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One of the
most colorful and successful editors of the Mills County Tribune
was Nelson Curtis "Nancy" Field.
Born in Pottawattamie County, on 13 Apr 1868, he was a son of Arminius J. and Aurelia (Sellers) Field. He worked on the farm until
he entered the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor where he
graduated from the literary department with the degree of Bachelor
of Arts in 1890. After graduation he taught school for a year before
becoming a journalist and establishing the Mills County Tribune with
N.T. Bradway, In 1895 he became the sole owner.
On the 7th of January, 1890, he married Miss Jennie Buffington, a
member of an old and influential family in Mills County, but their
marriage was short as Mrs. Field died the following May.
He was defeated as a candidate for state senator on the
Democratic ticket from the largely Republican senatorial district
composed of Mills and Montgomery counties. He began business with no
capital, but through his paper and other investments he acquired
seven farms totaling 1015 acres.
According to The History of Mills County, 1985, "Mr. Field
published all of the news he could find, including the filing of
divorce suits. In those days marriages were not dissolved unless
there were adequate grounds, such suits often made lurid charges.
Sometimes the litigants were offended by such publicity and for many
years it was legendary that Editor Field occasionally had to dodge
dissatisfied parties, some of whom came after him with a horse whip,
a favorite non-lethal weapon of that day."
Source: 1901
Fremont-Mills History and The History of Mills County, 1985 |