Person:Samuel Waddington (14)

From the "History of Custer County, Nebraska" pg 1036

Samuel Waddington- Among those who contributed largely to the prosperity of Custer County, and whose patient industry, and well directed energy have brought individual competencies, may be mentioned Samuel Waddington, who is one of the extensive land-owners of the county.

Mr. Waddington was born in Tuscarawas county, Ohio, June 12, 1850. His father, James Waddington, was a native of England and when a boy accompanied his parents to the United States, settling in Harrison county, Ohio in 1835. There he grew to manhood and there he married Lydia Borland, after which event he became a resident of Tuscarawas county, where he made his home until 1880 when he came to Custer county, Nebraska, and secured the homestead on which he lived until his death. His wife passed away in Illinois and is buried in Custer county. They were the parents of sixteen children, as follows; Hannah, who is deceased, was the wife of William V. True, of Colfax, Colorado; Elizabeth married C. F. Carroll, and her death occurred in Ohio, in 1917; Grace married C. C. Carroll and resides at Oconce, Illinois; Samuel is the subject of this sketch; Burarell died in Colorado, in May, 1918; Eleanor is the wife of T. P. Bane and resides at Arrowsmith, Illinois; David is a resident of Ozonee, Illinois; Henry lives at Riverside, California; Andrew resides at Fowler Colorado; Nancy is the wife of Abram Taylor, a resident of South Dakota; Ann, widow of William Scott, resides at Fowler, Colorado; Isaac died in Custer county twelve years ago; John died in Idaho, three years ago; James is a resident of Montana; William S. resides in Custer county; and one daughter died in childhood.

Samuel Waddington was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, in Ohio and Illinois, and when a young man began working on a farm by the month. In 1888 he came to Custer county and secured as a homestead the northeast quarter of section 14, township 18, range 23, besides which he pre-empted 160 acres-the east half of the southeast quarter of section 11 of this township. He was desirous of obtaining a good, level tract of land, and this seemed to answer the purpose. He was engaged in general farming until the dry years came on, when he made up his mind that stock-raising would be more suitable to this part of the country. Consequently he invested in young stock, and from the first his enterprise began to prosper. As his resources increased, he invested in more land and he is to-day the owner of 3,800 acres in one body and known as Waddington. This land lies in townships 18 and 19 and 23, and is especially adapted for stock raising. In the past years Mr. Waddington has operated extensively in raising and feeding cattle and for many years past he has raised pure bred Percheron horses, owning at the present time some very fine animals.

Mr. Waddington was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Oliver, a native of the same neighborhood as her husband. Their home has been blessed with seven children; Nettie is the wife of M. S. Cooper, of Blaine, county, Nebraska; Carrie married Chalmers G. Empfield, of Anselmo; Eva married Levi Empfield and resides in Calloway; Bert is married and engaged in farming in Custer county; Jennie married Albert Hill and resides in Custer county; McKinley is still at home; and Ada is the wife of John Schmitz, of Custer county.

Mr. Waddington may truthfully be called a self-made man, as he never had a dollar given to him and all he has accumulated has been won through his efforts and good (this was the end of the page).