SCHMIDT, LOUIS AND WILHELMINE (DIBBERN)

by Mrs. Rudolph (Rose) Schmidt

Entry F372 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

High Bridge 1921 South Hooker County

Mr. and Mrs. Louis Schmidt were residents
of Hooker County from 1911 to 1919, living
on a ranch south of Mullen. Louis was born
in Farmsen near Hamburg, Germany, and
was an only child. When a boy, he worked on
the docks, but soon decided he could persue
a more interesting career and came to
America in 1885 when he was 26 years old. He
was determined to discard the German ways
and live the American life. He landed in
Kansas City, Missouri and straightway got
work on a brick building. He could not speak
nor understand English when he applied for
work. The boss motioned toward a hod of
mortor and pointed to a ladder, and Louis,
understanding what was wanted carried it to
the top of the building, thus he got his first
job in America. Louis had a great desire to
learn so found residence with an American
family who spoke no German so he could
learn the English language. He had a dream
to attend a business college. He moved to
Doniphan where he started a brick yard, later
moving to Grand Island, Nebraska. During
this time he built and sold brick houses, many
of which are in good condition today. In the
year of 1886 he had accumulated money for
a course at Business College when he received
work that his mother's brother had died
leaving her alone so he took the money to
bring her to Grand Island. She died in 1901.
From entries in an account book kept at that
time, he sold bricks for $6.50 per thousand
and 1908 he charged $8. From building
houses he ventured into building bridges all
through Hall County and eastern Nebraska.

He met Wilhelmine Dibbern, born in
Holstein, Germany in 1867, daughter of
Jouchim Dibbern of Wood River, Nebraska.
they were married April 5, 1890. Wilhelmine
died in 1937 at Anselmo, Nebraska. They
were parents of nine children, all born in
Grand Island. Three daughters graduated
from Mullen, Nebraska.

Suspecting that his daughter Katie, aged
12 had weak lungs, he decided to file on a
homestead south of Mullen. Three of the
children including Katie lived in a camp on
the ranch all summer of 1911, the rest of the
family came later. Later in Katie's life,
doctors told her of scars on her lungs and that
she was possibly cured by living outside that
summer.

During the first World War, Louis decided
that raising mules would be profitable but he
failed in that endeaveor and soon retired
from raising mules. He was no rancher, he
could scarcely drive a team but he did know
bridge construction and continued in this
work almost to the time of his death in 1938.

The Louis Schmidts had wonderful neigh-
bors south of Mullen and enjoyed the ranch
life. Some of their neighbors were: French,
Onslow and Randall. Three of the girls taught
school, a term or two each and the sons
learned the cattle business, also helping on
the bridges when needed. The Donald Pos-
toffice and a grocery store were located in
their home.

One of Louis's most remarkable works was
the bridge he built across the forks of the
Dismal River, south of Mullen, not far from
the falls, in 1921. The floor of the bridge was
thirty feet above the river and was 125 feet
long. This was accomplished with man and
mule power, and even in this era of mecha-
nism it would be considered extraordinary. I
have heard the sons tell how they climbed up
the pilings to the top to adjust the iron band
that fit around the top to keep the piling from
splitting. If a piling was not long enough, it
would be spliced by notching two pieces for
about 4 feet and nailing together with spikes.
Several years ago the bridge was demolished
but not before an artist had put it on canvas.
In fact, several artists painted it and a
painting by Elmer Grunig, now hangs in the
Mullen Public Library.

Louis left Mullen in 1919 and moved to
Anselmo, Nebraska with his family where he
purchased a farm. He joined the Masonic
Lodge and received his Masters Jewel from
Ashlor Lodge of Grand Island in 1895, the
Jordan Medal in 1937 and the fifty year
button in 1938, likely the only man in
Nebraska to be in possession of all three
medals.

Louis was a man of vision and always
sought a new and better way of life. Long
before the government made provision for
planting shelter belts and conserving water,
he had planted several thousand trees and
built two dams on his farm. The dams
survived but the trees did not, due to drouth.
He survived the failure of banks and the
severe drouth, cutting and stacking green
Russian thistles for livestock feed. He kept
a flock of 300 white leghorn hens and sold
eggs for 5 cents a cozen but was undaunted
by hard times.

After Mrs. Schmidt passed away, his son
Rudolph and wife lived with him and cared
for him till is death in 1938. Rudolph then
purchased the farm and with the help of his
son Jim and nephew, Ted Garris, continued
its operation.

Three of the Schmidts were married while
living at Mullen. Margaret married Lewis
Garris of Seneca, Nebraska. Louise married
Ernest Kelly and Henry married Hilda
Randall. Katie married Clark LeDoyt of
North Platte, later. Ted, Rudolph and Emma
married after moving to Anselmo. Helen was
a registered nurse and never married.