An American Family History

Harry Hurburt Long was born April 19, 1876, in Nebraska. His parents were John H. Long and Sarah Freestone.

He attended high school in Aurora, Hamilton County, Nebraska and the Peru Normal School in Peru, Nebraska. A normal school was a teacher training school.

At the time of the 1900 census he was 26 and working as a barber in Aurora.

In 1902 he married Margaret Cecelia Wickless, who was born in Iowa in November, 1881. Her parents were John and Elizabeth Wickless. Harry and Margaret had only one daughter, Marie Long, who died when she was only 8.

He was a decorator in Colorado Springs for seven years. After that, he worked in Kansas City in a government shipping office.

At the time of the 1910 census they were in Grand Island, Hall County, Nebraska. Harry was working as a wallpaper hanger.

After he retired in 1917, he concentrated on labor organizations. He was belonged to the American Federation of Labor, the Central Labor Union and the L. O. O. M. He was the business agent for all labor unions in Hall County.

In 1920 they were living in Denver, Colorado and Harry was a labor organizer.

By the time of the 1840 census, Margaret and Harry were divorced. Margaret, age 58, was living by herself in Denver.

Harry H. Long who is prominent in labor circles and officially connected with many important industrial organizations, has been a resident of Grand Island for twelve years. He was born April 19, 1876, in Madison County, Iowa.

His parents were John H. and Elizabeth (Freestone) Long, the former of whom was born in Ohio in 1814 and died at Lincoln, Nebraska, in 1913. He was a Republican in politics and for many years was a justice of the peace. During his active years he was a farmer in Iowa but had been retired for a long period prior to 1906, when he moved to Lincoln, Nebraska.

The mother of Harry H. Long was born in Indiana in 1846, was married at Perry, Iowa, and died in Nebaska (sic) in 1908. Of the family of five children, the following are living: Harry H., who resides at Grand Island; David A., who is a farmer near St. Joseph, Missouri and Mrs. Rose Meyers, a widow, lives at Council Bluffs, Iowa. The parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal church.

Harry H. Long attended the high school at Aurora, Nebraska, and the Peru Normal school. He learned the trade of decorator, following this vocation at Colorado Springs, for seven years. Subsequently for eleven months he was employed at Kansas City in a government shipping office, following which he came to Grand Island. Here Mr. Long resumed work at his trade, which is a trying one on the eyes, and on account of a devloping (sic) weakness, he was forced to abandon it in 1917.

Since he has devoted all of his time to the interests of labor organization, which very generally concede his unusual business ability. He is affiliated with the American Federation of Labor and is an organizer for the same; is the secretary of the Central Labor Union, and is business agent for all labor unions in Hall County. He belongs also to the L. O. O. M.

In 1902 Mr. Long was united in marriage to Miss Margaret Wickless, who was born in Iowa. They had one daughter, Marie, who died when aged eight years. Mrs. Long is a member of the Roman Catholic church. Mr. Long maintains his office in the Glover building at the corner of Third and Wheeler streets.
Transcribed by Larry Coates