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Note: William Peter DeVault attended Kirksville Business College. Soon afterwards he went west and settled at Loup City, Nebraska where he became a teacher for several years. In 1888 he married Annie Elizabeth Campbell. They took up a homestead four miles from Barard, Nebraska where he tought school and was later employed by a bank. Sometime before 1910 he became involved in real estate sales. William Peter DeVault lived in and around Bayard for forty years. In 1920 he divorced Annie and married Cecil Donovan of Alliance, Nebraska. Marvel (Hillman) DeVault says that William and Cecil lived in the house next door to his first wife, Annie. Supposedly, Annie never left the house after that. (Marvel says this house was the first house on the right when coming from her parents' farm.) William Peter DeVault worked for the Great Western Sugar Company. (This was known locally as the Sugar Beet Plant. When the plant closed it nearly killed Bayard.) In 1935, about the time Marvel Hillman and Bill DeVault graduated from High school, Marvel says Bill and his mother, Cecile DeVault, were living in the basement of the DeVault house. This must have been Annie DeVault's house as both William Peter and his second wife, Cecil DeVault, were both dead.
POEM WRITTEN BY WILLIAM PETER DEVAULT
Chimney Rock
On a far off western prairie Stands a rock of great renown, And its shape is like a chimney And its base is rods around. Years ago this old rock stood there And the travelers one by one Rested in its friendly shelter From the hot and burning sun. Nobely stands this rock of ages While a river by its side Flowing down the golden valley Spreads its waters far and wide. And between the rock and river Runs a trail now dim and old A trail implanted there by seekers Seekers of fame and gold. But ere they reached their destination Ere they reached the golden lands The redmen met them in this valley Killing their little bands. Could this rock relate its history Many a tale indeed t'would tell Tales of true and noble warriors Who engaged in battle fell. But instead it stands in silence Uttering not a word or sound Only a grim reminder Of the danger that hovered round. Tho this grand old rock was a witness Of years of adventure and strife Yet it stood as a benefactor To the weary travelers life. Let us hold it then in memory As a famous rock of old As a guide on the Oregon trail To the fields of wealth untold. OBITUARY
W. P. DEVAULT DIES AT HOME IN THIS CITY ON MARCH 31
Lived Near Bayard in Early 90's and Has Been Identified with Best Interests. The news that W. P. DeVault had passed away came as a most decided shock to this community where he has been identified for the past forty years. While it was known for some time that his health was not all to be desired, the seriousness of his condition was unknown, and on March 31, at 1:15 a. m., he quietly fell asleep at his home in this city. W. P. DeVault was born April 13, 1863, at New Florence, Mo., where he lived during his early childhood. After finishing his grade school course he entered the Kirksville Business college where he completed his business course, after which he came west and resided at Loup City, Neb., where he became a teacher for several years. In the year 1887 (sic) he was united in marriage to Miss Anna E. Campbell and to this union were born six children, four girls and two boys. After coming farther went in 1888, they homesteaded four miles from Bayard where they endured the hardships of pioneer life. Mr. DeVault taught school in the rural districts and was employed in Bayard's first store and bank. He held many positions of trust and confidence during his forty years of residence in and around Bayard. He was a man of high ideals, clean habits, and exemplary character. On April 13, 1920, he was married to Miss Cecil Donovan of Alliance, Neb., and lived in Bayard, holding a position with the Great Western Sugar company until the last two or three months when he was in poor health. He was confined to his room for only a short time before his departure of this life which came on March 31. 1929, at 1:15 a. m. Those left to mourn the departure are a wife and six children: Mrs. Mildred Mishoff (Sic) of Denver, Colo.; Henry of Iowa; Mrs. Maude Moberg of Bayard, Neb.; Lynn of Billings, Mont,; Marjorie and Dorothy DeVault of Bayard, Neb.; one sister, Mrs. C. H. Harpole and two grandchildren, William Dallas DeVault and Marjorie Beth Moberg, and a great number of friends and acquaintances. The funeral services were conducted at the family home with Rev. A. J. May, pastor of the Methodist church, in charge, the deceased having joined that church in 1911. A male quartet of Messrs. A. H. Keys, John Ducker, Paul Lathrop and Bartell Moore, George Mason accompanying them on the violin, sang "Remember me, O Mighty One," "There's a Light in the Valley for Me" and "Beautiful Isle of Somewhere." By request the pastor used the 14th chapter of John and the first six verses for the scripture and for the text John 14:1. Interment was made in the Alliance cemetery, Messrs. A. M. Ginn, Ralph Bristol, Earl Heyl, L. A. Fricke, John Mueller and R. A. Wisner acting as pall bearers.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - From "Pioneering in the Shadow of Chimney Rock" by Leon Moomaw
W. P. DeVAULT
W. P. DeVault arrived in the area in December 1888, taking a homestead north of the new village of Bayard. Their first house was built of black-root sod secured real near the place where they located the house. Dan Hults dug an 80 foot well for him but found no water. Just exactly what caused Mr. DeVault to come West is not known. He may have been influenced by family relationships. Mrs. DeVault's brother, Elbert Campbell, had filed on a homestead earlier. Mrs. Sarah Campbell, Mrs. DeVault's mother, also had taken a homestead. Her brother, David Lamson, was a Seventh Day Adventist preacher who held services at the "Old Sod Church." Later, Mr. DeVault's father and mother, a brother and two sisters came West, so kinship surely did have some influence in their lives. When living on the homestead, Mr. DeVault tells of an instance when 4500 steers which were being driven to the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, made deep paths in black root sod as they crossed his place. In the early days, Mr. DeVault was asked the question, what was his first mode of travel? His reply was, "walking." Old timers verify the fact that he did walk a great deal, having no other means of travel. W. P. DeVault was one of those men who had the ability to fill in wherever needed. He taught at least two terms of school. In one of the early elections, he defeated Thomas Winter for Justice of the Peace, but never qualified -- he often took part on programs at celebrations -- he was at one time the defendant's lawyer in a case brought before the Justice of the peace -- he was at another time, elected as County Commissioner of Morrill County. In later years, Mr. DeVault was associated with W. T. McKelvey in the Real Estate business. They were affiliated with The Payne Investment Company helping to dispose of a great deal of land in this section. In the Early day, Mr. DeVault had used his homestead as the basis for a sheep ranch and kept a band of sheep for many years. Early records show that he was constantly improving the quality of his herd. He was quite successful in carrying his flock through the winter with a limited amount of feed, yet with little loss. Mr. DeVault finally sold his homestead for $650 or just a little more than $4 per acre. By the time his children were of school age the family moved to town where they all attended school. In 1921 Maude, on of the DeVault girls, was married to Chris E. Moberg. Mr. Moberg began working for the Great Western Sugar Company at Eaton, Colorado, in 1913. He continued in their employ coming to the Bayard factory in 1920 and was retired in 1955, making a total service of 42 years for the company -- 35 years of which were in Bayard. Mrs. Moberg has been the faithful librarian at the City Library for many years. Special mention should be made of the DeVault sisters, Lizzie and Emma. They took a very active part in all of the early day church and social functions, also working in numerous positions. Later, Miss Emma DeVault became the wife of Charles H. Harpole. Today a worthy representative is found in George R. Harpole.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Bayard Transcript; Bayard Nebraska; January 27, 1912
W. P. DeVault made a business trip to Alliance Wednesday. NEWSPAPER ARTICLE - Bayard Transcript; Bayard, Nebraska; October 25, 1913
Elmer and Chas Boyer, Cyras Sixberry, Chas Johnson, R H Walford, L. C. Leach, W P DeVault and R. A. Wisner left Wednesday for North Platte, where they will register for the big land drawing which will take place at that city October 28th.
NEWSPAPER ARTICLE- Bayard Transcript; Bayard, Nebraska; October 5, 1922
Mr. and Mrs. W. P. DeVault spent last week-end with relatives in Alliance.
GRAVE STONE
DEVAULT CECIL E. Wm P. DONOVAN HIS WIFE 1893 -- 1929 1863 -- 1929
Note: I'm not sure who owned the "DeVault House" in Bayard. After his children were grown, William Peter "WP" DeVault left Annie and a few years later married Cecil Donovan. WP and Cecil lived next door to Annie and their unmarried daughters. It was quite a scandal. My mom tells me that, after the divorce, Annie never left the house. William Peter died in 1929. Cecil, who was thirty years younger, died later that year. An old letter, written by Cecil to William Peter's son Lynn, shortly after William Peter's death, says that my grandmother, Cecile, spelled with a trailing "e," and my father were living with her (Cecil) at the time she wrote the letter. My dad would have been about eleven years old at the time. My mom tells me that Cecile and my dad were living in the basement of the DeVault house when they were going together. By then both William Peter and Cecil were long gone, Annie was still alive, daughters Marjorie Beth and Dorothy Bell were still living at home. So it is my guess that it was Annie, Marjorie and Dorothy that were living upstairs in the DeVault House. I've always wondered about the "DeVault House" in Bayard. I need to spend some more time in the court house going over land records.
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