Dell Akin was born in Osage, Iowa, but as a teenager he moved to Nebraska.
He first saw the light of day at Osage, Iowa on September 23, 1860. He was the son of Ben F. and Elizabeth (Butler) Akin, natives of Pennsylvania and New York, respectively.
As a boy, Dell Akin attended the common schools, and the high school at Osage, Iowa, then one of the best institutions of its kind in that part of Iowa, and in 1877 he came to Holt county, Nebraska, where he opened a small store, trading with the Indians some years at the mouth of Red Bird creek, they crossing the Niobrara from their reservation in what is now Boyd county.
In the spring of 1879, Mr. Akin disposed of his store, and spent two years in Niobrara where he was employed as clerk by various merchants. He was living there at the time of the memorable flood of 1881, and helped in the work of rescuing those who were marooned.
He was awakened by the sound of water, sprang from bed to find himself ankle deep in icy water, and by the time he had taken his soaked trousers from the floor, he was knee deep in the water. As he reached the sidewalk, he was thrown aside by a piece of ice which struck him.
He and a Mr. Moore procured a boat, and did noble work in caring for those in distress. One amusing incident was connected with a woman. who, with a child and dog, was sitting on top of a table above the water, and when Mr. Akin reached her, she would not go first, leaving the child and dog, and did not wish to have either of them taken first without her, so he had to take all three on his back, and carry them to the boat at the door. Upon reaching it, he slipped, dumping his load into the boat with such force as nearly to capsize it. The woman's husband had fled at the first sign of danger, making his escape to higher ground, and leaving his family to their fate.
Mr. Akin then moved to O'Neill. He had filed claim on a homestead and timber claim east of the town, in 1879, and lived there from 1881 until 1885, perfecting his title. He then traded his land for a ranch, southwest of Atkinson.
On September 23, 1882, Mr. Akin was married in O'Neill to Miss Fannie Scott, a native of Missouri. Three children have been born to this union Bertha, wife of James Russell, of Portland, Oregon.
In 1890, Mr. Akin moved into Atkinson, but still operated his ranch, and raised cattle and horses for the market. In 1900, he purchased the Atkinson "Graphic", and has since ably conducted this sheet as a staunch advocate of republican principles. Since assuming charge, he has greatly increased the circulation, and has one of the progressive papers of his part of the state. He has an editorial page that keeps its readers in touch with the leading issues and questions of the day, and the news department has a high standard.
In 1902, Mr. Akin was appointed to the office of postmaster of Atkinson. He takes an active interest in the campaigns of the republican party, and makes his influence felt at all times, especially when a campaign is in full swing.
Few men have obtained success in as many lines as Dell Akin has; editor and postmaster, in Atkinson, Nebraska. At one time or another he has followed the various vocations of merchant, Indian trader, clerk, farmer and ranchman, editor, and postmaster--in all of which he has acquitted himself in a creditable manner, showing him to be essentially a son of the west.
Submitted to Mitchell County IaGenWeb by Kathy Pike, Aug. 2004