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APRIL 11, 1881, Governor Albinus Nance appointed as special
Wheeler County commissioners, A. J. Stewart and Charles Lawrence
with Hade H. Canfield as special clerk to organize a county. This
county measured twenty-four miles north and south, forty-eight
miles east and west, and included the present counties of Wheeler
and Garfield.The commissioners agreed to gather at Cedar City on the Cedar river and after several meetings arranged for an election to be held on July 19, 1881, for the location of a county seat and election of county officers.
On Aug. 18 with the special commissioners acting as the board, the bonds of the officers elected were approved as follows: C. H. Lawrence, John Batie, and H. H. Canfield, commissioners; L. P. Glassburn, judge; Jacob Botenfelt, clerk; Richard McClemans, treasurer; W. B. Johnson, sheriff; A. J. Stewart, superintendent of schools; William Reilly, and J. J. Matthewson, justices of the peace. None of the proposed county seat locations had a majority of the 192 votes cast; it was decided that another special election must be held.
On Oct. 3 the board met and created Clearwater precinct. The county clerk's salary was set at $168 and the report of Richard McClemans, county treasurer, showed a balance of $54.95. A petition signed by voters was filed. This asked establishment of a new county to be called Garfield, to comprise the west half of the county already formed. Erina precinct was also formed. The estimated expenditure for the coming year was $702 and the indebtedness $1,200.
On Feb. 8, the board authorized the clerk to keep county records at Cumminsville, although the county seat was still at Cedar City.
On Dec. 12, 1882, at a special election to locate the county seat, Cedar City received 80 votes and Cumminsville 101, out of a total of 256 ballots, so no place received the necessary three fifths. This question of county seat location was one of the principal reasons for division of the original county.
In the election of November 1883, the following officers were elected: T. G. Hemmett, clerk; Sven Peterson, sheriff; R. McClemans, treasurer; C. W. Bigelow, superintendent; L. P. Glassburn, judge; Dittmar Csmer, William Reilly, and R. G. Richardson, commissioners. They met at Cedar City.
On Nov. 25, 1884, after the division into Garfield and Wheeler Counties, each division being twenty-five miles square, it was necessary to fill the vacancies caused by resignation of the officials living in the county of Garfield. R. L. Staple was appointed clerk; J. J. Matthewson, sheriff, and A. B. Cacy, commissioner.
At this time twenty-four school districts were formed, No. 1 being in Clearwater precinct. The precincts of Valley, Cedar, Clear Creek, Mud Creek, Caldwell and Fremont were also created.
The first town to be located in Wheeler County was Cumminsville, named after Frank Cummins whose homestead was located there in 1880. It was situated in the Beaver valley with the idea that, the Union Pacific, already built to Albion, would be extended to the west and pass, up the Beaver. The first postoffice was opened at this point and Sam E. Chambers, pioneer merchant (Chambers and Bowler) was appointed postmaster in 1881. A livery barn, hotel, blacksmith shop, another store, several residences and a church were built. Rev. Mr. Griffith of Neligh was the first minister. The first children were born at Cumminsville in 1881, Ray, the son of Frank Cummins, and Maude, the daughter of Sam Chambers. The first big Fourth of July celebration was held there that year.
The mail was carried by James Peden from Garner in Boone County where it had been delivered from Albion. Later a mail route was run from Scotia to deliver mail at Reilly, about three miles southwest of the present site of Bartlett, and at Cumminsville. William Reilly located in the county in 1879.
The first newspaper in the county was published at Cumminsville by A. J. Stewart--The Wheeler County Gazette--and it was made the official county paper.
On Oct. 2, 1883, the county had been formed into three commissioner districts. The north half of the county was more thickly populated than the south and was formed into districts 1 and 2. The remainder of the county was made into No. 3. These districts remain today as they were formed more than fifty years ago.
In 1885 the question of the county seat location was the important problem. Superintendent Bigelow offered to deed land for a courthouse on his property about four miles south of where Bartlett now stands, and Ezra B. Mitchell offered inducements. The contest was fierce but on the second election, the Bartlett site won 193 to 90 over Cumminsville and the county seat was moved
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from Cedar City. Cedar City, which had only a small courthouse
and a few buildings, died of the shock.
County officials, the first chosen after the
division, were elected for 1886 as follows: L. P. Glassburn,
clerk; Carl Thede, treasurer; A. H. Bigelow, superintendent; J.
Matthewson, sheriff; J. Batie, judge; A. Blacy, William Reilly and
P. G. Richardson, commissioners.
The election of Thede started a rather peculiar
sequence of office holding in this county. From 1886 to 1924, the
person elected county treasurer served two terms as treasurer and
then two terms as county clerk with only one exception. The
officers were C. Thede, G. H. Geiseker, F. P. Heston, J. N.
Larson, Peter Dahlstein, E. E. Barkhurst and Henry Pletcher. The
town was named after E. Bartlett Mitchell on whose homestead it
was located. Nine blocks were surveyed in a square with the center
block for the courthouse. Considerable contention resulted over
building the courthouse but it was finally erected by E. A. Bohne
in 1888.
Rev. Mr. Barstow, a Baptist, was the first
minister at Bartlett. Lewis Richards, the hotel man, donated five
acres for the Bartlett cemetery. Joe Jackson was the first man
buried there and Rev. Mr. Barstow was the second.
The first fair in the county was held in 1889
just north of Bartlett. A copy of the fair program recently
brought to light showed not a single person mentioned is now
alive. Two or three more fairs were held at Bartlett in the next
few years and then no more were conducted until boom times after
the war. Then an association was formed, and a fair and rodeo have
been held annually since that time. There are several 4-H clubs in
the county and there have been some good exhibits, but in most
years the rodeo has been the main feature. In 1901 a cheese
factory was started in Bartlett, but in spite of experienced
management, it was not a great success and was abandoned.
The first bank in the county was established in
1890 by James Holl, but he moved away in 1894 and after a short
time it was closed. Early in 1906, A. L. Bishop opened the
Bartlett State Bank which is still doing business with Mrs. Bishop
as president and Hubert Bishop as cashier.
In the spring of 1888, the C. B. & Q.
decided to build northwest from Greeley but built only about
twenty miles, of which five miles were in the southwest corner of
Wheeler County. The railroad purchased a quarter from Peter
Erickson, plotted it into town lots and named it Ericson. For some
years the town grew slowly. A. Dahl, the first depot agent, bought
grain and sold coal, and finally bought out the store opened by
Peter Erickson.
In 1895 an unsuccessful attempt was made to
operate a ditch to irrigate land between Ericson and Spalding, but
it was abandoned after the diversion dam just west of town washed
out.
However, in 1916, a concrete dam was built on
the river about two miles east of Ericson to form a lake, pleasure
resort, and furnish power. This is still in operation and is a
well known resort. The power plant is part of the Western Public
Service Company, furnishing electricity to Ericson, Bartlett, and
other towns.
In the construction of the ditch in 1895, a dam
was thrown across Clear creek and a lake formed. This has been
purchased by the state and is now known as Pibel lake. Both the
Ericson lake and the Pibel lake furnish good fishing and attract a
large number of visitors.
After 1900, Ericson expanded rapidly. Several
stores, an elevator, and a newspaper were established. A bank was
opened by Fred Cuseaden in 1905 and voluntarily closed in 1935.
Jonas Warner was president and Elmer Larson cashier. Since that
time the banking business has been taken care of by a credit
association.
County affairs moved smoothly after the building
of the courthouse. A fireproof vault was built in 1894 at the
insistence of W. H. Pibel, commissioner, for $500. It saved the
county records during a fire twenty-five years later. The county
was Republican in the early days but around 1900 the Populists
gained strength. In recent years it has been more evenly
divided.
There have been a few large ranches in this
county. In 1899, the firm of Allerton of Chicago became interested
in the Beaver valley and began steadily to buy out land in this
region and obtained possession of most of the hay and pasture
land, their ranch extending clear across Wheeler from Boone to
Garfield County. The ranch was operated until 1920 when land
prices were high, and it was sold to farmers. Huffman & Rollen
have operated eight or nine thousand acres in Clearwater since the
early eighties Nichola Mignery settled in Clearwater
precinct in 1878 and his son still owns the original homestead.
Mignery owned some 7,000 acres and is one of the county's
successful men. He is the earliest settler now living in Wheeler
County. Several other ranchers own four to six thousand acres, but
on the whole, the county is farmed and ranched in smaller
tracts.
Around 1900 most of the earlier settlers had
received patents--many of the people had moved away and the county
seemed stationary. In 1904, the Kinkaid law was enacted and a
large inflow of settlers resulted.
Ericson continued to grow. A co-operative
association was formed with J. Bodyfleld as president and a second
elevator was built. The Ericson railway branch did a good business
and although it extended only five miles into the county, it
greatly helped to build up the town. To the grade school a
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Who's Who |
high school was added. In 1929 the high school was made into a
rural high school with two country districts added. This school
has been quite successful--the old school building was enlarged by
an upstairs story to accomodate high school students. Until 1912
Bartlett had only a grade school. A state law was passed
permitting the formation of county' high schools, but was not
taken advantage of until another law made it mandatory--then a
county high school was started in Bartlett.
Two years later in 1914 a high school was
erected and in 1919, because of the lack of accomodations in town,
a girls' dormitory was built. This dormitory burned in 1923 but
was at once replaced. In 1930 a boys' dormitory was added and now
approximately seventy pupils usually attend the school.
On Aug. 29, 1909, the county courthouse burned
but only a few records were lost. An effort was made at the time
to remove the county seat to Ericson but at a special election the
voters turned down the proposition and voted $5,000 to help build
a new courthouse on the previous site. Bartlett precinct also
voted $5,000 and a conccrete (sic), hollow wall courthouse was
built in 1920.
AUSEROD, ARTHUR 0: County Attorney; b Milaca, Minn Jan 26, 1902; s of John Auserod-Anna Fosen; ed Wheeler Co HS; 1924-25 studied law with C L Brown, Oklahoma City; 1925-30 studied with F J H Lawson, Bartlett; 1930 admitted to Neb bar by examination; m Anna L Pletcher Feb 12, 1927 Glenwood Ia; s John; d Annetta, Marilyn, Gloria; 1930- prac law Bartlett; village atty; 1934 Wheeler Co atty; 1925- only bonded abstracter in Wheeler Co; 11th Judicial Dist Bar Assn; Neb St Bar Assn; Luth Ch; hobby, baseball; res Bartlett.
BERNEY, JOHN: County Judge & Publisher; b Bureau Co, Ill Mar 22, 1871; s of James Berney-Mary Henderson; ed Bureau Co Ill; Geneva HS; m Nona Jennings Dec 20, 1911 Bartlett; s Dallas, Clare; d Elberta (Mrs Art Burchans); 1904- publisher Wheeler Co Independent; 1906- Wheeler Co judge except years 1914-18; Neb Assn of Co Judges; NPA; past mbr sch bd; past mbr village bd; Meth Ch; past chmn Wheeler Co Rep Central Com; hobby, fishing; res Bartlett.
BINGHAM, WILLIAM D: Bank Cashier; b Salem, Mo June 24, 1907; s of James Bingham-Parlee Campbell; ed Mead Colo HS; Grand Island Bus Coll; m Violet Benson June 25, 1930 Sargent; d Paralee Ann, Carol Joyce; 1928-29 with Koupal & Barstow Lbr Co, Sargent; 1930-34 mgr Koupal & Barstow Lbr Co, Ericson; 1934- cash Ericson Co-op Bank; Neb Assoc Coop Banks; dir sch bd; village clk; past grand IOOF; Meth Ch; Rep; hobbies, fishing & baseball; res Ericson.
BISHOP, HUBERT F: Bank Cashier; b Bartlett, Neb May 26, 1908; s of A L Bishop-Ida Anderson; ed Wheeler Co HS; m Katherine Sturek Feb 16, 1930 Scotia; s Hubert Eugene; d Donna Claire; 1926 with Bartlett State Bank; 1931- cash; opr 2080 A ranch; represents ins cos & opr real estate agcy; Neb Bankers Assn; dir Wheeler Co Fair bd; past mbr sch bd; chmn village bd; hobbies, hunting & livestock; res Bartlett.
BOYLES, OWEN J: County Clerk; b Ericson, Neb June 10, 1906; s of C J Boyles-Emma Karten; ed Ericson; m Hazel Woods Sept 17, 1928 Ord; s Billy, Ronald; d Phyllis; 1928-30 with C E Boyles as mgr grocery store, Ericson; 1930- Wheeler Co clk; Neb Assn of Co Commrs, Co Clks, Co Registers of Deeds & Co Highway Commrs; Neb Co Assessors Assn; secy Wheeler Co Fair bd; mbr dist sch bd; mbr village bd; IOOF; Meth Ch; Rep; hobby, baseball; res Bartlett.
BRUNER, FRANKLIN C: Postmaster; b Benson, Neb Aug 19, 1903; s of Frank W Bruner-Nettie Belle Kitchen; ed Bartlett HS 1923; m Josephine Michelson Jan 15, 1929 Greeley; s Kenneth J; 1925- P M Bartlett; 1931- opr truck & transfer line; Neb League of Dist P Ms; Neb ch Natl Assn of P Ms; past noble grand Ericson IOOF; Meth Ch; hobbies, travel, fishing & hunting; res Bartlett.
COOK, EDWARD W: Cafe Operator & Rancher; b Red Oak, Ia Jan 16, 1876; s of William Cook-Glendora Daughette; ed Ia; Wheeler Co; m Effie May Nott Mar 9, 1898 Albion; s George, Herman, Arnold; d Glendora (Mrs L Gilray), Marie (Mrs Joe Hinz), Viola (Mrs Orville Galland), Leona, Hazel (Mrs Van Hughey), Beulah, Ethel (Mrs A Watsch), Effie (Mrs Pate DahIstein); 1887 came in covered wagon to Wheeler Co with father; 1897-1934 ranched in Boone Co; 1934 located near Ericson; oprd Piebel Lake Resort short time; 1936- opr cafe Ericson; Meth Ch; Rep; hobby, fishing; res Ericson.
COWGER, CLIFFORD B: High School Superintendent; b Springview, Neb Mar 24, 1905; s of Miles A Cowger-Ella Wheeler; ed Springview HS, 1922; CSTC 1926; Colorado St Tchrs Coll, Greeley, BA 1930, MA 1933; Pi Kappa Delta; m Phyllis Schloesser Aug 20, 1936 Nebraska City; 1922-25 tchr Keyapaha Co schs; 1926-28 prin of HS, Edison; 1928-29 athletic dir, St Edward; 1931-32 supt of schs, Penalosa Kas; 1932-36 supt of schs Naper; 1936- supt Wheeler Co HS; Cedar Valley Tchrs Conf; NSTA; Meth Ch; hobbies, fishing & travel; res Bartlett.
HOEFENER, ERNEST H: Oil Dealer; b Germany June 21, 1877; s of Henry Hoefener-Charlotte Finken; ed Bartlett; m Lillie Senn Jan 8, 1902 Bartlett; s Harold; d Edna (Mrs Kenneth Miner), Margaurete (Mrs S L Westcott); 1881 came to Wheeler Co with parents, fifth family to settle near Bartlett; 1928 opr oil station, Ericson; with son opr 320 A ranch near Ericson; state lic CE; contr Ericson water works; architect Wheeler Co HS dormitories; past Wheeler Co engineer; past chmn Wheeler Co HS bd 20 years; past mbr Ericson sch & village bds; chmn state highway safety patrol; during World War chmn 4-min men; Neb Indep Oil Dlrs Assn; ambassador 1939 Ak-Sar-Ben; AF&AM, Ord; past grand IOOF; Luth Ch; co chmn Dem Central Com; hobbies, schools & roads; res Ericson.
KAISER, FRANK S: Farmer & Stock Raiser; b Omaha, Neb Nov 20, 1880; s of Anton Kaiser-Lena Elsborg; ed Omaha; Spalding Coll, Spalding; m Mary May Oct 30, 1906 Spalding; s Richard Aloysius, Otto Antone, Ralph Leo, John Gregory; d Benedict (Mrs Alfred Hendrickson), Bernardette; 1900-27 farmed with father, Wheeler Co; 1927- indep farmer in. Wheeler Co; 1909- dir Bartlett State Bank; 1902-11 treas sch dist 17; 1927- dir sch dist 19; Cedar River Soil Conservation Com, dist chmn since 1938; chmn of Agrl Conservation Program; Greeley coun KC; Cath Ch; Dem; hobby, building dams; father homesteaded in Wheeler Co in 1883; res Spalding.
KEMPER, J J: Hardware Dealer; b Dixon Co, Neb June 21, 1908; s of Jesse Kemper-Maud Westcott; ed Newcastle HS, 1927; m Helen Blessing Feb 23, 1929 Sioux City Ia; d Marlene; 1927-28 with Fairmont Creamery Co, Sioux City; 1928-37 oprd tele exchange & ranch, Thomas Co; 1937- owner & opr hdw store, Ericson; Neb Retail Hdw Assn; mbr village bd; IOOF; Meth Ch; Indep; hobbies, fishing & livestock; res Ericson.
KITCHEN, CALVIN: Retired; b Lafayette Co, Wis Jan 7, 1847; s of James B Kitchen-Cynthia Noble; ed Wis; m Mary Rowe 1871 Iowa Co, Wis; s Charles, James, Albert L; d Nettie Belle (Mrs F Bruner), Flossie Mabel (Mrs Harry Madison); 1885 settled in Wheeler Co & oprd farm; 1887-88 carried mail 42 mi from Cummingsville to Albion; 1889-1903 contr, Omaha; 1903-05 emp by Allis-Chalmers Co, Milwaukee Wis; 1905-13 homesteaded near Bartlett; 1913- ret; during Civil War enl in Union Army but rejected because of youth; Meth Ch; hobby, livestock; res Bartlett.
KOINZOU, FRED W: Rancher & Oil
Dealer; b New York City, Jan 21, 1875; s of Fred Koinzou-Annie
Cockrow; ed Davenport; m Myrtle Greenwood June 1, 1939 Albion; s
Albert,
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Walter, Herman, Irwin, Lester, Fredrick; d Ida (Mrs George Schuppau), Lulu (Mrs L Ganskow), Alma (Mrs J Titterington), Edna (Mrs W Petersen), Irene (Mrs J Eckart); 1875 came to Adams Co; 1885-1917 resided in Davenport; 1917- opr 1400 A ranch near Bartlett; also owns 160 A farm near Elgin, specializes in cattle raising; 1938- opr oil station, Bartlett; past mbr sch bds Davenport & Wheeler Co; past Wheeler Co commr; treas Beaver Valley Tele Co several years; treas Luth Ch, Elgin; hobby, livestock; Mrs Koinzou operates 800 A ranch; res Bartlett.
KUSEK, LOUIS H: County Superintendent of Schools; b Spalding, Neb Oct 22, 1911; s of Thomas Kusek- Mary Neholiciak; ed Bartlett HS, 1929; lettered in track, baseball & basketball, held discus record; CSTC 1930, 1933-34; Immaculate Conception Coll, Hastings 1931; 1930-33 tchr Wheeler Co; 1934 Wheeler Co supt of schs, youngest in Neb; secy Wheeler Co HS; NSTA; Neb St Assn of Co Supts; NEA; secy Wheeler Co bd of health; secy co ARC: village clk; KC; Cath Ch; hobbies, law study, travel, sports & music; res Bartlett.
LEHMAN, RICHARD F: Livestock Dealer; b Carbon Co, Penn Feb 7, 1876; s of Jesse Lehman-Anna C Eckart; ed Neb; m Ella C Foster June 22, 1898 Hastings; s Abraham C Thomas; 1898-1900 with W S Hayes, Kenesaw; 1907- stockraiser & farmer on 1000 A ranch; raises Hereford cattle, Spotted Poland China hogs, Belgian horses; 1922-30, 1934- Wheeler Co commr; dir Fed Land Bank, Ewing; mbr sch bd 25 years; Luth Ch; Rep; hobby, livestock; res Ericson.
McGUIRE, MRS MINNIE: Theater Operator; b Ashland, Neb; d of Samuel Bumgardner-Lucinda Hooker; ed Saunders Co; m Thomas McGuire Jan 8, 1896 Wahoo (dec); s Alva; d Della (Mrs W W Cutler), Laura May (Mrs Roy Webb); 1927- owner & opr McGuire Opera House; Woman's Club; ch mbr, outside guardian & past noble grand, Rebekah; Luth Ch; hobbies, gardening & travel; husband farmed 3 years in Greeley Co; 1900-18 farmed in Wheeler Co; 1918 pur Ericson Theater & operated it until his death 1927; her parents were first couple married in Saunders Co; res Ericson.
MIGNERY, HERBERT CHARLES: Rancher; b Buffalo, N Y June 1, 1878; s of Nicholas Mignery-Mary Julia Voss: ed Wheeler Co; Fremont Normal, 1900; m Bertha C Brown Oct 7, 1903 Elgin; s Melvin V, E Almon, Wayne W; d Doris M (Mrs M E Scoville), Kelva 1; 1903- rancher, Wheeler Co; 1930 Wheeler Co clk; 1921-37 regent Wheeler Co HS; in point of residence, oldest in Wheeler, Co; lives on same ranch father started in 1878; was friend of Chief Spotted Tail, Sioux tribe, Rosebud agcy; adopted into tribe 1928, given name Good Elk; first pres Wheeler Co Fair bd 1927; Presby Ch; Rep; hobby, fishing; off Elgin; res Wheeler Co.
MIGNERY, MELVIN V: County Sheriff; b Wheeler Co, Neb Aug 5, 1904; s of Herbert C Mignery-Bertha C Brown; ed Wheeler Co; m Ruth M Jenkins Nov 8, 1930 Elk Point S D; s Herbert H; d Maida Z, Marta J; opr 480 A cattle ranch; 1934- Wheeler Co sheriff; Neb Sheriffs & Peace Ofcrs Assn, dir & pres third dist; IOOF; Meth Ch; Rep; hobby, livestock; res Bartlett.
MINER, JAMES S: Rancher; b Fulton Co, Ill Nov 15, 1867; s of Samuel Miner-Mary J Holmes; ed Nemaha & Johnson Cos; PSTC; m Anna L Jones May 6, 1896 Johnson Co; s James Kenneth; d Maude (Mrs Lloyd Henry); homesteaded under old law & Kinkaid act, Chase Co; 1911-23 farmed in Johnson Co; 1923- opr 2160 A ranch, Bartlett; 1932- Wheeler Co commr; past Wheeler Co clk; past regent Wheeler Co HS; Meth Ch; hobbies, saddle horses & livestock; res Bartlett.
PATRICK, LLOYD H: Grain & Lumber Dealer; b Wheeler Co, Neb Mar 29, 1887; son of William Patrick-Margaret M Lemasters; ed Wheeler Co; m Katherine Mentzer Jan 3, 1914 Ord; d Wilma C, Ruth L; 1912-14 teleg opr CB&Q RR; 1914-20 farmed; 1920-28 oprd garage, Ericson; 1928-39 publisher Ericson Journal; 1936- mgr Koupal & Barstow Lbr, Coal & Grain Co; Neb Grain Dlrs Assn; past mbr NPA; past pres C of C; past chmn sch bd; past noble grand IOOF, treas; Meth Ch; Rep; hobby, baseball; res Ericson.
REIMER, OTTO F: Farmer; b Wheeler Co, Neb Mar 2, 1897; s of Henry Reimer-Minnie Wulf; ed Ewing HS 1917; U of N Coll of Agr, short courses; m Helene Sisson Oct 25, 1919 Neligh; 1917- opr 320 A farm, Wheeler Co; 1938- Wheeler Co commr; mbr sch bd; Presby Ch; hobbies, stockraising & athletics; off Courthouse, Bartlett; res Ewing.
RUMSTICK, OTTO L: Merchant; b Crown Point, Ind Apr 27, 1892; s of Otto Rumstick-___; ed Hammond Ind; m Leona Schricker Dec 28, 1915 Albion; s Glen Otto (dec), Arnold William (dec); d Selma (Mrs CarI Williams); 1909-15 emp on ranches near Loretto; 1915-24 oprd farm, Albion; 1924-27 oprd gen store, Swan1 Lake; 1927-29 farmed near Hisle S D; 1929- opr gen store, Bartlett; mbr village bd; IOOF, Ericson; Luth Ch; Rep; hobby, baseball; res Bartlett.
1Swan Lake was 28 miles south of Atkinson.
SQUIRE, JAMES E: Farmer & Stock Raiser; b Wheeler Co, Neb May 15, 1901; s of Ephraim G Squire-Mary Hearty; ed WSTC HS; WSTC 1927; m Mary Clark Aug 29, 1928 Antelope Co; d Mary Irene, Patricia Rae; 1927- owner & opr farm, Wheeler Co; sch bd treas 12 years; mbr pct com Soil Conservation Com; chmn playground com Congl Ch; Rep; hobbies, amateur radio, writing for Elgin Review; res Elgin.
STEPHENSON, FRED: Hotel & Cafe Owner; b Princeton, Ill Apr 29, 1883; s of William Stephenson-Ada Centerfield; ed Julesburg Colo; m Dora Brown June 22, 1908 Arcadia; d Ethel; 1908-30 maintenance foreman CB&Q RR, St Paul & Arcadia; 1930- owner & opr hotel & cafe, Ericson; dir Ericson Co-op Bank; Meth Ch; Rep; hobby, fishing; res Erickson.
SWAIN, ED: Merchant; b Nebraska City, Neb Jan 29, 1890; s of Richard Swain-Lona Rose; ed Walthill; m Elsie Doran June 2, 1911 Pender; d Wilma; 1917-33 opr 5000 A cattle ranch, Wheeler Co; 1934 owner & opr gen store, Bartlett; past mbr village bd; past mbr Wheeler Co Fair bd; Meth Ch; Indep; hobby, horses; res Bartlett.
VAN HORN, MRS MARY C: Librarian; b Lima, Ohio Apr 29, 1875; d of Joseph H Watt-Emrilla Taylor; ed Ohio; Ericson Neb; m George A VanHorn Dec 29, 1891 Ord; s George K, Richard J; d Cleo (Mrs Fay Patrick), Edith (Mrs Frank Keenan), Dora (Mrs Henry Davis); 1887 came to Ericson, where husband started store; 1937- librarian; Woman's Club; Meth Ch; hobbies, fancywork & reading; res Ericson.
WALTHERS, OTTO G: Merchant & Auctioneer; b Merrick Co, Neb Mar 23, 1884; s of August Walthers- Augusta Dietz; ed Merrick Co; m Anna Simonson Apr 1905 Central City; s Leonard; d Myrna (Mrs Harold Jacobs), Agnes (Mrs Jesse Osmusson); 1918 came to Ericson & emp as mail carrier; 1921-28 clk D E Wolfe gen store, Ericson; 1932- owner & opr gen store; 1922- auctioneer; opr Ericson livestock market; opr 320 A cattle ranch; pres Ericson Co-op Bank; pres sch bd; mbr village bd; Luth Ch; Rep; hobby; livestock; res Ericson.
WESTCOTT, SYLVESTER L: Merchant; b Madison Co, Neb July 12, 1899; s of Delbert Westcott-Harriett Wheeler; ed Platte & Wheeler Cos; U of N; KSTC: m Margurete Hoefener May 30, 1924 Spalding; s Lyle, Dean, Harold; 1917-24 tchr Wheeler Co schs; 1925-31 tchr Ericson schs; 1931-33 mgr Dean Wolf Gen Store; Ericson; 1934- owner & opr gen merc store; mbr sch bd; treas village bd; past dist dep grand master IOOF, secy; Meth Ch; Rep; hobbies; fishing & hunting; res Ericson.
WYMAN, MRS EDITH: County Treasurer; b
York, Neb Aug 19, 1892; d of Ora G Prewitt-Mary J Taylor; ed York:
York Bus Coll; m T E Wyman Oct 17, 1917 York (dec); s George,
Eugene; d Lillian, Katherine, Marjorie, Lu Ella; 1935 apptd to
finish unexpired term of husband; 1936- Wheeler Co treas by
election; Neb Assn of Co Treas; mbr sch bd; Meth Ch; Dem; res
Bartlett.
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