My Genealogy Hound

CHARLES M. HOUSTON, editor and proprietor of the Miller Union, was born at Sidney, Iowa, June 8, 1869, and is a son of Harry A. and Jane E. (Irwin) Houston. His father is a native of Pennsylvania and his mother of Ohio. His father has been actively engaged in the newspaper business for more than twenty years, during which time he has published papers in Iowa, Kansas, Nebraska and Wisconsin. He is a clear and forcible writer, and at one time was a member of the editorial staff of the Kansas State Journal.

Charles M. Houston, the subject of this sketch, learned the printing business in the home office at Sidney, Iowa, and is thoroughly familiar with every department of a well-regulated country newspaper office. He went to Armada, Buffalo county, Nebr., in April, 1889, and immediately purchased the office of The Armada Watchman, which paper he published until July, 1890, when he removed said paper to the new town of Miller, and changed the name to Miller Union. The paper was started in May, 1888, by W. A. Hale, who conducted it till December, 1888, when it passed into the hands of The Watchman Publishing Company, with R. A. Reed as editor. After the paper became the property of Mr. Houston, it was materially improved in tone and general make-up. It was republican in politics, and enjoyed a fair advertising patronage. Young Houston, at the age of nineteen only at that time, made a success in the newspaper field where two publishers had failed before him. He is a chip off the old block, and will make a reputation in the newspaper world equal to that of his father.

Early in the spring of 1890, the Union Pacific Railroad Company decided on constructing the Kearney and Black Hills branch, and in speaking of this decision the Miller Union, of August 28, states that “The Hancock Land & Improvement Company owned a section of land to the south and west of old Armada, about a mile through which the railroad was graded. Early in the month of June, the said Hancock Company had their land re-surveyed and platted into a town-site and made the people of Armada the following proposition: To all those engaged in business in Armada and owning either business or dwelling houses, the Hancock Company would give them lots in the ‘new town’ (which they had named Miller), and would move their buildings from Armada to Miller free of cost to the owners. And to those business men who were not owners of buildings in the village of Armada who wished to build houses they would, give them warrantee deeds to lots when buildings were erected. * * * * * The people of Armada, seeing the determination of the Hancock people to build up Miller, and knowing of the vast advantages they would have over Armada, came to the conclusion that it was about time that they were taking steps whereby they might become citizens of Miller. Accordingly, most of the citizens of Armada accepted the proposition of the Miller people; and about July 1st the first building was begun in Miller, which was a residence built by L. A. Hazzard on corner of Stephenson avenue and Fifth street. July 17th, the Miller Union made its first appearance and was issued from a barn, which had been hurriedly erected for a shelter from the weather until better quarters could be secured.”

At present, besides churches, there are over thirty business firms in the place, including banks, and twenty-one dwelling-houses, and others under contract to be built.