At Rest

Another Old Comrade and Early Settler in Washington County Gone

Died – At his residence in Blair, Washington county, Neb., on Tuesday evening, March 3rd, 1891, Nathan Carter aged 62 years.

Mr. Carter was the second son of Alexander Carter, Sr., deceased, who died December 1st, 1890, and was born in southern Ohio. His mother died when he was a small boy, after which his father removed from Scioto to Adams county, where deceased lived until about 1860, when he came to Washington county, Nebraska. Here he took a homestead within less than a mile of where Blair now stands, being part of the farmer now owned by H. W. McBride.

He enlisted in Company B, 2nd Regiment of Nebraska Cavalry in October, 1862, and served until mustered out in September, 1863, when he returned to his home, and has lived in Washington county ever since. He was also a member of John A. Dix Post G.A.R. and one of the charter members of Washington Lodge A.F.& A.M., and was its first Master. In this capacity he repeated served, and always with pleasure and profit to the craft. He was one of the readiest workers in the craft in Nebraska, and did not readily yield the gavel to any as his superior. He yielded only in the presence of higher authority.

He early espoused the religion of Christ, and was an exemplary member of the Baptist church, where he was identified at the time of his death. He was a man well versed in the scriptures, and was able to give a good reason for the doctrinal views held by him.

He was not a politician, and was rather inclined to independence than to party lines. He was formerly a democrat, but during later years was rather identified with the independent and third party people. He was a lively and rather an intellectual man, generally doing contract work and most always engaged in grading and removing dirt.

We miss Brother Carter, as will all his acquaintances. His death was sudden, caused by concussion of the brain. On Tuesday while uploading lumber from a car, the pile upon the farther side was observed to be tottering, and his son Robert barely escaped. In falling it struck Mr. Carter in the breast and knocked him out of the car and he fell about four feet upon the frozen earth, his head striking the ground from which he was taken up in an unconscious condition in which he remained, after removed to his home, for about twelve hours when he expired.

He was also at the time of his death carrying about $7,500 life insurance for the benefit of his family, in the different Masonic companies. He was buried on Friday from the Baptist church by the G.A.R. and Masonic fraternities.

Sioux City Tribune

A Fatal Accident.

Blair, Neb., March 4 – Nathan Carter, commonly called “Uncle Nate” one of the oldest settlers of Washington county and a highly esteemed citizen of Blair, met with an accident yesterday which proved fatal. He was unloading lumber out of a box car. The lumber on one side started to slide down on him and he attempted to get out of the way, but the lumber struck him and pushed him out of the car door over the wagon, striking on his head. He was unconscious, never spoke afterwards, and died at 11 o’clock last night. The funeral will be Friday at 2 p.m., under the auspices of the Masons.

Another article

The funeral of Nathan Carter was very largely attended on yesterday afternoon. The Sons of Veterans led the advance of the procession, followed by the members of the Grand Army of the Republic of this city, and next in order coming the Masonic fraternity, probably 150 men in line. The teams in the procession numbered about 75 and the entire population seemed to be out. The people will miss this old settler and useful man. Another Article

Death of Nathan Carter

The accident, which caused the sudden death of this pioneer citizen last Tuesday, was a shock to the community. At eleven o'clock he was unloading a boxcar when suddenly the lumber fell striking him in the breast and knocking him backward out of the door fracturing the skull and causing concussion of the brain. He never recovered consciousness and died at eleven o'clock the same night.

He was one of the first settlers of Blair City, organized in 1868 the first Masonic Lodge of this county and was its Master until March 1870. Later he was Master of Washington Lodge, Blair, from December 1880 to 1881, also from January 1889 to January 1890.

Mr. Carter was born in Scotia County, Ohio, December 19, 1828, and was past 62 years old at the time of his death. He was a useful, moral, kind-hearted and public-spirited citizen whose demise is mourned by all who knew him. He leaves a wife and family of eight children, mostly grown to man and womanhood. By foresight and economy he provided an insurance endowment, which now amounts to over $7,000 and places his dependent family in comfortable circumstances. The funeral takes place Friday at 2 P.M. from the Baptist Church under the auspices of the Masons and John A. Dix Post, of which orders he was a member.

Another Article

Carter, Nathan

Published in Pilot on 5 March 1891

A FATAL ACCIDENT

NATHAN CARTER IS SUDDENLY CALLED TO HIS LONG HOME

On Tuesday morning Nathan Carter was engaged with one of his sons in unloading a car load of lumber on the track near the St. Paul freight depot, and when there remained only one tier piled high on the side of the car opposite of the door, he noticed the tier toppling and about to fall. On his warning the son sprang out the car door onto the ground, while Nate only stepped back toward the door as if awaiting results. In a twinkling the pile of lumber fell over, the topmost portion falling against him with such force as to drive him backward, violently and being so near the car door he was knocked squarely backward out of the car falling in such a way that his head truck the hard frozen ground with great force. He was taken up insensible and carried home where physicians were at once summoned but to no purpose. He lay like a dead man most of the time, but at intervals showed faint signs of returning consciousness, yet was not able to communicate, and it is a matter of doubt as to whether he was at all conscious from the time of the accident, which occurred about 10:30 A.M. on Tuesday, until he died just a little before midnight. The suddenness of the case is a terrible shock to his family. He leaves a wife in feeble health, four sons and four daughters, some of them married and the rest old enough to provide for themselves.

Nathan Carter was 62 years old though physically he seemed to be just in his prime. He was prominent in the Masonic order and as a member of the G.A.R., an energetic, industrious. useful citizen, who will be missed from among us as few others would. He was among the earliest settlers being a citizen of this county since 1856.

The funeral will occur at 1:30 P.M. tomorrow, at the Baptist church, under the auspices of the Masonic order, and attended by the G.A.R. in a body. The people of Blair and surrounding country will deeply sympathize with the afflicted family.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~