Tekamah and Vicinity, Noteworthy Men of

where the court house now is; those on the south side voted for block 133. Each side accused the other of being false to it's pledges. The south side lost no time and built the brick on block 147, now known as the Thomas block. The north side erected the present court house. When both buildings were completed each tendered their building to the county for use free of charge so long as used as a court house. The County Commissioners were F. E. Lange. J. F. Ellis and George Osborne. Their vote was Lange and Ellis for the brick on block 147 and Osborne for the present building. The court house was then installed in the brick building in January, 1878. Mr. Lange's term of office expiring that year A. L. Maryott was elected to succeed him. The northsiders then took the matter up with the new board and proposed to make a deed in fee simple of their court house, and the new board voting, J. F. Ellis for the brick, Osborne and Maryott for the north side, the court house then being moved to the location where it has since remained. The feeling over the matter was very bitter for years but is now almost forgotten history.

A. A. THOMAS was born in Springfield, Illinois, September 2nd, 1844. His parents, soon afterward moved with their family to central Iowa and during the summer of 1856 located near Spirit Lake, Minnesota. March 27th, 1857, their little colony was attacked by the Sioux Indians. and the fight which followed afterwards became known as the Spirit Lake massacre. Mr. Thomas' brother was killed, his father's arm was shot off and the colony almost annihilated.
During the war of the rebellion Mr. Thomas was a member of Co. G, 44th Iowa Inft. March 14th, 1867, he was married at Marshalltown, Iowa, and about June 20th, 1869, with his family, crossed the Missouri rivet at Decatur and located at Lyons, where, with Waldo Lyon and family, they constituted the entire population. Here he engaged in merchandising and farming,

opening up the valuable farm now the property of Andrew J. White. In 1879 he was elected sheriff of Burt county and in December of that year became a resident of Tekamah, erecting a fine home here. In 1881 he was elected county clerk which position he filled for two terms.
   April 1st, 1887, he left Tekamah and located with his family at San Diego, California, where he now resides.

   CHARLES T. DICKINSON was born November 8th, 1855, at New Richmond, Ohio. His early life was spent on the farm. Here he formed the basis of his education in the public schools. From the public schools he went to Cincinnatti (sic) and attended the law school, graduating therefrom in 1876, and was admitted to the bar in Hamilton county, the same state. Mr. Dickinson came to Tekamah in January, 1884, and soon became a leading member of the bar of the state. He was elected County Attorney of Burt county and County Judge for two terms and later became Judge of the District Court of the Fourth Judicial District of which Omaha is a part. He made a very flattering record on the bench and retired with the warm friendship of the bar and people of the district. Judge Dickinson, with his family, removed from Tekamah in October, 1902, and became residents of the city of Omaha where he is now practicing law.

   M. V. AUSTIN was born in Calhoun county, Michigan, January 28th, 1839, where he resided until September 2nd, 1862, when he joined the boys in blue, in the 6th Michigan Cavalry and was a member of the Grand Army of the Potomac. He was slightly wounded during an engagement but recovered and was back in the ranks and present at the surrender of Lee and at the Grand Review in Washington. He was next ordered west with the troops into Wyoming and finally discharged at Fort Leavenworth in November, 1865. After the war he returned to his old home in Michigan


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