My Genealogy Hound

JOHN A. HORN is one of the earliest settlers in central Nebraska and a deservedly popular young man of Divide township, Phelps county. He was born in Sweden, March 10, 1861, and is one of seven children, four boys and three girls, born to T. O. and Louisa Horn, both of whom are natives also of Sweden. His father, a carpenter and mill-wright by occupation, was born in 1827, the mother in 1830.

John A. resided in his native country until he was six years old, when, in company with his parents, he came to America. Notwithstanding his extreme youth, he still has some recollection of his native land and the long and tedious voyage to this country. His parents located in Henry county, Ill., where he attended school and worked, during his leisure time, in the shop. In 1874 he went to Moline, Ill., where he soon found employment in the large plow factories of that place. He remained there two years, and in September, 1876, came West, locating at Kearney, where he worked on the brick yard one year, and then went north into Custer county and herded cattle on the range for two years. At that time Custer county was alive with deer, antelope, elk, and many are the interesting tales told by Mr. Horn in connection with his early experience in that country. He came down south of the Platte river, in 1878, and herded sheep on the Divide for three years. At that early date there were few residents on the Divide, and the monotony of the vast stretching prairie was only broken, now and then, by the sod house of a venturesome settler, or a cattle ranch of the herdsman. He purchased the present quarter section in 1885, and has erected thereon a neat frame dwelling, and broken the entire one hundred and sixty acres. In the fall of 1889 he purchased a half section of land, three hundred and twenty acres, in section 10, township 6, range 17, of which ninety acres are broken. He is a typical hustler, and is well deserving of the great success that has attended his industrious life. He has not yet married. Mr. Horn is a member of the Lutheran church and an ardent supporter of the prohibition party.