1851. The father came to Nebraska with
his family in 1878, but owing to ill-health returned to his son in McDonough
County, Ill., where he died soon after in 1881, at the age of sixty-three.
The mother died at the home of her son, the subject of this sketch, in Gage
County, Neb., in May, 1880, aged sixty-two years. Our subject spent the first
fourteen years of his life in his native city, after which he moved with his
parents to a farm about eight miles distant, and engaged in the labors of agricultural
life. He received many valuable lessons from his father, which have been of
much benefit to him in conducting his own well-improved and lucrative farm.
DGAR
C. SALISBURY, manager of the Beatrice Ice Company, is well known among the
business men of the city, and possesses the enterprise necessary for the superintendence
of the industry with which he is connected. He was born in Georgetown, Madison
Co., N. Y., March 8, 1849, and is the only son of Eber and Mary (Atwood) Salisbury,
who were also natives of the Empire State. Mitchell Atwood, the maternal grandfather
of our subject, was one of the earliest settlers of Madison County, to which
he removed with an ox-team from Connecticut during its pio-
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neer days. On the other side of the house Grandfather Richard Salisbury was a pioneer in Rensselaer County, N. Y., and there spent the remainder of his days. The parents of our subject settled in Madison County, N. Y., after their marriage, where the father pursued his trade as wheelwright many years. Later he became interested in milling and the lumber trade. He still resides at Georgetown, N. Y. The mother passed away in 1882, at the age of fifty-eight. Edgar B., after taking a course of study in the common school near his early home, became a student of Cazenovia Seminary, from which he was graduated in 1868. He then began teaching, which, however, he followed but a brief time, then went into the flouring-mill with his father, where he remained until 1874. We next find Mr. Salisbury in New York City, engaged as clerk with the Wells Tea Company, his residence in New York City extending over a period of four years. In the spring of 1878 he came to this State, and at Beatrice engaged as clerk with the firm of H. A. LaSelle, who were carrying on general merchandising. His capabilities were such that he soon attracted the commendable attention of his fellow-citizens, and received the appointment of Deputy Sheriff, under Eugene Mack. Subsequently he returned to mercantile business, becoming the clerk of George H. Clark & Co., with whom he continued four years. Next he was with J. E. Hill, a grocer. He then entered the real-estate office of I. N. McConnell, but six months later purchased the interest of O. N. Wheelock, grocer, of the firm of Wheelock & Richards, continuing in partnership with Mr. Richards from the fall of 1883 until the spring of 1887, since which time he has been settling up the business of the old firm. Mr. Salisbury is one of the original stockholders of the Beatrice Ice Company, which was organized in 1885, and is now in possession of two-thirds the stock, the balance being owned by Mr. L. F. LaSelle. They handle immense quantities of ice annually, having four good houses, in which they stored last winter 2,000 tons. Our subject has served on the Board of Education, of which he was at one time the Secretary, and is a member of Beatrice Lodge No. 26, A. F. & A. M., also of Chapter No. 10 and Commandery No. 7, in the latter of which he is Grand Senior Warden. Politically, he votes the straight Republican ticket. The marriage of Edgar C. Salisbury and Miss Ellen D. LaSelle, of Lebanon, N. Y., was celebrated at the home of the bride in Lebanon, March 11, 1874. Mrs. Salisbury has fine artistic talent, as can be seen from her many paintings in oil. The wife of our subject is a sister of H. A. LaSelle, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Beatrice. Of this union there have been born three children--Clayton L., Mary Corinne and G. Marion.
William E. Hoyt, the father of our subject, embarked in business as a dry-goods merchant of Theresa, N. Y., and later was an assistant in the Paymaster's department of the army for a period of ten years, during which time he was a resident of Onondaga County, N. Y The parental family included two children, sons: William E. resides at Fayetteville, N. Y., and his brother in New Orleans. Richard C. passed his boyhood in Onondaga County, and when a youth of sixteen years left home and moved to Rock Island, Ill., where he entered the office of Keater & Wilson, lumber dealers, filling the position of book-keeper for that firm for a period of seven years. Upon leaving this house he became book-keeper in the Rock Island National Bank, which position he occupied one year. In the spring of 1879 he came to Nebraska and located in Steele City, where he remained four years, acting as agent for the lumber firm of J. S. Keator & Co., of Moline, with which he continued four years. The month of June, 1883, found him in Bea- |
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ICHARD
CLEVELAND HOYT is senior member of the firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co., dealers
in lumber at Beatrice and commanding a large and lucrative trade. A native
of New York State, he was born near the city of Utica, in Oneida County, Aug.
9, 1855, and was the eldest of a family of three children, the offspring of
William E. and Mary (Cleveland) Hoyt, the latter a sister of the President
of the United States, and the daughter of Richard F. and Ann (Allen) Cleveland.
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trice, this State, as a member of the firm of his former employers, and in this firm continues. Subsequently the firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co. came into existence, and has now become one of the indispensable institutions of this part of the county. They handle all grades of lumber, both soft and hard, besides plasterers' material, lime, cement, hair, etc. Their large and commodious office is conveniently arranged and well fitted up for the proper transaction of an extensive business. The fittings and furnishings are especially noticeable, the paneling containing forty kinds of wood, both native and foreign, the products of South America. The marriage of Richard C. Hoyt and Miss Susan Upson, of this county, was celebrated at the home of the bride, June 4, 1884. Mrs. Hoyt is the daughter of Lyman Upson; both her parents are deceased. The latter were natives of New York, and went to Rockford, Ill., subsequently coming to this county. Mr. and Mrs. Hoyt occupy a snug home in the northern part of the city. Both are members of the Congregational Church, in which Mr. Hoyt is an active worker and a Trustee. Charles G. Hoyt, the younger brother, and junior member of the firm of Hoyt Bros. & Co., was born in Jefferson County, N. Y., Aug. 19, 1860, and completed his education in Onondaga and Oneida County, near Utica, to which his parents subsequently removed. He also early in life started out for himself, his first venture after leaving the home roof being in the capacity of clerk in the office of the Rock Island Railroad Company at Rock Island, Ill. Later he entered a wholesale hardware establishment as book-keeper, but desirous of a more active life started out on the road for the same firm, and continued as a traveling salesman until the spring of 1881. At the date above mentioned Mr. Hoyt made his way to this State, locating first in Diller, and officiating as agent for J. S. Keator & Co., lumber dealers, with whom he remained two years. At the expiration of this time, coming to Beatrice he became the partner of his brother Richard C. and the Keator Lumber Company. Mr. Hoyt was married, in May of 1882, to Miss Rebecca Diller, of Diller, Neb., and they are now the parents of two bright children--Willet C. and Mary Catherine. Mrs. Hoyt is the granddaughter of Samuel Diller, who is among the early residents of Jefferson County, this State, and in honor of which family the town was named. Charles G. is prominently connected with the Presbyterian Church, and greatly interested in the training of the young, officiating as Superintendent of the Sunday-school and otherwise furthering the Master's cause. He is a Director of the Chautauqua Society at Crete. In 1883 he identified himself with the Masonic fraternity, and is at present a member of Beatrice Lodge No. 26. Livingston Chapter No. 7, and Mt. Hermon Commandery. The brothers, politically, are Democrats.
The subject of this sketch was reared in his native county, and received a substantial education in its public schools. He remained a resident of Illinois until 1879, and in the meantime married, Jan. 2, 1876, being his wedding day, and established a home of his own. Miss Catherine Pyfer was the maiden name of his wife, and she is a daughter of George and Mary (Swagart) Pyfer. Her father lives in Ogle County, Ill., where her mother died Jan. 17, 1874, To Mr. and Mrs. Phillips have been born four children, all of whom are living. Mr. Phillips was reared on a farm, and has followed agricultural pursuits all his life. In 1879 he decided to try farming in Iowa, and on the 1st of January moved with his family to that State, and |
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EORGE
W. PHILLIPS, a well-known and highly respected citizen of Paddock Township,
is a prominent grower of fine blooded stock, paying special attention to rearing
Clydesdale and Percheron-Norman horses, and also mules. Mr. Phillips is a native
of Ogle County, Ill., Sept. 15, 1853, being the date of his birth. His parents,
Jacob and Mary E. (Brantner) Phillips, were natives respectively of Maryland
and Pennsylvania. His father died in Illinois in July, 1887, aged sixty-five
years, and his death was felt to be a loss to the community in which he had
lived, as he was a man of rare stability of character, honest and upright in
his dealings, and none knew him but to respect him. The mother of out subject,
a lady of great worth, still makes her home in Illinois.
