this State with her parents in girlhood. She received a common-school education, and remained under the home roof until her marriage. Her father, Frederick Butsch, a resident of McWilliams Precinct, is one of the most prosperous German farmers of this county. Mrs. Meyer is a lady of much intelligence and goodness of heart, a wife who maintains a common interest in all that pertains to the labors of her husband, rejoicing in his successes and assisting him in his worthy ambitions.
   Mr. Meyer cast his first Presidential vote for U. S. Grant. He has served two years as Town Marshall and is also Constable.

ON. WILLIAM McLENNAN. This gentleman was one of the first lawyers to settle in Nebraska, and his name frequently occurs in the early annals of the State as one of its most distinguished officials. For several years he bore a conspicuous part in the legislative councils of the Territory, and of the State after its organization. He took a prominent part in the proceedings of the Constitutional Convention in 1864; he was at one time District Attorney for the South Platte country, and he was once Speaker of the House in the State Legislature, during the sessions of 1869 and 1871. He has now retired from public life to his pleasant home in the suburbs of Nebraska City, and devotes his attention exclusively to farming.
   Our subject was born Dec. 19, 1821, in Columbiana County, Ohio. His father, Kenneth McLennan was born in Inverness, Scotland, and his grandfather, Donald McLennan, was also a native of that country. The father of our subject and a brother, Donald, were the only members of the family who ever came to America. Donald had served in the English Army, had lost a leg at the battle of Waterloo, and, being a British pensioner, located it Halifax. The father of our subject preferred to settle in the United States, and took up his residence in Columbiana County, Ohio. for a few years. He rented land of his father-in-law, and was actively engaged in farming in that county until 1826, when he sought the wilds of Jefferson County to build up a home for himself and family. He was an early settler there, and he entered a tract of Government land, heavily timbered, and proceeded to clear it for cultivation. He was very successful in his undertakings, becoming quite wealthy and an extensive land-owner, having increased the acreage of his original purchase to 600 acres of land. He died in 1834, having rounded out a useful and busy life, wherein he had won the respect of his fellowmen in the highest degree. The maiden name of his wife was Janet McLaughlin, and she was likewise a native of Inverness, Scotland. Her father, William McLaughlin, was also a Scot by birth, and he came to America about 1819 and located in Columbiana County. He entered quite a large tract of land, and resided there until his death in 1833, at the remarkable old age of one hundred and one years. His wife survived him for some years, and died at the advanced age of one hundred and two years. There were eight children born to the parents of our subject, all of whom grew up, namely: Donald, Eliza, Margaret. Janet, Ann, William, Kenneth and Eleanor. The three youngest were born in America, and the five eldest in Scotland; the three eldest are deceased. Ann resides in Kansas, and the others in Ohio.
   The subject of this sketch received his early education in the public schools of Steubenville, and subsequently was a student at Grove Academy, in the same town, for three terms. He commenced reading law at the age of twenty, with O. C. Gray, a Steubenville lawyer. After remaining with him one year, he read under the instruction of the Hon. Edwin M. Stanton the succeeding year, and was then admitted to the bar. In 1846 he removed to Illinois and located in Carthage, Hancock County, where he practiced his profession four years with good success. In 1850 he went to Keokuk, Lee Co., Iowa, and resided there until 1854, when he started for the Territory of Nebraska, which was then beginning to attract much notice as a favorable place for settlement. He proceeded on the Mississippi and Missouri Rivers in the steam ferryboat that he had had built in Columbiana County, and in which he had voyaged to Iowa four years previously, and when he arrived at Council Bluffs

he made his headquarters there, and ran the boat during the season of 1854, and then sold it. When going to Council Bluffs in May he had landed at Nebraska City, inspected the surrounding country, and, being much pleased with the pleasant scenery and the charming climate, during that month made a claim, with a view of locating here, to the land that he now occupies. After coming here to live Mr. McLennan built a steam sawmill and a boarding-house on his land, in 1855, but the place where the mill stood has since been washed away by the river. Our subject has been a continuous resident of Nebraska since 1854, and has therefore witnessed almost its entire development. and has played no unimportant part in promoting its growth and present prosperity. When he first came here he had nearly the entire Territory of Nebraska from which to select his land, and it was at that time, as far as the Indian titles had been extinguished, owned by the Government. The Indians still made their home here, and it was their favorite hunting-ground for antelope, deer, wild turkeys, and other game that was then very abundant. When he first came here Col. Downs and his family, who occupied the Government building, were the only inhabitants of the present site of the city. then called Ft. Kearney.
   Mr. McLennan has been four times married. His first marriage was to Miss Sarah B. Hall, a native of Indiana, and it took place in November, 1857; she died in August, 1858. Our subject was a second time married, in October. 1859, to Miss Martha J. Hall, a native of Bureau County, Ill., and she died in December, 1868, leaving two children--William, E. and Mary J. Mr. McLennan's third marriage, which took place Sept. 15, 1870, was to Ella Ewing, a native of Utica, N. Y.; she died Nov. 28, 1871, leaving one child, Ella M. The marriage of our subject to his present wife took place in December, 1876, and they have one child living by this union, Stella. Mrs. McLennan's maiden name was Margaret Frances Brown, and she was born in Mason County, Ill., a daughter of Jesse and Hannah (Streeter) Brown. Her father was a graduate of the Military Academy at West Point, and became a resident of Richardson County, Neb., in 1860, and was one of the pioneers of the Territory; he is now deceased. She has been twice married. Her first marriage was to John Sittler, and to them were born three children, namely: Ida, Gussie and Ernest.
   Our subject was elected District Attorney for the South Platte country in 1855. and was re-elected in 1857. In 1863 he was sent to the Territorial Legislature. and was a member of the Constitutional Convention in 1864. He was elected to the Legislature again in 1868, and was Speaker of the House in the session of 1869-71. He was nominated by Gen. Grant, in 1870, for the position of Assistant Attorney, but was not confirmed by the Senate. Mr. McLennan is a fine man, and he is universally respected by all who know him for his many noble traits of character. He is well grounded in the law, and had he chosen to prosecute his profession would undoubtedly have attained a high position among the leading lawyers of Nebraska. Both in public and private life he has always had the reputation of one whose motives are pure and whose acts are above reproach. He is now nearing old age, but his active mind still keeps pace with the progress of the world, and he is especially interested in the affairs and political situation of his own country. In this connection we may state that he was in early life a Whig, later became a Democrat, but on the breaking out of the war transferred his allegiance to the Republican party, and has been a firm supporter of its policy ever since. The portrait of this highly esteemed and well-known citizen is given in connection with this brief sketch of his life.

REDERICK STAHLHUT one of the wealthy men of Nebraska City, owns and occupies a good property in its southwestern limits, and is carrying on a thriving dairy business, which he makes both pleasant and profitable, on account of the modern equipments and conveniences connected therewith. He is a man of remarkable energy and perseverance, one who has always put his own shoulder to the wheel, and who has accumulated a snug property by the exercise of his own industry and good judgment. His patronage is largely among the best residents of the city, and he is a man of standing in his community,