PHILLIPS, FRANK FAMILY

by Joeleen Phillips

Entry F339 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Frank and Margaret (Fox) Phillips.

Frank Eugene Phillips was born May 13,
1854 in Luzerne County, Penn., the fifth of
nine children born to Comer Jr. and Minnie
Elizabeth Norton Phelps Phillips. The family
also consisted of four older half brothers and
sisters. His father was a lumberman and
farmer. When Frank was seven years old his
mother died, and at the age of nine his father
passed away shortly after receiving a medical
discharge for the Union Army.

At the age of 11, Frank Phillips signed on
as a cabin boy, and spent over three years
sailing to many foreign countries as well as
sailing the coasts of Maine and Massachu-
setts. During this time he also sailed up the
Amazon River and around the Cape Horn.

Mr. Phillips returned to Pennsylvania and
worked as a lumberman for several years,
doing all the work to be found in lumber
camps at that time. He was united in
marriage to Margaret Johannah Fox at Dale

Ville in Luzerne County, Penn. on Sept. 14,
1871 and four children joined the family in
the next six years. The children were Minnie
Elizabeth (Mrs. Harry Young), William
Theodore (married Alma Amsberry), Lillie
May (Mrs. George Simpson) and George
Edward (married Jessie Piester) .

In 1878 the family moved to Fillmore
County, Nebraska and spent the next five
years farming near Geneva. Two more daugh-
ters joined the family here - Amy Loetta
(Mrs. Lurton Jay) and Margarette Johannah
(Mrs. Charlie Wilcox) .

The family moved to Custer County and
settled on government land in 1883. The first
home here was a sod shanty with no floor, and
the nearest railroad was at Grand Island,
seventy-five miles away. Joining the family
in Custer County were Anne Jane (MRs. Dan
Wilcox) and Charlie Eugene (married Elma
Piester).

In 1887 Mr. Phillips outfitted two covered
wagons, and taking along two milk cows to
furnish milk for the children the family set
out for points west. They passed the end of
the railroad several miles east of Whitman,
Nebraska. The family had intended to travel
further, but were so exhausted they stopped
in Cheyene County (which at that time
included the present Morrill County), and
lived for a while in a tent until Mr. Phillips
could erect a sod house. Overgrazing by the
buffalo had allowed the cactus to take over
much of the land, and the livestock could
hardly graze. The nearest trading point and
railroad station was Hay Springs, Nebraska,
and later Mr. Phillips had the distinction of
having the first carload of goods shipped into
the new town of Alliance.

Mr. Phillips engaged in mixed farming and
livestock raising at this time. Mr. Phillips
told of the time he and his eldest son,
Theodore, went to Cedar Canyon for work. It
was nice when they entered the canyon, but
when they emerged they encountered the
raging blizzard of 1888. Mr. Phillips fixed a
shelter among the logs for Theodore, and
when it became dark he let the horses have
their heads. After a time the teams stopped,
and he thought they had come to another
canyon, but the horses had taken them home.
In about 1894 the water rose in the valley, and
Mr. Phillips was obliged to build a new house
on the north side of the valley where the
ground was higher.

Children joining the family here were:
Verna Pearl (Mrs. James Burr), Ethel
Blanche (Mrs. Hilton Piester), Frank Joseph
(married Millie Post), Walter Birdsell
(married Hazel Post) and Elsie Delphine
(Mrs. Bill Woods). In 1897 Mr. Phillips and
several of his neighbors sold their property
and with their families traveled by covered
wagon for several months in search of a more
favorable location, but finding nothing he
liked better, Mr. Phillips returned and
purchased the land ajoining his old place.
Here the fourteenth and last child, Clarence
Albert (married Jessica Brott) was born. The
Phillips family also raised two foster daugh-
ters. The Phillips place was located 9 miles
south of Alliance, and Mr. Phillips donated
the plot of ground and helped build the Letan
church and cemetery. It was while living in
the Alliance area that Mr. PHillips acquired
his cattle brand, which was one of the earliest
brands recorded with the state brand com-
mission. It is now owned and used by his great
grandson, Leonard Phillips of Mullen, Neb-
raska.

By 1912 nine of the Phillips children had
adjoining homesteads in Cherry County
north of Whitman, Nebraska. Mr. and Mrs.
Phillips sold their land and much of their
livestock and with the help of three of the
sons from Cherry County, who brought their
freight wagons with four horse teams, they
moved a few head of cattle, horses and sheep
and their personal belongings to Cherry
County. They had intended to leave the
livestock and belongings with a son and
return to Pennsylvania for a visit, but a nice
homestead was for sale ajoining one of their
children, so they purchased the land, and
never made the trip back to their childhood
home.

Mr. and Mrs. Phillips were very religious
people. They would organize Sunday School
wherever they lived, and Mr. Phillips often
taught the Bible Classes. Mr. Phillips was
often called upon to conduct funerals, and he
also had a knack for doctoring.

Mr. and Mrs. Phillips lived in semi-retire-
ment on their homestead in Cherry County
until 1921. Mr. Phillips became ill in January,
1921 and in April he sold his cattle and leased
his land to his youngest son, Clarence, and
they moved to Mullen, Nebraska. He passed
away in June, 1921, and is buried at the Cedar
View Cemetery at Mullen. Mrs. Phillips
moved to Alliance following her husband's
death, and lived near her daughter, Mrs.
George Simpson until her death in June,
1939. She is buried beside her husband at
Mullen, Nebraska.