York County, NE: 1882 Andreas History of Nebraska-York
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History of the State of Nebraska
Chicago: The Western Historical Company
A. T. Andreas, Proprietor
1882.

Page 1506

homesteaded the eighty acres north and adjacent to his present residence. Owns 160 acres of good land, and of this 100 is improved and the rest enclosed for pasture.

ALBERT H. STONE, proprietor of the Niota flouring mills, P. O. Fairmont, Fillmore County, Section 19, Town 9, Range 2 west. This mill is situated on the south bank of the West Blue river, is two stories high and basement, size 24 x 36. It has a run of two buhrs and a capacity for grinding 500 bushels daily and is well equipped with first class machinery and good water power. Mr. S. is a native of New York State, born in Clyde, Wayne County, August 11, 1840, removed with his parents to Clinton County, Ill., in 1856. Here he followed various occupations and was married in Hancock County, in 1865, to Miss Sarah A. McGrath. In the spring of 1870 came to Nebraska and took up a homestead in Saunders County, near Wahoo, and in 1875 moved to York County and erected the above mill of which he is the sole proprietor. In addition to this he owns 165 acres of good land, sixty being under plow. He has five children, Clara B., Joseph Dexter, Lewis, Albert H., and Maud.

JOHN SMITH, farmer, Section 18, Township 9, Range 2, west, P. O. McFadden, was born in Luzerne County, Pa., January 5, 1835. He is the son of John and Susan Smith, who removed to La Fayette County, Wis., when he was but a small lad. When he was sixteen years old his father was killed in the Mexican War, and he was thrown upon his own resources. He followed staging in Illinois, Missouri and Arkansas, and while in the latter State met with a severe accident which crippled him for life, caused by a team running away with him. As soon as he had sufficiently recovered, he came to Nebraska in the spring of 1864, and commenced keeping a ranch on Beaver Creek and the old Freight Road, only a few miles from the present site of York. While there the most tragic event of Mr. Smith's life occurred, but in which he was fully justified in taking the course he did. "One of the men employed on the stage line stopped at Smith's ranch, and being under the influence of liquor, became very abusive. He used a great deal of unseemly language and finally declared his intention to shoot Smith. But while he was gone out to the stage to secure a couple of revolvers, Smith also got himself in readiness, and when he returned and opened the door he was met by a charge from Smith's gun, and now a grave on the bluffs, a few rods south of Beaver Creek and three miles south-east of York, contains all that is left of 'Mike Donald,' the first white person buried in the county." In the spring of 1866, Mr. Smith homesteaded the land upon which he now lives, and in the fall of the same year he moved on to his claim. He now owns 240 acres, 200 of which are under cultivation, and the rest native timber. He was the first settler in Woodruff Precinct, and took up the first homestead in the same.

JAMES D. WHITE, farmer, Section 26, Township 10, Range 3, west, P. O. York, was born in Pike County, Ind., December 14, 1850, but was reared in Gibson County. After receiving an education, he learned the shoemaker's trade in his father's shop. Previous to coming to Nebraska he farmed for one year in his native State, and in March, 1873, came to this State and purchased the place where he now lives, upon which he moved the following fall. He was married in Indiana, in 1870, to Sirena, daughter of Rev. D. Broadwell, by whom he has two children, Clarence M. and Elsie A. Mr. W. and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

YORK.
NEBRASKA CONFERENCE SEMINARY.


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