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The first - or at least the first surviving - child of Jeremiah and Sarah Bates Bothwell was born 27 Feb 1847 in Whiteside County, Illinois. His grandson remembers him as a very quiet, gentle man - and several of his sons had the same characteristics. He was listed with his parents in the 1850 and 1860 Federal Censuses and in the 1865 Illinois State Census.
He enlisted in La Crosse, Wisconsin on 9 November 1867, was sent to Atlanta, Georgia and attached to Co D, 16th USI Regulars. They were later consolidated with the 2nd USI, after which his company was Co B, 2nd USI Regulars. He was discharged 9 November 1870. While in the service, his eyes were injured due to a notorious drill session conducted by Lt. Jas. Miller, who was later court martialed for it (he received a public reprimand and a 30 day suspension.) Benjamin applied for a pension first in 1900 and several times afterwards, but his application was, as far as I can tell, always rejected
He is missing from the 1870 census (I can’t find him anywhere). In May of 1871 he and his brother Jeremiah headed for Nebraska. They left on the 1st of May and he took out a homestead claim on the 19th - that seems to be pretty fast work unless he already knew where he was going and what he wanted to do.
FILLMORE County is located about twenty-four miles north of the southern boundary of the State, and ninety miles west from the Missouri River. It is in extent twenty-four miles square, and lies between York and Thayer, Saline and Clay Counties.
The year 1870 is noted for the large immigration to Nebraska, and now there was a rush of settlers to Fillmore County. . . . Immigration had been kept up during the winter of 1870-71, and, in the spring of 1871, there began a grand rush of settlers to Fillmore County, which continued during the year. The greater part of the better quality of Government land, in all parts of the county, was now taken up, and a great deal of railroad land was sold.
This was a from a history of Nebraska sent to me by Kearney several years ago. I do not have complete bibliographic information. What I have is the following (which doesn’t make a lot of sense): Fillmore Cty Nebraska Sketches Prairie Precinct published in 1882 by The Western Historical Company. And I don't have page numbers because it was from a web-page.
Brother Jeremiah went back to Illinois, but Benjamin stayed in Nebraska. In September he married Sarah Jane Brown, a woman he’d met on the trail west.
1871 -land claim - Glengary NW ¼ Section 22 - 160 acres
applied for homestead 19 May 1871
1871 married Sarah J Brown
marriage license issued 6 Sep 1871, celebrated 13 Sep 1871
Benjamin Bothwell Sarah J Brown
father Robert (sic) Robert Brown
mother Sarah Bates (blank)
resides Fillmore Co Saline Co
age 23 21
born Il Canada
signed George W. Gue
witnesses Calvin Songster? - Fillmore
Mary L Brown - Saline
The first ministers of the Gospel to form a residence in the county were Elder E. R. Spear, a Baptist minister, then about seventy years of age, who located on Turkey Creek, northwest of the present town of Geneva, and Rev. G. W. Gue, a Methodist minister, who located where the town of Fairmont now is. - from the History, 1882, mentioned above.
In 1873, he was listed as a member of the Grange (p. 359 - Milligan Centennial Book), but soon after that the family moved back east for several years. Their first son, Henry W., was born in Nebraska in 1873, but the next four children, all girls, were born in Iowa - Eva in 1874, Kitty in 1875, and the twins Mary and Martha in 1878. The reason was probably grasshoppers.
During the fall and winter of 1873-74, everything passed along in the usual manner, without any remarkable events. With the increase of population, the towns of the county had progressed rapidly, and the spring of 1874 opened with bright prospects for the entire county. Farms had been opened in all parts of the county, and, though it had consumed nearly all the means of the greater number of them to pay living expenses and bring their farms under cultivation, the farmers and business men were in the best of spirits. Crops had in previous years yielded fairly, and now a much larger acreage than ever before had been planted, and, during the early part of the season, grew with astonishing rapidity. But their hopes were soon to be blasted. Early in July, came a protracted dry season, and this was followed in the latter part of the same month by myriads of grasshoppers that devastated the entire State. So thick did they come that the light of the sun was obscured, and it was but a few hours until everything that was not yet ripe and gathered was destroyed. With the exception of a few late fields, the harvest of small grain was nearly completed, but the destruction of corn and vegetables was complete.
The greater number of the settlers had spent their all to get a start, and, unable to stand the loss of so great a part of their crops, it now looked as if their ruin was complete. For a time, all progress in the county came to a standstill. Many left the country to spend the winter in their old neighborhoods in the East, and some went never to return. But the greater number remained. Many of them had to practice the most rigid economy and endure many privations, but, though there was a great deal of suffering, there were no cases of actual starvation. from the Fillmore County History, 1882.
I’m sure that someone gave me the information that the girls were born in Clinton, Iowa - which was where Jeremiah and his new wife were living - but I cannot find the source right now.
Benjamin canceled his homestead grant in 1875 (16 Mar) but then applied for a timber culture grant on 21 June 1875 (it was approved).
There never was much timber of a natural growth in the county. The greater part was along the banks of the West Blue River and Turkey Creek, with a narrow belt of small trees skirting the smaller streams. In the early years of settlement, the greater part of this was cut off and used by the early settlers for building purposes and for fuel, but it is again growing up rapidly. There is in the county, however, a large acreage of cultivated timber. From the earliest date of settlement, much attention has been given to the culture of forest trees, and the result is that today there are few farms in the county that have not more or less timber growing on them. These groves vary in extent from one to forty acres. From almost any point on the prairie, large groves of trees may be seen on every side. The trees are principally of the following varieties: Box elder, ash, honey locust, cottonwood, maple, willow and black walnut. All these varieties grow very rapidly, the soil being well adapted to their development, and Fillmore County ranks among the first in the State for the number of forest trees under cultivation. In many of these groves, the trees have already attained sufficient size to furnish the owners with an abundant supply of fuel, fence posts and small timber for various building purposes. Besides this as the groves increase in size, many kinds of birds, before unknown in this part of the State, are coming in and rapidly increasing in numbers. It is said that fifteen distinct species of birds common to the timbered regions of other Western States are now to be found in the groves of this county. from the History, 1882.
They moved back to Nebraska (they were there in 1879), and Benjamin became a teacher, for a while at least.
School District #44, known as the Climbing Vine School, was established on March 14, 1872, by J. W. Barrows, Deputy of County Superintendent G. W. Gue. Included in this district, were Sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 of Glengary Precinct in Fillmore County. The schoolhouse was located in Section 3 one-half mile north and two miles west of Milligan (which didn't exist until 1888). In May 1874, Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12 were taken away to make District #71, which is now the Milligan Public School. In 1879, B. F. Bothwell was the teacher and received a salary of $25.00 per month and had thirty pupils. Frank J. Znojemsky was the director.
Distist #43, known as Prairie Flower School comprised of Sections 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 34, 35, 36 in Glengary Township was organized by County Superintendent John A. Dempster on March 14, 1872. The school house was located in Section 26, three miles south and one-half mile west of Milligan. Sections 13, 14, 15, 22, 23 and 24 were taken away on May 18, 1880 to make District 80. In 1879, Benjamin Bothwell and George Alexander received $25.00 per month for teaching a three month term. There were fifty pupils in the district at that time. (p. 131 - Milligan Centennial Book)
They were in the 1880 Nebraska Federal Census.
1880 Nebraska, Fillmore Co, Ne p. 511
Benjamin 33 Il farmer
Sarah J 31 b in Canada of Irish parents
Henry W 7 Ne
Eva 6 Ia
Kitetie (Kitty) 5 Ia
Martha 2 Ia
Mary 2 Ia
They stayed on the claim for the next few years . . .
1881, B. F. Bothwell, at a meeting held at the Bell schoolhouse became the secretary/sexton of The Glengary Cemetery Society. (later known as the Bohemian National Cemetery or the Milligan South Cemetery which is located about a mile south of Milligan, Nebraska) There were already several burials at this location dating back to around 1879. (p. 148 Milligan Centennial Book)
1882 Jan 11 postmaster (Glengary 22, NW ¼)
The Glengary postmasters were: Duncan McLeod, September 12, 1870, Glengary 28, NE 1/4; James E. Brown, November 9, 1874, Glengary 20, S 1/2 NW 1/4, N 1/2 SW 1/4; Service Discontined, September 3, 1878; Re-established, May 9, 1881; David S. Robinson, May 9, 1881, Glengary 22, NE 1/4; Benjamin F. Bothwell, January 11, 1882, Glengary 22, NW 1/4. Service was discontinued to the Dudley post office, which was located in Section 22 of Chelsea Township, December 1, 1884.
. . . in 1884, they sold it. Sarah was back in Clinton for a while, but whether for just a visit or for an extended stay is unclear. She apparently was ill.
1884 letter to Jennie in Hastings from Ben in Glengary Neb/ Apr 11-84
Mrs Jane Bratney/ Hastings / Neb
Your letter at hand containing many thanks But you seem to forget that I boarded you a year or more. also that I paid your board bill at old lady Starrs also that I spent no small amount of time taking you different places etc etc But I-don’t-forget-that you failed to comply with my earnest (3 underlinings) request (ie) to visit Sarah in Clinton among strangers far from relations and in a critical condition
Yours etc B. F. Bothwell
[written across letter: and that you did (I think he means did not) visit spoke ill of you forever (blurry) too]
Daughter Anna was born in 1881, in Nebraska, but their next child, Russell, was not born until 1889, so. Arthur, known as Ted, was born in 1892. The birthdate of daughter May is unknown.
In 1886, they (or just Benjamin) were in Ohiowa, Nebraska. (Milligan Centennial Book), and he is listed in the 1890 Business Directory of Ohiowa as the proprietor of Arlington House. His oldest son, Henry W, is listed too (info from Kearney).
Apparently Benjamin was not a successful businessman. A letter from his brother Jeremiah to sister Jennie in 1892:
“how is Ben getting along. I often think of all the difficulties and diferent names he is forced to use and yet will insist in doing business.”
I have no idea what that means - different names he is forced to use! Maybe he means different names for his businesses.
Sometime in the next few years they moved into Lincoln, in order for the children to attend school. They are in the 1898 Lincoln City Directory. They continued in Lincoln, although at various addresses, and with various occupations (Benjamin was a teamster, a real estate person, then back to running a boardinghouse.) Kearney did the City Directory lookups.
1898 City Directory, Lincoln Nebr. Benjamin's residence is listed as Normal and his occupation as bdgh, which I believe meant boardinghouse.
1899 he was listed as living on the north side of Baldwin, 2nd house west of Taylor, along with Anna Bothwell, a stenographer with the Lincoln Upholstry Co. (didn't get the next page which may have had more names on it.
1900 listing same as 1899 with addition of Henry W., a student, at the same address, and Maggie Bothwell, domestic, at 1738 M. street
The 1900 census has a few more people living at that address:
1900 Nebraska, Lancaster, Lincoln- Vol 26, ED 44?, Sheet 9, line 48
Benjamin F Bothwell/Baldwin Ave/University Place
Sarah Jane 50 Canada Irish
Henry W 27 Ne
Eva 26 Ia
Kittie 25 Ia
Mary 22 Ia
Martha 22 Ia
Anna 19 Ne
Russel 11 Ne
Arthur 8 Ne
There is also a Henry at another address - probably not Benj’s son?
1900 Nebraska, Lancaster, Lincoln - Vol 24 ED ?? Sheet 9 Line 6
Henry W Bothwell 37 b. Iowa
rooming with John K O’Neill
1901 address was Pitcher, sw corner of Warren. Living there were Benjamin F., a teamster at Lincoln Upholstry Co., Anna L., steno at Lincoln Upholstry Co., Eva, a teacher, Henry W., a civil engineer, Kittie, a teacher, Martha, a bookkeeper, and Mary, a teacher.
1902 Anna L. Bothwell, steno Huber Mfg Co., residence Pitcher sw corner Warren; Martha Bothwell, boardinghouse, Warren near Pitcher; Martha Bothwell, folder, Jacob North & Co., residence Warren sw corner Pitcher; Mary Bothwell, teacher, residence Warren sw corner Pitcher; May Bothwell, student, residence Warren sw corner Pitcher.
Benjamin F. Bothwell, boardinghouse, 1329 P;
John R. Bothwell, student, rooming at 1441 U; This is curious, but probably not Benjamin’s infamous cousin.
1903 Anna is a steno at Nichols & Shepard Co., Benjamin F., boardinghouse, Martha C. and May live with them, all at 123 N.
1904 Anna L. is still with Nichols & Shepard, Benjamin is a driver with the Globe Laundry Co., Martha is a steno with Lincoln Sign Works, and May is a student at the State university. All are living at 1341 Q.
Lancaster County Marriages
24-26 Bothwell, Mary Gertrude age 26 - Meier, Otto William age 32 - m 12 Apr 1904
1905 address: 1624 P. Anna is listed as a steno, Benjamin as a driver for Globe Laundry, Eva M. is a teacher, Kittie B. is a cashier, Martha C. is a seamstress with Herman Brothers Manufacturing Co., May Ella is a student, and Russell E. is an apprentice.
Lancaster County Marriages
25-273 Bothwell, Eva age 30 - Law, George D 34 m 7 June 1905
25-536 Bothwell, Martha Curtiss age 27 - Brown Wilbur age 28 m 9 Oct 1905
1906 address remained 1624 P. only ones listed were Benjamin, driver for Globe Laundry; Kittie B, teacher; May E. student at U of N; and Russell E., a telegraph operator at the B&M Railroad.
1907 Benjamin alone - his address is 2101 Q.
1908 directory lists Benjamin at 2101 Q
C.W. Bothwell, a brakeman with the CB&O Railroad is listed at 123 N. 11th. This is probably David’s son, Benjamin’s nephew.
1909 Benjamin lives at 1338 P;
Clarence W. is at 932 P;
Arthur, a student, at 2030 R along with Theodore Bothwell, a telegraph operator; This is odd, considering that Arthur called himself Ted. Did he have two personas???
Ethel F.. a student at Wesleyan University, resides at 424 E. 19th Uni Pl;
Russell E, a student at UN, lives at 944 H.
1910 there are two separate directories. One lists Benjamin and Sarah living at 320 S. 12th and Ted, a foreman for R.A. Duff & Co., at the same address.
The other directory lists Benjamin F. and Sarah J. running a restaurant and furnished rooms 1202-1204 P. and residing there. Presumably they were running a boarding house or a hotel-restaurant.
Katherine Bothwell as a domestic, 516 N. 16th (this must have been Kittie?).
The 1910 census:
1910 Nebraska, Lancaster, Lincoln, 4wd - p. 196b (SD1, ED66, Sheet 26) -
S 12th St - 320 - several families in house
Bothwell, Benj mw 62 m1 38yrs Il Ire-Eng Ir-Eng teamster
Sarah J wife fw 60 m1 38 9ch/9liv Can (Eng) Ir-Eng Ir-Eng 1862
Arthur W son mw 18 s Neb Il Can-Eng 1865 chauffeur
1911 there are again two directories. One lists Benjamin F. and Sarah J. in real estate, living at 844 S. 10th. The other directory spells Bothwell as Boswell and has Benjamin and Sarah and Arthur W. living at 844 S. 10th. Arthur is a driver.
Kathryn (note different spelling in 1910 and 1911 directories) B. Bothwell as a teacher boarding at 1741 N. 28th.
It also lists a Beulah B. Bothwell and a Joseph F. Bothwell as clerks, Beulah with Miller & Paine and Joseph with RMS, both residing at 1725 K
1912 Benjamin and Sarah listed as residing at 1343 L.
1913 same - business = real estate; May living with them
Jean student at Nebraska Wesleyan U. - boards at 504 E 14th, Uni Pl
1914 same Benjamin is listed as a clerk with Harvey Bell Realty Co. Arthur and May are living with them
Jean student at Nebraska Wesleyan university boarding at 504 E. 14th, Uni Pl.
1915 (incomplete) Benjamin and Sarah apparently are again running a boarding house at 1530 N. 32nd where they also live.
Russel E. Bothwell, an assistant at U of Neb. is listed at 326 N. 35th -his wife's first name was Garnett.
Jean was still listed as a student at Wesleyan, boarding at 1601 Q., Uni Pl.
1916 Benjamin and Sarah living at 3419 S, along with May, a teacher, and Arthur, a salesman with L.E. Tait Auto Co.
Russell 326 N. 35th
Sarah died in 1916 - on January 22. Sometime after her death, Benjamin moved out to Washington. Like many another in those days, he tried his hand at chickens.
1920 Oregon Wallowa - SD2 ED198 Sheet 10b - 24-26 Jan - l. 78 fm
Bothwell, Benjamin F head o m mw72w Il Ire Ire farmer poultry.
I think this was the most prosperous Benjamin ever was. There is a letter to him from brother Jeremiah dated 16 July 1920 which says (among other things):
You have had quite a ___(noise?) up since you were here. am glad to know you are doing so well
that makes all the family on easy st. except myself
Fred Meier (Benjamin's grandson) remembers Benjamin as an old man living with his daughter Anna and her husband Bill Heilig in Nebraska. He lived in the chicken coop, and Fred says he would have been a pauper were it not for Anna’s help - so I think his nice farm in Oregon must not have worked out. And regarding living in the chicken coop - it sounds bad, but our chicken coop is actually nicer than the house - and it has 3 rooms, so Benj. would not be actually living with the chickens.
He died August 10, 1929. He was buried in Lincoln, in the Wyuka Cemetery.
The Bothwells buried in Wyuka Cemetery are:
Benjamin F (27 Feb 1847 - 10 Aug 1929)
Ella May
James N
Jean
Mary E
Infant of Mary
Sarah Jane (27 March 1849- 22 Jan 1916)
A fellow researcher looked up Benj & Sarah in the Cemetery records for Kearney and found the dates of birth & death for them.
A Milligan Nebraska Centennial Book - published in 1988
Benjamin Bothwell, son of Robert and Sarah Bates Bothwell, was born in Illinois. He came to Fillmore County in the early 1870's. On May 29, 1871, he settled on his homestead in the NW ¼ of Section 22 in Glengary Township. In 1871 Benjamin married Sarah Jane Brown who was born in Canada.
During the growing season Bothwell worked on his homestead and during the rest of the year he taught school. Bothwell taught school from 1879 to 1881 in Districts # 43 and #44. The extra income was needed because of crop failures due to drought and grasshoppers.
Benjamin Bothwell received his homestead deed on March 10, 1884. Bothwell sold the farm to Valentine Steinacher on March 15, 1884.
In 1886, as the town of Ohiowa was being established B.F. Bothwell opened a general merchandise store. At one time the post office was located in his store and he acted as assistant postmaster. He also had a hotel in Ohiowa at one time.
The B.F. Bothwell homestead now belongs to the Milo Steinacher family.
The Benjamin Bothwell family moved to Lincoln so the children could attend the University as most of them studied to be teachers. The Bothwells are buried in Wyuka Cemetery in Lincoln, Nebraska.
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Benjamin's children-
Information mostly supplied by Fred Meier, Benjamin’s grandson.
Henry W, a civil engineer, eventually moved to Chicago. He is one remembered as quiet and soft-spoken. [This from me: His son, also named Henry, was a school administrator - Dad met him at a conference one time. They tried to figure out if they were related, but never could quite make the connection. There is a school in Marquette, Michigan, named for Henry Bothwell.]
Eva, a teacher, married George Law. They lived in Portland, Iowa.
Kitty, a teacher, eventually moved to San Francisco.
Martha, a bookkeeper, married Wilbur Brown, and lived in Buffalo, Wyoming.
Mary, Martha’s twin sister, married Otto Meier, and stayed in Nebraska. The Meiers were fairly prominent folks:
Who's Who in Nebraska, 1940
KEARNEY COUNTY
MEIER, WILLIAM HENRY: Attorney; b Lincoln, Neb Dec 23, 1904; s of Otto William Meier-Mary O Bothwell; ed Lincoln HS; U of N BA 1926, LLB 1930; Palladian; Delta Theta Phi; m A Mabel Utter Aug 12, 1934 Lincoln; s William Edward; 1926-27 tchr Central HS, San Juan Porto Rico; 1930-31 special agt US dept of justice, bur of investigation; 1931-33 prac law, Lincoln; 1933-36 atty for Fed Land Bank of Omaha, 1935 with father & uncle in law firm Meier & Meier, Lincoln; 1933-35 mbr Neb house of representatives; 1936- prac law, Minden; police judge; JP; 10th Judicial Dist & Neb State Bar Assns; Comml Law League of Amer; C of C; Rotary, hon mbr; secy Kearney Co ch Natl Foundation for Infantile Paralysis; vice- chmn Kearney Co ARC; BSA, scoutmaster; AF&AM; KP; Presby Ch; Dem, chmn Kearney Co Central Com; hobby. BSA work; off Clearman Bldg; res 329 N Brown Ave. Minden
Meier Family Earns Alumni Honors
The University of Nebraska-Lincoln Alumni Association will present the Alumni Family Tree Award to the Meier family during the association's annual awards banquet April 24 at the Nebraska Union.
Sixty-seven members from five generations of Francis William and Susan Elizabeth Meier's descendants have attended the University of Nebraska-including 53 who graduated with one or more degrees and 19 who married fellow NU students. The Meier family came to Nebraska from Kentucky in 1869 (the year the university was chartered) and settled in Lincoln where Francis Meier opened a boot and shoe shop.
Among the Meier descendants, education has been the most favored undergraduate major, while many went on to receive master's degrees and advanced degrees in law, dentistry and medicine. Eight first-generation Meiers attended NU, 13 second-generation, 23 third-generation, 18 fourth- generation and, to date, five in the fifth generation.
First-generation grads included Otto William Meier, 1898, and his brother Henry August Meier, 1899, who opened their law offices in 1900 in the Terminal Building at 10th and O streets. A younger brother, Walter, '03, practiced law in Seattle and another brother, Louis, '17, was captain of the university basketball team and went on to practice dentistry in Lincoln.
Two sons of OttoW - Franklin, '36, and Frederick, '42,-played football for Nebraska and served with the Seabees in World War II. Louis' son Duane, '42, was an orthopedic surgeon at Hermann Medical Center in Houston.
A third-generation graduate, Dale W. Bohmont, '52, is dean of agriculture at the University of Nevada at Reno. And another family member from the same generation, Joel Meier, '62, is professor and chair of the department of recreation and park administration at Indiana University. The most recent graduate is Michael Jason Meier (University of Nebraska at Kearney, '97).
The Alumni Family Tree Award honors a family that has a tradition of attending the University of Nebraska. The recipient family must include a minimum of three generations of graduates. At least two of the family members must have records of outstanding service to the university, the alumni association, their community or their profession.
Anna, a stenographer, married Bill Heilig and stayed in Lincoln.
Russell, another gentle man, married Charlotte. They lived in Columbus, Ohio.
Arthur known as Ted married Hazel. They eventually lived in Joplin, Missouri.
May was a teacher, very quiet. She lived in Omaha.
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Onward to siblings:
Sarah Ann | Jeremiah | James A | Jennie | David
Comments, questions, corrections?
contact me at : lee@leesgenes.com