present homestead. They are very intelligent, fine appearing children, obedient and lovable.
   The mother of our subject, Eliza Ann Lewis, and his father, William, settled in Illinois in 1838. The mother's parents were killed by the Indians in the Black Hawk War, thus leaving her an orphan. She was taken into the family and raised to womanhood by Mr. Holman. For further information relative to the parents see the biography of Albert E. Lewis, given elsewhere in this work.
   Mr. Lewis has a nice, comfortable home, containing many of the comforts and conveniences of life. He has a handsome and affectionate wife and is the father of two intelligent children. His political affiliations are with the Democratic party.

ON. EVANDER W. BARNUM. Prominent among the early settlers of Cass County stands the gentleman whose name appears at the head of this sketch. and few men are better or more favorably known throughout the county than he. Coming here with a younger brother. Thomas J., in the spring of 1857, each pre-empted 160 acres of land, he on section 27, and his brother on section 22, of Liberty Precinct, both quarters being now owned and occupied by our subject. It was then raw prairie Iand, but with untiring diligence Mr. Barnum labored with much skill and wisdom in his management. and he now has a magnificent farm, nearly all under cultivation, well watered, and to the original homestead he has added by purchase until his realty consists of 640 acres of land, well adapted for tillage or stock-raising. He has erected a comfortable house, and has a fine set of farm buildings, with all the modern conveniences for the prosecution of his chosen vocation. He takes especial pride in his superior grades of stock, and is the President and Treasurer of a live-stock association, consisting of ten members, of Factoryville. The head of their fine herd of horses is Young Samson, a black, imported English Shire horse, six years of age.
   Thomas J. Barnum, who came here with our subject, remained on his claim until the fall of 1859, when he went to New Mexico, where he remained for a few years. He was afterward connected with the Kansas City and Santa Fe stage route, but subsequently disposed of his interest in that, and located in St. Louis, where he died after a residence of two years. He was a man of wide experience in the vicissitudes of frontier life, and his death in 1880, while yet in the prime of life, was the sudden ending of what promised to be a brilliant career. He having been a man of excellent business capacity and sound judgment.
   Our subject was born in Middlefield, Otsego Co., N. Y., Sept. 28, 1826, He came of substantial New England stock, his grandfather, Abijah Barnum, having been a native of Connecticut. In early life he moved from there to Otsego County, N. Y., and subsequently married there. Some years afterward he moved to Seneca County, where he spent his last years, dying at a ripe old age. He was twice married, Lewis Barnum, father of our subject, having been a son by his first wife. He was born Oct. 22. 1790, in Otsego County, where he spent his entire life. He was also twice married. The maiden name of his first wife was Lucy Jones, and she was a native of New York State, born Feb. 12, 1790. She was a daughter of Thomas Jones, a farmer of Otsego County, who died there after a long and useful life. She died Oct. 26, 1830, and Mr. Barnum married a second time, taking for a wife Catherine Huff, of Seneca County, who survived him some years. Both died at an advanced age in Otsego County, Mr. Barnum's death occurring Feb. 7, 1843. Of the first marriage seven children were born, and of the second marriage five children were born.
   Evander W. Barnum, of our sketch, was the fifth child and third son of the first marriage. He was reared and educated in his native county, and after arriving at man's estate was married, in Springfield, to Miss Eliza Gilchrist, who was born in Otsego County, Feb. 28, 1832. William Gilchrist, the paternal grandfather of Mrs. Barnum, was born in Lanarkshire. Scotland. and when a young man emigrated to America, and settled in Dutchess County, N. Y. He subsequently married Miss Mary Frazer, a native of the parish of Cromdell, Inverness, Scotland, and a lineal descendant of the family of Lord Lovell, a family of whom Scotch people have been

very proud. After their marriage they lived on a farm in Dutchess County, then moved to Schoharie County, and finally settled in Springfield, Otsego County, where they died April 9, 1819, and Sept. 11, 1829, respectively. They had nine children, six sons and three daughters. The parents of Mrs. Barnum, Peter and Sylvia (Dutcher) Gilchrist, were born respectively in Duanesburg, N. Y., Sept. 30, 1788, and in Springfield, June 3, 1804. They were married in the latter place March 14, 1822, and settled on the farm, where they passed the remainder of their lives, Mr. Gilchrist dying March 21 1838, and Mrs. Gilchrist April 26, 1884. They were intelligent, worthy people, highly respected by all who know them. Peter Gilchrist was a farmer and leading stockman of his day in that section of the State. They were the parents of seven children, of whom the following is a record: Martha, the eldest child, who married Mr. G. Shaw, died leaving a family of four children; Mary, widow of the late Philip Rice, lives in Springfield, N. Y., aged sixty-four years; Christopher, a dealer in ladies' hair goods, in Ft. Wayne, Ind., married Melissa Harwick; Jane is the wife of John Schollard, a farmer of Springfield, N. Y.; Daniel, a farmer in Springfield. N. Y., married Hannah Walradt; Eliza is the wife of our subject; Margaret is the wife of Dexter Matison, of Newark, N. J.
   After their marriage our subject and his wife started immediately for their new home in Nebraska, becoming pioneers of Cass County. They set to work energetically to build a home for themselves, and in doing that have contributed largely to the growth of the precinct and county, and have added their full quota to its progress, aiding by every possible means all things calculated for its moral, social or intellectual development. To people of like calibre is Cass County indebted for its high rank among the adjacent counties of Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs. Barnum are social and hospitable people in every sense implied by the words, held in the highest respect, and are esteemed members of the Episcopal Church, of Wyoming. In his political views Mr. Barnum is a Republican, and in 1860 and 1862 represented his county in the Territorial Legislature and in 1873 was a member of the State Senate. He is now an incumbent of the office of Justice of the Peace. Mr. and Mrs. Barnum are the parents of one child, Thomas G., who still lives on the old homestead. He married Miss Hattie, daughter of Isaac Pollard, an extensive farmer of Liberty Precinct. They have one child, Vernie. A portrait of Mr. Barnum appears on another page.

OHN D. SIMPSON, who has often been prominent figure in the civic life of Plattsmouth, his present place of residence, was a early pioneer of Cass County. He holds a responsible position in the office of the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad Company in this city, as clerk in the supply department. He was born in Huntingdon, Huntingdon Co., Pa., Sept. 12, 1826. His grandfather was Matthew Simpson, a Scotchman by birth, living on an estate in the North of Ireland, which had come into the possession of the family at the time of the Conquest by William of Orange. In 1783 he was married to Catherine Moore, a native of Ireland, born in 1757. On Oct. 19, 1784, their only child was born; this was William, father of our subject. When he was in his fourth year his parents came to America, landing May 8, 1788. Directly after landing they went to Huntingdon County, Pa., where Matthew Simpson died, in July 1810, at the age of seventy-three, leaving a large fortune to his son William, who became a leading man in the community and was subsequently connected with a large iron foundry in that county. His connection with, this enterprise was a costly one, as he lost $50,000 in it directly, and in a financial panic shortly after lost another $50,000 by the failure of the "Citizens' Bank" of that place. He was yet in comfortable circumstances, however, but by becoming security for friends he lost heavily, and became quite reduced in circumstances. He had filled many positions of trust and responsibility. In 1827 he was elected Sheriff of Huntingdon County, serving four years with much credit to himself and greatly to the satisfaction of the citizens of the County. In 1838 he removed to Delphi, Ind., where he also became a conspicuous figure in public life. In 1839 he was appointed Postmaster of that place. and in 1841 was elected Treasurer of the county (Carrell), serving two terms in that