Seneca, Nebraska; Charity, Mrs. Sid Cox; Enoch and Grover. Two daughters, Cora and Winafred died as young women.

Mr. Reeves had three brothers who also settled in Schoolcraft Precinct. They were John, a bachelor, who went on to Cherry County when that county was opened; Cleve, who later retired to Madison. Cleve had four children: Oscar, who married Daisy Clark, Amelia (Mrs. John Thomas), Minnie, Cleve, Jr., and Fariy, who married a Mr. Hiscox and lived at Wayne.

Aleck who farmed south of Battle Creek had four sons: Dave, John, William, and Jesse. Jesse for years served as County Commissioner, lives in Battle Creek, and has land holdings in the area.

The Hale family of which F. J. "Fleeks" Hale was the oldest, homesteaded in Schoolcraft Precinct and early became interested in other business activities. Even before Battle Creek was a town, he had a store about two miles south and one mile west of the present town, just west of the old Tiedgen place. He, along with John F. Tiedgen, Herman Hogrefe, and Pat O'Neill, jointly acquired the townsite of Battle Creek and platted the Original Townsite. He had various business establishments but also always had an interest in and owned considerable livestock. He maintained stock yards northeast of town and had his home on the plot where the Elmer Johnson family now lives. Mr. Hale entered politics and for a number of years served in the Nebraska Senate.

The "Fleeks" Hales had four children: Lee, who married Bert Blodgett, a nephew of Dr. Tanner and who made his home with and was educated by Dr. Tanner; Virginia, nicknamed Bird, was an Army nurse and now lives in California; Elizabeth, who married Wm. Zutz of Norfolk; and a son, Major.

Perhaps the most venturesome of the "Virginians" was John D. Hale. He homesteaded the NW1/4 of 14-22-3, Schoolcraft Precinct. Mr. Hale left Grayson County in 1867. Arriving in Omaha, he hired out to the Union Pacific Railway and landed in Cheyenne, Wyoming. From there he drifted on to Montana where he tried his hand in mining. Still not satisfied, he went on to Salt Lake City where he heard the Mormon leader, Brigham Young, preach. In 1868, he met his brothers, F. J. Hale and D. A. Hale; who had come out from Virginia with C. H. Reeves and T. C. Osborn and also took up his homestead in Madison County. He was elected County Sheriff and served for a time but the wanderlust for travel and adventure was still strong. The feel of the west and the urge for cattle ranching was growing upon him. Confining himself to farming was like being fenced in. In 1877, he went to the Black Hills with a freighting outfit (commonly called bullwackers) as gold had been found there the year before. In the fall of that year the government employed him to move the Indians from Camp Sheridan to the reservation.

He then conceived an idea which perhaps made him more money than panning gold might have done. He was also happier to be on the move. He returned to Madison County. In the

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