Luke Cheney: Frontier judge, civic leader

One of the best-known, and most active citizens of Southwest Nebraska in the first half of the 20th century was Luke Cheney, an energetic lawyer, judge, lodge-man, civic booster, and behind-the-scenes politician, who improved life in both Frontier and Red Willow Counties, Nebraska.

Mr. Cheney was born in the last year of the Civil War in Randolph, Chautauqua Co., New York, to Matthew B. and Lucy Stanley Cheney. As a lad of six, he moved with his parents to a farm northwest of Lincoln in 1870, where he completed grade and high school. He showed an early aptitude for school work and was an early graduate of the University of Nebraska in 1887. From there, he pursued a law degree at the Ann Arbor, Mich., Law College, where he received his degree in 1889.

For two years he practiced law in Lincoln, Neb., but in 1891 he struck out to seek his fortune in the West -- in his case, the Southwest (Nebraska), settling in Stockville, Frontier County Nebraska, where he continued in his practice of the law. In that time Stockville was not a bad place to be.

The little city had two banks, two newspapers, two lumber yards, two livery barns, "several" grocery stores, and "numerous" eating places -- and seven lawyers.

Folks were very optimistic in Stockville in 1891. It was already the County Seat of Frontier County, and it was generally accepted that Stockville was to be the Division Point on a new rail line, running from Duluth and Minneapolis in Minnesota to Denver in Colorado. Survey crews for the new rail line were very much in evidence, and were liberally "wined and dined" by eager townsmen, who hoped to reap great riches from the new railroad. Alas, the Duluth-Denver Line never did materialize and Stockville's fortunes began a slow spiral downward soon after.

Until his marriage Mr. Cheney joined a number of other young bachelors, who slept on cots above one of the grocery stores, and ate at the Noyes House, where many "unattached people" took their meals.

In 1894 Luke took a bride -- Miss Clara Vance, of Laurens, Iowa, who was working at her uncle's store in Stockville. The young couple lived in a house in "downtown" Stockville for while, but in 1897 moved into a home in the "Northwest part of the City." It was here that their three children, Dorothy, Newel, and Wendell were raised. (A fourth child, Vance, died in childhood.)

Luke Cheney practiced law in Stockville from 1891 to 1923. He served as County Attorney from 1898 to 1923, except for a one year absence during World War I. Always interested in agriculture, Mr. Cheney was secretary of the Frontier County Fair Board from 1897 until 1917. He was very active in creating and then running the Stockville Telephone Co.

Both Luke Cheney and his wife were active and held offices in the various branches of the Masonic Lodge. Mr. and Mrs. Cheney were lifelong workers in the Congregational Church. Luke had been a member of the original committee which built the Stockville Congregational Church.

In the later years of the 1800s, Frontier County was very much a part of the Western Frontier, and Luke Cheney was certainly a pioneer lawyer. He told about making a business trip to the southwest part of the County in 1898 by horse and buggy.

His meeting lasted longer than he had planned and darkness came before he could return to Stockville. He came upon a sod house and stopped to see if he might spend the night. His hosts were agreeable and he put his team in the barn.

When he returned to the house he found that the family had moved over, to make space for him on the dirt floor. He lay down, pulled his buffalo overcoat over him and slept soundly till morning. He was awakened by the good aroma of brewing "coffee" -- in this case a concoction made from parched wheat, which was brewed, making a drink somewhat similar to modern Postum.

Mr. Cheney never did own horses of his own, and when necessary he rented his team from one of the local livery barns. This arrangement usually worked out very well, but on a few occasions the horses which were available were broncos, only slightly removed from their wild state.

On these occasions he drove his team to Curtis with lines as taut as he could hold them. Said Mr. Cheney, "In other words, I pulled the buggy all the way to Curtis. For the return trip stable hands would harness the horses behind closed doors. I would get into the buggy, grasp the reins, the boys would open the doors and away we'd go, fast as that team could run, back home to Stockville."

In 1923, Mr. and Mrs. Cheney moved to McCook, with their family, where Luke continued in his practice of the law. He was active in district, state and national Bar associations. He served as Red Willow County Attorney for 15 years, then served as county judge of Red Willow County from 1942 until his death in 1948.

The Cheneys were active in civic affairs in McCook as they had been in Stockville. They were pillars of the Congregational Church, and active participants in Eastern Star organizations, as well as the McCook Elks, and Nebraska Historical Society.

He was one of the organizers and long-time Director of the Associated Charities (forerunner of the United Fund).

Mr. Cheney served on the McCook Board of Education for 15 years, and was a life member of the University of Nebraska and University of Michigan Alumni Associations. At one time, he was the director of the 5th Congressional District for the University of Nebraska Alumni Association.

Already keenly interested in local politics in Stockville, where he served many years on the Frontier County Central Committee, Luke Cheney continued that interest in McCook. He was a staunch Republican and worked tirelessly for his party, notably as a director of the State Senatorial Committee. He regarded, as his crowning achievement, the work he did on behalf of Kenneth Wherry, the fellow who defeated George Norris, in the Senatorial Campaign of 1944.

Mrs. Cheney passed away at their home in McCook in September, 1938, but Mr. Cheney continued to work for his church, his city, and his party for another 10 years. Among numerous honors he acquired during his lifetime, and the one which seemed to mean the most to him, came in December 1938, when he was honored by the Congregational Church, in the form of a Candle-lighting Ceremony in Luke Cheney's honor, "For long and faithful service to his church."

Mr. Cheney never did retire. He was actively working as Red Willow County Judge when he died quietly at his home in November, 1948. He was 84 years old. He is buried in McCook's Memorial Park Cemetery.

Source: Frontier Co. Historical Society Records, Trails West by Ray & Rutledge,

McCook Gazette Golden Anniversary Edition, 1882-1932.