Dr. Birkner's Brigade - Sutton - September 4, 1896

This outfit was called Dr. Birkner's Brigade. The photo is dated Sep 4, 96.

The key on the back identifies the brigade members by those numbers at their feet: 1. Hugo Birkner, 2. Wm. F. Hoerger, 3. Leslie Schaaf, 4. Dan Anthes, 5. Wm. B. Bonekemper, 6-7-8 not identified, 9. Burr Longstreth, 10. C. I. Bonekemper, 11. Ted Matteson, 12-13-14 not identified, 15. C. A. McDonald, 16, Russ Swearingen, 17. Guy Matteson, 18. W. D. Matteson, 19. Clyde Sodeberg, 20 not identified, 21. Logan Grice, 22. Herbert Grosshans and 23 not identified.

These four lads were identified as Guy, Ted and Will. That would be Guy Harold Matteson (1888-1953) Ted? and Will Dinsmore Matteson (1886-1966). Have not placed Ted Matteson yet..

Dr. Birkner was a Sutton doctor until 1899 when he moved to Lincoln. He sold his home and practice to Dr. John Wesley Thompson who had been practicing in Strang where he had met and married Alice Clark, daughter of Dr. Martin Clark of the Clark brothers, Sutton founders. 

We were hoping to find information about Dr. Birkner's Brigade, but instead we did find a reference to Dr. Birkner himself.

Dr. Thompson's daughter, Edith Thompson Hall wrote a short biography of her father that appeared in the Nebraska History magazine #44 on pages 277-295. An interesting and pertinent segment told of Dr. Thompson's time in Sutton and the circumstances of his replacing Dr. Birkner. That article is on at nebraska.history.org at this link.

The Sutton references begin on the page numbered 289. Of interest is that included in the purchase of Dr. Birkner's medical practice, office and home came what may have been Sutton's first phone system. It was a three phone private system connecting Dr. Birkner's office, home and the home of his driver.

Dr. Birkner's driver later played a big role in Dr. Thompson's challenge to attract business from the Germans in Sutton.

Insights.

Enjoy

This item appeared in the paper in 1919 describing that Dr. Birkner faced obstacles when he tried to serve in WWI, obstacles that were removed by court after the war.