Southeastern Nebraska Archives – Page 2 of 8

Biography of George T. Dustin of Auburn

A Biographical and genealogical history of southeastern Nebraska

George T. Dustin, born September 11, 1844, in Dubois County, Indiana, was a respected liveryman in Auburn, Nebraska. His father, Timothy Dustin, died before George’s birth. His mother, Louisa T. (Combs) Dustin, relocated the family to Bureau County, Illinois, in 1846, and later to Peru, Nebraska, in 1860. George supported his family from a young age, taking various jobs including working as a teamster. He spent four years in Montana hauling freight and later turned to breaking prairie in Nemaha County. In 1874, he started a livery business in Peru and eventually moved to Auburn in 1890, expanding his operations significantly. He married Hulda Capwell in 1880, and they had seven children. George was active in local politics as a Republican and was involved in the Masonic fraternity.

Biography of William White of Beatrice

William White, a long-time resident of Beatrice, Nebraska, was born on May 8, 1845, in Greene County, Tennessee. He hailed from an esteemed southern family; his father, Abraham White, and mother, Nancy Jennings, were both Tennessee natives. During the Civil War, William enlisted in Company G, Fourth East Tennessee Volunteer Infantry on November 7, 1862, and served bravely under Colonel Patterson and Captain West. Post-war, he managed the family farm until 1874 before moving to Illinois and then to Nebraska. William settled in Beatrice after a few years in Pawnee City and successfully ran a hotel. He suffered from chronic rheumatism due to wartime diseases. William married Mary J. White in 1866, and they had three children: Lydia, Josie, and Ella Hill.

Biography of Thomas B. Skeen of Auburn

Thomas B. Skeen, born January 19, 1838, in Buchanan County, Missouri, is one of Nemaha County, Nebraska’s oldest residents. His family, originating from England and later Scotland, emigrated to America, with his father, Alexander D. Skeen, settling in Nebraska in 1854. Thomas experienced pioneer life, including interactions with Native Americans and participating in the Pike’s Peak Gold Rush. He married Eunice Harger in 1860, and they had several children. Thomas became a successful freighter and landowner, eventually operating a flouring mill and engaging in the cattle-feeding business. He moved to Auburn in 1888, where he continued farming and became a prominent local figure. Active in the Methodist Episcopal Church and a Master Mason, Thomas’s life exemplified diligence, perseverance, and community involvement.

Biography of Captain C. F. Nye of Clay Township

Captain C. F. Nye was a well-known citizen of Clay Township, Pawnee County, and a pioneer of this part of Nebraska, having arrived in 1867. Born on December 17, 1838, in Highgate, Vermont, he was the son of Nelson Nye and Eliza Fairbanks. Nelson Nye, born on December 17, 1810, in Keene, New Hampshire, lived to be ninety-three. C. F. Nye, educated at the University of Vermont, left to join the First Vermont Regiment during the Civil War, later serving in the Tenth Vermont Volunteer Infantry and rising to the rank of captain. After the war, he graduated in law and moved to Pawnee City, Nebraska, where he practiced law and served as county treasurer. Nye later focused on farming and stock-raising on his 640-acre farm. He married Maggie B. Dorrance in 1871, and they had five children. A lifelong Republican and a Mason, Nye was respected both as a private citizen and public official.

Biography of Samuel L. Caldwell of Auburn

Samuel L. Caldwell, a prominent merchant in Auburn, Nebraska, was born in Ross County, Ohio, on November 26, 1849, to Allen and Ellen J. Caldwell. Allen Caldwell, a pioneer in Ohio, was born on March 24, 1816, and was the son of Crawford Caldwell, an Irish immigrant. Samuel spent his early years on his father’s farm and later pursued education at the National Normal University in Lebanon, Ohio. He taught school and studied law, being admitted to the bar in 1879. Samuel moved to Auburn in 1884, where he became a school principal and later a police judge. In 1887, he married Mary A. Wood, who successfully ran a millinery and dry goods store in Auburn. Samuel Caldwell was active in community service, notably as an Odd Fellow, and served multiple terms as a police judge.

Biography of Robert G. Gilmore of Beatrice

Robert G. Gilmore, a retired farmer in Beatrice, Nebraska, and Civil War veteran, was born on July 28, 1839, in Venango County, Pennsylvania. He enlisted in Company D, Eighty-third Pennsylvania Volunteer Infantry on August 17, 1861, and fought in significant battles including Antietam and Gettysburg. Wounded and captured at the Battle of Spottsylvania, he was later paroled and promoted to sergeant. After the war, Gilmore married Lucy M. Clough in 1867 and moved to Gage County, Nebraska, in 1876, farming until his retirement in 1892. Active in the G.A.R., he was a charter member and commander of the Cortlandt Post and a member of Rawlins Post No. 35 in Beatrice.

Biography of Robert C. Boyd of Auburn

Robert C. Boyd, assistant cashier of the Carson National Bank of Auburn, Nebraska, was born in Upton, Franklin County, Pennsylvania, on October 25, 1866. He gained his education through practical experience, initially working in his father’s store before moving to Nebraska in 1884 to clerk at his brother’s bank. Boyd was promoted to assistant cashier in 1891. He and his brother played a key role in establishing Auburn’s electric plant in 1901 and have been active in real estate. Boyd married Lillie Angle on April 24, 1890, and they have three children. A dedicated Mason and Republican, Boyd has also served as city treasurer for eight years.

Biography of Clayton E. Blessing of Auburn

Clayton E. Blessing, born on June 21, 1855, in Burkittsville, Maryland, moved to Auburn, Nebraska, in 1883, where he became a prominent fruit farmer and co-founder of Blessing & Tankersley. Descended from German ancestry, his grandfather George Blessing was a War of 1812 veteran and a staunch Union supporter during the Civil War. Clayton initially worked as a carpenter before transitioning to fruit farming. He married Emma F. Knox in 1876, and they had six children, with four surviving. An active Lutheran and Republican, Clayton served as assessor of Nemaha County for four years and was involved in the Masonic order and the Fraternal Union of America.

Biography of Thomas Copeland of Diller

Thomas Copeland, born in Richland County, Ohio, in 1833, served as the mayor of Diller, Jefferson County, Nebraska. A Civil War veteran who served in the Twenty-first Indiana Light Artillery, he moved to Nebraska in 1880 after stints in Indiana and Iowa. Copeland married twice and fathered six children. He was a member of the Grand Army of the Republic and the Odd Fellows, and was active in the Methodist Episcopal church. His political career included serving as mayor and on the board of trustees in Diller.

Biography of Albert B. Mutz of Auburn

Albert B. Mutz, born in Cass County, Nebraska, in 1857, was a commercial traveler based in Auburn, Nebraska. After completing his education at Nebraska State Normal School, he transitioned from teaching to a long career in the grocery trade. In 1894, he married Minnie Furnas Teare, a former teacher from Brownville, Nebraska. They had five children, with four surviving past infancy. Mutz was known for driving his own team to various points in southeastern Nebraska for work and spent his Sundays at home. He was a member of the Knights of Pythias and a Democrat.