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a. Note:   From THE NEBRASKA CATTLEMAN, October, 1974 J. Hall Dillon Saw no Reason That He Should not Try to Reach A High Goal He did, to Become A Master Cattleman of Nebraska
  By Robert M. Howard
  Sizing up the career of J. Hall Dillon is a tremendous assignment. The Long Pine cattlemen has achieved success in both major beef cattle breeds, besides serving in county government a long time.
  specifically, at one time he maintained the largest Hereford feeder calf production for 4-H activity in the state, also receiving many awards in purebreds from the Hereford breed; then later he was recognized for contributions to the commercial Angus cattle industry of Nebraska, in the state's Centennial year of 1967, the same year that he and his wife, Florence, observed their fiftieth wedding anniversary. Little wonder that J. Hall Dillon was singled out about the same time for an Agricultural Achievement Award by the Knights of Ak-Sar-Ben, who designated him as "a leading commercial cattleman and producer of outstanding feeder cattle."
  Imbued with a deep sense of concern for the welfare of others over the years, the Dillons have maintained an active interest in church, school, and community affairs, serving in several capacities, not the least of which was Hall's eighth four-year term on the Brown County board of Commissioners.
  SOD HOUSE ON QUARTER SECTION Hall and Mrs. Dillon, who have lived their entire married life of 57 years in Brown county, set up housekeeping in a sod house on a quarter section located 29 miles south of Long Pine. It was in this first home that their son, Kenneth H., was born. A daughter, Genevieve (Mrs. Richard Lackaff of Bassett) was born later. The couple has been blessed with eight grandchildren and eight great grand children.
  Both Hall and Mrs. Dillon are members of families of twelve Hall the very youngest born to Rev. and Mrs. E. E. Dillon. "I never remember seeing one of my sisters some of their children are older than me," he points out. Florence Dillon was third from the last in the family of six boys and six girls of William and Lettie Hughes.
  Some of the Dillon forbears were from South Carolina, Via Indiana. William Hughes came from Pennsylvania; his wife from Virginia.
  "Mr great grandfather was born in South Carolina," Hall Dillon told us this past summer. He died however, and his widow took her family and slaves to Dubois county, Indiana, and once in the new state, released the slaves.
  TO SOUTH DAKOTA HOMESTEAD Both of Hall's parents were born in Ireland, Indiana the father in 1855. (E. E. Dillon was next to the youngest of 16 children, the father having married the second time.) The couple came to South Dakota and homesteaded north of Yankton, on Jim River Bottom. Terrible grasshopper years persisted and they returned to Indiana. A little later the couple and their growing family gave the South Dakota region a second try and this time remained. The senior Dillon carried mail for Fort Randall before moving to a log house on Ponca Creed (Boyd County) in Nebraska where the four youngest children were born, including J. Hall, on December 11 1898.
  It was when the family lived at Ponca in Boyd County, that Hall's father became interested in the ministry. Reverend Dill preached as a Free Methodist first, but as a Baptist after moving south into the Sandhills. He bought land north of Newport, moving there when Hall was three; then to a place south of Newport, and to the "homestead" south of Long Pine in 1908 when Hall was ten.
  The Reverend Dillon never owned an automobile, but nevertheless assumed and traversed a side Sandhill area as his parish by means of a Hambletonian team and buggy. From south in Brown County, he served the Elsmere community, the Eli area, and was living at Simeon Southwest of Valentine, when he and his wife observed their golden wedding anniversary.
  ". . . draw and hold a crowd . . . ." "Father was quite interesting and could draw a crowd and hold its attention," Hall said in response to a question about the father's platform appeal. Likewise it was rewarding and satisfying to the Sandhill minster that the ceremony uniting his son, John Hall and Florence Manila Hughes should be held at his residence, and performed by him. The wedding was an event on December 12, 1917 and attendants of the couple were the groom's brother, the late Reverend Thomas Dillon, and the bride's sister, Helen, Mrs. Harold Murphy, now of Edgewater, Colorado.
  From this beginning together, Hall and his wife set up housekeeping in the sod house on the quarter section 29 miles south of Long Pine. When Hall was 15, he helped a man who was to become his brother-in-law, and received Shorthorn heifers as payment. This provided his start in the cattle business and he was to expand the quarter section into 13,800.
  Mr. Hughes died in 1913 Hall's wife was raised not too far distant from the couple's original 160 acres. Her father had his own mules and worked on the railroad at Oelrichs, South Dakota. The family moved to Brown county and Florence was born at Ainsworth. Mr. Hughes lived only to age 57, his passing coming in 1913 from pneumonia.
  "My father-in-law was a good old type operator no frills he was strict and successful," Hall said of his wife's father. Florence's Mother, a woman of small stature, however thrived on raising a big family. She died at Long Pine at age 92!
  "It was my wife's father's estate, where we bought the place that Kenneth now operates," Hall explained the family holdings down in Brown county. This old ranch heaquarters is 28 miles south of Long Pine. Dillons have used the old Hughes place, but it has been sold.
  "On our original quarter, we had no (NOTE: THERE ARE PAGEs from 32 through 37. It is assumed that these pages address Kenneth and Genevieve activities as page 38 continues.) organization for 1971- 72 and her thorough and thoughtful leadership provided a useful milestone in the Belles' twenty-six year history.
  FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY IN 1967 Some years have passed since the fiftieth wedding anniversary of Mr. and Mrs. J. Hall Dillon held December 10, 1967 at the Methodist Church fellowship hall in Ainsworth. Over 200 relatives and friends were hosted by the couple's children and their families. Mr. and Mrs. Evan E. Dillon, Wilder, Idaho (Evan, now of Caldwell, Idaho and the only bother of Hall living) and another brother, the late C. E. Dillon, LaJunta, Colorado, a veteran of the Spanish-American War, were in attendance. Mrs. Dillon's late sister, Mrs. Oma Huffman, also was present. Florence Dillon has four sisters living Mrs. Mary Dederman of Norfolk; Mrs. Rose Nance of Litchfield, Ill.; Mrs. Nina Dillon of Tempe, Arizona and Mrs. Helen Murphy. The oldest and youngest brother are living Thomas, 91, at Ainsworth and William at Gillespie, Ill. Among those deceased are a brother, Elmer, the father of Thedford Hereford breeder, Lyle Hughes.
  Hall and Florence Dillon are loyal to the long-time Chicago and Northwestern railroad point of Long Pine, known to them most all their lives, and that has been their home for the past 26 years. Hall said that they could "unload a trainload of cattle on the north side and trainload of sheep on the south side," of the railroad yards of Long Pine where the first train arrived in 1882 and the town was incorporated two years later. "As a kid I drove cattle to Burwell several times," Hall recalled. In his own ranching career, he shipped out of long Pine for Omaha, until later selling to feeders who came to the ranch.
  HEEDED WIFE'S REASONING J. Hall Dillon is a long-time member of the Nebraska Stock Growers Association and the Sandhill cattle Association. "I never gambled with ranch or cattle transactions and I give a lot of credit to my wife," Dillon volunteered. "She was always cautious about me investing in more land." Hall is the type of man who would listen attentively to the reasoning of his wife.
  This sharing of decisions in the cattle business has made the Dillon's enthusiastic boosters of the beef industry and their contributions have been rewarded. In 1966, Hall was recipient of the Ak-Sar-Ben award. The following year, the Nebraska Angus Association honored him with the award of Merit plaque, recognizing his contribution to commercial Angus cattle production in Nebraska. On this particular occasion he and Mrs. Dillon were joined in the recognition by the late auctioneer, Col. Charles Corkle and Angus breeder, Max Hoffmeister, all three "greats" in their field of endeavor.
  Asked his thought of his greatest achievement as county commissioner of Brown county for the 32-year span, J. Hall replied, ". . . When I got mail roads so semis could drive on any of them; this meant mostly graded roads, surfaced with clay and gravel; and never having used federal matching funds in my district." Hall may not have been the longest-tenured county official in Nebraska, but one can imagine the respect he received not only in his own county but at area meetings and at state conventions of county officials.
  In view of service to his county, Mr. Dillon was accorded a well-deserved honor in 1971. A capacity-filled Elks Lodge Hall at Ainsworth was the setting for an occasion when county residents, county officials and employees gathered in Hall's honor to proclaim him "Mr. Brown County." A resume of Mr. Dillon's history was read by Judge William C. Smith, Jr. Carleton Petijohn Jr., the county assessor and son of the venerable pioneer Carleton Pettijohn (1860-1958) presided. (Carleton Sr. was "about my mother's age," Hall said, and the junior member was an appropriate one to do the presiding honors.) Hall's commissioner tenure started in 1939. Two ranch contemporaries in Cherry county served during part of the same period Ralph Baker and the late Jay Cole.
  The connotation "J. Hall" always intrigued the writer. What is the significance? "John and Hall Dillon, cousins of my father, came to South Dakota with him," Hall explained. "When I was a kid, people started to call me 'Jack' and my folks wouldn't hear to that!"
  And, J. Hall" is more than a symbol; it is a tradition for purpose, in life, to the community and to the cattle industry.
  The life of J. Hall Dillon parallels these lines by Matthew Arnold: "His has been a task in silence perfecting labor that shall not fail, when he is gone."
  Copied on March 12, 2000 by C. Evan Dillon, Grandson of Evan E. Dillon, Brother of J. Hall Dillon


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