These biographies were transcribed from Goodspeed’s Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton Counties. They are only the biographies for individuals who resided in Hall County Nebraska in 1890 whose surname starts with the letter A.
ACKERMAN, David
David Ackerman is the efficient clerk of Hall County, Neb., and to that place was elected by his numerous Republican friends in the fall of 1885. His peculiar fitness for this position was soon seen and recognized, and he has served by re-election ever since, his present term expiring January 1, 1892. He was born in Northampton County, Pa., December 8, 1847, and is the son of David and Catherine (Flick) Ackerman, who were also natives of that State, the father’s birth occurring in 1818. The mother died in that State in 1863 when about fifty years of age, having borne a family of nine children, of whom David is the fifth, and eight now living. Three brothers served in the Fifty-first Pennsylvania Infantry, and one brother, John A., was killed in front of Petersburg, Va., August 1, 1864. David Ackerman received a common education in the schools near his home, and in youth learned the intricacies of farm work and blacksmithing, after which he engaged in the hotel business. In February, 1865, he enlisted in Company I, Twenty-eighth Pennsylvania Infantry, and served until the close of the war, after which he returned to his old home in Pennsylvania and began learning the drug business. After attending a college in Philadelphia for three years he graduated in March, 1874, and the following August came to Omaha and from there entered the employ of C. F. Goodman, remaining with him until the 16th of August, when the following one and one-half years were spent in Grand Island in conducting a drug store for Mr. Goodman. The two subsequent years he managed a store of his own, then went to Fort Laramie, W. T., where he was engaged in buying cattle for two years. At the end of this period he came back to Grand Island, and after selling drugs on his own responsibility for one year he, in the fall of 1881, became associated in the real-estate business with J. E. White, entering in 1882 the United States Land Office as receiver’s clerk, which position he held until January 1, 1886, but as above stated has been ably performing his duties as county clerk since that time. He was married in April, 1877, to Miss Lillie M. Clark, a native of South Bend, Ind., born March 11, 1858, a daughter of E. V. and Catherine (Ault) Clark, the former born at West Liberty, Ohio, and the latter at Rochester, Ind. Mr. and Mrs. Ackerman are the parents of four children: Mabel, David V., Julia M. and Nell M.
ALFORD, Charles L.
Charles L. Alford is very properly classed among the substantial, representative agriculturists and stockmen of Hall County, Neb. Now, just in the prime of life, he has become possessed of a desirable competence, the result entirely of his own management and will, and on his farm of 320 acres he has a comfortable residence, good barns of all kinds, an excellent bearing orchard and a grove of forest trees. He was born in Berkshire County, Mass., August 19, 1835, and is a son of Nathaniel and Maria (Waters) Alford, natives, respectively, of Connecticut and Massachusetts. Their union took place in the latter State, and here the former followed the occupation of farming. They moved to Iowa in 1856, where the father was engaged in tilling the soil in Fayette County until his death, in October, 1886. His wife died in Massachusetts in 1852. Charles L. Alford remained in his native State until he was fifteen. He removed to Iowa with his father, remaining with him for two years, then married and began tilling the soil for himself in that locality, continuing until he came west in the fall of 1873. He first took up a homestead claim, but located where he now resides in the spring of 1875, his land being all in one body and one of the finest farms in the county. He is devoting some attention to improving his stock and now has a herd of twenty-one Polled Angus cattle besides a good herd of graded cattle. He has always been a Republican politically, and has held a number of offices of honor and trust in his township and county. He was married in Fayette County, Iowa, October 12, 1859, to Miss Sarah Thorogood, a daughter of Thomas Thorogood. She was born in New York State, but was reared and educated principally in Iowa. She and Mr. Alford have two children: Edward (who is married, he and his wife being teachers of the county, he a graduate of the State Normal), and Charles A. (who is at home). Mrs. Alford is a member of the Baptist Church, and he is a member of the Farmers’ Alliance and is auditor of Cairo Lodge.
ALLAN, John
John Allan. The sons of Scotland are well represented in Hall County, Neb., and although with characteristic modesty they do not assume to brilliancy in the forum, yet they hold conspicuous places in many pursuits which make Hall County a substantial star in the galaxy of Nebraska’s many interesting counties. The subject of this sketch was born in the Parish of Arbuthnot, Kincardineshire, Scotland, May 30, 1850, and is a son of John and Margaret (Watson) Allan, worthy people of that locality, whose pursuit was that of the agriculturist, which seems to have been the principal occupation in which both the Allan and the Watson families were engaged, although branches on both sides have furnished professional men. Both families were noted for their rugged constitutions and longevity, characteristics which have marked them through several generations. John Allan, the immediate subject of this memoir, received excellent training in the public schools of his native land, and at the age of eighteen years came to America to seek his fortune, his first five years here being spent in different States throughout the East, South and West. In 1873, he came to Nebraska and located at Wood River, where he followed teaching school for about eight years, and during this time became favorably known to the public as a painstaking and conscientious man at whatever business he had in charge. In 1881 he left the schoolroom to accept a clerical position in the office of the county clerk, his duties also comprising an apprenticeship. After five months in this office he was appointed a deputy, which position he filled reputably until the fall of 1883, when he received the nomination of district court clerk, and was elected to this place by a handsome majority. He discharged his duties to the satisfaction of all, and in 1887 his party (the Republican) honored him with a second nomination and election. He has not been inactive as a citizen outside of his official duties, as he has always extended the right hand of fellowship to all worthy interests which have come up before this young and enterprising city. Upon the organization of the Grand Island Improvement Company he became a stockholder and has contributed of his means to the support of it as well as kindred interests. He formed a very happy union at Grand Island, June 18, 1885, with Miss Fannie L. Garrett, a lady of many attainments and a daughter of James and Margaret A. (Gaskin) Garrett, who were born in the Isle of Man and Lincolnshire, England, respectively. Mrs. Allan has borne her husband three interesting little children: Margaret K., Leo G. and Ralph H. Mr. Allan is a member of the I. O. O. F., Liederkranz, A. O. U. W. and St. Andrews societies. He and Mrs. Allan hold memberships in the Rebekah Lodge of the Odd Fellows, and they worship in the Episcopal Church, although Mr. Allan was reared a Presbyterian. In this matter he holds very liberal views, and in his contributions donates to all religious as well as all moral institutions, and is respected as an honest and reliable official and citizen.
AVERY, Zelotes
Zelotes Avery, a member of the firm of Avery & Son, contractors and builders of Grand Island, Neb., was born in what was then Genesee County, N.Y. (now Wyoming County), February 23, 1824, being a son of Horace and Susan (Joslen) Avery, the former a native of Connecticut, a farmer by occupation, and a son of Moses Avery, a soldier in the Revolutionary War from the “Nutmeg State.” The latter was born in Connecticut, and married there, and was a son of an Englishman. The history of the Avery family in America is traced back to three brothers who came to the New World in that good old ship — the Mayflower. Susan (Joslen) Avery was a daughter of Nehemiah Joslen, who was a native of York State, a farmer by occupation, and a man of sterling worth and integrity. Horace Avery moved with his family to Canada, and was a resident of Oxford County until 1836, when he moved to Clinton County, Mich., and settled in St. Johns, in which places Zelotes Avery grew to manhood and was educated. In the year 1862 he enlisted in Company A, Twenty-third Michigan Volunteer Infantry, which company he helped to organize, but after a short service he was honorably discharged on account of disability on February 1, 1863, and for ten years thereafter he was an invalid and unable to do but very little work. In 1876 he and his father came to Nebraska and located upon a large tract of land in Hall County, and here the father died in 1878 of cancer of the stomach. Zelotes was married in Michigan to Miss Phoebe Ferdon, a native of Rochester, N.Y., and a daughter of John Ferdon, but he was called upon to mourn her untimely death in 1869, she leaving him with three sons and a daughter to care for: Horace W. (who was killed in 1880 in a railroad disaster on the Fort Worth & Santa Fe Railroad), John H. (is a sailor), Alton M. (is associated with his father in business), and Alta M. (who is the wife of Frank Voorhees, of St. Johns, Mich.). In 1876, Mr. Avery married Mrs. Henrietta Haynes, of St. Johns, Mich., she having been previously married to a Mr. Sampson. Mr. Avery has served as supervisor of the county for four years, two years from Martin Township and two years from Grand Island. He also served in this capacity in Clinton County, Mich., and was also sheriff of that county, and is now a member of the Lyon Post of the G. A. R. He and wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. His son, Alton M., who is associated with him in business, was born in St. Johns, Mich., in 1855, and in his early youth learned the mason’s trade of his father, which occupation has since received his attention. He and his father constitute an enterprising and successful firm, and their work is always of the best. Alton M. Avery was married to Miss Frankie Sampson, a daughter of his father’s second wife, and to their union a family of two sons and a daughter have been born.
Source: Goodspeed brothers. Biographical and historical memoirs of Adams, Clay, Hall and Hamilton counties, Nebraska, comprising a condensed history of the state: a number of biographies of distinguished citizens of the same, a brief descriptive history of each of the counties mentioned, and numerous biographical sketches of the citizens of such counties… Chicago: The Goodspeed publishing co., 1890.
Back to: 1890 Hall County Biographies
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