O. A. AVERY,
dealer in grain and live stock, was born in Corinth, Vt., February 10,
1837, and, at eighteen
years of age removed to Boston, Mass.,
where he was for three years employed in a mineral water manufactory.
He enlisted, October 22, 1858, in the
Fifth United States Cavalry, serving for five years, and, on June 25, 1863,
re-enlisted in the Third Rhode Island
Cavalry, and was commissioned First Lieutenant, and promoted to Captain
March 24, 1864. Was mustered out January
26, 1866; subsequently was for a year engaged in a grist-mill at
Corinth, afterward carrying on a fruit
farm in Union County, Ill., until he came to Nebraska. In January, 1870,
he
homesteaded and timber-claimed 320 acres
in Sheridan Precinct, Clay County, and resided on the same for
nearly six years, farming and improving
his property. He came to Edgar in 1876, and was employed in various
capacities until he engaged in this
business in February, 1880. He is also engaged in farming and breeding
stock.
While residing in Sheridan Precinct,
he held the office of Justice of the Peace for two years, and was for several
years a member of the School Board.
He was elected a Trustee of Edgar in April, 1881. Mr. Avery was
married, at New Orleans, May 25, 1866,
to Rosa L. Hoffman, a native of Georgia. They have five
children--Carrie, Clarence, George,
Robert and one infant son.
REV. ALBERT
B. BYRAM, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Edgar, was born in Darke
County, Ohio,
October 31, 1843, and raised on a farm
in Iowa. He was educated at the State University of Iowa City,
graduating in 1874, and afterward at
the Northwestern Theological Seminary, at Chicago, graduating there in
1877. He was licensed to preach, by
the Chicago Presbytery, in the spring of 1876, and in April, 1877, took
charge of the Presbyterian Church at
Greenville, Ill., remaining there until he came to Nebraska in June, 1880,
at
which time he took charge of the First
Presbyterian Church at Fremont, remaining there for a year. He came to
Edgar, in July, 1881, and entered upon
his present duties. He is a very able speaker, and popular with his
congregation. Mr. Byram was married
at West Liberty, Iowa, in July, 1873, to Mary E. Dawson, a native of
Pennsylvania. They have two children--Elbert
W. and Ethel.
O. B. CANFIELD,
physician and surgeon, Edgar, was born in Perrysburg, Ohio, December 11,
1855, and
resided in Illinois, with his parents,
accompanying his father, A. B. Canfield, to Edgar, Neb., in 1875, and during
the winter of 1876 and 1877, he took
a course of lectures at Rush Medical College, Chicago; also attended
Kentucky School of Medicine, at Louisville,
graduating there June 25, 1877, after which he began the practice of
his profession at this place. The doctor
has been a member of the State Medical Society for over two years.
M. S. DOUGHERTY, manufacturer of and dealer in harnesses.
WILLIAM R.
FULLER, musical merchandise, jewelry, etc., Edgar, was born at Fort Ann,
Washington Co., N.
Y., in 1845, and some years later moved
to Dowagiac, Mich., where he resided with his father and assisted him
in carpenter work. He enlisted August
6, 1862, in the Nineteenth Michigan Infantry, serving for three years.
After
the war he attended the State Normal
School, at Whitewater, Wis., for a year, after which he taught school for
some years. He came to Nebraska, April
2, 1870, homesteaded 160 acres in Sherman Precinct, Nuckolls
County, and resided on the same for
ten years, during which period he farmed and also taught school. He came
to Edgar in January, 1880, and engaged
in this business in company with D. E. Hughes, and in September, 1881,
he bought out his partner, since which
time he has conducted the business alone. He was elected Justice of the
Peace in November, 1881. Mr. F. was
married in Beatrice, Neb., in November, 1872, to Flora Follett, a native
of Pennsylvania. They have four children--Carl
R., Lottie, Loren A. and one infant daughter.
CORYDON F.
GLAZIER, of the firm Glazier Bros., dealers in pumps, implements, etc.,
Edgar, was born in
Bennington County, Vt., in 1852, removing
with parents to Putnam County, Ill., in 1855; was reared on a farm.
He came to Nebraska, in 1870; was for
two years engaged in dealing in live stock at Ashland, and came to
Edgar in 1872, and was for five years
in mercantile business in company with John G., his brother. On his arrival
here he also engaged in the Halladay
wind-mill business, and in 1880 he admitted his brother, D. E. Glazier,
as a
partner. Mr. G. is also engaged in farming
and stock-raising. He was married at Edgar, in December, 1875, to
Libby Canfield. They have one son--Fremont.
JOHN G. GLAZIER,
merchant, was born in Jamaica County, Vt., August 30, 1847, and, eight
years later,
removed with his father to Putnam County,
Ill., where he was reared on a farm. In 1862, he went to Peru, Ill.,
and entered the employ of Lininger Bros.,
general merchants, as clerk. He came in that capacity with the firm to
Ashland, Neb., in 1869, remaining in
their employ there for three and a half years. In August, 1873, he came
to
Edgar, and at once engaged in general
merchandise business in company with his brother, George F. Glazier,
under the style of Glazier Bros. They
dissolved in 1878, and, one year later, John F. closed out the entire
business. Was one of the organizers
of the Grand Island Banking Company in January, 1880, and was elected
Vice President. He managed the company's
business at this place for about a year, then sold out his interest in
the
concern. In August, 1881, he again engaged
in mercantile business, and has continued since. He has also for
some time, been engaged in the cultivation
of trees, etc. Mr. G. has been a member of the school board for some
years, and has, at various times, filled
the office of Treasurer of that body. He was elected a Trustee of the town,
in April, 1882. Mr. Glazier was married
at Ashland, Neb., in 1870, to Luella E. Pratt, a native of New York.
They have four children--John L., Jessie
L., William C. and Harry M.
CHARLES G. HAYES,
proprietor Commercial Hotel, was born in Ottawa, La Salle Co., Ill., November
16,
1849, and was reared on a farm. He came
to Nebraska in 1867, and was for ten years employed in farming in
Cass County. He came to Edgar in the
fall of 1877, and at once engaged in the livery business, which he has
carried on since. On April 25, 1880,
he purchased the Commercial Hotel, since which time he has added many
improvements. He has now a good house
and accommodation for forty guests. He was married, in Ashland,
Neb., March 7, 1872, to Martha J. Pratt,
a native of New York. They have two children--Stella M. and Lulu.
MILTON J. HULL,
Postmaster, was born in Waterloo, Monroe Co., Ill., August 22, 1841, and
was reared in
Jersey County on a farm. Enlisted in
the Fourteenth Illinois Infantry April 1, 1861, and served for four years,
subsequently following teaching. In
1867, he attended Eastman's Commercial College in Chicago, where he
graduated, after which he farmed in
Jersey County until he came to Nebraska in the fall of 1871, at which time
he
homesteaded 160 acres in Logan Precinct,
Clay County, and resided on the same for four years. He was
appointed Deputy Clerk of Clay County
in January, 1876, and removed to Sutton, where he resided, and
engaged in that capacity until the following
October. Was then appointed Postmaster of Edgar, since which time
he has resided here. Since the spring
of 1877, has also been engaged in conducting a book and stationery store,
and, in 1879, established the Edgar
Review, of which paper he is still the proprietor. Mr. Hull has always
taken
an active part in all enterprises for
the improvement of the town and people. He is a prominent leader in the
Masonic Lodge of the place. He was married
at Whitehall, Ill., in October, 1870, to Martha C. Bingham, a
native of Michigan.
JOSEPH R. KIDD,
of the firm of Kidd & Dalton, general merchandise and agricultural
implements, was born in
Morgan County, Ohio, January 3, 1843,
where he was reared on a farm. He enlisted November 10, 1863, in the
Ninth Ohio Cavalry, and served until
the close of the war, after which he came home and farmed until he came
to
Nebraska in February, 1874. He homesteaded
160 acres, and tree-claimed the same amount, in Sheridan
Precinct, Clay County, and resided on
the same five years, during which time he was principally engaged as a
carpenter and builder. In January, 1878,
he engaged in the implement business, and in August, 1880, he admitted
Henry Dalton to a partnership, at which
time they added general merchandise, and now do business as above.
Mr. K. was married in 1867, at McConnellsville,
Ohio, to Josephine Young, a native of that place. They have
seven children--Annie B., Luella, Mattie,
Albert, Loren, Frederick and Hattie.
SIMEON
B. MONTGOMERY, of the firm of "Frees & Montgomery," lumber and coal,
was born in Brown
County, Ohio, August 11, 1842. He enlisted
October 21, 1861, in the Seventieth Ohio Infantry, and served three
years, after which he returned to his
home in Ohio, and learned the trade of carpenter, which he followed for
a
livelihood. He came to Nebraska April
12, 1872, and homesteaded 160 acres in Sheridan Precinct, Clay
County, residing on the same about two
years, then in Sutton. Immediately on his arrival he began business as
a
contractor and builder, following it
for about five years. He built the present schoolhouse at Sutton in 1876,
and
also one at Glenville. Mr. M. came to
Edgar July 24, 1877, and entered the employ of J. C. Clarke & Co.,
lumber, etc., remaining in their employ
eleven months, afterward with Day & Frees in the same business until
January 1, 1882, when the firm changed
to "Frees & Montgomery." They also have a branch house at Fairfield,
this county. Mr. M. was married in Adams
County, Ohio, November 28, 1867, to Jane Peterson, a native of that
place. They have four children--Sallie
B., William, George T., and Ollia M.
JOHN P. NELSON,
insurance agent, came to Nebraska in October, 1878, located in Edgar, and
at once
established himself in this business,
and is now the oldest exclusive insurance agent in the place. Mr. Nelson
is
assisted in this business by A. M. Murphy,
who has had considerable experience in this line. Among the
companies they represent, are the North
American of Philadelphia; Hartford Fire and Marine; Springfield Fire
and Marine of Springfield, Mass.; the
Phoenix of Brooklyn, and many other leading companies.
N. B. OLSEENE,
wagon-maker, blacksmith, etc.; born in Sweden in 1848, and learned this
trade there with his
father. He emigrated to America in 1867,
and worked at his trade in Galesburg, Ill., and in Kansas and Missouri.
In 1872, he went to Chicago, Ill., and
worked for two years as a blacksmith, etc., afterward in the Moline Plow
Works, Moline, Ill., until he came to
Nebraska in the fall of 1877, and he carried on a blacksmith shop in
Geneva, Fillmore County, for over four
years. He came to Edgar January, 1882, and at once engaged in this
business, which is the principal one
in this line in the place. Mr. Olseene was married at Chicago in February,
1873, to Gustinia Anderson. They have
two children--Herman and Robert.
JOHN G. PROSSER,
agent for the Union Pacific Railroad Company, was born in Johnstown, Penn.,
March 21,
1836. He learned the trade of carpenter,
and in October, 1854, entered the employ of the Chicago, Rock Island
& Pacific Railroad Company, at Chicago,
and was employed with them some three years as a brakesman; then
with the Hannibal & St. Joe Railroad,
as brakesman and conductor for five years; afterward Ticket Agent at St.
Joe, Mo., for nearly five years; then
Baggage-master on the St. Joe & Council Bluffs Railroad for two years;
then
in Nashville, Tenn., for a year. He
came to Nebraska, April 20, 1872, and was employed in the construction
department of the Union Pacific Railroad
Company until August following; was then appointed agent, at
Alexandria, and two months later, agent
at Davenport, where he remained for thirteen months. He came to Edgar
October 15, 1873, at which time he was
appointed Station Agent at this place. Mr. Prosser has been a member
of the Board of Trustees, of Edgar,
off and on, for four years, and at present is Chairman of that body. He
was
married in Utica, Mo., January 1, 1861,
to Mary E. Bruce, a native of Kentucky. They have nine
children--William, John, Charles, Lily,
Gertrude, Francis, Louis, Frederick and James.
S. ADDISON
SEARLE, attorney at law, was born in Andover, Ashtabula Co., Ohio, August
4, 1854. He was
educated at Grand River Institute, Austinburg,
Ohio, graduating in the class of 1877; shortly afterward went to
Cleveland, Ohio, where he read law with
Messrs. De Wolf & Schwan, and was admitted to the bar September
3, 1879, and subsequently practiced
his profession in that city until he came to Nebraska; in February, 1880,
he
was admitted to the Supreme Court, at
Lincoln, on March 17, and for a few months practiced at Clay Center;
came to Edgar in the fall of 1880, and
at once opened a law office. Mr. Searle was admitted to practice in the
United States Courts, at Omaha, on May
2, 1881. In connection with his practice, he is also engaged in farming
and stock-raising.
JOHN V. STAYNER,
proprietor of the Edgar Photograph Gallery, was born in Wayne County, Ohio,
December 30, 1845. Ten years later,
he accompanied his parents to Iowa; was for some years employed in
farming, in Jones County, then at cabinet
work at Monticello, Iowa, until he came to Nebraska, June 2, 1872. He
homesteaded eighty acres in Edgar Precinct,
and resided on the same for five years. In June, 1874, he engaged in
furniture business, in company with
his brother Cyrus. This gallery was also opened at the same time, and when
the Stayner Brothers dissolved, in 1878,
Cyrus took the furniture business and John V. the gallery, which he has
conducted since; is versed in all branches
of photography, viewing, etc., and has the leading gallery in the county.
In connection with this he manufactures
all his fancy frame work, and in this branch he has no competitor in the
county.
GEORGE W. UPDIKE,
of the firm of Stout, Updike & Voorhees, real estate, collection and
loan agents, Edgar,
was born in Pennington, N. J., in 1853.
In 1872, he removed to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and was for about a year
or more employed in the insurance business.
He came to Nebraska in the fall of 1876, locating in Hastings; was
engaged in this business in company
with his brother, F. D. Updike, under the style of Updike Brothers, until
January, 1881. He then went to Washington
Territory, where he remained for a few months. He came to Edgar
in January, 1882, and joined H. W. Stout
in this business, he (Mr. Stout) having established the business here in
1881. They have recently taken into
their firm Mr. C. A. Voorhees, of Pennington, N. J. These gentlemen are
active, enterprising men, popular, and
do the leading business in their line in this place.
JOHN J. WALLEY,
of the firm of Brown & Walley, dealers in agricultural implements,
was born in Milford,
Otsego Co., N. Y., December 26, 1840,
and resided on a farm with his parents until he enlisted, August, 1862,
in the One Hundred and Fifty-second
New York Infantry, serving until August, 1865. After the war, he engaged
in the mercantile business in Eaton
County, Mich., following that business for a short time only. He went to
McHenry County, Ill., and was engaged
in farming until he came to Nebraska, in May, 1872. He homesteaded
160 acres in Edgar Precinct, Clay County,
residing on the same until February, 1879, when he removed to
Edgar. Mr. Walley engaged in the implement
business in November, 1878, with Joseph R. Kidd, continuing in
that line until he sold out to his partner
in the September following. In November, 1879, he joined M. J. Hull in
the book and stationery business, remaining
in partnership with him until June, 1881, when he sold out and joined
J. H. Brown in this business. He was
elected Assessor of Edgar Precinct in the fall of 1875 and 1876.
CHARLES H.
WARREN, dealer in grain and live stock, was born in Hector, Tompkins Co.,
N. Y., October
25, 1842. In the fall of 1862, he enlisted
in the Eighth New York Cavalry, and participated in thirty-two
engagements, serving four years and
nine months, after which he farmed in Ontario County, N. Y. He came to
Nebraska, March 31, 1872; homesteaded
160 acres in Linn Precinct, Clay County, and resided on it for five
years. He came to Edgar in May, 1877,
entering the employ of C. F. Shedd & Co., dealers in grain and
live-stock, and remained with them as
manager of their business, at this place, until the summer of 1882, when
he
engaged in the business for himself.
He purchased an elevator, February 24, 1882, with a capacity of 10,000
bushels, and this, with his experience,
places him among the leading dealers in this county. He is the owner of
360
acres of land in the county, and is
also engaged in farming and stock-raising; has filled various local offices
and
been Treasurer of the School District
for three years. Mr. Warren was married in Ontario County, N. Y.,
February 14, 1866, to Cornelia Hartsough,
a native of New York. They have five children--Emelia B., May H.,
Arthur H., Herbert and Lucretia.
S. J. WHITTEN,
dealer in lumber and coal, was born in Canada, May 12, 1846, and, after
leaving school, was
for several years employed in mercantile
business; came to Nebraska in April, 1871. He pre-empted eighty acres
in Seward County in January, 1872. He
went to Crete, Saline County, where he was employed as a clerk in the
mercantile business. He came to Edgar
in April, 1874, and engaged in the lumber business in company with
Marion Hart; a few months later, he
bought out his partner's interest, and conducted the business alone until
1877, when he sold out, built an elevator
and entered into the grain business, in which he remained some three
years. He then bought back the original
lumber business, and has given it his attention since. In the fall of 1881,
he
put in a lumber yard at Blue Hill, Neb.
Mr. W. was married in Crete, Neb., March 30, 1875, to Annie M. Blair,
a native of Canada. They have two children--Florella
and Winifred.
REV. WILLIAM
H. WILSON, pastor of the First Baptist Church, was born at London, Ontario,
August 1,
1847, and educated at Toronto University,
Toronto, Ontario, graduating there in 1868, after which he taught
school for some years. In 1872, he renewed
his studies for the ministry at the Baptist Union Theological
Seminary, graduating from there in 1874,
after which he had charge of the Baptist Church at Latham, Logan
County, Ill., for three years, and at
Effingham, Ill., for eighteen months. Subsequently was for a year in charge
of
the Latin and Greek Department in the
Ewing College, Franklin County, Ill. He came to Edgar in April, 1881,
and at once entered upon his present
duties. Mr. W. was married in Brantford, Ontario, May 27, 1875, to
Elizabeth Dimmock, a native of England.
They have three children--Carl, Percy D. and Myrtle.
HARRY K. WOLFE,
Principal of the Edgar High School, was born in Bloomington, Ill., November
10, 1858,
and came with his parents to Nebraska
in 1872, residing with them in Grant Precinct, Lancaster County, assisting
on the farm until he reached the age
of seventeen years, when he went to Lincoln and attended the State
University, where he graduated in the
classical course June 10, 1880. His first school was in District 39,
Lancaster County. In January he took
charge of the Ponca High School in Dixon County, Neb. He came to
Edgar in September, 1881, and at once
entered upon his present duties.