CHAPTER 17.
Silver Creek, Daily, Hooker, Clark and New Castle Townships and New Castle Villiage.
Silver Creek Township
Is bounded on the north by New Castle, east by Ponca, south by Galena and west by Daily, and is six miles square, with not an acre of poor land in it. The township is settled by a class of citizens whose farms, dwellings and improvements are evidences of prosperity and good taste. There are no villiages in the township. There is one post office, (Hazel), six schoolhouses and two churches, the West Union (Presbyterian) and the (M.E.) Central.
In 1874 the Silver Ridge seminary was opened by Rev. Walter H. Clark, and was conducted several years and finally discontinued.
In this township are a large number of orchards, prominent among which are those on the farms of Mr. Murflin Mr. Blecker (the farm bought by him of F.S. Payne) Miller, Merritt, Miille, Mendenhall, Russell, Weidenfeldt, Schram and Armstrong. With proper attention fruit does well here, as it does in every part of the county.
C.W. Schram is a native of New York state, from whence he came to Belle Plaine, Iowa, and from there in 1871 to Omaha, and the following year to Dixon county, locating in Silver Creek township. He now has a farm of of 320 acres, all under excellent cultivation, and the best buildings in the township. When he came here he hadn't money enough to buy a pair of boots. He is now worth at least $10,000. He has held township offices for the past twenty years, and is now a member of the board of supervisors. He is married and has nine children, all living. See the page of portraits of supervisors of 1895.
Dan Curry came to Dixon county from Pennsylvania in 1868. Is a farmer, and he and his sons own nearly two sections in the township.
Frank and Gottlieb Miille came to this country from Germany and located in Silver Creek in 1868. Frank now owns 1,000 acres of well improved land. Has eight sons and daughters, four of whom are married. He pays the most taxes of any man in Silver Creek. Gottlieb owns about a section of land, well improved. Has eleven children, two of them married.
P. Dempsey, the first settler of Silver Creek township, was born in County Killdare, Ireland, 75 years ago. He came to New York in 1848, and afterwards removed to Pennsylvania, and from there to Dixon county, arriving May 7th, 1857. He has lived since 1860 in Silver Creek, where he has 800 acres of fine, improved land. Is worth about $30,000. Has had ten children, all of whom, except two, are living. Mr. Dempsey has been prominent in public affairs, and was supervisor for Silver Creek several years.
Mark Runyan located in Silver Creek in 1870. He is a farmer, has half a section of land, good buildings and improvements and is out of debt. His wife died about a year ago. Never had any county or town office and would never except any.
Herman and Henry Wendte, brothers, came in 1875 from Germany and brought considerable money with them. Herman has three-fourths of a section, and Henry half a section of excellent land. Both married and have large families.
John Mannion came in 1870 from Ireland. He is the largest cattle feeder in Silver Creek. Has over a section of land, well improved, good buildings, etc. Has a wife and six children.
J.L. Murfin came from Illinois in 1882, and has 200 acres in fine condition. One of the best farmers in Silver Creek. Has a wife and eight children, two of them married. Worth about $8,000 and out of debt.
David Armstrong located in Silver Creek in 1885. Has three quarters of a section of land. Is well fixed and is a good farmer. Has the only brick house in the township. Has ten children living, eight sons and two daughters.
C.G. Wilson lives on the "Rus. Wilbur farm," which he bought in 1880. Was the first supervisor of Silver Creek under township organization.
Thomas McClary came here in 1870 and bought and now occupies a farm of 200 acres. Has eight sons and daughters, all grown up, and all married but one.
E.L. Heidy came in 1874 from Illinois. His farm has 200 acres, with good improvements. He is out of debt and is worth $5,000. Has a small family.
Fred Stark arrived from Germany in 1869, took a homestead and added to it until he now has a farm of 480 acres. Good buildings, orchard, grove, etc. Has a wife and thirteen children.
William Stark came from Germany and took a homestead in 1875. Has a wife and eight children. Is comfortably fixed and has located his three three sons on farms near him.
Joe Mendenhall came from Indiana in 1875, located on 160 acres of land and occupies it at the present time. A thrifty and substantial farmer. He has a wife, six girls and a boy.
Ernst Steffin, from Germany. First located in Daily, then removed to Silver Creek in 1870 and has lived there since. Has a farm of 240 acres.
R.H. Hannant settled in Silver Creek twenty-five or thirty years ago and was a successful farmer. He sold his place about twelve years ago to Geo. Lamprecht, who has since resided there.
Dayton Ward was superintendent of school a few years ago. He has a farm of 160 acres.
E.H. Jones, for several years sheriff of the county, settled in Silver Creek in 1871 with his parents and brothers and engaged in farming. He was elected sheriff and served with great success in that office for three terms commencing January 1st, 1878. He was highly esteemed as a citizen and justly popular as an officer. He died at Ponca in 1890. His family remain in Silver Creek.
Squire Hewett, now living in Ponca city, formerly lived on a large farm which he had in Silver Creek.
A. Drager was a successful Silver Creek farmer, removing to Ponca several years ago.
O.M. Childs, born in 1834 in Pennsylvania, was married at Erie Dec.4, '65, to Mrs. Sarah Peabody of Crawford county, that state. Enlisted Aug. 8, '62, for 9 months in Co. A, 131st Reg't., Pa. Vol., and was wounded Dec. '62, in the Fredericksburg fight. Was in the goverment construction corps for one year. Re-enlisted in 1864 in Co. I, 8th Reg't, Pa. Cav., for one year. Was wounded in front of Petersburg and discharged on account of it, July 13, '65. Was in nine hard fought battles. Moved to Nebraska in 1870, and located in Silver Creek, where he and his family now reside. Has a farm of 160 acres, well improved and fenced, with a good house, grove, etc. He and his wife have two daughters, who reside with them, and one son J.A. Childs, married, and living a mile west on a 120- acre farm of his own. Mr. Childs has also two daughters in Pennsylvania.
There are many other farmers in Silver Creek of whom no special mention is made for the want of information concerning them.
The following are the names of some:
George Foulks, K.N. Crandall, L. Coleman, G. Dudley, Roy Dudley, H.S. Cummings, Charles Crofoot, John Wilbur, H. Lowe, J. Kendall, R. Andrews, Chub Hines, C.E. Merritt, Fred Weidenfeldt, Frank Engle, Stephen Gasser, W.S. Russell, etc.
Daily Township
Has thirty-six square miles of fine fine farming land. It has Hooker township on the north, Silver Creek on the east, Clark on the south and the county line on the west. Daily has no villages; one postoffice, Daily Branch, six schoolhouses, and one church, the Tara Hill church (Catholic), built about twelve years ago.
In this township there were very few settlers until 1870, in which year a large number came, mostly from Galena, Illinois. As is the general rule in Dixon county, the people who have homes in Daily are enterprising and prosperous.
M. Conway came to Daily township in the spring of 1873, from Clayton county, Iowa, with a small amount of money, and took a homestead of 160 acres. He now has half a section, with good buildings and improvements. By his energy and good management in farming and other business he is now amply able and has no debts or liabilities. Has a wife and nine children, all living at home. Has had town offices frequently and was elected supervisor in 1891, and held that office until the re-organization of the board in October, 1895. His portrait with those of the other members of the board is seen on another page.
J.H. Addison came in 1870 and took a homestead, which he still occupies. He now has one-half a section, well improved, and is in good pecuniary circumstances. He was county superintendent of schools one term, and a member of the board of supervisors four years.
In 1870, C.W. Sherman came from New York, poor, took a homestead, was energetic, and has now a valuable farm of 240 acres, and is in excellent financial condition. He is one of Dixon county's very best men. His wife and one son compeise his family. He was the first supervisor of Daily, after township organization was adopted, and was county commissioner several years previously.
Ben. McGuirk came in 1871 from Galena, Ill., hard up, and took a homestead, and now has one section all in first class shape.
Thomas I. Thomas came in 1870 or 1871 from Galena, Ill. Has at least a section of land, and is considered the richest man in town and worth $25,000 or more. Has a large family, all living at home.
Pat Bennett located in Daily in 1870. His farm of 480 acres has fine improvements and the best house in town, and his circumstances are in every way prosperous. He has a wife and seven children. A year ago, Mr. Bennett moved to New Castle and engaged in the business of buying grain.
Edward McGrath, another good farmer and stock raiser of Daily, came from Galena, Ill., in 1870. Has a wife and seven sons and daughters, all grown up and living near him.
Peter McClusky about 1870 took a homestead, and now has 260 acres, together with cattle, horses, etc., and is out of debt.
John O'Grady about 1870 came from Galena, Ill., and took a homestead of 160 acres. He has now 240 acres, with buildings and improvements O.K. Has a large family of sons and daughters, mostly grown up.
Sol Cummings came about three years ago from New Castle and bought a quarter section. Is a successful farmer. Has a wife and several children.
Pat McGuirk, has two good farms in Daily and another in Clark, and is successful in business and popular with a host of friends.
John McGrath, son of Edward McGrath, is another good farmer in Daily.
Ed. Wilkinson located in Daily about 16 years ago. He has a well improved 160-acre farm and is well off.
W.W. Atkinson came at an early day and bought 320 acres. Died about two years ago. His wife was post-mistress at Daily postoffice for eighteen years. No children. Mr. Atkinson was a county commissioner for several terms and an excellent, popular and useful citizen.
Wm. Mallory came in 1873, and took a homestead where he still lives. He and his family are in comfortable circumstances.
Mike Donahue took a homestead in 1870, and now has a fine farm of 520 acres well improved. Has a wife and eight children living.
Pat Morris and John McManus both came about the same time, 1870, took homesteads and lived there till a year ago when they removed to Ponca. Both are comfortably off.
James Hillen, 1870, farmer,280 acres. Good improvements. Large family.
Michael Dougherty, from Galena, Ill., in 1870. Owns 320 acres and is out of debt.
Wm. Cady located in Daily about twelve years ago. Has 160 acres nicely cultivated and improved.
John H. Powers came from Galena, Ill., in 1870, and has about 500 acres. He was poor when he came, but energy and industry have brought success and good fortune.
Josiah Hoover took a homestead in 1870, and was there until his death in 1891. His family yet live there.
Brian Manley took a homestead in 1870 and yet lives on it. Has a large family, all at home.
Herman Baker, an old settler, has a good farm and a blacksmith shop, and is well off.
Peter Askin came here about fourteen years ago and bought a good farm of 160 acres, well improved, where he and his family now live.
H.H. Grosvenor is an old settler and successful farmer.
James Ward, a worthy citizen of Daily, died several years ago. He had a good farm on which his wife now resides.
In addition to the above there are numerous other citizens of Daily concerning whom we are unable to obtain information as to when they came, their farms, etc.
Among them are: David Monfort, Dan McDonald, Charles Martin, Phil Dougherty Jr., Mike Dougherty, Balt Addison, --Taylor, etc., most of whom are successful stock growers or farmer.
Hooker Township
Is situated in the northwest corner of the county. It adjoins Ionia and New Castle on the east, Daily on the south, Cedar county on the west, and the Missouri river bounds it on the north. It contains about fifty square miles. Hooker has now no village, and though the ancient villages of Concord-Dixon-North-Bend were once prominent on the map of the town, they have not been in existence for nearly thirty-five years. The face of the country in Hooker is somewhat rough, but the soil is excellent and along the river timber is abundant. Stock raising was for many years a leading enterprise, but as the population increased, the stock business has given place to general farming.
A few of those who have been prominent as citizens or early settlers of Hooker are the following:
A.N. Gran and S.N. Gran and their father Nels H. Gran came from Norway. A.N. Gran '68, and S.N. Gran and their father in '70, and located on homesteads in Hooker in 1871. A.N. Gran and his brother now occupy the same claims first taken by them; their father lived on his until his death in 1889. Both the brothers are successful and enterprising men and have large farms which are well improved and profitably worked. A.N. has 250 and S.N. 240 acres. The former has a wife and four children living and the latter has a wife but no children. Both are prominent in township affairs, and A.N. Gran has been Hooker's member of the board of supervisors several years, his term ending in October, 1895, on the reorganization under the new law. His Portrait will be seen with the rest of the board on another page.
John Maskell, an excellent citizen and farmer, settled in Hooker in 1856, and resided there until he removed to Vermillion, S.D., in 1894. During his long residence in that township he has been successful in business and has seen the hardships of frontier life give place to the comforts and independence of the present. His farm is now occupied by his son Andrew Masskell.
H. Weidenfeldt, from Wisconsin in 1870. Homesteaded 160 acres and still occupies it. In addition to cultivating and improving his farm, he has been largely engaged in the stock business. His family consists of himself, wife and twelve sons and daughters.
Mr. McCleary settled at an early day where Lime Grove postoffice now is. Moved away about twelve years ago.
H. Tarsony took a homestead in Hooker over twenty-five years ago. Now has about a section of land and fine improvements. Has been mainly engaged in stock raising.
O.K. Anderson, and early settler was succesfully engaged in farming and stock raising until five years ago, since which time he had been in the western part of the state. His family still occupy the farm in Hooker. Has four sons and two daughters.
Mons Nelson, farmer and stock raiser since he located there in the fall of 1856 up to 1880, when the Missouri river cut across North Bend and swept out his farm. In 1880 he removed to South Dakota, and now lives in Gayville, in that state.
John Conner became a resident in 1868. Has now a section of land profitably farmed.
Dexter Rice. (See Ionia township).
Charles Brookey lives near the Missouri river, and is well fixed. He came there at an early day with his father, John Brookey, who was one of the county commissioners in 1865.
James G. Bailey and sons came to Hooker more than twenty-five years ago. He was a prominent and influential citizen up to his death four years ago. His sons, John, William, James and S.D. Bailey, are successful men in business and all reside in Hooker, except James, who lives on his farm in New Castle township.
Nels Johnson and his sons, Nels C. Johnson, Casper Johnson and Christ Nelson, are prosperous farmers and own valuable lands. They came to Daily township from Florence, Nebraska, in 1871, and afterwards removed to Hooker and bought the farm of McCleary at Lime Grove, where Nelson is postmaster and has a general store.
New Castle Township
The face of the country in New Castle township is much like that in the towns adjoing. Hills, fertile to their tops, fertile valleys and numerous unfailing streams, furnish a farming and stock growing region that can hardly be surpassed. The township is well settled up. Many of the citizens are wealthy and nearly all are in independent circumstances.
The citizens never had a market near at hand until the extension of the C., St., P., M. & O. R R. from Ponca to New Castle in 1893. when that extension was made, the hitherto dormant hamlet of New Castle developed rapidly, as related in a former chapter, into a brisk railroad town. Gustavus Smith, the leading spirit of that locality up to the time of his death. (July 27, 1880,) would have been glad to have lived to see such growth and advancement in the place he founded and named years before.
One of the first settlers in what is known as New Castle township, was William Pfister, who came from Harden county, Iowa, in 1858. He was a man possessed of good judgment and courage, and came with the expectation of finding a wild and unsettled country with Indians for neighbors. He was not greatly mistaken in his forecast of the future. The country was indeed wild when he came, white settlers were miles away, and for years his most frequent visitors were the roving Indians passing through that part of the country on their road between Omaha and Santee agencies. He took a claim a few miles from where New Castle village is, and cultivated and improved it from year to year, built a farm house, barns and fences, started a grove and orchard, raised wheat and corn, cattle and hogs, and in due time was rewarded with plenty. For years after he located there, he could look in every direction and see no house or cultivated fields except his own. It was a solitary life, yet with his constant labor in improving and cultivating, his time was occupied; and life, though on the remote frontier, was pleasant. The Indians who had often passed, became aquainted and friendly, he could talk with them, and they showed no disposition to plunder or harm him. Sixteen years ago when the great prarie fire swept over that part of the country, he lost house, fences, stacks and nearly everything on his farm that would burn. In time he recovered from that visitation. He died in May, 1895, after an industious life of 65 years. On the same place where he first located, he lived up to the time of his death. He left a valuable farm of 320 acres, good buildings and a large amount of stock. His wife survives him and now resides on the farm.
New Castle village, incorporated May 16, 1893, has a class of citizens whose energy and enterprise is seen in the continued improvement of the place.
Among the most prominent citizens is Thomas Hoy, to whose efforts, as described in chapter X11, the extension of the railroad to that place is mainly due. Mr. Hoy came when young to New Castle from Pittsburg, Pa., in the spring of 1872. He attended school, developed business habits, and finally taught school three terms. In 1878, he engaged in the mercantile business and has continued it all the time, substantially, since then. In 1880, was appointed postmaster which position he still fills. In 1882 his store and goods burned, there being a total loss, and soon after he rebuilt. He was a member of the board of supervisors in '92 and '93, and since the incorporation of New Castle has had a leading and progressive part in the official life of that place. His mercantile business is large, and after so many years in it, he has the aquaintance and confidence of a great share of the people in that part of the county. He was married in 1884 to Ellen McAndrews, and has five children, four girls and one boy.
W.P. Logan, another prominent young business man of New Castle, the cashier of the Farmers State Bank of that place, has already been noticed in the part devoted to Ponca City, where he formerly lived. His portrait is seen in this chapter.
E.E. Carder, the depot agent, came to New Castle in September, 1893. He is married and has two children. Is an efficient and popular railroad man.
John Coleman came from Sioux City in 1877, farmed three years, and then went into business with Mr. Hoy. Their partnership was dissolved four years after and Mr. Coleman is now engaged in the sale of hardware. Coleman Bros. have a large store and a desirable patronage. Mr. Coleman is married and has four children.
James Tobin, son of Michael Tobin who has been a resident twenty years, lives near New Castle village. He has a good farm and is successful in business. Was a supervisor of the township two years. See his portrait with those of the supervisors of '95.
Dr. Manning has been located here since the spring of 1884. Has a drug store and a good business and is a physician of fine education.
E.J. Eames is the editor and proprietor of the New Castle Times which was started about three years ago, and which has been conducted with ability by Mr. Eames since the spring of '95. He is also a lawyer, in which, as in his editorial business, he is well qualified and successful.
W.A. Clingan, drugggist, commenced business in July, 1893. Has a good location in town and a desirable business.
F.D. Rumford, has a large trade in groceries, confectioner's goods, etc. He commenced in the summer of' 93.
The Edwards & Bradford Lumber Company have had a large yard here since the summer of 1893, of which J. Marshall is manager.
Herman Rahn has had livery and feed stables here since spring of '93.
Robert Ross has also had a livery barn in Newcastle since spring of '95.
Mikesell & Company have a large and well filled general store in New Castle, which was opened May 1, 1895 and since managed by J. M. Hoskinson. It has a large trade.
New Castle has a good hotel, the Commercial House, started in September '94 and conducted by C.N. Smith.
James H. Bailey commenced in the mercantile business here in the spring of '93.
Johnson Brothers, dealers in furniture, also opened business the same year.
Connery & McGrath established the New Castle Roller Mills in '93. They make excellent flour and do a large business.
Dr. W.R. Talboy located here in '93 and Dr. C.L. Roland in the spring of '95. Both are experienced physicians and surgeons.
H.W. Hopkins, stock buyer, came in '93.
Pat Bennett commenced buying grain here a year or morwe ago, and J.B. Flack for Peavey & Company last summer.
Suecker & Anderson, contractors and builders; Fred Calvert, market; Smith & Davis, blacksmiths; Frank Pletsch and Dougherty & Bennett, billiard halls; have been in New Castle from two to three years.
Copyright (C) 1998-2001 Robin Mosier
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