Sunday, January 15, 2017

Early Days in Lyman #21

EARLY DAYS IN THE TOWN OF LYMAN
by Bela Foster


Continuing . . .
The McNeish family were in business several years. They started a boot and shoe store here after the town started. After a few years they put in harness and secured a harness maker. John Drummond was one of their harness makers. He married one of the Burnett sisters who lived in the house that once stood west of the Cecil Kennedy residence. They were seamstresses.
Mr. Drummond was tax collector in 1880 and Justice of the Peace in 1881. His wife was a cousin of Mrs. T. McNeish. Mr. and Mrs. Drummond moved to North Dakota.
Thomas McNeish was a very industrious young man. His wife was Miss Isabelle, a sister of Thomas Burnett who used to farm in this vicinity. Mr. McNeish was fatally injured by the explosion of a rocket he was examining at his home here July 4th, 1891. He lived only a few days after the injury. He left four daughters and two sons. Jean (McNeish) Maxson was a school teacher in this vicinity several years. Her husband was the youngest son of Captain Maxson who came here with the Connecticut Colony in 1856. After their marriage they lived on the Maxson home place several years. Their daughter, Isabelle was born in the same house that her father was born in. She married a young man in Iowa. Mrs. Maxson lives at Ames, Iowa. Mr. Maxson died several years ago near Rolph, Iowa.
Mary McNeish, the second daughter married Maurice Welsh, a young farmer who lived here. They farmed here several years and then moved to Iowa. Harry McNeish is a teacher in New York City. Agnes McNeish is a teacher in Chicago and Ellen McNeish lives in Michigan. After Mr. McNeish died his wife carried on the shoe store the fire of 1894. She died in 1895.

John McDonald and wife, Jane, and four children moved to this vicinity from Canada in 1860. They bought a farm in section four. The farm is now owned by his son, A. A. McDonald of Odell. The house burned many years ago. There are no buildings on the place now. In 1869 Mr. McDonald was hauling lumber from Piper city. His horses ran and threw him off the wagon killing him. The oldest son, John, took charge of the farm. He died in 1880. His mother died in 1874. Maggie McDonald married Lewis Mosher. The Mosher family moved here in 1877. They bought the A. A. Haling farm in section 8.
Eliza McDonald taught school several years. In 1887 she was on that fateful excursion train enroute to Niagara Falls that ran into a burned bridge between Chatsworth and Piper City. She lived only a few days. The next week was the Ford County teachers' institute. It was a sad situation.
A. A. McDonald also was a teacher. The fall that Eliza died he taught the Marston school. Later he married Miss Anna Blesch. I was at the wedding but forget the year. Perhaps it was 1888 or 1889. Maggie Mosher has been a widow for several years. She had two sons and three daughters. All are married. Nellie married Henry Yackee. The have one son, Glenn. The live here.
Amy married Robert Bradbury. They live on section 8 across from the Smith school house. They have three sons and two daughters. Both daughters are teachers. The sons with the father run the farm. Mr. Bradbury is a plumber by trade.
Ethel married Casper Willy, a grandson of George Farrer who came here in the early days. They lived in the west end of Beset grove. This farm has been occupied continuously by some member of the Farrer family since the early settlement. Mrs. Ida Willy is the only living member of Farrer family. Mr. and Mrs. Farrer and their son, John and daughter, Mary, died many years ago. John's family and Mr. and Mrs. Casper Willy live in Chicago. Mary Willy teaches in Chicago. Edith married H. Benson. They live south of Melvin.
Harry Mosher is married and from many years has lived in Chicago. Frank married Mildred Lansdale of Piper City. He is running a grocery store in Roberts, his native town. He has one son and one daughter.

 
--Roberts Herald. 7 August 1935. Bela Foster.

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