Census: 1849 Rock Co., Wisconsin
Residence: 1854 Waushara Co., Wisconsin
Residence: NOV 1872 North Loup, Valley Co., Nebraska
Census: 1880 North Loup, Valley Co., Nebraska: age 45, Minister

Note: "Andreas' History of the State of Nebraska", 1882.
OSCAR BABCOCK, Postmaster, farmer and stock-raiser, came to Valley County, Neb., and located on a homestead at what is now known as North Loup, in November, 1872. There is now a thriving village containing about five hundred people. The village was laid out by J. A. Green, under the supervision of Mr. Babcock, July 17, 1874, on the northeast quarter of Section 35, Town 18, Range 13, with an addition laid out in June, 1881, by Oscar Babcock; second addition made in May, 1882. Mr. Babcock was President of a Seventh-Day Baptist colony, which was organized in Waushara County, Wis., which colony settled in North Loup in May, 1872. Mr. B. arrived with his family in November of the same year. His wife died in Waushara, Wis., in the fall of 1872. They have four children--Edwin J., Arthur E., Myra and George J. Mr. B., with his small children settled in a dug-out fourteen feet square and lived until the summer of 1873, when he erected a red-cedar block-house. He was pastor of the Seventh-Day Baptist Church for more than five years, preaching the first sermon in a small grove on the bank of the North Loup River, in May, 1872, to a congregation of twenty-five pioneers. He was appointed agent of immigration for Valley County, and has been the means of locating over two hundred families in Valley County. He has been Postmaster since January, 1873. He now owns a timber claim of 160 acres and a one-half interest in the village site. He was born in Cattaraugus County, N. Y., March 15, 1834, and lived in his native State until 1849. His family then moved to Rock County, Wis., where he attended school for five years, then to Waushara County, Wis., being the first of the pioneers in the then wilds of Central Wisconsin. He is a self-educated and thoroughly practical business man. His first wife's maiden name was Metta A. Bristol, of New York State; was again married in 1877, to Miss Hattie E. Payn, of North Loup, who died in February, 1880. Mr. B. was a member of the Wisconsin Legislature in 1865-66; was elected Probate Judge of Valley County, holding the office one term; was County Superintendent of Schools one term; County Commissioner one term, and represented his district one term in the Nebraska State Legislature in 1879.

"The North Loup Loyalist", North Loup, Nebraska, Friday, Oct. 16, 1914, p 1.
Last Friday evening the earthly end came to one of our oldest citizens, when Rev. Oscar Babcock passed away, following a week's illness.
From the first settlement of Valley county until recent years this good man has been prominent in the history of this locality, and only recently had he stepped aside from active labors.
The nature of his sickness, of which he had frequent and almost fatal attacks in recent years, is not known. But his great vitality brought him through them all till he had reached his 80th year.
The deceased was a typical member of a remarkable family. The Babcocks were not money-getters, but they were men of great value to the community. Like his father, Rev. George C. Babcock before him, like his brother, Herman A. Babcock, who was his co-laborer in the early days of Valley county, he was at the front in all matters pertaining to public welfare, forgetful of the opportunities then offered for amassing a fortune.
The funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at his late residence, which was attended by not only the people of North Loup and vicinity but from neighboring towns.
The services were conducted by Rev. G. B. Shaw, from whose address we take the following:
It is becoming more and more the custom as I believe, in conducting burial services to speak briefly and cautiously of the dead, and to give attention to the living. To say little about the future life, but much
about our present conduct, and our attitude towards the teaching and example of Jesus Christ. This is as it should be. But the occasion that brings us together today is unusual. It would be certainly out of place for me today to pass lightly and quickly over the life of the one we have gathered to honor. However, it is usually the best to announce a text of Scripture which may be remembered in connection with a service. I have therefore chosen for that purpose, 2nd Samuel 3:38, "Know we not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel?" Now Elder Babcock would not have chosen such a text as this for his funeral. But the fact that he did not, and we all know that he would not, is one of the evidences that he was a prince and a great man. He was not a great man as the world counts greatness. He was not a scholar, an orator, an author or a captain of industry. He made no pretensions of being a saint. I am not going to say that he was a perfect man; or an ideal man. But your hearts respond instantly to the text that I have given - "a prince and a great man has
fallen this day."
Many present have known Oscar Babcock well over forty or fifty years, several remember him sixty and seventy years ago; and there is one here who can remember distinctly the things that happened 79 years, 6 months and 24 days ago last Friday. Personally I have known Elder Babcock only a few years in the twilight of his life, but what I have known leads me to say "a prince and a great man has fallen this day in Israel."
George C. Babcock's parents were John and Demaris Crandall Babcock.
When Oscar was about eleven years of age a number of families removed from Peoria to Wisconsin. Among these was the family of Elder George Babcock. After living for a short time in Rock county they settled at Dakota in Waushara county. For a time Oscar attended school at Albion Academy. On June 1st, 1858 he was married to Metta Bristol who died in November 1872. In 1878 he married Hattie Payn who died two years later. In 1889 he married Mrs. Adeline Preston who died July 4th, 1912.
There are four children - all the children of his first wife - Edwin J., Arthur H., and Myra H., wife of W. E. Gowen, all living at North Loup, and George I., who has been for some time in charge of the work of the Young Men's Christian Association of Mexico and is living in Mexico City. There is also left of his father's family one sister, Mrs. Delia Chase of North Loup.
Oscar Babcock was licensed to preach in 1858; at the same quarterly meeting when a like call came to A. H. Lewis and to A. B. Prentice. He was not ordained till twelve years later, that is in 1872. He was a member of the state legislature in Wisconsin in 1863-4 and in 1965-6. He was a promoter and president of a scheme of colonization that resulted in the establishment of Seventh-day Baptist society in North Loup, Neb. He has
been pastor at Dakota, Wis., and at North Loup. He was Sabbath school superintendent in North Loup for seventeen consecutive years. He was postmaster at Dakota and was connected with the postoffice department while a member of the Wisconsin legislature. He was postmaster at North Loup for about twenty-seven years. He was the first preacher in Valley county, preaching the first sermon among the covered wagons camped near the river May 18, 1872. A rocking chair was used for a pulpit. He performed the first marriage and conducted the first funeral. He assisted in organizing Valley county in 1873 and was the first county judge. He laid out Babcock's addition to North Loup which was a part of his homestead. For years, he was chairman of the village board and of the school board. He was also Immigration agent and county commissioner for many years. At one time he was superintendent of schools for Valley county. In 1878 he was elected to the legislature of Nebraska.
Elder Babcock led, and bore the brunt of battle, in the long hard fight against Saloons in North Loup, which resulted in destroying practically all saloon sentiment to this day.
For many years he has been subject to sudden attacks of very severe illness. This illness could not be explained or prevented. The time of the attack could not be foretold and the agony he endured could not be fully explained to others. This became a great shadow over his later years. A favorite expression of his own was, that he lived every day in jeopardy of his life. But now after a long life of incessant and unselfish toil he is at rest. "Know ye not that there is a prince and a great man fallen this day in Israel." Not only to his family and his church of which he was an elder, but to the entire community he has left an example well worthy of imitation. "a prince and a great man has fallen this day." He has left no property to endow the village or to enrich his family; but his fallen Mantle he bequeaths to all; and prays that upon all may rest a double portion of his spirit. "My father, my father, the chariot of Israel and the horsemen thereof."