Seward County, Nebraska Genealogy

UNITT, Phillip H., husband of Mary A. (GILL). The following biography is from W. W. Cox, History of Seward County, Nebraska and Reminiscences of Territorial History, Part Two: Biographical, 1905, pages 175-176 (photo from p. 176 courtesy Pat Ryan White):
[Surnames: GILL, UNITT]

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PHILIP UNITT

UNITT
                            by Bill Unitt

    Phillip H. Unitt, pioneer stockman and farmer of Seward Co., Nebr., was born Sept. 3, 1849, Dudley, Worchestshire, England. He was about 19 years old when he came to the United States. He located at Baltimore, Maryland, found employment at a boiler factory. He worked at the factory until 1873, then he decided to come West, and located at Seward, Nebr. as that was as far west, that the A. & N. R. R. line extended at that time.
    At Seward, Nebr. he bought out a party that was operating a butcher shop on the north side of the square.
    Also at Seward, he fed cattle and hogs. He shipped them to the Chicago market as the Omaha market was not established at that time.
    In 1884 he moved to the farm 3 miles S. W. of Seward, Nebr. where he fed and shipped cattle and hogs.
    He bought several loads of cattle in the surrounding counties for future delivery. He was one of the first shippers to the Omaha Livestock market. He also made several shipments of cattle to Liverpool, England, during the 90's. In 1897, he moved back to Seward, Nebr. His second oldest son, A. J. Unitt continued to operate the feeding and farming industry, where his father was formerly located.
    The oldest son, C. H. Unitt, homesteaded at Harrison, Nebr., in Sioux Co. and with his father operated a big cattle ranch.
    V. P. Unitt, operated a drug store at Omaha, Nebraska.
    The youngest son, W. G. Unitt, after finishing school in 1903, at the School of Agriculture at Lincoln, Nebr., stayed with his father at Seward, Nebr. and assisted in the care of the livestock.
    In 1904, we had a car load of hogs on the Omaha Livestock market that topped the market at ten dollars per cwt. They averaged 287 lb. and dressed 80.3%. In 1908, W. G. Unitt, got married and moved to the farm where he still lives and expects to spend the rest of his days at this farm.
    The Unitt's siding was located on this farm, as the C. N. & W. R. R. passed through the west side of the farm. Several car loads of cattle were loaded for export to Liverpool, England, from this siding.
    The neighbors also used this siding for [p. 218] shipping livestock to the Omaha Livestock Market, at Omaha, Nebraska.
    In later years Phillip H. Unitt, became President of the Seward County Agr. Society. He purchased the site where the fair was held for many years.
    Then he as President, E. C. Holland as Secretary, and the late W. E. Langworthy as Treasurer, purchased the site where the Seward County Fair now operates.
    These men had charge of the building of the improvements that were erected that year. It is considered to be one of the most beautiful parks and fair grounds in the State of Nebr.
    W. G. Unitt fed and raised livestock besides farming.
    He was honored as a pioneer shipper and producer of livestock from Seward County for 50 years by the Agr. Committee of the Union Stockyards Co., of Omaha, Nebr., May 14, 1953.
    In 1910 he went into the raising and marketing of sheep.
    He started with two ewes, and the blood of the entire flock traced back to those two original ewes. He was in the sheep industry 54 years.
    The lambs from this flock topped the Omaha lamb market for 20 consecutive years.
    He retired from farming in 1950, and from the livestock industry in 1964.
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