BOYER, ROBY AND OLLIE (HALL)

by Interviews of Roby Boyer

Entry F42 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Roby Boyer and double cousin, Cora Boyer at Nursing home, 1975.

William Roby, son of Hugh Sr., and
Margaret "Maggie" Boyer was born Sept. 21,
1880 at Independence, Va. He was just a lad
when his parents and 8 brothers John J.,
Wiley Reid, Feils L. , Boyd K., Charles F. ,
Stephen McTeer, Hugh Crumley, Willie
Wyeth, packed up their belongings, and
commenced the trip westward. They traveled
partly by railroad, coming to the city of
Omaha, Nebr. When Hugh Boyer and his
family stepped off the Union Pacific passen-
ger train in the fall of 1882, he had a cash-in-
pocket status of $400. And his determination
was their initial introduction to the State of
Nebraska the region that had recently been
opened to settlement.

Roby spent the next few years in Madison
County, receiving the benefits of what educa-
tional facilities were at that time. He was six
years old when the trip to Cherry County,
Nebr., started in the spring of 1886. Hugh
Boyer Sr. had made a previous jaunt into the
wilds of the Sandhills territory for a inspec-
tion tour. He liked what he saw, and the
change of territory was decided upon. From
Madison County, the family went by train via
Chicago, Northwestern railroad to the small
community of Johnstown, Nebr., then from
there transported by team and wagon to their
new home. This new experience took them on
a trek into the territory of the present day
Purdum, Nebr. community, and they fol-
lowed the North Loup River westward to the
approximate location of Brownlee, post-of-
fice, and thence westward to their destina-
tion. It was a nine-day trip. Along this trip
was the early fall days were warm and "I lost
my coat off of the wagon. The remainder of
the trip was a chilly one without it".

The brothers who were known as the
"Baseball Nine" hunted and earned $100.00
during one month by shipping prairie chicken
to eastern markets. After his father's death,
Roby lived with his widowed mother until
they moved into Mullen shortly before World
War I. For ten years, they lived in the
dwelling that once had been the Hooker
County Court house, which is now owned by
Stella Baldwin. The small building out back
was the small jail-house, with its window of
iron bars.

Roby, after coming to town, partner-
shipped a business with a cousin, in the
handling of car parts for the vehicles that had
made their debut into the sandhills at that
time. Later, he managed a billiard hall on
main-street for a good many years. During his
many years in the community of Mullen, he
served on the Village Board of Trustees, also
Chairman for the County Commissioners for
a number of terms.

Roby married Ollie (Phipps) Hall Dec. 31 ,
1924 and lived in the former home of Robert
Boyer, once a rooming house, which is now
owned by Nyle and Gladys Hodges. Roby's
mother Margaret and OLlie's son Donald
Hall, by a previous marriage joined them.
Margaret was 94 years old when she died
April 1, 1940.

Roby liked to fish and did some hunting.
It was very common to find him with some
rattlesnakes in a cage. He liked to pick
chokecherries, currants and sand-cherries
down on the Loup and Dismal river. His
favorite car was a Buick, but at one time
drove a Maxwell, Reo, Overland and a chain-
driven International equipped with running
board, carbide lights and side curtain which
were kept under the front seat until it rained.
A favorite sport was racing the car from
Mullen to Seneca at 20 miles per hour.

Early fire fighting equipment was a small
hose cart attached to a car or truck and then
to a fire plug. The first fire truck was a
Chevrolet Model-26, bought from Mathews
Chevrolet, now owned by Schmokers. Frank
Fitzgerlad built the hose rack and the truck
became one of the best rigs between Alliance
and Broken Bow, Nebr. until it was retired
in 1950.

Roby saw the first Mullen depot erected
and the last one dismantled. He heard the
squeaky mail-cart travel from the depot to
the postoffice until replaced by trucks from
North Platte for mail delivery.

Mullen's first electricity was generated by
a small engine in the Mercure building
basement, which is now owned by Mullen Co-
op Co., and operated by Glen Boyer. About
1921, Charlie Butler came up from Kansas to
Alliance and was employed before coming to
Mullen to manage the first electrical plant of
any size. He has seen the town of Mullen
prosper, the main-street that was once a
tumble-weed area, ankle-deep in sand, with
jack-rabbits, came into being with a paved
block and half, in early twneties. The late
George Hawley along with others poured out
the concrete for this street.

Roby saw the day that Mullen prized two
banks, the Citizens State Bank and the Bank
of Mullen. Two movie theater's were compet-
itive for a year or so in the fore part of
twenties. The Roseberry Hall, later on known
as the Mullen Opera House, and then the
Senk Theatre. This has been lately the dry
goods department of the business establish-
ment of Edgar Macke. This building was
burnt down 1974 and the new building
replace by Bill Johnson and now Vinton Feed
Store.

After giving up the billiard hall he contin-
ued to play the game and enjoyed it. Getting
up in his years he continued to get out and
walk and take care of his own yard. His wife
Ollie passed away Nov. 28, 1971. In early
April 1972 took up residency at the Pioneer
Memorial Rest Home in Mullen, he was
contented there till he passed away Nov. 3,
1976.

If you think the name of Boyer isn't well-
known, here's a yarn about a Swede and his
wife from Denver, travelling from Cando,
North Dakota back to Denver. They stop in
Thedford to get some aspirins. They ask how
far it is to Mullen. The merchant asked just
why they wanted to go to Mullen - and he
said: "Pete sake don't go up there, the place
is over-run with Boyer's."