Agnew Ryburn1,2

b. 20 November 1852
FatherJohn Ryburn1,3 b. abt 1815, d. 1872
MotherDiantha M. Gray1,3 b. bet 1831 - 1835
Birth20 Nov 1852 Agnew Ryburn was born in Indiana, probably on 20 Nov 1852 although his tombstone is reported to represent the year as 1856. However Agnew's reported age on a series of census records (8 in 1860, 18 in 1870, 28 in 1880) all suggest an 1852 year of birth.4,1 
Childhood  He spent his childhood on the family farm in Fayette County, Indiana. When Agnew was 15 his father was injured and Agnew assumed responsibility for running the farm.5,6 
Marriage29 Dec 1872 He married Martha Ella Murray on 29 Dec 1872 in Oxford, Butler County, Ohio.2,7 
  (Butler County sits just across the Ohio border - not far from Fayette County, Indiana).  
Cens-1880Jun 1880  Agnew and Martha lived in Somers Township, Preble County, Ohio, at the time of the 1880 census enumeration, but judging by the birthplaces reported for their children they must have moved back and forth between Ohio and Indiana.8 
Migration1886 Agnew visited Deuel County, Nebraska, in 1886, two years before the county was officially organized, and decided to settle there. The rest of the family followed in 1889. In those years Texas range cattle were still driven across the Nebraska panhandle and the town of Big Springs was known as Lone Tree.1 
Occupation When Agnew first settled in Deuel County he worked as a foreman for the State Line Horse Ranch.1 
1890  Agnew's wife, Martha Ella, and his oldest daughter, Winifred, both died in 1890, the year after they joined him in Nebraska. 
OccupationJan 1900 In Jan 1900 Agnew purchased a hotel in Big Springs which he operated.9 
Marriage7 Jan 1900 He married Mary E. Plummer on 7 Jan 1900.3 
Anecdote  Agnew served as clerk of the election board when Deuel County voted to decide the location of the county seat. The contest was between Big Springs and Chapell. The first vote was declared fraudulent and Agnew was called to explain how thousands of votes were cast when there were no more than 500 voters. The election was held again and Chapell was chosen as the county seat. In later years, Agnew, who had many friends in the community, laughed about the many "interesting incidents created by the affair."9 
Widowed1906 In 1906 Agnew was again widowed. 
Marriagecirca 1908 He married Della (?) circa 1908.10 
Cens-191016 Apr 1910  By 1910 Agnew was married for the 3rd time. He was listed on that years census with Della. He was her second husband. They had been married 2 years. Della was the mother of 1 child who was living at the time. Living with the couple was a 5 year old child, Bonnie Ryburn, who was listed as Ryburn's daughter. Bonnie was most likely Della's daughter from a previous marriage as Agnew's second wife would have been at least 45 at the time of Bonnie's birth in 1905.10 
Cens-192020 Jan 1920  Agnew was still running a hotel in Big Springs in 1920. Although he told the census taker he was married no wife was listed with him.11 
Burial He was probably buried at Big Spring Cemetery in Deuel County, Nebraska, where a stone bears his name but not his date of death. Agnew's first and second wives and his daughter Winifred are buried in the same cemetery.4 

Family

Martha Ella Murray b. 1852, d. 1890
Children
ChartsDescendants of William Ryburn and Mary (?)
Last Edited2 May 2011

Citations

  1. [S441] Grant Lee Shumway, History of Western Nebraska and its People, Vol. 3, p. 506. Biographical Sketch of Agnew R. Ryburn.
  2. [S1461] Butler Co., Ohio Marriage Record 4: 250. Ag. G. Ryburn and Ella Murray were married on the 29th day of December 1872 by Rev. T.J. Harris; recorded Feb. 11, 1874 as entry #2632. Many of Rev. Harris's marriages were recorded several years after the fact.
  3. [S1450] Deuel Co., Nebraska Marriage Record 1: 89.
  4. [S1425] "Deuel County Pioneer Cemeteries", index, USGenWeb: Nebraska, Deuel County (http://www.rootsweb.com/~nedeuel/deuelcem.html : Apr. 2006), Listing for Big Spring Cemetery includes: Ryburn, A.G. 20 Nov. 1856- NA.
  5. [S1414] John Reburn household, 1860 U.S. census, Fayette Co., Indiana, pop. sched., Fairview Township, p. 739 (added script), dwelling 173, family 168, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Apr. 2006, image 1 of 18. Enumeration includes: John Reburn, 45, farmer, real estate: $8,650; Deentha, 25; Agnew, 8; James F. 6; unknown, 9/12 (male); all b. IN.
  6. [S1415] John Ryburn household, 1870 U.S. census, Fayette Co., Indiana, pop. sched., Fairview Township, p. 62 (stamped), dwelling 22, family 22, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Apr. 2006, image 3 of 16. Enumeration includes: John Ryburn, 55, farmer, b. IN, owns real estate: $12,070; Diantha, 39; Agnew 18; James F. 15; all b. IN.
  7. [S441] Grant Lee Shumway, History of Western Nebraska and its People, Vol. 3, p. 506. Biographical Sketch of Agnew R. Ryburn; reports date of marriage as Jan. 1876 in Oxford, but this date is in error.
  8. [S1426] A.G. Ryburn household, 1880 U.S. cens., Preble Co., OH, pop. sched., Somers Township, ED 202, page 189 (B) stamped, dwelling 119, family 123, viewed online at Ancestry.com, April 2006, image 12 of 29. Household includes: A.G. Ryburn 28, farmer, b. IN, parents b. IN; Martha E. wife, b. OH, parents b. OH; Winifred, 6, dau, b. OH; Coral V. 4, dau, b. IN; Katz, 3, dau, b. IN; Murry, 6/12, son b. OH; Martha Murray, 91, grandmother, b. VA; also a servant.
  9. [S441] Grant Lee Shumway, History of Western Nebraska and its People, Vol. 3, p. 506. Biographical Sketch of Agnew R. Ryburn states that eldest daughter and wife died the first year [in Deuel Co.].
  10. [S1424] Agnew G. Ryburn household, 1910 U.S. cens., Deuel Co., Nebraska, pop. sched., Big Spring precinct, ED 111, sheet 1B, dwelling 25, family 26, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Apr. 2006, image 2 of 15. Enumeration includes: Agnew G. Ryburn, 53, marr #3, marr 2 yrs, b. IN, parents b. IN, proprietor of hotel; Della M., 30, marr #2, marr 2 yrs, mother of 1 child, is living, b. NE; Bonnie B., dau, 5, b. NB, parents b. NB; also Patrick Maloney family.
  11. [S1427] Agnew Ryburn household, 1920 U.S. cens., Deuel Co., Nebraska, pop. sched., Big Spring, ED 119, sheet 1B, dwelling 15, family 17, viewed online at Ancestry.com, Apr 2006, image 2 of 21. Entry includes: Agnew Ryburn, 68, marr, b. IN, hotel keeper.
  12. [S1425] "Deuel County Pioneer Cemeteries", index, USGenWeb: Nebraska, Deuel County (http://www.rootsweb.com/~nedeuel/deuelcem.html : Apr. 2006), Listing for Big Spring Cemetery includes: Ryburn, Winifred, 1873-1890.
  13. [S441] Grant Lee Shumway, History of Western Nebraska and its People, Vol. 3, p. 506. Biographical Sketch of Agnew R. Ryburn states that his eldest dau died the year after wife and family joined Agnew in Nebraska.