Franklin County, Nebraska

For Another Day

For Thomas Carroll and his family I found two more items. I searched for two partial days at our Franklin County Museum for a picture I knew I had seen there of Thomas Sturgeon’s store in Franklin. This store is today Hawk’N Robins ice cream and gift shop (former Sindt Clothing). After a few hours I finally found it. At the Franklin County Library I found in the obituary file Thomas Sturgeon’s obituary. Find another printing of his life story told in past tense below. I received a pretty spring bouquet of yellow flowers from Thomas Carroll for my efforts. Its not an effort Thomas, it’s fun to help.

“ Thomas Sturgeon was born in Essex County, England, March 4, 1843, and is a son of Thomas and Elizabeth (Rutherford) Sturgeon, both of whom were natives of England. He has two brothers and two sisters, Aleck, Richard, Sarah and Elizabeth. In 1850, at the age of 7 he came with his parents to America and located in Kingston, NY, where he received his education and learned the trade of shipbuilding from his father, after which he went to New York City and followed his trade for three years. He then returned to Kingston, NY and took charge of Thomas Cornell’s steamboat works, filling the position of superintendent satisfactorily for eight years. Mr. Sturgeon married Harriet Harndon, a daughter of George Harndon, of England. They had known each other from childhood, their fathers having worked together in Chatham dockyards and were old friends. This union was blessed with nine children, Fannie, Tommie, Lizzie, Kittie, Jannete and three who died in infancy and Mrs. Wm. Sorric who died June 21, 1908 at the age of 26.

“When the war of the rebellion broke out, Thomas Sturgeon, at the age of eighteen, enlisted in Company F, Twentieth New York Militia, of eightieth New York Volunteers, and went to the Army of the Potomac. He participated in the wilderness and Mine Run, and was engaged in numerous skirmishes. He also served in the State Militia, Company E. Twentieth New York. On a midnight retreat from Fredericksburg to Falmouth, he was exposed to severe weather, from the effect of which he almost lost the use of his left arm. In 1878, he came to Nebraska and took a homestead on Section 8, Township 2, Range 14, in Franklin County, where he resided until 1881, during which year he moved into the town of Franklin. He has seen the town grow from a mere hamlet to its present large proportions. Before the bridge was built across the Republican River he built a ferryboat for the purpose of transporting passengers and by this and other acts of his he has done as much to build up and make the town of Franklin what it is as any other man in it.

“In 1884, he engaged in a mercantile business and by honest and fair dealings he established an excellent trade. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster and filled the position for three years. In 1890 he engaged in the restaurant business and continued it until 1906; he engaged in the confectionery business until January 23, 1909; he left Franklin for Kansas City where he was met by his son and daughter and taken to the university hospital where he died the morning of the 28th of heart disease and was brought back to Franklin by them for burial. The departed one leaves a widow and five children.”

It’s worth your time to take a trip to the Franklin museum if you are searching for your Franklin Pioneers or if you just want to be entertained. The kind volunteers are busy adding donations to the displays. They work very hard at making the museum a nice place to visit. They have drawers full of pictures from the old days. There are old school record books on the shelves and each town has a cubical to display the important events of their city. I find the obituary file beside the picture drawers most enlightening. In those aged oak drawers are so many life stories of our people gone to their first reward. I love the old period dresses and the baby christening clothes. The veteran’s room is interesting. A lot of pretty dishes set on tables and shelves. File drawers hold the old probate records for the courthouse. I could spend days looking at the table close to the picture drawer, its as cozy as sitting at my desk at home. I learn so much each time I enter our local storehouse of history information. While I sit there on the comfortable chairs people often come in to take a tour of the grounds, sometimes I can help with questions, but most of the time I just learn something new.

To be able to step inside the old school is especially fun for me. What a delight it must be for our local friends, to be able to go back to their one room school and sit at the desks again. We don’t all get that chance.

With the help of Penny Carter, who obtained a grant, the museum just acquired a new computer and a copy machine. This is a big help to me and my research and to others who use the museum on a regular basis.

The museum always needs our help and support, be it in the form of labor or cash donations. I hope when our business life slows down to be able to do my part in this wonderful endeavor of preserving donated archives.

And the name of this isle is the Beautiful Past, and we bury our treasures all there. Anonymous.

Rena Donovan, For Another Day.

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