My Genealogy Hound

H. H. WINCHESTER. An old and honored citizen of Buffalo county and one of the first settlers of the locality where he lives is H. H. Winchester, of Platte township. Mr. Winchester moved into the county in May, 1879. He took a homestead shortly afterwards on the old Fort Kearney military reservation, which had been thrown open to settlement a short time previously, filing on lots in sections 5 and 32, his claim lying on Clark’s island, in the Platte river. There he located and has since resided. He has a small, well-improved farm, desirably located and one that yields well. He has been actively and exclusively engaged in farming since settling in the county. Mr. Winchester had his first experience, however, at farming on his present place. Before moving West, he was for many years a manufacturer of carriages in Coleraine, Mass. Misfortune overtook him, as it has done thousands of others, and he came West to regain what he could. Measured by his means and opportunities, he has succeeded reasonably well. It is no mean tribute to his pluck and energy that he has done as well as he has. He was considerably past middle life when the business which he had been engaged in for twenty-one years went to pieces. It would unquestionably, under the circumstances, take a strong resolution to make a man pull up, go to a new country and set out afresh in a business concerning which he knew nothing practically. The natural impulse of most men would be to remain among the friends and associates of their earlier years. But Mr. Winchester’s pride and sense of duty to those dependent on him forbade him doing this. He came West, where, if he could not materially repair his own fortunes, he might at least put his children in a better way to make theirs than they could hope to do in the East.

Mr. Winchester is a native of Marlboro, Vt., and was born in 1824. He was reared there till he reached maturity and went thence to Massachusetts, where he resided, mainly at Coleraine, till coming to Nebraska. He comes of old New England stock, his father, Martin Winchester, being a native ot Marlboro, Vt., and his mother, who bore the maiden name of Clarissa Hillyard, a native of Stonington, Conn. These were reared in their native places, married in the latter state, and settled in Marlboro, where they subsequently lived and died. The father died in 1844, at the age of sixty-one; the mother in 1862, in her sixtieth year. They were plain, well-to-do people, spent their lives on the farm and were characterized for their industry and the economical management of their domestic affairs. They left a family of six children, only three of whom are now living. The full list is as follows — Betsie, Cyrus, Horace H., Eliza, George and Hiram. The last three sons are the ones now living.

Horace H., the subject of this sketch, and Mary Ann Felker were married in June, 1849, Mrs. Winchester being a native of New Durham, N. H. She is the eldest child of William and Susan (Holmes) Felker, her parents both being natives also of New Hampshire. Her father was born March 18, 1799, and died December 2, 1832. Her mother was born January 19, 1799, and died at the age of forty-two years. Their children were Mary Ann (Mrs. Winchester), who was born October 9, 1827; Hannah Abigail, who was born October 19, 1829; William, who was born January 19, 1832, and who died one day after; Deborah J., who was born December 23, 1832, and died May 17, 1839, making Mrs. Winchester and her sister, Hannah Abigail, the only survivors.

Mr. and Mrs. Winchester are the parents of five children, all of whom are now living. These are — William, John, Clara, Ella and Charles. To these Mr. Winchester has given good educational training and they are all making their own way in the world in a creditable manner. Only two of them now remain at home, these being the two younger.

Coming of New England stock Mr. Winchester retains many of the qualities of his people. His persevering industry, strong self-reliance, as well as his thrifty, economical habits, he owes to this source. Mellowed by age and softened by his experience with the world, his character has lost that metallic nature (if indeed he ever had it), which the New England character is popularly supposed to have, and he presents the appearance of a man who has lived to a reasonably good age, soothed and sustained by a consciousness of having discharged his whole duty to those dependent on him and to his fellow-men. He has never aspired to any public life, being content to follow the even tenor of his way as an humble citizen. He has not failed, however, to bear his full share of the burden of public and neighberhood duties of that unremunerative kind which fall to the lot of all.