My Genealogy Hound

JOHN F. ZIEGLER was born in Hanover, Germany, March 6, 1848, and is one of a family of thirteen children born to John and Julia (Seabird) Ziegler, both of whom were natives of Germany. The former, a carpenter by occupation, was born in 1813 and lived to the ripe old age of seventy-four years. John F. Ziegler came to America with his parents when only eight years of age, and though young has some recollection of his native country. The family first located at Iowa City, Johnson county, Iowa, in the fall of 1856, where they lived one year and then moved to Rock Island county, Ill., where they resided on a farm for five years. In the spring of 1862, Mr. Ziegler moved to Wabasha county, Minn., where he lived until the spring of 1864. Our subject in the meantime attended school in winter and worked on the farm in summer. The war of the rebellion being under full headway at this time, and the call for recruits very urgent, our subject responded, and in May of that year enlisted in Company E, Second Minnesota regiment. He participated in the battles of Kenesaw mountain, Marietta, Atlanta and Jonesburgh, at which latter place he was severely injured in tearing up a railroad track by having six lengths of iron rails and ties fall upon him in such a manner as to break his left leg, three ribs and severely sprain his spine. He was laid up in consequence thereof for many months, and was in hospitals at Chattanooga, Nashville, Washington, Louisville and Jeffersonville. He finally recovered sufficiently to join his regiment April 1, 1865, at Raleigh, N. C., just previous to Lincoln’s death. He was at the grand review in Washington, and was mustered out at Louisville, Ky., July 11, 1865. He returned to Minnesota and remained there one year, moving back to Rock Island county, Ill., where he filled the capacity of foreman on the large stock farm of Wm. Morris, until he emigrated to Nebraska in the spring of 1872. He came West by rail as far as Sutton, Nebr., and then walked up the Republican valley, looking at the country, and arrived in Harlan county, April 15th. He pre-empted a quarter section in section 32, township 1, range 18 west, built a small dug-out, lived on it six months, and then proved it up. The country was new and barren and the settlers were few and far between. Buffalo were roaming about in great herds, and elk and deer, though not plentiful, were occasionally to be seen. He devoted most of his time the first year to hunting, and killed one elk and fifty buffalo. He dried and sold the meat and hides and in this manner made quite a sum of money. In November of the first year he bought the right to a claim in section 32, on which he now lives, and later proved up on it. Crops were poor for a number of years on account of the grasshoppers and severe drought, but of late years he has had good crops and has prospered in a manner to enable him to improve his place in fine shape. His home is located in a romantic looking spot on the banks of the Prairie Dog creek, and is surrounded with thrifty trees.

He was married March 30, 1877, to Miss Mary E. Moore, who was born in Schuyler county, Ill., August 14, 1841. Both Mr. and Mrs. Ziegler are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Politically, he is a republican and has held numerous local offices, serving as clerk of his town in 1884 and as member of the county board in 1885-86. He is at present justice of the peace in his township.