WICKHAM FAMILY

by Elva Phipps

Entry F447 from the History of Hooker County Nebraska
with permission of the Hooker County Historical Society

Andrew Grover Wickham and wife Susanne.

In 1886, Grandfather Andrew W. Wick-
ham, who was an orphan living near Valparai-
so, Indiana decided to come west. He had a
family of 13 children, 5 girls and 8 boys. They
were William who died early, George, Emery,
Anson, Andrew, Frank, Elmer and Arthur.
The girls were Ida, Lettie, Ella, Jessie and
Ollise (who died while small).

He sent a son, Anson, to come to Nebraska
and view the situation. He had glowing
reports. He loaded the car of house-hold
goods, machinery and one team of horses.
Grandad, George, Emery and some neighbor
boys came through with the carlot of goods
and the rest of two families by passenger
train. They were met at Grand Island but
decided to come on to Broken Bow. The Bow
was 11 years old at that time. Grandfather
became acquainted with some of the business
men, Jesse Gandy, Wilson Hewitt and others.

They found a small house 14 x 16, one room
and a small cellar for two families, set up beds
on the floor, Robinsons soon found a sod
house. They burned Corn and sunflower
stalks and the children walked two or more
miles to school for three months.

In 1887, Grandfather helped move the
Charles Smiths to the sandhills. Mullen had
a little store run by Lewis Trefern. Every-
thing was freighted by team and wagon from
Broken Bow. Mullen had the one store and
post office combined and it was situated one
mile west of where it is now. B and M railroad
was only a few miles west of Anselmo at that
time.

The Smith family took up land 11 miles
southeast of Mullen and Grandad took land
adjoining them. It was called Wickham
Valley (it is now known as the French Valley).
They built a sod house and some kind of
stable. He returned to Broken Bow for his
family. Progress was slow because they
walked a lot of the way. At that time very
little vegetation and hay was found so feed
was scarce.

They had very little flour and some one in
Mullen had a grist mill. They gave half of
their meal to have it ground. They finally got
a cow, which helped, as many of the early
settlers were unable to purchase one. Instead
of using milk they used sour dough when
making biscuits, corn bread, and pancakes.

The two older boys worked on the railroad
which came through Mullen in 1887 and a
section house and small depot were built. The
section house was still standing. The little
store closed and moved to the present
location of Mullen.

A small school house set on the north hill,
(north of the Methodist Parsonage) and was
used also for servies and Sunday school. The
first Pastor in Mullen was Grandaddy Tre-
fren, father of Luther Trefren who had the
first store in Mullen. About 1904, the school
house burned down. Hardly a year passes
without a prairie fire, sometimes set by
trains.

There are plenty of wild game such as deer,
antelope, prairie chickens, rabbits and
grouse.

Soon many settlers were coming to the hills
and Grandfather was elected County Sur-
veyor. He was often gone days at a time
establishing section lines and corners.

About this time Grandmother passed away
leaving Arthur less than two years old, all
together there were 5 younger than Ella
(Elva's mother) who was 15 years old then.
She did their sewing by hand and washing on
the wash board, also cooked, etc. Her younger
sister Jessie helped her.

One day an old gentleman came along
driving a gray horse hitched to a two wheel
cart, he drove all over the sand hills organiz-
ing Sunday Schools. New neighbors had
moved in and he held services at the different
homes.

Also about this time Alex Groves had gone
to the Dismal River after wood and he
became lost in a storm coming home, they
found him frozen to death.

Grandfather moved closer to Mullen where
the children had school advantages. (He later
moved back to Indiana and died at age 86).

About this time Elisha LeLaCheur moved
to South Cherry County. Elisha and a
brother-in-law lost their lives in a prairie fire.
In 1895 Ella and Frank LeLaCheur were
married at Broken Bow, Nebraska by Judge
J.R. Rhodes. They had a homestead near
where the fire was. They lived there close to
50 years. Frank died in 1954. Ella lived to be
100 years old and died in 1975.

Frank Wickham married Mabelle Evans at
Thedford, they have both passed away.
Andrew, Elmer and Arthur Wickham moved
to California and all passed away there.
Others died in Valpariaso and Ames, Iowa.
Suzanne is buried in Mullen.